Monthly Archives: July 2009

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Destination: Sandestin, Florida – Kristin & Jake’s Wedding

July 26, 2009 – 7:18 AM

Still feeling the effects of the six shots of espresso I had the previous day, I joined the couple for what would be their last day as two separate individuals. We met at the family’s beachhouse and after some “hair and makeup” pictures we headed to the beach for some “engagement photos.” Kristin purchased another dress she wanted to use for these photos. We affectionately referred to this dress as the “Practice Dress.” We had more fun than any group of people should ever be allowed to have. The weather was beautiful. We hit the beach to a lot of fanfare from others also enjoying the sun and sand. I bet Kristin we “could get anything we wanted from anyone on the beach just by asking because she wore a wedding dress.” We tested this theory on a couple of occasions times and people were more than willing to allow us to use things they had brought to the beach as props for our photoshoot. Of course the couple also enjoyed the constant “Congratulations” comments from many of the beach goers.

Kristin getting ready

When I tallied up all of the images from my memory cards throughout the day and night (2850) I decided to write several posts regarding the couple’s wedding day. It’s just going to be too difficult to try to pull several photos out of such an extensive collection for just one post.

Kristin and Jake were very difficult to photograph…purely wrong. This couple took all of the work out of a session. They smiled all the time to the point Kristin said, ‘My face hurts from laughing so much.” I know what she meant. My face hurt from laughing. I think we had over 500-shots from the beach alone.

The photos that follow are from the hair and make-up sessions and then just a few teaser photos from the beach shots.

I hope you enjoy.

Kristin's practice dress

Kristin looked beautiful as she had her hair done. It’s amazing what a bottle of hairspray can do. This “doo” held up to a 2-hour beach photo-shoot.

Kristin

Kristin

Kristin loved the “getting ready” shots I did at her cousins wedding last summer.

Kristin

I’d like you to meet Kristin and Jake’s daughter Austyn Rae.

Kristin and Jake's daughter Austyn Rae

The flower girl’s dress.

Flower girl's dress

This was Kristin’s “practice” dress. Kristin decided with their proximity to the beach [100 yards] we would spend time on the beach taking photos. This was the couple’s engagement session if you will. Kristin looked absolutely beautiful in this dress.

Kristin's practice dress

I love the way the light came in through the window behind Kristin.

Kristin

Kristin’s niece Kayla was the flower girl. Every time I took a photo which included Kayla she ran to me and asked, “Can I see it?”

Kristin and her niece, flower girl, Kayla.

Trying to wrangle the the bridal party on the beach in beautiful Destin, Florida. No wonder they call this coast the “Emerald Coast.” I’ve never seen water that color. Beautiful.

Kristin & Jake's wedding party

Everyone wanted to show their excitement for Kristin and Jake’s happy day. Jake got more air time than anyone else.

Kristin & Jake Wedding "The Jump."

By Christopher | Posted in Clients, Family, Wedding | Comments (1)

Destination: Sandestin, Florida – Kristin & Jake’s Rehearsal Dinner

July 21, 2009 – 9:28 AM

Kristin and Jake are a couple who met in middle school in Memphis, Tennessee. Jake and Kristin’s family’s have also vacationed for years in Destin Florida and the couple decided this would be a beautiful place for their nuptials. The couple hired me after attending a family member’s wedding at which I was the photographer. My trip started off good then took a dip when my luggage never followed me from Atlanta to Pensacola. My luggage has thankfully been returned. The rehearsal dinner was excellent and the day finished on a high note.

Before I jump into Kristin and Jake’s rehearsal dinner photos I wanted to share how much I enjoy my job and how lucky I feel I am to be able to take photographs for a living. I came across this passage which I believe truly encapsulates my thoughts and views. “A major goal of spiritual practice is to clear our mental space of the intellectual and emotional garbage we have been collecting…and to provide space for the experience of true relaxation and enjoyment.” That space for me is whenever I have a camera in my hands.

Kristin and Jake will be married on July 19th and I have the privilege of witnessing their vows and documenting their love for each other.

The rehearsal dinner was at Tommy Bahama’s in Destin, Florida. What a cool restaurant and kudos to the manager for the wonderful job he did. So we’re in SouthFlorida and what’s on the menu? If you guessed some pretty awesome seafood you were correct. Snapper encrusted with macadamia nuts and served with wasabi soy butter sauce and grilled broccolini seasoned with lemon garlic oil. Man my mouth is watering just recalling this most excellent meal. After the rehearsal dinner the wedding party gathered with family and close friends back at the hotel for a meet and greet. Jake’s mom put together a beautiful video for the bride and groom. Photos of both from birth through present was set to music. I’m not sure there was a dry eye in the house. here’s just a few photos from the rehearsal dinner.

The table settings at the restaurant all kept with  a nautical theme.
Starfish candles

Here’s the girls. Not their wedding but by the end of the night you knew they rivaled Kristin for the title of “Most Important Person.” Here’s some photos from a night that was quite a bit of fun.

The girls

Here’s the Boys. Well behaved during dinner and rambunctious the rest of the night. Great fun.

The Boys

Kristin, Jake and their family and friends at the rehearsal dinner at Tommy Bahamas.

The group.

I love this shot of Kristin. She will be an absolutely beautiful bride. Her smile and laugh are infectious.

Kristin

The kiss. I had asked one of the little boys to go up to Kristin and Jake and tell them to kiss so I could take this photo. He told them then ran and watched to see if they would as he peered from around the corner.

Kristin & Jake

Kristin and Jake watched the video Jake’s mom put together. The video commanded everyone’s attention for almost 20-minutes. What a great video and a fantastic way to celebrate the lives of Kristin and Jake.

Kristin & Jake watching their video.

This young lady had a kind of her own. When she saw the camera any trace of a smile immediately left her face. It was as if she was saying, “No way are you taking my picture!”

Kristin & Jake

Jake was watching Kristin open some of the gifts received by the couple tonight. I asked Jake if he received any “man” gifts and he held up a pizza cutter. Go Jake!

Jake

Kristin was of course very happy with the pizza cutter and said she “might actually let Jake use it.”

Kristin

Jake, Kristin and the gang.

Kristin & Jake

A view from my 6th floor balcony.

From my 6th floor balcony

By Christopher | Posted in Black & White, Clients, Uncategorized, Wedding | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Misc. Family Photos

July 16, 2009 – 6:55 AM

I wasn’t quite sure what to call this post because it really is just filled with “miscellaneous photos.” The photos don’t really have a heading under which you would find them, a theme yes, but a heading, not really. I recently purchased Lightroom presets from my friends over at CameraDojo.com and I wanted to give them a try before I used them as apart of my editing process with a wedding I’m shooting this weekend. I’ve got to be honest, I really like them a lot. They give my photography another dimension.

The first photo is one of Nancy and her mom. We had taken a walk, yes I even (most of the time) take a camera with me when I go for walks. You never know what you see that would cause you to say, “God, I wish I had my camera with me.” Now I never need to say that awful phrase. I noticed Nancy and her mom standing together and thought of the photo but didn’t suggest it because Nancy hates having her photo taken. I ended up taking the photo because Nancy said, ” Hey! Why don’t you take my picture with my mom.” “Of course” I said. See, that’s why I take my camera with me all the time.

Nancy & her mom

The photo below is a recent one of Nancy and her Dad. He’s no longer on Depakote and as a result a little more alert. As Nancy attempted to feed him he let loose with a number of curses. He still eats the way he did prior to the medications being discontinued but at least he’s not sleeping all the time. It was eerie the way he looked at me and just stared. I wish I could see into his head and better understand the thought process going on. That blank stare allows me a healthy level of respect for the time we have on Earth because you never know when you’re number will be called. Last summer he was doing OK. He was a little forgetful from time to time but that’s pretty normal for an individual in his early eighties. Once he went into the hospital for surgery in September his memory went down hill fast. It’s almost as though he never came out of the anesthesia. Nancy no longer comes home from visits at the nursing home depressed and upset.

Nancy & her Dad

This is another photo of Paul. I really like this photo. i love the texture of his face as it’s punctuated by wrinkles and razor stubble. Knowing who he is and how hard he worked throughout his life makes this an expesially special photo.
Paul

My nephews. Ian and Evan in the next photo. These are my brother’s two boys. Shyer than shy. They cling to him like he’s leaving them behind but give them just a few minutes with their relatives and, well here’s the result. Notice the “safe” distance both boys kept. As I approached to get closer shots both boys hid behind their dad. They live in Pittsburgh and as a result of my brother’s schedule and my schedule we don’t have a chance to see them except for those annual family get togethers. They really are the greatest kids.

20090711-family-13

Evan who tends to be more shy than his older brother Ian but when he gets going…watch out.
EvanHere he is, my baby brother. All 6′ 5″ of him. I really like the look of this photo after Iapplied the preset. I can’t describe what it looks like but it gives me a rather mellow feeling when I see the photo.

Michael

This morning I was siting on my front porch with my favorite dog Jack. I drank a cup of coffee and kept a vigil for the squirrels and made sure none of them left the ground and attempted to run across the yard. As I sat drinking my morning coffee i noticed I was playing with my wedding ring. I do this often. I pull the ring down toward the middle of my ring finger and spin it with my thumb. Nancy caught me doing this one time and asked my why I was “playing with my ring. It dawned on me then that when I do this I almost always think of her and our wonderful relationship. As a gazed across the front yard to a wonderful flower garden I noticed the new flowers Nancy had planted this year. For the life of me I couldn’t tell you what kind they are but they are beautiful, as beautiful as she is. Because my camera is always with me I decided I had to take a picture. The only problem is I don’t know how to take just one picture. So, one picture turned into over twenty pictures of these flowers. I hust had to include this photo.

So, you see I said earlier in this post there really is no theme to this post but on the other hand maybe there is. It’s family. i hope I’ve not bored you terribly but I love my family a great deal and the best way for me to express what I feel is visually, through my photography. So, I hope you’ve enjoyed this ride and enjoyed it enough you decide it’s worth a return trip. Until then…

Nancy's favorite

By Christopher | Posted in Fun Stuff, Misc., Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Finding our Way

July 13, 2009 – 3:53 AM

Thorny path

“Our difficulties are not obstacles to the path; they are the path itself. They are opportunities to awaken. Can we learn what it means to welcome an unwanted situation, with its sense of groundlessness, as a wake-up call? Can we look at it as a signal that there is something here to be learned? Can we allow it to penetrate our hearts? By learning to do this, we are taking the first basic step toward learning what it means to be open with whatever life presents us. Even when we don’t like it, we understand that this difficulty is our practice, our path, our life.”
–Ezra Bayda, from Being Zen: Bringing Meditation to Life

Bench in Rochester rose garden
Sometimes we need to look for places to stop and rest along our path. Society tells us we shouldn’t ever stop, we should remain moving at all costs. We may need to stop from time to time, to catch our breath and see what is around us. We cause ourselves difficulty when we move forward with little or no thought of our path. It is then we become lost. Lost because we are unsure what it is we are searching for. Without a clear path we will struggle to find our way.  We also never think to ask others for help or feel it is weak to do so. Instead we move along the path and wonder to ourselves if it is the right path. There are times when we move along the path because others have directed us, others have told us the path is correct. When we place trust in others without trusting that relationship we find ourselves hurt.

Barn, East Otto, NY
Often in our travel we feel as though we’re alone. We see the path but can’t see around the bend. We become tentative and we stop moving forward.

Maine, Kayak Expedition-2007
When we choose to get back onto the path we have been following we need to look for our lighthouse; the beacon that will lead us home.

By Christopher | Posted in Black & White, Giving Back, Misc., Personal, Personal Development | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Niagara Falls, NY

July 9, 2009 – 6:58 AM

Niagara Falls. The very word conjures up thoughts of weddings, honeymoons and love. This is the spot Marilyn Monroe made famous in her 1953 movie “Niagara.” I’m not sure what it is that helps conjure those thoughts; maybe it’s the rush of the water combined with the lights, amusements and fireworks that creates a sensational atmosphere. For me it’s an opportunity to escape the hectic, busyness of everyday life. The sound of the water drowns out the traffic noise and it feels like your in another world. I can’t count the number of times I’ve stood on Three Sisters Island looking out over one of the footbridges and just watching the water. It has a refreshing almost cleansing feeling. I also enjoy watching people as they experience the falls for the first time. The “oohhs” and aahhs” describe their feeling for the view.

The falls at Niagara offers me the opportunity to reflect and time to find answers. I find the audio and visual impact of “the falls” always helps me to get centered and the answers I seek simply seem to come without much effort. Standing by the Bridal Veil Falls and witnessing the immensity and intensity of the water as it rushes by within feet of an outstretched hand makes me feel small and reminds me of the importance of humility.

I hope you enjoy these photos and the next time you visit the Falls you see something different and exciting in them.

Niagara Falls, NY Bridal Veil Falls

The photograph below is a photo of the Canadian side of the gorge after it had become dark. We were waiting for the Canada Day fireworks display to begin.Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls, NY - Bridal Veil Falls

Niagara Falls, NY Bridal Veil Falls

By Christopher | Posted in Fun Stuff, Misc., Personal, Personal Development, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)