Brooke Courtney

Britni

Brooke — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:41:05 -0400

Two weeks ago I met up with Britni to shoot her senior portraits in Lancaster City. The light was gorgeous that evening and made my job of shooting the lovely Britni even more enjoyable. My dear friend Brooklyn (shooting her portraits next week!) referred Britni to me - and I'm so glad she did.

Okay, I'm off to babysit, enjoy my favorites! [BC]

CB2 Contest - Vote For Us!!!

Brooke — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:23:06 -0400

Okay, here's the deal. I love CB2. Like, whole heartedly. I thumb through their magazine way too often... when I should actually be editing photos or doing the dishes. I would furnish my entire house by them if I could afford it. So here is my attempt to get one step closer to that!

T.J. and I really want to win this contest that CB2 is putting on right now. We love everything about them. A few weeks ago when I saw CB2 was having this contest, I knew we had to enter.

I think I would simultaneously burst into tears and start dancing around my house if we won this said contest. There are two ways to win - 1. Getting picked by the judges, or 2. Have the most votes. We are going for the most votes!!! Actually, we'd take either prize - I'd love a $10,000 gift card. But let's at least win the most votes - and receive the $2,500 gift card. :)

Please, please, please take just a few minutes to vote on the pictures of our living room. I promise if we win - I will have everyone over for one giant Smilebooth-CB2-Lovin' party.. and it will be awesome.

You can vote for us here. You can sign-in through your Facebook to vote too! Super easy!

Thank you in advance!! [BC]

To vote for us, click here!

Jordan

Brooke — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:35:30 -0400

I met Jordan two years ago when T.J. and I had the privilege of shooting Lizzy's (his sisters) wedding. When Jordan contacted us about doing his senior portraits I was so excited! I knew Jordan would have some super-creative idea - and I was not disappointed!

Jordan's Grandparent's have a really old, rundown tennis court behind their house, which is where Jordan chose to shoot. It was perfect! Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy! [BC]

Things We Love: Right Now

Brooke — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:50:04 -0400

Hello All! Tonight we are starting a new portion of our blog called Things We Love. A lot of bloggers do this and we've always enjoyed learning about what other people love. So, here are ours... :) [BC & T.J.]

Things I Love Right Now - Brooke

1. Rosi Golan. I can't stop listening to her album. Seriously, just go buy it right now. Don't even waste your time listening to every single iTunes preview. JUST BUY IT. It's fabulous.

2. I am currently in love with all things paper and hanging. Be it lanterns, garlands or giant flower blossoms... I want them everywhere in my house - and hanging above me at all times.

3. Maggie Moo's. I think I've eaten here three times in the last two weeks. Yikes Spikes.

4. I love this rug from CB2. It may be purchased sometime soon for our dining room. :)

5. I love the Ruffled Blog.. and I have for quite some time. But recently their posts have been extra awesome and inspiring.

6. Loooove my NYC polish. I think Kate got it for me? Either way, it's awesome. And really bright!!

Things I Love Right Now - T.J.

1. The latest Ray LaMontagne album. It's awesome.

2. Ugmonk's 2nd anniversary shirt. I love everything about this company. The packaging for this shirt and the limited availability make it even cooler. I ordered mine the second it was for sale.

3. Our Smilebooth. It's our newest photo-toy - and I think everyone should find a reason to host an event simply so you can experience the Smilebooth.

4. INSANITY!!!!!!!

5. I'd been eyeing these coffee tables in the CB2 catalog for the last couple months - and while in New York last week I was able to visit their store and purchase them. Brooke was pleasantly surprised. And we use them for everything.

Brooke

T.J. — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:12:56 -0400

After Brooke posted those photos of me I thought I would join in and post some photos that I recently shot of her, as well as describe the woman that I am lucky enough to call my wife (I'll try to keep it short). Simply put, Brooke is amazing. If you follow this blog you get to see the amazing things she can do behind a camera, but her talents far exceed her ability to create inspiring, breathtaking images. Her ability as an artist in general, is dwarfed by the woman she is. She is strong, kind and truthful. She knows when to care for someone and when to push them along. She knows what makes people laugh and smile. She has the ability to inspire. Through out my life I would think about my future wife and all the things I wanted her to be and Brooke crushes all of these and far exceeds anything I ever thought possible. I am not saying all these things so Brooke reads them later and thinks that I am so sweet and wonderful (although that would be nice), I am saying all these things to let you blog followers out there know that you are following an amazing woman. Enjoy the images!

Theodore James

Brooke — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:30:04 -0400

Yesterday evening the light outside was just gorgeous... so I grabbed my favorite subject and headed out with my camera. T.J. and I took a fifteen minute walk around our block while I shot some images of him. Here are my favorites - complete with T.J.'s dance skills. :) I just love him. And could start crying if I looked at the photos for too long. Ha ha! Enjoy! [BC]

Jason & Jessica

Brooke — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:23:32 -0400

After our walk in love. team returned from Creation last month, at all hours of the morning, I went to photograph a wedding the next day. The wedding was on the 4th of July (one of my all-time favorite holidays) and required Kalysta and I to drive an hour or more to our location. Needless to say, I was exhausted... BUT! When I walked into Jessica's room and listened to her talk with her friends about the wedding, marriage, work, life, vintage jewelry and her love for Jason - everything changed. I was awake. Pumped. And was overwhelmed with gratitude to be there, by their side, as they celebrated one of the biggest days of their lives.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty sure that Jason and Jessica had been dating for almost ten years by the time they tied the knot last month. It was a small, quaint, fabulous wedding. And their cake was really good. And I'm in love with the ring shot below. I want it hanging on my wall. Would that be weird? :) Below are a few of my favorite images. Enjoy and comment. [BC]

Kristina Gehman

Brooke — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 12:37:04 -0400

When I heard Kristina was going to be recording an album at my Dad's studio, I was pumped. I've listened to Kristina sing at church for years, but was dying to hear her sing something more soulful, more her and a little less worshipy. (Pretty sure that's not a word.)

I am so proud of the way everything turned out for Kristina's first record. It sounds incredible. And there is a song or two that brings tears to my eyes. Not to mention that the photography Jeff and I shot captured Kristina to a T. And then the album design - fits everything perfectly. I haven't designed a CD jacket in awhile, but I am very proud of Kristina's. I keep saying it, but it's just so her. The album is a compilation of originals between my Dad and Kristina, originals just by my Dad wrote, a traditional and a cover. In fact, our walk in love. intern, Matt, sings back-up vocals with his sister on one of the songs. I think I've already listened to that track like 20 times.

Here are a few of my favorites from our shoot. The last image made the cover of the album. We shot everything in my parent's backyard and neighborhood.. which is quickly becoming my favorite place to shoot. I think we've done five or six shoots there this summer.

So, please check our Kristina's brand new record, Run Awhile. Buy a copy on iTunes (soon!). :) Enjoy! [BC]

Here's the final product!

Tyler & Alex

Brooke — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:42:58 -0400

Last week I was looking through my Facebook friends and came across this beautiful, beautiful girl named Alex. I thought to myself, "I've never met her.. but we're friends. Hmm?" I then proceeded to scan through her photos and kept thinking how cute she and her boyfriend were.

On Monday night T.J. scheduled a portrait session for us to shoot. And guess who showed up at my front door!!! Alex and Tyler! :) At first I couldn't figure out why they looked so familiar, but when Alex mentioned Facebook at some point during our session, I figured it out.

Tyler gave Alex a portrait session for her birthday gift and it was so much fun. They are both super photogenic, funny and when Tyler referenced The Office, we all knew we'd be friends.

Enjoy the images. I simply love them, all. Comment! [BC]

Chris & Katie

Brooke — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:21:30 -0400

On June 26th, Katie and Chris tied the knot in downtown Lancaster. It was a gorgeous day for so many reasons. The weather was fabulous, the families were excited and every last little pink detail was in place. Since I had the privilege of creating the invitations, programs (and all other stationary items), I felt like I was a part of this wedding more than usual - and I loved it. Katie and Chris have been dating since I can remember and I was honored to photograph their celebration.

Kalysta and I started off our day photographing the boys at Clipper Magazine Stadium. AWESOME!!!! After this, we headed to the church to catch the girls getting ready (not without a quick detour to Prince Street Cafe, of course) and then shot the ceremony. The reception was lovely... and I ate my first ever ice cream cupcake. Delicious!

So, to Katie and Chris, I pray the best for you guys. You are a wonderful couple. And again, I could not have been happier that we were a part of your wedding day. Enjoy and leave comments. [BC]

Mike

T.J. — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:31:43 -0400

I just want to start off by saying that I love my little brother so much and I think he is totally awesome. Tomorrow he will be on his 90th day of p90x. Brooke and I did p90x leading up to our wedding and we fully recommend it if you want to get in great shape and lose weight. Since Mike has been doing p90x he has lost 17 pounds and looks like a total stud. I've also been having an itch to do some portraits that weren't at a wedding, so I added the two together and took Mike out to the woods by his house to grab some shots that I was calling "homework." I gave myself the assignment to shoot something that had the same feel of a nike ad. Let me know if you think I succeeded. It was a lot of fun to shoot these and I am so proud of Mike for sticking with p90x. [T.J.]

Weddings, Weddings & More..

Brooke — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:51:52 -0400

Yep, you guessed it. WEDDINGS. I think T.J. and I have eight or nine weddings in the works right now. We're going a little crazy. But all in all, things are going well and we're editing our brains out.

I've been wanting to post some sneak peeks lately, so here they are. Don't you love teasers!? [BC]

Alex & Tiffany

Brooke — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:55:29 -0400

I first met Tiffany (the bride) while working at Hollister in high school. (In fact, I met three of Tiff's bridesmaids while working at HCO too!) I remember Tiff's first day of work because she was sent to "shadow" me. We chatted, folded t-shirts and both thought the other was way older and cooler than we really were. (We talked about this later. Ha!) When Tiffany wrote me an email months ago asking me to photograph her wedding, I truly couldn't have been more excited and honored. Tiffany is a wonderful, beautiful person - and I knew her wedding with Alex would be the same.

Tiffany and Alex tied the knot in Darlington (really? how cute is that?), Maryland, at her Uncle's house/farm. Tiffany made everything herself. The escort cards, centerpieces, table settings and the dozens of paper cranes hanging from the trees at the ceremony. Truly DIY. And fully fabulous.

I have been wanting to post these images since May and am so thrilled to be sharing my favorites with you now. Tiff and Alex's wedding is one of my favorites, ever.

Leave comments! Enjoy! [BC]

Smilebooth Party!

T.J. — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:52:49 -0400

Last night was our Smilebooth house party! It was awesome! I don't have much to say about it, so I will let the photos do all the talking. If you didn't come, you missed out and should definitely come to the next one. Leave a comment and let us know which photos are your favorites! [T.J.]

To view all the other outrageous photos, click here.

If you are interested in having the Smilebooth at your wedding, house, event or party please contact Smilebooth.

And now enjoy this little video of the evening:

It's Smilebooth Party Time!!

T.J. — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:58:15 -0400

Hey Everyone,

Brooke and I are having a Smilebooth Party!! We recently took a trip to Houston to pick up our brand new, totally awesome Smilebooth (pictured above). A Smilebooth is a like a photo booth.. but way better and a lot more fun. We want to show it off to the world - so, everyone is invited to our house to eat snacks and take loads of outrageous Smilebooth photos! The party is tomorrow, Sunday August 1st from 6pm-9pm. It's a Drop in, so come and go as you please between those times. If you want more detailed information, like our address, please check out the facebook invitation here. Hope to see you at our house, tomorrow! [BC & T.J.]

Clint & Ashley

Brooke — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:25:54 -0400

Back in June, (also the name of a great Matt Wertz song), T.J. and I travled to North Carolina to photograph Clint and Ashley's wedding. Our trip down to Wake Forest should have taken about 7 hours... but almost 10 hours after we left Manheim we were still in the car. There was traffic. Traffic. And more traffic. NOT FUN! But we made it safely, eventually, and enjoyed staying with my cousin's Kenny and Kelly in their beautiful home. :) (Thanks for letting us stay guys!)

Clint and Ashley's wedding was fun and very personal. The light was incredible for photos. Love love love!

Enjoy the images. More weddings to come soon! [BC]

Chad & Trisha

T.J. — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:13:07 -0400

Brooke and I got the chance to shoot some engagements in the middle of wedding season, which was awesome. We met Chad and Trisha in downtown Lancaster for the session and got some really great shots. Chad and Trisha were so easy to work with. They tried to convince us that they weren't photogenic but we disagree and I think these photos do as well. Enjoy the photos! Leave comments. [T.J.]

Cody & Amber

Brooke — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:59:32 -0400

Cody and Amber were married on June 12th, 2010... and what a fabulous day it was. It was also, quite possibly, one of the hottest days of the summer. My dear friend Kalysta assisted me for their wedding (since T.J. and Jeff were at another wedding) - and together we got some great images.

Their wedding was held at The Stillman Estate in Manheim. The property was gorgeous!!

Cody and Amber have something so precious about them. The way they interact with one another is a blessing to watch - and I can not express how much it meant to me that I was able to photograph their big day. They dated over four years. And the most incredible thing about it all is that when the pastor said "Cody, you may kiss your bride" it was their first kiss. Yes, you read it correctly - their first kiss. While I usually don't blog people's wedding kisses - this one is a must. It brings tears to my eyes when I look at the photos. (And by the way, I was so nervous for their ceremony. I was terrified I was going to pass out in the heat or trip over something right when they went to kiss each other... and it'd be my fault that after four years of waiting to kiss they would only have a blurry photo of the floor - and not them!)

Enjoy the images. And to Cody and Amber - you are lovely. I love you both.

Leave comments! [BC]

After Cody and Amber left the reception, I followed them down to the Lancaster Arts Hotel to shoot just a few photos of them. It was a great idea - I love these shots!

Jesse & Kelly

T.J. — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:03:38 -0400

This summer is the first summer where we've had two weddings on one day. Our first double wedding was on June 12. Brooke and Kalysta shot Amber and Cody's wedding (photos coming soon), while Jeff and I shot Jesse and Kelly's wedding. Jesse and Kelly were absolutely wonderful. They were super laid back and totally awesome. It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of their big day. Here are some of our favorite images from the day. Enjoy! [T.J.]

To purchase prints click here.

Leave Comments!

Half Mental

Brooke — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:02:26 -0400

"90% of the game is half mental." - Yogi Berra

My dear friend Jeff recently launched an awesome baseball blog - and everyone should check it out! I wouldn't consider myself a baseball fan in the slightest, yet I find myself reading his blog weekly, learning about all sorts of goodness. It's wonderful.

Jeff is a talented photographer, an incredible graphic designer (Jeff created all of the graphics for Half Mental) - and an equally talented blogger. I've never met someone who loves baseball so much. It's crazy.

So - if you love baseball, or know someone who does - you've gotta check out Half Mental.

Have a great afternoon everyone! [BC]

The Willard Family

Brooke — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:47:21 -0400

Tim Willard, writer and blogger extraordinaire (Trap Door Sun), was visiting Pennsylvania with his family this past May. We met up at the local park to shoot some photos of his family. It was a beautiful evening. The light was gorgeous! I am so happy to finally be posting a few of these images. Enjoy! [BC]

Senior Season!

Brooke — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:59:31 -0400

It's here! The time to book your senior portrait session with us is now! We are only taking a limited number of seniors this summer and fall - so be sure to contact us right away to get a spot on our calendar.

We absolutely love shooting seniors! It's always a ton of fun - and the sessions usually produce some of my all time favorite images.

Here are just a few of my favorites from last summer. Tell your friends, family and neighbors about our senior portraits - and contact us today for pricing and scheduling. [BC]

Jon & Kim

Brooke — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:47:48 -0400

I am so happy to finally be sharing Jon and Kim's wedding with you! T.J. and I were honored to photograph their wedding on Sunday, May 30th of this year - which was the same day (not date) that T.J. and I got married last year. How exciting!

I have blogged about Kim and my friendship with her many times before... so I won't go into detail again. But I will say this: it was a beautiful day and I made sure to wear my waterproof mascara, knowing that I'd be a mess when she walked down the isle toward me. I mean, toward Jon. :) T.J., Jeff and myself had a great time at their wedding. It was wonderful.

It was so hard to pick which of my favorite images to post, but alas, here they are. Enjoy and leave comments! [BC]

To purchase prints, click here.

Jon and Kim : Photobooth

T.J. — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:12:45 -0400

Brooke and I were so blessed to be a part of Jon and Kim's big day. We set up a photo booth and got some really hilarious shots. Here are a few of our favorites. Actual wedding photos coming soon!

To view and purchase all the photobooth photos click here.

The New Summer Line!

Brooke — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:31:54 -0400

I can't believe T.J. and I are almost finished with our massive to-do lists from last Sunday night. What a crazy week we had. On Tuesday morning we leave for Creation. Woosh!

As part of the workshop today we had a brief photo-session, featuring the newest line of t-shirts from walk in love. clothing. And they look awesome! I didn't get the chance to shoot many photos tonight - but I did fire off a couple - which I posted below... along with a few of Jeff Frandsen's shots.

I'll post more photos from tonight when everyone from the workshop sends me their favorites. :) [BC]