Yesterday afternoon, I launched the full reveal from my first shoot of 2012 at The Girl in the White Dress, sent it over to my client, and began submitting it for publication. Less than 24 hours later, my friend Summer has taken it live at Grey Likes Weddings – a fulfillment of a dream of mine that began in 2010, when I first discovered her gorgeous wedding inspiration!
Summer, who also goes by “Grey,” has been a favorite of mine, both on the front end – with the elegant glamour and beautifully-lit photos she posts – and on the back end, where we’ve emailed back and forth and yakked about meeting one another sooner or later. She is one of *my* industry greats, with an eye for detail and design that blows me away. Last fall, I started studying her work – her Shoot This, Not That workshop, the “Punch Drunk Love” editorial she designed for Southern Weddings, Jasmine Star’s shoot for Exposed – and she inspired a completely new approach to my work.
I started asking myself WWGL – What would Grey like? – and began to take a more active role in styling my sessions than I had previously invested. I created pinboards with color palettes and prop ideas, and started collecting inspiring sessions from my favorite photographers to share with clients so they could see what I was seeing. I began working with my clients beforehand to define locations and a story that reflected who they are.
In spite of my new direction, though, my goal has always been – and always will be – to create my art from what is real. In Matt and Kelly’s case, this was easy, easy, easy, because they often stopped by Whole Foods for a picnic on their way to the sea, and they often chased down Kelly’s hat when the wind blew it off, and Matt often stopped to pick up gladiolas for Kelly on his way home from work. But while the details make a huge difference for getting published, they don’t tell the whole story.
I always lose my clients to one another at some point during the session, and even when I’m choosing my shots, this is when the reality comes quite literally into the picture.It was Matt’s gently insistent love for Kelly – and her deep wonder at it – that took my breath away and made this session what it was. You have to have an amazing love, and Matt and Kelly do. I keep replaying the softness in her voice as she told me how she treasures their relationship.
I’m not going to post their full session here, but if you would visit Grey and leave her some comment love, I’ll let you check out the full reveal at The Girl in the White Dress. *grin*
FILED UNDER: Amazing Love, Grey Likes Weddings, Isle of Palms, Matt and Kelly, Published
SHARE:
I’m processing my Ross and Laurie shoot… my first couple (not engaged)… and I have several pix shot out in the bright, on a pier, like the ones above. But I’m losing the back-half of Ross’ arm to fade out and exposure.
It always amazes me how you can expose the heck out of pictures w/o losing clarity and color.
You are a diva!
And I always knew you’d be published soon! Proud of you friend!
Jenny recently posted..Monday Weigh in | Solitude
Jenny, that actually IS equipment. My Nikon D-200 loses the highlights, but I am always STUNNED at what my Canon Mk II recovers. It’s how I get away with such drastic overexposure. I actually have my eye on a new one this year that delivers even better quality. I’ve got this bee in my bonnet about shooting digital like film…
[...] so. But after yesterday’s publication post and my repeated Facebook and Twitter posts about my publication at Grey Likes Weddings, I began to wonder if I’m writing in a – loud – [...]
Kelly, this is by far my favorite shoot of yours yet. Your new attention to the image creation BEFORE the image capture definitely shows. Love the tones and the intentionality. Great work, and congrats on the publish!
Jennifer, thank you! I love hearing praise from you, because your eye is one that I totally love (and dream of having!). Amazing to have you here today.