Dave and Kristy

Last month I had the opportunity to second shoot at a wedding with Jason Angelini. I really had a lot of fun, and learned a lot as well. Jason is not only a fantastic photographer, but was really patient and helpful throughout the day. I think it helped that the bride and groom, Kristy and Dave, were two of the most beautiful people I've ever seen, though!

Jason was nice enough to send me a few of the images that I took that day, so I thought I'd share...

The Lewis clan...

Last weekend I went to Jacksonville to visit my family, as it would be the first time in forever that all 4 of my siblings and I would be in the same place! It was a lot of fun to see everyone. While I was there, my sister Kristin asked if I would take a Christmas picture of her, her husband Brian, and their 8 kids. Trying to get everyone to smile and look at the camera all at the same time was tricky! But they were a lot of fun, and I think some of the "outtakes" are my favorite!

Outtake #1: Check out Michael's (little guy in the front) expression!

The kids liked this one...

This one really shows some of the personalities.

My personal favorite...

While I was there, we all got together to celebrate Jessica's birthday. While we were at the restaurant, she announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Scott. We are all so excited to have him as part of the family!

It was so neat to have everyone together again. Here's me with my siblings: Jessica, Luke, Kristin, and Melanie.

Mom and Allan

This past weekend I went over to St. Pete so that I could assist another photographer with a wedding (more on that later!). I stayed with my mom and her husband Allan, and while I was there she asked if we could do a quick shoot out on the beach. By the time we got there it was getting dark, but we had time for a few shots...

Nate and Shalane

Last Monday, my recently-engaged friends Nate and Shalane let me drag them out to the beach for an engagement session. They were a lot of fun, and were absolutely perfect models for my first shoot! Nate was good at coming up with poses, and both were good sports and willing to try whatever I suggested - even when it came to getting soaked. And they have even asked me to shoot their wedding in December. I can't wait!

Lyle Wedding

Moments before she walked down the aisle...

In July of '07, my cousin Laura married Tim Lyle. The wedding was in Virginia, so Mark, Chris, and I made a vacation out of it. It was wonderful to see that side of the family, as it had been years! Laura had already hired a professional photographer for her wedding, but I asked if I could shoot some as well, and of course she agreed. I didn't want to get in the way of her photographer, though, so I parked myself on the balcony of the 200-year old church where the ceremony was held and shot from there. She was an absolutely stunning bride, and it was a beautiful wedding. It was truly a blessing to be there.

My Inspiration

Since giving birth to my son Chris in August of '06, I have taken thousands of pictures of him. After all, it goes so quickly and I don't want to forget anything! But the more pictures I took, the more I realized that I loved capturing each moment and then having this beautiful image to look back at. I also began to think about all of the beauty that God has given us in this world (other than my son!) and how I have always felt drawn to photos that record that beauty, whether it is a stunning landscape or a breathtaking bride. So out of that came a prayer, that maybe, just maybe, God would allow me to be the one to record some of that beauty for others. So unless/until God closes this door, I am going to keep pursuing this dream.