Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The bouquet catch
Watch the bridesmaid in orange. She looks like she's uninterested in catching the bouquet, but then she almost takes out the 9 year old the flowers were headed for LOL!!!
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Saturday, August 15, 2009
Robin and Chris
So I haven't blogged in a while, it's not for lack of things to say, I've just been enjoying the summer! Tonight though, I'm pretty eager to share some photos from Chris and Robin's engagement session. They didn't want the "standard" photos and leaned more towards my artistic style. That can be tough when my art photos are more still-lifes, how do you add people to that mix?
Robin sent me some inspiration photos and one was a couple riding bikes in a vineyard. They have retro bikes, I know a great vineyard (Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes), so we met there. Unfortunately, they weren't able to bring their bikes, but we got some cool photos of them in the vineyard.
And one in the garden. 
Robin sent me some inspiration photos and one was a couple riding bikes in a vineyard. They have retro bikes, I know a great vineyard (Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes), so we met there. Unfortunately, they weren't able to bring their bikes, but we got some cool photos of them in the vineyard.
Next it was on to a sunflower field I spotted earlier in the day. Gotta love sunflowers!
From there, we went up the road a little to a super-secret location on the canal. It's not so much a secret as a private estate. I brought a couple there a couple years ago for wedding photos and the woman who lives there is so sweet she let me shoot there again. You can barely make out the towers in the background.
And one in the garden.
Then it was off to downtown Lewes to wrap things up.
I'm really looking forward to their October wedding at the Addy Sea with the Doug Segree Band! I LOVE LIVE BANDS!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Colorado!!!
We spent ten days in Colorado for a work/vacation trip and it was beautiful out there! For a beach person, it was nice to see such scenic landscapes for a change.
The first part of the trip was for work. I am an advisor for the Technology Student Association at Delmar High School along with Mr. Carpenter. TSA is the student group for technology education students similar to BPA and FFA. Students compete in events related to what they do in our classes in events such as structural engineering, transportation modeling, digital photography, graphic design, and many others. Each year, there is a state conference and a national conference which was held in Denver, Colorado. We were able to take eight students from tiny Delmar, Delaware/Maryland (the town is really in both states) out west. For two of the students, it was their first time on a plane. Another student has only ever flown once before, when he went to last year's conference. I don't think any of them had been to Colorado before.
While the primary focus of the trip was to compete, one of my personal goals is to give the students the opportunity to experience life outside of the Eastern Shore. Whenever we had the chance, we took them outside of the conference area to explore Denver and beyond. The conference was held right in the downtown area, so it was full of touristy things to do- lots of shopping, the Denver Zoo, an amusement park, and museums. Each night, we had dinner together at a local restaurant. One of my "rules" is that we can not eat at a chain restuarant so we can experience different things. We broke the rule one night because the only place open was the Hard Rock Cafe.
We also took an afternoon and rented a van to go to Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North America. To hear eight teenagers get excited about the sight of the mountain and the views from the top made the trip completely worthwhile!
One of the Delaware chaperons was overheard talking about our eight students at one of the sessions. She felt that our students were only at the conference for a vacation! That is hardly the case, but we do try to make the trip about MORE than just competing, we want it to be an experience they will remember for a lifetime. I know that I will remember it for the rest of my life. They worked hard to qualify to go and were instrumental in raising money. It was also said that we were trying to be their friends rather than their advisors. My goal is not to make friends as a teacher, but I have made some lifetime friends over the years. One former student works for me as an associate photographer and another has come to me seeking guidance on becoming a tech ed teacher. I keep in touch with many former students and will keep in touch with the seniors from this trip who are going on to college for graphic design and auto mechanics...but especially the very special young man who is going to the Marines. He was the biggest pain as an eight grader, but has transformed over the years to one of my favorite students. Part of that transformation can be directly attributed to his participation in the Technology Student Association and I am proud of that. I held back the tears as we said our good-byes.
This was the first conference that I have had girls qualify for nationals. Since we needed a female chaperon, my wife traveled with us and we brought the kids along. Once the conference was over, Mr. Carpenter took the students back to Delmar while my family and I stayed out west. We went into the mountains and stayed at the Keystone Resort near Breckenridge. Normally, this is a ski resort but it's pretty nice in the summer too. We were able to go snow tubing in shorts and t-shirts, swimming in the pool, watch fireworks over a mountain lake, and horseback riding along the slopes of Breckenridge. There is nothing like being up in the cool mountain air in the summer, a welcome change from the heat of the beach!
I will miss Colorado, but it is nice to be home!
The first part of the trip was for work. I am an advisor for the Technology Student Association at Delmar High School along with Mr. Carpenter. TSA is the student group for technology education students similar to BPA and FFA. Students compete in events related to what they do in our classes in events such as structural engineering, transportation modeling, digital photography, graphic design, and many others. Each year, there is a state conference and a national conference which was held in Denver, Colorado. We were able to take eight students from tiny Delmar, Delaware/Maryland (the town is really in both states) out west. For two of the students, it was their first time on a plane. Another student has only ever flown once before, when he went to last year's conference. I don't think any of them had been to Colorado before.
While the primary focus of the trip was to compete, one of my personal goals is to give the students the opportunity to experience life outside of the Eastern Shore. Whenever we had the chance, we took them outside of the conference area to explore Denver and beyond. The conference was held right in the downtown area, so it was full of touristy things to do- lots of shopping, the Denver Zoo, an amusement park, and museums. Each night, we had dinner together at a local restaurant. One of my "rules" is that we can not eat at a chain restuarant so we can experience different things. We broke the rule one night because the only place open was the Hard Rock Cafe.
We also took an afternoon and rented a van to go to Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North America. To hear eight teenagers get excited about the sight of the mountain and the views from the top made the trip completely worthwhile!
One of the Delaware chaperons was overheard talking about our eight students at one of the sessions. She felt that our students were only at the conference for a vacation! That is hardly the case, but we do try to make the trip about MORE than just competing, we want it to be an experience they will remember for a lifetime. I know that I will remember it for the rest of my life. They worked hard to qualify to go and were instrumental in raising money. It was also said that we were trying to be their friends rather than their advisors. My goal is not to make friends as a teacher, but I have made some lifetime friends over the years. One former student works for me as an associate photographer and another has come to me seeking guidance on becoming a tech ed teacher. I keep in touch with many former students and will keep in touch with the seniors from this trip who are going on to college for graphic design and auto mechanics...but especially the very special young man who is going to the Marines. He was the biggest pain as an eight grader, but has transformed over the years to one of my favorite students. Part of that transformation can be directly attributed to his participation in the Technology Student Association and I am proud of that. I held back the tears as we said our good-byes.
This was the first conference that I have had girls qualify for nationals. Since we needed a female chaperon, my wife traveled with us and we brought the kids along. Once the conference was over, Mr. Carpenter took the students back to Delmar while my family and I stayed out west. We went into the mountains and stayed at the Keystone Resort near Breckenridge. Normally, this is a ski resort but it's pretty nice in the summer too. We were able to go snow tubing in shorts and t-shirts, swimming in the pool, watch fireworks over a mountain lake, and horseback riding along the slopes of Breckenridge. There is nothing like being up in the cool mountain air in the summer, a welcome change from the heat of the beach!
I will miss Colorado, but it is nice to be home!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
C R A Z I E S T wedding EVER!
We had the most insane wedding tonight and had to blog about it right away.
First- we're doing the photos after the ceremony and I think to myself, "I'll get a shot from on top of the lifeguard tower." The sand in front was messy, so I wanted to drag it over a few feet. I handed the camera to Brandon and started to try to tip it over to move it (done this hundreds of times as a kid). The groom comes over to help and gets on the other side and picks his end up. This throws the balance off and the whole tower starts to fall on top of me! I yell out. "RICKY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME???" but it's too late and I end up pinned on the beach by the tower! I could NOT budge the thing and I'm calling out to my assistants to get it off me. Brandon and Ricky (groom) lift it up enough that I can slide out unharmed. I look at Ricky like WTF??? He felt soooo bad, it was funny. I just started cracking up, Brandon wanted to do it again because he didn't get any photos, Jenna was just stunned at what happened! Definitely one of the stangest things to happen to me at a wedding. I ended up getting the shot I wanted though :)
Second thing- The reception venue is on the top floor of a hotel, there's nothing else up there. When you come off the elevator, there's a long hall leading to the dining room and that's where the gifts were stacked up, including the box for the wedding cards.
Some guy comes up and STEALS the box of cards!!! Two cousins of the groom see him headed down the hall and chase him down eight flights of steps to the lobby. They catch him, BEAT HIM, and throw him through a plate glass window in the lobby! The cops come, arrest him, but first have to take him to the hospital for a broken jaw and giant gash in his back!
Third thing (and I only heard the story, but it happened last night)- The bride's grandmother drank too much and got sick in the toilet. After she flushed it, she realized her TEETH just got flushed! Maintenance had to come and take the toilet out, crack it open, and free her teeth! This morning, she shows her son that she has her teeth back and he says, "Now that's a shit-eating grin if I ever saw one."
To top it all off, Brandon (associate photographer), is out on the dance floor dancing with the bridesmaids then slow dancing with a guest! She asked if it was okay for him to dance while working and I told her I was fine with that LOL!
That's not all- strip tease garter placement, amazing toasts (maid of honor was in tears), cake smashing, and "rad" shots out on the balcony LOL! Here's a few shots of the "crime scene" and a preview of the wedding photos is here' http://www.samellis.com/gallery/8467506_n4Fz3
First- we're doing the photos after the ceremony and I think to myself, "I'll get a shot from on top of the lifeguard tower." The sand in front was messy, so I wanted to drag it over a few feet. I handed the camera to Brandon and started to try to tip it over to move it (done this hundreds of times as a kid). The groom comes over to help and gets on the other side and picks his end up. This throws the balance off and the whole tower starts to fall on top of me! I yell out. "RICKY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME???" but it's too late and I end up pinned on the beach by the tower! I could NOT budge the thing and I'm calling out to my assistants to get it off me. Brandon and Ricky (groom) lift it up enough that I can slide out unharmed. I look at Ricky like WTF??? He felt soooo bad, it was funny. I just started cracking up, Brandon wanted to do it again because he didn't get any photos, Jenna was just stunned at what happened! Definitely one of the stangest things to happen to me at a wedding. I ended up getting the shot I wanted though :)
Second thing- The reception venue is on the top floor of a hotel, there's nothing else up there. When you come off the elevator, there's a long hall leading to the dining room and that's where the gifts were stacked up, including the box for the wedding cards.
Some guy comes up and STEALS the box of cards!!! Two cousins of the groom see him headed down the hall and chase him down eight flights of steps to the lobby. They catch him, BEAT HIM, and throw him through a plate glass window in the lobby! The cops come, arrest him, but first have to take him to the hospital for a broken jaw and giant gash in his back!
Third thing (and I only heard the story, but it happened last night)- The bride's grandmother drank too much and got sick in the toilet. After she flushed it, she realized her TEETH just got flushed! Maintenance had to come and take the toilet out, crack it open, and free her teeth! This morning, she shows her son that she has her teeth back and he says, "Now that's a shit-eating grin if I ever saw one."
To top it all off, Brandon (associate photographer), is out on the dance floor dancing with the bridesmaids then slow dancing with a guest! She asked if it was okay for him to dance while working and I told her I was fine with that LOL!
That's not all- strip tease garter placement, amazing toasts (maid of honor was in tears), cake smashing, and "rad" shots out on the balcony LOL! Here's a few shots of the "crime scene" and a preview of the wedding photos is here' http://www.samellis.com/gallery/8467506_n4Fz3
Monday, June 1, 2009
This was one of my favorites from Danielle and Mike's engagement session at Cape Henlopen State Park. Gotta love sunsets at the beach!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
This may be my all-time favorite photo from a reception! This was part West Side Story, part Michael Jackson's Bad video- either way it was hilarous! Thanks Alex and Elissa for throwing such a great party! More photos will be in the preview soon!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Ocean City, MD engagment photos
Kristian and Andrew are getting married in June 2010 and were in town for their engagement photos. Here's a sneak peek:
Kristian and Andrew are getting married in June 2010 and were in town for their engagement photos. Here's a sneak peek:
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