Zoe and I met during the SAWS Pet Appreciation Day event which was held in my local community last month. I was photographing people and their dogs in the “kissing booth” and Zoe was my very first customer! So, it was quite fitting that she is also my very first family session client in Sicily!
Zoe, her husband Nick, and their daughter Scarlett are (sadly, for me!) moving back to the US next month. They wanted a way to say farewell to Sicily and commemorate their time living on the island. What better way to do that than with an epic photoshoot overlooking the stunning Sicilian countryside?!
The Costellos are truly such a lovely family and little Scarlett couldn’t be more adorable, teeter-tottering around with her sea blue eyes.
Thank you so much for trusting me to capture your family for this very special photoshoot! Best wishes for a safe journey to Florida!
Shortly after we returned from Malta a few weeks ago, Jordan and I spent a long weekend in Lyon, France. We had debated for awhile if we should visit Lyon, or just go to Paris, affectionally known as the city of love. We chose Lyon, and as we found out, Lyon and “the city of love” might be one and the same.
Jordan and I had planned to just explore the city by foot, but eventually caved and decided to take a car to Parc de la Tête d’or, a 19th century park, which was supposed to be lovely and was a bit too far to walk from our airbnb.
It turned out to be very hot that day, but we enjoyed our time there anyway. The park was beautiful with a few rose gardens, statues, a lake in the middle, and luckily, tons of trees. We spent a few hours there, mostly on the side of the park near where we entered, but I decided that we needed to walk around the WHOLE thing. So, we did.
I’m so glad we did because we just happened to run into Natalie and Rob… the cutest couple, who had just gotten engaged!!!
I honestly have no idea HOW it happened. All I know is that Jordan saw a “really cool” weeping willow that formed a cave right by the water and had to go in to check it out. Once we entered the cave, we overheard Rob telling Natalie how nervous he was trying to hide the ring while packing for the trip. And that’s when we knew… he had JUST popped the question!!
So, of course I asked them if I could snap a couple of photos to mark the occasion. And, then we left them to enjoy their engagement day!!
Natalie and Rob, congratulations again!! It was such a pleasure running in to you and we hope you are having tons of fun planning for the big day!
P.S. Check out Natalie’s ring!! (It’s was Rob’s grandmother’s – what an honor!)
Sigonella Animal Welfare Society (SAWS), one of my local animal rescue organizations, co-hosted a “Pet Appreciation Day” with the Red Cross to help raise funds for all of the little animals they rescue here in Sicily. One of the things to know about Sicily is that there are lots of stray animals. Fortunately, SAWS has been able to help home many of the animals in our area.
As part of the fundraiser, I volunteered to take kissing booth photos for donations. 100% of the donations went to SAWS to help fund their rescue and homing efforts. For the entire event, SAWS was able to raise $659.89! And, I got SO MANY super cute photos!
Check out the photos and download your own here. Contact me here if you have questions.
If you missed the event (or live outside of Sicily) and would like to donate, feel free to contact me (if you know me personally), or SAWS directly.
Marissa and her family were my very first (non-family) clients EVER! So, I was really honored when she asked me to shoot Carter’s 1st Birthday photos. It has honestly been so much fun watching Carter grow though out his first year, I couldn’t wait to see what big boy outfits he would bring along for his session. I have to say, he’s one of the cutest one-year old’s I’ve seen. And he certainly loved the cake!!
Thank you again, Marissa, for entrusting me with your baby’s FIRST birthday photos! I love you cherish them for all the years to come!
The question “what should I wear?” is definitely something I get asked all the time! In December, I posted some general beauty tips to assist you in answering a lesser thought about portion of this question. Today, I am going to talk one of the more common potions – styling and attire!
As I mentioned in the first part of this series, these tips don’t apply to professional shoots only – you can totally use these for selfies!
Check out my top N I N E style tips below!
9. Pick colors that reflect your vibe.
I often recommend lighter, more neutral colors to clients. Colors such as muted tans, heather grays, subdued blues, or soft pinks, help to bring more of the focus to your face than those that are bold or bright. Think of someone wearing a neon shirt – it’s going to be much harder to focus on their face! Neutrals also have the benefit of coordinating well with almost any environment.
8. Watch out for tiny patterns.
Tiny patterns such as pinstripes do not show up well on camera. They actually can look kind of funky in photographs, so this is something I’d definitely recommend skipping, even if you love them! They just won’t show up well on camera, and you’ll miss out on that wow-factor that is present in-person.
If there will be multiple people in the photo, and one of them is planning to wear a pattern, the other person should be dressed in a solid, coordinating color. Wait! What does “coordinating” mean? Well, look no further than…
7. Coordinate, don’t match!
Matching is an instance where you are both wearing the same “main” color. Don’t do it!! Coordinating is much more flattering. To coordinate, you want to ensure you are not wearing the same “main” color on the top or bottom as the other people in your photo (think different color shirts from one another AND different color pants, skits, etc.). If you are taking a photo solo, then this applies to coordinating your accessories. Each person should wear a different “main color,” but the same “supplemental color(s).”
For instance, if I wear a light mint green dress with nude heels, my husband could wear a navy polo with tan pants. Here, my “main color” is mint, my husband’s is navy and the supplemental color (that we are both wearing) is nude/tan.
However, varying shades of the same color does count as coordinating (see below).
6. Texturize!
I’m talking sequins, lace, fur, tulle! The addition of textures into your attire can enhance your photos by giving them more depth.
5. Don’t forget about accessories!
Hats, scarves, statement jewelry, earrings, belts, bracelets, etc. These are the little details that really enhance your style. Accessorizing gives you an extra added pop and helps to finish off your look.
4. Choose clothes that flatter your best features.
Self-conscious about a certain part of your body? I think we all are! Select an outfit that flatters your body type, not just the latest trend. Outfits with some fabric on the arms creates a slimming effect, whereas strapless tops do not. Likewise, heels help to elongate the leg. Dresses and skirts, especially floor length, flatter every female body. Concurrently, pants flatter all men.
3. Don’t be afraid to dress up.
Feel like you don’t really have an occasion to get “fancy?” Here you go! It may initially feel like it’s “too much” if it’s not your usual style, but go for the elaborate dress or dapper suit! This is a situation in which you can never be too dressed up.
2. Consult/hire a professional hair and make-up artist!
I know… we’ve already talked about this one. But it’s just so important, I couldn’t leave it out!!
1. Be yourself!!
If wearing a dress isn’t really you, don’t wear a dress! Photos should capture the uniqueness of YOU!
People always ask me about what to wear to their photo session, but they rarely inquire about beauty tips (i.e. how they should style their hair and make-up). Professional hair and make-up is always on the top of my list as a photographer and as a client myself. Not only does it look amazing on camera, but having your hair and make-up done for you feels AMAZING! Seriously. You will walk away feeling like a million bucks!
Recently, I had my own hair and make-up session with Jess Barbini of Jess Barbini Hair & Makeup Artistry (catch her on IG here). She is such an incredible hair and make-up artist and has seriously changed my life with her remarkable make over skills. As she was prepping me for my photo shoot, I asked her if she would mind sharing some beauty tips for general photo session prep.
Here are a few words of advice from Jess:
General Beauty Tips:
• Whiten Teeth
• Wax eyebrows at least 3 days prior
• Exfoliate 1-2 days prior
• Get a manicure
• Skip the spray tan
• Hydrate – drink lots of water!
• Prevent inflammation – Place an ice pack on eyes before sleep
• Get 8 hours of sleep
Why Hire a Hair and Make-Up Artist?
• Treat yourself!
• One less thing to worry about – Helps de-stress
• Look your best
• Professionals know how to prepare you to be in front of the camera.
• Confidence. It’s always the best accessory.
Check out my final look:
I absolutely recommend hiring a professional hair and make-up artist when investing in photos you’ll cherish forever. I personally never book a professional session without one!
A few weeks ago, Nik, Kaitlin, and I dropped in at Red Wing Park in Virginia Beach for an impromptu photo session. Nik + Kaitlin are such naturals in front of the camera, that they made my job SUPER easy! While we were there, someone asked if they had just gotten engaged… which was quite funny because they have been married for around F I V E years already! Can you believe it? The park closed an hour earlier than we thought, so we made a quick trip to the oceanfront for some real sunset magic. Take a peek at all the fun we had below.
Thanks for hanging out, Nik + Kaitlin!
When I think about someone with a *sparkling* personality, I think of Katie. Katie has the most infectious smile and coolest style. So, when she asked me to photograph her Baby-Q (coolest, barbecue for a baby EVER), I was SO pumped! Bri, Katie’s sorority sister and close friend, was the lovely hostess for the evening, and she did an absolutely fabulous job. From the decor to the food and games, this shower was one for the books!! And, just in case you’re wondering who that gorgeous curly-haired cutie down below is, well, that’s their “first baby,” Neyland.
Only F I V E more weeks until Joel and Katie meet baby Truett! I could not be more excited for them. Thanks for having me!
I honestly have no idea how many sleepovers I had with Ashley, but it was a lot. I remember camping out in her living room floor in middle school, watching scary snowman movies, and buying jumbo size jawbreakers from the mall candy shop. It’s crazy how time flys. One moment you are having pillow fights and sleepovers and the next moment you have a little family all your own! It’s been quite a few year since I lived in my hometown, but when Ashley contacted me about photographing her family, I jumped at the chance to come back. It was just like the old days. She hasn’t changed one bit! And her family… well, they are absolutely adorable!! And just as much fun as she is.
Kira is one of the coolest chicks I’ve met since I’ve lived in Virginia Beach. She knew my husband from way back when, and once I started taking photography more seriously, he suggested I meet up with her because he knew we both loved taking photos! For these portraits, we had two separate sessions. The first session (featured last here) took place at my home. The use of lighting was definitely something different for me. But, I have to say, I love the final product!! For the second session, we explored the ViBe district, and ViBrant it was. I’m honestly not sure which session was my favorite. What do you guys think?
Kira, I can’t wait to shoot with you again! Thanks for hanging out!
