CB Photography

Jae K. & Joe

Jaron:

We shot an engagement session for Jae K & Joe in Richmond a few weeks ago. Their wedding is coming up next year. I've enjoyed a lot of sessions, but this was one of my favorites. Lots of reasons. First: It was Jae K and Joe. Second: They're awesome. Third: Richmond. Fourth: We really like Jae K and Joe. Fifth: Richmond is also awesome. 

Cassie shot a lot of this session, because I was still crutching around with my broken foot. I pitched in here and there - enough to get a tiny bit of credit. Not a lot, just a bit. Here are a few of our favorites, followed by a slightly longer slideshow. Can't wait for the wedding!

Play the Slideshow

Sarah & Matt got Engaged!

Jaron:
This year we shot engagement and wedding photos for Sarah's sister Kaitlin. While we were working with Kaitlin, she mentioned that her sister was also engaged, but we never heard anything from Sarah. Once Kaitlin got her wedding photos, Sarah called us up to see if we could meet and talk about her wedding. I figured Sarah had been waiting to see how Kaitlin's photos turned out before she committed with us as well. Totally understandable, because it's not like you get to test wedding photographers out, trying to find the right one. I'm psyched that Sarah called, because we had a great time with her family the first time around. We did Sarah & Matt's engagement photos at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna VA. It's a beautiful location, which we've been to a few times for weddings and other sessions as well. You'd actually have to try to not get a good shot out there. Here's a few of my favorites from the session:

Bonnie & Jason

Jaron:
I'm scheduled to do the wedding photos for Bonnie & Jason next year. Bonnie loves photography, and it was a high priority for them to find the right person for the job. No pressure, right? As part of their package, they chose an engagement session, which I think is a great idea. It gives us a chance to work together before the wedding, get familiar with each other - so when the wedding is hear it's not so strange when I'm hanging around with a camera all day.

We did the shoot on and around the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. It was a lot of fun! Here's some of the shots I liked best. Can't wait for the wedding! Bonnie & Jason, see you guys next May.

We stopped off at some tables outside a restaurant to snap a couple of faux "I just caught you two lovebirds having a moment at a table" shots. I had to bus the table, because it had dishes & condiments from the previous legit diners.

So this is the same restaurant. Bonnie & Jason ran inside - we were lucky that the table by the window was empty. The restaurant name in neon was right in the window - and in another stroke of luck, what a crazy restaurant name for an engagement shoot. I'm going to have to remember this joint.

The Downtown Mall is lined with big iron lamp posts. We picked one that didn't have Peruvian blanket vendors next to it and snapped a couple. Got a lot of playful looking ones.

This wall is just along a side alley connecting to the Downtown Mall. I saw the faded Coca-Cola painting on the side, and had to grab a couple there. It's a lot more faded in person, so I played with the contrast and edges to make it really pop out. I like this shot a lot.

We chose a table at Christian's Pizza for this photo because it extended out into the walking area far enough that there were a lot of people passing. I set up the tripod and shot a few with a slow shutter so the crowds would be a blur. We got a few funny looks from the table next to us, but I'm really happy with the results.

We're going to use one of these shots for a "Save the Date" card - I'll be editing the marquis behind them to put "Save the Date" and their wedding date. The light was low, and I needed to have the marquis relatively in focus, which means a smaller aperture. I put the camera on a tripod and told Bonnie and Jason to hold as still as they possibly could - and it turned out exactly how I hoped it would. I think this is going to be a cool Save the Date card.

So this is a recreation of a shot Bonnie really likes. I wish I knew who did the original so I could credit them with the idea. We got this right at the end of the shoot, and the light was really low, so it's pretty grainy, but the multiple-exposure effect still worked out pretty well. It's a great idea - kudos to whoever though of it!