I "met" King through Facebook when I found out he was coming into town to get tattooed by a close friend, so I offered him our house to crash at. We'd soon find out that we may as well be siblings separated at birth due to how much we have in common... except he's a bit more over the top than I am (at least these days because I'm far too tired most of the time.)

Thankfully, he comes into town once a year to get tattooed and we get to catch up...this time though, he brought (almost) the whole family and since they're from no where near the ocean, it was only appropriate to do a quick family photo session at Buckroe Beach on their first night in town, especially because both of our schedules were so busy that this would be the only opportunity we'd have to get together.

That being said, when you have beautiful, giant rocks on the beach and a man with a majestic curly mullet, it was only appropriate to create the last image in this set. When I mentioned the idea while shooting, he jumped at the opportunity and nailed that amazing mer-man/king of the sea pose. He's since been inspired to purchase "holographic merman leggings" to lift weights in, so I'd say... "mission accomplished."

Diana is one of those people.

We met almost 7 years ago when our husbands were deployed overseas on a Submarine together and my husband sent me an email asking if I could find a way to get in touch with her. Her husband had spoken to him in confidence that she didn't really know anyone in the area and was going through an incredibly difficult experience in her life. I can only describe what transpired from our initial introduction via a simple Facebook message as something that both God and fate planned, due to what I would experience with her over the following months.

Although I was with her through it all, her story is not mine to tell but the emotional, mental, and physical pain that she endured and the strength that she displayed while going through it all is something that has stuck with me and will continue to stay with me for a lifetime.

When you go through such a tragic experience with someone, a bond is created that can never be broken. Even when life gets crazy and you go entirely too long without catching up or checking in, you know when the time comes that you do see each other again, it's like reuniting with a sister that you haven't seen in years but you pick up right where you left off the last time, even if it was years ago. That's how it felt when Diana got in my car this past weekend on the way to this shoot.

She's the kind of person that inspires me in every way. Her ability to come out of something so incredibly dark...something that would completely break so many people, combined with her work ethic, her drive and determination, sense of humor and ability to not take herself so seriously, and the major life goals she has set for herself and continues to accomplish with each passing day inspire me to push myself harder and even further out of my own darkness that I've experienced in recent years....and find my way back to being the person that I am fully capable of being. She's the kind of person you want in your corner... one who will be your biggest cheerleader you when you need it the most, but also one that won't hesitate to take off her big hoop earrings and "handle business" should the situation call for it... she may not look like it while wearing a long, flowy dress in these images, but this woman is a complete badass.

When I decided to restart my photography business, I knew I needed a shoot that would inspire me at the creative level that I so desperately needed. I also wanted to photograph the strength and beauty that women possess and while I love boudoir photography, it's not a niche that I feel I would excel at. At the same time, I want to be able to provide an experience for women to be photographed in a way that makes them realize just how beautiful they are, but with a more natural approach and in an environment that makes them feel completely comfortable in front of the camera.

Diana was the first person that came to mind to help me bring this idea to life so I approached her about it and she agreed. Not only did we have so much fun shooting together, but we got the chance to have some long overdue time to catch up and remember that we need to not let so much time pass before we talk or see each other again.

She absolutely NAILED it during this session and gave me so many amazing images that I had a hard time narrowing down the ones I wanted to edit. It also doesn't hurt that she is stunningly gorgeous with that natural flowing mermaid hair that I would give anything to have! Also...can you believe she has 3 kids under the age of six... one not even being a year old yet?!? Talk about a bounce back from pregnancy...and the motivational boost I personally needed to take back control of my own body, considering my youngest is now 5 and I have no more excuses.

I hope you love these images as much as I do and if you're wanting your own "empowerment session" so you have a reminder of how truly beautiful and strong you are, don't hesitate to contact me so we can set something up!

I met Drew through a close mutual friend right as he and Naomi started dating. When they got engaged, he contacted me about photographing their wedding, which also included engagement photos that we took at an amazing winery in Williamsburg, VA. From our first photo session together, I knew that Naomi was the kind of person that I could definitely be friends with.

Their wedding in November of 2019 was nothing short of a fairytale, although I may be a bit biased because it took place at Mountain Lake Resort where my all time favorite movie, Dirty Dancing, was filmed.

It was while photographing their wedding day that I got to know Naomi even better....that tends to happen when you spend a couple hours in the bridal suite and are surrounded by all of the nervousness, excitement, and other emotions that come right before a wedding ceremony. It's also usually the time when a bride realizes that I'm not "just a wedding photographer," but also tend to become a key member of their support system for the day. At one point, I remember sitting on the bed while she was waiting until it was time to start getting ready and frantically scrolling through my phone as quickly as possible to ultimately find the perfect song for a last minute change to the father/daughter dance at the reception.

I can't even begin to describe how amazing their wedding and reception were... there was such an overwhelming abundance of love in the room from their family and friends... and the kind of love that Drew and Naomi have is something that doesn't come along very often. It didn't help my crying behind the camera issue when one of the songs they incorporated into their ceremony was my own wedding song from almost 15 years ago.

Fast-forward to February when one night I received a Facebook message from Naomi that said "so...umm, what are you doing the first week of March?" I jokingly responded with, "You're pregnant?" She said "It's still super early and nobody knows, don't tell Drew I told you but I had to tell someone and I know you can keep a secret." (Ironically for that exact reason, I tend to always end up being the first person to be told someone is pregnant if I haven't already sensed it...what can I say, it's a "gift."

Although I was taking a break from photographing new clients because my husband was gone for the majority of the last 3 years, we did some fun "surprise!" pregnancy announcement photos in March that also incorporated Drew's beloved car and a Corona to represent 2020.

Because of the restrictions that were in place due to Covid precautions, Drew was unable to attend Naomi's first few OB appointments and there was a chance he wouldn't even be able to be at the 20 week appointment where they'd find out the gender. Because of that, I surprised them with a 16 week 3D/4D gender reveal session at a local, private ultrasound office. Knowing they wanted to incorporate Drew's car doing a burnout into their "Facebook Official gender reveal," I learned really quickly that morning how to make colored "burn-out powder" using cornstarch, food coloring, and a lot of time drying it out in the oven during the few hours before and during their ultrasound appointment. I live fairly close to where there appointment was, so I left a baggie of blue powder and a baggie of pink powder in my mailbox for them to put under Drew's back tire for the big Facebook Live reveal when they got home, and in return they left me a clue as to what they were having...once again and coming full circle... being the first to know, and yet somehow even already knowing, I still cried watching their gender reveal on my phone (but was also super stoked that the powder actually worked!)

My husband was deployed the majority of 2020 so I was desperately trying to stay as busy as possible and after learning that Drew has the same DIY mentality that I do, when I found out he was planning to surprise Naomi with a fully decorated nursery, I asked if I could help to add a "female touch" to it to ensure it included all of the "girly aspects" that a new mom would want. Over the course of the next few months, Drew and I worked together to create the most gorgeous nursery for Naomi and their sweet little princess, which included custom built pieces by him (by the way, check out his page Custom Built by Drew for your woodworking needs!) and an amazing geometric accent wall in the lilac, grey, and white colors he chose. I handmade giant paper flowers in the same colors to go on one side a wooden name sign I had custom made that would hang over the crib next to a wall mural of a giant 7' tree Drew painted using an incredibly complicated (sorry Drew!) stencil I created for him. Being a graphic designer (with an Etsy shop), I designed a few prints for him to hang around the room and also created a custom crib sheet and changing pad set to go with the theme. I made sure he had a few last minute little details to add that I knew Naomi wanted, including "something sparkly"....which I incorporated by coating a geometric vase with silver glitter and filling it with a mini flower arrangement version of the paper flowers I'd made for the wall, and then had him finish the room off with a white faux fur rug in front of the crib. Once again, I cried (becoming a common theme here!) when I watched the family and friends Facebook Live nursery reveal to Naomi, even though I'd already seen all of the pictures Drew sent to me throughout the incredible process he spent bringing his design concept to life in between working full time and other projects he had going on. We also managed to pull off a surprise baby shower a few months later with the help of some other friends!

Finally in mid-October, I got to meet their sweet princess Noelle when I did their newborn photos and she was every bit as beautiful as I imagined she would be. Unfortunately due to the "quarantine life" we've all been stuck in, I had only been able to see her one other time before last week when we got together to take some updated family and 6 month photos of Noelle and I was in awe of how much she's grown!

My point to all of this rambling is that you never know where something as simple as a "Will you photograph our wedding?" inquiry will lead... and in this case it led to two amazing friends who have basically become family, and getting to be "Auntie Lauren" to such a beautiful little girl.

I'll start with a compilation of an image from each session I've done with them, and I hope you love the most recent photos as much as I do! Love you Naomi and Drew!

I couldn't have asked for a better session... Paige and Kyle are one of the most adorable couples I've ever met. Chris from Sable & Mae Photography set it up by telling the soon to be fiancée that it was a styled shoot and that I was second shooting with her as a new photographer (haha!) who was shadowing her.

We started the session with a couple shots and then set the mood by having them pick a song to slow dance too. They chose "Better Together" by Luke Combs. I then told Paige that I wanted to "practice my individual portrait shots" by having her look straight on at me while Chris snuck Kyle the ring from her camera bag and he got into position.

While photographing Paige, I asked if "Better Together" was "their song" or if they had another one and she jokingly said it was their song or "at least it would be if they EVER got married." Little did she know what was about to happen. To throw her off a bit more, I joked back, "well someone needs to step up to the plate then!" and asked if the song Single Ladies would be more appropriate. Instead, I let "Better Together" continue playing and then told her that I wanted some shots of them together and told her to go ahead and turn around and go back to Kyle... and that's when she saw him on his knee. I won't lie, I was so thankful for the in-camera image stabilization feature because Chris and I were both crying and my hands were shaking the entire time he proposed to her.

I'm so thankful to have been a part of such a beautiful, special moment and so happy for Paige and Kyle as they begin this next chapter of their lives together. I imagine their adorable Goldendoodle boys will somehow be incorporated into their wedding! Speaking of, if you're in need of an amazing photographer, ESPECIALLY for photos of your pets or with your pets, definitely check out Chris's Facebook page and get in touch with her! As an ACO for her "day job," she's basically the animal whisperer behind the camera and her images are absolutely gorgeous!

We finished the session with a fun mini "engagement shoot" to celebrate the shiny new ring on Paige's left hand. Chris (Sable & Mae) will be uploading a sneak peek of her images to her Facebook page sometime in the near future so be sure to check them out when she does to get the full "photo story" from her perspective!