Jeff and Erin

Jeff and Erin got married on a gorgeous summer day in June. They were, in a word, adorable. They had this way about them where they would fold into eachother so casually and easily, quickly forgetting I was there (helloo, guys, I'm still here!!) which made for some very fun photo taking. Their families were sweet and clearly adored those two, I really enjoyed getting to know them all and catching their heartfelt expressions.

They opted for the 'first glance' before the ceremony, and before you go all traditional on me, it is SO great. She snuck up behind him and when he turned his smile was as big as they get. They enjoyed this moment with family in the distance and a few clicks of my shutter, up close and personal. It also allowed us to get all the group shots before their ceremony so they could enjoy more of their reception. LOVED it!

The Easton Events team pulled together a visual feast that blew me away. When they said mango ceiling drapes my head probably cocked to the side like a curious dog, but that's why I am not the wedding planner, because holy smokes did it ever WORK! The warm glow lit the room beautifully and one of the highlights of my night was hovering near the entrance of the tent to hear all the oohs and ahhhs.

If you want to see Erin and Jeff's slideshow, just click HERE.

A Little Home Work

Last month I had the pleasure of shooting the Carr's beautiful country home on a sunny and intensely blue-sky day. The entire time I was there I was in a state of awe with a twinge of space, grass and country envy. And porch envy. The breeze came in one door and went out the other bringing with it the scent of honeysuckles, fresh cut grass and well, country. While the city is my home, I could see myself picking it all up and heading out there, but of course I'd have to kick Melissa and her family out to make room and that's not nice.

The dogs were not paid actors but they certainly wanted their share of the limelight. Every time I set up a shot they would mosey over in their relaxed country dog saunter and comfortably melt into the scenery. While I was editing I was playing 'where's Waldo' with the dogs, because they showed up in ALL of photos. But they were so perfectly color coordinated to their rooms that I left them, and kind of forgot they were even there.






Lee, the Art Director sent me the lovely behind the scenes photo below, and it only seemed fair to post it since I post photos of everyone else and, it makes me laugh. I was on the jeep to take the cover shot as I needed a higher vantage point so you could see more house, less driveway as it was on an incline. And yes, I look particularly dorky but I swear that's not how I focus. I was turning the polarizing filter and it's hard to do up there without sticking your fingerprints on the glass and working within the lens hood, while trying not to break the jeep. That I would never live down.

Enjoy the magazine, it's on newsstands this week!

Nathan and Leslie's Wedding

Rainy days get a bad rap, especially from sweet brides who have imagined their wedding day their whole lives in a golden sunny setting. I like blue skies and sunlight too, believe me, but of course we don't have a whole lot of control over that one little detail of the wedding.

So if you are planning your big day at, say, Keswick Hall, and you want to get married outside and the forecast looks ominous, you have hopefully hired the amazing women at Easton Events so they can execute Plan A or Plan B, and maybe even Plan C.

But most importantly, you do exactly what Leslie did. You smile, you laugh, you maybe peek out the window once or twice hoping for some clearing, but in the end you remember exactly why you're there and you enjoy every single minute of it.

As a photographer, I love a cloudy day. I know, you're going pffffft, but really, beautiful diffused light that makes greens pop and faces glow. Resort pools are clear of sunbathers and aside from actual rainfall, we are much less limited in what direction I shoot from based on lighting. And even better, no squinting or harsh shadows.

So if the skies open up a few minutes before your ceremony, and Plan A (full outdoors) gets dismissed. Then Plan B gets passed upon when the rain comes down sideways and into the tent, you simply glide down the stairs, just like Leslie did, a smile so heartfelt it could light up any room, and you marry the man of your dreams.

If you'd like to see Nathan and Leslie's Wedding Slideshow just click here.

Ted and Emily's Wedding

Hellooooo June.

Isn't it funny how at 3 am problems or to-do lists can seem amplified? Critical? Magnifiedx100? Like, how can I possibly sleep when I have SO much to do? But of course you're too tired to get out of bed and actually function, so you go back asleep and then when you do wake up in the morning, it's almost OK. It's... fine. "WHAT was I freaking out about at 3 am, blogging??", I say to myself, almost laughing at sleepy me, downing another cup of coffee and forming my action plan du jour. And yes, blogging is on my to-do list EVERY day. But the important thing is to keep the clients happy and their work flowing, the shooting going and the contracts a-signing. Right? And kids fed and heading the right direction, very important that one.

But I need a good nights' sleep so I'm ON it. As a matter of fact I'm making a note to myself right now to do it again tomorrow. Ha! Take that, you midnight problem amplifier thing that happens to me in June.

Besides, Emily and Ted's wedding is wanting to be shared. They had a gorgeous wedding at St. James' Church in Richmond, Virginia followed by a reception at the Country Club of Virginia on a gloriously sunny day. Rain had been threatening but Emily wasn't worried. From the get go Emily was so happy, so relaxed, enjoying family, friends and of course, Ted. She smiled through makeup and hair styling, laughed through the photo session while well-wishing folks passed by on the streets, and when it was time to walk down the aisle she gave her Dad one last look, a huge smile on her face, and never looked back.

A few of my favorite shots follow, but to see more just click on Ted and Emily's Wedding Slideshow.

Keeping Busy

I was with my (awesome) bride in NYC over the weekend and telling her how awful I have been about keeping up with my blog. She said, "I know! Every time I click on your blog link and that oyster comes up I'm like, UGH, not the oyster again!" My assistant all too eagerly agreed (she's fired...KIDDING). Hmmm. I guess after 20 times of visiting for some scoop and seeing, again, how to shuck an oyster, you're pretty ready for things to move on. So thank you ladies, for that much needed reminder.

To catch you up quickly, here's what's been going on. My son has ESP, Lordhelpme school is almost over, my daughter still wants a dog and we are healthy, aside from the effects of the sea of pollen that we swim through daily, but no real complaints there. I'm still not a very interested cook, I have only blown up one additional set of hard boiled eggs since my last egg entry, and I am probably going to be kicked out of my book club. I am good at the wine part, but my book reading time is challenged. Phew, OK, so that's that.

Work-wise, wedding season is heating up again and I am ready! In addition, my editorial and other jobs continue to get increasingly diverse and I am no longer even surprised at what the next potential client phone call brings. A prison? An underground alcohol-brewing operation of questionable legality (funnily, not related to the prison story)? Girls in bathing suits on the beach on the Caribbean? A stunning country home? I think my new tag line is going to just be 'shoots people and... stuff'. But I can say this, I think it's really making me a better photographer. I walk away from every single shoot I do having learned something. Every. Single. Shoot. And all of this I bring to your shoot, so just look out. I am bringin' it.

The article in this post is in the current issue of the always beautiful Virginia Living Magazine. On a brisk morning in April I headed up to Lorton, VA not quite sure what to expect out of a visit to an old abandoned prison built in the early 1900s. Accompanied by a guide and two security guards (I think to make sure I didn't accidentally lock myself in a cell) I made my way around the peeling paint, rusted cots, and crumbling brick. Cold and creepy? You betcha. Oh, if those cinderblock walls could talk.

The article explains much better than I can (I work in pictures remember, so bear with me), but basically Teddy Roosevelt built this prison as a model for a reformatory penal system, where inmates would be rehabilitated and taught skills. Largely a low-security workhouse for short-term offenders, they could serve time while learning to become bakers, farmers, ummm and I think dental assistants. Not kidding. Later, the good old-fashioned penitentiary was built for the more serious offenders and of course, that was creepy as all get out. Mwaahahahaaa. I loved it.

But the coolest part of the story is that the prison was shut down in the early 2000s and the first parcel was taken over by the Lorton Arts Foundation and turned into sweet artists' studios and galleries. The brick exteriors were fixed up but kept in the original barracks configuration, and the interiors were gutted and turned into these incredible, well-lit, friendly and beautiful spaces. What will come of the other two sections I got to see remains to be seen, but what they have done so far is really impressive.

And here at the bottom, well this is quite another story. A fun one for sure. More to come, but basically yep, shooting a 2010 calendar in the Cayman Islands. You can learn more on the Vanity Fair Magazine Blog (I know, right??) which featured this snapshot of us hard at work. Yes, permission granted to roll your eyes, but it really was work. No, really!


photo credit for Cayman photo: Mark Chaloner

In case you were wondering...

Just in case you were wondering, this is how you shuck an oyster. Oh, and that's my photo too! Yay! A few months ago I got a phone call from the photo editor at one of my favorite magazines, Garden & Gun, asking to purchase one of my oyster pics for an article. Naturally, I agreed - what an honor. This is a magazine every southerner (and I use this term loosely, as I like to think we all have a little southerner in us) should have on his or her nightstand. The writing is fantastic, the photography is beautiful, and the articles are so varied and appealing that my husband and I quietly fight over it. When I can't find it with my things, I know exactly where to look.

Last week I photographed my first feature with Garden & Gun which will be posted as soon as I am allowed, and also shot two items for my other favorite magazine, Virginia Living. It was a really fun and adventurous week that took me out of my comfort zone and challenged me in a few different ways. More to come on those!

I wrapped up a busy shooting week with a beautiful Richmond wedding on one of the most gorgeous days of the year so far. Emily and Ted were fun, totally relaxed, and sweet as they come. Will be posting those soon. Can't wait!

Whistler Wedding

I recently had the pleasure of meeting and working with TJ and Samara in Whistler, British Columbia. Yep, a wintery wedding with snow, mountains, Uggs, and even a one-horse open sleigh.

TJ and Sam are, in a word, incredible. Both combat medical officers in the U.S. Army they met under the most insane conditions overseas and became the very best of friends. In the brief time I got to know them I was humbled and deeply impressed by their compassion and selflessness, and couldn't help but feel deep gratitude for their service and sacrifice. I don't pretend to understand what they went through during their tours, or what combat is like, or how it feels to witness what they have seen, but I do know this. They belong together and there isn't a person in their presence who could tell you otherwise.

But they were also light-hearted, snowboard-loving, a ton of fun, and up for anything as you can see from their photos. I think they would have put on the snowboards had we asked, but the martini luge was calling for them. It was veeery tempting though. The intimate dinner was spectacular, the sleigh rides cold but thrilling, and their wedding song, the acoustic version of Rob Thomas' "Ever the Same", just could not have been more perfect.

The icing on the cake (forgive the pun) was shooting it with one of my best buddies and favorite photographers, Lori of Sweet Pea Photography. I could tell you lots of great things about Lori and our long and treasured friendship, but that's a post for another day.

Thank you Sam and TJ, for everything. Keep safe and be well.