Lauren Wright Photography

Time to update your bookmarks! NEW BLOG!

2007-11-13T23:53:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to drop in and let you know that as of today, I HAVE A NEW BLOG! You should definitely go and check it out!

WWW.LAURENWRIGHTPHOTO.NET

I will continue to post my favorite images from weddings, life and random adventures, but I'll be doing it over at www.laurenwrightphoto.net!

Jessica & Dave { Sarasota, Fl }

2007-11-09T21:08:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, on October 27, 2007 I had the great pleasure of seeing one of my closest friend get married to the love of her life. I also got to be one of her bridesmaids! I traveled down to Sarasota Friday afternoon and all of the bridesmaids spent the night at Jessica's old house, eating ice cream and playing Nertz (pretty much the most amazing card game EVER!). The ceremony was beautiful and extremely touching. Jessica and Dave wrote their vows themselves, and as they gazed into each others eyes and promised to serve each other and to serve the Lord together, I couldn't help but tear up.

This is one of my favorite images of the day, thanks to Mark Turner of Turner Images who did an AMAZING job with her photos. You can visit his blog to view more from the day!

Yes, we are in a grocery store. We made everyone we encountered smile.

Being a bridesmaid was such a fun adventure, and I look forward to doing in again in June when my good friend Elise gets married!

Hugo & Julia { Destin,Fl }

2007-11-07T23:58:00.000-05:00

I recently traveled to Destin, Florida to shoot an intimate beach wedding alongside the ever-fabulous Scarlett Lillian. I had so much fun spending the morning hanging out and photographing Hugo and his groomsmen, and the late afternoon ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Hugo & Julia's families gathered around them in the sand as they said their vows, and after the ceremony we headed to the pool area for a rocking reception!

Hugo and Julia, I wish you the best in your adventures together, and I can't wait to hear how God blesses your new family! Also, thanks to Scarlett for inviting me to shoot with you. I really did have an amazing time. Blog followers- you should definitely stop by Scarlett's blog to see her images from the wedding. Finally, here is an image we grabbed of the three photogs together, right before the ceremony. From left to right, it's me, Scarlett, and Crystal.

Have a wonderful evening!

Coming soon

2007-10-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

Destination: Destin. Friday afternoon Crystal and I piled her car full of bags, snacks and camera gear and headed down to Destin, Florida to photograph a wedding alongside the fun and fabulous Scarlett Lillian! I had such an amazing time hanging out with these two wonderful women, and I can't wait to share these images with all of you.

Good bye Blogger! I am kicking Blogger to the curb in favor of a Wordpress blog that will be hosted on my website. I have been considering the switch for a while and have been playing around with the administrative end on Wordpress, and I absolutely love it.

Flash flavor, anyone? After months of searching, I have finally found the perfect solution for displaying images online in my portfolio. If you are a photographer and are looking for a simple, clean way to display your images and organize your online portfolio, you should look into SlideshowPro. I will be incorporating SlideshowPro into my website later this month!

Photographer turns bridesmaid. That's right! One of my closest friends is getting married this weekend in Sarasota, Florida, and I get to get all snazzed up and be a bridesmaid! I'll make sure to post some pictures for you when I get back.

That's all for now! I hope you have a wonderful evening.

Destin & Sarah { Atlanta, Ga }

2007-10-16T14:23:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of second shooting Destin and Sarah's wedding at Grace United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Ga. Sarah had chosen a beautiful color palette for her fall fairy tale wedding, and while Karl spent time photographing the bride getting ready, I wandered around the church documenting the beautiful details that she had chosen for her special day.

With its tall ceilings, dark wooden detailing and stained glass windows, the sanctuary made a beautiful setting for this couple's intimate ceremony.

At the reception, Sarah and all of her brides maids headed for the dance floor to the accompaniment of 'Girls just wanna have fun.' She looked so elegant dancing in her Cinderella-inspired wedding dress.

Here Sarah embraces her maid of honor before getting ready to head out to her horse drawn carriage.

Right after the reception, we followed the bride and groom to their hotel, which was right across the street from the Fabulous FOX Theater to grab some images of the two of them together.

Destin and Sarah, it was such a pleasure spending your wedding day with you. I wish you two the best in your marriage!

Elise & Ryan { Stone Mountain, Ga }

2007-10-14T22:34:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to be able to share these images with all of you! Elise has been one of my closest and best friends since I was in middle school. She is like a sister to me, and she has had such a huge influence on my life and my faith. She was one of the first people in my life that showed me the joy that could be had in a relationship with Christ, and for that I am forever thankful. Our friendship has lasted through good times and difficult times, and now I am excited to be able to celebrate her engagement to the man that she has been waiting her whole life for.

On Saturday morning we met at Stone Mountain Park outside of Atlanta. Stone Mountain is a special place for Elise and Ryan because it is where they had their first date two years ago. It was so much fun to wander around the park and get to relive the memory of their first date with them.

These two were an absolute dream to photograph! Their love for each other is written all over their faces, and they love to laugh and goof around together.

I love the following image because I had absolutely nothing to do with posing it. We were up the hiking trail shooting in among the flowers, and Ryan decided to pick one for Elise to put in her hair. She smiled, leaned in and kissed him, and I grabbed this shot

This sign might as well have had Ryan's name on it. Ha! I'm just kidding. This is Ryan giving me his best confident/cocky face.

Elise's ring is absolutely beautiful. Not only does Ryan have wonderful taste when it comes to choosing a wife, but he also has great taste in jewelry. Don't you agree?

We really wanted to go inside the kid's play area to grab a few pictures on the swings, but you had to pay extra to play in there, so we stopped at the entrance to grab a picture of them with the signs.

It was far too hot to hike all the way up to the top of the mountain, but that didn't keep us from climbing up a little ways to grab some cool shots like these.

Mini Holiday Sessions are here!

2007-09-26T14:26:00.000-05:00

With October right around the corner and stores beginning to put out their Christmas decorations already, I thought that it would be an appropriate time to open up reservations for holiday mini sessions! Mini sessions are portrait sessions offered at a discounted rate and are available to individuals, families, couples, or anyone who wants to have fun and preserve their holiday memories.

- Product credit may be used toward the purchase of any product that I offer, including professional prints, custom holiday cards, brag books and more.
- I am only accepting a limited number of bookings, so you should contact me as early as possible to make a reservation.
- The session fee is due at the time of booking in order to reserve your session time, and it covers up to 4 people (add $15/additional person)

To reserve your session, you can send me an email or call me at 770-815-2489. I look forward to hearing from you, and hope you have a wonderful evening!

Meet the fun and fabulous Kit!

2007-09-16T20:27:00.000-05:00

Despite being delayed by the sporadic rain storms that visited Atlanta on Friday night, I was so excited to have the opportunity to wander around Atlantic Station this weekend for a photo session with Kit. She is a very fun, spirited young woman, and we spent a good part of the evening passing sarcastic remarks back and forth and laughing like old friends. "I don't smile. I smirk," she told me as we got started. I didn't mind at all, because her eyes are so expressive she really has no need to show off her teeth.

I did manage to get a true smile or two out of her, though.

The post-storm clouds not only provided us with wonderful light, but they made a beautiful background for us, as well!

Here are my final favorites before I head off to sleep:

Ciao!

Lacie & Brandon { Jekyll Island, Ga }

2007-08-30T18:16:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a couple of weeks it has been! I've been really busy moving back on campus and beginning school again and I apologize for the lack of blogging, but I am back and ready for action! Here are the rest of the images from the wedding I shot with Diana Nash at the beginning of August. You can see more images from this wedding on Diana's blog. I had such an amazing time hanging out with and shooting alongside Diana- she is a very talented artist and I was so glad to get to spend some time working with her.

As you may have noticed by now, one of my favorite parts about documenting a wedding is being able to photograph the details. Here are a few of my favorites.

Lacie's little flower girls were absolutely precious.

Their ceremony was outside near the beach, which made for a beautiful setting. The forecast called for rain so everyone piled in under the tent for the ceremony. Lacie was in good spirits all day, and her excitement really shines through in this image.

I love this shot of the flower girl trying to push the bridesmaids aside to get a better look.

After the ceremony the guests headed to the reception area for cocktails and we gathered under the tent to take some family shots. Not wanting to waste the beautiful petals that she still had in her basket, this little flower girl decided to just dump all of them out onto the ground!

With formals out of the way, Diana and I headed out into the sand to grab a few shots of the bride and groom by themselves.

Back to the detail shots! Here are a few from the reception area.

This was by far my favorite moment of the night. There was a live band playing at the reception and they were absolutely rocking! Lacie and her dad danced to a song that I had never heard before: Be Young, Be Foolish, and be Happy. Her dad really knows how to lead!

The reception lasted late into the evening, and it seemed like every time I lifted my camera to photograph the dancing couples, these two were showing everyone else up! They were so much fun to watch.

Congratulations to Lacie and Brandon, and thanks to Diana for letting me come along!

New things headed this way!

2007-08-10T11:54:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Since coming home from Spain I've been very busy shooting, working on getting my website ready to go and preparing to go back to school. The official launch for my website will be late August, so stay tuned for that! Also, I'll soon be posting images from the wedding I shot last weekend with the fun and fabulous Diana Nash on Jekyll Island. Until then, here is a little preview for you. Have a great weekend!

Marrakech, table for two!

2007-07-25T14:46:00.000-05:00

So far my journey in Spain has lead be all over the southern part of the country, through mountains and nearly deserted plains, small towns and large cities, and places both old and new. I spent last weekend in Lisbon, Portugal, where I got to wade deep into the Eastern part of the Atlantic ocean for the first time. And later this afternoon, I'm heading to Morocco to spend three full days in Marrakech with my friend Ashley. Our only goals are to (1) visit the market and (2) ride a camel. I will have pictures and a full story when I return to the United States on Monday, so stay tuned for that! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Jennifer & Chet { Newnan, Ga }

2007-07-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

Back in May I met up with my friend Mark Turner of Turner Images to photograph Jennifer and Chet's wonderful wedding at Something Special in Newnan, Ga. Mark is an amazing photographer, and I have worked with him on several weddings over the last 2 years. He was the first person to give me a chance at wedding photography and show me the ropes, and I am very greatful for his friendship.

Jennifer and her bridesmaids were so much fun to hang out with. I love this image I grabbed of Jennifer as someone cracked a joke.

She wore the most amazing pink heels.

And her dress was so intricately detailed.

Jen was so eager to put her dress on that I didn't even have the chance to grab a shot of it by itself! That's ok though because she looked so elegant in it.

Into the dress she goes.

My fingers hurt just thinking about this. They had to individually button each one of these buttons by hand.

And on go the fun, funky shoes!

Before the ceremony began I took a few minutes to photograph the rings. Here is my favorite shot of the bunch. It just says "garden wedding" to me.

Something Special is an amazing place to have a wedding, naturally, but it's also a great place to shoot one! There is a hedge lining the left side of the ceremony site with a few breaks in it where I can poke my camera through without being seen. I had a blast playing ninja and capturing candids of the couple with their friends and family.

The ceremony was very emotional. I love this shot of the maid of honor wiping away a tear.

And one final image before I leave for dinner. This is the ring bearer giving his mom a kiss. How cute!

Documenting the ordinary

2007-07-08T04:58:00.000-05:00

One of my goals in bringing my camera to Spain is to find ways to stretch my abilities and creativity in creating images, and I do this by trying to photograph the ordinary elements of this place in an extraordinary way. Once you learn the basic rules of photography, it can be easy to fall behind those rules and crank out images that are consistently correct. The danger in this is that if you don't ever take risks with your images or try to step outside of the rules a little, your images will continue to be good but very few will be great.

That said, here are a few more images from my Madrid wanderings.

One light, One image

2007-07-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

Elegance. Beauty. Passion. Strength.

Sometimes taking a great photograph just means being ready to capture a moment as it happens.

A friendly word

2007-07-06T12:03:00.000-05:00

After a week of having everything- menus, signs, directions, television, web pages- in Spanish, this sign was a welcome respite. I found it earlier this week when I did a walking tour of our barrio (read: neighborhood, not ghetto). I set out late in the afternoon to explore some of the lesser traveled, narrow back streets around the residence with my camera. I have lately become enthralled by the search for cool textures, contrasting colors, natural patterns and lines, so this walk was quite an adventure for me. Here are some examples of the textures that I found.

I'll be posting some more from my little excursion tomorrow. Right now I have to get ready because Ashley and I are going to the Ballet Nacional de España tonight. Check it out- fourth row seats!

Alongside my ballet ticket are my passport, metro ticket and RENFE ticket (for the train). Tomorrow I'll be spending the day in Salamanca.

I'm out for now!

When in Madrid

2007-07-05T18:11:00.000-05:00

Bienvenidos a España!

To be quite honest with you, this has been quite possibly the most fantastic week of my life, and I have no idea where I should begin telling you about it. I guess I should start by apologizing. I promised lots of pictures, and I have yet to deliver. I arrived at the airport in Madrid only to realize that I left my CF card reader at home. I set out to buy one today and after wandering around the store for an hour completely confused, I was finally able to communicate to one of the sales people exactly what I was looking for. I brought my new card reader home all excited that I was going to be able to share my wonderful photos with you, only to find that the one that I picked up is broken. So tomorrow I'll return to El Corte Ingles to see if I can find one that will help me out.

Until then, here is an image that I took with my point and shoot camera when we visited Toledo earlier this week.

So far my adventures have included an excursion to Toledo, Spain's old capital, visiting the Museo del Prado, celebrating the 4th of July for the first time without fireworks, and enhancing my ability to communicate in Spanish. It has been amazing and I look forward to sharing more of it with you once I can upload my pictures, but right now it's 1:24am and I am ready for bed. Buenas noches!

PS. An image to make you smile :)

Zack & Rachael { Charlotte, Nc }

2007-06-13T12:26:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a weekend! Friday I hopped in my car, drove up to Atlanta to pick up my friend Stephanie, and we headed to Charlotte, North Carolina for Zack and Rachael's wedding. Though the forecast called for rain, we didn't see a drop all day Saturday. In fact, it turned out to be a beautiful clear afternoon- perfect for a garden wedding!

Rachael's dress was absolutely gorgeous. It was ivory with light pink detailing around the top and waist.

Here is Rachael, my sorority sister and the beautiful bride.

She had the most precious flower girl I have ever seen. Here she is prancing down the aisle, dropping her flowers and readying the way for the bride.

The first kiss.

And here are a few shots from the reception. I love capturing people in action, so naturally this turned out to be one of my favorite shots from the day.

I snagged this shot while the toasts were being given. I just thought it was so sweet.

Zack and Rachael, thank you for an amazing day! I had such a wonderful time and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it.

12 Oaks Stables (part 2)

2007-05-31T23:15:00.000-05:00

Some of you may recall the images that I posted a few weeks ago that I took at 12 Oaks Stables. I had such an incredible time observing and photographing the horses that I decided to return to photograph another barn wanderer.

I have always been a huge animal lover (and by huge, I mean spending all of my free time at the barn and/or watching Animal Planet huge) and learning to photograph them has been challenging and extremely rewarding.

So far my greatest lesson has been that if you truly want to capture the beauty and personality of any animal, you can't be in a hurry. Animals take a lot of patience and it often takes them longer to adjust to the presence of a camera than it does a person, and they can be shy. This little guy was very weary of the clicking noise that the camera makes when the shutter closes, but his curiosity soon overcame his weariness.

Baby Emma

2007-05-23T18:40:00.000-05:00

Check out this beautiful baby girl! Her name is Emma and she is just under two weeks old. This was my first time photographing a newborn, and I am so excited to have had such a beautiful subject to work with.

She got a little fussy when mom wasn't holding her

but a pacifier fixed that problem pretty quickly. See? Peaceful again.

I am always amazed at the beautiful images that can be captured when you place someone next to a window.

Katie and Kaylee

2007-05-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

Wow! What a day! I spent part of my afternoon wandering around Piedmont Park with Katie, who is one of my sorority sisters, and her REAL sister Kaylee! These two haven't had a picture taken together in ages (which counts as a crime in my book because they're both so photogenic!) and they wanted to surprise their mom with a belated Mother's Day gift, so I packed up my gear and we headed out to take a walk.

We decided to start off simple by taking a few pictures separately. This is Kaylee

And this is Katie

And one of them together

Having gotten the "boring but necessary" shots out of the way, we began to explore a little bit. Both Katie and Kaylee were really up for pretty much anything (which makes for a GREAT DAY for me!) and we just took our time wandering, snapping pictures, and generally having a good time.

Piedmont Park was full of people today, and we definitely received our fair share of strange looks. Like when they climbed up the slides so I could grab this:

We spent most of the time walking around barefoot (it is summer, after all) but I had them slip their shoes back on for this shot.

This is my favorite shot of the day. It was so funny because as I got ready to take it, a jogger passed us and said, "It's going to be backlit! You need the sun on their face!" I think it turned out well anyway!

Katie and Kaylee thank you for a wonderful afternoon!

More of Kristy

2007-05-20T14:15:00.001-05:00

We decided to take some time at the beginning of the session to shoot in, on, and around the car. It usually takes a few minutes of shooting for someone to relax into the session, but Kristy was so confident in front of the camera and her playfulness really came through in these images.

These show off more of her sultry side.

We began shooting around 7 in the evening, so the light was beautiful and warm. I loved the way the light was coming through her veil, so I jumped on the opportunity to grab this silhouette of her.

Her facial expression in this shot reminds me of Jennifer Anniston. What do you think?

Next we moved the car into the wash area and gave it a good soak down. Even though the water was cold and the car was slippery, Kristy was a good sport and had a lot of fun climbing all over the car.

And then of course there is the shot that I posted yesterday, which was my favorite.

I always love having the opportunity to meet and share my passion with other people, and Kristy was so full of mischievous comments and laughter that everyone couldn't help but have a great time. She sent me this comment last night after she got to see a sneak peek of her images

YOU ROCK GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve!!!! You do AMAZING WORK!!!! I am SOOOOO honored to have worked with you...truly! Thank you. I cant BELIEVE how great these turned out! I am soooo excited. I would love to do this again!

Thank you Kristy for your encouragement and your willingness to take our crazy suggestions! Thanks also to Crystal, who organized the session, and to Susan Muscari, our wonderfully talented make up artist. She has been working as a MUA for 10 years, and her work is absolutely fantastic. If you are ever in need, you should send her an email. She stayed with us throughout the entire session, doing touch ups and just enjoying the fun.

If you are interested in trashing your wedding dress, your graduation gown, or your favorite pair of blue jeans, send me an email and we can start working on an idea for YOUR session.

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon!

Dispelling the Myth

2007-05-19T23:15:00.000-05:00

You don't have to live near the beach in order to trash your dress in style. Yesterday, I joined my friend Crystal of Beadale Photography for an incredibly fun and spirited trash the dress session at a car wash in Smyrna. Here is an image to wet your appetite- more coming later!

Three Thirds

2007-05-14T19:25:00.000-05:00

Summer is always an important time when it comes to movies, but this summer takes the cake for me. One of the big attention grabbers is the number of trilogies that will finally come full circle with the release of their third and final parts. Three of these have me really excited.

I love cartoons, and this is by far one of my favorites. I have already made plans to see it this Friday.

Any movie that seats George Clooney next to Matt Damon and Brad Pitt already has my vote for best movie of the summer. The first two Ocean movies kept me laughing and on my toes (especially the museum scene with Julia Roberts. Priceless!) and from what I can see of the final Ocean movie, it will be just as entertaining as the first two movies, which is quite a feat for the third film in any trilogy.

Last and MOST DEFINITELY NOT least is the Bourne Ultimatum. If you have a man in your house, then you have probably seen the Bourne movies over and over. They are a favorite of my dad's and at any given time one of them is probably playing on the TV in my living room. As I said before, I am a huge fan of Matt Damon, and the Bourne Ultimatum also includes Julia Stiles, my favorite actress.

So as you can see, it's going to be a great summer for trilogies! Take some time to get your kids out of the house or sneak your sweetheart away to share some popcorn and great laughs while watching one of these great movies.

Oh, and while you're shopping for great thirds, make sure not to see Spider Man 3. It's definitely more of a rent it later movie.

A new look

2007-05-11T15:33:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the LWP blog is now dressed and ready for success! As much as I liked the black and pink, it just didn't feel like me, so I decided to go back to the drawing board and see what I could come up with.

After a few days of brainstorming and going back and forth between several different ideas, I decided to return to the color palette that my graphic designer developed for me back in December. Although the original logo design was awesome, one of the reasons I decided to make a switch was to simplify, and the old design was a bit too ornamental for my taste.

I love the vibrancy that these colors give off, especially the green. I decided to use green as an accent color rather than a main color because it makes me think of lime, and lime is one of my favorite seasoners to use when I cook. It's awesome when you add in a twist, but all lime is just a bit too sour!

I aspire to produce images that are vibrant and full of flavor, so hopefully this change will help to remind and inspire me of that.

12 Oaks Stables

2007-05-09T22:16:00.000-05:00

Wow, what an afternoon! I spent a large part of it hovering over the charger waiting for the battery to charge so that I could take my camera out to play. I decided to take a break from people and just get away to one of my all time favorite places. Though it is not my home, 12 Oaks Stables feels more like home some days than the house that I live in. I boarded my horse there for two years, and for three years after I sold him I volunteered there, feeding and grooming the horses and mucking out stalls. I got to know each of them, learning their personalities and peculiar habits. They are all so beautiful and different, and I used the time I had this afternoon as an opportunity to celebrate them.

The lighting in the stable was very harsh and I couldn't take them out into the open, so I used the dramatic lighting in the stalls to accent some of the details of the horse's face and body. This is Motown, a Tennessee Walking Horse stallion who spent most of his life training and performing in shows. He was nationally ranked when he was showing, but the stable's owner decided that the summer of 2006 would be her last season showing, so all of her horses are now enjoying a leisurely retirement.

I headed outside to take advantage of the bright, beautiful afternoon sunlight. All of the horses crowded around the gate when I got to it, and this guy refused to let me photograph anyone else but him. He kept stepping into the frame and trying to chew on my lens. He was such a goof.

While he was curious about the camera, most of the others were very weary of it and would jerk away when they heard the lens focusing. This one, however, stood as still as could be. I love the way the light defines his eye and brings out the rich color of the stable walls.

While I love 12 Oaks, I am aware that in time everything changes. The fact is that it is difficult to make money taking care of horses because they require so much money, and the area the barn is in is developing very quickly. In five or ten years it won't be there any more, so I am glad to have these images to keep the memory of the place alive. I hope you've enjoyed exploring another of my great loves with me!

Upgraded

2007-05-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Consider me upgraded. I'll have some images to share with you tomorrow. For now, I'm off to play!

Exciting New Adventures Coming to LWP

2007-04-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been really busy preparing for the end of the semester, planning for my trip to Madrid, and of course managing the growth and development of my business.

The most exciting part (for me, at least) is that I sold my camera this week and am planning on purchasing a new one in the next week or so. I would have bought it already except I am still undecided about whether I want to grab a D200 or upgrade to the new and amazingly drool-worthy Fuji S5. I will let you know when I make up my mind.

Starting this summer, I will be teaming up with Mary Beth Strawn to offer makeup services for portrait sessions and Glamor Portrait Parties. If you would be interested in receiving a free portrait session, then inquire about hosting a Glamor Portrait Party! Mary Beth and I will travel to a location that you select, and you and all of your guests can have a blast getting your makeup done and having a mini portrait session! Session fees are based on the total number of guests at the party. Email me for more information about hosting a Glamor Portrait Party!

And last but not least, I'm currently working to updating my branding and marketing materials, which includes updating my business cards, introducing new products, and introducing a new website! Check back for updates, as I will be posting new information as soon as the summer starts to pick up speed!

Crankin tunes on the PCH

2007-04-07T19:12:00.000-05:00

Almost anyone who has met me can attest to one thing: I may as well have my own soundtrack, because I'm always listening to, singing, humming, or dancing around to some song or another. I absolutely love music, and it has a place in every part of my life.

When I visited California a few weeks back, Kyleen and I decided to take a trek down the 1 from Malibu to Laguna Beach. Anyone who has driven any substantial distance down the PCH knows that satellite radio is your best friend, because you can't get any FM stations to stick for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Well, she doesn't have satellite radio, so when we stopped at Starbucks to pick up breakfast (by the way, they have AMAZING breakfast sandwiches!) she came across a CD sitting on the counter by James Morrison and we decided we might as well get it because we knew we'd need something to listen to. We listened to it all the way to and from Laguna and loved every minute of it! And to brighten up your day a little, I thought I'd post my favorite song here for you to listen to.

$10 ITunes Gift Certificate up for Grabs

2007-04-06T15:50:00.000-05:00

Kudos to Carey for inspiring me to hold a contest

I am truly a kid at heart. I love dressing up, swinging on swingsets, and most of all watching cartoons. My friends think I am crazy, and there is one cartoon in particular that I get mercilessly teased for watching, but I've never minded because I enjoy it so much. Today I stumbled across a news release that made me very happy. One of my favorite directors, M. Night Shyamalan (Writer/Director of Lady in the Water, The Village, and Signs to name a few) has taken on the task of turning my favorite cartoon into a live-action film.

OK, so on to the contest part. The first person to respond to this post (no email entries accepted) with the name of the cartoon will receive a $10 Itunes gift certificate. Good luck!

And while you're racking your brain trying to figure out the answer, you can click here to enjoy listening to a song from the show :)

Happily Ever After in Disney Designer Style

2007-04-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

Although Disney is not the original author of many fairy tales, they are the flagship when it comes to marketing the idea and making it a reality for those who want it. Disney, with their movies, stage productions, and theme parks all over the world, is like an American cultural tradition. You would be hard pressed to find a woman who did not at some point in her life dream of being a Disney princess or any child who would have passed up the opportunity to go to Orlando to meet their favorite characters in person.

Disney has been offering brides the opportunity to live out their fairly tale wedding dreams at their theme parks, complete with horse drawn carriages and opulent 'castles', for a long time, but starting in the Summer of 2007 brides will have yet another way to live out their Disney dreams.

An article in the WallStreet Journal says that beginning in June 2007, brides will have the opportunity to get married in true Disney style by purchasing one of their Disney Princess wedding gowns. According to the article, Disney will be releasing 34 princess designs their first season, each one completely unique and inspired by the styles worn by Disney favorites such as Ariel, Cinderella, and Jasmine. The dresses will be priced from $1100 to around $3000.

When I was a little girl, I would have given anything to dress up as Cinderella and waltz away with my prince charming, and even though I think it would be insanely fun to be able to wear one, I'm not sure I'd choose it as my wedding gown. I want to know what yall think! Make sure to vote or leave a comment and let me know :-)

You can find the original article here (you have to pay to read it) and related articles here and here.

fun on a cloudy day [ Allie ]

2007-04-01T16:01:00.000-05:00

Saturday was such a beautiful day that I decided to pull out my camera and head over to my friend's house for an impromptu photoshoot with my little sister Allie. Okay, so she's not really my little sister, but she might as well be. She and I are a lot alike, and her family is pretty much my second family. She loves reading, acting, singing, dancing, and watching Disney channel. She has a great personality that really came through in these pictures, and I had a blast laughing and spending the afternoon with her.

We had so much fun playing with this hat. It's actually part of her halloween costume from last year!

Meet Shadow, guardian of the house and the largest golden retriever I have ever seen.

Fun at the beach [ Kyleen ]

2007-03-27T22:09:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, I spent the better part of last week wandering all over SoCal with one of my closest and best friends, Kyleen. She is working for an engineering firm in Moorpark this semester and was hungry for some good Southern company, so I flew out to visit her for Spring Break. She is about the cutest person I've ever met, so of course I had to pull my camera out to snap a few images while we were on the beach. It was one of the brightest days my camera and I had ever encountered together, and I think the results turned out pretty good. Let me know what you think!

I love her expression in this picture

Ciao.

Michael & Donna { Jonesboro, Ga }

2007-03-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been quite some time since I've written here. I switched over to a wordpress blog for a while, but I've decided to return to dear old Blogger :)

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of photographing Michael and Donna's wedding. They had a very special ceremony that focused not only on the union of their lives, but also on the union of their two families. Donna's son lead her down the aisle, her daughter was a bridesmaid, and Michael's two sons were his groomsmen. I feel so blessed to have been a part of their special day.

Click here to view a slideshow of Michael and Donna's pictures

I love this shot of the flowers

I always have fun taking detail shots. Like this one, of the back of Donna's dress

Or this one, of her veil

Kelsey showing off the size of Michael's ring

The couple's first kiss

Happily ever after

When I finish editing their images, I'll post a slideshow for you. Have a great afternoon!

Steph and Ryan

2006-11-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful afternoon hanging out with Steph and Ryan in Atlantic Station on Tuesday! They celebrate their one year anniversary on December 1 and wanted to have some pictures taken as a gift to themselves. These are my two favorites of the day:

Clean white pages

2006-11-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

Being a writer and a poet as well as a photographer, there is an unmistakeable joy that I feel when I open a brand new notebook. It is a simple pleasure, but nonetheless one that seems to renew my spirit each time I experience it. Each clean, white page holds the promise of being filled with adventures and memories, stories and wisdom. It gives me the ability to remember life's experiences as they were (or at least the way I thought they were at the time). A journal, much like a photograph, tells a story as witnessed by its author.

With this in mind, you cannot believe that I would be any less excited about having this new blog. I see it as an opportunity to build relationships and to document the growth and development of my photographic skill, as well as serve as a place where others can experience part of my story, both by reading the posts and viewing the images I put here.

I hope that you have a blessed day.