Bold Bridal Portraits in Black at the Iconic Cookery Wedding Venue in Downtown Durham

When I first moved to the Triangle, one of the things that really interested me about the area was the historical architecture. While I’m a nature girl at heart, photographically I’ve always preferred the lines, colors and abstract shapes that geometric backdrops provide - especially if their stories add another dimension to those within my images. When touring venues and getting to know other local wedding vendors, The Cookery stood out to me as the exact indoor + outdoor wedding venue with a variety of textures and lighting steeped in Durham history that I first envisioned!

In particular, the bar area built from Durham’s former trolley line and backed by the building’s original brick spoke of jazz music and speakeasies - and I later learned that it had actually been a jazz club in the 1920’s. In my mind I immediately created this portrait of a bold bride in black, perhaps resting between dances and totally stealing the show with her vibrant accent colors set against the alternative flowing gown.

While the weather’s restrictions may have initially created some strict parameters in which we had to rethink and re-explore our original ideas, I think that’s the perfect analogy for a creative life: even the best laid plays go astray and it’s how you create amidst the changes that really matters. Thank you so, so much to everyone who helped us create this epic photoshoot! I’m now more excited than ever to be a part of this incredible wedding community.

2019 Goals: Dream Big

After everything I learned last year (read more here), I realized that it’s the “helping others” part that I want to focus on most in the coming year(s). This is the first year that my goals will look quite different than they did in the past; traditionally mine have read something like: “more weddings”, “more family photoshoots”, etc. Not that there was anything wrong with that approach, I did need to augment my bookings for my business to be sustainable. However, its the experiences I’m creating through those photoshoots that I want to focus on most.

Film Photography || Original Prints For Sale

When I picked up my now 10-year-old 35mm film camera last year, I didn't really know how this was going to affect my work. At first, I just shot a few rolls around town to enjoy being outside while photographing something other than portraits. But then, I brought my camera and 6 rolls of film with me on my family trip to Ireland and realized that the missing piece in my work, what I'd been trying to put together for all these years, was this travel photography in film.

Iceland Destination Photoshoot || Erin's Travel Portrait Session

In writing these posts about Erin's portrait sessions while we were abroad earlier this month, I went a bit backwards since we actually went to Iceland first. This isn't because I enjoyed London more; on the contrary, if given the choice between photographing a classy engagement session in London and an adventure elopement in Iceland, I would undoubtedly choose the latter. And that is precisely the reason.

Meet the Photographer || Betting on Myself

Music has been an essential part of my life for as long as I can remember: I don't start driving without choosing a song, I immediately turn on a playlist when I get home, I live for seeing live shows. There are certain songs and records that define each and every period of my life. For the past 6.5 years - since I left home and set off on the journey towards "adulthood" or whatever this is - Imagine Dragons (the band) has provided me with the majority of these tracks. I could discuss them for days, but the best of them all that literally gave me the defining moment to move forward into a new phase of my life is "Bet My Life" off their sophomore album Smoke and Mirrors.

2017: Love and Lessons

New Year's Eve has always been one of my favorite holidays. Not for the parties or the food (okay, maybe the food) but because it's a collective time of reflection and refocusing. I've always been a very goal-oriented person (which is both a blessing and a curse) so for my business, this gives me a very specific deadline to analyze not only the growth and financial status of my business, but also gauge my passion for the work I've been doing and decide what I want to pursue further. I'll discuss in my next post what my goals are for the year, but as it's still 2017 for a couple hours, I want to look back at the goals I set for myself this time last year and reflect on just how beautiful this year was for me.

So here, in the same order as I wrote them last year, are my 2017 goals and how well they played out:

Savannah and Kevin's Fields of Blackberry Cove Wedding

Savannah and Kevin may not have had the most conventional wedding - they're not the most conventional couple - and I think that's awesome! During the planning process, I try to make sure my couples are planning the wedding that they want, the one they'll enjoy in both moment and memory and that suits their personalities. Savannah and Kevin's did just that.

The Importance of Laughter

All the time I get the question "What is your favorite subject to photograph? For the first couple years of my career I would waffle between "Oh, I just really like photographing people" and "Well, I don't think I can choose - I love everything I shoot!" But that's not entirely accurate. I shoot everything from weddings to athletic events to product shoots to landscapes to maternity sessions professionally - sometimes all in the same week - but over and over again the shoots that I enjoy most and specifically the images I am happiest with are those that include laughter.

Goals for 2017

We're a week in to the new year so it's about the time that outrageous new year's resolutions have run their course and realistic goals begin to take shape. For me, I spent the week (when I wasn't working on clients' work) crunching last year's numbers, analyzing what worked and what didn't and especially journaling about the direction I would like my company to go. As this long term vision is starting to take root (I'll keep the details to myself for now, wouldn't want to spoil the fun!) I've narrowed down a few of my goals for 2017 to get me on my way:

Reflecting on 2016

If there's one thing we can (maybe?) all agree on it's that 2016 has been a rather strange year for the collective public. I could say more, but I'll leave it at that. But, in a nice twist of fate, for me personally, 2016 was actually quite a successful and enjoyable year. For instance, 2016 was...

Branding Photos for my Branding Company

Kudzu Brands is without a doubt one of the best in the biz. I hadn't even met Murphy myself (my husband met her) before I knew she needed to be at the helm of my branding design launch. As we got to know each other, we realized we could create a beautiful symbiotic relationship wherein I would photograph for them for certain projects, especially environmental portraits as that's my specialty.

Post 70 Menu and Website Food Photo Shoot

I have a confession: food photography may be my favorite genre of the art. I mean, capturing important moments in people's lives is great and all, but why do that when you can take photos of food for one of your favorite Asheville restaurants and then get to eat all of the food?! This was probably one of my most enjoyable shoots in the past few months because all I had to do was sit back and wait for the chefs and bartender of Post 70 to work their magic and then capture their creations. It also helped that my at-the-time-fiance-now-husband tagged along to entertain me, hold my reflector, and of course (first and foremost) to eat the delicious food.