Archive for 'fun facts'
There was so much done and seen during our eight days in the Pacific Northwest that I’m not going to attempt to explain or summarize it. I just want to leave you with a few impressions of our time there spent in downtown, the surrounding parks, the ferries, sea kayaking and biking/hiking the islands. I could have spent a month there and still there would have been guilt at all the things I didn’t get to do. In my head, I’m still there. I love you Richmond, but you have a serious suitor for my affections. Enjoy.
I’ve been trying to describe what a sublime and delightful time we all had at the Rice House, but you simply had to be there. I hope the images can give you a small window in to what I think will be an annual event for years to come. There were three separate set-up and breakdown sessions due to the very unpredictable weather, but the team of folks working the event simply went to work each time without a word. I think the band, which was originally slated to play on the back patio, got a better place and view of the action. As the day moved in to night, the rain moved away and the party, already hopping inside the house, shimmied its way to the dance floor. Special thanks to our hosts: McBride Events, Mosaic, The Knot, and The Science Museum of Virginia. They gave the wedding community of Richmond the gift of “party”. I know how grateful Lindsay and I were given how busy the season has been so far. It was so nice to step back, have a cocktail, hit the dancefloor, and just spend time with a great cast of characters. There are so many people that devoted their time and resources to this day, so I’ll just list them. Please make sure to check out their work, like their businesses on Facebook, and leave a wonderful comment about them here.
- PaperFreckles
- Brainchild Collective
- East Coast Entertainment
- Three Sheets to the Wind
- Catie Starr
- Hayes and Fisk
- Floraculture
- St. Germaine
- Beve
- Party Perfect
- The Coordinated Event
- Bella Rosa
- and…Don Mears Photography!
Lindsay and I were alerted by our good friend Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting of something wonderful last night. With what amounted to no off-season due to a few way out of town weddings, conferences, family matters, and just simply the bustle of life, the Richmond Magazine‘s yearly Best and Worst issue wasn’t quite on our radar. However, I definitely was out the door as soon as Barnes and Noble opened to grab a copy.
There it was…one of Richmond’s Best of Weddings for the category of “Photographer Who Gets the Best Candid Shots”
We’re so humbled and honored that, despite no campaigning on our own behalf, so many Richmonders thought of us when placing their votes. To our friends, our wonderful wedding couples present and past, and all others – sincerely, thank you.
We’ve always trusted in the value of true, real moments as the foundation of fantastic wedding photography. It’s a wonderful feeling to be recognized for it by the city we live in and the people we love.
Also, a big congratulations to all our many wedding industry friends who won Richmond’s vote this year.
Thank you and enjoy a little slideshow of what we think defines the award!
We happily allow messes to happen.
Lindsay put a yogurt spoon in our 4 year old’s hand and let her go to work on feeding our 10 month old, then set about to document the occasion. Annie never met a grown up task she didn’t want to attempt immediately and with haste. Vivian never met a spoonful of yogurt she didn’t love. Here’s the process, the visual evidence, and the effect of Vivian trying to chase down a spoon in the hands of a giggling toddler.
I had the pleasure of traveling about 60% of the state of Montana last week. Unfortunately, most of the week was spent working or driving (800 miles in all). I did have the opportunity on two occasions to stop a bit and do some photography for myself. This series of images starts in Missoula next to the Clark Fork River. Missoula is the home of the University of Montana and has a vibrant little community for art, restaurants, and nature enthusiasts. Just outside my hotel was this river and a great biking/running trail that follows the river for several miles next to the campus.
This next series of images is from the road between Missoula and Kalispell. The first portion of the trip takes you through a wide open glacier valley borered by the Mission Mountains to the east and the Swan Mountains to the west. The contrast between the rolling road of the valley and the sheer size of the ranges on your sides is stunning. You also pass right by the largest natural fresh water lake that’s west of the Mississippi River, called Flathead Lake.
The next series was shot on the drive from Kalispell to Great Falls. This was easily my favorite leg of the trip as it takes you directly through Glacier National Park. Without much time to explore, I hedged my bets on a trip through the front gate to find the closest glacier. Unfortunately (and due to my naivete), I discovered that April is too soon to head up to the glaciers as the routes haven’t been cleared. I may be back in August so I’m definitely putting it on my list. The first image is of the only “glacier” we found, a small pile of snow from the storm earlier in the week. Lake McDonald followed and a nice German family skipping rocks across the still lake.
The final series is from the stretch of land between the Mission Mountains and Great Falls. It’s an area of Blackfeet Indian reservations, rolling hills, and beautiful sunsets. Along the way we stopped at the Lighthouse Restaurant along the shores of Lake Francis in Valier. It has an actual lighthouse that has never guided a single ship to shore. It’s simply the imagination of Bob, the owner of the restaurant, that brought it to life. He’s a fascinating man that, in addition to building vestigial lighthouses and playing barkeep, also whittles in his spare time. You can see his current projects and the entire chess sets he created for his two sons based on their interests as kids. You’ll find there are very few parts of this country that are actually barren. You just have to stop in the right places 🙂
After a very long month or so on the road it’s good to be back home, back in studio, and catching up with the blog. More to follow, much to post. Thanks for stopping by and we hope you enjoy the images to come.
– Don and Lindsay
As I was approaching my car, burning the late Sunday evening oil with wedding edits (McLean and Kevin, Jenifer and David…we’re *this* close!) and had to run back inside to catch this moon rise. Yes, I’m standing in the middle of Broad St 🙂
