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A Wedding with Some Edge and Personality

Mike and I get a real kick out of working weddings where the bride and groom really go out of their way to express their personalities on their wedding day. Recently we got the opportunity to photograph that type of wedding in Galax. (My hometown, by the way.)

Our previous contacts with Megan and Topper indicated the two were very laid back and relaxed, but their wedding day was a mixture of true southern hospitality and absolute joy. It is rare to see a couple so in synch and comfortable with who they are, especially given the weather conditions they faced the day of their wedding.

Megan and Topper’s plans were to be married at the top of the hill on Topper’s dad’s farm. The ceremony site on the “hill” would be facing White Top Mountain. Mike and I had visited with Megan and Topper some months prior to the wedding and had the opportunity to view the area after a recent snowfall. I remember being giddy with excitement as Topper drove us in his 4x4 to view the top of the mountain. I took several photos of White Top covered with snow that day. It was breathtaking. I couldn’t have imagined a more remarkable wedding site.

On the way to Galax it had started raining and storming. It continued to rain all the way up the mountain side. We had the sneaky suspicion they would have to relocate since the intial plan was to have the ceremony outside, but we didn’t anticipate the lengths the wedding party would go to in order to make that happen.

Apparently, family and friends had gathered earlier that day to set up the arbor, chairs, and flowers at the original ceremony site. After most of the site had been completely set up, a wind out of nowhere began tossing 50 lb. bales of hay and the wedding arbor around like toys. Family and friends worked frantically to gather the ceremony items and transport them to a safe location. In the meantime, other folks setting up the reception site a few hundred yards away were forced to hold down the reception tent (which was a huge tent) while the wind, rain, and thunderstorms threatened to rip it apart.

We arrived just as the winds and rain had subsided and the wedding party was taking a break to get a bite to eat and rest. As they relaxed, Topper stopped by to check on the progression of things while Megan was at a nearby home getting ready. I left Mike at the ceremony site to photograph the Groom and groomsmen while I went to photograph Megan getting ready.

When I walked into the house, I was stunned at how calm and together Megan seemed. She was standing at a table near her mother and was joking about having to relocate the wedding due to the weather. From time to time, I could see her texting guests, updating them on the new ceremony site. Just beyond where she was texting, the kitchen table was lined with beautiful yellow daisy bouquets trimmed with soft baby’s breath and matching boutonnières as well as an open bottle of champagne (which Megan would turn up from time to time). Her gown was hanging neatly on a nearby hallway door. A few friends and family sat throughout the house and casually shared the plans for the day. I spent a little over an hour shooting candids of the girls and family, then left with the bridal party to return to the ceremony site.

Megan maintained her calm composure as she was escorted by her mother from the red barn to the redesigned ceremony tent decorated with dogwood blossoms and daisies. The bad weather had broken, and the day’s ceremony went off without a hitch. It was one of the most comfortable and relaxed events I had ever witnessed.

As soon as the wedding party completed the traditional greeting of guests in the reception line by the big red barn, the group gathered in SUVs and pickup trucks to gather at the original ceremony site for portraits. Taking the group portraits was a blast. Country music blared from one of the trucks as the bridesmaids and groomsmen danced along the edge of the hillside making the portrait session a celebration within itself.

Bales of hay lined the edges of the hilltop and the friends and family moved easily in and out of groups for portraits. Everyone was laughing, slapping high fives and seemed to be fully engaged in the moment.

For the most part, the portraits taken that day demonstrate the laid back tone and relaxed atmosphere that Megan and Topper managed to set. From the ceremony site, to the reception (which ended much later that night) Megan and Topper made getting married seem so easy. If they were stressed or uptight it certainly didn’t show in their demeanor. For Mike and myself, it was one of the most fun Saturdays we’d experienced in a long time. We talked about it the entire way home. This was definitely a wedding with flair and personality that made guests as well as the hired professionals feel warm and welcome.

Well done, Topper and Megan!

Jill

The Edge of "Wow"

A good friend of ours recently did a boudoir photo session with us (sample photo attached) and we had the pleasure of unveiling the photos and DVD slideshow of the shoot to her and her husband together. These moments when we get a “fly on the wall” view of clients’ initial reactions to their photographs are some of my favorite moments in photography. Few things make me feel better than hearing a client say, “wow.”

Of course, those “wows” don’t usually happen just because somebody clicks a shutter. They are the result of the vision, talent, technical skill and personality brought to bear on a project. “Wows” take some effort, and as fun as photo shoots can be, the vision can sometimes get a bit obscured for the client when Jill and I are giving directions like, “look toward the left, no, my left your right; chin up, eyes open; good, now just a slight smile; lower your right hand a bit; good..good…don’t move...”

That, of course, is what photographers do. We look through a lens to make sure that the camera is truly seeing the subject. Good photographers eliminate distractions like a rumpled hemline or an awkwardly placed hand, and create artistic interest with things like light and shadow and depth of field. Great photographers go farther to capture even more than the camera itself “sees” – things like lightness of spirit and depth of character, or to make a provocative statement or ask a thorny question. That’s why it might not always be best to smooth a hemline or flatten a hand to the side of the thigh.

And with a photographer working to make those kinds of decisions, if we’re not careful a photo shoot can become more technical than artistic. More labor than love. If that happens, the opportunity for great photographs, and probably for “wows,” has passed.

Fortunately, our friend’s boudoir session was, well, “wow.” It was free, edgy, trusting and one hell of a lot of fun. The vision for her photos winked at us through every hour of the shoot and the result was a stunning collection of photos and a truly memorable DVD slideshow set to music of the 1940’s. Jill and I are thrilled that our friend said “wow” over and over as she viewed the pics and show.

Her husband said “wow” a lot, too, and that is what really interested me.

Boudoir sessions can be quite intimate if that is the direction the client wants to travel. Our friend came to the shoot with a no-holds-barred approach and her photographs leave no doubt that she had thoroughly revealed herself to the camera. It would be easy to understand a husband or any significant other feeling uncomfortable with that.

But our friend’s husband said “wow.” And he followed it up by pointing out to his wife how the photographs had captured the very things he had always loved about her, from the soft curve of her face to the high arc of her self-confidence. The photos, he said, were respectful, tasteful, artistic and, above all, true.

I was beside myself. Jill, our friend and I had created something special. We had preserved a glimpse of things appropriately kept private, but sometimes kept unnecessarily in the dark. A little light (and photography is all about light) can reveal the real and important parts of us that life sometimes pushes into the shadows.

A little light. To Jill and me it’s a rather sacred thing. And our friend and her husband trusted us to shine it.

Wow.

Mike

The Edge of Life

These are two of my favorites from collection of portraits taken this past weekend.

This photography session was great fun, but I have to admit, this has to be the hardest of all photography jobs. I am often timid about taking over and moving those teeny little body parts where I need to move them to compose a great photo. Luckily, for this shoot, mom and dad were great direction followers and completed the positioning with precision.

The best time to take newborn portraits is within the first week the baby is born. That guarantees that he or she will be sleeping soundly and won't pay any attention to how they are being fussed over. Our little subject was about three weeks old and at times was not at all happy to have us messing with him, so he expressed his discontent by "shooting" a few unexpected surprises our way!

Note to self: "Bring a large drop cloth next time!" HA!

Even though this is a true challenge for me, I am eager to do more sessions like this. It is so rewarding to have captured a moment in time that documents the bond between a parent and child. Children grow into adults so quickly. Freezing those special moments of their life is so important.

Jill

The Sexy Edge

Last weekend I had the opportunity to shoot Boudoir Pics for a very close friend of mine. This is just one of the images from that session. I have to admit this shoot was a blast. It was amazing what letting down your hair can do for a two and a half hour shoot!

My friend is an amazing person inside and out. The pics were a celebration of a new chapter in her life. She has spent the last 20 some years completely dedicated to raising her two children on her own. In less than a month, her youngest child will be graduating high school. These pics were her way of celebrating the fact that she has, through all she's been through, remained beautiful and sexy.

After the shoot, I started thinking about what sexy really is. I have always thought that sexy went way beyond the physical. Outward beauty can be sexy, but it is an attitude and a confidence that brings out the sexiness in a person. For those of you out there shaking your heads and thinking where is she going with this?...Hang on!

Physical sexiness...I am into hands. To me, strong hands on a man is sexy. Eyes...hmmm, those are sexy. My friend has great eyes and I spent a lot of this shoot focusing on them. (When we finally launch our Facebook site, you can see more of them, I promise.)

But I strongly believe that sexy is not full out nudity. For some reason that just doesn't appeal to me. When looking at other photographers and seeing some of the photos posted on their Boudoir Portfolios, I was more intrigued with the images where the women were clad in sexy lingerie that was not too revealing. I was drawn to images that complimented the female form, and hinted at the woman's inner sexiness but only revealed just enough to intrigue. These are the types of images we focused on last weekend and I think they turned out pretty good!

For the most part, I think Boudoir Pics are a great idea for brides who want to capture how young and beautiful they are at the time of their wedding. They are also a great idea for those of us who still have a lot of sexy left and want to share it with our significant other!

If you are interested in having a Boudoir Session, let me know. It could possibly be the most fun two hours of your life (well, maybe not, but I'll bet the images could contribute to a few!)

Jill

The Higher Edge

I am working hard on getting back into running shape, so I went out this morning, turned on my Ipod and pushed myself to run in my neighborhood today. It was an amazing morning to run. A nice cool breeze and blue skies made the perfect setting. In the middle of my workout, one of my favorite songs from Creed (Higher) started playing. I couldn't control myself. I know I looked crazy, air guitaring and lifting my arms over my head in response to Mark Tremonti's driving guitar solo. I was lost in the moment.

I also found myself singing (quite loudly- I couldn't hear myself with my ear plugs in) the words from the song I was connecting with at that moment:

"Up high I feel like I'm alive for the very first time

Set up high I'm strong enough to take these dreams

And make them mine "

I can imagine that you are reading this and feeling somewhat embarrassed for me. That's ok. It didn't last that long. Just long enough for this young teenage girl on a riding mower to stare at me disapprovingly and jar me back to reality.

I had to laugh out loud when I realized what a total goober I must have looked like to her. She had her tunes going to, so she has to have some idea of where I was coming from.

Today in particular, I do feel like I am alive for the first time. I have had several days off from teaching and have been working diligently to revamp my diet with more veggies and fruit. I have decided to stop drinking sodas (diet) and I have dropped bread for awhile. ( I say awhile, 'cause I really don't know how long that can last. I love bread! )

As a result, the past few days, I have felt amazingly clear headed and energized.

I also have adopted the attitude that life is just this big obstacle course where we have to avoid some things in order to reach the goals most important to us as well as form alliances with others who share the same passions. I have several goals I want to achieve. One of which is getting back into shape. There is no turning back on this one. Another goal is to push my limits of creativity. I am feeling so creative lately. I can't wait to see where that leads.

Luckily, my desire to learn more about the art of photography has lead me to find friends who share the same passion for it as I do! I think I will spend my next few blogs, seeking out those friends who are looking for ways to release their creative energy and highlight them in my blogs. It would be great to pay honor to those who not only inspire us, but lift us "Higher" by sharing their talents with those around them.

I can't wait to get started!

Jill

Edge of Night

Last night's storms produced a series of tornados which ripped through our daughter's boyfriend's neighborhood. There is no doubt many people in that area had their lives turned completely upside down within just a few seconds.

Mike and I would have been unaware of the events taking place just a few miles from our home, had I not received a text from my friend, Stacy. Her text was brief but alarming. "R U Safe?"

Mike and I had been feverishly working on our transitional website and new blog for most of the day. We hadn't been listening or watching the news, so we barely noticed the storm firing up all around us.

Stacy's text prompted us to turn on the local news to access the situation. When we did, we were instantly inundated with images from the 1999 events of Hurricane Floyd and the devastation caused by the flood waters that ravaged many parts of eastern North Carolina where we once lived. Those photographic images were reminders of a time when the most important aspects of my life were brought into clearer focus.

During the time of that flood, I was a teacher in Edgecombe County. The results from that disaster left many of my students and co-workers homeless or displaced from family members. During the months of recovery following that time, I learned that material possessions can be taken within seconds. Even insurance and "our best laid plans" can't guarantee we will find ourselves as well off as we were prior to an unplanned event of this magnitude.

September 11, 2001 came on the heels of recovering from the flood. It was yet another reminder that I can't truly plan for a future, if my plans are tied to material possessions. Yes, I can take precautions to guard my life and the things I have come to love, but my truest treasures must come from the relationships I have fostered and the bonds shared with my family. I would learn to make small moments part of my future plans. Time with family, friends, and capturing those moments through photography.

When I reflect on the images from the flood and 9-11, I realize how important photography has become to me.

So often, now I find myself lying in a field of weeds poised to take a picture of a something as insignificant as a dandelion. Dandelions, after all, can be a somewhat tenacious plants which have the potential to ruin a beautifully landscaped yard. Through my macro lens, however, the dandelion is so much more. It is a fascinating study in geometry and the complexity of creation. It has become a metaphor for all the distractions and upheavals I have weathered in my lifetime in order to find significance and truth.

Through my lens, there are no insignificant moments. My goal is to demonstrate each moment's significance with the click of my camera's shutter.

These large and small upheavals bring me to the edges of what I need to see in order to make significance of my own goals and dreams. Sometimes I can't see that when the waters at the edge are kept at bay by their predictable banks. But when the waters crest, the edges come closer to the protected center of my life and I don't just intellectualize significance; significance becomes the lifeline.

Jill