Ryan Smith Weddings a New Adventure

Just Call Me Patsy 'Cause I'm CRAZY!

2011-05-18T03:11:00.013-04:00

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2726408349_9b0fe1b142.jpg

After completing what was hands-down the hardest semester I've had since going back to school, I should've relished my 2 week break before summer semester: no more dates with MSNBC at 5 a.m. to catch all my news shows before spending all day on campus; no more finishing papers at the last minute (which sometimes cut into my 5 a.m. news shows); no more reading so much Norton's Anthology that my eyes are permanently damaged (no really, I think they are! I need to make an appointment with the eye doctor), and typing so much that I have chronic neck pain (no really, I did see a doctor about that); no more Lesley Roessing, the worst professor I have ever had period (you can tell her if you know her, I already have). Besides, didn't I already do all this crap before? Like in 1990 when I started USC and... oh, yeah, flunked out 3 semesters later in 1992 because I didn't do any of those things (but I had a damn good time doing nothing). My bad. But I did make up for all my slacker ways when I moved to Atlanta and went to AIA, where my GPA was quite exemplary, thank you very much. But anyway, I worked really hard this past semester and deserved a nice, relaxing, peaceful 2 week hiatus. But that is not what I got.
You know how schizophrenics or bipolars sometimes stop taking their meds because they feel normal? Only they feel normal because they're taking medication, and as soon as they quit taking it they get all wonky again. Well let's just say I got a little wonky.
First I should probably state that I'm neither bipolar or schizophrenic, but I do take Celexa for anxiety. For years I felt I needed something to mellow me out because I was always on edge, and when I first started back to school I really knew I needed something when I started sobbing in class because I didn't understand statistics and felt so overwhelmed. Not very manly, so good thing they make medicine for it. So I saw my doctor (or quack, as Amy refers to him) and have had a happy, mellow relationship with Celexa for a couple of years. That is, until my 2 week vacation.
I'll just go ahead and admit it: I'm lazy. And I have a touch of OCD, so my routine is always the same: when the alarm goes off and I get up at 5:00, I shuffle into the kitchen to get coffee and take my happy pill right away. But it's not just that one pill, I also take a vitamin and sometimes a fish oil pill to help the ol' memory. Now I know it sounds ridiculous, but I get tired of taking pills everyday. Buddha forbid I ever have a chronic illness that requires me to take 70 pills a day, 'cause that ain't happenin'. Three pills are apparently my limit. To make a long story short, I ran out of vitamins and fish oil, and when I finished the semester I decided to take a break on the Celexa and revert to my default, unmedicated state. Damn. There's a reason those schizos who go off their meds end up killing someone: sometimes au naturel is just plain crazy.
It took about a week for the signs to appear that I was coming unhinged. I once left my meds in Atlanta during the middle of a semester, and after just a couple of days could feel myself losing it, but I guess being on break helped slow the craziness this time. Anyway, the least serious of my symptoms was anger; I could feel my temper getting shorter and shorter. But remember, I'm on break with nothing to do except watch Netflix and drink box wine and sleep, so what the hell do I have to be angry about? Yeah, I don't know either, but there it was rearing its ugly head anyway. My list of people to kill or maim grew longer and longer. I have been able to catch up on 24 on Netflix, so that's good, the only problem is trying to stay awake. My sleep is all screwed up. I'm staying up later than usual, sometimes I go to bed between 12 and 2, but I only sleep about 3 hours and then I'm up. WTH? I love to sleep, but I can't. I don't know if it's a side effect of going cold turkey with the happy pills or the untreated anxiety that's crept back in, but I don't sleep at night and can't stay awake during the day. I feel like Carrie when Big backed out of their wedding and she went to Mexico and just slept for days. That's all I want to do. Could there have been a gayer reference? Good lord. I wonder if there's an anti-anxiety/ testosterone combo pill? And you know how it is when you don't sleep, everything is just out of balance. I think that might be why I'm having eye problems, too, or maybe that's just from squinting at the keys on my BlackBerry.
But the overwhelming and uncontrollable emotions are the biggest sign that I might be going crazy. I decided to start P90X again and try to get into a shape other than fat blob, but I barely made it through the first day because I was too preoccupied with crying and telling myself what a fat, weak loser I was to concentrate on push ups. In what should have been a instance of joy, Jarrod was chosen for Honor Band and had a concert at my college last week, and I could barely hold the camcorder still because I was so overwhelmed with a mixture of pride and of regret remembering what it was like being in All-State band when I wasn't much older than he is. And while those were very real emotions for me, the finale of Smallville almost killed me.
I have loved Smallville for years. I started watching about 7 years ago, and though I'm not one of those over-the-top fanboys like Sheldon and the gang, I have grown to love Clark, Chloe, Lois, Oliver, Martha and Jonathan, Tess, Lana, and even Lex. And after 10 years it ended. I cried for 2 hours during the finale, and I mourned for 3 days afterward. This will get its own entry later.
Things that make me weepy (this week):

"Firework" by Katy Perry

"Be Prepared" from The Lion King soundtrack

The Hunger Games (about kids forced to fight in a deathmatch)

Judi Dench singing "Send in the Clowns"

An abbreviated list to be sure, and one which can grow exponentially. But for now, I've been up since before 3 a.m., I've drank much coffee and listened to the "Songs that make me cry" playlist on my iPod, and now I must go take my crazy pill and go to sleep and maybe wake up a little less fragile.

With no Direction Home Like a Complete Unknown

2011-01-07T13:11:00.011-05:00

It sucks coming face to face with the ramifications of having no direction in life. What sucks even more is being almost 40 and facing those facts. The hundred little connections my brain made in what started out as the realization that I don't enjoy high-brow literature turned into a search for people on Facebook, which resulted in a complete sense of personal failure. My preference for decidedly non-academic books led me to two realizations: 1. My memory has almost completely failed me, and 2. I am not where I thought I would be at this stage in my life. Worse still, I DON"T KNOW where I want to be, and that makes me depressed beyond belief.
The short version of how these seemingly unrelated events connected in such a way to make me want to drink myself into oblivion at 1:00 on a Friday afternoon goes like this: I'm debating whether to finish reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, a book I should read because "Hey! I want to teach college literature, right?," but which is way too over my head to comprehend without resorting to Spark Notes. Then I think of all the other literary classics I didn't finish because they bored me to tears. Then I start looking for people I went to AIA with on Facebook, but I can't remember some names so I start Googling. I find one old professor at a different school, I think about how she was a horrible professor but still has a teaching job, I think about the English position at AIA that I wasn't qualified for, I think I could teach photography, I realize I'm no longer a photographer because I don't have the confidence or thick skin to survive criticism, and "those who can't do teach" but I can't teach photography because I'm not confident enough, I'm back in school to be a teacher but I don't want to teach middle school I want to teach college but my literature class was such a struggle last semester I'm not smart enough to be a literature professor, I'm almost 40 and unemployed and I can't be a pharmacist because I can't get through the science classes. Maybe it wasn't exactly short, but it was the only way to say it. The gist is I'm a failure and not good at anything anymore.
I'm trying to deal with the end of my photography career. It's all I ever wanted to do. Then I got burned out by the stress of weddings. I couldn't hack it anymore. I was so busy for a while, then as competition increased I found myself with more and more free weekends. I was happy for 10 years, but then people started settling for lower quality from cheaper photographers, or went the opposite direction by hiring the celebrity photographer with the whole "team" at their disposal who monopolizes the whole market. Who wants to compete with that? Count me out.
But what to do? Ah, "those who can't, teach" right? But that's so unfair to those teachers who are fulfilling a calling. Like Amy. She is a born teacher. My friend Suzy will disagree and say teachers are like anyone else trained to do a specific task. But not Amy. Yes, she has the training, but she also has the DESIRE to make a difference in the lives of children. I would venture that the majority of teachers picked teaching simply because it was a paycheck. Like dental hygiene or aircraft mechanics. I don't think anyone is "called" to be a dental hygienist, it's just training for a task. But teaching, above anything else, should be reserved for those who are CALLED. Why trust our children with someone who doesn't care about improving the lives of children, but who's just there for the check? The school system is full of those kinds.
But this is just what I'm doing. I don't really want to teach children, I want to teach at the college level. But teach what? Photography? No, since I failed at it I don't feel I'm in a position to give my insight on the craft. Literature? I would love to, but since I can't stand the classics it seems I'm not sophisticated enough to teach college-level students.
Therein lies my depression. And now I'm out of wine.

2010-11-23T14:57:00.004-05:00

So I'm on Thanksgiving break from school (rather I skipped science class this morning to start my break early), I've finished cleaning the house, I've finished off a bottle of chardonnay (it was actually a box but only a bottle's worth was left in it), and praise the Lord! Sex and the City II arrived from Netflix. I'm embarrassed to admit how happy I was to see it in the mailbox. And then Liza Minnelli sings Beyonce at Stanford and Anthony's wedding. Maybe it's only because of the nice midday buzz going on, but it was friggin' hilarious.
God I've got to find a job before I die of gayness.
(And no that was not a slur. If you've read my previous posts you know I love the gays!)

Simple Pleasures, or

2010-11-13T15:09:00.006-05:00

Making lemonade out of lemons.
We hate our neighbors, that's no secret. As far as the eye can see, we hate every last one of 'em, with the exception of some of Jarrod and Abigail's friends' parents, and we can't really speak about the neighbors we don't know. We've only lived here almost 7 years and we're still waiting for some to acknowledge our presence. But for those immediately surrounding us, we Despise our neighbors, with a capital D.
By transfer, we also hate our house. Well, Amy hates the house because she really hates the neighbors; I don't mind the house so much except that it's located in our neighborhood. We loved the place when we first moved in. Amy busied herself planting and watering and watching things grow. I busied myself watching her busy herself with those things. It was a great arrangement. We were both excited to plant the Confederate Jasmine, 1) because it grows quickly, and 2) because it smells so damn good! In no time it took off, and this is what we have. You have to duck to get to the doors, which is not much of an inconvenience. The several real estate agents who have failed to sell our house tell us to cut it back, but we think it's charming. Perhaps if the agents ever bothered to actually show the house to potential buyers, we would entertain the idea of pruning a little.
Obviously we rarely use the front door, only on the occasion that someone who doesn't know we never use the front door rings the bell. I went out to sit in the rocking chair on the front porch to read this afternoon, and was surprised to find these lovely little vines growing through the screen door. Some would probably pull them away, but I say "What the hell?" I'll just close my eyes and pretend I live in a cottage in the French countryside.

Don't Drink the Kool-Aid!

2010-10-20T21:31:00.004-04:00

No cute pictures or snarky witticisms from yours truly tonight (well, maybe a few).
I have to get something off my chest that is weighing heavily on me. Today was Armstrong Day at school, and all the various clubs had booths hocking homemade baked goods (store-bought homemade goods, boo hiss), drinks, kisses (loose sororities), guillotine decapitation (French club), etc. 100s of students and faculty enjoying a lovely afternoon celebrating 75 years of our esteemed university. And then there was the LGBT (maybe a few more letters I just don't know about) booth, the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered club, and no one was there. Oh, there were students manning the booth with their rainbow Kool-Aid and Jello shots just waiting for someone to walk up and take some, but no one did. And neither did I. I mean, who doesn't like Kool-Aid and Jello shots? Tell me if the Tri-Delts had Jello shots at their booth if the line wouldn't be down the sidewalk? No one went up to the booth because no one wanted anyone else to think they were gay, or L, B, or T either. That's what went through my mind, if I'm honest. If I walked up to get something to drink at the gay booth, people would think I was queer.
And I hate myself for feeling that way. Some of my best friends are gay. I'm educated. I'm tolerant and open minded. I support gay marriage. Sex and the City was one of my favorite shows. Hell, I remember Backstreet in Atlanta. I was on a college campus in 2010 for God's sake, and I was scared someone would think I was gay. People I don't even know. And people who don't know me. Being in college at this point in my life is different than the first go-round. Class is just somewhere I have to go in the course of my day, and I don't socialize and have friends on campus like the younger whipper-snappers.
I was a coward, and I can't help but feel like I insulted those students who were proudly working in their booth. And I regretfully insulted my gay friends.

Insert "Star Wars" Subtitle Here:

2010-09-19T08:12:00.003-04:00

Surely someone will get the title. I have confidence, especially if Scott reads this. For the rest of you, I'm going for "A New Hope".
And for those who are really paying attention, you will notice the new title of this esteemed blog. I know I run the risk of losing my hoards of followers by changing the title, but, as our President puts it, "Change has come!" Our current economy has forced me to change careers and I am no longer in the photography business. Sad faces all around, I know. So we have been living on Amy's salary for several months now, and damn it's hard! But the bigger concern is that photography, wedding photography especially, is all I've ever wanted to do. There's never been a back-up plan for my life. So here I am, 38 years old and struggling to figure out what to do when I grow up.
The writing on the wall was pretty clear for a couple of years, so I started back to college last year. I thought I would be a nurse since that's practically a guaranteed, constant job. The only problem is I'm not great at science, and unless I make all A's I feel like I've failed. So I've decided to be a middle school teacher. I like to think I'm somewhat learned in literature, so I've decided to become an English teacher. Although my British novel class this semester is really telling me how un-well-read I am. Anyway, I'll reserve my ultimate goal for a time when I have a little more confidence in my intellect, but for now it's middle school. I have about 1.5 years to go.
That's still enough time to change my mind, as Amy likes to tell me!

Christine & Jason

2010-03-09T15:58:00.003-05:00

Can't wait to do these guys' wedding in June. At least the weather will be a little warmer. Oh, yeah... June in Savannah will be sweltering!

We had a great time wandering around Forsyth for some great photos. They want to move to Savannah after Jason finishes school in Atlanta -- another couple charmed by the beauty of Savannah!

Carol & Andrew

2010-03-09T15:55:00.003-05:00

Carol and Andrew chose the coldest day of the year (!!!) to get married outside at the Savannah Yacht Club. The wind was blowing so hard, and it was so cold, but the rain held out literally until we finished with the altar pictures.

The Ross and White families were wonderful to work with. I photographer Carol's sister, Anne's, wedding a few years ago and really am honored the family called on me this time!

I'm Back!!!

2010-03-09T15:27:00.003-05:00

My, my. It seems like I've been gone forever. I'm sure whoever was following my blog has long since jumped ship. Blame Facebook. I do. It's just easier than admitting I haven't really had anything going on worth writing about. But that wouldn't be the complete truth.

I have been extremely busy with school. For those who don't know, I'm back in college. Again. Didn't I already graduate once like 13 years ago? Anywho, I am pursuing a degree in middle school education. Who knew I was into masochism? Never did I think I would be teaching English to middle schoolers, but the current economy has sort of pushed me into expanding my horizons. Plus, there's the added benefit of being off during the summer with Amy and the kids and being able to travel. Though on 2 teachers' salaries there may be more staycations than vacations.

Confession time: though middle school has never been on my radar, I have always fantasized about being a college literature professor, elbow patches and all. That's really my end game in getting a degree in education, though the thought of having to write a thesis to get a PhD. or EdD. makes me want to double up on my anti-anxiety medication. In my English class this semester I have the instructor I want to be: he's well-read and wonderfully nerdy.

The fam is fine. Amy has a particularly rough class this year and swears she is going to work as a cook at the Waffle House. Jarrod and Abigail are growing so quickly, and I'm embarrassed that I don't take pictures of them nearly as often as I should. Brucester is still around. He escapes almost daily, but always comes back. Lexi is now a permanent member of the family; although we tried, we just couldn't bring ourselves to give her up. We had 2 cats, brother and sister, but Alex took off a couple of months ago. Jarrod has become the cat wrangler, because Katie usually only has anything to do with him. She's kinda stuck-up like that.

Randall Family

2009-07-16T11:49:00.005-04:00

These are our good friends Paige and Mark and their kids, Ashley and Connor. Had a great Sunday afternoon portrait session out in Georgetown. I know Amy's REALLY gonna find a way to move us to the water after seeing these!

Adopt-a-Pet!

2009-06-30T10:21:00.006-04:00

ATTENTION! We have been fostering Lexi for a couple of weeks after she found her way to our house and never left. PLEASE someone take her off our hands! I have no idea what breed she is. Very sweet and loving, obedient and house-trained; we just don't have room for another animal!
ALSO, if anyone's interested in a black bunny, she needs to go, too! I feel like we've been running the Brittany Lane Animal Shelter.

Mary & Brendan

2009-06-08T14:32:00.004-04:00

What an awesome couple! Mary and Brendan were married last weekend at the beautiful Morris Center. Mary, daughter of cake-maker extraordinaire Mollie Stone, was great to work with. The weather was beautiful, so the party spilled over to the adjacent tent and back patio.

So many great Savannah vendors were on scene: John Davis did the gorgeous flowers, Trish McLeod made the delicious food and of course Mollie provided the cake! One of the highlights of the evening was when Betsy Kingston, channeling Janis Joplin herself, got onstage and wowed the guests with "Me and Bobby McGee."

Memorial Day 2009 in Tennessee

2009-05-26T16:32:00.004-04:00

It has been years since I've not had a wedding over Memorial Day weekend. How nice to be off! Or... um... well I guess it probably maybe could've possibly been better if I'd had a wedding and brought in some money, but what the hey? I've spent my share of long weekends working, happy to have a change. Anyway...

We headed up to Tennessee in search of cool weather and relaxation. What we found was wet weather and $29 pitchers of margaritas, so I won't complain. Since we had no set agenda I was planning on hooking up with an old high school acquaintance that I found out via Facebook was going to be there also, but as so often happens I found that each day of the vaca was filled with frivolities from sun-up to sun-down and it just didn't happen. Oh, well, what's 20 more years between friends.

Little Brucester has been boarded since Friday so I can't wait to see him this afternoon!

Blue Angels

2009-05-21T11:14:00.004-04:00

Over the weekend we went to the Beaufort Air Show to see the Blue Angels. Freakin' bad-a$$. I don't care who you are, seeing how fast these things go and how loud they are will put a smile on anyone's face!

Speaking of faces, mine was burned to a crisp in the hot sun. I've stated before that I have an aversion to sunscreen, and as a result I got one of the worst sunburns I've ever had. Probably 3rd degree. My face was purple. After a few days feeling like I had plaster covering my face, it's finally peeling away to reveal the nice pink, fresh, raw skin underneath. I skipped the beach on Sunday for fear that my face would literally burn off. We're going to Tennessee this weekend so now I'm in the market for a nice giant hat to hide under. Some of those hats from the Kentucky Derby looked pretty cool. Or maybe I can find a knock-off of Aretha's hat from the inauguration. I'm sure those would go over well in the hills of Tennessee!

Later That Day...

2009-05-11T11:36:00.005-04:00

After the photo session we headed downtown for our weekly Sunday morning lazy brunch. J.Christopher's is our usual Sunday morning brunch haunt, but this week we wanted to change it up a bit. Right around the corner in the bottom of Drayton Towers is Harris Bakery, and hol-ee, is it good. I had the most delicious club panini on fresh crusty bread with this great garlic mayo. We took Brucester with us and sat outside on the sidewalk. I kept my back to the traffic on Drayton, figuring if somebody loses control of their car and takes us out, at least I won't see it coming. Abigail took the picture of Jarrod and Brucie; she was mad because she couldn't play with Jarrod's Gameboy and didn't want to be photographed.

After brunch we headed to the in-laws for a low-country boil. Of course I ate again. Today is really the day I start a diet.

Impromptu Mother's Day Portraits 2009

2009-05-11T11:33:00.004-04:00

Kelly & Austin

2009-04-30T12:20:00.003-04:00

I photographed these guys before the blog was around. Kelly's step-sister was married a few weeks ago and I got to catch up with them. It seems like a good time to post these.

Buddha: 2000-2009

2009-04-27T15:45:00.004-04:00

Our sweet Buddha died last night. We are devastated. How do people cope with losing a human child?

Ashley & Micah

2009-04-13T11:02:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful day for a wedding! Ashley and Micah were married at Bull Street Baptist Church and had their reception at the (still under renovation) Savannah Golf Club. The window light in the church is fantastic, and luckily we arrived at the reception in time to catch sunset.

Micah and his troop are home from Iraq, so everyone was very grateful for what these guys are doing, and they all seemed to have a great time! Micah's also been accepted to Harvard Business School, so that was cause for celebration as well.

I ran into a couple who I'm doing their wedding in October, so "Hey!" Carol and Andrew if you're reading this!

John Davis did the beautiful flowers, and Molly Stone did the as always delicious cake.

As an aside, I wish people would just let the Dixie Chicks "controversy" about W go away. It's been long enough, hasn't it? They just said what we all thought, right? A wedding reception is not the platform to air personal political views.

Told You...

2009-02-10T14:04:00.003-05:00

she is the funniest person I know!

Look What You're Missing if You're Not on Facebook!

2009-02-02T16:05:00.002-05:00

Much like my friend Suzy I've gotten caught up with playing on Facebook and the blog has suffered. So as posted on Facebook, here's

25 Things About Me:

1. I would much rather get up early than stay up late. I can count on about 2 fingers the number of New Years I have personally rung in. I get up at 5:00am M-F, and have had to give up many TV shows because I can't stay awake past 9:00pm.

2. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. M&Ms and coffee are one of my favorites, followed by bacon and cheese omelettes with grits or hashbrowns. I make the best cheese grits, but Waffle House does a good job on everything else. Sunrise on Wilmington Island is my favorite breakfast restaurant.

3. I do not eat vegetables, yet I was a vegetarian for a year when I first moved to Atlanta. I lived on pasta and PB and J. I fell off the vegetarian wagon when I got the munchies at a Depeche Mode concert and ate a foot long hotdog.

4. I love Food Network but cannot cook. I love "30 Minute Meals," "Barefoot Contessa" and "Nigella Express".

5. I have married/dated/obsessed over 5 different girls named "Amy".

6. James Taylor is my all time favorite musician hands-down. I NEVER get tired of listening to "James Taylor: Greatest Hits". I've only seen him once in concert and Amy and I sat in the pouring rain to see him.

7. Having stated #6, the best concert I've ever seen was the Violent Femmes at a dive bar in some obscure NC town. It was a college road trip I took with Dale Smith, Kirk Hansen and Chris Steadman when we were in college at USC. Kirk: I know you remember "I looked--it's all clear."

8. I'm obsessed with cars. My dream job would be to work for Motor Trend magazine so I could take pictures of the cars and be able to drive them too. I don't care for muscle cars or driving fast (I drive a Volvo), I just like normal-people cars.

9. I am also a watch freak. I have more watches than I'll ever be able to wear in my lifetime. Just when I think I'm content with the watches I have, I find another one that I want. Amy is wearing the TAG I bought that I wanted since 11th grade because I'm never satisfied. Currently I'm obsessing over vintage watches with grosgrain straps.

10. I would rather stay at home than go out. No surprise in light of #1. My son is the same. We just prefer to stay at home. Amy and Abigail are polar opposites and are always off somewhere.

11. My favorite clothes are J Crew, though I'm almost too fat to fit in them anymore.

12. I am a better friend to some people than they are to me. Why do I keep setting myself up to get my feeling hurt?

13. I have very thin skin, therefore #12 sucks.

14. I hold grudges for a very long time, therefore #12 really sucks.

15. My favorite dessert is creme brulee.

16. I have undiagnosed OCD: I am constantly checking my pockets for my keys and wallet.

17. I have never had a serious illness. When I do get sick it will probably be the mack-daddy terminal kind. Refer to #s 2,3 and 11.

18. I have to change the oil in my cars at exactly the time it's due. When I moved out to the boonies I had to learn how to do it myself and it turned into an obsession. Now I've branched out to changing oil for friends and family. I read a web forum everyday that's dedicated to motor oil. Don't judge.

19. I love to eat out. For a long time we ate out so often that the special occassion was to stay at home and eat. I love to have someone wait on me. I waited on other people for years and now it's payback, just keep my tea filled and we'll have no problems.

20. I have a nautical distress flag license tag on my car with the initials RAD, which stands for Ryan, Amy and Dylan (our dog before we had kids). Jarrod's middle name is Dylan (yes, we named him after the dog) and of course there's Abigail, so I didn't have to get a new tag when they were born.

21. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

22. I was in love with Janet Jackson in high school and saw her in concert twice.

23. My daughter Abigail is the funniest person I know, and my son Jarrod is the most tender-hearted.

24. If I were stranded on a deserted island I would want a John Grisham book. And my James Taylor CD.

25. I will always regret that I could never seem to find the time to visit my friend Jim and then he died.

and if there was a 26, it would be that there is no spell-check on here.

Last of the Holidays 2008

2009-01-23T15:54:00.004-05:00

So I'm a little behind in posting pictures from my time off over the holidays. As usual not much happened at the Smith house for New Year's Eve. I can count on about 2 fingers the number of times I've stayed awake until midnight to ring in the new year. It's just not for me. It's so anti-climactic, and I'd rather just sleep. Unless I'm at a really cool party, so I won't rule out the possibility. The kids shot off some fireworks in the backyard, and dumb ol' Brucester tried to eat them. I should've just let him -- that woulda learnt him.

I went to my friend Christine Hall's new studio/gallery opening last night. What a beautiful place! She's an amazing photographer and has made quite the reputation for herself.

On a different note, Jarrod got his first cell phone. I always said he could get a phone when he got a J.O.B. to pay for it, but he's at that age when he's starting to go places with friends and we have to be able to contact him. Of course Abigail wants one now.

She's a Poet and I Didn't Know It

2009-01-21T14:23:00.004-05:00

I ordered a watch band from a company in NY last week. When it arrived I was so impressed by the packaging I just had to take a picture and share. It's a nice blue box about 12" long,embossed with the the store logo and held together by a silver elastic band. Inside was a plastic tube containing the watch band. It would've been just fine if the company had placed the watch band in an envelope and dropped it in the mail, but presented the way it was really made me feel like I was opening something special.

In a related story, Abigail presented Amy and me with a present. Since it's January she couldn't find any flowers that were alive so she picked some weeds (it's the thought that counts, right?). Not content just to hand us the weeds with the roots and dirt still attached, she placed them nicely in blue box along with a poem:

"This is for you.

Your eyes are blue.

Your skin is white in the

sun light.

And in the morning

we will go out to eat

with a beat to go with it.

And when we are done

we will lay our heads down

in the light sun.

And if you like this sentence

circle

YES or NO

and then open

the package.

Happy New Year family.

I will love you for

my whole life and again

family."

I think we'll hold onto that forever.

"God Bless the USA"

2009-01-20T16:33:00.004-05:00

How apropos this entry is in light that we just witnessed an historic inauguration today!

No matter if you think the song is hokey (and even if you do you probably shed a tear and caught yourself singing it at least once after 9/11), but when you hear your daughter and her best friend sing it, not to mention see them SIGN it, that'll get you everytime.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-14T14:33:00.004-05:00

It's taking me a lot longer to get back in the swing of things after such a nice long vacation, and I've got a lot on my plate right now so unfortunately blogging has taken a backseat.

So Christmas came and went so fast this year. It came a lot faster than usual, and was over in a flash. Or did I just drink too much eggnog and lose a few days? I kid, I kid.

Anyway, the kids only asked for one thing each, and since they were pretty big items one thing was all they got from Santa. Luckily they have grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins! Jarrod wanted an electric scooter and chose a really cool one that has a radio and iPod adapter. Since he doesn't have an iPod he was just going to use mine, but since I'm freaky about anybody using my stuff for fear of said "stuff" being damaged he has to use Amy's. My iPod is full of awesome songs, but since he can't use mine and because beggars can't be choosers he will just have to put up with Bebe & Cece Winans, Anita Baker and Hank Williams, Jr.

Abigail chose S'mores the robot pony, successor to Butterscotch the robot pony that we didn't give her last Christmas. She can brush S'mores with the plastic brush that was included and feed S'mores the plastic carrot and she can even sit on S'mores. It doesn't walk or anything like that, but it moves it's head and makes noise. Just what every little girl wants: a robot pony. Try as we did to convince her that she would want a scooter when she saw Jarrod's, she insisted on S'mores. "I couldn't get Butterscotch last year and I've waited a whole year!" And there it sits in the middle of her bedroom floor while she's off running the battery down in Jarrod's scooter. There's something to be said for persistence, I suppose.

2009-01-09T11:17:00.001-05:00

Festival of Lights

2009-01-08T10:12:00.004-05:00

I don't know how we stumbled on this a few years ago, but we've tried to make it a family tradition since. Hundreds of cars drive bumper-to-bumper, mile-after-mile through James Island State Park to see all the holiday light displays. I know that can be done in many places, but the cool thing about this festival is that in the middle of the park you can get out and visit with Santa, and ride a train through the park, roast marshmallows, stroll through the woods and ride the carousel. There's so much to do! Usually it's so cold I can't feel any of my extremities and the train ride through the forest feels like a ride through frost bite hell, but this year was gloriously warm.

Weekend in Charleston

2009-01-07T13:46:00.005-05:00

I haven't blogged in almost a month so I figured I better snap to it or someone might think I've died or something.

Just before Christmas we headed to Charleston for the weekend. We usually go at least once a year around the holidays to see the Festival of Lights on James Island. I'll never forget when we first moved to Savannah from Atlanta I wanted to take a day-trip over to Charleston since it had been about 8 years since I had last been. We asked Amy's parents if they wanted to go with us. They said yes and offered to drive. It's only about a 2 hour drive from Savannah, if that, so it's not bad. So as soon as we get to Meeting Street Amy's dad says, "Did y'all wanna get out?" If we hadn't said yes, I'm positive we would have headed straight back to Savannah. That's my funny story for the day.

On the way over we stopped on Kiawah Island. I did a wedding there a couple of years ago and just loved the shops in Freshfields Village. It reminds me so much of the town of Celebration in Florida. Very quaint and laid back. One of the shops had a plywood Christmas tree standing on an easel. It was painted all pretty and green and had little ornaments painted on it, too. That's the route we're taking next Christmas. It was like $200, but I feel confident I can make one myself.

Savannah and Charleston are very similar cities, but I really believe Charleston is prettier. And there's way more money. Just walking around the Battery district looking at the Ivy League university decals on the fancy Volvos and Mercedes and BMWs parked outside the historic mansions made me sorry I hadn't decided to be rich. At least I have a Volvo.

We had lunch at California Dreaming. I've been eating there since I was a kid in high school and we would go to journalism conferences in Columbia and order Reese's Dream Shakes and virgin strawberry daiquiris -- I know the wait staff just LOVED us. The food's still good, but I don't know about the daiquiris (honestly). Anyway, I had the ribs. Amy guilted me into saving some for Brucester, who was waiting in the car. Reluctantly I did, but damn if he didn't push the ribs aside so he could eat the fettucini alfredo the kids saved for him. WTH?

Karla & Zak

2008-12-23T11:57:00.003-05:00

I just loved these guys! So nice and so fun to work with. We were at Trinity UMC with a beautiful reception at the Jepson Center.

They had literally the best band I've ever heard for the party. They did a bunch of covers of almost all of my favorite songs. They reminded me so much of the Violent Femmes. It was great!

Karla works for SCAD and talked me into donating one of my fine-art pieces for a fundraising gala. I had to assign a value to it and that made me so nervous! What if it didn't go for at least that price?! I can't set myself up like that anymore!

Just Because

2008-12-18T11:46:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure what this reminds me of but I love it.

Happy Holidays! This takes a few seconds to load.

2008-12-17T14:26:00.002-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Weekend Wrap-Up

2008-12-15T14:16:00.003-05:00

Why does every photographer have a picture like this? A better question might be "Why do I have a picture like this when every other photographer has a picture like this?" I digress...

What an emotional weekend. Lots of tears. The first round came when I got up about 5:00 Saturday morning, and with nothing else to do popped in the latest Harry Potter movie Jarrod picked up. He's really into that now, and what started out as Amy reading the books to Jarrod and Abigail at bedtime has turned into Jarrod reading 100+ pages a day by himself. Anyway, when they complete a book we then watch the movie. I never thought I would watch a movie over reading the book, but so is life. Anywho, one of the characters died in the movie and it set me off. I think I've cried in all of the movies so far, but this was the worst yet. I just feel a connection with these characters, and knowing how Jarrod loves them just makes the connection even stronger.

Later in the day Daniel Radcliffe was on Inside the Actors Studio talking about the last Harry Potter book and what happens to Harry and Hermione and Ron after they leave Hogwarts and it was like my own children had grown up and started families of their own. Here come the tears again.

After that before I had to go to work the Ironman triathlon was on, and every year I watch that it gets me. NBC always does back-stories on some of the contestants and they always make them as sappy as they can, and it always works, because there I was sobbing again on the couch. I mean, if a 72 year old woman can complete the Ironman, why can't I? And the guy that used to weigh 280 lbs. And the guy with one leg. Very inspirational. Well, not enough to make me actually do it, but enough to make me cry.

So then I went to work and did not cry. Enough for one day.

And then Sunday rolled around. The Color Purple came on and it always gets me, no matter how many times I've seen it. If you've never seen the movie or read the book, do it -- both are amazing. If you don't cry at the end of the movie (or through the whole thing if you're like me) there's no hope for you. I don't really like Oprah, but even she makes me cry in it.

Jana & David

2008-12-15T13:59:00.003-05:00

It's so nice to get away from Savannah and shoot in a different city sometimes. I travelled to the 'Boro for this one. Jana and David got married at the First UMC in Statesboro, and what a beautiful church! All old stone and stained glass -- truly gorgeous. As were the bride and groom! Super nice people, and a great party afterwards on the GSU campus.

Sunday Session

2008-12-09T11:10:00.004-05:00

I'm not really sure I can call it a session since it was pictures of my niece and nephew and in-laws, but since I had to drag my camera out to Forsyth Park on a Sunday we'll stick with it. Jarrod and Abigail got in on the action, a bit reluctantly I might add.

Forsyth was even prettier than usual. The fountain was decorated for Christmas, the leaves were so bright and colorful and just blanketed the ground, and the light was just beautiful. It was a great excuse to get out of the house and head downtown. We hit up Mellow Mushroom afterwards. It was too cold to sit outside so we had to leave Brucester in the car while we ate, but he's happy just not being locked in the bathroom all day.

Cara & John

2008-12-08T11:44:00.003-05:00

I just love weddings at the Jekyll Island Club. It's like a completely different time down there. Amy and I have stayed at the hotel a couple of times, and it's always so peaceful and relaxing. She's content to lounge by the pool and play croquet while I just wander around with my camera.

Cara and John had a beautiful wedding under the old oaks. The weather was great, which is always a concern with outdoor ceremonies. I felt like I've known these guys for years, so the portrait sessions went by quickly and smoothly. John just cracks me up, so it didn't seem like so much work as it did just playing around.

New Gallery

2008-12-05T11:30:00.002-05:00

Last night I went to my friend Bryan Stovall's new gallery/studio opening. He just opened a great space at 10 Whitaker Street downtown, so please stop by if you have the chance. It looks wonderful!

Congratulations, Bryan!

Paradise Lost

2008-12-02T15:05:00.003-05:00

So we're back from the Bahamas. Yeah. It sucks to have to work and go to school and do all that other stuff that keeps you from being on permanent vacation. It sucks having to go back to the daily grind after spending 3 days relaxing by the pool with a book and having people bring you cocktails and food. And then they clean your room and make your bed and leave chocolates on your pillow. As I sit here writing this I'm obviously not in Kansas anymore.

We had an awesome time though! I think the next time we go we'll just fly there and stay at the Atlantis resort. I don't really feel safe in the Bahamas, so normally we don't even get off the ship, but this time we decided to do things differently. We spent a day at the water park at Atlantis and it was just awesome. We love going down all the slides, and even their lazy river was better than any I've ever been on. There is a suite at the hotel that goes for $25,000 a night, with a 4 night minimum. Amy says Abigail is going to get married there and have the reception in that suite. Whatever.

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!...

2008-11-26T11:16:00.003-05:00

I can't wait for tomorrow! Not only is Thanksgiving my favorite holiday, but we'll also be boarding a ship and setting sail for the Bahamas! Cruising is my favorite kind of vacation: unending food buffets and people bringing cocktails whenever I need. How could it possibly get any better?

Christian & Adler

2008-11-24T13:37:00.004-05:00

So cold but so sweet! These cousins were little troopers out at Wormsloe!

Jim & Titi

2008-11-24T13:20:00.002-05:00

Our good friend Jim tied the knot a couple of weekends ago in the cold rain. He lives near Fort McAllister, so you know we had grand ideas about pictures on/near the water. The weather did not cooperate with us. I know it's supposed to be good luck when it rains on the wedding day, but I say it just sucks. The reception was under a tent in the backyard, and everyone had to stomp through mud to get there. Tent-house-tent-house all night long. Muck everywhere. Everyone had mud in their shoes, on their clothes. Nonetheless, we had a great time. I was more of a guest with a camera, so I didn't feel the pressure I normally feel at a wedding.

The DJ played all of Abigail's favorite songs -- Baby Got Back, Apple Bottom Jeans -- but she wouldn't dance with me. She danced with a younger and cuter stranger, but not with her old man. Well, I take that back -- she danced about 30 seconds with me to a song I don't even remember. But she danced the whole song with the other dude. For the most part she and Jarrod stayed inside the warm house with their friends drinking Hawaiian Punch and eating cake.

Alison & Tony

2008-11-18T15:16:00.003-05:00

These guys had a gorgeous wedding at the always beautiful Isle of Hope Methodist with a Plantation Club reception. I'm fortunate to work with lots of nice brides and grooms, and Alison and Tony were no exception. Just incredibly nice people with incredibly nice families, so thank you! And happy anniversary!

Potty Mouth

2008-11-12T13:33:00.003-05:00

Abigail had her mouth washed out with soap Friday night. In her defense the little boy called her "stupid," and in our house that's just as bad as "b*tch" that she called him.

Angela & Tommy

2008-11-11T15:39:00.003-05:00

What an amazing party! It was straight out of Martha Stewart Weddings! I had to travel for a couple of hours on back-roads through S.C. to get to Barnwell, one of those great towns one drives through to get somewhere else. Angela and Tommy were married at Barnwell UMC, so of course the whole town came out to celebrate. It's the kind of small town I'm from, so I get it.

The reception was at their farmhouse which was beautiful. Both families are in farming so it really was an actual farmhouse. Their regular dining room table probably sat 15 people. Mimosas were waiting on the front porch as guests arrived and made their way to the backyard, where chandeliers and candles were hanging from trees to light the way. It was just gorgeous. Party favors were jars of peach preserves made from peaches grown on the farm.

Tommy loves to dance and is very old-school. I'm talking like Fred Astaire old-school. The coolest part of the evening (or at least one of the many cool parts) was that Angela surprised Tommy by showing the movie Top Hat on the side of one of the barns in the backyard. How cool is that?

Molly & Pat

2008-11-05T11:24:00.003-05:00

How much more Savannah can one's wedding day be than pictures in Forsyth Park and the ceremony at the Cathedral? What a gorgeous day! Molly and Pat and their families were truly so easy to work with. Competing with other wedding parties in the park was the most difficult part of the whole day!

The reception was at the Marshall House on Broughton, truly one of my favorite places for a good party. I can't get enough of the sesame chicken!

Oyster Roast

2008-11-03T13:18:00.004-05:00

I don't eat oysters, but at least there was beer and chips and salsa. Who needs oysters? Luckily we were able to find some oysters as most everywhere was sold out. I don't know if it was because of the GA-FL game or what. Anyway, we had a great time Saturday night with our friends. Jim lives near Fort McAllister and I'm shooting his wedding in a couple of weeks so at least we'll have access to water for some great shots.

Halloween

2008-11-03T12:57:00.003-05:00

So glad Halloween '08 is over. I don't know if it was just the neighborhood we went trick-or-treating in or everywhere, but hardly anyone was out and most houses were dark. Abigail starting complaining about 2 houses in that she was ready to go. When I was a kid I went to every house on the block at least twice and was gone for hours. I think her wanting to go had something to do with the fact that we were going to a haunted house at her soccer coach's house, whose son also happens to be her "boyfriend".

Abigail went as a witch, and Jarrod went as the "karate kid" again. He didn't decide to go at all until the night before, so there was no time to buy a costume. It's been about 3 years since he took karate but the jacket fit. He was lucky to get the pants on. Of course Brucester was with us and was the star of the show. He went as a lobster. We've never had so many strangers take pictures of our dog. He was completely humiliated, but he did get a few dog treats. I think mostly the kids just got better candy because he was so cute.

Michele & Marc

2008-10-31T15:51:00.006-04:00

I'm usually so good about it, but I can't believe how far behind I am posting weddings. Damn that Facebook! It's like crack.

Michele and Marc were married at the Cathedral. The weather was so beautiful and everyone was ON TIME and the pictures are gorgeous. I know I've harped about it before, but when people are late it really causes problems. Anyway, before I get off on that rampage again, the reception was at the First City Club. It was a huge military crowd, and I hear the party went on long after I left!

I'm Going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

2008-10-27T15:16:00.003-04:00

The highlight of the whole trip was finding the Arcade Restaurant. I saw it featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives on Food Network and knew I couldn't go to Memphis and not eat there. I think I ate there 3 times. They served good ol' comfort food. The red-eye gravy was insane. And the country ham. And the hash browns. And the pancakes. And the country fried steak. You get the point.

Happening upon the Lorraine Motel was humbling. Being not so good at American history, it took a few minutes to realize that we were standing 25 feet away from where Dr. King was assassinated.

I never did make it to Graceland. That's got to be some kind of crime in Memphis. Nor did we eat any BBQ (all about the Arcade!). We did stay at the Peabody and see the ducks march from the roof to the fountain in the lobby, so that's a bit of redemption. And we walked down Beale Street, so that's good, too, right?

Christina & Trey

2008-10-24T12:20:00.003-04:00

There are so many great weddings that happened before the blog came along! What to do?

Christina and Trey were married a couple of years ago and I'm excited to post them now since I've been hired to shoot Christina's sister, Laura's, wedding next month.

I love it when families come back! Thanks, Clevelands!

Pink Ribbons

2008-10-23T16:32:00.004-04:00

Did anyone see the Trade Center a couple of weekends ago? I was shooting a wedding at the Hyatt and noticed it through the windows.

Though we've thankfully never been touched first-hand by it, breast cancer awareness is something near and dear to Amy's heart. Ms. Newton, the wonderful teacher next door to Amy's classroom, has just (hopefully) won her battle against the disease. Her diagnosis was sudden but she is in remission now. Without her, Amy probably would've quit teaching before her first year was complete. Ms. Newton talked her away from the ledge everyday, and was always so helpful the 1001 times a day Amy would run to her room asking questions.

Soccer Saturdays

2008-10-20T12:55:00.005-04:00

We spent the cold and rainy Saturday morning on the soccer field. By "on the soccer field" I mean sitting on the sidelines watching Abigail and Jarrod play (in case anyone read my blog from a few days ago and thought I had actually made if off my a** yet). Winter is definitely approaching if anyone had any doubts, but it's so much fun being outside in the crisp air enjoying a game. It reminds me of my college days tailgating before a game, at least the few flashbacks I get every now and then.

We had dinner with friends Sunday night and planned an oyster roast for a couple of weeks from now. It'll be coat weather by then and I can't wait to be outside by the fire pit. It'll be just like tailgating except without the game to go to.

Lea & Sean

2008-10-16T10:54:00.003-04:00

What a great couple! The bride is a welder and roller derby queen, and the groom just makes me laugh! They were so much fun, despite the rain that kept us from going outside for any pictures. The ceremony and reception were both held at the Hyatt, with coordinator-extraordinaire Shannan Flathman taking care of all the details (I think she had 4 weddings/receptions going on simultaneously at the Hyatt). The gorgeous flowers were all created by family friend and Kiwi Fleur owner Vicki Sepielli.

I'm Almost Too Embarrassed...

2008-10-14T11:38:00.003-04:00

to post this from Picnic in the Park from 2 weekends ago, but here it is. So sue me, I'm busy.

We put no planning into attending so therefore took nothing to eat or drink. Everyone around us had their little tables set-up with their little gourmet delights to nosh on, and all we had were organic jalapeno cheetos from Brighter Day. But what I really REALLY missed was the booze. I felt very left-out seeing all these people with MORE THAN 1 bottle of wine to drink. Share the love, man. We'll definitely plan better next year.

Bruce was with us and he always attracts a crowd. And he always barks at other dogs, so we cut it short and left before the main performance started. Nothing quite like a yapping dog to ruin a night out. Except maybe a screaming baby. Speaking of, nothing gets my eyes rolling much more than a piercing scream from a crying baby during a wedding ceremony.

When Did This Happen?

2008-10-09T11:24:00.004-04:00

Yep, that's me in both shots. This should sufficiently shame me into getting off my lazy a**.

Stephanie & Tim

2008-10-06T15:27:00.003-04:00

What a perfect weekend for a wedding! The weather was gorgeous for Stephanie and Tim who were married Saturday at Calvary. We were even able to stop off at Forsyth Park for some fun shots on the way to The Marshall House. The park was filled with other brides and grooms and wedding parties, but luckily my favorite spots were available.

The bride's father used to be a wedding photographer so that kept me on my toes, and luckily I had Kathy Wood from The Gingerbread House Bridal & Tuxedo Designs there directing and keeping everything under control!

On the Waterfront

2008-09-24T13:30:00.004-04:00

I sometimes forget how lucky we are to be so close to the beach. Living out in the boonies, though, we're just as close to Hilton Head as we are to Tybee so we always go to Folly Field on Hilton Head.

If anyone's interested there's still a few weekends of beach portraits available, either Hilton Head or Tybee, before it gets too cold!

YES!

2008-09-24T13:19:00.004-04:00

I am so psyched! These are the first images of mine that were accepted by a stock agency for licensing! I'm gonna be rich! No, I wish, but it's a start! So hopefully lots of people will need pictures like these and buy them and I can retire before I'm too old to see through the viewfinder.

Atlanta Rocks!

2008-09-22T16:30:00.004-04:00

And not just because I used to live there! Atlanta Rocks is a great indoor rock-climbing facility that we try to get to whenever we go to Atlanta. Not for Amy or me, of course (I mean, come on), but the kids really enjoy it. Well, not really Jarrod. He kinda takes after me with "the less physical activity the better" attitude. But Abigail definitely loves it. And she's an awesome climber. It's like she's Spidergirl how fast she gets to the top. Up and down she goes and never slows down.

Goodbye NY!

2008-09-19T11:11:00.004-04:00

After dragging my vacation stories out for so long I have reached the final posting! You're either crying or breathing a sigh of relief. Keep it to yourself whichever route you take.

For some reason Abigail really wanted a portrait of herself. I guess on the off-chance that she might run into the Jonas Brothers on the street or something at least she could give them a picture to remember her by. Anyway, the sidewalks along Central Park are filled with artists hustling tourists to sit for a drawing. The guy we chose (or who chose us, I'm not clear how it unfolded) first told us it was like $272 but he would do it for $185. A big ol' hell to the no. Then he came down to $52 and we still walked away. We eventually settled on $45 for both Abigail and Jarrod. He really did a great job, though Jarrod looks to have a lazy eye in the finished drawing. Maybe if we had payed full price he would've drawn a regular eye. Anyway, he then tried to sell us a paper matte for $45 to protect the picture. We told him no, just give us a bag to put the picture in. Of course he didn't have a bag, but he would sell us the matte for only $10. I'm pretty much steaming by now because the picture is charcoal, it hasn't been sprayed with fixative and will rub-off if touched, and this guy is trying to get more money from us. I'm not paying him another penny. Another artist offers to sell us a matte for $5 but we turn him down, too. We can live with a few smudge marks.

We had other equally exciting adventures on our vacation, but I'm afraid my memory is not what it used to be. During one of my early-morning insomnia bouts I tried to blog from the iPhone, but like so many other things associated with that it didn't work.

In order to squeeze in one more day in NY we had to leave at 3:00 Friday morning and drive all day for me to be back for a wedding on Saturday. Traffic was pretty much non-existent, but those one-way streets still made us go in circles.

Is This My Good Side?

2008-09-12T16:14:00.004-04:00

This is what my picture looks like on Facebook. That's because I don't have any pictures of myself. There are no pictures of me to prove I have ever taken a vacation (at least none I can put up), and what very few pictures there are are so blurry that I might as well be a tree. Amy can't take a picture to save her life so she won't be any help.

I'm new to Facebook and I have no idea how to use it, but I've found it to be addictive. If you're really bored search for me under Ryan A. Smith and let me be your friend!

Color: Blue, Outlook: Gloomy

2008-09-09T12:03:00.003-04:00

I have to start by saying I know nothing about "Art". I've taken art courses and have art books and visit art museums, and can sometimes even answer art questions on Jeopardy, but for the most part I'm very uneducated on the subject. I figure if I don't really "get" what I'm looking at it must be "Art". I have a friend who always says to me, "Oh, I forgot, you don't like art." That's really not fair because I do like art, I just don't understand it. I don't claim to know what good "Art" is, but I definitely know crap when I see it, and the exhibit I saw Saturday was turd-city. It just infuriates me that someone can take pictures of the same green building at different angles (and not even good angles), group the pictures together and call it art. Or take a picture of a red shack in the woods and talk about what it "means". Or take a picture of a rundown building called the "Klub" with old cars parked in front. How is that "Art"? Someone please tell me. This dude has fooled someone. I kid you not, Jarrod and Abigail have taken pictures as good as what I saw on display. I would never show those pictures to anyone if I had taken them; in fact, they would probably have been deleted. Don't get me wrong -- my self-confidence is pretty much in the toilet everyday, but I like to think I have a higher standard for my pictures than the junk I saw on display. Maybe that's why I'll never show in a museum: I don't have it in me to B.S. someone into thinking my picture of a crappy red building in the woods is worthy of being on display when it so obviously is not. And that's just what this dude did. Give me a break!

And then in the next gallery was literally a picture torn from a Winnie the Pooh coloring book, scribbled with markers (not even in the lines!), framed and called "Art". God help us all. I think it was by some famous "artist", but he must've been having an off-day creatively.

I hung out with my friend Jose Saturday night so that made me feel better.

Randomness

2008-09-04T14:18:00.005-04:00

Is this not the best ever? I spotted this sign on Valentine's Day 2006 at Kroger on Mall Blvd. Thank God for camera phones or this greatness would've been lost forever!

Shout Out: Meg!

2008-09-04T11:10:00.003-04:00

Meg was one of my brides last year and holds the title of my favorite bridal portrait session ever. I just want to thank her for all the kind words she has said about me. I run across comments from her in the most random places online and it's really gratifying to know she has taken the time to write about her experiences working with me. If anyone needs a reference about me I've got just the person!

He's Back!

2008-09-04T11:01:00.003-04:00

After 5 days Bruce is finally back home! Someone found him less than 2 miles from our house looking for something to drink. He looks like he's lost about 10 pounds, and he only weighs 16 to start with! Very dehydrated and tired but well on his way to recovery. I think we've cried just as much since we have him back, but they're tears of joy now.

Please make sure your animals have ID tags! I think we're going to have one of those GPS chips embedded into Brucie. We just can't go through that kind of agony again.

Penguins & Snakes & Bears, Oh My!

2008-09-03T10:30:00.004-04:00

One of our days in NYC we spent at the Central Park Zoo. How cool to have such a huge green space right in the middle of the city! With a zoo, no less!

We also visited FAO Schwartz. As a parent there aren't many other things that are more of a beating than wandering around a toy store waiting for your kids to choose a toy. I'm not even sure how it came about that my kids get to buy a toy on every vacation we take. Isn't the vacation itself enough? Anyway, FAO Schwartz is the big toy store where Tom Hanks played the giant piano keys in the movie Big, and the piano is still there and people can play on it. Is it just me or is that reference a little out dated? Do kids even know that movie? And just how many of those things do they sell at $250,000? Can they not find something else? No wonder they filed for bankruptcy. I did buy a Rubik's Cube 'cause it came with directions for solving it. I can't even understand the directions.

In Mourning

2008-09-02T14:09:00.004-04:00

We are just devastated that our beloved Brucie ran away this weekend. There are acres and acres of woods behind our house and he's gotten himself thoroughly lost. He's so dumb he can't take care of himself out there all alone. Thankfully he has a collar with our address and phone number, so we still have some hope. I went by the animal control office this morning hoping maybe he had been picked up, but no luck. I can't imagine how people whose children go missing and are never found handle that kind of situation. We'll keep checking the doors until he finds his way home.

My 15 Seconds of Fame

2008-08-29T11:29:00.004-04:00

Yes, I was one of those people I talk about while watching the Today show. You know, the ones in the background making complete idiots of themselves by jumping up and down trying to get on television? And it worked! We hit the pavement early one morning hoping to see Matt, Meredith and the gang. It seems my mom was the only one who saw me, so if anybody recorded Today on July 10th let me know!

Heaven AND Hell

2008-08-26T13:41:00.004-04:00

For you faithful readers do I even have to explain what I mean by this?

iPhone update: It's no secret my complete dissatisfaction with AT&T. Apple I love. The iPhone I love. But not AT&T. A long-time Verizon customer, I got out of my contract to move to AT&T when the iPhone came out. I just had to have one. And what a disaster that turned out to be. Keep in mind we don't have a landline. Anyway, instead of staying in a contract with AT&T where our phones did not work at home or at work or most everywhere we happened to be, we paid their ETF and said "kiss this". Say it with me, "AT&T SUX". I've digressed. We're very happy now, thank you very much.

After the big switch to Alltel ("come and get your love!") I knew a new iPhone was coming out, so I wanted to sell mine on ebay quickly, just to recoup some of the money we spent between buying the iPhone and cancelling our contracts. I listed it and the phone sold for $352, but unfortunately for me it ended on the day the new iPhone was announced for $199. Needless to say the dude who bought it didn't want it and didn't pay. He kept coming up with excuses about how my Paypal account wasn't letting him pay for it. He just didn't care that he entered into a legally-binding contract when he agreed to purchase the phone. And here I just paid a lot of $ to get out of a contract. Anyway, he put $20 in my Paypal account to cover the listing costs and we called it a day. I didn't report him 'cause I knew where he was coming from; I didn't agree, but I understood.

So let's try again. I knew $352 was a really good price to get for a used gen-1 iPhone, but I also knew some of the frustrations people were having with the gen-2 iPhone and the higher cost of the monthly plan. Whatever it sells for now will be more than if I keep waiting. So I listed it again and this time it went for $380! Jackpot! I really played up the problems people were having with the newer iPhone. The bidding was fast and furious in the last couple of minutes. Having been burned the first time, I said I expected payment within 24 hours of the auction closing. I immediately sent an invoice to the winner. He outbid someone at the last minute, why not go ahead and send payment? Can you tell where this is going? After a week of waiting I was able to report to ebay that the 2nd buyer never paid. Then I had to wait another week for ebay to "investigate" before I could relist the phone yet again. I was so pissed. What is the deal with this phone and no one wanting to pay for it? I had the buyer's name and address in Atlanta, and have a friend there who's just crazy enough to go and beat the crap out of him. The thought did cross my mind. But no, I just sent a blistering email to the guy and ebay marked his account for non-payment. That'll teach him.

I relisted the phone again. If you've lost count this is the third time. I'm happy to report that it sold and WAS PAID FOR! It went for $325 which was disappointing, but at least the dude actually paid for it. Of course he gave me an unconfirmed address for shipping so he's probably going to say he never received it, but we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Now get this: the day after I shipped the phone to the buyer I got a notice from Paypal and an email from the 2nd guy who "bought" it saying he had to go to South America for a family emergency and had no access to the internet for 2 weeks and he's terribly sorry here's $380 could I please remove the negative feedback and non-payment mark and ship out the iPhone? It really pained me to refund that $, but I took great pride in telling him I couldn't do anything about the negative feedback, etc. All that's between him and ebay at this point. I mean come on, he outbid someone in the last minutes of the auction and he's telling me he had to leave for a family emergency before he could even complete the transaction. Maybe I will get my friend to pay him a visit.

You Filthy Animals

2008-08-26T12:22:00.004-04:00

I always said my kids act like animals.

NYC: A Continuation

2008-08-26T10:52:00.005-04:00

That picture cost me $3. I don't know why I didn't notice the little silver box on the ground that said "Pictures $3". Oh, well. I couldn't talk on the iPhone most of the time but at least I could take pictures with it.

So yesterday I went on at great length about my love affair with NYC. So how is it that the Big Apple has become the place where I will never live? What happened to make the city I was sure I was destined to live in the city I only want to visit? Well, nothing happened, really. Or specifically, aging happened and children happened and reality happened. Priorities shifted. I can't deal with all the things that used to draw me to NY. It's noisy, smelly, dirty and way too crowded. I've lived the quite country life for the past 4 years. River Street on Saturday night is too crowded for me. I can't stand car horns. I can't stand the smell of horse piss around Central Park, or the way people are in such a hurry all the time. What kind of jobs do all these people have? I don't understand how the island hasn't sunk under the weight of it all.

Or maybe I just can't stand that I never took the leap and moved there, and now it seems even farther out of reach. I'm always in awe of my brides and grooms who live in NYC, and always gush like a dork about how much I've always wanted to live there but it's so expensive and how I'm so jealous blah blah blah.

So maybe I was too abrupt in saying I'll never live in NYC. What's to be afraid of? Amy's game for moving. Tree-lined Greenwich Village is my most favorite part of Manhattan, but Brooklyn is nice and a tad more affordable. Probably not as crowded. CPW and the Upper East Side are probably out. I hear Hell's Kitchen is the new up-and-coming part of town. City-dwellers migrate away to start families, but I think what better place to raise a family than in the city where so many more opportunities exist?

NYC: The Beginning

2008-08-25T13:59:00.009-04:00

As far back as I can remember I've wanted to live in NYC. That's where I have to live before I die or my life will not have been complete. I had grand plans of being the next Annie Leibovitz and shooting for Vanity Fair or Cartier-Bresson and wandering around shooting street scenes with a Leica . My freshman year in college I went home with a friend who lived in NJ for Thanksgiving. Over the holiday we took the train into Penn Station in Manhattan. It was a whirlwind. The Christmas season had just kicked off. We went to the top of the WTC and I was too scared to leave the elevators (remember I don't do heights). We went to China Town and it was just like out of a movie. It was night-time and lights were strung above our heads. It was really cold and steam was coming up from the vents in the streets, which were packed with people. We ate at some hole-in-the-wall just as crowded. It only lasted a few hours but it was magical.

Years later Amy and I had the chance to go back. Amy's cousin graduated and Amy's aunt wanted to take her to NY for a graduation present. We had just gotten back from our honeymoon in Mexico and turned around and headed for NY. How jet-setting we were! Of course that was BC. Our hotel was right in Times Square and I remember coming in from the airport and seeing the skyline from the car, just like you see in those big opening panoramic sweeps in movies. I was beside myself! I couldn't believe I was here and it was daytime, and I would be here for almost a week! It was the moment I had been waiting for for years, finally here.

And it was everything I had hoped it would be! We did all the tourist stuff. Double-decker bus tours, museums, Statue of Liberty, we saw Grease on Broadway (it was either Stockard Channing or Rosie O'Donnell playing "Rizzo"). I don't know how we paid for it all. The first night we were there we wanted to eat somewhere local so we went to Broadway Joe's. I'll never forget it. We spent $80 for an undercooked steak and old baked potato. That was most of the money we took with us. And that money was from when we got married, 'cause we both waited tables in Atlanta and didn't have any money. Anyway, it was terrible food, and I don't know how we survived the next few days. Amy's mom was with us and she bought us sweatshirts when it turned cold and rainy. We still have a poster we bought in Central Park called "Happy Dog." We literally had $0.26 left in the bank after we withdrew money to buy it. But we just had to have it. I mean come on, food or art?

These were the days before a Starbucks on every block, so coffee was a little harder to come by. But we found a little place with coffee and croissants and headed out for a day of sightseeing. And a pigeon promptly crapped on my shoulder and right into my coffee. In my present-day cynicism I'm sure that was some kind of sign, but I was young and dumb then.

Fast-forward another year and we're back in NY. A new restaurant was opening on Long Island and Amy was sent there for a month to train the staff. I took a week off of school and work and headed up. That was in the days of ValueJet if anyone remembers that. I think a one-way flight from Atlanta to NYC was $45 or some other ridiculous price. Of course, one of their airplanes blew up so I guess it's probably better they're not around anymore. Anyway, we stayed on Long Island and just took the train into the city. While she worked I spent my time roaming around Manhattan taking pictures. I truly hit my stride during that time, and produced some of my best work. A good bit of my school portfolio is made up of shots I took during that trip. That was back in the days of film and I've never had any of it scanned, so too bad I can't post any of those shots. I immersed myself in taking great pictures. I took time to design, to frame and focus, set the aperture and shutter speed. I had "the eye." I could see what would make a good picture. I know someone out there knows what I'm talking about. It really is something you lose if you don't use. Now it's all automated and I don't even have to think about any of that. I've often said I peaked as a fine art photographer then and it's all been downhill since. But hey, there can only be one Cartier-Bresson, right?

A Hell of a Town

2008-08-19T12:24:00.004-04:00

Hope I haven't lost anyone along the way. I started the vacation post a long time ago and we've had several detours, but we've finally made it to NY!

I will never, ever drive in NYC again. We arrived during afternoon rush hour. All the streets seemed to be one-way streets. No problem, except that during rush hour right turns are not allowed. So how the h#*! are we supposed to get to our hotel if we can't make a right or left turn? And why, pray tell, does everyone feel the need to start blowing their horn as soon as the light turns green? Give a man a chance to take his foot off the brake!

Many near-accidents, lots-o-cussing and a couple of illegal turns later we pull up to our hotel and basically throw the keys at the valet dude. Now it's $90 per night to park. DC seems like a bargain.

And of course we look like the Clampets, and not just because we've been driving for hours. We always book hotels through Priceline, so we never really know what kind of hotel we're getting. We prefer either ** or ***. Something nice, but not too nice. * doesn't usually appeal to us because they usually don't have pools, and **** always has at least 5 different people who want to help carry our things or open the door or settle us into our room. That's just not us. We are perfectly capable of carrying our own luggage, etc. and we can use the kids as pack mules. And despite waiting tables for years I just have a problem with tipping everybody in sight. Why do I have to tip the valet guy when I just spent $180 to park and never once had anyone bring me my car except to leave. Sorry, not going to happen. It's just an uncomfortable situation we try to avoid by not staying in really fancy places.

Well of course this hotel was one of those kinds of places, and in typical Clampet style we kept a death-grip on our luggage and declined to hand it over to anyone else.

FIRST STOP: the M&M store in Times Square. You know my love of M&Ms, but why in the middle of Times Square, arguably the most expensive real estate in the country? At least it was near the Swatch store. I've always been a Swatch person, but even I had to draw the line at $210. When did that happen?

Good news, though. The iPhone is working so we got directions to wherever we wanted to go!

2 in 1

2008-08-18T15:11:00.004-04:00

Jarrod's birthday is in July and Abigail's birthday is in September, so we decided to combine their parties this year. With all the stress and work involved who needs 2 parties? This year turned out to be the best yet. We rented a giant inflatable water slide that kept everyone occupied, and when they got tired of climbing up and down the slide we had the tree house and zip line to play on.

We also had 2 cakes in 1. Jarrod wanted "World Peace" on his side. I've talked before about him giving away our money to every homeless person he sees. He's destined to be some kind of advocate for the less fortunate. When he's made his fortune in medicine or law he can become a philanthropist. We've already told him this starving artist crap is for the birds, he has to choose a career for money not personal satisfaction.

Both kids had 1 friend stay the night. Normally Abigail sleeps in Jarrod's closet. She has this thing about clowns (think the clown from "It"-- yes I know I shouldn't let her watch those kinds of things but it's better than "Gossip Girl" right?) and Jarrod has a dream catcher in his room that she thinks stops her from dreaming about clowns. Never mind that she got a dream catcher when we were in DC that's hanging over her bed, she still sleeps in his closet (where her dream catcher was moved). So when we told her that she and her friend couldn't fit in the closet together (she planned on sleeping there, believe me) they decided to sleep in the floor at the foot of her bed, all nice and comfy.

Welcome to My World!

2008-08-18T14:32:00.003-04:00

Isn't she precious?

My Guilty Pleasure

2008-08-15T11:17:00.004-04:00

I get that I am so not the demographic Gossip Girl is going for, and I have no illusions that I'm young and hip, but this show is like the updated version of 90210 just dirtier. And speaking of, I'll watch the new 90210 once, but there's no way it'll ever be as good as the original. Why mess up something as sacred as that?

The Gang's All Here!

2008-08-15T11:02:00.003-04:00

Payton, Abigail, Parker & Jarrod.

All the grandkids! They hardly ever get together at the same time, so it's always exciting when it happens.

Lake Retreat

2008-08-15T10:20:00.007-04:00

Last weekend we spent at Lake Cherokee in SC. The whole family was there: mom and dad, my sister and her kids and Amy and our heathens (and little Brucester, too). It was very relaxing, just the kind of vacation I've been looking for -- one with nothing to do but take it easy. Amy and the kids stayed on the dock fishing, dad stayed outside ~~trying to hide his smoking from mom~~ untangling fishing line, mom cooked some freakin' awesome food and I literally didn't do anything except read and play Sudoku. My sister slept and texted. Oh, and we drank mojitos. We started the cocktail hour early Saturday, my sister reminding us "It's 5:00 somewhere."

And it was my mom's birthday weekend! She turned 60 years young, but she'll tell you she feels about 100. Like I said, she cooked pretty much the whole weekend, which was perfectly fine by me. I'm sure everyone thinks their mom is the best cook in the world, but mine really is. She doesn't cook fancy stuff like Martha Stewart, she cooks more like Paula Deen. But mom could give Paula some lessons, really. Her food is not for the faint of heart, though, as it would probably stop the heart of someone not used to all the cholesterol and salt. But it is delicious, and I love her for always making sure I'm fed when I go home.

Thanks to John Gossett for putting together an awesome slide show DVD for mom and to Molly Stone for another amazing cake. They literally were "icing on the cake" for a great weekend.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Blog...

2008-08-13T11:30:00.003-04:00

Just a quick break from our continuing vacation saga to wish my mom a late Happy 60th Birthday! We just got back from spending a long weekend fishing by the lake. More pics to follow!

Last Day in DC

2008-08-06T10:51:00.005-04:00

Our hotel seemed to be in a residential area of DC. We found a great little Latin restaurant one night because Abigail was whining for nachos because we would not buy her the chicken taquitos from the 7/11. It was across the street from a Whole Foods market. It looked like a cool, trendy neighborhood. Definitely somewhere we could live. Except we would have no money because Jarrod would give every penny away to the homeless. He is so tender-hearted and is just grief-stricken when we don't give money to everyone on the street. I worked in downtown Atlanta for years and became very cynical about people begging for money. Hopefully that won't rub off on Jarrod. If anyone knows of a place needing volunteers to feed the homeless let me know. Jarrod would devote a lot of time trying to save everybody.

There was this one guy in a wheelchair going backwards up the street with all the rest of the cars and buses. The guy had a death-wish. I mean, he's sitting in the chair and pushing with his feet and cutting in front of cars just going down the road. Amy, always looking for the good in people felt sympathy for him. I mean, to see him it seemed like this poor, downtrodden, homeless man in a wheelchair is just trying to get by in life while everybody just goes on with their lives. I knew he was crazy from the get-go. Especially when some other crazy dude walks up to him and they start fighting in the middle of the street. The guy in the wheelchair stands up and goes after the other guy and starts beating on him in the middle of traffic. It was really hilarious, I wish I had a video of it.

The next morning we headed out for NYC. I was driving and that's when I knew I would sell the cars immediately if we ever did move to a big city again. On the news a woman on a bike had just been run over by a garbage truck that morning, so I guess walking is the way to go.

????????????

2008-08-06T10:49:00.004-04:00

Here Comes the Rain

2008-08-05T11:55:00.003-04:00

Much to my surprise and delight most of the museums in DC are free. The Smithsonian was our first stop and it was packed. Have I mentioned I don't really like crowds? I ended up getting separated from Amy and the kids when I wandered off taking pictures, but surprisingly I had 1 bar of service inside the museum so we were able to call each other.

There was a photography exhibit about oceans and aquatic life, and it has always been a dream of mine to become SCUBA certified and take pictures underwater, so that was particularly inspiring. The Hope Diamond was cool to see too.

We were ready to head back to our hotel (about 20 blocks away) when the bottom dropped out. I came prepared, though. We go to Disney World quite a bit and I had bought some of those plastic rain ponchos. We had never used them and for some reason I though it would be smart to pack them on this trip. Good planning. I thought we had it made, except they were made out of the thinnest plastic you can imagine. They all ripped just coming out of the box and were useless. We had to ride the rain out since I didn't want my camera and phone soaked (see, another reason not to carry a big camera around on vacation).

The next day we headed out again. I really wanted to go back to Ford's Theater. After our Washington trip last year I read a book about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after Lincoln's assassination. I even went to see the author of that book, James Swanson, at the Savannah Book Festival earlier this year. I regretted that I had not payed attention on our first visit to Ford's Theater. I wanted to really look around this time and see the box where Lincoln sat and the stairway leading up to the box and how far Booth had to jump on to the stage to escape. Of course Ford's was closed for renovations.

So Amy took the kids into the International Spy Museum while I headed across the street to the National Portrait Gallery. Now who do you think I ran into wandering around the Civil War exhibit? James Swanson. Of course I didn't say anything to him, just kinda stalked him. There was a special Lincoln exhibit, so I guess he was there to see that. And the coolest thing about that exhibit were the photos. Actual photos of President Lincoln. That's really interesting to try to wrap your head around. And actual pictures of the people who conspired to kill him hanging from the gallows. Those pictures were teased in the book but weren't included, so it was cool to actually see them.

Portsmouth, VA to Washington, DC

2008-08-05T10:33:00.009-04:00

As you can tell from the pictures there's not much going on in Portsmouth. Granted, though, it was late when we arrived and we were all pretty tired from being in the car all day. But still, our hotel (thankfully NOT a no-tell motel) was right on the water (think River Street) and there was nothing going on.

My insomnia really acted up on this trip so I was up about 4:30 the next morning and waited for the tiniest peak of light to head out with camera in tow. I was all set to wander around this new city and get some great images, just like a real travel photographer would do. At this point you can refer back to the first sentence. I should also tell you that there is apparently a large homeless population in Portsmouth, so that kinda made me a little nervous wandering around at daybreak alone. I did tightly wrap the camera strap around my hand in preparation of using it as a weapon if necessary. Luckily I didn't have to hurt anybody.

After Amy and the kids woke up we got on the road to DC. Not wanting to miss any opportunities, after we checked into our hotel we headed out sight-seeing. The kids wanted to drive instead of walk, but once we valeted the car that was it for driving in DC. Besides, valet was $30 a night, so I wanted to get my money's worth. Which I guess making the valet guy bring the car back and forth would've been the best way to get my money's worth, but that would just be cruel. And who wants to deal with all the car horns blaring at you all the time while you're driving?

Day 2 Continued

2008-07-31T14:10:00.003-04:00

We're pressed for time to complete our visit to the OBX because we have hotel reservations in Portsmouth, VA for the night. So we head up Ocracoke and are surprised to find another ferry ride in our future. Why do we not know about these ferries? But this ferry didn't require reservations, thankfully. We drive onto the ferry and the people in the car behind us are chattering away on their phone (by now you can probably guess what kind of cell service we had). After a quick ride we make it to Cape Hatteras. There really didn't seem to be much to it. We found the lighthouse and Amy and the kids climbed to the top. Along with sunscreen and sand, heights are not my thing. The gift shop had some incredible photos of the lighthouse and other points of interest along the OBX. I looked for a book from one photographer I thought was really good but couldn't find one. Forever the pep-talking cheerleader, Amy said to just take the pictures myself. And here we are back to why I'll never be a great landscape or travel photographer: I don't have the dedication for it. I don't have the desire to go back to the same location to shoot the same lighthouse during each season. Now don't get me wrong -- in my head I feel like I should want to do those things because I'm a photographer, but when it comes right down to it, I have a confession to make: I'm lazy. I see great travel photos and think about doing things like that all day long, I just never do. Besides, I'm good at weddings, other people are good at landscapes. I don't want them taking away my business, so I won't take away their business. If I keep repeating that I might just believe it.

I also see myself wandering around the streets of Paris shooting black & white with a Leica and sitting outside quaint little cafes and hanging out with other artists (that's "r teests"). Maybe it'll be a digital Leica but it's going to happen.

Stay tuned! Up next, Portsmouth, VA.

More Ocracoke Goodness

2008-07-29T10:34:00.003-04:00

Vacation Day 2

2008-07-25T11:33:00.006-04:00

So we got up really early and held our breath to see if we would be able to get on the early ferry to the OBX. Luck was on our side and we made it on, and settled in for the 2 hour ride. Jarrod and Abigail fought over who was going to play the Gameboy (sorry, the Nintendo DS Lite as Jarrod constantly tells me). This has become a daily occurrence in our family. Anyway... The temperature was perfect on the open water. The seagulls were following behind the ferry and the breeze was blowing. It was just great.

The woman sitting beside us was talking away on her Blackberry in the middle of the ocean while our worthless bricks still said "No Service". She had Alltel. We have Alltel now.

We finally arrived in Ocracoke and I found home. It's so Nantucket-ty, at least how I image Nantucket to be. And sort of Key West-ty, but without all the tourists. I don't know why I'm so taken with this island. It's just so laid back.

The only place we found for coffee was packed. I guess it was the only place anybody was able to find because the line must've been about 50-deep. But no one was in a hurry. People came in without shirts or shoes. Some of the people working behind the counter weren't wearing shoes (gross). Somehow we managed to spend $40 by the time we walked out. I did get a really cool coffee mug, though. And there was free WiFi so I could check my email, though I still couldn't make a call:(

I decided this is where I'm going for Christmas vacation. It will be cold and most of the shops will be closed, but that won't bother me. I'll take my bike, a book and my camera and it will be a perfect vacation doing nothing.

Day 1 Continued

2008-07-23T14:33:00.003-04:00

So after the experience that is South of the Border we finally make it to Cedar Island, NC. It's taken hours on I-95 and even more hours on back-roads where the speed limit is often 35 MPH. It is here where we will board a 7:00 a.m. ferry the next morning that will take us to the Ocracoke Island. I have been wanting to go to the OBX for years and got really close last year but never made it. It is also here where Amy finds out that the first available reservation for the ferry is 5:00 the next afternoon. Why did we not know to make reservations? We already have reservations for the night at the only place around, the Driftwood Motel (the No-tell Motel as Jarrod calls it -- he's a little spoiled) and it's completely out of the question to drive back from where we came to try and find another ferry. All is not lost however, as Amy is told we can park the car in the standby lane and hope someone with a reservation misses the ferry. Despair is replaced with hope!

So now we have to eat, and of course the No-tell Motel has the only restaurant around. We were starving, but the portions were so huge we only could eat a fraction of our food. And I felt so dehydrated after drinking about 10 Pepsis in the car, but the water was so bad I couldn't even drink it. And we won't even talk about the water in the shower. We probably would've been better off not taking a shower. Or just bathing in the ocean, which on a positive note was right beside the motel.

There was nothing to do except wander around and watch the sunset. We got our car in the first slot of the standby lane, and after that we found ourselves back in our room watching TV. Very exciting stuff. Also very comical, as we all brought in sand spurs on our shoes, so whenever anyone would get up and walk around we would hear "Ow!" as they stepped on a spur. Being July 4th a few fireworks were shot from the beach outside our room, but nothing very exciting. There was absolutely no cell service (we have since switched carriers, so see ya, AT&T, the early termination fee was worth it) so I can't even check emails or surf the net. I think I finished the crappy book I was reading and called it a night.

Smith Family Vacation: Day 1

2008-07-22T12:55:00.004-04:00

Finally I'm getting around to what I know you've all been checking this blog for daily: my vacation wrap-up! We'll tackle part of Day 1:

I don't know why Jarrod loves South of the Border. We always see the signs travelling up I-95 but we never go far enough to see this supposed glorious oasis along the interstate. We did stop there last year on the way back from DC, so I guess he has fond memories of that trip tied up with SOTB. He's very nostalgic to be 10 (today is his birthday -- Happy Birthday son!). Anyway, it was time to stretch our legs a bit so we stopped to hit the game room. Well, Amy and the kids headed to the arcade while I wondered around taking pictures. I've never been much for games.

And this is when I learned something that I have suspected for years: I am just like every other tourist with a camera. When I'm on vacation I will never lug around a big camera again. This completely goes against what I think a pro photographer should do. I should always carry my big Canons and be ready for anything. I should get up early and stay up late, always looking for the perfect picture. That's what I think in my head: if I want to be a "professional photographer" I should eat and breathe photography, dedicate all my waking hours to the craft. If that's the case, I need another career path. When I'm on vacation I'm not interested in searching for spectacular photo-ops. I do want to take pictures of the new places we go, but I don't want to spend any amount of time searching for great composition and lighting. I just don't. I'll leave the big cameras for Saturdays when I know I'll be in photographer-mode, but vacations are for me.

Katie & Travis

2008-07-21T11:03:00.003-04:00

What a great couple to come back from vacation to! They were married in a very intimate ceremony on Skidaway Island with a reception following at the Mulberry Inn. Such a great couple to work with since they did everything I asked! It was very hot, but that didn't stop us from wandering around downtown near the Mulberry looking for great shots.

They are from Greenwood, SC near where I grew up in Laurens, SC. One of the guests at the reception actually grew up in the same neighborhood I did and went to the same school that I, as well as my parents and many family members went to, and remembered the same people that lived around us. It's one thing to run into someone I knew back in Atlanta or Columbia, but from the Watts Mill area of Laurens is extremely unlikely.

I can't tell you how small that town is. Just a small area of an already small town. It was called Watts Mill because that was the name of the textile mill that was practically in my backyard. Almost my entire family was born and raised in that area, and some still live there. Most worked in the mill. I remember going to visit my great-grandfather on Sundays while he was working. I can remember the sounds and smells just like it was yesterday. It was dark and spooky for a child, but so much fun.

Anyway, things are much different in Watts Mill now. I'm not sure I would walk around there at night. Which is terribly unfortunate. It doesn't get much smaller-town than that. Watts Mill holds my complete childhood memories. And they were great.

Back to the Daily Grind:-(

2008-07-14T13:54:00.003-04:00

It was kinda hard to go back to work today after an amazing week on vacation! I'll actually get more rest being back than I did being gone. We did so much walking in DC & NYC that sitting in front of this computer all day is not such a bad deal!

I found out several things while I was gone:

AT&T has no cell service along some of the Outer Banks (or at my house or work for that matter)
It is highly recommended to make a reservation for the ferry to the OBX
Don't drink the water on Cedar Island
I will never, ever drive in NYC again, especially during rush hour
I cannot blog from my iPhone
Where I want to live
And finally, where I won't live

I have lots to blog about and lots of work to catch up on. I came back to a really sweet wedding on Saturday I've got to squeeze in, also.

Swim Meets

2008-06-27T10:24:00.004-04:00

Instead of sleeping in on Saturdays so I have enough energy to finish the late night weddings, I get to get up early so Jarrod & Abigail can be at their swim meets by 8:00! And then sit and melt in the hot sun and get burned because of my aversion to sun screen. But that's what parents do, right?

It's so great watching the kids in their races. Amy was a competitive swimmer from childhood through college, so they are both naturals in the water. Abigail is a powerhouse, and is so competitive that she has to win because she won't accept any other option. She's 6 but can hold her own even when she swims against older kids. Jarrod, let's just say Jarrod has a really beautiful stroke. He really takes his time during the race to work on perfecting his form. And that's OK. I'm a perfectionist, too.

Off on vacation next week! Hitting the Outer Banks, DC & NYC. I'll have lots of great stuff to blog when I get back!

Sarah & James

2008-06-23T14:26:00.004-04:00

I can't say enough how on-time brides make my job so much easier! Sarah and her peeps were waiting for me to show up so we could start taking pictures for her wedding at the Cathedral. The weather was beautiful (hot of course, but this is June in Savannah!) and everyone was calm and relaxed and ready to get the show on the road. Even the groom's family came early to watch the bride's pictures. No one told me the groom had a twin, which really confused me. I kept wondering why Sarah wasn't freaking out that James was standing there while she was taking pictures. But since it was John and not James, everything was cool. Anyway...

The reception was upstairs at Garibaldi's and was beautiful as always. It's so elegant, and with the lights down low it's a very intimate setting. The floor tends to shake (sag? bounce?) when lots of people are dancing, but it is an old building. I'm sure it's very safe, right?

Party favors were bottles of wine! Normal-size bottles, not mini-bottles! And I thought all-you-can-eat M&Ms were awesome!

Madonna & Brett

2008-06-13T11:40:00.004-04:00

I just posted Madonna's bridal portrait earlier this week, and here's a little tease of their wedding!

It was standing-room-only at Metter Presbyterian. I didn't even have enough room to use my tripod during the ceremony, so I had to sit in the center aisle! There was a line out the door until the ceremony started.

The reception was at the bride and groom's house, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. They seemed to be surrounded by acres and acres of land. It looked like the entire back yard was tented. From candles to flowers to table runners to chandeliers everything looked stunning. They had little sitting niches situated around the tent where people could cozy up on settees and chairs and just chill out.

And chill out is what I felt like doing! I grabbed the first thing to drink that I saw. Looked like green Kool Aid. Who knew it was a good and strong margarita? I was so dehydrated from being outside in the heat taking pictures earlier that the first sip hit me and I knew it wasn't Kool Aid!

The party was still going strong when I left. Even the grandmothers were still there, which is a testament to how much fun everyone was having. If I had not had such a long drive home I sure could've curled up in one of the cozy spots and enjoyed a few more tasty beverages!

Madonna's Bridal

2008-06-09T12:17:00.006-04:00

I've been sitting on this bridal portrait for a long time! Finally Madonna was married Saturday and I can post it! The dress is an original by the bride's cousin, Jeffrey. I see "Project Runway" in his future!

I'll have more from the wedding later this week. I can honestly say the reception was probably the most gorgeous reception I've ever seen! I can't wait to share those pics!

Erin & Brian

2008-05-21T11:17:00.003-04:00

I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to take pictures of these guys Saturday! They were married in a small ceremony in Lafayette Square, and since their reception didn't start until later in the afternoon we had almost 3 hours to take pictures afterwards!

They left it up to me to take them around to different spots for pictures. Of course we had to hit Forsyth Park where we took the majority of pictures, and for the first time the Fragrant Garden was actually open and we were able to go inside for some shots. That was pretty cool. And then we headed to St. John's Episcopal to borrow their loggia, which has become one of my favorite places for portraits. I've always lucked out and not interrupted any other event going on at the church or the Green-Meldrim House, though I did run into Chrissy Hall shooting a wedding there last year. I'm sure I'll be kicked off the property some day. But until then...

The reception was at the Marshall House, one of my favorite places downtown. Love their sesame chicken! In an effort to branch out with my eating habits (I'm the complete opposite of my vegetarian wife and son), for the first time I ate tomato with fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar. Not really my thing. BUT, note to anyone planning a menu: stay away from gruyere fondue, it smells horrible.

More Randomness

2008-05-12T16:03:00.004-04:00

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-12T14:24:00.004-04:00

What a nice weekend to be off! I could get used to that! Though I do wonder why it wasn't me shooting that wedding in Telfair Square? But it was great having free time with the family unit.

We had lunch at Soho South, just like we did last weekend, too. Sat at the same table and had the same waiter. I even ate the same thing: the Cuban panini is delish! Abigail ran around the whole time taking pictures. She loves the bikini lady hanging from the ceiling (a mannequin for those who have never been, lest one wonders what kind of restaurant has almost naked ladies hanging from the ceiling).

After lunch we visited the Jepson Center. I had been wanting to see the photographs of Frida Kahlo. I can't help but wonder if those pictures had been taken in the digital age, would they ever have survived the delete button? Whenever I'm editing pictures I delete anything that's not tack sharp. Why keep it? It's blurry. Sure as anything if I don't delete it someone will order a wall portrait of it. But recently I've seen lots of photographers' blurry mistakes in magazines. At least they look like mistakes to me. Yes, I admit it looks artistic sometimes to have a little blur, but that's just not me. If you're a bride looking for artistic blurry pictures, I am not the photographer for you. Having said that, how many pictures from your childhood are blurry or your eyes are closed or half your head is cut off? What if those pictures had been deleted?

Ann & George

2008-05-09T10:31:00.004-04:00

Here's a peek at last weekend's wedding in Darien! What a cute little town!

Ann & George were married at St. Andrew's Episcopal, and the park just outside was wonderful for taking pictures. The reception was on the deck of Skipper's right on the river. It was such a perfect night for an outside reception! No rain and just the right amount of breeze coming off the water. The deck was tented beautifully, and since it was the day of the Kentucky Derby of course there were mint juleps! The best part may have been the all-you-can-eat boiled peanuts! That's almost as good as all-you-can-eat M&Ms!

I know you guys are enjoying 3 weeks in Fiji... I'm totally jealous! I'm sure George is probably training for his next Ironman!

Tiffany & Jim

2008-05-06T11:37:00.005-04:00

I had so much fun with this couple Friday afternoon! They're from Boston & despite knowing nothing about Savannah decided to get married here! Cool!

We wandered around downtown looking for great stuff, and they were so open to everything I suggested. I love when a couple puts pictures as the top priority and cooperates and know they actually have to be present for great shots.

WARNING: RANT ALERT! RANT ALERT! It always amazes me when people say that the pictures are the most important part of the wedding and how they want fabulous pictures and then aren't ready on time. And then they want to get to the reception and party and don't want to spend the extra time making up for the pictures we didn't get to take because they were late. How do they expect to have amazing pictures if they're not ready when they're supposed to be taking their pictures? Yes, you actually have to be in the pictures to have great pictures. I can't add you in later. END OF RANT.

Sorry, Tiffany & Jim, that your post was chosen for me to get some things off my chest. It was just so refreshing to have a couple who actually wanted to invest the time in their pictures. I know Tiffany is checking the blog so I hope you enjoy!

Kristi & Brad

2008-04-29T14:52:00.007-04:00

These guys were married Saturday at The Mighty Eighth Museum. The chapel is very intimate and for whatever reason makes me very serene. It must be the light coming through all the stained glass. Their son, Colton, also had his baptism as part of the ceremony. How handsome in his little tux!

It was nice and overcast most of the time but the sun seemed to come out at just the right time! The reflecting pool offered some great shots. The picture of Kristi above is actually her reflection in the water, before anyone starts thinking it looks funny! I debated whether to leave it upside down like I shot it, 'cause it does look pretty cool like that.

And there were more all-you-can-eat M&MS at the reception, too! This is going to be my year!

I'm sure you guys are soaking up the sun on the beach in Aruba right now! Have one for me, too!

Lori, Brad & Evan

2008-04-21T14:00:00.003-04:00

Lori teaches at the same school as my wife. It was so much fun photographing her family at Forsyth on Sunday. I even got to carry around her green and white polka dot diaper bag; it was really stylish and I really think it would make a great camera bag! I mean who's going to steal a diaper bag? Maybe I'll start a camera bag designing business...

I was amazed at how many photographers were working in the park. Savannah is just so photogenic, and nothing says Savannah like Forsyth Park. As a photographer it gets repetitive shooting in the same places all the time, but the pictures are always going to be gorgeous anytime I shoot at Forsyth.