Photos by Kristi

New Blog

2009-06-16T08:35:00.000-04:00

I have changed the location of my blog to allow more style options as well as bigger pictures. Please go to http://www.kristiodom.com/blog/ to see new posts!

Becky & Anthony

2009-05-28T09:15:00.009-04:00

Becky & Anthony
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
May 23rd 2009

What a great wedding. Becky and Anthony's wedding was exactly what I dreamed of when I was a kid. They had the Atlanta Botanical Gardens privately which is my absolute favorite venue in Atlanta. Becky chose the Trustee's garden for her ceremony. It was the first wedding I have ever seen in the round which was awesome. I could see so much pride and happiness in Becky's parent's eyes, a tear on her made of honors cheek, at the same time I could see Becky's smile when she looked at Anthony. The ceremony was surrounded with lush botanicals. Not only did I feel happiness for the couple but I also felt overwhelmed by being in such a natural beautiful setting.

The weather was a bit temperamental. It rained before the ceremony and right after. The rain brought the green out in the trees making it only more picturesque; it also brought overcast (which I love for pictures). Right after the bride and groom left the ceremony it started up again. A woman from the Gardens whispered in my ear "I have opened the Orchid Garden for pictures". I was so happy I hugged this woman. If you haven't had a chance to see the Atlanta Botanical Gardens orchid garden, I highly recommend it. It is one of my favorite places in the world and an amazing setting for photography.

I have a lot of great memories from this wedding. The unbelievable dress, the very humorous maid of honor, the trash TV, the very "large" sculptures, the orchid garden, the shrimp and grits, as well as the very large smile that didn't seem to leave Becky's face.

Astrid

2009-05-20T10:55:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a great day! Not only did I get to hang out with two awesome DC photographers taking pictures in new areas, but our wonderful bride/model/photographer, Astrid was willing to do anything in her wedding dress. We had so much fun running around parts of DC and Northern Virginia. Here are a few of my favorites!

Erin & Scott

2009-05-16T08:58:00.008-04:00

Erin & Scott
May 9th 2009
Sun Village Resort and Bungalows
Dominican Republic

It is very hard to sum up this wedding, the first word that comes to mind is epic. You could make a full length Hollywood movie on Erin and Scott's wedding weekend. They had it all, some absolutely insane dance moves, fainting, rockin' boats, lots of alcohol, splitting pants, dancing in the rain, cigars, a crazy amount of love between the bride and groom, and an amazing setting of the Dominican Republic.

When I met with Erin to talk about her wedding, I remember thinking that she was very professional, very organized, perfect makeup, perfect hair. Sometimes the most organized people have a harder time letting go at their wedding. Wow was I wrong. Erin is such a free spirit and it all came to life on her wedding day. She was laughing and smiling so much that she reminded me of a kid in a candy shop. During the ceremony she had one tear, then it was back to smiling and laughing. There was a rain storm during the reception and Erin without hesitation took her new husband out in the rain and sang and danced around while getting drenched in her wedding dress. It was beautiful.

I had such an amazing time in the Dominican Republic. 54 people made down for Erin and Scott's wedding and they were all such great people; it was hard not to have fun with them. Thank you all so much for including me in everything, words can not tell you how much fun I had!

Tiffany & Steven

2009-05-03T12:02:00.007-04:00

Piedmont Park
Lake Clara Meer
Magnolia Hall
April 24th 2009

Tiffany and Steven were both so welcoming that by the end of the wedding I felt like one of their close friends. They are so filled with laughter and smiles that it is hard not to feel happy and at ease just in their presence.

They had an outdoor wedding at Piedmont Park on a perfect spring day. The crazy rain from the night before made everything just a bit more green. I do need to make a note here on how amazing the florals were. The florist kept the organic feel of Lake Clara Meer but really enhanced it with a stone aisle (that was amazing). Her use of twigs, stone as well as flowers really blew me away. Something else that amazed me was the craftiness of Tiffany's mom. She handmade her daughter's wedding dress (amongst many other things)!

The only challenge shooting on the dock was the ducks that tried to join in on the group pictures. It was very hard to compete with them for the little kids attention. But all in all it was an amazing day with an amazing couple.
Kristi

Jacqueline & John

2009-05-01T10:58:00.006-04:00

Jacqueline & John

What a fun wedding (and what a fun couple). I have had some laid back brides, but I think Jacqueline might be one of the most laid back ever. They both truly knew what was important in the wedding and none of the small stuff mattered at all. It was about celebrating their relationship and having a blast with all the guests.

I remember this one time when I asked Catrina (my second shooter) to go around the room and take pictures of those not on the dance floor. She came back within 5 minutes and told me "there is no one not on the dance floor". I looked around and she was right, everyone was out dancing like crazy and having an awesome time.

Erin & Chris

2009-04-16T13:50:00.007-04:00

Erin & Chris

What a perfect wedding. I was a little nervous about the weather, I even went umbrella shopping the day before. Erin and Chris planned an outdoor ceremony at Piedmont Park's Park Tavern. The weather read that morning "Showers in the morning, then a period of strong thunderstorms in the afternoon. Storms may produce large hail and strong winds. Tornadoes possible." I don't know how but the weather held. The overcast light was a photographer's dream. A few minutes after we went inside the tent for the reception it poured. It is almost like the weather held off just for Erin and Chris to have their ceremony and a few pictures outside. When we were off taking the couple shots at the park a small rainbow appeared in the distance. It was perfect.

Erin is one of the only people I have met in my life who can laugh and cry simultaneously. She did this, lots, all throughout the wedding. You could feel the love and compassion from her and her family throughout the room. She kept saying things like "what did I do to deserve such a perfect day". I have only known Erin for a little while but in the short time I have gotten to know a great deal about her. She is a wonderful person with a very large heart. She works closely with Teach for America (http://www.teachforamerica.org/) which is an organization that helps to put an end to educational inequality. She always has a smile on her face and a laugh to share. If there is such a thing as karma, I think I have a pretty good idea why Erin had such a perfect day.

Catrina

2009-04-15T16:58:00.004-04:00

I am very happy to have two new shooters to the Photos by Kristi team, Trent and Catrina. They are both amazing photographers with very different styles to my own. The three of us did a shoot together the other day using Catrina as the subject and Trent's warehouse as the venue. Catrina wanted a few pictures to send her husband for their 8 year wedding anniversary. So congratulations on 8 years of marriage (and for still fitting in your wedding dress), and welcome to the team!

Amy & Andrew

2009-04-15T16:10:00.004-04:00

What a fun wedding! Amy was so happy she was glowing, it was beautiful to see. Everything about this wedding was picture perfect. The church (beside being very dim) was very beautiful. It was small with stone walls, antique doors, and large windows. The reception hall, Callanwolde was also a new venue to me and wow I was impressed. It was like something out of a fairytale right on Briarcliff. I must have passed the building a hundred times and never saw it hidden back behind some trees. The combination of the perfect church, a stunning reception hall, one of the best planners in the industry (Kiersten with Gooseberry), a glowing bride, and a permanent smile on the grooms face made this an unforgettable wedding.

High Wine Auction

2009-04-13T11:48:00.002-04:00

The High Museum sure knows how to throw a party. I had a great time once again being a part. If you want to see more follow these links to the galleries, for the Gala, http://www.imagequix.com/photog.php?id=69LAW9L&ec=gala, and for the auction,
http://www.imagequix.com/photog.php?id=69LAW9L&ec=auction.

DC and Atlanta

2009-03-24T13:37:00.003-04:00

I am very happy to say I now have two places I call home. My husband Paul got a job in DC so I have moved up to Northern Virgina to be with him. I have moved in the fact that my dog and husband are up here, but I will still do most of my photography in Atlanta. I will spend half my year in both places. For the busy seasons I will be in Atlanta for all the wonderful weddings I have coming up and for the off seasons I will be up in Northern Virginia advertising. There are no travel fees for Atlanta or the DC areas. Please keep the referrals coming from Atlanta and if you know anyone in my new home town please send them my way! Tomorrow I am off again to Atlanta to cover the Wine Auction for the High Museum and to celebrate my birthday. Thanks again!
Kristi Odom

Jean and Matt

2009-03-22T17:38:00.003-04:00

After some well needed time off what a great way to start the season off with an engagement shoot in DC. Jean and Matt are just easy to get along with and a lot of fun to hang out with. I didn't even notice the time fly by. I have included a few of my favorites pictures from the shoot.

Laos

2009-02-20T08:43:00.008-05:00

I love being in a seasonal industry. It gives me my much needed travel time. This year I had an amazing trip to Hong Kong, Laos, and Cambodia. Laos was one of the most laid back and beautiful place I have ever been. We made friends with monks, rode elephants bareback, trekked through hilltop villages, and visiting some truly spectacular temples. Since I am better with pictures then with words here are some images that sum up our trip!
Kristi

Cambodia

2009-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love Cambodia. Angkor Wat was well beyond anything I could have imagined. I was there for 4 days and I felt like I had only seen a fraction of it. Every wall had these amazing carving each with a story. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
Kristi

Music Photography

2009-01-09T10:35:00.007-05:00

I decided recently to dig through all my old music photography and put some up on my website. So many memories... I do kind of miss shooting bands, but honestly I am much happier with what I am shooting now.
I loved going to concerts with a press pass that said "Rollingstone". The industry did get very competitive and I was just one of many taking photos of bands. I feel much more special seeing my wedding images on a person's wall, or pictures I have taken of people kids being carried around in wallets. It makes me feel like my wedding and family photography is truly loved and that makes me feel great. I hope you a enjoy of few of my favorites from back in my music shooting days! Make sure to check out the Music section on www.kristiodom.com!

Anastasia & Rick

2009-01-05T16:50:00.003-05:00

I just love my friends! They are all very unique people and sometimes a bit random. I got a voicemail a little while ago from a couple of good friends Anastasia and Rick. It said basically that they were leaving in 2 hours to go get married. I was so honored that they asked me to be there as a friend to witness the courthouse ceremony!

After the wedding we went for a beer at their local bar and walked through one of my favorite bridges in Atlanta, the Krog Street bridge. I took just a couple of pictures and really love them. Anastasia and Rick have some crazy strong chemistry, and it showed. I am so happy that they are finally married and look forward to more crazy memories!
Kristi

Ellen & Jeff

2008-12-13T21:55:00.006-05:00

Ellen & Jeff
Morningside Presbyterian Church
Lambert Place

What a way to finish off the year! Ellen and Jeff are just such a fun couple. I knew it would be a great wedding just from our first meeting at Taqueria del Sol. We sat back over tacos and talked about the big day. Every single time I met with these guys they just laughed and smiled the whole time. Both Ellen and Jeff are the sort of people that you are just happy whenever in their presence. I had such a great time at the wedding!

When the wedding finally came, it went off just flawlessly. Ellen and Jeff decided to meet up before the wedding for their pictures and I am so happy they did! The colors were perfect with a little bit of light shinning through the yellow and green trees. Ellen made a stunning bride. Her blue eyes seemed to glow brighter then the trees behind. Thank you guys, I had a blast!

The First Emperor

2008-12-13T17:07:00.005-05:00

I was very honored to be called by the High Museum to cover events surrounding their exhibition with the Chinese Terracotta Soldiers. I was escorted into the exhibition privately before it was opened to the public. It had me in total awe.

I was asked to photograph President Carter walking through the exhibition. I have never meet a former president before, and it was very strange to give him direction for the photographs. I felt very special being there for his private showing of the exhibition.

The High put on a show for this exhibition. There were dancers, costumed soldiers, the Chinese Ambassador to the US, Chinese delegates, and lots and lots of excited museum goers. I want to give a big thanks to the High for having me be part of such an event. I will remember it forever!
Kristi

The following image was taken by Vino Wong from the AJC. It is of me photographing President Jimmy Carter. Thank you Vino!

Nicole & Phil

2008-12-09T23:54:00.005-05:00

Nicole & Phil
November 1st
Big Canoe

Nicole and Phil picked the perfect day for their wedding. In my opinion it was the prettiest day we have had this year. The leaves had just turned and the weather was, well, perfect! Nicole put together an awesome team of vendors. She is friends with one of my favorite florists in the industry, Carrie Hett with Bridal Blooms (http://www.bridal-blooms.com/). Carrie once again did a wonderful job with the flowers. The DJ had every guest out there on the dance floor and when I say every guest I mean every guest. Nicole's 90 year old grandmother was out there all night with a pick boa just dancing away.

The day started out at Nicole and Phil's dream home. I soon realized that it was anyone's dream home. The balcony had one of the best views I have seen of the Georgia Mtns.

I am so happy the wedding went so well, Nicole and Phil are just awesome people. Real laid back and just happy in each other's company. It was great spending the day with them!
Kristi

Amy & Gene

2008-11-24T12:53:00.005-05:00

Amy & Gene
October 25, 2008
Bella Terra, Georgia

One of my favorite things about Amy and Gene's wedding was the ceremony itself. It was beautiful and very photogenic! They got married outside on a perfect fall day. The sun was in a great spot to not only bring out the fall colors but it helped light up Amy's smiling face. I remember looking at Gene through my camera during the ceremony and I could see this amazing life in his eyes. It was the look of pure joy and excitement.

The location couldn't have been better. Amy and Gene are a pretty laid back couple, the outdoor setting really complimented their personality. For Gene's last dance with his new wife even though his clothing has changed (he was wearing his baseball cap and a red shirt) his smile and embrace stayed strong.
Kristi

Sherry & Rick

2008-11-09T21:31:00.007-05:00

October 18th, 2008
Wolf Mountain Vineyard

The first thing I think of when I think back to this wedding was good ole southern hospitality. A week before the wedding I met Sherry and Rick up at Wolf Mountain Vineyard for their engagement session. Even though I had only briefly meet the two before the shoot, I felt like they were old friends. They have a very relaxed way about them. We walked around the property and ran into a women setting up her flowers for a wedding. Sherry asked if she was available the following weekend because she didn't have a florist quite yet. It ended up working out beautifully just like that, easy and relaxed.

During the wedding multiple people kept coming up to us to make sure we were well feed and happy. I remember the groom even offering to get me a drink. Everyone was really nice to us and I greatly thank Sherry and Rick for having such awesome friends and family.

The wedding was beautiful. They had this massive vineyard to themselves up in North Georgia. Sherry had splashes of red everywhere. From the roses to her red stilettos. The ceremony took place on a porch with the sun setting behind the bride and groom as they said their vows and I do's.
Kristi

A Night at the Georgia Aquarium

2008-11-05T15:09:00.006-05:00

Vidya & Dion
October 11th, 2008
Georgia Aquarium

I felt so honored to do my first wedding at the Georgia Aquarium! It is one of my favorite places in all of Atlanta. Vidya and Dion put on one amazing reception in their grand ballroom. There were Indian dancers during dinner, music and crazy dancing that went on till 1am, one of the best desserts I have ever had, and oh ya, whale sharks swimming in the background. It was amazing to be there and to be a part.

I think that one could make a movie based on Vidya and Dion's wedding, with this reception as the grand finale. I will always remember Vidya and Dion's unbelievable weekend.
Kristi

Vidya & Dion

2008-11-02T22:41:00.011-05:00

Vidya & Dion
Shree Ram Mandir
October 10th 2008

Vidya and Dion didn't just have a wedding, they had an event. The weekend was full of so much celebrating that I will need to do 2 posts and 2 different galleries. Friday they had their Hindu and Muslim wedding ceremonies, Saturday was their Georgia Aquarium reception.

I arrived at Vidya's parents house early on Friday to photograph some of the preparations. The first thing I noticed was that their garage had been turned into a kitchen. Vidya's family was cooking so much food that they had huge pots spread out around the garage and they where stirring not with spoons but rather large sticks. They were making Indian curry and roti for the ceremony. They asked me to try and wow, it was some of the best food I have ever had! I love Indian spices and roti has always been one of my favorite foods. It was a great way to start off my shoot!

Vidya was stunning. She adorned herself in the traditional way with all the traditional clothing and jewelry. She was so beautiful she definitely had everyone's eyes in the room. The ceremonies were full of family, color, curry, and lots ands lots of smiles. I had a great time.
Kristi

Catie & Gustavo

2008-11-02T18:48:00.009-05:00

Catie & Gustavo
Trolley Barn
Atlanta Georgia

Catie and Gustavo have been friends of ours for a couple of years now. I remember when I heard they were engaged, I was hoping I would get the call about wedding photography. I was so happy when they came over to book me. They are both happy and beautiful people that have a way of lighting up anyone around. I wanted to have the chance to capture this for them to see. So thank you Catie and Gus, I had a blast at your amazing wedding.

The wedding day was beautiful. I started the day hanging out with the girls while they had their makeup and hair done up. I knew right when I walked in that it was going to be a great day. The room was full of music and the girls were are full of smiles, laughs, and hugs. Little did I know that all those smiles didn't compare the massive grin on Gustavo's face the first time he saw Catie. He had the look of pure joy. It was unforgettable.
Kristi

Jenna & Ramsey

2008-10-16T09:25:00.006-04:00

Jenna & Ramsey
Canoe Restaurant Atlanta
September 27th 2008

I met Jenna over 14 years ago in high school, I have a lot of fun memories with her even though I hadn't seen her in over 10 years. I was so excited when she called to ask if I would do her wedding. It was great to reconnect with such a great person and an old friend. I hope this time we don't loose touch again.

When I think back on Jenna and Ramsey's wedding I just smile. Jenna was absolutely radiant. It was kind of funny because she actually glew more when she was around Ramsey. There were a couple of moments where amongst the music and guests I noticed that Jenna would just look at Ramsey like there was no one else in the world with a massive smile. It was beautiful.

I hope you enjoy!
Kristi

April & Mark

2008-10-07T15:15:00.008-04:00

April & Mark
Serenbe Farmhouse
September 20, 2008

April and Mark had a wedding for the books. It was just amazing. When going through the images today, it just made me smile. I just love this couple. April and Mark are just so laid back, happy, and yet so lively and fun. Serenbe perfectly fit their personality, peaceful, laid back, and beautiful. These two are just perfect for one another and their smiles grew everytime they were around each other.

With the help of Kiersten Pierce (their wonderful planner from Gooseberry Creative Evnets) the wedding went off without a hitch. She had arranged for us to have golf carts to ride around the property which was fun, until I made the mistake of letting the groomsmen drive me around. Thu and I had so much fun that the day seemed to fly by. I loved being part of their big day.
Kristi

Suzanne & Tosh

2008-09-24T00:23:00.009-04:00

Suzanne & Tosh
September 6, 2008
Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Wow, what a wedding. Everything was just so lively, even the couple themselves are just fun to be around. Everyone was laughing, smiling, and dancing the whole time. It was beautiful to see. Suzy and Tosh's lively personality was apparent in many of the details, from the New Orleans style intro, to the cookie bar with milk shots. You know the expression that the tension was thick you can cut it with a knife. In Suzy and Tosh's case the joy and laughter was so thick that you felt like you could cut it with a knife. Great wedding guys, I had a blast!
Kristi

Megan & Seth

2008-09-09T14:13:00.005-04:00

August 23rd
Taylor Grady House
Athens, Georgia

Megan and Seth had a beautiful wedding. Rain kept on teasing us, but seemed to have just missed the Taylor Grady House. Around 5 minutes before their outdoor ceremony was about to start Seth was checking weather.com on his computer. Right as the ceremony some sprinkles came down and the planner went strait to Megan and said, do you want to go for it? Megan knowing that she might be standing there outside in the rain said, yes let's keep to the plan. I am so happy she did, it was gorgeous. (not to mention perfect lighting for photography, I love overcast diffused light).

Megan and Seth seemed so happy together. It was the perfect wedding to start off their life together.

2008-08-26T22:18:00.007-04:00

Kelly & Greg
August 16th, 2008
Christ the King Cathedral
The Ravinia Club

Kelly and Greg are such a perfect match for each other. They shared so much in common, not to mention all the smile they had together. They both have a passion for UGA and had UGA touched all around their wedding from the garter to the grooms cake.

They got married at one of my favorite churches in Atlanta, Christ the King. The church is very beautiful and surprisingly easy to photograph. It has a very classical Catholic feel, but modern lighting that is just perfect for photography.

The wedding really picked up as the night went on and by the end of it, it seemed that everyone was on the dance floor. One of my favorite moments was their exit; it seemed like all their guest were still there. Kelly and Greg ran through hundreds of rose peddles to a beautiful Bentley and they were off.

Cyndi & Matt

2008-08-22T17:25:00.005-04:00

Cyndi & Matt
July 26th
St. Paul United Methodist Church
Summerour

I just loved all the little touches at Cyndi and Matt's wedding. Cyndi is truly one of the most creative and crafty people I know. She did the flowers herself and they were the prettiest I have ever seen. She ordered blue roses from Europe. When she told me blue roses I expected that they would have a small blue tent. I was very happy to be wrong, they were royal blue and just stunning. Cyndi also made the cake toppers, banners for the reception, little key lime dessert, as well as the necklaces for the bridesmaids and MOB. It was almost like everywhere you looked there was a Cyndi touch. It was amazing. She also designed a symbol for the wedding that incorporated the blue roses. If she ever decides to leave architecture, she could become the first wedding graphic designer.

Cyndi and Matt also had the most original exit I have seen. There were no bubbles, confetti, or sparklers, but instead the guest throw paper airplanes. The perfect exit for a couple about to fly to Denmark to start a new life together.

Lola & Chris

2008-08-03T20:54:00.006-04:00

Lola & Chris
July 18 2008
Grandview
Lookout Mountain

Lola and Chris had my favorite type of wedding. They got married at Lookout Mountain, outside, with only a few guests, and their first dance had an amazing view. The weather was perfect, not too hot with a bit of a breeze. Lola looked just radiant with flowers in her hair and an incredible dress. Chris had the biggest smile I have ever seen on a groom.

Shannon & Jesse

2008-07-29T23:15:00.007-04:00

Shannon & Jesse
July 5th 2008
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
103 West

We had so much fun at Shannon and Jesse's wedding! Shannon has a smile that can fill a room and Jesse had a laugh that can not just fill a room, but fill the building. With the help of Matrimony INC (one of my favorite planning companies in the industry) they had one perfect wedding.

My assistant Thu I think put it best when she said "this wedding felt to me like it was right out of a movie". I definitely agree, it had that perfect movie feel about it, especially during the last two songs. For the first of the two all the guest came together and formed a circle around the couple. They sang and toasted as Jesse and Shannon twirled around inside and couldn't keep their eyes off each other as Shannon smiled and Jesse laughed. For the last song everyone came together and had their hands up in the air. It was hard to get through the crowd to get a picture of Jesse and Shannon who were in the middle of it all in a strong embrace kissing each other like they were the only ones in the room. Then almost like the movie ended, they were off in a Bentley. For Shannon and Jesse I am sure this was only the beginning of all the smiles and laughs they are going to have together.

Sloan & Nick

2008-07-21T04:26:00.000-04:00

Sloan & Nick
June 13th 2008
Primrose Cottage

Sloan and Nick had a fairytale wedding. The ceremony was outside in the middle of lots of greenery, without one empty seat. Sloan and Nick have been together for over a decade and everyone was very happy to be there to see them finally get married.

Sloan looked just like Cinderella with her hair done up and her beautiful dress. One of my favorite things about the wedding was all the kids. They truly just love Sloan and she is great with them. The five flower girls and one ring bearer looked up to her like she was a princess.

The grooms cake was pretty amazing, it resembled a plane (Nick is a pilot).

Like all good fairytales the night ended at midnight. It was a breathtaking wedding from start to finish between a truly amazing couple.

Rachel & Will

2008-07-20T15:42:00.006-04:00

Rachel & Will
June 28th 2008
River Oaks Golf Course
Minnesota

I met Rachel over a year ago at a networking meeting. She had just moved to Atlanta and we became friends quickly. Rachel is so full of laughter and happiness (not to mention intelligence) it was hard not to have a blast everytime we hung out. We were both engaged to guys who were not in Atlanta, Paul was in DC for the summer and Will lived up north.

Rachel didn't stay in Atlanta long. I could tell that she had a very strong family back in Minnesota that she missed, not to mention Will in another state. I didn't quite understand why she wanted to leave Atlanta right after moving here until I made it up to Minnesota and until I met Will.

Rachel's family was in one word, incredible. I have never felt so welcomed so quickly. In such a short amount of time they made Thu and I feel like part of the family. The day after the wedding we just hang out at the house with everyone. It was very hard to leave.

I had heard so much about Will and seen pictures so it was great to finally meet him. Rachel and Will are an absolute perfect match. They truly lit one another up, it was beautiful. He is also full of smiles, laughter and intelligence. They also both have some serious curly hair! I wish you two all the best and look forward to catching up.
Kristi

Meghan & Ryan

2008-07-09T14:15:00.008-04:00

Meghan & Ryan
Peachtree Club
June 27th 2008

Meghan and Ryan's wedding was filled with their personalities from the grooms cake made to resemble an Atari controller to all the costumes. One of my favorite moments was right after they where married, I followed them into the after ceremony holding room. They both broke out into a victory dance which rivals any touchdown dance I have ever seen. It was a great moment.

Some more favorite moments included family members breaking into YMCA with funny hats, the "kill Bill" game, one of the most violent bouquet tosses ever, and all the sweat peas. Not only did Meghan and Ryan introduce me to one of the best wonton restaurants in Atlanta, but they had me be part of a very memorable wedding. Thank you guys, I had a blast!

Kate & Mark

2008-07-01T18:13:00.008-04:00

Kate & Mark
May 17th
St Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church
Three Bridges, New Jersey

Kate and Mark's wedding was planned out to the minute (see the picture below where the itemized, color coordinated, grafted according to person itinerary was ripped up and thrown in the air above the bride). All the planning paid off and the wedding went perfectly. Memorable moments include the father of the bride greeting the guests with an acoustic version of "Puff the Magic Dragon", as well as the dancing. I was very impressed.

I have seen lots of people dance from all sorts of different cultures from the Masai jump to the South American Salsa, but I will have to say my favorite people to see on the dance floor happens to be the American engineer. It is kind of a cross between the robot and a crazy bounce that almost goes with the music. The American Engineer is the only dancer that I have seen who can actually dance out of sync. Kate and Mark's dance floor was full of all sorts of American Engineer moves. It was great!

On another note, I just love these guys. I met Kate over a year ago and she is a very impressive and inspiring women. Even looking at her myspace page you can see pictures of her in zero gravity with NASA as well as an article written on her about her neuroengineering research on using neuro-implants to enable people with spinal cord injuries to walk again. I am convinced that this woman can do anything, and I am very proud to have her as a friend. Engineers may have one of the most uncoordinated dances in the world, but hey, not only do they help make the earth go round, but they can tell you that it is not actually round but it's shape is geoid.

I am going to have to make a side note here on how funny I think the image below is. During the ceremony Kate has that "how sweet" smile, and Mark has a priceless smirk. I will say these two have very expressive faces and I laughed hard when going though some of the images.

Cindy & Markus

2008-05-14T01:06:00.007-04:00

John Oliver Michael House
Athens Georgia
May 2nd 2008

I got to know Cindy when she booked me for her wedding over a year ago. We became fast friends. I love hanging out with her and her family. Every time we get together we just laugh and laugh. There were a lot of laughs at her wedding and even a few tears. It was such a pleasure to be along side her as she married Markus.

Markus and Cindy themed their wedding, "Awaken Your Inner Child". They entered their reception with Storm Trooper escorts, there was chocolate soup (which I still can't get over), temporary tattoos, and lots and lots of Legos. There was entertainment for all ages including a memorable father-daughter dance to "Punk Rock Girl." It was a wedding to remember, I was happy to be a part of such a great production.

I look forward to all the laughs and memories in the coming years.

Alden & Colin

2008-05-09T15:58:00.007-04:00

May 3rd 2008
Peachtree Presbyterian Church
Ritz Carlton Downtown Atlanta

Alden and I went to high school together. I was so happy when I got the call to photograph her wedding. We hadn't seen each other in about 10 years! I was even happier to be there with her for her marriage to Colin! It's great to reconnect with someone that I get along with so well, and that lives here in Atlanta!

The wedding was perfect. Every detail had been thought out and executed and planned. The band was one of the best I have ever heard, I couldn't help but dance. I remember there was a moment where I left the dance floor to take some pictures of the "non-dancers". As I looked around I realized that there were pretty much no "non-dancers". Everyone was on the dance floor, smiling and laughing.

I had a great night and I wish Alden and Colin all the best!
Kristi

My Wedding Shoes

2008-05-01T17:26:00.005-04:00

Working in the industry I see lots of great wedding ideas! I have recently stole one! I photographed a very memorable wedding on leap day for Nikki and Steve. Steve is such a lover of Chucks that he wore converse to his own wedding.

I had a lot of factors when thinking about what kind of shoe I wanted to wear...
1. Paul is only 2 to 3 inches taller then me so I should wear something flat
2. I needed a shoe that I could handle accidentally stepping in elephant dung
3. As a bride I need something blue
4. I have a very limited weight limit for my trip so I needed a practical shoe that I can re wear during the trip

While thinking about all these factors I remembered Steve's shoes and decided that I should custom make some converse (http://www.converse.com/). I put some blue and even added the place and date Zambia 6-1-8 (6-1-08 was one too many characters).

They came in today and I just love them! I don't think I have ever been this excited about shoes. I never thought I would blog about a shoe, but this shoe rocks and makes me smile! Thanks Steve for the idea!

Lauren & Comer

2008-04-22T16:09:00.007-04:00

April 5th 2008
First Christian Church
Commerce Club

Let me say first off, if I was to have a second family, I would want to move in with the Bowens! When Lauren came over to talk with me about wedding photography she brought her mom over. When I opened the door I realized that her mother, Margie, was one of my favorite coworkers from back when I worked at REI!

On the wedding day the photography started at the Bowen's house and I just fell in love with the house. Mr. Bowen helped design and build their home. It was designed to let in lots of natural light and just felt like you had left the city. It had the feel of a mountain home but yet I was inside the perimeter. Lauren and her sister were just full of laughs and smiles! I did feel very much at home.

Lauren and Comer had a great wedding. The day started off with a masseuse hired to relax and prep the bridesmaids for an exciting day. The bridal party was the largest group I have ever seen with 11 bridesmaids and 11 groomsmen but they were all so friendly that I felt like one of the gang.

Lauren and Comer had the ability to just light each other up. I don't remember a moment when they were looking at each other without a huge grin. Their love was apparent and just filled the room. Hopefully these images can help remind everyone of the emotions felt on the day.

Congratulations Ruth and Abiy!!

2008-04-15T21:55:00.004-04:00

I love my job! I am able to watch families start at a couple's marriage, then I get to watch families grow. I had the pleasure of photographing Ruth and Abiy's wedding in Ethiopia, and last Sunday I got to watch the excitement in their eyes over the coming birth of their first child. Ruth told me last Sunday that she was expecting to give birth today, Tuesday the 15th. I woke up today to the news that Ruth and Abiy have had their first child today, right on time! The following images are pictures I took on Sunday 2 days before Adonia was born!

Congratulations! I can't wait to meet her!
Kristi

Jamie & Patrick

2008-04-07T10:30:00.003-04:00

March 15th
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Swan Coach House

I have known these guys since my Georgia Tech years, so for 8 years now. Patrick and Jamie have always been one of my favorite couples, so it was an absolute pleasure to be able to capture their wedding. When the night was over, even though I had been with the couple for 11 hours, I didn't want it to end. We had so much fun!

The wedding was full of emotions from lots of tears to lots of laughs. Jamie was glowing, it was beautiful. Through my edits I keep smiling and laughing. The pictures reminded me how much I enjoyed Jamie and Patrick's wedding. There were so many wonderful moments. I hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed taking them!
Kristi

Nikki & Steve

2008-03-30T14:50:00.004-04:00

Wedding
February 29th, 2008
Renaissance Atlanta Downtown

Reception
March 1st 2008
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
Egyptian Ballroom

Wow what an event, I had such a great time. Nikki and Steve's wedding truly fit their personalities. Steve is a man who always has cartoons in his pocket. I remember when I was younger I used to take notes on my hand. For the wedding Steve's hand read "I do" (his notes for the day). When he was asked, "Do you take Nikki to be your wife" Steve held his hand up and read "I do".

Nikki is one of those people who you fell lucky to know. She has a way to light up a room. I can't remember a time when I hung out with Nikki where she wasn't smiling or laughing. Both Nikki and Steve are very inspiring people and it was my pleasure to be a part of their wonderful wedding. They truly live to make others happy and laugh as much as humanly possible.

Steve wore his bright purple Converse all Stars and Nikki wore her high heals with her toe nails painted in a matching purple. They picked Leap day to get married on, marriage being the big "leap". To capture this wedding we had to do something unique and well a little playful to help capture Nikki and Steve's personality. We created the "jump studio"! I will post more about it in my next blog.

The Caleb Cam

2008-03-30T14:38:00.007-04:00

Nikki and Steve had a brunch for their wedding at one of Atlanta's favorite restaurants, Mary Mac's (not to mention one of my favorites as well). One of their guests, 6 year old Caleb, was very curious about photography and wanted to assist me. I set up a camera for him and let him shoot for a while. What can I say, but Caleb was a natural! He got one of my favorite shots of Steve.

It is funny how people react differently with a child, and kids can get images that are very difficult for an adult to take. People will pull faces, smile, laugh and do some crazy posing. One of the images has the whole table smiling, even those in the background! The following are a few pictures from Caleb. I want to give a big thanks for the excellent assistance! Caleb you are an awesome photographer, great job and thank you!
Kristi

Julie & Henry

2008-03-12T16:46:00.007-04:00

Sardis Methodist Church
Atlanta, Georgia

I was very excited about this wedding! Not only are Julie and Henry just lovely people, they happened to be getting married at my favorite church, Sardis Methodist. Sardis has been part of my life for well... all of it. My parents were married there, my nephew was baptized there, and I even went to Kindergarten and First grade at Atlanta International School which was (for it's first few years) in the building behind the church. I have memories of hiding under the stairs, I was a shy kid!

The wedding was beautiful as well as the reception. The reception site, the Buckhead Club, had an overview of Atlanta, and I got a great shot of the cake with a view! The room gave the feel that you were on top of Atlanta. The guests were all so nice, and happy. They hit the dance floor (I am pretty sure all of them) and didn't stop dancing till well into the night. One of my favorite moments was when Julie's daughter gave her speech to her mom. It was full of emotion and admiration; in one word it was "beautiful".

Dates

2008-02-27T00:31:00.002-05:00

After playing with my website way too much over the last 3 days (check out the new portfolio pages on www.weddingsbykristi.com) I figured out how to make a calendar of my available dates. I have been getting lots of request for taken dates, I am hoping my new calendar might help people know when I am available. Since I don't shoot 2 weddings in a day, it is easy to see when I am taken. I haven't linked it yet to the site, but I will soon, it is getting late...

The calendar can be found here:
http://www.weddingsbykristi.com/dates/weddings.htm

Wow I am sleepy!
Night!
Kristi

Denise & David

2008-02-17T01:52:00.010-05:00

The Wimbish House
Atlanta, Ga

In the last couple of years there has only been one day I can only remember where we have had snow that filled the sky in "Hot-lanta" and actually stuck to the ground. That day was January 19th, the same day as Denise and David’s wedding. What was more of a coincidence was that David and Denise had chosen the theme of snow for their wedding! Their cake was frosted not just with icing, but also with snowflakes made of sugar, the lights cast snowflakes on the ceiling, David had hand cut tons of paper snowflakes for the guest to hold up for their exit, and after all that mother nature wanted to add her touch by giving them a actual white wedding.

With all the kids, snow, toys, and possibly the largest bowl of M&Ms in the world, it was hard not to feel 10 years younger by just being at the wedding! Everyone seemed so happy, especially the beautiful couple. It was definitely a wedding to remember!

Lila & Gajan

2008-02-04T00:37:00.000-05:00

Lila and Gajan's wedding was filled with color, sarongs, and a few familiar Australian accents.

I reconnected with Lila just before her wedding, we were friends from high school (her mother even claims to have embarrassing photos of me from when I was a kid!). Gajan graduated from the same college as me, the University of New South Wales, out in Sydney Australia. It was a lot of fun hanging out with these two, and their many dogs.

It was great to close 2007 with a friend's wedding. Lila and Gajan are just so down to earth and happy it made everyone around full of smiles.

Tangie & Sam

2008-01-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

Tangie & Sam
Westin Perimeter
November 24th 2007

Tangie and Sam have a beautiful story. Neither of them lived in Atlanta but
meet while they where both visiting Atlanta. The connected instantly and
even though they lived in different parts of the country they grew
closer. They moved to Atlanta to be together. What better backdrop for
this couple then the Atlanta skyline. We met about a month after the
wedding and got some great shots with the city in the background.

Much needed day off...

2007-12-23T22:22:00.000-05:00

About a week ago (Wednesday the 12) it was in the 70's and absolutely oddly beautiful for December. My fiancé and I realized we both had 2 days off, and decided to do a camping and climbing trip. It was unbelievable; we threw all our camping gear into the car and drove up to Ashville. We met up with one of my old climbing buddies, Barry, and did a bit of a climb on Looking Glass Mountain. I met Barry rockclimbing in Argentina during my around the world trip and we tend to meet up every once in a while for a climb.

For me, my company has really taken off recently, so much that I hadn't taken a day off for almost a month. I enjoy what I do so much, I sometimes don't realize how many hours I am actually working. The two days of climbing and camping with Paul made me really happy. I am really glad we took advantage of the great weather because we had what seems like a 30 degree drop over one week.

I have included some of my pictures!

That's me climbing in the first 2 pictures. Since we were climbing with 3, Paul took them hanging at the first pitch. I am very proud, he is learning how to take some great pictures.

Katie & Hoke

2007-11-30T22:04:00.001-05:00

The was my first beach wedding, and it couldn't have been prettier! It was such a pleasure to be able to photograph such a wonderful couple for their wedding in St. Simons. I couldn't be happier with the images or the memories!

Everyone was so happy, especially Katie and Hoke. They truly seem at ease in each other's arms. I absolutely loved the Trolley ride and the triplet flower girls! We ended up at the beach at just the right time. The sunset couldn't be more perfect. It was almost like the sky arranged itself at that time just for Katie and Hoke giving them a beautiful first moment as husband and wife. It was great being able to capture
that moment!

Melanie and Todd in Brumby Hall

2007-11-30T21:48:00.000-05:00

We've got a screamer!!

Melanie and Todd's wedding was so much fun! First of all the bride was a screamer! She was so excited that every once in a while she would scream. Secondly, the father of the groom had the best Donald Duck voice ever. And last but not least, the
emotions between the couple during the first dance were so beautiful that it brought a tear to my eye.

Everyone there was so much fun, I was a bit sad when the night ended!

Ethiopian Wedding

2007-11-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

It has taken me a while to blog about my weddings from the last month. I have been busy!

I was very excited to put up my images from the wedding I just shot in Ethiopia! Below are some of the highlights. I have been to Africa before, but the cultural education I received from this trip to Ethiopia just blew me away. I am used to being a traveler, but this trip took me to a different level. Ruth's family took me in, gave me a place to stay, cooked me dinner (on multiple occasions), took me out for lots of coffee and had their friends gives me tours of the city. Their wedding was a full day event, they even took time to feed the homeless. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful event!

Ethiopia

2007-10-19T17:49:00.000-04:00

I just got back from an unbelievable trip to Ethiopia. I got to visit villages and tribes down in the Omo valley way down South at almost the Kenyan border. There was so much diversity, I could have spent months there. I only have 5 day, but those 5 days I will always remember. Below are some of my favorite images!

Elizabeth and Clay

2007-10-19T17:16:00.000-04:00

Wow these two had a beautiful wedding! So many things to capture. I was really taken by many moments such as: the enormous smile Clay had whenever he looked at Elizabeth, the towering cake, the energetic ring barer who just loved the camera, the first dance in the huge ballroom, getting married in perfect weather under the sun setting over Atlanta, and especially all the laughter. It capturing moments like these that make me love what I do for a living! The pictures are now up on www.kristiodom.com. The following images are some of my favorites taken by me and my assistants.

Catherine's Baptism

2007-09-09T21:43:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I shot my second Baptism. Both the babies baptisms I have photographed were kids from childhood friends. It still a bit strange seeing my friends have kids (especially since they are both younger then me). Catherine was an absolute pleasure to photograph. She seemed to really enjoy her baptism, her eyes were wide open the whole time with wonder.

Lindsey & Kyle

2007-09-07T12:37:00.000-04:00

August 25th
Lindsey & Kyle
Peachtree Presbyterian Church
Capital City Club

I had a blast at Lindsay and Kyle's wedding. I felt truly fortunate being the one who was able to capture all the emotions throughout the day. The family at the hair salon, the groomsmen giving me a hard time, the active dance floor, the smile that Lindsey had every time she caught Kyle’s glance, hopefully my images can help everyone who enjoyed the day as much as me remember it. It was an awesome event. I hope you like the pictures; they are currently up on http://www.weddingsbykristi.com/capitalcityclubwedding.html. If you get a chance tell me what you think!
Kristi

Vines Botanical Gardens

2007-09-06T17:36:00.000-04:00

Saturday September 1st, I assisted Ted again. This time it was at the Vines Botanical Gardens in Loganville. Here are some of the images!

Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras!

2007-08-13T23:31:00.000-04:00

I had a great trip, but wow, it is great to be back! I actully missed my job, as well as Paul! I have put some of my pictures up, but have not linked them to my webpage. They are up at http://www.kristiodom.com/centralamerica2007/ Please have a look and tell me what you think!

Sloths

2007-07-29T18:28:00.001-04:00

One of my life goals has been accomplished! I photographed a sloth in the wild! He just kind of sat there and gave me lots of time to take this hundreds of the same shot. It was awesome!

2007-07-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

Wedding at Berkeley Hills Country Club

7.7.7

I had a great Earth day this year. I assisted at a wedding for Ted and Mandi and the whole wedding party was just full of smiles... the whole time... A little country music brought out a scary Dixie side of this normal looking group, which thankfully only lasted 3 songs.

I insisted on taking pictures outside, how could you not on earth day (also known as the luckiest day of the year to get married). We had a few drops of rain (also considered lucky on your wedding day) which seemed to make me more nervous then the bride. The groomsmen where running around with umbrellas just in case! The overcast gave me perfect light for my images, so I was very happy! I will take a few drops of rain over harsh July light any day!

2007-07-06T22:57:00.000-04:00

Davis at 2

Friday morning started with a photo shoot at the park. This is my second shoot for Davis McMillan and he is still cute as can be! He had more energy in the time that I spent with him, then I have all day! It is a bit of a challenge getting a 2 year old attention long enough to get a picture, let alone a smiling at the camera picture. With all the running around I am very happy with the pictures, especially the ones of him on the swing. If you want to see the full gallery please go to www.kristiodom.com/davispics.html.

2007-06-16T23:55:00.000-04:00

A Wedding at the Cedar Plantation

Today I assisted Ted and Mandi again. It was a very photogenic wedding. I loved the venue! The couple was very fun and easy to work with. I had problems just picking a few images to post!

2007-06-03T23:45:00.000-04:00

Today I photographed my first Baptism. It went really well! Mary Catherine was such an easy subject and I just love the picture of her smiling with her parents! With one hand I had my camera ready, with the other I was shaking my keys to make her smile! I don't know what it is with kids and keys.

2007-05-19T23:12:00.000-04:00

Catherine and Rick

One word comes to mind when I think back on Catherine and Rick's wedding... perfect. It was small, in a little outdoor area, great music, great food, and lots of great people. I have known Catherine for at least 20 years (most of my life) and it was an absolute pleasure being there to share her whole wedding day. She married a great guy who truly made her eyes light up! It was just... perfect. Not to mention my job was easy. It was a very photogenic crew!

2007-05-13T23:34:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day

My mother for mother's day wanted nothing more then some pictures of my sister with her son. Levi, my sister's son, turned my mother into a Grandmother (which is still kind of weird for me). For almost a year we had 5 generations in my family. Levi, his mom Brittany, my mother, her mother and then my great-grandmother. So Levi had a great-great-grandmother.

We ended up taking some pictures in the park of Levi with my sister. I love the pictures, and so did my mother!

http://www.kristiodom.com/LeviPics/

Italy!!

2007-04-17T13:37:00.000-04:00

I am usually one for rugged travel, absolutely obsessed with traveling in Africa, South America, Southeast Asia and so on. When me and Paul decided to go to Italy, I was excited, but not as much as I usually am. I was so wrong. We started in Rome, and I was quickly taken away by the scale of that city. The monuments throughout the city made me feel so small because of their shear size and beauty. The art in the Vatican was breathtaking, images that I had seen before but never really experienced till I had seen them in life.

We spent New Years there, and wow, the Italians know how to party. Take a look at the broken glass on the streets. We walked around and stood next to a statue of a Roman god and watched the fireworks right next to him. It was surreal. I found a few circus performers, and they let me use their fire staff, so I gave a fire show with all these Italians chanting "kristi". I was in a circus group in Sydney and learned how to twirl fire. I didn't travel back with my stick, and really have no place in Atlanta to play with fire, so I haven't had a chance to twirl in years. I did pretty well, I think Paul was impressed. I will always remember twirling fire on the streets of Rome on the first day of this year!

We went on to Venice, and I got to shop a bit! I am a sucker for buying work from local artist, so in Venice I was going crazy. I found a mask maker I liked and got her to custom make a mask for me. I got to take some pictures of her working on my mask. I just love it!

Update on my love life!

2007-04-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

I am engaged! I am getting married May 24th 2008 to my boyfriend of about a year, Paul. We met working at REI in Atlanta, and quickly became great friends. We share a love for the outdoors, trivia, Disney movies, and especially travel. It's great cause not only do I have someone great to spend the rest of my life with, but I have an adventure buddy! We get to mountain bike, climb and travel to odd places together.

Mark Twain said “I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them”. So Paul and I had to take a trip together.

I usually travel alone and really prefer that. I have only found a few people in the world who like I like to travel with. Over New Years we went to Italy and London. We grew so close, and had so much fun. I knew we were meant to spend our lives together from that trip.

Africa

2007-04-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

One of the trips that has changed my life forever was my trip last year to Kenya and Tanzania.

Africa was beyond all expectations! I had some experiences I will always remember! I was offered a goat and a few cows for my hand in marriage in a Masai village! I didn't think that it was such a great idea for a few reasons, one being the men get many wives, and the other being they believe their women should be circumcised (they perform this surgery in their cow dung huts)! I had some lions outside my tent one night! Camping in the Serengeti is quite scary. Me and my friend Tanja spent some time with the villagers in Zanzibar and learned the "pole pole" way of life (Swahili for slowly slowly). Overall I will always remember this trip! As you all know, I think my pictures tell of my trip a bit better then words, so I have kept this e-mail short. So please have a look at my site, http://www.kristiodom.com/.

I absolutely love the big cats. I was in the above vehicle shooting this lion, so I was shooting down from the open car. He choose to use the shade of our car and just chill out! The lion reacted to the sound of my camera by looking at me, and showing me his teeth. I was shaking for ages after this shot, the lion was so overwhelming, that my hands just kept on trembling. I wasn't able to steady my hands for a while to take any more pictures!

Laughing with the Maasai! It is great how laughter breaks all language barriers. We didn't understand a word of each others, but yet it is so easy to share smiles!

Update on Travel

2007-04-17T12:23:00.000-04:00

Hello all!
It has been ages since I have put up a blog! Almost 2 years! So there is a lot to talk about.

I started working for Sterling Brownell last May, a local Virtuoso Travel Agency. I worked in the office basically learning the industry until I made a big switch last December. Since then I have been running my own Travel Consulting Business from home with Sterling as my host. I am very pleased to be with one of the best agencies in the States! Not only do I get to learn from the best, but my company has great connections with hotels, cruise lines, tour companies all throughout the world, which means I have a lot to offer my clients. They are often treated like VIPs with added amenities and free upgrades. Please have a look at Sterling Brownell's website, www.sterlingbrownell.com

I have learned and experienced more then I could have ever imagined through travel, so it gives me great pleasure to help others get out and see the world! If you ever need any advice, feel free to e-mail me at kristi@sterlingtvl.com.

long time

2007-02-23T01:15:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted... I think I will start up again...

2005-09-05T18:49:00.000-04:00

Climbing in Sandrock, I put more pics up at, http://www.kristiodom.com/sand/.

2005-09-05T18:42:00.000-04:00

My friend in Finland just sent this one to me. It makes me smile.

2005-09-05T15:55:00.000-04:00

I graduated ages ago, well not age, at the end of 2003. I finally got around to playing with the pictures.

Tom and Paula's Wedding

2005-08-24T07:11:00.000-04:00

I shot a wedding about a month ago and finally have the images! They are up on www.kristiodom.com/tompaula/wedding.htm. Feel free to have a look and tell me what you think!

Updates

2005-08-09T15:11:00.000-04:00

So I finally got around to editing my website. Hopefulling in the next month or so the whold site will improve. I started with the climbing section, so check it out. www.kristiodom.com/climbing.html. I added pics from Foster falls and Arapiles. Arapiles is one probably the coolest place I have ever climbed. I did a 5 pitched trad lead!!

2005-06-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

Some of the places I have been. I didn't include all my US and all my Australian spots but you get the idea.

Weddings

2005-06-10T10:17:00.000-04:00

So I have come back to Atlanta, and it seems like most of my friends (that are still in Atlanta) are getting married. Last weekend I went to my 3rd wedding since I have been back.

Number 1, a New Orleans Wedding: Dave and Tanya! I flew back early from Sydney for this one, and it was well worth it. Me and Derek took the road trip to New Orleans to see them get married. Highlights included: the outside reception, the beautiful rehearsal dinner, walking around the streets of New Orleans, and of course the Shirley Temples.

Number 2, a White Wedding on the Green: Mindy and Raj! This time me, Tim, and Derek travelled to Augusta (golf mecca). We stayed at the Raddison and used Golf carts to get around the outside wedding. Oh ya there were 2 weddings, a Hindu and a Christian. The Hindu one was really interesting, I will admit that I didn't really understand what was going on, and kept worrying that Raj was going to light his Indian wear on fire when he had to walk around the stage. It was beautiful. Check out the pics on www.kristiodom.com/mindywed.html. Highlights include: Indian food, golf carts, Bobby (the 15 year old in charge of watching the outdoor wedding), and Mindy's dress.

Number 3, a Big Fat Greek Wedding: Christina and Doug! Finally an Atlanta wedding. I will have lots of pics soon, I am writing this blog instead of editing the pics. Much like the Hindu ceremony, I didn't fully understand this one either. They had crownings, and lots of singing. Christina is one of my oldest friends. We spent a lot of years growing up together, so it was a bit crazy seeing her all married and such. She looked absolutly beautiful, and happy. I will link the pics when I get a chance. Highlights include: the bridesmates were all awesome, the food, the lighting (I loved the reception's lights), and the coffee bar.

Long Time

2005-06-10T10:16:00.000-04:00

So it has been a while since I have posted, I am going to try and fix that...

Norah Jones

2005-04-11T22:15:00.000-04:00

My pics finally went up on Rollingstone.com for my Norah Jones shoot back in Sydney. I took the first 10 pictures in the lot. They are currently on the photo main page, or you can just go to, http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/_/id/5400028/norahjones?pageid=rs.Photos&pageregion=double1. The shoot was really hard, because Norah didn't want to "see the photographers", so they hid us in 7th row, so it was a distance shoot, and I don't have a 10,000 dollar lens (a 300 2.8). So I am actually happy with the images.

I think that she saw me at some point, I have a photo of her looking right at me, and she doesn't look too happy. Guess that little red blinking light (my camera's focus light) kind of gives away my position. So not my best shoot, but under considering the situation, and Norah being strange, I am very happy.

Leaving Sydney

2005-03-20T01:01:00.000-05:00

Today I just walked around Sydney on my own realising that I am about to say goodbye to a lot of things. In the lasts 5 years, I have spend 10 months in Atlanta, and now at 25 I am going to live there. Last time I lived there was in the 90's, crazy...

Well I guess with every beginning there is an end. And it's time to say goodbye, again... This time with a tear and a smile, and a ton of laughs :)

"waiting for the time when I can finally say, this has all been wonderful, but now I am on my way" -Phish

2005-02-16T20:00:00.000-05:00

Clare climbing in the Blue Mtns over the weekend! I love hanging and taking photos! I struggled so much on these climbs, I need to get in shape, no more pearl teas for me!

2005-02-16T19:47:00.000-05:00

Me and Christine outside the Sydney Opera house! It feels so good to be back, it is almost like I never left, except for the fact that everyone has different haircuts!!

Arapiles!!

2005-02-16T19:37:00.000-05:00

This sunday, I am travelling 12 hours to go to one of the best crags in the world, Mt. Arapiles, http://www.arapiles.net/. I am a bit nervious, I am a bit weak these days (travelling tends to do that), and this is going to be some crazy climbing! I have been training a bit indoors, I have worked 7 of the last 8 days, today is a break day! I am starting to feel stronger, especially in my arms and stomach. My goal is to be able to do chin-ups on 4 fingers like the other girls I climb with! One day...

It is all trad (traditional climbing, no rings in the cliffs, I am going to have to trust myself to make my own protection). It is going to be great! Plus it has been a good month since I have camped, I have kind of missed sleeping in a tent. Soon I will have lots of climbing photos!

Back in Australia

2005-02-06T19:18:00.000-05:00

I am back, I missed Sydney heaps! I had welcome back drinks and put the pic up on my Photo-Friends page. Or you can just go to http://www.serablue.com/kristi/welcome.html. The guys I know from windsuring partied hard, some out until 5am with me!

Front Page

2005-01-26T16:58:00.000-05:00

I was really excited today, when I noticed that my pics is on the front page of www.rollingstone.com! It is a shot of the Beastie Boys, from the Big Day Out!!

Rollingstone

2005-01-24T17:33:00.000-05:00

I got to do my first shoot in New Zealand, the Big Day Out, last week! It was really exciting. My photos just went live today, you can either go to www.rollingstone.com, click on photo, then on Big Day Out 05. Or you can just go to, http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/_/id/6858521. I really don't know who is scarier, Slipknot or The Polyphonic Spree.

Climbing in New Zealand

2005-01-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

Last week I did 5 days of Rock Climbing in Wharepapa New Zealand. It was awesome! I just love climbing with the Kiwi's, they are so relaxed and just love being outdoors, it was a real pleasure! I stayed at this really cool Hostel, Bryce's Hostel, where they had their own bouldering wall and climbing shop. Bryce knows all about the area, climbing equiptment, and was really cool to just chat to. He took me for a climb, it was great climbing with the area master!

I climbed a lot with this German guy, Reinhart. On the second day we got lost on a farm looking for a climb. It took us a little over 2 hours! The climb was well worth it, it was up a tube. I got sunburnt, and I really never want to see another cow again. They would moo at me while climbing! It was definitly a unique experience. The farm land (Smith's Rock) looked like something directly out of Lord of the Rings.

I am working on a website with my climbing pics, I will link it soon to my climbing page. They are on http://www.serablue.com/kristi/smithspics.html, and http://www.serablue.com/kristi/waipapapics.html.

New Zealand

2005-01-10T11:04:00.000-05:00

So today I am off again, flying to New Zealand, and arriving 2 days later (I arrive on the 12th). No more Winter for me!! I am going to summer:)

My first few days I will be rockclimbing in Wharepapa, then off to Auckland to photograph the Big Day Out! After the Big Day Out I am going to go to the very North of the north island and hopefully learn a bit about the Maori.

New Page

2005-01-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

I put up a new page on my site for some of Dave Scales' travelling pics. He has recently travelled to Damascus, Chatila and Beirut. I have him linked on my Friends page under "pics from my friends travels". The direct link is http://www.serablue.com/kristi/scales2.html. Check out his Blog for his travelling stories, http://tnfalpha.blogspot.com/.

Please feel free to send me pics for this section of my site. I really want to get pics from all over the world from people who travel or live in different countries.

2005-01-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

This is Charles, outside his Kitchen in the Jungle. He made me as well as 3 others, Dr Lau (leading cacti botinist) as well as a German author and her son, a New Years FEAST in this kitchen. He took all these herbs from his Organic farm and gave us all a meal to remember.

2005-01-09T11:27:00.001-05:00

more San Miguel Kids

2005-01-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

Kids in San Miguel

Life is Rich

2005-01-09T11:18:00.000-05:00

It is crazy how people who have nothing in the way of material possessions can have so much in the way in way of life. I have seen way more smiles in poor villages then I have in New York City, Atlanta, or even London. These village kids really taught me that life is rich, no matter how poor you are. Sometimes I think that all the western world has built has taken people further away from what is truly important in life. People are so busy trying to make it, or be rich, or successful that they have forgotten about life. I feel like our progression in a way is pulling us further away from enjoying the simple things.

Mayan Village

2005-01-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

After an overnight in Belize City I flew down to Punta Gorda in the Toledo district of Belize. I decided to stay in a Mayan Village to learn a bit more about their way of life. I had read that the Toledo district was for "those who are truly adventurous" as well as "be prepared to rough it". Did I listen, not really.

I woke up my first night in the village to go use the bathroom only to find two huge black transulas. I don't know much about these spiders so I decided it was best to just stay away. Then I went back to sleep. I woke up early, (it was still dark) turned on my headlamp only to see a scorpion right next to my head! It was inside of the mosquito net with me, so it probably slept with me the whole night! The little village children said that they have all been stung and if the scorpion bites to kill it, and squeeze the green stuff out of their bodies and rub it on the bite! Luckily I was never stung.

I learned a lot about the Mayans during my stay in the village. I really wanted to learn a bit about their religion so I started asking questions. I found out that in the villages, the people were either Catholic or Christian. The Mayans I met didn't know much about the Mayan religion. I had this group of women try and sell me a carving of a Mayan God in a rock. I asked "which God is this" and then replied " I am really not sure, I think that it is the God of Corn". I just thought it was crazy to have people continue with the arts celebrating the religion, but yet know nothing about the religion itself.

I did meet some lovely people in the village. The girls in the pic below are from the Choco family and I just loved hanging out with them and their family. I would sit on the porch and the girls tried teaching me their language Katchi, and we would watch the other villagers. These little girls knew 3 languages, English (the official language of Belize), Spanish, and Katchi. The families in the village are usually quite big with up to 10 people sharing a small room and sleeping in hammocks or on the floor.

2005-01-08T12:50:00.000-05:00

With the Choco Girls in an Mayan Village

I'm off

2004-12-28T06:14:00.000-05:00

So I am off today to start the second part of my trip. Off to Belize!!

Movie thoughts

2004-12-27T01:17:00.000-05:00

I realized tonight as I sat watching a movie at the cinema, that so many people go to movie to escape. To totally get lost in the film and kind of forgot where you yourself are. It cuts down time to think about your own problems instead you are thinking about the characters on the screen.

There was a child somewhere talking, quickly followed by numerous people saying "shhh". I smiled, then wondered why I wasn't upset by the disturbance. Most people get annoyed because it kills the whole illusional escape. It made me really happy that I wasn't annoyed, but instead I enjoyed the interuptions. Interruptions made the theater full of life, and that was somewhat beautiful. From the kid talking, to the phone that went off right after a really intiment scene, to the people getting upset at the kid, and finally to all the youngsters leaving early for their curfew. I guess once I sat back and relaxed I realized that it is silly to be annoyed, and even crazier not to realize that these little quirks are kind of unique and beautiful.

Throw Santa

2004-12-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

Hey I came across this today, http://www.fetchfido.co.uk/games/slingshot_santa/slingshot_santa.htm See if you can see the reindeer (he is at about 340 meters).
My high score is 346.1
Charles scored 348.3
see if you can beat Charles.