GN Photography featured again by StudentPhoto.com

We are excited to be featured again on StudentPhoto.com. In the Pro Quotes: Part 10 entry under Career, photo writer Jeff Kent asks the question, "What do you think is the single most important element that contributes to the success of an emerging photographer?" A handful of photographers from around the country were featured.

Studentphoto.com is a tremendous resource for photographers of all levels, and I'm excited to be able to use them as a resource next fall with my photography class at Southern.

GN Photography to host elevate:Orlando2007 seminar

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting elevate:Orlando2007 on January 21-24.

It will be a high-impact seminar geared toward photographers who want to elevate their shooting and elevate their business. We'll be staying in downtown Orlando at the EoInn in the heart of Orlando's Lake Eola/Thornton Park district.

We're teaming up with Lisa Konecny, one of the fastest rising wedding designers in the SouthEast, as she discusses how to successfully market yourself to wedding vendors and land yourself on the top of their photographer list.

The seminar will include:

-How to get your couples to take an ordinary shoot and make it extraordinary
-Seeing the shot before you shoot it
-Capitalizing on your imagination
-Working with light
-Natural posing that lets you remain a "photojournalist"
-Scouting locations
-Post-production image treatment
-Class shoot-off with professional models
-Developing a style that is noticeably yours

We'll also talk about about pricing, marketing, positioning, competition, and everything else that it takes to be successful in this competitive business.

For more information visit our website and click on the Photographers link. There are only 16 seats and several have already been claimed.

Karey and Justin's wedding

This weekend we shot a great wedding in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. Karey and Justin were married at the Mountain Springs Lake Resort. Unfortunately the whether didn't cooperate, but everyone still had an amazing time. Karey was a beautiful bride and Justin was a handsome groom. We were able to squeeze in a couple shots outside between the wedding and the reception.

One of the highlights of the weekend actually happened the night before the wedding, at the rehearsal dinner, when Justin gave his bride-to-be her wedding gift. Her card had somehow gotten mixed up with the card he got for his parents, so when Karey opened her card, on the front it said "To my Loving Parents."

We wish you all the best as you start your new life together. May God's blessings follow you now and forever.

April and Tristan's e-session

We had a great time shooting with April and Tristan last week. We started with the boat then we went for a ride and got some shots with the Porche. We ended back at April's house where we got a great shot of them running and jumping off the boat dock into the water. Congratulations guys on your engagement!

Sandra and John

Sandra and John were married on Father's Day in a beautiful garden wedding in Dade City, Florida. Sandra rode in on a horse to meet her man. And her father, Doug Higgens, conducted the ceremony. Both families were an absolute pleasure to work with and we were honored to be able to capture their special day.

The bride and groom did their pictures before the ceremony, which worked out really well because the morning light was coming through the trees and really created some beautiful images.

Congratulations guys. We wish God's richest blessings on you as you begin your exciting new life together.

Loren and Ryan's e-session

Loren and Ryan were so much fun to work with, and I knew that would be the case from the moment we met. For their e-session we shot at a variety of locations in Orlando. We started at the train station, then went to a laundry mat, then finished by a fountain. They were such good sports, trying everything and coming up with great shots. We can't wait for their wedding in November.

Ashley and Jimmy's e-session

We had a great time shooting with Ashley and Jimmy at the Historic Bok Towers for their e-session. They're a really cool couple and Jimmy is in a band out in California. Their wedding is in August and it's going to be a blast.

Heather and Jonathan's e-session

We had a great time shooting with Heather and Jonathan in Atlanta last week for their e-session. We shot at Piedmont Park, a location that Joy and I had never seen. And what a great park it is. Heather and Jonathan did a wonderful job just being themselves and hanging out. We really had fun shooting with them and we can't wait for their wedding in September.

Jessica and Brad

We had such a great time working with Jessica and Brad. I've known Brad since he was a little kid, he was close friends and classmates with my youngest brother. And Jessica and I became friends in highschool. It's always fun to be able to photograph your friends' weddings. Their wedding took place on June 11 at the Chattanooga First SDA Church. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception. Jessica was stunning in a beautiful lace gown and Brad looked dapper in his khaki suit.

Thanks so much, guys, for letting us be a part of your special day. It was indeed an honor. May God continue to bless you now and always.

Good times with Great Friends

This evening we had dinner with some of our very best friends. We ate at a great Thai restaurant in Chattanooga called Sweet Basil, which is becoming a tradition every time we're all back in town. A handful of us went to highschool together and most of us went to college together.

As we were discussing the possibilities of a group vacation next year, a project came up that we all took an interest in. One of the couples, Brian and Esther, just moved to upstate NY. He's working on his PhD in violin performance and she's starting her pediatric residency. They have two dogs and they need a fence installed behind their house. A couple weeks ago he had an estimate done on the project and it was considerably high. So as we sat around the table we determined that we could do it for less, as long as they provided us with a way to get there.

So the date has been set...the end of August. Between a mechanical engineer, human resource manager, office manager, nurse, physical therapist, musician, medical doctor, photographer, pastor and dental student, I think everything should be covered. Click on the image above to view the assigned job responsibilities.

Not pictured: Paul Martin, who will be coordinating a project website featuing a live web-cam and during breaks he'll be providing the entertainment by juggling clubs.

Can't wait to see you all in a few months, and even better, once we all move back to Chatt-town and we can visit together more often!

GN photography image places in WPJA contest

We were excited this afternoon to get the results of the Spring 2006 WPJA contest, and see that one of our images placed in the "Getting Ready" category. A special "thanks" to Ashley and J.A. Lopez, who's wedding this image is from. This was also the image we selected to kick off our weekly "Image of the Week" series.


JUDGES COMMENTS: What an unusual but wonderful moment. The composition, the bride looking back to dad, his reflection, all combine to make this a winner.

For more information on the WPJA, click here WPJA website

So blessed

The responsibility of a wedding photographer never ceases to amaze me. After spending a handful of years in this business I have gained complete respect and admiration for brides and grooms that put a huge emphasis and value in photography. And it's those individuals that we most often attract as clients.

Admittedly, we are blessed. We're blessed to be able to do what we love, providing beautiful photographs, but we're also blessed to have the opportunity to get to know such wonderful families and spend time with them during one of the most significant experiences of their lives.

What a beautiful feeling it is to see a bride and her father press their heads together before the doors swing open and he walks her down the asile to meet her groom and make the biggest commitment of her life. And watching a handful of groomsmen surround the groom as they kneel in prayer before the wedding is something that really sticks with you. This weekend I was particularly struck by the look on the face of the bride's mother as her husband and daughter shared their dance at the reception. Now a parent myself, I can imagine her emotions of happiness and pride mixed with thoughts of 'how can this be happening so soon?' Her expression told the story of love and pride and faith and relief. For the most part, dad kept his eyes closed as he danced with his daughter, while 25 years of memories must have been racing through his head.

Weddings are filled with moments like that, and our job is to find them, record them, and make them last a lifetime.

Today we received two emails from recent clients, and let me tell you, what a great way to start out the week.


Kathryn wrote:



Hey Garrett!

Now that we're back and I have unlimited computer access, I have watched the slideshow over and over and over. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the photos - they are gorgeous and it's all thanks to you and Joy.

When I began planning this wedding so many, many months ago, I chose the slate blue dresses and bold pink flowers because I really wanted something that would POP in the photos, rather than the classic pale colors you so often see. When I saw your photos, it was almost like the image in my head had been transposed onto the computer. The colors came out just the way I wanted.

I said it before and I will continue to say it...THANK YOU. I was a HUGE fan of yours from the very first time I saw your website and will recommend you to anyone in the world. While I saw you put your house up for sale, you better stay in this area so we can continue to use you for future photo ops! David and I still feel like we "discovered" this amazing unknown, untapped talent in Orlando last year - although I would hardly call you undiscovered now! We will forever be thankful for the work you did for us.

Enough rambling...I am a bit of a sentimental cheeseball. Thanks again and I look forward to seeing the rest of the photos when they become available.

PS - one of my bridesmaids, xxxxx xxxxxxxxx, may be contacting you to get info for her wedding next April in south Florida.

Talk to you soon!

Kathryn



And then we received this message from Shayna's mother, Libby:



Garrett,

We could not have been more thrilled and confident knowing you were photographing Shayna and Andrew's wedding. We are huge fans...not only from your work, but from knowing you. I know it was a divine appointment from God when Shayna emailed you about your services and you called her back to discuss the possibilities.

Thank you so much for everything...if we had a dozen daughters, they would all have their engagements and weddings photographed by you.

Please stay in touch... you, Joy, and Graycen are family now.

(The wedding was BEAUTIFUL, wasn't it? What a blessed day!!!)

Thanks again,

Paul and Libby


On that note, it's off to bed with a smile on my face.

Image of the Week: Image #6

For this week's image of the week we pulled one from last week's wedding at Isleworth. During the first dance couples often end up holding each other close and moving in circles (the way I would probably do it). But Kathryn and David really had a nice first dance, very choreographed and flowing. So as they danced we grabbed several close-ups and a few from a distance. I put my camera down to rest and suddenly recalled the balcony that Joy had pointed out a few minutes before. So I exited the ballroom, ran down the hallway, through the lobby, up the stairway, and to the balcony. Fortunately there was a railing that allowed me to steady my camera, because I was so out of breath. There are two things that I really like about this image. First of all, I like the rich color and the emotion it evokes. The light is shining on Kathryn and David as they share their special moment...and let me tell you, they were totally into each other, it was great. Secondly, I like the sense of symmetry. I know this sounds like a contradiction to recent posts about off-center subjects and the rule of thirds, but in this case being in the center works well. The fact that they're centered under the light, they're centered in the diamond on the floor, and they're centered in the table arrangement of the room, really draws the viewer's eye in and creates a nice visual scene.

Shayna and Andrew

We had been looking forward to Shayna and Andrew's wedding for a long time. The day finally arrived. They were married at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Oviedo, one of my favorite churches to photograph. And it was one of the most beautiful and personal weddings we've ever attended. It started with a beautiful song, I Come to Praise You written by their friends, Jenna and Benji Cowart. Then the vows were exchanged and the ceremony was performed by their friend, Pastor Jerry Gillis, who has been close friends with Shayna's family since she was in middle school. Pastor Jerry recalled a time when their families were traveling together and Shayna was in the ninth grade. They were in deep conversation and Shayna paused and said, "Pastor Jerry, when I get married, I want you to do my wedding." After a moment of silence, Pastor Jerry replied, "I will, but only under one condition...he better be worth it." It was a sweet, beautiful, Christ-centered service, and Joy and I were so blessed to attend.

Shayna and Andrew, congratulations on your marriage and may God's richest blessings follow you wherever you go.