Beautiful Bride ... do you want your photos? ;)

Happy ... Ummm ... Happy

These were the words to describe this beautiful bride in Brookhaven, Mississippi earlier this year. The wedding was beautifully set at a bed and breakfast in the downtown area of Brookhaven. Everyone had a lovely time, and she made my shoot very easy. She's gorgeous! Even her fiance had a little swagger going, and he was dapper and a true gentleman.

Bad Moon Rising?

A funny thing happened this year ... four brides (or grooms) backed out of their weddings thus far.

This is a scary trend. Why so many 'call-it-quits' relationships? Could it be a financial thing, or did the bachelor or bachelorette party turn out to be more than a gathering of good friends?

Funny thing is, there were more brides to book on the dates that were canceled, although my mind was on the couple that originally booked von Images! ;)

I hope all is well in Cupidville!

Stay tuned for photos from a wedding in Brookhaven, Miss. Very nice!

Vicksburg continues to come through ...

We all knew the heat was coming, but, boy, did it come heavy this past weekend in Vicksburg!

I was honored to shoot the Cammie Stillwell wedding at Cedar Grove Mansion right off the Mississippi River on Saturday. The bride was beautiful and the groom was calm and collected -- despite the 100 percent humidity and near-90 degree temperatures.

The grounds were great and provided just the right backdrop for that great Southern wedding!


I wish Cammie and Graham the best of luck!

Cash has eye on the Money

I wrapped up a shoot in Jackson, Miss. last week for a model from Hattiesburg.

She wanted new headshots and comp cards for an upcoming trade show with a number of different agencies.

We used the state capitol building and the surrounding grounds as a backdrop for the shoot.

It was 73 degrees in mid-January, so we did a few street shots, as well. It's nice to have no traffic in a downtown metropolis.

I'm excited to find out if her new additions to her portfolio will help her land a gig.

She said she had a reading (monologue) to prepare for, and was contemplating using excerpts from The Notebook or The Color Purple.

Older, but wiser?

On a day where most people recollect on their past, I can't help but think about what lies ahead for JBvF!

Yeah, I'm a year older than you have to be to run for president of the Ol' USofA, but, I have so much to look forward to.

I have a great family -- a loving wife, a beautiful new son, two great stepkids, great parents and an extended family that always seems to have my back.

I heard a guy say, "If you live in the past, you die in the past."

I like that.

For too long, I would dwell on "what could I have done differently" or "What if ..."

Well, I'm tired of asking "What if ..." and I'm ready to put a foot in front of me instead of behind me.

So, I'm hoping by this time next year, I can report that I have done nothing but positive things in my life, and have found success and happiness in everything I do.

Hell, I've always got brand new days with the ones I love!

Isn't that worth living for?

First time is always the best!

The following is an excerpt from Allison B. Mazurak's blog detailing her first solo wedding as a professional photographer. I think she did a great job!

This wedding was a blast. Both the bride and groom were completely laid back which made it a totally comfortable environment for shooting.

Stephanie and Lawson seem totally in love and their families seemed so excited for them.

The ceremony was nice and short with candles lit behind them. Candlelight shots are often tough, but this worked out well because they kept some lights on in the Richland church.

The couple exited to a fanfare of sparklers, which caused a bit of smoke as they came out.

And as Stephanie said: “This idea might have been better on paper!” Her dress even got singed a bit from one of the sparklers, but nothing ruined their day.

Guests headed over to the reception hall for food, cake and even a dance.

Looking back through the photos, they’ll have lots of nice candids of the bride getting ready, the groom with his groomsmen and family enjoying the day. I love that they let me document their big day!

Grenada Wedding ... Old Friends

Amanda Gordon is a wonderful bride!

That's how I describe the oh, so pleasant event in Grenada, Miss. last weekend. The bride and groom were so laid back, making for dynamite photos. Even Amanda's aunt helped keep everything flowing smoothly, and despite being held in a church without windows (and boy, was it dark!) all went well.

I was able to set up a pair of continuous flood lights that really helped out for the altar shots.

The ceremony was packed, and only lit by candles, so long exposure was a must, and the landscape shots, along with the portions of the vows where NO ONE MOVED were the only shots to get.

Probably the hardest part of the night came at the end, when the couple left (at dark) with only sparklers to light their way to their car. I didn't want to use flash to kill the sparkle, but didn't want to pop these guys with just sparkler light as they ran to their car. So, I ran backwards at their pace and popped a few medium exposure shots and they came out well, with a ton of movement around them, but their faces were crisp.

After the wedding, I was taken to dinner by a longtime friend from Batesville, David Howell -- a publisher of a newspaper in Water Valley. He introduced me to his beautiful bride and we rolled through a few lagers and devoured a few big steaks. It was an awesome night for me, because everyone who knows Barin von, knows friendship is a very important part of life!

Meanwhile, back at the Bat Cave ...

Alison Birk Mazurak shot her first solo wedding! She said it was an awesome experience, and I'm confident her business is about to take a turn for the better ... as in 'Boy, is she going to be BUSY!'

Congrats, AB!

Quick wedding at The Fairview

It was a first-time visit to The Fairview Inn in the Belhaven District of Jackson, Miss.

A circa. 1900 mansion was the backdrop for an extremely romantic event for the bride and groom.

We got started early due to an early sunset (it's November) and a possibility of showers. The bride was gorgeous, and combined with the columns on the antebellum home, this shoot screamed Southern elegance.

Plenty of great photoscapes to use with bride and groom, including majestic magnolias and exquisite detail inside the mansion.

An event I won't soon forget!

Fun event in Jackson

Anetra and Lamar's wedding proved to be a stellar event, with guests enjoying the day (and night) at a high level.

From the gorgeous dress that Anetra wore beautifully, the fun groomsmen with Lamar to the latest edition of 'O' magazine to keep the bride "Calm," all went well at this Jackson, Mississippi event. The Ascension Lutheran Church was nice, although the dark ceilings left little to be desired for good lighting. :(

I ran into a couple of nice vendors at the event -- including Angela Ward of Dream Events & Wedding Planning out of Clinton and Brandon Jernigan of Video Concepts out of Louisville, Mississippi. Both Angela and Brandon were professional to a 'T' and provided me with courtesy and tact. If you're looking for someone to help with planning or video, give these guys a look.

It was fun to see Mary and Nick again! I shot their event at Tougaloo College in Jackson a few months before. Still crazy as ever!

Video Concepts
Dream Events & Wedding Planning

Ahhh, The Empire State!

The joys of travel often leave little to be desired in the new millenium. But, a job to New York state changed this photographer's view of airline travel in the U.S.

Not much in the way of long security lines or rude TSA employees. Everywhere I went, from Jackson, Miss. to Cincinatti, Ohio to Buffalo, New York, I found nothing but considerate people who actually had a nice personality ... a big change from the cyborgs after 9/11!

But, I made it to Olean, N.Y. and the campus of St. Bonaventure for the wedding of Jack and Alison. The bride, a native of Michigan, and the groom, a native of New York, had ample family on hand for the big event, so the atmosphere was wild, yet comfortable for the couple. For you who remember, Alison was the great photographer who assisted me with a Vicksburg event! She's a great photographer!

It all started when I drove into the small town of Olean -- I had no clue this part of New York was so rural and simple -- and made it to the rehearsal dinner as the guests were sitting down to view a montage of music and photos of Alison and Jack's childhood and days of courtship. Everyone seemed to enjoy the presentation and each other's company for the night. The dinner was a buffet of fun foods, including a regional favorite, Beef on Weck. It is a roast beef sandwich on a salty kimmelweck roll. There's a recipe at the end of this blog entry, so enjoy if you dare! This ain't yo' Momma's Po-Boy!

All in all, it was about 15 hours of coverage for this event, and it all seemed to fly by and I had a great time shooting it. I met the coolest Catholic priest on my trip, Father Richard, from St. Bonnie! He changed my whole outlook on Catholicism -- one that I had previously been influenced by my Louisiana parochial education in Hammond! The families were fun and helpful. The guests didn't stay inside their shells long, and broke out for some great candids. The bridal party kept the party going by keeping the dance floor full and the bartender hustling!


The couple, though worn out, handled the day like champs. They visited each and every person who made the trip to Olean, and did it with a smile. They even found time to cut loose to Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious" and had a 'Walk Off' straight from the script of Zoolander! Blue Steel rocks!

After the event, I made it back to my hotel for a quick shower and hit the road to make my early morning flight from Buffalo back to Jackson. (Thanks, Bella!) After arrival, I had a big lunch with my M-I-L Meme (who watched Gavin all weekend) and the family. When I got home, I crashed for about 15 hours.

A great time in a great place! Just didn't know it was so rural ... they even like NASCAR up there! Go figure.

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Beef on Weck (Buffalo Style)
1 (3- to 4-pound) beef roast (tenderloin, Prime Rib, or eye of round)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Cornstarch Glaze
8 Kimmelweck or Kaiser rolls*
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons coarse salt
Prepared horseradish
* Kimmelweck roll is a salty roll that is similar to a Kaiser roll.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Rub roast with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Place roast on rack in a shallow baking pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the roast.
4. Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until thermometer registers 135 degrees F.
5. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving.
6. Reserve meat juice, and carve meat into very thin slices.
   Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
7. Brush the prepared Cornstarch Glaze on the top of each kimmelweck or Kaiser roll; sprinkle equal amounts of caraway seeds and heat in the oven for 3 minutes or until tops of the rolls get crusty and the caraway seeds and salt begin to stick.
8. Remove from oven and cut rolls in half.

To assemble sandwiches:

1. Divide sliced beef on the bottom half of each roll; spoon with reserved beef juice.
2. Serve open-faced with horseradish on the side.
   Makes 8 sandwiches.

Cornstarch Glaze

1/2 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water and cornstarch.
2. Heat mixture to a gentle boil.
3. Reduce heat to low, and stir until mixture thickens and is translucent.
4. Remove from heat and let cool.