engaged // amanda & jeff // charleston, south carolina

where do i even start with these two? if you follow my facebook or my blog, you probably see me talk about the relationship between me and my couples and how that's important to me.. and how i really place emphasis on getting to know each other because that makes the entire experience mutually beneficial.

amanda and jeff encapsulate everything i've just mentioned. we've been talking since around last august, when i saw their engagement video that our mutual friend shared (where i commented and said "um i want to know these guys, they're hilarious!" - see below) and then when amanda found my work on her own -  and we immediately hit it off. i loved their sense of humor, how carefree they were, how happy and bright their lives seemed.. and i'm so thankful that amanda and jeff picked me to document their love story. i actually hadn't met them until the day of their engagement session, when i drove to charleston and sat in their (superrrr clean) bedroom, talking about nothing and everything and bonding over our love of weddings, what we do, and life in general.  because of our constant communication, (i think amanda and i have texted more than we've emailed), love for ryan gosling, killer sense of humor and their amazing taste in music - it felt like being with old friends.

guys, they even shampooed their carpets because i stayed with them and i'm allergic to their dog & cat! so awesome.

anyway, we picked up and explored for the next four hours, chasing the gorgeous light, unsuccessfully avoiding gnats, ants, spiders and snakes - but believe me when i say this: these two are so good together. as you can see, they just giggle and laugh and make fun of eachother and are so easy together.

i could gush about them for hours but i'll save that for a month when i shoot their super intimate ceremony/reception!

love you guys. even knowledge. thanks for being adventure seekers.

he may or may not have hit her in the face when i told him to move his arm... whooops!

(do yourself a favor & spend some time exploring their vimeo! or click here for dreampop media's website!)

ENGAGED // KENDELL & JAMES // DAVIDSON, NORTH CAROLINA

I knew as soon as I got the answers to Kendell and James' questionnaire, I wanted to be a part of their story.These two are so in love with each other. A quiet, powerful and steady love that's unbelievably evident both in words and in person.

Kendell and I hit it off immediately, over our love for the same movies, candy, and general sass on both of our parts. She's so hilarious, kind-hearted, and totally welcoming. Like I said, we hit it off immediately and that has made my entire role of being their photographer shift into an easy and growing friendship. And I can say the same for James - he's one of the nicest guys I've been privileged to make pictures with. On our drive around the city, he asked me questions, made an effort to get to know me, and didn't buck when I asked him to do things that other guys might deem "stupid" - these two worked so well together and listened to me and trusted me. I hope I was able to do their love justice through these pictures!

I can't wait for their wedding in June.. you'd better believe I'm going to be stuffing some catered Chickfila sandwiches in my face and dancing alongsie you guys!

PREGNANT // AMBER & JOE

I can't thank my sister-in-law enough for referring her sweet friend, Amber, to me for her maternity pictures! From the get-go, I knew I liked her. Even over email, she was kinda spunky. We planned our session around the time of year that these blooms grow for like, A WEEK down in Fort Mill. Luckily, they were still there when we met up. Unluckily for us, there were 5 other photographers (who had lights and scrims and all that unnecessary jazz) so it was interesting to have to shoot around them!

All that aside, Amber and Joe were so awesome to work with.. easy-going, fun, unafraid to snuggle and love on each other.. my ideal couple, really. I think that helped in capturing some of these beautiful shots - altogether, they trusted me.

Huge congratulations to you two, I hope that the birth of your little boy is easy and beautiful!

all killer, no filler.

i went on a grand adventure with a handful of my close friends early last month. we went on a camping trip called "photo field trip"- which is basically just a get away in santa barbara at el capitan canyon for photographers to learn, create, and have community with other amazing people in the same craft. i got to meet and learn from so many people that i've studied and followed for so long. and it was beyond refreshing to see that they were normal people, who struggle with self-doubt and creativity issues just like i do.

sometimes, when you're surrounded by such incredible talent it's hard not to compare yourself and your work and say "well, how did they get to be where they are? am i not good enough? how do they book those kinds of weddings?" - and in reality, it's all a matter of (yes, say it with me, that God-forsaken thing called) TIME. we are each on our own journey through this crazy industry and we learn what works for us through individual experiences and failures and awesome moments. honestly, i've only been doing this as a full time job for a year (shot many years before this, but only one as a legit LLC) and i've learned the most incredible stuff about myself and what works for me. how to get those incredible moments with my couples and have them trust me on their big days. that's why i take such few weddings and do questionnaires (to learn if we're a good fit, to foster a mutually beneficial relationship) and send goodies.. i like to make people feel loved! but having a gift-giving nature doesn't come easy for everyone. anyway, i took classes with sean flanigan, benj haisch, ben sasso, dan o'day, jenny jimenez, braedon flynn, jessica peterson, and a handful of other really talented photographers. i took away a ton and left a lot at the campground, which you'll hopefully see implemented this year in my work&business!

i don't even know where i wanted to go with this post but to say that i'm unbelievably grateful to have gone on this trip. i got to hang out with so many old friends (including a handful of my loves from my don't give up trip last july), meet so many internet-turned-new friends, and made so many new friends. it was nice to just enjoy being in a beautiful place full of gorgeous scenery. and as a bonus, after our trip ended, i headed to LA for a couple of days to stay at a fantastic air bnb with my friends alicia, megan and kaley (which is where the photoshoot you'll see below came from!)

enjoy this picture heavy post :)