Working with Caroline from beginning to end has been a pure joy. All of the sessions and her and Wes’
wedding have been on land her family has owned for 3 generations. This stunning property in Zip City Alabama was not only gushed about by Caroline but was the absolute perfect setting to match her effortless beauty. The wedding has now come and gone, so we are thrilled to be able to show Caroline’s Bridals!
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.
We had a blast working with our good friends at Indie Shopography on the photography for B. Designs Paper! B. Designs Paper specializes in invitations of all kinds, but primarily weddings. The invitations were categorized into looks, which makes it easy to shop for and really fun to shoot! 
Creekside Plantation – Mooresville, Alabama
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.
Ok, so tis’ the season for pumpkin spice everything so bare with me on this one. Fall is the time of season that I feel I come alive. I love the cool crisp air, the changing colors, and the holiday decor. Summers in Alabama are hot and muggy so, I guess I feel like I can finally breath when Autumn gets here. For the first time in about six years my mom and I live within ten minuets of each other so baking and spending time together is a must for this Thanksgiving. She was kind enough to lend her hands. Although, this particular cheesecake was made for a friends Thanksgiving. One of the guests at the dinner actually commented “its like an Autumn hug for my mouth!” so I will take that as a complement! I did make a few modifications to the recipe below, I added a little clove and some bourbon (we are in the south). I hope you all will enjoy my process and I hope you will try it out!
Happy Thanksgiving! – Susan
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping with Gingersnap Crust
Adapted from Bon Appetit
For filling:
For topping:
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Grind cookie crumbs, pecans, brown sugar, and ginger in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; using on/off turns, process to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake crust until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate each addition. Add flour, spices, and salt; beat just to blend. Beat in vanilla and bourbon. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Bake until filling is just set in center and edges begin to crack (filling will move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool 1 hour. Run knife around sides of pan to release crust. Chill cheesecake uncovered in pan overnight.
Topping:
Stir marshmallows and milk in medium saucepan over low heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Cool marshmallow mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Add sour cream to marshmallow mixture; fold gently just to blend. Pour topping over cheesecake and spread evenly, leaving 1/2 inch uncovered around edges. Chill to set topping, at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Cheesecake can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
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!
