While most of my photography centers around engagement shoots and weddings, I am approached sometimes to do maternity, family, or newborn photo shoots. These shoots allow me to photograph my clients during other transitional phases in their lives: the excited first-time parents about to embark on a journey that will give them their most important roles in life; the family wanting to capture a moment in time; or the parents wanting to document all the little nuances of their infant.

This entry contains pictures of just that. They’re photographs I’ve taken in between my weddings. I’ve also included two pictures of a little girl I think is pretty special, my daughter Cadence. I don’t inundate this blog with personal photos too much, but I couldn’t resist putting up some of the most important little lady in my wife’s and my life.

The other week I found out that my cousin Abel was going to run 6 marathons in 6 months in order to raise money for those affected by Leukemia and Lymphoma. I decided that I should probably help spread the word. I know that most of the people visiting my website are not doing so to find a cause to support, but on the off chance that you are please visit Abel’s website. There you’ll find information about how to participate plus you can get a perspective on what it takes to undertake such a physical challenge. I just calculated it and he will be running somewhere in the neighborhood of 156 miles. Wow!

On a side note, I have to say that I’m extremely impressed with the “Charrow” clan. My family is always impressing me in one way or another. It makes me kind of jealous how cool they are.

Good Luck Abel!!!

If you’re having a party of any kind you definitely need to know about Cliques Photo Booth. My friend Dov from college started the photo booth business a couple of years ago and he has been non-stop ever since. I know first hand the kind of work he does. He called me probably around a year ago; he needed an extra hand at working the Katy Perry concert at the Palladium. It didn’t take me very long to say “I’m in, just tell me where to be and I’ll be there.” I had such a great time shooting the event, not just because I was mere feet from Katy Perry, but because her fans loved interacting with the photo booth. I should probably mention this is not your typical photobooth. It is a self-contained backdrop and lighting rig that takes up only a small corner of a room. Many of the photo booths that are out there today use green screen technology as the backdrop which ends up looking pretty cheap. Dov uses custom designed backdrops that are much more interactive. The best part is that prints are ready immediately after you get your picture taken. If you’re interested in his services, you can contact me or just click on his link above.

One of my most favorite locations happens to be 200 yards from my house. Because of its proximity I end up shooting there a lot. Really it’s not anything that special. I think I’m drawn towards it because it is isolated. This makes it feel like my own.

The first 5 photos are of my beautiful wife. She is having a baby (I have learned not to say WE’RE having a baby) and we wanted to photograph this important event. As you can most likely tell, she is pretty far along so the shoot needed to be tailored to her energy level. When you’re carrying around a baby it’s not so easy to walk up hills. She was a trooper.

The second set of 5 photos are of my sister. McKenna has a boyfriend in the Navy and she asked me to take some pictures that she could send overseas to him. It is not all the time that I get to photograph just one individual. I am used to taking photos of at least two, if not several. I forgot how much I like portraits. It becomes less about the photographer and more about the person in front of the the camera. By “it” I mean “Great Photos”.

Because I live in and photograph in Valencia, California, there are a limited amount of locations to shoot that haven’t been shot before, at least at first glance. Lately, I have been pushing myself to search out new and undiscovered backdrops for my clients. In fact, as cheesy as it may sound I would like to coin the term “adventure portrait photography.” The adventure is the walking around, not knowing what you’re going to find part of the shoot. I have found that this makes what might be a typically uneventful shoot into a shoot that everyone is excited to be a part of. I find that most people if given the opportunity like doing something a bit different. Green looks great but sometimes dirt, concrete, dry brush, aged bricks, old buildings look better. At this point you might be wondering…. the Santa Clarita Valley has these natural and architectural elements? Well yes, most of the time they are hidden among the suburban landscape. If you pay attention next time you’re driving down magic mountain pkwy. you will notice an old steel bridge that looks like it is lost. I’m pretty sure it is not exactly 100% legal to go over there, but I just wanted to give you and idea of what I was talking about. Anyways, next time you book a shoot (hopefully with me) whether it is maternity, engagement or family photography consider the aforementioned.

I wanted to let everyone know about my good friend Ed Rock. He has been more or less my go to guy for everything web related. He is responsible for my new website that I am extremely happy with. In addition to his web experience he is quite the accomplished designer as well. His designs have a clean and playful simplicity that translate into strong visuals emanating from which is a certain sense of nostalgia. Check out his website at www.iwantedrock.com

I wanted to share this vendor with you all. It is definitely one of the most unique ideas that I have come across in the wedding industry and I think many couples might ask themselves why they didn’t include this in their wedding. See below for a description of their services.

Are you looking for something creative and unique to make your wedding stand out, but it seems like everything has been done a million times before? Stone Wedding Videos is your answer! Your wedding day will be one of the most memorable days of your life. This is truly something so original, so awesome, so unforgettable that you and your guests will never forget watching it together.

We walk you through the process and make sure that your video is unique to you and your partner. We’ll make sure that the process is fun and stress-free! Treat yourself and your guests to what will be one of the most talked about moments of your wedding!

Also check out their website at http://stoneweddingvideos.com/

Stone Wedding Videos – Web Promo from Marlowe Greenlee on Vimeo.

Bridal parties come in all sizes; they can be as small as 4 or in some cases exceed 20. Whatever the case may be I find it very important to learn everyone’s names. All weddings run on a schedule but not usually on schedule and to help stay on track I find it incredibly helpful to be on a first name basis with everyone. Instead of directing people by their distance from the ground or what color hair they have, it is much more efficient using their name. A side effect of this is a certain level of comfort that comes through in the images. Usually the night before the wedding I sit down in from of my computer and just start memorizing. It actually takes less time than you may think. This process is much easier than trying to remember all the names on the day of the wedding.

Today many brides and grooms are breaking away from wedding traditions in various ways. One particular way is the standard tuxedo. It was once customary for the groom to go to his local tux rental shop and get his measurements taken and then select the attire for his groomsmen to wear. The tux would come in a kind of “one size fits all” packaging where the only item you were certain to fit snuggly was the cummerbund or the vest. The dress shirt was always a little loose and billowy, the jacket more boxy than fitted, and the pants were usually pleated with baggy thighs. However, now couples are breaking away from that cookie cutter tradition and becoming more original, and more stylish, with their groomsmen’s attire.  One way they’re accomplishing this is by having their men wear their own suits and then selecting a dress shirt and tie that will all match. This allows the groomsmen to wear something they already own, which is cost effective, and something they’re comfortable in. If the groomsmen don’t already own a suit they can borrow one, rent one from that traditional tuxedo shop, or go out and buy one themselves. Another option is for the groom to select a complete outfit for the groomsmen to purchase, as was the case in my stepbrother’s wedding where I was a groomsman. My stepbrother had all the men buy a tie, vest, dress shirt, and dress pants from the same store. I enjoyed this option for many reasons. One being that each piece was something I would wear again either together as the complete ensemble, or separately with a few pieces here and there. Either with the suit or the whole new outfit, the money the groomsmen put into the wedding is better spent and also better fitted to them.

When most brides and grooms are checking out potential venues rarely do they think about the light. I’m here to say that while it is not the most important item on the list when looking for a venue, it should definitely be given some thought. Imagine spending $10,000 on a beautiful ceremony and reception site only to discover that the sun is hitting your face with harsh unflattering light. In circumstances like this the photographer can’t really do too much about it other than hope that the sun falls behind a tree softening the shadows and allowing for more appealing images. This is not to mention that the sun hitting you directly in the face for 30 minutes is not very comfortable. So how do you work around this? When searching for the perfect venue, try to visit it around the same time that the ceremony would be taking place. Don’t forget that if you’re getting married in the summer the sun stays up longer. Also, look for structures that will shade the alter or gazebo. This can be a tree or some other structure that creates a shadow. By doing some additional research into your potential wedding venue, you can greatly assist your photographer in capturing some amazing shots without that harsh light adding to squinting eyes. Plus, you’ll be able to better see your new spouse.