The Artist's Eye

The Parthenon is

such a beautiful building and a wonderful location for portraits. The Parthenon's classical architecture and stately columns provide a really nice setting and the light there is terrific. Danielle and Read already knew this and they wanted their engagement portraits created there. As you know my keen interest and love for architecture and history fits in perfectly for such a spot, and the lighting that day was perfect to create some spectacular photographs for Danielle and Read.

Danielle really, really enjoyed the photography and Read, well, its a guy thing and he's coming around. We were even able to get a couple of smiles out of him before the day was over! They were wonderful to work with and Read was a real trooper hanging in there as we roamed Centennial Park, shooting different scenes and letting them be themselves. I was honored to just be there and admire their love for each other. Wonderful couple, thank you Danielle and Read.

Difficult choice, I had just too many favorites, but here is a small sampling from Danielle and Read's engagement session. So please enjoy!
Ciao,
David Wright

Now that Crystal and Larry's wedding has taken place, I can reveal some of the photographs we created at Crystal's bridal portrait session.  Crystal really loves the War Memorial building and Legislative Plaza and that is where she wanted her bridal portrait to be created. She and her parents really love columns like those at War Memorial and the fountains at Legislative Plaza.

Crystal's very unique and stunning gown, a Priscilla of Boston, from The Bride Room in Green Hills, was perfect for the columns and fountains setting.  The gown was adorned with an array of thousands of "crystals" sequins in random order and captured the light and glimmered as the original Athena statue in the Parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

We all had such a great time creating Crystal's portrait. Her parents joined Alice Hendry, wedding planner, and me, and for the next couple of hours we really had a blast photographing Crystal. Crystal really had a great time too and loved wearing her unbelievable Priscilla of Boston gown.

Please do enjoy the portraits of Crystal and see what everyone was so anxious to see at Crystal and Larry's wedding day!
Ciao,
David

Blue, Lavender and Crystal sparkles in Nashville

Last night Crystal and Larry turned Nashville into a gorgeous showplace with their stunning wedding at Vine Street Christian Church on West End followed by a spectacular reception at War Memorial Auditorium.

Crystal loves blue, lavender and of course crystals! Her theme and color scheme was blue mixed with crystals. Alice Hendry of Brentwood, Tennessee worked with Crystal and her mom, Donna, for almost a year prior to the wedding as she helped Crystal bring her dream wedding to fruition. And it was a Dream Wedding! Chef's Market provided a wonderful 7 course dinner and the flowers were designed and arranged by A Village of Flowers. My favorite video team was also present, Gipsy Williams, Denice and Stephen of Premier Video. Cynthia Rheins of Invitations Galore designed and prepared invitations and programs for Crystal and Larry's Big Day.

So please and go enjoy the many photographs before and see the beautify and love at Crystal and Larry's wedding!

Ciao,
David Wright

Scarritt Wedding - Third Ave South reception - perfection!

Hard to believe it has been a week already since Katie & Andy's wedding. Boy have I been busy too! Just this week, I have almost completed all the processing of Katie & Andy's files for proofing, viewing and online hosting. Plus I have finished the design of 2 albums, completed the artwork to a third and got the final photographs ready for print competition that starts tomorrow at the Tennessee PPA. Now I am about to head out the door to my next event.

Scarritt - Bennett's Wightman Chapel is such a gorgeous, architectural gem and wedding venue, perhaps the most popular in Nashville, Tennessee. Even in the rain, it photographs beautifully as it did last Saturday at Katie & Andy's wedding. They were such troopers, guys not concerned about getting wet, and they didn't - girls fine staying inside in the parlors while it did rain outside and where we created some great masterpieces!

The reception was at the red-hot chic of a place - 3rd Ave South. Oh how it was decorated too! You could tell instantly when walking into the swank reception that Katie was in the event planning business! She and colleague/friend Carol Norfleet of  Destination Nashville really created a dream world reception. Words can't describe it all, just go below and peek at the reception!

Katie and Andy had such a great wedding and reception, and to finish it all off, they departed as the sparklers lit the path to their vintage Jaquar sedan from Matchless Limos, by far the best fleet in the city. Their classic Jags, Bently and Rolls Royce's are the most beautiful cars in Nashville.

Enjoy the photographs!
Ciao,

David Wright

First Dance

I was so inspired Saturday at Martha & Miller's wedding reception with this room at Belmont University's Massey Hall that I brought the newly married couple over and let them dance in the warm rays of the setting sun. I could not wait to get back to the studio and view the images and wow, what a picture. Yet, I wanted to do something different to bring out the art, scenery and romance I saw and felt in this scene. I decided I would paint them and below you will see the finished image. I really believe it captured their mood, the wedding day spirit and the love between them.

More on their beautiful wedding tomorrow.

Enjoy,
David

A stroll on the farm

Earlier this week I was invited to Lacy's family farm near Franklin, Tenn. to create some great engagement portraits of her and Jerrod. What a diverse set of locations we had to choose from. Lacy's family loves pets and they collect retired Clydesdale horses from Budweiser Beers .
Despite the heat and threatening storms, we created some great portraits of these two wonderfully romantic and fun-loving bride and groom to be. Enjoy,
Ciao,
David Wright

Mollie & Jon

Earlier this week I Mollie and Jon invited me over to Mollie's West Nashville home to create some engagement portraits. Mollie's house is a 1930's cottage that Mollie & Jon have transformed into an architectural gem. It was like walking to the pages of Architectural Digest.

Mollie & Jon already had several areas picked out for the photographs and the clothing. They fell right into the perfect poses as we went along and oh can Mollie pose! She is such a natural that I cannot wait to photograph her in her wedding gown!!!

We had such a great time, love being creative and love people who are creative. The first shot below just came to me and may be my favorite as it mimics the oil painting American Gothic created in 1930 by Grant Wood (1891-1942), European trained American painter.

I'll hush so you can enjoy the photographs.
Ciao,
David Wright

Between the storms...

Yesterday was such a touch and go day. Scheduled were the engagement portraits of Crystal and Larry whose wedding is around the corner in August. Driving over from Knoxville, they hit some major rain and when they called about 20 minutes before meeting me, the sky here was so overcast, the ground damp from the rain 15 minutes earlier, but the sun had found a hole in the clouds. So off we went to Centennial Park to visit The Parthenon. We got great shots of them around the rose garden, no roses in sight just Holly Hawks and the Parthenon, such a stunning building.

Next we drove to downtown Nashville and created some stunning images of Crystal and Larry in front of theRyman Auditorium and then to Shelby Bridge overlooking the city of Nashville on the Cumberland River and  LP Field for some spectacular sunset photographs. Wow are those beautiful and Larry and Crystal were so photogenic! Great couple. Larry and Crystal, you both rock!

Ciao,

David Wright

Senior Portrait in Clarksville

My very good friend and colleague Beverly Parker asked me if I wanted to come to Clarksville, Tennessee and photograph her great niece as a senior portrait. I love creating different looks and locations so I was up there as quickly as I get it scheduled.

Upon arrival at Beverly's studio, we went through Grace's clothes and put together a plan for each piece and how it would work with the different locations Beverly had chosen.  Once we got started, I began adding light to create the mood the clothes and locations suggested. Below are a few images from the shoot. Each location is unique and so is the lighting. We even had a choice encounter of a couple on a decked out Harley as they parked beside us. Enjoy Grace's senior portraits as I promised her they will be unlike any other senior in Clarksville!
Ciao,
David

I received a call today from fellow photographer Charlene Johnson as she was leaving Atlanta and the Southeastern PPA. She called to tell me all 4 of my entries "hung" meaning all were scored and accepted in the PPA print competition. After viewing the final scores, I am the only photographer from Tennessee who had all of their prints to be accepted with that magical score of 80 or above. SEPPA or Southeastern is probably the hardest competition in the US, why is anyone's guess, but they are tough on us. I suspect because there is so much talent in the South, particularly North Carolina and Florida - tough competition.

Needless to say I am estatic. And this means my three prints and one album are automatically accepted and marked for the Professional Photographers of America print competition in June. This also means I am now the Photographer of the Year by having all four entries accepted.  This marks my 3rd time in 4 years to receive the distinguished Photographer of the Year award!

So here are my entries.
Ciao,
David Wright
Master Photographer, Certified Professional Photographer, Photographic Craftsman

"Pure Elegance"

"Almost Forgotten"

"The Old Dutchman"

album: "Love Is..."