Geneva & Brandon’s Wedding

From the moment we met Geneva, we knew this wedding would be dreamy! For one, I always look forward to being in my home town of Huntsville. Secondly, when we met for a consultation, Geneva’s mother, who is an amazing photographer, told us to go wild and do anything we wanted. Sometimes people say things like that, but rarely does the day lend itself to doing something like that. On the day of the wedding, we had an extra hour in the schedule, so we decided to go to an old abandoned mining cave to do some fun photos. We did not know till later that Geneva and Brandon love to rock climb, but thought that it was a fun coincidence when we found out. After a beautiful intimate ceremony with close friends and family, the day gave way to dancing in the rain. It was a joy to watch the families and guests learn and participate in traditional folk dances, which was Geneva’s college major. Being around such a close and eclectic group of people this night reminded me how lucky we are to be able to document such amazing moments in peoples lives!

This past Fall, Geneva and Brandon’s wedding was featured on the Cottage Hill Blog!

Most recently, a beautiful photo of Geneva dancing was featured on the cover of No’Ala Huntsville as well as a featured wedding spread in the January/February 2016 Wedding issue!Geneva & Brandon Wedding G&B(blog)-3G&B(blog)-2
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The amazing vendors!

Planning and coordination : Kathleen Bernal Events
Videography : Woodnote Media
Hair stylist: Ashley the Fabulous
Make-Up : Leslie Ware MUA
Rentals:  Mullins Special Occasions

 

Chef Rick Vonk’s Rooftop Dinner

This spring we had the privilege of photographing Chef Rick Vonk’s first in a series of Rooftop Dinners in Huntsville. It was a beautiful evening of laughs, wine, meeting new people, and of course food! There was delicious Hummus from The Hummus People in two of the dishes. A full host of wines from The Church Street Wine Shoppe, as well as Ricks 5 Course meal. All of the courses were fantastic, but a few of my favorites were the maple bourbon glazed pork belly and the mussels & chorizo in white wine butter. All in all an amazing evening. The best part is that there are more rooftop dinners to come!

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Eleanor & Whitten Wedding

Every time I go through Tuscumbia I take the long way so I can drive by Saint Johns Episcopal Church. It is old and simple and elegant Church and I have always wanted to photograph a wedding there. So when Eleanor and her mother (who is the neighbor of and keeper of the old church which is only used for special occasions) contacted us, I was ecstatic. Eleanor and Whitten’s wedding was full of authentic moments and beautiful light so it was one that had to be shared!
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Smash Bash

Ready for the weekend? Wether you are looking to porch sit with your sweetie or throw an all out party, the Indie Shopography curated Crafted Taste “Smash Bash” cocktail kit is the perfect way to get your weekend going!

A few months ago our good friends at Indie Shopography asked us to team up with them to visually showcase the cocktail curation and design they were doing with the subscription cocktail service, Crafted Taste. Susan got right on it and knocked it out with her styling by creating the perfect setting and finding goods from some of our favorite makers, Alabama Chanin and Heath Ceramics. Not only was it a ton of fun planning and photographing, but at the end of the day we asked some more friends to come over and this Smash Bash really came to life!

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that’s fashion smash

A smash variation of the Old Fashion.

1/8 orange
2 cherries
1/2 shot of simple syrup 1/3 cup of bourbon
1 mint leaf
Nugget ice

Put in orange, cherries, and simple syrup. Muddle well. Fill cup with ice and pour in booze.

Using mixing tin, swish contents of the glass from mixing tin back to the glass 2 or 3 times. Pour back in glass.

Rub mint leaf around the rim of a short glass. Top with more ice until full, garnish, and enjoy.

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whiskey smash

A smash classic.

8 mint leaves
1/4 lemon
1/2 shot of simple syrup 1/3 cup of bourbon Nugget ice

Place mint, lemon, and syrup in a short glass. Muddle well.

Fill cup with ice and pour in booze.

Using mixing tin, swish contents of the glass from mixing tin back to the glass 2 or 3 times. Pour back in glass.

Top with more ice until full, garnish, and enjoy.

Note: Substitute peach for the lemon for another yum- my treat.

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bocce smash

Because this combo just feels a little “Downton Abbey,” and pairs great with Bocce Ball.

1/2 plum
Rosemary leaves
1/2 shot of ginger syrup 1/3 cup of gin
Nugget ice

Place plum, rosemary, and syrup in a short glass. Mud- dle well.

Fill cup with ice and pour in booze.

Using mixing tin, swish contents of the glass from mixing tin back to the glass 2 or 3 times. Pour back in glass.

Top with more ice until full, garnish, and enjoy.

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throw your own smash bash

Smash Bashes are about experimenting. Fill a table with sliced fruit, bundles of herbs, and a few bottles of simple syrup, flavored ones if you want to get fancy!

Here are the other tools you’ll need:

• cutting board
• small knife
• mixing tin

• muddler
• bar spoon
• shot glass
• lots of high ball glasses (or small mason jars)

The point is that it’s not supposed to be fussy. Everyone makes their own cocktails, experiment- ing with flavors and combinations. You can even pass them around and vote on the best creation!

Want some help from your guests? Ask them to bring their favorite bottle of booze, while you provide the ice and assortment of fruits, syrups, and herbs.

symple syrup

1 cup water 1 cup sugar

Put water and sugar into a pot, and heat over medium heat just until sugar is melted. Cool.

Note 1: traditionally regular white sugar is used for simple syrup, but you can also use raw sugar or honey for the same effect.

Note 2: Making syrup on the fly and need it quick? Reduce the amount of water by about 1/4 cup, continue as instructed, and after sugar is melted, throw in a healthy handful of ice to cool it down quickly.

Maggie & Blake Engagement

When we first met with Maggie and Blake we talked all about the wedding plans, but once we started talking about engagements, everybody got really excited. Blake was telling us about how much they love Jason Isbell in particular the song “Traveling Alone”. We used this as a fun jumping off point for a road trip engagement shoot through Lauderdale County and down the Natchez Trace. Blake found a friend with a 1934 Hudson and we were off!

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Alison & Browan’s Wedding

Photographing friends weddings is always a bit terrifying because you really want it to be perfect. So we were thrilled and a little bit nervous when Alison and Browan asked us to photograph their wedding. The ceremony was a crisp beautiful fall day at the perfectly quaint Avondale Villa in North Birmingham. The dusk time ceremony was led by Alison and Browan’s dog Jake pulling the flower girl down the aisle which made everyone laugh. The reception was full of local treasures including a mexican food truck, Steel City Pops for dessert and a healthy dose of the best of music in Alabama including a set from Browan’s band, Saint Paul and the Broken Bones.

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Indie Film Lab Shindig

Earlier this month we got the chance to go visit our awesome lab, Indie Film Lab, in Montgomery. I feel rather lucky that we have such a fantastic lab right here in Alabama! The Shindig was a great chance to meet the folks at the lab, see the equipment, ask geeky scanner questions, and meet a bunch of fellow film photographers from all over the country. One of Indie Film Labs most well known clients, Ryan Muirhead, talked us through his process of shooting and gave a walkabout demonstration. It was inspiring to watch him engage with the light. After the demonstration all of us got to know each other, did tons of portraits around the courtyard, and enjoyed a delicious low country boil.

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Second Creek Blackberry Pie

Over the summer some friends invited us to the creek. This was a special creek that had caves, giant boulders, and a deep swimming hole. As if this wasn’t enough, we also discovered wild blackberry bushes that were accessible only from the creek. So while the kids played, we picked! This experience inspired Susan to photograph and make and a delicious summer pie with thyme from our garden, peaches from Chilton County, and blackberries from Second Creek.

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How we accidentally bought the camera of our dreams and became film photographers…again

Susan and I were very fortunate to have some great friends from here in Alabama who were working in Germany last year and invited us to come visit! We decided to take an old medium format film camera along for the fun of it! Shooting film again was great, but all the architecture was so big and tall and the streets so narrow, we needed a wide angle lens, bad!

We decided to look for one on the second leg of our trip, in Paris! Thankfully, Susan had a friend living there who hooked us up with an awesome place to stay! On our first day in the city we found the camera district. With about 20 camera shops within a two block radius, we were in heaven! We found a medium format camera store and sure enough, a wide angle lens to fit the Bronica 645, 80 euros was even a great price! We spoke no French, but the lady at the store spoke enough English to verify the price and make the transaction. After signing the card receipt I looked at the price and it was 800 Euros! That can’t be right I thought. I talked to the owner and he verified the price and explained to me that he could not give me a refund on a credit card and that they were leaving for lunch for an hour or two. We had just paid 4 times more for one lens than we had for the camera and lens in the states. After getting shown the door and freaking out a little, we found a cafe around the corner to try to figure out what to do about our overpriced lens and our newly blown budget! Susan mentioned that she had seen a used Contax 645, which is a camera some of our favorite photographers use. Maybe they will take the lens back on trade for the camera, she suggested. After a quick search on ebay, we discovered the price on the Contax was far less than in The States. I know the folks at the camera store thought we were crazy Americans, but thankfully, they let us trade the lens in on the camera.

We shot so much film for the rest of our trip in Paris and in the French Countryside and discovered how much fun photography was all over again. Shooting film forced us to slow down, compose, see, and best of all think! You cant just fire frames off like digital because every frame means something and costs something. It has even helped us become better photographers when shooting digital, because the same principals we re-learned shooting film, apply to digital as well.

Since we have gotten back to the states we have had fun incorporating shooting film into our work and using it in certain situations or on special projects. Here are a few shots from France, photographed with the amazing camera we didn’t even mean to buy.

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