photoEdge

Journey of the Red Rubber Ball

2010-03-02T20:40:00.003-05:00

In the last entry, I introduced you to Kevin Carroll Katalyst. You may remember that Kevin left one if his red runner balls with me. The ball has been riding around in the back of my car and getting impatient. During a trip up to Charlotte this week, it was able to get out and stretch. (It is made of rubber you know!) I will turn over the keyboard to the ball so it can tell you about it's journey so far.

I started my visit in Ballantyne where three giant bulls are lying on the grass. They are sort of scary but interesting, so I watched for awhile and decided to move in closer.

The bench seemed like a safe distance to watch and eventually I decided to move in and introduce myself.

Once I got close, I found them to be very friendly.

Heading to uptown Charlotte, I needed to find a parking place.

Heading down the street, I discovered that Charlotte is a beautiful city. The views down the street and between the buildings are beautiful. With all of the nice fountains, I feel relaxed just being here!

It's lunch time and I'm hungry. Hmm...maybe seafood!

With all the benches along the street, I can take a nice rest and watch the traffic go by.

Charlotte definitely has culture and art. There's an example right on the sidewalk! That thing is huge! I wonder if it is safe for rubber balls?

Hey, this is fun. Art and exercise!

I'm headed off in search of more culture.

Am I art or am I function?

Ok, now I am inspired and I think I will take in a museum. Maybe I could be one of the displays. After all, I am a work of art.

I ended my first trip checking out the Methodist Church. It's a beautiful building. I think with my red color, I look pretty good against the stone.

Hopefully, I will get a chance to see more of the city. If I do, I will definitely get some snapshots and keep everyone updated. Time for me to roll on out of here.

NWEA and Katalysts

2010-02-08T18:25:00.001-05:00

I love my job! My favorite part of being a photographer is meeting and working with people. Last week, I had the opportunity to work with an organization called NWEA (Northwest Education Association http://www.nwea.org/). They are involved in various aspects of education and they are based in Portland, OR (hence the Northwest in their name). They sponsored a convention at the Omni Hotel in Charlotte, NC inviting educators and various people from the education world. The keynote speaker was Richard Riley. Richard Riley was President Clinton's Secretary of Education.

Secretary Riley now has a long list of achievements on his resume and had quite a bit to share on the topic of education. I came away impressed with the thinking of the various speakers and satisfied that there are a lot of smart people dealing with the issues of our educational system.

On the first day, we all had the priviledge to hear one of the smartest, inspiration speakers around. Kevin Caroll, Katalyst (http://kevincarrollkatalyst.com/) came from a broken family and the people in his life told him he would never amount to much. He has certainly proved himself. While in the Army, he learned 4 languages. He has been an NBA coach, and worked for Nike. He spoke about the importance of play in children's and adult's lives. He ended with gifts for the audience which included several red balls. Before throwing them, he gave a warning not to put your hands up if you can't catch. Of course, some did not heed his advice, but the damage was minimal.

One of his red balls wanted a tour of Charlotte, but the weather did not permit. So, it came home with me and we are planning a trip very soon. I will be there to document the experience so watch for it!

The logistics for the conference were provided by Jillian Rabe (http://www.jillianrabe.com/). She is a beautiful model in the Portland area and a very accomplished organizer.

options ... choices ... decisions

2010-01-25T16:01:00.000-05:00

The brides in Charlotte had a lot to think about after Sunday's Bridal Showcase at the Charlotte Convention Center. Our booth was busy and this show was my first to feature actual brides. Carla (June 2009) and Meghan (May 2009) agreed to come along and tell people how wonderful I am. They are fantastic! This is a very large show and by 4:00 many people walking by had a glazed look. It's hard to take in that much information all at once.

Charlotte brides have a new choice

2010-01-23T15:47:00.002-05:00

Last night was the grand opening of New York Bride and Groom (nybride.com), the newest bridal shop in Charlotte. I was delighted to receive an invitation to the opening event. When you walk in be prepared for elegance and a pleasant shopping experience. The new store is beautiful, well layed out, and spacious. The evening included socializing with Charlotte's wedding professionals followed by an excellent fashion show. The fashion show was concluded with styles by our own local Kimberly Pixton (http://www.pixtonbridal.com/). Photography was provided by the very talented Kristin Vining (http://www.kristinvining.com/).

Glove Project

2010-01-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

I found a photo awhile back in a bridal magazine. The photo was shot from behind with the bride pulling on a long white glove with her arm outstretched. I really like the photo so I ripped out the page and kept it. While thinking about doing something like that, I decided to act. So, here are a few photos from a session this week with a model and "the gloves".

Flying High in Charlotte

2010-01-02T20:41:00.002-05:00

Many who know me also know that I love to do lots of different things. This past week, I was asked to photography a high school basketball tournament in Charlotte. This tournament is sponsored by Bojangles and Athletes United for Youth (http://www.athletesforyouth.org/). Since I come from California, my expectations of high school basketball are not very high. I have to say that after three days I am totally impressed with the athletes in our high schools and I really enjoyed the tournament. Check out the organization and come watch next year!

How many photographers does it take to photograph a wedding?

2009-12-15T16:38:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-15T15:51:00.004-05:00

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

2009-11-01T15:14:00.001-05:00

Here is my favorite photo from Halloween this year:

Senior sessions should be fun

2009-10-31T17:15:00.006-04:00

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

2009-10-27T20:04:00.006-04:00

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

2009-09-27T20:48:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-12T20:33:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-12T00:06:00.006-04:00

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!

2009-09-11T11:30:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-02T11:08:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-02T10:43:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-14T14:50:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-11T16:55:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-21T00:24:00.003-04:00

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

Silvia & Jonathan: Married

2009-07-20T18:04:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-15T11:04:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-13T16:08:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-24T23:42:00.001-04:00

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

Enjoy!

Tyyawdi: Maternity

2009-06-18T10:51:00.006-04:00

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

2009-06-08T14:35:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-01T14:50:00.008-04:00

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

2009-06-01T14:29:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-29T17:01:00.002-04:00

Malida & Steve: Married

2009-05-26T17:57:00.005-04:00

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"

2009-05-19T17:38:00.003-04:00

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!

Sarah & John: Married

2009-05-17T01:47:00.004-04:00

May 16th was Sarah's day to be princess. She was an absolutely gorgeous bride at a beautiful ceremony where she became Mrs. Sarah Moore. She and John were married early Saturday afternoon surrounded by friends and family. They were such a fun couple to shoot! Afterwards, we took the bride and groom for some shots alone in the park. Gorgeous!

Congrats to you both!!

Bryan & Meghan: Engaged

2009-05-14T11:52:00.006-04:00

A House Divided. Or at least that's what their Save the Date cards say. You see, Bryan is a Duke Blue Devils fan and Meghan is a UNC Tar Heels fan. Therein lies the problem. Their wedding on May 30th will be an "historic event" (quoting the Save the Date again). We're pretty confident they'll make it work though!!

Amy & Chris: Married

2009-05-11T13:28:00.003-04:00

May 9th started out hot and sunny. By 4:30pm (an hour before the ceremony) it was a mad scramble to put the tent back together, save the flowers and linens, and pray for sun amidst the thunder and lightning. By 5:30pm Amy and Chris were married under a beautiful sunny blue sky.

Congrats to the both of you!!

Everything I needed to know...

2009-05-07T10:35:00.003-04:00

This morning in my routine blog reading, I came across a wonderful idea on Holly Furtick's blog. In a tribute to Mother's Day, I wanted to share some lessons and notable sayings from my mother.

It started with the question: "MOM! Have you seen my _______?" And was followed by: "It's wherever you left it." Then came the 5 words I hated hearing because it meant I was on my own: "Seek and you shall find." This phrase was most often used in my house during the frantic tearful search... many times at the very last minute possible. To this day, when I can't find something the first thing that pops in my head is "It's wherever you left it. Seek and you shall find."

During any movie or tv show with questionable content I got: "Now Christy, is that right?"

Then of course there was the time I was home visiting from college and she said "Christy, I'm gonna teach you how to cut a whole chicken."

And whenever I was too "sick" to go to school I was told "If you REALLY feel like you are too sick to go to school I'll let you stay home." Which was generally followed by me feeling guilty for trying to make my runny nose seem like the flu. Which ultimately led to me attending school with a box of kleenex.

And my personal favorite:
"Don't drive when you're tired. You might kill a small family."

Thanks Mom!

Mother's Day Special

2009-04-22T15:28:00.004-04:00

Treat your mom, or yourself, to a special Mother's Day gift that will last a lifetime. The best gift for Mom is one that keeps her connected to her beloved family and what better way than with a family portrait?

To celebrate Mother's Day, we are offering a special promotion: Purchase a $100 gift card for mom and receive a free portrait session. To take advantage of this promotion, you will need to purchase your gift card before May 10th (Mother's Day) by calling us at 704.243.6584 or emailing us at photoedge@earthlink.net.

Watch Me Grow

2009-04-16T17:04:00.004-04:00

As promised, here's a look at our new Watch Me Grow program developed to provide you with beautiful imagery of your child from the very beginning. There are three separate programs, each designed to include multiple photo sessions, print credits and a final product at the end. Click on the images below to see the brochure.

Remember, your child grows up so quickly... now is the time to capture those moments so that you can treasure them forever!

Desirae & Justin: Married

2009-04-13T15:25:00.001-04:00

Congrats to Desirae and Justin who became Mr and Mrs Butler on April 11th! The wedding took place at the gorgeous Ballantyne Resort overlooking the golf course. It was absolutely beautiful and the bride looked stunning! After the ceremony there was a fabulous Tiffany's inspired reception complete with a candy bar! After the reception we got to meet up with Desirae and Justin in Uptown Charlotte to have a little photo shoot fun. The couple met while working for Bank of America, so of course we had to get some pictures!!

Congrats to both of you! Enjoy!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

I remember the days back when I use to go to sleep with curlers in my hair for church the next day. Me and my sisters would wake up early on Easter Sunday and put our robes and slippers on to go outside and hunt for Easter Eggs left by the Easter Bunny. While my memory of those days is not perfect, my parents were excellent at documenting Easter morning with the video camera. Last July for my birthday my dad gave me a copy of all of our home videos from the time I was born on DVD. It was so much fun watching me and my sisters grow up! The 3 things my family was REALLY good at capturing on video were: Christmas, opening birthday presents and Easter. We looked so cute in our little pjs running around trying to find all the eggs even though none of us were truly awake yet!

There's one video with my younger sister, who's probably about 2 or 3 at the time, just following us around with a dazed look on her face. She didn't quite get it yet. Then of course there's the year the Dad (aka Easter Bunny... and Santa) decided to hide the eggs in the FRONT yard! What a tricky little bunny :o)

Wishing you a very Happy Easter!!

Inspiration

2009-04-09T16:15:00.003-04:00

Where does one find inspiration? Photographers are always looking for it. I was wandering through various stores last week looking for creative ideas. In one store, a clerk asked if she could help me find something. I told her I was looking for inspiration and asked where they keep that. Wouldn't it be wonderful to walk into a store and look in the Inspiration aisle when you need it?
I did find some good ideas and we will be announcing some exciting new opportunities coming up soon.

Stay Tuned

2009-04-07T16:42:00.004-04:00

We've got some exciting new programs to share with you so stay tuned!!! I'll give you a hint:

And no, Christy is NOT pregnant!

Spring

2009-04-04T15:29:00.002-04:00

I love spring! Today has been one of those wonderful spring Saturdays in Waxhaw. First off was the WVFD Easter Egg Hunt and BBQ. Then it was an hour nap on my lounge chair in the backyard. And now it's time to hang out with my Grandma :o)

Growing up in CA we have trees, but not nearly as many as here. This makes for a pretty week of blossoming trees, but that's about it. One of my favorite things about Spring time in the south are all of the different budding trees. Each week and new tree starts to blossom and it looks beautiful!!

The one downside to Spring in the south is missing out on all of the beautiful wildflowers that could be found on the side of the road in my hometown. These pictures were taken by my little sister last weekend. Isn't it beautiful?!!

Happy April Fool's Day!!

2009-04-01T20:09:00.003-04:00

Today is the day. I thought about making up some crazy April Fool's prize or something, but then I thought that would just be too mean. Instead I've decided to share with you one of my (really my only) April Fool's Day prank. For being the only one, I'd have to say it was pretty good!!

About 5 years ago, my college roommates and I thought it'd be fun to play a prank on our teacher Newell. We tossed around a few ideas until this gem popped in our heads: Let's fill his entire office with thousands of sheets of crinkled up paper! So that's what we did. We got the other teachers in his office area to let us in and spent at least 2 hours crumpling and tossing paper. By the time we were done we'd crumpled 5,000 sheets of paper and stuffed it in and around the bookshelf, the trash can, the desk, the chairs, and even made a "golf pencil" out of paper for his little pencil rack! In the beginning of the extravaganza we were trying to toss paper over the 8 foot walls (it was like a tall cubicle with a locked door). Naturally, some of the paper got stuck :o) To top the whole thing off, we wrote a note saying Happy April Fool's and tied a nice little trash bag to the door handle.

Now Newell had gone out for dinner with one of the other teachers last night - the one who let us in Newell's office to be exact. Apparently at dinner Bradshaw couldn't keep from giggling just knowing what Newell would face the next day. The following morning, Newell was sitting in on yet another teacher's class. Newell tried to pull a prank on him and when he found out he said something similar to "Just wait Newell, you'll get yours!" Then as Newell arrived at his office a few hours later, he ran into Paul. Paul was sitting outside Newell's office with all of his teaching materials with him and said "I just want to see it before I go." Naturally Newell was intrigued at this point. According to him, his exact words were: "Oh..... my.... God!" For the next hour he got absolutely no work done. Teachers and staff from other campuses were calling to ask him about it as well as stopping by. The whole time he assumed it was the OTHER TEACHER!!! Until of course he arrived and informed Newell that it was 4 of his students. That was the end. He figured it out right away then :o)

We arrived a few hours after that only to find this picture attached to the door with the tagline "Weather forecast: Snow 3-5 feet!"

To this day his family members still know us as the students who trashed his office :o)
What about you? What's your best prank?

the photoBooth is too much fun

2009-03-30T20:39:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was another wonderful bridal show at the Holiday Inn Center City Charlotte http://www.hicharlotte.com/. We had the change to talk with several brides and have them try out the photoBooth. While some were apprehensive to start, they all came out laughing and smiling. Here is a shot of the booth at the show along with a few photoBooth samples from the day. If you are having a wedding or a fun event, check out the photoBooth web site
www.photoBoothCharlotte.com.

Tripp & Elizabeth: Engaged!!

2009-03-30T12:00:00.003-04:00

Elizabeth won our free engagement session from the University Hilton Bridal show last month. We had a blast during the photo shoot and got some great images to show for it!

Lawton Summerlin

2009-03-25T15:17:00.006-04:00

Lawton is 18 months old and full of energy!! So adorable!

Time is running out!!

2009-03-24T11:04:00.001-04:00

If you're interested in getting involved with the National Charity Model search, time is running out! Voting ends on April 2nd so you only have a few weeks left to schedule a session and start voting!! Don't wait to call!

What's your image?

2009-03-18T13:48:00.002-04:00

Last week I went to hear an amazing photographer (Sandy Puc) speak on photographing children. At all of these types of seminars the speakers typically mention marketing at some point in time. Sandy was no different. She emphasized the importance of "branding" your image. This is something I've always known, but her refresher got me thinking. How do we as photoEdge brand our image? Is it cohesive? Does it make sense? Do people walk away, or leave our website, with the same impression we are trying to convey or is it different? Is there a disconnect between what we WANT them to feel and what people they actually feel?

This got me thinking about my own life. When I come in contact with people do they walk away with the same impression I try to give or is there a disconnect?
Just something to get you thinking :o)

Is your kid the cutest kid in America?

2009-03-13T18:13:00.005-04:00

We are participating in the National Charity Model Search to select “America’s Cutest Kid” and to raise funds for charity. We’re looking for cute children ages 18 months to 14 years old to model for a portrait to be entered into the contest.

Models Search Special:
$30 entrance fee, which includes a 30minute model session and one image submitted to the national gallery.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Anyone may vote. Each vote is $1, and all proceeds from votes benefit the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. (NILMDTS.org)
Grand prize national winner will be determined from the 50 city finalists. Winners selected by photography and modeling industry experts.
If your child is selected the national winner, you’ll receive many prizes, including a $5,000 US Savings Bond and a Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera.

If you’re interested in entering your child(ren), please call the studio at 704.243.6584. For more information about the contest, go online to www.sandypucmodels.com.

Kid's Play

2009-03-11T18:55:00.007-04:00

Give me a camera, a studio and a group of boys under the age of 5 and the fun never stops!!

Makeovers coming in April

2009-03-09T20:48:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite wedding people is Heather Bryson because she does an amazing job with hair and makeup. She's also a very fun person. We are teaming up with her for a one-day event to do makeover and photo sessions. This will be an extremely fun time. You can find out more about this event by reading the info page here. You can learn more about Heather at her web site.

The photoBooth in action

2009-03-07T15:16:00.003-05:00

My church is partnering with Montclaire Elementary school in Charlotte to help them send their 5th grade class to Washington DC. Last night, we put on a fundraiser dinner at the school and of course that was a great place for the photoBooth. It was a hit.

Call us to book the photoBooth for your event. www.photoBoothCharlotte.com.

Real Wedding Feature

2009-03-06T12:18:00.003-05:00

One of the benefits of working in the field of wedding services is that you get to meet lots of other amazing wedding professionals and build relationships. One of those great relationships is with SJB Weddings and Events. Shanika's blog features a different wedding every Friday and this time it's our turn. Be sure to check it out! She is also hosting a contest for brides to win a Weekend Wedding Coordination Package ending March 14th. Click here for more details.

photoEdge: A History (Part 5)

2009-03-06T12:00:00.003-05:00

2008 marked the 2nd year of business. We had the house, we had the business, we had the brochures, we had the weddings booked, etc. Now it was just time to grow the business.

At the start of 2008 we already had 16 weddings booked. We were starting to get more brides calling us rather than us calling them. People were even starting to knock on our door. In Spring we had a booth at the Waxhaw Spring Fest for the 2nd time and had many many people say “You guys are the ones who just fixed up that house aren't you?” Our name was starting to get around.

Everything was looking up in the world of photoEdge. We did have some setbacks however. It's amazing how good an idea can sound in your own mind and during the planning period and how poorly it can do in the real world. We tried, we failed, we tried something different. We're still learning how this whole business thing works, but 2008 was a great teacher! By the end of the year we had successfully photographed 26 weddings,

about 70 portraits of engagement couples, families and children,

our first maternity portrait,

multiple senior portraits,

a high school prom,

our first dog portrait,

and much much more like bridal portraits in the bath tub!

It's hard to even remember all of the stuff that happened in 2008! The business sort of felt like it took off. In December when we looked at our yearly numbers we discovered that we had actually more than doubled our revenue! We still have a LONG way to go before we reach the “comfort zone” but 2008 definitely helped us get a little closer to our goal.

Who knows what 2009 has in store, but it's a brand new year with brand new trials, joys, failures, successes and stories!

What's a PPNC?

2009-03-06T10:16:00.004-05:00

Last week was the PPNC convention. PPNC stands for Professional Photographers of North Carolina. Every year, we get together in Durham, NC for a 5 day convention. During this time, several photographers from around the country do presentations, we get to see all of our friends, and there is a print competition. This year's theme was "Tackling the Art of Photography." I always feel honored that such talented photographers are willing to spend their time sharing their gems with us. One of my favorites was Tim and Bev Walden at www.waldensphotography.com. Tim's father was a photographer before him so photography is in his blood. His creative approach to relationship photography was inspiring to me. He also has a fantastic story about his father, who became paralyzed from the arms down and did not have a good prognosis for his future. After this event, he continued his business and was able to work from a wheelchair. He told his son Tim that he would accept no excuses. This is a good word for these times.

I volunteered on the committee for print competition. Seeing the best work of many amazing photographers together is inspiring and humbling. Listening to the judges comments is also quite a learning experience.

Being a member of PPNC has been an invaluable asset for us. This community of photographers is a close group willing to share and help each other succeed. Check out the web sit at www.ppofnc.com.

Jill & Taylor: Engaged!!

2009-03-05T14:19:00.005-05:00

Jill was my college roommate back in Santa Barbara. I remember when Taylor and her first started dating. He was still back in Texas and she used to talk to him on the phone constantly! To the extent that they would call each other just to let the other one know they were going to be at the store or class or at a movie. They were so cute!! He even flew out to CA to surprise her one weekend. What a great boyfriend. Well that great boyfriend turned into a great fiance and lucky for me - he has relatives in Tennessee so I got to meet up with them in Blowing Rock, NC awhile back to take some engagement pictures. Here's some of our favorites.

photoEdge: A History (Part 4)

2009-03-03T12:30:00.002-05:00

The first year of photoEdge was definitely a full one! Not only was I getting used to living in the South, but also both Dave and myself were getting used to being business owners. Talk about a first year of firsts! First wedding, first portrait, first studio space, first time driving in Charlotte, first bridal show, first wedding consultation, first senior portrait, first time business owner, etc.
photoEdge started out in the office at the Edge's house in Waxhaw. During the first 3-4 months or so, most of our time was spent out on the road. We visited hotels, wedding venues, met with coordinators, went to marketing lunches, bridal shows, etc. Anything we could do to meet other wedding professionals and grow the business we did. When we weren't out on the road we were in the office with one computer trying to figure out what the website should look like. Or how to design an album. Or what our brochures should look like and if we should even have one.

March 31st of 2007 was our very first wedding as photoEdge. Corey and Elise had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Bethelwoods Meeting Center. About a month later we had Billie and Jack's wedding at the Doubletree Southpark Hotel. Slowly but surely we started to book more and more weddings for the rest of the year.

Dave's little office was starting to feel smaller and smaller. Dave had looked into renting studio space before I had even agreed to move out here, but everything was super expensive. We both had this vision of renovating an old house and turning it into a studio. Our slogan is Your Photographer For Life and we designed our business around building relationships with our clients. With that in mind, the idea of a house seemed so much more intimate than a rented space. Then it happened, the big white house on Old Providence Rd went up for sale. It was perfect! Exactly what we'd pictured. During the end of May we took a tour of the house. It definitely had a lot of work to be done, but we could see the potential immediately and put in a bid. By July 5th we were moving in!

We spent the next the next 4 months renovating the house, continuing to build the business, shooting weddings and trying to build up more family portrait business. On November 1st the photoEdge studio officially opened it's doors. November and December were spent adjusting to having a studio space and preparing for 2008.

photoEdge: A History (Part 3)

2009-02-28T12:04:00.003-05:00

Now that you know a little about both Dave and myself, it's time to talk about how our stories collide. Growing up in California Dave's family and my family both attended the same church. I started babysitting for his 5 children (there were only 4 at the time) when I was 13. I continued to babysit for their family until I graduated high school, which just so happened to be the same summer they moved to Waxhaw.

Over the next 3 years while I was going to school and Dave was working with Wycliffe, slowly photoEdge came to the surface. Dave had always wanted to do photography as more than just a hobby and decided now was the time. He jokingly asked if I wanted to come join him in starting the business when I graduated. I immediately said no. No offense to Waxhaw, but it's nothing compared to Santa Barbara!!

During the next 6 months I started thinking more and more about what I was going to do when I graduated. At this point I knew I wanted to do portraiture, but I didn't know where to go and was nervous about starting a business on my own. Waxhaw was starting to sound more and more appealing. Dave in the meantime was going ahead with his dream and getting the ball rolling on photoEdge. Slowly but surely, God changed my heart and in May of 2006 I took a trip out to Waxhaw just to see what it was all about. I knew that when I visited I would know right away whether it was a yes or no. Within 48 hours I was set. I would move to Waxhaw in January of 2007 to become a co-owner of photoEdge!!

While Dave continued to get the business going I graduated from Brooks and took the next 2 months at home for the holidays and working to save money for the move. On January 18, 2007 I arrived in Charlotte, NC. We spent those first few weeks getting everything all set with lawyers and what not for our partnership. And I got settled into living in the South.

And that's where photoEdge began.

photoEdge: A History (Part 2)

2009-02-26T09:37:00.011-05:00

Now that you know a bit about Christy, it's time for me (Dave) to add my part. Like Christy, my family comes from California too. People sometimes ask how we came to know each other. My family and Christy's family both attended the same church in California, in a small town called Santa Margarita. Santa Margarita is a small town of about 1000 people. It is surrounded by two ranches, one 15,000 acres and the other 16,000 acres. It's a fun little place near San Luis Obispo, where my wife and I both went to college. Christy was one of our favorite babysitters and our kids love her.
In high school, I took photography classes and was a member of the photography club. One of the exciting things I did in high school was to take a canoe trip down the Colorado River. My favorite photo from this trip was of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, AZ.

I loved photography, but I was also interested in computers. When I graduated, I decided to take the computer route but kept up with photography as a hobby. Several years later, when photography went digital, everything came together for me. Through a series of circumstances, we moved to North Carolina and now run the photography business. In photography, there are lots of areas of specialty. It's kind of like doctors. If you have problems with your heart, you go to a heart specialist, not the podiatrist. For me, photography is boring if there are not people in the photo. I love the interaction with people and creating fun and beauty with people.

I often tell Christy that she has a life because she is always doing stuff with friends or going out to do fun stuff. She tells me that I do too, it's just different. My life is my family. With five kids, there is always either excitement or drama. I would love to take more photos of them but I have worn out my welcome with most of them. We had a day at the lake last summer to do photos and I have a few wonderful shots of our family.

Robyn, the youngest, is the only one who still likes to be photographed.

Another Bridal Show

2009-02-23T13:19:00.010-05:00

Wedding season is getting in gear. Yesterday was our second bridal show of the year and the attendance has been overwhelming. It's fun to talk with brides and share what we do. We also had the public debut of our photoBooth. The response was fantastic - everyone loves it! Here are a few of the shots.

What are you waiting for? Get the photoBooth for your next event!

Bentley Speck

2009-02-19T18:19:00.005-05:00

We got another new toy yesterday :o) First it was the Fisheye lens, but now we have a Lensbaby. Oh so much fun!! Today I went over to a friends to play with her new puppy and my new toys! Check it out:
Lensbaby

Fisheye

George Hurrell

2009-02-17T15:39:00.005-05:00

In the 1930's anyone who was anyone in Hollywood was photographed by the great George Hurrell. To this day he is still considered the "Grand Seigneur of the Hollywood Portrait". His unique style of lighting and over retouched skin tones created the signature "Hollywood Glamour" style. Here's a taste of our recent George Hurrell inspired photo shoot.

What's a wordle?

2009-02-16T20:19:00.003-05:00

I found this today.

Click on it to access it and create your own. It's fun.

Life in really wide angle

2009-02-15T17:36:00.007-05:00

This year, we started thinking about what new kinds of things we can offer. One of the things we thought about is a fisheye lens. A fisheye lens can see 180 degrees from corner to corner and make very unique photos. Let's see now - new lens - trip to Charlotte - a chance to try it out! Here are a few shots from today.

Weddings just aren't going to be the same now!

Goofy Spontaneous Fun!

2009-02-02T15:43:00.005-05:00

photoBooth Charlotte is here!

photoEdge: A History (Part 1)

2009-01-28T15:45:00.003-05:00

It dawned on me the other day that many of you might not know the history behind photoEdge. So, I'm going to give it to you. Seeing as history class was never my favorite, I'll try to make this interesting for you. To really know the history of photoEdge you must first know the history of Dave and myself. If you've read some of our older posts, this might be a slight recap for you.

We'll start with me. I have an extremely close-knit family with 2 sisters: one older and one younger.

My family has always been big on going on vacations. Here is where my interest in photography began. My parents had a very old point-and-shoot camera they would let us girls play with on vacations. I loved it!

That's me in the yellow pants on the left picture. I'm the one in the back right in the other one.

As I got older, I got my first personal point-and-shoot camera to take with me on vacation. In the fall of my 8th grade year, my mom's dad passed away. Since my interest in photography had already started, my grandmother gave me his Canon AE-1. At this point I started to think about what a career in photography would look like.

In highschool, I started researching photography as a career. I decided I wanted to be the Still Photographer on a movie set. How cool would that be?!? My junior year I took my high schools photography class with Mr. Pascolla. The very first day of class we watched an intro to photography video put out by Brooks Institute of Photography. It was quite a few years old, but the content was still very relevant. At that point I decided not only did I want to be the still photographer on a movie set, but I also wanted to go to Brooks. No questions asked. Until I found out the cost!

During the end of my junior/beginning of my senior year, I started touring schools and applying for colleges. I picked out my top 2: Brooks and CSU Sacramento. During the fall of 2002 (I think) Brooks called me to let me know about a perspective student day. My mom, dad and I drove down to check it out. I was in love. The campus is a gorgeous stone house that has been converted. It's set in the "mountains" of Montecito overlooking Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. Absolutely gorgeous.

At the end of the day my dad said "Well, it sounds like if you want to be a photographer this is where you need to go." Now he was hooked!!! A few months later I got my acceptance letter and the deal was sealed :o)
I spent 3 years studying photography at Brooks. Sometimes I loved it - sometimes I hated it. The program is set up so that the first year you have a variety of assignments that expose you to all types of photography. I quickly realized a few things:
1- I don't like shooting product photography - I learned this one shooting the "Small Product" assignment. 2- I don't like shooting fashion - I learned this shooting the "Fashion" assignments in 311.3- I don't like shooting architecture - I learned this in 311 as well!4 - I REALLY love shooting children - I learned this in Portraiture 241 & 2425- Weddings are also fun to shoot - I learned this from real life experience.6- Being a celebrity photographer (tends to be a side business when working on movie sets) is NOT how I want to build my business. Too competitive, time consuming and stressful - Learned this taking Celebrity Portraiture with John Russo
During my last 9 months at school I realized that as fun as shooting on a movie set would be, I didn't want really see myself living in Hollywood or in that environment. Over time I began to recognize my passion for photographing children and developed my own "style" for shooting. Shortly after is when photoEdge came into the picture, but I'll share more on that later :o)

New Year's Eve

2009-01-26T15:50:00.005-05:00

Ok, I know it was almost 4 weeks ago, but I had a fun shot that I wanted to post. We had a small New Year's Eve party at the house and we placed candles in mason jars along the fence. I tried taking some photos of the whole house but they were just boring. Crawling in the dirt with a camera is much more exciting.

Carolina Bride

2009-01-23T11:38:00.006-05:00

We have been advertising in Carolina Bride Magazine for the last 2 years. It is one of the more exciting bridal magazines I've seen in awhile. Each issue we get to submit weddings to the magazine for cover stories, feature articles, the Wedding Album section and A Picture Is Worth section. When we receive our shipment from Carolina Bride we spend a few minutes flipping through every page trying to find all of our pictures :o) It's fun for us and the bride who's picture gets chosen.

Last November, we got a call from the magazine informing us that one of our weddings had been chosen as a feature article! Tyyawdi and David Hands were planning a wedding for September 6th in Hilton Head. That's right during hurricane season and 3 days before the wedding, the hurricane was threatening their wedding site. Tyyawdi scrambled to re-plan her entire wedding at the Ballantyne Resort. Even though everything was re-done 3 days before, the wedding was wonderful and we were excited to be a part of her special day.

Meet Fred.

2009-01-21T01:14:00.006-05:00

Fred... meet the blog readers. Blog readers... meet Fred.

Gotta love the snow. (Especially if you're from the part of California where snow happens once every 15 years!)

Oops!

2009-01-15T16:33:00.005-05:00

I may not like sitting airports for 13 hours and taking 3 planes with 9 hours of flight time for a 4 1/2 hour flight, but it sure beats this!!

Plane + Hudson River = Disaster

"In case of a water landing, your bottom seat cushion can be used as a floatation device."Not only was it US Airways, but it was heading back to Charlotte.Don't sign me up for that flight!!

Jon & Ellie

2009-01-11T03:22:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I got the honor of photographing life long friend, Jon Schliep's wedding to the beautiful Ellie Ortiz. The wedding was wonderful, filled with story of how the couple met and the love that the 2 share with one another and the Lord.
Congrats to the both of you! May God continue to shower you with His blessing of love!

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-01-04T02:55:00.003-05:00

You might be tempted to think I'm talking about the movie, but I'm not. I'm actually talking about my best friend's wedding! This morning at 11am Brianna Wagner became Mrs. Christopher Lazo!!! I'm extremely excited for the two of them. The wedding was absolutely gorgeous and for once I didn't have to worry about taking any pictures... so I didn't!! Tim and Cheryl Halberg did the photography and they were amazing!! You can see a slideshow of some of the pics here:

Brianna & Chris

Congrats to the newly weds!!!

Christmas in CA = Sunsets and Starfish

2008-12-29T13:08:00.006-05:00

Morro Bay, California

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:15:00.003-05:00

I am currently sitting in my parents Big Room (we call it that cause it's the biggest room in the house) writing this blog while listening to Christmas music, watching the rain fall outside and listening to my family talk in the other room. Mom is in the kitchen finishing the Monkey Bread for breakfast. My older sister is still in the room sleeping. It's a typical Collins Family Christmas.

I have been home for Christmas morning every year of my 23 year life. While we've grown older, and the traditions have changed slightly, they are still all the same. Every year on Christmas Eve we go to church where my family plays the Christmas Carols on their various instruments. Then we come home to make the Monkey Bread for breakfast the next morning. This year we changed that. At some point during the Christmas season we always watch White Christmas together. Seeing as last night was the first night we were all together we did that.

On Christmas Eve my dad also always reads the Christmas story from Luke and Matthew. When we were little us girls used to act out the story with the nativity figures, however, we cancelled that particular tradition a few years ago. Last night us 3 girls got to read the story. After reading the story we always open one present - pajamas. We all go change into our new pjs and settled down for the rest of the night, which last night was watching White Christmas.

Christmas morning consists of everyone slowly waking up and drinking their coffee around the fire place. Eventually when everyone's awake, we'll cut into the Monkey Bread and start the present opening. The rest of the day is spent playing new games, listening to new music and just enjoying one another's company.

Most Christmases go on without a hitch, however, there have been years with some "exciting" stories. Like the year my younger sister got a basketball hoop. It was the last present opened so all of us in our pjs went outside to see it. My dad has the camera and about 10 seconds after we're all outside in the 45 degree weather he says "Jim (my uncle) did you shut the door?" Yep. It locks from the inside if you forget to turn the knob. The rest of the video is filled with laughter as we realize that all of our neighbors with keys are out of town and all of our doors are locked. Luckily my sister was small enough to crawl under the garage door to unlock us, but it took some convincing.

What are your Christmas traditions? Any funny anecdotes you can share with us?

Amy & Eric

2008-12-19T13:43:00.006-05:00

A few months back I got the opportunity to photograph Amy Wright in my bathtub. A few days later, I got to photograph Amy Wright and Eric Johnson on my porch. And a few months later I got to photograph Mr. and Mrs. Johnson at their wedding reception!!
Congrats Amy and Eric!!!

Plastic Surgery - Website Style

2008-12-19T12:47:00.005-05:00

Tuesday was a fun day. Well, the end result was exciting, but I can't say the day itself was exciting. You see, Dave and myself spent all day Tuesday updating our website. It was a LONG process. Dave has been writing the code for the site for quite a few weeks now and he even stayed up until midnight on Tuesday getting everything ready! After the very very long day of plastic surgery, our website is finally up and running. It wasn't a complete make over, but definitely a little nip and tuck!
Check it out:
www.photo-edge.com

Joys of living in a small town

2008-12-18T10:58:00.005-05:00

I've mentioned it before, but I absolutely love living in the small town of Waxhaw, NC. Especially on days when there is a parade! Growing up I never liked parades. Probably because I had to be in them and when you reach a certain age, that's just not cool anymore. Now, however, I look forward to every little parade in Waxhaw. The most recent being the Waxhaw Christmas Parade. There's nothing like the giant vacuum balloon being pulled behind a truck!!
To see pictures check out fellow photographer Rolf Loken.

After the parade, Dave and I got to hang out at the fire station with Santa and all the little kids for "Snacks with Santa".

Why NOT?!?

2008-12-14T23:26:00.005-05:00

Sometimes in life a better question than "Why?" is "Why NOT?!?" That's what myself and 2 friends said Friday night at Kami's around 9 pm when the idea to drive to Charleston was brought up. After double checking the calendar, we left my house at 9:45pm with only ourselves, gas in the car, cash in the wallets and adventure on our minds!!! After arriving at 1:30am we spent the night in the "luxurious" Red Roof Inn with the cockroach, woke up the next morning, showered, threw on the same clothes and took a 3 hour tour of Charleston before heading back home.
There's a lot to be said for spontaneity and taking advantage of the time you have and your season in life!

Christmas is here!!

2008-11-26T12:08:00.009-05:00

It's official. Christmas is here at photoEdge! There's Christmas music playing in the office, a Christmas tree in the living room, a wreath on the door and candy canes along the sidewalk. To kick off the Christmas season Santa came a little early for a special visit to our studio. Here's some highlights...

Neely & Daniel

2008-11-24T23:27:00.006-05:00

Neely Schmidt and Daniel Rose were married on Saturday, November 22nd. They had a beautiful ceremony at Belk Chapel with an awesome reception at Bentley's on 27th.

Congrats to Mr and Mrs Rose!!

Christmas is coming early this year

2008-11-18T21:20:00.003-05:00

Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. Followed closely by Thanksgiving and then Fourth of July. I love everything about Christmas. The smells. The songs. The sounds. The cookies & candy my parents get because they're both elementary school teachers. Shopping for a Christmas tree. Decorating the tree. Hanging up Christmas lights. Everything. It doesn't get much better :o)

And for your enjoyment, we're bringing Christmas out a little early this year at photoEdge too! This Saturday, Santa is making a special visit to our studio just for you! Call soon because spots are limited and you don't want to miss out on this opportunity!

This year we are also offering custom designed holiday cards. Follow this link to see some examples.
Holiday Cards

Santa Claus is coming to town....

2008-11-15T09:30:00.004-05:00

That's right - Santa will be personally visiting our studio on Nov 21st and 22nd. If you're tired of waiting in lines at the mall, or if you're just tired of getting a single "snapshot" with Santa, sign up for a session here and you can get 15 minutes with Santa all to yourself! We will take the time to create precious pictures of your child with Santa that you will love.

Due to Santa's busy schedule, spots are limited so sign up today to secure yours. Sessions are $35 and we'll have special packages available for purchase following your session. This season we are also offering custom holiday cards. You will be able to schedule an appointment to review pictures at our studio or view them online.

Remember - spots are limited and there's only a week left, so call today and book your session!!

Friendly competition...

2008-11-09T23:43:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity once again to photograph fire fighters in action. Although this time there were no burning buildings involved, but there were a LOT more fire fighters! Union County had it's annual Fire Fighter Competition held at the fire training grounds in Monroe. It was quite an enjoyable day - freezing cold, but enjoyable none the less! Departments from all around the county got teams together and competed in 3 different events:

The Draft Attack - Teams had to put on their gear, charge the lines and then proceed to knock down 4 cones out of 4 windows.

Rescue Me - Teams had to simulate the rescue of a fallen fire fighter. 1 man was trapped, 2 guys with blindfolds had to follow the hose line and replace his air pack, and 2 other guys had to follow the same line and carry him back to the finish line.

The Bucket Brigade - This one's pretty self explanatory - fill the buckets to fill an even bigger bucket.

There was also and individual triathalon event that in my opinion was really a decathalon! Competitors had to put on all their gear, carry and air tank up 2 flights of stairs, hoist a hose attached to a rope up 2 stories, run back down the stairs (hitting every step), pull a charged hose 100 ft (approx) to a window, knock over the cone, go pick up Rescue Randy and drag him 25 feet back to the finish line.

At the end of the day they did a "surprise" event which just so happened to be my favorite :o) I don't know what it's called but basically there are 2 teams with hoses and whoever gets the barrel on the other teams side when the time is up is the winner. I remember watching this when I was a little kid. (It was my favorite then too!)

You can see ALL of the pictures from that day if you go here:Union County Fire and Rescue Competition

Election Day 2008

2008-11-04T12:24:00.002-05:00

We voted.... did you?!?!?

Traveling is fun?

2008-11-03T10:39:00.005-05:00

Some of you may be aware of my past traveling issues... most of which involve the Charlotte Douglas Airport and my disdain for the place. And Delta airlines. For those that don't know, here's a little background info.

Last summer I barely found parking, barely made it through the crowd - or as they called it... line - barely made it to the gate, only to find that someone had run into the plane last night and there was now a hole in the side of the plane! A 7 hour travel day turned into a 15 hour travel day with missed flights and more. Then on my way home to Charlotte, flights all went smoothly, but getting to my car did not. The shuttle driver did not believe me when I said I was parked in the other lot because she said that lot was not open on the day arrived. She was wrong. But she insisted I MUST be in this lot and therefore I exited the shuttle, accidentally leaving my computer behind. I wandered through the parking lot for about 30 seconds when it was confirmed that I really am NOT in this lot. So then I had to sit outside on the curb by the little kiosk and wait for the nice lady in the pick up truck to come get me and take me to my car. Oh yeah... the whole time is was POURING rain and I was completely soaked to the bone.

Luckily this traveling trip was no where near as bad, but still not perfect. My best friend is getting married in Santa Barbara on January 3rd. This weekend we planned to do not 1, but 2 bridal showers for her. And seeing that she is my best friend and I am the Maid of Honor, I took a whirlwind trip out there. I left Charlotte at 9:30am on Friday. Amazingly enough, it was a breeze! I printed my boarding pass the night before, did curbside check in, and sat and enjoyed the free wireless internet :o) I spent the entire weekend either in a car driving, setting up for a shower, hosting a shower, cleaning up for a shower, or pretending to sleep. It was totally worth the exhaustion and hours of travel because I got to see a lot of familiar faces that I haven't seen since last Christmas. And I went to Downtown Disney for dinner which is as close as I can get to the Happiest Place on Earth without actually going.

But now comes the "fun" part of the trip. My flight back to Charlotte was an overnight flight. I was supposed to arrive at 10:30am. That was not the case because the pilot called in sick and the flight that was supposed to leave LAX at 12:15am, didn't leave until 2:45am! So I spent 4 hours in the airport watching The Office and trying to sleep. Luckily I think I slept the entire 3 hour and 54 minute flight to the Atlanta airport. But now I'm just sitting here waiting for my new connecting flight which leaves in about 2 hours and I feel about as disheveled as can be after being in an almost constant state of travel since Friday morning.

Hopefully, there won't be any issues when I get to Charlotte!!

Crayola box of Brown

2008-10-31T08:34:00.010-04:00

Being from California, I have never experienced a true fall. There are about 5 tiny trees lining the K-Mart parking lot by my house in CA that change color. In order to change this sad fact, myself and 3 friends decided to take the day off of work and head up to Grandfather Mountain. The colors started getting more and more beautiful the higher we got. Until of course we actually reached the mountains and started seeing snow on the ground. Yep, snow. Not much, it was more like ice at this point, but snow none the less. At that point the trees started to change (aka have no leaves at all). My friend described the view as a "Crayola box of browns." Plus, Grandfather Mountain was actually closed due to wind.
Side note: This reminds me of being at Disneyland waiting in the giant mob of people in excited anticipation of fireworks only to hear the announcement saying "Fireworks have been cancelled due to high winds about the magic kingdom."
Even though our plans had been spoiled, we still managed to have an amazing day and even found a random trail on the side of the road that led us through the trees, over a bridge, next to a small waterfall and then to our great relief, directly back to our car!

Here are a few pictures for your entertainment.

Tasha & Kyle

2008-10-27T12:16:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, Tasha & Kyle got married at the beautiful Coker Ranch in Lancaster, SC. The ceremony took place overlooking a pond at sunset. All morning long we were praying the sun would come out and the rain would stay away. An hour and a half before the ceremony it was answered! Everything turned out beautifully and the bridal party danced the night away under the stars.

WVFD Training Fire

2008-10-16T21:53:00.009-04:00

Another Waxhaw Fire Department Training Fire happened on Monday, Oct 13th. Once again... it was incredible :o) It never ceases to amaze me how exciting yet terrifying these fires are! I was sure the barn was going to collapse on the guys inside, but of course they had everything under control :o) Here's a quick little slideshow I put together. If you want to see even more pics go to the following link:

More Pics

Alyssa & Christopher

2008-10-16T11:45:00.003-04:00

Goodbye D2622027...

2008-10-07T19:42:00.008-04:00

Well, it's official. I no longer have my California drivers license. I tried to wait as long as possible, but the time has come. Technically -well, I guess it's actually legally- I should've gotten my new license 60-90 days after moving here. That would've been April 18, 2007. As you can see, I'm well past that date!! But I just didn't want to give it up... for a few reasons:

1- It's my last official document from the wonderful state of California.
2- The pictures is priceless!! It was taken when I was 15 1/2. Bangs. Glasses. Overalls. Classic.
3- It always provides entertainment when someone is checking my ID. Either they don't believe the picture is actually me. Or they can't find my birth date.
4- This particular card holds great memories of going horseback riding on my 21st birthday, losing the card in the sand at Half Moon Bay, and having to pay for a replacement before celebrating.
5- It glows under black lights which I didn't learn until about 3 weeks ago.

North Carolina has a law that requires you to relinquish your license to the DMV upon getting a new one. I tried to convince the man that he should just poke a bunch of holes - not just one - in the card and let me keep it. But alas, he wouldn't let me. He did however promise to make it last as long as possible tonight during the "Shredding Party".

I finally broke down and got the NC license for a couple reasons. One being I wanted to register to vote in the upcoming election and needed to do so by October 10th. The other reason is that somewhere down the road one of these NC officers of the law, is not going to be so nice and just "let it slide." I've been stopped by the police 4 times since moving here. Just so you know... only one of those times was because I was pulled over and I didn't get a ticket. The other 3 were those fun little road blocks. Anyway... every time I've been stopped, the kind officer proceeds to tell me that I need to have a NC license and should've had one for a LONG time now. But that's all they ever do. One guy even said "I'm not going to write you a ticket though. I'll save that for the next guy." I don't want to meet "the next guy." So, I got a new license.

It was not as quick and easy as I had hoped. I was going to do this Monday morning, but was too exhausted from our busy weekend to wake up. So I opted for Tuesday. Being the night owl that I am, I still did not make it out of the house this morning at 7:30am as planned. It was closer to 9am. After being on the road for about 5 minutes I realized I had forgotten my book. That meant I would have to sit there doing nothing in those wonderful DMV lines. Oh well. I make it to the road and proceed to drive up........ and down. And up............ and down. I can not find this stupid DMV for the life of me! I'm starting to get irritated at this point because I now only have about an hour to complete this process and who knows how long I'll have to wait. Plus, I managed to spill coffee all over my shirt!

I decided at this point that it wasn't worth it and I was just going to go home and try again on Thursday. I turned onto this lovely little road and went around beautiful little curve to be surprised by what?!?? A road block!! This will be the 4th road block with my CA license. I thought to myself - "Great... maybe he's gonna be the "next guy" and write me the ticket. But I bet he knows where the DMV is!!!" I pull up the the state trooper, roll down my window, hand him my license and see that look I've seen before. It's the one that is directly followed by "How long have you lived here? You know you're supposed to have a NC license within 60-90 days of moving?" Instead of letting him get all of this out I stopped him and said "Maybe you can help me. I'm actually looking for the DMV to replace this but I can't find it!!" At this he chuckled and gave me directions. I made my nice little U-turn and headed back for the DMV. I found it this time :o)

But that's not where the story ends. You see, I sat down and after trying to convince the guy to let me keep my card, he said it was time for my "vision/sign" test. I did excellent on that until the very end. The last 4 unmarked signs you have to identify are:

I got the first one right. For the life of me I could not figure out the last 4!! Pathetic, I know. In my defense though, they will NEVER put up one of those signs without the black lines, words or pictures!! The man was nice enough to "look the other way" while I glanced at the cheat sheet!--- 10 points if you can name all four---After that whole incident I felt like a COMPLETE idiot and prayed I wouldn't make any stupid mistakes on the test and have to restart this whole process. Luckily, I aced the test :o)

Now I have a brand new North Carolina drivers license with a rather decent picture of me and a lighthouse in the background. (I chose the light house because he explained my options as "Do you like flying, the beach, the state or _______" - I don't remember the last choice. Obviously I went for the beach!!!)

And now I'm going to take a moment of silence in remembrance of CA D2622027 - the license that is no more.

Amber & Jason

2008-10-07T19:41:00.004-04:00

Jennifer & Nick

2008-09-28T00:47:00.004-04:00

Jamie & Allen

2008-09-27T00:57:00.003-04:00

Senior portraits gone bad?

2008-09-17T22:05:00.011-04:00

How many of you had your kid's senior portraits done by a big corporate photographer and are completely unsatisfied?! You had to wait forever. Drove far away. Got stuck with simple boring backgrounds and poses. Got the proofs back and absolutely hate them!!

Don't worry!! Just because you are required to get the "senior drape" picture done by them to get in the yearbook, that doesn't mean you have to buy any of the other pictures!

At photoEdge we are a full service photography studio. You can choose exactly when and where you want your pictures taken. We'll even come to you! Do you want to include your dog in the picture? GREAT!! Let's do it! Want to try some fun "celebrity" style portraits in our studio? GREAT!! Let's do it! Want to take pictures at your favorite park? GREAT!! Let's do it!

We'll even refund your $50 session fee from that OTHER studio!! Call, email or message me today and we'll set up an appointment :o

Jenny & Jerry

2008-09-14T00:17:00.010-04:00

September 11th

2008-09-11T18:54:00.003-04:00

A New Day Comes

Tuesday morn the sun crept up
to show its shiny face.
A day begun, a day to be won
by all whose faith is in grace.

A glimmering frost nestled on our flag
perched high atop the towers
to light the world with hopes so high
of unity beyond our powers.

Today a new day of normal routine
to be struck by awful terror.
A flying beast rode through the sky
filled with workers, kids and their prayers.

An awful strike, a blow to the wall
debris floating to the ground.
Screams of fright, cries of terror
to loved ones all around.

“A fatal crash, that’s all it is,”
raced through the minds of people.
Unknown to them the danger they’re in
up high on this burning steeple.

Awfully soon they realized
the end was near to them.
Phone calls home to ones so dear
before now becomes then.

Video’s rolling of this tragedy
as another came flying in.
They realized this was no mistake
as the world began to spin.

Not one or two, but four planes crashed
before the day was done.
Rescuers, policemen, media and more
saw them plummet under the sun.

The whole wide world, struck with awe,
grieved for the dying people.
Tens, hundreds, thousands and more
died in those crumpling steeples.

September eleventh, two thousand one
a day to be remembered
by all of those who lost someone
in those hot burning embers.

Wednesday morn the sun crept up
to show it’s shiny face
a day begun, a day to be won
by all whose faith is in grace.

A glimmering frost nestled on our flag
perched atop our homes for hours.
A new day comes, our hopes still high
of unity beyond our powers.

We will never forget.

Most Recent Weddings...

2008-09-07T03:18:00.004-04:00

Here's a peak at our 2 most recent weddings....

A few things about Dave

2008-09-04T23:21:00.002-04:00

Christy added 10 things about her so I need to keep up.

1. The most important thing about me is my relationship with Jesus. He is the strength of my life and the motivation for each day.

2. Next, of course, is my wonderful wife, Aileen. This year we are celebrating 22 years of marriage. Each time I photograph a wedding, I am reminded of our wedding day, and my very best friend.

3. Ok, enough of the mooshy stuff. I do need to mention my five kids. While they have given me more than my share of gray hairs, I would not trade a single one of them. The oldest is now away at college and that certainly opens up the windows for the winds of change (poetic isn't it?).

4. I have always had a passion for photography. Doing it as a job is definitely different than having it as a hobby. Many people do not want to make their hobby their job because it is no longer fun for them. I have to disagree on this one. Photographing people is always exciting and every job is different because each person is unique. There is infinite variety and opportunity for creativity.

5. For my geeky side, I do love and hate computers. There is nothing else in life that is so incredibly useful and yet can be so incredibly frustrating as a computer. I have never enjoyed working on cars but I never hesitate to get the screwdriver out when the computer fails. There is something wonderful about writing programs and seeing them come to life in a computer.

6. The geeky part does not end with computers. Since Junior High, I have enjoyed coin collecting. My favorites are very old coins. An old coin will bring history to life and evoke thoughts and images of times past. I once asked a friend why he purchased an old Humvee. He told me that if I had to ask, then I would not understand. Perhaps coins are the same way.

7. While I no longer fit the part, I once was a very avid bicyclist. Perhaps this is one of those things that never leaves. My biggest accomplishment was riding the entire California coast and 3/4 of the Oregon coast in one summer.

8. If you are going to eat food, then why not make it spicy? I have been given a family, in which none of them like spicy food! So, if you ask me where I want to go to lunch, it will either be Mexican or Indian. I do love adventure in food. One of my favorite places is Epcot in Disney world. You can eat your way around the world.

9. Oh yea, I have been to India twice and it is one of my favorite places. You just can't imagine lots of people until you visit someplace like this. The people are wonderful and I now have several friends there.

10. I enjoy geocaching. If you have not heard about it, you can check it out at www.geocaching.com. It's kind of like modern day high-tech treasure hunting. (Back to that computer thing again)

Now you know a few things about me.

bridal portraits in the bathroom?

2008-09-04T22:48:00.014-04:00

Check out the most recent bridal portraits we took in the bathroom!!

new site...

2008-09-04T11:59:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone! Christy updated her personal website. Check it out and see what's new!!
www.christycollinsphoto.com