Glen Echo Park : FAVORITE PHOTO FRIDAY : 4

Missed the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Favorite Photo Friday?  Make sure to check them out!

This week's Favorite Photo Friday picture is a photo I took while visiting Glen Echo Park with my in-laws.  It was winter when we went and everything was all closed up.  I got this pictures printed on metallic photo paper from one of my labs and am going to frame it and hang it by our movie collection!  

Most of my Favorite Photo Friday pictures are available to purchase as a print or canvas.  Let me know if you are interested!

PERSONAL: The start of this blog

I have been meaning to write this post since I started the blog, but sadly am just now getting around to it. 

Blogging is something I had wanted to do for a long time.  Like a seriously long time, but it wasn't until recently that I was pushed encouraged to create one, and I have this guy to thank for it.

My husband and I had just started going to a new church and they were having a ladies event.  For those that don't know me, I don't really tend to go to events, ever, so it is an absolute miracle I signed up and went.  While I was there I met a girl named Jess.  We started talking and found out we belonged (but never went) to the same gym! We agreed to start going together, started talking about our husbands and found out her husband is a photographer too!

Soon after we met them, they found out they were moving to Hawaii.  The few short months we were in the same state we hung out and talked and became fast friends.  Seriously, Jim and Jess are the type of people that you feel like you have known your entire life.  Before they left for Hawaii Jim gave Derek guitar lessons and Jess left me with half of her shoe collection!! We miss them so much, but they are fantastic about checking in via email, facebook and twitter.

So, as I'm sure you are gathering by now, Jim and Jess are really awesome people.  One thing they are really awesome at is encouraging people.  Like seriously awesome at it.  Jim found out I wanted to start a photography blog and he encouraged me step by step to do it.  Even wrote "how to" posts on his own blog to help me out, answered countless emails and gave me so much advice.  As if the blog help wasn't enough, he gave me the push I needed to create my website.

Jim and Jess are currently in Hawaii serving at YWAM.  I am so sad they are not in Maryland anymore, but so excited to see what God is doing for them and thru them in Hawaii.  If you want some good blogs to read, I highly suggest checking theirs out!  They have a personal one and a photography one.  You will not be sorry!

Jim and Jess, thank you for being such amazing friends to Derek and I, even from all the way in Hawaii!  We look forward to hanging out with you both next time you are back in Maryland.       

OBX Beach Chairs : FAVORITE PHOTO FRIDAY : 3

Happy Friday!! Here is this week's FAVORITE PHOTO FRIDAY picture.  I took this on vacation in Outer Banks North Carolina.  I absolutely love the vibrancy of the chairs and the softness of the beach (as you should know by now, this girl LOVES contrast).  I also LOVE that the chairs are empty.  They are facing the beach and not the ocean, so maybe someone was doing some people watching?  Maybe they were watching the sunrise.  Maybe they were left that way from the night before.  I love an unknown story in a photo :).

Laurel Maryland Couples Session : Anne & Ryan 2013

Last year, my sister, Anne, asked me if I would like to take her boyfriend’s senior pictures.  Of course I said I would love to.  Well, a “senior” session basically turned into a “couples” session.  We managed to get a few of Ryan by himself, but most of our time was spent taking pictures of them both.  We had so much fun last time; we decided to do it again.  

We met last Saturday at one of my favorite places to shoot and spent about an hour together.   

Anne is my youngest sister.  I love her to death.  She is an incredible individual and speaks her mind whether or not it is the popular thing to say.  She stands up for what is right and befriends everyone.  The world should have more people like her! 

I know Ryan a lot more now than I did for our last shoot and I think he is awesome.  He treats my sister like a queen.  Ladies, you would be incredibly lucky to have a guy that treats you like this.  For example, he brings her flowers because it is Saturday, takes her to her favorite sushi place about once a week, brings my mom flowers and is there for every single one of our family events (which in my family – there are a lot of ).  Ryan, thank you for being an awesome guy and treating my sister with the respect she deserves.   

Here are my favorites from our time together.

AppleUmpkin Fall Festival : FAVORITE PHOTO FRIDAY : 2

Did you miss last Friday?  Check it out here!

This week's Favorite Photo Friday picture is a picture of my niece and nephews!  This photo is not posed or lit the way I would like, but I still love it!  Derek and I went to NY to visit and they were so excited showing me around their town festival, AppleUmpkin.  I love that they know I love photography and took it upon themselves to sit down together and say, "Aunt Lauren, come take our picture!"  I love these kiddies so much!

Check out their family photo session here.

Do you like town festivals?  I'm still on the fence about them! But, I do LOVE the giant pumpkins NY has!!

1st Mariner Arena Parkging Garage : FAVORITE PHOTO FRIDAY : 1

I thought I would try something new on the blog!  I'm doing Favorite Photo Friday!  I will get to share a photo with you and share why it is one of my favorites.  You will get to know more about me and see more of my work!

Why Friday?  Well, Friday's have always been my favorite day of the week.  It is the last day of the work week, my Dad and I have a "Chipotle Friday" tradition and in the Spring and Summer, Friday usually means there is a wedding to shoot the very next day!  So, why not have one more reason to love Fridays.

Derek and I used to run the youth group at our old church.  This is a photo of all of the girls on one of our trips.  I love the contrast and emotion in this photo.  It will always be one of my favorites!

What do you think of it?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Baltimore Graffiti Alley Engagment : Lauren & Michael

I'm a little behind on blogging my sessions and figured I better blog about their engagement session before their wedding in just 22 days!!!!

Lauren's mom had contacted me right after Lauren & Michael got engaged and said that they loved my work and really loved other sessions I had done at graffiti warehouse.  So, she purchased an engagement session for them as a Christmas present.  How fun is that?!

Shortly after Christmas, Lauren and I started planning their session.  I must say, I don't think I have ever had so much fun planning a shoot.  We had so many emails and text messages going back and forth planning outfits and throwing ideas around I actually started dreaming about their session!

Lauren & Michael are the definition of the perfect couple.  They really do complete each other.  They are a beautiful couple that love each other so much and I had a blast documenting that love.  From an ice covered alley to a security alarm going off to not being able to find a parking spot at Patterson Park, it was an eventful but FANTASTIC day. 

Thank you both for choosing me as your photographer, people like you make my job so easy!  See you both in 22 days!! :)