I was lucky enough to photography the holiday party for the Home Builders Association of Tennessee and boy, was it a blast! Homebuilders sure know how to party! It was at the gorgeous Westin Hotel in downtown Nashville-it’s such a beautiful place to have an event.
MPI-Meeting Planners International-had their yearly Holiday Party at Tin Roof on Broadway. The food was fantastic, the band was great, and there was a photo booth supplied by TapSnap where guests could get their photos snapped then composited in a Christmas scene. There was also a drawing where prizes were given. It was tons of fun!
Learn more about MPI here.
Jesse and Chris got married on a sunny Fall day. Their wedding took place at the beautiful Red River Farms in Springfield just north of Nashville. The ceremony took place on the pretty grounds there. I especially loved how there was a big door in the middle of the field that the bride could enter when beginning her walk down the aisle-gorgeous!
Diskin Cider had an all-day party celebrating Women’s Day. There was a barbeque, lots of vendors, and games outside. A DJ started the party and the band Thelma and the Sleaze finished the night off. It was a great celebration!
I photographed a farewell reception for Dr. Kim Lomis. She had been one of the deans at Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine for twenty years. It was heartwarming to see her honored by her students and colleagues.
Emily's about to have a baby!
A maternity shoot was in order. She knew she wanted to have images of her to remember the time when she was pregnant, but she was hoping for something a little different than standard maternity photos. She wanted to have images that celebrated her love of Nashville so I suggested we shoot on the Pedestrian Bridge.
The Pedestrian Bridge is great. Not only can you see Nashville in all its urban splendor, but walk down the stairs to the river and you can get some great photos in nature. It's like having the best of both worlds!
We were lucky to have beautiful blue skies for our shoot, and because we did the shoot super early in the morning, it wasn't too crazy hot.
Music City Mustard is an artisanal mustard made here in Tennessee, but inspired by the creator's visits to Austria.
Get your products professionally photographed! They look so much better than when they are shot with a smartphone. Go Pro!
"Plagued" a book by Bruce McCully about cybersecurity in business, made its premier at Center 615 in East Nashville today. Bruce McCully was on hand to sign books and gave demonstrations on how easy it was to hack into businesses.
People mingled, learned about cybersecurity, and left with a great book signed by the author.
Pathway recently opened a Veterans Business Outreach Center. Supported by the Small Business Administration, its purpose is to help those transitioning out of the military to start a business. Mayor David Briley as well as other civic leaders spoke. Afterwards, there was a luncheon on Pathway's grounds. It was a fantastic day and wonderful to see Nashville have such a wonderful new center for veterans.
O Hello Media hired me to shoot the premiere of Universal Threads in one of their Nashville Target stores. For that day only, customers could get their name embroidered on a piece of Universal Threads clothing they purchased. It was a great marketing technique that everyone enjoyed!
Have you heard of Nut Butter Nation? It's an amazing peanut butter made right here in Nashville. Not only is it local, but it comes in a variety of delicious flavors like Salted Caramel and Honey Vanilla. Once you open the jar you can't stop-it's sooooo good.
I did some product and lifestyle shots for their marketing. Check them out and make sure to check out Nut Butter Nation if you haven't!
I first saw Val's art during an Art Crawl in the Arcade in downtown. I was impressed with the unique vibe of her gallery as well as the attention to detail in her work. Her work covers ancient themes while executing great skill in painting. I was intrigued and was happy when she agreed to a studio visit to talk about her work.
What is the theme of your work?
I generally stick with a central theme for 5 pieces of art, so that I have a small collection/series based upon an idea. For example, the Ancient Series is both Egyptian and Greek inspired. The Animals Series is based on fables and sayings that have meaning to me ( except the rooster and pig which I was asked to paint) with the theme that ties them together being that they are all animals. So I guess I might read something or see something that inspires an idea and then I compose in my mind 5 or so pieces to create for that series. The paintings you saw in my home are the next series that I am calling "In The Garden.” While it will still be nature based it will also have elements of literature intertwined.
What inspires your work?
I am inspired by ancient forms of art that include mosaic tile work, aboriginal art, and Huichol beaded sculpture. I am also inspired by God, nature, ancient script literature and mythos, fables, legends and mathematics. I try to weave ancient ideas in thought and literature with ancient art forms and give them a modern twist. I call this mesh of ideas "Mosaic Pointillism" because it isn’t quite one thing or the other…it just simply is a fusion of many ancient forms of art, literature and mathematics. There are many more modern artists that I adore. I cannot say that they inspire my work because I do not create the way they created, but they do open me up to new ideas. My first and favorite is “The Veiled Rebecca” by Giovanni Benzoni, but I also am in awe of Roy Lichtenstein’s works, M.C Escher, William Blake’s wood blocks, Da Vinci works (mostly from his sketch book of odd ideas) and last but not least the incredible world of Erte. My favorite art movements are the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods and I think there is a small bit of that peeking though my pieces.
What are the goals for your work?
I have a couple different goals. Yes I would like someday for my art to be in a museum. This may never happen, but I work on every piece like that it is where it might someday be viewed. Secondly, I'd like to find an art agent. I am new to having a gallery and want to keep a gallery, but an agent could open opportunities for me that a gallery can not. I would also like to have several small galleries throughout the United States and perhaps expanding beyond to showcase artists that create pieces that are uniquely their own.
What are your thoughts the on Nashville Art Scene?
I feel like the Nashville Art scene could be so much stronger than it is now. It feels like it is disconnected and working against itself. For example, I would love to support the Wedgewood Houston Art Crawl but I can’t because I have my gallery open in the Arcade during the Downtown Art Crawl. It reminds me of that line from Pink Floyd…”United we stand, Divided we fall.” There are so many talented artists in Nashville and I love meeting them and looking at their work. I guess I wish people would put whatever differences they have aside and make an art scene here that is more united. Separation, only hurts the art movement.
I photographed the networking group of Heels and Handshakes. The venue was the awesome rooftop of Green Hills Courtyard Marriott and the delicious food was done by Etc. Nashville.
I shot a wedding a couple of months ago and it just got featured on Nashville Bride!
Check out the feature here:
https://www.nashvillebrideguide.com/blog/carnton-plantation-styled-shoot-franklin-tn-wedding-venue/
Here are some of the talented vendors I worked with. Wine, a cake, dress, or if you're still looking for a venue, these great vendors have you covered!
Rentals – Southern Events Party Rental Company
Caterer/Florals – Beyond Details
Cake – Meesh’s Bakery
Bridal gown – Fabulous Frocks
Jewelry – American Jewelry
Videographer – Social Eero
Hair and Makeup Artist – Katie Kendall
Calligraphy – White Ink Calligraphy
Venue – Carnton
Wine – Arrington Vineyards
And make sure to check out more weddings I photographed here.
Propel Orthodontics Award Ceremony
Propel Orthodontics had their annual award ceremony at the lovely SkyLoft space in Sambuca Restaurant in the Gulch.
It was an evening of celebration and lots and lots of laughter!
Just photographed Breanna and Grayson's engagement photos. It was a beautiful fall day in Centennial Park-the colors were brilliant on the trees. I got lucky to photography their beloved dogs too! Check out the video of me in action.
Look here to see some weddings I've shot.
I shot a fundraiser for New Beginnings-an organization committed to keeping women healthy and fit despite their income level. Attendees were able to enjoy snacks and wine!
The American Board of Trial Advocates had their yearly conference at the Omni in Nashville. They also had a breakfast to commemorate past presidents.
The best thing about a conference is the Happy Hour! People who have been in seminars all day get a chance to wind down and network with colleagues.
I had a lovely engagement shoot with Christine and Patrick at The Parthenon at Centennial Park. I love shooting and using the geometric lines of the Parthenon in composing my photographs.
Christine and Patrick are such a fun couple to work with, I can't wait to photograph their wedding. Stay tuned for those pics!!
Check out more events I've photographed here.
