McLeod House Studios is kicking off 2012 with a fresh look.  We are so excited to launch our new website that celebrates our vision as a studio to create beautiful, modern, and sophisticated photography.  We chose to use a black damask background as our theme and made sure to incorporate a mix of imagery – from black and whites, to rich color, from small details to wide environmental shots.  We also focused on integrating all of our creative tools – from the website to Facebook, to our Dr. Photo blog and even our latest YouTube video.

If you have not yet created a website of your own work, we especially hope this will inspire you to have a vision for how you can display your own portfolio in 2012 and beyond.

Check us out and let us know what you think: McLeod House Studios

McLeod House Studios

Life moves so fast.  In my mind, there is no doubt that moving so fast affects our cultural view of beauty.  Unless something is fast, fierce, fabulous, or fashion-forward it somehow loses visual appeal in our culture.

Just a few weeks ago, I photographed a wedding in Virginia Beach that challenged this aesthetic.  It was a much-needed reminder for me that beauty doesn’t have to be fast and fierce. Beauty can also be peaceful, innocent, and even simple.

I met Heather and Jay, the bride and groom, several months ago.  They immediately struck me as kind and uncomplicated, and obviously completely in love.  After Heather and I became Facebook friends, I found a photo album of her acrylic on canvas paintings.  It quickly became clear from her work that she is a thoughtful artist.  Pieces called 19 Assaults to Your Self-Esteem, and Put On Your Face indicated to me an appreciation for the countless ways in which our “fast” culture has negatively influenced our ideas of what is beautiful.  I also came across a painting called Pioneer Meadow. It is a beautiful windswept landscape that uses a natural palette of mostly blues, grays, and browns.

Later, when Heather described the theme of her wedding as “country church,” I thought back to Pioneer Meadow and, in light of this piece of artwork, the theme made perfect sense.  The wedding was to be a celebration of love, simplicity, intimate connections, and careful details.

(To view more photos, see our FB wall album called Heather and Jay’s Wedding at McLeod House Studios).

The ceremony took place at Tabernacle United Methodist Church in Virginia Beach.  It is one of the oldest Methodist congregations in America, established in 1789, whose first two ministers preached on horseback.  The original structure had only three rows of pews, was lit by kerosene lamps that hung from the ceiling, and included a slave balcony.  In 1908, the slave balcony was removed, while wood floors, stained glass, new pews, lights, and a bell tower were added.  (http://tabernaclevb.org)

When I visited the church to assess the lighting, I met Pastor Davis, who directed me to just call him “Jack.”  He gave me a tour, along with a brief history of the church.  To a pastor, this church was an obvious historic and community treasure.  To a photographer, it was a visual one. Warm tones resonated from the wood floors and pews, and the stained glass windows allowed for ample natural light, and provided an arched visual that could potentially compliment my composition.

On the wedding day, I tuned my camera to the simple details, whether it was photographing the gown against the church’s wood paneling or posing Heather and Jay in a peaceful embrace.

In my post-production, I kept the “country church” theme in mind and added custom edits to reflect the overall mood of the wedding.

From beginning to end, this experience refreshed my visual perspective.  While I can appreciate many of our cultural views of beauty, I was reminded there also remains a place — within my art and in culture at large — to celebrate simple beauty.

To view more photos, see our wall album called Heather and Jay’s Wedding at McLeod House Studios on Facebook

Our entire portfolio can be seen at our website: McLeod House Studios

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See MCLEOD HOUSE STUDIOS on Facebook for the entire photo album from Ashley and Dustin’s “Trash the Dress” shoot.

Props can add exponential value to a photographer’s work. Props help tell a story, establish place and time, infuse visual interest, enable alternative composition, and help set a mood.  Above all this, they give a subject something to interact with during the photo shoot, which allows for more comfortable posing and natural expressions.

Just about anything can serve as a photography prop.  The limits are only one’s own imagination.  Until recently, I have always acquired props from obvious places like my home, a client’s home, or a few select stores that specialize in unusual and colorful pieces.

Then came Hurricane Irene, which, in addition to devastating the East Coast, also washed to shore countless treasures.  Okay, others might call “trash” what I am calling treasure.  Granted, things like random shoes, ripped clothing, a tire, and 10-foot sea buoy might not qualify as treasure (except to the Coast Guard, in the case of the latter item).  But, the driftwood that washed to shore was striking in shape, size, pattern, and color.

During a morning walk, a piece of driftwood in the shoreline caught my attention. The bottom portion looked like the root system, as it was gnarled and twisted, while the branches curved into a graceful U-shape.  There was a dramatic difference in color between the wet and dry areas – from nearly black to soft gray.  I had to have this piece of driftwood for an upcoming “Trash the Dress” photo shoot with bride Ashley.  I envisioned how her white, embroidered gown would contrast in texture and color against the wood.

I knew right away it would be too heavy for me, but that didn’t stop me from trying to push it out of the shoreline.  After multiple attempts to heave and hoe the thing, it became evident it wasn’t going to budge.  I started to wrack my brain.  “Maybe my husband, Paul, and some of his Army buddies can manage it.  But, the thing is soaking wet and is probably double its dry weight. Should I let it dry and then try to move it again?  What if someone smarter and stronger comes along and takes it before me?”

Nearly defeated, I started to head back to my car.  Then, I noticed a forklift in the distance.  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” I thought.  I walked towards the forklift and saw a maintenance crewman in the driver’s seat.  “Hello.  This may sound crazy, but I was wondering if I might be able to get that piece of driftwood?  I’m a photographer and…”  I proceeded to explain my vision and immediately he was on board.  He told me I wasn’t the first person interested in some of the wood that washed inland (which made me feel a little less crazy).

Now, I had to get Paul on board.  I got on my cell phone.  “Hi honey, sweetie-pie.  Have I told you lately how handsome and wonderful you are?…. So, what are you doing with your truck later today?” Later that day, and after a bit of convincing and coordinating, we lifted the driftwood from the shoreline and onto Paul’s truck.  He was mostly concerned with how we were going to dispose of it later, but in the meantime he was a good sport.

We placed the driftwood in our driveway and it became the talk of the neighborhood.  One young neighbor told me he and his family wondered what we doing with it, while another neighbor commented to Paul about its beauty.  Bingo!  That was the first moment where Paul started to have a change of heart.

With a bit more coordinating, we were able to get it back to the beach location for our “Trash the Dress” photo shoot, where it served its purpose.  We had Ashley sit in it, while we positioned Dustin behind her in the sand.   Then, we had Dustin move to the fore where he leaned against Ashley.  The driftwood added visual interest and color to the scene, while giving Ashley and Dustin a structure to work with.   It’s a beautiful and unique piece and probably one of the few redemptive gifts from Hurricane Irene.

Prior to the photo shoot Paul considered just leaving it behind, but during the photo shoot we had three beachgoers approach us to ask if they could have it.  With this came a complete change of heart.  Needless to say, I may be able to use that piece of driftwood as a prop in future photo shoots.

See MCLEOD HOUSE STUDIOS on Facebook to view the entire photo album from Ashley and Dustin’s “Trash the Dress” shoot.

For more on “Trashing the Dress” check out this clip: Trash the Dress Trend on CBS

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