Ahhh, finally! It’s that time of year when I have just a wee bit of time for personal projects. Albums from last year’s weddings are pretty much designed and done. 2012 weddings and portraits won’t start for a couple of more weeks. Now is the time when I can do a few things that I’ve been putting off for a while.

This year I’m working on some books and the first one I want to get done is a jaunt I took to Asia back in 2006. I can’t even believe that it’s been over five years since that trip so I’m thinking it’s actually time to go back and visit a few places I missed.

I’ve started this project a couple of times. The cover is designed. A lot of the images have been prepared. But, there’s still some work to be done and then I have to put it all together. In going back through the photographs it’s kind of interesting how time changes your perspective on things. You forget some things and thankfully we have photographs to pull a little bit on the memory and bring things back. Forgotten but not gone so to speak. And then there’s the photographs that really didn’t speak much to me when I first edited them shortly after returning from the trip. I’m seeing some of them in a different way and I’m actually glad I let a little time go by before I finished this project.

Anyway, here is one of my favorites from that trip. It was taken in a market area in Hanoi, but this little area was tucked away from the craziness that exists in most of these markets. It was a quiet little courtyard with beautiful light and I’m sure that the vendor enjoys this little place where they prepare their foods for sale out on the street.

Every so often I get a chance to meet wedding professionals who are new to the area. I love meeting new people anyway, but it is always a treat to have a chat over coffee or lunch with the people from other places who are in the wedding business and bring a different perspective or fresh ideas with them. So, I was very happy when Michele Robb of The Perfect Fairytale contacted me and wanted to introduce herself. I invited her over to the studio so she could see firsthand what I offer my clients and to find out a little more about what she does as a wedding planner.

I really enjoyed my talk with Michele and it became apparent during our conversations about various things as they pertain to the wedding planning process that she was very interested in making sure her clients were matched with vendors that suited them. I’ve always felt that when it comes to photography, I’m not the choice for everyone whether it be an issue of style, budget or personality so her thoughts resonated with me very much. I like it when objectivity is involved in the planning process and business relationships are put aside.

“I try to select vendors based on their experience and creativity shown in their work,  their professionalism and their personality”, Michele said. “When I select my preferred photographers, I find them strictly by their photographs on their website and blog sites. A photographer is one of the most important vendors in a wedding because they truly capture the day with each moment and event that takes place. They need to be artistic, creative, and amazing with their photography angles and ideas. If I do not like what a photographer showcases on their website, I wouldn’t make them a preferred vendor. – I absolutely have to love their photography because I know that is what my clients would like as well.”

Welcome to Roanoke, Michele. I think you will find this an awesome place for weddings and you’ll find a wedding community that is friendly and open, always willing to share.

In less than 8 years, nearly 14,000 homeless animals have found their forever homes because the Roanoke Valley SPCA was there to help them. It is once again my pleasure to photograph some of the SuperStars of the RVSPA’s Puppy Love Ball. Each of the dogs below has been adopted through the RVSPCA and as you can tell from this gorgeous pack of pups, the RVSPCA has all you’ll need when looking for your next pet.

So, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 28, 2012 at The Hotel Roanoke. Or, if you are unable to attend the event, donations to the RVSPCA can be made here.

As always, a great big THANK YOU to all the volunteers and contributors who help the RVSPCA find all those forever homes!

One of the things I love most about a wedding is watching the interaction between mothers and brides on her wedding day. A lot goes on between the time  a little baby girl comes into the world and the day she gets married. It would be a rare relationship between a parent and a child that didn’t have its share of ups and downs. But, on this special day I look over at many moms and see what I believe is a look that says it was all worth it…..this is what I dreamed of, too. Happiness and joy for my child, and a future of promise and anticipation of many things to come.

I love weddings with kids in them cause they will be sure to provide entertainment at some point during the day. This little guy was hard at work trying to get the ring bearer brigade ready for a quick exit. 

I’d never even been there before, but this summer I shot two weddings at West Manor. There was a lot to love about this venue. Nice reception space, beautiful garden surrounding the ceremony site, and gorgeous views from this lovely old manor home. Then, of course there is the beautiful light. The light is fantastic everywhere. Originally when I posted this wedding the fate of West Manor was up in the air. But, since then new owners have taken of the venue and not only is it still booking weddings (that was a relief !) but they are also making some fantastic improvements to the venue.

Here are a few from Leila and Tom’s wedding there in September.

Oh man! Busy, busy summer. Now, fall is in full swing and weddings and portraits and seniors and babies are everywhere. This is probably my favorite time of the year to shoot. It’s nice and cool (although I shot a fantastic session on a 100 degree day this year!), colors are turning here and there,  and skies are interesting.

Just a few from last week.

These were the flowers from yesterday’s wedding, the first wedding of October which is one of my favorite wedding months. I love the fall colors and weddings always reflect this time of the year, even when things may still be a little green. Mark Frye and his talented crew at Creative Occasions did these and  I have to say I thought they were spectacular. Rich with color and texture and set off by my favorite of all colors….purple. I just had to share a peek at these.

Certainly one of the more creative ways to toss your bouquet! Look at this pretty bride in her reception dress made especially for bull riding.  Fun couple with some fun guest entertainment in the form of a mechanical bull this past weekend at Silver Hearth Lodge on Bent Mountain. I am certain that it was the first wedding I’ve shot with a mechanical bull but I hope it’s not the last. Wow, look at that sunset would you. The weather was a little iffy but brought two big bonuses. 1) It was about 15 degrees cooler than life in the city and 2) with a storm clouds you get sunsets that can be pretty amazing.

More to come on this wedding in a few weeks, but in the mean time I’ve got a few more that I have to get posted. Busy, busy summer with much to do! 

I got a call today from a distraught bride. Not my client. Could have been. But, sadly they weren’t. This is the third time I’ve gotten a call like this, but unlike the others this bride had what I can only deem a true disaster on her hands and she was devastated by it. To make a long story short, this bride had what I would call a significant budget wedding, beautifully thought out with details that she had worked on for over a year. It was at a gorgeous venue and she was thrilled. The day was perfect except for one thing.

Uncle Bob shot her wedding.

Let me explain for any of those who may read this and don’t know who Uncle Bob is. He’s really not a “real” person. In fact, he’s not always a he. Uncle Bob is the name given long ago in professional circles to the relative or friend who well intentioned couples get to shoot their wedding. Sometimes it’s someone they know, sometimes it’s someone that a relative or friend vouches for as someone who takes “great pictures”. But, the bottom line is that in more cases than not, it’s a cost cutting move that has the potential for broken hearts when one of the most important days in a couple’s life is left in the hands of an unskilled amateur with less than adequate equipment and experience.

From all I can tell of the situation with today’s caller, that is exactly what happened. The photographs are awful, there’s very few of them, none of the details were captured, some family members are missing from the lot, and the portraits are nothing more than them standing there in nice clothes. She pleaded for me to help her out. She was even willing to recreate some of the details. rent another tux for the groom, and try to salvage her photography as best she could. She asked if I could take Uncle Bob’s photographs and make them look like mine.

I truly felt sorry for her, but frankly, there’s really not enough money that makes me want to come behind a mess that someone else created and clean it up. It’s just not fun. The day is done and you just can’t make it right.

I did offer to help by suggesting that she contact her guests and ask for all of their photos to see what she could find. I gave her the name of an album designer that may be able to work some magic and put something together that will be better than what she has. So, I emailed her a link to their contact information and that is when it became apparent that this all could have been avoided. Her email address was in my database and sure enough in June of 2010 I had received an email from her asking for my price list. I send it to her and never heard back.

I sometimes wonder what happens to those folks. Now, I know.