Beatific Photography

Tiffany and Mike

Ashleigh — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:28:42 +0000

When Tiffany first suggested that part one of their engagement session take place at Sope Creek, I was pretty excited. She said she and Mike like to go down and sit on the rocks by the creek, and they wanted to bring their dogs, Hank and Doc, with them this time. Having driven by the park countless times, I could see why they would hang out there. It’s such a beautiful spot. Since I had never actually stopped at the park, though, I didn’t realise that it was a bit of a hike to get from the parking lot back to the creekside ruins. But, oh, was it ever worth it because it was gorgeous.

Tiffany and Mike really have a great story. After being friends for years and both secretly wanting to be more, they finally admitted how they felt for each other a few years ago and have been together since. When they started planning their trip to Seattle for last September, we all just knew that Mike would propose then. While taking a break to sit by the river on one of their hikes, with her great grandmother’s engagement ring, he did exactly that. They’ll be getting married this October, and we seriously can’t wait. Tiffany has been one of my closest friends for years now, and I am incredibly honoured that she asked us to photograph their wedding in her hometown of Savannah. It’s going to be such an amazing day.

Melanie and Justin

Ashleigh — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:59:53 +0000

I’ve heard it said that Atlanta really only has two seasons – a coolish winter of sorts that immediately segues back into hot. After living here for the past 10 years (I can’t really count the first 2 years of my life as I wasn’t paying much attention to the weather then), I have to agree with that. Spring in Georgia is generally really brief. But when it shows for that short time, it’s pretty gorgeous.

Melanie and Justin have been good friends of ours for a while now, and I was really excited when she asked if we would do their engagement pictures. We originally planned on an evening in January, but when what was chance of rain turned into a rather cold utter monsoon, we decided to reschedule. It was definitely worth it in the end. We spent this past Sunday in Atlantic Station with them for their engagement session, and it couldn’t have been a nicer evening. Sometimes having a little patience and waiting for the right time isn’t the worst thing in the world. Because their session? Well, it was absolutely beautiful.

Nicole, Matt, and Caroline

Ashleigh — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:23:42 +0000

I’m pretty sure I’ll never forget when I found out that Nicole was pregnant. It was last August. We were out at a going away dinner for one of our close friends who was moving to Orlando and talking about our upcoming trip to Disney that October. At one point, Nicole said, “I’ll be 5 months in October.” I remember thinking, “Nicole’s pregnant,” as if that was something I already knew before realising that was really exciting news that she hadn’t actually yet confirmed. A minute later, Nicole and her husband Matt confirmed they were indeed expecting, and another level of celebrating new adventures began.

Caroline is now one month old. I’ve loved seeing all the pictures Matt and Nicole post of her on Instagram and Facebook, and getting to meet their adorable Caroline this past weekend was absolutely wonderful. While we were at their house for their session, we were joking that no matter how hard they tried, she wasn’t going to show one of her trademark big grins until just after we left. And, of course, that’s exactly what happened.

Danielle, Rick, and Emma

Ashleigh — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:25:36 +0000

I’m so, so excited to share this preview. Two months ago, Rick asked me if I would be able to come down to St. Augustine over St. Patrick’s Day weekend to surprise Danielle for her birthday. There was a concert coming to Jacksonville that she really wanted to see and they both wanted to get family pictures with Emma. Between celebrating my best friend’s birthday and getting to photograph my beautiful goddaughter, there was no way I could pass it up. Somehow, amazingly enough, we managed to successfully pull off the surprise. It may have been crowded downtown from all of the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but we still had a fantastic time.

Morgan + Tim: Expecting!

Ashleigh — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 03:54:03 +0000

Last summer, days before Emma was born, I was at lunch with Danielle, Rick, Tim, and Morgan. Danielle, who is Tim’s sister, was joking with them saying they should have a baby soon so Emma would have a playmate. I remember Morgan laughing and shaking her head, telling Danielle that she’s really funny. What they hadn’t yet told anyone was that there already was a baby on the way – a baby boy who is now due in just a few short weeks.

Here is the preview from their maternity session at Piedmont Park earlier today.

Morgan and Tim, I’m so very excited for you. You’re going to be fantastic parents, and I can’t wait to meet your baby boy soon!

Kelly + Jeff: Married! Sneak Peek

Ashleigh — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:12:00 +0000

Kelly and Jeff were actually married in Saint Augustine back in November, but we were unfortunately unable to photograph their wedding. So when Kelly emailed me to ask about doing their reception in Douglasville, I was really happy to say that we were available this time. Their reception was this past Saturday and was such a great start to 2013. We were even able to sneak off for a few minutes to grab just a few images of just the two of them, and here is their preview!

I absolutely love this next image. The way Jeff is looking at Kelly is so sweet. And Kelly, you are stunning.

A full post from their reception will be up soon, but I couldn’t resist posting a quick sneak peek. I do hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I have a feeling 2013 is going to be pretty fantastic.

Traditions

Ashleigh — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:00:54 +0000

Every family has their holiday traditions. Growing up, my family’s Thanksgiving traditions were to watch the Macy’s parade, cheer on the Detroit Lions, not be surprised when the Lions inevitably lose, eat a turkey that was really enough for a small army, and call everyone we couldn’t see. My mom always had this dream though. She always wanted all of her children to be together. Given how far away everyone lived and life just getting in the way, it was really only possible a few times. The last time was in 2000. For twelve years, my mom would mention how she really just wanted everyone to be together. This year, it finally happened. The happiness on my mom’s face was immeasurable, and that made absolutely everything worth it. The stress that my brother was going through gave way to showing how proud he was of his son whose football team came just barely lost their championship game the week before. The smile my sister has doesn’t show how much pain she was in from her MS. Things haven’t always been perfect, but in the few hours that we got to spend together, things were exactly how they should be, and that’s something to truly be thankful for.

The Calm Before the Holidays Begin

Ashleigh — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 01:46:03 +0000

The holidays are always a little insane. I’ve started telling Stephen that one year, we’re just going to go hiking in the Alps for the entire holiday season. It might not be the most logical idea I’ve ever had, but I think we can make something work. Before things really get crazy tomorrow and we bounce from one house to another to another, we decided to take some time for ourselves and explore an area of Sandy Springs/Roswell we had never been. Being that it was nearly 70 today and that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, it was a little hard to believe the amount of gorgeous colours that were still in the leaves. I absolutely loved it. I always get a little homesick for Michigan in the fall and seeing the colours as bold as they still were made my autumn loving heart happy.

This will be mine and Stephen’s eighth Thanksgiving together. It’s going to be a hectic couple of weeks between going to see everyone locally and going to Detroit, but I’m really excited. It’s always an adventure, and I’m truly thankful for the calm today brought.

Ashley & Andrew: Marietta Anniversary Session

Ashleigh — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 18:31:54 +0000

…And we’re back! The site was down for a couple of weeks, but it was all worth it. I’m so very excited to launch the new site. It had its delays in getting posted, but I think it all came together right. And what a new site be without a brand new post? Before the break, I posted a preview from Ashley and Andrew’s anniversary session, and I can’t wait to share the rest now. There’s something really neat about photographing couples who are already married. Engagement sessions are during such an exciting time, so those are always fun. But an anniversary/couple session just has a certain knowing comfort about it. Maybe it’s in reminiscing back to that exciting time and only focusing on each other for a little bit. I’m not sure, but I really do enjoy them.

Ashley and Andrew are no strangers to this blog with their engagement session two years ago and their wedding last year. For their anniversary session, we decided to meet up at the Marietta Square. While it may have been a bit warm for the start of fall, it couldn’t have been a more beautiful day, and I’m so thankful for that after the multiple rain delays we had while trying to plan their session. In the end, I’d say it all worked out just fine in a great afternoon with fantastic friends.

Ashley + Andrew: Marietta Square Anniversary Session Sneak Peek

Ashleigh — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:04:25 +0000

Ashley and Andrew’s anniversary session had been in the works for a while, but rain always had other ideas. Thankfully, the weather finally cooperated last week for the first day of fall, and we were able to get together at Marietta Square. I can’t think of a better way to kick off my favourite season than walking around the Square with friends, stopping for cupcakes, and finishing the evening with sushi.

It’s going to be a crazy week, but I’m really excited for some big things that are just around the corner. For now, though, here is the preview from Ashley and Andrew’s (belated) anniversary session.