Magazine Style Wedding Albums

Magazine style wedding albums have become much more popular in recent years. All of our wedding packages include leather slip-in albums, and you also have the option of upgrading to a magazine-style album. If you've never seen a magazine-style album, here's a relatively simple example of a 2-page spread.

In effect your wedding album looks like a magazine; each page can have a number of photos in virtually any layout you choose. In the photo above, each "half" of the page is an 8 x 10 photo (pretend the gutter of the album runs down the center.)

We're happy to lay out and design your album, but unlike many wedding photographers we welcome your input and guidance. (After all, it is your album, so what's most important is that you love it.) Many of our couples go so far as to create PowerPoint mockup designs for us to use, while others simply write down the photos they want for each page.

We've created pages with over twenty photographs per page - the layout and design possibilities are limited only by your creativity. If you'd like to see a few other examples of magazine-style pages, click here to visit our Albums and Folders page at BlackBird Images.

Wedding Planning Resources

In the last months we've received a number of requests for wedding planning tips. (Since we've been to a ton of weddings, and we're not wedding planners, we assume the interest in our opinions stems from the fact we have no vested interest in any particular product or service.)


So, we've created a Resources section at BlackBird Images. There are three main categories: Wedding Planning Tips, Recommended Providers, and Photography Resources. The Wedding Planning Tips contains articles on Initial Steps, Ceremony Planning, and Reception Planning. The Recommended Providers page includes links to providers we have experience with and can wholeheartedly recommend. (We have no business or financial relationship with these providers - we were just impressed by them.) The Photography Resources page will contain articles on photographic techniques and equipment - when we get the time to write them.

If you want information on a particular topic, let us know - we'll be happy to provide our advice by phone or e-mail, and if it's on a topic with broad enough interest we may write an article to include in the Resources section.

Wedding Cakes (Again)

We've seen a lot of pretty wedding cakes lately; the one below is a definite favorite. Many couples choose to decorate their cakes with real flowers for spectacular results.


In this instance the cake was made by Chandler's Bakery in Charlottesville, VA, with flowers from Artistic Florist in Harrisonburg, VA. In our opinion, natural flowers are some of the prettiest decorations possible for a wedding cake - while you may have to place the flowers yourself, it's definitely worth a little effort.

Color, Black and White, or Sepia?

All BlackBird Images photographers shoot digitally, which by default means in color - that way we can convert any image to black and white, sepia, or any other tone our wedding photography clients request. (Sepia is a brown tone meant to approximate old-fashioned photos.)

Which should you choose? That's up to you. Here are three examples of the same photo to give you an idea of the difference in each format. (We used it in a previous post since many people commented how they liked its natural and unposed look - which makes sense, since it was in fact unposed.)




The photo above is a fairly strong sepia - it works well with her natural skin tone If you have a darker complexion, depending on the contrast in the photo a weaker sepia tone may be a better option.

Which is the best version? Any of the three - it depends on your tastes.

Choosing a Wedding Photographer

We're often asked for advice on how to choose a wedding photographer - which you have to admit is a little odd, since in theory any advice we give should lead you through a process that causes you to choose... well, us.


What do we say? Instead of giving advice, we discuss how we explain our services to clients. For example, most wedding photographers have an album of their best photos, or display their best photos on their website. If you've done more than a couple weddings, and you're any good at all, you better have ten or twenty great photos or you shouldn't be in the business. Anyone can show you their best work.


At BlackBird Images we take a different approach: When possible we show prospective clients all the proofs from a recent wedding. (If we wanted to get a feel for the photographer's skill, that's what we would ask for.) While we can't show photos from every wedding we shoot, since galleries are confidential, some couples give us permission to share their photos with clients. We let our potential clients look at as many photos as they like - because that's the only way to truly judge a wedding photographer's skill and style.

Virginia Horse Center - Wedding Reception

If you read the title of this post and were intrigued, you're not alone. BlackBird Images has photographed weddings and receptions at a number of "unusual" places, but we have to admit when we were told the reception for wedding we recently photographed was to be held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA, we were surprised... and a little dubious.
For no reason. The Horse Center is a state of the art boarding and training facility, but it also has first-class banquet and reception facilities. We enjoyed the venue almost as much as this little guy.


One entire wall of the very large room was made entirely of glass and looked down into the arena. There was easy access for caterers, a nice layout for seating around 150 guests, plenty of space for a dance floor, and even elevator access. While there wasn't a horse show going on, you could see riders training jumping horses. We have no idea what the venue costs to rent, and availability is probably limited during major events, so contact the folks at the Virginia Horse Center for more details. It's just off Interstate64, about 3 miles from Interstate 81, and is definitely worth checking out if you're getting married near Lexington.

"Cupcake Tree" Wedding Cake

Recently BlackBird Images photographed a wedding where the couple choose a non-traditional type of cake. We called it a "cupcake tree" for want of a better way to describe it. As you'll see in the photo below, the top level is a "standard" cake the couple used for the cake-cutting ceremony; the cupcakes were for guests. It was very pretty, eliminated the effort of cutting and serving cake, and made it easy to provide guests with a variety of cake and icing choices.


As cupcakes were removed,the tree was re-stocked. We thought it was a great idea and was a fun way to avoid cutting (and wasting) a lot of cake; we heard the couple donated the "leftovers" to a church pot luck dinner held the next day. While evidently not everyone has seen a cupcake tree before...
... that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider one for your wedding.

BlackBird in the News

The president of our parent company, BlackBird Media, was quoted in two different news articles recently: an article in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star about business outsourcing and ghostwriting, which you can read by clicking here, and an article in the Harrisonburg Daily-News Record about recent trends in the website development industry, which you can read by clicking here.
Why were we contacted for interviews? BlackBird Media is a full-service advertising and media strategy corporation providing site design, navigation structure, text, graphics, photos, and e-commerce solutions. In addition, Jeff has ghostwritten over a dozen books and hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from real estate and investing to pregnancy and breastfeeding (his lack of personal experience in those last two areas notwithstanding).

Bouquet Tossing Isn't Obsolete

BlackBird Images photographers haven't witnessed this personally, but other photographers we've talked to recently say that many couples are choosing to eliminate the bouquet toss from their ceremonies. While we feel strongly that each wedding should be unique to each couple's desires (after all - it's your wedding, and it should be the way you want it to be), we really enjoy watching and photographing the bouquet toss. It's a neat tradition and while at every wedding some of thesingle women have to be coaxed into participating, the toss is usually a source of a lot of laughter. And some people still really want to catch the bouquet. Here's a photo of the bride at a recent wedding ...

... and here's proof some people still really want to catch the bouquet.

Again, your wedding should only include events you and your spouse want... but give it some thought before you decide to eliminate the bouquet toss. You may be tempted to assume it's a tradition that's become outdated, but you'll find it's a lot of fun.
And sometimes it can make one of your guests really happy.

Europe and Back

Each year BlackBird Images shuts down its offices for our staff-wide vacation period. This year we were contracted to handle still photography in support of a travel video shooting in Europe, so we incorporated a little business into our vacation period.
Our agreement was that all "official" photographs remain the property of our client, so we don't have a lot we can share... but we did take a few quick shots of major sights that are okay within the structure of our terms. Here's a quick snap of Big Ben in the early evening.

At BlackBird Images we feel great photographs can often look better than the "real thing," and in most cases, given time, preparation, and skill, that's true - but not always. Photos simply don't do justice to the Eiffel Tower at night, or the Tower of London, or Notre Dame, or the Colosseum, or the entire city of Venice... because being in those places isn't just a visual experience. It's a combination of sight, sound, "feel," and the sense that you're standing where hundreds and thousands of years of history took place.
Next time you're planning a vacation, forget taking a cruise or going to an island... go to Europe. Visit London or Paris or Rome or Venice or, really, anywhere in Europe - it's absolutely worth it.

Joshua Wilton House - Award of Excellence

Congratulations to the Joshua Wilton House Inn and Restaurant in Harrisonburg, VA, and in particular to their Wine Director, Sean Pugh, for receiving the Wine Spectator 2006 Award of Excellence. Out of thousands of restaurants, The Joshua Wilton was one of approximately 80 in Virginia to receive the award. Even better, Sean is one of only four Virginia wine director/sommeliers who were featured with an accompanying photograph (in Sean's case taken by BlackBird Images.) Here's the photograph we took of Sean that ran in the August issue of Wine Spectator.


The preceeding was the photo Sean chose to submit, but we also like this one.


The Joshua Wilton is a client of our parent company, BlackBird Media, and BlackBird Images has photographed a number of weddings at the Inn. We've developed a great relationship with Mark, Ann Marie, and Sean, the owners of the Joshua Wilton, and are happy to congratulate them for receiving national recognition from the country's leading wine magazine.

Oasis Winery & Vineyards Wedding

We photographed a wedding at Oasis Winery & Vineyards this weekend and have already been asked for our impression of the facilities. Since the bride and groom haven't seen their photos yet we'll only post a couple (at least for now).
The winery is located about 10 miles outside Front Royal, VA, a little over an hour's drive from Harrisonburg and no more than an hour from Northern Virginia. Here's a view of the lake as seen from the Pavilion with the vineyards in the background. The wedding BlackBird Images photographed was held just to the right of this photo, with the lake and fountain (and mountains in the distance) as a backdrop.


The winery offers tours and tastings on a regular basis and is frequently used for weddings and special events. It has a large tasting room, outdoor patios with tables and umbrellas, picnic tables scattered around the lawn, and a large pavilion for receptions and events. They also have an in-house limo service and have facilities suitable for caterers, bands, dancing... virtually anything you might need for your wedding.
From what we could see the winery can easily handle a large and complex wedding and reception. The staff was friendly, courteous, and professional, and was attentive to all the needs of the guests.
Each staff member wears a radio headset which allows them to instantly communicate with other staffers and make the event flow smoothly, a nice touch we rarely see. (During the posed photo session after the wedding we asked a staffer for a hand towel for the bride to use - it was 92 degrees at the time - and she radioed up the the main facility and towels and bottled water were brought down in less than a minute.)

Compared to some of the venues we've visited recently the Oasis Winery is on the higher end of the price scale, but in return they offer excellent service and, if you like, a turn-key wedding package. (They even chauffered guests who were unable to walk down the hill to within yards of their seats.) The only problem we noticed was that the groom and his groomsmen had to use a storage room/office to get dressed - the space wasn't a problem in itself but the room wasn't air conditioned and on a 90 degree-plus day it was like a sauna.
The Oasis Winery is a beautiful spot for a wedding; address the issue of where your party will get dressed and your wedding will be perfect.

Weddings at the JMU Arboretum

First a disclaimer: BlackBird Images hasn't photographed a wedding at the James Madison University Arboretum in Harrisonburg, VA. (We've used it dozens of times for family and model photos, though.) With that said, if you're looking for a pretty - and convenient - location for an outdoor wedding, the Arboretum is hard to beat... albeit with a few caveats we'll discuss in a moment.
The most striking features of the Arboretum are the small pond and the wooden bridge. Here's a photo of one of our brides-to-be on the bridge. (The ducks may decide to crash your wedding.)

The lawn surrounding the pond provides a couple different spots where your ceremony can take place; which you choose will depend on how many guests you have and the time of day. If you're getting married in mid-summer make sure you pick a spot that provides the most shade.
The price is very reasonable: for $250 JMU lets you use the Arboretum and will set up/take down chairs and provide an arch as a backdrop.
While you won't use them for a wedding, there are also a number of paths and trails through the woods; one path leads to a very pretty terraced garden area. The photo below was taken on a path leading to the terraces.


There are a few things you should keep in mind if you use the JMU Arboretum for a wedding. One, it is a public facility, so even though you'll have plenty of room for your wedding there can and probably will be people nearby walking on the trails, sitting on benches, etc; if you want complete privacy it's unlikely you'll get it. A bigger problem is parking: the Arboretum parking lot has room for 15 to 20 cars at the most. If you have a number of guests, your best bet is probably to have them park in one of the large lots across the street next to the CISAT buildings and figure out a way to shuttle them over.
For the price, there are few settings prettier, and the minor inconveniences don't outweigh the value you get. To visit the main Arboretum site for general information and more photos, click here. To visit the Arboretum's wedding-specific page, click here.

Website Photography

BlackBird Images is frequently asked to create photos for commercial websites (especially since our parent company, BlackBird Media, designs and develops websites.) While photography is photography, web photography requires a different skillset and approach; instead of creating photographs intended to stand on their own, web images should be designed to fit seamlessly into the website's layout and structure.
For example, here's a photo of product emerging from a commercial dairy processing line shrink tunnel.

Granted, seen on its own it isn't particularly exciting... but now check it out in its natural habitat on the Bishop Firm website (the Bishop Firm is a client of BlackBird Media.)
Sometimes web photos can stand on their own, as is the case with this photo of a Bishop Firm engineer at a project site.

But again, check it out in place on the Bishop Firm website and you'll see it fits perfectly within the overall site design.... providing a more personal touch to an industrial website. Website images and graphics require a different discipline and approach - don't let your photographer create product, process, and personnel photos with no consideration for where and how they'll be used on your website.

Photojournalistic Wedding Photography

We received a flood of responses to our recent posting about wedding photography styles - in particular about photojournalistic wedding photography. If you're unfamiliar with the phrase, "photojournalistic" wedding photography is really just a multi-syllabic way of saying "candid" wedding photography.
Here's an example of an image in photojournalism style: it shows the bride-to-be getting emotional when she hugged her brother right before the wedding.


Here's a different view, seconds later, of the same moment photographed by the second BlackBird Images photographer at the wedding (we always send two photographers for just this reason.)


Every wedding photographer poses some photos... or at least they should. For example, among images we pose are the traditional post-service wedding party photographs; we also work with the bride and groom to pose and create specific photos they've requested. (We then work hard to make them feel comfortable - and it shows.) At BlackBird Images we provide our couples with a blend of posed and candid or photojournalistic photos; it means we take a lot of photos (we average 1,000 to 1,200 during a 3-hour shoot), but it also means our clients get photographs - like the one below - with genuine expressions no amount of posing could produce.

Cyrus McCormick Farm Wedding

BlackBird Images recently shot at wedding at the Cyrus McCormick Farm in Steele's Tavern, Va (about 15 miles southwest of Staunton, Va). It's a nice place for an outdoor wedding, with a variety of pretty spots available for the service. The couple we photographed chose to have the service in an open area near a few of the larger buildings. Here's a photo of the service, shot from a hill above:


And here they are just after walking back down the aisle as husband and wife:


Using the Farm for a wedding venue does pose one problem, though: the Farm won't let you use any of the buildings, even for dressing. The bride solved that problem by bringing a tent; she used it for last-minute makeup and wardrobe checks. So, it's a pretty place, but it's a little inconvenient, especially if you have a number of guests attending. Plus, if you're making last-minute hair adjustments, you could find yourself in a position like this.

1763 Inn Wedding

Even though the summer wedding season is in full swing, we're already getting bookings for next year... based on the fact a lot of couples are asking for advice about venues, it seems many are choosing their wedding photographer before they choose the location for their wedding. So, in the next few weeks we'll try to pass on our thoughts about a few more Virginia wedding locations the BlackBird Images photographers have visited.
Last year we photographed a wedding at the 1763 Inn in Upperville, Virginia (not too far from Warrenton, VA - about an hour from D.C.). The Inn has a restaurant, a number of dining rooms (including one detached reception hall that, we're guessing, can hold between 75 and 100 people.) It also includes extensive grounds; in the photo below you can see a number of guests and a bridge that leads to the back half of the property.

And yes, the two white spots in the water are swans.
Even though there are rooms in the Inn itself, there are also a number of cabins in the woods behind the lake - there are 18 total rooms available. The Inn offers a nice balance: it operates like a bed and breakfast, and has a very cozy feel, but it also has more rooms available than the typical bed and breakfast and can accommodate a larger wedding party.
For the service itself you can either use one of the reception halls or a large outdoor patio overlooking the lake (with room for seating around 150 people).

Why the photo of this young man? (He's inside the reception building.) Over the years we've developed a simple rule of thumb: if the location is comfortable and flexible enough that kids can have a good time... it's a pretty safe bet that everyone will have a good time. The 1763 Inn is one of those places; great staff, service that was smooth and transparent, and plenty of room for everyone to enjoy themselves. To check them out, you can visit their website by clicking here (sadly, their website doesn't do them any justice at all - it's a lot prettier than it appears.)

Wedding Photography Styles

We're frequently asked to describe our "style" of wedding photography - it's a question that lately seems to show up a lot in "Questions to Ask a Wedding Photographer" guides. So what is our style? Our style is... making sure our clients get what they're looking for. While that may sound like a cop-out answer, it's not.

Every wedding client is different. Some couples like a photojournalistic style, where most of the photos are candid and natural. Others want a very formal style, with nearly every photograph looking as if it was posed. Most couples want a blend of styles: some posed, some semi-posed, and a number of candid photos to choose from.
We work very hard to create outstanding posed photographs, especially the post-ceremony wedding party and family photographs. What we're most proud of, though, is our ability to capture candid moments. That's why we send two photographers to every wedding: our couples get multiple perspectives, multiple angles, and the broadest and most comprehensive coverage possible.

Our style is making sure our clients are delighted with their wedding photographs and with our service. We adapt to our clients' needs; we don't expec them to adapt to a pre-conceived notion of "style."

Photography for Billboards

Many of BlackBird Images' retail clients use billboards to get their advertising message out. Photography intended for billboards is different from consumer photography; the goal is to create an eye-catching image that delivers a message... and that commuters won't get bored seeing day after day. (Effective advertising first has to capture attention, and then deliver the advertising message. And a billboard can't be cluttered - you only have a couple seconds to get your point across.) Here's a billboard we created late last year.

It works on a variety of levels, and most importantly enhances the customer's professional image. (Although it is a little disconcerting for models to see a 12 foot high image of themselves.) "Eye contact" is important - people naturally pay more attention when eye contact is made, and she definitely draws attention; this billboard was displayed in Virginia, but we've had people from other states mention seeing it.

This billboard uses a similar layout and has the same effect. (Consistency is important in advertising as you build a brand presence - customers should know it's your ad, even if the ad has changed.)
Next time you see a billboard, take a second and decide whether the photo and the design served the advertiser's purpose. Good advertising should deliver... not just look good.

Cycling News Publishes ToS Photos

BlackBird Images photos from the Tour of Shenandoah bike race were published by Cyclingnews.com, the world's most-visited and widely-read bicycle racing website. While our main goal was to help out the Tour of Shenandoah organizers, we're always pleased to be recognized for photographic excellence. Since we were donating our services, our priories were a little different than the other event photographers, though - our goal was to create images that helped showcase the event and the event's sponsors. For instance, take a look at the photo below of Brent Bookwalter, the race winner.


The photo is of Brent's interview with Joe Lemire of Harrisonburg's Daily News-Record. The goal of the photo was to show the media covered the Tour and to highlight key event sponsors like discoverbath.com, the Homestead resort, and of course the Tour of Shenandoah. We were able to place the photo on Cycling News, creating additional exposure for the Tour, its sponsors, and Brent... so everyone wins (including Brent's mother, who called to request a copy.)
If you'd like to check out the Cycling News photos, click here. If you'd like to see the BlackBird Images Tour of Shenandoah photo gallery, click here.
If you're a rider or team sponsor, use this form to contact us and we'll provide you with image files from the Tour at no charge.

Wedding Cakes - Go for Form AND Function

We've seen a lot of wedding cakes. A few are gorgeous, many are very nice, and some... well, some are neither. Couples ask for our opinion about wedding cakes more often than you might think, and while we aren't pastry chefs - far, far from it - we've attended many weddings and we've seen (and tasted) many wedding cakes.
Most couples focus primarily on how the cake looks. Our advice? Choose a cake that tastes good, that you'll enjoy eating... and then worry about how beautiful it is. You can have it both ways: this cake was made by the Joshua Wilton House in Harrisonburg, VA for a wedding BlackBird Images photographed - it was delicious and looked gorgeous.


You may not realize it, but many guests won't even see your cake before they try a piece. Even if it's prominently displayed, your guests are busy speaking to you, to family members, to friends... and few will make a point to check out how great your wedding cake looks. You may have spent a tremendous amount of time obsessing over cake choices, but your guests haven't... and most are more interested in talking to the people at your wedding than they are in how beautiful your wedding cake is.
They will, however, almost always eat a piece of your cake. That's why it makes sense to focus on taste first.
In the end it's your wedding - pick a cake you'll enjoy eating and you think looks great and you can't go wrong. In this - and all decisions you make about your wedding - don't worry too much about what your guests may think. You'll enjoy your wedding more if you make choices that make you happy.

Tour of Shenandoah - Final Stage Photos

The final stage of the Tour of Shenandoah bicycle race was held yesterday in Waynesboro, Va, and since the BlackBird Images team had so much fun at the opening day's events, we decided to attend. The weather was gorgeous, the city of Waynesboro did a great job of creating a safe and exciting course, and the riders didn't disappoint. Here's Jeremiah Bishop, nationally- (and world-ranked) mountain biker and Harrisonburg resident cresting the steep uphill section.

If you'd like to know more about Jeremiah and the Trek mountain bike team, you can visit his website by clicking here. (Since BlackBird Images photographed his wedding last year, we know him on a more personal level, too.)
We can't stress enough how fun the event was. We know next to nothing about cycling, but we didn't need to know anything about the sport to appreciate how talented the riders are. It's always fun to watch people who excel at what they do - whatever their sport or skill. It's also hard not to admire anyone who is willing to put up with this level of pain.

We've posted over 250 photos from the Tour of Shenandoah on the BlackBird Images website - to see more, click here to go straight to the gallery.

Tour of Shenandoah Bike Race - Photos Online

BlackBird Images photographed two stages of the Tour of Shenandoah bicycle race today: the Dayton, VA time trial and the Harrisonburg, VA criterium. We volunteered to photograph both events and donate images to the Tour organizers. The Tour of Shenandoah is a small (but definitely growing) grass roots bike racing organization staffed mostly by volunteers, and we were happy to help them out. Here's a photo from the Harrisonburg stage.


To see more photos from the first day of the Tour, visit the public gallery on the BlackBird Images website by clicking here.
Our photographers had never attended a bike race and were amazed at the speed and power of the athletes. (A Dayton police officer's radar clocked most riders at between 30 and 34 mph - on a flat section at the start of the race.) The atmosphere surrounding the event was even more impressive: the riders were friendly and accessible, the spectators had a great time, and the events were professionally-run while maintaining a casual, small-town feel.


The Tour runs through April 25th and covers most of the southern and central Shenandoah Valley. Click here to visit the Tour of Shenandoah website. If you can, see one of the races - they're definitely worth checking out; if you can't, take a look at some of our photos by clicking here. Congratulations to Dave LeMay and Matthew Butterman of the Tour of Shenandoah for putting on a great event.

Daily News-Record Article

Jeff Haden, the President of BlackBird Media (the parent company of BlackBird Images), appeared in an article in today's Daily News-Record business section. The article is a (surprisingly, since he's usually long-winded) very brief look at some of the basic considerations for setting up an e-commerce website. A full-service advertising and media strategy corporation, BlackBird Media provides site design, navigation structure, text, graphics, photos, and e-commerce solutions for small and medium-cap companies. To see the article, click here.

Fairfax Hall Wedding - Waynesboro, VA

Another wedding venue that's surprisingly nice is Fairfax Hall in Waynesboro, Virginia. A BlackBird Images team photographed a wedding there in early October of last year. The Hall is located on a hilltop overlooking the town and the views of the fall foliage are reminiscent of Skyline Drive... which makes sense since it's only a few miles away from the Afton Mountain entrance to Skyline Drive. Here's a photo of the bride and groom facing towards Fairfax Hall with the city behind them.


The Hall is a very nice reception venue: it has a large dining room that adjoins a glassed porch, and there's a sitting room down a short hallway that creates a private "escape" room for the bridal party - which is also handy for checking makeup, clothing, etc.
Fairfax Hall is also a city-run facility offering affordable housing for seniors. The blend of services is in no way a problem since the reception area is separate from the rest of the building, and residents we met were very friendly and gracious; they seemed to enjoy all the activity. Keep in mind that the venue offers room set-up, but does not offer catering or other services - you'll have to contract those on your own.
The BlackBird Images photographers had plenty of room to work in and a number of pretty building and scenery elements to incorporate into what turned out to be great photographs of an really nice bride and groom. If you'd like more information, you can visit the Fairfax Hall website by clicking here.

Oakencroft Vineyard Wedding - Charlottesville, VA

We're frequently asked for our opinions about wedding venues, so occasionally we'll list some of the BlackBird Images team's favorites. Last fall we photographed a wedding at the Oakencroft Vineyard outside Charlottesville, VA. It's a few miles out of the city in a wonderful location for an outdoor wedding: rolling hills, a small lake, great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.... The day we went to take a look at the location (we visit wedding locations we're not familiar with ahead of time) about fifteen deer ran across a hillside on the other side of the lake. Weddings can be held in the vineyards themselves (there are large grassy areas surrounded by rows of vines) or in the courtyard in front of the main building. The wedding we photographed was held in late afternoon and the light was fantastic. Here's a picture of the happy couple just after the ceremony.


A few other photos from the wedding can be found on the BlackBird Images website; to visit us, click here.
A couple things to keep in mind: The Oakencroft Vineyard doesn't handle catering and logistics; that's your responsibility. If you want a dance floor, tents, catering, etc, you'll have to arrange those yourself - in effect they simply rent the space. It's a working vineyard that doubles as an event venue, is a gorgeous site for a wedding and reception, and is a great place for beautiful wedding photographs. To visit the Oakencroft Vineyard website, click here.

Tour of Shenandoah

We've agreed to photograph, pro bono, the opening legs of the Tour of Shenandoah, a road cycling race that ranges from Harrisonburg to Buena Vista and back up to Waynesboro, Virginia over the course of five days -- picture a miniature Tour de France set in the Shenandoah Valley. Every year BlackBird Images donates services to organizations, teams, or groups we decide we'd like to help. The Tour of Shenandoah is a fairly new event that attracts up-and-coming cyclists, and we thought it would be fun to give its organizers a hand. It runs from April 25 through April 30; you can visit their website for more information by clicking here. We'll post photos we take in our Gallery section on the BlackBird Images website; to visit us (and see the photos we take next week), click here.
Last year, for example, we shot a Longwood University women's field hockey game at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Here's a photo from the game.


Longwood University is a small private college in Farmville, VA, and the ladies on the team are rarely photographed in action. They were incredibly appreciative and later sent us a very sweet card and team photo. One of the great things about being successful is that we occasionally have the freedom to do something nice... just for the sake of being nice.

House Mountain Inn Wedding - Lexington, VA

We recently photographed a small wedding at the House Mountain Inn outside Lexington, VA. The Inn is in the mountains about five miles from Lexington, which puts it a little over an hour from our offices in Harrisonburg, VA. It's off the beaten path, but it's perfect if you want a private, secluded location for your wedding. The scenery is gorgeous, it's only a couple years old so everything is spotless, and the staff does a great job. Here's a view of the grounds from a deck on the first floor.


The small gazebo to the left of the pond is used for outdoor weddings. The couple had planned an outdoor wedding but it rained; luckily the Inn has a great room that is perfect for a small wedding (I'd estimate no more than 50 or so guests, though.) There was plenty of room for the BlackBird Images team to work, too. The wedding went well and the location was great - if you're looking for a B & B setting for your wedding, check them out. To see the House Mountain Inn website, click here.