Sometimes....a girl needs two!

Since I was in a blog deficit end of last year, I'll take two posts for the price of one! I think the on site studio at Tana and Brad's Grand Bohemian reception deserves it's own place. Again......Honour, it's a privilege. Honour and I have been working on our studio concept since last year and every one is tailored to the event itself. We have a great time with it and the guests are always happy to ham it up for us. BIG kudos for Honour bringing the grandparents into the studio. This series was my favorite of all the studio!!!

Studio images by Honour Mann. Extra thanks to Liz at The Purple Iris for hooking us up with the very cool boas. They went perfectly with our masks!

Tana & Brad christen Grand Bohemian Hotel

After months of watching this amazing structure rise in Biltmore Village, it is finally open - and GRAND it is. Eclectic and incredibly elegant, the hotel exceeds expectations. Tana and Brad are an amazing couple - he a pilot and she a vet - and they christened the new hotel with a wedding reception as grand as the hotel itself. The amazing Shay Brown Events collaborated with Stacey Brown of The Bloom Room and designed a stunning scheme for the ballroom and salon. Guests were treated to a bountiful antipasto buffet with cocktails on the terrace and then on to an elegant dinner in the ballroom, then dancing, dancing and more dancing. We were all so excited to be a part of the first wedding at the hotel. The staff is incredible and a joy to work with.

This crowd knew how to throw down a party and they celebrated until the very end - they even thought to bring some props of their own to embellish their dancing. They had such an amazing time! My always exuberant colleague, Honour Mann joined me to create and shoot the on site studio. As always, many, many shout outs to my amazing associate Crystal Anderson. Girl, it's on, you're awesome and I'm excited about the possibilities.......

Cucina 24 Shoot

I love editorial shoots! They are an interesting orb of creative energy married with a demanding timeline. This one was no exception. A collaborative shoot between myself and fellow "Nine" photographer Honour Mann, we had merely two hours to get a rather large shot list and be cleared out so a local downtown restaurant could be ready to open their doors for dinner. The shoot was staged at local red-hot restaurant Cucina 24 on Wall Street. I'm not sure these dear folks knew what they were getting into until the flurry of floral designers, set designers, hair/make up, models, photographers with large cameras and light set ups besieged their lovely restaurant. They were very gracious hosts. The talents of Shay Brown, Michael Hofman of Hofman Studios, Aria Floral Design, Brown's Floral, Flora, Brooke Priddy, Jade makeup and Roberto Coin came together so wonderfully and we got some really lovely work. Can't wait to see the final results!! Big thanks to Peter and Luke of Blend Photography for being our boy "accessories". You guys were awesome models!


Honour Mann preps model Amanda for shoot.










The AMAZING pottery of Michael Hofman. I am such a huge fan!!!

Portraiture work at Palettes

I was so excited when Shay Brown of Palettes of Perfection pitched the idea of having a fine art gallery devoted to photographers personal work in her new space. While I love weddings, I also want a place to show other work as well. Of course, there is plenty of wall space at Palettes for weddings as well!! Here are the pieces I chose to show this show.







A special thanks to Honour Mann of HH Fine Arts for her collaboration in styling the chicken image. We had such a great time on a fall afternoon shooting together. BIG thanks to our muse Katherine who dealt with a bit of chicken poop, but remained a trooper!!

Beth & Mike

Beth and Mike were a great couple to work with. I had already gone down to Greenville, SC to photograph their engagement session and I knew they had a comfortable way about them. Beth is one of those women you connect with very easily. She is so honest about herself and talks openly about issues that are important to women. She & Mike have been an inspiration to me in many ways. Thanks guys!! Beth, you were a most stunning bride.

The wedding was just amazing on the Biltmore Estate and another beautifully designed wedding by Shay Brown Events. Shay, you are the woman and it is always fun working with you. Aria Floral did an amazing job on the floral design, as always!! Special shout out to my most excellent peer and colleague Honour Hiers-Mann of HH Fine Arts for coming out and doing special photography during the ceremony and cocktail hour. Our photo tree was a huge success and I love collaborating with Honour. We love photography for the same reasons and I am blessed to have found a creative partner that is so dedicated to the craft. Chica, you are such a dear friend and I look forward to many more creative endeavors with you.