Rebecca and Steven at Ault Park

The biggest perk of my job has always been getting a glimpse at the intimate parts of people's relationship.  It is when people trust me enough to open up and show me how they love that my adrenaline starts pumping and I know I will create something authentic.   I encourage a lot of touching and connecting during photo sessions.  Posed pictures are pretty, but the ones that sing to me are the ones that capture the emotion.

I spent a beautiful morning with Rebecca and Steven at one of my favorite parks recently.  I left with a full and happy heart.

Thank you for sharing your love with me you two.  Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

A Christmas Engagement at home

Laid back and full of laughs, Savannah and Andrew's session with their son Hudson was so much fun for me.  They wanted to celebrate their family and the labor of love they put into rehabbing their home.  It was really cool hanging out with a family so similar to my own.  Hudson is a few months older than my son, so seeing the cuteness I have in store made me really happy.  I am excited I get to spend more time with this family next summer at their wedding.

Hudson had his nap and I got to spend some time with Savannah and Andrew.  I loved how expressive and warm Savannah's personality is.   Her smile was contagious. 

Mandy and Landon's Autumn Engagement

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year.  The beautiful warm light and bright colors inspire me to no end.  I love when I am able to schedule photo shoots during this time of year.  I would shoot every day if I could.  Mandy and Landon met me at one of my favorite parks for their engagement session.  It was such a pleasure getting to know them while we ran around chasing the sun.  I am really excited about their wedding next year.

Courtney and Sam Mt. Airy Forest Engagement

Back when I was huge and pregnant I got to spend some time in Mt. Airy Forest with these two love birds.  Autumn's beautiful colors provided the perfect backdrop for their engagement photos.  I am  thrilled that tomorrow I get a chance to hang out with them again at their wedding!

See you very soon, Courtney and Sam.  Thank you so much for choosing me to document your day. C

Jessica and Craig's Colorful Summer Covington Engagement

When I met Jessica and Craig in Covington for their engagement session we got around 15 minutes of photos in before it started pouring rain.  We decided to  wait it out in my car, the rain didn't stop, but it gave us a good opportunity to get to know each other.  They are a fun loving couple who I felt like I had known forever.  I love when I click with couples so quickly.  It makes spending time with them on their wedding day feel like way more fun than work.   We met up again a week later for round two.  This time the weather was perfect and I was able to take them to some of my favorite spots.  I am very excited to spend the day with them at Neltner Farm for their wedding next month.  Here are a few of my favorites from both days.  Look how cute that dress is!

Claire and Ross's Devou Park Engagement

  Once again, Devou Park provided the perfect back drop for an engagement session.  Growing up, I visited this park a lot, so I shooting here is very comfortable for me.  Each season brings unique charm and beauty.

  It was a beautiful Spring day when we met for Ross and Claire's engagement session.  Everything was lush and colorful.  These two high school sweethearts along with their sweet pugs were a pleasure to work with.  

Sara and Forest's Surreal Engagement Session

I had an amazing time working with Sara and Forest.  When they contacted me about setting up their engagement session I loved all of their ideas.  They wanted to do something that represented their fun personalities.   They gave me lots of freedom to experiment and were up for any crazy ideas I had.  It was a pleasure getting to know them.  I am sad that I wasn't available for their wedding later this month, it has good time Kentucky written all over it, my favorite.

This image is one of my all time favorites.  I tell people all of the time, I never overly plan locations.  Sometimes you gotta just keep yourself open to what inspires you and leave room for magic to slip in.  We decided to stop by one of my favorite sunset spots when we were just about wrapped up.  Construction trucks were driving on the other side of the levee, which sent dust flying everywhere.  It made for a surreal, moody atmosphere that was just perfect.  I snuck in a few polaroids.  I love the way these  turned out. 

Engagement Photos at Devou Park

Spring weather, gorgeous flowers, and a beautiful couple in love.  This is my idea of a way to spend the perfect day.  Brett and Kat were so much fun to photograph.  Their wedding later this year is going to be so much fun, I can't wait!

 Here are a few of my favorites from their engagement photos.

Jessica and Jon's Cincinnati Engagement

I was thrilled to meet Jessica and Jon downtown for their wintery engagement session a couple of weeks ago.  We started at Rhinegeist where they had a couple of drinks to warm up a bit before we went outside for a few pictures.  I enjoyed their dynamic.  These two are a perfect balance for each other.  The most important thing they did throughout the entire session was laugh.  It was such a pleasure to photograph.  I am very excited to see them and their family when it warms up this summer at their wedding.

Brent and Darcy's Over-the-Rhine Engagement

If you have visited The Famous Neon's Unplugged in OTR you probably know Brent.  Whenever I see him he has a big smile on his face.  He is the guy who will always help a friend in need, and can probably build or fix  just about anything.  I have known him for many years, from what I know of him, he is usually pretty serious.  During his engagement session with Darcy, his beautiful fiancé he met on a slow, snowy night at Neon's, I saw the fun loving side of Brent.  These two have fun together, they laugh and laugh and laugh...they truly enjoy being around each other and it shows.  It was a pleasure to experience and capture that love.

Since Neon's was where they met, and we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by for a drink and a couple of pictures. 

Katie and Josh's Fall Engagement Session

This was one of my favorite engagement sessions.  When we were thinking of ideas for Katie and Josh I decided based on their personalities, we should go somewhere that was fun.  They laugh a lot together, so I knew getting good intimate pictures would be easy wherever we went.  I have always loved McGlasson Farm on Route 8.  It is so pretty there year round especially during the fall. We decided to go there after spending a little time at Molly Malone's where Katie and Josh met.   After a couple of drinks at the bar, we headed to the farm.  It was a laid back day.  Everything fell together perfectly.  I was glad to spend so much time with these two.  We have a lot in common, they are super laid back and so much fun!  I can't wait for their wedding next year. On a whim I asked them if they wanted to take a ride across the river on the Anderson Ferry since it was on the way back.  We got out and grabbed some pictures, I love the way these turned out.  That sky was amazing!! 

Blythe and Derek's Devou Park Engagement

Oh how I am going to miss fall this year.  The weather, for the most part, has been glorious.  And those colors...please mother nature, just a little bit longer. :)  I have had some very lovely shoots this year too.  This one of Blythe and Derek was one of my favorites.  They are total sweethearts.  When they told me they wanted to take their engagement pictures somewhere where the color was nice, but also wanted a view of the city I knew Devou Park would be perfect.  I have really enjoyed getting to know these two throughout their wedding planning process.  Their are always smiling so big when I see them, I really enjoy that.  I cannot wait for their wedding next year. 

Kristen and Sean's Kentucky Engagement Session

Beautiful fall weather and so much love.  This one was very special for me.  I got to hang out and watch these two compliment each other perfectly.

 After a long friendship, with lots of flirting, Kristen and Sean's  relationship revealed itself as love.  They were drawn to each other and couldn't deny it any longer.   I asked them when they knew it was the real thing.  Kristen responded,  "I knew it was real one day when we were watching TV together, he leaned over to scratch my back.   It was the first time we touched in a different way.  He said " I knew when I took her for a long bike ride.  She had been holding onto me all day.  I knew she was the one."

They let down their guards and really felt each other,  their hearts opened up to the love that they had for each other.   So sweet.

Tina and Joe's Devou Park Engagement

 I fell in love with Tina's spirit when she joined a friend and I for a night out last year,  she has a very comfortable personality, like someone I have known for years.  I met Joe soon after when they invited me out for dinner.  We talked for hours about life, love, and following your dreams.  We also talked about their wedding...I was blown away when they said they want to have a very intimate destination wedding in Asheville, North Carolina and they wanted to bring me with them.  WHOA!!  It is a dream for me to be able to photograph people I connect so well with.

For their engagement session we hung around Devou Park where they live and spend a lot of time.  It was late in the day, the sun was shining and their love was a breathe of fresh air.  Joe adores Tina, she is the gentle spirit that completes him.

  I am so happy to be part of their love story.

Sara and Jeremy's Super Awesome Engagement Session

Sara and Jeremy are two very good friends of mine.  I cannot wait for their Fourth of July wedding coming up  soon.  For their engagement session they wanted to do something fun and different.  One night while we we were hanging out on their porch we came up with the idea of having a pool party in the their backyard with their good friends, Seth, Jamie and Emily.  Everyone dressed up and really got into the theme.  We cranked up the music and ran around the yard dancing and singing, it was so much fun!  Here are a few of my favorites.

See a behind the scenes video from out shoot here

Jeremy always has great stories.  These boots came from his dad.  He won them in a pool game, how perfect! 

Nia and Spencer's Cincinnati Engagement

Happy Monday everyone!

It has been an insanely busy past couple of months.  Though most of my time is spent at my computer when I am this busy, I really look forward to the time I get to spend getting to know my clients during their engagement sessions.  Last week I headed to East Walnut Hills for Nia and Spencer's laid back engagement pictures.   I first met Nia at a bridal event.  She was planning a huge winter wedding.  After lots of thinking,  she and her fiancé Spencer decided they were planning a wedding that did not fit their personalities at all.  They are both super chill.  They decided that is how they want their wedding to be...They changed the date, location, and cut their guest list down to immediate family and friends.  I love this so much.  Your wedding should be about you and what you want, not what you think you are expected to do.  There are no rules.  As long as you two are there, that is all that matters. :)

I walked away from this session smiling ear to ear.  I felt like I just hung out with friends I have known forever.  These two laughed, and laughed, and laughed.  Spencer is full of jokes, but he is also a total sweetheart who kept telling Nia how beautiful she looked.  Every time she looked at him, she would tell him how pretty his blue eyes were.  It was very sweet.  They like each other a lot and they weren't afraid to let me see that.  My favorite!  I can't wait to see them again next month!

Spencer proposed to Nia at Eden Park, they were surrounded by their close friends.  He got down on one knee, but then he froze up and didn't say anything.  Nia was just staring at him, like "do you have something to say?"  He is very animated, this was when he was telling me the story. 

Rebecca and Greg's Downtown Cincinnati Engagement

When I met Rebecca to talk about her wedding we hit it off right away.  I knew I really wanted to be apart of her wedding after just a few minutes of talking to her.  She smiled a lot, and she was very enthusiastic about the details of her wedding.  She is from a small town in Ohio and is heading back there later this year to marry her best friend Greg.

I met Rebecca and Greg downtown Cincinnati for their engagement session.  We hung around one of my favorite spots talking and getting to know each other better.    Greg told me the story of when he knew Rebecca was the one.  They went to college together.  It was Halloween and he wasn't feeling good.  Instead of going out with friends, Rebecca cancelled plans to stay home to take care of him.  He appreciated her giving heart, he said he knew she was the girl he wanted to be with.  They were both cracking up the whole time he told the story.  I am so excited for their wedding later this year, it's going to be such a good time!

Annah and Julian's Cincinnati Engagement

When Annah contacted me about setting up an engagement session I was thrilled to hear her ideas.  She wanted to shoot underwater, something I have only barely dabbled with, but I was excited for the challenge.  Annah said she loved that my work has an artistic flair, and gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted.   A real dream for me.    I met Annah and Julian at a friend's house early in the day.  Once we got going it was a super exhilarating experience.   I had practiced the day before with a good friend, but was still a little nervous.  During my practice shoot I forgot one key element...goggles.  Once I got those things went a lot more smoothly.   I am very grateful to many friends who let me borrow their cameras for this shoot.  And even more grateful to Annah and Julian for giving me this awesome experience.  It is defiantly something I want to do again.   After our super fun morning we all went home to get ourselves together and met back up at Highfield Discovery Park for part two of their engagement session.  This park is so whimsical and pretty.  The perfect setting for a photo session.  Before I show you their images I want to share a little story about a kindred soul named Bob, who was our contact at the park.   I shared this story on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago, but I figured it can't hurt to share it again....I noticed Bob's wedding ring was very cool, so I asked him about it. He told us it was created 30 years ago, his wife has the only other version of it. "Of course it's much more dainty" Bob told us. The ring is custom made and inspired by the DNA double helix, the combining of two to become one. It was a great story and he was proud to tell it.

There are so many beautiful people in this world. Bob is defiantly one of them. His passion for nature and science was inspiring. Before we left, he told us more about the park and what they do there. The Discovery Garden is set up to teach children about nature and to remind them that they are part of it. He talked about how we all need to take responsibility for taking care of our home, Earth. He also wanted children to know how important it is for their well being to be out in nature, away from all of the noise that surrounds our lives. See, don't you just love Bob?! If you are looking for something fun to do this summer, you should check this park out for sure.

While we ran around the park I got to get to know Annah and Julian a little better...there isn't a lot of talking when you are underwater, you know?!   Annah and Julian met Salsa dancing.  Their attraction to each other was instant.  Their chemistry together was out of this world.  They were so loving and touched each other a lot, something I adore in a couple.  I love how much comfort they found in each other during our shoot.

Julian is originally from England, so they will be heading over the pond next year for their laid back wedding.  I am sure it will be so much fun!

Cincinnati Engagement

Ahhh I am so excited to finally be shooting another wedding!  Kendal and Joe are getting married this coming up weekend at Pyramid Hill Scuplture Park and I can't wait to spend the day with them and my camera!

Here are a few more of their engagement pictures we shot a few months ago.   

Ally and Aaron Cincinnati Photographer

I have wanted to do a session like this for a while.   I love the intimate moments and conversations that happen in the bedroom late at night or first thing in the morning,  I call this special time Pillow Talk.  It's when you and your lover are alone and free to share your dreams.  It's where affection is over flowing.  Even when you are far apart,  you still want to touch feet or hands.  It's where you are still a child and tickle each other until you cry.  It's holding, kissing, touching, breathing, smelling, embracing, laughing, talking...it's love.  Problems are solved and bonds are formed during this special time together.

I started a Pintrest board about 4 years ago to post intimate images of couples that moved me.  Recently I posted on my Facebook page that I was looking for a couple that would be interested in setting up an intimate shoot inspired by my board.  Ally responded immediately and I was thrilled.  I had become friends with Aaron a little while back when I met him at a local eatery where he works.  We connected via Facebook and Instagram so I had seen lots of photos of the couple together.  I knew they would be perfect for this photo session.  As soon as I arrived at their beautiful home that was overflowing with gorgeous natural light,  we began the session.  There was lots of kissing and nuzzling.  Everything happened very naturally.  These two are in love,  the outpouring of emotion was beautiful.  I am very grateful they allowed me experience and document a piece of it.