Casey and Bryan’s wedding is coming up very soon, so I was excited to meet up with them at the Howard County Conservancy to shoot some portraits. Despite crazy thunderstorms in the surrounding areas, the weather was warm and sunny for us. Maybe a bit too warm (and buggy), but Casey and Bryan hung in there. The sun was close to setting, so the light across the fields was gorgeous. Here are a few of my faves….Bryan always inspires this adorable smile from Casey!Practicing for their first dance…. Can’t wait for the wedding!

I’ve known Meredith since before she was even born!  I have a fuzzy memory of not being able to sit in her mom’s lap due to the baby bump that was to Meredith-to-be. We grew up as neighbors and her family was like a 2nd family to me.  I don’t think I’ve quite accepted that we are all grown up now (what does that mean anyway?), so it was a bit surreal to be shooting her engagement portraits with Elliott. These two are so genuine and wonderfully quirky. We planned an afternoon of some of their favorite activities to do together in Baltimore where they reside.

Elliott teaches high school chemistry, so science experiments in their kitchen are not an uncommon occurrence. He got some dry ice to play with for our portraits, which was super-cool (no pun intended…okay, it was intended).
It was a lovely day for ice cream……and swinging!Their wedding date!A game of catch in the park….makes me think of A League of Their Own.  Aren’t they completely adorable?

Congrats on your engagement! I know you two will have a wonderful wedding and marriage.

Ashley and Josh have to wait a year until their wedding, but I got them out for their engagement photos early by selling my suggestion to shoot at the Howard County Fair last week.  Josh is actually my cousin, but this was my first time meeting him. I can’t remember how exactly we’re related, but I know it’s on my Dad’s side at least.  Thanks goes to Josh’s sister, Becky, for the referral! Becky and I went to the Savannah College of Art & Design together for a couple years.

Anyway, I had them meet me at a nearby farm so that we could do some non-fair photos first. I loved this location and had a great time getting to know these two better.  Josh is a firefighter and Ashley is a pediatric RN, so they are both great people in my book.The remains of this old building are what initially drew me to this spot while location scouting.Fun and so cute!Then, it was fair time!  This is one of my favorites from the fair, and it’s also one of the first I shot. My photo geek side came out as I played with off-camera lighting.  It’s such a different look than direct flash and I am becoming addicted.Catching a good shot on the carousel is tough, but I like this one….the moment before a kiss!Teacups!  This is a kiddie ride, but they smooshed in for a quick shot.  These two are motorcycle enthusiasts, so I doubt the ride would have given them much of a thrill anyway.I didn’t notice if Josh actually won this game or not, but the lady gave them a nice pink stuffed animal.  An engagement gift, perhaps?I used a long exposure and rested my camera on a railing to get a shot of the crowds moving around them.  You can see the top of a little girl’s head and a watch toward the bottom, but the rest of the people turned out ghostly.  I like it!I’m so looking forward to their wedding at the BMI next year!

I am so looking forward to Kate and Andrew’s wedding this August at the Valley Country Club.  We had a great time on Saturday down in Annapolis. It was the perfect spring day and the historic area is full of great spots for photos.  Here are some of my faves.

Aren’t they adorable?

Kate and Andrew were both naturals in front of the camera.  I think having each other is what makes it easy for them. We found this cute little table with flowers on it while wandering the streets.  The sun made them glow! Shooting into the sun can create some fun flare effects.  It also blinds me, but I’m willing to take one for the team.More from these two in August!

I had such a good time photographing Megan and Brian on the campus of their alma mater, the University of Maryland – College Park.  Megan was my roommate when I lived in Bolton Hill and I saw Brian a lot during those days as well!  Their wedding is planned for next summer at the Science Center, but they thought it would be best to do their engagement portraits now as Megan will be in Boston finishing up nursing school for the next two semesters.  Anyway, picture time!

They were laughing and playing a lot, so were very easy to photograph!  Here they are sitting by the Jim Henson & Kermit statue.  Jim Henson went to the University of Maryland at the same as my dad.  = )

The Maryland mascot, Testudo the Terrapin.  His head is shiny because people come by and rub it for good luck.  

I love when couples are “up” for anything.  Haha…I’m hilarious, I know.

Love this one….they look so relaxed.

We were walking around and this grove of trees caught my eye.  I love when a photo turns out exactly how I envisioned it!

Can’t wait for the wedding!!

Anna and Dan are getting married this weekend and I just recently shot their engagement portraits.  They are so sweet and goofy together….I just know their wedding is going to be a fabulous event!

We met up at Silo Point for their portrait session.  It was a rainy evening, but I knew there were plenty of good locations to shoot inside.

I met up with Dan and Noreen last weekend at the Hotel Sofitel in DC for their engagement session.  The weather was chilly and drizzly all day, so that’s why I chose this swank indoor location.  It did clear up a bit so we got a few shots in Lafayette Square at the end of the session.  Dan is a Marine and was just in town for the holiday weekend, so I was more than happy to give them an excuse to snuggle up close!  

I love the rich colors and warm light in this hotel.  Their outfits go so perfectly!

They are so sweet:

Dan in the spotlight:

We took advantage of the gorgeous tulips in Lafayette Square.

The sun broke through the clouds just for them, I think.

Dan and Noreen’s wedding is in late May….stay tuned!

I met up with Kristen and Brian last weekend to take photos around the Tidal Basin Cherry Blossom trees in DC.  They are getting married in October at The Belmont in Elkridge and are a super-cute couple.  It was insanely crowded around the Tidal Basin, but we made the best of it.  I like that they look like they could be the only people around in these photos….they are so comfortable with each other and were patient when at times I had to pause between pictures to let people clear out of the background. We saw a lot of other photographers with couples, so we were in good company.

This one is in the Jefferson Memorial.  Aren’t they adorable?

My personal fave:

This is a little funkier than my usual style, but I like it!  I was shooting into the sun and completely blinding myself…haha.

Congrats, guys…..I can’t wait for the wedding!

Yes, I’m finally posting again! It’s that time of year when the photo sessions slow way down and I get focused on the upcoming holidays. I’m glad to still have a few sessions though to keep my creative juices flowing.

I was so excited when Kate asked me to shoot her engagement photos.  Noah popped the question earlier this month on a weekend, and Kate e-mailed me on that Monday!  How awesome is that?  We originally met through her brother, Justan, who I’m sure my loyal blog readers will remember from his super-fun engagement photos with Jeanie and their fab wedding at the Engineer’s Club. Anyway, here are a few pics of Kate and Noah.

This is in their living room. I just had to get some shots with that cozy fireplace. It smelled so good…one of the few things I like about the weather turning cold.

This is becoming a signature type of shot for me. I know how important dogs are to their owners, so it makes sense to really highlight them.  For a look back at other doggie shots, see my post on baby Aiden and Kelley & John’s engagement photos.

Cute couple alert!

Wheeeeee!

Okay, I told Becky & Rich that I wouldn’t get these up until next week, but once I downloaded the card I couldn’t resist editing a few. You may have heard of a “trash the dress” type of photo shoot, but Becky definitely wasn’t wanting to ruin this gorgeous gown. It has been a year since their wedding, but these two still exude that newlywed vibe. Becky was thrilled to have a chance to wear her dress again. I suggested that we do this type of shoot every year, but that she should buy a new dress every year. It’s a genius idea, right? Becky glowed at the thought, but Rich didn’t agree for some reason. Men just don’t get it. 

Thanks to my friend, Jen Lowe, for pointing out this mill location for me to use in old Ellicott City. It’s a little creepy and smelly, but I knew I would love it for this shoot.  I’m envisioning these first three pics with even more texture added (to make them look painted) and printed on large canvases and hung in a row.