All Posts By

Kate Altmix

Jul 08
0

kristen & jordan are engaged!

By | Engagement Sessions | 4 Comments

if you know us at all you know our interest in (read: huge obsession with) lighting. our personal aesthetic is so integrated with the use of all kinds of light and shadow that we often find ourselves more excited about that than the the actual locations where we are shooting! (but don’t get me wrong, we do love shooting in beautiful places!) one of the little details we love about lighting is it’s constant way of challenging us- forcing us to really look and evaluate a setting to create the best image we can in that environment. after almost four years, we felt like we had a pretty good handle on all of the different lighting scenarios we could think of. until we met kristen & jordan…

…who share a passion for theatre lighting and set design. so awesome! yet, when they suggested we start our shoot off in a little dark room, appropriately called, ‘black box theater,’ i will admit, i was nervous. we arrived at emory university ready for…we didn’t really know what! jordan and kristen came out of a little unmarked door to meet us and show us to the theater where they worked together, met and fell in love. we stepped in to find black walls, black floors, black ceilings and an intimidating circuit board that controlled the many different lights around the room. jordan had a vision for the lighting (thank goodness!) and knew the circuit board like the back of his hand (thank goodness!) so before we knew it we were all plunged into darkness except for the spots. and since we love a good backlit shot, the spots were pointed at our faces and the silhouettes of kristen & jordan were looking at us (i think?) expectantly. so, we did what we knew to to- we took a few quick test shots and went for it! quickly we realized the magic of creating images in this environment and we felt ourselves relax into the scenario. kristen & jordan were amazingly patient and sweet and we really hope we captured the images that they envisioned we would create in their special space.

after a quick wardrobe change, we walked out into the sunlit grounds of emory university. after a few seconds of rapid blinking, we transitioned into the second part of their shoot- complete with glorious (-ly hot) sun and beautiful architectural elements.

the construction by the emory university sign was kicking up so much dust! luckily kristen & jordan were game for sitting in the middle of it so we could take some images as the sunset bounced around the dust in the air. it’s crazy how the construction that was happening right next to them doesn’t show up at all in the image:


kristen & jordan, we are so glad to have spent this afternoon with you guys! you were really great and we are so excited about your upcoming wedding!

Jul 05
0

amy & donny are engaged!

By | Engagement Sessions | 5 Comments

amy & donny are academics- so brilliant that you should totally be intimidated by them- but somehow, they are also so warm and full of laughter that you immediately feel comfortable hanging out together and sharing a meal! i don’t know many super-geniuses that i can say that about. ;) aaanyway, their story is just as incredible as they are- they met only 3 weeks before donny moved away from the city they both lived in and they felt such a strong connection that they decided to give the distance a shot! that couldn’t have been easy at all. but here we are, two years later, sharing their engagement photos! and i couldn’t be happier for them. or for us, because they are awesome and we get to shoot their wedding!

something else you should know about donny- he loves trains. really, all forms of transportation. he studies them, refines the systems and makes life better for all of us. or, at least, that’s what i understood of what his doctorate is going to focus on- i maaay have butchered that. ;) anyway! it involves him loving trains. so, when they first contacted us to tell us about their engagement they already had a fantastic plan for their engagement photos- the southeastern railway museum! and it really was perfect. until the wind kicked up and it started pouring rain- but really, even then, they popped out their clear umbrella (purchased in case of this exact scenario) and we powered through for a few more shots! here are just a few of our favorites:

just when we thought the rain had stopped…


amy & donny, we are so glad that we are going to be a little part of your wedding! you guys are such a joy to be around and we really hope that you love these images of the two of you as much as we do!

Jun 29
0

melissa & thea are married!

By | Weddings | 7 Comments

i’m not really sure where to begin with these two. i could talk all day about their obviously amazing sense of style or their equally obvious excitement and love for life. but even greater than that, what i find myself really drawn to when it comes to melissa & thea is their natural ability to make everyone around them feel like part of their family. they are social, yes, that’s part of it, but they are just so genuinely interested in enjoying life with others, i love it! capturing their wedding day was just so much fun for us. on the way home matt and i talked nonstop about all of the different perfect moments we were so lucky to witness- and photograph! i couldn’t wait to sift through their images and relive them this week and i’m even more excited to share them with you now! the only downside is how many of our favorite shots did not even make it to this post- we had to draw a line somewhere! i’m going to tell this story between the images because we’re including so many- let’s get started!

melissa’s day started at spa sentio, on the westside of atlanta. there, she and her bridesmaids and her sweet mom all had their hair and makeup masterfully designed. seriously, i don’t meant to focus on the surface details here but really, everyone looked like the cover of a magazine! a beautiful start to a most wonderful wedding day!

when we arrived at the church thea was ready and waiting:

i just love it when brides are walked down the asile by both parents. this is something i really wish i’d thought of for our wedding. in melissa’s case it was especially perfect as she and thea were married in the very same church where melissa’s parents were married so many years ago! this must have been so special for her parents.

one of the things i love about catholic ceremonies is the moment when the priest invites those present to ‘offer each other a sign of peace.’ it’s a rather fun break from the solemnity of the rest of the ceremony and there is always a bit of laughter and lots of hugs and handshakes. in the images below melissa’s mom is returning to her seat from the other side of the asile where thea’s family was sitting. i just love how these two families really have come together with the marriage of their children. the whole day i kept seeing melissa and thea’s moms hugging and talking together and it made my heart warm to know that they are all officially family now!

melissa & thea (with the guidance of their fantastic planner, eliana) made the brilliant decision to create a significant break between the wedding ceremony and their reception. this gave time for plenty of portraits as well as relaxation and even time for melissa & thea to share a meal together before the party began! i understand that kind of schedule is not for everyone but for melissa & thea’s wedding day it was such a GREAT idea!

thea and his groomsmen were hilarious- they kept us all laughing all day! they were just so into celebrating and having a good time that even the heat of this atlanta afternoon didn’t slow them down:

while we were outside shooting portraits, eliana and her team were accenting the beautifully clean space of the foundry with deep purples and pops of orange. here are just a few of the many thoughtful details:

when the time came for melissa & thea to be introduced, their guests could not have been more excited! i love how epic their introduction was- so much cheering and hugs and high fives- it really got the reception off to a great start!

you guys, LOOK at this. SO many people! and everyone so emotional and excited. i can’t even begin to describe the energy in this room- it was so amazing to be a part of it!

melissa & thea’s sweet first dance took an abrupt turn and their bridal party joined them in an awesome group dance:

look at thea dancing with melissa’s mom, they are so hilarious and awesome together:

part of the way into the reception melissa changed into a sassy little short white dress- not only adorable but also much easier to dance in:


melissa & thea, you guys are the best. really really. we feel so honored to have been there to capture everything! i hope you guys have as much fun as we did reliving your wedding through your images!