To try something new…

This picture is nowhere near done, but I wanted to post it “as-is” for this post.  This shoot was one of the most fun I’ve had to date, but also one of the most nerve wracking.  Now I’ve shot on white before and I’ve comp’d stuff, but this was a completely new challenge for me.  3 singers, 4 musicians, and 2 dancers! I knew before the shoot that getting full-band photo straight out of camera would be tough, since it’s hard to get every person looking great all at the same time, standing in the right place, etc etc.  So I decided the best approach would be to create 9 individual portraits of the band playing/dancing/etc that I would then comp together in post.  Wow… there are so many challenges to it, but it’s been fun playing in Photoshop and getting things near where I want them to be.  Layer masks are your friends… TRUST ME!

In this photo you’ll notice some things that need to change, but I’m getting close to having the members sized so that they look like their standing in front/behind each other.  They were shot at different times of the day (we had to break for a shot with a ‘34 Ford, which took extra long because my battery pack died and we had to string together 12 extension chords to get from the studio outside to the car). Then,  I had to light the drums in a different place than the bass player which was in a different place than the dancers…you get the drill…it was crazy!

The moral of the story is… try new things.  Don’t be skeer’d to do something you haven’t exactly shot before…it might come out lame, but it may end up being really cool.  You won’t know until you try.  But… one piece of advice is to try your best to think through shots like this before you ever get there, how many lights are you going to use, etc etc…

Another idea I’d had for the 9 person band was to remove the challenge of having everyone’s face look great in one single frame.  So, we backlit the band with 2 Alien Bees and then blew smoke into the studio (also something I’d never done before)… you’ll have to wait until the final edits to see that one.

Deana and Dave have been one of the best couple’s I’ve been blessed to work with yet.  They just loved shooting and we had so much fun, from the bridal session and engagement session to their gorgeous wedding at Peachtree Christian Church.  It was cool because I’d just shot a wedding their the weekend before, so I was prepared with ideas.  The main challenge was that the facility coordinator changed the rules from the week before…Once the father handed off the bride, I was no longer allowed in the sanctuary with a camera.  Luckily I had Andy Brophy working with me from the balcony and I’d rented a 70-200 2.8 lens that I spent most of the ceremony shooting through a tiny crack in the door.  Occasionally the coordinator would open the door just a bit so that I could get a clean shot, but for the most part, we got what we got… Once I got back to my computer I LOVED the shots because they have their own character to them (sigh of relief!!!).

The reception was at The Georgian Terrace and is my current favorite reception place I’ve shot at.  Just amazing visually and the couple certainly made it just that much hawt-er! Thanks Deana and Dave for trusting me with your wedding day.  I loved every second of it!  And thanks to Andy for bringing his A-game too!!!

One thing that made this wedding so much fun was getting to have Andy Brophy there to shoot and help with lighting the reception.  Andy’s a good friend and super-talented photographer.  Since the morning started at The Georgian Terrace, we split up and I had him spend the morning with the Groom and then rocked the ceremony from the balcony.  Having him there was a huge blessing, because I knew he’d do an amazing job… and especially because our styles are similar which makes the editing so much easier.

Rebecca and John were the first wedding I’ve shot this year and what a way to kick off 2010 it was.  They were so great to work with, from the e-session last year to their beautiful wedding at Peachtree Christian Church and reception at Atlanta’s Trolley Barn.  There are so many amazing venues in Atlanta, but The Trolley Barn really does have a character all its own.

The church is beautiful, though a bit tricky with the “rules”, but I walked away really happy with the shots I got and had a blast along the way.  Carol Parks Catering handled the reception and did an amazing job.   I’d recommend them to anyone looking to get married in Atlanta.  Tell Karleen that Stephen sent you! She’s the bomb.

Here’s a “few” from the day from beginning to end it was a fun day (even with the exit in the rain).  Thanks to Rebecca and John for letting me be a part of your special day!

Deana and Dave got married last weekend, so I’m super excited to share a couple images from Deana’s bridal session finally!  The weather was soooo rough, but we made due just exploring the grounds of Peachtree Christian Church in the heart of Atlanta and I’m pretty happy with how the images turned out.  The wedding was also amazing, so I can’t wait to share the images from their big day soon!

Thanks to Deana and her Mom, Nancy, for a fun day and making my job super easy!  What a beautiful bride!

This weekend, Dave and Deana are getting married right here in Atlanta, and I’m stoked!  They brought the hawtness to their e-session we did way back in October, but I just never posted the shots from our day hanging out at The Georgian Terrace.   I’m sure they’ll bring it this weekend too! They’re such a fun couple and were open to a lot of my random ideas, which I think turned our pretty cool.  Her bridal shots (from last weekend) are some of my favorites, but you’ll have to wait until next week to see those!

So excited to shoot their big day in less than 48 hours!