My word for 2011 was WONDER.

I learned so much through photography, through interacting in new ways with God, through self-reflectiveness. There is so much about WONDER that I am still learning… every day. So much God has to say about wonder.  Wonder led to a greater concentration on the concept of faithfulness… because when I was faithful, God showed me His wonders.

My word for 2012 was risk.

I’ve learned that when I step into risk… I see the amazing wonder of God show up in mighty ways. But risk also caused me to wonder for a lot of this year and I found myself asking…

God, I wonder if you are going to show up?
I wondered what has been happening with me and blogging… is it going away or staying?
Will my marriage ever fully improve, I wonder?
I wondered if John and I would ever find a church…
I wondered why I was losing my drive to be a primary wedding photographer and beginning to prefer being a second for Marirosa…
I wondered why God would send me to one company… only to then trot me off to another…

When I stepped into October and a second new job for the year… I began meditating on the word “Rise” and knew this would be my focus for the remainder of the year.

Somehow these are all connected… Wonder… Faithfulness… Risk… Rise…

…and as I reflect on this journey I know there are lessons and joys to be found in each season, of each word and God in his wondrous wisdom is leading me through each stage, and my wondering about where I am at any given point is not important – only knowing that He has me – that is what is key.

Handwriting by Gitz

“OOOOO the ribbons!!!”

I texted that to Laurie as soon as I walked into the ribbon-lavished reception site… it was so reminiscent of the scene in Pride and Prejudice where the future Mrs. Darcy and Mr. Darcy were endlessly flirting. Laurie had strews Starbucks-green and plum ribbons everywhere throughout the ceremony site and it was that divine touch of “extra” that gave the ceremony flair.

Each table had it’s own unique vintage-chic centerpiece with an assortment of monogrammed bags of coffee for guests. The place card holders were mini-Starbucks cups filled with yummylicious Starbucks chocolate beans and name-flags.

Ribbons adorned the twinkly lights and grape-vines that were strung from the tent roof.

The maids were beautified in empire-waist plum dresses that matched the bride’s ever-so-perfect plum colored shoes and even Ross got into the action by wearing perfectly darling purple socks!

No detail was spared for this picturesque wedding… everywhere your eye would look, there was a detail so engaging, so inviting… what a beautiful day!

For me as a photographer, there is nothing better than a beautiful bride.

Unless it is an absolutely stunning bride… like Laurie.

The backdrop for the wedding of Ross & Laurie provided the perfect scenery to show off Laurie’s lovely delicate beauty and her fun choice of wedding dress. We wandered around the manor looking for a great place to do her bridal portraits and when she stood in front of the negative space of this delicious green tree, I knew we had found “the spot.”

There were several moments as the wind blew, or she interacted with her maids, or she stood awaiting to walk the aisle with her dad that are so memorable for me. Her natural beauty just radiated the entire day and it was so fun to capture special moments of this stunning bride and her friends and family…

It is even more impossible to choose just a few pictures… so I decided to share all of Ross & Laurie’s favorites with you….

The setting for their special day was like a scene out of Pride & Prejudice – Ross & Laurie’s favorite movie.

The trees had just popped into their peak fall coloring, so my photog partner-in-crime, the illustrious Peter Rice and I, had a hard time not overshooting!

Ross & Laurie and their team of creatives (Ross’ mom, Laurie, and Laurie’s friends) had not spared any details. The trees were trimmed, the ribbons were hung, the winery-vines were wrapped, and the twinkle lights were twinkling. Even the horses had come out to graze in the field, and they were the perfect backdrop to the paint-dotted trees.

Laurie’s dress was straight out of P&P and when she rounded the corner to walk down the aisle and the wind picked up, it carried her dress into a gentle a-symmetrical flow just like Elizabeth Bennet’s dancing dress at the ball!

The number of times I caught my breath at the magic of this day are too many to be counted.

And that is what it is about right? Those magical moments that make you pause… the ones that capture you and invite you into the scene… to not only witness, but be a part of the story that is writing itself.

As much as my heart was sad because – as a photographer – the story from dating, to engagement, to wedding had come to a close… I was rejoicing because I knew the beautiful story of Ross & Laurie’s marriage was just beginning… and they invited me to be a witness to this new beginning…

As a photographer, it is the highest form of compliment to be invited into a pinnacle moment like a wedding. 

When a couple invites you to paint a picture of their special day. it’s sacred. Not to be taken lightly. It makes you invested – not only as a photographer, but as historian, story-teller, and benchmarker.

When the couple celebrates their first anniversary, it will be your photos they look at as they share their year-old wedding cake.

When they have their first fight… she will pick up her wedding album and remind herself why she loves him. You took those pictures.

When they have children – God willing – she will show her little girl the dress she wore… and he will share with him how much he loves mommy.

When they celebrate their 50th anniversary, your pictures will be the backdrop.

You are a part of them. They are a part of you. That is a sacred trust… 

There are so many moments and details of Ross and Laurie’s wedding that I want to share… so enjoy the video this weekend, and I’ll be back next week to share more!

I would also be remiss not to give my girl Marirosa a shout out… so many of the shots I was able to get at Ross & Laurie’s wedding were a direct result of her investment in and mentoring of me as a photographer and I am SO grateful!

Sooooo I’ve decided to take a bloggity break until after Ross & Laurie‘s wedding on October 20.

Not a photography break – because thanks to Marirosa – I have lots of fall weddings to shoot, yay! Nope, just a blogging break.

The last 3 years I have worked hard to establish this platform. I’ve worked hard in the last 2 to grow my craft of photography. I’ve worked hard to nurture creative expression which is my second core value. I will miss this “safe space” that I have to share, to create, and to be inspired by each of you.

Quite honestly, work is consuming my life and my energy right now, and I am not sure how to balance everything. 

I feel like I’m in a battle for 12 hours every day and at the end of the day, I’m tired, cranky, and need to spend any extra intellectual ability I have to continue learning so that I can adapt to this new space I’m in. This has not been an easy season, heck, this has not been an easy year.

I still daily wonder why I left the safe space of working at a church I love with leaders who were amazing, and people I love to embrace this thing called risk. 

I’m questioning if the move was a wise decision. I’m questioning why God allowed me to move if he knew I would be this.stinkin.stressed out. I’m questioning if I’m in the right place. And I’m really questioning why God would bring me to a place only to drop me there and let me fail miserably.

But He knew. He allowed it. And at the end of the day He is still God, and still in charge, He has the right to give and take away, and He is most definitely still good. And by the grace of God, at the end of the day I still am who I am, success or failure, job or no job. And in those amazing truths I rest.

Now, lest you think all is lost, John has been a champ through this whole thing. 

He and I started looking to buy a new house and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. He has been ah-mazing as I’ve plodded through this murky season of my life. He has supported me, been a shoulder to cry on (like, you know every.single.day), and has come through in every way possible.

Had I not had this season of utter failure… I’m not sure if I would have seen this side of my husband. 

And that realization? Is SO worth it.

So please forgive me while I sign off for a few months to take care of business (literally, oye), and invest in my IRL world. I will be back.

♥ Forest

My summer has really been a blast because I’ve gotten to shoot so many weddings with Marirosa. This is one that I assisted with – and it was with my d700. Now that I’ve switched from Nikon to Canon, I can see the difference in color tones and “light.” This is from Candace & Jason’s wedding and I loved the texture of the flowers against the texture of the trees… but I still like my Canon colors better

♥ Morning Light

One of the things I like to do is learn about light from professional photographers because they can “see” differently than I can. It was during a professional training class that this location was scouted out (by the professionals of course!). The morning light we caught with this model during a shoot a while back was in-sane against the silver-toned garage backdrop. We had soft-boxes set up, but without the soft diffuse morning light, this shot would not have had nearly the impact.

♥ Touch

In weddings… it is often just the touch of details that make all the difference on a dress, a program, to create an environment, to set a mood. I love looking for those little details that set each wedding apart and make them unique. This is some beautiful beading on the waist of one of a wedding I shot with Marirosa lately. So simple, but it made the dress completely unique.

♥ Newspaper

This is my nephew at the Botanical Gardens. He was directing us around the park with his paper map. Um, yep.

♥ Coffee or Tea

Beer please! This was also rom Candace & Jason’s wedding. The favor that also marked your table assignment was home-made beer by the groom entitled “I Do Brew” – love!

Meet Pranitha

Pranitha Timothy serves as the Director of Aftercare for IJM Chennai – and this summer, she was a featured speaker at the 2012 Willow Creek Leadership Conference.

• Willow Creek’s highlight of Pranitha
• [Video] IJM President Gary Haugen introduces Pranitha to Global Leadership Summit Attendees

A message from Pranitha Timothy, IJM Director of Aftercare, Chennai:

Around the world, millions of children are trapped in forced labor slavery.

Shiva, 7 years old, and Madesh, 13, were sitting in school when they heard yelling outside. The brothers shuddered and looked at each other. They knew that voice all too well – it was Narayan,* the powerful owner of the brick kiln where their parents were forced to work.

Narayan burst into the classroom and interrupted their teacher, demanding the boys come with him. Terrified, Shiva and Madesh didn’t hesitate when they saw his face, red with anger.

Narayan brought the brothers back to his brick kiln, and ordered them to help their parents work. When the boys pled to return to school, Narayan hit them and jeered, “What would you do with your studies anyway?” Their desperate father tried to intervene – but there was nothing he could do.

Dreams and Lives Stolen

This is slavery. It is more than just work for little or no pay. It steals a family’s freedom and dignity. It denies children an education. It strips parents of their roles as protector and provider.

Instead of playing cricket with friends, Shiva and Madesh worked, six days a week, from sunup to sundown. Instead of joining the other children walking to school – school that their government would provide free of charge – the boys carried heavy bricks from one end of the compound to the other alongside their parents.

I have been part of restoring more than 4,000 people from slavery, including scores of children like Shiva and Madesh. What I have seen over and over is that these children’s parents want for them the same thing each of us would want for our children – freedom, safety, dignity. Imagine if these simple things were out of reach for your family.

Rescue

Shiva receives his official release certificate

IJM received a secret call for help from another man trapped in the brick kiln. After carefully gathering evidence, the team partnered with government officials to conduct a rescue operation earlier this year.

Within moments of the rescue team’s arrival, the enslaved families understood that this was their chance for freedom. Shiva and Madesh carried pots and pans, blankets and mats – their family’s few possessions – to the rescue team’s waiting van. Within 20 minutes, 13 children and adults were free.

As a government official presented them official certificates of release, Shiva and Madesh felt their father’s hand on their shoulders as he stood up taller, prepared to take his boys home – and into the life of freedom he had longed to give them.

13 children and adults (shown holding their official Release Certificates) were free

That night, the proud parents laid out their sons’ beds and assured them they would not have to wake up before the break of dawn to work the next morning. The road to healing is just starting for this family – but the brothers now have a new routine. Instead of getting up to work without pay, they are off to school with the other children from their village each morning.

It’s time to send kids everywhere back to school. With your help, we can rescue more families and children from slavery. Will you give a financial gift today?

Thank you for standing with us in this mission.

Gratefully,

Pranitha Timothy
Director of Aftercare, IJM Chennai

Now, Shiva and Madesh have a new routine. Instead of working in the brick kiln each morning, they walk to school with the other children from their village.

Get involved!

Hear more stories of rescue…

42 Rescued from Bonded Labor | India

Justice a dream for trafficking victims | Philippines

“This Case Will Pave the Way” – 20 Year Conviction | Rwanda

Slavery in America? | United States of America

The Dangerous Dance of Poverty and Violence | Injustice around the World

Grace’s Story | Africa

Trafficked.Enslaved.Now Free | Philippines

A Brave Survivor of Trafficking Helps Stage Undercover Operation | Philippines

One of the things I love best about shooting with Marirosa…

Well, besides her fun personality, and the excessive giggling we do every time we shoot a wedding, well, and the awesome brides and grooms that choose her, and the amazing locations she gets to shoot at… is that she lets me post pictures (Squee!) and she “shares” her brides and grooms. What I mean by that is that she allows me into their day so I can see their love story too.

We had the privilege of being the photographers at Brittany & Andy‘s wedding.

This is the first time I had the opportunity to second during a first-look. The first look is when the bride and groom see each other before the wedding. The way that Andy looked at Brittany when he first saw her is something I will never forget. He was absolutely captivated and looked at Brittany as if she were the most precious thing in his life (and she is!)

Her grace and beauty just radiated from her and her peaceful, kind presence was such a joy to be around.

The details of this wedding were beautiful, the flower girl and ring bearer to die for, and the way Brittany and Andy looked at each other was positively swoon-worthy  This is a couple I will not soon forget and I’m so honored that I had the privilege to second for Marirosa and serve Brittany and Andy on their special day!

♥ Mobile

I captured and posted this earlier this week from my iPhone. It represents the soul-crushing weariness I’ve felt in the last few weeks. An exhaustion that I haven’t felt since 2007. We are working to find out what is going on with my stress levels, my body, and my “life” – but I thought this quote was so apropos to what I have been feeling.

♥ Hanging by a Thread

It always amazes me how spiders can hang by a thread and not feel the least bit stressed about it. They weave and craft their home with silky-thin strands and set their mind to complete the task no matter the obstacle (rain, sleet, snow, wind, humans). If for some reason their web is destroyed, they simple pick themselves back up and start spinning threads again.

♥ Collage

This was from the Folklore festival. I love the collage of colors that is on this Kenyan design. Makes me miss Africa…

♥ Look on the Bright Side

Now all you have to do is climb down the mountain!

♥ Home

We have started the process of looking for a new one. Pray for us people! It is exciting and terrifying and wonderful all at once. It has been an opportunity for John and I to bond and we have an absolutely darling real-estate agent. We think we might have found a house – it is a pretty long shot – but we are hopeful. I attended a church called the Journey this morning in what could be “our” new neighborhood and loved it too. So there is the hope of community… and while I was standing in service, I had the thought that no matter where we land – I always find my true “home” in God’s house. It is where my heart has always felt the most at peace, and I love that.

This year, I decided to take a step back from hard-charging head first into wedding photography.

I realize that I still have a lot to learn!

So this year has been all about “education” and thanks to the generosity of an incredible lead photographer, Marirosa, I’ve had ample chances to learn. Marirosa has one of the most generous hearts of a lead wedding photographer I’ve ever seen. There is not a externally-competitive bone in her body and when it comes to serving the bride and groom, as well as encouraging other photographers, she goes above and beyond. Which, if you know anything about the DC/VA wedding market, is really rare (and wonderful).

What I have also learned from this season is that  I LOVE being a second and an assistant.

There is something that makes my heart soar when I get to help others succeed – especially others like Marirosa who really wants her brides and grooms to feel like she has loved them well. Her heart for her clients inspires me to want to help her serve those special clients.

She truly sees every one of her brides and grooms as unique, and serves them in a way that demonstrates her unique care of each one. I am inspired by how she deeply cares for each client. Inspired to love better as I serve my own families and clients.

This is Caitlin and Bryan… 

She is the daughter of an Admiral and he is a firefighter. They are a darling couple with generous hearts and a wonderful family and they were a delight to serve.

Their wedding was my first event shooting with the Canon 5d Mark III and the beauty of the bride, the perfect light of the day (the light was ooey-gooey), and the joy of the event made everything so much more fun. Marirosa, Mari, and I had so much fun capturing this wedding!

So honored to get to capture this special wedding with my friend Marirosa… and so privileged to get to serve with wonderful women on our team like Marirosa and Mari… you ladies make photography so much more fun!

Marirosa

and Mari