I’ve been meaning to write this blog for some time now. However, as the holidays took over and the year ended, we were blessed with family visits and inundated with distractions. We’ve also been working fiercely on our rebranding this wedding photography business of ours (more on that later). So as the new year began and the wave of 2011 rolled back, I’ve finally found the time to write. Krystle & Kevin were wed November 26 in Key West and we had the great privilege to document their big day.

We shacked up at the Lighthouse Court Inn, a quaint little spot directly across the street from the Ernest Hemingway House and about a mile from the ceremony site. Needless to say it was overrun with six-toed cats and as a bonus, roosters. In fact, the entire island is a haven for cats & chickens. It was a strange dynamic; cats, chickens, and drunk people all thrown together and forced to cohabitate peacefully. What a great place to get married.

As Nate & I have only been to Key West once each, we really didn’t know the prime spots for photography much less what the sun would be doing once we found these spots. Enter Erica from Simply You Weddings. She stepped right up and took all of the guess work out of finding the perfect backdrops for our photos. She even went as far as to pick us up from the airport when we had to drop off our rental car. Once she had us seated comfortably in her SUV, she drove us around the island and stopped at all the points in which she thought would interest us. It was a great time saver and even gave us a personalized tour of Key West by a hip local. It was certainly win win for us Dorn Brothers.

Because we were already down in Key West the day before the wedding, Krystle & Kevin were gracious enough to invite us to their rehearsal dinner/welcome party. Aside from having a great meal, we were given the opportunity to meet their family and other guests who made their way down from the mainland (mostly from the great state of Ohio) to be a part of the celebration. We were seated next to Krystle’s parents, her sister, and some of their lifelong friends. They made us feel right at home.

The next day, we met up with Krystle & her girls as they prepped themselves in her hotel room. As they had their hair and makeup done, they were eating salads and drinking moonshine. I was positive that this was going to be a great day. We snapped a few preparation photos before leaving to check on Kevin and his crew who were getting dressed at the Old Town Manor (site of the reception). We got what we needed here and then began rounding them all up for the First Look. Even we were running a little behind at this point, we were able to shoot the first look and the formals quite quickly because of Simply You Weddings and Erica showing us around the day before We knew just where to go. We were also given the luxury of having golf carts provided for us to expedite our process. We got some great shots and started making our way back to the hotel for the ceremony. However, Krystle decided that they all needed a shot of something before they had to behave. We quickly found Captain Tony’s Saloon and pulled to the curb. We entered, what could be, the dingiest bar in Key West. After waiting far longer than a bride should ever have to wait for anything on her wedding day, the bartender made his way over to us and started pouring the shots. Yummy! As we left, we were all surrounded by pirates and forced into another fantastic photo op. Snap Snap!

We finally made it back to the ceremony site with not a moment to lose. We weren’t able to make it to the rehearsal, but luckily for us, the videographers were.  They helped guide the set up in a way that allowed for the best light and ease of movement.  They also were a great company (Ever Clear Productions) to work side by side with.  Check them out if you’re in the market for a wedding video:  we were It was a very nice ceremony on a beach and even Krystle’s uncle was the officiant. They timed it perfectly with the sunset and the images were lit beautifully. Immediately following their wedding, Nate & I quickly shot the formal family photos as everybody else started to let loose for cocktail hour.  It was a sweet way to get a party going and a good indication of where the night was headed.  They were all in great spirits and nicely primed up for their dinner and some serious celebration.

The Reception was being held at the Old Town Manor and it was set up beautifully.  Several different stations of food were strategically placed along the brick covered grounds.  And aside from the buffet stations, bar, and dinner tables, there were also several palm trees throughout and even a koi pond.  Needless to say, there wasn’t a great deal of space.  That said, it is even more remarkable how they managed to arrange it all and still leave room for a dance floor.

Once dinner was over, the party began.  As I watched this close knit group of friends & family, I was amazed at how much they reminded me of my own.  They all took part and you could really tell they all meant a great deal to each other.  Even Krystle’s grandfather took part in the celebration.  He wasn’t going to let something as trivial as his wheelchair prevent him from dancing.

It was a great experience for Nate & I and we are so thankful that Krystle & Kevin chose us to be document such an important day in their lives.  I look forward to staying in touch.  Heck, maybe we’ll just make it an annual trip to Key West in their honor.

Well, where do I begin?  I can honestly say that this was one of our most “colorful” and unique weddings we’ve had the pleasure to document.  Not that the ceremony itself was outrageous or that the reception had some unusual occurrence, it was simply the fact that the wedding party and their guests were some of the most vivid and shameless folks we’ve ever dealt with. Now, I’m no expert when it comes to tattoos or body jewelry, but the levels and quality of both present here at this wedding was exemplary works of art.  The groom, Kyle works for Maya Organic and for Infinite Piercing in Philadelphia.  He was quite proud to show off the custom made, one-of-a-kind jewelry that his friend from Reign (Tomma & Kevin) made for him as a wedding gift.
It was clear to see that he is well respected in his industry.  So, that being the case, they had Maya Organic, Reign, Thunderdome, and Relic body jewelry companies present at their wedding.  I saw some quite beautiful pieces almost anywhere I looked.  I’m also quite sure that the tattoos that covered most everybody present were done from some of the most gifted artists in the field.  It was spectacular! We first met Amanda at a wedding show where we had a booth.  I think we initially caught her attention because of our suits.  However, we quickly revealed our clever wit and charming personalities to win her over.  This lead to a conversation about beards and how Kyle (still her fiancé at that time) was a hairy guy.  

They chose the Payne-Corley house for their venue, which lent an interesting juxtaposition of a traditional setting to their anything goes attitude.  It was a nice touch.  Amanda had a very short but specific list of images that she wanted us to take with the group photos and we were happy to oblige her.  She also opted to have a photo booth set up during the reception.  For this, we knew we needed to hire another photographer with moxie.  We needed somebody to “man” the photo booth who wouldn’t be deterred by a rambunctious crowd intent on celebration.  We needed somebody with skill enough to take the photo while fireworks detonated at their feet.  We needed Stacey Bode.  And, as you can see from the photo booth pics, she held her own quite well (check her out, she’s quite a gifted photographer with great concepts one at that: www.staceybode.com). The night went just as it should.  A little bonding, a little mayhem, and a heck of a lot of celebration.  We met people from all over.  Guests from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Arizona, Oklahoma, Michigan, California, Missouri, Texas, Iowa, New York, Minneapolis and even Canada made their way to Duluth, GA for this wedding.  The fact that they were willing to travel so far for Amanda & Kyle is a good indication of the type of people they are.  Sincere, loyal, and solid to the core.

 Check Out the PhotoBooth Pics on Our DornBrother’s Facebook Page

Vintage.  Lauren really wanted a vintage look for her wedding.  So much so, that it meant creating some of the details herself… which she did, including the bouquets, boutonnieres, hair pieces and various other decorations & accessories.  It’s safe to say that Lauren had a vision for her wedding and that vision involved us and our style of wedding photography.  We were all for it.  Tre, her fiancé lived in DC and we didn’t get to meet him until he came to Atlanta for some wedding planning details and to have their engagement portraits taken. Tre appeared a little more reserved about the whole vintage theme, but it was apparent that if she was happy then he was happy.  We set up their engagement downtown in downtown Atlanta, and before long, Tre was swinging around a lamp post like Gene Kelly.

The Wedding and the reception were both held at The Georgian Terrace across Peachtree Street from the Fox Theater.  We’ve shot a few weddings there and couldn’t think of a better location for Lauren to have a wedding with a vintage feel.  It’s such an beautiful hotel with a incredible history.  Built in 1911, the hotel (sometimes referred to as “The Grand Old Lady of Peachtree” has some amazing architectural features and has had some very prominent guest over the years including Calvin Coolidge, John J. Pershing, Walt Disney, Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and F. Scott Fitzgerald, to name a few.  The hotel has also hosted several concerts, been featured in movies, and was venue for the 1939 Gone With the Wind Gala.  Yes, it is rich with history.

When we arrived the bridal party was still getting ready.  It seems that most everybody was out too late the night before, save for one of her bridesmaids who was pregnant.   But soon the excitement of the day got them going and we were ready for some group photos!  Lauren and Tre decided they would see each other before the ceremony; this is always nice on our end, because it allows us to set up some great photos before all the guest arrive and there’s a little less pressure for everyone.  We did the “first look” between them and then move on to some really cool group shots.  The Ceremony was very quick, the rest of the formal photos went smoothly, the food was served, and no one wasted any time getting out on the dance floor for the reception!

Our work with Lauren & Tre was not over just yet, however.  She had asked us to if we’d be interested in a “Trash The Dress” session with here and we jumped at the opportunity.  After all the work and planning Lauren was willing to take a plunge in her wedding dress, we love this!  From start to end, it seems like a great way to complete the circle of the ritual of getting married.  We originally wanted to head out to a lake and shoot something really “artsy” of Lauren in the water.  However, after running into a issue with the lake, changes were initiated and we ended up shooting in the fountains of downtown Dallas, GA.  The photos looked great and were really fun shoot!

Congratulations Lauren and Tre on such a beautiful wedding and an amazing day!

When our friends and fellow improvisers, Sally & Charlie asked us to shoot their wedding, we both thought, “Oh yeah, this going to be awesome!”  We met them a few years ago when we started taking improv classes and performing at Jackpie Theater.  They were great fun to watch and just overall great people.  Being that they’ve performed in the same improv theatre we have and knowing that many of the other performers would likely be there to celebrate their union, we prepared ourselves for an entertaining night.  They were even gracious enough to include us at their rehearsal dinner the night before, which gave us a great heads up in meeting the family and getting to know the bridal party.

The event was held at the Atrium in Norcross, which is tucked away behind massive shrubs off of Buford Highway and quite isolated from the industry and clamor one might associate with that stretch of road.  I admit, upon entering the venue, I was a little skeptical of what type of place it may be.  However, all my worries were overcome once I got a look at the building with the quaint gardens surrounding it.  There were plenty of photo ops!  At this point, the only challenge would the lighting as we were shooting the wedding on a Friday night and we couldn’t get into the place before 5:30p.m.

The event was held at the Atrium in Norcross, which is tucked away behind massive shrubs off of Buford Highway and quite isolated from the industry and clamor one might associate with that stretch of road.  I admit, upon entering the venue, I was a little skeptical of what type of place it may be.  However, all my worries were overcome once I got a look at the building with the quaint gardens surrounding it.  There were plenty of photo ops!  At this point, the only challenge would the lighting as we were shooting the wedding on a Friday night and we couldn’t get into the place before 5:30p.m.

We had two hours before the wedding was to start so we couldn’t waste any time.  As soon as the groomsmen were all there, I took them out to the gardens while Nate stayed with girls and got some great shots of them getting ready before we switched them all. It was a hectic start, but we managed to capture some beautiful images and have everybody back in their positions before the 7:30 call time of the wedding.

As I mentioned earlier, the challenge was in the lighting.  The sun went down around 7:15 and the wedding was held outside at 7:30.  This led to a dark sky with little in the way of ambient light.  Thankfully we had our tripods and Sally & Charlie stood still, long enough for us to take some sharp images.  The venue was also lit up with strings of lights around the perimeter of the garden and a beautiful, well-lit arbor as the centerpiece so we were able to make it all work out.

Immediately following the ceremony, we set up our light and began taking the many photos of numerous families and the formal group shots of the bridal party together.  With barely any time left, we snapped off a few more images of Sally & Charlie together and then made our way in to the reception where we enjoyed good food, great company and wild dancing.  Their first dance was one of the best I’ve ever witnessed (they had some great moves together and even split apart for brief solo moves only to come back to one another in a dramatic fashion).  When it came down to the get away, Sally & Charlie ran through a barrage of bubbles and, Charlie, without any hint of chivalry, quickly jumped behind the wheel of the car and shut himself in leaving Sally outside alone as she was pelted with bubbles.  With a quick glance, Sally made him aware of his mistake and he sprung out of the car and opened the door for her posthaste, leaving us with a comical finish for a really fun day.

We’d like to congratulate both Sally & Charlie again and wish them a long and happy life together filled with joy and spontaneity.

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I don’t know if growing up in Augusta, Georgia makes a person more talented, beautiful or just slightly crazy, but it seems all of our friends and their families epitomize these traits.  I remember traveling to Athens a few times during my college years and whenever I told anyone where I was from I almost always got the same response;  “You’re from Augusta?  People from Augusta are nuts!”  I suppose every town has its select group of artist, poets, and madmen who cannot help but be influenced by their environment, and honestly, I cannot complain.  It’s been well over a decade since I lived in Augusta; but when we shot Erin and Hardy’s wedding a few weeks ago I was reminded of this amazingly creative and slightly crazy community from which we came.

Erin and Hardy have been close friends of ours for many, many years, and while we were sitting at their rehearsal dinner, I realized that this was probably the most personal wedding we have covered to date.  We went to school with their siblings (Leah, Kirk, and Dawson) and we lived and worked with Hardy and his band in Atlanta for several years during and after college (our mothers even ran an art gallery together).  So we knew almost everyone and have been around these families throughout our lives.  It was a true honor for us to be a part of this day.

Seeing that Hardy and Erin met in Athens and currently live there, it only made sense for them to get married there.  The event was held at The Hill, another place with a lot of family history for Hardy, and with many turn of the century houses on the property, The Hill had a lot of history within itself.  It was a great backdrop and made our job so much more fun to do.  The Hill also provided a great many spots for people to sleep, which was great indeed considering that their wedding was the same weekend as Georgia’s homecoming game against Vanderbilt.

Erin and Hardy wanted to keep the ceremony small and simple.  However, this was quite difficult when you take into account the sheer number of family members.  Hardy could build an army large enough to conquer a small island nation with his cousins alone.

Erin was beautiful and her makeup, hair, and dress were simply stunning.  A funny moment happened during our formal photos when Erin kindly stated “okay, we need to hurry” then suddenly looked around to her bridesmaids and said, “oops, was that my first bridezilla moment?”  They all shook their heads and laughed.  Hardy may have topped the list with his number of “mild mannered” groomsmen, all friends of ours as well.  These guys certainly know how to take style and finesse to a different level… enough said.

The ceremony went down perfectly, dinner was delicious, music was loud, The Whigs played a couple of songs, and a flood of friends dropped in and the dancing ensued.  Hardy’s brother Dawson even got up with a few of Hardy’s band mates and cousins and sang for the new couple for their first dance.  Now, that was sweet.

NOTE: On the slide show below, just click on the photo, left or right for the next or previous. You don’t actually have to click the word “Next” or “Prev”.
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Alice works for the Atlanta Ballet and she heard of us through a close friend.  Originally, her plans called for a carnival style wedding that might have included a Ferris wheel… so we had instant respect for her.

Alice and Chris have been dating since 1998, so their wedding was a long time in the making and gave credence to their theme, “only fools rush in”.

They both are productive and creative people with hundreds of colorful friends from around the country.  And although we didn’t even get a chance to meet them until just a few weeks before the wedding, we could tell it was going to be a wild one.

The carnival wedding didn’t pan out, so Alice and Chris decided to have an old-fashioned, yet very hip wedding at The Stovall House in Sautee Nacoochee, GA, the town they both call home.  The Stovall house is set in the foothills of the Appalachians and had rolling hills, horses and cornfields all around.  It was a very honest and beautiful setting.

Like a well-kept mullet, the ceremony took place in the front yard, while the party commenced out back. As the shuttles rolled up letting off hundreds of guests, it was very apparent that Alice and Chris were there to have a quick ceremony (many 15mins tops) and start having a good time with their friends. The 5-piece band they hired had great 1920s style “Ragtime” feel, and really set the tone for an amazing party.

Alice and Chris reserved a room for us at the Stovall House, so we were there for the duration.  The ragtime band had long since quit and the DJ they hired from Eric Anthony Productions had come on to give the party all new life as it wound into the night.  When the last shuttle was leaving and the DJ tried to pack up, nobody boarded the bus and some big guys held the DJ hostage by paying him a few hundred-dollar bills.  Amazing!

Another reason we were really excited about this wedding was Alice and Chris’s request to make the photos look aged.  They both liked the “Hipstamatic” app on their iPhones and were wondering if we could do anything like that to their images.  If you are unfamiliar with the app, it basically takes digital images and makes them look like photos from decades past or photos taken from plastic cameras, using film, complete with light leaks and color shifts. We love this look ourselves and had a field day in postproduction!  It’s easy to go overboard with all the textures and effects you can apply to photographs these days, so there’s always a fine line one needs to be aware.  It also helps to have a good sense for what might work.  Needless to say, we put a lot of work into these images are we are thrilled with the results.  We’d also like to say how exciting it was to get to spend the night with some crazy, moonshine drinking, nonstop dancing, beautiful people!

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When we first met Meghan and Chris, we knew that we were in for a treat.  Meghan’s dynamic energy and the grounded nature of Chris were apparent at first glance and Nate and I couldn’t wait to work with them.  So, when Meghan contacted us about setting up their engagement portrait, we were excited for us to all get to know each other a little better.

Picking a location for an engagement session can be difficult for most people.  This was not the case for Meghan & Chris.  We asked if they had any spot in mind that meant something to them and Meghan was quick to reply “Milton Park.”  This was the spot where Chris proposed to her and  I couldn’t think of a better background for an engagement portrait.  So, we photographed them as they took a stroll around the lake and found opportunities for pictures in every scene they came across.  Meghan was her usual “crazy” self and Chris went with it.

When the day of the wedding came around, Nate & I drove up to Alpharetta with high expectations.  At the Alpharetta Athletic Club, we began with the girls as they finalized their own hair and make up and then moved on to addressing Meghan’s already stunning appearance.  With a little persuasion, each bridesmaid took on a different task to prepare Meghan for the big show and we got some great images out of it.  Clearly, they all loved her and Meghan held a special spot for them in her heart as well.  It was quite hot outside, but the girls were willing to spend some time with us as we commandeered a golf cart and set them up in a few poses before we realized that they were all naturals in front of the camera.  The rest of their shoot didn’t take long as we just clicked image after image of their “freestyle” portraits.  By then, Nate and I were both pretty covered in sweat and I’m sure the ladies didn’t mind stepping back into the air conditioning.

Chris and his men were next and, as I have just mentioned the heat, they were all very good sports and tolerant of the time they had to spend in the sun for these images.  We heard no serious complaints; even when we wanted a photo of them all taking swings at the same time and they didn’t have any golf clubs.  To rectify that, a few of the groomsmen walked over to the nearest golfer and politely demanded that he hand over 8 clubs for a wedding photo.  He agreed.

They were married in St. Brigid, a beautiful Catholic Church with intricate stained glass, ornaments and brickwork.  The guests were all very involved with the service.  One of Meghan’s bridesmaids even sang for them and it was like listening to angels give praise to life itself.  There is such talent in this group of people.

The fact that it took 30 minutes to drive back to the Alpharetta Athletic Club for the reception and the length of time it took for dinner to be served led me to believe that the rest of the night might not be as eventful as the previous part of the day.  I was wrong.  As soon as the dinner wrapped up, Ted Crowder of Atlanta DJs, put on a dance number and the entire room erupted.  Not just a handful of the younger crowd who happened to all be great friends with each other… I mean everybody.  Complete sides of each family and all the guests who’ve never met were dancing together like they were in a Bollywood movie.  It was awe-inspiring.  Choreographed moves, head-banging, improvisational twirls, and even a pantomime of Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” were all highlights of the evening.  It was definitely one of our most enjoyable weddings of the year.  We took a few pictures…

Heather & Tim Rogers

We had the fortune of meeting Heather Lumpkin (now Heather Rogers) at another wedding we shot four years ago.  She was a bridesmaid of our friend Gina and I remember her being laid back, fun, and overall, positive.  So, when we received a call from her letting us know that it was now her turn to be the bride, we were more than excited to photograph her wedding.  In fact, we were all so eager to work together, that she booked us nearly a year and a half before her actual date.  She even booked us before she picked a venue; in fact, I believe that in the back of her mind, she had us booked before she was engaged.

So after a long wait, her day finally arrived and we all got together at the Roswell River Landing for a day of joyous celebration and a night of reckless dancing.  Due to Heather’s laid back, go with the flow nature, she thought it wise to employ the services of a wedding coordinator.  Enter, Erica Prewett of “A Big to Do Event.”  With a few phone calls and an organized vision, the day began to take shape.

Heather was not your traditional bride.  In lieu of your typical, “female” bridesmaids, she opted to have her two brothers stand by her side.   She also made a choice to see Tim before the ceremony in order to knock out the formal portraits and leave more time for dancing at the reception.  So, Nate and I set up a “first look” photograph by having Tim wait outside the building with his back turned as Heather ran out the doors in her beautiful dress and to his side without hesitation.  She did it so quickly in
fact; we were barely set to shoot before Tim was turning around.  But, we got it and a precious moment was documented for them to gaze upon whenever they are feeling a little nostalgic.  From there, we moved on to the formal portraits of the wedding party and were even able to shoot all the family pictures before the other guests began to arrive.  Despite the heat, everything went so smooth and painless that Nate & I were struggling to think up more photos to take.  We had another hour before the scheduled start and we’d already captured the grounds and we’ve shot each other so many times that it no longer holds any mystery for us.  I suppose you’ll run into this type of low-pressure wedding from time to time, especially when you’ve got a great planner like Erica and a bride and groom who are so relaxed they make Hindu cows look tense.

The ceremony was on a dock right on the edge of the Chattahoochee and massive trees did a great job providing shade for the most part (a few poor guests were unable to avoid the sun).  Perhaps one of the more humorous moments of the wedding was when the officiate, while sporting a handheld microphone on a string around his neck announced the he was going old school by using the “first generation” lapel mic.  A few more laughs were heard also, as Heather reached over to Tim and snatched his handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe away her tears and dab the sweat off her forehead before placing it back into his pocket.  There were readings and Heather’s “bridesmen” channeled Iron & Wine as they covered “Such Great Heights” beautifully.

The reception, as you may have already guessed, was filled with carefree dancing and wild celebration that went well into the night.  When the time came for the getaway, bubbles filled the air as the newlyweds burst out of the door and Heather, without warning, turned and slung her bouquet into the air to nobody in particular.  Not only was I shocked that we got a photo of it, I was surprised that anybody caught it at all.  Nobody was ready and it was a mixed crowd of married & single women and men.  Yeah, it was a great day and Nate and I are honored that we were there to be part of it.

First Great Wedding Keg-Stand of 2010!

Honestly, it wasn’t the highlight of Becca and Seth’s wedding, but it was pretty impressive, I don’t think we’ve witnessed a wedding party doing keg stands to this degree before. Yes, Tux, Dress and all, I said it, they did it, and we’ve got pictures to prove it. It’s like the age-old adage goes, the bride and groom who do keg stands together, stay together.  That’s support.

This was also one of the first really “low-stress” weddings we’ve been privileged to shoot. Because of our approach, we generally pride ourselves on being able to bring the stress level down at weddings (that’s one of the main reasons couples hire us) but I’ve got to admit we were a little confused by how relaxed everyone was and how smooth everything went.  I mean, if the pastor put up a hammock in the chapel, held a glass of lemonade in one hand, a Bible in the other, and delivered the vows, I’m not sure if anyone would have objected.  Everything just felt right.  To say the least, everything went according to plan.  We even had enough time to take the Bridal party over the Oglethorpe campus and take some super-awesome group shots! This, to us, was the highlight of the day!

So many weddings don’t schedule adequate time or opportunity for the photographer to do something really cool. And on the opposite end, so many wedding photographers miss beautiful opportunities to use the time given and the things around them. We loved having the opportunity to hang out in the stadium with this awesome group of friends.

Congratulations Becca and Seth, you have amazing friends and family, and we wish you the best of luck on your move to Eugene, Oregon.  We’re sure you guys will find a way to make the best of any situation.  Even up there amongst the lumberjacks.

When I was a child, I remember my mother saying, “If there’s ever a fire, the first thing I would try to save is the family photo albums, because we can’t replace those.” As I looked over at my brother and sisters I started thinking, “Yeah, I guess those kids could be replaced…” Obviously I misunderstood her; we were always her first priority, but the value of the memories those photos held were a close second. Though we caught many things on fire in the backyard, thankfully she never had to run for the photo albums in our house.

These days as my brother and I find ourselves in the business of photography, weddings and portraits have become some of our favorite things to capture; mostly because these are the images that count, photographs one would actually save from a fire.  In this digital age the form of photography has changed so much but the basic value of a meaningful shot hasn’t.  A photograph holds memories, ideas, and feelings.  It acts like a time capsule, when the clarity within our own mind begins to fade; a photograph can bring us back to a moment we cherish.  Even if that moment’s not so clear at first, a picture will bring life back into the circumstances and details which make it so important to you.

The best pictures are ones that tell a story.  Images that appear like they were plucked out of a film or novel can really imprint itself into your mind.  Every wedding we shoot is filled with an array of different personalities all coming together (many for the first time) to celebrate the love of two people. Weddings are truly amazing events.  So it is this story, “your story” that can be told with the capturing of a photograph.

As wedding photographers, our goal is not only to document the occasion, but also to capture the personalities within it, and that’s not an easy thing to do. Everyone reacts differently to being in front of a camera, some don’t mind at all, while others become very self-conscious.  Too often, people underestimate the value of good photography.  I always cringe when I hear someone say, that they’ve hired an uncle or cousin or friend to shoot their wedding.  Owning a good camera does not make you a good photographer.   You can imagine some of the stories we’ve heard. On such an important day, why wouldn’t you hire a professional?  A good portrait or wedding photographer has the ability to capture or bring out an honest reaction, emotion, or smile.  There is certainly some psychology involved and even a little ESP for the ability to anticipate what will happen at any given moment.   We tend to approach most things with a bit of humor and light heartedness.  This can be tricky, but if done correctly, it sure takes the edge off the formalities and stress of the day.  It’s hard to fake good belly laugh or honest smile, and the value of having that expression in a photo is irreplaceable.

Nothing goes exactly according to plan, but everything turns out, as it should.