Photography Websites and backend fun | Savannah Photographer

Nothing to do with my personal size, but I think that except for cellphones and select few other things, bigger is generally better.  My first website had image filling screens and I was proud of that site.  Love loved it.  When it comes to photography, size and space matter.  The best images give impressions of big spaces, big emotions, big concepts, and they look better big.  With large images you can see how different and awesome they are compared to what you may be used to seeing.  Images had an amazing depth, and everything looked crisp and clean, and it was beautiful.  Sniff…  But it was flash.

With the arrival of the iPhone, iPod, and iPad (and their refusal to support Adobe Flash), I had some serious decisions to make.  Abandon my flash site that I loved and that everyone else not on an Apple product raved about, or get with the times.  Plus I was hearing over and over how my beloved website, for all it’s awesomeness, was a little masculine, and grooms don’t choose photographers, so I either need to feminize my brand, or at least neuter it a little…

So I did.

And regretted it almost immediately.

Anyway, I say all that to say I have a new website coming online soon.  Big sexy pictures of tabletops, and candles, and smiling grandmas and difficult grandpas, nervous grooms, and blushing oh-so-beautiful brides.  I can’t wait.

In other news, those of you that follow me personally know about the Gatsby styled shoot we did.  I’m amazed it has taken off like it has, and not only did it immediately get picked up for publishing, it pulled some of the other stuff I did up too.  Maybe that’s serendipity for you.  Be in the right moment, in the right place, prepared, and with a viable service or product readily packaged, and you just get lucky.  Hmmm…

To see what my current website looks like, just click the image of the gentleman below, then the beautiful bride.  It’ll change next week.  :)

If you need me, click an image, and send me an email.  Happy day!

And Hudson at 10 weeks old terrified of some squash…

He still gets a little chicken every once in a while, but don’t tell him I said that…

Express Yourself | Jekyll Island Wedding Photographer

Weddings can be a lot of different things.  For some it may be having a traditional large church wedding and standing where their mother, grandmother, and great grandmother stood and said their vows and got their first kiss as a married woman.  For others it’s a trip to the courthouse to stand in front of the judge and get their government approved wedding license with no pomp, no circumstance, and no romance.  Of course there is everything in between too.  But then there are the more adventurous couples.  There could be hiking involved, wild animals, or whatever, but you know it’s going to be different.  Lettice and Matt were such a couple.  When I spoke with her, she knew the date she was getting married, and where she was thinking about getting married, and she knew who she was marrying.  The rest wasn’t set in stone or she was open to ideas.

 

And that’s how Lettice and Matt ended up getting married at sunrise on Easter Sunday in a traditional sounding ceremony on the beach in a setting designed to look like a living room with images rendered to give a strong 60-early 70′s feel.  Because that’s just who Lettice is.  She’s unique.  She’s cool.  And she’s got far too much style to do something cookie cutter.

And I love her hair.

And her husband.

 

 

If you need a photographer, click on any of the images for my website.

 

 

Vendor List

Photographer- Lone Pine Photography Savannah, GA

Planner & Officiant-  St Simons Elopements  St Simons & Jekyll Island, GA

Rentals- Everthine Vintage Rentals & Events  Augusta, GA

Lodging & Get Ready Space- Jekyll Island Club  Jekyll Island, GA

Florals- The Flower Basket  Brunswick, GA

 

Emerald Green Modern Gatsby Inspired Styled Shoot | Savannah Wedding Photographer

Brockington Hall is about 7 different kinds of cool, and they fact that it’s a 19th century mansion with an elevator makes it even more awesome…

 

Part one of the progression of a relationship- An assertive woman.

Doesn’t hurt that she’s also beautiful.

Emerald green is “The Color” in weddings this year. Colors also popular in the roaring 20′s made it a safe bet for our shoot.

Brockington Hall has 6 different beautiful rooms to use and decorate.

Wiregrass Weddings makes beautiful printed items and stationary

Emerald green table cloth and chair covers, with gold flatwear and accented china.

Wiregrass Weddings makes beautiful printed items and stationary

Stage two of a relationship is making sure she’s digging on you, so look your best.

Emerald Green dress suitable for bridesmaids.

Jeweled headpiece, boutonniere, and shiny heels with added accents.

Makeup is a real game changer.

We were very lucky to have a talented makeup artist and hairstylist in the same easy to work with petite person. Thanks, Simone!

I love red, gold, and green together, and love this couch at Brockington Hall.

Our model holding a beautiful Broach bouquet.

“Bride & Groom” with the table setting. Not possible relying on natural light when indoors.

“First Dance”, again, not possible relying on natural light.

“Groom” holding the broach Bouquet

 

Styled shoots are a LOT of work for everyone involved.  The planning process alone takes weeks to assemble the necessary people and products, and while it doesn’t have the pressure and emotions of a wedding, it’s still a bear to handle.  Atosha of Larger than Life Events handled everything masterfully, and I basically just had to show up with my creative hat on and we were off to the races photographically speaking.  Great person, great planner.

 

Melissa and Lee Mundell have a beautiful property in the heart of the historic district in Savannah, and both are truly beautiful people to know and work with.  If you’re having a Savannah destination wedding and you like classic architecture with history and abashed elegance, Brockington Hall needs to be your first stop.

 

There were a lot of people that went into making this possible, so I’ve included their contact information below.

 

VENDOR			Contact Information
Brockington Hall		Lee Mundell Melissa Mundell	213 East Hall Street, Savannah, Georgia 912.856.5117 912.856.5118 info@brockingtonhall.com
Personal Stylist	Taliyba Reinberry		(862) 371-5811 treinberry@gmail.com
Hair/Make Up	Simone Simmons		monielovelylady@yahoo.com 912.432.3551
Planner/Designer	Larger Than Life Events and Design	Atosha K. Barboza Bennett	www.largerthanlifeevents.com 843.619.7441 Office 843.437.3547 Mobile
Photographer	Lone Pine Photography	Luke Smith	www.lonepine-photography.com (912) 547-9080
Rentals	Amazing Event Rentals		http://www.amazinglowcountryevents.com/ (843) 379-5503// 843-837-5090
Desserts	Brown Sugar Custom Cakes	Courtney Glover	http://brownsugarcustomcakes.com/ 843.441.3975
Female Model	Jessica Waldburg		912-433-9899
Male Model	Robert Kitchen		912 996 2758
Female Clothing	BleuBelle Bridal	Stacey	http://www.bleubellebridal.com/index2.php#!/HOME 5500 Abercorn St #42 Savannah, GA (912) 355-2502
Male Clothing	Simons Formal Wear	Candace	http://www.simonsformal.com/ 5521 Abercorn St. Suite 300 Savannah, Georgia (912) 352-1251
Printed Items	Wiregrass Weddings	Laurie Chapman	http://www.wiregrassweddings.com/ 800-890-1145
Bridal Bouquet + Headpieces	EightTreeStreet	Maribel Kelata	http://www.eighttreestreet.com/ 571-419-3795
Male/Female Model custom pieces	French Knot Studios	Audrey King	http://www.frenchknotstudios.com/
Miscellaneous (Candelabras)	Harvey Designs	Amy Harvey	http://www.harveydesigns.com/ 912-495-9300

Ice Cream | Savannah Food Photographer

I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but sometimes you just want ice cream.  I hope you’re having a great day.  That is all.

 

 

 

If you need a food photographer, just click the picture.  Thanks.  :)

Rain on your wedding day | Savannah Wedding Photography

Kris and Jerry came all the way from Southern California to get married at The Gastonian in Savannah, GA.

In the time leading up to the ceremony, there had been slight sprinkles, and we had great cloud cover. The determination was made to go ahead and do the ceremony in the garden, and just deal with the sprinkles. The ceremony began with no precipitation, and that changed when the vows began, and it came down hard. Through it all, Kris and Jerry were smiling, laughing, and reveling in the commitment they were making.

Reverend Baker remarked on the rain saying, “Rain on your wedding day is good luck, in the sense that it washes away what was before and leaves opportunity for growth and optimism for the future.”

Congratulations, Guys, and thanks for the wonderful pictures.

 

 

 

If you need a photographer, just let me know here.

Getting ready… | Savannah Wedding Photographer

This isn’t about brides or grooms exactly, it’s more about me and my process for getting ready for ceremonies, vows, and love.  It’s a little different.  And I’m not talking about formatting cards, charging batteries, gear inventory, or cleaning lenses.  I’m talking about me being emotionally ready to appreciate and capture the emotional moments of others.  Fully.  Completely.

My biggest fear is so-so images.  Maybe images that were technically correct, but not as creative, authentic, or imparting emotion the way I prefer them to.  That requires a process.  A get ready.  An immersion into the moment.  And it starts WELL before I’m starting coverage.  The night before, I’ve gotten all my technical responsibilities done, gear packed, everything cleaned, and ready to go.  The day of, I’m getting MYSELF ready.  I’m tuning in and finding my zone according to the way I see weddings.  The way I see commitment.  The way I see love.

• Unless it’s an early wedding, I sleep late.  By late, I mean an extra 3 hours, waking at 10am instead of 7am.  I know that sounds a little silly, but I sleep in 3 hour cycles, and 3 hours later sleep means I’m still energetic and ready for whatever happens at 11pm.  It also means I can start dumping cards when I get home instead of climbing into bed after a quick shower.  Until I see the images on my workstation, I’m always a little nervous anyway, so it’s a bonus for me.

• Once I wake up, I eat a huge breakfast.  Eggs, toast, grits, fruit.  Maybe it’s because I played basketball, but I pay a lot of attention to what I put in my body on “Game Day”.  In addition to other fears, one of my biggest is hitting the proverbial wall and losing energy right after the ceremony, because that’s actually when things really start getting hectic for a photographer covering a wedding.  By making sure I get proteins, carbs, and sugars in the right balance to start the day, I know I don’t have to pay as much attention to what I’m eating (or not eating) the rest of the day.

Not what you want sitting on your stomach when you have to hustle. Or concentrate…

• Then it gets a little different.  I’m one of those people that believes in managing moods, moments, and attitude.  From the time I end breakfast, I’m not doing any media other than listening to the music that makes ME feel romantic, and tuned into the moment.  Watching the news on TV or listening to it in the car are sure ways to harsh a feeling, so I don’t.  I use the same playlist on my ipod for get ready that I do for editing when I’m stressed.  It just mellows me out while I’m reviewing notes and things to remember about families, sensitivities, things to avoid, and observations about my couple for the day.

• Though every other day of the week I use a regular Gillette Mach 42 or whatever razor it is, on wedding days I use an old fashioned straight razor to shave, and use my late grandfather’s shaving brush to lather up.  Something about stropping the edge of the razor, the smell of the Italian shaving soap, and the act of shaving with a straight razor just locks me into a classically romantic, chivalrous, and creative mindset.  It allows me to remain a bulwark of calm cheer in the chaos that goes on behind the scenes at most weddings, and I couldn’t do without it.

If you’re at a loss for what to get a groom for a wedding gift, he’d be surprised by an old fashioned shaving set, but it’s the best gift you’ll ever get him.

And because it’s a photoblog and everything else consists of boring images, here’s a shot of Hudson, my English Bulldog, being himself this afternoon.

As always, if you want a photographer, please message me here, or contact me through my website.

And if you’re interested in buying traditional shaving implements for yourself or someone else, message me.  I would be happy to refer you some great sources to start out right.  Most important are the razor and the brush, followed by the soap, then the strop and hone, then the aftershave.  I’d love to have a better brush, but the one I have was my grandfather’s, and I’ll never upgrade until all the bristles fall out because of sentimental reasons.  Shaving this way is very process oriented, but it isn’t difficult.  My 9 and 11 year old sons know how to do it.  :)

Bridal Bouquets | Lone Pine Photography

Not that my opinion matters, but wildflower bouquets are without a doubt the prettiest and most interesting to me.  In addition to having so much more texture and depth, they’re incredibly interesting, much more so than simple roses, or even Calla Lilies, which are the most expensive I’ve seen to date.  Anyway, here’s pictures of bouquets from the last little while.  I’d love to know what you think.

 

Which do you prefer?

 

Wildflower Bouquet

 

As always, please let me know if you need a wedding photographer.  :)