Charlotte Wedding Photographer | Tim Hines Photography Blog

New Year New Blog | Charlotte Wedding Photographers

2011-01-09T13:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!! I know that I'm a few days late but I felt like saying it. I've decided to move my photography blog to a new location so that it is a part of my main website www.timhinesphotography.com. My new photography blog address is www.timhinesphotography.com/blog . Please make a note of this change. Bookmark it, share it, email it to your friends, post it on Face Book and shout it out from the top of a mountain. I look forward to having you all visit the new blog. Please be sure to leave comments. I love to hear what you have to think about the photos that I share.

Shanai and Jamaal featured on QCITYBRIDE.COM

2010-12-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Shanai and Jamaal earlier this year. The wedding ceremony took place in Charlotte, NC at Clanton Presbyterian Church and the reception was held at the Extravaganza Depot. Please check out their story of love at http://qcitybride.com/announcements/jamaal-shanai-young-2010-07-24 . You can see more photos from their day by clicking on the link for Tim Hines Photography below their photo in the article.

Back That Thing Up!!!

2010-11-21T12:37:00.000-05:00

Now that I have your attention you can stop thinking about dancing to the song "Back That Thing Up" because that is not what this post is about. That was the song to make everyone run to the dance floor back in the day and it still gets the crowds hype at some of the weddings I shoot. This post is about backing your computers up. I felt the need to share this topic because my home was recently robbed. The low down dirty scum of the earth thieves *&^$*#$!! stole several computers and external hard drives along with a lot of other things. Those devices contained photos for many of my clients and also personal photos and files. Fortunately I backup my computers and external hard drives every day. Backing up computers is a simple task to do but many people fail to do it. Home users fail to do it, business owners fail to do it and so do Network Administrators. If I had not been backing up my computers then the precious moments that I have captured over several years would have been lost. As a photographer I recognize how valuable photos can be. Photos represent a moment in time that cannot be replaced. Photos were not the only important data that was stolen from me by those @#%^*! but it has been my main concern at this time. I'm sure that I'll be back up and running like I was before thanks to the backup system that I have in place.

I'm sure that you have some things that are important to you stored on your computer. If you do then you need to back that information up. Taking a backup is so simple that a Caveman can do it. Your backup can be scheduled so you don't have to do a thing after you initially configure it. You can backup files locally to an external drive or to another computer on your home network. You can also backup your data online by using an online backup service such as Mozy or Carbonite . I strongly suggest that you backup locally and to an online backup service. I recommend this because thieves can steal your external hard drives or computer that you backup to. Those %^#%! thieves stole my drives so those wouldn't have done me any good in that scenario. Those devices could also be damaged in a fire or flood and that would also leave you without your data. That is why you should also backup to an offsite location.

If you are cool then I am sure that you are running a Microsoft operating system like Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7. You can learn how to backup files by clicking on the links below. Click the link that matches your operating system.

Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows Xp

Back up and restore: frequently asked questions

If you are not so cool and just have to use a MAC then you can use Time Machine for backups. I must admit that Time Machine is pretty cool backup application. You can learn how to use that at http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#timemachinebasics

One thing that I use in my backup Strategy is a system running Windows Home Server. My Windows Home Server has saved my butt several times because it backs up every computer and drive in my home on a regular basis. I also use it to store and share files with my wife or friends on the internet. Windows Home Server is a very cool product which has several uses. Be sure to view the demos online at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/demo.mspx .

I hope that you find this information useful because it is very important if you care about recovering the information that is stored on your computer.

Halloween Rockstar | Charlotte Portrait Photographer

2010-11-10T21:18:00.000-05:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because it's an excuse to satisfy my candy addiction. I looooove candy. It's an addiction that I can't shake. I also enjoy Halloween because I like seeing the costumes that people wear. Kids and adults get to become whoever they want to be. I had the opportunity to photograph a young man who decided to be a rock star for Halloween. He had the mohawk and attitude of a young rock star. Here are a few photos that I captured before he revoked my press pass.

Lemont & Brittany | Charlotte Wedding Photographer

2010-11-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to photograph Lemont and Brittany a few weeks ago in Uptown Charlotte. They were celebrating one year of marriage and they decided to celebrate it in Charlotte, NC. Lemont is also a photographer so I was excited that he chose me to photograph him and Brittany. One of the great things about this photo shoot was that it was a night session. I've been wanting to do another session at night because I enjoy getting to look for light sources and using my lights to create portraits. Here are a few of the highlights from their photo session.

Tanesha & Marc {Engaged} | Charlotte Wedding Photographer

2010-10-14T22:42:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Tanesha and Marc. We had a great time walking around the Noda District and shooting. Tanesha must have watched Top Model a few times because she was bringing it. Marc brought his coolness to the session. Together they were awesome. I'm looking forward to photographing their wedding next year.

Latoya and Vernon | Charlotte Wedding Photographer

2010-10-06T01:26:00.011-04:00

Congratulations to Latoya and Vernon.

Venue: Renaissance Hotel, South Park Charlotte, North Carolina

Wedding Coordinator: Simply Unique Design

Alissa and Duriel | Charlotte Wedding Photographers

2010-09-28T01:24:00.002-04:00

I met up with Alissa and Duriel in uptown Charlotte for their e-session. They both work downtown so they figured that they may as well take pictures where they spend most of their lives. I knew that they would be a fun couple because they are both from my hometown of Jacksonville, FL. Everyone knows that people from Jacksonville are cool. Another thing that we had in common was that we all spent time living in Tallahassee, FL while in college. They went to Florida A&M and I attended college across the tracks at Florida State University. I am looking forward to photographing their wedding next year in Jacksonville.

Maya & Michael Wedding | Charlotte Wedding Photographers

2010-09-11T13:53:00.015-04:00

I just wanted to take a few minutes to share photos from Maya and Michael's wedding. Maya and Michael were married at Jetton Park which is located in the Lake Norman area. The wedding reception was held on a Lake Norman yacht cruise. The yacht cruised around Lake Norman for a few hours while everyone celebrated the union of Maya and Michael. The breeze on the boat felt great. It helped cool everyone off after being in the sun during the ceremony.

Here are a few photos from their day.

Erica & Rafael Day After Session | Charlotte Wedding Photographer

2010-08-31T21:42:00.007-04:00

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to shoot a "day after" session for Erica and Rafael. It wasn't really a day after session because they have been married for a year. They decided that they wanted to do the session because the Sandals resort photographers lost all of their wedding day images. I was excited to do the shoot because I had a great time shooting their engagement session last year. Erica decided that she wanted to do the shoot at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. The shoot was a challenge for us all because it was a very hot day but we survived. I have shared some of the photos from the session below. Feel Free to comment on them or click the Facebook buttons to share or like the blog post.

Bridal Shoot For Fun | Charlotte Wedding Photographer

2010-08-28T17:13:00.007-04:00

I've always enjoyed taking pictures but lately I have been shooting for my clients and not for myself. Don't get me wrong, I love shooting for my clients but I also enjoy shooting for myself. I always make it a point to set aside time to shoot for myself. Shooting for myself gives me a chance to practice and try new things so that I continue to grow as a photographer. I was fortunate to have the beautiful and talented Holly Reid come to Charlotte to model for me and a great photographer by the name of Ebony Stubbs. We did the photo shoot in downtown Charlotte or Uptown Charlotte as some Charlotteans call it. We took pictures in front of museums, churches and in parking garages. I am looking forward to doing another shoot like this soon. Please take a few minutes to view the photos. Feel free to leave comments, share this post on Facebook or click the like button.

My wedding featured on a few wedding websites

2010-08-13T22:36:00.005-04:00

I got married earlier this year and I'm still on cloud nine. Photography was very important to us so we hired Verve Studio to shoot our wedding and to do a Day After photo shoot. They did an awesome job. Apparently the ladies over at chocolatebrides.com saw our photos and asked Verve Studio if they could feature them. Chocolate Brides did a three part series on or wedding. I have included links to the Chocolate Brides series below. I also including a link to our wedding story which was featured on Qcitybride.com. Qcity Bride is a new wedding website in Charlotte so please be sure to check them out if you are planning a wedding in Charlotte. It's great to be able to share my own wedding photos since I'm always sharing my clients photos. I hope that you enjoy viewing them.

Qcity Bride Feature of Dr. Dionne Hines & Timothy Hines

Chocolate Bride Part I

Chocolate Bride Part II

Chocolate Bride Part III

Tiffany and Hasaan's wedding featured on Qcitybride.com

2010-07-26T20:41:00.002-04:00

The wedding story of Hasaan & Tiffany Kirkland was recently featured on the Qcitybride.com website. Tiffany and Hasaan were one of my favorite couples. We spent hours talking at Starbucks when we first met. I immediately knew that I was going to love working with them. My expectations were correct because we had fun during the engagement session and at the wedding. Please head over to Qcitybride.com to read the story of love on their website and be sure to check out some of the other sections of the website.

Donna's Bridal Session| Charlotte, NC Wedding Photographer

2010-07-22T23:35:00.008-04:00

I photographed Donna earlier this year around the University Hilton . I wasn't able to post the photos earlier because I had to wait until after the wedding to show them. Donna looked like a Greek Goddess. I think it was because of the flowing dress and her hair. Check out the photos and see for yourself. Be sure to check out the blog post which showed a few photos from her wedding. Donna and Bills Wedding

Tiffany and Ryan | Charlotte Wedding Photographer

2010-06-30T01:55:00.026-04:00

Wedding Planner: Carolina Wedding Design

Ceremony Location: Friendship Missionary Baptist Church

Reception Location: The Atrium

Click the play button to view the weding slideshow

Happy Father's Day from Tim Hines Photography

2010-06-20T22:36:00.001-04:00

Cool Wedding Favors | Charlotte Wedding Photographer

2010-05-31T12:49:00.003-04:00

Earlier this year I participated in a wedding showcase at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. They provided everyone with gift bag containing brochures and various goodies. One of the items in the bag was a set of bride and groom candy sticks. I thought that they were cool so I photographed them before I ate them. The bride and groom are edible. I think that they would make great wedding favors since candy is given at a lot of the weddings that I attend. The company that makes them is Kenkraft Candy and they have these available on their website. I didn't see the African American ones on the website but you may be able to call and request them.

The bride has a tasty head.

Tiffany & Hasaan Engagement Session

2010-05-31T11:26:00.004-04:00

These cool paintings of Tiffany and Hasaan were done by Hasaan. He's a great artist

Donna & Bill | Charlotte, NC Wedding by Tim Hines Photography

2010-05-13T21:46:00.008-04:00

Venue: University Hilton

Donna and Bill had a great outdoor wedding at the University Hilton in Charlotte. The weather was beautiful and so was the bride.

Adrienne and Marcel | Charlotte, NC Wedding by Tim Hines Photography

2010-05-11T00:27:00.012-04:00

Here are a few photos from the wedding of Adrienne and Marcel in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina.

Venue: Great Aunt Stella Center
Wedding Coordinator: Intimate Weddings and Events

My wedding (Dr. Dionne Hines & Tim Hines)

2010-04-18T22:59:00.005-04:00

I was browsing the blogs of some of my favorite photographers and noticed that Verve Studio blogged my wedding. My wife and I were extremely pleased with the photos that they created of our wedding day. Verve Studio also created some great photos on our "day after session". A day after session is a photo session of the bride and groom taken on the day after the wedding or at a later date. It gives the bride and groom a chance to take some cool photos without the time constraints of the wedding day. I am so glad that we decided to do a day after session because Matt and Krystal captured some unique photos that wouldn't have been possible to get on our wedding day. The photo above is one of those photos. Please click on the link below and check out the photos that Verve Studio captured of my beautiful wife and I.

Our Wedding

Tim Hines Photography Featured on Get Married TV Show

2010-01-26T19:43:00.005-05:00

I was recently contacted by Summer McLane of My Simply Perfect Weddings and Events. She informed me that one of my photos was used on the Get Married show which is aired on WeTV. I was so excited to know that I would have a photo displayed on national TV. The photo is of a few gold chairs which have decorative butterflies on the back of them. Please take a few minutes to view the segment at
http://www.getmarried.com/wedding-video/azo723a9/14066/

Farrah and Loyd Wedding at Villa Serena in Conyers, GA

2009-10-04T17:36:00.010-04:00

Farrah and Loyd had a Fabulous wedding at Villa Serena. You can view their wedding slideshow by clicking the ply icon on the image below.

Season and Derrick, Charlotte, NC

2009-05-07T20:13:00.006-04:00

I know that I am long overdue for a blog post. I promise to get better about posting. Here are a few photos from a session that I did a few weeks ago. I met Season and Derrick at a wedding that I photographed last year. I will also be shooting their wedding soon. They are a great looking couple and I had a great time photographing them. I look forward to shooting their wedding soon.

Nichelle and Damion Engagement Session, Charlotte, NC

2009-04-02T21:42:00.010-04:00

I recently did an e-session for Nichelle and Damion. The shoot took place in downtown Charlotte on a cold and windy day but that didn't stop them from looking fabulous. Here a few from the session.

Brides To Be Seminar

2009-03-25T22:11:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to speak to an audience of future brides at a seminar. The seminar was held by Amelia Talford of Last Minute Details Event Planning and Hampton Inn Suites at South Park. I contacted Amelia when I heard about the event and she invited me to speak to the brides about the importance of wedding photography. I was just expecting to drop off some of my brochures but Amelia allowed me to show some wedding slideshows, albums and other photo products. The brides had several great questions for me and the other vendors. I ended up learning a lot about cakes, catering and wedding planning by listening to the questions and answers. I also learned a lot by listening to the advice that Amelia gave the future brides. I'm sure that each one of them walked away with an abundance of knowledge (and a large stack of handouts) that they will use to plan their dream weddings. If you need someone to help you plan your wedding you should contact Amelia at Last Minute Details Event Planning . I'm sure that she can help ease the sress of planning your dream wedding.

Here is a list of some of the great vendors that I met at the seminar:

Branches Of Gold Catering
Fabulous Event Decor
Sweet Heavenly Indulgence Desserts

Lotus Studios Recital

2009-02-21T23:38:00.013-05:00

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of photographing a bellydance recital. The recital was held by Lotus Studios which is owned by my good friend Iona Wilson. It's great to see that Iona now owns her own studio because a few years ago she was just a bellydance student. I think that I still have photos from when I went to one of her first recitals to show my support and hang out with her husband. Iona's husband is also a business owner. He owns Wilson Wealth Management . Maurice is extremely passionate about finances and that is why I let him help me manage mine. Give him a call if you need a financial planner. I've really enjoyed watching Iona and Maurice follow their passions over the years. They are both great examples of what can happen when you follow your passion.

Carolina Brides Win a Wedding Coordinator for your Wedding

2009-02-17T22:26:00.006-05:00

A great wedding coordinator that I know is doing a fabulous giveaway. Check out the details below and start writing.

In honor of Valentine's Day, SJB Weddings & Events is announcing it's first ever wedding giveaway! Keep reading to see how you can win our Weekend Wedding Coordination Package for your 2009 wedding.On every August 17th, I think of my husband proposing to me. I still remember the scene, the candles, the rose petals and the wine.... but what exactly did he say? I know it was beautiful and thoughtful, because I obviously said yes, but I would love to remember exactly what he said.So, with that in mind, the rules for this contest are quite simple. Tell us about that fabulous proposal that made you say yes. If you have pictures that will help tell you story please send them. We are looking for the most romantic and beautiful wedding proposals out there. This of course is an excellent opportunity to win a wedding coordinator for your wedding day, but it is a great way to document how the most important question of your life was asked.
So here are the contest rules:
Tell us about how he proposed and feel free to attach any photos that help tell your story.
Send all entries to info@sjbweddingsandevents.com no later than March 14, 2009 at 11:59 pm. On March 15,2009 the top five finalist will be selected and posted on the blog and our readers (which includes all of your family and friends) will have the opportunity to select the winner in a final two week vote. The winner will be announced on March 31, 2009.
Your wedding must take place in 2009 and in the Charlotte, NC and surrounding area. This surrounding area includes Columbia, SC, Spartanburg, SC, Winston Salem, NC and Greensboro, NC. I am so excited to read all of your proposals. Good luck to all you! Even if you do not enter this contest, please sit down and document his proposal. I wish I had! :)

Bump Shoot

2009-02-08T23:44:00.008-05:00

Every now and then I have the opportunity to photograph a bump (a.k.a belly) . I think it's a great idea to document that special time of a woman's life. I believe that pregancy is a beautiful thing and I try to capture that whenver I do a maternity session. Here are a few maternity photos from recent sessions.

Leigh & Damian Wedding, Charlotte, NC

2009-02-03T21:46:00.004-05:00

I posted a few of the engagement session photos of Leigh and Damian in an earlier blog post. Their wedding was great. It was held at Bonterra . Bonterra is a restaurant/wine room which used to be a church. The exterior looks like the church but the interior is different. They have a nice wine room in the basement that I used to capture some photos of the bride and groom together. I always enjoy getting the couple away from everyone else for a few photos and so that they can enjoy each other for a few minutes. I've included a few of those in the slideshow

Recent E-session, Charlotte, NC

2009-01-30T23:21:00.013-05:00

I did an E-session for my line brother and his beautiful fiance. They drove up from ATL to do the shoot and hang out with their favorite photographer. The weather caused us to end the shoot early but I think we got a lot of great photos that they will be able to display at their wedding. Here are a few.

It's Time For Change, Charlotte, NC

2009-01-19T21:16:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is one of the most historic events that will occur in my lifetime. Barack Obama will take his well deserved position as the President of The United States. Barack's achievement shows that we are closer to making Dr. Kings dream a reality. I am so glad that I was able to help Barack win by voting. It took me 8 hours to vote. That's right I said 8 hours. I decided to early vote on the Saturday before the election. Apparently hundreds of others had the same idea. I thought about getting out of line on more than one occasion but I kept thinking about what my ancestors went through to vote. Many African Americans were tortured, killed and humiliated to obtain the right to vote. They went through a lot so that I could have the right to vote and I refused to let them down. This post is dedicated to Barack Obama and all of the Americans that fought for the right to vote. I was fortunate enough to be able to see Barack Obama in Charlotte. This slideshow is a documentary of that experience. Please turn up your speakers and enjoy the show.

Yes We Can!

2009-01-19T00:20:00.007-05:00

I had a great time photographing the wedding of Damian and Leigh on Saturday. While in the Bridal suite getting ready we were able to see Obama on TV as he spoke in Philly. I think that everyone in the suite was excited to see Obama and his beautiful family. Leigh's dad was clearly a big Obama supporter. In fact he incorporated Obama into the wedding toast by using the theme YES WE CAN. He even gave every family member an Obama t-shirt. I thought it was a unique toast. I thought about the toast that he made while I was watching Obama on the news today so I decided to look at some of the photos of the toast. Here are a few images from the toast and one from the bridal suite. I can't wait to work on the rest of the photos.

Is Obama looking over at Leigh?

Leigh and Damian Engagement Session , Charlotte, NC

2009-01-15T21:49:00.017-05:00

I'll be shooting the wedding of Leigh and Damian this weekend. I met Leigh a few years ago when I was shooting a birthday party. I was just starting to photograph events at that time. Fortunately she added my contact information in her LinkedIn account. It also helped that I'm good friends with her wedding planner. I did an engagement session for this beautiful couple a few months ago around downtown Charlotte. Here are a few from that session.

Shannon and Kason, Charlotte, NC

2009-01-11T13:45:00.012-05:00

Happy New Year!!! Last year I procrastinated about blogging so this year I have made a resolution to start blogging. This is my first post of many more. I hope to keep the blog updated throughout the year.

I recently had the privilege of shooting engagement photos for Shannon and Kason. Kason and I both pledged Kappa Alpha Psi at Florida State but he pledged several years later. I am honored that he and his fiance drove up to Charlotte to allow me to shoot their engagement pictures. We had a great time even though it was a cold and overcast day. Here are a few photos from the day.