Project 4 Exhibit

This charcoal drawing is by my brother, Phillip Adams, who currently has an exhibit of his recent charcoal drawings at Project 4 Gallery in Washington, D.C. The exhibit recently received a short review in the Washington Post and the reviewer spent most of her time looking at Phillip's artwork! For our wedding gift, Phillip gave Erin and me one of our favorite paintings of his (below), which completely blew both of us away. I've always been amazed by my brothers' (both Phillip and Kenneth) ability to bring the ideas in their heads to amazing works of art. If you're in the D.C. area, stop by the Project 4 gallery and check out Phillip's work. The exhibit is on display until September 9th, so hurry! I keep trying to get Phillip to update his website with recent work, but he's so busy creating new work and doing things like getting his work in galleries, that he hasn't had time to update his site, so most of it is pretty old, but still great to look at. He's currently working on a couple of murals in Philadelphia.

Rehearsal Dinner Experiences

Some of our favorite events to photograph are Rehearsal Dinners. Our clients often commission us to spend the evening before their wedding photographing family and friends joining together to celebrate. Some of the most memorable and meaningful experiences of the wedding weekend occur at the Rehearsal Dinner. Since it's such an intimate affair, including all of the people who are closest to the bride and groom, the photographs are filled with emotion. Plus, Rehearsal Dinners are great opportunities for us to meet all of the "key players" of the wedding weekend. On the wedding day, we arrive feeling like we already know many of the family and friends who are most likely to appear in the wedding album!

To view a complete slideshow from a LaCour Rehearsal Dinner, click here.

Return from Honeymoon

Erin and I just returned from spending a relaxing week at Rockhouse in Negril, Jamaica for our honeymoon. After spending a week in Charleston with our closest friends and family, which culminated in such a wonderful wedding celebration that was entirely too much fun, it was great to slow down and spend a week entirely with each other. Also, many thanks to everyone who left messages for us. We appreciate your love and support!

Keep Dreaming!

This month's Vanity Fair features a fantastic Q&A interview with Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks Coffee.

Here is an excerpt from my favorite section of the interview:

Q: What is your most marked characteristic?
A: "The ability to dream more than others think practical and expect more than others think possible."

After being inspired by this quote, I did a quick google search for Howard Schultz, and found another gem:

"I think that sometimes the difference between success and failure, winning and losing, is a very fine line between those people who will continue to move forward. I have a history of people closing doors and me saying, 'No, it's still open.' "

This is sage advice for entrepreneurs. It reassures me that persistence, when combined with an unflappable sense of focus and a childlike ability to dream, yields high returns.

Photojournalism as an Approach

My wife, Rachel, is reading Henri-Cartier Bresson's The Mind's Eye and she came across a great quote about photojournalism:

"Manufactured or staged photography does not concern me. There are those who take photographs arranged beforehand, and those who go out to discover the image and seize it. For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant..."

After making the switch from shooting for newspapers and magazines to shooting weddings, I've made an observation: The definition of "photojournalism" varies greatly between the two industries.

As a student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, I learned that photographing subjects using a reactive approach was fundamental to the art of storytelling. Manipulation of a subject by a photographer was no different than a reporter fabricating quotes. The credibility of our publication was always paramount. We were taught that photojournalists should strictly document reality, and should not stage or pose photos.

As a wedding photographer, my primary responsibility is no longer to preserve the integrity of journalism, but rather to create an experience for our clients that will enable them to re-live their wedding day through photographs.

I can't help but remember my roots in journalism as I shoot weddings. The "hands off" approach I adhered to in the journalism world suits my new career path.

I've noticed that the wedding photography industry often defines photojournalism by stylistic attributes: black-and-white, tilted frames, and photographs that exhibit motion.

For me, as a photojournalist who shoots weddings, it is not about the style of photography, but rather about the approach to shooting the story. My documentary photojournalism roots remind me to avoid manipulating situations. I prefer to allow the scene to unfold before my camera. I believe the result is powerful. Clients receive a portfolio of images that completely reflect reality, allowing them to re-experience what if felt like to be "in the moment" on their wedding day.

Use a Tripod for Great Overall Shots

Overall images are important photos that "set the scene" in a wedding album. These images put the storytelling photographs in context.

Because overalls are about the space and less about the people in the image, little frozen people in these images often look funny. When in dark settings, you can shoot these images by using the tripod and setting your camera to the lowest ISO setting. Stop your aperture down until your shutter speed is greater than 15 seconds.

The result will be an image that de-emphasizes the people in the photograph and emphasizes the grandeur of the space.

LaCour Photographers Hitched!

LaCour photographers Mark Adams and Erin Reed were married yesterday on the beach in Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. The rain stopped just long enough for the ceremony. Cameras nearly outnumbered the guests, as almost all their friends work with cameras for a living!

Mark and Erin are headed to the Carribean for their honeymoon. Rachel and I split the duties of being unofficial photographers and members of the wedding party. Shooting from the front makes great photos!

Congratulations, Mark and Erin!

Wedding Day is Here!

Mark and Erin's wedding day has finally arrived. It seems strange to be on the other side of the camera.

Yesterday's rehearsal and rehearsal dinner was a lot of fun. I think there were more photographers in attendance than family. Check out some of the photos, shot by our friends, Eric Larson and Jen Sens:


Rehearsal on the beach
(Photos by Eric Larson and Jen Sens)

Andrew scoops Jen
(Photos by Eric Larson and Jen Sens)

Mark and Erin watch the Rehearsal Dinner Slideshow
(Photos by Eric Larson and Jen Sens)

Erin's Stepfather's "Toast" for Mark and Erin
(Photos by Eric Larson and Jen Sens)

Erin's Mom, left, and Mark's Mom
(Photos by Eric Larson and Jen Sens)

Full House in Charleston

Erin looking beautiful after her makeup and hair trial


Rachel sports the "cowgirl look" at the beach house


Viewing the ocean from our porch


Mark and his future stepfather-in-law, Mark, practice their dance for the wedding reception


Remnant


Lori and Rachel at Gaulart and Maliclet Cafe in Charleston

Mark and Erin's wedding is tomorrow, and the beach house is full of photographers! We're enjoying each other's company, celebrating Mark & Erin. Check back for more updates soon.

Sudie Shoots

I had the privilege of introducing my youngest sister to wedding photography this past weekend. Sudie, who is a rising junior at Miami University (of Ohio), took a break from all her international travel and spent the week with us, to mostly watch us work, which is pretty much all we do.

We shot our first wedding at Atlanta's Fernbank Museum of Natural History on Saturday. With the blessings of the bride (who was a paleontologist — the setting was perfect), Sudie hit the dance floor, armed with Mark's Canon EOS Mark II, a flash, and guidance from our assistant.

"That was really, really hard," she said the next morning. "The headsets were pretty cool, though."

Wedding Countdown

LaCour is going on vacation for a week! We're packing up today and heading to Charleston. Erin and I are getting married next Saturday, August 12. Neither of us can wait. We're so excited. We've had a long engagement - a year and a half - and are ready for our wedding to arrive. We're going to be married on Sullivan's Island. Erin grew up in Charleston, we met at the beach and we both love the area, so it's the perfect spot for us to be wed.

So we will be spending this week at at our beach house with our closest friends and family, relaxing and preparing for the weekend. After the wedding we'll be going on a honeymoon to a small, boutique hotel in the caribbean to lounge on the beach some more!

Andrew and Rachel will return to the office on August 15th and Erin and I will return on August 24th. We'll be sure to share photos and stories when we return!

Photographing a Photographer

We were honored to be chosen by Cameron Swartz to photograph her wedding to Matt Clark on June 17 in Flagstaff, AZ. They had a themed wedding and all of their guests dressed in attire closely resembling the 1920s and '30s.

I attended college with Cameron at the University of Georgia where we both studied photojournalism. Cameron is a great photographer and friend and Erin and I were thrilled to be able to document their wedding weekend.

** CLICK HERE to view Cameron and Matt's slideshow.

** CLICK HERE to view Cameron's website.