Friday, October 31, 2014

Mary + Dan | Alexandria, Virginia Engagement Photographer

I felt like I already knew Mary and Dan when I met them in a parking lot by the waterfront in Alexandria last weekend! I was getting my gear out of the car and Dan yelled my name like he had known me for years. They made me feel so welcome when usually I'm the one making my couples feel welcome! I was SO excited to shoot in Alexandria in the fall and these two were a blast to get to know as we walked around Old Town! They even brought their sweet little pug Reagan!! I can't wait until their wedding in one week! :) Here are some of my favorites!









Monday, October 27, 2014

Will | Lyndhurst, Virginia Senior Portrait Photographer

Will has been my neighbor for quite a while now and I had his mom two years in high school for history!! It's crazy that he's now a senior and I'm so glad I got to do his photos!! It's funny how this year I've done more guy seniors than girls! Who would have thought?! I had such a great time up on the parkway with Will! I was determined to get a shot I saw in my head of Will standing on the edge of the mountain and thankfully he wasn't afraid of heights because we climbed down the overlook and got a cool frame with that beautiful view!! Raven's Roost NEVER gets old! Will, thanks for adventuring with me! Hope you love this little sneak peek of your photos!






Monday, October 20, 2014

Find What You Love

Some people were born with a drive to succeed and will push through to complete a task well even if they don't like what they're doing. I appreciate people like that because that's hard. But I always said as a girl that I never wanted a job I'd hate waking up for everyday. I never saw myself as a business owner but I definitely never saw myself following the orders of someone else or typing on a computer in a cubicle. I like making my own rules and knowing that when I fail, I'm the only one that can yell at myself. 

I recently tweeted, "You know you love something when you fail and get right back up to do it again." I didn't realize until then that even though I have days where I'm creatively exhausted and I feel like there's nothing I can do to make something beautiful, when I fail (in my eyes), I want to prove to myself I can do it, so I try again. That's how I know being my own boss and having a creative job where there really are no written rules is what I was meant for. As Steve Jobs said before he passed, "You've got to find what you love." That's much easier said than done. But then he goes on to say, "Keep looking. Don't settle." I hear college students ALL the time say they're getting a degree in something they're not sure if they'll use. Or that they've changed their major seven times. Or that they're taking classes they hate. Or that they're not learning anything. Or that they really just went to college for the social life. I'm beyond lucky I found something I enjoy at a young age but just because you haven't doesn't mean you should stop looking. It might not be easy but wouldn't you rather take the time now to figure out what you enjoy than speeding through courses you don't care about to get a degree you'll use in a job you hate?!

When you wake up, are you excited about what you're learning? Are you excited about what you're going to go do? 

"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I'm about to do? If the answer has been 'no' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." - Steve Jobs



Friday, October 17, 2014

Katie + Eric | Westminster, Maryland Wedding Photographer

The leaves were falling, the sun was shining, and there was joy -- lots of joy because of the celebration that was coming. Hair had been curled, makeup put on, and dresses were hanging in the window. As she slipped into her gown with her mom's help, she was glad to know she still loved her dress as much as the first time she put it on. It was perfect and it fit like a glove. She walked down the stairs only to be greeted by tears, smiles, and gasps of awe from her friends and family. 

It was time -- time to get married!! But not before a private exchange between the couple. He waited on the curvy path, waited for his bride to round the corner in her lace gown, the sun creating a halo around her. He waited but not quite so patiently, trying to sneak glances behind him, but knowing he couldn't because it would ruin the surprise. Finally, she tapped him on the shoulder and as he turned around, he knew without a doubt that he was marrying the most beautiful girl in the entire world. 

Finally, friends and family gathered at the ceremony and watched as the wooden doors opened and she came down the aisle with a smile on her face that expressed exactly what she thought of her future husband, who had tears in his eyes. They were joined and married once and for all! The party went on until the sun dipped below the horizon and the only lights were the ones strung in the big red barn on the side of a curvy road in the state of Maryland. It was a night to remember, full of a couple's love, stronger together than it was apart.






Absolutely LOVE their reactions!!





Their First Look was one of my favorites!



























Katie and Eric, thank you for such a special day!!! I hope you LOVE a little peek at your wedding photos!