Celebrating 50 Years {Happy Anniversary}

Friday evening I took a ride out to the gorgeous Carolina Inn  at the Pinehurst Golf Resort to meet up with Brenda & Chris, who were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary ... with all their family!

What an incredibly special moment to have everyone together to celebrate such a beautiful milestone.

With family flying in from as far away as California, I was bummed to see dark clouds rolling in as I drove towards the resort; but there was no raining on this parade! By the time the guests of honor showed up, the skies had cleared and the sun was back out...not that it would have mattered with this group; they were such a laid back and fun crew! Reminded me of my Chicago family...always so fun to be around, and no matter how long it's been since we've been together it's like we never missed a beat...

 Brenda & Chris were surprised with this family photo by their 7 children and their families. Who wouldn't cherish having a photo like that? We also took the opportunity to capture individual family portraits...goodness, what a good looking group!

{I love this group shot above of Brenda & two of her grandkids....easy to tell who they got their gorgeous eye color from; Gotta love genetics!}

Brenda & Chris, Congratulations again on 50 beautiful years together and the wonderful family you created. I'm so glad I got to meet you both and help you celebrate your day. And to the rest of the Christianson crew...thanks for being so great! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend together!

OpLove Session {downtown Fayetteville}

Thursday evening I had the pleasure of getting to photograph this lovey-dovey pair; capturing sweet kisses and glances and they prepare for facing a year apart. Married just about a year ago, they are still all doe-eyed toward each other...so sweet to witness!

This portrait of "C" is one of my favs of her that I captured. Something tells me this is one "M" will have in his "top ten" list for me to send to him overseas. She just looks so naturally radiant. And I just love that Tux & Sable, their surprisingly calm little chihuahuas, were sporting their patriotic bandanas and joining in on the fun. {Sable even had her nails painted for the occassion}

It was so wonderful getting to know you two! Thanks for being so fun & relaxed to work with...talk about making my job easy! I really look forward to photographing you both again in the future.  I hope you enjoy this little sneek peek - your gallery is soon to follow!

'till then.... "M" - safe travels! Come home safe, and come home soon. I'll be looking forward to seeing the two of you together again XOXO 

OpLove disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply and endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

The Bowman Family {Merry Bee Farms}

I was so excited this morning to finally have the chance to photograph a session out at this beautiful location. The owners of this farm have been beyond gracious in letting me come out to oogle their fantastic setting, and roam about to enjoy their horses and cattle with my lens. Today I got to share this scenary with a super sweet family, and I so hope to be able to share it with many more families in the near future....

{I am in love with these two shots...when my hubby & I finally have our family I can just picture a set of 2 or 3 of these over our couch. Doesn't this just scream "fun?!"}

Ah! Such a beautiful family!

 Mr. Connor wasn't the happiest of campers this morning, but there is a series of shots to go with this one where he's sitting on the crates that I know his Mom & Dad are just going to love...

 Miss Jade is such a wonderful big sis...isn't that first shot of her in the awesome hat just so sweet? It completely matches her personality....

After a morning in the thick, wet, Carolina heat there's no better way to wrap up a photo session than to enjoy some watermelon. {well, unless there's a pool nearby...I think we were all ready to find one to jump into by this point!} Bowmans, thank you for being such a wonderful bunch to work with! Enjoy the rest of your vacation time, and Happy Father's Day to you Aric! Hope you enjoy this sneak peek...

Operation: Love ReUnited {Fort Bragg}

As a photographer I truly believe my job is not just to take a photograph of someone, but rather to really capture a glance, an embrace, a laugh... a fleeting moment of time that is a story forever preserved. As one photographer I greatly admire wrote, "I do not sell paper."
A photograph, to me, is one of the most valuable things a person can own. It does not ever depreciate - in fact, it's one of those rare things in life that only gains value as it ages. It is something to cherish forever, something that is proof of "us," something that can be passed down for generations so that we are not forgotten.

I think {hope} that this is how all photographers feel, and this rather romantic outlook is the reason why I especially love photographing families. The idea that these moments will be theirs to look back makes me smile, and I love the thought of them all sitting around someday sharing these images with grandkids & great grandkids - telling stories, reliving memories, and honoring the amazing love & bond that they have.

Last evening I had the pleasure of meeting up with this beautiful family for an OpLove session. They're celebrating Dad's arrival home from Iraq for his R&R...and, of course, the fact that it's the start of summer vacation from school. Despite the "thick" heat outside, they were all just smiles & laughter, and I enjoyed every second of getting to know them. I can't wait to get their gallery out to them so that they can pick their favorite images for me to send downrange to Dad. I hope these memories help bring "home" to him so that the rest of the deployment just speeds by a little bit quicker...

If you would like to know more about Operation: Love ReUnited (aka OpLove) please click here. You can also find the information on my wesbite here, under the "information" tab.

No "Grouchos" in this group! {Linear Park}

Birthday surprise {Cape Fear Botanical Gardens}