Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot by Randall Granier Photography at Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot by Randall Granier Photography at Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot by Randall Granier Photography at Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot by Randall Granier Photography at Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot by Randall Granier Photography at Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot by Randall Granier Photography at Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot by Randall Granier Photography at Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA

“You can’t stop loving or wanting love because when it’s right, it’s the best thing in the world.”

Brittany & Nick Engagement Shoot at Piedmont Park

If you were to ask Brittany about what makes her the most happy, she would tell you that it’s being around the peoples she loves.   So when Brittany met the “Love Of Her Life,” she realized that she now had it all.

So what was so special about Nick?  Brittany insists that was NOT  his firefighter build.   It was that she found Nick to be the most caring, loving, giving and sweetest person that she knows.  He pays attention to the little things, and that’s what makes Brittany melt.  And the firefighter build doesn’t hurt.

It’s obvious that Brittany & Nick really love each other.    When we photographed their engagement shoot in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, GA they both glowed.   Brittany was bubbly, relaxed, and fun.  Nick just seemed to love spending two hours with his with his soon-to-be bride.

Brittany and Nick will be married at the Merle Manders Conference Center in Stockbridge, GA on June 19, 2012.

Stay tuned for more pics from their engagement shoot in Piedmont Park in Atlanta GA.

Game Face

I love doing photojournalistic photography of kids.   I know with my own kids, you blink and they are bigger.  And one day, childhood will be gone completely.   I have to be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of studio photography when it comes to kids.   Kids need to be in their natural environment doing what that love to do.  Parents are the best people to get great kid shots because they are always there with them.   I’m even thinking about creating a class for parents who want to to learn to take great pics of their kids with affordable camera equipment.    I don’t do a lot of kid photography, but when I do I try to capture something real in their lives.  Nothing beats little league sports.

Before we show you Randa and Ryan’s wedding, we wanted to show you some more photos from their engagement shoot at Oglethorpe University.   They wanted two looks, one classic and the other fun.   We made great use of the beautiful architecture at the university, and we it came time for a little fun, they put on their “House Divided” jerseys and the war between OU and UT began.  Well, not really.

Randa & Ryan: A House Divided

Randa & Ryan: Love

Randa & Ryan: The Rock

Randa & Ryan: the classic look

Randall Granier Photography offered an Engagement Shoot Contest.  We will announce the winners soon, but for now we wanted to post some pictures from recent location engagement shoots at Marietta Square, Piedmont Park, and some of our other favorite locations for shooting Love Stories.

Kristen & Eric: Kristen & Eric with the WHOLE family in Piedmont Park.

Shannon & Mark: Shannon and Mark in Marietta Square. Mark is a Marine so picking up the flag decorations was the goal.

Leanne & Scott: Leanne and Scott at their special first date location

Kalan & Josh: Urban Engagement Shoot in downtown Atlanta

Art with Heart Fundraiser at Paint the Town

What happens when you combine Marietta’s leaders, local artists, homeless children and a good helping of plain old generosity? You get the First Annual Art with Heart Fundraiser. This year’s proceeds will support the Our Fathers Hands Kids program that supports homeless children in Cobb County Schools.

The one-night event was a lot of fun and raised $5000 needed to fund the children’s programs. Each of the celebrity artists had their paintings auctioned at the end of the evening along with art that has been donated by local artists.  Marietta’s top leaders of the community came together to do live painting. A jazz band, food and beverages and the area merchants  added spice to the night. The night ended in a tie between Demming Bass, COO of the Cobb Chamber and Steve “Thunder” Tumlin, Mayor of the city of Marietta as  winners for funds raised for the kids. On their heels was Neil Warren the Sherriff of Marietta.  Looks like there could be a “paint off” between them next year for the top dog spot!

Brenda Bryant of Paint the Town, Marietta and Sue Webb, business developer with The Cobb Chamber created this unique event. It grew out of Brenda’s desire to become involved in the community and use her business to support local causes.  “I had a vision for being able to use this business to bring people together through a shared evening of expression with painting and being able to give back”

That’s how it began, and then the idea caught on quickly as some of Marietta finest were contacted and asked to participate. Our Fathers Hands, a local non-profit serving the homeless was chosen to be the benefactor of the event.  Brenda and Sue both know Linda Lipp the Executive Director of Our Fathers Hands and have seen the work they do.

Linda has been working with people in need for over 7 years now. “I started out with a calling to provide clothing to foster children and disadvantaged families. The ministry became a non-profit in 2009 with a focus on the homeless”. Linda’s work in the community was recognized and she was awarded the Citizen of the Year award for West Cobb in 2010.

People from all over Cobb County came out and gave generously to support the cause.  The whole evening was really not about the art, the fun or even the celebrities, it was about the kids and donors can be confident that they really are making a difference. Brenda added,  It’s a matter of giving back and letting people know about the work that is being done in this community to help those in need. Both Brenda and Sue are examples of what “community” means. They are very dedicated and have developed a vehicle in which many artists, local businesses and individuals can participate in life-changing services for homeless men, women and children.

Linda Lipp at Our Fathers Hands wants everyone who participated to enjoy the feeling of well-being that comes from giving more than what they think they can, have a positive impact on children’s lives. “To delight in the joy of giving.”

Randall Granier Photography was a proud sponsor of this event.   Stay tuned to see more pictures.

Back in the day, the standard was to have people in business suits in front of a backdrop.   I’ve done this before, but I  find the  look to be quite dated and it just makes people look stiff, I think.    I guess it’s ok for a board room portrait, but it just does’t sit with todays social/networking generation.   Our first look was in a coffee shop in window light.  Those looked really good, but they were a little too casual.   So we decided to venture outside.   I really wanted to avoid artificial light for this one because the RIGHT natural light is the best way to bring out  beautiful skin tones and eye color.   The trick was finding the right light.    Heather even gave me a little grief because after I had got her perfectly posed, I moved her a foot forward and had to pose her again.   I  saw I had just missed the right light and I couldn’t be  sloppy.   Here’s what we got.

Heather: business portrait with both professionalism and warmth

A house divided: Randa and Ryan, UT & OU

 Randa & Ryan:  A love story of a house divided

I  met Randa and Ryan in 2010 at a marketing event.    They are so relaxed and fun  that everyone immediately felt comfortable around each other.   Randa and Ryan won the Grand Prize Engagement Shoot, and they have been with RGP ever since.   Before I show more pictures, I wanted to to tell their Love Story.

Randa and Ryan met through mutual friends some friends.  At the beginning, Randa played a little hard-to-get and made Ryan work for her affection.   They joke about it now, and it’s obvious how love can blossom over time.  Their first real date was at a local bar and they suddenly found themselves having fun until the early morning hours.  Ryan had worked his charm.

They share college football as a common interest and they love hanging out and having fun.   They say that the way to win someones heart is through their stomach.   Well in this case, Ryan is the master chef and those skills helped win Randa over in a flash.  He proposed after cooking a  lobster dinner.  When her favorite dessert, chocolate cake, was served she discovered  a ring on top.  Stay tuned to find out what happened next.

Shelby, Kurt & Chance

Shelby, Kurt & Chance

Location shoots are a favorite because we really get to bring out the personality of the couple with whom we are working.   When we discovered that Shelby and Kurt loves horses we knew we had to include the rest of the family.

This shoot was fun and we all laughed about Chance’s unique personality.    He seemed to have a mind of his own and enjoyed stamping his hoof out of frustration after he had enough of the celebrity treatment.   To be honest, at first we thought the shoot was going to be a bust, but after Chance had a little alone time in the barn he came back with a better attitude and we managed to get a perfect shot of the whole family.

Location engagement shoot with Shelby, Kurt, and Chance.

Location engagement shoot with Shelby, Kurt, and Chance.