Amber and Erick's Kelley's Island Wedding

Last month Amber and Erick invited me to their family home to photograph their intimate wedding on Kelley's Island.  It was such a pleasure spending time with them and their family and friends.  Everyone came together to help make the event very personal and unique.  From the handmade bouquet to the homemade wine and beer, they made sure every detail was thought out and from the heart.  These are my favorite kinds of weddings to be apart of.   This location was very special for Amber.  I was blown away when we arrived.  It was perfect backdrop for unique photos. Amber's best friend did a beautiful job on her cake.  It was so good, I went in for seconds. :) Amber and Erick had so many talented friends who performed some of their favorite songs.

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.  

Kristen and Sean's Bell Event Centre Wedding

This love story is a very special one for me.  Though I have gone back and forth in my head about how I want to write it.  I decided the best thing I can do is be honest, to be true and hope to inspire people the way Kristen and Sean have inspired me. This love story is about strength, unconditional love, and vulnerability.  It's about the better and the worse, the sickness and the health. I remember the day Kristen's mother called me to ask if I was available for the wedding which was only 5 months away.  I was driving downtown,  feeling a little crabby.  I answered the phone while driving, something I rarely do. She sounded a bit nervous.   She asked me if I was available on the date of her daughter's wedding and if I could shoot an engagement session within a few days of the phone call.  She told me that within 2 months of getting engaged Sean, Kristen's finance had been diagnosed with stage IV Glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain cancer and he was going in for surgery this week to try to remove it.  I pulled over immediately.  I snapped out of my selfish crabbiness and did everything I could to hold back the tears.  Yes!  I exclaimed to Kristen's mother.  I will most defiantly do the wedding and I will clear my schedule for the engagement session ASAP.

When I met Kristen and Sean for their engagement session they were vibrant and happy.  They joked a lot.  I asked Kristen what her favorite thing about Sean was and she said she loves how smart he is.  Sean said he loves how much she makes him laugh.  I wanted to make sure the session wasn't about anything but them enjoying each other.  It was the day before a life changing surgery, I didn't want any of the focus to be on that and neither did they.  We laughed and talked and got to know each other.  I left Kristen with a polaroid to hold onto while she was waiting at the hospital.

Sean's surgery went well.  They removed a lot of the tumor, he has to go through frequent radiation and daily chemo treatments.  He is currently still undergoing chemo to keep the cancer from growing  They have to take things day by day, enjoying every minute they are given with each other.  Something we all should do, really.

I hadn't seen Kristen and Sean since the engagement session.  When I arrived on the wedding day I was so excited to spend the day with them.  Everyone was in good spirits.  Kristen looked absolutely stunning.  They did a first look so they would have more time to spend alone that day.  From the time Sean first set eyes on Kristen he lit up and admired her all day.  Though Sean's cancer is something that has become an very important part of their lives, on their wedding day it was barely even mentioned.  The day was about celebrating the present and their hopes for the future, about celebrating their love.

I have kept in touch with Kristen throughout the past few months since the wedding.  I am so happy to say that Sean is doing great.  He is still battling the cancer, but has not let it stop him from getting his degree, landing a dream job, and getting a house with Kristen.  They even adopted a second dog, though I think that was more Kristen's idea. ;)  I feel very fortunate that I have crossed paths with these beautiful couple.  I hope the huge love they have for each other continues to give them the strength to continue living a life full of happiness together.

I can never say enough about how gorgeous the Bell Event Centre is.  

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.

Raven's Senior Portraits

Raven is one of the most creative, kind hearted young spirits I know.  For her senior pictures she wanted to do something different.  She told me she wanted her pictures to be " super trippy,  late 60s dreamy".  My heart could explode when I get these kinds of requests.  I interpret that into trust your gut and make some art.  She was a beautiful muse to create with.  I brought lots os film and all of my magic cameras.  Here are a few of my favorites from the day.  Raven is amazing with her hoop.  I have been obsessed with the videos she posts on social media.  What a beautiful form of expression!  We had to include it in her pictures. I have been experimenting with a lot of different film lately.  I love the look of this one.We snuck in a couple of polaroids on Impossible Project film.

Louisville Family Portraits

Are you ready for some serious cuteness?  Chris and I drove down to Louisville this week to take pictures of our friend Cole and his new family.  It was my first time meeting Mary, Cole's wife,  I adored her from the first minute we walked in their home.  She greeted me with a big hug and huge smile.  I felt like I have known her forever.  They showed us one of their favorite spots downtown where we spent some time taking relaxed pictures.  After that Mary's parents cooked an amazing dinner for us.  We got to experience southern hospitality at it's finest.  It was a wonderful day full of so many laughs.  We are very lucky to have such beautiful people in our lives.

Alright, now onto the pictures, because their little guy Max will bring a smile to anyone's face, this little dude is the cutest.

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.