I have been checking the Weather.com app on my iPhone all week hoping and praying it wouldn’t rain this past Sunday.  The weather here in Maryland has been crazy unpredictable these past few weeks, and it was changing daily on my weather app.  Luckily, or by the grace of God, I was blessed with a mild, rain-free Sunday evening in Fells Point for Mark & Lindsey’s engagement photos.

I believe I met Mark when my family first moved to Maryland from Oklahoma and we began attending the same church as his family.  I’m reaching waaaaaay back in my memory here, but I believe I would have been about 8 years old then.  And I met Lindsey not too long after in the fourth grade at Belvedere Elementary School.  I remember that year well because I misspelled “chimney” in the class spelling bee and didn’t make it as far as I’d hoped.  Don’t worry though, I wasn’t crushed too badly.

Well, my point is, I’ve known Mark & Lindsey seperately for a number of years, but I always find it so neat when two people I know, who I didn’t know knew each other, find each other, fall in love, and begin a life together.  Isn’t it a small world?  They were such a great couple to photograph.  All I had to do was tell them tons of cheezy jokes and stories, and they just laughed it up!  Plus I think they were a little nervous being in Fells Point on a Sunday with tons of people watching them cuddle, kiss, and do engaged-people stuff.  But everything went great.

And what I loved was that Lindsey did some research on some ideas she had before we went out.  She’d found Max Wanger‘s site and loved the session he did of a couple with a huge balloon.  So, we tried some things with balloons and some without.  All the while, I felt like we could have been the pied piper and gotten little children everywhere to follow us with those balloons!  They were coming out of nowhere saying, “ball-oon, ball-oon!”

I had a smashing good time (like my new word) with you both, Mark & Lindsey, and can’t wait for your wedding this October.  I know it will rock!

My husband thinks this one would look appropriate with a pitch fork

Do you know what we spelled?

And I think this one has to be my absolute favorite!  Look at the way he looks at her.

Here’s a tease from Mark & Lindsey’s engagement.  I also wanted to share with you and ask you what you think of this “effect” I put on their photo?  I’m trying a retro/vintage look….kind of like old Polaroids.  It’s fun to experiment.  Let me know your opinions, and any ideas as well.  I’d love to hear them!

*make sure you click on the photo for a larger view

The left is the one with the “retro” effect, the right is the original.

You all might remember Ian from “Pirate Day” at Fells Point in Baltimore.  Well, his dad, Dustin, asked me to secretly design an album for his wife for her Mother’s Day gift.  If you know me, asking me to keep a secret is probably the worst thing you could ever do!  I hate keeping secrets, people know I can’t do it very well, and it’s just not a good idea.  However, I was able to just tell the secret to everyone but Dustin’s wife and she didn’t have a clue!  Dustin ordered an 8×8 album with a “chocolate” fabric cover – very similar to Justin & Samantha’s book.  The only difference is he chose a “lay-flat” style book.  Here is Ian’s virtual album!

Ian from joshsroka on Vimeo.

I love making new friends!  I just love it!  I especially like making new friends that I later get to shoot for.  I met Dustin & Stacey through my sister-in-law and her husband, Bert & Laura.  They attend a church called Abbott Memorial Presbyterian Church that my husband Josh and his family used to attend until he was about in his pre-teens.  Now, Josh knew Dustin as a child, but it was really neat when we got to reconnect with him and his beautiful wife, Stacey at various events.  Over the course of seeing them at events and on Facebook, we learned that Dustin is a website guru and decided to have him overhaul my previous website.  As you all know, he did a fabulous job!  We also learned that he and Stacey have a handsome little man named Ian.  And this past weekend, in honor of being one & just an overall lovable boy, I got to photograph Ian.

Dustin & Stacey had me meet them at Du Claw on Bond Street in Fells Point.  As I was getting closer, Dustin called to warn me that it was Pirate Day in Fells Point!  What?!?!?!  That proved to be a lot of fun in addition to our session.  We had children (and adults) in pirate costumes running around having sword fights, cannons booming in the background, and many colorful people.  Ian got in to the pirate mood as well.  Enjoy their preview photos, and a few “pirates” I also captured.

Ian is a new walker and these are his super cool baby shoes!

And now for the colorful pirates!  Arrrrggghhh!

Laura is my lovely sister-in-law and Bert is my husband Josh’s childhood friend from Baltimore. Bert asked me to take their engagement photos at Fell’s Point & Federal Hill in Baltimore – two places I am very unfamiliar with. After shooting there I would highly recommend it. There’s an old city feel, with lots of unique places to shot. We had quite a time with lots of sun and very strong winds, but also lots of fun! I can’t wait for the wedding in July!