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!
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.
Marisa and Matt’s downtown Florence wedding had all of the elegance you could hope for without any of the fuss. Both the Bride and Groom are working artists (Marisa started Scout By Two a leather goods company and Matt is the lead singer in the band Belle Adair) so we knew working with them would be a fun collaboration. Marisa has such a clean cohesive look in her work and it translated into their beautiful garden wedding seamlessly. Susan and I were also super excited when Marisa asked about the possibility of us photographing the wedding with film. We had been shooting film photographs at weddings over the past year or two, but not the entire wedding, so it was both a thrill and a bit scarry. The wedding day was a perfect fall day as the late afternoon ceremony gave way to the reception at 116 Mobile, just a two block walk through the streets of downtown Florence.
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.
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!
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
