When we got a call from Maria, it was accompanied by a note from Ray that made me wonder just how far in the past I’d been pulled. Ray, the groom was someone with whom I worked for quite awhile. We got to know each other pretty well, and it was great to see him again. It was an even bigger honor to be photographing his wedding.
Of course, Ray is a Georgia boy. The smile and personality fit him perfectly. Ray has a way with words, and a tendency to explain things – sometimes in great detail. But I could listen to him forever. :o)
Having the time and opportunity to take a few fill-in shots also gives Diana an opportunity to add a little more art to the pictures I take. This one is a favorite of mine from the wedding…
Maria has this smile that is really infectious. You can help yourself. This was just after she got to the altar and the minister (a good family friend) began speaking.
The ceremony was very light-hearted, and as a result there were some very amusing moments. In this one, the bride’s family was asked if they supported the marriage and would keep it going. The either misunderstood the question, or they didn’t want to commit, because they all went silent. Diana added a little something to this picture as well, which was originally blown out (on purpose) and it gave Diana a good opportunity to work on some new ideas.
Sometimes it doesn’t take post-processing to get a good image. I really like this one… candles on the water is always an iffy proposition.
Needless to say, they had a lovely cake.
And when it was time to move the ceremony decorations indoors, the able staff at the Purple Iris was more than willing to haul things around. These guys were a lot of fun.
Sometimes you don’t need to know who a person is to make a nice picture of them. This little one was watching other kids out playing in the yard. I’m not sure why she didn’t go outside.
The grand entrance for the happy couple. Ray and Maria now reside in Winchester, Virginia. There’s was a wedding that we won’t soon forget. 🙂
The Beehive Montessori Preschool is a standout among many choices for daytime child care.
Unlike daycare centers for which we’ve done photos, the Beehive prefers natural settings and an interactive session. We took their photos up at the Rumsey Monument near the outskirts of Shepherdstown. It was a nice day, though a bit brisk, for some photos with the kids.
This wonderful couple came to us about three weeks prior to their wedding. They are a cute couple, since Brandy is petite and DW is tall and broad. But they’ve known each other for a very long time and just seem to fit together so very well.
So the groom, DW was all in white. He said that Brandy insisted. I think it was kind of cute.
So, DW has a daughter and Brandy and she just happened to bond early on. Brandy was pretty nervous, but DW’s little girl took care of that. 🙂
After the wedding, it was all smiles and relaxation.
While I never got the whole story (none of my business really), Brandy’s father wasn’t there to either give her away or for a father-daughter dance. I got the impression that he was deceased, but her uncle stepped in to dance with her and she got pretty emotional. Those who know me will know that I got emotional, too.
The reception was full of life and fun. Greg was the DJ (we see him a lot lately), so things moved along at a good pace and there was very little time to just sit around.
We want to wish Brandy and DW a long and happy marriage. A new family right from the start is a great way to begin a new life together.
Just forget whatever you’ve ever known about two year olds and portrait sittings. You’ve heard horror stories I’m sure. I could even tell you a few, although most children’s portrait sittings go quite well here.
The reason you should think differently is based solely on a little girl named Emma. She was the winner of a cover contest for Child Guide Magazine, in which we advertise. As part of our work with the magazine, we agreed to photograph Emma for the upcoming cover of the January/February issue of the magazine. To do that, we held a portrait sitting at our studio. Her mother came as well, and was instrumental in keeping Emma in new outfits as we went along.
I’ve been photographing children for a lot of years, and many have given me some great expressions and faces that make for wonderful photos. But Emma gave me constantly changing expressions that made for consistently wonderful photos. She’s a treasure of a child and will likely end up as an actress somewhere… she’s so smart and bold, has a lot of character, and gave me different moods, expressions and personalities in the span of just a few minutes.
Look for her on the upcoming issue of Child Guide Magazine, and another photo of her inside as part of our ad. Here are two unpublished photos of Emma.
Children’s portrait sittings like this are the usual at TLC. We take plenty of time with each child, realizing they are an individual.
I never know where I’m going from issue to issue with Valley Homes and Style magazine… that is to say, I never know where my destination will be for the front cover. It’s always interesting, and often challenging, but never boring.
This particular shoot was interesting before I even got there. Cindy told me that the home was on the terrace. She even gave me the address. I was baffled at first, but set to putting it into my GPS and determining how to get there. Even my little GPS knew where The Terrace was in Hagerstown. The name of the street is The. The name of the type of street it is is Terrace. So, it’s The Terrace.
Oh never mind… I didn’t get it at first, either.
But we did shoot a nice cover pic.
This photo was used on the cover of the Holiday issue of Valley Homes and Style. There are several other photos in there I did for Cindy’s article on holiday decorating. And our photos were used in three ads for various companies. Busy busy busy!
One of our nicest clients has family all over. With children, grandchildren and great grandchildren far and wide, Lillian likes to keep a good record of them – and loves pictures.
This particular family was in to visit and wanted some nice family photos done, and some individuals of the kids, too. As always, we were happy to oblige.
It’s a great feeling to see so many happy faces.
So I’m not a big fan of the car inspection thing. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of making sure that cars are inspected and safe to be on the road. What I’m opposed to is that vehicle repair centers are just about the only spot to get your car inspected. What do this vehicle repair centers make the most money on? That’s right, repairing safety items.
Last time we took the car in to be inspected, the inspector told me that all four tires needed to be replaced. Needless to say I thought this was a bit overstated, so I had them reinspected by another place, who said that there was one tire that needed replaced and it was due to a nail. I did that, and it passed inspection.
Needless to say this time I was not only pensive but waiting for the “you need a brake overhaul” or “your ball joint bearing thingies are worn out” or something that was going to cost me too much.
Instead… nothing. There was nothing wrong. I quickly paid the bill and left, thanking them for being thorough. I just didn’t want them to have a chance to remember that they’d forgotten to check under the car or something.
Same time next year I guess.
I don’t get a lot of opportunities to shoot high school sports anymore. So when I do, I like to make sure that I’m shooting a sport that I know fairly well. Since my eldest daughter played volleyball in high school, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Shooting volleyball is like a guessing game. It’s hard to follow the ball, so you have to follow the player you are trying to photograph. Often times, with patience, you will get the shot you want. Other times, you may just get a blur.
When it comes to little boys, we often find that they are far more interested in exploring than they are at posing for pictures. In fact, most children Anthony’s age couldn’t care less about posing for photos.
Interestingly, Anthony was a bit atypical in this department. While he did spend a good ten minutes talking with me about his extensive experiences in life, he also had no problem taking his position in front of the camera and smiling on command.
Like all little boys, though, he got a little goofy after awhile. Mom and dad helped during the sitting, making things even more hilarious for Anthony.
Here’s a favorite from his sitting…
I would be remiss in my posting duties if I didn’t also share an image of Anthony’s antics.
As Keller-Williams agents, the Jim Sabol Group came to us for an update in their “look” in new magazine ads they were considering for a new marketing campaign.
Getting the right look is sometimes the difference between a glance and a notice when it comes to magazine advertising.
Having the time and opportunity to take a few fill-in shots also gives Diana an opportunity to add a little more art to the pictures I take. This one is a favorite of mine from the wedding…
The ceremony was very light-hearted, and as a result there were some very amusing moments. In this one, the bride’s family was asked if they supported the marriage and would keep it going. The either misunderstood the question, or they didn’t want to commit, because they all went silent. Diana added a little something to this picture as well, which was originally blown out (on purpose) and it gave Diana a good opportunity to work on some new ideas.
Sometimes it doesn’t take post-processing to get a good image. I really like this one… candles on the water is always an iffy proposition.
Needless to say, they had a lovely cake.
And when it was time to move the ceremony decorations indoors, the able staff at the Purple Iris was more than willing to haul things around. These guys were a lot of fun.
Sometimes you don’t need to know who a person is to make a nice picture of them. This little one was watching other kids out playing in the yard. I’m not sure why she didn’t go outside.
The grand entrance for the happy couple. Ray and Maria now reside in Winchester, Virginia. There’s was a wedding that we won’t soon forget. 🙂
