Tag: North Carolina wedding photography

In December I made a mini road-trip to Asheville to shoot Lisette’s bridal portraits. Asheville is always one of my favorite places for a shoot because of the natural beauty of the land and the quirkiness and charm of the downtown.  The rainy, slightly foggy day added to the atmosphere at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville, and I had fun pushing myself to create photos that were moodier and more unexpected.

Lisette was a really fun bride to work with because of her beautiful, unique feature (I am envious of her gorgeous blue eyes!)  When I met Lisette during our time at UNC Chapel Hill she had awesome dreads, which she cut a few months before her wedding.  Her new haircut made for awesome photos because it wasn’t the typical “bridal updo” that I see over and over.  Her flowy JCrew wedding dress was also perfect for the environment and made for some really pretty profile pictures.

Lisette, thank you so much for your hospitality to me during your bridal shoot.  I had fun getting to know your best friend and your parents, and I enjoyed our time watching Netflix and hanging out afterwards. Thanks for being a trooper with the cold weather during our shoot!  Your mom was extremely helpful during the shoot carrying both of our things, and one of my favorite pictures from the day is you laughing with her as she walks across the field while talking on the phone and carrying tons of stuff!  I hope you had fun and I can’t wait to share the wedding photos in my next post.

Enjoy!

 

When I booked Ami+Dave’s wedding back in May, I knew it was going to be the wedding of the year.  I devoted a whole week in September to shooting their fun wedding festivities, which included an intimate shoot in Duke Gardens, multiple henna parties, a small traditional family ceremony on Thursday, their Sangeet party, and then the wedding day itself—which was packed with emotion, beautiful rituals, amazing Indian music and food, and bright colors.  In other words, their wedding was a photographer’s dream wedding!

The breadth and intimacy of Ami+Dave’s wedding week coverage provided a unique wedding coverage experience for me.  I had really great conversations with their family and friends over a series of days, learned a ton about Ami’s family’s culture, and got to witness and photograph some really beautiful moments that I can’t imagine seeing without spending so much time with them.  It was a privilege to feel like I wasn’t just a witness to their family’s celebration—I was a part of it!  I came home from each shoot feeling refreshed, as if I had spent quality time with my own family.  It was life-giving, to say the least, and reminded me of my college days when I would dive into a documentary project.

Ami+Dave, thank you so much for inviting me to document your wedding celebration. You both have such bright spirits and bring joy to everyone you meet—I experienced that first-hand each day I shot with you.  I was truly touched by the toasts at your wedding, which made me cry (and I usually don’t cry at weddings!).  I hope that these photos reflect the light that you bring to all and the love around you. And a big thanks to Justin Cook and Ted Richardson for shooting with me this week.

Enjoy!

Two weeks ago I shot the bridal portraits of Hunter Faulkner on a
beautiful farm off of Old Greensboro Road in Chapel Hill.  Hunter wanted
a pastoral setting as a backdrop for her photos, so I spent the day
prior to our shoot driving around in search of a farm.  I remembered
that my boyfriend and our photo professor, Pat, shot guns on some scenic
property near Pat’s house, so I got the address from Justin and then
paid a visit to John and Betty Sue Yow at their wonderful beef farm.

The Yows were more than accommodating—Betty Sue gave me a personal tour of Valley View Farm
the day before my shoot and even sold me some amazing beefsteaks and
sausage from her cattle.  She made suggestions for portrait locations,
which included a blue bus that had been abandoned in one of her fields, a
pond near the cow pasture, and an old wooden barn nestled in a field of
yellow flowers.

I had a blast during this shoot, wandering from one scenic location
to the next and following the dynamic post-thunderstorm evening light.
Hunter looked beautiful in her long gown, and I loved her cowgirl
boots!  Shoots like this make me grateful to be photographer living in
Chapel Hill—there are so many beautiful locations to choose from (not to
mention wonderful Chapel Hillians who generously lend me a space to
create beautiful images).