The Creators Project: James Powderly

I subscribe to 8 RSS feeds, most of which are not updated on a daily basis...in other words, not a lot by any stretch of the means. Five of them are photography related, one a wise friend, one a wise man (who I'd like to call my friend) and one that's just plain stupid humor and enjoyable.

I'd personally say that the quality is high enough in that mix that it not only keeps my plate full, but constantly pushes my creative-combustion-envelope in so many ways. One of those in particular is the blog feed of Chase Jarvis. What I enjoy so thoroughly about Chase's blog is that he is constantly highlighting other aspects of this life as it pertains to the creative. I've learned and been introducted (so-to-speak) to so many great stories via his blog - but it doesn't just stop there. I allow the rabbit trail to ensue, take a look around, and always find myself stumbling upon the most inspiring moments. Such is the case today.

Chase had a post today highlighting cinematographer Curt Morgan and his company BrainFarm. Chase came upon their insane goodness via The Creators Project, which now brings us to the point of this post. After taking a look at the amazing things BrainFarm is up to, I took a look around and came upon this video highlighting artist and inspirational human being James Powderly. I would love to interview 'tempt' and try to understand the impact James has had on him, but I get the feeling that no explanation would suffice.

Be inspired.

Southern + Swell = Savanah

This equation is a no-brainer.

What do you get when you combine:

+ Amazing southern city of Savannah, GA

+ Beautiful boutique hotel (AVIA) <-- Highly recommend!

+ Class of a military groom

+ The charm of a vintage bride

+ And two families that party til they drop?

= Beautiful (and really enjoyable) story of Ally & Drew Julian.

One word. Four letters. S-T-U-D.

I always enjoy destination weddings - new scenery, new culture, new fascinating people...and Savannah did not disappoint! If you ever get the chance to drop in for a few days, do yourself a favor and walk everywhere you go. It's just too beautiful to ignore!

One Heck of a Dinner Party.

Well yesterday's post was about the people, today's post is about the fabulous event put on by those people.

When Delaney & Austin first approached me about capturing their fabulous day - I knew I was in for a treat. He likes soccer and good beer, she loves cooking and has an incredible knack for details...not to mention they are just really genuine and enjoyable people. (For extra credit - they took me out for a pint at one of my favorite watering holes - 12th South Taproom!) As they began to unfold the day for me, I relaxed in the overwhelmingly fresh air...

"This isn't about cliche photo ops, or about typical wedding moments...this is about homemade love, an awesome party with friends and family...and good food of course!"

My job? Capture that.

Phenomenal venue that came through in the last minute clutch? Houston Station

Best dang snowballs around handcrafted by: Fleur de Lis Flavors

And of course...the wicked good food catered by: B & C Bar-B-Q

Weddings: The Beauty in the Beast.

Weddings quite often are an interestingly beautiful beast...

The fine line between a beautiful represenation of one couple's public profession of love for one another all too often gets blurred with somebody elses expectations of a 'perfect day.' Stress, frustration, meltdowns...it almost always creeps up somewhere. Thankfully - most people find a way to look back and have a good laugh later on, however it still adds weight to the day that perhaps wasn't necessary.

I got married not too long ago (2 & 1/2 years) so this comes from personal experience as well as professional. My wife and I often look back and talk about the details from our day and how only a few short years would change our approach dramatically. The really miraculous part about it all though? It always seems to work itself out. No matter the issue, big or small...someone is there to help. To me - that is the beauty.

This past weekend I had the privilege of seeing this picture painted ever so masterfully. In all reality, I can't even fully do the story justice as I only know pieces of it all...but this couple went through it all. From the beginning - this bride and groom were working hand in hand with friends to make every detail personal and delightful. Handmade everything it seems...from flowers to desserts, the details were impeccable. The ceremony location to tie it all together? Bicentennial Mall ampitheatre overlooking downtown Nashville with reception at the Nashville Farmer's Market. Can you say GORGEOUS? They could...until the flood came. Three weeks out - and their dream ceremony location = ravaged.

All in all, it came down to the week of and going with Plan C - and this was not with a wedding coordinator pulling out all the stops. Rather...it was a bride and groom keeping their day to day schedules and their friends uniting together to make it all happen. And allow me to assure you - it did NOT look thown together last minute. It had unparallelled elegance and precision that even the best have a hard time attaining.

The highlight though...? The souls that created the safety net all together in one place, celebrating the love and joy that could not be subdued.

As I sit here and try to put into words the experience I had only a few short days ago I find words extremely inadequate, as the only true representaion of that night was the communal warmth that was bursting at the seams. So much joy, so much life - all shared in celebration of matrimony.

The food and attention to detail were epic - but the picture of community will stick in my mind forever.

**Keep an eye out for more from this wedding tomorrow afternoon**

Mister and Misses Cox.

Allow me to share some bullet points from the amazing wedding day of Donnie & Rachel Cox.

• He's a rock star. (Plays keys for Jeremy Camp)
• She saves childrens lives for a living. (Pediatric trauma nurse at Vanderbilt)
• He chased her for a LONG time...successfully.
• During pre-ceremony pictures, a bird pooped on him. True story. Left shoulder.
• Brad Paisely happened to be nearby, so he wished them well and was kind enough to pose for a picture.
• The reception was catered by Barbara's...if you aren't familiar with Nashville, you have no idea what that means and how awesome it is.
• There was a bride + brother interpretive dance to the theme song of Free Willy.
• To top off what was already a ragin' party - for the first time ever (that we know of) there was a SONIC bar! That's right - SONIC brought in 4 flavors of limeade!

I really don't need to say much more. Donnie & Rachel are amazing...and I'm thankful to call them my friends.

Seton Celebration

Each year, Saint Thomas Health Services holds the annual Seton Celebration which benefits patients in need at Baptist and Saint Thomas Hospitals. This year it was held at the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center in downtown Nashville. Not only is it an impressive sight, but the philanthropy in the air is more than refreshing. Needless to say...I was more than honored to be part of and capture the event. A sincere thank you to Jenny Richter Special Events for bringing me out for this one. Here's a few from the evening:

An offering of art.

Not too long ago I was asked to go into the studio with some good friends (and phenomenal artists) to document the recording process of a special project. These sessions were an offering of the artists time and talents to simply make great music/art and then to give it away freely to the people they walk through life with on a daily basis. Thanks to Journey church for asking me to be part of such a wonderful collaboration.

If you're interested in the incredible music made, you can download the 4 tracks for free by going here.

Fire trucks rule, girls drool.

Shooting 2 & 4 year olds birthdays isn't really my forte, but it was boys only and they had a fire truck...how could I say no?

Insecure Identity = Question Dodging.

Every time I meet somebody new, I struggle instensely within as it relates to my identity, as it never fails - the following question will arise:

"So, what do you do?"

I get it. Most people are trying to engage in smalltalk, and are trying to find some common ground to connect on - which I find no qualms with. I do believe however, that to most, that question is really just a rewording of "What is your job?" and thus, the majority of responses look like this: "I'm a _______."

Can I just be honest for a moment though? I loathe that question.

For those of you that don't know - I am not a full-time creative. I work from 8 - 5 in a cubicle, with slacks and a tucked-in ironed shirt where I have to shave on a semi-regular basis and even occasionally answer the phone with a generic greeting. Technically my title is 'Marketing Director' but let's be honest, I only direct myself and I answer to my bosses - so it sounds flashier than it really is. Last but not least, as soon as I say '...for a private financial planning company' I'm in most cases immediately off any person's radar as a creative.

There's this lathargic part of me that occasionally just wants to give in to the status quo and say "Oh, I'm the Marketing Director for a private financial planning company" and continue on with the conversation. There's also the part of me that sometimes blurts out "I'm a photographer" and I then engage my 'one-day-I-will-be' brain (yes, I do plan on pursuing the depths of full-time creative in the future). Really though, neither of those are truth - and therein lays my struggle.

See, this post was spurred on by two quotes really, the first of which I have written on a yellow sticky stuck up in my cube (sorry, I forgot the reference):

The other quote I came across while reading an article on PDN's website called 'How To Quit Assisting and Be a Photographer' was this:

"There have been times when, if I'd had a back-up plan, I might have taken it. But I never had a back-up plan. I'd rather be a poor photographer than someone making a lot of money at a

9 to 5 job."

If only I could...then I could...and it would be...

Sigh.

We all have our own complexities and longings in life, and my tension resides here. One (very large) part of me wants so badly to leave my secure and blessed job to pursue the life I believe I'm (eventually) called to live out - the life of a creative. Then of course, there is that (for now) more responsible and sane side of me that wakes up and irons every morning, keeps my beard in check, and plops down into my cubicle - keeping 'my hand to the plow' as I like to call it.

Here's the thing - far from settling, I think I'm actually beginning to be ok with where I am. Not that I don't have these intense longings and get completely frustrated sometimes, but it's more of a 'Hey, I am where I am, and everything is going to play itself out just fine if I just practice some patience and stay diligent.'

So, next time our paths cross, forgive me if I ignore the status quo, and just feel the need for some authentic dialogue:

You: "So, what do you do?"

Me: "You know, that's a great question. Actually - what I do is I wake up every morning and try to love and serve my family the best way I know how right now. I shower, (occassionally) shave, I iron my shirt - and I go to work in a cubicle so that I can pay our bills and put food on the table. I also am constantly in touch with my visionary and creative side - the one that longs to create and capture stories all day long and help build the artistic bridge between despair and hope. Most importantly, I try my best to not let any of that define me, because tomorrow it may all change, and all I'm really trying to do is learn how to just love people...people like you."

Thanks so much for asking.

Driving Home.

Sometimes it's the most mundane activities that we are inspired by...Don't ignore the ordinary.

Pictures snapped on my iPhone using Hipstamatic camera app.

Love is in the (cold) air.

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to not only see an old friend, but also had the privelege of capturing her and her military beau. Meet Ally and Drew.

Ally and I first met while wearing matching green aprons at some coffee joint you've probably driven by once, twice, a million times in your life. I was about to get married, and had no job...why not serve coffee to addicts for pennies? Perfect! I digress...

Anyways, another fine person that worked alongside us was a lovely gal named Rachel, whom you may remember from this wedding. Rachel married Eli, who before getting hitched to Rachel, was military roommates with Drew. You can connect the rest of the dots.

So here we are - celebrating warm fuzzies and anticipating what is shaping up to be a kickin wedding in Savannah, GA this May. Look out for those later, but until then, enjoy these little nuggets.

Snowed in.

This is the productivity that happens when you have a snow day...

Her story is:

common

unique

hopeful

tragic

beautiful.

The concept of our lives as a story is exceptionally intriguing to me. When I pull my perspective lens on life back far enough, it seems that things actually fall into place...the tide is much more fluid.

Not too long ago, I was approached by some of my peers to take part in a 'story team' of sorts. The goal was relatively simple: creatively represent and bring light to some wonderful stories that are being lived out by those among us.

The project isn't completely done yet, but I wanted to go ahead and share some stills, as well as introduce you to Cathryn, our first story. You can read a bit about her here. I'll absolutely be posting again when the project is done, so keep an eye out for it. Until then, let me say that I am honored to take part in this - and to Cathryn: thank you for your vulnerability. It has richened us all.