The Wedding Photographic Society, a networkiing group of wedding photographers based out of Raleigh, North Carolina, recently hosted a model shoot in conjunction with their May “unscripted” meeting. I had the pleasure of attending and taking part in the shoot, along with 20 other photographers. Five models participated and we broke out into separate groups, each with one model. You can check out a slideshow of more of my images from the event by clicking here.

Jake and Danielle held their wedding and reception at Casa Mare, an Emerald Isle Realty property located on Ocean Drive in Emerald Isle North Carolina. I was concerned while making the drive from my Newport, NC home towards the wedding location as it was raining heavily. As I neared Cape Carteret the rain started to slow and by the time I reached the beach house it had stopped. The weather gave us a a break long enough for the couple to do a “first glance” prior to the ceremony, get the wedding service completed and make some nice beach portraits of the couple their friends and family. It started raining again as we finished the portrait session but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the celebrants. Below is an image from the “frist peek” meeting. Be sure to check out Danielle and Jake’s slideshow.

I thought it might be fun to start a new series on the blog. I calling the series “the shot.” The idea is that I’ll choose an image, past or present, and give a little insight into it. I might talk about how I shot it, where the idea came from, or what I find meaningful about it. Sometimes it’s nice to be presented with something more than a “purdy picture.”

For the first image in the series I’ve selected an image of my young friend Mark. He and his girlfriend Danielle were visiting me in the studio… just hanging out and killing time. That turned into a bit of a photo session, but not a particularly formal one. I have one or the other sit in front of a background and then just carry on a conversation with them. When I’d see an interesting expression or reaction to something said I snap a photo.

I’d asked Mark to put on my driving cap which I though would be a good look for him. Also, I’d asked if he had a cigarette he could place in his mouth. There was a shot I had in mind that had been done by Atlanta music photograper, Zack Arias (zarias.com, usedfilm.com, onelightworkshop.com), as inspiration. In that shot Zack had the musician sitting on a chair, smoking a cigarette and exhaling smoke. Shot against a darker background I really enjoyed his shot. Zack and I share a love for white seamless backgrounds and not surprisingly, that’s what I was working with that evening. As it happened, Mark’s cell rang as I was setting up the shot. If memory serves, it was his sister on the other end. I grabbed the shot while he chatted away. While the shot was partially staged (hat, cigarette, lighting, background), it also captured a real moment - his expression while having a phone conversation with his sister. It has a nice, natrual feel to it.

Technically speaking: The subject’s face is placed on one of the vertical lines of “thirds,” a classic portrait placement. The position of his arms form lines leading the viewer’s eyes to his face. The black shirt provides a nice contrast agaisnt the seamless white background. Mark was lit with a single studio strobe shot through a medium sized softbox. The background was “blown white” by an unmodified studio strobe mounted overhead and aimed at the background. An additional hot-shoe flash on the floor behind the subject helped to keep the background lighting even.

I hope you enjoy the image.

Amy & Michael traveled from Greenwood, Arizona to have a romantic seaside wedding at Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina. The wedding was held at Surfside beach cottage, a Spectrum Properties managed vacation property. A second beach house rented by Emerald Isle Realty served as the staging area for Michael and his groomsmen. Rain threated the event all day but held off for the entire wedding. Amy’s father officiated the ceremony and built the evergreen cross featured in the photo below. Thanks for allowing me to share your day Amy & Michael. Be sure to check out their slideshow.

My buddy, Brian Mullins, of… well…Brian Mullins Photography, was in town a couple weeks ago. He gave me a call and told me he was shooting a wedding at the Duncan House on the Beaufort waterfront and wondered if I’d like to come “play.” It’s always a blast shooting with… and yes, even engaging in a little friendly competition against… a talented photographer like Brian. So I took him up on the offer and joined him just before the ceremony started. It was a really great celebration complete with a live band for entertainment and catering by the Beaufort Grocery Co. Here are a few shots from the evening. Congratulations Mandy and David. May 2, 2009 was a perfect day for a Crystal Coast wedding!

Jaysa and Zack were attending the Harkers Island school prom. Jaysa’s Mom, Tracy Sinclair, wanted some portraits made of them. We decided to do the portraits of them at Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach, NC. It was a very winding day so we started inside the fort where there was a bit of relief from the wind. Later we ventured out onto the beach from the more traditional Crystal Coast portrait. The wind was whipping sand around in the air and made things a bit more difficult than usual. But they both did a great despite nature’s uncooperativeness.

Cathy’s name was drawn as a second place winner at a recent bridal show. Her prize was her choice of an engagement, bridal or portrait session with a complimentary print. She chose to have an engagement session with her fiance’, Caleb. They selected the beach at Fort Macon State park for their location. We also did some shooting at the beach near the New Bern Street public access area. It was a pleasure working with Cathy and Caleb. Congratulations guys.