At Home with John+Anna.

We have been so lucky over the past few years to gain some family portrait clients who make us feel like we’re part of their own family and we just love them so so much that we could squeeze them all to pieces. This is one of those families. Last year we met Anna, John, their daughter Lou, and their pup Keva, and they ran around and we photographed them being adorable. Lou was talkative to her parents, but was semi skeptical of us as most two year olds are (why are these people in my house?).

Fast forward a year and a half, and we suddenly and inexplicably gained all of Lou’s trust, and she immediately launched into a detailed speech regarding tigers, dinosaurs, and pajamas with feet upon our arrival. She sometimes prefers to eat breakfast while wearing a helmet, and insisted on having a temporary tattoo to match Mr. Geoff’s real tattoo. She also has a new little brother, Gus, who is just as friendly, only without words. He prefers spending his time chewing on giraffes and smiling happily at everyone.

We crashed Matchbox cars! We made pretend nighttime with a tent! We gave a full sleeve of temporary tattoos to a 3 year old! At some point a very scary monkey also made an appearance, and we might’ve asked if John and Anna would give us ice cream (they did). It was the best day.

Also, if you’re curious, Anna is a professional illustrator and does some pretty rad artwork of adorable kids and pigs and once drew a picture of myself, Geoff, and our two cats riding in a Viking ship.

 

Tosha+Brian // Promo Session.

It is so exciting (but also terribly nerve-wracking) to be asked to do photo sessions for other photographers, and during this session I might’ve tripped a few times, been unable to conjugate my verbs correctly, and also had my cameras on the wrong straps, and the wrong lenses on the wrong cameras. Thankfully Tosha and Brian laughed at me in a way that didn’t seem like they totally pitied me and we were able to make it through. Tosha and Brian are the brains (and beauty) behind Story & Rhythm, a Raleigh photographer and DJ duo! And how cool is that? Tosha takes amazing photographs, and Brian handles all the sweet reception jams. It’s a pretty neat business model and Tosha and Brian are pretty neat people who came up with it. But every good team needs updated pictures every once in a while, so together we ran around Raleigh and shot these promo sessions for their website for them and were so happy to be asked to do so. :) Meet Tosha and Brian!

Couple sitting on a bench Couple standing in front of garage door Couple laughing Couple laughing Man and woman laughing Couple goofing around Couple walking into Videri Videri Chocolate Couple drinking coffee Woman holding a camera Couple standing in the street Contemporary portraits in Raleigh NC Story and Rhythm Photography and DJ Tosha and Brian holding hands Couple walking down the street Couple laughing Raleigh NC Photographer and DJ business Local Raleigh DJ Story and Rhythm Photography and DJ Woman laughing with camera Couple standing in parking garage Father and Son's Raleigh NC PNC Building Raleigh NC Couple in Raleigh NC Photographers in Raleigh NC Raleigh NC Photographers

Amanda+Derek in Downtown Raleigh

It has been  while since we’ve shot an engagement session in downtown Raleigh, and we were excited to return to our roots this spring with Amanda and Derek! We were lucky enough to meet them last fall and book them for their wedding this upcoming September and are having a blast getting to know them in between. :) They met at UNC several years ago but only started dating as they were both moving out. ;) Then they lived in separate places for a while until they both settled down together in Raleigh (hence the photos downtown) where they watch a lot of Breaking Bad and Mad Men. They’ve considered getting a dog, but have determined that it’s a little much right now, so we’re working on convincing them to get cats.

Derek also works on a fantastic poster print company he’s founded called Blue is the Land. It started out with him making posters for their house of places that they’ve lived (Amanda’s from Winston-Salem and Derek’s from Schenectady, NY, but they lived together in Chapel Hill and Raleigh after that) and also places they’ve traveled (they go to NYC frequently and were engaged there). Since then, it’s grown quite a bit and now features all sorts of cities! You can even request them. :) They’re super well designed and feature a bunch of the neighborhoods in the cities in a nifty way that we hadn’t seen before but are also pretty sleek and modern at the same time (I swear I don’t work for his company, I just like his design work). You should check it out! Maybe after you view these pictures of him and Amanda being very cute.  May I present to you: the face, the image, the spirit of… Derelicte!