Chanterelle Photography

Commercial Portraits: Doug’s 2 Salon Spa – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:20:35 +0000

When you shoot 33 headshots in two days for a premier salon’s staff, you know the last thing you’ll have to worry about is hair and makeup, because they’re going to show up looking fierce! Of course, my homies at Doug’s 2 Salon Spa didn’t disappoint.

Paris: Part 3 – The Foodie Edition

Julie — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:00:02 +0000

As a self-proclaimed foodie, one thing I was really looking forward to in Paris was eating. I’m not a chef. I’ve got no credentials other than the fact that I LOVE REALLY GREAT FOOD. When I go on vacation, it’s not unusual for me to plan where I’m going to eat before I decide which sights I’m going to see. You know that list of “100 Things to Eat Before You Die” that was going around on Facebook? I’ve already had 77 of them. So naturally, before my trip, my reading list was full of books like The Patisseries of Paris, and food blogger David Lebovitz became my best friend (not that he knows that).

And once I got there, you’d better believe the word “calorie” didn’t exist in my vocabulary – nor did I want it to. I wasn’t going all the way to Paris to eat like a supermodel, surviving on coffee and cigarettes. I’m 5’2″, and I run so I can eat. A supermodel I am not. So I was going to enjoy every bit of French butter flecked with crystals of fleur de sel, every glass of Côtes du Rhone, every flaky croissant, and if I wanted to have them every single day of my two week trip, I was going to. And I did. Because there was no way I was going to disappoint my sweet tooth by passing up some of the most famous names in the pastry world, such as Ladurée and Pierre Hermé; where you can’t go without trying the oh-so-popular macarons (and Pierre Hermé’s rose/raspberry/litchi confection, the Ispahan – one of the BEST things I ate during my entire trip):You can have a cup of Mariage Freres tea and hang out at Cafe de Flore, like Ernest Hemingway once did, or head to Angelina to have their famous Chocolat Chaud L’Africain (calling it “hot chocolate” would be an understatement, “rich, liquid chocolate” would be more accurate):You can find classic French dishes of course, like steak frites at Chez Omar; or go international and visit L’As du Fallafel for some Middle Eastern goodness. Or, hit Da Rosa for a glass of sangria and a dish of risotto topped with Spanish Jambón Ibérico:You can do one of my favorite things to do when I travel – visit an open air food market. There’s no better way to get a taste (pun intended) of what people REALLY eat. At the Bastille Market, you can pick up everything from produce to flowers, from a freshly made crepe to a little entertainment:And if you pay attention, you might even find the source of my company’s name: a crate full of fresh CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS! If the food market isn’t enough local flavor for you, you can spend the day with Chef Pino Ficara at Cook’n with Class, where I spent hours learning how to make fougasse, pain au chocolat, croissants, pain aux raisins, and more from scratch: But if the DIY route isn’t for you, there’s no shortage of other places around Paris ready to fill you up with amazing food. (There are STILL more Paris pictures to come – stay tuned!)

Portrait: The Lowery Family – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:42:44 +0000

The last time I did their family portraits, Samuel was 4 years old, and Isaac was just a baby. So now that Isaac is 4 years old, naturally was time for them to have another visit with “Miss Julie”…or so we thought! Dad is a firefighter, and we had to reschedule their session last fall when he was called away to fight the fires that were raging in Texas. No worries, it just gave the kids until early 2012 to save up their energy for me. I asked Samuel and Isaac if I could have some of their energy. They really need to figure out how to bottle that stuff – they’d be set for life and I have a feeling mom and dad would get a lot more sleep!

Wedding: Tara & Nolan – South Luverne Baptist Church & Luverne Country Club – Luverne, Alabama

Julie — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:21:59 +0000

So what do you do when you’re getting ready at Camellia House and there’s a big purple clawfoot tub in your bathroom? Answer: you get Gena Harper from Doug’s 2 Salon to fluff up your best big Southern hair and work it!Off to South Luverne Baptist Church to get dressed and get hitched…Reason #2347 why my brides are awesome (yes, she really did this):A little bit of golden sun popped out just in time to highlight those eyes (with gorgeous makeup by Rebekah Edwards of LUSH Makeup Art):Earlier that morning, I remembered that Tara was the subject of my VERY FIRST attempt at shooting a portrait – way before starting a business had even entered my mind. Fast forward 6 or 7 years and there I was shooting her wedding. Funny how things have a way of coming full circle. Nolan’s a pretty easygoing guy……but the sight of a beautiful bride coming down the aisle is enough to make even the most laid back guy struggle not to crack.As guest entered the reception, they were greeted by a warm fireplace and touches of houndstooth, including the groom’s University of Alabama cake:…but the real centerpiece of the room was the towering bride’s cake, covered in snowflakes and snowballs (both cakes created by Icing Illusions):More houndstooth contained the ingredient for a wintery exit – faux snow!Special thanks to Tara and Nolan – here’s to 6 or 7 more years of picture taking opportunities!

Portrait: Alison – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:23:52 +0000

Oh, the cuteness that is Alison. Even with the heat turned up in the house, she seemed to prefer being covered with a blanket (maybe she’s just modest!), but once we got her comfy, she was one of the best sleepers I’ve photographed in a while…I thought her little lips were too cute……until she busted out the squishy face pose! (The face…that hat…I can hardly stand it!!!)

Engagement: Alana & Ben – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:00:38 +0000

You know it’s gonna be a good day when you roll up to your engagement session and see a bright orange truck (her grandfather’s) and little dog named Lucy (who looks like Toto’s lighter cousin). While she was very friendly to me, Lucy CLEARLY loved being near Alana and Ben, so much so that we couldn’t get her more than a foot away from them before she’d go running back. I can’t say that I blame her, these two are pretty darn cute.

Portrait: Ollie – Wetumpka, Alabama

Julie — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:18:58 +0000

Jason Oliver (Ollie for short, Ollie-pop if you wanna get cute) was a Chanterelle Photography baby before he was even a twinkle. When you walk in his house, there are pictures of his mom and dad’s wedding everywhere – shot by yours truly several years ago. There’s a tiger on the loose in Wetumpka. I hear he’s pretty ferocious.

I Believe: Life at 36

Julie — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:04:16 +0000

So another birthday has come and gone, and I’m now officially closer to 40 than 30. But I’m not about to start shopping for dentures just yet – I’m looking forward to what 36 has in store for me. So far my 30′s have been a lot more fun than my 20′s, and I’d like to think I’m at least a little smarter than I was then (wonder if I’ll look back and say the same thing about my 30′s)! I’ll let you decide if I’ve learned anything – here are 10 things I believe about life at 36:

1. I believe…everything they say about getting old is true. Unfortunately. (Gravity? You suck.)

2. I believe…a great picture of yourself can make you feel like a supermodel. A bad one can make you wonder if you have a vision problem and/or consider plastic surgery. (“Do I REALLY look like that???”)

3. I believe…everyone should see at least a little bit of the rest of the world. Sometimes getting lost helps you find yourself.

4. I believe…no matter how much weight you lose, you’ll always want to lose at least 5 more pounds. So eat the friggin’ donut. Just run around the block a few times first.

5. I believe…you shouldn’t wait to let the people you care about know that they’re important to you. You never know when God is going to need them back.

6. I believe…a rainy day, a warm blanket, a movie on tv you’ve seen a million times but still love, and a nap in your favorite spot on the couch make up one of the greatest, most underappreciated moments in life.

7. I believe…if you want to find out who your real friends are, ask them to help you move.

8. I believe…no matter how many times it gets broken, never be afraid to risk your heart. There’s a reason why you never hear stories about people on their death beds saying, “I wish I would have loved less.”

9. I believe…if a person’s actions don’t match their words, judge them by their actions. They’ll tell you all you need to know.

10. I believe…at the root of it all, the most basic human need is not to feel loved, but valued – that the person they are, something they did, something they said mattered to someone else.

Wedding: Holli & Griff – Church in the Pines & SpringHouse Restaurant – Lake Martin, Alabama

Julie — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 05:16:55 +0000

The sun was shining VERY brightly as Holli and Griff got ready at two separate lake homes, before heading to Church in the Pines to tie the knot:The floral decor (from Weddings by Jill, who also coordinated the day) was some of the prettiest I have ever seen – rich, warm colors, and arrangements so full they were almost bursting at the seams:During the ceremony, Holli’s brother did a reading and shared a few words of his own……and struggled to keep his composure as he said them:Their original reception location was damaged by tornados about 6 months before their wedding date, so they switched to SpringHouse Restaurant – which turned out to be the perfect complement to their contemporary rustic theme. It was the perfect backdrop to even more beautiful flowers, and a whopper of a cake from perennial favorite Cake Designs:Guests took home wedding-themed cookie favors from Chrissie Schubert’s Treats, but not before stepping outside under the chandelier-topped dance floor:Griff is normally a pretty reserved guy, but get a little bit of of sugar in him (via the ice cream sundae bar), and he’ll cut a rug with the most energetic ladies at the reception:Thanks Holli & Griff for a great day – I hope you didn’t freeze to death at the end of the night!

Paris: Part Two – Les Jardins & The Little Things

Julie — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:58:48 +0000

When I booked the trip to Paris, my departure date was only 5 weeks away. I had a massive case of burnout. I had been working non-stop in the months before, to the point that my vision would go sideways when I looked at a computer screen. I was overwhelmed. I needed something to look forward to, and some time to refocus. So I finished up what needed to be done before I left, and purposely kept the MacBook Pro at home so I wouldn’t be distracted by work. And once I got to Paris, I didn’t pull a camera out every two seconds. Sometimes I didn’t take a camera with me at all. But when I did, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just full of pictures of landmarks and tourist attractions. I wanted to remember the little things – the little things that I smiled at because I actually had the time to notice them. Like the copper walls of the Metro station closest to my apartment – the one I looked forward to seeing at the end of a long day:Or the cat that would often be found sleeping in the window of Sylvine, the florist just down the street – a window I passed so often that I found myself a little disappointed when he wasn’t there:Or the colorful doors found all through the Marais and beyond:Or the dramatic balloon display in the window at Louis Vuitton:With its many gardens, Paris was the perfect place to take a minute to just take a deep breath and enjoy something simple. Like the day I had lunch sitting on a bench at the Jardin du Palais Royal:Or the day I pulled up a chair for a couple of hours at the Jardin du Luxembourg, and wrote whatever I wanted in a red Moleskine notebook:Or the day I strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries on my way to the Louvre. It didn’t take long for me to feel like I was finally able to catch my breath, and could really look forward to what was waiting for me back home. Stay tuned for the third round of Paris pictures soon!