While many students seem to prefer solo graduation shoots to have some 1-1 time with the camera, for these three [former] UNCA volleyball players who had studied, competed and grown up together for the past four years, it only made sense to have their graduation photos taken together as well. This proved to be great fun and we spent an hour giggling with a few minutes of photography thrown in.
Read MoreKudzu Brands is without a doubt one of the best in the biz. I hadn't even met Murphy myself (my husband met her) before I knew she needed to be at the helm of my branding design launch. As we got to know each other, we realized we could create a beautiful symbiotic relationship wherein I would photograph for them for certain projects, especially environmental portraits as that's my specialty.
Read MoreAs my family lives as missionaries in Guatemala, it had been at least three years since I had seen them, so I shouldn't have been surprised when the girls had grown about a foot each. At 5'6" I'm not entirely vertically challenged, but I must say it is a bit disconcerting when your cousin six years your junior towers over you. It also makes it a bit difficult to take flattering photos since I prefer to shoot from a level or high angle. Thank goodness for foot stools!
Read MoreI would be remiss in my duties as a traveloguer if I didn't document the last few days of my trip. Unfortunately, as I returned Stateside a week ago, the details are more than a little fuzzy around the edges so this could be an interesting test of what my brain can come up with.
My family seems to be full of adventurers and one of my favorites parts of the trip was simply listening as they told their tales of past trips in various countries, recounting what traveling was like in the dark ages before cell phones. Part of me would love nothing more than to ditch all of my electronics and fly into a new place with no agenda other than immersing myself in the culture. And the other part of me really enjoys being able to text home lots of pictures of delicious food to make my family jealous.
Read MoreI have a confession: food photography may be my favorite genre of the art. I mean, capturing important moments in people's lives is great and all, but why do that when you can take photos of food for one of your favorite Asheville restaurants and then get to eat all of the food?! This was probably one of my most enjoyable shoots in the past few months because all I had to do was sit back and wait for the chefs and bartender of Post 70 to work their magic and then capture their creations. It also helped that my at-the-time-fiance-now-husband tagged along to entertain me, hold my reflector, and of course (first and foremost) to eat the delicious food.
Read MoreNot much to report yesterday and I was very tired, so I decided to combine the two posts. We used all manner of transportation yesterday, first disembarking from the ferry, then taking a train through some beautiful countryside to Elgin, then hoping in the car to finally reach Craigellachie. Of the three, the train is certainly my favorite mode of transport as it is quick and efficient without us having to do any navigating or driving. I sure wish the States had a fully-developed national train system like many European countries because it would be so much easier to get from state to state.
Read MoreWe spent all of 8 hours on the Shetland Islands, but even in that time we managed to see up close 15 pigs, 6 bunnies, 0 whales, 34 ponies, 6 puffins, 1 otter [crossing sign], 30++ lambs and 1 seal, according to Lucy’s spreadsheet.
When I heard we were taking a guided tour of the island, I immediately envisioned a tour bus packed with rubber-necking tourists (and Stella apparently envisioned a cranky old lady), but instead we got our own personalized tour with Sarah, an older Yorkshire woman who had lived on Unsk for 23 years, guided for 17, and knew a wealth of information about Scotland and the Shetlands – both past and present.
Read MoreI’m currently out to sea as I write this, and I mean that literally. Today was one of many travel days on this trip, beginning with a mini bus taxi and ending on a ferry with a rented van in between.
We left civilized Edinburgh this morning to explore what I’m hoping is more wild country like in romanticized tales of Scotland. A taxi driver picked us up in what can only be called a bus (a small one) to take us to the airport so that we didn’t have to attempt to drive on the wrong side of the road through city traffic. The cabby was great, particularly insightful in the local opinion of Brexit wherein the Scots’ opinion on their own freedom is concerned. It is quite interesting to hear how people from other countries stereotype those from other countries than them, and our driver exclaimed that he’d be happy to be free of the British because they’re mean; when he was last in London the people on the street cast their eyes down and frowned – a far cry from the friendly Scots.
Read MoreToday started off slowly with a leisurely nutella-on-toast-and-tea breakfast in the beautifully sunny dining room. I think perhaps my very favorite part of vacation is getting to sit down for a long breakfast and slowly sip my tea, easing into the day rather than immediately jumping into work or a workout like I do at home. Tongue in cheek, I packed the outfit I bought in Paris when we arrived without luggage, thinking it would be kind of funny to have to wear it again for the same reason. Turns out, it's just as "funny" as I thought it would be.
Read MoreOrdinarily, I would begin my blog post with “We’ve arrived in Iceland!” However, we only managed to stay in Iceland for 12 hours before departing for Edinburgh as our primary Icelandic stay will be at the end of the trip. Nonetheless, at the time of this posting, we will have arrived somewhere that is definitely not North Carolina.
Read MoreAside from the visceral experience of adventuring, my favorite part of travel photography is getting to enjoy those experiences and moments in time long after the trip is over. My apartment is covered with my favorite photos from each of my trips, not only serving as aesthetically pleasing decor, but allowing me to relive the stories that the images tell, be them of my own experiences or the subject(s) in the photos.
Read MoreAlex and Zack celebrated the beginning of their next chapter together surrounded by family and friends. This sweet couple exchanged vows on the exact day Alex's parents did, adding even more sentiment to the special day. Thank you to all who helped to their day so full of love, laughter and fun! I can't wait to get to work on all of these fabulous photos!
Read MoreI probably look as giddy as Alex and Zack do in the picture above because tomorrow is my first wedding of the season! Even better than that, its this sweet couple's big day. Alex and Zack booked me as their wedding photographer almost a year ago (way to plan ahead!), 6 months later I did their engagement shoot and now another 6 months later I finally get to shoot their wedding in Franklin, NC. And if tomorrow goes anything like our engagement shoot, it will be full of laughter and love.
Read MoreThere are some people you will drive two and a half hours to photograph and Megan is one of them! We had been talking about taking her senior photos since last year and I'm so excited that it came to be. The overcast morning proved a beautiful backdrop for our summit setting adding the perfect color contrast to her vibrant dress.
Read MoreI first met these two lovebirds 2 years previously while photographing Matt's sister Kari's wedding. It was an absolute pleasure to shoot another wedding for the family, especially since I already knew so many people there! But even if I hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered; Cara and Matt and friends and family warmly welcomed me, keeping me in side stitches laughing at their antics when I wasn't tearing up from the tender sweetness of the couple's love for each other.
Read MoreWhen most people hear vacation, they think "break from work," but for me, I always think "photography adventure." The annual Etheridge Family Beach Trip is one of my favorite times to explore new ways of documenting daily life since my family is now probably numb to me sticking a camera in their face.
Read MoreTo me, the best part about being a photographer is getting to know my subjects through the lens; learning their quirks, seeing how they interact with others and with me, and capturing a side of them they wouldn't normally show to the camera. When Autumn called me last month inquiring about my engagement sessions, I was thrilled because she heard about my photography through her brother whose wedding I'm photographing next month. This means that not only do I get to photograph both siblings getting to know the family that much better, but I get to photograph Autumn and Kenneth in multiple settings (their e-session and her brother's wedding) capturing even more important memories for them.
Read MoreIf you follow UNC Asheville athletics, you probably recognize this beautiful face from the court in Kimmel Arena, especially from Women's Basketball's double overtime win against Liberty University to win the Big South title. Now, for this shoot Paige traded her jersey for a dress and probably spent a little more time on her hair and makeup than she would pregame, but she was no less fierce in front of the camera than she would be guarding an opponent.
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