Laurel Highlands Portrait Session: Bevan Anniversary

When two of your favorite people in the whole wide world ask you to help capture their 5th wedding anniversary, you don’t just jump at the chance, you make sure you’ve gotta a baller locale and a sweet surprise in your back pocket. Y’all meet Jason and Casey Bevan!

These two lovebirds, I am happy to say, are not just friends, they are family. Jason is my first cousin and Casey is his blushing bride. I am so happy that I had the chance to not only spend time with them during our last visit to Pennsylvania, many because Jason travels out of state for his job, but to capture this milestone anniversary!

We met at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania because these crazy kids recently purchased a home in the historic downtown area. Knowing these two so well, I figured this would be the perfect backdrop for their session.

Though the humidity was in high that day, these guys were troopers. They hiked all over the expansive property with me. We all just laughed and joked about how sweaty we were. The rain storm that morning didn’t do us any favors but these two made the best of their session!

Before Casey had a chance to hear, Jason whispered a little secret in my ear. Though their anniversary wasn’t for a few days, he had her present in his pocket and thought it would be sweet if he gave it to her during the photos. Under the shade of the trees, Jason surprised his gal with a brand spanking new sparkly wedding band. It was such a sweet and genuine moment. Casey was just beaming and Jason was so glad that he had actually pulled it off!

We ended their session with a few shots in front of the old cabin and headed our separate ways, just not for long. Stay tuned, because these two crazy cats followed us down to North Carolina a few days later to explore the Highlands area for their anniversary! Our next Travel Guide is all about the waterfalls, the wildlife and the yummy places we visited during our trip down south!

With just 6 weeks left until Baby Norris’ due date, this Mama has been making big plans for her little pumpkin and I cannot wait to share. Dare I say, Fall Mini Sessions in Pennsylvania?!? If you or you know someone who might be interested in being a part of our Fall Mini Sessions, email Angelina at therustienailhead@gmail.com. And keep your eyes and ears open for updates on our social media (@therustienail)!

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Pennsylvania Holiday Mini Sessions: Ricky, Hanna & Grandpa

Ya’ll!!!!! Meet Hanna! This is my beautiful ginger haired baby cousin! I have been wanting to photograph this little lady for the longest time and we finally made it happen when I was last visiting back home in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania.

Back story, real quick. Hanna is my 2nd cousin. Her dad, Ricky, is my first cousin and his Dad, my Uncle Rick, is also my Godfather so I think it’s fair to say that my heart just exploded when I got the chance to look through these images. For as long as I can remember, my whole family has been telling me that Hanna is my mini-me. See, when I was a little lass, this girl and I could have been twins. Yep, I had that red hair, those big blue eyes and the same wild and crazy personality!

We met at Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg, Pennsylvania for a huge gathering of family photos but more on all that goodness later. Hanna and her Dad followed me down to the lake for a few quick shots of just them together. These are my favorite images because they look so natural and relaxed. Ricky is even giving her “the claw” in one of the photos. If you don’t know what the “claw” is, trust me, you don’t want to.

Soon after, the oldest and wisest of the Greece clan (9 kids in all) made his way down for a few photos with his son and granddaughter. My Uncle Rick was a surprise that day and man am I glad he came! I hadn’t seen him in so long and it was so good to see him and chat him up. He’s the same, smart and kind, just a little more gray than the last time I saw him. It really isn’t fair. All the men in this family just get more handsome with time.

I remember being a kid and looking through boxes of old photos that all those before me had taken. I loved it. I still do and it’s such a neat idea to think that Hanna and my sisters and all the younger cousins will get a chance to look through these one day and talk about how we all met at the park for photos and then we all went out to dinner at The Red Brick for pizza and then we laughed until we cried. That’s what I love most about this shoot, that I got to share it with so many of the people I love, especially these 3 looney tunes.

I had the best time catching up with my family during this shoot. I always tell everyone that it is so hard to see all of them when we come back to visit but man am I thankful that I have a family who will rearrange all their schedules in an instant just to have one afternoon being together. This family is wild and crazy, that’s for sure, but they are a group of people who love fiercely and uplift one another always and I am so thankful to be a part of it! Love you guys!

For more information on when and where The Rustie Nail will be heading to in 2018, follow along on Instagram @therustienail. We’ll be back in PA, Canada and up next, Arizona so keep an eye out for travel updates!

Laurel Highlands Holiday Mini Sessions: Kaison

Hey guys! We’re back with yet another adorable baby. He is wild and crazy like his Mama and tough and bull-headed like his Daddy. Ya’ll Meet Kaison Bolish! I had the pleasure of snuggling on this goofy little guy while I was back home visiting in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania! With that devilish smirk and his sweet dimples, this little charmer is about to drop a CUTE bomb!

This little stinker was featured on our Blog last year for his first ever Holiday Mini Session. I met with his Mama and Papa at Grandpa’s farm for a bunch of maternal family portraits! We had the whole gang out for a fun day on the farm. You can check it all out here. Grandma and Grandpa Stickle even got caught sneaking a few kisses during the shoot!

This shoot would be a little different than the last. My longtime buddy, Kendrick aka Kaison’s daddy, was out hunting deer so Mama would be bringing baby boy by Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg, PA for a quick and easy shoot while all the leaves were  still changing colors.

Kelly showed up early with her little guy looking handsome as ever. Seeing that he had a slight case of the sniffles, we chose to keep his session short and sweet. Babies run out of fuel after about 30 pictures anyway so we just let Kaison run around the park while I snapped away! And yes I did say run. The last time I saw this little ham he was just learning how to crawl! How is this child running?!?!?

In all seriousness, I need time to slow down. Kaison is already a year and a half old!! And, I swear he gets more handsome daily.  I love watching his Mama’s Snapchats and seeing what this little butthead is up to all the time. Thank God for FaceTime and SnapChat and all the wonderful technology that allows me to still be apart of Kaison’s life even when I am 1800 miles away.

What’s left to day? He is the cutest. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. Heck, even HE knows it! Now let’s just hope Mommy and Daddy give this handsome fella a baby sister sometime soon so I can photograph her too! 🙂

 If you would like to inquire about booking a session when I am visiting in Pennsylvania, follow along on Instagram @therustienail for Travel Updates or email me at therustienailhead@gmail.com!

The Kramer Family Portrait Session

Hey guys! I’m back at it again with another adorable Family Portrait Session. This time around, I met up with the Kramer Family in Grapevine, Texas to snag a few family photos. Meet Joey, KD, Joss and Emily!

You may notice this little girl, Josslyn. She has been featured on our blog before during the Waters Family Portrait Session. That shoot was all about cousins, brothers and sisters but this shoot was all about the immediate Kramer Family, just Mom, Dad and their sweet baby girls.

We initially met in downtown Grapevine near Tolbert’s to take a few pictures of Dad, Joey. He was in need of a few headshots for his up and coming chiropractic office and we both thought Main Street would provide the perfect backdrop. But more about those Headshots later…

After Daddy’s photoshoot, we headed to a section of shoreline called “Katie’s Woods”. Located near the boat ramp at Grapevine Lake, the cypress trees lining the small beach front would be perfect for blocking out that harsh morning light. Both babies were all smiles.

After a few test shots, I was ready to start posing these guys. But, they were all about play. Joey and KD lovingly tossed their little ladies in the air while each of them giggled endlessly. These 2 photos pictured above are my absolute favorites from their session. You can see how stoked the girls are by just looking at the huge smiles on their faces. Pure Joy Y’all!

Once we all had calmed down a bit, Joss was all about loving on her baby sister, Emily. She kept reaching over to tickle her and give her kisses on the cheek. KD and Joey have some heartbreakers on their hands so they better watch out!

After we managed to get a few of all 4 of them looking at the camera, Dad headed back into work for a little bit while mom, KD, stayed behind to grab a few photos of just the girls! While KD changed their outfits, I got a small blanket out so we could set Miss Emily down without getting her all dirty.

Does this girl have the prettiest blue eyes or what? And man oh man was she a happy little girl. She kept smiling at her Mommy and not once did she try to take her headband out of her hair. She even let me love on her for a little bit. While KD was changing Joss into her 3rd Birthday tutu, Emily and I bounced around in the shade.

We managed to get a few of the girls together but it was getting pretty hot out by then so I didn’t want to test their patience. We had started at 7 AM and it was nearing 8:30 when we realized how high the temperature outside had raised. Luckily, the breeze blowing off the water kept everyone in a good mood.

Or maybe my iPhone playing Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” on repeat kept them in a good mood! Seeing that Joss is a Trolls fan, like so many of us have been or are, I figured this song might help Princess Poppy with her twirling!

We ended their shoot by letting Joss don her 3rd Birthday tutu and wand! With that big pink bow in her hair and the colored pom-poms on the inside of her rainbow colored tutu, Joss proved to be just about the cutest 3 year old in the whole wide world! I had a blast shooting this family’s session and I look forward to seeing lots more of these guys in the future!

For information on how to book your unique Portrait Session, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com or head to our Instagram page (@therustienail) to follow along with upcoming events, mini session and travel dates!

Happy 1st Birthday Nash!

It feels like it was just yesterday that our good friends, Tommy & Ginny, announced that they were expecting a baby boy and I cannot believe that this little dude is already ONE! To commemorate this awesome milestone, Mom, Dad and their little guy, Nash, met me on a ranch in Keller, Texas to have a few family photos taken. Truth be told, I have been dying to get this trio in front of the camera for quite some time now and could not be more humbled that they asked me to capture this very big moment!

Ginny was so clear on what kind of shoot she wanted. She even made sure to Pinterest a few poses that she liked, which was uber helpful during shoot time. She brought a bunch of bright blue balloons for their baby boy and an heirloom quilt that a family member had made special just for Nash shortly after he was born. Once I got a glance at the blanket patterned with ABCs, cowboys & vintage toys, I could not wait to let him crawl around on it. As luck would have it, Nash had no intentions on sitting still so we had to be fast. Every time we would put him down, he would take off in the opposite direction. He would try to crawl/run crawl away from where we were. It was hilarious watching him try to move around his Dad’s firmly planted foot. Tommy would say, “You shall not pass.” and Nash would just look at him and start laughing and try to do it again.

 

After taking a few posed pictures, we headed towards the long driveway adjacent to a horse farm. Nash’s momma, Ginny, loves to ride horses and show them so I knew that she would be into letting Nash meet the ponies. HE loved them but I feel like Nash is in that awesome stage where all animals are his thing. He even spent his fair share of time crawling around with my puppy dog, Raina, during the shoot.

Overall, what a great day. Sometimes I can’t believe this is my job. Whether I am meeting new clients or hanging out with old friends, I have this awe-inspiring opportunity to help others capture their joy and this holiday season, I am so grateful to be a part of it all. I am constantly surprised and humbled by the friends and family who have asked me to help capture these huge milestones and I hope to continue to love this work as much as I do. This shoot was so fun and I know when looking through these photos, I see Tommy and Ginny’s joy. It is written all over their baby boy’s face. Nash is a great little guy who loves to love on his momma and wrestle with his dad. And, any day now, Mr. Nash Potatoes is gonna go straight from crawling to running so good luck guys! Have fun chasing that blue eyed boy around!

To book your unique Family Portrait Session, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com. I would love to help you capture your joy this holiday season and in the year to come! To see any of my previous work, head to our Gallery or follow along on Instagram (@therustienail) to stay up to date with our Holiday Mini Sessions and Pricing Packages. Oh, and Happy Holidays guys!

Winters Family Portraits

This family has a lot going on this year. Their firstborn just graduated high school, their middle child is starting her modeling career and the baby, well she isn’t a baby anymore. This may be one of my favorite sessions to date because I can literally remember when each of these kids were born. All their lives, their mom made sure to include a family portrait in every Christmas card. I literally have all their newborn pictures in a box somewhere in my office. It has been a whole other kind of joy watching these 3 grow up. The last time I took their portraits, only Keon and Kiara were involved so you can imagine how happy I was to hear that the whole gang would be joining us for this go-around.

We all met around sunset at Twin Lakes State Park. I was a little nervous at first because when I arrived it was pouring down rain. Luckily, these fashionista sisters took a little longer than anticipated fixing their hair. By the time they arrived, the sun came out and washed up all that rain! Having spent a lot of time playing here as a kid, I had a gameplan in mind. We would start at the boathouse. If we rallied the whole gang in the beginning, we would have more time for individuals as we hiked throughout the park.  We managed to find some towering rhodedendron bushes for the ladies to pose nearby and I love that those portraits turned out so fierce. As for the boys, we’ll share a little more of them in the next Blog; keep an eye out for Keon’s Graduation Portraits.

My favorite part about this shoot was that I got to take a few pictures of my cousin and his wife together, alone. For as long as I can remember, Lori has been sending me pictures of the kids but Mom and Dad are never in the photos. It’s become much too common of a thing. When this family of five first started, Nat and Lori were just a few kids. It’s crazy to think that now their kids are almost grown up. It just goes to show how fast time really does fly by.  I love that this family set up this shoot right before their firstborn heads off to college. It’s such a great way to capture their bond and the direction this family is moving. I can’t wait to photograph these guys again and look forward to seeing what’s next for this wild and crazy bunch!

To schedule your Family Portrait Session or to inquire about a personalized session, shoot us an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com. And don’t forget to Follow us on Instagram (@therustienail) to stay up to date with our events going on and special deals!

Maternity Shoot: Baby Bolish

Meet Kelly and Kendrick! Days away from the arrival of their first born baby, these two lovebirds asked me take a few photos of them before their baby boy, Kaison makes his debut. This shoot, in particular, will always have a special place in my heart. See, Kendrick and I had the privilege to grow up together. We were bus buddies in elementary school, neighbors almost all our lives and somehow managed to get ourselves into trouble more times than I can count over these last 20 years. It’s been a wild ride to say the least. About a year ago, Kendrick met Kelly. I literally could not imagine a better ride-or-die chick for my childhood friend. From the minute I met her, I knew Kenny’s hunt was over. He had found this beautiful soul who could put up with his crap, someone that he would happily share his life with. To boot, Kelly and I are pretty much soulmates. So you can imagine how much I love that Kendrick choose to spend his life with someone that I instantly had a connection with. They recently tied the knot and I could not happier for them.

On top of celebrating their nuptials, Daddy’s new hunting buddy should be making his appearance any day now. About a month ago, I flew home over Memorial Day weekend to attend Kelly’s baby shower and snap a few maternity pictures before they officially become a family of 3. Her shower theme matched Kaison’s nursery; all things wildlife, from bears to foxes to deer so we had to incorporate a little bit of that into the shoot, hence the cute little fox. We waited until after the shower before Kelly and I set out into the fields near St Vincent Grove. This sweet mama graciously trekked her way through the tall grass, in the pouring rain, to snag the most adorable pictures.  Dressed in a coral and white floral dress, this mama bear rocked her bump through the mud looking as relaxed and beautiful as ever.

After taking a few shots of Kelly, we headed to her grandfather’s house. His backyard was the perfect spot to watch the sun go down and capture this sweet family in all their glory. Her grandfather’s backyard had sweeping views of the Laurel Highlands and the most perfect lighting. What I love most about this shoot is that one day Kaison will be able to look back and see how stupid in love his parents were. They were loving on each other and kissing and laughing. I gave no direction. Their natural poses were much better than any advice I could have given them. These guys reek of affection, their love is the infectious kind, the kind you can’t help but see and smile at. Seriously, it was an honor and a privilege to photograph this time in their lives and I can’t wait to get that sweet baby on the other side of my lens. Keep snappchatting me all the baby goodness guys! 1800 miles stands between me and snuggling your sweet boy but I cannot wait to meet him. Congratulations to the Newlyweds and Best Wishes as you bring your son into the world.

Are you expecting? For information on pricing, packages and how to book your Maternity Session or Family Portrait Session, shoot us an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com. All inquiries welcome! Follow our work on Instagram @therustienail for everyday updates and sneak peeks for Special Portrait Session dates!

 

Lifestyle Shoot: Tonka Trucks and Muddy Butts

A few months back, we featured a sweet bride, Kristi, and her wedding florals on the Blog. Shortly after we posted the story, Kristi reached out to me with a few questions. After a few minutes of Facebook stalking each other, we both realized that we were raised in the same part of Pennsylvania. Actually to be politically correct, Ligonier and Latrobe are only about a 10-15 minute drive away from each other. Crazy, right? Turns out, we know some of the same people and we are both diehard Steelers fans. You can imagine that we immediately hit it off.

 Cue: “It’s a small world after all.”

I was beyond thrilled when she reached out not too long ago to see if I would be interested in photographing her little boys. I knew from the minute she contacted me that we were on the same page when it came to tackling a photo shoot for two wild and crazy little guys. We both agreed that if we were going to make it happen, they were gonna have to get dirty. This portrait session is all about what it’s like to be a Boy Mom because Kristi and her hubby have their hands full with these blue eyed babes.

I could not be more pleased with how the shoot turned out. These guys drove their Tonka trucks through the mud, splashed in puddles and dug up earthworms. We finished the shoot with a few slices of watermelon and proceeded to wear our Terrible Towels as Superhero capes around the park! In my opinion, this shoot was top notch. We had perfect weather, cheerful kiddos and a mom willing to let her guys just play in the muck! I look forward to photographing this sweet family in the future!

 

If you would like to book your Lifestyle Shoot with @therustienail, shoot us an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com and we would be happy to send Packages and Pricing Information your way. We love to see your vision become a reality. We have Portrait Session Packages available throughout the month of May and would love to meet your family!