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

One of the great opportunities of being down south, is the chance to attend all the workshops, seminars and photography events that I can muster in one year.  The first progam I attended was Sandy Puc’s “Bellies and Babies” Tour. Sandy is an extraordinary photographer who has been photographing children for what sounds like at least two decades. Her work is beautiful and dreamy and she provided those of us in the audience a glimpse into her techniques and workflow.

One of the areas she really worked into a science is the art of photographing a newborn. Getting great photographs of the baby or the baby with her mother can actually be fostered through a quick run of a handfull of poses.

In the past I would just sit and watch to see what would happen or I tended to wait until babies were about 3 months old. After seeing Sandy at work and incorporating her poses and techniques, I felt much more prepared for the unknowns of the newborn! For the first attempt with my new found arsenal, I enlisted the help of a local mom and her little girl, Kallyn, to do some modeling for me.  Thank you for your patience and allowing me the opportunity to photograph your beautiful baby girl!