Meet Mags

What are little girls made of?


Maggie is my almost four-year-old cousin. Dress-up is probably her favorite thing to do, and it's a great excuse for me to take pictures of her. She has always been my favorite little girl to photograph, mostly because of how photogenic and adorable she is.

On this particular day Mags was on a mission...

See if you can guess what she was looking for...here's a clue.



She climbed up there by herself, and with just a little help from me, she gathered what she wanted.

She was quite proud of herself for collecting the eggs her chickens laid that morning.

Despite the fact that she has two brothers- one older and one younger, she is ALL girl.




She even let me put a flower in her hair.

Phil & Laura [first engagement shoot EVER!]

My friend, Tiff, asked me if I could take pictures of her brother proposing to his girlfriend a few weeks ago. It ended up raining on that particular day, so the proposal had to be moved inside and the location lacked ideal lighting and a discreet place for me to hide. So, I did their engagement pictures instead (since she did say YES). I have only ever dreamed of having the honor of doing someone's engagement pictures, and couldn't wait for the opportunity to present itself...and it finally did. Plans were up in the air for most of the day due to rainy weather (with high winds) but we decided to take the risk and go with it. They were fabulous models, and I couldn't have asked for a better couple to shoot as a first.

Here's their story:
Phil & Laura met during "Welcome Week" at Messiah College their freshman year through a mutual friend, and have been friends ever since. Friends, yes...boyfriend/ girlfriend, no. Phil had a girlfriend when he met Laura, so she immediately wrote him off. (Life Lesson: Don't rule someone out just because they have a significant other...enough said.) The following January they started dating (for fellow Messiah students, he asked her out in Kline...) They dated for three years, fell madly in love (the proof is in the pictures), and got engaged on May 3rd. No official wedding date, yet.

p.s. WARNING: this post might make you want to fall in love.




that ring is amazing.


Despite the rain, they managed to stay dry thanks to an adorable umbrella courtesy of Rebecca Horning.

On the fourth floor of this brick building is where Phil popped the question. Some call it "Boyer".






































If you attend Messiah College there is no way you can resist that covered bridge.















I said "Pop your leg!". Apparently Phil thought I was talking to him.

I caught this moment without them knowing.



The sun started to peep through for just a second for some great lighting.


This is the lighting I dream of.

Tiff discovered this field of wild flowers a week ago. We had a really great idea that we weren't sure if we were going to be able to pull off, but we knew if we would it would be amazing. Continue reading to see what happened...




And then finally just what we had waited for...

Yup. A kiss in the rain. Not everyone is up for getting completely drenched during a photo shoot.

Phil & Laura, you guys were great! Thanks so much for being so great to work with.
Oh, and thanks Tiff for all the great ideas... it wouldn't have turned out so great without you. :)

She's Not Just a Pretty Face

"Dad, isn't your daughter beautiful?" "Yeah, she's pretty hot."

He isn't kidding.

Where would I be without her?

She is the sole reason I am sad about being away for the majority of the summer.

She is wiser than me. Much wiser.

She is full of beauty, inside and out, and underestimates herself.

She has style, class, spunk, personality like you wouldn't believe...

She is talented: athletic, musical, funny...

She is always full of laughter, and can make anything funny...

Always ready for adventure, something fun...

and STUNNING.

My Beautiful younger sister, Kaitlyn.
I loved her scarf and just simply wanted to get a few shots of her with it on.
Turned out to make for some gorgeous photos that radiate the kind of person she really is.

Easter Sunday

I've celebrated Easter for my entire life. I grew up in a Christian home, so for as long as I can remember I knew the whole story: Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and on the third day He rose again. It was fairly basic to me and something that I never thought much about.

I suddenly remembered when preparing myself for Easter (fasting for 40 days, etc...) that I've been taking this entire event for granted. Without this act of selflessness and sacrifice my faith would not even matter. I would not have faith. Faith would not exist. The redemption that met earth on that day reveals to us how much we need salvation.

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
³⁰ I have seen your salvation,
³¹ which you have prepared for all people.
³² He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Luke 2:29-32