How many photographers does it take to photograph a wedding?

When you have a fairytale wedding at the Biltmore Estate, then it takes a lot! Jill realized her dream of a Christmas wedding at the Biltmore in December. There were moments during the getting ready that she had four lenses pointed at her. She has a job as a newscaster though, so she is used to it and the camera loves her! I owe my friend Bonnie Berlin (www.bonberphotographics.com) for letting me shoot this wedding with her.

Jill arrived at the Biltmore house in a horse and carriage escorted by a beaming father and her lovely mother. Arriving at the front of the house, she found her groom Justin awaiting her.

There is nothing like the Biltmore house for a photo location.

Boy Meets Girl

Girl makes sure boy will not get away!

Jill and Justin are ready for a lifetime of love. Congratulations to Jill and Justin!

Johana and Juan Married

Every wedding is always my favorite and I love being with couples when they get married. Johana and Juan were married on Nov. 28th with beautiful weather in Charlotte. We had the luxury of extra time at The Green between their beautiful ceremony and rocking fun reception.

Johana is a beautiful bride and accented the late fall colors in the park.

In real estate, there are three factors to consider: location, location, and location. For Johana and Juan's bridal party, the three things would be fun, fun, and fun. They were all fantastic and contributed to a great day.

Juan has been deployed with the US Marines in Iraq. He arrived home shortly before the wedding to his waiting bride. For this shot, he tried to create a little privacy :)

One of my favorite things to do is to get the groom with the bridesmaids. Johana's bridesmaids were up for anything and this is one of the fun shots we got.

The reception was at Roof with a View in Charlotte and they danced the night away with a view of the city lights. I'm not sure how much they will remember the view of the city since they seemed to be enjoying the view of each other much more. Congratulations to Johana and Juan!

Fun Halloween Photos

Here is my favorite photo from Halloween this year:

Senior sessions should be fun

I photographed Kyle this morning for his senior portraits. While many people fear the process, I always make sure we have fun. Here are a few of the "fun" shots with Kyle.

Marcia and Scott Married

Ok, I have a spare moment to think about blogging. The past couple of weeks have been a bit crazy with weddings and kids.

Marcia and Scott were married on October 10th. We had a great time at various spots near uptown Charlotte taking photos. Here are a few of Marcia's favorites from the day.

Weddings and Rain

One of the reasons I love photographing weddings is that you never know what is going to happen. I love the challenge of the moment - one chance to get it right - the adrenaline. Yesterday, I went to photograph a wedding with my wonderful friend, Bonnie Berlin (www.bonberphotographics.com). The wedding was in Summerfield at a beautiful restored Victorian house with green gardens, lush arbors, bubbling fountains and pools - and on that day RAIN! Fortunately the porch was dry and we were able to get some great shots. Here are a couple of my favorites.

A Prize Winner

I borrowed a friend's slide scanner to scan some old photos that I have taken. I first got interested in photography while taking classes in high school. My parents bought me my first camera as a graduation present. During my first summer after high school, the local photography store sponsored a contest which I entered. The theme of the contest was to take a photo from the Flower Festival, which is the big local event every summer. Lompoc, California is the flower seed capital of the world, which might be important information to know. Anyway, here is the photo I entered that won first place. The prize was $50 which I used to purchase my first flash. In case you are wondering, it was the summer of 1979.

An Elegant Wedding Experience

Last year, we discovered the Westin Hotel in Charlotte. While there are many venues to have a wedding, they do a superb job of creating a wonderful experience. As a photographer, I often do not get to experience what the bride and her family do when booking vendors. Yesterday, I met with Kristi, the Catering Sales Manager at the Westin and I was extremely impressed with their presentation and what they offer. I saw the words "unfold your own story..." and imagined dreaming of the perfect wedding reception unfolding before my eyes. The right people make all the difference. If you are looking for a great wedding experience, check them out. www.westin.com/charlotte

They have lots of room for a photoBooth too!

Ice!

I know it's only September and its hard to imagine ice. Not outside, but inside.

Yesterday, I visited Gary at Ice Sensations in Charlotte. Gary creates amazing and beautiful creations from ice, which are enjoyed by wedding and event guests. I was absolutely astounded by some of his creations. While some of the work is done by machine, he also has a set of carving tools to add that artist's touch to his beautiful masterpieces.

So, the next time you think about an event, think ice and think Ice Sensations. I will picture Gary working away in the freezer, which sounds appealing on a hot summer day!

www.icesensations.com

New Beginnings

I dropped by The Bridal House, one of my favorite bridal shops yesterday. My friend Shanika recently took over ownership and I know it will flourish under her direction and skill. Shanika's experience as a wedding planner will serve her well in her new venture.

www.theplaceforbrides.com
www.sjbweddingsandevents.com

A Graceful Location

Once in awhile, you come across a real gem. Yesterday, I found one at Grace on Brevard. This venue is an old church that was built in 1902 with beautiful architecture and old brick. The building is now an event space, but it maintains the feeling of history and elegance. In a day when there is a lot of new construction in Charlotte and the old is being lost, it is nice to see such gems flourishing.

If you are looking for a space for your wedding or event, check it out. www.graceonbrevard.com.

If you are getting married and want to do something different, ask them about the New Year's Eve wedding.

The Fungus

Yesterday I made a great discovery. I met with a couple to do their engagement photos at Reedy Creek Park in Charlotte. If you haven't been there, then check it out. It has lots of trails, recreational facilities, ponds, and fungus. Yes, I found this fungus lurking off the trail and was amazed at the color and beauty of it and I had to take a photo.

Fashion Fun

As a photographer, I am always looking for something fun and different. Last Friday was Passion Fashion 09 in Charlotte, which I had the chance to go and photograph. It was definitely a different experience but I have to say it was fun. One of the featured designers was Kortu Momolu, who was a finalist on Project Runway in season 5. Check out her web site at http://www.kortomomolu.com/. The other featured designers were Charlotte's own Tara Davis http://www.flowbytaradavis.com/ and Cate Lyon from Savannah http://www.catelyon.com/. Here are a few of the photos.

Natalie & Luke: Married

Check out the slideshow from Natalie and Luke's wedding this Friday. Gorgeous! Congrats!!

Silvia & Jonathan: Married

Silvia & Jonathan were married at Saint Gabriel's Church on Providence with a lovely reception at the Holiday Inn Center City Rooftop. The reception was beautiful! Her colors of yellow and purple popped with all of the fun Mexican themed accents. There was even a Mexican candy bar!! (I won't be having anymore spicy mango sticks!) Then it rained!! The hotel staff was incredible and quickly moved the reception downstairs to an open ballroom. While the decorations may not have been the same, the night turned out to be one fun party! Music, dancing, hats, maracas, everything was wonderful. At one point Jonathan told me that the key to dancing was to just "pretend there are cockroaches on the ground and you're stepping on all of them." All in all it was a great day!

Congrats to Silvia & Jonathan!!

Published again

One of our brides from last summer submitted her wedding to JET magazine
www.ebonyjet.com/jet and was printed in the April 13, 2009 issue. She brought us a copy when she came for her maternity portraits.





Once again, congrats to Tyyawdi and David!

Summer fun at Rocky River Vineyards

Looking for something fun to do this summer? Rocky River Vineyards www.rockyrivervineyards.com in Midland, NC has a great lineup of Friday night entertainment. The Pavilion Club features live performances by local bands. You can enjoy great food, good wine, good music, and the photoBooth. Our photoBooth made an appearance on July 3rd along with Cruize Control for a night of beach and boogie music. On July 31st, it will be Legends Night and the photoBooth will be back. See you there!

Carla & Jaris: Married

Congrats to Carla and Jaris who were married on June 20th. Here's a sneak peak at their wedding.

Enjoy!

Tyyawdi: Maternity

You may remember Tyyawdi & David Hands from this post awhile back. I'm happy to announce that the couple will be adding a new little Hand to their family in just a few short weeks. Here's a peek at their maternity session from last Thursday.

Angela & Darin: Married

We met Angela & Darin quite a few months ago and were immediately excited about their wedding! Dave got to photograph their engagement session at Freedom Park back in August of 2008.







And I got the opportunity to photograph Angela's bridal portraits in May of this year at our studio in Waxhaw.








Here's a sneak peak at their wedding photos.Congrats Angela & Darin!!

Weekend of Weddings: Meghan & Bryan

Day 2 of our Weekend of Weddings was Meghan and Bryan's wedding. You may remember Bryan and Meghan from this post a few weeks ago.  The day was GORGEOUS! We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. They were married in an outdoor ceremony at the Providence Country Club.  

The day was full of laughter and fun! There was everything from playing Catch Phrase, "karaoke" by the groom (and a few others!), comments about dresses of a certain blue that just so happens to be the color of the Duke Blue Devils, and of course a surprise appearance by General Lee from Dukes of Hazard. 

Great day!!

Weekend of Weddings: Leslie & Michel

Day one of our Weekend of Weddings started on Friday afternoon with Leslie and Michel. The ceremony took place at Saint Gabriel's Church with the reception following at Roof with a View. Dave got the opportunity to photograph the couple awhile back for engagement photos. Talk about one happy couple!

Enjoy!

Union Academy Prom 2009

Malida & Steve: Married

Malida and Steve met through a set up. According to the maid of honor, they were "inseparable". I heard a few stories about their relationship involving toilet seats and boat accidents that just go to prove their love for one another. Despite lots of rain and having to move the ceremony inside at the last minute, the day turned out beautiful! Both bride and groom were full of smiles, laughter and tears!

Congrats to you both!!

Helpful Hint - "Say Cheese"

Children can be one of the most difficult subjects to photograph. But they can also produce some of the most adorable portraits. One of the things that makes portraits of children so adorable is their expressions. It can be extremely difficult to get a decent expression from children. One of the most common things parents say during a portrait session is "That's not your real smile. Smile nice now." The thing is, that is their real smile.

At a very early age children get used to smiling for the camera. Kids as young as toddlers can already have a "fake" smile. How do you get rid of it? Well, the answer is to make the child laugh or giggle. We photographers use lots of different tricks to get kids to smile including funny phrases. However, saying "Cheese" is the last thing we want them to say! While "cheese" produces a smile like expression, it's the same word they are used to saying for the camera. Kids typically end up saying "cheeeeeeeeese" which produces the fake smile.

Next time you're photographing your children try something different. One of my favorites is "Stink feet!" The trick is to get them smiling. Instead of taking the picture when they say the words, take the picture right before or after when they laugh at themselves. Or tell them a joke. Anything to get your children smiling and laughing. Those are the expressions you want to keep!