The fall issue of Columbus Bride magazines doesn't hit newsstands until late September, but the ad deadline is coming up fast and since I just put the finishing touches on my ad and got it uploaded, I thought I'd share. I'm pretty happy about the way it turned out. It's one of the images from Brandy and Eric's wedding this past May at The Westin. This was shot inside the doorway in the lounge area and the light was gorgeous - not to mention the couple!
I'm a couple days late, but the sentiment is the same: big happy anniversary wishes to Laura and Mark, who were married one year ago July 5 at St. Joseph Cathedral with a fabulous reception at Taylor Mansion. We had an absolute blast at Laura and Mark's wedding and here are a few images to commemorate their day:
Going through the loss of Howie, the world's greatest cat, was devastating and heartbreaking, but part of what is helping me through it all - in addition to all the comfort I've received from friends and family - is the addition of Leo to my furry family. Leo came from the Capital Area Humane Society, which is conveniently located right around the corner from my house. Leo lived at the shelter for two months and, contrary to how he looks in these pictures, he really is supposed to have nice long hair. Leo's hair was a matted mess when he arrived at the shelter so the kind people there shaved him down to the skin, all except his head and mane, his feet and part of his tail. Considering how hot it had been, shaving Leo every year come May might be a new ritual just for his comfort during the heat and humidity.
You'll notice that Leo bears a striking resemblance to Howie, but they could not be more different. Except for being black male cats, the similarities end there. Leo is much much smaller than Howie, probably by as much as four pounds. Leo also has golden eyes where Howie's were green. Leo is also just a common domestic longhair and not a Maine coon, like Howie. Leo is, however, personable and friendly and outgoing, and those are the reasons I adopted him - not because he looked like Howie. Howie is and always will be irreplaceable, but Leo is proving to be a nice new family member and getting to know each other has been a lot of fun so far. He doesn't seem to mind the camera either, so here are some shots from his first few days in his new home:
And now we have happy anniversary wishes for Nikki and Nathan, married the week after Kelly and Bo and also at The Columbus Athenaeum but in completely different roooms, so the feel for their wedding was totally different. That's what I like about The Athenaeum - variety!
Here are a few of my favorite shots from Nikki and Nathan's wedding.
I'm a little tardy, but with good reason, so now it's back to the business of posting great wishes for my June 2008 couples celebrating one-year anniversaries over the past week or so.
First up is Kelly and Bo, who were married at The Columbus Athenaeum, one of my favorite venues. Lots of different rooms there and all the staff are fabulous to work with!
Here are a few of my favorite shots commemorating their day.
Well, it's hard to even see to write this, but today was my sweet Howie's final day as an earthbound cat. And what a cat he was. I think every client I've ever had who's been to my house has met Howie. He probably sat in your lap or whapped you with his tail, or even - as in one case - licked inappropriate body parts while lounging on your coat. Or maybe he dug around in your purse or just darted out the door when you came in. Howie was just a cat like none other. I think he acted more like a dog than a cat, really. And he certainly was not afraid of Hildy, even though she outweighed him by 50 pounds. They played together often, although not so much this year, but I remember a time when Howie chased the dog into her crate and then sat right in front of the door so she couldn't get out. Hildy always gave Howie a wide berth, but Howie would just walk right under or jump right over the dog.
So, what kind of tribute blog post would be complete without pictures? Here are only a few of the many I've taken of Howie over his incredibly short lifespan. He lived for only six years and I was lucky to have him for five of those.
Please, if you do nothing else, have your cat checked for heart disease. It's a certifiable killer and takes them way too early.
12 pounds of cat stuffed into a box no bigger than a loaf pan.
Not taking any crap from the dog, no matter how close she gets.
I was so happy to get to spend Megan and Ben's wedding day with them. It was just a beautiful day, inside and out, with lots of love and personal touches. Megan was absolutely ravishing, and married Ben at Goodale Park followed by a great reception at The Burgundy Room.
It was hard to choose just a few, but here are some of my favorites:
A gift from Ben.
Congratulations, Megan and Ben!!
Well, it's Tuesday, so it must be time for the topic of the week, which today is The Shot List.
Typically, there are two kinds of shot lists: one is a list of family group photos, which is handy for remembering who you want to have in the formal altar shots (if we're doing those), and the second, which is often found on The Knot and in other wedding resources, is a list of shots to be taken throughout the day, such as "bride looking in mirror" or "mom gazing admiringly at bride", which, frankly, I think is just about the silliest thing ever. If I had never shot a wedding before, or never even attended a wedding, a list like that might be helpful, but obviously neither one of those is the case.
So, family group shot list: great and helpful; list of other shots to take: not so much. And here's why:
Ordinarily, the formal family group shots are taken immediately following the ceremony, which can be a rather hectic time: guests are funneling out, people are here and there chatting and gathering up belongings to take to the reception, and time is short, etc. Having a list of formal family groups for this portion of the day becomes extremely helpful in making sure we photograph who you want photographed. Putting a family member in charge of the list also makes things easier since they will most likely know everyone who's to be photographed and can easily spot if they're missing. Having a "runner" round up missing people is also helpful.
On the other hand, having a list of other shots to be taken during the day is more of a hindrance than anything. First off, my style is strictly based on photographing events as they unfold. If I'm having to keep my nose on a list to make sure I don't miss something, then what I'll be missing is everything that's happening around me. Second, if I don't know by now what I need to photograph at a wedding after doing this for six years, then I need to hang up my camera! I'd say it's a pretty fair bet that I'm chosen by my clients exactly because I not only know to photograph the expected but because I have a great eye for the unexpected as well.
To recap:
Formal family group shot list: good
Everything else shot list: bad.
Happy list-making!
I'd like to send big Happy Anniversary wishes to Megan and Nik, who celebrated their one-year anniversary yesterday. Their wedding was held in their hometown of Fremont, Ohio, and the reception was at Camp Perry up on Lake Erie, where I'll be shooting the wedding reception of their friend and groomsman next June. It was a great location and I'm excited to be there again!
Here are a few of my favorite images to commemorate their day.
Last Friday, I had the great pleasure to fly to D.C. to shoot Chaitali and Mike's engagement session in and around their Virginia home and on the National Mall. While the weather was less than cooperative, it certainly added a different dimension to the images, in addition to our not hitting the typical D.C. spots. I love that we were able to do something unique and unexpected in a city full of recognizable landmarks. But that's nothing compared to what a great time I had hanging out with Chaitali and Mike. We had a relaxed, fun time, and I'm looking forward to their wedding even more now!
It was hard to narrow down my favorites, but here is a generous handful:
We started at the old Torpedo Factory in Virginia which is now home to lots of art galleries.
Thanks so much, Chaitali and Mike, for showing me such a great time in your city!
