Stephanie & Peter. . . A "Grand" Escape

I wrote about this couple a few weeks ago. . .her shoes. . . his food .. . their smiles...

And now I am going back through looking at the pics for one last final edit and it just reminds me again of how cute Stephanie and Peter were... from the outside they were elegant and "adult" . . . but then you can look closer and see the childlike glimmer in their eyes as they looked at each other. Plus. . . take a look at the slide show... they couldn't keep their lips to themselves... they were constantly sneaking little pecks (luckily I had my camera)

Click here to view slide show

S & P . . . You two have showed me how love can bring out the childlike joy in everyone. I have no doubt this will keep you two forever young! Thank you.

Love,
A

BTW... They were married at Little Stone Church an adorable congregation on Mackinac then the reception was held at one of my favorite venues, The Grand Hotel (Marty you did an awesome job as always. . .good thing you know a thing or two about bustling)

WOW . . .what a weekend...

This weekend is just about over . . it's 11:59 p.m Sunday night and before I go to bed I just had to write one last thing. I was debating about writing because I really have no images to show off the last two days... just my thoughts and vivid descriptions...

So, here we go... I woke up Saturday morning and read a line in a book that has stuck with me...

"If you want to experience the miraculous, start to look for the miraculous in everything."
(Alice Inoue... A Loving Guide to These Shifting Times)

I got out of bed went for a run . . and kept this idea in mind. . . I noticed the sunlight shine through and burst between a row of eucalyptus trees

. . . then a few hours later, I noticed a beautiful little girl sitting on a park bench wearing a bright yellow shirt with a yellow bow in her hair this yellow matched perfectly her laughter and smile that shined like the sun...

It was like this all day long. . . a person, a flower, a song,

...and the way the day ended was the biggest miracle of all... I was standing in the middle of a horse coral with 4 of my dearest friends looking up at the night sky.
The stars were unlike anything I've ever seen before (which says a lot since I grew up in the country in Michigan where the Northern Lights were a common occurance) ... the milky way was as clear as day... the only noise we could here were two owls talking to each other from separate trees. . . then as we silently stared up looking for constellations . . .not 1 . . .not 2 . . .but THREE shooting stars flew across the sky!!

May you all SEE the miraculous things that happen around you everyday!!

Have a beautiful week.

Love,
A

Welcome to the beach... Ulrike and her family

A little over a week ago I spent time at the beach with Ulrike and her beautiful family. I photographed Ulrike this past spring just before she gave birth to this adorable little boy....

I felt like a little bird on the tree just capturing this family playing together on an overcast Sunday morning... (even the clouds don't keep us away from the beach)

Ulrike, Thanks again for welcoming me into your family for a few hours... it was so much fun to play with you again!!

Love,
A

First day of Fall...

I just returned from a quick 3 day trip to Mackinac. September really is the BEST time to be there in my opinion. It's still sunny but with a bit a crispness in the air, the leaves are changing colors, the streets are quieter, and everyone just seems to be in a wonderful mood. There's something magical about biking through the tall trees with the blue sky above and the sight of little leaves slowly making their way down to the ground and speckling the pavement with splotches of color... Yesterday I was on my bike with a scarf wrapped around my neck flying down a hill like a little girl... tears welling up in my eyes partly because of the cold breeze . . but mostly because of the pure joy I felt in that moment...

Love,
A

Melissa & Andrew... Power of two

There is ONE thing that stands out to me with this sweet couple. POWER OF TWO...

I met Melissa and Andrew a year ago at the Destination Dream Wedding Weekend on Mackinac, since then we've been emailing and chatting every month. I spent a little bit of time with each of them before the event all the while trying to get a feel for this couple and their wedding... but it wasn't until the moment Andrew's eyes gazed upon Melissa on the Stonecliffe porch and Melissa saw Andrew waiting for her at the end of the aisle that I instantly understood.

There wasn't a sense of excitement, or overt celebration... there was a sense of confidence, a sense of relaxation in the midst of chaos, a sense that these two were the only two in the world and together they could face anything. Together they are one, together they are each other's pillars of strength.

After the ceremony, Melissa and Andrew went on a private carriage ride... after spending most of the day apart... they were finally together... not just for the moment but for a lifetime.

M & A . . . you two truly are an example of the power of two . . . may you face the world together with the same sense of confidence and joy that radiated out the minute your hands touched at the end of the aisle.

Love,
A

Stephanie & Peter . . . Shoes, Food, Rain and Smiles...

Strange title for a blog . . .I know... but these are the 4 words I would use to describe this amazing couple's wedding.

Stephanie... had her gorgeous shoes
Peter... made sure there was amazing food (be it that he's a chef)
The Island... had it's moments of rain (good luck for the 2 of them)

and their Smiles. . . Stephanie and Peter at first glance are a couple who exude a sense of grace and elegance... then the minute their smiles show they look like two kids... you can't help but see it...

Stephanie & Pete . . . you two rock... you were so much fun to have on the island. I feel so blessed to have been welcomed in by the two of you, your family and your friends so warmly. May the two of you have fun playing in the rain with your colorful umbrellas for the next 50 years.

Love,
A

Exciting stuff from Mackinac . .. Publication & Representation

So I must apologize for being off the radar for the past week. I just returned from an awesome trip to the island. Not only did it include two amazing weddings (stay tuned pics will be up shortly), beautiful fall weather, and winning the football pool... that was a first (must have been beginners luck)

. . . but I had not one but two exciting new things happen in regards to my more fine art island photography.

1) Thanks to the work I did for the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau last year I was published in a new national magazine that is incredibly beautiful called Flower Magazine . . . take a look below
and
2) I just found out that I am going to be represented next year by an art gallery on the Island called Victorian Summer Gallery. They will be hanging a collection of my more fine art Mackinac images. So if your ever on the island check that place out to see some of my other Mackinac stuff.

One last little note . . . Ahhhh, ... how I love fall on the island. Things start to slow down, the leaves start to change and the air feels so clean and crisp... nothing can compare... it always energizes me for the next step.

May you all find that rejuvenating moment.

Love, A

Santa Barbara Get Away Engagement ... Kerry & Adrian

So about a month I got a request for an engagement shoot from the nicest bride-to-be from Arizona. She wanted to surprise her fiance with a photo shoot of the two of them while they were out here for the weekend... granted she told him the minute she got off the phone with me... well, so the surprise didn't work out, but the photos sure did... and I must say it was one of the most beautiful days we've had all summer . . . funny enough we shot it on the last day of summer Labor Day...

Now, about Kerry & Adrian. . .all I can say is one word . . .LAUGHTER . . . they would not stop giggling and laughing and smiling, I must say there is definitely something about people in love, its contagious and glows right through the images. Just take a look...

Click here to view slide show

Hey you two... it was truly my pleasure to meet you and have just a bit of your happiness shine on my day . . . Arizona is lucky to have such sunshine!! Congratulations!
... and by the way, I officially like Paul Weller after doing a little slide show music research on your behalf...

Love,
A