Melinda and Ryans Happy day!

So back in September Kim and I got the opportunity to meet and photograph Melinda and Ryans wedding in Virginia beach. We took advantage of the great scenery and go a lot of fun shots. This wedding had no shortage of beautiful things and people. Kids were everywhere and all seemed to have the time of their lives. Check out the cake on this one. They called it a "Mad Hatter" cake. It was awesome. I'll look into who made this cake if your are interested. Obviously very talented.

Kimberly and I really are beginning to focus on "candid moments" between people. We like pictures of people genuinely enjoying themselves. An important element of this style is more then 1 person in the frame. We want to attach the moment to a place and a group. We have also begun as you have seen before twisting the camera mid shutter to draw attention to the subject. This is a cool and fun effect if done properly.

You can see by now that the "textured" photos are always different. These are not "actions" by which we press go an walla.. textured photo. Each photo has a completely different set of operations and adjustments, therefore most clients will not have two alike textured photos. However great care is given to make sure the set of textured photos fit into a style that matches the clients "set". Enjoy!

ANOTHER PHOTOBOOTH! Let the kids have their fun.

Congrats Hilary and Matthew

I am going to start our new blog design out with a major bang. I can't say enough about this couple. Kimberly and I had an unbelievable time at an unbelievable event. Hilary and Matthew have easily become good friends and continue to be a blessing to us everyday. Even though this wedding took place in August.. we still feel like this one just happened. Lots of fun images to show you and lots of great products we can share from this event. Stay tuned.

Joe and Christi.. YAY! Plus a new artistic style.

Joe and Christi were married in Bethesda MD, and had a beautiful wedding in a gorgeous and amazingly lit Catholic church. We took a lot of these pics in the lobby of the Marriot! We really enjoyed working for these two and being a big part of a special day. Christi just loved our artistic photos so we decided to do something special.

STYLE:
This is also our debut of a new batch of artistic photos that we do for each client. We have always created artistic photos for each client.. but this represents and advancement in our capabilities and style. We hope you enjoy them. They are intended to make the images more dramatic, artistic, interesting yet not overpowering. So give us comments and ideas.. We want to stay true to the moment.

Congratulations to Nathan and Leah... Again?

Yep, these two are poster children for Sanderson Images. This is what we call a "Day After Session", Nate and Leah had a tight schedule on their wedding day which cut into the desired photography they wanted. So we decided to meet up in Washington DC a few weeks later and do some fun shots on the National Mall.. Getting permission was a monumental task (forgive the pun) but well worth it. Steven Shot with me and we really had a lot of fun!

Congratulations Amanda and Jason!

Jason and Amanda were a fun couple I had the opportunity to photograph as a 2nd shooter with my new friend Rob Strain. They had a beautiful wedding near Fredricksburg. I really want to work more in this area. The possibilities are endless. So if you are planning an engagement shoot. Lets talk ;) It's Sooooo cool! Old brick walls, great architecture, trolleys and street markets, Its a dream. Anyway. These two had a nearly perfect wedding and what seems to be the start of a perfect relationship. It was so fun.

Congratulations Stephen and Claire!

All the way from Scotland! These two were married at the First Presbyterian church in Charlottesville, VA and celebrated the reception at Glenmore Country Club! This was an absolutely beautiful day and everyone seemed to have so much fun... Including Kimberly and I. It's so great when you can tell how much people truly value friends and family. We wish these two the best starting a marriage in Scotland.

Congrats to Maria and Chris

Located at the Historical Mayhurst Inn at Orange, VA. These two had one of our favorite weddings of the year! They were so much in love it was hard not to tear up just watching... and it certainly did not help that they played the same song during their ceremony as Kim and I did at our own wedding... Maria and Chris were a great reminder of how love should be... It was a such a blessing to be a part of their day. Together, we communicated each step in the timeline so we could make sure some wonderful images were captured for each event.

Congratulations to Moje and Elliot!

We only got to know Moje a few weeks before her wedding. I ran up Baltimore to spend the day with them during a fun and stylish Jewish ceremony. The love of friends and family was flowing freely and I really had a great experience. The images speak for themselves about the fun had by all!

Congratulations to Stephanie and Eric

7.7.07, yep these two got the date... and what a day it was. You may remember them from their engagement session last fall. We started work at the Lindale Menonite church and the reception was at Massanutten Resort. These people could dance and have fun! I wanted to join the dance. But I was afraid I'd hear "don't quit your day job" in unison from all the guests.

Congratulations Lindsay and Josh

You may remember Lindsay and Josh from their engagement session... the one we got two awards for? yeah.... now they are married and Kim and I had the honor of photographing the entire day for them. We started at UVA Chapel and finished the Day at Keswick Hall. These two have such class and planned everything perfectly to their style. They planned their wedding in such a way that photography was a priority and now they have a ton of memories to keep forever. Their photobooth was setup out back and everyone seemed to have a blast with it. Not all weddings have such a great combo of emotions, love and laughter. Oh yeah, and amazing food.

Congratulations to Nate and Leah

I feel like I've known Nate and Leah for years.. we are becoming more like friends. You may remember them from their engagement session last spring. Leah's attention to detail kept us chatting all the time and photography was an important part of her planning. The reception was at Fairfax Hall in Waynesboro, VA. It was such a nice location because the sunlight flooded in through the hall windows.... every photographer's dream.

Congrats to Chelsey and Tyson

Such a beautiful wedding with a fun country style. We started at the River Lawn Farm and finished things off in a barn! (An exquisitely decorated barn, at that!) These two obviously love each other and have such a lovely story....high school sweethearts! Can you believe it?! The celebration was perfect and it was evident that a good time was being had by all! We had fun too!

Congratulations Cia and Adam

Kim and I spent the day at the Gardens at Sunday Park in Midlothian, VA with these two. The ceremony was timed perfectly to a beautiful sunset in the background. The reception had everyone dancing and Cia and Adam were so happy to spend the day with new family and old friends.

Congratulations Nicole and Chris

Nicole and Chris did it their way in Barboursville, VA. We started out at the vineyards and the ruins for some really cool portraits and then we went to the Stonefire Station for the wedding and reception. Due to the thoughtfulness these two had for one another Kim and I had some fun surprises to be a part of. She surprised him with a beautiful white wedding dress (he thought she was going to be wearing the red one in the portraits) and he surprised her by learning a song that he sang to her during the reception. They were very clearly a perfect fit for one another! Photography was Nicole's priority so we made sure we had enough time and light to really get some good shots.

Congratulations Andy and Therese!

This was an amazing and beautiful wedding! These two got married at the Catholic church here in Charlottesville and had an awesome reception at the overwhelmingly beautiful Oak Ridge Estate. Steven and I took advantage of some spectacular scenery and well planned timing to get some beautiful shots. These two have awesome faith and love for each other watch the slideshow and try not to tear up.

Congratulations Amy and Jarrod!

You may remember these two from their Engagement Session a few months back. They recently got married at White Hall Manor in Middleburg, VA. Steven and I had fun in a light rain and then the clouds parted just in time for the ceremony. It was a beautiful wedding and a beautiful location as well.

Congratulations Kristy and Kent!

I had fun shooting this wedding for Bella Photos. These two were married in Silver Springs, Maryland at the Brookside Gardens (http://www.brooksidegardens.org/). The preacher was great! Joseph Kurtz and I had fun, and the party was a blast.

Congratulations Trysten and Kevin!

These two got married at Ashlawn Highland in Charlottesville. It's such a great location! But it rained... and when I say rained... it rained hard. Kimberly and I had fun anyway. All of the guests danced the night away to keep warm and pretty soon all chilly fingers and toes were forgotten! They say that when it rains God is blessing the marraige.. well these two are fully blessed and meant for each other.

Congratulations Andy and Lisa!

This fabulous couple was married at the historic UVA chapel in Charlottesville. We battled a parade and a 5k race in the area to get some great shots anyway. They were good sports and we were able to take advantage of the UVA campus grounds. We finished the night at the Satellite Ballroom, with a nice family and friends oriented reception. It's nice people like this that make photography so much fun.

Congratulations Tim and Kim!

We had a lovely time with these two at the lovely White Hall Vineyards one of our favorite venues in VA. The wind blew like never before but it gave the images a flavor and life that was so fitting. These two know how to have a good time. The evening was fun and happy people from the United Kingdom were everywhere.

By the way.. White hall vineyards has great wines and I highly recommend them for your next event.

Congratulations George and Amanda!

I have to say that we kicked off 2007 with a real bang! This was the first wedding of 2007 and what a fun wedding it was. We went all over the mall in Charlottesville getting lots of great shots for over 2 hours before the ceremony! Things got even better with one of the most beautiful ceremonys I have ever seen, this one in a Greek Orthodox church. To top it off the band was possibly the best I have ever heard at a wedding. Wow what a fun day! And check out the photobooth!

Congratualtions David and Ashley!

I got to take a trip to PA again to do some work for my good friend Jeremy Hess. We had fun taking photos for Ashley and David. We had a lot of time and some good opportunities to get some nice shots. The rain stopped just in time to make the streets shine. This was a very fun and willing bridal party.

Congratulations Brittany and Pat!

Brittany and Pat are good friends of mine here in Charlottesville. It was a pleasure to photograph their wedding. I felt like an invited guest. We had fun doing some portraits in Madison County at an old barn. I love the cracked paint and rich colors.

Congratulations Joel and laura!

Joel and Laura got married at the Omni Hotel on the Down Town Mall in Charlottesville. We planned a lot of time for portraits and had a lot of fun! Winter can be great for weddings.

A trip to Pennsylvania.

Sometimes I get a call from my friend Jeremy Hess, one of my closest friends ever and also one of the best photographers I know. He also operates a Wedding photography business in Pennsylvania. He calls me now and then for help with one of his weddings and offers me an opportunity to be his 2nd shooter so long as I am not booked already in Virginia. Jeremy books a lot of weddings and sometimes he just does not have enough locally available photographers. I only book one wedding per day so finding a good 2nd shooter is as easy as shooting my beautiful wife a smile. =) Photographing a wedding with Jeremy is a very interesting experience for me and I am always delighted to learn and see how our business and skills compare. I love shooting Weddings in Lancaster! So much color and farm weddings are the best! When I shoot 2nd shooter for Jeremy It is my job to capture the guys. I get all the portraits I can of them, then later on in the evening, I get some shots of the couple. I hope I have a free weekend or two next summer to help shoot with him again.



Congratulations Nigel and Anne!











Congratulations David and Kristin!

Congratulations David and Sarah

Sarah and David were married in Lovingston, VA. They had a really fun wedding and everyone had a blast. This was my first "cold" wedding of they year and regardless I think we got some good shots despite the shivers. The nice and low sun provided some great light through the big gym windows for an amazing bridal session. Yes, I said Gym. What appeared at first to be an unsightly place for photographs turned into a treasure trove of fun photographs. These kids loved to dance.

If you want to see their slideshow
Click Here to watch it.

Congratulations Anne and Eringiri

Anne and Eringiri got married in Nags Head, North Carolina. I had an awesome time with my assistant Jonathan at this wedding. Destination weddings are a blast and while this was not the caribbean it was still a beautiful beach wedding. One of the prettiest we done since our days on Cape Cod. Anne and Eringiri were so relaxed and we had a blast despite heavy winds and blaring sunshine.

Amy and Dustin

Here are some nice shots we got for Amy and Dustin, They had a beautiful wedding in Charlottesville, VA at the UVA Chapel. I figured I would use this opportunity to show some nice shots with digital effects. In my opinion I am not wild about Digital effects, so I came up with some that in my opinion do not detract from the photograph as much as some other effects I have seen on the market. I just don't like the "water reflection" effect or the faded edging and the heart shaped blurring around the outside of a picture. My goal with digital editing is to have my clients look at a picture and say, "wow, that is a beautiful picture." If for some reason they say "Wow, that is a cool effect," For some reason I feel that I have failed the photo itself. My goal is to add an artistic touch, not to completely change the focus and purpose and beauty of the shot. Below are some examples of editing I do to a few (30-50) images for each client.

Sepia with Vignette.

Color enhanced with Vignette.

Color with Vignette. Notice the motion blur of the bridal party, this is not a digital effect but a Photographic technique used at time of exposure.

Black and white background, subtle color focal point.

Black and white with Glow.

Black and white background, subtle color focal point.

Again, I think the pictures are great without the effects. But so many people love these ideas I can't help but offer them. After all, my goal is to serve my client and his/her needs. A wedding is not about me. A wedding is NOT a photo shoot. It is a beautiful milestone in somebody's life that I am proud to be a part of. I will do anything I am asked to help my clients document a perfect wedding day and preserve each moment the way they always dreamed.

A fathers wish

Most of you who know me know I have a thing about fathers. I aspire to be the best father possible to my own children. So when I meet a good father I can't help but watch and listen. Such is the situation here when I first met Mark the father/father in law of Jillian and Will. I received a call from Mark last March inquiring about wedding photography for his daughters wedding in August. At first I thought... how strange. A dad inquiring about photography for his daughters wedding. Doesn't really happen all that often... ever. But after meeting him It became obvious he was not just dragged into finding a wedding photographer by some Bridezilla or overburdened wedding planning mother. Mark was genuinely looking for "the best wedding photographer in town" at his own accord. He set it upon himself to make sure his daughters memories were captured by the right person. Now, I am not saying I am the best in town nor do I agree with him that I am. I believe choosing a wedding photographer is much like choosing a car. You have to pick the one you like, matches your style, is reliable and works for your budget. So I believe I was the best choice for Mark. Mark showed real passion in his daughter and her happiness and you could tell their is an unshakable bond between him and his daughter. Mark is not like most fathers today. I'm taking notes. Oh yeah... Mom was pretty cool too.

Jillian and will had a beautiful wedding and were married in Charlottesville at the Westminster Presbyterian Church. The reception was held at the Greencroft club in Ivy.

Working with light part II

So Megan and Jake finaly get to tie the knot after a long and hard engagement, most of which they spent apart from one another. I first met them together as a couple during their engagement portraits that we did at UVA. You can see some of those shots in this blog posting I did a few weeks ago.

They got hitched at White Hall Vineyards outside of Charlottesville, VA. For the pre wedding portrait session the plan was to get shots that capture Megan and Jakes love for each other but also capture the beauty of the location. So I show up and it's raining... bummer right? Wrong, to me this is a good thing. Rain is beautiful. Most people love the rain and the clouds it comes from. They appreciate the cooler temperatures and the freshness it offers the air. To me, rain is more than good luck it's a good opportunity. Now, we had a lot of places to work with at this location and we decided to take advantage of them. We worked with the vines outside, we worked with walls and fence lines the big black umbrellas I always bring and even an old grey barn. Given it was a cloudy day I had to be careful with my light. I had to be aware of the changes in exposure from moment to moment because as the clouds move so does my exposure. Moving into a barn also completely changes everything. So for this situation I had to think fast. Bracket my shots. Shoot manually if need be and use the light to not just capture the moments or the poses, but do something truly artistic... get a dramatic exposure. The resulting shots from this wedding are like that. and I think Megan and Jake are happy about that.

Working with light part I

Here is Rebecca. Her wedding was in Lynchburg and I don't get down that way too often. Upon arrival I was faced with a challenge. She was getting ready in what appeared to be a sunday school room, chalkboards, school desks, a piano and one window. It was time to get creative and fast. Now I am a strong supporter of natural light and minimal flash or strobe lighting. I had two options. Strap on the flash and just take pictures that would be basic and photojournalistic or find a way to use the available light and take the images to a different level, perhaps a more artistic level of photojournalism. I love windows and I think they add great highlights to photos so I instructed my subjects to use the area next to the window as much as possible. I used the light from the window to light the whole scene, capture silhouettes, and get artistic. I had to shoot around 400 ISO at 2.8 for almost every shot and hold the camera super steady. Bracketing shots that looked good and using a lot of my spot meter to get the exposure I was looking for. Photographing the whole session before the wedding was basically consistent adaptation to the light and the subjects. The result is photojournalistic and artistic images I really like. These images are expressive a moody. For finishing touches I add a little vignette and increase the contrast a bit. Overall the images in my opinion came out better than if I has just blasted them with my flash, bounce or no bounce.

Rebecca also had a great idea. She found a picture she liked where the bride and groom were holding up "thank you" signs. and when we met to discuss her wedding she asked if I would be willing to get something similar. She planned on using the pictures to make what else but thank you cards. I think the idea is great and the image came out perfect. This is a good example of a bride telling me exactly what she has always dreamed of in wedding photographs and in the end getting exactly what she had hoped for simply because I took the time to get to know her and incorporate the style of my client in the commission.

Calvin and Heather.

Who says pets can't be a part of the wedding day? Pets are family too right? Calvin and Heather chose to have a few shots taken with their little dogs. It was fun and cute. What's next.. perhaps boa constrictors, or cockatiels? I doubt it. But adding mans best friend can be a fun way to enjoy a wedding day.

Calvin and Heather do things differently. The wedding was on a Thursday. Their was no bridal party, the ceremony was maybe 10 minutes long and the guests totaled about 23 of their closest family members. If their is one piece of advise I can give to a couple planning a wedding, it's to do it your way. These kids did.. and they had fun.

This wedding was located at the beautiful Inn at Meander Plantation near Orange,VA.

Duane and Jenny. 1st class all the way.

These kids turned their wedding into a funky and posh affair. These locals of Charlottesville chose nothing but the best for themselves and their guests. Starting out with a lovely wedding ceremony at the Chapel at UVA a huge group shot at the UVA Rotunda (for free 5x7 prints to be passed out and given to guests after the reception) and a spectacular reception among the Vines at the Famous Kluge Estate Winery Pavilion.

This was a fun and rare opportunity to just be swept along to document a beautiful 1st class event. The day was stunning and clear. The light was perfect for so many great shots. Again, sometimes I feel like the photos just take themselves.

Jenny and Duane were obviously in love and enjoyed having us there to document the occasion. It was a lot of work, but at the end the caterer snuck steven and I a few pieces of the prime rib and a chocolate puff.. we forgot all about how sore we were. If I can find out who catered this event I will update this listing with a link. I highly recommend them.

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.