We sat on the porch at Woodford Reserve, rocking back in the wooden chairs and shielding our eyes from the afternoon sun. I had to take this moment to let all of the Kentucky goodness soak in. All weekend it was rolling green golf courses, multicolored trees, majestic horses, and a premium bourbon distillery, and…
I had forgotten what autumn in the Midwest feels like, the temperature swinging from freezing at night to cool and crisp during the day. Here I was, back in Cincinnati for just a couple days before heading down to shoot a wedding in Kentucky. I was thinking back to how reluctant I had been to…
At 9:30AM on the morning of Kevin & Jenny’s wedding, I was driving around Aliso Viejo with the groom, looking to buy a Canon dSLR, four dozen white carnations, and a 1/4″ screw. For Kev’s wedding I was not only a friend and the hired photographer, but I was also coordinating our brand new videography team,…
I’ve been cleaning out my parents’ house in Ohio. In the process of trying to minimize my stuff, I’ve come across all sorts of treasures. Here’s one gem, an essay from high school. I’m not sure what I wrote it for, but I quite like checking in on my own stories and seeing how they…
With her glowing smile and those stunning big brown eyes, Kristina is undeniably beautiful. But she has never been the princessy type. As her mother offered her glitzy jewelry options, she insistently declined. And she only reluctantly removed her sporty black watch when her friends decisively banned her from wearing it to the wedding. The…
There is an almost magical feeling to seeing an empty venue hours before the main event. I walked through Preservation Park, the gorgeous morning light streaming through the trees and gracing the charming Victorian houses. The space was quiet, the rows of white chairs already set in anticipation of the event to come. A few…
I’ve been reading a lot more in recent months. It’s one of the perks of self-employment. And I’ve been reading a lot of Dave Eggers recently. Tonight, I headed to the main library to meet him at an event. Unfortunately, I was a tad bit late. By the time I arrived, the talk had already…
All of the chairs with their matching white covers and navy blue sashes were placed in perfect rows. It was a simple, elegant arrangement set in the shade of the brick building, just slightly tucked aside from the chaos of Fisherman’s Wharf– tourist central, San Francisco. Throughout the day, Margaret and Eric were the calm…
I was blown away the first time I heard her play. It was freshman year at Duke, just your typical chamber music concert– a little bit of Brahms, Schubert, Mendelssohn perhaps. But the Beethoven flowing out from her fingers was captivating, nuanced, effortless. Talya is nothing if not talented and passionate. She has an artist’s…
She has a bright, bold spirit and the vision and determination to make things happen. Christine is a teacher and a vocalist, and also a voice teacher. You might also remember her from the absolutely wonderful family session we did in Michigan back in August. This time, we met up in the suburbs of Indianapolis…
Their friends and family gathered in the beautiful park, and they sat surrounded by trees overlooking serene blue waters. Hilary glowed in the sunshine, her dress understated and romantic, and she stood with her groom, relaxed, smiling. Together they walked down the aisle and stood beneath the chuppah, a simple wedding canopy with gauze for…
A revamp had been brewing in my mind, but I didn’t just want to redecorate or throw down a new paint color. I wanted the full remodel– new cabinets, tiled backsplash, and everything. I’m talking about my website, of course. It was time for a structural overhaul, not just a new blog theme. The key…