The Schillers // Maternity

I first meet Jesse & her husband, Robb, at a birthday party for a mutual friend. It didn't take long for Jesse & I to figure out that we have a lot in common. For starters, we both grew up in Orlando , attended rival high schools, and even attended the same tiny private college in Birmingham, AL, yet somehow never met in the 2 years our time over-lapped there. But probably the greatest & rarest commonality of all- we have the same name, spelled the EXACT same way. You might not think this is very cool at all, but after a lifetime of being presumed to be a boy & Starbucks baristas just never quite getting it right ( tough life, I know ;) ), it was exciting to meet a fellow no "i" just "e" , lady Jesse. 

We later met for coffee, had lots of fun, & decided we should do a maternity shoot for her & her husbands' pending babe. Speaking of the babe, Jesse & Robb decided to not find out the gender & are waiting to be surprised once the lil one arrives. I'm pretty sure I was far more stressed out by this than they were.  Jesse was so calm & peaceful when talking about it, but I couldn't stop saying " wait, so you have a baby in you & you can know what it is, but you're choosing to not know?!?!" My OCD planner brain was on overload & Jesse, like a champ, just laughed along with all the crazy questions I threw at her.

For the shoot, we headed over to Jesse's parents house. They have a stunning lakefront home with lots of amazing photographing locations. We started in Jesse's childhood bedroom, then made our way to a little dock by the water, and finished the evening in a sprawling field as the sun set behind us. It was so much fun to shoot with these two. They both have such light & joyful spirits & I loved getting to watch them together. Their interactions are so full of laughter, silliness , & peace. It's evident they truly are best friends & I can only imagine how much fun they will be as parents. 

Wishing Jesse & Robb all the best in a safe & healthy delivery as Baby Schiller is due any day now!  I'm excited to meet him/her (and finally find out whether it's a him or a her, haha)! 

Casey // Portrait

Today, I'm so excited to share one of my favorite portrait sessions to date! A few months ago, my dear friend Casey was in town & we went on a photo adventure around her mom's property. Her mom lives on this amazing corner of land snuggled in the trees along the banks of the Wekiva River. In just a couple of acres there is enough scenery for countless photo shoots. The river, a greenhouse, a wooden bridge, an old tool shed, bamboo patches, wide open spaces, and even a lemon tree grove for goodness sake- it's a photographers dream world. 

Casey is probably one of my most favorite people to photograph in the entire world. For starters, she is a total babe, as you will easily see in the photos below. She is like a miniature hipster Angelina Jolie, but way cooler and nicer and funnier. (Disclaimer: I really have no idea if Angelina Jolie is nice, cool, or funny, she probably is, but since Casey is my friend, she automatically wins.) Another reason I love shooting with Casey is because she was my first ever "photographer friend". We met in high school & spent our summer days planning absurd photo shoots of us wearing inflatable inner tubes jumping through sprinklers or pretending to be whales at the beach. (Obviously, we were super cool.) As the years have gone by, I'd like to think our photo shoot themes and skills have matured along with them. Casey is now a ultra talented wedding and lifestyle photographer (Urban South Photo) based in Durham, North Carolina. She is also one of the kindest people I know & has the most contagious joyful spirit. If you know Casey, you automatically love her & even if you don't know her, you probably still love her. She has taught me so much about photography & just about life in general. I am so blessed by her friendship and cherish the sweet moments we spend together.  

So here she is. Enjoy the images of this beauty & check out her amazing work on her blog.

Joel & Emiley // Love

For my first real blog post, I thought it would be appropriate to feature Joel & Emiley. Joel is an extremely talented artist & motion graphic designer & has been a wonderful friend to me throughout the process of building DREAMTOWN. He spent countless hours brainstorming, developing, tweaking, and fixing my mistakes when I would pretend I knew how to code a website. He played a huge part in the creation of this site & I am so grateful!! 

Joel was recently offered his dream job in New York City & while I was super sad to see him go, I couldn't be more excited & proud that he is pursuing his dream! Before he moved, he & his lovely girlfriend Emiley wanted some photographs to commemorate this season of their relationship. They had the idea to document them in familiar settings doing little things that held significant meaning to them. When they mentioned the idea, I was so so excited. To be honest, it's my favorite kind of shoot to do. I absolutely LOVE couples lifestyle sessions, just getting the privilege to catch a glimpse into their world & producing images that reflect bits of their life together. It's so genuine & honest; & brings me so much joy to be present in those moments. 

We started the day making some fancy coffee and cuddling on the couch. Then we brought out the bikes, visited a local hangout, cheesed it up in a favorite photobooth, & ended the day once again, cuddling, in the back of a coffee shop as the last rays of sun peaked through the fingerprint filled window. Joel & Emiley were perfectly them through it all & I had the most fun adventuring with them. 

I hope you enjoy this couples sweetness! 

Viva DREAMTOWN!

YAYYYYYY!

Welcome to the DREAMTOWN blog!!!

I’m equal parts terrified & ecstatic as I write this, my very first post on my very own brand new business website. This site & brand is something I’ve been working on for a really long time. But even longer, before the actual work began, the vision & hopes for this brand stirred relentlessly in my head. Basically, this day has been a reallllly long time coming. 

I can’t really count the amount of times I’ve doubted that I would, or even should, pursue this dream. But thankfully, I’ve been extremely blessed to be surrounded by a community of friends who’ve encouraged me & lovingly pushed me towards this dream in the moments when I was so ready to give up. Their belief in me truly kept me going & for that, I am so grateful. 

I’m terrified because it’s tremendously nerve-wracking to put yourself “out there” & present to the “world” something that is an extension of your heart, your creativity, your ability, your personality, & the list goes on. But in truth, I’m even happier because it IS scary & I’m doing it anyway.

So for me, today is the biggest step & the biggest win I could hope to come from this journey. The simple fact that I’m even sitting here, about to click ‘Publish’ on this post, is enough excitement & satisfaction for me.

You might be thinking, "so what exactly does DREAMTOWN mean"? Wellllllllll....

DREAMTOWN means nothing & everything all at the same time. A made up word with no formal definition, yet, to me, represents everything I would ever want something I create to be- adventurous, joyful, love driven, fun, hope filled, genuine connection generating, freedom seeking, & forever radiating life & light.

So here it is, here is DREAMTOWN.