Terrie knew that Troy really was into my studio bridal portraits, so she and I conspired to set up a studio session for her to have a print to give to Troy as a wedding gift. How cool is that!

I’m really pleased with how the whole session came out, but if there was one image that I would consider a favorite, it would be the image with the darker background. I had been shooting the entire time with the flashes going off, but when I set up that shot I did it to use only the modeling light instead of the flash… Terrie looked lovely standing there waiting, thinking about her upcoming wedding. She didn’t realize I was shooting when I took that picture, and I feel there’s a real gravity to the shot: something completely authentic in her expression.

Terrie’s makeup was done by the incomparable Amy Lynn Larwig, Nashville Makeup Artist

For Jennifer’s bridal portraits, we chose to shoot at the beautiful Riverwood Mansion. Part of the wonderful thing about Riverwood is that its one of the few bridal portrait venues around that offers both beautiful gardens AND beautiful interior settings in case of inclement weather… which became an issue for this session when the weather proved inconsistent. We were able to shoot a few shots outdoors, but had to move inside when the drizzle rolled in.

Jennifer is a born model, and I’m quite pleased with how these portraits came out! Thank you to Dechari and all the folks at Riverwood for being such wonderful hosts!

Elizabeth is a beautiful lady who was married this past weekend. I hope you enjoy her bridal portraits, taken in my downtown Nashville studio! The first shot is my favorite: I really feel that it is both an illustration of how lovely she looked AND a hint of her personality.

Laura’s bridal portraits were photographed in a beautiful private residence in Chattanooga, TN, and represent a mix of classic portraiture and a little Hollywood glamor. In the fourth shot, I feel like Laura could be Rita Hayworth throwing open the doors and cutting her eyes with a hint of mischief: a classy but feisty lady. Its a wonderful description of Laura.

Wow, its been a busy few weeks and its not getting any slower! I apologize to y’all if my emails and phone calls aren’t as super-prompt as I usually try to be. I was away in the early part of this week up in Chicago shooting a wedding with my good friend Sam Hassas, which also gave me the opportunity to spend some quality time with my brother and sister-in-law. For those of you who don’t know Sam, he’s a brilliant wedding photographer based in San Jose, and I’ve had the privilege of shooting with him twice in the past year.

Anyway, a few months back we took Lisa to Union Station in downtown Nashville to create some stylish bridal portraits. Unfortunately, the Mexican resort where Lisa got married didn’t allow outside photographers, but I’ll be photographing her state-side reception in a few weeks up in Indianapolis. Now that Lisa is safely married, I’m able to post these portraits of which I’m quite proud. The folks over at Hair Mafia did a great job on her hair and makeup, which really makes a huge difference!

Courtney & George were married yesterday in a lovely ceremony at the West End Church of Christ. Now that they’re safely married, I can finally post Courtney’s stunning bridal images. She’s got a beautiful classic style, which I worked to augment with some vintage-inspired shots. The color images utilize a treatment inspired by the carbro-color shots of the 1940′s. I was thrilled to receive two major awards for my work in this set!

Bridal Gown by The White Room in Lebanon, TN, with vintage gloves.

Accolade of Excellence, WPPI First-Half 2009 International Print Competition

After shooting Amanda and Simon’s engagement photos, I was really excited to be taking bridal portraits for this beautiful lady! They were married at Scarritt Bennett Center, so that’s where she wanted her bridal portraits made. Thanks for a lovely session Amanda!

For Michelle’s bridal portraits, we chose to shoot at the beautiful Ambrose House in East Nashville. I was particularly pleased with the shot of Michelle in the armchair, which to me evokes a classic society painted portrait.

This portrait session was my first set of bridals in my new studio, and I was really trying to channel my hero Richard Avedon for the white-on-white images. I was thrilled that one of these earned an Accolade of Excellence in WPPI’s International Second Half 2008 8×10 Print Competition!

Accolade of Excellence, WPPI 2008 Second Half 8×10 Print Competition

Carrie is an amazingly beautiful woman, and although she didn’t realize it before our session, a natural in front of the camera. Her images have won me numerous awards, and this is one of my all-time favorite bridal portrait sessions. These images were all photographed at the Scarritt Bennett Center.

Accolade of Excellence, WPPI 2008 Second-Half 8×10 Print Competition

Accolade of Excellence, WPPI 2009 First-Half 8×10 Print Competition