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A Day on the Farm with Friends

06.20.12 3 comments

It’s been forever since I’ve done a personal post, so I thought I’d take a little break from all the engagements and weddings I’ve been showing you to share a little of what’s been going on in my life these days (that is, when I’m not shooting, traveling, or editing!). Our good friends Will and Helen invited us up to Will’s parents’ farm in Hartselle, AL last week for Farm Day 2012. (At least, that’s what I’m calling it. And I’ve already decided that next year we’re making T-shirts. :) ) Since they hosted it on a Tuesday, I was actually able to join in on the fun, which has been rare these past few months now that my weekends are all about weddings. Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE what I do, and I actually really enjoy having the schedule that I do. I mean, I get to run errands on weekday mornings when most people are at work, so that’s pretty cool. And I get to spend my Saturdays surrounded by people having the best days of their lives, so I can’t complain. BUT I’ve been having to remind myself that it’s okay to take a “mental health” day now and again, because, to be honest with you, I’ve been kind of a workaholic since mid-March and haven’t had a real day off in weeks. So Farm Day was a perfect excuse to shut off my computer, get out of the house, see some sunshine, and spend quality time with friends. It was exactly the boost I needed, and I’m glad I allowed myself to enjoy it guilt-free.

And this day embodied everything I love about living in the South. The Alexanders live on a farm out in the country, where they have a beautiful plantation-style home filled with character and TONS of animals, plants, and fun things to do. We fished, rode around town piled in a Jeep, got shooting lessons from Will (at least, everyone else did- I was happy to watch from a very safe distance ;) ), ate fresh peaches, played with the kittens, fed the pig, and ended the day by cooking and eating the most delicious meal of ribs and fried okra, which had been picked on the property earlier that morning. Although I don’t think I’ll be moving to the country anytime soon, it sure is a fun place to visit to get my fill now and then. Thank you to the Alexanders for having us over, and to all my friends, both old and new, who made the whole day so memorable!

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Ashley - kittens AND fried okra?! hot damn :)

Lorraine - I love this. What a beautiful historic home, and how nice they have the picture of the early homesteaders. (And if a tree ever dies on our property, that bottle idea is a MUST! I love that photo!)

Southern Georgia Farmhouse Style - […] Photography by Morgan Trinker Photography. […]

Brynn + Jacobe // A Rustic Ranch Wedding (and a Little Card-Playing)

06.18.12 7 comments

Brynn and Jacobe are, in a word, KIND. They’re both so soft-spoken and sweet, and it was so evident at their wedding how much they love each other and all the people in their lives. (Proof: In the getting-to-know-you questionnaire I send to my couples before the wedding, when I asked Jacobe to describe his perfect day, his response was “June 2.” Awwww.) They invited everyone to Lawrence, Kansas to spend the weekend celebrating with them, which involved a whole lot of hugging and chatting and — perhaps what they were most looking forward to — card-playing. How fun is that? Brynn even had personalized decks of cards made with their photos on them just for the occasion, which was so cute.

I actually initially connected with Brynn through her aunt Samantha, who I used with at Starbucks in Knoxville way back in the day. So I have to give a shout out to her for having a hunch that Brynn and I would hit it off, because we absolutely did, and I feel so lucky to know her and Jacobe and their whole families now. And I also have to give major props to the lovely Lauren Frisch, who joined me from Kansas City to second shoot, talk shop, and be awesome in general. You’ll see some of her fun shots below.

On to the photos!

Brynn had these slippers custom made for the wedding day. What a cute idea!

Brynn, you are seriously gorgeous.

One of my absolute favorite parts of a wedding day to capture are those first few minutes after the ceremony. There is no greater rush of emotion and excitement and energy, and I’m in love with these next couple of images of Brynn and Jacobe hiding away downstairs as their guests left for the reception.

Then it was off to the reception at Circle S Ranch, which literally required driving on narrow unpaved gravel roads for miles to get there. It embodied absolutely everything I imagined a ranch in the Midwest to be like — big blue skies with fluffy white clouds, fields and landscapes that stretched as far as your eye could see, and real live BUFFALO- which of course made me one giddy photographer. Huge thanks to Brynn and Jacobe for indulging my whims and ideas for portraits. :)

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Brynn did a fantastic job with all of her DIY decor. I loved the pink and gold and yellow color scheme, which popped so perfectly against the rustic backdrop of the barn on the ranch.

Hands down one of my favorite moments of the day: Brynn and Jacobe’s choreographed first dance to “Fly Me to the Moon.” It was made even more amazing by the spotlight that followed them around the dance floor. They had the crowd cheering like crazy!

Brynn and her sister and cousin also did a choreographed dance to the song “Sisters, Sisters” from the movie White Christmas. It was flipping adorable. By the end, I felt like I was at a Broadway show…. so much entertainment!

I’ll also share a few photographs from a little mini-pseudo-engagement-session we did at the ranch the day before the wedding because they’re just too sweet.

Congratulations you two, and thank you SO MUCH for having me come up to photograph such a special weekend!

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Gail - BEAUTIFUL work, Morgan! What a fun wedding to be a part of and man oh man, how I would have loved to be a guest! (that’s how you know it’s an awesome wedding…when you wish you could be a guest!)

LOVE the “Big Sky” shots and swing shots and that late afternoon light pairing…so much to love!

Debbie Trinker - I’ve been looking forward to these photos since you shot this wedding and the did not disappoint! Are you sure you and Brynn were not separated at birth? LOL! So many similarities in style. Gotta say I loved the swing photos the best. Many years and love and fun for Brynn and Jacobe!

Brynn Harris - Morgan, I am so amazed at how you got literally everything I could have wanted a photo of! Thank you SO much for these, I love each one of them.

Kathleen Harris - Morgan,
You captured the radiant beauty of this day, beginning with Brynn. Thank you, thank you for providing so many lovely and detailed memories to cherish. Simply exquisite.

Rebekah - My favorite shots from our wedding are the moments just after we excited the ceremony. They perfectly captured our happiness and relief. :)

Flo Kahlstorf - I agree! You really captured the fun-loving, beauty and warmth of my niece Brynn!

Sheri Wussow - Bravo Morgan!!!
What beautiful photos.
Thank you so much!!

Erika // A Dreamy Springtime Knoxville Bridal Session

06.11.12 5 comments

I absolutely love doing bridal sessions, but what I hate is having to keep the images to myself for weeks until the wedding day has come and gone so that I can finally share what the beautiful bride wore! I shot Erika’s bridal session back in March in Knoxville, and I have been itching to blog it ever since. Now that she tied the knot with Drew this past Saturday, the day has come!

We began her session at the brand new Oliver Hotel in Market Square, which is definitely a really cool addition to the area. I love how they have modernized the space while staying true to the historic bones. And they have a speakeasy on the bottom level, complete with drink menus disguised in library books. How fun is that?

We then headed to the Knoxville Botanic Garden, which was absolutely perfect because everything was in bloom and just so gorgeous. These are some of my favorite shots ever!

Erika, you were a stunning bride! I can’t WAIT to share more from the wedding this past weekend!

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Karla Collegeman - The last vertical shot on the left is genius! I’m blown away by how good you are Morgan! Kudos my friend ;)

Jessica - I can’t get over how gorgeous that first shot it. Seriously. Gorgeous.

Rebekah - The ivy shots are my fave! Gorgeous.

mike - Stairwell shot = epic.

Erika + Drew // A Classic Knoxville Wedding with Peonies and Burlap » Morgan Trinker Photography | Birmingham, AL - […] loved Erika’s sweet and simple bridal style. To see more of it, check out the gorgeous bridal session we did back in the […]