My Besties & Their Baby Bear

I'm not entirely sure where to begin with this post, so I'll just begin with saying I am over the moon excited that my besties, Kaitlin & Dylan ARE EXPECTING A BABY (not an owl or dinosaur despite what the sonogram looks like) this September!!

I've heard people say that most women become parents when they find out they're expecting and most men become parents once they hold their baby for the first time. Not with Kaitlin and Dylan.

Dylan has been so hands on already helping Kaitlin plan and prep for this little babe's arrival. He's looked into backpack carriers for their hiking adventures and they both already talk about the values they want to instill in their little one. Needless to say, they are both already in parenting-mode! 

Between Kaitlin's organized, loving, patient teacher mind & Dylan's engineering brain and adventuresome self, I cannot find two people more fit for the role of parenting. I am thrilled to watch you both enter these roles and can't wait to spoil baby bear once he or she arrives this Fall! 

Can we also take a moment to appreciate how adorable their shirts for this shoot were? The cookies, created by Sugar Studio  were a gift to Kaitlin's mom for her birthday to share the big news. Birthday celebrations, beautiful cookies & a baby on the way? Does it get better than that?! Okay, I'm done gushing out how perfect these two are. At least until I meet sweet baby bear and can gush some more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That "Hallmark Holiday", Valentine's Day

I'm not going to lie, it's been a hard past month. Zach and I both lost our Grandfathers within weeks of one another, leaving us stunned and hurt. We've slowly gotten ourselves back to normalcy after making our way to Florida for his Grandpa's service, and now helping plan my Grandfather's service for March. My Grandfather wrote to me once saying "Families teach us to love, and sometimes they teach us how hard it is to love. In either case, loving is a life skill that turns us into effective human beings. Loving makes you strong. It carries life giving power." So, this post is in honor of the most witty, well-spoken and well loved individual I've ever had the honor of knowing, my Grandfather. 

"Hallmark holiday" is a term used to describe a holiday that exists primarily for commercial purposes, rather than to commemorate a tradition or historical event. Valentine's Day is considered one of those holidays where it's given more hype than it should because due to a high volume of commercials featuring jewelry and chocolates. Plus, we all see the 'Love' section at Target and get suckered into buying all the things they have to offer. (Or is that just me...?) 

Today I am sharing some of my favorite photos from sessions that melt my heart every time I look at them. The last image is one of the last photos I personally took of my Grandfather. It's the epitome of what family teaches us, to love and support each other during our best moments. 

I challenge you this Valentine's Day to see it not as a "Hallmark holiday", but a chance to let the ones you love know you're thinking of them through a phone call, brunch, over a box of heart shaped donuts or through genuine quality time. 

 

XO,

Holly

 

Family Over Everything

Recently I made the difficult decision to no longer offer wedding services. It took me several months to come to terms that I truly don't have time for such a large commitment and expense. Couples getting married deserve for their photographer to be able to focus only on their clients, which I will be unable to do with a full time job AND photography after next year.

While my wedding photography door is closing after 2017, I am fortunate enough to continue with families, couples and seniors. I never envisioned these types of sessions to be the ones I loved the most, but I adore them each for different reasons.

One of my biggest joys this year has been seeing how you all have used the photos to mark a significant change in your life, addition to your family, or giving the gift of photos to a family member. My family is what drives me to work hard, inspire others and 'throw kindness around like confetti' (my favorite quote). Being able to chat with all of you in person and see the way you interact with family shows me how similar our minds are, which is so great! I have enjoyed every session this year and hope to be able to serve all of you in the future as you continue into 2017 for your next great adventure. To close out the year, here are some snaps from sessions throughout 2016!

Thank you to everyone who worked with me this year to make 2016 the best year yet for Holly Croft Photography!

XO,

Holly 

 

 

#LoveBaersAll: Lauren & Justin's Fall Wedding

Oh boy, where do I begin? Lauren and Justin have been together for 7 years and have finally tied the knot! Their wedding venue was at the Frederick Airport where Lauren's dad is a pilot! How neat is that?! Their big day called for rain in the forecast all day due to Hurricane Matthew. The two must have some pretty wonderful guardian angels because the sky cleared up just in time for their ceremony!

I met Lauren through Tri Delta where we instantly bonded over our love for Luke Bryan. Shortly after, I met her man Justin at a sisterhood event. This is where Justin and my boyfriend, (now husband) became obsessed with each other. The four of us have gotten together over the years for multiple dinner dates, hiking and best of all, each other's weddings!

Last Saturday day was filled with sunflowers (my personal favorite), lots of happy tears from Justin as Lauren walked down the aisle, dancing and a sparkler send off to top it all off! Any wedding that has all of those things, as well as having to coax the flower girls down the aisle is a successful wedding to me! Congratulations, Justin & Lauren!

Chandler & Will's Mansion Wedding

Last weekend I had the honor of photographing Chandler & Will's wedding day! The ceremony and reception took place at The Mansion at Valley Country Club. Between classic white cake full of detail, the rustic key escort cards, dance floor battles, and Chandler's beautiful gown, it truly was a wonderful day! 

Chandler and Will met the old fashion way, in high school. With Will's frequent travels being a Merchant Marine and Chandler's busy life of a teacher they've continued to be each others biggest support system over the years. 

I could not be more happy for these two as they begin their life as Mr. & Mrs. Congratulations to the both of you and hope you had a wonderful time in Jamaica!

    

 

 

 

 

Jocelyn & Michael's Maternity Session

Back in 2014, I captured their lovely Fall wedding at the Vandiver Inn. Now, two short years later, I had the opportunity to photograph Jocelyn and Michael's maternity session!!

It called for rain all day on Sunday. Rain fell on and off before and during the session with a little bit of thunder and lighting (Eeeek!). But we survived! 

I can't wait for this little baby bump to make his debut in September. I just know his mommy and daddy are going to smother him in kisses, super hero toys and adorable onesies (I'm a sucker for babies with cute outfits).  

Congratulations, Jocelyn & Mike! 

Christine & Mike: Bethany Beach Engagement Session

After dating for several years, Mike & Christine are finally tying the knot! When Christine reached out to me about doing a beach engagement shoot, I was SO excited. Not only was it a chance to spend a weekend in Bethany, but an opportunity to shoot on the beach for the first time!

Growing up, I've spent a lot of time with Christine. Saturday morning swim meets, track practice and seeing each other several times at Towson or around our hometown. Over the years, I've also seen her a great deal with Mike. They've known each other since high-school, but their relationship truly took off during college.

This past May while visiting Bethany Beach, Mike, with the help of their dog, Domino, popped the question at one of their favorite locations along the shore. On Saturday, we revisited this location, along with a few other beautiful stops along the way.

Although they claimed they weren't 'lovey dovey' and didn't know how to pose for photos, these two CRUSHED the engagement photo game. And Mike, I have to admit, you both did look good under a setting sun (and Domino). Cheers to these two as their plan to say 'I do' next July! I couldn't be more happy for two wonderful people!

Kaitlin + Dylan

When I first started dabbling in photography 3 years ago, I needed couples who were willing to be test dummies. And God bless Kaitlin and Dylan because every single time I asked, they were eager to be my models. We've shot on the hottest days of summer, and in the middle of a blizzard. So today, I am sharing a bit of their love story. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED THIS WEEKEND AND I CAN'T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT! Is it weird to feel like a part of someone's love story when you've known them since the beginning? Because this is how I feel.

I met Kaitlin in middle school. We bonded during art class when she lied about her brothers and sisters being triplets too. (LOL, sorry, I had to put this in here) After that, we joined Ski Club together in 8th grade and have been in each other's lives since. 

When we got to high school, Dylan came along. I actually met Dylan before Kaitlin did during gym class. Our first conversation began when I asked him how he got his hair to look so cool, to which he replied "I use a mini hair straightener." (This is not a joke) After that we became friends, playing soccer at the elementary school and long boarding around town.

Once winter hit, we all skied together, where shortly after Kaitlin and Dylan got together. Since then, they have survived college, entering the workforce and hardest of all, living with Zach and I. 

It has been a wonderful 7 years watching their relationship grow as they've navigated through high school, college, and now, "real life". It's rare to find friends like these two. The ones who include you on their hiking trips, let you be a part of their engagement proposal and the ones who let you interrupt date night because your own fiancé is working late and you're bored. 

I am so lucky to stand by the both of you this weekend as you joined the married life. Cheers to a fabulous weekend ahead and hopefully many more photoshoots down the road! 

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Sorry I've been MIA: Find out why!

I'M BACK! June has been filled with so many memories, lots of love and picture perfect moments shared friends and family. Last weekend Zach and I GOT MARRIED! Then, right away (literally hours after the wedding), we left for HAWAII! 

Now I've been to some beautiful places and never though anything could top Switzerland, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado or even the coast of Mexico.... But I was wrong. The island of Kauai is by far my favorite destination so far. 

Kauai is Hawaii's fourth largest island, often referred to as the 'Garden Isle." Its coastline is 111 miles with over 50% of those miles being sandy beaches with crystal clear water sitting below the jagged green mountains and white fluffy clouds.

The week started off picking up our 2015 convertible Mustang (Awesome, I know). From the capital, Lihue, we drove up north about 45 minutes to the North Shore where we stayed in Princeville, next to Hanalei.

Throughout the week we cruised around to several touristy locations from east to west. Below you can check out photos from our favorite look out spots and events during the week! 

Image 1: Hanalei Bay is surrounded by the town of Hanalei, where you can find great shopping, shave ice, coffee and lots of chickens (not unlike the rest of the island). The bay stretches over roughly two miles of beach surrounded by that great mountain view that I obsess over. 

Image 2: Kilauea Point is home to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and is marked by a lighthouse that sits across from a dormant volcano. Ten minutes after arriving, it started raining torrentially and never really cleared up, so we left.

Image 3: This precious row of pineapples was located at the top of Waimea Canyon. Zach and I purchased one (per my request) and we sliced it open later in the week. 

Image 4: Waimea Canyon... when you walk up to it, you practically can hear the Jurassic Park theme song. From time to time we would see a helicopter dip into the valley of the canyon close to the waterfalls. It was incredible. The mountains were so lush and saturated with color that is was almost unreal. 

Image 5: Tunnels Beach (Makua) located on the North Shore is known for great snorkeling. One day, Zach and I attempted to snorkel, however, it was choppy, making it impossible. 

Image 6: We took a catamaran to the Napali Coast, which is only reachable by boat or via an 11 mile hike. Although the Waimea Canyon screams Jurassic Park, the Napli Coast is where it was filmed. We spent the morning and afternoon eating, watching dolphins, meeting new friends and snorkeling the coast! 

Image 7: Story time! So earlier in the day, Zach and I went into a store located directly across from my new favorite store, SoHa Living (I literally bought the entire store. Sorry not sorry) Anyways, Zach was interested in getting himself a piece of Koa wood jewelry. Koa means "warrior" in Hawaiian, and the wood is only grown on trees in Hawaii. Historically it was used to make weapons and canoes.

The lady in the store kept urging Zach to buy me a bracelet if he was getting one for himself. I kindly said no thank you, because I had already spent my fair share of money across the street, so it was Zach's turn to splurge. 

I don't know how it happened, but all of a sudden during the luau later that evening, Zach and I were walking onto the plantation and he goes "Oh, you forgot something." So naturally, I look down to check to see if I had my purse, the tickets for the show and my GoPro. While I was looking down, he snapped a koa wood bracelet around me wrist. I'm not sure how he pulled that surprise, considering I was in the store with him the entire time, but it was the sweetest gesture in the world. Zach isn't known for being sneaky, so it was doubly cute. 

After only being back at work one week, I am already itching to go on our next adventure. 

Holly Croft Photography is Finally Here!

Welcome, I am so glad you're here!

Today I am officially launching my new website, new logo & new photography name!

When I first started thinking about rebranding, I wasn't fully sure where I would end up. Would I continue using the name 'Photography by Holly'? Would I stick with the same generic watermark that anyone can purchase offline? I knew I was looking for my business to go to a new level, so rebranding was the way to go!

I began the process by having a new logo designed by the wonderfully talented Lauren Perry, who I met through The Rising Tide Society. After several mountain sketches, multiple calligraphy styles and subtle watercolor changes, together we created the best logo imaginable that captures my adventurous side, favorite colors AND my new married name!

Speaking of which, I am getting married in less than two weeks. WHAT. So again, the timing of my rebranding was perfect because it has allowed me to use my new last name, which is very exciting (but also slightly sad since I love my current last name too!).

SO, welcome to my website. Graduation season is beginning to wind down which means it's on to family and engagement sessions and WEDDINGS! I am so excited about my new logo, so I have posted every place I could possibly fit it on my website. Ooops! 

Happy Hump Day!

xo,

Holly