Where do I start? Tera and Shawn are fabulous. Period. End of story. And even better than the fact that they are yet another fabulous couple that we have been blessed to photograph, they are wonderful friends of ours that we just absolutely adore! Tera is one of the two gorgeous ladies who own the best bridal shop in town (the Couture Closet), which is where we met a few years ago. Anyway, these two lovebirds had a truly fantastic day on which they said their vows, and we are so thankful that they asked us to be there to document it! Enjoy a few favorites from the first part of the day, and stay tuned for more in the next few days!
And a sampling of Eric’s 35mm film photographs from this part of the day…
Well, Nina Mullins Photography (also known as NMP) has officially been in business for about 4 years. In those four years, trying to design a logo has been a challenge. This logo design-block has been my nemesis, in fact, and I haven’t been able to beat it. Well, we finally caved a couple of weeks ago and hired a professional. Karen Billings Design is the genius behind the design, and was the most patient company I could have worked with. I told her that I wanted a logo that not only expressed our place in the world of wedding photography, but one that also expressed our heart for the nations. Many of you know that Wes and I are adopting a little boy or girl (or both!) from Ethiopia (you can read more about that process here), and we don’t believe that once he/she/they are home, this will be the end of our adoption journey. We also sponsor children in both Ethiopia and India, and NMP donates a chunk of its income to help those in need. This past year we have been able to use our business to document what is going on in the sex trade in Costa Rica & Nicaragua, and we have also been able to document the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. In the future we hope to do more of this, because we want to bring awareness to those who would listen and see. We want to let people know that there is a world beyond our backyard that involves real human beings who have real needs. We want to be a voice for those who have none so that in turn, others will speak out for them as well. We believe that every good thing, including our income, comes from God, and we want to give back to Him by doing what He has called us to do….give to the poor and needy, and to help be a voice for those who have none. And we feel privileged to be able to do this! All that to say, that even something as seemingly insignificant as a logo, is not only going to portray the daily photography business we love, but also the heart that God has given us for the world. So without further ado (even though you have probably already seen the logo at the top of this blog!), here is our new LOGO!
As you can see, there are three circles above the Nina Mullins Photography script. The circle in the middle is simply representative of the shortened name of Nina Mullins Photography, NMP, which I LOVE! The circle on the left has an Acacia tree within it. While many people associate these trees with Africa, they are found on several continents throughout the world. We felt this was a good representation of not only our love of Africa (which has blossomed from our love of adoption and Ethiopia), but it is also a representation of our desire to serve those in need across the globe. The circle on the right with the calla lilies is representative of our involvement in the world of weddings and personal relationships. I kind of like that calla lilies represent not only beauty and splendor, but also rebirth, which also a big part of who we are. We have been made new because of our life in Christ, and with every wedding, a new life begins between two people, which often results in children, and children’s children, and generations to come. And we are lucky enough to get to document all these things with our cameras! That is simply awesome.
We are thankful for this business that God has given us. There are times when I am envious of a fellow photographer who has received national or local recognition, or who has won some award that I could only dream of. But those times are short, because I don’t want to measure my success by how many competitions I win, or how many people know my name. Don’t get me wrong! Those things are all awesome, and when I do get recognized, I love it! But in the end, none of those things matter. They have no eternal value. What matters are the relationships we form, the lives we help change, and the love we pour out while we do it all. We don’t always do everything perfect, but thank God for grace, and the chance to make things right and beautiful with every new day.
Thank you, Karen Billings Design, for helping us express our hearts in such a special way!
I usually post a few of my favorite images, then I’ll put a slideshow on the bottom with all of the highlights. With Holly’s and Vinay’s wedding, I’m going to break from that tradition and just put up the slideshow. There’s no way I could pick 20-30 favorite shots and tell the story of the day accurately. If you know Holly and Vinay, you’ll enjoy seeing the story come to life in pictures. If you don’t know the couple, but visit my blog regularly, I think you’ll love seeing what happened when I, Betsy, and Magnus were turned loose with our cameras to document our very first Indian wedding. We had an absolute blast.
Do me a favor? If you’re one of Holly’s and Vinay’s friends or family, please go HERE first and preregister to see ALL of their wedding images. There are thousands….seriously. I’ll have them up on the proofing site in the next week or so. If you’re registered already, you’ll receive an email notification once they’re ready….and a gift credit toward purchases. From there you’ll be able to look through all the shots and order some prints, etc. Thanks!
Now for the slideshow….It is the biggest one I’ve ever put together. You’re going to want to click play, then immediately pause it for a few minutes and let the show pre-load first before unpausing it. Trust me, it will help the show run more smoothly. When you’re finished, please leave a comment below and hook up with me on Facebook and Twitter. I want to hear what you think!
To Holly and Vinay—Thank you for including me in this part of your lives. You could’ve hired ANYBODY. I’m sooooo stoked you picked me. I loved being around you all, your friends and families. Everyone was so warm and happy. I’ll never forget it!
