The Lovely Years

Love finds a way. It really does. You come home to it, you see it in the embrace of siblings or in your child's eyes. You see the connections and the memories. Whether you take the road less traveled or the busy, popular highway. At the end of it all what you find is love. 

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Six Part Harmony

Six cousins. Six that make this family smile. Six little giggly faces. Six to share in the love...

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Molly, Class of 2014

There is a certain kind of beautiful about this girl. She has the carefree nature of one who sees the entire world and beyond. She has the joy of the future in her smile. She is hope as she trails her path.

I expect to see her future to be simply amazing! Congratulations, Molly! May your senior year be the beginning of everything you hope for!

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Jo-Een's 60th

60 years. 60 years of joy. Of laughter. 60 years of love.

Oh, not all has been perfect but it is what has made her who she is. For in her we find comfort and friendship. We find home away from home. We find arms that are always ready to embrace. If you tell her you want to dance, she will lead you to the dance floor. If you tell her a joke, she laughs with her soul. She is beautiful. She is life. And that is perfect.

This is a celebration 60 years in the making. A moment cherished by all who were there. And a wish  for another 60 years beside her.

Happy Birthday!

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Little Miracles

Little miracles happen every day. Usually when we are too busy with our own lives. This little man was one of these miracles. But I think he was more. He was wishful thinking. A whisper in the wind that was thought to never be possible. A dream come true. He is love to his family. He is tenderness wrapped in a lullaby. And I know that great things are yet to come because of him.

Welcome to the world, sweet baby boy!

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A Little Family Full of Love

They are 3. But if you were to give their love a number it would be 3 million. They are full of laughter. Of adventure. Of joy. Their favorite place in the world is together. Their connection is tangible and I was lucky enough to witness it. So here is a moment in their world. A moment full of who they are. And I loved being around them just for that.

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Blaine Class of 2014

Her beauty comes from inside. From a place of joy and love. Her words are a song about to happen. Her every move speaks of joy. She keeps life real and yet full of dreams. She shines with a light that speaks of eternity. 

So watching her make her future are moments I don't want to miss. Camera in hand, I hope to eternalize every one of them so that she can look upon her past and remember. Thank you for sharing this amazing day with me. Congratulations Blaine, class of 2014.

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Natalie, Class of 2014

Time flies. And soon you will be spreading your wings, getting ready for that first adventure on your own. Away from home, ready to make your dreams come true. It's a time of hope and excitement. Your future is just around the corner. So seize it. Hold on to it with both hands and remember that if it all gets to be too much, you will always have someone from your past cheering you on.

Enjoy your senior year!

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Amber & Todd: A Love Story

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is friendship. And rainbows and sunshine. Love is looking forward to a life of adventure. Love is holding hands. Love is the fairytale romance you create for yourself. Love is joy and laughter. And with each passing day you will both discover the happiness of being together. As well as love. So much love. 

Congratulations Amber & Todd!

Camp Carlson, KY Wedding Photos by Bellepoq Photography
Bride's and Bridal Party Hair done by Gibby Leneve
Wedding Gown and Bride's Maid's Dresses Purchased at Bridal Warehouse in Louisville, KY.

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That's What Little Boys are Made of...

They run, they laugh they keep you on your toes. They are explorers and inventors. A million worlds live in their imagination. They are full of adventure. And yet at the end of the day they still seek that safe spot in your lap, curl up and fall asleep like the little angels they truly are.

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Happy Father's Day

This was an incredible week! A beautiful wedding with just an amazing family. It was a long day, exhausting beyond all words but also fun and thrilling.

The bride contacted me once I got home and asked me if I would please process the pictures of her with her dad. She wanted to surprise him with some pictures for Father's Day. So I quickly went through the shots and found some amazing moments of the two of them. Especially the last one. He embraced his daughter right after the ceremony and the look on his face was just priceless.

She also asked me to process one of her husband's family so she could surprise them too. There were so many lovely images but the chosen one was the one of the entire family together.

Weddings can be very emotional. They are beautiful and really bring people together. It is just as important to me to photography families together as it is photographing the bride and groom together. This wedding had a little bit of everything: laughter, tears... And just lots of love. It was a great day and it is my privilege to share with you some special pictures of dads with their children.

Last but not least, here is a slideshow of the bride's 1st dress fitting. I was honored to be there and capture such an emotional time in her family's life. I hope you all enjoy the pictures. And grab a  tissue or two. You may need it.

Happy Father's Day!!!

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A Grandchild is so Much Fun!

We ran, threw rocks in the lake, acted like clowns, visited an old school house (from the 1800's), colored and generally just had a great afternoon. Thank you so much for the fun and laughter. This was definitely a special day...

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Becky and Bruce: Forever in Love

I have known these two for a long time. Well, when they decided to celebrate their 6 anniversary by taking their vows in front of God, family and friends I just knew I had to be there. So here is the story of their day in pictures. It meant the world to me to see them so happy... ;)

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The Story of Angela & Edward

So,  we met at Walmart. I was shopping for home made pizza ingredients for my friends birthday and he was shopping for an iPod for his daughters birthday. He normally shops at the Walmart in Elizabethtown but for some reason ended up in the Radcliff store.

He was coming from the back of the store and I was coming out of produce and ended up behind him.  He did a double rake when he looked at me :). Like he knew me

He got in line and I started to get in line behind him but I got cold feet because  I knew he was going to talk to me.   I went to the next lane and he followed. He said my line was shorter ;)

He started talking to me about whether I thought an iPod was a good birthday gift and we just kept talking.  I got checked out and was ready to leave and I realized that he was not going to ask for my number and I remember thinking that he was just so nice and I wanted to see him again so I asked him if he wanted to "hang out" or something 

He said "what do you mean by that". And I said "dinner or something". We exchanged numbers and he texted me about an hour later.  We texted for about thirty minutes and then he called.  It was about a month before we actually went out but we talked about every night for the first couple of weeks and then he quit calling.  So I just figured he wasn't interested and then Zachary asked about him and I told him that he quit calling. To which Zach replied,... "Just call him mom",  so I did and what had happened was he had got cold feet.  We made plans for a first date. A football game in Lexington and we have been together ever since.   Happily ever after !!!!

Camp Carlson, KY Wedding Photos by Bellepoq Photography
Bride's Gown and Bridesmaid's Dresses purchased at Bridal Warehouse
Catering and Cake by Ruth Whelan

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Beautiful Women

Yesterday was not a good day. I felt fat and therefore ugly. I know I have put on weight and with the my wedding being about a month away I suddenly panicked. For once I want to be a beautiful bride. I want to look drop dead gorgeous in my pictures. I want to be remembered as beautiful... Truth be told though, my children will never think of me as "fat". What they will remember is the love I gave them, the smiles and all the fun we have together. They will laugh at all the times I teased them or made their favorite foods just because I love them. Nothing else matters to them. Then why can't I see myself through their eyes?

I know I am not alone here. Every woman struggles with something about her image. It could be weight, hair, breasts, butts... Doesn't matter. You ask a woman to point out a part of her body she does not like and she will give you 10 without blinking an eye. Unfortunately, it's true. I have been watching "Inside the Glamour Studio" with Sue Bryce that was taped at CreativeLive in September. Sue photographs women. And they are drop dead gorgeous. But more than that, I love her philosophy. Women are beautiful. They should be photographed regardless of their size. Losing weight (or gaining it) is nothing. Your children and husband won't love you more for it. You need to live now, with who you are right now. That person you were 20 years ago or who you want to be 2 years from now does not exist. You are you now. And you are definitely beautiful for it.

This has struck a chord with me. Especially this morning. I was thinking of all the beautiful women I have photographed. Women who have their own insecurities. Who claim to not be photogenic. And yet every time I see their pictures all I can think of is how gorgeous they are (and how I wish I could be more like them). I am not Sue Bryce. I don't take pictures like her (although the more I think about it, the more I want to incorporate it into what I already do). However, I do love these pictures. So while I am still struggling with my self image and dreaming of a trip to Australia to be photographed by Sue, I am going to try to relax a little. I am getting married whether I am skinny or not. I will be photographed. And I will have a great time. I am now.

Thank you, my beautiful clients for allowing me to capture your "nows".

The "D's"

I love kids. I mean, when you live with 6 of them (3 of my own) you have to love them... But it couldn't be more true. I love interacting with them. I love how their minds work. I even love talking about video games with them (yes, I have absorbed quite a bit about the gaming world from my boys). The latest family I shot brought me so much joy. I felt like a kid myself. So here are some pictures of this wondrful family. With an awesome, minecraft-loving boy (who does NOT have a girlfriend, by the way). LOL I hope you enjoy!!!

Pure Joy

This is why I love pictures. I know her smile looks a little weird. Yes, she has a gap in her teeth. The top ones were very loose and being pushed out of her mouth. She called it her bunny teeth. But she is pure joy. And that is a memory I will cherish forever.

Location, Location, Location

I have a photo shoot coming up this week. So as part of my preperation process I like visiting the location I am going to take my clients to. I set up my model (usually my other half) and take a few pictures. Last week I was off on one of those scouting trips. But this time I decided to do something a little different. I placed my camera on my handy, dandy tripod, hit the timer button and ran into James's arms. It was fun, silly and definitely a different experience. So I figured I would share. Hope you enjoy...