Joey Jessica Photographs » Lifestyle and Wedding Blog

I am posting this from the road today.  Jessica and I are hanging out with our awesome friends Dan and Amelia of Dreamland Images in Charleston, SC.  Awesome shoot tomorrow at Drayton Hall, and we’ll post some iPhone snaps of behind scenes and scouting.

Today’s band is Department of Eagles, a band formed in 2000 by friends and New York University (NYU) roommates Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear) and Fred Nicolaus. The roommates created music from collected samples, assembled into songs and recorded with pirated recording software and a microphone borrowed from their neighbor, Chris Taylor, who would later become Rossen’s bandmate in Grizzly Bear, as well as Department of Eagle’s producer and recording engineer.

The duo’s music combines folk, electronica and other influences. Initially, Rossen and Nicolaus planned on distributing their dorm room beats-and-samples CD only among friends, but they ended up releasing some of these early tracks on two limited-edition vinyl singles on California-based independent label Isota Records. (Thanks wiki) Similar to Grizzly Bear, I recommend Dept. of Eagles for evening drives, even better driving in the mountains, and sitting around relaxing on a Sunday morning drinking coffee. Check them out HERE and buy their music HERE.

A little sneak peek from our shoot in Manteo, NC with Ann Marie and John.  More to follow shortly-

Jessica giving her father a hair cut while traveling through Montana and a barn on the property where we were staying near Red Lodge, MT.

Aaron Chapman, James Mitchell and John Bowers, friends since middle school, have moved from Idaho to California to Chicago to (finally) Portland, Oregon, and they’ve dragged their psych-rock project, Nurses, with them.  Nurses are a psychedelic  rock band charging in from Portland, Oregon. They are great! They mix a bit of story telling with beautiful harmonies and toe tapping beats.  Lead singer, Aaron Chapman’s voice takes on a strange instrumental sound sometimes rather than a human voice.  I recommend these gentleman for late afternoons or sunday mornings on the front porch.  Check them out HERE . Cheers!!

This past weekend we were guest/photographers at our Friends Jessica Benton and Simon Lobdell’s wedding. Jessica is a fellow photographer and it was such an honor to be a part of their wedding. Simon and Jessica met on the A.T. (Appalachian Trail) which is a hiking trail in the eastern United States, extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Simon is such a romeo too, so to all of the fellows out there, listen to this… Simon mined for the gold that makes up the wedding band he proposed to Jessica with, he waited until he had enough to lace into the band before he proposed… He is setting the bar high for all of the future grooms out there . Here is a sequence of the two of them sprinting after their ceremony. True story, I almost kreeled my ankle trying to keep up with them. So psyched for the two of them, congratulations to you both!

I don’t think Jessica or Will stopped smiling the whole day! They were amazingly excited to be marrying their best friend. Congrats Jessica and Will, it was a pleasure to photograph your fun and memorable day.
Thanks to Griffin Davis for grabbing this awesome image of Jessica’s Rosary Beads.

For the whos who and all the stylish boys and girls out there, and for everyone who wants a little extra pop in your step.  My fellow photographer buddy, F.E. Castleberry aka – Fred Egan has launched his super sweet style blog, Unabashedly Prep.  It is dedicated to show you what is hot in New England style prep attire as well as some great tunes to listen to while you get your style on.  I highly recommend you check out and follow his blog and take some of his fashion sense and mix with a slice of your own. Check it out HERE.

Summer time is wrapping up here in NC.  We had our first taste of fall last week. I think I need a new scarf for the season.  Here are a few more from a recent summer time shoot.

Amie and Steven’s wedding was so much fun to photograph.  They had beautiful details, a fantastic location on Bald Head Island, their friends and family were kind and friendly.  Oh yea….and Amie and Steven are madly in love so yea….our job was pretty easy!  : )

I am not encouraging gun violence.  But this is a sweet video.

Treat Me Like Your Mother-The Dead Weather from godbo6 on Vimeo.

These guys are freaking awesome. Great beats and smooth catchy vocals.  I forgot to post yesterday because I was too busy rocking out listening to them..  Peter Bjorn and John are a Swedish indie rock band, formed in Stockholm in 1999 and named after the first names of the band’s current members: Peter Morén (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Björn Yttling (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals) and John Eriksson (drums, percussion and vocals).  (thanks wiki) They are best known for the 2006 single “Young Folks”, but I have seriously never heard anything from these three swedish fellows that I haven’t liked.  I recommend them for many occasions, riding your bike to getting ready in the mornings, to hanging out, going on a road trip,  just goes great with a lot of things.  Stop reading this and go Rock out HERE and get their music HERE.

This is a great way to give this holiday season.  Jeremy Cowart has helped establish the Help Portrait project which is about giving the gift of a portrait. On December 12th we will be helping out here in Greensboro, we hope to see you there.  Check back for more details soon.