Stephanie Koshay Photography

Frankie is One!

2011-10-22T14:32:00.002-04:00

It has been so fun watching little Frankie grow up! He's a one year old now! I'm glad we were able to fit in this one last session before my maternity leave (we're on the final countdown!).

We did most of the session at a ranch in Mason. The leaves were beautiful and we couldn't have asked for a better landscape.

It was cute to watch Frankie's wobbly walking!

I think this may have been Frankie's first time in a leaf pile. He wasn't too sure about it for the first minute, but eventually he loved crunching the leaves around him!

We had to get a family picture with the dog and the new puppy. Whew, that was hard!

His parents love him so much!

Happy first birthday, Frankie! I look forward to continuing to capture your beautiful life!

An Artist's Pleasure

2011-09-14T10:39:00.004-04:00

Few things are more rewarding for a photographer than seeing their work proudly displayed in clients' homes. I got to experience that rare pleasure recently when visiting Frankie's home! It was so nice to see how special these pictures are to the family, and how they are nicely framed throughout several rooms in the house.

My pièce de résistance was the trio of gallery wrap canvases hung over the stairwell:

How beautiful is that? :) Those are some of my favorite images. I'm so glad the family gets to see a daily reminder of the wonderful blessing baby Frankie is in their lives.

The Zack Family

2011-09-09T14:55:00.005-04:00

I had a lot of fun with the Zack family recently at Cass-Benton Park. They are really a fantastic family. Quite adventuresome too--there was a lot of dangerous tree climbing involved!

Gotta love a dad who encourages his kids to take risks!

The Zack kids are a really great bunch:

Liz & Mickey :: The Perfect Pair

2011-08-08T18:52:00.009-04:00

It was a very hot July day when Liz and Mickey tied the knot at the University of Michigan, where they met six years ago. That did not hinder any of the fun of the day though! The whole day was planned so well, and there were personal and fun details everywhere. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of the day, and I could tell that all of the guests did too. Liz and Mickey are such a loving, fun, and gracious couple!

This was a super fun and friendly bridal party, and they were such good sports about trekking all over campus to get tons of fun pictures.

Liz's hot pink shoes were awesome!

I love how dedicated she was to getting a good picture:

I have to give a shout out to my stellar second photographer, Lauryn Goodvich. Not only did she capture some great moments, she was also a very important part of easing the workload for this pregnant photographer! This is one of her shots:

Such a gorgeous bride!

Image by Lauryn Goodvich.

The wedding was held at the Michigan League, which has a beautiful garden area for the ceremony.

Image by Lauryn Goodvich.

The heat of the day made the ring ceremony interesting! The rings did not want to go on either of their fingers. I love Liz's expression here:

Image by Lauryn Goodvich.

The reception was beautifully decorated. I love that each table had their own little wedding cake.

Image by Lauryn Goodvich.

The favors and place card holders were little flip flops to use on the bottom of your drink glasses (made by the crafty Liz!).

Image by Lauryn Goodvich.

Such a fun couple:

Image by Lauryn Goodvich.

Before saying the prayer, Liz's uncle made sure to lead the Pennsylvania side of the family in a rousing "We are Penn State!"

Which was very promptly answered by "Hail to the Victors!" :)

Check out the couple's wedding slideshow to see more pictures!

Liz and Mickey, I wish you two all the best in your future together! Thank you so much for asking me to be a part of your special day!

Baby Cameron

2011-08-04T11:42:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I got to spend the day with my good friends Scott and Danielle and their baby boy Cameron. We got lots of good pictures to commemorate Cameron's sixth month.

I love this sequence:

Love his eyes!

Scott and Danielle are such great parents, and I'm excited to see Cameron grow!

Back in business!

2011-06-13T16:51:00.003-04:00

So I really didn't mean to disappear from blogging for six months! Actually, I practically disappeared from everything for quite a while. But I'm back! And full of news news news.

The first bit of news is we're expecting a baby! The little one is due in mid-November. We're super duper excited! Crazy bad morning sickness is a big part of what kept me in hiding for so long. Boy, am I ever glad to be done with that!

Our second piece of news is that we bought our first house! We moved in just two weeks ago (yes, I am still very much surrounded by boxes everywhere!). We absolutely love our new place! We're still in walking distance from downtown Plymouth, have a great yard, and have been blessed with a house that is everything we wanted. It will be fun making it our own!

Those two big happenings are the culprits for my lack of getting much work done lately! I'm looking forward to getting back to shooting, editing, updating (man that website hasn't been updated in over a year!), and doing all the other business-y things I love.

Seeing as our baby is due in November, if you're planning on scheduling a session for this year make sure you get one in before mid-October! I'll be shutting down shop temporarily once Baby makes his/her arrival, and will probably continue hibernating through the winter. :) Spaces are limited, so get those calendars out right now and let's get that scheduled!

The Wrights

2011-01-04T12:01:00.004-05:00

I have been looking forward to doing a lifestyle session with the Wrights for quite some time. They're such a sweet, beautiful, and happy family, and they exceeded my expectations in every way!

Since baby Camryn was enjoying her morning nap when I arrived, Jadon got some fantastic quality time. Reading a book was the first order of the day. I love this expression!

Then it was time to play with cars...

Jadon loved the tickle fights, wrestling, jumping, chasing, climbing... Whew! I bet he enjoyed a nap after all that!

Running around all over the house makes getting some blurry shots inevitable. Those don't usually make the cut, but I just fell in love with this one. The movement and emotion is perfect.

I think he was getting a little worn out?

Taking a rest reading with Daddy. I love how they each have their own teddy bear!

While the boys took a break with a book, Camryn had awaken and was enjoying a meal. Such a beautiful, quiet moment.

Too cute!

Jadon had gotten his second wind! Suzy told me that Jadon climbs all over Don on a daily basis. Who needs a jungle gym when you have Dad?

And then came my favorite line of the day, from Suzy: "Jadon, do you want to jump on the bed?" Yep--the perfect parents! :)

I love love LOVE this one!

Such beautiful ladies!

And then it was family story time. Aren't they picture perfect?

It was such a fun day! Be sure to check out their slideshow to see the whole experience!

Some KISSes!

2011-01-01T11:56:00.003-05:00

Welcome to 2011!

I've been anxious to show you all the awesome KISS Linen albums I made for baby Frankie. I had to keep them a secret until they could show up as Christmas presents!

Make sure you check out Frankie's album design! It was so fun to capture his first six weeks (and even a little when he was still in the belly!), and an album is the perfect way to tell that story.

Who wouldn't love something that comes in such a pretty package?

The Mini KISSes were super duper cute. They were perfect for the grandparents!

This is the 8x8 Linen KISS with one of the Mini KISSes:

Such wonderful presents!

I'm looking forward to all that 2011 has in store! Can't wait to share it with you all. :)

Frankie's slideshow

2010-11-03T13:05:00.004-04:00

Frankie, you are a miracle, a joy, and a gift. Your first six weeks have been just the beginning of an amazing journey God has prepared for you!

Enjoy your slideshow!

Frankie at Six Weeks

2010-11-02T13:51:00.005-04:00

You saw a bit from his very first day in the world, and a bit from his first week. Now he's six weeks old! It's amazing how fast babies grow! It's been so fun seeing Frankie so much during this time, and it's been awesome to capture some lifestyle sessions for he and his parents to cherish over the years. These precious little moments pass by so quickly!

I love this one! I just can't get over how cute he is!

I love what Jeanette envisioned for the nursery and how well it came together! Frankie will always know how special his family is and how much they all love him.

This has to be the most awesome baby mobile ever!

Jeanette's mom used to sing "You are my sunshine" to all the grandchildren who were blessed to have known her. Now she can still be a part of it all.

He loves watching his mobile:

Melt my heart!

I can't help but smile with this one:

Frankie's so full of smiles!

The Cannons

2010-10-29T15:00:00.005-04:00

When Matt and I moved to Plymouth less than a year ago (is it really coming up on one year?!), God led us to an amazing church where we have been challenged, encouraged, and loved. We're incredibly blessed to be there. The Cannon family was one of the first to make us feel welcomed and it's been such a pleasure getting to know them and learning from Brad every Sunday.

I knew I would have fun taking their fall family pictures! Those kids kept me laughing!

Aww.... Such a sweet couple:

Autumn, Bella, and Max are a hoot! It was fun to see their different personalities in full gear!

Becky came up with some really fun ideas:

It's been such a blessing knowing this family and I look forward to getting to know them better over the years!

A Day on the Farm

2010-10-25T13:39:00.009-04:00

Some of my favorite things (a gorgeous autumn day, time with fantastic friends, two cute kids, and getting to shoot a lifestyle session) all aligned to create a wonderful day with some great pictures!

I can't believe it's been two years since I last got to take pictures of my good friend Corey's family. Aedan has grown so much, and little Riley has been added to the mix!

The Brickers have a tradition of spending every available Saturday at "The Farm" in Milan with Jeremy's horse, Kal. I knew that doing a lifestyle session with them on one of those Saturdays would be a perfect way to help them cherish those memories forever.

Lifestyle sessions are my absolute favorite thing to do. Being able to capture real memories, moments, and expressions is just priceless. But before we embarked on the fun-filled day, we headed up to the hay loft to try for one quick family portrait. A little tickling had to be employed to get the boys to cooperate for this one.

It was fun to watch Riley observing every little detail around the farm.

Doesn't Aedan look so grown up?

I think he was waving at Daddy, who was with the horses.

Aedan was such a helper!

I love this expression!

When Corey was brushing Kal, Riley leaned in for a hug, and gently rubbed Cal's side. Oh, melt my heart...

Jeremy let Kal work off some energy before the family rides.

Aedan loves riding.

I had to be sure to capture some special time between Jer and Kal.

I'm so glad I got to experience such a special part of their lives! Check out their slideshow to see more of the day.

Fun Times Three

2010-10-13T20:12:00.004-04:00

I had a fabulously fun time photographing the Carlson kids at Northville's Mill Race Village the other day! The location was delicious, the weather outstanding, and the subjects fantastic! They're such a fun family. It was seriously a treat!

I love this one:

There's a little bit of an uneven balance toward Sarah in this collection... She was such a great model I couldn't just pick one! I love what the sunlight is doing in this one.

This is only one of a long series of her various expressions. This girl knows how to work it!

Cory:

And Parker:

And yet another model shot from Sarah:

Oh the joy!

Frankie's First Weeks

2010-10-13T13:25:00.006-04:00

I've been doing some lifestyle sessions of little Frankie during his first weeks in the world. He's such a sweet baby! Keep an eye out for more pictures in a couple of weeks!

Getting ready for his first bath:

He was so calm during the bath! He knows he's safe with Mommy and Daddy taking care of him.

So teeny tiny!

Katija is keeping watch:

He really doesn't cry much. I just love this one:

Burpy time!

Daddy's little guy. So sweet.

Baby Frank Anthony

2010-09-20T13:26:00.009-04:00

I had the pleasure of seeing little Frank Anthony on his first day in this world. He's beautiful! I can't wait to take more pictures of him as he grows.

Congratulations to the happy parents!

The happy happy daddy!

He was so content and quiet the whole time except this one little moment:

But he calmed right down. Looks like he might be an easy baby!

Surrounded with the love of family:

Jeanette went to get a pedicure with a friend the night before she went into labor. The polish was supposed to be a beautiful, deep purple, but too many coats caused it to look black instead. It's so not Jeanette to be sporting a goth look, so we all found it qui

Welcome to the world, Frank Anthony! You are an incredible miracle, a huge blessing to all who are in your world, and loved beyond measure!

Up North

2010-09-07T15:43:00.004-04:00

Labor Day weekend is one of my favorite holiday weekends of the year, and this time was no exception! The weather did not cooperate, but that didn't stop us from enjoying everything we could.

According to tradition, we spent Saturday with my extended family on Coldwater Lake. We were stuck inside the whole day, so I have no usual tales of water skiing, tubing, swimming, and the like. Still, it was fantastic to get to spend time with the family, catching up with cousins, and eating loads of amazing food.

We headed further north for the rest of the weekend, aiming to enjoy our early anniversary trip. [Our anniversary is at the end of September, but Matt always complains about how cold our anniversary trips are, so we thought going earlier in the month would be a good idea... ha! If only! I guess we might just have to get used to cold anniversary trips!] We didn't get to enjoy swimming in the big Lake like we had hoped, but we did get to explore downtown Petoskey, hike through Petoskey State Park, drive up to Cross Village through the Tunnel of Trees, and meander through Harbor Springs and Charlevoix. Most of all, it was just fantastic to spend a relaxing couple of days with just the two of us. And, we all know how much I love exploring Michigan... :)

Enjoying a "small" cup of cappuccino and a yummy lunch at Jolly's:

Our windy self-portrait by the beautiful Little Traverse Bay:

A Baby is on the way!

2010-08-16T15:29:00.003-04:00

This couple is one of the most deserving people to be experiencing the honor of becoming new parents! Their immense love for children and family has always been apparent. They have always been generous in opening their home to family events, driving all over the state for other family functions, giving personalized gifts to each of the numerous nieces and nephews, attending events for godchildren and friends, and so much more. Their journey to having children of their own has been long and difficult, and it gives me immense joy to see this little miracle of God growing in Jeanette's belly now! They are going to be amazing parents.

Jeanette is gorgeous, by the way:

Between the two of them, I'm positive their baby is going to be absolutely beautiful!

Jeanette and, as niece Maggie calls him, "Buzz Buzz" like to cook together, so we thought it would be fun to capture some of their time in the kitchen:

This baby is so showered in love already! They can't wait to meet him/her!

Their session wouldn't have been complete without their other member of the family, Katija:

The little one is due in September! I can't wait to show you more pictures then!

Friends, Family, and Lakes!

2010-08-10T10:20:00.006-04:00

I can't believe that summer is wrapping up soon! It's been an absolute whirlwind of fun, jam packed with family and friends. In the past three weeks, we've been to three family reunions! We've enjoyed spending time with our awesome new friends, visited some old ones, and had a blast with other family visits. And it's not over yet!

We spent a couple of days in Mt Pleasant recently with family. We watched some incredible dirt track racing at the Mt Pleasant Speedway with my cousins. I wish I knew how to post the videos I took, because it was so awesome! Then we enjoyed family reunion #1, where we got to see Uncle Frank and Dan's latest inventions (always fascinating!). Last time it was their pop-pop boats, this time Dan was in the process of building a camper from scratch:

And he seriously has every single square inch serving a purpose. It's amazing how he thinks!

We also enjoyed the traditional tractor ride, which Dan improved with "new" (re-purposed) seats, stairs, and a sign:

All-out country style! :)

One of the highlights for me during these last few weeks was spending a day with my college piano professor. She's such a blessing to me! We enjoyed relaxing at her home on a lake, and even ventured out on a paddle-boat ride:

Our cousins from Mt Pleasant came to visit us for a day as well. We enjoyed venturing through IKEA. Ah the joys of big city living! :)

After all of that, Matt spent a weekend golfing 70 holes with his brothers in preparation for their annual golf tournament, which they won for the third time in four years. Congrats guys!

While he was out golfing, I was sailing! As I've mentioned so many times before, I LOVE SAILING! This time, I took my friend, Laree. We had a blast! It was perfect weather, so relaxing, and filled with jokes and laughter.

This is Laree acting like she was going to fall out when we were heeling:

At reunion #3, we played on the beach, ate tons of food, paddle-boated around, and buried Benjamin in the sand:

It has fed my soul to be with family and friends, and around so much water! :)

David :: Class of 2011

2010-07-26T09:19:00.006-04:00

I had the awesome opportunity to take senior pictures for our eldest nephew, David, last weekend. I can't believe he's going to be graduating so soon! Time flies...

We had a lot of fun venturing all over downtown Port Huron to get some cool shots. David was so easy to take pictures of. He's such a happy, confident guy. I know he'll do well in whatever path he chooses after graduation.

Congrats on being a senior, David, and I hope you enjoy your last year of high school!

Lake Michigan

2010-07-07T14:05:00.003-04:00

Just a week ago, our plans for the 4th of July weekend were pretty much non-existent. All that we had planned for our three day weekend was taking my grandma out for lunch on Sunday (which was great! ...so glad to be able to spend time with family again!). So we started talking about taking a trip to Lake Michigan, where--believe it or not--Matt had never been! We're planning on heading that way for our anniversary, but I think I've talked it up so much that Matt was getting awfully anxious to check it out! We figured we could head over that way on Monday, making it a budget-conscious day trip. Then I figured, why not just check out Hotwire's last minute deals? Ya never know... And so we scored a great, cheap hotel room in Grand Rapids! And it turned into a day and a half, still-budget-conscious last minute trip!

So after eating lunch with Grandma on the east side of Detroit, we headed all the way across to the west coast. We decided to hit up Grand Haven that evening, and enjoyed strolling their very busy downtown. People were everywhere! Turns out they were having their fireworks show that night. We walked the boardwalk for a bit, grabbed a bite to eat, and decided we wanted to check out the beach. The beach, at Grand Haven State Park, was a mile away, but we knew we wouldn't be able to park anywhere near it with all the people around. So we walked the mile and enjoyed the views on the way. In flip-flops. Remind me not to do that again! Owww.... Anyway, the beach was awesome. It was clearing out a bit at the time (a storm was threatening the party... but it ended up passing). Matt couldn't get over how sandy the beach was! No more gingerly navigating seemingly endless rocks and stones! I knew he'd love it... We didn't stick around for the fireworks since we wanted to get a good start on our sleep before the next day.

On Monday, we stopped in at Holland's State Park. (We bought the year pass recently when mountain biking at Maybury State Park, near Plymouth, and we are taking full advantage of it!) We played frisbee in the water and layed out for a bit. If only Matt would let me post a pic of his t-shirt looking burn!

It was so heavenly! Who needs Florida when you have Lake Michigan?? (OK, I've never been there, so I'm probably not in a position to say... but still...)

After getting some yummy BBQ in Holland, we headed to our next state park--Saugatuck. And, oh my goodness... It was so perfect! The 2.5 mile, wooded hike to and from the beach (not in flip flops) was beautiful and worth it. The sky was blue, the waves were huge, the water was warm, the sand so perfect... Can it get any better than this? I say all of the time how much I love water, and I really mean it. It feeds my soul.

I feel so incredibly blessed to be living in Michigan again. Sandy beaches, huge lakes, beautiful scenery... And so much more. I think I could seriously write a list of 101 Things I Love About Michigan. Hmm...

Lindsey & Duane's Wedding Album Design

2010-06-28T13:43:00.007-04:00

I have this thing for albums. They're just such a beautiful, timeless way to share a story, and weddings are one of the best types of stories to tell! I just got finished designing an album from Lindsey and Duane's wedding. Enjoy these sneak peaks, and click here to view the entire album design. And if you haven't already, check out the slideshow of their special day here!

Lindsey & Duane's Slideshow

2010-06-14T10:24:00.001-04:00

Lindsey and Duane's wedding slideshow is up! Check it out to see more images from their amazing day!

Lindsey & Duane :: Married!

2010-06-07T17:54:00.006-04:00

Friday, June 4th, was a wonderful, beautiful day! It was so fun to photograph Lindsey and Duane's wedding. Lindsey and I grew up together--our parents met when I was an infant and Lindsey wasn't even born yet. Over the years, we shared pajama parties (I'll refrain from posting the picture of Lindsey and I modeling our pink nightgowns...), played for hours in the basement, and enjoyed celebrating Christmases together. We haven't seen each other often in the last few years, but Lindsey made me feel welcomed and special on her wedding day. It was an honor to be a part of it all.

Kind. Caring. Thoughtful. Loving. Those are some of the words that come to mind when I think of Lindsey and Duane, as well as their family and friends. Their whole wedding day exuded those qualities. Every detail showed a special care for those who had come to surround them in love on that day. Understandably, a wedding day usually consists of putting all of the attention on the bride and groom, but I could tell that Lindsey and Duane wanted just as much to show that love right back to everyone else. The immense love they have for each other (they're such a perfect match!) and for everyone else made the day one that will stand out in my mind, and I'm sure many others'.

Lindsey's makeup was done by her friend, Lisa Marie, from Katherine Lynn Salon in Troy, MI. She did a fantastic job with Lindsey and a few of her bridesmaids. I love Lindsey's features--so photogenic!

Everyone's hair was done by one of the bridesmaids, Nicole, who also works at the same salon. I just have to give a shout out to her and Lisa Marie because they did such a superb job! I loved the styles and all of the girls looked so beautiful!

Lindsey's bridesmaids were so fun and nice! Here's her maid of honor, Lauryn, helping with the dress:

What a good looking couple!

The weather was pretty iffy all day, sprinkling a bit before the ceremony and threatening the plans, but it ended up working out just perfectly. A big storm did roll in, but not until after we were safe inside at the reception! This is Duane's aunt and godmother waiting for the ceremony to start:

I absolutely adore Lindsey's parents--they're some of my very favorite people. I love this special moment between Lindsey and her dad.

This sequence is so special! I would love to know what Duane said to Lindsey's dad, because the reaction was priceless!

Both the ceremony and reception were at the picturesque Fore Lakes Golf Club near Port Huron.

The newly married couple!

Check out this beautiful bride!

The bridal party was so fun and easy to work with. They all looked great, too. I loved the girl's dresses--they all showed their own personalities and can be used so many times after the wedding! (See what I meant about being thoughtful? Great idea, Linds!)

And yet another thoughtful detail... The couple's wedding cake, made by The Atrium, was surrounded by nine other cakes that each had special significance. Like the chocolate Bumpy Cake for Lindsey's brother, Austin; Lindey's dad's favorite birthday cake, German Chocolate; a couple of recipes from grandmothers; both mothers' favorite, Carrot Cake; and even the cake recipe that was enjoyed the night the couple's parents first met. The cakes were delicious--I saw plenty of people taking multiple slices. I've never seen such a long line of people getting cake!

The couple's first dance:

The DJ, from Black Tie Productions of Flint, was fantastic. Everyone had such a fun time!

I wish all the happiness in the world for Duane and Lindsey! I'm sure the years ahead will hold many good things for them.

Album time!

2010-05-04T13:18:00.008-04:00

I finally have my very own Zookbook wedding album! After looking at my design on the computer for so long, it's incredibly nice to have it in print. And it's such great quality!

I'm excited to be offering albums now for weddings and portraits. I work with both Zookbinders (shown) and KISS to give a great variety of options for exactly what you need. And guess what!? To welcome albums to my products, I'm offering 25% off albums for the month of May! That's a whopping 25% off the current prices!! So, if you've already been a client of mine and you want to have a fabulous album made with those images, or if you're planning to have a session sometime this year, just let me know in the month of May that you're interested in an album and I'll lock you in at the 25% off if you order your album this year. I can't think of a better way to keep and share your images!

Springtime in Plymouth

2010-04-26T09:35:00.003-04:00

I'm totally loving living in Plymouth! What a fantastic town! Living near downtown, I get to walk to the bakery, butcher, and produce market, which is so cool! Matt and I have been enjoying the various restaurants and we've been walking around the neighborhoods. There's always something new to discover. Love it love it love it! Oh, and there are blossoming trees everywhere! My neighbor asked me to take a picture of this tree near our home:

Italy 2010

2010-04-19T13:00:00.006-04:00

I first went to Italy in 2006 to fulfill my cross cultural requirements for graduation from Spring Arbor University. Little did I know that three weeks in a country I previously had little interest in would leave me longing to return almost every day after. So, in January of this year, when everything seemed to be lining up right, Matt and I decided to take the jump and plan our Italy 2010 trip for March! We did a whirlwind trip for 10 days. It was so fun to show Matt all the things I had wished I could have shared with him the first time (we were engaged at the time).

We fit in most of the major sites, but most enjoyed the quiet non-touristy stuff. Like our 24 hours spent in Assisi, where the tourist season had not yet started. It was surreal to venture through the super quiet medieval streets at night. We stumbled upon La Bottega dei Sapori, where Fabrazio showered us with Italian hospitality, feeding us various delicious samples of his family's olive oil, truffle oil, balsamic vinegar, and the like. He made us the best pork paninis and sent us off with hugs and kisses!

Our hike in Cinque Terre was amazing too. We hiked from Vernazza to Corniglia, conquering the heights and taking in the view down the cliff and across the sea. It felt like we were the only people on the side of the cliff.

Then there was the evening we spent in Fiesole, just outside Florence. We got there just too late to see the sun set over the city, but we did enjoy looking at the city lights from such a high, quiet perch. Then we enjoyed a quiet dinner at Ristorante Perseus, where we used almost all Italian when conversing with our waiter! Matt had learned how to ask for a glass of red house wine, and I learned how to ask what they recommended and ask for the bill. Between the two of us, we had it covered!

Near the end of our trip, when we were in Venice, we took one of the water buses to the island of Burano, which was one of my favorite places last time. The houses are incredibly colorful, it's away from the bustle, and they have oh-so-gorgeous linens and hand-made lace. We enjoyed a cappuccino off at a quiet corner by the water (being near water always makes my heart sing!) and just relaxed.

I hope you enjoy the little glimpse of Italy that I brought back with me!

**********

This is Bernini's Baldacchino in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. That basilica is so amazingly ornate and beautiful!

Rocca Maggiore, the castle at the top of Assisi, was just a short walk from our hotel. It offers such beautiful views of the area.

This is a view from our hike in Cinque Terre, looking at Corniglia. It wasn't a very clear day, so the waters weren't quite as vibrantly blue as I saw them last, but it was still stunning.

One of our many self-portraits: overlooking Florence from Piazza Michelangelo. We climbed the Duomo (one of my favorite things!) earlier in the day.

The view from Ponte Vecchio in Florence:

Another self-portrait: Standing on the Rialto Bridge in Venice. I think we were laughing because it was proving difficult to get a good self-portrait!

The view of Venice from a water bus.

This is a little taste of the neat textures and colors you find when you're on a gondola ride in the back canals of Venice.

The view from our gondola:

A window on Burano, the most colorful place in the world (in my opinion!):

Reflections of Burano:

First things first!

2010-04-12T10:40:00.006-04:00

Happy April!

Yep, time sure has flown by since I last appeared here! I'm back from my trip to Italy (pictures soon, I promise!), and digging into the business. Since I've moved, I'm reassessing everything, fine tuning my business plan, updating things, and getting the ball rolling here. Whew! It's tiring! But I'm loving it. I'm so excited about what is in store here at my new home! I have high hopes for my photography. I'm so glad I'm finally somewhere I can put roots down, and thus focus on building the business. I can't wait to share all my new ideas and adventures!

But FIRST... You know the concept of "the cobbler's children have no shoes," right? Well, in my case, it's "the photographer and her husband have no wedding album." Eek! We've been married for three and a half wonderful years now, and I'm finally going to order our album this week! I determined that I absolutely had to get this done before I get consumed with everything else. I'll be sure to post pics of the album when it comes in so you can see how beautiful Zookbinder Zookbooks are! I absolutely looooove albums, and I'm hoping to rub some of that excitement off on you, because I know that if you get one from your portrait session or wedding or such you will looooove it too!

In the meantime, check out our wedding album design below (or click the link for a bigger version since this one will be teensy!). The majority of the photography was done by Jody Ross Photography. Some reception pictures and such were also done by my friend, Jeremy Bricker, and others. And the design was done by me!* Oh, and you'll notice lots of words--they're the words from the ceremony, as well as the super sweet toasts Matt's brothers gave. It was all so important to me I just couldn't leave them out!

* Tiny disclaimer: The design is just a tad more old school than I would usually do, but I had to adapt to the photography style the pictures were taken in (as well as the size of the files). Can't wait to show you what my designs are like with my own images!

I've Moved!

2010-01-26T14:28:00.002-05:00

I can’t believe I haven’t written anything since October! Time has just flown by… And so much has happened!

In mid-November, Matt was presented with the opportunity to transfer within his company to their new center in Michigan. A month later, we were packed up and moving! First off, I would like to say how much I really enjoyed living in Louisville. The people we met were wonderful, and the things we got to do were memorable. Thank you to all of the people who chose me to take the pictures that will help them to remember the special moments in their lives—it truly was a pleasure!

So here I am, starting a new life! I’m excited about whatever God has in store for us. We’re now living in Plymouth, Michigan. As most of you know, almost all of our family lives in Michigan as well, so it is a blessing to be able to be near them again. The last month has been packed with ups and downs, and it has been such a Godsend to have our families close.

Please be patient, as there will probably be fewer pictures in coming months since I’ll be building things up from scratch again! There will however be some great pictures from an overseas trip we have planned a couple of months from now! Can’t wait to see what the future holds. :)

Kenneth & Melanie

2009-10-21T15:05:00.004-04:00

Kenneth and Melanie are an awesome couple Matt and I have had the pleasure of knowing for the last couple of years. They've been such an encouragement and blessing to us! I got to hang out with them this morning at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park, where we took tons of pictures amongst the autumn colors.

Kelli & Jon

2009-10-14T10:54:00.004-04:00

When Kelli contacted me about taking pictures of her and Jon, she mentioned that he had been away in Afghanistan for a while serving our country. I was totally honored to capture the two of them so they can have great pictures to cherish during his frequent deployments. We met up this weekend at the Brown's, who are mutual friends of ours. After a fun photo shoot, we enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each other over dinner, and I found them to be a totally fun and sweet couple! Not to mention they are totally cute together! I mean, seriously, how cute is this?

I looooove Kelli's fair skin and dark hair. How gorgeous! And Jon's eyes are such a clear, piercing blue. Don't they look fantastic?

They were so full of laughter! Totally fun. These are some faves:

Danielle & Noah

2009-09-21T19:18:00.005-04:00

Last week, I met up with Danielle and her son, Noah, at Long Run Park to get some pictures of the two of them. Noah, being two and a half, wasn't too keen on getting pictures taken, but we managed to pull out some good ones! It was fun to watch his adventuresome all-out boyness (yep, I tend to add "ness" to any word!), as he played with rocks and fed the ducks.

I thought this was way too cute:

Noah definitely likes his mommy:

With the dogs, going to find the ducks to feed:

Still looking for the ducks! They were across the pond, but Noah kept pointing to a log in the water saying that it was the ducks. So he kept throwing them crackers. It was so cute! Isn't this precious?

After heading back home, to where Noah would be more comfortable, we finally caught some smiles! So sweet!

Noah liked taking pictures of me while I took pictures of him!

The Johnson Family

2009-09-16T14:00:00.005-04:00

The past two years, Matt and I have been involved in the awesome Lifepointe church. From day one, the pastor, Jamey, made us feel super welcome and has offered lots of energy and enthusiasm to the church community. He and his wife, Crystal, as well as their kids Chloe, Max, and Josie, have been a pleasure to get to know. I enjoyed having the opportunity to capture this beautiful family on camera this weekend.

Baby Beeler is on the way!

2009-09-15T19:10:00.006-04:00

I had the pleasure of wandering all over downtown Louisville this weekend with TJ and Erin, finding oodles of neat spots to take pictures of them in all their expectant-parent glory! They're so excited about Baby Peyton joining them soon!

I was stoked when we found this spot with the big "Dreams" sign. TJ and Erin have been waiting and hoping, and are now seeing their dreams being fulfilled.

Erin has gorgeous eyes!

Comparing their bellies:

One hot mama:

I wish I could say I made this delicious lighting, but I didn't. The sun was actually reflecting off a huge glass building. I couldn't get over how perfect it was!

Thanks for letting me capture this time in your lives, TJ and Erin! I can't wait to meet Peyton!

Oliver Rush

2009-08-26T17:41:00.005-04:00

I met Shea through church, and once we started hanging out we really connected. She's been such a great friend to me. When Shea and Matt had their son, Oliver Rush, he quickly gained a spot in my heart. He's been a joy to watch as he grows! I took Ollie's seven-month pictures last week. Here's just a bit (there were so many good ones!) of Ollie for you:

Ollie loves his glow worm:

Smiling at Mommy:

Shea fed Ollie his favorite--pumpkin baby food. These pics were taken in three consecutive seconds. It cracks me up!

You can't tell me this is not completely adorable!

This is Ollie after a long day of drumming:

I was laughing so hard when he did that I almost couldn't take the picture! He really knows how to rock! I sense a drummer in the making...

So what are the chances that you'll get a 7-month old and his mommy both looking at the camera and smiling at the same time?? One in a million, I'd say. So, Shea, here's your one-in-a-million shot. You deserve it!

One year later...

2009-08-20T10:27:00.002-04:00

Last week, I spent a wonderful few days with my friend, Megan, and her hubby, Andy, out in Colorado. It was a fantastic time! While there, I got to shoot Megan's Rock the Dress pics! So, almost a year after their wedding, Megan totally rocked it in her dress--she went hiking through Palmer Park in Colorado Springs and looked gorgeous while doing it! Here are just a few from the shoot. Keep an eye on my Facebook page to see more!

Facebook!

2009-08-19T16:29:00.005-04:00

Are you my fan on Facebook yet??? If not, search for Stephanie Koshay Photography or click on the link below and become a fan! I only post a few pics on here from photo shoots, and then post more on Facebook later, so if you want to see more, check it out! I'll be posting lots of pics soon, and you won't want to miss it!

Stephanie Koshay Photography on Facebook

Love. Joy. Peace.

2009-07-18T19:13:00.007-04:00

This year has been a year of growing for me—growing in my understanding of God, my love for Him, and His love for me. I feel like for the first time in my life I’m finally getting it. Knowing how infinite God is, my finally “getting it” is probably just one grain of sand on the whole huge beach. None the less, it’s been amazing.

One of the things I’ve come to understand this year is that living for God isn’t about rules and regulations. It isn’t about a code of morality that you adhere to. Yeah, that stuff is most definitely a part of the whole. But it’s not the whole at all. I think I used to follow God and His rules because I was supposed to. Yes, I loved Him, and it made sense to me, but a lot of my motivation was that it’s what I was supposed to do. But this year, I have started to see that it’s about the relationship. I’ve heard that before, and I’ve always agreed with it, but I’ve seen the reality of it so much more. The interesting thing is, the relationship ties in with the “rules,” per say. You can’t really have one without the other. Hmmm… I’m losing how to say what I’m thinking here… This is where a good quote can step in (as usual with me!):

In Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller says:

“The hijacking of the concept of morality began, of course, when we reduced Scripture to formula and a love story to theology, and finally morality to rules. It is a very different thing to break a rule than it is to cheat on a lover. A person’s mind can do all sorts of things his heart would never let him do. If we think of God’s grace as a technicality, a theological precept, we can disobey without the slightest feeling of guilt, but if we think of God’s grace as a relational invitation, an outreach of love, we are pretty much jerks for belittling the gesture. …When I run a stop sign, for example, I am breaking a law against a system of rules, but if I cheat on my wife, I have broken a law against a person. The first is impersonal; the latter is intensely personal.” (p. 438-439 in his Greatest Hits collection)

Just the other day, I was talking to a friend about how when we sin we’re essentially cheating on God. And I’m not really talking about those blatant sins we think of when we talk about sinning (although that applies too). I’m talking about the sins of the heart: Bitterness, and Self-Hatred, and Jealousy, and Fear… When we entertain those sins, we are choosing Satan’s lies (his Law) over God’s truth (His Law). And when that’s all broken down into formula, theology, and rules, it’s really not that big of a deal. But when we realize it’s about a relationship, it becomes a big deal.

A few months ago, I made a huge effort to finally get rid of Fear in my life. I decided that I was sick of accepting what Fear had to say above what God had to say. It hasn’t really been about “rules” or doing “what I’m supposed to do.” I chose to let go of Fear because I chose to believe that God is God, and I am not, and He deserves to be followed and believed and loved. And the most amazing thing has happened. Every time I repent of Fear and Stress (and I do mean multiple times—it’s not easy!), He replaces all that with the craziest, biggest sense of Peace and Joy and Love that I have ever felt in my life. And I haven’t repented in order to get that—I haven't even expected it. I repented because I decided to choose God. And He surprised me with that blessing. Either I’m manifesting Satan’s kingdom (Bitterness, Rejection, Fear, Self-Hatred, etc.) or I’m manifesting God’s kingdom (Love, Joy, Peace, etc.). By removing Fear, I’ve made room for God’s kingdom.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

His Peace truly does transcend all understanding. My situation doesn’t necessarily change, but when I choose God, my heart is filled with His Peace, Love, and Joy. It’s incredible and undeniably amazing. I am finally just beginning to grasp how much He loves us, and I can’t help but share it.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 4:17-19)

A Bit of Heaven

2009-07-01T16:30:00.005-04:00

I just got back from an absolutely fantastic weekend in Michigan! As usual, we crammed everything possible in--which left us entirely exhausted and yet so fulfilled. We also had some co-travelers this time--my brother, Shannon, and his roommate Alabbas--which helped make the drive more bearable (and I always love spending time with Shan!). Alabbas is from Saudi Arabia and hasn't been in the States all that long, so it was fun to learn about his culture and show him ours.

We spent most of Saturday at the park and the beach with Matt's family. The weather was 75 and sunny! Couldn't have asked for anything better. I really enjoyed swimming in Lake Huron. Even though it was cold, I've missed the water so much I didn't care! And we got to catch up with family and see how much all of the kids have grown since we last saw them.

This is Mackenzie, our newest niece--such a cutie:

One of the older nephews, Jason, decided to have a little fun with the sunscreen!

Madelyn and Nathaniel had lots of fun together. That little guy has changed so much since our beach outing last year--but still just as cute!

Our newest nephew, Jeremiah, is so adorable!

On Sunday morning, we go to go sailing!!!! I totally love sailing, and was psyched that we got to fit that in! Our family friend, Ralph, took us out on his Catalina. I grew up sailing with him and his family, and it's always nice to see him again. After some initial misty rain, it cleared up perfectly and the water was soooo smooth.

That's me at the wheel, with the huge smile I couldn't wipe off my face the whole time!!

Shannon and Alabbas in the cabin (wasn't much room for everyone to sit!):

My dad, who taught me the joys of sailing:

After that, the four of us southerners headed on the road, stopping quickly in Gross Pointe to visit my grandparents, and grabbing oh-so-yummy, highly-recommended lunch at La Pita in Dearborn (had to get some authentic food for Alibas!). We got back super late, but filled with lots of excellent memories. Oh to have a weekend like that again! :)

More exciting things are on the way this summer. A couple more visits up north are in order, and I'm also taking a trip to Colorado in August! I'm going to visit my friend Megan, get some quality girl time in, and take some Rock the Dress photos!

As always, I'm excited for whatever God has in store for the future. I'll keep you posted!

Summer Savings!

2009-06-24T13:18:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't been updating things lately. Hopefully soon I'll be filling you in on everything! I just wanted to share a great deal with all of you Louisville area people. Summer is a fantastic time to get photos taken, with all the sunshine and great weather going on. So, here's a little something to bless your pocketbook:

Book your portrait session before July 25^th, and get $25 worth of free prints for every $50 ordered! Or, get $50 worth of free prints with the purchase of all of your images on CD (includes permission to print)! Sessions may be scheduled through September. E-mail me or contact me through my website to get your session booked today!

Meet the Browns

2009-04-14T10:30:00.004-04:00

A few days ago, Matt and I got to hang out with the Browns, an awesome family we know from church. They're such a joyful, warm, and friendly family. It was great to spend time getting to know them better. I also got to take pictures of them on their large, country property. This is one of my favorites:

Land Between the Lakes

2009-04-10T09:58:00.002-04:00

I just had a fantastic week with my family! Once a year, my parents come down from Michigan to do some vacationing with my brother, my husband, and me. Last year we had a great time in Gatlinburg. This year, we met up at Land Between the Lakes, in western Kentucky. It's a really pretty wildlife area, with lots of water (us Michiganders love water and sailboats!), trees, trails, and the like. As always, we made tons of yummy food, relaxed at a nice cabin (I would highly recommend the Lake Woods Log Cabin), and enjoyed laughing and talking together.

Our first evening there, we made sure to visit the Elk and Bison Prairie at dusk so that we could spot the animals. We definitely saw quite a few elk and bison. It was hard to take pictures because it was so dark, but I did manage to capture the neat textures and colors in this one:

Matt and I were off to the side, viewing the animals, when I decided to take a picture of Shannon, my brother, and my parents looking out at the prairie. Then they spotted us!

On another day, we hiked around a small lake. There was this neat area where you could walk across stepping stones at the top of a waterfall. Matt went to take a picture of the four of us, and while he was walking away, we set up in the YMCA stance! He got a kick out of that when he turned around! We're so silly.

This one shows the waterfall:

There were tons of butterflies all over the trail. They gathered in little clumps a lot.

We had fun playing put-put golf at Maggie's Jungle Golf, and then checked out their Jungle Run, which is filled with lots of crazy animals, from emus to goats to donkeys to a camel.

I think this is an emu:

They had peacocks EVERYWHERE!!! I asked the owner how many they had and he guessed it was around 28 to 30. Crazy!

The camel liked to have food thrown in his mouth!
After the awesome weekend, my parents spent a few days in Nashville with Shannon. Then they came back to visit us for a couple of days as well. We did some shopping, lots of eating (as always!), and a little sightseeing. We stopped in at the Jim Beam distillery, and checked out the Bernheim Forest. Both are places I'd like to visit again--especially since they're just 20 minutes down the road!

I'm always thankful for time I get to spend with my family, and this week was no exception. It's great to get together and talk, experience life together, and encourage eachother in our walks with God. It's such a blessing! I wonder what we'll do next year!

Quick trip

2009-03-23T14:01:00.006-04:00

I just got back from a wonderful whirlwind weekend in Michigan! It was jam-packed with lots of people and fun. I got there after midnight on Friday since I had to work 'til 5. I got up super early Saturday to run over to my friend Corey's house for a short short visit (I'll steal a chance to see her any time I can!). I got to see her son Aedan for a few minutes too (hubby Jer was still sleeping--sorry I missed you!). He's growing up! He'll be three in a day or two, I think... Corey and Jer are expecting a second baby soon! I'm excited!

Then I ran back to my parent's to have breakfast with them before Matt and I headed over to his sister, Teresa's, where Matt's three sisters were gathered with some of the kids and hubbies. We had lots of fun talking and watching the kids play games. We were there a few hours, then headed to the riverfront where my uncle, aunt, and cousin were hanging out with my parents. They made the trip to see us since they're a few hours past our hometown! It was awesome to see them.

We discovered that Aunt Sandy and my mom have the same coat!

Katie and I by the bridge:

Having some fun with Katie and the camera:

Then we headed back to my parent's to hang out for the night. We played Charades and had a blast! We always laugh so much when we're together!

Katie and I again :) :

Sunday, we got up super early again and drove to Matt's brother, Rob's, to meet our newest nephew, Jeremiah! Congrats, Rob and Jacquie, on your third wonderful little boy!

Of course I had to get lots of pictures of photogenic Nathaniel. He's so smiley! Still as cute as a button.

Then we headed over to my grandparents to celebrate Grandpa's 89th birthday!

After that, we made the drive back to Kentucky, stopping in Dayton to see Megan & Andy before they move to Colorado. We'll defintiely miss you two!

It was a jam-packed weekend! I'm so grateful that we were able to see so many people. It's always so hard to say goodbye every time, but I'm glad we have the opportunity to make trips as often as we can!

Website Update!

2009-03-04T10:21:00.003-05:00

I finally got my website updated! Woohoo! If some of you have peeked over the last couple of weeks, you may have seen some of the changes. Now everything is completed, so take another look! New pictures, new slideshow links, new everything! Click the picture above to check it out.

Ice Storm

2009-02-08T18:31:00.003-05:00

2009 has gotten off to an interesting start. As you may have heard on the news, Kentucky got hit by a pretty big ice storm. Thousands of people lost power--us included. Some still don't have power, over a week later. We were out for 6 days. Thankfully, friends took us in so we had a warm place to stay! We were able to move back home just in time before Matt had shoulder surgery, which was on Thursday.

Besides the power being out, I must say that I really enjoyed seeing snow and ice all around. Crazy, eh? Seriously though, it felt like I was home! You're supposed to be surrounded by snow in January!

Keep on watching for my website updates. I was planning to have them done last week, but between the power being out and taking care of Matt, it's gotten pushed back quite a bit! I'm looking forward to sharing some new photos with you all though!

Catching Up

2009-01-14T13:39:00.006-05:00

My goodness! Time flies! I haven't written an entry in over two months! Finally, though, I am entering my slow season (thank God for that!) and I have a chance to sit and catch up.

Let's see... Some of you may wonder how I've been doing on my new lease on life. Well, I've been doing better! I still catch myself getting caught up in the busyness of just living, but I've found some opportunities to live a little more. Shortly after that entry, Matt and I had the opportunity to spend a day together (he had it off, and I was in between jobs... more on that in a sec), so we lived it up the best we could, despite the cold, rainy weather. We decided to scout the downtown area, where I would be training for a while, and in the process discovered a covered walkway that runs all the way from Fourth Street Live to the Galt House Hotel! So we took that and snooped around the big, luxurious hotel. Then, we headed to Frankfort Avenue, where there are lots of cute boutiques, antique stores, and unique restaurants. We found an awesome pottery shop called Pottery Rowe. The artist, Melvin Rowe, was there working on some Christmas ornaments. There is some amazing stuff there! I absolutely love pottery. I used to make it when I was in college. I would give anything to have the chance to work on a potter's wheel again... ah... so therapeutic. After that, we explored the campuses of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. They're both in a beautiful area with lots of pretty houses.

Then, my parents and brother came for Thanksgiving.

It was a lot of fun to have them here! We spent a little bit of time back at the Frankfort Avenue area, and discovered a model train shop! That was SO fun! My brother and I had an HO scale train set when we were kids (we still do, but it's boxed up now). We had so much fun building it, painting the landscape, adding trees and grass, racing the cars, building mountains, etc. etc. Needless to say, we really enjoyed being around that stuff again.

Christmas was different this year. I was only able to make it home for a day and a half. We tried to make it home in time for the annual neighborhood Christmas party, but bad weather all through Ohio and Michigan turned our 7 hour trip into 11 1/2 hours. :( We spent Christmas Eve at home, and Christmas day I flew back to Louisville, leaving Matt behind to enjoy some more time with his family. I had to work the day after Christmas. I'm really glad I did get to spend a little bit of time at home though!

So did you catch that I have a new job? Haha... Yep, I'm a part time teller at a bank now. I had been working at a portrait studio. It's been an interesting change. I think it will be nice to not be doing photography related work 24/7 now. Now I can focus on what I want to do with photography and enjoy it more!

So that's why I was incognito for a while. I had full time training for the new job, then it was the holidays on top of the adjusting to the job. Now I'm back in business! I'm looking forward to what lies ahead in this new year. I'm sure it will bring many new and exciting things!

Now, before I head off to work on my website updates (stay posted!), I'd like to share a quote from Ronald J. Sider's book, "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger." I've been reading it lately, and this part really jumped out at me today. He's talking about social injustices, but I really think that this principle applies to the grander scheme of things too. Some food for thought!

"However, living differently...by no means involves trying to do everything. We each have our own unique gifts and calling. God wants many of us to fast and pray about social sin. Most should study, and many should write and speak out. Some should join and support organizations promoting social justice. Others should run for political office. All of us should ask how changes in our personal lifestyle could help model a better world. But God does not want anyone to feel guilty for not doing everything--or for taking time off for relaxation and recreation. Everyone should prayerfully ask God what limited, specific things God wants him or her to concentrate on. It was God, after all, who made us finite with only twenty-four hours each day. Being called to do all God wants us to do to correct social sin is not a heavy burden. It is an invitation to joy and meaning in life, an occasion for blessing our neighbors, and a wondrous opporutnity to be a coworker with the Lord of history."

Colorado

2008-11-06T14:36:00.005-05:00

I've always loved Colorado. Before I had ever been there, I heard about all the beauty and adventure that was there, and I knew I had to get there. About four years ago, I got to go for my first time. My dad works for Youth for Christ, and he had planned a trip to Crooked Creek Ranch (totally awesome!) for his kids. I volunteered to go along as a counselor. The 36-hour school bus ride (one way) was rough, but it was worth it! Ever since then, I've wanted to go back, especially with my hubby. We finally did! To celebrate our second anniversary, we set out to conquer Colorado...

The first day there, we checked out Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater. It's a really neat rock formation where concerts are held. I totally enjoyed being out in the fresh air and wide open spaces!

It was a beautiful, slightly cool day (probably 55 degrees), and I was shocked and excited to find snow (and right next to cactus at that... still crazy to me)!

Our second day was spent in the mountains. We went on a horseback ride at Aspen Lodge. It was a gorgeous area with stunning views.

Then we drove around and went on hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. A lot of the park was closed for the winter (unfathomable to us Kentuckians... it was only October!), but we managed to see a good bit of it. We'd definitely like to go back again.

On one of our hikes, we climbed up a big rocky area. I thought this pic was fun with the sun flare and all!

In that same area, we discovered a herd of elk! How neat is that!? We could hear their call and everything. We were standing up where the people in this pic are:

This is a view right near where the elk were:

Then we drove up to Bear Lake. By then, it was freezing cold because the sun was going down. It was really neat to see.

The next day, we headed out to Waterton Canyon to do some mountain biking.

We had heard that the mountain biking trail was 6 miles down a dirt road from the parking area. No biggie, right? Well, we didn't know it was 6 miles up hill! And with the high altitude, it was rough! By the time we got to the trail, we were running short on time and I was exhausted. Matt went on and explored the trail for a bit, but our "mountain biking" didn't turn out like we had thought. Regardless, it was worth it. The scenery was so nice, and we ended up seeing big horn sheep on our way back! They were so close to us too! It was neat to see them running all over the hillside--it's amazing how they can do that when it's so steep and rocky. The big guy was checking Matt out:

Then we went on to visit my cousin, Michele, and her family. They live in Denver. It was so great to spend time with them on their own turf! They took us out to Boulder, where we did some shopping, hiking, and climbing. We climbed on these rocks:

Matt ventured out to the edge:

The rocks again:

It was such a great vacation! We definitely want to go back some day. Thanks go out to Becky for letting us borrow her little camera for our biking and horseback riding! And thanks so much Michele and family for having us stay with you! We had a blast!

And thank you, God, for such a beautiful creation and for making it possible for us to enjoy it. :)

LIVE!

2008-11-06T14:04:00.004-05:00

I visited my parents a few weeks ago. While I was there, I stopped by at the home of a friend of my mom's to help her out with a computer question she had. To give you a little background, this friend, Ms. Stone, is an amazing pianist and wonderful piano teacher in my hometown (my mom is also a piano teacher). She is originally from Louisville, so she was telling me about all the wonderful things she did while she was there. Then she started asking me questions. "Do you go to Iroquois Park much?" Um... no. "Do you go to the concerts at UofL? They have a lot of free events!" Um... I've been meaning to, but no... Etc. Etc. She paused, then looked at me and said something I'll never forget: "You aren't living! You're just existing." Ouch! But so true! I have all these things that I'd love to do around here (most of which are free): spend time at a park, attend concerts, see a ballet, spend time by the river, do the trolley gallery hop, find a good stargazing spot, play in the fountain... The list goes on. And I'm not doing them! I'm always "busy." But with what? Existing, that's what. So I'm taking out a new lease on life. The laundry can wait. I can give up an hour of sleep here and there. Dinner doesn't have to be magnificent. I'm going to LIVE! I'm going to take advantage of opportunities while I have them. I won't be perfect at this, but I'm going to try!

So thank you, Ms. Stone. I needed to hear that.

Brian & Megan

2008-10-05T19:53:00.005-04:00

This weekend, I spent some time in Bowling Green, Kentucky, photographing Megan and Brian's wedding. After meeting them this spring to take their engagement pictures, I knew that their wedding would be lots of fun to take part in! They are such a sweet and fun couple.

There were so many nice things about the day: The church where the ceremony was held was really gorgeous, with huge windows in the foyer that made it feel like it was outside. Megan's dress had intricate beading all over it, and an elegant silhouette--absolutely stunning! The reception was held at the Kentucky Museum, which had a huge staircase, and lots of deep, dark woodwork. And one of my favorite moments was at the reception when Megan and Brian thanked everyone for being there, supporting them, and helping out. Too often we forget to stop and appreciate others, and that was so nice to see them do that!

Getting ready at the church (check out that beading!):

All four of Megan's sisters stood up with her. Can you tell they're related? ;)

The flower girl playing in a little sunshine:

Those huge windows at the church that I told you about:

The newlyweds sharing the last dance of the night:

And, once again, check out that ring!!

Congrats Megan and Brian! Thanks for having me share in your special day!

Glory

2008-09-24T15:27:00.006-04:00

"We grow in glory so that we might assist others in doing so; we give our glory to increase theirs."
(The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge, p. 158)

I've been reading The Ransomed Heart, a collection of devotional readings from John Eldredge's works, and that line caught my eye the other day. It kind of reminded me of one of my favorite quotes, "The glory of God is man fully alive" (St. Irenaeus). I've really been trying to apply that in my life lately, praying daily that God would help me to be more alive. I know that would give Him glory, but I forget that by doing that I can also help others. When we become more alive ("grow in glory"), others see that and are also inspired ("to increase theirs"), and both of those--together and individually--definitely are the glory of God.

Along those same lines, I read this morning:

"Somehow, we human beings are never happier than when we are expressing the deepest gifts that are truly us... God created us and our gifts for a place of his choosing, and we will only be ourselves when we are finally there."
(Quoted from Os Guinness, The Journey of Desire by Eldredge, p. 152-54)

Maybe that's part of being more alive? Finding our gifts, our passions, our deepest heart's desires; and living in them.

What are your gifts? Your glory?

Megan & Andy

2008-09-16T10:39:00.006-04:00

Some of you might remember seeing Megan and Andy's engagement pictures... Now you get to see the wedding!

Every little detail about their wedding was perfect and beautiful. At the ceremony, each guest was given a really nice, hand made program, a pretty little box with chocolate covered almonds, and the most detailed and pretty directions to the reception that I've ever seen! Then, at the reception, they had gorgeous roses for centerpieces, coffee bean filled candle holders, deep chocolate linens, a pretty menu with fun trivia on the back, and ribbon-tied boxes with yummy chocolate rice crispy treats. So many details were just so beautiful!

One of the things I thought was great was that they came up with a creative way to dismiss people to get their food at the reception. The first people who could get their food was anyone who had read an entire, unabridged Jane Austen novel (Megan just got her Master's in English). Then anyone who has served in the military could go (Andy is a Lieutenant in the Air Force). Then anyone who had changed the diaper of anyone in the bridal party was next... And so on. How fun!

There were so many great things about the day, but best of all for me was getting to see a great friend unite with a fantastic man, and start their lives together. Megan and Andy--I wish you all the joys that marriage can bring you!

Corey, Jeremy, and Aedan

2008-09-11T10:21:00.005-04:00

I had lots of fun taking pictures of my friend, Corey, with her son, Aedan, and hubby, Jeremy. (I posted a few previously, which were taken with my Holga.) Corey and Jer are such great friends to us. They came down and visited us recently, which was awesome. All of these pictures were taken back in Michigan though.

The romantic couple:

Some family shots, having fun on the beach:

Then lots of little, photogenic Aedan:

In this one, he was walking in circles around me trying to get really close to the camera. Talk about hard to get a shot! I thought this was pretty cute though.
He loves freighters.

I

Michigan!

2008-09-10T17:57:00.006-04:00

So I know I said I'd tell more about my wonderful time back home in Michigan, and now it's over a month later and I haven't said much at all! Time flies... But I still want to fill you in!

One of the things I got to do was have a family picnic with Matt's siblings and numerous neices and nephews at the beach. We swam in Lake Huron and ate yummy Michigan hot dogs (I'm partial to a brand there... it's the only kind I'll eat!). The lake was actually quite warm, which was awesome. This is my favorite snapshot from that day--our adorable nephew, Nathaniel:

Isn't he CUTE!? :)

I also got to spend some time with my Mom's dad's side of the family. My mom and I headed up to Mt. Pleasant for a family reunion. It was on my great-uncle Frank's farm. We did a tractor ride all through the fields, watched Uncle Frank try out the pop-pop boat he made, ate lots of good food, and just had a great time laughing together. I love family!

Here's Uncle Frank and me:

This is my great-aunt Florence. She's in her late nineties and is such a godly, wonderful example.

Uncle Frank and Dan (his son) with their pop-pop boats. Uncle Frank made is by hand with mahogany wood. He's so handy--he makes all sorts of strange inventions and toys all the time!

Mom and Grandma getting ready for the tractor ride:

Gotta love those suspenders! My family roots are SOOO country!

And last but not least, me and my cousin Katie. She's like a sister to me and I love getting to see her!

I love family so much! I was so blessed to be able to spend so much time back home.

Keep an eye out for my next post. I'll have more pics of Corey and her family to share!

Family Wedding

2008-08-18T18:54:00.004-04:00

I attended my cousin, Angela's, wedding this weekend in Jackson, Michigan. It was so nice to be with that side of the family, as I don't get to see them often.

It was a really pretty wedding, with lots of little homemade details that made it all so special. This is one of the candle centerpieces:

My gorgeous cousin with her beautiful family--husband, Sam, and their son, Collin:

A personal favorite of mine... I was really hoping to get a shot like this during the day. It's my beloved Grandpa.

The dances were all so sweet. After Sam and Angela's first dance, she danced with her brother, Tony, **tears** and then with Sam and Collin **more tears**.

Congratulations Sam and Angela! I wish you ALL the best!

Holga Time!

2008-08-12T10:37:00.004-04:00

I've been planning on filling y'all in on my trip to Michigan, and I've just been completely swamped this week, so I haven't gotten a chance! Here's just one little tidbit for now--more to come later!

I spent some time with my friend, Corey, and her son Aedan, taking lots and lots of pics (and relaxing and enjoying girl time!). I also took some with Corey's hubby, Jeremy, which I will post later. These are some of the shots I took with my beloved Holga. I loooooove Holga shots. For those of you who don't know, Holgas are these cheap little Russian cameras, that use 120mm film and give some pretty wacky results. Focusing is seriously based on these little icons of one person, 3 people, and mountains---real accurate, eh? And for the "shutter speed," you can pick between sunny and cloudy. Oh, and the light leaks that get into the camera create the dark corners, and mine seems to make the bottom right corner really blurry... Each camera has a character of its own!

For these shots, I did do some fun post processing edits on them, but that mainly effected color and contrast. Other than that, any quirkiness you see is entirely the result of Holga-ness (as Corey would say).

This one is my fave:

Becca & Jerry

2008-08-05T11:04:00.004-04:00

I'm back!!! I had an absolutely wonderful time in Michigan! I got to see friends and family, the weather was incredible, I saw and swam in my beloved Lake Huron, and I'm just overall feeling refreshed! I'll fill you in on more of that later--right now I want to tell you about Becca and Jerry's special day!

Jerry and Becca are really good friends of my friends, Ryan and Sarah, whose wedding was the very first I ever photographed! I had a lot of fun at their wedding (amidst the extreme nervousness!), so I knew I would enjoy this wedding. They are such a neat couple, and everything about the wedding was special, beautiful, and fun. The ceremony was candlelit and so pretty, and the reception was held under a large tent in the country. It was really nice!

Here's the happy couple: (I tried a couple of new processing techniques on these first two... what do you think??)

When it came time to cut the cake, Becca and Jerry asked the bridal party to stand close by "for pictures." I knew it wasn't for pictures! The cut the cake and then turned on their best man and maid of honor! This is Kate, the maid of honor (and Sarah's sister):

The flower girl was absolutely adorable. She did such a good job tossing petals down the aisle, and right when she got to the altar, she suddenly exclaimed, "I'm out of petals! Mom! I'm out of petals!" It was so cute!

Best wishes to you Becca and Jerry!

Meggo's Bridal Shower

2008-07-24T09:36:00.003-04:00

OK, one more quick blog before I head up north and go MIA for a couple of weeks...

Some of you might remember Megan from her engagement session I did not too long ago. Last weekend I drove up to Dayton for her bridal shower. It was great to hang out with some college friends as well as meet some of Megan's other local friends.

This is Megan in her toilet paper wedding dress we made for her:

These are the friends responsible for the dress:

And this is the poor kitty with a cone on his head and a streamer around his neck. At least he found a comfy bed after the dress game was done!

If you want to see the rest of the story, keep an eye out for Megan's wedding pictures in September!!

Laura and Scott's Wedding!

2008-07-22T15:30:00.004-04:00

I haven't blogged in forever, and I've really been meaning to, so here I am!

About a month ago, I drove to way-up-north Michigan (otherwise known as Alba) to see one of my closest college friends marry her best friend. Laura and I were roommates our freshman year and we've stayed great friends ever since. During that freshman year, we pretty much both predicted who each other would marry... I had this best friend, Matt, and while I was in denial about us ever becoming anything more than friends, she always said, "You might not ever date him, but I know you'll end up marrying him!" Well, we got married! And she had this looooong-time best friend, Scott, who she said she'd never date or marry. I thought she'd marry him someday. And she did! And I got to witness it!

Here's the happy couple, together at last:

Laura, who was a fellow art major with me in college, did not disappoint with the artsy details of the day. The reception area was under a huge canopy in a field, right next door to the bride's home. Every detail was perfect. Even the cookie table (yes--they cut a cookie instead of a cake!) looked gorgeous. Everything had that special, homemade touch and matched perfectly.

I knew she'd be gorgeous...

The five of us in the middle of the picture lived on the same floor during our freshman year. It was great to get together again! (And I'm really not that much shorter than everyone else... I'm not quite sure how that happened...)

So congrats to Scott and Laura! I wish you all the happiness in the world.

PS Y'all can expect some more blog updates from me in about two weeks. I'll be spending a wonderful ten days in Michigan with family, shooting a wedding, and seeing friends. I'm sure I'll have a lot to update you on!

Wes & Rachel

2008-06-09T14:36:00.006-04:00

So, the forecast was calling for a hot day with a 60% chance of thunderstorms all day long, but the weather held off for what turned out to be a gorgeous wedding! Wes and Rachel's wedding was held on a beautiful farm. The scenery was incredible and the barn where the reception was held was perfect! The atmosphere was even better--you could feel the love and support of family and friends, kids were running around having loads of fun, and everyone was having a great time. There was even a huge, blowup play set for the kids to jump around in during the reception!

The girls got ready in the upstairs of the barn, which made for beautiful lighting and refreshing breezes.

The kiss:

Enjoying a little time together after the ceremony:

There were adorable kids everywhere! I think she might be choking the little one....

Being announced as husband and wife:

Nate & Laura's Wedding

2008-06-02T16:06:00.005-04:00

Nate and Laura couldn't have picked a better day for their wedding! It was 75 and sunny--which is a big deal in Michigan! The ceremony was at a pretty park with little bridges over a ravine.

This is where Laura is walking to see Nate for the first time that day. They shared a special moment together before all the hustle and bustle began.

Such a happy couple!

At the reception, they played a slideshow of images from their childhood and dating days. People really enjoyed looking at the photos. They played it throughout dinner, which I thought was a great idea.

Waving goodbye!
I got to shoot the wedding with Liz, a friend from college. I had a blast getting to work with her! This is us being silly!

Megan & Brian

2008-05-26T14:57:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I visited Bowling Green, Kentucky, for the first time, to take Megan and Brian's engagement pictures. They were both such nice people and a pleasure to be with! They treated me to dinner at Mariah's. The food was great! I had the best potato soup ever! :) Then, we headed out to Fountain Square to take some pictures. After that, we hit another park to get some more. I'm totally looking forward to their October wedding. I'm sure it's going to be beautiful!

The Zoo

2008-05-24T14:15:00.003-04:00

My cousins, Katie and Dave, came down to visit us this week. I'm so glad they came. We had a blast! We did tons of stuff all over Louisville. One of the highlights was our trip to the zoo.

This little dude was so cute! He kept looking around and I caught a few of him looking straight at me. He was pretty funny :)

We fed the birds, which was really neat. This one stole the cup of nectar.

Love birds! Or, maybe they're fighting? Or maybe they're conjoined twins?

Megan & Andy's Engagement

2008-05-16T14:52:00.002-04:00

I just got back from spending some time in Dayton with my friend, Megan, and her fiance, Andy. It was so great to spend time with them. Their love for each other is so evident! I'm incredibly happy for my friends and wish them all the best! I can't wait to shoot their wedding in September!

We took the pictures at the Arboretum. Unfortunately, the skies were dreary and it was very drizzly, but they toughed it out and got some fun shots!

Talk about an awesome umbrella!

They're always laughing together--such a great part of their relationship!

Derby Days

2008-05-06T16:07:00.002-04:00

I had my first Derby experience this year. I spent Friday and Saturday taking pictures at the Oaks and Derby days at Churchill Downs. It was really neat to see all of the festivities up close! And, of course, there were tons of pretty hats and dresses. Here's a small sampling of what I saw:

Purple Trees

2008-04-30T10:32:00.004-04:00

Being fairly new to Kentucky, I'm in awe of the purple trees that blossom everywhere in the spring. They're so neat! I don't think I had seen purple trees until I moved down here. So I took some pictures at the park near our apartment the other day:

Tennessee Nature

2008-04-16T16:02:00.006-04:00

My family (parents and brother), along with Matt and I, spent a weekend near Gatlinburg recently. It was packed with great memories--yummy food, relaxation, a crazily hilarious charades game, and making it safely up the mountains to our beautiful cabin (long, scary story there). Best of all, I got to be with my husband and family! And, of course, the beauty of the Smokey's was stunning:

The sun was setting and the trees were glowing green all around our cabin! Really hard to catch on camera, but this is my best attempt:

A little fungi:

It was all wet and mossy. Yummy spring:

Kelly & Mark

2008-02-21T15:53:00.008-05:00

About a week ago I had the opportunity to assist Robert Burge at Kelly and Mark's wedding. It was held at Whitehall--a very beautiful, historic home. The wedding was gorgeous, and it was so neat that it was in this fancy home! Here are a few images from the day:

They really had trouble figuring out how to bustle the train:

The groom was being silly all day:

They had a bunch of framed photos of themselves spread across the top of a baby grand piano, along with candles and rose petals. A really neat idea:

SNOW!

2008-02-11T19:41:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share that it's SNOWING and I'm incredibly excited!!! Since moving away from Michigan, I've missed the snow so much. There is actually an inch of it out there (*gasp!*) and it's still coming down. Pretty good for Kentucky, eh? :) Love it, love it, love it!

Snow makes me smile :)

Hello!

2008-02-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! So here I am, starting a blog. I'm hoping that this will help you all get to know me better. It'll also provide the opportunity for me to share my most recent photos and hopefully even encourage me to take MORE photos!

So, let's see... A little about me... I'm happily married to my wonderful husband, Matt. We met when we were both in our high school drumline, grew as friends over the years, and got married in September of 2006. We live in Kentucky, and terribly miss our homeland of Michigan, but we're excited to see what God has in store for us here.

What makes me smile: my husband, seeing friends and family, playing the piano, photography, rainbows, waterfalls, sunny skies, friendly people, answered prayers, seeing people achieve their dreams, snowboarding, the whisper of God, snow, awesome quotes, storms, jibing in my sailboat, beautiful music, wrap-around porches, being outside, mountain biking, getting a letter in the mail, a conversation with friends...

So that's me in a nutshell--if that's at all possible! Talk to you again soon!

Steph

PS The pic of my hubby and me was taken by the amazing Robert Burge who I am blessed to learn from and be friends with.