North Carolina Wedding – Black and White Photography

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything wedding related, which is odd since that’s what a lot of my time is dedicated too. I’ve fallen back in love with black and white photography lately so figured I’d post all monochromatic (five-syllable Andrew Bird way of saying it) shots mainly in the photojournalist style. Moments like these define a wedding for me, and as much as I love color, stripping it away often leaves nothing but that pure emotion. Not every photo looks great in b+w, and I notice while editing that b+w can potentially make a decent photo look kind of … boring. I don’t typically shoot with the intention of making a photo b+w, but sometimes while shooting I’ll know on the spot what will make a good monochromatic image. And sometimes I’m wrong because my first name is not Ansel.

So here are some of my favorite images from Jen and Phil’s recent wedding in North Carolina.

Bride gets ready

Groom reflectionCeremony siteNC weddingBrideMoment between bride and groomChild at weddingblack and white portraitNC wedding photojournalistSaturday Night FeverCreative wedding photographyNC wedding photoBride and groom

North Carolina Mountain State Fair at WNC Agricultural Center

The North Carolina Mountain State Fair kicked off its 17th year last night at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, NC. It runs from September 10-19 and is the perfect excuse to eat corn dogs and cotton candy and ride the Ferris wheel. Fun fact: According to Wikipedia the original Ferris wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

You will have to attend the Fair to taste the salty, sugary goodness it offers, but here is a photography sampling of the sites.

Concession stand at fairRide at fairSkylift at fairNC Mountain State FairBull ride at fair

Freak outGoatNC Mountain State FairState Fair concessionsQuilting lady

Apples

chicken at fairWNC Agricultural Center

Pickup Truck Fire off Hendersonville Road in Asheville, NC

I happened upon this pickup truck that caught fire earlier today around 4:30. This was just off Hendersonville Rd about a mile south of Biltmore Village. The cause of the fire was unknown at the time and no one was in the vehicle or injured, as far as I know. Hats off to Asheville Fire Rescue for extinguishing the fire and doing what they do. It was neat seeing them in action (again).

Asheville Fire Rescue

Asheville photojournalistPickup truck on fireAsheville fire truckFire in Asheville off Hendersonville RoadFire in pickup truck bed

Kayaking in Western North Carolina

One of the many benefits of Asheville and Western North Carolina is enjoying the good ol’ outdoors. There are activities that appeal to all enthusiasts: climbers, mountain bikers, cyclists, or even casual hikers. This post is dedicated to kayakers, so I dove in to my photo archives and found a few kayak photos to blog. Not knowing a lot about the sport (except that “kayak” is a palindrome and it’s a thrill to photograph) I am going to refrain from giving advice on the subject. Instead, I provided you with a few useful links after my photos.

Kayaking on a lake in Asheville, NC

Enjoying a sunset on Lake Tomahawk, just north of downtown Asheville

Kayakers in Bryson City, NC

Kayakers in Bryson City, NC

Kayaker going off Hooker Falls in WNC

Kayaker going over Hooker Falls in Dupont State Forest

Here are a few resources if you are looking for WNC kayaking info:

Nantahala Outdoor Center

WNC Kayaking

Asheville Now

Anniversary Photo Shoot

Recently I had the pleasure of photographing an anniversary shoot for wedding blogger Mountainside Bride.

Unfortunately, her wedding photographs are ruined from her wedding day. Huh? That’s right, even in this digital age when “anyone can take a picture,” photos can be irreversibly ruined. Being a wedding photographer is more difficult than some might think. The bottom line is that Mountainside Bride is against hiring an amateur to photograph your wedding. Of course I feel bad for her and hate that her crusade against amateur wedding photography was at the cost of her actual wedding day photos. I did a one year anniversary shoot with her and it meant a lot that she said the shoot was healing to her.

“While I can never go back in time and redo my wedding photos, this is the next best thing.” ~Mountainside Bride

She posted some Asheville wedding photos and my Grove Arcade photo on The Bride’s Book blog recently. Neat!

Here is one of my favorite shots from the anniversary shoot at the Arboretum in Asheville, NC.

Wedding anniversary photo shoot at The Arboretum

Wedding anniversary photo shoot at The Arboretum

Brides: Make sure you hire a professional photographer for your wedding. And if you are getting married in Asheville we recommend hiring a local photographer… preferably us :)