I shot the colorful, energetic, beautiful wedding of Carolina alums Cristina Chenlo and Eric Stam last Saturday.  I shot Cristina’s bridal portraits earlier in the week, which turned out to be a foretaste of the wedding—both shoots were some of the most enjoyable, creative shoots I’ve had all year!  Though the light was golden and the setting was inspiring, the joy I experienced really stems from their families’ and friends’ love for the Lord and for each other.

Cristina and Eric got married at La Grande Maison and Gardens in Mebane, N.C., which was a really pretty setting for their evening wedding.  They also chose to get married on the hottest day of the year; on my way over to the gardens the radio broadcaster announced that with the heat index the temperature felt like it was 113 degrees!  The heat didn’t dampen spirits (no pun intended); everyone still managed to tango and salsa the night away.  Cristina’s family is from Argentina, so there was a great fusion of Argentinian and North-Carolinian food (and music).  I tasted some of the best empanadas I’ve had since I went to Chile three years ago…

I shot this wedding with the fabulous Justin Cook, who graduated from the J-school with me (different years) at Carolina. He’s won oodles of awards for all sorts of photos and documentary projects.  Justin’s energy and great sense of humor is really refreshing, especially when you have to be on your feet for ten hours!  About half of the photos below are his version of the day—the tight 600mm shots are all his babies.

Enjoy!

I had an epic photoshoot with the beautiful Cristina Chenlo last Monday, whose wedding I shot on Saturday (stay tuned for photos from the weekend).  The bridal session was one of those happy occasions when everything comes together perfectly.  Not only was Cristina full of refreshing energy and pizzaz, but the setting was a photographer’s dream (horses, stables, red clay, ponds, cornstalks and sunflowers…what more could you ask for?), my assistant was enthusiastic and unbelievably helpful (she freed my mind from worrying about carrying equipment and styling so that I could just shoot and be creative), and the light was SICK.  It had just rained, so all the colors were especially vibrant.

A big thanks to the folks living on Pickards Mountain for letting us use their beautiful property to create some awesome photos!  You guys are awesome.  Cristina, thanks for being so flexible and adventurous!  I’m glad all the clay came out of your dress for the wedding.  :)  And I can’t wait to show you the pictures from Saturday…

Enjoy!

Last Saturday I went to my church’s annual pig-pickin,’ which was hands-down one of my favorite events of the summer.  As soon as I arrived it started pouring, and for a moment I thought the event might be canceled.  The sight of Dave and other members cheerfully building a tent to cover the food quieted my worries.  Sarah and Anna splashing each other in the giant puddles only confirmed it—no thunderstorm would be stopping the most-anticipated event of the year for Christ Community Church!

I haven’t shot pictures for me in awhile–this pig-pickin’ was the first time in maybe  two months that I picked up my camera for fun and let myself get tangled in a wonderful net of unscripted moments, beauty, and inspiration.  Even though I take pictures all the time professionally (and love it!), it’s easy to forget that photography is more than work—and when it feels like work, play, and rest all rolled up into one, that is a wonderful feeling!  I think that feeling was stronger since this is my own community—people I see every Sunday, at the least, and every day, at the most!  Even though I see these folks all the time, I never cease to be amazed about the new things I discover about them.  And on Saturday I discovered that rain+pigs+CCC is the recipe for one heckuva’ time.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

I had a blast shooting bridal portraits with Hanley last night at Forest Hills Park in Durham last night. Hanley was inspired by a cool photograph of old trees and wanted to recreate the scene/mood for her bridal session. This is my new favorite park—it feels like a mini Central Park inside Durham! The trees are old and majestic, there aren’t too many people there at a given time (which makes for clean backdrops, unlike Duke Gardens)…it’s lovely.

Hanley actually got married last year, but didn’t have time to get bridal portraits before the wedding. So why not dress up for an evening and have a photo shoot? I’d do it every year if I had a beautiful princess dress like Hanley! The funniest point of the evening was when a curious adolescent came up to us and asked if Hanley was getting married, or if we were just playing dress-up.

A big thank you to Jenny Jones and Kathy H. for styling, assisting, keeping us company, etc. I’m so thankful for good friends who are up for photo adventures.

Enjoy!

I was loved on by our adorable next-door neighbors yesterday, who are complete hams with the camera. Miss Ann Georgia, Elizabeth, and Sarah totally boosted my ego; apparently I should be a “professional” soccer player. (Don’t they know I have no eye-foot coordination?)

All three girls learned how to use the camera, too. Can you guess which pictures are theirs? Looks like we have some aspiring photographers in the neighborhood…

Enjoy!

Last weekend I shot the wedding of good friends Mandy Acree and Stuart Pierce in Raleigh, North Carolina. With a little more than 30 attendees, the wedding was quite intimate and beautiful. It was held at the Second Empire Restaurant in downtown Raleigh, which was quite historic and had a front porch that made for a great backdrop for portraits.

Mandy and Stuart are both humble, kind, and transparent people. They love the Lord deeply; I don’t think I’ve had a single conversation with Mandy in which I wasn’t encouraged in my faith by her openness in her struggles and how she sees God meeting her. I met them several years ago at Christ Community Church, which is our home church, and got to know Mandy pretty well in a community group last January. And I’ve enjoyed getting to know Stu in person after long hearing stories about his long-haired, sleeping-in-the-car-while-on-tour-in-N.C., rock-star, alternate life. They’re both pretty cool, that’s all I have to say.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know you two better the past few months–I’ll definitely miss seeing you around CCC. Thanks for including me in your wedding day and all the days leading up to it! Oh, and sorry I made you kiss so much during the engagement session.

Thanks to Nate Clendenin for assisting me last weekend. He did an awesome job putting together a quick slideshow to show at the reception the day of! And apart from making some excellent pictures, he provided good fellowship (and some good laughs), per usual.

Enjoy!

Last night my roomie and I had the privilege of watching two plays performed by Brenda Ellison’s very talented drama students at Grey Stone Baptist Church in Durham. Brenda is a wonderful member of my church, Christ Community, and her family is my roomie’s “adopted family.” I really appreciate her insights on faith and the fine arts. And I love her plays!

Ellison’s Camp for Student Actors included two performances: a somber first play called Open Heart, followed by a more light-hearted comedy, The Attempted Murder of Peggy Sweetwater (see top picture below).  I had a fantastic time, especially when I slipped backstage to get some shots of all the backstage craziness. Enjoy the pics! And good luck to all the students who will be performing tonight, as well!