Seven on Sunday | volume 2 : light

I continued with the challenge to use my real camera this week to capture photos that fit with the theme "light".  This proved more difficult than I had expected because of dreary weather.  I had visions of getting a lot of beautiful natural light photos of my family and ended up going a different direction completely.  It was great though because I challenged myself to take different types of photos...even some that didn't include my kids (gasp) and captured some things I love in my home.


1// the large windows in our sun room that provide a shower of sunlight each afternoon

2// morning light in my kitchen

3// mid-day light in my favorite room of the house

4// our fireplace light and her sweet sleepy face

5// our sweet boys in the light of their kindles 

6// candlelight in our bedroom 

7// I saved the best for last.  Today we (my family, our church) had the privilege of being  light in our community by packing 10,000 meals with Generosity Feeds for children in our community who are worried about where their next meal will come from.  

Until next time... 

Seven on Sunday | volume 1: gratitude

Thanks to my sweet and talented friend, Ali, I've been inspired to pick up my real camera again in the everyday.  For too long, my iPhone has been my family's camera and I've neglected the love of photography in the pursuit of making it a business.  I'm wanting to find more of a balance in that again...remembering to love the art while still building it as a career.  Ali has started a blog series called "Seven on Sunday" and I (along with some other beautiful ladies) have decided this is a perfect way for me to push myself to more creativity, and honestly, to just take more pictures of the people and moments I love most.  So for a time I'll be blogging seven personal photos each Sunday based on a specific theme. This week's is gratitude.

I read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp about 2 years ago.  Since then I've filled pages with moments, people, and things that I've named as gifts.  I felt this quote from the book was appropriate for this week's challenge...

"Giving thanks for one thousand things is ultimately an invitation to slow time down with weight of full attention.  In this space of time and sphere, I am attentive, aware, accepting the whole of the moment, weighing it down with me all here."

And don't we all want to slow down time?  And so when I pick up my camera and take a photo, that is what I'm doing...capturing that very moment in time and naming it as a gift.  The following 7 photos are some of the moments from the past week that made the list.

1/ Her confidence and determination.

2/ Brothers.

3/ Morning {or afternoon} coffee.

4/ His belly laughs

5/ Eyelashes for days.

6/ Him.

7/ This relationship.

Thanks for reading.  I hope you'll also be inspired to give thanks today for the simple things that make your own life beautiful.  And if you would like more inspiration, be sure to stop by the blogs of some of my talented friends participating in Ali's blog series...
Ali Caudill Photography
Megan Ann Photography
Katie Smith Photography

Jessica and Adam | Old Town Alexandria Engagement Session

I met Jessica and Adam on a very cold autumn day in Old Town Alexandria.  They are incredibly sweet and were such good sports about the weather.  Although their wedding was in Pittsburgh, they live locally so they wanted to do engagement photos close by.  I was so glad they chose Old Town!  Despite the cold, we had a great time and I was so excited with how their photos turned out!

Thanks, Jessica and Adam!  I hope to see you again soon!