Le Beaux Chateau wedding - Jim Rode Photographer

Blogging today about a super couple. Amy and William are the perfect pair...she is radiant -look her up in the dictionary under "beautiful bride" -and William -wow...he is the gallant hero stepping up to marry the woman he loves -pledging his heart forever. Check out the first image of Amy and William bursting from the chapel door. Williams dad is at the left opening the door -his hand extended as he sends them off.

You'll also notice a little fun we had with a reception delay as one of the kids likely set off the fire alarm. No big deal...just ten minutes for the fire department to check things out (it's the law!). We got a chance to play a bit -and mimic the fun we had when we discovered a fire engine on their engagement safari. Check out the bewildered face of the kind fireman pressed into posing with the girls. I bet he's thinking 'I never thought I'd be invited to a wedding like this!'

I love the couple's dancing together, and especially wonderful was Amy dancing with her great-grandfather. Wow, makes your heart melt. The wedding was at Chapelle des Fleurs. (now called Le Beaux Chateau)

Tomorrow I'll post their cool Morning After Session I photographed at the nearby train depot. A walk that included shopping at a glass blower.

So I'm sitting down watching a little TV while having my morning coffee. In a few I'll be up and working on pictures...but first -Sylvia left me a chocolate chip cookie before she was off to work. Bingo! A story appears on the news about Ruth Wakefield.

In the 1930's she and her husband ran the Tollhouse Inn. Her chocolate cookies were the darling treat of friends and guests. As she was making a batch she reached for the cocoa and found an empty can. Ooops. She noticed a chocolate candy bar and improvised by breaking it up into tiny bits and mixing it into the dough. But, it didn't melt as expected, simply got soft. She served it anyway with an apology.

There was no need to apologize. The guests loved her invention -the chocolate chip cookie. Word spread. The recipe ended up in the local newspaper. Nestle began making chocolate drops and printed her recipe on the back of their packages.

Today, 6 billion times a year, someone in America is biting into a chocolate chip cookie. Yum. Thanks Syl...good breakfast treat.

Grapevine Engagement from Jim Rode Photographer

I know my history -and I'm proud of my country. I once worked for a former President of the United States. And the United States Military Academy at West Point has always been a fascinating part of our history with roots that date before the founding of our nation. So a few weeks ago at Christmas, I was blown away to meet a fabulous couple. Kaelyn is in school with the goal of becoming a nurse, and Seth is a sergeant at West Point. Moreover, when we met, he had proposed marriage just 4 days earlier.

Wow! My sense of history...and its importance is huge in my mind. Has someone taken a picture of this? Haven't you said at sometime in your life "I wish I had a picture of that?" I know you have. Me too. Too often, we live life and think about the capturing those fleeting memories too late. Here were Seth and Kaelyn standing before me during the very week he proposed. Can this time pass without images? What happens when you turn around and 5 years have gone by...10 years? I asked them if we could shoot pictures for an hour (no obligation) to capture this time. They said yes. I'm so glad. They look fantastic. -and yes, congratulations! We dodged a few raindrops and before a half hour had passed, the clouds broke and the sun appeared.

Gary Fong visits

Had fun visiting with Gary Fong as he visited a gathering of photographers in Dallas to talk about weddings, books, his photographers products, and his new book.
I was sorry to see him rush a demo of some cool products, but he was being limited to two hours. I never like to limit my education. I loved the new lightsphere collapsable which, once he place it onto the flash, he held up with the camera simply dangling -held only by the lightsphere's rubber-like grip on the camera. I could only grimace when I think I might hold a $3000 camera and a $2000 lens like that...I can't do it!

The picture is from Gary's blog, courtesy Gary Fong. (He's holding a camera with the Origami fold-flat diffuser.)

Breakfast in the Twilight Zone - Jim Rode Photographer

Sylvia and I started the New Year off with a coffee semi-filled January 1 breakfast. Knowing our usual haunt was closed, we drove about 25 miles north, to the edge of dfw civilization. We stepped into a cafe entering the Twilight Zone. The place briefly went quiet as everyone turned to gaze. I felt like Chevy Chase in the Three Amigos movie entering the Mexican bar wearing the fancy Hollywood vaquero outfit with sombrero. We should have shown up in boots, or maybe it was my red shirt.

We waited a few for a waitress to bring a menu. "You from Dallas..." Yeah... sure.

In the background a lady droned on talking about how she was just going through the door...pronounced in two syllables -Door-er...when she heard the siren...pronounced Si-reeeene. No place but Texas. We were about to eat country.

Looking over the menu, I got excited seeing dollar coffee and chicken-fried steak breakfast...but then caught the spinach omelette. The last one I had was filled with shrimp, cream cheese and fresh leafy spinach -covered in hollandaise. Yum. I didn't realize that when these fine folks sat around and decided on the menu for the cafe, a spinach omelette simply sounded like the right thing to do.

My breakfast eggs came with spinach -from the can. Yep, Popeye and Olive Oil spinach. Tasted like it too. I was expecting spinach like in a spinach salad. And the mushrooms...from the can. I'm the master chef at my house. I love to cook. I know mushrooms from the can... Oh well, at $6.50 it was the most expensive breakfast there. I should have figured the relative "high" price was to discourage anyone from ordering it. It was just for show. If any cowboys or cowgirls were to order it...they have to reach for that can opener.

After finishing (yeah, I ate it...it tasted like eating dinner somehow), waiting for a coffee refill, the waitress asked if I'd like a to-go cup. I said "Yes," feeling very much like we were gently being reassured that stranger in these parts don't stick around long.

That was breakfast in the Twilight Zone. Greeting the new year...

ISES Holiday Party from Jim Rode Dallas Photographer

Photography for Ryan Manor was a real pleasure for me over the holidays. Chris Ryan asked me to photograph the ISES Holiday Party and Toy Drive for the Children's Medical Center for the Manor. Yes! Beautiful Ryan Manor is a fantastic location for this event (and other events too! I can't wait to do a wedding there...). The ISES event people and all invited guests received first-class treatment. Toys came in like crazy! I can't wait to read Chris' blog. D.G. Smalling was on-hand to sketch guests -a real artistic treasure.

We went -just before Christmas -to deliver toys to the Medical Center. Chris brought a wagon-load of toys. Susan Lackey met us and escorted us to a playroom where we had the joy of giving to the children spending Christmas in the hospital. Also handing out toys were Mike Miller from Drinks Fantastic, Marla Watson-Werst from Pea Pod Productions, and Debbie Jordan from Magic Moments Events.

Le Beaux Chateau Wedding from Jim Rode Photographer

Parisa and Brent were married and emotion and love filled the air! The ceremony was at Chapelle des Fleurs (now called Le Beaux Chateau) and fun was contagious. Parisa and Brent are from the DC area but felt right at home with first-class wedding appointments like a stunning gown, great food, beautiful flowers, lovely bridesmaids, and loving family and friends. The dancing was spectacular. Their dance together -and Parisa's dance with Dad made my eyes mist!

Little Chapel in the Woods wedding from Jim Rode Photographer

Rose and David got married...yeah. "Way cool" wedding with family-fun friends-fun and reception fun. Rose recently graduated from A&M and chose a fantastic and historic chapel for her wedding. The Little Chapel in the Woods in Denton. Historic. This is the kind of place that you hold close as you know it will always be there. Each year, Sylvia and I drive by out church...gritting out teeth. Still there, but someday...I don't know. Not the Little Chapel, it's a national landmark. Rose and David will come visit 25 years and now just for fun! Nice to know it will be there for the memories.

The reception was at the Downtowner. Bar b que, dancing, singing, hugs and kisses spread around the dance floor. The bride and groom danced and brought cheers! Top it off with the Aggie fight song and you've got yourself the foundation for a solid love story! Read more details at JimRode.com as Rose and David are my Feature Wedding.

This wedding gave me a chance to bracket some of the images, layer them together, and create some great HDR images.