K + R | Camp Pinnacle Wedding | Atlanta Wedding Photographer

ATLANTA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

My couples are important to me, so important in fact that I forget the other side of wedding photography. The other side which is showing YOU ALL the weddings I photograph. Well, it's time to change that. I have so many amazing wedding days to show! So let's start here, with Katie and Ryan in North Carolina at Camp Pinnacle!

Yep, I travel for weddings. My couples are so awesome, how could I not?! (Have current passport, will travel- just putting that out there in case anyone wants to elope to some random amazing place) Camp Pinnacle is one of those locations that is close enough to Atlanta that I can do it in a day. Drive up, shoot, drive back. That is the great thing about being an Atlanta Wedding Photographer is that so many amazing venues are really within driving distance to each side! You can get to Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and all over Georgia!

So yea, Camp Pinnacle is a pretty awesome venue, very similar to some that I have photographed here in Georgia. It's exactly what the name suggests, A CAMP! So there is all sorts of open space, amazing tree lines, loads of cabins, an amphitheater with seating, covered picnic area, and of course in the middle of the mountains on a lake. These types of venues are a lot of fun because you rent them out and then your wedding party and/or family can stay in the cabins and you get full access to all the camp has to offer! Not only is it a wedding, but a mini vacation for everyone else. Not that your wedding day is about anyone else, but some people may travel far or some of them may work harder than others for your wedding day. It's nice to able to offer something like this to those people.

And hey - sometimes its even the bride and groom who travel too! This actually was that type of wedding. The bride and groom use to live in Georgia, but not anymore. We actually did their engagement session (which I still haven't blogged well because yea I am behind) when they were in town checking on the wedding planning part of things! I really need to blog that engagement session. It was a good one. We literally just walked around Cabbagetown and hung out. I should blog that one soon.

What I really loved about this wedding day though is that they made it like it was at a camp! From the custom camp sign, using all the property (for ceremony, getting ready, photos), bbq for dinner, and just a really relaxed vibe throughout the night. They didn't try to make it something it wasn't like making all the bridesmaids wear stay in heels at camp, haha, which I have seen before. And that says a lot for your wedding day and how your reception will go. If you make your guests feel at home comfortable you can almost guarantee that you will have to kick people out at the end of the night.

CAMP PINNACLE WEDDING CEREMONY

ATLANTA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER KRISANDRA EVANS

APRIL + MIKE | MARRIED AT SWOR COTTAGE

We all knew April and Mike were going to get married, well, I knew it. Even way back when they had their first photo session with me and were shy about holding hands in front of the camera. I didn’t care how shy they felt, I made them hold hands anyway. And when Mike asked April to marry her all I could think was, “I have to photograph this marriage”.

I now know why “they” say never photograph the wedding of a family member or someone who is super close to you.  

So we fast forward to a million group texts, countless snaps and a couple phone calls later- the day finally arrives! I anticipated on treating this day like it wasn’t my sister who was a bridesmaid, but just a lady named Sarah or that the maid of honor wasn’t one of my best girl friends and that I knew almost everyone in attendance. Ha! That was a joke and the joke was on me.

Stan Fields: Miss Rhode Island, Please describe your idea of the perfect date

Cheryl “Miss Rhode Island: That’s a tough one. I’d have to say April 25th. Because its not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket. 

As April 25th (yes, April 25th) wore on, the tears fell, and the stories were told I couldn’t help but be part of this day where one of the best women I knew was getting married. It didn’t help that every moment of the day was personalized from the unintentional wedding colors being the colors from the Golden Girls’ couch, to the random canoe that floated ashore and made the perfect drink station, to the bridal party singing “Hold on for One More Day” by Wilson Phillips to our bride during the reception topping off the evening by having a d.j. personality we all grew up listening to, Lewis Stokes of K Country, provide the soundtrack for the evening.

All I could do was gracefully accept a tissue from the Groom’s father, wipe my face, and keep shooting. And shoot and shoot and shoot. Would I photograph the wedding of another person this close to me? YES! As stressful and emotionally draining as it was, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Bridal Boudoir |Wedding Inspiration

Any time Whitney of Tulle & Grace asks if I want to come along on a shoot, I re-arrange whatever I have to to be there. She always brings amazing ideas to life! This time it's bridal boudoir. What a great idea for a gift to your husband to be!

The idea of bridal boudoir is a little sneak peek into the lingerie you might wear under your wedding clothing or after your wedding day. Not only is it a great gift for him, but what an amazing gift for yourself. To be able to capture the happiness and passion of who you are going into your marriage.

*boudoir doesn't only have to be as a wedding gift. it is a gift for anytime of the year… birthday, Valentines day, Christmas, or because it's Saturday.

Model: Teresa Motes Cardin

Hair and Makeup: Robn Nicole Johnsen

Wardrobe: Girl With a Serious Dream

Florals/Design: Bowman & Clark

Location: Tulle & Grace

5 Tips For A Great Head Shot

By definition:"A head shot or headshot is a photograph of someone's face. Many head shots are promotional pictures of actors, models, authors, or other famous individuals." I have specialized in (children's) head shots for the last 4 years. So, what makes a great head shot, you ask? Well, you might as well ask what makes a great photo. But, here are some pointers:

1. Connection. Eye contact is KEY. You want to be able to look at the image and feel the person is looking you in the eye. If your subject isn’t intrigued then neither will the person viewing photograph.

2. Simple backdrop. We are here to see the person in the photo, not where you took the photo. If the backdrop is visible then it should support the subject and not be distracting.

3. Clothing. Simple solid colors are always best. Also, try to avoid solid white – it can be distracting. The eye tends to go toward the brightest part of the image and you don’t want that to be the shirt your subject is wearing. Also, minimal jewelry and makeup. BUT- if your client insists on wearing white and patterns pull yourself together and MAKE IT WORK. After all, you are a professional.

4. Vertical: In my experience, comp cards are generally vertical. If you take a horizontal shot, make sure you pull back enough to where it can be cropped vertical. There is nothing worse than having your client love the (horizontal) shot you took only to hear they can’t use it because it can’t be cropped vertical.

5. Posing: Head shot means just that. Pose from the shoulders up and fill the frame. Don’t “cut off” the top of the head. Proper facial expressions can also affect posing. Change up expressions!

But, most importantly, you need a good photographer! You have to have fun and feel comfortable during a head shot session or it will reflect in the photo that is primarily, well,  your face. Head shots are about capturing your personality, so make sure you bring it to your session.

Black and White versus Color | Krisandra Evans

It's the tale old battle of which is better… Black and white or Color? When you don't know which one to post, what do you do?

99.9% of the time I will post color images. That .1% of the time I do post a black and white images it is because for some reason it caught my eye more than the color image did. Why is that?

Black and white tends to be more simplistic. Timeless. Less distracting. More dramatic. Right?

Then there are times where you want the image to grab your attention. You want to see all the colors involved because they play off each other to make the image. And sometimes who really cares how timeless the image looks because, well, it's just that good of an image!

So, you tell me.. Black and White OR Color?