I recently had the privilege of photographing Charlotte Bobcat Coach Paul Silas and his lovely wife Carolyn.

They are the Honorary Chairs for “Look At Her Power,” a fundraising event for the Dress For Success program.

The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Silas had a distinguished 16-year career in the NBA and he won three championship rings (two with the Boston Celetics and one with the Seattle Supersonics). He’s also coached in San Diego (former home of the LA Clippers), the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets and was the first coach for LeBron James when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then replaced Larry Brown as the Bobcats coach last year.

As a sports fan and former journalist, I enjoyed getting a chance to hear about some of their experiences.  They are incredibly gracious and down-to-earth.

Best of luck with this excellent cause!

Carolyn and Paul Silas

The setting was perfect as Dana, Tom and their families prepared for their wedding on the farm property that has been in Tom’s family since 1763.

But a potent spring storm had everyone scrambling as the rain poured down on the morning of the wedding. Plans called for the ceremony in a meadow not far from the farmhouse. Plan B called for the ceremony to be held under the tent that would also be used for the reception.

Fortunately the storm blew through early enough to move the ceremony back to its original setting. The sun even made an appearance, but remnants of the storm were  persistent, gusty winds.

Dana and Tom live in New York City but they wanted to utilize the beautiful family property. It was a wonderful family affair with Dana’s brothers and Tom’s father and sister in the wedding party.

Following the beautiful outdoor ceremony, everyone moved to a cocktail hour outside the farmhouse before dinner in the tent.

Thanks to Janie Sellers, a friend of Tom’s family, who served as wedding director. I had the pleasure of working with Janie several times when she had a wedding planning business and it was great working with her again. The Place for Flowers had everything looking great and Haines Barksdale of For Goodness Cakes created another masterpiece.

I got a great assist from from David Malament, a talented young photographer who came along to help document the day.

The night got a bit chilly but Tom’s father built a huge bonfire that was good for keeping warm as well as for making smores.

Sparklers lit the way as the couple headed off for their new life together.

Classic

Kelley first contacted us in November to get some photos with her “kids,” English Bulldogs Lily, Lucas and Brutus.

We decided to wait for some nicer weather and recently got together to photograph the group.

Betsy gave me a hand as we worked to corral them for a family photo.

Thanks for having us out Kelley!

Kelley gives Lucas a big hug

Kelley gets a little love from Lucas as Brutus moves out

Brutus takes a breather during the photo shoot

Family portrait: Kelley with Lucas, Lily and Brutus

For a limited time, we’re offering special pricing for our fall and holiday portrait sessions.

These lifestyle portrait sessions are $200, and include  up to four people  ($25 additional for each person or pet).
Also a $50 print or product credit if order is placed in two weeks;  Private online gallery for one month; prints and products purchased a la carte.

Sessions will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis, and book very quickly.
Email or call us to reserve your  time.  We look forward to working with you!

The holidays will be here sooner than you think

Our lifestyle portrait sessions are a great way to connect with family and friends

We’ve been very busy with a variety of photo shoots and post production computer work of late and I haven’t had a change to update the blog.

I was on a corporate photo shoot this morning when I encountered a gentleman with such an interesting face I knew I had to take some time to take his portrait. Arnie, who will turn 80 later this month, introduced himself as “Arnie the Carny” and explained that he was a carnival worker much of his life. The journalist in me enjoyed hearing stories of his experiences.

My corporate client, one of the region’s premiere builders, created an award-winning apartment complex for elderly people who have extremely limited income. A great idea and a wonderful facility.

Check back soon for what promises to be a fantastic wedding in Asheville and some bridal portraits we haven’t been able to share just yet.

Arnie, who was a carnival woker for much of his life, turns 80 this month