We have been so fortunate to have two of our awesome weddings featured recently! First- Charlotte Weddings Magazine This is our second wedding published in CW (first was Kseniya & Brandon in the summer), we are thrilled to share Shannon & Tommy’s wedding that was held at Byron’s in South End back in June. Enjoy!     Over the weekend, we were ecstatic to have our first major, online publication- Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book Blog…. A huge thank you to East West for submitting the wedding video from Maggie & Rory’s wedding– they featured some of our images to supplement the video 🙂

Here we go. That moment where you admit the things you want to accomplish. Even if you aren’t a believer of New Years Resolutions, you likely still have those ailing thoughts in the back of your head. 2012 was good. I cannot complain given the state of our economy, I’ve managed to maintain a business and turn a profit. Was it perfect? Nope. Did I do what I set out? Nope. Was it ok, anyway? Yes. So… for 2013 here are a few things on the horizon- both professional & personal.   1. Complete the beach house (well, let the contractor build it, and then be financially responsible while furnishing it) 2. Blog more. I know- something I say each year (or month for that matter!)… I did pretty well over the holidays, blogging more in the last weeks than I have in months. Keep it up. 3. Be more daring with lighting. And when I say daring, I mean just use them. Don’t get me wrong, every single wedding reception we shoot, we use lights…. but I want to try using them other times too. 4. Shoot tighter. As I looked back over images for our 2012 weddings post, I noticed one thing… I am really, really good at doing a full length shot of a couple…. not so much waist up or head shots :-/ Work on being more diverse. 5. Network more. I can be a bit of a homebody and not want to go out….. especially on a week day when I’ve been working all day. 6. Eat better. I seem to go through spurts where I do really well…. and then BAM! I find myself in the drive-thru day after day. 7. Use that gym membership you pay for. I really don’t hate the gym, but I really love sitting on the sofa. Ugh. 8. Start thinking about and preparing for a baby. Nope, not pregnant…. but I want to feel a little more prepared…. this means a lot of different things (jobs, saving, health, etc.) and I won’t bore you with the details….. but yeah. 9. More time off. This one is tricky because ultimately I want to shoot more…. just be smarter about it. We found ourselves on the road far too much the last 2 years…. time away from home has been tough. We want to condense portrait sessions to one weekend a month, instead of one each weekend. I know this is going to be hard, as I really am a people-pleaser, and want to be as accommodating as possible…. but I just can’t do it all…. and if a baby does come in the mix, I really won’t be able to do it all! 10. Continue to provide the best customer service 🙂 I want to be your photographer, confidant and problem solver. 11. Finally- shoot more film for fun! Which leads me to….. Who wants to model?? I’m itching to do a session 100% film (so scary!)….. here’s the criteria….. must be 22-35, male & female and willing to play bride & groom in the Charlotte area on February 3, 2PM. You’ll be responsible for bringing the dress, and I must approve it… I want full length, white (or off white), simple….. (no crazy embellishments), think JCrew-ish….. and a black suit with white shirt. ( I do own a dress that’s a size 6ish, if you want to wear that.) Who’s in?! Email me at info@jjhortonphotography.com below is Melissa on her wedding day, shot on film 🙂      

2012 brought so many great couples and locations up and down the east coast. We cannot wait to see what 2013 holds!    A huge thank-you to Carolina Photosmith, Liz Grogan, Christi Falls, Orange Cat Photo & Elizabeth Scott for trusting us to shoot on their behalf!

Back in July I had the privilege to shoot with Liz Grogan at Adaumont Farms in Trinity, just outside of Greensboro. This instantly became on of my favorite venues…. the draping, the decor, the giant porches and doors are all so perfect. If you’re on the hunt for a refined, rustic setting… check this place out…. it’s so fabulous!