Please check out our Giving is Awesome post for more information about free portrait sessions for those in need.

If you missed my post from earlier today, you can see it here!

Ever since we started Varland Photography, I’ve hoped and prayed that I could build wonderful relationships with those around us. We’ve always thought that photography should bring us closer to those who also share that passion. There are so many kind-hearted people out there that share that view. We are so blessed to have met (both in person and online) the wonderful people that we have – photographers, videographers, wedding planners, etc. There is so much talent out there and we both feel so humbled by it. We’re just incredibly thankful to be a part of this amazing industry!

One of the things that making those friendships has given us is the opportunity to just relax and enjoy the passion that we share with good friends. When I mentioned it in a previous post, I referred to the experience as getting “back to the basics”. Capturing joy. Capturing laughter. Capturing passion. Capturing color. Capturing details. Capturing all of those things that are part of life’s beauty and delicate grandeur… All of those things are present in a wedding day and one of the reasons we love shooting weddings is that everyone else seems to have a heightened sense of how extraordinary ordinary things can be. To us, though, that wonder and excitement about our surroundings happens every day. And it’s nice to stop sometimes and capture that.

So here are the things that we captured when we got together with Amanda, Cailyn, and Kevin.

Thanks for a wonderful day, guys!

- Annie

We started out at the most amazing breakfast place in the Cincinnati area. That’s right. Toby and I love their food so much that we had them cater our rehearsal dinner! Personally, I’m a big fan of brinner (for all you Scrubs fans out there)!

I’ve always been a Northern Kentucky girl, so this is one of my favorites of the day!

Cailyn and Kevin… Nice Shootsac, Cailyn!!!

The color in this was so great that I had to stop and get the shot. I love how warm and vibrant something so simple can be.

Pinky out, Amanda! Haha!

I LOVE this shot!!! Toby and I love our zoom lens and I just couldn’t resist snapping one with these two bad boys together!

My favorites of Kevin!

Amanda and her camera… Remember that ring? (Check out the last picture of this post!)

One of ours…

My inspiration for this post. I remember stopping to take this picture right after we left the playground and thinking everything that I just wrote above.

We’ve done pictures of the Cathedral in Covington before, but I love this shot that Toby took with the 16-35mm f/2.8L. Sweet.

One of the places that we went, this caught me eye… probably because it’s red. And I love all things red.

Loved the sharpness of the bricks’ texture…

I have such a hard time narrowing posts down! Check out the slideshow for more! You’ll see some great doors, more Shootsac goodness, Amanda inside a playground tunnel, Kevin trying unsuccessfully to scare some geese, holly, a ladybug, Covington Latin School (where Toby and I met and went to high school), a sweet shot of my engagement and wedding rings, and more…

Please check out our Giving is Awesome post for more information about free portrait sessions for those in need.

I haven’t had a post dedicated to the kids in over a month, so this is a long time coming!!! As promised, I’ve also included the pictures of us that we took with my family…

Both kids are growing so quickly and I’m finding myself taking more time to savor the age that they are right now. Emma’s speaking so well – sometimes in sentences, which is so exciting! Noah is rolling consistently now and we think his first two teeth will be breaking through any day now!!! They are both such amazing blessings!

And finally… I have my picture with both of them looking at the camera!!! Now all I have to do is get them to smile at the same time!

I’m sure we’ll post some Christmas pictures within the next week or so! Stay tuned!

- Annie

Kisses!

LOVE her laugh!!!

He is just too cute.

She’s saying snow… loudly.

I just had to do an antique processing on one of these…

So much personality!!!

I like this one a lot…

… but I LOVE this one!

My sister Abbey snapped this one for me! Sorry for all of my directions! Haha! You rock, Abs! = )

Please check out our Giving is Awesome post for more information about free portrait sessions for those in need.

This Sunday Toby and I took a break from the hustle of the holidays, the print orders, the presents, the albums, the computers… and got back to the basics. Us. Good friends. Photography.

I’ll post about it later, but to put it simply: it was fantastic.

I don’t have all of our pictures ready to post yet, but today I got one from Amanda and I took a break to process it. Toby and I aren’t usually fans of being in front of the camera. In fact, I haven’t liked a picture of the two of us in a very, very long time.

I love this one.

So here’s a quick thank you to Amanda, Cailyn, and Kevin for a fantastic day. And another thanks to Amanda for the wonderful picture.

More to come very soon!

- Annie