Megan and Jake's Engagement Portraits.

I first met Megan during photography consultation meeting at White Hall Vineyards outside of Charlottesville, VA. This was a great place to meet her and get to know her. Megan is passionate about many things and one of them happens to be wine and cheese. She was in her element. We spent a little over 2 hours chatting away about many culinary delights. It was fun and the time we spent together really gave me an idea of who Megan is, and she a little about me too. This is an important part of my strategy as a wedding photographer. I like to get to know my clients as much as possible. I want my clients to know me as well. Although Megan and I barely covered the topic of photography. The process of building a trusting relationship with my client was underway.

Megan has been eagerly waiting for her fiance to arrive in Charlottesville From the United Kingdom. Months and months of bureaucracy and catch 22's trying to enter the USA has been a challenge for them. Almost their entire engagement was spent on different continents. It was so nice to have the opportunity see them together after such a long absence. They seemingly melted into one another for their portraits. Their mood was somber but appropriate and I think my photos express not only the love they have for each other but the calm they felt after such a long absence. Again, We went to the grounds of UVA to take advantage of all the scenic backgrounds and architectural patterns.

I don't know what you think but these two kids are gorgeous together. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to photograph their wedding on June 24th. Stay tuned, this wedding should yield some exciting shots.

Now, If you need a little education about wine... or even cheese ask Megan... She works at Vavino, a local wine tasting bar on the Down Town Mall.

Jenny Bridal Portrait.

Here in Virginia we do something we never did in Boston. Bridal Portraits before the wedding. Yes, we take the bride in full dress out for an hour of fun portrait photography. We do this because it appears to be a trend to display a portrait of the Bride in her dress at the reception. This is something I never see anywhere else but Virginia. It's fun and gives me a chance to be creative.

Jenny was a fun model. She was comfortable, fun and sometimes silly in front of the camera. My assistants and I dragged her all over the campus at UVA for about an hour. The light was warm and soft just the way i like it. I used my Nikon D200 and a Nikon 28-70 2.8 AFS lens, ISO 125 at about 1/200 sec to capture most of the shady shots. I also used a Tiffin 812 color warming filter to improve skin tones and keep the blues off of her dress. .

Jenny's marriage to Duane Merrill was 3 days after this portrait session which caused some logistical complications but seemed to work out just fine.

I like to think the photography I do is art. I try to offer a product that is candid and elegant. The word photojournalism just does not express fully what I attempt to do with my clients. Sometimes I explain my style by saying; "Like what you would see in a modern wedding magazine" or "Artistic and candid". I dunno. tell me what you think I should call my style.

1st Wedding of the Year.

Dave and Lara found me on the internet about 1 month before the scheduled Wedding! I was glad to help them out on such short notice but was nervous about the event. Normally I meet with my clients, get to know the couple and visit the location of the wedding way before hand. This time it was not possible. The event was nearing and it was over one hour and fifteen minutes away at the beautiful Winterham Plantation outside of Richmond.

So my assistant and I had to show up a little early to meet everyone and scope out the grounds. Luckily things could not have gone better. David and Lara were so friendly and the number one thing that I could not help but notice was the fact that these two were undoubtedly in love. Again this makes photography a breeze, they let themselves enjoy the day and we came out with some great photos. This was so nice to see because unfortunately, according to my experience shooting weddings like this is a rare condition in this world.

The sky was partly cloudy and the temp was about seventy degrees. We barely used our flashes at all. Conditions were perfect for just letting the photos take themselves. I used my new Nikon D200, a digital camera slightly different than my former lead camera the digital Fuji S2 Pro. Shooting a wedding with this wonderfully designed camera was such a great experience, it has made me excited about photography and Nikon cameras all over again.

The caterers did a great job too, check them out. Catering By Jill Inc.