Nicolle and Brian :: Engaged

I met up with Nicolle and Brian in the cwe on an unusually cool spring day. I was super excited to shoot their engagement photos and to hear about the details of their upcoming wedding, and as we walked quickly from one location to the next, we briefly talked about their upcoming nuptials. Eventually, though, like most of my conversations during that time of the year, the topic of conversations to turned to American Idol.

And that's when it happened. Brian perked up and mentioned that one of his friends was on the show. I thought he was going to say he knew someone in the band or someone on the camera crew or something like that.

"Yeah, my friend Kris Allen is on the show. Heard of him?"

Heard of him??? Oh my goodness have I heard of him! Actually, as I'm typing this, I'm listening to one of the many Kris Allen songs I've downloaded from iTunes (I think my favorite right now is "Falling Slowly"). Once Brian uttered those words, I got a little giddy and tried my hardest to remain professional, but I ended up squealing a little like a child.

Brian and Nicolle got married a few weeks ago, and their wedding was beautiful. Amazingly lovely and a pure joy to witness. However, Brian and Nicolle, I'm planning on holding your photos captive for a while. They will only be released to you upon confirmation that you've set up a meeting with me, a few of my other slightly-obsessed friends, and Kris Allen. It's really not too much ask.

Ok, I'm just kidding. Well, pretty much kidding....

Now that my childish love of American Idol has been exposed for all the internet to see, it's time to take a look at why we're here: Nicolle and Brian's engagement photos. Those two look pretty fabulous. Take a look for yourself

How gorgeous is Nicolle




Even though it was quite chilly and windy, we still managed to find some sun.








Wedding photos coming soon!

Spring Family sessions

I had such a fun time with Michael, Jackie, and their sweet baby Gabriella. They kicked off my spring family session marathon in April, and as always, they were a treat to photograph :). Here are some of my favorites from their shoot.



itsy bitsy spider


goodness... could she be any cuter?






Oh yes, that's right... Michael and Jackie are expecting baby number two soon! Jackie looks amazing, don't ya think? If we're blessed to have another baby, I'm going to hang this picture up on my refrigerator to remind me that you DON'T have to nearly double your weight just because you're carrying a baby :)


She's just precious :)

sunset engagement shoot

Wow, what a perfect night to shoot photos! I shot these photos of Cooper and Erin a while back at Lafayette Square right at sunset, and the sun sure did some lovely things to the photos that night. We were a bit late getting to the park because I did a quick bridal session with Erin prior to their engagement shoot (which, btw, was so stinking fun! Erin looked AH-MAZING... images coming soon!).

See what I mean? the sun was just perfect.


And there it is again


And speaking of lovely, take a look at how beautiful Erin is.




there's something about this photo that makes me happy.




And would you look at that.. there's that beautiful sun again


And there it is again. I am telling you, it was just an amazing night!

Marvelous Monday :: C'mon guys...

Ok, I'll admit it.... I've been reading all the tabloids in the grocery store newsstands and I'm just in a tizzy thinking about Jon and Kate Plus 8. Have you seen them? Please tell me I'm not the only one who's borderline obsessed with all the scandal.

I mean seriously, what is going on with that cute family! Is she having an affair? Is he having an affair? Why are they not on the couch together anymore? !? I've been watching that show from the beginning and it's frequently playing in the background while I edit, and I just can't stand the thought of fame and lies ripping that family apart!
Today at 8pm, we can all find out what's really going when the first show of season airs on TLC. It's pretty obvious that TLC is sensationalizing the previews a bit and playing right into the tabloid rumors. However, my heart is nonetheless beating a little faster as I anticipate what will happen.

I found this extended preview for your viewing pleasure

Family Photo Marathon :: Take a look at all those little boys!

At the end of April, I hosted a family photo marathon and had a great time taking photos of some great families! The last session of the day was a double session and was by far the largest group I had ever photographed! We had fun wrangling all the little boys and even had time to take some photos of the moms and dads :). There are far too many favorites from this session (I could probably fill up the whole page with just photos from this session!). Here are a few sneak peeks of some of my favorites of the favorites from this session.









Grandma, Grandpa and all the grandkids






Boys doing what they do best!


My assistant Amy captured some great shots of the boys playing in the trees.


More family photos to come soon!

Just one from Nicolle and Brian

Lots of beautiful people in this beautiful wedding. I couldn't help but post just one for now. more to come soon!

Rick and Katie :: Married

Ah, what a beautiful spring day it was when Rick and Katie tied the knot. We've had our fair share of rain this spring, but the sun was shining brightly on Rick and Katie's wedding day. I so enjoy seeing two people who are giddy-in-love join in marriage, and I couldn't be happier that Rick and Katie found each other. Katie is just adorable... I'm friends with her on facebook and I've seen many of her status updates since they got back from the honeymoon and she's always gushing about how excited she is to be hanging out with her hubby. I just love that :).

Now on to the photos!

First off, Katie's lovely dress. I arrived early in the morning to photograph the ladies getting ready and because it was still so early, the sun was still low in the sky. Bring on the flare.


Strong coffee for the early morning


the shoes


All the ladies helped each other with their hair, and I must say, I was quite impressed!


This was such a funny moment... Katie is pretty much one of the funniest people I've met, and she remembered that she needed to call her bank to let them know she was going out of the country with her credit card. When the rep from the bank got on the phone, she said "I'm getting married today and I'm about to walk down the aisle in just a few hours. I need advice from someone I trust, so of course I called my bank. Should I do it? Should I?" The bank rep stammered for a little while as Katie continued the conversation... then she let him know that she was just kidding and just wanted to take care of some credit card business. Yeah, Katie's pretty awesome :).


The music at this wedding was beyond phenomenal.


Jon grabbed this tender moment before Katie's dad escorted her down the aisle.




And they're married!




The beautiful bride




Rick and Katie brought a couch to Forest Park, which made for some fun photos


I used to work with Rick, and this is totally how I remember him.

More sunflare captured by Jon




I love shooting here for a variety of reasons, but when the day is cloudless and the sun is getting ready to set, the shadows made by the pillars create such a dramatic image. This is my favorite shot of the couple.

Amber and Keith at the City Museum

Have you ever had one of those days where it looked like it was going be crapulous, but it turned out to be so awesome than your socks got blown clear off your feet?

This was one of those days.

We met up with Amber and Keith on a very cloudy and rainy day for their engagement shoot. I mean seriously, it was gross outside. The sky was blanketed with gray. It was raining that nasty kind of rain that makes my hair look like a birds nest. There was positively no sun in sight. Lucky for me, Amber and Keith are way cool, so we headed over to the City Museum for their session. I've been dying to shoot an engagement session at this location, and I was elated when Amber and Keith were up for it!

So bring on the favorites.

Warning: please hold on to your socks. If you don't, they may get knocked off by Amber and Keith's awesomeness.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

See how happy they are together. That was my first clue that this session was going to be great




And check out Amber's loveliness. Pretty dang sure she's going to be a dang pretty bride


we were in the city museum. how could I resist?






Loved the light at this spot.