Jazmine & Nate | Just Because I Love You Session | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Hi!

 

Jazmine and Nate are one of the many military couples I have had the pleasure of working with; however, their story is a little bit different.

 

Nate is actually living out of the country at the moment and has been for almost TWO YEARS now. Yep, you read that right: TWO YEARS. He does get to come home once per year and fortunately she has been able to go visit him twice, as well. But seriously: 4 visits in TWO YEARS?! Oh goodness I am just in awe of their strength and love and determination and awesome relationship.

 

So, of course, when Jazmine contacted me to do an "I love you" session for one of his trips home I JUMPED at the chance! AND she wanted to shoot in the oh-so-gorgeous Williamsburg, too: I was in heaven!

 

Even more awesome? I got a pretty neat friend out of it, too (Jazmine's sense of humor is just as witty and mildly inappropriate as mine is)!

 

 



 

I am so happy to have met you both and am really excited for you that Nate will be home in the coming days! I wish you both ALL the best at your next location and hope to cross paths again one day!

 

XO,

Sarah

C. Family | Maternity | Hampton Roads Maternity Photography

Hi!

When Courtney contacted me about a session the very first thing she did was name drop (can you believe that?!). It's like she KNEW I would be begging to work with her if she sprinkled a little sugar and awesome networking in with her inquiry. ;)

 

KIDDING, of course! But really, in her very first note she mentioned that she was referred by an old High School classmate, Kristen; turns out this same Kristen is one of my sorority sisters from college! Is that not the NEATEST connection?!

 

(6 degrees of Kevin Bacon anyone?)

In the beginning of the session I worked really fast out of fear that little Emilia would get cranky and sick of me in her face- so family picture after family picture after family picture we snapped away.

 

Little did I know that working with Courtney's family would turn in to one of the best family sessions I've ever had.

 

Now, I have worked with some REALLY well behaved, polite, sweet kids before but to get through an hour and a half session with a 20 minute drive to first get to the location and have a NOT EVEN two year's old little girl not get upset ONCE?! Well, ladies and gentleman, that right there makes it my best family session ever!
 

Enjoy these images of Courtney's gorgeous family as they celebrate the nearing arrival of their FIRST BROTHER, Connor :)

 

Thank you so much again to you and your family, Courtney, and a HUGE early congratulations! Connor is one lucky little boy :)

Best,
Sarah

Dear Abby.... I Need Advice | Hampton Roads Personal Blog

Hi!

A couple of weeks ago I made an announcement over on the facebook page that my Summer schedule is going to be a bit compressed this year as my husband is going to deploy {hopefully you saw it!}. I didn't plan on making that announcement quite so early but since I have received a number of bookings for May and into June I thought it was best to give as much of a heads up as possible.

Sooooo in case you didn't see the announcement: heads up! ;)

Since I have a number of followers who are military members and spouses I thought I'd bare a bit of my soul in hopes of maybe getting some feedback.

You see, this is going to be our very FIRST deployment as a couple and well... I'm not sure how I feel!

I'm definitely a mixture of "we have a REALLY long time before he's gone, this ain't no thang" and "oh my gosh I am SUPER not looking forward to this" mashed together with "......{tight knot in my stomach}..... {blank face}." And all of those are really dependent upon what day it is. There's no telling how I'll feel each day of the week or even each time someone asks me about it!

Like I said: I'm not really sure how I feel right now.


When we first got married my husband ended up having to leave for some training just THREE WEEKS after our wedding and we ended up 900 miles apart for the first eight months of our marriage. {Lucky ducks we were that we had chosen the wedding date we did, right?! haha Little did we know the Air Force would be yanking him away so soon after!} So thus far we've pretty much been resting on the mentality that "hey we've been apart for long periods of time before- easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?!"

But it's totally not the same thing.
I know that.
And he knows that.

So if I've learned ANYTHING from my military spouse friends it's the following:

1. I'll be fine. I won't die. My life won't crumble.

2. Things. WILL. Break.
Or stop working. Or fall out of my ceiling. Or move into my attic. or or or. But in short everything decides to stop working almost as soon as your active duty spouse has boots on the ground. (amiright?!)

3. I should stay busy. 

Busyness helps the time pass and keeps me feeling productive and positive.

4. I will have lonely and sad days {and that's ok!}.

 5. Keep communication open and don't be surprised when some days I have nothing to talk about with my husband.

6. Surround myself with goodness and positive people

{that's YOU guys!! No pressure ;) }

7. Don't watch the news.
I will- without fail- think every story is really about my husband and where he is located. So just don't watch the news.

OK soooo that's all I've got.

Any other advice or suggestions any of my seasoned Sarah Elle Photography family members have for me??? And on top of that I'd LOVE to hear advice from the active duty member on what you need from your spouse while you're gone! I could totally use any and all suggestions- so lay 'em on me!

With love and thanks,

Sarah

This is us last year at the Zac Brown Band show for our anniversary. Heeeey!

Stephen P. Class of 2014 | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

Hi!

Did you ever have a time where someone said something to you just to be nice? "Oh we should get together some time" or  "I'd love to do that when it gets warmer" or how about "Oh we should definitely have you do Stephen's Senior photos next year!"

That last one? That last one came true ;)

Last year at ALMOST the exact same time I had the fantastic opportunity to do an extended family shoot for Stephen and his family while his grandparents were in town for Thanksgiving. His family was hands down one of the funniest sessions I've ever shot- they were just so full of laughter and jokes and knew exactly how to push each others buttons (and by the end of the shoot the grandpa had figured out how to push a few of mine, too!)

So when Stephen's mom, Desiree, said at the end of the shoot "We'll definitely be in touch to have you shoot Stephen's Senior photos next year" I thought to myself "that's so sweet of her....but that won't happen."

Fast forward to a couple of months ago when she contacted me and I JUMPED at the chance to work together again! So now, here is Stephen in all his Senior year glory!

Stephen is just as fun as the rest of his family and we were laughing and poking fun the entire session. I do however have to submit a formal AND PUBLIC apology for calling him pretty after some of his shots. He just looked so nice and handsome and the word "pretty" just came spilling out!

Stephen, I am sorry. You are not now nor shall you ever be: pretty. You are handsome and rugged and all things Abercrombie and Fitch.

One really neat thing about Stephen is that he already has everything all planned out and knows exactly what he wants to do and where he wants to head after High School. If the sweatshirt is any indication then you guessed it, he is going to enlist in the Air Force!

My favorite one ^^^

Did I mention he brought his dad's purple Challenger to the shoot? HOW NEAT IS THAT?!

Good luck in the Air Force, Stephen; I know you will be a fantastic addition to the U.S. Armed Forces and I know your dad must be so proud!

Thanks again for putting up with me ;)

Best,
Sarah

C. Family: Red, White, & Blue, Patriotic Inspired Picnic | Hampton Roads Family Photographer

Hi!

Military family + 3 super cute kids + red, white, and blue outfits = one really sweet patriotic themed session!

The C. family is one of my oldest VA friends and I couldn't have been more flattered when they contacted me to do their family photos. I had made a comment MONTHS before about wanting to do a patriotic themed picnic so when mom contacted me about their session she already knew exactly what she wanted to do- the patriotic picnic! So of course I was TOTALLY down for it!

When they showed up in their red white and blue coordinated outfits I absolutely fell in love. We had hit the jackpot of cuteness and they seriously nailed the look. Don't you think?!

A special shout out to little guy as he was celebrating his first birthday that month!

And of course I can't not take pictures of these two together ;)

C. family, thank you for being so wonderful. Thank you for your service and sacrifices as a military family. Thank you for being my friend. It was truly a pleasure to get to work with you all and I can't wait to do it again!

Best,
Sarah

AFRC Hearts Apart Shoot | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer- Military style

Hi!

Did you see on facebook that I got to participate as one of 5 photographers for the local Airman and Family Readiness Center (AFRC) Hearts Apart deployed families photo session day?! These sessions are for the local Air Force families whose loved one is or will very soon be deployed. It's meant to give them a chance to have a little fun during the deployment while getting some super awesome photos done to send off to mom or dad as a surprise while they're away. 

I can't tell you how much of an honor it was to get to work with these families. FIRST off it was an honor to be asked to participate! I was so humbled when Dawn contacted me to see if I was interested. Was I interested? Heck yes! Being a military spouse myself I love love LOVE working with other military families. Throw in the fact they're going through something only a military family understands (the "d word") then double heck yes count me in!!

Here are just a few previews for the families before their galleries go up live on the AFRC Hearts Apart website in a couple of weeks! 

This is Dawn. Oh! Did I mention she's pregnant and expecting a little baby girl- her first girl! I am just a BIG fan of Dawn's so I am beyond excited for her and her family. Isn't she beautiful?!

 

And one of the other photogs, my super bubbly and sweet friend, Tianna, of T.Y. Photography is pregnant too!! Couldn't help but snag a shot of their double bump ;)

I can't even decide which one makes a cuter pregnant lady!

If you're an Air Force family in Hampton Roads you should totally check out the AFRC! They have a ton of events and activities for the Air Force families- especially during deployments- and will help with anything in any way that they can. If they don't have the answer I know they know how to find it! Plus you'd get to hang out with Dawn and some other pretty wonderful people!

You can check out the AFRC facebook page here!

Best,

Sarah