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!