tara mauldin photography

desert shoot | las vegas, nevada

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:48:44 +0000

during my most recent adventure at wppi 2012, i had the immense pleasure of attending another desert shoot with erin & gavin wade of orange county. it was so cool, because we got to reunite with several of last year’s attendees. my wppi roomie, the super talented kori hoffman, was a first timer with erin & gavin. we both had a great time and it was so much fun to be able to be able to shoot with no expectations and total creative freedom. plus, i mean, the open desert with kate, a gorgeous bride, and chris, a super handsome groom (yes they were married)…it was a no brainer! here are the people who made this shoot happen:

stylist: gloria mccune of grand engagements
hair/makeup: maria chang of professional makeup artistry
florals: pixiepetals
host: gavin and erin wade photographers

wppi 2012 – plus class with roberto valenzuela | las vegas, nevada

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:25:59 +0000

welcome back friends! i hope this blog post finds all my readers out in blogdom feeling super perky and happy today! i want to share with all of you some of my recent adventures in photography-land. back in february, i traveled out to las vegas to the wedding & portrait photographers international (aka WPPI) convention. for those of you who do not know what this convention is about, here’s a brief synopsis: it’s a week full-on-race, jammed to the brim with photography classes that range from technical, inspiration, business, lighting, and more, mixed in with an AWESOME trade show. i flew into vegas early to go to roberto valenzuela’s plus class. a plus class is a more intimate hands-on class that last for 2 days. and boy…the knowledge i gained from this class was extraordinary. i have taken workshops & seminars in the past, but this by far exceeded all of my expectations when it came to actual principals of composition & posing that could be instantly applied to my craft. and roberto…he is one of the most genuine photographers & teachers out there…he KNOWS his stuff, and he KNOWS how to teach it. it’s really incredible how much thought he has put into all of it. not to mention that the man is uber talented. oh! and if any of my readers are photogs, then i HIGHLY suggest purchasing his book, picture perfect practice, that he recently got published…it’s filled with the same information from his class…invaluable!

and one of the cool things about going to a wppi plus class is you get to arrive before all the chaotic swarms of other photographers! hehehe…i mean that in a good way. it’s just a wonderful time to be able to study and really get to know individuals more one on one before the convention really gets started. i met some of the nicest and talented people during this time. hugs to my plus class peeps!!!

below is some of the outtakes during my time during roberto’s class…enjoy! xoxo…t

emily & joe – engaged! | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:38:29 +0000

you know when you meet someone for the first time and you feel like you have known them forever? well that’s just what it felt like when i met emily for the first time. what.a.peach. not only is emily extremely gorgeous, but her personality is off the charts! and the yin to her yang is joe. they compliment each other so well. he is grounded, patient, and so kind.

we decided to go out and about around charlotte for their engagement session, which is always one of my favorite things to do. just fly by the seat of our pants and see where the wind takes us. it was a blast! you know, i have said this before. the first time i ever went to new york city, i would always comment to how you could walk 5 feet and find new places to shoot…exciting places. but you know, charlotte really had the same thing. it’s such a beautiful city and i really am lucky to be able to shoot in charlotte as much as i do!!!

stay tuned for emily & joe’s extraordinary wedding. you won’t want to miss it!!! love to you both guys!!! xoxo…t

catherine & rob – engaged | gold hill engagement photographer

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:59:56 +0000

can i just say that i totally love these two??? i can’t wait for catherine & rob’s may 12th wedding! it’s going to be GORGEOUS!!!! since they love the outdoors, we decided to shoot their engagement session in the super quaint town of historic Goldhill. The weather was perfect, and the light was unreal. and to say that catherine and rob truly, truly love each other is a complete understatement. they just could not stop giggling and smiling at each other the WHOLE ENTIRE time. loved it! totally made my job so easy!

can’t wait to see you guys soon! xoxo…t

katie & adam – engaged! – fort mill dairy barn | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:31:06 +0000

hi friends! i’m so so so excited to be able to share with you my most recent engagement session with my two beautiful clients. meet katie & adam. katie and adam were referred to me from the uber talented erica stawick of sweet november designs. they are getting married on june 30th at the gorgeous duke mansion, and I.CAN’T.WAIT! why do you ask? because these two are so much fun, so sweet, and so flippin’ photogenic. they TOTALLY made my job so easy during this session. it’s like they were made to be photographed…kid you not.

we met up at the beautiful fort mill dairy barn for this shoot. i had never shot there before, but oh my goodness. everywhere i turned were incredible locations. and the sun was seriously dreamy that day. thank you Lord for providing such an insane backdrop for our session.

enjoy these photos and stayed tuned for more TMP goodness!

xoxo…t

karen & dave – married! – part 2 | grassy creek wedding photographer

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:29 +0000

part 2 continued…after karen & dave’s first look, we all went inside for a little cool-down intermission. the thing i loved and love about karen & dave is their ability to make someone feel completely at home. you see, their wedding day was our first actual meeting. they are both from raleigh, and although we had several phone consultations our first face to face was the morning of their wedding. they have such a calming sense about them.

i believe one of the sweetest things i have seen at a wedding was at this wedding. graham, karen’s 4 year old son, a toe-headed beauty, walked karen down the aisle. he was PRECIOUS!!! and his giggle…contagious.

because karen & dave did a first look, they were able to go straight into their cocktail hour with all their closest friends and family. it was flawless and effortless. the mood was light, happy, and without stress. just what a wedding should be like! having their cocktail hour on the banks of the river was just incredible. so serene and peaceful!!!

after the cocktail hour, we perused up into river house for the most AMAZING, repeat AMAZING dinner. it was my first time trying duck, and it really was quite good. thanks for the experience guys!!!

all in all, this wedding was one for my books. perfect beyond compare and so full of joy. a huge thank you to karen & dave for having me document your wedding. it was incredible and such an honor! love to you both.

here are a list of the vendors from this fete:

venue: the river house inn at grassy creek

gown & groom’s suit: jcrew

bridal shoes: steve madden

floral – bouts: diana renfro

brides paper bouquet & all handmade wooden signs: morgan hill designs

jewelry: vintage earrings & handmade cufflinks from etsy

caterer & cake: the river house inn

violinist: eva mowry

look at that face! in love…

a super sweet hug from karen’s dad…i love the look on his sweet face.

cocktail hour without a finger in the nose is no cocktail hour at all…in my humble opinion.

graham needed a little alone mommy time…

love this first dance shot…

karen & dave – married! – part 1 | river house inn – grassy creek wedding

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:57 +0000

loving. organic. natural. these are the words the come to mind when i reflect on karen & dave’s grassy creek destination wedding. it was a small intimate affair, 15 people, on the banks of the new river. grassy creek boasts the beautiful river house inn, a very special place where ceremonies & receptions alike leave their guests feeling like they just stepped out of a little fairy tale. karen & dave were married under a huge sycamore tree. as graham, karen’s 4 year old son walked her down the aisle, the smile on dave’s face could have lit up the whole of NC. these two are perfect together. they just make sense. a wonderful love that i had the perfect opportunity to capture. there were just too many photos to only have one post from this super sweet wedding. so without further ado, here is part 1… (a huge thanks to my second shooter beka…<3)

karen found her vintage pearl earrings on etsy…gosh i love that place.

karen you are simply divine…

dave, you looked incredible!!!

karen & dave decided on a first look…it was priceless.

the buildings on the river house property are a photographers dream…oh the light.

morgan & ross – married! part 2 | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:05 +0000

hi guys! so glad you all could make it back to view part 2 of morgan & ross’ GORGEOUS charlotte ballantyne wedding! the ceremony for their wedding had one of the most heartfelt exchange of vows i have ever had the privilege of witnessing. there were MANY MANY tears that flowed that day…tears from past trials, and from God’s sweet graces that have touched these two. not a dry eye in the house…and yes…i did cry…while camera was still being used.

the reception. wowzers. i have never seen so much dancing in all my life…and i mean…gooooooood dancing. the bride & groom’s friends and family definitely know how to shake a leg and a half! it was so much fun to photograph…kori (my second shooter) and i didn’t want to leave for the night!

morgan & ross…i wish many many blessing for the two of you. you totally complete each other and i can’t wait to see where your lives take you!!!

to my second shooter kori, you always rock my world with your awesome eye and unparalleled sense to know just where i need for you to be and what i need from you. thank you!

here are a list of the many vendors that made this wedding possible:

venue: ballantyne hotel

event planner: carolina wedding design

gown: kleinfeld

floral: the place for flowers

caterer & cake: ballantyne hotel

entertainment: split second sound

videography: crown alley films

morgan & ross – married! – part 1 | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:27:31 +0000

hi friends! i want you to meet two very special people, morgan & ross thompson. (check out morgan’s bridal session here-it’s stunning!) these two lovebirds hale from the big apple, but chose to say their vows down south, here in charlotte, where their families reside. their ballantyne hotel wedding was EXCEPTIONAL in every way. from their super heart-felt wedding vows (yes, i totally did cry), to their over-the-top fun wedding reception, it was a wedding that i truly will never forget.

morgan & ross’ wedding was…well…sinful, but in a good way. morgan hired the uber talented girls of carolina wedding design. heather bryson headed up the team who created this ever-so-lavish and over-the-top GORGEOUS wedding. she incorporated hues of purple, lots of bling-bling, and rich combinations of linens to create a truly decadent feast for the eyes. i also think it was incredible the way that the CWD girls transformed one of the ballantyne ballrooms into the ceremony site with pipe and drape, lighting, hanging roses, crystals, and then completely FLIPPED that space into their reception area. it was unreal and done with such precision. i’m telling all you brides to be…if you even THINK you need a planner, you should totally hook up with these ladies…they are one of the BEST!!!

so without further ado…here is part one of morgan & ross’ wedding story…

happy new year! – 2011 year in review | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:00:02 +0000

happy happy new year friends! to say that i am blessed beyond belief is truly an understatement. from an awesome family, wonderful friends, and totally fantastic clients, God has blessed me with immeasurable gifts. so to ring in the new year, i wanted to share some of my favorite photos from this past year. peruse, enjoy, and contemplate what 2012 has in store for all of us. i feel like it’s going to be a great new year…xoxo…t