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

Victoria and Jaron | Hampton Roads Couples Photographer

Hi!

This post comes at almost the perfect time as tomorrow happens to be Veteran's Day- a day that has increasingly taken on more and more significance in my life as each year passes. My grandfather was a veteran. My step-father is a veteran. My cousin is a veteran. My husband is a veteran. And many many many many many of my friends, friends spouses, and Sarah Elle Photography family members are veterans.

So to be able to honor and highlight a veteran in tonight's post is extra special.

Jaron and Victoria were one of my very first clients in Virginia; so being able to work with them again was a personal treat for me! They are young, fun, super in love, and willing to let me try pretty much anything when it comes to locations, poses, theme ideas, etc.- anyone with that much trust in me is definitely high up on my list of people I love to work with! Plus they love cowboy boots and she's big on fun accessories- both things I love (be sure to check out her pink cowboy boots! Yeehaw!!)

Gah! Aren't they just so pretty?!!

On top of Jaron being a veteran this post comes at a doubly perfect time because he is about to deploy. He is about to go off to continue to fight for all of us here in the United States. And I can confidently say after having worked with these two twice now that Jaron couldn't confidently go forward in his duty without the strong support and unconditional love Victoria provides him here at home.

Jaron and Victoria it is ALWAYS my pleasure to work with you guys and I look forward to doing it again when Jaron returns!
Thank you both.

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

The BIG FOUR : A Session Prep Guide Cheat Sheet | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Hi!

If you've had a session with me or are about to have one you've probably taken a peek at the pre-session prep guide I sent out a few weeks prior to your session. It's got a ton of info, right?! I send this out to each of you because I want you to have the best session possible- and being the best version of yourself is the way to make that happen!

The prep guide isn't my rules of hard lined do's and don'ts for a session; but it is my way of *hopefully* helping to answer a lot of the big questions you might have prior to your day. And if I hit on some things you never even thought of before then that's pretty awesome, too!

But I realize that not every one of my followers lives in my area and for those that do I also understand that sometimes my style or our schedules are not always the best fit for everyone; so with that being said I wanted to highlight some of the BIG points to know in order to bring the best version of you to your session- regardless of who you work with!

And now, for the BIG FOUR session prep guide cheat sheet (cue the trumpets and drum roll):

1. Notice how I keep saying "the best version of yourself?" This isn't a typo but it IS my attempt at not very sneaky subliminal messaging. Being the best version of yourself is truly what portraiture photography, at least the kind I specialize in, is all about. My goal is to capture you as you are and bring out the best parts of you- not the best parts of someone you want to try out for the session. Your portrait session isn't the best time to try a new hairstyle/color, a new "look," or those awesome 7 inch heels you purchased that just so happen to also KILL your feet. Your session is about highlighting your gorgeous smile, your sparkling eyes, or the way your significant other looks at you when you're laughing that genuine, cute, laugh you have after he tells a joke. When you book your session do so with the intent of capturing the best version of YOU.

  2. Wardrobe

This is the biggest topic I get asked about before a session; and I'm glad! Being particular about what you wear for your session is a GOOD thing- it means you want to look your best, you want to feel great, and you care about the final product. When choosing your outfits be sure to choose something COMFORTABLE. If your dress is too tight or the shoes pinch your feet you will be uncomfortable; and if you're uncomfortable it will show in the pictures. Trust me ;) Pictures are supposed to be fun! So pick your outfit based on what you can move easily in and something that makes you feel incredible. How you feel goes both ways: if you feel beautiful then that confidence will shine through in your images.

Think she could have moved like that if she was uncomfortable in her dress? ;)

I do, however, recommend steering clear of anything dirty, torn, ripped or anything with large words or logos (this distracts in the image).

I could write a WHOLE long blog post about wardrobe but for the sake of keeping this one short I will save all that chatter for a later date. I will say, however, it never hurts to accessorize! It adds dimension to your outfit and can also provide you with something to work with/incorporate into a shot!

3. Nails, teeth, and tan lines.

This is the nitty gritty of session prep- those little things we all tend to forget about until the night before when we're rushing around trying to get everything in order. Suggestion? Take your time and plan these out a week or two ahead of your session date. This will make things less stressful AND ensure you bring to the shoot that "best version of yourself" someone keeps talking about ;)

 Nails: If you are someone who paints their nails, a fresh coat of polish will make a world of difference in your photo shoot. Pick a neutral color that won't distract from your shoot or clash with your outfits. If you don't usually paint your nails consider adding a clear coat of polish just to give that nice shine and even tone to your nails. Simply freshen them up the morning of the shoot, then be careful not to scuff it while prepping. :)

Teeth: If you want to brighten that gorgeous smile of yours it is best to start your treatments about two weeks before your shoot. Teeth whitening treatments are definitely not a HAVE TO for your session, though, so if you're not interested in it don't worry about it!

Tan Lines: Lets face it: we live on the coast with a bunch of beaches to choose from. Chances are you've been in the sun a few times before, right? That's ok! But if you plan to specifically tan for your session do so at least a week beforehand and try to avoid getting burned. The REALLY IMPORTANT part: be mindful of clothing tan lines, sunglasses tan lines, hat tan lines, etc. etc. etc. Photoshop does exist but trust me when I say it's a lot better/easier if you try to avoid any visible tan lines prior to the shoot.
 

4. Undergarments (this is for all you gals out there)

Be sure that whatever you choose to wear during the shoot it is something that will cleanly conceal your undergarments -especially consider whether or not your outfit will have any risk of a bra strap or two slipping down your shoulder. Also, if you're changing outfits during the shoot double check that the undergarments you wear work for your other outfit choices, too; if not, be sure to bring ones that do work!

 See how different Lindsey's outfits are? Planning ahead helped to keep the focus on Lindsey!
 

So there you have it, my BIG FOUR prep-guide suggestions to help bring out the best version of you for your session. Gosh darn there's that expression again! But no, really, I mean it- the goal is to have a fantastic time, create an awesome new memory, capture this beautiful moment in life, and do it all while bringing out the best version of YOU.   

 Best,

Sarah

 *For those who book or have recently booked a session be on the lookout for my entire prep-guide a few weeks prior to your session. Even more goodies are in there with info on breakouts, moisturizer, hair, glasses, bloating, make-up, and lots more!

Vacation Unplugged | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Hi!

I'm back! It feels SO good to be home in my own bed and to see Charlie Dog again; but I won't lie- being on vacation was FANTASTIC! We officially dubbed this trip our "HONEYCATION" because we never had the chance to take a honeymoon but 2 years after the fact seemed to be a bit of a stretch- so we decided to name it our "honeycation!"

I'll admit it: it was a little difficult for me to completely shut my mind down and relax for this trip- I realized that I am always thinking (aka WORRYING) about something that hasn't been completed or isn't perfect yet. My husband had to ask me (more than once) to not talk about work since somewhere along the line I had "AGREED" to no work talk- or something crazy like that. But once I got the hang of it I realized what a beauty shutting off your mind and enjoying the very moment you are in can be.

 The view from our room (did i mention we went to JAMAICA?!).

Some beach shots.

 Me and husband day 1. Notice the old Yorktown Beach tan lines? This picture was my official start in my quest to get rid of them! :)

Officially my most favorite place to be. :) It was like lying on a bed and made reading the two and a half books I completed pretty easy!

 Yes, that coconut came from THAT tree. HOW COOL, right?!

Ok, but lets be completely honest here: I HAD to do SOME activities or else I would have driven myself insane just lying out in the sun for 7 days watching the water lap back on forth on the shore. 

We started with SNORKELING!

If you know me you know heights are NOT my thing but due to it being our honeycation I figured I'd try my best to get over it: with zip lining!

  Notice my "fake excited" face.

The scream you hear at the beginning? That's me.

Truth? It was AWESOME! (Can't say I'll do it again but super glad I can say I did it!)

And then, of course, there were super wonderful foods, some crazy animals, and the most gorgeous sunsets I've ever seen. 

For the record: my husband ate the entire plate of sweets (above) all by himself ;)

In short, our honeycation and the decision to go "unplugged" was the best thing my husband and I could have done for ourselves. Having realized things went on just fine without us while we were gone I now have a new appreciation for my lack of control over life and the realization that sometimes it's ok not to have the answers just yet and to go on with life regardless.

If you ever have the chance to go completely unplugged- DO IT!

I'll leave you with this song they sang to us before we left :)

Best,

Sarah