Engagement photo sessions are always great. As a photographer, you are getting to know the client, and each client is different so each session is completely different. Case in point, meet Whitney and Robert in the images posted above. Their wedding day is in December,  and although they had signed up for me to do their photography and video a while back I had never had the opportunity to meet Robert, much less put the two of them together. Such an easy going couple, without a doubt. A great chemistry between them, and it rubbed off on me, which allowed me to create some beautiful shots for them. I photograph quit a bit at the Athens Botanical Garden, I had just posted another shoot earlier this week, but it is so easy to change up shots at this site because of all the different settings here. Really a spectacular spot. I actually had a photographer friend of mine photograph my family here. Like I said before, each couple brings a different character to the imagery and helps me give a brand new perspective to a location I am very familiar with. I hope you see that easy going playfulness in the photos of the two of them, I think it shows very well.

I do look forward to Whitney’s bridal session late this fall, I know she will be stunning, but sorry I cannot reveal the details of the dress before the big day. With the wedding day following shortly after, I do expect it to be the wedding of the year. Beautiful couple, a great event location which I look forward to writing about, and a great family. You can only expect great images to come from this couple, it is going to be a great celebration. Stay tuned.

Last week I had a pretty busy schedule which began with the wedding day of Alecia and Marcelo, May 11, 2012. Taking place at the Peachtree Club out on the terrace. The view is spectacular from the terrace, and what a location for a wedding, but it is completely overshadowed by the beauty of the bride. What a beautiful beginning for my workday. Beautiful brides always make my job easier. I knew from the moment I first met Alecia and Marcelo that this was going to be a party to remember. Even though their guest list was small, they made up for it with their party spirit. It has been a while since I have seen a crowd so enthusiastic. A lot of love for this couple. The day began with the bride and groom meeting for the first time, then a few gorgeous photos of just the two of them and on to the families in the lobby of 999 Peachtree. The lobby area made for a great spot for photographs, being shaded from the afternoon sun, and such a large outdoor area. To the rooftop for the ceremony, the quickest I believe I had ever seen,(lasting only 8 minutes) and on to the party. With the music roaring and the skyline darkening, the beauty of the lights on the buildings held a beautiful background for their first dance. As party favors of silly hats and glasses with flashing lights were handed out the party began and the music flowed to suit the crowd. As soon as it began it had ended too soon, as the last dance came about and they were sent off in a shower of sparklers.

I was honored to photograph the wedding day of Alecia and Marcelo, it gave me the opportunity to shoot at the Peachtree Club. In my nine years in business I am surprised I had never shot here before. I cannot wait to write my next event location article, it will surely be of the event location.

Congratulations Alecia and Marcelo! Have a long and beautiful marriage! I hope that you will cherish these moments I had captured for you, it was a blast!

The beginning of a busy week began with the rain clouds clearing for Melanie and Jeff’s engagement session. Shooting at the Athens Botanical Gardens, one of my favorite places to shoot. Beautiful scenery, hardly anyone is ever there, but just a gorgeous setting. An engagement session is a great chance for any couple to get to know their photographer, it is always enjoyable. Other than being rained on on occasion, these session are always fun. Melanie and Jeff was no exception, I had a good time getting to know them better and creating some beautiful images for them. Hope you enjoy the images as well.

As April rolls into May the heat begins to pick up in the afternoons, and this day was no exception. The sky was as blue could be, the birds were singing and Becky and Tom were getting married! Becky wanted to be the Disney ‘princess’ for the day, and she surely was. A beautiful bride. Surrounded by friends and family. The ceremony took place at the Magnolia Cottage at the Payne Corley House in Duluth. This is a smaller facility that is affiliated with the Payne Corley House. A gorgeous setting, and wonderfully landscaped area. The coordinators even allowed us the larger house for photos, and of course the railroad tracks. Always love the staff here, and also working with Abby’s Floral, they always supply the bride with such beautiful flower arrangements.

Congratulations Becky and Tom! I look forward to putting these memories into your wedding album.

Planning your wedding? Want to make sure everyone on your guest list sets aside that date, so they can be there with you and your family to celebrate? Save the date magnets and cards are an excellent way to let everyone know. Although we do create the beautifully ornate cards, I believe that the magnets work best. How many times have you gotten a card for your birthday in the mail, it may set propped on your desk for a while, but then it is filed away or thrown away. A magnet sticks around forever. You can stick it on your refrigerator, or your computer, anywhere that a magnet will stick. It is there as a constant reminder.

If we photograph your engagement session, let’s use some of the images to create a special save the date magnet just for you. Unique to you. We just completed the magnet in the photos above, for Jessica and Nick. Jessica helped a lot with the design, and even a few ideas, here’s what she said, just yesterday when the final draft was complete;

On 5/1/2012 1:21 PM, Jessica wrote:

THIS IS IT! WOWza! Love it. Let’s send her to the presses! 5×7 magnet with envelopes. Thanks Eric, I really appreciate your time spent and your talents. This is awesome.

Should we video our wedding? Oddly enough, being a photography and video studio, I get asked that a lot. Should we get video? My answer is always an emphatic…YES!! Of course! It will be extraordinary!

Seriously tough, that is a question to pose to yourself well before your wedding day. We have seen the trend in the past few years of clients looking for video just months before their ceremony. It is  one of the last items on the list. Sadly so. It is actually hard to believe. Don’t get me wrong, I love photography. that is my passion, and where I thrive best. Photography captures an essence of the wedding like no other media. With the camera in the right hands. But that is for another article. Video tells a story that needs to be told, in a way that cannot be described by photographs.

There is a product that I am currently working on, that does integrate a little video into the photographs. You photogs know what I am talking about, it’s called ‘Fusion’. Been around for a bit, and a bit different. But it breaks away from an actual video. It is more of a watered down version, a highlight of the day. A little video here a few photos there, throw in a little music, and it’s your own music video. Nice. It is going to be a great product, and I hope to treat you to more of it later, but for now, let’s stick to video.

When my little girl grows up, and meets the man of her dreams, (and I have approved of him), I want to be able to remember that day. She will want to remember that day. Even after it has long passed. It will be a complete blur for the lovely Bride. Just think of all the things she will plan for, all the time, and decisions. That beautiful dress, the train flowing behind her as she walks the aisle. The flower petals tossed in the air, the vows spoken, the unity candle lit, Mom wiping away her tears. I want to see that! Don’t you? Those vows will be spoken, and will be in your hearts, but it will be such  beautiful thing to view every anniversary, and to share the highlights with friends and family on the web. It was a party! A celebration of your union together. A very special thing. Do not let the memory fade. Be able to relive it.

I have people that hire me as their photographer, and many add my video crew to cover their wedding. I know the economy is bad, and we do try to accommodate.  But this has still not fulfilled some clients dream to have their Uncle or best friend video the wedding for them! What a lot of pressure to put on a loved one. Do they really have the experience? Do they know what to look for, and where to be? We shoot so many weddings yearly, that we understand all the pitfalls to look for. My team knows what to look for, and when to be in the right place. Does Your friend really have the best equipment? We do. You will hear your vows, and the joy in your voice when you speak them. You will see the happiness on your husband’s face when he is dancing with you. You do want to remember that……don’t you?

There are so many items on that to do list. If video is not near the top, think of a few things you can do without, or cut back on. But video, why would you ever consider cutting video back. That is your memory in motion, living forever. You will watch it again, and again, and again……..

As a side note, I just posted this article, and also posted it to my FaceBook.com/EricLittlePhotography page. A mother of a bride that we had filmed and photographed in 2007 commented on the post just minutes later. I had to amend the article and add her comments. I love what I do, and I am glad it shows. here is what she said;

Eric did the photography and videography for our daughter’s wedding back in November 2007. He is amazing and we have gorgeous albums and DVD of that beautiful day. Our daughter and son-in-law loved working with him . . . said he took a lot of the stress out of the day and helped them relax. He was flexible and accommodating and we were more than satisfied. I say if you can afford it, have a professional do it – you won’t be sorry! Every once in a while I pull out my parents’ album and watch the DVD. It was a beautiful day and Eric captured it all perfectly! We’re so glad we chose him . . . and you will be too!

Another lovely day in Rome, Georgia for an photography engagement session.

I had a blast with Megan and Matt. Their wedding day is October 27th, so this will give them plenty of time to get their save the date cards in the mail. To begin their session we started at Berry College. When in Rome you have to shoot at Berry College, it is gorgeous as usual, how can you not shoot at this location. I love the architecture and the pasture lands and rolling hills. Some of the most beautiful countryside in Georgia. But for this session we spent most of our time downtown, where there are several pretty parks along the river, with foot bridges and gazebos and fountains.

Matt was a little skiddish about getting his picture taken, as most of the guys are, but after a few laughs we were all getting along really well. A photography session always helps  the wedding day to run a lot smoother, we all know each other so much better.

I look forward to your wedding day!

A friend on Facebook posted last night that he wished everyone would remember and love and honor their parents. Basically life is too short. He is right. I thought I would share that thought with you.

I am making a plan to do something that all of you can do. Something very simple. Spend a little time with your family members, one on one, in front of a video camera. Create an interview with them, asking them questions about their childhood, their favorite things, things that have made them happy. It doen’t have to be formal, or even professional looking, just capture the moment with them. I have a 95 year old grandmother, we call her GiGi, short for great grandmother. She is an encyclopedia of knowledge of life growing up in the south. I cannot wait to hear her stories. I plan to move on to everyone in my family. You never want to lose them and all the loving things you remember of them, but life is very short. I want to get to know them even more.

Write down a few questions you may wish to ask. Ask family members if they have questions they would like to know. Just be careful what you do ask, sometimes you may not want to hear the answer. I had a friend do this same project, he asked his grandfather who were his favorite children in the family. Boy that was a loaded question. Needless to say, the video could not be shared with some of the individuals that were not mentioned, and even those that he spoke poorly of. Keep it simple and on a happy note.

So I encourage you to put some of your weekend chores aside, get a video camera and have fun archiving those that you love.

With Mothers Day and Fathers Day coming up we wanted to let you in on a little secret. Your Mom and Dad don’t like to have their pictures taken…….They LOVE it. I know what you are thinking, they always look at you with that sideways grin and  say”I don’t like to have my picture taken”, It’s not true! When we  get them in front of our camera they begin to laugh and cut up and really have a good time with the session. When they see the images that we take they are very pleased that they took part in the photos. Think about it, you don’t really see a lot of pictures of your parents together, except at the last reunion or at your kids party or soccer game. But a professional, loving picture they would hang on their wall, Priceless. My Dad passed when he was 56. I was 18, I never had pictures like that of my parents. It sure would have been a pleasure to look back on them that way.

This is not new to photography, but a lot of the older generations 48 and above just don’t worry as much about photographs of themselves as the younger generation. Or as they do about their children and grandchildren. That is why on a lot of photographers sites you see babies, maternity, weddings but not enough of the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation. Let’s change that.

Take it from me, don’t let another moment pass without getting these images for yourself as a loving baby boomer couple. Or if you are a child and want have these photos of your parents, this would be a wonderful expression of your love. A ‘Beloved’ photography session.

Ever wonder what this symbol was all about? Some of you may already be using it, because it is a very useful tool. If you are an avid reader of weblogs or ‘blogs’, then it can be a big task to have to continually visit sites such as ours to see what is new. Sometimes you may even miss what is new, because we had posted about a great photo session or product review or contest weeks ago, and you just forgot to stop by and read our latest article. Well this little symbol is going to help you get your information even faster.

I am not a technical guru, but I can give it to you in short terms, so you can amaze your friends at the next dinner party.

This symbol stands for RSS or Really Simple Syndication. Most blog sites may have these readily available for you.  But first you will need a ‘Reader”. It is easy to use a reader, and it is free. There are many readers you can find online, like the one I use Google Reader. If you already have a Google account simply sign in to use the reader. Use the search bar to find your favorite site, such as Eric Little Photography. Whenever we add new content to our site you will see it on your reader. Simply log back into your reader account and it is listed right there, the new and the old posts, with the latest news most prominent. Think of it this way, you read a newspaper everyday, all the articles you want are right there. Trash that paper and sign up for all of your favorite sites, their content the content You want to read is right at your finger tips. Whether its following sports or your favorite photographer.

So the next time you see that symbol above on your favorite site, such as ours which you can see at the bottom of each of our pages, just click it and you will see

If you are signed up with a reader like Google Reader then it will save it for you automatically. New technology is great! An easy way to get our information to you quickly, so that you do not miss a thing.