Gyrotonic Columbia at Lululemon
Lululemon Athletica has opened a new store in Columbia on Divine Street, and on Saturday, they invited Rosemary from Gyrotonic Columbia to come out and do a demo class on the front lawn.
Now, Wendy loves Gyrotonic and is also a big fan of Lululemon’s athletic wear. Me, I’m self-aware enough to know that I get weird looks at the gym if I wear cargo shorts, which I really don’t think is fair. Still, I recognize how energized Wendy is after a class with Rosey and how much better she feels generally when she’s working out with her.
Listening to Rosey and Wendy talk about Lululemon’s clothes, it’s clear that they’re high quality and designed for working out. Even as something of an outsider to the whole stretchy-fitness-scene, I’d heard the name Lululemon referenced as a great company with a quality product. They even have clothes for guys, though I don’t get the impression that I’m their target market. (Krispy Kreme, however, has me in their sights.) No, these are workout clothes and, as you can see on Rosey and Wendy, they’re well suited to the task.
Here’s Wendy doing one of the few things that I felt I could comfortably follow along with.
Pretty sure I can’t do this.
Can’t do that.
No, definitely can’t do this!
Oh. My. Gosh.
And she’s smiling! Why is she smiling?!?!
Finally, a pose I can handle.
Here’s a group shot of the girls from the Gyrokinesis class.
If you’d like to see some more of our photos from Gyrotonic Columbia you can click here, and be sure to swing by Lululemon Athletica to gear up before heading to your Gyrotonic, yoga, or CrossFit class. You’ll feel great during your workout and I guarantee you’ll be better dressed than me.
Wedding at St. Thomas More: Andrea and Chavous
We have a great couple for you today!
Chavous and Andrea were married at St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel at the University of South Carolina. Chavous and I have known each other for quite a while and our overlapping passions for computers, college radio, photography, and philosophy mean that when we get together we usually wind up talking for quite a while. Not on the wedding day, though–he had more pressing matters to attend to.
(If you were marrying her you’d be focused on that, too.)
Unfortunately, Chavous was in such a hurry to marry Andrea that he sliced the crap out of himself shaving. He was literally holding a handkerchief to his lip between every formal photo we did leading up to the ceremony. Of course, you can’t see the wound here because I’m such an amazing photographer. (*Cough* * Cough* Photoshop *Cough*)
Injuries aside, the wedding was lovely, with beautiful details as you can see in Wendy’s photo of Andrea’s garter.
…and the lovely bride herself.
After the ceremony, the party moved over to the Chickawa Outdoor Center at Saluda River Club where there was eating…
…dancing…
…kissing… 
(Okay, mostly by the bride and groom.)
There was even time for a little spinning, and some lovingly looking into one another’s eyes.
(…’cause that’s what you do.)
Bridal Portraits at Woodcreek Farms: Felina
This post is slightly delayed. Okay, significantly delayed. Okay, horribly delayed. Felina and Patrick were married two years ago today at Woodcreek Farms Country Club. Their wedding was absolutely beautiful, and, as you can see, so was the bride.
To celebrate their anniversary, here are a few of Felina’s bridals. Enjoy!
Brandon Reese – Illustrator
Brandon Reese is a Charlotte-based artist who puts the “ill” in “illustrator”. (No, no, really, hold your applause!)
I first became aware of Brandon’s work when he created the art for Lunch Money’s CD Dizzy.
Since then, he’s created gorgeous illustrations for Original Friend and Spicy Kid, as well as the Grammy-Award-winning Can You Canoe? by The Okee Dokiee Brothers. If you primarily get your music via download or streaming, Brandon’s illustrations for Original Friend should make you seriously rethink that.
Brandon’s art is filled with the kinds of characters who you want to take by the hand to go on an adventure, even if that adventure is just lying in the grass looking up at the clouds. I think the thing about his work that most resonates with me is his sense of playfulness. Without stripping the world of its complexity and difficulties, Brandon reminds his viewer to not take life too seriously.
Anyway, at the end of last year and the beginning of this Richland County Public Library put on an exhibition of Brandon’s works called “Laughter and Raindrops”. I decided to recruit a few kids and photograph them with the illustrations (which look great large, by the way). Yes, I probably should have posted these when you could still go see the exhibit–mea culpa. To see more of his work, though, you really ought to visit his website. If you’d like to dig a little deeper into his portfolio (and maybe even discover his subversive side), I suggest a tour through his blog. In the meantime, feel free to whet your appetite with these:
What’s that? You’re in love with Brandon’s work and want to exchange money for the opportunity to own some of it? I can’t say I blame you. Here are a few places you can do just that:
You could get a CD he’s illustrated like: Dizzy, Original Friend, Spicy Kid, or Can You Canoe?
You could buy a book he’s illustrated such as Print Writing: A Creepy-Crawly Alphabet, or one he’s written and illustrated, like Draw Me Healthy: A Sticky Book, which also lets you (or your kids) illustrate and re-illustrate the story through the magic of Post-It notes.
Finally, if you want to grace your walls with his art, you can visit his gallery at Thumbtack Press where you can purchase his prints. The should look great hanging next to your photos by Lumos Studio.
Carolina CrossFit
It’s been a fairly CrossFit-filled couple of weeks here at Lumos Studio, but I did call our last post about Carolina CrossFit a “teaser”, so I guess it would be duplicitous to not share at least a few more photos from our recent shoot.
First, though, bear with me for just a tiny bit of back story. Several years ago, when Carolina CrossFit was just starting out, a friend of mine invited me to the gym to see what it was about. To abbreviate significantly, I wound up working out there for several months. If you don’t know anything about CrossFit, feel free to go read up on it–there’s far more to it than I’m going to try to explain. What IÂ will say is this. I don’t really like exercising, but I really like CrossFit. At Carolina CrossFit I saw results almost as soon as I started working out, because if you show up and do the work, there’s essentially nothing else that can happen. Your body will change. It’s pretty much the law.
A friend of ours saw the last post and joked that he now knew he could never go to a CrossFit gym–implying that the people there were too intimidatingly fit. Yeah, yeah, I get that. The thing is, though, it’s not that CrossFit is a place for fit people, it’s that people who go to CrossFit get fit, consistently. Honestly, though, that’s not the best thing about Carolina CrossFit. It’s the people and the community that are the heart and soul of the place, and at the center of that are the owners, Paul and Dorothy.
(I feel like there’s a Sesame Street “big…small” skit in there somewhere.)
And though the folks who go to CCF may look tough…
…they’re actually some of the friendliest people you’re likely to encounter.
(Dang.)
According to Michelle (above), she always wears her pearls when she’s working out. See, CrossFit isn’t just for girls, it’s for ladies.
If you’re interested in getting in the best shape of your life, no matter where you’re starting from, the folks at Carolina CrossFit can help you get there. They’ve just moved into a brand new facility in downtown Columbia, so feel free to drop by and check it out. Who knows, I might even be there. I’ll be the one lying prone on the floor gasping for air. Forgive me if I don’t say “hi”.
