I've had "Sweet Caroline" playing in my head since last Sunday, when I met up with this beautiful little girl and her family at Virginia Mountain Vineyard. Though I was there documenting Caroline's first birthday, I managed to take a few portraits before their guests arrived. Needless to say, at 1-year-old, Caroline is a natural!

Last week, my husband and I packed up the car and headed for Corolla, North Carolina, where we had rented a house with five of his closest guys and their girlfriends. Before this trip, I'd only spent a handful of times with Casey and Jordan (and one of them was my wedding, where we all know quality time is pretty impossible), so I was really looking forward to getting to know them better.

Throughout the week, we talked, tanned, made a surprisingly great sangria and even brainstormed plans for future trips with our guys. Cheers to more memories and beautiful photos!

Before I met with Amy and Lindsay, I asked them to think of a few items that would help tell the story of their decade-long friendship. The pair met in a high school drama class, where they’d often volunteer to “organize” the costume room (a.k.a. try on all the outfits). 

When they pulled up to our shoot with multiple bags in tow, I knew I was in for something good, something thoughtful. I was right. After lots of back-and-forth texts, Amy and Lindsay came up with flower crowns (beautifully handmade by Lindsay), a little pink key and glittery mouse ears. 

When I look through their images, I see how each of these items reflects a different stage in their friendship. In the crowns, I hear an echo of their drama class days. In the key, I imagine all the memories created in their post-college house. And in the bride-and-bridesmaid mouse ears that Amy brought back from Disney Land, I see the next big moment in their friendship — the unforgettable memory of watching your best friend become someone’s wife.

Meet Bea, freshly 7 years old. She'd choose a vintage dress over a new one any day. She's a mother to two stuffed animals, Pup-Pup and Buttercup (who bears a striking resemblance to the dog she once had). Her favorite book is Cece Bell's "Bee-Wigged," a tale about a bee whose kindness and generosity earns him great friends.

Bea was so fun to photograph! Check out the images from our session last Sunday.

I've thought about this question a lot lately. After years behind the camera, why is now the right time to start a business? And then I realized ... the answer is in the question.

For more than five years, I've been honing this skill, this ability to create a photograph that tells a story, catches an eye and evokes a feeling. While I have so much to learn about successfully managing a business (taking advice starting ... now), I believe my passion, experience and your support will take me far.

A dog-ear from a book — a simple way of marking a meaningful page, a page you'll return to every so often to become inspired once again.

In the same way, photographs serve as dog-ears for our lives. They bring us back to moments otherwise forgotten. They represent meaningful lines in our story.

Before I sat down to design my logo, I had to decide what would set my images apart from the rest. After 11 years studying and practicing journalism, that decision was pretty easy: Your story.

My hope is that every portrait session will seek to answer important questions: What defines who you are right now? What inspires you? What makes your relationship with your child, spouse, parent, sibling or best friend so meaningful? If your life were a book, which moments would you dog-ear?

Take a look through my work, learn a little about me and decide if my style and outlook are right for you.