2. My running shoes. Oh how I love getting outside to work out these days! I probably work out BETTER when I’m inside doing Insanity, but I would much rather go for a run around the neighborhood and be in the sun.

3. Aperture. Thanks to a recommendation from a photographer friend, I have cut my photo editing time in half with this program! I.love.it. What was I doing four months ago?! Such quick culling and post processing, and the best part is that I can batch process a set of similar photos. LOVE!

4. Big flower blooms. I’m digging the big bloom bouquets that are in style right now. There’s something so romantic and feminine about those whimsical petals. I need to get some for our house!

5. Anthropologie coasters. My office is still pretty bare, but I did invest in some pretty, coral coasters for my desk. These things are solid and don’t slide around at all, plus they come in a bunch of fun colors.

We met in Medina—their hometown—on a beautiful, SUNNY evening. I love that they wanted to document their engagement in Medina because that’s where their story started. And that’s just what I love to do. Document stories. Enjoy this one.

You two are so cute!

OK, get ready for these. Their ACTUAL Homecoming photo in Medina Square, a reenactment of the awkward high school dance photo in the same location, and an updated portrait.

These next few are my favorite. The light was AWESOME!

To see more from Ashley and Dan’s engagement session, click here to view a SLIDESHOW.

We only had about half an hour or so in Peninsula before it started sprinkling but it was super easy to photograph these two because, well, see below. While I was getting the picture on the left, Emily was getting the picture on the right.

Note to couples: If you want colorful photos, wear something colorful! I loved Katie’s yellow scarf, and it went well with the green trees.

My favorite. Your eyes are so pretty, Katie!

I took the photo on the left while Emily got the one on the right. What a team!

 You two are great! Thank you again!

I’m so thankful that this photography dream has taken on a life of its own. I feel incredibly blessed that I’ve been able to work quickly and take on one new thing after another. Kind of crazy, but also crazy exciting.

So anyways, onto the subject of this post: the Posey bag by Kelly Moore! As shoots picked up, I realized how much I needed a smaller, lightweight camera bag that I could wear during a session. I was constantly going to my big bag to change lenses or cards, and I was wasting time. It definitely wouldn’t do on a wedding day. Enter Posey bag.

When I was looking for a bag I could shoot with, I thought about SHOOTSAC. I’ve used Amanda’s while working weddings with her, and while I love how well it lays against your side, I really wanted something that I could set on the ground without falling over. That’s the one drawback to the SHOOTSAC for me. Sometimes I lay on the ground for a shot, and it’s necessary for me to keep my gear safe if I have to take off my bag.

So, since I love my Kelly Moore JuJu bag, I decided to look at her line again. Kelly Moore’s bags are so durable and practical, but also cute! And the Posey is no exception. It meets all of my requirements and then some. Take a look:

Looks like a purse, right? I love that I can now safely take my camera out with me and not look like I’m carrying a camera bag.

The top flaps fold down for when you’re shooting, and they magnetically stay in place. Brilliant!

I divide the inside into three compartments, so I can fit three lenses in there when I shoot. I can also fit my 5D mkii with two lenses if I want that option.

There are so many pockets! One on the back that closes with a magnet (center photo) and multiple on the front. My favorite part about this bag is the secret zipped compartment that has a sleeve for lots of CF cards and also a ton of pouches for business cards. I definitely will never run out of room in this bag.

So, what bag do YOU shoot with and why? Any other brands I should be checking out?

Super excited to work with these two again in a just a couple short months! Their wedding is going to be beautiful.

See them there in the picture on the left?? Teeny tiny!

You guys should not have let me take that popcorn. I seriously ate it in two days!

Look at those model faces! Love it.

I love the one on the right. That picnic table was so warped but they didn’t even hesitate to jump on it for a picture.

To see more from Ashley and Justin’s engagement session, click here to view a SLIDESHOW.

If you do too, you should also check out Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men. That one will confuse you even more, but it’s so catchy! Nathan and I seriously listened to it five times in a row to try and decipher the meaning, and I think we’re more confused than when we started.

So, take a listen, have a happy Friday, and if you can shed some light on all this, please do!

I’m so honored to have photographed you, Amanda and Nathan! THANK YOU for trusting me with your maternity photos.

You two are so stinkin’ adorable!

We had to reschedule this shoot a few times because of rain, but I think Amanda would agree that we got PERFECT weather our fourth try!

Oh hilarious. Nathan wanted to show off his stomach too. HAHA!

To see more of Amanda and Nathan’s maternity shoot, click here to view a SLIDESHOW.

I was SO lucky to be asked to photograph baby Lane at just six days old. SIX! Small world: His parents, Kirsten and Mike, are from Cincinnati, and Kirsten and I had the same makeup artist at our weddings (hi, Nancy)! If that, plus their sweet personalities, didn’t make me like them, the fact that they named their little baby boy “Lane” sealed the deal!

This sweet guy hardly fussed the entire session. I think he knew he was modeling … and he did sooo good! Enjoy my favorites, and then click on the slideshow link at the bottom to see more favorites!

Who doesn’t love little baby toes? I think everything’s cuter in miniature.

You two are so beautiful.

Little Lane’s nursery is so cute! His talented mom made a lot of what you see here.

I think this is my favorite.

To see more of baby Lane, click here to view a SLIDESHOW.

I was skeptical about The Hunger Games before I started. I admit, I was feeling so superior for not having bought into the “teenage drama,” but once I started reading, I realized it’s so not like that. Or maybe it is, but I bought into it anyways!

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past year (and that’s OK because I was!), The Hunger Games is a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins about a place called Panem, formerly North America. It takes place way in the future in a post-apocolyptic world, and the nation’s made up of a Capitol, which basically dominates 12 outlying districts. Every year, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games where one boy and one girl from each district are randomly picked to fight to the death in a televised battle (aka a reality show). And all this is done to remind the districts who’s in control.

The books are so suspenseful that you can’t stop reading after a couple chapters. I literally finished the first book in a day and a half because the story fascinated me that much.

So, here are my brief reviews of the three books. What did YOU think?

The Hunger Games (#1). I think out of all three books, this one was my favorite. The concept of the Hunger Games was so unique I just couldn’t put the book down. This first story follows the 74th games and is narrated by a player in the arena. So, you get all the inside action, plus a lot more.
Goodreads review: 5 stars (out of 5!)

Catching Fire (#2). Almost equally as good as the first book (in my opinion!), this story follows the victors from past Hunger Games and introduces the “Quarter Quell,” or the 75th Hunger Games, which is even more elaborate and dangerous than the rest. I totally did not see ANY of this stuff coming, which made the book that much better.
Goodreads review: 5 stars

Mockingjay (#3). The last book in the series focuses on the aftermath of the 75th Hunger Games … and that’s about all I can say about that! This book was a little slow for me, and then all of a sudden it would get CRAZY. I wasn’t a huge fan of the direction some of the twists and turns took, but I did like the ending, which is the most important part, right??
Goodreads review: 4 stars

Thanks, Sharon, for getting me hooked and letting me borrow your books! I can always count on my best friend to introduce me to new stuff (I didn’t watch The Office until she made me give it a chance!)