Since meeting Sallie back in college, I’ve continued to follow along her journey through life because I admire the HECK out of her and the person that she is. I love her cheery smile and her incredibly positive way of living day to day. I love the way she takes care of both her family and friends, and I’ve always greatly looked up to Sallie’s personal style, I think in huge part because she wears everything so happily and effortlessly.

I’m so thrilled that she’s found someone like Jake who respects and supports her as much as he does. It was my first time meeting Jake, but from the very beginning, I loved hearing the way they told their stories of fun date outings and travel adventures together. My favorite part of asking Sallie and Jake about their engagement (which happened during an incredible trip to Japan) was that they had SO many amazing stories to share about their experiences overseas and the proposal itself was merely another one of those (albeit life changing) moments. It was so very like the two of them to focus on the beauty of the everyday with each other.

Which gives me a lot of food for thought when it comes to thinking about my purpose behind capturing all engagement photos in general. There is definitely an extraordinary sense of excitement and prep before all my sessions, as we all want to look our absolute best when it comes to pictures. I love the increased focus on detail and emotion as I prepare for these shoots with my couples, and the elevated feeling it brings to the photographs. However, the end goal is always to capture something that was already there. That love story is ever-present, and I always want my images to feel completely real to the couples that they depict.

Coming back to my hometown in Atlanta, Georgia to photograph these incredibly personal love stories is always such a treat for me. I loved adventuring around all the little alleyways within Inman Park’s cozy neighborhood with these two, as well as seeing the changes that’ve shaped Atlanta, from the Beltline to Krog Street Market. I hope you all enjoy the photos!