It needs to be said, Kala and Chris and I hit it off right away!  We first met over skype - which is really how I meet most of my new clients these days.  I immediately related to these two and their relationship, and loved how focused they were on their marriage.  It sounds silly to say, but it seems to be rarer and rarer to meet a newly engaged couple who are truly preparing for the commitment of marriage more than the whirlwind of the wedding.  With that said, the planning and details were nothing less than spectacular and deserve a following post to themselves.  Kala’s career in the fashion industry made sure of that!

The first time we met in real life was to shoot their engagement session, (one of my favorite images of the year is from that morning), which was followed up by HOURS spent talking at Urban Standard over lunch, then coffee and cupcakes, until we finally called it a day.

I next had the pleasure of their company on their wedding day…and loved it.  LOVED it.  They’re awesome.  They love each other and the Lord.  The have amazing faith, and personalities, and style.  They will lay down and crawl around in the wet sticky grass on a humid evening after they’ve left their reception and we’re in the midst of a night session.  They appreciate my quirkiness and energy.  They are kind, and thoughtful, and encouraging, and have come to be my good friends.  What’s not to love?

I’m so digging how multiple mediums and formats have come together in their album.  I’m including a few of the details in the post (hello amazing blue diamond ring! hello gorgeous flowers!) - but I’m saving the reception details for a follow-up post, to do them justice.

Kala and Christopher, thank you for allowing me the honor of capturing your wedding day.  You are both very dear to me, and your vows and marriage are an encouragement.  I appreciate you greatly, and hope to have a skype date again soon!

Alright, kicking things off right - getting ready at Twelve Atlantic Station…

Amazing flowers by Juli Vaughn.

Meet Ashley and Owen, the totally awesome and completely hot, newly married, Mr. and Mrs. Peak.

So, while we were out shooting a series of night portraits in the rain - with horses none the less - their approximately 800 guests were indulging in some delicious wedding favors.

But what exactly do you do when you have a very large guest list and still want a very personal touch?  Apparently you bake…a lot.  Ashley’s grandmother set out a couple of days before the wedding to begin baking homemade chocolate chip cookies for every guest.  Other family members pitched in to help, and they actually pulled it all off!  The cookies were placed five to a box, and packaged in ribbon and stickers that tied in to the wedding colors.  (For the record, that is THOUSANDS of cookies).

And they were EVERY bit just as delicious as they look.  What is more personal than Grandma’s homemade cookies?  I just love the southern hospitality of these favors, and the thoughtfulness and love behind them.

This is just a great concept!  Maybe I’m really biased because I’m fascinated with cooking and baking, as I’m a little challenged in that department.  Regardless, the cookies kicked some major rear…and I want one right now…

Alright, does anyone want to actually see a wedding posted on this blog? Yeah, me too!  Sidenote: I’m all about the orange details in the above image…

I have absolutely loved working Emily and Matt!  I am continually blessed with clients who quickly become friends.  These two are no exception.  Easy to be around, fun-loving, laugh all the time, roll right along with quirkiness - what more could a girl ask for?  Oh yeah, a fantastic wedding party…which was part of the package too.  I had the best time on their wedding day.

We kicked things off early last summer with their Engagement Session, and followed up with Emily’s Bridal Session this winter.

I have so enjoyed working with you both, and I am honored to call you my friend.  Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your wedding day!

Yay for random details on film…

Getting ready at Oak Street Salon in Mountain Brook…isn’t she happy?

Emily’s wedding gifts from Matt…

Okay, I LOVE these bouquets!  Super cool.

A huge thank you to my friend Cristi Owen in Phoenix who flew in to second shoot Emily and Matt’s wedding!  She was fascinated by the leaves in Birmingham…which was great.  This is one of her shots - I love how it sets the tone for the day!  (Though the sun didn’t stay out much longer!)

And on to some portraits - my favorite part of the day!

I’m not sure why - but this is probably my favorite image…

Reception and other favorite shots to come!

Here’s to amazing clients who get engaged in New York City, have their engagement session in Los Angeles, and tie the knot in Atlanta. Who doesn’t want to tag along for awhile with this couple?  I got to spend Valentine’s Day with Aimee and John and play around all over this city - which was fantastic.  Congratulations to you both - I will always treasure this time I got to spend with you, and I can’t wait for your wedding day!

And here’s to the sunset in Malibu…

So, while I’m waiting to get back into production mode, I thought I’d put up a couple images from Sunday’s engagement session with Erin and Adam. (Before you get confused - we are working with TWO couples this year named Erin and Adam…I know, what are the odds?)  We did a very themed shoot - which was a lot of fun and a different approach for me.  The original plan was to style outside, but the weather pushed us indoors - so we styled a winter white studio session for the first part of their shoot.  THEN we headed outside when the rain cleared and set up our on location theme and just had a lot of fun with it!

Erin and Adam, you are so much fun, I truly had a blast hanging out with you two!  I am so excited about your wedding and getting to work with you this year.

I’m pretty pumped to share the images from this session on the blog - as soon as they are edited, I’ll have them posted here!

Save The Date…

A peek at the studio session… A little Anthro inspired perhaps?

So many gems and awesomeness to come!  So, get stoked for Erin and Adam!  Congratulations to you both…

Undertake a video project to market the studio - DONE!

{AMELIA IN ACTION} - NEW PROJECT LAUNCHED

I’m excited to finally share this new project on the blog!  This was a major and fun undertaking, and how awesome to check this off the 101 in 1001 list.

A few months ago I started talking with my buddy Seth Newell about doing a video project for the studio that would show a behind-the-scenes view of a real shoot with real clients. It was important to me to give people visiting my website a taste of a real relationship instead of using models for the shoot. We started brainstorming different concepts, and then just got to work on making it happen. Due to the crazy weather we had been having in Alabama (where we shot the video), we had to really work around a lot of schedules and weather constraints. And then, finally, it just all came together at the right time with the right clients!

We shot video of me on seamless paper run sideways - which I thought was brilliant - and Seth and Sean had me just run around and be. I was pretty nervous about their plan to interview me off-the-cuff, but in the end the guys were right - the monologues are unscripted and from the heart, and I think it lends even more authenticity to the final product.  Following that portion of the day, we met up with Ashley and Owen for their actual engagement session and got behind-the-scenes footage of our afternoon shooting together in rural Alabama.  It was kind of wild driving around with an entourage, but it was a ton of fun!  Unfortunately, we had to wait a couple months to launch the whole thing due to a death in my family and a move to the West Coast. Now, the day has arrived…

A huge thanks to Ashley and Owen for being willing participants in this experiment! Y’all are amazing and I am so thankful to be your photographer. I can’t wait to see you two tie the knot next weekend back in Alabama!

And a HUGE thank you to Seth and Sean of Green Block Productions for your creativity, patience, hard work, talent, laughter, and friendship!

And Graham, yet again - what would I do without you?! Thank you for integrating the website and being so awesome. And for the chapstick and coffee…

Yay for fun projects to kick off the new year! Is it wrong to say that I’m looking forward to tackling 2010 Elin Woods’ style? Yes, I’m sure it probably is…but I just did.

Thanks for checking out our new video!

Well, the holidays have come and gone…family members have passed on…we’ve conquered a cross-country road trip…officially moved to Los Angeles…friends and family came to stay…the Crimson Tide won the National Championship…I dominated the 405…my studio has been unpacked…a new life begun…all in the last two weeks.

Needless to say, there’s plenty to blog about.

Let’s just kick things off with this - I’m beyond happy to be getting back to some sort of routine. I can’t wait to really dive into 2010! So many things to share…

And because blog posts always need to be accompanied by an image - here is one that makes me smile. I love this shot of Emily and Matt at their wedding reception - the film grain came out so beautifully, and the emotion is just really raw…love it.

Random post, I know. It’s good to be back.