Danielle + Lance {Ft. Monroe} | Hampton Roads Engagement Photographer

Hi!

After first meeting Danielle and Lance at their in-person consultation I came home and almost immediately started writing this post. I was just so excited about them and getting to work with them that I wanted to make sure I remembered everything just as it was: so I started blogging!

When two people are as in love as Danielle and Lance are it is hard to hide the admiration and care they feel for each other. During our meeting it was difficult for me to pay attention to what they were saying because I was so in awe at how they looked at one another. Every time one of them spoke the other looked at them with such love and support and never once took their eyes off of the other. 

You know how in normal conversation even the listening parties tend to engage with everyone in the conversation and interact or interject as one person is speaking? That doesn't happen with these two lovebirds: if Danielle is speaking Lance looks lovingly on at her while she speaks and vice versa!

It's BEAUTIFUL to witness.

 Even more exciting (if that's possible) was the fact they not only wanted to include their pups in the shoot but they didn't want the "typical" overly romantic and obviously lovey-dovey kind of location. They specifically requested something more urban and "industrial."

Ft. Monroe was the perfect spot!

(Aren't their pups just the cutest duo ever?! Ok, maybe they're tied for first with Danielle and Lance...)

Of course, I can't help myself: I love romance; so I couldn't help but want to snag some "near a big giant tree with beautiful sunlight" kind of shots- and fortunately they liked this idea, too ;)

 

(I love these ones!! ^^^)

One thing I really like to do when working with couples is to get a little bit of "secret intel" on each of them ;)
(Get ready Danielle and Lance, because I KNOW you've been dying to know what the other had to say!)

Danielle says that her absolute favorite thing about Lance is "how he makes [her] feel special and important every day" and that one thing she loves about him that he doesn't know is how he "still acts as if he is in the 'new' phase" and that they "have not gotten into an old boring routine."

Lance's favorite thing on the other hand is that Danielle isn't one to just sit at home but rather she enjoys doing things with him and his friends and family. (This next one might be my favorite answer...) When asked, Lance said that one thing he loves about Danielle that she doesn't know is "how smart and honest she is" and the fact that she does "not take advantage of people and situations that most people would. This shows how good of a person she really is."

 If their pictures don't show it enough for you then their answers clearly do: these two are so very much in love :)

Danielle and Lance, I am SO happy for you both and am excited to see pictures from your Michigan wedding next Fall! Thank you for making my last session of 2013 so enjoyable!

Congratulations!!!

Best,
Sarah

We Might Not Have Kids | Hampton Roads Personal

Hi.

 John and I have been married for over two years now and all around us friends and cousins and friends of friends and cousins of friends etc. are having kids. Some are having that magically exciting first baby and some are having that incredibly blessed 2nd or 3rd or 4th child. And, like asking "how are you" when you see someone on the street, we, as newlyweds, always get asked "when are you having kids?" We get asked together, we get asked individually, and even our families get asked.

It's a natural progression right? First comes love...then comes marriage...then comes... Sarah with a Yorkie in a sweater?! Well that doesn't seem quite right ;)

People are not being rude when they ask it. It's a natural question like asking if you want a drink with your meal: when will you have kids?

But here's the truth that shocks almost everyone who asks: WE MIGHT NOT HAVE KIDS.

 The answer we always give in some form or other to the question of "having children": we're not sure yet and frankly we haven't decided yet if we are going to have them at all.  Most folks try really hard to avoid the next question but without fail it finds its way out: But WHY?! Why wouldn't you have kids? How could you not want them? Or how could you just not have them?

 I always giggle a little at this point because by now I know it's coming and it's almost as if I'm a mind reader (which is why i laugh).

 But here's the truth: We're selfish. We really really enjoy taking trips together and buying each other useless ridiculous things (like the tablet John bought me for my birthday or the drum heads I'm buying him for his birthday). We like to be able to go out to dinner or take an overnight to Cape Charles at the drop of a hat simply because we "feel like it." We like being lazy and simply not doing laundry or going grocery shopping today because we're tired (definitely can't be neglectful with a kid to care for). We like building our life together as a DUO. And the whole truth? We're still figuring each other and this whole "marriage thing" out.

 We haven't completely counted out the possibility of children and frankly I know deep down that knowing (or believing) I have that choice is extremely important to me. I like being in a place in life to choose if right now is the time I want to bring a child in to our world.

 Being a mother is a LOT of pressure. Raising someone and having only yourself to blame for their upbringing and their well-being is super scary to me! I don't want to mess that up! I SINCERELY and HUGELY applaud all moms and dads out there- serious kudos and props and applause and encouragement to you for taking on that incredible and selfless life choice- I am truly humbled by you.

 But we're simply not there yet. We're selfish. I've said it. You can say it too-- it won't hurt my feelings if you feel that way based on our choice. But I'm happy I know that about me- happy I know that about us- happy WE know that about us. John and I are fortunately on the same page with this and maybe one day... in 3 or 4 or 5 years we'll have turned a few pages and found ourselves on the chapter entitled "Our Crazy Beautiful Life with Kids." Or maybe we'll never find ourselves at that chapter- I simply don't know right now (sometimes we joke about getting to be the cool aunt and uncle who spoil our nieces and nephews).

 But until then I fully intend to continue to enjoy our life as a duo (with Charlie Dog in tow) and appreciate the beautiful, patient, loving, supportive, and amazing man I get to call my husband- a man I get to learn more about each day I wake up next to him.

 I hope to one day be "ready" to raise a child (however ready someone can be for that) but today is not that day. And for now... I'm happy with that.

Best,
Sarah

That Time I Was a Bit Irrational... | Hampton Roads Client

Hi!

This past Saturday was one of the days I look forward to every single year: it was the day of my and John's anniversary photo shoot! We are about to celebrate our anniversary (this week!) and, simply because it makes me happy, John dresses up EVERY YEAR and puts on a smile for pictures (remember how much I've harped about documenting life as it is- this is one of those times!).

For whatever ridiculous reason I decided I simply HAD to wear a yellow cardigan for our pictures.

It gets worse.

I then randomly saw an emerald green shirt somewhere in the weeks leading up to our session and decided I HAD to wear an emerald green BLOUSE (not just a shirt, but a blouse).... and a yellow cardigan.

It gets even worse.

It couldn't just be a plain emerald green blouse. It had to have frills, or stripes, or bows, or a sash. It couldn't simply be a plain emerald green blouse (anyone think I'm crazy, yet?).

Oh hey, guess what? I DON'T OWN either of these things.

 John is a seriously patient man (oh my goodness did I luck out when I met that man) so he offered to go with me to help me find my crazy specific outfit. All men everywhere are going "noooo, man, get out now! danger! danger!" but John survived. I think. I mean, he's still here, so....

But of course, because my "needs" were so specific I did not find anything when we went shopping. So a few days later I went back by myself- and spent TWO hours in the same store scouring EVERYTHING. I came home with 7 options (none of which were emerald green in color) and by the morning had decided none of them were what I wanted. (Ok now I'M feeling like a crazy person putting this all out in words)

We are now 2 days from the session.

Clients, I am FEELING for you right now. I totally know what it's like to throw everything out of your closet on to your bed trying to decide exactly what you want to wear- even worse if you're bringing more than one outfit for an outfit change!

John at this point is still very patient (see how we have reached yet ANOTHER wedding anniversary? It's totally because I'm 90% crazy and he's only about 2%) and offers to take me to a different mall before we meet friends for dinner. At this point I've let go of my green and yellow combo requirements and simply was desperate to find something I would be excited to wear to the shoot.

When I woke up the next morning to get ready for our session I realized that letting go of my requirements enabled me to find exactly what I had been dreaming about- the perfect outfit.

 Yes, it is yellow and green. But it's not emerald green. And it isn't a blouse; in fact, it's 100% cotton t-shirt! And it doesn't have stripes, it has polka dots. But every single other thing I had purchased (and have to remember to return to the store) was not yellow or green or any other silly thing I thought I needed. What I found was that all I "needed" was to let go of "needs" and find something that I felt incredible wearing. And you know what? I did :)

Thank you to my friend, Ashley, of Luke&Ashley for our fantastic and oh so "us" anniversary photos.

Best,
Sarah

An Introduction to Charlie Dog: Puppy Extraordinaire | Hampton Roads Puppy Photographer

Hi!

If you follow any other photographer's online (and I'd be willing to bet you do- I know I do!) you'll probably see a number of them talking about their kids- and rightfully so! Kids are an incredible gift and a HUGE life lesson and experience and joy and journey and so many other things that I know I can't even describe. That's because (as you've probably guessed by following me for a little while now): I don't have children...yet. 

But I do have Charlie Dog. And Charlie Dog is pretty wonderful, too, if I do say so myself :) Charlie Dog is incredibly important to me and to be honest I'm not sure what life would be like without him. You see, Charlie was a gift from my mother in-law when I graduated college. No one besides me (not even my boyfriend-now husband) thought it was a fantastic and stupendous idea to get a dog right before I moved to a new city to start grad school. Good thing no one but me got to make the decision, right? ;)

I mean really, who could turn down that FACE?!

So Charlie Dog and I started our journey together in a small apartment in Ohio where I quickly learned what the teenage years of a puppy were like: frustrating, spiteful (on his part)- he once peed ON MY LAP just because I took a toy from him- oh yea... he often found himself in trouble.

But he also met me every single day with TONS of kisses and jumping and tail wagging. Without fail he would be excited to see me. And we're talking the "ohmygoodnessithoughtyouleftmeforever" kind of happy. It didn't matter what kind of mood I was in, what time I came home from practicals or my 5-9pm class (yea...that's not a typo- it was a 4 hour class), or what season it was: he would ALWAYS be happy to see me. You can't buy that sort of love.

He made being in a new city where I knew only a very small number of people, starting a whole new chapter of life, a lot easier than I could have hoped for. He made coming home to a quiet apartment actually enjoyable. Simply put: he made life better. He was my cheering section throughout my two years of being alone in Ohio rooting me on with puppy kisses.

So whenever I post about him, whenever I plaster photos of him all over the page: I hope that now you understand a little bit about the "why." He's my Charlie Dog. I worry about him when I'm out of town- I have irrational fears about the air conditioning system breaking while I'm away during hot summer days and him having to sit in a 90 degree home for hours- and yes, sometimes, my husband and I even let him share the bed with us.

What can I say? Other photog's have their kids- I have Charlie Dog.

 Thank GOODNESS he's really patient with me because i LOVE to dress him in ridiculous outfits.

Can you BELIEVE he was so tiny?!

Trust me, when you meet him one day you'll fall in love with him just like I did :)

Best,
Sarah

p.s. Little known Charlie Dog trivia: His real *official* name on his papers is Charlie Pavlov Chaplin. And he owns both a tuxedo and a life jacket. Fact.