This time last week, Jess and I were trying to figure out what to do and where to go as Hurricane Florence's projected path was anything but predictable. We didn't know if it made more sense to go North, West or South because Florence basically doing the cha-cha slide gaining strength to become a potential category four storm. As I am from the Outer Banks and have survived terrible category one and twos, we weren't about to see what category four would be like in our hometown of Wilmington, N.C. During all the projections, the one constant seemed to be landfall between Atlantic Beach and Wilmington so we knew that much and decided to make a spontaneous decision to evacuate to Nokomis, Florida. We have a dear friend whose dad has a rental property in Florida so we took him up on his offer and tried to rally our families to come with us. To no avail on our persuasion skills, we ended up just packing up two weeks worth of clothes and our fur-baby Belle and taking the 9 hour trek to the Sunshine state by ourselves. Jess and I made the last minute decision to leave N.C. because we knew with the size of this hurricane, everyone was going to be affected no matter what direction it took.

It has been heartbreaking seeing all that has been going on in Wilmington and surrounding areas and watching our loved ones struggle through 4 days of no power, downed trees and damaged property. However, we are so grateful to hear everyone is safe-and-sound so far. Between rising flood waters and bands of storms packing tornadoes, we know it's not over 'till it's over. Jess and I are unable to get back into Wilmington due to the rivers surrounding Wilmington being at a record all-time high. Wilmington is essentially an island. At one point, the only way there was by boat or plane. We have decided since we own no property yet and we are both able to work from home— to let the first responders and linemen do their thing before we come home. We have felt so grateful that were able to evacuate at a low-cost because we know that's not the opportunity that everyone has. That's why we've been low-key about where we've been for the last six days.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say you've probably gotten enough of destruction photos from North Carolina so I wanted to share some images from Jess and I's stay in Nokomis, Florida. Fun fact, Florida basically calls Summer, the Winter down here so there is hardly anyone here. Nokomis rests on the gulf side just South of Sarasota and here happens to be where the Red Tide is—meaning floating dead fish everywhere. This is what the Florida coast line goes through after prolonged periods of warm weather and warm water generate disease through bloomed algae called —it ultimately prevents oxygen supply to the animals of the sea so they suffocate slowly to death and end up upside down on the surface of the water. The toxic algae bloom has been killing marine life and apparently triggering respiratory issues among some residents and Gov. Rick Scott has been pouring funding into resolutions and cleanup for the Red Tide. Residents are getting increasingly frustrated for clean water. We have been blown away with how much this affects the sea-side towns and how it affects the fishing, the tourism and even the few residents that are here. Apparently it's been the worst this year than it has been in a long time. Usually lasting three weeks, this year the Red Tide has been spanning three months and counting.

Jess and I tried to go 25 miles south and see if there was any pools of unaffected areas but didn't have much luck except a few catfish. While the water is slowly regaining its blue color, it's still very much a graveyard of the sea animals. We didn't take any photos of that because it's just truly disturbing, but this goes to tell you that everywhere in the world, there are places dealing with their little environmental crisis. For Florida, it's the tide, for North Carolina, it is the hurricane. At the end of the day, you just gotta remember we have a lot to be grateful for. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful, safe and strong country like America.

Huge thanks to the Schlegel family for giving us a home away from home for the last six days. Thank you to our friends, neighbors and family that have been checking on our home. We can't wait to get back and start our road to recovery back in Wilmington, NC. Wilmington, let us know what you need us to bring. Stay tuned.

​#wilmingtonstrong

So...the talk of the hour seems to be the impending Hurricane Florence. My way of coping: Whipping up two tomato pies since Florence has gotta like Italian food right? As we live in Wilmington, Jess and I have gotten so many sweet texts from friends and family sharing concern for our hometown and asking what we're going to do. Here's what we're going to do: We're bookin' it out of here. As of right now, the forecast model is calling for a direct hit and then it's just going to sit in water off the coast for at least three days. This is the absolute worst forecast because the longer it sits, the more damage it creates. Eastern North Carolina is about to get a rude awakenin'. This coming Friday, I was supposed to capture Clara and Zack's wedding at Kitty Hawk Pier but unfortunately those plans have been postponed until further notice. My soul actually feels for them because they are so ready to be married and now they have to share their big weekend with our Italian neighbor to the East. Weddings aside, people's lives might change forever as we know it so it has been a very anxious couple of days for us North Carolinians. 

In the meantime, we'll be taking photos of everything in our house for inventory in case we need to claim our renter's insurance, packing up our five cases of water, batteries, desktop computer, three camera bags, our boat, dog, and our beloved paintings from Granddad because we don't know what this place will look like when we get back.

Please pray for every single person who calls the coast of North Carolina, home. We need it.

Ps. This may go without saying but we may lose power, which results in not being able to keep up with the promise of the 30-day blogging challenge. Forgive me if this happens but will tune in with all the updates if the wi-fi keeps chuggin' along.

The Outer Banks is essentially a skinny sandbar with the real estate mixture of beach boxes on stilts and 23 bedroom mansions fit for kings. No matter the place you stay, the fact remains that the Outer Banks thrives on a tourist economy more than anything so we WELCOME them because without them, the economy would cease to exist (in my personal opinion). 

Being an OBX native, I have a Google Document of information regarding of recommendations that I give to friends before they visit the Outer Banks for the first time. This Google docs has changed over the years as establishments have come and gone but my top five favorite things to do at home have remained the same.

For day 18 of the 30-day blogging challenge, I talk about home and the best local and touristy things to do.

1. Fishing: You would basically be an idiot to travel several hundred miles and cross two bridges and NOT see the Atlantic Ocean. But if you want to see the Outer Banks from a different perspective, I recommend fishing off shore. Whether it be a charter or on your lil tugboat, take in the beauty of the Outer Banks by inhaling salt air all around you. My husband will 100% vouch for this because he left Red Oak, NC to go fishing in Hatteras just about every weekend in his teenage years. If you need a recommendation for a crew to go out with, e-mail me and my husband, Jess will feed my ear with all kinds of names. 

3. Live Music Scene: Oh my gosh, I'm not just saying this but the Outer Banks is home to some of the most talented musicians I know and they have all this drive to make it through an Outer Banks winter by singing at restaurants every single night. They are passionate about what they do so they will never fail to entertain you with their melodies. Check out the Outer Banks live music calendar here to see where you should go for dinner and catch a show while you're at it!

5. Nags Head Woods: Again, dog mom here so nature walks are right up my alley every time I go home to the OBX because I love exercising and I love exercising with dogs even more. Nags Head Woods is home to some of the most beautiful marsh and forest trails that it's literally one of my favorite places to visit in the the entire island. Every time I go, I see something I've never seen before. Not because it's a big sanctuary, it's not, but because the seasons change, the tides change, the trails meander and it can all seem a little new no matter how many times you take a walk there. Full disclosure, please wait till a frost to go if you don't want to worry about ticks! It is nature after all and nature brings bugggs.

A lot of people cruise through my Instagram and say "Oh wow so you do only weddings?" That's actually one of the biggest misconceptions about my photography business.

The truth is I just tend to do a lot of wedding posts because I do more of them than anything else just by chance. It doesn't mean I do not enjoy the family portrait session, the birthday party, the newborn portrait, the graduate celebratory shot, the model portfolio or the professional head shots. The reason why I've done more weddings than anything is most likely because of how the market is coupled with how much people love to get married!

When the market is good, people are making more money, taking chicks and dudes on dates and falling in love with them and before you know it, they're asking me to be their wedding photographer. Everything else is more "trendy" for the lack of a better way to say it... Weddings are the biggest constant as people have been getting married since the dawn of time.

Family portraits are a matter a targeted sentimental demographic of folks who want to treasure the little milestones here and there. The birthday party is rare because most people have cell phones with incredible quality cameras and the traditional headshots are not as needed now because due to a modern day trend of "lifestyle" photos. People want to see you in your element and get a "lifestyle photo" rather than a traditional studio photo. LinkedIn is probably the only thing that keeps headshots a popular phenomenon. Otherwise, everyone uses "lifestyle" photos for their websites and profile pieces. They should though—what you look like at the studio is not really what you look like in real life. When it comes to selling yourself, people want to relate to you, so lifestyle photos are the best way to go.

This is all purely my opinion though.  I just wanted to showcase all the little things I do so you know that while yes I LOVE romance and weddings, I also love to do all of this too:

Pretty big variety right? That may scare some people if they think that means I don't have a specialty—but I do... People. Almost every one of those photos involved a person. There's a reason I'm bubbly, it's because I feed off human exchange. My compulsive drive to make you happy is what propels me in this customer service business! 

I was having dinner with a great friend @laurieclaire last night and she was talking about how her boss @lizcarrollinteriors has her own incredibly successful business, raises her kids, loves her husband and still makes time to give back to the community almost every week. Hearing this story inspired me to give back this month in the best way I know how: Photography.

For ONE day only, I'll be offering 8 FREE 15-minute portrait photography sessions in downtown Wilmington on Wednesday, September 19th from 5:00pm until 6:45pm. 

All donations will go toward The Care Project, a non-profit dedicated to bringing hope to families who have children and/or adults with hearing challenges through counseling experiences aimed at the processing of the emotional stages of grief. As I myself am significantly hard-of-hearing, this non-profit hits close to home for my loved ones and me.

The Care Project offers retreats and workshops for families with children and young adults with hearing loss. At these events, these families get to see they aren't alone and that it will indeed be okay. That life doesn't get harder, it'll get easier. 

The sessions will take place at the Downtown Wilmington boardwalk at the end of Market Street: 1 Market Street, Wilmington, NC

You will receive 3 retouched digital images delivered to you via the e-mail that you use when you book your session. 

Who can go? Need a headshot? Book a session! Need a holiday family photo? Book a session, but 1 family max please. If you show up with 15 people I will be a little perturbed.

How do I prepare? Look snazzy and be ready to go at least 5 minutes prior to your slot session. Time is of essence, no outfit changes please.

How quickly do I get photos?
24-hour turnaround

For more information beyond what is provided, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at helen@visualsbyhelen.com.

If you don't live in the Wilmington area and would like to donate, please visit The Care Project website

To book your session,
please visit visualsbyhelen.com/careproject 


FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
PLEASE AWAIT A CONFIRMATION FROM ME AFTER BOOKING.

WOW. Jess and I had our first Labor Day Weekend here in Wilmington and we entertained his folks, his brother and brother's girlfriend and it was the best time spending it with family. There must've been something in the air though because I got several wedding photography inquiries on Sunday and Monday for folks that got engaged on Friday or Saturday. Patriotism must bring out the romance! So when newly engaged couples approach me for wedding photography packages, they ask me about prices and then almost all of them asked me who I hired for my wedding.

Photographers are one of the first wedding vendors that couples tend to reach out to so for me, a lot of thought goes into  the best custom palette of wedding professionals for each and every couple. I tell each and every one of them to take their time and get to know these professionals because they are the people that bring your wedding together. They are the ones that you spend most of your time communicating with during your engagement and if you love them, you will love being engaged because you will see how easy it's supposed to be despite contrary belief. 

After Jess proposed back in November 2017, I told myself one thing: that I want it to be about the sanctity of our marriage... not about koozies, flowers, dresses, bridesmaid gifts, or any of that tangible mess. I made myself promise to never bring any stress on my family, on my fiance and his family because stress meant that it was forcing something that wasn't supposed to happen.

I know you won't believe me when I say this, the tangible things I spent about three seconds on, the wedding vendors however, I spent forever on. Here is the dream team that helped Jess and I make our day so special and why we chose them. Keep in mind that every one has different taste, different priorities, and different sentimental reasons for making decisions. Keep in mind I was the last of my family to get married and I'm a wedding photographer for a living so naturally, I just wanted to marry my sweetheart and be done with it. Don't feel like you're making the wrong decision just because I wrote a blog post about it.

Not trying to fool anyone here... we aren't the greatest Christian couples out there—we barely make it to church whenever we're home but Jess and I made it clear from the beginning that God is always first and that's why we wanted a spiritual wedding. We didn't want to forget what it was all about in all the glamor that weddings can create. We went to St. James Parrish before we were engaged and felt like it was a church we could connect with so it made absolute sense for us to get married there. Another drive to get married there was for sentimental reasons. My aunt and uncle got married there over 25 years ago and are still happily married and greatly involved with St. James.

Okay, like I said, last one to get married so we had to go all out and let everyone be able to invite everyone so we needed the space to accommodate that! The Surf Club fit the bill after looking at all the venues that Wilmington had to offer. We also loved that it was by the ocean which made perfect sense for us since Jess grew up fishing on the Atlantic and I grew up a beach girl from the OBX.

Jess basically put me in charge of this for obvious reasons (that he was about to have a photographer for a wife) but I promise I kept asking him what he wanted and he seemed to be completely nonchalant about it. So let me tell you, this was the hardest decision to make probably in the whole wedding experience because I loved everyone I talked to. Everyone had their own personality, their own style and their own way of approaching me, a potential client. The problem was that I had to pick one.

I narrowed it down to picking a Wilmington photographer because of three reasons: 1. I wanted to get to know other photographers in the area as Jess and I had just moved here 2. I wanted to support the local Wilmington economy 3. It was my gut instinct to hire someone within a 30-mile radius (I know super silly but go with it). 

When I met Matt, he supported me with open arms since day 1 before I was even engaged. He welcomed me into a photographer's industry and not only encouraged me to network more and more, but he also referred me to business he couldn't take care of personally.  That little bit of compassion went a long way on making a first impression on me.

Let me preface this paragraph by saying that videographers are not required for a wedding—at all. I am just a highly sentimental person and know how fast weddings go by so I wanted a way to literally pause on all of it after it was all over and see everything I missed. There are also some moving memories you cannot capture in photography—as much as I hate to say it as a photographer. It's true.

I ended up finding out about Luke Brown through my wedding planner (I'll get to her after this) and feel so fortunate to have found out about his name. His artistic but romantic style was everything I wanted. You'll see why when you watch the highlight video yourself. 

Amy happens to be the wife of Matt McGraw, our wedding photographer, but I met her separately through a networking meeting before Jess and I got engaged. We hit it off right away because she was so easy to talk to and just like Matt, as welcoming as anyone can be.

So I'm not going to lie to you, I didn't really need her to plan anything—I was in the industry so I knew the motions of wedding planning. I just personally needed her to be there to tie it all together when the weekend finally arrived. My family is so selfless that they would have done everything Amy did, but that's exactly why I hired her myself. I wanted everyone to enjoy themselves and leave all the itinerary action items to her. She not only excelled, she exceeded my expectations. She took care of me like I was her family. She is multitalented so she did flowers, venue set-up, tended to bitty crisis items, and everything in between. 
  

Went with a local lady that does cakes out of her home. Total inside scoop from my aunt who lives here as well. Our priority was not spending thousands of dollars on sugar. This yummy 5-layer bad boy only cost $400 (average is $1,500 for that size). 

Okay, the one vendor I didn't go local on was one of my very good friends from Jamesville, NC who has her own salon called Ultimate Hair by Chelsea. She's one of those people that fits me into her calendar on her day off when I only give her a week notice. That's how sweet she is. I wanted someone I knew well because after all, you hang out with all day when you're getting ready. Of course she's talented too, but I'm already biased there. What's even cooler is that she enlisted some help from another hair stylist I knew. Her name is Fharren, so I felt like we were all friends just chilling on the porch getting pretty.

For anyone that knows me, you would know that I'm just not a makeup person. I splurge on foundation and by splurge it's $50 on something that lasts almost a year. The rest of my makeup is all drug store nonsense. Needless to say, I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to painting on my face. Isla from Flawless Makeup by Isla was a contact through my wedding coordinator, Amy. I had her do a test run with my bridal portraits and absolutely loved how she intertwined both the natural but glamorous look so I knew she was the right fit. I also loved how she went into the wedding day thinking she was only going to work her magic on three or four girls but ended up doing the entire house of girls because everyone loved how talented she was. The even more amazing fact is that she STILL finished on time whilst also making all my sisters, mom, mom-in-law, and aunt feel confident and pretty. Sometimes this isn't always the case with makeup artists because some ladies get traumatized through a makeover that's so intense to the point where they don't even recognize themselves and it actually moves them to tears. That's why I always recommend to my brides to do bridals because it's a test trial with the dress, makeup, hair and you also get to savor feeling like a princess .

We rented the Surf Club intentionally because they included chairs + tables but we wanted to spice up the tables with some pretty linen. I knew one of the owners of the place, Ashley from working at a non-profit event called The Care Project and remembered she worked in the event rental business. She took care of us like we rented out the whole store when in reality, all we got was just a few orders of beige textured linen! 

We had a budget but also had about a 23 minute trip from the church to the Surf Club so we could only afford to transport immediate family and bridal party (Didn't make sense for us to order 16 different Ubers to get everywhere and too risky for them to be on-time). Azalea Limousine Service gave us a great deal after we told them what we could really pay. I think it helped that our wedding was in the off-season though! Brides and Grooms, negotiate! Everyone is always trying to make a buck so it usually ends up being a win-win. 

This was another contact from my aunt who lives here. Lydia doesn't market herself to the public and does word-of-mouth and referral weddings. We feel so grateful to have met her as she had several weddings in one weekend and still made time for us! Her talent coupled with Amy, the coordinator and our close family friends, we were able to put on wedding decor at an affordable cost.

At the end of the day, you are going to get married and that in itself is a treasure to experience. Don't forget to cherish it because after all, it only happens once! (I'm going to be naive and pretend like divorce doesn't exist in this blog post). 


See you lovers tomorrow for Day 16.

Ps. Jess, thanks for letting me broadcast our wedding photos all over the internet. Love you husband!

I get asked what's in my camera bag A LOT! Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered people think I'm knowledgable about tech stuff so I'm happy to offer insight. So I thought today would be a good time as any to do a detailed post about all my gear and what I use for shooting for Day 14 of the 30 work-day blogging challenge.

At the end of the day, it's up to you to do the research and figure out what you are and aren't looking for. The biggest advice I can offer is going to a Best Buy or local camera shop and hold the cameras themselves to see what speaks to you. See how the body is laid out and if it's easy to learn. Figure out what brand you want and stick with it because it's an investment.  You'll want to gradually buy more and it's easier to buy within brand line. Keep in mind the value is behind the lens, not the camera itself. Lenses are versatile across camera bodies and are made to last several through generations of technology upgrades. For a big bang for your buck, B&H Camera is a good place to shop but price compare all over online no matter what, to make sure you aren't getting ripped off. Retail value is inevitable in the shopping process but surcharges can be avoided.


Camera Bodies: I currently shoot on the Nikon D810 for all my work and have a second D810 body as an insurance policy in case anything happens to my main camera body. I also like to have one camera with a long lens and another with a short so I don't have to spend time switching lens out. It's important to have two camera bodies on me especially after booking important jobs. You wouldn't want to have to cut a shoot short because of some sort of technical difficulties. The reason for two of the same cameras is so that the quality and color is consistent across the board for the images I produce. 

85mm f1.4: The 85mm was the first lens I ever fell in love with and in turn started my obsession with manual shooting a few years ago. When I first purchased it, it didn't come off my camera for months. Even though I have a variety of lenses to choose from, the 85mm is my go-to for portraits because it allows me to not be on top of the person for the up-close look and occasionally for shooting on location when the background is too busy and I need to blur it up a bit to give it that finished look.

35mm f1.2:  The 35mm is another great all-rounder lens for me—it's one step away from being a macro lens so it really gets the wide angle look without the price tag. I find that this lens is on my camera the majority of the time. I love shooting with portraits with it (as unconventional as it may be). The 35mm is sharp 95% of the time, even when you shoot with a wide open aperture of 1.4. I only shoot with a wide aperture for personal work, and usually bump up the aperture to 2 or more when shooting for clients.

24-55mm f1.4: This wide angle lens is a compelling wide-angle perspective combined with an ultra-fast f/1.4 aperture that serves the needs of demanding photographers in exacting conditions like weddings where time is of the essence. This is my 3rd most used lens. It also has VR compatibility so I am able to do some video footage if needed.

70-300mm f4-5.6: This telephoto lens is obviously good for situations where you need to zoom in from a stationary spot. Example, churches with strict photography policies and you gotta prop up in the back and get all the action at the front.

55-300mm f4.5-5.6: More flexibility in this telephoto lens with the extra 15 mm compared to the 70-300mm, and it's also good when you don't want to start out with so much zoom while on shoot.

Speedlight SB- 900: First off, I tried to buy the 910 but with it being ~$800 for one flash, the SB-900 is next best thing. This bad boy has so much lighting power that sometimes you could mistaken a dark day with sunshine just from the light this flash provides. I use this flash on body as well as remotely for strong backlight. ~$300

Speedlight SB-700: Great option when you don't need so much power or light, but just enough to avoid unwanted shadows. This flash also provides a great option for remote flash lighting. ~$350

Induro Tripod: as tiny and insignificant as it looks, this guy is actually well over $400 on a good day —these suckers aren't cheap but they are quality and its sturdiness and light weight will outnumber any other competitor tripods out there. I've been in some sketchy terrain situations and this tripod has never let me down. *Knock on wood.*

D12 Multi-power Battery Pack: Batteries have one constant. They will die. So yes, battery packs are a huge plus. Again, this luxury isn't cheap at ~$425 but it can save your neck. It also offers the option to shoot portrait without having to cock your head sideways.

Memory Cards (not pictured): With long days of shooting, comes a lot of pictures, like thousands so it should come as no surprise that you should invest in several memory cards.  Most of my CF cards are either 16 GB or 32 GB Rugged (temperature and shock resistant). I keep them small to force myself to change out often for a liability reason. The idea of having all my photos on one card gives me so much anxiety if something were to ever happen to them. Card Corruption is a very real occurrence and has even happened to my second-shooters from weddings. If you have a shoot with less pressure, it's good to have a large SD card to allow you a full day of shooting, come home and download and go back to work and not worry about deleting right away. The provides you the comfort of having the original copies until you have the time to double check and make sure that all the images downloaded correctly.

What I take with me. Now, all this gear is super heavy and not always needed for every single shoot. Depending on what I am set out to work on for the day, I pick and choose the gear I need to take with me for the day. The gear that is always in my camera bag includes: 2 camera bodies, all my camera batters + memory cards and all the little extras such as water and food. The gear that I pick and choose what to take with me include: lenses and speedlights. The majority of the time I only take 2 or sometimes 3 lenses that I might need for a day instead of all them, so I don't strain my body when I have to walk around with my camera bag. With all the equipment, it can easily feel like 50 pounds after 5 minutes. After every wedding with two cameras on my body, I always wonder how I'm going to survive it when old age sets in. Between being on your feet for 8 plus hours and carrying 25-30 pounds on you— It's a very physical job so it's important to drink LOTS of water and get a good night's sleep.


Okay, I know that was a lot of words for a picture world so let me know if you have any questions about gear. There's no silly questions either—you don't know if you don't ask.


I know y'all are happy it's Labor Day Weekend so go enjoy it! I will check back in on Tuesday with Day 15 of the 30 work-day blogging challenge.

On the same token, being creative with food photography can be tricky too. When I try to do food photography, I end up thinking things like “Now why on earth did the chef put a horrible piece of lettuce under this gorgeous steak?” Sure, that’s attention to detail, but when you’re on a time constraint and on a social media agenda, you can’t worry about that nonsense.

Being creative can even affect the way I speak to people via e-mail. I kid you not, I try to find the most creative way to say the most simple things ie. “I would be honored to be your wedding photographer,” and I catch myself saying things like “Darling, I would be over the moon to capture photos that would make you and Doug cry when it’s all over. These photos are going to be the photos you’ll treasure forever.” Then I hit the backspace before I even re-read what I just said because who needs that kinda cheese?

In the private life, being a creative makes me want to do things like buy the coolest lamp in the world. Overhead lighting is the death of me, so everywhere I go, I somehow manage to find the neatest lamp in the place. One time, I even asked a restaurant if they’d sell a lamp to me when it was clearly not for sale.  It’s weird I know, but lamps can make a place so welcoming. My poor husband has been listening to me talk about lamps for a godforsaken amount of time (he’ll vouch for this) and keeps telling me to wait to buy furniture until we have our own home. I can never bring myself to buy them anyway because are they really worth two, three hundred dollars? What makes them that valuable? The lampshade must have come from Jesus himself, my lawd. Let it shine in that store. I ain’t going to get it when I can buy three weeks worth of groceries for that amount of money. But then I come home and look at my ugly target lamps made from China. *sigh*

Having creativity is definitely something I appreciate every day though— it allows me to think outside the box. For example, Jess and I have been looking at potential houses to buy and I immediately visualize how much better it could be with that wall knocked out or that carport turned into a master bedroom, or that bathroom with new tile. But of course, the creative side meets the rational side when I realize that we don’t have a million dollars or a show on HGTV for a home renovation.

13 things I hate about being creative:

1. Makes you spend too long on projects.
2. You notice little things like a bitty piece of lettuce in budget food photography projects.
3. Lamps are everywhere you go and you want to buy all of them to make your house pretty.
4. You can visualize a ranch house into a $500,000 floor plan you can't afford.
5. You spend 8 days trying to name a cat a cool, memorable name and you end up at Jazzy?
6. You feel like you have to have photographs all over your house because you are after all... a photographer. 
7. You spend a grand for your master bedroom fabric because you think that's what creative adulting means. 
8. You wish that all your Instagram photos and postings were consistent but you really just don't have time for that.  
9. You think that every inspirational quote is generic when it might change most people's lives.
10. You do out-0f-box things and people don't give you credit. Once I tried to convince a company that had a penguin logo to hire me by hiring a bakery to make sixty dollars worth of custom penguin cookies for them and a week after I delivered cookies to them,  I see that they tried to claim it was their idea when they tried to deliver cookies to their clients as customer appreciation token. See photo below for proof.
11. You are constantly coming up with marketing plans for your business but never have time because you have to put your customers first (as you should). 
12. Creativity involves all the software these days so you have to subscribe to use anything nowadays. For example, creative cloud, I ended convincing myself I needed the entire adobe platform versus just a couple of softwares.... why? 
13. You never know when to stop. You'll find yourself blogging at 11 o'clock at night so you can maintain a 30-day blogging challenge because you feel like this is how you stand out. Irony right?

Do y’all relate to this nonsense at all? Do you think I’m babbling? Probably. But hey, I’m trying to be creative just writing that sentence so I better stop before I re-read this hellish blog I just wrote on the fly.

Changing the subject: I often get asked about cameras from friends because apparently I look knowledgeable in that area but I’m about as educated as you are until I force myself to just peruse the online market. For Day 14 of the 30-day blogging challenge, I’ll be talking about my equipment, how I shopped for it and what I recommend camera enthusiasts to look out for in the research and shopping process. No, I’m not going to have a bunch of lingo in this blog post—it’ll be in English.

Aforementioned penguin cookies.

My mom and  I used to go with my granddad to painting workshops in Beaufort, NC back when I was in middle school (2000's) and we both watched Granddad’s magical acts with his paintbrush and felt inspired to work with an empty canvas. My mom considers herself a dabbler and amateur artist but if you want my (biased) opinion, I have five framed paintings of hers in my husband and I’s house. That’s not amateur, that’s talent! ​With some help from her interior designer friend and my dad, she managed to also redesign an entire building that used to be a franchise restaurant, Western Sizzlin and turned it into Rooster's Southern Kitchen on the Outer Banks. Let me tell you, it's a whole new world in there. 

For Day 11 of the 30 work-day blogging challenge, I'm giving some love for newlyweds Emily and Brian who got married on May 12, 2018 in Columbia, North Carolina. The reason for the shoutout is because we just found out they are pregnant! My husband is very good friends with the groom, Brian, through fishing and Brian was even in our wedding as a greeter. This couple is very near and dear to our hearts so we are so excited to see their family grow! Look at those good looks... they are going to have some stunning offspring.

Their Scuppernong River wedding was absolutely exquisite to say the least. The guests enjoyed the beautiful view, a radiant sunset and the even more pretty couple right in their hometown. Thank you guys again for allowing me to be a part of such a special milestone. You deserve a two-fold congratulations on two big life events in 2018. Gimme me all the stories on parenthood because I need some tips!

Vendors:
Martell's Edenton Party Equipment & Rentals
Yeopim Flowers
Visuals by Helen

For those of you who are just now tuning in, I am doing a 30 work-day blogging challenge to force myself to share more about who I am, what I do and what everyday life is like so that you see I’m just as human as you are. Last Friday, I challenged myself to do three new things I’ve always wanted to do in our hometown:

1. Blow-out bar: I know this is silly but this is 2018 and almost every girl I know says, oh you’ve got to try it, you feel like a million bucks and you don’t even have to lift a finger.
2. Underwater selfie with go-pro: I’ve convinced Jess to help me try this over the weekend and I literally could not be more excited.
3. Walk the "Wrightsville Beach" Loop: This is a local must-try because you get to go all through Wrightsville Beach and Harker’s Island and slowly take it all in. I’ve lived here for over a year and still haven’t done this 2.5 mile loop and it is something I’ve wanted to do.
   
   

Guess how many I actually accomplished? Only one— a GoPro selfie..
It's actually ALOT harder than it looks if you don't want to keep your eyes open! My favorite might be the family photo with Belle and of course the fail pic of her and me together. She hates getting her ears wet so she was shaking her head and I was avoiding the splash.

The Tiki Time adventure got me thinking… what if I challenged myself to do three things I’ve never done before over the weekend, right here in Wrightsville? Then I made a list of three things I’ve always wanted to do:

1. Blow-out bar: I know this is silly but this is 2018 and almost every girl I know says, oh you’ve got to try it, you feel like a million bucks and you don’t even have to lift a finger.
2. Underwater selfie with GoPro: I’ve convinced Jess to help me try this over the weekend and I literally could not be more excited.
3. Walk the "Wrightsville Beach" Loop: This is a local must-try because you get to go all through Wrightsville Beach and Harker’s Island and slowly take it all in. I’ve lived here for over a year and still haven’t done this 2.5 mile loop and it is something I’ve wanted to do.

So I’m going to challenge myself to do these three things, attempt to take photos of it and talk about it on Monday for Day 9 of the 30-Work-Day Blogging Challenge! In the meantime, y’all go out there and surprise yourself, do something you’ve never done before and I promise, you will delight yourself with what life has to offer.

Bad habits sound negative to most people, but to me, bad habits just sound like a side effect of being human. Everyone has them, it's just a matter of whether or not they realize it. I took a poll from the general public asking if people would anonymously submit their bad habits to me and I was pleasantly surprised in the answers—some of them bring such a good laugh but some are really humbling to see how honest people are with me. Here's what habits you told me about:

-Drinking a bottle of wine every night (actually got this three times)!
-Picking my nose until it bleeds.
-Throwing recycled goods in the trash out of laziness.
-Only taking poops at work to avoid using TP at home.
-Always saying no when someone asks about hanging out.
-Not washing my face before bed.
-Biting my cuticles.
-Sitting. It's been 5 years since I last exercised.
-Binge-watching Netflix until 2am almost daily.
-Throwing my cig out on highway. Oh and smoking.
-Shameless self-tanner so I'm permanently orange.
-Farting and blaming it on other people.
-Going straight to the junk food aisle every time I'm at grocery store.
-Never keeping cash on me + using my bank cards.
-Rarely tipping Uber drivers.
-Feeding the dog scraps after dinner and now it's 15 pounds overweight.
-Smoke too much pot that I don't know how to chill without it.
-Can't be alone so I find a new friend to hang out with every night even if that means spending money each night.
-Eating ice cream every night before I go to bed (and sometimes not brushing my teeth so I can savor the taste). 
-Not drinking enough water.

Self awareness can be a blessing and a curse when it comes to bad habits, but it could also lead to making a change if you don't like the bad habit. I've been around a lot of people that have been critical of themselves, saying they could do this better or that better but cut yourself a break. As long as you don't have habits that hurt other people, it's not the end of the world. If you do have a habit that negatively impacts those around you, then do something about it. Be the change.

Here are some of my bad habits. They may seem silly but they are things I do too much:

-Impulse purchases on Amazon. Last week I bought joint-pain management weed treats for Belle after seeing her having a hard time getting up and down off the floor. Too early to know if it is working yet but fingers crossed it takes the edge off of her arthritic pain.

​Tomorrow's blog post will be about tonight's adventure to a place we have never been before, just 16 miles down the road. On the Cover page of Our State Magazine, they feature a restaurant called Ocean Grill and Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach in the NC by the Sea edition. This little gem is about to get a few more visitors.

After yesterday’s blog post I opened up the floor to what today’s blog post should be about. According to the survey, y'all seem interested in what my typical day is like. Y'all— I'm really not that interesting but this question was asked several times so I'm not going to deprive you of your wishes. Keep in mind, I never have the same day twice so this is a rough timeline:

6:30am | Wake up and hit snooze (once or twice admittedly).🤷

7:00am | Actually wake up, feed Belle, drink coffee, and watch the Today show for news and weather. 📺

7:45-8:15am | Answer e-mails from my photography and graphic design e-mail accounts (Yes, I have separate emails for both to better keep up with my separate clients and I have that many to go through that it takes all of 30 minutes). 💻 

8:15-11am | Jam to loud music from Spotify and carefully edit + retouch photos from recent photo sessions or weddings. 🎧
 
11am-12pm | Graphic design work for small businesses I help on a regular basis. 💭

12pm-12:30pm | As marketing director for Rooster's Southern Kitchen, I'll screen for negative feedback to relay to management and respond to positive reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp + Facebook. 🐓

12:30pm-2pm | Eat lunch (usually dinner leftovers) and do one thing that helps promote my business, i.e. post an ad, print materials, work on blog, etc.🍴

2pm-5pm | More photo editing (I have to spread it out throughout the day so I don’t drive myself crazy because it can get tedious after several hours. For perspective, an 8-hour wedding takes about 16 hours of editing). 📷 Here's my favorite photo I've edited today so far. The color + vibrance reminds me to stop and smell the flowers, literally and metaphorically.

5pm-5:30pm | Work on blog content or schedule a post on social media for my clients and/or myself.

5:30pm | Orange Theory Fitness class or an evening photoshoot depending on day.🏃‍♀️

6:30pm | Grocery store run since store is next door to gym🥫

7-8pm | Shower + Cook dinner. Let's be real, Jess is the master chef and I'm the sous chef. Tonight we're having short ribs, sautéed squash zucchini and onion and mushroom risotto.  🚿

8pm-10pm | Eat and watch Parks and Rec with my husband (Don’t judge us. We like having something funny to watch at the end of the day and neither of us had ever seen it so we started the season together).😂

For today’s self-promotion project (that occurs every afternoon), I started on making some more soft-copy portfolio books to give to potential clients with small businesses in Wilmington. This is a culmination of both my photography + graphic design skills. My goal is to bring these books to small boutique clothing businesses looking to gather lifestyle or product content for their websites, blogs, social media posts, and social media advertising. Those of you that have a small business probably know how important it is to stay relevant to your fans online so by having a whole lineup of professional photos on standby takes almost all the work away for you in the social media realm. You just figure out what product(s) you want to promote that day and roll with it. I got about halfway done with this 20 page portfolio. MY goal is to have this sent to printers by labor day weekend. Crossing fingers.🤞 Down younger is a couple of teasers for you:

To sum it all up, I sit in this desk chair for about 8-10 hours a day and my goal is to get up more often to walk and stretch. We all know sedentary lifestyles aren't good for you so why do we continue to do it?

For tomorrow's blog post, I'm going to talk about all (okay most) of my bad habits so you know I am just as human as you are.

Last Friday, I wrapped up Day 3 of the 30-Workday Blogging Challenge with the question: How does my hearing loss affect my job, much less my everyday life? I promised some embarrassing stories that I’ve accumulated over four years that are a direct result of my hearing loss. My top five is the time I walked in on a half-naked couple in a photo booth...(they weren't taking photos so the flash wasn't going off so I didn't think anyone was in there). Needless to say, they quickly got dressed and ran out... so I ran in and stayed until I stopped blushing. I probably could have avoided moments like this if I could hear. I would've heard kissing sounds or something, but nope, instead I got some PG-13 action at a high-dollar wedding venue instead. 

Here’s the abbreviated version of the rest of my top 5 stories. (All my client names are going to remain anonymous because like I said: it’s embarrassing).

1. In the winter of 2016, I was photographing at a small country club wedding outside Charlotte, North Carolina. The bride and groom wanted to get ready at the “locker rooms” of these clubs, which are basically bathrooms for senators with toilets, showers and changing space all in one room. When it came time to capture the groom getting pretty,  I knocked on the men’s locker room door and didn’t hear anything. Assuming they were distracted and getting boutonnieres on, I just let myself in. Thinking the men's powder room was a similar setup to the ladies—they were in fact the opposite as the men's stalls were right where you walked in. Let me tell ya—it was stinky in there! The grooms friends were laughing and I heard a stern voice from the middle stall:  “Be right out!” I was so caught off guard I actually said “Shit, take your time!” I’m not even the type of person to cuss much less accidentally make a connotation about poop while the man is making a brown egg. 

2. Usually before every wedding, I finalize wedding day itineraries but sometimes little details get left out, like *After formal family photos, we want to do bride+groom photos across street on the beach on a random property then ride over to reception which is also at the beach 2 miles away.* so when they told me, “Let’s do our photos at the beach” after their family photos, I just assumed they meant the beach where their reception was. In hindsight, they said something like the Beckham cottage, but the lightbulb never went off that I didn’t hear them right. Instead, I speed out of the church and hurry to find a parking spot at the reception so I can meet my second-shooter and prepare for their arrival. After about 30 seconds, someone in the family says “Hey, that was fast, weren’t they doing photos with you at the beach?” After connecting the dots, I ran back to my car and back over to the church and see them across the street on beach side looking for me. I was flabbergasted in how I could have messed up so badly, but you live and you learn right? Now I’m extra thorough and ask all the detailed questions in a pre-wedding questionnaire.

3. In the summer of 2017, I booked a 20-person sunset session with a large family I didn’t know. One of the daughters had e-mailed me a few days prior saying there was a divorce in the family and to not ask her mom and dad to be photographed together. Her dad was in town for one night so they could get a family photo taken together. Come the day of portraits, I introduce myself to three different sets of grown-up couples and their children and I misheard the names so what did I do? I asked the mom and her ex-husband to give me a big fat kiss. Well, that tension could have been sliced with a dull butterknife. The mom turned plum red but I promise I was a shade darker.

4. This story is from two weeks ago when I was meeting a potential bride and her mom at a local coffee shop. I had rushed out of the house and forgot my purse, which carries my extra implant batteries. I didn’t think anything of it until my cochlear implant dies halfway through the meeting with them. Trying to win them over and gain their business, I proceeded to rely on lip reading for the next 20 minutes. I just asked them a lot questions so I would always know what the context was. I was scared that that if I told them what was going on, that they would wonder: “What if she shoots our wedding and her implant dies during it and she forgets her batteries and she won’t be able to hear anything. Is she responsible enough?” They are so sweet though so I should have given them the benefit of the doubt. All that lip-reading worked though, I’m happy to report that I’ll be photographing their wedding this Fall with a camera bag full of extra implant batteries.

Having significant hearing loss brings embarrassing moments, sure, but they eventually become great dinner table stories. Having a sense of humor about things like that is SO important if I don’t want to crawl into a dark hole and stay there.  On the same token, my imperfections also helps me in my job sometimes—especially during weddings with a lot of drama or in photoshoots involving divorced couples. The oblivion to the details that most people would get from eavesdropping sometimes helps me stay uninvolved and provide a sense of nonchalance and carefreeness. My oblivion to the temporary reality seems to sometimes helps people feel normal despite their insecurities and worries.

Yes, I wear a hearing device that help me hear so much better, but they aren’t human ears—I don’t hear everything and and I sure don't hear everything perfectly. Because of that, it took me a long time to get over being socially self-conscious about the side effects of my imperfections. My confidence has grown to the point where I’m telling the world about my hearing loss on this blog but there are always days where I wonder what it’d be like to be following along conversations with graceful effort. My husband has asked me why I'm always more tired than him after events and I tell him “Because I have to work harder to listen and make sure I don’t say something completely out of context.” He usually replies with a sweet laugh “It’s usually so funny though Helen, don’t even worry about it.” I literally have wrinkles on my forehead from concentrating so hard on conversations in the last 27 years but I’m just so thankful I can even be a part of conversations. Technology has enriched my entire life and has allowed me to hear my husband and my family say the three most beautiful words in the English language: I love you. One man is responsible for that...Thank you  Dr. William F. House, the inventor of the first cochlear implant for braving skepticism and trial and error to restore a vital human sense. Essentially, his invention has restored the quality of life for 324,000 people and counting.

​Confession: I just put Belle in the video just to brag about how cute she is. She's usually the only company I keep in my everyday work life and she's the best co-worker a girl can have (even though she just sleeps all day). Yesterday, I skimmed the surface of how deaf I am and already got tired of talking about my hearing loss so I’m moving on to the money makin’ stuff. Obviously, my hearing loss limited my job options when I was fresh out of college in 2013. With an economy that had also gone to sh*t, this artsy English major struggled to find a stable job to be proud of. No sense in sugar coating that because I know about 80% of you may relate to that time in your life. After doing some soul searching and teaching art at a school in Atlanta, Georgia for a year,  I decided to move back to the Outer Banks and  gamble on myself by starting my own business. In the Summer of 2014, Visuals by Helen was established. Best decision I ever made.

Creating a generic business name like Visuals by Helen was intentional: I wanted to be able to open myself up to additional visual opportunities beyond photography like graphic design, videography, marketing, etc.  I wanted more than one thing to be passionate about. I had learned some of the ropes from another local photographer on the Outer Banks throughout high school and college and then I dipped into graphic design when I was in Atlanta so that opened a whole new niche I was fascinated with.  After watching You-Tube videos, subscribing to every Adobe software, and taking an online business certification course at the Kenan Flagler Business School at UNC-CH, I was the owner of my own company in three months time.  Now, I label myself as a self-taught photographer, graphic designer, and marketing guru. Funny how that happens right?  I always had the belief: if you make something your homework, it takes all the fun out of it.

The first thing I do when I brand Visuals by Helen? I ordered about 3,000 beer koozies with my logo on it and made a promotional video because koozies and videos make everything look legit right? My theory was everyone likes free stuff and something pretty to look at. After rallying a gorgeous model named Katie, a talented hair stylist named Chelsea, and an amazing videographer named Jess, we went into the marshes of Wanchese, North Carolina and I took bridal portraits of Katie in a wooden rowboat. Looking back on it, it sounds nuts, but it was some of the best memories in my business! That video got me through two years of wedding expos with the Outer Banks Wedding Association —it was the perfect icebreaker with engaged couples I had never met before.

​Check out the video:

So the question of the day: Would I hear you and turn around if you were standing here in the office with Belle and me? Yes. I'm hard-of-hearing, not oblivious. Some days I actually forget that I’m 90% deaf but then little things happen and I’m like oh yeah, my ears don’t work. I have embraced it as a part of who I am and even introduce myself everywhere I go as “Helen... like Helen Keller” because well... I AM almost deaf and have -2.25 vision in both eyes so I basically am Helen Keller. Only not as accomplished since I can’t communicate through sign language or read Braille so definitely not as decorated as her but that’s by personal choice. ​

Let me first say, every hearing impaired child is different— they can have different reasons for hearing loss, different audiograms, different parents, different schools, different lifestyles, different resources, different decisions so every outcome can be unique for each person with the same diagnosis. So for those of you that have hearing loss or have family members with hearing loss, know that you need to take this post with a grain of salt. This is not a success story or a horror story, it’s just story that happens to be mine.

December 1990 was a big month for me—coming into the world and all. A couple months later, the whole chicken pox incident happened.  Mom and Dad say it was pretty bad but of course I don’t remember. It was life-threatening but my immune system won that battle. However, the pox was strong enough to eradicate the hair cells in both ears leading to a progressive loss of hearing over the next six years. This was before hearing screening tests were required for small children so my parents didn’t think too much of my slow response and development as an infant. They were trying not to compare me to what society thought was normal. Then one day, a family babysitter took my brother, sister and me to a parade and noticed how soundly I was sleeping during a marching band performance —triggering some red flags and an eventual conversation with my parents. By the time I was a year old, my young parents had to make a life-changing decisions while working and raising three young kids:

1. How were they going to treat my hearing loss?
2. Was I going to do sign language or learn cued speech?
3. Where was I going to go to school?

They decided to move to Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks because the schools there were supposedly excellent for an Eastern NC town and the undeveloped beach town was ripe with business opportunity. They tried supplementing my residual hearing with hearing aids for a few years but my language and speech development remained stagnant and unprogressive. By the time I was eight,  Mom and Dad decided it was time to try cochlear implants. Because I had “too much hearing,” I was considered a guinea pig for this surgery. Until me, doctors at UNC-Chapel Hill had only performed surgery on individuals that were more deaf than me.

For those of you who don’t know— a cochlear implant is an electronic medical device that was invented in the early 80’s, that helps mimic the function of normal hearing. Unlike hearings aids, which amplify sound (make sounds louder), cochlear implants do the work of the damaged parts of the inner ear (cochlea) and provide sound signals to the brain.  There is a tiny receiver that is surgically placed under the skin in a bony part behind the ear that also has a magnet attached to it. On the outer surface of the head, the individual wears a microphone that harnesses the sound from the environment and transmits the sound as a signal to the tiny receiver underneath the skin and sends the signals down a flexible man-made fiber that’s connected to the cochlea that helps tell the brain: “Hey you just heard that.” I know that sounds terribly scientific and complicated—perhaps a visual video could help explain things better than I can…  I practically failed Bio 101 at Carolina for a reason, your girl is not science-brained AT ALL— so don’t be embarrassed if you have no idea what I Just said. Just know, technology is amazing and I’m genuinely grateful to be born when I was and to be born into my incredible family.


Long story short, technology, my family and my speech therapists have helped me feel as “normal” as I do. My family was a testimony of patience as there was not one single person on the Outer Banks that had my type of hearing loss or cochlear implants when I was growing up. They didn’t have other parents to talk to, there weren't facebook community groups, cochlear counselors, nothing —they had to figure it all out on their own. They eventually introduced me to an incredible speech pathologist named Kathryn Wilson and she literally changed my life. She and her husband even came to Jess and I's wedding this year because she means that much to my family and me. During the language development days, Kathryn helped me identify the way words were supposed to be spoken. Because of my time with her coupled with patient teachers and modern technology, people tell me almost every day “Wow, you don’t have any deaf speech.” Hearing the shock behind their voice when they say this always amuses me. The reason I don’t have “deaf speech” is because I can hear myself well enough and auto-correct my voice.  My husband and mom both say I have a very slight deaf speech and talk more quietly when I take my implant out—which makes sense because I can’t hear myself.

So how deaf am I? Well, let me put it this way, I will enjoy sleeping peacefully at night for as long as I can until babies maybe come into the picture. Until then, my poor husband will wake up every morning to a vibrating alarm clock (click here for a photo of it) that shakes the bed to wake up us both.  That is usually the only time in an average day that I think about the silence around me. Sure phone conversations, loud restaurants and parties are more challenging to me but that’s just part of it—I just tell folks my situation so they know I’m not being a b*tch and ignoring them and people tend to adapt politely.

From my first surgery in 1997 until 2011, I wore a body-worn processor... You'll see it next to my right breast in the above photo from my Camp Trinity days in 2007. I called it my third boob. Technology has evolved significantly in the last ten years that it has drastically changed my lifestyle for the better.

In the Summer of 2011, I had surgery for a second implant on my left side and with that came more modern technology. The one you see in the above photo is called a B.T.E (Behind-the-Ear) cochlear implant. Having the ability to not wear a special bra, not have three boobs and be able to hear was an incredible milestone for an awkward and socially-growing twenty-one year old. It was my first semblance of independence to be able to wear a bathing suit and continue to have conversation. It's the little things that make this beach girl happy.

In the present day, I get goosebumps thinking about how much my life has changed since 1997. Now I wear a magnetic Med-El Rondo that is completely wireless on my head and away from my ears. This device change was crucial for me because my ears would get so sensitive and sore after long hours. Wearing my glasses with my B.T.E. was unheard of because it felt like 10 pounds were sitting on my ears. Being the active person I am, the B.T.E and its batteries could not sustain the sweat I was producing from my workouts. (Sweat weirdly sits around my ears versus in the top of my head). Don't ask me why.

In a nutshell, God knew what he was doing when he gave me a 'fro during puberty so I could cover up my implant even though I have nothing to hide. Sometimes it seems like it would be easier if people saw the implant and would immediately understand that I don't hear well versus having to explain it. But I like feeling like a normal person in society because I am a normal person. Drawing attention to myself is not my cup of tea because that's how my personality is but I'll talk about it any day of the week if you ask. Nothing you ask me can offend me.

So with all that said, it should make sense that I’m in a visual industry. My ears don’t work so I use my eyes.

Tomorrow’s Blog Post: “How do I make a living doing just photos?” Well that’s the thing, I don’t. There’s more to what I do than just photography. I just didn't really broadcast it… until today.

#30dayblogchallenge

Amy McGraw, the coordinator and owner behind Do Me a Favor Weddings had an idea for a styled shoot. The vision behind this shoot was to be unique and out-of-the-ordinary with a confident bridal party. She recruited a team of amazing wedding vendors to bring this idea to life. Between the bridesmaid "bouquets" tied around their ankles, the modern atmosphere from Wrightsville Manor infused with the vintage furniture from Relic Vintage Rentals, the eclectic and colorful yummies from A Thyme Savor, the bow-tie loosely hanging over the groom and the sassy bridal gown from Coastal Knot, Amy wanted to show her future and current clients that you don't have to have a "normal" run-of-the-mill wedding. In fact, you you can have your bridesmaids in shorts or a gorgeous gown that dips so low that your grandma would raise her eyebrows. The fact remains: it's your wedding and it's time to make those dreams come true. One of the biggest regrets couples have after weddings is not having more of a say because they are pleasing so many different family members. Don't have that regret and make your once-in-a-lifetime wedding, a happy memory you'll cherish forever. A big thanks to everyone in the dream team for being amazing to work with!

Dream Team
Coordinator: Do Me a Favor Weddings
Makeup: Do Me a Favor Weddings
Flowers: Do Me a Favor Weddings
Bridesmaid Outfits: Do Me a Favor Weddings
Catering: A Thyme Savor
Rentals: Relic Vintage Rentals
Venue: Wrightsville Manor and Gardens
Dress: Coastal Knot Wilmington
Photography: Visuals by Helen

I'm so blown away with how many amazing families I have had the honor of capturing this Summer so far. I wanted to share these gorgeous summer nights with you. To book your family session, send an e-mail at helen@visualsbyhelen.com!

Ashley and her mom made the trek from Greenville, NC to Wallace, NC for her bridal portrait at River Landing and my goodness, it was worth it. Everything about the backdrop complimented Ashley's radiating beauty. She got married last night to her husband Tyler so it's only fitting that we celebrate her today! From the words of Stevie Wonder, Isn't she Lovely?

Shannon's bridal portrait session has a special place in my heart for two reasons:

1.She is one of my oldest and sweetest college friends from our days at UNC-Chapel Hill. We literally met the first week of school as baby freshmen and we instantly hit it off because of our similar hair. Shannon's smile and warm personality made it easy to be instant and lifelong friends. As we went through the roller coaster of college and post-college life, we still stayed in touch. I also met her now-husband Matt in college... we were all buddies making memories mostly at Granville Towers—a notorious freshmen dugout where we mostly slept, drank and ate. I watched Matt and Shannon be friends for years before they dated and when they dated, they were the the kind of sweethearts in romantic comedies. He always doted on her for how confident, smart and beautiful she was and made her laugh constantly. He's the type of guy that wore a speedo under his graduation gown and at their wedding. Funny as hell and someone you need to have in your life. Now here they are... husband and wife. 

2.Reason number two on why this shoot was special to me is the fact that this was my last photoshoot as a Woolard. She and I both had crazy schedules so the only day that worked was the Thursday before I got married. It was a beautiful get-away from the wedding chatter to be able to capture and watch one of my best friends get into her dress and twirl around. We also got to bring our mutual wedding planner with us so it was really just one big girl date on the beach, playing dress up. It is one of the best memories of my career. We literally only had a short amount of time at an awkward hour of sunlight but she ROCKED it—she is absolutely glowing. 

Shannon and Matt got married in Caswell Beach on the Sunday of Memorial weekend and unfortunately I was unable to go because my husband and I were on our honeymoon (I cried).  We celebrated from afar with dubious amounts of wine. They are moving to Seattle soon for Matt's new doctor job saving lives so this posting is a double-fold congratulations on two huge milestones in their lives. Congrats to the Murphys! Shannon, you are one knockout of a bride. 

Dream Team:
Hair + Makeup: Silver Ceiling
Bouquet: Designs by Dillon
Wedding Coordinator: Amy from Do Me A Favor Weddings
Photographer for Bridals: Visuals by Helen
Photographer for Wedding: Brandon Hunter

Our engagement session took place at Masonboro Island, a little slice of heaven adjacent to Wrightsville Beach. It was balmy for a February afternoon and we had a crew with Matt McGraw on our skiff to get our photographs taken. I borrowed a dress from a close friend, hoping to cover up my white pasty legs. I think it worked. Despite what it may look like in the photos, I was super duper awkward... to the point that I was giggly and had spasms. Jess couldn't believe it and was asking what was wrong with me. It was ironic really, that Jess was better at this whole modeling thing than me, but I shouldn't be surprised. With those looks, my husband is made to be in front of the camera. *Flirting emoji* Throughout the session Matt embraced my awkwardness and captured us with some of our favorite things: our dog Belle, the water and the boat. As I've told most of my clients, an engagement session is a chance where you get comfortable with the camera and get used to being photographed as well as a chance to flirt with your significant other. This rang very true for me. By the time Matt and I met back up in March for my bridal portraits, I was ready to go, rocking my big white dress around downtown Wilmington in 30 degree weather with my mom and aunt in tow.  Jess and I decided to use these amazing photographs for the guest book at our wedding so we wanted it to be a surprise for our guests. Now that we are married and have some hilarious notes in the book, I wanted to share a collection of photos with you. We will cherish these photos forever. Thank you Matt.