When I was getting married, I was constantly glued to my Knot.com account.  Now that I'm on the other end, I often find myself answering questions that I once had myself, and I still rummage through the pages of the Knot to see what's happening. 

I came across this article they wrote about tips when planning a beach wedding.  Since we service so many beach weddings, I thought I'd share!

The main points you'll learn more about relate to scouting locations and arriving early, ways to guide your guests to otherwise hard-to-find areas once they reach the location, staying flexible, and working with local experts, such as your wedding photographer or coordinator who is familiar with the Key West area.

We hope you find the information useful!  Read on!  http://beach.weddings.com/articles/beach-wedding-planning-basics.aspx

How can you know how much time you need with your photographer if you've never planned a wedding before? While some of your schedule will be dictated by how long you have access to the reception venue, what times of day your church allows ceremonies to be held, religious preferences that determine how long your ceremony will be, and (especially in Key West) the timing of natural elements such as the sunset and the tide, there are ways you can maximize your timing so that you get the most of your photographer's time.

So, to take in my Top Ten Wedding Timing Tips, continue reading...

If you're getting married in Key West, you might be curious how the overall laid-back atmosphere translates to photographer dress code. While it is true that Key West is more laid back, and our dress code is, in general, less formal than most places you'll visit, a wedding is still an important event and your photographer should dress with respect to the level of formality of the wedding.

Since the majority of the weddings we shoot down here in Key West tend to be smaller, more casual, typically outdoors, typically with very few guests, and often on the beach, our dress code is understandably less stuffy than you'd find at a black-tie event in a big city ballroom.

I wanted to have some fun, so for the "official-unofficial" attire you can expect at a typical Key West wedding, continue reading.....

Do photographers still shoot black and white wedding photos? As you’re planning your wedding, the question of “color versus black-and-white” may come up at some point, and it’s a good question to ask. While most modern brides are hip to the idea that their wedding images will be captured on a digital camera, it’s often uncertain as to how that affects your ability to have some of the photos “taken” in black-and-white.

To read about ways of incorporating black and white photography into your wedding, continue reading....

I love it when I find creative stuff!  Here are a few cool ideas I stumbled across....

Fingerprint wedding bands from Brent and Jess.  Check out their store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/fabuluster.  

Paper lanterns that make great (and affordable) decorations for an outdoor beach or resort wedding here in Key West!  You can order them from www.jadetime.com . 

I was perusing the Off Beat Bride blog and came across this cool idea...especially down here in Key West where...het hem..."consumption" is....mmm hmmm....a little bit of a pasttime.  :)  You can check out more at http://offbeatbride.com/2012/08/literal-save-the-date-montage

And finally, if you're wanting a little tradition but a lot of flair, check out these stunning fashionable lace veils from Ruche!  It makes me want to have another wedding!  (to the same guy, of course! lol).  http://shopruche.com/bridal.html?utm_source=homepage&utm_content=bridal&utm_campaign=mainnav

I love watching two people in love, so when I met Ivan and Lina for the first time, I knew we were going to have a great time on our shoot.  They live in South Carolina, and wanted a weeklong getaway in paradise, so naturally they ended up in Key West!  Originally from the Ukraine, Ivan and Lina told me they’d known each other much of their lives.  It was sweet the way they shyly told me of how their friendship had blossomed into romance, and now they had made the committment to one another for the rest of their lives.

We spent about 2 hours shooting along the south end of the island, visiting first a long dirt road typically used by city service vehicles, but was a great starting point since the sun was still a little higher than ideal.  The road is lined with palm trees, so we made use of those for some nice images I typically refer to as “warm up images”.  There is always that threshold of comfort I have to cross when first working with a new client.  Down here in Key West, we so often don’t get to meet with our clients beforehand, so taking a few minutes to chat, start with some basic poses and simple directions, often helps the client feel more at ease, and gives me as the photographer a chance to get a sense of how they move and interact with each other. 

Some clients are more playful and silly, some are more laid back and chill, some are very formal….it’s important for me to shoot images that draw out the best aspects of someone’s personality and not be too far outside their comfort zone with what I ask them to do.  For example, Ivan and Lina were very sweet and affectionate, but not overly boistrous, so I found a happy medium and got them running down the beach together and standing up on top of some rough rocks for some dramatic “sky background” photos.

The couple were great to work with, and were very open to suggestions and ideas.  For the most part, there wasn’t anything that they weren’t up for.  Lina bravely battled the wind in her hair, which was whipping up a lot more than usual!  It did make for some great veil shots!  Her dress was very pretty, with rouching in certain places that gave it some nice texture, with a nice fit over her slender frame, with conservative touches that fit her personality perfectly.   It was a nice break from the strapless A frame we’ve seen so commonly in the past few years, regardless of its suitability! 

One nice thing about this shoot was that the couple had already gotten married two days before, so Lina was not worried if her dress got a little smudged from the sand, or a little wet from the waves.  One of my biggest fears when shooting is asking a client to do something that ends up with them getting dirty or injured, so I am always mentally walking a fine line between getting unique shots without pushing the envelope too far.

Our session finished out further down the beach, utilizing a cool stone building, some bent palm trees, the seawall, and the local beach greenery.  Check out these and more in their gallery at www.kporterphotography.com/ivanlina!

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a girl’s family toiled for months trying to find a suitable husband for their not-so-attractive daughter.  Having no luck with the local boys’ families, who felt for sure the homely-looking girl would produce homely-looking children, the girl’s family decided to seek a suitor from villages farther away.  They heard of an eligible young bachelor, contacted his family, and the deal was done.  The boy, curious as he was, however, decided to take a trip to the girl’s village and upon arriving, caught a glimpse of her, returning home and refusing to go forward with the marriage. 

On the flip side, let me share from experience what happens when the OPPOSITE practice is followed, and the couple DOES see each other beforehand.  First, all the planning and anticipation has turned you into one big bundle of nerves come the morning of the big day.  Even the smallest ceremony with just the two of you eloping on the beach will generate feelings of jitters and nervousness, and for a grand affair hosting hundreds of people, you can multiply that by ten.  Even if you’re “calm”, your subconscious is still running wild.  So what happens first when you see each other?  You’re instantly reminded of why you’re there and who this is all about.  And when that happens, you gain perspective, all the little details fade into the background, and you can finally focus on just being there.  I’ve watched it time and time again as brides go from answering three cell phones all morning, stressing over every little nuance, asking a million question about what’s not yet done, who’s not yet arrived, which thing is still left to deal with….and suddenly, she sees her fiance, spends some time with him, and while she may still go back to check on other matters, she’s like a whole new person, much more relaxed, calm, and happy. 

Second, when you see each other before the wedding, you open up a whole new spectrum of logistics that otherwise are not possible.  Maybe you thought taking a trolley ride around town with all your bridal party would be a fun activity, but the trolley only runs until a certain time of day.  Maybe you had originally wanted to get married in one location, but for whatever reason – be it budget, availability, amenities, size, or whatever - it made more sense to go with the venue you ultimately chose.  So instead of getting married at the quaint little garden that wouldn’t fit your 100 guests, you take a morning stroll there instead.  Or, instead of dealing with the weather concerns of getting married on the beach, you ask your photographer to make a 20 minute stop at a romantic beach nearby.  The other logistical problem it solves is timing for the photography.  You’ve just spent months planning, thousands of dollars making it happen, and hired the best person you could find to capture it all.  Why limit yourself to the rushed, cookie-cutter, boring family group shots and a much shorter wham-bam session of the two of you together afterwards?  Of all the money you’ll spend on your wedding, the fee you pay to the photographer is the only one that keeps giving back for years and decades later.  If you see each other before the wedding, you allow your photographer more time to get creative, take you to some fantastic hidden gems in the city or at least make use of multiple locations on the property, and give you a huge variety of images using their utmost in artistic talent.  It also allows you the ability to concentrate on having fun, looking good, taking your time, fixing your hair and makeup ten times if needed, including your bridal party in some fun shots, and all without the mental stress that exists when you know you have people waiting on you.  EVEN when I shoot weddings where the bride has allotted an hour or even two hours between the ceremony and reception, I still ALWAYS get those nervous sidelong glances at the clock in between the amazing smiles and laughs you see in the final proofs.  Sure, we’re on a schedule even if we shoot before the wedding too, but even that includes a 30 to 45 minute buffer to still allow time for final primping before the big moment, and the subconscious effect that has is huge.

Finally, seeing each other before the wedding benefits your guests.  For many of the same reasons I discussed above, the end-effect to all of this is a happier bride, a more relaxed groom, a much more opened up schedule, a day that is running smoothly and on time, and photos that aren’t rushed.  So, after the ceremony, if necessary, we can be done with family groups in ten minutes and the couple can be on their way to their reception.  What does this do?  It delights the guests that they actually get to spend time with you at your wedding.  That time you would have otherwise have been spending taking pictures can now be used for mingling at the cocktail hour, having a receiving line or going around and hugging every single person who spent the time, money and energy to be with you on this day.  Even you choose to skip those things, the least you can do is get the reception started quickly so your hungry guests can eat!  Having also been a guest at a wedding, it’s easy to admit there’s nothing more frustrating than having gone out of your way to be at someone’s event, only to be staving off hunger with party mints and club crackers for longer than should be reasonable.  So even if you don’t care about beautiful pictures or being calm or creating a smoother timeline, at least do it out of love and respect for your guests. 

Remember, people back in the day had good reasons for invoking this practice of not seeing each other before the wedding, but the modern couple has yet to prove to me any equally good uses for this “tradition”.  Do yourself, your wedding photos, and your guests, a favor and plan to see each other before the wedding.

As do most triple-digit days, 11/11/11 gave couples around the country a reason to celebrate – their wedding that is!  Rob and I were excited to be involved in one such wedding, that of our clients Victoria and Michael.

Leaving our newest little photographer (our newborn 9 week old daughter!), for the first time, we traveled up to Key Largo for their wedding, arriving mid-afternoon to a beautiful private residence with a fun “Miami Vice” kind of flair.

The property was amazing, featuring a lush hidden driveway leading back to a grand home on its own private peninsula jutting out into the ocean.

The bride wore a fun feathery skirted A-line strapless dress with a fun black sash.  The guys were handsome yet casual in their tan suits, and the girls looked amazing in their shimmery tropical green knee-length bridesmaids dresses.

Despite some unexpected delays, we managed to make the most of the long walk to the ceremony site by stopping en route several times to capture shots of the bride and her bridesmaids, integrating the beautiful furniture and architecture of the home.

Since the ceremony was taking place right at sunset, it was dark immediately after, so Rob and I did some fancy footwork capturing timed-exposure images of the bridal party with the water in the background, using a remote flash to fill in each person in the frame.

The reception was a lot of fun and gave us great opportunities to get some photography of the girls making a grand entrance dance, the bride doing her famous backbends, and the newly wed couple schmoozing in the glow of a flood light.

Finally, the night ended with sending up “wish balloons”.  This miniature hot-air balloons are completely biodegradable and environmentally safe, are made of a thin paper-like material over a thin frame to provide support, and when the base is lit, it fills the space up with warmed air….and….LIFTOFF!  Sure there were some duds that ended up skidding to a stop in the top of the mangroves, but those that went airborne made a beautiful site floating away over the Atlantic ocean, carrying the dreams and hopes for this new couple on the wind!

Lazy Way Lane near Key West Bight, where the Fury, Sebago, and several other charters leave from every day. Come by and rent a GoPro underwater camera for the day! (Image courtesy of www.conchscooter.blogspot.com) We are located in the fine art gallery for our friend Alicia of AER Photography.

Summer is in full swing, and it’s time to rent a GoPro HD camera!  Down at the Key West Bight near Schooner Wharf Bar is a little road affectionately referred to by the locals as Lazy Way Lane, and there you’ll find things like jewelry stores, an amazing pretzel place (ask for our good friends Jan and Dave), and our friend Alicia of AER Photography.  We are helping her with her shop while she’s out of town (shooting in Mexico…lucky dog), so we will be operating the GoPro rentals from there for the time being.  If you would like to rent an underwater camera, call us up (305-517-3051) to reserve one, and then stop by before your snorkel trip, scuba diving trip, fishing or spearfishing charter, to pick it up.  These are high definition cameras that do underwater photo and video.  The cameras are compact and easy to use, and prevent you from risking your own expensive camera to the salt air and moisture. 

For more information on how to rent an underwater camera for your day in Key West, go to www.rentgopros.com, or email us at rent@bondfirestudio.com.

We are also booking photography tours on the island of Key West from this location.  If you are interested in exploring the island with a professional guide and photography instructor who can help you get the best shots, show the best locations, and answer any technical photography questions, call us at 305-809-8500, go to www.keywestphototours.com, or email us at tours@bondfirestudio.com.

Did you know? If you are visiting Key West and will be partaking in any kind of water-related activity (that covers just about everyone right?), check out our affiliate site, www.rentgopros.com, for information on renting a

waterproof and underwater camera, the highly popular GoPro HD Hero, for your trip. You can rent one for the day, several days, or an entire week. If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a GoPro, but aren’t sure if it’s right for you and want to demo the camera first and try it out before you buy, we offer that luxury as well. Brand new, the GoPro set goes for about $300 and can be purchased downtown at Diver’s Direct at the corner of Greene and Simonton. But if you just want to use it for the day to capture your dive trips, snorkeling adventures, jet ski rides, kayak tour, or kiteboarding lesson, this is a great option. The basic rental starts at just under 30 bucks if you have your own SD card and don’t want the insurance waiver. With a 16GB SD card (more than enough space to capture everything you could possibly want to do), a chest, head, or wrist mount, a lanyard, and the damage waiver, you’re looking at about 20 dollars more.

We will gladly deliver and pick up to your hotel, charter boat, or other location of your choice. Go to www.rentgopros.com for more info and booking.

Check out the most recent edition of the Key West Citizen’s 2011 Bridal Magazine , a publication dedicated to the Key West wedding market, for an article about “How to Add Life to Wedding Photographs” by Key West photographer Karrie Porter Bond, and images from previous weddings sprinkled throughout the publication.  Your image just might be in there!

See page 15 for "Add Life to Photographs" article in 2011 Key West Citizen Bridal Magazine by Karrie Porter Bond

Rob Bond and Chris Dacy heading up the Scrub n Grub beach cleanup sponsored by Divers Direct Key West.

A few weekends ago we took part in the Diver’s Direct Key West beach cleanup, called the “Scrub n Grub.” 

 This event was headed up by our very own Rob Bond, and to help with promotion of the event and to provide a good cause with some photos to commemorate it, Karrie spent the morning shooting candids on Smathers Beach while the crew

Volunteer Kate from the Mote Marine research lab in the Florida Keys came down to help out.

Pulling up old rope from the beach during the Divers Direct cleanup.

of volunteers picked up random articles of trash, clothing, bottles, cans, bags, and even a sleeping bag, some aluminum trim, and other objects harmful to the wildlife and the environment on the island.  A special thanks to Diver’s Direct for their efforts in picking up over 300 pounds of garbage from the beaches of Key West, another thanks to all the sponsors for their donations of prizes for the top cleaner-uppers, and a thanks to Karrie Porter Photography for their beach photography services.

Loading the truck with the over-300-pounds of garbage pulled from Smathers Beach and the surrounding mangroves.

Group photo of the first annual Scrub n Grub beach cleanup crew. (missing about 5 people who had already left before the bags were totaled and the photo taken...we appreciate your efforts as well!)

I am a horrible blogger, I know.  A fair-weather-friend if you will.  But when your studio is scattered along 1200 miles from the Southernmost point in Key West, Florida, up through Nashville where our main office is, and here and there even in Knoxville and Ohio, most days its more about making sure everything gets done than taking time out to write in one’s blog.  So forgive me. 

Fury Catamarans sails across the sunset in Key West, Florida.

In a nutshell…here’s what we’ve been up to.  Our other division of our company, Bond Fire Studio, is the official on-board photography company for The Fury Catamarans in Key West, Florida.  Rob, myself, and our associate Megan have been shooting snorkeling and water adventure excursions for them, which go out several times per day.  We are very excited to be involved in this, and are really enjoying our relationships with the people in Key West.  Don’t worry Nashville clients…I am currently in Music City attending to some teaching, horse shows, and weddings we have on the books, and will be here until the middle of June.  Rob and Megan are back and forth between here and KW as bookings demand. 

Fury Catamarans is the largest snorkeling and water adventure charter in Key West.

Here is one slideshow from one of the galleries from our website.   The Fury has at least one, and sometimes two, of these “Ultimate Adventure” trips that go out daily.  Shots are mainly candid: getting guests as they enjoy the many activities, including snorkeling with them and getting underwater photography of their time at the reef.  So many more where this came from: www.bondfirestudio.com.  But enjoy!

Billups Art in east Nashville hosted their first “First Friday” music event, a tradition that we hope to see continue in accordance with their expectations.

Several songwriters share their talents and stories at Billups Art in East Nashville.

To be held, as the name implies, the first friday of each month, it is a gathering of local artists and songwriters for an intimate evening sharing their work with the well-turned-out audience that was in attendance.

……………………….. The talent this past Friday consisted of Stephen Salyers, Mattina Scarpino, Mason Douglas, Tyler McCollum, Lance Kotara, Tyler Flowers, Leigh Brandon Houison, and Danny Salazar.

I was impressed by the variety and talent, as well as the quality of the show. The cozy venue was comfortable with a variety of standard and high-top tables, as well as a comfy sectional sofa in one corner, and during the intermission one has the pleasure of taking in the artwork that adorns the walls of what is technically an art gallery by day. 

Stephen Salyers, who helped coordinate the event along with Clint and Anthony, performs one of his songs.

The bar was well stocked and well staffed, and there were light hors d’ouvres available as well. For more information about this and other events at Billups Art, contact them at 615-489-5100. They are located at 1008-C Woodland St in Nashville, just past 10th Avenue, and only about a five minute drive from our studio on Third. 

To see the rest of the images from this gig, go to their web gallery.

Keep in mind, we are available to photograph events such as this throughout Nashville.  If you have a venue and have an event coming up, let us know!  Call Rob or Karrie at 615-829-8304 or email info@bondfirestudio.com.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a creative type.  I always have to have some sort of project or artistic endeavor that I’m working on, or I start to go a little crazy.  You know like those meat-head workout guys that can’t do anything until they’ve hit the gym for 2 hours?  Kinda like that.  Maybe not that crazy.  But if you are an artsy kind of person, you know the feeling.  No amount of reasoning in the world about what you “should” be doing at the moment will sway you.  You have a clear vision in your head.  You can feel the movements coming out of your hands or feet, or whatever it is that gets your thought on the medium of choice.  You might be an otherwise rational and responsible person not normally given to insane impulses, but when the notion to create something gets into your head, you will stop at nothing to get it out.  I am no different; susceptible as the next person to be transported somwhere else as I get my hands busy making whatever it is.  In today’s case, I needed to draw.  It is insanely therapeutic, and to boot I get something cool to look at when its done.  Much better than some of the addictions the human body is capable of these days.  Because I love technology, but was trained as a traditional artist as well, I love merging the two.  So with my handy Wacom pen and tablet, I created a digital sketch of one of my brides twirling her dress about.  Save for having to tweak her arm a bit to suit my liking more, it is pretty much a drawn rendition of the original photograph. 

Drawing of bride created digitally from original photograph

 Some might scoff at this method of creating artwork (and I say to each his own opinion – I am rather disinclined to admire Matisse even though he is technically considered an artistic master), either because they are fanatical purists or because they are not artistic themselves and think everything that comes from a computer is “automated.”  Not the case.  Every line you see here was put down by hand, using a lower-opacity layer of the bride’s image as the background layer for reference.  I used a combination of about four different brushes, altering my brush pressure and opacity as I worked.  Then I smudged some of the shades together.  So you see, no different than if I had swapped my 3H for a stick of wax pencil and then a piece of graphite.  The only difference is the tactile sensation the viewer will get when they see it on paper, but technically you shouldn’t go around touching people’s artwork anyway, so that doesn’t bother me so much. 

Original photograph before drawing

 Not saying this first go is perfect (but do keep in mind it is not intended to be representational ; I rather prefer the somewhat abstract lines)….I am accustomed to doing digital paintings by now, but this is my first gander at a digital sketch.  Critique welcomed.  Once I get the technique down, I may offer this as an extra service to my clients.  If anyone is up for being a guinea pig for now, let me know!

Ok gentlemen…here is your chance to shine.  Newly launched is another speciality sub-site of ours.  Proposals by Karrie Porter Photography. 

Proposal photography site by Karrie Porter Photography

So that time has finally come.  You have found “the one.”  You’ve got the ring and a general idea of how you want to propose, but you want to make the occasion extra special.  We know just how you feel, and we know how important this is to you, and how much a part of your future its memory will become.  Your wife-to-be will be telling this story to anyone who will listen for the rest of your lives.  No pressure or anything…. 

Here at Karrie Porter Photography, we have been photographing weddings for nearly 9 years, and we have always loved hearing about how our couples met and how they got engaged.  However, as a husband/wife team ourselves, it wasn’t until we got engaged that we actually realized how important having photographs would be on this momentous occasion.  So we decided to add the Proposal Photography service to our lineup. 

Not only will we be on hand to photograph your proposal from a safe distance, and out of site, we will also help you however we can with the planning, and even do a trial run-through at the location you have chosen, just to make sure everything goes according to plan.   We will be on hand, positioned discreetly in the background, shooting silently as if we are just one of the crowd or another diner in the restaurant.  We shoot with long telephoto lenses (think paparrazi) so that we can be up close to the action without needing to be physically close by.  Since we communicate with whatever staff, family, or other persons involved in the occasion, they also know where we are, and can assist in keeping our line of sight clear.

Not only will you enjoy lifelong memories of this day, with Proposal Service by Karrie Porter Photography, you will also have a beautiful keepsake to surprise your new fiance with, and an online gallery with slideshow to share with family and friends to spread the news!

Contact us today to book your proposal.   615-752-2521 or proposals@kporterphotography.com.  You can also check out the information and rates at www.kporterproposals.com. 

Look for our promo card in your nearby participating jewelry stores.  If your local jeweler doesn’t carry them, tell them they should!  Submitting this card when booking your proposal service will earn you a 10% discount for a limited time.  Inquire for details. 

PS Girls….If you’re reading this….don’t worry….we know you are often in on the plans for engagement…you probably even helped pick out the ring!   So don’t hesitate to share this information with your boy-toy.  Sometimes guys don’t think about this kind of stuff until its too late!  Make sure you get your photos when he pops the question!

These are images of my Photography 2 class at International Academy of Design and Technology in Nashville. 

They are shooting images of objects in their hands, but directing their shoot while also holding their own object. 

Communication is key here, because they first have to explain their vision for their image to the person working the camera and adjusting the lighting, and then they have to be able to explain how to change something, and also why they want it changed. 

 I found it interesting some of the contorted positions they ended up in trying to get the lighting and angles “just right.”

Notice Matt using his shirt to cover his face in order to create the dark low-key background he needed behind his hands. 

Danielle realized the light stand wasn’t going to get low enough, so she decided to hold it instead.  Way to innovate guys!

Kathleen is here shooting for Stephanie.  They review the images to make sure what they are getting in camera is what they had in mind.

Good job guys!

Congratulations to Brianna and Cole, who will be getting married in May this year!

It is always interesting to note the many ways we meet our brides.  When we were still hailing from Lebanon, our studio was on the historic public square, and conveniently right next door to the town’s Bank of America.  So whenever I needed to run and make deposits or attend to banking matters, it was very easy just to walk over one building.  You get used to seeing the same people, of course, and one of those people was Christina, who is one of the tellers there.  For the most part, it was usually a quick “Hi, how are you today?”, do my thing, and off I go.

An interesting story happened, though, that I have to share.  One time I took a check in to deposit and worked with another teller that day.  The check was already a nice amount as it was, but imagine my surprise when I am walking back to the studio and realize somehow, some way, the system had inadvertently added five…yes count ‘em…five zeros to the end of the number!  Being the honest person that I am, I experienced the most natural reaction anyone in my situation would have had….I jumped for joy and thought of all the fun photography toys I could buy! LOL!  Yeah yeah….you know you would do it too!  But no, seriously, after the moment of glee subsided and logic and reasoning set back in, I called them up to point out the mixup.  Lo and behold I ended up talking to Christina, and after the shock and horror (on their end) ceased, we kidded about it, and they promptly re-issued an updated deposit slip.  :(   After that, we became more conversational and would share our latest goings-on.

So, fast-forward about a year later.  We were in the process of moving to Nashville, but ended up back in the Lebanon Bank of America and saw her.  She informed me her daughter was getting married.  Great!  I gave her some information and a business card, and she said she’d pass it along.  She had also let me know that her daughter worked at the Hermitage Bank of America (which is right down the road from our new house!).  Not long after, I had to make a trip to set up a new account, so I went to Brianna’s BOA.  Had my meeting, did my thing, and then asked if she was handy.  She came out and I got to introduce myself, wished her well and off we went.  I found out later that she had been having a horrible day, and when they told her someone was asking for her, she thought it might be a disgruntled customer!  So I’m happy to have relieved her of that worry.

Sure enough, a few weeks later we talked and got together, and they invited us to photograph their wedding this year.  But I smile when I think of what an unconventional path we used to get to that point.  And of course, a lesson for any photographers out there…if your bank ever gives you a lot of money for free, point it out to them, because you never know….you just might get a new client out of it, and that is worth far more!  :)

These images were taken recently downtown, in and around our studio, on a crisp winter morning.  We had a great time getting to know Cole, and working with the couple together for the first time.  He works quite a distance away in another city, so we’re glad we were able to schedule their shoot on a day he was in town.  Look for wedding images later this year in May!

Also, take a moment to CHECK OUT THEIR GALLERY, or go to OUR WEBSITE and click “Slideshows”, then “Brianna and Cole Engagement Session” to watch their slideshow!

Sycamore Springs is a beautiful location in Bethpage, TN.  But if you think you’re going to just call them up out of the blue and have your wedding there, you’d be mistaken.  This secluded jewel of a location sits off the highway, far from most people’s cell phone service areas, and is accessible only by covered bridge through a (locked) iron gate.  Its a bit tough to get ahold of the people who own and run it, but once you do, you’ll find a magnificent country estate awaits you.  This is just what my couple Mandy and Charlie found when they arrived.  Its all-natural, western-themed lodge has several stories and plenty of room for a large bridal party to get ready for the big day, as well as a patio, upper balcony deck, and lower “man cave” level with huge windows overlooking the serene view.

The first time I saw this place was when I met Mandy there for her bridal shoot.  Bad directions had put me an hour out of the way, and while I certainly don’t condone lateness on any shoot (I was SO frustrated and stressing to get there while not getting a speeding ticket) I do actually have to admit that it worked out in our favor.  Because starting later meant ending later, when we were reaching the end of the shoot, the sun had just dipped behind the distant hills, lighting up the sky with an amazing array of pinks and purples and oranges that I could not have scripted better myself. 

Wearing her gorgeous gown from the White Room in Lebanon, TN, Mandy danced and swirled and played and posed for close to two hours as we traipsed over field and farmland to get to each spot.  Her look was loosely based on the Taylor Swift “Love Story” video (which is funny, because that is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I had JUST watched a special on how they made the video only a few days before this shoot!) with the headband in place of a tiara, and two long ribbons down the back in place of a veil.  The image on the right was shot in the middle of the field before they had cut the grass for hay.  I set my light up to camera left, way up high so as not to cast shadows from the grass onto her dress.  We had several of this particular pose, but I liked her smile and the framing of the grass stems the best in this one.  The image on the left, funny enough, was taken once it had gotten relatively dark.  The 580 EX II strobe wasn’t going to be enough, so I parked my car “just so”, allowing the headlights to skim her from the side.  The 5D I was shooting allowed me to jack up the ISO to 800 without any major loss of quality.  I shot at 1/50 sec at f2.8. 

This image was actually my personal favorite from the shoot.  The movement of the dress, lighting, and sunset, plus the angle of composition and the lowered saturation of the grass I thought made for a great combination.  I liked it so much that I actually used it as my entry for the 2009 PPA magazine cover contest.  We also had it displayed at the wedding, so everyone was able to enjoy it as well. 

Almost exactly one month after the bridal shoot, the wedding was upon us.  This happened to be the fourth wedding this family had hosted, so they had everything down and running like a well oiled machine.  All of the decorations, tent, lights…everything…was done themselves.  They also took on the task of putting the bouquets and arranging all the flowers themselves, and it all looked amazing.  The girls were upstairs getting ready when I arrived, and the guys were downstairs figuring out how to work their suspenders.  As agreed ahead of time, Mandy and Charlie got ready to see each other before the ceremony so that we could spend several hours shooting.  Unfortunately, clouds were looming overhead and rain seemed inevitable.  And it was.  Just as Charlie, Mandy, Rob and myself arrived down to the covered bridge, it let go!

But, we made it work, and luckily the monsoon subsided just enough to let me run out onto the embankment (camera covered in a cloth) next to the highway, while the bridal party climbed up onto the side portions of the bridge, looking out towards me. 

The bridal party was very large (18 not including the 3 flower girls), so finding space to take a group shot with enough space, where they wouldn’t get wet became important.  The opening on the sides of the bridge served as a perfect frame, and we had enough people to stretch from one side to the other without any gaps. 

Not long after, however, the rain let up, and we made our way back towards the cabin, taking advantage of other spots along the way.

When I met with the couple to view their images, we laughed about how fast the time flew by trying to get in all the ideas we had for photos.  Even with two hours, moving that many people from point to point and dealing with the weather took up a lot of time.   

On that note, let me take a detour here for a second….A word of advice for people getting married and spending any amount of money on photography.  If you want to get the most out of your photographer’s time and expertise, and take advantage of all your location has to offer in terms of scenery, props, and natural beauty, do yourselves a favor and SEE EACH OTHER BEFORE THE CEREMONY!!!!  Yes I know “its tradition” and yes I know its “bad luck” and yes I know your “grandmother won’t approve” or whatever the reasoning is.  But this is probably the most money, time, and energy you’re going to spend on any single event in your life, right?  In terms of photography, is it really worth the value lost by not capitalizing on all of these things at your disposal?  Unless you are having a photographer strictly for record-keeping purposes and not for any major creativity or artwork, you are literally just throwing perfectly good shooting opportunities right out the window.  I can assure you that after the ceremony is over, you won’t have time to do all that could have been done beforehand.  People will be waiting to see you, you’ll feel rushed, you’ll be starving, and your feet will probably hurt.  Why put yourself through all of that?  Yes I understand its tradition and all that, and if you absolutely must adhere, then I respect that decision.  But let me tell you, its one costly tradition you’re upholding there!  Just plan a special “first look” where the two of you can be together for a few moments alone.  That way you still get the “moment” but without sacrificing so much else

So enough of that.  Back to Mandy and Charlie.  The ceremony was held in a grassy area overlooking the beautiful hills.  They hung some pretty fabric from two bamboo poles as an archway, and the surrounding trees held up hanging mason jars filled with yellow candles.  Sadly the candles didn’t make it all the way through the ceremony, since the rain had come down after they’d already been hung and lit. They were, however, very pretty ornaments of yellow melted wax!The funniest part, though, was as the bridal party receded back down the aisle, the groomsmen donned pirate patches over their left eye, commemmorating Charlie’s recent eye injury that had healed just enough so he didn’t have to wear a patch of his own for the wedding! 

As the reception got underway, Mandy and her father cut a rug together with a custom dance they had come up with, combining an emotional slow “father daughter” song, and portions of an oldies dance song mixed in.  When I talked with Mandy afterwards, she confessed to being so sidetracked watching her dad get into it that half the time she forgot she was supposed to be dancing too.  It was really sweet and dad did a great job!  

Spangler Entertainment provided the music.  While this was my first time working with Spangler, the family has been using them for a while, and I can see why.  They did a great job.  The DJ was so energetic and got everybody out on the dance floor.  It was great watching people get into formations, not really knowing what they were supposed to be doing, then the music would start and they’d realize a need to summon their inner Las Vegas showgirl – high leg kicks and all! 

Just as the sun was setting, I grabbed Mandy and Charlie to see if they wanted to head back down the hill for a few quick photos by the barn with the sunset in the background.  Gladly, they agreed, and we told the DJ we’d be back in about ten minutes.  He kept the party entertained while the bride and groom were MIA. 

 The hay bales served as perfect props, and the hay tiller (? not sure if that’s really what its called?) had these wild round yellow attachments with curved tines that contrasted with the deep blue sky.  We were losing daylight fast, so it was rush, rush, rush the whole time.  I think I got about four images off in front of this machine, and happily this one turned out to be one of my favorite bride and groom shots I’ve done in a while.  I like it because its different and offers you something you don’t see everyday.  

The barn was equally cool, conjuring up memories (for me) of the “red wall” talked about in a Sallee seminar I attended in Nashville last year.  (The comment was that photographers would lament to JB and DeEtte “But we don’t have a red wall in our town” since one of their famous images is of a wedding party dancing against a red wall, and their reply was you’d be surprised what you can use as an interesting background…and he was right.  Ever since then, I see cool “backdrops” everywhere I go!).   

The evening went on with plenty of dancing, mingling, and enjoying the beautiful cake by The French Confection.  It was an amazing work of art with fondant icing and an array of teal blue flowers made (I think) of either gum paste or fondant.  The flavors were also as interesting as they were delicious..key lime…coconut…Mmmmm!!  Mandy’s mom was nice enough to give us two big slices to take home with us at the end of the evening.  It was a perfect distraction from our aching feet on the drive home! 

As the evening drew to a close, we photographed the couple’s “getaway” amid a fiery flurry of sparklers as they ran to their awaiting golf cart, duly decorated by their diligent bridal party.  Before we left, however, we had to do one last image, with dad serving as our pyro-technic.  I have done lots of timed-exposure work over the years, and self assigned “light painting” work so was familiar and comfortable with the technique, but until now had never something like this for a wedding client.  Usually its a matter of trial and error with the shutter speed, since you can set it too fast and not allow enough time to get the patterns drawn, or you can set it too long and then get too much motion or have parts that are blown out.  Happily, it only took two tries, and we landed on a 2 second exposure (bumped up a half-stop in Camera Raw during post) at f5.6 at ISO 320.  The trick to this is to do it in an area with no spill-off light from any other source, as it can leak into the frame and contaminate your image.  We certainly got that part down, finding the darkest area under some trees.  I did a “1, 2, 3, GO”, Mandy and Charlie gave a big smooch, and dad drew out a perfect heart using two lit sparklers.  Bravo!

Rob and I would like to sincerely thank both the Upton and the Belote families for including us in such an amazing event with two amazing people.  Mandy and Charlie are such a great couple, and we could not be more appreciative of being chosen as their photographers.  Especially after finding out that this was the family’s fourth wedding they’ve put on, I know that they know what they are doing and what they want in a photographer.  The fact that they saw that in Karrie Porter Photography gives me some pride that we must be doing something right! 

Best wishes to the newlyweds.   Stop back by in a few weeks to check out their coffee table book design, which I will undoubtedly post in a new “Albums” section here on the blog! 

Sincerely,

Karrie Porter Bond