Backyard Weddings are Popular Again thanks to the Coronavirus!

And I am here for it.

Documentary photography fits perfectly into the backyard wedding vibe of moments over posing so I am not mad at all that weddings are swinging back towards smaller, more intimate celebrations with close family and away from the huge weddings where many of my couples felt overwhelmed (or worse, that they needed to keep up with local trends instead of just doing whatever they wanted)

The pressure to have a “good” wedding is real and I think one of the good things to come out of COVID-19 was that its forcing us to downscale our expectations of perfection. People are more okay with the chaos. (And Ya’ll know how much I love chaos)

We Are Not as Divided as We Appear

I try not to get too political because I photograph people of all different walks of life and value opinions that differ from mine, but it seems time to come out (no pun intended…well…) make a statement.

Spend a few minutes on my website and you’ll see that I photograph all different kinds of people. * I * am a different kind of people—there is a color on the above flag that represents me. If you believe that two (or more) consenting adults shouldn’t be able to be married or that systematic racism doesn’t exist, then we might not be the best fit.

I love America, LOVE IT. I believe this country was founded on religious freedom and the belief that all men are created equal. But we aren’t there yet. The United States is so young. We are still in our adolescence. We are still growing up into the country that we are meant to be.

That is why we are marching in the streets. This is why things are changing. And change is good. I’m from Indiana, and we all know that “Rain makes corn and corn makes whiskey.” I know there are Christians and Cops and White people and straight people who all believe that the Government should stay out of people’s business and that reform needs to be made so that good cops can continue to do their jobs. There are a few loud voices trying to make it seem like everyone hates one another, but I see the diversity of these marches, and the people speaking up. America is coming together. We are uniting.

If you haven’t registered to vote, please do so at https://www.vote.org/

Doing Your Own Wedding Makeup? You Need This

A lot of brides hire a makeup artist or have a friend that is a wizard with makeup to do their face on THE BIG DAY….but not everyone. This post is for you. This post is for me if I can ever get off my duff and plan a vow renewal…because you know I will be sitting in some cabin somewhere with a mirror balanced between my knees watching YouTube Tutorials at the very last minute :P

I’m going to be honest. I found this brush thanks to a Facebook Ad and was pretty skeptical about adding this to my giant pile of beauty blenders but I just got it and it works so good! Its dense enough to not soak up all of your makeup but soft enough to feel great on your skin.

If you are wondering what foundation to look at, I see a LOT of makeup artists using the Maybelline Matte and Poreless foundation to provide full, long lasting coverage. (this is also what I use and I love it)

A Car Themed Engagement Session in Anderson, Indiana

Does it count if these two are actually married?

These long time clients of mine wanted to do something a little different for a couples photography session in Anderson, Indiana. They both love cars and racing so we took advantage of a not so secret spot to take some photos celebrating their hobby and their love <3

Engagement sessions don’t have to be one size fits all! If you have an idea please let me know! I love to stretch my creative legs and do something different. Even if you don’t have an idea, let me know if you are up for something "weird” and I’ll throw some ideas out for you. We creative types are always coming up with weird ideas or looking at other photography sessions where someone else has don’t something creative so we are all just waiting for someone to make the suggestion, haha.

Paul and CG's Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Party in Anderson, Indiana

Let the Party Begin!

Family and friends flew into Anderson, Indiana from all over the world to celebrate Paul and CG’s wedding. The couple emailed me and loved my emphasis on documentary work and was particularly excited about my willingness to not pose anything. All they wanted was the weekend to be captured as real as laid back as possible.

Yes, please!

You all know that I can tell people what to do, but there is something equally challenging and rewarding in event photography where you are just set loose to capture things as they happen. I always get my favorite images when I’m just watching people and this weekend I got several of my favorite images of the year!