Inspired Photo Blog

“The only way to keep your heart beating as a photographer is to shoot what you love” —Joe McNally

Seven notes. Every song that’s ever been written is a variation of those seven notes. You’d think by now every possibility of a new song would be exhausted. Yet new music continues to thrive and change. Love is a lot like music. As long as there are two people in love, there is the possibility of something exciting and new. A love that will stand the test of time.

Amy and Dustin met at a concert where Dustin was playing. Amy is a PK (preacher’s kid). We have that in common. Her father preaches at New Heights Church in Vancouver. Dustin is a singer, songwriter for the band Ruth. They are currently touring and promoting their third album, so it was amazing he found time for the engagement session. But if you saw him around Amy, you’d understand that he would do anything for her. Being a former musician in another life, I also have that in common with Dustin. Suffice it to say, we had a lot to talk about during the shoot.

Dustin is very comfortable in front of the camera. He’s done many photo shoots and Amy was a natural. She couldn’t quit smiling, clearly happy to be near Dustin. I love working with other creatives as they are usually up for anything and never look at me strangely when I talk out loud about an idea for an image. I have a feeling their wedding photos will be amazing. Check back and find out for yourself.

Last year, I photographed a wedding in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I met a musician, Judd Grossman, who kindly allowed me to use one of his songs for their slideshow. He and his band entertained us at the wedding and having his music on the slideshow was a special memory.

I asked Dustin if he had any music he could share with me for their e-session slideshow and he graciously sent me an unplugged version of Miracle Photo from their upcoming album. Be sure to watch their slideshow with more images from their e-session.

Congratulations Amy and Dustin!

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Wrapping up my trip to Vermont, I wanted to share a few personal photos. These images were captured with a Canon SD870 IS point and shoot camera while walking around Woodstock, Vermont.

Woodstock is a quaint shire town that feels like stepping back in time. The architecture is amazingly rich with detail and history. There are many homes that were built before 1830. That means they were already 100 years old before the Great Depression! It’s hard not to stand there without imagining how different life must have been. Many homes are intact, much as they were hundreds of years ago.

What struck me while driving across Vermont was the lack of billboards. Apparently, there is a toll free number for tourists to call and talk to a live person with information about things to do and places to see while visiting Vermont. Walking around Woodstock, it also struck me that all the curbs were made of granite. No concrete curbs anywhere. Everyone seemingly has a red barn and many of the homes looked to be multiple buildings, joined together over the decades. I’m assuming this is for practical reasons due to the extreme cold during the winter. It’s been said there are two seasons in Vermont — winter and preparing for winter.

Some day soon, I hope to return to Vermont to visit new friends and old ones. The thunderstorms were just as I remembered from growing up in the Midwest. Booming thunder, bolts of lighting and rain that fell so hard you had to pull over and wait for it to pass. I’d go back just for a few days of that, but I hear Fall is spectacular as well. Of course, Vermontians are best known for their maple syrup. Here are a few of my favorite images from Woodstock, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed being there.

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Last year I traveled to a destination wedding in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This year, almost one year to the date, I journeyed to Woodstock, Vermont to photograph the wedding of Sarah and Patrick.

Sarah (my album designer) and Patrick are beloved friends. They say you should never work for family or friends, but I was honored when asked to photograph their wedding. Sarah sees the work of countless photographers and Patrick is very detail oriented. They do their homework. I’ve been all over the United States, but have never traveled to the Northeast corner. This was a trip I was looking forward to all summer. I was not disappointed.

Vermont is draped in history. There are buildings that date to the beginning of our country. My head was swimming with nostalgia and awe. The natural beauty reminded me of Washington and Missouri, both places I’ve spent a great deal of time. Rich, vibrant greens with rolling hills of leafy trees. Red barns, granite curbs and people with Northeastern accents. I was as far from Washington as you could get.

What I enjoy most about destination weddings is immersing myself into the story of the wedding. The stormy backyard rehearsal dinner, where we all silently prayed the weather would clear, if only for an hour, on wedding day to becoming a part of the intimate core of family and friends celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Sarah’s parents hosted the celebration at their property. Sarah’s mom is an avid gardener and her touch was evident in every detail. Sarah’s father is an amazing craftsman and I dubbed him Marty Stewart. He grumbled a bit, but he knew I meant it as the highest compliment. From the barn he built by hand with blueprints in his head to the marshmallow sticks for the after wedding bonfire, his skill and handiwork were readily apparent. As a wedding gift, Sarah’s father built a table using pieces of wood that have been in the family for generations. The craftsmanship was astonishing.

Patrick’s family all traveled from Portland. In fact, we were all on the same flight to New York, a wedding entourage. They were walking around with cameras in hand and I kept running into them every morning at breakfast. Woodstock is definitely a small town. Patrick’s sister turned me on to ChaCha. Text any question to 242242 (ChaCha) and you will get an answer. You can even ask them for jokes. We spent the entire weekend trying to stump ChaCha. From asking why the curbs were made of granite to whether the weather would be nice for the wedding. Good times!

I have so many wonderful memories of this trip that will always bring a smile to my face. I will definitely visit Vermont again with my family, especially since Sarah and Patrick are moving there in October! Thank God for the internet as I’d hate to lose the best album designer I’ve ever known. I will miss Sarah and Patrick immensely, but I know they’ll miss the Portland brews even more.

Congratulations to both families. Thank you for welcoming me into your home and hearts— for making me feel like a part of your family. A stranger, tagging along to document the coming together of two families. Sarah and Patrick—best wishes for a lifetime of happiness and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Blessings and Peace!

Sarah and Patrick’s Slideshow

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