USA! USA!

With all the negative stuff being hurled around lately, I wanted to go photograph something that was "Real Americana" on the fourth of July. Even though the weather forecast was very gloomy, I felt in my heart I needed to  go out anyway. It was already raining when I arrived at Sportscom (Murfreesboro, Tn.) where the fireworks would be held that night, and the weather app showed nothing but downpours everywhere. I kept my camera in my bag most of the time, and just enjoyed the sights. Whenever the rain let up, I grabbed a few shots of the food and festivities. The crowd was very light (I can't imagine why). We were ushered into a building when the lightning got closer. Shortly after, the announcement came that everything was cancelled except the fireworks. The low hanging clouds and the steady downpour  made the fireworks almost painterly. Even though I was drenched beyond belief

, I was happy to be there (with the hundreds of others sitting in their cars), just reveling in our great country and its ideals. I am proud to be an American. Long may our flag wave!

Al
GordonRalstonPhoto.com

Castle Ladyhawke

Hiya!!!!


I first met Crystal a few years ago when I was in search of a model for a competition image in South Carolina with my buddy Tyler Nafziger. We became instant friends. Crystal is a natural in front of the camera and a true joy to spend time with! She is also one of the most talented people I have ever met.  A few years later I invited her to come model for my class (And other classes) that I was teaching at Florida School in Daytona. We had a blast. I was photographing her in the ocean at sunrise one day (with 20 or so other photographers from a number of classes standing behind me) when she began to squeal,"There's a FISH in my dress!" sure enough, a small minnow popped out of her dress seconds later! Didn't faze her at all!

I was honored when Crystal asked me to photograph her wedding. It was being held at Castle Ladyhawke, one of the premier venues in North Carolina.It is SO GORGEOUS!  The staff, the caterer, the DJ, everyone was a true professional. The day was perfect, and HER fiance, Yanek, could not have been nicer. This wedding is among the most amazing weddings I have  photographed, out of the 1000+ I have done. The best thing about the day was the LOVE that abounded. They now are a family of SIX, and everyone loves each other!  I am still going through the thousands of images Tyler, Linda and I shot, but I pulled some favorites for you. 
I don't have all the vendor websites, but I will list what I can.

Castle LadyHawke - (http://castleladyhawke.com

Makeup and hair-  MUA Hair by Gina Covalinski
Cake- Magda's Cakes  Magda's Cakes
Caterer- Harrison's Fine Dining- Harrisons dining and catering
Ceremony performed by- Beloved Ceremony
DJ
Coordinated by-

Thanks!!  Al Gordon

South Beach... LOVE DAT PLACE!

Hello there!

Today is the coldest it has been here in a while. I think the wind chill is -6 degrees. When I got to work I felt the need to return to a time of warmth. Namely, when my friend Tyler and I were able to sneak away to South Beach in between two of my Florida weddings last November. Don't get me wrong... I love my Florida weddings, or all weddings, but getting away for a day with my best friend and just shooting things that interested me really gets my creative batteries charged. I only get to do it once a year or so, either with Tyler or my other photographer buddy, Estal. (I think my Cade's Cove photos with Estal are somewhere on this blog too).

Tyler and I photographed a family in Cortez (Bradenton, Florida) one night,  then we headed to Miami after that. We checked into a cheap hotel near the beach (Thanks Priceline) and crashed until sunrise. There were quite a few clouds that morning, which wasn't great for me, but we made it work. Here are some of my meanderings within a 1 mile radius. We had to be gone by noon, but we ha

d a blast anyway. I used a Nikon 300s camera and lenses from 11mm to 200mm. Everything was handheld. ENJOY!

Until next time! Al