Happy Spring to everyone! Exciting things are coming to the blog soon!
Ava | Happy Birthday
Yes, I am posting another birthday. Why so soon? Well, in this house the birthdays of our girls is 11 days apart. This time, it’s Ava’s turn. Ava is 2 and well… she acts 2. She is an adorable and happy addition to our family who is learning to express herself the way most toddlers do… loudly:) We love her so much! We had an Elmo party for her yesterday. Elmo is her new favorite and I think I went a little overboard with all of the details. Either way, she had a great time. Happy Birthday Ava!
Taylor | Happy Birthday
My sweet Taylor is turning 11 tomorrow. She is loving, kind, and funny. I am so proud of the person she is becoming! We walked down the road a couple of days ago to take these pictures. It was freezing, but we had so much fun! I hope you enjoy her smile as much as I do!
The May Family | Portraits
I L-O-V-E the May family! Katie and I used to work together and we instantly became friends after figuring out that we have similar personalities. Since then she has married her amazing husband and they have had their first child who is incredibly adorable and is just a little younger than one of my girls. I had the pleasure of doing family photos for them last year, and it has been so much fun to see how much their son Kalib has grown! Sessions with the May family are always so much fun. Even though it was freezing this day, we had a blast. Enjoy!
Merry Christmas | My Family
It’s that time of year. Lights, trees, carols, presents, shopping… it consumes people from the last bite of their Thanksgiving dinner until the last gift is opened on Christmas morning. The older I get, the faster Christmas time gets here. I envy the childhood version of myself anxiously awaiting the arrival of it all. It seemed to take forever for Christmas to come! Now, all I have to do is blink and it’s over. As a mother the best part about Christmas is watching my children’s excitement and joy while rushing to the tree and opening all of their presents. It’s something that is indescribable. My girls are my inspiration for the season now. Here are some of our holiday pictures. Please note the AMAZING banner I got on Etsy here. I hope that all of you have a truly Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Newborn | Welcome Baby Katy
On October 20th, my dearest friend and her husband welcomed their new baby girl into the world! For a long time, they were worried that Miss Kathryn Bell would make her entrance before it was time. There was a lot of time spent at the hospital, many hours of bed rest and taking it easy. Then, when they were actually ready for Katy to come, she needed some convincing. Induction was needed. After many hours of trying to persuade Katy that she was ready for the world, she finally arrived. From the beginning, Katy’s destiny was unknown. There was some concerning news on and off that kept her parents on their toes, and I know that her safe arrival was nothing less than glorious to them. There were many prayers said for them, especially from my house.
I’m so happy that Katy is finally here and she is amazingly healthy! The youngest of five, I know that there will be hectic times, but she will always be loved. To my friend, you are an incredible mother, and I wish you all the best! (*tear)
Gear Review | Kelly Moore B-Hobo Bag
This post is all about my birthday present this year! My husband came to me and said that he had planned on getting me a new camera bag for my birthday, but he wanted me to pick it out because he was getting conflicting opinions from me on which bag I actually wanted. It was a VERY hard decision. I probably would have been better off just letting him pick for me! After much research, I decided on the Kelly Moore B-Hobo Bag. My biggest problem with the camera bag that I was originally using was that it was so big and bulky that the thought of taking my camera most places with me was exhausting. The B-Hobo bag is amazing. It is small and lightweight, yet still holds my camera body as well as 2-4 lenses and other accessories. It has two front pockets, and one large back pocket for additional storage. There are two small side pockets, which unfortunately do not fit my iPhone with a case on it, but I’m fine putting it in one of the front pockets. It has a long pocket on the inside which is meant for something the size of an iPad I believe, but with a little less gear, I can actually fit my 13″ MacBook in it! The top flips open for easy lens changes, which is perfect for portrait sessions or weddings. The leather is so soft, and the color is to die for! I’m so happy with my new bag!
Tagged accessories, b-hobo, camera bag, equipment, gear, kelly moore bag, leather, Portraits, wedding photography
Venn Workshops | The Southern Experience
I shared with you before that a couple of weeks ago I got to be a part of the amazingness that was Venn Workshop, hosted by Kellan Studios and Jodi Miller Photography. I had such a good time, and am now ready to unveil the images from the workshop. Kelly, Ryan, Jodi, and Kurt made an awesome team, and it helped that the location was insanely gorgeous! It was held at Pharsalia Plantation. This place is a wedding photographer’s dream! The property is stunning and the staff made the workshop so easy for us to enjoy by providing good ol’ southern hospitality (the snacks and constant supply of lemonade helped too).
The workshop covered all the areas of question and uncertainty that trying to run a photography business may bring. They covered vision, equipment, customer service, branding, and shooting, and more! It was such a helpful, valuable day for me as a photographer and I highly recommend it to any professional photographer, old or new. And if you happen to be able to take it from these amazing photographers, do so!
At the end of the day, the team set up two mock sessions for us to shoot. The first was a Bride and Groom session featuring Kristyn and John. They were amazing. Kristyn is stunning and John knows how to work a good smoulder! Then, we moved on to an Engagement session featuring Sara and Todd. They have so much fun together and they are quite the gorgeous couple. The final pictures are of our dinner and reception area. All of the food and details were put together by the Pharsalia staff and Lynn from Sunshowers and Rainshine who also styled the details for the entire day. Amazing work by everyone involved! Enjoy!
Weren’t they gorgeous? Now for the garden engagement shoot…
Our wonderful, amazing, delicious dinner… and all the details…
Vendors:
Venue and Food: Pharsalia Plantation
Styling and Details: Sunshowers and Rainshine
Bouquets and Florals: Petal Flower Company
Hair Accessories: One Little Dove
Cupcakes: Taste Selects
Hair Styling: Fusion
Makeup: Body Works
Tagged couples, engagement, pharsalia, southern, styled shoot, virginia, wedding, workshop
Flowers and Faith
Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity of attending Venn Workshops – The Southern Experience. It was hosted by two of my absolute favorite husband and wife photography teams, Kellan Studios, and Jodi Miller Photography. It was an eye-opening experience that really taught me of the areas of my business I need to work on. I had the pleasure of meeting lots of new photographer friends. I feel like we all walked away from the workshop as better, more informed, well-rounded photographers. As many of you already know, I haven’t felt the best lately, and it was up in the air if I could attend the workshop pretty much until the minute I left for it. That, and learning about my business, and realizing how much I have on my plate really made me turn to God this week. I’m so thankful for all I have and the things I was able to experience through this workshop. My heart is very full.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
I will have pictures of the workshop to post later. Until then, here are a few of some flowers I bought myself last week. I wrapped the vase with wicker wire that I had left over from my wedding. It gave it a very rustic feel. I thought it might be a cute idea for a wedding centerpiece too.
Tagged centerpiece, faith, flowers, God, rustic, Venn Workshops, wedding