Charlottesville Portraits | Latara S.

I had an amazing time last month photographing one of my closest friends for her graduation portraits right by Downtown Charlottesville.

Not only was the light amazing but she did a fabulous job working it for the camera. I'm excited to see her  embark on the phase of her life as a counselor. 

Now for the fierceness....

One Month

I came across this link today on Facebook from fellow (& awesome) photographer/biz wiz Kevin Kubota. It linked to a wedding he recently shot. What made this wedding different was not the techniques or how lavish the decor was. It was memorable because of the story, their story. I won't retell their story because frankly i won't do it just but click below & have a kleenex ready....

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47023686/ns/today-weddings/#.T49LFJg-Cg9

Ryan and Bethany served as a reminder that its not always the years of relationship that matter but the strength of the love it has.

It got me thinking. What if? So after I read this, Greg came and gave me a hug while I was cooking dinner. As I stood on my tip-toes hugging my future husband, I felt silly for agonizing over putting our wedding on hold. I made sure he knew that in that moment he knew no matter what, being able to wake up next to him and spending time with was worth more to me then having a big ol' wedding.

So to all brides, remember that weddings are beautiful and a momentous occasion but what matters most is cherish the love between you and the most important person waiting at the end of that aisle.

Portraits: Cowboys & Reflectors

This post has been a long time coming. Now that Spring has finally and the dreary days are lifting away, I can finally get out and shoot some more. I purchased my first reflector last week for a newborn session. Unfortunately plans changed but I wanted to give it a whirl so I enlisted the help of the ever handsome Greg and did a quick 10 minute shoot. Below are the results: (Once someone quit whining about not being photographed)

I have a few sessions lined up in the next few weeks so it should be interesting Spring!

Engagements | Holly & Tucker

I had the incredible honor of photographing Holly and Tucker last fall for their engagement photos. These two are an amazing pair. It's not easy posing in front of camera, especially if you are suppose to be romantic, but these two did it with ease. There is nothing more perfect then watching a couple come out of their shell in perfect harmony.

I'm so excited for their wedding in April which will be just as harmonious and sweet!

Children | Haley B.

As I was sorting through the images from the past year, I stumbled upon photos from my shoot with Haley! Using the community gazebo as an overhead diffuser and my 480 flash for fill. As you can tell she is a natural and what I loved best is that all these were taken in less then 5 minutes!

After this blog, i'm giddily awaiting warmer weather! In the meantime, I am planning a Coney Island Shoot and an engagement session in the spring (fingers crossed!)

In the meantime, Everyone cuddle up with some warm cocoa and a good book!

Spotlight Sundays: The DIY Bride

Welcome to the inaugural post of Spotlight Sundays! These posts are meant to share something awesome I came across in the past week and want to share. Plus it's an awesome little pick me up when you're at work on Monday morning procrastinating. (I promise I won't tell your boss)

This post is dedicated to the DIY Bride:

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love me some DIY, Martha Stewart, Etsy and anything that gets you down and dirty in creative-ness. With that said, you can imagine my excitement when I came across:

http://www.weddingchicks.com/

Source: Weddingchicks.com

From inspiration posts to printables, these ladies know how to win over a DIY Bride. Within 30 mins of clicking around, I had already designed my wedding. :::True story:::

So when your boss isn't looking , click over and get ready to be inspired!

Happy Sunday!

This love is ours...

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.” {Douglas Adams}

Never in a million years did I think that this is where I was suppose to be. There was a plan for me. High school.College. Job. Marriage.Kids. But I've never been one for plans really, which is why I wasn't surprised that my life has taken the turns it has. There was on surprise I didn't count on. And that was meeting Greg.

At first, I didn't think he liked me. He barely talked, kept minimal eye contact and only responded with few sentences. It felt like I was pulling teeth!He always says I was texting the whole time. In my defense, I was reassuring my sister that I wasn't being kidnapped by a weirdo. Somehow deep down, I had this feeling. The feeling that this would be {my last first date}.

Almost two years later & things haven't changed. He still gives me butterflies and I somehow haven't driven him crazy. It seems like no matter how bad things got, God wouldn't let us break it. He is the surprise I always prayed for.

Now whether or not we make it to the golden years, sitting side by side in rocking chairs on the porch, is up to God. But I know one thing is for sure. I'm grateful for the moments where I can look into his eyes and realize that not only do i have a best friend but I have the love of a man who makes me want to be a better person.

Merry Christmas to the best present! {That I get every single day}

Photo: Seth Roberts Photography