Captured for Life Photography - Virginia Beach Wedding Photographer

NEW BLOG AND SITE

2008-10-14T10:32:00.003-04:00

Alrighty,

I've still need to fill in some galleries, and work on a few things... BUT....

The new site and blog are up and running!

Please visit www.kellyleephotography.com which will also have a link to kellyleephotography.com/blog. Please bookmark these new sites... You'll still be able to view all my old blog posts on the NEW BLOG! How amazing is that!

I couldn't be happier with everything! This site speaks so much more about my work as well as who I am as a person.. it's the perfect joining of my personality and business... and I'm in love with it!

Thanks for all the patience and I'll see you all on the new site and blog! WOOHOO!

Preview!!!!!!!

2008-10-08T12:30:00.001-04:00

Changes coming - site still down

2008-10-05T11:40:00.002-04:00

With my website crash still being a pain I'm using it as an opp to do the things I've wanted to but not had the "must do now motivation too."

Namely,

I'm making a new website at the newer domain I have
Kellyleephotography.com (KLP)

I will be pointing Capturedforlifephotography.com to redirect to KLP

I will be creating a new blog
.....

I'm also going to be getting some help in the office so I can focus on serving my clients during this hectic time. With my website being down I'm not sure if I've lost emails. If you have sent an email to me and have not heard back please send again to kelly@capturedforlifephotography.com

WHEW....

Just a few things to do ;-)
I'll update you once everything is taking place... but the new Kelly Lee Photography thanks you for your patience as we make these changes so we can focus all our efforts on serving you.

God Bless.

Website is down....

2008-09-28T19:52:00.002-04:00

I've been fighting the past few days with multiple people. The problem is widespread across my sites. My website now points to the portrait portal instead of the splash page with the options for portraits, blog, or wedding. The clients proofing site is down as well.

My main concern at the moment is with the proofing site. While I can look in my file manager and still see images and folders.... They aren't showing on the screen (nothing is actually.) We're hopeful that when the programmers get the language straightened out that everything will be OK... however... there is a chance that it may have affected the translating of orders for fulfillment to me. IF you are waiting on an order of images, I ask that you please email me at Kelly@capturedforlifephotography.com with your order information.

Thank you for your patience at this time as I work to get everything back up.

Kelly

Alan and Megan

2008-09-26T23:14:00.010-04:00

Alan and Megan were seriously so much fun to work with. For one, Alan's brother happens to be a very close friend with my boyfriend... and his family is my boyfriends 2nd family. Who knew the world through google could be so small!

They are without a doubt one of the most fun couples of the season... and I think they'll be hard to top. They held their wedding at the Chesapeake conference center on the day of a tropical storm. But, as you'll see below, by the time they got married, the rain and wind stopped, and the streets dried up!

This little beauty has some of the most naturally brilliant and blue eyes I've ever seen. There was no enhancement done to those beauties!

Family

2008-09-25T11:27:00.002-04:00

Dawn gave me a call prior to coming into town for her friend Megan's wedding which I was shooting. We met down at 89th street to take some family photos. It was a lot of fun getting to meet everyone before the day of the wedding and getting used to Megan's ring bearer and his "antics" ;-)

Here's a preview of some of the shots

Cyril and Sarah - NoVa

2008-09-08T15:40:00.002-04:00

I went up to Northern Virginia to shoot Cyril and Sarah's completely wonderful wedding! I met everyone... and I mean everyone at Sarah's family's house.... Sarah is one of 11 siblings! Between ALL the bridesmaids and siblings... as well as nephews and more it was a full.... and VERY fun place to be! The church they got married in was such a pleasure to work with, beautiful, and full of wonderful natural light... and we had fun pretty much wherever we went! It also was one of the few times in my life that I was "short" compared to everyone... including the bride! At 5"11 that doesn't happen often, it felt good! I need to just get to the photos, this will be another long post~

Sarah's 17 year old sister did all the flowers! She did a VERY good job!

Sisters

The start of I think my fave series of garter toss photos! One of Sarah's younger brothers caught it... however... she also has a brother in the Marines. He decided his brother should have to work for it!

To be honest, I'm surprised I wasn't kicked during this scuffle!

Of course his big bro won!

His mothers face says it all :-)

But he was nice enough to still let him have it. What are brothers for?

Sarah (and Cyril) come from wonderful, close, loving families... Evident in this last photo ;-) Don't you just love her little brothers face!?

Sarah and Cyril, Thank you for allowing me to tell your story. I had so much fun and loved getting to know your families. I wish you all the best and may your marriage be blessed.

Introducing.........

2008-09-05T18:09:00.004-04:00

THE "KODI" BEAR!!!!!

Oh gosh, have I been waiting to introduce you to my wonderful puppy, Kodi! He is an Abstract Standard poodle and I love his little "tux!"

I wish this post could be all pleasant however this poor boy has already been through a lot in his short life. I saw Kodi at the "Pet-go-round" pet store at the pembroke mall back when he was about 4 months old. The time not being right for a dog I resisted. I also don't like pet stores. Fast forward to him being 6 months old and he was still there. My dream of having a black standard poodle was in front of me and to be honest... the price was very VERY discounted and low. He was basically priced as a rescue and that truly is what he was.

He was a "purebred" Spoo (Standard Poodle) however it wasn't until after I got him I learned he was a product of the "hunte corporation." One of the worst.. and largest puppy mills in the US. The fact that he survived the journey to the pet store is amazing!

Once we got him home we learned that his ear plucking which the "groomer has been doing" had never EVER been done. So, at 6 months of age, his ears had NEVER been plucked or cleaned and were now very VERY infected. At the Vet that 1st week we not only had to take care of his ear infections, but because of lack of exercise and being kept in a tiny cage for 6 months, he had severe muscle atrophy in his legs. We also had hip concerns. On top of all that he was very scared of movement, noise, and was incredibly skittish. Couldn't walk on a leash, didn't move at all for 2 days! (We had to carry him out of our friends house and even in public! The 35 lb puppy who couldn't walk!)

This week our worst fears were confirmed. Kodi was diagnosed with Severe Hip Dysplasia in both hips. We are being referred to NC State's Orthopedic Surgery program to find out what he faces and what options we truly have. While his ear infections and atrophy are a result of the poor care and neglect of "pet go round" the hips are a direct result of his puppy mill breeding by the "hunte corporation." This is why I hate pet stores.

I wish that was the end of this horror. The day we purchased Kodi, a gentleman was in the store looking at a Great Dane puppy. Thad saw this while I was signing papers and said to the man, "Oh, the great dane! Those are wonderful dogs." The man replied, "I know! My wife had one growing up so I got this ones brother last week for her from the Lynnhaven mall location. He died this morning and she doesn't know as she is out of town. I don't know what to do or how to tell her."

Not only that but a few weeks later I found this at the store.

This poor puppy was dyed blue to advertise the dye... (The sign was on his cage "This puppy was dyed with the ___ dye which can be found in ___ aisle") but worse than that by someone who was clearly not experienced. Not only is his sensitive puppy skin subjected to the chemicals, but you can see (albeit badly in this photo) that the dye ran through his eyes and had tinted his fur around one eye!

Virginia Beach, PLEASE do not support this store which not only harms animals, but lies to you about their health (I was assured his ears were up on cleaning and he was cleared of hip issues) and gets their puppies from the worst breeder in America!

This doesn't just ruin 1 life (the dogs) but it ruins many. It has ruined the life of all those who know and love Kodi...

While we eagerly await our trip to NC state to learn what (if anything) we can do we are going to continue to love and play with our boy. I've slacked a lot with pictures of him as I'm so booked right now in wedding season ;-) but I have managed a few! Here is the amazing, loving, and fighter, Kodi Bear! (I named him "Kodi" after my favorite bear, the Kodiak ;-)

The scared pup in my car right after we bought him

Another from his first day home

Kodi and his best friend, Nixon

First Beach trip

Starting to break out of his shell

the first time we saw him "active!"

First Groom

"That" face

Ugh, awful pic of me, but he's my baby!

Begging (Camera on a stair, on interval 4 a second for you geeks out there ;-)

The determined face

The pillow hog! He LOVES sleeping on pillows!

That's the life of the Kodi bear! But seriously! Please take the time to research a proper breeder or rescue a dog that needs a home! Please don't support a dangerous place like "Pet go round" or puppy mills like the hunte corporation. (who ships out over 1,500 puppies a week, btw!) Read about the horrors here http://www.petstorecruelty.org/Hunte%20Corp.htm

Making life easier - Photojunction Remix

2008-09-05T17:54:00.004-04:00

Disclaimer - this is all technical and "stuff." Mainly for the photographers who read my blog ;-)

This day in age there are a lot of things that make life easier... but they also make life vary little across the board. The same holds true for photography! There are a lot of amazing "Actions" that are sold out there that can make our lives easier. The click of a button in photoshop... and few adjustments to the formula, and BAM! Look just like the pros who make over $10k a wedding (even if you have no clue how to work photoshop!). I've personally never been a fan of actions. At least not those purchased from a "main stream" photographer. Many of them have made, in my humble opinion, photos look the same and taken away a desire for people to learn a skill crucial to their profession, photoshop. The less we have people in our industry learning the less we can grow and reinvent!

The same can be said for designing albums. I talk a lot about my favorite supplier, "KISS Wedding Books" but, how do I put them together?

Instead of spending a thousand dollars on a program with pre-designed click and drag layouts I chose to once again go in a more original direction. The Australian company Photojunction is still pretty new to the market but their program is outstanding! It makes life so incredibly easy! I can organize an albums worth of photos with a few clicks, apply one of my own photoshop actions to a photo and immediately use it in the album layout, and it's so easy to continually come up with new layouts. PJ Remix has made my life and making albums so much easier.... for you other photogs reading, check them out! I think you'll like them too! (And PS, you won't spend anywhere NEAR $1,000 for it!)

www.photojunction.com

Stephen and Nastassia - Charles City

2008-09-05T12:01:00.002-04:00

I went out to one of the most beautiful areas around here for this wedding. Charles City is about 2 hrs from Virginia Beach and it was worth the journey. The wedding was held on a bluff and overlooked the river. It was absolutely beautiful!

Never know what you'll find while doing cake photos ;-)

I think this is one of the most amazing and cutest things I've ever seen at a wedding. The ring bearer dedicated Kiss' "I was made for loving you" to the bride and then proceeded to air guitar, sing, and rock it out! He knew all the words!

It was a beautiful evening with a beautiful couple. Stephen and Nastassia I wish you all the happiness in your marriage. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the day.

In Memmoriam

2008-08-20T01:56:00.005-04:00

When I chose to go to Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio), where I got my business degree, I had to make a hard decision. While I knew it was the right school for me, I had to give up my dream of playing Collegiate Volleyball and turn down my chance to play for another University. While I easily made the decision, it wasn't easy to give up playing.

When I got to the University I quickly became involved in the Fieldhouse as a medic for the Rugby and Soccer Teams (Our only sports teams then) and Intramural Sports program. I also met some other Freshman girls that year that were in the same boat as me and we would dominate the Volleyball teams every year.... My Junior year talks were made and we worked ourself into being a NCAA D-III provisional school. That same year myself and the 2 girls I entered with became the Captains of the first ever Franciscan University Womens Volleyball team. That also marked the first year of Cross Country and Softball. The year or two before we had begun basketball, soccer, and baseball teams.

Yesterday, Tuesday August 19th, around 4:30pm a SUV carrying 7 members of the Cross Country team are thought to have swerved to miss a tire on Rt. 22 between Steubenville and Pittsburgh. The SUV lost control, went through a guardrail, down a hill, and flipped several times before coming to rest in the trees. A sophomore Political Science and Business major, Kelly Roggensack, died instantly. 2 students were airlifted to UPMC and the rest were transported to a local hospital.

With having only 2,000 students representing 36 majors, we are a very small school. Our athletics department is even smaller. One of the great things about the school is whether you know personally all 2000 students, you know either their name, or face. While I did not know this student, as I really don't know anyone there anymore, I know what happens on the campus when we loose a student. And it's beautiful.

While many people choose to focus on the sadness of the loss of a person we, as a student body, are blessed to see the glory that they are now experiencing is beyond that of what we have here on earth. Not to negate the sadness or sense of loss, or that there are no tears. There will be many tears, however, from those tears will also flow tears of joy that one of our sisters has... in the words of St. Paul, Run the race and fought the good fight. In fact, in Kelly's case how true are those words, that in her travels to physically run the race... she also completed the greatest race of all.

Please keep Kelly's family and friends in your thoughts and prayers as well as the entire University family.

Thank You.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Ryan and Beth

2008-08-19T13:51:00.005-04:00

Saturday marked the wedding for Ryan and Beth. One thing I loved about shooting their wedding was that between their engagement portraits and Beth's bridals I really had a chance to get to know them. By the time I stepped to the venue on Saturday it felt very relaxed and just good to see everyone again. The whole day was beautiful as well as carefree and full of fun. I really have enjoyed working with Ryan, Beth, and their families over the past 6 months or so....

Chris and Julie

2008-08-14T11:30:00.003-04:00

As you all know, I was in Rochester last weekend for the wedding of Chris and Julie. I've already spoken about it quite a bit but I had such a wonderful time there. Julie looked absolutely STUNNING and we had a full day of fun. We did have scattered thunderstorms all day long, but it all scattered perfectly! It rained when the hair was being done, but stopped to leave. Rained during the ceremony, but stopped for the end. We had a rainbow followed by an amazing sunset... and then it rained some more. Julie was not worried though. It rained or snowed on the wedding day of 2-3 generations... and everyone's lived happily married full lives.

First off, it was getting to the salon to get hair done and ready. I've never seen a woman do so many updo's so incredibly fast, and they all stayed the entire night long! No worries about this first image though, this is only partly done ;-) This is Cindy, one of the many fabulous bridesmaids Julie had.

Julie's hair was perfect

When Julie saw the veil on it was pure emotion that quickly came. It was beautiful and I don't think there was a dry eye.

After the girls all got ready we were all a bit hungry, so naturally, we all went to Subway ;-)

Fist Kiss as man and wife :-)

And of course, the Rolls Royce

Julie's Uncle (before becoming a Psychologist) used to do floral design. Well, I for one tried to convince him to do a lot more of it than jut a handful of weddings a year. His flowers were amazing.

Check out the amazing sunset we had over the vineyards!

THIS was a first for me! Usually, the guy who catches the garter puts it on the leg of the girl who got the flowers.... well... this girls PARENTS came and supervised. It's OK, it was all in good fun and EVERYONE got quite a laugh out of it.

Everyone was still smiles at the end, even though the rain washed of EVERYTHING they had just written on the car... 15 min. earlier!

This was leaving the church but I felt it fit better here at the end. Congratulations Chris and Julie! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your "weekend."

Big BIG News!!!!

2008-08-13T17:27:00.002-04:00

Ok, Now that everything is official I can finally let you know what my BIG news is! I know I've been speaking about it for a little while now, and it's been a long time coming! So, what is this BIG news?

DRUM ROLL Please!

I'M GETTING A STUDIO SPACE!!!!!!

I can not be more excited about having just signed a lease allowing me to finally put together my client studio space. I'm hoping for an opening by mid-end September. I can start working on it the 22nd so between this being my busiest stretch of the year and getting this ready I'll be VERY busy! But it will be very worth it and I couldn't be more happy. We're going to have space for t you to cozy up on a couch and watch slideshows, look through my albums, perhaps drink some wine or coffee.... I can finally hang and display what your canvas will look like on your wall..... The thoughts of all this get me giddy!

So, Thank you to all my amazing and wonderful clients who have made this a possibility. Thank you also to my amazing parents and boyfriend who have stood by me from the very start of my business and helped support me in my transition to being a full time wedding photographer. I can't believe where I am at only 13 months into business, I've been truly blessed.

Updates!

2008-08-11T15:24:00.002-04:00

Alrighty! It's been a busy season so far but there are some major updates coming your way!!!! And now that I have plans finalized and what not... I'll be announcing it really soon! Like... check tomorrow! Can anyone guess what it is? Maybe I'll give a clue later!

First of all, I've been in Rochester for a wedding this past weekend so I'm aware that my messages are a bit full... I'm trying to plow through the phone calls and Emails but when you are gone a few days they can pile up. Thank you for your patience. The wedding was a blast and Julie and Chris where absolutely wonderful! They are the first "real" contract I ever signed and at the time I was stoked not only because of that... but because it was "all the way in 2008!" Well, it has come and gone already and it was a wonderful way of capping my 13 month anniversary of my first wedding. I can't wait to blog it later... maybe tonight or tomorrow!

I must say though... Be wary of flying through Detroit!!!!

1) Being that I was in "hockeytown" I was almost positive that I would finally be able to find a Red Wings Stanley Cup Championship Hat! WRONG! No hats or shirts to be found anywhere in the airport! How WRONG is that! Anyone know where I can find one other than NHL.com?

2) I felt bad getting in late to Rochester. After starting my day at 4:15 am to get to the airport in time for a 6am flight... I have a short layover... and of course there is mechanical issues with the plane! Finally about an hour and a half later we get a plane, board, and we got across the tarmac in Detroit... I'm 50 min. away from checking into my hotel.... and the pilots pull the plane over. They spend another 30 minutes trying to get the correct weight when we hear that there was a scanner malfunction and we need to go back to the gate a re-scan EVERY bag in the belly! Needless to say... I got in late ;-) Luckily the only thing it cut into was my nap time as I still had enough time to get ready and get to the church.

3) Coming BACK through detroit I had issues again! We boarded pretty much on time, found out we'd have a 15 min. taxi across the airport.... was next in line to take off... and BAM! Thunderstorm! WITH HAIL! So... after we a) wait out the storm... which isn't quick we b) have to go back to the gate (15 min.away) to check out the plane from the hail. We get to the gate and because of lightning the airport is shut down! We were "looking" at the gate for a good 40 min. more when we finally got ushered into the gate. We then had to all disembark and wait another hour to inspect the plane. After that... our cabin crew had been working too long so we had to wait on another crew to come take over! THEN.... we find out that if we don't get airborn in 25 min... we would loose our pilots too and that would mean spending the night... in detroit... where they don't have any Stanley Cup stuff ;-) Praise God, we got off the ground with about 3 minutes to spare. The entire crew was in a mad dash going over checklists, etc to get going... I'm glad we didn't have to spend the night... but I didn't get home till after 11pm.... about 4-5 hours late!

So be careful.... I've yet to leave Detroit on time!

Wedding pics to come soon, but like I said.. I have a lot to catch up on so thank you for your patience.

Mike and Allison

2008-08-11T14:51:00.002-04:00

Mike and Allison got married at Founders Inn on a wonderful hot sunny summers day. I've really enjoyed getting to meet and be a part of their wedding day. The entire wedding party was a lot of fun and a good time was had by all! Of course, as always the Founders Inn did a wonderful job getting everything together and helping the day unfold. I personally love shooting at Regent and the Founders Inn, it is by far one of the most charming eclectic places in our area and I had no problems with doing the formal photos indoors out of the heat. I hope you enjoyed your Disneyworld honeymoon! I look forward to doing your after session soon!

I love the color all over the place!

I think this was the most cameras I've ever seen pointed at a bride!

Megan and Alan

2008-08-04T22:29:00.004-04:00

Ok, Finally, here are some photos of Megan and Alan's engagement set. We met out at the oceanfront a few weeks ago and really had a complete blast. I'm so excited for this wedding! For one, I already know parts of Alan's crazy big fun family as they just so happen to be my boyfriends "second family." Although, I still have no idea how to match their names and faces... there's always SO MANY of them! Secondly, Megan and Alan are an incredibly fun, pure joy kind of couple. I can't even imagine how much fun we'll have on their wedding day! So, here's a sampling from their engagement session.

And last but not least I played around with something new.... we'll see....

Ryan and Abbey Lee

2008-08-03T15:57:00.002-04:00

A while ago.... Months already, my big brother got married! It was a Texas affair full of family and friends and I just realized I never blogged any of my own photos! So, here's a quick blog of some of them! It was really wonderful to be back in The Woodlands for the first time in almost 2 years. Not only did I get to see my brother and Abbey, but my parents were able to come in from London, my God-father and his family came down from Dallas, my dads own siblings also made it down from Virginia and New York. It was great to have the fam all back together.

I wasn't the hired photographer but I still managed to find a way to take 1 or 2.... thousand images of the day ;-) So, here's a quick few I'll upload for you.

Of course, my mom and dad!

After I was done getting dressed and ready and we were waiting to do our Formal Portraits, I "had" to make a switch with my poor boyfriend, Thad. My flowers to get my camera back ;-)

Thank you, Thad. You did a great job snagging some shots of the ceremony!

The Lee Family!

My brothers AWESOME grooms cake! It's a replica of his very own helmet for the Houston Fire Department!

My lovely Aunt April and Uncle Bill from here in Virginia Beach with Brice and Reba.

This right here is the CLASSIC Lee family shot. My god-father, father, and Uncle... Analyzing a map.... at my brothers wedding ;-)

Yes, this guy was NOT a guest... just randomly driving by the golf course, on a scooter, with a mohawk helmet.... and the boys flagged him down. (pictured above)

I think I inspired my cousin to become a photographer. He became my shadow for the evening... He was really on top of things.

I have the best parents in the world! And, my dad just landed a new position in his company doing something he's REALLY excited about AND assuring they stay in London another 3-4 years! I'm VERY excited about this!

I think I taught him well. I found my cousin crawling in bushes for the "ultimate angle!"

My mom and her best friends, Kim and Charlotte

Uncle Charlie, Aunt Joan, Dad, Uncle Bill, Cousins Jean and Ed

My dad and his siblings

I promise I did put the camera down, but after the hired photog left and Ryan put on his helmet dancing I couldn't resist!

... And if I didn't pick it up I would have missed this!

Notice the lack of "sparkle" and overwhelming FLAME. I'm so glad Abbey didn't catch fire!

My brother after dragging his bride through fire... "Dude, that was AWESOME!"

Welcome to the Family, Abbey! I couldn't ask for a more wonderful Sister in Law! I look forward to visiting you guys as soon as I get a chance again! God Bless the 2 of you and your marriage.

Colin's Bridal Portraits

2008-07-25T15:09:00.002-04:00

Well, I did Colin's wedding weeks ago... and we got rained out about 3 times before the wedding. Luckily, the outdoor wedding was beautiful (hot, but clear and sunny!) I was getting really worried we would get rained out again yesterday... but luckily, the rain stayed away from the Newport News area. I met up with Colin and her family to get her bridal portraits done and we couldn't have had nicer weather. It was nice and cool and we were blessed with wonderful light.

Colin made for a great model yesterday... and her dress I think remains my favorite of the season so far. I think I'll be including around 12 frames of one "segment" of shooting... Just the way it flows... it's just beautiful! As was Colin...

So without further delay.... here are Colin's Bridal Portraits.

This is why I love my D3... these were taken after sunset with no flash ;-) And no flash was used in the entire shoot. 100% natural available light.

Clients are the BEST!

2008-07-25T12:21:00.003-04:00

Seriously, You ALL are! Just some of the unscripted moments that happen and the appreciation we have for each other always makes for a wonderful relationship.

I just saw a comment that was left on Ania's Facebook wall... I wanted to share that as well as a note I got from her the other day.

"I have to tell you this, and it is the absolute truth...those pictures, the quality and all are the best I have ever seen, including my own. Seriously!! Top notch photographer there. BEAUTIFUL like in a magazine"

WOW! Thank you, Christine!

This is the email I got from Ania, It totally made my day!

Hi Kelly!

I'm an in awe of the pictures you have posted! I keep staring and scrolling and staring and scrolling at them. You did an absolutely amazing job. I sent out an e-mail to my friends and family with the link, and this is just one response from a close of friend of ours which basically sums up my feelings:

"You'd think it impossible to capture the wonder of a day as perfect as that on film, but your photographer seems to have achieved it, amazing!"

Thank you so much for your work. I can't wait to see the rest of the photos!!!

Ania, I might sound like a broken record, but Y'ALL are the amazing ones. I had such an amazing time at your wedding and can't thank you enough for trusting me to tell your story.
________________________________

Also, I don't want to announce anything until I get final word... but I have some really exciting things to post as soon as they are finalized.... Keep checking back. Also, expect some bridals from Colin's shoot last night to be posted today!

Brian and Ania

2008-07-21T15:09:00.006-04:00

Ok, sorry for the delay, but here we go with the long awaited, and very LONG blog of Brian and Ania's wedding in Philly.

I've had a LOT of work to get done and life is very busy so when facing travel to Philly ON July 4th I decided to take a train. It was my first time on Amtrak and while not completely, it is a bit different then traveling by train in Europe. It wasn't bad however as I booked a business class ticket and it allowed me to get closer to catching up on work ;-)

I'll blog some bad iPhone and mac Photobooth photos later of my first time to Philly... and on the 4th of July!

This was about as Ukrainian as a wedding could be, for not being held in the Ukraine. I know my mom is waiting for these photos and I think my grandmother would also have loved to see all the traditions of this wedding was she still here. It was a great honor to be able to get in touch with my Ukrainian roots myself. Saturday I met Ania at her parents house I had a blast! Her family was amazing and Ania was intent on having fun. She and Brian were very ready for the day. After Ania got dressed, Brian and his guys came to her parents house where they saw each other for the first time and then did a ceremony there at the house. They then got in a horse drawn carriage and rode to the church where they had a Ukrainian ceremony and mass. The eastern rites are incredibly full of details, symbolism, and beauty. While the layout of the church proved to be a bit difficult, and I had to be a bit bolder than I ever have been before during a ceremony, I think it allowed me to get some great images. The reception was just as full of tradition and I'll detail my favorite tradition below.

I had a wonderful day with this couple. They were an absolute blast to be around and made for a day full of wonderful story telling. THANK YOU Brian and Ania for bringing me up to Philly for your wedding. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful day and can't wait to continue to see where God leads your beautiful new family. May your marriage be blessed.

This right here is the traditional wedding day bread

Ania's mom actually hand MADE her wedding gown!

These icons are gifts to Ania and Brian. Icons are very significant to the Eastern Orthodox Church.

They are too cute! And were totally chill when they saw each other for the 1st time!

How amazing is this church!

The parents do their part at home and then the Brian and Ania escort each other into the sanctuary.

I mentioned there is a lot of tradition and beauty.... here's only a SMALL example of it.

This is the saying of the vows. I know this because they "luckily" did part in English. Whew... I really had to rely on my eye and other senses to tell me what was going on :-)

In the Eastern Rite, The Eucharist is dropped into the mouth by a small spoon. The bread is soaked in the wine which is at this point the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Eucharistic blessings are also done on an altar behind a screen where only the priest is allowed. At various times he comes to the door way to bless the congregation with the Eucharist.

I think we need to celebrate the end of formal photos with some bubbly more often! ;-)

The limo pulled up to a liquor store and I was excited hoping they were going in themselves. They didn't :-( BUT, Ania and her brother got out and provided one of my all time favorite highlights EVER! This is why I love my clients!

Yes, that's right, they went into Trade Joe's for snacks!

Unfortunately, the store thought her brother was her groom and made an announcement! Eek! No worries, Brian came running in soon enough and swept her into a kiss.

It was then on to find the snacks!

Her brother even made announcements for them! The manager even helped him :-)

Thanks to Brian, Ania, and Trader Joes for great times! They even gave Brian and Ania a gift card for coming in!

Here at the reception is a tradition where they get to pick their future. They have a choice of three paths

The cake was actually put into bags as a parting favor to guests. I "think" this is a tradition to bring in a "sweets table"

It was amazing... even the adults became children at the site of this!

Ok, on to my favorite tradition of the day. One I may want to bring to my own wedding one day! The KIDNAPPING OF THE BRIDE! Yes, the groomsmen kidnapped Ania! They then held her captive until Brian fulfilled the ransom. He had to dance a Ukranian jig for 5 min!

Brian learns of the kidnapping

Luckily the groomsmen were good sports and helped him out

He got her back!

Thank you again Brian and Ania. I hope that everyone has enjoyed the story of their wedding day as much as I enjoyed telling it. I broke many records on this wedding. Namely in the qty of photos taken. Between my amazing assistant and myself I have WAY TO MANY photos to go through. It's been crazy, but it's been worth it.

I have a lot of cool things that will be announced on my blog all in due time. I'm very excited to announce these things so keep checking back in the next few weeks.

OBX

2008-07-11T17:08:00.002-04:00

I was shooting a wedding in Philly last weekend and that will be blogged soon, almost done... but earlier this week I went down to the Outer Banks, NC for a family shoot as well as a photo shoot for some local Star Wars Costumers. These people not only have screen accurate costumes but they do a lot of charity work as well too. They are members of the Rebel Legion (the good guys).

Before I post the wedding here's a few from shooting at the Dunes. I still need to rotoscope some lightsaber blades in some still, but I wanted to update the blog.... :-) I also think... no... I do have more shots of obi-wan than the others... not that I didn't take photos of the others too, but he hadn't been in character in so long he was having a LOT of fun getting into it again! He also is I think the one most anxious for a preview ;-) So, here you go Obi!

And here's obi-wans kids who came to play in the sand ;-)

Fearlessly Shelly and Thomas

2008-07-04T01:38:00.002-04:00

You might recognize this lovely husband and wife from when I shot their wedding over the winter. They wanted some fun beach shots so I've been patiently waiting for summer to do these! They got excellent news not long ago.... THEY'RE EXPECTING! We had to hurry up and get them done so the dress could be worn, but I'm so glad to have finally seen them again!

I'm off to Philly for a wedding this weekend. I'm pretty excited as it will make for a LOT of blogging when I'm back!

Defining Moments

2008-06-25T00:52:00.002-04:00

Sunday night I got to indulge myself with watching one of my... wait, no, THE favorite sport of mine. Ice Hockey.

For those of you who may listen to the Mike and Bob show on 96X you've probably heard them talk about their team, the Comic Kings. My boyfriends the coach as he's still on the "injured" list so we get to spend our Sunday nights at Chilled Ponds in Chesapeake... and I wouldn't have them any other way!

Last weeks game was against the arch rivals, the Chiefs! It was an intense game! It came down to a shoot out, and it turned out to be the longest shoot out I've ever witnessed.... Let's put it this way, They went back and forth about 20+ times before... finally, Mike Powers scored the game wining goal! While I was lucky enough to get the whole sequence I leave you with the game wining goal.... the puck in the net, Goalie disappointed, and Mike Celebrating.

Alex and Angela

2008-06-23T13:41:00.003-04:00

I was in Richmond this weekend shooting the wedding of Alex and Angela. I know the two of them through playing Volleyball at TVA and I had so much fun shooting them. I had only seen Angela during volleyball matches so when I saw her walk in all done up I was blown away. She looked absolutely gorgeous. I swear, there's nowhere you'll see more beauty radiating than on a woman's Wedding Day!

The wedding was held at Tabernacle Baptist Church and then we headed to the reception at one of the coolest Tennis Clubs I've ever been too! But enough about the details, I know you want to see the photos, so here they are!

Here's the beautiful bride!

Check out the Golf Theme! There were also inflatable Volleyballs circulating the dance floor, it was a lot of fun!

Fatemah and Rob

2008-06-19T02:26:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I got to get together with Fatemah and her husband Rob to do a couple's shoot. They may be already married, but they really wanted to get some portraits of them... and I'm so glad they called me! I had a blast roaming Norfolk with them and they were very laid back and willing to do whatever. Here's a few highlights of the shoot!

East Coast Heat Wave Explained

2008-06-11T00:40:00.002-04:00

Well, I have to apologize because I have something to admit. I think I'm the reason why we've been hit with such HOT (I may be a Texan, but we call 100+ degrees hot!) weather.....

Check out these albums I got in!!!!!! Whew! These things are smoking hot!

Even though all my wonderful clients have seen these beautiful Kiss Wedding Books, They haven't seen the Redlight Red! I just got this 10x10 in for Julie and Jason and I almost wish I didn't have to ship it out :-( Check it out!

And here's a bunch of all three sizes together. An 8x8 in Forbidden Green, a 10x10 Redlight Red, and 12x12 Voluptuous Black. This is real Italian full grain leather baby! And of course, hand made just for you by the wonderful genious' at KISS.

Not only did I get the smoking hot Red album in, today I got in a new sample album. My general portfolio I bring to my meetings was getting kind of old.. and I had so many more fun photos to share with you so I put a new one together! This one is really new to the market (only a few months in) and is already creating a lot of buzz. Why? Because the company making them is the company a lot.... OK, MOST of us Pro's use for our prints, and we get AMAZING turn around! These will be offered to my engagement, bridal, and family sessions. I used the lovely Joe and Natalia on the Cover and I think the book is Hot. The book has thiner coffee table book style pages, yet they are hinged and lay flat! Now that's REALLY hot!

So, please accept my apology. I'm shipping the hotness known as the KISS book to Julie tomorrow so maybe the heat will head west and dry up all the flooding :-( Oh well, at least the ocean temp has jumped almost 10 degrees this week! Bring on the surf season and dawn patrol!

Brian and Colin

2008-06-02T15:47:00.003-04:00

Saturday, Colin and Brian got married at the beautiful Leigh Hall Mansion in Newport News, Va. I met Colin at her parents house to begin the day before moving to Leigh Hall. After finally getting dressed and ready in the mansion the wedding started and Colin was escorted down the outside staircase by her father and across to a beautiful large oak tree. They exchanged their vows under the tree, Brian gave her a wonderful dipping Kiss (which I love btw, guys... don't rush your first kiss, enjoy it!), we took some group photos and headed on to Williamsburg for the reception. This was one of those weddings where EVERYONE got onto the dance floor and had an excellent time.. I personally also loved all the wonderful details of her Black and White theme.... During the toast Colin's sister mentioned that she has never seen Colin be more of herself than when she's with Brian... I couldn't agree more with that. The moment Colin and Brian came together... and every time the hit the dance floor, Colins face would come alive... Brian and Colin, I had a wonderful time with you and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Here's a little preview...

OH! Almost forgot! A lot of these are taken with my super duper shiny new D3! It was like magic in my hands... I am so glad I decided to make the investment into it...

When it was time for the rings, Brian whistled and their dog came running down the aisle to them with the rings.

Here's that amazing kiss!

Caitlin and Aaron

2008-05-28T11:12:00.003-04:00

I have to apologize for the delay real quick. When I went up to Westminster, Maryland this past weekend for Caitlin and Aarons wedding. I don't know if it was allergies or just actually me getting sick, but I've been voiceless and under the weather all week. I'm on the mend though, feeling a bit better, and just trying to lay low so I'm back to myself by Saturday for the next wedding.

I loved shooting for Caitlin and Aaron this past weekend! They are so much fun to be around and got married in an incredibly beautiful area! She is from Maryland, He is from Texas (which you know a Texas girl like me loves!), and they met here in Virginia Beach! They decided to get married in Westminster, Maryland and it was just a perfect day! The weather was amazing, church was gorgeous, and the temp was perfect for the outdoor part ybarn reception. They are off in Rome right now and are going to get to see the Pope and have their Marriage blessed today! How cool is that! Well, I don't think I can top papa Benedict but here are some of the highlights of their day.

How cute is this! The ring bearer carried a little rugby ball instead of a pillow!

Exciting News!!!!

2008-05-22T12:08:00.003-04:00

So, the day that I personally have been waiting for is now here!

I have just placed an order this week for the KING of all cameras on the market today... the Nikon D3! It should arrive early next week and I'm very excited to have it for wedding season. This camera makes use of a Full Frame (FX) sensor in a digital SLR for the first time in the Nikon family. Canon has some full frame dSLR's on the market and now quite a few Canon shooters have even returned to Nikon to use this camera. Yes, it's THAT good! This camera will enable me to push natural light in ways that a photographer like me, who loves using natural light, could only dream of for the longest time.

Needless to say I'm beyond Stoked right now! I've also ordered a new lens, the 85mm f/1.4 which is also going to be an awesome portrait lens... the 24-70mm f/2.8 is sold out everywhere right now so as soon as I can locate that I'll be getting that as well. Whew....

In a word, Stoked. So, Thank you to all of my wonderful clients who have had faith in me and trusted me with their most special day... I couldn't be in business without you!

These are NIKONS images, not mine. This is the D3 with the 85mm f/1.4 on it.

This is the 24-70mm f/2.8

Stacy and Jeff

2008-05-20T12:15:00.002-04:00

Sunday I was at another beach wedding for a bride named Stacy! Stacy and Jeff got married down at the Virginia Beach oceanfront surrounded by close family and friends. I met Stacy through playing volleyball at TVA for the past year or so. As we were both collegiate volleyball players (She for the USCGA) I guess it was a great place to meet! As I've had the pleasure of knowing the two of them for a few seasons now I was very privileged to shoot their wedding. Jeff is a very wonderful and supportive man, coming to every volleyball game, every week, and I couldn't be more thrilled for them!

The day couldn't have been nicer. We were a little concerned for rain but it held out and the sky and light was just PERFECT for shooting an outdoor wedding. There was a lot of love that was flowing all over on Sunday and I hope you enjoy the following images from the day.

And finally, here I am at the after party with the wonderful bride and groom. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day. I wish you and your new family all the best. I can't wait to shoot with y'all again later this week!

Stacy and Trent

2008-05-18T14:01:00.003-04:00

This is a double header Stacy weekend for me! Saturday I was with Stacy and Trent, and I have yet another Stacy today! Both at the beach as well!

Today however, my post is all about Stacy and Trent. You may remember them and their two dogs, Karma and Buddha from their engagements a few weeks ago. They got married underneath a draped altar facing the water at Seashore State Park, just down the way from where they got engaged. Following the ceremony we all boarded a boat to go to the reception at the brand new Lighthouse on the Cove. It's right off Laskin at the Oceanfront and this was the 3rd wedding reception to take place as they just opened. Check out the Beacon this week as they are doing a feature on the venue and will perhaps also be publishing some of my photos!

They brought Hawaii to Virginia Beach and did an excellent job executing their theme. I almost forgot we were still here in Va Beach. They are actually going to be in Hawaii soon for their honeymoon, but I'm still happy for a small taste of it. Greg Chappell of Astro Disc Jockeys also did a great job not only keeping the Hawaiin theme going, but keeping the party going as well. He was a real pleasure to work with at the wedding. Nice to meet you Greg!

Here are a few from the day, I'm off to wedding two soon!

Throughout the wedding and again while doing photos, every time a boat would pass they would get a honk or a hollar. This time however, Trent cheered on back!

This image has got to be one of my favorites of the entire day. There's nothing ground breaking about a technique used... in fact... there's really nothing special artistically or technically about this image. To me though, it's more of a poetic meaning with an expecting mother and a grandmother watching as Stacy and Trent begin their new life together...

Yes, James Bond was at the reception! With a good amount of the people from the Bond family there I just had to take a picture of James!

Natalia and Joe

2008-05-07T15:04:00.003-04:00

Alright, here's blog number 2 of the day! I have a lot I'm catching up on and want to try and finish before tomorrow's Hooding Ceremony at Regent... I also have the Regent Commencement itself on Saturday so lots and lots of photos to go through!

Yesterday I met up with Joe and Natalia for their engagement portraits. We had an absolute blast running all over Norfolk. Joe is a firefighter for the City of Norfolk on one of their ladder trucks and was able to pull some strings and get the two of them briefly on a firetruck. To make it more special, it also happened to be at the corner of Market and Granby where Joe STOPPED a parade to propose to the beautiful Natalia. Natalia's a DJ for Z104 so couple the two of them together and you KNOW we were in for a good time. I'm so bummed however! I'm going to have to wait till 2009 to shoot them again. (Unless Joe hires me to come to Costa Rica with him for his bachelor party so I can document it and be his surf photog... ;-)

I actually want to start with the end of our shoot. If you want to know how to get me excited throw me a crazy "weird" idea! Well, Natalia threw one at me yesterday! While shooting we came across a pond complete with waterfall! I'm so glad summer is almost here because they were really excited to play in the waterfall. This means that I've also had a lot of fun playing with these pictures in particular! So, we're starting at the end....

This is actually a mural on the glass of the restaurant where they met! They went inside and had some fun with it.

More from Beth and Ryan

2008-05-07T09:33:00.002-04:00

I didn't get to post very many... well, I only posted 3 which is a rediculously small post for me. I wanted to send them and you more to look at so here's some more from Beth and Ryan.

Dan and Sara

2008-05-05T16:52:00.003-04:00

Wow, what a whirlwind weekend! I just got back yesterday from shooting a Wedding Reception up in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dan and Sarah got married a few weeks ago out of state... the weekend before that, they were members of Lindsay and Andy's wedding party! Sara saw my work during the wedding and asked Lindsay to get a hold of me ASAP.... I have a very booked May but I had left this past weekend open. When I got the call from Sara I was more than happy to help her out and get her the photos she was dreaming of. Saturday morning I loaded up the car and drove up to Charlottesville, home of the University of Virginia, and a beautiful town in the blue ridge mountains. We had a blast hanging out and shooting the tented garden reception... and Doubletree even upgraded my room to a Suite! I slept very well Saturday night!

Here's some highlights from the day!
Here I am with the beautiful couple! A special thanks goes out to Thad who came and helped keep me company on the trip and got some great, behind the scene shots!

The food! Amazing... it was very, very good! My personal favorite was the stuffed tomatoes... I don't know what was in them... but they were amazing!

I spy... a previous BRIDE! (and groom ;-)
Can you tell Andy and Lindsay are still enjoying being newlyweds and fresh off their honeymoon in Hawaii?

The wonderful newlyweds!

This is one of the BEST getaway cars I've ever seen!

Thanks so much for bringing me up to Charlottesville for your wedding reception Sara and Dan. I had a blast working with you and wish you all the best in your marriage.

Sneak Preview - More to come!

2008-05-03T01:08:00.002-04:00

Earlier today I went out with Ryan, Beth... and Tyce (Ryan's dog) to shoot their engagement session. Tomorrow, I'm off to Charlottesville to shoot a "second reception" for a wedding that was held out of state. Unfortunately, that means I couldn't get to the full blog post... and going through there were about 50 I was ready to pull and blog... But, alas! I need to get to bed :-( Here's a sneak preview of Ryan and Beth's engagement session... I can't wait to shoot them again on their wedding day!

Trent and Stacy's Engagement Session

2008-04-23T16:05:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I went to Sandy Bottom Nature Park in Hampton with Trent and Stacy. When we were discussing on what they were looking for I knew EXACTLY where we needed to go! I did a family shoot here last year and while all of us were from the beach, Sandy Bottom was the perfect location. I met with Stacy and Trent as well as a friend of theirs who came to watch the dogs. Karma and Buddha are 2 beautiful German Shepherds, but they are still large dogs so a friend was nice enough to come hang out with us to help watch them. I am so excited for their wedding... and it's coming up soon! They called me a few weeks ago to discuss some changes and oh... I wish I could tell you the details of the wedding! I guess you're all just going to have to wait and see!

Andy and Lindsay

2008-04-13T16:29:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was so much fun! I shot the wedding of Andy and Lindsay at St. Andrew's in Norfolk which followed with a reception at the Half Moone in Norfolk as well. I knew the day was calling for rain so I got to the church a little early to make sure that I could get shots of it. It's a good thing I did because when Lindsay arrived it was pouring! Rain didn't dampen much other than the ground because Lindsay was still just glowing with the excitement of the day.

Flowers were done by one of the brides friends who did an absolutely fantastic job! She needs to go into business soon!

They were so much fun to be with all day!

I LOVE shooting at Half Moone!

Think of all the beautiful babies and children you've ever seen. I bet they were at this wedding....

Another cool thing at the wedding was that the groom's old college band made a reunion! They took the stage and performed a few songs to the joy of the crowd. It's a shame these guys broke up....
Here's the groom!

And the whole band

The hotcakes were the official band of the night and did a FANTASTIC job keeping the party going all night long!

And now... time for the beautiful couple!!!!

I had an absolute blast being a part of your wedding. Spending time with the both of you... as well as your wonderful families was such an honor. May your marriage be blessed.

My big brother

2008-04-10T13:45:00.002-04:00

I'm currently sitting at IAH in Houston on a warm, rainy, typical Houston day awaiting my delayed flight. No worries however, it's giving me time to try and catch up on a lot and get at least part of the wedding frenzy blog up.

2 days before the wedding I was able to go out with Ryan and Abbey to take some photos of them. I had a blast and I'll share some of those with you. I'm editing on my new Macbook so these still may need some work :-) I'm looking forward to getting back to my actual Mac to edit properly....

Fireman Weddings

2008-04-08T18:07:00.004-04:00

One of my 2009 couples got engaged when his fire truck stopped during a parade so he could propose. I'm going to be doing their engagement portraits soon and from what I hear, they have some very fun plans in store! I do hope however they don't do anything quite as crazy as my brother did during his own wedding this weekend down here in The Woodlands, Tx. (That's a suburb of Houston BTW).

Things to consider when doing a sparkler exit....
1) Either keep any ribbons far enough away from flames, have guests remove them, or do not use
2) Use a long burning sparkler... not one that burns out in a blaze of fire (ribbon) after 10 seconds.
3) Make sure any fire cannot reach the brides gown (my new sister in law drug her dress right over a good lil fire of a fallen sparkler.)

These are really roughly edited but here you can see what can happen if these 3 things are overlooked. But, let's be honest... my brother and his fellow firefighters thought it was just plain awesome!

The following photos all occurred within about a 10 second window.

Whew, Finally home from the West Coast!

2008-03-21T00:50:00.007-04:00

Wow, and what a trip it was! It is so good to be back however! I've been spending the day catching up on email, life, editing photos, and enjoying the sight of trees and grass. But read till the end... you'll be rewarded with a LOT... seriously... a LOT of photos.

This trip marked a milestone for me... to go along with a few others from this month....
1) Malta became my 14th country to visit (I've been to the UK numerous times)
2 & 3) California and Nevada marked states no. 26 & 27 that I've visited.... BUT, it also marked the first time I've been west of Denver... EVER!

Needless to say, I did play complete tourist on the plane. My flight out West was on an amazingly clear day and I was able to see everything from the Ohio River, to the Rockies, to the Grand Canyon, etc.... amazing!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in California but I couldn't believe how amazing WPPI was. This being my first time to go I was amazed at how eye opening and inspiring it is. I had the chance to listen to some of the most brilliant minds in the industry... of wedding photography. Some highlights were:
-Doug Gordon who was very inspiring to me as we share extremely similar methods to shooting a wedding.
- Jesh De Rox who is always inspiring. He shared a new project he's starting as well as really motivated all of us in so many ways that go beyond photography. He has an incredible passion and that has taken him incredibly far! Check out his work, it's very different from my own, but you will see a glimpse of that passion. At the very least you will also get to hear an incredible new artist, Amy Sealey.
- Matthew Jordan Smith who you may recognize from some photo shoots done on America's Next Top Model. Being such a fan of the show it was so cool to hang out for a few minutes with him. I unfortunately missed his talk to go to the airport, however, When I ran into him at a booth in the trade show he was awesome, cool, and humble.
- Jared Bauman of Bauman Photographers in San Diego gave a kick in the butt business seminar. He's one year older than I am and already has a studio with associate photographers and the works... I've got one year.... not to open a full studio... but to get to be the success I want to be.
There were so many more... but I need to hurry up to photos!

I also have to give a shout out to Anne Ruthmann who I shot a wedding with in DC a few months ago. She helped throw a sweet party that was so much fun! I even won a prize! Now, I'll have a spiffy online album viewer for all my bride's and groom's viewing pleasure! Thanks for everything Anne, it was awesome to see you and have you kick me in my butt to get certain things done ASAP... :-) I'm working on it, I promise!

Alright... well, are you ready for pictures!? I hope so!

These first photos were taken at a photo shoot at the Neon Boneyard in Vegas. This is where all the old Neon Signs retire to. The next is from a shoot in Nelson... a small ghost town a little over an hour away from vegas... I'll also toss a few more of Sarah's shoot in Sacramento at the end.

Please enjoy!

Last, but not least, a big shout out to my amazing roomies this weekend! I had such a blast finally meeting all of you and hanging out! Here's all of us: myself, Amy, Aubrey, and Samantha in the photo booth at my favorite company and album provider, ever.... KISS

Hello from Sacramento!

2008-03-15T02:09:00.002-04:00

Well, here I am now in Sacramento. I'm still enjoying my time in Cali which is quickly coming to an end. All too soon to say the least. Today I was able to get out and take portraits of Sarah out in Old Town Sacramento as well as the State Capital Park. It is definitely spring here in California and the flowers are blooming and gorgeous! So was Sarah however and while I may not have all my editing tools, I still wanted to throw you a few. Tomorrow it's off to WPPI in VEGAS!

Hello from Sunny California!

2008-03-13T12:09:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I've been leaving your hanging!

My last post mentions what I was about to to in the UK... well, since I've written that post I've done all those things, made it back to the US AND finished all my editing. All while playing with our new Kitty, Renoir.

Let me try and catch you up!

Malta was amazing! Absolutely amazing! I very much wish we had more time there, or could have seen more... but we did see a lot! The co-cathedral of St. John was amazing! A must see if in Valletta. St. Julian's bay, beautiful! Sliema, another great city! We saw a bit more but gosh, breathtaking! Our room faced the water and we had an amazing porch to sit on and enjoy the view. If you are ever there don't be afraid to order the table wine, it's always GOOD! Some people have asked me where Malta is... it's in the Mediterranean in between Africa and Sicily. I could go on and on about the wonders of Malta, their food, people, language, history... if you have ever seen Popeye or The Count of Monte Cristo they were filmed in Malta. Also lot's of greek mythology happened in "Malta." Much of the Odyssey and Iliad revolve around "Malta." I also heard just last night that someone thought they heard Malta was known as a possible site of the "Garden of Eden." I'll have to look that up but it's definitely a country worth checking out!

After returning from Malta my trip flew by too fast. I really wasn't ready to come back, I would live in London if I could. But, I did need to return, eventually ;-)

After a lot of "getting done" in Va Beach I flew out to San Francisco where I met my friend, her husband, and unborn child. They are such an adorable family and I can't wait to see their little daughter! I could have spent so much time in San Francisco but I came to Modesto to see another friend of mine from university. This is my first time out West! I've been to 27 states and 14 countries, but this is my first time west of Denver! I'm really enjoying my time in Cali! I love the no-humidity and in general it almost feels more like home in Texas than in Virginia. It's up to Sacramento tomorrow for some bridals in most likely a Vineyard and taking advantage of California's landscape, I'm very excited!

Saturday morning I fly to Vegas which is one of the "main" parts of this trip. WPPI, aka, Wedding and Portrait Photographers International!

I am so excited to be able to attend WPPI this year. I'm going to get to meet and learn from some of the most brilliant minds in wedding photography! On top of that, I get to hang out with 10,000 other photographers and finally meet so many of the people that I talk with on a daily basis online in forums and groups I'm a part of. AND on top of that, I even will get to see, touch, and learn about any product I could possibly offer you! Amazing

I'll probably just put together a huge slide show for you to see all of my trip to Europe, Cali, and Vegas... otherwise that post would be a mile long!

Too much to do!

2008-02-26T19:50:00.004-05:00

Boy, I'm starting to really feel it! It's been a crazy last few days! To see photos from my last wedding visit Jason and Julie's blog here

Sunday I went down to Brighton with my parents. Living in Virginia Beach makes you appreciate the ocean and while it was cold, the beach is made of rock, and there were less waves than we get in Va Beach... I still really enjoyed my time spent at the oceanfront. We had lunch in a pub that overlooks the water... and I had an amazing BBQ Chicken dish... I never really thought of the UK being one for BBQ, but it was GOOD!

MONDAY! It was finally time to take a train 1.5hrs the OTHER side of London, North, to Birmingham for the FOCUS on Imaging 2008 show and conference. There I met up with a few of my contacts to see what's going on in the world of Photography in the UK and EU. This was actually the largest show in all of the EU! Spending the day with the contacts you don't get to see, ever, in person was a real pleasure. It's all about networking! I love getting to know other photographers.

Today, My mother and I did some more shopping before I went to their church here in London to help them out with some photos. The church is 150 years old and even has the original windows still! It's in need of some major cleaning and repair so I went and took photos of all the issues for their upcoming campaign. After that, we ran back to the flat, got freshened up, then ran out to meet my father for dinner at a local pub in the West End... and THEN we all went to see "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor coat." It was highly enjoyable and entertaining, and now here I am finally getting to blog, finished with editing for the church, and getting ready for bed... it's 1am :-)

Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with a contact of mine here to do some photo shoots. I'm really looking forward to it! Then, I need to pack because we're going to MALTA on Thursday!

Whew, Lots to do and see!

Cheers from LONDON!

2008-02-21T04:34:00.003-05:00

And boy, does it feel good to be back! After a "mostly" smooth flight from DC I arrived bright... I mean, just plain early into London, Heathrow. Getting settled into my parents flat it was time to keep myself awake!

My "mum" and I headed out to Sloane Square for a little look around some shops, grabbed some lunch, headed back home, then after a small nap went to the grocery. London truly has become a second home for me and it's very good to be back!

As my dad works during the day my mother and I decided yesterday to go out to Wimbledon for the day. We hopped onto the tube and took it to the end of the line... Wimbledon, for a day of what any girl wants to do in Europe... SHOPPING! This was actually my first time to Wimbledon and I really want to go back and explore it more. My parents have already decided that if they ever leave their flat in Kensington, Wimbledon it is! They are calling for some 60 degree weather this week, perhaps if that becomes a reality we'll go back on a nice day.

Some interesting points so far?
-I was very surprised by the gentleman I met on the plane. As it turns out, he's a organic chemistry (which wasn't my favorite course in University) professor at a school in Saudi Arabia! He was in the States for his fathers unfortunate passing, however who would have thought that he was from the same area, in eastern Ohio, I went to school! Not many people know where Steubenville is, let alone the fact that not many people grow up there!

- The election is in full press here! The British are VERY, very intrigued by our politics and everyone asks me about the state of the election process, for my thoughts, any predictions, any news, anything they can get out of me! If only we Americans were so concerned about who gets elected.

- The dollar is a bit stronger right now... the conversion is only 1.91! We'll take what we can get... :-)

- It's 10am, stores are opening, time to fight the hustle of Oxford Street!

I'll try and get some pics soon for you! To view the latest wedding pics from Jason and Julies Valentines wedding visit this blog posting http://capturedforlife.blogspot.com/2008/02/jason-and-julie.html

Jason and Julie

2008-02-17T17:08:00.004-05:00

This past Friday I shot a "valentines" wedding for Jason and Julie. I had so much fun working with the two of them! They have just this powerful attraction between the two of them as well that made their wedding even more fun to shoot! The wedding was held at the beautiful Freemason Street Baptist Church and was a small intimate affair. When I began to shoot both of them getting ready it became very evident to me where this beautiful love between them came from. Seeing each of them with their families really provided some very loving and tender moments... most of which were re-enacted when they became man and wife to begin their own new family.

After the ceremony we headed to brand new McCormick and Schmick's in the Virginia Beach Town Center where we were able to have even more fun in the brand new Westin, in front of the new Sandler Center, and even at the fountain. Virginia Beach is starting to remind me a lot of my hometown in The Woodlands, TX. Constantly growing and upscaling itself!

I promised to get this blog up before I leave the Country... After I finish this post it's off to hurry and finish packing, making sure I have my passport, and checking in online with British Airways to hopefully get a "good" seat... busy day!

Without further delay, Here are some highlights from Jason and Julie's wedding day! May your marriage be blessed!

John Hancock

2008-02-09T22:19:00.000-05:00

Local emerging artist, John Hancock (yes, that's his REAL name ;-) and I went out today for a bit of fun. John is one talented musician. Whether it means rocking out on his guitar... or perhaps even his fiddle, this guy knows how to rock. We wanted some alternative grungy portraits so naturally, we went exploring in Norfolk. One of my favorite things to do is just walk around, hang out, and see what we discover. I have found the most beautiful dirty alley ever, and I refuse to divulge the exact location... :-)

One question I am asked by my bride and grooms is," what do you typically wear when shooting a wedding?" Today is a great day to answer that question. When I shoot I do whatever is needed to get a cool angle, get a shot that's different, and do what needs to be done. For this reason, to weddings, I always wear dressy trousers as I am consistently sitting/laying on the floor, in the grass, sand, dirt, wherever! Today however, Wow.

My beautiful dirty alley is exactly that. DIRTY! Home to many many pigeons so I'll give you one guess as to what (other than trash) fills the alley... Alley's are always grungy, but today I couldn't even start uploading till I washed my ARMS and cleaned up with a shower. It was right nasty laying in that stuff I tell ya... but I think I got some great shots out of it! I don't mind anyways... I was the child running through the woods and buiding forts...

It's hard to narrow down photos... I got so many great ones... I'm having fun playing with the different ways of processing them as well... Here's a sneak at some of the things I'm working on for John... Enjoy!

Engagements

2008-01-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

I love Engagement sessions! It gives me a chance to work with the bride and groom before hand and we get to have so much fun! A few weeks ago I posted some from a session at Harbor Park, but while doing some more editing and conversions I found a few more... ok, there were TONS more that I wanted to share... but I picked just a few.... as I already posted zillilions below...

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New Wedding Albums!

2008-01-12T12:55:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I'll be showing my work and meeting with brides from all over the area at the Founders Inn tomorrow, Sunday January 13th. Quite a few weeks ago, a few weeks before the Christmas Holiday's in fact, I called my album supplier to make sure I could get new sample albums in for all of you to see in time for this show. They said there was no way to get an album to me that "fast." Needless to say, I was bummed. Not only to not be able to get new albums but that they didn't seem to care their turnaround time was so long!

As fate would have it, I was talking to many wedding photographer contacts of mine and I came across a newer album company getting rave reviews across the board... I checked them out... talked to those who use them... and fell in LOVE! As it turns out, they have awesome turnaround time... you can even rush an order and get it shipped within a WEEK! How awesome is that! I have to brag about this comapny a bit, because this is how every company should be!

When I ordered my albums it was all so last minute that I hit "send" at about 2:30am. While uploading all my files I noticed the invoice pop into my inbox. I looked at it and to my surprise, one of the albums had "tempt-me tan" and not "forbidden green" next to it for the album cover! Knowing I would be sleeping in as I still had work to do I called to leave a message hoping to get it to them before my rush order was begun. I was a bit shocked when I actually reached a LIVE person. They told me it wasn't a problem and it was changed no questions asked. I was already falling head over heels for the customer service! Thursday my albums arrived! How's that for turnaround! I took them out and oh my gosh, I fell in complete love! From the feel of the leather to the beauty of each page! Outstanding quality! While going over my new 12x12 sample album, as I quality check everything before presenting or giving, I found an unfortunate error in printing. It was a result of a file trasfer problem that actually looked like an element of design unless you knew the layout and that there was part of the design missing. It was unfourtunate, and I really can't blame them for not catching it... it seriously looked like a design element! But, this was Thursday, I needed these albums for Sunday!

I immeadiately called again, This time about 10:30am.... which is 7:30am on the West Coast. Once again I actually reached a person and described the issue. Of course they offered a re-print but I never thought they'd pull off the feat they did! Even though 12x12 books take longer to make and press (to prevent warping) they pulled off a miracle! TODAY, at 9:30am, I GOT THE REPRINT! They seriously worked long and hard to get it done and out to me, and they communicated with me the entire time letting me know the status and how we were looking to try and get it out by today. I'm beyond Amazed! They even send out emails throughout the entire process letting you know the status of the albums, analyzing files, sending to print, binding, shipping, etc... Amazing. Major props to Kiss Wedding Books! They even stamp the outside of the boxes with giant kissy lips!

I'm very excited to offer these albums. I actually presented them today to a potential 2009 bride and groom, both she and her fiance were loving them! (That's the real test!) They are of outstanding quality, not only in materials and workmanship, but as a company! I'm posting some photos but these don't do enough justice, you'll have to stop by my booth to come see them for yourself!

They don't let anything happen during shipping. I should have taken a photo of the bubble wrap... took me about 5 min. to unwrap it all. It's also sealed with a kiss!

They also come in really cool funky bags. Come to the show to check it out for yourself! Noon: Founders Inn and Spa on Indian River near I-64

Visit my Website for more info!

Jonathan and Megan

2008-01-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

About a week ago I mentioned that I was going to be doing some Engagement portraits at a LARGE local venue. Well, Sorry for the delay, you have the wonderful Va Beach weather to thank for that. I called Megan on the 2nd and suggested postponing. The weather called for the day of the shoot was about 28 degrees and windy. I suggested Monday after checking the weather. Today turned out to be PERFECT! The weather couldn't be any better! (it was sunny and about 70)

I'm so excited to be shooting this couples wedding in 2009 and you'll soon see why I'm bummed that I have to wait that long to shoot this couple again. Every expression in every photo was just amazing, I had so much fun working with them today and look forward to when we can work together again.

So... Where exactly were we?

We had the awesome priveledge to have our run of Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides! Jon is a collegiate baseball player so Megan wanted to do some baseball photos for him. Missy Christianson of Antonia Christianson Events was so great helping us get this. I also want to thank Ben Giancola, Asst. Gen Manager for allowing us to come and taking time out of his day to escort us around. We were able to go on the field (they even turned the sprinklers off just for us!) the bull pen, dug out, even the roof! It was so amazing! And I think they got some amazing photos out of them! Imagine just you, and Harbor Park... it's amazing!

So without further delay, An engagement session at Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides

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Thomas and Shelly

2007-12-31T15:05:00.000-05:00

Right now, Thomas and Shelly are sitting on a beach in Hawaii! However, on December 29th, they were here in Chesapeake, Virginia getting married. Their wedding was held at the Fairview Church of Christ where the grooms father officiated the ceremony. From start to finish the entire wedding was about being with their family and friends. We all got a glimps of Hawaii however, when the bride came walking down the aisle to Somewhere over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

The day started warm and overcast as I met with the bride and her bridesmaids at the church to get ready. I got right to work on some of the details as I could see the clouds coming in. I took the brides bouquet outside to take some shots of it when apparently the bride came to see her flowers. Luckily, one of her bridesmaids knew it was with me and was able to let her know that her flowers had indeed arrived with the rest! I then had the chance to hang out with Shelly and her friends and I had such a complete blast. They were truly just so much fun to hang around with! After getting the groomsmen photos outside, I came back in, Shelly got dressed, we went to the door, and WOOSH! Leaves are flying, clouds are getting dark, we ran out, grabbed about 10 frames and ran in to miss the rain. It then proceeded to rain (which is good luck on a wedding day) throughout the ceremony and all the formals. It wasn't an issue, we took pictures inside, however, during their "Recep" (mini-reception) I looked out to see the rain had stopped and skies had cleared! I grabbed Thomas and Shelly and we ran out for a mini-photo session, they then cut their cake, and they were off to the Founders Inn for night until they left for Hawaii the next morning.

We're going to be doing a fearless photo shoot in the spring when it warms up, so you'll see this beautiful (and soon to be extremely tan) couple again.

Thomas and Shelly, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day. I enjoyed every bit of it. May you both be blessed as you begin your new life together. And please remember to catch a wave for me!

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Williamsburg Winery

2007-12-29T09:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was over at the Williamsburg Winery for the wedding of Kenny and Marie. These high school sweethearts were so much fun to shoot! It was an affair centered around their family and friends, and everyone had an awesome time. The Williamsburg Winery is incredibly beautiful, even for winter when the grapes and vines are not growing. The wood featured throughout also helped lend amazing acoustics to the beautiful string quartet that played throughout the ceremony.

One other thing that really stood out to me at the wedding was the amount of love in the room. These families all are solid, strong, fun, loving families and it really showed. I could probably make this entire post out of all the friends, parents, and grandparents dancing as if no one else was there. Each couple from their 20s to even their 80s took their time on the dance floor and a good time was had by all.

May your marriage be blessed, enjoy the Carribean!

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Merry Christmas / Happy New Year

2007-12-27T12:27:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a second to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It's been quite a year and I have you to thank for that!

I will be incredibly busy the next few weeks however keep checking back for some exciting upcoming photos!

Friday: Wedding at the Williamsburg Winery
Saturday: A wedding at Fairview Church of Christ, Chesapeake
Jan 3: Engagement Session at MAJOR Norfolk venue (surprise for the groom to be and will be revealed in the post as to not ruin the surprise).

January 13th I will be at the Hampton Roads Bridal Show held at the Founders Inn. Please feel free to stop by and say hi! I'd love to get to know you! http://www.hrmag.com/guides/bride/

For any UK and EU readers: I will be in London Feb 19 - Mar 5. I am booking EU clients for those dates. Please contact me for booking information.

So it will be a busy few weeks, however, keep checking back for exciting new pictures!
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Ionic Dezign - Action Paving

2007-12-19T17:20:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I stopped by Action Paving for Ionic Dezign, here in Virginia Beach. This particular office had Ionic Dezign do their lobby and conference room... and of course Eugene and the gang did an outstanding job making the office come together. One of the cool things I shot that I'm actually not including in this mini post is that the receptionists desk is actually made of concrete!

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Want to see me in action?

2007-12-08T03:29:00.001-05:00

I just found myself in a clip from the Ukrops Christmas Parade in Richmond. At about 1:16 into it... do you see a girl in jeans and a white jacket with a rather large "black thing" in front of her face.... That's me!

There's my 5 seconds of fame! You can find the Original Post and view pictures target="_blank">HERE!

Also, do you ever travel or stay in a hotel... this is a must see if you answered yes to either of those questions.

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Celebrating Family

2007-12-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

This past saturday I met up with a family for a portrait session at Sandy Bottom Nature Park in Hampton, Va. I was really excited about this for a few reasons.

1) This couple is not only so much fun to speak and work with, they are also newly weds!
2) They really are just so great to be around
3) Wait till you see her daughter! Tyra Banks, watch out!
3) They just rescued a really cute puppy that needed a home when they found her all mangled
4) Sandy Bottom had some Southern Flying Squirrels in their center which I used to have as a pet. I unfortunately had to give him away when moving here.

We were supposed to do this session about a week ago but do to a flu bug going around their family we pushed it back a week and I think they wound up with much better weather! The day was absolutely gorgeous and it's still fall here in Va Beach! Sandy Bottom is so incredibly beautiful, especially this time of year!

Ps, it's also apparently home to some protected and dangerous rattle snakes... yuck. So, if you are walking around the lakes and see some cinderblocks do not sit on them or play near them. That is apparently their habitat. No worries for anyone doing portraits with me however, I will be staying CLEAR of that area! You can't pay me enough to go that way... :-) (Thanks to the park ranger for that bit of info. I asked where the snakes live so I can avoid that area and keep us all safe!)

It's really hard to narrow down pictures, and I'm really excited to finish going through everything. Here's a few quick ones I pulled... I hope you enjoy!

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Ukrops Christmas Parade - Richmond, VA

2007-12-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

What a busy weekend! Friday night I left with my boyfriend and his friend, Lance to travel to Richmond for the Annual Christmas Parade. We stayed the night with our friend Becca and had a full cold day on Saturday to prepare for!

Saturday, the day of the parade, I was taking pictures for 2 local Star Wars costuming groups. The 501st and The Rebel Legion invited me to document their participation in the parade which draws more than 250,000 spectators and even more on the TV. What can I say, it was a blast spending the day with Storm Troopers, Jedi, and even Darth Vader.

After the parade my boyfriend and I rushed back to the Beach to get ready for the annual Regent Christmas Ball and then I had a family shoot on Sunday as well as a shoot today! So expect more photos in the coming days!

For your enjoyment, the Star Wars Universe via the Ukrops Christmas Parade!

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2008 Going Fast!

2007-11-30T15:16:00.000-05:00

I've been so blessed this past year watching my business grow! I want to make sure that I keep all my readers on top of things too!

2008 is GOING FAST!!! If you are interested in booking for 2008 send me an email ASAP so we can talk and get to know eachother.

May you have a very merry Christmas season,

Kelly
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DC with Anne Ruthmann

2007-11-19T00:25:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I was so privileged to make the trek from Virginia Beach to DC to help Anne Ruthmann shoot a wedding for a truly amazing couple. Anne isn't just any photographer, she's actually based in Terre Haute, Indiana and is flown all over the US to photograph weddings. And if that's not enough, she's also an internationally award winning photographer... a few times over... Needless to say, I was blessed to be invited to work with her! We also had such a blast hanging out! I am a little bummed however, we never did get to jump on the beds...

The wedding itself was wonderful. The brides father was a career Marine and as he is no longer here, the wedding started with a tribute to her father at the Marine Corps Memorial, Iwo Jima. They met and saw each other for the first time at the monument and then laid a matching lily of her bouquet along with her family. After the laying of the flowers, they made their way towards the Carillon bell tower and had a small intimate ceremony with family next to a large oak tree, over looking the DC skyline. Fall finally made it's appearance just in time for the wedding, and we also had amazing color!

After the ceremony, they headed to the "Hotel Tabbard Inn" for a family brunch. After a short break, we then headed to the "Clarendon Ballroom" for the black tie optional reception with all of their friends and family. The day was full of so many fun people and details so, I am going to post quite a few pictures... but, I don't think you'll mind.

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Dana & Michael

2007-11-11T11:41:00.000-05:00

I was very honored last night to photograph the wedding of Dana and Michael. Being that it is Veterans Day Weekend, having the opportunity to shoot a wedding so steeped in military tradition was quite an honor. The wedding was held at the beautiful First Presbyterian Church, Norfolk and their reception was at the new cruise terminal, Half Moone in Norfolk. I've had a few of my upcoming brides ask me about this place, and let me say it's gorgeous! The wedding was spectacular, Dana looked stunning in her dress, and I even was given the chance to see my very first bride and groom! Connie over at Catering Concepts also did a fantastic job on the reception and was such a pleasure to work with.

Being that tomorrow is Veterans Day, I thought I'd share a few more pictures, including more military elements from the wedding.

Michael, Thank you for your service to our country. I wish you both happiness as you begin your new lives together.

May God Bless America and Our Troops!
Happy Veterans Day
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Lauren's Wedding

2007-11-05T01:51:00.000-05:00

Hope you're ready for a LONG post!

I had such a blast shooting this wedding held at the Portsmouth Womens Club! What a fun celebration between close friends and family. The wedding was also full of so many amazing details! And the groomsmen! I think you'll see what fun the groomsmen were below. It truly was a fun celebration and I wish you both happiness in your lives together. Of course, when you start your marriage with a honeymoon to Disneyworld I'm sure that will be easy to achieve!

On to some photos!

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Julie and Chris' Engagement Session

2007-11-04T14:09:00.000-05:00

One great thing about my busienss, is that it has given me an opportunity to reconect with old friends. Julie and I were in Youth Group together during High School at our Parish in The Woodlands, Tx. While they are getting married on their campus in NY, she now lives in Virginia! They came over to Virginia Beach on saturday for their engagement pictures, and it was so great to see Julie again! I'm really looking forward to shooting their wedding in upstate NY on 8/8/08!

Here's a quick preview of a few I pulled from yesterday's session. I hope you enjoy!

They got engaged last fall, so we had been waiting till this fall for the pictures. Unfortunately, across Virginia it's still VERY green, I found this ONE leaf so here's their fall picture!

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Regent University Homecoming

2007-10-29T18:01:00.000-04:00

Last Friday Regent University celebrated their homecoming with the crowning of Intramural Football Champs, the King and Queen, and games. It was a day I was glad to not be shooting a wedding as it rained most of the event... I love shooting in the rain, but only for the right situations... and a football game (not wedding) is one of them.

Here's a few from the day. It was warm and rainy at the event, but has finally turned to fall here. 7 months till the wet suits can be put away again!

Enjoy!

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Dana's Bridal

2007-10-24T20:36:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you, I am getting so excited for Dana's upcoming wedding! I first met Dana during another clients wedding and have really enjoyed working with her. Dana came out with her mom and maid of honor (and her dog) to Regent University for her Bridal Portraits. I always love shooting at Regent, and I do it a LOT!

Dana gave me permission to post her bridals as we don't think the husband to be has any idea how to access the blog ;-)

Dana, your dress is amazing and worth all the hassle you went through for it! I had a blast shooting with you and can't wait to show you the rest of your pictures! I think I may have to post even more later... Here's a preview!

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Jiza - Portrait Session

2007-10-23T02:46:00.001-04:00

I just did a portrait session for Jiza. We met at LIFE TEEN's camp covecrest where we were both councelors a "few" years ago. She's such a fun girl to shoot with, and REALLY photogenic! We had a blast going to Regent and Norfolk and everywhere in-between.

Please Enjoy!

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Hollywood CEO and Experience Regent Weekend

2007-10-23T02:36:00.000-04:00

Last year I was asked to do Experience Regent Weekend. It was my first (of many) gigs with Regent Univ. and the first time for me to document an event since my move to Va Beach. I remember going home after the first night and telling my roommate Angela, "I figured it out... I just want to move to San Francisco and study photography and become a photographer!!!!" She then replied, "Wow Kelly, I haven't seen you this happy or excited... EVER!"

What a difference a year makes! This year, I did ERW under my own Photography Business! What a blessing! I really want to encourage everyone to just follow their heart... there may be bumps along the way, and it may be a struggle at times, but it's worth every bump and struggle to do what you truly love!

I've also been really privileged to meet some AMAZING people! Like David Kirkpatrick, a Hollywood CEO and Exec!

Former Pres. of Paramount Pictures and former Pres. of production at Touchstone Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures.

As a former exec., Emmy and Golden Globe winner, he has overseen more than 200 motion pictures incl. Father of the Bride, Terms of Endearment, Forrest Gump, Top Gun, Sister Act, Honey I shrunk the kids, Ghost, Pretty Woman and the highly successful franchises of Indiana Jones, Star Trek, and the tom clancy movies. His movies have grossed over $10Billion worldwide and have garnered close to 400 academy award nom. and 163 wins! And I had to take his picture!
Here's one from his speech.

I love doing detail shots!

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Last summer dawn patrol

2007-10-23T02:29:00.000-04:00

Did you know that I also surf? My favorite way of starting the day is on my board as the sun is rising and the dolphins are playing... usually though, I'm the one with the camera so I don't really have any artsy photos of "surfer Kelly" and I was in need of a BIG photo for my wall... Thanks to my timer and no one around to see me here's what I got...

What I think I'll mount on the wall..

Right up there with my camera

Don't forget to stretch!

Peace

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A seceret passion of mine...

2007-10-23T02:20:00.000-04:00

Well, It's that time of year again so I'll let you in on a little secret of mine... I'm a die hard Ice Hockey fan! Bet you didn't think a girl from south Texas would even know what Ice Hockey was! In fact, I did an internship and even received a job offer from the Houston Aeros Hockey Team, affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, and in the Western Conference of the AHL. Well, plans were changed and I decided to take a risk and come to Virginia Beach... and I have no regrets! While hockey is a passion of mine, it always took a back seat to my camera. Well, fast forward and I finally am dating a hockey player! Let's just say it was actually his skating and hockey skills that I was initially attracted too ;-) anyways, he was on the ODU hockey team back in school and unfortunately was unable to play in the ODU alumni game. (back injury).

We still went however and was asked to take some photos. It's been a year since I did something as quick as hockey so it was a lot of fun and helped me to keep my reflexes sharp! The young guns beat the old guys... but I think it's because my boyfriend couldn't play ;-)

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Knuckleheads Roadhouse

2007-10-23T02:10:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, I started getting into photography with architecture and landscapes. Every once in a while I work with a local design company, Ionic Dezign, in helping them document their latest projects.

One in-particular was the coolest biker bar I've ever seen! And I'm not exactly "biker bar material!" They did the coolest things and really integrated details into the bar, which as a photographer, I LOVE! For instance, take this hook under the bar for your purse or "leather jacket perhaps?"

I also bumped into a patron who had a very friendly bulldog named Monty. Not exactly "fearsome" more like "handsome."

Back in September one of my favorite Christian Artists came to Williamsburg for the Adore 2097 conference. Matt Maher isn't known widely in "mainstream" CCM however, you may know some of his songs done by others. Most recently, "Your grace is enough" as performed by Chris Tomlin on his arriving CD.

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Catching up

2007-10-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in updating my blog. I've been pretty busy with Regent, and this week is going to prove even more so! I'll be there all day Thurs-Sun and I have a shoot for Ionic Dezign on the Peninsula on Wed. so please forgive if I am delayed in getting back to you.

Back on Aug. 22nd(I know, I'm sorry) I was asked to go get a quick photo of the Attny General of VA giving Regent Law School an award for the Food Frenzy competition. Nothing earthshaking or artistic here, but it was a wonderful achievement for the future lawyers of our country!

Just over a week ago I also spent 2 days at Regent doing some head shots for the school of Psychology. It was a great pleasure getting to know even more of the staff and professors of Regent. One of the photos will even be published on a book!

Regent also recently held a salute to teachers. Over 300 teachers and their families were invited to a dinner at Regent University by the Education Dept. Our Local Weatherman was the MC. It was a great event and Regent held a drawing for a 50% scholarship for one of the attendees.

This last photo I didn't take, however, here's a glimpse into my life outside of the camera. One of my favorite pastimes is surfing, as the fall approaches it's sad when you have to put on your wet suit... however, the waves always can be a little nicer in the fall... It's still a little warm for a full suit... but, it was nice to be warm and get out on the waves with some good friends who were in town for the weekend.

www.CapturedForLifePhotography.com

3rd times the charm

2007-09-17T01:04:00.000-04:00

Tony and Suzanne were married on 9/1/07 and we had scheduled a shoot for after the wedding. Well, like good Virginia beach weather, the day of the shoot we were supposed to receive a tropical storm. So, we moved it of course. Then, there wasn't enough time in the day, so, we happily rescheduled for the next night. Of course, wouldn't you know 1 hr before the shoot I see storm clouds rolling in? By the time we began it was already pretty dark, but we still had a blast and got some great photos. I love the way that I'm working with my lighting right now. You can't even tell how dark it is in the photos! I've enjoyed getting to know these two a lot! There's so much love and joy with their new little family! Tony and Suzanne, I can't wait to see your beautiful daughter!

I received a note the other day from Suzanne's sister I'd like to share:

Kelly,
The photos you took of my sister's wedding are absolutely beautiful. You have been blessed by God with a gift for seeing a what would be a great image and getting to come to life on film (or memory card:)). Thank you for the time you took to spend the day with our family and provide such awesome memories for Suzanne, Tony, and our families to cherish! We can't wait to order some and add them to our "beach" room. :)

Katie, I can't thank you enough for all the wonderful things you've been telling all your friends!

Enjoy! I've got a "slideshow" below.

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The Chancellor's BBQ

2007-09-11T19:42:00.001-04:00

Every year Dr. Pat Robertson, Chancellor of Regent University and founder of CBN, holds a welcoming BBQ in his "back yard" on the campus of Regent University. I was asked to document this event for the university and enjoyed meeting new contacts and seeing old ones. I also finally had the chance to meet one of Dr. Robertson's security detail... who also shoots Nikon. After seeing him countless times it was a pleasure to actually meet. This was the first of many events I'm doing for Regent this semester... I've got a 2 day shoot with them next week that I'm looking forward to.

The fact that it was a BBQ was also pleasing to this born and bred Texan.

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The start of a perfect day...

2007-09-03T23:04:00.000-04:00

One thing that tugs at the heartstrings of every wedding photographer is hearing a person say, "If only I had photos like these from my wedding." For one couple that I know, they never really had dedicated pictures of them, as a couple, from their own wedding in June, 2006. So, Monday morning we headed down to the beach to rectify this situation.

There's 2 reasons why I love to work with a couple or bride AFTER the day of the wedding. First, you are less rushed and forced to work around time contraints. Secondly, you as a bride are able to be more carefree in your gown without worrying that it stays pristine for your wedding day.

Kim had no hesitations today! She and her husband are both avid surfers as well as longboarders. Her husband Matt's brother even own's his own longboarding company, Hamrick Longboards. We took much of this into account today to give them the photos she always dreamed of... that said this is us!

One thing I love about Matt is that there are 2 things that can make him light up like a child on Christmas morning. Catching a great wave and being with his wife. Needless to say I saw a lot of joy today as we all hit up the surf for some more fun after.

Here's a few from the morning.

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Tony and Suzanne

2007-09-03T01:10:00.000-04:00

What can I say, this weekend I was very privileged to be able to capture the wedding of Tony and Suzanne. Missy Christensen, who is their wedding planner, was kind enough to help us find eachother. The wedding was beautifully held at Grand Affairs in Virginia Beach and afterwards we headed to the Chesapeake Bay to take pictures. The day was full of excitement, although I believe a highlight was watching Suzanne's mom get down on the dance floor in the middle of a dance circle! That is one family who loves to dance and have a good time! And it shows, there is a lot of love and happiness that I witnessed yesterday. Congratulations Tony and Suzanne. May your marriage be blessed!

Here's a sneak.

The Father / Daughter Dance was an especially beautiful moment... Here we have Mom watching while dad and daughter share a moment.

Becky's "trash the dress"

2007-08-29T19:33:00.000-04:00

A new trend in Wedding Photography is to "trash your dress." The dress isn't actually trashed, but before trying to spend $$$ to stick it in a box and put it in storage, brides are using their photographer to capture the dress again... without worrying if some dirt get's on it... this is after the wedding of course.

I wanted to get some examples for my brides to see so my sorority sister Becky (who is getting married in Dec!) was gracious enough to be my model. I found the dress on Craigslist.com. Here's the result of a fun shoot with a great friend!

Jacks 1!

2007-08-19T23:26:00.000-04:00

Little Jackson really is my favorite boy. He's one now, but it's hard to believe how much he has grown in the past 5+ months I've known him. His parents had a party for all their friends... poor kid though didn't make it to his cake... he got too sleepy and fell asleep in his high chair...

I do have to start with a picture of big brother Noah, who'se almost 3.

Happy Birthday Jack-Jack.

Alan's 30th Birthday Surprise

2007-08-08T02:09:00.000-04:00

Today was Alan’s 30th birthday and all his friends got together for a surprise birthday party. It was a great pool party, helping us to cool off from an incredibly hot summer day. A couple crazy dogs, adorable kids, a grill, and friends made for a wonderful birthday celebration. Happy Birthday Alan!