Mountain
Great Falls Park
Sunset Hike
This weekend, Shawn and I took a quick trip down to Great Falls Park and did some intense location scouting. We've heard of this amazing spot for years, but haven't been able to check it out. It wasn't until one of our couple's mentioned it that we decided to make the drive down to Virginia. There was no better time to visit, since it was the Centennial for The National Park Service. Not only was there free entry to the park, but they were also showing Wall*E in the evening. I don't think Shawn and I could have planned our impromptu date hike any better, haha!
Walking around the park, I honestly could not believe how beautiful it was. Sure, the temperature in August isn't ideal for a hike, but as we reached the edge of the cliffs the view took our breath away. There was a slight breeze from the falls below that filled the air with a wonderful crispness that cooled the scorching heat. As a result, near the edge of the rocks, it was as if fall had already arrived. Shawn and I found this amazing secluded spot to hangout and dream about the e-sessions that we hope take place here.
As the sun was setting we strolled around a little bit more. We found the Matildaville Ruins, which were incredibly interesting to see and learn about. Back in 1790, there was a town constructed whose economy relied on the Patowmack Canal. When the canal closed, the...
Jessica & Frank's Engagement Spotlight
An Amazing Summer Shoot
This Saturday is Jessica and Frank's big day! I have been excitedly waiting for their day to come, and now it is almost here! I know if I'm getting giddy, then the soon-to-be newlyweds must be on a totally different level of eagerness, haha.
Way back in August, Shawn and I traveled out to Rocks State Park to photograph these two sweetheart's engagement photos. This park is seriously so beautiful. I just fell in love with the waterfall and all of the greenery in the surrounding area. We've shot here once before, and it is just incredible with all of the different looks it offers. I was even more excited to get to know Jess and Frank a little better, because one of my favorite things about engagement sessions is bonding with the couple. Seeing that they brought their adorable pup, Mufasa, with them made adoring these two even easier :P.
Shawn and I cannot wait for their wedding on Saturday. It's going to be such a wonderful day, especially now that Spring seems to be here to stay!
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Our Trip to the Top of the World
Travelin' with the Squires
It's kind of funny how last weekend, during the blizzard, all Shawn and I wanted to do was be snuggled up in PJs and drink hot cocoa. But this weekend all we wanted to do was be outdoors, bundled up, and snowboard. We traveled to Snowshoe, West Virginia on Friday and met up with my best friend, Christy, and her husband, Nate. Christy and Nate live in Charlotte, North Carolina, so the last time we got to see them was for their wedding last April. This weekend trip was something Christy and I had been super excited about since we started talking about it in September.
Snowshoe is a very interesting mountain with its hotels, shops, and restaurants being located at the very top. Everything we needed was all in one spot, with a spectacular view. It was - quite literally - the top of the world. The evening we arrived was right before sunset and (except for Turks and Caicos) this mountain had one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've seen. It was also super windy so I almost ended up with a frozen hand because of my need for pictures XD.
The four of us got to hang out, play board games, spend most of Saturday snowboarding, and drink fruity drinks :P. A quick tip: if you are going to play Dead of Winter - the best theme for a game being stuck up on a snowy mountain - be sure to read the instruction manual at least...
Kerry & Tommy
A Mountain Overlook Engagement
On Sunday, I had the pleasure of photographing Kerry and Tommy's engagement session at Sugarloaf Mountain. We had quite the adventure exploring this location, including: finding a baby snake (the area is home to the copperhead), an exhausting hike up the "stone steps", and a gorgeous view from the summit. Even though we were feeling that hike for a few days afterwards, it was a beautiful evening spent with such a great couple :).
These two are longtime friends of mine and (fun fact) I set them up! I've know Kerry and Tommy both separately since high school, and knew they would be perfect for one another back then. Now, playing match maker can be quite difficult: you have to know their personalities, their likes and dislikes, if they can get along, etc.. However, with these two, it was something pretty simple that gave me the light bulb that they would be great together - Anchorman quotes. Good ol' Will Ferrell, haha! It wasn't until college that I was finally able to get Kerry and Tommy to meet, but I think it was well worth the wait. They've been together ever since and have one of the most fun, strongest, and most adventurous relationship. These two really are a perfect fit <3.
That was all five years ago! It's incredible how fast time goes by; now these two are getting married and will continue the beautiful life that they have together. I can't wait to see what...
Emily & Cal
An Engagement Overlooking Maryland
A beautiful couple with beautiful doggies in a beautiful location; could there be anything better? Rocks State Park is such a great location on its own, but whenever I get to shoot in a place that is special to a couple, that location becomes even more amazing!
We started off this wonderful engagement session with a visit to this really cool waterfall. Since it was such a great day out, there were loads of swimmers all around the waterfall, but Cal and Emily did not let that affect their model posing. I could almost forget the people around us, except for all the splashing, haha! As Shawn stayed back to hang on to the pups by the waterfall, Emily, Cal, and I traveled up the river and really explored more of the area. I just cannot say enough about this location. It was so green and bright - the perfect indication that Spring is here to stay!
Our next stop was to the King and Queen Chairs where the dogs were let loose to have fun! This area was gorgeous, and had a spectacular view of the park below us. As long as no one thought of how far up we were, or looked over the edge of the rock cliff, we were totally fine! The three dogs - Sarge, Harvey, and Pickles - acted as my assistants in getting Emily and Cal to burst with laughter. At one point, Emily and Cal were off being cute and as I...
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