The Hobbs Family | Maui Hawaii Family Photoshoot | Pennsylvania and Destination Photographer

17 years ago, I decided to leave the snowboard industry (where I worked as a product engineer/snowboard boot designer) to become a math teacher.   Around that same time, I met Caroline (and her mom and brother), when I started tutoring her in math.  They are such a fun, loving family, and I'm so fortunate that our paths crossed all those years ago.  Caroline's mom helped us purchase our first home in Orange County, California, as well as our current home when we decided to pack up and move back to Pennsylvania!

Less than two weeks ago, I traveled to Hawaii to photograph a destination wedding.  While I was there, I met up with Caroline who happened to be vacationing in Maui less than a mile from where I was staying!  It was such a treat to see her again after all these years, and to meet the rest of the Hobbs Family!  Their family is growing by one in a few months, and I'm so honored that I was able to capture some memories for them during this exciting time in their lives.

Just as we made our way to the beach outside the Hyatt Regency, the sky decided to open up and pour on us for a few minutes.  They were such good sports about it all, and we got some great moments before, during, and after the rain - including a stunning Maui rainbow!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from our brief time together.  Thank you again, Hobbs Family, for fitting me into your schedule!  It was such a pleasure seeing everyone and creating these photographs for you.  I hope we are able to meet up again in the near future!

The Nelson Family | 10-Year Anniversary Session (With MUD!!) | West Chester Pennsylvania Wedding and Family Photographer

Last week, I met up with the Nelson Family to help them celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary.  Due to some unfortunate circumstances beyond their control, their wedding photographer never delivered their finished wedding gallery.  So, they decided to celebrate this milestone anniversary by dressing up and recreating some of their wedding day portraits.  This time around, however, their wedding party included their two amazing little boys!

We started off with some formal portraits in the church where they exchanged their wedding vows, and finished at the beautiful Oakbourne Mansion.  Mother Nature threw a wrench in our plans, however, and it poured during their entire photoshoot.  We exchanged a few texts and phone calls earlier in the day about whether or not we should cancel, but the Nelsons assured me they were up for anything and didn't mind the rain one bit.  As you will soon see in the photos, they weren't kidding!!  This is hands down one of my favorite photo sessions ever.

This photoshoot with the Nelson Family reminded me of a few important things.  First, a little rain (or a lot of rain) is only a problem if you allow it to be a problem.  The best thing to do when a hurdle suddenly appears in your path is to problem solve, roll with it, and stop stressing about things that we cannot control.  Second, my favorite families to photograph are the ones who allow their kids to just be kids.  Mud is temporary, but these memories will last forever.  I can still hear the laughter from this session, and I can still feel the joy in my heart.

If rain on a wedding day is lucky, rain on a 10-year anniversary recreation of your wedding day has to be even luckier! Congratulations, Alicia and Jeremy!  I hope you had a nice dinner after you dried off and warmed up from our photoshoot, and I'm guessing the boys slept very well that evening. ;)

Thank you so much for this opportunity. I had so much fun chasing your boys around and capturing these moments for you.

(Big thanks to my daughter Mika for assisting me with my lighting, for keeping my gear dry in the rain, and for scouting out the perfect water and mud puddles for us!)

Wyomissing Stone House Family Session I | Berks County Photographer

I met up with the Angstadt Family on a rainy Saturday in October.  We had been looking forward to this photoshoot for a few weeks and were not about to let a few raindrops ruin our plans.  I threw an umbrella in the car and set off for the Stone House in Wyomissing. When we arrived, we found that we had the entire place to ourselves!  I'm so glad that we decided to go ahead with our photoshoot, because I love love love how these turned out!  Miranda and Bailey were fantastic models.  (And I really love that mom agreed to get into a shot, because I believe parents should be in more photos with their kids... and pets!)

Leesport, Pennsylvania Fall Child Session | Xavier (Class of 2029)

Xavier and his mommy were some of my very first clients when I just started chasing after this photography dream of mine.  It has been such a joy watching Xavier grow up, and seeing his personality develop over the years.  He is such a character (I mean that in the best way), and always keeps me on my toes!  I always take way too many photos during our time together, mostly because he is so expressive, so full of joy, and he's always on the move!  Our session a week ago was no different!

I was looking forward to our fall session for weeks!  But, the forecast that day was looking ominous.  Xavier's mom found a perfect location for us that would allow Xavier's personality to shine through, and where we could take cover if Mother Nature had different plans for our session that day.  When we arrived, the skies were cloudy and gray, and there was intermittent rain... that turned into a full downpour right at the end of the our session.  The location ended up being perfect, though.  It was landscaped beautifully, provided us cover when we needed it, and even offered up some interesting props that Xavier was crazy about!  You'll have to check out the photos to see for yourself!

Thank you, Audrey, for trusting me to capture these moments for your incredible family.  And thank you, Xavier, for providing me with countless smiles when I photograph you and again when I edit all of the photos from your sessions!  I love reliving these moments over and over again when I look through your photos.

I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite photos from our time together.