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When I first met with Catharine and Brandon they were clear about their vision: they wanted a modern wedding day experience. The obvious choice for an artistic, contemporary wedding venue in Louisville is the award-winning 21c museum hotel. Catharine and Brandon reserved the 21c penthouse suite and had a beautiful rooftop wedding ceremony!
Afterward I was reflecting on why I enjoyed this wedding so much. From a photographer’s perspective, I wanted to share a few things that Catharine and Brandon did that helped create a great wedding day experience.
- Photography was a top priority. They gave me the time and creative freedom to do whatever I wanted. They were open to anything and that is inspiring for any photographer!
- Scheduled an engagement session. We had a blast shooting their engagement photos inside the 21c museum then concluded at Waterfront Park right before sunset. We spent a couple of hours playing and getting to know one another and came away with some sweet frames. An engagement session is like a trial run on your hair and makeup! Consider it a warm-up for the big day. Everyone gets to know each other better, trust is built, good times are had, and the couple comes away with beautiful pictures of themselves that represent this exciting stage of their new life together.
- Bride and groom saw each other privately before the ceremony. The benefits: spend more time together as a couple on the wedding day, get cool bedroom pictures like the ones below, look and feel more relaxed in your pictures because you’re not feeling the pressure to hurry up and get to the reception. Which also means you can move directly to the cocktail hour and reception where you spend more time with your guests who came to see you.
The team of Louisville wedding vendors who helped make this day a success:
Hair/makeup specialist -Bethany Tiesman
Wedding flowers – David Williams at Magnolias dwilliams.magnolias@gmail.com
Wedding dress – Couture Closet
Wedding cake – Adrienne & Co.
Wedding coordinator – Megan Breir @ the 21c hotel
DJ – Coxx events coxxevents@gmail.com
Catharine’s brother-in-law, Wayne Static of Static-X, is a legit, heavy metal rockstar. See one of his music videos on this 21c wedding post.
Or check out one of his rockin Youtube videos The Only (opens new window)
And your name shall be called “Dances with Penguins.”
Today is a big day for many families throughout Louisville KY as hundreds of children returned to the school classroom.
However, today marked a significant milestone for our family in particular. Its the day parents know is coming but aren’t always sure how to prepare for. The day when their little boy or girl officially steps out of the safety of the family house and steps into the great, big world of kindergarten.
We love you son! We’re so proud of you, your courage, and your spirit of adventure as you head out into a brave, new world.
Feel free to leave a comment below for Joshua! We’ll read it to him when he gets home 
A sneak preview from a funtastic bride and groom–Nancy and Lucas!
Up first, Super-Fly Bride with her two outrageous brothers.
And a little Trifecta action in the Paddock Area at Churchill Downs.
Edited to add: click here to see their main blog post wedding at Churchill Downs.
I’m very excited to announce an upcoming lighting workshop for pro photographers in the Louisville-Lexington ky area.
Dallas photographer Joseph Stefanchik (JVS) will be leading a one-day, intensive lighting workshop here in Louisville, ky on August 17, 2010 . This hands-on workshop will teach you how to use off-camera flash using small flash units and portable light modifiers.
Joseph is an accomplished colleague in the photographic community and a Pulitzer Prize nominee. He is considered a master of light. In other words, JVS is a lighting ninja. Actually, he is Yoda’s daddy. Okay, you get my point. You will be learning from one of the best, its local, and the skills you will learn will up your game in a competitive market. Check out his documentary wedding portfolio or his off-camera flash blog.
Here are the deets:
- Date: August 17, 2010
- Time: 9am-9pm (approx 11 hours)
- Location: 930 Art Gallery in downtown Louisville. Directions are here.
- Cost: $375 for a full day of instruction when two people register together ($250 discount to the first five pairs only! $500 for full tuition), access to cutting edge lighting equipment, snacks/lunch/dinner catered, and a sweet PDF with info/illustrations for various lighting setups so you can focus on learning and shooting vs. taking notes.
- Get more info, see behind the scene examples, and register now at JVS workshops
Here are a few behind-the-scene images taken at one of JVS’s lighting workshops in California. Images taken by http://www.marcweisberg.com
NOTE: This workshop is primarily for advanced photographers. If you are a beginner, or would like private photography lessons to help you grasp camera basics, check out my customized photography classes in Louisville, ky.
Wedding reception at Churchill Downs, Louisville ky. 
I love this sweet moment. Old people rule. 
by Louisville photographer Eric Graf
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