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.

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.

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!

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

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

The people I’ve met at Atlanta Union Mission have amazed me. Especially the staff.  Many of the staff spent their own time struggling through life, to find redemption and Grace.  They’d tell me their stories and I’d just stand in awe of what they’d been through and how positive they were now, having come so far.  One staffer lost his marriage to drugs. “Drugs were more important than anything in my life,” he said.  But after a few years, he sought help.  He went through the Mission and landed in the program at The Potters House to walk through his addiction and conquer it.  He was redeemed, but the story gets better.  He stayed on at The Potters House as a full-time employee, his wife dealt with her addictions and ultimately they got back together.  Now he’s working, in a house, and happily married.  WOW.

Some of the staffers just have huge hearts for these people.  The women staff at their facility in Atlanta were so alive in their eyes. The impact they have is amazing.  I got to take pictures of a mother and one of her daughters (the other 6 kids were at school), but the best part was getting to see the little girl laugh as we made faces at each other.  They have hope and we can be doing SO MUCH more to give to the needy in our cities.

So check out Atlanta Union Mission here and see how you can help OR find a place in your city to give to.  Whether it’s time, money, or something else they need, we can all make an impact.  I’m really excited about working with Matchstic and AUM this year, but also want to find non-photography ways to love on the needy here in Atlanta.  Some ideas are floating around, so hopefully I can get some traction on them soon and let you know.

I’m crazy excited about Matchtic getting involved this year through their “On The House” program. You can see an interview with me that they posted to their blog. 2010 is going to be an exciting year of getting to help them out… here’s a sneak peak from the day.

Mike is amazing.  He works for the Mission at The Potter’s House, an amazing facility that walks addicts through recovery, finding themselves in Christ, giving them skills for their lives once they graduate the program, and then some.  My goal with this project is to be intentional about spending time with the people I photograph, hear their story (or at least a piece of it), and photograph them in a dignified way.  We spent a few hours at The Potter’s House and talking to Staff and Clients was so cool.  Guys from all walks of life, that were dealt a tough hand, have found a new hope.  Learn more about Atlanta Union Mission @ AtlantaUnionMission.org.

We won’t have much work to share until much later, but the ball is rolling.  The goal is to tell some amazing stories through video, photography, and hopefully art as well.  As we spent a few hours @ Safehouse Atlanta the other day, I got to walking around, and noticed some messages that visitors had written on the wall of the bathroom.  There’s so much heartbreak in that small space.  People crying out and hoping for redemption.  My perspective has been changed so much since May, but walking around with Drew, Andy and Kristena has my mind reeling again.

Let’s not just talk about it… Let’s Live LOVE.