The Green In Uptown Charlotte

Jether and Terence's wedding is right around the corner. They decided they wanted an engagement portrait session so I met up with them at The Green in Uptown Charlotte. Wow, what a cute couple and they absolutely just adore each other. We had a ball just hanging out. Here's a few from their session...

Taylor's Winning Headshot

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of shooting headshots for little Miss Taylor. Taylor's mom, Candace, contacted me to do the headshots for Taylor's pageant portfolio and we had a wonderful time shooting them at the children's playground area of the Hilton Hotel at University Place.

Well, today I received word from Taylor's mom that on March 28th, Taylor competed in the NC Dream Girls Pageant in Gastonia, NC. She competed against 25 girls and scored a perfect score on her portfolio full body shot. Now Taylor will move on to the national competition which will be held in St. Louis, Mo in May. Here's the winning portfolio shot along with some of my personal favorites from her shoot. Congratulations Candace and Taylor and we wish you lots and lots of luck at the national competition in May!

Mark and Jessica are now Mr. and Mrs.

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of spending the day with Jessica and Mark. The day started off wonderfully but the threat of rain loomed in the morning air. I met Jessica outside to get some portraits with the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Van Landingham Estate in the background. We were only able to get a few before the skies opened up and the rain began to pour. Of course Jessica's tears began to pour as well, so her bridesmaids and family quickly came to the rescue and consoled her. Everyone said a prayer and soon the clouds dispersed and the rain paused long enough for Jessica and Mark to make it through their beautiful outdoor ceremony. Here's a slideshow of a few from their special day. Enjoy!

Jessica and Mark's Slideshow

A Vendor Favorite - NeCakery

In search of the perfect cake designer? I recommend NeCakery.
NeCakery is owned and operated by my good friend Necolia Lee of Monroe, NC. I've known her for years. You just can't beat her great personality and professionalism, not to mention her cakes which are super delicious. Yum! She's also very flexible and can cater to any wedding budget. I met with her last weekend and took some shots of this beauty for her, I was very impressed. So check out her website and give her a call. I sure she can bake up the perfect wedding cake for your dream wedding.

Jessica and Mark

I recently did my first engagement session of the year at one of my favorite venues in Charlotte, The Van Landingham Estate. Last Saturday I met with Mark and Jessica and had a wonderful time shooting them together. They are such a fun and cute couple. I just loved the way Mark was able to make Jessica smile. I can't wait to shoot their wedding next month. Here's a few of their engagements.

What's Your Album Style?

Today's wedding albums are a far cry from your mother's wedding album. Nowadays wedding albums are available in so many different styles that it can get dizzying for a bride to decide. So how do you choose? To start, you should educate yourself on the different types of albums available. The first step is to familiarize yourself with the terminology used to describe various albums such as flush mount, library bound, coffee table style, magazine style, storybook style, traditional style, etc. Then with terminology in hand, research the various album companies out there and find out which album company offers what. You can then use that knowledge to decide which type of album best fits your style and find a photographer that offers that particular album. If you find a photographer whose style you like but see that they don't offer the album you want, don't be afraid to ask if they can get it for you. With so many album companies offering so many albums, even photographers find it difficult to narrow down their own album preferences. So don't be afraid, ask away!

Interviewing Wedding Photographers - What to Ask

With wedding planning season in full swing many brides are searching for that perfect photographer to capture the memories of their special day. It can be quite a daunting task trying to figure out what questions to ask when interviewing a wedding photographer. To help with that task, here's a list of what questions should be asked in the consultation and also some very important factors to consider when scheduling time for your wedding portraits.

Consider purchasing a package in which time is not a factor. Packages with full day coverage allow you to space events out comfortably and allot enough time between the wedding and reception so that your photographer isn't rushing to get your portraits done. You also won't have to worry about rushing through your reception or having to pay your photographer for additional time. You should also consider having your photographer come early to take some wedding party photos before the ceremony starts if possible. Some brides and grooms are even electing to see each other before the wedding so that photos can be taken while hair and makeup is still fresh. Not having to rush through your wedding photos will create a more relaxed and enjoyable environment.

Here are some important questions to ask when interviewing a wedding photographer:

How long have you been a professional wedding photographer?

What style of wedding photography do you offer? Traditional, Photojournalistic, Contemporary?

Will you be my actual photographer or do you contract your services out to associate photographers?

Can you show me some examples of complete weddings you have done?

What type of editing will the images receive?

Do you offer the images in black and white, sepia or other image effects such as selective coloring? If so, is there an additional charge?

How will my family and friends be able to see and order images? Do you offer online galleries with your packages?

Do you offer full day coverage with your packages? If so, are there any scheduling limitations?

Do your packages include one or two photographers and is there an extra fee for a second photographer?

Do you have backup equipment that you carry with you in case something breaks?

Do you charge a travel fee and/or how far will you travel to a wedding before charging a fee?

Do you charge a fee to take pictures in locations other than the wedding and reception locations?

Do your packages include a CD or DVD of the wedding images and what type of usage rights are allowed with them? When can I expect to receive the CD or DVD after the wedding?

Are you able to create customized packages to help keep us within our budget?

What types of albums do you offer and are they included in the packages or can they be purchased separately?

How much input would we have in our album design and approximately how many images would be used?

Do you have sample albums you can show me?

When can I expect to receive my album after the wedding?

Happy New Year!

May this year be filled with many, many blessings and lots of joy and happiness for everyone!

Niceness is Still Alive!!

Hey, guess what… Niceness is not lost!!! This morning we wanted a late breakfast and so I was off to Bojangles. It was raining cats and dogs, which was a blessing in itself. As I pulled into Bojangles, I immediately saw that the drive-thru was backed up. After pulling around the building to get in line, I noticed a girl with a huge umbrella standing at one of the cars talking. I thought to myself , “Why is she holding up the line talking in this pouring rain?”. Then I realized she was talking into an earpiece and taking orders. I’ve seen them do this before, but I thought it was especially nice today because the girl was getting close enough to the cars and placing the umbrella over the car windows to keep the customers dry as she took orders. The line was moving quite quickly, so when she started my order the line moved a bit ahead of us. There was at least a car space between us and the line. As she finished my order, another car pulled up and around us and got in front of me. She told her order taker to switch the orders because the car ahead of me had jumped line. My first reaction was that of extreme annoyance, but then I thought about my new year’s resolution which is to be more patient and kinder, so why not start now. So I dismissed my annoyance and proceeded to the window. The lady ahead of me that jumped line received her food, paid for it and then left. When I reached the window I handed the guy my money and he says, “Your food was already taken care of by the car ahead of you!”. I was so surprised I replied, “All of it?...It was a $13.00 order, are you sure?”, and he said “Yes, you must have done something nice”. I was so pleased that I said a quick prayer of thanks and asked God to bless her for her kindness. If that was one of those Pay-It-Forward deals, I had just broken it. I was so excited, I sped around the corner to see if I could stop her and thank her. She was quickly gone in her little grey Geo Prizm. So, Nice Bojangles Lady if you read this blog entry...Thanks and God Bless You!

Marriage Proposal Photography

With Valentine's Day less than two months away, many men, and women too, are thinking about how to "pop the question". Well why not make it even more memorable by hiring a professional photographer to capture the moment for the two of you to share and cherish forever. Marriage Proposal Photography sessions are a trend on the rise and quickly catching on. They involve an enormous amount of preparation and planning but the end results are phenomenal. Check out this great article, Proposal Photography, with excellent tips on how to make it successful. And remember, if you're planning it, better hurry, Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

Enjoy!