I’m so happy to have Dr. Judy Brangman back for a second year of branding photos for her business, The Plant Based MD. I worked with her first back in 2018 and am so glad she’s kept in touch ever since! Judy is absolutely delightful – a thoughtful woman who’s passionate about health and wellness via an entirely plant-based diet. She might know more about fruits and vegetables than anyone I know, and she certainly knows how to prepare them in all sorts of different ways. Judy’s been looking to shoot inside her kitchen for a while and we finally got our schedules together to make it happen. She showed up with 2 entirely full bags of fruits and vegetables and we got to work! It’s fun to listen to her talk about different recipes she makes (she has an easy tofu marinating recipe) and how different veggies impact your health directly. To learn more, please visit her site and follow her on social media! Judy is always posting new tips and info.

This family is near and dear to my heart because they are 100% ridiculous and remind me of my own family. They have never taken themselves seriously any time I’ve worked with them, and they keep me laughing the entire time without fail. I feel very at home with them… fake guns and all. Julie and Robert are the parents of Hannah and Ben. Ben is married to Jennifer, and together they have a son named Dalton. There are also three dogs involved… one of which hates when you hold anything in your hand, but thankfully was distracted from my camera by Julie’s assortment of sunflowers, which he promptly and aggressively destroyed. We took these in Julie and Robert’s beautiful backyard where they built large block buildings (that were immediately torn apart by Dalton and his “The Orange One” Ninja Turtle), played hide and go seek, and played a board game that involves robbing people and included fake guns (FAKE GUNS! No one gave a real gun to a child here, people, relax, they’re made of wood). Dalton did not want to be involved in the pictures whatsoever so we had to trick him by making him choose superhero poses for the rest of his family members and instruct them in the front. It worked but only for like 8 seconds. I love these guys.

dog jumping

We’re so glad that we got in one last Indian wedding before our retirement! This one had a Sangeet event, which we hadn’t photographed before and was just delightful. For those who don’t know, a Sangeet event is essentially a dance party that takes place during an Indian wedding. It’s kind of like a reception, but a little bit more organized in terms of the dancing. There are specific dances that are traditional, and others that are choreographed Bollywood dances. Krishna and Dan’s family and friends learned dances for the event and preformed them one after another, and it was so fun to get to be a part of! I also adore Indian sarees and clothing because they’re so colorful and gorgeous, so I was extra excited to see everyone’s outfits (which did not disappoint). Krishna and Dan’s Sangeet was held the evening before their wedding at Duke Gardens, where we got to photograph even more fabulous outfits and henna. It was amazing! The only not-amazing part was when I almost passed out during a very hot ceremony in the sun (many thank yous to the vendors passing out coconut water that saved me! – and a reminder for photographers to hydrate frequently!) but taking Krishna and Dan’s photos in the bamboo in Duke Gardens later made up for it. So happy to have been a part of your lovely wedding, guys. Congratulations!

Date: August 31, 2019 and September 1, 2019
Sangeet Event Venue: Sheraton Imperial Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport
Ceremony+Reception Venue: Duke Gardens // Durham, NC
First Dance Song: “Dance with Me” – Mandi Mapes
Krishna’s Occupation: Nurse practitioner
Dan’s Occupation: Physical Therapist
How You Met: Through friends
Interesting Face: A 10lb terrier mutt rules our lives and hearts
Honeymoon: Thailand
Officiant: Madhu Sharma
DJ: DJ Rang
Florist: Blooming Buds
Cannoli Food Truck: Holy Moly Cannoli Food Truck
Caterer: Nazara
Hair+Makeup: Belloviso, Inc
Videographer: JRB Weddings
Coordinator: Emily Katherine Events
Lighting Company: Get Lit
Bartending+Food Service: Nancy Reyes of Andy’s Tents