Cameron Braun 7/18/11 Cameron Braun 7/18/11

Columbus Engagement Photography

Hello from the Outer Banks in North Carolina! We're having a blast, and can't wait to share some of our photos from our trip! In the mean time we've got another great engagement session for you! This has to go down as one of our most favorite engagement sessions ever. Not necessarily because Kaitlin + Eric are more awesome than our other couples (seriously, we love all of you), but because we got to shoot something new. Something we've never photographed before. And it was the weekend of the fourth of July. And they fed us. And we love food... like a lot.

Kaitlin set up a session at a friend's house where she wanted some photos of her and Eric cooking together. They love to cook together, so it seemed fitting. Their friends have a beautiful house just outside of Columbus, and after our little chocolate chip cookie and chopped fruit and vegetable session (which was admittedly inspired by The Sprouted Kitchen), we had the privilige of sticking around and having a huge meal with both of their families. Everything was just ridiculously delicious, and we had a blast getting to know their families and friends.

We want to say a huge thank you to Kaitlin + Eric for having us come crash their Independence Day party with their families, and most definitely for the delicious food and great company.

Check out these shots, and try to tell me you're not craving some cookies. (Also, I wrote this post before vacation, so no, I'm not working on vacation... yet)

Cameron Braun 7/15/11 Cameron Braun 7/15/11

Ashley + Bryan // Cincinnati Engagement Photography

Today's Friday, which means we're on the road to vacation! We're headed to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for a week, but we've got a few posts in the queue to keep you entertained. Meet Ashley + Bryan. They set up a darling little picnic at the spot where they got engaged in Devou Park in Covington, KY. I love these guys because they're so easy to talk to, I feel like we just get along. In fact, we ended our session with me telling Bryan that I was confident he could change the oil in his car himself, and I gave him a step by step walk through. Yes, believe it or not, even though I'm an artist and like to be creative, I actually do all of the work on my own car. I'm a man, man.

Anyway, back to the point. We really enjoyed spending some time getting to know Ashley + Bryan, and we can't wait for their wedding this December at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. You have NO idea how excited we are for that.

Cameron Braun 7/14/11 Cameron Braun 7/14/11

Kelli + Brian // Columbus Engagement Photography

Kelli + Brian are awesome. Downtown Columbus is awesome. Winning combination? I think so. Kelli has this sweet smile that shows up when she looks at Brian, and it was clear how much she adores him. As my friend Holly would say, these two have "the Love." Stay tuned for their wedding in October.

Cameron Braun 7/11/11 Cameron Braun 7/11/11

Molly + Nick // New Philadelphia Wedding (Part II)

Click here or scroll down for Part One. Last week Mindy brought you Part One of Molly + Nick's wedding. Now it's my turn. I wish I could've brought this to you a little sooner, but it's been insane around here lately. Prime wedding season, engagement sessions, and vacation coming up... it's been nuts. All good things, because it means we're busy, but I can say for sure that we cannot wait for our trip to the Outer Banks this coming weekend.

Where do I even start with Molly + Nick? Well, how about at the beginning... Molly heard about us from a friend of hers who had gotten married last fall. The best part is that her friend didn't even have us as her photographers. We were already booked when she asked us, so we had to refer her to some of our friends. Despite that, she sent Molly our way, and thus began the long journey of booking these guys. Let's just say that Molly is picky. Like, REALLY picky. And she asked us about anything and everything except maybe our social security numbers. Some people might think this was annoying, but it was quite the opposite. You see, I could tell Molly knew what she wanted, and that she wasn't going to settle for second best. We went back and forth, and in the end she agreed that we were the right fit for them, but I think there was still some hesitation somewhere.

And that lasted until we did their engagement session. We've talked a lot on here lately about our process. We like to meet couples up front, and we include an engagement session with every wedding. I know I've said it before, but we have a purpose behind almost everything we do, and Molly was a perfect example of the trust that we build with our couples at the engagement session. She was so thrilled with her photos, and sent me a million emails about how thankful she was and how she couldn't believe she ever had second thoughts, and how we were "the real deal."

So you can imagine, that come the wedding day, her and Nick were both so excited. They had planned this day for so long, and on top of all of the details, they had photographers they could trust and that they felt totally comfortable with. We worked very closely with Molly to develop a great schedule, which gave us plenty of time to get some really stunning photos. (Also, I can't forget to mention that Molly ended up taking my advice and had Brett and Drew from Timeless Pictures come to do their wedding video. Those guys are brilliant, and we really feed off of their energy and creativity)

Alright, on to what you've been waiting for. I'm so happy with these, but I have to admit, I think Mindy might have given me a lesson this round, her pictures are absolutely amazing. You'll probably notice pretty quickly that Mindy spends time with the ladies while they get ready, and that frees me up to go spend some time with the guys. In this case, a quick round of golf!

This could be one of my favorite frames ever. The guys were all set up in this crazy football formation, and they said, "let's pose like we're chasing Nick with the ball." We tried it, and it just looked lame. So I said, "Why do you guys go back there about 100 feet and actually chase him?" Boom.

Loving the lines on this garage door!

After the ceremony we headed over the to reception hall, which was ridiculously amazing, but we had to sneak out and grab some shots before the sun set. Mindy said it perfectly, these guys just fell into place. None of these shots were posed, what you're seeing here is real, natural love. And they have it by the truckload.

Okay, I lied. This next shot was kind of posed. Brett (one of the videographers) asked Molly to run into Nick's arms and spin around. That was all he said, and they ended up doing this. It's also my favorite frame of the day.

Yes, the groomsmen picked Molly up and were throwing her in the air. Priceless!

And finally...

Molly + Nick // New Philadelphia, Ohio // June 25, 2011

Flowers: Forget Me Knot

Dress: Dreams to Realities Bridal

Suits: Robert's Mens Shop

Cake: Litty's Cakes & Cookies (Best cake of the year so far!)

Ceremony: First Baptist Church of New Philadelphia

Reception: Kent State University Performing Arts Center

Caterer: Trax Diner

DJ: DC Sound Productions

Videographers: Timeless Pictures

And I have to throw one more shout out to our friends Brett and Drew from Timeless Pictures. These guys are so awesome to work with, and their wedding films are first class all the way. Keep an eye on this post, I'll be linking their video here once they have it finished!

Cameron Braun 7/5/11 Cameron Braun 7/5/11

Molly + Nick // New Philadelphia Wedding (Part I)

I'm so excited to about the new changes to our website and to be sharing on the blog with you all! You'll be seeing a lot more of me around here. I'm also pumped to be sharing Molly + Nick's wedding with you. It turned out to be the perfect day. It's been insanely hot here in Ohio but this weekend it was perfect and rain free! We even had a chance to go out during dinner and take some beautiful sunset photos. Molly + Nick are a couple anyone could fall in love with. They are full of so much love for each other, their family and friends (which they have a ton!), and Jesus. They are the perfect example of why we love building relationships with our clients that will last past their wedding. When we truly connect with a couple it shows, they are more comfortable throughout the day, and the result is the ability to capture beautiful, natural photos. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day, Cameron and I are excited to be calling you guys friends and neighbors!

One of my favorite parts of the day is bonding with the girls while they get all pretty. I love getting to know all the bridesmaids and learning why they are so special to the bride. Ashley is one of those college friends you have for life. Cassie is a beautiful person inside and out. Annie is a sweet childhood friend. Morgan and Ali can bust out some amazing songs spur-of-the-moment. Katie, Molly's sister and maid of honor, was referred to as Pippa all day, and she fulfilled that roll well. Calli had a cute southern accent. There was laughter and tears and more laughter all day long. These girls were such a great group of bridesmaids, and I now know why Molly calls them her closest friends.

Don't you just love couples that naturally fall into place, that don't require direction?! Talk about a couple who is perfectly comfortable with each other, even when there's a paparazzi surrounding them!

Cameron Braun 6/28/11 Cameron Braun 6/28/11

Kelsie + Kevin // Columbus Wedding Photography

Mindy knew Kevin and Kelsie growing up. We spend the early part of the day shooting portraits at Kevin’s parent’s house, which is less than a mile down the road from Mindy’s parent’s. It’s a beautiful property with a seriously good sized pond/lake, fantastic landscaping, and a little tiki hut with a beach and a dock. It was the perfect place for their portraits despite the fact that it rained for a good hour right in the middle of our scheduled picture time. We made it work and I think things turned out fantastic. The rain cleared up in time for the outdoor ceremony, and the overcast skies made for some great soft light all day long.