Senior Photos: Rebekah
Seniors have been woefully underrepresented on the blog, and so, before getting back into our usual wedding-heavy rotation, I thought we’d include a few from Rebekah’s shoot last spring.
At that time, Rebekah was one of my students. It would be pretty well impossible to capture Rebekah’s awesomeness in a few words on a blog. Let’s just say she was instrumental in the Snuggie incident and leave it at that.
 
Rebekah loves to read, which, as someone who taught English for years, has a special appeal to me. I liked the idea of this girl who loves to read, but also loves the outdoors, so even when the sun has gone down she hunkers down by a window with her book, unable to let go of the story despite the faded light. Rebekah was nice enough to play along.
It’s tough to believe Rebekah has already finished her first semester of college. (She’s doing fantastically, by the way.) It’s a good reminder, though, that time moves quickly, so you’d better hurry and read those good books while you can!
Ben + Angel: Engagement Session
The new year is now officially in full-swing, and for some of us, our first full week of work looms darkly ahead. If recent bowl games and the last few days’ spring-like weather weren’t enough to lift your spirits, hopefully Ben and Angel’s photos will help dispel some of that gloom and get you ready to face the week with a spring in your step. I’ll offer some pointers along the way in case you need a little nudge.
Of course, the best way to start off any week is with coffee.
Like Wendy and me, Ben and Angel spent a good bit of their courtship hanging out at a coffee shop together. However, while Wendy and I stared adoringly at each other over cups of Cool Beans coffee, Ben and Angel were doing much the same across the river at Cafe Strudel. So, tip one is: Start your week at a local coffee house. You’ll definitely find good coffee and you might find love…
Ben and Angel didn’t actually meet at Cafe Strudel, though. They met at a show at New Brooklyn Tavern. You might have guessed from the photo that Ben is a musician and you’d be right. (Sorry, Angel, for the times I monopolized your future husband talking about music!)
So, even if your Monday doesn’t get off to the greatest start, you can take the edge off by following tip #2: Listen to music that makes you feel good. (For bonus points, add “local” to this tip as well.)
If even the sweetness of caffeine and the sweet balm of melody can’t get you ready to face the week, I’d suggest tip #3: Do something kind for someone else.
Getting them a diamond engagement ring may be overdoing it…a cup of coffee or a smile will likely suffice.
If you’ve followed along the plan this far and still find yourself in the doldrums, you may be forced to engage in tip #4: Go outside.
Ah yes, the sun, the fresh air, the need to take a Claritin…
Finally, if you’re outside with a delicious cup of hot, local coffee, listening to great music while reflecting on the many old ladies you helped cross the street and the idea of a full week of work is still getting you down, the only tip left I have left is #5: Give your beloved a big kiss.
Yeah, that makes everything better.
We hope these tips were helpful and that you have a fantastic week to come! Come back to visit on Thursday and please, kiss responsibly.
Four Things I Love About Mobile Photography
“See, I write jokes for a living, man. I sit in my hotel at night and think of something that’s funny and then I go get a pen and write ’em down. Or, if the pen’s too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of ain’t funny.â€
-Mitch Hedburg
During the past year, I’ve taken a lot of photos with my phone that I normally would have taken with one of our professional dSLRs. Actually, that’s a lie. A big one. Over the past year, I’ve taken a lot of photos with my phone that, had I not had my phone with me, I wouldn’t have taken at all. See, a professional dSLR is heavy, expensive, and has many lenses and accessories that can help me craft an absolutely exceptional photo given the time and preparation. But when my nephew Ethan is sitting on a step with his new toy dinosaur Stanley, I don’t really have time to think about those things.
So, over the next few months, I’m going to share with you some of my thoughts on how to make the most of the camera you probably always have with you. For now, here are some of the joys I’ve found in mobile photography.
Kendra – Bridal Portraits
Happy new year!
The Lumos Studio blog has languished for far too long, and so, as a new year dawns, we’re returning to the web with a vengeance. We have a year’s worth of beautiful brides, cute couples, bouncing babies, wonderful weddings, and annoying alliteration to share with you, dear reader. But it’s not just photographs we have to share. Oh no! There will be glimpses behind the curtain at Lumos Studio, tips and tricks, and perhaps the occasional philosophical musing. So, as you plan for this new year, ripe with possibilities, we hope that you’ll include coming along with us on our journey and saying “hi” from time to time.
The first stop on our adventure takes us back to March, when we took these photos of Kendra around the campus of the University of South Carolina. I’ve known Kendra’s family since high school and even taught with her mom for a time. They’re a great family that turns out beautiful, sweet daughters like it’s their job.
 I have a confession to make about this next photo: I didn’t think we could pull it off. My lovely wife Wendy, though, was more confident in my abilities than I was and gracefully persuaded me to keep working with it until we captured this frame. I suspect the little jig I danced when I looked at the back of the camera suggested to her that she was right all along, but a little public validation never hurts, does it?
Kendra had a long and gorgeous veil that I think gave an air of mystery to these photos.
It always feels good to repose after a long shoot in a fairly heavy dress. The Inn at USC is one great place in Columbia to find that.
Wendy and I hope that your new year is filled with joy and beauty that is uninterrupted by the Mayan calendar. There’s lots more coming up, so please join us on Wednesday for our next post!
Jessica + David: Columbia, SC Wedding
A bride in a birdcage (veil), a groom in Chuck Taylors–what better way to return from a break from the blog?
Quite apart from the photography, I’m going to take credit for this marriage. (Not the wedding, the credit for that goes to the bride and to the charming and talented wedding planner Robin Cannon, who made sure that the whole lovely evening went off without a hitch.) No, I’m claiming the marriage. You see, several years ago, before David and Jess had even been on a single date, I told them jokingly that, because the two of them were about to begin leading a house church together, they were bound to get married. The two of them were sitting on a couch across from me and Jess responded to my prognostication by placing a throw pillow between the two of them. That pillow, though, couldn’t stop their love…
Seriously, though, everyone who knows these two knows that they’re made for each other. They are creative and funny, thoughtful and silly, and both look fantastic in black.
It’s always fun after a wedding when Wendy and I compare her pictures of the girls getting ready to my pictures of the guys getting ready. I was able to correctly predict in this case that the girls were not smoking hookah as they prepared for the ceremony.
The night before the wedding, the girls got together a collection of movies to watch in preparation…
…and so did the guys.
I like that Jessica and David had a color palette that even I can understand–red and black.
