About

My quest for a captivating image started at an early age.

When I was 14 my family and I lived in my Grandmother’s house. It was a genuinely Southern antebellum home with the typical front porch, which I loved on cool summer nights. For me it had been on that very porch where the door was opened to a new world. My father, Watson, said, “You can have anything in the attic you find if you will tidy it up a bit. It had been there in our dark old attic where I found true love, my first camera, a 1938 Leica rangefinder, soon after the Leica was to become an extension of my arm.

The majority of the time it was at my mother’s ballet company rehearsals where I practiced my photography skills. The dancers’ motions allowed me to hone my skills to anticipate the shot and to capture the graceful movements of the dancers. This has proven to be a technique repeatedly applied.

I used the camera through four years of high school art classes and into my first year of studies at New Mexico State. The blessings this camera have given to me were, no light meter, absolutely nothing automatic, and everything raw and real. These experiences led me to learn film in a makeshift darkroom in the old fashioned way of trial and error. My Leica camera pointed me in the direction of New Mexico State where I attended university for photography.

At New Mexico State I began the journey of learning the technical aspects of the profession. I quickly upgraded to a new camera although I will always hold dear my Leica. Through its lens my eyes opened to a new world.

In school I had the opportunity to learn with some of the greatest landscape photographers of our time. New Mexico as well as the entire West is soaking with a light that will take your breath away. This landscape proved to be perfect for outdoor wedding and bridal portraits, which I started shooting early in my college career. The New Mexico light inspired some of my first fine art exhibitions as well as many of my greatest wedding moments.

After school I was drawn to Miami FL which really gave my career the stimulation and spark it needed. Miami gave me insight to high fashion, which I incorporate into my photography style. With all of the tropical scenery I began to seek something familiar to inspire an emotional connection. Weddings have lead my heart and have proven to be just what was essential for me as an artist. Although my commercial photography business was booming with work, especially with local swimsuit companies, I had to have something I could feel. Every woman loves a beautiful wedding.

Weddings kept me busy many weekends throughout the year. Yet, the commercial photography allowed me the joy of being able to shoot professionally in twelve countries: United States, England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Jamaica, Canada, Cuba and the Bahamas. During a breathtaking photo shoot in the Bahamas I met Brett, now my husband. For a month and a half I photographed a yacht and its owners throughout the islands of the Bahamas. On that trip Brett, a commercial diver and underwater photographer, was part of the island experience. Needless to say, everyone should bring back a bit of the island lifestyle! After many months of dating and with Brett’s move to Miami, he and I began to discuss marriage. At that point I knew it was time to go home to Birmingham, AL. where we could build the foundation for our marriage in the cozy environment of family and friends.

Brett has proven to be instrumental in the business of Arden Photography. We have a combined total of 53 weddings shot for 2006. We are excited to see what the New Year has to offer for weddings and other clients. We will be booked for upwards of 60 weddings in ‘07. Our teamwork has proven to be a successful recipe for captivating images. Our styles compliment each other, providing every bride with the ability to see her story through our lens. We find pleasure in creating every album as a piece of art for each couple.

In addition to our weddings, Birmingham has offered a blossoming magazine career. Our images have been seen on the pages of Cooking with Paula Deen, Southern Lady, Tea Time, Taste of the South, Southern Baby, Red Hat Society”, Birmingham Magazine, Southern Bride, Alabama Weddings and Portico Magazine. Also, several books and special edition magazines have had Arden Photography images within them. My celebrity portfolio consists of Paula Deen, Nicole Richie, Taylor Hicks, George P Bush, MLB players, NFL Hall of Famers, Politicals, and TV stars.

I hope to surprise and excite families with the links created by our imaginative approach between the wedding images and their loved ones. I look forward to seeing my brides have tears of joy when viewing their photographs from Arden Photography.

To book for photography for commercial, editorial or wedding/event purposes please contact the studio at: photographer@ardenphotography.com or by phone at 205-427-1144.