“Absence makes thy heart grow fonder.”
-Anonymous

Though they both attended Penn State, Teela + Scott’s first close encounter was a couple years ago while visiting Avalon, New Jersey, for some sun and fun. And something told them then that it was love. Their only problem was geography — she was living in Philly, he was in Manhattan. If time was to keep them apart, distance would not, and the two cities became the setting for their storybook courtship. For more than a year they took turns traveling back and forth every weekend until Scott could call Pennsylvania home once again and be with his gal for good.

In June the couple returned to New York City to visit Scott’s friends. Little did Teela know this trip would be the start of their next chapter. Scott planned a romantic evening, which began at the Highline, an elevated park in the Meatpacking District and the scene of their first NYC date. It was there he proposed, and where she’ll always remember the feeling of pure happiness.

They ended this summer with a trip to St. Augustine. Their hope was that I would capture their affectionate and fun personalities in an artistic manner. No problem. Scott made his love for Teela look like an art form and she was his inspiration, like a painter and his muse. And the beauty of St. Augustine didn’t hurt!

Cheers to Teela + Scott — may your love always look like the work of art I witnessed that day.

“I was never alive
‘Til the day I was blessed with you.
When I hold you late at night,
I know what I was put here to do.”
—”Angel’s Lullaby”

A few weeks ago, I met the Angels for a sunset maternity session on the beach, a gift from an excited soon-to-be aunt. From the moment I arrived, it was clear that raindrops would fall before the sun would set, and my sunset money-shot was gone with the wind. The sky was already rumbling, and the periodic raindrop on my arm kept me on my toes. Not exactly my idea of optimal shooting conditions. And yet, the weather provided two totally different backdrops — to the north there was nothing but light, and to the south the sky provided amazing shades of blue and gray.

The couple had recently finished decorating Baby Boy Angel’s nautically-inspired nursery and were patiently awaiting his arrival. Pregnancy did not slow this couple down. They were even more productive than normal, which is saying something. They shared and celebrated their joy with family and friends all along the way, and she easily worked up until her leave at 39 weeks. By then her petite frame was all baby, and the yet unnamed Angel was weighing in at more than eight pounds.

As I drove home that evening, I wondered who Baby Angel would look more like. Mom’s family is Colombian, Dad’s is German and Hungarian. No doubt he’ll be a cutie. Then the music geek in me kicked in, and I remembered that song “Angel’s Lullaby” (the Richard Marx version). The song is too fitting!

Ethan Parker made his debut yesterday, all 9 pounds and 21 inches of him. He has a full head of dark hair, like his mother. But when I saw his very first photo, what struck me most was the Angel in him.

Congratulations to Carolina + Robby!

And for those of you who can’t get enough of the classic maternity shots, by request here are my latest interpretations…

Congratulations again to the new parents and their family! I look forward to watching Baby Ethan grow!

Tawanna + Lee were married at 11 a.m. on June 11, 2011, at Barnard Park in Glennville, Ga. One of Tawanna’s bridesmaids told me the bride wanted to feel like a princess with a wedding fit for royalty. The sun was shining, birds were chirping and the couple was surrounded by family and friends. It was a day straight from the pages of a fairytale, complete with horse + carriage, white doves and a handsome prince. It was Tawanna’s dream come true. Happily ever after…

One Sunday afternoon in May, I visited Gary + Leslie to shoot their daughter’s three-month portraits. Gary and I attended the same high school — Go ‘Noles! — but it was my first time meeting the rest of the family. Their daughter, Miss Rylee Ann, is the couple’s first child, though you wouldn’t know it after hanging out with them for a few hours. Leslie is a fantastic mother. She has a way with her daughter that was impressive to watch — Gary called it “the magic touch.” I have to agree.

“Love, and do what thou wilt…let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.” —St. Augustine of Hippo

I traveled to St. Augustine last month for Nicole + Justin’s engagement session. There’s nothing better than shooting in a new location, particularly one as old as St. Augustine, Florida. And it did not disappoint. It had been years since my family spent one of its classic vacations in the old city, so it was like I was seeing it all again for the first time — this time through appreciative eyes.

And what I saw through the lens was perhaps one of the sweetest couples I have met. Not only were they calm, cool and collected, but they were also playful, loving, in love. Justin proposed to Nicole in St. Augustine at Castillo de San Marcos. The fort is a symbol of strength, protection, everlasting — the perfect foundation for a successful marriage. They’re off to a good start, and the rest will soon be history.