It’s time! Our year down south is fast drawing to a close. We have one more week with my family and then the boys and I hop a plane for Idaho. We get to spend at least two weeks with Dave’s family and “the cousins” before striking out on our camping adventure up the Alcan (Alaska-Canadian Highway) back to Anchorage. We are going to be towing a pop-up camper and plan to spend a little over a week on the drive. Can’t wait!

Hank, the psycho barn kitten, will be joining us. I’m not too sure how well that will go over with all the campground dogs! It should make for some interesting evenings!

Anyway, all this travel means I may be more difficult to reach for the next month. I will still have my cellular phone and if you need to speak with me immediately that will be your best bet. If you can wait a day or two for an answer, feel free to send me an email. I will be checking it; I’m just not sure how often.

Here’s one more quick post before the movers come to pack away my computer. Again, another lovely southern wedding from last summer shot with Mark of Mark Lawley & Associates. Mark actually had the most beautiful bridal portrait gorgeously framed and displayed at the reception. It was a very traditional portrait in her family’s ornate garden. The piece was quite stunning! But then to mix things up she also did a “fearless bridal” style session out on a worksite with construction equipment and great industrial elements. Quite the dichotomy! She definately had the best of both worlds!

Here are a few favorite shots that I captured from her wedding.

I thought I’d post one more of the weddings that I helped shoot while in Alabama.  This was the very first wedding that I photographed with Mark Lawley & Associates.  I told Mark how common it was to have outdoor weddings back in Alaska, and all he had to do was have me follow him around one time to realize why southern brides love air conditioning!  It was ridiculously hot!  Summer hadn’t even gotten into full swing yet but you could easily see how an outdoor wedding could knock a bridal party off their feet!  Thankfully, the rest of the summer, the weddings I helped with were all indoors!

This particular couple was going on an Alaskan cruise for their honeymoon, so I felt right at home meeting the bride for the first time.  She was surrounded by a wonderful group of friends and we had an easy morning spending time at the salon.  They chose to have a “first look” where the bride and groom see each other prior to the ceremony and it was a beautiful opportunity.  I had never participated in a wedding with a “first look” before and had the good fortune of witnessing several more before the summer was over.  What a great idea!  I wish I had thought of that with my wedding.  

When we arrived at the church we were joined by Keith and Carla,  additional members of Mark’s Photography team, who took over with the bulk of photographing the wedding.  I was able to step back and watch some seasoned pro’s in action.  It was a great start to a wonderful summer!

With the threat from my dad that he was going to whack down all of those yellow weeds in the pasture, I knew I had to rally the boys and try to get a last ditch effort of a portrait in the bag!  The plan was a bit over ambitious.   Since the yellow flowers (ie, weeds) were in the horses pasture,I decided that Roger and T2 – the horses –  would make a good backdrop off in the distance.  Since the flowers were on the ground, I figured the lazy old dog, Sam, would make a good pal for Solomon to lean on.

We loaded up the gator with horse feed, two boys, lots of gear, and the grandparents.  We headed out with happy dogs trailing close behind.  Unfortunately the pony stood guard over the top of the pasture and the dogs would venture no further.  My mom is convinced her pack of not so wild dogs are afraid of the teeny tiny little angry pony.  So, scratch the idea of Sam the dog in the photo.

Step two, the horses are cooperating nicely.  We have a very short timeframe before they gobble up their feed and then head off to who knows where.  

Step three, Sid is yelling and crying and refusing to step foot outside of the gator.  Sol is cooperating but not so happy about it.  I am rolling around on the ground in between horse droppings and giant Alabama ant hills.  This is going well!

I give up on Sid and get barely a frame or two fired off before the horses start heading our way.  Sol is screaming and giggling or scriggling and trying to run from Roger, the oldest of the mangey beasties!  My mom, with that knack of hers for animal behavior, knows just what to do to send T2, the sexiest of the wild beasts, off into a gallop.  I click off a few good shots of T2 and then head back for the family portraits underway.  Grandma carried Sid out into the middle of the flowers and then walked away.  Sid stormed off swinging his fists and crying the whole way back to his beloved Grandpa Mark and the safety of the gator.  Sol was gracious enough to oblige his photo happy mother and did a few more jaunts out into the flowers for me.  

What an adventure.  Can’t wait to see what is in bloom on our next trip to the farm!
 

Jacket on, Jacket off.  Spring in Alabama is fairly wacked out.  After hovering around 70 degrees for weeks, we just dropped back to around 40!  Regardless of the temps, the boys and I needed some fresh air and a little sunshine.  We headed out to a vacant lot near the old homestead for a few laughs and a little lens flare.

Following is another wedding from down south that I helped shoot for Mark Lawley & Associates. This bride was totally at ease with getting married and completely adorable to boot! Their timeline for the day was well thought out and they alotted plenty of time for all aspects of “getting ready”. The ceremony and reception took place at Ross Bridge Resort which, for those of you avid golf fans, boasts one of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses. The hotel was beautiful, the entire wedding party was so welcoming and the bride, most especially, was such a lovely person. I love walking away from a wedding feeling so rewarded for the people I’ve had the pleasure to meet and the fact that they allowed me in to such an important day in their lives.

Prior to the start of our trip down south I had the good fortune of meeting Mark Lawley of Mark Lawley & Associates. Mark allowed me the wonderful opportunity of photographing weddings with his team based out of Birmingham, AL. They kept me busy throughout the summer and shared their vast knowlege that comes from years of experience in the business! The last time I had the opportunity to photograph a wedding as a team was back in 1999 when I still shot film! Needless to say, I picked up several fun new techniques this go around!

Mark’s approach to team shooting is such an awesome and comprehensive way of capturing the story of a wedding. After my first wedding with these guys, I was already excited about all the possibilities for weddings in Anchorage. I’m so thankful I was able to gain this experience but more importantly I had the opportunity to work with and develop friendships with some great fellow photographers! Thank you to Mark, Keith, Carla, Randi, Maggie and now baby Noah!

I’ll be posting images from some of these weddings over the next couple of weeks. The first batch is from the last wedding I photographed with Keith. My favorite images were from the dance floor. We were taking turns working some backlighting and trying to keep up with the dancers!

Earlier in the day, there were some beautiful moments captured. The first image to follow shows the father of the bride quietly looking out the window while we were wrapping up the formals.  Also, there is also a fun moment when the flower girl gives the bride a high five after the ceremony — total cuteness!  

I recently found out that a high school friend of mine started a beautiful art & antique gallery in Homewood. After twisting her arm, Susan Reynolds Smith (Suzy!) along with her business partner, Laura Wilson, allowed me free range to come in and photograph their collections for some upcoming marketing materials. I had a blast and I had the opportunity to work with Julie Brannon which is always a treat!

I’ve posted just a few of my favorites from the day but I’d highly recommend checking their store out in person. They have a beautiful selection of arts and crafts style furniture and a huge selection of gifts. A great time to visit would be at the upcoming book signing for the Birmingham Sketchbook on Friday, February 20th, 2009. Hope to see you there!

Four Seasons Antiques, Art & Botanicals
2910 18th Street South
Homewood, AL 35209
205-803-4059

I spent an awesome three days attending the Shoot With Beckstead workshop here in Birmingham, Alabama.  What fun!  It added another realm of thinking to my composition.  Mark Lawley hosted the event and was kind enough to hook us up with two incredibly vivid locations to shoot.  

My mind is now swirling with all the new ideas and inspiration that I was able absorb from David.  David is a world renowned photographer who focuses primarily on destination weddings.  His work is brilliant.  Check it out.  www.davidbeckstead.com

This weekend we high tailed it out of Dodge and headed up to the north Alabama mountains.  I spent many summers on Lookout Mountain near Mentone, AL as a kid and I couldn’t wait to get back.  We rented a cabin at Desoto State Park and loaded the car full of jackets and long pants.  For a weekend filled with beautiful weather, great experiences, and awesome food, our only mistake was those jackets and pants!  The weather was clear and sunny and rarely below 70 degrees except for the beautiful, crisp, cool mornings.  

Our cabin was a treat and was plenty of room for our smallish family.  There was a deck along the back that overlooked a bit of a ravine with a fork from one of the nearby creeks.  We took the kids on an easy hike right out behind the cabin where they had the opportunity to pose for photos in their first of many rock overhangs.

Later that day we headed over to Desoto Falls where there were very minimal rails to keep my kids from hurling themselves over the edge.  Dave and I each had a death grip on one of the kids so there are zero photos to commemorate this experience!  After Desoto we hit the town up Mentone high atop Lookout Mountain and enjoyed a tasty lunch at The Wildflower Cafe.  The tomato pie was my favorite!  

After lunch we fumbled around on the roads a bit to see if we could locate the old camp where I helped out with the horses on occasion as a kid.  It’s still there!  I loved that place.  Now it is called Lookout Mountain Camp for Boys and I’m thinking Sid and Sol will need to go there in a few years.

Our next stop was straight up to the southside of Chatanooga, Tennessee to a place actually in Georgia – See Rock City.  The highlight of our trip!  I had to devote an entirely seperate post to this wonderful off shoot.

On day three we took our time before check-out and spent a few minutes with the tripod and camera trying to capture an elusive family photo.  It’s always fun to see what we come up with in between self-timer clicks!  

We then headed on to our last set of falls over on Little River and then followed the road along the edge of Little River Canyon.  Dave took it upon himself to carry both boys over to a rock outcropping next to the falls for a little photo opp!  Now that he has seen the rock in the photos he’s questioning that decision!  A little more driving, a last minute decision to make a scenic detour and the next thing you know we are at Horse Pens 40 where a bouldering competition is going on.  Horse Pens 40 is a boulderer’s paradise.  Even Solomon loved clamboring up and down the easier rocks.  The place apparently got it’s name from the natural enclosure made by the boulders and rocks that allowed the native american’s of the area to enclose their horses.  I would love to go back and explore this place more.  It was a bit crowded on the day of our visit and there weren’t many toddler’s running or screaming around so we kept it short.

A little more driving, a last minute decision to make a scenic detour and the next thing you know we are at Horse Pens 40 where a bouldering competition is going on.  Horse Pens 40 is a boulderer’s paradise.  Even Solomon loved clamboring up and down the easier rocks.  The place apparently got it’s name from the natural enclosure made by the boulders and rocks that allowed the native american’s of the area to enclose their horses.  I would love to go back and explore this place more.  It was a bit crowded on the day of our visit and there weren’t many toddler’s running or screaming around so we kept it short.

At this point we really think we are heading home and then we see one more historic site sign and this one was hard to pass up.  John Looney’s Cabin in Ashville.  A carload full of Looney’s just can’t turn that one down.  Dave posed for a photo next to the historical marker and then we were finally off to the grandparent’s house for some R&R after our vacation.

Rock City was one of my favorite memories from when I was a little girl!  I totally remembered the swinging bridge  (I made my dad hold my hands to cross) and I remembered the “Fat Man Squeeze” (too narrow for one member of our family to make it!).  I’m guessing I was about 5 or 6 years old and I hadn’t been back since.  

This weekend we took the kids up to Mentone, AL and just had to take a day trip up to Rock City.  Needless to say I wasn’t disappointed and neither were the kids.  Within the first five minutes I was giggling just like a little kid!  The bridge still gave me the willies but Solomon seemed to love it.  Dave made it a point to make exagerated bounces just to heighten my experience.  We are already trying to plan another trip up to the area just so we can stop through again.

the famous birdhouses

the swinging bridge of doom

one of the bridges overhead

sunlight streaming through the trees —  you can just barely make out Dave on the trail.

my urchins on trail

an intersection

the fam

lo

lover’s leap

Our town of Prattville hosted a Halloween trick or treat event for the local toddlers.  It was a big hit because by the time we arrived we had to line up over a block and a half away!  The kids all handled the wait with tremendous patience and approximately an hour later we hit our first table for treats.  After growling ferociously at anyone who looked at him for the first 45 minutes, Sid decided he didn’t really want to wear that bothersome green dragon outfit anymore.  He shed the wings and dragon head before the first table but luckily the store owners were still generous with their candy and treats.  

Solomon also had some hesitations about his costume, Scooby Doo.  As we were pulling his suit on in the car he expressed his concerns that, “I don’t really know about being a dog, mom.”  It didn’t take long, however, for him to hear the other kids yelling “Scooby Doo” as we filed past the masses to really get into the swing of things.  A few “Hey, there’s Scooby!” was all Sol needed to start enjoying being his favorite cartoon character.  

Life was too crazy during the event to snap photos but I did get a few when we made it to the end of the first block.  Notice Sid sans costume!

Sol finally turned Four!  He must have been looking forward to this day ever since Sid turned two on July 5th.  After that he had to endure Mark’s 70th birthday in August all the while wondering when he would have his day.

It finally came and he had a blast even though we had to cancel the party at the last minute due to some minor vomitting by his mother!  Anyway, he played hard and once again scored on all the presents.  Thank you to everyone who plied him with gifts and especially Clemente, Felix, and Alec who came out for moral support!  

We still managed to make it to the Old Baker Farm in Harpersville to pick pumpkins,  take a hay ride, and run through the corn maze.   Sol was a trooper, and we were actually able to salvage most of the fun for his big birthday.  The day was beautiful and the boys had a great time!  Picking our own pumpkins was the highlight of the day for me.  We now have four!!! Solomon’s highlight was, of course, being surrounded by other little boys to play with!  Happy Birthday, Sol!

Here are a few more shots from the field after the beautiful sunset light was gone.  I attempted to fake it with a flash.

Life in Afghanistan must be getting dreary because I awoke to the above plea in my email today.  Just for you, Dave, we loaded up the gator and endured bug bites o’ plenty for a few fun shots as the sun was setting.   The hay in this field is supposed to be baled any day now so it was a good impetus for us to get out there.  As usual, the boys didn’t feel like posing with each other.  Solomon felt a bit more photogenic than his brother today.  Sid was just paranoid that Grandma was going to take off in the gator without him.

I desperately wanted to try to recreate the photos of Solomon and Sam the dog that I had taken a month earlier.  I took a light to the barn to hopefully capture the action without blur this time.  Sam decided he was way too lethargic to play that game so nothing went as planned.  Instead, Sid became bored and decided to put on a show.   He created his own entertainment by tossing hay around.  As you can see, he was quite please with himself.  His expressions constantly amaze me!