True Expression Photography Blog

New Blog!

2011-06-06T18:08:00.002-04:00

I am excited to announce that True Expression Photography is now KellyL Photography!! Check out the new website www.KellyLPhoto.com!

All future updates will be posted over on my brand new blog, wwww.KellyLPhotoBlog.com! If you were subscribed to this blog and want to continue receiving email updates, click here to subscribe to the new blog by email.

Also, if you followed the True Expression Photography page on Facebook, I have set up new page on Facebook for KellyL Photography where I will be posting all future updates and photos from now on. So “like” the new page if you want to keep up with my photography.

Casey's Graduation: University of South Carolina

2011-05-25T16:56:00.004-04:00

Earlier this month, my sister Casey graduated from the University of South Carolina. I can't believe that my little sister has already graduated from college and is off to start a new job next week. Our family is all so proud of her! It is hard to believe that four years has already passed since I was down there graduating in the very same place. Here are a few photos first from the ceremony and then the family with Casey on the Horseshoe afterwards:

Casey with my parents:

Me & my sister:

Inspiration: Brown and Green Wedding

2011-05-17T15:34:00.009-04:00

Today's wedding inspiration is made up of my favorite brown and green details from 2010 weddings. I just love this look for outdoor weddings! I especially focused choosing photos that used wood and natural green elements.

Christy & Ty: Engaged!

2011-05-13T16:04:00.000-04:00

I have known Ty for several years now, and I have never seen him as happy as he is when he's around Christy. The two of them are such a perfect match for each other. After even just a few moments around Christy and Ty, it is obvious how completely in love they are with each other. For their engagement photos, we headed to the park where Ty asked Christy to marry him. As we wandered around the park, they tossed the football back and forth and reminisced about that special day. Seeing the way Christy and Ty looked at each other made me smile, and I can't wait to photograph their wedding this summer!

Check out their slideshow for even more photos:

Click here to view the slideshow in a new window.

Vinewood Weddings and Events | Newnan GA

2011-05-11T17:32:00.000-04:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Vinewood, a new venue in Newnan, just south of Atlanta. It is such a gorgeous place for a rustic wedding, complete with lots of open fields, a barn and a beautiful house. As I walked around, I was imagining all the possibilities for wedding photos, and I cannot wait for the chance to photograph a wedding here!

Canoe Atlanta Wedding: Ross & Carmen {Part II}

2011-04-18T15:27:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is the second half of Ross and Carmen's beautiful wedding at Canoe Restaurant in Atlanta, photographed by Sheryl and me last month. Below are a few of my favorite portaits of the happy couple, along with some more of the details from the ceremony site and reception. Be sure to check out the first set of photos here. I love this first shot of the two of them!

There are so many beautiful spots outside at Canoe and the outdoor ceremony setup overlooking the Chattahoochee River is so pretty.

A few of my favorite portraits of the newlyweds:

Inside the restaurant:

I loved the green details and airplane theme used on the place cards and table settings. Each guest also received a CD at their seat.

Congratulations Ross and Carmen!

Leslee and Jonathan: Engaged!

2011-04-14T12:56:00.006-04:00

Leslee and Jonathan are a super fun couple that love traveling to new places. They met while attending college at Clemson and have already been to five different countries together. They are now living in Atlanta where Jonathan grew up and are planning their September wedding. They placed third in my 3rd annual Fun Photo Contest that I held earlier this year with their clever "Catch Us If You Can" entry.

I had so much fun getting to know them while photographing their engagement session. We started their session out in a classic car junk yard. It was such a neat place to explore! We ended their session in Piedmont Park with some beautiful photos of Leslee and Jonathan with the city in the background. Enjoy some of my favorites from their session and check out their slideshow at the end!

Leslee's gorgeous ring:

Finally, check out Leslee and Jonathan's slideshow to see even more photos from their session:

Click here to view the slideshow in a new window.

Inspiration: Blue and Orange Weddings

2011-04-12T11:29:00.001-04:00

This week's wedding inspiration is a collage of my favorite orange and blue details from 2010 weddings. I think this look makes such a great color scheme from a fall wedding, with the pumpkin decorations and the changing trees in the background!

OpLove: Andy's Homecoming

2011-04-11T14:17:00.002-04:00

Andy arrived home Sunday morning after a year in Kuwait, and was welcomed home at the Atlanta airport by his wife, Melinda, and their five children. His family arrived at the airport at 6:00 am and waited there for nearly four hours, alternating between checking the arrivals board for information and looking for Andy's face in each group of people stepped off the escalators. Suddenly, Melinda look to her right, and there was Andy standing next to her and the rest of the family gathered around to hug their dad.

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Leslee and Jonathan: Sneak Peek!

2011-04-04T10:59:00.000-04:00

On Friday, I photographed Leslee and Jonathan's engagement session. We went to a really cool spot for the first half of their session that is filled with old vintage cars, and we had so much fun exploring. I am loving their photos and am excited to share this little preview for Leslee and Jonathan to see. More photos and the slideshow are coming soon!

Canoe Atlanta Wedding: Ross & Carmen {Part I}

2011-03-31T13:59:00.000-04:00

Ross and Carmen were married on March 26, 2011 at Canoe in Atlanta. The restaurant is located right along the Chattahoochee River and makes a gorgeous spot for weddings. Laurie at Canoe is amazing keeping the whole wedding run smoothly! Ross and Carmen are two of the sweetest people and so much fun to photograph. When Saturday's rain forced the ceremony to be moved from the outdoor location to an alternative covered spot, Carmen was completely calm. She was just excited to be marrying the man of her dreams that day! Sheryl and I always enjoy photographing weddings together, and we had so much fun getting to know the Ross and Carmen's families as we captured their special day!

Ross and Carmen's portraits and some of the beautiful details from their wedding are coming in Part II!

Inspiration: Blue and Green Weddings

2011-03-29T13:13:00.022-04:00

This week's wedding inspiration is made up of my favorite blue and green details from 2010 weddings. I love this color combination- I think the green ring shot and the blue shoes many be two of my favorite parts of the collage! I actually ended up with picking out so many green details that I wanted to include, that I decided to save some of them for a future green and brown board that I will be posting in the coming weeks.

Springtime Flowers

2011-03-21T15:37:00.001-04:00

Warm weather, flowers blooming, flip flops, an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings, the start of wedding season... I am so happy that spring is finally here! Sitting in my front yard this weekend, I took a few photos of the flowers blooming with my macro lens.

WPPI 2011 in Las Vegas! {my recap}

2011-03-16T14:33:00.058-04:00

Last month I attended the WPPI Convention in Las Vegas for the second year in a row. There were over 15,000 photographers attending- it was huge! It was four days jam packed with learning, networking, shooting and lots of fun! It was super busy and there wasn't much time for sleep, but it was well worth it! Now, I've finally had the time to sit down to write up my recap.

I learned so many different things that I just can't wait to try out this coming year. Every day there were different platform classes to choose from on every topic photography related you can imagine. I learned about lighting, style, marketing and business from photographers like Mike Larson, Bobbi + Mike, Jesh de Rox, Jason Groupp, Jared Bauman and Jose Villa. There was a ton of information to take in and I was taking notes the whole time! I also had the opportunity to do two different photo shoots. On Monday afternoon, I photographed three models who were styled by Bella Signature Designs, and then on Wednesday I did a photo shoot at Red Rock Canyon with four other photographers. My afternoons were spent wondering the trade show checking out the latest products and talking with vendors. My most favorite purchase from the trade show this year would be the Porter Case, an airplane carryon sized rolling bag for transporting my camera gear and laptop with me when I travel to weddings! I love traveling, so I am definitely looking forward to using this bag this year!

I also had lots of fun hanging out with my photographer friends from around the country and meeting lots of awesome people, too! Here are some photos from my adventures throughout the week...

Sunday night, first stop was In-N-Out Burger with my roommates Valerie, Ashah, Laura and Alyona. We were so excited and no this was my first of two trips to In-N-Out that week.

Monday night, 10 other photographers and I took a limo to Fremont Street where we went Ziplining. It was SO awesome and one of the highlights of the trip!! Below are a few photos from that night by Valerie Schooling.

The girls in the limo:

The zipling group:

Tuesday night was nonstop dancing at the Pictage/ShootQ party at Studio 54. Me and Tessa at Studio 54, photo by Valerie Schooling:

Wednesday afternoon, I was shooting at Red Rock Canyon until sunset. You can see some of the photos I took here, but I wanted to share a few my photographer friends took of me.

The girls, by Colin Pattison:

By Ashah Wood:

By Valerie Schooling:

That night I had dinner at the Bellagio and then saw the show at the fountains afterwards. Photo by Valerie Schooling:

And finally, a few iPhone shots from throughout the trip:

Wedding Inspiration: Red, Black and White Details

2011-03-14T15:12:00.005-04:00

Hope you had a great weekend and are ready for another set of inspiration photos. I thought I would share with you a little black, white and red inspiration for your Monday afternoon! I have been having so much fun looking through all last year's weddings to put these inspiration boards together. I just love the way the bright red just pops in these weddings!

Wedding Inspiration: Cakes

2011-03-07T13:39:00.004-05:00

This week's wedding inspiration is a little different. Instead of a color theme, this week is all about dessert: wedding cakes, cupcakes and other tasty desserts! I love all the different detailing in the cake designs and how they all reflect personalities of different wedding styles. I also include some cupcakes and other fun desserts from 2010 weddings. Don't these all look delicious?!

Cakes including sports teams:

Cupcakes!

Other treats served in addition to the wedding cake...

Red Rock Canyon

2011-03-03T12:10:00.005-05:00

I had an amazing time at the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) convention in Las Vegas last week. I returned home completely inspired and ready for the 2011 wedding season to start. It was my second year attending, and the experience really was as good as I had hoped it would be. My complete WPPI write-up on all of my adventures, learning and fun will be posted soon, but first I wanted to share some photos I took at Red Rock Canyon.

On my last full day in Las Vegas, I went out to Red Rock Canyon with four other photographers to teach and learn from each other. There is nothing like being around people who share my passion for photography to get me feeling more creative. We played with different lighting techniques and photographed each other until the sun went down and our fingers were numb from the cold. It is a gorgeous place to see and unlike anywhere I have ever been before!

Ashah Wood:

Valerie Schooling:

Colin Pattison:

Here are a few photos of me at Red Rock by Ashah Wood:

View from the Georgian Terrace: Atlanta, GA

2011-02-28T14:35:00.047-05:00

This past Friday night, I photographed an event at the Georgian Terrance Hotel and the view of Atlanta from the penthouse at night was awesome!! I took a few photos from the balcony while I was shooting and this is one of my favorites:

Wedding Inspiration: Gold Details

2011-02-22T16:46:00.001-05:00

This week's wedding inspiration boards are filled with my favorite gold and cream details. I love the way the other elements like the feathers, lace and candles went along with the gold. I am bringing you this bit of wedding inspiration from Las Vegas, where I am at the WPPI convention until Thursday. I am having an amazing time here and have so many photos to share when I return.

Heading to Las Vegas for WPPI 2011

2011-02-19T20:33:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow, I am leaving for Las Vegas for WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International), an annual convention and trade show for professional photographers. It is a huge event with about 15,000 photographers and I am so excited to going!

Last year was my first time attending and I came home feeling incredibly inspired with so many new ideas that I couldn't wait to try out at my upcoming photo shoots. I expect this year to be even better, and I am sure I will have lots of photos and stories to share when I get back!

I'm ready for a busy few days filled with learning, checking out all the latest products and talking photography with photographers from all over. It's fun, exhausting and totally worth it! There are platform classes everyday on all things photography such as lighting, posing, marketing, etc. The trade show is huge (and a little overwhelming at first)- I love wandering around and checking out all of the latest products. Getting to look at and feel the different album options in person is the best way for me to choose the very best products for my clients.

<-- This photo of me was taken on the balcony of my hotel room the first night last year by one of my roommates Ashah Wood.

Adventures in New Jersey

2011-02-17T19:29:00.013-05:00

Last month my mom and I took a trip to New Jersey to visit family and friends. We lucked into timing the trip perfectly, flying in right between two snow storms. Our flight into Newark was the first one from Atlanta to not be canceled that day and our flight back to Atlanta was one of the last ones to fly out that day before the next snow storm. Perfect timing for traveling, but there was a lot of snow while we were there! My mom and I decided that we should document our entire trip with photos of our adventures, and so I thought I would share some of it for fun.

Our flight and first night in New Jersey. Our first stop after we landed was, of course, the diner:

Our first day began shoveling snow, and there was a lot of it there! I'm sure everyone thought I was crazy taking photos of the huge snow piles as we drove around:

Some of the people with visited and the food we ate (because no trip to New Jersey would be complete without stopping for pizza and our favorite Chinese restaurant):

Wedding Inspiration: Pink Details

2011-02-14T20:51:00.002-05:00

I have decided to bring back my weekly inspiration series featuring some of my favorite wedding details from the past year. I like sharing these photos during the winter months to give couples ideas to use during their wedding planning. Since today is Valentine's Day, I will be sharing a few inspiration boards I have created featuring my favorite pink details from 2010.

OpLove: Jon's Homecoming

2011-02-03T16:25:00.002-05:00

Jon returned yesterday from a six month deployment. He was reunited with his wife Sarah at the Atlanta airport last night after they spent nearly 200 days apart. Sarah was waiting with a great sign that she made for Jon that said, "Days Apart = 197, Emails Sent = 400+, Soldier Home = PRICELESS." When Jon called to let her know he was off the plane and would be there in about 5 minutes, she grew more and more anxious with each group of people that emerged from the escalators, until finally she saw Jon.

Waiting...

I loved seeing Sarah's reaction when she spotted Jon stepping off the escalator.

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Wedding Albums: Jackie & Kevin

2011-02-02T13:11:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love Jackie and Kevin's wedding album from their Chateau Elan wedding this past spring, and I wanted to share a few photos of it for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to look at my albums in person. For me, seeing the love story in print, and being able to hold that final product in my hands before delivering it to the couple is such a great feeling!

Jackie and Kevin chose a 40 page 12x12 inch black leather album and it is simply stunning! In addition, they chose to get a set of two 8x8 coffee table books with a photo cover for their parent albums. I photographed the three books together to show the difference between how the coffee table book and leather album look side by side.

Their gorgeous leather wedding album:

A few of my favorite spreads from their album are below. I just love how the double-page spread with the overview shot of their ceremony looks. The ability to do this is one of the things I love about these albums!

A few close-ups of the coffee table style books:

Hello, from very snowy New Jersey!

2011-01-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

I am up in New Jersey right now, surrounded by snow! My flight to Newark on Thursday was one of the few flights all day not to be canceled, so I was lucky to actually make it up here as scheduled. Driving to my Grandma's house from the airport, I could not believe how much snow there was on the side of the road and how high the snow was piled up in the parking lots (pictures to come). You would think I hadn't spent most of my life living here with how amazed I was at the amount of snow!

I traveled up here with my mom, and we've been having a great visit with friends and family. Of course, we've been documenting the whole trip and photographing everything we do up here, so I will have more lots more photos to share when I get home. For now, here the the scene I woke up to yesterday morning:

I have definitely gotten the the full winter experience this year, between a white Christmas in South Carolina, a week long ice storm in Atlanta and now this trip! Here I am climbing a snow pile to put money in the parking meter:

Announcing.... THE WINNING COUPLE!!

2011-01-24T11:59:00.003-05:00

WOW! Thank you so much to everyone who entered the 2011 Fun Photo Contest! I was overwhelmed with the record-breaking number of over two thousand votes cast last week for the 12 finalists. This was the toughest competition I have seen to date! Now, it's finally time to announce the winning couple!

With 684 votes....
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the winning couple is....
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JENNIFER & JASON!!

For their prize, Jennifer and Jason will receive:
1. A fun engagement session photo shoot in multiple locations in the Atlanta area
2. A custom photo guestbook filled with photos from the engagement session
3. Online slideshow

Congratulations Jennifer and Jason! I can't wait to meet you!

I also have something for the runners-up, so....
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In 2nd place, with 360 votes is...
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Mandy & Justin

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And in 3rd place, with 251 votes is....
Leslee & Jonathan

Mandy & Justin and Leslee & Jonathan will each be receiving a mini-session. I will be emailing all 3 couples about claiming their prizes.

Thank you to everyone to everyone who voted! And congratulations to Jennifer and Jason!

2011 Finalists Announced! Vote for Your Favorite Photo

2011-01-17T16:00:00.014-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who submitted your photos for the 2011 Fun Photo Contest! It has been so much fun looking through so many creative, sweet and funny photos, as well as having the opportunity to learn your stories! This was the most difficult year by far to narrow down the entires and choose the finalists since I started this contest. Below you will find photos of the 12 finalists and have the chance to read the stories behind their photos. Cast your vote for your favorite couple at the bottom of the page!

Voting ends at midnight on Saturday, January 22nd. I will be announcing the winner on Monday, January 24th, so if you voted, make sure to check back next week to see if your favorite couple won!

And the finalists are...

THEIR STORY: "This photo was taken on a trip we took with his family by his mom. We were able to get many great pictures together but this one, in particular, stood out. We laugh every time we see it because it seems to capture our relationship perfectly. We like to be outdoors and we always have fun together. He is my best friend. We like this picture because it shows us for who we are. After 5 years we are down to earth and comfortable with one another." -Elizabeth

THEIR STORY: "Animals, particularly horses, have been my life long passion. Lucky for me, the man I have fallen in love with has developed a love for horses since we began dating. Every year for Christmas, after lunch and gifts, I bring two of my horses to my grandfather's and ride all the children around in the yard. Afterwards, I take the horses out for a trail ride and ride free of care in the wide open pastures. Luckily, two years ago I had a special someone, Jason, join me for our Christmas ride. This picture was taken after we gave "pony rides" to all the kids in the family. We were galloping around the pastures enjoying one of the hobbies we most love doing together." -Jennifer

THEIR STORY: "I want to start out by saying that God has truly blessed me when he brought Greg into my life. I never thought I would fine someone who had the same goals in life as me. When I met Greg I finally realized I had met the one I wanted to build a life with. Together, I know we will make both our goals and dreams come true. I love you, Greg! I cannot wait to be Mrs. Holmes!
Ok! Enough with the lovely dovey let’s get to the fun part right! Greg and I love to joke around and do silly things. So when I told him about this contest we were both joking about ideas we could do. Then it happened this past weekend. It snowed in Georgia of course we had to go outside and play. I took my camera and started taking pictures. Then we came to a metal pole that is in our yard. Ok I know everyone is familiar when the movie “A Christmas Story”. While snowing a boy was dared by his friends to stick his tongue to a flagpole to see if it would stick and of course it did! So this is Greg and I recreating that scene from the movie. Just want to let everyone know no one was hurt while taking this picture. We knew better!" -Robin

THEIR STORY: "This photo was taken in our favorite Athens bar, or let's just say the only bar we ever go to in Athens. Now that we have graduated from UGA, we call ourselves old, and that's our good excuse for only going to Boar's Head. Like many other nights, Brandon was trying to get me to dance with him. We all know that not many people dance at Boar's Head, and it was definitely not a crowded night at the bar...and I was the designated driver. So, the last thing I wanted to do was dance. My sister captured this moment of complete happiness. It is definitely a look that you can find on our faces frequently.
While looking through photos of the two of us, it was hard to pick just one. There were many photos with this same expression, and there were others where his face just sparkled. In those pictures he knew he was ready to propose. Of course, I had no idea. I feel that this picture captures our personalities, the love we have for one another, and the absolute joy that we bring each other. There is not a day that goes by that he does not make me laugh out loud!" -Jessica

THEIR STORY: "Lee and I were attending the wedding of a friend of mine from college. While Lee knows many of them, he felt out-of-place at times, and in order to entertain himself he decided to "creep" in the background of as many of my pictures as possible. He succeeded. This is actually one of my favorite pictures of us." -Hannah

THEIR STORY: "Justin proposed on Christmas eve right before the first snow I have ever experienced in Georgia on Christmas day. It always rains on my birthday, so Justin thought it was only appropriate that it would snow the day after he proposed. Anyway, we were trying to get a good shot in the snow. I'm standing and waiting as Justin sets the camera timer. Then he runs up behind me, throws his arms around me, and catches me completely off-guard." -Mandy

THEIR STORY: "This picture was taken on a family beach trip a few years ago. This picture signifies the goofy and fun relationship Mark and I share. Mark and I met over 3 years ago when I found pieces of a severed body. When I returned home after staying away for a while Mark called and asked if I needed a "bodyguard" to keep me from being scared. I gladly accepted! Little did I know I would gladly accept his proposal nearly 3 years later. During a trip to Florida in November to see the space shuttle launch (that never happened) I was terribly disappointed that my strategically planned trip was not going as planned. Seeing my dismay Mark took me to the beach as it is our favorite place to be, and asked me to marry him. The trip didn't seem so disappointing after that. We will get married in October on Tybee Island later this year." -Brandy

THEIR STORY: "The picture was taken this past Halloween. Gary really is a volunteer fireman and he is the happiest, most out-going, loveable man I have ever met. His laughter is infectious and he always surprises me...like he did trying to lift me up for the picture! All I could think was "PLEASE don't let my rear be showing!!!"
We both have been married before so this is going to be a blending of 2 families...7 kids all together (some of them grown, THANK GOODNESS!) Gary has taught me to laugh again, and this picture always reminds me that I can trust in him...after all...look where his hand was! He was making sure my costume didn't ride up without me having to say a word!" -Maria

THEIR STORY: "This photo was taken at the top of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. We were in the UK studying architecture and religion of the early cathedrals and decided to take a weekend trip up to Scotland. It rained the WHOLE weekend while we were there. This photo was taken in the few minutes we actually didn't have rain but had gusting winds instead (hence the whole holding onto my hair!). Funny thing is, right after this picture was taken we heard this loud, reverberating BOOM, scaring us half to death and making us jump at least a foot off the ground! Turns out there was a reenactment going on with the cannons! Edinburgh was such a magical experience for us and I just wanted to share our little bit of magic with everyone." -Meredith

THEIR STORY: "We took this photo after we got snowed in at his house a couple days ago. We got all bundled up to go outside and play in the snow. We built a snow man, had snow ball fights, and took a walk around downtown Oneonta, AL to take in the wonderful white blanket of snow that we so rarely see!" -Casey

THEIR STORY: "We are both from Macon, Georgia. We met, three years ago, when I had just moved back to Georgia from North Dakota. He was a fun, party guy and I needed someone fun and lighthearted. We were just friends for a few months. He brought me out and introduced me to the night life of Macon, Georgia. We dated for three years and decided that we were both too immature to be together any longer. After that, we both moved on for about a year. Around that time I got accepted to Kennesaw State University. I decided to return to school to study Physical Therapy. He, coincidentally, got a job as the manager of a jewelry store in Kennesaw. We were still friends, for a while, at the time of the move. We, gradually, started hanging out again after about a semester of school. We decided that we knew each other very well and had grown up a lot over the past year. He had moved away from the club scene and I was more mature." -Jessica

THEIR STORY: "'Catch us if you Can.' This photo was taken in Birmingham, Alabama on a cold December weekend. This is an excellent illustration of our always on-the-move, traveling lifestyles. While most others would be indoors and at home on a similar weekend, we jump at the opportunity to see another city! In our first two years we have already visited five countries and 17 states together. Our friends and family even joke about how they never know where will be when we answer their phone calls. We are so excited to begin our lives together and see so many more places, experience different cultures, and 'run' from destination to destination." -Leslee

Cast your vote for your favorite couple below. You can only vote once, so choose carefully.

Fun Photo Contest 2011: Vote for your favorite couple!online survey

The winning couple will receive a fun engagement session photo shoot in the Atlanta area, a custom photo guestbook filled with photos from the engagement session and an online slideshow. Polls will be open through on midnight on Saturday, January 22, 2011! Good luck to all the finalists!

Wedding Published in Southern Distinction Magazine

2011-01-14T17:31:00.002-05:00

I was excited when I learned that Southern Distinction Magazine would be featuring Mikey and Mindi's wedding in their 2010 wedding issue. Mikey and Mindi were married this past summer at the very unique and artsy Atlanta venue, LeBam Art Space. As one of the featured couples, the article detailed Mikey and Mindi's story from the start of their relationship, the adorable proposal story and of course, all the wedding details!

Atlanta Snow 2011

2011-01-13T13:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings from snowy Atlanta! Sunday night it started snowing, and here it is Thursday afternoon and there is still snow & ice on the ground. I can't believe it! When I moved to the South, I thought I would I never see snow on the ground for this long again. When it started snowing on Sunday night, it was actually coming down pretty fast and by the end of the first hour there was already over two inches of snow on the road. By the next morning we had about 5-6 inches of snow outside, which is a lot for Atlanta, I think. At this point all I can say right now is that I am definitely ready to get out of the house today!

Here is a little collage I made of iPhone photos from when the snow first started falling on Sunday night and on random walks throughout the week:

Win a Free Engagement Photo Shoot: Fun Photo Contest 2011

2011-01-05T14:45:00.002-05:00

Submit a fun photo of you & your fiancé for a chance to win a free engagement photo shoot from True Expression Photography!
I love taking fun photos in unique locations that really show off your personality. For the past two years, I have held a contest asking engaged couples to send me fun photos of themselves. I have loved looking through all of the unique photo submissions and reading your stories behind them so much, that I have decided to bring this contest back for the third year in a row!

The contest is simple. Email me a fun photo of you and your fiancé. I will post my favorite entries on my blog and blog readers will vote on their favorite photo. Photos should be fun and creative and will be judged on how well they show your personalities- not on photographic quality.

How to Enter:
Send the following information to contest@trueexpressionphoto.com:
1. Fun photo of you and your fiancé
2. Names of both you and your fiancé
3. The story behind the photo you are submitting
4. Your Wedding Date

Deadline: Entries must be received by midnight EST on January 16, 2011.

The Winning Couple Will Receive:
1. A fun engagement session photo shoot in multiple locations in the Atlanta area
2. A custom photo guestbook filled with photos from the engagement session
3. Online slideshow

So either find the funniest photo your have of you two or take a new photo just for this contest. I can't wait to your photos!

Finalists will be announced January 17th on the blog!

Hiking at Sope Creek

2011-01-04T15:44:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Mark and I decided we wanted to get outside and go for a hike somewhere nearby. We were looking through a book I had on places near Atlanta to go hiking, when I remembered the trail to the old Paper Mill at Sope Creek. Ever since I photographed Rebecca and Scott's engagement photos there last year, I have been wanting to go back and take Mark. It felt so nice to get outside and the weather was perfect! Here are a few photos from our hike:

Best of 2010

2010-12-30T17:55:00.003-05:00

The end of the year is a time of reflection for me. I like to think of what is possible in the coming year. What challenges will I face and what triumphs will I have? What am I going to do to be a better person and photographer? Part of the process of moving forward is reflecting on the past to see what I have accomplished and what I have overcome.

After looking through all of the photos I have taken during the past year, I wanted to thank each of you for all of the moments you have invited me to be a part of. I am touched by the friends I have made and the truly special moments of life I have shared. I am looking forward to what is in store for 2011.

Please enjoy this slideshow of my favorite photos from 2010. Happy New Year!

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Snow in South Carolina

2010-12-27T18:39:00.004-05:00

This year, Mark and I spent Christmas at my parents' house in Columbia, SC. I was jealous of all my friends back in Atlanta having a White Christmas, while it drizzled all day in Columbia. The following morning, we awoke up to 5 inches of snow! That morning we had a snowball fight, went sledding in a cardboard box and built a snowman.

Here are a few photos of our almost White Christmas in South Carolina...

My sister Casey:

My mom:

My sister and me with our snowman:

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T16:54:00.008-05:00

OpLove: Tim's Homecoming

2010-12-24T12:30:00.001-05:00

Tim arrived home from Afghanistan on Wednesday morning at the Atlanta airport, just in time for Christmas. His fiance Lisa was there waiting to welcome him home. Lisa was anxiously watching the escalators, hoping to spot Tim at any moment. But since we didn't know Tim's flight information, so we had no way of knowing if his plane had even landed yet or how long it might be until he arrived.

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Behind the Scenes of 2010 Weddings

2010-12-22T11:53:00.011-05:00

What a fun year of weddings it has been! Throughout the year, I have started collecting a folder of fun action shots of me working as I come across them. If you follow the True Expression Photography page on Facebook, you may have seen some of these as I posted them. Here is a look behind the scenes at my 2010 wedding season. Enjoy!

My friend Sheryl (on the right, below) has shot several weddings with me this year, and we always have fun working together! Sheryl is also one of the people responsible taking several of these behind the scene photos of me.

Rosie and Diego had cardboard cutouts of themselves at their reception, so I got a few photos with them. And, yes, I do have 5 cameras around my neck in these photos!

I love photo booths, so I had to jump in the one at Lynda and Chris's wedding!

Rosie & Diego's Mountain Wedding

2010-12-03T12:28:00.003-05:00

Rosie and Diego were married on November 13, 2010 at Southern Tree Plantation. I have enjoyed getting to know these two over the past year and was so happy when their big day finally arrived! They had an outdoor ceremony with a beautiful mountain background, followed by a fun barn reception. It was a perfect fall day, and after Rosie and Diego braved the rain for their engagement photos, I was happy I had the chance to photograph them under blue skies. Photographs of the two of them decorated the walls of their reception and were displayed as centerpieces on each table. They even had cardboard cutouts of themselves greeting their guests.

Friends & family of Rosie and Diego, if you would like to be notified when all of their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here.

My favorite details of the day would definitely be Rosie's pink shoes and their rings. I have never seen a ring like Diego's before!

Rosie and Diego opted to see each other before the ceremony and did a first look. I am so glad the did because the photos of them seeing each other for the first time are some of my favorites of the day.

Diego's reaction when he sees Rosie for the first time:

The mountains made a gorgeous background for the ceremony:

A few of the bright pink details and the photos decorating the reception.

Congratulations Rosie and Diego! View the slideshow below, to see their wedding day unfold:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Crystal & Rae: Holiday Portraits

2010-12-01T14:36:00.003-05:00

Crystal and Rae are a blast photograph. These two love being in front of the camera and their sessions are always filled with lots of laugher. I first met Crystal and Rae last year for a fun engagement session at a carnival. Since this year is Crystal and Rae's first Christmas together since their wedding, it was time for some updated photos for their Christmas cards. Here are a few of my favorites:

Rosie & Diego's Wedding: Sneak Peek!

2010-11-14T17:30:00.001-05:00

Here is a little preview from Rosie and Diego's beautiful wedding yesterday. More photos coming soon!

Moments like this are the reason I love when couples decide to see each other before the wedding. Here are Rosie and Diego as they see each other for the first time on their wedding day:

Mackenzie is Two Years Old

2010-11-11T19:45:00.001-05:00

This was my fourth time photographing little Mackenzie, and this time we included her grandparents and great-grandparents in the photos, too. Mackenzie celebrated her second birthday last month, not long after these photos were taken. I can't believe how much she's grown since my first session with her at when she was only six months old! Here are a few of my favorites from their family portraits:

Amanda & Tim's Blue Ridge Wedding

2010-11-08T12:17:00.011-05:00

Amanda and Tim were married on October 23, 2010 at Above the Rest Cabins in Blue Ridge, Georgia. It was a beautiful fall morning. The leaves on the trees had started changing and the mountains made the perfect backdrop for their outdoor ceremony. The day started with a morning ceremony and brunch reception at one cabin, and ended with a fun open-house at a second cabin that included playing cornhole and watching football.

Amanda and Tim's wedding was truly a reflection of who they are as a couple. Their families and close friends came together to help with the preparations and added lots of little personal touches to the day. Amanda and Tim asked Amanda's uncle to be their officiant because his marriage is one they really admire. It was a very sweet ceremony and seeing Tim wipe Amanda's tears as she said her vows was one my favorite moments of the day.

Friends & family of Amanda and Tim, if you would like to be notified when all of their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here.

I loved all their blue and orange details. Perfect for a fall wedding!

View the slideshow below to see the whole day unfold:

Click here to view the slideshow in a new window.

Congratulations Amanda and Tim!

OpLove: Brian's Homecoming

2010-11-04T17:25:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I photographed Brian's homecoming at Robins Air Force Base. All of the previous homecomings I have photographed up until now have taken place at the airport, so this was a different experience with lots of families all waiting together for their loved ones to arrive. Brian has an adorable two and a half year old daughter, and this was the was the first deployment that she was old enough to realize that her dad was gone. We had fun hanging out while we waited on Brian to arrive. She was so excited to see her dad and happy to have him back home with her!

Here they are waiting with the other families:

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Coffee Table Book: Lynda & Chris's Wedding

2010-11-02T12:27:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share a few photos of Lynda and Chris's wedding album from their Callaway Gardens wedding this summer. I love designing albums and seeing the story come together in a beautiful final product! The album they chose is a 10x10 coffee table style book with a photo cover.

Here are a few of my favorite spreads from their album:

2010 Holiday Cards

2010-10-28T10:20:00.052-04:00

I am so excited that is already the time of the year to be starting to plan for the the holidays, and with that in mind, I have a new set of holiday card designs for this year. All designs are printed front & back on flat 5x7 cardstock, customized with your photos and personalized greeting.

Below are the brand new designs for 2010. Cards with last year's designs may still be ordered, so feel free to browse the complete collection for more variety:

Design #1

Design #2

Design #3

Design #4

Design #5

Design #6

You can order your cards with a wedding, engagement photo or portrait from a session from earlier or in the year or schedule a session especially for your cards.

If you need an updated family photos, there are still spaces available for the second set of mini-sessions on November 7th. Email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com if you'd like to reserve a spot!

Amanda & Tim: Sneak Peek!

2010-10-24T12:24:00.002-04:00

Here is a little preview from Amanda and Tim's wedding yesterday in Blue Ridge, GA. They had a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at a cabin overlooking the mountains. More photos coming soon!

Congratulations Amanda and Tim!

OpLove: Derrick's Homecoming

2010-10-18T17:27:00.005-04:00

On Friday morning, I photographed Derrick's homecoming at the Atlanta airport. I photographed Derrick's wife and daughter earlier this year for his wife Devan to send to him as a surprise, so it was great to now be able to photograph the family's reunion. While we were waiting for Derrick to arrive, CNN was there doing a story on troops returning home and asked Devan if they could film the family's reunion after noticing their "welcome home" sign. I think Derrick was a little surprised at the cameras surrounding him when he stepped off the escalator.

Here is the family together being interviewed:

I love how she's helping her dad with his bags!

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Debora & Bruno: Downtown Roswell, GA

2010-10-05T17:15:00.003-04:00

For the second half of my session with Debora and Bruno, they changed out of their wedding attire, and we headed to downtown Roswell for some casual engagement-style portraits. We decide to go with an urban background as to give these photos a different look from their engagement photos in Piedmont Park. I can't believe it has been almost two year now since I met these two for their engagement session!

2010 Holiday Card Mini-Sessions

2010-09-28T16:03:00.001-04:00

It's time for 2010 Holiday Card Mini-Sessions!
Mini-sessions are casual 45 minute portrait sessions that take place in an Atlanta park. They are the perfect opportunity to update your family photos and get some great shots for your 2010 cards. The session fee includes 25 holiday cards (5x7 cards with envelopes).

WHERE & WHEN:
Sessions will be held in the afternoon on October 17 and November 7 at Piedmont Park.

COST:
Mini-sessions are $100. The fee includes your 45 minute session, online proofing gallery and 25 flat 5x7 cards professionally printed on high quality cardstock, customized with your photos and personalized greeting.
* Additional cards can be purchased for $35 per 25 cards

Availability is limited. Email info@trueexpressionphoto.com for more details & to reserve a time slot!

If I have already photographed you this year, 2010 holiday cards can be purchased with the photos from your wedding, engagement photos or portrait session. Contact me for details!

Debora & Bruno: Bride + Groom Portraits

2010-09-24T11:43:00.006-04:00

Debora and Bruno were married in July, and last weekend I got together with them for some more wedding portraits. We decided that instead, of doing a bridal portrait session with just Debora before the wedding, we would do the portraits after the wedding, so we could include Bruno in the photos and not have to worry if her wedding dress got a little dirty. And it was a great excuse for Debora to wear her dress again!

We had so much fun with these photos! It was great to photograph those two all dressed up again. They are so in love, it just shows in every photo! At the end of their session, they changed into some casual outfits for some engagement-style photos, which I will be sharing a little later, so this isn't the last you'll see of Debora and Bruno. Here are a few of my favorites from the wedding part of their session:

One of my favorites. I love the sweet feeling of this one:

Gorgeous!

Erin & Bobby's Wedding: Cathedral of Christ the King & Emory Conference Center

2010-09-20T22:02:00.001-04:00

Erin and Bobby were married on September 4, 2010 at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Buckhead. It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding! Erin and Bobby make such a cute couple, and they make each other so happy.

After the ceremony, we had a few hours before the reception started. Erin and Bobby rented a bus for the wedding party, so we went to Park Tavern in Piedmont Park followed by Dark Horse Tavern in Virginia Highlands. The reception was held at Emory Conference Center Hotel, and every detail was perfect. Erin and Bobby thought of everything. I had so much fun photographing their day.

Friends & family of Erin and Bobby, if you would like to be notified when all their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here. Check out the slideshow at the bottom to see their wedding story unfold!

I love that Erin wore her sister's dress.

I love their rings!

All the guests had a blast! The dance floor was packed for most of the night.

Congratulations Erin and Bobby! Check out their slideshow below to see their whole day unfold:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Vendors
Ceremony: Cathedral of Christ the King
Reception: Emory Conference Center Hotel
Flowers: DGL Designs
Make-up: Atoya Harvin
Transportation: Starship Limousine

Engagement Photo Guest Book: Mikey & Mindi

2010-09-13T18:08:00.001-04:00

Engagement photo guest books are one of my favorite products that I offer for weddings. I love when couples choose to have photo guest books at their weddings because the guests always have fun looking through the couple's engagement photos and writing a personalized message. I wanted to share a few photos of Mikey and Mindi's guest book from their wedding last month. It was filled with some of their favorite photos from their engagement session:

A few of my favorite spreads...

The book filled with messages...

Erin & Bobby's Wedding: Sneak Peek!

2010-09-07T18:29:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I photographed Erin and Bobby's wedding. They were married in the beautiful Cathedral of Christ the King, and the reception held that evening at the Emory Conference Center Hotel.

Here's a preview from their wedding. More photos and a slideshow are coming soon!

Congratulations Erin and Bobby!

OpLove: Adam's Homecoming

2010-09-06T11:00:00.001-04:00

On Thursday morning, I photographed Adam's homecoming at the Atlanta airport. It was a very special day because Adam met his 5 month old son Jackson for the first time, and I am so glad I was there to capture it!

Here's little Jackson, waiting to meet his dad:

Love this shot of Adam with his wife Janelle and their son:

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Mikey & Mindi's Wedding at LeBam Art Space

2010-09-02T11:25:00.005-04:00

Mikey and Mindi were married on August 14, 2010 at LeBam Art Space in Atlanta. LeBam is a really neat venue that has a lot of unique elements both inside where the reception was held and outside where the wedding ceremony took place. Everyone had a great time dancing and celebrating!

The way these two look at each other is so sweet and full of love, and I had a wonderful to being there to capture their beautiful day. Even when it started raining an hour before their ceremony was supposed to start, Mikey and Mindi never stop smiling.

Friends & family of Mikey and Mindi, if you would like to be notified when all their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here. Check out the slideshow at the bottom to see their wedding story unfold!

A few shots of the interior of LeBam Art. The tree in the center was one of my favorite parts.

Lisa at Flowers Unique did a gorgeous job with the flowers. I love the bright color scheme!

Some of the gorgeous details:

I loved all the personal touches to their day, like Mindi's dad signing during the bride and groom's first dance.

How awesome is their cake?

Congratulations Mikey and Mindi! For even more photos, view their sneak peek and the slideshow below:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Vendors:
Venue: LeBam Art Space
Coordinator: Georgette Lake, My Special Events
Cake: Once Upon a Cake
DJ: Clay Christy, Brickhouse DJ's
Florist: Flowers Unique
Officiant: Rev. Dawn Smith-Camacho, Seventh Sense Wedding & Events

OpLove: Chris's Homecoming

2010-08-31T14:50:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, I photographed Chris's reunion with his wife and three children at the Atlanta airport, after 187 days apart. His kids anxiously waited for their dad with signs and flags in hand to greet him with. Chris's wife, Yvette, waited until arriving at the airport to tell their children who they were there to pick up, so it was a great surprise for them!

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Elizabeth & Mike: Ocean Isle Beach Engagement Photos

2010-08-26T18:58:00.002-04:00

Last week, I traveled to Ocean Isle Beach, NC to photograph Elizabeth and Mike's engagement session. Ocean Isle was the perfect spot for their engagement photos because Mike's family vacations there every year, and he proposed to Elizabeth there on last summer's trip. To top it off, the beach is absolutely gorgeous and made a great background.

I had a so much fun shooting their session and meeting Mike and his family. Elizabeth and Mike make such a cute couple, and I cannot wait to photograph their wedding next year in New Jersey! Here are a few a my favorites and their slideshow is at the bottom:

And finally, check out the sneak peek from last week and the slideshow below for more photos:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Katie & James: Bradford House Wedding

2010-08-23T18:06:00.006-04:00

Katie and James are high school sweethearts, and these two are head over heals in love with each other! They were married after seven years together on August 7, 2010 at the Bradford House in Flowery Branch, GA.

I've been watching their wedding plans come together ever since I shot their engagement photos at their high school last year, and I was so excited when the day was finally here. Every detail was carefully coordinated in red, black and white from the flowers right down to the hangers. Katie was working right down to the last day getting all the details ready, and everything looked just perfect!

Friends & family of Katie and James, if you would like to be notified when all their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here. Check out the slideshow at the bottom to see their wedding story unfold!

Katie and her bridesmaids had their hair done by Lisa Save of Belle Salon. Lisa did an amazing job and everyone looked gorgeous!

Katie and James opted to do a first look before the ceremony. This gave us lots of time for portraits of the two of them, as well as some fun wedding party shots. I love these shots of them seeing each other for the first time.

Their wedding party watched from the balcony. They yelled down to James to let him know when it was time to turn around and see Katie walking towards him.

I just loved Katie's red heels!

Just a few of the fabulous red, black and white details!

The wedding party's grand entrance to the reception! They were such a fun group!

After everyone entered, the entire wedding party surrounded Katie and James:

Congratulations Katie and James!! Enjoy the slideshow...

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Vendors
Ceremony & Reception: Bradford House and Gardens
DJ: Lou LaPoint, Amazing Sounds Entertainment
Hair: Lisa Save, Belle Salon
Dress: La Raine's Boutique

Mikey & Mindi's Wedding: Sneak Peek!

2010-08-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

Mikey and Mindi were married last Saturday at Le Bam in Atlanta. It was a beautiful wedding filled with unique details. Here are is a little preview from Mikey and Mindi's wedding. More photos coming soon:

Mindi's dad sang for Mikey and Mindi's first dance:

Elizabeth & Mike: Sneak Peek!

2010-08-21T19:53:00.001-04:00

This week, I traveled to Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina to photograph Elizabeth and Mike's engagement session. I had so much fun photographing them! I definitely can't wait to photograph these two again next year at their wedding in New Jersey. Here's a little preview from their session... more photos and a slideshow are coming soon.

OpLove: Shannon & Demario | Just Married!

2010-08-16T17:10:00.000-04:00

Last Monday I received a call from Shannon asking if I was available that afternoon to photograph her and her husband, Demario, who is in the Navy, before he was deployed. It was Demario's last day in Atlanta and luckily, I was available that afternoon to photograph them in Piedmont Park.

Walking around the park, we were chatting as I was photographing them. When I asked them how long they had been married, there was a long pause and the two of them exchanged glances, smiling at each other. I was wondering what was going on, when Shannon said with a smile, "About an hour." So here are a few of the portraits of Shannon and Demario about an hour after they were married.

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Katie & James's Wedding: Sneak Peek!

2010-08-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

Here's a little preview from Katie and James's wedding on Saturday at the Bradford House and Gardens. This wedding was filled with cute red, white and black details! I have lots more photos to share soon. I adore this first one:

I love this sweet moment between Katie and James just after the ceremony.

The guys...

The girls...

Debora & Bruno's Wedding in Sandy Springs

2010-08-04T16:03:00.001-04:00

Debora and Bruno were married on July 24, 2010 at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Sandy Springs. They were surrounded by friends and family, many of them who had traveled to Atlanta from Brazil for the occasion. Debora and Bruno had been dating for 10 years, and you could just feel how happy everyone was to see these two married after watching their relationship grow over the years. I can't help but smile as I look at their photos.

Friends & family of Debora and Bruno, if you would like to be notified when all their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here. Enjoy this preview and check out the slideshow at the bottom to see their wedding story unfold!

The reception was held at Huntcliff River Club. We took these photos of the wedding party outside by the river, and our timing couldn't have been more perfect because a few minutes after we were got inside, it started pouring.

Here are just a few of the gorgeous details:

Debora and Bruno's first dance:

They had some nice dance moves!

Love this little sequence from the bouquet toss, especially Debora covering her face in the middle one...

It was a packed dance floor most of the night!

Finally, here is their slideshow. Congratulations Debora and Bruno!

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Vendors
Ceremony: St. Jude's Catholic Church
Reception: Huntcliff River Club
Videographer: Digital S Video Productions
Hair: Toni & Guy

OpLove: Roger's Homecoming

2010-08-02T12:14:00.000-04:00

On Saturday night, I photographed Roger's homecoming at the Atlanta airport. I first photographed his wife Samantha and their son Anthony to send to Roger as a surprise, and I was so happy to now have been able to photograph his return and reunion with his wife and son. Anthony was just six months old the last time Roger saw him, and now he is walking and running around!

Waiting...

Anthony had the cutest little shirt on. It said "My daddy is my hero."

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

OpLove: Nick's Homecoming

2010-07-27T13:28:00.003-04:00

Nick's homecoming was filled with flight delays and a missed connection in Chicago. When I met Nick's wife Keri and their almost two-year-old daughter, Aly, at the airport, it was after 10:00 PM, and Aly was tired from the long day. But the waiting was worth it to see Aly running through the airport to hug her dad.

They spotted Nick...

...and Aly took off running!

A shot of the happy family all together:

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Debora & Bruno's Wedding: Sneak Peek!

2010-07-25T16:28:00.002-04:00

I couldn't wait to share a little preview from Debora and Bruno's wedding yesterday. More photos and a slideshow will be coming soon. I had such a fun time photographing their wedding!

I absolutely love their rings!

Congratulations Debora and Bruno!!

Chris & Lynda's Callaway Gardens Wedding

2010-07-22T13:50:00.001-04:00

Lynda and Chris were married on July 10, 2010 at the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel at Callaway Gardens. The chapel there has beautiful stained glass windows and is a gorgeous place to get married! Lynda and Chris are both in the military, so most of the wedding planning was done long distance. They managed to get it all done, down to every last detail and included a lot of personal touches to their day. I finally met Lynda and Chris in person the week before the wedding, and I could tell instantly what a good match they are for each other. Their faces just light up when they are together. I had so much fun photographing them!

Here are a few of my favorites from their day. Make sure to check out their slideshow at the end.

After the ceremony, everyone headed over to Cricket's Restaurant for the reception.

There were lots of creative Cubs related details throughout the day, including a Cubs garter, Cubs cake and baseball cufflinks. Can you tell Chris is a Cubs fan?

Then the party really got started!

They did an awesome job planning all the little details for the wedding:

Congratulations Lynda and Chris!! Check out the slideshow below to see the whole day unfold:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Vendors
Ceremony: Callaway Gardens
Reception: Cricket's Restaurant
Coordinator: Invision
Cake: Fran Papenfuss
DJ: MBS Entertainment
Photo Booth: WOW Photo Booth
Limo: Atlantic Limousine

OpLove: Portraits of Georgette & Shayna

2010-07-16T15:41:00.000-04:00

On Monday morning, I photographed Georgette and her adorable one year old daughter Shayna in Piedmont Park. These photos are for Georgette's husband, Shane, who is in the Army and currently deployed until December. Little Shayna is so adorable! I can't wait for her dad to see these photos. Here are a few of my favorites from their portrait session:

Shanya playing with one of her birthday presents from her dad:

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Weekend in Helen, GA

2010-07-15T16:11:00.001-04:00

For our anniversary earlier this month, Mark and I decided went on a fun little weekend getaway to the north Georgia mountains. On Saturday we drove up to Dahlonega to do a tour and wine tasting at a winery. We spent the rest of the weekend in Helen, GA where we had rented a cabin for the weekend. Here are a few photos from around Helen. I have some more photos from the rest of the trip that I'll share later:

We didn't go here...

Lynda & Chris's Wedding: Sneak Peek!

2010-07-12T12:11:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I photographed Lynda and Chris's wedding at Callaway Gardens. Here's a little preview from their beautiful wedding. More photos and their slideshow are coming soon!

The wedding chapel at Callaway Gardens is such a gorgeous place to get married:

Chris is a serious Clubs fan! There were lots of Cubs details that they incorporated into their wedding.

Congratulations Lynda and Chris! Have a great time in Chicago!

Brandi & Andre: Engaged! | Piedmont Park

2010-07-09T12:16:00.000-04:00

Last week, I photographed Brandi and Andre's engagement session in Piedmont Park. They met here in Atlanta, but Andre lives in Ohio now. We were able to fit in time for their engagement photos in Atlanta just before Brandi moved to Ohio to join Andre. These two were lots of fun to photograph. As you will see in the slideshow, there was a lot of laughter that morning! Here are a few of my favorites from their session:

Check out Brandi's gorgeous ring:

Love this one:

Check out the sneak peek I posted last week and the slideshow below for even more photos:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Christina & Austin's Wedding: Rome GA

2010-07-06T19:36:00.002-04:00

Christina and Austin were married on June 26, 2010 at an outdoor wedding in Rome, GA. The ceremony and reception were both held outside at Christina's aunt's house and everything looked gorgeous. There were two separate houses next door to each other, so Christina and Austin were able to each have their own space to get ready in without each other before the ceremony.

When it came time for Christina and Austin's portraits there was a barn, a large open field and lots of other unique spots to explore. Check out the sneak peek from last week for even more photos and slideshow at the end to see the whole story of Christina and Austin's day.

Christina looked stunning!

And finally, Christina and Austin's slideshow! Click here to view the slideshow in a new window.

Congratulations Christina and Austin!

Two Years Ago...

2010-07-05T16:48:00.000-04:00

Today, Mark and I are celebrating our two year anniversary. We just got home from a fun weekend getaway together in the mountains. I can't believe that it has been two years since our wedding already!

Brandi & Andre: Sneak Peek!

2010-07-01T10:23:00.001-04:00

Yesterday morning, I photographed Brandi and Andre's engagement session in Piedmont Park. They are so cute together and were making each other laugh the whole time. Here's a preview from their session:

Check back soon for more photos and their slideshow!

Christina & Austin: Sneak Peek!

2010-06-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

Christina and Austin were married on Saturday in Rome, GA. The wedding was held outside at Christina's aunt's home, and the place had so many fun spots to explore for photos! Here's a little preview from the wedding. More photos and the slideshow will be coming soon.

Wyndham Wedding Experience: Peachtree City, GA

2010-06-21T14:38:00.003-04:00

On June 12 and 13, the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City hosted a weekend long event for brides and grooms called the Wyndham Wedding Experience. The Wyndam put on a variety of events leading up to a wedding ceremony and wedding reception, giving the couples who attended lots of inspiration to use for planning their upcoming weddings. I had a great time photographing the event along with the Perdue Vision team.

Saturday night there was a party by the pool:

The lobby of the Wyndham:

The wedding colors were pink and green, and all the details really popped! Here are a few shots of the set-up for the outdoor wedding ceremony complete with pink bows on back of the chairs:

I just had to share this photo: the bride's dog was adorable and I just loved her bright pink shoes!

Here are some shots of the how the ballroom was decorated for the wedding reception:

OpLove: Patriotic Portraits for Jay

2010-06-15T14:44:00.001-04:00

Felicia contacted me last month to set up a portrait session as a surprise for her husband Jay who is in the Air Force and currently deployed for six months. They have two children, a five year old girl and a two year old boy. They were so much fun to photograph, and they loved dressing up in their dad's things for the photos!

Here are a few of my favorites from my session with them in Warner Robins, GA. I can't wait for Jay to see these photos!

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Jackie & Kevin's Chateau Elan Wedding

2010-06-09T09:46:00.000-04:00

Jackie and Kevin were married on May 29, 2010. They had a beautiful outdoor ceremony right in the vineyards at Chateau Elan in Braselton, GA. Jackie walked down an aisle in the vineyard lined with white rose petals to an opening under a tree where Kevin was waiting. It was a gorgeous backdrop for the ceremony.

I first met Jackie and Kevin at the Atlanta airport when I photographed Kevin's homecoming from Iraq. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to photograph these two for a second time and document the beginning of the next chapter of their life together.

Friend & family of Jackie & Kevin, if you would like to be notified when all their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here. Check out the sneak peek from last week and the slideshow at the end for more photos!

I love the look on Kevin's face:

Some details from the wedding:

And finally, the slideshow...

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window!

Congratulations Jackie & Kevin!

Greystone at Piedmont Park Wedding: Lauren & Chris

2010-06-04T14:57:00.004-04:00

Lauren and Chris were married on May 14, 2010 in Atlanta, GA. They now live in California, but they returned to Atlanta for their wedding. Michele Beckwith, a San Francisco based photographer, flew to Atlanta to photograph Lauren and Chris's wedding and asked me to photograph the wedding with her. I had so much fun working with Michele and am so glad she asked me to come along with her to shoot Lauren and Chris's wedding.

Lauren and her bridesmaids got ready at Lauren's parents' house in Dunwoody, GA:

I love Lauren's engagement ring:

The wedding ceremony was held at St. Jude’s in Sandy Springs.

The reception at reception was held at the Greystone in Piedmont Park. I have seen the construction at the Greystone for while shooting engagement sessions at Piedmont Park, so it was fun to finally see how this venue looks on the inside. It is such a great location for a wedding!

The details at the wedding were gorgeous! I loved the blue and green colors.

This group knew how to have fun!

Lauren and Chris had a unique idea for their exit: the guests all threw paper airplanes at them as they were leaving!

Congratulations Lauren and Chris! And thanks to Michele for asking me to shoot with you!

OpLove: Patriotic Portraits for Derrick

2010-06-02T13:49:00.003-04:00

Devan's husband is in the Air Force and will be deployed until October, and she wanted some photos of their daughter to send to him. I was able to photograph them in Warner Robins, GA last month the same day I photographed Roger's family.

I can't wait for Derrick to see these photos! Here is a few of my favorites from the session:

Wearing Daddy's hat...

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Jackie & Kevin's Wedding: Sneak Peek!

2010-05-30T12:51:00.001-04:00

Here is a little preview from Jackie and Kevin's wedding that I photographed yesterday at Chateau Elan. As you can see, their wedding was absolutely gorgeous. More photos will be posted soon!

Congratulations Jackie and Kevin!

OpLove: Patriotic Portraits for Roger

2010-05-28T17:10:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month I photographed Samantha and her 9-month-old son, Anthony, in Warner Robins, GA. These photos are a surprise for her husband who is in the Air Force and is currently deployed to Iraq until September.

Here is a few of my favorites from the session:

Operation: Love ReUnited is a non profit program that offers free photography sessions for deploying, deployed, and returning military families. If you wish to participate in a Pre-Deployment, Deployment or Homecoming/Reunion Session, please go to www.oplove.org to locate a photographer in your area or email me at info@trueexpressionphoto.com to schedule a session with me.

The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Charleston, SC

2010-05-27T11:01:00.001-04:00

Last week, I spent the week on vacation at Folly Beach in South Carolina. I spent most of the week at the beach, but on Friday I went into Charleston for a few hours in the afternoon. I wish I had more time to shoot in Charleston- it is so gorgeous there! Here are a few of my favorites:

More photos from some photos sessions I shot earlier this month will coming up on the blog in the next few days!

Engagement Photo Guest Book: Shana & John

2010-05-14T09:35:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite products I offer for weddings are photo guest books. The guest books are custom designed using photos from the engagement session, and there is plenty of white space left around the photos for wedding guests to leave personal messages.

I love designing these books and seeing them filled with sweet messages. I wanted to share some photos of Shana and John's guest book from their wedding last month.

A few of my favorite spreads from their book:

Here are some photos of the guestbook from the wedding:

Ashley & Michael: Berry College Engagement Photos

2010-05-10T15:03:00.000-04:00

Ashley and Michael met and started dating while attending Berry College together, so what better place for their engagement photos than the place they fell in love! These two love their school and have so many great memories there together. It was really fun hearing all their stories as we made our way around the campus. They did swing dancing and ballroom dancing together in college, and they showed me some of their awesome dance moves in their old practice space. It was my first time at Berry College, and I loved seeing the campus as well as getting to know Ashley and Michael.

Ashley and Michael brought along tons of cute outfits for each of the different areas of campus. I love this next one:

They are so much fun!

We headed over to the student center for some video games and pool.

Love this one!

Another favorite of mine:

For our last stop, we had lunch in the dining hall. At lunch I learned that sharing a french fries is a little more difficult than sharing spaghetti:

Check out the sneak peek I posted last week and the slideshow below to see more photos from Ashley & Michael's engagement session!

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Mikey & Mindi: Engaged!

2010-05-06T14:06:00.003-04:00

Last week I photographed Mikey and Mindi's engagement session. I had a great time walking around and getting to know the two of them better. I just love the sweet way Mikey kept looking at Mindi throughout the photo shoot. They make such a great couple. I am really looking forward to photographing their wedding August!

First, we started out at Piedmont Park.

I love this one:

Then we walk around the Virginia Highland area. Mikey and Mindi both love drinking wine, so we stopped at Fontaine's for a glass of wine on the balcony.

I love the dress Mindi picked for the second half of the shoot. Green looks great on her!

Isn't Mindi's engagement ring gorgeous?

Be sure to check out the sneak peek I posted last week and the slideshow below for even more from Mikey and Mindi's engagement session:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Ashley & Michael: Sneak Peek!

2010-05-04T13:05:00.001-04:00

Saturday morning I went to Berry College in Rome GA to photograph Ashley and Michael's engagement session. It was my first time at Berry College, so Ashley and Michael gave me a tour of the campus before we started the session. It is gorgeous there! Here is just a small preview of the session. We took photos all over campus at all their favorite spots, so there are lots more photos to come.

Mikey & Mindi: Sneak Peek!

2010-04-30T11:11:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday I spend the afternoon photographing Mikey and Mindi's engagement session in the Virginia Highlands and Piedmont Park. Both spots are right around the corner from where these two will be getting married in August. I will be posting more photos from their session soon, but for now, here's a short preview:

Mackenzie is 18 Months Old

2010-04-28T08:22:00.002-04:00

This was my third time photographing Mackenzie. For her 18 month photos, we decided to go to Piedmont Park. Mackenzie has grown a lot since I photographed six months ago when she was crawling but not quite able to stand on her own. Now, she can walk (and run!). There were so many adorable photos of her, but here are a few of my favorites from Sunday's session:

Blowing kisses:

New dress! I love both of her outfits!

Family photo:

Bobby & Erin: Engaged!

2010-04-20T18:33:00.003-04:00

Here are some more photo from Bobby and Erin's fun engagement session that I photographed last week. It was great getting to know these two a lot better during their session. After spending the afternoon with these two, I am even more excited for their wedding in September!

We started off wandering around Marietta Square:

I love how Erin's purple dress really stood out in front of all the different colored walls:

We headed to Piedmont Park for the second half of the session. We could not have picked a more perfect day in the park!

I love Erin's pink and black dress!

Check out the slideshow below and last week's sneak peek for more from Erin and Bobby's engagement session:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Shana & John's Wedding: Stone Mountain GA

2010-04-19T13:49:00.001-04:00

Shana and John were married on April 10, 2010 in Stone Mountain GA. The wedding theme was Old Hollywood Glamour and every detail was perfect. When I first heard Shana's "Going to the Chapel" ringtone before my initial meeting with her and John, I was immediately excited to work with them. I have had so much fun getting to know these two ever since then. They are two of the sweetest people you'll meet, and I know they are going to be so happy together!

Friend & family of Shana & John, if you would like to be notified when all their wedding photos are online, you can sign up here. Check out the slideshow at the bottom!

Shana and John decided to do a first look and see each other before the wedding. That gave us plenty of time to take all the portraits before the ceremony so Shana and John didn't have to miss any of their reception! Here's the look on John's face when he saw Shana in her wedding dress for the first time:

After finishing up their portraits, Shana and John checked out the reception venue and had a quick dance together before leaving for the church. Aren't the cute together!?

The family praying together before the wedding:

Married!

The reception was held at Michael David's and the place looked gorgeous! As part of the Old Hollywood theme, each table had a photo of a different old movie star telling the guests where to sit:

Some of the wedding details:

They danced to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for their first dance:

John's son and daughter joined them out on the dance floor for the end of their dance:

The cake was from Bill Rhodes Bakery and it was one of the things Shana was looking forward to most at the reception!

All the guest had a blast dancing at the reception. It was such a fun group!

Congratulations Shana and John!! I had so much fun photographing your wedding! Check out the slideshow of their whole day below:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window!

Vendors
Ceremony: First Moravian Church
Reception: Michael David's
Florist: Ederyn Floral
Cake: Bill Rhodes Bakery
Disc Jockey: jB JAMS

Bobby & Erin: Sneak Peek!

2010-04-14T13:49:00.000-04:00

Here's a little preview from Bobby and Erin's engagement session that I photographed yesterday afternoon. We started off the shoot in Marietta Square and finished up in Piedmont Park. I got so many great photos of these two. I'll be posting more photos and the slideshow soon. Enjoy!

It was a gorgeous day in Piedmont Park!

Shana & John: Married! | Sneak Peek

2010-04-12T14:58:00.000-04:00

Shana and John were married on Saturday and you could not have asked for a more perfect day for a wedding! I wanted to post a quick sneak peek for Shana and John to see before they head off on their honeymoon, but there will be lots more photos coming soon! I absolutely love this first shot because it really captures the feeling of their wedding's old Hollywood glamour theme.

Congratulations Shana and John!!

Lindsey & Tim: Drive-In Theatre Engagement

2010-04-11T13:34:00.001-04:00

Last week, I had the opportunity to get to know Lindsey and Tim while shooting their engagement photos at the drive-in theatre. Even though they love to joke around and make fun of each other, I could tell they are crazy about each other. We had fun exploring all the areas of the drive-in to get some different shots. Here's a few more favorites from their photo shoot. Check out their sneak peek from last week & slideshow at the end for more photos.

Finally, here's the slideshow:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

Rust, Wires & Brick Walls

2010-04-08T16:23:00.001-04:00

Lindsey & Tim: Sneak Peek!

2010-04-06T14:50:00.002-04:00

Here is a little preview from the engagement session I photographed yesterday at the Starlight Six Drive-In. Lindsey and Tim placed 3rd in this year's fun photo contest (you may remember their awesome samurai & pirate photo) and won this mini engagement session. I had so much fun getting to know Lindsey and Tim during the shoot.

More photos and the slideshow will be ready soon!

Spring Flowers + New Camera Gear

2010-04-01T19:29:00.004-04:00

Last Thursday, the new camera gear I ordered arrived in the mail, and I couldn't have been more excited! I ordered a macro lens and a new 5D Mark II. They are both awesome. Since the weather today was perfect, I went out for a walk to play around with my new gear. It was great going out wearing my flip flops and seeing flowers blooming. Here are a few fun shots from this afternoon:

Here's a look at my new gear. Can't wait to use them at my 2010 weddings!

Shana & John: Engaged!

2010-03-26T13:57:00.003-04:00

I absolutely love the way Shana and John look at each other. They are head-over-heels in love with each other and it definitely shows. I photographed Shana and John's engagement session last Thursday, just over three weeks before their wedding, and I could tell how excited they are to be SO close to the big day! Between the getting ready for the wedding and buying a new house, these two are busy. This session was a perfect chance for them to take a break and enjoy an afternoon just spending time together.

I had a great time spending the day with Shana and John. Here are just a few of my favorites from their photo session. Check out the sneak peek I posted last week and the slideshow at the end for even more photos.

First we started off at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens:

Next, Shana and John changed into their second outfits and we headed to the Virginia Highlands area for some more photos. I loved shooting in the Highlands and would definitely have fun photographing an entire session there.

Finally, check out Shana & John's slideshow below:

Click here to open the slideshow in a new window.

See you in a couple weeks, Shana and John! I can't wait to photograph your wedding!

American Cancer Society's DetermiNation Marathon

2010-03-25T11:53:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to photograph something completely different than what I normally shoot, and I wanted to share some photos from the event. I was at the AIG Georgia Marathon, photographing the runners for the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation Marathon. Since I photograph mostly weddings and couples, photographing a marathon was a different experience for me, but it was also a lot fun. I haven't done any sports photography since 2007 and I forgot how much work it can be! I worked with three other photographers (Paul Perdue, Matt Levine and Sara Blunk) on this event and we were each set at different areas of the course. My spot was on Park Drive right outside Piedmont Park at mile 8.5 on the half marathon and just past the mile 21 for the full marathon participants.

Here's a big group of runners from the half marathon:

Photographing the runners was fun because when people would see the camera, they would smile, wave their arms in the air or push themselves to run harder so they wouldn't be caught walking on camera.

A few more photos from the marathon:

If you were at the marathon, the event photos from all of the photographers can be seen here!

Desert Photos from Red Rock Canyon

2010-03-22T16:18:00.002-04:00

One afternoon while I was in Las Vegas for WPPI, I went out to the desert with a 5 other photographer to do some shooting a few hours before sunset. I have never been in the desert before, so it was definitely something different and cool for me to both see and photograph. Whenever I travel, I love taking photos of new places, so I couldn't pass up this while I was out there. One thing I was not prepared for was how cold it would be out there- wow! Here are a few photos from my first time in the desert at Red Rock:

Shana & John: Sneak Peek!

2010-03-20T16:14:00.003-04:00

Here is a preview from Shana and John's engagement session that I photographed on Thursday. Their wedding is just three weeks away, and I could tell how excited these two are that their big day is almost here! I'm am loving the photos from this session. There will be a lot more photos as well as the slideshow from this session coming soon. Enjoy!