So there I was in Classic Tuxedo, picking up a bow tie…for a dog. Don’t mind me. I was pumped to do my first puppy session. Especially with a pup I’m so fond of. Especially with a pup in a bow tie! What?! When I got back into my car to drive to my studio all I could do was think of puppy puns (and crack myself up). Here goes: Pupxedo. Dress to the K-9’s. Bow-wow Tie. Furmal Session. Dog Photog-RUF-y. Ok ok…that’s as far as I got. It was a short drive. Feel free to leave your punny thoughts in the comment section.
Meet Rascal: He’s…a little rascal. And as sweet as can be.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Moyers Kids {mini}
A morning mini-session filled with cool breezes, warm smiles, leaf throwing, bunny-eared parents, and a sweet brother and sister.
Sumner Wedding
May the wind be at your back. …and in your face and up your nose and through your hair and…well, you get it. The day was windy, to say the least. When I arrived at the scenic Barn at Kline’s Mill, to the view of rolling hills and 360˚ blue skies all around me, the breeze grabbed a hold of me and nearly gave me whiplash – jolted me right into photo mode quicker than my morning coffee. Good thing, too, because I was in for a photographic treat of a wedding!
This wedding marks a record for me. It was just held on November 2…which means I cranked this sucker out in a whopping two weeks! That never happens…but I couldn’t help it really. The joy of the day was so contagious it followed me home. Plugging in my camera was like opening a really awesome gift. Catie and Daniel hosted their wedding like it was their job and everything was hand touched and personalized. From the homemade wedding arch to the table settings to the wedding dress worn by Catie’s mother and grandmother to the veil that has been worn by every female in Catie’s family to the superhero undershirts worn by the groom and his men. And from the white daisies in empty chairs representing the absence of beloved family members to the superman pin on Catie’s bouquet to memorialize her father to the soil ceremony combining soil from Catie’s hometown (Sterling, VA)/Daniel’s hometown (Blacksburg, VA)/and the town they met and married (Harrisonburg VA). The ceremony included communion served to guests by the almost-bride-&-groom and the wedding cake itself was made by Catie’s aunt! And if that’s not personal enough for you, even the meal was catered by their local favorites such as Mr. J’s Bagel and Deli and Italian Touch which also happened to be the spot of their first date. AND they had a Kline’s Dairy ice cream station with singing and dancing dippers! Their family and friends relaxed and mingled in place of the usual pre-wedding hustle bustle almost as if they were hired to show up and look happy and help out. Talk about a good group of people to be around…I was in the right place. It was great fun to watch this day unfold through my lens and I’m excited to share these images with you.
Troxell Family
The first time I met Lisa was at the Swannanoa Palace where I photographed her fun-loving family. On this particular Sunday afternoon, we met in Staunton so I could get some shots of her husband’s side of the family. These two are so fun to work with and I love any chance to meet more and more of their family! They are a genuine, kind, good humored group of people. What more could you ask for? Below are some of my favorites from that 80 degree October fall day.
Jody & Ava
It’s always a pleasure photographing parents with their children. There’s a love and a happiness that you couldn’t pose if you tried. It’s natural and real…and it makes my job super easy. This natural connection is exactly what I see through my lens when I photograph Jody and Ava. There’s never a dull moment with these two gals. They play off of each other in a way that keeps me chuckling behind my camera. This particular shoot involved a “nature walk” (as Jody calls it), bugs, humidity, a big fat rabbit, blue lights (ahem), CrossKeys Vineyard (unrelated to the blue lights), and a juicy burger from Jack Brown’s Single Wide. Pretty much an awesome Sunday evening.
Copyright © 2013 · Photos by Brandy Somers. All Rights Reserved · friendlycitylens.com & brandysomersphotography.com. This material may not be copied, downloaded, altered, cropped, reproduced, or printed without express written consent. Thank you for respecting my creative property.
Thompson Family
I’ll admit it. I was a little nervous agreeing to do a photoshoot for fellow photographer Kristina Thompson. And of course the forecast (80% chance of rain) didn’t help matters. But when you’re a mom with a baby boy and two princess daughters, getting everyone cleaned and dressed at the same time (on the same day) is no easy task. This shoot was happening! I met Krissy, Dave and their three beautiful children at Barren Ridge Vineyards. We headed out back to their covered patio space to start the shoot and after a few laughs and snaps, the rain stopped just long enough to get some shots with the gorgeous backdrop at the vineyard.
Copyright © 2013 · Photos by Brandy Somers. All Rights Reserved · friendlycitylens.com & brandysomersphotography.com. This material may not be copied, downloaded, altered, cropped, reproduced, or printed without express written consent. Thank you for respecting my creative property.
Parks Wedding
I first met Kara and Chris when I was photographing Cassie and David’s wedding. They were this sweet couple at a guest table that asked me for my business card. Fast forward a couple months and we’re sweating our bums off in the middle of a Linville cow field in the June sun. You won’t pick up on the heavy humidity or feel the body heat radiating under layers of wedding attire or even notice the sweat beads gathering around their foreheads. In fact, they may not have even noticed. I’m convinced Kara and Chris felt no discomfort at all during that day. They were just two happy young lovers in love. The kind of love that beams brighter than the June sun? Absolutely. I am so happy I was involved in this local wedding. Cheers to many more beaming years!
Copyright © 2013 · Photos by Brandy Somers. All Rights Reserved · friendlycitylens.com & brandysomersphotography.com. This material may not be copied, downloaded, altered, cropped, reproduced, or printed without express written consent. Thank you for respecting my creative property.
Amisha & Braelea
Amisha and I have scheduled half a dozen photo shoots in the passed two months but the late spring rain was not falling in our favor. When this day finally came, it was a sunshiny miracle! Braelea, her daughter, hopped out of the car saying “cheeeeese” and flinging phrases like “Oh pickle juice!” around. She is a hoot! Her personality shouts through these images and had me smiling and oohing and EEEing all the way through the editing process. And Amisha! Not only is she gorgeous(!) but she jumped a barbed wire fence with me for a photo op. In a dress. And sandals. Ok so we switched shoes for a hot minute but she was up for it and still looked stunning standing in that wheat field. One tick, an eskimo kiss and a few rosy cheeks later, our session came to an end and we drove away smiling. 
Copyright © 2013 · Photos by Brandy Somers. All Rights Reserved · friendlycitylens.com & brandysomersphotography.com. This material may not be copied, downloaded, altered, cropped, reproduced, or printed without express written consent. Thank you for respecting my creative property.
Zweigler Wedding
This certainly didn’t feel like a photography job. I attended this wedding because my good friend, Lisa, was marrying her love, Jim. It was a small, intimate wedding in Lisa’s backyard barn, complete with the classiest chandelier I’ve seen in a barn to date. A wedding that required guests to shoot tequila before the ceremony began and when it ended. A wedding that left me relying on auto-focus with hopes to still capture clear images through tears of joy. Cheers to good friends and good times on sunny days. More please.
Below is a small collection of photos the bride asked me to share:
“I love you the mostest”
Lisa’s hands with her daughter and daughter-in-law.
Orem Maternity
I’ve been wanting to do a grocery store themed shoot for a while and when Sarah told me about her love of the Friendly City Food Co-op and her recent pregnancy cravings, I felt like I hit the jackpot! I met with Sarah, Chris and their sweet pup on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. After spending some time in cool air and bright sunshine we headed down to the FCFC for some Friendly City photo fun!
Brandy Somers Photography 