Ambler Brown

Time to get back to posting on the blog.

2012-01-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

I recently realized that not posting to my blog in some time has been a mistake. My son has started a blog that is wonderful reading as he has set out to take various weekend adventures and write about his preparations and then the event itself. You can check it out through this link. http://weekendexploration.wordpress.com/

The image shown is from a wedding I photographed this past summer (click to enlarge). The joyful event was held at a 35-acre private home in Farragut, Tennessee. I LOVE photographing in natural light and there was a beautiful long hallway leading to the master bedroom, with a wall of glass along one side of the hallway. We asked the bride to stand in the hallway to set up the shot. Before I could turn around the two flower girls peaked out from the dining room doorway. This image was spontaneous from the standpoint of their presence. It was not planned for them to appear. That is the beauty of a happy wedding day, so much goes on that is not planned and it's such an awesome experience to "capture the moment".

Two other aspects of this shot were not staged but have been commented on by several who have seen the image. The home where the wedding was held belongs to the sister and brother-in-law of the bride. Notice their bridal portrait in the bedroom at the end of the hall. The second item is in the foreground to the right. I had visited the home with the engaged couple about three weeks prior to the wedding and took photographs for an engagement session. The day of the wedding, I had placed a digital frame on the table and it was cycling through a slide show from their engagement session. One of their favorites appears in the digital frame. It was a magical moment! Congratulations Melissa and Jesse!

Senior photo session in Knoxville's Old City

2010-07-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

I met Hamilton and his dad at the Crown & Goose Restaurant in the Old City area of Knoxville to take his High School Senior pictures. Hamilton is a family friend so I already knew a little bit about him. He attends Temple Academy which is a private Christian School in Knoxville, affiliated with Temple Baptist Church and Crown College. I say all that because he comes from a fine family. He's one of the young men we don't read about in the newspaper. He makes good choices.

I also knew Hamilton is into music so I suggested he bring his guitar. One of my goals in taking HS Senior pictures is to bring out the personality of the person I'm photographing. I also like to have some fun as we go through different poses and utilize the variety of scenic areas in the Old City. I think we accomplished our mission. He has a fun personality and I try to be the same way. I often say I'm still 17 myself. Kind of like Peter Pan....I'll never grow up!

I'll let Hamilton take it from here. These are posts from his Facebook profile where friends had seen the preview: "Aight! I want you to go to the same guy I went to! He did a good job! Ambler Brown is his name." Hamilton and I exchanged some comments on Facebook as well and his final remark was "Thanks! I think you did a fantastic job!"

Marketing Workshop for professional photographers. WOW!

2010-07-21T04:40:00.000-07:00

I've just completed a 2-day marketing workshop for professional photographers, hosted by Marathon Press. WOW!! Terrific group of top-notch professionals, they are the best in the industry. I enjoyed the fellowship with other photographers and oh, the ideas! Double WOW!!! My "to do" list has grown so much. Can't wait to get started!

Looking forward to a busy next four days!

2010-06-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Karen and I will be photographing Lesley and Gerald's wedding Friday evening at Dara's Garden, one of my favorite venues.

On Saturday morning I'll be spending time with some new friends taking outdoor family portraits. Then I hope PETA won't mind as Sunday evening I'm going to be shooting some horses. I promise, no animals will be harmed in the process. Hopefully, I won't either.

Then Monday evening I'm off to Camp Buck Toms 1st week of camp to take Troop photos. Camp Buck Toms is the Boy Scout Summer Camp operated by the Great Smoky Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America. Boy Scout camp is a special place where boys turn into men, summer after summer.

I sure hope the weather cooperates for all this fun in the great outdoors!

A magazine published four of my images. Now that's exciting!

2010-05-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

Drapery & Design Professional magazine, a trade publication in the custom drapery industry did a feature story titled "Peek Inside a Workroom" about Diane Preston's business "Diane's Interior Creations" in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The publication, Volume 2010 Issue 2, included four photographs Diane submitted with her story and one of the images was used for the magazine cover. Who was Diane's photographer? Yours truly, Ambler Brown! Landing my first magazine cover is pretty cool!

Speaking of Diane, in addition to the magazine feature, she also won a major award. "2010 Window Fashion Vision" Ingenuity Workroom Competition - Top Treatments 1st Place: Diane Preston, Diane's Interior Creations, Murfreesboro, Tennessee The images she submitted to enter the competition? Again photographed by Ambler Brown!

I don't know if I can stand all these accolades at one time, but it does make one feel that it's worthwhile when you get some recognition. Thank you Diane for submitting the images and congratulations on your outstanding and AWARD WINNING work!

Cover image used with permission of the magazine. In obtaining permission, I received the following note from the Editor Margie Nance: "We loved her photos for the magazine. Very nice work"

Spooky

2010-05-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Friday evening was fun! Bridgemore is a great place to go for portraits, especially when the subject is a docile pet like Spooky. Thanks Tammy for sharing your friend!

New website is now live! Awesome!!

2010-04-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

The transformation of Ambler Brown Photographer. Friend. is continuing thanks to the great people at Marathon Press. The new logo was developed while my son Toby and I attended a Marketing Workshop hosted by Marathon Press last August. Norfolk, Nebraska may be a long way from Knoxville, Tennessee, but it was worth it. They do it right! I've been the biggest delay in getting the new website up and running, but it's finally up and looking good. Thanks to Justin, Stacie, Linda, DeeDee, Mark, Bruce and all the wonderful Marathon staffers. You're the best!

A new bundle of joy for a special couple!

2010-04-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

Corbin was born Tuesday April 13, 2010 at 7:09 P.M. EDT at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. Congratulations to Mollie and Nathan upon the birth of their first child! I take particular interest in this event because I had the privilege to photograph Mollie and Nathan's wedding in September 2007 at World's Fair Park in Knoxville. Mollie's parents Teresa and Victor also entrusted me to photograph their daughter Maisie's wedding in May 2008. This family is special to me and I look forward to photographing baby Corbin within the next few weeks. One of the things about Mollie and Nathan that to me is just amazing....they have been sweethearts since third grade. It's hard to imagine but yes, love does prevail and Corbin has been blessed to be born into the family of some very special parents. Congratulations Mollie and Nathan! You're the best and I'm so happy to know you as friends. The image shown is a page from their wedding album.

Women Today Expo - Sunday March 21 Drawing

2010-03-22T05:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday drawing winners are:

April Anderson for a free Engagement photo session with 16x20 framed print.

Andrea Wright for a free Family Portrait photo session with 16x20 framed print.

Congratulations to you both! I will be in touch with you to arrange for your photo session. Thanks to all who stopped by the booth!

Saturday March 20 Women Today Expo

2010-03-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our two drawing winners!

Engagement photo session with framed 16x20 print goes to LeAnne Swails!

Family portrait photo session with framed 16x20 print goes to Kristi Buchanan!

I'll be contacting you soon to arrange your photography sessions. Thanks to all who stopped by the booth yesterday.

One more day and two more chances for lucky visitors to win. I'm looking forward to meeting a lot more friends today!

Women Today Expo - Friday March 19 Drawing

2010-03-20T03:33:00.000-07:00

And the winners are.........

in the Wedding/Engagement portrait category: Lesley Grimes

in the HS Senior/family Life Moments portrait category: Yulia Moore

Congratulations! I will contact each of you to arrange for your photo session.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth on Friday! Two more lucky visitors will be chosen in Saturday's drawing so stay tuned.

Women Today Expo - March 19-20-21

2010-03-18T18:26:00.001-07:00

Ambler Brown Photographer. Friend. will have a booth at the Women Today Expo this weekend. The location is booth #115 in the "Say YES" Wedding pavilion, sponsored by Skirt Magazine. We will be very near the "Fashion Show Stage" so many visitors are expected! I'm hoping to meet lots of great people interested in Wedding photography. The booth will also have information about photographing High School Seniors and Life Moments for family portraits. If you're planning to attend the show, please come visit the Ambler Brown Photographer. Friend. booth!

All visitors who stop by the booth will have a chance to win TWO daily drawings. Just fill out a visitor survey and let us know of your interests. Each day one lucky winner will receive a totally free Engagement photo session with a 16x20 framed print, AND another lucky winner will have their choice of a totally free photo session and 16x20 framed print for either a lucky High School Senior or a Life Moment Family Portrait. Each prize is valued at $350, so for the weekend counting two sessions with framed prints each day, over the three day show, that's $2,100 in value to SIX lucky visitors to our booth. We're not talking candy giveaways here. We're talking high quality professional photography and framed prints for six lucky winners! Stop by and see us. The winners will be announced each evening right here! Look for your name.

Christy and Mike's Wedding at Dara's Garden

2009-10-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

October 14 was a beautiful wedding day for Christy and Mike in spite of the iffy weather. Amazing how much rain we have been having, but it broke long enough for the ceremony to still be held outside. I really enjoyed this wedding as it was my first at Dara's Garden and also my first to work with the good people at One Enchanted Evening. A big thank you to Dara, Lisa and Brenda for all your hard work! You are all first class all the way!

The biggest 'funny' was the bouquet toss. In lining up to take the picture, I tried to tell the bride to move a little to her right. She didn't understand and made the toss right into the chandelier overhead. It dropped right back into her hands! See photo. I think I still hear all the girls laughing!

Precious moments!

2009-07-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a fun day it was Friday July 3 visiting in Cincinnati! First I met with Jennifer, a bride whose wedding I'll photograph on August 29. Jenn is not just any bride though...she is a very good friend and former employee. I first got to know her when she applied to work on staff at Camp Friedlander back in the late 1990's. It was so much fun catching up with her while we met at the church that morning. She was just beaming with excitement talking about her upcoming wedding day and all the plans she and her fiance have for their new life together. Great fun!

Then it was a short trip to Glenwood Gardens where I met up with sisters Regina and Rebecca and their families. Oh my...another walk down memory lane as we renewed acquaintances. I had worked with Regina for several years and met Rebecca on more than one occasion. This time I met their husbands and children for a photo session with both families. There is something about pretty girls that my camera just loves! You can tell by the image here, oh, but wait....I did not take this photograph! NO...this was taken by an able assistant, my youngest daughter Chelsea, who reluctantly took the Canon 40D with the 70-200m lens and captured some truly awesome candids as the children played. Thank you Chelsea! Great work! See, I knew it...you are a very good photographer dear!

Joy of Music School - Annie Sing-along

2009-03-07T02:38:00.000-08:00

What fun! Last Sunday I had the privilege to photograph patrons at the Joy of Music School's 2nd annual Sing-along fund-raiser. They show a classic musical film at Knoxville's beautifully renovated Tennessee Theater and invite patrons to attend and sing-along during the movie. What a novel idea! The venue is superb as well, with the grand lobby entrance in the old style of great movie theaters. Last year the film was "The Sound of Music", certainly a superb opener for a new event. This year they chose "Annie" and what a great choice! One reason it was a great choice is because they had "characters" from the movie on-hand for photographs in the lobby. That's where I had my fun....taking the pictures of "Annie", "Daddy Warbucks" and of course, the loveable "Sandy" with the many patrons who attended...most being children with their parents. The event was organized in part by CenterCityEvents, Inc. (who invited me) and of course the Joy of Music School. I had a wonderful time and hope they'll invite me back again next year. It was a terrific event for a great cause.

Moving - Bleh!

2009-02-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday. I moved on Friday. Bleh! I HATE moving! However, I'm excited about the new digs! It's very quiet, out in the country with huge fields behind the house. Birds are everywhere, so I'm looking forward to photographing more nature images as warm weather arrives and Spring unfolds. Yes, moving is not fun, but when you can improve from one place to another, its worth the effort. I also have a whole new office setup, which will be great for my work. I've already created a cool client viewing area with nice soft easy chairs and a coffee table to display albums. The walls will soon be covered with prints on display. I'm excited! Oooh, got to get back to finishing the Daddy Daughter Dance images. I promised delivery on or before March 1, so I've got to be sure to meet that commitment. More on the new place as we get settled in.

Knoxville's 1st Annual Daddy Daughter Dance

2009-02-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a fun event I was privileged to help with last night. http://centercityevents.org/ hosted Knoxville's first Daddy Daughter Dance at the Knoxville Hilton Hotel. They really weren't sure how it would go and ticket sales were only at 13 as of the week before.

So how was it? Really awesome! I was so busy start to finish! I photographed 155 dads with their beautiful daughters! Some were blessed with several daughters, including at least one set of triplets. Most were early teen to toddlers and CUTE! OH MY GOODNESS!!! The dresses were beautiful. The hairdressers and moms must have been busy all day Saturday. There were several with tiaras and they truly looked like little princesses. I honestly felt like I was in the presence of royalty!

I have to mention one couple though. The father was there with his daughter and she was just beaming with an ear-to-ear grin. I don't know their ages to be sure, but she was closer to my age than being a toddler. Dad was using a cane. They would have won an award for being the "most mature duo" but I could tell, they were having a great time and that's what it was for. Just a good, family fun time between a father and his daughter. My only regret was that my own two daughters couldn't join me. Maybe next year!

I haven't started processing photos yet, so I have none to post right now, but you'll see some on my next posting. Accolades go out to everyone who had a hand in making this a first class event and thanks for allowing me to participate! Great fun!

The Magic of Photoshop!

2009-01-24T04:49:00.000-08:00

I wasn't a photographer in the film age, at least not one who earned income from my photography. My father had a darkroom, enlarger, the chemicals etc. but for me it was just the joy of shooting then. Post-production work? What was that? In fact, I have no idea how editing was done then, if it was done, the way it can be done today. The digital age of photography is absolutely amazing! All the various software products available to a professional photographer can stagger your mind very quickly.

As a wedding photographer, I have learned to work very hard to anticipate the action and compose the shot in a manner that will allow the least amount of post-production work. Even still, the image may need some editing to create what the client wants to see in the final print, rather than what really happened. The two images shown illustrate that point. They also illustrate the magic of Photoshop. The client wanted the minister out of the final print. They also wanted the print to show the actual emotion of their first kiss as husband and wife, not a posed shot after the ceremony. SO, first you see him....then you don't.

Click on each image to enlarge and you will see the difference in the details of the edit. The print lab complimented me on the edited version. That made me smile and want to share!

Children are fun to photograph!

2009-01-17T05:42:00.000-08:00

Beyond the terrible twos, in my opinion is the terrific three-year old. Inquisitive, alert, bright, fun-loving, gullible...it's all there! A three year old child is like a lump of clay. You can mold it anyway you want to. Tell a three year old that if they stick their finger in a bowl of water a magic fish will appear and SWISH, in goes the finger! Then down goes the head to take a look see. "Where is the fish?" is the immediate reply from the inquisitive one. As a children's portrait photographer, we sometimes have to use a bit of subterfuge to capture that golden moment. High-key photography (all white background) is popular with parents because it illustrates so well the purity and innocence of the child. I love it! And yes, through the magic of Photoshop, the fish does indeed appear, albeit not in the eye of the child at the expected moment, but in the finished photograph that will soon be hanging framed on a famly room wall or standing on an easel on the fireplace mantel. Family portraits are priceless, especially those that capture our innocence.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

Receiving a thank you note.....nothing makes your chest puff out more than a great compliment from a happy customer. I received an email today from the mother-of-the-groom from a wedding I photographed during 2008. It reads....

"Hi Ambler, Tom and Susanne brought the album at Christmas and I am so pleased. I'm so glad I asked for help in laying it out, as I could have never been half so artistic. A friend just sent proofs of her daughter's wedding album, and you win, hands down! I appreciate your work. Judy"

I really enjoy creating wedding albums! This mother's email just made my day and has set the tone for what I believe will be a great 2009! Happy New Year!

Dolphin Days of Summer!

2008-08-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post. Summer can be a busy time for a photographer and that is an understatement. But you also have to take time out for family and the first week of August was incredible! A week at Corolla Beach, NC with 25 family and friends all in the same house! WOW!! I was up most days before the sun crested the horizon and was on the beach with my camera(s). The image I posted here I call "Dolphin Days of Summer" because it was the one day I saw dolphins from the beach at sunrise. All total I took over 2,000 images and yes, I'm still going through them trying to pick the best. A lot were family, some were posed, some were candid, many were sunrises or sunsets. Corolla is on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, just south of the Virginia border. The Atlantic Ocean is on the east side and Currituck Sound is on the west side, in places only a few hundred yards apart. Currituck Beach Lighthouse was also a subject in many of my images. Corolla is unique because the road was only paved in 1985, so much of the area is relatively newly developed. The beach was clean, the water clear, the patrons well behaved and all in all it was a wonderful vacation.

Group photographs document children's activities

2008-07-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

For the past five weeks I have been venturing west each Monday afternoon. An hour from my home is the Boy Scout's Camp Buck Toms, a 700-acre paradise on Watts Bar Lake near Rockwood, Tennessee. On Sunday afternoons a new corps of Scouts check-in for a week long summer camp experience. Most weeks average 400-500 Scouts, traveling from across East Tennessee but often including troops from as far away as Texas, Florida, Ohio and similar states roughly a days drive away. I have been a member of the Boy Scouts myself for more than forty years, and this ritual is not new for me. I served as a commissioned professional with the Boy Scouts for 32 years during my first career. Now I get to slow down a bit and document the fun that others are having, no longer shouldering the responsibility of being a Camp Director as I had many summers past.

Camp Buck Toms, according to some who have been attending for 25+ years, has not offered "Troop pictures". We changed that this year and it's been fun! We'll promote it more next year and hopefully get a greater response. I can't complain though because many troops did take advantage of the opportunity which made it worth my time and effort, even with today's gas prices. The Scoutmasters were able to pre-pay for print orders that I had delivered to the camp before the week ended. I also uploaded the images to my online gallery so they could be shared with family members in far off places. It has worked well both ways, with lots of pre-paid orders and a steady stream of online orders have followed each week's session.

One aspect the Camp Director and I talked about early on was how to identify the Troop in the photograph. At prior camps I have attended or served as Camp Director, the photographer would have a static sign with the camp name and session date, and the troop numerals would slide into plastic holders. It worked alright but the more I thought about the difficulty in painting a sign, finding numerals in proper quantity etc. the more I thought hmmm, there has to be a better way. Duh! We now live in the digital age when everything is easier! I asked the Camp Director for the camp patch. With my scanner I made short work of setting up the 'graphics' required to identify each troop. Everyone seems to be happy with the result and we're already planning promotions for next year.

As a side note to this, while working for the Great Smoky Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America, I had the privilege to serve as staff adviser to an event held in April, 2003. It was a reunion for former campers and Camp Staff who attended or served at Camp Pellissippi on Norris Lake. Camp Pellissippi pre-dated Camp Buck Toms as the summer camp facility from 1936 until 1977 when the dining hall burned. At that time all summer camp operations were permanently moved to Camp Buck Toms. During planning sessions leading up to the reunion, someone forwarded to me a copy of a photograph of the 1958 Camp Pellissippi staff. Among those lined up and smiling was Eagle Scout and former Tennessee Governor, past President of the University of Tennessee, former U.S. Secretary of Education and now U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. His mother had saved that picture all those many years and passed a copy along to share.

I hope two things come from this summer: 1) I hope another Governor, Senator or great civic leader will emerge from the ranks of our Scouts who attended Camp Buck Toms and 2) I hope lots of mothers cherish the photographs I took of their sons.

Respect for client's wishes

2008-07-10T02:49:00.000-07:00

I photographed a wedding in late June. She was a beautiful bride, the groom a handsome young man and the family was very friendly and cordial. It was a great day! The photos turned out very well, in spite of the challenge of shooting outdoors in bright sun with a mid-day ceremony. The venue was a private home and the 2nd challenge for me as a photographer, was abiding by the wishes of the client, that their photographs would remain private as well. Ouch! What does any wedding photographer want to do after a beautiful wedding? Show off his work of course! But when it comes to a paying client, the first rule of any retail operation is "the customer is always right".

I also understand that some people want privacy in their lives. Think about all the reality shows on television today, the various means of "identity theft" that have us all worried about our personal security. It's a different world today than when I was the age of this young couple. I certainly respect their wishes, so you won't see their happy faces grace this blog, my online gallery or my website. They are presently viewing their images through my online gallery, but it is set to "private" so the general public who might try to see their images won't even realize the gallery exists. It's cool that in this new age of technology, anything is possible. They're happy with my work and that's all that matters. Another beautiful bride, another happy client!

A favorite of mine - Gardens

2008-06-24T05:23:00.001-07:00

http://www.ambler.smugmug.com/gallery/4755677_6iei8

This link takes you to my online gallery and a series of photographs I took in April. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania is an incredible place to visit. Being able to photograph the experience and bring back images of the many wonders God allows us to enjoy in nature never ceases to amaze me.

In Knoxville I try to visit the University of Tennessee Gardens on Neyland Drive several times a year. This past Saturday was a good day to make a summer stop. The floral display is just incredible with Purple Cone Flower, 'Blushing Bride' Hydrangea, and mass beds of Petunias. The only thing missing is the aroma that you enjoy when taking a walk through the gardens.

Always a favorite of mine, I love to photograph in gardens. UT Gardens is also a very nice venue for weddings and an exceptional place for a formal bridal portrait. I hope to see you there on the other end of my lens some day soon!

What is the value of a portrait to a family?

2008-06-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

As my photography career has developed, I have gained a new appreciation for the importance portraits and photographs have for a family. When a family loses a loved one, the importance of that image is magnified exponentially. If you watch the television news after any kind of unfortunate incident, what is one of the first things that appears in the newscast? A photograph of the person or persons involved. As a photographer, I have already captured the final image of two individuals, that I am aware of. That is heady stuff!

As a photographer "doing my job" at a wedding, I realize the responsibility I have to photograph the wedding party, the guests, the friends and relatives........mmmm, the relatives? Grandparents are such an important part of every family, for so many reasons, so I try to be sure to always include the grandparents in as many images as I can. After photographing Mollie's wedding in September 2007, and then her sister's (shown below in my first post) eight months later, I was told just before Maisie's May 24 wedding that "granddad is no longer with us". Thankfully they have many quality images of 'Granddad' from the September wedding.

I witnessed a similar occurrence attending a wedding in August 2001 (though not as the photographer). A first cousin of the groom was killed less than a month later in the World Trade Center. I had noticed his wife, who was radiantly beautiful in a black sequined gown showing her 6th month of pregnancy, and commented about her to my own wife. After 9/11 we heard about this young mother's loss. We never know what the future may hold for us and who we're photographing. My responsibility to 'capture the moment' is huge, not only for the bride, but for the entire family.

All of this may seem a bit morbid, and I apologize if it strikes you that way, but it is a reality of life. Portraits and photographs of all our precious loved ones are so important today. This hit home with me through a couple of incidents this year.

In January my wife received a phone call early one morning, the kind we never want to receive. One of her three sisters had been tragically killed in a traffic accident. We called our three children, who all live away from home and they returned to attend the funeral. The morning of the funeral, before we left for the drive to Rogersville, we decided to take a family portrait, as we had not done so in many years. I also took a group portrait of my 3 children. A copy is posted with this blog. I could not be more proud as a father of the lives they are living, the talent and accomplishments that makes up each of my children. This photograph means so much to me!

The second goes back to the TV news and the tragic loss of life at the Little Sioux Scout Camp in Iowa, earlier this month. One family was so proud of their young son and his accomplishments as a Boy Scout, that they submitted a photograph before the media had even released his name. He looked so mature, standing all polished and rigid in his Scout uniform, having been photographed at a recent Court of Honor after earning a new Scout rank. That photograph means everything to his family and they wanted the world to know that they were proud of their son!

My point in saying all this....if you haven't taken a family portrait or portraits of your children recently, you should do so. Don't wait for the next wedding or funeral in your family to gather the ones you love so dearly and take their picture. A family portrait, taken by a professional photographer should be a cherished keepsake in every family. Make your appointment today.

May 24 Wedding of Maisie and Brian

2008-05-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog entry and what a joy to share a little about my Memorial Day weekend. I had the privilege to travel to Athens, Georgia to photograph the wedding of Maisie Anderson and Dr. Brian Frost. For the first time, my daughter Chelsea served as my assistant, and though a bit nervous, she did a marvelous job. I have now photographed a destination wedding with each of my two daughters serving as an assistant. Great fun!

The ceremony was held at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, which was a gorgeous venue on a simply beautiful day. Speaking of beautiful, the bride was every bit as stunning as her surroundings. It was a great day!

The thing that made this wedding special was the fact that it was my second time working with the bride's family. I first met the Andersons last fall when I photographed the wedding of Maisie's sister Mollie. It's very gratifying as a photographer to be entrusted with such a special day, not only by one but both daughters within a family. It was a great weekend and fun to work with friends. Thank you Teresa and Victor for allowing me to document another special day in the life of the Anderson family!

I'm spending this Memorial Day Monday slowly going through the images from Saturday and picking out the best to share with the Anderson and Frost families. I also want to take time to say thank you and pay proper respect to our service men and women who have served and continue to serve our great country. The freedoms we all are blessed with are not to be taken lightly. Thank you all, men and women of our Armed Forces!