I had a blast photographing Izabel a few months ago. Her mom, Erika, owns a business called Izzy’s Boutique. She makes personalized clothing and accessories for children. A wonderful family with a fabulous business! Here is Izzy and a few examples of the many creations Erika makes!
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Jasper’s facial expressions remind me of Calvin in Calvin and Hobbes..haha. It’s up in the air whether he’s going to be just as sneaky as Calvin, though. These pictures were taken when we all got together at the Murray beach house in Emerald Isle. It was Jasper’s first beach trip! Thank you Jenni and Dan for letting us watch your precious kid while you were out and about! He certainly enjoyed the laundry basket!
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The first time I met Kelly and Trent, they were making dinner for my friend’s Kate and Melissa. Right away, you could tell they were a pretty amazing couple. They are friendly, honest, funny, supportive, and giving people. Their love for one another is like no other. They laugh with and at each other. Couples who have fun together, last forever. I had a blast taking pictures of these two! Their facial expressions are classic! I actually took these photos a few months ago, but of course, I’ve waited until my winter break from school to post them. Better late than never right?! Be on the look out for many more blog posts!
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Go BIG or go home were most definitely some of Bonnie and John’s thoughts when planning their wedding. I love it when couples are passionate about creating a wedding that fits their personalities. It does not have to be traditional. Why not Vegas? Why not a PLANNED Vegas wedding? After all, it is a celebration of the bride and groom’s unity and love for each other. Vegas is a place they have shared many memories together.
I’m thankful I was able to be a part of their huge celebration. My best friend and fellow photographer, Cara Slagle was also able to fly into Vegas from Minnesota to help with the wedding. The ceremony was located at the Planet Hollywood Chapel. A nice, relaxing (and amusing) reception with friends and family was held in Bonnie and John’s Planet Hollywood suite. And finally, the reception continued at a club called Haze in the Aria Hotel. I have to say, it was nice having VIP access at the club! It was like a classic scene in a movie where tons of people are standing in line and we walk past them all, the red velvet rope was unhooked, and we were immediately let in by the bouncer. Sweetness! On top of that, the club was an amazing place to celebrate. At one point, fake snow fell down from the ceiling as everyone was dancing. It was good times with good people! Congratulations Bonnie and John!
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It is Summer time, which means I may just have a chance to catch up with all of this blogging. Woo hoo! I’ll probably make just a few posts and update my galleries, but for now, I’d like to present Chandra and Guy Reynolds! They are a very photogenic couple who I had the privilege of shooting their wedding in May. I was lucky enough to have Maxine Mastromarino help me out with the wedding as well! Chandra and Guy’s ceremony was located in Chapel Hill at La Residence Restaurant.
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Our good friends, Jessica and Tyler, came down to NC to visit in early September! While it’s always fabulous to see the both of them, I was also very eager to meet their newborn baby, who is now about 3 months (but in these photos about 1 month). Nolan is such a cutie pie! While he may have wanted to take a long, nice nap during the photoshoot, he was a good sport, and let me take a picture here and there.
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It’s tradition for my wife and I to travel to Asheville, NC each year for the music and art festival, Bele Chere. We met up with some of our good friends and Anouk, our friend’s daughter, definitely held the center of attention for the duration of the trip. She is full of energy and danced for nearly three hours to one of the bands we went to see. Her curiosity has her running aimlessly, poking in on various conversations surrounding her. I wish I was able to catch some of these moments because they are hilarious, and maybe I will one day, but for now, here are some nice portraiture shots of little Anouk.
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Gillian and I vacationed to Florida to see my grandmother and to Virginia to do some hiking with some friends. We both had a blast and enjoyed every bit of fresh air we got.
In Florida, as we were walking from downtown St. Augustine to the coast, we happened to stump upon St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park . We figured we’d make a brief stop and head down to the coast later in the afternoon. However, brief it was not! The park was extremely fascinating and we ended up spending many hours strolling around and looking at various birds, gators, and animals. I even had a chance to hang out with my good friend, the komodo dragon. I’m glad he wasn’t shy with getting his picture taken!
During our travels, we also visited the Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka, Florida. Since we were training for a half marathon at the time, this was the perfect place to be surrounded by beautiful flowers and run. If you are ever near Palatka, this is a worthwhile stop. My only complaint is that you can tour the gardens in your car around a 1.8 paved loop (people often do this at sunset). There are trails within the gardens that the cars cannot get to, but if you are bicycling or running on the loop, there is little room for both on foot and in car.
Lastly, our visit to Virginia was amazing. We went on two hikes. One, was a short hike, but it was straight uphill. I thought I was in pretty good shape until I went on that hike. Ya right! The second hike was on Saint Mary’s Falls Trail in George Washington National Forest. Besides the gorgeous waterfalls, the whole entire trail was beautiful. This is not an ordinary hike. You get to climb tree roots, rocks, travel through the river, and swim in the many swimming holes. I will definitely hike this trail again and I recommend trying it yourself if you are in the area!
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park:
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Ravine Gardens State Park:
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Saint Mary’s Falls Trail:
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I’ve been slacking on my posts the last few months, but now that it is summer time, I am in full force!! Back in March, I had a great time helping 2&3 Photography photograph Stacie and Brian’s wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and marvelous reception. The reception was held at 1705 Prime in Raleigh, NC.
Stacie and Brian were all smiles throughout the night, giggling, and gazing into each others eyes. It is easy to tell how in love they are and how much support they have from family and friends. After the wedding, there were some sensational toasts, delicious food, dancing with shoes off, and yes, even some tackling during the bouquet toss. It was definitely a night to remember!
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So, Gillian and I went out to Falls Lake yesterday to enjoy the beautiful weather and to take some photos! She is super photogenic and did a fabulous job being her natural self. I couldn’t ask for a better subject. Absolutely stunning!
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