Anyone that knows Courtney knows that she is a sweet southern belle, and that she loves cupcakes. So Cowboy boots, Cross Creek Ranch, and Gigi's cupcakes could not fit any better. Courtney and Paul are absolute troopers for waking up early and fighting through the stifling heat and humidity of a Florida summer morning. If these shoots are any indication of what to expect for the wedding, February can't come soon enough!
Courtney + Paul :: Notebook Engagement Session
I'll admit it, I've seen the notebook quite a few times... The last time I saw it was just a few days before I met with Courtney and Paul. Maybe they saw it on tv as well, because we had the same ideas for the engagement session... I had the perfect location to fit the shoot, and as it turned out, Courtney and Paul had the perfect outfits. The crazy part about this shoot... This is only half of the images, there will be a part II very soon, shot at Cross Creek Ranch, where they will be getting married in February. Feel free to leave some love.
Lake Superior
All week, I've been trying to put my finger on what it is about Lake Superior and the upper peninsula of Michigan that has captured my spirit and imagination… Sure, Lake Superior is the biggest and cleanest of the great lakes, and has a gorgeous color, dramatic cliffs and dunes, and even has beautifully colored pebbles and stones along the shore. But there's more, the miles of pristine shores have a certain personality, a certain untouched and unspoken beauty. In a town like Marquette, you'll find 30,000 permanent residents full of pride, that live at a slower place, and don't take a single summer day for granted. I mean how could you, when the beautiful weather only lasts a few short months (I'll argue that their snowy days are beautiful, but I've never lived in frigid temperatures). Those who live in the upper peninsula are fully aware of what they have, yet somehow they manage to keep the upper peninsula one of the best kept secrets in America.
"Happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think."- Dale Carnegie
Sarah :: Film
Nothing says nostalgia like the single coated lens of an old Rollei and a Black and White film with a high silver content. And nothing excites me quite as much as experimenting with new cameras and film. While I'm always pleased with my current film work, looking through a waist level viewfinder, shooting square format, and composing with a "mirror image", are all things I'm unaccustomed to, and forced me to look hard, think long, and only then press the shutter.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.- Neale Donald Walsch
Amy + Joel :: Clearwater Beach Wedding
To put it simply, Amy and Joel have impeccable taste and style, and are two of the most gracious and hospitable clients I've ever had. Their wedding was at their beautiful home on Clearwater Beach, and their reception was at the Sandpearl Resort. They chose amazing vendors for their intimate wedding with only immediate family and close friends. Let me just say, the attire was "resort casual", yet all the guests looked as though they came straight from a fashion shoot. I guess that's what happens when you work in the fashion world in NYC.
Wedding Coordination and Event Design :: Olivier Events - Ashly OlivierFlorist :: Events in BloomHair + Makeup :: Lindsay Does MakeupDJ :: Grant Hemond - Eric
Beauty is Truth :: Truth Beauty
Is it simply a trained eye, or is it merely the recognition of truth? Whether it's large format slide film, hollywood cinema, or color negative film, the difference between film and digital is stark and goes far deeper than just the surface aesthetic. I've come to realize my love for film is more than nostalgia, it is an acknowledgement of something real.Regardless of where you stand on this dichotomy, you can't deny that truth has power. Perhaps Ansel Adams said it best, "The medium's true power came not by evading reality, but by embracing it. It was like the Annunciation! Suddenly I saw what photography could be - A tremendously potent pure art form - an austere and blazing poetry of the real."Sure, digital has it's advantages. It's relatively cost free, you have instant gratification, and the clarity, resolution, and tonal range in the newest high end cameras are approaching the levels of large format film. Yet, the ease comes with another cost, which I could not have said any better than Elliott Erwitt - "Anything that is very simple is apt to be sloppy, you can't be too sloppy in analog photography because it takes time, it takes effort, it takes concentration"To me, film is akin to organic food, and digital, processed food. Sure the processed food can taste good and feeds the vast majority of the population, but only one truly nourishes the body… Film feeds my soul. Film and organic food are a return to the basics, the roots, with nothing artificial added, only grain.
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is allYe know on earth, and all ye need to know."- John Keats
Kelly + Josh :: Celebration Engagement Shoot
It's not hard to love clients that bring freshly picked blueberries to an initial meeting... But, as with almost all of my clients, the more I get to hang out with them, the more I love working with them! If their chemistry together wasn't enough to make for an amazing shoot, their dog Lola could be one of the most adorable dogs I've ever seen. Of course, I'm a little partial to anything mixed with a shih tzu. I also love their custom chess board made by Josh's grandfather. Not only is it a family heirloom, but it's one of the many things Kelly and Josh love to do together. I can't wait for Kelly and Josh's wedding at Bok Tower Gardens this fall.
Dawn Mist Falls
The end of a hike is always bittersweet. You hate to leave the backcountry, but the thought of a big delicious meal and a bed weigh heavily on your mind. On our last morning, the alarm sounded at 6:00 AM, and we hastily left camp by 6:45 to embark on our 9.5 mile journey back to the trailhead. Less than a mile in, just off the trail the thunderous sound of plunging water is unmistakable. The trail is coated in a cold mist, and we get a small glimpse of Dawn Mist Falls from above. We continue another quarter mile to find a short detour to base of the falls... It's hard to put in words the beauty that Glacier holds around every corner. While five days in the backcountry may seem like awhile to be disconnected from civilization and modern comforts, I easily could've spent another week in the wilderness and seclusion of Glacier National Park.
“The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human beingcan alter his life by altering his attitude.”William James
The Journey in to the High Country
As the sun began to set on our third day in the backcountry, I sought to capture the essence of Glacier. It was one of those evenings where the warm soft light permeated the landscape. The water quietly flowed a pure bluish green, and subtle nuances of color were glowing in the slowly eroding rock. At first, this bridge merely signified one of a few footbridges we encountered. But it was also a direction in to the backcountry that ultimately leads to two trails, one to a closed tunnel, and the other to a seemingly treacherous snow covered pass. In the morning, it would become a passage to my first glimpse of the high country of Glacier National Park, on the clearest day I could possibly imagine. We opted to trek as far as we could to the tunnel… There was snow and the last mile or so was quite precarious, but if I’ve learned anything… The most valued journeys almost always requires risk.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."Lao-tzu
