Sometimes my job can be so fun that I forget I am working. This was the case when I was hired to take photos at a burlesque-themed rosé wine party.
A burlesque dancer named Amy was hired to entertain the surprised guests who were also dressed in various shades of rosé pink or sterotypical “French” attire. That includes berets and feather boas for us Americans. Check out the characters below… Magnifque!
Coincidentally, these two got engaged that day…
Entertainment included singing in French, comedy gags and Moulin Rouge style dancing. Plus, there was an elaborate strip tease with a “memorable” finale… If you want to see that, you are going to have to hire Amy. She is wonderful so you won’t regret it. Contact her at amyewachtel@gmail.com
Afterwards, Amy took photos with the guests… never dropping out of character. This lady has tons of charisma which made my job much easier. She is also a master costume maker and seamstress. Look at the details in the outfit she made. Imagine putting that on by yourself.
Below is my favorite photo of the entire evening which I snapped in front of my light box.
Guess who had the better legs below?
Many of the partygoers were very old friends so it was a perfect time for group portraits!
Here are some of my favorite photos of the night.
The last photo reminded me of Linda Carter… yes, the 1970s era Wonder Woman.
She thought I was crazy to think this, but I know that I am right.
Recently, a longtime friend and client invited me to a Nascar night race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The races are done in highly modified trucks which speed by at 185 miles per hour. Dan’s company, BugBand, supports a young racer named Max Gresham who drives the #8 truck.
The truck is painted in the BugBand company colors. It is easy to spot when you are trying to locate it on the other side of the massive track. It takes nerves of steel to push the trucks to those speeds on a notoriously slick track at night while in a pack of other trucks fighting for position. I have a great respect for those guys.
Along with supporting the racing, Dan also brought a troop of young Boy Scouts with him. They were good lads who seemed to enjoy the experience. Below, a stranger came up and praised them. He said that he used to get picked on for wearing his uniform. It happened to me too, so I know what he was talking about.
Below is my favorite shot of the event. To me is seems like a different era… maybe the early sixties.
Dan arranged a very special treat for the Boy Scouts. They were allowed to go down on the track and meet each racer in person. How cool is that? Here they are in front of the presentation stage. Very soon the same asphalt they are standing on would be a race lane.
Many of the racers were very gracious to the Scouts. Here Max is handing out sticker to the guys.
On top of all that, Dan did not even tell anyone that it was his birthday, though someone figured it out an surprised him with a huge cookie cake with his company logo on it. Good try Dan. You cannot skip your own birthday just because you are taking care of everyone else.
I have been photographing some interesting events during this holiday season. One of the more unique photo sessions happened on the top floor of the Melia Atlanta hotel. Their event room has incredible views of downtown Atlanta. Several of the patrons watched a holiday parade from this bird’s eye view.
Photo by Melissa Witcher
The guest of honor was none other than the “Grinch Who Stole Christmas” fresh from his musical play at the Fabulous Fox Theater. I did not see the play, but I can tell you that the stage makeup for the green meanie looks like it took several hours and a few assistants to put on.
I might have accidentally let that slip in front of a child who did not know who was coming to breakfast. I guess I let the Cat out of the Hat. I had figured that most parents would have warned their children that they would soon be seeing a 6 foot tall green hairy monster. I am just glad that the Grinch does not hide in my bedroom closet at night because I might not be able to get to sleep.
To everyone’s delight, the Grinch was a complete sweetheart. He knew which children to tease and which ones to be gentle with. I was very impressed that he could read the moods of children that quickly. Not only that, the actor was a man of 1,000 faces and could change his expression and body language in an instant. No two pictures of him were alike. This guy was good.
After visiting with every family, it was time to take portraits with the Grinch. This was the main reason that I was hired. The goal was to take photos of guests with the Grinch and print them on the spot as a memento with a a graphic overlay as seen below.
The whole process from start to finish had to be completed in about an hour before the guests left. That was pretty ambitious considering that each photo had to be combined with the graphics and printed which takes about a minute each. I shot over 40 different groupings that had to be printed so there was not much room for error. Everything had to run smoothly, and luckily it did.
To ensure success, I had set up the portrait area an hour before the event. Scouting an area and pre-staging are the most important insurances that a photographer can give himself. Surprises cost time and and unwelcome anxiety. I enlisted the help of my friends above to check everything.
At the time that I was going to take the photos, the morning sun was blasting through the windows making bright pools of intense light in the portrait area. I try avoid situations like this as much as possible when making these kinds of quick portraits. The fastest fix was to pull the curtains and add a flash to evenly light the scene from camera left. I have found that curtains are my best friends when trying to tame extreme latitudes in exposure.
The little girls pictured above had just given the Grinch a present and I think it touched his cold green heart… just like in the book. Just a few minutes before this, the Grinch was trying to get the girls to join him by stealing Christmas presents… that rascal!
Photo by Melissa Witcher
No Dr. Seuss-themed event would be complete without green eggs and ham and a huge bowlful was available on the buffet…. They were pretty good! The food at the Melia Atlanta Hotel is top notch.
A special “thank you” goes out to Melissa Witcher who helped me by taking candid photos and setting up the event. Check her photography out on her web site at www.melissawitcher.com.
I was recently hired to photograph an interesting event. World famous architect and interior designer, Bobby McAlpine was on hand at MacRae Designs Showroom at The Atlanta Decorative Arts Center to sign copies of his new book, The Home Within Us. There was quite a crowd on hand and everyone seemed to have a great time.
Mr. McAlpine tirelessly signed stacked of books and talked with everyone who approached him. He was an incredibly warm and genuine fellow with a good sense of humor.
To learn more about McAlpine, Booth and Ferrier Interiors, please visit their web site at www.mcalpineboothferrier.com
This is a photo of members of Bobby McAlpine and other members of McAlpine, Booth and Ferrier Interiors.
This is some of the crowd that showed up for the event.
