• 9
  • 16
  • 3_0
  • 6
  • 10
  • 4_0
  • 8
  • 3
  • sneak-peek4
sneak peek

WELL, HELLO!

I love when you love on each other.

Whether you are newly engaged, a new mother and your day old baby, or a couple exchanging vows.

I love capturing love written all over your faces.

Love for life.
Love for each other.
Love for your passion.

This is where I find the real you. Where the the giggles come out. I’ll meet you there.
Follow me Get updates via Twitter | Follow
me on Twitter

Shine

05.04.2012 | Authenticity | 3 Comments

SO many of our days we spend muddled in the what-we-have-to-get-done-right-now-or-the-world-will-explode. We hardly ever pull our heads out of the sand to see the sun. To let our  hearts really FEEL. To open ourselves to others. To have more face-to-face time and less screen-to-screen (Thank you Nancy).

Stop covering your heart with menial things that in the long run don’t matter.

Let it breathe, let it SHINE.

P.S .:: Headed to DC today, keep up with the MTH2012 Spring tour and our everyday posts. And if you really want to see how nerdy I am check out my dance moves. 

 

I am crazy passionate and head over heels in love with engagement sessions. (especially amazing Aspen, Colorado…let’s-climb-a-mountain-and-lay-in- a-valley sessions)

During my consults, I really express to my clients how much value is stored up in their engagement session and why I think they are a must for all of my couples. Why do I do this?

1. It’s essential that you get used to being behind your wedding photographer’s camera before your big day.  For most bride and grooms, the last photographer they were encountered with was their graduation photographer or possibly your last family shot at pro-ex. Most of the time grooms dread engagement sessions, because they remember feeling completely akward back in high school in front of the camera. I want to break that mold at the engagement session. I want my couples to know we are going to have fun. You are going to laugh at me. You are going to laugh at each other. We will get to know each other more and you’ll see how I do what I do. I want each of my clients to not worry one tiny bit about how pictures are going to go, how they should stand or what they should do with their hands. I want them to see me on their wedding day as an old friend coming to make them do that “weird laugh and walk thing” or the” act like it’s cold outside and hug up on each other” thing. I want my flow and direction to feel like old hat. Easy Peasy.

2. It’s a free date night. Here you are all looking pretty and having to hold hands, smooch and stare into each others eyes. How often to you actually rub noses or squeeze your someone? Soak each other in! We are all so busy these days, alone time with the ones we love is priceless I als0 encourage my couples to go somewhere after our session even if it’s just for coffee and enjoy themselves.

3. Use it as a trial run.  This mention is more for my brides than the beaus. This is a great time to try out your make up or do a test run with your hair before the wedding. Here you can try a couple things and see what looks best in photos. It truly helps to meet with your stylists and to get comfortable with them too (just like number 1) You could also test out attire or shoes to see what feels best.

4. You are creating your own art. I know this might sound ridiculously cheesy, but if you put your heart and your authenticity into your engagement session you are creating art that represents you as a couple. I love nothing more than collaborating with couples and coming up with concepts that come from their everyday. Whether it be wrestling, hiking mountains, your puppy. These images are timeless because they define you.

5. Because they are just stinkin fun. Everyone has a unique story and my favorite thing to do is listen to you both and come up with something that resonates with your real life and your hearts We are always having a good time, because you are typically doing things that you love with the one that you love. Win. Win. I promise.

The end.

PS. So excited for Making Things Happen 2012 Atlanta class today!

PSS. I have a secret hopes of shooting an engagement session at their favorite team’s college football game and being right in the middle of a huge fan crazy crow and I would also love to shoot on a sailboat. Preferably in Greece, but anywhere in the states is fine too. Fun. So if you are in. I’m in.

 

This beautiful couple is expecting and it just fills my heart that I have been able to photograph their engagement, their wedding and will now get to photograph their first child. These two are just the most genuinely beautiful pair. I can’t wait to meet their baby girl due in June!

  

 

You’re face to face with a new week. Embrace it. Run with it. Rock it. 

 

I can’t get over the bright colors that are outside now. The green this time of year is almost lime! I am in love. Yet, a black and white can and always will win my heart over. Meet Becky. She is a stinkin’ talented pet & lifestyle photographer. I had the privilege of mentoring her for a 1/2 day session in March. We had so much fun and by the time we were done, we decided to wait for some green for her mini session. Goodness, I am so glad we did. Not only is this girl beautiful and awesome. She is going places. Her sheer drive and ability to get things done, motivates the crap out of me. I cannot wait to see where the next couple of months take her.

Now enjoy the contrast of some black and bright images. These b&w especially make me want to jump up and down.

 0  

 

Corny pun blog title? Completely on purpose. Isn’t this boy & girl pair just perfect? Twin newborn sessions make me melt.

 

 

One of my favorite things on the planet is concept ideas for shoots! I probably sound like a broken record, but this work just fires me up SO much. I want to jump up and down on my bed. So, when this pair found out they were expecting, after a long journey, I had to ask if they were up for a crazy fun gender reveal. The last gender reveal I shot was my the brilliant momma’s idea but her out of the box thinking inspired me to get uber creative if I had the opportunity again.

It took a couple minutes of brain storming to connect that Andrea and Alex have been painting, remodeling and flipping houses since they say i do. They even just bought a new home in the last two months. Since all things Home Depot has been such a part of their lives, finding out the gender of their baby via a paint reveal was just the perfect fit. We collaborated early December on this idea and have just been waiting to make it happen.

The day of we arrived at Home Depot where I was handed an envelope from the doctors office. Andrea & Alex went over and picked out a their favorite color swatches and then went to hide a bit while I gave the paint expert the game plan. It took a time or two of explaining to him for him to fully understand what we were doing. Once he understood that he was going to be the first one to know the gender of the baby he was beaming. He even said it was the most interesting and exciting order he had in nine year of working there. He even was so polite to tell us to turn around at certain points of his mixing to make certain we didn’t peek. I specifically told him that I didn’t want to know either. Because let’s face it, I get way too excited and I didn’t want my reaction to spoil anything.

After our can was mixed, we headed back to their home and started talking the prep photos. Kraft paper paint cans, paint brushes, blue & pink ribbon. Soon it was time to open up the paint can. The plan: I would open the can (try to to exclaim, cry or scream) pour in the paint and dip their brushes in all with their eyes closed. Then they would go to town with a couple of strokes to get the color on the wall and pop their eyes open and celebrate.  This sequence couldn’t have been more perfect. I just love the raw emotion in their faces!! It was such a beautiful and amazing set of moments to be a part of.

This was actually done in one of their main living spaces that they are planning to repaint, yet they are going to leave this little momento up for the next couple of weeks for guests to see. I love love love this idea.  A&A I am so blessed to know you both and know that your lil’ girl is just going to be perfect, beautiful and wonderfully made. Praise the LORD! 

 

 

Watch out ladies. This lil’ man is going to be quite the heartbreaker. I seriously can’t get over the look he is giving.

Happy Valentines day to each and everyone one of you! Know that you are loved!! I am so grateful and blessed to be able to share my words and images with you. Thank you to pieces for the support and love you have sent my way.

 

The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the ocean. -Isak Dinesen

This week is full of recharging and preparation for this beautiful couples wedding on Friday, here in the Dominican Republic. Natalie is here second shooting with me and it has been such a fantastic time so far. If you want to check out our adventures or us  just being nerdy. Follow my Instagram or Facebook + Natalie’s Instagram & Facebook.