Town Center Engagement Photography :: Charlotte and Paul

I know I can be at ease with clients I've never met when they're referred to me from the wonderful ladies at Celebrations. Charlotte was here for a marathon (I have the utmost respect for you runners out there! Marathons and MattDJ don't even belong in the same sentence!!!) and we were able to get together on their last day in town to create a few "save the date" images. It took all of...oh...about 5 seconds to see that they were going to be an awesome couple to be around on their upcoming wedding in Manteo North Carolina. I'm always so humbled to have clients like Charlotte and Paul. They were up for pretty much anything and were filled with JOY! Some people may ask how I capture images that have genuine, sincere expressions of happiness and love. My answer? It (should be) is painfully obvious: the people you see are... genuinely happy and in love. "Forced" doesn't work for these types of images. Charlotte and Paul are the real deal.

See more from their session on Facebook. And don't forget to leave a comment, suggestion or idea on future blog posts you'd like to see. Thanks for stopping by!

Yeah...She Loves Me

Walking in from a late night grocery run, Meredith said she got me a little something:

Babe...you + me + couch + "cawfee" + coffee ice cream =  :-)

Family Portrait Session :: A Father and his Soldiers

I. Love. This. Family. As soon as I was contacted to do a portrait session for Burome and his boys, I knew I was in for a treat. That all changed when cars pulled up and out came these four men in uniform. This "treat" turned into a humbling sight. As the father of three, the love I have for my own children is unlike anything anyone could have prepared me for (can I get an "amen" from all the dads out there?!). But just think about this for a second: this family isn't just sending their dad to our nation's call...they are sending a father and his three boys. A wife is sending her husband and three sons. We love our military families, and from the first shutter press to the last, I stood in awe of these men. Every now and then I would pay close attention to the expressions on Burome's face. I think he too was in awe... the look of a proud father.

If I was wearing a tie, I would have made sure it was on straight! While I respect the privacy of my portrait clients and have kept select portrait sessions in the MattDJ "top secret" vault, this was one session I wanted to be sure to feature. Thank you guys for allowing me to share your images with the world. And thank you for not just choosing me to do this, but for allowing me to get a small glimpse at what makes our armed forces so great. You are a blessing to so many.

More can be seen on Facebook.

Norfolk Botanical Portrait Session :: Jenny and Kyle

One of the things I enjoy most about photography is being given countless opportunities to bring attention to what is the greatest of all human emotions: love. Want an example? Jenny and Kyle.

You may remember Jenny and Kyle from their beautiful wedding featured here a few months ago. We recently met up at the amazing Norfolk Botanical Garden for a portrait session and it was great seeing them again. Enjoy these highlights from the session (with more on Facebook)!

I promised Jenny I would post this image as she was the one that spotted the beautiful pattern in the water. Kinda looks like a heart...doesn't it? :-)

Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger

A good friend of mine recently tried to explain how "long" this year seemed to be taking, and yet how each day NEVER has enough time. Have you been there? If you've been following this blog long, you know that "time" is something I often talk about and attempt to handle with great respect. When it all comes down to it, time is one of the greatest gifts we've been given. Why? Because time wasted is one of our greatest losses...impacting more than just ourselves. With my own time stretched as thin as it is with our three little ones, I've been accumulating tons of photography, stories and reviews that I can't wait to share with you, along with a host of new and exciting things you'll soon be seeing here on the blog such as book reviews! I recently became a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger and will be focusing on books that will appeal to readers of this blog. My first assignment: Derailed - Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership, by Tim Irwin. As soon as I saw the title of this brand new book, I knew it was going to be the perfect one to start with as I'm a sucker for books on business and leadership. I can't wait for it to get here! Coming up next: a portrait session with an awesome couple. Stay tuned!! :-)

Christmas in September

Image made in the wonderful Serendipity 3, New York Yes, yes. I know what you're thinking. "Christmas in September?! But it's almost November!" Well, I have a confession to make. I've been listening to Christmas music since the beginning of September. I know. I admit. I cheated... and I can't help it!! I love to celebrate Christmas and think of any excuse to start early. This year, it was our first "slightly" chilly day in September... and the rest was history. That was reason enough for me. Come on, am I the only one?!?! My family says I'm cheating. I say I'm celebrating early because it always goes by sooo fast. However, watching Christmas movies when it's not even Thanksgiving?! Now that's cheating. These last few months of the year are my favorite. Listening to Christmas music is my favorite. Make it your favorite too! Here are a few current favorites of ours...with a favorite from the kids. :-) Enjoy! 1) Christmastime 2) I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day 3) Mary, Did You Know? 4) The Christmas Song 5) Sing Noel 6) When Love Came Down 7) O Come, O Come Emmanuel 8) Carol Of The Bells 9) Christmas Angels 10) Linus And Lucy 11) The 8 Polish Foods Of Christmas 12) Strange Way To Save The World 13) A Highland Carol 14) Welcome To Our World

Virginia Beach Engagement Session: Katelyn and Rob

Ever been around someone that just makes you want to smile for no reason whatsoever? That's Katelyn and Rob. I recently met with this wonderful couple for their Engagement Session and as soon as we started walking and talking, I knew I was in for a fun time with these two. The image above was captured only seconds into the session and it shows perfectly just how these two are around each other. It was truly a blessing to get to know them and create these images of them. I don't know who was having more fun, my camera, or them! :-)

Katelyn, Rob, your wedding can't come fast enough for me...I'm sure you guys would agree. 2010 will be here before we know it! :-)