Andy Proposes - Karen Says “Yes”
My friend and classmate Andy Jones sent me an e-mail on Facebook a few weeks back asking if I would like to take photos of him as he proposed to his girlfriend Karen. I told him I would be delighted. We set about to arrange the surprise.
Andy decided he would propose after a romantic picnic in Lullwater Park near Emory. I was given heads up on when and where the picnic would take place. I even had the chance to give Andy a bit of advice when he told me he was nervous about proposing.
After determining that Andy’s nerves were getting the best of him, not because he was afraid Karen would say “No,” but because he was afraid he “wouldn’t do it right,” I told him as long as he did it like Andy, she would be delighted.
He did it just like Andy, and Karen was delighted. As you can see in the following photos.
Karen has no idea what is about to happen.
Andy gets down on one knee to pop the question.
Karen says Yes!
Check out the slideshow from the shoot here:
Andy Proposes to Karen
Jean and Kyle’s Engagement Session
I’ve been busy traveling and working lately and have a backlog of photos to share.
Several weeks ago I took Jean and Kyle’s engagement portraits at Piedmont Park. They showed up for our session a bit late after Kyle got stopped by the Atlanta police for not wearing a seat belt. So all you folks too tough for seat belts, beware. They save lives, too!
Jean and Kyle got married this past weekend, so expect more photos of this lovely couple in a few days.
Full slideshow of session.
Pearl and Louie, The Carter Center
May 30, 2008, 6:07 am
Filed under:
Weddings My assistant Sharon McMahon and I were privileged to be able to document the matrimony of Pearl Philip and Louie Rosencrans. The nuptials and reception took place at The Carter Center, a delightful space for ceremony and dinner as well as cocktail hour and photos in the garden. The food catered by Proof of the Pudding was delicious. Pearl and Louie’s first dance was one of the most interesting we’ve seen.
Here are a couple of my assistant Sharon’s best images.
And here are a few of my own favorite photos.
To see more photos of Pearl and Louie’s lovely wedding, check out the slideshow story.
http://www.cbrownphoto.com/slideshow/pearl_louie_wed/
Josey and John at Mason Woods
I’ve had the chance to shoot engagement portraits of a couple of fun couples lately. Here’s a link to a slide show of images followed by a few of my favorites from a shoot with my friend Josey and her fiance John.
They’ll be getting married in Wilmington, NC in August and I’ll be there to document all the fun times.
http://www.cbrownphoto.com/slideshow/josey_john/
Anny & Jacob’s Coffee Table Book Design
March 23, 2008, 10:53 pm
Filed under:
Weddings 
Here’s the cover of Anny and Jacob’s coffee table book.
I’m excited to share a few of my favorite spreads as well. It will be an 10″x 10″ book made by ASUKA BOOK. I had a great time designing the book. It’s in the book where the fine art of story telling really comes into play.
Check out the full design by clicking on the link below.
Here are some of the best spreads.
3.8.2008 Anny + Jacob
March 10, 2008, 12:08 pm
Filed under:
Weddings Anny and Jacob were married Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Wiggins, Mississippi. The gorgeous old sanctuary overflowed with friends and family for the celebration of matrimony.
Their reception took place at the Family Life Center right next door.
Here are a few of my favorite images from the day.
If you’d like to see more photos from the Dykes-Guthrie wedding, check back in a few days for a slide show of the entire event.
The Life Formula
Photographers working for Life magazine in the early years–when the photo essay was a developing art form– worked to capture a variety of images that would tell the story of the event they were covering. Those images fit together to give narrative structure and variety to their story.
Included in their shot list were: 1) an introductory shot to set the scene; 2) a portrait to provide characterization; 3) an interaction shot to create drama; 4) a signature shot to capture the essence of the story (this would often serve as the opening or cover photo); 5) a detail shot to highlight a story-telling element that would otherwise go unnoticed; 6) and a clincher to bring the story to a close.
Because I spent so many years working as a photojournalist and teaching photojournalism, this method of story-telling with a camera is ingrained in my DNA. When I photograph a wedding, I am constantly thinking of how I can provide the narrative structure for a meaningful story about the particular event I am covering. Every wedding is different. The story that develops from each wedding is different. My goal is to create images that reflect that uniqueness.
Here’s a photo of groom Mica Maddry from a wedding I photographed in November of 2007 that was created to move the photo story about the Maddry-Pease wedding along through characterization.
My very first wedding
Seven years ago I had no idea that the photographs I took at my cousin Josh’s wedding would lead to my current profession as a wedding photojournalist.I just wanted to take some nice photos as a gift to Josh and Carly.
Even though they had hired a traditional wedding photographer, I felt I would be able to document what was happening in a way that would be potentially more memorable than the posed shots he would make. Two years later when Josh’s sister Jamie got married, I was hired to photograph her wedding.
The photojournalistic approach won the day. .
Here’s a photo of Carly explaining things to her bridesmaids.
And here’s a shot of my cousin Larry and his cigar.
Choosing your maid of honor
Early on in my work as a wedding photojournalist I realized the importance of a good maid of honor. I had the privilege of photographing Kelly and Kyle’s wedding at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana.
Soon after arriving to photograph Kelly getting ready, I was introduced to her maid of honor and best friend since childhood, Nicki. As I followed Kelly through the preparations, the ceremony and reception, I noticed how attentive Nicki was to Kelly’s every need.
If Kelly wasn’t happy, Nicki made sure that changed fast. If Kelly was happy, Nicki was delighted. Nicki’s enthusiasm for the loving connection that was about to be ceremoniously celebrated never wavered. Here’s one of my favorite photos of Nicki. It shows her response after Kelly has finished doing her makeup and hair.
