Class of 2016
Warm, sweet, with a wonderful soul.
Loving the way the light caught your deep brown eyes, lady. Thanks for spending an afternoon with me as your senior photographer! Wishing you all the best from what is yet to come!
Sophie- Part 1
Sophie is vibrant and motivated, with an excellent sense of style. I really enjoyed walking and talking life with her as we made our way to her favorite spot on one Huntsville's great greenways.
Looking forward to photographing this girl again in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for Part 2!
Woods Wedding
A late summer wedding, short, sweet, simple. There was a chance for rain, but instead of dumping on us, the sky provided a beautiful, defused light, the best light for bride & groom & party portraits.
Thank you Kyle & Kristen for letting me come photograph and hangout a couple hours on your special day!
The Department of Agra Culture's 2nd Pop-Up Caravan
I was very excited to photograph this event for a local company, The Department of Agra Culture at the beginning of this month. Every so often, the DOA puts on a pop-up caravan, selling handmade items from around the world. Purses, hats, rugs, bags, scarves, blankets, etc- all very beautiful, very reasonably priced, and bought directly from the men and women who make them. I love what the Dept of Agra Culture is doing. They've brought these items to the Huntsville AL area, where similar products are hard to come by. They tell the story behind those goods and are interested in raising awareness of what goes into making each item. They've also hosted a workshop with Encourage Huntsville, to teach weaving techniques to locals (which I missed and hate that I missed!!). I'm so excited to see where this company is headed. The DOA has an interesting vision, and I appreciate their desire to improve the creative community in Huntsville.
If you missed the caravan, and would still love to get your hands on a beautiful, handmade product, check out the D of A's online store here. Or just check out all the visual goodness on that site. Really, click the link. See what they're about!
Stephanie the Graduate!
This is my dear, dear friend Stephanie. I've known her for most of my life. She has not had things handed to her.
She decided at a very young age that she wanted to be an engineer for NASA. This, my friends, is not an easy career path. Many sleepless college nights, long conversations running the gamut of emotions, lots hard decisions, lots of money (and loads of time) spent, and plenty of mistakes.
She made it.
It's so easy to stop when life gets hard. And, in this day and age of "feelings," it's socially acceptable to call it quits when something doesn't "feel" right, or good, or perfect, or (any other positive adjective).
BUT...
There is much to be said for picking a thing, then sticking with and working for said thing no matter what obstacles pop up. As I get older, I'm convinced that good cannot exist without the bad. AND, nothing of value is ever achieved without hard work or sacrifice.
I would say the best things in life are those you struggle for, sacrifice for, and ultimately succeed for. And if you embrace this idea, you realize life kind of gets interesting when it's hard. It becomes adventure.
Stephanie has already had quite an adventurous life. Looking forward to where she takes it.
Matt & Emily Tie the Knot!
Casual, simple, southern, and warm.
Matt & Emily's big day.
A short, elegant ceremony, followed by a reception full of open arms and no closing time. There were family and friends, and friends who counted as family, all coming together at the bride's childhood home to celebrate, visit, AND eat fantastic food (catered by a local restaurant, Shea's).
I was absolutely taken care of by these two families. Hired as the photographer, but treated as a cousin, and wholeheartedly included in all the love on this day.
Ariel: Part 2
The Spear Family
A sweet Mom & Dad, with a lively little girl who loves to run and swing!
The Spears also included some of their extended family who happened to be in town for Easter. See this bunch below:
Wes
Wes.
Class of 2015
A drummer, a music-lover, and also my brother-in-law.
We shot his senior photos in some of Huntsville's grungier spots. "Grungy" is hard to find in Huntsville. The city is extremely strict with graffiti of any sort, and most places are kept free of tags, murals, etc. I'm so glad we found areas different from the typical Huntsville setting. Different is so refreshing, and in this case, these two locations were tailored to Wes perfectly.
Ariel & Blake
High school sweethearts, Ariel and Blake, all dressed up and ready for a lovely evening at their Jr/Sr Banquet. I enjoyed shooting this whirlwind pre-banquet session for two young people who made my job easy.
Emily's Bridal Shower
Last month I shot Emily's bridal shower and was able to witness just a little bit of the happiness surrounding her engagement.
I knew Emily's family was a warm bunch, a group of folks who love to entertain and make everyone feel 100% welcome. Turns out, her bridesmaids are the exact same way. Those ladies threw a super classy party. The spread was incredible (they shared their food with me. Again, I love these people.), and the details were prepared with such care. Emily truly has a loving and thoughtful community surrounding her. Her wedding in May is going to be a blast!
The Picones
I give you Ashley and Rico, two friends of ours who live in Washington.
Rico, a philosophical scientist, a deep thinker and professor.
Ashley, thorough and thoughtful, a coffee enthusiast who notices the little things.
They form quite the pair. They're fun and affectionate. They listen AND bring something of value to the conversation.
While I know this is starting to sound like some weird personal couple's ad, it's not. These folks are just so great. Really. We hit it off with them a few years ago during another Washington trip, and we've been good friends since. They are two special people, both to each other, and us.
The Holschen Family
Thank you, Holschens, for being such patient subjects.. It was cold and windy, and I kept asking you to sit in shady, colder, windier spots for the best light.
Still, you guys looked good, and were so warm towards each other, like a family should be. It was a pleasure to photograph you and your bright-eyed girls. I enjoyed getting to know you, if only for a couple hours on a (very) cold Saturday afternoon!
The Newmans
This family session was shot a few weeks ago, while Huntsville was experiencing some pretty intense cooler temperatures. On the plus side, it meant rosy cheeks and no other photographers volleying for the many nice locations in downtown. I was able to shoot this session quickly, plus, the light was fan-tastic. There's nothing quite like winter light. Sure it's cold, and summer is warm. But summer can be so harsh in the south, with a blaring sun and air so humid walking feels like swimming. During a southern summer, the second you're out of the shower, you're sweating again. One never truly feels clean in the hotter months (or really, I never feel clean, maybe I'm not alone in this). Massive digression...
ANYWAY, I've always been partial to shooting in the cold, and the Newman family did wonderfully. They didn't complain a bit. In fact, there was a lot of smiling and laughing, even from their little Addie. All she wanted to do was walk and explore, aided by her two pleasant parents.
Nana came along to keep the little miss comfy and happy in the car during Mom and Dad's photos, which was so helpful. Any parent knows how wonderful loving help can be, even with such a good little girl like this one.
Thank you, Nathan, Megan, Susan, and little Addie for braving the cold and letting me photograph your genuine smiles and rosy cheeks!
Merry Christmas!
Wishing you all a fantastic holiday season!
Merry Christmas from from us to you :-)
Ty
Ty, Class of 2015.
A young man, with a commendable future of service.
"...I will always be on time to relieve,
and shall endeavor to do more,
rather than less, than my share.
I will always be at my station,
alert and attending to my duties.
I shall, so far as I am able,
bring to my seniors solutions, not problems.
I shall live joyously,
but always with due regard for the rights and
privileges of others.
I shall endeavor to be a model citizen in the
community in which I live.
I shall sell my life dearly to my enemy fire but give
it freely to rescue those in peril.
With God’s help,
I shall endeavor to be one of His noblest Works."
-from the (NYC Firefighter's Creed)
Beryl
This girl. I've met many who know her. All of them love her.
She's the kind of person who draws others in by her sweet smile, but also by the conviction behind those dark eyes.
She is a person of purpose, action, and accomplishment. Beryl, while not from the US, has immersed herself in this culture in such a way to leave her mark. She has the makings of greatness.
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
-Marcus Aurelius
Matt & Emily Engaged
Two people brought together completely unexpectedly at a party. Neither one is looking for the other. An attachment is formed naturally, and a friendship grows into something more.
If you watch Matt & Emily for any period of time, you can tell just how much they mean to each other. He cares deeply for her, and she for him. There's a tender sincerity, between them, but also an air of ease. They function together well. It's the kind of foundation forever should be built upon.
The perfect backdrop for this engagement session was a church- the church where Matt's paternal grandmother worked as a seamstress her entire life. Then, the church's garden, where her ashes were scattered when she passed. Afterwards, the downtown area, only streets away from where Matt grew up.
Next May, these two will wed in another sentimental place: the backyard of Emily's childhood home. I get the privilege of photographing this beautiful moment.
In life, you truly do find those things, those special and rich things, when you aren't looking.
Erin
Erin, a junior firefighter for one of the local communities, has such a great disposition. Self-reliant and hard-working, she's the type to get the job done. She has a kind heart and beautiful smile.
Honestly, she's kind of girl younger ones should look up to. It was an absolute pleasure to photograph her in this special time of life.
With confidence, you have won before you have started.
~Marcus Garvey
Nikki & Greg
If you can't tell by the photos, Nikki & Greg are a whole lot of fun. Her warmth and his mischievous demeanor form a perfect chemistry.
I wish you two the best in life.
May you never stop having a good time together :-)