Power of Passion | Raleigh, NC Portrait Photographer

Today, exactly one week after getting back home from a wonderful vacation in Florida, I'm finally sharing with you all about the fabulous day trip to Raleigh that took place earlier this month. Sorry for the delay, but this week was pretty packed. My brother came to visit for part of his Spring Break (and much fun was had) and then I had a beautiful bridal shower to decorate and attend. All of that to say - it's taken me longer than intended to post these photos, but better late than never, yes? Yes.

So, on March 9th I headed to Raleigh with my friend Riette to attend Sandy Puc's Power of Passion Tour, featuring guest speaker Jerry Ghionis. It was an absolutely incredible 5 1/2 hours of learning, laughing and being encouraged by two massively talented professionals. We both gained a ton from the short conference (they pack a lot of great stuff into one evening) and I'd highly recommend catching this tour in a city near you, before it's over. Definitely worth the money and you're only committing to one evening. Great combination!

Since we were driving 2 1/2 hours to get there, though, Riette and I decided to make a day of it. So, we gave ourselves time to explore Raleigh for a while before heading to the conference.

It was a chilly day, but there were just enough evidences of Spring to bring some color and make for some lovely photos.

There were some cute buildings downtown, too.

We, of course, had to spend a little time at a local coffee shop. After googling our options and reading some reviews, we chose The Morning Times, and greatly enjoyed our lattes and the free internet. :)

We then ran into this guy....

Riette tried to befriend him. Not sure it worked.

And then, of course, what else would two photographers do but take some quick portraits of each other? Riette is lovely and it was easy to get some great shots even with just a few minutes of shooting,

We spotted this cool church and had to make it another quick-stop location, even though it was nearing time to head to the conference.

I lovvve the color of her eyes. They just pop so vibrantly!

Sooo gorgeous.

It was such a great day. I'm grateful for photographer-friends like Riette who are willing to go off on day-trip adventures and explore new cities, and for conferences led by amazingly talented photographers who help you see your profession and your passion in a new light.

(Posts about Florida will be coming soon!)

Personal | Irish Cathedrals

In the middle of this first February week, as I've found my brain overloaded with tax-talk and all-things that have to do with business finances, wedding Thank-You cards, and endless household chores/projects to accomplish my sister so lovingly reminded me that I STILL have yet to post the rest of my Ireland pictures. It really is kind of ridiculous....as that trip happened in September & October of last year. But, there are just always so many things pulling my brain in a million directions that sometimes I forget to take time and just work on and show the photos that I took for ME. For the pure joy of photographing something beautiful that holds a memory and special experience.

So, on this Thursday morning, after getting a few things done around the house, I made my cup of vanilla caramel tea (an all-time favorite that all-too-rarely I can ever find at the store) and sat down ready to show the world one of my favorite parts of our time in Ireland - visiting two of the hundreds-year-old cathedrals in Dublin.

Our first stop was at Christ Church Cathedral, where we chose not to pay the money to go inside because we were saving that for the next stop. Plus, the outside was lovely enough to keep us both entertained for a good while, and I enjoyed capturing a few photos of the gorgeous architecture. (It was perfect weather, too!)

Our second stop, St. Patrick's Cathedral, was by far my favorite, though. The richness of the history it contained, and the pure beauty it exuded were the exact kind of thing I hoped to experience while being in such a beautiful, old country. We paid the money to go inside this time, and it was well worth it.

This next one is one of my favorite photos of the whole trip. Just such a beautiful structure, with such fantastic dramatic sunlight.

The gorgeous inside....

My sister checking out the beautiful area that was sectioned off for private prayer.

The sun coming through the gorgeous stained glass made for lovely colors and reflections all over the place.

When being inside such a lovely place with so much rich history, it was a joy to take note of so many things that pointed to the beauty and goodness of the Lord. I love looking back on all of these photos and hope I get to do more traveling of this nature in the future - there are so many beautiful, historical places in this world that just need to be seen, enjoyed, and photographed (by me)!