Brian, Lori, and Wyatt

This summer, while in Lexington Virginia on vacation, I headed out on an adventure with my Brother, Sister in Law, and Nephew Wyatt.  We wanted to capture all the awesomeness of Wyatt at two.  So we decided to do a glimpse into a"day in the life" of Wyatt.

I claim Lexington as my hometown.  It's a place where time stands still in a lot of ways.  Kids still walk through downtown when they get off the school bus, people know your name, and there are a million fun little shops like Books & Co...Toys, too! and Sweet Things Ice Cream Shop.  We played with some pretty amazing toys, pet a very scary tiger, ran around in the park, and Wyatt had his very first ice cream cone.  It was an awesome day!  What more can you say?

Free Engagement Session Winner

First may I say that I have loved getting to know all of these couples and was so blown away by all the love and feedback they got on the blog!  Tons of people came here to vote!  So thanks to everyone who voted and showed these couples some love.  And now the moment you all have been waiting for... The winners of the Free Engagement session are Melissa and Gage!!  Congrats you two and I can't wait to get together for the engagement session.

Free Engagement Session Finalists

I had so many amazing Brides at the Pink Bridal show that I just could not choose a winner for the Free Engagement/Bridal Session contest!  So this year I decided to leave that up to you, my readers, and the couples families and friends.  I have narrowed it down to three amazing couples and now its up to you to vote!  Vote for your favorite couple to win!  Voting will be open all week and on Friday I will announce the winner!  Don't forget to share this post on Facebook to get more votes.  Good luck! [polldaddy poll=9038850]

Pink Bridal Bucks Reminder

Just a quick reminder for all the Brides that were at the Pink Bridal Show on August 9th, our Pink Bridal Bucks deal for $300 off of the basic wedding package will expire on 9/30/15.  Contact me today to set up your time for a free consultation.

My Favorite Wedding Dresses

I'm going to share with you five of my favorite wedding dresses and why.  These are all dresses that I photographed.  If I went onto google and just looked for dresses I liked we'd be here all day!  It was hard enough picking some out from all my beautiful brides!  I hope the ones I chose inspire you while you are out looking for your own.

There is a lot to love about this dress!  One of the most important aspects of a dress is fit.  Make sure that you have several fittings to make sure the dress is perfect on your big day.  Morgan's dress fit her perfectly.  I also love the champagne colored ribbon that helps to define her waist, the sheer lace detail along the top and all along the dress.  The sheer sleeveless top gives it a different look than just going strapless.

Catherine's dress was elegant and timeless.  I just love the contrast of the satin skirt with the lace bust.  This was a November wedding so the three quarter length sleeves provided a little extra warmth (although lets face it not much!) as well as an opportunity for some more gorgeous detailing.

Terri's non traditional dress in red was so much fun!  I know Mother of the Bride's everywhere are cringing when they hear me say it, but non traditional is great.  If you are a Bride looking for a different wedding, go with a different dress!  There are so many beautiful options out there these days in a variety of colors and textures.  Just get on pinterest and pin to your hearts content.

Give me lace any day!  Jodi's lace dress was beautiful and (seemed to be) comfortable.  She had beautiful lace detailing in the back.  She even had lace flats to match!   I love that Jodi went with a full length veil that gave it all a little drama and was really fun to photograph.

Erika's gown was beautiful and simple.  However her custom veil from White Orchid Bridal took the whole look to another level.  The veil gave her bridal look an Old World feel which tied in perfectly with Erika and Travis' wedding theme.   If you are looking for a custom, handmade gown or veil I highly recommend talking to Colleen at White Orchid.

I hope these looks inspired you!  I am always available to recommend dress vendors and designers.  Have fun trying on tons of dresses and I hope you fall in love with a dress of your own.

How to Communicate with Your Photographer

Like all good relationships, communication is key.  This rule applies with your Photographer whether it is a wedding or portrait session.  The more I communicate with a client, the more at ease we both are and the more we both have a clear vision of the session.  Plus, it's really fun!  I mean what's the point of having all these pinterest boards if you can't share them with someone?

If communication is key, then how do we go about it?  Welcome to the wild world of technology!  It can be overwhelming but we also have amazing options to communicate even if you are planning a wedding from Zanzibar.  P.S. If you are planning a wedding from Zanzibar just have it THERE.  I'll come to you!

1. Meet and Greet If at all possible, go to your consultation with your photographer.  I know this is occasionally not an option due to distance but then set up a Skype consultation.  There are so many options!  I like to have both Bride and Groom at the consultation.  It is going to be awkward otherwise when I show up to capture the Groom getting ready and we're meeting for the first time.  It's his big day too ladies so lets get him in on this important aspect!  At your consultation, whether its your first or second, take time to get to know your photographer and see if you click.  They are going to do the same for you.
2. Dream So you met your photographer.  Awesome.  Now what?  The wedding is a year (possibly  more possibly less) away!  We don't have to talk on the phone everyday but keep your photographer in the loop by sharing your dream with them.  Weddings change a lot from the initial "I Will" to the "I Do."  One of my favorite ways to do this is to share pinterest boards.  It's an awesome visual tool and also helps me to see what my clients are drawn to.  The key here is to keep it up to date though!
3. Keep Us in the Loop I try to check in with my Brides regularly but it's also nice when they reach out with questions via phone, email, or text.  After all I'm here for you!  Don't be afraid to reach out to your photographer.
4. Take Your Time With Your Answers Many photographers have Brides and Grooms fill out Questionnaires, Shot List, and/or Timelines as the wedding date approaches.  We know it's crunch time!  However, take your time to answer the questions, fill everything out, and give us any last minute details that maybe you haven't thought of before.  Having a surprise Daddy Daughter Dance?  Let us know so we can be on our toes!  Changing the location of the exit?  Definitely mark that down.  We can roll with the punches but the more we know the better.
5. We're Here for You After All I really love to get to know my clients and several of them have become close friends.  When you are working with someone closely on a big event like this you naturally become close.  I guarantee every photographer I know has talked to a crying Bride, worked through a crisis, or just sympathized on the stress of planning.  As a Professional, I have seen the ins and outs of many weddings and it's okay to let your photographer know what's stressing you out.  They might have some helpful hints or tips that can help.

What to Wear for Your Engagement Session

You've found a photographer and signed up for an engagement session!  Hooray!  Now what?  Where to go?  And most importantly...what do you wear?  Gone are the days of overly matchy outfits and in are subtle color palettes.  Here are a few tips on what to wear to get you inspired.

Many of these tips can be applied not only for engagement sessions but any type of portrait session.

1. Color Choice Go for colors in a similar palette with pops of different colors.  I love Blake and Jodi's colors from their fall engagement session.  They choose from colors from that time of year with browns, oranges, cream, and navy.  Later they had reds, cream, and more blue with Jodi wearing a plaid shirt dress.  Keep your colors seasonal!
2. Keep the Colors Subtle Gone are the days where everyone wore matching blue shirts and jeans for family or engagement portraits.  I love a variety of colors and textures that are pulled together by one theme.  See the example below from the Smith's family portraits (it's easier to see the subtlety in a bigger group).
3. Flowers Aren't Just For Your Wedding Day Your engagement session is a great opportunity to test run some of  your potential vendors including your florist!  I love a beautiful bouquet, a dreamy flower crown, or small flower hair piece to take a session to the next level.  This is also a great opportunity to try out your make up artist and hair stylist.
4. Don't be Afraid to Get Flirty or Formal One of the great aspects of an engagement session is you can have a couple different moods just by bringing a change in attire.  I love for my clients to have a casual and a formal look.  I think it adds a little romance for the girls to have a skirt or dress.  Make a date night out of it!  Have your last outfit be a beautiful dress and the Groom to Be in a casual suit.  Finish up your session and then go out on the town! Most of all communicate with your photographer!  I am here to help my clients dream up their perfect engagement sessions.  I love working on details with clients.  I often share pinterest boards, talk about locations that are special to them, and even pick out outfits over the phone.  I want you to look and feel your best on the first step to celebrating the two of you!

5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Wedding Photographer

Full Disclosure: If you haven't noticed, I AM a Professional Wedding Photographer.  So this post is naturally a little biased.  However, Professional Wedding Photographers are more than just photographers for a Bride to Be.  We consult, we calm, we lend a hand, and we are involved in all the details.  That said, I see so many Brides go with a family member or friend for their wedding photography and it breaks my heart.  Not just because their pictures might not be great but because there is so much more to a true professional than just the pictures.

So here it is, my top five reasons for hiring a Professional Wedding Photographer:

1. Experience I cannot stress this enough.  When you are hiring a professional you are getting experience from many many weddings.  A professional isn't just taking the shot in front of them, they are thinking ahead to the next shot.  This is crucial in weddings.  Weddings are hectic and a time crunch.  You want an experienced professional who knows how weddings flow, who knows what to expect, and especially who knows how to deal with the unexpected.
2. Professionals are, well, Professional As a wedding professional I am personally invested in each wedding I photograph.  I want to make a good impression and do my best for you.  Word of mouth is also key, I know that your friends and family are watching how I handle myself.  You don't want to hire a friend and have them hanging out with the Groomsmen when the cake cutting is going on.  This is my job and I give it my all.
3. Unbiased Third Party Weddings are highly emotional events which is why I love them!  The love is flowing, the friendship, but also the stress.  At times it is crucial to have a third party who can diffuse the atmosphere and does not have a history with anyone involved.  It's easy for me to ask a family or friend to go ahead to the reception while we do couples shots without hurting their feelings.  They don't know me and have no beef with me, or at least I hope not!  The point is its easy to give direction, instruction, and move people along with some authority when they don't know me.
4. Art My favorite part!  You are hiring an ARTIST.  There is so much more to photography than having fancy equipment, or just pointing and shooting.  Photographers are painting with light, gently revealing emotion, paying attention to color and lines, and capturing raw reactions.  This takes experience (see Reason #1), and an artistic eye.
5. Products A wedding professional is going to offer you amazing products.  The wedding day is over, Uncle Jim has given you your photos on an unlabeled burned CD and they're now sitting in your drawer.  And that's where they will stay.  I offer my clients high end albums, gallery wraps, metal prints, countless options so that their memories come alive off their walls.  You are going to pour so much time, energy, and lets face it--money into your wedding that you should have constant reminders of that amazing day surrounding you. That is what makes those memories last and remind you of those emotions years from now.

We all know that weddings are expensive and wedding photography is one of the most expensive parts of your wedding.  However, it is also the most lasting.  If you hire a professional you are not paying just for the act of taking photos that day.  You are paying for consultation, communication, behind the scenes, experience, an artistic eye, high end editing, gorgeous products and it will be well worth the money because you will have the best.

Still Moments 7.13.15

I figured it was about time for another Still Moments post.  Lately I have been working on a series of personal fine art work that I have had in my head for a long time.  Chairs.  It sounds weird but there is something about a chair alone that speaks to me.  I feel that they both speak of the absence of presence while becoming personified. We all get inspiration from different places and the inspiration for this series came from the movie, "The Village."  In one frame there is an empty rocking chair in a field.  There is something about that one frame that just grabbed me.  Maybe it was the mystery behind it?  Did someone just get up and walk away?  Was there a reason?  We will see how this series evolves but I am fascinated to see where it goes.