2013. Year in Review. ::{ Athens Wedding & Engagement Photographer }

It's New Year's Eve as I write this, and I honestly teared up while working on this particular blog post.  I decided that before I begin 2014, I wanted to look back at my 2013… the photos I took, the moments I captured, the people who made this year more amazing than I can even describe.  I didn't actually realize until going back through my hard drives just how many sessions I've actually done this year.   Wow!  I also didn't fully comprehend how much I've grown this year until I looked at my year as a whole.  I can't help but get emotional when I think about how much I've experienced in 2013 and how many incredible people I've been blessed to encounter through my work.

2013 marked the biggest year of growth for my photography, and I want to thank everyone who has encouraged and supported me along this amazing journey.  What set this year apart from the past is that I finally specialized.  Rather than photographing everything under the sun (which is fun too!), I decided to focus my time and energy on what I'm most passionate about: love.  I've done primarily engagements and weddings this year (10 weddings in my first year of being full-time!), and I've formed long-lasting relationships with such amazing couples.  I hope to bless these couples even a fraction of how much they bless me.

Below are some of this year's highlights.  Please do not feel neglected if I left you out of these highlights - There was no way for me to include a photo from everything I photographed this year.  Not pictured are a multitude of senior sessions, engagement sessions, and weddings that I loved just as much as the ones below.  So please sit back and enjoy some shots I'm really proud of, moments I'll never forget, and dreams of mine that came true.

^^ The above shot was taken off the coast of Dublin, Ireland in July.

^^ The above shot was taken on top of "Jump Off Rock" in the North Carolina mountains.

  

I cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store for me.  Once again, I am indescribably grateful for all of the blessings God has provided me – the love and support from my clients, friends, and family being one of the biggest.   "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Becca's Bridal Session in NC Mountains

This Fall I was blessed to take one of my best friend's bridal portraits.  We drove up to Bonclarken in Flat Rock, North Carolina, because it is a very special place for my friend Becca and her fiancé Bobby.  We had planned this shoot months in advance, and we happened to time it perfectly for when the leaves were still in color and falling from the trees.  What I didn't expect, but probably should have, was how cold it was!  After we took some photos around Bonclarken, we went up to Jump Off Rock to get some sunset shots with the mountaintops.  It was 39 degrees and extremely windy at the top of the mountain, but that didn't stop Becca from throwing off her fiancé's jacket and braving bare shoulders for the photos.  She also, to my amazement, took off her shoes since she planned on getting married barefoot.  I couldn't feel my fingers as I used my camera, and I was wearing tons of layers, so I can't even imagine how Becca did it.  And the last few photos you see here - I did not ask or expect her to do.  Jumping over the railing and climbing out to an overhanging rock in her wedding dress was completely Becca's idea, although I didn't complain.

I loved the challenge of carrying and using lighting equipment on the edge of mountains with only minutes to get our settings right and capture the shot before the sun would go down and we'd freeze.  Becca's sister Kathy came along and was a humungous help; I had her climb over near Becca's ledge with my flashes while I photographed from another rock surface in the distance.  A bridal session in the mountains like this had been a dream of mine for quite a while, and getting to experience it with my best friend was indescribably amazing.  Almost as amazing as witnessing her say her vows this Saturday, December 21 to a man who is ridiculously perfect for her.  

It's always difficult for me to withhold from sharing bridal photos until the wedding day. :) I am SO excited to finally be sharing these with you, and I hope you love them.

People have told me that these next two photos look photoshopped, but they are actually right out of my camera. Yes, the scene was that breathtakingly unreal. And yes, Becca was a daredevil to climb out on that ledge. And yes, I was nervous about her sister climbing on these high rocks holding my flashes. :) All of this scene and lighting is real.