I think the most common phrase I initially hear from my amazing clients is “I’m not comfortable in front of the camera…”. However, that usually doesn’t matter at all! All you need to do is be comfortable with one another…love on each other, fall into each other when you hug or kiss, and laugh. After a little while you won’t even know I’m with you.
That was the case with Carrie & John. They couldn’t be more perfect for one another and are so much fun to be around. I honestly didn’t want to leave them once their session was done. One of the greatest things about Carrie & John is that they run a blog called Dream Green DIY that focuses on showing you how they’ve renovated their own home while being very budget friendly. Another thing I love about them…they have a super sweet pup named Rocky who has springs for legs allowing him to get into all sorts of mischief.
shot with fuji 400h & ilford 3200.
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shot with fuji 400h
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I will be headed to Maine to photograph this fabulous couple’s wedding today so I will see you all next Tuesday!
(shot entirely with kodak portra 400)
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I’m so happy for Jillian & Josh because tomorrow is their big wedding day in DC. It’s supposed to be 101 degrees (eek!) but who cares, right…love is in the air.
Here are some shots from their DC engagement shoot. All were shot using Kodak Portra 400.
Have a great weekend everyone and be careful in that heat!
xoxokatie
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Today I have a very special engagement session to share. Whenever another photographer asks me to photograph them, I get nervous. I know how critical we all can be of ourselves but I ultimately wanted Tyler & Martin to have a great time and enjoy one another. After the photos, read what Tyler & Martin had to say about their session!
All of these were shot with portra 400.
FROM TYLER (the bride)
I’ll attempt to give the short version… Martin and I actually grew up in the same town and even went to the same high school but never really met until my last year of college. While we were away at our respective schools our younger brothers became friends which resulted in our mothers becoming very close. So that fateful summer our families did a dinner together and things just fell into place. We spent the evening talking design, movies and music and then I asked him out for a beer. Now five years later we’re making our wedding plans (and have two happy families)!
When we started planning our engagement session, we knew creating something both visually interesting and emotionally charged was really important to us (especially since Martin is a videographer and I’m a photographer and designer). We also knew that we needed a photographer that would understand our visions (and who’s style we just loved). I had taken notice of Katie’s work over a year ago when I spotted her a couple blogs and I new she was the girl for the job - plus she still shoots film, swoon!
The next step was figuring out all the details so we started with the things we love. We are both very into music (we got engaged during The Flaming Lips at Bonnaroo), good (vegetarian friendly) food and beer and knew those elements had to be a big part of our session. From that point we had a great time coming up with each “scene” we wanted captured - from our favorite restaurant (The Little Grille) to hitch hiking in the country and finally creating an indie picnic in the forest. Picking out all the props and outfits was good fun too - I had never gone shopping for aesthetically pleasing cheese before! We also sourced our family and friends for the right floppy hat, vintage suitcases and a fabulously worn rug. Once we had gotten everything together and finally gotten great weather, it was time for Katie to work her magic. The three of us set out on a journey from downtown Harrisonburg out to the country and could not have had a better time (even with a fallen tree threatening our way back home)! A big thanks to Katie Stoops for everything - we could not be any happier with the end result!
FROM MARTIN:
We chose a place we loved; for the sake of adventure, an activity we loved in a place we had never done it; and a cliche to embrace and love because, in the pursuit of creativity you cannot run away from them all.
As a photographer and a videographer respectively, Tyler and I are forever creating pretty pictures, yet rarely are we ever the subjects together in them. It was a surreal pleasure to prepare the stage, iron out the wardrobe, and then for once, forget all about angles and lighting, and just share each other’s company; actors together under the gaze of Katie’s divine lens.
Posted in Engagement, Film, Virginia, Virginia Engagement // 7 Comments // Share // Read More
These two can laugh their socks off…as you can see. They truly make one another the happiest person in the world. For their engagement session, we spent the afternoon in Charlottesville, VA at UVA and then onto King Family Vineyards. As a photographer, you don’t particularly love the rain BUT I think it just makes it a cozier, more intimate feeling session. At the vineyard, the fog hugged every mountain which made me feel like I was back in San Fran. I can’t wait to photograph their wedding at UVA next month!!!
Thank you so much for checking these out!
xoxoKatie
(all shot with fuji 400h)
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Today I have a couple who I adore. Patrick & Rachel went to JMU (like me!), fell in love, and will be married in October in Charlottesville…one of the prettiest places on the planet to get married. We spent an early Spring day taking photos around Harrisonburg, VA (nestled within the mountains of this fine state) which is where their relationship began and remains to be a key part of their history. For those of you interested…all of these were shot with Fuji 400h
xoxoKatie
Sitting on the front porch of the house where Rachel lived while attending JMU and dating Patrick.
There is an ice cream bar in Harrisonburg called Kline’s and it is always packed with people from everywhere. The flavors change every Friday and it would have been a shame to not include this area landmark.
This is definitely not a new trick but it’s fun to do & see the results…I put vaseline on the lens to create an ethereal aesthetic. I love how the golden light is the same color as Rachel’s amazing red hair!
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I feel like it’s taken me forever to be able to post Meryl & Joe’s Brooklyn session but at long last, here it is! I could have photographed them all day and they are SOOOO sweet together. There is nothing better than wandering around New York City and Brooklyn taking photos. Enjoy them!!!
xoxoKatie
all shot with fuji 400h
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