I recently photographed an intimate wedding in Atlanta, Georgia packed full of fun, excitement and two great families. Though it was a long day of shooting, not to mention the weather not cooperating, I had a blast capturing images and hanging out with the Phillips and Culvern families. Here are a few images from the day. Stay tuned for more later this week.
Some say photographing children can be a challenge. Though I am always up for a challenge, I believe that if you just let children be children you will capture some great images. This is Scarlette. She just turned five years old the other day, and though last Sunday was a bit windy, we couldn't resist the beauty of the blooming flowers. Scarlette played and I shot photographs for about an hour (found that to be about the longest you have with a child). everything was photographed with available light and a reflector. There were so many good images from the day, and here are a few from the session.
I really had a great time this passed Saturday shooting an E-session for my friends Victoria and David. Though the skies were overcast (perfect diffuser) the two of them were absolutely vibrant. We shot for about an hour and a half. These are a few images from the session, and I am very much looking forward to doing Victoria's Bridal Shoot, as well as their wedding this coming winter. If the engagement shoot was any indication of things to come, the bridal shoot and wedding day are going to be a blast. Thanks Victoria and David for selecting me to photograph this memorable time in your lives. - TW
To those brides already married or planning to get married. Do you have a wedding dress packed away in a closet? Is it destined to never see the light of day again? And, no, your daughter is not going to wear it in her wedding. Did you wear your mother's dress? I've got just the thing, and it is sure to rekindle some good memories and a lot of fun. Take that dress out, and trash it. No, not literally. Get that dress out and put it back on. Then give me a call, and we'll go out and shoot artsy photos of you and your dress in whatever location you desire. Brides all over the world have been doing it for years. Shoot at the beach, in the woods, or in your backyard pool. If you're looking for a fun, fashionable experience, Trashing The Dress might be for you. Visit my favorite Trash The Dress site, and if you like what you see either call me to book an appointment, or fill out the contact form on my website www.toddwoodphoto.com or call 912.308.9208
Visit Trashing The Dress at http://trashthedressaustralia.wordpress.com to view more brides trashing their dresses. In most cases, a simple trip to the dry cleaners after a TTD session would restore your dress.
If it is one thing I love, it is experimenting. Weddings receptions are one of my favorite things to shoot. I always try to check out the venue before shooting there. In the photo above, I saw an opportunity at this wedding when I caught a glimpse of a loft up in the rafters. It would mean climbing around and a balancing act on a few beams, but when you're looking for new a different angles, sometimes you have to take a chance. In this case it was well worth it. Catching some of the wedding party on the dance floor below gives good insight to the party that would follow.
It's a new year, and with it comes my renewed dedication to blogging. As you can see I haven't blogged much in recent months - mostly because I've been so busy with weddings and editing three magazines. Anywho, I decided that in 2009 I would blog at least once a week with new images. These are some past images I shot in and around the Baltimore area. This weekend I will be shooting various projects for both the magazines and myself, so check back in after the weekend for some fresh and exciting new images.
I love small intimate weddings! This wedding I shot two weeks ago for Cate and Stephen was perfect. It was small and intimate, but I was truly amazed at how caring everyone in attendance was. Though it is embarassing to admit, and re-live, I took a pretty bad fall while shooting photos right after the ceremony. It was raining, and I slipped, fell and hit my head so hard that I managed to split my head open. Of course it bled a lot and I had myself and a few friends pretty alarmed - not to mention the bride and groom who departed the location to go on to the reception. I'm sure they were thinking they had no photographer, but I had my second shooter, Rocky, with me. As it turned out my buddy Clay, at the Savannah Bee Company retail store on Broughton Street, brought me into his shop and cleaned me up pretty good. Fifteen minutes later I was back in action and at the reception. I would like to thank Clay, Rocky and everyone for their genuine concern for my health. Here are a few photos from the day. This was such a fun day, despite my fall, I will post more photos later in the week. Cate and Stephen, you guys were awesome. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to shoot your special day!
I was recently going through some old photos, back in the day when I was a newspaper photographer, and I came across this live training exercise for a local Fire Department we were doing a story on. I could have taken the typical fire scene photos, but when I was given the opportunity to suit up and go inside a burning house, I couldn't resist. The photos of me were taken by friend and reporter Christian Livemore, and boy am I glad she took them! I just love looking at them, because it reminds me who i am as a photographer. I truly will go to the extreme to get THE shot! And though I hope brides won't be getting married in a burning church anytime soon, I do want my brides to know I will go out of my way to get THE shot on your wedding day. Photo #1 is of a firefighter helping me get suited up. Photo #2 is me getting ready to go inside the burning building (see my trusy Nikon Camera aroundmy neck). Photo #3 is of the house we went in. Photo #4 is of firefighters controlling the blazing inferno. Photo #5 is of me getting unsutied. Boy, was that every intense. Photo #6 is of me shaking hands of Fire Chief C.D. Dean. Photo #7 I'm definitelt outta there by this point. Photo #8 This is all that remains of the structure I was in only minutes before.
This passed Saturday I was fortunate to photograph Dave & Katie's wedding. Other than the chilly winds, the day was perfect. Held at Jack's "Hydeaway" just outside of Richmond Hill, the wedding was one of the more pleasurable weddings I have photographed. I don't think I have ever worked with a group so willing and calm on wedding day. Special thanks go out to my good friend Rocky Brower, who helped me photograph the event. You can some some of his work on his blog at http://rocky-rockyb.blogspot.com/ Also, special thanks go out to host Jack Hyde. Jack is one of those great friends, and fabulous hosts, that anyone would be fortunate to have gracing an event such as this. Visit www.jacks3stoolbar.com for more info about his "State of Mind". To Katie and Dave - thank you for hiring us to do your wedding. You guys and the wedding party were truly fabulous to work with. And Katie, I can't wait to shoot the Trash The Dress Session!
There are days when you lack inspiration, and for that, I always have a cure for myself. Anytime I lack inspiration, or I'm getting bored with myself, I always turn to my archives. It's sort of a way I look back at where I've been and what I have done in the last year. And, when I get out my image archives and look through where I've been it always amazes me that I am lucky to have traveled as much as I have in life. I've been to 44 of the 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica and the Keys. Here are a few photos of places I have been in the last year. If you would like to guess the location (state) the images were taken in, and you get it right there will be a prize. To the first person who can name all eight pictures and the state they were taken in, you will win the grand prize. What inspiration - I'm ready to travel again in 2008. Are you?
When I'm on location shooting there are times when I capture images that were unplanned. While shooting black and white photos at the beach one afternoon, I looked to my right and saw this little girl testing the ocean. The waves were crashing into a jetty, and the little girl kept running from the ocean spray each time a wave hit the wall. It was cute watching her do this, so I decided to take a few photos of her playing. As it turns out, it is one of my favorite real moments I have shot in public. I love the way she is silhouetted and the ocean spray is lit by the sunset. It just goes to show you...If you're out shooting you never know what you might capture.
