Archive for the ‘Weddings’ Category

An engagement session is not complete without several goofy moments, several smooch shots and loads of laughs. We had plenty of all of them on Lauren & Clayton’s shoot. One of my favorite parts was riding with them to the mountain home at Lake Summit in North Carolina. Clayton’s grandfather built the home in 1903 and I loved taking a tour of it once we got there. Clayton told me a brief history of the area and the home which was really cool and I thought it was worth sharing. This is from their wedding website:

“Smyre Place was built as a summer retreat for the family as Mr. Smyre, Clayton’s Great Great Grandfather, was told for his health he needed to escape the city of Gastonia and head to the clean fresh air of the mountains. They would ride the Southern Railway down to Spartanburg, SC then jump on the Carolina Special to wind it’s way up the Saluda Grade and around Smyre Mountain. The train would stop to let the family off before snaking it’s way through the mountains on it’s way to Asheville. A number of years later Duke Power decided to build a lake (Lake Summit) for a hydropower plant on the Green River, and the old home was perfectly situated to take advantage of the beautiful views.”

Since the home is so special to them both, this is where they will have their wedding ceremony. A perfect place in my opinion 🙂 While we were shooting, an afternoon rain storm came through, so we sat on the porch and chatted a bit. It was then that I said “There is no better time to shoot than right now”. The lighting was just right and the porch was perfect for some gorgeous shots. It was a humid day for sure, but the scenery was absolutely perfect. Thanks Lauren & Clayton!! I had such a great time with you both. (slideshow is below posted images)

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe01

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe02

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe04

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe05

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe06

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe09

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe13

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe10

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe14

Lisa-Carpenter-Weddings LCe12

Thanks for stopping by!

~lisa

Getting your skin camera ready is something that both the guys and the girls think about. So this Wedding Wednesday post is not just for the girls 🙂 I recently posted on Facebook how I have been on a bit of an experiment with my skin. Skin is our largest organ and is a complete reflection of how we feel and how we are or are not taking care of ourselves. As a mom and a business owner, I find that there are many late nights working at the computer after everyone has gone to bed, however I am still getting up early in the morning which might only allow me anywhere from 4-6 hours of sleep. In addition to that, I am still trying to get in my runs or my training rides with my cycling friends. Health & nutrition is something that has always interested me and reading articles about these topics has been a fun hobby of mine for years. One night while working on a set of photos, I realized that I had started to slack in my good food choices. I had a box of Cheez Its and a glass of wine on my desk at 11:00 at night. Then the next morning would start off with coffee and I would drink it until noon. Realizing that my energy level was not up to par and my skin & eyes were looking a bit tired, I decided to go back to my healthier ways but taking it a step further. I picked up the book Green For Life and read it in one day. The next morning I tried my first green smoothie made from water, mixed leafy greens and frozen mango. The first sip had me making the strangest expressions & sounds. I put a lid on it and stuck it in the refrigerator in hopes that I would come back later and try again. I tried the green concoction again about an hour later and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked it…a lot!
On day one I took a photo and started a personal health experiment journal on my Mac. Each day I took a photo in the same light at the same time of day and by day 5, I was shocked at the difference. By having only 1 cup of coffee, avoiding wine & Cheez Its and drinking loads and loads of water, I found that the change was significant. This was all in addition to drinking the green smoothies daily. Oh and I must add that I made myself get a couple more hours of sleep. What I noticed: More energy, better overall mood, less cravings for snacks like Cheez Its, plumper skin and the biggest difference was how much brighter my eyes were. Needless to say, I was sold on drinking my funny green drinks and getting a few more zzz’s at night.
Here is something I found very helpful for making green smoothies and I hope it will help you.

cyos3

A few do’s for getting that glowing skin and bright eyes:
Drink water!
Break a sweat often
Drink your greens
Get a few more zzz’s
Eat your Omega 3’s & enjoy a little dark chocolate
Wash your face at night – try Clarisonic Skin Care brush. It’s awesome!

2011-07-27_001

2011-07-27_002

A few don’ts:
Limit caffeine and alcohol
Don’t bake in the sun, but enjoy while protecting your skin
Avoid too much sugar & try to stay away from fast foods

2011-07-27_003

I will share some of my favorite green smoothies in future posts. The biggest thing to remember here is have balance and keep it fun. We all like to enjoy a grande latte and/or a glass of Cabernet with friends. Just do it all in moderation while still keeping up with the other do’s on the list. You will have camera ready skin in no time!!

Thank you for stopping by.

~lisa