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    Travel Photography | Páros & Mykonos, Greece

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    People keep asking me to describe how great my trip to Greece was, and I really don’t even know how to explain it. The color of the water, the taste of the food, the amount of belly laughs with my travel friends. It’s hard to describe.

    We got to Páros and I had no expectations about this town because I didn’t know much about it. It’s one of those towns that isn’t so packed with tourists, but more locals. It is more of a town where people that live in Athens head to vacation during the summers. When we walked into the cafe’s here, we struggled with the language barriers more than anywhere else, but in my opinion that makes it more fun. What a beautiful beachside city, the first time we walked into town, the sun was setting and the boats lined the shore, and I knew I was going to like it here. We danced the night away with our big group and then a few of us wandered off on our own to find some more local bars. We found one called the Pirate Bar and we sat outside with our fancy cocktails and felt like we belonged there.

    Our next destination was Mykonos, which we were already informed would be one giant party. That didn’t even prepare us for the craziness of our resort. It had a bar open basically 24/7 with a DJ the entire time and tables to dance on and frozen drinks to pass around. I’m not the club kind of girl, so my favorite part was taking a bus into the city of Mykonos and walking around and shopping. The restaurants were amazing – more gyros everywhere – and the streets were winding and it was nicknamed “Little Venice” which definitely made sense to me after visiting Venice last year. I got beautiful jewelry in Mykonos and even a tattoo to remember my time there. Until we meet again, Greece, I’ll be dreaming of you.

    Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.

  • Travel

    Travel Photography | Santorini, Greece

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    The craziest part about my visit to Santorini is that I only stayed there for two days and I accomplished more in those two days than maybe I did during the entirety of my trip to Greece. I swam at black sand beaches, I ate my first authentic spinach pie, I watched the sunset on a dinner cruise underneath the gorgeous town of Oía, I pet like 10 dogs, I climbed an active volcano and then swam in hot springs. I got ready for dinner in 10 minutes after climbing the volcano and then went to a wine tasting on a cliff, overlooking the Aegean. I wandered the streets of Oía and took in the sunset from a castle above all the buildings, while drinking Rosé, and also got kissed on the cheek by two Greek men (I think that’s an important part to this story). Our amazing tour director kept asking us which town was our favorite as we went along. I couldn’t decide until writing this blog post, and I think Santorini might take the cake on that one. We did so many amazing things in Santorini and Oía, and the towns were just as picturesque as you imagine they’re going to be. It’s almost surreal to stand there and realize you’re ACTUALLY there and ACTUALLY doing this.

    I still have two more towns to share images of, so check back again next week if you want to see my adventures in Páros and in Mykonos! I’m so thankful to this crazy life that lets me take these trips and change my world every time. I was so excited about travel that I actually just booked a trip to Budapest, Vienna, and Prague for next summer. :)

    – Allison

    Donkeys just strolling through Oia.
    These girls made this trip even better.
    After climbing the volcano, our boat took us around to an area only accessible from the water, where we jumped in and swam into the hot springs!
    Climbing up an active Volcano in Santorini was one of the highlights of my trip.
  • Travel

    Travel Photography | Athens, Greece

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    The world is a much bigger place than the city you live in.

    Nothing makes me happier than packing up my essentials in a carry-on sized suitcase and heading to a new and incredible destination. I want to go everywhere. I want to experience every culture. I made a goal to visit a new country every year, and I’ve been making that happen for the last 4 years, now. My latest adventure took me to Greece, and it was perfect.

    I started my trip in Athens. It is the capital city in Greece, as well as the most populated, and one of the world’s oldest cities. I traveled for 20 hours in a row, I am still terrible at sleeping on planes, my body hurt from sitting for so long, and I was so purely exhausted I’m not sure how I was still standing. But when I got there, I met about 38 new friends in the Athens airport. We went straight to our hotel and then took the metro into the city center of Plaka, where a welcome dinner was ready and waiting for us in a beautiful open air rooftop garden, with the most gorgeous night time view of the Acropolis. We ate our first real Greek meal including falafel, tabouli, hummus, pita bread, and for us vegetarians, the biggest and chunkiest greek salad I had ever encountered. I think it’s safe to say I ate more feta cheese on this trip than I’ve ever eaten in my life. And I’m completely okay with that.

    The next morning, we woke up refreshed, and headed back to the city center to take a walking tour of Athens and make our way up to the Acropolis – which is the highest point in the city. It’s where the Parthenon is located and where you can get the most incredible views from above. We heard fun greek mythology tales, took plenty of tourist photos, walked up like 100 marble steps, and took in the views. After touring the Acropolis, we wandered on our own. Shopping, gelato, and our first try at ordering coffee in Greece. Just so you know, the Fredo Espresso is the way to go. They really know how to do iced coffee and I ended up drinking at least one of these every day.

    Around dinner time, a lot of our tour group opted to head to a traditional Greek dinner including dancing and multiple courses. My friends and I chose to head off on our own and I’m so glad we did. We ate the most delicious gyros – which, by the way, in Greece they always stuff your gyros with “fried potatoes” aka french fries – and then headed to this bar called Six Dogs. They had some of the most creative craft cocktails, including adding garnishes like caramelized pineapple (which the bartender lit with a flame right in front of us) and even cotton candy. I got my fix of Italy here too by ordering my favorite, Aperol Spritz.

    Two nights is all we got in Athens before packing up the next morning and making our way to Santorini. I honestly didn’t expect to fall so in love with Athens, I got there feeling excited to head to the islands in two nights, but I ended up so happy to be there. It has such a city vibe, and it reminded me of Rome, but honestly a little less crowded. Which I also didn’t expect. Athens is full of beautiful history, fantastic shopping, and gorgeous buildings. I’m glad we got to start and finish the trip here. More posts on the other stops of my trip soon :)

    – Allison

    Plaka at night.
    The Parthenon
    Athens street art
    Fredo espresso – BEST DRINK EVER
    Gelato in every country
    The wonderful thing about their gyros in Greece is that they put “fried potatoes” in every one.
    Six Dogs is an open air bar with tons of greenery and a great vibe.
    Some of the most creative craft cocktails I’ve ever had.
    Some of the ladies I traveled with, it wouldn’t have been the same without them!
  • Photography

    Wilmington NC Wedding Photographer | What to Wear for Your Engagement Pictures

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    After booking your wedding photographer for the big day, it’s time to start thinking about your engagement portraits. Choosing what to wear for those can really change the entire look and feel of your photos. I find that one of the most common questions I get is “What do we wear?!” Well, these pictures should be a fun and a slightly less formal version of your wedding day photos. So how do you chose? Here are a few simple tips to make your decision a little easier:

    – Keep it to just 1 or 2 outfits total. A lot of times, we’re out photographing in a random setting by a beach or park with no bathrooms nearby, and you’ll end up awkwardly changing in your car or even just standing outside, so either keeping it to one, or switching outfits just once will save a lot of time and hassle. This also gives you the opportunity to have two different looks: one can be more casual (more “you”) and one a little dressier.

    – Wear something that you feel GREAT in! If you feel your best, you will look your best. Self conscious about your belly? Don’t wear something form-fitting. Trying to hide some weird thing on your toes? Wear close-toed shoes. This sounds obvious but maybe it’s not. Taking professional photos can already make you feel self conscious, but choosing an outfit that worries you the entire time will not make you feel confident. The photographer’s job is not to edit you to make you look like someone you aren’t. Show up feeling good about yourself and that will translate to the photos.

    – Show off your personality with your outfit choice! For example: I’m a bright and sunny person by nature, and I LOVE to wear vibrant lipsticks and cute sundresses anytime I’m in professional photos! I get clients who show up in jeans and t-shirt for their engagement photos because they felt that was more “them” – do what makes you feel like yourself! You’ll have plenty of formal photos on your wedding day.

    – Avoid bright bold patterns (smaller detailed patterns look great!) or shirts with words on them. I can’t tell you enough how DISTRACTING words are in photos, your eyes naturally gravitate to that instead of the image itself and the people in it. But this doesn’t mean you should be afraid to be bold – bold is great! I love outfits that stand out and make a statement.

    – Don’t feel like you have to wear white. A lot of my brides feel like they have to wear white because it’s prepping for the wedding day. But ALL of your wedding photos will be with you wearing white – so why not change it up for engagement photos!? White is actually my LEAST favorite color for engagement photos.

    – Think of your location: match your clothing to that style. Doing photos downtown? Personally I love a crisp and fancier outfit paired with an urban background. Going to the beach? Ditch the shoes (especially the heels) and roll up the pant legs. Also, a flowing maxi dress would look gorgeous with the wind at the beach. Remember, short dresses do NOT work with wind at the beach. Trust me. Every time someone does not follow that advice, they always wish they had.

    – Speaking of the beach – if this is your chosen location, remember that it will be windy and that your hair won’t be perfect. Wind blown beach vibes all day.

    – Need something more specific? One of my favorite options is a cocktail/party dress for the ladies and a nice patterned button down for the gentlemen. Doing this classic combination is great for Save The Date’s and it keeps it classy.

    – Not a dress person? That’s okay! Try something different like a patterned romper or a vibrant top or a cozy sweater. Clothing with a great texture (like velvet, or super thick cozy sweaters) always looks good.

    – I love when the guys wear a t-shirt button down, one of those cute patterned ones looks GREAT for summer.

    – Accessorize! Adding in little things like a floral crown or a hat can really add a fun touch to stand out and make your images more playful. Bring a cute blanket to sit on at the beach, a patterned flow-y shall to cover your shoulders in the winter.

    – Most importantly – HAVE FUN AND BE YOU! The best way for me to take great photos is when you show me your true personality and be yourself, that’s when the photos are authentically you!

    – Other fun things that you can bring: DOGS! Seriously, if you’re as obsessed with your dog as I am, they are MORE than welcome (actually encouraged) for photos! It’s usually best to bring a friend to help hold the pup for any photos that we don’t include them in, and also treats for bribery! Also don’t forget poop bags, I can’t tell you how many people forget the poop bags. (Don’t forget the laws at the beaches, Wrightsville Beach doesn’t allow dogs April 1-Sept 30 or it’s a $250 fine. Carolina Beach dogs are allowed AFTER 5:00 PM during that time of year.)

    – Another prop that’s always welcome if you like the idea: Champagne! It’s fun to pop or explode for a few shots at the end!

    – Need ideas on where to shop? My favorite local boutiques in Wilmington to search for engagement ‘fits are Modern Legend and Aqua Fedora in Downtown Wilmington. Shopping online? My absolute favorite is Baltic Born! They’re even great for bridesmaid dresses! 

    For photo examples of my favorite photo session locations, click here! You can see what my other clients have worn at these locations and see what you like THAT MATCHES THE VIBE!