Something Pretty

Published on Southern Weddings Daily Blog!!

2012-01-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

Courtney's beautiful Lake Oconee wedding was recently published on Southern Weddings Daily Blog--take a second and check out the post if you get a chance!

Featured on the Brides Cafe!

2012-01-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

They just published Melanies (of Lucky and Lovely)wedding over at the Brides Cafe--go over and check it out if you get a chance!

Style Me Lovely!

2012-01-25T06:22:00.000-08:00

To all of you DIY brides, my very talented friend, Melanie, from Lucky and Lovely, is hosting a styling workshop in March. Please visit her site if you are interested.

Makeup shoot

2012-01-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I do a shoot that I really love but I am really busy, so it doesn't end up on my blog. Well, I happen to be caught up on some work, so I have decided to put up some shoots that have been lingering.....this one is from a shoot I did for Kimberly Mack, a very talented makeup artist. I loved this model...she had a really cute 50's vibe to her.

Love these two

2012-01-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

So I ended up doing a LOT of family shoots this year and for the first time I did mini sessions where people came to my studio instead of me going out on location. Well, in between one of those shoots, my friend Kate came over and brought my son's best friend, Stella, and they had a little impromptu photo session in the studio. These just melted me. Love these two.

The South meets the North East in a beautiful Lake Oconee wedding!

2011-11-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

If this wasn't one of the greatest wedding--I am not sure what is. Courtney is from NY and has the best taste ever, and she got married in Lake Oconee at Reynolds plantation and fused the two beautifully. New England meets the South--from the pink pants on the men to the steer horns on the table. This was just so much fun too shoot--I just loved the people and the vibe. This is kind of a long post, because there were too many good shots to choose!

Botanical Garden Wedding!

2011-11-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Kevin and Valerie's wedding was at the Botanical Gardens and it was the BEST!! You might remember Kevin from Top Chef, and they ended up having the reception at his restaurant Woodfire Grill (which is amazing and you should go there immediately:), and the entire event was filled with so much love. They were soooo easy to shoot--the love just beamed out of them. It was raining during the ceremony, but everyone just pulled out their umbrellas and it was so charming and wonderful. The reception was full of down home country charm with the mix of probably one of the best 80's bands ever for the party (I had to include a picture of the lead singer at the end...priceless!)

Holiday Photo Special!!

2011-10-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

The leaves are changing which means it is family portrait time!! One of my favorite times of the year. I have added on some new specials this year with the addition of mini sessions at my studio, so get in touch if you want to book a session!! I love fall!!

LOVE THIS WEDDING!!

2011-10-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Does it get cuter than this? Kevin and Valeria got married at the Botanical gardens and honestly, they were just so happy and wonderful. I am almost finished editing their wedding and will then put a full post up. Love it!!

Just published on Project Weddings blog!

2011-10-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

So the lovely Katelin at Project Wedding just published Angelica and Ben's wedding and it looks beautiful--pop on over and check it out at http://www.projectwedding.com/blog/2011/10/27/angelica-bens-whimsical-diy-day/!

Thank you!!

Wedding shoot in Chastain Park

2011-10-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Pretty, Pretty, Pretty!!! I am still in the middle of this edit, and we shot Tania and Alan's portraits in
Chastain Park, and the light was just so beautiful. I had to post this when I came across it:)

Beautiful Bouquet

2011-10-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

How pretty is this bouquet. I always love it when I see something that I haven't seen before, because I shoot so many weddings, and I had never seen a bouquet made out of all orchids before this one. So simple and beautiful. These were part of a beautiful Indian wedding I recently shot, and when I came up on them during my edit, I had to post.

Beautiful Sonoma Wedding!!

2011-09-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

So finally here are some images from Melanie and David's wedding in Sonoma. Seriously, that part of California is just magical. I wish I could have spent a month out there--the weather, the mountains, the vineyards....I could go on and on. They had their wedding at a small restaurant in the town of Sonoma, and Melanie did a beautiful job styling it--she also has her own styling site, lucky and lovely, so check her out if you need something made really pretty!

Love my friends and neighbors!

2011-09-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Oh, I say it time and time again, but I LOVE shooting my neighbors here in Grant Park. I have become sort of the neighborhood photographer these days, and it really gives me no greater joy than giving my friends and neighbor beautiful images of their families. These are some images of the Fox family that I took yesterday in Grant Park...could these kids be any more beautiful?

Beautiful Wedding at the Botanical Garden

2011-09-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

I just shot Kevin and Valerie's wedding at the Botanical Gardens here in Atlanta and it was the best. It was raining outside, but they just went ahead and had it outside which was really charming since everyone was sporting umbrellas, and then we went inside the orchid house for some shots afterwards. These two are pretty easy to shoot, because they are just so darned in love! So beautiful--here is a shot I picked out--more to come very soon!

Beautiful Sonoma Wedding!!

2011-08-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

OK, so my very good friend, Melanie Carter (now Hernquist:) of Lucky and Lovely
was married in Sonoma, CA in July right before we left for Sweden. Oh what a heavenly place
that was. I will definitely be going back with the rest of the family one day. I am not even close to having these images finished, but you can't deny a pregnant lady a wish for some teaser shots, soooo...here are a couple. What a beautiful couple.

Beautiful DIY Wedding

2011-06-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this wedding..let me count the ways.....Angelica is just such an inspiring person, and her wedding matched her spirit. She has an amazing blog that you should definitely check out: http://www.withlovefromangelica.blogspot.com/ and I really wanted to match the spirit of her blog...soft, light, feathery, romantic.... She and Ben got married in Virginia at his home which happens to be in the middle of nowhere, but the land around it is so beautiful. Anytime I see hay bales, I just get happy for some reason. Angelica had made her own dress and her and her sisters had created so many paper flowers and details that I thought they must have started a year ago! She also got watercolor portraits done of her by Caitlin Shearer, who is so talented! Her sisters also made a tepee for her to get married in front of, plus all the AMAZING desserts and cake, and Angelica played a song on the ukelele during the ceremony. Can you get better than that?

My baby girl in Film, Film, Film!

2011-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

I love film.....so much. I am slowly going back more and more. I just realize how wonderful it is every time I use it, and I have started offering it again at weddings. I was testing out some films a few months ago and snapped this one of my little beauty, Elsa, and I was going through the film and found it and had to put it up. How pretty is the color! All you brides and parents that want shoots--let's shoot film together!!!

Beautiful Butterfly Bride

2011-06-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Angelica seriously wants to be a butterfly.....so sweet this wedding. I just shot it this weekend in Viriginia, but had to post this shot of them with these amazing watercolor portraits they had made by Peppermint Press (she is on etsy). Can't wait to finish these up and show all the amazing details. Also check out Angelica's blog--it is absolutely beautiful http://withlovefromangelica.blogspot.com/

Amazing Charleston Wedding!

2011-05-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

So Leigh and Wes' wedding was one of the best wedding I have ever shot--the love surrounding them and pouring out of them was palpable, and the day was just amazing. I haven't actually finished editing these, but I really wanted to post this beautiful shot of Leigh that i just loved. Sometimes, you just get a feeling that things are going to be great, and I KNEW things were going to be amazing for this shoot. On the day, the forecast was for terrible thunder storms, but instead it drizzled just enough to take the humidity out of the air, and then when they came down the stairs to dance their first dance, a DOUBLE RAINBOW appeared in the sky. Talk about amazing. I cried like a small child.

Kevin and Valerie's engagement shoot

2011-04-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

So Kevin and Valerie are the best! You might recognize Kevin from Top Chef where he rocked it and almost won! These two are so in love and it was so much fun walking around Cabbagetown and Inman Park at their engagement session. I also got some shots of one of their dogs (they both had dogs named Sampson when they met) when we went back to their house for a change. By the way, Kevin is the Head Chef at Woodfire Grill, and if you have never eaten there.....run there...don't walk...run. It is that good.

Lovely family shoot in Grant Park

2011-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

This was such a lovely family session--more and more lately, I just love shooting kids and families. Giving parents beautiful images that will be in their household forever is just a wonderful feeling, and it has been great being part of the Grant Park neighborhood and sort of being the neighborhood photographer for everyone. The shot of the two boys giving eskimo kisses might be one of my favorite kids images ever!

Best photo ever:)

2011-04-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

OK, so it has been forever and a day since I have updated my blog, because with putting 2 new websites together, changing our name and logo, and new babies and all....well...enough said. Once I get through April and hopefully have the websites done and up (exciting!!!), I am aiming to be oh so diligent, but I had to post an image that Fredrik took in October at the Sapelo Island wedding over Halloween weekend. I was filling a print order and she wanted one of these, and I realized how amazingly awesome this photograph was when you really soak it in. It may be one of my favorites ever--It just makes me laugh:)

LOVE

2011-02-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Normally, I would not write about something quite so personal on my blog, but I feel the need to talk about the events of the last week, because they were so life altering. Basically, in a nutshell, we came very close to losing our daughter on Tuesday evening. She had been very sick with a respiratory infection and had been to the hospital and discharged on Monday. That Tuesday night, she had an apnea episode where she quit breathing and could not be roused for almost a minute--the next moments and hours were the scariest ones of my entire life thus far. If we had not gone in to check on her at that moment, I honestly don't know what would have happened, but I really can't think that way, because for some reason , we did, and because we were able to get her to the hospital and get help, she is now, after 5 days in the hospital, back home and getting well. I cannot express in words the gratitude I feel over this.

The outpouring of love from friends and family has been overwhelming as well. From phone calls and texts, helping us care for Miles, meals at our door, cleaning services that cleaned our home.....it has made me realize after 3 years of being in Atlanta what a wonderful network of friends we have and what an amazing community we live in here in Grant Park. They are amazing, and at this point I am not sure how to show them how much it means to us. I feel words are too little.

After we got home from the hospital on Saturday evening, I awoke to the most beautiful Sunday morning--warm and perfect, and I realized that the garden had started to bloom while Elsa and I had been cooped up in the hospital and my heart practically exploded with love and thankfulness for all that I have in my life--, my family, my friends, my home, my career, the Spring, and my beautiful daughter, who God decided to keep right here. It is just all so perfect and wonderful and nothing else matters...nothing. I guess if I can hold onto anything from this experience that will be it. Life is love.

Here are a few images (sans IV and oxygen since that is too pitiful to show anyone)--I love the ones that Fredrik took after she was feeling a lot better--so joyful, and then one of Miles out in the yard on Sunday morning that sort of caught the joy I was feeling on that lovely day.

Sapelo Island Wedding featured on Style Me Pretty!!!

2011-01-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

Oh, I am not sure how to describe this oh so perfect in every way wedding. When there is so much positive energy, everything seems to just go right and this was one of those experiences. Michelle and Shane are just simply the best, and it is one of those wedding when you walk away knowing you will continue a relationship because there is such a lovely connection with them and their friends. Sapelo Island is also a treasure of epic proportions that I am almost afraid to blog about for fear that everyone will start to travel there, because there is such a pristine beauty about it and it seems so deliciously hidden from the world. This was also my first time working with the wonderful stylist, Liz Demos, who did a fantastic job on the styling, and I also invited my amazingly talented friend and fellow photographer, Susan Dean, to shoot with us, and her images that can be seen on her blog, are just breathtaking. Here are some images and I will add some more later tonight. Thanks to the ladies over at the lovely Style Me Pretty for the amazing blog post!! Enjoy!

NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE!!

2010-12-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

So, I was wondering how I should leave off the year--a year that has been really busy and amazing. This has been one of the busiest falls on record for us, and to top things off, having a beautiful new addition to our family has been just amazing, but at the same time a bit overwhelming--hence the lack of blog posts up in the last couple of months. BUT....the new year has some really amazing things in store for us. AREGRAYLINE will no longer be our name--we are reinventing ourselves in many many ways in the new year--new name, new look, a separate company that will house our commercial and editorial ventures... It is going to be a lot of work launching all of this stuff--almost like the birth of a new baby, so...... I thought what better picture to leave the year with, but that of our new baby girl Elsa. She is representative of the fresh, the new, the purity that we want to make our new venture together. I can't wait to share it with you all.

Happy New Year!

Lovely Decatur Wedding

2010-09-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Jacob are two people that you absolutely categorically know will be together forever. Goodness the love just poured off of them. This was my first wedding back since I had my baby girl Elsa, and it was the perfect shoot to start back off again. I just knew it was going to go well. Sarah and Jacob's wedding was inspired by Japanese gardens, because 4 months before they first met, they happened to both be in the Portland, Oregan Japanese gardens on the exact same day (they have time stamps on their images to prove it!). They met each other a few months later in Atlanta and the rest is history. I am super happy I got to meet them both and provide them with some beautiful images for the start of their new life! It was also a pleasure working with all the vendors:
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas
Floral arrangements: Juli Vaughn Designs
Caterer: Endive Catering
Hairdresser: Deanna Crouch 770 369 4154

Elsa Grace Brauer

2010-08-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little daughter, Elsa Grace Brauer was born August 13th, 2010--Friday the 13th!!! She is just perfect in every way and we are madly in love with her. We are doing really well and although our shoot schedule doesn't start back up until mid September, we will be checking emails and phone calls and getting back as soon as we can.

baby, baby, baby!

2010-08-09T12:32:00.001-07:00

OK, so I have been TERRIBLE with a capital T about keeping up with the blog, but I have a pretty good excuse, which is that I have been HUGE and pregnant with Miles little sister Elsa! She is still settled snuggly in my belly, but I have been working super hard up until right now trying to get all the rest of my shoots finished and edited, so I can focus on baby once she comes. If she doesn't come in the next day or two, then it is my goal to get my blog completely updated, so we'll see what she decides to do! I am uploading a few shots that we took on a very hot sweaty family day at Sweetwater Creek the other day--this heat has been brutal, but we got a few cute shots with a tripod of the family. Hopefully soon I will have some shots of Elsa Grace Brauer to show!

The Anderson Family

2010-07-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

I really like doing family shoots with families that are relaxed and up for anything. I just love capturing beautiful images and I don't think enough people get really great professional images taken, because they feel it is too expensive, so I really try to make it affordable, so that everyone can enjoy it. When I get to shoot families like my friend Heni's family, it just seals it for me and makes me wish I could do it for free for everyone. The images above I just love so much. Kudzu may be a pest, but the way that light lies on it, is just spectacular. Here are a few favs from the shoot.

Super wonderful Atlanta Wedding, June 5, 2010

2010-06-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

LOVED THIS WEDDING. Super low key, only their parents were there for the wedding and afterwards all they wanted to do was drive around and take images for 3 hours. Photographers dream! I had scouted this amazing location called the Goat Farm Community, which I literally stumbled upon and it was just so beautiful--an artist community filled with old mill buildings, and greenery--just tons of character. This is going to be a long post, because, well, sometimes there are just too many darned good images:)

Serenbe shoot, oh I love this place!

2010-06-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ah, the lovely amazing vistas of Serenbe....I love it so. I am so happy when I get to shoot down there with couples. I mean come on--look at the amazing flowers and greenery. Nature, color....everything I adore. Here are a few favorites.

ARUBA WEDDING!!!

2010-04-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

So, shooting Megan and Chris' wedding was quite the treat. We had shot Megan's sister's wedding a year and a half earlier here in Georgia, and so Megan came to us when they decided to have their wedding down in Aruba. They had their wedding on an awesome little private island filled with iguanas and flamingos--it was pretty awesome. There are so many shots from this wedding that I could flood the blog, so I am just going to pick a handful for now. The last shots are from when we were going to go on a trash the dress mission, but our jeep that Chris was driving got stuck in the sand--that was quite an adventure--we didn't get to trash the dress, but we got some very beautiful images of Megan as Chris did a marathon run to go get help. It was a great vacation for me and Fredrik--especially since with a new baby girl due in August, we probably won't be taking any long vacations for a while!

The cutest little Atlanta restaurant wedding, April 10, 2010

2010-04-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Bonnie and James wedding was really relaxed and fun shoot for me. Being pregnant I have been really attracted to smaller weddings this season and this one was perfect. Bonnie is like me--she loves old unique things with lots of character and anything vintage, and I just loved her dress, shoes and jewelry. It was a perfect Spring day and they got married at Canoe Restaurant, which is right on the Chattahoochee. Perfect.

Engagement shoot at Oakland Cemetary

2010-04-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Liz and Kevin are just the best--they are also practically my neighbors in Grant Park, and I just love shooting my fellow Grant Parkers! After editing these images I realized that Liz missed her calling as a runway model--she is like 6 feet tall, thin with huge green eyes--sort of a photographers dream. We actually shot in Grant Park and they actually suggested going over to Oakland Cemetary, which was such an awesome idea, because there are so many beautiful spots to shoot over there--the images ended up amazing--here are a few of my favorites.

Love this wedding dress!

2010-04-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

I shot Bonnie and Jamie's wedding yesterday, and although I haven't gone through the images yet, I knew I had to pull one of these out of Bonnie in her dress. She was so lovely and I can never resist a wedding dress with pockets! Love it. Here is a lovely shot of her in her amazing dress.

"Perfectly Courted" shoot in Nonpareil Magazine

2010-03-26T09:09:00.001-07:00

This was just about the cutest shoot ever! Styled by the lovely Amy Osaba and Melanie Carter, amazing hair and makeup by Raney O'Keefe, our wonderful models, Melissa and AJ and shot by yours truly--this just all came together perfectly.

Go and check out the new issue of Nonpareil--it is a really great new on-line magazine that has a beautiful layout and lots of great ideas. Thanks ladies--keep up the good work!

Sweet Sweet Wedding!

2010-03-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

This was actually sort of a "fake" wedding put together by Amy Osaba and Melanie Carter, 2 amazing stylists, and I actually can't put up a real blog post about it yet, because it is going to go up on NonPareil magazine for their April issue. But I will be blogging soon about it, because it was such vintage loveliness. Melissa and AJ, our models, who actually are engaged were the perfect couple--so madly in love that it showed all over their faces, and Amy and Melanie put together such a lovely sweet color palette with amazing little details that it can't help but make you smile. Here is one little sneak peek image, but I promise more will come soon!

Fashion shoot, February 2010

2010-03-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hi shot this amazing fashion shoot in February with my lovely friend and stylist Melanie of Lucky and Lovely and it all just came together so perfectly. We had been thinking of doing a fashion shoot, and it came about that all of these amazing artists who use recycled/renewable resources sort of fell into our laps! Amy Parish takes recycled wools, cashmeres, and cottons and remakes them into beautiful blouses, Denise Disharoon takes recycled silver and fallen wood to make stunning jewelry, Brooke Bennett of SoSheSews takes plastic bags and turns them into super sweet clutches, pencil cases and other great creations and uses many other recycled materials to create uber creative treats, and Heather Eastman uses old eyeglass lenses and turns them into fabulous necklaces. I love it when old things are made modern--these ladies rock!! We were thrilled to work with our fabulous model Madlin Cowart from Element Model Management, our AMAZING hair stylist, Fredrik, of Primp Club, and our super awesome makeup artist, Dawn who owns makeup couture--they all did a phenomenal job!!! I also have to give a shout to my awesome assistant, Hector Sanchez, and to our styling assistant, Christina Nolan who were both amazing and helped tremendously. Thanks!!!

WINNERS!!!

2010-03-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

OK--So we actually have a few winners or winners-to-be, because we couldn't quite make up our minds and there were so many awesome stories and ideas. The 2011 winner of the photography and styling package is Angelica Salinas-Jones of Virginia whose wedding is Friday June 17, 2011! Angelica just had the best attitude and amazing ideas and her spirit was something to be reckoned with! We are super excited about shooting her day!

I also gave free wedding photography to Alison McCartney from Indianapolis, whose flights of fancy I could not turn down. I am ridiculously excited about shooting with Alison and her Alice in Wonderland inspired wedding.

YOU GUYS ROCK!

2010-02-18T14:41:00.001-08:00

Hello all you amazing couples who have emailed and left comments!

We have received a lot of comments and emails and everyone's stories are amazing. There are so many fabulous ideas as well. I may just have a hard time choosing one:) We are still busy reading them and trying to make the decision on who wins!! If you did not leave a location for your wedding, please do that, because we are finding that is the one thing couples are forgetting to mention. Also, I wasn't thinking we would get so many out of town stories, so if we do have to go outside the Atlanta/Georgia area, there would be flight costs, but that is it--I will pay for hotel/food/etc...

We'll be in touch with all of you soon!!

valentines day shoot

2010-02-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

I did a sweet little Valentines shoot for Melanie Carter of Lucky and Lovely, which turned out just ridiculously cute. This one actually got posted up on 100 Layer Cake!

FREEEEEEE WEEEEDDDDING!!!

2010-02-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!!! OK, so I have been giving away a couple free weddings a year for a long time now, but I thought this year I would mix it up a little bit!! Me and Melanie Carter of Lucky and Lovely have decided to team up on this one and give a wedding away to a couple that not only have some financial challenges, but who also have really unique ideas for their wedding that bring out the individuality of the couple. Weddings are about the bringing together of two different unique people, and we want to showcase what is special about you both!! We are going to be here to help you make that possible.

The only rules for this are that there needs to be super uber awesome ideas, a financial need and if your wedding is during high wedding season (March-June or September-November), then it has to lie on a Friday or Sunday--otherwise...no holds barred!!

We are super excited about this--so just email us your story or comment on this thread and we will be making a decision by March 1, 2010!!

Meghan and Vincent, January 11, 2010

2010-02-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

Meghan and Vincent's wedding was just an amazing special experience. They are actually practically my neighbors and had been at a wedding I had shot in August. I love love love shooting my friends and neighbors in Grant Park--there is a sense of community about it that I really enjoy, and it only made me happier once I was in their home and amongst their friends. They had a very small wedding at their home, and as you can see their home is filled with special things from art, to trinkets--it was just a beautiful space to shoot in. All of their friends and family also pitched in either before the wedding and used their own trades or just their hearts to help them out--Meghan's sister, Jennifer of SisBoom (www.sisboom.com) made the fabric for the girls' dresses and sewed them as well, one cut everyone's hair, two cleaned up their home, one did the flowers, one drove to Florida to pick up a friend that was sick and needed a ride, one did the makeup, while others brought the refreshments, and her daughter made the flower crown that went in her hair. They did order a cake from Ducks Cosmic Kitchen and cookies from Cookie Studio (which were potentially the best cookies I have ever eaten). This was just an event filled with a lot of love and I feel very humbled to have been a part of it--you know things are on another level when you have a 7 year old reading Rumi:)

Sarah and Eliot, Mason Murer Gallery, Atlanta October 24, 2009

2010-01-06T09:46:00.001-08:00

Sarah and Eliot's Wedding was just one of those weddings that was so much fun. We met up before hand in Piemont Park and had a great portrait session and then they were married at the oh so awesome Mason Murer art gallery. What a great place to get married. Beautiful art EVERYWHERE! It was such a cool space and completely visually stimulating! I would recommend it to anyone. They also had one of the coolest dessert tables ever! These two were such a great couple and I really am happy that I got to share their day with them.

Ruffled!

2010-01-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

Hey Check out yesterday's post on Ruffled blog. She posted Melanie and I's pin up shoot! If you haven't checked out her blog, head on over there. It is super cute. Thanks Amanda!!!!

Pin Up Shoot

2009-12-21T14:14:00.001-08:00

This shoot was just the absolute most fun. The idea was put together by the lovely and talented Melanie Carter of lucky and lovely and she did an amazing job styling this pin up inspired shoot that would be perfect for a bridal shower. I also had the chance to work with Primp Club, who did the amazing job on the hair and with Kimberly Mack, who did a fantastic job with make up. I really had a great time and fell in love with the color scheme. Melanie and I are actually going to be teaming up on wedding shoots as well, so if you are interested in having her help you out with design ideas, just shoot her an email over at lucky and lovely!

Oh Pin Up Love!!

2009-12-02T08:00:00.001-08:00

Ok, so a couple of weeks ago, I teamed up with the uber talented and oh so lovely Melanie Carter of Lucky and Lovely to dream up an awesome pin up party. If you have not been to Melanie's site, you must--she is super creative and just plain awesome and we will definitely be teaming up some more in the future.

Anyway, I am not quite done editing all of the images, but I had to post this one, because I loved it soooo much. Our model Chelsea was just perfect and the colors were a dream. I'll be posting more soon, so keep a look out!

Victoria and Justin's engagement shoot

2009-11-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Victoria, Justin and I met up down at the oh so beautiful Serenbe in early November to shoot their engagement shoot. Serenbe, for those of you that don't know it is an amazing farm to table community that has a town, farms, an inn, 3 restaurants and the most beautiful landscape imaginable (they host weddings as well). It was absolutely the most beautiful day and we had timed it just right, so the light was perfect--combine that with the leaves and you get one beautiful shoot. They also brought their ridiculously cute puppy, Burton, who is a bulldog--I love bulldogs by the way--so we got some shots of him as well. Here are a few of my favorites.

Myla, Grant Park, 2009

2009-10-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

I photographed Myla again this year--she lives in the neighborhood and I had a great time shooting her and her family. I love growing with families and seeing their kids getting older and older--amazing how time flies!

Finally!!

2009-09-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

So I have finally changed blogs....yeah!! I had needed to do it for quite some time. Please bear with me while I change over the content from my old blog and update my new one. I am hoping to have it all done by the end of November, but in the meantime I have uploaded a couple of recent weddings that I loved. Here's to a new beginning!

Lindsay and Jay, Hilton Head Island, SC September 6, 2009

2009-09-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

We were very excited to shoot Lindsay and Jay's wedding in Hilton Head Island, SC in September. It was such a beautiful weekend, and it was lovely to come down to the beach and hang out for a bit. The day was perfect and everyone was just happy and laid back even when we got to the beach and the wind was crazy! Everyone just had a laugh about it and we got some beautiful shots. I'm already missing the beach!

Ginny and Rob, Atlanta, GA August 1, 2009

2009-08-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

So, Ginny and Rob were just two of those people that you just somehow know are going to be together forever...they were just ridiculously in love and it showed in the pictures. After the ceremony, they hopped into a vintage limo from the 80's that her parents had on their wedding day, and we went over to Stone Mountain park. It was a perfect summer day and there were so many great portraits that I decided to just post a few details and then the portrait session in the park. Enjoy!

Troy and Susan, July 25, 2009 Tryon, NC

2009-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Susan and Troy are two of our very close friends, and we were so happy to attend and shoot their wedding in the mountains of Tryon, NC. Their Wedding ended up being one of the best that I have every been to--honestly. They had it at her father's house, which was practically on the top of the mountain and had an incredible view and it had previously been a YMCA camp of some sort that got converted, so it had tons of room for everyone to stay at not to mention it was just beautiful. Susan and Troy are both artists in the Brooklyn area and many of their friends are artists too and everyone pitched in to make a beautiful day and night. One friend was a florist and put together the flowers, one made the crazy awesome cake, I shot the wedding, susan's cousin was a DJ and spun an amazing set and everyone pitched in on the day of the wedding to get the tables set up and to do the decorations--it was truly a team effort and as you will see, it turned out beautifully. They had planned on not dancing, but our friend, Leroy, convinced them to dance to Purple Rain while the smoke machine was going...awesome.

Hallie and Greg, June 20, 2009 Chattanooga, TN

2009-06-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hallie and Greg's wedding was right outside of Chattanooga, and it was reallly hot that day--but everyone was so awesome and the venue was perfect to make it feel like that perfect southern summer. They rented out a tree and plant nursery called Black Fox farms, and they had the reception in a huge beautiful barn which was filled with plants and trees from around the nursery. She filled small mason jars with hydrangea and put old pictures of her family up. They have strong ties to the Atlanta area, so they decided to have a coca-cola "cake", which was literally glass bottled cokes stacked up, which I thought was really sweet. It was a really down home affair with bbq and slaw and they were just great--we had such a great time shooting this wedding!

Lindsay and Jay's engagements session

2009-05-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and Jay's engagement session was really just perfectly planned and as you will see, they were very easy to shoot! We spent half the time in the Castleberry Hill area, because they wanted a bit more of an urban vibe, and it was perfect. Tons of beautiful old painted brick and great graffiti, and then they changed and they came down to my hood, Grant Park while the sun was going down and got some awesome shots in the park with the sun streaming through the trees. We can't wait to shoot their wedding in Hilton Head in September!

Ok I had to post this!

2009-05-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

So, I just shot Erin and Blakes wedding this past weekend in Decatur, and normally it takes me a while to get through the images and put them on my blog, but.... I couldn't resist this. Blake is a modern dancer and I exploited that to its fullest--he really flew and I loved this shot.

Just sort of love this!

2009-05-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

I found this on snippet and ink tonight and just sort of loved the color palette. I love when something unexpected pops up--I never realized i would love these colors together, but i do!

Kelly, Jonathan, and Naomi, Grant Park, Atlanta

2009-05-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

I LOVE shooting my neighbors and fellow Grant Parkians, so I was super happy when my neighbor Kelly asked me to shoot her and her husband and their daughter Naomi. It was so relaxed and great, and there is nothing better than being able to walk to a shoot! Here are a few of my favorites

Anne and Craig, Decatur, GA March 28, 2009

2009-03-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, to be in love...Anne and Craig are two people that just had love streaming out of them. It was just a really lovely experience being there to capture their wedding at the Houston Mill House. Of course in such a beautiful location mother nature decided to open up and pour rain before the ceremony, so we weren't able to take many images outside until after the wedding, but everyone was so great, and we ended up getting great shots around the hotel. Finally the rain stopped and we were able to get some great shots outside before the reception and then some major party shots once the reception started. There was some major boogying going down! There were so many that I had to only pick a few, but I had to include the Thriller dance moves in memory of my 80's hero Michael Jackson!

Amanda and Brian, Serenbe Farms, Georgia

2009-03-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Brian's wedding was actually a destination wedding for them since they and all their friends were from New Jersey. What a beautiful place to come to to get married--I love Serenbe! A perfect community with rolling farm lands, barns, horses, and an amazing inn. It could not have been a more beautiful, divine day to shoot too. They had a very small intimate wedding with only about 30 people, so there was just a great family vibe and after their dinner, everyone ended up stoking a fire in one of the outdoor fireplaces and making smores.. the perfect end to a perfect day.

Photo Set Ups are Here!!

2009-03-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

OK, this has been one of the busiest Springs on record, and thus I have been terrible about keeping up with my blog, but I have made it my mission for the next couple of days to go through all of my shoots and cleverly pre date them, so it seems as though I have been completely vigilant!! I thought in the mean time that I would put up some new pics of the photo back drops that we have started doing that have been a huge hit. My wonderful client and friend, Michelle Armas, of Armas Design first came to me with this idea for her wedding and I loved it so much we have decided to start doing it on a regular basis. Basically, you choose a beautiful textile for a backdrop, which can be hung from a backdrop stand if indoors or between trees if outdoors, and we set up lighting for portraiture during the reception. It is like a little photo shoot session that can be tailored to fit your wedding by changing the color of the fabric and it is a great way to get photos of all of your guests (Giving away the portraits as presents after the wedding is also a great thank you gift for smaller weddings). I have included a couple images from the last two that we did that were very different--it can be very subtle and beautiful or bring props and it can be fun and rowdy. The great part is that it is much cheaper than a photo booth--we only charge $150 for set up and break down, so it is much easier on the budget!

Hallie and Greg's engagement session

2009-03-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

I was so happy to get to do an engagement shoot in my back yard practically. I had suggested having the shoot in Grant Park to Hallie and Jonothan, and they were totally game. They are both very laid back and we had a great time walking around the park while the sun went down. Here are a few of my favorites.

Ceci and Allen, March 7, 2009

2009-03-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Cecilia and Allen's wedding was a very intimate wedding with only a few family and friends, and it was just perfect. Cecilia is actually the aunt of my very talented designer friend Michelle, so I knew that she would have some wonderful color and design. Her dress was the most beautiful blue color and Michelle created her little hat and bouquet for the occasion, and they both turned out perfectly.

It was all just lovely.

Danielle and Lukas, Dahlonega, GA

2009-02-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Danielle and Lukas got married up in the wine country just north of Atlanta--yes there is a wine country here! I can't wait to visit it when the grapes are full and beautiful, so I can see what Georgia wine tastes like:) It was a very foggy and slightly misty day when I got there, and they were worried about the portraits, but what they didn't know was that it would be so beautiful. Oh, the reds and greens mixed with the foggy background made for beautiful portraits and the ring shot was perfect (you'll have to scroll down to see that one). I love shooting down here in the Winter--a lot different than the Chicago winters I was used to--if you are thinking about it, I say go for it! It is usually cheaper at the venues and the colors are usually wonderful and muted. Here are some of my favorites.

Oh so sweet!!

2009-02-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that I am a lover of snippet and ink, who has by far the best inspiration boards and I just loved her post today. I love the reds and greens together--the only thing I might love more is dark reds with baby blues--oh but there are so many beautiful color combinations. Anyone getting married should bookmark this blog. She has creative ideas for all kinds of budgets and her color sensibilities are really out of this world.

Myla, November 28, 2008

2008-11-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

I photographed my fellow Grant Park neighbor Julie's little girl Myla in late Fall and she was just a ball of energy! She was running around Grant Park with boundless amounts of energy and I was running right behind. I was able to catch some really sweet moments when she picked up a leaf and I just loved them--here are my 3 favorites.

Michelle and Oshine, Atlanta, GA November 15, 2008

2008-11-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

Michelle and Oshine are just about the best couple ever--super laid back and ridiculously talented at the same time. Michelle is an incredibly gifted designer who has an amazing eye for just about any wonderful design detail that you could think of and her blog is just crazy inspiring with all kinds of wonderful little finds that she spies. If you get a chance, stop by her blog, armas design and check it out!

Their wedding actually took place at Joel in Buckhead and since it was such a small intimate affair, we decided to meet up a couple of days after the wedding and do a post wedding photo shoot in Grant Park, and it was perfect. The day was beautiful and we met up a little later in the afternoon so that we could get some beautiful light and the pictures turned out amazing. Here are a few from that shoot.

Lindsay and Daniel, Warrenton, GA October 25, 2008

2008-10-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and Daniel's wedding was on a perfect day in Warrenton, Ga which is about as quaint as it gets. The reception was in Lindsay's family house about literally 100 feet from the church and it was a small wonderful ceremony with about 50 people. Her dad's house was just full of character and we got some really cool shots upstairs where there was some old furniture and windows and the evening light was just pouring in. Everything was so intimate and beautiful and I had such a good time. This ended up being a long post, because there was just a lot of beautiful moments.