Woodward + Rick Photographers North Carolina

Carrie + Keaton are married!

2008-07-04T10:27:00.004-04:00

A quick post of some images from the wedding of our friends Carrie + Keaton who were just married at the beautiful Cliffs Chapel at the Cliffs at Glassy followed by their reception at the Kenmure Country Club. We first met Carrie + Keaton last year when we got together on a soggy day to do their engagement portraits.

They are such a great couple, as are all of our clients!, and we had such a good time with them. You can also check out a slideshow of the day on our website, just click on the "slideshow" menu and look for Carrie + Keaton!

We'll have more from other recent weddings soon. . .promise!!

Now, out of the office to enjoy the 4th!!!!

xoxoxo,

brian + gry

Parker J's Bday!!

2008-06-06T09:08:00.003-04:00

Our friend Parker just celebrated his xxth birthday (no, I'm not tellin' how young he is. . .OK he's no spring chicken but not quite as old as dirt yet!) with an intimate gathering of friends at Barley's Taproom in Asheville, NC a couple of nights ago. Parker's wife, partner and best friend, Missy, really did an amazing job of planning everything and somehow keeping it a secret from Parker. Close friends from as far away as Florida and Illinois made the trip to the NC mountains to help celebrate. Here's a couple of images from the night. . .

Happy Bday Parker J!

Gry + Azreal, Andy + Stephanie Jackson's beautiful boy!

Poser (Andy Jackson of Portal Films)

The lovely and talented Paul Jackson of Four Seasons Films

What the ____?

Pool shark Julia Woods.

Attempting to whup me in pool, Ed Pierce takin' notes on Parker's form (that's his POOL shooting form!).

I think we know who won. . .

It was great to see everyone!

xoxoxo,
brian + gry

Featured on Southern Weddings blog!

2008-06-04T10:55:00.008-04:00

We are so stoked to have one of our weddings featured on the gorgeous SWSM blog!. This was the beautiful wedding of our friends Alex and Jeremy Payne that took place last fall in Asheville, NC.

The amazing and talented Ivy Robinson did her usual world class job of bringing the event together along with some of the best wedding professionals in the region including The Sisters McMullen (cake) , Studio Flora Diva (flowers) , and all printed paper items by Aubre at Chic Impressions. And the good folks at M7 Events (Claxton Farm and Crest Center) did their usual great job hosting the events. Check it out below and please visit their blog and leave a comment. . .if we get enough "raves" we might have the wedding published in SWS Magazine!

xoxoxo,

brian + gry

Style Me Pretty and Little Black Book

2008-03-15T11:41:00.006-04:00

It's been awhile since we've posted and as soon as the new website and blog are online we promise to be regular bloggers. . .really!! Yes, we are putting the finishing touches on our new liveBooks website and should have it online in another week! It will be totally different from our current site, we are really excited about it but it's been kinda like having another child. . .a ton of work! Here's a peek:

Also on the near horizon, Woodward + Rick Photographers will be relocating to a cool new space in the heart of historic downtown Hendersonville at the corner of Main Street and 5th Ave! The new office will give us a larger work space, a cozy client meeting area and more storage! We hope to start moving within the next week or two. . .a lot going on! And yes! There will be an opening party. . .stay tuned!

And finally, we are so excited to be invited to join Little Black Book hosted by Style Me Pretty. Little Black Book is an exclusive list of wedding professionals from across the country who are handpicked by Style Me Pretty based on input from current members and client referrals. Only THREE vendors from each category are offered the opportunity to be listed and we are thrilled to be one of the three in the Asheville/NC area! The Asheville listing will be online March 30th so check it out!

xoxoxo,

brian + gry

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End of the year wrap-up!

2007-12-31T10:54:00.001-05:00

WOW! Where did 2007 go? It's been awhile since our last post because we've just been sooo busy! So we wanted to end the year with a couple of highlights and thoughts for the next year.

First, we are so blessed to have some of the greatest clients! In late September we had a blast with Alexandra Taran and Jeremy Payne. What a super fun, sincere, beautiful couple! Their rehearsal dinner was a country BBQ at Claxton Farm just north of Asheville. The wedding was held at The Crest Center in Asheville, a beautiful venue with panoramic views of the mountains and first class service. Ivy Robinson Weddings and Events from Charlotte planned the day and as usual when working with Ivy the day was fabulous. . . .Ivy, you rock!!

Thanks Alexandra and Jeremy for allowing us to share your day and for just being you! (And for the Christmas gift!!)

Here's a couple of images from the weekend and the engagement session that Gry shot with them.

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One of our last weddings of 2007 was also one of our favorites. Alexandra Pruecil and Jason Dolan were married November 11th at the Cliffs Chapel in South Carolina. Alexandra and her father, William, are both accomplished and internationally known violinists. We were treated to a heartfelt performance by William during the ceremony that brought many, including us, to tears. It was truly one of the most moving ceremonies we've ever witnessed. The reception followed at the Cliffs Valley Country Club where Tara Jordan of Weddings with Tara and Stacey Brown and The Bloom Room once again did a beautiful job with the decor. Here's some images from the day!

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And last but not least, Scott and Kristi! Our friends from California were married at the Biltmore Estate on October 27th. Friends and family from New York to California flew in for this wonderful celebration. Blossoms at Biltmore Park took care of the decor and flowers and really transformed Biltmore's Lioncrest , beautiful! Scott and Kristi, we love ya!

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We look forward to another amazing year in 2008. Look for a complete identity makeover for us in 2008 and a new website! Thanks to all of the uber talented vendors we are so fortunate to work with and to the families that allow us the honor of being the authors and creators of part of their family legacy.

And now for something completely different. . .look what Santa brought Brian for Christmas! I've wanted one of these for 25 years!! This is a custom 2005 Harley-Davidsen Heritage Softail created by the good people at Greenville Harley-Davidsen and yes, it sounds as cool as it looks!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carrie and Keaton are getting married!

2007-10-16T13:47:00.001-04:00

A little Photoshop fun, just like the old days in the darkroom!

Same image, just black and white with just a touch of Photoshop fun! Tell us which one you like better!

Well, not until next May but the time will fly! I had a great time with Carrie and Keaton a week or so ago exploring the grounds of the Highland Lake Inn and dodging rain drops! What a fun, obviously in love couple. . .we can't wait until next May! Enjoy!

And now for our friend Rachel's periodic vicarious parenting fix. The first image is our amazing daughter, Sara, and her equally amazing best friend, Anna. We got the Groucho glasses at a wedding we photographed the weekend before and yes! Brian did wear them while shooting! The next image is Sara with a toad she caught a couple of weeks ago. She is some what of a tomboy, not afraid of anything that crawls, hops, or is otherwise non-human. But at the same time, she's very much a girlie girl. . .just a great kid!

xoxoxo,

brian + gry

Digital darkroom fun - thanks Jesh de Rox!

2007-09-27T08:55:00.000-04:00

The images below are from recent weddings we photographed at Lake Eden in Black Mountain, NC and out at Lake Lure, NC. We have been playing with textures and other artistic manipulation recently and these are some of the result. Thanks to Jesh de Rox for the way cool textures that we used to create these images. This takes us back to the days, 10 or so years ago, in the darkroom when we experimented with adding texture and depth to images using different art papers and using Type 55 Polariod film. We would take Type 55 Polaroid negs and really abuse them. . .we would not "clear" or "fix" them, then heat them up, coat them with sea salt, sugar, dirt, you name it. Then let the negs "cure" for a few weeks or months. This would give the images a gritty, grungy, three dimensional look. Then print them in a color darkroom with some pretty cool results. You can see examples on our website on the personal work" page. Anyway, now we can now get the same or similar result digitally and much quicker! More to come. . .enjoy.

We've been busy, busy and have not posted for a couple of weeks. We had two new custom Quad Core PCs built accompanied by two 27" Dell monitors and 3 terrabytes of storage capacity. Our good friend and computer wiz Cory Barlow built the machines for us and he did an awesome job. . .thanks Cory!!

xoxoxo,
brian + gry

Lora & Jeremy at the Biltmore Estate

2007-09-04T19:12:00.000-04:00

We just had the pleasure of photographing Lora Blank and Jeremy Brooks' beautiful wedding September 3rd at the Biltmore Estate. They were so much fun and Lora was a natural in front of the camera! She said she never modeled but I don't believe her;)

I also had the double pleasure of working with Tara Jordan the owner of Weddings With Tara in Asheville. My wife, Gry, had worked with Tara several times before but this was my first time working with her. She was great to work with and did an outstanding job. . .brides take note!

Here's a couple of images from the day. . .enjoy!

Tagged: 8 Things You Might Not Know About Brian + Gry

2007-08-27T19:55:00.000-04:00

We were "tagged" by our friend Erin Reed to tell "8 things about ourselves that you might not know about me". Since there is two of us we did 4 apiece. . .and awaaaaay we go:

4 Brian things:

1. I was an Air Force brat and lived in 7 different states by the time I was 12 years old! It was great getting to see many different parts of the country but kinda hard always being "the new kid".

2. I worked on the Space Shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center for almost 18 years. 14 of those years I was a rocket mechanic/team leader working on the twin Solid Rocket Motors for the Space Shuttle. I worked at the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) and at the launch pads and got to meet Tom Hanks when they filmed Apollo 13 there! The other 4 years I worked in HR after completing my first B.S. degree in Legal Studies. For some reason I thought it would be cool to wear a suit and practice law but the company I worked for made me an offer I couldn't refuse. . .a 34% pay increase and an air conditioned office! When our company lost the Shuttle processing contract I took the money and ran to pursue my lifelong passion, doing photography.

3. I am a cook. Almost went to the Culinary Institute of America to become a chef but got sidetracked by #2 above. Still, cooking is still a great joy for me and most of the time for my family. . .most of the time the dishes turn out well but on occasion, well. . .let's just say even the dogs passed on a portion!

4. I LOVE being a father!! (Some of you who know me may have guessed this already ;) It is by far the most enjoyable, challenging, loving, infuriating, wonderful and rewarding experience a man can have. Guys, there will always be an excuse NOT to have children but once you do your life will change in wonderful ways you can not imagine. And heck, it's never too late. . .we had Sara when I was 42!

4a) (I'm buyin' a Harley!!)

4 Gry things:

1. I have never broken a bone or have had stitches. Did I just jinx myself?

2. My earliest and favorite memories of my childhood come from the time my mother and I (5 years old) spent 3 months in Arosa, Switzerland while she studied Transcendental Meditation with the Maharishi. It was a magical place that I love to recall. I remember hunting for colossal snails and the sound of cow bells ringing through the mountains...

3. My first brush with the law happened when I was busted riding my go cart on the campus of Ferris State at the tender age of 11.

4. My hero and favorite person to travel with is my mom, Asbjorg Hansen. She and I have explored exotic places like the islands of Java and Bali, Indonesia; Cape Town, South Africa and her home island of Lofoten, Norway (north of the Arctic Circle) as well as some really boring places like Big Rapids, Michigan. She inspires me to be the woman I want to be.

We tag: Patrick Williams, Parker J, Andrew Niesen, Wendi Poole, Paul Crouse, Katie Damien

We are featured on Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine's website!!

2007-08-24T17:08:00.001-04:00

We are super excited to have one of our weddings featured on Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine's website! This was a beautiful wedding that took place last October on the front lawn of the historic Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine is the premiere high end wedding publication in the country and we are honored to be one of the few featured out of the hundreds of submissions they receive each issue. We are also proud to be listed for the third year in Wedding Style's Platinum/Five Star Directory of Services.

OK on another note, we just had a visit from Patrick Williams, wife Angel and 3 month old Murphy. We met Patrick at the LaCour "Business of Story Telling" workshop last month and they made a special trip to Asheville just to visit us and Corey who attended the workshop with us. We met for dinner last night at one of Asheville's more colorful and eclectic eateries, the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company. I think our daughter Sara is in love with Murphy!

And today, they all stopped by the Woodward + Rick ranch for a light lunch before heading back to Atlanta. It was wonderful to see Patrick again and meet his lovely family. Hope it's not long before we can catch up again and thank you Patrick for your advice, friendship and inspiration!

xoxoxo,

brian + gry

Sara + Gry

Wanna buy a watch?

Sara + Murphy (this is for you Rachel, your periodic vicarious parenting experience!)

Papa + Murphy

Sara and her new best friend, Angel.

LaCour workshop - epilogue

2007-07-29T13:40:00.001-04:00

Erin + Mark - Dancers extraordinaire! Image by Gry Karen Rick

Image © 2007 LaCour - The Class of July 07!

photographer frenzy at an eight of a second! Image by Gry Karen Rick

The lovely and talented Patrick Williams

Our trip last week to the LaCour "Business of Storytelling Workshop" was an amazing experience! Gry and I are energized and have a much clearer vision for the next chapter of Woodward + Rick Photographers!

To start the trip, we drove down to Atlanta and we were accompanied by Corey McNabb from Asheville. We had a great time getting to know Corey, what a great guy and a very talented photographer! We look forward to getting to know Corey and his wife Jill much better in the weeks, months and years to come!

We met some other wonderful and talented photographers there as well as getting to know Andrew, Rachel, Erin and Mark better. Just an incredible energy and passion these four bring to our profession. And they are so willing to share their knowledge and experience with no strings attached. . .just a genuine desire to help others become better image makers and in the process, better people. Hats off to all four of you and thanks again!

And thanks to Patrick Williams and LaCour for bringing Flashes of Hope to our attention. This is an organization that brings photographers and critically, and in most cases terminally, ill children together to create portraits for them and their families. As parents, this really resonated deeply with us and we will contact them this week to offer our support and services. As image makers we often don't realize the power and potential of the images we create to do good. We encourage every photographer to give back, even if just an hour or two each month, to your communities.

xoxoxo,
Brian + Gry

My new favorite image!

2007-07-20T17:18:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note then off to a wedding and then 4 days in Atlanta with the good folks of LaCour to attend their "Business of Storytelling" Seminar. Gry and I are both going and we are looking forward to getting to know Andrew, Mark, Erin and Rachel better, meet some new friends and energize our business!

Before we go though, I just wanted to post this image from a recent wedding we shot in Cashiers, North Carolina. Anne Fair Hart and Jim Woodward (great last name!) were married on June 23rd at a small church in Cashiers with the reception at the beautiful Country Club of Sapphire Valley. They were so much fun! This image is Anne Fair and her dad, Bob Hart, during their Father-Daughter dance. They look so happy and in the moment and that's Jim behind them, in the moment with them. You can also see a slideshow of their wedding on our website, www.woodwardandrick.com . Just click on slideshows and scroll to the Hart-Woodward wedding. . .no password required!

Have a great weekend!

Brian + Gry

Our 8th Anniversary!!

2007-07-06T17:32:00.000-04:00

Whew! June was a busy, busy month with NINE weddings and almost all of them out of town events. Now we're just going through the thousands of images and staying tied to the computers!

We did have a big event on July 2nd. . .our 8th anniversary! We celebrated with a quiet day with Sara and then a nice dinner with just Gry and I at the Blackwater Grille right here in Hendersonville. It was wonderful!! We've been wanting to try it for quite some time and this seemed like a good occasion. They are the Carolina's original Appalachian Grille, serving an upscale chef-inspired Southern Highland Cuisine. Delish!!

Here's a couple of family images from the weekend. Ladies, you'll recognize the color of the box. . .Gry has acquired an affinity for all things Tiffany. . .my achin' wallet! And I fancy myself a quasi chef (although if you had the fried chicken I prepared last week you'd have serious doubts!) so my lovely wife gave me another addition to my cookware collection, a way cool All-Clad saucier! Truly the best cookware you can use. . .brides take note!

Hangin' at the pool with Dad.

Guys! You can't go wrong with the blue box!

My lovely wife and daughter!

Father's Day 2007

2007-06-17T20:29:00.000-04:00

I've been a father now for 7 1/2 years. I can't imagine my life before Sara, our beautiful daughter, was born. Being a father is at once the most wonderful and yet hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But I am so blessed to have the joy of being called "Daddy" daily!

Gry and I photograph weddings almost every weekend and I can't imagine the day when my little girl will be the one saying I do. I can't imagine another man taking her from me. I can't imagine another man being the most important man in her life. And yet I pray with all of my being that someday she finds that man and that he loves her and cares for her and makes her feel safe. I know I will always be "Daddy" and I know that no-one will ever take my place!

Sara just finished first grade and it seems that only yesterday she was just a newborn, falling asleep on my chest. She is becoming such a wonderful young girl, full of love and kindness and hope. We love her so much.

So here's to all the rest of you Dad's out there! Be good to your children. Laugh with them, guide them, hug them, let them know you love them every day because time really does fly. . .and before you know it they will be the ones saying "I do".

Here is a shot of Sara and I earlier today. Gry snuck a shot of us while we were "watching" some old Charlie Chaplin movies!

Brian

Madelynn & Dan and the Inn at Half Mile Farm

2007-06-14T19:52:00.000-04:00

There are few places more beautiful in the Highlands, North Carolina area than the Inn at Half Mile Farm. Casual elegance combined with world class service sum up the Inn at Half Mile Farm experience. Katie and I had the pleasure of photographing Madelynn Mabry and Dan Hill's wedding there June 9th. The weather was perfect and everyone had a wonderful evening. Madelynn, Dan and their families and friends were so much fun!

There will be more to follow but we thought this image was beautiful. . .just before sunset and the lake was like glass! And, Gry and I get to go back this weekend to photograph another wedding!!

Scott and Kristi's E session

2007-06-08T13:16:00.000-04:00

We have a busy weekend ahead of us! Gry is off to Winston-Salem today to cover a wedding while Katie and I are heading to Highlands for a wedding at the Inn at Half Mile Farm. We still can't believe how lucky we are to be able to do what we love to do for a living! Images to follow soon!

We recently did an e-session with Scott and Kristi, two of our most excellent clients (thank you Bill and Ted!) from SOCAL. We had such a great time with them a few days ago shooting around the Biltmore Estate where their wedding will be this coming October. They are so much fun! We can't wait until October! Here are a couple of images from our e-session with them.

Heather + Joe's mountaintop wedding!

2007-06-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

Heather and Joe are a great, fun couple that we spent two days with during their May wedding in Georgia and North Carolina. Heather's family is from south Florida and Joe is a native of New York so they met halfway to have their beautiful wedding in the mountains.

The ceremony took place at the lovely Crane Creek Vineyards just over the NC border in Young Harris, GA. Eric Seifarth, the owner, and his team did a wonderful job and we hope to visit this beautiful venue often! Then after the ceremony, it was back to North Carolina to the mountaintop summer home of Heather's parents. The 360 degree view was absolutely stunning! Laurey's Catering & Gourmet-to-go from Asheville provided a delicious dinner and dessert for the over 100 guests. They always do such a great job and the food is well. . .YUM!

Here are a few images from the wedding day. . .enjoy!!

Have you had your chick-fil-A today?

2007-06-04T17:44:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since we've posted! We've been very busy these last few months with several beautiful events throughout the South.

Recently we had the pleasure of photographing Mandy Wise and Andrew Cathy's beautiful wedding at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Andrew's father, Dan, is the President and Chief Operating Officer of chick-fil-A based in Atlanta, GA. The BEST chicken sandwiches! Here are a few images from the day. . .enjoy!

Jen, Richard and The Avett Brothers!

2006-08-31T19:31:00.000-04:00

We photographed a great wedding in Blowing Rock last weekend. Jennifer and Richard and about 150 of their friends and relatives gathered at the beautiful Chetola Mountain Resort in Blowing Rock, NC to celebrate Jen and Richard's wedding and party to some amazing music! The Avett Brothers played two great sets and even came back for an encore! I've photographed over 200 weddings and that is the FIRST time a band at a wedding has been called back for an encore! Of course, these guys don't normally do weddings. . .they are becoming very popular and are selling out larger venues all over the country. Their music is a mixture of old-time country, bluegrass, pop melodies, folk, rock n' roll, honky-tonk and ragtime but mainly it's just foot-stompin' hot! A good time was had by all, best of luck and happieness to Jen and Richard!

Richard and Jen

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Here's a great resource for Brides and Grooms looking for wedding photography, The Wedding Photojounalist Association or WPJA We are proud to be in our third year with the WPJA! No matter where in the country, or world for that matter, you are getting married there is sure to be WPJA members nearby! Also check out the WPJA online magazine, WedPix-Magazine. You'll find great, informative articles. . .there's a great one in the current issue about feeding your photographer! Remember, a well fed photographer is a happy photographer!

Wedding at "A Pretty Place"

2006-08-23T19:40:00.000-04:00

Here are some images from the beautiful wedding of Rachel and Josh that we shot last week at the Symmes Chapel on the North/South Carolina border. It is called "Pretty Place" because the chapel is an open air amphitheater with a wonderful vista over the mountains. Enjoy!

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New blog!!! New Blog!!!

2006-08-05T20:03:00.000-04:00

Our new blog is taking shape. . .but the learning curve is steep! More to come very soon!! Our clients can look for slideshow links and images from their weddings to share with family and friends. Look to our links at right for great wedding vendors in the Western North Carolina area. And learn more about us at www.woodwardandrick.com

This is kinda cool though. . .the photo below shows our daughter's, Sara, driveway chalk art that was just published in the July 2006 issue of National Geographic! That's her feet standing above the chalk drawing of herself. Dad, Brian, is on the right and Mom (Gry) is on the left.

A published artist and only six years old! Dad (Brian) took the photo.