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Paradise
When she was just a girl, she expected the world. But it flew away from her reach so she ran away in her sleep, and dreamed of para-para-Paradise....
Paradise - Coldplay
Last weekend I went to beautiful Lebanon, Virginia, for the third time to visit friends. And again I fell in love. Here are some images from our trip...
We hiked forty million four miles up this mountain. I only died a little bit. Of course once we got to the top and had the chance to explore The Channels (awesome section of caves and rocks on top of this mountain) it was totally worth it!
I MIGHT have gone into stealth mode at some point and pretended to be a russion spy named Natasha. Might.
Of course we had to walk back down... and THEN I died.
Oh how I love the gorgeous countryside, rolling hills, and random white horses prancing in fields. Be still my heart!
A photographer's dream - rolling hills of yellow flowers. I just passed out from pure happiness after we drove by (or exhaustion, not sure which).
How cool are these flowers? I forget their names but I think they're gorgeous!
Just chilling in the mountains. Of course I look like a totally city girl. Way to blend Ariana, way to blend.
Thanks for reading!
The Kind That Awakens the Soul
The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.
- The Notebook
If I had to move to anywhere in the world, I think I know for sure, it would be Lebanon, Virginia. Rolling hills and mountains, gorgeous views, and the most peaceful atmosphere in the world! I photographed this wedding and this engagement there last year, and I have loved this place ever since. Last weekend I had another chance to visit my friend Cherise and her new husband Stu, and I fell in love all. over. again. I'm looking forward to sharing images from our trip on Friday!
We are also pretty thrilled to have had the opportunity to have Jessika & Kevin's Duke Garden's Engagement Session featured on The Lovely Find! This is such a great blog - if you haven't been over there yet, go! It's a great resource for bride-to-be's!
Thanks for stopping by!
Ariana
Doctor Who & The Month of May
Ahh! The wedding! That's right, you're getting married! That's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle... Oh, your body's a battleground, there's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, wham go the endorphins! You're cooking! Yeah! You're like a walking oven, a press cooker, a microwave, all churning away; the buttons reach boiling point and Shazam!
Doctor Who
Since last weekend I photographed two weddings with brides and grooms who are avid fans of the Doctor, I thought a Doctor Who quote was applicable this week!
I realized at the end of April, how quickly May has just filled up! We get to do some pretty cool new things this month. I'm assisting two photographers on two out of state (VA & SC) weddings - holla!! We've got two senior sessions this month, with awesome peeps. And Brian and I are taking a day to get in front of the lens - we're getting our own photo shoot with the incredible Liz Grogan Photography.
It's a great start of the month already, and we kick off June with a wedding at The Grand Marquise with these two adorable people:
I'm excited!
Now, if you're following us on Facebook, you would have seen this week's sneak peek already. If you haven't though, stop over and like our page, stat!
Araceli & Jonathan's Mebane, North Carolina Wedding at Pine Lake Pavilion
Jessika & Kevin's Princton, North Carolina Wedding at The Gurley House.
Have a Happy Thursday!
Firsts & Lessons
It's a little hard writing this post today, because I confess something that most people wouldn't. But I feel that being honest, and telling even the negative things that happen behind the scenes, will help you trust me more, and help you know how much I truly care about the happiness of my customers, and friends.
Last weekend had a lot of firsts, one good, one bad. I had two weddings in one weekend (for the first time, and I made it through two beautiful weddings of which I cannot wait to share images from. But I also had something else happen that broke my heart a little bit - I received my first complaint.
Faces in Focus Photography has been running officially for over a year now. We have been so fortunate to have happy customers and to have walked away with some amazing friends. But we knew that eventually we would be faced with someone who we didn't make happy, who found something that they felt we didn't do right.
Here is a comment I received on my blog recently:
And another:
I admit, I did delete the comments. It hurt me to have negativity surround any of my couples in a public place. And I know that at this point, as most would do, I could get really defensive or put the blame on someone else. But I'm not going to do that.
I did take family photos. They came out great and I'm honored to have been able to photograph and meet those people. But I learned a few lessons, and I thought I would share:
1. Require a family shot list.
At this particular wedding, I did not have a family shot list. After a discussion, we all realized that the families were not that large and that the standard shots were okay. But what I didn't think about is that maybe that wouldn't be okay with the parents. And since I don't know the family personally or how far they may have traveled, it would be very beneficial to make sure their names are on a list, so they don't get missed. In the future, I will certainly require a family shot list, and even suggest additional photos, just to make sure everyone is extra happy.
2. Take extra photos of the family during the reception.
The reception can be hectic and you can end up getting totally distracted by all of the details, dancing, and cake! But I tell myself to take an extra few moments to just stop by the family tables and take some more photos. They may end up being some of the best of the night!
3. Ask the parents.
The truth is, while the client is the bride and groom, their parents will often have additional insight, wisdom and requests for the wedding, and they should be heard! So I hope to have an opportunity to ask the parents of all future weddings of any shots they would personally like and find a way to work it in.
This had pushed me to make one resolution - that I find a lesson in every negative comment or review. Because there is always going to be somebody who might not be completely thrilled with our work. And there will always be an important lesson to learn as well. So I will try to learn and take my emotions, my defenses, and put them aside, so that I can walk away with a happy customer.
Thank you for stopping by the blog today. If you're a photographer, I hope I helped you a little. If you're a potential bride, I hope you trust me now, and know I would do the best that I can for you. And if you're just an avid reader, hello, and thank you for visiting me again!
With Love,
Ariana