Chris + Shawn

August 20, 2016

White Point Garden in Charleston, SC.
Ancient live oaks create dappled light. At the perfect time of day, sunbeams shoot into the gazebo and bounce around, making it glow from the inside. And from almost any point in the park, you have views of gorgeous antebellum mansions AND Charleston Harbor. A backdrop like that could make just about anyone look good...

But then you get two of the handsomest fellows you've ever seen (this is true), invite their beautiful families and friends, and include their adorable Boston terrier Pearl and you have one stunner of a wedding. We're talking about a nearly overwhelming amount of good-lookingness. I was lucky enough to photograph Chris and Shawn's intimate ceremony on August 6, 2016. The weather was perfect, the music was perfectly suited to Chris and Shawn's vibe, and the hordes of Pokemon Go players seemed to be inexplicably and mercifully absent.
Sorry, Pokemon Go players (not sorry).

Chris is a marine biologist and Shawn is an occupational therapist. They are soft spoken, intelligent, wonderful people and they just could not wait to marry each other. From the looks on their faces as they read their personalized vows, to the unbelievable release of joy at the moment their marriage was made official, it was clear to everyone present how much Chris and Shawn love each other and how much they had been looking forward to this day.

Is this a good time to mention that the infamous "Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet" was hanged in White Point Garden in 1718?
No? Another time then.

Maternity Shoot with the Romans

July 23, 2016

When I was young, the idea of "seasons of life" didn't really make sense to me in the way it does now. I had this abstract idea of what adulthood meant, but I was mostly focused on the progression of high school to college to adulthood. And then adulthood just kept going until death or something. One long season.

One of the humbling things about aging is looking back on your myriad former selves and realizing how little you understood. So what did it take for me to realize what "seasons of life" meant? Friends started getting married. I examined my circumstances and realized that I was NOT in that season. Then I met someone and married her. Hi, Rebecca!

Then friends started having babies. You get the idea. Seasons of life.

My dear friends Allison and Justin are about to embark on one of life's greatest adventures. They are both brilliant, fun, lovely people so when they asked me to document some moments from their last month as a family of two, how could I say no?

Their baby girl will be here in no time and they are going to be the kind of fantastic parents that you notice and tell all your friends about.

Amy + Brandon

June 19, 2016

These two.

If you've been a wedding guest, ever, you probably remember how much fun the wedding was. The band!
The food!
The love!
All the happy people all in one place.
Tears of joy.

But have you ever been to a wedding where you thought, "Well, this one is going to be hard to top?" Welcome to the wedding of Amy and Brandon. She (from the UK) and he (from Canada) met many years ago while working at the same skating rink. Brandon plays hockey (fully aware of the cliché) and Amy is an accomplished figure skater.

Amy and Brandon are so connected and so deeply in love. It's in their eyes every time they look at each other. They are the couple that finishes each others' sentences in a genuinely endearing way. Their families were thrilled about their union. Their friends were beyond excited. It was non-stop contagious elation. Amy's father and stepfather cried when they saw her in her dress for the first time. There was so much pride and love.

Then throw in the following:
- a forecast for inches of rain, but a full day of sunshine.
- an adorable and charismatic flower girl.
- a ceremony at the end of a dock overlooking the historic Charleston peninsula.
- custom-written vows that drew as many laughs as tears.
- a cake-cutting psych-out involving shots.
- a stunner of a sunset over the USS Yorktown, a National Historic Landmark.

So... yeah. You might say Amy and Brandon's wedding was one to remember.

Beach Session with the Kinkhabwalas

January 26, 2016

You know those friends you have who are cool and gorgeous and brilliant?

Christy and Yunus are those friends for us. They met while in Peace Corps in South Africa and bonded over, among other more glamorous things, unmentionably serious stomach troubles. Kind of in the same way that Rebecca and I met and bonded over similar tummy troubles in Dakar, Senegal. Oh yeah, and we met them in Senegal too! They are both excellent teachers and people and friends, and they now live in upstate New York. They're both doing amazing things, of course, as well as raising two of the most adorable boys in the galaxy. Seriously, just look at these two!

We headed down to Folly Beach for some beach time and documentary-style shooting.
Was the weather less-than-ideal? Yes (misty and gray).
Did the youngest hate the feeling of sand on his feet? Yes (surprise!).
But we did have a lot of fun. And, after all, is there really a bad time to go to the beach with good friends?

Nope.

Backyard Session with Olive

December 22, 2015

If you needed to borrow a 1 lb geode, a floral scarf from 1959, thirty-six playfully mismatched plates, or an impressive collection of glitter, who would you turn to?

I turn to my friend Marsha. She has so much more style than I will ever possess, and possesses the most kind and generous spirit of anyone I know. She was also able to throw together the most amazing boho-backyard tableau imaginable for her daughter’s backyard session.

In moments, we erected a teepee wrapped in found fabric scraps and dreamcatchers, and laid out faux fur rugs and overstuffed pillows. The eye-popping color contrasted the cloudy twilight in a way that I could never have planned. Confession: I just tend not to have ideas like, “Wait… do we need some purple face paint?”

Thank goodness for Marsha.

For her part, Olive was a terrific model and a very patient soul. It also helped that she is a talented, beautiful, and stylish little girl in her own right. She loved being able to play with toys, write in her journal, jump on the trampoline, and sing and play the ukulele while I snapped away. Even the dogs seemed to know that something exciting was happening in the backyard, and they joined in for some of the fun.

If you’re interested in a backyard session, or a family documentary photo session, email me at noah@noahdaltonphotographs.com.

Jen + Chris, Black Mountain, NC

October 17, 2015

There are some weddings you attend that make you want to get married all over again. The flow of the festivities, a beautiful ceremony, happy friends and family members all around, great food and music, thoughtful DIY decorations, and a euphoric bride and groom. Rebecca and I looked at each other like, "Is it too soon to renew our vows?"

Black Mountain, NC seemed to know how much we were craving proper fall colors, and it did not disappoint. Autumn wildflowers were in full bloom, and the surrounding mountains were a stunning palette of greens, reds, yellows, and oranges.

It was a real treat to attend this wedding as a guest, but of course I couldn't help snapping a few shots throughout the weekend. Jen and Chris were laid back and flexible throughout all the last-minute decision making and preparations. Even when rain threatened to push the ceremony out of the woods and under the tent, not a tear was shed. After careful examination of the doppler radar, a one-hour delay proved to be the perfect decision. The rain ceased practically as soon as Jen began her walk down the aisle.
God was in the house.

We are so thrilled for Jen and Chris to begin their exciting life as husband and wife and wish them all the best!