Category: Couples

Proof of Tracy+Colin’s Awesomeness

Sometimes photographers book that perfect client: the one who repeatedly tells you, “Oh it’s cool. Do whatever you want. We trust you completely.” They don’t panic and ask you a few times whether or not it’s going to work or whether or not they look silly, they just come and have fun. And believe it or not, that gives us photographers a ton more confidence to be awesome (sometimes I think clients forget that we’re nervous too). And then you get engagement sessions like this.

Tracy and Colin are the best and we’ve only known them a few months. But their wedding is at CAM next year and Randy Bennett is the DJ and Tracy likes all the embarrassing emo/punk bands that I do (names omitted to protect the innocent) and Colin’s super friendly and nice to everyone so I’m pretty sure it’s going to rule. Plus they’re pretty good looking, don’t you think?

Kimberly+Dan’s Raleigh Engagement Session

So in writing I have an easier time calling them Kimberly and Dan, but it person it didn’t work out so well as I kept almost calling Dan either Daniel or Dinberly and calling Kimberly Kim… so we had to shorten it so I could stop making a total jerk out of myself. Thankfully, these two are totally cool and laughed obligingly at my cheesy jokes all night and braved the rain with no umbrella and were down.right.awesome.

Kimberly and Dan were introduced by Kimberly’s sister at the Flying Saucer in Raleigh in 2011. They hit it off and went on their first date to Goodnights Comedy Club (where we were able to take a few pictures!) and the rest is history. Both at in the United States Air Force… Dan in the reserves and Kim in active duty as an air traffic controller. Dan does IT guy stuff. They’re getting married on October 6th (my birthday!) in Las Vegas but, unfortunately in my opinion, not by Elvis. They have impeccably good taste in TV (Lost and Game of Thrones… Joffrey’s such a punk) and music (although we’re forgiving Kimberly’s affinity for country). They were super goofy and cute and did whatever the heck I asked them to without hesitating and I loved them immediately. I hope I get to see these two again in the future but for now I am wishing them the best.luck.ever for their wedding in Las Vegas in October! Cheers to you guys!

Jen+Matt’s Couple Session in Pittsburgh Because They Like Each Other

This was a really fun session for me to shoot. Very close to my hometown and on the riverfront, two adorable dogs, two adorable people, an awesome sunset, and a boat. Not sure it can get much better than that. :)

Jen and Matt are my first ever… rowers. Well, kinda. Matt’s a rower and Jen is a coxswain (It’s the official title of the person who steers the boat and yells the commands and stroke rate to the rowers). They both are members of the Steel City Rowing Club in Verona where they met (all the teams practice at the same dock). Then they went to the same rowing camp in South Carolina where they became really close and have been dating ever since Matt threw Jen in the river (about 2 years – Jen gave him this portrait session as a gift for their anniversary). Matt’s a junior at Oklahoma City University (they have a really good rowing team), and Jen is starting her first year at the University of Pittsburgh as an art history major in the fall. They have two dogs, Matt’s dog Shadow (black) and Jen’s dog Emma (white), who accompanied us for some of the pictures. :)

What’s kind of hilarious for me to see is the way people interact with each other on shoots. 99.9% percent of the time, people tell me that they’re going to be awkward. Or they’re afraid they’ll be awkward. Or they’re worried their significant other will be awkward. Then after that it breaks into two categories: those who are actually awkward, and those who aren’t awkward at all. Jen and Matt, slightly concerned about being unnatural, were some of the most natural people I had ever photographed. It was one of those things where they’d start talking and goofing around and I’d literally have to be like, “Hey. Hey. Hey. Uh, guys? Hey. Ummm?” if I wanted them to move somewhere else or do something. It was awesome. Seriously – ignoring that I’m standing there with a giant camera in your face can’t be easy, but some people manage to do it, and I’m really impressed that these guys did… given that it was their first photoshoot and there were dogs and a shaky dock that was practically in the water and they got completely wet. I like these two and their ridiculously adorable pups a lot. :)