Look Here Photography

365/2011 - accomplished

2012-01-01T23:11:00.005-05:00

I did it. 365/2011.

A part of me hoped this project would slow down time. I thought if I could remember one moment from each day, they might not flow into each other like they always seem to do. I thought it might be a way for me to feel like my life isn't moving faster than I can keep up. I learned quickly, that wasn't the case.

Although the project did not help slow down time, I am still thrilled I did it. My weird obsession with documenting my life isn't going anywhere, I know I will always feel like I am not remembering it enough or savoring it enough.

I watch others live their lives without capturing them...just living in the moment and then letting them pass by. It saddens me, yet I envy them at the same time. A balance I try to keep = always trying to remember what has happened, yet focusing on what is happening now and moving forward.

2011 was an amazing year for our family and I am so glad I decided to start the project with it. Hundreds of wonderful moments as a family, as a couple, as individuals. We took a few fabulous vacations, we went to a couple amazing concerts, we made wonderful new friends who have helped us grow, we volunteered time to the community, we had even more (and some repeat) photography clients who were awesome, and we accomplished our dream of starting a coffee shop.

As I look back at these photos, this project, this year...I am thankful. I am thankful for every single day I am here. Every day I am lucky to have. There isn't one single thing I would change. Every day I am thankful.

I will be continuing this project into 2012. Who knows how long it will last. All I know is that I love it. It has allowed me to remember what has happened, yet focus on what is happening now and move forward. Balance is good.

2012...I am ready. Bring it.

365

2011-09-14T23:11:00.002-05:00

oh 2011 - you have been pretty awesome thus far.
feels like i just started this project yesterday.
not quite sure how it is already the middle of september.
loving the cooler weather.
i was stoked to bust out my collection of scarves.
:)

tomboy

2011-06-15T22:49:00.003-05:00

I love having a little boy.

I grew up as a little girl, surrounded by boys. I have an older brother and we were baby-sat by a woman with 4 boys.

I had mud fights, injured myself trying sweet bike tricks, swam in a pond every summer that I don't even know if it was sanitary (lol), went fishing daily, played baseball, played cops and robbers on our bikes, had rotten apple fights in the apple orchard, and many other amazing memories.

Having a little boy has allowed me to relive some of those wonderful moments as an adult. I wouldn't trade in a single bug, snake, frog, or any other creepy crawly creature my son has brought me, for a barbie. No way. :)

chef jeff...

2011-06-06T21:10:00.010-05:00

Passion.
That overwhelming need to do something, to feel something, to create something.
Something that makes you want to work harder, to accomplish more, to learn more...
Something that makes you feel alive.

Robbie and I are blessed we have found that in photography and videography...among many many other things.

The funny thing about passion is once you have felt it, you look for it all over the place.
When you are passionate about one thing - it seems to spill over into other parts of your life as well.

A friend of ours started introducing us to other people he knew - who were also very passionate about things in their lives. We have all been chatting and getting to know each other the past couple of months and last week we received an invitation from one of the couples for a dinner party at their home.

We all began to arrive and the conversations began to flow - teaching, yoga, graphic design, film, cooking, photography & videography, marketing, music, organic food, psychology, politics, art, philosophy, and much more...

Then. The food started.

I have been in awe of Jeff's cooking via facebook posts and posts on his lovely blog, Eaterie Food. And a few weeks ago, Robbie attended one of Jeff's cooking demos, which Jeff sent me home a delicious sampling, since I was unable to attend (I was of course busy editing photos..lol).

But nothing....and I seriously mean NOTHING could have prepared me for how amazing Jeff's menu was going to be for this dinner party. He went all out.

Appetizers/Hors D’Oeuvers
Charcuterie Platter
Liguria Salami
Tuscano Salami
Veneto Salami
Spicy Capicollo
Soppressata di Calabria
Cheese Platter
Bourbon Bacon Jam
White Wine and Rosemary Pickled Portobella’s
Egg Salad cups
Crab Salad Cups
Cucumber with Herbed Cheese

Dinner
First Course
• Spring Ceviche with Shrimp, Avocado, and Cucumber

Second Course
• Arugula, Grilled Peach and Mozzarella Salad with a Balsamic Honey Dressing

Third Course
• Caramelized Carrot and Ginger Soup

Fourth Course
• Spring Pea and Bacon Risotto with Braised Pea Tendrils

Main Course
• Sesame-Ginger Beef/Tofu and Shiitake Kebabs in Citrus Hoisin Glaze

Dessert
• Avocado Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis, Crème’ Anglaise and Fresh Mint Ice Cream

Here are the photos to show this amazing-ness - I wish I could reach through the screen and eat every single one of them again. YUM.

I don't think I could pick a favorite, even if you tried to make me. Each one was perfect. Oh, and I almost forgot - a few glasses of some wonderful white wine to go along with it all.

Every once in awhile, I would stop in the kitchen to see how Jeff was doing and he had the BIGGEST smile on his face. He was having a darn blast. Not only preparing the food, but hearing us enjoy the experience. And talk about fresh....as I was sitting at their dining room table chatting away, I looked out the window and saw Jeff cutting herbs for the dishes right there as he was making them.

So cool. This was his passion and we all were witnessing it and experiencing it all at the same time.

I cannot thank Jeff and Leslie enough for putting this together, for welcoming us in their home, and for sharing their amazing talent of making food that I may not be able to pronounce, but I sure can enjoy. ;)

It was one of my favorite "adult nights" in a long time.

THANK YOU! :) Pizza party at our house next time, Robbie and I have already decided there is no way we are going to try and compete with that. lol

hello june!

2011-05-31T23:11:00.010-05:00

what we've been up to:

a lot of photos being taken.

a lot of photos being edited.

a lot of hot head burrito being eaten.

a lot of sun - and crazy storms.

a lot of gardening.

a lot of baseball.

which = a lot of fun.

i love summer. reminds me of so many great childhood memories. hope our kiddo has as many as i have. trying hard to make that happen for him.

hope everyone is enjoying the sun. anytime you get sick of the heat, just remember how sick you were of the snow and ice. it works for me every time. :)

happy june ya'll. it has arrived.

absolutely nothing...

2011-04-27T23:17:00.004-05:00

4.27.11 - this doesn't happen very often - me relaxing on the couch. but after about 5 late nights in a row, it was a must. we watched the movie - Never Let Me Go. ignore the dirty window and empty photo frames. spring cleaning has yet to happen at our house and the photo frames have been empty since they were hung in january. such as life. :)
"Sitting next to you doing absolutely nothing, means absolutely everything to me."
- Unknown

A few things that made me happy today.
1. The 5 minutes the sun was actually out today.
2. Coconut creamer in my coffee...yum. Who'da thunk it?
3. Seeing my kiddo in his baseball uniform for the first time this year. His pants are about 3 sizes too big. LOL Must fix this or he will be having some major issues during a game.
4. Thinking about my big bro coming home to visit. He will be here Friday and I can't wait. He lives in South Carolina and I haven't seen him in 2 years. So excited.
5. Cuddling with Mr. Garrett on the couch. So comfy. So cozy. So perfect. Nothing like it.

A good day...
Amber

another earth...

2011-04-26T21:10:00.007-05:00

4.26.11 / 365 - so glad the rain stayed away this evening so i could go outside. it was just what i needed. robbie and i attacked each other with the leaf blower. good times...and i found this quote, which i love.
"Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
small minds discuss people."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

For those of you who don't know my husband, Rob (or Robbie as everyone knew him in high school), he is obsessed with movies. I mean crazy obsessed. So, I always get notified by him when a new trailer comes out. I was pretty excited when he shared this one with me the other night. (Just a note: you can stop the music that is currently playing by scrolling to the bottom of the page and hitting the pause button.)

I love the entire concept and idea behind it. Space amazes me. I can't tell you how many conversations my friends and I have had about space. You start to really think about it all, and it almost overwhelms you. So cool.

We were also thrilled to see that they used the song "That Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra. We have loved this song for quite some time and knew it would be perfect in a movie. It works so well in the trailer. I hope they used it in the movie as well. Here is a video for the song so you can hear all of it...good stuff.

And here is another favorite of ours...

Hoping for more sunny days ahead.
Amber

365 / 2011

2011-04-21T22:44:00.005-05:00

I first heard about the 365 Project many years ago on Flickr (Flickr is a photo-based web community where you can share photos, receive feedback, be inspired, and make some photo friends.) The 365 Project is basically this: take one photo a day. That is all. There are no other rules or guidelines. It can be a photo of a person, a thing, or an event. It can be a photo of something from that day or it can be an artistic photo that you took that day. It is entirely up to the photographer, as long as you take one a day.

I am a big believer in documentation and recording your life. I have kept some form of a journal since the 6th grade, so when I heard this idea, I was immediately intrigued.

I have tried completing the 365 Project in years past, and haven't been successful. Usually, things get busy and it gets put on the back burner.

Well, I decided to try the project again this year, and so far so good. As of today, I have kept up with the project and I haven't missed a day.

I have been sharing the project on my personal Facebook page, and that has truly helped hold me accountable. Knowing that people are aware of the project helps to keep me on track.

After starting this project for 2011, I found this amazing article online: He Took a Polaroid Every Day, Until the Day He Died. How amazing is that? Photographer Jamie Livingston took a photo every single day for 18 years, up until the day he died. This is so inspiring to me. What an awesome thing for his family to look back on and what a unique family keepsake. I just love things like this. So I have decided to continue this project as long as it is fun for me. If or when it stops being fun, I will stop - but until then, I will continue the project as long as I can.

Every single day of your life counts. Each day connects months and the months connect years. I know not every day is amazing. Not every day is good. Not every day is something I might want to remember...but they all count. All of those bad days remind us why the good ones are so fabulous. I have learned from those bad days. I have found some strength I didn't know I had on those bad days. I couldn't imagine life without bad. It sounds great...but it would never work. And honestly, when I look back on days that I thought were the end of the world at the time they were happening - I realize they weren't as bad as I thought.

So here is to all days.
Good and bad.
Amazing and mundane.
Fun and boring.
They are all getting the spotlight with this project. And I hope when I look back at the finished project (whenever that might be), it makes me happy.
That is my goal.

A

Hello! It is nice to meet you!

2011-04-20T21:09:00.005-05:00

Hello World.

As a photographer, we know you are not only hiring us or any other photographer ONLY for their photography skills.

Of course that is the main reason, but there is also another big reason...and that is who we are.

You want a photographer who makes you feel comfortable.
Someone who you actually enjoy being with for the duration of your session or your wedding day.
Someone you feel you can trust and be yourself around.
If you don't have those things with your photographer...it will show in your photos.

Of course we hope we are those people. We are pretty down to earth, open minded, and definitely NOT afraid to laugh at ourselves.

But we also understand that our personalities might not match up with everyone's...and we are ok with that. Our hope is that with this blog, you will be able to get to know us a little more and make that decision with more information available to you.

Who we are.

So, with that said - we will be trying to post more. Lots more. So you can get to know us - because our photography is more than just the actual photos. Just like any art form, it is a reflection of ourselves as well.

We look forward to getting to know many more people.

So, without any further ado...

"Hello! It is nice to meet you."

A & R

P.S. Just a friendly reminder - you are able to leave comments on any post. Just click the Comments at the end of each post. We look forward to hearing from you all. Thanks!!

Kaylee

2011-02-22T23:50:00.002-05:00

Everyone, meet Kaylee.
Varsity cheerleader, Bogey = her dog, BALL OF FUN (how she would describe herself in 3 words), she loves A1 sauce like it is going out of style, her hero = her mama and her grandma - because they are amazing women and she wants to be just as successful when she is older, and "the best kind of love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds" is a favorite quote of hers. :)
Kaylee - i had so much fun. you are hilarious and sweet as apple pie. watching you chow down on your french fries was a highlight of my year. thank you for hanging out with me for a few.
:o) A

Haley

2011-02-21T21:46:00.005-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with Haley for BOTH of her sister's weddings. So, I already knew how gorgeous and sweet she was. It is not everyday you get to photograph a beautiful blonde in a cow field. Haley shows cattle and is wonderful with these gentle giants. I was scared to death she was going to get trampled during the session, but Haley would just scat them away and they would listen to her. Funny thing - her dad was actually showing cattle to some guy that night for purchase and there we were in the middle of this field doing a full-blown photo session. It had to be pretty funny to watch. But - we had fun and I was so happy we did it. It really helped capture who Haley is. A farm girl at heart.
And by the way - those photos of Haley kissing the cow...not planned. I was just trying to get one of her "pretending" to kiss the cow and the cow moved in for the kiss. The cow's face in the bottom right hand photo cracks me up. One part proud of himself and the other part confused on why she is so grossed out. :)
Haley - you are adorable and we have been so lucky to work with your wonderful family numerous times. We hope to work with you all again in the near future. Thank you!
:o) A

Matthew + Anna

2011-02-02T17:36:00.017-05:00

Matthew & Anna were married on a sunny (but SUPER chilly) October afternoon. It was so beautiful. The colors, the light, the atmosphere. I am a huge sucker for outdoor weddings, we were also married outdoors. They were married at Anna's parent's home and the location couldn't have been more perfect.
They did an awesome job with all the details. Everything seemed to just fit. How gorgeous was Anna's dress!? And all of the wonderful fall colors?!
Anna & I went to high school together, where we also ran track & cross-country together as well. I was so thrilled to learn she found such a wonderful guy like Matthew.
Their reception was basically a huge dinner party with AMAZING food and wonderful conversation amongst friends and family. There was also a bit of dancing and I almost cried, you could see their love and their happiness together.
Matthew & Anna (and all of your family and friends) - THANK YOU. We couldn't have asked for better clients, you guys were great. We wish you all the best.
:o)A
P.S. Who doesn't love photos of kittens? I just love those shots. Too cute!

Danielle

2011-02-01T22:33:00.003-05:00

Dani, DeeDee, Bink, Daniella...my sweet cousin.

I am so proud of this girl. Not only was she valedictorian and homecoming queen, but she deserved both honors more than ANYONE I have ever met. She worked her butt off in school - stayed focused - placed expectations on herself that would have been impossible for others. She is kind to everyone she meets, and has beliefs and values that she holds near and dear to her heart. She is beautiful - yet doesn't see it. She is talented and not afraid to laugh at herself.

Needless to say - I adore her.

The older she gets - the closer we get, and I love it. From goofy moments, to serious conversations - I cherish each one.

Dani - you are an awesome girl. I am thrilled to have you as a cousin and hope we continue to make many fun memories together. I can't wait to see you grow into an adult, wife, and mother. I love you - you true bred sushi maker! lol

:o) A

P.S. All crazy, goofy, awkward poses are all "Danielle Originals" - i might have encouraged them a bit though...maybe. :o)

Kayla

2011-01-29T01:16:00.005-05:00

I am so glad Kayla contacted me to do her senior photos. Kayla is original and unique. She is beautiful and crazy and wild and sweet - all rolled into one amazing package. She creates amazing artwork and from what I can tell is extremely humble about it. I loved spending some time with her and learning more about her as a "facebook" friend.
I have had the opportunity of seeing a bit of my 18 year old self in each one of the senior girls I have worked with and I can't tell you what a gift that has been. Thank you Kayla.
:o)A

Brealyn

2011-01-27T23:47:00.002-05:00

Another session from 2009 -
I don't just like me some Brealyn - I love me some Brealyn. Brealyn reminds me of a little pixie. A sweet little pixie I could keep in my pocket and pull out anytime I need cheering up. :o)
We had such a great time during her session. Brealyn is going to be a photographer as well, so we had a blast coming up with ideas and making them happen. I loved how when I explained why I was shooting from a certain angle or asking her to do something, she understood. So fun for me.
Brealyn and I have become friends on Facebook and I have loved getting to know her better. She has great taste in music, a terrific photographic eye, and is just a wonderful person all around.
I am so excited to watch her grow as a photographer and I am thrilled to have met her.
She's basically a rockstar. That is all.
:o) A

Ashley

2011-01-26T22:23:00.005-05:00

Hello All -
Long time no post...
I apologize for the lack of postings on this blog. One thing most don't realize is how time consuming it is to actually SHARE your photography work. Picking out your faves, resizing images, uploading, and putting together a post can take an entire evening, and obviously, I always end up sharing way. too. many. photos. - which adds to that time. :o)

If you are not "fans" of ours on facebook, and you would like to keep up to date better with our work, please feel free to look us up. Uploading to facebook is so much faster for us, so we have been uploading more of our work there. To all of you who already check out our stuff on facebook - THANK YOU! We appreciate every view, comment, thumbs up, or review we have received. It means so much to us.

2010 was another amazing year. I still have so many great sessions/weddings to share. I am hoping in our "downtime" over the next couple of months, I will have the opportunity to upload more posts. We had awesome clients once again and had a great year with all of them.

Once again, we thank everyone for taking a few moments to check our stuff out and we look forward to 2011 being just as great.

:o)A

P.S. This session was from November of 2009 (dear lord where does time go?!), Miss Ashley. Ashley and I had such a great time. All of the outdoor photos were taken at her Aunt & Uncles home - which was a GORGEOUS setting for fall photos. I could have photographed Ashley all day. Thank you again Ashley - I hope to work with you again in the future!

Memorial / Benefit Auction Donation

2010-07-22T20:17:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Robbie's Uncle, Jim Clear, passed away on Tuesday of this week.
He suffered a stroke and fought for almost 2 weeks.
It is heartbreaking and tragic.
He was 58 years old.

Jim was an amazing guy.
He was a jokester and always made people laugh and smile.
Those who knew Jim totally understand what I am talking about.

The family is holding a Memorial / Benefit Auction for Jim.
All proceeds will assist in medical expenses.
The auction will be held at the American Builders Building located @ 501 Gray Ave. in Greenville.
It will be held THIS Saturday, July 24th, starting @ 10:00 am.

Look Here Photography has donated a gift certificate for a photography session (valued @ $200).

The gift certificate could be used for the following sessions:
Families, children, couples, high school seniors, and maternity.
(The gift certificate can not be used for wedding photography)

We enjoyed having Jim in our lives and we will miss him dearly.

We hope our donation will help his family in anyway possible and we hope to see you on Saturday.

Rob would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers for his family as well.

Rob & Amber

Jennifer - Senior Session

2010-05-12T19:16:00.003-05:00

just a few of my faves from Jennifer's outdoor session. I still have to post some of her indoor session as well. :o)
Jennifer, you are such a sweetheart! I loved working with you. Thank you again!
:o) A

PHOTO-TIME!

2010-04-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

just a few random shots that i still have to share...i wish i had more time to post these. more to come when i find time.
HAPPY SPRING!
:o) A

Andrea & Sarah

2010-03-08T22:56:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing these 2 beautiful ladies one evening, who just happen to be my cousins. It was such a fun night. Driving around forever, racing against the sun (lighting) to find the perfect field of flowers.
Sarah & Andrea, it has been a joy watching you grow up. You are such sweet girls and you both have a great future ahead of you. I wish you all the best...Thank you!!!
:o) A

The Voiles Wedding!!!

2010-02-28T22:47:00.016-05:00

(i just love the candid shot of Melissa cutting her mom's bangs. it made me giggle. too cute!)

Matt surprised Melissa with some beautiful roses.

I love shots of mothers and their daughters, helping each other get ready. :o)

I love Melissa's mom's expression in the top photo.

Melissa was so beautiful. She reminded me of Cinderella. Stunning.

My beautiful sister-in-law Mandy on the left.

2 of the gorgeous Toman girls in the bottom left photo. We have had the pleasure of working with their family numerous times.

And the handsome father Toman, Mark in the top photo. :o)

Robbie's brother Chad and his son Breckin on the left. I adore the photo of Melissa with her sister and dad in the limo on the right.

Ok. I am in love with this photo. My two darling nephews Brodie and Breckin. :o) LOL They were a little bored during the ceremony.

Such a great wedding party.

The farm in the bottom photo used to be Melissa's grandparents farm. It just happened to be in the distance at the location we were at, so Melissa wanted to include it in a photo.

Melissa's parents own a local bar/grill and the entire wedding party and many of the guests stopped in for a quick drink prior to the reception. It was PACKED but oh so fun.

Matt decided to pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. This little montage of photos cracks me up. The cork ended up breaking the light in the ceiling. All of the different expressions made me smile.

Robbie and his brother Chad in the right hand photo.

It is a tradition up North, to get up on the bar with your wedding party and drink a beer.

No babies became drunk in the making of the top photo. This baby was teething, and I just happened to catch her as soon as she did this. :o)

Matt & Melissa did an awesome job with their reception decor. They actually made the seating area themselves. And of course I just love the huge photo they had printed from the engagement session we had with them.

Melissa's mom catered their wedding with TONS of amazing food. Robbie and I were so impressed. It was some of the most creative and yummy wedding food we have ever had. We were stuffed.

Melissa made all of the cheesecakes for their wedding dessert. It was so good.

This was a very "kid-friendly" wedding. Photobooth, Playground on site, Cookies. The kids had as much fun as the adults.

Ok. So maybe the adult men had the most fun. LOL This had me cracking up.

Sexy Lance in the top right photo. I saw him sitting like that and had to capture it. We shot his wedding last year. :o)

I loved these. Another former groom that we worked with is in this shot. Mr. Steyer, in the blue shirt. Actually, his wedding was the 2nd wedding we ever did.

Another little collection of photos that made me smile. this cute couple is getting married this year and we have the honor of shooting their big day! :o) Can't wait guys!!

Another previous Look Here Client in the top right photo, The Winner's!

How sweet is that couple on the left? I totally laid down on the ground in my cute dress for the shot on the right. It was worth it.

Towards the end of the night, they had a salsa bar for everyone to munch on. It was such a unique idea, and it was so good!!

At the end of the night, they had a group hug/dance. It was such a fun way to end the amazing day.

Matt & Melissa - THANK YOU. The day ran smooth, the food was AWESOME, everyone had such a great time...a perfect wedding. We were so excited about this wedding, and it totally lived up to those expectations. You guys planned a wonderful day. We hope all of the images helped to capture the love, fun, and memories.
:o) A

Lindsay - Senior Photography

2010-02-04T22:30:00.002-05:00

Lindsay! I loved her hair. Lots. And her sweet smile. And the fact that she loves Cheez-Its.
She also brought her boyfriend along for her session which added a fun twist. When I asked her what they liked to do for fun, she told me Scrabble...and I knew I had to document that. Isn't that adorable?!
Thank you guys for a great afternoon!
:o) A

The Raterman Family

2010-02-04T21:02:00.003-05:00

awesome family. how cute is that photo we snuck of them making funny faces @ their son Reed? he was a ham-ball. love this age. learning so many new things. hope to work with this family in 2010!!
Thank you for spending a few hours with us Andrea, Joe, and Reed!
:o) A

The Shuff Wedding

2010-02-03T22:34:00.004-05:00

The super fun Shuff Wedding. I love me some Sarah & Scott. Thank you again guys. I had a great trip down memory lane while looking at these shots. :o)

I have such a hard time narrowing down which shots to show. I love expressions. I love moments. And sitting there choosing is so darn hard for me. Too much pressure! :o)

What a crazy year 2009 has been for us. The busiest thus far. We haven't even had much time to share our work over the year! Luckily, I live to be busy. No, seriously. I think it is a sickness or something.

So here is the final total for 2009...on top of 2 full-time jobs.
19 Senior Sessions
1 Newborn Session
1 Maternity Session
9 Family Sessions
5 Engagement Sessions
2 Commercial Sessions
5 Weddings
AND...we created a Yoga DVD for Elements Yoga Studio.

We have to say a huge thank you to all of our amazing clients. Even though this year has been extremely challenging for us, the clients have made it all worth while. Fun to work with, willing to trust our sometimes silly ideas, and always understanding of our busy busy lives.

We are looking forward to a wonderful 2010. I have already kicked off the year with a few senior and family sessions. Ready, set, go....
:o) A

P.S. If you are interested in booking a session this Spring, please contact us now. We already have weddings booked for this Summer and our time is limited. We hope to work with you soon!

The Fell Family - Myrtle Beach, SC

2009-09-05T00:11:00.003-05:00

We had the pleasure of working with The Fell Family when we took our Spring Break trip to SC this year. Carla and I have been trying to meet up for a session for a few years and finally, everything fell into place for it to happen.
I will thrilled to meet her and her adorable family. We had a blast cruising around Myrtle Beach looking for locations and chatting about photography. Carla is also a photographer in SC.
We hope to see them again in the near future...
:o) A
P.S. I am trying to catch up and share some of the things we have been working on this year. Such a busy time for us, but I will try to share more soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Carly & Justin - Engagement Session

2009-09-04T20:38:00.004-05:00

We met Carly & Justin at Katie & Andy's wedding last year. Carly was a beautiful bridesmaid for Katie and we have no doubts she will also make a stunning bride.
Carly & Justin are getting married in Cincy next month and we are so excited to work with them on their big day. We took many of their engagement shots within feet of their adorable apartment. There was so much character on their little street in Cincy. How adorable is their red door?! The live at 316. Had to capture their first home together.
Justin is much taller than Carly, even in her massive heels. :o) They are so cute together.
Carly & Justin - thank you. We will see u both very soon!
:o) A

Jeff & Tabitha

2009-06-14T22:25:00.002-05:00

we love us some jeff + tabitha. :o)
we've known jeff forever and we are thrilled he has met such a sweetheart like tabitha. we are pumped to shoot their wedding this august. it will be here before we know it...
thanks jeff + tabitha for a fun evening. you are so fun together. love it.
:o) AN

Brandi

2009-05-19T20:23:00.011-05:00

Ok, Brandi is awesome.
How can go wrong when you have:
1. a field full of dandelions
2. a puppy
3. an awesome vintage red bicycle
4. and a goofy girl
Seriously.

Brandi, you are an amazing girl. You are beautiful inside and out. I truly enjoyed working with you. Huge congrats to you on your graduation. I wish you fun, happiness, and love in the future. Thank you again for hanging out with me and making me laugh with your sweet dance moves:

:o)A
p.s. Brandi - I'm sorry I made you lay in the mud. (lol- i'm such a dork) Hey, at least you looked pretty while doing it...right?

double p.s. - Everyone - new blog...had to get some larger photos. Hope you like. Please feel free to leave comments by clicking on the "points of view" below each post. Thanks for stopping by.

Demi - Part II

2009-05-02T09:34:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with Demi again.
Demi wanted some photos outside in the spring, so we headed to The Oregon District in Dayton.
She wanted a different location for her photos and I had the idea of hitting this great little spot.
I love the Oregon District. It is small, unique, and loaded with character.
Rob and I actually chose this location for our own engagement session with our photographer.
We also LOVE going to eat at Thai 9. Try it out if you haven't. Great stuff.

Demi is a natural in front of the camera. So photogenic. So pretty.

Demi, thank you. You are wonderful. Congratulations and much happiness to you in the future.
:o) A

Matt & Melissa Engagement

2009-05-01T23:39:00.002-05:00

It was unseasonably warm the night we did these engagement shots. I think it was trying to prepare us for the wonderful heat we might encounter on a busy wedding day. :o)
We had a great time w/ Matt & Melissa during this session and we found some awesome new locations during the whole process. Afterwards, we went out to eat together and chatted about the big day (which is going to be here before we know it!).
Thank you Matt & Melissa, we are so excited about your wedding. I know it is going to be such a good time. Can't wait.
:o) A

Paul & Tiffany

2009-04-01T21:41:00.005-05:00

"double hearts" :o)

My favorite image from the session.
(I couldn't decide which one to share, so I am sharing both. I think I am liking the color one a bit more...not sure why?)

I have to admit. I was like a kid in a candy store during this session. To have client's who are so willing to put themselves out there like this...it is a photographer's dream (or at least one of mine). And how great do they look?!

Pregnancy is such an amazing thing. Even though it has been over 7 years since I experienced it, I remember the details.

Tiffany is a champ. Her little baby girl just happened to get comfy on her sciatic nerve the whole session. Unfortunately, the studio space we use is on the THIRD floor of an old building downtown, so this poor thing had to climb LOTS of stairs with all that uncomfortableness.

Tiffany probably thought I was a crazy paranoid lady. I kept asking her if she was ok, if she was comfortable, if she needed her shoes. :o) I think I was more nervous during this session than she was.

I am so glad that Paul and Tiffany were so open during this session. I wish I had photos like this of me when I was pregnant with Phoenix. I barely have any at all actually. It makes me sad to think how I missed capturing such an important part of my life.

I have had a few friends ask me if I was uncomfortable taking photos with slight nudity. I wasn't at all. At all times Tiffany was covered. I would turn my back while they got into position or while she wrapped herself.

We never make anyone do something they do not feel comfortable doing. Tiffany actually did some research on maternity photography prior to our session and shared a few of the things she had seen with me. I love when our client's do this. It gives us a better idea of just how comfortable they are and which direction they would like their session to go.

Paul & Tiffany, thank you. We could tell in our brief time with you just how in love you are. I am sure your baby girl will be thankful that you documented this for her. We hope to work with you again in the near future...aka newborn shots?

:o) A

Mark & Nancy

2009-03-26T18:25:00.007-05:00

Had an awesome "quick" session with Mark & Nancy the other weekend.
"Quick" as in about 20 minutes. :o)

It was a blast. I used to work with Mark back in the day and I was thrilled they asked us to take a few shots of them. Aren't they fun?! We laughed so much during this session.

Mark & Nancy, thank you for allowing us to capture your relationship. Mark, your "sexy" faces were killer and Nancy, I'm so glad you weren't taken out by the door. :o) You 2 are great.

:o) A

Shanntel - 2009

2009-03-26T18:11:00.002-05:00

Isn't Shanntel adorable?! We held this session this fall and FROZE. It was so cold this day. We kept hopping in the car as soon as we moved from spot to spot to warm up quick. Shanntel is a beautiful soft-spoken young woman with a huge heart. I wish her nothing but the best. Thank you Shanntel for braving the cold with me and spending the afternoon together.
:o) A

Demi - 2009

2009-03-08T12:53:00.002-05:00

this session started out very interesting.

i was chatting along with Demi and her mom while pulling out my camera equipment...

and i DROPPED MY LENS. yeah. hard. on the hard-wood floor.

i watched what seemed like slow motion as the lens smashed to the floor and glass went flying.

i almost got sick to my stomach. :o(

BUT. the session must go on, so I grabbed the lens, cleaned up the glass and put it away.

I couldn't even look at the lens at the time, I was so upset.

So we had an amazing session together. Lots of fun. :o)

Demi just wanted to get a few photos to choose from for the yearbook quick and we are going to hold a longer session this spring/summer when the weather warms up.

So we finished the session and I called Robbie.

"You aren't going to believe this, but I dropped and shattered a lens."

I came home and started uploading the photos from the session to our computer.

Robbie came home shortly after me and teased me about the lens dropping situation.

At that time, I still had not pulled the lens out to examine the damage.

So Robbie pulled the lens out and he started laughing.

The lens didn't break....

the filter we had on the lens broke.

The lens was perfectly fine. :o)

Here are some photos I took of the broken filter with the lens that I thought I had shattered...

that was a close one.

Thank you Demi! I can't wait for our outdoor session!

:o) A

FLASHBACK - Lance & Heather - 6.21.08

2009-03-08T12:52:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I know this wedding was forever ago.

But I just haven't had the time to share the rest of our faves with blog-land until now and I really wanted to...so here ya go! :o)

You can see the rest of Lance & Heather's day HERE and HERE.

:o) A

meet the gerdemann kids.

2009-03-08T12:51:00.002-05:00

Meet the adorable Gerdemann Kids.

These cute kids are our neighbor's grandkids and they are the sweetest things.

The oldest, Steven, is the best big brother ever. Our son, Phoenix, always hangs out with Steven whenever he comes to visit and they have the best time.

Then there is Mya, she pretends to be shy, but I can see right through her act. :o) I loved how she bites her nails. And how cute are those lips?!

Then of course you can't forget Brady. Brady wanted NOTHING to do with us. :o) He was too busy running around and checking things out. I love the photo of him trying to get away from his brother and sister. He was running around the whole time. Such a fun age.

We loved working with them and hope to have many sessions in the future.

Again, this session was from this fall and just now sharing with blog-land.

Hope everyone is staying WARM. It is soooooo cold out!!!

:o) A

Cody + Megan = cousins and seniors.

2009-03-08T12:51:00.001-05:00

Megan and Cody are cousins and decided to hold their senior sessions together. It was something new for me and was actually a lot of fun. Guys and girls are so different and it was great having both to work with at the same time. When working with Megan, I might get an idea in my head for Cody and vice versa. Good stuff.

These photos have been done and presented to the client FOREVER ago (as you can tell by the warm weather in these photos), and I am just now getting around to sharing them with internet land. Our wedding / honeymoon and wedding season has kind of put us behind on the whole sharing our work thing, but we hope to catch up very soon.

Speaking of sharing with internet land...our website is ALMOST DONE. I tell you, I have been working on a website for us for almost 3 years. Everytime I get going on it, we get busy and it gets put on the back burner. I will be sure to let everyone know when we go LIVE with it. I can't wait!

Stay safe out there local blog-readers...it is NASTY outside! Lots o' snow. Where was our snow at Christmas time?!

:o) A

The Toman Family - take 4

2009-03-08T12:50:00.000-05:00

Oh how we love the Toman family.

This is our 4th session with them! It has been so amazing watching these little girls grow. Dusti always finds the CUTEST outfits for these little girls. I am always excited to see what she has picked out. :o) Always lots of color and tons of cute.

The other great thing...these girls love us. Now, I am not trying to brag...but they pretty much think we rock. :o) When we arrived for this session, they spent the morning making us little books. You can actually see some of the evidence from the marker stains on Aly's hand in a few of the photos. When we went to leave, they wrapped themselves around our legs and didn't want us to go.

That means the world to us. It reminds us exactly why we do this. They are our little buddies and we ALWAYS look forward to their session every year.

Mark and Dusti are pretty great as well. They are always up for anything. We decided to take some photos at their home this time and also in the little downtown of their town. Just to capture this moment of their lives. Where they live right now.

We had a blast walking around town with you guys. We hope you know how much we love working with you and your family. Aly, Emma, and Mya...you girls are the best. Thank you for the little book! It is hanging on our fridge at home and Phoenix liked it too! We can't wait till next time.

:o) A

p.s. here is an image from our last session with them. look at how much mya has grown!

Amber + Brandon + Avalynn + bun in the oven = family

2009-03-08T12:49:00.000-05:00

when amber contacted us to do their family photos, i was super excited.

amber is a fellow photographer in the g'ville area.

having another photographer choose you to capture their life is so flattering.

this little avalynn was a total cutie pie.

can you tell she is a photographer's daughter???

amber and brandon, you have a beautiful family.

such a great connection.

can't wait till the little one arrives so we can hit the great outdoors for another session.

:o) A

Kevin & Angela - 11.8.08 part II

2009-03-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

what can we say about Kevin & Angela? all GOOD things. they are 2 of the nicest people. It started with the fun engagement session, to their beautiful day... they were awesome to work with. we were thrilled to have the opportunity to work in such gorgeous locations as these. are they gorgeous or what?! Union Station is by far one of the coolest buildings I have ever been in. Simply stunning. From the church to the party bus to the wonderful reception, it was perfect.

Kevin and Angela...THANK YOU. for trusting us with your BEAUTIFUL day. for making the entire process so easy and fun for us. we are so thankful Heather & Lance introduced us. we wish you the happiest future, filled with lots o' love and lots o' laughs.

:o) A

Kevin & Angela - 11.8.08

2009-03-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

we had an AMAZING time with Kevin & Angela in Downtown Indy.

gorgeous locations and such a fun couple to work with.

more to come from this day.

hope everyone is having a great holiday season.

:o) A

Megan - 09

2009-03-08T12:46:00.001-05:00

one day megan was shopping for clothes for her senior session that she had not yet booked with a photographer yet. At one of the stores, she told the sales lady what she was shopping for. The sales lady asked who her photographer was, and megan told her that she hadn't found one yet...well, that sales lady just happened to be one of our first clients and gave her our info...we are so glad she did.

megan was so excited for her session. she adores photography and shared some of her work with me and she is so good! I was flattered she picked us as her photographer.

megan's best friend, molly, came along during the session and they wanted to get some best friend photos. they even came up with the idea of the shopping bags and i loved it! such a cute idea. i know i did plenty of shopping in my high school years.

megan, you are a ball of sunshine. you have a non-stop smile and a wonderful attitude. i am so glad you found us! THANK you!

:o) A

Lucy 09.

2009-03-08T12:45:00.001-05:00

Man i love photographing seniors!

Lucy and I had so. much. fun. during this session.

I have been wanting to use a quilt for quite some time, and finally found this beautiful one at my mom's house. Had to borrow it for this session.

I love to "quiz" the seniors before our sessions with them. Find out what activities they are in, find out what type of music they like, learn about them at this awesome time of their lives and try to think of unique ways to incorporate those things into the session in some way.

This session was before the election. I asked Lucy if she was following it this year. She was, and I knew I had to document that. She was unable to vote, she turned 18 on November 7th! :o( But that did not stop her from being a part of this amazing election year. I hope she looks back on these photos when she is older and remembers how she felt during this time.

I never had senior photos taken when I was in school. Unfortunately, photos were just too posed for my personality back then. Senior photography has come a long way and I am SO glad. In a way, I regret not having them done, and I guess whenever I am photographing a senior, I try to take photos for them...the way I would have wanted them for myself. And it gets the creative side of my brain a moving. LOVE IT.

Thank you Lucy. For an awesome afternoon and for allowing me to try out some fun ideas.

:o) A

s+s - engaged and loving it.

2009-03-08T12:44:00.003-05:00

what can i say about scott and sarah except that they rock. seriously. they are so in love and have this amazing chemistry together. they are not afraid to be goofy together, and as a couple of goofballs ourselves, we love to see that in other relationships. it just makes things much more fun and interesting! :o) not only are they not afraid to be goofy together, but they also aren't afraid to be a little sexy as well...during our session, I saw this tree and just pictured this vision in my head and asked them if they would feel comfortable trying it out for us. they were so excited to try it out, and i am so glad i asked them.

but as sexy as this shot is, i also see so much beauty. they are in love. they are getting married...and i think that is totally sexy. we love capturing emotion in our shots, and i feel as if this one has a whole bunch of it. THANK YOU scott and sarah. such a fun session! your day is going to be great.

:o) A

they do.

2009-03-08T12:44:00.001-05:00

how beautiful is this location? seriously. if you are planning your wedding, make sure you check out Brumbaugh Fruit Farm. it is stunning...it is also where we got married the week after this. :o)

they had such a beautiful day. bright blue sky. awesome.

Aren't these water bottle programs adorable?! They were perfect, cause man was it hot this day.

Mr. & Mrs.! :o)

After the ceremony, the wedding party jumped on a hayride and we took a quick spin around the farm to get some photos while the guests found their seats for dinner.

Katie gave the sweetest toast.

Love the big wedding party shot after the ceremony. Everyone's stress level goes down about 3 notches and they are just ready for a great time.

Front.

Back. :o)

Katie and Andy. Thank you for sharing your day with us. It was perfect. You make a wonderful couple and we wish you nothing but the best.

:o) Amber + Rob

K & A Wedding - part II

2009-03-08T12:43:00.001-05:00

How handsome is Andy? Love that bottom right one. :o)

All the guys looked great actually. It was SO HOT this day. Thank goodness they aren't in tuxes. They would have suffered big time. So humid. Gotta love Ohio weather.

And of course Katie was STUNNING. She is always beautiful, but wow. Such a gorgeous bride. Again, love the bottom right photo. HAPPY.

The girls dresses were gorgeous and went wonderful with Katie & Andy's green / chocolate color combo. A very fun wedding party to work with.

Katie & Andy decided to see each other before the ceremony so we could capture some more shots of the 2 of them together. We love when couples decide to do this. It really takes a lot of stress off the big day and helps things run a bit smoother. We also were able to get some more shots of them after the ceremony in the orchard. Those are coming soon... :o)

Katie and Andy had a cocktail hour before the ceremony. We've never shot a wedding where they did this, but it was very cool and it was nice for the guests to arrive to. They had the BEST potato cakes ever. Yum. :o) Lots of fun little details.

The girls all ready, heading to the ceremony site...via tractor.

Love these shots of Katie. Getting prepared to walk down the aisle.

They had to hide Katie as they drove by the cocktail hour site. Then they had to hide behind the apple trees before they walked down the aisle.

A last shot before the ceremony. I love this one. They are a very close family from what we could tell, and I think this shot is just too cute.

More to come... So busy right now. We had an awesome engagement session yesterday, so those will be coming as well. :o) A

Katie & Andy - getting ready

2009-03-08T12:42:00.002-05:00

that monkey statue had me cracking up. had to include him in the shots. the adorable flower girls. their dresses were so super cute. the light in katie's parent's house was perfect. i was digging the clock in the background. i thought it was a cool way to help document their day a bit more. totally not posed. she was coming around the corner, while talking to a bridesmaid. loved her face in both of these shots. her dress was AMAZING. seriously. i've never seen one like it before, and it was perfect for her. loved katie's dog, just chillin out. watching everyone and keeping an eye out. :o) watching girls get ready is always so fun for me. it is amazing what we go through. :o) ok. so their whole house was adorable. look at that green wall!? perfect location for getting ready shots. that wallpaper on katie's parent's bathroom wall is KILLER. all kinds of animal print in both shots. :o) little toes. cuteness. one of my favorite photos evah. i freakin love photographing kids. they are just so innocent and in the moment. i don't even think she knew i was there. love that. eye drops...they make your eyes pretty. :o) trying to capture little details around the house. i don't even remember what they were watching, but it was so cute. love her toes on the right. :o)

gotta love the mirror shots. lots o' girls. :o) green wall goodness. and i love how they are all doing their own thing. that one on the right is another fave. love the hallway and that light. see...stunning. as soon as i saw this wine bottle holder...i knew it had to be worked in to a shot somehow. :o) are these shoes sexy or what? final touchups. all done. and so pretty. i had to use that yellow / white wallpaper. it made her eyes pop. nails make it hard to put shoes on. lol she got it though, without breaking any. i could have taken about 50 shots of her getting her shoes on. such pretty light and that awesome green wall / couch. had to get a shoe shot w/ the painted toes. :o) so beautiful. from head to toe.

more to come from their gorgeous day.

:o) A

we be married. :o)

2009-03-08T12:42:00.001-05:00

well it is official. we are now Mr. & Mrs. Garrett.

the wedding was BEAUTIFUL. exactly what we wanted.

we are so thrilled to finally be MARRIED.

all that planning / stress was TOTALLY worth it.

a day we will never forget...ever.

:o) A

p.s. and by the way...San Fran is amazing. seriously. we will post some photos from our honeymoon as well. what a cool place. if you haven't been, plan a trip! you won't regret it.

Kevin & Angela - 11.8.08

2009-03-08T12:41:00.003-05:00

we had an awesome time with kevin & angela in downtown Indy a few weeks ago. i can't tell you how much we love working in a big city. so many awesome photo spots! kevin drove us all over the place and angela had some great spots picked out ahead of time, which made the whole day go so smooth. they were great in front of the camera and weren't afraid to "work it".

kevin and angela are friends with our other clients, lance & heather. thanks lance & heather for spreading the word! :o) we love word of mouth clients.

they will be getting married on 11.8.08 in a beautiful old Catholic Church in Indianapolis and the reception is going to be held in the AMAZING Union Station! we are so excited to be a part of their big day.

speaking of big days....

our wedding is 15 short days away and we are just thrilled! we are getting married on August 30th. finally after 2 years of being engaged, we were able to set aside some time to make our own wedding happen. and let me tell you...i had NO idea how much time and planning it took. i have a whole new respect for this entire "wedding" thing! we will be sure to share our day through photos with you once we return from our honeymoon in San Fran. :o)

this winter, we will be focusing lots of time on the company and working hard to get our darn website done along with many other fun things, so stay tuned. we still have many images from Heather and Lance's big wedding that we want to share!

a very exciting time for our family.

:o) A

Will + Amber = husband & wife

2009-03-08T12:41:00.002-05:00

so our very good friends will + amber tied the knot. we can't even begin to tell you how much these 2 mean to us. they are both in our wedding party and have been friends for years. they had a quick and simple (perfect for them) ceremony at the city building and then had a fun laid-back reception the next day. i was so honored they asked us to photograph their day for them. i love spending those few moments with the couple after they say their "i do's". such an intimate and personal time. very cool. we love u guys and wish you a lifetime of love, laugh, and fun. :o) A

Heather & Lance - bride & bridesmaids

2009-03-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

i love working w/ brides and bridesmaids. they are always so excited. tons of emotion. lots of laughter. this wedding party was wonderful to work with. the bride and i actually used to run cross country and track together back in the day. :o) is she gorgeous or what?!
more to come...
:o) A

Heather & Lance - girls getting ready

2009-03-08T12:39:00.001-05:00

a few shots of the girls getting ready from Heather & Lance's wedding on Saturday. Much more to come...it was such a beautiful day. :o) A

The Bolin Family

2009-03-08T12:38:00.001-05:00

We had an awesome session on Sunday w/ the Bolin Family.
I started editing their session last night and I wanted to share a sneak peek.
Such a cool family.
4 totally different girls and 2 fun and laid-back parents.
It was a good time.
Will share more soon.
:o) A

some more a+w.

2009-03-08T12:37:00.001-05:00

i just had to share a few more.
:o) A