Amanda and Brian  hit it just right to be a part of crop circle goodness. Just had to post this one cause it proves that sunflowers aren’t just for the bees. There actually was one buzzing right above Brian’s head in one of the shots. More to come of this shoot a little later.

This was a different kind of year in the garden as we moved all kinds of stuff around. Crop rotation I guess you would call it. Interestingly, tomatoes flourished and corn did not, even though both did well where they were at last year. But maybe that had more to do with the sporadic rain we had here all summer. Whatever the case, tomatoes are coming out of our ears and corn looks like it belongs in a wok.

But the big project for me this year was the crop circle! Well, with time crunch as it was in May, it was more like crop semi-circle, but I do plan on finishing it this fall. I took a stake and drove it into the ground, tied a piece of string to it, then put a spray can of white paint on the end of the string and made a template for the circle about 15 ft in diameter. Then, of course, came the real work of getting the sod up and the earth turned for some planting.

So this year I planted it with sunflowers from the seeds I had harvested last year. The seeds were from a dwarf variety that only got about 2 feet tall, but as plants will do, they reverted from their hybrid traits and I got plants from 2-5 feet tall. That was kinda cool as I think it looked more natural than when they were all the same height. There were plenty to cut and give away to friends and neighbors, which everyone always appreciates. It’s nice to bring a little of the outside inside.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do next year. Maybe a whole circle of sunflowers. Or maybe plant some perennial grasses in it like pampas and other tall varieties. I like ornamental grass and it usually looks good year round.

The sunflowers have peaked and are now starting to wane. But I really like that time of the year, and I always like the look of sunflowers that are a little spent. The texture is awesome, the way they kind of wither gracefully. But, I really like to contrast of old flowers and new ones. In a couple of months, all of them will be dried up and I get to explore the seed pods, which really is one of my favorite things to photograph.

But for now, the bees are buzzing and things still look like summer. But in a few weeks, the leaves will start to turn and things will settle down, and we’ll all be ready for some football weekends and maybe a trip or two.

So here are a few shots from the crop circle this morning. It is hard to photograph bees with a macro and no tripod, but one or two turned out like I wanted. Boy, did I ever need a little personal shoot time. All work and no play was making Kemper a dull boy.

Energized….CHECK!!!

I wish there were enough time to blog more these days, but with weddings and albums and seniors and eSessions and dogs….the summer has flown by. But I had to get a few of my favorites up from Jenni and Josh’s wedding. This was a couple who had one of the most beautiful eSessions I have ever done, right in the middle of a spectacular fall. We put together a gorgeous signing book for their wedding and it was a huge hit and certainly something they will cherish forever. Their wedding day was a little warmer than that!! But, we toughed it out and shot some fantastic images.

I have to say that the flowers and dress were beautiful, as was this gorgeous bride. But, one of my favorite parts of the wedding was Jenni’s dad’s uniform. Of course it was colorful and shiny, which immediately attracts me and forces me to become embarrassingly observant and curious. But, it really was more than that. Weddings are all about tradition, family, and love. They are about several relationships that are really just beginning, and they are about the relationships that are so familiar. So to me, that uniform, while a beautiful accoutrement that any bride would envy, was really a comforting symbol of the strength of family that Jenni probably remembers throughout her Life. And, I think if one were to observe this new family as the day unfolded, it would become abundantly clear that this uniform, while intimidating in presence, was all about love and acceptance. Josh, I think the coast is clear ;)

Jenni and Josh, here’s to a very bright future.. Much love and happiness to you both and to your wonderful families and thanks so much for letting me be a part of your special day!

Kemper

Living in Florida with friends and relatives spread out all over made Katie and Eric decide on a destination wedding somewhere in the middle to make it a little easier on everyone. So, when I got the inquiry from them about a wedding at Berry Hill, I was a little curious about this place way down in Southside. I’m not all that familiar with South Boston and Danville other than it was on the way to Buggs Island Lake where I used to go to visit my friends Pam and Stork for a little boating recreation in the summer. But from the web site, I was kind of digging those Federal style columns and deliciously expansive grounds. Yum, yum. So I was in.

I must say that when I arrived I was a little taken aback by how truly grand this old plantation home really is. The grounds are not only expansive, but speckled with remnants of old living quarters and closely guarded with undulating rock fences that meander over what seems like miles of gentle rolling hills. All of this greets you when you emerge from the tree lined promenade that serves as the entrance to this grand estate. The inside was stunning as well and I could have spend an entire day photographing the building a grounds alone.

But enough about the scenery for now. Katie and Eric, whom I had never met in person before, turned out to be the most fantastic couple to work with in every way. Photography was extremely important to them, and they did all the right things to make sure they captured every detail of their day. Everything went off without a hitch, and I had the most fun with this fantastic family who enthusiastically celebrated this very special day in a very special place.

A special thanks to John Thrift, Director of Catering and Special Events at Berry Hill, and all the wonderful staff who were a delight to work with as well. I can’t say enough about how well they treat strangers.

So here is the longest blog post in the history of this blog. Katie and Eric….thanks so much and Best Wishes for a wonderful Life together!

Kemper

Went up to Camp a few weeks ago to open things up and get the place cleaned. It was a working vacation for me cause I had to get some weddings edited and finish a new marketing piece. No internet cause I’m too cheap to pay $ 70 a month for an air card so I had to book it to the little coffee shop in the village every morning to get my mail and upload some galleries. One morning I just couldn’t make it so when I got there they were closed! Went on a rather hilarious venture into Amsterdam (the city in NY…not the one in The Netherlands) and quickly learned that this is a city far behind in the times. No coffee shops, not even a Starbucks which is utterly amazing.

So I stopped at a little computer store whose owner told me that he had heard if you sit in the parking lot at the old Best Western you can sometimes get a signal. I went fishing there for some broadband and did indeed stumble upon a spot where I got enough for a five minute download/upload session and was outa there.

Of course the highlight of the trip was watching Jack explore Camp for the first time. Needless to say, he was in doggie heaven with the woods, the lake, and a field full of tall grass and lots of smells all within a few feet of the front door. In order to prepare him for the water, I had been taking him down to the river for a month before the trip, having him fetch sticks from the deep part. He caught on fast, so by the time he got to Camp he was an expert paddler with no fear. He could easily swim out about 25 yards with us and stay out there with no assistance. But most of all I think he enjoyed digging in the beach where he made ample progress turning over all of the sand so that it looked fresh and new.

By the time we left to come back to Roanoke, Jack was tuckered out and slept the entire 10 hour trip. He is a joy. The best $129 I ever spent.

Ok…. I’m fortunate enough to have the best clients possible who are some of the most gracious people you would ever want to meet. I get lots of love from them raving about their photos and most importantly their photography experience. That means so much to me because I put everything I’ve got into making a wonderful photography experience that they will remember forever forever.

But, yesterday I got an email from someone who was simply attending a recent wedding and wanted to pass along a compliment to the photographers. I suppose they weren’t quite sure that Kemper was there (she called me cute!), but as long as this business has my name on it…..I WILL be the photographer.

I was getting ready to go to lunch with a bunch of friends when the email came, and I suppose I was just a tad giddy after I read it. This email meant so much to me. Someone who doesn’t have a dime invested in my product took the time to make sure I felt appreciated. How huge is that?

So is this bragging?? I suppose it is. But I don’t have a bulletin board to hang all my nice cards and letters on for all my customers to see. So here it is…..my bragging wall-blog.

To all my clients (and really, everyone I come in contact with IS my client) thank you so much for all you give to me. Your trust me with one of the most important days of your Life, or maybe just an order for a 4×6 from the wedding. I appreciate it all. And, I certainly appreciate all the emails and comments that I get. They can really make a person feel good when they try so hard to please.

Oh….. and the pretty girl with the long brown hair holding the flash in the air for 5 hours…..thank you, too!

Kemper :)

Dodging raindrops is a challenge, but a downpour is cause for Plan B. A bit tough getting outdoor shots when the weather doesn’t cooperate, so you quickly take advantage of those windows of opportunity and keeps a towel handy to mop up the equipment. Weddings are full of beautiful things and all your friends and family, none of which require sunshine to enjoy and celebrate with anyway.

Michele and Dan were troopers when the skies started to cloud up. Not a complaint one. Nothing much to fear since all the plans were indoors anyway, but by the end of the day, the skies were blue, the sun was bright and they were headed for a fantastic extended honeymoon that I was pretty envious of.

Best Wishes Michele and Dan as you settle in to a new Life together! May a little rain on your wedding day provide all the fortune that fable promises.

 A little over a month ago we went to see our friends Liz and Mackie and stay at their place out in the wild hillsides of Albermarle Co. Jack was making his first overnight visit doggie style and there was less anxiety knowing that we were being hosted by a forgiving animal lover. So all went well and we had a great time. But I’m not sure that Max and Bill, their two dogs, ever really got to lovin’ some Jack. Especially Bill, who laid down the line and dared Jack to cross it. It really was hilarious watching Bill defend his territory for most of the weekend. Max of course, being the older and wiser of the two was much less bothered by the young pup invading his space. He was more or less a spectator to the standoff between Jack and Bill, just enjoying the day and probably saying things like “Bill, Bill, Bill….why are you so uptight, dude”.

Sadly, we learned just a couple of weeks ago that Max died suddenly just a couple of weeks after our visit. Apparently he had a seizure and was unable to recover from it. Liz and Mackie are of course heart broken, what else can you expect when you lose a constant companion who was nothing but a joy. But apparently Bill is taking things even harder. It is indeed sad to watch a dog pine for someone they loved and cared about.

While I was up there, I did get a few shots of the dogs as they hung out with us. Liz called and said that she really appreciated the prints I sent her because they didn’t really have many good ones of Max in his old age. I was looking at some shots that I have taken of Jack over the last few months and my mind couldn’t help but wander to the future which will most likely see me watch Jack get older and eventually leave us. I really don’t want to dwell on that, but I looked at the shots of him when he was just a pup, barely able to climb the stairs, so stocky and cute.

I wouldn’t trade those for a million dollars.

So here’s to Max, a loyal and dear friend.

And Bill…….hope you get to feeling like your old self soon.

Hey, I’m diggin’ that awesome sky and trippy shadow action for Kim and Brett’s esession. It was really kind of a fluke cloud cause the evening was pretty wide open sky for the most part. You never know when some background lovin’ will come your way.

This is a great couple and I’m really excited about their wedding ’cause the reception is right downtown on Market St and we can just trip out any time we want to for a mini-shoot. Maybe we can even get a little penthouse view for a few! It will be a blast.