Josh Lewis Photographer

Kara & Terry: Engagement

2010-11-10T14:13:00.004-05:00

Kara, Terry and I ran around Shockoe Bottom a few weeks ago as the amazing autumn weather kicked in. Check it out and be prepared for the awesomeness that will be their wedding next fall:

Shelby & Rob: Wedding

2010-11-08T14:36:00.006-05:00

Shelby and Rob had an amazing event last month at the VA Center for Architecture, and after hearing rumors about an ice cream truck, I just knew that the day was going to be awesome! Enjoy some of my favorites and then check out their entire slideshow here.

How cool are these shoes?!
Raddest. Flowers. Ever.
Bomb Pop + Wedding Cake = Dessert Win

Kirstin & Kevin: Wedding

2010-10-22T10:17:00.007-04:00

Kirstin & Kevin had an all around amazing event last month at Warner Hall and we were so happy to be a part of it. I'll let the photos speak for themselves because when you have a beautiful location, gorgeous weather, rad guests and an awesome couple you can't go wrong. When you want to see more go check out their entire slideshow right over here!

Venue: Warner Hall
Cake: Charlie Little Cakes
Flowers: Yorktown Florist
Entertainment: DJ on the Side

Kayleigh & Lance: River Session

2010-09-28T21:04:00.004-04:00

This weekend I had a session time open up unexpectedly, but I was itching to shoot something so I called up Kayleigh and Lance. "We're going to the river, bring your bike. I'm going to make you look like a badass." I would say the mission was a success.

Shelby & Rob: Engagement

2010-09-22T01:10:00.005-04:00

Shelby and Rob are an awesome couple whose wedding I will be celebrating just 10 short days from now at the Virginia Center for Architecture. This weekend we all met up for some fun engagement photos, and I am now even more stoked for their big day after hearing some of the awesome festivities they have planned for their guests.

I always have such an amazing time doing engagement sessions for my clients, it's a relaxed atmosphere that allows us to get to know one another better while creating some rad art at the same time. But sometimes I can tell it's been an extra awesome session when I am editing late into the night (like now) and I start to get jealous of my clients photos. As in, I kind of wish I could swap Sarah and I into a few of these, print them ginormous and hang them over the mantle. But then Shelby and Rob would probably think that was creepy next time they came over. Yeah.....

Weekend Preview

2010-09-17T15:20:00.004-04:00

It's Friday afternoon so I hope all of you are gearing up for an awesome weekend! I think Sarah and I will maybe check out some German goodies at the Oktoberfest going on in our neighborhood tonight, and then tomorrow I have another rad engagement session here in RVA to look forward to. Get out there and enjoy the weather now that it's actually starting to feel like Fall is on the way!

Kirstin and Kevin's gorgeous wedding was this past weekend at Warner Hall, and I can't wait to share the photos with you all next week. For now, here's a preview from the weekend of Kevin's awesome daughter Jenna who rocked it all day long. Can you get any cuter? And look at that light, just love it!

Back to Work

2010-09-08T12:30:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of this Summer vacationing with family and friends and enjoying the great outdoors, but have done little blogging this past month. Well Summer is over (I can tell by all the sad faces on the school bus that just passed by my window) and it's time for me to get back to work. I just started my very last semester of schooling at VCU, and come this December will be done for good. Woohoo! I also have wedding and engagement shoots coming up for the next three weekends, so I'll have lots of awesome brides to show you this month! But for now, here's a few shots of the fun that we had down in the Outer Banks last month. Talk to you soon!

Awesome pottery shop we stopped by Anyone else obsessed with Settler's of Cataan?Perfect day for a little kite flying

Winners and Weird Stuff

2010-08-03T13:12:00.009-04:00

Hey everyone! Thanks to all of you who participated in the contest by leaving me your comments this week. For the three of you who haven't already, please send me an email here as well because I have a surprise for all of you for sending in such awesome ideas. With that said, the winner of the contest this week is Ali Hubbard! I can't wait to capture Ali and her boyfriend goofing off on the playground, just like the kids they interact with at the daycare where they first met. Thanks again everyone for sharing your ideas, and look for Ali's session on the blog soon!

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Since I have been talking so much about unique locations this week, check this place out. While down near Myrtle Beach with friends a few weeks ago, we got word of a local legend in the area who is known for being perhaps a little strange. After being warned that he didn't like visitors, we still decided to venture over to his place to see what all the talk was about. As we pulled up, visions of every horror movie I have ever seen ran through my head and we were all a little skeptical of getting out of the car. However, long story short, the owner actually ended up being as nice as could possibly be and let us wander his property taking in the sights. Along with his obvious pastime of collecting strange objects, his property has also been a dumping ground for movie production studios. He has props from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz and others just hanging out on his property! Awesome! Check it out:

Contest Time: Unique Portraits

2010-07-27T18:51:00.000-04:00

As I sat this afternoon working on some of Courtney and John's photos from my last giveaway, I realized it has been quite a few months since my last contest. Well it's time to change that, but this time I'm going to do things a bit differently. Capturing colorful portraits of my clients' lives is one of my favorite things about this job, but when they present me with a quirky idea or location for their shoot that means something to them personally it takes things to a whole new awesome level. So here it is:

If you could have professional photos taken of yourself that not only show you, but that capture an element of your life that makes you the awesome unique individual that you are, what/where would you choose? Do you and your boyfriend share an affinity for bicycle rides through the city? Or perhaps you and the kids head down to your favorite local ice cream shop every Saturday night? Maybe your friends don't understand just how cute you and Spike are each time you take him to the dog park, but if you had that perfect picture to show them they would get it.

Whatever it is that makes you tick, if you would like your photo idea to become a reality just leave a comment here on the blog or over on Facebook telling me a little about it. The more unique the better! Next Monday I will be choosing one individual to receive a $300 gift certificate which will allow them to get that idea out of their head, have me put an awesome spin on it and get it on to their walls.

*Bonus points if your idea involves a location as cool as this (preview of an upcoming post)*

Blue Lollipops

2010-07-22T18:14:00.000-04:00

Today I want to give a shout out to our new friend Diane and let all of you know that you should be her friend too. It was by chance that Sarah ran into Diane's post last month on Craigslist looking for help, but it seemed it was meant to be as they worked together in a whirlwind of ideas to prepare Diane for her big adventure. You have to check out her website for yourself to truly understand the journey she is on, but to give you an idea here's a snip-it in her own words:

"August 18th, 2010 marks the 16 year anniversary of two childhood friends' deaths. I made a promise to myself and my friends in 1994 that I would always be adventurous, see the world, hit all 50 states and live the life I imagined. I am driving from the East Coast to Alaska this summer to hit my very last state and honor their 16 years of life."

In just the short amount of time I was able to get to know Diane before she left, I could tell that she is going to be an inspiration to a lot of people. Her blog is full of personality and reading it makes you want to get out there and do something new. So do yourself a favor and head on over to Blue Lollipop Road, follow her adventure, say hi or send her a postcard, and learn a little bit about what it's like to live life.

...And if you run into Diane somewhere out there, tell her we said hey and she'll probably give you all of the Fruit 66 you can drink.

Hollywood Comes to Town

2010-07-19T19:04:00.000-04:00

Summer is in full swing so I hope everyone is surviving the heat out there. I've just arrived back in town from spending a week down at the beach with my best friends Josh and Julie who flew in from Los Angeles. We had a blast and I can't believe they have already headed back to the land of the rich and famous. Luckily I snapped a few photos of them before they left that scream of Hollywood.

In other news, the last few weeks I have:

- Attended a Pirate Festival
- Purchased a new shiny camera
- Nearly escaped with my life from a movie prop junkyard/crazyhouse
- Sharpened my pottery making skillz

So look for plenty photos to come!

Courtney & John: Family Time

2010-07-01T12:39:00.000-04:00

Courtney was one of the lucky winners from my Facebook fan page giveaway a few months back, and decided that she would love to have some portraits of her family taken at Maymont. Working with children is something I have been hesitant of in the past, but I let Courtney know I was always up for a challenge. After a blistering week of temperatures in the triple digits, we finally found the perfect day to venture outdoors. I absolutely love how these turned out, and I think Jack and Harlan have eliminated any doubt I had that children can be full of awesome.

Jack knows you can't let things get too serious Sometimes you just need to run...Some alone time
Possibly my favorite of the day, no one said having kids can't be epic:

Sarah Potter and the Sorcerer's Stoneware

2010-06-27T15:21:00.000-04:00

In case you were wondering, that is the best title for a post EVER. If you haven't already, go visit Sarah's website which will be expanding soon. Also, a lot of her work is currently being presented by the Red Hand Society at Visions on Main Street. Go see it in person, but first check out the photos of her creating some of the latest pieces:

Sometimes, You Just Need to Climb a Mountain

2010-06-18T17:51:00.001-04:00

So that is just what we did

2 Week Review

2010-06-16T00:36:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy few weeks around here, which is always a good thing when it's accompanied with awesomeness. First of all, Sarah and I have arrived back in town from our amazing Bermuda adventure, so you can expect those photos soon. Inspired by the island, we decided we needed some change in the house, so as soon as we arrived home we went to work painting and redecorating our bedroom.

Oliver helped out as always by watching the awesome colored paint dry on the walls.

With the project mostly finished, I then got to see my youngest sister Kayleigh graduate from high school this past weekend. I shot her senior photos last year, but I still can't believe that she's actually done! Just a few months and she'll be moving to Richmond!

In between all of the other happenings I almost forgot that my birthday was coming up yesterday as well! We celebrated with our first cookout of the Summer and broke in our new grill with some delicious veggie shish kabob's.

Hope everyone's Summer is going amazing! We've got another awesome wedding in Williamsburg this weekend, plans to go hiking in the mountains this week, and plenty of other adventures in between!

Drive In's and Ceramics

2010-05-16T19:48:00.000-04:00

With VCU finals taking up all of my free time the past few weeks, it has been a couple of Sundays since my last weekly rambling. Here's what is new and cool:

After hearing from some friends about a new spot to see movies, Sarah and I checked out the Goochland Drive In Theater last weekend and were nothing but impressed. Just the fact that a double feature will only set you back $7 should be enough for anyone to try it once, but the quality of the whole experience is so great that I doubt you will ever want to give your money to one of the big corporate theaters ever again. We were able to see both Iron Man 2 and Date Night under the stars with a cool breeze, all while demolishing a feast of junk food after realizing that everything at the snack bar costs under $3.50 (I'm talking snow cones, nachos, corn dogs, and the same giant popcorn buckets that Regal will sell you in a 'combo deal' with a soda for $13.) From the owner saying welcome to the crowd, to the classic old film reels playing before the show, the entire place has a really personal feel. Long story short, if you live in Richmond or anywhere near this theater you should check out their website for upcoming showings and try it out, it's definitely worth the drive. Here's a long exposure I snapped of Sarah enjoying the film, lighting thanks to the country sky and a gigantic screen:

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I have been really interested in pottery lately thanks to Sarah, and she just launched her new website with both her photographic work as well as her new awesome ceramics. Our kitchen and dining room have gotten a major upgrade lately with her art. You should check it out by clicking the photo below, and look for a post from our photoshoot in the pottery studio soon!

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We were able to shoot a wedding for long time family friends yesterday, and in 13 days we will be on a big boat on our way to Bermuda. Spring is looking to be awesome, stay tuned!

Too Much Tofu

2010-04-18T19:50:00.000-04:00

First Annual Twin Oaks Tofu Eating Contest at Cafe Gutenberg. You can always have too much of a good thing, no matter how delicious it is...

EMT for INK

2010-04-06T19:41:00.000-04:00

Ink Magazine asked me to shoot some more photos for them a few weeks ago, and this time I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Ny. Michael is a current VCU student who is also volunteering his time at the Bensley-Bermuda Volunteer Rescue Squad. The organization was established in 1964 and today serves Chesterfield county as "an all-volunteer agency dedicated to providing outstanding emergency medical care to the sick and injured". I had the opportunity to drive over to the station for a quick tour and everyone I met seemed like a really great group. Check them out below, and pick up this year's last issue of Ink on the VCU campus April 15th!

Jessica & JD: Engagement

2010-04-01T12:59:00.000-04:00

I have known Jessica and her family literally my entire life, in fact some of my earliest memories involve our beach vacations together, long days on the swing-set, and birthday parties at the gym. When I found out Jessica was engaged, it was hard to believe that so many years have gone by and that we are all grown up now. I had the pleasure of meeting JD this past weekend as we ran around the city together, and I could not be more excited to photograph their wedding in May.

We have been trying to get together for some fun engagement photos for months now, but this year's nasty Virginia winter had other plans. I'm glad we decided to wait until Spring had done it's thing, because the weather this time was finally amazing! Here's a few favorites from the day:

Too many good ones to choose, they just don't know how to take a bad photo!I know, I know, it's been 2 1/2 weeks without a blog post but there's plenty more coming to make up for it, I promise. Have an awesome weekend everyone, go enjoy this weather!

California Knows How to Party

2010-03-14T15:48:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm currently out in LA for the week with some spotty internet access, but I wanted to say hey and I'll be sure to have some new photos for you when I return. Hope everyone has an awesome week!

Weekly Ramblings

2010-03-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

Spring is on the way, I can feel it! I even made it a point to pull all of my shorts out of storage today and wear a pair around town with my palm tree shoes. We can only hope that all of this cold, nasty weather is behind us. Only 13 days left to the official season change, so don't forget to mark your calendars for free Rita's Italian Ice!

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So no more Olympic news since they are over now, but check out this awesome swag that the Olympic photographers got! Yes, that is a mug, and if they ever go on sale I will definitely be one of the nerds that buys one.

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I just found out that Sarah and I will be cruisin' to Bermuda at the end of May to celebrate her graduation! Nothing beats a cruise, and I can't wait to take some island photos!

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And because more pictures can never be a bad thing, here's a shot that caught my eye of my friend and fellow photo nerd Shawnee while we were out enjoying the amazing weather today. Have an awesome week everyone!

McKenna & Andrew: Engagement

2010-03-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

Getting to know your photographer personally before your wedding day can do wonders for your photos. That's why this weeks Wed² wedding tip is this: Get engagement photos! Not only does an engagement session provide some awesome pictures in a more relaxed atmosphere, it gives the couple and the photographer an opportunity to get to know one another even better before the big day. Seeing for yourself how your chosen photographer operates while shooting makes sure that there are no surprises once you're in your wedding dress. Plus, an engagement session can be a fun, stress free afternoon to celebrate your love in the midst of all your wedding planning!

On Sunday, I had a great time exploring Carytown with Andrew & McKenna doing just that! We have been friends for a long time, and I can't wait to celebrate with them in June when they tie the knot. It was a bit chillier than expected, and the wind got a little intense at times, but it was nothing a stop for some hot chocolate couldn't fix. I just love the colors of the city in Richmond; here are a few of my favorites from our afternoon out on the town:

I love how much they laugh together:
I found out this was the location of their first "date", wandering the city in the rain:Aren't they cute! Have an awesome rest of the week!

Sunday Sunday Sunday

2010-02-28T19:53:00.000-05:00

I just got back from running around Carytown taking some fun engagement pictures of Andrew and McKenna, so you can look forward to those soon! There's nothing I love doing on sunny Sunday afternoons better than taking photos for awesome couples. The weather just needs to warm back up and it will be perfect.

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Olympic thoughts for this week: Curling still rules, mainly because it's the one Olympic sport I believe I could be good at right now if I tried. Also, anything involving the bobsled/luge track is scary ridiculous.

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We watched Food Inc. last night and realized we need to check out more of the awesome things people are doing in Richmond like the Farm to Family Bus. You should too.

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I will be visiting my best friends in Los Angeles in 2 weeks, and am trying to do at least one awesome Cali photo shoot while I'm there. If you know anyone on the west coast who wants to model let them know I'm coming!

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Here's one shot that popped out at me from today while the photos were loading, can't wait to edit the rest. Have an awesome week everyone!

Harry Potter is Brutal

2010-02-23T14:10:00.000-05:00

When the Executive Editor of VCU's Ink Magazine asked if I would like to shoot some photos for them, I of course said yes. Then I was informed that the shoot would be for the VCU Quidditch team and I was a little confused (for the uninformed, Quidditch is the sport from the Harry Potter series, but you should already know that). VCU has a Quidditch team? Quidditch is a real sport? How do they fly? Are non-wizards allowed to watch?

With these questions in my head, I showed up at University of Richmond weeks later with my camera in hand, ready to capture the game with absolutely no idea how the game was even played. Greeted by the team, I was thanked for coming and told just to "watch where you stand, things can get a little rough". I chuckled, rough? I thought surely they were joking. Little did I know....

Quidditch is INTENSE! Within the first 2 minutes of the game there were players running off into the distance out of sight, balls flying into the stands, and the kind of physical contact you would expect from a rugby game. For the next hour I captured photos of what I would later describe to my friends as a mix of dodgeball, rugby, soccer, and hide-and-seek all with the added commotion of wooden broomsticks colliding with one another. I slowly picked up on the rules, and had a blast watching it all unfold. If your interested in checking out a game or joining a team, check out Fan's of Quidditch at VCU and the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association. Now for some photos!

You can check out the article in Ink Magazine here and while you're there check out all the other awesome articles that they have put together in that last three issues. The editor Sara has done an awesome job with the magazine, and she's an awesome photographer and I also hear a darn good cook. Happy Tuesday everyone, have an awesome day!

Sunday Ramblings

2010-02-21T18:32:00.000-05:00

Are you following me on Facebook yet? If not, then make sure you go become a fan by clicking here. This Wednesday I'll be giving away a $300 gift certificate to one of my Facebook fans for a session in the city! Also follow me on Twitter for even more fun things in the future.

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Olympic notes of the week: Shaun White is a beast & I want to join a curling team.

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Go check out the latest edition of Ink Magazine, VCU's student run publication, online here. Pay special attention to my action shots of the Quidditch team, and look for a post all about my Harry Potter sports photography later this week.

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Photo outtake of the week: Oliver checking out my flash while I test my new CyberSyncs.

Have an awesome week!

WED² - Pet Guests

2010-02-18T19:01:00.000-05:00

So lets all just ignore the date up above and pretend like it's still Wednesday. My quick wedding thought for today popped in my mind during a consultation a few weeks ago. One of my 2010 brides let me know that her wedding party would be including her awesome dog, and I couldn't help but show my excitement. As you can tell by the recent proliferation of kitties on the blog, I have a weak spot for cute animals. I have had couples bring their pets out on the town with us before, but this will be my first wedding day pet guest.

This got me thinking about the logistics of pets at weddings, and wondering if Oliver is going to be cool and hang out with me when my big day comes. For those of you who have non-human kids at home and may be thinking of bringing them along to the party, check out this article on Pets at Weddings. Who wouldn't want Fido jumping in on the photobooth action?

Have an awesome day, and look for some Harry Potter blog action soon!

Valentine Sunday

2010-02-14T21:15:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had an awesome Valentine's Day with their loved ones, and that tons of you got engaged ;) Sarah and I celebrated with a movie and a delicious dinner out at the Japanese steakhouse. Dessert's happening while I type, as I dig into the stash of chocolate that my parents sent over.

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I'm over this Winter business and ready for some warm, sunny weekend weather. Modeling for happy Spring time engagement photos just doesn't feel right if your teeth are chattering. We've done our best to use up all the snow in slushies, but it just keeps coming.

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I don't know how much I'll pay attention to the Olympics, but I do know that the ice and whales projected on the floor during the opening ceremonies was frickin' sweet.

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If you live in the Richmond area you should check out the new Locally Owned Richmond Facebook page. It's only been live for a short amount of time and already is doing a great job of getting the word out about all of the locally owned businesses in the area.

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Also check out the new Map Envelope website, where you can send your next letter inside a Google maps image of any address in the world. The first couple that sends me one of these with their wedding location printed inside gets bonus cool points.

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Every post needs a picture, Cara checks out the latest snow fall.

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Have an awesome start to a new week everyone!

Wedding x Wednesday = Wed²

2010-02-10T12:58:00.000-05:00

I'm currently finishing up business school, and if there's one thing it's taught me, it's to be able to understand very simple topics that have over the years been turned into unnecessarily confusing formulas. So as phase two of my master plan to blog exponentially more this year, I introduce you to WED².

Wedding x Wednesday = Wed² x ding! nes-day!

The most important part of this formula may very well be that everyone should have some sort of alarm set to remind them to play Super Mario Bros at least once a week. The part that's more on topic is the fact that from now on, every Wednesday I will be doing a Wed² post where I write on something related to the wedding industry. My hope is that my blog in general appeals to both those who are interested in photography of all kinds (don't worry, your cool named day of the week is coming), as well as my newly engaged couples who are planning their awesome day. So from now on, count Wed² as the day of the week to check out some interesting things to consider before walking down the aisle.

While writing this I Googled "nintendo wedding" just to see what came up, and I was presented with this.
I guess this is what the kids these days are playing? Personally I would rather be shooting fireballs at turtles and jumping on mushrooms... the simple joys in life.

Next week we'll kick off our first real Wed² post, have an awesome day everyone!

Sunday Spectacular

2010-02-07T16:58:00.000-05:00

Sundays have become my day to relax, reorganize, and prepare for the week to come. From now on it will also be my day to share with the world my random thoughts and adventures from the week and projects I'm working on. That being said...

The Humane Society is running its Spay Day 2010 Pet Photo Contest, and the photo above is in the running. When I first rescued Oliver from the shelter, we were able to have him neutered for free at the Richmond SPCA which really helped at the time. Places that offer free and low-cost services to pet owners really help a lot of people, so if you feel like helping out a good cause you can donate and vote for Oliver's photo here.

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I think the Super Bowl may be going on as I type this, at least that's the what the party upstairs and people's Facebook statuses are leading me to believe. Let me know if I miss any cool commercials, I'll just check them out online later.

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Snow days are fun and all, but could the "wintry mix" move to the middle of the week rather than causing havoc on weekends when I have important things to do like take photos?

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I found this awesome vinyl decal on Etsy and promptly bought it to fill the empty space over the fireplace. Since then I have been on a vinyl decal kick, and bought my own X-acto knife robot to cut out designs for me. I have some fun ideas planned for the future to incorporate the decal awesomeness into my photography and business, stay tuned.

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Hope everyone has an awesome week ahead!

Jenna & Laird: Wedding

2010-01-19T21:49:00.000-05:00

Jenna used to work with my Dad, and her wedding to Laird was another that I had the pleasure of shooting in October. They were both so relaxed all day and I had an awesome time capturing that wonderful moment for them. Here's a few favorites, check out their full slideshow here.

Dana & Jason: Wedding

2010-01-12T15:16:00.000-05:00

Dana and Jason's Halloween wedding was my last big event of 2009 before heading into the holiday season, and it was such a great way to end the year. These two know how to party and the whole night was a blast, filled with lots of dancing and mashed potato martinis. Here's a few of my favorites, and you check out their full slideshow here.

Lovin the attitude!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T15:08:00.000-05:00

The blog has been a little silent over the holiday season, but its a new year and you can expect new things to come. I'll be posting the weddings that ended out the 2009 season soon, and I have a new weekly blogging schedule planned that will keep things in shape around here. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and that your new year is off to a great start. In Richmond we were lucky enough to have a white Christmas this year, and who can resist a good snow photo session?

Julie & JOsh: Wedding

2009-11-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

You should remember Josh & Julie from a few posts back when I shot their insanely awesome engagement session. Well their wedding day has now past, and let me say it was sooo much fun. The whole event was amazing and classy with a few Halloween horrors thrown in for fun, which everyone who knows them should have fully expected. I had the honor of standing up next to them as a groomsman, which of course means I was not the main photographer for the day. I had planned on bringing my camera anyways, but finally decided to just be a guest for once so I could fully commit to celebrating with them. It was hard not to be taking photos with so much happening around me, but my good friend Shawnee Custalow was there to capture everything.

Here are a few moments from the day, all photos by Shawnee Custalow.

GQ hasn't called yet, but I would expect us in an upcoming issue.

The cake looked amazing with all the other black and red details, and Josh's candy bar was a hit.
Sarah and I taking a break from the dance floor.I'll be blogging the October weddings that I did bring my camera to soon!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:16:00.000-04:00

I'm preparing to head out for Dana & Jason's awesome wedding today, and just wanted to say that I hope everyone has a fun filled Halloween! It's finally starting to look and feel like Fall outside and I love it. Sarah will be holding down the household tonight for the trick-or-treaters, so come on by.

We both love Halloween and a big part of this is spookify-ing the house. But who wants to pay $20 for a store bought gravestone when your girlfriend has mad paper-mâché skills?

It wouldn't be Halloween without sweets, and we have been baking up a storm lately. Besides the best pumpkin bread I have ever had, Sarah also went all out for these MASSIVE ghost brownies decorated with icing. I think each one had enough sugar in it to kill a man.

Have a safe night, candy overdose is not a laughing matter.

Dana & Jason: Hit the Streets

2009-10-29T13:48:00.000-04:00

Taking photos for couples becomes so rewarding when they embrace the creativity photography can offer, and really play an active part in the creative process. After meeting and speaking with Dana while in Ritz Camera a few months ago, I knew she was one of those perfect clients from the get go when she began explaining her plans for her Halloween wedding. Visions of black & orange and mashed potato martini bars circled in my head as we spoke, but knowing my best friends had a Halloween wedding planned I feared I would not be able to be a part of Dana & Jason's day. Luckily all the dates worked out and I'm excited to be heading to the Beacon Theatre this Saturday to make some amazing memories for them.

We all headed out on the town yesterday afternoon for some last minute portraits to display at the wedding. After some morning rain, the day ended up being gorgeous. Here are a few favorites:

Look for another special Halloween post Saturday before I head to the wedding!

JOsh & Julie : Engagement

2009-10-03T00:29:00.000-04:00

I guess it means I am growing up when all of my friends start to get married. When I received an ecstatic text from Julie during her cruise vacation about her engagement, I knew that time had come. Julie and JOsh (my shift key isn't broken, that's how he rolls) have been my best friends for over five years now, and I could not be happier to stand up next to them in a few weeks as they say their wedding vows. Before things get too mushy, I'll just say that these two know how much they mean to me, and my life would not be the same without them.

JOsh and Julie are both amazing artists in their own right, so when you're done checking out their pretty faces below, head over to Julie Ferguson Photo and Death by Film to see some of their work. Here are a few of our favorites from the session:

Insanely loud train whistles have a way of making dogs, and Julie, do strange things.

Hope you guys had fun, can't wait to celebrate and bring the metal rain!

JOsh & Julie Sneak Peek

2009-09-30T22:20:00.000-04:00

More of JOsh, Julie and Zero coming tomorrow!

Arts and Crafts

2009-09-12T21:37:00.000-04:00

Having graduated from art school and moved on to a business program, it is easy for me to sometimes get bogged down with number crunching and marketing plans and start to forget the reason I began this path. My love of art. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful girlfriend who not only shares my passion for photography but is still constantly creating all types of artwork in a number of mediums. I love that even when there are days that I am lost in a world of confusing income statements, I still get to be constantly exposed to new ideas. Sarah not only gives me feedback and inspiration for my own work, but also lets me photograph her creations from time to time. Check out these awesome copper earrings that she just finished sculpting by hand.

They are pretty heavy, so I am still waiting see if they ever get worn out on the town.

MOOOO......

2009-09-02T23:23:00.000-04:00

I promised in my last post that today's entry would be of a new variety. As a lover of everything photographic, I plan on having a feature of my new blog-site be reviews of products that I feel other photographers as well as my clients can use to enjoy their photos. I know how much I love finding out about fun new photo products and ideas, so hopefully I will be able to share something every now and again that one of you may find new and interesting.

For my first product review, I have chosen the good people over at Moo.com. I just recently received my newest batch of business cards from Moo and could not be happier. I have been a fan of their products for awhile and just love the look and feel of their brand in general. Moo is basically a printing company that provides products such as postcards, business cards, stickers, etc but there is one thing that made them stick out in my mind when I first stumbled onto them. Ordering a pack of 50 business cards? Have 50 awesome photos? Well guess what, you can put a different photo on every.single.card. And it doesn't cost anything extra. This may not be a big deal for cards of corporate upper management types, but for someone in the visual arts world it is amazing. Being able to have an entire portfolio of images in your pocket to select from each time someone asks for your card makes so much sense.

Moo also isn't just for people running a business, they have tons of products that anyone would find fun to display their photos on. If you are a client and have a whole DVD worth of photos, don't just stick it in a drawer somewhere. Pick some of your favorites to have printed up as Minicards to give to your friends, or to display in the Mosaic Frame that you can change every day. From party announcements to gift tags, there are all kinds of ways to use these fun little things. So if your a photographer looking to market yourself, or just someone who hasn't looked at their photos anywhere but on a screen for way too long, head on over to Moo.com and take a look around. I'll leave you with a photo of my newest batch of cards, if you see me on the street be sure to ask for one!

Vacation

2009-08-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

So it has been over a week and a half since my last post, but for good reason. The school semester officially started today and I was out enjoying my last week of free time. First Sarah and I hit up the Richmond Metro Zoo which, up until now, I did not know existed. Check out these cool dudes, I think we spent more time hanging out taking photos of them than anywhere else.

Giraffes are cool. Petting giraffes is cooler. End of story.

I was also able to spend the better part of a week with my family down in the Outer Banks. We spent most of the week relaxing in the sand and catching what waves were available. Kristina riding an intense one compliments of the waterproof point&shoot:

It was a fun time and I'm now recharged and ready to take on the new season. Check back soon for my next post, it will be the first of its kind!

Kayleigh - Senior Session

2009-08-08T19:48:00.000-04:00

I've been finishing up the edits of Kayleigh's senior photos and there are quite a few awesome ones. Now I just have to order her life-sized wall clinger (no really, it can be done) and we'll be good to go. Here are some favorites:

You know you're jealous, now scroll up top to the contact box and you can have some of your very own.

Fun People = Fun Pictures

2009-08-03T22:03:00.000-04:00

This weekend was an insanely fun two days with friends, but that left little time for editing so I just have a quick post for today. If you are one of the 15 million views that this video already has then I guess I'm behind current events, but if you haven't seen it check it out. These are the kinds of people that make a wedding day fun and elevate the photos and memories to another level. Whatever your style may be, your wedding day is a time to let your personality and love for one another shine. I think this video is an awesome reminder for anyone planning their wedding day that between all the stress its really all about having a good time.

Senior Time

2009-07-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

This is Kayleigh

Or more specifically a very close up photo, that she for some reason loves, of her head being held up by a pipe. You can go ahead and steal that one for your facebook Kayleigh:)

Kayleigh is my youngest sister and has only a year left until graduation, which makes me realize how fast time has gone by. She drove up to Richmond yesterday for a visit and to also be my first senior photo shoot of the year. We wandered downtown while traversing sewer pipes and busy traffic to capture some images that show off the awesome girl that she has become. Her entire shoot will be up for your viewing pleasure in the days to come, but for now here are a few behind the scenes photos that Sarah shot of my in the process.

I've been all about this angle lately, I think that I was actually taking one of my favorite shots of the day right that second.

And of course I have to show off my spiffy new Shootsac that I received from my awesome parents for my birthday. I'm just now putting it to the true test and it has worked out great so far, I almost forgot I was wearing it a few times.

That's all for now, hope everyone has a good weekend. I'll be posting Kayleigh's photos soon and if anyone is interested in reserving a date for senior photos, shout at me in the contact box above.

Dance Off!

2009-07-26T22:09:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I had the chance to second shoot a wedding with my good friend Lisa at the last moment. I hadn't heard anything about the wedding or the bride and groom so I wasn't sure what to expect. It ended up being a very nice ceremony at a small chapel, followed by an even nicer reception. My favorite part of the entire evening had to be watching the kid in the picture below show off his moves. Let me tell you, he could dance like nothing I've ever seen from someone his age. At one point he even got into a dance off with the bride and I captured this image during the peak of things. I may not be blogging the rest of the wedding, but thought this was just too good not to share.

Don't think I will ever be getting this low to the ground without hurting myself.

New and Improved

2009-07-24T14:38:00.000-04:00

This blog is officially open for business! I'm really excited to have a new place to display my art and have lots of plans for the future. I will be updating here as often as I possibly can with new photos and stories of my clients and my adventures. A new full-blown website of awesome is in the works, but until then this will be your one stop shop for everything Josh. Be sure to also follow me on Twitter and to keep coming back for exclusive follower discounts and prizes. I'm currently booking weddings and portrait sessions for 2009/2010, if you would like to know more about reserving a date just hit up the contact box above. That's all for now, and because pictures are so much more fun than words here's a photo before I go.I'm working on a few self-timer portraits of Sarah and I that will be going up in the house soon. Cute, I know.