Category: Engagement

 

I love hiking.  I don’t get to do it enough because I am working a lot, so when I photo shoot involves a gorgeous hike through wooded Ohio, I get all giddy.  When the hike involves two people as sweet and wonderful as Rebecca and Nick, well it’s really not gonna get any better than that.  I came back from this shoot (after getting lost because my phone died and I realized how helpless I am with out my smartphone – which is sad) I was so excited and invigorated.  It felt like such a good, real, wonderful shoot.  I was documenting something real.  These two like to adventure around together.  I just happened to adventure with them and take photos along the way.  Seriously, it was as simple as that, and the resulting photos are some of my favorites.  Thanks Becca and Nick for letting tag along and making my week!

I love all the green in these photos.  It just screams vitality and life, which is the vibe that these two were giving me on the beautiful early Fall day that we met for our shoot.  They were giggly and cute and all sorts of adorable.  Excited to see them get married and take lots of pictures!

This was one of those evenings where everything was just “clicking” (ridiculous-pun-fully intended).  There was the gorgeous weather and the sun just doing her thing peeking through, warming us up, saying hi through golden green leaves. Then there was the location, Mt Airy Forest, one of my favorite places to explore (I have shot there so many times, and I feel like I am always finding new ways to shoot there). And then of course we have an adorable, happy, and pretty hilarious couple.  Mindy and Kyle were so sweet and just had so much fun.  Kyle had us all laughing the whole time.  I am envisioning years and years of belly laughs in the future for these two.  Yes, it was a lovely evening to take photos of lovely people.

Another great year of engagement sessions.  It’s always so wonderful to get to know a couple a little bit in their element before the big day.  I love thinking about all the excitement that they have coming up, and how special this engagement time is for them.  As we are waiting for our son to be born, it makes me think about waiting for things.  Waiting for kids, waiting to start a new job, waiting to get married.  There is something in the anticipation that is just beautiful, and I love that I get to photograph a little snippet of that time.  Thanks to all the couples that shared your lives with me in 2014!

I know Ruth from Wilmore and have always just loved and been drawn to her sweet, bubbly, friendly personality.  Our time in Wilmore didn’t overlap as much as I would have liked, but every time we did hang out I was just so struck with how it seems like she knows no stranger and has such a heart to get to know you.  So I was thrilled when she asked if I would be available to do engagement photos for her and her sweet fiance, David.  They came up to Cincinnati to explore the city, and I took photos of them just being together and in love.  It was a cold day, but they were such troopers and I kind of love how the cold made them extra snuggly (winter has it’s ups and downs, but one thing I have always loved about it is the cuddle-factor, cuddling in the winter just makes sense).  Anyway, we had a wonderful time wondering around the city and spending the afternoon together.  (oh and p.s. we made sure the ice was completely frozen before going out on it-in face there was someone ice skating and several people playing on it!!)

These two are wonderful.  And getting to know them over a beautiful Fall evening was a pleasure. I have started to have clients fill out this worksheet where they tell me a little bit more about themselves and their love story.  I love doing this because even before I show up to the shoot, I know a little bit more about the two unique people who are about to allow me to photography them.  When I read Sam and Victor’s sheet I felt like I knew them and their sweet, coffee-filled, friends-filled, lobster-filled romance.  And through out the whole shoot I could see by the way they looked at each other that all the things they wrote on that worksheet were so very true.

Next Fall I get to see them make pledges of their love in front of family and friends and I couldn’t be more honored.

Jenny and Tommy were such a joy to photograph.  Their smiles are what really got me.  They just couldn’t stop smiling and laughing with each other.  And Jenny’s smile is out of this world so as a photographer, I couldn’t get enough of the sweetness.  It is obvious that they have a deep love for one another, and I am thrilled to be able to capture their wedding in June (when it’s warm outside again!!).

There is always something a little exciting but also intimidating about photographing another photographer.  Sara and I were in the same graduating class at Ohio University where we studied photojournalism and worked together some at the school newspaper. We stressed about getting assignments in on time, were always trying to find new and interesting subjects in the over-photographed small town of Athens, Ohio, and shared the joys of learning alongside so many talented students from some amazing professors.  It was a really rich time of learning for me, and I am sure Sara would say the same.

SO…of course I wanted to deliver images to Sara that she would treasure as well as respect as an artist and journalist, you know, no pressure.  But when I got there, I kind of forgot about the pressure.  I just enjoyed catching up and spending the evening with two lovely people.  And in some ways,  I think that is the way some of my best work is done.