Reading, Pennsylvania Senior Session | Colleen, Wilson HS Class of 2017

Last week, I met up with Colleen and her mom to photograph Part 1 of Colleen's high school senior portraits.  We'll be reconvening in the spring for Part 2.  I have been photographing Colleen's family for a few years now, and I always enjoy our time together.  They are some of the most positive, upbeat, caring people I know.  It was an honor capturing this special time Colleen's life for them (complete with a dinosaur photobomb!), and I'm already getting excited for our next session!  Congratulations, Colleen, and best of luck to everyone in the Wilson High School Class of 2017!!

Reading, Pennsylvania 4 Generations Session | The Sheipe Family

All because two people fell in love...

This photoshoot was months in the making!  I was contacted last year by Jim and Danielle, asking if we could arrange a family photoshoot as a gift to their parents.  As a wife and a mother to 3 busy daughters, I know how hard it is to find time that we will all be available as a family - I can only imagine the difficulty involved in choosing a date and time that 32 family members (some driving in from as far away as Pittsburgh) would all be able to get together for a photoshoot!  Well, we did it!  We found a spring afternoon that would work for everyone!   ...And then, Mother Nature decided to throw a hurricane into our plans and we had to reschedule!

Two seasons later, we were finally able to chisel out some time in all of our busy schedules and create these images. Thank you, everyone, for traveling near and far... and for sacrificing watching the Eagles/Steelers game that afternoon.  I hope these portraits are cherished by your family for years to come, and I am honored that you asked me to capture these for you. 

And thank you, Forry Family, for staying behind afterwards for a quick family session.  It was an honor getting to know everyone, and sharing smiles and laughs with you.

Big thanks to my incredible husband for assisting me!  It's not easy to get 32 people into place for a large group shot, but he made it seem effortless.   (Also - I LOVE how everyone was able to coordinate their outfits for this session!  Great job, everyone!!)

I hope you enjoy some of these photos that captured four generations of the Sheipe Family.

A "Me" Day at Longwood Gardens | Water, Flowers, and a Whole Bunch of Frogs

A few days ago, I saw a post on Facebook from a photographer who had registered for a photography class at Longwood Gardens but then couldn't attend.  She was looking for someone to take her spot.  I read about the class and loved everything in the description!  (I later found out it is one of the most popular photography classes at Longwood - and has been sold out for months!)  I looked at my calendar, and besides my seemingly-never-ending PhD work that I was supposed to get around to working on that day, I only had a photoshoot scheduled for the late afternoon.  The calendar Gods were smiling upon me that day, and I decided it was a sign!  The PhD work could wait!  (And, my photoshoot clients decided to change their location to Longwood Gardens once they found out I was going to be there anyway!  It worked out perfectly!!)

I bought the ticket from the other photographer and woke up at 5am to be at Longwood Gardens by 7am.  I am not a morning person (putting it very mildly), but I can do it when I absolutely have to.  It ended up being more than worth the early wake up and drive!  I was able to watch the sunrise while I drove to Longwood, and wished I was a little bit more of a morning person.  Once I arrived at Longwood, I realized we had the entire property to ourselves for a few hours before it opened to the general public.  It was awesome, to say the least.

Our class started with a little bit of instruction and shooting tips, then we were broken into three groups.  Each group was going to be allowed access in the world famous waterlily ponds for an hour at a time - and we got to go in twice!  And, I'm not talking just any access - we were given waders and actually allowed to get INTO the ponds and take photos from a "frog's eye view".  It was so amazing being able to get that close to the flowers I have stared at in wonder for years.  I also got up close and personal with a few critters - including frogs, damsel flies, dragonflies, tiny fish, bees, and lots of other insects that were flying and hopping around.  When we were not in the ponds taking pictures, we spent time wandering around the gardens taking photos (and making some new friends).  If you look at my photos closely, you'll even see that we were visited by a stunning Blue Heron!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day!  I took HUNDREDS of pictures, so this is just a small sampling of them.  (I wouldn't have time to get anything else done this weekend if I didn't force myself to stop going through them!!)  I hope you enjoy my photos - and if you haven't ever been to Longwood Gardens, or if it's been a while since your last visit, you really should go. :)

Thank you for the opportunity, Krista!  Thank you for lending me your filter for a few shots, Andrea!  Thanks to Jon (the light ninja) for a great class and a lot of laughs!

Chadds Ford Wedding | 2nd Shooting

I recently had the pleasure of second shooting for the talented Dan Fullam.  I started off my day by capturing some candids of the groomsmen, then moved inside the church for a beautiful and emotional wedding ceremony.  Next, we captured a few photos with a very special guest of honor - a stunning classic Chevy truck that was restored by an uncle who had recently passed away.  Then, I hopped on the party bus with the wedding crew, and we made a few stops at some pretty incredible locations for bridal party portraits... including Victory Brewing Company and some rustic outdoor locations!  Our last destination was the Gables at Chadds Ford, where I witnessed one of the best receptions to date - complete with lawn games, kegs upon kegs of Victory beer, fantastic speeches, amazing food, and some very entertaining dancing.  Here are a few of my photos from the day.

Congratulations, Kelsey and Andrew!

Whitetail Lodge Wedding, Marysville PA | 2nd Shooting

A few weeks ago, I second shot an incredible wedding with the amazing Julie Hagenbuch!  This wedding was such a blend of cultures and personalities.  The service and celebrations were conducted in 3 languages - English, French, and sign language!!  I studied French for 5 years waaaaay long ago, and have forgotten most of it by now - but luckily, love can be understood in practically any language.  Guests came from all over the world to share Jamie and Aure's special day.  Within the first few minutes of meeting them, it's easy to understand why they are so loved.  Even though they got married on one of the hottest days of the year, I was too distracted by everyone's smiles and laughter to notice.

Here are a few photos that I captured from their day.  I'm so thankful that Julie asked me to second shoot for her and allowed me to share these images!  (Make sure you scroll through carefully for a special treat - it's not everyday that you get to experience a personal re-enactment of a commercial from a professional French shampoo model!)

Lititz, Pennsylvania Wedding | 2nd Shooting

A few weeks ago, I second shot Dara and Todd's wedding alongside Rachel Pray, photographer for Ashley Gerrity Photography.  I started my afternoon by hanging out with the groom and groomsmen while they finished getting ready at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Ephrata.  Then, the guys and I headed to Lititz Springs Park for some fun photos (and Pokemon capturing)!  Next, we all headed to the Long Memorial Church in Lancaster for Dara and Todd's beautiful and emotional wedding ceremony.  Our final stop was Brick Gables in Lititz, where the reception took place.

I had such a great time hanging out with the groomsmen and witnessing the incredible love shared by Dara and Todd.  Thank you, Rachel and Ashley, for the opportunity to second shoot for you!  Here are a few of my photos from the day.

Thievery Corporation & Joe Russo's Almost Dead | Hot August Music Festival

Back in May, I had the honor of photographing Thievery Corporation at Red Rocks - my all time favorite band at my all time favorite concert venue.  It was one of my dreams come true!!  Thievery's incredibly kind tour manager liked my photos from the show and hooked me up with another photo pass for the Hot August Music Festival.  The festival took place in Cockeysville, MD on Saturday, August 16th.

There were a lot of talented bands there that day, but I had a wedding the night before and opted to sleep in and drive down just in time to catch just the last two groups - Joe Russo's Almost Dead, and Thievery Corporation (of course)!  Here are a few of my photos from the festival.

Big thanks again to Thievery for allowing me to take photos at the show.  I'm looking forward to seeing them again when they come back to Philly in December!

Ridley Creek State Park Senior Session | Mitch and Kaiya

Last week, a few photographers in a Facebook group I'm in decided to get together and photograph some high school seniors, just for fun.  I asked my daughter Kaiya and her friend Mitch if they would be willing to model for us, and they agreed.  (Kaiya is a senior at Wilson High School, and Mitch is a senior at Cocalico High School.)  So, on the eve of the first day of their senior year, we headed to Hunting Hill Mansion at Ridley Creek State Park for a quick sunset session.  I had a great time photographing Kaiya and Mitch, and enjoyed networking with some very talented and fun photographers.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from our time together!  (Best of luck to the entire Class of 2017!!)

Big thanks to Iron Roots for doing such a fantastic job on Kaiya's makeup and hair!

Makeup Artist:  Barry Groff for Iron Roots

Hair Stylist:  Donn Zauck for Iron Roots

Berks County Newborn Session | Sean

A few weeks ago, I photographed this adorable little guy and his very proud parents!  He was only 12 days new and already had his mommy and daddy wrapped around his tiny little baby fingers and toes.  It was such a pleasure meeting everyone, and I am looking forward to many more family sessions with them!

Congratulations again, and welcome to the world, Sean!!

Wilkes-Barre Country Club Wedding | 2nd Shooting

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of second shooting for the sweet and very talented Aly Martin.  I love shooting weddings... and assisting other photographers means that I get to relax a bit more than when I'm the one in charge.  Every wedding that I photograph, whether as the lead photographer or second shooter, reminds me that there is so much love, kindness, and hope present in the world.  Here are a few of my favorite images from their day.  I just edited these "for fun", so they may not necessarily match my other weddings... I just followed my heart.  I'm looking forward to shooting alongside Aly again soon!

Thanks again to Aly for asking me to work alongside her!