April 1, 2016

Engagement in Durham.

YOU GUYS, JACKSON IS A PALEONTOLOGIST!!!

Phew, okay, got that off my chest.

We were so. freaking. excited. to meet our first paleontologist client and I had a mental list of all sorts of dinosaur-related questions I was going to ask him. Then they lured us into the session only to tell us that he’s not a dinosaur kind of paleontologist. We almost walked away right there, but they quickly (and smartly) followed up with the fact that Jackson gets to go to other countries to do that thing where you chip at bones and dust them off like the opening scene of Jurassic Park. And though they’re not dinosaur bones he’s digging for, he’s still digging and dusting and chipping! Lookin’ for stuff! Old things! Mostly other species of things that came after dinosaurs but that’s not important. What’s important is that he’s out there doing the job that every person has secretly wanted since the age of 5. He found a skull of something once that they hadn’t found a skull for yet! And I have full confidence that someday he’ll be looking for something un-dinosaur related and stumble across a dinosaur anyway and then I can say I know that guy.

Sara is not a paleontologist, but she is engaged to one. She is currently in charge of making soon-to-be alumni happy at Duke! I’ll tell you what would make them happy, Sara, and that’s taking them on a trip with Jackson to go chip and dust.

: Couple standing in shadow

: Couple standing by door

: Couple talking on street

: Couple laughing by buildings in downtown Durham

: Silhouette of Bull in Durham

: Couple near American Tobacco Campus

: Silhouette of Durham North Carolina

: Couple in front of green door

: Engagement session in downtown Durham

: Engagement photos near American Tobacco Campus

: Couple laughing during engagement session in Durham

: Couple holding hands while walking during engagement session

: Engagement session in front of mural in downtown Durham

: Black and white photo of downtown Durham with couple

: Couple standing under tree

: Couple standing in front of mural in downtown Durham

: People laughing during engagement session

: Couple laughing in front of wall

: Couple standing near brick wall

: Couple walking around downtown Durham

: Silhouette of couple in American Tobacco

: American Tobacco Campus engagement pictures

: Couple laughing during engagement session

: Couple with mural in downtown Durham

: Engagement session in ATC

: Couple walking and laughing

: Couple laughing during engagement session

: Silhouette picture of couple in American Tobacco

: Durham NC engagement pictures

: Couple overlooking American Tobacco

: American Tobacco Campus engagement pictures

: Low light engagement pictures

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November 21, 2012

Kirsten+Michael Are Engaged in Durham

Kirsten and Michael are the winners of the worst weather to photograph anything in for the year of 2012 so far! Congratulations, guys? ;) Outrageously overcast, freezing, and raining, but these two did an amazing job of keeping each other warm and me entertained and being troopers through it all.

Both from different countries (Michael from the US with Kirsten from South Africa), they met at a wine tasting at the West End Wine Bar in Durham and bonded over their love of wine (they really, really like wine… but are very, very picky about it because they know a whole, whole lot about what’s good and what’s not). They wanted fall leafy pictures and to incorporate wine. So we ended up at the Wine Bar, but before that, they opened what Kirsten referred to as “the PBR of all wines” for a celebratory wine explosion in some alley somewhere (don’t worry – they didn’t do too much public drinking and they recycled the bottles). It was great.

They also drove me around in Michael’s car which is permanently tuned to the Pearl Jam channel of satellite radio as he is one of two grooms next year who have an undying love for Eddie Vedder that rivals my own (Are you reading this, Nick Pastore? Michael and Kirsten were at the same Pearl Jam concert in Atlanta as you a few weeks ago. Creepy client coincidences!). I had such a great time with these guys… they’re super nice and funny and both totally brightened up this otherwise dreary day with their awesomeness! Yep, I said it.

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May 17, 2011

Raleigh Engagement Photographer: Elise+Jeff

I don’t think I’ve laughed this much at a session in a long time! Elise and Jeff were GREAT and we had an awesome time photographing this engagement session at Duke Homestead and Brightleaf Square in Durham. They came equipped with their own props (Elise was off for several days and had nothing to do but look through wedding blogs which provided some inspiration) and champagne (Jeff said that he would probably need it to make it through the session… which, although it probably helped, might not have been needed because we had FUN, didn’t we, Jeff?!) :D ;)

Elise is from Tennessee and Jeff is from Pittsburgh (another CSP Pittsburgher! I need to start a club). They met in their undergrad at Duke. Jeff is now a trial lawyer in New Jersey near Atlantic City, and Elise is in UNC’s graduate program to become a dentist. This is all evidenced by their choice of reading material for the session: Civil Procedure, Corporations Law and Policy, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and, my personal favorite, The Art and Science of Operative Dentistry (it’s cover shows a series of teeth with drills). They also brought cupcakes from Sugarland, and proceeded to have a good time. What better way to have your engagement pictures taken than with some alcohol, cupcakes, and light reading material on lawsuits and oral abnormalities?

Elise and Jeff are so incredibly cute together. They just laughed their way through this entire thing. Elise told me during our consult that they’d need a lot of instruction, but they hardly needed any at all. Jeff just made jokes the whole time, Elise laughed at them, and I just photographed the whole thing. It was very easy. :)

And how attractive are these two? Best looking dentist and lawyer combo ever! They did inform me that they will have the worst dinner parties ever, though, because no one will want to come to a dinner part of a dentist and a lawyer, but I guess that’s the price you pay for having really good teeth and being… well… a lawyer. ;) :D

I think this was the point in the evening when Jeff informed me that he is “not an ambi-turner.”At this point, of course, I made it my mission to get Jeff to be an ambi-turner and, consequently, become bi-winning. You’re welcome, Jeff.

I think I would’ve shot this session for free in exchange for Elise’s wardrobe. Seriously. I’ll work for cute clothes, girls.

And our last stop of the evening at Torero’s in Durham! This was the spot of their first date. And seriously, who can resist a picture with this dude and his awesome eagle? Not me.

Thanks, Elise and Jeff, for your good humor, laughs, and keeping Geoff and I thoroughly entertained! I hope you love them!

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