Bridal Portrait at a Beautiful Mountain Estate in Dalton, Georgia
I drove out of Atlanta for this portrait session. It was worth the journey. I drove to Dalton, home of all things carpet. It was here, at a sprawling mountain home, that we got to make some beautiful images. This place was the private estate of a family friend of the bride. It was tremendous. The mountain vistas alone, were a dream come true.
The bride was gorgeous, and had a real cuteness about her. Her mother was with us that day, and was a lovely woman. When I shot the wedding a few months later, it was nice to have gotten that private time with the bride and her mother.
A little advice for those that are planning their own wedding, and its important shoots. If you want bridal portraits, engagement portraits, boudoir portraits…. along with the shoot for the big day- USE THE SAME PHOTOGRAPHER! I find that a lot of clients will use an amateur photographer for these less critical shoots. I understand that they are looking to save a buck with this decision, but I almost always will cut my clients a break if they inquire about doing these add-on shoots. One, because I feel if you “buy in bulk”, so to speak, you should get a good deal. Two, I think it’s a valuable time for me to learn my client’s angles, and get a feel for how they are in front of the camera.
You may not have thought about how you will feel on your wedding day with someone directing you, with a giant camera in your face. It can be a little intimidating, and not at all natural feeling. I find that sometimes these smaller shoots are like a mini test run for everyone. It gets your feet wet for the big day. And if you are at ease, your photos will be that much better.
Over the years, and the many faces I’ve seen through my lens, I’ve gotten pretty good at helping my clients feel relaxed. It is an important skill, because if you feel like “you”, I can capture it!
