Elizabeth and Brian...the Engagement Session!

Elizabeth and Brian had wanted their engagement photos to be taken with the downtown Columbus skyline as their backdrop. For months we had planned which parks we would go to and which landmarks we would visit, then it rained. It didn't just sprinkle, it was a downpour with thunder and lightning! So we knew we were going to have to go with plan B and head inside somewhere. They chose Franklin Park Conservatory and what a great plan that turned out to be! We got some amazing shots and had a great time! Such a great time that we almost didn't notice that the skies had actually cleared for a moment and gave us a chance to get outside after all!

Elizabeth and Brian were so much fun, I can't wait for the wedding in July!

Julie and Jonathan

Jonathan and Julie were married this past Saturday in a beautiful ceremony held at the Columbus Athenaeum. It's been a while since I've shot downtown, most of the weddings I've been to lately have been at Country Clubs or gardens or nature-y places that overlook downtown, so this was really fun for me! After these photos I decided that nature is cool, but downtown rocks! It's been really tough to decide which photos to post here on the blog...there were so many! And with Kevin Lynn shooting along with me, there are even more!

Of course, Jonathan and Julie were an amazing couple to begin with, but throw in the excitement of a rooftop shoot of the groom and groomsmen from the Columbus Renaissance, and the hustle and bustle of our little metropolis...and you have pure magic!

Thanks so much Jonathan and Julie, for letting me be a part of your wedding!

Rachel and Eric

May is always my favorite month for weddings. October's great too with the fall color and of course, June is nice. Come to think of it, any time is a great time for a wedding. For some reason though, May just stands out with it's flowers and trees in bloom. This month I'll be posting a new wedding every week, so stay tuned!

I had the honor and privilege of shooting along with Kevin Lynn (recently names one of the top photographers in Columbus by The Knot) this past weekend. Rachel and Eric were married this Saturday, the 3rd of May. If anyone recalls the weather on Saturday, it was predicted to rain all day long. As I headed to the wedding in my car though and headed around I-270, it was like the skies were clearing just for Rachel! There was literally a wall of grey clouds and then nothing but blue skies! Here are a few of my favorite images from the day!

The jewelry goes on...

Rachel...

Running in before the rain came back...

The cake (and Rachel and Eric in the background)...

After the toast...

The first dance...

Later on in during the reception, Eric treated everyone to a dance done to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean!

So much fun! Thanks to Rachel and Eric for letting me be a part of the day and to Kevin for letting me shoot along with!

New Music Monday

When I first heard Deity Freak by this week's artist, Stuart Davis, I could have sworn he was a Brit. Not that there is anything wrong with that...at all. On the contrary, I've been a huge fan of music from across the pond for many years. It's just that the refrain in the song, "Party Like a Pop Star", sounded rather British. They say "pop". we say "rock". They say "boot", we say "trunk" (they say pot-ay-toe, we say pot-ah-to).. you get the idea.

Imagine my surprise when upon researching the musician, I found he's actually from...Colorado (by way of Minnesota). He's got my brother's sense of humor and I had to chuckle when I read this entry on his bio page:

'76: Stuart finally summons the courage to confront his parents about their strange guests. When will they leave? He is stunned when his mother and father tell him, "Those are your brothers."

The name of the album is Something Simple, and while I can't say that the entire album is a necessarily a worthwhile listen, I do recommend downloading Deity Freak and dancing... a lot!

A Moment In Time

Driving home from a beautiful wedding last weekend, I called my Dad. Any time I have a long drive ahead of me it's just something I like to do since he lives in Florida now. It gives us a good 40 minute conversation and keeps me company on the road. During the course of this last conversation, he mentioned to me that he had recently scanned some old family photos onto a disk and had a "showing" with the rest of the family that lives down there in the sand and surf.

There were photos dating back to the early 1900's there and possibly some even earlier. I remember seeing the originals some time ago, and think I remember seeing some tin-types...so we'll just say some of the photos were OLD! When I've looked at those old family photos before, I've found myself talking to an aunt or grandparent saying, "...and who is this?", and it struck me on that drive home last weekend that someday, some great-great grandchild of mine may be asking the same question when they see photos of my husband, me, my parents... Sometimes I'll find one of a relative and think, "so that's where I get my eyes (or nose, or ears)".

Photographs are such amazing things. They freeze time for us. Portraits commemorate the most important moments in our lives and then we sprinkle in some snapshots just for fun (birthday parties, vacations, etc.). This is why it's always an honor when someone chooses me to photograph them. Whether it's for their last year of high school, their wedding or their family and children the photographs are what will outlast them and let another generation see. And maybe some great granddaughter of a bride I shot last week will see just where she gets her eyes...

The Shot Seen 'Round the World

So by now the entire world has seen and heard about the photos of young Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) and people are outraged. The words "ignorant" and "dirty" have been used to describe the shot. Have we blown this just a little bit out of proportion?

All of a sudden Mom's don't want their little girls to look at her as a role model anymore. What's wrong with us as a society? Since when did we, as mothers start looking to celebrities to be role models for our children? Why aren't we looking for more? As a teenager I would have denied it, but my role model was my mother. We need to look to real people to be role models for our children, not celebrities that are on a pedestal because society puts them there only to wait for them to slip up to we can knock them down. They're human, remember? One only needs to look to Britney Spears to see the most recent example of such a cycle.

The photos are artistic and tasteful, and conjure up images of The Rokeby Venus and Odalisque...not something perverse. And as for the photos of her with her father, they're tasteful as well. Girls need their fathers. And Miley and Mr. Achy Breaky himself are a shining example of what a girl can accomplish when she has the support of a loving father.

Personally, I find it rather sad that she has felt the need to apologize for these photos, but then again it seems like that is just the kind of person she is. She's felt that she let her fans down, and wants to make amends. As for her age, I see teenage girls showing more skin than that at our local swimming pool. Our children see far worse than that on television these days whether it's a show that's on during what used to be known as "family hour", racy commercials or just promos for upcoming episodes of shows we wouldn't let them watch anyway!

Let's cut the girl a break. Let's also remember that she's human, and let's also remember that someone once said "Art isn't art unless it makes someone uncomfortable".

New Music Monday Returns!

There's some great music from here in these United States, but some of the greatest music comes from overseas. Such is the case with Federico Abuele. His album Panamericana contains some beautiful samplings of music from his native Argentina. Spanish guitar, harmonica and ethereal, Portuguese vocals (really, everything sounds better in Portuguese) make this album a fun visit to Buenos Aires without leaving your [insert listening device here]. Check out Maria Jose for a taste of what else you can hear from Mr. Abuele!