Second Shooter // 05

I'm just going to put it out there that there are wayyyy too many photos in this post.

But I can't cut any of them, because I really, really love them. I'm supposed to be a better editor than that. Oops.

These two might have been my favorite couple of the year so far. When I'm second shooting, I'm sort of an accessory. I'm there, almost unseen, unknown. And that's the way it should be.

While I love interacting with the bride and groom and their family and friends, as the second photographer, I have minutes to get to know these amazing couples - not months - so I'm more reserved than I am with my own clients (who I love to pieces, by the way) and usually retreat back to my quiet ways to let the main photographer be the focus of the attention. But this couple was different. They were so sweet. The bride was over the moon to be marrying her best friend. They giggled. They snuggled - without being asked to. They had so much excitement for their lives to come, for their marriage not just the wedding. Their day was perfect.

It was cheerful. That's why I loved this day oh so much. And I love Dani for finding these awesome people and letting me be a small part of something that means so much.

Twirling skirts are totally my thing. I think I've found my signature shot.

Oh the Hora. Haven't done that since I was five, but it has the BEST energy! It really should be a staple at every wedding.

Newly.wed // 04

I operate on a currency of gold stars. The sticky kind that you can buy at the grocery store and that my mom always gave me to put on my chore chart when I completed important tasks. In my adult world now, they are imaginary, but I still get that same surge of pride when Ben tells me that I can have my gold star, and he always smiles to himself when I tell him that he's done something to earn one, so I know he appreciates them too.

It's not meant to be a competition, so we don't keep track of who has the most gold stars. But it is our way of acknowledging the other and giving them props for a job well done. For meeting an important goal or accomplishing a major task. Or for doing something that we know was not easy to do, something that took courage or guts. Sometimes we'll even ask for a gold star (and sometimes it's a cookie instead of a gold star, but the intention is the same), to let the other know that we need to feel like what we did was good and that it mattered. 

Acknowledgement is something that we forget to do for the people we love, but is so important to letting them know they are appreciated. It tells them that you value their contributions, that they are worthy, and that someone else notices their efforts. You've earned a gold star is our way of saying, simply, hey you, I think you did something awesome and what you did is worth something special.

We definitely exchanged gold stars this past weekend after getting smurfed at the Color Run. And for crossing off Run a 5k from the list of things we wanted to do this year together.

Second Shooter // 01

One of my favorite parts of being a wedding photographer is having the chance to work closely with other wedding photographers by being a second shooter. And yes, that is what we call our photography assistants on a wedding day.

Although I regularly photograph weddings of and on my own, I like to take the time to help out other photographers by assisting them with their weddings because it's fun to hang out with them (trust me, you get to know people really well once you spend at least eight, sometimes intense, hours with them on a regular basis!) and gives me a chance to experiment. I love my clients dearly and will do some out of the box things with them on their wedding days, but I also have a responsibility to provide them the service of getting more traditional photos for them and their families that makes it a little harder to be more experimental. When I second shoot, I'm constantly looking for the angle that the primary photographer is not, so it forces me to see differently and find ways to make a creative photo that is different from what the primary photographer is taking. In other words, I get to make really fun art!

Over the next few months, I'm helping Dani with some of her weddings, and want to share some of my favorites here. These are different from the weddings of my own clients, but no matter the venue, the time, the mood, or any other factor, there is always a cheerful image to be made at a wedding! The wedding below took place a few weeks ago at St. Mary, Star of the Sea and Tabrizi's (an awesome waterside restaurant in Baltimore) and was such an emotional celebration for the sweet bride and her groom. They were both thrilled to be marrying their best friend, and completely basked in the joy of their family and friends - those are the best kind of weddings.

I am looking forward to margaritas this evening...and a gorgeous spring weekend. Do me a favor and do something special this weekend, just for the fun of it.

Engaged! Anna + Jim

We met at the park where Jim proposed to Anna in Baltimore. And just like that night a few months ago, their faithful friend Champ came along for the fun.

I could not possibly love these two more...because of how much they love each other. It's in the way he looks at her...and the way she looks at him. It's in the way he holds her, smiles at her, kisses her. But I don't have to tell you; you can see it...in their engagement pictures.

Anna and I have been friends since high school. And I know that Jim is her perfect match. Together, they make the sweetest couple, friendly, fun, and purely happy together. I have no doubt that their wedding next summer will be a joyous occasion, full of laughter and love.

Champ was such a good sport to come out to play with us in the crazy heat wave Maryland is having this summer. But I'm sure that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else besides hanging at his favorite park with his best friends!

I love Anna's pearl and diamond engagement ring. It is so stunning...and so very unique!

So Anna and Jim are huge baseball fans. She roots for her home team, the Baltimore Orioles (whoo!), while Jim cheers for the Phillies, who are from his home town. Nothing like a good old sports team rivalry!

After a game of catch at the park, we drove through the Canton area of Baltimore to get some gorgeous photos in the city, right where they go for a night out on the town.

But before we called it a day, we had to snag a photo opp with the famous face that watches over Baltimore...Natty Boh!

Have a great weekend!