atlanta wedding photographers - ALTMIX Photography

Jul 08

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kristen & jordan are engaged!

By Kate Altmix | 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!

Jun 29

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melissa & thea are married!

By Kate Altmix | 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!

Jun 10

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kristine & michael are engaged!

By Kate Altmix | Engagement Sessions | 2 Comments

we really love how much of our business comes from referrals. it’s not only flattering but it also usually means our new couples are already familiar with our style and ready to trust us behind the camera. so, THANK YOU to all of our awesome couples who are spreading the word! and a special thanks to melissa & thea (who are getting married tomorrow!!) for telling sweet kristine & michael about us!

after exchanging a few phone calls and emails with kristine, we decided on a date, rescheduled due to thunderstorms, decided on another date and finally met them! they were open to many different styles when it came to their location so we chose to shoot in grant park. we knew there would be lots of opportunities for very different settings and we always love shooting variety within a single session. luckily, they were totally cool with a little extra walking and together we discovered some great new spots! one of the many things we love about atlanta- endless nooks to explore! anyway, kristine helped michael shake off his nerves and before we knew it we’d been shooting for two hours and i had filled up my card- oops! ;) we had so many favorites from their shoot- here are just a few: