New Branding...coming Monday!

Sorry for the blogging break! Geoff and I are currently in Baton Rouge, LA having shot a wedding here yesterday. We're on our way back home tonight....so, I promise the blogging will pick up again.

After MUCH work, we are excited to finally be launching our new branding....if all goes as we expect it to.....we'll get to share it all this coming Monday. :)

For now, here's a clue as to what you can expect:

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

All I Want For Christmas...

Christmas has come and gone, but Frank is still wishing to find himself a permanent home.

If you aren't familiar with his story, you can check it out HERE, HERE, and HERE.

We're thinking the best case scenario for Frank would be:

- to have an owner/family who has a heart for rescued dogs (and who loves big dogs - Frank is 55 lbs.)

- to have a home with no cats

- to have a fenced in yard that he could run around in

- bonus points if he would have a brother or sister to play with - he loves other dogs

If you know of anyone that could meet the above criteria, please send them this blog post or have them email me at Cheyenne.Schultz @ gmail dot com

Amy and Andrew - Engaged - Charlotte Wedding Photographer

Since Amy and Andrew, I've decided that shooting actual engagements is totally my favorite thing ever to shoot. I've been dying to post these. So, here's how it went down.

Back in August, web/graphic designer and aspiring photographer Andrew contacted me to let me know he was in the beginning stages of planning his proposal to his then girlfriend - Amy - and wanted to book a session to have it photographed. Over the course of the next couple months, we schemed up a great plan for this to happen.

Amy and Andrew are from Raleigh, so the first thing was getting them to Charlotte. Andrew worked it out to be in for a weekend to visit friends, which would be followed by an opportunity for Andrew to come shadow me photographing an engagement session on Monday morning (at least, that's what he told Amy). Once Monday morning rolled around, I picked up the phone to call Andrew and unfold the plan......

Andrew relayed the message to Amy - the engaged couple for the session had cancelled on me because of the weather (lies......all LIES!!! :), but if they wanted, I could go ahead and just photograph the two of them, as Andrew would still be able to learn a lot being in front of the camera. Amy took the bait and the pair headed to meet me.

I started out the shoot like I would any shoot...but talked out loud at what/how I was shooting and why - just to keep Amy on the trail that this was a learning experience for Andrew.

I had told Andrew beforehand what I was going to say that would be the cue for him to drop to his knee......

"One thing I'll do sometimes to encourage interaction is to have the couple face the opposite ways from each other and when I say "go", I'll have them turn around and run toward each other into a hug. So, let's go ahead and do that. Amy, go ahead and face that way, and Andrew, you face the other way."


Amy turned around, Andrew dropped to his knee, and my heart about stopped I was so dang excited!


"Okay, GO! Turn around!"


And this is what she saw. BEST. MOMENT. EVER.

It was pretty freaking awesome. And here is the ring!

From there, we continued on with our session....which truly, was a lot of fun.

One more ring shot...

Their only request was to get a shot of the "i love you" sign that they flash to each other every morning from their opposite cars on their way to work. Cute, if you ask me. :)

Quite often I would drive by the Trader Joe's and see the red carts....and I couldn't WAIT to inact what was in my head for a shot. After spending some time with Andrew and Amy, I knew they would be down for it. :)

Congratulations on your engagement Andrew and Amy and THANK YOU for allowing me to share this awesome moment with you. :)))

The Palmer Building - Melissa and Diego - Part Two

As promised....part two of Melissa and Diego's wedding! Their wedding is definitely in the top 5 for 2009 - one of the reasons for this was due to the fact that they gave us TWO HOURS for pictures following the ceremony. It was awesome.

Sandro was passed out after the ceremony, but we woke him up for a couple shots with mom and dad before grandma took him home .

The initial plan was to do a send-off at the church, but on the day of the wedding it was discovered that no flowers are allowed to be thrown at the church. So, Melissa and Diego's wedding planner - Alyse - gave us the petals to have a little fun with the bridal party.

LOVE this.

Two seconds after this shot was taken, the bridal party scattered, as they realized they were about to walk straight into a hornets nest....yikes.

We even had time to drive close to uptown for a couple skyline shots.

Again, big shout-out to planner Alyse Woodward and Flowers from the Cellar for the decor concept and design. Perfect for a November wedding.

Catering by Best Impressions
Cake by Decadent Designs
DJ by All the Right Grooves

Love these escort cards. Printed by Three Little Birds.

This shot of Melissa with her mom makes me happy. :)

Last but not least - here is Diego and Geoff.....dancing up some salsa.

Congratulations Melissa and Diego - love you guys.

Palmer Building - Melissa and Diego - Part One

As I watched Melissa laughing hysterically as Diego spun Geoff around while teaching him to salsa at his wedding reception, I had a moment of pure joy that reminded me how much I really love this job that we have. Not only do we get the chance to photograph people on their best day - their wedding day - but we get to make friends. Melissa and Diego became just that to us.

Their wedding day - November 7th - was all things gorgeous. Ceremony at St. Gabriel's; Reception at The Palmer Building - the weather, the couple, the baby, the decor....everything was gorgeous. Alyse of Alyse Woodward Events blew this one out of the water.

Makeup - Elizabeth Tolley
Hair - Fuze Salon
Flowers - Pam of Flowers from the Cellar
Wedding Planner - Alyse Woodward Events

Melissa and Diego's little boy - Sandro. Adorable, sweet, chunky Sandro. :)

No words for how over-the-top-flipping-beautiful Melissa was on her wedding day.....not one.

When I saw the berries that were incorporated into the bouquets, my jaw dropped. Pam rocked the house for real.

Can you BELIEVE this light we had?! Best light all year.

I melted into a puddle as I shot the look on Diego's face as Melissa walked toward him. Goodness, he loves her.

Tomorrow will feature portraits and reception. Come back to see. :)