Hannah & Richard :: Camp Sumatanga (Gallant, AL)

May 7th was one of those perfect days… blue skies, sunshine, a gentle breeze and unseasonably cool temperatures for springtime in Alabama. I guess when you’ve been waiting 7 years to marry the love of your life, God gives you a perfect wedding day.

Hannah and Richard met when they were in the 5th grade. They became best friends in middle school, and continued to grow closer as they grew up. They went to school together, and worked together in the summers at Camp Sumatanga. Then suddenly something changed. Their friendship evolved into something more, and their freshman year of high school, they became a couple.

Now both in college at Auburn University, they look back at Camp Sumatanga as “their place”. In Hannah’s words “everything happened for us at Camp”. This is the place their love story began… and so it only made sense that this would be the place they would begin their life together as husband and wife!

It was so sweet to see Hannah's mom & grandmother helping her get ready. We love this shot of their hands and rings together... 3 generations of "Happily Ever Afters"! 

Before she had her “first look” with Richard, Hannah chose to have special moment with the first man in her life, her Daddy.

Then it was time to head down to the lake to her waiting groom! They were so happy to finally see each other, and ready to say "I Do!" 

Hannah and Richard had such a beautiful wedding party. She was thrilled to see how everything she’d planned so carefully came together… from the gorgeous sage green dresses on her bridesmaids, to the suspenders and matching bowties (handmade by a groomsman) on the fellas!

This couple had plenty of family there to celebrate with them. You can see there’s a LOT of love on both sides for the new Mr. & Mrs.!

They said their vows by the lake at sunset. Hannah’s aunt officiated the ceremony, which added such a special touch.

Once they said, “I Do!” and Richard kissed his bride, it was time to party! And let me tell you - this crew knows how to party! 

The guests danced ‘till they were about to drop (and we might have danced a little while we shot too! It’s hard to stand still when everyone is having such a great time! Especially when “Ice Ice Baby” comes on!)

As the evening wound down, the bride and groom got ready for their getaway! They exited their wedding in the middle of a huge group of family and friends… cheering them on as they began their Happily Ever After! 

Congratulations Hannah & Richard! We wish you so much love and happiness. Thank you for letting us be a part of the “BEST DAY EVER!”

Breeanna & Buddy :: Tannehill State Park (McCalla, AL)

Valentine's Day is a time when we celebrate love around the world... so what better day to pledge your life to the one you love? Breeanna and Buddy Moore said "I Do" on February 14th in a little white church, deep in the woods of Tannehill State Park.

This historic venue has more than 1,500 wooded acres and so many beautiful places to shoot photos! The bride and her bridesmaids got ready inside one of the many cozy log cabins. Then we ventured out to the waterfall and nearby woods to capture some bridal portraits and bridal party shots.

The bride and groom decided not to see each other before the ceremony, so we spent the morning shooting the bridal party separately on opposite ends of the property. The groom and his groomsmen had a great time with us - cracking jokes between every shot!

One thing that was very important to Breeanna, was to have a "first look" with her father. We were honored to photograph such an intimate moment. The joy in her daddy's eyes was unmistakable when he saw his little girl for the very first time in her wedding dress! He couldn't stop telling her how beautiful she was!

Bree and Buddy exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony inside this lovely little chapel in the woods. This church was originally build in 1905. I couldn't help but wonder how many other couples have gotten married here in the last 111 years! These walls have seen a lot of love, of that I'm sure.

Breeanna's grandfather passed away a few years ago, so to make sure he was still a part of her wedding day she had the minister preach from his old, worn Bible. It added such a special element to their ceremony!

As the newlyweds left the church, the warm afternoon sun had just started to set. We were able to capture these beautiful images of the happy couple in their first few moments of wedding bliss before they headed off to celebrate with family and friends at their reception. 

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Buddy Moore! We wish you many Happy Valentine Anniversaries to come! 

Matt, Kristian & Parker

This past Saturday we made our way out to the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens for a custom family & engagement shoot. Normally we do one or the other... but there's a story behind this sweet (soon to be) family and their custom shoot!

Kristian has been my wife's best friend for 18 years. They were both friends with Matt back in high school, but unfortunately lost touch with him after he graduated and went off to college. They couldn't have guessed that they would reconnect more than 10 years down the road... but life has a way of taking you on twists and turns you never could have imagined. About a year ago Matt & Kristian found their way back into each other's lives, fell in love, and got engaged! Matt has an adorable little 7 year-old daughter named Parker, and once Kristian & Matt tie the knot - these guys will be a precious family of THREE!

We wanted to capture plenty of photos of the two of them, engaged and in love... but it was a real honor to also take their first family photos together!

The Botanical Gardens were the perfect backdrop for this photo shoot. We were surprised to find greenery there, even in the winter! It allowed us so many different background options for family and engagement photos. We took the majority of our photographs in the Japanese garden.  The scenery made for some gorgeous images!

Parker was such a sweetheart throughout the whole shoot. We really enjoyed photographing her! I hope she will look back at these images when she's all grown up and remember this as a fun and special day with her family!

I work hard to capture the true essence of each couple and family. Everyone is unique, and our goal at RJackson Media is to bring that uniqueness out in each photograph. Kristian and Matt - we are so happy for you two, and we hope that you will cherish these images for years to come! Thanks for choosing us for this special shoot!

Are you looking for a photographer for a special shoot? Drop us a line via our contact page today! We'd love an opportunity to capture the thing that makes you - YOU!

Nice to Meet You

Hello and welcome to my first ever blog post on my brand new website! Although this site is just days old, RJackson Media is not. I started this business venture in 2013, and it's been growing ever since!

Just a few years ago, my wife Ericka (who is my incredibly talented partner) and I realized that there was a great need for high quality video at a competitive price. This is especially true for small businesses and non-profits!  You see, the two of us run our own non-profit - The Sound of Hope. So we understand balancing small budgets with expensive video and photography needs. It was this idea that launched RJackson Media. 

Myself personally... I've been in the media game for 13 years. I started out as a TV sports anchor and reporter in Arkansas. Most recently I've worked internationally on documentary style pieces. This work has taken me into the red-light districts of Thailand, slums of India and remote areas of Africa. 

Folks, I love telling stories! And I love to do it through beautiful video and breath-taking photography - few things in this world get me more excited! Travel photography, wedding videography and photography, headshots, small business shoots, non-profit media - we do it all! So please, take a look around our website, check out our work and let us know how we can serve you! We'd love an opportunity to tell your story!