vacation please. – Wrightsville Beach, NC

So… I needed a short vacation, and my husband surely needed a short vacation. And we really needed to spend time together (which has always been my excuse.) So, we went and visited some friends in the Wilmington, NC area.

Staying a few blocks away from Wrightsville Beach, we spent our first evening from midnight to 2 AM… just walking along the beach, stargazing.

Brandon found out that if you take your hand and write in the wet/hard part of the sand at night, there are small glowing sparks that light up. (He has a whole science lesson on it after he googled it.)

We spent hours the next afternoon catching waves, hanging with our friend, Therese, who we have missed so much.

I got burned to a crisp…

Later that evening, I went out on the beach as the sun was setting and captured some of this…

After all of that, Brandon and I lay under the stars and listened to the waves for a couple hours. We also watched a lightning storm over the ocean…as we drifted…… away……. away…..

Kyle & Christy Wedding

I’ve been second shooting with my friend, Tara Mauldin, quite a bit this year, and we still have a few weddings to go. As a learning photographer, I’m taking the time to get a a solid foundation by second shooting about eighteen or more weddings this year. I’ve already shot seven so far, and with each wedding I either feel like I’ve almost got it or I feel like I don’t know a thing. Since I have an intense justice side in me, I want to give people the justice they deserve in hiring me to do their wedding or portraits. I can’t charge people $3000 for a wedding when I haven’t taken the years to learn. And so that’s what this year is for me. Its my “years” of learning.

I’ve been extremely blessed to be mentored and loved by an excellent photographer based out of Minnesota. (Shelley Paulson) She tells me what’s trendy and what’s timeless. She tells me what’s right and what’s wrong. She tells me if my picture is too yellow, blue, red or green. She helps me see “right.”  It’s rough and tough at times, but it’s incredible love. I sometimes spend hours after I learn something from her trying to put it into practice and trying to get it right, and then I add my touch of “me” to it. I’m learning to find my style and be consistent in my work.  I’ll be talking about Shelley Paulson for probably the rest of my life. haha…

I’ve been getting quite a few emails from old friends and random people asking me photography questions the last few months. When I get asked what “they” should charge to do a wedding or a portrait session, I get extremely frustrated. I’ve been trying to grow in photography for the last three years or more… and even I am feeling like I do not have the “best” to give people for what their money is worth. As for someone who just picked up a point and shoot camera and has created their own photography fan page/business, my advice in the most gentle way is: “learn for a long time, and then you can ask people to give you money for the best work you have to offer.”

With all that being said, here is some of my journey with each wedding I shoot.

Kyle and Kristi are such beautiful people…very photogenic and extremely fun to shoot. Kristi was a bride that I had helped a time or two at the bridal salon I “used” to work at. We recognized each other, and it was a bit random that I would be helping shoot her wedding day.

Their reception took place on the 15th floor at the Bentley’s restaurant in Uptown Charlotte. It was quite a view overlooking the Queen City!

My struggle for this wedding was the dance floor. I’m learning how to use my flash. So with every wedding, I feel like I’m just experimenting with it throughout the dancing. Thank God for low white ceilings where I can bounce the flash!

The thing with second shooting (which can sometimes be frustrating) is that I can only capture so much of the story. So, here is my side of their day….

Enjoy….

Ben & Marie Wedding

On a cloudy March Sunday, my friend Tara Mauldin and I shot Ben and Marie’s lovely wedding at the Morehead Inn. We prayed it wouldn’t rain, and hoped the sun would come out. Well…. it didn’t rain, and the sun did start showing itself by the end of the day.

The ceremony took place under this gorgeous tree with pink flowers falling everywhere. There were about 60 people that attended.  It was a small, simple, and elegant wedding.

Tara and I had a great time shooting this day for Ben and Marie. (We may have even busted a move on the dance floor )

I hope you enjoy these…

Mom & Son Dance…

Oh Tara!

We are quite the pair…

I just had to photograph this guy…..

Songs of Water Concert

I was so incredibly excited to be able to photograph the concert for the release of  Songs of Water’s new CD. Songs of Water is a band that I would describe as “everything unique and different”. The band members are constantly changing instruments. Their folksy, middle eastern, Irish, etc… feel, makes your heart come absolutely alive when you hear them. (I want to fly.)

The Visulite Theatre was an amazing venue for them to perform at.  It was difficult to capture the moment with all the red lighting on stage, so, unfortunately, the color in the originals was harsh. Turning these photos to black and white really brought out all the amazing detail.  These are only a few of my favorites from the night… more to come.

Check out Songs of Water on iTunes

Their new cd is absolutely amazing. Thanks to Songs of Water for letting me capture just a small piece of the excellence that comes along with your music. I so enjoyed doing this!

This was an amazing mirror in the “green room” before the concert..

Stephen Roach

Kevin & Penni Wedding

My photographer friend Tara Mauldin invited me to second shoot a wedding in the mountains of North Carolina over Fall Peak. We drove all over the mountains trying to find where the wedding was. Our GPS took us to the top of a mountain at a dead end. We finally asked someone where we could find “The River House Bed and Breakfast”. We arrived to breathtaking beauty all around us.

The ceremony was about 50 people held underneath a giant elm tree. The view all the way around us was mountains and color. Absolutely incredible. So many details everywhere. The reception was held inside the bed and breakfast… Tara and I had so much fun photographing the day for Kevin and Penni. Beautiful wedding!

This is def one of my very favorite pictures.