carrie.anderson.photo

jill + bryan.preview

2012-02-20T00:39:00.000-05:00

yvonne + todd.wedding

2012-02-18T23:58:00.006-05:00

i had the honor to second shoot this lovely fall wedding in roswell, ga with my friend ashley of shuttersweet photography. the bride's family is from austria so they added a twist to the american wedding with a few traditions such as the post-vow receiving line, the newlyweds sawing a log in half, and an austrian liqueur toast.

there's more here on flickr

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. consider sponsorship! BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

new kid.personal

2012-02-05T21:41:00.000-05:00

i've taken a break this january. a lot of non-photography stuff going on. namely, money-paying-job. and training for a half marathon (takes lots of hours to run lots of miles) in less than a month now. and traveling to see my selah in chicago. juneuary here in atlanta, but definitely snowing in chi city!

but, time to introduce the newest member of the family! i don't know if it is a new niece or a new nephew (or both??... just kidding). i have to wait till the birthday to find out!

isn't ethan getting so darn cute these days? after his mom left to go show houses, ethan and i put on our rainboots and played in the creek for an hour. we had so much fun; i wish i was a kid again sometimes. i might have mentioned the boogie man lived in a drain pipe. i think i got in trouble with his mom!

oh, yeah, AND i found out i'm going back to cambodia this july! :D

enough for now. i'll post a wedding from last october soon. and i'm brainstorming some personal projects. stay tuned!

2011

2012-01-08T21:25:00.002-05:00

2011 was a full year. lots of weddings, engagements, families, and portraits photographed. a new baby born, new baby on the way (sister's!), a trip to the wild west, a couple to the west coast, and one to the far east. most importantly, to me, God was active this year. you know what, he always is and i was too self involved to notice. i've seen the life changing effects of sponsoring kids and i've never been more encouraged to be involved with something BIGGER than myself! if 2011 is any indication of 2012, i'm so ready for it.

2010

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 5 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. consider sponsorship! BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

selah.baby

2012-01-06T19:40:00.000-05:00

my selah visited me for christmas. she's a little elf.

meg.portrait

2012-01-02T13:27:00.001-05:00

there's more here on flickr

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 5 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. consider sponsorship! BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

angela.portrait

2012-01-02T13:07:00.004-05:00

my friend angela posed for some bridal portraits for me this spring. such a lovely lady!

there's more here on flickr

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 5 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

yvonne + todd.preview

2011-12-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

aquarium.personal

2011-12-29T19:32:00.062-05:00

a christmas trip to the aquarium with ethan, gabrielle, selah, their moms, laura, and margaret.

there's more here on flickr

slideshow

selah.baby

2011-12-29T00:00:00.002-05:00

oh my selah... she visited me for christmas. i know the heart shaped strawberry on her nose will fade in a few years, but i love it now...

martin.family

2011-12-26T17:42:00.002-05:00

this family you remember too!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

arnoldy.family

2011-12-22T17:34:00.001-05:00

my friends' family is growing!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

parrish.family

2011-12-21T17:22:00.002-05:00

their family is growing!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

ethan and gabi.personal

2011-12-20T12:18:00.001-05:00

merry christmas!

thoughts on christmas.personal

2011-12-09T09:27:00.006-05:00

i know i'm slacking... real job has gotten in the way! i went to chicago to visit my sister and the baby for thanksgiving. she's so teeny tiny and cute and fat and smiley and dimpley. i can't believe she lives so far away!

i get to see her in a few weeks though for christmas!

speaking of christmas, since cambodia, i've been thinking a lot about life. about what i have, what i need, needs vs wants, how unbelievably blessed i am and how i took (take) it for granted. i'm still going through a return process from my trip; i didn't realize it would take this long! but maybe it will never stop. instead of dwelling on what we're not doing, i want to do what i can from america including inspire people to broaden their view and maybe go on a trip themselves.

back to the point, wants vs needs. i don't need anything. literally. god is providing for me. so i sponsor some kids through world vision and i follow world vision on facebook and twitter. they send out a gift catalog every year and i've never even looked at it. this year i went through every page and picked out something to give in honor of my friends and family. i gave some soccer balls in honor of my nephew, toys in honor of my nieces, a business loan for one woman for my sister, a year of school for my mom, part of a house for my dad. see, these are all things that are near to their hearts right now. i hope they like it :) i also was able to specifically send a representative to each of my 3 sponsored kids; the rep will talk to the familiy and figure out their most urgent need and provide it to them. i'll get a photo of each of them with their gift in 4 months. i am so excited about this!

then i saw world vision sent a respresentative on a true spirit of christmas trip to sri lanka and africa to go to real people's homes who have received these gifts and incredible impact it has made on their lives. these were a few particularly touching ones: coconut seeds and chooti the cow. when a grown man tears up because he someone made it possible for him to care for his family; when a mother is in tears because she doesn't have to wonder how she will feed her daughter. that's real heartfelt gratitude. it's more than a "thank you." that's christmas.

then on a side note, they talked about sponsoring kids and i got so emotional watching krishani talk about what her sponsor family in america means to her. your letters really mean something! a letter, a photo, a story from your life! this little girl keeps all her letters and cherises the family stories her sponsor tells her. my heart swells when i think of what good we are capable of and i'm so sad that most people miss it!

so what do i want for christmas? my uncle, one of his random friends, my friend erin, my sisters, my dad, they all donated to fallen sparrow to purchase food for the orphanages i visited in july ($100 buys food for a YEAR for one kid). my friend amanda shared her incredible mission trip stories with me. my sister is traveling down from chicago to visit and bring my niece to me. i got a letter from banha and i have letters from other kids headed my way on saturday.

these are the best christmas presents i could have ever asked for.

i hope you find the true spirit of christmas and do all you can to celebrate it!

martin.preview

2011-11-20T20:19:00.001-05:00

parrish.preview

2011-11-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

my cousin's kids!

arnoldy.preview

2011-11-16T21:11:00.001-05:00

new mexico.portrait

2011-11-10T23:37:00.001-05:00

going through images from my sister's wedding. liked this one of the mountain and her new sister-in-law...

selah.baby

2011-11-08T14:03:00.002-05:00

my selah. well, my niece selah. love her. i have 2 photo sessions that my sister is patiently waiting for, but i've just been so busy! here's another one to hold you over.

boleski.family

2011-10-27T19:06:00.001-04:00

she arrived and is already growing up!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

selah.baby

2011-10-14T10:23:00.002-04:00

more of my little baby niece... she's so much bigger now though!

boleski.preview

2011-10-13T10:21:00.000-04:00

a quick afternoon photoshoot in an already chilly chicago...

yes, you remember them!

alex + heather.wedding

2011-10-09T01:03:00.002-04:00

this is the second wedding of my friends alex and heather. you read right; second. their first was in cambodia this july (read about that here). they had a sweet backyard ceremony with good friends and family to make it all legal here in the u.s. portland was too big to take in during one short weekend. i'm sure my time in the pacific northwest has only just begun.

enjoy!

first stop was david hill winery and vinyard. it was breathtaking and there just wasn't enough time!

those paper flowers were hand made by some of the girls from the new life orphanage in phnom penh where heather and alex visited on a mission trip last july and were married this july.

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

dunlap.family

2011-10-05T22:04:00.002-04:00

i was so close to getting these up before lydia arrived, but she beat me to it by a day :) welcome to the world little one!

p.s. you'll recognize this couple!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

selah.baby

2011-09-27T21:31:00.000-04:00

welcome to the world little one

backyard.personal

2011-09-22T21:08:00.001-04:00

you can see ethan lasted a bit longer than gabi. she didn't like the way the tall grass felt under her bare feet. such a girly girl.

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

dunlap.preview

2011-09-19T11:43:00.002-04:00

remember this couple?

they're having a little bitty baby :)

alex + heather.preview

2011-09-18T11:42:00.001-04:00

alex + heather - portland, oregon

nieces and nephew.personal

2011-09-08T22:22:00.002-04:00

ethan, selah (the newest addition), and gabrielle

i love how gabi's little booboo required such a huge bandaid :)

lea + mike.wedding

2011-09-02T13:13:00.002-04:00

this'll be a long post! combination travel & wedding :) lea & mike wed in july in carrizozo, new mexico on mike's family ranch.

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

also, a personal plug: after my recent trip to Cambodia, i'm even more encouraged to sponsor needy kids! i've got 4 now and it's awesome to send & receive letters and see their progress. please consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

more cambodia.personal

2011-08-26T16:55:00.001-04:00

it's been almost a month since i've been home from cambodia. a lot has gone on since then. a lot of processing, quiet heartbreak, some tears, much joy, a renewed mind. i told someone the other day the lens through which i view life has been altered and cannot be put back to the way it was. i cannot unsee what i've seen. i cannot unlove the kids i love. i cannot forget the strength and passion for God that i've witnessed in the Christians in cambodia. they love their countrymen and want nothing more than to SHINE brightly with love.

here is the rest of cambodia i saw. current poverty, past extravagence... though notice how they still smile.

floating village

siem reap, angkor wat, bayon, ta prohm

more here on flickr

slideshow

Consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

wheeler.family

2011-08-20T22:39:00.001-04:00

there is more here on flickr

slideshow

Consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

reeves.family

2011-08-16T19:32:00.001-04:00

there's more here on flickr

slideshow

Consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

martin.family

2011-08-13T21:33:00.005-04:00

there's more here on flickr

slideshow

Consider sponsorship!
BrightPoint for Children or World Vision. It could change a kid's life AND yours!

cambodia.personal

2011-08-05T23:33:00.003-04:00

below are my thoughts on my recent mission trip to serve the orphans at New Life Missions orphanage in Cambodia...

why would I travel for over 24 hours to a place where I don't know anyone or the culture or the language? Where I had to brush my teeth with bottled water and couldn't eat most of the food there? Where it was so hot the sweat would drip from my face as soon as I stepped outside? I have literally experienced pure and complete happiness on earth. Better than a perfect first date, or the most awesome vacation, or even putting the finishing touches on a perfectly decorated house. How is it even possible? I couldn't even speak English to most of the kids. The four kids that I really bonded with didn't speak English at all. We communicated through big hugs, holding hands, laughing, dancing, singing. They lived love - for me and the team, for the other kids and the couple who run the orphanage, for the village kids who came to visit. These 40 kids were bright shining lights. They love Jesus and they live his words daily. They had nothing to give but their love and smiles and they were so generous! They have nothing compared to American standards, but they are the happiest kids I've ever seen. I didn't really know what my expectations were going into this trip, but I was blown away. I never knew such happiness and love for people existed. And not just with the kids. With the people of Cambodia.

Their recent history is so dark as a result of the genocide of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. Millions were murdered that even still the population is not caught up; 50% of the population is 15 years of age or under. We visited a concentration camp (actually it was a school converted into a concentration camp) in Phnom Penh, the capital city. It was sobering to see remnants of such atrocities - not hundreds of years ago, but recent evil.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Pastor Vek, the leader of New Life Missions, spent 4 years in captivity of the Khmer Rouge and barely escaped with his life into Thailand. He made it to America with his wife and child but a few years later felt the calling to go back to Cambodia to bring hope and restoration through his faith in God. Since he returned, he has opened the three orphanages that house 90+ kids and has opened 40 churches in different cities around Cambodia. He and his family are an amazing example of faith and strength and love. Because of his story, he has made happy lives and brought hope to these kids and they are the future of Cambodia! You can read his full story here (follow the links on the right hand side for the different chapters).

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

I know I'll never be able to fully describe the experience I had there. I fell in love in a few short days and that should be impossible. But these kids are unbelievable. I am filled with joy when I think of them or look at a photo. Here are some things that make me smile:
- at the beach, I met the 2 kids I sponsor and I gave them each a letter and they were so happy to have a sponsor - many smiles and hugs!
- on our 10 hour bus ride from the beach, they never complained or asked "are we there yet?"; they were just happy to be with us (we even sat three to a seat just because they wanted to sit by us)
- they love to dance; they choreograph dances and all the kids learn them (some of the most enthusiastic dancers were the teenage boys!)
- they loved to hold our hands and give us huge hugs - all of the kids, even the older ones; one of my little guys would hug so tight with his head buried in my stomach and wouldn't let go until I pulled away (which I never wanted to, but we'd still be hugging if I didn't!)
- they would be waiting for us in the morning when our bus drove up; waiving hysterically and jumping up and down all smiles
- they would grab our bags or our hands as soon as we stepped off the bus and lead us into the main building
- they learned how to say 'i love you' and 'God bless you' in English so they could tell us personally
- a few of the kids never stopped smiling; i always saw a smile on their faces
- they took our gifts to them - craft projects, beads, string - and made beautiful bracelets and crafts for us
- they welcomed the village kids when we had a carnival one day and served them the candy & rice
- one boy at the orphanage is handicapped physically and mentally and all other 39 kids looked after him, included him, loved him, and let him win at the games he would never be able to win
- the couple who runs the orphanage has a 10 month old baby and all the children loooove her so much; her feet never touch the ground :)
- we took the extra money we raised and bought pillows and mosquito nets for them; they were so excited and grateful to us for their new pillows!
- one of my girls would always be at my side, and the day before we left she broke down crying because she already missed me
- the day I left, I received so many letters (in beautiful broken English) and bracelets; they were so proud to give us letters we could read
- one of the kids was all smiles the whole week, but when it came to say goodbye I saw tears welling up in his eyes; he was so happy all week and tried his hardest to be tough the last day, but he couldn't hold it back. it gives me happy tears just to picture his face now.
- the thought that I know these kids are loved and taken care of - by the couple who is devoting their lives to the direct call to care for orphans, by Pastor Vek and Pastor Chuen, by all the teams who go over there in May, July and November every year, and by the financial support so many more people provide through sponsoring the kids and teams

And then there's my team...a team perfectly placed together. Among the 8 of us, there was a balance of leadership and wisdom, kindess and caring, humilty and love, sillyness and strength. I am so thankful for this team and the harmony we were allowed to experience in such an unknown environment. Thankful for the men who wore their hearts on their sleeve and the Proverbs 31 women.

All that to say, I know the glory is for my heavenly father. He made me, he made the team come together, he provided forgiveness and restoration for Pastor Vek. The kids are amazing because they reflect God's love. Of this I am unwaveringly certain.

There are so many other moments that I'll keep forever in my heart. I'll never be able to communicate how amazing and life changing this trip was; you just have to go yourself! "Anyone who is welcoming a child like this on my behalf is welcoming me." Matthew 18:5.

listen to some of the kids' favorite songs while you browse the photos.
click into the photos for more descriptions...

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families." Psalms 68:5-6

on flickr

slideshow

wheeler.preview

2011-08-05T17:30:00.002-04:00

reeves.preview

2011-07-17T20:00:00.001-04:00

martin.preview

2011-07-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

gerber.family

2011-07-15T17:57:00.000-04:00

hey! you know this family! and they're growing!

enjoy!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

lea + mike.preview

2011-07-08T22:21:00.005-04:00

post-vow bliss: a preview of lea and mike's new mexico ranch wedding.

catie + david.engagement

2011-07-06T22:46:00.001-04:00

an early morning engagement shoot this june, before it got too hot :)

enjoy!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

mary + paul.wedding

2011-07-03T22:04:00.000-04:00

my dad and mary wed at lake lanier one warm saturday evening in may.

enjoy!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

sagnibene.family

2011-06-24T10:18:00.002-04:00

i met this cute family one hot may afternoon at a local park.

enjoy!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

erin + joe.wedding

2011-06-19T23:53:00.033-04:00

they had their country church wedding in concord, georgia. there was fried food and fireworks and a jazz band. it was real nice.

enjoy :)

and then we set off the fire alarm....

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

gerber.preview

2011-06-15T17:47:00.000-04:00

hey, you know this family!

and there's a new little gerber on the way!

catie + david.preview

2011-06-13T17:36:00.001-04:00

bridal.preview

2011-06-08T10:38:00.000-04:00

roberts.family

2011-06-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

oh this is going to be such a sweet post. my little sister whom i treated like a live baby doll because i was old enough when she was born is having a baby of her own. i still can't believe it sometimes, but that's why we have photos to prove it!

i visited the her in california for a long weekend and though she was in her 6 month, you could hardly tell! she and her husband live in the coolest part of los angeles - manhattan beach. i was almost ready to apply for a job out there by the end of the weekend!

listen and enjoy!

I LOVE YOU MEME!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

mary + paul.preview

2011-06-02T13:17:00.000-04:00

my dad got married to a real nice lady :)

sagnibene.preview

2011-05-26T17:39:00.002-04:00

erin + joe.preview

2011-05-26T12:58:00.000-04:00

they did.

stay tuned for more!

roberts.preview

2011-05-18T17:43:00.000-04:00

just a quick preview of my niece's first photo session in sunny california. well, that is if you don't count the ultrasounds :)

you also may recognize my sister margaret!

jr + lindsey.wedding

2011-05-16T23:24:00.002-04:00

and then they wed
conyers, ga

enjoy!

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

a HUGE thanks to ashley jones for helping me photograph this wedding!!!

miss angela's neighborhood

2011-04-22T16:19:00.006-04:00

a while back angela let me come over to her neighborhood and get some shots before the sun set.

a few of the girls playing on the playground became very curious and kept inching closer and closer to us. they started asking lots of questions and really wanted to hold my camera. we settled for me taking some photos of them. they were hilarious! so full of energy. after we were done, they invited us over for porkchops :)

there's more here on flickr!

jarrod + chris.engagement

2011-04-17T17:38:00.002-04:00

there's more here on flickr!

slideshow

jarrod + chris.preview

2011-04-12T19:30:00.002-04:00

bridal.preview

2011-04-11T22:47:00.001-04:00

a preview from a bridal shoot held with two beautiful models...

stay tuned for more!

sullivan.family

2011-04-06T14:13:00.033-04:00

happy birthday to my little sister!

more here on flickr!

slideshow

angela.portrait

2011-04-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

my *beautiful* friend angela posed for my camera in the last hour before a spring sunset...

p.s. this is SOOC...!

erin.bridal shower

2011-03-30T01:00:00.002-04:00

friends gathered at oakton house & gardens in marietta, georgia to celebrate with erin before her upcoming wedding. i snapped a few shots but then was busy playing hostess.

enjoy!

erin & joe are getting married this may in concord, georgia! stay tuned for more photos!

seafoam green portrait

2011-03-29T21:59:00.000-04:00

i rarely have any photos of myself; not sure if this counts...

my fair lady

2011-03-28T17:29:00.002-04:00

boleski.family

2011-03-24T22:57:00.002-04:00

my good friends elaine and joe are having a baby girl any day now! i was in chicago a chilly march weekend for the diaper themed baby shower recently. we made time for some photos for little evie to enjoy when she grows up.

enjoy!

more here on flickr!

slideshow

jr + lindsey.engagement

2011-03-24T00:59:00.000-04:00

i love love love springtime in georgia. i met jr & lindsey in conyers on an amazing sunday afternoon. weather was ideal. flowers were in bloom. they were in love.

perfect for engagement photos.

enjoy!

there's more here on flickr

slideshow