Mike + Eliza//Why I love my job

 

I should preface this post by saying it is so fun to meet people and realize how many similarities you have with them.  There's that awesome moment where you say, "me too!" and boom, you've bonded.  This happened on so many levels when I met Eliza and Mike.  Mike is from upstate New York, which is where I am from.  He went to college in Binghamton, NY, where my brother was born and parents lived for a few years.  And then he traveled south like any good bird to come to law school at Georgia (just like me, except the law school part:).  Eliza and Mike met at a friend's house in Athens while Eliza was finishing up her undergraduate work at UGA.  Eliza is one of those awesome quick friend people- the kind you meet and 10 minutes later you feel like she might be one of your new best friends.  She is super fun and lively, and it turns out she and I have lots of similarities, too.  We both like photography (she is starting to do wedding photography- wahoo!), we both dressed up like Hillary Clinton in female pant suits and did Model UN in high school, and I think it's safe to say we both make our significant others probably a little uncomfortable with our craziness sometimes:) I think that might be the best part! Eliza does this really awesome move where she shoots her hands out like guns and shakes her hips- I think it's need to be named something official.  I am so so so excited to photograph her wedding just to see her do that in a wedding dress.

Thank you Eliza for this awesome muscle picture.

Yes- here it is... the gun shot.  Eliza doing some awesome moves and Mike thinking here she goes agaaaaainnn...

We took a stroll through campus and ended up in the Law School building, where Mike has spent most of his time these past three years.  And then we had the idea of using the books with numbers on them to take a photo with their wedding date (10.26.13) and Eliza's engagement ring.  So there we were looking for the right book to use and the right colors and mixing it all up.  It was fun times.  Hence the last picture in this post- nothing says engagement pictures like international and comparative law:)

I really can't wait for this October wedding- is is going to be fantastic. Thank you guys for hanging out and letting me be a part of telling your story- you're awesome!

Molly//Wedding Designer Extraordinaire!

Meet Molly.  She's pretty awesome.  I met Molly through a wedding I photographed (the amazing outdoor wedding of Ginny Rae + Brad).  Molly planned and styled the wedding and it was incredible.  Since then Molly has started her own business, Molly McKinley Designs, and I can't recommend her enough.  I love that she is passionate about helping people create the wedding day they are hoping for and preserving their sanity through the process! I know many brides take on every role in the wedding planning process and it can make the experience so stressful, which is why Molly is a life saver.  She knows how to bring designs and ideas to life, freeing up couples to enjoy their wedding day and creating something beautiful!  Her work has been featured on Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings, and Occasions magazine among others.  I took pictures of Molly for her new website and wanted to share a few of them...

Molly is one of those people who I think has a Mary Poppins bag full of talent- she just keeps bringing out more amazingness.  For example, Molly also has her own line of jewelry that she makes in addition to being a wedding and event designer/planner.  kinda awesome.  She graduated from the art school at UGA so it makes sense that she is jack of all trades.  This is the kind of person you want helping you create a gorgeous wedding day!

Molly, you are beautiful! So glad we are friends. Thanks for letting me photograph you!

Taylor + Olivia//Athens + Watson Mill Engagement

Taylor and Olivia made me realize something HUGE about photography during their engagement session, and I think it says a lot about them.  What I realized is that it's not just me trying to make couples feel comfortable in front of the camera but the ability of a couple to make me feel comfortable behind the camera.  That doesn't sound so revolutionary or new, but it really hit me when I was with them.  I told Olivia right before I took the above picture that they were the kind of couple I love being around because they make me feel very at ease, free to be creative and fun.  Photographer friends of mine have talked about how sometimes we freeze and become awkward behind the camera and it makes a huge difference in the pictures we take.  Taylor and Olivia made my job such a joy and I really could have photographed them all day (and will come October!).

Olivia and Taylor met at UGA when Olivia was a RA in the dorms, so it made sense that we got all sorts of Athens pictures.  They also wanted to include their amazing dog in on the shoot- who happens to be the most well behaved and lovable dog I have been around (really).

After exploring downtown Athens we went out to Watson Mill Bridge State Park.  I had forgotten how beautiful it is out there- if you haven't been there it is definitely worth planning a picnic and going! On another random note, I found out that Taylor and Olivia are in the middle of designing and building their first home together (Taylor builds homes- that is the kind of man EVERYONE wants to know!).  It was so fun to hear about their plans for it and made me wish I was doing that.  I love that they are are doing it together- it seems like such a cool way to prepare for marriage by literally thinking through and building a home for the two of you.  I can't wait to see it!

I can't say enough about how good it was to photograph Olivia and Taylor- how quickly they smile and laugh and how that makes for such lively and genuine pictures.  Thank you guys for including me in documenting this stage of your lives and relationship- I can't wait for a beautiful October wedding!!!