Samantha Martin Photographer

Jordan's Bridal Session - Fredericksburg VA

2013-10-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to finally share this beautiful bride with you all!! Jordan drive down to Fredericksburg from Norfolk for her bridal session in september, I shot her beautiful wedding in October! She is such a classy, beautiful bride!! Enjoy!! :)

Make up by "Make up by Jumama"

Patricia & James - MARRIED SNEAK PEAK!! [fredericksburg va wedding photographer]

2013-06-25T19:46:00.002-07:00

Patricia & James' wedding was at the Jepson Center at Mary Washington University and i have to say it is by FAR one of my favorite venues i have shot at! Every detail of their big day was beautiful! Here are some of my favorites from that day, a full blog post/gallery share to follow shortly!!

what ive been up to...

2013-05-13T11:26:00.001-07:00

WOW i am so terrible at blogging! My 2013 goal was to blog more - and i am failing at that already! this post will be an update of what i have been up to photography wise, and what my family has been up to personally :) so bear with me as this will be a long post!

PHOTOGRAPHY:

I have been photographing some beautiful couples and mommas to be this year! I cannot wait for the upcoming engagements and weddings i have, as well as a the few second shooter jobs i have this year also. God has blessed me and my business in many ways and i cannot thank him enough <3 here is a quick preview of some of the recent sessions ive shot :)

now onto our personal life - as some of you may know my husband is getting out of the Marine Corps on June 29th! He takes his terminal leave on May 18th, which means his last day EVER in the good ole corps is this FRIDAY!! I cant believe it..We have been through it all these last 8 years of him being in. We have done deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, we have done long training months, field ops, lots of traveling, and one PCS move here to VA! It was been quite the journey and i couldn't think of a better person to go through this adventure with! Now onto a new adventure..He got hired as a assistant supervisor with T.A.C Tiling Co. based in Manassas VA and hopefully will be promoted to Supervisor within the year [fingers crossed] he is so nervous, excited and anxious to work a civilian job. And for me - i got hired on as the children ministry assistant leader at my church, Berea Baptist :) its a wonderful job and God has truly blessed our lives with these awesome opportunities Now for the most important update - my baby boy Owen! The drs are convinced he has Celiacs disease, we will be heading to UVA soon to do more testing to make sure. He is the happiest spunkiest almost 2 year old there is, he fills my life with so much joy and happiness! here is a picture update of Mr. Owen Ray :) enjoy!!

Thanks for reading!

2013-01-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

Evelyn & Frank Jett have that once in a lifetime love, the love that young married couples, like myself, always dream of. They have been married for 64 years! That is amazing <3 Frank is 90 years old, and Evelyn is 88, but their spirits are of someone in their early 20s! They were so nice to welcome me into their home, which Frank built for his family in the early 60s. They have 4 children, 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchilden [ with 2 on the way making 12 greats! ] They are such a great example to all those young souls growing up near them. I can tell they bring smiles to lots of faces when they are around. Just listening to them talking and telling their stories, showing me their pictures, and witnessing the history of them and their family was something I will never forget. Sarah, their grand daughter, asked me to come into their home and just capture them as they are. Every day for breakfast lunch and dinner they sit at their table together, & everyday they sit in their recliners together & read their bibles. Above their couch is an image of Evelyns parents that the local news paper took and did an article on them, about how they are just a simple farm family living the life, It was important that we try to recreate that image for them, I hope that they can cherish these images ive captured for them, and I hope their grandchildren can look at these images years from now and show them to THEIR children and tell the great stories of these 2 amazing people in an amazing love!!

PS please click on the image to see a crystal clear photo - they are a bit compressed in my blog :) thanks and enjoy!

The house that Jett built

couldnt decide if i liked it in color or b&w so here is both!

Herb Family Stafford VA Lifestyle Photographer

2012-12-20T13:00:00.001-08:00

On saturday i spent my afternoon with a great and adorable family. Crystal and Barry have 2 gorgeous girls, and i loved spending time in their home with them capturing their lives together! I hope these are images they will always cherish <3

PS - i apologize if these are all mixed up, my blog is being funny and wont let me re-arrange!!

Sarah & Jim - Leesburg VA Wedding Photographer

2012-10-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

I met up with Brenda from Brenda Murphy Photography and together we shot this gorgeous wedding at Rose Hill Manor in Leesburg. This mansion was GORGEOUS! I mean chandieliers everywhere, beautiful tall ceilings and the grounds were amazing. A photographers dream!! Sarah was gorgeous and Jim looked so handsome! i loved their colors and their choice of flowers! I hope you enjoy this beautiful southern wedding as much as i enjoyed shooting it!

Family Farm Session - Fredericksburg VA family photographer

2012-10-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

I met the Baril family at Sneads farm for some fun fall themed photos! This family was so much fun to photograph, they were naturals in front of the camera, and both girls loved the attention they were getting! Sneads is such a fun family oriented place and perfect for fall themed pictures! enjoy this beautiful family as i know i did!

"no sissy dont pick the flowers!"

WINNER OF TOMS GIVEAWAY!

2012-10-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

HEY YALL!!

im so excited to announce the winner!!

and the winner is ......................

ALICIA Q. !!!

the winner has 24 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be randomly selected via random.org! thanks everyone for participating!!!

Fun Family Farm Session Peak! - Fredericksburg VA

2012-10-11T17:52:00.003-07:00

heres a quick peak at the Baril Family session i did today over at Sneads farm! this family is sooo cute and lots of fun to hang out with! Real blog post coming within the week! :D

Casey Wedding - Stafford VA wedding photographer

2012-10-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

I first met Ashley & Danny last year when i shot their family photos. They have 2 adorable little boys and have been together 6 years! I was so excited to work with this family again and shoot their beautiful wedding! Her dad remodeled an old truck [im not good with cars so i cant remember the year lol] but it was gorgeous and the perfect wedding getaway car! The weather was amazing, the air was cool, the mood was happy! It truly was the PERFECT wedding day! Their vows were so cute and had me cracking up, the love these 2 share is sincere and amazing! They got married at the Marine Corps Museum Chapel and had the reception at the Augustine Golf club! Ashley is so creative and totally made this a DIY wedding! it was adorable! i hope you enjoy their wedding day as much as i did!

my 2nd for the day - Wendy, took this one of the guys!

thanks wendy for this shot!

aww seeing his bride :)

yes - this really happened!! LOL

Venues : Marine Corps Museum Chapel & Augustine Golf Club

Food : Augustine Golf Club

Cake : Sweet Reasons of Stafford va

2nd Shooter : Wendy Wooten of One Sweet Love Photography

Floral : Anthomanic of Stafford

Then & Now...a look into my photography past!

2012-09-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

So today i feel like showing you how far I've come in my photography journey. I picked up my first DSLR camera back in 2007, I did my research, I followed photographers I looked up too, I read my manuals, i even bought a "for dummies" book and read the whole thing! and i STILL look back now saying to myself "what was i thinking?!" Its always fun to do these comparisons and see how far you've come as a photographer. My first dslr was a little canon rebel 450D. i recently JUST sold it because i was having attachment issues letting it go - it was doing no good sitting in my bag never even being loved on for sooo long! and im honored it can be another photographers starter and learning camera! I really hope it brings them as much joy as it brought me :) when i upgraded to the Canon 7D..i was in love! That baby was bad! i LOVE my 7D and i feel like it will always carry a little piece of my heart LOL! Eventually i outgrew the 7D, i felt like it just wasnt enough for me, almost like i didnt want to shoot with it anymore! So i upgraded to the Canon 5D Mark III and man oh man -- this baby is amazing! i feel like i died and went to photographers heaven! This is the camera i have been waiting for my whole life! anyways - enough rambling..here are a few then/now photos :) PLEASE dont laugh! LOL oh and most are these are from my FIRST paid wedding! i love looking back at how much i grew, how much my posing has improved, how much my style has improved. i just improved, ok yall! sorry for the overload! haha

2007 couples photo

2012 couples photo

2007 baby shoot

2012 baby shoot :) [thats my gorgeous boy!]

2007 bride & groom [ my first paid wedding EVER!]

2012 bride and groom

2007 ring shot

2012 ring shot

2007 bride getting ready

2012 bride getting ready

2007 bridal party..selective color - you know your guilty!!

2012 bridal party

2007 bridal portrait

2012 bridal portrait

2007 bride and groom

2012 bride and groom

J&R wedding - maryland wedding photographer

2012-09-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful privilege of meeting katie nesbitt from katie nesbitt photography and shooting with amazing farm/barn themed wedding with her! This place was GORGEOUS especially at sunset! It was at the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood, MD. i want to shoot here everyday! The bride did EVERYTHING for this wedding! She is truly talented in the craft department - unlike me.. :) Congrats to the beautiful couple and thanks again katie ;) BTW - if you haven't noticed i am obsessed with her floral arrangements! she is good!

awww watching his bride :)

story behind this - his vows were HILARIOUS! everyone was cracking up!

whats better than the first kiss?! the moment right before..magical!

oh and how hilarious is this cake? LOL

2012-09-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Good wednesday! i took some pictures of my sweet little owen today - and i just wanted to share them with you! this is what it looks like in my house on a typical morning :) wakes up, watches some morning cartoons, eats breakfast, then plays til lunch, then passes out til 4pm! :) I am also trying a new editing style that i think i LOVE <3 <3 i hope my wonderful clients love it too! PS - my walls arent THAT yellow ;)

couldn decide which i liked more :)

Pretty Paisley Lifestyle - fredericksburg VA photographer

2012-09-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

I love this little family, and their sweet little Paisley. She was probably the easiest baby ive ever had the pleasure of photographing! she slept the WHOLE time, and if she wasnt sleeping she was eating :) these are some of my favorites from her session <3 enjoy!

WIN A FREE PAIR OF TOMS!

2012-09-23T11:21:00.002-07:00

I am giving away a free pair of Toms canvas shoes! This is a great company because they give a free pair of shoes to a person in need everytime you buy a pair! They are cute, fashionable and comfortable! Do you or someone you know want to own a new pair of Toms AND give a pair to someone in need? Then this contest is for YOU!!

To view the website and color choices please click this link :)

Toms website

Thank you so much for supporting Samantha Martin Photographer and participating in this giveaway! It will end on Oct. 13th 2012! To enter the contest please complete these tasks and spread the word! The more tasks you complete the more entries you recieve, the more the merrier :)) you can enter once per day!

(( ** if you share this post on your wall please tag my business page and make sure the post is public - if you do not it will not count as i cannot see it :) ))

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** giveaway hosted by samantha martin photographer and is in no way afflicated with TOMs. maximum giveaway worth $55.00 with free shipping.

please note ** i WILL be checking each entry to make sure they followed the directions - so please make it fair and make my job easier by following the directions on the rafflecopter! **

Downey family -fredericksburg VA photographer

2012-09-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

This family was a BLAST! They seriously had me cracking up the whole time! Cheryl, Michael & Joseph were so fun to photograph! You could tell they are a close, loving family. And they really love sports! They all three are fans of different base ball teams so it was fun to watch them poke fun at eachother ;) here are a few of my favorites! i hope you enjoy the Downey family as much as i did :) OH and they have 2 ADORABLE dogs! i love when families bring their furbabies!

&& i loved this one in b&w and color :)

ITS HERE! Christmas MINIS!!

2012-09-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Hello all!!

Im FINALLY announcing my Christmas minis! im SO excited for these minis as i have been planning them since LAST Christmas!! Here are some photos to hint at what we are planning :))
**note - these images are not mine, they were found on...guess?? PINTEREST!**

well have a little bit of this...

and ALOT of this!! and that is cozy, cuddly, pajama christmas themed photoshoots! i will capture you and your family enjoying some good old fashioned hot cocoa, marshmallows, getting cozy with a christmas book and blankeys :) yes, i still say blankeys!

here is the info if you are interested! :)

Price : $150.00

Dates : November 3rd & 4th

Location : We will discuss :)

Details : each shoot is 30 minutes long, you will recieve 10-15 images on a high resolution disc with a print release. pajamas are REQUIRED! ;))) no seriously though, wear some cute ones!!

i will have 6 slots available. please email samanthamartinphotos@yahoo.com or visit www.samanthamartinphotographer.com to contact me about booking! thanks yall :)

Bell family - fredericksburg va photographer

2012-08-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is such a cute family! Anne first contacted me about a photoshoot for her family a couple months ago, i LOVE shooting families! When my mom got sick i had to keep rescheduling our shoot but Anne was so sweet about it - she truly is a great person! hope you enjoy :)

thanks for looking! click on the image to make it full size!:)

Gurley Maternity - Swansboro NC Photographer

2012-08-10T11:05:00.001-07:00

I go way back with Ashley! We went to church together and I photographer their first family photos, their wedding, and now that they are expecting a little girl [named Paisley!!] I was so happy when she asked me to photograph her little belly too! We walked around downtown Swansboro in Nc and saw some super cute places to shoot! I grew up in Swansboro and I love it there! I would move back in a heartbeat, after you see how pretty it is, you'll wanna move there too! :) enjoy! FYI -- click on the photo to make it BIGGER and CLEARER! :)

Kamden! - FREDERICKSBURG FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-05-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting Kamden, his mom Kristen and his nana Patty. I used to nanny for kamden in 2010/2011, i love this family so much! They have an amazing bond and kamden is a great kiddo! last year, kamdens father passed away from cancer - it was a horrible and sad time for everyone but kamden was strong and his mom and nana are amazing and they support eachother and are there for eachother like ive never seen before! Im honored to know this family and be apart of their lives :)

TATIANA & MICHAEL - MANASSAS PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-05-05T07:37:00.001-07:00

Tatiana is a photographer at little bubbles photography, she is a childrens photographer in the bristow area - she is soo sweet and she took my family photos last year! i loved shooting her and her hubby for their anniversary [congrats yall!] :)) they are so cute and FUN! we got some awesome shots -- and COVERED in ticks - ew! but for that beautiful location....ya gotta do what ya gotta do! LOL here are a few of my favs :) enjoy!

D-family fredericksburg va

2012-04-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

i had the privilege to shoot a adorable family last weekend! The Dorado family were such a joy to shoot -- "terrible 3's" and all! LOL. they have 2 beautiful girls - one is the same age as my son and i could not believe how small she was compared to my big chunky monster baby!! Thank you for letting me photograph your beautiful family!

TO ALL THE MAMAS :)

2012-04-23T08:37:00.001-07:00

mothers day is coming up and this is my FIRST one! so i want to do something special for the mamas out there! im having themed mini shoots for you and your littles on friday may 5th! i only have 4 slots available so please message me as soon as possible! here is the details!

WHERE : FREDERICKSBURG - i will message location

WHEN : MAY 4th 2012

WHAT YOU RECEIVE : A DISC WITH 10 +/- IMAGES

THEME : picture a field...a bed...white sheets..ARE YOU EXCITED?! :)

WHAT TO WEAR : something flowy :)) lol
COST : 100.00

little jaelynn

2012-04-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

last year i shot the most adorable baby girl and her family, well she isnt a baby anymore! she is 18 months of pure beauty and happiness! the last time i shot her she was only 6 months old and had just met her daddy for the first time :) and you can tell she is a total daddys girl too! she is so sweet and friendly -- i even toted her around during the shoot LOL. here are some of her photos -- enjoy!

YacobWedding - 2nd shooter

2012-04-19T14:58:00.001-07:00

I had the amazing opportunity and experience to photography a beautiful couple with a very talented photographer, Marirosa, the bride was GORGEOUS. She was half korean and half african american, i mean her dress was WOW! Not only did she had an amazing wedding dress -- she had 2 more dress changes during the reception!! David is a very lucky marine :) The wedding was held at the Marine Corps Museum Chapel and the reception was INSIDE the museum! how awesome is that?! ill stop talking about how awesome it was and ill just show you :) enjoy the photos!

hope you enjoyed them! happy thursday yall :)