Wedding Season Madness…Loving Every Minute!!!

The months of March, April, May, October, and November are the height of the Charleston wedding season.  We, of course, have events throughout the year…but we can barely catch our breath in those months!  This is a good thing, I love being busy.  We’ve had a lot of great events in these last few months, I’ll share just a few…

John and Holly held their ceremony and reception at Magnolia Plantation in the Summerville area.  Out-of-town guests came from all over to celebrate the happy day.  Though it was only April, the temperature was Charleston summer all the way, hot and humid.  The ceremony was held outdoors overlooking the Ashley River.   Around sunset, I wandered with the bride and groom over into the garden to shoot some more intimate shots.  The lighting was so perfect, giving us that lovely, even light, kissed with the warmth that only sunset light can give. 

Hailing from Ohio (where it is not terribly warm, nor are there any sand beaches) came our wonderful couple, LaToya and Sean.  LaToya is originally from South Carolina, all of her family traveled from the upstate to be on Isle of Palms for the event.   Months of planning, and more than a few prayers, could not convince the heavens to give the couple the beautiful day for their outdoor ceremony they had hoped South Carolina would give them.  It rained like only summer in the South East can bring, hard and fast.  Being that it is the responsibility of the photographer to get great pictures of every event, a good photographer always has a plan B and C and D in their back pocket.  I covered the ceremony and reception the day of the actual wedding, shooting the family pictures in front of a large picture where we could still see the beach in the background and I also came out to the beach the next day (the last the couple would be in town) in order to get the beach pictures LaToya had envisioned for her big day.  It was a lovely day at the beach, I asked the couple to say something meaningful to each other (to get back into that wedding frame of mind) and then they spread some of their unity sand out on the beach, we did some great shots of the two of them together on the beach  and, as if any more proof were needed, we carved their names in the sand.

Anyone unfamiliar with the Charleston area may be unaware of a wedding venue jewel we have here in Charleston.  Every local bride knows that the Alhambra Hall in Mt. Pleasant is one of the most popular, and hardest to get into, locations in town.  Kelly and Danny were lucky enough to have their Friday evening wedding and reception at Alhambra Hall.  The ceremony was held outside on the lawn at sunset and the reception was held upstairs in the hall and on the veranda.  Doug Farmer was the officiant.  He did a wonderful job of performing the ceremony just as directed by the bride and groom, short and sweet!  Emphasis on sweet!  Frampton Flowers did an awe-inspiring job with the flowers, not just the bouquet for the bride and bridesmaids, but the most astoundingly beautiful explosion of flowers on the arch where the bride and groom said their vows.  Jay Maxwell’s Music by Request had one of their stupendous DJ’s at the event.  He had the most impressive system I have ever seen.  To provide music for the ceremony, he set up a speaker…not just any speaker.  This speaker was wireless and self contained.  It has a built-in player…the whole unit is so compact and unobtrusive, an absolute must for outdoor events in my book!  After the ceremony, the couple and I went out to the marsh area and were able to capture the incredible Charleston sunset as a backdrop for our beautiful couple. 

We travel often for our work, it is simply part of the job.  This May found us in Savannah, Georgia.  Our sister city has a charm all its own.  We traveled there early in order to enjoy the area, and scout locations to take Andy and Kelly for their outdoor shoot.  Their ceremony and reception took place at the Inn at Ellis Square.  This venue is located just steps from the City Market and has a beautiful ballroom.  Across the street are a series of antiques stores which we visited on Friday.  I personally recommend Jere’s Antiques which has an astounding collection of reasonably priced antique and vintage furniture.  As we were exiting one of the stores, I glanced over and saw this area underneath the stores.  In an instant, I saw this image in my mind’s eye.  Kelly and Andy were great to work with and they could see what I had seen when I asked them to descend a set of very steep stairs in order to translate my inspiration into an actualized image.  It didn’t hurt that they were a very handsome couple!

Things will slow down a bit for us now.  We’re gearing up for the big bridal show coming up in July.  It’s a Thursday Evening show, a new concept to be sure.  We’re taking our booth up another notch and I’m very excited.  More on that as things develop!

www.doddingtonphoto.com

naomi@doddingtonphoto.com

http://www.magnoliaplantation.com/

http://www.iop.net/

http://www.townofmountpleasant.com/index.cfm?section=9&page=4

http://www.framptonsflowers.com/

http://www.jaymaxwell.com/

http://www.charlestonweddingofficiant.com

http://www.jeresantiques.com/

http://www.innatellissquare.com/

Beautiful Bethany and Woman Power!

Bethany and Ben are a couple who are getting married April 17th.  Previously, I worked with this couple shooting their engagement portrait.  Having dealt with a tornado touchdown just West of where we were shooting…we hoped this shoot would go much more smoothly.

In Charleston, where the market is so saturated with photographers, you have to keep developing new ideas, keep growing as an artist.  I used this shoot as a chance to explore a new direction for my portraiture.  After shooting a more standard, traditional bridal portrait, Bethany and I worked together to create images that were more fashion oriented. 

This collaborative effort required Bethany to work with her body in new and different ways and to trust me that there was a vision we were moving towards.  I am extremely thrilled with the results.  Bethany as a model was relaxed and in the moment, following direction flawlessly and willing to put up with uncomfortable poses to get that shot.  I still feel the need to explore this direction further…and I am excited where this takes me.  I intend to continue to develop this shoot as I work to innovate and be on the forefront of wedding photography in Charleston!

On Friday, March 27, 2009, the Center for Women and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2009 Women in Business Conference.  The event was held at the Francis Marion Hotel in Downtown Charleston.  There were various activities throughout the day.  Vendors from all different facets of business presented their products and services for attendees, we participated in a “speed networking” exercise, there were five different break-out presentations by various business leaders, a Belk’s sponsored fashion show, and an inspiring keynote speech during lunch. 

This event was so well planned and so informative.  I truly believe that I made more connections on that one day than I had all last year!  It is so generous of those who have more business experience to be willing to share that knowledge with those of us coming up behind them.  I was honored to be asked to photograph the event and I look forward to next year’s event!

www.doddingtonphoto.com

www.c4women.org

www.charlestonchamber.net

Spring Has Sprung!

Oh all right, so maybe Spring doesn’t technically begin for another 11 days, but with how beautiful it has been these last few days, I would say it’s already sprung!  Springtime always reminds me of new life.  Little chicks and bunnies and, of course, babies!

Smiling Eli

 

This Saturday, March 14th, Naomi Doddington Couture Photography will be participating in the Babies ‘R’ Us New Parent Information Event from 10 am to 1 pm at their store in North Charleston!

We have been asked, as one of only two photographers, to set up a booth to show off our photography and give new parents advice on photographing their babies.  We expect that this event will be a lot of fun and a great way for parents-to-be to learn more from all of the vendors who will be around.  If you or someone you know is interested in coming by, the event is free and open to the public!

A kiss for baby brother

 

www.doddingtonphoto.com

www.babiesrus.com

A Great Resource for any bride planning a wedding in Charleston

The time has come!  Tonight was the launch party and booksigning for the new book  “Bride’s Advisor Charleston: Everything you need to create your dream wedding in Charleston”.  The authors, Suzette Latsko and Dianne Shaver, were on hand to sign copies of the book.  The event was hosted at the fabulous Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina (a great wedding/reception venue), there was great food, nice music playing from the dj, and the most drop dead gorgeous floral centerpieces from Karen Powell, owner and head florist at Summerville’s OK Florist (established in 1947, ok was a “nifty” new catchword and didn’t mean so-so like it might today…they are anything but so-so).

I had been able to see the book on Suzette’s laptop several months ago…but nothing can match seeing it in person and holding it in your hands.  The text is very informative and will give a bride a good sense of what really goes into planning a wedding.  There are bits of wisdom, honest facts, and opinions gleaned through years of working in weddings.  There are blank forms for the bride to fill in her own information as she plans her wedding and a pocket at the very back of the book for contracts and other important forms.   As she plans, she can keep her details organized by utilizing this planner. 

All of the vendors in this book are hand-selected for top caliber talent.  I have to say, I am honored to be in the company of all of these great vendors.  The images throughout the book are beautiful, creative, and really add to the experience of this planner.  The caterers, florists, cake, stationary vendors, etc.  are all people with whom I have worked or have heard others com plementing their work.  This book truly represents the best of the best of the Charleston wedding market.

I hope any bride who is planning a wedding in Charleston…or wants ideas for how we Charlestonians do things, needs to get this book.  It is available locally at Borders and online at: www.bridesadvisorcharleston.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.doddingtonphoto.com

www.bridesadvisorcharleston.com

www.charlestonharborresort.com

www.okflorist.net

Playing catch-up!

Opera Singer/Teacher

Have you ever noticed that there are times when you can get bored out of your mind because there is nothing to do, and then time when you can’t catch your breath because the opposite is true?  It’s been way too long since I last posted, but I am remedying that right now.

The holiday season is always my favorite time of year.  I put up my tree ridiculously early this year (well before Thanksgiving) and it only just came down yesterday!  Now there is a reason the tree goes up so early…I host an annual Thanksgiving brunch/parade viewing party at my house.  This year, my sister Noemi (an Opera singer and teacher based in Tampa, FL) came to visit over that holiday.  We always take advantage of our time together to update her headshot (the photograph that is printed in your playbill).  This year, we went to the beach with the express purpose of doing a “happy” headshot for when she plays the young ingenue roles. 

Opera Singer/Teacher

She is really great to work with.  She brings an energy and a unique spirit to the photography session that I truly can feed upon.  We spent almost two hours shooting and I hardly realized how much time had passed.  Look for her in The Merry Widow(Grisette) with the St. Petersburg Opera and later this Spring in Ybor City Cinderella (Cinderella) with the Spanish Lyric Theatre.

Another incredible opportunity that came my way was the Seacoast Christmas Eve service.  Although not a pageant per se, the “Family Life” service did have a unique reading and dramatization of the Christmas Story. 

Choirs of Angels

It was so well done, that I watched it twice!  The children sang beautifully and the story was very moving when seen in such a realistic format.  Although the auditorium was very dark, and I did not want to use flash for fear of distracting those in attendance, the Seacoast team did an excellent job of using theatrical lights and colored gels to lend the whole set the appropriate mood and atmosphere. 

Away in a Manger

It also helped me to have enough light to focus and photograph by.  It is a little more difficult to work in a low light situation, but since we don’t use flash during wedding ceremonies, I have plenty of practice.

Once again, we were able to participate in the A Wonderful Wedding Bridal Show.  This is an occasion where we get to show off our work and meet with a lot of brides who are searching for just the

A Bride/Model at the end of the runway.

right people to work with.  This year, Kathy Baxley (the owner and producer of A Wonderful Wedding Magazine and Bridal Show), asked Naomi DoddingtonCouture Photography to photograph the bridal fashion show.  It was a great opportunity to generate some images for future shows, as well as giving us a chance to get some great shots for the models.  Since all of the models (excepting the children) are brides-to-be or have only recently married, it was a lot of fun to work with them and feel the excitement that they brought to the event.

There is one final thing that I am very excited to announce.  The book “Bride’s Advisor: Charleston” which I mentioned in a posting last year is ready to be officially released!  There is a kick off event for the book on January 29th and the book will be available locally as well as nationally via Amazon and other large booksellers.  Our work is featured throughout the book, even garnering a coveted double-page spread!  I am very excited about this.  There is nothing more thrilling than seeing your work in print.  It is also quite an honor as the publishers of the “Bride’s Advisor” hand selected only the best area photographers to be in their book.  Look out for this book, and keep your eyes peeled as new volumes for different cities arrive.

These two are not acting...they really did get married just a few short months ago!

www.doddingtonphoto.com

www.noemiperezsilva.com

www.seacoast.org

www.awonderfulwedding.com

www.bridesadvisorcharleston.com

Wishing you and yours a great 2009!

A Great Little Program

If you’re anything like me, you hate the fact that all of your digital photo files have that IMG_ before the image number.  When you shoot a lot (or even a little), it is the most obnoxious thing to have to sit there and manually erase this from every image.  I have spent hours taking care of this after a wedding (2000, 3000, 4000 images).  No more!

I have found a great little program called CKRename 1.08.  It’s a free download from a secure, frequently verified site.  This program allows you to make any number of changes to your file names, extensions, etc.  Most definitely though, you will love it for it’s instantaneous elimination of all of those IMG_’s.  You also get to preview the changes to make sure it’s what you want.  The link to the site is: http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/CKRename-Download-41199.html

You will find a blue/gray box on the right of the page with a symbol of a downward pointing arrow with the text “Softpedia Mirror (US) [EXE]” as a hyperlink.  Click on this and follow the download instructions. 

I have cable internet and it downloaded in all of 10 seconds.  Once it’s on your computer, run the program and get ready to make your changes.  The navigation to the left is a standard pc dropdown menu.  The middle contains your file names as they currently exist.  The right side shows your file names as they will be after the changes. 

Directly under this list is the find/change option.  Type in IMG_ into the find box, leave the change box empty and execute the command.  It is really that simple.  Hurray!

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/CKRename-Download-41199.html

www.doddingtonphoto.com

‘Tis The Season

The Holidays are upon us again.  With the tree up and presents neatly wrapped under it (wrapping is a competitive sport in my family), I can almost believe that it’s Christmas time.  I miss snowy winters in New york, but certainly not the cold!

The ladies of the Women at Work Board

This is also the time of year that people get together for parties.  I recently had the honor of covering the Women at Work Christmas party.  The event, held in the I’on Creek Club, was quite a success.  A large group of professional women from every kind of business gathered to celebrate the year gone by and to share aspirations for the year to come. 

Keith, Owner of 'A Southern Bartender'

A Holiday party just could not exist without drinks to warm up against the cold chill.   This service was provided elegantly and perfectly by Keith, the owner of ‘A Southern Bartender’.  I have worked with some of his staff in the past, and they have always done an excellent job, but there is simply nothing better than the pride in their work that a business owner brings to an event.  Charming, affable and completely knowledgeable, I had the honor of talking with Keith for a spell whilst other events were occurring.

In Season Catering, Simple but Excellently Done

Simple, yet excellently done.  That is how I would describe the Catering for this event.  Once again, we had the pride of ownership beaming forth as Krista Kanapaux catered this event personally.  The food was delicious, but even more important to this photographer’s eye, was the dedication to perfection.  As someone whose attention to detail is all-consuming, noticing that Ms. Kanapaux periodically checked the buffet table and re-arranged the food to always have it look pretty, made my heart flutter with excitement.  Don’t let her catchphrase “Small Events, Big Delights” fool you.  In Season can handle crowds of up to 200 but prefers those less than 100.  How do I know this?  I asked Ms. Kanapaux.  For any bride looking to cater a smaller event, this is your caterer.

Happy guests at W@W Christmas Party

Of course the best part of this event was the event itself.  It is great to see all of these women (and a few supporting men) gather together to act as mentor, cheerleaders, leads providers, shoulders and general friends to each other.  The group meets twice a month at the Harbour Club in Downtown Charleston for their lunch-time meetings.  The discussions are in-depth, the contacts are invaluable, and the support is immeasurable.  If there are any women out there reading this who have been looking for a place that will help them grow, this is a sure bet. 

Here’s a tidbit that I picked up recently.  We all know that the old guard Charlestonians have a distinct accent.  I always wondered how this development got such an unusual name as I’on and what, if anything, it stood for.  Apparently, natives are notorious for dropping their r’s and so the word Iron became I’on.  Now you know.  Ho, ho, ho!

www.womenatworkinc.com

Southernbartend@aol.com

www.inseasoncatering.org

www.doddingtonphoto.com

Get out and Vote

The press has been making a very big deal about this being ‘an historic election’.  I believe that all elections are historic.  From local issues dealt with by local candidates, to nationwide issues faced by those in National office, our decision of whom we elect affects all of us intimately.  Read up on the candidates (local ones too), stand in line (one hour for me…more for others) and VOTE!!

New Project

Purple trumpet flowers climb over a wall and iron gate

The period between November and February is rather slow in the wedding industry.  Bride’s generally avoid this time because of holiday conflicts, cold weather and other sundry reasons.  Many people in this industry generally dislike this time of year because of this steep drop-off in business.  I take a different view of this time.  Planning is the key, save during the year and enjoy my “time off” as an opportunity to work on personal photographic projects.

I love Charleston.  This city is so aesthetically interesting.  I am facinated by architecture and have been for a long time (I even took some classes in university in the architecture department). 

The city has made a concerted effort in the last quarter century to preserve its historic buildings.  Even so, there are areas that range from “distressed” to “ready to fall over in a strong breeze”.  This has inspired my new personal series, tentatively called “Charleston Patina”. 

 

I only shoot on overcast days for the beautiful diffused sunlight that accompanies such days.  I am particularly interested in areas where there is a building in a weathered state and active, live vegetation in the same area.  I find this juxtaposition quite interesting.  Check back here for further updates on my personal work.

www.doddingtonphoto.com

Giving Back

Elliotborough Park Build

As the presidential candidates continually point out to the American people, small businesses are the engine of our economy.  We employ a lot of people, and contribute to the general wealth of this country.  I believe that it is, therefore, our responsibility as small business owners to give back to the community. 

I’m sure that a lot of businesses give back by stroking a check, and while Naomi Doddington Couture Photography does give financially, I beleive it is crucial for us to also give freely of our time and talents.  Many of the neighborhoods in the

Elliottborough Playground Build 2

vicinity of Charleston’s Crosstown Expressway are what is known as “up and coming”.  This means that there are properties that have been cleaned up and made very nice, there are properties that could use some work, and there are properties that are in shambles.  The “up and coming” refers to the fact that these neighborhoods are headed in the positive direction, getting better all the time.  One such neighborhood is the Elliottborough/Cannonborough neighborhood.  Back in the 1970’s, Charleston made a concerted effort to provide city parks for all of it’s neighborhoods.  This neighborhood, though, slipped through the cracks

Elliotborough Park Build

and was the only neighborhood not to have a city park within walking distance.  The “AllState injury free coalition for kids” (with MUSC as primary sponsor), hosted the event.  The city provided the supplies and a small crew of professionals, and the rest was left up to business and community volunteers.  Arriving at 8 a.m. after a night of steady rain, the place was a muddy mess.  I had been assigned to the “Swing crew”.  Together with the “Mulch crew”, we were responsible for erecting the swingsets and mulching arround them to provide padding for kids being kids. 

We began with the arduous task of digging three 3′ deep holes for the posts.  While other people dug the holes, I led an effort by several volunteers to remove the dirt from the site.  Working with a hoe, I would pull the dirt into awaiting spades, which these other volunteers would then empty into a wheelbarrow.  My natural leadership came out as I worked my plan to get the ground around our hole level once again.  After the holes were dug (about a two hour process), we then were ready to lift the swingset into place.  I asked for volunteers to move 80 lb. sacks of concrete mix (since I can’t lift that much, I helped direct the traffic and asked for bags to be set next to each hole).  Once they were in place, we lifted the swingset and dropped it into the holes.  Making sure the structure was plumb, we held it in place as other volunteers, Marines from a nearby station, opened and poured the sacks of concrete into the holes.  once filled, the holes had water poured into them to activate the concrete. 

Next came the process of prepping for the mulch.  Since none of the other volunteers in our group had ever layed down landscaping fabric, I taught them how to do it, overlapping the edges and teaching one young man just how to use the pocket knife he had been given in order to cut the fabric smoothly, rather than sawing at it.  Once the fabric was down (we had decided to concentrate on the area in front of the swings), several strong volunteers took wheelbarrows to the pile of stones that were to be layed down first in order to keep the fabric down.  I was directing where the loads were to be emptied and then, using the hoe, I would spread the stones around.  After a few loads, another volunteer came to join me.  We continued, load after load, moving towards the swingset.  The project manager asked us to lay a drainage pipe directly in front of the swings and pile up stones around it.  As the fabric was running up hill in the nearby area, I stood on it to hold it down while still directing loads.  Suddenly, about 4 or 5 new volunteers came to help with spreading the stones.  At this point, I gave my hoe to one of them who wanted to help, and the others grabbed spades.  I explained what we were doing and how, and then proceeded to direct not only the wheelbarrows, but also the people spreading the rocks.  I would keep an eye out to make sure the two would not collide, and would point out low spots or high spots that needed to be smoothed out.  We layed the drainage pipe down and the volunteers filled up to the side of it with rocks.  Once we finished with the front area, it was 11:30 and most of the volunteers had already headed to the tent for lunch.  The afternoon crew was well set up to quickly finish the back half of the swingset and lay down the mulch on top of the rocks.  Since everyone had headed for the tents, I went and got Smanjo (who had been “supervising” another group shoveling topsoil into wheelbarrows) and we got ready to walk home.  I had mud all over me!  I wasn’t very hungry so I chose not to eat lunch.  As I was leaving, the project coordinator sincerely thanked me, not only for volunteering, but also for the leadership role I had taken which had freed him up to watch out for the other tasks of the day.  I was very tired and very dirty but very happy to have been involved.    The official opening ceremony for the park will be October 25th.  I think I might go and see what a bunch of volunteers managed to accomplish in just a short amount of time!

www.doddingtonphoto.com