A.E.LANDES PHOTOBLOG

One thing is for sure – there was no lack of party-people at Kate and David’s wedding! The whole wedding party was so much fun to be around… and golf carts, sparklers, darts, a crystal pimp cup, and a Super Mario Brothers cake didn’t help the sanity. With cool weather and an early sunset, we needed to get the shots we wanted outside right away, and then get the group formals inside the Old York Road Country Club by the fireplace. The ceremony had jokes a-plenty, and the reception had a cake-smash and an energetic band (I hope you are catching the good-time theme here)… I know this fantastic couple will be a lot of fun to be around for the years to come. Best wishes to Kate and Dave!

Here is a link to Kate and Dave’s Wedding Gallery.

And for the family and friends, here is a link to Kate and Dave’s Complete Wedding Gallery and Print Order site.

Salsa the Dog loves Freeze Thaw’s new BPA-free waterbottles! I recently got done photographing the crew at Freeze Thaw Cycles showing off their new threads and gear, and we got some really great photos despite Arctic temperatures and my frozen trigger finger! I guess it wasn’t so bad… Jordyn and Clay braved it in cycling shorts. I always find an excuse to check out their amazing shop in downtown State College. So much bike-bling and bike-knowledge, it’s hard to stay focused.

Check out the Freeze Thaw’s Product Gallery here.

Oh my! Christmas at the Willard Hotel in DC is in a class of its own. After photographing the Beautiful You’s Christmas Tea at one of Willard’s ballrooms, a few friends and I headed down to the lobby for some shots using the fleeting afternoon light. Big and bright, the horizontal columns of sunshine gave us some interesting shapes and highlights among the lavish decor. Even though I was mentally exhausted, we got some really nice shots – these ladies know how to work it. I was especially happy with the silhouette – a bit dark/mysterious, but I love Ashlynn’s pose.

Check out the rest of the Gallery of the DC Ladies at the Willard Hotel.

Melissa and Joe have it down – between running marathons and Joe’s healthy mountain bike obsession, they have two beautiful kids that made my job as a photographer very easy. We set out on the National Mall and just had some fun in the bright, fall leaves surrounding the WWII Memorial and checking out the bridged island nearby. The sun and leaves played so well with the family, it was a chore picking out the very best photos from our session. Enjoy the gallery of images!

Here is Melissa and Joe’s Fall Family Portrait Gallery.

You just can’t go wrong with a fall wedding in State College… Susie and Brad had glorious sunshine all day long for their wedding, and we had a lot of fun getting those formal pictures at Spring Creek Park with Susie’s veil and the wind playing nicely. The formal shots inside the church were also a lot of fun with the big families, and watching Susie’s Marshmallow Bunny impression at the reception was hilarious. And I really enjoyed the wonderful moments when Susie and Brad were dancing towards the end of the night… Best wishes to the couple!

Here is a link to Susie and Brad’s Wedding Gallery.

And for the friends and family, here is Susie and Brad’s Complete Gallery and Print Order Site.

IRON CROSS VIII. What I found to be most disturbing about this race is the amount of people that *smiled for the camera… I mean, you spend a grueling 62 miles on a cyclocross bike (most ‘cross races last 30-45 minutes, right?) over all kinds of terrain and about 7,000 feet of elevation gain? Mike and Zach, the Evil Promoters, must have it out for everyone – the Wigwam Rock Wall and a nasty bit of ending single-track should be a red flag to their, um, ideas of ‘fun’. Glad to see everyone survived, even though my boy Mike Festa flatted twice (I think that second wasn’t quite so accidental). And a shout to Team Freezethaw for sharing some of that Troeg’s booty winnings with me.

Here is a quick highlight Gallery from IRON CROSS VIII – 2010.

And if you have the time, here is IRON CROSS VIII’s Complete Collection and Product Order Site.

The bright autumn sun was out and shining all over Emily and Jeff’s wedding – it led to some truly magical lighting for the formal and ceremony pictures. The setting did not hurt either, as we did most of the formal shots along a terraced and tiered waterfall, and the ceremony and reception was in an elegant building similar to a vintage embassy. As the hired-help, I love being able to really connect with the wedding party and guests, and they really made me feel a part of the day (and I think the pictures reflect that!). The personal favorites for me was photographing them in the park, the amazingly packed and lit ceremony space, and of course, the reception dance floor. Best wishes to Emily and Jeff!

Here is a link to the highlights of Emily and Jeff’s Wedding Gallery.

And for the family and friends, Emily and Jeff’s Complete Gallery and Print Order Site.

I just got back about 10 rolls of film that was sitting (sadly!) in my fridge, waiting to be magically developed. Every once in a while, I will shoot a roll and then stick it in a Ziploc bag and forget about it. When I got back the scans last night, I realized how much I still love the look of film and how my subjects change when I shoot with film cameras… I am sorry, but digital film effects are to film as Splenda is to sugar: the taste just isn’t 100% there. Anyway, these photos have a bit of personal narrative from over the past two years – the photos range from the MS City to Shore ride, State College shots, Taiwan, DC, and a recent trip to Avalon, NJ. Enjoy!

A Bit of a Personal Post Gallery…

When Jan Thiessen asked me to be his second photographer for Monica and Karthik’s wedding, I was super-excited to learn about the scope of their wedding: two days, three events, dancing, Indian food, lots of guests, and a helicopter. A helicopter. Not to mention Monica and Karthik are a fantastic couple to photograph, and the guests at the parties laid-it-down-hard when it came to dancing. I always have a lot of fun working with Jan, and check out his gallery and photos here: Photos By Jan.

Here is my take on Monica and Karthik’s Wedding Gallery. Enjoy!

Here is the much anticipated Rachael and Andy’s Wedding! Can I just say that I love photographing the wonderful people of the Orthodox Church in State College? It is great to see so many familiar faces, and meet some new ones from across the Atlantic (Andrew’s family from England). We had a lot of fun from beginning to end – personal photo highlights being the tradition-rich ceremony, the infamous jumping shot, the shots of Rachael and Andy in the PSU Arboretum Gardens, and Andy’s reaction to his best mate’s speech. I think the guests got an idea of who Andy really is – and what a beautiful couple Rachael and Andy make.

Here is a link to Rachael and Andy’s Wedding Gallery.

And click here for Rachael and Andy’s Complete Collection and Print Order Website.