I look forward to being their wedding photographer next year and capturing beautiful images for them!

Reynolda Gardens Engagement Session Reynolda Gardens Engagement Session Reynolda Gardens Winston-Salem

Dani & Jonathan were married at the beautiful Southern C's Farm in Summerfield NC. They are the sweetest couple and it's no surprised that they were surrounded by their lovely friends and family to celebrate their wedding day. They held their ceremony at a nearby church and had cocktail hour and the reception at the open air venue on the farm.

Coordination that day was done by Carla at Perfect Peony Events and as always she did a great job. Florals were provided by Sedgefield Florist in Greensboro. We were able to take some time at this venue for sunset pictures with the bride and groom and I am so glad we did. The farm's rolling fields and horse pens are a perfect backdrop to a wedding day. The day went by flawlessly with no problems which for a wedding photographer is just icing on the cake!

Emily and Michael were married at Boxwood Estate in October which is a beautiful month in North Carolina but also a month for hurricanes. Unfortunately one blew in right before their wedding and made them slightly change their plans for an outdoor ceremony but their day was still wonderful! I love photographing weddings with colorful details and these florals did not disappoint. Although the trees hadn't started changing yet the bridesmaid's dresses and bouquets were so appropriate for the season.

This Mocksville venue had a perfect layout for getting ready, ceremony and reception. Everything flowed seamlessly and the night ended with a fun confetti canon. This wedding photographer wouldn't complain if that became a regular wedding occurrence!

The bride and groom assembled a great vendor team with Detailed Events providing the coordination, Sophisticated Florals by Stephanie doing the flowers and Triad DJ and Events leading the reception.

When possible I always like to incorporate film photography into the wedding day. That worked out with this wedding and I was able to take a mixture of both film and digital. If you have read any of my past blogs or social media posts you know that film makes my heart so happy!

Hayden and Caroline had a beautiful spring wedding at Triple J Manor House in Mocksville NC. An April North Carolina wedding is one of my favorites. The flowers are blooming, the grass is green and the humidity hasn't hit us yet.

Over half of these images in this blog post are film, I could have shared the more perfect digitals but for me I love the magic results film has in such an instant and digital world. I started photography on film and it brings me such joy to be able to not only be a wedding photographer, but also a film wedding photographer when I have the chance. 

It was such an honor to be able to capture the happiness of one of the sweetest couples I have met as a wedding photographer. This is just a small snippet of the special moments we were able to photograph throughout the day. Their wedding party was incredibly supportive and they also had such a great vendor team put together. The day progressed smoothly and the 10 plus hours I was there flew by. 
 

The amazing vendor team:

Video: Camel City Videography 

DJ: 815 Events

Planner: Taneka at Day of Wedding Coordinator 

Catering: Providence Winston-Salem

Hair & Makeup: Glass Door Salon

Flowers: Green Bee Floral Design 

Musicians: Corda Entertainment

Dress: Bellissima 

I had the opportunity to spend a long weekend alone in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina. Of course I wanted to fill it with as much sight seeing and photography as possible. Like always, instead of digital when traveling I used my 35mm film camera and again, like always, I love the results. 

For my trip I stayed in a hotel in Point Pleasant, SC, just across the water from downtown historic Charleston. I didn't visit on this trip but the Patriots Point Navel Museum is also right there and a must see if you've never had the chance. I also have to mention that if you are in the Point Pleasant area to check out the Italian restaurant La Pizzeria. It was so good I got take out for dinner twice while I was staying there. 

The Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge crosses the Copper River and makes travel possible from Charleston to Point Pleasant. On my first night there I had arrived just before sunset and decided to take advantage of the beautiful March day and join the dozens of other people out that evening for a walk across the bridge. My hotel had easy access for walking and although the bridge was WAY longer than I anticipated while walking it was an enjoyable evening watching the sun set over Charleston and the water. 

I am not naturally someone who gets up willingly before sunrise but for this trip I really wanted to go to Shem Creek to watch the fishing boats get ready for the day and head out during sunrise. I wasn't disappointed. Even though it was a weekend there were very few visitors at the boardwalk at that time of day so it was a very peaceful morning. There is plenty of parking and also a bathroom at the park with a long boardwalk down to the docks. The surrounding historic district is also worth a drive through. 

Everyone knows downtown historic Charleston is filled with beautiful old homes and although I had been before I had never been as a photographer in Charleston. There are so many tiny amazingly crafted details in doors, paths, mailboxes and even driveways. Although my morning at Shem Creek was bereft of tourists my afternoon in Downtown Charleston was not. The weather was lovely and crowds filled the popular areas of Rainbow Row, Historic City Market, The Battery and shopping districts. Since I prefer to stay off the beaten path if possible I focused walking in the residential streets just overwhelmed with the architecture surrounding me. 

I went in some small shops and art galleries and had a delicious lunch at Le Chambertin, a cute little French cafe and bakery in the French Quarter. On my second day in downtown I chose to take a carriage ride which was the best money I spent all weekend. It was a great way to see a part of the city that I hadn't been able to walk to and learn facts and stories I would otherwise not have. The neat thing about the carriage tours is that they are randomly assigned an area each time you go out so you never know what ground you'll cover. I am definitely going to do one again next time I'm in town. 

As an ardent lover of both old houses and history I had to stop some type of historic site on my way back to NC. I chose to visit Drayton Hall, a former plantation on the Ashley River. Drayton Hall exists to educate and does not host weddings and portrait sessions nor does it glorify southern plantation life. The museum was informative and I especially liked the audio tour. Drayton Hall has not been remodeled or restored. It is kept in a state of preservation that allows you to see what it was like in the past while only doing necessary construction to preserve the integrity of the structure. Because of that you see beautifully worn paint, scuffed floors and cracked plaster. There are no furnishings inside the house but they do have rotating items in the on site museum.  

Emily and her girls got ready at The Shaffner Inn in Winston and we also did all her details and portraits at that same classic location. Thomas and the groomsmen got ready at the nearby Fairfield Inn. Planning and day of coordination was expertly executed by Charming Carolina Events and florals were courtesy of Green Bee Floral Designs. The couple's wedding ceremony took place at Corpening Plaza in front of the waterfall while guests were protected from the hot sun by a large white tent set up for the occasion. The bridal party was escorted by Triad Trolley to the reception venue at Footnote, the venue space at Foothills Brewing and Bookmarks.

The night came to an end with a sparkler exit and a horse and carriage to take Thomas and Emily away while family and guests waved goodbye on 4th street. 

Some other essential vendors that were involved in the wedding day: 

Bakery: Regi Originals

Makeup & Hair: Aeracura Aveda Salon in Reynolda Village

Music: Jim Sharkey, Tyler Lewis, Mr. Kossler, Margaret Rehder

DJ: 815 Events

Stationary: Minted

Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Carole

Rentals: Happy Rentz Inc

Wedding dress: Pronovias from Nitsa's Apparel 

Bridesmaid's dresses: Amsale from Nitsa's Apparel 

Men's attire: Generation Tux

Second Photographer: Rachel McConoughey Photography 

Film scanning & processing: Richard Photo Lab

Jenn was such a trooper, doing everything I asked including going into the still freezing water. I loved her sense of adventure and am so glad she said yes when I asked her if she would be willing to let me photograph her barefoot in a cold creek!

I enjoy the challenge and anticipation that is natural when shooting film and so left my digital camera at home and shot these solely on my film cameras. 

When Lindsay contacted me about possibly being her wedding photographer her location and timing couldn't have been more perfect. Lindsay and Tom live in Charleston and wanted their engagement session downtown and I was more than happy to oblige. Since I already had a trip in the works it was the perfect weekend to sightsee and also scope out picture locations. 

We started our session at the White Point Garden at Charleston's downtown southern end, near The Battery. We walked through the residential district stopping when we saw gorgeous light or unique portrait opportunities. The sun which was high and bright when we started quickly went behind clouds and our evening ended at the water with an overcast sky overlooking the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge and passing ships. 

Tom and Lindsay will be getting married this September at Grand Highlands in Hendersonville, NC and I can't wait to capture their wedding day! They are the sweetest couple and so fun to work with. I know we will capture many beautiful moments that day just like we did at their engagement session. 

If you know me you also know my love of analog film photography. For the past couple years I have exclusively brought my 35mm film camera only to document our vacations. All of these pictures were taken on my Canon 1n with Fuji 400h film and processed and scanned by Boutique Film Lab in TN. 

What isn't pictured on this blog post is the day I was able to spend alone with my parents while one of my best friends offered to keep my kids so we could do something without little ones (thanks Melissa!). It was a great day spent in northern Michigan Amish country checking out some delicious bakeries and unique stores. The weather was perfect, warm with a slight breeze blowing across the green rolling fields. 

We also spent a lot of time on my Dad's new-to-him pontoon boat fishing on my parent's lake at their home. We were able to see some beautiful sunsets night after night on the lake and I made my first large catch which tasted delicious later on that night. 

What IS pictured below is a day trip to the Leelanau Peninsula on Michigan's upper left side of the lower peninsula where we explored the Grand Traverse Lighthouse in the Leelanau State Park and the peninsula's charming lakeside towns. We also made a second day trip on Michigan's upper right side of the lower Peninsula to some of the dams on the AuSable River and Lumberman's Monument ending our day with an evening at Tawas City's Gateway Park. 

Grand Traverse Lighthouse is typically open as a museum to visitors if you come on the right day but unfortunately the day we were there they were closed for Covid 19 cleaning. We still enjoyed the grounds and spent time just sitting and looking out at the beautiful view. The Lighthouse is located at the very top of the peninsula within the state park so admission to the park is required to visit. If you would like to learn more about this historic lighthouse you can click here to go to their website. 

While driving up to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse we passed by this interesting structure and had to stop and check it out on the way back. It is Woolsey Memorial Airport, erected and dedicated in 1935 to Clinton Woolsey, a pilot who tragically lost his life while flying a goodwill mission to South America. Half of the land for the airport was given by Woolsey's father and the WPA converted his farm's milk creamery into the airport terminal. This information came from a local newspaper's story on the airport and you can read more about Woolsey and the airport in the article here. The airport is still in use in this rural area and is an obvious tourist attraction for passersby like us. 

After traveling up the east side of the Leelanau Peninsula and enjoying all the quaint towns and the views of the many orchards along the way we  made our way back down the west side and to the town of Leland, MI. We enjoyed checking out the historic shops in Fishtown and had ice cream along the shores of the Leland River and watched the pleasure boats go by. 

We ended our night by swimming at a local public park in the huge 8,600 acre Lake Leelanau. I sat on the sand and watched the kids swim and play in the clear blue green water and just enjoyed the beauty of a Michigan summer evening.

Michigan was once densely covered by large hardwoods and pine forests until the second half of the 19th century when logging destructively made way for stump laden farm fields. The AuSable River in the northeast portion of Michigan's lower peninsula was a main way of transportation for many of the logs on their way to sawmills. The logs would be rolled down the high banks of the river and then floated down river. To read more about Michigan's logging history, click here. 

The AuSable River is also home to five historic hydroelectric dams, three of which are pictured in the following series of images. 

River Road, which follows the AuSable River, is a National Scenic Byway with multiple overlooks and interesting stops. One of the stops along the way is Lumberman's Monument Visitor's Center which features educational exhibits about the past logging industry and also walking trails with access to the AuSable River. 
 

An overlook on one of the trails that shows a birds eye view of the AuSable River. 

A view of one of the rollaways that lumbermen would roll logs down into the river. For scale, those are two large pontoon boats anchored at the base of the sand cliff. 

There was a natural spring in this first and third picture where the river grass has collected. It was quite frigid compared to the temperate summer river water. 

Cooke Hydroelectric Dam built in 1912. All of the dams are popular locations for fishermen.

Another stop on River Rd is the Foote Pond Overlook and Champagne Hill. I didn't let the kids go any further than that because I didn't want to have them fall down the hill and me have to climb back up!

Foote Dam across the river. 

We ended our road trip in Tawas City, MI at Gateway Park which is on the shores of Lake Huron. They have multiple parks along the lake but the kids had never been to this one. I remember playing here as a child and I loved it but it was not as well maintained at that point and until recently this park had looked pretty rough. The girls loved the large play structures and obviously no one wanted to leave as there are pictures of the kids throwing rocks into the lake with the moon in the pretty pink sky. 

The day was very cold and windy with the sun dipping behind the clouds off and on. These guys were troopers and you couldn't tell that they were actually freezing or that it was muddy and there was construction and improvements going on all around us. Darrin and Heather's little girl was just adorable and was a joy to photograph and capture running around. 

It is always an honor for me to be a photographer and be able to witness such beautiful moments like engagements, weddings, and births and document those memories for clients.

Many vendors worked together to bring this beautiful shoot together: 

Host: Adorn Collective Workshops IG: @adorncollectiveworkshops
Styling: The Prettiest Pieces IG: @the_prettiest_pieces 

Taylor Hackett Johnson IG: @taylor.hackett.johnson_
Venue: The Barn at Reynolda Village IG: @barnatreynoldavillage
Floral Design: Grace and Greenery IG: @graceandgreenery
Lounge + Rentals: The Prettiest Pieces IG: @the_prettiest_pieces
Invitations + Menu Cards: Blush Waters IG: @blushwaters
Ghost Chairs: Party Reflections IG: @partyreflections
Makeup: Dark Hearts Makeup IG: @darkheartsmakeup
Tabletop Rentals: Party Makers Event Rental IG: @partymakerseventrental
Gown: Bellissima IG: @bellissimanc
Tux: ASOS IG: @asos
Shoes: Badgley Mischka bride IG: @badgleymischkabride
Ring Box: The Mrs Box IG: @the_mrs_box
Model Agency: Locke Models IG: @lockemodels
Models: Devin Brewer IG: @devin__brewer  Hamlin Lee IG: @hamlin_lee

Workshop Owner + Creative Director: Taylor Hackett Johnson

Film developing and scanning: Boutique Film Lab  

I am excited to finally be able to share her pretty bridal pictures and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 

Film scanning and developing were by Boutique Film Lab. 

As always, I had my wonderful 35mm film camera ready to document whatever stood out to me. 

In addition to spending time on the island we also checked out the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City. Side note, yes, I spelled Mackinaw City different than Mackinac Island and that can be confusing! Mackinac is pronounced just like Mackinaw is spelled. Mackinac Island was named Michilimackinac by the French who first came to that area to establish a mission for the Huron Indians. It was later shortened and Mackinaw City just chose to use the phonetic spelling. You can read more about Mackinaw City here. 

We chose to stay at a hotel on Lake Huron in Mackinaw City and just take the ferry in on both days we spent on Mackinac Island. I really wanted to stay on the island but there were only two rooms available on the whole island at the time I booked and neither worked well for us. For both of our ferry rides over we chose the time where we would take a tiny detour and go under the Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. On the ferry you have the choice to sit inside or to sit on top with a great view of everything. 

Once arriving at the ferry docks there is a bustle of visitors exiting the boat, some gathering bikes they brought over, others are islanders bringing groceries back from the mainland. Ferry workers are unloading luggage headed to hotels or other small freight items that were brought aboard. The people spill out onto the main street, newcomers trying to find their bearings on where to go and what to do next. Our first morning we came over on the first ferry so just enjoyed the empty streets reminiscent of early morning Magic Hours at Disney World. We found a cute cafe that was open and had a delicious small breakfast. 

Mackinac Island's downtown area is all on the main street with residential areas flowing from there. The stores are mostly quaint tourist shops, some with unique items and some with more traditional kitschy tourist items. My favorite store was the adorable Poppins and they also had the friendliest staff!

Since no cars are allowed on the island you will see a lot of bikes and horse drawn carriages. Bikes are the main mode of transportation for most people and tourists on the island. You can take a carriage ride and there are of course horse drawn tours offered. You can bring your own bike on the ferry but it does cost extra so it may be convenient to rent a bike at one of the many bike rental shops. They have different offerings including tandem bikes which can be fun. 

There is an abundance of delicious restaurants and cafes and of course fudge! The best fudge is on Mackinac Island and the smells entice you into the shops to watch them make it and taste test different flavors. 

In addition to a few small hotels much of the lodging on the island is in the form of bed and breakfasts in some of the island's historic homes. Tourists started coming to the island in the late 1800s and the wealthy built cottages and large summer homes. 

There are a few historic churches on Mackinac Island including Sainte Anne Church pictured below. The parish dates back to the 1600s but the current structure was completed about 1880. 

The McGulpin House (pictured below) which according to the Mackinac State Parks website may be one of the oldest private residences in Michigan, dating back to the late 1700s and possibly was moved from the mainland to the island in the early 1800s. 

The view from the entrance of Fort Mackinac overlooking a southwest portion of the island with a faint Mackinac Bridge in the background and Mackinaw City on the mainland. 

Fort Mackinac dates back to the American Revolution when it started as a British Fort. The Fort now acts like a museum telling history of the fort and also Mackinac Island in general. Multiple live shows with historical reenactors are featured daily. I highly recommend purchasing tickets to enter the fort when visiting the island. 

Opened in 1887, the crown jewel of Mackinac Island is the Grand Hotel sitting on a hilltop facing Mackinaw City and overlooking the downtown area. As a luxury resort there is a dress code for adults and children and there is a $10 charge for non-guests to enter the hotel and explore the grounds. 

Many tourists take advantage of the 8 mile road around the perimeter of the island and take a couple of hours to bike around. When we were there the shoreline had encroached on the road and some places had damage. Since that time further damage has been done and parts of the road are currently being worked on and bikers are re-routed inland. 

I highly recommend anyone visiting the island that can to take this bike trip around. The views are amazing and the peaceful serenity of the blue clear Lake Huron water and the gentle waves and breeze are something magical and not to be forgotten. 

As you bike around there are a few places to stop and read the history or sightsee. Once of these places is Arch Rock pictured below. Another must stop on the bike ride around the island is the Cannonball for a quick bite. 

Since the island is surrounded by Lake Huron, beautiful water views are available from many places on the island. 

Round Island Light and the Mackinac bridge in the Straits of Mackinac as seen from the ferry headed back at sunset to the mainland. 

For more information about visiting Mackinac Island you can check out their website and for more in depth history of the island you can view that here. I hope you enjoyed my pictorial representation of my visit and the little bits of history and info. Michigan is such a great place to visit, be sure to not leave it out of your future travel plans! 

My favorite parts of their wedding was Marshall surprise singing to Sage during their ceremony and their amazing red getaway car! 

All of the vendors that participated were awesome and worked together to create a magical day for the couple and their family to remember forever. 

DJ: A&A Disc Jockey

Catering: Above and Beyond Catering

Cake: Cakes by Elizabeth

MUA for bride: Katie Thompson

Hair for bride: Lily Mendenhall

Wedding Dress: Casablanca Bridal from Elizabella's Bridal and Boutique

Bridesmaid's dresses: David's Bridal

Groom & Groomsmen's attire: Men's Warehouse

Day of Coordinator: Kathy Adkins

Wedding & Engagement rings: Diamond's Direct

Officiant: Matt Smith from Vintage Church

Flowers: Rhonda Hicks Floral Design

Invitations: Zazzle

Video: Tobacco Road Film Company

Second Shooter: Brittany Butterworth Photography 

Film developing & scanning: Boutique Film Lab 

It was great to see Michael and Lauren's family come together from different parts of the country to all celebrate and enjoy such a special time!

Michael & Lauren's other awesome vendors:

Florals: Dahlia's Floral Design 

Hair & Makeup: Face Forward 

DJ: Chad Sain 

Catering: Holly Tate Fine Catering

Cake: Tart's Sweets

Wedding Dress: Amy Kuschel from Lana Addison

Bridesmaids Dresses: Birdy Grey

Groom's suit: Custom from Alton Lane

Groomsmen's attire: The Black Tux

Wedding Planner: Brandy at High Cotton Events by Design 

Ring Box: The Mrs Box

Rentals: Cottage Luxe

Rings: Bailey's Fine Jewelry

Invitation Suite: Blush and Blue Designs 

Transportation: Royal Limousine of Greensboro

Film Scans: Boutique Film Lab 

Second Shooter: Rachel McConoughey Photography 

When I visit it's nice to relax at my parents' house but I also like to plan one trip somewhere new or that we haven't been to in awhile. This past August we visited some lighthouses along the Lake Huron coast. Michigan's outdoor beauty in the summer is amazing and I am happy to share my small trip with you!

These first lake pictures were taken at my parents' lake at their home in Northern Michigan. It's great for fishing, not so great for swimming. My siblings did take my kids out to the middle of the lake to swim and since my kids aren't scaredy-cats like me they absolutely loved it. In Michigan you are never more than a few minutes away from a lake or river and you are never more than 85 miles from a Great Lake! Not all lakes and rivers are created equally in Michigan, some are clear, some are muddy, some are sandy, but the best part is that typically there are no snakes like in North Carolina! 

Michigan once had over 250 lighthouses on its Great Lake shores but now there are around a 100 that are still in decent condition. Some are privately owned and some are public museums. This first lighthouse is the Old Presque Isle lighthouse (pronounced PRESK Isle although the county is pronounced PRESK EEL even though it is spelled the same). Presque Isle comes from the French word for Peninsula. Because of the historic French and Indian influences on the area many of our place names have French or Indian roots.

It has limited visitor's hours and has a little gift shop and museum area that tells about the previous lighthouse keepers and what their life was like. Like most of the lighthouse museums if you are allowed to climb the tower there is a small fee that goes towards the upkeep of the museum. 

This light and the one just up the dirt road are both located on the small Preque Isle peninsula just north of Alpena that juts out into Lake Huron in Northeast Michigan. Built in 1840 the Old Presque Isle light is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses on the Great Lakes. To read more facts and find the location and visitor's info about this light click here and here.  

Just a mile up the road is the New Presque Isle lighthouse. Just like its name it is a newer light meant to replace the Old Presque Isle location. Obviously the naming board weren't being too creative! The new light was built in 1870 and is much taller than the older light. It is also much taller with over 130 steps to the stop which makes it the tallest lighthouse available for the public on the Great Lakes. You can click here and here to read more about the New Presque Isle light. 

When I was visiting we made a trip with my parents but missed the times for all the lights to be open so when my brother and sister in law arrived we made a second trip to be sure to be able to go inside all of them. Our first visit to Presque Isle gave us extremely rough water and heavy winds. Typically you don't see large whitecaps on the Great Lakes without a storm but that day we did. Because of the waves parts of a shipwreck were noticeable along the shore. On our subsequent visit everything was much calmer. 

Just like the variety of lakes and rivers the Great Lakes coastline can vary immensely as well. At this location instead of a sandy beach it was smooth white rocks worn down by the waves. Just like at Old Presque Isle this location also had a gift shop and a small museum. 

Following US 23 north up the Lake Huron coast brings you to Rogers City which is home to the world's largest limestone quarry. Because the limestone cleans the water the surrounding area has amazing crystal blue green water. The Forty Mile Point Lighthouse is about 10 miles north of Rogers City and the drive along the coast is just perfect as most of it gives you a great view of the water. 

The Forty Mile Point light gets its name from the fact that it is 40 miles (sailing) from Mackinaw Point. The light is still in use today and the building that houses the tower is split in half with the current caretaker occupying half of the building. The housing area was built for two keeper's families in mind and had 2 mirrored living spaces. Currently the half that is open to the public is set up as a museum with historical pieces similar to what it would have looked like in 1897 when it was first operational. 

In 1905 the steamer Joseph S Fay wrecked not far off the beach and part of the side can be seen on the shore. You can click here to read more about the Fay. 

The 40 Mile Point light area has a gift shop and other outbuildings that you can visit. It also has some walking trails to a beach area where the shipwreck can be viewed. To learn more about the 40 Mile Point Light you can click here and here. 

Along the coast on US 23 in between the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse and Rogers City is a cute little roadside beach with parking and outhouses. I had to stop because the water there was just beautiful!

Changing gears completely on our last day in Michigan we decided to visit Dow Gardens in Midland and their newly opened tree canopy walk in Whiting Forest. This is such a unique area with the longest tree walk in the U.S. It definitely felt like you were walking in a very large tree house. In addition to the walkway they had fun areas for kids like rope climbing and this unique wood flower. Not far from the canopy walk is a playground with a focus on water play which my kids loved.

We didn't have a lot of time left but we did manage to make it to the Children's Garden portion of Dow Gardens which was really enjoyable and of course beautiful. It was very interactive with vegetables you could pick and take home and also other activities like watering and fountains. 

I hope you enjoyed this little taste of what Michigan has to offer. If anyone is looking for a photographer for a Michigan wedding or especially a lighthouse wedding I am always willing to travel!

We explored some of our favorite spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone and Blowing Rock and then decided to just stay at the Moses Cone Park for our pictures.

We decided to do a little hike beforehand since I wanted to wait for sunset so we set off on a "quick" 3 mile round walk to the apple barn. We had about 3 hours to spare so I figured that would be plenty. Unfortunately I was wrong and hadn't taken into consideration that the entire way back would be uphill and that our 2 year old would need to be carried for most of it. After what seemed like a never ending walk downhill on thankfully a wide and easy trail we arrived at the apple barn. We explored a little and then headed back so we wouldn't miss our picture window. A lot of whining and complaining went down and the toddler was passed back and forth but we made it back without dying. 

A quick change in the van led to a lot of weird looks and stares from others as I'm trying to discreetly pull up thick tights on two little girls. Their crazy cute hair was the result of "what can I do in about 2 minutes". 

Overall I am so thankful for the memories from that day but mostly for these pictures since I absolutely love them and our living room is now covered in prints of their sweet little faces!

Techincal info: A few of these were taken on a Pentax 645n to finish up a roll and the majority were taken on a 35mm Canon 1n and 50mm lens. Developing and scanning were by the Boutique Film Lab. 

Although we had had beautiful warm spring weather in Winston Salem, the Parkway had some closures due to ice. I had been checking the updates and the maps and thought we were good to go for our location that we wanted but as we got closer we found that the road was closed and just decided to get out and shoot where we could. You can't really go wrong with anywhere on the Blue Ridge Parkway parkway for pictures and I ended up loving how these turned out!

I rode with Carli and Sam up there and had a great time chatting with them about cars and music and we even got to sit down and eat together. I love when my job lets me go beyond just shooting and lets me get to know the people I am working with! I am so thankful I was chosen to document this special time for them and also thankful they were so fun loving and up for an adventure in the mountains.

Some of my favorite moments from that day were Mary Beth reading her letter from Travis and Travis reading his letter from Mary Beth. These two love each other so adoringly, it is beautiful. Mary Beth also gave her Dad a note and a special handkerchief after his first look with his daughter. These moments were so filled with emotion it was hard just to pick a few to share here. The couple ended their night with dancing and it was great seeing everyone have such a great time!

Vendors:

Video - Sugar Shack Films

DJ - Winston Salem Wedding DJ

Catering - Culinary Visions Catering

Cake & Cupcakes - Heart-Made Cupcakes & Treats

Second Shooter - Sarah Warden Photography 

Hair and makeup were by Chrissie Owenby and Jessica Champney and coordinating and flowers were by Katrina Sapp. 

Of course we had to make a stop at the original Mast General Store and the Annex to get candy and ice cream. Then we had a fun time in the Watauga River at the park in Valle Crucis, one of my favorite places to go with the kids. Someday I would love to take some gorgeous senior or engagement pictures there!

We ended our day with a delicious seafood meal in town and I had two little girls who slept very well that night. 

These were taken right before and during sunset on film with a Pentax 645n and a Canon 1n. Film was mostly Fuji 400h developed and scanned by Boutique Film Lab. 

When Colt and Amber moved to Virginia from North Carolina and bought a historic farmhouse I was so intrigued. I love old houses and coming from a rural farming background I am always excited for any type of farm animals. I continued to watch their story until one day I got an idea in my head to just document their life and their mini farm all on film. 

Why film? Well thats an entirely other blog post I need to write. I will keep it short here and just say a few things about why I chose film only. Over the past year of integrating film with my digital shooting I have become a better photographer. It has made me slow down and appreciate each moment for what they were. To anticipate the right time, click precisely. It has taught me patience as I don't get immediate satisfaction looking at the back of the camera or downloading images to my computer right after a session. Film also just has a special magical feeling that can't be duplicated very well with digital and I wanted to capture these special moments in a unique way. 

I enjoyed my time with Colt and Amber, getting a tour of their house and farm, meeting their animals, hearing about their future plans and dreams. I hope you enjoy this small taste into their world set in the middle of the green rolling Virginia foothills.