the.indie.image

Jessica and Jacob {Part Two}

2012-01-21T22:55:00.000-05:00

See? I told you it would be soon! So after Jessica and Jacob wrapped up their reception, we had about an hour left of daylight, and skipped off downtown to take a BUNCH of fun couple shots! I loved photographing these two. They were a great mix of playful and romantic. Perfect. Take a look!

Morning Times

Father and Son Antiques - (one of my favorite stores in all of Raleigh)

Marbles Kids Museum

City Market

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a more photos, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Jessica and Jacob Tie the Knot! {Part One}

2012-01-21T15:28:00.003-05:00

Wow! Welcome to 2012! Why is it that every new year, you stop and say, "how is it already a new year!?". Despite the shockingly fast way that time flies by, I am so excited to start a fresh year! I am doubly excited for what is in store for The Indie Image in 2012! I have a great new batch of brides and grooms, and I am looking forward to each of their awesome and unique weddings! Normally for photographers, there is a lull at the end of the year and life slows down for a bit. It is a great time to rest, recuperate from the craziness of fall (my busiest time of the year by far!), and get recharged for the jump back in to a new year of weddings!
Jessica and Jacob's wedding day was my first of 2012, just two weeks ago, and I was so ready to get back in the swing of things. Their wedding day, though short compared to some, was AMAZINGLY fun, beautiful and relaxed. I couldn't have chosen a more perfect start to my year. With family and close friends in an intimate ceremony, I really felt like I was an invited guest rather than just the photographer. Everyone was so warm and loving that you couldn't help but feel the support that they gave to Jessica and Jacob. The wedding and reception were both at the lovely Tucker House in downtown Raleigh, and it has the most amazing light! It was truly a pleasure to photograph there. Without further ado, here are *some* of my favorites from the day!

I don't remember what they were laughing at, but I love this shot!

Jessica and the ladies had a fun tea party moment.

Friends and family packed in to their sweet ceremony! I'm glad I found a spot to stand in!

Jess bought mustaches that fit over the neck of a bottle! How fun are those?!

Garter time on the balcony!

Love the light in these!

They wanted an "awkward family photo" but I think what makes it is Jacob's sister on the right who didn't get the memo not to smile! :-)

Maybe this one is more awkward..

Hugs with Jacob's parents!

And they're off!

Part Two, with all of their lovely couple photos, is coming soon! Stay tuned!

Thank you, Jessica and Jacob, for allowing me the privilege of photographing your sweet day! I pray the Lord has great blessings in store for your lives together! Congrats!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a more photos, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Baby Tyler!

2011-11-01T12:54:00.001-04:00

Meet little Tyler at nine days old! I know I say this a lot, but I really love photographing infants! Tyler's mom received a portrait session as a gift from one of her friends before he arrived, and I was excited when I got the call that the little guy was here! We spent a long morning photographing Tyler in their home, and I got some sweet shots. I have never had such a young baby stay awake for an entire two and a half hour portrait session, until Tyler! He was awake and alert the whole time, and would look right in the camera! Amazing. He definitely had preferences and would let us know about them, but was also able to settle in for some really cute shots. I also loved watching Megan interact with him, it was so tender and precious. The shots of the two of them together are some of my favorites.

They were still waiting on little Tyler's furniture to come in, so they hadn't gotten to hang his name on the wall yet, but I loved it against this shaggy Carolina blue rug!

So why not put actual Tyler next to it?

Speaking of Carolina blue, I think Tyler won't have any choice about his allegiances :-)

Sweet advice for the new mom!

Pretty blue eyes!

And we had to get a shot of his little jack-o-lantern outfit... it was October afterall.

We were taking photos by a big window, and Tyler was fascinated by the light and the trees outside.

Tyler has a perfect swirl in his hair.

Whenever he would get upset, Megan would be right there, cooing and talking to him and he would calm right down. So sweet to see him respond to mom like that.

This may be the only shot with his eyes closed, but I'm not sure it wasn't just a blink :-)

A little love from mom...

...and all is right with the world again.

And to end.. an almost smile. :-)

Megan and Mark, it was such a privilege to photograph sweet little Tyler! I hope that you guys will enjoy the pictures, and have fun remembering how small he once was! Have fun with that sweet little guy!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a more photos, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Whit's One Year Photoshoot at WRAL

2011-11-01T12:26:00.000-04:00

I was so excited when Whit's mom Kim contacted me to photograph him at his one-year-old milestone! This little guy had an adorable baby shoot last Christmastime, and I was thrilled to see how big he had gotten! Whit is definitely a toddler and on the move! His dad was telling me how he has a curious and exploring nature and he wanted that captured in the pictures. I think we definitely were able to capture that side of his personality! He had me running! He was in to everything and had no fear. And he has an adorable smile and big blue eyes to boot! All in all it made for a fun and cute photoshoot!

Starting out with a little security from mom...

and then he's off!

I absolutely adore this stance and grin!

Out of everything at the garden, Whit was most fascinated by the fountain! He loves the water!

Such a cutie!

Whit is very steady on his feet, but I still love how the arms are all over to keep balance :-)

Just a quick look back to see if anyone was coming with him on his adventure!

We had to return to the fountain one more time... look at that joy!

I don't know what he was reacting too, but I love this expression!

And finally, too tuckered out to even play in the fresh dirt! Time to go home!

Thank you Aspinwalls for allowing me to capture your family again this year! Have fun keeping up with that fun little boy! :-)

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a more photos, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Cassidy and Derrick's NSCU/Downtown Raleigh Engagment

2011-10-31T13:17:00.001-04:00

It feels so good to finally be getting shoots out the door and also on the blog! October has been a whirlwind of a month! I must thank all of my dear clients for being so patient with me as I get caught up. I am so blessed to work with such nice people! Cassidy and Derrick are two of the nicest! I was so excited to book their wedding for next April, because it sounds like it is going to be amaaaazing! They have some really fun plans for their wedding day, and I can't wait to see it all come together. But in the meantime, we had an awesome engagement shoot recently on the campus of NC State and around downtown Raleigh. These two were a little worried they wouldn't be comfortable in front of the camera, but they totally rocked it! It is such a pleasure to photograph people who are so comfortable with each other that they are able to forget about the camera. We had a beautiful day for shooting, and we made the most out of it. Here are the results!

We started off at the NCSU bell tower. A definite State landmark!

We ended up at the Court of Carolinas for some frisbee! Derrick was on the NCSU Ultimate Frisbee team, and even had an official Wolfpack Ultimate frisbee!

From there we headed to City Market in downtown and a wardrobe change :-)

I got a lot of pictures of these guys being themselves! I love how silly and playful the were with each other.

I really liked this series of sweet images in front of a brown barn door. They just seem so peaceful :-)

Fact: This is the first time I have shot in front of the fruit mural on the back side of City Market! I've always wanted to, and finally I got to! And I love the color combo of their clothes and the wall.

Our final mission was to get a shot with the Raleigh skyline in the background. I was quite please with this new vantage point we discovered!

And they lived happily ever after. The end. :-)

Cassidy and Derrick, I can't wait until April! :-) You guys were such a treat to photograph, and I know the wedding will be so much fun!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a more photos, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Bethany and Lucas Wed!

2011-10-31T11:41:00.000-04:00

Bethany and Lucas' wedding started off on a drizzly morning in late September. I was worried about the weather affecting their plans for an outdoor, lakeside ceremony, but the clouds finally lifted, and the sun came out, and it turned into a beautiful day! Bethany and Lucas impressed me with their tender emotions and love for each other throughout the day. They laughed and cried and rejoiced in their new marriage with their friends and family. I was also thrilled, that we got to take extra couple pictures in downtown Charlotte after the reception! That always makes for a fun and relaxed ending to a wedding day, and not to mention tons of cute pictures! Here are a few highlights from their wedding day!

Accessories!

Ha, I really hate to do this to Bethany, but I love this moment so much!

Bethany made a beautiful bride!

Her brothers donned mustaches like their father. Love it!

The handsome groom!

A couple of the guests waiting out the last drops of rain.

Bethany and Lucas had a neat time of worship at the very start of their ceremony. They both were overcome with emotion at different points, and it was so sweet to witness their passion for God and each other.

They played a sweet little slideshow at the reception that had everyone laughing and crying.

The mustaches reappeared :-)

You are never too old for bubbles!

Now for a wardrobe change and some fun pics in downtown Charlotte!

Fun fact about this sculpture, I saw another piece of sculpture by the same artist in the Vatican in Rome earlier this year. Small world!

I was really digging this window shot!

Thank you, Bethany and Lucas for allowing me the privilege of documenting your wedding day! It was so nice to get to know you and celebrate your marriage with you! I hope that you will enjoy all of the pictures! God bless!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a bunch more photos from Bethany and Lucas' wedding, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Mr. and Mrs. Britt!

2011-10-19T03:21:00.000-04:00

I am excited to tell you the neat story behind photographing Aubrie and Kyle's wedding day, because God is really cool sometimes. I had actually photographed Aubrie a while back for her senior pictures, and I was so excited when I was contacted again by her and her mom about photographing Aubrie's wedding. However, that excitement quickly faded when they had to change their date, and I realized that I was already booked for the new wedding date. Bummer! I sadly had to tell them that I would not be able to photograph her wedding. Aubrie's mom and I even talked about trying to photograph both weddings in one day, and although I appreciated her confidence in me, we just knew that wouldn't work. Several weeks passed, and I was checking my email, when I happened to get a note from a bride that had had her date booked for almost a year, and out of the blue was needing to change her wedding date. I was astounded that it happened to be the bride with the same wedding date as Aubrie! After confirming the date change, I quickly sent Aubrie's mom a text, wondering if they had found another photographer yet. To my astonishment they were still looking! It didn't take us long to get everything in order, and I was so glad that it had all worked out! God is so good! Aubrie and Kyle's wedding was not only beautiful and sweet, but so much fun. They are such smiley people, and their joy on their wedding day was contagious! Here is a little glimpse of their big day!

The wedding was at the Binkley Chapel on the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Campus in Wake Forest. It has the coolest maps in the upstairs prayer rooms! Had to show some NC love!

This is one of my most favorite shots of the day.

Amazing shoes!

Aubrie's mom's reaction to seeing her in her dress was so sweet.

Aubrie and Kyle chose to see each other before the ceremony. I love that more and more couples are doing this. It is still such a special moment to see each other for the first time on the wedding day!

The first look also gives us lots and lots of time for portraits!

Such a stunning bride!

Great shot of the walk down the aisle by my assistant John Mode!

Married! Another great capture by John!

Beautiful cake! I love the sparkly center on the bow!

Aubrie and Kyle really wanted some pictures at dusk, and we timed it just right to get such a beautiful sky!

Their friends showed no mercy on their car!

Love the Dr. Thunder cans tied to the back! Classic!

Kyle and Aubrie, I couldn't be more happy that I was able to photograph your wedding! I pray that the Lord will continue to bless your relationship and your lives together!
Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a bunch more photos from Aubrie and Kyle's wedding, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Alison and Adam: Engagement Shoot

2011-10-17T16:08:00.005-04:00

I am so looking forward to Alison and Adam's wedding coming up in January for several reasons. 1) Based on these photos alone, you can tell how awesome they are. 2) Alison is a graphic designer and has sooo many fun ideas for her wedding, that I can't wait to see it all come together. 3) They are getting married in January and it makes me think of the Avett Brother's song "January Wedding". (Ha, ok, so that last reason is silly, but I do love the Avett Brothers and any excuse to hear their music in my head.) I've been wanting to blog their engagement shoot since this summer, but I have just been so busy! So, I decided to make myself get it on the blog today... when it's this good, it is better late than never! We had tons of ideas for this shoot, and I was really pleased at how it turned out. Plus, you know I am going to love anyone who lets me incorporate an abandoned factory into their shoot. Here are a BUNCH of my favorites. :-)

We started off at Alison's apartment. I loved this cute engagement card she had tacked to an inspiration board. I had asked them before the shoot what kind of things they liked to do together... answer: hang out together with their laptops and play Words with Friends on their phones :-) This alley at the abandoned factory has some great light, and I've wanted to come back here for a while (after finding it on my urban exploring adventure here.) It is truly fun to see couples who are so full of joy together and bursting with love. These two beam around each other. :-) Looooove this. Models? Yeah pretty much. This next series might be my favorite from the whole day. Cool people, cool place. The last location of the day was at the NC Museum of Art (where they had their first date). Alison's favorite color is orange, and she brought this giant balloon for some fun shots! I loved the playfulness it added to the shoot. The date! (Can you see the scrabble influence again?) Sweetness. After the ring shot, we wanted to get a "proposal" type shot without being too literal. I dig how this turned out. :-) I had so much fun with these two all over Raleigh, and I look forward to many more fun times with them in front of the camera on January 28th! Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a bunch more photos from Alison and Adam's engagement shoot, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Haley and Brian Tie the Knot! (Part Two)

2011-10-03T04:49:00.005-04:00

I just finished showing you Haley and Brian's wedding day, but that wasn't all of it! Since their reception ended before dark, we took the opportunity to wander around Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest to get some sweet shots of the two of them. I love when I get to do this! It makes for such a relaxed end to a wedding day, plus I love the extra couple time. I won't bore you with lots of words, let's get to the pictures!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a bunch more photos from Haley and Brian's wedding, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Haley and Brian Tie the Knot! (Part One)

2011-10-03T04:06:00.011-04:00

One thing that I love about my job, is getting to be involved in so many of my friends' weddings! Haley's family has appeared on my blog several times.. Not only are our families friends, but I have shot family portraits for them, her sister's wedding, her cousin's wedding, and one of her bridesmaids' wedding! Haha, Haley is one of four sisters, so I am looking forward to two more Schofield weddings one day :-). But let's keep the focus on the wonderful wedding day of Haley and Brian! These two are some of the sweetest people ever. They celebrated their marriage with friends and family, and it was such a pleasure to see how much people cared for them. So many dear friends contributed to their wedding, and it made the whole affair very personal and warm. Enjoy!

I loved this framed piece in Haley's room. One of my favorite verses!

Haley's bridesmaids (3 of whom were her sisters!) all got ready at her parent's home. It made for a full house!

Details, details, details!

Keeping with tradition, Haley's dad made everyone a yummy breakfast!

The lovely Wakefield Baptist Church was the site of the ceremony.

Haley's sister and mom. I think this is such a sweet shot.

Surprise roses from Brian to Haley, complete with a note to his "Lovvy"... how cute!

Haley's surprise for Brian were two photos from her bridal session with a clever little rhyme.

The handsome Groom!

The beautiful Bride!

They family had a sweet time of prayer before the ceremony that left everyone in tears. So precious.

Oh, and Haley's dad was also the minister :-)

They did it!

First dance at the Cotton Company in Wake Forest.

Another special dance, with both of their parents. I love how they are between them. Sweet:-)

And away they go!

Haley and Brian, I hope that you have enjoyed the first few weeks of marriage! I pray the Lord will bless you, and give you many, many happy years ahead!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see a bunch more photos from Haley and Brian's wedding, and hear the latest Indie Image news!

Kristin and Brad's Doggie Love Shoot!

2011-08-27T15:39:00.005-04:00

I have been waiting so long to get Kristin and Brad in front of my camera! They booked me for their wedding over a year in advance, and I just recently had the opportunity to shoot some fun portraits of the two of them with their sweet puppies! Now, I must say that I am partial to labs, because I have had a few growing up (they are the best!), but these guys really were so cute and fun to work with. After some deliberation on locations, we finally ended up at their ceremony site, Duke Gardens. We had a great time exploring the gardens and getting some fun shots!

Hey Guys! It was so fun finally getting to photograph the two of you and your doggies! I can't wait for October 15th!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see more photos, and hear the latest news!

Grace and Nathaniel Tie the Knot!

2011-08-21T19:16:00.012-04:00

I must say that I consider it such a huge privilege and honor to shoot multiple weddings within the same family. It has happened a few times now, and each time it just makes me smile to reconnect with former clients and then to document their brother, sister, or even cousin's wedding day! This is the case with the lovely Grace. I shot her sister's wedding earlier this year, and what seemed like just a few short months later I was in Apex to shoot Grace and Nathaniel's wedding day! I so enjoyed being around this sweet family again, and getting to meet Nathaniel's family too! Grace and Nathaniel had muggy, rainy weather, but it certainly did not affect their spirits or joy over the real reason we were all there!

The ceremony and reception were both held at the historic Apex United Methodist Church in Apex, NC. The church was doing some major construction on the church grounds, and it was difficult not to get any orange fencing in the pictures of the building, but I got one!

Details!

Getting ready!

Grace's sister, Kelly and her mother tag-teamed the lace-up process.

Nathaniel had some shiny dress shoes! Those things look slick!

The handsome groom.

The beautiful bride.

Their first look! I've been so glad to have more brides and grooms than ever choosing to see each other before the ceremony. Love it!

Grace and Kelly

I love the way Grace is looking at Nathaniel in this shot. So sweet!

It's official!

Starting the reception off with some special dances. Bride and Groom first, of course!

Rings, rings, rings.

Ok, so this shot is obviously another ring shot, but it was actually shot on one of the guest's fascinators! Ever since the Royal Wedding back in April, I had been hoping this would catch on at weddings! This was the first one i've seen, and I loved it! :-)

Nathaniel's sweet parents.

Matt and Kelly blowing bubbles to send off the bride and groom!

Grace and Nathaniel, thank you so much for trusting me with your own special day! I loved being there to capture the special moments of your wedding day! I wish you both a lifetime of happiness!

Thanks too, to Jonathan O'Brien for second shooting for me!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see more photos from Grace and Nathaniel's wedding day, and hear the latest news!

Spencer and Laura's Wedding Day!

2011-08-16T13:58:00.012-04:00

So, I know I already put these pictures up on Facebook, but I still wanted to write a little about their wedding day on here! Plus, I know a few people aren't on Facebook.. like my mom. haha. I had such a wonderful time photographing Spencer and Laura's wedding day! They are such kind, happy people and their day had that same sense of warmth and joy that they do! Their wedding service was at their church, Visio Dei, not far from downtown Raleigh. I met up with the ladies earlier in the day at Salon 21 on Glenwood to photograph them getting ready.

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I loved her flowers! Lots of white and yellow!

Spencer and Laura decided to see each other before the ceremony, so we had them meet at the lovely Haywood Hall in downtown. It was a perfect setting for a first look!

I really liked the colorful and fun bridesmaids dresses!

And right about here is when it started to rain on us!

Getting out of the rain!

We let the wedding party go on back to the church, but Laura and her family had to take cover on the porch of Haywood Hall until the downpour ceased! This is her family trying to keep her from getting rained on! So cute!

Thankfully the rain stopped, and we made it back to the church for the wedding!

Their programs were really neat, stitched with beautiful paper covers. Thought I would incorporate one of the pretty papers into the ring shot!

Pretty cute cake toppers! Go Wolfpack!

The reception was at The Stockroom at 230. I loved the cool, rustic vibe it had, and her decorations really played in to that ambiance well!

There were several familiar faces in the crowd, including one of my 2012 couples! Can't wait for their wedding day!

Laura's sisters gave some sweet and funny toasts!

This was a dancing crowd! I love it when everybody gets out on the dance floor!

The last dance with Laura's parents in the background. Sweetness.

They ended the evening by leaving in a famous Raleigh Rickshaw! Love it!

Congrats to you both! I was so honored to be a part of your wedding day! I pray the Lord will bless you both in this adventure called marriage!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see more photos and hear the latest news!

Class of 2012: Michelle!

2011-08-11T01:01:00.008-04:00

I really enjoy photographing seniors! It is so fun to be around these guys and girls who are finishing up high school and getting excited about college! Such a fun time in life! Michelle is my best friend's youngest sister, and seeing her as a high school senior made me feel so old! She is starting her senior year at NRCA (my high school) and we spent the first part of the shoot on campus. It was one of these hot, hot summer days we've been having, but Michelle rocked it. She is a cheerleader and will be the captain of her team this year (pretty awesome!). So we started out with a little display of school spirit!

Change of venue, change of outfits!

We really thought the boots and dress worked really well with this run-down porch! Love it!

I love this shot of Michelle and her mom braiding her hair!

I have lots of really cute shots of Michelle laughing! She wasn't afraid to be silly!

So pretty!

Look at those sparkly blue eyes! Stunning!

Yes, another laughing shot! What you don't know is that she is swatting away a swarm of bugs we got in to! She just went with it though, and we got a cute picture to boot!

Mom and daughter!

Thanks for letting me photograph you, Michelle! I hope you have an awesome year this year, and good luck with cheerleading!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see more photos and hear the latest news!

Sarah and Brian's Shady Wagon Wedding!

2011-08-03T01:50:00.015-04:00

I was really excited about Brian and Sarah's wedding day at Shady Wagon Farms! I had never shot there before, but had seen pictures and thought it looked like such a pretty location! It has a sweet, rustic charm to it. It seemed like the perfect fit for Sarah and Brian, who are sweet, down to earth people. They persevered like champs thorough 105 degree temperatures, and threatening thunderstorms, with smiles on their faces. Sarah asked me if this was the hottest wedding I had ever shot, and I said it was in the top 5, but looking back, I think it was the hottest! But nothing could put a damper on their wonderful day! The thunderstorms held off, and they were able to get married outside, with friends and family looking on! Here are some highlights from their day!

Pretty right? Look at those blue skies!

Details, Details..

Something I don't see at many weddings? Socks! For the boots of course:-)

Brian and Sarah shared sweet letters and gifts with each other.

Cute little flower girl!

Sticking with tradition, they did not want to see each other before the ceremony, but Sarah really wanted a shot like this. I heard one of the bridesmaids say, "This makes me really nervous!"

The handsome fellas..

and the stunning ladies!

Brian receiving the charge to the groom from his pastor.

And then his bride took his breath away!

Mother of the groom. So sweet!

Presenting, Mr. and Mrs. Furches!

You've just got to love the boots!

First dance.

I love this kid's expression! Too cute!

Time for dancing! The bridal party kicked it off with a group dance. Notice the sweet shades?

And they're off!

Sarah and Brian, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day! I loved capturing the two of you together, surrounded by the wonderful people in your lives. I pray the Lord will bless your marriage and fill it with tons of joy and love for one another! I can't wait to show you the rest!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see more photos and hear the latest news!

Baby McKinley makes Four!

2011-07-27T23:37:00.006-04:00

Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn't, but the Ketchabaw family is starting a pattern with their kids' names. Do you see the trend? haha. I didn't have to wait long for little McKinley to make her appearance! Just a few short weeks later, I was at the home of Melissa, D.J., and sister Reagan to take newborn pics of their new baby girl! What a cutie!

Melissa had the girls in "Big Sister" and "Little Sister" shirts! So cute!

I just can't resist getting really closeup shots of those little details!

Ha, this is mostly just an outtake during a break from shooting, but I just love the family dynamic.

Reagan is such a helpful big sister! I love that she was trying to give McKinley her paci!

Sweetest pic of the day!

Don't you feel like they already have sister secrets?

Again with the details! I just loved the way her little hands curled together. :-)

I have never seen a dog sit so well for a picture!

The Kids :-)

And a little naked nap in the shade.

I hope you are all doing well, and that your little ones are healthy and happy! I hope I get to check in with you guys again soon!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see more photos and hear the latest news!

The Ketchabaw Family is Growing!

2011-07-27T22:53:00.005-04:00

This is actually going to be the first of two posts in a row for the Ketchabaw Family! Yay! This post is a good bit late in coming, which you would really only know if you know the Ketchabaws, but if you don't you can just keep on thinking this is new news! haha. Melissa wanted some maternity pics taken near the end of her pregnancy, and also newborn pics once her little baby girl arrived, and I was thrilled to capture these milestones for her. (I actually give a discount for situations like this, so email me for details!) Moving on... I shot the first session, a maternity/family shoot at the NC Museum of Art. I love that place. There are so many different locations to shoot. I try to find new places each time I go! We kept the session as relaxed as possible, and even though I made Melissa walk a good bit to the first spot, I tried to keep the rest of the shoot pretty close (she was about 8 months pregnant at the time I'm pretty sure! What a trooper!). We had a fun time rolling in the grass and trying to keep a two-year-old interested in the camera! Here are some of the fun shots we got!

This is Reagan, the Big Sister! I started photographing the Ketchabaw family when she was just about 6 months old!

Now look at how much she has grown!

That is the face every parent loves! It's the giggles!

I loved this shot! Reagan was really not interested in interacting with the belly too much, but just for a moment (and I mean a moment!) she laid her head down and just looked so peaceful! Snap!

Ha, and this shot probably has about 30 outtakes, but you only need one!

There are a couple of these I had a hard time deciding between to show! Reagan is a ham! She was giving me great attitude.

And don't you just love her ladybug outfit? So cute!

Up next, the new addition!

Don't forget to find The Indie Image on Facebook to see more photos and hear the latest news!

Class of 2011!

2011-07-06T01:02:00.006-04:00

Well, I had intended to post this last month during the height of graduation season, but alas, better late than never! I just wanted to put these up to congratulate my Class of 2011 seniors! I wish you guys the very best with your future endeavors!

Ashley!

Wesley!

Emily!

James!

Lindsay!

Colby!

Mandy!

Josh!

Happy Graduation! If you want to see more from these senior sessions, check out The Indie Image Facebook Page :-)

Mr. and Mrs. Norwood!

2011-07-04T15:53:00.008-04:00

Well, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough for a new post. I hate even having to say that I am terrible at keeping up with this blog (it is pretty self-evident)! I really hope to change all that, but I am buried under so many wonderful shoots to blog that it seems almost impossible to get them all out on here!
But, change happens one blog post at a time!! So, here is the lovely wedding of Katie and David Norwood. I was so so excited to have these guys as clients. From the moment I first met with them I knew they were going to be a great couple to work with and photograph. Katie is bubbly and sweet as sugar, and David is laid back and friendly, and I hardly have to say that they are adorable together. Katie's mom is a coordinator that I had worked with before as well, and I was really flattered that they wanted me to shoot their wedding day! Although it started out as a drizzly Saturday morning on Easter weekend, nothing could make a dent in the cheerfulness of this day. From the bride and groom to the wedding party and guests, everyone was all smiles all day long.
Here is their day in pictures!

The ceremony was held at Windborne UMC Church in Raleigh. This shot was taken by my talented second photographer, Jonathan O'Brien.

Flowers were by Array Designs (on facebook).

As is typical in many church weddings, the bride often must get ready in a children's Sunday school classroom. Why not embrace it? (PS. Katie loves giraffes, so it was a win!)

Dinos in camo? Sure, why not!

David's Ranger boots. Apparently, they have a special way of wearing them as you will see later.

All the fellas look so sharp!

Such a sweet groom!

Katie and David were so sweet together. Shooting their couple time was so easy and fun!

The reception was at The Cotton Room in Durham. It is probably one of my favorite venues for receptions! I'm a sucker for exposed brick, wooden beams, and lots of natural light! Photo by Jonathan again.

I loved the paper straws and bottled sodas! Photo by Jonathan.

Love it!

All of their friends and family circled around them for a last dance and farewell. It was so sweet, and then it turned into huge group hugs!

Goodnight!

I wish you two the very best in your lives together! I pray the Lord will bless your marriage, and that it will glorify Him for your whole lives.

If you want to see more photos from this wedding, find The Indie Image on Facebook!

Matt and Kelly's Wedding: Part Two!

2011-05-10T02:35:00.010-04:00

Ok, so I know that wasn't a long wait, but I just couldn't delay posting the rest of these. In fact, these are my favorite shots of Matt and Kelly's wedding day! As the wedding was winding down, I realized that it was wrapping up at just about the perfect time to be shooting outside. So, taking a chance, I asked Kelly if she and Matt would be up for wandering around downtown Wake Forest for some more couple portraits before heading off. I was so glad she said yes! To top it off, since they were through with official wedding stuff, she did whatever I asked her to do in that pretty dress- including climbing in some crazy weeds and vines! Yay! I love it when my clients trust me that much. Without further ado.. here are the fun shots we captured after the wedding!

Matt and Kelly, I pray you guys will have a blessed marriage! I was so glad to be a part of your big day!

Matt and Kelly's Wedding: Part One!

2011-05-10T01:18:00.010-04:00

I am so happy to finally be blogging this wedding! In fact, I am going to have to do this in two parts because I have WAY too many photos to blog. Eeeep! Matt and Kelly got married in April an the Binkley Chapel in Wake Forest. They could not have prayed for a more beautiful spring day! Matt is a Marine, and wore his dress blues, and this was the inspiration for the wedding colors as well. I love a good blue, yellow and white wedding! The light in the chapel is amaaaazing and always makes for pretty pictures. The two of them were so pleasant to photograph because they were so loving to each other. You can tell they really enjoy each other. I felt like they were always smiling and laughing! From the first shot to the last, I loved being with these guys. Congratulations you two!

Ok, so let me explain the chalkboard a little bit. Kelly and Matt actually met while attending Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Binkley is the chapel on the school's campus, and the classroom that they first met in, is in the basement of the chapel! So, I tried to incorporate a little school fun on their wedding day!

Yummy, yummy window light!

I have a thing for letters.. sometimes they come in handy :-)

The dogwoods were in full bloom and so beautiful! Pretty setting for a pretty dress!

The first look..

We had tons of time to shoot fun portraits after the first look! Yay!

I LOVE this shot that my assistant, Jonathan, took! Plus, I mean, how sweet are they?!

Kelly was sitting in the stairway waiting for her walk down the aisle! She was sooo calm, cool and collected!

The Marines all looked sharp in their uniforms! It was impressive!

Go time!

It's official! They're married! (Also another great shot by Jonathan!)

I was so excited when Kelly told me they would be doing the sword detail! I had never shot one before, and it was so fun! I loved capturing her expression after the swat!

Seriously, I think they enjoyed their wedding day, don't you?

I love that they cut the cake with his sword!

Kelly told me they weren't exiting to sparklers or bubbles or rice or birdseed... but to pinwheels! That was another first for me, and I thought it was such a cute idea!

Plus they make great accessories!

Sister of the bride, Grace!

.. to be continued!

I wanted to give a big thank you to Miriam Gardner who coordinated this wedding. She did a wonderful job, and made the day so relaxing and easy! Great job, Miriam! Flowers and decorations by Array Designs!

The Lee Family!

2011-04-28T16:59:00.008-04:00

I am so happy that this shoot was actually able to happen! Roxanne was given a gift certificate for a family portrait session for Christmas by her son and (now) soon-to-be daughter-in-law Haley. Roxanne and I had been going back and forth since January on dates/locations/times/etc. We finally settled on a date a couple of weeks ago, that would allow for all of her family members to be in the photo. As is so often the case when there isn't really a feasible backup plan, the weather started to become a bit of a concern. But we decided together we would give it a go, since it looked like the skies were going to hold off. And they did, just almost to the moment that we were done shooting. With just a few minutes of light misting, we were able to get through the whole shoot before the downpour came! Sometimes the Lord is really gracious! I loved shooting these guys. They were all a lot of fun and that always makes my job a delight. I was really happy with the outcome, and from the enthusiastic email I received from Roxanne the day after she received the photos, I think she was too:-) Yay!

Our shoot was at the Lee family homestead in Wake Forest. It was such a cool location, because of the family history and the rustic appeal.

I loved this huge tree!

Favorite. I think they look like a family band :-)

Each time I look at this picture, I think it is crooked... but really, it is just the building that is crooked!

After we had shot the extended family, we just focused on Roxanne and her gang.

Cute little love birds!

I told them that this was the sort of stuff I make engaged couples do!

See?

I dig this manly shot with the oil drum! They have a service station down the street, and oil is the family business.

Thank you, Lee family! It was so nice to meet all of you!

The Mill Family (My Family!)

2011-04-28T02:56:00.013-04:00

Meet the Mills - some of my favorite people on the planet! Ok, ok.. so I am partial because it is my brother's family, but I'm pretty sure I would love them even if they weren't. People often assume that because you are a photographer, you take tons and tons of pictures of your own family. Truth is, and these guys can testify to this, I very rarely get to photograph them. I know, it is a shame. Even worse, when I do make time, they have to wait the longest to get their pictures back! I know, I am an awful sister! But even so, sometimes they still let me get away with it. We tried to fit a lot into this shoot, and faced lots of obstacles along the way, but we were going to get these photos done come hell or high water! These are my nephew's 2 year old (ish) portraits, my sister-in-law's preggers pics, and some family portraits of all three of them to boot. It took us two days (in some of the gloomiest weather for shooting) but we did it! AND I got them back to them in just over a month. I'm pretty proud of myself. haha. Here are some favs from the shoots!

Lila is over 8 months pregnant here! We welcomed little Harrison into the world on April 7th:-)

Such a sweet big brother!

That face is irresistible!

I really love these next two. Just such honest emotion! Love it!

What a ham:-)

I love his expression. Somebody is unimpressed with day two of shooting.

This one just makes me smile.

He is my brother's child...and his grandfather's grandchild. There is no way this kid would not get the fishing bug.

Finding the fish is serious business.

If you are curious... yes, he was steering.

Love you guys!

Hope Reins Mane Event 2011

2011-04-20T00:57:00.011-04:00

For the last year, I have had the privilege of donating my time and talent to a great organization here in town called Hope Reins of Raleigh. Their mission is to share the love of God with children in need through rescued and donated horses. I grew up riding horses, and have always loved being around them. The first time I had heard about a program like this was in a book I read several years ago called "Hope Rising" by Kim Meeder. Kim started Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon. The book shared beautiful stories of how broken children and broken horses had found hope and healing through bonds formed at Crystal Peaks. It was such a touching book that I dreamed about having my own ranch one day that would do the very same thing! However, that has not been in God's plan for me, but luckily I found out about Hope Reins of Raleigh. Hope Reins was started by Kim Tschirret (yes, both of their names are Kim) after she too read "Hope Rising" and caught the same vision as Kim Meeder. A mere two years later, Hope Reins of Raleigh has grown from a dream into a reality. Just a couple of weeks ago Hope Reins hosted a fundraising event called the "Mane Event" at the Angus Barn's Pavilion. There were over 300 attendees, and it was a packed house. The featured speaker was Kim Meeder herself, whose book and ranch are the inspiration and model for Hope Reins. The event also had a concert by Meredith Andrews, whose song, "You're Not Alone", was the theme of the evening. Check out Meredith's other music here. Ok, ok, enough talk. Here are just a few pictures from this great event!

Hey, Brides! Looking for a really awesome venue for your reception? Check out the Angus Barn Pavilion. It has a really cool rustic vibe!

(It's always fun seeing my pictures in print!)

Cards at each table shared a picture and a story about Hope Reins to let people know about the amazing things that are happening every day at the farm.

Hands down, the Angus Barn makes the best chocolate pie ever. Just sayin'.

Christy Burkey, Marketing Coordinator.

Anna Foulkrod, Training and Conditioning Coordinator.

Founder and President of Hope Reins of Raleigh, Kim Tschirret.

Founder of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch and author of "Hope Rising", Kim Meeder.

Board of Directors member, Allin Foulkrod.

Meredith Andrews

Meredith's husband/keyboardist/backup singer Jacob

Fact: I love cowboy hats. Troy Meeder (left) is Kim's husband. He leads worship time on their ranch in Oregon and has just published his first book, "Average Joe: God's Extraordinary Calling to Ordinary Men".

The Tschirrets and the Meeders

The lovely women who make Hope Reins run!

If you are interested in learning more, or becoming involved with Hope Reins of Raleigh, please visit their website: hopereinsraleigh.org.

The Nolans

2011-04-07T00:24:00.007-04:00

Ok, well since I have been engrossed in travel pictures, this is probably a good time to post this shoot. Meet Davina and Ryan, who just celebrated their 10 year anniversary (congrats you guys!). Davina works with my sister, and she and Ryan were in Barcelona with us. On our very last day in the city we went to the top of Montjuic to see the best view of the city. Since I had heard this was part of their anniversary celebration, I offered to take some pictures while we walked around and explored. These two were naturals in front of the camera! The only drawback to the shoot is that I had brought only my wide angle to shoot with (because I knew I was going to be taking landscapes) but in the end I still think they turned out really cute. Here are just a couple to enjoy!

Davina, you have perfect skin. Just sayin'.

I love the view of Barcelona behind them! It was so clear up there you could just see for miles and miles!

I really REALLY loved this graffiti wall.

I really enjoyed getting to know you both on our European vacation! I wish you guys 10 more happy years!

Wanderings.

2011-03-29T01:39:00.010-04:00

So, obviously I have been on another hiatus from blog posting! In my absence, I have traveled abroad and gained two new stamps in my passport! Yay! But now that I am back, it is time to get back down to business! I have spent a few weeks redesigning my blog and giving it a much needed face-lift! The old design had been around for a couple of years, and lacked the visual impact that I wanted it to have. I tried not to wander too far from the feel of my website, but I wanted it to have a texture you could almost feel. Let me also say that I did this myself, so please let me know if there is anything wonky about it on your monitor. I am a photographer, not a web designer! But I digress... I am excited to be posting again!

Here is just a glimpse of my travels!
Barcelona, Spain! I don't think I have been so quickly enamored with a place in all my travels. Such a cool city! I hope I can see you again some day.

I love that my sister took this of me on top of Montjuic. I was doing this a lot.

Florence, Italy! This is my sister and I along the Arno River! It was so neat to actually be standing there! But it was SUPER cold! Brr!

...and more of this...with a map in my back pocket. Really.. you would NEVER know I was a tourist, right?

Rome, Italy! Oh my goodness I wish I had had weeks and weeks to spend in Rome! Such amazing history. Honestly, it was so bizarre standing in the coliseum. I mean.. it is sooooo old, and incredible! I couldn't fit it all in one shot with my widest lens!

Rainy day at the Roman Forum, but still amazing! Ruins are EVERYWHERE.

Finally, St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Beautiful. It is so surreal to think that you were standing at the spot where Peter is buried. THE Peter. The Peter who hung out with JESUS. Wow.

Well anyway, thanks for indulging me! I'll have much more exciting travel pictures soon (ones without me in them!) and much much more! Stay tuned!

Sabino Family Photos!

2011-02-04T16:34:00.009-05:00

Hello again! This post just makes me smile. Mostly because I love this little guy so much! Last year I got to keep him once a week, and I miss our play time together! I actually saw him today with his Grandma, and it reminded me that I should put these up:-). I had a great time out at the JC Raulston Arboretum with little Luca and his mom and dad. Every time I photograph kids it is such a work out! They are so quick and busy! Enjoy the reminder of sunny days on this particularly wet and dreary one!

He's so handsome in his little blue shirt, and he loves his trucks!

He's got a big personality in that little body!

Katie and Ryan, aka Mom and Dad..

That smile for dad is Soooo precious.

These next three are my favorites! I love families that play together and aren't afraid of rolling in the grass!

Everyone should have a cheering section:-)

I hope I get to see more of you guys soon!

Alex and Alicia Get Married!

2011-01-18T16:47:00.008-05:00

So, as I promised, I am picking up the pace! Three blog posts in one week! Wowza. Ok, so this super sweet couple is Alex and Alicia. I was so glad to have been able to shoot the wedding of such an adorable pair. You might remember their engagement session in downtown Raleigh last spring. Their wedding day was a hot one, but everyone was a trooper, allowing me to take them outside for photos! Their wedding was at Bayleaf Baptist Church in Raleigh, with the reception at the TPC Wakefield Plantation. I'm excited to finally get this up on the blog, and share a fun wedding day with you!

I arrived really early to photograph Alicia and her bridesmaids at the Estee Salon. This is generally one of my favorite parts of the wedding day, because everyone is amped up with anticipation, and excitement. And I just love witnessing the transformation of the bride into her most beautiful self.

Also, I love seeing and photographing the accessories!

This is the sweetest text I have seen on a wedding day. It is from the Father of the Groom.

The salon had a big bowl of Dum Dums! So fun for a ring shot!

I mostly posted this shot because I love how that wallpaper photographed.

Alex gave Alicia a journal with a letter inside. So sweet to watch her reactions to reading it, and trying not to cry.

Groom + Bride

The fellas..

The ladies..

Married!

I absolutely loved the lighting after the ceremony and this fence. Perfect for wedding party stuff!

Throw in an abandoned house, and I couldn't be more happy!

So sweet!

The Wakefield Plantation was decorated beautifully for the reception. I loved all of the candlelight and flowers. It felt so warm and intimate!

Dancing fun..

I live to photograph little glimpses like this. They look like they are the only ones in the room. I love it!

Relaxing for just a minute before the exit. Precious.

Thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of your day. I wish you guys all the best, and pray the Lord blesses you richly!

Paint Your Pony!

2011-01-16T01:46:00.008-05:00

I just gave you glimpse of Hope Reins and what they do. This post is to show you what they do for fun! The farm hosts camps in the summers for boys and girls. Besides the riding and barn chores, they get to play games, do crafts, and perhaps even paint on a pony!

duck duck goose!

Shiloh makes a great canvas!

Paint a horse.. or your friend..

Getting lots of love for being so patient!

Pony painting success!

Again, check out Hope Reins of Raleigh for more information!

Hope Reins of Raleigh

2011-01-16T00:18:00.013-05:00

Most of you do not know that I have a love for horses that I have had since I was a small child. I remember being very young and pretending to gallop around like a pony. Yes, it is embarrassing, but who cares. Once I was old enough, I looked for any opportunity to ride or just be around these beautiful creatures. Last year, I began looking for opportunities to volunteer and get involved in a charity. It was definitely the Lord that led me to Hope Reins. What a fit! The mission of this organization is to give children and horses in need a chance to find love and healing in the bonds they form with each other. The mission is grounded in faith in God, and is supported by a wonderful network of volunteers. I was happy to jump right into the middle of it all! Not only do I provide photography for publicity and the website, I also feed the horses one morning a week! I love what they are all about, and I love supporting this ministry! This is my chance to share them with you!

Hope Reins was founded by Kim. She had the wonderful vision for what she wanted Hope Reins to be. This is Kim with some of her equine friends!

Isaiah was Hope Reins' first rescue. After years of neglect, he was able to live out the last 6 months of his life at the farm being loved by everyone! We miss this big, pretty boy!

Miss Shiloh. She is a rock and loved by little girls everywhere!

Sonny Boy!

Sonny + Shiloh

Gabe is our mischievous pony! He has a knack for getting out of his pen!

You can see it in his eyes:-)

Esther is an ex-show pony. She is a pretty, sweet girl!

This big boy is Maverick! He's so beautiful and gentle.

Children love being "introduced" to the horses.

Coming in for a session!

The kids are encouraged to interact with the horses. They learn grooming and tacking. This helps build their confidence around these big animals. It also helps them to bond with each other.

Friends helping friends.. safety first!

Ready to ride!

I love seeing the kids' smiling so big!

After their ride, the horses get a good dose of loving and some treats!

Horsey hugs!

Horsey kisses!

Each session wraps up with some time with the volunteers. They listen to the kids talk about their lives, and pray with them. These little encounters with loving horses and adults are so valuable in the lives of these children.

If you would like to find out more about Hope Reins of Raleigh, or see how you can get involved, please check out their website: hopereinsraleigh.org

Blogging 2011!

2011-01-16T00:09:00.003-05:00

Ok. Here is the deal. I suck at keeping this blog up. I admit it. I forget about it, I am busy with other, more pressing business-y things and the poor thing just gets neglected! I have plenty to blog (an overwhelming amount actually) so, with the new year, comes new resolutions!!! I am resolutioning (ha, that is NOT a word!) to keep up with the blog come heck or high water. period. dot. the end. So you get yourself ready! It's gonna be full on. Like a double rainbow of sorts. Hmm.. that gives me an idea for a logo.. but that is another blog post. So without further ado, I am here to put up some pictures and some words! Hooray!

Happy 2011!

Mr. and Mrs. Westbrook!

2010-12-19T02:43:00.010-05:00

Wow... it's so strange blogging about such a warm wedding day, when we just had a few snow flurries this afternoon! Shew. I have to get caught up on this blogging thing! Haha.. at least within the current season! Anyway, this is the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Westbrook's wedding from Tybee Island, GA! I was so excited to travel down there for this sweet, intimate wedding. The wedding was on the beach and the reception was at a nearby Gaurd House. There are a lot of pictures, so sit back and enjoy!

Fans! It was a hot one!

The bride and her sister-in-law CJ (whose wedding I also shot!)

Ashley and her sweet Daddy approached the ceremony through the dunes. It was really neat to see them appear that way.

Her twin brother Wes played the guitar while she approached too. So sweet!

Here is a fun fact: Their minister also married Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore in Savannah! Neato!

Pretty setting sunlight for formals!

Sweet Father/Daughter dance:-)

Ha, these kids followed me around and mocked my picture taking all night!

Wes and CJ! Looking great 6 weeks in to their marriage! :-)

Thank you guys for allowing me to be a part of your sweet wedding day! I hope marriage has been a fun adventure!

Ashley's Bridals!

2010-10-27T19:31:00.005-04:00

So I am going to tell a fun little story about how I ended up shooting Ashley's bridal portraits, and eventually her wedding! I actually shot her twin brother's wedding (a friends of mine) and at his wedding his mom asked if I could shoot Ashley's bridal portraits. Of course I said yes. Then on bridal portrait day, I found out that they were having Ashley's wedding at Tybee Island, Georgia and were not going to hire a photographer! What?! I am always up for an adventure, so I told them I would be more than happy to travel down there to do it. They liked the idea too and everything fell in to place! As a fun aside, I found out that they both got engaged within about six weeks of each other and their weddings were within six weeks of each other. Crazy! Poor Mama Forbus married off both of her twin babies in less than two months! I really can't say how much fun I had at both weddings. Their family is so sweet! But anyway.. enough back story! Here are her bridals from a very hot day in June! Wedding coming up next!

I love sunflowers!

I want/need this house.

Love this one.. I think she looks amazing in her dress!

She's rockin' a fierce pout in this one. Love it!

Orange toes!

The hubby is a firefighter. Cute idea to bring his helmet!

I'll close it out with a couple of ring shots:-)

Brittany and Hugh!

2010-10-27T18:32:00.007-04:00

This wedding was a nice break from the normal busy wedding day! Hugh and Brittany tied the knot in an intimate little ceremony at her parent's house in Wake Forest. It was a sweet time with close friends and family on a toasty summer day! They were so relaxed and just enjoyed the moment. Thanks for letting me share in your wedding day!

I think this is so sweet with both of their hands folded together.

They were really cute together!

I am a sucker for Mason Jars... I probably have 40! I'll be set if I ever get married!

This was probably the best cake smash I had ever witnessed. They got each other good:-)

Friends!

I hope you are enjoying married life in Texas!

Mr. and Mrs. Warren!

2010-09-27T21:44:00.007-04:00

I had been looking forward to shooting this wedding ever since meeting the adorable bride and groom last year. I shot their engagement session in my former home of Boone, and really just connected with them (chalk it up to Mountaineer spirit or something!). We had such a fun time despite a rainy shoot! And more recently I posted Sally's bridal portraits (check out the next post down!). So when the time came for this wedding, I just knew it was going to be wonderful. And it totally was! The wedding was in a beautiful church in Fayetteville, NC. The wedding party was great, the families were great and the day was great... I mean, what else can I say? As a photographer, I am so touched when families go out of their way (on their important day!) to make me feel like a special guest instead of just the hired help. It really felt like I was shooting friends. So here we go! It's a long one, and I hope you'll like it!

I started off rather early with the girls at the salon. I think that this is one of my favorite times to be shooting. Everyone is always giddy and excited, and I just love the sense of anticipation!

PS. I bet you didn't know that one of my secret desires is to be a makeup artist. I love watching makeup being applied! Fascinating and pretty.

I had lots of time to shoot details, and boy did I! I think I took way more pictures of shoes, accessories and rings than is remotely necessary, but it was so fun!

Remember what I said about excess? Well.. I was kinda inspired and shot a lot of ring shots. Some of my most favorite ever.

The "W" is for Warren... and they're really smart to boot... so it works:-)

Yay! Finally a shot of the groom!

Couple stuff! These guys were sweet and silly and beautiful together, which makes my job so fun!

<3

Cake cutting.. and yes, he is holding up the cake...

...and yes, shortly after it did fall..but look at those reactions! Priceless!

Then came the dancing...

..and the singing!

This crowd knew how to have a good time at a wedding!

Last dance:-)

And away they go, married!

Congratulations, again you two! I hope that married life is treating you well!! Thank you for letting me capture your wedding day, and call me again when you start having adorable babies;-)!

A special thank you as well to my wonderful assistant John Mode!

Sally's Bridal Portraits!

2010-09-27T21:02:00.004-04:00

This is the lovely Sally! I wanted to share her bridal portraits because I love what we shot, but I'm saving all of the talking for the next post which is her wedding day! Sooooo, enjoy the few words and pretty pictures of a gorgeous bride!

Fierce!

>

A little bridal grunge. I don't normally grunge up bridal shots too much.. but I really liked it on this one:-).

Sweet Sawyer!

2010-08-28T00:18:00.006-04:00

Ok, this post is entirely just to show how cute my BFF's baby is! This is little Sawyer, and he is a growing boy! I had the privilege of doing his very first photoshoot a few months ago. Look how much he has changed! This was an impromptu shoot that lasted all of 10 minutes, but man... he is a cute little guy! Just had to brag:-)

Look at those baby blues!

His favorite stuffed animal:-)

Look at that smile!

Wes and CJ Wed!

2010-08-24T00:37:00.006-04:00

So, I didn't make you wait long did I? Here is Wes and CJ's wedding day! Sit back, get comfortable and enjoy! I love these guys and had such a fun time shooting this wedding, that this is going to be a long one! Not only are the bride and groom friends of mine, but a large number of the wedding guests/wedding party were as well. So fun! I was really glad that they trusted me to capture their special day. Now, enough chit-chat from me.. time for pictures!

The wedding and reception were held at the beautiful Stowe Manor in Belmont, NC. I love shooting in this kind of lovely historic site.

Pink!

The girls watching the festivities outside.

The girls toasted with miller..

Hydrangeas and colorful shoes are two of my favorite things!

The boys toasted with whiskey..

Bride and Groom!

I loved this shot of these ladies! Oh the limitless caption possibilities.

Shoes of choice...

They had a special Irish tradition in which their hands were wrapped together with a special cloth. I thought it was a neat and unique touch.

Married at last!

<3.

Ring shot...

Classy ring shot.

Great toast reactions!

I love it when bride and grooms families really seem to get along! Their mom's shared a dance:-)

Boys' club.

Mustache club. (PS. they're good people)

A rare photo of me, with my friend Wes (different from the groom).

Wes (the groom) getting some attention from the ladies!

Possibly one of my favorite pictures from the night, and also recently his FB profile pic:-). Love ya, Ricky!

Wes loves music, and has played a few bands. He enlisted some of our friends to play towards the end of the reception. It was so fun! And they played some great stuff. Wes sat in with them on almost every song too!

Then it got a little loud...

...and the cops came and shut it down! haha. But they were really nice about it.

So they played one last one to end the night:-)

Thank you guys so much for allowing me to share in your happy day! Both of your families could not have made me feel more welcome!

CJ's Bridal Portraits!

2010-08-24T00:22:00.006-04:00

Let's forgo the part where I say exactly how long ago I shot these, and just get on with a lovely blog post about a lovely girl! It's so fun how life works out sometimes! I met CJ when she was just starting to date my friend Wes, a couple of years back. It's funny how you never expect that a little bit down the road you will be shooting their wedding! I really enjoyed getting to know CJ better through this process, and had a wonderful time shooting her bridal portraits! We were shooting in one of my favorite places to boot!

I love how her body curves in this shot! So elegant!

This was my favorite from the day, and the one on display at the wedding!

Cute!

Stay tuned for the wedding!

Sarah's Bridal Portraits!

2010-08-01T22:46:00.006-04:00

I am so glad I got to shoot Sarah's bridal portraits! She contacted me just before her wedding, and we set up a shoot literally weeks before her wedding day. She is soooo much fun! This girl definitely had her ANTM modeling down. I've never had someone so comfortable in front of the camera, ever! Sarah put a lot of personalized/handmade touches into her wedding. One of which, was her bouquet...it was made of old buttons and pins and trinkets! Such a cute idea, and you'll see it in the pictures! Here we go!

One of my favorites!

Fierce!

Pink Mary Jane crocs! Too Cute!

The AWESOME bouquet! <3<3<3

So pretty!

Sarah, thank you so much for letting me capture your fun personality in your bridal portraits! I really had a great time with you guys, and I hope we can hang out again soon!

The Byerly Family!

2010-08-01T15:21:00.008-04:00

Meet the Byerlys! Susan works with my sister, and I was delighted when she asked if I would shoot some family portraits for her. Her son Ben just graduated from high school and her other son Blake, is currently attending my old haunt, ASU! I had a great time capturing their family (including both sets of grandparents who live next door to each other!). Oh, and I can't forget the family dog, too! Here are some favorites!

Susan is a proud mama!

Ben and Blake

Susan's parents are so cute, I could just eat them up!

<3!

This was the boys' playhouse! Lucky!

Thanks for a fun afternoon, Byerly family! I hope you enjoy the pictures for a long time!

Hannah and Jaime Wed!

2010-08-01T14:55:00.006-04:00

Wow! Where in the world did August come from?? I don't know where the last two months have gone! I am so so behind on my blogging. I am going to keep the chatter low and just get some images up! This is Hannah and Jaime's wedding day! I shot both their engagement pictures and Hannah's bridal portraits. I love these guys! I would challenge anyone to find a sweeter family and couple. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of their wedding day, and I am pleased to finally showcase it here on the blog! There are a lot, but I just thought there were a lot of sweet moments!

I think every wedding day should start with a pancake breakfast!

Hannah and Jaime are both bilingual and speak to each other primarily in Spanish. LOVE IT!

This just makes me laugh!

I had help from the wonderful Savannah Strickland on this wedding and she caught this adorable "Just Married" shot after they walked down the aisle!

Fun wedding party!!

I shot the two kissing lovebirds' wedding last year. She is Hannah's cousin. I love shooting families!

Look who! The wonderfully talented April Sirit actually attending a wedding as a guest!

Sweetness..

After the reception we left to get some fun, romantic shots of the new Mr. and Mrs.! I love it when it works out like this, plus we got some beautiful stuff of the two of them!

Another beautiful shot by Savannah!

Gorgeous couple!

Hannah and Jaime, thank you so much for trusting me with your wedding day memories! I had such a wonderful day with you guys! Thanks for being such dear people and sweet friends!

NEW POST! WHAT??

2010-07-16T00:55:00.006-04:00

Oh man. It has been forever since I posted! Beloved follower, I apologize!! Don't take it to mean I haven't been shooting though. I have tons of shoots that have been piling up in my "To Blog" folder, and it's about time I start catching up! I am really excited about what I have been shooting lately, and I can't wait to show you what I have been up to! Sweet Andy, move on down the page, we have some new faces to blog about!

Ok, well to start with we don't have new faces, but we have some lovely familiar ones! I was excited when Amy asked me to take some family pictures of her and Mike and baby Caidence. I shot Amy's maternity and the newborn pics of Caidey, so naturally I was excited to catch up with them again! This time we were accompanied by Amy's mom. It was fun times at the arboretum! Here are some cute ones!

Look at those pretty blue eyes! Wow!

I think this is a sweet shot. My mom always said she wanted to memorize our faces when we were sleeping in her arms like this. :-)

I love her wild hair!

I love these two shots together. They would look awesome framed and hanging side by side.

I had fun guys! Can't wait to do it again!

Andy

2010-05-27T01:13:00.008-04:00

It's a bit funny to me that I mainly shoot women. The only time I really ever get to photograph boys is if they're in a band, or if they're a fiance/groom. I never get to shoot guys by themselves. Needless to say I was pretty excited when Andy contacted me about this shoot. Andy scheduled this shoot because he is leaving the country to go teach English overseas for a while, and he wanted to give some of these portraits to friends and family as a surprise. I was happy because it was a chance to try out my rusty guy-portrait skills. He let me choose all of the locations (he's from out of town), and he gave me full creative control. I had scouted a few places to take him beforehand, but what I love about any given shoot are the points where I go off track and find lovely new places to shoot completely by accident. For many reasons this was an awesome shoot with an awesome person! He was a trooper and did anything I asked of him. I was really pleased with the final result. Now, if I can only find more fellas to photograph!

Love.

Love.

Remember what I was saying about sweet new locations? Andy and I literally stumbled on this next spot. I LOVE fun graffiti and this place was full of it! I've got intentions to go back:-)

Love.

It was a hot day and we finished up the shoot in the water. Don't you just love that tie?

Andy, you were such a pleasure to be with and shoot! I really enjoyed getting to know you, and I wish you the best with your time overseas! I hope it's a fabulous experience!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

Art to Wear 2010!

2010-05-26T01:50:00.007-04:00

This past April, was Art to Wear 2010. It's the showcase for NC State students to show off their hard work on their 2010 collections. Last year I was soooo excited when my coworker Hannah asked me to shoot her collection before the show. It was such a blast, and it really piqued my interest even more in doing fashion inspired shoots. I love working with models and interesting clothes and accessories! And Hannah is the master of accessorizing, as well as constructing these imaginative and creative clothes. So, when she asked if I would be interested in shooting her 2010 collection I jumped at the chance. Her inspiration came from "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly, of all things.. mixing bits and scraps of different fabrics together to create some really cool pieces. We shot over at NC State, and though we had less time to shoot than I would have liked, I still really like some of the images we captured of her looks. All clothing design and styling by Hannah Goff.

That necklace is amazing. I mean seriously..amazing.

These last images were all shot in a cramped stairwell, but these girls still brought their ANTM fierceness!

Congrats on your collection, and graduating Hannah! We all know you will be doing big things in your future!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

Aubrie: Senior

2010-05-26T00:15:00.007-04:00

Senior portraits are always such a fun time. There is just something special about youthful exuberance, and capturing such fresh personalities on "film". Ha, I just wondered about how you word that, since I shoot digital... but I think you all know what I mean:-). Aubrie was a delight to shoot, and we were blessed with a beautiful day to boot! Apparently four other photographers also thought it was a beautiful day to be at Yates Mill as well, but we were all civil and shared the space like real professionals:-). It was also amusing that none of us were shooting the same subjects.. one senior, one bride, one family, one scenery. Anywho.. Aubrie was so natural in front of the camera, and that always makes my job easy. She is a lovely girl, and I enjoyed getting to know her and her mom. Here are a few I think are fun!

What's with all of the pretty blue eyes lately?

I think this one is stunning. PS.. one of my favorite songs is "Wagon Wheel". Just a little trivia for you.

Aubrie was a trooper! There were like 2 dead animals right next to us here, but look at that smile! haha.

I'm pretty sure this was a test shot..but I love it.

At the very end of the shoot we had the most gorgeous light. Yummy, perfect light.

Her boyfriend stopped by at the end, so we grabbed some cute shots of the two of them. Her mom specifically mentioned that they were NOT engagement shots:-)

Good luck with your last year of high school, Aubrie! I know you will do well!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

Alex and Alicia

2010-05-25T23:48:00.008-04:00

So first there was "Ben and Brittany" and now there is "Alex and Alicia"... do you see a trend starting? haha. I am happy to be posting another fun engagement shoot from a few weeks ago. I really love shooting engagements... it's so fun to watch couples in love and be a part of documenting this exciting time right before they start their married lives together. These two are so sweet, and you can just tell that they not only love each other, but are best friends and kindred spirits. We had a great time in downtown Raleigh, exploring back alleys and side streets. Here is a sampling of our time together!

I loved the sea foam color of these doors:-) It made for a pretty palette.

I brought along some chalk for them to express themselves. I thought what they made was really cute. The arrow was Alex's idea!

Both of them have beautiful blue eyes.. which always photograph so well in black and white.

I love this shot.

Fun with hearts..

They really wanted a picture with the skyline of downtown because they are both involved with helping the homeless in downtown Raleigh. I mean really, could they be any more darling?

Thanks for letting me spend a fun afternoon with you guys! I can't wait for the wedding!!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

Ben and Brittany!

2010-05-19T02:07:00.008-04:00

I have had the pleasure of shooting the most fun engagement sessions lately! I have been really inspired by new ideas and new locations! Ben and Brittany go to my church, and I was so excited when they asked if I could shoot their engagement pictures. These two are adorable to watch, and they kept me laughing the entire time. Ben is really in his element in front of the camera, and Brittany really worked it too! We ran all around Raleigh for a couple of hours, and their energy never diminished! I loved this session so much, I really had a hard time choosing which shots to share with you, beloved blog reader. But after a bit of deliberation, here are the ones I think I like best of them all:-)

I love marquee letters! A friend of mine gave me some for my name.. and since Ben and Brittany start with the same letter as Becca, I thought I would bring it along! So fun!

Sillyness!

These guys can do serious too though!

This is all my actual furniture. haha. If you know me, you know I have a weakness for chairs. More often than not, there is at least one piece of furniture in my car from a shoot!

I love these next two:-)

I told her that her hand looked like she was choking him... so she went with it:-)

The end! I really wish I could show you all of the jumping pictures. By far the best jumpers I've ever had:-)

Guys, you were such a delight to shoot! I know God will certainly bless your marriage, because it's pretty obvious He made you for each other:-)
<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

Hannah's Bridals!

2010-05-19T00:27:00.007-04:00

I just shot Hannah's wedding this past weekend, so now I get to share her bridal portraits! My least favorite thing about shooting bridal portraits is having to wait to post them until after the wedding:-). Hannah made a beautiful bride, and we happened to shoot her bridal portraits on one of the prettiest days of the spring. Everything was in full bloom! We shot over at the seminary in Wake Forest, and found lots of pretty spots. Look how lovely she is..

So pretty!

I loved all of the branches coming from everywhere!

I really love the softness in this one. She has such a joyful spirit, and it just comes out in every picture of her.

I was back near this spot the very next week, and all of that lovely purple was gone! I'm so glad we got it in these!

R is for Rodriguez (Hannah's new last name)!

Congrats on the wedding, Hannah! Wedding pictures to follow!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

The Merritts!

2010-05-10T17:23:00.010-04:00

I was introduced to the Merritt family through my sister's workplace. I did some product photography for their family business, "Grendeddy Dave's". They make the best bbq sauces around. Try them out! Annnnyway, Aaron contacted me a little while ago about taking some family photos, and I was happy to oblige! Aaron and Nannette's little boy is about the cutest thing around. He was such a pleasure to shoot. We got some really cute shots of the little man and mom and dad. Here are the highlights:

It started out as a family affair...

Why so serious?

Favorite!

Seems like all little boys love playing with big sticks!

Oh, the emotions!

Pretty blue eyes!

Thanks for a lovely afternoon, guys!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

Curly-headed Cuteness!

2010-05-08T00:17:00.007-04:00

I've now gotten to shoot Davis 3 times! She is such a little cutie pie, and I love to see how her personality is coming out as she grows! Her smile is so precious, and she is fearless. We spent a bit of time roaming downtown Raleigh with Davis, Mommy and Grandma, and we got some cute stuff! Take a peek!

Look at those curls!!

Mommy and Baby in their pretty dresses.

It almost looks like she's "shushing".. but she is not:-)

Grandma!

>
Blowing kisses!

I think this one is my favorite! Pure joy:-)

Thanks for a fun shoot!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

The Tuckers!

2010-05-06T00:08:00.004-04:00

Ever since we started having some nice warm weather and blooming plants, I've been really busy with shoots! This is wonderful, except that I then get so wrapped up in editing I neglect the blog! So I am going to try and get a bit caught up! I had the recent pleasure of shooting the Tucker family out at a local park. The weather was really nice, and we had a great time exploring the grounds and getting some family photos. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Just the boys..

I love this tree!

Family band shot...

I enjoyed meeting you guys!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

Schofield Family!

2010-04-28T01:36:00.010-04:00

I love this crowd. The Schofields and my family go waaaaay back. I was really excited to take some family portraits for them. Chris went to seminary in Wake Forest, so we spent a few afternoon hours exploring Southeastern. The weather was perfect and the spring flowers were in full bloom. It was a recipe for a great shoot! They are so fun and beautiful! Enjoy!

You can just see how much they love each other:-)

Four pretty girls!

And their adorable parents.

I love the feel of this one:-)

I feel like this really captures their personalities!

Sisters!

It's a wrap!

You guys are so dear!

<3 Becca

theindieimage.com

145th Anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville

2010-04-15T00:50:00.017-04:00

I am so excited to finally share this post! A lot of times I get behind on blogging or editing and I don't have time to share stuff I do just for fun. Well! This is a for fun only post:-). If you know me, you probably already know that I am hugely interested in Civil War history. I am fascinated by that time period, mainly because it wasn't all that long ago, and also by the fact that it was American vs. American, and each side saw the other as the villain. It seems so unfathomable now, that we could ever war against another part of our own country, and yet, we did. Although it is a bit romanticized for me as a Southerner, a la "Gone With The Wind" (I was raised on it!), I recognize those four and a half years as some of the most impactful in our Nation's history. It also saw, for pretty much the fist time, the use of photography as a means of documenting war. Photography was still in its infancy. The very first fixed photograph ever, was made around 1826, only 35 years prior to the start of the war. The crude processes, and difficult conditions in which they were making these images, makes them all the more beautiful and fascinating. I won't bore you with any more of my "History of Photography" lesson, except to say that I love Civil War era wet-plate process photographs (especially tintypes and ambrotypes). Continuing with what's relevant... a short while ago, I added going to a Civil War reenactment to my list of things I want to do in my lifetime. So I did some research, found one close by and my sister and I went! Besides experiencing "living" history, my main goal was to somehow photograph what I saw, try to show as little of the modern day as possible, and then edit the pictures to be reminiscent of the photographs of the time period (plus some wear and tear). I was skeptical about actually getting anything good, but I really had fun with it, and was, in the end, very pleased with the results. Enjoy!
(145th Anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville. Largest battle fought in North Carolina and our biggest Reenactment. Four Oaks, NC: March 21, 2010.)

Some portraits. I wish I had been able to get more pictures of soldiers like this one.

I liked him in color:-)

I photographed this guy a couple of times.. I really liked his look.

I didn't think I had any expectations.. but I was surprised by how many women and children were dressed up. It was really neat!

Still Life.

I really thought this looked like a scene from a movie or something. The men marching off to battle.

These next few make the men look like ghosts to me.. and I kinda like that about them.

Spectators.

And now for the actual battle....

Just so you can know what it actually looked like.. without all of the crazy editing!

Favorite.

Union Troops.

Confederate Troops.

After going to this one, I am totally hooked on reenactments! I hoped to go to another battle soon. My sister and I even thought that getting dressed up like Scarlet looked like fun... so who knows what the next set of pictures will be like! :-)

Tiny Tanner Scott

2010-04-13T02:05:00.005-04:00

Another sweet baby face! A few weeks ago I traveled to South Carolina to photograph the new addition in the Beeson family! Little Tanner Scott's parents went to ASU with me, and a few years later I shot their wedding. I was so excited to capture this next stage of their lives. Tanner was such a sweet little guy, and put up with a lot from this crazy photography lady. Unlike most newborns, he was very alert, and focused, and he hardly cried at all! I really love the shots we got. Here are just a few of my favorites!

Check out those big, beautiful eyes!

I'm going to say this is a real smile, and not just gas:-)

Ha, this was relaxing between set-ups. His little head is so tiny in daddy's hand!

I adore the next three shots. I know they are similar, but I just couldn't pick a favorite!

Thanks for letting me do this for you guys! Your little boy is so cute and sweet! Can't wait to watch him change and grow:-)

St. Topher!

2010-04-08T19:53:00.004-04:00

Ok, so my friend Ashley asked me to photograph her and her son, Topher on St. Patrick's day! Ashley is a photographer too, and does really fun, whimsical, theme shoots. But she wanted some of the two of them together, so she brought me in on the game. She and Topher were in leprechaun(?) outfits and ready for some St. Patrick's day fun at the Art Museum. It turned out to be a pretty cute shoot! You can tell that Topher is used to being in front of the camera. Ashley sure has him trained! Anyway, here are some that I thought were really cute!

A little visual music.

2010-04-01T23:23:00.007-04:00

A couple of weekends ago a friend asked me to go see some bands play at a local venue. Neither of us had heard of them before that night, but after a quick listen we were convinced it would be a good time. I guess you would place them in the folk genre, with their mandolins, fiddles, and banjos, but really they were a bit of everything. I must say the headliners, Cadillac Sky, put on a great show. It was lively and entertaining, and I really enjoyed their set. They even played a cover of a Death Cab for Cutie song which was great. I actually brought my camera along, which is not something I usually do if it's not a band I know. I enjoyed photographing these guys, though the lighting was a bit tricky. Here are a few I liked. I'll get to see them again at Merlefest at the end of the month! Hoorah!

Apache Relay

Cadillac Sky

This guy beatboxed. It was wild.

Baby Caidence!

2010-04-01T01:31:00.006-04:00

I love babies. Really. I love shooting itty bitty newborns! They are so new and precious and wrinkly and cute. I've gotten to shoot two different newbies in as many weeks, and it's just made my heart giggle. Caidence is the beautiful daughter of my friend Amy, whom I met through Raleigh Rec Softball. I took her maternity pictures back in the fall, and it was so fun to finally meet her little girl! Here are some of Baby Caidence's first official pictures by The Indie Image:-)

I love her expression!

These next two are my favorites.

Diaper "cake"!

I love knitted baby clothes! Sooooo cute!

Caidence's big brother.

She was so alert! Most little ones sleep during these photoshoots. Not this one, she was interested in everything:-)

Toesies!

Family love:-)

Now she sleeps.. so peaceful.

Julian is One!

2010-03-25T00:53:00.003-04:00

I love shooting first birthdays! I have gotten to do a few in the last year, and they are so fun! Babies eating cake for the first time is just so darn cute! I have had the pleasure of shooting Julian on multiple occasions, and was so excited when his mom asked me to shoot his first birthday. It was a sweet little affair with good food, good friends, and some seriously cute toddlers! Here are a couple of fun ones!

The invite!

Detail, details! Everything was decorated with zoo animals! So cute!

Love that he had his own cake to smash:-)

Little bit of love from mom and dad!

Look how much he's changed! The image on the TV was from our first session!

It's really hard to get toddlers to all look in the same direction...

MMMMMMM! Cake face!

Totally the center of attention.

I love this shot. Fist bump!

All done:-)

Enjoy being one, Julian!

The Andersons!

2010-03-02T13:49:00.003-05:00

Meet the Andersons! I had a great time photographing this adorable (and growing) family! We went out to Wake Forest on a chilly Sunday a few weeks ago and played around at a local park. It was a great day for pictures, despite the chill! Here are some of my favorites!

So cute!

Tiffany wanted a few maternity shots too. I liked this doorway and shot her from both sides:-)

This guy made great faces!

I love this one:-)

Such a cute family!

Candace's Bridal Shoot!

2010-02-27T15:46:00.006-05:00

So, I know this is a bit late coming, but this is Candace's Bridal shoot that we did before her wedding! She was such a brave bride! It was absolutely frigid on the afternoon of her session, and she battled it like a champ! I felt so bad that she was shaking between locations she was so cold! But how talented is she?? You can't even tell she was the least bit uncomfortable in the pictures! Crazy:-). Here are a few that I really liked!

Red shoes!

I think Candace looks beautiful in this shot:-)

Possible favorite!

I love the look:-)

Exciting News!

2010-02-22T18:32:00.005-05:00

I finally have finished my website, and it is officially up and running! You can't imagine how happy I am to finally have it done! Visit theindieimage.com!!! Don't worry, I will continue to post highlights from shoots here, but at the website you can find galleries specific to the type of images you are needing:-). Now you won't have to dig through all these posts to see babies, or weddings or music! Yay!

Check it out!

Candace and Josh are Married!!!!

2010-02-08T00:15:00.008-05:00

Whew! My very first wedding of 2010 was the wedding of the lovely Candace and Josh! They were married just a few short weeks ago. They had such a sweet ceremony and a fun party! Since there are so many shots in this post, I'll try to keep the chatter to a minimum! But I had a wonderful time with these wonderful people:-) Plus I would like to thank the always delightful Amber for shooting with me!

Yes, her dress is in a tree.

I wish I could do this for every "formal" shot!

The fellas. Best jump shot ever.

The ladies.

Josh and Candace wrote each other sweet little notes before the ceremony:-)

Wait a minute...

...that's more like it!

This is in fact what Josh had to do at 2!

Married!!

haha Amber grabbed this shot, and I would love to know who put the lips on their guest book:-)

<3

Sweet daddy hug!

Oh yeah.

This crowd kept me laughing for sure!

And they're off!

I wish you guys a marriage full of love and abundant joy!

Favorite Things.

2010-01-16T20:51:00.014-05:00

With that last post still fresh on my brain, I figured I would share the one project I did do for myself recently, for no particular reason. I have set of shelves above my desk (where I spend most of my time), and those shelves are home to many of my favorite things. It started out as a place to display my photo books and small camera collection. But in the months since I moved in and put them up, it has become a home to most anything I love that has to do with photography, with a few other wayward items that I am partial to. The shelves themselves are covered in book pages from a Mormon book I found at an antique store. It is not significant that they are Mormon, just interesting. I didn't realize it until after I had started the process. One night I decided to make those two shelves the subject of my lens. Kinda like a self-portrait of sorts. I didn't rearrange anything, but simply photographed the things I've looked at a thousand times. Some of it is abstract, faces half hidden, words cut short or out of focus. It is how it looks even now (with the exception of a few new books). Even the treatment says something about me... it's grainy and grungy and old looking...just the way I like it. I dare not say it is art, and for most of you it won't be interesting I'm sure, but for me, it's a start at getting back in touch with what I love about what I do.

Four Cameras and JPG Magazines. Issue 7: Self-Portraiture.

Brazil.

My Grandfather's Brownie and some tintypes.

Another camera sitting on the trailers for "SAW" and "Shaun of the Dead".

Zombie finger puppet sitting on my name spelled with old type letters. Did you notice the "a" is really a "g"? I didn't for a very long time.

"Hell" and the crow. The book is photographs by James Nachtwey, and it has a funny story on how I obtained it.

R.I.P.

Time and Imogen Cunningham. I've shot one roll with this $1 TIME camera and it remains undeveloped.

Holga, civil war bullets, Edward S. Curtis. Oh Holga, I wish I used you more.

Beloved and Holga. To the left is a picture of a band, to the right, the only picture I've taken with the Holga that I really like. Taken in Brazil.

Shelby Lee Adams. Familiarize yourself.

One of the best gifts ever. "Horse" by Michael Eastman.

Little Brownie.

American South and American West and my dad's family camera from his childhood. "In the American West" is probably my favorite photography book that I own. Avedon amazes me.

Detail of the cover. Half-out-of-focus.

No People Post.

2010-01-16T19:56:00.014-05:00

So lately I have been a little nostalgic for my days as a photo student. When photography was not about a client, or pleasing anyone but myself (and maybe my professor). I don't get very many opportunities anymore to just shoot for me. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and feel really blessed to be able to do it, but photography is more than that to me. I miss film and dark rooms, enlargers and smelling like chemicals, and watching images appear on paper in a dimly lit room. There was something so satisfying about knowing that you were truly creating an image. And I want to go back to that time with all that I know now, because 1) I could be such a better student, and 2) I wouldn't take any of it for granted! And I would take advantage of every opportunity that being a student gives you. Maybe one day I'll get to do that again. I didn't make a list of resolutions this year, but I hope that in 2010 I can carve out regular time to just create images for me. I culled through some old folders from this past year looking for images that weren't taken for any specific purpose. I didn't find too many (which reiterates my point!). But here are just a few that I did find. I'm not saying that they are great or magical, I'm just saying I like them. Mostly for personal reasons, but I like them.

My favorite time of year in my favorite place.

I shot these three after a very frustrating day...

Don't you feel more relaxed now? I did:-D

Hummingbirds in my grandparent's backyard.

It's abandoned, so of course I like it.

The cemetery at Andersonville.

My grandfather's "Little House". I don't think I had ever been in it except to take this picture. It holds a lifetime of projects and treasures. This is a portrait of my grandfather, without him in it. Why the water in the OceanSpray bottles you ask? I don't know, but that just makes me love this picture and him more.

My favorite thing at the State Fair.

I also miss experimenting.

Thanks for putting up with that. haha. Just felt like sharing.

Baby Sawyer!

2010-01-12T13:33:00.005-05:00

I'm finally blogging up to date!! How exciting!! This is baby Sawyer. He was born on the 19th of December...a Christmas baby! You may remember that I JUST posted his mom's "maternity" shoot not two weeks ago, and this guy had already arrived! Oh well. I took these shots when he was just four days old. He was such a great sport for his first (of many) photoshoots. I am really looking forward to watching this little guy grow!

Big sister, Kennedy!

LOVE the monkey hoodie!

Kennedy was still getting used to this new addition:-D

But she's a good big sis!

The next three are my favorite! Contentment:-D

His daddy painted the wall scene... so neat!

Reindeer feet!

"I'm gonna punch you!"

Jill had always told me that when she had another baby, she wanted to use the star basket...

The McCutchen Family!

2010-01-06T22:12:00.005-05:00

This adorable crowd is the McCutchen family! I shot their family portraits right before Christmas. It was a chilly day at Mordecai, but the good thing was that it was empty! So we pretty much had the run of the place, which is always nice! This little family is gearing up for some amazing things, and it was very cool to hear all about it. It was such a joy to shoot them! Here are some that I thought really captured their family well!

The boys!

The girls!

Leaf play!

She thought it was fun to put the leaves on herself!

She's super cute!

Smiley baby! love it!

He's just too cute for words!

I love this one. Sweet:-)

I wish you guys all the best!

Lincoln!

2010-01-05T00:25:00.006-05:00

This is the adorable Lincoln! Seriously, I don't know how I get the cutest kids ever to take pictures of! We went out to the NC Museum of Art on a chilly day to take these portraits of Lincoln. He was such a cutie and even made me hold him a couple of times! Precious! He was a busy little guy, but we had a great time and got some super cute pictures!

He has the most amazing blue eyes! So cool in B/W.

I think he was trying to get me to chase him:-D

Love it!

Grandma, Lincoln and Mom!

Hannah and Jaime!

2010-01-03T22:34:00.003-05:00

I am shooting Hannah and Jaime's wedding this year, and I was really pumped about doing their engagement shoot a few weeks ago! Hannah's family is dear friends of my family, and I was excited when they asked me to photograph her wedding! I shot her cousin's wedding last year and her sister's senior portraits back in 2008! Crazy! We had a fun little shoot on a very cold day in Wake Forest! This is a new park in town, and I loved it! It's got lots of stuff to utilize for great pictures! And Hannah and Jaime rocked it! They both speak Spanish fluently and whenever I would tell them to have a "private moment" they would start speaking in Spanish to each other! It was adorable:-D. Here are some that I really liked!

Fun with windows!

Sweetness..

I find this moment really funny:-D

Precious.

I can't wait for your wedding!!

Martha Ann Motel!

2010-01-01T16:20:00.007-05:00

This is Martha Ann Motel! They play delightful music and you should really check them out here. They are also playing at the Pour House on January 29th, so if you like their sound you should come out and support the local music scene! This is the third time that I have taken pictures of these guys and it's always a good time. This shoot was in their awesome practice space. Loved the decor, and it really suited the shoot well:-D. Here are some fun ones:

These were individual pictures... pretty proud of my photo-merging skills haha:-D

I liked this picture as a polaroid!

Hannah's Senior Collection!

2010-01-01T15:22:00.006-05:00

Wow, this was a great shoot! Hannah Goff is a coworker of mine, and is a textiles student at NC State. She recently finished her Senior Collection which was featured at the Threads fashion show at Marbles. I photographed her collection from last semester earlier this year, and I jumped at the chance to do it again. She is so talented and creative! This collection had lots of feather details, a mix of textures, and great jewelry, all made by Hannah! We had limited time and a small location to shoot in, but I was very happy with the results! Enjoy!

I love this shot because it kinda reminds me of the look of the photos on SNL.

Group pic!

Josh and Candace's Engagement Session!

2010-01-01T15:03:00.004-05:00

Josh and Candace are getting married in just two weeks!!! These two are such an adorable couple, and I had the best time photographing them! I love love love adventurous people, and these two definitely are! They picked some great locations, including the abandoned warehouse towards the end of the shoot! And you all know I love abandoned places! It was an amazing find and I was so ecstatic that these guys were up for it. Definitely one of my favorite shoots this year!

Here is their location find! LOVE IT!

Christmas Davis!

2009-12-31T16:25:00.003-05:00

Christmas session for little Davis and her mom! I'm just gonna let the cuteness speak for itself! I mean, really, what else is there to say? She's sooo cute!

I love her hat!

Favorite!!!

This one feels really old timey to me.

Christmas Davis!

Have a great New Year!

Cash is Back!

2009-12-31T12:13:00.005-05:00

I know you remember Cash's first shoot last year! Lot's of you loved this adorable guy! I really enjoyed shooting Cash and his family for their holiday portrait session. The train yard was a big hit with Cash, and provided a fun backdrop for the pictures! They wanted something urban and edgy feeling, and this location had lots of great spots. Here are the results!

Cute family!

Cute!

Love it!

Cash loves to run!

JOY!

Cash thought it was hilarious to run at me and grab my camera lens! It made for really cute pictures!

Happy New Year, guys!

Stephanie and Andrew

2009-12-31T10:52:00.005-05:00

This was such a cool shoot. I know Stephanie and Andrew from high school and was very excited when they asked me to take some holiday photos for them. They are both super photogenic and were sooo easy to shoot! We found some really awesome spots, and they really worked the camera. They've been married for six years and are still adorably in love with each other. So cute! I can't even pick a most favorite of these!

I know you may recognize this location from Mike's shoot, but Steph and Drew specifically requested it because the number 11 is their anniversary!

Lovebirds Bethany and Jerad!

2009-12-30T20:45:00.003-05:00

I had the great pleasure of photographing Bethany and Jerad's engagement shoot for my friend JoAnna! Bethany and Jerad are a really great couple! We went to the place where they got engaged in Lillington, NC. It was a chilly day, but a neat location. We had to "hike in" to get down to the river, but it was definitely worth it! Here are some of my favorites!

Julian's Holiday Pictures!

2009-12-30T17:46:00.003-05:00

I say "Holiday" because not only did I take some Christmas card pictures for Julian and his parents, but we also got a few shots of him in his adorable Halloween outfit! And though it's not a holiday outfit, we also took some in his christening outfit. I've enjoyed photographing Julian several times, and he is absolutely adorable! He has the most expressive eyes. We did this shoot at their home and at a nearby gazebo in their neighborhood. It's always nice to photograph subjects where they are most comfortable being themselves. I think we got more cute ones of this growing little guy!

Just chillin' Julian.

Is that not the cutest Monkey you've ever seen??!

And this is his christening outfit. So sweet!

Now for Christmas cuteness! I love that sweater!

Julian and his dog are slowly learning to be friends:-D This is the best attempt yet at getting a really great shot of the two of them together. We've tried every time! haha.

I love these two.

The Clagett's!

2009-12-30T14:16:00.005-05:00

Again, there were leaves still on the trees, so this was probably some time in early November:-D This is the Clagett family! I went to their beautiful home to do a holiday family picture for their Christmas cards! They had a great backyard and it was a gorgeous day so we spent most of our time outside. Their son Andrew was so handsome in his corduroy jacket! Loved it! He was a bit shy at first, but a good ol' leaf fight with mom and dad loosened him up and made for some fun pictures. I miss being a kid in the fall and playing in the leaves! Here are a few from the session!

Adorable!

Thanks guys! Hope you had a great Christmas!

Bailey is One!

2009-12-29T11:53:00.006-05:00

Speaking of repeat clients... I was thrilled when Amber asked me to shoot Bailey's first birthday party (our third session!). Here are one and two. These guys definitely know how to throw a birthday party! The theme was Clemson and everything was orange and purple.. down to the last detail. It was a fun time for friends and family, and I enjoyed being an onlooker. Check it out!

Even the invite looked like a Clemson football ticket! And the cake was a tiger paw!

And they filled the entire garage with orange and purple and white balloons!

She loved her balloons!

Why get your hands dirty if you don't have to?

Look at that crowd!

Cute hat!

Releasing the balloons!

The grands..

and the cousins!

Happy Birthday, Bailey!!

Reagan is growing up!

2009-12-29T10:45:00.004-05:00

This is little Reagan and her mom and dad! She is growing so fast! Look at her just a few shorts months ago! I had a blast shooting these guys at Pullen Park on a crisp Sunday morning in November. There was still some really pretty color left on the trees and we had the whole place to ourselves! Reagan is walking now and is quite a little mover! You really have to stay on your toes when kids are this age... it's a workout! All in all a fun little shoot:-)

Magical woodland forest scene here..

There is no more sitting still! haha

Look at that face!

*sigh* I miss the fall color!

Pointing out the ducks:-D