Wedding Photography Tips at Watermark Community Church

Congrats on the big day! You have the rings, the dress, the date..and maybe your photographer?

I wanted to write a blog and give my experience to brides and other photographers - my thoughts of capturing weddings at Watermark's Chapel and most of all..the Loft(reception area) - One of the trickiest rooms to light in Dallas.

I will explain why below.

To learn more about the wedding space, visit: www.watermark.org

The Loft - Reception

As I like to call it - Holey Red. That's right. Red walls,red ceiling with scattered holes in the ceiling accent, brown carpet, and can lights that are warm(red).

There giant windows behind the currents, but, I don't think they can be open for your event.

For brides and grooms reading this: off camera lighting this room is very important. Since the room is large, dark, and red tint is inevitable, you have to add light to the room and even gel the light to balance out the red tones.

This is even helpful for you...yes you, my Indiana Jones hat wearing friend with f1.0 Ziess/Leica natural light only for a 'stylized film look' shooter ;-) 

Let me show you 4 comparisons:

1) Cell Phone

2) No flash on professional DSLR

 3) On camera flash with pro DSLR

   4) Three- Point Off Camera Lighting

1) Cell Phone

With cell phones photos - Guest will need to get closer so the little flash on board can capture in the dark red room.
*Tip: It is much better to step right outside(if during the day) and use all of the natural light coming in the building* Photo example below.

2) No flash/Just DSLR

Not bad. But not great. The photos above show the room as is with people in it. However you can quickly see that they are flat and a warm cast. You might get lucky and have your subject under a ceiling can light(with their face not showing).

3) On camera flash(with diffuser) DSLR

Getting better here with a single flash in the Loft. We can all agree that this is a better look than a cell phone. The flash on camera(with diffuser) allows for light fill, with the softer light, and be able to focus the attention of the image. 

4) Three-Point Off Camera Lighting

There are many different lights to choose from and setups to adopt. Flashes? Strobes? I have shot both and are all great. The world is your view finder ;-)

I like to use 3 AD200's for a room up to 300 square feet, triggered by an on camera flash(as seen below in the diagram.

It is important to point out that not every photo needs a Three-Point lighting setup. But it is the experience of the photographer to be decide the desired look, make the quick adjustment to setup, and take a photo for a beautiful shot on a moments notice.

Now that you are ready for the Reception; below are a few extra spots worth mentioning.

The Chapel - Ceremony

The Chapel is well lite and with the right glass, you won't need flash for the ceremony. So good news so far!

If you shoot your family portraits on the Chapel stage, I would recommend 2 flashes on umbrellas.
These kids were characters for sure :-)

Extras

 Use the natural light of the 'Town Center" to your advantage. It is right outside the Loft doors. Very useful on Saturday afternoon/Summer evenings. 

Groom's Room

This room is dark and a little warm. Use a prime and flash. 

Bridal Suite

Bride's room is lighter and great fill light from the mirrors for candid getting ready shots. Primes are best for this room. Keep a flash ready if you need it.

To learn more about the wedding space, visit: www.watermark.org
 

Enjoy!

If you have ever met Bri and Logan, you leave better  than when you came. This wedding was simply delightful to capture. The moment we all sat down to discuss the details of the big day, I knew that I wanted to do an amazing job(as i always do), but Bri and Logan trusted me completely to "do what I do best". This adds to my zeal of making amazing memories through the lens and beautiful photos to have forever. The event was completely in an area of Life In Deep Ellum. I really liked the idea of having the reception tables right there for the ceremony. I hope that catches on. Very simple and very fun! I was blown away by the way Logan and Bri were servants to their guest and so relaxed on their big day. These two will do VERY well in the many years to come. I am sure of it.

​

I have to admit, watching lawyers evaluate a marriage license was pretty humorous. Fun times.

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O, and check the back seat for a Groomsman before you leave ;-)

I was so bless to photograph the Breeze wedding. Bryan is a good friend I had the chance to travel to the country of Albania and do ministry together and get to know. I remember clearly listening to Bryan and watching his face light up when he talked about Molly and pursuing her.  It was wonderful to see the godly pursuit in Bryan towards Molly. 

   The big day came on August 8th, 2015 where Bryan and Molly tied the knot at Watermark Community Church. My favorite part was seeing Bryan's face as the doors opened to Molly. I was so happy for him. It is a sweet moment when a man wait for his bride. 

I didn't know it until I was editing, but Bryan was making Molly laugh during her bridals and it is hilarious! Well played sir! haha!

This young man went for the garter like his life depended on it! SO funny

*There are many times I have photos taken, then many times of none. There were many times I would loose the relationship dynamic if my camera came out*

We arrived Sunday, July 5th, to the city of Elbasan. We were met by Eddie and Hysen after the bus ride through the pretty Albania country side. 

We walked to the home of the team and had a wonderful meal, prepared by Eri and Anxhela and had a wonderful time getting to know them Elbasan team. That was amazing!

Next we went and walked around the city, passing out flyers to high school age teens and told them about the camp coming up. The biggest notice for me was hearing "We will try to come", or "We might be there", but of them came. When we hear that in America..its a 'nice' way of saying "ya...no". It was also so great to see Coleton Burch in action. Coleton has an amazing abiltity to include people and love those around him. LOL we saw 3 kids running and kicking a trash can. You know, busy.. and Coleton says: "These kids need this camp, lets go talk to them." 
 

Elbasan, Albania 

We finished the camp and discussed over dinner what the Lord was doing in the 

This Saturday my friend Ross proposed to my friend Jamie!

I remember hearing about Ross many months ago and then meeting him. He was a quite man, but very kind and a fun guy. As time goes on, I see time and time again Ross's character and love for Jamie.

Ross has also become a good friend to me! I still remember the look on his face when he pulled up at his ranch  and we were all there for his birthday! Fun times! Jamie has been like a sister to me and I cant think of a better fit for her than Ross. 
 

OK! Ok! The story:
SO Ross reached out to me in June and talked about ideas and places. We boiled down to 3 spots, but there was a place that was special to Jamie in Dallas. Robert E. Lee Park. Jamie is from Louisiana and once told Ross that she felt most at home, in Dallas, at this part because of heritage. Jamie's great-great-great-great grand father is Robert E. Lee. Pretty cool!  I told Ross that I have shot a proposal here before and that leave the locations and places to me. It went well! The funny part is that the cops approached me about 6 minutes before Ross and Jamie setup the blanket haha. I smiled at the officers, with my cam and big 100-400 lens in hand, and said "I'm photographing a proposal" they smiled. and said ok. I need to make a shirt that says this. Anyways, Everything went as planned. My test subject for lighting and comp was this little dog Elvis. Here are the images of Jamie saying "I do"!
**Tech talk* This was my first go at the new Canon 100-400 mk II. Good lens. could have used more Depth of Field, but worked out well with the trees so far away :) ** 

My cute test subject to dial in my camera before the future Blair's show up.

I loved and laughed with the fist bump! haha. Ross says "Did you get that?"

Shout out to Billy Wand for gripping and grabbing a few shots for me!

I can't wait to see these two married on Oct. 10th! Couple of tweeks to a few images and they will be ready for print as well here: LINK!

Albania 2015!

This year has truly been a journey and an adventure. I remember last year(2014), sitting in Tirania and excited about the awesome week we had, and how God moved in the camp. The whole team of 10 was ready for the next trip in just 12 months!

This year, 20 people went to Albania, and 8 of which were from last year! 

One of the big successes of this trip was the team dynamic and friendship we made before the trip began. We modeled this from last year and see the positive effect in grand ways. On top of that, many of the team serve at Watermark Community Church.

We first held informational meetings that spoke of the trip and what God was doing in Albania. We then met to discuss more and finding out about new interest in the trip. SO we settled on this fun and amazing team of 20 featured below ;-) 

 

Such a fun team!

We spent several months planning the trip, travel, what our days will look like, past stories, etc. Along the way we grew as a team and started to raise support.

I want to say.. 

Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!..

for supporting our whole team on this trip! Your prayers and financial support made this trip possible!

Hundreds of teens heard the Gospel in 2 cities of Albania! They heard several times.. They heard it at coffee get-togethers(we call Coffees), at table discussions, and in full Gospel presentation. 

20 students put there faith and trust in Jesus Christ!

"Wait...When was this?"

Let's rewind a bit. You may remember seeing an email from me or many others referring to a trip to Albania..you looked at a map.. outside of America..googled it.. ahh yes. Got it!

We started a 24 hour travel process on the 1st of July, 2015.

Team photo by Lucy Chang

I read a lot on the plane going. I couldn't sleep much.

Landed in Austria after a flight from Chicago. One more leg to Tirania.

But what stop is not complete without the famous "Relaxation Room". Couches soft enough to sit on..but not stay on haha.

We landed in Tirania after 24 hours of travel. I was eager to see old friends and see just see the city again!

I knew I would not be in Tirania as much this trip, so I grabbed a gelato and walked to the Cru building where I walked into the gym with a smile so big, if i didn't have ears, it would over-lape in the back.

Great to see my friends Orlanda, Armela, and Erin. Billy Wand sat in on a discussion..a little jet lagged but so glad to see young teens talking about the characteristics of a loving father.

They had just finished the 1st of 3 illustrations of the prodigal son. I was blessed by what I had heard. It gave me a reminder of the young culture I just walked back into.

I saw Aldo in the hallway(seen below) and headed, with the team, to a brief orientation. 

I regret not getting the her photo, but I also met a lady named Lindita for the first time. She was kicked out of Hungry for spreading the Gospel. She told the Turkish government: "If you kick me out, I'll send 5 more".

We spent time with the kids and staff for the rest of the day. I put away my camera for the night. 

Friday was a full day in Tirania. The team played games and had coffees with the a staff member and a group of kids.
*Coffees are a great way to develop relationship and ask questions about faith, and share the Gospel in Albania(and anywhere else).*
My first of many coffees in Albania was with the fun trio. Young Albanians are friendly and very receptive. It maybe because I am an American, but there is calm, and open dialogue that is common in Albania.

It is a culture shift at first, for me, coming from America, where many initial relationships can be more surface-based longer.
 

I ran into my friend, Fatmir on the street. I call him "The Happiest Man in Albania", he always has a smile and positive attitude.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful - Proverbs 15:13

Little Amanda is getting soo big!

There was a small memorial to English Soldiers RAF from WWII that was interesting.

We had a field day style outing that had a few team activities. This was a fun time. This was a great way to interact and get to know the kids and have fun too!

I thought it was cute to see baby Amanda listen to whatever the ladies were discussing.

We went to the city square, known as Mother Teresea Square in Tirania. 

During a set time, the roads close for people to enjoy walking and riding their bikes. We passed out flyers for the RPJ camp and to dialogue with the young culture. After I talked with a group of young guys I saw Jeremy with a big group around him and talking about the camp.

 He did a great job of engaging the locals so quickly for his first trip out of the country.

Having fun too! #Duckface

When we got back to camp, I saw my good friend Dionis!

Dionis spent a lot of time with me last year, helping to translate for me and coffees with our team as well! Dionis you are a great friend and brother!

Saturday - The off day before camps

We took that Saturday, July 4th *`MERICA!*  as a day to tour other parts of Albania. We first went to Berat. Such a lovely town. You could just feel the history around you. Old men in big groups playing and watching chess and playing dominos. I love how so many of the older men still wore clothing from 30-40 years ago and even with hats.

Berat Castle is a fortress overlooking the town of Berat, Albania. It dates mainly from the 13th century and contains many Byzantine churches in the area and Ottoman mosques

Cute kid that kept waving at me. Precious.

Not far from this walk way, we went into a small church where beautiful, old, bibles and paintings were preserved and kept for centuries. Many were hidden in the floor to keep from being destroyed by the invading Turks. We couldn't take photos in the space there.

After a lunch then headed to the coastal city of Durrës. It's been a while since I have walked 10 miles in a day. It was a good tired.

Tons of photos of the setting sun. It was so pretty to see!

This concluded the night as we headed back to Tirania to get ready for church on Sunday, and for our 2 teams to prepare for the camps to come in Tirania and Elbasan.

We were exhausted, but also very excited to see what God was going to do in the week to come!

**Still working on** Continue to Part 2 Here >>>>>>>>>>>>

 It was a crisp May Saturday morning we braved the mosquitoes of the Trinity River in Dallas and got some pretty results in 1300 images.

These images make up of 90 minutes of capture to make 34 seconds of sunrise.

The early bird gets eaten alive...but cool shots. Click the video(last image) below and Enjoy at full screen! 

The mosquitoes were so bad, we were literally running back, dancing(with jazz hands) back and forth to get them off....laughing along the way.

Dallas Skyline 1Timelapse of the Dallas Skyline morning sunrise

It’s hard for me to even know where to start with this post. I will give you the facts, then open my heart wide…


Several months ago I went with my roommate and other friends, to an informational meeting about a trip to Albania to work with the local church there and Campus Crusade. There were members of CRU, from Albania there to share with us what God is doing there and the vision of what will happen with the Summer camp that  would take place during July.
 

It was pretty much in that meeting that a band of 10 brothers and sisters solidified as a team and started to grow deep rooted friendships and trust together. God truly uses those whom he calls.

It was said at different times and by different members:
"We have the best team we could have asked for!"    I could not agree more! :)

*NOTE* I did not take as many pictures as I normally do. There were times I put the camera away to connect better with the kids.. So if I missed your beautiful smile, please forgive me :)

Team Albania 2014

The only information we had to go by was what was shared by the team from last year and it was drawling us to go! So we started to raise support, throw BBQs..*mmm Gordon's BBQ*..., Sent out letters for partnering opportunities, started meeting together as a team, and trusting in God's work and will for everything.

You maybe reading this and thinking:

Why Albania?

"Until recently, Albania was a Communist and officially Atheist country. This year marks the 22^nd anniversary of the fall of Communism in the country. Today, Albania is not a nation that is unreached, but a nation that like our own faces the struggle to train up the next generation of followers of Christ. There is a great need to reach out to this generation, particularly the college students." 

- Gordon Burgett 2013
 

Will Noll Gordon Burgett Jeff Welskopf

Last years team(shown here), did a great job of putting together the ground work for this trip, bridging from what they did last year!Will did a great job of handling the logistics of the trip and creating the dialogue with the team in conjunction with Gordon and Jeff. They also brought this year closer to the staff because of the relationships they already established last year. 

Jeff and Lucy hanging out in DC

Into the flight of Vienna, I did not sleep a lot. I think it was the excitement of getting there to Albania, and the clever banter from Matt and Bryan. It was around 5 am when I noticed we we're flying over Ireland. It made me think about my good friend Stephen and family who live there and was praying for them. I then got up to see the leg room that Matt acquired when I caught a glimpse of the sun rise out of the only window open in the back of the plane. I got out my camera as fast and quite as I could to snap these. The guy sitting there didn't speak English but he understood what I was trying to do and was a good sport about it. It was gorgeous and made my day. 
    I thought it was interesting that once we left DC, the sun never fully set on our travel until after we reached Albania.

Sun peaking on a bed of clouds just over Ireland.

Out of the window from the back hatch of the galley. 

When we got to Vienna, we had nothing to do but sit and rest. We found the "Relaxation Room", which had these firm, black, leather couches you would probably sit on in an Apple store in Europe. Soft enough to sit on, but not to stay forever ;)

~DAY 2~

Aldo introducing the Dallas group  Team Icebreakers

The Ice Breakers team works together to figure out a dance..

I have nothing but good things to say about Aldo, his wife Blerina, and the staff of Campus Crusade in Albania. Aldo did a great job of keeping the discussions focused, engaging, and Christ centered. He and the staff know how to have fun too!

During the week there were 4 days of study in which Patrick taught on 2 Timothy. Patrick did a great job of teaching from the text and what Paul was communicating in the text and also leading the discussions after smaller groups had a chance to discuss what they were learning. Listening to the young mind explain back scripture was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Patrick teaching  Making Life Maps. Life Maps are a picture of specific moments of these teens' lives, put down on paper. I think my favorite part of this was listening to some of the stories in more detail and understanding more about their culture and how they grew up. For some, Jesus was a glorious focal point in their lives and very recent even.

Dionis! This young man was kind enough to translate many many times during our discussions or when I was listening to what was being said in Albania. I am also thankful to Orlanda and Elsina for doing the same!

Sometimes we listen in a focused way :) 

Will and Eugen play a song

More games and dancing. If you love to dance, Albania is the country for you to visit. If you don't like to dance, coffee is abundant to sit and enjoy as well. 

Happy Birthday Alma!

**I know what you're thinking.. "Is that Bryan trying to whistle and eat pasta at the same time?"**   Heavens no! ;)

Lauren Dean!

*Sorority pose!

Follow this link for Days 3&4 >>>>>

Trent Wilkins asked for Jenny Chang's hand in Marriage on 11-23-2014 

It was a beautiful Fall day and 73 degrees. Trent planned the whole thing before over coffee. We thought it would be a cold day at the Arboretum with no one around....Who knew 1000s would want to see such a pretty place on a perfect day. The good news was 1 in 6 people around the park had a camera. So blending in, even with my large 100-400mm allowed me to blend in pretty well. Trent had a series of stations that spelled L.O.V.E., with individual letters along a path. 
  

  Friends of Trent and Jenny, Taylor and Angela, helped with the setup and were there to celebrate! They were very kind and did a great job!

Jenny will be such a beautiful, fun , and sassy bride! :D

Did I mention it was cold? As in, "We better hurry! My fingers are going numb!!"? But it was fun!

I emailed Darcy on the end of a Thursday for an impromptu photo shoot. She was excited to, but I then quickly realized: I was 20 miles away, 45 minutes of light left, and getting chilly out there. Now...If you are from Up north...Bite me :P, but the wind really made it worse haha.

Yup. WINDY

I did have a couple of lights, but it getting dark and blood flow was a factor I started with my 85mm 1.2 first to crush the background and squeeze more light in the scene. First image for a test was money. I knew exactly what i was looking for with the long windows to add high contrast and long, vertical lines. We kept shooting with just ambient light, and I then added a hair light(light stand, 600ex rt Maunal at 1/32, CTO filter warm at a 1/2)
 

This one is my favorite

Added the Hair/ key light

The lights from the adjacent garage gave a nice yellow bokae glow in the reflections. Those are things you sometimes see, or you just adjust and use for fantastic results. I switched to my 70-200

By now we are getting cold, and doing fun shots. Once you have a solid baseline of great photos, you can transition into shots that are more creative and fun. Darcy never did complain about the cold. She was a troppper.

Like this one ;) The end! I had a blast, Darcy!
 

I had a fun day with my good friend, and talented photographer, Billy Wand. I picked hmm um on a crisp Saturday morning where I told hi mto wear pants, "It's gonna be chilly"...Sorry Billy lol. Billy teased me later by saying "Wear pants he said". Hey, I thought it might be cold up there :P

I did have trouble finding the place. It turns out the building moved, and I found the original building. I asked the lady at the car rental place "Is this where the flight company is?" She said something kinda funny where I had a Will Ferrell or comedy moment. She said "O, that is not in this building. This building is going to be demolished." I leaned in, whispered, and pointed with hands downward, and said "Right now?" She grinned.

We get to the building and a few others were arriving for the plane ride as well. at first I thought there was someone wearing Army, 101st airborne attire from ww2 as part of the flight. It turns out it was a young man who was just very into the time period. 
   This kid had everything, even the gloves! This was fantastic because I kept thinking how I was going to get classic looking photos, in 40's jump gear. I figured I would know what to do and just come back. This was perfect. I traded photos for a model ;) He and the family were happy to do so. #winwin

I wanted to get a few establishing shots, but I didn't realize we were about to have "5 Minutes" to take photos. That would be a New York 5mins

So....We loaded up :)
 

We saw a very pretty view of Fort Worth on a clear day.

It was nice to be able to walk around and sit at the Navigation seat.

The pilots were having a fun time too. Who wouldn't be having a blast when you fly something 70 years old!

 Took a few preliminary shots to get used to the camera. He did great. I had a shot in my mind of what I wanted. I had a flash, but I wanted the window to be the Key light and the fill from the other windows of the plane. I had in my mind the shot that I wanted - Right-thirds, looking out the window, thinking about the pending jump, seeing planes outisde, eitc. I realized we were over the water, which made it even better for something that may have looked like June 5th, 1944, England. I shot this around f6.3, 1/400/ 800iso
I didnt want to go any higher than that, in exposure, to reduce noise. *Note that there are times it is wise to shoot under exposed, in the shot, and then adjust in post to avoid loosing info in over exposed areas, especially without a tripod.*

Here is the shot I was happy with, featured here in Black and White:

This shot was compiled in Photoshop after a series of adjustments to the RAW file, painting exposure values, and adding several elements: Face paint, planes, and even some clouds to give the other planes depth. 

Here is simple breakdown VIDEO of the progress of this photo. Click Play on the image

After the flight, we headed over to a fantastic lunch at Joe T Garcia's....Man those Fajitas were tasty. Sitting there, Joe T's, we saw the C-47 take off for it's last flight for the day. Had to be there, but it was great to see. 

After that, we walked around the stockyards for a photo walk. 

= No Fun ;)

The big day starts out with funny faces :)

See!

O, Nicholas. Funny funny

I love this photo of the Detwilers

Long time friends

Took a bunch of photos as we were waiting on..stuff. Being in the wedding party, and not the photographer, my shot list was not there and I was just shooting what I saw to be nice image and photos for friends.

Ray is always serving Lindsay. It is a great thing to see.

Ryan lending a hand

Nate... Nate was tired ;)

VERY tired

Best part of Ryan not loosing he composure was that this was not planned haha!

The Detwiler woman are very pretty and these mother daughter photos were special to capture. 

I am very glad I brought my camera out to the beach for the wedding. As Ray and Lindsay were being photographed, we had beautiful light from that amazing sunset to capture family and friends :)

Photo Inception!
Clint's idea

The Ladies

Married 51 years!

A favorite photo of Clint and Meagan

Nate hanging in there. Black suit, warm sun, tired

Mother - on Dance 
2.8/2500iso

My favorite photo of Clay and Olivia. I told them I would get a good one before the weekend was over ;)

This is my favorite photo from the wedding. "You gotta dance like no one is watching" - Ryan 

I saw this photo bomb coming and it was hilarious 

Derek doing a great job at capturing the event with Mike!

Love you Ray and Lindsay!

We hung out on the beach to watch the stars and enjoy the rest of the night. It was beautiful. I cant wait to see the wedding photos that Mike and Derek captured of Ray and Lindsay against those beautiful pink clouds! We really were blessed by the weather holding up and getting the over cast the day before and not Saturday night.

Here is a look back at the wedding venue. This composite was of 2 images. 45 seconds I believe on my 16-35mm

Early flight back to Cayman on Sunday

We all shifted to the 9:55am to Miami instead of the 1:55pm. I think one layover in the Cayman airport was enough.

Miami Beach was the place we ended up. It was great to just sit and people watch for a while... Well Some dude I would have rather not seen.

"Ok Ron...Enough already" - My Ryan voice

"They call that the Widow Maker"

This guy made very cool jewelry

The End! 

It was an early Oct 9th, at 3:30am to wake up and make the 6:10am flight. After 2 cups of coffee and 1 on the way, I was to the airport, to security (with gentleness), to join old friends and new ones to the Cayman Islands! The fun part was the inside jokes had already been some what established and more to be had for sure. Above all of that, We were all looking forward to celebrating with Ray and Lindsay their marriage!  
This is a 2-part blog post >> Part 2 Link 
A few people have asked about photos. I am glad to share with those who were with me, but know that I was not the photographer. I was just a nerd with a camera and I too am excited to see the photos that Mike and Derek captured from the whole weekend!

What do you do with a mechanical delay that turns into 6 hours of sitting?...

Watch funny YouTube videos of coarse, and enjoy the local airport food! lol

I love the raw expression here

After 6 hours in Grand Cayman, we were on our way to Cayman Brac!

Good Morning Cayman Brac :)

The Hall ladies were our lovely tour guides around the island on Friday morning. 

We went to Rebecca's Cave, which was incredible to walk around and see! The cave has history for the island in saving lives during hurricanes.

Clint & Megan

Nicole

Jenna and Nicole

Jenna and Nate to the left of Rebecca's cave

Ray & Lindsay

Tall enough caves for even the three, 6 foot+ groomsmen

I like this image because I shot from the hip with a single flash, in the dark, while Ray was laughing

Always a funny one, that Ray

O....ya. The Honeymoon Cottage 
 

Christopher Columbus discovered Cayman Brac in 1503

Olivia & Clay

Our fun tour driver. I heard He scared Nicole real good in the cave haha. 

3 Generations

92 years young! Granny is a sweety. She drives too! :)

We headed to The Buffs for a wonderful view of the sea from the edge of the island. What a view!

It had to be 150 feet down to the water

Jenna & Nate Kemp

I rarely get in my photos, but Jacquelynn was kind to take my photo.

We went snorkeling the 2 days we were there. The water was very clear. I would say the visability was 120 feet in some areas. 

Video here  http://youtu.be/N6t5kC--TaQ

Brooks & Erica

We had a rehearsal dinner on Friday night. I wanted to shoot with a nice shallow depth of field for the night on my 50 1.2 and a flash for fill 

Ray was constantly checking on his sister to make sure she was ok. Her lay over was like ours, but solo :(

There were a bunch of Cayman Island contestants at the resort for a contest or something. Ryan grab a photo :)
Funny thing was, Ray held up his camera phone light so my 50 1.2 could focus on something in the low light. *My 50 and 85mm are always a challenge to focus in low light. However my 24-70 and 70-200 are rock stars in low light :)

Part 2 here

Joe Batir asked for Ali Gatewood's hand in Marriage on 09-19-2014

This my friends, was an adventure of a Friday for sure! Not only was traffic nuts, but having car trouble, finding an ideal spot and communicating it to Joe in txt, being hidden lawn gnome(Im tall) behind a hedge and a shrub, and not being spotted by this glass:

Why on earth right?  ...Well..since you asked... :D This 400mm 2.8 lens allowed me these close up shots, while keeping the light, without being spotted by Ali(ruining the moment), 60 ft away. I shot between 3.5-4.5 to be sure I had both more in focus. As the sun dipped, I could go to 3.2 or 2.8 if i had to. 

 I cant say enough good things about Joe and how he is with Ali. I have met Joe several times and seen the way he cherrishes Ali. 

It was wonderful to photograph these two, not just because I was familiar with both of them, but because Joe and Ali were so fun to shoot!

70-200 @3.5

400mm @2.8

This is one of my favorites!

Joe was explaining that Ali's ring is more than just a trip to the jeweler. Joe is a Geologist and actually dug and found the the Topez himself! He had them cut, and put into the ring that he designed. Isn't it beautiful?

I left Joe and Ali as they called the family to share the good news "Yeah....She said no.." Ha! Oh Joe!


 

07.19.2014

It was the end of a great long trip, from America to Albania, then to Rome. I knew I wanted to capture the colosseum at night with a few long exposures. My goal was: No people in shot, brightness/ contrasty, with fun flares and light streaks. I was happy with the results. It was a shame that one side of the stadium was under repair, but as creatives, we make it work don't we?

I had been to the Colosseum the day before, when I landed. I wanted to just take it in and see Rome with my eyes as well as through my view finder.

*Reminder*   Put down the camera now and then and experience the shot as well as take the shot.

Creating an old look 

Gordon 

I took a few group photos with the friends who I came with and I am blessed to have.

By this time it was 1 am and I had about 4 hours to capture, pack and sleep before we headed to the airport. Crazy? Like a fox ;)

I started out here, but there were too many people in the photo. That is still ok but standing for a while and seated people was not what I was looking for. So I moved to the Southwest corner

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, f/22 @24 mm, 72s, ISO 100 on tripod

I saw the truck lights coming and was expecting the truck to pass. However I realized it was slowing to stop.

I thought it would not work but realized it created a nice effect. I took a couple of more exposures and used the extras frames

to paint out what I did not like in the image(some of the truck, a people of people walking, etc).

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, f/22 @24 mm, 51s, ISO 100 on tripod

With a lack of time on my hands, I moved to another shot on the north west side to try and get some light streaks. There was a group of girls forbachelorette party taking pictures, so I waited. My friend Lauren, who came with me, took their photo, which helped with the short window of time. Lauren, you were a big help that night!

Here is the shot, after post, when I got back to my studio..with a fresh set of eyes from sleep :) 
 

If you missed Days 1&2, they are located here <<<<<

~DAY 3~

Aldo calls to find outwhere the kids are. We had a Coffee planned with a couple of kids who were way past Albanian time ;)
*Albania time is the set time plus 30-45 minutes*  
..So if you're from a fast-paced background..you might shoot yourself or you need to work on your patients ;)
Aldo was calling to check for us. They arrived and we had a great discussion about God's character and who Jesus is.

 

Photo by Lauren Dean

The idea was thrown around to teach a photography class and it was another good chance to interact with the kids. I didn't have long, but I explained fundamentals of Exposure triangle: (ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed). Once learned, these could work with any of their cameras to improve their photos. The staff acquired a Canon camera. This was good for them to learn and to utilized for future ministry efforts. 

Danita was my model for the class right before it started to rain. Good times

We played a lot of games.

Kuddos to Will for bringing over the Canon for the CRU team to use to capture what they need for this week and going forward. It is a great investment!

Choose wisely!

#Homies

These 3 girls: Jonida, Hyrije, and Elsina were a joy to listen to in study and helped me with translating. Above that, they were hilarious.

Being silly!

Skerdi was a big help to the camp and was always helping or willing to. Thank you Skerdi! 5 points if he winked at you HAHA!

Ermal is a very funny guy. "Is this a bad neighborhood?" :) 
Jokes aside, Ermal was great at interacting with the kids and pointing them to Jesus.

Hyrije

Blerina and baby Amanda

My favorite part of taking these quick photos was Amanda never stopped looking at the camera.

We went out to eat most of the nights and this little Italian place had wonderful pizza. I never remember the names, just what I ate.. That Chicken Parmesan pizza was very good! :)

Shocker, I sometimes appear in my photos too.

Restaurant cat. Hey! It's Albania

I am truly blessed by each of these guys during this trip. 

~DAY 4~

We kept seeing the ads for Aldo's night gig! haha

I'll pass on that chicken, but it was funny to see AFC!

This was the view on top of the Sky Lounge in Tirana where we had coffee. It is a pretty place indeed. 

Matt and Bryan singing about Coffee Americano

This is one of my favorite photos from this trip

The photo bombs are priceless

We popped into a Greek Orthodox to see the building, inside. It was a pretty place. There is a couple of photos on Facebook of my snapping upwards. This is what I was getting. I really like the ambient light coming in. 50mm 1.8 1250

We stopped off for ice cream and it was dim. I did not want to use a flash in there so I went with my 50mm 1.8 and took this one. 
*Tip* The smaller your gear, the less obvious you will be in the street photography photos you're trying to capture. I however stick out regardless due to height.

"Dub`ya" came to visit Albania several years ago. The Albanians said that George said he felt safer there than at home.

Team Photo
*Jeff Welskopf not shown

 As always, a fun photo with our traditional Jazz hands :)
*If you come next year, I will show you how Jazz hands just might save your life while crossing the street.

Klejdi did a great job keeping the media going. I know it's not an easy job, so we are thankful even with computers decided to stop working.

The Judges.
Jeff was the British personality if you were wondering

Funny skit the kids acted out

Andrew and Dionis

Here we are at Coffee. Coffees took place 1-2 times a day for about an hour and a half. The purpose was to connect with the kids, but also engage more with them on what they know, believe, and are trusting in. For the believers we encouraged them as well. These times were my favorite part of the trip. 

Matt teaching dance. The last night was Texas Night!

Andrew playing the Ninja game

Bryan as MC for the night and Aldo embracing the Texas theme.

Gordon explaining the balloon game. You tie a balloon to your ankle, on a string, and try to stomp the other person's balloon. Last balloon wins.

In Photography, timing is very important

Not sure who that is ;)

photo by lauren dean

In America or around the world, Danita will always be sassy.

Eugen is a fun guy who speak English very well. He is my friend. We had coffee together the last day. We talked about Jesus, who he was, why he died, and his trustworthiness. He is one of a few that I sat down with to talk about the love of God through his son Jesus, and why we would fly half way around the world to share why we would put our faith and trust in a sinless carpenter who died 2000 years ago. I hope to see Eugen and the rest of the kids again.

The castle we ate at the last night in Albania. It was a beautiful place. I was impressed by every part of the building.
I took a long exposure of about 60 seconds. f22, 160iso, and on a tripod. The moment I walked up, I knew I would get soemthing pretty like this. This is a combination of 2 images.  

It was nice to sit and talk to AlBa and Renis. #Newlyweds 

I am blessed to know these men. They all did a great job of teaching and loving the kids through out the week. And yes..that is a Tootsie pop in Gordon's pocket.

One last long exposure. This time 30 seconds at 320 iso. Yes, that is Renis and AlBa.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and reading about the 10 from Texas went to share Jesus with 150 teens and build relationships with the Campus Crusade staff there in Albania. I am thankful for the Hungarians and the Iowa team who invested a much longer time there and established a large chunk of ground work before we arrived.


To those who supported our team in prayer and financial support, we can not thank you enough. This trip was a big stepping stone for many who will come back as well as share what God is doing in Albania through Campus Crusade. We are all very saddened that we had to leave and are continuing to talk about the trip. If you have any questions about the trip, I hang out at Watermark Community Church with this team, and my email address is on my contact page. Feel free to reach out to me.
Keep an eye out for a video of the camp as well. 

*Please Note* There was a side trip to Rome that was not included in the blog. The reason for this was this trip was made possible by support of others and the side trip to Rome was piad completely by us and not of the support raised. I will provide another photo blog of Rome and a few beautiful photos I took there.

If you missed the link to day 1 & 2 of this trip, the link is here >>>>>>
 

It’s hard for me to even know where to start with this post. I will give you the facts, then open my heart wide…


Several months ago I went with my roommate and other friends, to an informational meeting about a trip to Albania to work with the local church there and Campus Crusade. There were members of CRU, from Albania there to share with us what God is doing there and the vision of what will happen with the Summer camp that  would take place during July.
 

It was pretty much in that meeting that a band of 10 brothers and sisters solidified as a team and started to grow deep rooted friendships and trust together. God truly uses those whom he calls.

It was said at different times and by different members:
"We have the best team we could have asked for!"    I could not agree more! :)

*NOTE* I did not take as many pictures as I normally do. There were times I put the camera away to connect better with the kids.. So if I missed your beautiful smile, please forgive me :)

Team Albania 2014

The only information we had to go by was what was shared by the team from last year and it was drawling us to go! So we started to raise support, throw BBQs..*mmm Gordon's BBQ*..., Sent out letters for partnering opportunities, started meeting together as a team, and trusting in God's work and will for everything.

You maybe reading this and thinking:

Why Albania?

"Until recently, Albania was a Communist and officially Atheist country. This year marks the 22^nd anniversary of the fall of Communism in the country. Today, Albania is not a nation that is unreached, but a nation that like our own faces the struggle to train up the next generation of followers of Christ. There is a great need to reach out to this generation, particularly the college students." 

- Gordon Burgett 2013
 

Will Noll Gordon Burgett Jeff Welskopf

Last years team(shown here), did a great job of putting together the ground work for this trip, bridging from what they did last year!Will did a great job of handling the logistics of the trip and creating the dialogue with the team in conjunction with Gordon and Jeff. They also brought this year closer to the staff because of the relationships they already established last year. 

~DAY 1~

Getting to Albania was a fun adventure too! With layovers in DC and Vienna, our travel time was about 26 hours.

Danita had no idea that someone was just as interested in that blow pop as she was :P

With a 6 hour layover in DC, a few of us decided to go see the free Flight museum down the road and meet Gordon's family.  Will and I were like a kids in a candy store when we got around the planes.

#MERICA!

Jeff and Lucy hanging out in DC

Into the flight of Vienna, I did not sleep a lot. I think it was the excitement of getting there to Albania, and the clever banter from Matt and Bryan. It was around 5 am when I noticed we we're flying over Ireland. It made me think about my good friend Stephen and family who live there and was praying for them. I then got up to see the leg room that Matt acquired when I caught a glimpse of the sun rise out of the only window open in the back of the plane. I got out my camera as fast and quite as I could to snap these. The guy sitting there didn't speak English but he understood what I was trying to do and was a good sport about it. It was gorgeous and made my day. 
    I thought it was interesting that once we left DC, the sun never fully set on our travel until after we reached Albania.

Sun peaking on a bed of clouds just over Ireland.

Out of the window from the back hatch of the galley. 

When we got to Vienna, we had nothing to do but sit and rest. We found the "Relaxation Room", which had these firm, black, leather couches you would probably sit on in an Apple store in Europe. Soft enough to sit on, but not to stay forever ;)

~DAY 2~

Aldo introducing the Dallas group  Team Icebreakers

The Ice Breakers team works together to figure out a dance..

I have nothing but good things to say about Aldo, his wife Blerina, and the staff of Campus Crusade in Albania. Aldo did a great job of keeping the discussions focused, engaging, and Christ centered. He and the staff know how to have fun too!

During the week there were 4 days of study in which Patrick taught on 2 Timothy. Patrick did a great job of teaching from the text and what Paul was communicating in the text and also leading the discussions after smaller groups had a chance to discuss what they were learning. Listening to the young mind explain back scripture was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Patrick teaching  Making Life Maps. Life Maps are a picture of specific moments of these teens' lives, put down on paper. I think my favorite part of this was listening to some of the stories in more detail and understanding more about their culture and how they grew up. For some, Jesus was a glorious focal point in their lives and very recent even.

Dionis! This young man was kind enough to translate many many times during our discussions or when I was listening to what was being said in Albania. I am also thankful to Orlanda and Elsina for doing the same!

Sometimes we listen in a focused way :) 

Will and Eugen play a song

More games and dancing. If you love to dance, Albania is the country for you to visit. If you don't like to dance, coffee is abundant to sit and enjoy as well. 

Happy Birthday Alma!

**I know what you're thinking.. "Is that Bryan trying to whistle and eat pasta at the same time?"**   Heavens no! ;)

Lauren Dean!

*Sorority pose!

Follow this link for Days 3&4 >>>>>

What a beautiful wedding! Alan and Alethea exchanged their vows on 5.31.14 at Watermark Community Church. 
I am looking forward to seeing the video! Alan is a gifted artist and videographer so the cameras were rolling for sure. It was tuff not to talk shop for a while! *I'm a guilty nerd, what can I say? :P

This little one was adorable!

Like a Boss!
Seriously though, Alan doing this takes any potential shine from his forehead. Kudos Alan!

I was moved by this moment. 

Photo by Miah

Alan's first look at his bride.

I saw this shot and like the story it told. Looking towards the future of a long and beautiful marriage. 

I like how Alan pulled the dip off. Well done sir!

First kiss alone as Mr. and Mrs.

I enjoyed the purple theme

Hadouken!

Ron Acord Photography 

Watermark SunsetIt was a beautiful sight to see.

After a long week of shooting in Miami for my company, I was glad to be back in Dallas. Lots to say but a simple photo blog will do.

   I arrived a little late so I didn't get to hear Tullian Tchividjian or the panel discussion, but I did get to listen to Matt Chandler. I enjoyed that. Saturday was wonderful with some of my favorite teachers: Todd Wagner @wordswithwags and Jonathan Pokluda @JPokluda.      JP's discussion on the importance of Sabbath(rest) was my biggest take away. I will do a better job to rest when resting, and work when working, and to not combine the two. "Rest and Refocus".
Jonathan Pokluda"I need a Volunteer"

"I need a volunteer.."

    I will say that being in Dallas was a luxury because we are a few miles from home. I saw some name tags from South Carolina, California, and a few others from a bit further than what we would need a quick Buckee's pit stop ;).
  

    Don't let this just another conference. I encourage you to apply what you have learned. I would ask the same.

@ShaneandShane

Phil Wickham

#LetUsLinger #Philwickham #Shaneandshane #JPokluda

Last weekend I went out to shoot in Deep Ellum with my friend Lacey.
I had a few spot ideas in mind, but I always find stuff along the way for an interesting composition depending on the look I am going for. The theme was portraits so I was looking for color and texture.

❅...And then the temperature dropped..while I ate a tasty turkey Sandwich and a Chi Tea. On top of that, it was very overcast. This is not ideal for most desired photos. However, Overcast gives a soft light if you know how to use it to your advantage! :-)
 

By the way* Elvis is alive. He is in a looking glass. And if you shake your head from side to side, he does a chicken dance. Yeah.

"Like this Ron?" - Sassy and Spunky was the style of this cold day shoot lol

So we braved the cold and took some shots. I wanted to practice capturing the genuine smile/emotions that make for a great photo. It is easy to tell when a smile is forced. So, I didn't want that. Plus it makes for a more enjoyable shoot. I used my 70-200 to crush the background and it is my favorite lens for portraits.

Here are some shots I knew I was going to get once I got into post:
As Andri Cauldwell (an American photographer) once stated, "To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul."

This one is featured on my 500px page as well Joy in the Wind70-200 Joy in the Wind70-200

 

We also had friends join us to enjoy the bleak weather :)

Chris, Jessica, and of coarse Tank!

No shake boarder was hurt in the making of this photo :)

 The right song can make you solo in your own way!

Shooting some inside shots to avoid catching a cold.

What!?! What!?! What!?!

Bank vaults make everyone a little...different :)

Bulb

I am thankful for Chris's hospitality for driving and showing us the city from the roof of his building.

I can't do that.. Can you?

There are other fun photos. I'll post those to the Facebook or give to Lacey. 

The End! 
**If you have any questions, feel free to ask**

Ron Acord Photography
https://www.facebook.com/ronacordphotography

I had a fun time last night running around Dallas in the dark with my friend Ray, www.radiantsquares.com. I started out at some recommended locations by others, online, but it was hazy weather and...just not working. I jumped in Ray's car to a fantastic spot where your heart melts just a little to an amazing view!
   Now now I cant say that this image is as is. However, the Moon was from the South(far right of image) and would later set more to North West which means not going to work for the view.
What happened was 2 shots here. Moon(at 100%),placed on top of the city scape. I'm sure I will get flak for this from my anti-compositing peeps, but I think it works.

Enjoy!