So much sparkle! :: Gaithersburg Wedding Photographer

This past weekend I had the extreme honor of witnessing a long awaited celebration for a very special bride and groom. They married each other abroad and then had a reception locally for their family and friends. The amazing thing is that despite the fact that there was no ceremony for me to photograph, that didn't mean that the event was any less special or festive. This event had more sparkle, shine, and fancy elements than most any I have had the honor to behold with my camera. I mean, just check out the bride's shoes...

And this image is the only one that I will be sharing of the event. Why? Well, per special request, images will be shared only directly between me and the lovely Mr. & Mrs. and their family and friends. And though this is different for me, I have a great deal of respect for their intent of doing things this way. For as much as I really like to share the amazing images I get to capture with my camera, I have a great deal of respect for those who choose to keep their likenesses off of the web. In a world like now when we are wired by connections that barely give us a moment to breathe, it's always refreshing to me to meet folks who do things differently and spend their lives unplugged a lot more often than I do.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one shot of such fancy and pretty shoes. I've got to get back to editing. I'm working on two weddings right now! No rest for the weary.

[Teaser] Chelsea + Brendan :: Easton Wedding Photographer

As I post this, Chelsea and Brendan are "leaving on a jet plane" to their honeymoon in Hawaii. Their wedding at Wye Island National Park on the Eastern Shore of Maryland was one of the most romantic I have ever had the honor of witnessing and photographing. Here are just a few teasers of what I captured of their amazing day.

Gear review: Built NY Medium Cargo Camera Bag

I'm a member of the school of thought that your camera doesn't matter. Whether you are a good photographer, great photographer, or AMAZING photographer, I FIRMLY believe that your camera doesn't matter. Ken Rockwell does a great job at explaining what I believe here,  But the gist of all of this soapboxing on my part is that a visual artist can be and will be as good as they are no matter what media/equipment/materials they have on hand. That being said? Appropriate materials certainly do make the job of making any kind of visual art a lot easier and more enjoyable no matter what. (I'm aware that now I've sort of contradicted myself. *sigh* Who's counting?)

Anyway, I must tell you about my new shooting bag from Built NY. Here's what it looks like. Thank you Adorama.com... (for the image AND giving me a really good price on the bag)...

As a professional photographer who does work exclusively onsite - weddings, food, portraits, scenics, etc. - and NOT in the studio (mind you I am not a natural-light photographer alone the way many these days are) I need to have the capability to be (essentially) completely mobile.

• I have to have certain lenses on me to have the flexibility of offering different perspectives shot from one spot. (Because that's what it's about - offering my unique perspective, right?)
• I must have my flashes at hand to snap on or off when I feel they are appropriate or not. 
• I need to have a place to stow away my memory cards and/or film and extra batteries.

The go-to shooting bag of the industry (specifically for wedding photography) has been the ever popular Shootsac. It's made of neoprene and was designed by a photographer for photographers for the very purpose of carting around the list of items I mentioned above. It gets rave reviews but it's also pricey to the point that you might have to put off buying that lens that you've been eyeing even longer than you already were. How pricey? Try $200 minimum. (Yeah. Not happenin' here and now or ever for that matter.) I like the things that make the Shootsac special - the neoprene, the fact that it's lightweight, that it can be collapsed and stowed away without issue when it's not in active use, etc. - but I have never been convinced that another bag couldn't be, do, and serve the same purpose as a Shootsac for a much lesser price tag.

Enter the beauty you see above that is the Built NY Medium Cargo Camera Bag. It's the shooting bag I've looked for for months now and finally can call my own! Yay!!!!

Now, this bag is no Shootsac but it's also not supposed to be. It's my understanding that it's supposed to be more of a camera bag than a shooting bag. Still? It does a great job as a shooting bag. It's all of the things I noted I liked of the Shootsac but a small fraction of the price - only $40 or so!! Not bad. Not bad at all. 

The bag is a little larger in profile than the Shootsac but it's collapsible and the neoprene material makes it something that naturally doesn't get so much in the way enough for it to be a bother. It's possible to get the large version of this bag but I am about 5'2"-ish in size (petite by most standards) and the medium suits me very well. I carry this bag messenger style and I can fit my huge full-frame camera body in it (about the size of a large DSLR body WITH a grip) and then three of my favorite lenses and a flash. It's a snug fit but not so much that I can't pull things in and out of the bag with major issues the way I would if I were having to carry the Slingshot bag I've had for years but is (honestly) kind of a pain to deal with when time is of the essence and the ability to "shoot from the hip" is completely necessary.

My verdict: Built NY Medium Cargo camera bag isn't just a good alternative to the pricey Shootsac, it's a GREAT alternative. 

Gearing up for senior portrait season

The more I work with high school-aged folks, the more I love them! This year I will be doing some senior portrait package specials for the first time ever. Stay tuned so you can be the first to hear about them!

Sisters FOREVER :: Annapolis family photographer

Interesting fact: My degree is in Sociology and Anthropology and NOT photography.

Surprised?

Well, I definitely took a much longer route to get to where I am than what might be expected. However... I feel like my intensive studies in the Social Sciences coupled with extensive work experience working in clinical and behavioral psychology has made me a better visual artist - of ANY kind of media and not just photography as you see here - and also art teacher. (Didn't know I was an Art teacher? Yes. I am.) All of my  education and professional experience helps me to be a better observer and visual record keeper. I'm also much better at seeing who people truly are. A long time friend of mine (also a visual artist) once told me that I have the ability and know-how to give people the most appropriate gifts EVER because I inherently can sense what they really want or would most appreciate. *shrug* It all goes back to my inability to really focus in on what's around me more than on myself. And being a photographer? Specifically a portrait and wedding photographer? Well... it works out well since I can capture the most intimate and beloved moments shared between folks that they always wish they had a picture of to remember better.

I had the extreme honor to photograph Rebecca and Leah last weekend in downtown Annapolis. Rebecca is the eldest of the two. She is one year out of high school, finishing up her first year of college (nursing is what she is studying), and she is about three weeks out from leaving her home sweet home to tour the country with an amazing professional singing company called Re-Creation. This is her first big move into adulthood that will take her away from her family - and this includes her little sister, Leah. Leah is in the midst of her high school years and spends her time doing karate, hanging out with her church youth group, and working hard in a talented and gifted program specifically designed for those who have great mathematics and engineering abilities. If you hadn't already concluded that these two girls are AMAZING young people, well, perhaps that's because you were in awe of all of the incredible things that they both do and are.

This portrait session was a surprise gift from Rebecca to Leah intended to them in this stage of their young and spry sisterhood before their future plans set them on separate paths. And I'm not going to lie, before this session I was a little nervous. Despite all of the experience that I do have as a photographer and natural people watcher, could I really capture the essence of their beautiful sisterhood? Well... see for yourself. But, I think I nailed it pretty well.

Thank YOU (BOTH of you), Rebecca and Leah, for letting me experience that is the joy of family and the immense gift that is sisterhood. You two seriously make me look better than I ever could by myself.

[Teaser] Sisters forever :: Annapolis family photographer

I'm all about the sisterly love after this session with these two sweet sisters. More to come from our day in downtown Annapolis! Check back within the week!!