The R Family :: Family Portraits

A few weeks ago I made a donation for a silent auction whose proceeds go to FRAXA (see more information HERE). The Cosey family, frequently seen here on my blog, developed the golf tournament for which the silent auction was a part of, and I felt strongly that this was a good opportunity to give back to something greater than myself.
The R family won the auction, and I was super excited to meet them and take their portraits. They're close to the Cosey family, so it was nice to be able to photograph a family who is connected to them.
For our session, we met up last weekend at the north campus of Valdosta State. It wasn't perfect weather for "fall portraits" like Michelle had requested, but in south Georgia you can't really be picky about the surroundings since it's almost like summer year-round. Here are a few of my favorites from our session.

Lindsey :: Maternity

Lindsey and Wes are near and dear to my heart... we're related by marriage. Even if they weren't, though, they would still be good in my book! :)
In preparation for Baby Cassidy's arrival soon (her due date is 11-11-11, pretty cool, huh?) we scheduled a maternity session last weekend to capture this special time in their lives. Lindsey and Wes are laid-back, so we took a relaxed approach with their session. We had fun hanging out and capturing meaningful images.

Rachel & Chaz :: Married

Creative genes run wild in my family. We all have it to some extent. Rachel, my cousin, has an out-pouring of creative ability. And I love that about her. She makes jewelry. She paints. She teaches art to children. Incredible. Chaz is a fitness buff who is a personal trainer. Seeing his Facebook status each day makes me gain weight just reading how active he is... and reminding me of how active I am not. They met over seven years ago on the 4th of July, through mutual friends, and have consistently worked on building an incredible relationship. I love their love. Their quirky, fun, child-like (but so real) love.
I was honored to be asked by her to be her wedding photographer. When I spoke to her about her plans, my mouth gaped open when she spoke her wedding venue. Dave & Buster's. Yes, you read that correctly. The place where people go and play Skee Ball and go shopping with their hard-earned tickets.
The end of May couldn't have come fast enough, as I anxiously awaited for the wedding event of the century. When we got into town, the details all came together and I was able to see the vision that Rachel and Chaz had been creating for months. All of their loves came together in a juxtaposition of wedding awesomeness. You know... things like hand-made wedding jewelry (made by Rachel), bowls of Legos for table centerpieces, and a dinosaur for a cake topper.
You really need to see pictures, so I'll stop talking and just show you the awesomeness that I captured through my camera's lens.

Texas

Early this summer, my husband and I drove to Texas for my cousin's wedding. I'll be sharing their awesome story later tonight, but I wanted to share this one image I captured while driving down the road. {Okay, I wasn't driving down the road... my husband was, and I photographed along the way.}
For several years, I've been itching to find a tree in a large pasture that I could photograph. Everywhere I drive, I think about it and hope that I'll find it along my travels. While driving home from Texas, my husband said to me "Ooo, that tree is yours!" And I snapped. And it developed perfectly. The horses below are just an added bonus. I had it printed large, and I'm trying to find a spot for it in my house!

Kanawha & Josh :: Wedding Photography

Kanawha and Josh were married a few weeks ago, and it was an honor to be their photographer! This was the second time shooting at First Presbyterian Church here in Valdosta, and loved having the beautiful architecture of the sanctuary as a background for my images! Their reception was at the Loft at City Market, which was awesome too! It was difficult to choose, but here are some of my favorites from Kanawha and Josh's big day!

Liam :: Newborn

Baby Liam is beautiful... during his session, I can't count how often his mom and I talked about how boys can be pretty too. :) I almost packed him up with my blankets and baskets. Haha.
Here are some of my favorites, though it was tough choosing just a handful.

Meghan & Buddy :: Engaged

She walks in a room, and everyone instantly smiles. He walks in a room, and it's hard not to laugh. Meghan and Buddy are a dynamic duo, and during our engagement session a few weeks ago, I walked away with sore face muscles from smiling and laughing so much!
Meghan and I work together, and I felt honored to be asked to photograph her engagement portraits. As you'll see below, Meghan is a natural beauty with a contagious smile. It was awesome spending the evening downtown with her and Buddy!
They're getting married this November in St. Simons Island, and I'm so excited to be a part of it! They already have a wedding photographer booked, but with my experience shooting wedding for the past few years and having to be the unofficial director, they're trusting me with the coordination of the day. Same hard work, similar structure, but totally different at the same time. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

Thomas & Teresa :: Engaged

Thomas and Teresa are getting married next January, and I'm SO excited to be their photographer. Thomas and my husband are best friends, and I've known him for over 10 years. Thomas is a wonderful person -- I consider him to be one of my best friends too -- and I'm ecstatic that he's found another wonderful person to spend the rest of his life with. Teresa is beautiful. Inside and out. She's out-going. And funny.
Here are my favorites from their engagement session. I cannot WAIT for their wedding.

Colten :: Child Portraits

Colten and I had SUCH a fun time in his backyard a few weeks ago. I was invited to his backyard playground for our session, and it was awesome seeing him explore around, and hilarious hearing him laugh. :)