JESS, Senior

This was our first opportunity to meet Jess and his family. They had been referred to us by the Jennings, who also had a senior this year. We discovered that Jess is gifted in music and writing! He doesn't do a bad job on the receiving end of the camera either. Here is a sampling of the fun we had last evening.

Thanks Jess, Jim & Belinda for allowing us the opportunity to tell a portion of this special chapter in your lives!

BRIGITTE & RAYMOND's WEDDING

Brigitte & Raymond's day dawned bright and beautiful, just as they anticipate their lives together will be. Each had their closest family members and friends at hand to share in the union of their lives and families.

Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe did a gorgeous job on all of the flowers.

Sometimes it takes a little sweet treat to ensure that...
...things run smoothly...

...and a buddy to hold your hand when you're a bit afraid...
The promise of forever and always.

Then on to the reception celebration!
Again, the Agora provided delicious food and beautiful decorations! We have worked with the Agora before and always enjoy the experience.A few minutes away from the celebration, to celebrate each other.

The evening quickly passed and it was time to make their escape.Thank you Brigitte & Raymond and to your families for allowing us the honor of telling the story of this uniquely special day in your lives. Things will be forever changed. We pray God's richest blessings on your lives as you walk this day forward, together!

ALMOST ALONE with DAVID WILLIAMS

Last week in Nashville at the ALMOST ALONE workshop, we met a number of fun and exiting people and were saturated with the teaching of David Williams, a master photographer of over 30 years from Australia! Not only is he gifted in his photography, but is also a gifted teacher. Where our learning games for our little people were things like, draw us a map of where we are going and lead us there, his were things like, tell me what this light looks like, or look at this scene, now turn your back to it and tell me what you saw. His father, also a gifted photographer, began training David to "see" from the very beginning. What a legacy. And now he travels sharing that legacy with others! He says that, "All I do (or any other good teacher does), is help people up to the window to see...". Well, now we SEE! Thank you David for having the patience of Job with us.

This is his Clark Gable look, taken by Ron at Chuck Arlund's loft studio the first evening. The learning continued well into the evening, even though the "session for the day" was officially over.

The grandparents of Chuck's wife Kristi opened their home to us for the week. I say opened their home, but they really opened their hearts to us as well. In that short time, we came to love them like they were family! This waterfall is in their back yard and empties into their pool. Lunch time was a wonderfully peaceful and rejuvenating break!
Part of our practice was to take turns posing and shooting...it was my turn to pose and Ron's turn to shoot.
Obviously, in the group posing, cameras had to be set down, but others were good to pick up someoneelse's camera to record the happenings! I'm not sure who had my camera this time, but thank you!

I barrowed this one from Wes Hope on our DWF forum! Thanks Wes!

This is my rendition of trying to see with "David's eye".The last evening together was Vietnamese night. This is David's favorite and we (Ron & I) had never had it before, so it was a new experience for us. Thankfully, David guided us in the right direction. Thanks again Wes for letting me share your dinner picture!
We traveled home Friday, talking the whole way--through cloud bursts that made us have to slow to about 30 mph and then bright sunshine! We had a lot to digest and process, planning to use everything we possibly could to make Brigitte & Raymond's wedding the next day a story of images that they will never forget! Thank you again, David for lifting us up to the window to see...we see so much more and so much more clearly now!

BRIGITTE'S BRIDALS

It was getting a bit close to the wedding (2 weeks...) and Brigitte was trying to finish radiology school. Mega information and tests were eating up nearly every waking moment, but she and her mama wanted bridal images to display at the wedding. So, we met on Saturday late in the afternoon to unwind and shoot some images that would show off her beauty!
Her necklace was a Christmas gift from Raymond, her groom-to-be, that she was saving especially to wear with her gown.

We are playing catch up from the activity of the past few weeks, so today will be a blast of blogging! Brigitte, we knew that you would be a beautiful bride and we were right! With the wedding yesterday, you and Raymond are a beautiful match! A sneak peak of the wedding will follow in the next few posts.