Sarah & Christian | Wedding Day Photography | New Bern & Atlantic Beach

I love to look through Christian & Sarah’s wedding photography to see Sarah’s smile grow brighter and brighter. I hadn't seen Sarah since her bridal portraits session. The wedding day had finally arrived and now she could relax and enjoy all her finished plans. I met Christian for the first time that day because he came all the way from New Jersey to make Sarah his bride.

The wedding day started with rain, but this couple and their guests were so joyous and merry, the gloominess outside had no chance inside.  The ceremony was in New Bern, and then we traveled down to the Dunes Club in Atlantic Beach for a lovely evening reception. This wedding venue offers a classy and beautiful interior and a spectacular view. The clouds cleared by the time we arrived at the beach (woohoo!) so we headed down to the water with the bridal party. It was beautiful!

Nicole, my second shooter, Mackenzie, my assistant, and I got a special glimpse of Christian and Sarah’s affection for each other when we spent a few minutes with them alone on the beach. They are so in love and it’s stinking adorable! I absolutely love the series of shots when Sarah throws her arms around her husband – it was totally spur of the moment and real.

Oh yeah, and…Best. First. Dance. Ever. These two know how to get down and so did a lot of their guests. This reception was a total party and the groom had a special surprise for his bride. Sarah and the guests’ reactions were pretty entertaining.

Sarah, Christian and family, thank you for inviting us into your lives for this wedding day. We had an amazing time with all of you and pray God’s blessings over your future.

Nicole, once again, amazing work. I wish we could always be side by side with our cameras.

Mackenzie, you did a wonderful job and I could not have done it without you. You are becoming an excellent photographer!

Blueberry Pickin’ | More Summer Family Fun in North Carolina

About a year ago, some friends of ours from New Bern introduced us to North Carolina Pick Your Own Blueberries. I’d done strawberries and apples, but never blueberries. And it is by far, my favorite. No bending over required!

My good friend Courtney, my mom and I took three (and a half) kiddos out at the beginning of the season (late June) to Morris Farms in New Bern and picked about 21 lbs. I should really say, ended up with 21 lbs because the kiddos probably ate around 1 or 2 lbs each while we picked. They have such a great time, although about an hour is as long as we all last in the heat.

We plan on going again in Kinston to catch the end of the late season before the end of the month. It takes hard work, but these wonder berries are definitely worth it at $1/lb or less! Compare that to Walmart prices!

McG and I love eating them in our breakfast cereal or yogurt (my favorite is yogurt parfait). I also LOVE blueberry pie and blueberry muffins. So far I’ve made a pie and muffins with this year’s harvest. I use America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe for muffins. Mmmmmm, delish!

A Snowy Session ∙ Family Portraits at the Old Mill

Crystal is one of my best friends. We’ve known each other since high school and have stayed pretty close over the years, despite many miles between us. Most Christmases we are both at “home” in Ohio and we get to spend some time together. This year, she hired me to do a portrait session as a gift for her family. We decided to do the shoot at The Old Mill in Mill Creek Park. The Mill is an icon for Youngstown. Plus, it’s absolutely gorgeous, especially when the creek and waterfall are iced over. Pristine!

It was a pretty cold day, but the sun kept peeking around the clouds to warm us up. As you can see, the ground was covered with snow, which always makes the freezing temperatures seem less freezing. We definitely had fun and made some memories during the session. This family has begun to spread out so this time spent together was really special.

Thank you all so much for getting out into the snowy weather for this session. I really enjoyed spending some time with you again. Reminds me of all the bonfires we used to have at your house. Miss you! - Lindsay



Josh, Jojo, Amanda and Susie ∙ Downtown Shoot ∙ Family Portraits

I have to hand it to these kids. Although I didn’t check the thermometer, I’m quite positive it was below freezing the day we did this portrait session. Even without coats, they never complained about the frigid weather. We made sure their mom was nearby with the car so they could hop in and warm up.  Meanwhile, my fingers were so frozen I couldn’t get my flash batteries out of my bag without help. Despite the cold, we had a fun time exploring downtown Kinston and finding cool places. We laughed a lot, which helped keep us warm. Well, I should say they laughed at me and the ridiculous positions I put myself in to get an interesting shot.

By the way, I COULD NOT have done this session without my student/assistant, Mackenzie. Thanks for braving the cold, Mackenzie!

Gram and Diane, thank you so much for working with me and carting us around for the session! And kids, you did an awesome job putting up with the weather for a little bit to get these great photos. I hope y’all love them!



Emma Claire ∙ Newborn Portraits ∙ Kinston Photographer

I have THE most trouble picking my favorites from newborn portraits and Emma is just so darn cute. Every photo I took was adorable, and that was all her doing. You may remember Ray and Stephanie from their maternity portraits on the beach at sunset. It was just a week after their maternity shoot, that little Emma was born, and she was four weeks old for her newborn shoot. They are a beautiful little family, don’t you think? Very fashionable, too.

Ella is Ray and Stephanie’s sweet pup and we had to get her in a few photos.

Ray and Stephanie, thank you so much for working with me. Newborn shoots are definitely a labor of love for all parties involved. Emma was absolutely perfect and you all did a great job, too! I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to hang out again.