All my life, I dreamed about being a mom.  I held each of my siblings when they were born, rocked and dressed baby dolls, babysat countless kids, and worked in a daycare for almost 4 years – none of which could have prepared me for the joy that filled my heart the day that I found out that I was pregnant with Emma or the love that overcame me as I looked into her eyes for the first time.  

I feel that I’ve accomplished several things in my life.  I graduated from college with honors.  I made it to Europe twice.  I won an award for my creative writing.  I wrote and recorded a song.  I was the first alumna to teach at the high school that Toby and I graduated from.

All of those things are great, but nothing compares to the family that Toby and I have built together.  Nothing comes close to a kiss from Emma or the sound of “Mama”.  My daughter and my husband are the two great loves of my life, soon to be joined by my son.  This past year has been the best year of my life – no contest.

- Annie

Toby and I have been making an effort lately to further our pursuit of fine art.  My love for photography lies in the encapsulation of a moment.  I love telling a story with my lens, just like I love telling a story to my daughter.  Usually that passion manifests itself in “people pictures”.  I came up with this name in high school as I was developing my love for photography.  ”People pictures” aren’t just pictures with people in them, they’re pictures that show the reality of a person – who they really are.  Beyond “people pictures”, I love trying to do the same thing for inanimate objects.  I love trying to catch a piece of the beauty of a flower swaying in the breeze or the simple grandeur of a tree that’s been growing for years…  

For me, photography is like catching a lightning bug in your hands when you’re a kid.  You know that you have it – the real thing – and it’s so exciting you almost can’t stand it!  You can touch it and see it, but you know that what you’ve captured is ever-changing.  You’ve only been given the privilege of holding it for a moment.  The difference between that lightning bug and photography is that you don’t have to release your photograph.  You can hold that piece of life with you forever.  To me, it’s almost magical.

I have to say that I was extremely excited about shooting the Cathedral for a couple of reasons.

First, having graduated from Covington Latin School, the Cathedral is something that I have taken for granted for most of my life.  I saw it on a daily basis for those 4 years of high school, even graduated from CLS within its walls, and I never really stopped to take in its beauty and grandeur.

Second, after traveling to Europe in 1999 (the start of my true passion for photography) and going back for our honeymoon in 2006, I have developed a deep appreciation for architecture.  I love the way that each part of a building like the Cathedral is designed for a purpose, the way that beauty and functionality are paired in the grace of a structure.  It fascinates me.  

With all of this in mind, I went up to the Cathedral Basilica in Covington to get some shots.  I am so happy with the way they turned out!  I have many other things around the city that I’d like to photograph and the experience of shooting the Cathedral only makes venturing out more exciting!

- Annie

Cincinnati is an interesting city. It’s not among the largest in the country, but it often appears among the most spectacular in photos. Why? Because the entire city is surrounded by hills that provide awesome vantage points for photogs.

The picture below was taken from Mt. Adams, and it was my first attempt at night shots of the skyline. I’ve learned a lot since I took this photo, and I look back at it and wish the technical quality was a little better. The thing that I still love about it, though, is the streak of light toward the top right produced by a plane flying near CVG.

- Toby