Hope you enjoy this small selection of photographs from Stephanie and Dan’s beautiful, eclectic, poetic, hillbilly mountain wedding on a cold and misty January day…………….
One of the thing I love most about my job is that I get to work with lovely people from all walks of life, this year I have wedding clients who are Weavers, Book Sellers, District Attorneys, Musicians, Photographers, Graphic Designers, Yale Honor Graduates / Attorneys, Poets, Doctors, Hair Stylists, Publicists and the list goes on……
I’ve always found it extremely difficult to describe my work, two girls who recently inquired about my services described it perfectly.
” Your work always has this same look and feel but you adapt to the different people”
“Everyone looks so natural and you seem to have captured every moment almost by accident”
Yesterday’s Spaces, Asheville, NC
Verge Events
For some, the reception is a time of boredom, random snapshots of dancing guests etc, etc…… but for some, the reception is a time of great opportunity if you stay in the zone.
What is being in the zone you may ask….. ” A state of focused attention or energy so that one’s performance is enhanced” and it’s antithesis, zoning out…….“To lose concentration or become inattentive”
Here are three of many portraits that I made at the reception of a recent wedding, lots of interesting folks who indulged me and gave a few minutes of their time to sit for a portrait + a bride and groom who braved the freezing cold night just for me.
reception 1.
thank you to wedding planner Jennifer King for catching the amazing orange sky (which strangely went completely dark shortly thereafter)
reception 2.
reception 3.
Make some good photographer friends that will push you, collaborate, have play dates and second shoot weddings with each other.
Make some good photographer friends that will give you honest critique and by honest I don’t mean “awesome!!!!!” and “love, love love!!!!!!!” I mean honest analysis from someone who’s opinion you admire and truly cares.
The photographs below were shot along side my friend Rodney back in December, it was his wedding and I was just a tag along, I wanted to have an opportunity to play a little and to see how shooting with the OM1 under different and challenging lighting conditions would work and if I could cover a wedding with just 4 rolls of film using only available light, my conclusion, you could but I won’t.
“Rod and his M6″
“treasured family heirloom locket”
“flower girl”
“one last ciggie”
tech note: Olympus OM1, 50mm lens, Ilford HP5 film rated @ 800
I strongly believe it’ll be the photographers that shoot and run their businesses with passion, authenticity + a strong skill set that will survive and thrive both artistically and financially in the coming years.
The day of formula branding and marketing babble BS is drawing to its logical conclusion, the result of which is a totally numbed photography buying public drowning in a sea of mediocrity.
Yes of course there will always have to be a middle, but why stay there if you don’t have to and have a heart to change, btw. the dreaded low end no longer exists. Just a huge middle.
The following “bridal portraits” are an example of 4 years of shunning conventional wisdom and just shooting how I want to shoot, this has resulted in attracting clients that “get me”. There is so much freedom in knowing I don’t need every person on earth to love what I do, I just want to resonate with 20 couples, 20 folks in the market for portrait commissions and 10 commercial clients who place a value in how I view the world……
Stephanie is a beautiful free spirited woman who spins wool, weaves beautiful things and live out her artful life in Asheville, NC.
tech note: Shots of Stephanie, Pentax 67, 105mm, 2.4 lens, Kodak Tri-x and Ilford 3200 films, available light 1st and 3rd images, Mole-Richardson movie light, the rest.
detail shots: Nikon D700, 50mm, 1.8 lens
Portraits of emerging photographers Lauren and Mary Lou Lauren was one of my brides a couple of years ago and now second shoots with me. Mary Lou attended one of my workshops.
Speaking of which I’ve finally settled upon the format and structure of my new workshops which are inspired by my days at Vidal Sassoon, I’ll be posting full details on Monday…..
tech note: Pentax 67, 165mm, 2.8 lens. Nikon F4, 85mm, 1.4 lens, Kodak Film
For nearly all of my commercial jobs I have to shoot digitally, however I do try to have my film cameras on hand, just in case! Here are a few few of my favorites from recent model shoots.
A big hug to Evolution. Beth and I are constantly amazed at their models, beauty, (inside and out) wonderful hearts and such sweet spirits…….
tech note: First four photographs, Olympus OM1, 50 + 135mm lenses, Kodak film, last three photographs, Nikon D700, 85mm, 1.4 lens
I think Smitten Magazine is the best wedding publication out there and I ‘m particularly honored to be featured in the latest issue, we shot here in Charlotte with a marvelous styling team headed up by Alicia LaLone of the Charlotte Wedding Row, dresses by J Majors and my favorite muse, Lindsay Worsham
Below are a few additional images from the shoot, I used Fuji 400H, Ilford HP5 along with several different cameras, including,the Pentax 67, Olympus OM1 and the venerable Graflex Speed Graphic.
Interesting to note that Lisa Lefkovitz who shot the cover and a beautiful inside feature also shoots analogue, who said film is dead ?
I have to admit the “traditional” family portrait is definitely something I tend to shy away from and will happily refer the requester to a list of photographers who will gladly oblige.
By traditional I mean everyone dressed the same, all denim or all white, a homogenized, auto-tuned version of the family.
For me, a family portrait is a pictorial story of the family, at that place and that time.
An example of which features the remarkably stylish and good looking Justin, Carey, Asa, Bellamy and the very handsome Blue……
tech note: Olympus OM1, 50mm, 1.8 lens, Kodak Portra 160 film
From Beth, Ferris, Sophia, Priscilla and me……….xoxoxoxo
This is not just any family portrait, it’s the very first family portrait that the Israel’s have ever had made! Thank you to my dear friend Elisabeth- Rose (aka. Liz) for blessing us with this awesome gift!
Last shoot of the year and what an awesome way to end, beautiful Hayley in the pouring rain (+ 1 shot in the studio). I could have rescheduled but kudos to Haley for “getting it” and in the words of one of my all time photography heros…….
“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary”. – Peter Lindberg
tech note: Olympus OM1, 135mm, 2.8 lens, Kodak film
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