12/30/2006

Little Kayden




The other evening we went over to visit our good friends Jennifer and Chris and their new little boy Kayden. We hadn't had the pleasure to meet Kayden yet, so it was indeed and honor. He about 4 months old and he's an absolute pleasure to hang out with. Jennifer and Chris are proud parents, and we're so happy for them.

Jennifer and I used to work together at Florida Hosptial. As my supervisor, she was very supportive of Joy and me with our photography business, even as I went through the transition of leaving the hospital and pursuing photography full-time. We're so thankful for that.

Chris made chicken lettuce wraps that blew PF Chang's lettuce wraps out of the water! They had a little bit of kick to them, but that was good. On the way home, Joy and I were analyzing the wraps and we determined one of the things that we liked better about Chris's wraps was that he left out the water chestunt. Gross...who likes water chestnut anyhow?!?!?!? So Chris gets 5 stars for his cooking. Perhaps we could do a picture-dinner trade once a month or something. :-)

12/29/2006

April and Tristan's bridal session

Our uber-talented associate photographer, Brian, photographed April and Tristan's wedding a couple weeks ago. But he was kind enough to invite us along for their post-wedding bridal shoot yesterday.

Again, using the new Canon, here are a handful of images. We shot in the amazing EoInn and Spa in downtown Orlando, which is where everyone will be staying for our elevate seminar next month. It's such a great spot.

We got lots of shots outside the Inn too, around the neighborhood, but I have to keep those under wraps until after the seminar, because this is the same locaiton that the elevate Shoot-out is taking place.

What a rockstar!


I love tubs...


I guess they do too...


Interesting artwork in the spa waiting area...


Fun artwork in the lobby...


Absolutely stunning bride...


April photographed through the front door, with the reflection of her wedding gift (a handsome black Land Rover) from Tristan in the glass...


We're so excited for you guys! May your marriage be full of prosperity and blessings.

Christmas in Charleston

Here are a few fun shots of Christmas in Charleston with Joy's family.




While we visited Charleston, we got to spend some time with our photographer friends Robbin and Leighann Knight and Jill Higgins. They visited us last month at OSP South in Chattanooga, and it was nice to reconnect with them. They took us to a great local restaurant called Poogan's Porch. We'll definately be going back!

12/28/2006

GN Photography adds a Canon!

It's not usually a big deal with a photographer gets a new camera. It's like a builder getting a new hammer or saw, or a nurse getting a new stethoscope. But when switching from Nikon to Canon...that's a big deal. I guess it would be like Tiger Woods switching to left-handed golf clubs or Phil Mickelson switching to right-handed clubs. Now that would be a big deal! After all, everything on the camera does work backwards from a Nikon. (Disclaimer: I probably shouldn't have compared us to Tiger or Phil, but I just picked those two guys because if I had picked some young punk on the tour that hadn't won anything and no one had heard of, my golf analogy would've been worthless. And you know how I love golf analogies...LOL!)

I digress. So a couple weeks ago we added a Canon 5D to our collection of Nikon cameras. Our goal is to simply find out which one we prefer, and then determine if we should switch to Canon altogether, stay with Nikon, or use both.

It sat lonely on the shelf, in the box, for a couple weeks. We were too busy. Finally, I played around the house with it a little bit at Christmas, but never had the opportunity to do a real shoot until a couple days ago in Charleston, SC, while we were visiting Joy's family for Christmas. And here's what we got...










My initial thoughts are that I'm not crazy about the Canon body or the functionality. Obviously, that's partially due to the fact that I'm used to something else and there's a natural learning curve. BUT, when it comes to the image quality straight out of the camera, the Canon wins hands down.

We've got another shoot in a few hours and I can't wait to see how it does again!

12/25/2006

So this is Christmas...

It’s raining now, but yesterday it was a balmy 70 degrees in Charleston, SC. The gifts are opened. The fried turkey is all torn apart. Graycen lays in her pack-n-play as the magic of her second Christmas plays out in her sweet little dreams. If it’s true that Christmas loses it’s magic as you get older, it sure comes back when you live it through your children.

Our Christmas card is a reminder of how quickly things change. See card below (special thanks to our friend Paul Martin for photographing):


2006 Card



2005 Card



As the year closes, we are reminded of all that we have to be thankful for. 2006 was an outstanding year for us, both as a family and as a business.

We photographed 44 weddings around the country from the Bahamas to PA, SC, and all over the nation, and we were blessed to meet some of the neatest people ever. In September we moved our headquarters from Orlando, FL to Chattanooga, TN. We’re excited about our new studio as it provides a wonderful place for clients and a pretty delicious office space for us! It’s a 1940’s house in the heart of Chattanooga’s North Shore district. Downstairs we have a gallery and a client meeting area, divided from our office. We also have a corner dedicated to the Blue Button Boutique, a little girl’s dress shop with trends provided by a designer in Aspen, CO. Upstairs is the theatre room where clients review their images, as well as another room for us to grow into. If you’re in the area, please come by and visit, we’d love to see you. We still operate remotely in Florida as we spend roughly 10-12 days a month in the Sunshine State. Working from two locations allows us the opportunity to stay fresh and feel a little bit like we’re always on vacation. :-)

In the springtime Garrett gave up corporate life by turning in his suit and tie at Florida Hospital. We are so thankful for all the great people that are a part of the AHS/FH organization and the support they provided throughout the transition. While Garrett was transitioning Joy balanced the tasks of motherhood and the challenge of marketing and education in the world of photography.



In February we headed to Newport Beach, CA, and spent an amazing week with 20 of the best photographers in the country. Mike Colon was the instructor, and he and his family were tremendous hosts. One of our friends secured a 6,000 sf beach-house in Laguna Beach, where we all hung out when we weren’t in class. It was an inspiring week and it couldn’t have happened at a better time as we were launching into this dream, full time. We were also blessed to see several friends from college and high school while we were visiting Southern Cal.

In July we were fortunate to piggy-back a few days vacation onto our Redstone, CO wedding. Redstone is abouht 60 miles from Aspen so once the wedding was over we headed over to the resort town and spent a few days shopping, eating, and relaxing. On our way back to Denver we drove through Independence Pass, which provided some of the most amazingly rugged views we’d ever beheld. What a treat.

In August, we snuck away for a quick weekend in Myrtle Beach with Brandon and Maria. It was fun to hit the links for a couple days and spend quality time with family. Later that month we spent a long weekend in Rochester, NY, with some of our closest friends, installing a fence in their back yard. We also got to hang out at Niagra Falls and visit the world-famous Wegmans at least six times in four days. For those not familiar with Wegmans, it’s a super-cool supermarket and they’re continually ranked as one of the top employers in the country.

In August Garrett returned to the classroom, this time as a photography professor at Southern Adventist University. He’s always been excited about the possibility of teaching, so this was a great opportunity to get his feet wet. It was a great experience, and the faculty pitched in to cover when we were scheduled to be away.




In October, Garrett headed to Vermont with a small group of 12 photographers for another workshop, this time with Hollywood wedding photographer, Joe Buissink. We are firm believers in continuing our education and keeping fresh and inspired.

In November, we, along with the Holritz Photography team, hosted OSP South II. With roughly 100 photographers visiting Chattanooga, everyone had a great time and had a blast making new friends. November also marked the launch of our DVD for photographers, elevate. We’re excited to be able to provide a significant portion of the proceeds from the sale of elevate to the medical mission relief in Africa.

As we look forward to 2007, we’re excited about meeting many new people and connecting with those that we don’t have the luxury of seeing on a regular basis. Our 2007 schedule includes photo assignments in interesting places such as Savannah, GA, Key West, FL, Santa Barbara, CA, Jamaica (twice), Scotland, Norway, Italy and many more. In January we’re hosting our first intensive seminar in Orlando. In March we’ll be in Vegas for the annual WPPI and DWF conventions. And hopefully we’ll be able to squeeze in a nice family vacation at some point.

On the homefront, Graycen continues to grow…quickly. She’s running all over the place, getting into everything. Over the past couple weeks she’s decided to make it her task to close every door in the house, standing on her tip toes, and wrapping the ends of her fingers around the doorknobs, she pulls and pulls until they finally latch shut. Then it’s on to the next one. Her vocabulary is growing, she LOVES to “read” and sing and give lots of kisses.

One of the biggest blessings about returning to Tennessee is being closer to family. Graycen enjoys hanging out with her grandparents and aunts and uncles frequently. Next year she’ll be blessed with her first cousin, which we’re really excited about. Fortunately the six-hour drive between Chattanooga and Charleston is only 20 miles further than the drive from Orlando to Charleston. So visiting family in South Carolina will still be easy.

Joy and I work hard to balance the responsibilities of parenthood and the business. Daily we are reminded that we are continually spread too thin, and time passes without consideration. We have many goals and projects for 2007 that we can’t wait to share with you. We are also reminded of what a blessing it is to wake up every day, knowing that we have the possibility to permanently impact peoples’ lives through photography.

If you've read this far you're a better friend than we realized! Our heartfelt thanks to each one of you for your role in our lives. To our friends and family, thank you for always being there, no matter how busy things get. To our amazingly wonderful clients, thank you for honoring us by letting us into your lives. And to our fellow photographers around the world, many of you have become some of our closest friends — your life and your passion are such an inspiration.

Here’s to an outstanding 2007!

We love you,

Garrett, Joy and Graycen

12/24/2006

Christmas (early) in Tennessee

Since we're spending the Holiday in Charleston, we celebrated Christmas in Tennessee a few days early.

Graycen tries out her new foot-stool next to Grandpa


Books are always a favorite gift


She's excited about her new baby, which she later ran through the room carrying her by the neck.


Mommy tips from a real-life mommy


Her new car provided hours of enjoyment.

12/21/2006

Whitni and Aaron

What a blessing it was to have the opportunity to photograph Whitni and Aaron's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful!

Before the ceremony, the bridesmaids practiced their auditions for America's Next Top Model...


The luckiest guy in Orlando :-)


The groomsmen doing their thing...


Joy caught a great moment when Whitni was writing her vows to Aaron. After hearing her read them, you'd think she had written them out months ago!


It was a beautiful ceremony, conducted by Whitni's father, Pastor Andy McDonald.


The ceremony from a different perspective, reflected in a Christmas ornament.


Whitni and Aaron left the ceremony in a horse-draw carriage. It was beautiful. Things came undone as they got out of the carriage, so Aaron tended to business.




The reception was held at the Orlando Museum of Art, where guests enjoyed a phenominal dinner and great music.


May God continue to bless you two as you begin this exciting journey. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your special day.

12/17/2006

We're in Orlando :)

Hi guys!

We are here in Orlando for Whitni and Aaron's wedding. It was quite a reunion! And definitely one of our favorite weddings of time! BEAUTIFUL :) Whitni is the daughter of Andy and Vicki McDonald, the pastor of the Florida Hospital SDA Church, our home church here in FL. We saw lots and lots of friends we hadn't seen in ages. Wish we could have talked to everyone we knew, there were at least 400 people there, saw people we knew across the room...so it was definitely a challenge when we're taking pictures at the same time! I just want to say something to ALL the friends we were able to quickly chat and catch up with:

Nathan and Jessie:
Um...I think you guys have been in at least 4 weddings we have photographed and what a treat to see Nathan, seated one row in front of us on the flight from Chattanooga.

Crystal: My nursing buddy, it was soo wonderful to see you again, its been too long! And yes, Patrick is awesome :)

David and Amy: We miss you guys and Ana is just beautiful. We really really need to GTG one of these days!

Lori: You are too cute with your awesome haircut! Miss you girl and you have an awesome job title :)

Riley: OK, how crazy is it that you work within walking distance to our house (up for sale) AND NOW we find out that we live in the same condo community!!! AND we're on the same flight back to Chatt-town Tuesday!!! We need to eat soup soon :)

Ellie and Stanley: Congratulations to you guys! You will make awesome parents :)

Nataniel: You were 2 for 2 catching garters at weddings we have attended together...sorry the streak ended tonight, must have been the broken finger :(

Sarah: I am so glad you stopped by and said hello! You are so sweet and we need to GTG soon as well.

Greg and Trish: So glad we were able to chat for a little while and wished we could have seen Tyler. The last time we saw him was the portrait session we did ONE YEAR AGO! Wow, time flies!

Chris, Eric, and Robbie: Garrett's photography students, Garrett just turned in grades a couple of days ago and said you're all rockstars! (Chris is actually the groom's brother and best man).

Erica and Tony: Our wedding clients from last year: wish we had more chance to visit! Hope to catch up with you soon :)

Natesha and Chris: Our wedding clients for next year: Soon it'll be your turn..it will be here before you know it! Can't wait!

Pastor Jeff and Tami: So glad you came up to us, we sincerely miss going to FL church and seeing you every weekend.

Andy and Vicki: Our pastor, parents of the bride, Whitni: You guys..it was a beautiful ceremony, we both cried...I think the whole church did! It was wonderful to see you and we miss seeing you every weekend.

Whitni and Aaron: Thank you for letting us be a part of it all. It was a privilege and honor :) It was such an amazing wedding and you have wonderful families and so many people who love and care about you. What a beautiful and special day!!!


For EVERYONE:
We promise to let you know when we're in Orlando (quite often) so we can hang out and we will do our best to update our blog about it as well. Miss you guys!

Here are e session pics of them which Garrett photographed in March:




Loving the warm weather, but missing our darling Gray. We have had several meetings and have been super productive with some awesome things, (that we can't wait to reveal later) and a portrait session so we'll be flying back Tuesday morning :)

Stay tuned for Whitni and Aaron's pictures!

12/13/2006

Brooke and Sean

We were so excited to have the opportunity to photography Brooke and Sean's wedding in Deerfield Beach, just outside of Ft. Lauderdale. We first met Brooke and Sean a year-and-a-half ago at Brooke's sister's wedding in Orlando.

Here are the happy couples...Erica and David, Brooke and Sean.



Brooke and Sean exchanged vows at the outdoor waterfall-side terrace at Deer Creek Golf Club.



They exited the ceremony to "I Feel Good."



The ladies struttin' their stuff...



The men doing their thing...



Between the wedding and reception we headed back to the hotel to grab a few shots in the super chic and newly re-done lobby.





After the wedding we headed over to the beach to grab a few shots of the newlyweds just before sunset.


Congratulations, you guys! We're so excited for you. May God's richest blessings follow you as you begin your new life together.