Down 30 kilometers of dirt road is the trailhead to a very special 10k uphill hike that takes you past aqua blue rivers, over golden hills, through cow pastures, and finally to the foot of Mount Aspiring topped with glaciers and surrounded by waterfalls. The views are so worth it! It's like a real life Rivendale for all my LOTR nerds. (I mean how can you not be when you live in the country where 2 stunning trilogies were made!!) I got to meet Melissa and her partner who are traveling around the South Island for several weeks. Melissa is a social worker and living in Christchurch and her partner came to visit! I was so excited to take photos of them in such a special location. They were immediately lovey and cuddly and giggly - my favorite! When a couple forgets the camera is there and they melt into each other, that's when their true genuine selves shows! We took these in 10 minutes! That's all you need for some life long memories :D

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock, with 19 peaks over 3,000 metres including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. The Maori name for Mount Cook is Aorangi or Aoraki, meaning cloud piercer. EPIC. I love adventure and hiking with my couples because you get to know them while walking and if feels less formal. Like we're just friends and you're just hiking and I'm just snapping photos. It's the absolute best to adventure and explore in such beautiful places all over the world. I'm all about getting to know your soul so you I can better tell your story! I've always loved hiking and exploring and being able to combine photography has been a dream come true! One of Drew's and I's lifetime goals is to visit all the US National Parks, so even better to check off a few in New Zealand too! 

In between Christchurch and Queenstown lies Lake Tekapo famous for it's summer lupine fields. Here in the south, the seasons are flipped, so peak is around end of December. We missed the peak season but still found a few stragglers! It's also known as a Dark Sky Sanctuary so there's minimal light pollution and the stars at night are unreal! We were stoked to adventure into the hills and hike up to University of Canterbury's Mount Saint John Observatory. The golden fields and view over Lake Tekapo were stunning! As a space nerd, I also loved seeing the observatories! Lake Tekapo gets its intense milky-turquoise color from the fine rock-flour (ground by glaciers) which is suspended in the water. It's so stunning!! While hiking to the top we met an awesome couple who's traveling the world too! They met in Australia, did some farm work to earn visa and a living, then saved up to camp around the South Island! We meet so many couples who are taking a few weeks or months to visit all the incredible sights. Camp sights here are super duper nice. Shower and bathrooms are clean and most even have wifi, laundry, and communal kitchens. So if you're thinking about visiting tons of stops, we suggest renting a camper van and bopping all over! 

​We took these in probably 5 minutes! It only takes a few minutes to capture love! 

On our way from North Carolina to Christchurch, New Zealand we had a 10 hour lay over in Sydney, Australia! We took the train from the airport to the bay, ate at a restaurant on King Street Warf overlooking the water, toured inside the Sydney Opera house, and walked the Royal Botanic Gardens. We were exhausted after the 14 hour flight but stoked to be on a new continent! While there, I was lucky enough to photograph two couples for a few minutes in front of the iconic building. One was on their honeymoon and the other was in town visiting family. I feel so luck to meet couples from all over the world and photograph in the most beautiful places! Being a traveling elopement and couple's photographer has been a dream and I can't wait to keep sharing photos from our time in New Zealand! 

I can tell from the first few minutes of walking into a venue how the day will go. I knew from the moment we stepped inside the stunning garden villa and saw Zoie beaming, that today was going to be a perfect day. Zoie is a school psychologist and gives and gives every day. So I was just thrilled that she was able to be pampered and loved on and celebrated!

The wedding location is the stunning Mediterranean style Villa Woodbine in Coral Gables, steps from the ocean but tucked away in a lush garden. Zoie was getting ready the the gorgeous upstairs room and looked like a classic Hollywood movie star with her vintage waves and lace dress. I so love her and her father's first look up on the balcony because her brother and mom were peaking around the corner to witness the emotion too! The sun started to set and the lawn's bistro lights started to light up for their ceremony! Nick and his guys walked in and we all waited for the big moment. Nick's jaw dropped and when Zoie turned the corner with her dad and covered in a the most ethereal veil. My favorite was the lazo ceremony because it was used in Zoie's parent's wedding and both moms came up to put it around them while they exchanged rings. After some stunning sunset photos, the amazing team light all the candles and transformed the gardens into a fairy tale. I for real got chills see the flickering flames with the twinkle lights over head. The rest of the night was a blast too! Toasts, limoncello, amazing food, and lots of dancing. I love smaller/medium sized weddings because couples can see everyone and just enjoy their wedding without having to play host. I so loved seeing them laugh and smile and twirl around all night. That's how its supposed to be! Everyone was sooo excited for Nick and Zoie not only because are they clearly so meant for each other, but they impact and inspire everyone they're around. I think their genuine love and joy is so evident in the pictures, and it was truly a blessing to be back in Miami and document this amazing couple! 

Follow these awesome vendors on Instagram!
Photography: @lauramemoryphotography
Venue: @villa_woodbine
Catering: @billhansenluxurycatering
Planner: @jessicasevents
Florist: @anthologyco
Hair and Makeup: @beautyby_renata
Cake: @earthandsugar

I am so honored to be a part of this special project. Isla Atropa reached out to several photographers all over the world to join forces in a special collaboration. Isla Atropa is a bridal fashion brand that emphasizes fair trade products and works to promote social issues, mostly through human trafficking awareness and donation. She designed and created 3 special dresses to be sent around on an Eastern US tour, Western US tour, and an international tour. The idea is for the dress to be passed around and each photographer would be able to create a unique story with the goal to raise awareness about human trafficking, forced sex work, and illegal child marriage which are all still very prevalent today:

I was thrilled when my dear friend Lyndsey agreed to model this dress at the Colosseum. She from Virginia and is studying law in Italy with a particular focus on the international side and goals to fight against human trafficking. So of course she was the perfect model for this project. She was able to masterfully show beauty yet vulnerability beneath the complicated shadow of the Colosseum. Such an iconic location, but with an infamous past of violence, sexual exploitation, and slavery. We also wanted to show the trafficking side by going underground to the metro showing how easily someone can be overlooked. But it's not all dark, there's always hope. As the sun dipped and tourists scattered, we wrapped Lyndsey up in lights and she transformed into a beacon of strength and resilience.

​I will let the rest of the pictures tell our story: 

Ways To Help:

• Educate yourself on your town and area of the world
• Get involved in a local chapter to raise awareness, help victims, and fundraise for law enforcement efforts
• Make informed purchasing decisions like ethically made clothing and fair trade goods 
• Be a good neighbor to the struggling teen or substance abusing friend 
• Get political, write and call your politicians to let them know the issue is important to you and ask how they're implementing policies to address the issues
• See something off, say something!

 It was a rainy day in Firenze and Drew had a meeting and opportunity to collaborate with UNCIEF. We love that it's just a quick train ride away! It was the perfect opportunity to photograph in front of these iconic Florentine monuments with these two love birds! Jonatha and Giovanni live and met through mutual friends in Florence and have been together for 3 years! I was so excited to meet them in person because their joint Instagram is just beyond adorable. It's full of real life funny moments and sensual art together. You can feel their passion leap off every image. It's Christmas time and the lights sparkled everywhere along the streets and Christmas trees in every plaza. I love Christmas in Italy! I was so lucky to work with locals because they knew all the best spots! They even knew the owner of a hotel next to the famous Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore! After photographing and skipping around town we headed to their restaurant,  Manzo 24, an ethical meat bistro. We danced to music, talked about favorite Netflix shows, and cheered with Prosecco to a beautiful new friendship! Thank you both for an amazing day!

I first connected with Lyndsey on Instagram and I couldn't wait to move to Rome and meet in person! She's a model, studying law, and has a heart for helping others. Her boyfriend Phil was also finally able to move to Rome to be with her, and of course their gato, Gretel. We had the most fun time walking all over my favorite spots! Trastevere is a boho neighborhood along the Tiber River with cobblestone streets and a traditional feel. Ponte Sant'Angelo is another favorite spot down by the river with gorgeous views of the Castle. And finally, I've been wanting to photograph at the Vatican! We ran into a parade for the unveiling of a nativity scene sculpture for Christmas, so we had the wings of the city to ourselves! We talked about college, how they met, first dates, traveling, hopes and dreams, jobs, and laughed at Phil's goofiness. I know we only have a few more weeks left in Rome before we head to Christchurch and Queenstown in New Zealand. But I can't wait to spend lots of quality time with these two wonderful new friends!! Thank you for the most fun afternoon!

I first connected with Madeline in a world traveling photographers Facebook group. I was drawn to her photos, her style, and her vibe! I'm so stoked to we got to meet in person in Rome!! We explored my favorite neighborhood in Rome, Trastevere. It was a working class area of the city but now feels like a small, authentic, Italian village with cobblestone streets, tight alleys, plastered walls, vines crawling every which-way, bakeries and bars overflowing into the piazzas. It's such a cool place to explore! I love and respect Madeline and Sean's story so much! These PAers knew of each other through church, and Sean hung out with Madeline's dad first! I love that! They dated and knew after just a few months that this was it. They eloped in a national park with an intimate celebration and are now serving others through their work. I loved talking photography business, beer, Italian travels, getting married young, family, and life with these two wonderful folks. I love the boho and artsy feel of these frames and I hope you love these moments too! Thanks for visiting Rome, y'all! 

I love that I get to live in a place that lets me meet me meet new friends from all over the world! Regina is a talented photographer from San Fransisco, California. She has a heart of gold and in the most expensive city in the country, she offers fine art photography for an affordable price to all.  She has traveled all over the world but settled in California with her boyfriend Monty. The day was sunny but chilly and they braved the Rome winter with ease. "Do it for the Insta!" we kept reminding ourselves.  I loved exploring my favorite park in Rome with these two good  souls. Drew and I first walked this route on Thanksgiving and I loved the way the light streamed in through the trees that I hoped I'd be able to photograph a rad couple here! We met at the Piazza del Popolo and then climbed all the stairs up to an incredible view of the Roman skyline. The church at the top of the Spanish Steps to our left, The Vatican, The Supreme Court, Castle Sant'Angelo, and a sea of colorful buildings and church domes. We wandered into the adjacent 16th century park of the Villa Borgehse gardens and found hidden monuments like the Temple of Aesculapius and pond. I had the best afternoon with them talking about photography and life, and I so look forward to getting together again when Drew and I visit his brother in San Fran!