Valerie Demo

Mr. and Mrs. Reyes {virginia beach wedding photographers.}

admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:34:49 +0000

I’ve known Whitney for entirely too long. I sat down to add it up… and if I have it correct… we’ve known each other for almost 20 years and have been friends for 17 of those years. We met in elementary school here in Virginia Beach and were in the same class in fifth grade. Who knew by the time high school rolled around we’d be kicking butt in student government, obsessing over Chris Carrabba, and spending entirely too long in the halls of Cox High School together? Needless to say, I was so happy for my long time BFF when she announced she and Jon were going to be getting married! Jon is the perfect counter balance to Whit… AND he even talked her into going to a few shows at the NorVa I would have never been able to drag her to. (Good man.)
Their wedding was held in October here in Virginia Beach… and was filled with love and laughter and a whole lot of pumpkins.

Big, huge thanks to Sarah and Tyler for second shooting and to Whit and Jon for having us there that day!

Mr. and Mrs. Miller {Museum of Contemporary Art Wedding.}

admin — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:29:42 +0000

“workin’ on a wedding, going up up up…”
(Sorry guys, I couldn’t help myself.)

I met Jake through serving on Virginia Beach Leadership Workshop Staff… which Leslie is also a part of… along with a good chunk of people at their wedding. I’m not even going to attempt to explain it… it wouldn’t make sense unless you know. Long story short… they’re a couple of awesome kids who spent a lot of time involved in extra-curricular activities, went to awesome colleges, served on VBLW during the summers, and grew up and became awesome teachers here in Virginia Beach.
Somewhere in there, after Jake convinced Leslie to come back to Virginia Beach to teach, they fell in love. awwww.

When we met for a meeting about their wedding… they said they didn’t want posey photos… and that they wanted a lot of moments captured. I did my best to keep that in mind during their wedding at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach in October… It was a ton of fun, and I think Sarah and I managed to do what they asked.
Thank you guys for letting us be a part of your big day! (P.S. If you look hard, I may or may not pop up in one of the photos. Sidenote: I shouldn’t point that out… I look like I’ve been working all day in it.)

Ceremony and Reception Location: Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach
Florist: Amy Watson
DJ: Ron Shaneyfelt
Music: Jeff Phelps
Wedding Dress: Silk Bridal
Catering: East Beach Catering
Cake: Carrie’s Cakes
Signage/Art: The amazing Terre Ittner

mr. and mrs. cameron. part two. {virginia wedding photographers. the water table.}

admin — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 21:26:39 +0000

Before I even say anything else… big, giant thanks and hugs to Sarah Lee Williams and Tyler Adams for shooting with me. I love that our photos all flow together so nicely.

Part two… (here is part one if you missed it)… I could have posted an entire blog post of funny dancing photos. Those of you who get to see the full gallery are in for some laughs.
The Water Table is a gorgeous venue (like always) and East Beach Catering knocked it out the park. The food was delicious. I would have just sat on the floor in the corner where we were hiding and had seconds if I didn’t have to do that whole working thing.

Thanks to Jenna and Johnny for trusting me with their wedding. Have so so much fun in Australia! (They just left for a visit/honeymoon/trip of awesomeness!)

mr. and mrs. cameron. part one. {virginia wedding photographer.}

admin — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 05:19:49 +0000

Jenna and Johnny met when he asked her if they were standing in the tall people section at a concert at the NorVa.
(See, awesome pick up lines do work, sometimes.)
They’re fun, they’re ridiculously good looking, and their wedding was gorgeous… (and, obviously, they’re tall.)
Their wedding was such an awesome celebration of family and friends and happiness… a lot of people came in from Australia (where Johnny is from) just to celebrate with them… so we worked our butts off trying to make sure we really captured their day. (I think we did a pretty good job.)

They were married in September in Virginia Beach at Nimmo United Methodist (which is just one of the cutest, old churches in Virginia Beach) and followed it up with a reception at the Water Table (which will come in another blog post soon). We got to hang out at the Salon I get my hair done at, Wink on Laskin Road, and Sarah got to hang out with the guys all over the place (including a bar… the guys always have more fun)…

Big huge thanks to Sarah and Tyler for shooting along side of me…
Make sure to come back for part two soon!

I’m startin’ off my breakfast with a can of PBR…

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 23:00:57 +0000

I have friends.
Sometimes I get to see them.
Sometimes I make it to shows to see them.

Johnny Trash & The Scoundrels are some of them.

Support Local Music and donate to their kickstarter fund by going here…
even a dollar is good. (And, hey, for a dollar you get a digital download of two songs… deal of the century.)

So, Is there such a thing as an east coast wedding photographer? Amazing wedding locations on the East Coast. {fun.stuff.friday}

admin — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:45:35 +0000

New York City Wedding Photographer. Boston Wedding Photographer. Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer. Savannah Wedding Photographer. Charleston Wedding Photographer. Richmond Wedding Photographer.
East Coast Wedding Photographer?
Sounds good to me.
Basically, if I had a choice, I’d kill to be able to photograph weddings in all of the major cities up and down the east coast… the West Coast, too… but let’s take this one step at a time. I’d love to find awesome, industrial-chic locations and tattooed-brides (but who wouldn’t???)… but looking over wedding blogs everyday I see locations that make me drool. Some people drool over chocolate, coach, and vera bradley… I drool over awesome weddings. True story.

When people always speak of destination weddings, they speak of Jamaica, and the Bahamas, and Mexico (don’t worry… you don’t have to ask me twice to go to any of those places)… but for those looking for something different than what your city has to offer, there are tons, and tons, of drool-worthy locations up and down the east coast that don’t require a passport for your guests.

Since I just posted my photography bucketlist, I figured for this fun.stuff.friday, I would post a list of ten locations I would literally give up something to shoot at… If someone told me, give me your pinkie toe and you’re never allowed to drink starbucks again… I would ask where the dotted line was… because maybe some of you are awesome wedding Junkies like I am.

You’re warned. These places are awesome.

1. The Foundry in New York City
This would pretty much be the be-all, end-all. I might die immediately afterwards.
Old brick, glass ceiling, archways, a greenhouse??? Be still my heart. In my dream-life, I would get married here, and then buy it and live in it… and it would be glorious.
I would literally faint upon receiving an email with this as the venue.
LOVEEEEEEE.

2. Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia
This one has sort of become an obsession of mine because I LOVE downtown Richmond… and for whatever reason it is, the wedding gods have yet to bless me with a wedding in Richmond at all. I’ve shot ALL over Virginia… but somehow I have missed shooting a Richmond wedding. This place is awesome, however… and I have literally (for real… no lie) had a dream about shoot a wedding here. I HAVE DREAMED ABOUT IT. (I told you I am wedding-obsessed.)

3. King’s Plow Art Center in Atlanta, Georgia
I have had a crush on this place since I saw it on Style Me Pretty. Old awesome factory turned arts center… that houses a Paul Mitchell school, a law firm solely for the arts, an art gallery, a coffee house, and many other things AND plays double duty as a kickass wedding venue. I’ll take it.

4. Terrain in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Awesome store by day… Awesome wedding venue at night. Rustic and Quirky and Amazing all at the same time. I stumbled upon it thanks to this awesome wedding on Green Wedding Shoes… and have been waiting to see more weddings pop up since then. (The fact that Our Labor of Love photographed it didn’t hurt, either.)

5. Shade Trees and Evergreens in Frederick, Maryland
As it just happens I ran across ANOTHER Our Labor of Love-photographed wedding on Green Wedding Shoes.
This location is equally as fun and unique. There is an awesome greenhouse-roofed structure to throw your party under and a TON of locations to pick from for your photos and ceremony sites. I basically am just a sucker for the greenhouse roof. It’s pretty awesome.

6. Soho House in New York City
An old warehouse building in the Meatpacking District… do I need to say more?

7. ANYWHERE in Fell’s Point in Baltimore
Sarah and I recently went to Baltimore. I fell in love… and came home to google weddings in Fell’s Point. I would DIE to shoot a wedding here. D-I-E.
(Here is one I found on Theresa Choi’s blog. Glorious.)

8. Wineries… All of them. In general.
Keswick is gorgeous. CrossKeys is amazing.
Hanover Park has an amazing restored building called “The Studio” that is to die for on top of being a vineyard setting.
Linganore has an amazing high ceiling hall available that is amazing.
Mainly because I’m a sucker for outdoor weddings… and lines… and shooting through things.
They pretty much make my heart pitter-patter.

9. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina.
Spanish Moss. Outdoors. A giant-tree lined road. A carriage house… and a lawn… and a conservatory… and a pavillion… and a veranda. More options that I can even wrap my mind around… each of which is amazing… and its up to your choosing.
Sigh.
Glorious.

10. Small weddings in cute restaurants.
Sounds simple enough, right? I want a cute little wedding in a tiny restaurant made out of an old row house or with stringed lights across a patio…

There are so many options.
You don’t have to settle for a hotel ballroom.
Why not have your dream wedding… it could only be a small car trip away?!?
Destination weddings don’t have to be huge. And out of country.
They can be perfectly you.
Its all in making sure your wedding is exactly what you want. Do a little research… you never know what gem you can find in the next state over!

AND because this IS a fun.stuff.friday post…
Here is a little diddy to make your foot tap today!
Yes, I kind of, sort of, really like Lucero… if you haven’t got the hint yet.

Mr. and Mrs. Signorino {Virginia Modern Wedding Photographers. Lesner Inn Wedding.}

admin — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:05:57 +0000

I’ve decided I’ve dubbed 2012 the “year I knew my brides”.
Ashley and I went to school together from middle school on through high school.
I could totally scan yearbooks… but I won’t… because frankly, who wants evidence of middle school on the interwebs.
To top it off, her mom was at one point my gym teacher… and there was a year we were in dance class together… which included horrible, horrible outfits. (I will not be sharing photos from that, either… it would be damaging to my reputation as a bad ass. <--- sarcasm. clearly, I am not.)

Other things I've decided:
1. It's nice photographing people you know... even if its been years since you've seen them. There is no awkward getting to know you phase.
2. The Lesner Inn is still one of my favorite venues... thanks to its proximity of my favorite beach location in Virginia Beach and the docks I like shooting at. And its gorgeous... and lacks crazy carpeting, which is always a plus.
3. Ashley and Joe are a really great couple. They're both funny. And fun. And I imagine their life will be full of laughter.
4. Trolls make for awesome ring shots.

Big thanks (as always) to Sarah Lee Williams for shooting along side of me and taking many of the images below. <3.

mr. and mrs. minnicks. part two. {front porch farms wedding photographer.}

admin — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 02:58:47 +0000

I have a really creepy love for type and fonts. Typography was my favorite class in college. Someone once got me a mouse pad that said “typophile”… because it is a true statement.
Tony and Kate’s wedding theme… “Just My Type”.
Sigh.
Thank YOU Wedding Gods.

Add that to the fact there are long farm tables, what may have been the best food I’ve ever eaten at a wedding (I want the squash recipe… like yesterday), sky lanterns,a killer middle school/ high school reminiscent play list and a bunch of people with sweet dance moves… and it makes for a reception equally as awesome as the ceremony.

Venue- Front Porch Farms
Brides/Bridesmaids Dresses- BHLDN
Catering-Beyond Details Catering
Floral- DIY
Wedding Coordination- Decadent Details Events

Big HUGE giant massive thank yous to Sarah Lee Williams and Chelsea LaVere for being some of the best photog friends a gal could ask for. Weddings are a blast to shoot… when really great, talented friends are by your side… they’re even better!

Also… for funsies, here are a few photos of Kate and Jennifer (who will hopefully make her wedding debut here next year as well!) and I when we were youngins’… oh, and of course our close personal friend Matt. We’re totally on a first name basis. He told me I was rad once. Point being, I love shooting my friends’ weddings. Thank you to Kate and Tony and their families for allowing us to be a part of their day.

mr. and mrs. minnicks. part one. {nashville wedding photographers.}

admin — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 04:18:15 +0000

I’m not even sure where to begin with Kate and Tony’s Front Porch Farms Wedding in Nashville. DIY as far as the eye could see. Dresses from BHLDN. MUSTARD and stripes and a military uniform and sky lanterns and typography and paper flowers…
Oh, and being able to watch a really amazing friend tie the knot to her fella after making it through deployments and a constant long distance relationship.

And the rain…
The rain we’re not really allowed to talk about. The rain that caused crazy skies all day… and poured and then drizzled and almost caused the cathedral window ceremony backdrop to be put away (p.s. You can add wedding alter negotiator to my resume now)… the rain that drove Kate insane… until she saw Tony during their first look.
And in that exact moment the stress and the angst and the worry went away. And that is exactly what the person you should marry is supposed to do for you. Tony sang Kate a few lines of “Here comes the sun” and there were laughs and smiles and it felt like the day was exactly as it was supposed to be.
The rain came on and off all day… just enough to need some umbrellas during the ceremony and to make for some awesome photos… and then they said I do… and kissed and walked down the aisle… and it never rained again. The storms that were supposed to come later never came. And the skies cleared. And the reception went off without a hitch. Sky lanterns were lit and flew into the sky at the end of the night… and it was by far one of my favorite weddings I have ever photographed.

I could not even begin to lower down the images enough to fit it in to one blog post. I barely had a cut off for this one… SO you get two. Two blog posts packed full to the brim.
Come back tomorrow.
It’ll be worth it.

BIG HUGE THANKS to Sarah and Chelsea for coming with me and making my job even easier and more fun. <3.
Be sure to come back for the second installment where I’ll give credit where credit is due to all of the vendors. <3.

there is a first time for everything… flashmob style.

admin — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:09:07 +0000

We landed in Nashville excited to shoot a wedding.
We checked into our hotel room… took our shoes off… debated what to do for the night (since we had it free).

Knock, knock, knock.

“Here is the paper about the flashmob. See you there.”

So, we went to a flashmob… where wedding guests surprised Kate and Tony in a small (cute) grocery store in downtown Nashville before the rehearsal.
They sang “Going to the Chapel”.
We took photos.

Thanks to these crazies for having fun with me in Nashville. (Sarah Lee Williams and Chelsea LaVere.)

P.S. You can check out the video here… I took one, but it makes me seasick… so I’ll show you this one instead!

An Awesome Nashville Wedding Photography Sneak Peek. {Nashville Wedding Photographers. Front Porch Farms.}

admin — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 07:56:04 +0000

Oh, Front Porch Farms Wedding (and Nashville Weddings in general), how I love thee.
You’ll hear more about it on the full blog post… so I’m not going to blabber on… but Kate and Tony knocked it out of the park. (There is no way they weren’t going to.)

If it wasn’t completely mean, I don’t think I’d even dole out a sneak peek on this one… I don’t want to give anything away before the big giant blog post and before you see all of your images… so this is all you get. (I guess maybe I should do an evil laugh or something.)

For those of you who weren’t there… Reasons it was awesome:
Crazy, steamy misty mountains… I could totally get behind this being my backdrop all the time. Who can I contact in the Navy to arrange for Chris to be stationed in Nashville?

But… mostly… because two awesome people got married:

And, frankly, because this happened… sky lanterns for the awesome wedding win.

Congrats again, Kate and Tony… I can’t wait to tackle all of these images. They’re pretty much amazing. I couldn’t even bring myself to put my favorites as the sneak peek. Let’s just say you’re in for some awesome wedding photos. <3.

Welcome Home USS Lincoln! {Military Homecoming Photographers.}

admin — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:33:02 +0000

Shane is a pilot. Kelly is his girlfriend. Together… basically they are adorable.
He deployed on the USS Lincoln with orders that didn’t involve flying.
Kelly said she thought he would be the most excited about coming home and flying again…
I’m pretty sure by the way he came running out of the crowd and left his luggage laying behind him, he was more excited for her.

Welcome (to you new) Home to the crew of the USS Lincoln and to my awesome couple.

Welcome Home Blue Blasters! {Military Homecoming Photography.}

admin — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 04:16:57 +0000

I rarely take on families.
Even for homecomings… normally its couples.
Mainly, because there are a ton of other photographers out there that shoot family sessions AND shoot homecomings… since I shoot MOSTLY couples (besides honest portraiture), I generally pass the families onto another photographer.
This time was a little different.
Not only is this cute little fam clients of my good friend Christene who was already booked for this homecoming… there was a brand new addition who hadn’t got to meet his Dad. How can you say no to that? Add in the fact this squadron was coming off of back-to-back deployments… and this deployment had been extended, it was a sealed deal.

I also had a mini-trial run with being a paparazzi… I think every news station and area photojournalist was aiming to get them on camera and take their photo… and it was approximately 841 degrees in the sun… and bright, bright, bright. It was a little bit of a battle-royal… but I think I came out on top.

Welcome Home to the Blue Blasters of VFA-34 and congrats to my little family on finally being reunited!!!

sometimes when there is a random field growing on the side of a busy road, you find someone to shoot there…

admin — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 03:43:56 +0000

… its even better when its a friend.
times two.
And its the best when you’re doing it for no other reason than for fun.

So I had spied this patch of overgrown amazingness and had lusted over shooting someone there… knowing as soon as I actually scheduled a session, I’d show up and it would all be cut down. I drove by day after day looking at the sun shine through it… and finally enlisted the help of Latanya. Low and behold, the day we show up to shoot… and I’m finally going to do it… the sky decides it would rather serve up a huge helping of nasty storm clouds. The sun peeked through a few times… and we would run to the sun spots just for them to go away… The feeling wound up being all moody and LaTanya pulled it off well… even though her personality is much, much more of the laughing photos that I really love. <3.

Ok, so I mostly shot Latanya of Kiyomi Photography (with my camera) but Terri Fuller managed to slip into some of the photos since she came along to frolic on the side of a busy road in over-grown plant goodness… and then I tried to get her to take a real photo.
I told her this one was going on the blog.
I am a woman of my word.

the backseat…

admin — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:41:23 +0000

… sometimes I take it.
And I like it.

I second shot this Virginia Beach wedding for Chelsea from Bit of Ivory Photography twice this year… but I only have the photos from one of the weddings to show off. (Oops.) I never even had a chance to look through the other wedding before I needed the cards for other reasons… so I would have shown them off both here… but alas… you get one. The upside… this one was gorgeous… has florals from my favorite florists… so many details I could have spent all day taking photos of just the plates and flowers and vases and on and on… and like all of Chelsea’s weddings… I wound up with a connection and saw an old friend. (Hi Brenner… which should actually be spelled Brynner to make sense. He and his now wifey make an appearence in the photos below in the dancing section!)

Here are a few of my favorite images of the day… I could have posted a whole Valerie-sized blog post on this one… but you can check out Chelsea’s blog for more of the day.

because life is short… and this list is oh-so-very-very long. {virginia modern wedding photographers.}

admin — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 02:50:30 +0000

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. -T. E. Lawrence

Life has a funny way of pushing you.
Mostly for the better.

If you would have asked me as I was entering my Senior year of high school ten years ago where I would be right now …
A married to a Navy fella, mom-of-two, wedding photographer living in Virginia Beach would not have been answer.
It would have been a layout/for-print graphic designer living in New York and thinking about getting married at some point… maybe… soon. There would be kids… eventually. Graphic Design… and New York.
That was the golden ticket… the end result… the be-all, end-all.

And then there was Maddie and Chris and Jake and happiness and photography and laughter and weddings and the navy and websites and cameras and life.
And dreams change.
And grow.
And the what-ifs are not in regret but instead in what-could-be form.

One booming, successful business later and a sweet-family I wouldn’t trade for the world and there is a list of dreams… a list of things I would like to do instead of the single, lofty dream of my adolescent years. A list that is attainable and doable and remarkable. A list that gives me hope… and excites me to no end. A list I get giddy thinking about… and the chance to cross items off basically produces squeals. (And those who know me well… know that does not happen with much ease. Valerie + squealing = not a common thing. Valerie + sarcastic humor = common.)

A Bucket List… of the photography and work type.
I guess that is what you can call it.
So here it is… My list of the top 25 things I hope to accomplish someday. Hold me to them.
Better yet, help me accomplish them.

1. Scoop up a job as a photojournalist. Cover (insert something here) for (enter publication/business/organization here). I’m pretty sure that would actually be my dream come true.
2. Shoot a wedding in Ireland.
3. Shoot a session in New York City.
4. Get published. In print. Nationally. On purpose.
5. Become more of a “wedding photographer”…and less of a “virginia beach wedding photographer”.
6. Actually have enough lady balls to shoot a wedding exactly like I want. Rinse. Repeat.
7. Make Honest Portraiture successful.
8. Shoot anything in Portland.
9. Have an office. Outside of my house.
10. Get paid to shoot live bands.
11. Be awesome. Believe it for real… not just in a fake, sarcastic way.
12. Have an office manager. Let them deal with the business side of things.
13. Earn the respect of the people I respect.
14. Get to a point I can be picky enough that I can shoot only the things I really want to.
15. Finish out the swoon-worthy gear list of amazingness I almost have completed.
16. That list of sessions you want to shoot… shoot all 27 of them.
17. Shoot a wedding in Vegas.
18. That secret list of locations that would be awesome for photo shoots… yeah, check them off. {one.by.one}
19. Photograph a birth.
20. Photograph a baby coming home.
21. Photograph a proposal.
22. Shoot something entirely in black and white.
23. Follow someone around for an entire day… document their life.
24. Shoot a wedding in New Orleans. Or a session. Or both.
25. Documentarian. Is that a word? Become what that means. No cheese. No poses. No lighting. No fluff. Just moments… just as they happen.

because its FUN.stuff.friday… and these are fun. {fun.stuff.friday}

admin — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:26:32 +0000

These are my favorite business-blog appropriate someecards… ha ha. I always feel like they stalk me and know what I’m thinking.
true story.
What is your favorite?
Happy Friday!

“Maybe, You have to just be the aarow…” {honest portraiture.}

admin — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 05:53:27 +0000

So, ya know, because my post over at the Hampton Roads Creative wasn’t enough for today… apparently, I felt the need to write the sequel.
All on the same day.
(Yes. I over-share. It’s sort of my thing.)

This is a blog post that has been coming for a very long time.
And, in all honestly, it is pretty much the sequel to what I was saying over at the HRC. It seems a little like fate that they are publishing on the same day in all actuality. Tonight, when I just decided to stop being scared and sit down and write this post (it is 1:00 am right now on the day this will post), I actually got back up… thinking I should hold off.
Two blog posts in one day.
Both full of (almost) nothing besides my rambling.
Good rambling… but rambling.
And then I smiled…
I realized how perfect it is that I’m encouraging people to say no to what they don’t want… and all at the same time, I’m making it public that I am saying YES to everything I want.

I have said NO. I have come to a point in my career where I am shooting ONLY what I love and nothing more. I don’t dread sessions. I don’t get burnt out thinking about the things I don’t like anymore.
And it… is… awesome.
I will post time and time again that homecomings and wedding moments are my very favorite things to shoot.
It is completely raw emotion that I get to turn into a nicely composed photograph. My job is to find the angles, and the light, and to capture the moments as they happen.

I have found myself doing this in my own home.
I don’t remember the last time I legitimately sat my kids down and asked them to smile.
I happen to like these photos better…

I love shooting moments.
Any moment is fine…
My son’s first cinnamon roll (hooray Fresh Market for having dairy-free, soy-free ready-to-bake deliciousness)…
my daughter scribbling away in her coloring books.
That is how I want to remember them… the moments of when they were kids.

And I feel like there has to be an audience out there that wants that as well.
I know it can translate to sessions… to families… and couples… and just portraits in general.
I tried a few years ago to offer “lifestyle” sessions…
I don’t know if the idea wasn’t as prominent… or people didn’t want it… or maybe they just weren’t quite sure what that meant.
I tried… and I did not get a single bite.
Not a single headshot portrait session, or birth coverage inquiry, or just family moments when baby first arrives home… Nada. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.

When I sat down to make out my list of where I wanted my business to be in five years a few months ago, I kept thinking back to the idea…

I desperately wish I could have had beautiful, creative photos of when my children were being born, and babies at home. Or of just me and my husband enjoying fancy beer at our favorite bar.
Or of just me in general.
I wanted just really honest portraits.

So, as I was talking through some business things with a good friend… I brought up the idea.
Pouting a little bit that I wasn’t sure I could ever make it happen.
And then he said something…
“Maybe, you just have to be the arrow and point them in the direction. If I know you, it will be great- and people will want it. You just have to show them they want it.”

And with that I decided it was going to happen.
I’m going to shoot portraits… but my way. I can shoot births, and families, and couples, and headshots, and seniors, and bands, and businesses, and events, and jellybeans for all I care… but only if I can shoot them my way.
And a new “side” of my business was born.
And a logo was developed and a moniker was coined…
And now it’s (gulp) announced to the public.

Valerie Demo: Honest Portraiture

I have a bunch of things lined up already and will be sharing them on the blog slowly but surely over the next few months.
There is going to be extra love added to the website… and possibly a new blog. I haven’t decided on that part yet. New marketing materials… new editing every now and then. This will be my chance to do all of the artsy fun things I don’t always get to do at and with my weddings.

I can say NO and follow it up with a YES.
I just hope a few of you will say YES, too.
Fingers crossed. Here goes nothing…

mr. and mrs. withers {virginia beach creative wedding photographer. old cavalier wedding.}

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 21:55:02 +0000

There are not many times you get a wedding referred to you by some of your favorite people, an amazing location, and clients who are both ridiculously good looking and a ton of fun all in one wedding… so when you get it… the blog post will overflow.
Basically what I’m saying is that this blog post is long.
And rightfully so…
Terry and Jenn were married at the Old Cavalier on June 9th, 2012… and pretty much had a wedding dream team. Palette of Petals, As You Wish, and Astro DJs… plus the Old Cavalier… and my second shooters being Sarah Lee Williams and Chelsea from Bit of Ivory (who took some of the amazing photos below). Game Over. (Check out all of their links at the bottom of the post!) Add in the fact at our meeting Jenn said “We really like candid photos better… We don’t really want any posed ones.” HOLLER. Best. Clients. Ever.
AND as if their wedding isn’t awesome enough… Terry and Jenn are both in the improv scene in New York City, have awesome families I pretty much wanted to just hang out with, and when I looked them up when I got their inquiry originally they totally both have mentions on IMDB… hello, most awesome couple ever. OH… and they met while Jenn was a Radio City Rockette… (and according to one of their speeches… she was the middle one… props to Jenn.)
And can I just mention again how gorgeous everything was…
Enough talk. The photos are enough to prove it… enjoy:

Venue: Cavalier Hotel
Floral Design: Palette of Petals
Catering: Cavalier Hotel
DJ: Larry at Astro DJs
MUA: Theresa Little
Hair: Hair by Alice
Cake: Sugar Plum Bakery
Second Shooters: Sarah Lee Williams and Chelsea LaVere

welcome home, sunliners… take two. {military homecoming photography.}

admin — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:35:50 +0000

Ben came home… again.
Yes, they were just gone… and came home… and then they deployed again.
The difference… this time around it was way less sunny. (In fact so much less sunny that my phone kept beeping at me that it was going to rain any second… and the second Sarah and I got into the car it started pouring… and “pouring” is an understatement.) They also had a whole lot of family there to welcome Ben home… and there was a different kid to be confused as theirs… but besides that… same cute couple and same tears I had to wipe away from behind the camera.
Welcome Home (again) to the Sunliners of VFA-81.

p.s. In case you didn’t see it on facebook… Caitlin and Ben made it into the July issue of Redbook magazine with their last homecoming… <3. BAM... famous.