King Family Photo Day!

As a photographer, sometimes your own family gets neglected in getting updated pictures. Well, since I was doing a session with Tim's brother and fiance, I thought it was also a great opportunity to get some updated shots of the whole family. Tim's parents, Ralph and Pam, had their engagement pictures taken at the IMA and it seemed appropriate to do some updated versions. I even had David snap a few of Tim and I. (the pictures we do have together are few and mostly taken by the classic "get together hold out your hand and hope for the best" method) So here' my encouragement for my photog friends out there, take time to take pictures of you and your own clan. (or if you pre-plan, swap with another photographer) We know how priceless pictures are, yet they tend to get put on the back burner of our to-do list.

David + Megan: Engaged at the IMA

My awesome brother in law, David, proposed to his own Megan in front of the LOVE statue at the IMA just a few months ago. So, it was only fitting to do some of their engagement pictures there. These two are so crazy in love. Right now they are adjusting to a long distance situation until they get married next July. Of course I can't wait for how great a celebration that will be. We will be doing another shoot in Parke County (her hometown and home of the Covered Bridge Festival) in a few weeks when the leaves are fabulous. For now here's some of their cuteness...

Roadtrip Adventures

After Tim and I left the beautiful Upper Pennisula of Michigan, we headed home for about 48 hours before heading off to photograph Dan and Hayley's wedding. Following the wedding we spent a little over a week visiting with family and friends.

One side of my family always gets together at their lake house for Labor Day. It was great to have everyone there, including my cousin who is stationed in Georgia. The next few days were spent with my parents and grandparents while loving on my sweet niece.

From there we headed south to visit our friend John, who was one of Tim's groomsmen, in Memphis. We checked out the Beale Street scene, listened to some blues, ate some fried pickles and drank plenty of SWEET tea. We loved hanging out and getting a flavor of the south's food and hospitality. (especially at the Wolf River Cafe's catfish night!)

Leaving Memphis, we headed over to Birmingham, where our friends Carrie and Michael had moved after their wedding in June. They are both in residency right now and we were so fortunate it worked out that they both had some time off. We went to the hippest downtown art fair, where all of these renovated old buildings were opened up as galleries for the weekend. We got a great tour of Birmingham and were completely impressed on how nice it all was. After a busy Saturday, we spent much of Saturday chillaxing. Their new puppy, Bexley, totally won us over. Carrie and I made some pizza on the grill - time consuming, but completely delicious.

Early the next morning we headed up to Mammoth Cave and enjoyed soaking up the natural wonder it truly is. I was completely impressed with how well my camera functioned in a cave. That evening we spent time with my cousin Jordan, who is a student at Western Kentucky University. The next day we finally made the trek back to Indy, including a stop for lunch and a nap in Columbus, IN and a visit to my cousin Allie in Greenwood. Our bed never felt so good when we got home.

With over 2,500 miles and 8 beds in 2 1/2 weeks, it was good to be home. We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with such special people and see a little bit more of what makes up our country.

Experiencing the Upper Pennisula in Michigan

About two weeks ago, Tim and I headed north to spend some time in the UP. Our longest road trip to date went really well and even included a stop at a Michigan Orchard for some fresh blueberries! We stayed at Cedar Campus, which is a retreat center owned by InterVarsity. Both Tim and I had spent some special time there, but never together.

It was wonderful to unplug (cell phone, TV, computer) for a few days and enjoy the peace of being in nature. Other than soaking up the beauty around us, we spend some time biking, kayaking and hiking as well as taking a trip to Raber Bay Bar where you had a view of Canada in the distance. All of our other meals were made in our very tiny yet functional kitchen, which is pictured below. Also of note is the ice cream that Tim is pictured with. His favorite was peanut butter Mackinaw fudge and mine was mint Mackinaw fudge, delicious! After several nights at Cedar Campus we left for a very scenic drive down the western coast of Michigan. More on our adventures there and beyond will be posted soon.

For now enjoy the glory that is the Upper Pennisula, with it's clear waters and blue skies.