Brianne Lynn {2014 Senior}

I have had the privilege to work with Brianne for many years doing the worship for the children’s church at Brightmoor. She is an extremely sweet girl and a great dancer! Brianne is graduating from International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, and plans to attend Calvin College in the fall. Her mini session took place on one of the first warm days of spring we had this year. It was 74 degrees and completely gorgeous outside! We went to Kensington Metro Park where it felt like we were escaping to enjoy the warm weather. Brianne’s dress was the perfect color of red to offset the lack of foliage in the park. It was wonderful seeing some of the first signs of nature within the park, as well as photographing an amazing senior. 

James Wright {Newborn}

When James was born, it was a very happy day for the Wright family! James Edgar Wright was named James after Liz’s grandfather and Wayne’s paternal uncle, and Edgar which is Wayne’s middle name. He was a very tiny baby, the tiniest one we have ever photographed! He was only 5 lbs, 6 oz and 18 inches long. At his session, James was a very happy baby, but he was also very hydrated. ;) Nevertheless, he was very well behaved; and although he was very alert, he did not cry much. It was a joy to photography the brand new addition to my cousin’s family.

Kyle & Kristy {Married!}

It is always special to photograph a wedding and capturing the love of the couple. Yet, it is extra special when you know the bride and/or groom personally, because you know that you are not just attending as a guest, but as a guest who will be able to give them images of their perfect day. Kristy and I had gone to and graduated from high school together, and it was wonderful to see her marry her true love, Kyle. However, since she now lived in North Carolina and it is hard to plan a wedding out of state, she had much of her planning done by wedding coordinator Hannah Hopkins of Upstairs Events. Coincidently, Hannah also graduated from Franklin Road with Kristy and I! It was one big class reunion! The wedding and reception took place at the Dearborn Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. The venue was gorgeous and perfect for a cool spring day because when it got too chilly we were able to go inside and the images were just as wonderful. The ceremony was beautiful; it incorporated worship as well as a small tribute and explanation of the lantern girls. Kristy chose to incorporate lantern girls in addition to the bridal party. The difference was that the lantern girls were friends from growing up, where her bridesmaids were mostly friends from North Carolina. Overall, it was a wonderful day full of love, laughter, and old friends. The images turned out perfect and the fellowship was even better! 

Ruby O'Dell {Newborn}

Ruby O’Dell was born in March 2014. She was the first little baby girl that we have had the pleasure to photograph as a newborn in a very long time. We had lots of fun playing with bows and “girly” colors in the session, and Ruby was very well-behaved the entire time. We were able to set up right in the O’Dell home; and because it was an overcast day, the lighting from their bay window was the perfect location. However, we did need to use two space heaters and a heating pad underneath her to try to combat the draft from outside, and even that at times did not help enough! Overall, it was an adorable session with a very sweet baby. 

Aeris {Band Promo}

Aeris is a local band featuring five excellent musicians from around the Detroit area. We have photographed the lead vocalist, Justin Brandt, before including his senior portraits. He is an extremely talented performer not only musically but also theatrically. Justin is an experienced actor on stage and on screen. The band had approached us and asked for some group pictures for publicity purposes and we enthusiastically agreed. It was a chilly, early spring day when we went to downtown Detroit to capture some unique images of the band at the Dequinder Cut by the river walk. It was definitely a creative challenge to capture the band in a way that highlighted their own unique style and personality that has not been overplayed before. Nevertheless, we succeeded in showcasing the band while putting our own twist on the images.