I love the couples I was able to photograph in 2009... thank YOU for allowing me to do what I love!  Thank you for trusting me to capture the most intimate and special moments in your lives.  All of you are the ones who make me want to challenge and push myself further out of my comfort zone with every shoot.  It is truly impossible for me to express in words how lucky I feel to have the clients that I do, you're all amazing people.

I shot my first real wedding, totally on my own, in July 2007.  I was nervous out of my mind, felt sick to my stomach on the drive to the venue. 

It wasn't that I felt nervous of not being able to make solid images, but anyone who has shot a wedding knows that feeling of being terrified of the unknown...  especially the first few you do.  It was also the first wedding of my second shooter/assistant/sidekick Abby, a film school homie who I somehow coerced to give up most of her Saturdays to shoot weddings with me. 

Over the past 3 wedding seasons, Abby has shot the majority of the weddings with me.  I can't imagine the perspective she's had watching my style of interaction, posing, and confidence evolve over the past few years.  Her solid technical abilities have saved my butt a number of times, and she has definitely had her own equal photo evolution.

Ms. Abby is in her final semester of college, taking a slightly longer path than I did ;)  In a few weeks she's saying sayounara to Toledo.

I know you'll rock at whatever path you take in Georgia + beyond!  It won't be the same in '10 without you shooting with me, making fun of me, and being stoked about the veg lasagna.

Here are a few photos from a mini photo shoot on our way to a wedding reception.... I'm sure Abby would have preferred to have an actual photo shoot in street clothes... perhaps a Georgia cotton-scooter sesh in the future???

Carli and Joe are THE husband + wife wedding photographer team in Toledo... official husband + wife team ;)  You may have heard of them... Shutterlove, if you listen to KISS f.m. in the morning, you know who I speak of.

They are a blast to hang out with, have a ton in common with me + my hubster.  I was honored and pumped when Carli asked me if I could take some new photos of the two of them.  I knew they'd bring it.  Photographing photographers is a different game... on one hand, they know how to 'pose', can visualize how they look in frame, on the other.... there's mass pressure (self inflicted) to bring my A-game.... I mean, can you imagine if I biffed up this shoot?

Photos... starting..... now!

Toni is my homie from way back in the day when we worked at the one hour photo lab in my college years.  We always seemed to find a way to keep ourselves entertained at the place, having the same weird sense of humor.  I was pumped to hear she was pregnant last year...  Toni & her hubby Darrell are a total riot and I knew they'd make super fun, rad parents.  Their little Roza is gorgeous and will have the coolest parents, hands down.  We also had Toni's family meet up with us to do a few big group pictures of everyone.

Congrats on mommy + daddy-hood!!!

A few people have asked me, 'Who took the photos of you at the top of your website?' well I needn't look far to find someone to take photos of me... my amazing husband, Phil, can certainly hold his own with a good ole 5D Mark 2.  Now I know that I use the word amazing a lot... and I am always sincere when I do use it BUT Phil is, well, oozing amazement.  He is extremely supportive, in every sense of the word.  I am like the crazy hot sauce on a burrito that you're not too sure you can handle UNLESS you have some sour cream... and Phil is the sour cream... haha, that analogy was completely off the top of my head, could you tell?  He calms me down when I feel like I won't be able to get anything done... tells me to write all the stuff swimming in my head when I can't sleep at night and when I come home from a wedding he has a glass of my favourite wine waiting... I really couldn't be any luckier.

So we are that unofficial husband + wife team.  Phil behind the scenes making sure my batteries are charged Saturday morning, making me a huge water jug, and making me double check that I have everything.  He looks at all of my blog posts, whether he is all that interested or not, and will tell me if a shot isn't that worthy of being on the blog.  

You have met my adorable puppies, here is my hot hubby...