Altmix Photography » the engagement!

kristen & ben are engaged!

katealtmix — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:34:59 +0000

matt & i just returned home from our annual tour of the southeast christmas adventure to a 49 degree house littered with wrapping paper remnants and tiny pieces of tape and ribbon. it’s good to be home! we’ve been excited to jump back into work so that we can share kristen & ben’s awesome engagement images with you. emails will just have to wait a teensy bit longer. ;) kristen & ben’s shoot fell on a beautifully sunny winter day that felt much more like summer than december ever should- but it was perfect for the shoot! we wandered around the neighborhood a bit, taking advantage of this beautiful landmark red trestle that matt has been wanting to shoot for so long now! next, we ventured into a natural field area just as the sun fell low enough to light up the dried grasses in the most magical way. we really could not believe how beautiful our surroundings were and kristen & ben were so wonderful to capture- always talking to one another and grinning with outbursts of laughter- a recipe for a wonderful relationship (and fantastic images!). we feel really lucky to have captured their relationship and spent such a wonderful afternoon getting to know them even better!

my favorite, so much love and comfort:

***please click here to see kristen & ben’s slideshow***

kristen & ben, thank you guys for sharing such a sweet time in your relationship with us. we can’t wait for the wedding!

ashton & michael are engaged!

katealtmix — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:05:14 +0000

a few weeks ago one of our sweet clients, amy, introduced us to the beautiful neighborhood park where she got engaged. we spent some time with her shooting some bridal portraits there and couldn’t wait to return with an adventurous couple! that couple was, undoubtedly, ashton & michael. matt & i arrived early to scope out the location some more and when it was time to meet up with ashton & michael we found them happily chatting on the swings in the playground. we caught up for a while and heard about what an incredible week it had been for them- so many good things are going on in their lives! as we talked, we took a few playground pics, just for fun, and then climbed down into the river. we really love it when clients are relaxed and happy and also trusting of our vision because we are really able to stretch ourselves and try new things. so, HUGE thanks to ashton & michael for being awesome and having fun together no matter what precarious rock we had you perched upon! ;)

we found a small area of densely packed, bare, skinny trees and we kiiiinda got stuck there we liked it so much! and i kiiiinda want to go back here to take our christmas card photo…

i love this next series, such a perfect capture of the fun and love ashton & michael share:

as ashton & michael’s shoot drew to a close, we found ourselves in a dusky blue light. the warm tones of the leaves looked so beautiful in the cool light that we decided to end the shoot with a few reclining images to capture the environment and the serene, calm feeling of the almost empty park. i love these:

***please click here to see ashton & michael’s slideshow***

ashton & michael, thank you guys for trusting us every step of the way! we really loved our afternoon with you and we cannot wait for your beautiful spring wedding!

katie & nikhil are engaged!

katealtmix — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:57:33 +0000

we first met katie & nikhil at our favorite little taqueria down the street from our house. while we talked photography with nikhil, katie fought her way through atlanta’s famously terrible traffic- in a thunderstorm- respect! we sipped on margaritas and munched on chips while rain pounded the streets outside. it was great getting to know katie & nikhil and hearing about their travels around the globe! they’ve already shared so many incredible experiences together (they got engaged while hiking in new zealand! that is their real life, ohmygosh!)- no doubt they’ll have many more adventures in their future! when their engagement shoot rolled around, it was again: raining. but when their rescheduled shoot rolled around it was PERFECT! and about time. these two have such sunny personalities- a stunning fall day was just what they deserved!

i LOVE this next photo, something about the angle and the obvious love of katie & nikhil just makes it:

tiny little skinny alleys are awesome:

i love how this next photo represents atlanta- the huge expanse of brick, the faded coke advertisement, the fall leaves…and of course katie & nikhil making everything more awesome:

***please click here to see katie & nikhil’s slideshow***

katie & nikhil, we had a great afternoon with you guys and we’re so excited about your wedding!

rebecca & harris are engaged!

katealtmix — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:41:27 +0000

when the leaves begin to turn golden i have a really hard time concentrating. fall is my favorite- the crisp air, the colors, pulling out my boots and scarves, bonfires and rich risottos and of course, all things pumpkin spice. it’s enough to distract me completely. in fact, it took me 5 full minutes to write that last sentence because i started daydreaming at least twice. luckily, rebecca and harris are kindred spirits when it comes to fall love and they chose to have their engagement photos taken on a beautiful november afternoon in the mountains of north carolina. i love them for that! the drive up was stunning and our afternoon with rebecca and harris was perfect. they are just such fun people! easy to talk to, quick to laugh and make the most of every moment. in fact, they spent a full day exploring the little town of highlands, nc, scouting out different settings for their shoot, just to make it perfect! we could not have been happier as we drove through their proposed route before the shoot began- a bed and breakfast with an orchard and a pond? a skinny winding road covered in brilliant leaves and surrounded by towering maples? a quaint boutique hotel with beautiful stonework? rebecca & harris, thank you for setting up the perfect fall day!

after pulling over for a few shots on this beautiful street, we decided to climb down into the woods. thankfully rebecca & harris were up for a little adventure! how many times have we been driving and i’ve commented on how pretty the flowers or trees are on the side of the road?? i do that allll the time. and today was the day to finally pull over and explore- we just couldn’t resist!

we couldn’t resist including this next series of outtakes, getting back to the street was quite scary in slippery boots but luckily rebecca and i had our guys there to help us out- i love these outtakes:

***please click here to see rebecca & harris’s slideshow***

rebecca & harris, thank you guys for such an amazing shoot- seriously, you guys are awesome! can’t wait for the wedding!

sarah & wilson are engaged!

katealtmix — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:32:10 +0000

when sarah & wilson mentioned having their engagement photos taken on wilson’s family’s property in north georgia we were excited. for us, it meant a trip out of our busy city and into the land of spacious farms, quiet ponds and sweet air- refreshment! we didn’t know quite what to expect but as we neared the property and turned onto a wooded, gravel road, we began to get excited about all of the possibilities. we’re used to shooting in atlanta and making the most of 8 square feet of grass between two buildings so walking through this property, green as far as we could see, felt so luxurious! we really enjoyed our afternoon with sarah & wilson- getting to know them as a couple and finding that we share a love of all things athens and all things outdoors (although we aren’t nearly as hardcore and in shape, they’re awesome!). our shoot ended with a beautiful sunset and we drove back toward the city lights with dust clinging to our shoes and a renewed thankfulness that we have such wonderful clients. :)

this next location was my favorite of the whole shoot! the trees are so huge and so dense that they let in only small beams of light, like little spotlights! i just loved the drama of it:

as the sun sank lower, the sun warmed to a gold and filtered through the green leaves, electrifying the color. it was as if sarah knew the exact shade to expect when she chose her outfit!

LOVE this next image! i think it perfectly portrays how peaceful and relaxing this whole shoot was as well as how comfortable and in love these two are:

***please click here to see sarah & wilson’s slideshow***

sarah & wilson, thank you so much for getting us out into the country for such a great afternoon with you guys! looking forward to your wedding day!

yvonne & jesse are engaged!

katealtmix — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:37:47 +0000

love these two!

the first time we met yvonne & jesse, they were both sick. we felt SO bad- we could have rescheduled our meeting! but no, the night of our first introduction to yvonne & jesse, we found out right away that they are incredibly driven, excited & passionate- nothing slows them down- not even the lousy summer cold they were fighting! so that night we shared a delicious dinner and great conversation and as we left we made plans to grab another meal soon. a couple months later, over brunch, we discussed their engagement images- they love good food as much as we do and they chose to have their images made in and around two of their (and our!) most favorite restaurants, leon’s and sun in my belly! we spent a sunlit afternoon exploring and catching up on life, wedding planning and the atlanta food scene…and also taking pictures! ;) here are just a few of our faves:

yvonne seems to be always overflowing with happiness! her smile is so brilliant and jesse knows exactly how to trigger it. i really have no idea what he was whispering to her while we were shooting but just looking back over these images makes me smile, remembering just how adorable they are together:

LOVE this next photo. yvonne is just stunning:

yvonne & jesse have two awesome scooters to get around town and if they ever need a car they use a zipcar! i like their style. we grabbed a few images with the scooter they arrived on before following them (shooting from our car, haha) to the next location, fun!

we ended the evening underneath marta, so romantic! but really:

***please click here to see yvonne & jesse’s slideshow***

yvonne & jesse, we are so glad to know you! you’re such a special couple and capturing the deep connection you two so obviously share was a joy. cannot wait for the wedding!

jessica & chris are engaged!

katealtmix — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:35:02 +0000

there are lots of things we love about atlanta- the people, the food and the festivals to name a few- but most of all we love the way this city always surprises us with something new, JUST when we think we’ve got her all figured out! our latest discovery has been the full extent of the grounds at the atlanta botanical garden. we’ve shot a few weddings in their event space and rose garden but we’ve only recently ventured beyond those familiar spots. and i’m so glad we did! the extensive vegetable gardens, intricately trellised fruit trees and an open garden kitchen are just a few of our favorite, new to us, aspects of the gardens. for jessica & chris’s engagement pictures we chose the gardens and it was exciting to capture some of our special new spots with such a delightful couple! jessica & chris are so fun-loving, easy-going and comfortable together- it couldn’t have been a more perfect shoot! well, actually, i would have loved a 10 degree drop in temperature and mosquito repellant…but those things tend to fade when you’re hanging out with people like jessica & chris! i’ve been excited to share these images ever since i looked down at my camera during their shoot- these two are just perfect!

***please click here to see jessica & chris’s slideshow***

jessica & chris, thank you guys so much for smiling through the heat and making this shoot incredible- you guys rock! we can’t wait for your wedding!

kristen & jordan are engaged!

katealtmix — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:10:40 +0000

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:

***please click here to see kristen & jordan’s slideshow***

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!

amy & donny are engaged!

katealtmix — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:31:10 +0000

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…

***please click here to see amy & donny’s slideshow***

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!

mary katherine & nick are engaged!

katealtmix — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:02:14 +0000

mary katherine & nick met across a bar. nick was a bartender and mary katherine was, well, his boss. neither was too thrilled about that situation and the days passed rather uncomfortably as they tried to figure one another out. then, in an instant, during a brief conversation about astronomy of all things, everything clicked and they allowed themselves to embrace the relationship they were meant to share. i can’t help but smile thinking about their story because they are so obviously in love now, it’s hard to imagine them ever feeling unsure about one another!

in keeping with the theme of their story, mary katherine & nick decided to have their engagement photos taken in a vineyard. we got more and more excited as we neared their destination- driving out of the city and into the rolling hills and thick forests of north georgia. when we arrived at montaluce winery, we couldn’t wait to get started! or, actually, we could- and we enjoyed a lovely tasting with mary katherine & nick before we got started!

***please click here to see mary katherine & nick’s slideshow***

mary katherine & nick, we are eagerly anticipating your wedding! you guys are a joy to work with- we’re so glad to know you!