B A I S D E N

It’s pronounced BAYS - DEN, y’all.

The things I have been called recently…

Blasven (my current fave)
Blaysen
Basden
Basen

and most often:

Meg Photography

4 of 5 checks in my wallet right now are either made out to Meg Photography or Meg Photographer. Now, money is money - so I’ll take it - but in case you were wondering…

it’s Baisden.

Congratulations to Katie and Dan on their recent nuptials!

The ceremony was held under a gazebo at the charming Driftwood Inn at Mexico Beach, Florida. The guests partied on the deck well into the night, outlasting even me!

It must’ve been monarch season at Mexico Beach - “flutterbys” were everywhere:

Thanks for letting us be a small part of your big day!

Whoa. My mind is still spinning from this one…

A few weeks ago (about five weeks now) we shot Heather and Blair’s wedding in Destin, FL.

Heather found us online and contacted us about her pending nuptials about seven months prior to the big day. She booked after a brief phone conversation and a few exchanged emails. We didn’t meet until two weeks before their wedding when Charles and I shot their engagement session.

You got all that so far?

Heather and Blair booked us having only seen our online portfolio. No personal recommendations or anything. We never actually met until two months ago.

Okay, moving forward.

Around the same time (early 2005) we hear from a Birmingham, AL couple - Allison and Chris. They found us online, too. Booked after an email or two and a phone chat. They didn’t actually know anyone who had ever worked with me, either.

So, now we have Heather and Blair in Destin.

And we also have Allison and Chris in Birmingham.

To make it even more confusing, I am going to add a third element; I met a sweet girl, Nicole, at a wedding I photographed in May 2005 at Mexico Beach. Nicole was a friend of the brides and is currently engaged to be married in May 2006.

Still with me? Now there are three groups:

1) Heather/Blair in Destin
2) Allison/Chris in Birmingham
3) Nicole in Mexico Beach

Alright then - so, about six weeks ago we head over to Destin for Heather and Blair’s wedding (which was gorgeous and can be seen in a recent blog entry). Everything was perfect and we get along famously. The wedding is over, their images go up online and their product is ordered.

Earlier this week I am getting geared up for Allison and Chris’ wedding in Birmingham when I get an email from the bride instructing me to look at image such and such from Heather and Blair’s wedding - because it is a picture of Blair and HER FIANCE - Chris!! (Crazy, no?) Turns out Blair grew up in Birmingham and was really good friends with Chris for years. Chris and Allison - it turns out - were not only at Heather and Blair’s wedding - but Chris was a GROOMSMAN!!!! How insane is that?! We were at a wedding together and they never knew that I was their photographer and I had no idea another one of our clients might be there - especially since the two weddings were over five hours apart!!

Then, this past weekend Heather and Blair were at Allison and Chris’ wedding in Birmingham - and you guessed it - Blair was the groomsman this time! Wacky, eh?

To think that these couples, miles and miles apart, both found me independently of any outside influence or common factor, both booked us to travel to their weddings, and then each attended the others wedding with Charles and I at both - that is just crazy.

C R A Z Y !

So, my head was already spinning when I get this email:

Hey Meg,
My name is Nicole. I met you in May at Lori and JP’s wedding in Mexico Beach. I talked to you guys that night , but I am not sure if you remember. I was really impressed with your photography. My new friend, Heather of Heather & Blair on your website, teaches with me in Destin. She was showing me her pictures today on the website and I realized who you were! She said you are doing a friend of theirs this weekend also in Birmingham. Such a small world! Anyway, I really love your work. I am very interested and I was hoping you are a available to photograph my wedding in May 2006. Sincerely, Nicole

Tell me that isn’t the craziest circle of friends that all just *happened* to know each other and be in contact with me totally independent of each other.

It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it - but in a good way.

Sometimes it’s the little things that really do it for me.

When we moved into our new home we quickly realized that a storage solution was absolutely necessary. Charles and I have spent the past month researching walk-in closet solutions. We’ve run the gamut from built in wall units to chrome rolling racks. What we finally settled on was this versatile, easy to install solution Configurations by Rubbermaid www.rubbermaidcloset.com

We’ve just set ours up, so I still have the task of filling the racks, but I wanted to go ahead and share our handiwork:

I love love love engagement sessions.

I enjoy getting to know all of you better before the wedding day. Spending an hour or so just chatting about how you met, the wedding day plans and schedule, what photographic opportunities will unfold on the big day… And most importantly, watching the two of you interact - discovering your little quirks and the way you touch or laugh - things that will be important for me to help guide you back into on the wedding day when everything seems to be whirling around you at a frantic pace.

These sessions before the wedding are precious to me and from the feedback we continue to receive; I know you feel the same way.

But guys, I’ve got to level with you.
I want to do more with these sessions. I want to really create some great work for you to have to remember this time in your life and display in your homes…

I want YOUR relationship, YOUR personality, and YOUR quirks to jump out in each frame.

I don’t want to meet you at the same garden everyone else gets their pictures taken at… Because while it might indeed be very pretty, I want these sessions to be a reflection of you - your relationship - and that starts with the right setting.

Let’s spice it up - carnival, boardwalk, yacht, cafe, beach, museum, pizza parlor, miniature golf, hockey game, pottery class, movie theater, playground, bar, art gallery, your home - WHATEVER!

I’m challenging myself personally to become more innovative with these sessions and I’m looking forward to sharing the results here for you to see!

Disclaimer: I am happy to photograph this session at a garden or park. If you have your heart set on a beautiful outdoor spot that’s great! I just want to encourage some of you who aren’t excited by the prospect to consider other (unconventional) options.