Two Shot Photography

Matthew + Peter's Wine Country Engagement!

2011-11-06T17:22:00.001-05:00

I had already been eagerly awaiting getting to take these photos for a long time when I got the call from my friend Matt telling me he was going to propose to his boyfriend Peter. He asked me if I'd be able to fly out for the weekend to take their engagement pictures, to which I complained and moaned about having to go all the way to San Francisco. Yeah right, I was pumped to be able to go. It was actually a great setup and anyone reading this who has not proposed should take notes. The proposal itself happened on the Friday I landed at SFO but Matt and Peter were not at the airport to greet me. Instead they had the afternoon at one of their favorite vineyards, Bella, north of the city in Healdsburg. Matt had a slew of surprises for Peter throughout the day such as a private tasting room meal and a picnic at the top of the highest point in the vineyard. This was the hill where Matt did get down on one knee and ask Peter to marry him. :) The surprises continued with a 5 course dinner in downtown Healdsburg and a stay at a Bed and Breakfast for the night.

Think that's all ? Take a deep breath, this was just on friday. The weekend continued as myself, and one of Peter's closest friends who had also flown in from New York woke up way too early to make the drive out of the city and to this bed and breakfast where we were both able to surprise Peter for breakfast. We spent the day tasting at a few vineyards, snapping some photos, and returning to Bella where we did most of the pictures to celebrate their engagement. At the end of the day we headed back into the city where there was, you guessed it, another surprise party for Peter at his own apartment with some other close friends in town to celebrate his birthday, and their new engagement.

Sunday afternoon was celebrated with an amazing brunch in the city followed by a trip down to China Beach to get a few more shots because you can't have a San Francisco engagement without pictures of the Golden Gate. I do have to say though, Matt and Peter were champs. You may notice one image in particular where the waves are crashing around them. It is my favorite shot of the weekend but probably not for the same reasons you might think it is. I do love the image, I think it is some of my better work and I'm incredibly proud of it. But, it has more meaning to it than the average shot because of what Matt and Peter had to go through to get it. Rather than ruin the surprise, just look for the link at the bottom of this post and I guarantee you won't regret it.

Want to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into taking a great picture? Of course you do!

Aubrey and Riley

2011-11-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

The last time I saw Riley, she was barely walking. Now she's not only walking and talking, but she's making jokes, serving tea, and sweeping the front porch to keep it clean. She's also busy being a big sister to the newest addition the the McGinnis Family, Aubrey. These kids are too cute and it's scary how much personality they have taken on from their parents... especially David.

Catherine Turns 3!

2011-10-11T18:38:00.001-04:00

Say hello to Catherine, the cutest 3 year old i've ever met. I didn't know that i could laugh so hard from a 3 year old's wit and charm, but sure enough Catherine proved me wrong. While most of the morning was spent chasing her around the park, we did convince her to take a couple pictures that couldn't have turned out any better. Especially when she showed me her karate moves. She'll be black belt in no time.

Bri + Neil are Married!

2011-07-25T16:57:00.001-04:00

It's not everyday that your partner for shooting weddings gets married, but July 8th 2011 was that Day for my partner Bri, an her new husband Neil. It was a little weird attending a wedding while still working only seeing you're counterpart up on the alter instead of behind you with a 70-200mm lens but it was well worth it. I had the privilege of setting up a photobooth for Bri and Neil's reception and the pics below are just a taste of the madness that ensued. Enjoy!

Interested in booking a photobooth? Well you can! Request more info!

Danny + Sam's Tacky Sweater Party

2011-07-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

Danny and Sam have been friends of mine for a long time. You may have even seen Danny in a few sets around the blog. When they called me up and told me they were engaged, I was ecstatic. Especially when they told me their rehearsal dinner was going to be a tacky christmas sweater party. I was honored to be asked to join them as a friend, and I couldn't resist the urge to simply just tell them, we're doing a photobooth. Here are the pics!

Interested in booking a photobooth? Well you can! Request more info!

John's Creek HS Seniors

2011-06-30T14:00:00.000-04:00

Congratulations John's Creek High School Senior Class of 2011! This was a fun event. I wish my high school had rented out Andretti Speed Lab for an entire night with unlimited games and go karts. I guess I was fortunate enough to live vicariously through the seniors at John's Creek because thats what they did and it was a good night! These kids knew how to pose for a good picture and I even lost a few props in the process. The photobooth may have looked like a war zone but the pics turned out awesome in my opinion! Enjoy!

Interested in booking a photobooth? Well you can! Request more info!

MailChimp Happy Hour

2011-06-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

Let me just say, I love my job. Both of them. (Yes,I do have a full time job outside of photography) And the people I work with, know how to have a good time. This photobooth was very improvised to say the least in the sense that I decided to bring it along to our company happy hour less than 24 hours before it was actually happening. I will say that it was an easy decision to make because I absolutely had to document the shenanigans that were sure to go down... Like one of the co-founders slapping me. (all in good fun though - no lawsuits please) Like I said before, I love my job. Here are the photos. Check em out!

Interested in booking a photobooth? Well you can! Request more info!

Andrea + Klint

2011-03-28T18:30:00.000-04:00

Alright. Its been long enough. I'm a photographer and I need to motivate myself! Wedding season 2011 has already started and I still haven't taken the time to sort through weddings from 2009 and make them public. You would put it off too if you were trying to sort down 1500 images to 40 while trying to get a good collection of everything that went on. Its not as easy as it sounds. Trust me. Anyways This is Andrea and Klint. These high school sweethearts tied the knot on April 18, 2009 and were a blast to work with (and they threw a killer party at the Biltmore for the reception). Enjoy!

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

The Artist Formerly Known as Hootie

2011-02-12T13:29:00.001-05:00

Recently I've been doing a lot of work for a local radio station, 94.9 The Bull, and Thursday night I headed up to Gwinnett Arena to shoot the Brad Paisley concert. I wasn't very excited because all of my experience thus far with the Arena has been shooting from the sound booth at the back of the house floor and there really isn't a whole lot of variety in pictures taken from a stationary point 200 feet away from your subject. To my surprise I was able to get into the pit area for this show and had a perfect vantage point while Darius Rucker was on stage for the opening act. I'm incredibly proud of this shot and I'm still not 100% why but it just stands out to me.

Bill + Allie

2011-01-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

When time is short and your only in town for a few days to see family, propose, and then head back to new york, catching a nice day outside in the middle of winter in Georgia is not an easy thing to do. It actually Bill, Allie, and myself two tries as our original photo shoot came with a heavy and cold rain storm right as we rolled up to the park. Fortunately though we lucked out and caught a gorgeous afternoon a few days later. Congratulations Bill and Allie and I can't wait for the wedding!

Leahna + Earl

2010-11-30T18:05:00.000-05:00

This has to be one of the most fun shoots I've ever been on. Leahna and Earl were naturals and really I just followed them around town while they did their thing. Okay that's a lie, I had to ask them to pose a few times but it was only a few. Did I mention they have the potential to be Mr and Mrs Young-Shorty? It probably wont happen from what they tell me but it would be pretty awesome. The wedding isn't until next fall so I know they have some planning to do but its going to be a slammin' party from what I hear. Congrats guys!

Danny and Sam - 18 days and counting

2010-11-30T17:38:00.001-05:00

Danny and Sam have been counting down the days until their wedding and its getting close! Just a few quick weeks and just in time for Christmas. We went to a long time classic spot, piedmont park for their engagement shots and it gave me the opportunity to try a few motion blur tricks with my camera :) Anyways stay tuned for their wedding and up and coming tacky sweater rehearsal dinner!

Steven + Megan

2010-11-18T17:28:00.001-05:00

I first met Steven and Megan way back when I first started dating Carly, (she and Steven are cousins) and after as many years as Carly and I have been together, they are finally tying the knot next May. I was persuasive enough to convince them to come up to Atlanta to visit and may or may not have bribed them by offering to shoot some engagement pics for them. I took some location inspiration from a shoot I had just seen by Andy Lee (www.andrewthomaslee.com) and went to the High Museum of Art to see what I could come with. Congrats Steven and Megan!

Lessons Learned from Dead Presidents

2010-10-30T01:45:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure that FDR, in spite of owning "the most photographed dog in the world" did not have a strong skill set behind the camera. The same should be said for Thomas Jefferson seeing as cameras were just a little bit after his lifetime. But that doesn't mean that as a photographer some lessons can't be learned from men who had enough character to lead our country. I'm participating in a 'mini amazing race' style event called 'Expedition Give' tomorrow and one of our tasks was to do some research to find something that inspires us through some of the resources on www.values.com Naturally, I looked for something inspirational to me as a photographer, but the challenge lies in being able to apply the inspiration we find and put it into practice. This blog post represents my attempt at doing so and I challenge anyone that reads this to take some time to do the same in their own lives.

"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Some people may say these are photoshopped, I assure you they are not (other than the color scheme). A few weeks ago on an engagement shoot with Danny + Sam, we tried some new things while shooting like intentionally shifting the camera with a slow shutter speed to get some motion blurring action. I kid you not, 100 shots were tried... Less than 5 came out. These are two of them. Call me crazy, but it was worth every failed attempt.

“I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.
-Thomas Jefferson 

As a photographer, its crucial to know your surrounding area for photo hotspots and always be prepared to shoot unexpectedly. I try to live by these words. And well, whether or not you count an amazing lightning storm directly over my apartment as luck or a random heart planted in the grass at Piedmont Park during an engagement shoot as coincidence, some of my older favorites wouldn't exist if TJ's statement weren't true.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt
By taking Teddy too literally at 12:30 on a friday night, in my office, when I should be going to bed, with the closest camera to me, I learned a few key things...

1) I am going to have an awesome wrinkled old man face in 50 years.
2) My dog is an attention whore.
3) I need a haircut.

And with that I will leave you with my "final thoughts"

“If I had permitted my failures, or what seemed to me at the time a lack of success, to discourage me I cannot see any way in which I would ever have made progress.
-Calvin Coolidge

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
- Abraham Lincoln

JB + Abby Eloped in Costa Rica

2010-10-22T16:32:00.001-04:00

And they didn't invite me to take pictures with them! I mean come on! Who doesn't want to invite other people on their trip to another country to tag along while you elope and have a honeymoon! Jerks. Kidding I love you both. And while I may not have had the opportunity to travel around Central America with them I did get to go around my favorite city (Atlanta for those who couldn't guess) for their engagement pictures. Enjoy!

Trip + Julie Engaged to be Married

2010-10-14T18:30:00.001-04:00

So its obvious that i've been out of touch for a while. thats because i've been doing a lot of awesome stuff (in my opinion anyways) but I'm finally back and making an effort to get caught up on sharing all the work i've been doing. Like Trip and Julie's engagement session for example. I took these shots back in June, and then they got married this past weekend. Whoops. I should probably share their engagement photos so here you go!

PS: Theres an outtake from their wedding at the end of the post that just happened to be one of my favorites from the day!

And here's that preview I mentioned. Congrats Trip and Julie!

PS: Carly was not a groomswoman in case you were wondering.

Brien + Lauren

2010-09-18T17:06:00.000-04:00

Say hello to the current Mr. and Mrs. Applegate. Thats right, they're married and yes, these are their engagement pictures. They may be getting shared with the world a little bit later than anticipated, but hey, they are still worth sharing. Congrats guys, I hope PC is treating you well!

Back in Action

2010-09-08T00:23:00.002-04:00

So its late.. I have to wake up in 5 hours but thats okay because I need to post this shot as I'm quite proud of it. Its been awhile (massive understatement).... its been a long time since my last post and for that I apologize. Things have been crazy busy around the Ward house and we're trying to keep it from falling apart. Literally. Ill get into more detail later...

For now enjoy a shot from my evening session with the Day Seven guys again. Their CD is dropping soon.

Flashback to 1984

2010-06-03T08:30:00.001-04:00

This wasn't my first time to prom, thats for sure, and it definitely was not my first time to an 80's theme party, but Trinity's Prom night was an incredible opportunity for me to debut the Two Shot Photobooth at an event. Personally I had a blast with the booth (and i'm assuming everyone else did by some of these pictures) but honestly the best part of the night was a close race between the punch, the outfits, and the smooth sounds of the cover band!. Make sure to check out the rest of the gallery, with all the pictures! Two Shot PhotoBooth - Trinity 80's Prom

What a Jerk.

2010-05-12T18:18:00.001-04:00

So today I've been playing around with a tethering setup trying to get ready for a shoot coming up on Friday for Trinity's 80's prom night (which is going to be awesome). While I was casually testing the setup, I happened to capture this little gem. Now I know how he really feels about having his picture taken.

Lovebirds

2010-05-07T15:30:00.000-04:00

So a little over a week ago I finally got back together again with JB + Abby (you remember them right.... from the rooftop proposal?) for their real engagement pictures. While I'm still working on therm... I felt compelled to share this shot from the last part of the session because I.M.H.O, its amazing. Just Sayin'.

The Lamb Family

2010-05-06T20:50:00.001-04:00

Man it has been too long since I've made a post. But I guess thats what comes when life gets busy! This photo shoot was awesome. We couldn't have picked a more beautiful day out in piedmont park to take some family portraits for the Lambs and the two kids, Connor [3] and Beckett [1], were adorable. We even had the added bonus of the wonderful aroma of Bradford Pear trees in bloom! (insert sarcasm here) Here are some of my faves from the shoot.

Peeps in a Graveyard

2010-04-04T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today, Carly and I took a stroll through historic Oakland cemetery with our friend Malloree for a springtime photoshoot. Being Easter Sunday, it was nice to just have a relaxing day around the city and enjoying the incredible weather we've been having. Easter Sunday is a day of celebration for Christian's around the world for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, However, how many of us have stopped to ask 'What about the Peeps?'... The darker side of this celebratory holiday is that Easter Sunday also a day that marks the death of millions of helpless, sugar coated, fluffy marshmallow animals. Out of respect for the massive loss that the marshmallow animal population endures every year, I'd like to pay this tribute that as irony would have it, I casually stumbled upon today on our shoot. I give you: Peeps in a Gravyard.

John, Soo, and Caylee

2010-04-04T12:35:00.001-04:00

Over the past few weeks I've been working hard to share my photography knowledge with Carly as she loves being able to come with me on shoots and has really taking an interest in learning to shoot. Caylee, (the adorable little girl in these photos) has been one of Carly's recent models to photograph as she continues to learn new techniques and recently I had the pleasure of working with Caylee+Mom+Dad on one of the first beautiful afternoons of the spring.

Riley is Back and Cuter Than Ever!

2010-03-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a few months since I last did portraits of this adorable little girl and her personality has really started coming through. She was so easy to work with because all we really had to do was wait for her to make the next hilarious face. Take a look and you'll see what I mean.

Lindsay and Paul: Parte Dos

2010-03-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

So as promised here is the second installment of some of Lindsay and Paul's engagement shoot which was so rudely interrupted by cold weather earlier this year. We took a trip to Kennesaw Mountain where Paul proposed to Lindsay a few months ago. He played it smooth as Kennesaw Mountain was also where they had their first date. Again I had so much fun just hanging out with this couple and can't wait for their wedding in May!

Support Local Music

2010-03-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to be on the scene at the Vans Warped Tour last summer where I had the pleasure of meeting lead singer of Stellate, Carly Kane, and the rest of the band after their performance and I have to say, I am very proud of the Atlanta music scene. Support local music and make sure to check out www.stellatemusic.com!

Rainy City

2010-03-02T12:30:00.002-05:00

I love the view from my new office. It really is amazing even on Rainy Days.

Lindsey and Paul are Engaged!

2010-02-15T17:00:00.002-05:00

Lindsey and Paul are Engaged and I had the pleasure of getting to know both of them on our photo shoot around the Marietta square. Unfortunately the weather was not in our favor that afternoon and we ended up taking a 2nd trip for some shots to Kennesaw Mountain which i will be posting soon. I'm really looking forward to Lindsey and Paul's wedding in May!

Jackpot!

2010-02-05T01:00:00.001-05:00

So I know I just started this photo of the day thing where I'd like to force myself to consistently challenge my abilities and unfortunately due to weird schedules since last week I have mostly been doing my work from home, sans camera. My focus has been on redesigning this blog because I want to have more emphasis on my photography. So in the midst of starting at my computer screen, and hundreds of lines of code, for literally about 3 days straight I am sitting here at 1:00 in the morning and I found a unique find in my picture archives from the summer.

Myself, Carly, and some friends took a fairly spontaneous road trip into the foothills of the middle of no where Kentucky to stay at a cabin for a few days. We were completely cut off from the world with no cell phone signals, no internet (scary I know) but I had my camera and a beautiful landscape with no city lights for at least 20 miles in any direction. The beauty in being cut off from the things the tend to control our lives and out of the rush of every day life is that it gives you the ability to see things through a different lens [insert photographer pun here] This is what I saw:
The Sun Shines at Midnight

Buried by the City

Prolonged Stargazing

Picture of the Day!

2010-01-28T16:00:00.001-05:00

In case of awesome photo op... have your camera ready!

That is going to be my new motto. If there is anything that I have started to slip away from as a photographer it is having my camera with me at all times. Its been on my mind for a few weeks already and I am incredibly thankful that was not the case today. Today, I captured one of my favorite shots ever, by sheer accident. I'm starting a new category on the blog today and its going to be for for my "Pictures of the day" For now, it wont be everyday, but perhaps I will make that a goal for this year.

So for now, I'll leave you with a challenge: I dare you to experience more pure joy than Forrest in this picture.

The Good.

2010-01-27T21:30:00.002-05:00

I cannot even begin to tell you how much fun I had with Eddie, Luke, Ryan, Drew, and Jacob on this shoot. We wanted to come up with sets of portraits that these guys could have to rotate throughout the year hanging in various places around the house. So we bounced a few ideas around and here's what we came up with...

The Ugly.

2010-01-27T21:15:00.000-05:00

Taking in back to the good old days where fights were settled after 10 paces and a turn. Who you callin' yella?

The Bad.

2010-01-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

I think some of the last pics in this series need to be in a special calendar somewhere.... I'll let you decide.

Morgan Family

2010-01-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

Say hello to the Morgan family.... Hello Morgan family! This set is their holiday portraits which we took on a pretty chilly day around Piedmont Park. Despite the wind chill, it was a fun time and they were a very fun group to work with!

The Davis Family

2009-12-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

Say hello to the Davis Family. A few weeks ago we took a nice sunny morning and spent it in and around Lenora Park out in Snellville for their holiday portraits. Enjoy!

Hair+Makeup+Models = Fun Photoshoot: Part 2

2009-12-16T18:35:00.001-05:00

Hair+Makeup+Models = Fun Photoshoot: Part 1

2009-12-16T18:30:00.001-05:00

So this post has been a long time coming. These photos kind of hit the bottom of my todo list recently because of how busy my normal schedule has been but I am glad to say that they have finally been finished! Sometimes I get a little trash talk from other guys for going to get my hair cut because I like to have a nice style which is something a $12 haircut can't give you. Sorry to break the news. Anyway, thanks to some of the lovely ladies that work at Elon Salon, I was able to participate in this style day that they had put together. They took care of the hair and makeup, while our lovely host Christy (www.christyparryphotography.com), myself, and another talented photog Melissa Witcher took care of the rest. I can't wait until we do it again!

April and Garrett

2009-12-08T22:00:00.004-05:00

April and Garett Had one of the more eventful weddings that I've been a part of. It all started about 2 1/2 hours before the ceremony while the girls were all getting ready... BOOM! The transformer at the Farmhouse Inn has just blow up and we've lost power. Not good when only half of the bridesmaids have had their hair done at this point. Plan B kicked in and all the girls, including Lauren and Amber, our assistant that day, jumped into cars and drove about 20 minutes to the nearest hotel to check into a room to get ready. So what did the groomsmen and myself do? Well they got undressed because we finished with their pictures pretty quickly and we just sat around on the front porch just talking until the girls got back. The good news is that despite the difficulties, the ceremony didn't start too much later than scheduled, and the reception was pretty jammin'.

Sam, Megan, and Roger

2009-12-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

I'd like you to meet the McClendon's. Sam and Megan have been married for just a few short months so when we took their 6 month old Chesapeake Bay Retriever to a nearby park at Whittier Mill (if you're wondering its on the west side). I Do have to say that our main bit of energy for this shoot was keeping the dog focused when other dogs came to the park and tennis balls were flying everywhere. I think Roger did exceptionally well in posing. You be the Judge.

Autumn Leaves

2009-11-26T22:00:00.001-05:00

So a few weeks ago a friend of mine was talking to me about his plans to throw a fall themed party showcasing local artists in Atlanta. During our conversation he asked me if I would be able to contribute 1 or 2 prints for the party to help with the decor. Being excited about his idea I quickly responded with a "Sure!" and within the next 5 minutes thought to myself.... "I'm not sure that I have any shots that I've taken specifically around the fall." The reason I preface these shots with this story is because if I hadn't talked to this guy about his party, I never would've gotten the inspiration that I did to take Carly around on a shoot across most of east Atlanta. So I owe big thanks to Robert for throwing a killer party and a big thanks to Carly for being my impromptu model for the day!

Zach and Lori Trash the Dress

2009-11-25T17:00:00.001-05:00

You may be asking yourself, what the heck is trash the dress ?? Well, this post should cover everything you would want to know about it as a picture tutorial. Trash the dress is exactly what it sounds like in the sense that you put on your wedding dress (after you've worn it down the aisle of course) and for the sake of being creative, having fun, and just to wear it again, you do things you would typically never do in a wedding dress! Zach and Lori were kind enough to take a whole day with me to get some variety in how they could trash their dress. We snagged it on a run down building, drug it through a creek, splashed all kinds of paint all over it, and to top it all off, shredded it! We took things a little overboard with our session but that's what I love about these types of shoots.... no two are alike and you can do whatever you want in your dress! After all why shouldn't you?

Lauren and Adam

2009-11-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

Lauren and Adam were married on June 14th, 2008 at Rock Spring Presbyterian Church in Atlanta and the reception that followed was at Magnolia Hall in Piedmont Park. What the bride and groom don't know about my experience at this wedding is that as we were packing up after the reception, Lauren (my partner not the bride) and I realized we didn't have all of our equipment. After taking a few minutes to retrace our steps we figured out that we had left it in the courtyard of the church where we had taken some of Lauren and Adam's portraits together. So We did what anyone else would do, the responsible thing... we drove to the church and I found a good lace to climb over the 12 foot stone wall of the courtyard. It was a little sketchy considering it was after 1:00 in the morning but don't worry, no one could see me climbing. Sure enough I found our equipment right where we left it and climbed back out ending the night with some great photos form the day, all of our equipment, and no run-ins with any police to explain what we were doing.

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Rob and Kirby

2009-11-22T00:02:00.009-05:00

Rob and Kirby's wedding was definitely one of my favorite weddings to have been a part of because it was one of the most relaxing work environments I've ever been in. To start, I have known both Rob and Kirby for almost as long as I have known my wife Carly, and I knew a strong majority of the groomsmen, bridesmaids, and guests at their wedding. (Carly was one of those guests) Needless to say, their wedding day was a very comfortable situation right from the beginning and gave me freedom to throw out all kinds of ideas for different pictures because I knew the bride and groom's personalities. Photo tip: Knowing someone's personality shapes the photos you take of them. It also doesn't hurt that both Rob and Kirby are incredibly photogenic already. The other reason I loved this wedding: I got to take some time during the reception to take a quick break to dance with Carly for a song or two... Always a plus.

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Jennifer and Walker

2009-11-20T18:02:00.002-05:00

Jennifer and Walker exchanged their vows at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church on April 19, 2008. The highlight of the day was definitely the reception because it was a p-a-r-t-y. It was good. It doesn't get much better than seeing the groom's mother rock out on an inflatable guitar to some 80's ballad (I think it would be safe to say it was something like Living on a Prayer or Don't Stop Believing) Hope you enjoy the pics!

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Italian Beauty

2009-11-19T16:00:00.000-05:00

It's not everyday that you get to photograph and italian beauty like this... Ed Bolian of Supercar Rentals, Inc has been kind enough to provide this beautiful piece of machinery as one of the many highlights in videos that Swaff and DBay have produced and lucky for me, I've been able to have my own photo shoot with this Murcielago. It's nice being a Tech Grad and having connections :)

Kristi and Tom

2009-11-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

Kristy Pell and Tom Killeen got married on September 27, 2008 at Dunwoody United Methodist Church just northeast of Atlanta. Their reception held back near the city at the Ravinia Club and it was beautiful... Not to mention they had a great buffet and a killer conga/limbo line running through the reception throughout the night. I don't have any crazy stories for this wedding so juts enjoy the pics!

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Fabienne and Fred

2009-11-12T15:21:00.010-05:00

So most people probably don't remember what the weather was like on May 24th, 2008... but I do. It was a clear summer day in Georgia with a mild 104 Degree heat index... perfect weather to have a late afternoon outdoor wedding right? If you said "right," you are a little crazy but I won't hold it against you. The was one of several things working against us that day. Along with the heat, there were 4 other weddings being held at Glendalough Manor that afternoon and some very important members of the bridal party did not have the right arrival time in their minds so they were give or take almost 2 hours late to the ceremony location. If you are a photographer I hope you never experience the sort of time crunch that we experienced that day because I will be honest with you, it isn't fun. On the bright side of things, despite the difficulties of the day the bride and groom were both very relaxed through it all and were very great to work with. I can only hope that if a similar situation comes up like this again that our bride and groom are just as easy going.

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Kari and Jacob

2009-11-11T18:44:00.012-05:00

May 17, 2008: 5:00 am departure time for Lauren and I to drive all the way out to Sandersville, Ga for Kari and Jacob's wedding. I do have to say that during that drive, we weren't the most excited people in the world... but thats just because neither of us are really morning people. To be honest, I was a little worried that it was going to throw off my groove for the day because I can barely function let alone manipulate a camera, but thats beside the point. The early morning drive was well worth it in the end because we had such a great time getting to know the bride and groom and I think we got some incredible shots.

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Erica and James

2009-11-10T22:00:00.002-05:00

Its always fun engaging in a little bit of friendly smack talk with a groom over a longstanding football rivalry right before he walks down the aisle... That was the case at Erica and James' wedding because James is a die hard University of Georgia fan... (don't worry you wont see any UGA lettering or paraphernalia on this blog.) Erica and James were married on October 4, 2008 at Friendship Baptist Church and I absolutely loved being a part of their day!

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Amy and Dan

2009-11-09T17:10:00.011-05:00

Amy and Dan were married on June 28, 2008 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church downtown. Despite a bit of a torrential downpour in between the ceremony and reception, everyone still made it to the Commerce Club to celebrate the rest of the evening.

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Midtown Live

2009-11-07T17:20:00.001-05:00

For those of you that have ever visited Grace Midtown Community Church, then you know that there is a whole lot of talent up on stage leading worship every week. In fact there is so much talent in songwriting and performing, the leaders of the church recently organized a recording session to be able to make some of these incredibly written songs available outside of sunday and wednesday worship sessions. Here is just a glimpse of what took place during the session.

Taylor and Sara

2009-11-06T22:00:00.001-05:00

Taylor and Sara have been good friends of mine for a long time and I was so excited when they got engaged. We took an afternoon and went up to Piedmont Park to spend the day celebrating their engagement. Congratulations guys!

David, Michelle, and Riley

2009-11-05T16:45:00.001-05:00

David and Michelle have been friends of mine for a long time now and you may have seen their newest addition to the family, Riley, a few weeks ago in another post. Last weekend Carly and I spent the day at Roswell Park with the McGinnis trio and topped the afternoon off with a fantastic home cooked barbeque. I have plenty of amazing shots from the day of their adorable baby girl but I'm going to save those for another day... So for now, here's the whole family!

Susan and Greg

2009-11-04T14:04:00.026-05:00

I think its only fair that while I'm on a posting spree my first wedding post should actually be the first wedding that I shot as a professional. This is Susan and Greg Twadell and they were married on April 12, 2008 at Brasstown Valley Resort.

All weddings are contracted exclusively through 35 Atlanta and shot by photographers Tyler Ward and Lauren Wilenski.

For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a meeting, please contact tyler@twoshotphotography.com or visit www.35atlanta.com

Another Boonstra

2009-11-03T19:30:00.001-05:00

This shoot was one of my favorite and let me tell you why. First, there is something satisfying about being able to make your best friend's younger brother feel awkward by making him do one or two ridiculous poses just for the sake of seeing if he'll do it. They actually turned out to be some pretty funny shots but for Joe's sake, you will not see them here. The second reason I loved this shoot was because Joe was willing to find out how safe a building at one of my favorite photo spots was to stand on... (you'll know what I mean when you see it) So Joe, thank you for being a good sport and for being willing to test the structural integrity of old rusty buildings..

Follow The White Rabbit....

2009-10-27T16:05:00.000-04:00

I have featured her before and I'll do it again because Liz Martin has got some serious talent. Since, I last posted her work she has been working hard developing more works art and most recently she has been drawing inspiration from some classic children's characters such as Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh. Again, shameless plug, but all of her pieces are for sale and you can see what else Liz has created at saintrooster.etsy.com. Let me know what you think of shots and show some love to Liz and Saint Rooster by following her blog!

Reck Style

2009-10-20T18:45:00.000-04:00

If you've been to any Georgia Tech football games during the Paul Johnson era you know who The GTG's are... If you don't know who they are, all you need to know is that they are some BALLIN' hip-hop stars on the rise! Swaff and D-Bay have taken the Tech nation (and YouTube) by storm with they're music videos and have even been featured a few times on ESPN. I've had the benefit of being able to photograph and help film their hilarious videos over the past year and I hope they keep writing because it's way too much fun. Here are some behind the scenes shot's from their most recent video supporting the 2009 Football team. 'Reck Style.

Corey Boone

2009-09-20T12:35:00.000-04:00

Let me start by saying that I cannot believe that It has taken me until September to get these pictures up on the blog. Sometime back in January with a late last minute phone call to a friend of mine, I was able to convince corey to come out for a late night photo shoot just because I wanted to try a few things. He generously accepted so I did what any grateful photographer would do with a subject, drag them around to freeze in the cold air and get kicked out of a few parking lots by a rent-a-cop! Corey was a good sport and I'm thankful he helped me out, here are some of my faves.

Riley McGinnis

2009-09-03T19:35:00.000-04:00

Riley Reese McGinnis was born on March 30th, 2009 and she is beautiful! Its funny how when your friends start having children because it really makes you see how fast your life can flash by. Now, I'm in no rush to have kids anytime soon but I hope that when it does come time, Carly and I are half as excited as David and Michelle are over their baby girl. Here she is.

My Best Friend Got Engaged!

2009-08-27T02:45:00.000-04:00

Its not every day that your best friend gets engaged but fortunately for me, today was one of those days! Through some careful planning and several secret phone calls JB dropped his ideas on me and we came up with a plan that I would say went pretty flawless for his proposal. Not to mention there was a spectacular summer lightning storm over the city tonight... Some of you might make fun of me for saying this, but my favorite part of the whole experience was drawing up the map I had to give to JB so I could actually take pictures for him! I'm lame, I know, but whatever, I had fun and my best friend is engaged! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

After Midnight Project

2009-08-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

At the end of last month I got to give back to the radio station that has given me so much over the years... 99x was hosting a Live X recording session for a band that if you haven't heard of yet, you will know there name very soon, After Midnight Project. Let me tell you something, these guys put on such a good performance, they rocked the 99x studio, they rocked Rio Grande Buckhead later that night, and again they rocked Warped Tour the next day. Yes I saw them perform live 3 times in about 24 hours... What can I say, I thought they were good. I'll have more pics of these guys and the Rest of Warped Tour soon!

Saint Rooster = Restorations

2009-07-15T02:30:00.000-04:00

So let me introduce to you the fine works from Liz Martin, aka, Saint Rooster. Liz is friend of mine with an incredible talent of finding really sweet pieces of antique furniture, working it down and then completely refinishing it to produce some incredible works of art. I've only been around to take shots of the finished pieces but her blog has some awesome posts about the process she puts each piece through and the inspiration for the designs of each. Definitely a good read so check her out here at saintrooster.wordpress.com! If you're interested in getting your hands on one of these incredible designs I've got good news for you, you can!! All of these pieces are for sale (atleast the ones that haven't been bought yet) through her online store at saintrooster.etsy.com!

Bradford Amps

2009-06-25T03:05:00.000-04:00

Let me introduce to you the Porto45 by Bradford Amps. Bradford Amps are custom handwired guitar amplifiers and this first model is the slickest amp I've ever seen. I wish during our day of shooting I could've heard this thing scream but I haven't heard a single criticism yet. If you've ever considered or dreamed of a boutique amp, Bradford Amps is definitely the way to go if you're looking to have a one-of-a-kind setup on stage. Make sure to visit the freshly launched Bradford Amps website here!

Dog Days

2009-06-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

I guess today is Two-Post Thursday and maybe and I can make this a trend. Things have been really busy for me lately trying to balance work, life, and play. Because of all of the busyness around here I've been keeping a more watchful eye out for candid moments around my daily life. If we're friends on facebook you may have already seen these pictures but the other day I decided to follow Jack, our dog, around with my camera while cleaning up and waiting for Carly to come home. I think these pictures explain it on their own why we love our dog so much.

Robby and Alaina Gambrell

2009-06-11T16:15:00.000-04:00

So this might seem a little weird for some of you because I would like to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Robby Gambrell. They were married on June 6th, 2009 and I would like to present to you their engagement pictures! I know, I know, its not very customary to post engagement pictures after a couple has already gotten married but due to the stint in Colorado that Robby and Alaina were on, (and the one I'm jealous of not being on), during most of their engagement, we weren't able to meet up until shortly before their wedding for photos. Fortunately for us, we had a beautiful (and fairly hot) Friday afternoon to go explore the Vickery Creek Cliffs where Robby proposed and the old Roswell Mill. I know I said it already to them but congratulations again guys!

Mark Cole

2009-06-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

This photo shoot is one I've been saving for a while now because of how much I enjoyed taking an afternoon with my friend Mark and seeing if we can get creative with some of his portraits. To give Mark a shout out, I have to say that I do feel bad for holding out on his pics for so long, but hopefully he'll agree with me that it was worth the wait. I tried a few new styles with these so let me know what you think!

A Trip Back to Prom

2009-06-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

So earlier this month I got to take a visit back to prom... not with a date of course, I'm a little to old for that... but to shoot the pre-prom hangout in Lenora Park. It was cool to be able to go get creative with the pictures outside of the stereotypically awkward prom pose that I remember my prom photographer taking. Don't get too nostalgic if this first shot brings a tear to your eye as you remember your prom pictures.....

Night of Worship

2009-05-15T12:45:00.000-04:00

A good friend of mine gave me a call a few weeks ago and invited me to come shoot an event down in Auburn, AL that he was putting together called Night of Worship. As we're driving down 85 we're talking about all the cool things that God has been doing on and around the Auburn campus which helped spark this event. As he kept telling me the story, we both started realizing that it really just seems like we're jumping on board with how God is moving around the Auburn campus, rather than trying to help spark a movement like some ministries are in place to do. This was the point in the conversation where I really started to get nervous about the responsibility he had given me as the photographer, to find where God is moving, in a room, through an event, and to capture that in a picture... Not the easiest thing I've ever been asked to do by a long shot.

Now, as my faith has developed, one of the understandings I try to adhere to is that if you look for God, through prayer, in scripture, in worship, you will find Him. It's funny to me how nervous I was going into the Night of Worship by not remembering this simple, and very important, truth. Why do I emphasize its importance? I am no scholar, but I do know that everything the Bible says, is important, but when things start getting repeated... I think God is really trying to make a point. I did at most 10 minutes of "research" before writing this post and in that 10 minutes I found 6 distinct and separate occasions where the context of the verse directly says "If you seek after God, you will find Him." Like I said, I'm no scholar, but if I only take a few minutes of my time and find a message repeated several times, I'm going to trust that it is something not only I need to live by, but everyone.

I was very blessed to be in a side role for Night of Worship because I was able to see and partake in both the leadership side of the event, and the attendee side of the event. I'm not really sure how to describe what happened at other than a simple description of what I witnessed.

Leaders came together from Atlanta and Auburn with one vision, to find where God was, and meet Him in that place. Not to move Him to a different place, not to push their own agendas, but to find God's voice and follow it, leading the crowd. As someone who was both on stage and in the audience, they met their goals. God moved through the room that night, spoke to the leaders, drew in the crowd, and was worshipped in that place. It was simply amazing.

To follow what Night of Worship will be continuing to be doing in the Auburn area make sure to stay connected on facebook and at www.nightofworship.org!

I shot my best friend....

2009-05-14T14:15:00.000-04:00

So I never thought it would be such a bitter-sweet, semi awkward feeling driving around for an afternoon with your best friend to take some portraits. However, the benefit of the situation was that I could get him to do pretty much whatever I wanted for a picture, but that also caused problems trying to stay serious. I laugh so hard every time I browse through this photo shoot and I especially love the last picture.

Few people know that JB actually was a movie stunt double in 1986 for Alan Buck, famous for his role as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Sorry JB, I blew your cover.

Take cover!!!

2009-04-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this is not going to be a regular style post for me because I want to keep my photography based on portraiture... BUT, when any good opportunity comes along, I like to have my camera handy and tonight was one of those nights!

For those of you who don't live in Atlanta and read this blog we had some severe thunderstorms come through tonight. My first instinct is always "Grab the camera!" especially in the types of storms like these. If you've never been to my apartment, Its about 5 minutes off the highway right above downtown and honestly... it falls in the dead center of just about every major storm that passes through the city and I love it.

You might think I am a little crazy but we have the best location to be in the middle of a storm because we have a wide open view of the sky from our balcony and its the perfect place to set up a tripod and just keep the camera snapping until you catch some good shots. So... here is a small glimpse of the view from my balcony for about an hour tonight while these storms passed through!

Ok this next one actually scared the living crap out of me and you'll notice that the majority of the actual lightning bolt is blown way out in the picture. That is how bright and how close it was. No joke it felt like a bomb went off when this thing struck. I think that this one lightning strike may be the only time something has ever scared me so bad that I've asked out loud for God to keep me safe in that moment.

And lastly, this last picture was not taken tonight. It was actually taken June 29th, 2008 during another storm that passed over this same apartment. I just want to make sure you guys believe me when i say we get hit by a ton of thunderstorms!

Bobby and Kacie

2009-04-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Bobby and Kacie McDonnell. I met them through some mutual friends a while back and I hate that this get together was prefaced by a few unfortunate circumstances surrounding their wedding back in January. There was a mishap with the photographer for their wedding and that means that there was a mishap with the pictures from their wedding day. The good news from all of this is that the McDonnell's and I were able spend the day running all around downtown Smyrna for portraits, stop by a Chick Fil A for a snack, and continue down into Buckhead to Pub 71 where they first met to have a "mini reception" so to speak. Congratulations again Bobby and Kacie!!!

Becky and Danny

2009-04-16T12:30:00.000-04:00

With all of the crazy weather that has been happening here in Georgia, especially this spring, its been pretty difficult to count on nice weather without some severe thunderstorm or in this case, 4 inches of snow to fall on the day you plan to take senior portraits for a friend and his sister. Three weeks later, the weather matched our schedules and Danny, Becky, and I were able to get their pictures taken care of. Danny is a long time friend of mine and will be graduating from Georgia Tech in may along with Becky, his sister, who is graduating from Lassiter High School... Congratulations guys!

Oh Snap!

2009-04-15T21:55:00.000-04:00

So if you've been a regular to this blog you'll notice that I the looks have changed! That's because I am hard at work on the full website for Two Shot Photography and am starting to plan the website launch party! Make sure to follow the blog to get all the details!!!

-Tyler

Day Seven Ministries!

2009-04-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

Alright so I know its been awhile since my last post and I'm sorry to anyone who has been waiting because I know these guys have. Again these are the guys of Day Seven Ministries and they have officially hit the studio to record their new album and I can't wait to hear it! God bless guys!

Bill and Alesa Webber

2009-03-30T14:45:00.000-04:00

Its double post time and this will be the first of the night. This is Bill and Alesa Webber and their father just celebrated his 60th birthday yesterday. I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting with Bill and Alesa about a week and a half ago to put together some portraits as a birthday gift. We met at Lenora Park out by Stone Mountain (which has a great disc golf course by the way) and it was a perfect day to be outside enjoying the weather, and taking pictures.

Trash the Dress!

2009-03-30T04:30:00.000-04:00

So last Fall Carly and I took some advice from our dear friends (and my bosses) Ray and Erica and participated in a Trash the Dress session. I was siked because I got to not only go on the shoot, but be in it too. I didn't have too much time behind my camera before Ray told me to climb into Sope Creek right along with Carly but I did manage to pull off a few good shots before I had to pack up my equipment.

You'll also notice that the last picture I got was of Ray getting his shots while I found a different angle. Make sure to visit 35 Atlanta's blog to see even more of our trash the dress photos from Ray and Erica because they are INCREDIBLE!!

Christy's Audition

2009-03-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, through a very last minute facebook messaging frenzy, I met up with old friend of mine from highschool, Christy, to take some head shots for her audition to 42nd Street. I haven't heard how it went yet but I'm sure she's going to come back with good news.

Reuben Bidez

2009-03-18T02:45:00.000-04:00

So right about the time I started this blog is right about the time I made a call to my buddy Reuben for a photo shoot. After all of the running around we did and after how busy my life stayed, his pictures got backed up a little bit in the line of editing that I had to do. So here is Reuben Bidez, a great friend and an incredible musician.

Day Seven Preview!

2009-03-17T22:00:00.001-04:00

So today I had the pleasure of working with the guys of Day Seven Ministries. Despite the rain problems surrounding the southeast we made due with what we could and were able to get some ideas going that were better than what we'd originally planned. After nearly losing my camera from falling into a horribly disgusting pit of water while walking through this old buildings foundation, it turned out to be a pretty awesome day. Here's a quick preview of what we were able to do today.... and make sure to check back because you will not want to miss the rest of the airfield photos!

America's Next Top Model?

2009-03-12T14:45:00.000-04:00

This past sunday was a last minute scramble for Hayley. Before Tuesday she needed to track down a video camera, fill out a 22 page application, get some glamour shots taken and printed, and with a full day of class on monday and room to sleep, it was pretty hectic. Trust me I talked to her on the phone. But it all came together like it always does and you could be looking at a contender for America's Next Top Model if the audition goes well in Dallas. Good luck Hayley!

Soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Bicknell

2009-03-03T23:30:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, on one of the longest photo shoot days of my life, Carly and I had a blast running all over Atlanta with our friends Ian and Lauren for their engagement pictures. We drove around making multiple u-turns to find some cool spots to shoot and received tons of strange looks carrying a giant ladder through Piedmont Park on one of the most crowded days that I've ever seen there. I know that they've been waiting patiently for these pictures so here they are!

New Blog!

2009-02-10T21:12:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone!

I have finally started pulling things together for my new business so let me be the first to welcome you to the new blog for Two Shot Photography!

What is Two Shot Photography? Well, its a concept that I came up with to work under rather than just my name.

Simply:

A 'Two Shot' is a type of shot employed in the film industry in which the frame encompasses a view of two people (the subjects).

Two Shots take their subjects and accomplish a number of things but specifically, it shows a relationship and interaction between the subjects themselves and with their surroundings. That is my goal as a photographer, to take every subject that I shoot, living and still life, group and individual, and capture the relationships and interactions between them and their surroundings. Hence the name, Two Shot Photography.

So bookmark this blog, share it with your friends, and check back regularly! I will have quite a few updates coming over the next month and will be planning the official launch party for Two Shot Photography soon!