Impromptu Shoots

....are so much fun!

Last Saturday I hung out with my good friends Steve & Miriam for about an hour to scope out some sweet spots where I'll be shooting for their wedding on March 13th. Time hasn't allowed for us to schedule an official engagement shoot before the wedding, so I thought if I took my camera along while we were walking around, maybe I could snap a few fun shots. And I did just that!

These two are SO happy, so in love, and so full of joy and laughter....which is a great combination for getting some fabulous images in a very short amount of time.

Cannot wait to shoot their full wedding day in just a couple weeks! :D

Siblings = Your Own Personal Models

As a photographer, I'm convinced one of the many perks that God intended in giving us siblings was for the purpose of having an ever-constant model around with whom to practice our ever-growing photographic inspiration.

A few weeks ago I had this random idea pop into my head for a shoot with my sister, and much to my surprise, it took very little convincing for her to let me dress her up the way I envisioned and head out into the cold backyard. She was every bit a good sport, and though the hair/outfit isn't her normal look....I think she pulled it off STUNNINGLY.

The tree shots were the mental inspiration for this shoot, and I was SO happy with how they came out. It was an altogether very fun shoot that got my creative juices flowing when being stuck inside during the winter months can otherwise try to quench that.

So, here's to sisters who make for great models! :)

[To see more, go here.]

Of cold days, bright colors, and the bond of sisterhood.

I come from a fairly average-sized family; 2 parents, 2 siblings - 1 sister, 1 brother. I love that I have grown up with both types of siblings and have gained the benefit and joy of building friendships with both an older sister and a younger brother. But I always find it very fascinating to step into the lives of much larger families and observe the hustle and bustle, the joy and laughter, that comes with having 5, 6, 7 or 12 siblings.

One such family, over the past 6 years, has become very dear to me. Filled with 13 children - 8 girls and 5 boys, the Davey family is one of the most vibrant, fun, stable, close-knit, amazing families I've ever met and had the privilege to grow close to. The more I'm around them, the more I love them.

5 of the girls in the Davey family have become particularly close friends as I've gotten much opportunity to hang out with them over the years. [Spending countless late nights in their kitchen drinking tea and pondering the joys, complexities, and wonder of life together.] These 5 are the ones that still live relatively in the same area and wanted to do a "sister shoot" on a weekend that they'd all be together. So, on a very cold Sunday afternoon back in January we braved the cold wind and set out to capture some fun, colorful, sisterly portraits. :)

Lets take a moment and meet each of the amazing ladies:

Magdalen

Elizabeth

Maria

Hope

Sarah

After about an hour outside at a few different locations the girls were [rightfully so] tired of freezing. So, we did the only reasonable thing to do....and went and got coffee! There was some amazing light coming through the windows, so I decided to keep the documentation going during our break.

It was SUCH a fun shoot - but then, it always is when you get an excuse to go hang out with some of your best friends. :) [If you'd like to see some more of this shoot you can check what I have on Flickr.]

Here's to sisters, friendship, and enduring frigid temperatures to achieve some vibrant and stunning photographic results!

About that silly holiday created by greeting card companies...

February 14th, 2010 was my first Valentine's Day not spent as a single person. And that's not to say that it was the first meaningful one, because I always found ways to celebrate with family & friends that I truly loved.

But this one was definitely different, and special....and romantic. I got to spend it with the most amazing guy I've ever known. My favorite person to be with, laugh with, talk to and simply experience life with. The man of my dreams, and the one I'm privileged to be in love with.

He has much personality and makes my life so fun and so filled with joy and laughter.

And in spite of being the one that thinks Valentine's Day is an "over-rated holiday created by greeting card companies", he got me beautiful flowers just to make me feel special. And it worked.

It was a beautiful, wonderful, lovely, joy-filled day. :)

2009: A Recap in Children & Families

There's nothing quite like chasing kids around. Laughing with them, playing with them, talking to them, and getting truly special images with them barely realizing they're even being photographed. The candid moments with children are my favorite, and the ones that I think make the most captivating images, and therefore the ones I always strive to achieve.

Hanging out with the adorable and amazing Lucy & her family was one such example. She didn't stop to pose - she really wasn't interested in that approach at all. But instead she ran, she played, she laughed, paying no attention to the camera. But if you ask me, the results were nothing short of magical. This is why I love photographing kids in their element.

Family shoots as a whole are unique portrait experiences, and I truly love watching the kids and parents interact. It never fails to make for beautiful moments captured by the camera.

Meet my very dear friend Sarah & her beautiful children Grace, Emma & Gabriel. We did this shoot as a Christmas gift for her husband, and it was one of my favorites from last year.

Here's to family, photographs, and fun!

This concludes the 2009 recaps, so stayed tuned for highlights of current & upcoming projects plus random tidbits of photos & life. :)

2009: A Recap in Engagements

I think engagement shoots are a blast. I mean, who doesn't love love? It never gets old to spend time hanging out with two people who are entirely smitten with each other while getting the privilege of documenting their love story in its own unique way. And it's especially fun when a couple happens to be made up of two very good friends.

Meet Paul & Lily, my amazing friends from Virginia. They were one of my favorite shoots from 2009 because it's so cool to see two awesome individuals fall in love and collectively become a really amazing couple.

[See more of their pictures, as well as some other engagement shots from last year here]

I'm definitely excited about the couples I'll be shooting in the upcoming weeks and months of 2010. Here's to love & marriage! :)