Ashley and Addison contacted me through Oplove early this fall. At that time, Addison was in Iraq and Ashley was expecting their first child. There is one thing I’ve learned shooting weddings, and that working with Oplove has brought home even more.   It’s often humbling, and sometimes even a little intimidating, knowing how much these photos can mean. I really can’t tell you how much of an honor it is for me, the way these families welcome me into their lives even just for a few hours, to try to capture the things that are most important to them.

So somewhere in the end of the two weeks that Addison had at home, between the birth of their first child and Thanksgiving and fitting in all the family affairs, we squeezed in an hour at the William Penn Omni Hotel in Pittsburgh to get a few portraits.

Addison has this great smile that lights up his whole face and a comical list of poses that looked like they came straight from GQ.  Ashley is calm and strong and beautiful, mama zen. And little Aidan, of course, is absolutely adorable, and so loved.  We had a lovely time wandering around the hotel, misplacing the furniture, exploring the streets outside.

We were in front of the hotel, shooting with the buildings and city streets behid us. Addison leaned against the wall, his wife pressing into his arms for a kiss. Suddenly, the cab driver in the background stuck his head out and laughed, “Now that’s some World War II shit right there!”

Yessir, yes it is.

Addison is back in Iraq for now, although he will be returning to his wife and son in February.  Best wishes to he & his family, and a safe return home!

I don’t know if we’re brave or just plain crazy, but we decided to do it anyway. I let my husband drive- he’s the crazy one. :P  We made it, though, and were able to have a fantastic, cozy portrait session, and even stole Joel  before the start of the Super Bowl for a few minutes so that we could get some great sunset shots.

There are so many fantastic shots from this session that I had a really hard time picking which ones to feature. Emily is so beautiful and glowy and serene. Here are some of my favorites:

So gorgeous. Many thanks to Chelsea for assisting me (especially with the scarves, I couldn’t have done it without you!) And many thanks & the best of love to Emily & Joel. I can’t wait to meet your little one!

We’ll start with Alana, the youngest:

Eyes to die for, seriously.   Isn’t she a beauty? They’ll all grow up to be heartbreakers, though, and if you think I’m exaggerating-

Next, Colby, who always had the biggest grins for me, and Logan, so serious.  Or trying to be! He showed me his room and read me a book.

And then you can’t forget about the furry children:

Thanks, Holly and Eric! You have such a beautiful family.  : )

Aren’t they adorable?