Andrew Niesen

WedPix.com, an online magazine published by the Wedding Photojournalist Association interviewed me last month for an article about using music on photographers' websites. The article was published earlier this month and I forgot to post a link to it, so if you haven't read the article already, go check it out. WedPix is published monthly and it's a great resource for both brides and photographers as they have two sections featuring articles that are directed towards either photographers or brides.

www.wedpix.com

We scrambled over a lunar landscape and stood on the edge of the world. All that separated us from Newfoundland was a 300 foot drop and a raging sea. From this exhilarating vantage point on the Aran Islands, we watched nature's fireworks display. My feet felt thunderclap tremors through solid stone as wild waves crashed against the cliffs. I have never felt so small, so humbled.

On our first date, Andrew asked me to name my life goals. I listed my priorities of faith, family and friends. Then, I paused to add...unlimited plane tickets! I have an insatiable desire to see and experience the world. I am passionate about traveling. (I inherited this trait from my grandmother, Sarah Lincoln LaCour.) Thankfully, Andrew and I share this passion and have made travel a high priority in our life together.

Travel is intensified living. It pushes your boundaries and makes you feel more awake and engaged with the world. So, I highly recommend trying life without guard rails. I did today and it was one of the most memorable moments in my life.


Here are some photos from our experience in Ireland:


Our incredible Aran Islands guide, Kevin, and his friendly horse, Charlie, acquainted us with his home.



By the Black Fort on Inishmore (above)


Andrew's sister, Sudie, and her favorite past time, singing Pub Songs at Taaffe's Pub.

The live band at Taaffe's pub.

Shootsac meets Ireland.

A couple of weeks ago we received an email out of the blue from two very enthusiastic, fun girls running a photography studio based in North Carolina. They claimed to have become "blog stalkers" of ours and wanted to meet up for lunch in Atlanta while they were in town for Susan Stripling and Nate Kaiser's workshop. So Mark and I and our studio manager Melissa met them at one of our favorite Atlanta lunch spots, Stone Soup Kitchen.

Sara and Melanie of Whitebox Weddings are adorable, spunky photographers who are also business partners and best friends. They won Mark's heart when they told us their husbands are members of the N.C. Beard and Moustache Club.

Their work is just beautiful. Their brides are fortunate to get such fun, spirited images from their wedding day.

If you need an excuse to not work today, I have a great one. Go visit www.shorpy.com. This photo blog features tons of old photos that are simply amazing to look through. The site actually let's visitors create accounts and upload their own vintage photos. It looks like multiple photos are posted each day, so this site will be sure to give you plenty of new... er, old.. content to look at all the time. I love old photos. I love being able to just look all through the image and imagine what it must have felt like to live in that moment. And I love the thought that the photos we are creating now will elicit that same excitement generations from now.

Most of the LaCour team is in Chicago for the next two days. We'll be showing demos of ShootQ, our studio management software to attendees of Pictage's PartnerCon. If your'e attending, be sure to say Hi to us!