Duck.....Duck......DOG! {Atlanta Pet Photographer}

After more than our fair show of rainy days, Atlanta finally emerged this week soggy and in need of some sunshine.  A warm and bright day at Piedmont Park with some new friends was exactly the right option.  Aside from the rain and gloom, I've been up to my eyeballs with work prepping for The Bridal Extravaganza this weekend.  So I figured a break from all things bridal would do me good and help me return to the task with renewed energy!

I met up with Hawk and his human Jeff at Piedmont Park for a mini lifestyle session.  Our first stop was the dock.  As soon as we got close I asked if Hawk liked ducks, and Jeff said he wasn't sure since he'd probably never seen one before.  It seems that Hawk isn't much for aquatic activities, not being a fan of water.  So, nothing to worry about.

Here are Hawk's very intense observation skills being demonstrated.  The ducks seemed unperturbed.

What a happy boy!  He was THRILLED to be outside in the sun.

So much to see and sniff.....so little time.

If you suspect that you know what happens next.......you're probably right.   One minute Hawk seemed happy stretching his legs, running down the dock between Jeff and I, and the next moment he simply crouched and dove into the water.  It was one of those moments where you see what's happening in slow motion and are unable to move fast enough.  We were SO surprised that I think we both froze for a moment.  Jeff dropped his cell phone and I nearly dropped the camera as scrambled to pull a frantically dog-paddling Hawk up out of the water.  Let's just say the couple on the bench nearby got a quite a show and seemed to thoroughly enjoy watching the whole thing.  Maybe Hawk surprised himself, too.  NOT a water dog, huh?

So, an air-dry session disguised as a walk was definitely in order.  We cruised around Piedmont for a bit before finding some stairs and a view of the Midtown skyline.

Holly and Kevin - Christmas Wedding

Despite some unseasonably mild temperatures for December, everyone was in a very festive mood for the exquisite Christmas wedding of Holly and Kevin. After hair and makeup and girl time at the hotel we headed to Glenn UMC on the campus of Emory, where Holly donned her gown and prepared for her wedding day.  It was an absolutely lovely ceremony, and a real pleasure to celebrate with Holly and Kevin and their families.

The bride and her groom chose to see one another prior to the ceremony, having a private and emotional "First Look" inside the exquisite Little Chapel.

Holly and her mother share a moment together downstairs shortly before the ceremony.

Holly.....seriously.  Gorgeous!

After leaving in a flurry of shiny bubbles they took a quick drive before returning to the church to sign their wedding covenant and taking portraits.  Check out Kevin....that's a man excited to be married!

I loved both the bride's and groom's cakes:  Holly's was lovely and Kevin's....very original!

These last two images are very special--it was this part of the event that nearly brought me to tears behind the camera.  Kevin's brother is serving our country overseas and could not be at the wedding.  At several key points during the day he was able to connect via video connection on a laptop and be part of the celebration.  This is Kevin and his mother having their dance, with the honorary best man looking on long distance from where he's deployed.

It's just another reminder of the very real sacrifices made by our service people.  Hopefully Kevin's brother will be home soon with their family.  Congratulations, Holly and Kevin.

Joy's Bridal Session - Country Chic {Marietta Wedding Photographer}

Ms. Joy knows how to work a pair of boots and a cowboy hat, without a doubt. Seriously, not just anyone can sashay around a charming square, posing flawlessly, charming passers-by who stopped to watch, all the while wearing a strapless dress outside in December. Granted, it was unusually warm and sunny, but still, I maintain that Joy is an above average subject.

Bridal "After the Wedding" Session with Toni and Gage

For many couples the wedding day itself is often a blur, albeit a joyful blur, of emotion and joyful moments, sometimes with a tight schedule. For that reason, and the desire to have unique, relaxed, or sometimes more fashion forward images, many couples are utilizing bridal sessions before or after their wedding. These sessions can be very personalized and range from classic portraits of the bride alone or dramatic images of the bride and groom in various settings. These images can augment and add to the wedding portraits or be featured in a separate book or album.

With Toni and Gage we visited the funky Little Five Points area, as well as a local park, to get a variety of images. It also helped that Toni's fantastic gown was convertible, easily zipping from a full skirted gown to a mini-dress......LOVE it. It's not easy to walk hiking paths in heels, much less navigate a giant fallen log, but this adventurous couple made it work.

Toni and Gage Engagement

It wasn't until I was lining up locations for some upcoming sessions that I realized I never shared this fantastic engagement session from the summer. Ruh-roh! This couple was a blast to work with and totally rocked their look and the location. We also did an 'after the wedding' bridal session to capture some cool images of them in their wedding attire, which was another fantastic session....watch for those tomorrow!

Here's Toni and Gage in the ATL: