Meet IRON VESSEL. Iron Vessel is a Lancaster based southern indie rock band. With skills beyond their years, Iron Vessel is expanding their fan base globally.

Styled by GRACE! What a fun shoot…

Steve and Jenni, thank-you for inviting us to be part of your day! Your ability to love everybody around you, to laugh so easily, give gentleness and kindness…it is a beautiful thing. What a privilege to document your day. Here is to you and MANY happy days.

Getting ready for the big day was a family affair. Here Jenni’s mother is helping Jenni with her shoes and Jenni is helping Jason with his tie.

Just gorgeous!

Quick photo with this little fellow before Jenni rushed out the door.

Steve! Looking good.

Aaaaaalmost time to enter….

What a grand affair the reception was!

Jenni’s proud father.

Always and forever….:)

Know what else I loved about this day? My husband traveled with me, assisted me, and drove me through the night to our next event. It was so fun to have Andrew with me. And I got to shoot with COURTNEY which was such a treat! Special thanks to her for traveling in and shooting this day with me.

Mercedes and Caleb…and family too…thank-YOU! You guys are beautiful. Thank-you for inviting us to be part of your day. Many many happy years to new couple. Mercedes and Caleb, enjoy your wedding sneak peek.

So beautiful you are, Mercedes.

Details! Let me tell you, this day was full and overflowing with so many details that were created by hand with tender loving care. Mercedes’s grandfather built the alter display. So pretty.

EVERYTHING had a personal touch.

Smitten groom.

Proud daddy.

Mercedes’s beautiful mother.

I don’t usually post grandparent photos on the blog…but these two deserve a spot! They loved Mercedes with their everything and invested so much love and time into this special day.

Little dancing. Little fireworks.

And the night ended with a lovely sigh of happiness…:)

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I am going to let Kathleen take over here and tell you a little more about the day…

(To view the entire set of senior model images…take a minute to view this MAGAZINE designed by Margot!)

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A 1950′s blue Chevrolet…playing croquet in a shady wooded area…a picnic on a summer afternoon…a lazy afternoon by a lake – inspired by the feeling of light-hearted summer days, the 2013 Senior Model Shoot produced images that captured another era. As effortless as the final product appears, the path towards it was full of hard work, by our team AND the senior model team.

For every magical image captured, there were a half dozen teenagers huddled on the sidelines, wrapped in as many blankets as they could find, being handed hot cocoa and hand warmers in an effort to keep their hands and lips from turning blue. The light-hearted summer days captured in these images were nowhere to be found on this chilly spring day. It takes true resilience to dash barefoot from the warmth of a blanket, and then one…two…three…relax! The camera’s snapping so it’s time to pull that shivering expression together!

It takes a lot of food to keep energy up on such a busy day, but the sun is on the move and there is no time to sit down to eat, so better grab food when you can or you’ll be tempted to spend the rest of the day curled up on a picnic blanket taking a nap. If only the blanket wasn’t being chased around by the mower that no one knew was supposed to be there!

Would you have guessed that each model’s unique look and fun hairstyles took a combined over three hours plus three stylists to complete? One certain hairdo may have even taken close to an hour by itself. Ten teenagers arrived as typical Americans and emerged from the dressing rooms embodying the essence of a past era. It was more than just an outfit change. It was the infusion of confidence and imagination that enabled the models to step outside of themselves and into a new (albeit old) world for a few magical hours. Sweeping updo’s….vintage hats….pretty sundresses – each model made their outfits come to life.

So many hours are put into choosing outfits for each individual model, brainstorming and creating sets, combing through vintage stores to find just the right props, and you wonder ‘will it all come together? Will the result be what you were dreaming it would be?’ And then there’s that moment, that ethereal moment, when there’s a pause in the craziness around you and you realize you’ve entered another world. Kind of like going through the wardrobe into Narnia, nothing looks familiar, and everything looks magical. The people are from another era, a place set back in time – you are a world away.

That only lasts a moment and then the craziness rushes on – there’s someone’s makeup to touch up, food to be carted around, balloons to be gotten, and poses to be held. All too quickly the sun sets over the lake, the shivering turns to numbness, and it’s time to pile onto the back of the pickup truck, blankets trailing, for the short ride to the dressing area to exchange a bygone era for the current. With one final hurrah and a cupcake cheer, the sets disappear into the darkness, and a sense of satisfaction of a day well spent sets in.

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The Things They Carried.

I read a book by this title in college. It was mostly referencing heavy weighty things that are invisible. Things that we walk through and come out with little pieces still inside of us. It seemed like an appropriate name for a blog about purse contents. About the tiny little things that sometimes add up to mean a whole lot. Today we’re going to celebrate the things that we chose to carry with us from lizards to paint samples because this journey comes with some pretty fantastic souvenirs. The way a cover tells you about a book (yes I do judge by covers), our purses are pretty glimpses of the things we carry.

Here at Char Photography it’s all in the details. It’s candles and complimenting colors and baby cactuses. It’s worship music playing softly from a laptop on the desk by the window. It’s investing in people and creative expression and stories. It’s celebrating life in all of it’s seasons and document tiny moments intentionally and sometimes the tiny moments become something really big. The Char Team witnesses weddings and 18-year-olds proclaiming their dreams and they have dreams of their own. Some are posted on pretty silver boards and some are laying soft down inside of them. Some are represented on keychains and penned out carefully in journals and some of what’s ahead is so bright those sunglasses, and Coppertone Sport Stick might come in handy.

What does your purse say about you?
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By Margot Lied

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Justin and Kylin are married!! The wedding took place at the beautiful country club on a warm cloudy day. The day had been anticipated for a long time and family and friends shared tears, hugs, laughter, and sweet stories of these two. Justin and Kylin are a perfect match and it was a blessing to be part of their day.

Much appreciation to LARRY for shooting with me and Justine for being my right hand gal!!

KY AND JUSTIN….thank-you for inviting us to document your special day. Here is to you and many beautiful years together!

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Enjoy their wedding day story…:)

Ky is a photographer, so she understood how fun details are to photograph. Lot’s of good details.

Ky wore two pairs of shoes! These were a little more dancing friendly.:) Good thinking!

Ky…you are so beautiful! Those eyes!!

Handkerchief for her father and a sweet gift and card from her husband to be….fighting back the tears. :)

Such pretty colors.

Justin…so happy to see his bride.

What a beautiful night!

But you know what I think is my most important job on a wedding day? Guess what…it is not capturing photos! Well that is important, that is why I am there after all. :) But just as important I think, is to bring positive, warm, and soothing energy. As a photographer, I am working by the side of bride and groom all day. This is a BIG day for them that they have been preparing for for months. They may be a little scared or nervous. What I ‘bring’ becomes past of their day. My goal is to make their day better…just by being there. I need to navigate the day in a way that makes it a positive day…even when things go wrong. Such as rain on an outdoor ceremony. Or the scheduled 40 minutes for photos is changed to 10 minutes. Or a flower girl that doesn’t like the camera. I have learned to just roll with it, look for another option, and things all work out in the end.

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Kinda like life, eh?

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Are you a photographer? We want to meet you! Hear how you navigate a wedding day. What you do when things don’t all go as planned. What is your favorite part of the day? Networking with other creatives makes our hearts sing! On June 27th our team is hosting a WEDDING WORKSHOP. There are still a few seats left. For more details go HERE.

Grab your seat by Monday at midnight and take advantage of a $75 promo.

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Little sneak peek of preparations taking place….:)

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GRACE and Karen have been hard at work pulling together the details for the workshop styled shoot. I can’t wait. This is the dress! Succulents and brass are going to be involved. And a bride and groom, table set for two, and of course flowers. Just you wait, it is going to be stellar.

It is Friday all. And I love Fridays! A heat wave has hit here…I love hot summer days. It represents happiness to me. So a Friday where I can tackle all or as little as I like, HOT weather, and a free Friday evening sounds just lovely to me. xo

Th entire set of our senior model images are to ALMOST ready to share…but to get started, here are a few of my favorites that we designed and printed. I just love this set…:)

I have been shooting wedding for 6 years now. When I first started….weddings would make me sick on my stomach! I was so SCARED! The whole week leading up to wedding I would fret and worry and stress. Like…what if I really messed and missed the first kiss? What if the bride didn’t like the photos? What in the WORLD was I doing saying ‘Yes, I would love to photograph your wedding?!!’ Me? I mean, weddings are a BIG DEAL. Like no second chances. No room for mistakes. Ah, yes. I was SO scared of photographing weddings. But we all learn. We all start somewhere. And there is nothing wrong with that. Part of the journey, my friends. As my dad would say, “That is how we learn”.

And learn I did! I learned how to set myself up for success on a wedding day. I learned how to come up with a game plan for a wedding day…and not just wing it! I learned how to organize and shoot the family and bridal party photos quickly. I learned what to do when I needed to shoot midday in the bright sun. Or in a dark church. How to shoot wedding details and create pretty ‘getting ready’ photos…even is that is in a Sunday school room. I learned how to be intentional about TELLING THE STORY of the wedding day.

And most importantly, how to look fear in the face and say…”Oh no, you are not having the final say here.’

We learn. Today is feels so nice to walk into a wedding day with confidence….I know I did it before, I can do it again. Yes, it still is a lot of hard work and it requires a lot of energy and preparation…but I does not scare me to death anymore.

SO FRIENDS…we want to meet you…collaborate with you…spend the day with you! Share with you a little but of ourselves. Give you the tools needed to successfully shoot a wedding day.

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ANNOUNCING OUR 2013 WEDDING WORKSHOP!!!

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*Credit for the this graphic goes to MARGO, our awesome intern. You will meet her soon! Can you believe she hand drew that design…then scanned..and well, I was lost after that.;)*

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This workshop will be a one-day intensive workshop with the CHAR team focusing on equipping you with all you need for successfully shooting a wedding. The workshop will cover coming up with a game plan for the big day, shooting the wedding details and getting ready photos, organizing and posing the family and bridal party photos quickly, bride and groom portraits, utilizing ALL types light…even if that is bright midday sun or dark churches, shooting for variety, simplifying the editing workflow, marketing, establishing your style, setting goals, and overcoming fear. You are guaranteed to go home inspired and ready to take your business to the next level!

The fun-filled day includes a full styled photo shoot by our stylists, GRACE and Karen. If they are doing the styling? You know it will be STELLAR. For a sneak peek into what Grace is planning, go HERE. In addition, there will be hands on training, plenty of Q&A, as well as an opportunity for one-on-one conversation.

FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO GRAB YOUR SEAT, GO HERE!

Don’t miss the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL and you chance to win a FREE SEAT. See you in June! :)

For myself? I was so blessed by the support….by all you who came. The senior models that brought friends and family. And all the members on the CHAR team. So blessed.

Little bits of the night…

My dear friend, Angel. :)

Karen with her husband and daughter! It was so fun to have all our husbands part of the night!

And the team! (Just missing Andrea who had already headed out.) And the T-SHIRTS! This was all Grace. In fact, her husband Jeremy screen printed the logos on the t-shirts BY HAND. The t-shirts are so soft and pretty and just the right shade of gray…..:)

 XOXO…that’s all. :)

Oh but wait, one more thing. Tomorrow the WEDDING WORKSHOP registration will be OPEN! Check back tomorrow for details.