Kim and Rodger’s Engagement Session in Baltimore

I have to start out by saying I had a complete blast with Kim and Rodger. They are so comfortable with each other and with the love that they share; it was extremely easy to spend the afternoon with them.

This couple eats, breathes and sleeps Baltimore. So, it was no surprise when they told me that they wanted to have their e-session in Baltimore. We started on Federal Hill, stopped by their house (and I got to meet their adorable baby….doggy) and then over to Ft. McHenry. They really wanted to showcase their city of Baltimore as well as their love and I believe we accomplished just that!!

Here are some of my favorite images from our time together…

Aren’t they so super cute????….

I LOVE this one…

Go RAVENS…

Look how cute their doggy is….

And such a great little poser…

Kim and Rodger, thanks so much for a great afternoon and for making my job fun and easy!! Thanks also for your patience waiting to see your images!!!

I am looking forward to your wedding; it’s going to be a magnificant day. Thanks so much for allowing me to document this awesome moment in your life. You are a fantastic couple!!

Pet photography

is sooooo much fun!  I would never consider myself a “pet photographer”. Of course I’ve taken portraits of pets while I’m at their home taking family portraits, either including them in the family portrait or having them go solo once I’m done with the family or quickly swinging the camera around when I can tell they are curiously watching me from behind.  But I’ve never been called on to go on location specifically for pet portraits.  So when {M} contacted me and asked me to come take her dog’s portraits I was excited yet also a little apprehensive.  What if I couldn’t capture their “personality”, what if they run off, what if……YIKES!

{M} is one of those people that you wonder if she ever has a bad day. She is one of the nicest and kindest people that I’ve met. And these traits have been passed on to each of her children. The warmth that Mary emanates runs through her children, their spouses and her grandchildren; truly a great set of people. ♥ ♥

During our conversations, I learned the {M’s} main goal was to capture the dogs in their environment on the grounds of their home.  She explained that they were older now and not doing so well. They’d like a large canvas hanging on one of the walls in their great room.  These dogs mean a lot to {M} and her husband and I hope they like what I have to show them.

{M} thank you so much for having me out; it’s always great to be around you. Your dogs were sooooooo fun to photograph. I’m sorry I missed {D}, please tell him hello.

xoxo

Kaci and John – Wedding Slideshow

As I collected the images for Kaci and John’s slideshow, it brought joy to my heart. Their love is deep. Kaci has a beautiful smile, her face lights up when she laughs. John adores her. They are great together.

Click here to view their blogpost.

Click here to VIEW THEIR SLIDESHOW.

Enjoy your love, your laughter and your lives together.

xoxo

Happy Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

Lisa found me through a google search and contacted me for family portraits.  She wanted her sisters and brother-in-law in a group portrait for her parents.  I could tell from our emails and phone conversations that this was going to be a fun group to photograph.

Their parents live in Ellicott City and they wanted outdoor portraits from somewhere in the area.  Patapsco State Park was the first location that popped into my  head.  It’s always a scenic location no matter the time of year.  Lisa told me they were adventurous so they wouldn’t mind walking……little did they know……heck, little did I know

Johnny assisted me and we had a great time with this family…a fantastic group of gorgeous sisters and one handsome husband.  

Here are  just a few of my group favorites…

A fun silhouette of Anthony and Jami…

 
Lisa, Jami, Anthony, Laura and Maria – Johnny and I really enjoyed walking and talking with you and oh yah, photographing you too!  I love the spirit that you all seem to share.  You are a great group of individuals and it was a pleasure hanging out with you for the afternoon. As Johnny simply put it, “They are good people!!” Thanks so much for finding me!!

I’m looking forward to showing you all of your pictures!

Kaci and John got married…

on a gorgeous day, at beautiful venues and with wonderful families and friends witnessing their love.

I will post their slideshow at a later date.

I’m not even clear as to where to begin talking about this couple and their wedding day. It was an extraordinary day. Kaci and John worked together to plan this amazing event and their hard work definitely paid off.

Tracy and I met Kaci, her mom and her bridal party at the JW Marriott. The suite accommodated this great group of girls with ease, it was a welcoming yet spacious set of rooms. Two sets of double doors opened to a deck that spanned the length of the building; the view overlooking Washington DC was amazing. It was the start to a phenomenal day, the marriage of Kaci and John.

Kaci and John chose to have their First Look prior to their ceremony. They wanted to spend their cocktail hour greeting their guests and by doing the First Look, this allowed them to talk and mingle after their ceremony with comfort. The First Look is an intimate time between the bride and groom prior to the ceremony; this is the moment when they see each other for the first time on their wedding day. It’s a chance for them to REALLY see each other and talk without 200 sets of eyes watching them. I coordinate it in such a way that the bride’s walk down the aisle is still very special and memorable (and often brings tears to the couple’s eyes!!).

Once Kaci was dressed and John was ready, I escorted John and the guys to a nice little park adjacent to Freedom Plaza. John anxiously waited for Kaci to meet him. Their families and wedding party joined us for group portraits afterwards.

They were married at the Ronald Reagan Building. Danielle coordinates the events there and is an organized, gracious and fantastic person with which to work. The staff moved that afternoon and evening with tremendous finesse. 

I have to mention the toasts. John’s brother, Richard, gave an amazing toast. I’m not sure if there was a dry eye in the room…I couldn’t see past my own tears (good thing I can hide behind my camera ). I felt bad for Kaci’s Matron of Honor, Susan, for having to follow him in toasting. But then Susan clearly spoke from the heart, and once again, laughter, tears, total emotion throughout the room. Next up, Kaci’s dad and I thought to myself, wow, how’s he going to feel having to follow that….and again, I was amazed by the heartfelt wonderful words that were spoken. The love that everybody shares for Kaci and John is tremendous!

The rooms at the Ronald Reagan building were also amazing. The views from each of the balconies were picturesque. In the evening, tiny white lights throughout the trees illluminated the landscape of the outdoors.

Here are some of my faves that tell the story of the day. I will eventually be posting a slideshow.

Kaci’s mom surprised her with a beautiful pearl necklace and exquiste earrings…

A couple of portraits of the beautiful bride…

John anxiously waits for Kaci…

I love this one…check out John trying so hard not to peak and look at the excitement in Kaci’s expression…

A super nice, fun and good looking bridal party…

After the First Look and the bridal portraits were done, it was time to head back to the JW. As we’re crossing the street, a car blasted a horn that sounded like a police siren. Here’s their great reactions…

John and his mom enjoying a quiet moment…

I wonder what Kaci’s dad is thinking about…

Kaci is a beautiful girl and an exceptionally beautiful bride…

While heading over to the Ronald Reagan building…

And the ceremony has begun…

The staff “flipped” the room during the cocktail hour. Once the room was prepared for the reception, Danielle let Kaci know that the room was ready for her to see. Kaci and John’s expressions were wonderful, there was no doubt that they were pleased. They even “snuck”  in a little private dance before their guests entered.

A beautiful cake by Watergate Pastry

I absolutely LOVE taking dance pictures at receptions.

One of my favorite all time dance reception pictures…

You see???? Men really CAN multi-task!!! Here, Larry of Retrospect, is not only a great band leader and a tremendous trumpet player but can snap some pics at the same time.

A very special picture…

Kaci took a moment to enjoy the wonderful ambience that surrounded her reception…

I need to thank the terrific vendors that had the opportunity to share the day with this couple. It was a phenomenal day with top notch professionals. Danielle is the Event Planning Manager for the Ronald Reagan Building, she and her staff is top notch. Jim and Barbara Skipper from Black Tie Productions, an extremely conscientious, professional duo of videographers. Larry Elliott and his band, Retrospect…an amazing, energized, exceptional band…this group is so fluid and a pure blast to listen to while working!!! The wedding cake was from Watergate Pastries and the beautiful flower arrangements were created by MultiFlor. I would not hesitate at all to recommend any and all of the these vendors. They are passionate about their profession and it was a pleasure to work with all of them.

Kaci and John…I’ve enjoyed getting to know you these past several months. We’ve had many opportunities to get together and I’ve enjoyed each of them. You are fantastic people and make a great, strong couple. Remember the wonderful memories from your wedding day always ~ tomorrow….next week…next year…50 years from now. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for choosing me to document this incredible chapter of your lives. I look forward to creating your album with you, it’s going to be an amazing bound memory for you and a very special heirloom to show your grandkids!!! ♥

Some gorgeous girls…

and I got together for a photo session at Lake Elkhorn Park. It was a beautiful afternoon, fantastic setting and a fabulous group of people.

Nancy had purchased a gift certificate when I met her at a Girls Night Out event in which I had participated. I met some great women that evening and she was one of them. She decided it would be best served to get some family portraits. She has wonderful sisters and I enjoyed meeting each of them! Her brother-in-law and parents also joined us, which made it even better!

Here are some of my faves from our time together…

Nancy, it was a pleasure seeing you again and meeting the rest of your family. I’m looking forward to showing you the rest of the images next week!!

Thank you for choosing me to photograph your family….I enjoyed it!

Mother’s Day with the girls…

Joanna wanted to have a special Mother’s Day portrait session for the girls in her family. I’ve known Joanna for years now but never had the pleasure of meeting her mom and sister…and adorable niece…until last weekend. What a great group of ladies.

We had planned on some studio time as well as more casual portraits out in the woods playing in the creek. It rained for several days prior to their photo session so the woods and creek were out of the question because it was more like a swampland….high heels and swampland don’t mix well! But, the rain did manage to take a break for about a 1/2 day during the 3 week downpour and that just happened to be the time that the beautiful girls came down from PA. So we were able to get some spring portraits for them in my outdoor studio!

Ladies, thanks so much for making the drive down so we could have fun in the studio. I’m looking forward to showing you the rest of the images….you all are beautiful!
Jenelle, I look forward to photographing your family this summer, it’ll be a blast!

♥

Nahal heads to the Prom…

Many high schools had their prom last night.  Howard High School in Ellicott City was one of them.

Nahal is our neighbor, our babysitter, my office assistant and my photography assistant and a smart, wonderful and beautiful senior. My family is blessed to have her in our lives. My girls adore her. She has a way of morphing into a child when she’s with them; laughter fills the house when she’s here.

Here are some of my faves of Nahal before she headed out for the night…

Nahal, we are so proud of you and the young woman you’ve become. Thanks for being such a positive part of our lives. We love you and wish the very best for you. I’m looking forward to seeing what your future brings.

Go TERPS!

Update for National Charity Model Search…

As you may know, I recently participated in the first National Charity Model Search. The contest’s goal was to discover America’s cutest kid and to raise money for charity.

It was a huge success, 2,000 model’s images were submitted to the contest, and most importantly, the competition raised $164,775 for the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS) foundation.

The competition was so much fun. We were thrilled to enter our community’s cutest kids into the contest. All six of our models placed in the top 10 thanks to you and your votes! The feedback from clients has been overwhelmingly positive. People were enthusiastic about my philanthropic efforts to partner with NILMDTS. So many folks have experienced the loss of a child or know someone who has. Raising money for NILMDTS was an effort everyone supported.

The 50 finalists have been selected. Photography and modeling industry experts will select the grand prizewinner, which will be announced on May 1st. The finalist gallery is available for viewing - just click here.

Here is our first place model for Maryland:

 

This has been such a positive experience that we plan on participating in the National Charity Model Search next year. I hope that just as many of you step up to partner with me in this fun endeavor, and that we raise even more money for NILMDTS in 2010.

Honestly, I’m overwhelmed by the kindness that so many of you shared during this contest. Thank you so very much for making this a huge success for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep and for our cutie models.

xoxo

Engagement session on location…

with Steeny and Jason. I had a blast with this great couple last weekend.

It was a beautiful day, a slight wind in the air, sunny with enough cloud coverage to make it a perfect day for photographing this fun couple.

It was wonderful watching these two interact together; they compliment each other nicely. They each showed great interest in the other and really seemed to appreciate one another.

Steeny had found me through a google search several months ago and together we worked on a special project for Jason. I already knew she was great in front of the camera. During their e-session, I quickly realized that Jason was comfortable (or did a great job faking it!!) in front of the camera as well.

And by the way……I’m always wondering if I’ll get a phone call from my couples the day after their e-session complaining about their kissing muscles being sore! Haven’t so far!

Here are some of my faves from our afternoon together…

Steeny and Jason, thanks for a fun time together. I enjoyed getting to know you better as well as photographing you. I’m really looking forward to your beautiful July wedding and continuing to document this awesome time of your lives. You are great individuals and a terrific couple!