writing a story of their own: mike and kate

a weekend in paradise. that's really what it was. it was like an ancient wedding, where people came to support a new couple and celebrated for days. we celebrated mike and kate. we celebrated not only them as a couple but them as individuals. their family and best of friends followed them to the spot Ernest Hemingway wrote classics to write a new chapter in their lives, to connect with each other and support the decision they made.

i am fortunate enough to shoot weddings. these days i get to be more selective in determining if i'm a good fit for the couple. i have to connect with them in some special way, or i don't feel good about being the one to capture such an intimate experience. it's more than a job, a paycheck, it's a memory that i get to share. i believe in mike and kate, i have since i met them. and as i grow to know them more my heart swells with excitement for their future.

kate is a hard shell to crack, and maybe that's why i want i love her more. her quiet nature and brilliant mind were intimidating to me for the longest time. but as i watch her the intensity sort of melts and i see this woman that is so beyond beautiful. her heart cares intensely for the people closest to her, and those on the outskirts of her heart probably won't get undeserved attention. if you are loved by kate consider yourself blessed. mike has married someone so externally strong and yet so very tender that as he brushes a hair from her face i see why he was the one that cracked through to her heart. in regards to independence he lacks nothing. he is quick on his feet, intense, and has worked hard to hone his mind, yet he needs her. he needs her to need him, to rely on his kind gestures, and gentle touch.

congratulations mike and kate, what an amazing experience to be part of you committing to forever.

the hunt

i love new environments, showing up in places i've never shot and having to figure out what will work the best is always inspiring. for kelsey's shoot, she and her dad had already scouted around to find spots they liked. it was fun hunting with them and trying to imagine what they had in mind. it's always fun to collaborate. we found some places along the way, used some of their spots, and i introduced them to some of mine.

here's to new beginnings, lots of them

i photographed dan and ginas wedding a couple of years ago. they are the most gracious, caring couple and i felt honored to be part of such an important and incredible union.

fast forward and here we are, gina making leaps of faith to teach to kids in which english is not their native tongue and dan being stretched to find what he is truly designed to do. if you asked them last summer where they would be just a couple of months later they would probably just tell you it was in God's hands. and it has been. gina resigned a steady teaching position and dans position at a big accounting firm was eliminated like so many others. scary times, but they feel blessed because they trusted that there were big things in store for them. and there are, like starting a new a family, in a new home.

our vision for their maternity session was outdoor but the rain changed our plans and rather than shoot in the studio i went to the home they were getting ready to move into. lots of projects wrapping up, but the empty space soon to be filled with baby gear and furniture was a nice change from the norm.

being with friends

i say it all the time, but my favorite shoots are the ones that feel like hanging out with friends. natural smiles just happen because of good conversation, everyone relaxes and it becomes just as much about the experience as the final shots. that was easy with the taylors. just being in their world, eating dinner with them, talking on the couch, and catching up on life made picking up my camera feel like a logical next step. and that makes me love these photographs even more.