Best of 2020: Part 1

Putting together a year-end summary of favorIte photos is always revealing.

While I don’t have as many photos to choose from in 2020 as I had in years before COVID, I still have several favorites. And the favorites tell a story.

Most folks won’t be surprised to find out that several of my favorites are from February, before things close down.

Here are a couple of award-winners from my son’s wedding reception at The White House in Biloxi. Thankfully, they planned their reception for February while folks could still gather safely.

Before COVID broke loose, I also had the chance to document the Elevate Conference created by K2 Productions for Bell Partners. Here are a couple of favorites.

In November, my friend Kim Jackson was elected state senator from the district I live in. I couldn’t be happier for her and for the citizens of the state of Georgia. Kim is a force for God’s work in the world. She is an Episcopal priest at the Church of the Common Ground. She serves worshippers who are unhoused. Here are a couple favorites from the weekly foot clinic, Common Soles, that was still taking place in February.

Once Georgians were asked to lockdown in April, I began a documentary project in my tiny city of Pine Lake. I took portraits of folks on their porches and asked them to write a paragraph or two about how they were thriving or at least surviving quarantine. Here are a couple of favorites from the project.

Delivering Porch Portrait Books

I’ve been having fun the last week or so delivering copies of Surviving Quarantine to my neighbors here in Pine Lake, as well as to a few friends around the Decatur area. Pamela Poole was especially delighted to receive her copy.

My niece Kate commented that this photograph is very meta. I can’t wait until I have an outdoor gallery of photographs Pamela can pose in front of while holding her photo in the book. Meta meta. :)

The book is a collection of porch portraits of some of my Pine Lake neighbors (39 photos total) with commentaries about quarantine from those in the photos.

You can buy a book and have it shipped directly to you right here.

Thanks,
Cindy

Cabin Elopement in Blue Ridge, Georgia

Tori and DeLani traveled from Canada and Florida, respectively, to tie the knot.

Due to COVID travel restrictions on travel from the US to Canada, the two were stuck apart from each other. So, they planned a romantic getaway elopement at a rustic cabin near Blue Ridge.

Here are a few favorites from their big day.

Elopement Photograph in the North Georgia Mountains

COVID weddings are precious and few

2020 has been a strange year for wedding photographers, as well as event planners, florists, cake artists, etc. Needless to say, COVID has cut deeply into our livelihood. The weddings we have photographed since March have been small. Many we had booked have been postponed or downsized.

That makes the few weddings we were able to photograph this year that much more special.

Here are a few recent award-winning images, the first two from a COVID-aware October wedding and the last from a February reception.

Covid Wedding Tips from a Georgia Couple

Erin and Emily’s plans for a large wedding fell through just a few weeks before the March date they had booked. Even after rescheduling, they found themselves still bound by the safety concerns of COVID-19.

So, here are a few things they did.

1) They created a sign that included safety instructions such as: “Thank you for keeping 6 feet distance,” and “We’re not hugging,” and “Thank you for wearing a mask.”

2. They set up chairs by family groups, with members of a single family sitting together, but more than 6 feet from another family seating group.

3. They had masks made to match their color scheme for the day.

4. Masks, in three different sizes, were left in a box near the ceremony seats, so guests could pick one upon entering.

5. Close family members quarantined for 14 days before the wedding, so they could hug and dance together.

Erin and Emily's Wit's End Wedding

Erin and Emily’s plan for a March wedding with more than 100 guests went out the window when the pandemic hit the US early that month. So, they postponed their wedding until October thinking that all would be back to normal.

Alas, that did not come to pass.

And thus, an intimate COVID-friendly wedding with a few friends and family was born.

The couple’s nuptials took place at Wit’s End, “a dreamscape of babbling streams, mountain valley meadows and magical ancient forests dotted with secret sitting areas, cozy fire pits, tree swings, old farm buildings, a pavilion and a modern cottage.” *

Here are a few favorite photos.

The couple’s COVID-friendly wedding included matching masks for the bride and bride, as well as all their guests.

• Description from the Wit’s End website.

Carnella and Aaron's Helen Engagement Session

Carnella and Aaron met one year ago and hit it off right away.

To Carnella’s delight, Aaron proposed on Feb 13 at Carnella’s birthday. Soon thereafter, they made plans for engagement celebration activities, including a photo shoot. Unfortunately COVID 19 hit and they had to cancel those plans.

Despite that hiccup, they have made plans for a wedding in 2021.

And they were able to set up an engagement shoot in Helen, Georgia, where the photos below were taken. They turned the session into an overnight getaway in the tiny “Alpine town.”

COVID 19 and a Few WPJA Documentary Award Winners for 1st Quarter 2020

2020 has been a difficult year for wedding photographers, and for wedding vendors in general. COVID-19 and the restrictions that have been put into place to try to stop the spread of the virus have caused people to cancel or postpone their weddings, or to drastically downsize their weddings.

As a result the Wedding Photojournalist Association changed the usual way they conduct contests. Rather than begin the regular documentary contests in April, they postponed the first contest deadline until the first of September. They also added a special contest for Wed Elopement stories.

With business limping along due to the slow down in weddings and the complete collapse of the corporate event industry, I’ve had extra time to look through my photographs searching for potential winners. At times, I must admit, I’ve become far too obsessed with finding winners in the midst of the chaos.

Today, I am honored to report that my obsession paid off. I won 6 documentary awards for photos entered into the first quarter 2020 WPJA Quarter.

Here are three.

The last photo is part of a WedElope award winning series.

I am honored.