Category Archives: Engagement

Hello blog readers!  Meet Tina and Brian!   You guys….I know I say I’m excited a LOT on here about photos and the people in them.   But this time…..I’m REALLY EXCITED!   You see Brian is my little brother!  lol…okay okay…he’s not “my” baby brother, but he’s my brother in law and he’s the youngest of Andy’s siblings.  And since all my brothers are older….it’s fun to get to say I have a baby brother.  ANYWAY…..Brian and Tina have been dating for quite a while and I started hoping a year or two ago that he would ask her to marry him.  And I’m not the only one in the family who’s had their fingers crossed and rooting for Tina.   Actually just the last couple months at home  I started referring to Tina as “Aunt Tina” and told my girls they can start calling her that.  You see…Tina is WONDERFUL!  A total sweet heart and we adore her.  She’s as lovely in person as she is in these photos.  And Brian….well I like to give him a hard time, but he’s a great guy!

I mentioned the idea of a snowy engagement photography session here in the Dayton Ohio area and they were on board.  We weren’t able to make it out till about 5 days after the snow fell and I was really wanting a location with some untouched snow.  Luckily Tina suggested her parents back year which is gorgeous and goes on for forever!  It was the perfect setting.   Wanna know what else…Brian does NOT like photos…he and Andy are a lot alike in that department.  Actually  I know a lot of guys that don’t enjoy photos.  However Brian went above and beyond my ideas and it was So fun to see these two so smitten together!  I tried to narrow down my favorites  for the blog.

Brian and Tina I’m SO happy for you and can’t wait for your wedding this summer!

  • Mama Signa - These are wonderful!!January 29, 2018 – 7:35 pm

  • Mom - Wonderful, as always. Lots of warmth, despite all the snow and cold.February 26, 2019 – 8:47 am

Back in August we headed to North Carolina for a family vacation.   The last time we tried taking a beach family vacation with our girls….we had cold temps of 65 degrees and high winds.   Sadly we didn’t really get to enjoy the beach like we had planned.   It was February and we thought a 4 day cruise from Florida to the Bahamas would include some warm temps.  Mother nature thought otherwise.

So this year we hoped that by heading to Carolina Beach in August we would have warm temps!  Boy oh boy did we have warm weather…..hot to be exact….and it was WONDERFUL!  The ocean felt amazing and we had a wonderful time swimming, boogie boarding and sand castle building.  We invited my mom (Signa) and step dad (Bob) on our trip.  I had mentioned to my mom that we should do an updated portrait session of her and Bob.  For those of us who live in the midwest…how often do you get a chance to have your portraits professionally taken on the beach?  I also asked her if she would try and take a couple shots of my family as well.  She agreed, but like a lot of us  the planning and actually getting ready for photos can be a bit tiring and stressful.   I’m going to be honest here that no one was very excited about doing the photos.  So moms out there trying to rally your family for photos…..you aren’t alone.

We procrastinated on doing the photos and here it was the last night of vacation.  Then the rain clouds and the storm came.   BOOOOO!   My photo mojo was dwindling.  Let’s all keep getting ready and maybe this will pass??  We were all mostly ready and sitting out on the deck watching the ocean and rain.  I’m bummed in my head thinking these photos aren’t going to happen.

BUT WAIT…..then it appeared.  In the distance there was a rainbow!!!!!  OVER THE OCEAN!   It was a photographers dream!!!!  Except for one small problem….it was still raining!   I’ve geared up  before (and looked ridiculous holding an umbrella with my chin) shooting weddings in the rain.  Those are once in a lifetime events that clients hire me cover and trust that I will do everything in my power to capture their moments.   I didn’t pack that kind of protective gear with me.  So I captured some silhouettes of Mom and Bob on the covered deck with the rainbow in the background.  Cool!  I was able to capture them and the rainbow.  Now what??

Literally seconds later…..it got really quiet….ANDY…DID THE RAIN JUST STOP????   Um….YEP!   He checks the radar and determines there might be a break in the rain.   MOM!  BOB!  OUT ON THE BEACH….NOW!   Talk about everyone getting out of a funk and into a wonderful mood in a matter of minutes.  WHOO HOO!  Aren’t these two SO adorable!  I LOVE how much they love each other and it shows in the way they look at each other!!!!

Here are some fun and GORGEOUS photographs of a loving couple on the beach…..WITH A RAINBOW!   Something I may only have this one chance in my life to capture.     I am one lucky girl!    My mom did a great job capturing a few shots of my family as well.  I have high expectations when it come to photos…THANK YOU mom for getting these for us to treasure! 

  • Mom - awh….I love all of these. You are right, we were dragging our feet about the whole thing. Glad you didn’t give up on us. Glad I didn’t cut off all of your heads when I just clicked and clicked, hoping to get some good ones for you. thanks sweetie.October 6, 2017 – 3:50 pm