• Have you ever put on another person's Rainbow flip flops? It feels funky, doesn't it? Because those leather sandals are worn in all the wrong spots for *your* feet, but all the right spots for theirs. It takes one, maybe two steps in a pair of someone else's Rainbows to realize you picked up the wrong pair of sandals. • But entrepreneurs- we do this with other people's brands and businesses, don't we? We look at what someone else has built, and we do our best to wear it in our own business- maybe it's that someone else loves high fashion, or the photographer next door shoots a ton of destination weddings in Europe, or how that business owner over there is really into the dark and moody editing style so we think that means we need to try it, too. We take what works for them and try to force it to work for us. And like an ill-fitting pair of sandals, it may function for a little while, but eventually it starts to rub you raw. It feels disingenuous, awkward, clunky. • I used to do this exact thing with my work- I thought the fine art approach had to mean dead-pan stares into the camera, wistful expressions, and over-the-top, unrealistic details. But I am none of those things, and neither is my work! I take *such* joy in capturing exuberant warmth and thoughtfulness, nose-crinkling smiles and head-tossed-back laughs. And once I learned to put on my own pair of proverbial Rainbow sandals, I finally fell in love with my own work without worrying about what everyone else was wearing. • Head shot of @delanieandco taken during our workshop in France, @thesignatureatelier
    493 15
    Have you ever put on another person's Rainbow flip flops? It feels funky, doesn't it? Because those leather sandals are worn in all the wrong spots for *your* feet, but all the right spots for theirs. It takes one, maybe two steps in a pair of someone else's Rainbows to realize you picked up the wrong pair of sandals. • But entrepreneurs- we do this with other people's brands and businesses, don't we? We look at what someone else has built, and we do our best to wear it in our own business- maybe it's that someone else loves high fashion, or the photographer next door shoots a ton of destination weddings in Europe, or how that business owner over there is really into the dark and moody editing style so we think that means we need to try it, too. We take what works for them and try to force it to work for us. And like an ill-fitting pair of sandals, it may function for a little while, but eventually it starts to rub you raw. It feels disingenuous, awkward, clunky. • I used to do this exact thing with my work- I thought the fine art approach had to mean dead-pan stares into the camera, wistful expressions, and over-the-top, unrealistic details. But I am none of those things, and neither is my work! I take *such* joy in capturing exuberant warmth and thoughtfulness, nose-crinkling smiles and head-tossed-back laughs. And once I learned to put on my own pair of proverbial Rainbow sandals, I finally fell in love with my own work without worrying about what everyone else was wearing. • Head shot of @delanieandco taken during our workshop in France, @thesignatureatelier
  • Gabriela you are an absolute Baroque VISION in that gold gown!! And add to it the fact that she also brought a pair of her pointe shoes for me to photograph with her details? Dream bride, through and through. That sweet, blissful smile on Jack's face was there from first look to final sparkler exit- it was SUCH a privilege to capture it all last weekend!! Gown by @suzanneneville
    784 26
    Gabriela you are an absolute Baroque VISION in that gold gown!! And add to it the fact that she also brought a pair of her pointe shoes for me to photograph with her details? Dream bride, through and through. That sweet, blissful smile on Jack's face was there from first look to final sparkler exit- it was SUCH a privilege to capture it all last weekend!! Gown by @suzanneneville
  • Most people would look at this photo and see just one mother... but I see two. I see the one who loves, adores, and cares for the needs of Felix now, and I see evidence of the one who loved, adored, and cared for his needs during the first nine months of his life. ❤️ I see the mother who is currently learning to give grace to herself during sleep-deprived days, and I see evidence of the one who had to learn to give grace to herself while making the hardest decision she'll likely ever face. 🧡 I see such joy in my son's face from being loved on the outside, and I see traces of his birth mom in the shapes of his tiny little fingers and toes, in the beautiful color of his eyes- traits he inherited from her while being lovingly knit together within her. 💛 I see me, and I see her. 💚 This redemptive story full of beauty, grace, strife and freedom is still being written, and I am so very grateful that she is part of it. 💙 Photograph the incomparable @emilygeraldphotography #springmannjourneytobaby #mykindredstory #adoptiontriad #adoptionislove
    1K+ 72
    Most people would look at this photo and see just one mother... but I see two. I see the one who loves, adores, and cares for the needs of Felix now, and I see evidence of the one who loved, adored, and cared for his needs during the first nine months of his life. ❤️ I see the mother who is currently learning to give grace to herself during sleep-deprived days, and I see evidence of the one who had to learn to give grace to herself while making the hardest decision she'll likely ever face. 🧡 I see such joy in my son's face from being loved on the outside, and I see traces of his birth mom in the shapes of his tiny little fingers and toes, in the beautiful color of his eyes- traits he inherited from her while being lovingly knit together within her. 💛 I see me, and I see her. 💚 This redemptive story full of beauty, grace, strife and freedom is still being written, and I am so very grateful that she is part of it. 💙 Photograph the incomparable @emilygeraldphotography #springmannjourneytobaby #mykindredstory #adoptiontriad #adoptionislove
  • What’s better than one Abby? Two Abbys, a Lisa, and a Laura! Introducing Let’s Wed Together, an evening of education with a handful of DC wedding industry darlings! 🌸 I’m teaming up with @abbyjiu and @gritandgraceinc on Wednesday, November 13th from 6-9pm at for a night of marketing know-how, and I could not be more excited about it! Come spend a few hours with us at @fostrcollaborative as we get down to business- we’ll be exploring entering into the luxury wedding industry (Abby & Lisa), using Instagram to attract your ideal client (Laura), and balancing the personal & professional to win clients over (Abby Grace). It’s going to be an unbelievable evening of business know-how, all for less than the cost of a lunch date with all four of us. 👏🏻 Registration opens TOMORROW at 10am, and seating will be limited! Keep an eye on stories or use the link in profile to hop on my email list to be the first to know when tickets are on sale. (Psst! Once registration is live, use the code “ABBYGRACE” to get 20% off your seat by 10/15!) 🕵🏻‍♀️ Got a question? Drop it in a comment or send me a DM! #letswedtogether
    511 42
    What’s better than one Abby? Two Abbys, a Lisa, and a Laura! Introducing Let’s Wed Together, an evening of education with a handful of DC wedding industry darlings! 🌸 I’m teaming up with @abbyjiu and @gritandgraceinc on Wednesday, November 13th from 6-9pm at for a night of marketing know-how, and I could not be more excited about it! Come spend a few hours with us at @fostrcollaborative as we get down to business- we’ll be exploring entering into the luxury wedding industry (Abby & Lisa), using Instagram to attract your ideal client (Laura), and balancing the personal & professional to win clients over (Abby Grace). It’s going to be an unbelievable evening of business know-how, all for less than the cost of a lunch date with all four of us. 👏🏻 Registration opens TOMORROW at 10am, and seating will be limited! Keep an eye on stories or use the link in profile to hop on my email list to be the first to know when tickets are on sale. (Psst! Once registration is live, use the code “ABBYGRACE” to get 20% off your seat by 10/15!) 🕵🏻‍♀️ Got a question? Drop it in a comment or send me a DM! #letswedtogether
  • It's October and I am SO EXCITED for the next few branding sessions on the calendar! These are such a blast for me to shoot because I get to crawl deep into the mind of another business, which is a phenomenal task when you're working with the sort of entrepreneurs I get to work with! @davidabelweddings and I met at a Justin & Mary workshop in 2012, and I've loved watching his business grow, mature, and thrive- we actually photographed each other and our spouses in Paris a few years back, and he's just so darn COOL- he's the kind of guy you can count on for a killer Vesper martini recipe, or to know how to tie a bow tie. His work is undeniably sophisticated with bit of a vintage vibe, so you know I can't get enough of it. More of David's branding portraits are on the blog today! Link in profile.
    221 3
    It's October and I am SO EXCITED for the next few branding sessions on the calendar! These are such a blast for me to shoot because I get to crawl deep into the mind of another business, which is a phenomenal task when you're working with the sort of entrepreneurs I get to work with! @davidabelweddings and I met at a Justin & Mary workshop in 2012, and I've loved watching his business grow, mature, and thrive- we actually photographed each other and our spouses in Paris a few years back, and he's just so darn COOL- he's the kind of guy you can count on for a killer Vesper martini recipe, or to know how to tie a bow tie. His work is undeniably sophisticated with bit of a vintage vibe, so you know I can't get enough of it. More of David's branding portraits are on the blog today! Link in profile.
  • My first *official* wedding back from maternity leave calls for a preview party! Jordan & Kyle, your day was unbelievably beautiful in every possible way- from your thoughtful details, consideration of family and friends' experience, and the little inbetween moments with loved ones, it was such a joy to document from beginning to end. See a few more previews and some BTS from throughout the day in my stories! 🎥 With @elleellinghaus @whitegloverentals @myflowerbox @amiedeckerbeauty @joshgooden @reveventpro @easternshoretents
    362 9
    My first *official* wedding back from maternity leave calls for a preview party! Jordan & Kyle, your day was unbelievably beautiful in every possible way- from your thoughtful details, consideration of family and friends' experience, and the little inbetween moments with loved ones, it was such a joy to document from beginning to end. See a few more previews and some BTS from throughout the day in my stories! 🎥 With @elleellinghaus @whitegloverentals @myflowerbox @amiedeckerbeauty @joshgooden @reveventpro @easternshoretents
  • Hey little buddy! You're almost six weeks old! 🙌🏻 I'm so grateful to whoever it was that told me that it typically takes infants until they're around three months old to begin smiling socially. It makes the sporadic, reflexive smiles I get from Felix all the more precious, because I never know when they're going to happen! We got together with my good friends @nataliefranke and @laurenrswann this past week to swap family photos and despite the #notimpressed faces, I swear, Felix was having a great time 🤣 I love this life with my two best guys. Photos by @laurenrswann! #springmannjourneytobaby
    1K+ 61
    Hey little buddy! You're almost six weeks old! 🙌🏻 I'm so grateful to whoever it was that told me that it typically takes infants until they're around three months old to begin smiling socially. It makes the sporadic, reflexive smiles I get from Felix all the more precious, because I never know when they're going to happen! We got together with my good friends @nataliefranke and @laurenrswann this past week to swap family photos and despite the #notimpressed faces, I swear, Felix was having a great time 🤣 I love this life with my two best guys. Photos by @laurenrswann! #springmannjourneytobaby
  • @natalie_onpointe slaying again, this time in DC! I've been wanting to shoot an #abbygraceballerinas session with black pointe shoes for a long time now, and Natalie just so happened to bring a pair with her for our DC shoot- OBSESSED with how this look turned out. Go see the full session on the blog- link in profile! 🏃🏼‍♀️ You've heard me talk a lot about the importance of personal work, and y'all know for me, that means photographing ballerinas and travel. I'd love to hear from you, though! 🎤 When you're feeling creatively run dry, what's your go-to method for refilling your artistic tank? OR, if you've never explored personal work, is there anything you're dying to try? Drop it in a comment below!
    622 13
    @natalie_onpointe slaying again, this time in DC! I've been wanting to shoot an #abbygraceballerinas session with black pointe shoes for a long time now, and Natalie just so happened to bring a pair with her for our DC shoot- OBSESSED with how this look turned out. Go see the full session on the blog- link in profile! 🏃🏼‍♀️ You've heard me talk a lot about the importance of personal work, and y'all know for me, that means photographing ballerinas and travel. I'd love to hear from you, though! 🎤 When you're feeling creatively run dry, what's your go-to method for refilling your artistic tank? OR, if you've never explored personal work, is there anything you're dying to try? Drop it in a comment below!