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Atlanta Family Portrait Session | Decatur, Georgia Wedding Photographer

For this recent portrait session I headed to my client’s home for the afternoon.  When photographing little children I often think it’s best to work in one’s own yard.  The kids are happy and contained, and I can interact with them to get real moments.  I think we got some great moments with these happy and beautiful little ones.

 

Photographing children has always been one of my favorite aspects of my work.  To do it well is to be fluid.  I still apply some gentle direction with my little subjects, but it’s disguised a bit.    More so, it’s about truly watching for what is going to happen next.

I adore this one.  What a sweet little beauty!

I’m already looking forward to having these precious smiles in front of my lens again……..Are you gearing up for your own session?  Contact me TODAY.  Dates go fast.  I hope to hear from you soon. 

Atlanta Wedding Photographer | Morton’s Restaurant | Downtown Atlanta Spring Wedding

I knew that I was going to enjoy this wedding the first time I met the bride.  She was very cool, and totally gorgeous.  I was also excited by their location.  It’s always a treat to photograph a wedding in downtown Atlanta.  There are so many fantastic options!  I am always a fan of finding contrast in my work.  A bride in a stunning gown set against the gritty facades of an urbanscape is perfection to me.

I LOVE the yellow shoes that the bride wore.  It was the perfect pop of color for the last day of March!

 

Cheers to the happy couple!  Cheers to wedding season!  Cheers to spring!………And Cheers to hearing from you soon!

Atlanta Wedding Photographer | Destination Photographer | Santa Barbara and Beverly Hills

Earlier this month I had the pleasant surprise to land an amazing gig on the west coast.  Most people know me as a wedding photographer in Atlanta, as I have been a part of over 600 weddings in my career.  Others may know me as a portrait photographer with subjects ranging from newborns to families.  I am ALWAYS ready to wear the badge of DESTINATION PHOTOGRAPHER. 

This adventure began with a private flight from Atlanta to Santa Barbara.  I was hired by two families to cover all of the fun on their exciting spring break getaway.  Because a family vacation is of a private nature I don’t have any photojournalism coverage to share, but I thought I’d share some of the beautiful sights along the way on this luxe trip………….

It’s always hard to be in Santa Barbara, and not feel completely and totally happy to be there.  It’s a beautiful place.  I am always obsessed with the foliage of Santa Barbara.

Our first stop was the fantastic San Ysidro Ranch.  San Ysidro Ranch is understated luxury all around.  The resort consists of a cluster of uber private bungalows tucked onto the hillside.  The place is covered in wisteria, rosemary, bougainvillea, and lemon trees.  It smells like all of these things dancing on the ocean air.  It’s truly phenomenal.

There were many celebrity sightings on this trip.  This was a quick shot of Hilary Duff and her husband, hockey player Mike Comrie.  I assume this was a ‘babymoon’ of sorts as they got married at the ranch.   I couldn’t help sneaking one shot of these two as they were sitting only a few feet away, but left it at that.  I’m not a rat. 

Santa Barbara has some stunning golf clubs.  We took a quick tour of a couple.  We don’t have courses with views like this in Atlanta.

We didn’t dine here at Tydes in The Coral Casino Private Club, but the view was too fantastic.

We left Santa Barbara for Beverly Hills.  It’s funny how different the two spots feel.  In Santa Barbara I was inspired by the vegetation, beautiful diffused light, and crisp ocean air.  Beverly Hills was bright, sharp, and tingled with energy.  I loved getting these two amazing cities as inspiration in one trip.

To stay in the presidential bungalow at The Beverly Hills Hotel is a once in a lifetime experience(though I am determined to make a repeat happen one day).  It’s the best of the best!

Luxury, luxury, luxury!  The decor of the living area in the bungalow was perfect.  I sat in that leather chair in the corner every night.  Wish I could have taken it home with me. 

Portrait of a happy destination photographer from Atlanta! 

I was thrilled to get the chance to see the new Cirque du Soleil show OVO at the Santa Monica Pier.  It was a fantastic show!

Perfectly private pool…………………

Now THIS was exciting for me.  I saw Paris Hilton, Kelsey Grammer, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stein, William Levy……..but Rachel Zoe took the cake for this gal.  I am obsessed with all of the Bravo shows, but have always thought that Zoe is a brilliant fashion maven.

Check out day arrived, and it was back on the plane to Atlanta.  What a fantastic time.  If you have an extra special trip coming up I would love to tag along to capture every minute.  It’s a great thing to relax in the moment knowing that Photo By Gannon is along to save every memory for you, and even be an extra hand to help out with the kids.  Maybe you don’t need to bring that travel nanny along after all?  Hmmmmmm……….

Planning a destination wedding?  Let’s talk! 

 

Atlanta Wedding Photographer | Che’ne Rouge Wedding | Leap Year Wedding | Hiram, Georgia

This photographer adores a leap year wedding!  It makes your anniversary a little mysterious, and it’s super unique.  I photograph one of these special weddings every four years.  This year I met up with this sweet couple at Che’ne Rouge for an intimate wedding.  It was the two of them, an officiant, and Photo By Gannon.  I always feel particualarly honored to be a part of this type of wedding.  The goal of this shoot was to get gorgeous portraits that this couple can enjoy for a lifetime.  I think we hit it on the head…….

I was loving these red bridal shoes.  Over the past few years I have seen a pop of color peeking out from bridal gowns more and more.  It’s a trend that I really dig.  It’s fun and flirty.  I actually wore purple shoes for my own wedding. 

The bride wasn’t the only one rocking shoes with personality.  The handsome groom donned a pair of classic black Chucks.

The bridal room at Che’ne Rouge is really sweet.  Tons of natural light flooding in through french doors, fabulous full lenth mirrors, and this parlor couch.  It was a great spot to grab a few portraits of my glowing bride before she said her vows.

I couldn’t resist making a little nod to ‘American Gothic’.  I absolutely love this one.

This was my very first time photographing a wedding at Che’ne Rouge in Hiram, Georgia.  I was impressed with the many backdrops available to me in a small space.  We made use of the barn, the bar, the ballroom, and of course the beautiful grandfather tree in the courtyard of the venue.

Cheers to this happy Leap Year couple.  I am grateful to have been a part of their special day!  Contact me today if you would like to hear more about working together for YOUR big day.  I hope to hear from you soon! 

Newborn Portraits | Decatur/Atlanta Wedding Photographer

Getting the opportunity to photograph newborns is always a treat.  What’s not to love?  It’s a unique feeling to have the honor to capture such a special time in a family’s history.  I love getting to come back year after year, and watch the children grow up in front of my lens.  I have to say I really dig being around new parents as well.  They are always a little sleep deprived, and are just emitting love!  It’s endlessly adorable to me.    I worked with this growing family for the arrival of their first child.  He was a little pro, and we had a blast hanging out with him.  His first photo session was a smash!

You have to love these little feet!

This newborn’s father is a major music fan, so we used some vinyl as a prop.  Something that I always like to do in a portrait session of any kind is bring in the personality of my subjects.  I often ask my clients to tell me about themselves a bit before we even plan our shoot so that I can get some ideas.  For newborn portrait sessions I like to use things that come from YOUR home rather than some arbitrary prop that has been used in a dozen other portrait sessions.  I want each session to feel unique and special. 

I really enjoyed spending time with this little family, and left like we were buddys by the end of our session.  I can’t wait to have this little man in front of my lens again…………… We ‘SPRING FORWARD’ this weekend which means it is officially portrait season.  Spots go super fast, and I want to plan a session with your family.  Contact me today or find me on facebook, and we’ll start planning your session.  Hope to hear from you soon!

Engagement Photos | Tallulah Falls, Georgia | Atlanta Wedding Photographer

For this recent engagement portrait session I headed up to Tallulah Falls, Georgia.  I LOVE to get up to the mountains, and I actually grew up a stone’s throw from the gorge.  If you’ve never made the drive up to this part of Georgia you are missing out on something stunning.  It’s also fantastic to work in the area because I know it like the back of my hand.  I am always looking for new locations, and going out on scouting trips, but it’s nice to hit one that I am intimately acquainted with.

I’ll be photographing this adorable couple’s destination wedding this June in Tennessee.  I know that it is going to be wonderfully creative, and showcase their fun-loving personalities.

When I photograph a session in a rural setting it’s all about capturing the beautiful textures that these locations reveal.  I’m always drawn to the tall rustling grasses, or the old barn door with paint chips crawling down the front of it.  A moss covered stone or fence that has nearly fallen over.  The weathered facades of the country are endlessly beautiful to me.

 
When she says ‘YES‘ give me a shout.  Photo By Gannon wants to be a part of the big day!

Atlanta Botanical Gardens | Mershon Hall | St. Regis | Atlanta Wedding Photographer

This lovely couple have quite the love story.  Married for a short time over 25 years ago, the two never married again.  Then one day there was a birthday card from one to the other.  Commuication resumed between the two, and before they knew it……in love all over again.  This photographer is definitely a romantic, and I love a story of true love reunited.    Their fairytale wedding took place in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  The gardens are a marquee venue in metro Atlanta.  A green oasis in the middle of Midtown.

I have had the pleasure to photograph weddings in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens quite a few times, but this one was extra special!  For the first time ever, the gardens created a festive holiday light display this year.  It was a big hit for the entire holiday season.  Photo By Gannon was excited to shoot the FIRST wedding under the lights.  A neat accolade.

 

The beautiful bride had a fantastic vision.  She took some inspiration from Jane Seymour’s character in ‘Somewhere In Time’, and handed her idea over to the FABULOUS Jennifer Weller Adams of Formal Faces.  I have worked with Jennifer before, and she is a true talent and awesome to work with.  A period updo like this is NOT easy people!  Jennifer made it look like a breeze.

This couple has a sound and immovable christian faith.  It was a keystone of their big day.

The bride’s attendants were her two daughters-in-law; wives of the couple’s twin sons.  Even better…..both young ladies were expecting their first born at the time of the wedding.  A reunited, and growing family.  The bride chose a pair of earrings from the Kleinfeld Kollection.  Kleinfeld is a name that is synonymous with all things bridal.

I love this shot through the fountain in front of Mershon Hall, where the ceremony took place. 

The bride purchased her wedding dress from J.Andrews Bridal in South Atlanta.  They did a beautiful job altering the dress.  Her dream dress was one that emulated true romance so elegant chiffon sleeves were added with tiny drop pearls.

This photo is one of my favorites from this event.  The holiday lights in the Atlanta Botanical Garden gave me some amazing opportunities.  Of course, we were also dodging the masses(it was the first Saturday with the lights EVER), but it was totally worth it.  It was actually pretty great to have the swirling energy of excited spectators around us.  I love the peaceful wash of blue light over my couple in this photo.  It’s just really beautiful to me.    After a short cake reception in Mershon Hall I rode in the limo with the family to the St. Regis.  Once there I took a few photographs, and left them to have an intimate meal in one of the private dining rooms.  I’m sure they enjoyed their FAMILY dinner.

Cheers to second chances, and happy endings!  Thanks for stopping by……….would love to be a part of YOUR big day too!

Old Fourth Ward Family Portraits | Decatur, Georgia Wedding Photographer |

I met this awesome couple and their three sweet boys in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta.  I always find out what kind of ‘look’ my families are looking for.  What compliments their personalities?  This family talked about an industrial vibe.  I headed out for a scouting trip, and came up with a great block that had a ton of cool facades….old tin warehouses, brick facades, stone piles.  When you are going to be shooting with three young kiddos you don’t want to be driving all over town.  You want to hit it fast.    We took a little walk around the block, and made it happen.  My favorite part of this shoot was when the three little guys each picked me a flower at the end of the session.  How sweet is that???

I hope to see you in front of my lens really soon! 

Atlanta Portrait Photographer | Family Portraits

For this holiday portrait session I met my sweet subjects at an intown green space to take advantage of the beautiful fall color.  We enjoyed taking a little walk together grabbing some little moments along the way. 

I had the best time with this cool young couple and their beautiful little gal.  In need of family portraits?  Starting to plan your wedding?  I would love to hear from you any time!  Don’t forget to find me on Facebook. 

Flowery Branch Portrait Session | Atlanta Wedding Photographer | Holiday Portrait Sessions

I met up with this adorable family in historic Flowery Branch.  The shortest member of this precious family particularly loved being near the old train depot in the square, and we had fun trying to keep up with him.  How cute is that little smile?!

Photo By Gannon wants you in front of my lens soon!