S Family Reunion

I had the pleasure of photographing the S Family.  They all gathered together in Annapolis to reunite and celebrate their mother's 80th Birthday.  They were all so sweet and are such a tight knit family.  It was so wonderful to see such joy! Here are a few photos from their session.

The S Family

All of the Grandkids

Brian + Hillary's Mini-Wedding

I normally do only a few weddings a year and they are almost always small or just the bride and groom.  I like to call these types of weddings "mini weddings." I love photographing mini weddings, especially when it's just the bride and groom.  It makes for much more intimate and candid wedding photos.  Brian is in the military and was originally supposed to be stationed on the East Coast. Hillary found a great job in Maryland.  They got engaged, but unfortunately Brian's plans changed and he is now stationed in Europe.  Brian and Hillary decided that they wanted to elope while he was on leave so that she can join him in Europe.  They were such a sweet couple and so much fun to photograph.  I could tell that they are so in love and the best of friends.  We had a great time walking around downtown Annapolis.  I can't wait for the next mini wedding!

 There were lots of random Adirondack chairs throughout downtown.

 A beautiful day at City Dock.

 Brian + Hillary

 One of the reasons I love photographing in downtown is that there are so many unique spots for romantic portraits, like this back alley on a side street.

  Beautiful Hillary!

Holly's Naval Academy Graduation

Back in May, on the day of the Naval Academy Graduation, I met up with Holly and her family.  Holly graduated from the Naval Academy and will be joining the Marine Corps.  Graduation day at the Naval Academy is lots of fun. The energy is electric and everyone you pass has a smile on their face.  It was so much fun to see the hundreds of families who were there to support their son or daughter.  All around me were parents beaming with pride.  Holly's family was no exception.  They were so sweet and so proud of Holly.  It was a pleasure taking her and her family's portrait.  Here are a few photos from that session.

 Holly and her parents

 Holly and her brother and sister

 Holly at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 

Holly, Naval Academy Class of 2012

Curly Girls

I hope all the Mother's out there had a wonderful Mother's Day.  I know I did!  I try not to blog about things other than photography but I'm going to make an exception today.  I am always looking online for reviews for pretty much anything....restaurants, shops, hotels when I'm traveling, hair products, baby products, etc.  I am a military wife so we move a lot.  It is always a huge task to find a great hair salon, a highly recommended pediatrician for my daughter, or a dentist.  I am sure all of you military wives can relate.  So when I do find a stylist, pediatrician, or dentist that I love I spread the word.  My Mother's Day gift from my husband and daughter was a trip to the salon followed by a shopping spree.  My husband found a hair salon online called Georgia Alan Salon, in Arnold, Maryland not too far from Annapolis.  It had gotten great reviews and they do a Deva cut for women with curly hair.  I've had the craziest curly hair my whole life.  It seems to have a mind of its own.    There are days when I actually contemplate shaving my head.  Seriously!  They charge $60 for the Deva cut as long as you don't get your hair cut by the owner, Patrik.  If you do it costs $130.  I'm all about saving money ladies so I got my hair cut by Kristen.  She did an amazing job!  By the time all was said and done I looked like a totally different person.  My curls were defined and soft.  I couldn't believe it.  During the cut she told me exactly what she was doing so that I could make my hair look like that every day.  It's all about how you shampoo and condition your hair and the products you use.  Just by chance, I use the same products that they were using.  The products are called DevaCurl.  Now here is why I absolutely love this salon (other than the fact that they totally transformed my hair.)  I use a different brand of hair gel.  While my hair was drying, Kristen asked Patrik about the gel I was using.  He said that the brand was just as good as DevaCurl and should have the same affect on my hair.  She didn't try to sell me a bottle of the DevaCurl gel.  One thing I can't stand is when people try to pressure you into buying something you don't need.  It's been four days since my hair cut, I've been doing exactly what they told me to do, and my hair still looks and feels great.  Needless to say, I am very happy with Georgia Alan Salon.  They will definitely be getting my business again.