Jeff & Claire have been together for six years. They are the most personable, easy-going, people-loving individuals you will meet. Who they are 1000% translated into their wedding day. Intimate, simple, fun, & with the people they hold dear. They celebrated their love at Belle Farm in Sterrett Alabama with an boho-styled wedding.
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Dylan & JoAnn have been together almost 6 years. They met in college through a relative who worked with Dylan. Dylan is a sous chef & JoAnn is a wicked talented photographer (see her work here). They love The Office, Parks & Rec, Stranger Things, & all things Marvel (if you know me, you know these are MY PEOPLE). It’s already crazy that I get to do what I love for a living, but to do it for fellow creative is something really special. A few of weeks before their anniversary session, these two drove up to Birmingham from Mississippi to have coffee with me. We talked for a couple of hours about pretty much everything. For their session, we decided on hiking to Peavine Falls at Oak Mountain State Park. It’s one of my favorite spots in Birmingham, a place I love to go to hang my hammock & read a good book. They showed up, completely themselves. Sweet, gentle, quiet, playful, steady love. We finished out their session popping a little bubbly to celebrate them.
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Birmingham has such a special place in my heart. When I first started talking to Abbie about what her & Sam envisioned for their engagement session, she told me that they wanted to adventure in the city. We ended up driving to several different spots downtown, walking the streets, & exploring empty lots. The best part is that they stayed until after dark to play under the city lights. Such a laid back, sweet, fun time with these two. Industrial vibes, big windows, city scapes, & overcast skies.
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Tyler & Ashley have been together for 10 years, 1 year married. So we did a little anniversary shoot at Moss Rock Preserve, which is one of my favorite spots in the Birmingham area. It sees a good bit of traffic, but it’s such a beautiful place to explore. The most glorious golden light showed up right at sunset while we were wandering the boulders. It was so special just to spend the evening hanging out with them & getting to know the history and memories they’ve made together. One of my favorite parts of our time together was watching Tyler (totally unprompted) pick up a rock & draw “T+A” on the ground. They are quiet, kind, & gentle people. They love Twilight, Disney World, goofy memes, & most of all - each other.
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Drew & Sarah had already rescheduled once because of rain. You can’t really get a good read on weather in Alabama until about 48 hours before your scheduled event. There was a chance of rain the afternoon of their rescheduled session, so at this point we just decided to go for it. Honestly, overcast skies are my favorite lighting because it creates so much mood for sessions. I had my raincoat ready, a bubble umbrella for them, & my camera gear rigged + wrapped in plastic, lol. When we pulled up in the parking lot at Ruffner Mountain, it was sprinkling. About half way into our hike, the sprinkling stopped. Even though everything was wet & cold, they just enjoyed the simple company of one another. It was such a peaceful, sweet time.
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Ryan & Kara gathered on the top of the Black Balsam Knob with their closest family and friends. Though it was a short ceremony, it was the most meaningful part of their day, an exchange of honest words. No decor, no chairs, no formalities. Just them, the people they love the most, in a place that they love.
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In-home sessions have always been a favorite of mine, though I only get to shoot them a few times a year. There’s something special about being invited into the place where you guys live out your days. The place where you make your coffee, the place where you grow old with your best friend, the place where you raise your kiddos. There’s calm there & there’s chaos there, good and bad days. Sometimes, your physical home may not even be permanent. Maybe you live in an apartment or a rental house. Home is really about the people you are with & the memories that you make with them - wherever you are. There’s honestly something so sacred, intimate, and honest about these sessions, which is why I love them. The best thing for my clients is that they get to have pictures made in the comfort of their own home & in a space they are familiar with, which brings out raw emotions & conversations that make for the BEST photos. This session in particular will always be a favorite of mine.
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I knew the moment I got Kara’s email that we were going to be great friends. Her oldest daughter had asked why her & Ryan hadn’t tied the knot yet, so she replied with, “Hey, let’s go to the mountains.” Thus elopement planning commenced. When I shoot elopements, I usually head out a couple of days sooner to give cushion in my travels, location scout, & hang with my couple. With that in mind, we decided to do an engagement session while I was in town at a place that is personally special to Ryan & Kara. We drove over an hour down winding back roads in North Carolina to this little pull-off. It had been raining most of the day in the area, but cleared up by the time we arrived. There wasn’t another soul around but the three of us. A short walk up the trail lead to the most beautiful waterfall nested in the woods. We spent the last couple hours of daylight exploring the falls, laughing, & enjoying the quietude. After hiking, we drove back into town to grab dinner & hang for a while. We talked about marriage, kids, enneagram types, & life in general. I honestly feel like my greatest reward was just getting to spend time with them. That evening really was such a catalyst for their elopement, setting the atmosphere for what might be one of the sweetest days I’ve ever had the honor of capturing. After my time with Ryan, Kara, their kiddos, & their family - my heart was seriously so refreshed. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt so cared for & loved by my clients. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Thanking God today for the people he’s connected me to through photography, especially these two. Can’t wait to share these! Elopement photos coming soon!
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Early the morning of this session, we found out the original location we wanted to go to was closed off. So, we ended up in the Jordan Pines of the Big Cottonwood Canyon. Lush green trees, blue skies, mountains. Boy was it beautiful. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss Utah. I always tell people that even though I was born in the South, my heart longs for the mid-west & the west coast.
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The Bonneville Salt Flats might be one of my favorite places that I’ve ever been to & certainly a Utah favorite. The only thing we really didn’t plan for was that the flats were super mucky & it was insanely windy. I mean, I literally had salt all over my hat, clothes, & shoes by the time we were done. Then I had to go straight to the airport, HAHA! BUT, it was literally a gorgeous day and those hazy mountains have won my heart.
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A few months ago, I got to spend the day wandering through Moab with these two and some friends of mine. I have quickly fallen in love with the west coast with just a trip to California & Utah in one year. So many beautiful and various terrains, all of them breathtaking. Thankful to have soaked up time in this rugged oasis & all of it’s gorgeous light + getting to hang with Matt & Caitlin (who used to be Alabama natives, btw). Missing Utah & praying I’ll be back much sooner than later. Until then.
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Every time I’ve gotten to hang out with these two, I am always reminded why I love the people-part of my job so much. The first time we shot together was a couple of years ago in greenhouse on a warm spring day. This time, we ended up wandering down side-roads & through the woods on a chilly, wintery day. That didn’t stop us from making magic.
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Between travels from Salt Lake City to Moab, we stopped at this beautiful place right outside of Provo to hang with Kyle & Taylor. They spent the entire morning wrapped up in each other, literally. We actually weren’t planning on going here to start with. The other location we had eyed out was closed because of snow. We also didn’t really hit timing well with the light here & harsh light is always one of those things that most photographers tend to steer away from. So we worked with it anyway.
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A couple of months ago, I took a little trip with some sweet photographer friends of mine to Utah. Utah is one of those places that’s been on my bucket list for a very long time. I’ve never seen a state (next to California) that has quite so many diverse & beautiful landscapes. Every time I thought it couldn’t get better, it did. I get so blown away thinking about how I spent most of my childhood & young adulthood wondering what it was like to ride on an airplane. Now, all I can think about is the places my feet have yet to touch.
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Just a chill morning with sweet friends. I felt so refreshed leaving their session because I know that what really matters the most are the memories that I get to make with my clients (if you know me, you know I hate using the world “clients”). I am so freaking excited to be a part of Drew & Mikailah’s big day & can’t wait to share more magic with these two! Here’s a sneak into their engagement pics.
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