Nichole & Johnathon Moke

wed·ding: (n)

a. The act of marrying.

b. The ceremony or celebration of a marriage.

"Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart."

Unknown

The day has arrived... January 21, 2011...

And we are off! Upon arrival I could already feel the love and high spirits in the air. As family started to trickle in for the ceremony there were many smiles, hugs and just a few tears. 

Shortly after the hellos, how have you beens and the hugs the ceremony was under way.

Now that we have witnessed this beautiful union, I now pronounce you man and wife!

Off we go the celebrate this wonderful day and the start of this rad adventure.

Surrounded by friends and family. I would like to just say congratulations to you both, you crazy lovebirds.

ps- The cake was absolutely amazing!

Wedding Photography Fun

I only thought it appropriate with shooting my first wedding of the year that this blog be all about the little tidbits of such a special occasion!

Here are a few things that I keep fresh in my mind when preparing to shoot a wedding:

1. Stimulate Photography's Shot List: A 'Who's Who' list of shots wanted by the couple. Having this worked out about a week or so in advance has helped me tremendously with time management throughout the wedding. Keeping time with the couple is of much importance as you do not want to slow the process at all trying to figure out who is who and whom should be photographed with whom.
2. Location Location Location: Shoot the surrounding area! Couples love looking back to the memories of where they got hitched, what the weather was and how the location was decorated. It is a great idea to scout out the location before the day of the wedding just to be sure you are fully prepared. If you are unable to shoot from a specific standpoint now you have other options to quickly choose from. This way you will never miss that ever important shot!
3. Shoot everything. Many couples want to look back on this set of photos and remember everything from the smallest button on the wedding dress to Uncle Joe being drunk in the back section. Well, maybe more so the buttons and things... These shots will create depth to the wedding book as well. This will only help you in the end and will leave your wedding couple and family in awe of your work!
4. What format will you be shooting in? I always shoot in RAW when working a wedding. This will offer you more editing options and flexibility. Most all wedding present themselves with tricky shooting. From low-light situations to backgrounds shooting in RAW will offer you more than JPEG etc.
5. The day before the wedding make sure that all your batteries are charged, you have extra memory cards and an itinerary of the days events. Make sure you know how to get to each location and have extra routes mapped out. There is no reason to be late and miss the shots of the couple arriving or that special moment between father and daughter. Be prepared!
6. Last but not least by far, have fun! This is the absolute must. Weddings are about celebration, they should be fun! Having fun will relax the people around you which will in turn show more of their personality in your photographs. Relaxed people equals a much easier time shooting in an already crazy photo session!

Of course there is a list the size of Texas of little tips to remember for wedding photography but these are just a few that came to mind. With much research online as well as reading books, experience at wedding photography will be a great teacher. 

I am looking forward to the 2011 wedding season! So far it has been filled with so much love, laughs and new friends!

Johnathon and Nichole

Johnathon and Nichole Engagement Session

Here are a few of the shots from this past weekend while shooting Johnathon and Nichole's engagement session. Definitely a fun couple to shoot. Dynamic and original. 

Enjoy!

LaToya & Co.

Happy new year everyone! We are now 13 days in and it has been going great over here! Feelings of re-motivation and rejuvenation are upon us. Now to follow through with our goals... One of my goals is to shoot in the studio more so here is the first studio shoot of 2011!

Carizma

Finesse

Monique

Latraiya

LaToya

These are just a few shots from the fabulous time we spent being divas in the studio. There were 5 friends with 3-4 outfits in just an hour and a half! These girls made it quit the adventure bringing their own set of energy and fun to the place. Such a breathe of fresh air. Showing ones personality is key during a photo shoot. Whether you think you are photogenic or not, you are when you are confident in who you are and are not afraid. So let go!

And on With 2011

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or
where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and
shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the
great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the
triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt

It has come to my attention that I am very interested in learning more in the horticulture world. Having a garden let alone houseplants has really had a therapeutic effect on me and my household. I have fallen in love all over again and found my green thumb. After it's vacation it's back and more ready than ever to make the greenery in and around my house thrive!

The first upgrade to the health of my plants would be the use of E.B. Stone products.
Just say no to Miracle Grow!! Unless you like the buzz of fungus gnats...I know my roots sure don't!

Just in the first week or so of use my plants are dancing with joy!

My next plan of action is to dive deeper into NPK nutrients and the exact needs of each of my plants, indoor and out.

Nitrogen: (the first number in mix ratios) is responsible for leafy, green growth and is most important in a plant’s early growth stages. 
Phosphorus: (the second number) supports root development, fruit and flowering, and helps the plant fight off disease. It helps plants transfer energy from one part of the plant to another.
Potassium: (the third number) helps plants fight off disease and weather extreme heat or cold.  It regulates the synthesis of proteins and starches.
Micro-nutrients such as calcium and magnesium, trace minerals, and beneficial microbes are also important to include in your soil mix.


Well, those are the basic foundations that I will be starting from while on this journey of soil education. Hope you find it useful! Stay tuned for there will be more to come!