Heidi & Adam wed in Chapel Hill!

I had the wonderful pleasure of working with Heidi and Adam again (click for the e-session) just a couple weeks ago. They started their day with a 'first sight' and jumped right into portraits before the ceremony. No getting ready pictures this time!

This flower girl booked down the aisle, then turned to get the younger flower girl.

Of all details, I am showing this one because I really love a church that allows you to drop petals. :)

The cocktail hour featured a blue-grass band playing in the corner. You can tell everyone just wants to have fun!

I adore how she tells him to behave, and he does. She looks mighty pleased. :)

There was a lil' scuffle for the garter belt. Men behaving badly. lol

Heidi honored her Grandparents with the bouquet. Sixty five years of marriage! That's wonderful.

Their DJ now has my vote as favorite ever. He LOVED himself some music, trust me. And he had a great way of working with the crowd. Here, they 'group hug' the couple when they hear 'That's Amore".

Adam lifts his bride in times of trouble. :)

Congratulations newlyweds! I had a wonderful time-- what a bunch of fun-lovers you are. :) More pics coming soon!

Fashion: Trash the Dress

Couple weeks ago John photographed Laura in a post-wedding trash-the-dress way. I was blown away!

I love a great moment...my favorite:

Looking like Robin Wright-Penn from Princess Bride:

reminding me of Tori Amos discography:

My other favorite...

And here's where I go crazy with post-processing someone else's images. dang, this is hawt:

...maybe I should just start out-sourcing everything to John. Good job, babe.

Bringing you a smile:

My faves are New Guinea, India and Tonga. LOL!

Where the Heck is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
Isn't life Awesome, Matt? There's so much joy to be had!
PS, where can I sign up to dance around the world?
PSS, Vimeo has me laughing all over the place.

Erin and Hailey!

One thing I wish I had more of in life...pictures of me and my children interacting. Being us together (most especially in great lighting with pretty clothes on, hah!)...images that I could always look back on and remember details.

I tell you the truth, I forget the details of my life easier than most people. It really bothers me. I am hopeful that the images I make for my clients convey their stories for years and years, bringing it all back.

After nearly 3 years of not doing offering portrait sessions, I said yes to an inquiry. I don't know why I said yes, particularly. Maybe the whole memories thing? Maybe it was time to stretch myself that way again? Maybe I just really liked the sweet things Erin had to say about my work at her friends' wedding?

OK, so I'd done a couple basic traditional sessions in those years, but to me traditional sessions are kind of... Wham, bam, thank you ma'am... I think my style requires me to be more intuitive with my clients.

Posing a two-almost-three year old was next to impossible so I had to be Quick Draw McGraw, if you know what i mean. (What I mean is that I had to watch carefully for the honest moments between the two of them, and I had to be faaassstt on the trigger).

I'm so pleased with the results! And Erin tells me that Hailey's dad was happy with these, too-- his father's day present. Great! Maybe we can do a family session that includes him soon. :)

Looking at these images really makes me miss the feeling of my daughter's baby arms hugging me, the sound of baby giggles... OK, stopping before I get teary. My daughter is turning ten in August. Unbelievable. Time flies, take pictures!

Angela+Eamon are in Ireland...

I wish I was too! The weather here is so hot and dry dry dry, everything is baked and wilted and I regret not photographing my morning glories and John's water lilies already. Even the mini climbing rosebushes have withered and yellowed. Imagine the green of Ireland! Oh!

Thankfully I have beautiful weddings to shoot, such as Angela and Eamon's...




Wonderful bridesmaids have all your details on lists that they keep up-to-the-minute. One of Angela's 3 beautiful sisters.

This is the best wedding coordinator I've had the pleasure to work with. Here she is making a last second stitch of some sort on Angela's wedding gown! White Diamond Weddings.




This is the Main Post Chapel at Ft. Bragg.


So...the bridesmaids and Mom thought I accidentally tipped the table I was standing on. Pppssshhh! What I don't do for a laugh from my clients. haha...ah. Yeah.









back at Angela's family home for the reception.








No idea what's funny here. Maybe... Angela was like, "It's so hot, my candles are melting out there!" Angela was really nice enough to be able to laugh about that...

I like a couple that says, who cares about tradition! We're cutting the top layer!

Always, always always laugh. This is key, and they already have it going for them. Yay!!!!

Love from the fam. Something about trading Angela for swords, I really don't know what that meant, but everyone thought it was fair. LOL, j/k.

and, last but not least, always remember the joy you felt, evident here.



Angela was the sort of woman that many of clients turn out to be-- women I wish I could be friends with! She really is full of life. Angela and Eamon, I wish you joy in discovering more about each other!

We have plans to hit the road and beach tomorrow in Myrtle. I'm so excited! Yay! Personal picture taking opportunities. Wish us well.

Meghan Coffee

Hey! I am in the midst of hectic proofing, and my darling children are done with school for summer break. Hurrah! Busy busy, but I wanted to take a second to give a shout out for Meghan Coffee. I know someone who knows her, and I have exchanged emails with her about a certain photography seminar. So...yeah, I guess I still don't know her.

Love, love her voice:


Listen and enjoy. :)

Lila+Wes in the paradise called Cashiers .

What a glorious place to call home!

I have worked with some of these wonderful people before. Seeing them again was like revisiting old friends!

Lila's Aunt...Terry?...announces the approach of the bride for the guests attention. Great idea!

This amazes me. I cannot get over the majesty, beauty, grace and perfection of God's work.

I don't often witness so much kissing! It was heart-warming.

I was really fighting not to lose it and just sob in the corner. Lila's foster family and brother embrace the couple on the dance floor.

Jessica and Charles...2 years later! It was wonderful to work with you again!

Sometimes...love is overwhelming.

I have tears in my eyes again, just thinking back to your wedding day. Thank you so, so much, if was truly my honor to be there and work with you. Gallery goes live next week (I hope, there are two weddings to edit before yours) and I hope you keep in touch.

PS, I learned two things at least, that night. One, bring a flat pair of shoes to every wedding. Much easier to walk in. Two, do not scan the crowd while walking and run-- camera first-- into the tent pole. Oh, and three, don't tail gate on windy mountain roads and then try to drive a PT Cruiser over stray lumber. C'est La vie!