A few weeks ago the guys at Single Lock Records put together a fantastic lineup of artists on their label and played the UNA homecoming concert. We were jazzed to be able to be backstage doing portraits of folks in the bands. There was a slew of talent on the stage that night from bands such as Belle Adair, Steelism, Dylan Lablanc, The Pollies, The Bear, John Paul White, and the legendary Donnie Fritts. There were even a few other Muscle Shoals music legends playing. All in all it was great music, great folks, and a great night!
It is always a joy to photograph friends! Doc and I were college roommates and Susan has been singing with Doc in Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil for quite a few years now. We loved Erin from day one that she moved to The Shoals and we love working with her at one of our very favorite local companies, Alabama Chanin! So, we were obviously thrilled when we got to spend the afternoon together exploring and having fun with these two talented, beautiful and down to earth folks that we are proud to call friends.
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.
Michelle and Jake were such a joy to spend the afternoon with, and of course to photograph. They were engaged a few months earlier at the Rogers & Rogers Art Gallery in downtown Florence. That night, Jake made dinner and coaxed Michelle there with an elaborate plan. They however did not have many photos of themselves from that night, so we decided that it would be the perfect place to start the session! Afterwards we went to Wildwood Park and enjoyed a cool summer evening at Cypress Creek.
There are some days where things don’t turn out at all like you have planned, but in that chaos so much beauty can arise. We had a spark of an idea and shared that with others around us and within a few hours it spread and this beautiful moment was captured. Huge thank you to Heather Wylie owner of Bohem who made this skirt and top just for this shoot. Such and amazing talent! Also, our dear friend Laura was so great to let us borrow her daughter Madeline for a few hours. She was so graceful and serene, she was just perfect!
I have always wanted to document the entire WC Handy Music Festival. This was not that year. We were however fortunate enough to catch a handful of great shows and even see some new acts. We did photograph some of the shows that we attended. This week left me exhausted, but also so excited to see so many people on the streets of Florence and packed into fantastic new event spaces! I am already ready for next year!
JO Johnson Marching Band
Daniel Elias and Exotic Dangers