Floral Design + Styling: Flowerwild | Plate Rentals: The Ark | Event Production: Easton Events | Venue: Zero George St. | Cakes: Cannon Green | Paper Suite / Welcome Bag: Amber Moon Design / Pitbulls and Posies | Calligraphy:Stephanie Fishwick | Pressed goblets, Knife rests and Sterling silverware: Small Masterpiece | Chair Rental: Event Haus | Jewels: Croghans | Magazine Feature: The Knot | Video: Caleb Jordan Lee | All images from: Eric Kelley Workshop
Road Trip Through Oregon
"Remember to explore"
Secluded Treehouse
Without question, this set of tree houses can only be described as whimsical and magical. The true beauty of this place begins at dusk with a bottle of wine and great conversation. The images on the AirBnB website definitely do justice, but an evening under the stars in late October is just something you would have to experience for yourself. Believe it or not, this is minutes from downtown Atlanta...
White Series
Avery :: Merida in Brave
In the world of Disney princesses, Merida is a breath of fresh air. She is brave, energetic, free-spirited, and often rebellious. She wants to do nothing more than to ride her horse, shoot her bow, and explore. I was thrilled when I first saw the trailer, and after seeing the movie I was reminded of one of my closest friends. From the beginning, my inspiration was collaborative with Avery, who is an amazing photographer herself, and someone I’ve become very close with over the last year and a half. Anyone that knows Avery, knows she has a penchant for adventure and superheros, and perhaps there is no movie character that better suits her. Besides the fact that Merida is a totally awesome redhead, Avery loved that Disney created a female heroin that is strong-willed, independent, and adventurous. Her favorite part was that for the first time Disney created a story showcasing a great mother-daugther relationship. I could not be more excited about how this shoot turned out. Thank you Avery for being an awesome model and friend! Special thanks to Stephanie with FH Weddings for creating the floral crown on her birthday and to Barrington Hill for the amazing venue and horse!
If you are not familiar with Brave, check out the trailer here.
Photographer notes: Cameras - Pentax 67, Contax 645, Canon EOS 3
Film - Fuji 400H, Fuji Pro400, Kodak Portra 400, Kodak 400CN
Top 10 of 2013
At this time last year, I was optimistic yet reticent. Unbeknownst to me, the Winds of Change were blowing. Not in photographic style, business model, or brand, but in life. For the first time, my goals going in to the new year are tied to what matters, and centered around doing what fires me up. Tracking my progress and setting goals for 2014 has me brimming with optimism, but before I move forward, this retrospective post is a reminder of a great year that has flown by all too fast.
Redwood National Park
There is something so wonderful and primal about being amongst the tallest trees in the world. Old growth forests with many trees exceeding 1000 – 2000 years old. A place where ferns are easily taller than you, and where you get the chilling feeling that either an Ewok or a dinosaur are watching you. If you’ve never had the impulse to literally hug a tree, you might among the Redwoods. I will find any excuse to visit this primeval forest again. For another favorite from this trip, click here.
"Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the deep green woods." - John Muir
Columbia River Gorge
Since Seattle is my favorite city and I love everything about the Pacific Northwest, visiting Portland and the Columbia River Gorge seemed like a no brainer. When I was 12 and I first saw images of the foggy, wet, and waterfall filled region, I have dreamt of the day I would visit. Starting in March, I felt totally and completely compelled to just go... Having now seen the first three seasons of Portlandia since my trip in June, I feel I must revisit the weirdness that is Portland. For more from this amazing shoot at Elowah Falls, please click here.
"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out I found, was really going in." - John Muir
Bok Tower Gardens Inspiration and Cover Image on Weddings Illustrated
What started as an low-key earthy and organic shoot, blossomed in to a wonderfully complete green and white editorial. I knew from the beginning that there was no better location in Florida than Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, which we timed perfectly with the peak of the Azalea blooms. Not only was this a bucket list type shoot on so many stylistic levels, but it also became a feature on Ruffled Blog and the cover image to one of the most recent print issues of Weddings Illustrated.
Teaching at The Experience
At the beginning of March, I had the honor and privilege of speaking at an amazing workshop in Las Vegas called The Experience 2013. A panel of wedding bloggers and photographers came together to educate a small group of photographers on the benefits of being published, how to shoot wedding details, and ultimately how to get published. Let me just say, I expected everything to be amazing, but from start to finish, I’m not sure there could be a better workshop. I even felt like I learned a few things, and we had the best group of panel members of attendees possible. Here is just one from the last part of the Experience, from the Nelson Nevada Ghost Town.
The Oxford Exchange
Ok, this sounds like a shameless plug, but the OE is simply my favorite place in Tampa. The Oxford Exchange is a restaurant, shop, commerce club, and book store among other things, and home to Tebella Tea and Buddy Brew coffee. Most of all, it is a company that is real, authentic, exudes craftsmanship, and is all around incredible. It is a place I feel inspired, and the place where many new ideas have been generated. It is where I have had meetings with wedding vendors and friends alike (many times they're one in the same), and it is where I had my New Years Day Brunch with my closest friends. While they sit unchallenged at the top in my opinion, they are constantly improving and continually inspiring me.
Baptism
This blog post in it's entirety is merely highlighting a few of the many blessings I've had this year, but starting at the beginning of this year, the blessings of my entire life became abundantly clear, and so did the path before me. This was the biggest transformation of the year, and one of the biggest of my life. While I rarely post anything personal, I would no doubt be remiss if I didn't mention this major milestone. When I look back on what worked this last year, almost all of them are tied to my new faith and to church. This year I learned to set boundaries, and learned to finally take at least one full day off a week. Away from social media and email, and filled with worship and praise, and followed by lunch with close friends and often yoga in the park. I can't wait to become a bigger part of Gulf Coast Community Church and to continue to grow as a Christian.
Wolf Pack
If we're friends on Facebook, then you might recognize these faces. On our epic cabin trip this past August, we became known as "The Wolf Pack". One of the biggest influences in my walk are the new friendships I've made this year. I'm so fortunate to have remained best friends with the same guys I've been close with since elementary, middle school, and high school, but I love the influence of this group and so many of my new friends at church.
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." - Proverbs 13:20
Zion National Park
Ultimately, this trip was far from my first adventure with my oldest friends, but it was our first in the great American Southwest. It was an escape from the heat and humidity of Florida, to a desert landscape of the most epic proportions. It was a place where we felt whimsy, freedom, and above all comaraderie.
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop like autumn leaves.” – John Muir
Renee
Right at the beginning of 2013, I set goals to have an extremely fast turn around for clients and vendors. I worked my hardest at the beginning of the year, but it wasn't until I brought Renee along that I was able to really make this happen. She has been instrumental in the office, and with her help, I can set even bigger goals and continue to improve turn around time for images and album designs for 2014.
Business
As Steve Jobs once said, "The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do". Thankfully, I can honestly say running my business this year has been almost as fun as the photography... Almost... That may sound crazy, but for the first time, in almost 5 years of being a full-time wedding photographer, I am finally starting to see the long work hours paying off. I've been humbled this year by the most amazing clients I could ask for, and I've had the opportunity to work at so many bucket list venues, and with so many incredibly talented vendors. Engagement season has only just begun, but I can already say that the weddings I have booked for this year will be my best ever. I can't wait to see who I'll meet and get to work with in 2014 and beyond.
When we fearlessly fight for what we believe in and remain hopelessly optimistic about life, love, and the future, we create an authentic connection with all in our path. Most importantly with ourself. - Gary Friedman
This letterpress print sits just above my desk and is a constant inspiration. This beauty from the Lara Casey shop, along with my Powersheets, and a journal from Twine Bindery, I am prepared to make big things happen in 2014.
Zion National Park
As seasoned backpackers, we should know better… Even though the sun was setting after 9.5 miles of miles of hiking, and our water supply was dwindling, important decisions should not be made at the height of exhaustion, hunger, and thirst. Yet, collectively we decided to send my brother and brandon down the 59 degree river in search of the fresh water spring near backcountry campsite 12... Wherever that might be. After dinner was prepared and our stomachs were full, the darkness of the canyon and the Zion backcountry descended on Ian, Doyle, and myself, and we quickly realized just how rash our decision was. The river was hard enough to navigate during the day, at night would be next to impossible… After 45 minutes with no sign of our comrades, Ian and I ventured in to the darkness, down river, with nothing but our head lamps. Fear and worry gripped us at first, but I quickly realized that prayer would serve us better. After 15-20 minutes of hurried navigation through the dark canyon, Ian and I stopped - I could swear I saw the glimmer of headlamps on the canyon wall ahead. I told Ian I saw lights, he turned to me in surprise and blinded me with his own headlamp, and like the ending of any survival movie, around the corner were John and Brandon holding our empty water bottles. Truth be told, it was well before that moment that I knew this would be a great story to tell. In a word, the top-down Narrows hike was extraordinary. The Narrows held a new and astounding view around every corner, with luminous colors and reflections that illuminated the towering walls of eroded rock and the endless flow of the Virgin River. Yet, this short tale proves that something as mundane as filling water bottles can be the greatest of adventures when you're on a backpacking excursion.While the most popular hikes and features of the park are easily accessible from the incredibly well run bus system; As with any great national park, the true beauty and soul of the land lies in the backcountry. The two best hikes in Zion require backcountry permits, and out of 2.5 million visitors a year, only 80 permits go out per day for each adventure. There's nothing I love like solitude, seclusion, and exclusivity. Well, it turns out that I found a new favorite past time in Zion, scrambling over rocks while trying to find the quickest and most creative route through a river bed. That and the constant threat of a flash flood added to an overwhelming sense of whimsy and adventure I felt in the most remote parts of Zion.Ultimately, this trip was far from our first adventure together, but was our first in the great American Southwest. It was an escape from the heat and humidity of Florida, to a desert landscape of the most epic proportions. It was a place where we felt whimsy, freedom, and above all comaraderie.
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop like autumn leaves." - John Muir
Studio Manager :: Renee
Meet Renee, my new and absolutely amazing studio manager. She was looking for new head shots for the promotion of her album, as well as for a poster for an upcoming show... And I'll take any excuse to pick up my Contax when I have a great location, gorgeous light, and a beautiful subject! I can't get enough of the creamy and beautiful color images, but I have always and will always love a grainy black and white film. Not only is Renee an incredibly talented musician, but she can also handle just about any crazy task I can throw at her. She will undoubtedly be a huge asset as I set my sights on 2014 and beyond. I'm so grateful to have her on my team.
Coral Sands Resort :: Harbour Island, Bahamas
After one of the most incredible experiences of my career last summer, I will always love the Bahamas. However, in the hustle of this summer, I hardly had a chance to think about the fact that I would shooting a wedding with my good friend Jason Mize on Harbour Island. (Coincidentally, I currently live on Harbour Island in Tampa). Beautiful pastel colors everywhere, amazing local people and seafood, and a slower pace of life. And it is home to one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. The color and texture of the sand, and the water color and temperature were right out of a dream. The couple and their families were so amazing and planned one of the most amazing wedding weekends. I absolutely loved every minute at the Coral Sands Resort. Thank you Jason Mize for the opportunity to shoot this one with you. I won't be posting any more pictures from this trip, but if you want to see a preview of the events, follow me on Instagram!
