Ed & Kat | Romantic Lynchburg Portraits

'Tis the week of LOVE! Chelsea and I have been churning out lots of fun things for you all for this week! I'll be posting Chelsea's first blog post here in the next few days and I'm really looking forward to sharing her heart with you all. In the meantime, I wanted to kick off this week of romance with an adorable couples session. I picked this one especially because I think the love between these two is completely contagious!! Katharine and I met when I worked at Lynchburg College a few years ago. I adore this girl. She is a graphic designer and so full of talent. I have high respect for her and her work (and I think that's saying a lot because I am kind of a design snob). She has won numerous ADDY awards and has been one of the only graphic designers at Lynchburg College for years. She is also an animal lover and has the sweetest heart towards her own pups.

When Katharine told me she was engaged I was so excited for her, naturally! Then, having the opportunity to meet Ed and shoot their engagement session made my heart grow even more fond of Katharine, Ed, and their relationship. I just love it when the heart of a groom simply says "Whatever makes her happy." That is love, you know? This is 100% Ed's heart. He lights up when Katharine smiles and they have the best energy when they are around one another. And she feels so safe with him. Gosh... feeling safe is something a lot of people take for granted. I think it is one of the most beautiful testimonies of love.

Sometimes I feel like a broken record on this blog. "I LOVE these two! They are so in LOVE and HAPPY and it's BEAUTIFUL!"

But you know what? They are. And it's true. It's true every time. And I really do get ridiculously giddy in the middle of sessions when I am able to zoom in close and see and FEEL their chemistry. I am sure I look so silly in my bursting-with-excitement-moments... but I can't help it. It's just pure joy, you guys. And this was absolutely the case during Ed & Kat's session. Of course now I cannot wait for their wedding in May!!

Okay... here are their sweet images! If you love them and you would like a couple's session of your own, check out the Valentine's Day date-night sessions I'm offering! Details here.

Happy Week-Of-Love!! We've got a handful of lovely posts coming at you this week!

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Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

Rosy Baby | Lynchburg Newborn Photographer #sincerelylizphoto

Gosh, there has been so much stuff going on behind the scenes here at Sincerely, Liz, and I wish I could tell you guys ALL about it! We are currently working on a new website, preparing to announce a super-special Valentine's Day opportunity, preparing for the 2013 wedding season, and so much more! I am loving all of it! In the meantime, I still have a ton of sessions to share with you guys. While I'm sharing about my paleo challenge (journey!) over here, I will be posting some more photography related things here on the main part of the blog for a little while. First up - sweet baby Callie. Callie's session is the first of many newborn portrait sessions on the calendar this year! And of course I was totally fighting baby fever after spending the morning holding and cuddling her. I know everyone talks about that "baby smell" that new babies have. Okay, well mothers talk about it. And before I became a mom I could defnitely identify the scent of a newborn baby. But, now that I have held my own babe for hours on end... I not only idenfity the scent... I feel like I am swimming in it when I hold a newborn these days!! Am I alone here? It's just this... BAM... here's a NEWBORN! "I smell like sour milk but isn't it the best smell in the whole world?!" Yes, baby. It really, really is the best smell in the universe.

Oh dear... I am in for some trouble this year! Haha. Okay - onto Callie!!

Callie's big sister, Olivia, made her debut on the blog a few years ago. So of course I was honored to have the opportunity to photograph Callie as well. Just like big sis, Callie was a most excellent model. I am loving the rosy rompers mama bought for her session, too - so, so perfect! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from her session:

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Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 35mm f/1.4 lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

Professional Head Shots Mini Sessions

'Tis the season for new head shots! If you are a small business owner or a local professional, you are likely in need of some fresh new headshots for yourself! Professionals use these pictures to attach to their resumes, on the about page of their websites, and some use them on their business cards (real estate anyone??). It's always good to have an updated portrait of yourself and the start of the year is a great time to make it happen.

Yesterday I announced the date for our first annual Professional Head Shots Mini Session over on our Facebook page and a few slots have already been taken. If you're not following our Facebook page, just click the "Like" button on the sidebar on this blog. That way you won't miss any upcoming announcements!

For now, here are the details:

Contact me for more information about pricing, location, and available time slots!

2013 Interns: Meet Chelsea | #sincerelylizphoto

Internet, meet Chelsea.

She is adorable, witty, and lovable. I am so excited to have her joining our team this semester. She is passionate about small business, social media, and her husband, Tucker. She will be working with me on PR/Marketing projects. When we get together, we totally have fun nerding out about social media and coming up with fun ideas for the business.

Recently I asked her a few random questions in an attempt to help you all get to know her a bit. I hope you'll take the time to read her answers and welcome her to the team!

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be? When I was a child I wanted to be a photographer or writer for National Geographic magazine. My dad collected them for me for most of my childhood, and unknowingly introduced me to the word 'wanderlust'. I still want to travel a ton, but I have since lost my desire to be a National Geographic writer. I'd much rather manage a blog for them these days.
2. What do you do on your days off? I drink an exorbitant amount of coffee, attempt to clean my house, catch up on TV shows via Hulu, and walk around beautiful downtown Lynchburg. I also attempt to bake things every once and a while.
3. Tell us about someone that's an important part of your every day life and why he or she is important to you. I'm going to have to go with my wonderful husband, Tucker. He makes every day, and every circumstance an adventure and is a far better companion than I could have ever hoped for or even imagined. We recently got married (July 2012) and are soaking up all of the wonderful things about being newlyweds, especially after dating since high school. He is definitely an important and super fun part of my day!
4. What is your favorite blog? I have quite a few favorite blogs. My first is A Beautiful Mess, which is a blog I have followed for several years now. It is a lifestyle blog that is simply about creating and enjoying a beautiful life, and it is often my inspiration to enjoy the life I am so blessed to live. Another blog that I just recently found out about is And Then We Saved, which is another lifestyle blog about living on the cheap. It follows a journey of paying off debt, and realizing the fun things that you can do for cheap or free. She also has a ton of fun guides to things like cutting your own hair and making sugar scrubs out of coffee. As someone who is getting ready to graduate college I'm loving a good 'I paid off $50,000 dollars in debt in a year' story.
5. What is your dream job? My dream job is such a tough scenario to see played out in my actual life. There are so many things that I want to do! I want to be a traveling social media and advertising guru. I want to work from home and have strange and ecclectic children running around my house one day in the distant future. I want to work with my husband and start a graphic design & advertising cooperative that focuses on small business growth and expansion. I want to write and publish book or two. I want to meet & blog about celebrities, tv shows, and movies for a living. I want to be a bakery chef. I want to do a lot of things, but I think I have been given one of the greatest gifts of all: not having a specific dream job. This allows me to dream big, and be happy exactly where I am until I move on to something else.

Yay Chelsea! Doesn't she sound like so much fun?? Here she is in all of her adorableness!

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Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

2013 Interns: Meet Becker | #sincerelylizphoto

Internet, meet Becker.

Her real name is Kaitlyn but she goes by Becker. That makes her super cool to me. I always wish I had stopped being embarrassed by my middle name (Carter) and used it as my first name, too. (True confessions!) :)

Becker is laid back, intuitive, and artistic. She is a dreamer, a talented photographer, and super eager to learn. I am really looking forward to working with her this semester. She will be assisting me at some weddings as well as working on graphic design projects for me during our time together. I am so excited about all that she will be bringing to the Sincerely, Liz, Inc. team.

I asked Becker a few questions to help introduce her to you all. Please take the time to read her answers below and welcome her to the team!!

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be? I wanted to be some sort of performer or creator. I knew my life would not be boring. My mother sings opera, and my father is a photographer. My mother says that my interests were also "dramatic", from ballet and irish step-dancing, to opera and writing. I recall going through mountains of National Geographic magazines, cutting out my favorite pictures, and knowing right then that I was meant to be a storyteller through photographs. So, I decided to shoot for the mundane and be either a famous musician (I play the viola) or a National Geographic Photographer! You never know what God has in store....
2. What do you do on your days off? On my days off I read, read, read! And I love spontaneous adventures in good weather like hiking, waterfall-jumping at panther falls, walks in the park with my boyfriend Josiah, and getting in shape at the gym! If I was back in my hometown, Rhode Island, I would be at the beach swimming everyday and enjoying clamcakes and chowder.
3. Tell us about someone that’s an important part of your every day life and why he or she is important to you. Wow, narrowing that down is very hard. I'm going to have to say that Josiah Johnson is one of the most influential people in my life. I know everyone says their boyfriend is their "best friend." But he really is. He pushes me to try harder, and is incredibly supportive of my larger-than-life goals, always giving me great critiques on my graphic design projects and encouraging me. He is the goofiest person I know, with the biggest arsenal of character voices, funny accents, puns, and silly card games. I have learned to take myself a little less seriously (too many embarassing stories to tell here...) in the time I've known him, and to trust God in everything. He loves me the way I am, but continually makes me a better person with each day we spend together; The Mark of the good man.
4. What is your favorite blog? I divide my blog-time pretty equally between a few, but I love my photography blogs! I love to look up the newest adventures on this National Geographic Adventures blog. My favorite was a Mongolian Horse Trek feature. I also check out blogs on old vintage cameras like Film is not dead. A few fitness blogs have been motivating me lately, too.
5. What is your dream job? Oooh, thats a toughy. I'm still a little kid at heart and I want to do 5,000 different things. I would love to be a documentary photographer. I love storytelling, I love travel, I love being involved and recording what is around me. I did a documentary with The Festival Ballet Providence in Rhode Island and I fell in love with the story that was unfolding before me. Thats why I love National Geographic so much, because of their great stories through images. I have toyed with the idea of also owning my own photographic film darkroom in an artist community....a very small, but needed niche.

She inspires me so much! To be young again with the world at your fingertips... I just love her heart. :)

So, of course I had to do a portrait session with each of my interns..! (More to come later this week.) Becker's session was planned super last minute when the local weatherman began predicting snow in the forecast last week. We exchanged a few texts and ended up meeting in the corner of a parking lot for about 15 minutes the next morning to capture the pictures below. I just love how these came out and was jumping for joy that her artistic eye knew JUST what colors to wear with her porcelain skin against the pure white snow. So, so pretty!

I invited Josiah (her boyfriend) along for a few fun pictures at the end and was reminded, again, how passionate I am about capturing the love and chemistry between two people. You guys, I seriously snapped pictures of them for less than 4 minutes and look at the joy they instantly shared! Becker just lights up in Josiah's presence!

Such a fun semester ahead!!

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Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.