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The 2018 Holiday Card from Chanterelle Photography: “Magical Holiday”

Happy New Year, muggles! The arrival of January 1, 2019 means the holidays are almost over and it’s time to reveal the 2018 Chanterelle Photography card, “Magical Holiday”! Inspired by the Potions class scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, this theme has been on the list of card ideas for YEARS. To be honest, it sat on the list a long time because it intimidated me. It’s not like we have a bunch of places in or around Montgomery that could pass for Hogwarts. I knew a lot of props and A LOT of Photoshop magic (pun intended) would be required to make it even remotely believable. In the end, I think it worked. Mischief managed!

Some behind the scenes details

*The finished photo is a composite of 14 images. It may be more than that, I lost count after a while. But looking at it now, I can pick out at least 14 in there.

*The potion bottles are all labeled and filled, but the contents aren’t exactly the items listed on the labels (I don’t keep a supply of bat wings on hand, sue me). The “toad tongues” are dried cranberries, and “ash of bone” is powdered cappuccino mix. Some of the other items I used: peppercorns, dried mushrooms, balsamic glaze, and panko bread crumbs.

*There really was blue smoke coming out of the cauldron, thanks to a small LED light (from one of my favorite places, Harbor Freight) and four votive candles.

*The shoot took place in my dining room, which does not have old stone walls. The stone texture came from a photo I shot in 2010 of castle ruins in Ireland.

*Watson had never put his feet on any table in the house before our shoot day. I was a little concerned that I might be teaching him a bad habit if I put him up there (especially since I bribed him with Nutrish meatballs), but as far as I know, he hasn’t attempted it since. Let’s hope it stays that way!

Want to see our cards from previous years? Look here for the ones featuring Watson: 2017, 2016, and 2015. There’s also one epic blog post with the 8 cards that featured Missy: 2007-2014.

Want to create your own Harry Potter themed photo? Here are links to some of the items we used (click the photos below to go to the corresponding item’s page on Amazon)! Some of the items we ordered are no longer available, so I’ve linked some that are nearly identical. Please note: this post contains some referral and/or affiliate links. What this means is, if you click on one of the links and purchase the item shown, I may receive a small commission from the company selling that item (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). This happens at no additional cost to you – the price of the item is the same whether you order through one of my links or not.

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Commercial: Taylor Crossing Animal Hospital Pet Pictures with Santa 2018 – Montgomery, Alabama

Since last year’s event was a big success, the folks at Taylor Crossing Animal Hospital asked me to come back this year for Pet Pictures with Santa. I feel right at home there since that’s where I take my dog Watson, and where I took Missy before him, so of course I said I would come. Santa and Mrs. Claus were back again as well, along with Whitney the Elf – a Taylor Crossing staff member who was in charge of getting the pets situated since she works with almost all of them regularly. The pets are a lot like children; some are happy to get their picture taken with little or no direction, while others are like toddlers amped up on sugar. They all have their own personalities, and they come in all shapes and sizes,

Some are big…

bernese mountain dog with santa

…and some are small.

small dog smiling in picture with santa

Some feel like meeting Santa and friends is a formal event, so they must give a shake…

little black dog smiling with santa

…others want to stay as far away from Santa as possible. 😀

big dog wearing antlers with santa

Some wear their finest holiday couture…

…and others even accessorize!

Some pets bring their siblings…

…others bring sass. 😉

Since this is a fundraiser, the pet owners placed monetary donations into a collection jar to benefit the Wags 4 Wishes charity. With plenty of help from the staff, I photographed 156 dogs and 3 cats in 4 hours! It’s a noisy, wild, hairy process, but it’s fun to see all the different pets and even steal a snuggle from a few of them! Plus these goobers are pretty great people:

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Portrait: Ella – The Barn at Pisgah Hill – Grady, Alabama

The last time I photographed Miss Ella, she was a tiny but strong little newborn. Now she’s 18 months old, running all over the place, and knows how to tell you, “No.” 😀 We set her loose at The Barn at Pisgah Hill in Grady, where she could run around a good bit without us worrying too much about her hurting herself. Her mom naturally came prepared with something super girly for her to wear (a sweet little white dress fit for a princess, complete with scepter and tiara), as well as something fun (a polka dot skirt and fuzzy cat sweatshirt, with cat ears of course).

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Wedding: Keeley & Andrew – Rocky Mount – Prattville, Alabama

When I woke up the morning of Keeley & Andrew’s wedding, it was raining. Thankfully, the rain subsided shortly after I arrive at Rocky Mount in Prattville, where the ladies of Edelweiss Design House were buzzing about getting things ready.

The color palette was primarily pink and white, along with a bit of grey for the guys. Instead of a best man, Andrew opted to have his sister act as “best woman”. Their flowergirl was a cheeky little lady who couldn’t help but smile at the words, “pinky stinky underpants”. 😀

The reception was filled with more pink and white blooms, and plenty of candles. There were cornhole boards personalized with the newlyweds’ last name, along with oversized versions of Connect Four and Jenga for anyone looking for a game to play. Barbara Davis captured the affair in the form of a live painting.

The bride’s cake featured a custom bobblehead topper (made in the likeness of the bride and groom), while the groom’s cake was a nod to Andrew being in medical school. Petit fours resembling the periodic table were brought in from Edgar’s Bakery for guests to enjoy, while Keeley, Andrew, and I braved a field of cow patties and snuck away for a few more pictures at sunset.

Everyone danced the night away with glow sticks and foam light up wands, until the rain returned and it was time for the bride and groom to make their sparkler exit. Thanks Keeley and Andrew for letting me be part of your steamy hot day! 🙂

Venue: Rocky Mount

Wedding planning & floral design: Edelweiss Design House

Wedding gown: Justin Alexander

Bridal shop: The Something Blue Shoppe

Groom’s attire: Jos A. Bank

Petit fours: Edgar’s Bakery

Wedding rings: Diamonds Direct Birmingham

Live painting: Barbara Davis Art

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Commercial/Editorial: The Lawyer & The Doctor – Crawford Arena at Garrett Coliseum – Montgomery, Alabama

I admit, I know very little about horses. I’ve ridden a few on trail rides. I think they’re beautiful animals. I know some odd tidbits like the fact that horses are physically unable to throw up. The little bit of horse knowledge I have came from a couple of people, one of whom is my friend Julie Beasley, a local attorney who competes in cutting with her horses. So when I had the opportunity to photograph Julie and one of her horses (Doctor Love) at a competition in Montgomery, I jumped at the chance to shoot something totally different for me. Just don’t ask me to explain the rules of cutting because even after getting the rundown from Julie, I still don’t understand all the intricacies involved in the scoring – but you can get the gist of sport HERE!

julie beasley at garrett coliseum cutting competition

julie beasley and doctor love compete in cutting

horse getting rinsed off after cutting competition

julie beasley and doctor love share a hug

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