David :: Class of 2011

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

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

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

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

Lindsey & Duane :: Married!

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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. :)