Priester Photography

Perfect Strangers--Autumn--Cancer Awareness

Yes. These were taken in November.

Super Top Secret

I have no photos to share with you at this moment.

This is not because I'm sitting back on my haunches.

I, in fact, just finished editing a session and would LOVE to share it with you but I can't.

It's super top secret.

All I can tell you is that they're pictures of a family that has just been placed in the witness protection program. They were witnesses to something tragic...something that they need protection from, obviously. That's really all I'm allowed to tell you....this is classified information that is only given out on a need to know basis. And frankly...you just don't need to know.

Not really.

It's actually a session I had with a super famous celebrity couple who's names I can't mention. Their agent insisted that I sign a contract stating that I would, under no circumstances, make these images public.

Not really.

But it is a secret.

If you know the password you can see them here under "Top Secret".

If you don't know the password, don't get all wiggy on me just because you want to see the secret pictures. I'll unlock them in the near future.

Since I've tortured you with the knowledge of pictures that you can't see, I'm introducing you to new music I just discovered.

If you've never heard of Amy Kuney, then you need to listen NOW. She's amazing.

This song gives me goosebumps. Which is amazing because I don't usually like remakes.

She even has a song about chocolate.

That's my kind of artist.

Up next: Senior Session

My future's so bright...

♪ I gotta wear shades. ♪♫

Sorry.

I couldn't help myself.

I asked them to get their sunglasses because they were squinting.

No one looks good squinting.

I think they're rockin' the shades.

This shot, despite what you may think, was a candid shot.

This fact makes it better.

This is another public service announcement: 95% of the brides (and grooms) I've had the privelege of photographing did not know how to go about cutting their wedding cake.

For some reason, upon the realization that they don't know what to do with the towering cake and slicing utensils while 200 friends and family stand at the ready with cameras in hand, they turn to me, the photographer, with quizzical expressions. "What are we supposed to do?", they ask.

Of course I tell them, though I'm never sure I'm directing them correctly.

It's essentially the blind leading the blind. But we manage.

Now it all makes sense though, because I found this site on how to cut a wedding cake. What's the number one "Do"?...Listen to the photographer. I'm not sure I agree totally with this website's instructions because further down the page it says that smashing cake and using your fingers is a "don't". No fun. I say bring on the cake smashing.

This couple did a mighty fine job cutting their cake despite their (and my) limited know-how.

You must love a picture of the father of the bride helping to bustle her dress.

This doesn't happen every day.

Trust me.

This is obviously the slideshow of the sweet couple's wedding.

You can see their proofs here under Winberry/Settlemoir Wedding.

Enjoy!

Up next: I have no idea. Pictures perhaps. If I can maintain my sanity long enough to edit them.

Due to a questionable comment...

that was made on my last post I was forced to disable comments for that particular post.

I've now made some changes. You can still comment. In fact, I encourage it. It keeps the place interesting. However, I will now be moderating all comments and they will only be posted if I allow them to be. I didn't realize that I could have done this all along.

It creates more work for me, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Here's a kindly little reminder while we're on this subject:

This is the World Wide Web...as in world wide. Meaning anyone can view it.

Anyone.

So let's play nice and keep it clean, people.

Pretty please? With sugar on top?

I knew you would understand.

Thank you.

Now on to more interesting things.

These next few pictures are an exercise in being observant of things in the background (or foreground) of an image.

Notice the picture of the lovely couple in the lovely lady's hands?

How lovely.

Notice the interesting, bored little girl in the right hand corner?

And the interesting eyeballs looking at me in the top left hand corner?

How interesting.

Notice the funny child that's pretending to be emotional on the right side?...

and the funny twin arms going in for a hug?

How funny.

Wonderful couple on wonderful stairs with bubbles...

Notice the wonderful, peeping people in the background?

How wonderful.

Up next: The completion of this wedding.

I missed you!

I haven't been able to blog for (gasp!) nine days!

I could regal you with stories of my psychotically busy schedule which is the reason I've been MIA, but I don't want to raise your blood pressure in case you have heart problems.

I will tell you, however, that coming up I've got the wrap up of this wedding...

a sneak peak of six cancer survivors that I shot for a Relay for Life calendar and details about where you can buy the calendar...

a session of three cutie pie boys in overalls...

a senior session with a Mr. B Hughes...

and a few sunsets that I managed to capture amidst the chaos.

No. This is not an amazing shot. I felt the need to post it as a public service announcement.

Attention!: Runners are not all they're cracked up to be. These two gents had quite the time getting it to unroll, as you can see by the feet and hands holding it down the aisle (teamwork in action). The bride then proceeded to become slightly stuck to it's tacky surface as she walked down the aisle.

The bride's photographer (moi) then proceeded to become stuck to it as well.

It wasn't a catastrophe, but it could have been.

Brides-to-be: We know you are royalty for the day. You do not need a carpet/runner to prove it.

I promise.

He took one for the team...

in the most complete sense of the phrase.

I would agree that he did not necessarily have a choice...but still...he did it.

I'm, of course, talking about Selfish (the fish).

He has left us and is now adrift somewhere in the bowels of the Madison County sewer system.

This may seem a bit morbid of a subject to be coupled with pictures of such a cute little boy but I thought he deserved a little bit of recognition.

Recognition for the year and a half of servitude to Priester Photography...

for being submitted to dirty, grimy, toddler hands in his bowl...

for being confined to a bowling ball sized home with not so much as a shrub to get some privacy...

for being moved from bowl to bowl with a slotted serving spoon because we didn't have a proper net...

and for going hungry on many occasions or being overfed and expected to gorge himself because no one could remember who fed him last.

He was a good fish and I'm sure he contributed much to our lower blood pressure.

This little guy's mother and I had decided during the session that Mr. Selfish wasn't lookin' too hot...

I think the exact phrase we may have used was "under the weather".

It appears that was an understatement.

He didn't make it through the night.

*Side note*--Why is it that animals always seem to die at night? An internet search proved futile for information...maybe it's just my animals that die at night.

Now that you have all of this information on my inability to care for a single goldfish I'm sure you would agree with my previous post about our not needing a dog.