Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Blog

  • Two 101 in 1001 Items

    I’m not going to lie, this isn’t a particularly interesting blog topic, but I just wanted to make good on a few 101 in 1001 items that I’ve completed. I finished item #15 – Do a clean sweep of the garage a few weeks ago with Chris. It wasn’t particularly messy to begin with, so it wasn’t a dramatic makeover or anything. We just needed to let go of some things that we didn’t need anymore. We went through a lot of our stuff and determined what needed to be thrown away or donated. We collected quite a few things for charity, and then organized the rest into neat bins in our storage room off of the garage. Item #16 – Donate novels that I have already read was part of this clean sweep. I forgot to take a photo, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

    Isn’t it so fun to look into other people’s garages and closets? (Please ignore the nest of cables on the wall to the right of the shelves. It was like that when we moved in, and I have no idea what to do with it.)


    And also please ignore how dirty my poor little car is. A car wash is on my to-do list for tomorrow!

  • Weekend Getaway

    Weekend Getaway

    Chris and I were able to get away for a few days this past weekend to visit his dad and step-mom in Florida. We stayed in a condo in West Palm Beach and while it was a little chilly for this time of year, it was still sunny and gorgeous, and we were able to enjoy this view from the balcony:

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    We even saw a manatee swim by the condo! Sorry to disappoint you, but we were up on the 19th floor and I didn’t have the right lens with me to get a good shot. I traveled light this time – one camera body + 50mm lens. Okay, and the point-and-shoot. 🙂 I actually didn’t end up taking many photos at all, but we did take our obligatory p&s self-portrait for posterity.

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    Chris and I grabbed a quick picture of each other one afternoon before we went out for lunch (what else do you expect photographers do when they’re killing time?).

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    Since it was a little too cool for the beach, we mostly just hung out with the parents, ate out a lot, and strolled around. This quirky little store in downtown Stewart had a lot of fun stuff.

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    One of the highlights of the trip for Chris was finding this soda:

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    When Chris and I were kids, we both lived in Texas (at different times) where they had this sugary bubble-gum tasting soda called Big Red. Well, they don’t have it in the DC area, and it seems to be quite difficult to find in general, so it’s a very rare treat for us to come across it. We were getting groceries at the local Publix, where lo and behold, I spotted it on the shelf in a 12-pack. So we were able to enjoy the nostalgic drink while we were there (Chris moreso than me – I can’t stand drinks with sugar in them anymore. If you ever see Diet Big Red, let me know!). At least now we know one other place to find it!

  • Coffee Table Albums

    Hopefully you’re not tired of seeing books/albums on my dining room table yet, because I have one more to show you for now: the coffee table book! I just received a brand-new sample, and I just wanted to take a few quick pictures of it. This modern album is a beautiful, lightweight alternative to a heavier traditional wedding album. The book is stored nestled inside of this keepsake presentation box with a wrap-around photo cover:


    The timeless cover is available in either natural leather (in black, brown, bordeaux and saddle) or in animal-friendly faux “leather” (in black, brown, bordeaux and camel). Text embossing is available on the cover in a classic font with hot stamping.


    The pages are approximately 100lb weight paper and are pritned using archival inks. The paper has a varnish coating for added protection.

    And a few details – the vellum page in the front, the binding, and the thickness of the pages.

  • Allison & Chris – 02.14.09

    I’m preparing to take a little trip tomorrow and I’m short on time again, so I hope you’ll be happy with just seeing a few of my random favorites from the wedding I shot with Kristen Gardner this past weekend. Before I post the pictures, let me encourage you to hop over to Kristen’s blog for the complete story – her pictures are beautiful!

    We started off at the Greenwich Presbyterian Church in Nokesville where Allison and Chris chose to see each other before the ceremony to ensure plenty of time for pictures!





    I borrowed this heart-shaped “wreath” that hung from the church door for the ring shot below:

    Allison’s bouquet was so pretty! I adore hydrangeas:

    I spy, with my little fisheye…

    This image was taken after the ceremony and after all of the family portraits, but I just wanted to showcase how absolutely adorable this little church is.

    Their reception took place at Regency at Dominion Valley in Haymarket.


    A little cake action:

    (Okay, I really need to go do laundry and get some packing done!) Best wishes and congratulations to Allison and Chris! And Kristen, I know I already said it a hundred times, but I mean it – I had such a great time shooting with you on Saturday!

  • New Album Option

    Jenn and Stephen’s album arrived and I gave it to them last night, so I can finally post pictures! This is a new album option that I’ll be adding to my information packet because I’m completely in love with the beautiful, modern simplicity of this book. It’s a hand-made flush-mount album with a gorgeous full-grain leather cover and archival printing. The options for this album are very streamlined (choose the size and cover color – that’s it!), so it’s a perfect choice for couples who simply can’t bear to have to make another decision after the wedding. I have my own sample on the way, as well as leather swatches, so if you’re interested in seeing more of this fabulous book, please let me know!

    Jenn chose a very classic white leather cover. The book comes nestled in this adorable protective pouch:

    The spreads lay nice and flat for easy viewing.

    You know how I love to show details, and I specifically want to point out the amazing craftsmanship of these albums:

    Edit: Updated to include this photo of current color swatches! Aren’t these colors fun?!