He's got natural talent

It took almost 2 years of pleading, begging and convincing Ray to be my photogapher's assistant. Thankfully he finally caved and gave in. The first wedding we shot together is one that I'll never forget.  First off, it was at one of the best venues any couple in Georgia could ever dream of getting wed:  Chateau Elan . The grounds were  gorgeous and Lynette and Adam were an absolute joy to photograph. Secondly, Ray and I were escorted during dinner to our own private ball room where a single table and two chairs awaited us, our own private affair for the 20 minutes that we spent eating and taking a break.

"I don't know what I'm doing", Ray said as he fumbled around with the camera.
As I set the camera with all the necessary adjustments I just simply stated, "Carry the bags, hand me some memory cards when I need them, take pictures when I'm not asking for stuff and  follow my lead. You'll do just fine" I reassured him. 
We finished up the day exhausted and elated.  As we made the trek back home he simply said: "so this is what you do". The thought came to mind,  "This is what we'll do, together".

Ray didn't know what I had up my sleeve when I came desperately to him begging and pleading for him to be my assistant on that day.  He didn't know that my plan was to get him hooked. 

I haven't had to plead or beg since.  Ray blew me away by how much help he was to me on that day, by far the best assistant I had EVER had. However when we started going thru all the pictures it was evident that I had discovered a hidden Gem.  Ray hadn't just played my "photographer's assistant" that day, he amazed me when I started to see what he was seeing thru his lens and what he had captured from the day.  And since that day, he's continued to amaze me.

Ray is one of the big reasons why this business will succeed. He thinks about the things that I don't think of. Little things that speak volumes, simple things like making sure the bride and groom have cold water and snacks to eat while we're taking their pictures. These simple acts of kindness impress our couples greatly because Ray shows them that we care. The fact that he knows pretty much anything about sports also lends us a huge advantage, because after all when do men NOT loosen up when you start speaking in the language of sports.

Ray is amazing, not only because he's my husband and is a great father and he's considerate of others. He's amazing, not just because he was there to support me when I decided that I wanted to do photography.  He's amazing, not just because he packs up the car and lugs the heavy equipment around or makes sure that I stay hydrated or have a snack to eat.  It's not just because he's gone above and beyond and has done so many things for me.  Ray's amazing just because he is.

So I'm honoring him tonight in this blog because I don't tell him enough how wonderful he is and how much I love him.  Ray's my best friend and I'm proud to be his wife and his business partner.

Ray's honored me by taking this journey along my side. I reap the benefits of being able to share the moments of sheer happiness that take place when vowes are shared between a bride and groom and I can steal a look across the room and see that he's there with me sharing it too. Even though he's still learning all the "technical" aspects of being a photographer, he's got natural talent and we both reap the benefits of that too.

So because this blog wouldn't be complete without some samples of Ray's work. Here you go Internet enjoy!


On the rare occasion Ray will let me take a decent picture of him without him goofing off.....

To date Ray takes the best pictures of the cutting of the cake

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