d a n a j o p h o t o s . c o m

Family Portraits in Hawaii | Hawaii Destination Photographer

2012-02-28T00:59:00.011-05:00

I was vacationing on O'ahu earlier this month to kick off a South Pacific extended vacation with my husband (I'm blogging from beautiful American Samoa now)! A friend of mine from college, Megan, and her family are stationed at the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corp Base there in Hawaii. Her husband, Jason, has bravely served our country as a Marine for several years. Their service as a family, to our country, is incredible. There is so much that our nation's military men and women (and their families) have to endure and sacrifice so that we can continue to live in freedom...the very least I could do was to treat them to a mini photo session while I was in the area!

I had so much fun with this session. Not only did I have an awesome back-drop to work with (Hawaii!), but I had an absolutely beautiful and precious family to photograph as well! Megan and Jason are a stunning couple, so it's no surprise they had such adorable children!

Here are a few of my favorites:

(If you would like to schedule a portrait session or wedding in Hawaii, please contact me at contact@danajophotos.com, as I return to Hawaii at least yearly.)

I asked Luke to do the 'shaka' sign (common in Hawaii). He was so cute trying to get his left hand to cooperate!

Kate is so beautiful!

Luke and Kate, absolutely adorable children!

They moved a little too quick for me to focus this time, but these are still super-cute, even though they aren't perfect shots :)

Such a lovely family!

It made me so happy to see two kids so in love with the beach and the ocean! I guess that's what happens when you grow up in Hawaii!

I really love this series of Luke splashing in the ocean. Looks like so much fun!

Such a cutie!

Thank you for visiting my blog! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visit www.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com.

I travel back to Hawaii at least once a year. If you'd like to schedule a session for my next visit, please let me know! I'm certainly available for travel worldwide for weddings or portraits. Since I'm almost always traveling, chances are I may be on my way to your destination anyway, so please don't hesitate to ask!

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Everember's Band Photo Shoot | NC Band Photographer

2012-02-14T16:11:00.004-05:00

Check out Everember's Demo, Beneath the Sand, for free on their Facebook page, and if you like what you hear, please download it for $2.97 on iTunes and Amazon. (Their demo was recorded by my very talented Dad in his private studio, if any bands are interested in speaking to him about recording their album, please contact me and I'll get you in touch with him.)

This band from Eastern NC is so incredibly talented. I love working with them! My friend and second-shooter, Jessa, came along to help out with this photo shoot. Big thanks to her! We had about 45 minutes before sunset when we started shooting, so there was not much time at all, but thankfully we managed to get some cool shots.

Here are just a few photos from our photo shoot back in December. Lots more to come when their album comes out this Spring! They are working with the talented artist and graphic designer, Reedicus--be sure to check out his amazing work!

Anyway, here are a few sneak peeks for now, stay tuned for more when their full-length album releases later this year!

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The Boulevard Hair Company - Stylists' Photo Shoot | Eastern NC Commercial Photographer

2012-02-09T14:55:00.009-05:00

I'm taking a few minutes out of my vacation here in French Polynesia to blog this photo shoot that I did the day before I left!

My friend, Mika, has recently become a business owner (congrats!)! Her salon, The Boulevard Hair Company, is located in Greenville, NC. Mika and all the girls at the salon were fabulous to work with. They have such great style (naturally!), and they had a vision for the photo shoot, and it turned out beautifully! Not to mention they are all gorgeous! This photo shoot was a lot of fun, I'm so happy they asked me to do this! Definitely check out their website, http://www.blvdhairco.com/, and swing by their salon if you're in the Greenville, NC area!

(These photos were taken at a private Ranch, thank you to the kind folks who allowed us to use their beautiful property!)

Here are a few of my favorites:

The cute little pup is Zoey, she loves to hang out at the Salon. She's such a sweetheart!

Aren't they all so stylish!? Love their outfits! I definitely need to shop where these girls shop! ;)

These next few are definitely some of my faves!

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Twins' First Birthday and Family Portraits! | Eastern NC Portrait Photographer

2012-01-31T18:26:00.003-05:00

Is this family precious or what!? Joe and Petula have an adorable two-year-old son and precious one-year-old twins! The twins, Brooke and Anna, just celebrated their first birthday earlier this months. So the goal of this photo shoot was to get lots of photos of the two girls to commemorate their first birthday! We also used the opportunity to snap some cute shots of the handsome little guys, John Steven, as well as the whole family!

Petula made the banners, which I thought were a great touch! Here are a few of my favorites from the session:

They are such a sweet and good-looking family!

This little guy was so much fun! Loads of personality! :)

Petula brought the chalkboard displaying Brooke and Anna's first birthday :) Such a cute idea!

These definitely make me laugh!

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Megan's Bridal Portraits at Barclay Villa in Angier | Raleigh Wedding Photographer

2012-01-28T16:38:00.005-05:00

Just realized I forgot to blog these bridal portraits after Megan and Erik tied the knot a few months ago! This bride, Megan, is so much fun! We did her portraits at Barclay Villa (the same venue where her wedding was held), and we finished off the bridal portraits in front of a nearby red barn, the colors were fabulous! Here are a few of my favorites:

We moved inside of the beautiful Barclay Villa:

Of course, we had to get a photo in front of the water tower!

And a few photos in front of the nearby red barn! I love how Megan's personality shows in these next few shots :) She's great!

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Trip to Death Valley National Park and Red Rocks Canyon | Destination Photographer

2012-01-27T20:54:00.006-05:00

When I was out in Las Vegas earlier this month for CES, I was able to get away from the city a few days and venture out with some friends of mine to Red Rocks Canyon and to Death Valley National Park. Sadly my usual travel buddy, Darren, wasn't able to join since he was still working hard, but I got to hang out with some fun girl friends of mine! I thought I'd share a few photos from our day trips:

Red Rocks Canyon:

On the way to Death Valley:

Wild horses!

That's salt, not snow. Really awesome!

282 feet below sea level!

Just having a little fun! ;)

Beautiful salt flats!

I think we like jumping!

Thank you for visiting my blog! If you like travel photos, stay tuned for blog posts from trips to Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Scandinavia, Europe, and more this year! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visitwww.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com

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Meghan's Senior Portraits in New Bern | Eastern NC Photographer

2012-01-19T19:37:00.005-05:00

Although I'm on-the-go more often then not lately, earlier this week I was back in North Carolina for a couple of days, and I was able to meet up with Meghan in New Bern for her senior portraits! She's was so much fun to work with, and a beautiful subject to photograph! We had a great time venturing around Tryon Palace and finding cool locations for photos. Her boyfriend came along as well to join in on a few photos!

Congrats on your upcoming graduation, Meghan!! Enjoy the rest of your senior year!

Here are some of my favorites:

Cute couple! :)

Gorgeous!

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Adventures in Puerto Rico! | Destination Photographer

2012-01-12T19:13:00.007-05:00

Back in November, Darren and I ventured down to Puerto Rico with some of the coolest folks on the planet! It was so great to take a trip with our friends and get to enjoy some awesome company!

We stayed the evenings in Fajardo, but we rented a car, so we explored quite a bit of the island. Puerto Rico has so much to offer! The culture, food, and sights were all incredible.

We took the Ferry to Culebra one day, and that was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen!

One of my most favorite things we did (and it was one of my top ten favorite travel experiences ever!) is not pictured in this blog...it was the Bioluminescent Bay tour! We rented kayaks and took a guided tour at night into the Bio Bay. I cannot describe how amazing it was, but all I can say, is everyone should try to go experience that at some point!

Here are some of my favorite images from the trip:

El Yunque Rain Forest, so beautiful! (By the way, it's not the best idea to go hiking there mid-afternoon...you will get very, very wet.)

Visiting the San Juan National Historic Site:

There were definitely ghosts in the dungeon.

My handsome brother :)

Walking around Old San Juan:

I love these colors!

Beautiful Culebra!

Fried plantains and shark nuggets:

One more shot of the lovely island of Culebra:

Thank you for visiting my blog! If you're in to travel photos, stay tuned for photos from trips to Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Scandinavia, Europe, and more this year! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visitwww.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com

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Emalie and Thomas: Engagement Photos at Hope Plantation | Eastern NC Wedding Photographer

2012-01-02T16:51:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to you all! First blog post of 2012!

Just before the holidays I met up with Emalie and Thomas at the beautiful Hope Plantation in Windsor for some engagement photos. This couple is as cute as can be, and so sweet! We had a great time walking around the plantation and scoping out cool photo places. Emalie brought along a couple of great props! I especially loved the portrait she brought of the two of them together as little kids. That is totally priceless!

Congratulations, Emalie and Thomas! I wish you two all the best!

Such a cute couple!

This photo is of the two of them when they were little kids at Thomas' cousin's wedding :) So precious!

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Trip to Hong Kong and Macau | Destination Photographer based in NC

2011-12-23T12:58:00.002-05:00

Darren and I spent a month or so in Asia this Fall, and I'm just getting around to blogging the Hong Kong and Macau portion of the trip! I blogged about Kuala Lumpur and Japan earlier, if you would like to check that out!

Darren had to work most of the trip, but we managed to use the weekend to see some sights, which was cool! We met up with our friend Richard who lives in Hong Kong, and he showed us around Hong Kong as well as Macau! He was so awesome to show us around, we had a blast! Hong Kong definitely has one of the most impressive skylines I have ever seen! And of course the food there (especially the Dim Sum) was incredible!

We really enjoyed Macau too, we were able to avoid the casino / touristy areas and venture into the older, lesser-traveled part of town. We sampled lots of yummy local foods (thanks to Richard for letting us know what we were eating)! It was a really fun trip, here are some of my favorite pictures from our adventure:

Hong Kong Skyline:

The view from the Peak in Hong Kong:

Enjoying some delicious dim sum, thanks to Richard!

Adventures in Macau, China:

This was such a cool city! I was crazy about the architecture, and the Portugese and Chinese influence, really awesome!

I would love to do some engagement photos in this city!

We stumbled upon a Portugese-inspired food festival!

Hong Kong again:

We had an awesome time buying up some fun camera accessories on Apliu Street in Hong Kong! I definitely want to visit that place again when I have a lot more room in my luggage to bring stuff home!

A fun Vietnamese meal:

Thank you for visiting my blog! If you're in to travel photos, stay tuned for photos from trips to Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Europe, and more! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visitwww.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com

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Hunter's Newborn Photos | Eastern NC Newborn Photographer

2011-12-21T10:23:00.004-05:00

This sweet and handsome little fellow, Hunter, was born just eight days prior to this photo shoot. He was amazingly well-behaved, he stayed awake the whole session, and barely cried at all. What a sweetheart! Kayla had purchased the two knit hats from Etsy.com, and they were so cute on Hunter! Here are some of my favorites from the session.
Congratulations again, Kayla and Brian!!

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Beth and Paco's New York City Engagement Session | Brooklyn Engagement Photos | Destination Photographer

2011-12-20T21:19:00.013-05:00

There aren't many better locations to do a photo shoot at Christmas time than New York City! I was thrilled to get the opportunity to do engagement photos for Beth and Paco in Brooklyn, where Paco grew up. It was definitely one of the most exciting and fun photo shoots I've ever done! Being in the city at Christmas with all the crowds, and bicyclist shouting to make sure we knew to stay out of their way just added to the adventure! There's no time for 'posing' or anything of that nature in the busy Brooklyn locations we chose, but I prefer it that way! It was fun to spend time walking around the city and getting to know this lovely couple. They are so sweet, and a really stunning couple! I loved their classy outfits too, they did a fabulous job!
My husband, Darren, tagged along to help carry my gear so I could focus on shooting, and I'm so thankful for him doing that for me!

We started out on the Brooklyn Bridge, then moved on to the Brooklyn Promenade, and finished up under the Brooklyn Bridge in the River Cafe area. Thank you to Paco's sweet mother who chauffeured us around and saved us quite a bit of time, and provided a warm car to thaw out in between locations!
Beth and Paco were amazing to work with, they were totally willing to spend a couple of hours outside in the freezing cold, and I'm so glad because we got a lot of wonderful shots!

I'm really looking forward to shooting their wedding in Corolla, NC next Fall! Congratulations again, Beth and Paco! Thank you for a great time!

Good-looking folks!

The beautiful Brooklyn Promenade:

Man, that's a cool bridge!

That skyline is so beautiful!

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Megan and Erik's Wedding at Barclay Villa | North Carolina Wedding Photographer

2011-12-16T14:06:00.007-05:00

Megan and Erik are definitely two of the sweetest and cutest folks I have ever met! I've had such a great time getting to know them in the months before their wedding, and getting to shoot their gorgeous wedding at Barclay Villa was so much fun! Barclay Villa is such an impressive venue, and each time I have shot weddings or portraits there I have been so impressed with the staff and their tentativeness and organization! They are fantastic to work with!

Megan and Erik are so in love, and it shows beautifully! They were so happy and showing their joy all day, and it was really fun to capture photos of their big day!

Their wedding was held in the evening just before sunset, which was gorgeous lighting for an outdoor ceremony! But we had just a few moments after the ceremony to capture outdoor photos of them as newlyweds before it was totally dark, and thankfully we managed to get some pretty great shots! The ceremony and reception were decorated so beautifully at Barclay Villa! It was such an elegant evening!

Congratulations again, Megan and Erik! I wish you all the best!

Isn't this such a cool venue!?

Stunning couple!

The weather was beautiful, so they held the ceremony outside

Aren't they so cute! ?

I really love these colors!

Congratulations, Megan and Erik!

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Adventures in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! | Destination Photographer

2011-12-11T20:42:00.003-05:00

Finally getting around to blogging about a trip we took to Asia in October! We made a brief stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia while we were there, and just a couple days in that city were enough to know that it's one of my favorite cities I've ever been to! The culture and sights were so fascinating. Darren and I already know we want to go back to Malaysia and spend more time visiting KL and lots of other places in the country!

During our brief stay there we visited the Petronas Towers, Batu Caves, and some awesome markets! I wished I had a huge empty suitcase to fill up with purchases from KL, but sadly our carry-ons (which are all we use, so as to avoid lost baggage) were too full with our month's wardrobe and other items we purchased from elsewhere in Asia. Next time we'll know to save room for cool handmade items from Malaysia!

I can't express how much we loved this city! Thank you, Kuala Lumpur, for all the excitement and great memories!

Here are a few of my favorites from the trip:

Wild monkeys near the Batu Caves!

The Batu Caves were so impressive!

There's lots of great shopping in KL!

Our traditional Hard Rock Cafe visit ;) Collecting another glass!

The Petronas Towers are so impressive! We stared at them for quite some time!

We went in the KL Tower for a beautiful view of the city and the Petronas Towers!

The night market!

Thank you for visiting my blog! If you're in to travel photos, stay tuned for photos from trips to Hong Kong, Macau, Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, and more! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visitwww.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com

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Lindsey and Todd: Baby on the Way! Maternity Portraits | Eastern NC Photographer

2011-12-07T11:56:00.006-05:00

CCongratulations to Lindsey and Todd who are expecting their first baby in January! These two sweet folks were a bridesmaid and groomsmen in a wedding I shot a few months back, I was so happy they contacted me to do maternity portraits! We met up in the beautiful coastal town of Washington, NC for these maternity portraits. Lindsey brought some fun props to work with, this session was lots of fun!

Congratulations, Lindsey and Todd!

Here aere a few of my favorites:

Such a lovely couple!

I really love these shots on the shore of the Pamlico River:

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Stuart and Josh's Wedding in Newbern, NC | Eastern NC Wedding Photographer

2011-12-06T15:22:00.008-05:00

Congratulations to Stuart and Josh who tied the knot last month in New Bern, NC! They had a beautiful evening wedding at Saint Mary's Freewill Baptist Church and reception at the New Bern Country Club. The day was beautiful, and the couple was so happy and in love! Couldn't ask for a better wedding or couple to photograph :) Here are a few of my favorites from the day:

I love these, what a sweet pup! :)

We really had a gorgeous fall day, and check out how beautiful Stuart is!!

These bridesmaids dresses were some of my favorite of all time! Loved the color and the style!

Josh was a very handsome groom!

The wedding ended around 5:00PM, so we had about 15 minutes before dark to capture all the outside photos we wanted to! It went well, thankfully!

Let the party begin!

The band, Jupiter Jones, was incredible talented and so much fun! I would highly recommend these guys! Along with the videographers that Stuart and Josh chose, Blueberry Fusion, they are amazing too!! I was surrounded by a lot of talent that evening! :)

Gorgeous cake by Cakes by Chris:

Flowers by Your Perfect Floral Design:

What a fun evening! And to finish it off, the newlyweds were off to a honeymoon that Josh planned for Stuart! She was told to pack her bags for a tropical destination but didn't know where they were going, and he surprised her with a honeymoon in stunning Roatan, Honduras!! I'm SO jealous, I want to go there so bad, hope they had a wonderful time :)

The band: Jupiter Jones

Videographers: Blueberry Fusion

Florist:Your Perfect Floral Design

Cake:Cakes by Chris

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Here's to new adventures! | NC-Based Destination Photographer

2011-11-28T14:01:00.008-05:00

So my husband (Darren) and I have come to terms with the fact that we just don't live a normal life, and that we are definitely nomads…haha.

After much thought and prayer, we've decided since we are nomads, that on the rare occasion when we are 'home', we should be in love with it, and it should feel like 'home'. So we have finally decided to relocate away from the Raleigh area (we are just not city folks), and split our 'home time' between our new home near Boone in the North Carolina Mountains and our family's home on the Albemarle Sound in Eastern, NC. We feel at home on the coast and in the mountains, and since life is short, we have decided to make the move! We are so excited about this new stage in our life, and we are ready to keep the good times rollin'! The Raleigh area has been awesome, and has been just what we needed as newlyweds for the past few years, but we have felt like now is the time to make a move, and we are blessed and thankful to say that the house we purchased in the mountains is absolutely our dream home. Some of our dearest friends are in Raleigh, and we plan to see them very often as we travel back and forth from Western NC to Eastern NC…for Darren and I, a road trip to visit friends is never a problem!

I can't thank my photography clients enough for all the love and support they've shown me! The referrals, and friends telling other friends about my business (especially in Eastern NC), has made this dream possible. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

What does this mean for clients of Dana Jo Photography?

- Please contact me at contact@danajophotos.com for my new mailing address if you plan to mail anything to me

- All currently booked weddings and portraits will remain booked as they are with no extra travel fees, no worries!

- Future clients: I'm primarily going to be booking in Eastern NC (Outer Banks, Washington, Plymouth, Edenton, etc) and in the NC Mountains (Boone, Banner Elk, etc).

- Raleigh area clients: I love you guys, and won't leave you out! I plan to hold a few 'mini-session' days in the Raleigh area throughout the next year, to accommodate any requests for portraits in and around Raleigh.

Thank you again, everyone, for your support and encouragement! Here's to new adventures!!

And since this is a photo blog and all, here's a photo from our trip to Montana to get you in the Christmas spirit! :)

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Christin and Perry's Engagement Photos in Colerain | Eastern NC Photographer

2011-11-25T18:19:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I headed over to the cute country town of Colerain, NC to do some engagement photos of Christin and Perry! It was awesome to meet and get to know these two sweet folks. I can't wait to photograph their wedding next September! We used a few different locations in Colerain, and we had beautiful weather to work with.

Congrats again Christin and Perry!!

Here are a few of my favorites from the session:

This farm belongs to Perry's family, and the cotton field was a lovely location for some romantic photos!

They chose to do some waterfront photos at Perry's parent's home on the water, the location was gorgeous!

Such a cute couple!

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Sarah and Marty's Fall Wedding at Duke Gardens | Duke Gardens Photographer

2011-11-22T08:28:00.008-05:00

Sarah and Marty had a beautiful Fall wedding at Duke Gardens earlier this month. The colors on the trees were so stunning, and the weather was perfect! This couple is so precious, and so much fun to be around! You can tell they are so in love, and they were beaming with joy the whole day, it was adorable! They had friends and family come from all over the United States, and the reception party was especially fun!

Sarah and Marty went off to Belize to honeymoon, that seems like a beautiful and exotic destination! Definitely on my bucket list! Congrats again, you two!!!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Marty and Sarah chose to do a 'First Look' before the wedding to allow more time to spend with all their friends and family at the reception. I love when couples are willing to do this! These are always some of my favorite moments, it's awesome to truly capture their first reactions seeing each other on their wedding day. So sweet!

Aren't they such a stunning couple?!

I always love shooting weddings at Duke Gardens, it's a really beautiful location! I was super impressed by the floral arrangements by Catering Works.

These wedding party photos are super fun!

Even though we did a first look, I did a few 'just married' photos with Sarah and Marty too for a few minutes so I could capture their adorable happiness for having just said 'I Do'!

And the party begins! The cake was done by Sweet Memories Bakery. TheDJ was Damien Maass and he kept the party going all night, with great song choices and smooth transitions, it was a fun soundtrack for me to work to!

Check out ring-bearer, Cody! He has some of the best dance moves I've ever seen! He danced the night away, and was as cute as can be!

The dance party was a blast to photograph! This group had a great time. Sarah and Marty had a photo booth company set up too, and that added to the fun because they ended up using some of the props from the photo booth on the dance floor, it was pretty hilarious :)

DJ: Damien Maass
Catering and Flowers: Catering Works

Cake: Sweet Memories Bakery

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Stuart's Bridal Portraits at Tryon Palace | Eastern NC Photographer

2011-11-21T19:52:00.007-05:00

Stuart and Josh tied the knot this past weekend in New Bern, and now they are off honeymooning in Roatán (and I am so jealous!)! I figured I would share some of her bridal portraits now that she's married. She's an absolutely gorgeous bride. We did her portraits a couple of months ago at Tryon Palace in New Bern, which is a lovely location for bridal portraits. It unfortunately started to rain a bit, but thankfully it didn't last too long, and we were able to get lots of great portraits there, as well as at her parent's home on the New Bern Country Club.

Congrats again, Stuart! You are a beautiful bride :) Photos from Stuart and Josh's wedding will be up here in the next few weeks!

Here are a few of my favorites:

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Brittany & J.A.'s Newlywed Photo Shoot at Hope Plantation | Eastern NC Wedding Photographer

2011-11-20T11:08:00.004-05:00

These newlyweds are so adorable! This past Spring I photographed their wedding in Windsor, NC. And unfortunately on their wedding day the weather was awful, and did not allow for outdoor photos. Brittany really wanted natural light photos, so we planned this 'newlywed' photo shoot, and decided to wait for the beautiful fall colors to do it. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the lighting was incredible all afternoon! I'm so happy that Brittany and J.A. were able to get the sweet, romantic natural light photos they had been wanting, and I'm so glad they asked me to do these photos! :) Brittany is so creative, she brought some great props!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day:

For some reason, I am just in love with these two photos! The fall colors are just so yummy!

The balloons were fun! Great idea, Brittany!

Beautiful fall colors everywhere we looked!

Aren't they as cute as can be?! :)

Showing off those fancy shoes!

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Heather and Jim's Wedding at Somerset Place | Eastern NC Wedding Photographer

2011-11-13T22:17:00.007-05:00

Heather has been a friend of mine since I was a little girl. We played softball together growing up and throughout high school. It was really special and fun to be a part of hers and Jim's wedding a couple of weeks ago, they are so sweet! The wedding was held at one of my favorite locations in Eastern NC (Somerset Place), but the weather was unusually chilly that day! The temperatures were in the low 40s, so for an outside wedding, it was quite nippy! Heather and Jim along were their wedding party were so great to work with, and we managed to get some nice outdoor photos despite the cold!

Congratulations again, Heather and Jim! Thank you for asking me to be a part of your special day! :)

Here are some of my favorites from their wedding:

Beautiful girls, and so sweet to stand outside in the cold for a few shots!

Jim and Heather are such a good-looking couple!

Their reception was held at the Plymouth Country Club, I loved the fall decorations!

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Family Photos in Raleigh, NC | Raleigh Family Photographer

2011-11-10T00:37:00.004-05:00

The last time I saw this sweet family for photos, Ryan had just turned one. Now he is nearing two years old, and is growing so fast! I met up with them in Raleigh for some family photos! They are always so great to work with :)

Here are a few of my favorites:

So precious!

What a good-looking family!

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Shannon and Nick's E-Session in Burlington | Raleigh Wedding Photographer

2011-11-09T23:26:00.003-05:00

Shannon and Nick are getting married next March! We got together last week in Burlington for their engagement photo session. This time of year in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina is just so gorgeous! The colors of the leaves are so beautiful! It had rained all day before their session, but we crossed our fingers that it would stop, and it just sprinkled on us for about the first five minutes, then the rest of the afternoon was gorgeous! We did the photo session at Cedarock Park, a truly stunning location that Shannon picked out! These two are such a sweet couple, and I'm super excited about their wedding next year!

Congratulations again, Shannon and Nick!

Here are a few of my favorites from the session:

You can see the rain a little here, it only sprinkled for a few minutes during the session thankfully (after raining all day)!

I am crazy about these yellow leaves!

The sun peeked out at the end of the day, so we managed to grab a few photos with that lovely golden sun!

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Madison's Senior Portraits in Raleigh | Raleigh Senior Photographer

2011-11-07T11:54:00.003-05:00

Madison and her Mom came up to Raleigh last week and met me for a morning photo shoot. There is just something about the morning light that is so beautiful! I was so happy she was willing to do the photo shoot during the morning hours :) I had a great photo session with Madison, she's such a beautiful and sweet girl! She has plans to pursue a career as a Veteranarian, which I think is so wonderful! Have a great senior year, Madison!

Here are a few of my favorites from the session:

Madison brought a book, since she likes to read! The title conveys part of who she is, as she is also a vegan :)

I'm loving these fall colors with her outfit!

Such a beautiful girl!

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Anne's Senior Portraits in Raleigh | Raleigh Senior Photographer

2011-11-01T22:33:00.003-04:00

Last week I did a mini-session with Anne for her senior portraits in Downtown Raleigh. I've known her Mom for a few years, so it was great to get to do these portraits for them!

Anne was so sweet and lots of fun to work with! Anne, I hope you have a fun senior year! Congrats!

Here are a few of my favorites from the session:

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Kayla's Maternity Photos in Washington, NC | NC Family Photographer

2011-11-01T12:47:00.005-04:00

I met up with Kayla and Brian this past Friday, right when the cold and gloomy weather decided to roll-in!.They were great sports, and we had a really fun session despite the cold. I grew up playing softball with Kayla, but hadn't seen her since she got married a few years ago. It was so great to see her and to meet her husband, Brian. They are expecting their first baby in early December! So exciting! Congrats you two, can't wait to meet the adorable little guy! :)

Here are a few of my favorites from the session:

She looks so beautiful!

I love this one :)

Is this not the cutest little knit hat?! Love it!

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Heather's Bridal Portraits in Manteo | Outer Banks Wedding Photographer

2011-10-31T21:11:00.004-04:00

Heather and Jim had their wedding this past Saturday, so I wanted to go ahead and share some of her bridal portraits! She is such a beautiful and sweet bride! Heather and I have been friends since we were young girls, playing softball together. I was so happy she asked me to do her bridal portraits and wedding photos!

We got together in Manteo for her portraits a few months ago. Heather and Jim lived in Manteo a few years, so the area was special to them, and worked out perfectly for her bridal portraits.

I'll have their wedding photos up in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, here are a few of my favorites from her bridal session:

Isn't she gorgeous?!

This is the one she chose for her canvas to display at the reception:

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Destination: Australia! Adventures on the Gold Coast and in Sydney | Destination Photographer

2011-10-23T02:42:00.002-04:00

Darren and I have always dreamed of visiting Australia, and it was surreal to finally be there! We chose to visit Gold Coast (Surfer's Paradise) and Sydney this trip. There's still so much more of the country we want to see, but we'll have to save that for another time.

The Gold Coast is absolutely beautiful. The beaches are so huge! Their seasons are opposite ours, so they were just starting Spring, so the water and air were both still a little too chilly for us to swim, but we had fun watching the surfers (who mostly wore wet suits to keep warm this time of year). The waves looked perfect for surfing, hence the name Surfer's Paradise!

We rented a car in Australia, and Darren took on the challenge of driving on the left side of the road. It was quite exciting! We ventured to a few National Parks, which were gorgeous.

While in Sydney, we saw a play at the Sydney Opera House! That was super cool. We spent a little time relaxing too (which we never usually do on vacation!). And we took the Ferry to Manly, Australia-- so glad we did that!

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from the trip, hope you enjoy! :)

Surfer's Paradise at night:

See how huge the beaches are? This is still in Surfer's Paradise:

We took the car to a few different National Parks on our own, it was way fun!

This is Byron Bay:

Lighthouse at Byron Bay:

Of course, we had to get our Hard Rock glass! Up to 70-something glasses now! haha.

We took a day tour with a company to see a few more national parks. It was awesome!

I'm a little scared of birds flapping in my face, but decided to face my fears and hand-feed some wild Australian birds! haha

We got to see this beautiful Natural Bridge...this is a location Steven Spielberg used to film his T.V. series "Tera Nova":

We totally wanted to jump in, but found out it's out-lawed there! Bummer.

This was in Sydney...we walked about an hour from the hotel to find the famous Bondi Beach! Really awesome.

A few sights around Sydney:

The impressive, and beautiful, Sydney Opera House!

Sydney Harbor Bridge:

Taking the Ferry to Manly, Australia. Such a great day!

And a few shots of Sydney to finish it off --I'm a little obsessed with the Opera House, if you can't tell ;)

Thank you for visiting my blog! If you're in to travel photos, stay tuned for photos from trips to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Macau, Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Fiji, and more! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visit www.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com

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Destination: Japan! Adventures in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo! | Destination Photographer

2011-10-19T22:47:00.004-04:00

Personal blog post:

I'm on my fourth and final week of this Asian adventure, blogging from Hong Kong now! It's been incredible to see all of these places. Our trip started out in Japan. Darren had to be in Tokyo for work again this year, so we decided to take a few days to see some other areas of Japan we had never seen (we've only ever been to Tokyo until now). We got to explore Osaka and Kyoto, as well as more of Tokyo. We absolutely love Japan! The kindness of the people there is unmatched. They are the sweetest people we have ever met in all of our travels. The sights and food in Japan are also some of my favorites in the world! I was especially fond of some of the older / not-modernized ares of Kyoto. We had such a great time allowing ourselves to become engulfed in the Japanese culture. We are already looking forward to when we can go back someday!

Side note: I got a fish-eye lens from my sweet husband for my birthday just before we left on this trip. Sorry if I got a little carried away with it in these photos, it's just so much fun :)

And special thanks to my awesome husband, Darren, for taking a lot of these great photos!

Osaka!

Walking around the park near Osaka Castle:

And that's the impressive Osaka Castle!

Then we took some time to venture to Dotonburi, a very exciting district in Osaka!

And of course we had to get our Osaka Hard Rock glass! :)

Octopus balls, anyone? A famous snack here in Osaka!

After some time in Osaka, we made our way over to Kyoto on the train. This temple was a couple of blocks away from where we stayed.

I am absolutely in love with Kyoto. The old Japanese charm is unbeatable!

My handsome hubby and fellow world traveler :)

When I found out we were going to Kyoto, I knew we HAD to make time to visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine. If you've seen 'Memoirs of a Geisha' you'll recognize these fascinating orange gates from the film. (AMAZING film, by the way!)

These gates were a photographer's dream! How awesome would it be to do a photo shoot here!?

Isn't this architecture just stunning?

The 'Great Buddha' in Kamakura, really fascinating!

Tokyo! One of my favorite places in the world :)

I ventured out to busy Shinjuku while Darren was at work one day, found a lovely and not-so-busy park:

We heard the sad news of the loss of Steve Jobs while we were in Tokyo. It's incredible the impact he had on the world...I say this as I type on my MacBook Pro. So sad that he's gone, may he rest in peace.

Here are some shots Darren and Zach snapped at the Ginza Apple Store:

This was a place I loved last time we visited Tokyo, and was so glad to visit it again! Asakusa, Tokyo:

We met up with some friends for dinner in the Akihabara district of Tokyo a few times. Had some magnificent sushi, sushimi, yam pancakes, tofu rolls, green tea ice cream (and lots of other things that I don't know what they were, haha) at En in Akihabara.

The photos at the bottom of this set are of us near Asakusa, enjoying some ramen, snow cream, and sweet bread :)

Thank you for visiting my blog! Stay tuned for photos from trips to Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Fiji, and more! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visit www.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com

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Bekah and Tyler's Wedding in Charlotte | NC Wedding Photographer

2011-10-12T04:24:00.005-04:00

I ventured over to Charlotte, NC a couple of weeks ago to photograph Bekah and Tyler's wedding! They're an adorable and sweet couple, and I was so happy to be a part of their wedding day! I didn't know Bekah before her wedding, but I met her one time before to do her bridal portraits, and I must say not only is she beautiful, she is one of the sweetest girls I've ever met! She is so kind, and was so easy-going and absolutely a wonderful bride to work with! I only met Tyler on the wedding day, but he seemed equally as sweet. What a lovely couple! Their wedding ceremony took place at Kilgo United Methodist Church, and reception followed at Grace on Brevard in Uptown Charlotte.

Congratulations again to Bekah and Tyler! I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon in beautiful Key West, FL!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day:

Bekah chose the 10 hours of coverage, so there was plenty of time to get lots of great shots of her getting ready at the Hilton Garden Inn!

This church was ideal for photos, lots of beautiful natural light! I was asked to stay in the back of the church, but thanks to my zoom lens, I was still able to get some photos and take advantage of the lovely natural light.

So sweet :)

Since it was an evening wedding, the sun was setting quickly, so we went ahead right after the ceremony and got some romantic 'just married' shots :)

Such a beautiful couple! :)

Good-looking wedding party!

And a few more before the sun went down:

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Personal Blog: Our Fifth Anniversary on the Big Island of Hawaii | Destination and Travel Photographer

2011-10-03T22:44:00.009-04:00

I've been so insanely busy lately, I haven't had a chance to even look at these pictures until now...and man, these pictures make me already want to go back!

I'm blogging from one of my favorite cities, Tokyo! I'll be sharing photos from this trip to Japan before too long ;)

Back in August, my husband and I decided to go back to the Big Island of Hawaii where we honeymooned, to celebrate our 5th anniversary! I still cannot believe it's been five years that I have been married to the man of my dreams. Time definitely flies when you are having fun, and we have most certainly had FUN. We have been so blessed to see many beautiful places together so far, and to spend so much quality time together. We are so grateful for each other and for the life we have together, we do not take a single day for granted. It's been an amazing five years, and here's to at least 75 more! :)

We ventured back to Hawaii for the fourth time in five years, and it was just as lovely as the first time. We absolutely love the slow-pace, the kind people, and the immense beauty that the islands have to offer.

I decided not to lug my huge Nikon D3S around everywhere on this trip, I felt like I wanted to take a true vacation, and that heavy camera and those cumbersome lenses sometimes keeps me from just enjoying the moments and soaking them in...so we mostly carried around a small Micro four thirds camera, which got the job done and didn't weigh us down. So the photo quality here may be less than usual on some shots, but it gets the point across ;)

Here are a few of our favorites from the trip:

We rented a 4WD Jeep this time, GREAT decision! We had a blast going off-road in this thing!

Lots of Jeep photos...Obviously, we are fond of the Jeep ;)

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is absolutely in our top five favorite National Parks!

Although we stayed at a typical beachy location (which I always love!) several nights of our 2.5 week trip, we decided we also wanted to stay somewhere new. So we chose the rainforest town of Volcano, Hawaii right outside of Volcanoes National Park. We stayed at the Volcano Village Lodge for a few nights, and would highly recommend it!

Exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:

This road is blocked due to recent lava flow...pretty amazing!

The newness of the land in the National Park is really incredible to think about. Hawaii is always changing, thanks to Madame Pele'

One of the most amazing sights: the lava glow at Kiluea

Hiking the Kiluea-Iki trail:

Gorgeous old church near Captain Cook. I loved the sweet cat sleeping inside the church...

We visited this beautiful National Historic Sight...an old City of Refuge for Hawaiians centuries ago. It was amazing.

One of our favorite places in the world! The Southernmost Point of the U.S.A.

The Southernmost Point of the U.S.A...what better place to cliff jump!? Below are pictures of Darren and I taking the 40+ feet plunge off the edge of the United States! We love cliff jumping, it's such a freeing experience.

The wind-blown trees here are awesome:

Gorgeous Black Sand beach

Sweet sea turtles resting on the black sand...we zoomed in from far away so as not to disturb them ;)

Horseback riding in Hawaii is incredible. Especially this time, we explored the lovely Waipio Valley:

After our hike down to Captain Cook's Monument

Awesome trees on the way to Hilo:

Is this tree cool or what?

We did a lot of snorkeling, but the best by far was the night-time adventure with the manta rays!

Thank you for visiting my blog! Stay tuned for photos from trips to Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Fiji, and more! If you'd like to book a session or a wedding with Dana Jo Photography or ask me to hold a date, please visit www.danajophotos.com and submit the contact form. Or send an e-mail to contact@danajophotos.com

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Perry and Shawn's First Anniversary, Rural Vintage Photo Session | Raleigh NC Photographer

2011-10-01T21:08:00.003-04:00

Perry and Shawn have just celebrated their first wedding anniversary! They are such a lovely couple! Perry had the vision for this beautiful vintage-inspired photo session, and she did a great job with it! She found a beautiful private farm that we got permission to use, and Perry and Shawn showed up in the cutest outfits with all of these amazing props to work with! A photographer's dream! ;) Thanks to the kind owners of the anonymous farm who let us use their property!

Congrats again to Perry and Shawn! I hope you had a wonderful first anniversary!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Aren't they a stunning couple!?

A few photos with their adorable newly-adopted retired racing greyhounds! Meet Finnegan and Huckleberry, such cuties!

I absolutely loved the lighting in this place:

Perry and Shawn brought these fantastic big balloons, a great touch!

Looks like a perfect picnic! These two are Pepsi fans, the last couple I photographed enjoyed Coca Cola as part of their photo shoot...totally coincidence and unplanned!

This looks like the perfect way to spend an afternoon! Love it!

Perry makes these awesome signs and sells them on Etsy. Her store is Beneath the Oak. You should totally go buy some signs! ;)

I love these last two...so cute!

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Chelsea and Andy's Vintage Engagement Session | Eastern NC Photographer

2011-09-30T08:00:00.004-04:00

I always have so much fun photographing this couple! They are just so photogenic and so sweet! You might remember Chelsea and Andy, if you've been following my blog. Back in January I took some photos of them immediately after Andy popped the question, and that is still the most precious and love-filled photo shoot I've done to date!

Now that they've set their wedding date for next May, we decided to do a more planned-out engagement photo shoot so they can make some 'save the dates' to send out. We were a little rushed, only had about 45 minutes for the session, but we made the most of the lovely sunlight and beautiful scenery! Chelsea and Andy looked amazing, and all the details they brought to the photo shoot were lovely.

Congrats to my beautiful and precious friends, Chelsea and Andy! Love you guys! Can't wait to be a bridesmaid AND photographer for your wedding, it's going to be awesome!

Here are a few of my favorites:

I've come to the conclusion that Chelsea and Andy should be the new faces of Coca-Cola. Adorable!

Are they not just the cutest couple you've ever seen? :)

They are both fabulous musicians, so we had to incorporate at least one instrument!

Nothing like a romantic dance in an open field!

Love the suspenders!

Such a beautiful couple!

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Kids Portraits in Raleigh, NC | Raleigh Photographer

2011-09-26T15:15:00.002-04:00

Marcie and her family have been living in beautiful Colorado the past couple of years, but they recently moved back to their home here in N.C. I hadn't seen them since they move to CO, and it was amazing to see that they had two adorable and sweet little girls for me to meet and photograph when I caught up with Marcie the other day in Raleigh :) Their daughters SkyeLynn (2 years old) and Josie (6 months old) were so precious and a blast to work with!

Even though the forecast called for rainy weather all day, we watched the radar and met-up during the afternoon and had beautiful weather for he session! Although it was a little hotter than we had all anticipated, we were just happy the sun was out and it wasn't raining.

Here are a few of my favorites from the session, check out these adorable girls! :)

Such precious sisters :)

Josie is the happiest baby I've ever met! She had the cutest smile! Her and SkyeLynn both had beautiful smiles, and lots of them that day!

We did a few photos in their cute Fall hats!

SkyeLynn got a real kick out of Josie's hat! :)

Love these faces!

More sweet smiles!

Their parents both went to Virginia Tech and are huge fans, so of course we had to snap a few photos in their VT outfits!

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