One of my favorite types of portrait sessions to photograph is a maternity session. There’s something about being able to grow a human inside your body that is just magical! Don’t think of it as a time when your body is all out of whack; your body is performing a miracle! It’s so important to document this special time in your life. It should absolutely be remembered!

Nathan and Savannah’s wedding was held on April 4, 2026, at Turkey Ridge in Shelby, NC. I had never worked at Turkey Ridge before, but I instantly fell in love with the gorgeous outdoor ceremony space overlooking the mountains of North Carolina and the wonderful team who manages the venue! It was a fantastic place to work. Savannah picked such a vibrant color scheme for her details and florals, with lots of pinks, blues, and corals. When I arrived, Savannah and her bridesmaids were getting ready in the bridal suite and watching the weather like a hawk; there were showers/storms in the vicinity, and we were all a little worried about having to go to Plan B for an indoor ceremony! But as always, God produced a miracle; it rained just before and after the ceremony, but the rain showers paused at the perfect time and the sun shone for their big moment and then created a brilliant rainbow later during their portrait session!

My husband and I are Disney people. One of the first things we bonded over was our love for Disney. He proposed in front of the castle at Magic Kingdom, our wedding cake topper was Mickey and Minnie, we visited Disney World every year for the first few years of our marriage, both our boys are “Disney babies” and their middle names are an homage to Walt Disney himself, their first haircuts were at Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street of Magic Kingdom, our home is decorated with hidden (and not-so-hidden) Mickeys in every room…I could go on and on about how much we love the magic of Disney.

This past February, we visited Disney for the first time in 6 1/2 years.

I have now owned and operated my photography business part-time for 13 years, and now that my retirement from public education is impending, I plan on making this business my full-time job! My business is “home-grown," meaning I have built it from scratch without a lot of formal education in business or marketing. But photography is a people-based service, and I know people! One of the reasons I have been able to stay in and grow my business, even through the pandemic and the recent sluggish economy is because I have mastered the skill of communication. I promise I am not trying to brag; I have had 28 years working with middle school students and their parents (some of the most challenging people to communicate with), as well as other teachers and coworkers, and I have been married for 15 years! Communication is KEY in all areas of life. But it is especially crucial when trying to run and maintain a business that thrives. I consider good communication a huge part of my brand, and I truly believe it is what keeps clients coming back to me year after year for all their milestones!

When Ashley and Justin suggested Sassafras Mountain for their engagement photos, I didn’t mind driving a couple of hours to meet them there! The December day was surprisingly warm—but at the top of the mountain, it was freezing. Partly due to the wind and partly due to the altitude…we all really needed hats, gloves, and scarves! But Ashley, Justin, their sweet dog, and Ashley’s mom and dad were SUCH troopers as we patiently waited for the sun to set while enduring the cold temperatures and blustery wind. And the wait was worth it…what a spectacular sunset and set of romantic engagement photos we were able to capture!

Today is my fiftieth birthday. And I’ll be honest…I’ve been gearing up for this birthday for quite some time. If I think about certain implications too hard, it’s scary. I can vividly remember things that happened forty years ago, which doesn’t seem that far away! But in forty more years, if I live that long, I will be ninety. NINETY. THAT sounds old.

But at the same time, I don’t feel as old as fifty sounds! When I was a teenager, fifty was grandma-age. Ladies like the Golden Girls or Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote. But I’m fifty and still have an elementary and middle schooler I’m raising! I’m nowhere close to being a grandma (or a Golden Girl), and I have a LOT more life to live!

“It’s like ra-a-ai-in, on your wedding day…”

Thanks, Alanis, for the lyrics that strike fear and trepidation in the hearts of most brides. The thought of rain ruining the day that a bride has meticulously planned for months can instill panic and dread! But it’s not ironic…it’s a very real possibility.

First, let me say: I’ve been photographing weddings for over a decade, and if there’s one truth I’ve come to embrace—it’s that the weather has a mind of its own. I’ve shot weddings in blazing sun and heat, freezing cold, soft mist, a hurricane, and downpours that seemed to roll in out of nowhere. And here’s the comforting part: some of the most breathtaking, emotionally rich images I’ve ever taken have been on rainy wedding days.

So let’s take a deep breath together, and talk through how to handle rain on your wedding day—not with panic, but with perspective, preparation, and maybe even a little excitement!

One of the bridal portrait sessions I photographed this past Fall was Angela’s. Angela and Dillon were married on October 25, 2025 (see their wedding photos here), but we did her bridal portrait session a few weeks prior at Indigo Iris Farm, in September. It was a beautiful evening, and the sunset definitely showed off! Angela wore a simple, yet elegant, dress, and a beautiful crown that her grandmother wore in her wedding. She didn’t have a bouquet, but who needs a bouquet when you’re at a flower farm? The flowers themselves stood proudly around Angela as she strolled through the gardens, and we even used a few stray flowers we found on the ground for a few photos.

The Historic Robertson Homestead is a 200+ year old restored home complete with a bridal suite, groom's quarters, creekside ceremony space, and the "Tipsy Goat Barn," an air-conditioned barn set up for receptions and other events. Located just outside of Rock Hill, SC, it’s a gorgeous venue with so many options for weddings and photos--a photographer's dream!

Booking a wedding photographer can seem overwhelming. There are so many options that can be offered or included in a wedding package! And some photographers get fancy and don’t even call them packages…they call them “investments” or “collections.” Whatever they’re called, here’s a breakdown of possible wedding package components to consider when booking your wedding photographer.

Every wedding is unique and has original moments, but most wedding days follow a similar flow. As a photographer who has been photographing weddings for 13 years, I have developed a few different timeline templates that include most, if not all, of the major events most people want on a wedding day. When I am consulting with a client and/or wedding planner on planning out the timeline of a wedding day, I will send my timeline template first, and then we will fill in all the times and details and adjust as needed. If you’re working with a wedding planner, they should have planning a timeline down pat. But it’s always good to communicate, communicate, communicate and make sure you are all on the same page! Check out today's blog post to steal my most popular timeline!

There’s something magical about leaving your wedding, all dressed up, surrounded by your best friends and family members, blowing bubbles, holding sparklers, or waving ribbons. But is it really? For some, having a grand exit to their wedding is like the culminating event of their biggest day of their lives. But for others, it seems forced and restrictive. Here are all the things to think about as you plan your wedding timeline and consider whether or not you want a grand exit!

In the photography world, there’s a common “Karen”-like term used for the random person at a wedding with a camera who often gets in the way of the hired photographer(s). Because that person is often an older gentleman with a DSLR or point-and-shoot, or God forbid an iPad, photographers affectionately refer to these people as “Uncle Bob.” We get it. Things have changed drastically over the last couple of decades as digital cameras and phones have become better and better for amateur photographers. It could be that these people think they are providing a special gift to the couple, or they want to have photos to show off to family and friends. They will film the bride walking down the aisle, the first dance, and special speeches and then send these photos/videos to the couple or post them on social media. However, here’s why that is not a desirable “gift.”

This past Spring, one of my former students Randi, who is also now a teacher (so proud!), contacted me and asked if I might be interested in doing a photo session for Little Creek Stables, with some sweet girls and their horses. Randi grew up riding horses and now works there part time. I told her absolutely!