mybirdsongphotography

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Stephanie & Ben | A Dallas Engagement

It’s hard to believe that after all the spots I have photographed in Texas, there are still so many left to shoot. Even if I chose to shoot exclusively in Texas for the rest of my days *(we all know I would never do that… but for the sake of this example just go with it) I would still barely scratch the surface of how many new places I could find. These two got engaged in Dallas, and I met the…

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First Look... Yes or No?

Some can stress over whether or not to do a first look... read through a little of these bullet points and see which way you're leaning! Did you have a first look for your wedding? Let us know if you loved it! There are a few options for before your wedding, take a look and send this to anyone planning a wedding. It could help make the decision of what...

If you are planning a wedding of any size right now, you need to know the answer to this one. But I’m here to let you in on a little secret: Both answers are perfectly fine. As a wedding photographer, I need to know how to prioritize my couples’ goals. If their main objective is to use multiple backdrops all around their wedding location, I might let them know that a first look would be more…

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What could be worse than RAIN at your wedding?? | Not planning for it...

Does the thought of rain on your wedding day stress you out? Find out a few key things you should be considering as you plan for your big day! Share with anyone planning their wedding for a little peace of mind.. Cheers!

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Natalie & Matt | Great Smoky Mountain Love

Natalie & Matt | Great Smoky Mountain Love

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Loren & Bobby | Singer Island Magic

Looking for nonstop shenanigans and a cotton candy sunset? Look no further. Come see the most beautiful Singer Island wedding right on the...

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Suzi & Nick | Loch Raven Engagement | Maryland

An adventure worth taking never goes exactly as planned. I'm sure that's a quote somewhere, but for now it sums up this beautiful engagement session of a dear friend!

Let me just start this story with how long I’ve known this bride to be, which might age me a tiny bit. I think we had to be about eight or nine years old? How old are kids in fourth grade? You get the idea. It has been closer to three decades since we met. Now, kindly give me a moment to process what age that sentence actually makes me. It makes me just old enough to say that when we met: we…

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Caitlyn & Austin | It's a Love Story, Baby Just Say Yes

Need a fix of exploration, hiking, mountains and sunsets, yet still want to see a beautiful wedding dress? You know you're about to head to the right blog...

“Say you’ll remember me, standing in my white dress, staring at the sunset, babe.“-Taylor Swift, Wildest Dreams There’s no way I wouldn’t start this blog with Taylor Swift lyrics. It would just be wrong. And everything about this session was right. Even if one of them was not so sure about climbing a mountain for wedding photos. Yes, I’m calling you out, Austin. If you were to friend Caitlyn…

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Cleasy & Ben | The 2020 Sendoff

You won't want to miss this reception in a clear tent... or their cake topper! Go read about the last full unmasked wedding I did before my job became such a 2020 hazard. What a great night!

I can’t believe this wedding was the last flight I took in 2020.

Guys.

This was the end of February.

We are almost DONE with 2020.

I am just now starting to look into booking my 2021 flights for weddings, and the familiarity has all but gone from my fingertips.It used to be second nature to be planning flights, and immediately triple checking my layover time to be sure I had a…

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Courtney & Eric | Deep in the Heart of Texas

You'll want to see their dog of honor... you'll want to see their golden hour... you'll want to see their version of a sparkler exit! Go look and tell me what you think!

How many of you guys are in long distance relationships? I already know quite a few of my couples have gone that route at some point, and come out stronger for it.

It’s hard, challenging and people are going to tell you every opinion under the sun about why you shouldn’t do it.

But you know what? I’m going to give y’all one more opinion.

From what I have seen… it’s worth it.

Here’s…

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Covid has tried to destroy everything. 

I haven’t opened this blog since February, and it’s not because I don’t have beautiful couples to write about. I do.  But when the world went haywire in March, and all weddings were completely uprooted from their original visions, I was left without my craft.

Hopefully you guys know by now exactly how much this work fuels me. It’s more than a paycheck, (which yes, if you’re wondering I have missed those since February too!) and so much more than a “good photo” (those can be taken by iPhones any day).

I miss getting to hold my beast of a camera up in the air as I’m dancing my way through guests, trying to politely get to the other side of the dance floor while simultaneously doing (and singing, I know you’ve heard me) the cupid shuffle.

I miss seeing the bride take a deep breath before someone zips up her dress because let’s face it, no matter what size and shape your body is in, there is some slight fear that on your big day, and only on your big day since you’ve tried it on ten times already, it’s just not going to fit.

I even miss the Aunts, sisters, and friend of Uncle Bob’s coming to tell me what I should be taking a picture of next… or coming to nudge me to take a photo of Great Aunt So and So dancing with the little kids (of which I assure them I have already got the shot).

Okay, that last one I might not miss as much... but you get the idea.

This entire situation brought creative life back in me. 

Now let me introduce Haley and Fernando.

This was a taste of how their engagement session looked:

Yep, they ended up in the water at the end of their session! Side note, I am always going to say yes to bringing your dog into the photos, that should be a given by now.

Fast forward to 2020, the year that won’t quit.

These two were supposed to have their wedding this past Spring, as were a lot of hopeful couples, I know. We found out all flights were canceled, and thus began everyone figuring out what new dates could work, and how far away of a date would hopefully be safe enough for travel and gathering up all of their loved ones.

Some of you know that since June of 2019 my family has been on the road. Dave has been working as a Travel Nurse in the Operating Room, and I have (until Covid) continued my work as a traveling/destination wedding photographer.

We were living in our RV in Santa Cruz, California, during the start and height of quarantine, and then only recently (June 2020) we moved to Colorado for another travel assignment for Dave.

Imagine my excitement when Haley was mentioning her thoughts on how to go about rescheduling the wedding, and one of those thoughts included eloping to Colorado.

Giddy doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Knowing how much fun I had during their engagement, I let them know I was down for anything. Thankfully there was an entire day before they got here that Dave could watch Connor and I could go explore mountains in search of a perfect location for this photo session. 

After hiking around some amazing Colorado spots (including Sapphire Point Overlook and Blue Lakes, both of which I highly recommend) I was blown away by Saint Mary’s Glacier.

I knew it was worth it, but I had to check with them first to see if hiking over a mile up on rocks (not one bit of it is a smooth path) right before photos was something they would want to do!

Not only were they completely down for whatever adventure I had planned, they met up even though we knew it was going to most likely storm.

It gets better.

Her response to the weather was that we could just have our very own scenes like the Notebook if it rained!

Sign me up over and over for couples who want an experience out of this, not just a couple of posed photos.

(Don’t get me wrong, I’ll help everyone pose during any sessions. There’s nothing natural about someone staring at you through a lens for an hour.)

Right off the bat, we get about a half mile up the mountain, and I realize I need one more attachment for a light stand. Fernando offers right away to go grab it out of my trunk. I have a hard time saying yes to help, but this past year I have been training myself to simply say yes when it’s offered. He literally ran down and back before I could’ve gotten halfway down the rocks. Good thing I said yes.

As soon as we got to the top and they got changed into their clothes, the sky opened up.

(okay, okay… you can see they weren’t all the way changed yet!)

We were already almost alone on the mountain, and as soon as the rain started we could see the few small groups start leaving. More room for us.

Harnessing all of our survival instincts, we ducked down under some branches and found a covering thick enough to cover us from the rain.

Now, once you hear how loud the thunder can sound while you’re on top of a mountain…

…you start rethinking a few things.

Thankfully it didn’t seem like lightning was around us at all, so after it let up a little, we head right out to get to it.

You can’t even tell how crazy it felt out there by looking at these. And that’s usually my thought during a photo session. However hot, or cold, or rainy… you won’t be feeling that forever.

You can, however, look at your photos forever.

So why not dance on the edge of a mountain for wedding photos? 

And if you’re wondering just how I get all my gear around while it’s raining? This picture sums it up.

I bring covers for each camera and lens for bad weather, but when you’re hiking around, trying not to miss a spectacular golden hour, it’s kind of hard to keep that plastic from sliding onto and over your lens.

Golden Hour on Saint Mary’s Glacier is a must see in Colorado.

  Sometimes I can’t choose between leaving an image in color, or turning in to black and white. I feel like so much power can be shown in a black and white image, even though it’s rare that I end up posting them.

Now sometimes I see so much joy in someone’s face, I stop caring about the background and want to zoom all the way in so you can see it too.

Can you blame me?

At this point… guys. She was a little frozen icicle just standing in the rain by actual ice water. And look at that joy!

It was contagious.

Still is every time I look at these. I’m sure I’ll go through and find even more to share with you guys from this one… I just thought you shouldn’t have to wait any longer to read about the magic!

  Yep. It was all magical. I’ll never be convinced otherwise!

  Don’t know how we’ll top this at their wedding celebration this coming Spring, but somehow… with these two… I bet we can.

Congrats you guys! I can’t wait to keep celebrating with you!

Location: Saint Mary’s Glacier (Idaho Springs, ColoradoColorado)

Haley & Fern | Saint Marys Glacier Elopement Session Hike a mile up with us just to see these views. You won't regret spending a little time reading through this adventure elopement session... on the top of a mountain... that yes, has glaciers! Covid has tried to destroy everything.  I haven't opened this blog since February, and it's not because I don't have beautiful couples to write about.

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Have you ever watched a country couple two steppin’ their way across a dance floor? Like… doing a really fancy two-step?

Well, picture that, then go ahead and up the ante.

Big time.

Then toss in The Big Apple.

These two lifted, twisted, jumped and twirled around the city in ways I have yet to see any other couple accomplish. And I have to share it all with you guys.

Mostly because you all have come with me as I photographed through different countries, different states… and you’ve been there for my specific once-turbulence-hits-I-can’t-even-begin-to-relax type of flying anxiety. But also because even the new folks following along should get to see these two in action.

There are so many ways I could describe this couple, too. I’ll just put it this way: they are not only both physically fit, they both use that as a super power towards helping other people with their fitness goals. Running fast, lifting weights, training correctly, recovering sore muscles and understanding good nutrition are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their knowledge.

Hopefully you don’t feel bad if you can’t lift your partner up over your head on a whim.

Since I had people who could... you bet I used them! 

Washington Square Park at Christmas…

A must see for NYC at the Holidays!

My favorite part about these two photos? The light signals. Who cares which way you go when you’re walking across the street like this?!

We started the day as anyone visiting NYC should. We started with pizza at Joe’s. I started getting all my gear out, and I almost forgot to introduce my partner in crime/assistant for the day. Sheri is technically my cousin, but we also might morph in and out of being the same person the more you hang around us, and it’s a complete hoot if I do say so myself.

Washington Square Park was a short walk from Joe’s, and if you are not caught up on instagram, just know that Washington Square Park was one of Connor’s absolute favorite places to hangout over the summer.

One noticeable difference from our photos from over the summer is that there is no water in the fountain once winter hits. Little did I know that no water in the fountain meant that skateboarders would be flying back and forth while we hopped in for a couple photos.

  If by looking at these photos you start thinking that taking photos throughout New York is easy, I say thank you. That means all of our efforts made it look that way. For the dance sequence below, and basically every other shot that I’ve taken around Manhattan, just know that there is always a whole lot more going on that we have to wait around for in order to get “the shot”.

Texas two step on the Brooklyn Bridge

Thankfully Sheri had my magmod gear aimed right at all the action.

Redesigning her dress worked out great for this dip on the bridge!

Yep. I can totally do this too. 😂 Acrobatics on the Brooklyn Bridge is now checked off my list!

They do make this look incredibly easy… but these next two photos below are what the behind the scenes looked like to try to get there. People walking in front of us, both Sheri and I shouting “great work! yes! right there! that’s it!” and other ridiculous things loud enough to cause enough attention to clear enough room for Anthoney to throw Lindsey around his waist and above his head.

I need y’all to know that if you want to work on the Brooklyn Bridge, every single person better bring their A game like this!

Now, the Times Square shots you see at the bottom of this blog? Look at this photo first:

No one cares what you’re aiming at. (I’m laughing while I am typing that because it got so crazy sometimes) And that is the most exciting challenge for me as an artist. It means I need to direct the progress as it’s happening, it means these two had to do these acrobatic tricks and moves more than a few times in different settings, and it means that Sheri had to nail the lighting each time without getting distracted.

And it all worked.

    We even took a moment to head back to their hotel so Lindsey could change outfits (I recommend this happening at least once at every shoot… click on this link for my FAQ and advice on wardrobe) and y’all can imagine how happy I was when she let me know I could cut the dress so they would be able to dance better. ummm, YES PLEASE!

For the last outfit swap, we all ducked into the Whole Foods by the Bryant Park Winter Village – another must do if you are in the City during the holidays– so Lindsey could change and we could use the ever elusive clean NYC toilet. And you better believe there was a line. What you might not believe is that there was a security guard to monitor the bathroom line. AND IT WAS ACTUALLY NECESSARY! 

Bottom line- before, during and after this session was done- I’m more than grateful for these two humans. They are wonderful AND they know the best spots to eat and drink, …and even my unrefined palette appreciated the amazingness of going to said spots. I tried a whole slew of new places, drank all the Konditori lattes, and thankfully actually ate a slice of Joe’s Pizza on their recommendations. Next time, though– I will get them out to karaoke with me. And that’s a promise.

Go scroll through these and let me know your favorites! Or even comment to let me know where you would love to shoot in NYC. 

Times Square is the place for everything shiny- love this outfit with the boots!

Dance moves in the middle of Times Square, also not easy 😂

          Seeing New York City upside down never looked so fun! Check out the ever talented twosome dance their way around Manhattan... you won't be disappointed! Have you ever watched a country couple two steppin' their way across a dance floor? Like... doing a really fancy two-step?

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Imagine this sequence leading up to my work day:

All my flights are delayed, but thankfully not canceled, so I manage to make it into Orlando the night before my shoot. Bonus- the sweetest couple ever who is picking me up? They are night owls like I am and were down to pick me up from the airport much later than I originally thought.

We stayed up talking and laughing most of the night, while I ate their Trader Joe’s buffalo chicken dip… and I’m pretty sure my soul needed every second of it (the laughter and the buffalo dip). I also had no idea how much I needed the scent of lavender oil to linger around my head to put my crazy spinning brain right to sleep.

They had my favorite Dave’s Killer Bread (if you know, you know) ready for me in their kitchen so I could have breakfast before my Uber picked me up that morning. That Uber showed up at an hour that I haven’t seen on a clock (with an A.M. next to it) in years.

I opened the door to said Uber car, and the driver had Lizzo pumping on the radio singing “I do my hair toss, check my nails, baby how you feelin” …and I let him know immediately that I could not do one single hair toss until I had some coffee in my veins, and I needed to be feeling good as heck for the work day ahead of me. 

As he started the pit stop to Starbucks, and as I ordered on my app to skip the line- he casually assumed “oh, you’re a character in one of the parks?” 😂 If you’ve met me, you know nothing would make me happier than to pretend to be Merida at Disney World. 

I explained that I was lucky enough to shoot there for the day, and as he dropped me off at the final destination, he wished me all the luck braving the crowds. Growing up in South Florida, we took trips up to Disney for vacations, so I knew exactly how packed it could get. 

The possibility of a crowd has never stopped my excitement about Disney,  and I felt like a kid on vacation again taking the ferry ride over to the park.

At that point, there was fog everywhere, and you couldn’t see the castle like you usually could. Last time I was here was with Connor and Dave, and Connor freaked out with excitement the moment he could see the castle, and I realized I had not even told Connor I would be at the Magic Kingdom for work. I didn’t know if he’d be excited or mad he wasn’t there.

Now, here I am… caffeinated, kid free, and waltzing into the park right as it opens with my gear in my backpack that’s designed to keep the weight off of you during long hikes... totally ready to go. Abbie shoots me a text saying they are running late, and that she is so sorry.

Sorry? What could she be sorry for... I AM AT DISNEY WORLD! I laughed (okay, I sent a laughing emoji) and told her it was the best place she could possibly be late to a session, and not to rush.

I walked around Cinderella’s castle, before the parades and shows, and browsed parts of Main Street that I had never taken time to really slowly see or appreciate before. I think the a cappella group serenading the street crowds made it seem like I was in my own musical.  And just think- all of this joy was before the session even started.

The fog lifted as Abbie & Esteban came in, looking like the most dapper Disney couple that ever was, and I knew we’d be set for the day. Now go scroll through some of these morning photos. Yep. Her bright yellow Mickey Mouse shoes have been the talk of the town since I posted their first sneak peek, and you can see why. Now if you’re planning on doing a session in heels, be smart like Abbie… bring flats to walk in between locations.

We even had a character from the Country Bear Jamboree add his own mini dance session as we were walking to take a break…. aaaaand it’s reasons like this that I could hardly put down my camera the whole day.

It must be said, though… I had one of the best work breaks a girl could ask for. A guided tour was going on the whole day anyway- if you haven’t gone on over to instagram and followed @DisneyPrincessAbbie – go do it. Her outfits are all adorable, her giveaways would make any Disney fan happy, and she has all the tricks and tips of the best Disney park goer out there.

One of the most asked about photos is this one, and I am more than excited that we were able to get it!

Dream photo for both of us!

  When we stopped for lunch, we put our name in with enough time to go put our bags into a locker so my shoulders could start singing hymns of freedom while we ate. They treated me to amazing dishes at the Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen and a delicious glass of wine that I ordered strictly because it’s name referenced the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean… and now I can’t go back to just eating a hot dog on Main Street for my park lunch. I know I’m not alone in being the person who typically packs a bag full of snacks to get me through a day at these theme parks, right?

We even rode the rides together, had a Starbucks break… and then started shooting photos again as the sun set.

Disney Details

Disney Parade and Minnie dress- perfect combo.

Best spot of Cinderella’s castle

Most romantic Disney portrait #madewithmagmod

Made with Magmod gear -Maggrid with magenta

  That sky could not have been more perfect for those castle shots. I would insert a swooning noise if I could, but thankfully I don’t know how.

Now I will let you scroll through our day- and then you can enjoy our night spent watching the fireworks show and completely closing down the park. Being the only ones in Tomorrow land (if you’re on instagram you saw how excited I was on my stories!) and closing out Main Street was magic in itself.

  Best views of Cinderella’s Castle

Cutest Disney Save the Date ideas

How cute are their Disney save the date ideas? 

Best hidden gem photo spots at Magic Kingdom

Classic Little Mermaid dress at Ariel’s Castle

Romantic Disney Fireworks shot? Yes please.

Reminds me of all the lights in Tangled.

Watching Tink fly…

Can you spot Tinkerbell?

Disney fireworks finale

Tomorrow Land all to ourselves at Disney World

So happy we got a shot here!

  A huge thank you to Abbie and Esteban and my feet and shoulders for all being such troopers during this entire day. I wish nothing but the best for your Disney wedding!

  My instagram, where you can follow along more adventures and more of my not-so-together-act of being a mom is right here: @Photographeramy

Abbie’s instagram, where you can find every day Disney inspiration is right here: @DisneyPrincessAbbie 

Engagement Session Location: The one and only Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom

All photos taken with: Canon gear and Magmod attachments for my flashes.

Share with photo credit: On instagram @PhotographerAmy and on Facebook you can type the same thing for my business page to pop up- Elizabeth Birdsong Photography. 

  Happiest Place on earth, for sure. Might be the only place that I have shot for longer than I did for a NYC session. Click to find out why! Imagine this sequence leading up to my work day: All my flights are delayed, but thankfully not canceled, so I manage to make it into Orlando the night before my shoot.

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Everything wrapped itself perfectly into this much needed girl’s weekend in New York City.

Since the moment I saw this gown come waltzing out like a diamondin Butler Park, Texas, I knew it needed to be shown off somewhere equally glamorous and shiny.

And y’all. There is nothing quite like the shiny lights of New York City. 

We started planning and scheming, and turned what could have stayed an idea into an epic weekend of walking, Ubering, sipping, sleeping and dancing across Manhattan.

There have been plenty of people that have an idea of something grand for their photo sessions. Then then the day or hour arrives, and they don’t want to put in the effort.

That’s the hardest thing for me to understand.

If you book a session, (or a wedding!)  you’re already taking time out of your day-to-day schedule. You’re already in special outfits, and you’re most likely already in a special location. So why in the world are you not going to make the absolute most of the situation? 

Thankfully as the years go on, I’ve narrowed down my booking process to include people who already know how I like to work, and book me specifically to go a little above and beyond.

And that’s what we did in this glorious session.

We made the absolute most of it.

The day of the shoot was spent not worrying about time at all. We took a ferry to Governors Island (if you’ve been following our NY journey or read this engagement blog, you know how much we love this island!) and enjoyed drinks in the sun and balanced out the relaxation with getting plenty of steps in along the way. Win win.

We took the ferry back into the city, and thanks to this bride’s sharp eye, we found an amazing rooftop bar overlooking the craziness that is Times Square. Also, thanks to these girls sharing, I was able to try my first espresso martini at Valerie, which is about as architecturally pleasing inside as any iconic structure in the city. 

 I didn’t think I could enjoy coffee more than I already do.

Mind you, I have already realized that I shouldn’t have had my first espresso martini there. I have since tried at a couple places- and exactly zero were made to these standards… so I’m pretty sure I’m ruined.

Enough of the drink dramatics, let’s get to the good stuff.

Back at our place in Brooklyn, I brought out the old hair wand, Bobbi pins and a little hair spray and whipped up Shannon’s hair in way I felt did justice to the gown.

Then the fun really began. 

The rain decided to come down right as we got off of the subway to our stop. And yes, we road the subway with all my gear, and all of that gown in tow and we did it well.

It was not cold outside, folks.

We had already battled waiting on the trains to get to our station… in the heat, then ended up running through hallways and up stairs to make it to the next train. By the time we reached our stop and saw all the rain? You better believe these girls were not discouraged.

The plastic rain covering that comes with me everywhere for my gear went right over her hair and makeup and protected everything until we found a convenient store that had an umbrella.

We may have stopped in an Irish pub to wait out a little rain, and had quite a bit of fun with stories of 1) why we were out so late and 2) why we were missing a groom “on the wedding day”.

Yes, we were telling strangers it was her wedding day.

Why? Because what a fun back story to keep changing at every location. Not that we needed extra entertainment, but it was great fun.

BY THEN…

The rain stops enough to leave, we get to Central Park, and see that it closes at one in the morning. Guys. It was already after midnight. Did that stop us? Not. one. bit. We headed straight through the dimly lit pathways to Bethesda Terrace and got to work.

Courtney held up Shannon’s veil and of course I have my Magnet Mod gear already aimed at the gown to light up the place and show off everything from the bride’s face to the stunning ceiling that I found fascinating enough to read about:

“Created in the 1860s, it features 49 panels and nearly 16,000 elaborately patterned encaustic tiles, handmade by England’s renowned Minton and Company.”

“The Conservancy removed the tiles in 1983, storing them until it secured the $7 million required to restore this architectural treasure. The challenging restoration—cleaning and repairing some 14,000 tiles by hand—was completed in 2007.”**

Wow.

Now I’m even happier you can see the ceiling in the portraits.

This all brings me to why we were at this spot. It is for sure a favorite spot for Connor and I to walk to on our many days exploring in Central Park, but this is where Shannon’s husband actually proposed to her.

*all photo credit/setup goes to Shannon’s husband Ben Davis for this cute reaction shot! 

We managed to get shots all around the area with no one crowding our space, because almost no one was there.

Times Square was a different story. Shannon took a quick rest in the Uber…

…and we recharged and restyled hair while waiting for said Uber to come back with my phone that I casually left in the back seat as it drove away.

Whoops. 

As you can see if you scroll on through, Shannon woke up and blazed through Times Square like a Carrie Bradshaw poster. Courtney could win awards for her assistant work taking behind the scenes photos while holding things like the veil, the train, phones, and flashes.  

If anyone is considering a photo session somewhere that might seem far fetched… just do it. You’ll never know until you try!

Hope everyone enjoys these photos as much as I do. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments, I always love hearing from you.

        Bridal Gown: Enaura Bridal

Locations: Bethesda Terrace, Central Park, Times Square

Gear: Canon and Magmod

**quote from https://www.centralparknyc.org/attractions/bethesda-terrace

                Ever wonder what it takes to get a bridal gown in and out of NYC? You'll want to read this adventure from the city that seriously never sleeps. Everything wrapped itself perfectly into this much needed girl's weekend in New York City. Since the moment I saw this gown come waltzing out…

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Oh where oh where would I begin for these two?!?!

Probably with the bride to be. 

Yep. Let’s start there.

Especially considering that I have known her for _______ years. *Divulging the actual number might give away my age, so let’s just say it’s been over a decade. 

Together Loren and I have shared some of our sickest times (health wise), a lot of our wildest nights, and quite possibly some of our loudest musical moments, spanning different cities, states and even different countries. So, it might not be shocking that taking this engagement session equalled a perfect day.

Loren and Bobby met in New York, working at SBG alongside some other amazing people… and it’s no wonder they ended up together. These two are cut from the same ridiculous cloth that is derived partly from musical talent, an appreciate for puns, big bowls of soup, and pepper, if Loren has anything to do with it. 

When we started off their visit to us in New York, we walked down the street to our favorite neighborhood spot, Paddy’s Irish Pub. If you’ve known me through travel, or in life, you know that wherever I am, I feel more at home walking into an Irish pub. Something about the food, drinks, the company… it’s always a comfort.

Mind you that night I went out with these two, we ended up in a near disaster with an encounter with a stranger… who may or may not have thought he was with the mob?? Bobby was about to save the world by talking sense into this deranged man when we convinced him to come get sleep so we could have this epic session start on time the next morning. #priorities.

I hope you know that I tell you more about my time with my couples so you can understand a tiny bit of the heart and soul that goes into this thing I call a career. 

It’s important. 

Scroll through the photos then feel free to ask questions about anything, okay? The locations, the amazing outfits, the transportation situations… anything.

While living in Brooklyn, a favorite spot to visit was Governors Island. And we went there a lot. I was so excited to make that the first stop on the photo adventure. We started walking around the island, flitting around the gardens, getting our steps in up and down a ridiculous amount of stairs (by stairs, just know it was a bunch of rocks you have to climb to get to the amazing views) and then headed back out on the ferry.

Next up? Lunch in DUMBO.

Who doesn’t love a spot with a view of two amazing bridges, a carousel, and a spot to shop, eat and drink… trendy boxed water that tastes like cardboard?? Yeah, I’m not sure I’m on board with it yet either, but we looked cool.

During our pop into DUMBO, we managed everything from a wardrobe change, to being photo bombed by an adult wanting to skip rocks right behind their epic lift picture between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. Thankfully I had enough room to angle a different way, but don’t worry- I sent them one with him still in it. 

Since we weren’t in a rush, there was time to do lunch and ride the carousel, because no one should ever have to choose between sustenance and silliness.

Next and final stop was everything the day was building up to.

Grand Central Station.

They got done up in wardrobes fitting for a Beauty and the Beast premiere, and I was in heaven. I have walked through the terminals so many times with Connor just staring at the architecture and dreaming of shooting inside.

I got to do all to that and more.

You might be able to tell by scrolling just how free I was to shoot what I wanted and capture their relationship in all it’s glory. As we travel this next year- send me any couples who are willing to put in a few miles with me to really create some new memories.

Hope you enjoyed a tiny peek of our weekend!

Loren and Bobby I can’t even wait for next year!!

    Nothing quite like a Saturday hopping around NYC... Governors Island, DUMBO, Grand Central Station. Take a unique look at popular New York.... cont'd. Oh where oh where would I begin for these two?!?! Probably with the bride to be. 

[mybirdsongphotography]

You might want to catch up on these two before scrolling any further. 

Here is their Camp Lucy Wedding – that has everything from their adorable dogs, some foggy night shots and sparklers- and while you’re at it, go drool a bit over their traffic stopping engagement session down South Congress.

Makes me miss our home in Austin a bit looking back on those sessions! But this is the year of travel for our family, and it’s bringing tons of new excitement in each new location. Also, our house is still waiting for us when we get back, so that’s a built in comfort factor right there.

We picked up whatever could fit in our small car and moved to Brooklyn, New York, for the entire Summer. People thought we were crazy, but the ones who knew me well weren’t that surprised at all. I have been working up in NYC once or twice a year for a while because, quite honestly, I can’t get enough of Christmas in that city. And while twinkle lights may stop working on me one day… I don’t see it happening anytime soon. Just look at this opera singer Natalie Havens on the Brooklyn Bridge!

Okay.

So now that we were there for the warmer months, I couldn’t wait to explore even farther than my usual trips around a snow filled city. Mind you, exploring around NYC with 50+ pounds of gear on my shoulders makes traveling the subway a bit more crazy. Thankfully I only had to take all my gear and Connor… at the same time… on the subway… once. And would never opt to do that again.

For this session, we started at Washington Square park. It’s one of Connor’s and my favorite spots to go hang any day of the week, any time of the day. There is a huge fountain that the kids love playing in, a rope course and dog park on one side of the square, and a playground on the other. Not to mention everything you’ll see in between.

Like someone running the bat mobile into your session for no reason at all?

Why not. 😂

The session only got better. And yes, the same guy ran it right into me, too.

….but what can you do? You’re in the city now.

That’s what I love about working sessions up here. Live music, art being sold, puppies to pet, skateboarders flying by your head, and all the people that are watching what you’re doing makes it so exciting for me to create in public.

If you’re on instagram, go follow Colin Huggins. He is an insanely talented pianist, who plays in the park every weekend and lifts up people’s spirits with the reality of everything he shares. And of course, you can tell what question he is asked the most… How did you get the piano here?  He definitely brightened my mood by reposting an oh-so-romantic photo I took during the last bit of golden hour, noting what he was really doing in the background of the photo.

So when people ask if it was crazy or scary to shoot with all my gear around the city? 

Honestly?

It was invigorating, and I don’t use that word lightly. Mostly because if I said it out loud to any of you I would sound like an insane romance novelist/murderer. But I loved it. I’ll still continue to come back for sessions as long as possible.

If you stayed with us at all here in NY, you know I take the subway, and hardly ever use ride sharing like I do on my other travels. Mostly because up here I buy the unlimited monthly pass, and I am stubborn. Somehow Caylie and Nick convinced me to hop in an Uber from Washington Square back to Times Square, and even the Uber drive was an adventure. We discovered a lapse in the facial recognition for our iPhones, that might be it’s own post for another time.

They were here on their one year anniversary trip, and I loved that they were staying in Times Square because that’s what Dave and I did for our one year anniversary and it all seemed so nostalgic. It should be noted that Dave brought the entire top layer of our cake from Austin, TX to NYC so we could eat it, and I almost squished the whole thing by trying to take it out of the container with my hands. 😬🤷‍♀️

Once we got to their place, my friend Spivey connected with us to help with lighting in all the hustle and bustle of the city that literally never sleeps. Unless it’s a place I want to shoot. There is usually someone sleeping in the spot I want to shoot.

We joined right into the crazy with some typical NY moves: standing up on a seating area to avoid garbage being in our photo, dancing in the neon lights to the music of a sax player, and of course, ordering some hot dogs in the middle of all the commotion. The NYPD was more than willing to play along in a shot for us, and who doesn’t want to be watched by an officer while you’re eating in the middle of sidewalk traffic??

The last few portraits involved dipping in the street with an obscene amount of traffic coming through (people and cars- see below), and a motion shot with the backdrop being the treasured Radio City Music Hall.

Taking off my gear felt so good after all that walking and moving… and we finally got to relax at an Irish Pub. Now, this pretty lady puts in her work all over the place. She is a total boss babe with Arbonne, and she earns her cheat meals. So let’s be clear, we went to this Irish Pub to indulge in some chicken wings that Caylie had on her bachelorette trip.  They did not disappoint. Neither did hanging out until we were all about to pass out. 

Looking forward to keeping up with these two along their journey!

Caylie & Nick- Thanks for being down for everything! A night we’ll never forget!

        There's no denying the magic of New York City. The lights, the views, the romance. You're going to want to see what made this photo session so... You might want to catch up on these two before scrolling any further.  Here is their…

[mybirdsongphotography]

It’s crazy how things can come together. 

Most of the people who book me already know my work either from having seen me work a wedding, or they’ve seen work online that’s been tagged of their friends and can check out my website before hiring me.

But now I can say that sometimes, just sometimes, someone can pull me aside during a Times Square session and book a session for their friend that’s about to propose.

Granted, I probably would’ve missed out on this sweet couple if my girl Spivey wasn’t at the portrait session running the lighting. She not only heard the inquiry, but gave him my instagram to be able to message me immediately to check if I was available for the proposal.

Once I was connected with the groom-to-be, we started talking locations.

Empire State Building was mentioned first. With any venue or location, I make sure each couple knows the additional cost, whether it’s a venue photography fee and/or an entry fee it can all add up on top of wedding planning.

What I love is that he took the time to see if I knew a romantic spot to propose that would  also be a classic New York City spot. I have only been living up here since June, and working up here twice a year for the past few years, and already have lists of places I like to shoot and still want to shoot.

I knew Bethesda fountain offered a beautiful backdrop inside Central Park. Central Park in itself can be utterly overwhelming if you try to wander into it without a game plan. If you spend your time at the American Museum of Natural History as much as Connor and I do, you start to know your way around the middle of Central Park quite well. Typically we would end up outside Delacorte Theater, ordering a glass of wine for me and a chocolate chip cookie for Connor before heading to the baseball diamonds to kick up some clay.

If you’re scheduling a session with me during the Summer, you’ll hear the same thing as far as time. Let’s do later. Less heat, more colors in the sky, more dramatic.

This surprise proposal was so much fun, especially considering we didn’t speak the same language! Thankfully their friends arrived beforehand, with Yankees jerseys that read “will you marry me“ and the date so I was able to coordinate and know that the bride-and-groom-to-be were not going to be there until it was already dark outside.

Carrying a giant bag of equipment anywhere (especially around NYC) is far from easy, but as time has taught me, it can be very necessary. I had light equipment with me to light up the proposal spot a little bit so I could try to focus my lenses during all the magic moments.

Now you can scroll down and see when she said “YES!”

We walked around the park a little bit in the dark and had way too much fun trying to communicate the crazy things I wanted them to walk around and do…. All the while people were passing by in the park yelling their congratulations.

I am wanting to do the same for this sweet couple!

CONGRATULATIONS! 

  Find out just how I came to shoot this night time proposal in front of the famous Bethesda Fountain! Great Central Park spots in case you're planning a... It's crazy how things can come together.  Most of the people who book me already know my work either from having seen me work a wedding, or…

[mybirdsongphotography]

Storms came rushing in the night before the wedding, and I didn’t even think twice about what the wedding day would look like.

If you know me in personal life or professional, you know I won’t check the weather, I just bring an umbrella and rain gear no matter what. It’s still going to be your wedding day, and I’m still going to capture it.

Wedding day rolled in, and so did a bit more rain.

I pulled up to the Lakehouse Inn and walked around the property. Immediately made note that this would make an amazing family vacation spot as they let me check into my room early and handed me freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. 

Once I put my stuff down in my room, I realized they had set out lavender soap *(lavender anything is a weakness of mine) and mint lip balm from local vendors. What a great move for any bed and breakfast in a place like Geneva on the Lake. 

Elopement style weddings are so much fun, and so relaxed. If you asked me to make pros and cons lists for both elopement style and huge guest count weddings, I could go on and on about each.

No help, right?

Well, to me it’s like asking your waiter what you should order. 

There’s a lot of routes you can go down, and no one else can guarantee you’ll be happy.

Big wedding, small wedding… the two people getting married need to be happy to be vowing to be together and that’s what counts.

That being said, it’s amazing that the venue had a gorgeous white tent that could fit the bride and groom’s few family members for dinner while still keeping the gorgeous view of the water and the sunset. 

When the music started for the bride to walk down the stairs to the aisle, everyone seemed to forget that the sun was now blazing down on us and that it had even rained at all to start the day.

We watched the groom’s daughter hand over the rings, and we listened to them say “I do” while a few tears were shed around the few who were blessed enough to be there.

After their ceremony and arranging the family photos, they went right into their first dance. Then everyone enjoyed food, drinks and visiting with family. That’s one of the beauties of an extremely small guest list. The timeline is one that you simply sit back and enjoy. 

No one is waiting on anything other than enjoying seeing you two on your first day married. 

If there is a speech, it can be impromptu, like this bride’s father’s sweet words during dinner. A dinner that everyone could simply get up and serve themselves a delicious meal and get more when they needed. Which believe me, I did. It was all delicious.

From there, everyone played games and continued to enjoy the food and drinks. Card games were going on at the tables, jenga in the corner, and corn hole just outside the tent.

Once the sun started to set, I took the bride and groom away. This coast line, y’all.

I still won’t apologize for calling Lake Erie an ocean… multiple times. It’s stunning.

Then came the questionable move of me putting us all on the Ferris wheel of unthinkable speed. Never will I ever again think… “hmmm, there’s no way that ride goes thaaattt fast.” 

It did. It did go that fast.

I’m pretty proud of myself for being able to focus my lens at all after being flung around in a wobbly bucket ten times like we were in the teacups at Disney World. 

And honestly I still think it was worth it. 

(As was walking out on a skinny piece of cement to get a shot, and same with this bride kicking off her shoes to walk on the beach that was left after the tide came in.)

Can you just scroll down to that sunset? 

If you scroll back up I’ll have you scroll right back down to see the sweetest little father daughter dance you ever did see between the groom and his girl. Then it was time to light the fire and enjoy the s’mores and the last of the color leaving the clouds.

Of course I took advantage of the last light with a couple more sister-sister shots (couldn’t help it, you can check out her sister’s wedding here) and I’m also pretty sure the photos of them could be used at some point for a Corona ad. Just throwing that out there.

Dancing under the tent turned into a father daughter dance for the bride, and we ended with one more night shot to wrap things up.  All the best goes to this couple who literally hung out on a limb (bucket) with me and made sure to really enjoy their day.

Wedding Venue: Lakehouse Inn

  Ever dream of eloping with a gorgeous view? Or just in the mood to see one? Yep. I can look back on this Lake Erie wedding all day, even if I still call it the ocean. Storms came rushing in the night before the wedding, and I didn’t even think twice about what the wedding day would look like.