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Beautiful Time Lapse Photography

Andy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:18:09 +0000

It’s nice to know that this world wasn’t created by chance. Psalms (19:1) puts it best:” The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” This time lapse photography is a gorgeous display of my Father’s handiwork. I didn’t make the photos, but I do appreciate them very much. I think you will too.

On another note I will be out of town for the weekend helping family move. So if you don’t get a reply back or your call goes to voicemail, please leave me your info and we can talk next week.

My snowy photoshoot

Andy — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:49:04 +0000

Eliza & I went to North Carolina last weekend where it snowed just long enough for us to go play for a few hours. She gets credit for shooting these.

It’s nice to know what it feels like to be in front of the camera from time to time. In case you’re wondering, my jacket came from Shoppe 3130 and my hammock came from Eagles Nest Outfitters. I hope you got out and enjoyed the snow last weekend. Next up on the blog is little Maddie. Stay tuned!

Free Engagement Sessions?

Andy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:53:31 +0000

I’m often asked by clients as to why all my wedding packages include an engagement session for free. Yes, free. Allow me to explain why…

Whenever I meet a new client I first sit down just to learn about the couple and what they envision their wedding to be like. What is their priority for wedding photographs, and what products do they have in mind for their finished wedding photographs. We get to know all of our clients, in order to best fit their needs as a photographer.

One of the best ways I have found for clients to get great wedding-day photographs, is by shooting an engagement session for them. The e-session allows us to interact with our clients in a relaxed setting, with the camera in front of them, thereby getting everyone comfortable with the camera so that come wedding day the photographs are natural.

I simply love to direct clients for portrait sessions, but on the wedding day it’s really all about capturing candid moments that tell the story of one of the most important days in two people’s lives. This story can only be told if we are trusted by the wedding party, family and guests to capture what we see. It’s our responsibility as photographers to preserve the memories of a wedding day.

On the other hand, bridal sessions are a completely different story. Some would prefer to switch an engagement session for a bridal session, but I am no longer honoring that substitution (on rare occasions I will allow it).

Bridal sessions can be up to a day-long affair. The bride has her dress ready, her hair & makeup ready, and sometimes even a bouquet for the shoot. Locations are scouted, ideas are passed back and forth, schedules are reserved, and finally the photographs are taken. When all of these pieces of the puzzle come together, the end result is astonishingly beautiful. Yesterday’s bridal session was out of this world and I simply cannot wait to showcase the images on the blog next month.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. It is a rarity that I’ll “talk” at length on here, but I thought that this would be important to bring up at the start of this year’s wedding season. I simply love meeting with my clients and helping plan their big day. A lot of responsibility rests on our shoulders as wedding photographers and I’m committed in providing the best service possible.

If we haven’t met, please do so by commenting here, or emailing andy@donnanphotography.com. I’d love to speak with you about your wedding.

Puppy

Andy — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:15:20 +0000

Before I show you more brides & grooms, I’d like to show you my friend David’s new puppy, mocha. He just got her and dropped her off for me to puppy sit today. Of course, that meant photoshoot. So enjoy the puppy photos below. If you’re a dog lover, bring them along to the photoshoots. I like to make sure my clients’ personalities are evident in every photoshoot. So that’s that.

She slept under the cabinet door, which is our chalkboard.

She was asleep, but I guess the camera shutter woke her up.

About to fall asleep puppy.

Puppies don't really comprehend leashes. Especially when they're gigantic.

The booth – Aiken Wedding Expo

Andy — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:37:46 +0000

Yesterday I woke up at 4:30 AM because I was too excited to stay asleep. I guess that means I’m passionate about my work. Thankfully I was able to count a few sheep and close my eyes until 6:30, which was 30 min before I set my alarm clock. I’m either crazy or passionate about this art. You can call me either if you’d like. It was time to get up and get ready for the wedding expo.

This being my first showing at a wedding expo, I really didn’t know what to expect, think or even prepare for. So I gathered up some ideas and some friends to brainstorm and this is what we came up with. The plants were donated by Kate at Garden City Organics, in downtown Augusta. The door-table and most of the decor was supplied by Jennifer & Jesse, who operate Shoppe 3130 and Heart of Augusta (thrift store). They’re both on Broad street and offer great 2nd hand clothes (& vintage clothes ladies n gents) and thrifty things. The 8×10 grid of loose prints was made with some jute yarn and some cardboard cereal boxes to give it weight. Classy right? Ok ok, I’ll stop typing and show you what it looked like.

Some of the other vendors present were a real joy to talk to again. Some new, some familiar. Nikki Daniel Designs (print stuff), The Beauty Mark (makeup stuff), Charleston Street (master decorator & florist), Heath Bryant (makeup stuff), and Vineyard Imaging (print stuff). Vineyard even quoted a Dumb & Dumber movie line, which is one of my favorite movies.

Queensberry 12x12 Coffee Table Book

Queensberry Duo - matted & flush-mount style pages

I know it was cute, but it's totally ok to pluck from the business card flower stem! Almost out of these cards. The next design is gonna be great.

Disclaimer: In case you didn't read the first page, the 5" digital copy album are not photographs by my studio.

It was a bit too loud, but my computer speaker retrofit radio was present playing some tunes when it was quiet.

I'm easy to get along with, but when another photographer walks up, speaks a few words, takes a price sheet and a Queensberry pamphlet and then walks off I'm going to call you out on my blog. I don't even remember who you are, but that was quite pathetic to do that. You have lost my respect. If anyone wants to see my prices, just ask. The more information we share, the better off our businesses will be.

I got this idea from a friends wedding. I sorta hated to punch holes in 20+ 8x10" prints, but this came out great! I love seeing images from all of my different wedding clients over the years.

The bamboo business card holder. I picked this up from Blue Magnolia when it was open

Upstairs featured a bar, a fashion show and several vendors. It was packed during the fashion show and wedding give-away!

I hope you enjoy seeing these photos. I know a lot of you wanted to come out, but couldn’t make it for a number reasons. Carmen ( a client/friend ) helped throughout the day, followed by David, but I have to mention Jennifer and Jesse for waking up at 8am to help me move all this stuff to Aiken. Whoo. This was a long post!

A small break

Andy — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:09:03 +0000

Over the holidays it’s been so crazy. My suitcase has seen a lot of action ever since Thanksgiving and I’m just now getting back to normalcy now that Christmas has come and gone. Thank you everyone who ordered prints off of prints.donnanphoto.com. I’m sure they came out fantastic. I’ve streamlined that process now, getting you your prints faster and more consistent.

Over Christmas I logged about 1,300 miles of interstate travel (round trip). Needless to say I’m glad to be back in Augusta for a while. During my trip to Daphne/Mobile, Alabama I also scooted on over to New Orleans to see a good friend that used to live here. Below are some of my photos from that trip.

Yellow & Blue may be my two favorite colors.

One day I'd love to have a place with a staircase on my porch.

There's a lot of charm in the french quarter.

It's out of focus, but this has a dreamy look to it. As you can see the puppeteer performing.

If my address is ever 633, this photo will be a lot more exciting.

Before I left NOLA, we had lunch and course I ordered a shrimp poboy. I already miss the great food in that area.

In other news, we will be attending the Aiken Bridal show on January 16th. People still go to those right? Well, I hope so. We’ll see you there ok?

HO HO HO – Session

Andy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:36:45 +0000

Otis, Mike & Kat - Cullohwee, North Carolina

It’s the holidays again and this year I’m doing something special for them. From now until Christmas, you can gift or book a Ho-Ho-Ho Session for $150.
Holiday Session – Every session includes one hour shoot time, online proofing and ordering, the top 20 images on cd and a special discounted price list for ordering.
Photoshoots may take place any day of the week! In order to receive prints by Christmas, photoshoots must take place by December 10th (I can’t budge on the cutoff date for prints, sorry). Discounts are available for loose prints, accordion mini-books, float and gallery wraps. December is a busy month for us, so the earlier you book the better

Their theme: Christmas morning PJ's

The happy family

Innovative

Andy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:21:51 +0000

New Zealand website traffic

Earlier this week my video/photo slideshow for the albums I offer was featured on Queensberry’s blog. I apparently did something new and innovative This caused site traffic to spike, which is always nice to see. If you haven’t seen it yet, well now you definitely should: http://www.donnanphotography.com/albums/

To see the Queensberry blog post just click on the image above.

Headed to NYC

Andy — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:39:00 +0000

The door to the sanctuary swings back and forth as the flower girl passes by at St. James Methodist Church.

It’s pretty clear fall is here. We’re actually receiving some rain, the leaves are beginning to cover the ground and the wind outside doesn’t feel like the heater in my car. We’re actually calling the weather chilly and having to wear long pants to stay comfortable.

This October is a special month for a few reasons. Sample albums from Queensberry are finally here, leather swatches from Kissbooks are here, my birthday falls on the 25th and tomorrow I’m leaving for NYC (21-25th) checking out Photo+ Expo and shooting an engagement session for an old friend Will McCranie.

During this time I will most likely not sleep enough, twitter too much and find myself entirely too cold in NYC. Stay tuned as I will offer share some pumpkin patch photos and some holiday photo news.

Driven

Andy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:55:42 +0000

It’s been a few months now since I stepped out from the comforts and security of a day job. I can’t begin to thank everyone enough for being so encouraging and continuing to entrust us with capturing your special memories.

I’m now more driven than ever before. I no longer hit the snooze button, or even set an alarm. I’m up and making coffee by 8 am or so. Speaking of coffee, I go through a pound every two weeks. I’m not sure if that’s healthy, but darn is it tasty.

I now exercise more. Mountain biking has always been my physical forte, but I’m even beginning to find running enjoyable. I’m sure the fall weather is a factor, but regardless I’m able to get out more and enjoy God’s creation.

The other day I took a peek at the size of my photo library. I found that I have over 55,000 photos! How in the world right? It’s even mind boggling to me sometimes. My point here is that I take a ton of photos, no matter which camera I’m holding at the time. Cell phone photography has become all the rage and is a great way to keep on shooting no matter what I come across. Have a look here: iphone.donnanphoto.com

I am also going to begin using this blog for more than just showcasing the latest photoshoots. My only hope is that it’s coherent in thought and somewhat entertaining for you.

Finally, this is a reminder that holiday deadlines are just around the corner:

Queensberry album deadlines is due by the end of this month. I know, it’s soon.
KISS album deadlines are due by the end of November. Please plan accordingly.
ALL print orders must be submitted by the end of November in order for me to get you the photos before Christmas.

Ok everyone, take care.

Offbeat

Hot Tamales!

Andy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:18:22 +0000

I took this shot a few weeks back in Columbia, SC during the reception. They had a candy bar and it got wiped out! This was one of the last-standing candy items. Fittingly the wedding was hot as all get out. Gotta love this climate we call home. Anyway, stay tuned for a few blog posts tomorrow, this weekend and next week.

The Current Waiting List (all fun weddings that I can’t wait to share with you!)
- Tori & Marcus
- Nicole & Wes
- Candice & Rashad

OH and psst, wedding packages have been updated to include albums! I’m working on one right now and it’s turning out to be quite lovely. So, if you’re an existing client, previous or future client, head over to view the info.

Now he tells us!

Andy — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:04:05 +0000

Last Friday I quit my desk job.

For the past two years, I’ve been moonlighting this business. Nights, weekends, lunchtimes, mornings and even during vacation time from the day job. I sat at a desk. I punched keys on the keyboard. I clicked the mouse. A lot. Outlook was my guide for the day. I despised meetings. They only seemed to lead to more meetings. ( I know I’m making this out to be really awful, but it was actually a good day job, but I felt as if I was ignoring the potential of running this business full-time. )

Now that’s all changed. I rode out my two weeks notice and last Friday I walked out of my comfort zone. I said goodbye to Outlook, free espresso and a salary. I’m telling you this because I feel like it’s time I come clean. We can now meet during the week! We can now do photoshoots on weekdays!

The remainder of 2009 is looking good. Summertime, we were so busy one month over 7,000 images were added to the library. That’s just staggering! 2010 is already booking. I can’t begin to explain how thankful I am for every single client we get to work with. All of you have been so patient!

Be on the lookout for changes in this website, new packages, new branding and more. I don’t know what “more” is yet, but I’m sure I’ll tell you once I find it.

DISCLAIMER: I’m on vacation this week in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. I didn’t even take a month off after graduating college, so a little R&R is in need. Don’t hesitate to call if you have a question, just know that it may sit in the voicemail as cell reception is spotty at times.

p.s. I think it’s time I formally introduce to you Sarah. We both needed an assistant a while back, so we began to help each other. So, if you’ve seen me at a wedding second shooting and were confused that’s what that was all about. I’m looking to add a 3rd person to the team. So, if you own some gear and would like to learn give me a shout and I may give you a job.

p.s. Sarah’s blog is awesome. Check it out http://www.sarahtphotography.com/blog/

So where am I? I’m somewhere around here.

View Larger Map

Just look for my car and wave!

Summer Special

Andy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:25:28 +0000

I sent this out earlier today to all previous clients:

All previous print credit codes are no longer valid, please contact me for an updated code if you still haven’t redeemed your print credit.
From now until the end of August (11:59 PM August 31st) for every $100 spent you’ll receive $10 off your order. This discount applies to anyone who purchases prints through the proofs system so spread the word!

Login to view your proofs gallery with the link below. Unless requested otherwise, the password to login is the bride’s maiden name.
http://www.donnanphotography.com/clients/proofs/
To redeem the $10 off coupon code enter this into the discount section upon checkout: ”hot-summer-special”

PSST: Metallic paper is the bomb. Great for color & black and white!

That Day

Andy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:24:10 +0000

I haven’t blogged in forever. Clients and prospects may be wondering what’s the dealio, but I decided to change my workflow and finish projects before blogging them. However, I’m going back to my old ways and sneaking out some photos before the project is done, but first I want to share with you something very near and dear to my heart.

This is the first time I have ever ever shared these photos, except with one or two people. After getting their feedback I think it’s important to share something very dear to me. They have sat dormant on my computer for well over a year. They are hidden no more.

Without going into much detail, below is my depiction of Mothers Day 2008. I have a rather unique family background, but one I am rather thankful of for I know God has a plan in all of this and He will take care of me for the days to come. The first is a photo of me on a tricycle. If you know me at all you know I like anything with wheels, be it 2, 3 or 4. (sorry unicyclers I can’t stand yall’s one wheel of fury). I saw this photo for the first time in many years while visiting my biological mother in 2008. I don’t know why God puts mental illness on this Earth, but I must accept my family as they are and pray for them constantly. I hope that they are just as moving for you as they are for me. God bless.

Shimmer Wall

Andy — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:42:08 +0000

I follow A LOT of blogs. Upon returning from vacation I had like 8 billion new blogs to read, which sadly got left behind. One of them is Swissmiss, which by the way just follow it blindly and you’ll thank me later. Below is a list of videos found on the spiderwebs that has this same kind of art/technology/installation all over the globe.
Art is everywhere. Stay inspired.

Kickin Shimmer Wall from Leo Suarez on Vimeo.

It’s goin to be a busy weekend folks. Sometimes I’ve been known to book two weddings in one weekend. I like to call them the double-header weddings. Yes, it’s so creative isn’t it! They’re both outdoors so let’s all pray for clear sky and dry grass!