Elle Golden Photography

Thomasville Landmarks Kentucky Derby Party | Events | Thomasville, GA Photographer

Elle — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:14:58 +0000

I was honored when a good friend and Executive Director of Thomasville Landmarks, Brent Runyon, asked me to run the goof booth at their annual Kentucky Derby Party this year! I came as a guest to last year’s event and had a blast, so I jumped at the opportunity to help this fantastic organization. Before the party kicked into full gear, I had a few minutes to snap some photos of the amazing decor. They really stepped it up this year and I couldn’t help thinking how cute a derby-themed wedding would be! Brides, go ahead and pin this now, because I’m sure you’ll want to come back to all the inspiration and eye candy!

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Then it was goof booth time! I’ve never run a photo booth outside, so it’s a good thing I brought my sandbags along because the wind was crazy that day (but not crazy enough to keep away some persistant GA gnats!). I think despite the heat and pesky little insects, everyone had a great time. Well, the notoriously strong Derby mint juleps didn’t hurt either…

Since Derby day fell on Cinco de Mayo, many guests showed up wearing a combo of seersucker and mustaches. But we had plenty of props celebrating both events for the guests. I dubbed the day “Cinco de Derby”!

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Wait, who’s that? Oh, just me (the Derby Queen) along with my prize-winning jockey (and another Thomasville friend), Alissa! She seriously cracks me up every time we’re together. Couldn’t have survived the heat without you lady!

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Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay past my shift to enjoy dinner and the always amazing Wiser Than Fools band due to personal stuff, but you better believe I’ll be back next year to party my face off! And I did missed getting completely dolled up and donning a fabulous hat like last year, so maybe I need to practice shooting in a ridiculously large hat between now and then?

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Did you do anything special for “Cinco de Derby”?

To see more goof booth photos and to order prints or downloads, click HERE.

Monday Madness | The Other Side of the Lens + Importance of Professional Portraits + Love Takes Flight | Georgia Wedding + Boudoir Photographer

Elle — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:47:53 +0000

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter! As for me, I’m now stuck in a house with entirely too much candy… It’s been a couple weeks since my last Monday Madness, so in the spirit of Easter, let’s “hop” right to it!

Last year, I had the chance to be photographed by the beautiful and talented Jill of Jill Higgins Photography. Like most couples, my husband and I only had professional photos from our engagement and wedding. So I was excited to finally have some updated photos since ours were going on 2 years old! I was also curious to experience what it felt like on the other side of the lens, since I hadn’t been there since becoming a photographer!

The one thing I wasn’t too excited about? All the weight I had put on from stress eating during my last job.

The #1 excuse I hear from people about NOT booking a portrait session is they don’t think they can afford them. This is followed very closely by body issue woos. Thankfully, Jill was offering free 10-minute sessions to her Facebook friends at the time. That solved any hesitation I had about our budget (we’d recently bought a house and new car and I was building a business from the ground up), but I was still worried about how that extra 25lbs would look on camera. I’m so glad I ultimately swallowed my pride and signed up for a spot. Especially after reading this:

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“A Letter on My Doorstep: Portraits Are More Than Paper”

And the result of that mini-mini session? 4 beautiful images! My chunky chipmunk cheeks and everything!

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Photo by Jill Higgins Photography

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Photo by Jill Higgins Photography

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Photo by Jill Higgins Photography

I didn’t just stop with the session. I made sure to print the images for our home and mothers as well. I’m so guilty of getting stuck in the digital world and never letting my personal AND work images see the outside of a camera card or computer screen. But I’m actively working on printing more of my photos. I don’t want to end up a hypocrite, telling my clients one thing but doing another. If you’ll remember, I talked about documenting moments and printing images in my first Monday Madness. And this photo here perfectly sums up why tangible prints, albums, and canvases are so important:

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The funny thing about the whole concern over my weight at the time? I’m actually proud of these images now because they show me how far I’ve come in my journey to health and fitness! And the experience of being on the other side of the camera proved invaluable as well. I’d forgotten how nerve-racking posing for professional photos can be!

I couldn’t imagine not having any photos of my husband before we met, my mother before she had me, or my future children before the official (and cheesy) school photos. So why should me and my family not have photos of ME, right here and now? That was who I was at that point in time, point blank. If you don’t like the way you look, I urge you to still get professional photos taken now because you don’t know the next time you’ll be able to. Then work on getting your body to where it needs to be. And if you can’t afford professional photography right now, that’s fine. But be sure you can’t afford it for legitimate reasons and not because you’re addicted to Starbucks and new shoes. I’ve experienced loss a few times and am so grateful for even the point and shoot, grainy film images I possess. Memories fade much quicker than a photograph. In fact, a photograph has the power to conjure up memories in a way our brains can’t do on their own. Please always remember the value of portraits beyond the monetary cost.

So Jill, thank you so much for those photos. I can’t wait to actually pay you for a full session next time! You’re worth it and then some!

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That’s my girl Jill on my right in the cute dress!

Now speaking of Jill, the last thing I want to share with you today is something she created. I’m just lucky to be a part of it.

If you know me at all, you know how much I love to travel (even if it’s just a few hours away). I’m hoping to expand into the destination wedding photography business to combine my love of photographing weddings with travel, so when Jill asked if I’d be interested in joining a team of creatives who specialize in destination elopements, I was ECSTATIC. So if you’re planning to turn your wedding into the honeymoon and/or what no mess or stress so you can get straight to the marital BLISS, let me know or contact us through the Love Takes Flight website! If you don’t see a package that’s right for you, we can custom-create one! All you have to worry about is updating your passport and figuring out what to pack.

To be quite honest, if I had to do it all over again with the 20/20 hindsight of planning a wedding, this is exactly the sort of thing I would have looked for! Save the money and book a flight to Paris to get married and start the honeymoon! (Which speaking of, a Parisian elopement is coming to the site VERY soon. *winkwink*)

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Love Takes Flight: Affordable Destination Wedding Packages

Brides (and grooms!), check out the LTF Facebook Page for some fun contests and special announcements! And for everyone else, please let me know if you’re interested in sharing the Love Takes Flight initiative on your site, blog, or magazine/newspaper. We’re hoping to spread the word and get people to their honeymoons as soon as possible!

Happy Monday everyone!

Russell + Shay | Wedding | Thomasville, GA Wedding Photographer

Elle — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 02:47:49 +0000

One of the good things about being so far behind on the blog is that I get to update you on what’s happening in my clients’ lives. I’m especially excited to share this wedding because this couple is now expecting a little bun in the oven! Crazy that it’s been almost a year since I first got Russell and Shay in front of my camera for their engagement session!

I loved this wedding not only because I have personal connections to so many involved (the bride’s sister was one of MY bridesmaids), but also because it was held in my hometown. Ahhh, nothing like sleeping in your own bed after a long day of photographing a wedding!

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Mimosas for the bride!

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Shay’s wedding dress was stunning. I loved all the lace detail!

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Shay and Russell’s wedding colors were blue and orange. I’m sure she was compromising with her soon-to-be-hubby on that once since she’s a Bulldog fan and he’s a Gator fan.

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I’m going to dog-nap Cotton, Shay’s brother’s linen Labrador. I have chocolate and black Labradors, so this cute little guy would fit in perfectly at my house! Especially since he’s a ham that wanted to be in front of the camera no matter what, whether that meant donning a suit or following me outside when I was testing the light for a photo location!

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Russell and Shay held their wedding reception in the Upchurch Building in downtown Thomasville (also known as the Business Exchange building). For those of you familiar with my reporting days, I used to work on the first floor in the WALB office. I was THRILLED when I found out the couple would be partying the night away in this amazing building!

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Russell’s groom’s cake was ah-mah-ZING.

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Russell and Shay were married in the First Baptist Church on Broad Street. It’s a gorgeous building that presented a couple challenges: no flash photography and no center aisle! I definitely had to pull the creativity card out for this one!

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Everyone walked in on the left aisle, but they walked out down the right one! I didn’t know until they started, so I had to dash back through the narthex to get the shot on the right. *WHEW* Just made it!

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Months later, I STILL crack up whenever I see this shot!

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What a beautiful group of ladies!

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Since Russell and Shay opted out of a first look, we snuck away during the cocktail hour to grab a few formals and give them some private time.

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Yup, I still regret not digging into that candy bar. And that sign? Shay’s sister-in-law made it after being inspired by a Pinterest pin. It’s just a hobby store canvas with letters glued on and spray-painted white!

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Russell and Shay were gracious enough to allow me to bring along and test a new photobooth I planned to start offering my clients. It worked near-flawlessly in a pitch black room off the main reception and offered some extra wedding fun. It’s currently undergoing a redesign, but let me know if you’re interested in having it at your wedding!

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A little liquid courage before the dance floor opened…

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And speaking of that ‘liquid courage’, it’s what gave all of us the bright idea to attempt a cool photo with the leftover sparklers from their big exit. Yeah….not such a great idea. But it did provide for some funny images after the fact! (And no, no one was harmed in the making of that photo!)

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Sparklers down, video light in!

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Russell and Shay, thank you so much for allowing me to photograph your wedding. And HUGE congratulations again on little baby Schie! Can’t wait to meet him or her!

Shout Outs:

Venue: First Baptist Church
Reception: Upchurch Building/Business Exchange
Catering: Gay’s Food
Music: DJs To Go – Oby Graham
Sweets: Yes, It’s Cake!
Fleur + Decor: Walden’s Flower Shop
Hair + Makeup: DIY
Wedding Dress: Oleg Cassini

Miss J | Boudoir | Atlanta, GA Photographer

Elle — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:35:48 +0000

Believe it or not, but Elle Golden Photography photographs more boudoir sessions than any other portrait session. You don’t see much of these on the blog because of their sensitive nature (we’d never post these photos without our clients’ consent). But we do offer an incentive for the ones willing to share their images for others to see what a boudoir session is all about. And I must say, I love helping women discover the beauty on the outside they sometimes forget they have.

I was so thrilled when Miss J gave me the go-ahead to blog these images from her session! She hired me to do the shoot and create a little black book for her husband’s 1st anniversary gift {aka “paper”}. That’s just about the sexiest gift I could imagine!

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More after the jump!I absolutely LOVE Miss J’s look. She reminds me of Mad Men’s Joan. Her house made the perfect backdrop to the session and added that personal touch to the finished album. And the pup? Had to sneak her in a few shots as well.

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Miss J is a dancer which totally shows in this next image. So graceful from her fingertips to her toes!

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Another personal touch? The hair flower she wore on her wedding day!

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Boudoir sessions can take all forms. Sexy lingerie, retro pinups, full babydolls to add a bit of mystery, or sports jerseys and/or men’s shirts for a more playful look. I love when my clients have a few outfits to choose from and especially love when they fit their personalities!

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Thanks so much for allowing me to share your session Miss J!

If you’re interested in a boudoir session but have questions, shoot me an email using the contact form above. I’d love to ease your fears!

Friday Features | Style Me Pretty + The Hunger Games | Georgia Wedding + Boudoir Photographer

Elle — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:37:28 +0000

Wow. What a crazy week it’s been.

I’m sure you’ve noticed I haven’t updated the blog this week. Well, I kind of haven’t had to. As I worked away shooting a fun engagement session in Thomasville and designing some client albums this week, several online blogs featured my work!

I’m especially proud of one of the them.

You see, I set this goal for myself at the beginning of the year. It was quite simple: have my work featured by my favorite blog, Style Me Pretty. So when I got news Tim and Christina’s lovely Parisian-inspired wedding was accepted to SMP Georgia, I.Freaked.OUT. Seriously. I opened the email, scanned to the word “congratulations”, and broke down with happy tears.

I’m approaching my 1st anniversary of shooting weddings and can’t believe the progress I’ve already made. Even more, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such amazing clients with stunning weddings who trusted me early on in my career. In fact, Christina is my very first {paid} wedding client! I actually didn’t think about it that way until I began writing this post. It’s really just now sinking in how this career I’ve chosen is already coming full circle and providing me with unfathomable happiness. I want to be an investment to ALL my brides, so I will continue pushing myself to learn and become a better artist.

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Please click through to the SMP post and leave a comment for Tim + Christina!

As if the SMP post isn’t enough, I’ve also been featured for the styled shoot I put together recently! The entire world has caught the Hunger Games bug and I wasn’t immune. So when I was thinking about trying my hand at a styled shoot for practice (along with practicing some new lighting techniques), I decided to go all out and do a Hunger Games-themed engagement session. Little did I know it would be such a hit with everyone else! Huge thanks to Fab You Bliss, Done Brilliantly, and Killer B. Designs (our save the date designer!) for featuring my work!

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Fab You Bliss Hunger Games Feature

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Done Brilliantly Hunger Games Feature

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Killer B. Designs Hunger Games Feature

I’m headed to Columbus, GA for the weekend to hang out with friends and see the Hunger Games again. But when I return I have so many goodies to share, including the full HG styled-shoot! Have you seen the movie or read the books? I have and I totally dressed as Katniss for the opening night. NOT ASHAMED.

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The Bakers | Maternity | Fort Valley, GA Photographer

Elle — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:21:29 +0000

I’ve known Adrian since middle school. We became quick friends when we both joined the cheerleading squad. I remember launching her into the air during our basket tosses, learning how to throw a back-handspring together, making up cheer routines in her backyard, and congratulating each other on our UCA All-Star awards. But then we graduated high school and I went north to UGA and she went south to St. Augustine for PT school. We stayed in contact through Facebook, but I was so happy when we got the chance to catch up in person during her maternity session!

Adrian has got to be one of the cutest pregnant woman to ever walk the planet. That bump just suits her!

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Adrian brought along her hubby, Jason, to share in the experience. He was a little shy in the beginning –not having taken professional photos since their wedding years earlier!–but once we got going, he definitely turned on the charm for the camera!

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It’s so easy to see how excited Jason was for his little BOY to enter the world!

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Jason and Adrian had access to the most incredible piece of land through their friends who own Lane Southern Orchard. I swoon every time I look through these photos.

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I love the photo on the right. The hint of John Deere tractor in the background is perfect in a maternity photo for a couple expecting their little southern boy!

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How divine is that light? That day’s weather couldn’t have gotten any more perfect!

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These next two shots aren’t technically “good”, but I simply adore them because we were all laughing so much I couldn’t keep the camera steady. So the blurriness reminds me of that moment. I love laughing with my clients!

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And these next shots? Yeah…Jason was definitely telling us about finding a snake in that grass recently!

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Growing a human and still rocking it out in heels…on an uneven railroad track! That’s the Adrian I remember from high school!

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Seriously, this land had infinite places to shoot and I loved each one!

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Adrian, you’re absolutely gorgeous already…but add that baby glow? It’s just not fair! (I’m throwing a virtual temper tantrum. Hey, consider it practice for when that bouncing baby boy throws his own!)

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Can I bottle up that light and location to use on every shoot?!

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No, I did not Photoshop this image. Adrian’s bump really is that perfect.

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So I’ve already told you the Bakers were expecting a boy. Any guesses on the Baker baby name? Here’s a hint:

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…

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BRYANT! Even as a Georgia fan, I think it’s an adorable name (and it has more meaning than just the Alabama tie). This cute little car is actually from Jason’s groom’s cake and is now one of baby Bryant’s toys!

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And this sock monkey? Adrian’s nana made it! Love it when clients incorporate personal props!

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Besides the amazing backgrounds and light, the property was called Mayberry after the Andy Griffith Show. Every road or barn or sign had a Mayberry reference. Loooove it!

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We topped off our amazing session with some fun silhouette shots.

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If you keep checking in on the blog, I bet you’ll see little Bryant’s cute face soon.

Monday Madness | Zombies + Photog Friends + Hunger Games Inspiration | Georgia Wedding + Boudoir Photographer

Elle — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:15:27 +0000

Whew. I have a busy busy week ahead of me. I’ll tell you my plans in a moment, but first, can we please talk about last night’s The Walking Dead finale?! Okay okay, I won’t give away any spoilers. But I will say this: If I’m ever caught in a zombie apocalypse, I hope there’s a Daryl Dixon around and not a Karl or Lori.

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Speaking of zombies, film makers seem to love Georgia as their backdrop in those movies. This does not bode well for someone (*cough*ME*cough*) living in Georgia. But don’t worry, I’m going to be prepared when (no ifs in my mind of an impending zombie apocalypse) the zombies arrive. The first thing I’d do is move in with these folks. No Hershel farm for me, noooo buddy.

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Random facts tying me to zombies:

My niece attends the school featured in a couple Walking Dead episodes. Most of this season was filmed not far from my brother’s house.
The theme park featured in Zombieland is one I’ve frequented since it was just a petting zoo. I recognized it while watching the film and had to immediately Google the film locations to be sure I wasn’t imagining things.
A bus shown in Zombieland is from UGA’s old fleet of buses of which I used to drive part time while I attended classes there!

Alright, last thing about zombies. I saw these awhile back but thought it would be worth sharing here. How awesome is this engagement session turned zombie attack?! I love when couples really get into their engagement sessions and plan out special props or ideas that express their personalities.

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Okay, enough with all the zombie talk before I scare myself. I promised to share my plans for my busy week! Well, tomorrow I’m excited to be eating lunch with several members of our south Georgia photographers’ group. I’m still being introduced to fellow ‘togs since I’m the newbie, but everyone seems incredibly nice and willing to help each other out. I’m so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone and contacted these amazing photographers to meet up. Now I look forward to forming bonds with them, learning from each other, and having each other’s backs in emergencies. In fact, one of them is helping me with a very special project later today (more in a minute on that). Here’s a photo of some of us Thomasville photographers from our December dinner at Paulie’s Pizza:

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And here’s a photo from last Thursday’s Art Off the Wall event with some of the girls:

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SO. Who else is so excited about the Hunger Games they could tinkle their pants? Yes, I just said I could pee my pants I’m so excited about this movie coming out on Friday. You better believe I pre-ordered tickets and set up a date night with friends to be sure I don’t miss it. And I’m positive I’ll go see it more than once.

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I read all 3 of the Hunger Games books in less than a week. Obsessed would be an understatement to describe how I feel about this fantastic book series.

When I returned from WPPI, I had all these newfound creative juices flowing. So I decided I needed to channel it into something and knew immediately what that something had to be. A styled shoot inspired by Hunger Games! It would be a chance for me to practice some new skills AND express my love for the books. I turned to Pinterest to help me visualize the ideas collecting in my head and created this Hunger Games board:

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After a couple weeks of planning, I can finally announce today is the big shoot day! I’ll be headed to Valdosta, GA soon to photograph my very own Peeta and Katniss! I’m so excited to see my interpretation of their engagement session come to life. And I’m equally excited to be working with a great group of my peers in the wedding industry.

Stay tuned for a few teasers from the shoot. If you’re not a fan of our Facebook page, now is the best time to “like” it!

Speaking of teasers, how about a couple from what’s to come this week (besides the Hunger Games styled shoot and Adrian’s maternity session I never got around to blogging last week)?

Russell + Shay | Wedding | Thomasville, GA

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Philip + Amanda | Engagement | Stone Mountain, GA

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Matty + Maria | Engagement | Roswell, GA Photographer

Elle — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:30:35 +0000

Before I start this post, let me announce the winners of our Starbucks gift cards! I originally planned to give out only 3 cards, but since 4 people entered, I didn’t want to leave one person out. So congratulations Katie, Karen, Brittney, and Mariko! Maybe the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on you? You’re ALL getting an e-gift card so you can fuel up on some yummy caffeine! [EDIT: Apparently I can't count. We actually had FIVE ladies enter! So extra congrats to Sunny. You get a $10 gift card as well!]

One more note before I continue: I’m on the road and trying to stay on top of blogging, so I’m typing this from my iPad. Please excuse any crazy misspellings or grammatical errors. The other side of this blog isn’t very iPad-friendly, so I hope you bear with me and don’t judge too harshly.

Okay, on to the really good stuff!

It has been awhile since I featured anengagement session, so I thought I’d introduce you to a really fun couple, Matty and Maria. Maria is a beautiful Puerto Rican-Italian who fell hard for a country boy…but not just any country boy. Matty had a bit of a bad boy edge with his spider web tattoo and even sported a lip spike when they first met!

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But a few tattoos and a lip spike didn’t scare Maria away. In fact, 7 years later they were talking marriage.

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But before any wedding comes the proposal, and I simply adore Matty’s thoughtfulness when planning how he’d pop the big question. If you’ve ever seen the show “Mike and Molly” (one of their favorites shows at the time), you’d know about the banner in the opening credits. Matty recreated the banner tosymbolize the opening credits of their new lives together. He then hung it by their door and waited for Maria to come home from work. When she finally arrived after a looong 30 minute wait, Matty was waiting with a cake from her favorite bakery and a ring! Rumour has it Maria’s grandmother who was present for the entire proposal took photos of it, but since Maria claims to have had an ugly cry face (despite NEVER getting emotional and dying at sappy stuff), only a select few people on this planet have ever seen the photos. I honestly can’t imagine Maria looking “ugly” ever, so I’m challenging the validity of these claims and demand to see those photos for myself!

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One of Matty and Maria’s favorite past times is spending time with their furbaby, Leah. She was quite the little model at their engagement session at Roswell Mill! Blue Steel alert!

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I love this next series of photos. Matty and Maria pride themselves on being the comedic relief, goofy-type of couple. Well that’s perfect for me because I’m the exact same! I gave Matty the prompt to “approach Maria like you’re in a bar and be real cheesy about it”. Sort of a “You come here often?” deal. And he went all out, but I don’t think she was buying what he was selling! Good thing he’s *thisclose* to locking it up in real life!

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My clients almost always choose their session locations and this is why. I’d never been to Roswell before but Maria knew of this amazing park! I would have never known it existed otherwise. I think it fit their laid-back, easy going personalities perfectly. Plus, Leah loved getting a good nature walk out of it!

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Okay, can I take a moment to point out the already obvious fabulousness of Maria’s hat?! LOVE.

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This next series is Matty and Maria doing what they love most, being silly with each other. I call it “The Evolution of Love”.

Boy meets girl…

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Boy woos girl…

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Boy seals the deal!

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One thing I lovelovelove about these two is if they’re arguing, one of them will randomly blurt, “Stop flirting with me!” to elicit a laugh from the other and ease the tension. It’s something I think I’ll have to try with my hubs! Bonus cute points: they’re total pinky promisers!

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I just HAD to sneak in this last shot. It’s an outtake from their “Evolution of Love” shots and perfectly sums up how fun these two are together.

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Matty and Maria, May cannot get here soon enough! I look forward to more fun and silliness at your Savannah wedding!

Monday Madness | Instruments from Inside + Neon 90′s Kid + a Starbucks KISS | Georgia Wedding + Boudoir Photographer

Elle — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:48:26 +0000

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Most of mine was spent enjoying not having to travel anywhere. The rest was spent setting up a really fun shoot (that I’ll let you guys in on next week) and being scared to death by The Walking Dead (next week’s episode is going to be INSANE).

Okay, see why I’ve named this series “Monday MADNESS” yet? I get a little off-topic sometimes…

Anyhoo, because I haven’t been blogging much, I haven’t had the chance to tell you about a little award I won recently! I was so thrilled to find out I’d won a $100 Starbucks giftcard from KISS wedding books for one of my wedding album designs! But I actually didn’t find out from them first. I happened to be checking my Twitter account while in Vegas for WPPI and noticed a couple people congratulating me for my album designs. It wasn’t until a day later that I found this email from KISS!

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$100 in Starbucks is a LOT for someone who lives 30 miles away from the nearest Starbucks. So I decided I’m going to share it with you! Simply leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win 1 of 3 $10 eGift Cards to Starbucks! I’ll announce the winners Friday. Be sure to include your email address when leaving the comment. Comments are moderated, so don’t worry if you don’t immediately see yours show up.

After you’ve left your comment, click the link below to see the winning album design! Bonus: It’s also a sneak peek into a wedding being currently being considered for online publication.

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KISS February Showcase Winner

I love seeing unique takes on photography. I was blown away when I saw this gallery on images taken by photographing the inside of instruments.

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I was equally blown away (alright, by laughter) when I saw a set of funny Splash Mountain photos. I chose to feature this one since it’s wedding-related, but you MUST click over to see the rest. Bloody BRILLIANT.

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I’ve been on a neon kick lately. I’m already attracted to anything that sparkles or shines (like a stinkin’ seagull!), so why not be attracted to other loud objects? Now who’s going to wear some neon for their engagement session to satisfy my needs?!

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All sources found HERE on Pinterest

I must share another Pinterest find. This is so amazing. I loved being a 90′s kid and really miss these shows! (Okay, I confess, I still watch PBS cartoons like Arthur, Clifford, and Martha the Talking Dog. Don’t hate.)

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Speaking of being a kid, I’m completely obsessed with Draw Something. @ellegolden if you want to guess awesome drawings like this one. A regular Picasso, I am.

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I was up late blogging and randomly came across this video of a Vegas shootout I did last year! I didn’t even know it existed until now. It doesn’t show any shots of me since the videographer was only at the morning session (which is why I didn’t know of a video), but it definitely captures the essence of the day.

Bella Signature Design (Las Vegas Desert Photoshoot) from andrew msv on Vimeo.

Finally, a few teasers from what’s to come this week on the bloggity!

Matty + Maria | Engagement | Roswell, GA

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Jason + Adrian | Maternity | Fort Valley, GA

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Michael + Meg | Wedding | Atlanta, GA Wedding Photographer | Part II

Elle — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:00:56 +0000

When we left off in Part I of Michael + Meg’s wedding, they’d just boarded the Tech Trolley to their reception at the Foundry at Puritan Mill.

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They decided to get the party started early with one of my favorite beers, Blue Moon.

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Meg arrived looking like a bridal rockstar!

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While Lauren and the third shooter set up the reception lights, I captured the cocktail hour. I adored the set up for the table seating. Michael and Meg had photos displayed from their families’ weddings. I love seeing personal touches like that!

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I try to be a “fly on the wall” when I’m photographing weddings, but these two caught me in the act!

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Meg and Michael opted for a 4-piece band for the cocktail hour and a DJ for the reception. They were all fabulous at keeping the atmosphere upbeat!

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This next shot is me playing around with the off-camera lighting (we worked with 3 strobes). It was one of my first times working with this kind of set-up, so I was grateful for the second shooting opportunity once again. I didn’t have to focus as much on the “safe” or “classic” shots so I could really play with my camera settings and the outcomes.

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I’m a Georgia Bulldog fan who had a Sanford Stadium groom’s cake at her wedding, so I can’t hate on these Tech fans and their groom’s cake.

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When it was time to photograph the reception details, I.was.FLOORED. I’d never seen such an exquisitely decorated reception space. The Puritan Mill made the perfect backdrop to the floral theme and the hanging mason jars above the wedding party table were stunning.

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This was the cutest idea! Meg and Michael had yard games for their guests. I absolutely LOVE playing ‘cornhole’. And once again, the couple put their own personal twist on the game by showcasing their pup that couldn’t be with them on their special day! So stinkin’ cute!

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How beautiful is this space?! I highly recommend the Foundry at Puritan Mill for weddings!

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Meg and Michael took to the floor for their first dance as a married couple before things got rowdy.

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I’m still kicking myself for not snagging one of the famous King of Pops popsicles! Which one of my brides is gonna hire them for their wedding so I can redeem myself?

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This was definitely a highlight of the night. Meg’s Alpha Gamma Delta sorority sisters did their tradition of forming a circle around a sister bride and singing her one of their sorority songs. It definitely made me miss my days at Delta Gamma!

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The night continued with some more dancing before the guests finally sent Michael and Meg off to live their happily ever after.

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Special thanks again to Lauren of I Love You Much Photography for inviting me to second shoot yet another fabulous wedding with her!

Shout Outs:

Main Photographer: I Love You Much Photography
Coordination: Ashley Baber Weddings
Venue: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Reception: The Foundry at Puritan Mill
Catering: Affairs to Remember
Music: Avalanche Entertainment
Sweets: Caryn’s Cakes (now Wonder Cakes) + King of Pops
Fleur + Decor: Bold American Events
Hotel: Sheraton Suites
Makeup: DIY
Hair: Sego Salon
Transportation: Tech Trolley