The Smoke (London)

Of my photos from London this summer, these are my carefully considered favorites. I've decided not to describe the photos with captions, hopefully they speak their own thousand words each.

A Time to Say Thanks...

My Grandmother Laura, looking pretty fabulous in the picture above, passed away last Monday. Over ten years ago she began exhibiting memory lapses due to Alzheimer's, and it didn't take long to completely affect her. The last time I heard her voice I was making prints in the university darkroom, and she sounded childlike though not unhappy or confused. We spoke for a moment, then I asked for my aunt again. Grandmother responded brightly and with energy in a sing-song voice, "Here she is! Here's another soul!" This comment struck me as perfect- she had not forgotten the human essence.

Because I did not have the chance to say good-bye, I wrote this letter through a cloud of messy tears.

Dear Grand Laura,

There is something in particular for which I owe you thanks. It is an afternoon, just you and me returning to your house after an ordinary errand in town. I'm not sure how old I was, but I think eight. In retrospect, I must have been like a sponge on every visit to you, soaking up nuances of experience and storing them to build a sense of myself in the world. You were intellectual and wordly, offering a little more information about becoming an adult than I could otherwise access. On this afternoon in your car, maybe the metallic orangey-brown Renault, you explained to me why you quit smoking. You were chewing gum at the moment, a thin stick of Extra. "Well," you said, "I realized I had to give up smoking so I could be around to see my grandchildren go to college and do great things." You looked at me casually but matter of factly for emphasis. Oh, I thought. College. Great things. There was no wavering in your manner. You simply stated what would happen, education and goals thereafter. No one else had previously mentioned this to me, it was your seed to plant. I accepted your confidence, and I decided to believe matter of factly in this future, too.

Undoubtedly you have shaped me in this way and many others. I am proud to have your name, to be from you and always of you.

Much love,

Laura

21.5 Miles, Intermittent Downpour (A Short Story)

Yesterday Mandy & Heather and I set out on a Silver Comet bike ride. Of course it was an overcast, threatening-to-rain day, but we would not be deterred. So undeterred in fact we dallied at the bike shop pumping our tires, purchasing accessories, and talking shop with the shop boy. How do we access the trail from here, we asked. Right there, he pointed out the door. Oh. Finally we were off, whizzing down a slight incline with big smiles and hollers (if I may use the word) of excitement.

It should be noted that I like to ride not just for the scenery, but for the muscle-building potential. On your left, I called out, pumping past Heather. On your left, she reclaimed the front. On your left, Mandy followed suit, laughing.

At mile marker 1.6 we promptly stopped. I was wearing sunglasses to protect my contacts from the headwind, and decided to remove these and store them in Heather's zippered accessory bag, which I found unzippered and missing my previously placed cars keys. Oh well. Let's keep going, I suggested, I'm pretty sure they are locked in the car so what's the point of turning around?

Another mile and we were joined on our path by gentle rain drops. The rain feels good, I said. The rain feels good, Mandy called out from behind me. Soon we were all thoroughly damp and cool, with miniature puddles sticking to our arms & legs.

At mile 3 and change, we were blinded by pelting rain. Oh so lucky, a covered bridge just ahead in which to wait out the downpour with pregnant ladies. The light was orange and rivulets of water ran underfoot. A serious biker sped thru the tunnel spinning water behind both skinny tires. Within ten minutes we were on our way in a light drizzle. In a warming, drying sun we stopped on a bridge to take in the view (golf course) and debate just how injured one might be if falling over the side into the shallow creek below. Heather argued imminent death, I suggested merely broken legs and possibly back. I dropped down to see how many push-ups I could do. Four. Heather completed a two inch push-up and Mandy did two complete reps before popping up.

We were off again, this time uninterrupted. Around mile 7 we were heady with our progress, calling back and forth to ask, Are you tired? Nah, let's keep going. Look at the path, it's so flat. It's easy. At mile 9 I suggested we might turn around, conscious of the equal ground to cover on the route back. Let's go to 10, Heather shouted jubilantly. Ok.

Reaching mile 10.1 we turned around, a little tired and hungry. At a branch in the path we were disappointed to find a sign for the library rather than food. One branch further and we veered off, beckoned by food & drink. As Mandy and Heather weighed the merits of McDonalds or Taco Bell, I charged ahead to DQ, riding my bike on an actual city street and quickly throwing out my left hand for a turn signal. This felt a little surreal; I wanted a rear view mirror. A shared meal of cheeseburger, six chicken fingers, two orders of fries, a grilled cheese and a blizzard later, the storm clouds were rolling back in. Let's haul, I said, getting blinded again will be like the time I was pushed off a sinking jet ski by my mother the day after I broke my hand. What, asked Heather. Yea, I replied, and my little dog, too.

This time the miles ticked by slowly. My neck hurts, said Mandy. Let's trade bikes, I suggested, maybe that will help. I immediately hated her bike. By mile 8 the storm caught up with us, and again we were lucky to find shelter soon. This space was a tall short bridge looming overhead, and I sat on the pavement watching the murky gulleywater swell, bearing leaves and sticks quickly past. It looked disgusting, but it was only earth debris and rain. This is spooky, Heather said. Looking ahead the trail was light enough, but behind us it was nothing but an abstract shape in very dark gray fog. Yea, like the headless horsemen could come riding out of that any minute, Mandy offered. A few serious bikers with heads and helmets sped past in the dimness. Again we set out before the rain ceased entirely.

Earlier Heather had described her bike headlight as so strong it could blind you. Thus I was surprised when I called ahead asking her to turn it on and she said it was already. More miles ticked by, each one more welcome for bringing us closer to our cars, though the whereabouts of my keys were yet unknown.

At last mile 0.0, but we still had .7 to cover to reach our parking lot, and the .7 was uphill. We can do it, I said. No, Mandy and Heather stopped. I used all of my strength to get up that hill, my bike wobbling under uneven, tortured pressure. My gear was too high but I feared losing my balance if moving my hands an inch to change.

At the top of the hill just before reaching the cars, I stopped to compose a picture in my mind. The street was wet and the sky was dark, just before dusk violet. There was a long row of tall Cypress, slightly fat at the bottom but otherwise looking very Tuscan. All of this was criss-crossed at the top by low-hanging electrical wires. I thought it would make a perfect shot to commemorate our adventure. No camera at hand, I paused for a moment to consider the options. Heather could access her camera phone but by the time she reached me and fetched the phone all of the light would be gone. I pedaled slowly ahead to the cars and after a few minutes my companions joined me.

Today

The photo below shows Bayou (barely) and me today at High Falls in NC. Whenever I think back on this day, I will especially remember the look of the dark water undulating and sculptural beneath my feet as I picked my way over the rocks, truly happy like a child to find another foothold, then stranded and dancing back.

For a rainy day

As it was raining this afternoon, my short attention span lead me from closing a photo application to actually looking at the images it held. The rain, incidentally, is wonderfully audible here at our loft. I love the sound of it dearly, the reverberating drops bearing down, thick and heavy and rich while we toil idly in the dim light. Appropriately the first photo I noticed was the Eiffel Tower set against faint storm clouds.



It was a bit cool and dreary but I insisted on waiting around to see the Tower sparkle on the hour, in celebration of France becoming head of the European Union. I photographed the sparkles, but I think they are more beautiful in real space than in two dimensions. This is the view street level while waiting.



On walking away I had the opportunity to practice my blurry aesthetic looking out over the Seine-




Which is more beautiful, blurry or sharp? That's an abstract question, I don't want an answer.

Elisabeth og Erik Axel

I had a great time at Elisabeth & Erik's wedding Saturday! One of the most remarkable differences between a Norwegian and American wedding is that in Norway there are many more toasts, and these are actually carefully prepared speeches that serve as the main entertainment through several courses of food. In addition to these speeches, all guests chime in and sing songs that have been printed and placed on the table before them. Some of Erik's extended family is Dutch, and of course some of Elisabeth's family is American, so there were songs representing three languages! The American song was "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You," by none other than Elvis Presley. Oddly, I found myself tearing up over the last lines of this song, perhaps viewing the words and hearing them from 70+ people made the experience resonate. Meanwhile my brother Paul was across the room tearing up at every speech, even the ones he didn't understand fully! Paul loves love, that is something to note about him. Well, I love love, too, that certainly factored into my career choice. :)

On to the photos... I was not working per se, so these images represent the moments I had time to notice and capture without getting in the way of E & E's official photog, the uber-cool Henrik K.

The ship where vows were exchanged

And the program Elisabeth designed

Elisabeth below deck before vows


Dapper Uncle Mike leads his daughter down the aisle

Erik looks on with admiration

A beautiful moment at the end of the ceremony

Brides share the same experiences across continents!

Elisabeth's friend Benedicte (Benedict-uh) wore her traditional dress. It is not uncommon to wear traditional clothing for special occasions; Elisabeth wore a dress honoring the history of her mother's family when graduating from medical school.

Arriving at the reception site we were greeted by a blue grass band - Dixieland!

A few romantic photos I caught of Elisabeth & Erik while they weren't looking-


This is "Tage (Tah-guh) the Toastmaster", who introduced each new speaker or activity during the evening. He is Erik's younger brother.

My brother Paul being a social butterfly-

Several of my favorite speech pictures, Erik & Elisabeth having a great time

Erik's father Fritz in an isolated sort of light Rembrandt might have liked

And Elisabeth's sister, my cousin Hanne (getting married herself next month!!!)

You can see how much fun everyone had celebrating Elisabeth & Erik, here some of their friends sing a nonsense song.


I thought the extended songs & speeches were a great way for family & friends to express the details of their relationship with the couple- funny, touching, and full of pride. Dancing and partying didn't begin until 11 pm, as the sun started to go down. Yes, you read that correctly, Norway is a photographer's dreamland for available light. Congrats Elisabeth & Erik Axel, many happy returns! Love, Cousin Laura

Goddag

Hello from Norway! For the first time in 7 1/2 years I am wearing high heels (silver BCBG) and a dress (black BCBG) to a wedding. Just a moment before the taxi arrives to ferry my aunt and uncle, brother, grandmother and myself to my cousin Elizabeth's wedding. Pics to follow when time allows, just wanted to say hello. To everyone whose wedding I photographed recently, I am working on your photos here, and of course they are already securely archived in the states as well. Cheers! -Larua

The Pretty Factory

With a sold-out May & June, I have been thinking lately that the goings-on at Artstar are Factory-esque. There is a rhythm, a routine, and we are adhering to it fiercely. Nevermind that what we aim to produce is very un-Factory, images that I hope bring back the actual feelings of experiencing the wedding day. In the midst of this demand I'd like to share some images from Missy & Kevin's wedding that are the heart of what I love to witness and record on the wedding day- emotion & soft, sweet moments.

The first tears fall as Missy's mom watches her get ready. I know ladies hate to be photographed in anythign less that perfect make-up, but how could I turn away from such a visible mark of her emotion? I couldn't.



Meanwhile, Kevin peruses Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. Of course this is a set-up image, but since it was Kevin's idea and quintessentially his sense of humor, I love it.



After the ceremony I backed away and waited to see what I could see...



Then there was this wonderful little interaction where Missy gave Kevin a flower from her bouquet:



While editing the images I paused to read this card- in lieu of favors, M&K made a donation to the Children's Hospital of Atlanta on behalf of their guests. This gesture struck me a super-thoughtful and a testament to the kind of people they are.


At the end of the night, embraces that speak volumes- a tangle of happy family & friends and Kevin holds Missy close for the last dance.



Missy and Kevin, a million thanks for being so wonderful to meet and work with! XoXo,

How cool is this?

So it's a wedding day, which means I sleep as late as possible! Right after my eyes opened this morning and I stumbled towards a toothbrush, the phone rang and caller i.d. indicated "Dentist Nard" was trying to reach me. Even in my sleepy state I knew that Dentist Nard was actually Rich Dennard, an old high school friend. Apparently when he called last to update me on his contact info, I hastily typed his name, totally butchered it, and decided ok, well I'm never going to confuse that with anyone else. Aside from being one of my best friends in HS, Rich married a beautiful, smart young lady- Jennifer Wheeler- he asked me to introduce him to after seeing her walk down the hall in a hip vinyl mini skirt. Their first date was a trip to the High to see Basquiat. I tagged along as well as Lucas Clyde (if memory serves) to make it seem less like a date. Flash forward to Nov 2, 2002, Rich & Jen exchange vows at the Classic Center in Athens, GA. I was their photographer, of course.

Rich called today to tell me about his new business, an art gallery and urban lifestyle boutique centered around his passion for hip-hop, break-dancing, and graffiti. A few minutes into our conversation I was out walking the dogs in the sunshine, but I got chills hearing him describe how he got this dream off the ground. The space is called the Atlanta Bench; Rich explained the Bench concept grew from, where else, a spot in the New York subway tunnel where artists and admirers would go to watch new graffiti speed past. Every major city has a similar hub and Atlanta's is near King Plow. I'm really excited to visit the space Rich has created, and honored that he asked me to show a collection of photographs there in the near future. Check out the site here. Gotta run!

Another Artstar Original

Ok, I borrowed the title from my client Dave's band lyrics... In answer to the question, "How can we do what we love better?", i.e. making memorable photographs and taking care of our clients, I suggested to Dave and Jean that we add something about music to their engagement session since Dave is a drummer and they met at a show he and the rest of the guys in his band SydeFx were playing. Jean & Dave loved the idea, and we settled on going to band practice after the Pretty pictures. Here are the results!

This image is one of my favorites and came about mid-way through the Pretty. I've heard some photographers say they think their best work is always at the beginning of a shoot, but I find that my subjects and I generally need to warm up to each other. There is a window of comfort and natural interaction that I'm looking for, and sometimes it's actually hard to get there. It's always worth it, though. Oh yeah, isn't the background lovely, too?


Suitable for framing:


Acting silly but too cute to resist:


A really nice shot by my new UGA intern Sarah:


Hollywood screen kiss:


I love the depth provided by shooting sideways along a wall:


Awash in sunset:


The bridge works really well for black & white images:



At practice Dave shows off his cool tattoo:


And settles down to keep the rhythm:



D&J snuggle up between songs then wave off onlookers:




And lastly, an I Love You embrace:


Aw... check out the whole presentation by clicking here. The second song in the slideshow is by SYDEFX, although it should be noted I had to cut the track into a little less than half to correspond to the number of photos from the practice session. Peace.

The Compound

One really fun event I didn't put on my previous list was a trip to the Weinstein Compound for an authentic Mexican dinner prepared by Rory & Shon. It was unquestionably one of the best meals I have ever had! I don't think there is a fine-dining establishment in Atlanta that could compete with the flavor and freshness of all the various dishes. But then, Rory is a professionally trained chef...

Let me fill you in, the Weinstein compound is three houses spread across alternately wooded and grassy acreage in Rico, GA. The compound is occasionally presided over by "The Dad", Marc Weinstein, a founder of Mellow Mushroom. If not in Rico, Marc is likely in Thailand, leaving the run of the place to his son Josh and daughter Melody, who splits her time between here, there, and everywhere. Here being Rico/Atlanta and there being New York... I met Melody while we were both in high school- then the Weinstein compound was one house on Elizabeth Lane, but it was still the epicenter of the universe for a sizable group of high-spirited, intellectual, and/or creative teenagers. Now you have a brief history. Interestingly, Melody has recently reunited with one of our best boy friends from back in the day, Mr. Edward Wilson Bell. Ten+ years following a solid friendship they are a happy (and good-looking!) item. So these photos are two parts, one part dinner and one part Melody & Ed.

Here Shon and I prepare little cornmeal cakes called sopas which were later deep fried and filled with carne esada, fresh herbs, a sprinkling of cheese, and of course, salsa. Note the Supermans and rubber chickens in Marc's kitchen.


Meanwhile Ed prepares to spin the wheels of steel:


And consults with two Joshes about how build a table for 10 or so outside:


Preferred transportation around the compound:


On a run to the store I stopped to take this photo:


Doc surveys the competition:


I returned just in time to observe Rory instructing Melody on the ways of the deep fryer:


Shon displays a sample plate and elaborates on the dishes:


Marc says, "Enough talking, let's eat!"


Mel & Ed glimpsed across the successfully constructed table:


Shon stands in front of the bonfire, this is one of my favorite photos I've taken recently:


How sweet is this? It really makes me smile...


And lastly for comparison sake, two photos of Melody and Ed from our teenage years. A late night trip to Wally World:


And a comparison of kicks:


I hear there are videotapes in circulation from this era in which I have... bad hair! Click here for a few more photos from the dinner party. Xoxo,

What I've been doing...

When last I posted a blog article, it didn't occur to me that I might not make it back for a long while. As a little time passed then a little more (those things called days), there was always a priority in front of writing, even though there were a lot of great things to write about. Looking back, the time is not a blur at all, I know exactly what I've been doing, and I've had a great time doing it. Here is a random list:


Packed up entire house in SoFo (South Forsyth)
Relocated life & work to a loft downtown, 644 Wells St SW #11
Love it
Completed production for the weddings of Jordanna & Shannon and Elizabeth & Patrick
Photographed, archived, edited, toned, & slideshowed (new Artstar verb), engagement images for Ashley & John S., Kelly & John D., Gina & Chris, and Karen & Luke
Got hired by Karen & Luke to shoot their wedding on the Cape next summer, yay!
Photographed the weddings of Rachel & Wes, Nicole & Seth, and Kevin & Missy, all images archived, remaining post-production steps in various stages of progress
Started collecting antiques
Celebrated Mother's Day with my sweet Mama
Unsuccessfully attempted to test drive a mini-motorcycle
Thought of cool new way to showcase talented wedding vendors on my site
Thought of things I love about my job (People, places, pretty)
Thought of things I slightly dislike about my job (unpacking gear from car)


Umm, is that all I've been doing? It seems like there should be more, but I think that's most of it. Each photo session deserves it's own blog article, because as usual I am really proud of the images while at the same time asking, "How can we do what we love to do better?" I hope I never, never stop asking that question. If I do I think I should hang up the cameras and become a derelict before accepting another commission. Well, love you guys, I'm off to Dunkin Donuts for my occasional Sunday breakfast treat of egg & cheese bagel, coffee, and a chocolate glazed.

Atlanta Steeplechase

The Atlanta Steeplechase last Saturday at Kingston Downs was a perfect springtime activity! Renee, Jody, Shahrzad and I all donned our most gentrified hats for the occasion. There was much discussion of attire and millinery leading up to the event. As we made our way into the countryside we remarked in admiring tones on the flow of the river, the sparkle of sun on pond, and the huge green fields stretching out before us. Renee and I opted to share one professional camera. It turned into a fun exercise, taking turns documenting what we found most interesting or pointing out things for the person holding the camera at the moment. Here are some of the scenes we gleaned from the afternoon:

"Are you wearing your Ridiculously Fun Pants?"
"Why yes, I just got them yesterday at Ridiculously Fun Pants Couture...at Phipps!"


So many hats to admire....


"I use this over-sized barbecue sandwich to shield my face from the paparazzi- I say good day!"


One of my favorite images, of all the girls walking ahead of me through the grass.


Renee and Shahrzad pause, I can't remember why-


I love that Renee can actually take photos of me that I like, the images are so natural.



My view of Shahrzad in the grass:


The best shot I got of the jumps:


A few of my very favorite images by Renee:




My parting shot:


I uploaded complete favorites, click here to view. Can't wait to go next year...
P.S. Thanks Renee for packing lunch!

Lauren & Ryan

Here's another great spring session with Lauren & Ryan. My concept for the shoot was "anywhere but Piedmont Park". I love Piedmont and every session there is unique, but other places around the city provide inspiration, too. One day while I was driving north down Marietta St, I noticed how the sun set on the multi-colored buildings, the occasional line of trees down the sidewalk, and I thought it would be a great spot for urban-themed engagement portraits. Unfortunately when I tried to relocate the exact blocks of my inspiration, I couldn't find them! I think for Lauren & Ryan the settings of the Fox Theatre and Peachtree worked out better. As pretty as Piedmont but different.

My faves from the Fox Theatre, in this first photo I like the shadows of two people on the ground who are obviously not Lauren & Ryan but mirror their coupleness:


And this reminds me that what the photographer chooses to tell you is what you believe:




These photos are from the parking lot of a bank. We brake for purple.





Love the street lamps receding in the background here and the perfect spring breeze on Lauren's hair:


Tra la la la:

The city, always a cool element:


And thanks to my collaborating photographer Mandy Riddle for capturing these great last images I used to end the slideshow:

Rachel & Wes

Besides flowers and the ensuing haze of pollen (which is funny to overhear people complaining about loudly, like it's truly the worst thing that could ever happen), early spring means it's time for engagement portraits. Our first session this year was with Rachel and Wes and their dog Dante. Here are the favorites you might expect, i.e. The Pretty:














And the ones I consider a little more abstract (although still Pretty!), because you can't specifically identify Rachel & Wes they become universal woman & man; they could be anyone, anywhere. I love love love these images, I'm tempted to hang them in my house! This one looks like a painting, and I'm definitely happy anytime I can make my camera act like a brush.


And this one is so delicate and stripy:


Personally I like to present the universal element whenever possible... Framing things that way is in keeping with my notion that photographs reveal a personal epic, about ourselves and our ties to other people. By the way, I do watch Project Runway and American Idol as pop-culture compensation for all my art theorizing. Ah, balance. Thanks Rachel & Wes for a great afternoon in the park- See you guys in less than one month!!!