Baby Woods//Stronger than Oak

I met Lauren and Matt through the NotWedding in Atlanta, and it turned out we had lots of mutual friends so I knew I'd like them.  Matt and Lauren are super creative, owning their own custom letterpress company, Studio Four Three, in addition to Lauren being a photographer, too!  Matt designed Woods' birth announcement (picture above) including the family crest from his namesake.  When I met up with them for a NotWedding event, Lauren was pregnant and she asked me to take photos of their baby boy once he was born.  I had to tell her that I'm not really a baby photographer and make sure she would still want me to do it.  I have friends who specialize in baby photography, and I can appreciate all the work and knowledge that goes into getting those images (i.e. how do they get the newborn to put both hands under their chin while the baby stays asleep?).  My particular style is much more geared toward story telling, so any family pictures I take usually are in the context of an event or doing something.  Lauren assured me she did want me to take them, and I'm so glad I did.

Judah Woods Robinson was born on April 1st.  Lauren had a healthy and normal pregnancy, so it was a huge surprise to find out when Woods was born that he had some health problems and a chromosomal abnormality.  Lauren and Matt had to leave their precious baby son at the hospital for 28 days and drive back and forth between their home and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.  It was heartbreaking to read their updates on how they just wanted to take their son home to be with them.  Woods had to undergo surgery for some stomach issues, and he was having seizures which are now under control with medication.  He has been on a feeding tube but is making progress feeding on his own.  I walked into Lauren and Matt's home last week to take their pictures and just hugged Lauren.  I watched Matt hold his precious son and play music to help him sleep from an iPhone in his shirt pocket.  I saw the way they looked at Woods, and how they told me he was a gift and the most special baby.

Matt and Lauren were given lots of different scenarios about Woods' health, but when I saw him he was doing well and strong.  He is around 5 weeks old and can already roll over (a huge feat for an infant!).  Lauren and Matt are believing in God's goodness towards them and their baby.  They are fighting for him in every way.  Lauren told me how hard the past weeks have been and how long the days have felt in the hospital.  Lauren and Matt value life so much, and this little life the most.  They dote on him, the post pictures of him on Facebook with all his expressions, and have given themselves to him to be the parents he needs every hour.  Lauren, you are a beautiful mom, and your fierce love for your child is amazing.  Matt, you are a loving dad who I've seen dream big dreams for your little boy and fight for him.  I hope you had a great mother's day, Lauren.  You are exactly what this precious boy needs.

Thanks you guys for inviting me into your home to document the new life in your world.  Children are a gift from God, but they are a weighty gift.  Being a mom requires you to sacrifice your body, your heart, your time, your nights and perfectly demonstrates the principal of death being at work in us but life at work in you (2 Corinthians 4:12).  Lauren you are a beautiful mother who is making all of those sacrifices to be a mom, and Matt besides the carrying the baby and body part your sacrificial love is just as evident.  And baby Woods is the benefactor of all these sacrifices, and I'm sure ironically he is the one blessing all those who come in contact with him and his story.  I was so thankful to hold him and photograph him because it reminded me how sacred life is, how deep a mother and father's love can go, and how we need to love and encourage each other through trying times.  Truly baby Woods is stronger than oak.

What to wear for your engagement session

You've just settled on a date for your engagement photo session and the next step is figuring out to what to wear, but to complicate matters you have to come up with an outfit that goes with your fiancé's without being too matchy matchy! Admittedly these are first world problems, but it is helpful to have an idea of how to pick out your outfits so that you feel great in them and have pictures that reflect that.  I've wanted to give a few words of advice on this topic for awhile and joined efforts with my talented wedding planner and designer friend Molly McKinley to write this post to help couples plan and pick out outfits that make you feel your best!

Be yourself,  just up a notch.  

When thinking about what clothing to wear, think about what you might wear on a date night, or the outfit that you put on and know it just perfectly fits (not just in size but also your personality and style).  Most ladies know what it’s like to have someone else put on your makeup and think, “Ahhh! I would never wear that color lipstick!” or someone style their hair and make it a lot bigger than it usually looks.  Your engagement pictures should look like you on a REALLY great day.  So find something you love to wear and can coordinate well with your fiancé’s outfit.  Don’t feel the pressure to wear Toms or Converse (or make your fiance where them!) if that isn’t you.  My husband makes this really funny face when he has to wear a bowtie, and I imagine that if I asked him to wear one for pictures he would have a hard time being himself.  Find an outfit that you love and feel great in because it will help you feel more comfortable and you in front of the camera.  The better you feel, the more fabulous your pictures will turn out. 

Molly's advice:

Plan ahead.

Typical planner here. I have my moments where I'm out of sorts, it's true, but it makes life so much easier when you plan ahead and you're prepared. My advice is to pick EVERYTHING out and try it all on - including your accessories. A great statement necklace completely changes your outfit, and a fun watch or bracelet is necessary for those shots of just your hands. ;) Get your ring cleaned so it's shiny and perfect! Practice your make up, and wear a little more make up than you usually do (if you know what you're doing - otherwise, have a friend help you out). It helps your features stand out so much more in photographs. My favorite products that have proven themselves in pictures are Aveeno Bb creme, Benetint (lip and cheek stain), Lancome Hynose Mascara, and my eyebrow pencil from Mac. Oh, and please make sure that you wear under eye concealer - it's a life saver in photos! Making sure you're well prepped and prepared makes for a happier you on the day of your photos. You will enjoy the day more if you're not fixing your make up in the car or panicking over which earrings to wear.

Look for style help from your favorite store. A helpful tip a good friend of mine told me was to think about what clothing store windows you see at the mall and like.  For instance, when I walk by the GAP store front and see the black and white mixed with a pop of color I am in love.  Take note of how they coordinate the men and women's clothing in the display- typically one of the models is wearing a pattern and the other a solid, and accessories are added like a scarf or sunglasses or jacket, etc.  Other stores with awesome storefront inspiration are J. Crew, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, or even Target with their ads or displays that are genius!  It's also helpful to think about a store that captures your style as a couple best.  I say as a couple, but we all know that sometimes one person in the relationship has a different style than the other (or just doesn't care).  The point is that you think about what your style is, not what the hottest style on Pinterest is.  For photos that you can enjoy years down the road, go with what you love and know that it never goes out of style (well, sort of:).  Once you've picked a store, go check out their displays and see how they pair outfits together.

Molly's advice:

Check out your favorite blogs, too! 

Lots of times, I get color inspiration for weddings from blogs about home and lifestyle! You can do the same with your engagement outfits. Remember the color wheel? These artists and bloggers take the color wheel and show you how it's done.

Here are my favorite spots, so you can get inspired:

The Perfect Palette - http://www.theperfectpalette.com/

House of Turquoise - http://www.houseofturquoise.com/

Design Seeds - http://design-seeds.com/

Plenty of Colour - http://plentyofcolour.com/

A few more helpful tips: 

In terms of what looks great in pictures, I think color can add a lot of life to a picture.  Accessories always add visual interest to an image, too.  I would stay away from clothes that can be clingy or that don't lay flat because as you move around your clothing can become not so flattering (I found this from personal experience!).  Also, have someone take a picture of you in an outfit (say on your phone or something) and look at it.  Sometimes we miss that that an empire waistline looks more like a maternity dress in pictures even though it felt great.  Horizontal stripes tend to make someone look wider, which if you are a skinny mini then no worries but if you're trying to minimize your top than I'd stay away from the beloved stripe.  Jackets or sweaters are great to bring along because you can put it on over a dress to mix it up or cover up your arms if you don't like them.  Also, know your body type and dress accordingly.  So many dresses today are made to show off a tiny waist and bigger hips, but that isn't my shape so any dresses that come together at the waist are not flattering on me.  I know to look for shift dresses and to wear great necklaces to draw attention away from my waist! Last word of advice, when in doubt about what to wear, bring a few outfits to your engagement session and show them to your photographer.  Chances are you like the style of your photographer so you can trust their judgement in the process.

In the end, if you love your outfit and rock it like it's the first day of school, your pictures will show your joy and confidence.  And if your fiancé doesn't feel like a clown or forced to be someone he isn't, he will smile and be a lot more comfortable in front of the camera.  So be yourselves on a really good (shower) day and work it like a model- or maybe just laugh a lot and have fun... your pictures will be great.

Andrew + Kaitlin//Perfectly in love

I just LOVE this couple.  I love that they shared their story with me on when they first met, their first date, their first serious dating conversation, and their engagement.  Kaitlin asked Andrew to describe their relationship and what he hoped their engagement pictures might show, and she shared with me what he said. Warning: this might be one of the sweetest things.  After realizing that was kind of a loaded question, he said, "Here's what I would hope to capture in the pictures: how well we complement each other and how much in love we are with one another.  We have times where we are goofy, awkward, etc. but overall I think we are just perfectly in love."  Perfectly in love.  Good answer Andrew, good answer.

Kaitlin and Andrew met through mutual friends and would pass by each other after class on East Campus.  After a few times smiling and saying hi, Kaitlin realized this was going to be a strategic time to make sure she looked her best and didn't miss that critical time of day.  They would pass by each other but Andrew was often with friends so it was a quick hello until one day Andrew broke free from his men to stop and have a longer conversation with Kaitlin.  Andrew eventually asked her out on a date, and they went to Transmetropolitan downtown for dinner.  So we made sure to get some pictures of them in front of Transmet to signify one of the important places in their love story.  And if you want to see a priceless picture of Andrew proposing to Kaitlin, check out the front cover of UGA's e-magazine for recent graduates here.  That's them in front of the fountain on Herty field!

They went on multiple dates and started becoming a lot closer.  They would meet each other in this little courtyard near Warnell (school for forest resources at UGA) and listen to the bluegrass band that played during lunchtime .  Kaitlin and Andrew both love to be outside- it was so funny to hear Kaitlin say that when it rains they go to the aquarium and Academy sports but then they don't know what to do after that.  While I was talking to Kaitlin about something Andrew went off and picked a flower and put it behind Kaitlin's ear, and they hugged a real genuine hug.  I quickly realized that they were one of the cutest couples I've ever photographed.

And as if they weren't great enough I was joking around about an exit sign showing through the doors in this next picture and then they both gave me this great pose! Out of no where but my camera was ready for it.  Reason #300 I love this couple.

Our last stop on tour de Athens engagement pictures was the street where they crossed paths serendipitously each week.  Obviously if you didn't know that you'd look at this picture and wonder why I took it.  But something occurred to me in taking these pictures- pictures are meant to tell a story and capture a stage in their relationship to look back on for years to come.  On our anniversary husband and I sit down with our wedding album and other albums from our past and look through all the pictures.  We forget little things, fun memories, places that were significant to us.  We forget so easily and yet pictures do something in helping us remember a really good story we have found ourselves in, even if some chapters have been more difficult than the first.  So my goal in taking these pictures of Kaitlin and Andrew is to give them something to look back on and remember how they met, what is was like to see each other on the street and the excitement of the possibility of love.  How ordinary places become somewhat sacred to us because of their significance.  I think in marriage we have to remind ourselves of our own story over and over so that we don't forget how good it is.  Thank you guys for being in love and showing it- I hope you work hard to stay perfectly in love and have pictures taken of you 50 years from now that still show it.  Maybe I could take them for you:)