I just got home from an amazing week in Atlantic City. I went down the DWFU workshop. (Digital Wedding Forum) What was great is that there were only 50 photographers and we have created life long bonds.
We had a class each day on different topics. My main reason for going was to see Tina Wilson . She is an incredible children’s photographer in Tennessee. Right away when she started to talk and describe her life and where it was, I said” that is me!” I knew this was something I needed to work on. I talked to her the next night and we had a life changing conversation. (I am gonna try not to cry again) That made the trip soooo worth it!
Tuesday night, was our “Trash The Dress”. shoot. It was organized by Heather Zawalick and headed up by “Mark Eric”. and “Jason Domingues”.
About 10 brides who wanted to do something a little different, volunteered to come to Atlantic City and have amazing photographers shoot them in their wedding gowns. This wasn’t about ruining a dress. It was about getting the shots you are too scared to do on the wedding day because you don’t want to get dirt on your dress. My group had Lisa. She was so beautiful and the camera loved her. I was so happy when she said we can do anything we wanted….as long as the dress was able to be washed. This was a media frenzy too! Their were TV cameras and news stations everywhere. It was really weird to be on the other side this time….(yeah ok ;)…) I even made the newspaper!! Woo Hoo!!!
The last 2 days we were there, we had a class with Cliff Maunter who helped us with lighting and running a business. Thursday, I got to see John Michael Cooper again. Just a few months ago I saw him in Las Vegas when he did a shoot off in the desert. I had to cut out early to get home, so I missed him shoot this time…. But, I know I will have so many opportunites to see him again. If I wrote everything we learned this week, I would run out of space…..But all I can say is that I met some incredible photographer’s and made some really great friends! See….now I am crying again…..
Here are a few from my Trash the Dress….

I will be out of the office until Friday July 13th. I will have limited e-mail access. I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks!! Have a great week!

Ali and Steve were our 07/07/07 couple! When Ali picked her date, she never really realized the significance of the date. So there wasn’t a big deal made about it.
They had their wedding at St John the Baptist church in New Freedom. After the ceremony, we headed to a cute pond for the group shots. With the weather being so hot and all the bugs, we cut it short so they could drive around for a while before the reception. When they arrived at the Yorktowne hotel, we took them to do some shots alone. Much better!!
I knew their reception was going to be action packed from when we talked during their engagement session. Katie and I were cracking up the whole time at the surprise dances and the craziness around us. What a great night! Thanks for letting us be a part of your day! I will have your slide show up by the time you get back from Ireland!! Here it is FINALLY

I always love it when I get a call or e-mail from former brides asking me to photograph their children! It makes me excited to know that they trust me enough to continue to document their lives.
Today, I got to photograph Cole. He is the sixth month old son of Heidi and Jeremiah that got married almost 4 years ago.
They wanted me to come to the house so they could document where Cole grew up before they move. He was very easy to work with. Most 6 month olds laugh at everything….then they get tired…..Here are a few from today!

Monday, I went to York to meet Rebecca for her senior pictures. I actually met her at her house since it was so beautifully landscaped. She was up to doing whatever, so her mom kept telling us to go over to the creek…..We used the wooded area around it, but didn’t try to go down the embankment… I could just see my doppy self falling in!! Here are a few from our session.

Friday, I had the pleasure of photographing Fiona. She is the daughter of my friend’s Keith and Diana. Keith wanted to do something for Diana for her first Mother’s day so he gave her a session from me as a gift. What a perfect little baby! Not a peep out of her the whole time. She got a little sqirmy when she was hungry, but other than that she was a perfect model. Being a model must have tired her out…..Here are a few from out session….

Today is my nephew’s first birthday! Boy, they grow so fast!!

I met Misty and Brian here in Mount Joy for their engagement session. We walked around town for a bit looking for the best places to shoot. It took Brian a while to warm up, but near the end, he said he was actually having fun! Here’s a few from our morning!

I will try to get through this entry without tearing up again…..
I would have to say that this Thursday was one of the most emotional weddings I have been a part of. I met Daphne and Richard last year for the first time when they booked with me. We hit it off like old friends. Richard was always one to boost my ego and tell me how happy he was they chose me. We later met for their engagement session in the fall and had such a great time chatting while going through the city. I knew their wedding day was going to be very comfortable for me b/c it was like working with friends. February, I got a call from Daphne to see if they could move their date up from June 30th to the 28th. I said sure, why? Daphne proceed to tell me that Richard had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. They were going to treat this very aggressively to make sure it went away and Richard would be healthy enough for his wedding day. But, no matter what, they were getting married. He started chemotherapy. Daphne and Richard’s brother kept a daily blog for family and friends to update everyone with his progress. I followed along everyday and prayed for his fast recovery. One May 24th, he was cancer free! Now was the time for him to get stronger for his wedding day. I talked to Daphne the night before the wedding and told her I would probably be a wreck when I saw Richard. Sure enough, as soon as I saw him, I broke down and hugged him bawling. Everyone was like, “This is your Photographer?” They kept the ceremony very small, only immediate family. I think there were 35 people including Katie and I. After the full Mass at St. Mary’s, the rain came pouring down, not from me this time, but the sky! So, we had some fun in the rectory with group shots. Afterward we walked across the street to the Pressroom for dinner. It was very intimate with having only the few people there. Emotions were really high as Daphne and Richard had their first dance. I cried. Then Daphne danced with her Father, I cried. ( this happens every father daughter dance) Then came Richard’s dance with his mother. She had them play “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart. I sobbed uncontrollably. Once the tears were dried, they finally cut the cake. The ring bearers could only take waiting for so long….Then the real excitement started….the fire alarm…..Daphne said, if this is the only thing that goes wrong today, great! She has her healthy groom and that is all that matters. This day was a real testament to their love. Through anything, they are standing by each other…through sickness and health!
I love you guys! I am truly blessed to have been a part of your day! The alarm was still going off when I left….
Here is your slideshow

I love the way Richard was checking out everything about Daphne after they sat down. He said he could believe someone so beautiful was marrying a guy with a fuzzy head!

This thing was flashing forever….both sides of the room….I said, pretend they are stobe lights and dance!! No one seemed to notice them after a while.

I finally have my computer back and running. Sorry for the delay guys!!
Last Saturday, Liesa and I had the pleasure of photographing Amy and Kevin’s wedding. This was a little more personal for me because I have watched Amy grow up for the past 10 years. It was hard to believe she was getting married!!
The ceremony was held at the Mount Joy Church of God in Mount Joy. Now, I have been to a ton of weddings and this by far was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have seen. Amy and Kevin are very strong Christians and you can tell their love for the Lord from this ceremony. Kevin chose to wash Amy’s feet to symbolize that he would always be there for her in her walk with Christ. I kept hearing guests as they were leaving commenting on how beautiful it was. After they processed, a slide show was shown of the 2 of them growing up. It was a really nice touch!
Once the guests were cleared out, I took Amy and Kevin down the back alleys to do some fun shots of just them.
Later we headed over to the Gathering Place for the reception. Once dinner was served and the cake was cut, the younger ones got up for a little dancing. It was a fun, beautiful and emotional day for everyone. Congrats guys!! Here is your slideshowI did no enhancements to Amy’s eyes. They are truly this blue!!