NEW YEAR NEW BLOG

Well, the wait is over... I have officaially launched the new BLOG! I am sure that you will find the new blog to be quite tasty! It will definately provide the best platform to share ideas, wedding images, tips & tricks and generally all things CJ photographer...

Introducing LIFE WITH CAROLINE! This is the behind the scenes look into the studio Action!

Enjoy, feel free to stalk, and please let me know you are there and share your ideas! Welcome to LIFE WITH CAROLINE!

Big Announcement.....

I have been overwhelmed by the number of comments about my blog slacking. I have hibernating from my blog. I know that all of you blog stockers will be thrilled with what is lurking around the corner. I have decided to redesign a blog that will properly house the images of 2007... Hold on to your seats. It will be unveiled this week! Keep checking back for the new link! 2007 has already kicked off with a bang... 3 wedding, 2 enagement sessions and some fun stuff inbetween.

Keep you eyes on what is behind the lock!

Caroline

Which Super Hero are you?

So I saw this little quiz and found it to be quite funny! Here are my results. Let me know what type of Super Hero you are!
Your results:
You are Iron Man

Iron Man 90% Catwoman 75% Spider-Man 70% Green Lantern 70% The Flash 65% Hulk 60% Supergirl 57% Wonder Woman 52% Superman 45% Batman 45% Robin 40%

Inventor. Businessman. Genius.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

SANTA BABY!

This past weekend we had a blast visiting with Santa... Well actually we waited close to 3 hours and spent about 2 min with Santa! Well it was definitely worth it! Riley did something that she had never done before.

The entire time that she was in Santa's lap she stuck out her tongue! We were laughing so hard. Well as if the Santa Camera boys weren't intimidated enough by my Cannon Mark II they had to deal with capturing a great photo of Riley. Well they succeeded with the tongue hanging out an all.

It is the moments like these when I am giggling away that the most magical family photo opportunities present themselves. Most may not have liked the images of her with the tongue hanging out but for me it was priceless. This is the real moment that will make Bill and I chuckle years later. Click away when the laughter roars!

Happy Holidays,
Caroline

RED Door!

Talk about a beautiful family! I had so much fun photographing the Smith Family! Brenna and John have two of the most amazing children! I must add that Brenna has amazing taste. Her children were dressed so cute! The adventure of every family shoot is so much fun! Thanks so much for allowing me to get creative! The images are definitely worth it!

Also, Brenna has expressed an interest in learning more about capturing wonderful family images. She is about the 10th person that has approached me in the last month for some photographic direction! So folks... It is official! I will be launching a day long seminar for Mothers who would like to capture the amazing moments that unfold daily! Stay tuned for Seminar Details. The seminar will be held Late Jan or Feb 2007. What a wonderful holiday gift this could be for someone. The cost of the seminar is $225 with a limited number of seats. The Seminar details will be released on Thursday. Please contact the studio for additional information at 800.478.2895.

Happy Holidays,
Caroline

We've been blogged!

We are so lucky to have great photographer friends. Krystal and Matt of KOR photo took these amazing photos of our family! It was the best gift ever. It is next to impossible to get family photos these days with Riley hitting the terrific two's! We will always cherish these! Matt and Krystal are extremely talented and definitely AMAZING people! Thanks you guys... We can't wait to capture yours next week! See you soon.

Caroline, Bill, & Riley

Festive Family

I had such a blast working with the Juarez family! Thanks so much for the adventure with pulling out the furniture out of the house! I love the unusual photos that we got! Happy holidays! I am looking forward to taking Jessica's High School Senior Photos! See you all soon!

Many thanks to Arden and Brett

I have had such a blast this week hanging out with Arden & Brett. Arden and I met a while back and hit it off right away. She is a wonderful photographer based in Birmingham, AL. It is so fun to hang out with people who share the same passion for imagery. Brett... you are such a wonderful complement to Arden and it was so fun to fianlly meet you! Thanks so much for the hospitality and I look forward to seeing you both again soon.

-Caroline

Holiday Cut Off

The holiday Rush is in full swing. To recieve your orders before the holidays you will need to have the order placed before Sunday December 10th. Please contact the studio if you have any questions.

Cheers
-CJ

Diva Bride

Today while visiting in Birmingham with my photographer friend Arden Ward we conqured a bridal shoot like no other. Sara, the bride really rocked it! Sara wed in October in Texas and wanted to do bridal shoots upon her return. I love, love, love this approach because brides tend to feel more relaxed since there is less intimidation about getting the dress dirty and the general anxiety that occures on the day of the wedding is no longer there. What fun we had. Arden had a couple of fun accessories handy! What a smashing complement for a funky shoot. If you are interested in doing something like this after your wedding or even before...contact the studio for additional information. The rate for the creative fee is $350.

Thanks Sara for the rockin' shoots.

Cheers
-cj

Album Pages

Here are some wonderful pages from the Celebration album of Ed and Inge. The couple wed in Italy last May. I was fortunate to be comissioned to capture and in August celebrated with family and friends at Golden Ocala. The floral designs were by Dan Hathcock of Floral Events. The event was coordinated by Melissa of Masterpiece weddings.

The bride and groom wrote the most beautiful saying to put in their album on the first and last page. Enjoy!

Baughman Center & Haile Plantation

Ft. Lauderdale Engagement Session

CJ Album Design selected as Asuka Book of the Month!

I was so fortunate to have been comissioned to capture the vows of Ed and Inge last May when they tied the Knot in Tuscany, Italy. I really do have the best job! A lot of thought went into the design of this album as well as every album. When the studio completed the design and forwarded the album for print and binding with Asuka Book we were shortly contacted with such nice praises for the design of this album. Wendi, the business development manager, contacted the studio later to notify us that they wanted to showcase this wedding album design as their "Book of the Month". This is definately a big deal since they see national and international book desings.

I was so thrilled to see the posting hit the Asuka site today! Thank you Asuka Book for offering a truly unique option for wedding photographers to showcase their work in a non traditional way!

If you haven't used Auska Book yet you are missing out. Check them out... your clients will thank you! To view the entire album you can visit my cjphotographer.com site or visit Asuka Book of the Month.

If you are a current client and would like more information on this album option, please contact the studio. Keep your eyes open for a few more books coming soon.

cheers - cj

10 days... way to long I'm back in full force!

I know, I have been slacking on the blog for the last 10 days.

Trust me though it is definately worth the wait. The past days have been filed with amazing shoots, lots of research for the new year and I can't lie... a little bit of fun! I will be launching a new blog on 1.1.07. I am so thrilled about this design and what it will offer to all who stop bye. Today I will be quite busy posting a few ideas and products for 07, updating some of the portrait sessions, and a week recap. So swing on by later!

cheers - cj

Beauty... What is real

What is real??? It is difficult to tell anymore when looking through the pages of magazines.

Website Design

So the website was recently updated. I appreciate the wonderful words on the revamp. If you have any suggetions on what to add to make it really scream let me know in the comments section. Also, If you are a client and want to leave a comment for the he said - she said section feel free to drop me an e-mail and I'll post the image up next to the quote. Thanks!

FYI Photographers- Bludomain has the hook up. They Rock!
-cj

New Online Ordering System

I am so excited to announce the new online ordering system developed specifically for CJ Clients. So it definately appropriate that the url is www.cjclients.com. Check it out. If you are a previous client... never fear... the events are currently posted with Pictage and you will be able to access them until December 31st, 2006. If you have any issues finding your event please don't hesitate to call the studio. Enjoy the snapshot.

FYI Photographers - Skooks Kart has the hook up.
-cj

Tell Me!

Please answer a few questions on this survey so that I can better understand what's up
Click here to take survey

I'll post the results later!

Thanks
-cj

S&S - in the SWAMP

We in the trenches of football season and it is bringing many fun photo shoots at the Florida SWAMO! LOVE IT. Today was no exception. I hooked up with Scott and Suzy this afternoon. There is this trend going on right now where couples with the same first initial are hooking up. Did you notice VV in a previous post? Anyway, I had such a blast because these two couldn't stop laughing with me.

S&S are going to tie the knot at the beautiful Baughman Center with the reception to follow at Elegant Savannah Grand. After we headed over to Salty Dog for a much needed beer. It was surprisingly hot this afternoon and we had all worked up a thirst! It was so much fun to sit and chill out with this couple and learn more about their wedding plans and a little about their past together.

I love hearing about people's engagement stories but I have to say that theirs really tops it. Scott planned a trip to Colorado in July. They headed off for a hike in the mountains on the quest to the top where two beautiful lakes sat. Scott was telling me that on the way up he was telling himself something like only 1 hour till go time. I can't even begin to imagine what guys go through planning out the perfect proposal. Once at the top and Suzy accepted the beautiful proposal they were visited by a little chipmunk. In the attempt to get a little entertainment they began feeding the chipmunk a little granola bar. The chipmunk just stashed a piece at a time and its cheeks were all puffed out. They say that they have a picture... I hope they forward it to me so I can post it. Scott whipped out a image from the camera phone of the location where he purposed... it was breathtaking...the mountains reflected in the lake below. Beautiful. What a fun memory. And what is really special is that they now have this cool location to visit to remember this wonderful experience they shared.

I also found out that from the ceremony location to the reception site they have very special transportation. Scott's father has a car... I can't remember what it is called but apparently there were only four in the country made. It is an old fashion and classy convertible. Definitely going to make for some amazing images!

Anyway... You two rock and thanks for chillin' out with me this afternoon in the SWAMP! I look forward to June 16th.

My little Wonder Woman...

In the spirit of Halloween we got Riley all decked out in Wonderwoman Garb. She really loved the costume. We had to peel it off her at the end of the night. This was her first year officially trick-or-treating. She hit the streets in real superhero fassion and filled up her bag and tried to eat some on the way home. She was soooooooo into it. I am sure that she is dreaming of next years Halloween right now.

Vanessa and Vaughn are getting hitched!

The finished Sample save the date design for Vanessa and Vaughn... I LOVE it. This couple is such a blast. Their wedding is going to push the limits of fun for their guests! I can not wait until May to capture the events unfolding on their wedding. How cool is it that their first names both begin with a V.

Tonight when Vanessa was here helping to design the cards she clued me in on a cool invitation design company called Momental Designs. Check it out... They hand paint invitations. Talk about a custom, one of a kind idea. Very cool... only the best for V&V!

-caroline

Bethanie and Phil... Brunch under the Sun

We had the pleasure of capturing Bethanie and Phil's wedding at the Casa Marina in JAX Beach. This is such a beautiful venue and one that I am sure every quest enjoyed. Bethanie and Phil are one of those amazing couples that you just know were meant to be together. Their love for one another is evident in their every move. It was truly an honor and pleasure to wittness this special time in their lives.

Though there were a few funny hitches, including 1 missing tux and a delay at the hair salon, everyone in this intimate wedding was there for them and a minor delay was not a worry. Lord knows that these two were meant to be together. Blessings to you both and from the bottom of my heart we wish you the best. Enjoy the amazing Honeymoon in St. Lucia.

****VIEW THEIR WEDDING SHOW HERE****

Caroline

Bethanie and Phil... Brunch under the Sun - Part II

Sierra and Brock Engagement... JAX Beach

This afternoon after the wedding I photographed at the Casa Marina in Jacksonville I joined up with Sierra and Brock for their engagement session. We had a blast. They brought their dog Charlie along for some fun and games. He was the perfect accessory. There is nothing like bringing a dog to the beach. I couldn't stop laughing because Charlie was in heaven. Check out the photo with Charlie making the funny face. Brock had the Frisbee in his hand and With out a doubt it was the only thing that Charlie wanted.

I am so excited about how the images turned out. New locations for engagement sessions bring an exciting zest to the images. Sierra and Brock,you two are so much fun to work with. I can barly even wait to photograph their wedding which will be Elkhart Lake, WI in August! Oh how I love the destination weddings!

You two have such an amazing chemistry that my camera loves! Thanks for the fun and enjoy the images!

Sierra and Brock Engagement... JAX Beach Part II

New Album Design...Check it out!

I just recieved the proof back from Sara and Josh's wedding that was held in the Daytona. The Album is amazing!

To view the album ****CLICK HERE**** The file is a low resolution file but you should get the idea :)

Its a BEAUTIFUL Day here at Caroline Johnson Photography!

I received an e-mail saying that I have been selected to join one of the most desired wedding associations. I am officially a member of the WPJA (wedding photojournalist association). I am so excited to have my work recognized with this great honor.

So what is the WPJA???

The Wedding Photojournalist Association is a highly screened, critical organization. Less than 5% of wedding photographers out there qualify for membership.

Leading the way in Wedding Photojournalism, WPJA represents the most discriminating talent around the world technically, creatively and visually. Qualified members hold industry-leading standards, skills and business integrity. And...to celebrate the photographers who document and record the found moment. "

What sets our members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach – a distinctly artistic vision toward wedding photography.

I have submitted some amazing images for consideration in the international wedding photojournalist contest today... I'll be crossing my fingers.

Here are a few...

Persimmons anyone??

I love photographing new scenery. Today was no exception. I had the honor of photographing Amber and Chad on their property which has well over 100 persimmon trees. Alright, if you are like me I really didn’t know what a persimmons were. Silly me. :)

Here is what I found:

Persimmon fruits are eaten both fresh and dried. In Korean culture, a punch called sujeonggwa is made from dried persimmons. Also in Korea, vinegar is made from persimmons.[1] In some Chinese cultures, dried persimmon leaves are used for tea.
Persimmon pudding is a traditional American dessert using fresh persimmons. An annual Persimmon Festival is held every September in Mitchell, Indiana, that features a persimmon pudding contest. Persimmon pudding is a baked pudding that has the consistency of pumpkin pie but resembles a brownie and is almost always topped with whipped cream.


THANKS so much for sending me home wtih some. I can't wait to try them. I am looking forward to your calssy wedding at the Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club next November! You both are amazing! You have an obvious love for one another and a spirit togehter that is rare to wittness!

Hitting the Streets of St. Augustine

Saturday before the wedding I joined up with Dina and Jeff to photograph their engagement session. This was such a fun way to start my stay in St. Augustine. Dina had commissioned me to photograph their wedding in March of 2007 at the Garden Club in Jacksonville. This was the first time that we met and it felt like we knew each other forever. They couldn't stop laughing and snuggling! It was perfect! It was biketoberfest in St. Augustine so we took advantage of the scenery and Dina and Jeff didn't hesitate to play it up on the Bike. I have learned that with two cameras slung on your arms you can get a permission slip to do almost anything!

I am so excited to photograph the wedding. Thanks for putting it on for the camera.

-caroline