Amanda and Michael Cincinnati Wedding Photographer

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Amanda and Michael, or Mandy and Mo, as their friends call them are absolutely the best clients/friends a girl could ask for.  Not only that,  they are the sweetest, most laid back couple ever.    Their wedding was very chill, no formalities,  just a beautiful, loving ceremony surrounded by tons of close friends and family members.

Everything about this wedding was personal and unique.  Mandy wore her mother's vintage wedding dress.  All of the decor was set up by Mandy's dearest friends.   Jefferson Hall,  where the wedding and reception were held,  is owned by Mandy and Mike's close friends(who are also good friends of mine).   The music was hand picked by Mandy and Mo.  (I am not going to lie, when I walked in and heard Pink Floyd playing I knew was going to be a perfect day!)  They wanted their day to be a celebration of their love,  simple and without fuss, just like them. ;) It was a beautiful wedding day!

Mandy wore Calvin Klein shoes and her mother's vintage wedding dress from 1966.  She is stunning!Petals and Glass from Cincinnati arranged these gorgeous flowers. I heart all things vintage!  Mandy's wedding band is her grandmother's from 1939. The super sweet ceremony. Mandy grew the herbs used in the center pieces.  Her friend Dawn grew the smaller pots of herbs for favors.  The John Lennon quote they attached to the pots was perfect. Mandy's smile can light up a room. Mandy and Mike's dear friends Aaron Hall and Scott Florian did a wonderful job with the food.

The desserts were made by different family members and friends.  You know you are at a kick ass wedding when this is how it ends.  

Crystal's Cincinnati Senior Pictures

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This is my step sister Crystal.  Her plan is to grow up to be "the coolest special education teacher you have ever met".   She loves to read and to hang out with her BFFs when she is not studying or working.  Crystal has an "I don't take any crap" kind of attitude and I just love it!

I think these turned out great!  Crystal looks beautiful and her personality came through in every one of her images.

Coolest senior pictures ever!!

His memory became mine

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It was just another day at the thrift store.  I wasn't looking for anything in particular, I just needed to get out of the house for a little while.  I was rummaging through a shelf full of vases and kitchen pots when I saw the bucket.  I was drawn to it immediately.  I think it was because it looked so old, genuinely old, not that faux old junk you see in department stores.  This thing had history.  I picked it up and carried it around.  After a few minutes of shopping I got sidetracked by a chair or something and rethought buying the bucket.  I sat it down it down in a different spot.  Yes I am one of those people.  When I am shopping I sometimes pick out things I want, then  randomly sit them down somewhere else when I talk myself out of  buying them.  I am positive most store employees hate me for it.  This time I was glad I did it.  When I walked by the bucket again, now in its new home,  a very old man was smiling ear to ear admiring it.  When he saw that I noticed his excitement he told me how he used to carry his lunch in a bucket like this everyday as a kid.  The enthusiasm in his voice was intoxicating.  "This thing has to be over 80 years old, since I am 88" he said.  I asked him if he wanted to buy it and he said "Oh no honey, I don't need one of these anymore".  He didn't need it anymore, but I did.  I needed it because I wanted to remember his smile and vivacity.  I wanted to remember the story he told me.  I wanted to remember how happy it made me hearing it.  I bought the bucket. :)  Suddenly within a few moments his memory had become mine.  The bucket was a memory of his of his youth and it was now my memory of an encounter with a stranger that made my day.

What was once used to carry a young boy's lunch is now used to hold a young woman's plant. Perfection.

Cincinnati Senior Portraits

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Im not going to lie, once in a while I pop out my senior memories book for a night of reminiscing.   I was a senior in 1996, which for me was a year of great times I will always remember,  but also a year of  bad hair, high waisted jeans, scrunchies, and clod hopping military boots.

My senior pictures were taken at the "it" studio that everybody was going to at the time.  On picture day I gathered up all of my favorite outfits and my best friend and we headed to the studio.  I thought it was so cool to have my pictures taken by a professional photographer.  I felt so special that day.  In 1996 I loved my pictures and  I wanted everyone of them, today I cringe at my pictures and feel awful that my dad spent so much money on prints that are still in the box.  No CDS back in those days... The studio used cheesy gold studio lighting and metallic backdrops.  They had  ladders and a fake graffiti wall with '96 spray painted on it.  My pictures were just corny.  One day when I am brave enough I will post them...though I will say this, the zipper on my jeans was at least 12 inches long.  I was wearing "mom jeans" at 17. :)

When Adrienne's mother contacted me about setting up a Senior photo session, she said she wanted something personal and special for Adrienne.  She wanted to shoot in Devou Park and Mainstrasse.  I love that more and more seniors want to take their pictures outside of the studio.  It makes the experience so much more exciting and unique.  Senior pictures don't have to be corny studio pictures anymore.  They can actually be pretty creative and cool pictures, instead of pictures you want to hide from 15 years later. :) We ran all over Covington.  I honestly felt like a 17 year old in a 32 year olds body that day.  It was a lot of  fun.  Adrienne is very pretty and so, so sweet.  She was a natural in front of the camera.  She brought along her best friend, Polly to be our performing artist/comedian and she did a great job keeping us laughing all evening. :)  Thanks Polly!  And thank you Adrienne for choosing me to take your senior pictures! :)

Amber and Bryan Sun Lovin' Session

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You remember Amber and Bryan from their wedding pictures I posted here, right?  Well, I was lucky enough to spend another evening with them a couple of weeks ago for their day after session and it was wonderful! :)  The weather was perfect, the light was AMAZING and Amber and Bryan rocked!   Ahhh, so pretty!Bryan's family has a farm in Silver Grove.  This truck belongs to Brian's Dad.  He uses to sell food at the local Farmer's Markets in Campbell County.  Personal props are the best props. :)My favorite!