Bellies and Babies

Seems like just yesterday, I photographed Gretchen and Brandon's winter wedding at ThorpeWood! I was so pleased to hear from Gretchen and her mother, that the two were expecting an addition to the family. So we went back to where it all began, Thorpewood, to photograph Gretchen's maternity photographs. The grounds of ThorpeWood provided so many beautiful backgrounds and some privacy so the couple could enjoy interacting for the photographs without an audience of onlookers. They are so natural together that most of the "posing" came from their relationship with each other and their joy at this new stage in their life. Gretchen's maternity session was part of her "Baby Plan" photographs so I'll get to enjoy their first year together!
Thank you for making me a part of this amazing stage in your lives. Can't wait to see baby Green!

They are so cute together!

Gretchen had to summon her inner supermodel for this photo.

So happy together.

I trust you.

"I trust you".
Those words are some of the most powerful  and meaningful for me to hear when working with a client.

To me it means that they know I am going to photograph something that they will love. That I will capture them expressing their real selves and that they'll look good doing it. It means that they know I value the relationship that we are building during a single photo session or many.That I understand the privilege that it is to be the person that captures these important moments for them to treasure.

I'm not just "taking" a photograph. We are experiencing the session and creating something, together. With each and every client, I strive to earn that trust through my work and my interaction with them.

Twice this last week, I have heard a client say those three words. One was a wedding client, Amy. We had already worked together on their engagement session and created the cutest guest book and prints for them. While we were discussing the final plans for her September 30 wedding day, I  asked for any special photo requests that she and Sean may have for photographs that day. Amy said, "No, I trust that you'll get what we want."

 The other client was Meagan, the mother of Landon. We rolled that baby this way and that, we covered him with a blanket, and at some point, I started explaining why I wanted to do  a certain pose and then I said, "do you need me to tell you why I want to photograph it this way?" and Meagan simply said, "No,I trust you."

Is Landon  adorable, or what? Love that smile and those bright eyes.

Jeanne and Charles and FABNET

"It's always been Jeanne and Charles", said one guest at a ceremony celebrating the love and friendship of the couple who had met at the Scott Key Center 25 years ago and have been constant companions ever since. The two shared their commitment for each other with over 100 guests at the Scott Key Center in Frederick on Saturday.
 
The center is a division of the Frederick County Health Department that provides jobs for people with developmental disabilities.

It was a sweet ceremony with plenty of enthusiasm from the bride and groom. Charles was a dancing machine and Jeanne absolutely beamed at him the entire afternoon.

I was so proud to be a part of this with  other member vendors from the Frederick Area Bridal Network (www.fabnet.info), a group of wedding professionals striving to provide brides with high quality information and shopping resource in order that they may easily research and choose their wedding professionals.

This event was extraordinary in the the fact that many of us were able to give of our time and talents to present this event at no charge to the couple. FABNET provided many things, from the wedding planner to the  flowers, food, limo, invitations, balloons and more! It was so much fun to work together and with no detail left unfulfilled, it was the perfect day for an amazing couple.

Charlie reacts after the rings are exchanged and it's time for the kiss.

Jeanne playfully circles her finger  in the air, as in "he's crazy", as she giggles at  Charlie's dancing.

Now that's a look of love!

Flat tires and sunsets

I don't care what you say, there's nothing like a beautiful sunset to make you feel happy to be alive!
My husband, son and I took our first family bike ride on the C&O Canal near Sharpsburg. It was our first because my husband just bought a new bike. It was a beautiful evening, we were racing and laughing and enjoying the cool air. The next thing I know, Blane has a flat tire and we are FAR,FAR, away from our car. His first ride on his new bike and he gets a flat! So, my son and I pedaled furiously back to the car to beat the darkness and drive as far as we can beside the canal to pick him up. However, there's always time to appreciate a good sunset and snap a photograph.

Why should we take engagement photos?

There are many reasons it is important to take engagement photos once you have become engaged. It's one of the best ways to prepare yourself for your wedding day photos, in a more relaxed, fun, setting. As a couple who has never likely been photographed professionally before ( or sometimes not even by anyone else... how many pictures have you taken a photo of  the two by holding the camera over your head?) the engagement session is a valuable tool. And it's the best way for you and I to get to know each other.

Getting to know each other means that during a 1-2hr. photo session, I learn your preferences, how you interact together, your individual personalities,what makes you laugh, and the best way to use that knowledge for fantastic photos. Getting to know each other also means, you get to know me and how I work with you. By the day of the wedding, you will feel way more relaxed around me because you have gotten a chance to know me a bit. And you will have had a "practice run" that will make portraits on wedding day go more smoothly and stress-free

Julie and Luke use their profession as a prop for photos that persoanlize their engagement session.

Have your engagement photos taken at a location that is important, or has some meaning to the two of you. This could be the scene of a first date, where you like to spend time or things you like to do together. I have had clients dress in their favorite team jerseys, the town where they met, a carnival, to the lake.These images will mean more to you.

Luke and Julie are both in the medical profession. So we talked about "wouldn't it be fun" to put them in their scrubs for the first few photos? And it was. This really shows their interests and their personality.

I usually ask people if they prefer a more urban or natural setting if they don't have a specific place in mind. Julie and Luke were both. So we finished the session in and around Frederick with green and street scenes.

Baker Park in Frederick provides beautiful settings to capture your relationship in images.

The other benefit is seeing how you photograph ahead of the wedding date. Then if you see certain poses you like or you dislike of yourself and the two of you together, you can let me know and we can keep that in mind for the wedding day photos. Luke is very tall and Julie is average height. So we spent some time discussing how to bring them closer together in their images. With some clever posing techniques, it was no problem.

Justin's family had a small cabin at Deep Creek Lake where he and fiance Erin enjoyed spending time.
Justin also had many fond memories of the area and we made some images adapted to their fun-loving personalities and the interesting surroundings of the lake.

You gotta love a photo session where you get to ride on a boat!

One of my all time favorite engagement photos!

I told the couple they had broken several records for me. The longest distance travelled to an engagment session, the most clothing changes, and the most unusual places for the photograph. But their session is uniquely theirs and not only garnered good photographs but will become a memory in their life's journey together.

 

I think the most important benefit of having professional images taken of your engagement is that you are able to move and laugh and play... be yourself and have it all captured beautifully. 

 Sean and Amy live in and are getting married in downtown Baltimore. So we made the most of a wonderfully diverse Fell's Point for their session. I can't wait to photograph them on the Inner Harbor for the big day!

Once you have your engagement photos, there are many things you can do with them. They can be given as gifst to friends and family. You can have a small album made or a guest book for your wedding day. Use them for save the date cards, announcements, signature frames and wall portraits for your home. 

With some packages, I create a video slideshow of the images and one couple used that during their wedding to show guests as they had their first dance! 

Whatever you choose to do, get creative, have some fun and let's get to know each other. In the end, you are the ones who win. Knowing and liking your vendors, especially the photographer, is significant in the success of your wedding.

When the food is eaten, the dress is boxed, the flowers are faded, you will have your photographs and your memories. Give them every opportunity to be the best they can be.

The Wedding of Justin and Erin

Just married and ecstatic about it.

Justin and Erin wanted a ceremony like no other and they accomplished just that. From the unique venue for their ceremony, overlooking Carroll Creek, to the reception site at the The Faux School, to the amazing food and "sushi" cake and the serious dancing that followed, this wedding was one of a kind! Congratulations to a couple so obviously in love with each other and with life!

I just love the way Erin was stroking Justin's  hair as they were having their first dance.

My favorite photos are of joy.

A high five from son to mother on the dance floor.

A sweet moment on a pedicab and a beautiful night sky on Carroll Creek just before the storm chased us inside. Thanks to Macfawn's Green Rides.

A video slideshow of their day.

Lexi, High School Senior

In the last couple of years, I have the had the pleasure of photographing my friends' children, as they become high school seniors. It's so amazing to see these incredible people, no longer children, and their unique beauty inside and out. Lexi was no exception. The daughter of one of my dearest and oldest friends, she did a fantastic job finding her inner diva. With her mother Kim at the ready with a reflector or a joke, we had a fun evening and created some beautiful images. Congratulations Lexi!