Time. It seems to fly by so so fast, especially during the peak of wedding season. In late spring I set up a promo shoot for a magazine and had the most incredible team of people to help out. I am just NOW getting around to posting this on my blog and also mentioning these amazing people. Considering we needed a beautiful day for shooting, a last minute location change, hair & makeup for all models, dresses & accessories, videographer, assistant, a behind the scenes photographer, etc., I was thrilled at how it all came together. I don’t think I had hugs big enough to show my appreciation. It’s been three years since I moved to Greenville from Denver, CO and I have already met so many awesome, talented & fun people that work in the photography, wedding, fashion, videography & makeup industry. I want to give back as much & more to those that have and do help me on various projects and/or weddings. While I am still in the process of submitting the images from the shoot to the magazine, I didn’t want to go any further without mentioning those that helped.
The video that I am posting was created by Darin Holiday of Cinematrimony. Darin’s work is full of passion & creativity. What I like about Darin is how he captures special moments yet is so very unobtrusive while directing and catching every detail. Be sure to check out his website!
The idea for the models holding the signs came from an old INXS video. I wanted to say in a creative way to Be Bold, Be Fashionable, Be Confident, but most importantly…Be You! This is how I want my clients to feel when they are in front of the camera. Feeling confident while having fun makes for beautiful images. Now while I can make my clients feel comfortable & confident in front of the lens, I on the other hand am not so relaxed at having my own picture or video taken, so you will see me being silly in the video. haha
The Poinsett Bride in downtown Greenville provided these gorgeous gowns and accessories for the shoot. Be sure to stop in an have a look at their beautiful boutique. Not only do they have a great selection of bridal gowns, but other formal gowns as well. Paula is one of the owners and she also designs veils and headpieces.
If you ever need an awesome makeup artist, you must give Shantel a call. Shantel is so great at making her clients looks stunning, but never overdone or in a way that is not them. Creative, professional, fun and able to handle large weddings or groups of models is how I would describe Shantel. Be sure to check out her website HERE.
Thank you to all the models that participated. I was even lucky enough to have a previous bride of mine participate in this shoot.
Designing guest books with the engagement photos and the wedding album are always so much fun and the ultimate way to deliver a finished product for my clients that have recently gotten married. The same goes for portrait albums for sessions with families and children. Here are a couple I recently created for a family session I did in Colorado. When you click on the play button a slideshow will start. You will view a full spread which means that is how the book would look if opened flat.
These are a perfect way to get several images from your session in a beautiful keepsake.
Merry Christmas everyone. The holidays are a special time of the year and they hold so many different meanings for all of us, but the one common thing we all share is the love for our families and friends….a time to get together and celebrate. Another year has come and gone so very fast and what an amazing year it has been with so much to be thankful for. My children, who keep me running around like crazy, smiling, laughing, saying “you have one more warning…” and most importantly, wanting to be a better person with each passing day. My family that supports me and loves me on my good, bad and crazy days. My friends that still ask me to get together even though this last year I have not been the best at making time to get together due to crazy schedules, but I promise to do much better because I really do need all of you. My clients…without all of you, my job as a photographer would not be possible. Honestly, I adore my clients SO much that I really consider all to be friends THANK YOU to each and every one!!
Today has been so much fun. I am a bit sleep deprived, full of great food, and finding myself hearing “you’ll shoot your eye out…you’ll shoot your eye out..” in my head as we have all watched “A Christmas Story” about 8 times, but so happy to spend the day with my family.
I am looking forward to 2010, my mind is buzzing with ideas for Lisa Carpenter Photography. I am looking forward to meeting many new clients and seeing familiar faces as well. All the best to you and yours.
Time does fly, but memories live on. Memories of my trip to Italy in September will always be a part of me and I hope to only add more in the future. When I returned from Kenny Kim’s Photoventure 2009, I posted some of the photos of the models we worked with and a few words about my experience. There is just no way to fit everything in on a single blog post, so I am back with more. This trip was a collaboration between wedding photographer Kenny Kim and native Italian Max Brunelli. The two of them worked very hard to come up with a well thought out plan of events for a total of 8 days covering the Umbria & Tuscany regions. Max is very proud and passionate about his homeland and enjoys sharing bits of information about traditions, food, architecture and important parts of history. Kenny is also very passionate – passionate about his love of photography, traveling, meeting new people and passing on bits of helpful information, yet still wanting to learn from others as well. It has been a little over a month since I returned and I am realizing this was so much more than a photographic experience, it was an experience that was life changing. Walking through the narrow streets of small villages, opening the senses and taking it all in makes the creative mind soar.
I promised I wouldn’t go back to my Venti half-caf morning coffees in paper to go cups after experiencing my beautiful prepared cappuccinos, but my hand is wrapped around one as I type. I did promise that I would learn some Italian prior to my next visit and that is a promise I plan on keeping.
Within those 8 days, we visited 28 locations, ate some of the most sensational dinners, ate a few too many gelati, built great new friendships, shared some laughs over a glass of wine…oh and took loads of photos!! Speaking of photos, viewing them is a way to open the senses all over again. I can feel, smell, touch and hear that which is embedded in my mind. Watching the locals stop to enjoy a coffee, shop at the local market, share stories and work became an enjoyable daily treat because it was a way for me to get the full experience of these various locations in Italy. Amazingly, each place had its own unique feel and look.
As I thumbed through the over 3500 images, something surprised me. I found that some of the images that spoke to me and evoked an emotion were those that I converted to a darker black & white. After all, Italy is rich with color and I was certain that nearly every single image would command to be in color, but not the case. Of course, the ones that were taken of food or coffee stayed in color and we all took loads of photos of things we consumed
I could go on and on about my 8 day experience, however I would like to share a handful of favorite images.
Growing as a person through new life experiences can only mean growth in ones art – whether it is photography, poetry, painting or writing music. Since Photoventure was a growing experience I can expect much growth in my photography – what an incredible way to learn! Sign me up for Part II.
ciao Lisa,
THANK YOU so much for you kind words. about Italy, about the tour and about me.
You are such a good photographer and a very nice person.
Love your style…print a book when you have time and I will buy many copies.
Ciao
Max & Cristiana + Federico
These are amazing. Such beautiful work! Just gets me more excited about our Photo Safari to Venice to Photo and Paint Italy with Theresa Airey and myself in June 2010. Details on my blog. We are only taking ten people and with Theresas art experience and knowledge of the area, it’s sure to be amazing. I hope I come back with shots even remotely as good as these!
Lisa, these are incredible! I love the images of the people and places, and the sincerity of the photographs. If anything were going to make me wish I could go on Kenny’s trip even more…this is it! Italy+awesome photographer=awesome images!
Lisa, thanks for sharing these! I returned from a photo workshop w/ National Geographic a little more than 3 weeks ago and I know exactly what you mean… about all of it. The experiences, the people, the places, the photos, the whole nine yards… and more. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work!
You may notice a few things not working correctly on the blog at the moment such as the tabs located at the top of the page. Bear with me as my designer works to resolve the issues. I hope to have all resolved here shortly.
Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine, the wedding world’s premier publication, has chosen to list Lisa Carpenter Photography on their invitation-only Platinum List for 2009/10, a directory of top wedding professionals from around the world.
When Kenny Kim announced that he was having a workshop in Italy I was thrilled! But then I realized I had a wedding and would be unable to attend. Lo and behold, the dates for the workshop changed and it was now possible to make this trip. A workshop? No, not really. More like an experience of a lifetime. Kenny teamed up with native Italian Max Brunelli to guide us through the beautiful regions of Umbria & Tuscany. We visited 28 locations which included Spoleto, Spello, Assisi, Siena, Cortona, Monteriggioni, San Gimignano (which I had the most trouble saying), Norcia and much more.
The 9 day experience is locked in my mind and soul forever and the over 3,500 photos taken will help me to remember and share the beauty of Italy. Not only did I have to take pictures of EVERYTHING, including my morning cup of cappuccino, but touching and smelling was a must as well. I was the only one in the group running from the camera as I had a skin treatment prior to leaving and still had very puffy eyes. Oh the silly things girls do! My only regret was not learning key Italian phrases so that I could communicate well with locals. Max was so very helpful in helping out with my sentences and even had me go up to a cash register, tell the cashier what I had to eat and what I wanted to buy, all in Italian. Thank goodness he was next to me mouthing the words the whole time! haha. Next visit, I will have learned much more and will do the order all by myself
Kenny Kim, an amazing wedding photographer based in Chicago, travels the world capturing beautiful weddings and the beauty of everyday life. As Kenny said, “this was so much more than a workshop” and even coined the name Photoventure while we were walking down one of the many cobblestone streets. The idea was to see Italy in a way that only could be experienced with Max Brunelli, but to learn from each other as photographers by sharing ideas, goals and creativity, as well as having an amazing photo shoot. The photo shoot truly pushed me as a photographer because the models didn’t speak English and it was starting to rain just as we arrived. So, I tied my hair up in a pony tail, put on my rain jacket and managed to communicate through body language and a few key words. While I was showing one of the models how I wanted her to stand up against a door, the resident of that home opened the door and we scared each other as I fell inside! Well, it turns out that he invited us into his beautiful home to take more photos!!! Seriously, this day will always be a part of my memory. The models were beautiful, fun and dealt with my silly ways of attempting to speak some Italian.
The last night in Italy was spent at Max’s home with his lovely wife Cristiana and son Federico. Perfect.
I am posting the photos from the bride & groom shoot in Labro, and will be posting other photos as I get them ready.
I can’t wait to see more of what you captured. It was such a pleasure and fun having you there with us. Can you say good times?! Get ready for Part II!
My main website is currently down until Monday the 28th. Unfortunately slideshows cannot be viewed again until that time. So when you are viewing the blog, all slideshows are showing up as a generic site and will be fixed when the site is working. I appreciate your patience and am working to get this resolved asap!
Album DS notified me on Friday that I was chosen to be their Photographer of the Month! What an amazing feeling and honor it is to be a part of their recent newsletter. Album DS Design Software is what I use to create albums, collages, storyboards, cards and more for my clients. The ease and versatility of this software is superb. I have tried so many over the years and was happy when I found ADS because I just found myself frustrated with previous design software. Check out their new website here. If you ever have any questions, their support team is very helpful.
To view the newsletter and some album samples please look here.
Thank you Album DS for a really great product!! Photographers, check them out and give the free trial a go.
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms out there, especially mine Everyone can appreciate this hilarious video because even if you are not a mom, you have one and most likely have heard some of these sayings! I laugh every time I see this. Enjoy.
THANK YOU to each and every one!!
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