We had the pleasure of getting to know Beth and Jeremy this past Saturday.

They were recently married in Jamaica at a tropical resort! (Wish we could have accompanied them to photograph the day!) In addition to their island wedding images, they wanted a studio portrait as well once they returned home. We were quite excited to have them visit us in our brand new home studio. They now have the distinction of theirs being our first portrait session in the new studio!

Their energy and excitement was quite evident and we had a really good time during their shoot. The session was much more like a model shoot than a conventional portrait sitting - which is exactly what we were hoping for. The time passed by all too quickly for us.

Here are a few shots from the session.

Glorious sunshine, a cool fall breeze and beautiful children - all gifts from God.
We experienced all three during our session with Sydney and John Adam.

They are delightful children most of the time . . .
We can get away with saying that since they are family.

Today was one of those delightful days.
As always we enjoyed our time spent with them.

We were delighted to get to know and photograph these two sisters recently. We met them at their grandparents' home out in the country. All of us enjoyed being outside during this autumn season among the fields and pond. It is always a joy to photograph such precious subjects. It was a bit of a challenge trying to capture both of these very active little girls together in one image! We certainly had fun chasing them around the grounds.

We were honored to be selected to document Morgan and Zane's wedding. After our somewhat "rustic" engagement session with the couple (see earlier blog post), we admittedly didn't know quite what to expect. We were invited to the rehearsal and dinner and were excited to attend. When we arrived we were treated to a simply wonderful evening. We were given a tour of their awesome "new" old home. Zane just finished a multi-year restoration project of the home and it must be seen to be appreciated. The dinner was elegant and delicious. At this point we suspected the wedding was going to be as elegant as the engagement shoot was "rustic" - and we were correct.

The wedding ceremony was held in the Lee Council House in Americus. The venue was perfect for their wedding. This turn of the 20th century home was built with full attention to detail. Exquisite mouldings, stained glass windows, and curved walls and doors are just some of its architectural features. The couple even departed the evening's festivities in keeping with the period surroundings. They were driven away in a shiny black 1929 Ford sedan.

We really enjoyed photographing this amazing couple. Their love for each other, and their close, strong families were an inspiration for us. We were quickly made to feel like part of their extended family.

For photographers, shooting weddings is always demanding physically and emotionally, as we work hard to produce something the bride and groom will enjoy. Luckily for us, some weddings - like this one - are just plain fun. We only hope their fond memories of their special day are enhanced by their photos. We know we will cherish our memories of this day!

Here are a few more shots.

Melissa and Patrick were married Saturday, October 11, 2008 at Myrtlewood Plantation in Thomasville in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. We were honored to photograph their special day. Friday we joined them for the rehearsal at the plantation and dinner at Boston's Main Street Cafe. Saturday found us running back and forth outside to inside trying to get our formal shots while avoiding intermittent rain showers. The rain moved on and the sky turned blue as if on cue at the time the ceremony was to begin. A quick toweling off of the chairs and the rest of the day was just as planned.

This was our first true "shotgun wedding"! Both Patrick and Melissa are hunters along with others in the wedding party. Shotguns and camo vests for the groomsmen were the order of the day.

This was a fun photo session for all - and a wedding to remember!

Here are some more shots from the day.

Earlier this week we met Jennifer downtown at Riverfront Park for her senior photo session. Her friend Claire came along to keep her company during the shooting (and the walking!).

The late afternoon session found us primarily shooting along some railroad tracks near the river. The trestle and bridge over the river provide a compelling perspective not commonly seen when one thinks of train tracks. We shot several different setups and angles.

It was a very "active" session - lots of walking, climbing, walking, mosquitos, walking, splinters, and did we mention walking? Before we knew it, the sun dropped below the horizon and we found ourselves hiking home in the dark. Luckily we had our flashlights and made our way back to the park.

It was a demanding session but definitely fun and productive.

Here are several shots in a slideshow from Jennifer's session down by the tracks.

We've always dreamed of being adventure photographers - sort of like Indiana Jones with a Nikon. Well, after Saturday's session with Morgan and Zane, we feel we've been initiated into the club.

We were to meet the couple at the gazebo in the middle of what was once the busy downtown of Oakfield. The empty buildings are now just a quaint reminder of what used to be. We began shooting at the gazebo on this sunny and breezy afternoon, thinking how peaceful the little town was.



After a few minutes at the gazebo, we got in our car and followed Morgan and Zane into Silverwood Plantation, down the paved street onto a dirt road. In a moment the dirt road turned into two ruts, and soon we stopped and Zane suggested we hop in the back of his 4 wheel drive to go the rest of the way. At this point we knew this wasn't going to be your average photo shoot.
We followed trails which hadn't seen a truck in a long time. In fact, Zane had to clear fallen tree limbs a few times in order to venture on. We drove as far as we could, then hiked a short distance down to the east bank of the Flint River. Here we were treated to some dramatic views of the river you simply can't find any other way. After walking/sliding down to the river's edge and crossing a small stream flowing into the river over slippery river rock, we continued on with our photos. The somewhat precarious position we were in on the rock ledge two feet from the flowing river did preclude the use of light stands and soft boxes, but we were still able to capture some great images.



We hiked back up to the truck, loaded up and were treated to a wonderful private tour of the plantation. We would hop off the truck and grab a few more shots at several stops along the way.

This was indeed a unique photo session for us and one we'll not forget. Morgan and Zane are a delightful couple and we look forward to photographing their wedding next month.

Click here for a selection of photos in a small slideshow.

The full collection of images from their session can be accessed from the Proof Galleries page.

Well, we've finished the primary edits of the shoot with Lauren on the 14th. Corlis and I thoroughly enjoyed this session. I know I can speak for Lauren when I say she enjoyed it too! The images pretty much tell the story. We finished the day hot and tired with almost too many mosquito bites to count, but loving what we had captured.



Lauren is simply an awesome model - she put her all into it with several outfit changes and many different setups. A shoot like this keeps our enthusiasm primed too - it is extremely gratifying to get the shots we want AND have an absolute blast doing it!







To paraphrase a fast food slogan "We're lovin' it!"

Here are a few shots in a short slideshow format.

See the Proof Galleries page for the link to a much larger gallery of images.

I'm a member of the Pecan City Pedalers Bicycle Club here in Albany. Our club hosts one of the best century rides in the South each year. The ride starts and ends at Chehaw Park and travels along some great country roads through Leesburg, Bronwood and Plains. I covered the 103 mile route today, not on my bicycle, but rather on my motorcycle with my Nikon in hand. I shot some pictures to document what a century ride is like. Photos can't convey the physical demands that a 100 mile bicycle ride in the summer heat places on the body. You have to experience it yourself to really know what it is like. Hopefully the pictures do convey a sense of what everyone saw today.























Here's the link to the gallery with all the shots from today's ride.

This past Sunday afternoon found us with Melissa and Patrick, strolling around downtown Albany and Riverfront Park. They are busy making final preparations for their wedding next month. We were afraid of possible rain, but instead we were blessed with sunny skies (and a large dose of south Georgia heat!). Even in the heat we were able to capture some cool shots of this fun couple. We look forward to photographing their plantation wedding down in Thomasville in a few weeks.

We're excited about the prospect of soon having a nice new work and shooting area - our new studio. Since we're home based, our office has been a smallish bedroom office. We've long outgrown that space. Also, we've had inquiries for shooting studio portraits which we could accommodate only with our portable studio gear. This new addition to our home will give us the space needed to meet clients, do production work, and shoot portrait sessions! We can hardly wait 'til it's done. We'll post more photos as work progresses.

We’ve finished editing the images from Steve’s birthday party.

We included a couple in the events gallery.

Our online portfolio has been extensively revised. We've condensed several galleries to four "themed" galleries - weddings, portraits, events, and a "fun" gallery. We will rotate new images through these galleries in the future.

Okay - here is www.southernlightimages.com version 2.0 - finally! After many hours of trial and error web coding I have something that is (hopefully) not too shabby. I realize that outsourcing our web site development would definitely be the more efficient approach, but I like learning new things.