Gray Photography - Nashville Based Wedding Photographers

You're Missing Out! - Don't Forget to Update Your RSS Feed!

2009-09-06T12:57:00.003-05:00

Just a reminder that if you are subscribed to our blog via a reader, don't forget to update the feed!

The new blog is: http://www.GrayPhotograph.com/blog

The feed is: http://www.grayphotograph.com/blog/?feed=rss2

It Has Arrived!!! GrayPhotography's NEW Blog!!!!

2009-07-06T07:30:00.003-05:00

After hours of brainstorming and a lot of blood, sweat and tears (ok, not REALLY), we are ready to announce... (drum-roll please)...

*Cheers & Applause*

Visit this link to see the new blog!! Zach & Jody's New Blog!

This week is our one-year blog anniversary (yay!) and gone are the days of the good 'ol Blogger blog (so sad!) and onto our brand new blog!

We want to take a quick sentimental moment and thank you all for following us as we photograph and live life. We look forward to the coming year and what it holds!

Make sure to update your RSS feeds and bookmarks and do whatever else you need to do!

We are all about giving credit where credit is due so we want to give a shout out to some super cool people who were a part of making this happen!

BLOG DESIGN
Thanks to the amazing Allison May (aka A. May. Zing) who has been with us from the very beginning and worked with us on the design of our blog. Allison is the guru on branding and design and if you need any of those services, she is the one to call!!! She can be reached at AlliMay@gmail.com

BLOG DEVELOPMENT
Thanks to Brian with Skooks Designs who was the web mastermind behind putting the design & elements together and had much patience with us :)

El Video
Mark Brown & Marc Shap...

THIS BLOG WILL NO LONGER BE USED!!

Head on over to our new blog at www.GrayPhotograph.com/blog and enjoy!

Published! Her Nashville!

2009-07-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

This month we have the privileged of once again being published in Nashville's coolest women's magazine - Her Nashville. The above image is from one of our Nashville weddings and this shot was taken at the Marriott West End, in Nashville, TN.

I'm telling you, that magazine is addicting! We love the look of it, the newer slick pages they have, and get this folks - the ads are so non-boring looking that I (Jody) actually look over them instead of avoid them like the plague! They have great articles and writers, and it's just an enjoyable magazine all around.

Now onto the pictures!! Her Nashville featured the wedding of the lovely Lee & Elisabeth Cunningham.

Vendors featured in this spread:
Flowers by Rhonda with Rhonda Patton Weddings!
Photo strip by Photo Booth Nashville
Cool backdrop of the first image - Marriott West End

Fun fun! :)

The 3 Minute Workout That Had Us Wiped Out!

2009-06-30T11:14:00.007-05:00

Zach and I worked out for a total of 3 minutes, and we were sore for the next 4 days...

Yes, read it again...

You read it right...

No joke. :)

Are we that wimpy? Are we THAT out of shape? Heck no! We just had a good kick-booty workout. Yes, even in 3 minutes.

If you have tried everything to lose weight, or try and stay fit and nothing seems to be working and it's hard to find that time every day to lose weight, then Burst Training might be for you (actually it's for everyone, even kids, but this might be even more appealing to you).

Burst training is highly effective in burning fat (and keeping it off) and retaining lean muscle.

There is the myth out there that in order to have a good, healthy workout you have to be active for a certain period of time (e.g. half hour a day - or whatever). This isn't necessarily true. What's important is the quality of the workout - not the quantity.

Think of a cross country runners body that you see on the Olympics for example. They tend to be more thin and trim compared to track sprinter's body (more muscle tone) - the sprinter's workouts are based on the burst idea - work out for shorter spurts but with great intensity.

Under the encouragement from our friends, Nathan & Jenni Oates, Zach and I signed up to take their Burst Training that they lead, here in the Nashville area. You sign up, do sessions with them and then the coolest thing is THEY EQUIP YOU TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN, so you aren't bound to paying a trainer or going somewhere every time you want to work out.

What are the hangups sometimes to working out?
1. Costs too much (gym membership, trainer, etc)
2. Have to actually GO somewhere to work out (gym, track, etc)
3. TIME!

Burst Training takes care of all of those worries, and you can do it on your own, in your own home!

To read more detailed information on how this workout works, visit Nathan & Jenni's
Burst Training Blog Post. This method of working out has changed their lives.

Nathan is a certified personal trainer and is holding more Burst small-group training sessions. See the below flyer for info!

Open House THIS Wednesday! Cannery Ballroom

2009-06-29T07:01:00.004-05:00

Today we are away speaking at Doing Social Media RIGHT, so we thought we would share with you another event we are a part of this week that you should come out to!

The ever-so-cool Cannery Ballroom in good 'ol Nashville, TN is having an open house THIS Wednesday and YOU are invited!!

For more information and to RSVP for this event, Click Here.

See you there!

A Friday Laugh - Baseball & Ice Cream Faces...

2009-06-26T07:30:00.003-05:00

One of the BEST things we love about our jobs is the couples who we meet and become friends with.

Take Chris & Holly for example... we met them over a year ago and waited with Holly as she waited for Chris to come back to the states after serving overseas, were SO excited when he was coming home safe & sound, have immensely enjoyed and participated in Chris' movie quotes & jokes, and hip-hopped right along with Holly singing "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc (ok, Zach was doing the hip-hopping... Jody, not so much ;). On their wedding day I think we were one of the most thrilled people to be at the wedding and celebrating their marriage! Ah, you two are the best :)

Anyway, this rad couple invited us to their rehearsal hang out at the Nashville Sounds' Stadium. Even though we were invited as friends and not photographers we couldn't resist bringing one of our cameras and snapping a few pictures :)

The trophy husband decked out to the nines!

Getting to know some of the bridesmaids! Aw yeah!
Zach, blog-stalker-turned-friend, Elaina (he he), new friend Katie & Jody

Playin' some ball...

And for the kicker - Making faces in our ice cream and posing with it... scary, we know.. but yet, too funny... we all were laughing so hard!

Um, by the way... this last photo is a GREAT example of how NOT to use a 16-35mm... unless you want someone to look like they have a man-jaw, which is exactly what Zach was going for... *sighs* ha ha.

EXCLUSIVE offer for Social Media Nashville Seminar THIS Monday!

2009-06-25T14:17:00.003-05:00

The Doing Social Media RIGHT seminar is being held THIS Monday and 10 more spots have been opened for a discounted rate!

So some of you you may be thinking, "I'm familiar with Twitter, Facebook and all those other elements. I don't need to come." Believe us - you do! We think that WE are fairly savy, but every time we talk with online guru Christine (point speaker for the event) we realize how much more we have to learn. We challenge you to suck it up and admit you may not know everything there is to know, and come out :o)

Email Courtney Hammons @ courtney@amagicalaffair.com with the promo code: ZachJodyMedia and she will give you the discounted rate and instructions on registering.

For more info on this event you can read our previous blog post!

Zach & I will be guest speaking at this event specifically talking about blogging & website marketing and you won't want to miss it! Christine Boulton from Think Like A Bride, is the featured speaker and we all have a lot to learn from her!

Date & Times: Monday, June 29th, 9:00am-5:00pm
Origianl Cost: $55
Location: Embassy Suites Nashville Airport (10 Century Blvd, Nashville, TN 37214)

Hope to see you all there!

We live in such changing times and the success to your business staying alive is the ability to adapt...

Sneak Peek - Chris & Holly! A Riverwood Wedding

2009-06-22T08:00:00.005-05:00

We wanted to share with you all a sneak peek of a wedding we did in Nashville, TN this past weekend for Chris & Holly. Their wedding was beautiful and went so smoothly (thanks to Kimberly, Joyce, and the rest of the staff at Riverwood Mansion). It was such a great wedding to be a part of. Chris & Holly are such a fun & amazing couple to be around!!

Love the cool wedding shoes on the star studded background!

Chris is a Navy Helicopter pilot.

We loved Holly's pearl necklace and great wedding dress!

Holly had some gorgeous wedding flowers too!

Wedding bubbles are the way to go!

Ok, that's it for now! To see a few more images from their wedding you can become our friend on Facebook and peruse through our albums.

If you would like to be notified once all of Chris & Holly's images are available for viewing, click HERE to sign the virtual guest book and you will also receive a gift certificate toward the purchase of images!

Below are a few of the amazing vendors who were a part of making this day! Their work and the venue will be showcased more on the full post of Chris & Holly!:
- The Enchanted Florist did the flowers for this wedding, and they were stellar as always
- Riverwood Mansion is where the ceremony & reception all took place (the women there are amazing!!!)
- Videographer - Allen Media Productions (Sarah is so pleasant to be around and work with!)
- Cake - French Confections
- Caterer - A Catered Affair
- Ceremony Musician - Russell Davis
- DJ - Chris Faulk

Chris & Holly we hope that your honeymoon is a blast and we can't wait to now visit up in your neck of the woods :)

A Friday Laugh... Mini Bowling!

2009-06-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Wednesday night we hung out with friends/past clients/future clients/artists/business women (yes, they are all of those to us), Alexis & Laura and their significant others! Alexis is married to Abdul (whose wedding we shot this past year!), and Laura is to be wed to Jim later this year!! We decided to have a triple date and head off to the Franklin Family Entertainment Center for Mini Bowling (aka Midget Bowling)!!

If you remember, we last posted on this form of bowling late January when we went with friends Amy & Brendon (click HERE for more pics and video of that adventure).

This was a whole new adventure and everyone brought out their best at the 10th frame which you will see in the short awesomely professional video below. We opted out of putting background music in, and you will see why. Make sure your volume is up :)

Fun times had by all! Maybe we'll do another competition and the winner(s) will get to go mini-bowling with us and see our MAD SKILLZ in the flesh!!!!

Lovin' your comments! Still have 2 weeks to go for the Starbucks Gift Card Give-a-way!!

Post 200 Celebration Give-a-way!!

2009-06-17T11:40:00.001-05:00

Wow! This is our 200th blog post! Lots of writing, lots of pictures, lots of visits (just reached 30,000 new hits!), lots of views (almost 50,000 - whew!), lots o’ lovin' from all of you awesome commenters (though some of you can maybe do better ;o), and it's been so much fun sharing our lives with you all over the last year!

There are so many of you out there who we have met in person who come to our blog and we're so glad that we've been providing a fun and informative place for you to hang out while you are stuck in front of your computers :) It's been great having the chance to meet some of you self named "blog stalkers" and getting to know some of you a bit!

So, in honor of this 200^th post, we are doing something really special! We want all of you who have been avid readers, those who come by on occasion, and those who are brand new to our blog to leave us a comment (tell us about yourself and why you keep coming back!) AND sign up for our rockin' newsletter HERE (which will have insider behind-the-scenes tips & tricks as well as much, much more). If you do both of these things you will be entered into a drawing and we will send the lucky blog reader a $25 gift card to Starbucks (one of our favorite places to go)! Why? Because we just want to give back the love a little bit, but in the most delicious way possible. Yummy!!

Seriously, leave a comment because we love finding out who you all are and for those who have blogs or a website, we really enjoy following the links and reading about you and your life!

We will announce the drawing winner on our 1 year blog anniversary - July 1st, so you all have two weeks to comment on this post & sign up to our newsletter!

Enjoy the look of this blog while it lasts because we have a little something special up our sleeves that you will all see very soon... He, he, he (that is our sinister, evil laugh).

A Nashville, TN Wedding - Sneak Peek - Autumn & Jeremy!

2009-06-16T09:20:00.005-05:00

(I love this shot Jody took of the wedding invitations!)

Two weekends ago we shot the wedding of Autumn & Jeremy at Belle Meade Plantation!! The weather was gorgeous and Autumn was such a relaxed and beautiful bride!

Some of the vendors who made this day happen:
Beautiful flowers were by Rachel Short Designs
The DELICIOUS food was catered by Down South Delights
Coordination of planning & decoration was through One Source Weddings

Enjoy a few of the images for now!!

Autumn had a really cool wedding dress!

The guys did not want to wear their tuxedo jackets because of the heat.

That is the second boutonniere for Jeremy because he killed the first one!

The ladies wore some cool brown bridesmaids dresses.

Love this shot of the Father walking the bride down the isle.

CONGRATS you two!!!!!!! Hope you have had a blast on your cruise!!!!!

Such a fun exit from the wedding at Belle Meade Plantation!

If you would like to be notified once Autumn & Jeremy's images are available for viewing, click HERE to sign the virtual guest book and you will also receive a gift certificate toward the purchase of images!

A Social Media Nashville Conference You Won't Want To Miss!

2009-06-15T14:25:00.000-05:00

We are 2 weeks away from the Doing Social Media RIGHT conference brought to you by A Magical Affair! For more info you can read our previous blog post on the event!

Zach & I will be guest speaking at this event and you won't want to miss it! Christine Boulton from Think Like A Bride, is the featured speaker and we all have a lot to learn from her!

Admission: $55
Location: Embassy Suites Nashville Airport (10 Century Blvd, Nashville, TN 37214)

To Register Click Here

Hope to see you all there!

We live in such changing times and the success to your business staying alive is the ability to adapt...

Photoshop Classes from the Pro! THIS July!

2009-06-12T08:00:00.006-05:00

For those of you whose initial reaction after reading the title was, "What a second... I thought the Grays don't do Photoshop!" you are correct in that thinking! - WE don't do Photoshop, but we have a fabulous photographer friend who is a Master at Photoshop and she is actually holding workshops to share her tricks of the trade.

Mel from The Velvet Trunk is holding sessions this summer to share with other photographers her knowledge of Photoshop. The fact of the matter is ANYONE can do Photoshop tricks to images, but very FEW can do it well.

Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from one of the best!

For information on classes, dates, rates, early bird specials, and more Before & After pics, visit Mel's Blog.

Below are some Before & After's that YOU can learn to do!

For some images, the changes are minute (eg. pregnant woman) but make differences. Go to Mel's Blog and hover over the images to see the Before & Afters!

Nashville Engagment Photography Session - Chris & Holly

2009-06-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

We first met Chris & Holly over a year ago. They were engaged and planning their wedding for June 2009. The only downside to the bliss they were living in, was Chris was scheduled to be deployed a few short months later :(

Fast-forward to present day and Chris is back safe and sound and we can't WAIT to be a part of their wedding! They have invited us out to their non-rehearsal dinner & celebration at the Nashville Sounds' Stadium and we're excited to meet their families, eat food, and of course enjoy the amazing fireworks at the end of the evening!!

We did their engagement session just a few short days ago and wanted to share a few of those shots with you in honor of their wedding on Saturday at Riverwood Mansion.

We love the local flowers here in Franklin, TN at this time of year!

Thank-you Chris for what you do for our country.

Looking forward to seeing you guys!!!!!!! Can't wait for your wedding!!!

A Whole New Look...

2009-06-10T08:00:00.004-05:00

In this blog you will see the unmade face of Jody Gray. Yes, it's true. Raw & uncut :)

A month and a half ago I (Jody) was asked by my super cool and amazing stylist, Korie, to be a hair model for The REAL Unplugged Tour by Aveda coming to Nashville, TN on May 31st. Korie was asked to be one of the four featured local Nashville artists to demonstrate her mad skills on stage to those in attendance and I was glad to accommodate!

The process began two days before with the SUH-WEET Korie cutting only a little of my hair, and then color was done by the AMAZING Valerie. Val is an ARTIST when it comes to color and is THE color stylist you have to see if you want amazing color - whether you want to go for the funky look, or natural and stunning.

Val also does makeup and here she is the morning of the event working her magic on my face.

We waited in the wings as stylist & educator, Tristin Morrison shared with the attendees as well as demonstrated his own skills and techniques (never knew hair cutting was so complex!!).

Then it was time for us to go up in front of the crowd of over 400 Aveda hair stylists!

Korie working her magic...

Getting ready to chop my bangs - gulp!

The MC complimenting my "beautiful eyes" and interviewing Korie about the techniques used.

The great unveiling!

And now some close up photos of the art of Korie & Valerie taken in the lobby! But first, let's show a Before shot, shall we?

These shots were taken in the Sheraton Hotel lobby in Nashville, TN

And here is Korie & I! Isnt't she adorable?

Now you may be thinking to yourself, "That's cool you have a hairstyle that YOU dig and fits you, but my look is totally different..." or maybe you don't even know what looks good on you and you are desperate for a change.

Never fear! Call Unruli salon in Franklin, TN (an Aveda concept salon) and the stylists there are trained to give you what you are looking for and what looks best and most flattering on you.

I never realized how complicated hair could be until I started listening to Tristan speak and Korie explain the different cutting styles that she was doing on my hair. REAL stylists pay attention to not only your face shape, but body type, how much change you are looking for (or not!), how well you take care of your hair, what you like and/or don't like about your current hair, and so many other factors and then they give you a cut that fits YOU.

All that to say, Korie & Val are absolutely amazing, and Uli who owns Unruli salon is a master of hair himself and a great man as well.

So for those of you who desperately need a change... you now know where to go - I did it and so can you! :)

Thanks for reading!

A Nashville Wedding - Simon + Erin - Sneak Peek!

2009-06-08T08:00:00.004-05:00

About a month and a half ago we had the privileged of meeting a really wonderful couple. Yes, it seems like all of our couples are wonderful - and they are - but this couple was super exceptional :)

Simon & Erin's love for each other and for the Lord is so evident that one can't help but be THRILLED in being part of their wedding day.

There are a million photos we want to put up right now (ok, actually only 64), but we're holding back for now :)

Enjoy the sneak peek!

Love this shot of the mother of the bride to be!

We loved how the colors worked so well together and the white roses were suh-weet!

Simon's tuxedo is slammin cool!

Love the classic wedding look here!

The parents of the bride looking on during the couples first dance...

Love this exit with the rice and the massive dip!

This wedding was made possible by the planning of Megan Lassiter, owner & founder of Christine Keith Events.

Look forward to seeing you guys and hanging out as married couples!! :)

If you would like to be notified once Simon & Erin's images are available for viewing, click HERE to sign the virtual guestbook and to receive a gift certificate toward the purchase of images.

A Nashville Wedding Today at Belle Meade Plantation

2009-06-06T08:27:00.002-05:00

It seems like it was forever ago when we met Autumn & Jeremy, but their wedding has finally arrived!!!

Today we will be capturing their wedding day which they have been waiting for, for a long time!

Wedding photos to come!

True Rockstars - RockBand, Live in the Flesh!

2009-06-05T07:30:00.001-05:00

The other night we got to relive Zach's glory days of when he used to play (guitar) and tour. We hung out with our friends Andy & Karyn and got to brush up on our band skills. We had a very supportive audience as well... Hailey thought we were amazing...

Apparently I'm not as great at drumming as I was last time... these guys actually had the kick drum hooked up!! Didn't even know there was a kick drum to rock band... *sighs*

For more of Zach's mad performing skills & lip syncing abilities, this little video might contain a special something for you...

Ah, the little joys in life... :)

Featured on With This Ring Blog!

2009-06-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

We had the honor of having our latest wedding featured on the With This Ring blog! Darci is the genius behind With This Ring and if you have yet to visit her blog - you must!

To see more and read the blog visit With This Ring.

If you enjoyed Darci's With This Ring blog, feel free to check our her other blog which covers topics other than weddings - With This Nest!

Your Are Invited! Guest Speaking at "Doing Social Media RIGHT"

2009-06-01T07:00:00.003-05:00

Zach & I are excited to be a part of a great event that we hope will really educate, encourage and enable other vendors to keep their businesses current with the continually changing times.

Ever wonder how a certain vendor tends to have a huge following or online presence or everyone seems to know about them, which in turn drives more business to them? What's the trick? What's the secret? What are they doing that you are not?

Come to Doing Social Media RIGHT, brought to you by A Magical Affair.
__________

Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Youtube, Linkedin, Plaxo, Blogger, Blogspot, Wordpress - all of these are words we are getting use to hearing on a daily basis but do we know how to effectively use them?

Join Chrisitne Boulton - Owner and Creator of Think Like a Bride and learn how to take your wedding business to the next level!!

Guest Speakers Zach and Jody Gray - The Fabulous Husband and Wife Photography Team of Gray Photography will be speaking on the importance of blogs and what they are all about!!!

This fun filled day will consist of other wonderful guest speakers who are making their mark in the wedding world with the use of social networking. Not sure what social networking is or if it is right for you? Join us and see where your computer can take you!

Lunch will be provided and laptops are optional!

Date: Monday, June 29th, 9:00am-5:00pm (DATE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO JUNE 29th!)

Cost: $55.00

To Register or for more info, Click Here

__________

We live in such changing times and the success to your business staying alive is the ability to adapt.

Christine Boulton (speaker at Doing Social Media Right) from Think Like A Bride, sent us the link to the below video and we wanted to share it with you all. Just a little something to make you think...

We live in a time & age where technology is not only abounding but exploding... are you keeping up?

Our Latest Baby... A New Camera

2009-05-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

Sorry, we are not pregnant but we did get something that's about the same cost as having a baby! Welcome home our 5D Mark II! Ok, so we have had this for about a month but we've had so much other stuff going on to blog about that it's better late than never!

It's like Christmas in the spring...

So, why a new camera and what can it do? Pretty much everything except make us breakfast, that's what!

This camera is pretty awesome and shoots really hi ISO images (geek talk for the camera's sensitivity to light) all the way up to 25,000, it automatically cleans dust off of the images by using ultra sonic vibrations, it takes 1080p high definition video and it produces ultra smooth 14bit depth images at a whopping 21.1 megapixel size. The camera also has many other cool new features that the old cameras do not have and all for a relatively low price in comparison to other cameras on the market. But what it really does well is this:

Welcome home baby...

Nashville's Newest & Hottest Venue - The Red House

2009-05-27T07:30:00.003-05:00

Last Tuesday we had the honor of being one of the selected photographers to cover an amazing event at The Red House.

If you have yet to mosey on over to The Red House located in downtown Franklin, you must visit! The Red House is an AMAZING & hip event space and Laura Hill, the owner has done a fantastic job renovating & decorating the home.

This event featured some of the best vendors in Nashville & we were glad we were able to be a part of it and capture it all!

The Vendors:

Thanks also goes out to Faccio Bridal for providing the wedding gown, and a special thanks to the beautiful bride-to-be Chelsea for modeling!

Images for your enjoyment:

The is such a great spot for an outdoor or indoor wedding and reception!

This is the Red Room as you can see! The bride looked super cool in this wedding dress by Faccio Bridal.

Great wedding flowers by Jimm Wright.

It is possible to have a ceremony on the front lawn of The Red House! Full picture view coming

Some awesome wedding cakes by Maples Cakes!

Whew! That's a lot of photos! Sorry, it was hard to narrow them down and these aren't even all of them! :)

Next time you have an event that you are looking for a venue to hold it at - think of The Red House.

A Motherly Visit - Dave Ramsey Headquarters

2009-05-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Memorial Day!!

This weekend Zach & I were blessed with the presence of my mom coming into town :) She flew in Thursday and leaves this morning. Yesterday (Sunday) we drove to Berea, KY for my little sister's college graduation! What a whirlwind these last few days have been and super fun.

Here are a few photos from the first portion of mom's visit!

In line at the DELICIOUS and famous Pancake Pantry

The food is so yummy I STILL have a thumbs up in this photo (doesn't my mom look great?)

One of the highlights of her visit was taking her to Financial Peace Plaza, the headquarters of Dave Ramsey's radio station, as well as businesses. We had our wonderful friend, Cliff, give us the in-depth special tour.

In the newly renovated lobby...

Free goodies for the 80+ visitors who come in every day...

Check out the menu a bit closer...

Mom with her Debt Snowball Cupcake!

Some super cool stickers in the gift shop...

Peeping into the studio window where Dave broadcasts his radio show live every weekday from 1-4pm & records his FOX business show segment every morning.

Unfortunately, Dave was out of town for the Memorial Day weekend, but there's always next time!

Creative plaques/artwork/whatever choice words you would like to use for people who are no longer living life bound to credit cards. There are some creative people out there!

Dave's company has been awarded Nashville Business Journal's Best Places to Work for the last 3 years. Dave takes amazing care of his employees, and if we weren't doing photography, we'd want to work for Dave. Dave is the real thing and a great person on & off the air.

We wrapped our trip up with a pic in front of the sign & of the building so my mom can make all of her other Dave Ramsey friends envious :)

Dave's principles of living financially responsible has revolutionized the way that Zach & I live and has changed our lives for forever. We took Financial Peace University when we first got married and we will never live the same again.

If you have never heard of Dave or your money seems to never work for you, we challenge you to read The Total Money Makeover (currently having a $10 sale on all Books, CDs and DVDs on the site!) and visit Dave's homepage for more information and some really cool financial tools as well.

Hope you have a FANTASTIC week, and if you ever want to hear more how our lives have been revolutionized by living fiscally responsibly, we'd love to sit down & share more over coffee!

Our Idea of Heaven... Music We Love

2009-05-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

We have sooooooo many people asking about & complimenting us on the music we have on our website, especially the first song, so we thought we would share with the masses!

Leigh Nash is the singer of the first song you hear - "My Idea of Heaven" from the album Blue on Blue.

Watch the music video below. Favorite part - the old couple near the end!

Leigh was the lead singer of the former band Sixpence None The Richer who had the hit song "Kiss Me" a few years ago. Blue on Blue is Leigh's solo album.

So what's your idea of heaven? :)

Published Twice: Her Nashville!

2009-05-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

This month we have the privileged of being published in Nashville's coolest women's magazine, not once, but twice!

If you have yet to pick up a Her Nashville, you totally should! It's a great read, with good articles that are fun and entertaining.

The magazine features the weddings of Jeff & Heidi...

and Sabrina & Patrick!

And the issue...

Congrats you guys! :)

IN-CAMERA Nashville Photography Workshops - Going Worldwide

2009-05-18T08:00:00.007-05:00

(**Note** If you have found this blog post via internet searches, please visit the Photographer's area on our website and/or our new blog for the most updated photography Workshop information!)

This post is scheduled to go up Monday morning, and depending on when you're reading this (on Monday) we are either 1) hosting the 2nd IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post Workshop, or 2) if it's in the evening, we are with the sold-out IN-CAMERA: Light workshop attendees for Part II of their two-day spanning workshop.

It has been a blast holding these workshops here in our home-town of Nashville,. TN and we are looking forward to moving on with planning the out of state & country workshops that we have been contacted about!

If you have yet to reach out to us about bringing our workshops to your area, please email us at INCAMERA@GrayPhotograph.com. We travel worldwide and would really love to bring one to Hawaii! Hint, hint! ; )

Below are some topics we share/teach on and can lead a workshop covering a few different combined items:

Website Marketing: Are images really enough? – Standing out amid the rest by branding yourself on your site
The Most Valuable Advertising – Utilizing Clients & Vendors to be your biggest advertisers
Creating Balance – Having your business work for you and not you for your business
Pricing – What to charge and how to charge it
Client Meetings – How to utilize your client meetings to your advantage and book a higher percentage
Advanced off camera lighting including multiple strobes
Lighting ratios – Controlling different light sources to give your images the look you want
Advanced composition & Leading Lines – Giving your images more visual power
Exposure – How to properly use the histogram, LCD, the in-camera meter as well as a hand-held meter
Accurate Color – In-camera custom white balancing techniques
Post Production Workflow – How to edit 1,200 images in 2.5 hours

Have a great start to your week and stay tuned for a full workshop blog post as well as some weddings, and a special announcement :)

A Squirrelly Friday Post...

2009-05-15T10:06:00.009-05:00

Holy cow - it's Friday! Where in the world has this week gone? Unbelievable!

In honor of Friday, I (Jody) thought I would share something that's a little different than usual. I take full responsibility of this post, but it cracked me up so hard I just have to share it. There are so many other things we have to post on, but this most definitely deserves a Friday Shoutout.

Background:
I, Jody, went to Berea College in KY, which my younger sister is now attending and getting ready to graduate from! Berea is known for it's over population of squirrels and I was shopping around for a gift for my sister when Zach & I walked into Pangea (one of the coolest knick-knack stores in Nashville), and low-and-behold, my eyes landed on this:

Oh, yes, what you're seeing is real... and yes, I bought it for her :)

And for those who can't make out what the writing says on the back... here is a closer view for some extra laughs...

And yes, folks, the website on the back does exist - Small Animal Decency.com.

And to get a little more specific, you can watch a Squirrel underpants promo video and read testimonials here Squirrel Underpants.com!

1. I want to know who came up with this idea....

2. Who actually buys it??? (Um, besides me :)

Am I just weird or does it make anyone else laugh as well?

Happy Friday!!! :)

A Nashville Wedding! Clover & Emerson - The Hermitage Hotel & West End United Methodist

2009-05-12T15:00:00.004-05:00

Brace yourselves - this is a big blog! :)

What do you get when you combine an artist with a med student? A beautiful couple and a beautiful wedding!

We had the honor or shooting Clover & Emerson's wedding this weekend and it was fantastic! The rain held off and everyone and everything went so smoothly :) What a great group of people and a wonderful celebration!

Enjoy the images!

The beautiful wedding flowers you will see throughout this whole blog were done by Bonnie of Belles Fleurs Custom Floral Designs. Gorgeous! The bride also had a slammin cool wedding dress!

All hair and make up was done by Harlow Salon of Nashville, TN.

Have to let some of the fun faces come out every now and then! :)

In the cool church in the background is West End United Methodist Church of Nashville, TN.

Love the short stylish bridesmaids dresses!

Great bridesmaids shoes too (photo by Jody the hottie)!

Love the lily boutonnieres!

We shot some of the groomsmen shots right across the street on Vanderbilt because most of them attended the college.

The groom and groomsmen all went to Vanderbilt together and wanted to shoot there.

Elaine, the super wonderful wedding planner with Clover right before the ceremony begins (more on Elaine below!)

For those photo geeks out there, this image was taken at 6400 ISO and looks AMAZING! Canon 5D mark 2, you are my hero.

Love the walk down the isle! So classy!

Bride and groom portraits are our favorite!

The reception was held at the elegant & beautiful Hermitage Hotel. Joann & her staff did an amazing job and the place looked great!

This shot was in the main Lobby of the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, TN and has the most elegant ceiling you have ever seen!

This gorgeous wedding cake was made by Dulce Desserts!

Ahhh... the bride and grooms first dance...

Of course, these guys hired the best band in town - Blue Tone Music

Fun time with the wedding rings!

If you would like to be notified once Clover & Emerson's images are available for viewing, click HERE to sign the virtual guestbook and to receive a gift certificate toward the purchase of images.

Time to share a bit on Elaine!

Elaine Roberts of Events By Elaine played a great part in this wedding. For Clover & Emerson, her role was helping Clover find some of her vendors, and then do rehearsal & day of wedding coordination. As much as Elaine tried to avoid being in the shots we took - we nabbed a few of her!

ALL BRIDES LISTEN TO US CAREFULLY- as much as you may like to plan everything all on your own and think you don't need a coordinator - YOU DO! No bride who we have ever worked with has EVER regretted the investment of a coordinator. They are lifesavers! If you don't want to do the full-blown option of having a coordinator through the whole planning process, there are coordinators like Elaine, who offer week-of or day-of coordination. Better to have your planner managing all of the little things that come up the week and day of than your mom or other family who is supposed to be enjoying the day!

Getting off the soap box now.. :)

Clover & Emerson - you two are wonderful and we can't wait until we see you again!!!!!!

Enjoy your honeymoon!!!!!!!

A Nashville Wedding Sneak Peek - Clover & Emerson

2009-05-12T11:00:00.005-05:00

We know some of you are anxiously awaiting a post so we thought we would give you a little something to hold you over until later this afternoon!

Here is a quick glance into the wedding of Clover & Emerson! More images later this afternoon!

Nashville IN-CAMERA Photography Workshop Completed!

2009-05-07T00:01:00.002-05:00

(**Note** If you have found this blog post via internet searches, please visit the Photographer's area on our website and/or our new blog for the most updated photography Workshop information!)

"Great day! Super informative!"

"AMAZING class!"

"I seriously learned more here than anywhere!"

"It was amazing at how well the photos turned out, and I didn't have to do any editing to them!"

"Thank you for helping me conquer manual mode!"

"Loved it!"

"Great experience"

"Fabulous!"

"The class was amazing"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The above are just a few comments that we have received since the IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post workshop on Sunday! We had an amazing time this past Sunday afternoon, despite the rainy weather! We had 13 students for this sold out workshop and we all had a blast shooting together and talking shop ALL day. :)

It was great to meet so many different photographers from different places and to see everyone get so excited to get such great images right in the camera (which is what these workshops are all about!). We had students from Nashville and the surrounding areas, and students who came all the way from Kentucky, Alabama, and Arkansas. The award for longest distance traveled goes to Melissa with an 8 hour drive! :)

The day began with some class time at our studio in good 'ol downtown Nashville, TN... (photos complements of Kristine Neeley)

Next, we headed off for lunch and then the hands-on shooting & learning time began! We started off as a whole group doing some stuff with 'el natural light and then split into two groups so people could get lots of time shooting with flash as well as natural light at the same time. Oooh ahhh!

Here are some behind the scenes shots of the hands on class time, some of the set-ups, and then some images from Jody and I and from the students that we took of our awesome models Lindsey and Dustin. Enjoy!!

Here we are talking through the basic flash set up that we used for some of the shots

I love this image! Everyone looks so intent on nailing the perfect shot!

As you can see, it was pretty rainy!

Here is Jody at another setup talking through the dynamics of available light and using it to one's advantage with an amazing thing called a reflector!

Shooting away!

Here are two that I (Zach) took while demonstrating how to shoot the first flash set up.

And one with just the reflector used for adding light

Here is one that Jody took while demonstrating how to capture a correct exposure and white balance.

This shot belongs to the awesome MD Laidlaw

Here is one from the amazing Kristine Neeley

This one is from the super cool Da Norm

Here is a really cool one from Abiola

Here is a great shot from Wes Brown Wes Brown

After the shooting time, we all headed back to the studio for some snacks and then got into the post-production side. We went through our entire workflow and showed students the whole process from importing and organization, to editing and preparing the image for the final print.

It was an awesome day and we have received tons of amazing responses from all of our attending students (the workshop received 5 out of 5 on the exit surveys!) saying that the class was extremely helpful in giving them the tools to shoot photos the way they want in the camera without having to spend tons of time in Photoshop making them look they way they want. Mission accomplished.

You guys are all the best and we look forward to the next two workshops that are coming up the weekend of the 17th! There are a few spots left for this same class that we are hosting on Monday the 18th, so check out our website to sign up!

And lastly, here is the whole crew taken by one of our awesome assistants Cliff Neeley!!

Everyone who attended, feel free to leave us some comments and let us & others know about your experience!

Sneak Peek - Ashley Carol & Eli! A Nashville Wedding at Cheekwood

2009-05-04T07:00:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we shot an absolutely beautiful wedding at Cheekwood and are excited to share a little sneak peek with you!

Helen Morisette coordinated this wedding and did an amazing job along with Jennifer Byler and her staff of Cheekwood Botanical Gardens capturing Ashley Carol's vision for the day.

The mother of the bride lookin on and the groom too!

The whole bridal party working it!

Love the details at this reception!

Some other awesome vendors who helped make this day happen (whose work we will show more in our next blog of this wedding):

Band: Familiar Faces
Cake - The Sweetest Day
Florist - The English Garden by Terry White

The Jag Ashley Carol & Eli drove away in Matchless Limosine!
Beautiful ceremony string music - Wedding Musician's Company
Fun photoboothing :o) - Photo Booth Nashville
Rentals - Music City Tents & Events

That's all for now! Stay tuned for more!!

A Nashville Makeup Shoot - The Before & After!

2009-05-01T11:34:00.012-05:00

It has been a busy week! We had a beautiful wedding last weekend at Cheekwood (will give a sneak peek on Monday!) and have been working on our IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post workshop for this weekend! It's going to be a full house and we're praying the rain stays away!

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the blog below!

Some brides choose to do their own makeup for their wedding day. Some brides hire a professional makeup artist.

What do we suggest?

Hire a pro!! A professional artist knows all the tricks of the trade and it's their art, talent, and ability that will bring out the areas that flatter you the most, and conceal the ones that maybe you want de-emphasizing. :) A great makeup artist also knows how to apply makeup that looks awesome for photography (but doesn't look like overkill in person), which is a bit different than the normal every day makeup.

The other week we worked with makeup artist Sherita Leslie in Nashville. Models were brought in to help show the latest trends in makeup. To read her guest post on Ashley's Bride Guide follow this link to Ashley's Blog.

The shoot took place in our studio space downtown Nashville...

Me working on some marketing while we wait for the models to get ready.

The ever-so-cute Sherita with one of the lovely models :)

Now some Before & After shots!

Isn't it amazing the difference great hair & makeup can make??

Have a great weekend!!

Building a House! - Nashville Wedding Vendors Team Up Together with Habitat for Humanity

2009-04-28T22:51:00.011-05:00

It was 5:50 am, Sunday morning... my body felt like it had barely recuperated from the wedding we shot only 5 hours before. I could feel the last bit of ache in my legs, slight headache from not getting enough sleep, and I rolled over to look at my sound asleep husband and I asked myself...

Why did we agree to do this again?

As we dragged ourselves out of bed, put clothes on our weary bodies, brushed our teeth and headed off to Starbucks for the coveted Carmel & Vanilla lattes, we began to wake up...

Thirty minutes later we found ourselves at the Habitat for Humanity build site. The cobwebs in our brains diminished and we could feel the excitement as we joined all the other volunteers for the morning safety meeting as we prepared ourselves for BUILDING A HOUSE!

Yes, you heard that right - Zach and I helped build a house! This is my second time doing this with Habitat, Zach's first - and we really had a great time. Zach and I are a part of a group - TWESA (Tennessee Wedding and Event Specialists Association) and the group signed up to help support and build a home for Ayalew and his two sons.

This is Ayalew!

We'll show some pictures from the day and then share a bit more about what exactly Habitat for Humanity is/does for those who may not know.

This is a view from the neighboring house where only the foundation has been laid... so far!

Name tags for all - very important!

Getting our Fierceness on! (Me, Kathy with Kathy with Kathy Ziegler Art & Photography, Amanda with Evan Baines Photography)

More safety instruction..
(the sole woman in this photo is Vicki from Branching Out Event Florist)

Getting our work aprons!... or whatever they are called. I'm sure there's a more manly name for them... (David, owner of Blue Tone Music)

Safety first! Evan (from Evan Baines Photography) was our designated on-site Safety Coordinator. Evan has intense training from his former life as a Special Forced Medical Sergeant in the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in the US Army! Sooo if you ever want a wedding photographer/medic - he is your man!!! Evan was prepared for the worst (a cut finger)... and also made sure no one passed out from the heat :)

Being instructed!
(Side note - Harvey to my left is 81 years old and has helped build over 250 Habitat homes. He still volunteers his time and skills to Habitat to this day!)

Following instructions!

What a man..

(Ritch, wife of Erin who you will see coming up who works for Blue Tone Music)

(one of Habitat's lead instructors on the site)

(Atik and his wife in the blue from Stoneybrook, if I remember correctly, Erin from Loews Vanderbilt, and Ayalew the homeowner)

(Susie from Susie's Sweets)

(Patti from Hilton Garden Inn)

(Nelson, husband of Jacqueline of Jacqueline's Bridal, and Jack of Silent Light Images)

(Erin who works for Blue Tone Music)

The window installing team! Yes, we actually put the windows of the house in... amazing, I know..

Stocking the water - very important!!

(L to Right, Patti, Mary Weary of Menu Maker Catering and Christine from Think Like A Bride)

Superman

(top 3 people, Pam with Ribbons of Chocolate, Ayalew, and Christine!)

And the group!!

We had a blast and are so glad that we went!

For those who don't know, Habitat for Humanity International is an "international, non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world." All of the homes are built from volunteer labor and donations. Habitat houses are sold to partner qualifying families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The cool thing is the homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.

Most importantly Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor (sweat equity) into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. Pretty cool!!

To read more about Habitat and how it works, check out their fact page.

Hope you all enjoyed the photos! If you are interested in helping out with a Habitat build (we would love to get a group together and do it again!) or want to donate, comment below or shoot us an email!

A house that love built

Ayalew pausing for a moment taking it all in.

IN-CAMERA: Basics Photography Workshop - Completed! (And workshop class added!)

2009-04-27T16:56:00.009-05:00

(**Note** If you have found this blog post via internet searches, please visit the Photographer's area on our website and/or our new blog for the most updated photography Workshop information!)

Earlier this month, on April 11th, began the start of our Spring 2009 Photography workshops!

A few comments from the day...

"Thanks for the workshop - it rocked!!!"

"It was awesome and I learned alot!!! Thanks you guys, for everything!"

"It was a blast"

"I cannot thank-you enough for the instruction you and Zach gave in the workshop... thank you, thank you, thank you again!"

Here are just a few pics to highlight the shooting part of the day...

Goofing off...

Most of the group at the end of the day!

Click here
to see some of the work of one of the class attendees from the workshop - MD of Laidlaw Photography!!

We are so excited about the IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post workshop this Sunday! It's going to be a full class and we are pumped!!!

Just a reminder that we have officially added an additional IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post workshop for Monday, May 18th for $199. To register please visit Gray Photography and go to our Workshop web page!

A Nashville Engagment Session

2009-04-24T15:14:00.004-05:00

Ah! What a busy week and a busy weekend to come!

Remember this lovely couple?

Their wedding is tomorrow and we can't wait for it!!!!!!!! Stay tuned for a sneak peek next week from the big day at Cheekwood!

So excited for you, Eli & Ashley Carol!

A Nashville Wedding Sneak Peek - Rich & Amy!

2009-04-22T13:32:00.008-05:00

This past weekend we shot the wedding of a super awesome couple - Rich & Amy!! Their wedding took place at the beautiful West Meade Mansion and was coordinated by the AMAZING Mary Natalie. More on this amazing gal on the full blog that we do!

The wedding day couldn't be more perfect and yes, even the rain held off for us until late at night.

Here is a sneak peek of their gorgeous and elaborately planned wedding - enjoy these for now!!

By the way, the bride totally looks like Julia Styles in some of her shots!!

Love the colors of the bridesmaids dresses!

The groom and groomsmen working the tails!

The bride and her mom!

The reception took place by the pool and tennis courts...

Love this look on the brides face during the first dance!

That's all for now - just enough to keep you coming ;o)

Enjoy Hawaii you two!!!!! Can't wait to hang once you get back!!!

A Chocolate Filled Adornments Open House!

2009-04-21T17:30:00.003-05:00

Want to browse the latest in custom made jewelry and invitations, while mingling with other wedding professionals, brides and their families?

Want to have some delicious fresh, handmade, European style chocolates from the Schakolad Chocolate Factory?

Want to speak directly with the designers who will be in house INCLUDING Charlie Thompson maker of Titanium Wood Inlay rings while listening to the live music from Jack Grant?

Want to be the recipient of the Adornments give-a-way of a pendant to one lucky attendee?

If so, come to the Adornments Open House THIS Sunday (April 25th) from 2-5 pm at the Factory in Franklin (2nd floor)! It's going to be an awesome time!

Hope to see you there!

For more information visit the Adornments Blog!

Published! Southern Weddings Magazine Blog

2009-04-20T11:02:00.008-05:00

We had the awesome privileged of being published in Southern Weddings Magazine Blog, and not just one post but two!

They featured Meagan & Jerry Grosvenor's Nashville wedding and did a great job displaying all the images and sharing about the wedding and fantastic group of vendors who came together and pulled this event off.

They really showcased some of the awesome wedding details from this wedding!

To read both posts visit these two links:
Part I & Part II.

For those who may be wondering about our amazing wedding we had this weekend with Rich & Amy - stay tuned for a sneak peek coming super soon!!!

A Nashville Family Session & Healthy Living!

2009-04-17T11:00:00.006-05:00

Awhile ago we did a little peek into a family shoot and we thought we would share a little bit more photos as well as about the Family. Meet Nathan & Jenni Oates & their adorable children.

We have known these guys for almost 2 years now and they have been such a blessing and encouragement to Zach and I. Nathan & Jenni have an amazing story of devastation & hope that involves the loss of their 3rd child, Hosea, their first son. Their honesty, faith and story of healing is a testimony and a real encouragement.

Not only are they an encouragement in an emotional and spiritual sense, but they also are a very health & green conscious family which inspires us to take better care of our own bodies as well.

Nathan & Jenni work with Shaklee which is the leading natural nutrition company in the United States. (To the left: Shaklee on Oprah).

Jenni struggled with anorexia in high school rendering her body unable to fully re-coup even after years of eating correctly again. Shaklee changed that for her. Nathan's brother had inoperable cancer in his eyes with the only option to find the best nutritional company and pray that it worked. One and a half years later his cancer is fully gone and no trace of it has come back in the last 10 years.

Nathan & Jenni told us, "Once your life has been changed by something, you want other people to know about it. So that's what we do... we take great products and then share them with other people in hopes that their lives will be changed too." To read more of their personal story visit their blog.

The body is a powerful tool and sometimes just lacks the right oomph that it needs :)

I (Jody) grew up with my mom very into taking natural supplements and she always swore by Shaklee. She would tell me that tests were done with Shaklee stacked against other supposedly nutritious other supplements and vitamins and Shaklee tested the highest for the vitamins actually going in and STAYING in your system instead of just going out the other end if you know what I mean :)

Not only does Shaklee do vitamin stuff (like my professional lingo?) but they also do health weight management, healthy beauty products, and healthy home products including pure air and water systems.

There is such a huge movement to GO GREEN and be healthy, and Shaklee makes that easily possible for the average person.

To find out more about Shaklee, visit the site, and if you're looking for great, constant info on healthy living, check out Nathan & Jenni's Creating Healthier Lives blog. If you read back far enough you might even see our lovely mugs :)

This evening and Friday the 24th, Nathan & Jenni are hosting A Healthy Home Makeover with food & snacks and great info about life & health. If you're interested in attending, contact them via their contact page on their site and you'll be in for a treat!

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! We are shooting Rich & Amy's wedding this weekend in Belle Meade with one of the coolest coordinators in Nashville & we are PUMPED! Can't wait, Amy & Rich!!!!!!

This is Amy at her Birthday party a few months ago :)

Shaklee

Nashville Family Portrait Session - The McGaugheys

2009-04-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday we did a Lifestyle Session for one of the kindest families. You may remember Mel who we did a promo shoot of a little bit ago who is also a photographer (The Velvet Trunk). Well, her parents and twin sister (I've always wanted a twin!) came in town from Texas, and we shot at 'em with our Canons. :)

We hit a few different spots around downtown Franklin and had such a nice time. Her sister is so sweet and kind just like Mel, and her parents are really wonderful. They have been married 40 years and they are so in love!

Check out some of the shots we captured...

A little behind-the-scenes shot I took while Zach was shooting with the strobe...

Don't they look so happy together? :) What a great example for those of us who are practically just starting our marriages....

No behind-the-scenes shot on this one, but this was taken by me when I was shooting the sisters. I was shooting with just the natural surrounding light and we wanted to make sure their eyes looked nice and bright (got to love a good catch light) so Zach grabbed the reflector and "popped" some light on them. Yay teamwork!

Next we had a wardrobe change and headed to downtown Franklin and then off to Carnton Plantation to make use of their field! :)

Group Photo!

Thank-you guys for making the shoot so enjoyable for us. Hope you had a safe flight back and next time we'll fly out to you guys!

Nashville Headshots - Rockin' it in non-Beautiful Places

2009-04-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

Our IN-CAMERA: Beginners workshop was this past Saturday and it went AWESOME! For those who are our Facebook Friends, you can already see two of the images taken that day, but no worries we will blog very shortly on it!

A few days ago we did some headshots for model Lindsey Kirkendall. She's always so easy to shoot and we had lots 'o fun. :)

Windy hair patrol! :)

Something we really enjoy is finding the "beauty in the ugly" and by ugly, we do not mean Lindsey :) Beauty can be found almost anywhere, especially if one is able to control his/her camera and gear in the way he/she wants to.

The shots you see above taken at a nice stone wall like the one below...

... were taken at a wall in an apartment complex!

The great thing about this spot is to the left was a white wall which reflected the setting sunlight. The light that hit Lindsey was soft, PERFECT light to have filling the shadows of the face. Awesome spot to shoot in!

The shots you see taken by the orangish cool background like this shot..

... wer taken by a big 'ol nasty storage unit.

Beauty in the ugly, my friends!

Thanks for reading! Hope you all had a great Easter!

Adding Additional Workshop Class - IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post

2009-04-10T16:00:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow begins our first run of our IN-CAMERA workshop series, beginning with IN-CAMERA: Basics! We are excited and are looking forward to seeing those of you who are coming!

Update to share: Due to demand, we have added an additional IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post class.

Date: Monday, May 18th
Approx Time: 9am - 5pm
Cost: $199

We have only 5 spots left, so if you are interested, please contact us via phone (815-670-6384) or email - INCAMERA@grayphotograph.com.

IN-CAMERA: Lighting update - 2 spots remaining.

A Nashville Artist Shoot on a Heli-pad + Free Music!

2009-04-08T11:00:00.005-05:00

We have been dying to post more on this artist shoot we did but have been holding off so we can simultaneously release it with a free download being offered (more info on the bottom)!!

As mentioned a few weekends ago on our Twitter as well as on a previous blog, we did a photo shoot of these amazing artists Joel & Luke. It was an absolute blast and started in our studio and then concluded at Vanderbilt Hospital. Yes, we said Hospital. No, we weren't shooting in any operating rooms - we were on top of the building shooting on their Emergency Helicopter Landing Pad as you will see in the below video!

We know you just want to see photos and the video so we'll have additional commentary at the end :)

The exhausted stylist with the boy's clothes strewn all about. Ha ha!

Onto the heli-pad with the help of the amazing staff at Vanderbilt Hospital and Life Flight. Thanks again guys!

And a little behind-the-scenes rockin' video of the day

The day was totally blessed! It's a bit hard to tell but it was cold and rather cloudy but that actually turned to our advantage! We were forewarned that if a helicopter was to land, we would have 5 minutes notice and would have to get all of our camera gear as well as their bass drum and piano (yes, piano) out of the way for the copter to land. However, because of the clouds, the helicopters were grounded and we were able to shoot for quite some time up there uninterrupted! The staff was amazing and the shoot was phenomenal. For those who skipped the video, we had lights, extension cords, cameras, old film cameras, a pro video camera, 2 Flips, a couple of iPhones, and I think that just about covers it! Even with the cold, the day was absolutely perfect. After we packed up our stuff and headed out of the hospital it began to rain... any sooner and we would have had to stop shooting. Amazing!

Some other props go out to super stylist Jenni Enno as well Steven Lester capturing professional B-roll (nothing compared to our little Flips). The day was amazing!

If you liked what you heard on the video, read the special message below from Joel & Luke!

Download Our (third party 'Joel & Luke's') Music FREE!! No strings attached!

That's right! Look at it like the 'Joel & Luke Stimulus Package'... In just a couple clicks you can have 5 of our tunes (plus a bonus track, and CD Cover) to stick on your iPod, burn to a CD, or blast out at a party... Whatever you want to do, the music is yours! Why did we do this? Because we can... Right now anyway.

All you've gotta do is, jump over to our MySpace (myspace.com/joelandluke), click on the link, and the song package will automatically download to your computer. We can only do this for a limited time though, so get "The Free Downloads" today!

We really appreciate your continued support!!

The best days are ahead.

J&L

Follow Joel & Luke on Twitter
Visit them on their Facebook Fan Page

Enjoy!!!

A Fun Date Day in Nashville!!!!!

2009-04-06T21:00:00.001-05:00

Our business is our baby. It's something Zach & I built together from the ground up and we pour a lot of time and effort into it. As important as it is, it's also really important to us to spend time together outside of our business.

We have been a part of a married couples Sunday School class for the last 3 years and we're all going through the book His Needs, Her Needs (great book to read, by the way). This week we were on Chapter 6 which addresses one of a male's most important needs: Recreational Companionship. It's important for a husband and a wife to have activities they can do and share together because it is such a huge bonding thing, especially for men.

Personally, we have found that recreational companionship is pretty high on both of our "lists." Luckily Zach & I get along really well (most of the time.. he he) and do most things together, but we try and always make some efforts to hang with NO business talking/planning/brainstorming allowed!

Take today for example... Sunshine + 73 degrees + Strong winds + Sponge Bob Square Pants kite + Local park + Subway + Velcro catch games = LOTS OF ZACH & JODY FUN! Enjoy the pics :)

Stopped at good 'ol Walmart and bought this Velcro-catch game that I (Jody) used to have growing up...

Took a studly pic of my husband and me in his reflection after we finished our Subway...

Posing it up with SPONGE-BOB (look at his cute little arms and legs!)

And then took Sponge Bob out for a ride in the air!!

Again, notice his little arms and legs billowing in the wind!! Aw, he's so cute!!

We had a lot of fun and it's always so refreshing to do something together and just hang out with no agenda besides having a nice time together. :)

Sometimes it's hard to think of things to do. What are some activities that you all like to do with other people whether it be with friends, spouse or boy/girlfriend, etc.? With the weather warming up there are definitely more options!

Nashville Photography Workshop Update - Filling Up!

2009-04-02T13:32:00.007-05:00

(**Note** If you have found this blog post via internet searches, please visit the Photographer's area on our website and/or our new blog for the most updated photography Workshop information!)

We are soooooo excited and cannot wait for our workshops to begin!

Just a little update on the classes for those who are interested and have yet to sign up: IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post & IN-CAMERA: Business is full and our IN-CAMERA: Lighting is about to be closed to registrants as well. We still have a few more openings for our IN-CAMERA: Basics, photography for beginners. Sign up on our website.

Due to continual interest, we are considering holding an additional IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post workshop. If you would like to sign up for the class, contact us at INCAMERA@grayphotograph.com and once we receive enough serious inquiries, we will schedule an additional date!

We can't wait and are looking forward to meeting and hanging with all of you who have signed up so far!!

A Nashville Wedding - Heidi + Jeff = Happy!

2009-03-31T06:00:00.004-05:00

Jeff and Heidi tied the knot this past Saturday and it was a gorgeous wedding right here in Franklin! Jeff and Heidi have become dear friends of ours over these past months and it was a real blessing for us to see them commit themselves to each other during the wedding ceremony. It was a very emotional wedding filled with prayers, tears, laughter and lots of joy! It was really wonderful and we are so glad that we were able to be a part of their big day and would not have traded it for anything.

Jody and I have shot quite a few weddings where rain has been in the forecast, and we always seem to perfectly avoid the torrential downpours. It has never rained during important picture taking times at any wedding we have ever done - it's pretty crazy. However, this past weekend we were pretty nervous because the forecast was suppose to be rain, rain, and more rain! Well, we spent a lot of time praying (and so did the bride and groom) and we had the most perfect weather right where we were having the wedding. We didn't find out until the next day when talking with friends that people in the surrounding area (only 6 miles away) had hail storms and even tornado warnings! It was soooo awesome!!

Onto the photos and there are plenty of them!!

Love the back of the wedding dress!

Heidi was such a gorgeous bride!

A little behind-the-scenes of Jody getting the awesome shot below! She is such a rock star wedding photographer!

We battled some winds that day, but no rain!

All the bridesmaids working it out!

Now onto the groom and groomsmen!

A heartfelt prayer before the ceremony began.

A little behind-the-scenes of how the next few shots were done.

Off to the reception!

Can't wait to hang out with you two when you get back from ST. Lucia!! We love you guys!!

Nashville Photography Workshop Update!

2009-03-30T08:40:00.003-05:00

(**Note** If you have found this blog post via internet searches, please visit the Photographer's area on our website and/or our new blog for the most updated photography Workshop information!)

Happy Monday! We hope your week is off to a great start so far!

Our workshops have been open for registration for only just about 2 weeks and the classes have been filling up! For those who want to come and have yet to sign up, the early bird offer expires in two days (April 1st), so register now now to receive the great rate!

For our out-of-state readers, we are currently talking with HI, CA, OH, NY, MI, MN & CT in bringing the workshops out there. If you are reading this from any of those states and are interested in participating in the workshop, let us know!

If you aren't from any of those states and are interested in bringing any of our IN-CAMERA workshops to your own state (or a custom-tailored workshop), contact us us at INCAMERA@grayphotograph.com.

Joel & Luke Artist Shoot

2009-03-26T16:32:00.005-05:00

For those of you who follow us on Twitter, you know that we did a sweet shoot of the rock-star Artists Joel & Luke recently and it was awesome! Joel and Luke will be doing an online launch in the next week with a free download of one of their songs from their new EP and we are going to do a more extensive blog when that hits with some other cool treats, but until then, here are a few teaser shots!

Saturday Facelifts!

2009-03-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

We always get a little flak here and there from others who have been pulled in to the slick marketing of Mac computers and feel that it is the only way to go... for those of you who don't know, we are PC users (yup, read that again). However, we were at Best Buy the other day and we finally used a Mac for something! It had us pulled in for at least a good 20 minutes. We have realized what the pull is for Mac users!!!

Check out our short, very entertaining video (well, we think it is).. ha ha.. (it gets really good 18 seconds in... voices and everything!)

Ahh... good times...

Would you like some Relish with your Invitations?

2009-03-23T12:01:00.003-05:00

This post has been too long in coming! It is finally time to share with our blog readers the suh-weet ladies of RELISH!!

(L to R - Stephanie, Leann, Rebecca)

Once again, Zach and I would like to take you back to our days of wedding planning. We like to think we're a cool, vibe-a licious couple, and we wanted invitations to reflect that! Well no can do. We had the hardest time finding invitations that were cool and reflected us. Sooooooo we resorted to making our own invitations. I do say so myself that they turned out pretty well, but it took a lot of time and who has tons of time when you're planning you're wedding?? Well, never fear - there are new ways now to do your invitations!!!!!

At least a month or so ago we visited the offices of the Relish Gals! We hung out with Stephanie & Rebecca (founders), met Leann Cooper (Chairwoman), Dustin (production manager) and just had a grand 'ol time :) These ladies are setting the trend with invitations, and on their site you can create your very own custom invitations, and the best part - you don't have to assemble them!!!!! The staff at Relish does all the work! They do invitations of all kinds - not just wedding invites! The options are endless.

Make sure to check out their blog as well as website!

To see their video interview with Ashley from
Ashley's Bride Guide click
here.

Wedding invitation making with Relish is truly an experience!

Now here is us with the ladies :)

20,000 Hits and Counting

2009-03-22T12:56:00.013-05:00

A little over eight months ago we started our blog. The first month we had a whopping 918 unique visits (lol) and this past week we have hit the 20,000 mark with over 32,500 page views. This does not even include all of you who are subscribed via readers or RSS feeds...

Thanks to Google Analytics we see that some of you follow us from around the world! From good 'ol Canada to Argentina, from Norway to China, from New Zealand to South Africa... Even small (but not insignificant!) places like Portugal, Turkey & even the Philippines to name a few. Wow.

Just a small thank-you to those who follow us along in our photographer adventures and into our personal lives as well. We do this for you! If there's anything in particular that you love reading about, or have questions about - let us know either by commenting or via email and we will make sure to do more of it and answer your questions!

Blessings!

Speaking, Yale & The Cutest Dog Ever

2009-03-20T10:29:00.010-05:00

We are back home in Nashville and it's funny to think that we were just in CT yesterday! We had a great visit with friends & fantabulous photographers Justin & Mary (who are some of the most awesome Connecticut wedding photographers you will ever meet!), and of course with their super cute dog Cooper, and also had such a great time at their PUG.

Like we had mentioned, we were scheduled to speak at Justin & Mary's photographer group they head up and it was really great. We had a blast meeting other photographers and talking & sharing ideas. Their PUG is HUGE and the place was packed out. Head on over to Justin & Mary's blogsite to read about the evening and to see some pics that were taken.

We stayed late at the PUG talking with everyone and hanging out. Finally, as the crowd diminished, we ordered some Chinese for the last few CT photographers still standing!!

During our visit to Connecticut, we also got to walk around Yale University! Mary graduated from Yale Law and so we got the special tour including peeping into the Harry Potter looking cafeteria... sorry, no pics of that...

Car ride there in their cute Mini-Cooper...

Zach turning the back seat of the car into a photo shoot...

My YUMMY paninni at this cool bookstore/cafe that we ate lunch at...

Yale.... I feel smart just looking at this picture...

This is the secret society building featured in film THE SKULLS. . .. no windows... locks on the doors... SCARY!

This is the main gathering area where graduation is held...

This cracked us up, especially Zach! Now THAT's a good bike lock!

And of course we have to show Justin & Mary's super cute and well-trained dog, Cooper. Isn't he precious??

We had such a great time and can't wait to visit again... Thanks for reading!!

Went to New Haven, CT & Got Shot!

2009-03-18T00:31:00.008-05:00

Awwwwwww snap! What a day it was today!... well, technically it's 2:01 AM so what a day yesterday was!

After sleeping in a bit, and then waking up and eating a home-cooked breakfast by our great hosts, and chatting & chilling, we got ready for our photo shoot! After searching the mall for some shoes & a late lunch at Moe's, the shoot began!

Seeing that we are photographers it's always interesting for us to get in front of the camera. We had a really fun time and it's always cool to see the dynamic of other husband/wife photography duos. These guys are a total blast... you should try it sometime with them :)

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of behind-the-scenes photos because we were being shot... but here are a few!!

To see more images from the shoot and if you still have yet to check out our amazing friends, visit Justin & Mary's blogsite!

Tomorrow (today :) we will be speaking at their PUG (a photographer's group)! Looking forward to it :)

We Have Arrived! Speaking & a Photoshoot in Conneticut!

2009-03-17T08:07:00.007-05:00

As I slowly started waking up this morning, I realized my bed didn't feel how it normally feels, and wait, my pillow feels different too... "We're not in Kansas - I mean - Nashville anymore..." That's right - we're in Connecticut!

A few months ago Zach and I were invited out to this great state (29th most populated state with 3.4 million residents, thank-you Wikipedia) by some of the coolest cats in the photography world - Justin & Mary Marantz! These guys are great people and have fantastic work and we're looking forward to the next 2.5 days hanging here with them!

Our time here will consist of chillin', talking shop, Justin & Mary want to do a photo shoot of us, and on Wednesday we will be speaking at their photography group they lead. We're excited for this trip and it's nice to hand out in a new city with some new friends!

As soon as we stepped off the plane we experienced exciting & magical things (see video below) and we know only more exciting things are to come... ha ha ha... Seriously, check out this video... We have never seen anything like it before... or maybe we've just been deprived. :)

Gray Photography Workshops Open For Early Bird Registration!

2009-03-16T07:00:00.006-05:00

(**Note** If you have found this blog post via internet searches, please visit the Photographer's area on our website and/or our new blog for the most updated photography Workshop information!)

We have already received registrations via snail mail for our I N - C A M E R A Workshops and now online registration is officially open!

Fore more detailed info on the classes as well as Early Bird Specials, read our Workshop Blog below.

To register please visit Gray Photography and go to our Workshop web page!

This is going to be an awesome time of learning, sharing, getting to know each other and your peers and having a blast at the same time!

Class sizes are limited for quality learning so make sure to register before they fill up!

Reminder if you want to bring any of these classes to your area, please contact us! INCAMERA@grayphotograph.com.

PS - By the way, in reference to our previous blog, thanks to those who said that I (Jody) don't look like a boy :)

A Nashville Family Visit

2009-03-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks for all the congratulations that you all have been sending to us via email & FaceBook for our awards :) You guys are the best :)

For those of you who follow us on Twitter you know that we had a shoot yesterday of Luke and Joel! These guys are really amazing and we got some sweet shots so far. The last place we shot at was a helicopter landing pad at Vanderbilt and it was pretty sweet. Can't wait to share pics! In the meantime check out some of their music and also video on their MySpace.

Now onto photos!

This week my (Jody) dad was in town.

It was a quick visit but nice all the same! After hanging out and eating breakfast at Merridee's and beating my dad and Zach in a rousing game of Blokus, we headed off to our downtown Nashville studio, then off to enjoy the beautiful weather at Centennial Park.

For those who have yet to visit Nashville (highly recommend it and look us up when you do come by!), you have to visit Centennial Park. The cool thing about it is it has a full replica of The Parthenon! Now, if you bring your camera you will quickly find that you are not the only one snapping shots. At any given day you will see plenty of point-and-shoots as well as "real" cameras and of course you will spot about 219 engagement sessions or wedding shoots happening as well. Ok, maybe exaggerating about the 219... but it is definitely one of THE places everyone and their mom seems to shoot in Smashville. So of course, we came with my dad and brought one of our cameras :)

The pillars are really big...

Something dad would do to us as kids... the sly kick-in-the-bootie while walking..

Zach likes to call this photo "Who's Who?"

People say I look like my dad, but I don't see it. That's probably a good thing because then I might get a complex because I think I look like a boy :)

Cheers to family visiting!

GrayPhotography Wins Best in Nashville Wedding Photographers, Wedding Blog & Vendor Who Wows!

2009-03-12T11:20:00.006-05:00

There's so much to share about we don't know where to begin :) The response from our workshops has been amazing, and things are still set up for online registration to begin on Monday! We have the first part of an artist shoot happening tomorrow of Aussies Luke & Joel of which we will blog about in due time. In the meantime we are also preparing for a trip we are taking next week to freezing CT! We are visiting amazing photographer friends Justin & Mary Marantz and will be speaking at their PUG, which we are pumped about!

But today, we will want to honor all of our Brides, Grooms, and Parents for voting and for Ashley's hard work in seeking out the best wedding vendors in Nashville.

Ashley's Bride Guide is a local wedding resource for Brides who are are looking to plan their Nashville wedding. Ashley conducted a survey & search of all past brides in the last year to find the top wedding vendors and to create her A-List Best of Nashville Weddings.

We were honored to be named one of the top three in the below categories.

Best Nashville Wedding Blogs
Vendors Who Wow
Best Photography

Thanks for all of you for voting!!! We really strive to offer an amazing and different product, great service and to have your wedding be one of the best days ever! To see others honored on the A-list click here!

IN-CAMERA Photography Workshops - Nashville & In Your City!

2009-03-10T06:00:00.014-05:00

(**Note** If you have found this blog post via internet searches, please visit the Photographer's area on our website and/or our new blog for the most updated photography Workshop information!)

Introducing our IN-CAMERA Workshop Series!

For a taste of the last workshop which we did in association with Evan Baines Photography, check this video out!

Do you want to turn this:

Into this?

Or take this:

And make it look like this?

Do want to turn this:

Into this?

IN-CAMERA Workshops are photography workshops which are designed to inspire photographers at all levels and help them gain a better understanding of every aspect of photography from beginner techniques all the way down to advanced lighting and business strategy. These workshops will cover many topics including:

- Shooting perfect exposures, color and compositions right inside the camera
- How to manipulate light to get the shot that you want every time
- Interacting with your subject
- Consistent shooting for fast work flow
- Finding natural light and using it to your advantage
- How to take your photography business to the next level through marketing and branding in a competitive market

There will be workshops geared for exactly what you need and all you have to do is choose the one(s) that are right for you. These workshops will be hosted by us (Zach and Jody Gray) at our studio in downtown Nashville. We will shoot on location with models in and around the city and show how we do what we do, day in and day out!

These workshops will be fun, informative and intimate with limited seating space for each of the sessions. They will not disappoint!

IN-CAMERA: Basics - Saturday, April 11th - $175 ($149 Early Bird) ($125 for High School/College Students, $99 Student Early Bird)
This workshop is great for those who really want to learn how to take control of that new digital SLR camera, or for those who want to take great, professional looking images of their friends and family. Topics will include camera basics, basic lighting and simple secrets of shooting killer looking portraits. This workshop will be one day consisting of morning class time and then putting into practice what has been learned in the afternoon. Camera function will be taught from a Canon digital SLR perspective.

IN-CAMERA: Shooting & Post - Sunday, May 3rd - $199 ($149 Early Bird)
For those of you who may not know, we achieve our entire look in-camera without the aid of Photoshop. If you want to learn to shoot correctly in-camera, greatly minimize your post production time, then this is the class for you. Topics covered: Color, exposure, basic lighting, and lightening fast post-production with Adobe Lightroom. Also includes group shoot time.

IN-CAMERA: Light - Sunday, May 17th & Monday evening May 18th - $399 ($299 Early Bird)
This workshop is for the advanced photographer looking to take his/her images to the next level! This one and a half day workshop will focus on advanced off-camera lighting techniques and composition. Gain valuable insights and skills in the short classroom time and then put into practice with guided learning during the group shoot time with professional models. The Monday evening session will be used for showcasing images, critiques, and Q&As.

REGISTER by March 31st and receive the Early Bird rate! Sign up for 2 or more classes and receive a $50 refund the day of the workshop.

All workshops prices are per-person with discounts available for studios with multiple photographers. Workshops are limited to ensure an intimate experience and plenty of one-on-one time.

If you are a photographer and would like to bring one (or more!) of these workshops to your area, contact us (INCAMERA@grayphotograph.com) for more information and receive a free ticket to the hosted class!

Online registration begins next week via Pay Pal on Gray Photography on our IN-CAMERA Workshop web page. For those who want to ensure their spot in the meantime, we will accept checks and your place will be secure as long as we receive your payment by Monday (March 16th)! Please contact us for details - INCAMERA@grayphotograph.com.

Can't wait!

Family Visiting in Nashville, Tennessee!

2009-03-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Jody's dad arrived in town late last night and today we have decided to take him to some great, local eateries and of course, bring him by our studio on good 'ol Broadway. This is a whirlwind trip and he will be gone this evening to head back to Michigan, but nevertheless, we are enjoying his company!

We will be posting information this week on our coming workshops so stay tuned!

Tennessee Titan Reynaldo Hill & his Lovely Bride Janina

2009-03-05T10:16:00.014-06:00

We have been anxiously waiting to share more images from this great couple's wedding! Reynaldo & Janina have been such a treat to work with and their wedding was absolutely beautiful as you can see! Enjoy the slideshow from their wedding and make sure to check below for a list of all the vendors who were pulled together by Courtney of A Magical Affair to make this grand affair happen!

Their final wedding images are up and available to view! Friends and family- if you have trouble getting to their online gallery contact us and we will assist you!

(Click the link below to see the slideshow in a new window!)

Reynaldo Janina Slidehow Click here!

'Naldo & Janina - we hope your honeymoon was fantastic and we look forward to seeing you guys again soon!

Awesome Vendors Who Made this Happen:

The bride & groom photos that you see were taken at the hot Las Vegas style nightclub - FUSE when we were granted private access.

This wedding was coordinated by Courtney Hammons and her team from A Magical Affair and was held at Opryland Hotel.

All of the paper that you see (invitations, menus, programs, seating cards, etc) was custom created by the great Donette & Steve with Designs In Paper.

The cool Jen with Reveal Event Style was a huge part in planning the stunning decor.

Flowers were provided by A Village of Flowers.

Linens provided by Liz of Connie Duglin Linen.

The other team involved in the decor and who also did all the lighting is one of the coolest and kindest couples in the world with - Blue Nova Designs.

Our Bride & Groom had videographers capturing the day and they chose Danielle and her team Turning Point Productions.

The monogram they had on the dance floor & gobo, which you will see later, was provided by Go Disc Jokey of Nashville.

And last but not least, DJ Jamie Scott with Red Carpet Entertainment had the party going which you will see when we blog more!

Marriage is No Walk in the Park...

2009-03-03T09:36:00.013-06:00

From a Child's perspective... The Great Debate: Is It Better to Be Single or Married?

"You should ask the people who read Cosmopolitan"
-Kirsten, ten years old

"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need somebody to clean up after them"
-Anita, nine years old

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble."
-Will, seven years old

**Warning! Deep thoughts ahead!! If you want a happy, photo filled blog, just skip the below! :) **

Let's face it - Marriage is hard. Whoever it was that said marriage is a walk in the park was definitely drinking the Kool-aid ;) Sure, marriage has its perks but it's a ton of work as well.

I (Jody) love it when Zach uses this analogy - Marriage is like two jagged edged rocks put in a bag and shaken up. It hurts a bit (sometimes a lot) but when the shaking up is done, out comes two smooth rocks. Marriage will always have it's challenges and obstacles, but it's to make us become better people - people of character. (Blah! ;o)

I have recently stumbled upon this blog for women, and one of the contributing writers wrote this on her personal blog the other day,

"There is a war on families and marriages these days. We need to be intentional about spending time together, loving one another, and making memories."

This is so true. If marriage was easy all the time everyone would be together! How many marriages have you seen fail? How many of your personal friends have gotten divorced? Maybe you yourself are divorced. It's tough!

As a fairly newly married couple ourselves (3 years and 3 months), we have faced our own obstacles and challenges, but something that has really helped us is friends who we can be honest and open with. A few months into our marriage we found this nearlywed/newlywed Sunday School class and it rocked our world! It was so cool to have other people in the same walk of life as us to talk with and hear that they are going through the same things. What do you know - other couples are having trouble with conflict resolution too! :o)

Two years later we are still a part of this class. Right now our class is going through this awesome book called His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage. We read a chapter as a couple during the week and discuss, share, support and challenge each other in class. It's great and it's exciting to see the changes we see taking place in couple's marriages and lives.

It's so important to surround yourself and your marriage with other people. Like the above quote says - be intentional about seeking out those relationships.

I think the biggest obstacle for some people is thinking they are alone; thinking they are the only ones going through some rough patches here and there. We just want to encourage you, that you're not alone. Or you may be one of those people where things are pretty good in your marriage right now, but still are wanting the friendship of other couples to share life with. Seek out a group of friends and be intentional!

(For those in the Nashville area our class meets every Sunday morning at 9:15 - you're more than welcome to come :) Email us for more info and we'll meet up with you and go in together if you'd like!)

Here are some other books that have made a huge difference in our marriage!

Marriage is super fun and can be such a blessing, but we all at one time or another will hit some hard times... Hope this has blessed you in some way... Thanks for reading :)

A Kicking Live Band Shoot!

2009-03-02T09:23:00.013-06:00

We had mentioned on our twitter a few weeks back that we were shooting a charity event (follow us on twitter - GrayPhotography!) and we wanted to share some of the photos with you! To be a little more clear, we weren't shooting the event per-say but the suh-weet band playing at the event.

Introducing The Nashville Blue Tones! These guys have been wanting to update some of their images and we were more than happy to oblige!

The Nashville Blue Tones is a fantastic group of keyboard, bass, guitar, drums, male & female vocalists, tenor sax, trombone, and trumpet and can add more horns and vocalists for any specific event, budget, venue, and entertainment needs.

These guys & gals put on a great show and we have seen them in action at weddings we have shot as well. David Nuding is the music director and owner of the group and of Blue Tone Music USA, and is a great guy to work with (he is seen below on the drums). We can't say enough about these guys!!!

Enjoy the rest of the pics :)

Thought it might be good to mention that this particular event had a Moulin Rouge theme for the first set these guys played (hence the attire) .

SIDE UPDATES:
- Thanks to those who leave their comments - we love reading them!
- We are still accepting applications for associate photographers - read down our blog for more info
- Vote for Tenth Avenue North for New Artist of the Year! Go to Dove Awards Voting
or by texting the # 72648 and sending: 'Dove Avenue' (u can vote 2x).

GP Featured on Williamson County Wedding & Events

2009-02-27T18:23:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we had another wedding of ours featured on the blog of Williamson County Wedding and Events!

This wedding is of Abdul & Alexis which took place at CJ's Off the Square. We blogged awhile back on this wedding, but didn't get a chance to share tons of images, so check out WCW&E's blog!

Dreaded Tax Time... Who To Turn To?

2009-02-25T15:37:00.009-06:00

It's that time of year again! Time to get your taxes together to file with the IRS. Woo hoo... exciting times... or not.

Do taxes confuse you and you wish you had someone to do your taxes for you but you have no idea who to go to? Are you a small business owner and are not happy with your current tax filing situation? Or maybe need some extra help with running your books?

Look no further!

A few years ago Zach and I found ourselves in a very interesting situation. We had income coming in from different areas - some W2s, some 1099s, confusing other taxes stuff, and to top it all off we were starting our own business. We had no idea what company we could trust we with our finances so we turned to Dave Ramsey's Endorsed Local Provider program. Dave's ELP program holds companies to a very high standard of excellence, have to earn Dave's endorsement, and more importantly are constantly being reviewed to keep Dave's endorsement.

Through the ELP program we found Tax Alternatives. We cannot brag enough about the service and help throughout the years that we have received from these guys and they do an amazing job. They have been available to us all year round to answer our questions that may come up, they work with our crazy excel sheets, truly have great customer service, and the cost is reasonable and most definitely worth it! We have been with them ever since we initially walked in the door.

Over the years we have referred many friends and fellow business acquaintances to them and we have continued to hear nothing but great things and see the great things first hand for ourselves.

So if you're needing some help, whether it's with taxes, accounting, bookkeeping (and the list goes on) - check out their site, contact them, and be amazed.

Hope this helps some of you! Taxes can be scary and daunting but they don't have to be :)

The First Peak into a Nashville Wedding of Titan Proportions..

2009-02-24T09:50:00.005-06:00

As some of you may be aware, we are not yet allowed to share any images of our latest couple until their official press release comes out and possibly some other press hits, so we decided to do a blog on this big TN wedding with some of the awesome details from their big day!

This wedding was coordinated by Courtney Hammons and her team from A Magical Affair and was held at Opryland Hotel. Everything was beautiful from the pink and black color scheme that ran throughout the wedding, to the monogrammed everything! Check it out!

After the ceremony we and our assistant/third shooter Kristine were granted access into the new & hottest night club at Opryland - FUSE - to do some photos of the bride & groom. They turned out so cool and the staff there was top notch. We can't wait to share those here with you!

Other vendors who were a part of making the day and everything else look so good:

All of the paper that you see (invitations, menus, programs, seating cards, etc) was custom created by the great Donette & Steve with Designs In Paper.

The cool Jen with Reveal Event Style was a huge part in planning the stunning decor. Just wait until you see some photos of the centerpieces!!

Flowers were provided by A Village of Flowers.

The other team involved in the decor and who also did all the lighting is one of the coolest and kindest couples in the world with - Blue Nova Designs.

Our Bride & Groom had videographers capturing the day and they chose Danielle and her team Turning Point Productions.

The monogram they had on the dance floor & gobo, which you will see later, was provided by Go Disc Jokey of Nashville.

And last but not least, DJ Jamie Scott with Red Carpet Entertainment had the party going which you will see when we blog more!

It was a great wedding and we are glad to have been in the middle of it all capturing it! More to come soon :)

Holding Out on You!

2009-02-23T08:51:00.002-06:00

This weekend we shot an amazing wedding but due to the nature of who we shot, we are limited at this time to the images we can show as well as names while we wait for certain press to hit - so stay tuned and enjoy the below post!

The Cutest Kids in Your Life!

2009-02-23T06:00:00.007-06:00

Earlier last week we had the blessing of doing a Lifestyle shoot for an amazing family we know. Meet Nathan & Jenni and their precious kids!

Natural beauty is power!

Doesn't she make you want to burst to the seams in a smile?

Nathan & Jenni are truly an amazing couple and they have a great family. We love these guys and will try and share more images later - there are so many great ones!!

The Jonas Brothers - Live in the Flesh! ...kind of

2009-02-20T13:00:00.001-06:00

Yes, Zach and I have caught a bug, but it was well worth it! This past Friday through Monday Zach and I went with our church's high school youth group on winter retreat as leaders. We had a blast and some crazy times (see below!) and also many heart to heart times as well. It's funny how you go with the mindset of solely serving and being there for others, but then God rocks your world as well. The weekend was wonderful and the students in our group are so dear to our hearts - we love you guys and are so proud of you!

Here is us with (most of) our group on the last day:

Can you spot us? Some parents think we are students! ... lol.

An interesting element added on retreat is that on the last night each small group had to perform a skit. On Saturday each group was given 3 elements they had to incorporate in the skit. These were ours:

1) Gladiators
2) Hannah Montana vs. The Jonas Brothers
3) Ancient Rome

Our group didn't feel like putting forth the energy to make the skit and then have to perform the skit live on stage, so we had the crazy idea to be a bit lame, and do it all on video so we didn't have to go up and act it out. The funny thing was, is it actually turned out pretty good and we WON first place!!!!!!! woo hooo!

For your enjoyment we bring to you our creation...

OK, so maybe it was not fair that we also did a sweet Rock-Star photo shoot of our look-alike bands, but why not take any advantage that we can to win? :)

Associate Photographers - Update!

2009-02-19T19:01:00.008-06:00

Since posting our blog for Associate Photographers, we have received over 35 responses so far. Thanks to those who have submitted their portfolio!

Starting this evening we will be sending out emails to those who we feel so far would be a good fit for us and where we are headed with our business.

Thanks to all who have applied, and if you are reading this for the first time, it is not too late to contact us about this opportunity. Please fully read the a blog we have posted on this before emailing us.

Thank-you!

The Darling Mel of The Velvet Trunk

2009-02-18T06:00:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we did a shoot for our dear & sweet friend, Mel. Mel is an amazing photographer and person and has such a kind heart and sweet spirit. Mel specializes in high end portrait photography for babies, children, etc. and her images are amazing!!! Here are some of the shots we took of her for her site/publicity.

We started the shoot off at SOL in downtown Franklin with only about an hour and a half of shoot time...

Then we ended up across the street....

And finally we ended up on the top of a parking garage! Here is a "behind the scenes" shot of the setup:

The camera position:

The shots:

Doesn't she look amazing??

Thanks for stopping by!

Special Wedding Feature on Ashley's Bride Guide

2009-02-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

If you are a Nashville vendor or Bride and have not yet heard of Ashley's Bride Guide, you might need to get out a little more! :) ABG is a pretty comprehensive resource of wedding vendors but also is in the know of the events going on locally for brides to check out to help them with their wedding planning.

This whole week, Ashley with Ashley's Bride Guide has been featuring real Nashville weddings and on Friday she featured
tons of photos and bridal commentary on Meagan & Jerry's Grosvernor's wedding that we shot in November. To check out the blog go here!

Meagan made this really sweet comment about us on this blog, which we wanted to share:

My favorite vendors
Mary Alice of A Delightful Day, Gray Photography and Maples Wedding Cakes. I had a perfect team of vendors but these three stand out above the rest. Mary Alice is a pro and makes you feel like the only bride she has. Gray Photography was amazing. I have gotten so many compliments and have so many pictures to choose from that are gorgeous. They are a great couple. Jay at Maples also works very hard to understand the look of the cake you are going for. Plus I don’t think cake could taste any better!

Thanks Meagan & Jerry! You guys are the best and we are so happy for you two.

Famous Wedding Invitations- Mark Your Calendars!

2009-02-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

Any of you heard of Sarah Evans? Country music singer... Yeah, we thought so :)

As some of you may know, Sarah Evans got married last year and the printed pieces came from the Williamson County Weddings and Events boutique.

Just a reminder that the lovely ladies of Williamson County Weddings and Events are hold a Social Invitation Showcase on Sunday, Feb 22nd at CJ's Off The Square right in downtown Franklin. Again, check out their Blog Post for more information, and don't forget to register!

And of course, Zach and I WILL be stopping by... if you need any more incentive to come :)

A Scrubby Proposal - Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

We are on retreat right now so we have scheduled this blog to go up in our absence!

Thanks to Kristin's blog from Simply Stunning Events, we grabbed this video and wanted to share it as well in honor of Valentines Day!! What a super sweet proposal!!!!!!!!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

200 Students + Separate Beds = Our Valentines Day

2009-02-13T14:00:00.000-06:00

We did a Family Lifestyle shoot with this amazing family we know yesterday, and we are so pumped about the images! We'll post those when we return early next week. In the meantime...

It's that time of year for us - Winter Retreat! While many photographers are headed out to Las Vegas for a huge photographer gathering/conference/workshop (WPPI), and while many couples will be celebrating their love over candlelit dinners, Zach and I are headed off to the woods for our church's youth group's winter retreat!

Zach and I help out with the High School youth at our church, and Winter Retreat creates some of the best relationships and memories. We love it!

We will be out this weekend up through Monday. Everyone enjoy your Valentines Day (and while we're away we have a special video proposal coming up on our blog that made us smile!). No worries, we'll make sure we celebrate our love. We already did get our chocolates from the Schakolad Chocolate Factory!

We will get back with you when we return to the office! In the meantime, don't forget to spread the word on our search for some amazing associate photographers, and don't forget to vote for our blog here in the Fresh Blog Voting Contest held by Professional Photographer Magazine (in the upper left hand corner, enter 0011 to see our entry and vote for us :). We'll do our best to keep everyone update with Twitter, assuming we have cell service :)

Best Blog Ever?!?

2009-02-12T06:00:00.003-06:00

Only 4 days to vote!

We may not have the best blog EVER, but with over 16,000 visits (and over 25,000 page views) from not only people across the US but from other continents as well - all in the 7 months we have had our blog going - that's got to count for something :)

We would love your vote on Professional Photographer Magazine's Fresh Blog Voting Contest. Check it out here and in the upper left hand corner, enter 0011 to see our entry and vote for us!

VOTING ENDS THE 15TH of this month so take 20 Seconds and cast your vote for us... and maybe we'll consider keeping up this blog... ;o) ha ha

The Willy Wonka (Schakolad) Chocolate Factory

2009-02-11T06:00:00.006-06:00

Are you needing some Valentines Day goodness for your special someone? Well look no further! Zach and I experienced the joy and delight of Schakolad Chocolate Factory today, and we now can say we have lived life to the fullest ;o)

This place has everything you can imagine when it comes to chocolate - chocolate records, chess boards, soccer balls, and yes, even chocolate handcuffs and body paint. You need it, they have it, and if they don't have exactly what you're looking for, they can custom make it!

Zach and I met Taylor and his sweet wife Tara earlier this month and really clicked! They are both great business people and are nice as well (always a bonus :). Taylor owns & manages the Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Cool Springs and Tara owns My Lavish Event wedding planning. She actually blogged on us a few posts back so make sure to hit her blog up and see what other goodness she is sharing on :)

Ok, ok, now it's time for the photos - we know that's why you all come to our blog anyway :)

Custom chocolate being made for Arrington Vineyards

Taylor the chocolatier! (Thank-you Kristine... he he he.)

We followed them along in the making of their chocolate dipped cherries! I'm not sure if we're allowed to share the secrets of what they are actually dipping the cherries in (besides obviously chocolate), so just enjoy the process!

The chocolate dipping begins!

Finished and ready to eat!! I (Jody) ate one of the dark chocolate dipped cherries and they were sooooo good!

There were so many different things to shoot so to see all the really cool stuff, you'll just have to visit the store :)

Here is myself with Tara & Taylor

You can find Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Cool Springs in the same complex where Borders is located!

A Great Deal for an Awesome Wedding Venue! Save $1,000!

2009-02-10T16:34:00.006-06:00

This image was taken in the back by their perennial gardens and gazebo

For those who have not heard, CJ's Off The Square is having a HUGE sale on all remaining 2009 spring/summer wedding dates.

Save $1000 off the facility fee for Friday, Saturday or Sunday

This is for a limited time only. Offer applies to wedding rates only and is valid on wedding dates through August 31, 2009.

We have shot weddings here and this is a really great place to have your wedding! It's picturesque, can be customized to fit any of your needs as a bride, and most importantly, one gets great service.

Contact them to see if they still have your wedding date available!

Important Announcement: Seeking Associate Photographers!

2009-02-09T06:00:00.006-06:00

Interested in joining the team?

(Ok,seriously, not sure what's up with this monkey image, but for some reason it just crack us up!)

As many of you may know, we have been working hard on our associate photographer side studio! This side studio features hand-picked, thoroughly interviewed photographers who will be trained by us to shoot amazing wedding images.

If you are a photographer who loves to shoot and wants to make great money, BUT is not interested in investing the time and money for all the marketing and promotion, on top of having the stress of all the details to maintain in the wedding photography world, then you may be exactly who we are looking for! :)

If you are interested - read on!

We are looking for people who:
- Love photography
- Love people
- Have integrity
- Are teachable
- Are humble
- Willing to invest at least one year
- Have no desire to run their own wedding photography business
- Have an overall knowledge of photography (exposure, composition, ability to shoot fully manual, basic knowledge of lighting, etc)
- Have their own gear

If this sounds like you, then this may be your chance to do something super fun, super cool and really exciting!

How The Process Will Work:
1. Send an email to associates@grayphotograph.com, including a link to your portfolio
2. If we feel your work is in the ballpark of what we are looking for then we will send you an application to fill out!
3. Once we receive your application, we will look it over and then contact you if we feel like we would like to move you to the next interview step - a face to face meeting at our downtown Nashville studio.
4. From there, the rest of the process is highly secretive and we are unable to share the next step for only a chosen few will make it this far... Ok, that was a joke, but we're tired of typing so we'll leave it up to everyone's imaginations of what is to come next because the first face to face meeting is not the end of the process... mwah-ha-ha. ;)

*Chocolates and candies (all nut free) and showering us with lavish expensive gifts are welcomed and appreciated at any time during the application process and will surely help get your application to the top of the pile ;)

If you are interested, follow the instructions above! We look forward to hearing from you!

*Additional note - over the span of the last month, some of you have already contacted us regarding the associate program. Please feel free to "reapply" in a sense and re-email your info to the account listed above!

2009 Bride's Choice Award - Nashville's Own GrayPhotography!

2009-02-08T06:00:00.005-06:00

Official press release from Wedding Wire...

Wedding Wire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that GrayPhotography has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means GrayPhotography is one of the very best wedding Photographers.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”
_________________________

Blah, blah blah... :) Thanks, Brides & Grooms who have given us great reviews, and if you have yet to, feel free to go to our page on WeddingWire and painlessly fill out info on your experience with us!

GrayPhotography is Guest Blogging :)

2009-02-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

If you are a wedding vendor or bride to be - Christine Boulton's Think Like A Bride is a cool resource for marketing, getting in the minds of brides, and many other things that you will just have to visit her site to see for yourself.

Christine also manages a blog, and quite some time ago she asked us to be a guest blogger, and we finally came through for her! :) Ah, what a patience woman she is... :o)

To see the article we wrote, head on over to Christine's blog and have a read!

Hand Made Jewelry = Sweet Wedding Accessories!

2009-02-05T15:05:00.012-06:00

We just did a shoot for the super cool ladies over at Adornments at the Factory in Franklin. These gals are a mother and two daughters and they have a brand new studio located on the second floor. They make all of their jewelry, paintings and drawings themselves and can also do custom designed pieces for your wedding event - including very unique invitations.

When you open up those top notch bridal magazines and see these great shots of so-and-so wearing these gorgeous wedding gowns and shoes, it seems like they are always wearing some hand-made custom piece of jewelry that is awesome and that is exactly the kind of stuff that these ladies make! Their stuff is beyond unique and would make a killer addition to you and your bridesmaids look for the wedding day. This stuff would also make a great gift for important people who were/are involved in your wedding.

These gals started their company to allow them, as well as other artists, to live the dream of making a living doing their own art. For more background on these gals, continue reading at the bottom!

Here are some of the shots with some behind the scenes at the end and a shot of the ladies!

Here is the set-up! It's amazing what some great lighting, mad camera skills and a great lens can do.

Here is me with the ladies!

Lucina, Zach, Laura, Alexis

If you look close, you might recognize the awesome chick to the far right - that's Alexis - she was one of our brides who we shot (with cameras) in November this past fall at CJ's Off the Square! To check these gals out, visit their site (which is about to get a total face lift so stay tuned!) and their blog as well! Laura is in the planning process of her own wedding as well, so for those who love to follow along other brides as they plan, she includes that on their blog!

More About the Adornment Ladies:

Alexis was a self taught beadweaver throughout her early years and then studied weaving and metal work in college where she began experimenting with incorporating the art forms together into jewelry. Since then she's barely been able to pull herself away from the jeweler's bench- though she does occasionally return to her loom or beadwork for a special project. She also binds unique books!

Alexis received a Graduate Jewelers Diploma at the Gemological Institute of America, and is currently studying to receive a Graduate Gemologist Diploma as well.

Laura studied art in college, focusing on painting and sculpture. After a brief stint at the Ghost Ranch school in Albuqurque, where she first learned how to make jewelry, she was hooked as well. Laura paints, draws, makes jewelry, and does the occasional stone sculpture as well.

Lucinda decided that her second career in life should be as a weaver. She loves to make scarves and throw pillows especially and can be seen working at her loom right in the store! Her other love is handmade cards. She makes printed cards for all occasions using handmade paper, fine cardstock, vellum, etc. When these three put their heads together, amazing things result!

Together these three have just opened a new store at the Factory in Franklin, TN. They carry their own work as well as that of a few, select other artists, such as Tom Turnbull (a fabulous potter) and Patricia and Paul Ferrell (a husband/wife duo that do beautiful pottery and woodturned vessels).

If you are ever at the Factory, you must check out their studio and meet these awesome people!

Published - Her Nashville!

2009-02-05T10:01:00.012-06:00

This month we also have the privileged of being published in awesome Her Nashville magazine in the "I Do" issue! (To see where you can get this issue, go to their website and click on "find her").

This magazine features two of our couples - Meagan & Jerry and Daniel & Jaclyn. See below and enjoy!

Coordinator for Meagan & Jerry's wedding: Mary Alice and team with A Delightful Day.

Here is Daniel & Jaclyn's feature! Our images are on the right.

Vendors for Daniel & Jaclyn's Wedding:

- Church: Parish Presbyterian
- Reception: The Factory.
- Makeup: Sherita Leslie in Nashville.
- Flowers: Debbie Sumner with Creations By Debbie.
- Transportation: Reggie Slaughter with At Your Service.
- Live band: Charmed Life Music.
- Wedding Cake: Jay at Maples Cakes in Nashville.
- Linens: Julie Murphy
- Draping & Lighting: Don Sumner (the other half of Creations By Debbie)
- Rental Company - Party Providers