Happy 4th of July- and Happy Birthday!

Independence Day is special in our family for more than one reason- it's also the birthday of the oldest member of the next generation, my nephew Paul Louis Stone III. He is a sweetheart and a beautiful boy, who loves all things Star Wars. Note the injured finger, almost broken on the playground! Happy Birthday Paul!




After presents and dinner, we all went out on the water to watch fireworks.


This is the new filling station






The line of lights along the horizon are the headlights of all the boats anchored for the show.







A note to my photgrapher friends, the images of fireworks were shot from 1/20s to 1/60s at ISO 5000 on a rocking boat! I hope everyone had a very happy and safe weekend. It was my favorite Fourth, spent mostly floating on the lake or partially submerged in the pool, when not searching for roadside-stand tomatoes or socializing with the local party-goers. Til next year!

Jenn & Tim :: A Wedding at Swan Mansion

Just before we took off on one our many trips this year, we completed the presentation of Jenn & Tim's wedding at the historic Swan Mansion. This is the scene that greeted me when I arrived at the Buckhead Ritz Carlton to spend some time with the ladies:


It was pouring, with plans for an outdoor ceremony in just a few hours...







We were all blessed with a beautiful window of dry skies for photos and vows
























This is actually a "found" (totally unstaged) image



A few moments of private emotion before entering the reception.





An awesome photo by Mandy of the cake:



Tim's emotion during the toasts


Nothing like a passionate kiss!

Claudia and the Professor

It's always interesting when an engagement session begins with intrusion from the "authorities". Decatur Police, famous/infamous for running a tight ship, accosted Mandy and I in the parking lot at Agnes Scott as we hoped to begin taking photos; luckily Tom came to the rescue and explained that he is indeed an esteemed professor at the genteel center for higher learning. I couldn't resist giving this post a romantic, silver-screen sort of title because I don't know any other professors who are engaged to pretty, stylish, smart women like Claudia. For that reason I selected a song with literary allusions; if you watch the slideshow you will hear what I mean. Claudia and Tom do belong in a shomance, but obviously they have their own!

Tracy & Zach : Vegas Baby!

As should always be the case in Vegas, a good time was had by all, an intimate group of family and friends gathered to celebrate the wedding of Tracy and Zach.

Brandi & Bree in the Park

I had the pleasure of spending a late afternoon in the park with Brandi and her daughter Bree, who now live in my old home in Forsyth. I imagine if you could wish for a red-headed daughter from a genie in a bottle, Bree is what you would get! Her vibrant hair is matched by a beautiful face and a sweet, curious disposition. Don't the two of them look great together?

The Wedding of Becca & Brent

An amazing day at Montaluce to celebrate Becca and Brent's wedding, take a look and see...

Congrats to a fabulous couple, and many happy returns!

Engaged: Charlotte & Erik

Aside from saying that Charlotte and Erik are a joy to be around and work with, I'll let the photos speak for themselves! Many thanks to the Weinstein family for use of their land.

A Classic

Up late digging through the archives (yes we have archives!) and came across this image... One of my few blurry-on-purpose shots, I love it for the ballet-dancer quality of Pascha's upturned neck, and the graphic nature of the very basic black and white composition. Degas-esque! More soon when we have perfected everything we are working on this week!

Less is Moore

I had a chance to visit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens yesterday, and I was very taken with the beauty of everything in my field of view. The Henry Moore sculpture installation is nothing short of remarkable, set among the flowers and yesterday at least against a bright blue sky and swirling winds. If you need a break and some inspiration, this is a the place to find both. The sculpture itself is organic in form, very basic, very strong, and leaves the impression of timelessness. For good measure I've included two other photos from my visit that compliment Moore's observation of both body language and nature.

"To be an artist is to believe in life." -Henry Moore

Engaged: Jennifer & Eric

After years of eying the nook and cranny photo opportunities of Virginia Highlands, I have finally made my way around the neighborhood with a camera and an adventurous couple. Thanks Jennifer & Eric for being willing to explore with me! As the saying goes among photographers, we're only as good as our clients...


I love Jennifer's extra smile in this photo-



This stairway always appealed to me on trips to Noche for Tapas!




A favorite image!



Another fave...



Fave!


Yep, both of these are in my faves, too! It was a great shoot with a great couple - see you guys in June, I can't wait to see what happens then. : )

Delta Sky Magazine

When you fly Delta this month, be sure to check out this great article featuring our photo of the now famous sustainable table design by the talented folks at a legendary event.

The Wedding of Lynsi & Ben

This image collection is from the wedding celebration of Lynsi & Ben at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church with reception following at the Atlanta Athletic Club. A remarkable note about these two, they have been together since 8th grade!

 

Lynsi hides behind her bridesmaids...

Stunning ceremony photos by Mandy-

Mr. & Mrs.!

Beautiful florals by Country Designs-

 

To Lynsi's apparent surprise, someone threw sparkly confetti into the air during the first dance.

Atlanta Beat had the guests dancing all night

 

And a super-festive exit for the happy couple!

By any other name

I fell off the blog wagon, didn't I? I can't think of a more compelling reason to come back than a simple flower. The rose bush blooming outside calls to mind last year's blooms, and before that the rich velvety red blooms of the bush that flowered in my childhood. Nostalgic, yes, but truly consistent. Year after year we can rely on these colors that push themselves out, burst, fade away and come back and come back.

Award Winning Images

Mandy and I are honored to announce the placement of nine images across three categories in the international wedding image competition WedComp. Part of the proceeds of photographers' entry fees go to sponsor Thirst Relief International, an organization whose mission is to provide clean water to those most in need around the world. The competition raised $1100! It's a great feeling to contribute to TRI in this way, and to be in such good company among the other photographers who placed in the contest. Three of the judges, Rachel LaCour Niesen, Jennifer Bebb, and Cliff Mautner have themselves been ranked by American Photo magazine as among the top ten wedding photographers in the world. Nice handle, isn't it? : )

These images placed 2nd & 3rd in the ceremony category:



A Top Ten Ceremony image:


Top 25 Ceremony:




Top 25 Getting Ready:


Top 25 Reception:



The last reception capture is by Mandy, congrats to her on placing after barely a year as a wedding "documentarian"! Many thanks to WedComp for the opportunity and for raising awareness about the cause of Thirst Relief. To check out all the results, click the image below:

Carrie & Shawn

These are a selection of favorite images from our first wedding of the season. Carrie & Shawn exchanged vows at Roswell Presbyterian Church with reception following at Primrose Cottage. If you read many wedding photography blogs, you may notice photographers writing about how sweet and wonderful their clients are. I can believe all of those comments are sincere because weddings do bring out the best in people who are happy together. When you spend a whole day photographing two individuals surrounded by their loved ones, you do see a lot of eyes sparkling. :) It is quite simply a pleasure to witness. Congrats Carrie & Shawn on your beautiful wedding and the start of married life! Thanks for sharing your day with us.







Carrie sees her father for the first time




Shawn's groomsmen were giving him a hard time about having his portrait made.


An amazing early spring sky






Does Shawn look like he's about to cry?




It was the perfect time of day for twilight to seep through the windows




Shawn watches Carrie give her grandfather a hug



Raise your hand if you knew we actually do take formal photos!


I loved Carrie's choice of purple orchids and hanging tea lights for the centerpieces at Primrose






"Honey, let's go see our best friends and have our first dance!"
"What a great idea. Aren't we fabulous?"



More tears as Carrie dances with her father




This image of Carrie's dad with his dancing hand in the air keeps making me smile. If you look closely he also has a really cute expression.




A little romance to complete the evening...