To my sweet, jolly Julian, on your first birthday -- It's been a whole year, and still I'm amazed daily at how your smile lights up a room. You radiate joy. You seek out opportunities to laugh. Rarely a day goes by without someone comment…
A blink and it's flown by. One trip around the sun in practically an instant. That's what that first year of marriage feels like, and I'm sure Amanda and Cameron would agree wholeheartedly, especially since that first year, for them, saw th…
You may have noticed that I’ve been a little screen shy lately. The blog has been quiet and my presence on social media has been scarce. It hasn’t been purposeful — there’s so much to I want to share, so many projects I want to undertake. B…
I was told, once, that there was a certain sweetness to my images. It was at the start of this entrepreneurial journey, when I was still in school, and the words were uttered during a portfolio review by a gifted photographer whose eye is…
Truth: I am exhausted. Running entirely on toddler high fives and iced lattes and sheer adrenaline - the high that comes with creative exertion. I used to be one of those people who fell asleep within ninety seconds of my head hitting the p…
I remember what it felt like, those last few days before baby arrived. Full of joyful anticipation for what was to come, offset by a bit of nostalgia for the last precious moments of our familiar life together as two. It occurs to me now, a…
I have a special place in my heart for this sweet little nugget, who I've photographed since birth (see her newborn photos here ). Gabrielle was six months old at the time of this session, and was nothing but beautiful baby squish, blue ey…
Her laugh. His smile. And that darling polka dotted dress. Are you kidding me? They had me at hello.
No, really. See the second photo down on the left? That was a TEST SHOT. These two made my job easy. And it's not because they are gorge…
We blinked and a year went by. A year . A beautiful, exhausting, perfect whirlwind of a year. And if we were taken with you then, in that first moment, we're completely overcome now. Smitten. Hooked. Wrapped around your tiny little finger.…
These two. See how snuggly they are? And how beautifully it translates on camera? When we first started Liz & Tom's engagement session, they didn't believe they could make that happen. I remember smiling to myself as they nervously comp…
Okay, listen. I'll admit it: I've been known to use the word delicious on more than one occasion when describing a baby. Or yummy, or edible. Scrumptious, even. And I've nibbled on more than my fair share of baby thighs, especially now th…
She looked right down the center of my lens, as though she was peering into my soul. I snapped a few frames before the moment escaped us and then looked at her mama with my eyebrows raised. It's unusual to get that kind of eye contact with …
I have no apologies. I rarely see a gym or a yoga studio these days, my husband and I now consider late-night home-cooked dinner + a glass of wine a date, I am nearly a year behind on the blog, but...you know what? We're happy. Hopelessly s…
A great deal of care went into designing this beautiful wedding. I choose the word design here very deliberately because any guest that day would agree that the bride, Melissa, went above and beyond mere planning ; each detail was chosen…
Twenty-seven days. That's how long we were in Europe this summer, re-learning the art of appreciating stillness, of really tasting our food, and seeing new places and things through the fresh eyes of our ten month old. It was restorative …
It rained here last night. A quiet, almost imperceptible rain, the kind one might believe to have dreamt up if not for having smelled its faint fragrance in the air the next morning. It was one of the gentler things I've encountered in a lo…
...share an engagement session worthy of the south of France: French macaroons, soft lavenders and pinks, dreamy evening light, and a couple swept up in the arms of their affianced . But what I love most of all as I look back on this s…
I'm just going to say it like it is: I am OBSESSED with the images from this boudoir session. And not just because of the dreamy light and my subject's staggering eyes, but because of the transformation I witnessed in her as she became more…
Their love is simple and straight-forward---connection in its purest form. You can see it when they look at each other: there's something unspoken, but unmistakable, a quiet respect and tenderness. And it spreads beyond them, to their famil…
It's a beautiful morning in DC: the sun is pouring in our windows and the city's trees are swollen with lush, pink blooms, leaving a faint fragrance to perfume the air. As my son sleeps soundly in the next room, it strikes me as an ideal t…
Oh, why hello! It's been a rather long time, hasn't it? I suppose it's appropriate that my last musings were about a balancing act, about finding time to finesse various facets of my business amidst the beautiful mess of motherhood. Because…
Five months of juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship has taught me a lot of things, not the least of which is that there will be days when not a thing gets crossed off my professional checklist. Today has felt like one of those days---al…
We thought we'd timed it perfectly--I'd have wrapped up wedding season, and certainly I would have found my rhythm with my fledgling business by then. So, when we learned we were expecting -- and due on a weekend I'd booked not one, but TWO…
Oh, 2014. You were an epic year, truly, both personally and professionally. Within the span of your sweet seasons, I grew a mama's heart, a beautiful baby boy, and a fulfilling business. As I write this first blog of the year following your…
There's something really beautiful about unconventional, intimate weddings. They're less cookie-cutter, more focused on the details, more tightly knit. When Meaghan and Chris described their vision for their small, September wedding on the …
You grew my heart the moment you took your first breath.
I remember marveling at your tiny, exaggerated features that night---learning the softness and contours of your sweet, wrinkly face---and realizing I had never before known my true…
Apparently, three and a half year old Isaac was not really into the idea of a photo op the morning of our session -- though he could have fooled me. Although he was adamant that he should swap out the sweet little blue and white checkered s…
Some babies are just meant to be in front of the camera. Niklas, with his sapphire eyes and infectious, tug-at-my-heart-strings giggle, is most certainly one of them. The morning of our session, it was all I could do to keep up with the cut…
Since the beginning, I've loved shooting maternity sessions. Nothing has changed; in fact, I may love it even more now that I know what it feels like to grow a little person inside me. All the anticipation and love that's felt when baby mov…
I have big love for this family. Don't get me wrong; I adore all of my clients -- they're why I do what I do -- but there's something about this close-knit little threesome that just puts a smile on my face and makes me feel at home. Maybe …
It was made very evident to me recently, at my baby shower, that I have made my aesthetic very obvious to my nearest and dearest. Gift by gift, as I unwrapped little bits of loveliness for my sweet baby-boy-to-be, I realized that even gifts…
I recently commented to Margaret and Todd that if their wedding day was any indicator, their marriage was going to be off-the-charts fun. And I meant it: these two are wild about each other, thrive off each others' laughter, and are against…
Take my word for it: there is nothing cuter than a three-week-old baby flanked by her daddy's prized trumpet collection. Who needs growth charts when you can measure height relative to trumpet length?
Gabrielle is one of the most easy-go…
We've gone over this before: everything about Annapolis makes me swoon. From its small-town, sleepy-Sunday-morning feel, and its sweeping vistas, to its charming homes on winding narrow roads. But even more than the town in which they wed, …
This. This is why I love my job. Because even though I guide my clients toward beautifully lit areas, and suggest ways they can better position themselves in front of my camera, there's no staging or faking the joy and connection that's cap…
This sweet couple holds a special place in this little photographer's heart. They were my first -- the first to entrust me with the incredible honor of telling the story of one of the most memorable days of their lives. At the time, I was a…
There was a time when I came home from work each day feeling unfulfilled and restless. I felt disconnected and uninspired, and I wondered how my educational journey -- which had molded and sustained me -- had led me to a string of nine-to-…
In days of old, when it was rare for couples to have their nuptials photographed, it wasn't at all uncommon for a bride's family to commission a photographer in advance of the wedding to create bridal portraits to commemorate the occasion. …
It's been a long winter, and despite the lingering snow on the ground, signs of spring are everywhere: elementary schools are hosting car washes, joggers have cast off their extra layers, and cafés are offering outdoor seating.
But the t…
I get it now. There's a reason why everyone loves Annapolis. And, having grown up on the sea, I understand why people flock to harbor towns during the summer. But for the same reason, I also know why these charming little towns are such hid…
I feel no shame in admitting it: I envy the ability of West Coast photographers to create sun-filled, dreamy images of 70-degree weddings and family sessions during what for us is the obnoxiously frigid dead of winter. It's not that I don't…
Admit it: your child is more adept at operating your many digital devices than you are. It's okay, really: if you look around you any day of the week, you'll know you're not alone. The way children absorb information is uncanny, and their a…
Some days, life serves you an extra helping of happy. Such was the case on this hazy fall afternoon, which brought with it the perfect recipe of close friends, ethereal light, a rustic apple orchard, and (more than my fair share of) apple c…
This wedding...oh my. I was at a loss for words then, and I'm at a loss for words now. A sweeping farmland venue engulfed in mist. A STUNNING couple with downright fabulous friends and family. A custom made Vera Wang gown. Need I go on? Let…
On some days, it's difficult to feel the magic in owning my own business. Take today, for example. I'm surrounded by forms and paperwork, wading through the sludge of DC tax code to determine whether or not photography services -- not pro…
There's something really appealing about a collaboration in photography. Everyone does their own thing, exercises their own skills and talents; but in the end, each individual works toward the collective goal of creating something with grea…
In photography, as in many fields, there is always something more to learn -- some new way to advance your art form. If you think you've got it all figured out, well, congratulations...but it's more likely than not you've reached a point of…
Ashton and I go way back. I've been photographing his family since he was tucked away in his momma's belly, waaaaaaay back in August (you can see those photos here if you'd like). At the time, his parents were full of anticipation for the…
I have a whole lot of fondness for late autumn weddings. The crisp chill in the air, the burnt orange color of the leaves, brides in cardigans and scarves. But perhaps most of all, I love that I get to deliver the images to the bride and gr…
There are times, when I'm photographing, that I get so wrapped up in the moment I go into overdrive: I see an interaction, a glance, a giggle I want to capture and I act with haste to ensure I get it. Sometimes, this yields exactly the resu…
Did you know that at seven weeks, a fetus is approximately the size of a blueberry? The week before that, it's akin to a lentil.
The first time I "met" little Amelia, she was much larger than a lentil in her momma's beautiful belly -- sh…
Pause. Forget, for a moment, that this is the time of year during which there are all sorts of built-in reminders to reflect on your good fortune. Pretend, for the afternoon, that your refrigerator is not full of Thanksgiving leftovers, you…
Chris and Medina have the most infectious adoration for each other. Some couples feel self conscious and a bit awkward for the first few minutes in front of the camera, but this little love session was a breeze from the start. You'd think t…
These two...well, just look at them. The chemistry is so palpable it's practically oozing off the page. And that's every photographer's dream - to have a couple before her lens whose love is so big that it can hardly be contained in a s…
I've always been a sucker for curls - especially on a darling, drooly-faced baby boy. Aman began flirting with me promptly upon my arrival, and well...that little monkey had me at hello. His twin brother, Tanvir, is equally adorable, and wi…
After nine months of full time photography school, my class celebrated yesterday morning with a small graduation ceremony. It was a nice moment's pause, an opportunity to reflect on the growth we've experienced in such a short amount of tim…
I recently took on a multimedia project for The Pregnancy Aid Center: a non-profit, community-based women's health organization that provides services for low-income and uninsured women in the DC-metro area. It was a fortuitous pairing, not…
Anyone who knows me will not be terribly surprised that expectant mothers are among my favorite subjects to photograph. I've always been fascinated by the capacity of the female body to transform and sustain new life. It's such a precious t…
I woke up this morning to a startling realization: today is my final day to hide behind the title of 'student.' Tomorrow, I am a business owner. An entrepreneur . A creative. A photographer.
And despite the trepidation, there is somethi…
