Rustic Bloomsburg Engagement Photography | Breanne and Taylor | Allie Skylar Photography

 

Bloomsburg-pennsylvania-natural-light-engagement-potography-photo_0561

There’s an area in my hometown of Bloomsburg back behind the mall that has a road called Dahl Road.  Growing up, I knew a few people who lived on that street, and I remember their houses hosting the most interesting property.  Lakes and woods and old barns.  Coupled with the fact that the name of the street itself rustled up thoughts of one of my favorite authors, Roald Dahl, I imagined that growing up on secluded Dahl road was a recipe for an exciting childhood.  When Breanne and Taylor were planning for their engagement session, they asked if we could shoot at Brianne’s parent’s house, located on the one and only, Dahl Road.

As I pulled up, I was greeted by a very friendly black cat, blooming flowers, and a quiet lake.  That evening, we hopped some creeks, danced in the golden sunset, and Breanne and Taylor made cuddling in a leaky row boat look incredibly dreamy.  We even had a chance to capture their personalities with some off beat photos. I am so excited for their wedding next year, water slides and all! Continue reading “Rustic Bloomsburg Engagement Photography | Breanne and Taylor | Allie Skylar Photography”

Philadelphia Orchestra Portrait Photographer | David Kim | Allie Skylar Photography

philadelphia-orchestra-portrait-photographer-broad-street

We met at a local cafe one Sunday morning.  As we sipped our coffees (okay I downed mine because it was the morning after a wedding), we discussed my ideas for the session, about using Philadelphia, the city that had been home to David’s career for 19 years.  We wanted to capture the heartbeat of the city, grit and all.  David said he wanted people to look at the photos of him and see the man he was first, the musician second, and this is when I knew I had found a kindred spirit. Continue reading “Philadelphia Orchestra Portrait Photographer | David Kim | Allie Skylar Photography”

Wedding Photography Tips : How to Organize Your Clients and Your Business

I am not organized.  Let me repeat that : I am not organized.  My work space is cluttered, my closet is…. well, don’t open it, and my receipts stay tucked in a box until tax season.  It takes a lot of work for me to be organized, but I know it is a priority.  My clients need to count on me, they need to know that I have information they have given me.  Not only that, they need to know that I know what information to ask them!  ]

Until recently, I as wasting a lot of time sending emails asking for information, then follow up emails asking for more information, etc.  It can be exhausting with so many clients, and I was tired of it.  I started making fillable PDF’s for different topics, and not only do I love it, so do my clients.  It helps me keep everything sorted (plus, I can send the file to my second shooter— bonus!), it instills confidence in my clients, and it leads to a better overall flow on a wedding day.

To all of my fellow photographers out there, don’t reinvent the wheel each time you send out an email.  Here are a few pages from the PDF I send out about 6 weeks before the wedding day.  Hope this helps someone!  Click below to see:

 

Continue reading “Wedding Photography Tips : How to Organize Your Clients and Your Business”

Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and Library | Stacey and Josh | Philadelphia Wedding Photography

romantic photo of bride and groom in tree lined grove at Hagley Museum

Have you ever gotten goose flesh?  I’m sure you have, but for what reason?  It scatters across my skin when I’m cold of course, but also when I hear a strikingly beautiful chord in a song, watch a dazzling scene in a movie, or stumble upon something truly remarkable in nature.  It’s a sign to me that I need to pay extra attention or I could miss something divine.  As I drove through the back gates at Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and came face to face with a tree lined grove that trailed up to an old DuPont mansion, a shiver ran up my spine and goose flesh erupted.  I knew this day, this wedding, and these two people, were something extraordinary.

Now you might think this is an incredibly odd way to open a wedding blog post, and I’m sure it is, but there is really no other way to describe the beauty that surrounded this day.  I will try, though.

When I first met Stacey and Josh last year for their engagement session, I was instantly smitten with them.  They were incredibly kind, laughed at my jokes, and came dressed like they walked out of the 50’s (which, come on, why did we ever stop dressing like that?).  I had every faith that their wedding day would be spectacular, every detail flawless, and I was right.

Let me break it down for you. Succulents.  Floor length veil. Blush color pallet.  Strings of lights.  Cascading wisteria.  Need I say more?!?  The Hagley Museum is one of my favorite venues to date.  We were threatened with rain the entire day, and luckily, it held off.  Stacey mentioned that she would have been more upset if it had rained for my sake than hers because she knew how much I would love it.  And she was right.

Stacey and Josh were married at the old Soda House Library, a glass and stone building set back from the main house in the woods.  Once vows were said and rings exchanged, we toured the grounds, for which there could never have been enough time.  There were times when it felt we had been transported to the deep south or the hills of Tuscany, with its fine stucco houses covered in lush vines.   We laughed and enjoyed the cool evening air and our sweet chaperone, Dot, gave us a private, photo filled tour.

It could have rained.  It could have poured!  Nothing could have dampened this joyful day.  Stacey and Josh, the credit is yours.  You could have been married in an alley wearing paper bags and it still would have been one of my favorite weddings (but I’m really glad that wasn’t Plan A!).

Enjoy this preview!  Video coming soon!  Continue reading “Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and Library | Stacey and Josh | Philadelphia Wedding Photography”