Jillian Lee Photography

New Blog! New Website! New Logo!

2011-12-20T19:46:00.000-05:00

The day has come! I've grown up from blogspot (love you lots) and have moved on to a newer and better blog/website. You can find it directly at www.jillianleephotography.com! I will be posting there from now on. Feel free to check back through my past posts on here until I eventually update them there. The new site is where my newest work and life happenings will be posted though. I'll miss this little blogspot, but I'm so happy to be moving on to newer things in my business!!

and here is my beautiful new logo!

Recently.

2011-12-13T19:24:00.000-05:00

I certainly have been MIA, haven't I? It's been a busy month and there are some exciting things happening in my life currently. One of them being, I GOT A JOB! Like, a full-time, wear professional attire kind of job. I'll be the Sales Manager of The Quincy hotel in DC. It's a lovely hotel in a great location downtown and you should most definitely stop in for a stay! I'm so excited about this new adventure and it all starts on Monday! Not to worry though, I will still be booking weddings and other photo sessions in addition to working full-time. Speaking of this little business, there are some changes coming in the next few weeks, keep checking back for what's in store... it won't disappoint! Until then, here are some pictures of the day of Thanksgiving spent in the lovely little town of Shepherdstown, WV (where there's a miniature house!) Enjoy.

Emily and Andrew. A Courthouse Wedding.

2011-11-29T11:44:00.001-05:00

This was the sweetest day. It was full of walking, and love, and the marriage of Emily and Andrew. They were married at the DC Courthouse at 3pm and the delight in their faces could not be hidden. It was truly such a joy to document these happy and intimate moments in their life.

Thankful.

2011-11-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if there's a word limit on blogs but I think if I began to list all of the things I was thankful for I would most definitely exceed that limit. And so I won't. But if I did make such a list, I think that the lesser things I'm thankful for (ie. Pilot Precision Pens that make my handwriting look awesome, or hair straighteners for helping to minimize the train wreck that is my hair in the morning) the important ones might get lost amongst them. So, to not leave you wondering what exactly it is I'm thankful for during this season of thankfulness, I will tell you the ones on the top of my list.

The fact that I am engaged to a man who I love so much and who laughs with me always.

My parents (and roommates!) who love me and care for me so well.

My sister and Sam that are the greatest and most fun friends.

The six ladies who will stand beside me at my wedding.

The people who trusted me to photograph their weddings this year.

And food. Because I seriously love it so much. Especially at Thanksgiving.

And now that I'm done with my Oscar's speech, you can see a glimpse into our Thanksgiving with a few pre-dinner portraits to start it off right!

From where I sit.

2011-11-16T13:57:00.000-05:00

If you're in Rockville, Maryland and you want to feel like you're in Denver, Colorado, make a visit to your local Caribou Coffee shop. You will immediately be transported and there will be much happiness in your heart. If you're me, you'll bring a book you love, wear a cozy yellow sweater, and the people around you will look at you and wonder as you take 20 pictures of the table from where you sit.

The Soon-to-be-Wisharts.

2011-11-15T09:46:00.000-05:00

We dressed up and took some pictures too! I can't wait to get the one of us kissing under the tree made into a canvas. It's so fun that we'll soon get to decorate our own little place, and perhaps we'll be vain and have a picture or two of us around. I can't wait!

The Boro's. A Christmas Card.

2011-11-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

These are my siblings who I love so much. They are the most stylish and the best friends I could ever have.

My Life Lately.

2011-11-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

via my iPhone instagram pictures.

Featured: Our Engagement.

2011-11-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

It was pretty neat to wake up with an email saying our engagement was featured on the D.C. wedding blog United with Love! I'm so excited that the beautiful images of our engagement are out there for the world to see. Go check it out!

Baird and John. Married.

2011-10-26T16:20:00.000-04:00

It was the perfect day. The sun was out (finally a sunny wedding!) and the temperature was right around 70 degrees. I woke up in the town of Shelby, NC and fueled myself for what was ahead with a breakfast from IHOP. Just around the corner on a quiet street in this small town, Baird was enjoying the company of her bridesmaids and family as preparations for her wedding day took place. The day unfolded flawlessly as Baird and John committed their lives to each other under a canopy of trees. It wasn't hard to see that both of these people were so cherished by their families and communities and that the joining of them in marriage would only make those institutions flourish more. Weddings like this one make me so excited for my own!

The best day of my entire life.

2011-10-17T14:47:00.001-04:00

The story starts back in June. Aaron was spending the night at my parent's house and I woke him up at 4:30a.m. for a surprise. It had been about a month of us being so in love and so I wanted to do something special for him. I blindfolded him and drove us down to Old Town Alexandria to watch the sunrise over the Potomac River. Because this had been such a special moment for us, when Aaron woke me up on Monday morning at around 5:15a.m. it didn't seem too crazy to me. He whispered that we were going on an adventure and so I sprang out of bed and got ready. Aaron then blindfolded me, and as we drove he played every single one of my favorite songs. I cried under my blindfold pretty much our entire drive. Once we got to Alexandria he took me down a dock (I was still blindfolded) and had set up a blanket for us to watch the sunrise. When he took my blindfold off I saw this...

(This is unedited, folks. And taken with my iPhone. It was seriously this beautiful.)

He then read to me a passage from the book Mere Christianity about falling in love and marriage. Honestly, I can barely remember what it said because it was then that it started dawning on me that this could be a marriage proposal! Turns out, it was. Aaron asked me to stand up and then he said a bunch of nice things to me that I also can't remember along with how much he loved me, right before he said, "and now I have a question for you." That was when he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him!! I think I said "shut up!" and then "YES!" and then I asked him to marry me too. He prayed for us and when I turned to look down the dock after we were finished I spotted a photographer who had been documenting it all! And not only that, but it was Brian Tropiano who I had second shot for a few times this summer, and whose work I absolutely adore. Aaron then informed me that he has brought an outfit for me to change into and that we were going to have an engagement shoot right then! I was amazed. We spent the rest of the day calling people and walking around Capitol Hill, which is where we eventually want to live. We prayed and dreamed as we walked around the adorable streets, and it was so amazing doing those things as an engaged couple. We had plans to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and when we arrived I was surprised by both of our families waiting for us there to celebrate. I cried again and felt so celebrated. I've never felt more loved in a single day. It was literally the best day of my entire life thus far. Everything about it was perfect and more than I could have dreamed of. Needless to say, I AM SO EXCITED TO MARRY AARON WISHART!

....and here's both of our families after celebrating together!

The end!

Pumpkins.

2011-10-05T21:31:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows that pumpkins are orange, and to save your eyes from seeing both orange pumpkins and my orange hair, I thought some classy black and whites would do the job for these.

Alysa and Daniel. Married.

2011-10-05T09:59:00.000-04:00

This day was elegant, and detailed, and very very rainy. It was all around lovely and Alysa did such a beautiful job of creating a day that people would remember. Not to mention her and Dan and the entire wedding party were such troopers as I photographed them in the pouring rain. After a year of anticipating this wedding, I was so excited to finally document Alysa and Dan getting married. Their love is so sweet and they both are some of the kindest people you will ever meet, which makes me so excited about how close they live and how we will definitely be hanging out! Enjoy!

Second shooting. St. Michael's Wedding.

2011-09-21T21:27:00.001-04:00

Four words -- This. Wedding. Was. Perfect. Not only did it take place at the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michael's (which happens to make an appearance in the movie Wedding Crashers), but it was the perfect temperature with a beautiful couple, and I had the pleasure of assisting Brian Tropiano through it all. Second shooting is always such a great experience as you get to see the day from a different angle, and with a lot less pressure. Enjoy!

Monticello. But only the visitor's center.

2011-09-10T22:25:00.000-04:00

So I promise I won't turn this blog into a place where I only talk about my relationship, BUT I did fall in love with these pictures we took today during a little impromptu self-timer photoshoot that happened on our day trip to Charlottesville. This happened when we were too cheap to take the tour of Monticello and instead took these pictures below at the visitor's center. Classy. But, hey, I like them!

6 months ago.

2011-09-06T13:14:00.000-04:00

It was this day 6 months ago. I woke up to alarm that seemed to come way too early, and I dreaded the events that were planned for that day. Rewind four days and you would have found me at an event in DC. I was with Jess and Sam and we were standing around eating free appetizers when Lauren and Steve walked in. You see, at the time I had no idea who they were. I quickly found out that Steve was the Pastor of Jess' church in Annapolis and Lauren, his wife, was the woman who Jess had told about me. You know, to date her son. It sounded like a great idea to me that night. I would come to church where he would be on Sunday, we would all casually go out to lunch afterward, and the rest would be history. Well, I felt quite differently about the situation when I awoke on that Sunday morning. I pretty much thought that this all sounded pretty LAME. People knew that I was coming, TO MEET HIM. Which pretty much meant all eyes would be on us, I would forget how to talk, and the entire thing would be a waste of time and I could have just kept sleeping. After all of these worst case scenarios entered my brain, I remembered that I had told his mom I would go. She was a complete stranger to me but I had told her I would go. And so I went.

It was there that I finally met Aaron. And when I say I met him, that is literally all that happened. We greeted each other and that was it. Until lunch. My plan was to stick with Jess and Sam, because we were a trio, and I knew that no matter what lunch was like, the three of us would have fun. We arrived before every one else and headed to the bathroom. Once we came out everyone was there and the three empty seats were down at the end, near Aaron. I sat diagonal from him and continued to have a dramatic inner-dialogue about how the entire table would be watching us talk. This ended up not being true and lunch was actually so great. We all chatted and laughed and I even caught Aaron looking at me nicely a few times. Our conversation was pretty normal until someone asked Aaron about his cat. HIS CAT? This is the dialogue that followed...

Me: You have a cat??
Aaron: Yes.
Me: WHY?

I have no tact. Luckily, he laughed and explained to me why he had a cat. The great thing was I thought he was cute enough at this point to let that go. Shortly after, we all parted ways, and although the lunch was fun I had no expectations for ever really seeing him again. It wasn't until I got home when I had pretty immediate friend request from him did I think that perhaps he enjoyed meeting me, too. I know, I know. A friend request is a lot to read into, but it was pretty close to immediate and so I let my little mind wander to it meaning something. Which, now knowing his side of the story, it did ;)

So anyways, a few days went by and I woke up on Tuesday and remembered how I pretty much had insulted his cat ownership and so I took it upon myself to write him a Facebook message apologizing. From there a chain of messages were sent back and forth which finally lead to our first date that Friday.

Now I know that six months isn't really that long at all. It's not even something worth writing home about. But, you see, these past six months have been the best of my life. They have been full of love, so much laughter, and a relationship more full than I could have imagined. On the 6th of every month since then we've reflected on the events of that day, the hilarious inner-dialogue we were having in our brains and the ridiculous things I said that lead us to where we are now. I'm so thankful I got my lazy butt out of bed that morning. I can't wait for the next six!

Here are some of my favorite iPhone pictures from the past six months.

Murphy Girls.

2011-09-01T11:29:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing these three lovely ladies dressed in pink. You may have seen my post on Ella back in March, but with Sammi as the newest addition, it was time to take some pictures of these beauties together. Enjoy!

Boypal.

2011-08-25T10:19:00.000-04:00

I think I might start calling Aaron my boypal. We pal around so well together and this weekend in Norfolk was no exception.

Ian and Lauren. Married.

2011-08-18T15:14:00.000-04:00

The two days prior had been some of the most pleasant yet, but on the day of their wedding, the forecast called for rain. Lots of rain. Upon arriving at the church, I found Ian with his groomsman and his excitement for this day was not hindered in the least. When Lauren arrived, it was so clear that nothing else mattered except that today was the day she would becomes Ian's wife. The light-hearted attitude and unhurried excitement for what lied ahead made this day so pleasant to be a part of. Ian and Lauren were married beneath the shelter of an adorable white church, the kind that should be in a movie, and they vowed to love each other unconditionally, and sacrificially for the rest of their lives. The clouds parted and the humidity broke and the day unfolded just as they desired. It was beautiful, and I'm so glad to have been a part of it.

Holga.

2011-08-07T21:46:00.000-04:00

I'm way more excited about this round of Holga pictures than I am from the first batch. The lady at CVS still wondered if I wanted the pictures developed because she thought they looked bad. I think they look awesome. Judge for yourselves :)

Bikes.

2011-08-06T10:26:00.000-04:00

Biking at the beach is bliss.

Kites.

2011-08-05T18:16:00.001-04:00

On my second date with Aaron I declared to him that my one desire for the summer was to fly a kite at the beach. I didn't want to fly any kite though. Only an original diamond shaped kite would do the job. On my birthday, Aaron gifted me the perfect rainbow-colored, diamond-shaped kite. Yesterday, I finally got to fly this kite and I thought my heart would explode from the joy I felt in that moment.

Weekend.

2011-07-30T13:17:00.000-04:00

Why, Hello.

2011-07-25T17:57:00.001-04:00

Well, I certainly fell off the face of the blogging world didn't I? My apologies. For those of you who are in close contact with me, you know that I DID indeed make it back across the country safely. One will find that taking road trip pictures gets a little less exciting after 7 days of constant driving and finding yourself in states such as Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. No offense. We did however make one last stop in Pittsburgh before getting home in Maryland. Since then, I headed out on another road trip this past weekend with Aaron. We stopped in Pittsburgh again, attended a wedding in the lovely town of Warsaw, Indiana, and visited with my best friend Natalie in Columbus for a mere 30 minutes. After all of this driving in the past two weeks I've come to the conclusion that there is never enough diet coke to drink and my legs very much miss walking.

Road Trip Day 4: Des Moines to Chicago.

2011-07-15T12:37:00.000-04:00

Chicago may have just become my new favorite city. On to Louisville!

Road Trip Day 3: Iowa.

2011-07-14T09:59:00.000-04:00

The only picture we took on Day 3 was this one because most of our day was spent in an auto repair waiting room watching Say Yes to the Dress with two middle-aged women from South Dakota. All is well after a replacement to the water pump, and we're ready to head on to Chicago after a wonderful night's stay with the Oller family in Des Moines. Check back tomorrow!

Road Trip Day 2: Billings to the Badlands.

2011-07-13T13:43:00.001-04:00

Our journey continued yesterday through Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Take a looksie!

Day 1: Spokane to Montana.

2011-07-12T08:58:00.000-04:00

Our trip has begun! We left Spokane yesterday morning and made our way through the Big Sky State most of the day (The sky is literally bigger here). We were lucky enough to experience more than 5 rainbows, a man herding a flock of sheep out of a truck, the sun setting over the mountains, a gourmet Lunchable dinner, and a fine night’s sleep at a Motel 6. Just a day in the life of a road trip across America. We’re headed to Mount Rushmore today and I bought the perfect majestic tee to wear. Check back tomorrow!

Spokane.

2011-07-11T01:12:00.000-04:00

My day and a half spent in Spokane has been such joy to my heart. I consider this place one of my homes and it feels so good to be back. I also love the fact that there is no humidity which makes for awesome hair all day every day. We take off on our road trip tomorrow and there will be many updates to come! Stay tuned...

Cross-Country Road Trip.

2011-07-10T18:00:00.000-04:00

I'm currently in Spokane preparing to leave for a road trip across the country with Sarah. We leave Monday the 11th and we hope to be back in Maryland by the 17th. I'll be updating pictures from our adventure as we go!

Katie and Dylan. Married.

2011-07-07T23:29:00.000-04:00

When you are a part of something that's done right, there is such a sense of satisfaction that other experiences can't provide. I walked away from Katie and Dylan's wedding day with this very fulfillment. The planning and energy that went into every detail of the day left me in awe, and the love between Katie and Dylan amongst their community of family and friends was such an image of how things ought to be.

Being a part of this wedding was especially significant for me as Katie has been one of my closest friends for the past three years. We met at a Young Life camp in New York while serving on summer staff for a month as lifeguards. Throughout that month our friendship deepened and we both learned what exactly genuine fellowship looked like. Because we lived close to each other at home and both went to school in the south our friendship continued after camp was over and she has continued to be such a blessing to my life since then. I was also lucky enough to know her while she and Dylan began dating (the second time around ;) and through the two years of dating before their engagement. Knowing how amazing they are individually, I am so confident that Katie and Dylan are better together than apart. The love that they share for Jesus and for each other will continue to be such a blessing to all of those in their lives. I am so excited that these two are finally married!

Also, fair warning, there a LOT of pictures in this post. Enjoy!

Puerto Rico.

2011-07-06T18:46:00.000-04:00

While on a cruise last week, we stopped in Puerto Rico for just a few short hours. Here are a few pictures that were taken in this beautiful place.

Sneak Peek.

2011-07-05T10:46:00.000-04:00

Here's a sneak peek of a wedding that I am VERY excited to share. Stay tuned!

Rose and Andrew. Married.

2011-06-22T18:32:00.001-04:00

Rose and Andrew were married this past Saturday at a beautiful North Carolina vineyard. I've been looking forward to this wedding for many months as Rose and I have been emailing back and forth about all the details. Although the weather required some last minute changes in the original plan, the wedding was beautiful from start to finish. Rose and Andrew, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. I hope you are having the best time in the Dominican Republic!

Rose and Andrew. Sneak Peek.

2011-06-20T11:42:00.000-04:00

Get excited for this beautiful North Carolina Vineyard wedding!

The Cutest Town in America.

2011-06-13T10:46:00.000-04:00

I spent my Saturday in St. Michael's, Maryland which is not only where the movie Wedding Crashers was filmed, but it also happens to be the cutest town in America where people own sailboats and Civil War reenactors casually stand on street corners.

.....annnnnd one last glamour shot in front of the flowers of course.

Alison and Kris. Engaged. Part 2.

2011-06-09T10:12:00.000-04:00

What's better than taking engagement pictures once? Taking them twice! Here is another round of engagement pictures of Alison and Kris.

Featured on Bayside Bride.

2011-06-08T10:18:00.000-04:00

There comes a day in every photographer's life (hopefully!) where your work gets noticed by someone and out of that comes a feature. Today is that day for me! Krista and Natalie over at Bayside Bride contacted me after seeing the wedding I shot of Kathy and Chance in Annapolis. I was thrilled to be featured on their blog as they are an amazing source of wedding resources and inspiration for brides in the Annapolis and Chesapeake area. Check out their website for the full feature!

My Rainbow Birthday Party.

2011-06-06T09:17:00.001-04:00

It all started because of a cake. A rainbow cake, to be exact. I saw the cake on Pinterest and told my sister that it was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. But of course I should have known, with a cake so big, there would need to be people to eat it. So the planning began.

Finally on Friday, all of the anticipation of the cake (which might I add was a beautiful success!) and my sisters hard work in planning came to be when so many people that I love showed up at my house head to toe in every color of the rainbow to celebrate. It was the most joyful of evenings, and a colorful one at that.

Sarah and Randy. Married.

2011-06-01T13:21:00.000-04:00

On Monday, I had the pleasure of second shooting a wedding with photographer Brian Tropiano. The wedding was located at Raspberry Plain which overlooks the Catoctin Mountains in Virginia. Although the day was very hot, it was a beautiful celebration of two people who are so in love, and the lighting for portraits could not have been more perfect. Make sure your check out Brian's website for his pictures of the day as well!

Wildflowers.

2011-05-31T16:05:00.000-04:00

Beach House.

2011-05-25T18:39:00.000-04:00

Last summer, my parents bought a beach house. This summer, I plan on enjoying it. The enjoyment of it began this weekend, along with some blading. Rollerblading, that is.

Sugarloaf Mountain Winery.

2011-05-24T16:17:00.000-04:00

There's a very small mountain in Maryland. It's called Sugarloaf Mountain. Beside that mountain is a winery. Aaron and I went there on Friday. We wine tasted and trekked through the vineyard. It was lovely.

Kathy and Chance. Married.

2011-05-23T11:34:00.002-04:00

On May 14th, I awoke to cloudy skies and light rain. I said a little prayer, picked up my sister, and was on my way to Annapolis to shoot the wedding of Kathy and Chance. Months before this day, I sat with Kathy in a coffee shop downtown and we spent hours getting to know each other, pouring over the details of her wedding, and most importantly talking about the sweet love that her and Chance have for each other. As I arrived at the church to find the girls getting ready, it was hard to believe that the day we had talked so much about was finally here. The room bustled with laughter and chatter, and small prayers were said for the rain to hold so that the wedding could take place on a beautiful piece of land beside the Severn River. At 4 o'clock Kathy descended down a grassy hill to a place full of family and friends, and one adoring man named Chance who was reading to marry her. The cloudy skies casted the perfect light to document the commitment that these two made before God and their loved ones. And after the reception, as they ran through a tunnel of sparklers held by so many people that love them, the rain that had held off all day started to come down just as they drove off to their honeymoon.

Alison and Kris. Engaged.

2011-05-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been to Guam? No? Me neither. Alison and Kris have. In fact, it's where they met. Their love blossomed into 4 years of dating, which over New Year's turned into an engagement. I had the pleasure of documenting a bit of their love in Old Town Alexandria last Thursday, and I couldn't be more excited about the wedding they are planning for next June!

Last Weekend.

2011-05-13T20:56:00.001-04:00

Welp, I've definitely succeeded in neglecting my blog for several weeks. I could probably make a bunch of excuses as to why I've sucked, but instead, I'll get right to what you really want. Pictures. But before the pictures, I will tell you this, last weekend was wonderful. I got an official tour of the Naval Academy in Annapolis from a legitimate graduate (who also happens to be my boyfriend!), celebrated a few birthdays, and made sure to give my Mom some extra loving on Mother's Day. Thanks for welcoming me back into the blog world so graciously!

Iron&Wine and The Low Anthem.

2011-04-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

I often refer to certain people as "musical elitist's" when they love really obscure bands and NEVER listen to the radio. I, for one, am not a musical elitist. I love the radio, sure the songs they play on repeat get annoying after a while, but before they get annoying I shamelessly think they are awesome. From time to time, with the help of my musical elitist friends and sometimes Pandora, I'll come across a band that ISN'T on the radio. Iron&Wine is one of those bands, and I got the pleasure of seeing them play (with openers The Low Anthem) in the lovely city of Richmond last night. The show was wonderful and I think I fell in love with the lights during it. Seriously, I squealed more about the beautiful colors than the songs I think. Obviously, I'm no elitist.

A Monday.

2011-04-26T00:19:00.000-04:00

Who knew a Monday could be so great? I began a new job at a local coffee shop (come visit?), learned more about coffee than I ever thought possible (may or may not have tried MANY variations of said coffee), and lunched with my sister and Sam at Noodles and Company all before 1 o' clock. After some other wonderful things in between, Allie and I embarked on a mission to DINE in the city, thus the pictures below...

Of course, we stopped to take our standard glamour shots on the way.

We ate at Founding Farmers, and it was AMAZING. Our hopes for dining were fulfilled as we enjoyed our meal for two hours. Seriously, go to this place!

From there, we took self-timer pictures in front of beautiful fountains. Of course. This friendship would not be as well documented without the help of self-timer and 10 seconds of awkwardly posing while passerby's wait for it to take.

That is all, it was the happiest Monday.

Easter Seesters.

2011-04-24T20:16:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter!

Buckeystown, America.

2011-04-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Today was the loveliest spring day. I went on an hour long walk this morning, where I literally stopped to smell the roses, I had fresh almond butter as a main part of two of my meals, and I spent a good portion of the afternoon driving through rural parts of Montgomery County with Jen. We found a cute little town called Buckeystown and documented our fun of course. I'm so glad spring is here!

DIY Wall Art.

2011-04-13T17:05:00.000-04:00

Just about once a year something comes over me and I suddenly have the urge to craft. I usually have to be inspired by a similar idea and that idea must be EASY. I tend to not have a lot of patience when it comes to crafting but, trust me, this is easy! And super cute!

Simply trace and cut out hearts from the pages of an old book. In addition, cut one heart from a piece of solid colored paper.

Then fold the hearts in half and put glue on one side of the fold.

Paste down in a scattered pattern on your piece of paper. Glue the entire colored heart down.

Put the finished product in a shadowbox style frame so the hearts can stand out, and you'll have yourself a cute piece of art for your wall!

84 degrees.

2011-04-11T23:02:00.000-04:00

A day that is close to 90 degrees in April is meant to be spent outdoors... even if a sunburn is the result.

Rain.

2011-04-08T15:21:00.002-04:00

Just because it's raining, doesn't mean there aren't pretty things to be photographed. April showers bring May flowers, right? Happy Friday to you!

What do you do on a perfect spring day?

2011-04-04T23:03:00.000-04:00

Take glamour shots (with cars in the background) and climb trees with your sister, of course.

Cherry Blossoms.

2011-04-04T16:31:00.000-04:00

A Friday afternoon spent amongst the monuments and cherry blossoms was the perfect way to begin an amazing weekend. The blossoms were in full bloom along with the people with cameras documenting the beauty. I, of course, was one of those people and here is a little taste of what my eyes saw.

What to do on a rainy day.

2011-03-30T19:09:00.000-04:00

Revisiting Utah.

2011-03-24T08:54:00.000-04:00

This was one of my favorite (and most terrifying) trips to date. We drove 20 hours from Washington to Utah, camped on the rim of a canyon, and repelled 150 feet INTO that canyon. I constantly go back to pictures I took from this trip and am reminded once again how beautiful our country is. Happy Thursday to you!

Marco Island Sunsets.

2011-03-22T11:02:00.002-04:00

Meet Juan Carlos.

2011-03-20T15:33:00.000-04:00

What do you do when you're on vacation in Florida and a sign outside one of those obnoxious tourist beach stores says "Free Hermit Crabs. Inquire within"?

You inquire within.

And you may or may not come out of that store with a brand new hermit crab to care for (and possibly even consider part of your family). But not before you ask the store clerk if you can return the hermit crab, you know, just incase things don't work out. Luckily for us, things worked out and although we've experienced more of the hermit side of our crab, we're finding joy in the little things like movement in the night and minor breakthroughs of interaction.

Everyone, meet Juan Carlos.

See you in 8 days!

2011-03-10T23:55:00.000-05:00

The last time I was in Marco Island was in 2007. Our time was full of sunburns, blow up whales, self-timer pictures, and inside jokes that only Allie and I find funny. I also had bangs. Although the bangs are now gone, you can be sure the pictures to come will include sunburns, hilarity, and maybe even some blow up whales. You have much to look forward to when I return in 8 days. Get excited. I am.

Mustache Monday.

2011-03-08T17:09:00.000-05:00

My favorite moments in life are the ones where I say "this is my life right now" because I simply cannot believe that it's my life. It's as if I'm trying to wrap my head around the goodness of what is taking place so I have to remind myself that THIS is MY life right now. Last night provided several of those moments. It began with Mustache Monday. A little event at a DC bar where people are growing mustaches during the month of March to raise money for a non-profit called 826dc. I was surrounded by people with mustaches (some real, some fake) and new friends galore. Then the night continued to an album listening party for Derek Webb's new album Feedback. I sat in the library (with a moving ladder might I add) of a DC row house with new friends and got to listen and then discuss a completely instrumental album based on the Lord's Prayer. It was amazing, and I had to remind myself... THIS IS MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.

Revisiting Cinque Terre, Italy.

2011-03-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't been everywhere in the world (yet), but even if I had, I'm confident this would remain one of my favorite places ever (which I knew upon seeing underwear hanging from people's homes high above the street). I give you a small taste of the Cinque Terre through my lens.

Revisiting Paris.

2011-03-05T16:34:00.001-05:00

A lot of my downtime is spent on the computer. And if we're honest it's probably far more time than needs to be spent in front any kind of screen. Sometimes I feel like I reach the end of the internet looking at blogs that somehow endlessly link from one to another. Often times on these blogs I stumble upon people who have lives filled with travel and I find myself longing for other lands. Then I have to stop and remember, I too have traveled a lot. Considering my age of only 22 years, I've been quite a few amazing places and I've decided to revisit some of those places by going through my pictures and chronicling them on here to share. First stop, Paris.

Ella.

2011-03-04T12:46:00.000-05:00

Meet Ella. She's 22 months old and we've been hanging out this week. She says things I don't understand, and I say things she doesn't understand, but some how we communicate and manage to have a lot of fun. Sometimes we dance in the living room and other times we wave to the mail man. We also love to look through my purse and I'm pretty sure Ella is going to do a great job handing people her credit card some day. She's mastered the task of getting it in and out of my wallet along with pushing all the right buttons on my cell phone. Enjoy the pictures, and happy Friday!

Swoon.

2011-03-03T19:45:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday. I've eaten Chipotle twice this week and I've babysat a toddler four times. I'm starting to think in toddler talk, which if you've even spent much time with a toddler, is a lot of noises and not a lot of words. I also spent some time looking through old photoshoots on my computer and I forgot how much this picture makes me swoon. Let us revisit it together.

Winter Beach.

2011-02-25T16:42:00.001-05:00

I took a trip to the beach with my Dad yesterday so he could work on our house while I walked down by the water and took pictures of the empty sand and boardwalk. I have high hopes for summer time.

annnnd a windy self-portrait to end this post. Happy Friday.

Twice As Warm.

2011-02-24T10:12:00.000-05:00

My great friend Brian Lieberman started a small project in the summer called Twice As Warm. He wanted to create a sustainable way of providing new clothing to struggling children and families in his community so he established a similar model to TOMS where every clothing item purchased, an identical clothing item would be given to someone in need.

Brian has worked closely with the DC Jewish Community Center for the past several months planning an event where local volunteers could pack lunches to give to the homeless while Twice As Warm gave out hats, gloves, and scarves. The event was held this past Sunday in a DC park after volunteers packed 50 lunch bags to pass out to those in need. The outcome of the event was incredible as all the lunches and clothing items were passed out in a matter of minutes. Here are some pictures from the event and you can also see some of these pictures featured on the Twice As Warm website.

Holga.

2011-02-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

Today I saw the Declaration of Independence and yesterday I got these pictures from my Holga developed. The photo lady at Target thought I was crazy when I told her they were supposed to come out that way. Then she asked me if I was a professional photographer with a little bit of sarcasm in her voice. The answer to that question was yes, even though these pictures don't exactly show case that. But really they're supposed to look this way. It's called Lomography. Check it.

Georgetown.

2011-02-15T00:56:00.000-05:00

It was 65 degrees today annnnnnnd this was how I spent my day.

Happy Valentine's Day.

2011-02-15T00:51:00.000-05:00

Poolesville.

2011-02-13T21:18:00.000-05:00

Today Jen and I took pictures in Poolesville and played with puppies at a kennel. Here are the pictures.

Blue Bird Cafe.

2011-02-13T11:07:00.000-05:00

Ever heard of Taylor Swift? The Blue Bird Cafe is where it began for her. Songwriters come out to this Nashville venue every week to line up in hopes that they will be chosen to perform during the open mic night. Nerves are running high as you look around the room knowing that there could be someone waiting to discover your song in the audience. This is a no-talking event, and don't even think about rearranging the chairs at your table. It definitely felt more like an audition than an open mic but it was so enjoyable listening to people's hearts as they sang their songs.

Arrington Vineyards.

2011-02-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

I'm no wine connoisseur (and yes I did just google that word to spell it), but the wine at Arrington Vineyards was top-notch. I'm actually not even certain it was the wine that made this day so wonderful. In fact, it was more about the warm (ish) weather, the swings, the bon fire, the colby jack cheese we bought a new cheese cutter for, and spending time laughing at loud southern ladies with people I love.

Annapolis.

2011-02-03T10:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday made me long for summer. It was sunny and warm and I drank an iced coffee like I would if it were summer time. After an awesome coffee date with a future bride, I walked around downtown Annapolis and soaked in as much Vitamin D as possible.

Thankful.

2011-01-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

My sister is making a quilt, my mom is working from the kitchen table, and I'm here as the snow continues to fall and the amount of hours I've been wearing my pajamas increases. We celebrated my mom's birthday last night with italian food and cupcakes and I was thankful. For snow, for cupcakes, for my family.

Snow Day.

2011-01-26T17:25:00.001-05:00

A snow day for my sister meant a hang out for us in Bethesda today. And now it's snowing so much more. Maybe round two of hanging out with my Sees tomorrow? I can only hope!

Happy Birthday Mom.

2011-01-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday. Isn't it crazy that because she was born on this day, I too am here on this day writing about it? The circle of life people. Moving on... I LOVE MY MOM. But I also love string cheese and rollerblading so I would like to share with you precisely why I love my Mom.

She loves adventure. She's such an advocate of my love for traveling and experiencing new things and she always planned the best vacations for our family to go on.

She is super goofy and is so graceful on being the receiving end of many of our family jokes.

She's a planner which helps a not-so-much a planner like myself do life well.

She's a faithful daughter and has shown me through example in her own relationship with her Mom how to be a good daughter and a friend.

She teaches me more about Jesus in her graciousness and kindness. She is always so willing to listen and always hears out my crazy life plans that change weekly.

My Mom is beautiful inside and out. I mean it. Not only has she taught me more about life, living it fully, and appreciating the people in it, but she'll call me out if I'm wearing too much eyeshadow, and she'll always be the first to compliment a fresh coat of nail polish. What more can you ask for?

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you entirely.

The Gage Family.

2011-01-25T00:08:00.000-05:00

You may already know about Pete. Whether you've seen him in my pictures on Facebook, or heard me talk about him, you know that he was a major fixture in my Spokane life. Pete introduced me to a lot of things in the four months I lived near him. Several being, documentaries on natural birth, gang violence, and conspiracy theories (separate documentaries of course), Suddenly Salad (bacon and ranch flavor only), neti pots (not pleasant, but also hilarious), sailing (we capsized), and last but not least his family. Pete loves his family more than he loves giving speeches about the end times and drinking coffee at Rockwood Bakery (both of which he likes a lot). Pete has truly been such a great friend to me and we will forever have a bond over watching Ricki Lake give birth and laughing harder than I ever thought possible at something that we never anticipated seeing... EVER. I love the Gage family, a lot.

These love bird siblings couldn't get enough of each other. It was so sweet.

Uncle Peter.

Carleigh and Matt. Married.

2011-01-14T03:37:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first wedding blog post of 2011. I can't imagine a better way to start the year then by shooting a wedding of such dear friends. Matt and Carleigh have been dating since high school and this wedding was much anticipated by them and so many people that love them deeply. The reception that followed the ceremony made it evident that these two were meant to be together and that this union was one to be celebrated. I am so thankful I got to be a part of this day because the love between these two not only blesses them, but all those around. Bring on the 2011 weddings.

The Elaine dance.

Yep, that's me, with my dance pointer out. This is what second shooters are for at weddings you shoot for your friends.

Matt and Carleigh, I hope you're having so much fun at the Atlantis in the Bahamas. Say hello to Mary-Kate and Ashely Olson for me if they are there (Holiday in the Sun circa 2001 anyone?)

2010. A year in review.

2011-01-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

This past January I began a word document on my computer. A word document of what you might ask? A list of all of my favorite moments from 2010. I made a point to take note of all the awesome things that I got to do, the hilarious interactions I had, and the memories that I might have forgotten if I hadn't taken the time to write them down. The moments range from seemingly insignificant ones such as getting free pancakes at IHOP with Natalie and Mykel, to more memorable ones like going to Haiti for a week with Young Life, or camping without a tent and then repelling 150 feet into a canyon this summer. Regardless if the moment was big or small there were a million reasons why I loved this year and even more ways that I've seen growth in myself and the goodness of God within every part. There's no better way to relieve memories than through pictures, so with that said... I bring you my 2010.

The year began by participating in Elon's intramural bowling league, I learned that looking at the lines helps when trying to get a strike. Good info to have.

I had to miss a game or two because I drove to Georgia and shot my very first wedding for Jamie and Jeremy Shull!

We hosted some great dinner parties at the O'Kelly house and even managed to spill spaghetti sauce a few times.

One of my best friends and roommates got married and I got to stand by her as a bridesmaid.

The day after the wedding I left for Haiti to hang out with displaced children after the earthquake.

Once the weather warmed up back at Elon, Mykel and I spent a lot of time finding adventures and one of them happened to be at a local llama farm.

We continued to make ridiculous videos at O'Kelly and took advantage of the awesome costumes in our skit closet.

My best friend Natalie and I made our annual trip to Wrightsville Beach to watch the sunrise.

I also continued to thoroughly enjoy my last few weeks in college by going to ridiculous events such as Festivus.

And then..... on May 22nd I became an Elon University graduate.

A few weeks later I turned 22 and celebrated at my aunt and uncle's mountain cabin by four wheeling and shooting guns.

Exactly a month after graduating college I headed off to Spokane, Washington for one of the best adventures of my life.

After a week of being there, I watched my boss (and amazing photographer) complete the Iron Man race in Couer D'Alene, Idaho.

I took a weekend trip to Seattle to celebrate the 4th of July.

And then I rode in a hot air balloon. And realized I was the luckiest girl in the world.

I also prayed for a car. And that day my friend Kyle gave me his car. Miracles.

I also bridge jumped and continued to love my Spokane life so much.

Then I went on the most epic trip ever to Utah with Jed and some other friends. I camped outside without a tent and repelled 150 feet into a canyon.

A few days after returning from Utah I road-tripped from Spokane to Olympia, Portland, and the Redwood Forest with Sarah and Natalie.

I also got a chance to go sailing (and managed to capsize the boat) with my great friend Pete.

Adventures continued with an overnight road-trip to Ellensburg with 3 of my favorite friends. We stood next to wind turbines on the way home and I can officially check that off my bucket list.

After returning to the East Coast I shot an amazing Indian/American wedding in Pittsburgh with my friend Cole.

I also got to take a trip to NYC to visit Mykel and shoot an awesome couple in Central Park.

The holidays came and went and we made sure to have lots of fun at all of our family gatherings.

This year made it official... I am blessed. I cannot wait to see what adventures, challenges, joys, friendships, and fun 2011 brings. Thanks for being a part of my year.

Graffiti DC.

2010-12-29T00:48:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was given another opportunity to shoot the Graffiti DC Poetry Slam and once again I left feeling inspired by the words so eloquently spoken by each and every poet. I'm blown away how words can be placed together to have such beautiful yet powerful meaning and the unique ways these talented poets seem to do that. I would really encourage you to go to a slam if you ever get a chance! Here are a few pictures from the night.

Christmas in Pittsburgh.

2010-12-27T23:12:00.000-05:00

I am perpetual borrower. I tend to think once I borrow something, I have custody. Not everyone gets pumped about this. My Dad, being the observant man that he is, noticed that I was frequently borrowing his point and shoot camera for my little jaunts and outings that I don't want to tote my big camera on. So on Christmas morning, as I opened one of my gifts I found myself as a new owner of my very own point and shoot camera. It's nothing fancy, but it's actually mine which means I'm not taking it from anyone else! I took it out to dinner (which might I add was a wonderful one) tonight in downtown Pittsburgh with my family. We're in town for a few days visiting my Grandma and cousins and we dined at Station Square which happens to be an old and beautiful train station. Here is a little taste of our evening.

Poltorak Sisters.

2010-12-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

The bond between sisters is one that resonates deeply with me as my sister is one of my favorite people in the world. I was blessed enough to have a guaranteed friend for life by being her sister. These girls below were lucky enough to have TWO of those, and I got the chance to spend a little time with them on Tuesday. The oldest, Julia, and I went to high school together and I was so excited when she contacted me to take pictures to give to her parents for Christmas. They are all so different, yet compliment each other so perfectly (not to mention they trusted me when I told them to trek into field with potential thorn bushes in the FREEZING cold).

John and Erin. New York City Portrait Session.

2010-12-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

I met John and Erin for the first time this summer when I shot Jess and Ryan's wedding in Asheville. Erin, now a pastor at a church in New York, officiated the wedding and doubled as a bridesmaid. John was also in the wedding and stood as one of Ryan's groomsmen. My sister and her husband Sam are also good friends with John and Erin from Elon, but unfortunately they both graduated before my time there. It wasn't until this past Saturday that I got to spend an afternoon with them around New York City and also enjoy views from their AMAZING apartment on the upper east side. It was so great to get to hang out with them, and their love for each other made it so easy to take awesome pictures. See for yourself :)

This one is my FAVORITE.

and this is a really close second.

NYC part 2.

2010-12-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a second round of NYC photos from my 7d. Enjoy.

Inside of Macy's!

NYC part 1. (via point and shoot camera)

2010-12-12T11:08:00.000-05:00

Most every time I've been to NYC I've made my way around the city to see all the typical tourist spots. Not this time. I got in around 4:30pm on Friday and until 5:30pm on Saturday my friend Mykel and his girlfriend Phoung took me right along in their life which included, a cocktail party at a gallery where Phoung works, lots of subway rides, thai food, a french friend, hole in the wall restaurants and bakeries, and more friends. My visit left me dreaming of living in New York, but my knowledge of the rent brought me riiiight back to reality, maybe someday! More pictures to come from my "real" camera and from a wonderful shoot on Saturday!

Also, I got to see my friend Pete from when I studied abroad in Ireland. He came to the gallery (which you can see in the background)

Art.

We felt like our reflections helped improve the overall exhibit.

Caitlin and Ameesh. Married. Part 2.

2010-12-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

Count on it.

2010-11-30T13:02:00.000-05:00

Whenever I'm home, there are a few things I can count on. I will spend most of my money on the burrito bowl I've perfected at Chipotle and I will have a photoshoot with Leigh. Yesterday, the universe aligned and BOTH of those things happened. Leigh and I went to Chipotle, I requested far more cilantro-lime rice than they wanted to give me, and then Leigh and I went into the woods behind my house and took pictures.

Sean and Erin.

2010-11-29T22:48:00.000-05:00

These sweet ones below are the product of my cousin Jenny and her husband Brian. All I know is that someday hearts all over the world are going to be broken by these two and their big blue eyes.

I love this face so much. Makes me laugh every time.

The Mendelson Family.

2010-11-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

Although it's tricky to get 3 kids under the age of 3 to all look in the same direction at the same time, I'm absolutely in love with the photos from this session. The overcast skies and their matching red outfits created the perfect look for all things Christmas and winter. Meet Brent, Jeanne, Molly, Lily, and Charlie!

More of Jess and Sam.

2010-11-23T11:05:00.000-05:00