Our You Tube Channel - Check Us Out!

We've launched our You Tube channel and uploaded several video montages from weddings and eSessions.  Look for more coming soon - all packages will now include this video montage with your choice of song!

http://www.youtube.com/user/gardnerphotodesign

Wedding Today!

We have a wedding this fine holiday weekend.  It will start out at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Batavia.  The reception will be held at Pattison Park in Owensville.  Both are new venues for us, so I can't wait to check them out!  Look for some photos to follow soon.  Congrats to Joe & Kelly!  And Happy Memorial Day to all!

Something's Fishy - But it's a GOOD Thing!

For a long time, I've wanted to add a Fisheye lens to my arsenal - and today was the day!  I ordered the full frame Canon 15mm FE and will have it before the weekend.  I've got two weddings this weekend, and I plan to have some fun with this FUN lens.  One wedding is in a gorgeous church - the kind that is perfect for some fishy goodness.  Look for photos coming soon!

Canon 15mm Fisheye Lens

{ VENUE } The Plantation Club at Twin Oaks

The Plantation Club at Twin Oaks

This past Saturday, we had a great day in Kentucky.  Pre-wedding photos started at Devou Park.  The ceremony was at Blessed Sacrament in Ft. Mitchell.  It's a beautiful Catholic church!

The reception was at The Plantation Club at Twin Oaks.  It's located in Covington at E. 43rd and Michigan.

I've never been to this venue before, so I had no idea what to expect. 

First off, the food is excellent. I was lucky enough to try some - in fact, the fabulous staff there offered to pack some up for me to take home (which has NEVER happened before). And speaking of the staff - super friendly, professional, etc. They did a great job with everything.

 

The layout worked very well for a reception, too - with the buffet out of the main room but close by. There was some self-serve drinks (water, soda, beer), so you weren't waiting in line at the bar all the time. It just all worked really well - an efficient flow!

 

We were able to get some great photos, too - by the pond and fountain, on the greens, in front with the main entrance (see photo above), etc.

 

In summary - I would definitely recommend Twin Oaks to couples looking for a reception venue. It has a lot to offer, and they do a fabulous job!  Check them out - and we hope we'll be back there soon.

Wedding on Friday - Can't Wait!

We have a wedding on Friday - Mindy and Danny.  We're excited!  And now, I'm even MORE excited, because we're doing pre-ceremony photos at Peterloon Estate.

While driving around Loveland for a park to do photos, we stumbled upon Peterloon - and what a lucky stumble!  We had checked out Symmes, Riverview, Hopewell and Lake Isabella.  Seriously, I think I plotted out every park within a fifteen minute radius - and was not thrilled with the results.  We were leaning towards Symmes or Riverview with luck intervened.

A friend of mine had mentioned Peterloon Estate awhile ago - otherwise, the reddish sign on Hopewell might not have caught my attention and made me ask hubby to take a turn.  You can't see the estate from the road - just a simple, white shack and an unassuming dirt road.  We had no idea what we would find - reminded me of our honeymoon in Maui.  We turned down many unmarked roads for a little adventure.

But you drive back there and WOW.

The gardens are gorgeous and in perfect shade - which will be great for even lighting.  We're meeting our wedding party at 6:00 for photos, and I know they're just going to be fabulous!  Check back for a sneak peak soon!

Wedding Today!

I'm off to Ivy Hills Country Club today to shoot M&J's wedding.  The morning has started out chilly, but I'm hoping for a warmer day!  Luckily, it looks like we should be in the 60s today with a clear night.  Sunset is due around 8:00 - important at a place like Ivy Hills.  There's a great opportunity for a gorgeous sunset shot on the 10th hole. 

These are the things I always check before any wedding.

A few weeks before any wedding, I try to meet with the Bride and Groom for a pre-wedding session.  It's our chance to talk about the wedding and schedule for the day one last time.  I don't like to pester the Bride and Groom during their special day.  If we get all the questions answered beforehand, then things usually run smoothly, and I can be unobtrusive and almost invisible at times.  I love when a couple tells me that they forgot I was there but can't believe all the fabulous photos I got! 

I'm off to get my bags all packed and ready to go!  And at the end of the month, I have M&D's wedding in Loveland - can't wait!

Bat Mitzvah for June

We're very excited to have booked our first Bat Mitzvah for June!  It was a referral from a Bar Mitzvah we did last year (thanks, Barb!  We owe you - we always reward our awesome referrals!).

I was very surprised to find that the Bar Mitzvah we shot wasn't that different from a wedding - there's a combination of traditional/posed photos with PJ photos at the reception/party.   I was nervous at first - not having shot a Bar/Bat Mitzvah.  But given all my wedding experience, I was quickly at ease and able to get some fabulous photos.

As part of the package, I think we're doing another slide show.  I love doing slide shows - especially with our Photodex ProShow Producer software.  It's totally amazing, and I think the results speak for themselves.

You can check out the slide show we put together for Kal's Bar Mitzvah (be sure to have your volume on - it's so much better with the music!):

Check out all the photos from Kal's Bar Mitzvah.