This may be common out on the west coast, but we rarely get skies this color.  Hope you enjoy the photos!

Here’s a shot of the happy bride:

Here’s a quick photo of her after we had been talking for a while.  She’s still smiling so I think that’s a good sign.    In the backround is her friend, bridesmaid & roommate (and possible future client) Julie. 

Here’s my introductory shot of the, from today:

Thanks to Jeremy & Cassandra for being good sports!  Can’t wait to see you on your wedding day!

Getting that Thank You!, a hug and even a very heartfelt letter really makes the long hours and late nights of editing and designing truly worth it.  Knowing you were able to not only record the event, but also capture some of that true emotion and preserve it for generations really reflects on how important photography is and why, as a photographer, I need to always push my boundaries into new territory and become an emotion junkie (in camera anyway).  So when I got my mail the other day, this really came as a true surprise and I have been smiling for 3 days straight now.

I want to thank everyone of my clients who have written me notes, given me that warm thank you or that knowing handshake for doing what I’m so passionate about.  I have saved every note and remember every heartfelt thank you I ever gotten, but this was the most unexpected thing I have received to date.  So, from me to my clients, thank you for letting me be part of your lives & celebrations and while the below is never, ever expected or anticipated, it confirms my beliefs that I’m doing much more then just taking pictures!

To achieve this, we enlisted the assistance of two very talented models, Heather & Lauren, poured them into a few different wedding dresses and went to downtown Raleigh with a total of 6 photographers, 2 models, 3 dresses & 1 scarf (RIP).  The sun was out, the winds were blowing approximately 40 mph and we suffered only one casualty, the scarf.  It was literally ripped from our models hand and soared over 15 stories in the air before landing somewhere on top of a parking deck.  With the impending weather, we didn’t bother to look for it.  During our dinner break, the weather decided we should work on indoor shooting and The Big Easy came to our rescue.  They literally let us have the run of the place and with such rich textures, great ambient light and vibrant colors, it really made our evening.

Special thanks to everyone who participated – Ken, Bob, Patti, and Frank!

Now, onto a few of the photos:

So, without further adieu, I give you the very  talented Lauren Ruby!

Pam Schmid, who I have photographed on a couple of different occasions, invited my wife and I to her house for a Christmas party.  This happened to coincide with the delivery of my Nikon D300 body so, like any good photographer, I decided to take it for a test drive in a non-paid capacity.  As expected, the atmosphere was fairly dark with hotspots like candles and xmas lights string around the house.  I also expected a good bit of dancing and action so it was an excellent opportunity to try it out in a scenario not unlike a wedding reception.

All I can say is, WOW!  This camera will actually change the way I shoot and takes a huge leap past the leading low light/high-ISO performer and is now the leading pro camera in the industry.  The photos below were only color corrected and sharpened, no other filtering was done.  Anyway, back to the actual story.

So Pam’s Christmas party also happens to coincide with her birthday (Happy B-DAY Pam! – Here’s to you!) and her husband surprised her with  a cake and Celine Dion tickets, for 2009!  Everyone at the party had a wonderful time largely due to Jerry’s & Pam’s gracious hospitality and warmth!  Here’s a couple from the party (I left the EXIF data on the photos for my fellow photographers who wanted to read it):

Here’s Pam getting pushed into the middle of the floor where she finally got eyes on her birthday cake (iso 1600).

And sometimes, you just get lucky with the timing of a shot.  I don’t think I’ve ever caught this few candles in various stages of being blown out (iso 1000):

I wish all my readers a safe & happy holidays!

Here’s a shot I happened to grab after dinner.. check out that sky!