The Mauro Sisters | Wyomissing Fall Family Portrait Session | Berks County Pennsylvania Photographer

Next up on the blog is one of my favorite local families. Technically this year it was just the sisters participating, but I know it took a family effort to make it happen! (And I think their mom deserves an award for finding the absolute best outfits for each session!!) Due to the early sunset time and typical crazy fall schedules (x3 with these talented, involved girls), we had less than 30 minutes to make magic together. With their personalities and boundless energy, I had no doubt we would be successful. Looking back, I definitely think we nailed it. We started at a tiny field near Blue Marsh Lake that had the perfect pops of fall color left on the trees, and then finished up at one of my favorite spots on the Penn State Berks campus. Thanks again for trusting me with your portraits, Mauro Family! And thank you for the smiles and laughs, as usual. I hope you all have the most incredible 2022.

Liz + Phil | Berks County Engagement Session | Penn State Berks | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer

Last weekend, I met up with Liz and Phil to photograph their engagement session.  Liz is my cousin - and one of the biggest Penn State fans that I know!  Choosing the Penn State Berks campus as the backdrop for their photoshoot was a pretty easy decision.  This location has a lot of meaning for Liz, and I personally love it because there are so many incredible little nooks for portrait backdrops.  And, I'm pretty sure Phil is happy anywhere that Liz is by his side.  So, Penn State it was!

Liz and Phil had hoped for a wintry backdrop for their photoshoot - and even though the temperatures were definitely winter-appropriate that day, there was no snow to be found.  We were, however, gifted some pretty incredible golden light.  At the end of our session, we even happened upon an amazing field of yellow flowers.  That was a pretty great consolation prize for being denied the snow that we were hoping for.  Mother Nature is unpredictable, just like so many aspects of life.  At the end of the day, all that matters is how you spend your time and who you spend it with.  Everything else is just noise.

That being said, I LOVE how their photographs turned out!  I hope you enjoy this little preview from their session.  Congratulations, Liz and Phil!  I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.

(Disclaimer - Liz and Phil brought the empty champagne bottle along that they celebrated with on the night of their engagement!!  Awesome, right?!  They toasted to their engagement - but they used ginger ale this time.  We wouldn't want anyone to get scolded for an innocent, alcohol-free toast on Penn State grounds.)

Kayla + Colin | Berks County Winter Engagement Session | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer

Before I decided to follow my dreams of running my photography business full time, I was a high school math teacher.  As a teacher, you are supposed to make an impact on the lives of those you teach.  However, during that time, I met a a number of students who taught me just as much (if not more) than I taught them. I recently had the honor of photographing one of those students as she and her soulmate celebrated their engagement to each other.

Kayla, Colin, and I met up at Penn State University, Berks Campus for their engagement session.  It was windy.  It was cold.  I think the temperature was somewhere in the teens.  But you would never know it, looking at these photographs that we made together.  From the way Kayla and Colin looked at each other, smiled at each other, breathed each other in, and had a way of doing something at just the right time that would make the other one burst into laughter, I don't think they even noticed the chill in the air.  In fact, I think they hardly noticed me and my camera there at all - which is my goal at all of my photoshoots and weddings.  They were so into each other, and it was amazing to witness.  One of my favorite parts of this job is being surrounded by so much love, and this session did not disappoint!

Kayla and Colin, congratulations on your engagement.  I'm so happy that you found each other, and I'm honored that you asked me to photograph this milestone event in your lives.  Kayla, it has been an absolute joy getting to know you over the years, and watching you turn into the incredible woman who you are today.  Everything happens for a reason, and those reasons brought the two of you together at just the right time in both of your lives.

On a side note, I've been trying to introduce a new editing style into my work that has been really tugging at my soul.  It's difficult to time such an artistic change, but something about the light, the mood, and the energy at this session just made it feel like the right time to do it.  So, I took the leap.  I hope you enjoy these samples from our session.

Finally, I owe big thanks to my daughter Kaiya for braving the cold with us and assisting during the session!

Ryan, Conrad Weiser Class of 2017 | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet Ryan for his senior portrait session.  He was so much fun to photograph - and his parents are pretty fun, too!  You know what they say about apples and trees...

Ryan is graduating from Conrad Weiser in a few weeks and will be attending Penn State in the fall.  So, we thought it was fitting to capture a few photos on the Penn State Berks campus!  At the end of our session, we headed to a local football field, where he and his dad tossed around a football for a few minutes.  I could tell they were completely in their element!

I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites from our photoshoot.  Congratulations to Ryan and the rest of Conrad Weiser's Class of 2017!!