Family portraits with Aly, Jon & Christopher

May 24, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

I love being Aly, Jon and Christopher’s photographer. I met the couple when they were planning their wedding, and ended up doing the photography for their big day, as well as portraits of their beautiful family. Since then, I typically see them a couple of times a year. This visit was to take photos of Christopher, who just turned 20 months. We spent a little time at Clinton-Como Park in Clintonville, and I got to play with Christopher while I snapped a few photos.

Can I just say that it doesn’t feel like he’s should already be 20 months? It feels like Aly and Jon’s wedding was just last week, not last year! But he’s definitely mobile, and more importantly he’s quick! I had a heck of a time trying to chase after him around the tennis courts and playground. But it was a blast, and I can’t wait until I get to see them all over again!

Filed Under: Our News, Photography, Portraits

Wexner Center’s Off The Grid, 2011

May 18, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

Once again, we were covering the photography for The Wexner Center’s yearly event Off The Grid. And just like every year, it was a blast! We went to the pre-party this year, and couldn’t have been more pleased with the decision. Mershon Auditorium was filled with local restaurants, each with their own miniature appetizers to sample. My favorites are Due Amici and Barrio, but there were lots of other great ones! They also redid the performance area bar and made it way easier to move about. The visuals were stunning, as always. It may have been the best year yet, and they managed to raise over $60,000 for their educational programs! Success!!!

Filed Under: Charity, Columbus, Columbus Arts & Music Scene, Event Photography, Ohio, Our News, Uncategorized

Good news, our classes just went private!

April 11, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

You may have noticed in previous posts that we’re now offering classes on how to master your DSLR. Before now, we were only offering lessons through a local training company, but we have just opened up the studio for private lessons. Now you can book a lesson for yourself and up to three additional people in our studio with Meghan Ralston, our owner and lead photographer. We’ll be offering lessons in all aspects of photography, but we’re starting with the following classes first:

Mastering your DSLR
- Understanding how your camera works
- Understanding exposure
- Understanding composition
Mastering your flash
- Understand exposure with flash
- Learn how to manipulate your flash
- Learn how to create light out of nowhere
Understanding Studio Lighting
- Understanding Flashes vs Strobes
- Learning One to Three Light Set-ups
- Understanding Creative Light System Technology

Each class is 4 hours long, and gives you all the basics to go out on your own and shoot. All of our classes are casual and fun, with hands-on time in our studios with professional gear for you to work with using your own camera. We also schedule by appointment, which gives you far more options than a traditional classroom setting. We even have snacks ready for you, as well as easy to read hand-outs that cover all of the course material. What’s the best part, you ask? Easy. It’s only $100 per class.

Filed Under: Columbus, General Knowledge, Ohio, Our News, Photography, Uncategorized

Wonderland Floats

February 27, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

Wonderland Float at Franklin Park Conservatory

Friday night from 6-8, people gathered at the Franklin Park Conservatory to donate to Wonderland and make wishes that were set against the beautiful backdrop of the conservatory at night. It was gorgeous and touching, as hundreds wrote their wishes for Wonderland on their balloon, each lit up with a small LED light and anchored by books set aside for recycling. Here’s just one preview of our look at the event.

Filed Under: Charity, Columbus, Columbus Arts & Music Scene, Event Photography, Ohio, Our News

Those who can, do… and teach!

February 27, 2011 By Meghan Ralston 1 Comment

We’ve teamed up with WJ Gilmore to bring you a photography workshop! We’ll be showing you how to use your DSLR camera in a fun and informative 1/2 day workshop.

Course Summary

Have you invested in a first-rate digital SLR (DSLR) camera yet are frustrated with second-rate photos? Join professional photographer Meghan Ralston in a fun and educational 1/2 day workshop which will introduce you to the fundamental aspects of digital photography and camera operation. Be sure to charge your camera batteries as we’ll be shooting plenty of pictures and having lots of fun throughout the day.

All attendees will receive:

Course Details

This hands-on workshop was created to provide you with a well-rounded understanding of DSLR operation, lenses, image composition, and camera construction. Thanks to a small class size and seasoned instructor with years of professional photography experience, you’re guaranteed hands-on time with your camera. Over the course of the day we’ll cover five crucial topics, including:

2011 Internships are now available!

February 22, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

One Bite Wellness commercial studio photo

We’ve finally gotten through the beginning of the year, with all it’s bridal expos and meetings with new brides and grooms. We’ve also gotten rolling on the second volume of our book, “the hot 17.” So now that we’ve got a little more time, we’ve realized how much help we really need around the studio. We’ve decided that it’s time to bring on two new interns. If you’re interested in an internship at Photolosophys, please email Meghan with your information, interests, and resume. Our interns usually work 3-4 hours a week in our studio, and typically work their way up to assistants within a year or so.

Filed Under: Columbus, Our News, Uncategorized

Ohio’s 1st Annual South Asian Bridal Expo!

February 22, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

We had such a great time at this year’s first annual Ohio South Asian Bridal Expo! We had a similar setup to the Columbus Bride: The Show that we did in January, but that was about the only similarity between the two shows. As someone who attends a lot of trade shows, I cannot express how much I loved the different environment of yesterday’s expo at the Hyatt Regency downtown.

It’s hard for me to pick out my favorite part about the day. I think that it would have to be taking photos at our booth. We used one of the walls as a background, and did free portraits for anyone at the show. We got to spend just a little more time with each person than we normally do at an expo, and it was really great to interact with our clients the way we do at a photo shoot, just after meeting them for the first time. The images that we got, mostly of the bride-to-be’s, were wonderful. We can’t wait to photograph a South Asian Wedding. In fact, we’re so excited, that we’re giving 50% off the entire wedding to the first couple to book their South Asian Wedding with us! That’s right, 50% off.

The fashion show was definitely a highlight! Multiple local and regional designers showed their collections. I must say, there wasn’t a collection that went down the runway that I wouldn’t be excited to wear or to photograph. The color palettes were exquisite, as was the craftsmanship on each piece. Natalie and I watched the show from our booth (which was right in front of the stage, so we got a great seat), with a heady mix of awe and excitement. Neither of us had ever seen that many different designs in one place, let alone on beautiful models that really showcased the clothing. The models even stopped to dance from time to time, some even to hip-hop Indian beats. If you’re looking for any of the designs that were showcased there, we also learned of central Ohio’s only South Asian Bridal Boutique, Maanya, in Powell, Ohio.

The food samples were another highlight from the show. With restaurants like Cumin, Taj Palace, Tadka, Dosa Corner Restaurant, and Banana Leaf Restaurants, the samples of food were unbelievable in their diversity and general deliciousness. Then for dessert, there were tons of cake places. The one that Natalie and I liked the most was Our Cupcakery, who were across the aisle from us. They have red velvet cake, which instantly made them a favorite. But they also had really great vanilla and chocolate cakes, which are the true test of almost any cake maker. The frosting was also great, and I’m not even a frosting lover.

Of course, we saw some of the usual faces, which is always great. Rod and his wife from Buckeye Sounds were there, as well as Posh Event Services. Posh, as always, did a great job setting up our booth. And it’s always nice to see Pat, Helen, and Wendy! All in all, it was a great day, and we can’t wait to do it again next year!

Filed Under: Event Photography, Our News, Portraits, Uncategorized, Weddings

The (614) is keeping us busy!

February 16, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

Columbus is going through a bit of a thaw. With the weather becoming far more pleasant, people were out and about today. It was nice to see Columbus return to it’s more natural state with High Street full of pedestrian traffic, and people wearing shorts.

I had an interesting day today. I started out with my weekly meeting with James of Periodisa Publishing. We met at Aab for lunch, discussed the progress of this year’s “the hot 17,” and did some more chatting about the Greater Columbus Arts Award that we’re trying to get going. We even ran into Branden Barnett of Ghost Shirt, fresh from his show at the Treehouse last night with The Woosley Band. We were able to chat a bit, and I found out about his new project, helping to provide mental health to people working in the creative arts. It sounds like a great idea, and hopefully we’ll have some links on the project to share soon.

Johnny Oaks Po' Boy & Shrimp Shack with his famous po'boy and bacon

After lunch, I went back to the office for a bit, and then moved onto the next photo shoot. I was out on assignment for (614) Magazine, taking photos of Johnny Oak’s Shrimp Shack for the March issue. As I entered the front door of the very small, very awesome establishment, I was warmly greeted by Johnny and his assistant. We jumped back in the kitchen and Johnny proceeded to show me how to make the best po’ boy sandwich I’ve ever had. While I took photos of him making his famous sandwich, his assistant filmed the photo shoot for an online video they’re doing about their restaurant. I even got to try some of his thick cut fried bacon, that he coats in barbecue sauce. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of bacon, and I am allergic to barbecue sauce, but they looked so good that I tried them anyway. I have nothing but amazing things to say about them, and the po’ boy sandwich that Johnny artfully whipped up for me. Johnny himself is charming, funny, and warm. He’s got a great character that shines throughout the restaurant. And, he must be doing things right, since he’s working on opening his second location on High & Gail Streets, downtown.

Chad Kessler at Travonna Coffee House with his latest collection.

I then headed South to Travonna Coffee House to meet with one of their featured artists, Chad Kessler. He has a pretty amazing collection displayed there, mostly acrylic prints on wood. It’s a really interesting concept that I had been entertaining myself, but have never really figure out how to execute it. Chad’s pieces have a very interesting aesthetic, harkening a print style that was very popular in the 70′s, warm, noisy, and slightly faded. When combined with the wood that the images are transferred onto, it makes an interesting interpretation of vintage photography and then pushes it farther. We took a few photos of him in front of his work, trying to make use of the small space and limited visual depth a wall gives. We got some shots we were happy with, and called it a day.

The rest of the week isn’t looking any less busy, as I’ll be spending the next three days preparing for the First Annual South Asian Bridal Expo, being held at the Hyatt Regency downtown on Sunday from 1 until 4. Natalie will be working the booth with me, which will be a slightly more stream-lined version of what we had at this year’s Columbus Bride: The Show. I’m thrilled to have a booth there, because I’ve been wanting to photograph Asian weddings for as long as I can remember. Many of my undergraduate classes in Comparative Religious Studies were in Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. After experiencing each tradition, I an excited to return to work with the colors and styles that they have to offer, and am really looking forward to the food.

Filed Under: Columbus Arts & Music Scene, Our News, Portraits, Uncategorized, Weddings

We are the champions!

February 12, 2011 By Meghan Ralston Leave a Comment

Okay, well, maybe not the champions, but we did win a photo contest. PhotoStockPlus.com’s “Festive Occasion” Contest, to be exact. Check out our winning photo and leave some love!

Two Cow Garage performs at The Treehouse, Columbus, Ohio

Filed Under: "the hot 17", Arts, Bands, Columbus Arts & Music Scene, Event Photography, Live Shows, Music, Our News, Portraits, Uncategorized

Columbus Bridal Expo 2011

January 6, 2011 By Meghan Ralston 1 Comment

Our booth at last year's Columbus Bride: The Show!

It hardly seems time for the yearly bridal expo down at Veteran’s Memorial, but it is! This weekend over 200 vendors will have booths open at the expo, and upwards of 2,500 brides come every year. If it’s your first year down there (or even if it’s not), here are some suggestions on how to best do this event, it all it’s grandness.

The first thing that you absolutely must do is stop eating sugar for a day or two before the event, which would be right about now. You’re abstaining simply because you will eat so much cake over the course of your trip to the expo, and if you don’t go in with a low blood sugar, we may have to help you get out. In fact, one of the best parts of the expo is that there are so many tasting samples available for you. This helps you choose vendors, but more importantly, it gives you an opportunity to get a taste of everything the city has to offer, allowing you to make the best choices about what to serve at your wedding… no just who will be serving it.

Come with your walking shoes on! The expo takes up the largest part of Veteran’s Memorial, pretty much wall to wall. There’s a lot of booths, which means a lot of walking. Make sure you come prepared, and your feet will thank you.

Bring labels with your name and email address on them. Most booths have guest books or contests, and it makes it much easier for you if you come prepared with a sheet or two of address labels with your information on them. It will save you time, and your hands will have a much easier time eating that cake when it’s not having to write as well.

Bring a bag to put all the stuff you get. All expos, but this one in particular, have a lot of product and sales material from each vendor. Things are so overwhelming, it’s sometimes best to take the literature the company has, and take a closer look at their websites later. So, just bring a bag big enough to fit a notebook, and that’s comfortable to carry.

Filed Under: Columbus Arts & Music Scene, Our News, Weddings