Ashley & Richard :: Engagement

To begin this post, I'd like to inform the reader of 3 things:

1. We absolutely fell in love with this couple.  You will soon see why.

2. Renata ROCKED this shoot!  The images that make you say "WOW!" will probably be hers.

3. This will be a long post because I have so many favorites.  Usually, we give the couple around 50-60 images and post 15-20.  For Ashley and Richard, we ended up giving them 84 images and I'll be posting 32.  That's how good this shoot was.

Ashley and Richard met in high school and have such an obvious connection.  This shoot was extra special because Richard is serving in the military and was home for a couple of weeks before going back to the Middle East.  They hadn't seen each other in months and it was such a joy to capture them together.  

Their facial expressions alone are enough to confirm their true love.  While Renata and I were messing with camera settings, the two of them were oblivious to the world, just lost inside their own.  Beautiful love, beautiful couple, beautiful images.

We had so much fun on this shoot!  We shot at two different beaches, got attacked by flying bugs in a grove of trees and got to talk and walk along a sweet little path.  Okay, I'll stop talking.  I can't wait for you to see these images.

Literally the first shot of the day.  Amazing.

Ashley is a stunner. I can't wait to see her in a wedding dress. :)

Bling!

What did I tell you about the facial expressions?

Models?

The bugs at the tree grove we shot at particularly liked me. But these shots were totally worth it.

Renata really took 70% of these shots, but I had to highlight these two. Renata completely tore this one up!

Beach #2.

And because Renata was absolutely on fire during this shoot, I've gotta post this one. Oh yeah, and she is 7 months pregnant in this shot. And she is the bomb. :)

Ashley and Richard, saying we had a great time with you two is an understatement. It was honestly so refreshing to be around you both and an honor to capture the love you so obviously share. We are praying for both of you and can't wait until your wedding!

23!

Today is my birthday! I'm so excited to soak the day up. Last year, both Drew and my birthdays went pretty unnoticed since we were just a couple of weeks away from our wedding. Weddings take the cake (no pun intended, honestly). So this year, our first married birthdays, we are just enjoying it!

Drew's alarm went off at 6am this morning and I was awoken to a sleepy "Happy Birthday" serenade. This afternoon, Drew's mom and sisters are taking me out to lunch and we're going to go see Mamma Mia!.  I'm very much looking forward to it!

I googled "23rd birthday" and this is what came up.  I think it's very appropriate.

23 is very unglamorous, but I'm grateful to see it. :)  Other than that, it's sort of a normal day.  I'm doing a little work this morning and tonight, Drew and I are going to a music conference that lasts until Saturday.  

Enjoy your Wednesday!  And please check back tomorrow - you are not going to want to miss the engagement shoot I am posting. :)

Twenty what?

Okay, okay. So I'm already sucking at keeping my promise of blogging every weekday. Didn't you see it coming? :)

I have a good excuse though! This is my birthday week! WOO! Yes, that's right. On Wednesday, I turn...an older twenty-something. Namely, 23. While 23 is not a super spectacular reason to celebrate, I still am. :) I've already received some birthday cards and have almost worn out the "But, Drew, it's my birthday week!" excuse. Plus, for my birthday, Drew gave me some cash and told me to go shopping during my birthday week, which I obviously did the first day I could - Monday. It was a fantastic gift (thanks sweetheart!).

In other news, business is in the works! I've already got a new logo that I will be unveiling soon and am currently getting the WEBSITE together! The actual, awesome website! I'm hoping to reveal the new brand and business plans before the end of the summer.

This will be a slow blogging week, as Drew and I are going to a conference Wednesday-Saturday. I've got weddings and an engagement session left to post. Get excited!

Have a great week! Go treat yourself to something in honor of my birthday. You deserve it!

Kayla & Kedrick :: Wedding

We were honored to have the opportunity to shoot Kayla and Kedrick's wedding.  Kayla's family attends our church, so it was special to be shooting on "home turf" for the first time, amongst people we know and love.  

Kayla and Kedrick met at Liberty University, where they both attend college.  They were so much fun and we had a blast spending the day with them and their fantastic bridal party!

Both Kayla and Kedrick got ready at the church and laughed off their nerves all day.

To our delight, Kayla and Kedrick opted to do "First Glance" and see each other before the ceremony. We love it when couples decide to do this for several reasons: they get the first moment they see each other to themselves, we can do formals before the ceremony which allows the couple to go straight to the reception, and we have more time for relaxed portraits of the bride and groom.

Since we took Kayla and Kedrick's formal pictures before the ceremony, we were able to spend some good time at a beautiful driveway with their bridal party.

The beautiful bridesmaids, who were super fun.

The studly men.

Renata and I always tell couples that one of the best parts about your wedding day is that you get to kiss all day and no one can say anything about it. I guess not everyone appreciates it. :)

The ceremony was simple and sweet. (Sidenote: My dad is the pastor officiating the wedding!)

My token word for The Kiss: HOLLA!

Leaving in a swirl of bubbles.

Kayla and Kedrick, thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your day. We had such a great time with you and your bridal party (hey guys!). Hope the honeymoon was fabulous! Enjoy your pictures!

Anything for the shot

In order to test the light in certain situations, Renata and I usually take test pictures of each other, therefore we have a whole file of terrible pictures of each other.  We usually get a good laugh out of looking at them; they are really horrendous.  I won't share them all today (I will one day!), but I had to post one.  

Today, we shot some headshots in a multi-light situation, so it was important that we get our camera and flash settings correct.  Renata used me as a test.  This is the result.  When you stop laughing, please still be my friend.

I know, I know. It looks like a terrible yearbook photo of me in middle school. Don't hate. I keep it real. And this proves that I will do anything to get a good shot, even look like a chubby 7th grader. Thank you very much.

Becca & Matt :: Engagement

Dishes are kind of our 'thing' now, Becca explained to me while describing how she and Matt met.  They took a cooking class together and, unbeknownst to either one, caught each other's eye.  While the rest of the class were eating their homemade goodies, Becca and Matt would stay behind and do their dishes as an excuse to be together.  It wasn't until after the class was over that Becca realized she couldn't let Matt get away.

She had no way of getting in contact with him, but persisted until she ran across a lucky break - one of her friends was in Matt's class.  They contacted each other and, well, the rest is history.  

I had a blast with Becca and Matt, hanging out around Rehoboth Beach (even though it was packed out!) and Becca's parents' gorgeous community.  I can't say enough good things about these two - they are super in love, disgustingly cute (in a good way!), and MATT COOKS!  

We started the day at the beach, where Becca and Matt knew of a giant chess board!  How cool is that?!

We spent the rest of the day in the gorgeous community where Becca's parents live. Fresh flowers everywhere and a "wedding garden" - mmm, it was yummy.

In the community's "wedding garden", which was beautiful.

Ahh, the token engagement shot...

Matt got his model on.

I LOVE these two images.

I know I already posted one in this series, but they're just so good!

Becca and Matt, you guys are such naturals and a PLEASURE to be around. I can't wait for your wedding!  Thank you for your amazing shoot and your family of blog-stalkers :)  Enjoy your pictures!

This week

I just returned from a fabulous weekend at the beach with friends.  I have a load of things to catch up on!

This week, prepare for some exciting things:

1. Two wedding posts

2. An engagement post

3. Announcements regarding a NEW business name and updates

Hurray!

Sorry this post is so short, but the laundry is calling out.  Hope you had a great weekend!

Lights, camera, ACTIONS!

A lot of things about photography can be intimidating.  I remember when I had no idea what shooting manual was.  I only knew that all the pros did it...and I didn't.  The first time I tried, I felt frustrated and completely unsure of myself.  Now, after lots of practice, I'm feeling much better about it.  

The list of intimidating things seems to grow as I learn more.  Lighting techniques, lenses, camera bodies and, as of recently, Photoshop CS3.  I used Photoshop in high school, so I was hoping maybe a little of that would come back to me.  But no.  When I opened PS on Charlie (refer to this post if you have no idea who Charlie is), I just stared blankly.  BLANKLY.  Well, so much for that.

Thank goodness for actions.  Actions are a playable set of directions in PS that give great effects with a single click.  Without them, I might have just given up.  Seriously.

I've been experimenting with three different sets of actions: Totally Rad Actions, TRA 2 - The Revenge, and Kubota Production Tools.  

These two recent engagement images were both processed using a combination of these three action sets and I think they look pretty dang good.  (And here is a little preview for Becca & Matt and Ashley & Richard!)

All this said, go buy yourself some actions (are you listening, Alicia Lee?!)!  They cut down the post-processing time in Photoshop, plus give you great creative leverage.  Take it from me, they are worth the money and come with easy to follow directions.  

Hurray for actions!

Happy birthday, Drew!

The woman at the checkstand must have thought I had 3 young children at home.  Apple juice, cranberry juice, Oreos, fruit snacks, Hamburger Helper...not exactly items you'd expect from 20-somethings.  Whatever - we're proud of the fact that we are young at heart!

Today, my wonderful husband turns 25!  I've had a lot of fun the past couple of weeks reminding him how old he is.  Drew really is a kid at heart.  It's one of my favorite qualities about him.

Even more fun, this is our first married birthday!  Last year at this time, we were in the midst of the wedding planning storm and both of our birthdays were overlooked.  This year, we're celebrating!  I got up early and made Drew pancakes and eggs in bed and we're going to his parents' house to celebrate tonight.

If you know him, wish Drew a happy birthday!  Heck, even if you don't, holla!

I love you, Drew! Happy birthday!

Kosko Productions

One of the things I am loving the most about wedding photography is meeting other wedding vendors.  I love it when a florist, DJ or catering manager makes it a point to introduce themselves at an event.  Selfishly, it makes me feel included in this crazy wedding industry, but it also provides the opportunity for me to recommend their services to my clients!

One of my great friends and roommates from college has begun her own wedding video business.  Her name is Katie Kosko and I'm excited to plug her website on my blog.  If you are looking for unobtrusive, fully-edited, excellent wedding videography brought to you by a fun, genuine girl, visit Katie's site: Kosko Productions.

I can say from experience that Katie will provide great wedding day videography and will become one of your friends.  I promise.  I love this girl!

Me and Katie from our college years:

When you check out her site, make sure to view the video samples she has posted.  The samples are from a wedding video Katie made for a good friend of ours, Meghan.  I did not photograph their wedding, but I was honored to be asked to be a part of their wedding day band and honored to be featured in one of Katie's videos!  Yep, that's me singing "In Christ Alone" about 20 seconds into the ceremony video and some other songs throughout the video.  (Sidenote: Drew is the one playing the piano throughout!)  I just love being a part of weddings, no matter how. :)

So, from one bride to another, go check out Kosko Productions!

Digital heaven

Drew came in the door, took his shoes off and propped his feet up after a long day of work. I greeted him promptly with a hug and a kiss.

How was your day?, I asked.

I think we should buy the iMac, was the answer.

We headed to the Apple store. It took no time at all to get our questions answered and before we knew it, we were walking out the door with a brand new 20-inch iMac! Without further ado, here it is:

Do not be fooled.  This sucker is huge.  Well, not huge, but it seems a lot smaller in the picture than it actually is!  Beautiful!  (Please disregard the mess that is our desk.)  We decided that since we have two Macs now, we wouldn't want to get them confused, so we named them.  This big guy is Charlie and little MacBook Pro is Sam.  We love them.

Now that we have the new iMac, I have begun experimenting with CS3!  I immediately bought the Kubota Production Tools and have been non-stop trying them out.  One of my first attempts from a wedding I shot with the Blondes on Saturday:

Magic Sharp is already becoming my best friend.

In other news, Drew is home with me today because he got in a car accident this morning.  :(  He's fine and so were all the other drivers (it was a chain reaction), but our car is not looking so good.  Drew posted pictures on our family blog if you want to mourn the damage with us.

Off to eat leftover Outback for lunch!  Have a great Tuesday!

A promise, a wish and a decision

The promise: Since I am at home now, I'd like to start blogging more frequently. I am going to make a commitment to blog every weekday. Since I don't do a shoot everyday, there will be more personal blogs and more random blogs. Please note, it could get a little crazy around here. :)

The wish: I just bought Photoshop CS3. Glorious. But our ole' MacBook Pro is not up for the challenge. Drew has had the computer for 2 years now and while it is a great computer, it's just not going to handle PS with the speed (and grace) that is required. We are seriously thinking about upgrading to an iMac. This is a hard decision, as I just quit my full-time job and if we did buy the iMac, we would pimp it out. We're making the decision this week...

The decision: When I bought my first digital SLR, I chose solely based on how the camera felt in my hands. I picked the Nikon D40 and was super happy with it for my casual use. Once I decided to go pro, I upgraded to the D80 and, honestly, already feel like I am outgrowing it. At this point, I'm super torn between upgrading to the D3 or completely switching to Canon. I know a lot of people have a lot of opinions about Nikon vs. Canon and you are welcome to post them here. We'll see.

See ya tomorrow. :)

Smizzle

One of the best things about quitting my full-time job is having the time to catch up with friends. I really enjoyed my visit to Salisbury on Thursday and on Friday, I trekked to Hagerstown to see one of my very best friends, Smizzle.

Smizzle's real name is not Smizzle, but it's a college nickname that stuck, and pretty much the only thing I call her. Smizzle gets me. Period. You know those people who just KNOW you? Yeah, that's Smizzle times ten.

We don't get to see each other very often, but it is always so refreshing when we do. Smizzle reminds me of who I am and who I want to be, and a reality check for me was long overdue.

I'm realizing how important it is to stay grounded - in relationships, in business, in life. It's easy for me to convince myself that I am someone I'm not. Friends are such an important part of becoming who we are. It's almost impossible to know who you really are without relationships.

Take the time to catch up with your friends. The ones that get you. That remind you of who you are.

China girls in Salisbury

Yesterday, after the two great sessions I got to shoot, I had an opportunity to visit some friends in the Bury. What started as a quick stop ended up as dinner and an impromptu photo shoot.

Some of the best friends college can give: Emily, Fisch, Meghan, Alicia Lee, Katie Reddish and Ra.

This visit was especially special because Emily and Ra just returned from China, where they spent a year teaching English. Hence, the "China" pose.

I'm so glad they're back in America! :) (Fisch took this shot...nice job Fischy!)

Special tidbit: 2009 clients might be seeing more of Emily...stay tuned. :)

Thanks for letting me stop by, guys! Next time I'll just plan on spending the night so I can join in on the margaritas. :)

P.S. This blog received well over 100 hits yesterday!  I'd love to know who you all are...don't be afraid to leave comments!  Thanks for reading!

Two shoots and an anniversary

Today, I'm traveling to MD's eastern shore for two separate shoots! I'm really excited about both of them :) 

The first is Matt and Becca's engagement shoot - I can't wait for you to meet them. The second is a boudoir shoot for a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, at least for the time being. :) If you are unsure what boudoir is, please click here.  We do offer limited boudoir sessions, by request.  If you are a bride (to-be or past) and want more information about boudoir, please email me!

In other news, today is Drew and my 11 month wedding anniversary!  After a nine month engagement that seemed to draaaaag on and on, these past 11 months have flown by.  I am so grateful for Drew and his willingness to help me pursue this dream adventure.  If it weren't for marrying him, I would have never met Michelle and maybe never realized my calling of wedding photography!  

I'm stoked to be spending this day doing something I love love love love love, then coming home to the man I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.  It's a good day.  :)

The newest addition

I rounded the staircase. I peered through the rail. My gaze fell past the door number, then the doorknob, then the bottom of the frame, then...a box! I bolted up the rest of the stairs, snatched the box and burst through the door, already trying to get the box open.

I won't lie. I might have shrieked in joy a little.

My brand new lens has arrived! After shooting with the 50mm 1.8 for a little while, I thought it was time to upgrade, so I bought the 50mm 1.4. Oh yes. 1.4. Glorious.

I've only used it once, but I can already say...butttaaaa. :)

Home sweet home

Sorry for the little break in blogging. I promised myself that when I finally quit my full-time job, I would blog a lot more regularly. And so far, I've been sucking at keeping that promise.

Backtrack: Oh yes, last Friday was my last day of working a full-time job! This is my first full week of just being a photographer (and house wife). I can't believe it!

Currently, I've been editing like crazy, doing laundry non-stop and, ugh, getting sick. I had my entire week meticulously planned out - doing my nails, editing, hanging out with Michelle, tanning by the pool, reading, working out, sitting around doing nothing, lunch with Amanda. The plan was going perfect until I came down with a terrible stomach bug that I am still getting over. I had to cancel my plans with Michelle and Amanda, skip out on the pool and break my workout plan. The stomach flu couldn't have come at a worse time.

I've been stuck on this couch for the past 48 hours.

I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself. I am a photographer, and that's it! WOO!

To end this post, I need to publicly thank my husband Drew.

Drew, you are the best. Thank you for supporting this family financially, emotionally and otherwise. Thanks for getting medicine and ginger ale at 4am and keeping me company on the couch. Thanks for taking me to Hershey Park to celebrate. Thanks for letting me follow my dreams. I love you.