After 2 weeks of international work in Africa and travel in Europe, we’re back. And as always, it was an experience I'll never forget. Everyone always asks “How was Africa?” And I’ve learned that you can use words like “fine” or “amazing” or even “life-changing”. But the honest truth is, I never really can answer the question for myself. After four times of traveling and working there

An evening with Jon and Shayla might mean that your stomach hurts from laughing a lot...at least that was the case with me. Jon is a fellow musician and college buddy and I'm fortunate enough to have been musically influenced by his creative expertise. And so it was an honor to be able to create some images to celebrate the fact that he's marrying a wonderful girl named Shayla who seems to be just his perfect fit. Thanks for a wonderful (and painful) evening you two, and congratulations. 

Meet Noah and Anjeanette. Noah a fireman and Anjeanette a school teacher love the great outdoors and everything that goes along with them. In fact, they're currently training for a Tough Mudder race but with plenty of half marathons and triathlons under their belts, they're probably going to rock it no problem. They're also engaged and we're very excited about their upcoming fall wedding in Ponca Arkansas. Earlier this week, they took an evening off from their training and together, we braved a "ferocious" dinosaur (and the ferocious heat) and created some engagement images with them. Here's a few of our favorites. Enjoy!

Meet Chris and Kacey. If you happen to arrive at the local airport and you need a car shuttle service, you might ACTUALLY meet Chris & Kacey. They both work for Jim's Express Shuttle Service and they both love it for the fact that it's a great opportunity for "people watching". We sat and chatted and drank iced coffee before I introduced them to our car service, featuring the Novomobile and my less-than-adequate driving skills. As it turned out, the temperatures dropped a bit and it was a great evening for engagement photos. Here's a few of our favorites! Enjoy.

Today, we're excited to share a few of our favorite images from the recent wedding of two of our dear friends. We were first introduced to Josh and Kelsey by the couple that first introduced them to each other. We met for the first time in our studio and approximately 5 minutes after they arrived, a guy with power tools started making lots of noise next door and we had to relocate to a park just so we could hear each other talk. Over the past year, we've gotten to know these two pretty well. Last July, we traveled to Celina, Texas (where Kelsey is proudly from) for their engagement photos. We spent the weekend seeing the sights of the town and the countryside and we thoroughly enjoyed hanging out and with their family, who also happens to be awesome. Their wedding day was a joyous celebration filled with family and friends, many of whom traveled for the occasion. And of course Kelsey looked beautiful in her dress. Josh confessed that his eyes were a little "watery" when he laid eyes on her.  Our sincerest congratulations to these two on a beautiful day and the start of a beautiful journey together. 

She looked even more beautiful on her wedding day, if you can believe it. Congratulations Josh and Kelsey, let the journey begin. 

(Wedding photos coming soon)

This year, we had the continued privilege of listening to and capturing images of The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas {SoNA}. I love my job and so many times, photography seems less like work and more like a fun and fulfilling way to express my creative side and get paid for it. But when combined with live music, it seems even more like that. And since I was photographing a dress rehearsal and not an actual performance, I was allowed to wander wherever I wanted onstage. Even better :) For this particular performance, SoNA was performing selections by John Williams which included music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones and a number of other well-known features. Here's a few images from the day. Enjoy!

Meet Kevin and Madeline. Madeline is an Arkansas native while Kevin hails from North Carolina. They met at NC State and no, they're not Tar Heels Fans. (In case you were wondering). We had a lot of fun getting to know these two and although it was a hot summer day for our engagement session, we took plenty of AC breaks in the Novomobile while we explored the countryside. Here's a few images from the day. Enjoy!

Last Saturday, we had the privilege of celebrating with Joe and Becky as they started their new life together. The occasion was of course, shared with family and friends, many of whom had to dry their eyes as they offered congratulations and well-wishes. It's easy to see that these two are well-loved and after getting to know them over the past few months, it's very obvious that they are well-loved by each other.  And even though they're currently off on their honeymoon in Hawaii, we figured they'd still want to see some sneak peek photos from their celebration. Congrats you two!

While it's true that Scott McMurtrey is in fact a builder, it is also true that his approach to building things is characterized by a love of craftsmanship and an extreme attention to detail. Sure he's built out typical commercial spaces with florescent lights and grayish/white walls. But his true love is unique and challenging projects involving intricate details and beautiful materials. We're currently working on a new website design for Scott and a few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to hang out and capture some images of him doing what he truly loves to do. We plan on using the images in the upcoming website design but thought we'd share a few here on our blog as well. Enjoy. 

On a recent Sunday afternoon, we got to hang out and shoot some engagement photos with Matthew and Morgann who happened to be in town for a wedding we had photographed the day before. We met up for lunch in downtown Bentonville (FYI...The Station Cafe is CLOSED ON SUNDAY). We then headed out for a hike at Tanyard Creek and a little road trip to find some "off-the-beaten-path oddities". These two were a lot of fun to hang out with. Much of their 5 year relationship has been long distance and yet, they giggle and laugh and finish each other's sentences like they've spent every single day together. November can't come soon enough for these two and we're very excited to be a part of their celebration. We're also excited to share a few of their engagement photos with you. Happy Monday!

According to their Facebook status, they're zip lining above a rainforest in Hawaii today. Now THAT sounds like fun. :) We've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this couple over the past year and we hope their honeymoon is a relaxing time of adventure and precious moments together. We also hope that their hotel internet lets them see these sneak peek photos from their wedding! Enjoy. 

Meet our dear friends Collin & Erin. They recently got engaged and as you might be able to tell from the above image, they're very excited about that. Last week, we all took the Novomobile for a little road trip and we had a blast stopping off at different places to  goof off and create images. I quickly realized that there was very little I had to do but point the camera at them and click the shutter. Their joyous personalities and heartfelt affection for each other were naturally evident. Afterwards, Collin had us over to his house where Erin had cooked some of the best Thai food I've ever tasted in my life. They both share a passion for the people and culture of India and someday, they hope to move there. But until then, they'll be here...gracing Northwest Arkansas with their awesomeness. Here's a few images from our little road trip. Enjoy. 

Our sincerest congratulations to Nick & Nicky DeMoss. And no, you're not seeing things. We actually did go to a bowling alley for some of these bridal shots. ​Nick and Nicky went bowling on their first date so Nicky thought it would be fun to stop there for some photos. Of course we thought so too. Now that they're officially married, we're sharing a few of our favorites. Sneak peek wedding photos to come. Happy Monday!

When commercial real estate agent Steve Fineberg approached us about creating some images for his updated brand image, we jumped at the chance....especially when he added the part about them being "non-typical" images of a few iconic landmarks around the area. We created these images using our new Fuji X100s camera. This unassuming little gem of technology proved to be an extraordinary tool in capturing the resulting images. Here's a few of our favorites. Happy Friday!

This past weekend, I had the honor and privilege of witnessing one of my very dear friends marry the girl that he has grown to know and love. I've known Ryan for years now. I remember the time we drove to Little Rock to see the band Wilco perform. I remember a road trip to Florida complete with the entire series of Friends, ocean-side shenanigans and the theft of a piece of musical equipment that we blamed on a local "pirate". I also remember conversations about life, love and the vast expanse in between. So it was with a great mix of emotions that I witnessed and photographed his wedding. But on top of all the emotions is the satisfaction of knowing that he has found a deep love and connection with Amanda, who seems to makes him smile wider and laugh louder than I've ever seen or heard. Congratulations, you two. 

Meet Tyler and Emily. They hired us based on some engagement photos they'd seen on our blog. They specifically pointed out a few photos they loved because they were NOT typically what people would think of as "engagement photos". That got me excited right away. When I met up with them, we talked about everything from traveling Europe (we're going in July/August), to how mad Tyler was when Emily's dogs chewed holes in their living room sofa. For their wedding, they've planned a quiet, intimate weekend with close family and friends and they made a point of telling us that they simply wanted us to document it. Their engagement pictures however, were going to be.........different. Here's a few of our favorites. Enjoy. 

P.S. Makeup by the super-talented Courtney Summers​​

​

At first, we weren't particularly excited about creating images in the rain. There's always that sense of dread. The couple are wearing nice clothes, the photographer's using nice equipment and the overall mood is just gray and dull. But Dan and Stephany are adventurous and so am I. So we checked the radar and plotted a course that would hopefully get us through and onto the other side of the storm system that had somehow developed in the last hour. On the way to our shooting locations, we chatted and got to know each other better. We had to talk loud because it was raining so hard. And when we arrived at our location, it was still pouring so we decided to shoot anyway. 

Once you realize that your new camera won't be deterred by "a lot" of water, it's very easy to get lost in creating images. As it turned out, the rain left soon thereafter and the sun even peeked through at times. And Dan and Stephany and I had a great time exploring the area, chatting and celebrating their upcoming September wedding. As with many situations in life, inconveniences and plan b's and even sticking to plan a's in the midst of thunderstorms can in fact be a refreshing and beautiful thing. 

This past weekend, I had the honor and privilege of celebrating with Josh and Jenna. They were of course, giddy with nervousness and love and very excited to finally be getting married. As a photographer, I tend to get "in the zone" at weddings, making sure I get shots, anticipate what's next and try to document the day as creatively and as artistically as I can. But without fail, there are points during a wedding where my "photographic mind" takes a back seat to my "real mind", and I am temporarily lost in the reality of love and of life. It could be any number of things that trigger it; The intensely personal vows they've written, the way the groom's lip quivers as he watches his bride walk down the aisle, or the heartfelt words of their friends and family as they retell stories and wish them the best during the reception. Literally, this happens at every wedding. And I'm glad it does, because if I ever stop "feeling" the things I photograph, I should probably stop photographing them altogether. Josh and Jenna have a very bright future together. And they have lots and lots of wedding photos headed their way. Here's a few of my favorites. Enjoy. 

After rescheduling TWICE (once due to snow...in May), the sun FINALLY came out and we were able to hang out with Joe and Becky and create some engagement images for them. We started out in Fayetteville where they had their first date and then, we hit the road to find some places with cool walls and No Trespassing signs. Here's a few images from our afternoon together. Enjoy.