A God Moment...

September 19, 2014 • 1 Comment

Photography is a way of capturing moments, emotion, soul, and memories. So what happens when you capture something you didn't even know was there?

If you read my last blog, you know about Stephanie and Greg and their beautiful outdoor wedding which was poured on just before the ceremony was to start. In those moments when the decision was to be made on whether or not to move everything inside, I was busy capturing shots of the groomsmen.

They stared out of the barn door watching as the rain poured down. Then suddenly in the minutes the bride said she was going to make her decision the rain stopped. I continued on photographing the day. I took photos of people scurrying to dry off chairs and set out flowers at the last minute. The photo below is one I took of the groomsmen in these moments. When I shot the frame, I saw two groomsmen staring out the window and thought, that's nice.

When I began editing and choosing photos for the blog preview, I threw this one on the editing pile, not knowing what was in store for me. I sat down to continue my editing yesterday and was completely astounded by the image on my screen. It seemed that there was a strange birdlike outline in the frame. I checked through my other photos, and could not find any other "birds" outside of this 10 seconds. I immediately called in my husband to help me decipher the image. He was stumped too.

So, I turned to my Shoot & Share community. I posted the photo and it quickly went viral (in my group). Many had ideas about what it might be, but most believed it was the Holy Spirit arriving to bless the wedding day. We eventually got to the bottom of it.

The venue had a wire bird posted on one of the outside buildings. Now, this in itself, is a pretty straight forward explanation of what was in the frame. The real question is why was it in the frame? I didn't see it. I didn't know it was there. The fact that the light hit it just perfect in only these moments, and based on the fact that I did not change my camera settings was totally divine intervention. I believe there is a reason that I am doing what I do and I am truly grateful for the ability to share my art with the world!

"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have someone click the shutter." - Ansel Adams

Michael's Senior Session

September 15, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Michael was my first Senior Session for this Fall. We met up at Thomas Johnson High School to take some photos at the stadium, a place where Michael has spent a lot of time over his high school career.

Michael is a TJ Patriot football player, wearing #11 for his last season at TJHS. He will be graduating in the Spring. When he's not playing along side for his fellow Patriots, you can find time rooting for the Cowboys. He attended tonight's session along side his mom, who you could tell just from our first meeting how unbelievably proud she is of this young man! He is currently visiting colleges and aspires to attend Shepard University.

Good luck Michael! The future is bright!

September Featured Bride

September 10, 2014 • Leave a Comment

It is approaching the end of my first year of business as a professional photographer. I have met so many wonderful people along the way and I feel like I am just scratching the surface. I cannot wait to start a new year with my business! So, without further delay, I would like to introduce my new featured bride.

Meet Stephanie...she was a stunning bride inside and out. If you do not believe in the power of prayer, you should hear her story.

Stephanie and Greg fell in love after meeting through the police department several years ago. I met with them many months ago to talk about their wedding and plan for their photography. I had never met a young couple so relaxed about marriage. Even in that first meeting I could tell, they were meant for each other. They worked closely with Stephanie Paul Events over the following months to plan every detail of their big day. They chose Ostertag Vistas in Myersville, MD for their venue for its lovely outdoor ceremony sites.

The week of the wedding arrived and sure enough as if Murphy himself was just sitting back laughing at his law in action, there were raindrops in the forecast. I spent the week stalking the hourly report to see what was going to happen to this beautifully planned outdoor ceremony. Now mind you, rain doesn't scare me. Due to the fact that the first wedding I ever shot was in the rain, my nerves are pretty secure when it comes to this disaster. I'm a go with the flow kind of photog. I think Bride+Groom+Water=Awesome Photo! However, this is not normally the answer brides get when they do the math ;-)

So, the big day arrived. We loaded up our equipment (and a giant umbrella) and headed to the venue. The weather could not have been better, not a cloud in the sky. When we arrived at the venue, I started to worry if it was going to be too bright during the ceremony! Then while my assistant and I were roaming around scouting outdoor portrait locations, the first raindrops started to fall. We brushed it off and thought it might pass over. It passed over alright, after it dumped all over us!

It was amazing to me that Stephanie was not totally freaking out as it poured all over her perfect outdoor wedding about 30 min before the ceremony was to start. She said as she was getting ready, "I don't want to make a decision until 3:15". Mind you, the wedding was slated to start at 3:30pm. I had mentioned when we first arrived that everyone must have been praying together, for the day to be as beautiful as it was. Stephanie quietly waited in the bridal room. She never panicked as if she knew God could take care of this for her. At 3:15... the rain stopped.

The sun came out and it was a beautiful day all over again. Stephanie Paul Events said...let's do it and the wedding party and vendors alike gathered to begin drying chairs and placing flowers to prepare for the ceremony. My assistant was out there drying chairs too! The guests arrived and you would never have known that minutes before it was pouring down rain.

I now realize that the silent calm I felt under all the chatter and chaos of the bridal room was the feeling of everyone praying together for Stephanie to have her perfect day. We made it though a gorgeous outdoor ceremony and formal photos before the next raindrops came. We spent the rest of the evening in the stunning reception room sheltered from the rain.

Photographer: JMPhotgraphy

Wedding Planner: Stephanie Paul Events

Stephanie + Greg

September 06, 2014 • Leave a Comment

The rain came down, then the sun came up, and it turned into a beautiful day... for about 2 hours. We started with the promise of a gorgeous day, but some sinister weather reports threatened the beautifully planned outdoor ceremony. We arrived at the venue to beautiful sunshine and the final touches being donned on the patio. Suddenly as we were scouting a location for the girls to do their photos, the raindrops started to fall. Everyone quickly switched gears and prepared for an indoor wedding. However, after the few drops turned into a downpour, the bride's prayers were answered and it stopped. Not only did it stop, but the sun came out just long enough to dry off and have the ceremony outside as planned and it didn't start to storm again until the minute (and when I say minute...I mean minute!) the wedding planner had asked us to be done with photos. We literally grabbed the equipment, the bride and groom and ran for the reception! Despite all the liquid theatrics, the day was a smashing success! It didn't matter what happened, when you saw Stephanie and Greg look into each other's eyes, you just knew that for them...it was perfect.

Wedding Planner: Stephanie Paul Events

Venue: Ostertag Vistas

Photography: JMPhotography

Florist: Ory Florals

DJ: Joe Lease

Caterer: PIGS Catering

Beverages: Ye Olde Spirit

Amy & Ryan are Engaged!

July 14, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Last night I had the opportunity to meet up with some family that I have not seen since I was a little girl and do engagement portraits for their son and his beautiful fiancee. Ryan and Amy chose to visit the family farm before it is sold to take these amazing photos! The farm was an absolutely amazing location for photos, and it holds a special place in my heart because it used to belong to my great grandparents. As you will see below, we could not have asked for a more perfect day! Congratulations Amy & Ryan!