Natalie Gibbs Photography - Christiansburg, Virginia

Big news: new site!

Natalie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:41:15 +0000

Hi, everybody! I have some important news to share. I have finally got around to setting up a new site at my own domain:

http://www.nataliegibbs.com

It is still very much UNDER CONSTRUCTION, but I’ve already been blogging over there, so if you are a regular reader, please update your bookmarks. I like the more modern design of the new site and the fact that you don’t have to wait on ALL the photos to load on the first page. It’s more magazine-style, so you just click on the post you want to see. The new site currently features engagement portraits from Heather and Mick and wedding photos from Pam and John. Coming soon: Adam and Heather’s engagements, and the Quakenbush, Price, Cross, and Blix family shoots! (And I still want to blog a few personal photos, just for fun.)

I am still working on the wedding galleries, but I’m excited about eventually featuring a few complete sample weddings in addition to my regular wedding portfolio.

Also, in case you were planning to book a session soon, I have had to raise my rates for 2010. I’ve adjusted the packages some as well so that clients will receive a selection of prints with their package. Please look through the new site and email me (ngibbpshotography@gmail.com) for more information. Anyone who has already contacted me about a 2009 shoot will keep the quoted rate.

More good news (last thing, I promise): I have already booked 3 weddings in June 2010. I promised my husband I’d take a little break during July, so I won’t do more than one wedding that month, but the most of next season is still open for me. If you’re in need of a wedding photographer for 2010 and you like my work, please contact me as soon as possible!

Have a wonderful day and enjoy these beautiful October leaves!

Brian and Gina: part 3

Natalie — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:25:42 +0000

Brian and Gina’s reception was a night of fun, dancing, and unique surprises… The evening started with a barbeque dinner inside the Montfair Lodge, followed by toasts and dancing outside.

And then, the real party began! The band, Whisky Rebellion, broke down into some rockin’ bluegrass, and the mother-of-the-bride kicked off her shoes for some flat footing (so did the father-of-the-bride, and the sister-of-the-bride, and the bride, and everyone else!).

You might remember that Brian works with sea turtles, which I think is just the coolest thing in the world. Well, wouldn’t you know it, one of his specimens showed up on the dance floor (Brian’s boss in costume – definitely a wedding first for me!).

Whiskey Rebellion played to thunderous applause and cries for an encore. They closed with “Hava Nagila,” and Brian and Gina and their friends really played it up!

A few more fun shots:

At the end of the reception, the folks at Montfair got a bonfire going, and all the guests gathered ’round. Brian and Gina were still on the dance floor, but I got some photos I just love of other couples getting cozy.

As my grandmother says, “A fun time was had by all.”

Congratulations, Gina and Brian! I am so glad I got to be a part of your big day!

I’ve been going through these photos a little at a time, and I ran across two more bride and groom shots that I really love, so I want to end with them.

Click to go back to part 1.

Click to go back to part 2.

Brian and Gina: part 2

Natalie — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:34:09 +0000

Here are some more of my favorite photos from Brian and Gina’s wedding in Charlottesville. The Montfair Resort had the perfect place for their ceremony, up on a hill overlooking the mountains and fields of the piedmont. It was beautiful.

There’s nothing I like better than having a bride with a great laugh. Gina was so easy-going and cheerful during the wedding, and I think you can sense how excited she was to be marrying Brian. In these next photos, the officiant kept mixing up the vows. Brian got confused (in his defense, so did I!). Gina took it all in stride and just laughed along with everyone else.

And believe it or not, only one black and white in this set!

The evening sun made for some really soft, pretty pictures of the guests after the ceremony.

And those beautiful hills of the Blue Ridge were perfect for our formal bride and groom shots.

Click to go ahead to part 3.

Click to go back to part 1.

Brian and Gina: Married! Part 1

Natalie — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:31:18 +0000

Brian and Gina got married last weekend at the Montfair Resort Farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. It was the perfect wedding day: beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, and – of course – a beautiful couple!

Here are some photos from the preparations for their wedding. Gina didn’t really want the usual “getting ready” shots, but I still tried to grab some detail photos of this beautiful, rustic resort.

For wedding favors, Gina and Brian gave each guest a jar with a card inside for suggested uses. On the flip side of the car was a message stating that a donation had been made to an organization fighting mountain-top removal.

And here are two of my favorite shots of the day – the flower girl peeking in at the cake as it’s being assembled:

I’ve seen a lot of cute flower girls this summer, but this one kind of stole my heart. Her name is even Daisy. I don’t think it gets much better than that!

Gina and Brian decided to do their wedding party photos before the ceremony, so they had a “first look” planned before we got started with the group shots. Brian’s friends drove him to the lake and made him walk out with his jacket covering his face.

And I LOVE his expression in this next photo. I think it’s safe to say he liked the way Gina looked!

Gina = BEAUTIFUL.

And now, some wedding party pictures!

I love when the “fake laugh” turns into a real laugh…

I haven’t done vintage lately and figured why not…

And a few black and whites to finish up this post…

Click to read part 2.

Click to read part 3.

Portraits: Brandy at the piano

Natalie — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:43:28 +0000

Sometimes life surprises you.

I went to high school with Brandy, and she has always loved to play the piano. When it came time for college, she took the next natural step and majored in music at Virginia Tech. However, she got married and moved away before she could finish her degree. Now, a few years later, she is back with a vengeance and ready for her senior recital on October 4!

Brandy asked me to take some pictures for a possible recital poster, and I was happy to oblige… especially because I had been looking to get some practice with strobe lights. You will probably notice that these portraits are much moodier and more dramatic than my usual happy outdoor fare. That’s because we shut off the main recital salon lights and used a single strobe to light most of these images. A HUGE thank you to my photography mentor, John Tice, for teaching me to use the strobe light and letting me borrow his to use on this shoot. He is an amazing photographer, so check out his site when you get a chance. You’ll be in for a treat!

To begin the photos, Brandy asked for a few shots of her playing piano with one hand while holding a special teacup with the other. Apparently, she used to practice this way when she injured her right hand!

I love the quirkiness of this next one. The empty chair makes me think of a ghost sitting on stage with her. Spooky!

Next, we did some more straight-ahead portraits and piano action shots.

And I’ll close with my two “fan favorites”:

Brandy, thanks for modeling for me! I know your recital will go beautifully!

And again, special thanks to John Tice for the light!

Pam and John: Engagements

Natalie — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:11:32 +0000

Pam and John are getting married in October at Claytor Lake, and I get to be their photographer! : )

I like Pam and John because they are both such cheerful, down-to-earth people. Pam has an infectious laugh and a beautiful smile, and John’s sense of humor keeps both qualities in full view. They met through a mutual friend and then John actually moved all the way from Massachusetts to be with Pam. They are so relaxed and natural together, and shooting their engagement pictures was easy and fun!

We did these photos at the Hahn Horticultural Gardens at Virginia Tech. This garden is sort of a hidden treasure. Even though it’s right off of Washington Street, many Tech students and locals don’t know it exists!

Check out this whopper of a ring!

I love these next black and whites:

And one more, for the romantics:

Check back in late October to see photos from their wedding!

*Coming up on the blog*

Brandy’s piano recital portraits

Gina and Brian’s wedding in Charlottesville (next weekend!)

Some just-for-fun shots from my summer vacation!

Brian and Gina

Natalie — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:25:34 +0000

In the sixth and seventh grade, Gina and I were were two best percussionists in the school band (if I do say so myself).

Fast forward a while – past AP English, yearbook, and a handful of other high school classes, and then college and a few years of “real world” life – and I got back into contact with Gina through Facebook. It had been almost 10 years since we had seen each other, but she liked my photography and asked if I’d be interested in shooting her wedding in Charlottesville this September (I said yes).

Gina and Brian met at work, but their jobs are far from ordinary… Gina does video work and was filming for Conservation International, a non-profit environmental group. Brian was also working at CI, WITH SEA TURTLES!!! They have traveled around the world together and even lived in Malaysia for a while. Now they have their own house and a wild and crazy golden retriever, Tiga. Tiga made an appearance in several of our shots, as you’ll see below (special thanks to my husband Jared for dogsitting while we did the rest of the photos).

Also, thank you to Cambria Antiques, the Toy Depot, and the Summit Restaurant in Christiansburg for allowing us to use their buildings for our shoot.

We started the shoot by taking Tiga up to my favorite dog walking area for some “family” photos. She had a hard time staying in the frame!

We did get her eventually, though!

After a while, we let Tiga run loose and got a few shots of just the two of them.

Next, we left Tiga at my house and drove into Christiansburg proper for some more shots.

I love these next three, taken at the Summit Restaurant.

This is the “too cool for school” look… Gina and Brian could be fashion models. When I told them to go sit on opposite sides of the bench, they knew EXACTLY what to do.

And a few more from Cambria… In the middle of our session, the train came through!

And my personal favorite:

Look for their wedding in September!

Dusty and Danielle: Part 3

Natalie — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:50:54 +0000

Here we go with part 3 of Dusty and Danielle’s awesome wedding! These pictures are all from the reception at Sunnybrook. These wedding guests really knew how to get down!

And a few black and whites:

For the exit, they had sparklers!

And one last shot, of the car speeding away…

Dusty and Danielle -

Thank you for choosing me for you wedding!

Congratulations and best wishes for a lifetime of fun and happiness!

Dusty and Danielle: part 2

Natalie — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:23:12 +0000

Welcome to part 2 of Dusty and Danielle’s wedding in Salem, beginning with some of my favorite photos from their ceremony. I put a lot of these in black and white, as you’ll see, but as usual, color versions will also be available when the proofs are done (about another week).

Here’s Dusty when he got his first look at Danielle. I think he was pleased!

It was great getting to shoot in such a bright church. I know most people choose their church (if they’re having a church wedding) based on family association, but most churches are difficult for photographers. All those traditional dark toned wood finishes and stained glass windows don’t allow much light to bounce around. This church (Ft. Lewis Christian Church in Salem) only had one window in the sanctuary – the big one you see up front – but the light colored paint allowed my flash to spread light all over the place.

Of course, without a flash, you can get some neat effects:

(I’m kind of a sucker for silhouettes.)

Here’s a few more shots from the ceremony. I love this next one of the ring bearer, who was so serious standing up there with the men.

Dusty’s father, Joe, sang a beautiful Paul McCartney song during the service.

And here’s the happy couple!

Dusty and Danielle had their reception at Sunnybrook Plantation just outside of Roanoke. This venue was gorgeous! I had a great time photographing all the little details.

For wedding favors, every guest got a cute little jar of homemade apple butter.

One of the repeated themes at the reception was mason jars, and they even hung a few with candles from a tree behind the bar. The first shot here is a little more detailed, but the second one is one of my personal favorites. I love how it’s totally black, but you can make out the bark by candlelight.

The next shot is a picture of Dusty and Danielle’s guest book, which we had printed from their engagement photos. I think this is such a cool alternative to the usual sign-on-the-line books you see at most weddings. We included lots of blank space in the book, so each guest could grab a colored pen and write a message by the photo of their choice. It’s kind of like a yearbook, but for weddings – definitely something you can read and treasure for years!

Check out the cake toppers below, which were hand painted by Danielle’s mom (right, Danielle?). And yes, that’s one of their engagement prints in the background… I find it so rewarding to see photos displayed in frames. I think that’s something we tend to miss in this digital age.

One thing I love about Danielle:

She was willing to take time out of her reception to get a few more photos upstairs at Sunnybrook. Here is one of my favorites:

After dinner, cake, and a few more bridal shots, everyone headed outside for the toasts.

Some guests got sleepy…

…but everyone enjoyed the company!

I still have a bunch more I want to post, including photos of the dancing and the sparklers at the end of the night. However, as this post is getting long and I’m in dire need of a milkshake, I’ll stop for now and put the others up tomorrow. Be sure to check back!

Dusty and Danielle: Married! Part 1

Natalie — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:52:50 +0000

Dusty and Danielle got married last Saturday in Salem.

Holy moly…

I love every wedding I do, but this one was particularly fun to shoot… the church was bright, which is highly unusual, the reception site was gorgeous and full of cute, original details, and of course I love working with Danielle and Dusty.

I love their photos so much that I’m having an exceptionally hard time narrowing them down for the blog. However, I am going to make myself choose a few to post here. I hope you enjoy them!

First, some shots of the wedding party getting ready:

Dusty’s family plays bluegrass music, so Danielle found a special banjo boutineer for him to wear:

I haven’t sorted through all the ceremony shots yet, so I’ll head straight to some of my favorite photos of Dusty and Danielle with their respective entourages. First, Dusty with the groomsmen:

And Danielle with her bridesmaids, who were all rockin’ cowboy boots:

And finally, Dusty with Danielle and the ladies… I had them all pile into the AWESOME Ford Falcon getaway car a la MTV for this shot. Lucky Dusty, in a beautiful car surrounded by beautiful women… including his beautiful bride!

I loved the bright red car so much that I took some detail shots as well:

And some pictures of the newlyweds in it… I love how Danielle’s red boots match the car and contrast the blue sky… Delicious color!

(Leaving for the reception)

And finally, here are a few of the happy couple sans auto:

Check back later for pictures from their ceremony and reception!