evie and chad entered into our story during an important juncture in our lives. eileen had just returned home to atlanta from two years in japan, during which time i met her in tokyo and we were engaged. our wedding was now about six months out, and eileen needed a place to stay in athens while we planned the big day. (i was already living in athens and couldn’t wait to have her finally living in the same city — heck, the same continent for that matter.) so enters evie, the answer to our prayers. evie, a college friend of eileen’s brother, not only offered to let eileen stay in her apartment, but actually gave her an extra bed in her own room since another roommate occupied the apartment. now, as anyone who has had a bad roommate experience knows, that kind of generosity can sometimes be as much a curse as a blessing. but evie is one of those rare people who always makes you feel comfortable and completely at home, even for someone like eileen who really enjoys her personal space. eileen couldn’t have hoped for a better friend to welcome her to athens.

then chad appeared, a mysterious “friend” whom evie began to spend more and more time with. not a boyfriend at the time. but i remember eileen telling me, way back then, that she already saw something there. chemistry, perhaps? that these two unusually kind and pleasant people might be made for each other? definitely. so you can imagine our excitement when we heard the news: they’re getting married! well, it’s high time if you ask us. we can’t wait to see how God is going to bless this couple as a family. we know that whatever they do together, it will be great!

we had so much fun catching up with you two! i can’t think of a more inspiring way to spend an evening than to watch the enthusiasm you share for life and love (not to mention chad’s hilarious antics adding to our entertainment). thanks for everything. we can’t wait to celebrate your wedding day! hope we can meet up again before then…

p.s. kudos to evie and chad for a great location idea. the area around the bottleworks complex is not only super-colorful and full of character, it’s also the site of some of evie’s and chad’s favorite local hangouts like big city bread and the nearby ike and jane cafe and bakery. (if only they had been open for pastries when we dropped by..) 😛

so pleased with the three-dimensional quality of these bike shots. the sun flair coming from camera right created a brilliant natural flair, as well as a long shadow caused by a tree. we placed the motorcycle’s front tire at the shadow’s end for a nice “V” effect. (and, no, “da vinci code” fanatics. the “V” doesn’t represent the virgin mary. it simply lends symmetry and draws attention to the frame’s foreground. but i like it!) the highlighting in the hair and on the motorcycle’s right side comes from an sb900 flash triggered by a pocket wizard at camera left.

i couldn’t resist this tunnel vision shot i found at a back entrance to the bottleworks. i love the way it frames evie and chad, all aglow in warmer sunlight. they really nailed this shot with their playful skipping across the crosswalk. well done, guys!

the wide shot below is, again, an sb900 with pocket wizard — this time gelled for a warmer light. and, of course, you can see how much fun evie and chad have together. eileen commented that we could have shot everything under the one tree where they’re laughing below, and it still would have been a killer shoot. they can do no wrong on camera, these two!

the natural light was perfect — soft and cool — for these portrait shots. eileen stepped in with the reflector just to help the eyes shine a little more brightly in the shadows. thanks, sweetheart — i owe you one.

one of my favorite wide shots from the session. (i am undoubtedly a big fan of wide shots.) we lit the wall, as well as evie and chad, with two different flashes. the goal was to put everything else — tree limbs, hanging lamp, electric wires — in complete silhouette before the blue sky. i love the way it all wraps around them like an enormous, protective shelter out in the open; i think it really complements the protective way chad is holding evie, too. (ok, i’m moving on before i get too sappy about this…)

and a “sweet” ending at the happy couple’s favorite bakery/cafe in normaltown. if you haven’t yet, check this place out. ike & jane. very nice!

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