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.  devouparkengagementdevouparkengagement_0164devouparkengagement_0160devouparkengagement_0165devouparkengagement_0159devouparkengagement_0163devouparkengagement_0161devouparkengagement_0162devouparkengagement_0171devouparkengagement_0170devouparkengagement_0169devouparkengagement_0168

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.

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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.   underwaterengagement (6)underwaterengagement (5)underwaterengagement (4)underwaterengagement (3)underwaterengagement (7)underwaterengagement (9)underwaterengagement (17)underwaterengagement (20)underwaterengagement (23)underwaterengagement (30)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.bob

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!

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Julie and Jennifer's Cincinnati Engagement

One of the best parts of being a wedding photographer is the fact that it allows me to be surrounded by my favorite thing in the world, love.  Unconditional love, family love, friend love, lover's love, it's what makes life worth living and it's my greatest inspiration.  People are all diffent at expressing their love.  Some are shy and reserved, some are open and want to show it to the world.

 I come from a family of huggers.  I love to hold hands and touch and smell.  Getting people to open up in front of the camera is my favorite.  It takes trust.  It involves all five senses working together.   It's easy to simply make someone look good, it's when I capture real emotion that I feel like I have done something really special.

This shoot with Julie and Jenn was one of those shoots where I feel like I was able to capture the pure happiness these two feel for each other.   We walked around Northside stopping whenever we saw something that caught our eye.  Autumn was showing her most beautiful colors and Jenn and Julie were bursting with love.  I am so excited for their intimate wedding next year and so thankful they trust me to capture their love.

cincinnati weddingJen and Julie wore their Tie the Knot bow ties for part of their session.  Here is a little more info about this organization from their website tietheknot.org.

"Tie The Knot was founded to combine all of our favorite things: humor, style, individuality, fashion, art, and equality. Founded by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita, the goal of Tie the Knot is clear: to advocate for the civil rights of gay and lesbian Americans throughout the United States and to look damn good while doing it.

It’s simple: We will release a collection of neckwear seasonally, inspired by our favorite art, fashion, things we see on the street, and things in our living room. Each bow tie will be produced in limited quantity to inspire and promote uniqueness & individuality. All proceeds from the sale of the bow ties will go to various organizations that are in the trenches fighting for the civil rights of gay and lesbian Americans every single day."

You can purchase these unique ties at The Tie Bar here.

Lindsay and David Cincinnati Engagement

I had a blast photographing Lindsay and David around downtown Cincinnati.  They are laid back and fun, my favorite kind of people to be around.  I am super excited for their wedding at Leaping Lizard later this year.  Lindsay is not only gorgeous, but also a talented musician.  She is the singer in a blues band called Tempted Souls.  You can check out her band Saturday at Grandview Tavern in Kentucky.