Langham Wedding in NYC

Hi Everyone, 

Just a quick post to let you know we are in New York this weekend shooting Kyle and Danielle’s wedding.  It is a little rainy, but always nice to be back in the Big Apple!  (No tornado’s here).  We had a delightful rehearsal dinner tonight and Stephanie and I have scouted the DUMBO area and have some great shot ideas for tomorrow.  We’ll post some shots after we have them here and on our Flickr page.  Stay tuned.

Have a great weekend!

 

Deadly Tornado Hits Monett Wedding Location

Last night, May 10, 2008, Stephanie and I were shooting a beautiful couple and their wedding in Monett, Missouri.  We had watched the weather and there was a forecast of some rain and thunderstorms, but we were hoping for just a ‘break’ enough to get in the pictures after the wedding ceremony.  We did, and they came out great.

At the reception location in Monett, the weather began changing rapidly.  The wind began picking up, rain followed by golf ball size hail started driving hard against the building and windows, I thought the windows were going to break… 

The building had a metal roof so the hail was very loud and alarming to all the guests, all power went out.  Then, the sky got dark green…

Cell calls began ringing as calls from concerned local families were reporting to us that the tornado sirens were going off in Monett and that a tornado had been sighted.  We were isolated out at this reception area, so escaping was not an option, so we were advised to immediately position ourselves for a potential hit.
Obviously, that was the right decision as water poured in under the walls, the barometric pressure blew open the doors, there was a few minutes of uncertainty, and quite frankly a few moments of horror, but we were glad to be out from under that storm and missing a direct hit from the tornado…

Local NBC TV was right on top of the incredible damage, unbeknownst to us at the time…

 

This video was taken this morning, to show footage from last night, and the aftermath and damage of this dangerous tornado…

At the time of this posting, the report is now 22 fatalities. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this storm and are thankful that we are all safe.

NEW Stephanie Moore Photography Business Cards

Well, here they are, “hot off the presses”.  What do you think of them?

FRONT

BACK

"David and Goliath"?

Can you see Stephanie in these shots?  It looks like she is taking on this “Goliath” size hot air balloon as it awakens from it’s slumber.  Stephanie got right in there for some great shots…

       Actually, we were shooting a vow renewal ceremony just south of Kansas City, (this cute couple was celebrating their 50th anniversary!)  This was his idea of ‘fun’ them leaving the party in a hot air balloon.  You should have seen the look on the faces of all their family and friends. They had all been inside a tent while this balloon was getting ready, and didn’t know about it.  So after the meal, they came out to see this colorful balloon filling the sky.  They also wondered who was getting in it, surely not this couple who is in their 70’s?  Yep. Good for them!

And all the 18 of the grandchildren ran as fast as they could, like Hannah Montana was over there.  They couldn’t get to the balloon fast enough.  What a fun thing to do. I may have to surprise Stephanie like this one of these days. (Of course, we are still on our honeymoon!)

Here are some shots of the couple leaving the party in the balloon…

                    

                                      

                                        

                                           

                                           

 

We had a cool time shooting this.  We also learned a little lesson about dignity, marital integrity, and love.  It was a good day!

        

Your New Favorite Bag?

We use Tenba bags for photography equipment and love them.  This new Tenba Messenger bag is real nice for all the features it has for the mobile lifestyle. You can carry your laptop and documents to the office, clothes to the gym, books to school or transport your professional camera system around the city for a day of shooting. It’s lightweight, rugged, water resistant (which we like when it is raining outside, we have been very happy with our Tenba bags for transporting our equipment) and moves with you whether you’re casually walking down the street or sprinting to catch the train. And if you don’t need your camera, the entire photo insert slides out to make room for the rest of your stuff. 

 

Conversation Thread - What Do You Think?

At the end of a wedding this past weekend we were shooting, I caught Stephanie taking a quick break “to catch her breath” after she had worked a very long afternoon.  I thought she was framed nicely with the backdrop of the broken glass and dusk sunlight just peeking in… 

    

I had a polarizing filter on when I snapped this and think it has a sense of depth after you look at it a minute or two; the second photo has had Stephanie’s face touched up to give her more visibility, but what do you think??    I’d love to hear your opinion on the composition of these two.

   

NBA Laker’s Kobe Bryant Wins Leauge MVP

Finally!  After 12 years of astonishing basketball on the court, Kobe wins his first MVP.  [Don't get me started about him off the court, I just think he is unstoppable on the court.  Second, only to Michael Jordan, in my lifetime so far.]

This photo shoot of Kobe Bryant was his first for Adidas all the way back in October of 1996.  Kobe Bryant was a seasoned veteran of advertising photo shoots before taking his first shot in training camp.

Let’s see how far the 2008 NBA MVP can take the Laker’s in the playoffs.  (can anyone say “New Orleans Hornets”?)

    

MACY’S Bridal Show A Success!

First off, It was a pleasure meeting all of you who were able make it out to MACY’s for the special bridal show they held this past Saturday, May 3, at the Oak Park Mall.  We wish you all the best in finalizing your plans!  It was a great event, wonderful gift bags for all your beautiful brides, and the refreshments were a nice touch!  In case we missed you, here are a few shots of the day…

    

   

 

A special thank you to Ryan, the Director of MACY’s bridal events. 

“Thanks Ryan!” 

We look forward to the next MACY’s bridal event.  You do such a great job preparing things for these beautiful brides.  It was a privilege for Tim and I to be part of this. 

Gas $10 a Gallon??

“Get ready for another economic shock of major proportions — a virtual doubling of prices at the gas pump to as much as $10 a gallon”, says Dan Dorfman’s of the New York Sun, forecasting on gas prices by the end of summer?  Wow. 

Other analytical energy industry trackers, while not agreeing with Mr. Dorfman on reaching quite as high as the $10 plateau by late summer, do see considerably more pain at the pump than most drivers realize.

His full report does indicate what we are already seeing here in our area, soaring prices.  Mr. Dorfman confirms that gasoline nationally is in an accelerated upswing, having jumped to $3.58 a gallon from $3.50 in just the past week. In some parts of the country, including New York City and the West Coast, gas is already sporting a price tag above $4 a gallon. “There was a pray-in at a Chevron station in San Francisco on Friday led by a minister asking God for cheaper gas, and an Arco gas station in San Mateo,  Calif., has already raised its price to a sky-high $4.62.”

While $7-$10 a gallon would be ground-breaking in America, these prices would not be trendsetting internationally. For example, European drivers are already shelling out $9 a gallon (which includes a $2-a-gallon tax).

Canadians are also being hit with rising gas prices. They are paying the American-dollar equivalent of $4.92 a gallon, and they’re being told to brace themselves for prices above $5.65 a gallon this summer.

BOTTOM LINE: I think, for the summer anyway, this picture says it all!

Got any good gas saving tips?  Please share them with us.

May Is National Photo Month

National Photo Month is back! In 1987, as recognized by the U.S. Congress, our industry started celebrating May as National Photo Month (NPM)—a full 31 days to promote the joy and benefits of photography. For more  than a decade, the photo industry united to make it a splash. Then, as photographers transitioned to digital imaging, most of the momentum was lost.

Sponsored this year by , you can submit entries’ of your own Spring and Summer pictures!  During May and the National Photo Month Photo Contest, the grand prize is a weekend trip for two anywhere in the continental United States, cool!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER NATIONAL PHOTO MONTH PHOTO CONTEST!

I look forward to your viewing your entries!  Send me a copy.