Connor Studios Blog

The only thing Abby and Eric didn’t do right on their wedding day was not buying a lottery ticket.  When you plan your outdoor wedding in this area for April 18th and get the first sunny/75 degree day, the only thing left to do is win the lottery!  Not only did they get sunny and 75 but they planned a sunset ceremony and got a GORGEOUS sunset.  

I was lucky to have Katie Falkenberg helping me to photograph the wedding.  We started out with Abby and Eric at the Annapolis Westin where they were getting ready.  From there, they took shuttles across the Bay Bridge to the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club for their ceremony and reception.  Luckily, they had the whole Beach Club to themselves!

The wedding was gorgeous on the deck overlooking the water at sunset.  Abby was absolutely stunning in her dress and she was surrounded by one of the most beautiful groups of bridesmaids we have ever photographed. 

After the ceremony, the reception just never stopped.  The dance floor stayed packed and everyone had a great time. 

We just had too many favorites to narrow down to the normal 30ish we usually post so we hope you enjoy this slideshow.  Take a second to let it load — well worth the wait!

Abby and Eric — thank you to both of you, your families and your wedding party.  You were wonderful to photograph and we wish you nothing but the best!

Wedding Day 411:
Reception & Ceremony: Erin Janes / Chesapeake Bay Beach Club
Photography: Michael Connor & Katie Falkenberg / Connor Studios
Florist: Nancy Garner / Chesapeake Floral Arts
Band: Larry Elliott / Retrospect

We are turning our Blog and Twitter green for Earth Day!  Now go forth and recycle.  Just turn off your computer first!  And if anyone in my family is reading this — turn off the lights!!!  Please!!!  :-)

Most of you who know me, know that I am not a huge fan of baseball.  Don’t get me wrong — I can sit in the stands on a nice day with a cold beer and hotdog and enjoy the heck out of myself.  

My problem with baseball is that 99% of the time, I am not sitting in the stands with a beer and hotdog!  Instead, I am in a dugout trying to overcome my short attention span to make sure a foul ball doesn’t screw up my hairdo and get the one photograph of something happening during the game.  The shooters who love baseball and play baseball have a much easier time because they recognize the subtle shifts in a game and can start watching something develop before it happens.  Let’s just say that I’m not that person!

Last week was Opening Day so Peter and I headed out to Nationals Park.  After having to explain to the parking attendant that we actually did work for The Washington Times and that the people who told him earlier in the day that they did lied to him, we got 2 of the last spaces in the media lot.

We split it up so Peter shot most of the game action and I roamed the stands looking for features.

In the end, the Nats lost, I didn’t get to drink a beer in the stands but I didn’t get beaned in the head so we will call it even.  :-)

The last photo was taken right after Abe Lincoln won the Running Presidents race.  He decided it would be cute to do a LeBron James and put baby powder on his hands and slap it together to celebrate.  The problem was that the idiot (no offense to the real Abe) decided to do it right over our photo pit and I took the brunt of the baby powder.  I’m a good sport about a lot of things but I seriously wanted to do bodily harm to someone at that point.  If any of us had been changing lenses at that moment, our cameras would probably have had to be sent back to Nikon for a professional cleaning to get it all off the sensor.  And if that would have been the case, there would have been a really funny Sports Center highlight of photographers jumping out of the first base pit attacking a big-headed-former-President.

I made three more trips up to Dover, Del. since my last posting of the Dignified Transfers.  Unfortunately, there have been many more that have happened that we did not photograph.

Originally, I had Easter off and was spending it at home with the family.  An email came in from Dover which I was half expecting because 5 soldiers had been killed in Iraq a few days before.  It was the most soldiers killed in over a year and they were returning to their families on Easter night.  While I know my family didn’t really like seeing me head off on Easter with little notice, their families had it so much worse.  Again, I can’t imagine what they go through.

The nice thing that has happened since the rules were changed allowing the media to be present at the Dignified Transfers is that the military now pays for the families to travel back for it as well.  In the past, the families were allowed to come but they had to pay for everything themselves so most were unable.  They only get 1 or 2 days notice so the cost was generally prohibitive.  What used to be only a handful of families on hand has turned into most families being on hand.  I know if it was my family, I would want them there.

I hope the families know how much we appreciate them allowing us into these intensely personal and tragic moments.  I know it must be tough for them but I hope we show the respect and dignity the members of our armed forces receive when they return home to their families.  My hope is that the photographs show the same quietness and respect that we see when we are there. 

The first set of photographs at night were taken Easter night.  They were:

Staff Sgt. Gary L. Woods Jr., 24, of Lebanon Junction, Ky. // Staff Sgt. Bryan E. Hall, 32, of Elk Grove, Calif. // Sgt. Edward W. Forrest Jr., 25, of St. Louis, Mo. // Cpl. Jason G. Pautsch, 20, of Davenport, Iowa // PV2 Bryce E. Gautier, 22, of Cypress, Calif.

The next set were taken two days later as the rain poured down on us.  It was a Dignified Transfer for Army Specialist Michael Anaya:

The weather for Abby and Eric’s engagement photos might not have been great but they definitely made up for it on Saturday for their wedding.  Even the Rabbi thought they might have a little pull with the higher ups to get the best day of the year so far for their wedding at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club.  75 and sunny!  

Here is a little sneak peek while we are working on their photos.  Check back later for more goodness…

First Dance:

Shawn and Mike’s hopes were for engagement shots with the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. but they had all blossomed.  Once I saw the sky and the sunset, I don’t think it mattered one bit.  We were blessed with a beautiful evening.

Mike surprised Shawn by proposing to her at the base of the Washington Monument while they were out for a run so it was a perfect place to photograph them.

Now I just can’t wait for August for their wedding and reception at Union Station!