I cannot believe how quickly 2016 has flown by, and that we are already at this point again. It feels like yesterday that we were doing our engagement favorites of 2015. How is it possible that we have already experienced another twelve months, and are merely a week and a half away from the New Year?! This year has brought so many wonderful couples into our lives. Getting to be a part of their wedding planning process has been really fantastic. As the year winds down, I love reminiscing about all of their sessions. Every engagement shoot gives us a glimpse into who our couples are and allows us to make fun memories with them. This year, though, I feel as if we have personally been able to open up, as well. We've been sharing more of who we are in order to connect to our couples on an even deeper level during their sessions. I don't think it's any secret that engagements are my absolute favorite aspect of wedding planning. They allow the couple to sit back and just be together. Sure, there is a little posing involved, but it always feels natural and comfortable. We want every engagement shoot to feel exciting, even to the most resistant partner. When we get emails or comments saying how nervous a couple was before their session, but became confident due to our encouragement and enthusiasm, it makes us feel so good. Our entire goal is for the couple to know ...

The off-season always gives us time to reflect on our business. It gives us the opportunity to invest in our education and really dig deep while there's less on our plate. To answer the questions of how to improve, we have to first consider our foundation. For this reason, I've been spending time lately exploring about why we do weddings. No, I'm not suffering a quarter life crisis, and I'm not planning to do anything but grow, but thinking about our why helps me as photographer and entrepreneur. I've been photographing weddings since 2011. While I enjoyed what I was doing back then, I never gave it much thought into why I was doing it. I certainly did not envision my business going this far, either. It wasn't until 2016 that I felt the strong urge to relax my brain, take a minute to unwind, and figure out my photographic drive. Shawn posted an article about a Groom's role in his wedding a few months ago, and I felt a fire light underneath me. I realized after reading the post and having more discussions that we've always focused on not just the bride but both people in the relationship. We strive to make both sides feel important because they both are. We have been in their shoes, and know what it's like going through the wedding process. It's natural for us to be empathetic to all the love, concerns, stress, and gratitude that goes into such an important event. Feeling...

Why does it feel like the leaves are just now changing? It's the middle of November, and we are now experiencing all of the beautiful yellow and orange trees. I'm honestly kind of glad it was delayed. It meant that the colors were in full effect for Savanah and Douglas's wedding at the Annapolis Court House. The perfect sunny glow lighting through the brancehs at the Maryland State House left me speechless more than a few times during portraits, haha! One of the many things I loved about Savanah and Douglas's wedding was how they injected tradition into it. Most couples think that by having their wedding at the court house, they can't do a lot of the things that take place at any other wedding. They feel they have to sacrifice bits and pieces of their dream day, but in reality, they don't. Savanah and Douglas proved that on their big day. Everything from their first look, to Savanah's walk down the aisle made their day one of a kind. They had a vision and they didn't fit their day into the typical elopement frame, which made us love them even more. This year has been such a joy in getting to know our couples. We get to experience one of the sweetest moments in a relationship and photograph it to keep memories forever! Even though we didn't get to spend as much time with Savanah and Douglas during the day, their love for each other shines. Just...

We photograph a lot of couples and groups, each with their own collection of unique traits and attitudes. It's a lot of fun to get to know these different people and what makes them special, but it's also interesting to see common threads that link everyone together. Sometimes, it's a pure excitement to be in front of the camera, and other times it's a lack of confidence in modeling abilities. Couples or individuals have warned us before-hand that they feel they aren't photogenic or great at having their picture take. But we have awesome news to the doubters: it's impossible for us to not capture gorgeous images of you! We're not just saying that idly, either, since everyone has the capability to look stunning, no matter what. You can trust in our experience as professional photographers that we will find the perfect way to present you. One of the most common concerns that we get from those who lack faith is not knowing how to pose, specifically on what to do with hands. Hands can be awkward when left hanging at your side, but they need to be comfortable and not distracting when placed elsewhere. During sessions, we've seen people situate their hands three or four different times trying to find a spot that works. We definitely provide instruction when this problem arises, but we understand that having the information before the session is the difference between eager for a session or being scared of it. The tips below apply...