Matt Andrews Photography

A Brand New Blog

2011-03-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

I have a brand new blog!

www.mattandrewsphoto.com

Thanks to everyone who has followed my posts over the years. This photo-journal has featured nearly all of my weddings plus my portrait and commercial shoots from March 2008 - October 2010. I'm picking up where I left off on a new and more dynamic blog which will allow me to better show off my work. I've been working more and more towards offering a hybrid of still and video coverage for my shoots and my new blog will feature both still and video.

My new blog will continue to serve as a session journal but it will also feature more useful content for anyone who may be planning a wedding.

Also, be sure to check out the Matt Andrews Photography Facebook page.

Regards,
-Matt

Website: www.mattandrewsphotography.com
Blog: www.mattandrewsphoto.com

Wedding Photography for Whit and Jessica at Houston Station in Nashville

2011-01-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

Whit and Jessica made a very handsome couple. They were married on October 30, 2010 at Houston Station in Nashville. To be precise, they were married just behind Houston Station near the railroad tracks. The ceremony wasn't interrupted by a train but it was a beautiful and unique ceremony with downtown Nashville in the distance and a rock a billy band complete with upright base playing beside the tracks! The staff at Houston Station was wonderful to work with and were very gracious to me even after I accidentally set off the smoke alarm with too much fog on the photobooth. It was a fun reception with lots of dancing and everyone had a blast.

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Matt Andrews is a Nashville wedding photographer who documents weddings with the intention of delivering variety through motion picture inspired lighting and unique processing. Matt Andrews Photography's mission is to make wedding photography fun for his clients while capturing all of the natural beauty, excitement, and emotion of the wedding day. He is listed as a preferred vendor at many of Nashville's premier venues including Belle Meade Plantation, Riverwood Mansion, and Belmont Mansion. With Matt Andrews, you don't have to choose between a photojournalism style of photography and a fine art photographer, you can have it all!

www.NashvilleWeddingPhotography.com

www.MattAndrewsPhotography.com

Tracy and Ben - Mt. Pleasant Tennessee Wedding

2011-01-17T01:11:00.000-08:00

Its been nearly 3 months since Tracy and Ben tied the knot on October 23, 2010 but I've promised myself that I'd get a blog entry up for all 40 of my 2010 weddings. I was doing great up until my 8 wedding October but now that I'm hitting the slow season, I'm going to add an entry for the last 10 weddings of the year.

The weather was nearly perfect on October 23rd so I was excited that we were going to get to shoot on a nearby farm for the pre-ceremony formals of the wedding party. There was a nice veil lifting breeze and some of my favorite shots of the day were the silhouette shots with the sun shining through the haze. The wedding party ate their lunches around a swimming pool before making their way back to the church where some nice local police officers were keeping the church lot clear since there was a festival in downtown Mt. Pleasant that day. This was a very simple church and I thought it made for some great ceremony photos but I'll post one of the shots of the groom seeing the bride for the first time so you can see the empty church.

We set up a lime green photobooth at the reception and after the children got some of the first photos they dragged their parent's back for more photos.

Ben is a race-car driver so the elaborate dirt track groom's cake was appropriate.

______________________

Matt Andrews is a Nashville wedding photographer who documents weddings with the intention of delivering variety through motion picture inspired lighting and unique processing. Matt Andrews Photography's mission is to make wedding photography fun for his clients while capturing all of the natural beauty, excitement, and emotion of the wedding day. He is listed as a preferred vendor at many of Nashville's premier venues including Belle Meade Plantation, Houston Station, Riverwood Mansion, and Belmont Mansion. With Matt Andrews, you don't have to choose between a photojournalism style of photography and a fine art photographer, you can have it all!
www.NashvilleWeddingPhotography.com
www.MattAndrewsPhotography.com

Wedding at St. Mary's in Downtown Nashville with a Hilton Garden Inn Reception

2010-11-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Courtney and Wesley began and ended their wedding day at the Hilton Garden Inn located in the Midtown Area of Nashville on October 16th. They began getting ready at the hotel and then the groomsmen and bridesmaids took turns heading downtown to St. Mary's for photos before the ceremony. St. Mary's is a beautiful and historic church in Nashville. It served as the first Catholic Cathedral in Nashville and during the Civil War it was converted into a hospital for Union soldiers.

After the ceremony the wedding party headed a block away to War Memorial Plaza where the bride and groom along with several of the bridesmaids actually risked damaging their dresses before the reception in order to get some fun shots in the fountains! I was really excited about these shots!

The reception at the Hilton Garden Inn was beautiful and there was a really nice view from the balcony where we were able to get a few more bride and groom portraits at dusk.

Following is a link to the proof site where the rest of the photos may be viewed and ordered.
http://pictage.com/927034

10/10/10 Wedding | Nashville Photographer

2010-11-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Lorna booked me for the popular 10/10/10 date this year. They also had 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen and 10 limos. Just joking about the limos but I'm sure there was 10 of something else ; )

They held their wedding ceremony at Riverside Chapel SDA Church with their reception at Belmont Mansion. The bride was beautiful, the flowers were really amazing, and everyone had a great time at the reception!

These expressions were as a result of someone knocking over a tall vase into the isle as everyone stood up for the bride who was about to make her entrance. I love the minister's expression! There are mishaps at every wedding and compared to the bride I once photographed walking down the street and getting splattered by a car driving over a mud-puddle, this one was pretty minor!

Timothy Demonbreun House and Downtown Nashville Wedding Photography

2010-11-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

Mike and Miranda were married at St. Edward's Catholic Church on Thompson Lane and held their reception at the Timothy Demonbreun House. The reception venue is a bed and breakfast and historic home located in the Wedgewood and 8th Avenue area near Zanie's comedy club. We set up a pink backdrop for the photobooth and picked up all of the pink flamingos from the pool area to set up on the backdrop for some foreground. I loved the way they turned out! We were able to get great photos all day but a high point was after the reception when I was able to spend 30 minutes or so with the wedding party on Broadway in downtown Nashville to get some wedding photos with all of the neon lights in the background.

You can find the rest of the wedding photos at the following proof site.
http://pictage.com/923923

Scott and Becky at Belle Meade Mansion

2010-11-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

Becky and Scott were married at Belle Meade Plantation on Friday, October 8th, 2010. Before the ceremony, I walked to the bridge at the entrance for some shots both above and below the bridge. I got several versions of the shot with the sun reflecting in the creek and a few cute shots of the kids dropping leaves from the bridge.

The rest of their photos can be viewed through their proof site at the following address.

http://pictage.com/923919

It was a great afternoon for shooting with natural light! It was definitely golden hour during my shots with the girls!

By the time the ceremony was over and the formal shots began it was very, very dark but I got a few backlit shots like this one above and I was pretty happy with them!

I really liked the flare I was getting from my cross lighting when I shot without my lens hood. Some of the children were blowing bubbles towards the dance floor during the dances and I like the way the flare mixed with the bubbles in some of the first dance shots!

HDR Shots for Property Owner's Portfolio

2010-10-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

I was recently hired to take some shots of the interior and exterior of 6 medical office buildings around Nashville. This is sort of an unusual type of shoot for me but I really enjoyed it! That is, all except for the getting up super early to get buildings before cars showed up. I used the HDR process in the examples below.

HDR or High Dynamic Ratio is a process that works especially well with buildings. To get an HDR image, you need to use a tripod and take multiple photos while bracketing to get different exposures. I set the shutter speed and aperture and change the ISO to get a perfect exposure and then overexpose a shot and then underexpose a shot. Then you layer the 3 shots using a script in Photoshop or any number of plug-ins such as Photomatix. They usually come out sort of smoky looking so it helps to raise the contrast afterwards and then you get images that look like the examples below. You can vary a number of settings to control how cartoonish the images come out.

I've tried this with portraits and it usually makes people look bruised or dead but if you are willing to spend the time in Photoshop, you can make a background look like this and then cut the person out of the shot with the best exposure and lay them over the HDR image so the background looks cool and the subject doesn't look like they were boxing before the shoot. That is always something fun to try to mix things up a little and give your clients a little variety!

Birthday Photobooth for Alicia

2010-10-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

I was hired to set up a Photobooth for Alicia's birthday party at the Standard at the Smith House. I had a blast fitting as many people as possible onto the background. In addition to the leaf blower, I brought a fog machine this time so I set my light on the floor for some monster lighting to go with the fog. A couple of those shots crack me up because they look like promo shots for a magic show.

The rest of the photos are located at the following proofing site.

http://pictage.com/938016

I was going to use Flickr but Pictage will work better since you can click "make private" if there is a photo that you would rather not have the world be able to see. You're much less likely to end up on a billboard this way! Alicia will be getting an image disk so you will surely be seeing the shots posted on her Facebook soon!

Enjoy!
-Matt

Ruthie and Kevin at St. Henry's

2010-10-15T02:47:00.000-07:00

Ruthie and Kevin were married at St. Henry's Catholic Church on October 2, 2010. I occasionally photograph the weddings of high school sweethearts but this couple went to the same grade school (St. Henry's), same high school (Father Ryan) and same University (Tennessee Tech). Ruthie told me that she and Kevin held hands on the swings in the playground when they were children so they decided it would be appropriate to do their wedding photos there in the playground and grotto. I discovered that Kevin and I not only both went to Father Ryan but were both Eagle Scouts who pledged Fiji in college. Half of Kevin's fraternity was there and I took a fun video of his buddies singing Don McClean's American Pie for the last song. The bride and groom didn't see each other before the ceremony and it was dark after the ceremony so we couldn't use any natural light for the photos but I found some pretty great spots in the church which had been renovated since the last time I was there. I'm looking forward to hearing how the newlyweds' honeymoon went. Ruthie won the trip to Hawaii as a contestant on the Price is Right last year.

Wedding at the Hermitage and Tulip Grove Mansion

2010-10-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Ryan were married on September 25, 2010 at the Hermitage chapel with their reception at Tulip Grove Mansion which were all on the grounds of the Hermitage, the historic home of Andrew Jackson. Its so much fun for a photographer to shoot in these old Antebellum homes because they were built before electricity so they are designed to give you tons of beautiful window light. Plus, they have gorgeous grounds.

The shots below were taken a week prior to the wedding during Amanda's Bridal Portrait shoot. We shot her bridal portraits at the Hermitage also. It was great shooting with all the time we wanted and we took advantage of the overcast skies and shot until it was close to being dark.

Following is the proof site in case you are interested in seeing the rest:
http://pictage.com/919220

Wedding at Smiley Hollow Barn in Goodlettsville, TN

2010-10-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

Amy and Stephen were married on Friday, October 1st at Smiley Hollow Barn in Goodlettsville. This was a really fun couple and an equally fun place to get married. There were old trucks, barns, a red caboose, put-put, basketball, fire pits, a huge dancefloor, and open fields. Smiley Hollow recently served as the set for the Hannah Montana Movie. They covered cracks all around the barn with garbage bags so they could shoot throughout the day and have it look like it was night time. They also filmed the fair scenes in a nearby field. Amy and Stephen took advantage of the great dance floor and put on a show for everyone to kick off the reception. We set up an orange photobooth which everyone seemed to enjoy. At the end of the evening, the guests lit off dozens of hot air lanterns during the big send off and the bride and groom left in the original police car from the Andy Griffith Show. It was definitely a fun wedding.

Following is a video of the last dance of the evening to "Lets Get It On" by Marvin Gaye.

Click here to watch a slideshow

Following is a link to the Pictage proofing site:
http://pictage.com/928525

Laura Cessna - Fitness Model

2010-10-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Laura is a signed fitness model and competitor in national bikini competitions. She works hard on her figure and hired me to get some shots to show it off but also, to get a different look than she has been getting. She says that most of her professional shots up to this point are taken in gyms and she has worked with some photographers that she isn't that impressed with. We went for some beauty shots that are a little different than what she usually gets. We started out our shoot in the country and took advantage of the big contrasty sky for some dramatic looking shots with the strobes in a dried up cornfield. Then we did some bikini shots at the lake and I used multiple lights to make the sky look even more ominous than it already did. Lastly, Laura's parent's own a Halloween Express so she brought a Cougar outfit to do some fun shots and we went to a lounge where I was able to get a shot of her looking up at a light fixture that was reflecting on a fiberglass backdrop and it looks pretty MTV / Lady Gaga if I do say so myself! We even got some silly shots of her shopping at Krogers with oversized sunglasses in the cougar outfit. She definitely turned a lot of heads.

Perfect Spot for Yoga

2010-10-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

I recently photographed Emily's wedding and she was nice enough to hire me again when she needed some portraits for her new endeavor. She and her husband recently bought a new house with a beautiful enclosed deck with a fireplace where she plans to teach some yoga classes.

Wedding at Clarksville Country Club | September 18, 2010

2010-10-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Cindy and Derek were married on September 18, 2010 at Clarksville Country Club and it was a beautiful day to get married! The staff at the country club were nice enough to stage some golf carts for the wedding party to drive around for photos after the ceremony and it really worked out well. We were able to make it to some beautiful spots along the course and not spend too much time shooting before getting everyone back to the party!

9-11-2010 - Nashville Wedding Photography - Cathedral and Houston Station

2010-10-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Derrick and Katie were married at the Cathedral of the Incarnation and held their reception at Houston Station. They originally chose a date in August but were having trouble finding venues that weren't booked but apparently lots of people steered clear of the September 11 wedding date. I think its great that they decided to create a happy occasion on 9-11 and it sounds like it was much easier for them to find vendors who were still available!

The ceremony was at 7pm and the bride and groom decided not to see eachother before Katie came down the isle so there were very few shots in daylight but I'd have to say that I'm very proud of the way I lit up the reception. All of the dancefloor shots and toast shots had great highlights and shaddows which created a little more depth than you get from shots with an on-camera flash.

Derrick has been a friend of mine since we were kids playing catch at the baseball fields so it was really great to be a part of his wedding and see so many old friends. Also, Derrick and his brother Jeffrey along with my friend Cory Sullivan helped me renovate my floors this year and my wife and I couldn't be more pleased. Those Truitt brothers are very talented!

Amanda and Collin - September 4th in Franklin, TN

2010-09-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Collin met while they were both vacationing in Las Vegas and it sounds like its been a whirlwind ever since. Collin lives in Connecticut and Amanda has lived in Nashville so the two held down a long distance romance while Amanda finished up her degree at Belmont. I've had a chance to connect with the two through Facebook and from what I can tell they have built up a lot of frequent flyer miles.

September 4th had to be the most pleasant weather for a wedding since at least April. I've grown accustomed to the summer heat and humidity but this was such a beautiful day. I took the wedding party outside for photos every chance I got!

The wedding ceremony took place at Clearview Baptist Church in Franklin, TN and the reception took place at the Old Natchez Country Club. One of the groom's sisters who works as a designer in LA made the dress especially for Amanda and she did a fabulous job. I love these weddings with big wedding parties b/c they all heckle each other and make it so easy to get great natural fun expressions... without me having to break out my terrible comedy.

We had a blast with the photos. I got groom shots with lasers in the hall of the youth area of the church, had the groomsmen do a variety of silly things on a stage, had the girls lounging in the grass and the sun, throwing flower petals, and then a short photoshoot on a golf green at Old Natchez just before they entered the reception and the twilight was amazing! Following are some that I couldn't resist posting!

View the rest of their wedding photos at the following proof site:

http://pictage.com/912304

Also, click here to view a slideshow of my favorites.

Amanda's Bridal Portraits in Franklin

2010-09-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Amanda chose to do her bridal portraits in downtown Franklin and nearby Pinkerton Park. We met at the Starbucks in 5 points place and then started at the church accross the street and took advantage of the colorful storfronts and afternoon light. One nice jewelry store owner who was already closed allowed us to come in for a few shots and I had Amanda stand in an empty window like a mannequin for a few shots which were silly but fun. Once we got to Pinkerton park I did my best to capture some beautiful sky in the background and light Amanda enough to overpower the sunset a little so we got at least 100 magic hour shots with and without sunflare. They were beautiful. Check 'em out!

The wedding took place the following week (Sept. 4th). I'll have more about that soon!!
-Matt

Bridal Portraits at Riverwood Mansion and Cheekwood

2010-09-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

I photographed Katie's wedding last weekend so its finally safe for me to post a few of her bridal portraits. I shot these about 2 months ago but the only shot that has been posted is the shot of the legs sticking out of the tub since you couldn't see who it was anyway.

More about the wedding to come. Katie is not only a gorgeous bride but a really sweet person and I'm so glad I got to be a part of her wedding to Derrick!

Neelley in the Beautiful Labor Day Morning Light

2010-09-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Neelley's parents booked me for her 1 year old photos while they were in town for the Labor Day weekend. We decided to shoot early around 8am since that would be when she was in the best mood. She nearly took her first steps while I was shooting her but as soon as her mom let go of her hand she would stand still. It'll be any day now. Just look at this happy baby! She was really fun to photograph!

Houston Station Wedding for Lauren and Tim

2010-08-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Tim were married August 21, 2010 at Houston Station. Our original plan was to venture out to Fort Negley Park to get some of the formals but it rained hard most of the afternoon so we decided to stay indoors at Houston Station. It turned out to be the perfect spot for a rainy day. The window light was amazing all around and they had several large walls with yellow paint and a few areas covered with burlap which I thought made a great backdrop. The band was great. The party was fun. The cake was delicious. The bride and groom looked like a million bucks. Check 'em out!

Lauren and Tim Proof Site:

http://pictage.com/901258

I Shoot Babies!

2010-08-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

There was a time in the not so recent past when I was turning down baby portraits. It wasn't because I don't like to photograph babies, but rather because I was so busy with my Vanderbilt gig. I hated turning down shoots and that is a big reason for my early retirement from Vandy. Now, I have plenty of free time on the weekdays and I'm putting the word out that I'm always up for photographing people of any age. After shooting baby Eva, I came home with a case of baby fever. Someone warn Sam!

Wedding Ceremony at Aerial with a Cannery Ballroom Reception

2010-08-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

It was such a blast to get to be a part of this wedding. Kevin is an old friend of mine from college and I spent the night on his couch at least a dozen times. I knew several members of the wedding party and at least one couple who attended the wedding as guests are future wedding clients.

I met the girls early in the day at the salon in Hillsboro Village and then followed them over to Union Station Hotel where they began to get ready. The room had amazing window light and we got some great shots of the girls in the bathrobes they were given as bridesmaid gifts. Also, this was the first time I ever heard of a charm cake and it made for great photos! Each of the bridemaids pulled a ribbon from the cake with a unique charm that they could each wear down the isle that afternoon.

It was hot so I did some shots of the wedding party indoors at Flying Saucer before we ventured out into the humidity. Flying Saucer was a tough place to shoot but I got a few really colorful shots on the pool tables. Next we piled into a giant limo and hiked to the top of the pedestrian bridge. We fit in a few more shots by Riverfront before making our way to Aerial. I photographed a reception at Aerial back in April but this was the first ceremony that I shot there and once again I was really impressed by Deanna and the staff at Aerial. The transformed the place overnight and after the ceremony it served as a really great place for the cocktail hour.

The reception took place at Cannery Ballroom. I've photographed weddings at Cannery before and love it as a reception venue. Its pretty dark in there so you can let the background disappear and not have to worry as much about distractions and there is plenty of space for my photobooth. I was able to set up a couple of strobes near the stage where the 80s band "Bueller" performed and did a great job filling the dance floor and making it easy for me to get great party photos!

The couple on the blue backdrop here is my Saturday, Oct 9th bride and groom!

View the rest of their wedding photos at the following link:

http://pictage.com/896041

Ali's Test Shoot - Riverwood Mansion, Capitol Grounds, BlueBar

2010-08-15T01:04:00.000-07:00

Now that I am booking photosessions throughout the week, I was excited to have spent Tuesday helping Ali put together a modeling portfolio to help her show off a variety of looks to various agencies. We started our session at Riverwood Mansion with the help of Stephanie Womack who not only helped with make-up and hair but went above and beyond to stick around for the entire shoot and helped us secure our final location. We stopped into BlueBar since we were going for a sort of edgier, shaddowy make-up look and couldn't have felt cooler when Stephanie knew the band performing and I had a chance to catch up to my old pal Brad who was bar-tending. Now, I'm hoping to get a chance to do some shots for Brad before his tour begins.

Best of luck Ali, you are beautiful and we had a blast working with you!

Fun Wedding Reception with Super T at Stones River Country Club

2010-08-15T00:35:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Hugh were married on July 31, 2010 in Murfreesboro's First United Methodist Church. I spent the whole weekend with them since I covered their rehearsal dinner and they not only looked great but they enjoyed their weekend the way I hope all brides and grooms do. They held their reception at Stones River Country Club and the Tyrone Smith Review (Super T) helped them pave the way for a great party!

Earlier in the wedding day we decided to avoid the heat and humidity by staying inside the church for all of the photos in the lead-up to the ceremony and this wasn't a challenge with such a beautiful church. There were amazing stained-glass windows and great window light, plus a beautiful stairwell and large mirrors. We made time for a few shots of the bride and groom and wedding party on the golf course before they made their big entrance into the reception.

Super T and his band were amazing. I'm blown away by his energy and the way they are able to get every last soul in the room to crowd the dance floor and fit half of the wedding party and their mothers on stage! I turned around at one point and noticed a guy standing on a table waving a napkin around and saw the smokers out on the balcony watching through the windows as though they hated to miss a moment! Twila and I set up a photobooth behind the bar and at one point our prop chest was raided and before I knew it there were people on the dance floor with top-hats, afro wigs, a viking helmet, and a woman was dancing with a football helmet.

View a slideshow

Visit their proofing site

Horses, Wedding Dresses, and Smoke Bombs

2010-08-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Kate's wedding took place in Birmingham all the way back on May 1st. Part of her package included bridal portraits and she decided she would rather wait until after the wedding so we could do some shots with the horses and not have to worry about ruining the dress. The mist in the above shot was from a smoke bomb that I tossed into the field. It turned out to be purple smoke so I thought black and white would be best.

Knoxville Wedding for Amy & Nick

2010-07-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

Nick and Amy were married on July 17th at Greystone Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN with a reception at Calhoun's on the River. The newlyweds live and work in Nashville but thought a Knoxville wedding would be appropriate since they met and fell in love at UT. Everyone was all smiles despite the heat and very gracious in letting me get so many silly shots in the children's theatre section of the church. Also, I bought a UT football helmet for the occasion and got some fun shots of the bride and groom wearing it and it was a hit at the photobooth!

Nick and Amy were referred to me by Nick's boss Matt Irwin whose wedding I photographed 2 years ago. Matt and his wife Michelle worked as the DJs for the wedding and I have to say they did an amazing job. www.irwinentertainment.net This is the 2nd time I've had the opportunity to work with them (other than their own wedding) and I would recommend them as DJs anytime. Matt was fun and engaged with the crowd from announcing the photobooth to having the guests circle around the bride and groom for their first dance and then to rush them for a giant hug which worked out great for photos!

Proofing Site:

http://pictage.com/878837

Click Here To View Slideshow

Wedding in Estes Park, Colorado

2010-07-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Kati and Mark were married on June 26, 2011 in Estes Park Colorado, just outside of the entrance to Rocky Mountain State Park. We were able to get some of the pre-ceremony portraits at a lake with Long's Peak (the highest mountain in Colorado) in the background.

This has been a big year for destination weddings for me. In past years I have had a couple of weddings in Knoxville, Chattanooga, or Oxford Mississippi but this year I have already shot weddings in 5 states and turned one down in the Hamptons b/c I was already booked. This is pretty exciting for a guy who loves to get away and discover great new locations!

Click here to see more:

Mark & Kati Slideshow

Amy Reed's Bridal Portraits

2010-07-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

I met up with Amy Reed for our bridal portraits on a Sunday last month. Earlier in that day I had found out that my grandmother had died and Amy was sweet enough to let us cut our session a location short so that I could go be with my family for dinner that night and I really appreciate her understanding. Following are a few of the great bridal portraits we were able to get in our short amount of time.

Click here to view a slideshow of the rest.

Wedding at Cathedral of the Incarnation and Noah Liff Opera Center Reception

2010-07-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

Jason and Jessica were married on June 19th at the Cathedral of the Incarnation and had a reception at the Noah Liff Opera Center. It was an extremely hot day so we scratched our original plans to do a pre-ceremony wedding party shoot at Centennial Park nearby. We stuck with the air conditioning which I believe was smart. The Cathedral is beautiful and there was plenty of natural light bouncing around since it was such a bright sunny day. This was my first opportunity to shoot at the Noah Liff Opera Center and I had a great time taking advantage of the amazing window light and balcony. Also, we set up a photobooth and they were nice enough to share some of the Opera Center's props for the evening!

Check out more photos at the following Slideshow:
Jason & Jessica Wedding

Julianne & Jady - First Kiss

2010-07-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Jady and Julianne were married in Bowling Green, KY at the Carrol Knicely Center. They decided to see each other before the ceremony so we had plenty of time to take advantage of Western Kentucky's campus for photos! It was a moving ceremony in which the bride and groom kissed each other for the first time on the altar.... then they couldn't stop kissing the rest of the night! There were possibly as many as 500 guests at this wedding who came to show their love for this sweet couple before they move onto this next phase of their lives. Soon after the wedding they have planned to move to New York.

View more of their photos at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/860053

Melissa and Ryan - Wedding in Lebanon, TN

2010-07-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Melissa is one of my wife's best friends so our whole family was involved in this wedding and for the 2nd time in a year, my daughter Sophie was a flower girl. It was one of the hottest weddings that I've photographed this year at 100 degrees and humid but everyone stayed cool during the ceremony and reception and we kept the outdoor photos to a minimum. The photobooth was a hit and the band at the reception was Super T (a.k.a. The Tyrone Smith Review). I first saw Super T when I was a student at Ole Miss over 10 years ago. I'm happy to say that he still strips down to his super T tights!! He helped make for some great photos and I'm excited that my August 7th wedding will have Super T entertaining also!

Wedding at the Nashville City Club

2010-07-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lauren & Nathan were married at the Nashville City Club on June 12. We had originally planned to shoot downtown on Broadway but it turned out to be CMA weekend so to avoid the crowds we started our shoot out at the Icon Condominiums where Lauren's parents could give us access. During the ceremony at the City Club, a helicopter roared by the windows and not long after a jet roared by on its way to buzz the stadium as part of the CMA schedule. I love shooting at the Nashville City Club b/c I love window light and it is really amazing to have the opportunity to shoot a ceremony and reception with such an abundance of natural light.

To see a slideshow with more photos, click on the following link:

Nathan & Lauren Slideshow

Jessica's Bridal Portraits

2010-07-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Just before Jessica's bridal portrait shoot at Cheekwood, we were given a warning that the day after our shoot was the grand opening of the Chihuly Glass exhibit so we would probably be dodging people in the background working on last minute set-up. We risked it and went ahead with the shoot and it worked out perfectly. I'm pretty sure we had the whole place to ourselves! The glass is really amazing! The Frist Center is also carrying a Chihuly exhibit this summer so check it out when you get the chance!

View more in an online slideshow by clicking here.
Jessica's Bridal Portraits at Cheekwood

Amy & Stephen Engagement Session

2010-07-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

Amy and Stephen will be married on October 1st at Smiley Hollow Farm. For their engagement session, I drove up to meet them on their family farm in Springfield. They plan on holding their rehearsal dinner in the red barn where we began shooting before driving all the way up to Kentucky stopping off whenever we saw anything interesting on the side of the road. There were windmills, barns (one painted orange with a large power T), and beautiful blue skies. I had a great time hanging out with them and I'm really looking forward to shooting their wedding. Also, I'm really grateful to them for inviting me back to shoot in their barn whenever I'm scratching my head for ideas!

Ruthie & Kevin Engagement

2010-07-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Ruthie & Kevin will be married on October 2nd at St. Henry's Catholic Church. Its been a big year for them starting with graduating and now they have recently moved to Alabama where Ruthie just landed a job. I had a lot of fun hanging out with them and I'm looking forward to shooting in cooler weather this October! We started our shoot at Centennial Park and covered about 50 miles of ground driving all the way up to Springfield before we called it a day.

Wedding Photography Access to Antebellum Homes such as Historic Elm Springs

2010-06-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Mary Grace and Tim were married on May 23 at Elm Springs in Columbia, TN. This pre civil war plantation house was a photographer's playground with great photo opportunities everywhere you turn.

There are many beautiful antebellum homes in Middle Tennessee that are popular wedding venues but the vast majority including the Hermitage, Belle Meade Plantation, Traveler's Rest, and Carnton Plantation do not allow the wedding party to have photos taken inside the historic homes. The no-photography policies are understandable considering that flashes can fade old paintings and light stands and tripods can scratch the floors and antique wall paper not to mention the damage a heard of groomsmen or bridesmaids can do as they stampede from room to room. This said, it is still a delight from the photographer's perspective when you get such amazing access to these old homes and all that they have to offer. With just a few exceptions such as Riverwood Mansion and Belmont Mansion, Nashville brides who want to be able to have photography inside an antebellum home will have more luck when they look as far South as Spring Hill where they will find Rippavilla Plantation and Haynes Haven or in Columbia where there are many historic homes including Elm Springs where I recently had the pleasure of shooting.

Following are a few examples of the types of photographs that may not be possible at most of these old venues. I have also included a link to the proofing site where you can view the rest of the wedding photos below:
http://pictage.com/844046

And here are a few others I couldn't resist posting.

Engagement Portraits at Centennial Park and the Old Spaghetti Factory

2010-06-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Courtney and Wesley will be married on October 16th. I've photographed engagement portraits in Centennial Park at least a dozen times and yet we still found locations that I've never used before. I always try a few things that have worked in the past but also try to stretch myself to get something unique. It was great hanging out with them on a beautiful day and I'm looking forward to the wedding.

View the rest of their images at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/848000

Save the Date on a Wall

2010-06-06T01:50:00.000-07:00

I drove around for at least an hour with Denisse and Dennis following behind as we searched Nashville for walls that we could write on without getting arrested. We finally found the solid gray wall that you see above. The words were not written with Photoshop. We used large sidewalk chalk. It was really raining the whole time but wasn't picking up very well in the shots against the gray wall so I Photoshopped in the rain on that second shot above.

View the rest of their images at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/841825

Radner Lake in the Rain

2010-06-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Nathan will be married June 12th in Nashville at the City Club. After the wedding they will move to Illinois where Nathan has already been living. Because Nathan lived so far away we didn't have the option of rescheduling due to the rain so I grabbed some umbrellas and we made the best of it. We started at Radner Lake and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Then they decided to just let themselves get soaked and handed me their umbrella. In the end, the weather made our session much more interesting!

View the rest of their engagement photos at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/841769

Dana & Joe - May 15, 2010 in Columbia, TN

2010-06-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Dana & Joe were married on May 15th in Columbia, TN. It was another rainy wedding but we were able to go outside for some photos just before their reception and take advantage of the gardens at the Polk Home across from their reception site of the Memorial Building. The tank was located at the American Legion across from the church so I had to drag the guys over there since I just finished
watching "The Pacific" on HBO.

The rest of their images are located at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/841213

Mandy & Michael

2010-06-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Mandy & Michael were married on Friday, May 14th at the Loveless Cafe Barn. We only had a little bit of daylight b/c the sky was so dark with rain clouds. Mandy was all about going out in the rain for a couple of shots with the umbrella despite the risk of getting her dress dirty. She was definitely a laid back bride and really seemed to enjoy herself all night! We got a lot of really fun dance floor shots and photobooth shots too.

Check out more of their photos at the following proof site:

http://pictage.com/839802

Emily & Jeff - Charlotte, NC

2010-06-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

Emily and Jeff were married on May 8, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Emily is an old friend and I've been looking forward to this destination wedding all year. I hadn't met Jeff until the rehearsal dinner but really had a great time hanging out with he and his groomsman. Jeff and Emily had been living in Colorado, were married in Charlotte, honeymooned in Hawaii, and then immediately moved all of their belongings to their new home in Charleston, South Carolina. They have been all over the map this past month but Emily tells me that a month later things are finally starting to settle down a little for them.

This was my 3rd destination wedding in 3 weeks and the first sunny wedding in 4 weeks. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. The fluff from the cottonwood trees floated all around throughout the backyard ceremony and lit up in the sunlight.

View more of their photos at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/838414

Kate & Chris - Birmingham, Alabama

2010-06-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

Kate and Chris were married on May 1, 2010 at the home of the bride's family in Birmingham, Alabama. This was the weekend that Nashville flooded but only 3 hours south, we somehow made it through the wedding without rain. I'd say we really lucked out.

I've become buddies with Kate through Vanderbilt over the past few years and one thing I have learned about Kate is that she knows how to put on a good party! I knew it was going to be a fun weekend when my 2nd photographer Chris Koutsis and I started our little road-trip 3 hours south and he let me know that he brought cigars! With horses looking on, we took advantage of the country settings for the formal shots early in the day beneath the constant threat of rain. There was a cocktail hour before the ceremony as the guests arrived and I was able to spend some time catching candids of everyone hugging and chatting. The guests crowded around during the ceremony, not in neat rows of seats but rather in a crowd where many of the guests had their arms around each other as they looked on. The dinner took place inside a barn that Kate's parents spent a lot of time clearing out for the occasion. Once everyone had plenty of cake the guests made their way outside where they could lay on quilts while listening to the band "Act of Congress." They had a Nickel Creek sound that really struck me as being the perfect choice for the setting under the trees.

View the rest of their photos at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/834742

Courtney & Brian - April 24, 2010 Wedding

2010-05-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

I flew to Albany, GA to photograph the wedding of Courtney Pinger and Brian Jones. It was slated to take place at the home of the groom's parents on the banks of the Flint River with a golf course at our disposal for photos! I woke up to hotel shaking thunder on the morning of the wedding and the sky could not have looked more threatening. Miraculously we made it through the entire wedding without rain. The bottom dropped out so soon after the bride and groom left in their limo that I wouldn't be surprised if it put out a sparkler. The weather was perfect for photography. I love shooting with wind. I love the even light you get when the clouds act like a giant softbox for the sun. I love contrasty clouds in the sky. I had a blast shooting this wedding.

View more of their photos at the following proofing site: http://pictage.com/827892

On a side note; I was on my way home killing time during a layover in the Atlanta airport when I ran into the couple (Matt and Regina) whose wedding I photographed the weekend before. They were on their way back from their honeymoon and I was able to check out some photos from their adventure.

Stephanie Surgener Senior Portraits

2010-05-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

I used to specifically shoot senior portraits for a living a few years ago for Michael's Photography Inc. which was based out of Smyrna, TN but which covered schools for a 75 mile radius. I was their outdoor senior casual photographer and I must have shot 2 or 3 thousand sessions in the 3 years that I worked there. It was an amazing job for me. I learned a lot, became much more comfortable directing people to quickly get what I want, and became familiar with off-camera lighting. Most people have a negative connotation to school photography and photographers but I am extremely proud of the work that I did for Michael's. Back then, before it sold out to the soul-less corporate picture Mill that is LifeTouch, it was a Mom & Pop that encouraged creativity and gave the photographers a freedom that I had never felt on the job before. I had guys that wanted to get shots with their classic cars so we would get smoke bombs to place behind the back tires and have them hang out to make it look as though they were burning rubber, awesome right! And I would have girls roll-up their jeans and creek stomp while their friends would toss boulders into ponds to create a splashy background! Basically, I will always love shooting senior portraits. So much so that LifeTouch better watch out. One of these days I'm going to offer them some competition and go after some of the schools that I used to frequent.

Stephanie's older brother Shawn had me take some portraits / headshots last year and it was great that he agreed to come to this shoot and assist with the reflector.

Anthony White Portraits

2010-05-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

Anthony is a gospel singer from Clarksville that met up with me to get some shots to use for his upcoming album art. We started out at the zoo and headed downtown after that. His brother in law Kenyatta and nephew James came along to help and I'm proud to say the shoot was a success! Now when he sells a bunch of albums and we have a bigger budget, I want to do another shoot with a choir decked out in robes in a set of non-church locations.

Matt & Regina - April 17, 2010 Wedding

2010-05-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

Matt and Regina were married on April 17 at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Franklin with a reception at Arial on 2nd Avenue Downtown. It was the first wedding ceremony at St. Andrews' Church since they added a new sanctuary and it is now one of my favorite churches for weddings because of the abundance of beautiful natural light and the soft blue paint on the walls. After the ceremony the wedding party was picked up in a trolley and I guided them to one of my favorite spots, the fort behind Pinkerton Park. We spend 20 minutes shooting wedding party formals before heading to a very lively reception at Arial. The place was decked out and candle lit and the wedding party came out dancing when they were announced. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a break in the dancing until 12:30am when they moved the party downstairs. I had a blast and we got some amazing photos.

Ty Carreker Portraits

2010-05-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Ty is a guitarist / singer- songwriter in Nashville who has recently transplanted from Detroit. We met at the Heart and Soul benefit back in February and only just recently had a chance to get together for a portrait session we had been planning.

John & Katrina

2010-05-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

John and Katrina drove down from Clarksville where they have been going to school to do their engagement photos downtown. They will be married at Wales Baptist Church in Pulaski, TN on July 24th. It makes me happy to hang out with people that are so visibly in love. Its one of the great things about being a wedding photographer! Couples can inspire me to want to go home and kiss my wife!

Ryan & Lorna

2010-05-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Lorna will be married on 10/10/10 and I'm looking forward to spending more time with them. What a great and photogenic couple they make. They met in college and Lorna has moved to Nashville to work as a physical therapist but Ryan still lives in Alabama. He will be moving to Nashville soon and I look forward to doing more photography together once he gets here.

Richard & Hillary

2010-05-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was flattered that Hillary and Richard flew down to Nashville for an engagement portrait session with me. They live in the Northeast now but their old stomping ground was Belmont University and the Hillsboro Village so we made sure to incorporate some of those spots into their e-session.

It was a hot afternoon and they proved to be one of my more adventurous couples in a while. They let me soak them in the fountains in front of the downtown courthouse! I was burning up at that point and had to resist jumping in myself.

Michael and Miranda

2010-05-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I have had a chance to update my blog so I will be brief in my comments about the next 10 posts. I hate to be so cliche' but I will have to let the images speak for themselves.

This engagement session couldn't have landed on a more beautiful day. I believe it was the first of 5 e-sessions in one weekend. I loved the way the shot in the Tulips came out. I posted it to Flickr and was asked whose flower bed we ruined. It was a spot that had already been pretty warn down at Centennial Park, I had them put their feet on the outside and had Miranda lay on top of Michael in an attempt to cause as little collateral damage possible. We may have killed one or two flowers but this photo will last so much longer than they would have anyway.

Amanda and Collin

2010-04-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Collin will be married on September 4th at Clearview Baptist Church in Franklin with a reception at the Old Natchez Country Club.

Collin had been planning to fly into town for this photoshoot for months and it turned out to be the most beautiful weekend so far this year! I don't know if they realized how much exercise they were going to get hiking around with me but despite the heat, they had fun with with each other in front of the camera and I think it shows through!

Amanda & Hugh Engagement Portraits

2010-04-09T23:47:00.001-07:00

Amanda and Hugh agreed to meet me downtown for their engagement photos last weekend. The first spot I took them to was an overlook with the bi-centennial mall in the background and Germantown just behind that. They informed me that they are building their house in Germantown and should be able to move in shortly after the wedding. I love that I get to spend such amazing two on one personal, get-to-know-you time with so many couples during what is sure to be one of the more action packed years of their lives.

This was the first engagement portrait session that I've held so far this year in which it was sunny. You would have thought a tornado was about to suck us into the sky at both of my e-sessions the week before and the two I had before that were both ankle deep in snow. It was great to see the sun! It is officially wedding season!!

Kevin and Stefanie - Engagement Portraits

2010-04-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in college, I was the guy that was always crashing on Kevin's couch. We had some good times back then and I've really been looking forward to catching up with he and Stefanie over engagement portraits. Kevin and his room mate Zach threw one of the greatest house parties I've ever been to. They allowed me to bring my fog machines and fog it out so thick that you couldn't tell who you were dancing with and while the band was playing and everyone was moving to the beat... the floor in their living room actually collapsed. That is how you know that the party succeeded and why you should never buy a house within a mile from a college campus.

The wedding is in August and I am secretly hoping that the floor will collapse... that is if it is a first floor reception ; )

Paulina & Mike Engagement

2010-04-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

Paulina and Mike were married last year in Vegas but soon they will be holding a reception in New Orleans to celebrate with everyone who couldn't make it. It was fun hanging out with them and dodging raindrops.

Jacob & Miranda - Wedding at West End United Methodist Church

2010-04-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

Jacob and Miranda were married on Saturday, March 27th at West End United Methodist Church in Nashville. It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day. Very different from our engagement portrait session in the snow just a couple months ago. I enjoyed getting a chance to spend time with their friends and family. They were all great sports as I distracted the guys on the ping-pong table and crammed everyone together on the photobooth backdrop. The highlight for me was getting to enjoy one of the best smoothies of my life at the reception and catching some shots of the wedding party on the playground after the ceremony. Congratulations to the newlyweds! I'm looking forward to hearing all about their honeymoon in Jamaica on our 3rd meeting/dinner at Boscos. I love traditions like these and making new friends through photography!!

View the rest of their wedding photos at the following proofing site:
http://pictage.com/813520

Vanderbilt Children's Hospital - Friends and Fashion Patron's Party

2010-03-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

The VCH Friends and Fashion Party took place at the Brentwood Country Club last night and I volunteered to set up a Photobooth to go along with the fashion theme. I raided my 3 year old daughter's dress-up bin for props and they were a hit! There were a lot of good sports at this event.

Complete Slideshow

You will be able to download any of the images free at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samandmatt/sets/72157623664934678/