Monday, March 30, 2009

Back to reality...

While on vacation last week I tried my best to avoid the internet, because I decided it's good to take a complete break every now and then, and I think I did pretty well. :-)

My mom, sister and I spent the week in Hilton Head Island...my first time visiting the lowcountry. We also spent a day in Savannah which is an absolutely gorgeous and charming city.

As with any vacation of mine, there were twists and turns. I managed to lock my mom and I in our condo on the first morning. Yep, that's right...we were locked IN thanks to my curiosity and a malfunctioning security lock. Of course us girls didn't think to pack a Phillips-head screwdriver, so I used a vegetable peeler to unscrew the covering of the lock to try to unlock it. My sister, locked on the outside, had tried to use a credit card to unlock it...hey it works on T.V. so why not in real life? Then she found some tools in her car which she proceeded to throw to us via the balcony (let's just say hand-eye coordination is not my strong suit). Thankfully, a nice maintenance man named Richard showed up to save the day. He had to climb up a ladder to get in through the balcony, and he fought with the stubborn lock for quite some time, but eventually he was able to set us free. If it weren't for Richard, his tools and his strength, we never would have made it to the beach.
And that was just the morning of day one :-)

Today I've taken the plunge back into reality (which is almost as harsh as putting my feet in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean), glad to be sleeping in my own bed again, wondering where the warm temperatures have gone, and cringing at the sight of my pollen-covered car.

And because all posts are better with a picture, here's a few from my week...in black and white 'cause it's my thing :-P


I fell in love with the live oak trees and Spanish moss, which were both quite abundant on our trip. These trees are at Forsyth Park in Savannah.




The pier at Tybee Island



The Harbour Town Lighthouse at Hilton Head Island.



Happy Monday!
~jess

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Anna & Tim: Slideshow

Awhile back I wrote about Anna and Tim's beautiful wedding and posted a few images....well, now there's a slideshow!


I'm leaving tomorrow to go on vacation (yipee!) and I'll try to post something with some pretty pictures while I'm away! :-)

~jess

Selina & John: bebé

Selina and John were here last week for some maternity portraits. They are an awesome couple, and I had a lot of fun reviewing their images with them today. I can't wait to see their precious baby which will be here soon!


One of my absolute favorites:





Her mom knitted these little booties...aren't they just adorable?




~jess

Friday, March 20, 2009

5 good things

5 good things:
  1. The weather...I know I've said this one before, but really, this weather is awesome and I'm enjoying it as much as I can before the pollen covers everything in a greenish yellow film making it impossible to have the windows open...
  2. Recieving a "just because" gift from a friend
  3. Rainbow Sightings - a friend sent me the link to this website (thanks MK!), and it makes me smile. It's a collection of rainbow pictures taken by people all over the world...pretty darn cool.
  4. Sweet tea from Chick-fil-A which is made even better by the fact that you can buy it by the gallon so we have some for awhile here at the studio
  5. Public transportation...I just love it. I take the MARTA downtown whenever I can, and there's always something interesting to see.



And because every post is better with a picture, here's a peek at a maternity shoot I'll be posting more of later :-)




Happy Friday!
~jess

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Thomas and Pop


Thomas swung by to see us - he is thoughtful - he always asks his mom to come along so she doesn't have to sit home alone. A happy part of his visit was that his Pop came home for lunch while Thomas was here. While Pop made lunch he figured Thomas would like to get a better view... so into the sink he went. HAD to capture the picture - and can imagine Thomas thinking "Why the sink, Pop?" If we only knew what babies are thinking?! : )
~ beth

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Made New Friends...

A busy day rushed in with spring weather... again. Filled with Tents - Events - Calligraphy - Planners - Beer - Romantic getaways - Makeup - Flowers - and the list could go on. Where was all this, you ask?? at 755 Club at Turner Field with the event put on by Atlanta Occasions and Atlanta Bride and Groom Planner. I have been to a lot of toad kissing networking events - but this was not one of them.. The energy in the room was great and the ideas were flowing!


Seated next to me was Maren Nicholas from Dreamweaver Calligraphy. Brides - Imagine the task of adressing your envelopes not only being done for you - but completed in a way that your invitations are a work of art?


On the other side were Cindy and Anna who work with Max Lager's on Peachtree Street - always great to find new and unique places to meet friends and eat out in Atlanta.

People who work in the wedding industry are fun!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Benjamin: bebé

It seems like just yesterday that Baby Benjamin was here for his 3 month session, but here he is for his 6 month session. I love being able to watch our bebé babies grow up...they change so much in the first year!






This one is my favorite!



~jess

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Gavin: bebé

It seems like we've had so many cute babies in the studio recently, and baby Gavin is no exception. He's the newest baby to join our bebé collection program. He was here for his 3 month session earlier this week, and he did a fabulous job of posing for the camera. :-)

Here are some of my favorites:






One of my absolute favorites:





~jess

Friday, March 13, 2009

Dawn & Tim: Engaged

Dawn and Tim were here last Saturday for their engagement session. They had a great time walking around the town of Norcross, getting some really fun shots.

Here's a few of my favorites:







And because it's Friday:

    5 good things:
  1. Warm weather...boo for these temperatures back in the 50's
  2. Taking a field trip to Scott Antique Market
  3. Getting a long overdue hair cut and color
  4. Lunch with friends
  5. Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches...they are quite yummy and not so bad for you :-)


Happy Friday!
~jess

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Two people in every picture

When we first opened our "official" studio - you know - when you have a space that isn't half of your living room, my sister Wendy sent me a plant. Attached to that plant was a quote by Ansel Adams... "In every picture there are two people - the viewer and the photographer." Watering that plant this morning (the quote is still attached) got me thinking about why I love to do what I do. I get to be one of those 2 people! And the viewer - how cool is that - I get the chance each time I click my shutter to create something to view - a picture to illicit a response from a mom... a bride... a loved one...

We show our clients a slide show of their photos when they come to view our offerings to them. Always get a giggle when I hear brides and grooms comment on their memories of the day as they watch... love to hear the ahhhs or "I love that one" from a mom and dad as they see their little one.

Getting to be the photographer... and getting to know the viewer - this is the best job to have!

Besides clicking the shutter, Jess occasionally lets me create an album :) and thought you'd like a sneak preview of one.

To our friends in Atlanta, enjoy this incredibly warm summer day we are having in March! - Beth







Monday, March 9, 2009

Anna & Tim: Married

When I'm post-processing wedding images, I can always see the joy and the love between the bride and groom.
With certain weddings (more often than not around here), those emotions are so strong they just radiate from each image, causing me to smile and making the work of editing their images not feel like work at all.

Anna and Tim are definitely one of these "full of love and joy" weddings. Jonathan and Andreas did an awesome job capturing the story of their day.

Here are some of my favorites from their day:




I love the giant smile on Tim's face as Anna was walking down the aisle...



They had a lovely reception at Little Gardens












Congratulations Anna and Tim! Thank you for letting us be a part of your wonderful day!
~jess

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Garage Sales - Why ARE we so crazy?


Today started EARLY - 6:30 AM - up and getting ready to put a whole lot of stuff out on our driveway... stuff we have used but no longer want. Stuff which is not worhwhile enough for us to keep and yet we want to get something from it. Do they have garage sales anywhere else in the world or are we the only people who put our unwanted stuff out hoping to get more than it is worth to us in return?



Of course the day was long... starting our with dew from heaven... ending up with a glorious afternoon of sun... and more than half the stuff we put out going back to the "garage" to give away. No longer worthy for sale, it sits forlorn and unwanted - hoping for a new home where it will be appreciated.


So why do we do it? Maybe because we, coming from a long line of people who want to get more out of life, decide every once in a while that we will try to persuade others to see the value in what we no longer want. Maybe because we need the exercise and it is an excuse to go out of our homes and enjoy this very true rite of spring. Maybe because we have poor memories and think this time it will be wildly successful... : )

Whatever the reason, Seitz Photography had it's garage sale today. Successful? If you rate the day in money it brought in - not so much. But in friendship enjoyed - wildly so! How else would we know that Heather would get up at 6:30 to help us... that Taylor would bring us Chick-Fil-A biscuits and Sweet Tea... that Jaime and Thomas would enjoy an afternoon outside enjoying conversation with Jessica... where "Moe" can get yet more great pictures of that little baby! So we close our day richer with the joy of great conversation, friendships deepened and babies enjoyed!



Friday, March 6, 2009

5 good things

Time for my Friday Five :-)
    5 good things:
1. Signs of spring. This is the time of year that I'm tired of being cold and ready for some warm sunshine.




2. Having a day to be lazy and relax. This is my sister's cat, Alley...she's the perfect teacher for how to relax, and when the sun is shining through the dining room window, this is how you can in.




3. Pigs.



I don't know why the obsession began, but I do know that it started on a 7th grade band trip to Panama City, where I won a stuffed pig (later to be named Fred) at Miracle Strip Park. I used to have a rather large collection of all things pig, but I downsized the collection a few years ago so only the favorite pigs remain. I even had to forbid my friends from buying me anything pig-related, because I realized that eventually I was going to be the lady with the house full of pig stuff featured as a fluff story on the weekend news.


4. Bracelets. A big part of my love for warmer weather has to do with the fact that I can wear bracelets with my shorter sleeves.




5. Fresh fruit. It makes a yummy snack. :-)




Happy Friday!
~jess

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Historic Norcross - Great Place for a Wedding





Last night Jess and I spent the evening at the "Romancing the Bride" event held at the Flint Hill - Atrium location of the Magic Moments group. As usual they held a wonderful event for brides... grooms... moms... and yes, even some dads to come sample their food, check out the latest table ideas and meet us. Alright - there were other vendors there - but really all those people came just to meet Jess and me!




I go to thinking as we closed down our display for the evening - how many beautiful weddings we have been able to enjoy there, serving brides and grooms with creative memories to enjoy.

Welcome to a 2008 stroll down our memory lane.



Bob and Tara - their wedding was in April - one of the best months for a wedding in Atlanta. Surrounded with joy, they celebrated having found the love of their lives with an outdoor garden ceremony that looked right out of a movie set!



They closed their evening with a stroll down the then deserted streets of Norcross - stopping for a hug before they were off to their honeymoon.

The Atrium has a magic cast throughout the evening - Matt and Amanda look like they should be in a Disney fairy tale.















The arches of the trees and the vines on the the beautiful sturctures that line the paths of Flint Hill create beautiful frames for smiling brides.
This image has always reminded me of an
Estee Lauder
"Beautiful" ad -
except that we didn't
get paid as
much as
that photographer! : )



Jumping for Joy - sounds corny but there is always a sigh of relief when the ceremony is over and the party begins!

We're off to Primrose Cottage tonight to meet more brides. Twice a year the Magic Moments group opens their "homes" to starry eyed couples who have begun their plans for a life together. They come with their their notebooks filled with ideas as they create the wedding that will start them on their new path together.
And we get to meet them and share in this fun!