Kendra + Tyler Maternity Session- Welcoming a Daughter and a Sister

Blessings to you both on this wonderful news! A beautiful little girl will be coming soon to join your already amazing family. Little Thaiden, born just last year, will have a little sister!

It’s funny that both your maternity sessions were in the colder months. I was sure that we were gonna freeze our little behinds off when I woke up and saw that our 7:45am photo session was in 25 degree weather!! Surprisingly, with the sun shining and almost no wind it was quite pleasant. We really lucked out. It was so wonderful to get to see Thaiden too, since the last time I saw him was for our newborn session and he was just a tiny little thing.

Can’t wait to meet little Freya. Such a beautiful name too. And thank you guys for coming back to work with me for you second pregnancy!! I always do first time maternity portrait sessions but rarely do seconds and thirds. I think it’s just as magical the second time around and what a wonderful opportunity to get some family photos in, not only for the momentous occasion of a new baby, but also to capture, in this case, a soon to be Big Brother while he’s at such a cute age! I’m so delighted I got to share in the beauty and joy of this moment. Thanks for making my first portrait session of 2021 a blast!

Autumnal Family Portrait Session - Candice and Charlie

A beautiful family on a perfect autumn day. Timed the session so the sun was still peaking through the trees and adding it’s beaming yellow/orange light to the already saturated colors in the trees behind us. Add in some pumpkins and a beautiful baby girl in her fall attire and we had a glorious family portrait session to capture these special memories. It is my mission in life to get families to document every year with at least one session. Time flies so fast! Don’t you want to remember days like these?

Kendra + Tyler - Maternity Session In The Morning Light

I drive by places all the time that spark my creativity, yet I rarely get to shoot in them. Well today I crossed one off the list! I got to work with Kendra and Tyler to capture a beautiful maternity session in the misty morning light in Arden, NC. There’s a beautiful field with wispy tall grass and in the distance you can see the mountains. Luckily they were adventurous enough to want to explore it with me!

The colors they chose, autumnal reds and creams and browns, looked gorgeous with the grass in the field. It was the weirdest weather!! The sun was sort of dancing through the clouds, coming in and out, the sky behind them was very stormy and dark at the start, with a little bit of misty rain falling. However, it’s my first photo shoot where there was a rainbow right in the frame of the photo I was already taking. Pretty cool! It was really faint but we got to enjoy it for about 10 minutes before it moved on. Can you spot it in the second photo down?

Wishing Kendra and Tyler all the very best for this special life moment to come. I’m so glad that we got to sneak in a maternity session before he comes. Especially since I think it’s so important to capture this beautiful memory. Can’t wait to meet him and do a newborn session with you all!

View fullsize

View fullsize

Vintage Glamour in Downtown Asheville- Juliette + Keevon at Rennaissance Hotel

Downtown Asheville is a beautiful and eclectic metropolis, both with a modern edge and breathtaking scenic views from all angles. Our real life couple, Juliette and Keevon, were a perfect fit for this downtown wedding.  We picked TWO fabulous dresses for Juliette at Wedding Inspirations Bridal Boutique; a wedding dress that fit like a glove with a gorgeous, dramatic train, AND a beaded, fringe reception dress giving a nod to the roaring twenties for the after party. It was great that they had so much selection at the same store; Wedding dresses, mother of the bride, some wedding party, reception dresses, flower girl dresses, robes and so many jewelry and accessories. This is my first styled shoot I’ve done with a reception dress and I definitely plan to do it again. I loved having a whole second look to play with and Juliette and Keevon had fun pretending they were in the “kick-back party time” segment of the wedding day.

For Keevon, we fitted a classic black and white tux from Mitchell’s Tuxedos. Kathy is a genius and picked out the perfect look for him.  And he looked SO handsome in it! Some men were just born to wear tuxes. For the second look, with something this classic, we just lost the bow tie and partied on into the night.

A special touch to our couple’s photo shoot was a 1955 Bel Air classic car, bringing an old Hollywood feel. Burrell Vintage Cars parked it right outside the hotel, and we couldn’t stop clicking away. For couples who want a special touch, you can’t go wrong with a classic car! The pictures from that part of the day had such an amazing flair because of the beauty of that car paired with this gorgeous couple.

From the super chic lobby to the top floor views of the mountains and surrounding city, The Renaissance Hotel was the perfect venue for our shoot.  For couples who have lots of out of town guests, a large amount of guests who might range in age or needs , or people who just love amenities, a hotel wedding is a perfect choice. Renaissance Hotel is also a dog friendly hotel, making this a perfect destination for dog lovers. You can do everything from your bachelorette pool party or bridal shower, to rehearsal dinner, to wedding and reception, even the morning after breakfast; with a hotel wedding, it’s all in one spot. And as a wedding videographer and photographer here in Asheville, I can speak from experience that it’s nice to have that capability. And not to get rained out LOL.

We really enjoyed showing such a wide range of moments with our couple; from sweet and cuddly overlooking the sunset, to edgy and editorial in front of the RH bookshelf.   We had the best; the venue, the amazing flowers and chic cake, the FABULOUS dresses and tux, a one of a kind classic car, not to mention award winning hair and make-up, and the sweetest, cutest couple. Thank you to everyone for your passion and creativity. This wedding styled shoot will be hard to top!

Special thanks to Christine at Renaissance for taking care of us all day, and Silvio for such a beautifully decorated table!

VENDORS WE LOVE

Photography- Studio Misha Photography

Venue- Renaissance Asheville Hotel

Hair- Britton Asheville with Eclipse Salon

Beauty- Frances Martinez with Franky and Rouge 

Flowers- Asheville Wedding Florist

Cake- Parfaits and Petit Fours 

Bridal Fashion- Wedding Inspirations Bridal Boutique

Groom’s Fashion- Mitchell’s Tuxedos

Antique Car- Burrell Vintage Cars

Photo Assist- Myriah Wood 

Bride Model- Preston Juliette Owen

Groom Model- Darius Keevon Baten

Jamie + Rob with Baby Kyllian - Revisiting Memories at Fletcher Park

My favorite thing in my profession is that I get to re-visit with people throughout their lives. I get to be there to witness and capture some of their greatest moments. Jamie and Rob worked with me as their wedding photographer back in 2017. And now, two years later, I am photographing their maternity session with baby and family photos to come. It almost feels like I just saw them yesterday! Time passes so quickly.

It’s such a beautiful moment to capture a little one while they’re still with mom, nestled inside and just waiting to spring forth. And it’s super important to schedule maternity sessions early! LOL. It has happened more times than I can count that the maternity session never happened because baby came early. And baby Ky was no exception.

We went back to Fletcher Park where we had done the engagement session. It was fun to revisit those memories and do another river shoot just like their previous one. Unfortunately it wasn’t in the same exact location. It had rained A LOT and the river was so high and fast it would have been impossible. But through exploration we found a little side river that was almost the same, BUT SAFE! One shouldn’t endanger their couples during their maternity session.

Can’t wait to meet baby Kyliian, or baby Ky, at our session next week. I need my baby fix :) Congrats to these amazing parents as they begin their next life journey together.

Here’s a look back at our engagement session from 2017. This specific river spot was full of rushing, brown water from storms, however we lucked out with a side river, and we accomplished our goal! Who knows, maybe we’ll have to bring baby Ky here too!

The Field Of Flowers That Called For A Portrait

I had been driving by a field of flowers everyday for weeks! And every time I passed it, I was planning shoots in my mind. Many times this happens to me and I never actually get to it. But THIS time, this field of flowers and I jammed together. Morgen was in town for only a weekend, and our portrait paths crossed. I was so excited to shoot with her since I had never had a full session of my own, just working with her at a fashion show in the past. And my expectations were blown right out of the water….or out of the field, LOL. She was magnificent, moving with grace and fluidity in and out of poses, coming up with great ideas all on her own, and fueling my rapid fire shooting of this momentous occasion. I filled up an entire 32G card. I also had a lot of fun editing, and combining a few different styles. Some of them I wanted crisp and clean and bright, and some I added a vintage touch (Which Morgen said she was feeling on the day with her hat and her outfit)

So thank you again Morgen, for wanting to do a fun, creative portrait session with me, capturing this field of flowers, AND the field of tall grass by my house, in their glory days. It wasn’t a week or two later that all the flowers had bloomed out, and solid green took over. It was just a brief moment in time that lent its beauty to our purpose.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Family Video Makes Memories Sparkle- Lask Family Picnic

I’ve started offering video as part of Family Portrait Sessions. Video is unlike any other medium in that it captures movement, expressions as they change, and interactions that can’t be transferred in to still photos. I look back on old family videos that my parents got transferred to DVD from old film reels in wonder. It fascinates me to see my grandparents and watch them as they play with tiny versions of me and my brother. Moments that I have seen only in photos are now coming to life before me. They seem so real, so tangible. I feel I know them more. It’s memories like these that I am so passionate about capturing. And that’s why I LOVE the power of video. I am now bringing that power into Family Sessions.

Nothing will ever be as sweet as looking back 20-30-50 years down the road and remembering how your kids moved around on unsteady feet as they were growing as a toddler. Or the playful, silly things your 7 year old does, and the faces they make. Or the brooding, ever growing intelligence that is incubating under a teenagers skin. These are all moments that are going to fade with time…unless you capture them. And that’s what these family videos will do.

During my session with Shannon and her family, I decided to experiment with capturing some of these small moments. And I LOVED the results. I’ve been doing it with weddings for years! Seeing how photography and video can combine to create a total picture of the days events. But I had never done it with other portraits before. Now, I can capture some of those special life moments between family. And I’m so excited to share it with you!

It also serves another purpose. Rather than sending family and friends a link to an album, this is a more personal, and involved way to share your photo experience with them. At the click of a button they are transported into the session, seeing the video clips and some of the favorite shots from the session come to life.

Thank you so much to the Lask Family for allowing me into their amazing lives for one day. May these memories bring you closer together with laughter and smiles.

I’d love to work with you and your family! Contact me today!

To see the blog post with the Lask Family photos, click HERE.

Lask Family - A Family Portrait Session with a Winter Picnic Outside

This was a truly special photo session. Shannon planned a family outdoor picnic (IN THE WINTER!) with food and decor to rival Martha Stewart! It was amazing. And it celebrated her beautiful family now, as well as the year anniversary of her dearly beloved’s passing, Mike.

Luckily we planned it on a not TOO freezing day, so we were able to enjoy being outside. Darwin was running around with a very large stick, which whacked a few heads and fingers, but I got the greatest shot of him looking like a world-wise wizard, or avid hiker, take your pick. Well worth it! Elanor was so full of energy and spirit. We had a great time jumping, and posing, and her foot always wound up in the air with her tongue out. Very cute, and I love capturing the true personality of the kids in my photos. That way, when you look back on them 10-20-30 years from now, you can say “Yup, that was them, always with their tongue out!”. She showed me the locket with a picture of her daddy in it; Always close to her heart and dangling in the middle of the group photos, which was so perfect.

It was so easy to capture the spirit and loving energy between this family. Hugs passed around, bubbles being chased, Darwin stealing grapes and sushi through the shoot, and Elanor running around in her dress and tights, which had such a cute hole in the bum. I wish I had gotten a shot of that.

Thank you Shannon for asking me to be a part of your family this day! I hope these pictures bring you joy and peace throughout your lives together.

I loved this series of Eleanor. She has so much radiant personality.

I saw her touching the locket all the time, opening and closing it, swinging it up as she jumped. I asked her what was inside, she said “My daddy.”

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

How do you keep everyone’s attention throughout a family group photo? BUBBLES! Although sometimes the adults are more crazy about them than the kids :)

The Portrait of Joseph Herbst And His Alto Sax

I love shooting portraits. They’re always different. One is never the same as the next, because people are so unique! I love finding my own way to tell each person’s story, showcasing their special traits on film. It’s boundless.

When Joseph Herbst asked me to work with him to capture his musical portrait I was thrilled. I love working with musicians because they are, of course, artists themselves so it’s fun to work with a fellow kindred spirit. Plus they usually like to do crazy, fun or weird stuff; which is totally up my alley! Joseph wanted dark and moody meets artsy and creative. So we did some photography in the studio setting with lighting and some creative color work and some outside in the River Arts District using the graffiti and urban settings as a color pop with natural light. I tried some of my favorite styles that feel very “me” like the very contrasted black and white, which I love, and also some stuff that I’ve NEVER done, like a slow motion capture mixed with a portrait. He was game for all of it which makes it super fun and adventurous. Some of the photographs might make an eventual album cover for music that he’s currently working on.

So if you love adventure and want a creative boost in your photography or marketing, CONTACT ME for your next portrait session. I’d love to work with you.