2016 was an incredible year for us personally and professionally. Along with welcoming a son, Jonathan and I sent our oldest off to kindergarten but also had our most successful year of business yet. Not only did we photograph many wonderful clients and made amazing connections with local vendors and businesses, we also were featured in our first national publication in addition to our work being featured at The Ohio State Fair!

At the end of every year, I look forward to looking over all of the images Jonathan and I have captured and choosing 50 to enter into the International Shoot and Share Contest. This contest (from my knowledge) is the large contest there is. This year over 300,000+ images were entered into their contest from all over the world. I take almost a week each year to choose images from our vault and submit them with the hopes of inspiring others and sharing all the wonderful moments we have seen over the year. I don't choose the images based on anything other than what I feel would speak the greatest to others but what also touched me as an artist myself. Throughout the next week or so, I will be updating this post with the results. They go as follows:

7/50 images placed in the TOP 20% of 332,768 images submitted:

A Wild Miley

Along with client's images, I sometimes submit images that are personal. This is my dog Miley! She is 7 years old and often looks like a white wolf out in the snow! She's become a bit more of a diva, demanding more kibble than usual since she discovered her fame in the contest.

The Grand Lobby

Right before Emily headed to her wedding ceremony, I had her hang out on this beautiful couch in the lobby of the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel. I'm seriously in love with that room and this photograph!

Venue: Mount Vernon Grand Hotel

Days of Childhood

When it's warm outside, I am normally swamped with sessions and editing. This evening, I chose to take a break, go outside and enjoy the summer air with my kids. As Lacie swung on her tire swing, the light kept pouring through her hair as she went back and forth. I ran inside and got my camera. The sun was inspiring but I had to capture a moment of her childhood. A blissful moment to look back on when duties of adulthood swallow her whole.

Separate

This May wedding day was extremely cold and windy. Jonathan and I were teaming up to capture the bridal party at the same time. Jon with the guys, myself with the ladies. After a moment, I backed up and took this shot. It's pretty telling. The guys messing around, being silly. The ladies laughing, complimenting each other and talking about the day.

Venue: Dock 580

Water Dancer

I was worried about this session. I arrived and the skies were taunting us with rain. Making this senior, Emilie, look as elegant as she is was easy and effortless. Emilie is an active and well-accomplished gymnast. I wanted to incorporate her passion into her portraits. With that beautiful white dress on, this ballerina-like spin was the perfect touch to posing Emilie.

Something Old, Something New

My lovely client Sarah did not disappoint with her stunning wedding gown. This wedding gown may have been my all time favorite for the entire year! Thanks to Jonathan, he magically hung her dress on the thin piped border of the old stained glass of the church window. I let the natural light do it's thing. Just lovely.

Blowin' Smoke

Ahh, men. They typically don't like having their picture taken. Mid-way through the reception, the guys stepped out back for a celebratory cigar. I let them be themselves and this portrait came to life. I believe every groom should have one of these pictures for himself!

Venue: Bent Tree Golf Club

7/50 images placed in the TOP 30% of 332,768 images submitted:

Mansfield Engagement Session

This image was taken in the Mansfield area Fall of 2016! Our clients, Amber and Derrick will actually be getting married in just a few months!

Beverly Mansion Wedding in Marengo, Ohio

Marengo, Ohio is home to a little secret venue that is stunning. Stepping on the grounds you feel transported to another place. Along with the beautiful mansion, Rebecca and Stephen dressed in their stunning attire look as if they were married in the French countryside!

Bride's Hair and Make Up: Salon361

Mount Vernon, Ohio Wedding

Bride, Emily, is photographed here in her hotel room at The Mount Vernon Grand Hotel in downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio while waiting for her limo to arrive to take her to the ceremony.
Hair and Make Up: Ohh La La Salon in Danville, Ohio.
Floral Arrangement: Made From Scratch in Columbus, Ohio

Kate's Tribe

Bride, Kate, and all her friends were celebrating her upcoming nuptials by partnering with me to have a fun Bachelorette photo shoot! Who knew acting like your favorite emoji would land you in the top 30%?!

Beverly Mansion Bride

Bride Rebecca and I, along with her bridesmaids were waiting in the bridal quarters before Rebecca went out to see Stephen for their first look! It was the perfect moment to let Rebecca relax on the beautiful couch in the room while at the same time, capturing some stunning bridal portraits!

Bride's Hair and Make Up: Salon361

Senior Colin

Taken on the grounds of Masterpiece Classic Cars Legacy in Danville, Ohio, Senior Colin was posed up against the classic car his family owns and loves! I LOVED photographing Colin's session! He was a natural and the cool cars were just a plus to his session.

Love at Indian Bear Winery

The day of this wedding, we were racing against the clock as the large possibility of a thunderstorm was rolling in. As Nathan. Lindsey and I walked down to the vineyard, I simply asked them one thing... Don't let anything distract you from this moment. Just be yourselves and love one another. Since that moment, they were entirely their loving selves and capturing this moment was easy as pie!

Venue: Indian Bear Winery

These two showed up from Cleveland with all of their absolute adorable-ness and matching peacoats to get engagement pictures done on what I believe may have been our coldest day of the year... (but I'll say that about any cold day...)

What's really super awesome is that in May, Jonathan and Stephanie were just two guests at Becky and Stephen's wedding watching me photograph that AMAZING day and now they are in front of my camera! We get to go through this awesome photographic journey from engaged to married and I couldn't be happier to get to capture it all.

Even though the wind chill was -8 (Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Yes, they still look that amazing. No, I know, I couldn't pull it off even half as well as they did either.) I am so extremely excited to photograph Stephanie and Jonathan on their wedding day next year.