Let me describe last week’s maternity session…..When you have weather that feels just right, a location to die for and one beautiful mommy-to-be, you’re bound for an unbelievable session.

Not to mention how AMAZING the lighting was, it was so creamy and rich! They don’t call it the magic hour for nothing people!

Nicole and Walt were such a joy to work with; I know I say that about a lot of my sweet couples but this session felt different all around from start to finish. They were seriously the most relaxed and down to earth couple that I’ve ever shot. They made my job super easy and FUN! They were up for doing anything that I asked and just went with the flow.

Nicole is also from NJ so of course we had an instant connection from the start.

While I was shooting them, I was just in awe and felt so blessed. Sometimes it’s the little things that make you realize just how special this job really is!

Making a mommy-to-be feel glamorous and beautiful warms my heart to no end.

This was also the first real session that Rob took on the roll as my second shooter, just check out some of his photos! He will def. be making an appearance at future sessions and weddings just you wait : )

I really wanted to try something different and unique for this session. If you know me then you know how much I love anything that’s abandoned, rustic and fields of tall grass. Rob and I literally drove around for hours on end all around Mississippi during the month of March before finally coming across an old golf course that was destroyed by Katrina. We felt like we stuck gold because our area is very limited when it comes to big fields. Rob managed to get ahold of the owner who granted us access onto the property so we didn’t have to sneak on and run from cop’s lol we had a few of those occasions in the past.

This location was the perfect spot for Nicole and Walt session and I really hope I do future sessions there!

Nicole I wish you a healthy and easy delivery and I can’t wait to meet your two little girls!

Enjoy!

Two little pink egg’s for two little girls : )

To say that you’re glowing would be an understatement!

You’re simply Radiant!

This one is from Rob!

My Fav photo!

O M G!!!!! I’m in love!!

For their session, we also did a few extra props which that I’m not allowed to reveal right now because its going to be a surprise!

So you will just have to wait for them until May : )

Get ready because what I’m about to introduce to you is along the lines of

…. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G…..

If you haven’t noticed DVD’s are slowly becoming a thing of the past. We knew this day would come and if you didn’t, you should’ve got the hint when the USB or even when the iPod was introduced and we no longer had to burn music on a CD! All of the new MacBook’s and iMac’s don’t even come with DVD drive, weird right? So this tells me the industry is making a serious change. We all know with change.. comes New and Exciting things.. Especially for photographers!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that DVD’s are not very reliable when it comes to saving or protecting your images. They Crack… they Break… they get scratched A LOT.. Not to mention how long your computer takes to upload them ughhh. Or if your computer decides to even upload them at all for that matter lol. I think everyone can agree with me when I say good riddance.

For the last two years I’ve delivered custom DVD’s to all of my clients. I’ve had clients lose or misplace their DVD’s, forget to backup their files up and had issues with their computer reading the files. Thus usually resulted in me making a new copy for them, which I was happy to do. I’m not going to lie… it would cost me time and money. If you’re a custom photographer, then you know what I’m talking about. If you’re like me you’ve probably invested in a great deal of money into your packaging.

Well now there’s a new way to deliver images and it doesn’t involve DVD’s or packaging and it’s FREE.

I give you…

PASS

An image-sharing gallery that was made by the creators of Showit. Pass lets you view, download and share your images instantly. With PASS, you can access your images wherever you are. View them on your computer, ipad and on your iphone.

PASS makes it extremely easy to share your photos on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter with just a click of a button!

Pass isn’t your typical image gallery.

PASS saves all of your images so they’re  safe and secure.

Why I Love it!

There are so many AMAZING things that I love about the new PASS! From the beautiful way it displays my images to how it’s saving me time.

My photos are displayed and delivered to my clients in a way that is elegant and professional.

I no longer have to convert HR files into LR for my clients to display their images on any social media because PASS does that for me.

You can mark your favorites and share them on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and via Email.

Easily download all your photos with one click.

The PASS App is available for free in the App Store.

Photos are safely stored in the cloud for one year and can be extended to 5 years for a small fee.

One website that’ll work on your computer, tablet, and phone.  No more separate apps for each device!

The option to order prints (Coming soon)

Heather + Scotts Gallery

Shannon + Derek’s Gallery

But!

Features

PASS Promo

What Photographers are saying!

The talented Katelyn James

Plus Jason Aldean’s song “Fly over States” was on the radio quite often lol. If you haven’t heard it, then you seriously need to play it to understand.

Now if you’ve been on highway 90, you know there is endless amount of tourist traps lol its insane. Rob and I would point out the really weird ones and laugh about them. The most popular billboards were “See live buffalo”… “Visit the Corn Palace”… etc..  I have to say that Firehouse brewing company was pretty creative with their billboards. They had an old legit firetruck attached to their billboards lol. There was also a billboard to see the Little house on the prairie (yes the real one), which might have been interesting to see in a way but it was really out of the way.

And no we DID NOT stop at WALL DRUG no matter how many signs we saw for it lol. I don’t think we were missing anything too exciting even though the drive was boring at times lol.

O did I mention that we also broke down on the way? Yup haha that was fun haha. Little did we know it was soon going to happen again when we hit WY. But I was so glad we got a new cig. outlet so we could finally charge our iPhone’s on the road. Apple maps would kill our phones not to mention all of the places I was looking up to pull over at lol.

Here’s some Instagram for ya!

If you ever go to the Badlands, you have to stop and feed the prairie dogs on the way. You just have to! They are the cutest things ever! Feeding them is totally different then seeing then behind a wall at a zoo. Here they come right up to you. Its so cute how they will put their little paws on you to take the food.

Rob and I were out there for like an hour feeding them and watching them run around haha. It was pretty exciting considering we’ve been in a moving truck all morning.

On to the BADLANDS…..

As you can see the weather wasn’t the nicest, it was horrible lol. Rob and I packed for warm weather so we froze our butts off. Word of the wise, this isn’t a place you should wear your Toms or flip-flops. The mud here is no joke!

As you drive through it, theres so many different unique views and angles.

So honored to be featured on The Rally Point for a 2nd time. Check out the rest of Melissa & Cory’s sexy engagement session

I admit..

I can still blog stalk like no ones business. Lol what photographer doesn’t? Everyone has someone that they look up to and that who inspires them! If you’re facebook friends with me then you know I have a follow list labeled “Favorite Photographers”. Its not short either lol.

I follow a lot of different photographers for various reasons. Some for their beautiful photos… their helpful tips… business advice… or because they flat out inspire me in some way. I like to always have ideas fresh in my mind and to keep myself thinking. I love discovering new ways to shoot and interact with my clients. As an artist, you never stop learning and growing.

In all honesty there’s only about a handful of photographers that I will follow daily. I tend to follow the ones that are blogging consistently for some reason. But I still follow lots of others from time to time.

Its almost like watching TV shows as weird as that may sound haha. Following blogs is very similar to me. Everyone has those few that they watch every week. Ya know, the ones you can’t miss! Bachelor.. Walking Dead.. whatever it is. Then there’s the ones you watch every so often when they are back…Shark week is one of them. When it comes on people go nuts for it. Along the way of watching those shows, there will always be new ones starting that you end up adding to your list. Before you know it you go from watching 5 to like 20. Maybe it’s just me since Rob and I watch a lot of shows lately lol

The List

Katelyn James- She was one of the first photographers that I began following when I was just starting out. I know her post schedule and know that I will always have something to read Monday morning lol. I enjoy reading about her life, her work, and her adorable dog named Bokeh! I love her posing techniques!

Sharon Elizabeth- I love the natural feel she has in her work. Her life is so inspiring to read. It will probably bring tears to your eyes because its that touching. Her posts are always really honest and REAL, which is really refreshing in this industry. Her ninja kick posts make me laugh.

Deidre Lynn- Her work has this mystical feel to it thats fantasy like which is really unique.

 Jasmine Star- Because she’s J* Sometimes I honestly think this woman has super powers. She’s one of the top photographers in the industry!

Stephanie Fay- Because she’s our fabulous wedding photographer : ) Her work is really beautiful!

Zach & Jody- Masters of lighting & OCF! They have lots of helpful business advice! I got to meet them while in CA attending a workshop. I just about died when I parked next to them in the parking lot.

Kaitlin Noel- Her personality is really bubbly and her positive outlook on life is a great inspiration to all photographers.

Rebekah Hoyt- Love her wedding series and tips for photographers! Very very Helpful!

For inspiration.
I’m really drawn to photos that have a soft romantic feel to them. There’s something about this kind of style that really speaks to me. It’s something that I try to achieve in my own work. As I’m slowly growing into my own style I’ve been noticing it come out more and more. Though all of these photographers below are all different, they all have that romantic style in their images, which inspires me.

Glass Jar

Laura Nelson

Ashleigh Jayne

Jess Barfield

Jenny Haas

Anna K

Lizzy Kimball

Kay English

Kristen Booth

Valentina Glidden

Favorite Film Photographers
Believe it or not more and more photographers are switching back to film, which gets me really excited since I started with film myself. As much as I love shooting digital, there’s just something that film has that digital just lacks. The colors you get from film are just beautiful.

Joes Villa

Laura Gordon

Abby Grace

Vicki Grafton

Anne Robert

Jodi Miller

]]> http://christynicolephotography.com/2013/favoritephotographers/feed/ 0 http://christynicolephotography.com/2013/choosing-a-venue/ http://christynicolephotography.com/2013/choosing-a-venue/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:00:59 +0000 christy http://christynicolephotography.com/?p=6024 Read the Rest →]]>

Picking our venue wasn’t the easiest of all job, it def. took some digging around to find. Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere but you know what they say…When you look hard enough for something eventually you find what you’re looking for or it might even be better then you even imagined.

Rob and I both agreed from the very beginning that we wanted to pick something that would be outside and unique. We didn’t want to get married in a church or have our reception in a dark reception hall, it just wasn’t for us. We both wanted to find a venue that we really connected with and that showcased our personalities. Rob and I are pretty laid back and we wanted our wedding to reflect that. Rob and I loved the idea of having our wedding outside on a farm or even at an old Manor/Inn. I really had my heart set on having our reception in a barn from the beginning.

We really didn’t have a set place that we wanted to have the wedding at. I’m from NJ and Rob’s from MD so we knew that no matter where we choose, most likely all of our guests would have to travel for it. There was just no way around it. We started with NJ then went from there.

When your searching for a venue, theres so many factors you have to consider. Knowing exactly what you want before you start looking for a venue will make your life a lot easier!

Here’s a few common questions to ask when searching.

How much is this going to cost…

How many people can the venue hold…

How many hours can I rent it for…

What time does our reception have to end by..

Are there any restrictions…

What dates are still available…

Do I have to use you’re venders or can I choose my own…

How far are the nearest hotels and airports for my guests…

Whats the bathroom situation like…

etc…

We looked at a lot of places, well I shouldn’t say we lol. Rob was actually on a deployment at the time. I would send him photos of places along with info to keep him in the loop. For every venue that I was interested in, I read tons of reviews from past brides and I found a lot of good & bad opinions which helped a lot. I even googled a lot of blogs that featured past weddings at each venue to see possible areas for photos… Lol crazy I know. I must of googled over 300 different venues if not more.

Here’s all of the venues that made it to my top list and which one we ended up with.

New Jersey

The Fernbrook Inn

I can not say enough nice things about this place. My mom and I fell completely in love with it when we visited it. I really thought this was going to be our venue for sure. The owner Sue is such a sweet and kind lady and makes you feel at home. Unfortunately you had to use their caterer and it was way over our budget.

Other unique places in NJ
Crossed Keys Inn
Bayonet Farm

Maryland

The Woodlawn Manor

This place was just 5 minute drive from Rob parents house so the location was great. I really loved the grounds of this place, there were many unique buildings surrounding the house along with an old barn. It would’ve been the perfect location for photos and all, however  they had a lot of restrictions.

Union Mills Homestead

I loved driving up to this venue and walking around the beautiful property. What really attracted me to this place was the barn of course. I was on a mission to have my reception in a barn and here was my chance. The rental was around $65 to rent for the entire weekend was extremely amazing and would’ve saved us a ton of money. The down side was that in order to have the reception in the barn, you needed to use their caterer which wasn’t so bad since they were really affordable. However they didn’t allow glass to be n the barn at all. I was all about saving money but I wasn’t ready to trade in my vintage china for plastic plates lol.

Other place in MD
The Stone Manor Country Club
The Comus Inn

Virginia

The Silverbrook Farm B&B

You know that feeling you get when you know something just feels right. That’s the feeling that I got when I found the Silverbrook farm. It felt like it was meant to be.

I’ll have to start from the begining to give you the full understanding of why this location is so meaningful to me.

While growing up I was very close with my grandpa. So close that its hard to bring up these old memories… My grandpa was born and raised in VA. He lived pretty close to the Blue Ridge Mountains, beautiful I know. Ever since I was a little girl, I remember my grandpa would always tell me stories of Virginia. He would say how beautiful it was and that he would love to move back there someday. I mean he could talk hours about the state if you’d let him, trust me. I can still remember how he would say the word Virginia in that deep southern country voice of his lol its kinda hard to forget it. There was just something special to him about VA that just made him happy.

My grandpa preferred the simple things in life like me. There were a few big things that I know he was very proud of and that was his family & where he came from. However he was never able to go back to VA…My grandpa passed away on my 22^nd birthday, out of all days, I know … it was pretty terrible trust me. I remember it like it was yesterday. Although he’s not with us right now, his laughs and his stories stand out pretty well in my mind. Something I know that he wanted for me was to see the world, marry a great guy and to just be happy. I can say that I’m doing all three of those things now.

Finding Silverbrook.

I came across this unique farm on google. I had no idea where this farm was even located in the beginning. All I knew was that this farm was absolutely gorgeous and the view from it was breathtaking. It had rolling hills over looking mountains and a big barn with chandeliers. It had little sculpture gardens all throughout the property. I got really excited when I found out it was located in VA and just a 45 minute away from our house in Frederick, MD so it wasn’t too far. After I saw the photos of this place, I knew I was done searching. This places had every single thing I was looking for and more.

When I contacted the owner Dot, I was so excited to hear that our date was still available. As soon as Rob got home from his deployment, we drive out to the farm! Dot greeted us with open arm’s and showed us all around her beautiful home. We really enjoyed hearing about the history of the farm and everything she’s done to it so far. Dot made us feel really at home; it felt like we’ve known her for years. Rob and I honestly fell in love with this place. After we came out of the barn, we just looked at each other and knew it was us.

So on June 22, 2013 Rob and I will say our vows in front of our friends & family overlooking those same Blue Ridge Mountains and I will have my grandpa with me on one of the most special days of my life.

All of the photos below are by Rod Nasbe Photography

Anyone up for a game of chess?

The dining room

The bridal suite

When Rob and I made our 2^nd cross-country trip to MS last Dec, I made sure this was on our stop. It was a little out of the way but it was sooooo worth it though. Antelope Canyon is about 3 hours north of the Grand Canyon or less just outside of Page, AZ on an Indian reservation. It seemed like it took forever in a moving truck though lol. If you’re ever in that area one day, you have to see this place.

When you’re in these slot canyons, the feeling you get is something from another world. It’s an experience of a lifetime for sure. The sandstone formations are something you have to see in person to believe. You will feel so relaxed and calm. The sand is soft like powder; lol I wanted to walk through it with my bare feet. There’s about a 20-degree difference in temperature in these canyons also.

There are two Antelope Canyons that you can visit (Lower & Upper). After reading tons of reviews Rob and I decided on Lower Antelope Canyon since it was more for photographers and said to be more beautiful, which I can believe. I’ll explain the difference in the two. The Upper and Lower Canyons have slightly different geometries. They both have a triangular basic shape. The Upper Canyon is wider at the bottom while the Lower Canyon is wider at the top. If rains is in the forcast for Page, AZ, they close the canyons due to high risk flash floods.

The Lower

-The road signs aren’t clearly labeled (its hard to find the entrance)

-Small guided tours start at 8:30am and end at 4:00pm (They start every 30 minutes)

$20 per person to enter + $6 for the Navajo Tribal Fee

-If you have a Pro SLR camera and tripod you can stay in the canyon for 2 hours for a photo tour (for the same price!)

-If you have a point and shoot, you won’t be allowed to do the photo tour!

-They only accept cash!!!

-More spots for photos since its a lot longer then the upper.

-You have to climb down a series of steep ladders to get to each level (the lowest point is 120 ft deep); there are a lot of narrow passageways you have to walk through. Be prepared to climb through cracks the rocks and bend through tight turns.

The Upper

-Is more for the average tourist

-Large group tours (Extremely crowded)

-$46 a person since you can’t drive there on your own. You have to pay a guide to drive you there in a jeep.

-For people that don’t like to climb

The top of the canyon

Advice

Go to the Lower canyon if you can only do one of them!

Go during the winter months (off season) so its not tourist season other wise it will be extremely hot outside and very crowded. Rob and I were lucky we visited Antelope in Dec, which our tour guide said was the most ideal time of year.

The weather was perfect and there was hardly anyone there. There were only about 3 other photographers in the canyon with us. Our tour guide was awesome! He talked about the history of the canyon and pointed out all of the cool spots for photos. Rob and I stopped and photographed anything the we wanted and took our time.

Remember to bring climbing shoes or a good pair of sneakers!

A little photo Advice
Bring a wide-angle lens thats wider then 50mm. I used my 24mm the whole time and was able to fit everything in it.

Bring a tripod!

Shoot in RAW & in manual!

DO NOT use a flash.

Your gear is going to get dusty! Try not to change lenses!

The best time of day is to go when the sun is NOT directly overhead so you can see the canyon light up the different colors.

For more photography advice and tips check out this link!

Rob and I hope to stop here again on our drive back to San Diego in 2014

When I first started my business…
I honestly had no idea what equipment I was going to invest in. I started back in HS with a Canon film camera and like most people you stick to the brand that you love! In 2010 I bought a Canon Rebel T1i starter camera because I didn’t really know what direction I was going to take my business in or if it was just going to be a hobby.

Before I go into the details, I want to point out that… I am by no means an expert and I don’t have all of the answers. Everything below is solely based on my personal experience as a photographer.

As soon as I realized I wanted to shoot people, I decided to ditch my two plastic f/5.6 kit lenses, which is probably one of the best decisions that I made. Anything thats built from plastic usually isn’t the best quality. My advice is if you want to buy a starter camera buy the body only and invest in a great lens so you don’t waste your money! I totally believe investing in nice equipment is the way to go but remember the equipment should never make the photographer!

Ex:
Back in 2001 when I switched over to Prismacolor Pencils from cheap Crayola colored pencils. It was like a whole new world opened up. Yes, I already had the advanced drawing skills that I needed… They didn’t call me the shady lady for nothing lol. But investing in expensive colored pencils made a HUGE difference in the quality of my work in all honesty. At the time it was a big investment for a HS student but it was worth it. So why wouldn’t I do the same thing with my photography?!

Something that really helped me in the beginning was joining a few photography forums and following the blogs from my favorite photographers in the industry! I honestly learned SO much from reading other photographer’s blogs and hearing about their personal experiences with their business. I remember when I used to envy what other photographers had in their camera bags and think to myself gosh I hope that’s me some day but what I realized is that what may work from them, may not necessarily work for me.

My first “REAL” lens…
Was the 50mm F/1.4, Hello BOKEH! This lens helped me develop my shooting style and made me fall in love with prime lenses. Primes have that extra something that zooms don’t. I was finally able to do something that I could never do before and thats shoot wide open! My images were also finally crisp too! I decided to get this lens over the 1.8 because again I just couldn’t grasp the idea of buying another plastic built lens. This lens is great for someone just starting out and its nice for portraits; keep in mind that on a crop sensor camera body it can be a little annoying at times but on a FF its Awesome! 

My second lens.
Was the 100mm 2.8. This was my first “L” lens and it totally blew my mind away! I felt like I was Carey Bradshaw in Sex and They City saying “Hello Lover” haha. Every time I would use it I remember getting so excited over my images and asking to shoot everyones engagement rings since I didn’t have one of my own at the time lol.

This lens even turned out to be great for shooting portraits too believe it or not. I know most photographers use this lens primarily for detail shots however at the time I wasn’t plan on buying another lens for a while so I had to make the best out of what I had. I shot with these two lenses for an entire year before upgrading anything. It was hard at times and yes I was limited as to what I could shoot, however I learned a lot.

Upgrading to Full Frame…
 The moment that I decided to be a wedding photographer, I knew that I was going to need a lot more equipment. Going full frame was something that I needed. The crop sensor I was using was very limited and the ISO capabilities on it were horrible. It was time to upgrade. Meet the Canon 5D Mark III or how Rob likes to call it, Marky Mark lol. This was a really BIG investment and step up from my little rebel. Before I upgraded to FF, I waited months and months for Canon to release this sexy beast and I’m so glad that I did because it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! I use a hand strap because its very comfortable and its easy to move around.

I then bought a used 5D Mark II as my backup body off of our friend derek. The mark II is also very nice and is perfect to have as a back up.

My lenses.

Oct. 2012, I had the biggest surprise of my life. Rob surprised me with 3 brand new lenses and a bunch of other equipment/accessories that I will need to shoot weddings with. Lets just say it left me speechless in tears. I’m very thankfully I have a man that believes in me so much that he’s willing to help me out in any way that he can.

50mm 1.4
The lens is perfect if you’re just starting out or if you just want a nice portrait lens to shoot wide open with. And for the price, you really can’t go wrong with it.

50mm 1.2
To everyone that I’ve heard say that the 1.2 isn’t worth the money, are the people that don’t own the 1.2. This lens will rock your world I promise you. Its my absolute favorite lens and its my baby. The colors are so creamy and the bokeh on it will make you jump up and down, because I sure did!

70-200 2.8 IS II…
This lens is going to come in handy during wedding ceremonies and i’m so excited to use it. For a zoom lens, its pretty sharp too!

  100mm 2.8  ….
Now that I have other lenses, this one is mostly going to be for those ring shots!

 24mm 1.4
I love how wide this lens is. The angles I get with it is awesome! Yes, it does have a little distortion on the edges but this lens is beautiful! I was actually going to buy the 35m 1.4 over this one because I fall in love with it when I used to rent it however I didn’t want to be limited if I didn’t have the space so I decided on the 24mm.

I also have a 100-400mm 4.5 that I bought used a while back but I rarely ever use it. Its mostly my landscape lens but I have it as a back just in case I ever need another zoom.

My flashes.
As you know I’m mostly a natural light photographer however there are times when I still need a flash if I want to shoot in doors or if I ever want to get creative with light. I bought the 580ex II around the same time I bought my first 50mm, now it will be used as a backup or for my second shooter to use. I was really excited when canon came out with the 600EX-RT’s, which is a major step up since theres no need to invest in any pocket wizards. The 600′s are wireless and connect using radio waves! The nice thing about them is that they are super easy to use! I am going to use these 2 flashes for OCF during wedding receptions starting this year.

Think Tank pixel pocket rocket.
I love this memory card case. Its great for carrying all of my memory cards and it can clip to my Kelly Moore bag very easily. They also sell ones for SD cards as well!

Moshi card reader.
If your still uploading your photos with a cord then you seriously need to get a card reader. You computer and camera will love you for it trust me. Before I bought one, it would take me hours to upload my images. This reader is so fast and easy, I can’t imagine not using it. It also has dual slots so you can use CF and SD memory cards.

Other equipment.
Think Tank V 2.0
Manfrotto Tripod/ light stand
5D Mark III battery pack
Flash battery pack
Gary Fong lightsphere
Lots of rechargeable batteries
CF memory cards
Black Rapid Double slim
Black Rapid Women’s strap.

—

13″ Macbook 2.4 GHz
27″ iMac 3.4 GHz
Lightroom 4
Photoshop CS5
Photo Mechanic

Wish List.
Of course I still have a wish this for future purchases but I don’t plan on buying anything else until I have a good amount of weddings under my belt like 20+ because right now I have everything that I need. I will probably consider renting some lenses for weddings here and there if I ever need to though. My eyes are on the 35mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.2. Although the 85mm 1.8 I’ve heard great things about also.

Before you invest.
I would say the best thing you should do before investing in any kind of lens or camera body is to test it out first! Go into your local camera store and bring your camera body along! I loved going into stores and getting to play around with all of the “big boy lenses” for a couple of hour’s and seeing what I liked and didn’t like. Of course you may have a sales person try to sell you what they think you should and should not buy but remember they aren’t YOU! To avoid the unnecessary hassle you could also rent equipment through LensRentals.com or BorrowLenses.com, which are both awesome!

Rob and I headed to New Orleans on a few Sunday’s ago! It was our first big trip in the new car and my first time in NOLA. Rob’s actually been there before however he doesn’t remember too much from his trip lol only that he ate gator and drank way too much. So another trip was needed!

 It was perfect timing since our friend; Brittany was visiting her parents in her hometown in New Orleans so we planned a day to meet up. I became good friends with Brittany when Rob was on the USS Elrod with her husband, Neil.

It was so nice getting the grand tour of the city from a real local. Just like any city, there are areas that you should and shouldn’t go if you know what I mean. Brittany was sweet enough to spend the entire day with us and show us all of the must see places and where we had to eat at.

Pat O’Briens!

The ISO capabilities on the mark III amazes me! You would never know how dark the room really was.

Rob being well… Rob lol. Poor mike.

I don’t even want to know what you have to do to get beads that big lol.

Every corner had a tons of flavored daquiri’s

I just loved these doors. It would be the perfect backdrop for engagement photos.

If you’re from NJ like me then I’m sure you know how amazing zeppoles are and if you don’t then well you are totally missing out. Beignets are just another form of dough fried with powdered sugar in bag and they are amazing.

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