May is on the way. Stay tuned!

4-IN-1

2016 started out like other years...January is quiet as people regroup after the holidays and I use that time to update the website and other things. I decided to pack the first four months of the year into one post.

The winter was pretty mild but we ended up getting some snow toward the end of January, so I took Piper (pink collar) to the dog park to play with her friend Raider.

The first day of February was 70 degrees and beautiful, a drastic change from the snow two weeks earlier, so Piper and I went out to Hampton, VA to play on the beach.

 
February is a month that I spend most of my time answering emails and setting up meetings with clients. Toward the end of the month I photographed an all city middle school honors concert for Hampton City Schools.

After a couple of relaxing and quiet months, things really kicked off in March. I had a bunch of meetings with prospective wedding clients and shoots were rolling in...

Renee and Joseph's Wedding. Williamsburg, VA

I have to say that the Williamsburg United Methodist Church has a BEAUTIFUL bridal parlor. Although churches host a lot of weddings, they rarely have an area dedicated to getting ready. Typically bridal parties get ready in Sunday school classrooms or a meeting area, which aren't very pleasing to the eye and make my job as a photographer challenging. It is nice to see that the UMC in Williamsburg caters to couples in this way and you don't have to be a member to get married there. 

Renee and Joe were a really laid back couple and wonderful to work with!

Next up was a shoot for the local band Truss, who needed some images for their new CD. I'll be shooting them performing at Shaggfest coming up in May! Special thanks to 5pm Media for assisting on this session.

Spring was almost here and that meant baseball season!
Every spring we see our friends post tons of their kids' sports photos on Facebook and Instagram. The images are taken with phones and are usually too far away and blurry. It doesn't have to be that way! 

In the split image below, the photo on the left is what we all see in our minds (taken with a camera and a telephoto lens). The photo on the right, which I shot with my iphone at full zoom, is what we end up with. It is simply the reality of using a phone to do a camera's job.

Preserving moments like the ones you will see throughout this post and making kids look like pros is why I love shooting kids' sports! Contact me at to book your child's next game.

Ryan's parents decided that capturing these early years with high quality photos was not only the best option but that it was very inexpensive. I've been photographing Ryan playing baseball since his very first t-ball game three years ago.

Next was a live performance featuring Jimmy Swope, Backside Slappy, and Kepone Cowboys...

Jimmy Swope

Backside Slappy

Kepone Cowboys

Kristin and Dylan's Wedding. Virginia Beach, VA

A chilly day on the beach but, like always, we work through it and make it happen! Kristin and Dylan were a fun and laid back couple and everyone had a blast (as you will see). Special thanks to 5pm Media for assisting on this wedding!

The end of March marked the 4 year anniversary of when I picked up my wonderful dog Piper from the rescue. Here is a side by side photo of her at 4 months old in 2012 and 4 years old in 2016. Such a pretty girl!

March was busy with meetings and shoots but April was far busier with 16 shoots in 30 days!


Carmen and Bertram Wedding. Fort Monroe Hampton, VA

I shoot weddings of all sizes and this was a very intimate one, which it the way they wanted things to go. Carmen and Bertram are from Germany and wanted things to be short, sweet, and simple. It was pouring that day but we made the best of it!

If you are looking for an amazing officiant, check out Rev. Cory Newell. He's fun, upbeat, and does a fantastic job! He's incredibly popular so you'll want to book far in advance.

Ann and Casey Engagement. Virginia Beach, VA

Ann and Casey are a great couple to work with and I look forward to photographing their wedding later this summer! 

Siege of Yorktown Reenactment. Endview Plantation. Newport News, VA

Dana and Kelsey Engagement. Old Towne Portsmouth, VA


I'm so lucky; I get the best couples! Dana and Kelsey were awesome. We had to reschedule their session several times due to rain. You'd never know it was 40 degrees with a breeze coming off the river this day but they made it look like it was a warm spring day! I look forward to their wedding in July!
 

Jessica and Torry Engagement. Yorktown, VA


Yep, you guessed it...another fun couple and we ended up getting a great sunset to round out the session.

Julia and Matthew Engagement. Richmond, VA

Maymont has to be one of my favorite places for engagement sessions because there is just so much variety. There were hundreds of people at the park that afternoon but from the photos you'd think we were the only ones there. Julia and Matt are another great couple and I look forward to their wedding in June! Special thanks to 5pm Media for assisting on this session.

 

Virginia International Tattoo. Norfolk, VA


This was my second year photographing the event as part of the Virginia Arts Festival photography team. Just like last year, it was truly a privilege to get up close and personal during the performances! If you haven't seen one, do yourself a favor and go to the website and get your 2017 tickets. You won't be disappointed!

Luke, T-Ball. York county, VA

You can't get photos like these with your phone, which is why Luke's parents brought me in to capture these early years!

Brittany and Mario's Wedding. Newport News, VA and Hampton, VA

I can't say it enough, I'm blessed to be a part of so many wonderful couples' big days and Brittany and Mario were so fantastic! They said, "We trust you. Do your thing." I love it! Being so busy this month, I've just started to dig into their wedding photos from a week ago but here are a few...

Hampton City Schools Elementary Honors Concert

Pete, Little League. York County, VA


Luke, whose t-ball photos you saw earlier, has an older brother Pete. I photographed Pete playing t-ball a couple of years ago and, since he moved up in the league, it was time to get some new photos!

DJ, Little League. Williamsburg, VA

This game was on April 30th and I haven't gone through all of the shots but I grabbed a few photos for this post.

Busy, busy, busy so it's back to editing for now. Stay tuned for the next post!