Dani Leigh Photography

Bye bye blogspot

2010-01-14T17:48:00.005-05:00

Blogspot has been my home for more than a year now, but it is time to grow up and pay for my own spot. Please, please, please, bookmark my new blog!!!

Dani Leigh's New Blog

Sayulita

2010-01-10T22:07:00.003-05:00

So, Sayulita. What an awesome place.

It is about 25 miles north, I believe, of Puerto Vallarta. It is described by most people as a hippie, surfer village. And it definitely is.

It is definitely a place where you go to chill. I sat on the beach and drank cerveza and sangria and pina coladas larger than my head. Literally.

But regardless of all that, it is a seriously awesome place to take photos. Downtown has all these eclectic shops and people peddling jewelry and blankets and other odds and ends. And the colors! Everything is painted. No one wears or paints things beige and black, everything is vibrant and stimulating.

I love ironic things like huge phallic symbols amongst beautiful flowers.

The plaza is the center of the town. There are usually street performers and tons of people milling about.

Food in Sayulita was amazing. Anything I ate, was better than anything I had eaten before. My favorite place, where I easily could have eaten every day, was Rollie's. Rollie himself greeted us and got us all settled at a table. He was a long time educator and principal in Salinas, California. He apparently had a dream of opening up a restaurant and then fell in love with Sayulita. And after his retirement, his dream came true! His wife, Jeanne made the best recommendations for breakfast. I had what was called Jeanne's Benedict, which was poached eggs on a toasted talera bun, with a special pablano chili sauce, topped with machaca which is the most amazing beef in the world served with potatoes, tomatoes, avocados and of course, refried beans. I could have gotten a side of toast but opted for the most amazing flat pancake ever, smothered in honey. Amazing.

And that morning, I couldn't decide what I wanted to drink. So I got a bunch. Hey, I was on vacation.

Choco Banana was always packed. We were able to get a bar spot one morning, there breakfast is delicious and so our their Frosti Choco's.

On the one rainy day, we went to the Tequila Bar which is right by Sayulita Fish Taco. This place was awesome. It only had a 5 or 6 bar stools and 100s of different types of tequilas. In Mexico, tequila is almost treated like wine here. They don't shoot it, they sip it, and there are specific instructions on sipping, and things you should do when you are trying a tequila, just like we do for wine. This was the huge wall of tequilas.

And this is my awesome margarita made with a really smooth tequila.

We stayed a bit up from the plaza on a quiet, very steep dirt road. I should mention that no one really has an address in Sayulita. The directions to the casita were to take the third right after the big rock.

Well, this is the big rock.

And this is Casita Tarzan.

The views from the casita were beautiful.

And this was my view when the sun was setting, right there on the side of the casita.

Sayulita was definitely a remarkable place. I really love going places and feeling like I am somewhere totally different from home. The first place I ever really felt like that was the French Quarter of New Orleans. I am glad I felt that way here.

So many more photos to show you! And a whole wedding to blog about!

Hola! Feliz Ano Nuevo!

2010-01-10T03:27:00.002-05:00

I have just returned to 23 degree weather from paradise! I have spent the most amazing week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where I photographed Jen and Marc's Dia de los Muertos themed wedding.

What an awesome experience! I took so many photos, rang in the New Year, learned how to make guacamole, spoke some Spanish, smiled, ate some amazing foods, drank too many cervezas, asked for more cerveza and too much tequila, and laughed a lot.

I have so many photos to share so bear with me, I have to do it in sections. Today is just to make you jealous. These were three immediate favs when I loaded them.

This was taken right on the beach below where the wedding was.

Sunset at the home of the wedding.

This is the view from the groom's parent's house. Beautiful framing on my part. Ha.

Lots more to come!

Ollie Post 8 inches of Snow

2009-12-19T12:42:00.002-05:00

Dear Ollie,

A few weeks ago you experienced your first snow. A dinky, pathetic snow compared to what you experienced just now. You still looked stunned as I opened the front door and the snow was blowing in and it was freezing. But you looked at me and then the snow and hopped right in. Literally.

I am not sure if you peed or pooped at all because it would have been beneath the surface of the snow, but that doesn't matter. You looked like you were having fun. Especially when you were chasing Sunny but had to leap 8ish inches vertically in order to make a forward motion at all.

Now you are in my house getting everything wet. But I still love you. You are my little snowman.

Love,
Mom

My little snowman and his space heater.

Quiet and Contemplative

2009-12-17T12:29:00.003-05:00

He is thinking about attacking the birds outside now, wish he could have done so without waking me up earlier. But his royal highness needed his Purina fed to him immediately. This is more like his food coma.

She said I could!

2009-12-15T16:04:00.002-05:00

So I am! World, my best friend is... wait for it, wait for it...

Knocked up!!

It makes me so happy that she has a tini P growing in there.

Opie is already a good dad!

We got some without tini P too.

This is Opie in his business suit. :-) And his canine Prime.

They are so cute.

Congrats, RAF! Oh our inside jokes... displayed for the blogging world to see. Love ya!

First Christmas Card of the Season!

2009-12-10T16:01:00.003-05:00

And of course, it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

But then again, any card that comes addressed to me and all 4 of my animals with their names all spelled out on the front is just awesome.

My animals were super excited! They never get mail!

You can't tell here but Ollie is dying because I said leave it. There were whimpering noises going "But! But! But!"

Sunny knew exactly to start at the end. After of course smelling out Ellie, the sender's pup.

Ollie wanted to tear right into it! See how much he loves mail! So much you can't leave it anywhere he can reach it!

Ohhhhhhhhh! Look how authentic!

Barley is a bit more sophisticated and reads things with great intention. He's so dignified.

Inside was just as awesome as the outside. I love Dr. Seuss quotes, especially from The Grinch!

Thanks so much, Jen and Marc!

And amazing work again, Rachel!

Feel free to send me your Christmas cards this year! Especially if you used a photo I took! I would love to feature them on my blog! Address is obviously on the envelope above.

My Brother, My Hero

2009-12-07T23:30:00.007-05:00

I have been meaning to put words to these photos for awhile now. Today is the day.

I used to hate having siblings. I used to ask my Mom why did she have more? While, I know I was by no means a perfect child, far from it in fact, I guess I didn’t feel it necessary to have more. I was good enough, ya know? But now, I cannot imagine my life without them. All 3 of them.

I used to be really close with Brett. I’m not sure he would agree, but I felt like I had a pretty good bond with him for awhile. I remember when he went to college, things changed a bit since he kind of had his own thing going on and Daren was the brother who was home and I lived nearby. I hadn’t really been close with Daren like I was Brett. Daren was always in to playing war and watching the history channel and running around in the woods. Things I was just not into at all. See below.

But with Brett gone and Daren home, and me wanting to cling close to my family, I foraged a good relationship with him too, which to be honest, I was not ever sure was possible. I learned to appreciate our differences. While I cannot talk with him about politics, he does have some quality points …I guess. While I don't watch the history channel, he did watch some ok things. He liked to talk and was a good listener which meant a lot to me. I enjoyed our time together.

And then it came time for him to go to college. School had never been this kid’s thing. I was nervous for him because I knew my parents would at least make him try it. And he did. He lasted a whole semester at WVU doing ROTC but after a lot of thought he was finally able to admit that it wasn’t for him and that he wanted to be happy and do something that he felt like he could be good at.

So, what did it decide to do? Join the Army. Believe it or not it took him 8 months to get in the Army. One would think with all that we have going on abroad right now, having a stupid pin in your foot would not prevent one from getting into the Army. But while his medical records sat one some guys desk, Daren no so patiently waited, and I was secretly grateful because it meant more time I got to spend with him. And he could help with my pups when I was busy with work. :-) But soon enough, he got his date to go to boot camp.

We finally got to have a party for Daren. He didn’t really get a graduation party from high school like Brett and I did, not sure why, we are a busy family, I am sure that has something to do with it. But August 1st, Daren had a wonderful send off equipped with the coolest cake ever (mainly because that was my assignment).

A few months later Daren graduated from infantry school and has really become a soldier in every sense of the word. I hopped on a plane with the rest of my family and went down to the most deserted place in Georgia: Ft. Benning.

I can see why Daren hated it so much there. It was cold, rainy, and ghetto as all hell. The post wasn’t so bad – just typical. I was surprised at how many questions I had for him. I wanted to know everything he had been through and would constantly point to people and ask what they were doing, as if he knows. But much to my surprise, he did sometimes.

Daren did get to take some photos and even a video of his barracks.

Ft. Benning from Danielle Giannandrea on Vimeo.

This made me worrisome. It is on the wall right by Daren's bunk.

I'm not sure I could have dealt with this... Not to mention the fact that there were urinals in the woman's bathroom.

This is Melly - post very early morning flight. We were pretty tired.

This is me! A good one by Momma.

Day one there we literally got right off the plane, got into our really small for 8 people GMC, grabbed a bite to eat, and made the 2 hour trek to Ft. Benning for Daren’s Turning Blue ceremony. The turning blue ceremony is where Daren gets his blue Infantry cord which goes on his Class A uniform. It was quite impressive.

This is little Rod. (Daren being big Rod, of course, because our last name is Rodman). Little Rod's family could not make the trip down for graduation from Washington state. But our family was proud of him too. He is with Daren in Germany currently and will also be deployed with him in a few months.

One thing I love about Daren is his inability to keep a straight face during anything. I love that he is constantly holding back a smile.

Even with his drill sergeant.

Daren had a lot of pride when we picked him up and you could see it in his being. It was quite impressive.

Sheldon had pride too, of course. It just didn't come off quite the same.

The next day we all went to Daren’s graduation ceremony which was on post on a huge cement field. They did demonstrations I probably could have done without and presented awards and had speeches. Basically, your typical graduation, except Army style.

Everyone thought these two looked like brothers:

After a quick bite to eat, we were back in the car, making our way to the airport. I have never been more proud to walk through the airport. I will admit that I normally feel pretty entitled walking through the airport because I really like going places and I feel important with a boarding pass in my hand. Don’t ask, I have no idea why. But walking through the airport with literally everyone looking at your little brother is awesome. Even more awesome was when we were about to land and one of the flight attendants stopped and spoke with my brother and another soldier on the plane and got on the loud speaker and made everyone aware that there were 2 soldiers on the plane today – one coming home from Iraq and one leaving soon as well. The whole plane applauded. It was pretty amazing to me, and made me totally teary. But my god, I cry every time they say “Move that bus!” on Extreme Home Makeover.

This past Saturday it snowed. Which seemed too perfect and too fitting since Saturday was Daren’s last day in the America for a long time. My mom made a home cooked meal and we all sat around like we did when we were little, said the blessing, waited for Daren to ask “How was everyone’s day?” before we started to recount what we did, and lingered until someone started cleaning up dishes. I loved it. It was exactly what I would have wanted if it was my last day at home. I hope it was for him too.

Daren is part of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment and is stationed in Germany for a few months before being deployed to Afghanistan. He is excited and wants to see a lot of things before his deployment. While he is still the same old Daren, the Army has turned him into a proud, confident, and quality Soldier. I am really happy to be his sister, then and now.

I still hate 495...

2009-12-07T19:05:00.001-05:00

...but the beautiful sky tonight was a perk of the 1 hour and 45 minute commute to work. (Don't judge, taken with my droid)

First Snow!

2009-12-07T00:35:00.003-05:00

First off, I want to apologize. I know that posting has been light but it is because none of you have booked any fun sessions with me and I'm all out of weddings for 2009. Shucks.

Second, it snowed in Maryland before Christmas!!! I loved it. I woke up yesterday morning and had my shade up and all I could see was white.... and all I could hear was Ollie scratching at the baby gate I have in front of my bedroom door to inform me that he was ready to go outside. Right. This. Instant. But it was ok because I was secretly excited to get up and take him out for his first snow extravaganza.

So, I got up, threw on an oversized sweatshirt, that was most likely laying on the floor from the night before (because, folks, that is what I do, I come home from work I change into a huge pair of sweat pants and a big sweatshirt and my slippers), and got the leashes on the pups just in case the crazy lady who hates dogs is out and opened the front door. Sunny proceeded as usually, elegantly trotting out of the doorway, down the steps to her pee spot. But Olliemonster looked startled and stood in the doorway. As I began walking out the poor thing pulled his leash towards the house and there were actually whimpering noises coming from him. I thought my little fearless monster would be all about the snow. So, I had to pick him up, take him down the stairs, and while he was squirming in my arms, I plopped him right smack down in the snow.

I figured full emersion therapy would be the best tactic. He got used to it pretty quick and was soon enough running around with Sunny which I thought was just adorable.

It really tuckered them out.

By the way...these were taken with my craptastic, dinky camera, it was wet snow, so no heavy duty cameras were used.

Teasers - Mason is 1!!!

2009-11-28T15:25:00.004-05:00

And he is perhaps the cutest thing I have ever seen.

More to come from this shoot soon! I just thought since turning 1 is such a big accomplishment, Mason deserved a post of his own.

Just to Review...

2009-11-25T09:57:00.003-05:00

Things I love about Houston/Kemah (taken less than a month ago, fyi):

Things I hate about Maryland currently:

I just want to squeeze him.

2009-11-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

SOOC

Teasers - Jane and Ron's Trash the Dress

2009-11-22T20:15:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I shot Jane and Ron's Trash the Dress session in Washington, DC. The thing about DC is that one has to have a license to photograph on/around the monuments. And this photographer right here, lacks said license. So, instead we took as many shots as we could before someone would inevitably come and chase us away. We just had to make sure we did not get chased away by the same person more than once.

The first place we tried not to kicked out of is the Jefferson Memorial. Thought we owed it to Jefferson to let him be a focal point of this first one.

Moving around the side of the memorial made it a little better.

But you see...Jane is laughing above because poor Ron got his nice suede jacket pooped on by a bird. So, it wasn't all that much better after all.

So we ditched the jacket and got some portraits.

I like this one. Ron is leaning in and Jane is still looking at him. So cute.

Then we wandered over to the Capitol building.

And Library of Congress.

But my favorites are the street and neighborhood photos.

My favorite from all day.

So much fun!! Thanks, Jane and Ron!

Teasers - Lauren Edition - Emily and Tim

2009-11-16T14:40:00.003-05:00

Again, incredible. Thanks, Lauren! You are the bestest!

Wedding Invitations!

2009-11-16T14:26:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned that I am going to Mexico to photograph a wedding and to vacation in less than 40 days? Well. I am. And I am so excited about it.

One of the things I love about my job other than the job myself, is being included in things like the invitations and save the dates and all that jazz. I love it.

The Mexico wedding invites went out a few weeks ago and I have been meaning to put up photos of them. I'm so excited about all the Day of the Dead "stuff" associated with this wedding. It is going to be amazing!

These were made by Kindly R.S.V.P. designs

Can't wait!

FB!

2009-11-12T08:12:00.002-05:00

Dani Leigh Photography is now on Facebook! And I am super excited about it! :-)

Click here to become a FAN!!!

Choose Fun!

2009-11-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

I love this.

Teasers - Jane and Ron!

2009-11-08T12:09:00.004-05:00

Jane and Ron are married! And I was fortunate enough to be the one to photograph it all. As usual, I had a great time shooting some relaxed portraits, amazing details and real moments.

A bride who chooses flats is smart. Especially super cute ones.

There were six flower girls. Six! You'll see them later. For now you just get to see the shoes they will eventually grow into.

The bridesmaid's bouquets were gorgeous! The colors were tremendous and wonderful to photograph.

The bride's bouquet - also stunning.

Jane seemed super relaxed which made the day just so much more laid back. And she is just so nice. Such a wonderful person to be around all day.

I loved the wedding emergency kit! Came in handy.

The ladies getting ready. I just love them in black and white.

This is the maid of honor. She was an absolute doll but then again so were Jessica, Chris, and Daphne.

This is Jane's momma helping her get ready. Also one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met. I really honestly could not ge over how nice everyone was.

After Jane was all dolled up, we went to the courtyard where the groom saw her for the first time. I loved it. But honestly can't decide whether I like the color or black and white one better. So, they get both. :-)

Then the picture taking really got underway! The sun was bright but this spot was so perfect.

We went back inside so everyone could warm up. I love this one!

Look at all these little girls!!! How cute?

And this little monster! (This is Gabriel, from the Lee Family Photos earlier this year! I have to thank them, they are how Jane and Ron heard about me.)

After lunch and nap time, the ceremony got underway. This one was tuckered out.

I liked their rings. Very simple but made...with love.

The details in the reception were beautiful. It felt like fall and smelled delicious. Mmm...carrot cake.

After the recption, everyone got bells to ring as they made their getaway.

Thanks so much, Jane and Ron! I had a wonderful day!

And remember (I just loved this):

Teasers Lauren Edition - Megan and Vincenzo

2009-10-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

I am just now getting to Lauren's work for Megan and Vincenzo's wedding. I wanted to just take a second to show everyone how amazingly talented she is. These are just gorgeous. I'm very, very lucky she hasn't left me to photograph Jimmy Choo shoes all day.

She is incredible. :-)

Oh the cuteness

2009-10-26T04:10:00.000-04:00

I love this little monster.

Teasers - Jaime and Andrew!!

2009-10-25T19:52:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday, a very rainy October 17th, Jaime and Andrew were married!

Everything took place at a hotel in Westminster. The flowers were one of the first things we stole to take photos of! I can't wait to see Lauren's. She found a gorgeous painted wood armoir. I found a stack of wood. :-)

Lauren claims she has seen this before, but I had never seen one and thought it was truly unique.

Jaime was an absolute doll. Her dress was gorgeous and she also picked the cutest bridesmaids dresses.

Andrew was pretty laid back and calm. And looking pretty sharp.

Here is my favorite moment - groom seeing his bride for the first time.

The cute couple.

Andrew is a goof.

So is his brother.

There were some cuties there! This is Andrew and Jaime's niece!

One of my favorite things about this wedding is that they did not use typical table numbers. Instead, they used memories the have together. I liked this one.

The reception was definitely fun when the DJ started picking up the pace of the music! The bridesmaids were out on the dance floor most of the night!

This lady was one of my favorites. Lauren and I decided we want to be just like her when we grow up.

Lauren and I would like to own this girl's dress.

Here is Jaime and her dad.

And this is Jaime and her guys.

Cutest grandma ever.

And oh my goodness I have been dying for this to happen. Thank you for doing it!

It was a pleasure, Andrew and Jaime! I love my mums that are adorning my front porch! Hope the honeymoon was spectacular!

Teasers - Emily and Tim's Wedding!

2009-10-12T18:11:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday was Emily and Tim's wedding day.

One of the awesome things about this day is that I didn't have to be anywhere until 2pm. So I caught up on some TV, and prayed the rain would go away. And it did!

Lauren and I started the day at Crowne Plaza where the gals were getting ready.

Lauren gets creative with the shoe photos... she says she wants to only be a shoe and jewelry photographer. But she does so well with everything else! I need her! See why??

And she is taller than me so she can reach the places I need her to hang dresses up.

But I think I might have her beat with my jewelry shots this time.

The bathroom counter on a wedding day is not complete without the normal hotel amenities, makeup, hair spray, curling irons and today... chik-fil-a nuggets and sauce. Mmmm.

This is the beautiful bride! Ain't she purrrrrrrrrrrrty!?

Once the girls were close to being ready we snuck over to the Embassy Suites to see what the fellas were up to. Much to my surprise, they had shoes I wanted to take photos of!

This guy made for a fun day. This is Nick, the best man. He was quite a character and had way to much energy. Not sure what else to say about him. I will leave it open to the comments section. But he was great to have around.

Especially for photos like this:

Or when I am trying to get a serious one of the groom really getting ready, I can't help but catch him in the mirror after he was talking about how the last time he wore suspenders he pulled them out and let them snap back so much his nipples were bruised. Ha.... Love it.

We got some cool shots of the guys before going over to Padonia Park Club for the rest of the day.

Emily got her dress on at Padonia. Which was nice because there was so much more room there.

The ceremony, performed by Reverend Bonnie aka Aunt Bonnie, whose credentials come from that of the Universal Life Church. Which I also love. It was a great short yet sweet ceremony.

We got some shots before the sun went down. The colors were gorgeous.

And when we were waking back up we spotted this gorgeous sky we had to get a photo with!

The reception was a blast. I mean how could it not be with Ben Nash rocking out to Miley and Don't Sop Believing? I think this looks exactly like the one I took at Rachel's wedding... hmmm...

And of course this guy...

I think they really love each other. :-)

This girl, Mandy, I owe a lot of free meals to. She is the reason I have taken a lot of photos on this website. She is great at PR for my company. And she knows it.

I loveeeeeeeed the cake topper. How cute??

Couldn't have done it without my Lauren!

Emily and Tim - I had so much fun! Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the pics!...and that both of you are enjoying the new Backstreet Boys cd!

Teasers - Brad and Cecilia

2009-10-03T18:18:00.003-04:00

This is Brad.

This is Cecilia.

They have been married for a year and wanted to celebrate that with a fun afternoon of photo taking! These two were simply delightful to get to know, funny and goofy and are super cute together. Don't you think so?

Goofy.

Hope you like them so far!!!

Teasers - Wei and Bill - Trash the Dress

2009-10-03T12:41:00.004-04:00

This morning I got to spend with Wei and Bill, the couple whose wedding I photographed about 2 months ago. We did their trash the dress session in Canton. I think they turned out pretty good!

Teasers - Megan and Vincenzo

2009-09-22T19:35:00.004-04:00

This weekend was just wonderful. Literally. Friday afternoon I left to pick up Lauren at work in Annapols and then we both drove down to Soloman's Island for Megan and Vincenzo's wedding. Friday was the first time I had met the bride and groom and they were just as delightful as I had imagined they would be. They are from Boston so all of our conversations prior to Friday had occurred on the phone. I'm sure there are many challenges with trying to plan a wedding from that far away, but they did an absolutely splendid job.

Friday evening was a big cookout for all of the out of town guests and members of the bridal party at Soloman's Yatching Center. It was perfect weather and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.

This photo set the tone for me for the evening.

And they had these little guys. Yum.

The bride, Megan has a beautiful smile that is just contagious.

This is Massimo, the groom's hysterical brother on the corn.

Loved the baskets of flowers.

There were a lot of folks from far out of town, I believe these are a few with the bride!

This guy had his sunglasses around his neck the whole 2 days I was there.

This photo is just awesome. It was when the sun was going down and the real party was about to begin. Groom is doing what he called the "scratch the leg." :-) But I didn't get that part, just this.

The bride and her sis.

The aftermath.

And earlier when I said the real party, what I meant by that is keg stands off the mini keg, pictured here:

And a whole 3 picnic table long flip cup.

Oh. And shotgunning beers. I loved every minute of it.

The bride and groom.

The next day was a pretty relaxing day for Lauren and I. We went to the Calvert Marine Museum after sleeping in a bit and wandering about the town.

We started with the groom and his groomsmen. We got so many shots of them. Soooo many that I haven't had time to go through them all. I went straight for the trolley photos and these are my two favorites. I'm sure that somewhere I have a photo of the groom not making a goofy face but these are so much more fun.

This is at the gazebo in Soloman's. I love it.

Then I went over to the gals who were just fnishing up getting ready.

Look at those gorgeous eyes!

After the ceremony, we were running out of light but were still able to ge some great ones.

The reception was in this big and really nice room at the school that is connected to the church.

The bride's brother is overseas right now but called her right after the ceremony was over. Her mom had a photo enlarged to have at the reception.

The groom's sister is just awesome. She is super funny and great to be around.

There was a bit of a competition going on fo biggest party table between numbers 6 and 9. I honestly can't remember which one this is, but I think it's 9.

Once dinner was over and the bride and groom had their first dance, the dance floor opened up. And man, I have never seen so many people jump out of their seats to dance. I loved it. This is the groom's mom teaching someone to do the Twist! He apparently wasn't shaking his butt enough.

Megan, Vincenzo - you all definitely know how to throw a good party! I had a great time! Hope you are having fun on your honeymoon!

Away for the weekend - info

2009-09-18T11:50:00.002-04:00

1. I'm leaving for the weekend to Soloman's Island to photograph Vincenzo and Megan's beautiful waterside wedding! And not to mention a crab feast rehearsal dinner.

2. I did my first boudoir shoot yesterday! Had a lot of fun! Posting some of the non naughty ones below.

3. GO RAVENS!!!!!!!!

4. Have a safe and happy weekend.

Incredible Story

2009-09-16T02:49:00.002-04:00

My wedding photographer, posted this today and I wanted to pass it along. It is a very amazing and touching story. Please see the link below.

A Wedding to Remember

Little Bennett Golf Course at Sunrise

2009-09-16T02:01:00.004-04:00

This was the morning of Chris and Rachel's wedding. The sky was beautiful.

Pups

2009-09-11T00:27:00.003-04:00

It is hard to contain the enthusiasm in this one...not. Like seriously woman, put the camera down and give me a treat.

Teasers - Stanley, Erin, Shelby and Georgia

2009-09-09T20:08:00.002-04:00

Today I got to photograph a gorgeous family. They live in a beautiful home north of Baltimore with their huge labrador! The rain held off so we got to roam about the gigantic yard. Here are some of the pretty family!

This is Shelby! She is a doll!

And this cutie pie is Georgia!

Sisters!

Thank you so much Erin and Stanley! I hope you like them so far!

Full Circle.

2009-09-09T03:48:00.005-04:00

Today, I get to take photos of a super cute family. This specific photo was originally posted in my first ever post on this blog and I am so excited to get to see how the family has grown since this little one. I hear there is a ne baby girl for me to take photos of! :-)

Check back tomorrow for more photos of their family!

Teasers - Rachel and Chris!

2009-09-07T23:08:00.005-04:00

September 5th, Rachel and Chris got married at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, MD. Right after Grace and Clay's wedding, I went home, slept and woke up a few hours later to meet the guys of the wedding at Little Bennett golf course. I got some really nice shots. The sun was just coming up and the air was crisp and cool.

Happy Groom.

Best Man who continuously brought up how much he wanted french toast. :-)

This is Fred. He was funny. He set up my shots for me. Told me exactly when to click and where to stand. Glad I was in the right spot for this one...and I must say I have awesome timing.

This guy charges $10 a photo so I only got this one.

I like this one.

A couple hours after golf was over I went over to Luxuria Salon and Spa to meet some of the gals and then made my way over to Turf Valley.

I loved her tiara.

Recognize this gal? Perhaps you would if I mentioned the Fed Hill background and gorgeous Maggie Sottero gown.

Rachel dove through her dress!

And then made the cutest faces ever.

While the gals were getting ready, the guys were ready for the party outside.

The ceremony took place in a gazebo outside. It was gorgeous weather and the sun was shining through the trees just right.

Got some shots outside afterwards before the real party started.

Pretty, earthy centerpieces.

Got some tears during the Matron of Honor's toast - very cute.

Horah!!!

Party!

These are my two favorite sibs!

This is my October 10th bride rocking out! Can't wait!

And this is my brother's friend from high school. The song that was playing in the one above and this one was Midnight Train. I was singing too!

Cute one of the bride's brother and nephew!

And the wedding would not have been complete without inappropriate yet fun photos with the photographer, since we do know each other! :-) (Photos by the Lovely Lauren)

Sooooo much fun guys! Hope you are having fun on your "boat!"

Teasers - Grace and Clayton's Wedding!

2009-09-06T13:49:00.004-04:00

Friday, September 4th, Grace and Clay got married at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, MD. They had perfect weather and a gorgeous setting and I loved photographing every second of it.

First sign it was going to be an awesome day: the bride wore red shoes.

Second sign it was going to be an awesome day: the bride had two dresses! Here is the one she changed into during the reception.

Grace was perfectly relaxed it seemed. It is always great to be around a bride like that.

She had 7 bridesmaids to help her get ready. And she needed it with this dress!

I thought she looked like Cinderella.

Gorgeous flowers:

I have always wanted this shot. In fact, Grace and Clay fulfilled a lot of my "I wish I had a shot like this..." dreams. They hadn't seen each other yet!

There was great light outside for photos.

I love love love this one.

The bridesmaids were there too!

The groomsmen came out to play too! Grace wanted to show off her red shoes.

When the bride was all hidden upstairs, we brought the groom out. Did I mention that he was a Marine? I think I might have left that detail out in my earlier posts. Looks pretty sharp, huh?

The ceremony got started not long after. Grace was all smiles while her dad escorted her down the aisle.

And this! Oh my goodness I love this! He is NOT adjusting his hat, no matter what he might say in the years to come. That even made me teary eyed.

I really like this shot. The groomsmen on the right even got out of line at one point durng the ceremony to snap a shot of the bride and groom. That was a first for me. And also earned him the title of Official "That Guy" for the remainder of the wedding day. There's always one.

The kiss!

While the bridal party was getting their portraits taken, the bride and groom had arranged to have traditional Peruvian dancers to entertain the guests.

After the ceremony, we got some great shots.

Another one of my I really want this photo, photos.

Party got started right after that!

Cake cutting! The woman in the brown dress in the left of this photo after actually made the cake. Cute cake topper too! She is pinching his butt!

Clay was also nice enough to share with his groomsmen.

After that, they both changed into some less restrictive clothing so they could really let loose!

And then they fulfilled two more of my photos dreams. :-)

Grace and Clay, it was an honor to photograph your beautiful wedding. I hope you enjoyed the pics so far! They are turning out beautifully.

Fat Cat Barley

2009-09-02T05:08:00.001-04:00

This cat is double the size of Ollie and I think he is feeling left out since I am always taking photos of the dogs now. Or maybe he's loving life even more, who knows...

Love.

2009-09-01T03:45:00.000-04:00

I think everyone should search far and wide because I really want this ring that my buddy Megan has.

Happy September!

SOOC

Shhhh...

2009-08-31T05:33:00.000-04:00

the beasts are sleeping....

Uh oh...one woke up and gave me this evil glare...shutter is not quite as quiet as I would have liked.

By the way, poor photo quality because these are taken in almost complete darkness using available light from a doorway that was cracked open. Not sooo bad.

It's Starting.

2009-08-30T08:55:00.000-04:00

It's almost my favorite season! Just because of all the pretty colors. And the cool crisp air. Mmmm. I'm looking forward to it.

But I think this is my Mom's least favorite season, so to her all the leaves are ugly and brown. :-) At least I don't have to rake them.

Fire Flower

2009-08-29T03:36:00.000-04:00

Pretty Purple

2009-08-28T03:36:00.001-04:00

Black-Eyed Susans

2009-08-27T03:32:00.002-04:00

So pretty.

Bumble Bee

2009-08-26T03:32:00.000-04:00

Sunset in the garden.

2009-08-25T18:27:00.000-04:00

Same photo as that last one - just experimenting with some texture. Feedback welcome!

Going out of town with this girl on Thursday to NY/NYC, so look forward to some pretty plants I have pre-posted while I'm gone:

Update! Wei and Bill!

2009-08-25T06:46:00.002-04:00

So close to having your photos completed!

Check out Lauren's photo taking skills combined with my editing skills! (Coming Soon: a whole meet Lauren post, it's in the works!)

My favorite - happy couple with the photographers!

Parachute - She is Love (Acoustic)

2009-08-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

Keith Urban and Sugarland

2009-08-24T02:13:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday Lauren and I went to see Keith Urban and Sugarland at the Verizon Center! This is us looking cute:

See? Two gorgeous blue eyed blondes could be photographing your next event!

Anyway, back to the show. I didn't know that I liked Sugarland and Keith Urban as much as I now do. They put on a tremendous show. Jennifer Nettles was so much fun to watch and they both put a lot of energy and emotion into their act. That little tiny woman in red boots is Jennifer Nettles.

And after an hour of them singing to me, KEITH came out to sing to us. Now, I know a lot of Keith Urban songs but I always kind of thought of him as a snob. I don't know what it is, but he always seemed to have some sort of smug look to him. Thursday's show wiped away that impression. He was fun and seemed down to earth. He moved around the arena, even sang one song in the stands with his light up guitar. He went to a stage that was set up in the back of the arena and said "Who has the best seats now??" Also worthy of noting - he introduced each of his back up singers/guitar/bass players - they all have AMAZING voices.

Keith is on the right in this one. Yes, I can call him Keith. I feel like I know him well enough now.

To prove his awesomeness, you all should watch this video, which I'm not allowed to embed in this blog for some reason - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_1i3FSRbug watch until the end!!

My only problem with the whole show was this:

Yep. Right in front of that silhouette is the stage that was blocked by her stupid sailboat covered shirt. Annoying.

Also - if you ever go to a concert at the Verizon Center and drive down, you should really try to park where we did. I am going to try really hard to remember the name of the building but it was off F Street by the International Spy Museum's Gift Shop. Cost $15 but that is about 50% less than what you would pay one block up and there was little to no waiting at all to get out of the garage when the concert ended. Perfect!

Sticks and Dogs Take 2

2009-08-23T10:07:00.002-04:00

The dogs are in a duel for this stick.

You can't really tell, but Sunny has a stick in her mouth and that is definitely what Ollie is after. I love this photo.

Sticks and Dogs

2009-08-22T10:01:00.004-04:00

I don't get it but these pups are obsessed with sticks - to fetch, to play keep away with, to sneak into the house, to gnaw on. As long as it keeps them entertained, I guess it is fine by me.

I think it is super cute that even when it is over 90 degrees outside and I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes that are out because it is ridiculously humid, that Ollie still cuddles up right beside Sunny for his stick gnawing.

SOOC -

Friday Nights

2009-08-21T21:59:00.003-04:00

are for laying on the cold, hardwood floors after running around outside all day.

Be prepared for a dog filled weekend of photos! I feel like I have been neglecting them on here lately.

Dogsitting Gracie

2009-08-20T03:46:00.000-04:00

Teasers - Wei and Bill

2009-08-17T15:09:00.005-04:00

I know. It's been more than a week since these gorgeous people got married. I have been busy but it was worth the wait, I promise.

I am beginning to really love day weddings, not that I don't like night weddings, but there is something sweet and almost cute about getting married during the day.

Me and Lauren's day started at a hotel nearby where all the gals were getting ready.

I went a little overboard taking photos of these Jimmy Choo's. I'm a tad jealous. This is just one photo, but trust me, for some reason I have a good 30 of them on my memory card.

And her pretty, pretty dress!

I love this one.

Check out these blooms! Perfect for an outdoor, daytime wedding.

And cute kids, wow, I could do a whole post on the cute kids at this wedding. But I have two for now. One here before the ceremony. Cute as a button flower girl.

After the ceremony, we walked around the gardens for some fun shots. I think they all turned out splendidly.

I could have taken photos of them on this bridge all day.

:-) Balloons.

After the bride and groom shoot, Lauren and I packed all the stuff up and followed the Rolls to Mrs. K's Toll House for the reception.

Where there was a live band!!! I'm a sucker for live bands. Mostly because they are just so much more fun to photograph than DJ's. Although DJ's do provide me with some entertaining images as well.

Know what else I am a sucker for? Cake. Yummy. Yummy. Cake.

Oh and brides who change into sexy red dresses for the reception.

Oh and cute little kids. Especially this one who wouldn't smile at me at all prior to the reception. He only smiled when I stole his balloon from him. But after that I got some great shots.

Wei and Bill, thanks so much for letting me share your day with you! I hope you enjoy these, and can't wait to get the rest done for you!

Update! Grace and Clayton!

2009-08-10T23:04:00.005-04:00

Seriously, almost done with your photos! I love them all! I think I am making myself an album to show off to my potential clients! :-)

Can't wait until the wedding!

Sunday is for Editing

2009-08-09T10:58:00.001-04:00

Almost done with Jen and Marc's photos - loving this one!

Teasers - Wei and Bill

2009-08-07T21:31:00.002-04:00

Today I got to spend an hour in the most tranquil and gorgeous place I have been in a long time and tomorrow I am so excited to be shooting a wedding there.

I met Wei and Bill a couple months ago and knew I wanted to photograph their wedding. It's hard to believe the day is already here.

This is Wei, ain't she pretty?

Bill isn't so bad either! Ha, kidding, Bill.

Wedding party has some great smiles!

Look at these steps! And the flowers!

And the happy mom!

Can't wait for tomorrow you two!

Typical Thursday Night - SOOC

2009-08-06T23:23:00.000-04:00

Wish I got an Ikea catalog every week!

Chubby Bunny - SOOC

2009-08-04T12:07:00.000-04:00

Have you ever played chubby bunny? We used to play at middl school dances or camp, but Saturday night Julie Weanie P decided we were going to play completely at random. I don't know many people who have marshmallows on stock year round, but i I had to pick one friend who would, Jules would be it.

The winner was Melissa with 9! :-) Big mouth.

Where was I when I shot these?

2009-08-03T12:59:00.003-04:00

I want to play a game. I want you to tell me where I was based on these photos. The more specific you can be the better. Don't cheat and look at the comments. I want to know how many photos it takes before you figure it out. Scroll slowly now.

Teasers - Grace and Clayton

2009-07-27T10:32:00.001-04:00

Washingtonian weekend continues! After I finished up with Jen and Marc, I went down to meet Grace and Clayton down by the monuments. I had so much fun getting to know them and now am incredibly excited to shoot their wedding in just a few months! They are just as sweet as two people can be and we're just a delight to talk to.

Hope you enjoy!

This is my favorite so far:

Teasers - Jen and Marc

2009-07-27T01:21:00.002-04:00

What a weekend! Saturday, I had two engagement shoots that went incredibly well! I got to venture down to DC to do these and really did have a lot of fun.

Hope you like, Jen and Marc!

We met to first take photos at the house where they met. The ugliest house on the block. And I am allowed to say that because they said it first. All the other homes were perfect brick all in a row. And then this. Painted white bricks with blue trim. I think they wouldn't have wanted it any other way. :-)

We ventured down to a little pizza place that they used to frequent. The pizza was delicious! So delicious that any girl would say yes if she was proposed to with it.

Okay, maybe that was a stretch. But this is what he really proposed with.

Recyclng the flower for the next shot.

We went to Rock Creek Park for the last set, and even found a way to get right down by the water.

Thanks so much, Jen and Marc! I had a lot of fun! Hope you got that Sangria you kept talking about!

Looking ahead to Fall!

2009-07-24T06:25:00.000-04:00

Fall is for 2 things: hiking and camping.

I bought these hiking shoes not long after I was cleared to stop wearing that stupid boot. Remember that boot? The one I could pump up with air and then release? Here is a pic if you can't remember it.

Anyway, I like my hiking shoes a lot better than that thing. See?

Well, I had all these good intentions to go running more often and go hiking because of my limitations in that boot. The farthest I got was buying a pair of hiking shoes and taking Sunny out to one trail less than 3 miles from my house. So, Fall Resolutions: go hiking, run more.

Here are my top three trails I want to go on. Let me know if there are others you would recommend.

1. Appalachian Trail - Crampton Gap
2. Loch Raven Reservoir - Merryman Trail
3. C&O Canal - Great Falls - near the middle of October for the prettiest photos!

Update! for Maria and Dan!

2009-07-23T07:45:00.002-04:00

Maria and Dan, I am so close to finishing! I'm loving them all!

Attack Dogs

2009-07-23T06:15:00.002-04:00

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

2009-07-22T09:30:00.001-04:00

I can’t
Whistle. Hard boil eggs (it just never works…) Wear perfume. Be patient. Stand not having my cell phone on me at all times. Stop biting my nails. Remember to take my recyclable grocery bags into the store with me.

I can
Play piano. Talk to a complete stranger. Sing along to every single Taylor Swift song. Drive with my knees. Dive. Resolve every New Year to stop biting my nails. Do a cartwheel.

I won’t
Go to Burger King. Eat brussel sprouts. Bungee jump ever. Be ashamed of my love for country music like I was in high school. Remember your birthday on your birthday but usually the day before or after. Go to my high school reunion. Break my foot ever again.

I will
Shop at Trader Joes all the time especially for mini tacos. Vote on the last episode of American Idol. Shake my head whenever I think about Sarah Palin… Travel as often as possible. Log on to woot.com every morning right after I check all 3 email addresses. Go to my college reunion. Brush my teeth when I am hungry to make me not want to eat especially right before bed.

I shouldn’t
Drink tequila. Miss football as much as I do. Say bad words. Worry. Switch back to AT&T just because I want an iPhone. Complains as much as I do. Spend so much money. Drink caffeine after 2pm.

I should
Run daily. Answer my phone when someone calls…the first time. Call my g-ma more often than I do already. Get a better back up camera. Be proud of my accomplishments. Update my blog. Be a better big sis. Say what I am really thinking all the time. Paint my toenails. Be happy.

SOOC

2009-07-18T09:11:00.000-04:00

An oldie, back when I didn't know how to edit. I miss when Mels used to do this.

My Day Off

2009-07-14T09:55:00.001-04:00

Best Shot Monday

2009-07-13T20:46:00.004-04:00

Some little boys deserve a page all to themseves! Especially boys with cupcake all over their face.

SOOC Saturday

2009-07-11T13:03:00.002-04:00

I am going to start doing something new.It is called Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) Saturday. These photos that I post on Saturdays under this heading are straight from my camera. They are raw, unedited images. And I think we need more of them on this website. Some will be personal, some will be photos I have taken for others, but all have in common that the only thing I did to them was stick my memory card in my card reader and downloaded them to my computer. K? K.

Today, I want to share with you a photo I snapped of Ollie's first bath. He did not like it one bit. And he looks like a little rat when saturated.

A lot of words come to mind...

2009-07-10T12:46:00.000-04:00

Cute, cuddly, teddy bear.... menace, tyrant, butthead.

Ollie and Sunny

2009-07-09T16:43:00.001-04:00

How perfect is this pair??

Teasers - Cary and Crystal

2009-07-09T01:08:00.003-04:00

I feel badly. I never shared more of Cary and Crystal's photos with you all as I promised. They will get to see them all when they wake up in the morning because I finished them late last night and they are all uploading now. Not bad turn around time either! Little more than the last one which is to be expected.

Anyway, I really loved Cary and Crystal's wedding. It was so laid back, go with the flow. They were lucky to have spectacular weather as well.

I was lucky enough to have 2 other photographers with me that day shooting as well! Lauren, whose work will be featured more prominently on here in the next few weeks after she lets me get some shots of her so I can formally introduce her and her awesomeness and Sarah, from Sarah Fletcher Photography who is working to build her portfolio to soon promote her own company!

We started the day off at the church photographing the bride getting ready. I'm a sucker for lace up backs.

And pretty jewelry. (Photo by Lauren)

There was some great light coming in from one of the windows so I made Crystal sit near it. Love the results.

Bridal Party ready to really Party.

See what I mean? Reception was so chill! It was a B-B-Q!!! Mmmm. And they packed us to go bags for the way out!

There were tables inside and out. I love that everyone was wearing sunglasses.

They got a moon bounce for the little kids.... and the adults!

And all the girls made their own bouquets!

The best men were Cary's brothers. This is one of them with his speech. It was cute, he walked around by himself practicing it for a bit before hand.

Mmmm...

They did this dance called the Paddle Dance. I loved it. Google it.

I just love them.

End of a long yet really fun day.

:-)

Congrats, Cary and Crystal! It was wonderful working with you both!

Teasers - Sonia and Shamsher

2009-07-04T21:44:00.002-04:00

A first for Dani Leigh Photography...Today I got to photograph a traditional Sikh wedding ceremony. The reception is tomorrow but I wanted to make sure I got a few up to share with everyone. I learned a lot and will be explaining everything I have photographed within the next few days.

In the meantime, enjoy!

Sonia with her sisters.

Shamsher during the ceremony.

Sonia and her father.

Love this one.

And this one!

The last part of the day is very emotional. The bride leaves her home in clothing that her in-laws provide and her family and friends bid her a tearful farewell as she departs for her new home and life.

So many more to come! Can't wait for tomorrow!

(If you are having trouble viewing all of an image please click on the photo to take you to the full image)

Aww.

2009-06-30T21:32:00.001-04:00

Yep. There is love.

Not the best quality, it is from roomie's iphone.

AWESOME!

2009-06-30T04:52:00.002-04:00

Oh man, one of my dogs is going to be this awesome. Ollie's little legs might not be able to handle it. Sunny...well, she would need to master fetch first. She gets lazy at it too quickly. Shucks.

A Fine Frenzy - You Picked Me

2009-06-29T15:35:00.000-04:00

Haven't posted any music in awhile. So, let me introduce you what I currently have in my CD player in my car.

I think this song has the best lyrics ever.

and all I can say
is you blow me away

like an apple on a tree
hiding out behind the leaves
I was difficult to reach
but you picked me
like a shell upon a beach
just another pretty piece
I was difficult to see
but you picked me,
yeah you picked me

Teasers - Little Ruby

2009-06-28T21:31:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing this little bundle of joy. Her name is Ruby. How cute is that name? And she is just about 8 months old.

She gets her blue eyes from her momma.

And her daddy is pretty awesome at getting her to giggle!

She is just precious.

What a beautiful family!

Brad, Aubrey, it was a pleasure taking photos with you! Thank you so much!

Sit.

2009-06-28T11:32:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Sunny, Ollie knows the sit command. This is him practicing for the 80th time. I think he looks disgruntled. :-)

Meredith

2009-06-27T23:38:00.005-04:00

I promised more. Here are my favs. (Mom these backdrops should all look familiar to you.)

Sunshine

The Rock...hard to miss.

Alright, new background.

Here eyes pop!

I love this one.

I love this door. For real. I want it.

Love this one too. I love the grainy-ness, the black and white, the little bit of motion blur it has. Yeah, I am awesome. Ha. Kidding.

I love this one. I think it's symbolic. There are bigger things. :-)

Check back for baby Ruby tomorrow!

Pondering...

2009-06-26T21:04:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure how I feel about the ice cream man in our neighborhood playing Michael Jackson tunes instead of Do Your Ears Hang Low or the Entertainer.

Be prepared to be jealous.

2009-06-26T11:55:00.003-04:00

This is Ollie.

And he is perhaps a new addition to the family.

I know what you are thinking, Dani, you are nuts. You have animals, a full time job, your own business....blah blah blah. Did you not see his face???

We played outside today.

He isn't much taller than the grass.

He likes the porch.

Sunny likes him....so far.

So, I'm keeping him.

:-)

(If you are having trouble viewing the photos since I have posted them the largest they can go, click on the photo and it will take you to the hosting site)

Teasers - Maria and Daniel

2009-06-21T23:57:00.004-04:00

Maria and Daniel are married! And I was the lucky one they chose to capture it all!

What started out as a rainy and dreary day turned into one of the most gorgeous days so far this wedding season.

Maria was one of the most calm brides I have ever seen, even with the rain, which is great because it made for some beautiful shots of her.

She wore the most gorgeous gown.

All of the details were just perfect.

Like at every wedding, there were little cuties there!

This is probably one of my favorite photos ever. The girls watched 27 Dresses, I guess little Shane had a thing for Katherine Heigl.

About an hour or so before the wedding, the clouds broke and there were bright blue skies. We were able to get some great outdoor shots. The girls were able to walk right down the street to the church.

This is upon finding out we were running a bit behind:

But still the walk down was calm and filled with smiles!

After the ceremony, we had to make a quick stop at their house to get a few odds and ends for the reception. We found out that the groom's car had been broken into. This is what Dan had to say about that. :-) He didn't let it get to him though, it was his wedding day, I don't think much could ruin that.

See? This is right after that shot. They weren't going to let anything or anyone ruin their day. I admire that about them.

Since the weather cleared up we were able to go up to Federal Hill for some fun bridal party shots.

They were pretty brillant at goofy faces.

I love the shots I got of the newlyweds!

My favorite:

The reception was at Valley Mansion. It was gorgeous and the food was wonderful!

This is what "Shout" always looks like from my angle.

Thanks, Maria and Dan for chosing me to be there! I wish you many years of happiness, adventure, and fun.

Teasers - Maria and Daniel

2009-06-19T23:40:00.003-04:00

I have no idea how I got this lucky, but tomorrow I get to photograph a wedding in this amazing church:

The Bride and Groom are going to sit in these chairs:

And I am just going to be as happy as a clam. :-)

The rehearsal dinner was in Fells Point, which I love. I secretly wish I lived there. And I walked by Jenna Bush having dinner.

We went to where Dan had proposed to Maria and took some cute shots. I asked her what he said when he proposed and it must have been good because this is the response I got:

Apparently, and I saw photos later, he had written Maria, Will You Marry Me? in chalk on the side walk. Super cute.

Here is the whole group:

Maria and Dan, good luck tomorrow! I am so excited to be there to capture it all!

This cat is a butthead.

2009-06-19T00:56:00.000-04:00

But I love him anyway.

Christy and Steven

2009-06-16T10:45:00.003-04:00

I'm so close to being done their photos!! And their wedding was only about 3 weeks ago! How is that for turn around time?

I wanted to share my new favorites! Hope they don't mind. :-)

Hope you like them!

Teasers - Cary and Crystal

2009-06-06T23:59:00.002-04:00

Today, Cary and Crystal got married! But I am really tired, thus, this is all you get tonight. More to come tomorrow and the following days!

Teasers - Cary and Crystal

2009-06-05T10:37:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, this girl:

Is going to marry this guy:

And hopefully they won't look this nervous:

This was the first time I ever photographed a rehearsal. So, I kinda just stood back and took it all in. This one is one of my favorites:

After the rehearsal everyone piled in their cars and made their way to the groom's parents house for some of these guys:

This is the groom's dad, who was going through some camera envy:

And these are the groom's brothers, completely unprompted (a sign that the bridal party photos are going to be awesome):

More to come soon!

Meredith

2009-06-05T10:14:00.001-04:00

Meredith, originally uploaded by danielle_rodman.

I took some photos of Meredith the other day. Ain't she pretty? More to come soon!

Most Creative Wedding Invitation Ever

2009-06-03T06:37:00.002-04:00

I have absolutely no idea who these people are, but this just made me so happy. I think it is impossible not to smile while watching it. I am joyed to know that people can be so creative!

Teasers - Kim and Brandon!!

2009-05-31T18:40:00.003-04:00

I went to a farm today!!! Kim and Brandon gave me the grand tour of the place before we got started. They had horses and steer and CHICKENS! City girls like me aren't used to such things. I had a lot to work with and of course two gorgeous people to photograph!

Teasers - Christy and Steven!

2009-05-30T21:40:00.008-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful wedding today! Christy and Steven were a pleasure to work with and absolute dolls! They are adorable. It's really the perfect way to describe them. Here is some sneak peaks! More to come soon!

I even got a photo with the happy couple! (Thank you, Lauren!)

Theresa

2009-05-29T20:45:00.003-04:00

Took some shots of Theresie the other day! What do ya'll think?

Teasers - Lee Family Photos

2009-05-28T18:30:00.003-04:00

Today I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful family. We spent the morning at Clemyjontri Park in McLean, VA. Here's a Sneaky Peaky:

More to come soon!

This Is What Your Deposit Paid For

2009-05-27T00:54:00.005-04:00

If you booked a wedding in the last few weeks and sent me your deposit, I regret to inform you, I spent it on Walmart porch furniture.

I know what you're thinking, jeez, Dani, you could have bought much better furniture with the money I sent you. I know, I know, but I am step-Jewish, and thus, frugal, at least with my patio furniture.

I have wanted porch furniture since we moved in. But there was no point in getting porch furniture until recently because the likelihood of any of us sitting ouside in the cold was slim. But now, since the weather is gorgeous again, I needed it. I have been craving it. In Frederick, we had these lounge chairs we thought were comfy but you had to really be ready to lounge and not get up for awhile. They are not for people with ADD like me.

This set, while not brightly colored and not very attractive, is perfect. And was inexpensive for all that was included, at least I think so. We have had it for a little more than a week and already have sat on it every single day since it was put together.

Roomie's chair is the one on he left. He calls it his thinking chair. It helps him with his daily crossword. The other one gets too much sunlight during the day so we let guests sit there. Or Barley (see below)...We're nice that way.

Personally, I prefer the bench. But that's just me.

I need some pretty flowers, I know. I have empty pots. And a wind chime that is laying on the ground. It's a work in progress. For now, I am happy just sitting outside, getting some fresh air.

And I'm only kidding about your deposit. So, chillax. I spent it on drugs. Ha, just kidding again. It's in the bank. So I can buy your prints. Duh.

This One Will Surely Surprise Mom

2009-05-26T00:30:00.005-04:00

This quilt look familiar, Mom?

It's on my bed.

I needed a change.

And Sushi cat is a douche bag (hmm...maybe I shouldn't say that on this website) and is finally retaliating for us getting a dog and peed on the comforter. COME ON, SUSH! THAT WAS NOVEMBER! (Honestly, I have no idea what animal did it, but it smelled like a cat, and Barley cat can do no wrong in my eyes, so it must be Sushi) Anyway, I am welcoming the change, especially with the warmer weather, it's lighter and made with love.

My mom used to make quilts. I say USED to because now she is a knitting freak (I can hear her now, that's not very nice Dan. Ok fine, you are faithfully dedicated to knitting only, better?). In fact, she just completed her February Ladies Sweater (don't ask and yes, you're right, it's May) and upon me trying it on and saying well, it's a little big for me, she immediately says "Well, I am not making you one anyway." Fine, Mom, I will just make fun of you on my blog. :-) Now she is working on a piece called "Shawl That Jazz..." Oh my goodness...

I aquired this quilt from my grandmother on my father's side. My mom made it for her a long time ago. But now it's mine. :-) And on my bed. Finally getting some use. Maybe I will wear this one out to the point where she has to start quilting again so I can get a new one. She is going to have to start up again because future Mini Dani's are going to want a baby quilt like I had. In fact, the reason why I started taking pictures of this quilt yesterday is because I saw fabric in it that was used in my baby blanket. Like the yellow and red patches in this shot below.

I secretly wish I could make quilts, but I lack patience and all of those stitches, oh my goodness, shoot me now. So, instead, I just admire my Mommy's hard work. Thanks, Mom!

Vinny

2009-05-25T06:20:00.001-04:00

Who knew he could model?

To see the rest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36197392@N06/sets/72157618755735348/

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T00:45:00.001-04:00

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. ~Joseph Campbell

My Brother, Brett, Graduated from WVU!

2009-05-21T23:34:00.004-04:00

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~e.e. cummings

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending my younger brother's college graduation. It was the first time I had been on the WVU campus as I have been a busy girl these last 4 years (and Brett has always been pretty private about what goes on at school, even though we all know). As Brett, showed me around his, huge, expansive campus, I couldn't help but think about how different our college experiences must have been.

Four years ago today, I graduated from Hood College in Frederick, MD. Hood sits on a few city blocks right outside of historic Frederick. It's cute, quaint and was the perfect place for me.

I remember when I first started looking at colleges, I usually would immediately throw away the items that came from Hood, mostly because at the time, it was an all girls school, at least residentially. And then my mom starting throwing them away for me, without me getting to even look at them and I guess that is where I drew the line and starting taking them out of the trash, even asking her, why would you throw this out? Maybe I want to go to this event at Hood (in regards to an invite for an overnight stay and interview).

I guess the rest is history. I went on that silly overnight visit, where I met now some of my best friends, and graduated from Hood not once but twice. And even while I was touring around this huge school with Brett this past weekend, thinking how awesome it would have been to go to home football and basketball games on the weekends with my friends and fellow comrads all cheering for a common outcome, and thinking how cool it would have been to take the PRT to class in the morning, or live off campus for a year, or those awesome keg parties WVU had, I cannot help but think that I couldn't have made a decision for myself. Hood is where I belonged. And I am happy that Brett found something like that for himself and I hope for his sake, that it was a place he will look back on fondly much as I do my own Hood days.

Any advice for the new college grad??

Love Story by Taylor Swift Meets Viva La Vida by Coldplay

2009-05-14T12:29:00.003-04:00

Maybe it's just because I am overly emotional today but this video is amazing. Please watch the whole thing, especially when the pianist starts talking about his daughter. Where in the world would we be without music?

Thanks so much to www.FiveBlondes.com for posting this today.

Happy Mommy's Day!!

2009-05-10T01:20:00.001-04:00

This is my Mommy. I think I am lucky to have those genes. :-)

Things Our Mothers Taught Us

We owe our mothers.
Our mothers taught us to appreciate a job well done - “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”
Our mothers taught us religion - “You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”
Our mothers taught us logic - “Because I said so, that’s why.”
And they taught us more logic -”If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.”
Our mothers taught us foresight - “Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.”
And they taught us irony - “Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about.”
They taught us the science of osmosis - “Shut your mouth and eat your supper.”
And they taught us about contortionism - “Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!”
Our mothers taught us about stamina - “You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”
And about the weather - “This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.”
They taught us about hypocrisy - “If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate.”
As well as genetics - “You’re just like your father.”
They taught us medical science - “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.”
They even taught us about ESP - “Put your sweater on, don’t you think I know when you’re cold?”
Our mothers taught us humor - “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
They taught us about our roots - “Shut that door behind you, do you think you were born in a barn?”
Our mothers taught us how to become an adult - ”If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”
And they taught us wisdom - “When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.”
Our mothers taught us about justice - “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.”
And our mothers taught us about envy - “There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do.”

Sunny Weather!

2009-05-09T18:14:00.001-04:00

Minute Maid Park

2009-05-08T06:07:00.000-04:00