Jessica Lobdell Photography

A few winter images...

2012-01-27T11:59:00.004-05:00

Today I'm doing some tiding up of my hard drives to make sure all of my images are safely backed up. I came across some photos from when it snowed in January 2010, the weather contrasting sharply with our recent warm weather. Here are a few photos that I pulled out from my snowy hikes.

These tracks are from a bushy red fox that had just scampered over the hill.

My Mama

2012-01-11T11:02:00.005-05:00

Last week my Mama, Elsie Addie Smith Benton, passed away. I'm looking through photographs of her life, scanning them and restoring them today. It is healing to see what a full and wonderful life she lived.

Mama grew up on a farm, but spent her adult life in Charlotte, NC. This is the only picture I seem to have of her at this young age.

I believe Mama was posing for Papa here as there is a matching photograph of Papa stored next to this one. On the back it says Elsie 1945. They were married on Saturday, the 14th of July, 1945. I am wondering if this is an image from their honeymoon.

Here is Mama the last time I saw her, just before Christmas. She is holding my sleeping daughter Emeline Addie Lobdell. Emeline and Katie, my sister, share a middle name with Mama.

Ever since I have known her, Mama has protested having her photograph taken. I'm glad now that we have photographs of her. I'll be able to share with my daughter the story of her Great Mama using photographs. I love you Mama.

The Caron Family ~ Raleigh, NC Portrait Photographer

2012-01-09T21:11:00.005-05:00

I met my wonderful friend, Elizabeth, in the first weeks of high school. We became immediately close and spent as much time together as our busy schedules allowed. Since I spent so much time with her in sleepovers, commuting to our career center classes together, going on snowboarding trips with each other, one infamous sailing trip, prom, backpacking in the Smokies ... I felt like I had been adopted as a second daughter into the Caron family. Now the family of five has grown tremendously and spread all over this continent. It had been years since I'd seen all of them in the same place, and this was the first time that I met four of the little ones. I'm so glad that Elizabeth called me up to photograph her family on Christmas Eve. It was wonderful seeing my second family together and happy.

The original five!

Mr. and Mrs. Caron have been blessed with the most wonderful grandchildren.. and one stuffed piggy.

The newest member of the family at the end of our session.

If you would like your family portrait taken, please give me a call at 919-699-1240.

The Cotton Room at Golden Belt

2012-01-06T12:53:00.005-05:00

I just toured The Cotton Room at Golden Belt this morning and met the kind and enthusiastic staff. I can't wait to photograph Pam and Orion's wedding there this spring. It is a beautiful venue!

Baby Dashiell

2011-12-06T17:06:00.003-05:00

I live in a wonderful neighborhood in Durham, NC where we all chat with each other through an online group to keep tabs with what is going on. A few weeks ago, my neighbor Crystal sent out an excited email to a few parents saying that she needed help setting up her nursery as she might be adopting a little boy the following day. She wasn't positive that they'd get this little guy as things can change quickly with an adoption. Happily, a few days later, they were able to pick up their son and bring him home. They then asked me to come photograph their little family. I love visiting the home of new parents and seeing the wonder and love that fills the space as mom and dad get to know their new baby - there is nothing quite like that sort of sweet joy. Crystal and Clinton adore this little boy and seem so calm and loving as they care for him. I'm so glad that Dashiell made it home just in time for Christmas!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T15:49:00.005-05:00

I am thankful for my sweet baby. This year I am a mother and a wife, which brings me the greatest joy I have ever known. Here are some photos of our new little family from when Emeline Addie was two months old.

I hope this year you find much to be thankful for.

Pam and Orion ~ Engagement Session at Duke Gardens

2011-11-10T12:56:00.003-05:00

I live in a wonderful neighborhood near downtown Durham that we call the Burch Avenue Neighborhood. I met these two folks about a year ago when I walked by their house and admired their garden - Orion is an incredible gardener. It was only fitting then that we went to Duke Gardens (a favorite photo location of mine) to photograph their engagement portraits. The autumn colors were at their finest and the morning air was crisp and cold. Here are a few of my favorite images from the session.

I can't wait until your wedding guys. I'm sure it is going to be beautiful and fun!

If any of my readers out there are looking for a wedding photographer, please don't hesitate to call or email me!

The Proposal

2011-11-02T20:33:00.005-04:00

In my last post, you saw the engagement session of my brother and his fiance. Take a step back a few months and watch this proposal video. Matthew set up cameras throughout Stefanie's parent's house and caught the moment on camera. His buddy, Will Yeager, created the video for them.

The Proposal Video

Matt & Stefanie (... and Cassidy!) ~ Engagement Session in Durham, NC

2011-11-02T12:04:00.005-04:00

My little brother has just proposed to the sweetest girl possible. Our entire family is excited to be welcoming Stefanie to the Benton family. Matt and Stef asked me to photograph their engagement session, which I was very excited to do! We headed to the beautiful Duke Gardens to take advantage of the perfect day. They even brought their dog along.

My brother and his "daughter"...

Matt cracks me up... he planned out this picture where he wanted Cassidy in the foreground in focus, and him and Stefanie in the background out of focus. It took a few tries, but we finally got the dog to pose for us!

I can't wait until you get married guys! I love both of you!

Grace & Michael's Wedding ~ Winston-Salem, NC

2011-10-24T14:46:00.005-04:00

A lovely day on the first of October provided the perfect setting for the wedding between Grace and Mike. They were married in the beautiful Reynolda Church with a reception following at Forsyth Country Club. These two are a sweet couple with a loving family! Here are some of my favorite images from the day that Alexa and I captured.

Grace was holding her best friend's hand as they waited for the ceremony to start.

Mike's brother gave me the thumbs up as guests were seated!

Mike's first look at his bride.

After the beautiful ceremony, it was off to Forsyth Country Club were Grace and Mike spent a few moments along.

The decorations at the reception were fantastic and the party was wonderful.

I love how the place cards were also candied apple desserts!

I hope you live happily ever after Grace and Mike! Thank you so much for having me there at your beautiful wedding.

Also, thanks to all of the vendors that helped make this a beautiful event.

Wedding Planning: Beverly Shepard
Band: Fantasy
Cake: Regi Originals
Flowers: Green Bee Floral Designs
Officiant: Father Connell
Bridal Dress: Monique Lhuillier

Grace and Michael's Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

2011-10-22T09:26:00.004-04:00

Grace and Michael met in NYC, but decided to get married in lovely North Carolina as Grace's family lives in Winston-Salem. The story of how they met sounds like the script of a movie... Mike left his cell phone in a taxi cab which Grace found later on in the day. She was able to return the cell phone, she got to know the guy that lost it... and a few years later they are here on the night before their wedding day celebrating their love with family and friends at the beautiful Brookberry Farm venue.

Mike is a Water Polo player and his buddies were at the rehearsal dinner. This cake has water polo guys swimming around a keg of beer!

Grace and Mike...

Catering by Holly Tate Fine Catering

Julie & Andrew ~ Winston-Salem, NC Wedding

2011-10-12T18:02:00.006-04:00

It is a joy when I am asked to photograph a sweet couple's wedding. Julie is such a graceful woman and Andrew is so kind - I couldn't have been happier to have had the opportunity to photograph their beautiful wedding. Their ceremony was at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem with a reception following at the elegant Old Town Club. It took me awhile to narrow down my favorite images from the day, as the entire day was beautiful, but I finally picked a few to show here. Thank you Andrew and Julie for having me!

Thank you to Wendy and Leah for your help photographing this wedding! Also, thank you to all of the vendors that helped make this a beautiful event:

Wedding Planner: Rebecca Rose Events
Flowers: Floral Visions Design Studio
Music: Sam Hill Entertainment
Cakes: Regi Originals
Getting Around: Barefoot Transportation

Julie and Andrew's Rehearsal Dinner at WinMock

2011-10-04T08:48:00.006-04:00

Julie and Andrew had an elegant rehearsal dinner which was held at the new venue, WinMock at Kinderton. The decorations were beautiful and personal and the guests were happy. I love having the chance to see the bride and groom relax with their close friends and family the night before their big wedding day!

Wedding Planner: Rebecca Rose Events
Catering: Holly Tate Fine Catering
Flowers: Amy Lynne Originals
Music: Key Signature

Their wedding was just as beautiful! I'll have those photos posted here soon.

A Sweet Beginning ~ Emeline Addie Lobdell

2011-08-31T14:29:00.004-04:00

On August 14, 2011, we welcomed our daughter into this world, Emeline Addie Lobdell. I had gone into my birthing time on Friday, August 12 and after a wonderful but long labor, she was born at 2:17, Sunday afternoon. We had her at the Women's Birth and Wellness Center in Chapel Hill. My husband, my mom, my sister, and the amazing women at the birth center helped me tremendously as I had this baby. Emeline was 8lbs.5oz, 20.5inches, and completely perfect and lovely! Here are a few moments from the first two weeks of her life as her daddy and I got to know her.

Our Family Beach Trip

2011-08-03T10:52:00.006-04:00

In the heat of July, Simon and I were able to take a break from the Piedmont to join my family at the beach. Nothing is better than hanging out with your little nephew and the rest of your family when everyone is relaxed and happy. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Ben loves his Papa!

Mommy makes upsets all better.

We took a few pictures in front of the water after a local seafood dinner.

Mom took this picture of Simon, Emeline, and me.

All of us!

Clara Ann Green ~ Newborn Portraits

2011-07-29T10:12:00.004-04:00

I have had the joy of being pregnant this year with my friend Michelle. We went to prenatal yoga and cloth diaper classes together, we discussed pregnancy symptoms and baby gear... and then in June, Michelle had her precious baby. I'm still waiting for my little girl to be born! When Clara Ann was only two weeks and two days old, I went to her house for her first portrait session. I can't get over how beautiful her red hair is. I'm glad we took portraits of her early on, because she has changed so much since this session. Here is the delightful announcement I created for the Green family, and following that are a few of my favorite photos of the sweet baby and her mama.

Congratulations Bryant and Michelle! I can't wait for our two little girls to have their first play date!

If you would like a portrait session schedule for your little bundle of joy, please give me a call or send me an email. I love little babies, they are all so very perfect!

Kalynn & Rich ~ Greenville, NC Wedding

2011-07-09T17:28:00.005-04:00

Kalynn and Rich are those type of folks that are so sweet and wonderful that they are a joy to be around. Their wedding was held at the Jarvis Memorial Untied Methodist Church with a reception following at the Greenville Country Club. Every detail was perfect from the bride's attire to the reception details to the happy wedding party. Here are a few of my favorite images from the day...

I loved the vintage fans that the ladies carried.

This was my favorite moment of the day, seeing the emotion in her groom as she walked up the aisle on her dad's arm.

The reception hall glowed beautifully as night fell and the celebration continued.

They had me make a guest registry out of their engagement session... it turned out lovely!

I also loved how they had a tree of family wedding photos from their parents and grandparents.

I wish you a happily ever after Kalynn and Rich!

Thanks Wendy and Katie for helping me with this wedding. In case my readers out there start to wonder why there is going to be a break in wedding postings, the next photo should help explain. It is hard carrying two cameras, a baby, and running all over the state photographing brides. I'll be back at it by the end of September... until then you may just see some very personal newborn photographs!

Sam is One!

2011-07-05T14:40:00.005-04:00

My husband always jokes that he has put something in the water, because our neighborhood is full of cute babies (and he works for the City of Durham Water Department.) Sam is one of the cute babies in the neighborhood who just turned one. Sam's mom, Anya gave me a call and asked me to photograph her little boy. I was excited to not only have the chance to photograph this cute family, but to have the chance to meet more of my neighbors! We started our session in the ever-lovely Duke Gardens.

I love his little hat!

I can definitely see my little girl (who is due in August) having a crush on Sam... he is such a handsome baby!

Sam's dad Bram headed on to work while Anya, Sam and I headed inside to finish up our session with studio portraits. You can't get any cuter than this!

Thanks Anya, Bram and Sam spending your morning with me!

If anyone else out there would like to have their family portraits taken, please give me a call or send me an email and we'll set up a session!

Melissa&Timothy ~ A Carolina Inn Wedding

2011-06-27T09:40:00.005-04:00

I had the privilege of helping David Edge photograph Melissa and Tim's wedding at the ever-beautiful Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, NC. Here are a few photos from that gorgeous wedding.

The mother of the bride's dress matched the flowers perfectly!

The ceremony was tucked away in a lovely spot on the inn's grounds.

I love seeing a happy bride who knows she is marrying a good man.

The reception decorations were amazing.

After the sweet first dance, the floor opened up and folks partied hard into the night (including the little guys)!

Thanks for having me at your wedding Melissa and Tim. Also, it was wonderful working for you Dave! If anyone of my readers are looking for a photographer to document their perfect day, please give me a call or an email!

Meghan&James ~ Day After Session

2011-06-24T11:32:00.007-04:00

I met Meghan and James after they had already been married. Their wedding photographs were simple, so they came to me looking for some creative images of the two of them in their wedding attire that would better show off their colorful personality. After a planning session, we decided to do an urban session in downtown Durham and on Meghan's special request, it was to end with trashing the dress! I have SO many photographs from this session that I love. I was able to narrow it down to a few to show here.

Meghan got into her dress one last time in my house.

We started at a rooftop garden in downtown Durham. I love how the flowers in the garden matched the flowers in her bouquet and hair, perfect!

Then it was up a few flights of stairs to get a grand view of lovely Durham.

Back down to earth, we wandered around playing with the urban landscape.

I checked the radar before our session started and saw that a storm was on its way. This was the perfect opportunity to start the trash the dress session... a beautiful summer rain.

I love the joy in her face!

To really finish off this dress, we went to get Meghan immersed in water... I love the color!

I think Meghan and James are about as fun as a couple can get!

Please contact me if you would like to do a Day After Session or a Trash the Dress session! I'd love to do many more of these. Thanks Simon for helping your very pregnant wife carry around all of her photo gear, and thanks Meghan and James for being open to anything!

Kalynn's Bridals

2011-06-21T19:06:00.004-04:00

Kalynn is the sweetest and prettiest bride! My sister and I went out to her parent's beautiful house that was situated in a sunny country landscape to photograph her bridal portrait. From there we went to the Durham Train Station to photograph Kalynn as a continuation of the vintage theme that she had for her engagement session. I love all of her photos so much and couldn't wait until her wedding last weekend so that I could share some of my favorites here!

This is the photo that she displayed at her reception in a beautiful oval frame.

Every lady needs a pretty couch! I loved how her mom's house was set up perfectly with big windows and beautiful furniture to photograph Kalynn on.

The Durham Train Station is a beautiful building. When I took a train to Charlotte, I knew I'd have to come back for a photography session - Kalynn gave me the perfect reason to photograph there!

Please contact me if you'd like to have a bridal session done before your wedding!

Four Generations

2011-06-09T15:13:00.005-04:00

My Aunt Lia rarely has both her mother and her grandmother in from California to visit, so when they came this year, Lia asked that I photograph the three of them plus her little girl for a 4 generations Mother's Day photograph. Here are a few of my favorites from the session. Aren't they a beautiful family!

Melissa&Blake ~ Engagement Session

2011-06-07T10:49:00.004-04:00

Melissa is a Wake Forest graduate and Blake is a Duke graduate who are living the city life up in NYC. Even though they are from North Carolina, they didn't meet each other until they were living in New York City with a population of 18,976,457... it is funny how life works! While they were down in their home state for a friends wedding, they took an afternoon to walk through Duke Gardens and Duke's West Campus with me for some beautiful engagement portraits. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the session. I can't wait until their wedding next year!

Thank you for having me guys, and thanks to my sweet hubby for carrying my gear and making us laugh!

Front Yard Garden

2011-06-03T14:35:00.005-04:00

I've always dreamed of living in an open valley with mountains surrounding me where I could grow a garden and raise animals. As it is, I live in downtown Durham, with a much smaller yard... but I am still able to live my country life dream! Here are a few of the plants growing in my garden. I photographed a lot of the flowers, but we also have tomatoes, okra, brussel sprouts, onions, potatoes, lavender, tomatillos, kale and broccoli all growing in the front yard as well. It is fun going out before dinner to pick food to eat. I love how fresh everything tastes!

This is our little bungalow, with reprint orders in the mailbox and Chestnut on the lookout!

Native Bee Balm

Another view of our house (before we got the weed wacker working!)

Beautiful nasturtium. The flowers are a sweet and beautiful addition to a fresh salad.

We have garden peas and sweet peas that are just about to finish up their growing season.

Yarrow

Purple Speedwell

Fragrant sage

Basil and my grandmother's old watering can.

Rosemary

An orange lilly poking through the yarrow.

Perfect chard!

Some of you may be wondering where are the pictures of our chickens. They live in the back yard... here is an old post showing our Chickens! Now I'm hungry!

Green Lovely

2011-05-31T10:32:00.005-04:00

Every now and then I escape out into the forest to rejuvenate and refresh. My friend Dana and I took a hike along the Mountains to Sea Trail that runs by the Eno River here in Durham. The mountain laurels were in full bloom and the 17-year cicadas were flying and singing high in the trees. Lovely!

An Elegant Wedding ~ Jan and Matt

2011-05-25T13:40:00.005-04:00

Jan and Matt held their wedding at the beautiful Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, NC with a reception following at the Hilton here in Durham, NC. Everyone was so sweet, and the wedding was full of charm.

The beautiful bride in the neighboring Coker Arboretum.

... and the handsome groom ...

Vicky Jamieson-Drake of Chapel of the Cross and Jay Minnick of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church were the officiants of the lovely ceremony.

A little bit of love in the sun while the guests headed to the cocktail hour.

The beautiful cake was created by Sweet Memories Bakery while the flowers were by the English Garden.

The groom's cake was covered with illustrations showing what Jan and Matt love to do.

Cheers to Jan and Matt!

Thank you for having us Jan, Matt and family! Alexa and I really enjoyed photographing your beautiful wedding.

Mary Paulsen's Crazy Art

2011-05-18T13:09:00.004-04:00

Wendy, Simon and I were driving to Holden Beach on the way to photograph Kate and Jacob's wedding. We passed what seemed to be a wonderland of treehouses and other inexplicable objects along the side of the road. The next day on our way home, we had to stop by to see what all of the clutter was. The visual cluster of objects was the amazing work of Mary Paulsen. We wandered through her whimsical maze of treehouses, and glass houses, and trash turned to art collections in awe and with a little bit of trepedation (those treehouses I'm pretty sure aren't built to code!). Mary was sitting inside one of her creations rocking and listening to some loud gospel music. She was kind enough to step outside and share some of her ideas behind her work. We left feeling inspired at her drive and not a little overwhelmed with what we saw. Definitely check out this woman's work if you ever visit to Holden Beach!

The Winner Is ... Rhiannon!

2011-05-18T09:55:00.005-04:00

Thanks for all of the comments on selecting your favorite floral layout last week! Rhiannon is the winner of the Free 8x10 from my Floral Portfolio. Rhiannon, you can go ahead and pick out your free 8x10! The layout above is the one that was choosen for the baby girl nursery! I love it. Please contact me if you'd like custom artwork for your home.

Flowers for a Baby Girl

2011-05-11T15:37:00.000-04:00

I was asked to compile my flower images so a soon to be mother could pick out a few for her baby girl's nursery. You may view my Floral Portfolio here: Florals These were some of her favorite images that I compiled into three different layouts.

Layout One:

Layout Two:

Layout Three:

Comment on which layout you like best and you will enter to win a Free 8x10 of any image from my Floral Portfolio! I will announce the winner a week from today, so check back to see if you've won!

Bridals ~ Jan at the Coker Arboretum

2011-05-10T10:55:00.006-04:00

Jan and Matt just got married, so I can now post her beautiful bridal portraits! She got married at her church, the Chapel of the Cross, on Franklin St. in Chapel Hill. The beautiful Coker Arboretum, part of the NC Botanical Gardens backs up to the church, so it made for a most beautiful and meaningful location for Jan's bridal portraits. Everything was in bloom and completely lovely, including the happy bride!

The beautiful boquet was created by the English Garden florist in Raleigh.

Isn't she lovely!

Just one more picture of the pretty flowers!

A dreamy landscape for a nature loving bride.

Love Your Mother!

2011-05-06T09:58:00.006-04:00

Last week I volunteered to take portraits of mothers and their children who attend the Emily K Center at the edge of my neighborhood. These photos are going to be used in their Mother's Day Ball which is a fundraiser for the center. I had so much fun photographing these families as they were so loving... there was a lot of laughter coming out of our room. I hope these moms treasure these photos with their children and remember this time in their lives!

If you'd like to arrange a photography session with your mother and gift this to her on Mother's Day, please give me a call today at 336-972-0097 or email me at jessica.lobdell@gmail.com. I can send you a gift certificate to present to her, and even better, I'm offering a 15% discount on my session fees if you contact me today! Happy Mother's Day!

Pretty Kate

2011-05-04T17:08:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to post one more image to show how cute Kate looked in her dress!

Kate & Jacob ~ Wedding at Holden Beach

2011-05-03T12:21:00.005-04:00

Kate and Jacob joked with me during their engagement session about how they were afraid it was going to snow on their wedding day and ruin everything. It did not snow, but their day was on the Saturday that all of the tornadoes ripped through North Carolina. The wind was crazy, and I started shaking in my boots when I heard the storm approaching during the ceremony. We somehow got very lucky and the storm passed around our tip of the island and we were spared being in the center of the storm, leaving us with a windy but beautiful day.

Her beautiful Justin Alexander dress had a playful 50s silhouette.

Lovely Kate!

I love Jacob's natural smile!

Sharing a sweet laugh after their first kiss.

The cupcakes by Coastal Cupcakes... so cute!

Everyone danced the night away as the storm headed out to sea.

Thank you everyone for having me, and thank you Wendy for photographing this wedding with me! Kate and Jacob, I wish you a wonderful marriage and may you always stay as kind and happy as you were on your wedding day.

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

2011-04-25T17:20:00.005-04:00

My little nephew just turned one year old! You may remember his birth story that I posted, check it out here: Birth Story Ben has become the cutest little boy. I love my little buddy!

"Happy Easter!" says Ben.

You steal my heart Ben...

I love this laugh!

Hey Buddy!

If you ever wondered how you knew when a photo session was over....

I love you Ben! Thanks for having me over on your birthday!

Lorelei's 1st Birthday Party!

2011-04-18T13:14:00.003-04:00

My friends from college asked me to come over to photograph their daughter, Lorelei's first birthday party. It was fun seeing other old college friends and celebrate Lorelei at this perfect backyard party!

Zach + Rhiannon = Lorelei!

I love this face...

and these bloomers!

Time to eat cake!

Hmmm... not so sure about this...

Actually, it's pretty good!

Here Daddy, try!

This is the best birthday ever!

Yea!

Jan and Matt ~ Engagement Session

2011-04-13T17:55:00.005-04:00

A beautiful and warm spring evening at the JP Raulston Arboretum served as the perfect backdrop for Jan and Matt's engagement session. Love is in bloom!

As the sun set, the light took on a perfect glow.

I love the joy in this photo!

Thank you Jan and Matt! I'm looking forward to the wedding!

Holly and Josh (and Coach K!)

2011-04-04T20:12:00.008-04:00

I've known Josh since he and my little brother became friends when they were about 5 and 6 years old. Therefore, Josh has always seemed like a second brother to me as he and Matt have been best friends for so many years. We are all grown up now and Josh just got married to a lovely woman, Holly. Before their wedding I photographed Holly's bridal portrait. We started out at my house for her getting ready images and then headed over to the beautiful Duke Gardens to take advantage of the spring blooms.

Josh is a crazy Duke basketball fan, so he requested that we try to get a photo of Holly by the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Her photo session was on the same day that Duke won the ACC tournament. Josh, my brother, and his other groomsmen were actually at the game celebrating the win. Shortly after we pulled up to the stadium, a large tour bus pulled up as well. We could hardly believe it when we saw who walked off the bus.

Holly was going to give the Cameron Stadium photos to Josh for a present on his wedding day, but we both had no idea that we would see Coach K or that he would be kind enough to take a picture with Holly. Josh knew there was some sort of surprise by seeing the secrecy his fiance and groomsmen were keeping, but you can see from his face below that he did not know what the surprise was. I love his reaction!

Congratulations Josh and Holly! I love you guys!

P.S. My mom, sister and I created the flower arrangements for their wedding as well (Mom is definitely the creative genius behind this). What do you think, should she go into business? This is her fifth wedding doing the flowers I believe.

Ron Paul at NC State

2011-03-31T14:03:00.004-04:00

I was asked on Monday by Young Americans for Liberty if I could come out to photograph Ron Paul speaking. I had the evening free so I went to capture a few photos of the event. Ron Paul gave a very long speech, after which about 300 people lined up to have their photo taken one by one with the guy. I took all of those photos with my flash burning hot. Not surprisingly, Fox news arrived to interview Dr. Paul giving a moments pause in the photographic reception. It is always interesting to see different politicians and the folks that follow them.

Dreamy Spring Blooms

2011-03-28T14:49:00.004-04:00

A morning walk, after an evening rainfall, on a beautiful spring day...

Happy Little Boys!

2011-03-11T10:34:00.003-05:00

My good friend Paula asked me to photograph her children again since her little one is still at the age where he is changing so much. You can look back and see Micah's first photo session here: Micah ~ New to the Family! , and Gideon's first photo session here: An afternoon at Tanglewood. They do grow fast! These two boys are full of joy, which is natural, since they are surrounded by a loving family. Thanks for having me guys!

Kate&Jacob ~ Engagement

2011-03-10T13:30:00.004-05:00

I drove down to the flatlands of Fayetteville, NC to photograph Kate and Jacob first at the country home where Kate grew up, and then into downtown Fayetteville. It was wonderful being among the pine trees of eastern North Carolina and then into a cute section of downtown while the sun set and folks were heading out to dinner and the movies. I'm looking forward to more fun with these two when I photograph their wedding at Holden Beach in April!

Spain ~ Ronda & Grazalema

2011-03-09T12:06:00.008-05:00

Simon and I took the comfortable train down to an amazing town called Ronda. In our original plans, we were only going to spend one day in Ronda, but once we arrived, we found that the friendly people, good food, beautiful architecture and scenery, and fun shopping avenue would keep us there longer. We ended up staying in Ronda for three nights. As you can see in the photos below, Ronda is an amazing white Andalusian town that is perched on the edge of a beautiful cliff. The old Moorish side of town is connected to the "new" more modern side of town by a spectacular bridge that has a waterfall passing through it. It felt like we had been transported in to an elf land. Simon and I walked all of town and down the cliff taking in the beautiful views.

From Ronda we took a short bus ride to the town of Grazalema which is nestled in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. We staying in such a beautiful bed and breakfast that I wanted to move here and become a writer (lounging by the pool). This tiny white washed town was nestled in the most spectacular limestone peaks. The weather was perfect for us to take a hike up into the mountains. Afterwards we headed down to eat dinner with the locals in front of a warm fire and then it was time to make the long journey home.

As much fun as a trip overseas is, there is nothing like coming back home.

Spain ~ Madrid & Toledo

2011-03-01T16:02:00.007-05:00

My husband, Simon, and I went on a trip to Spain over the week of Valentines Day. We called this our "babymoon" as we are expecting our first little one in August. Our first town was Madrid. As we adjusted to European time and Spanish schedules, we wandered around the city taking in the beautiful architecture, gardens and parks. Naturally, we spent a long time a the Museo del Prado where we viewed breathtaking paintings and sculpture. I could spend an entire lifetime wandering the halls of that amazing museum. From Madrid we went to Toledo which is shown in the bottom two photos. I have very few photos of this ancient town since my brand new Canon camera broke on the entrance bridge to the town. As a photographer, I wandered around heartbroken that my camera wasn't working and I couldn't photograph the beautiful town of Toledo. I had to let go though and marvel at the amazing history and beauty of such a unique place. I'll put up another post soon showing the other amazing towns we visited.

Kalynn & Rich ~ Durham Engagement Session

2011-02-02T11:45:00.005-05:00

Kalynn, a school teacher, and Rich, a med student, are about as nice as a couple can be. We went out to Duke Gardens for a little picnic and then headed to Downtown Durham to get some beautiful urban scenes for our photos. While waiting for the sun to go down, we warmed up at Tylers Taproom with drinks and fries. A fun photo shoot with a beautiful couple... thanks Kalynn and Rich, I can't wait until your wedding!

The Knot Best of Weddings 2011 Pick!

2011-01-24T14:19:00.007-05:00

I am pleased to announce that Jessica Lobdell Photography has be rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2011 Pick. Thank you to all of my wonderful brides for your kind of reviews. I am very honored and couldn't be happier!

Ginny & Michael's Wedding ~ Slideshow

2011-01-21T16:15:00.008-05:00

Ginny and Michael were married in Chapel Hill at the Chapel of the Cross on Franklin St with a reception following at the elegant Carolina Inn. There were so many beautiful photographs from this wedding that I wanted to share, so instead of just posting photos, I made a slideshow to share. This was a wonderful wedding to start the new year with as everything was perfect and lovely. Thank you Ginny and Michael for having me and for being so sweet. Also, thank you Wendy for helping to photograph this beautiful wedding!

A year has passed ...

2011-01-05T14:55:00.005-05:00

... and what a beautiful year it was.

Dale

2010-12-22T15:52:00.005-05:00

... with Tuna and Mini-Me....

Micah ~ New to the Family!

2010-11-04T18:24:00.008-04:00

My friends from college just had their second child, another boy! Paula asked me to come photograph baby Micah and the rest of the family. His big brother Gideon, who you may remember from our autumn session last year, was wonderful as always and his parent's are obviously proud of their two little boys. After a long morning of hanging out and getting photos here and there, I walked away with many images that I think Paula and Loren will treasure for a long time to come. Thanks for having me over!

Hi! I'm Ben!

2010-10-26T13:05:00.006-04:00

My name is Ben. I have chubby cheeks. I like to play with my blankie. I read interesting books. I love my family and friends.... Lets play!

Aunt Jessie loves you Ben!

Makiko and Adam ~ A Michigan Wedding

2010-10-22T14:40:00.007-04:00

My good friend Dave called me up a few months ago excited about his friend that had an upcoming wedding. He met her through Ultimate Frisbee in Ann Arbor, which is also how I originally met Dave back in my college days. Makiko and I then talked over the phone and she decided to fly me up to Michigan so I could photograph her wedding! I am so glad she did because Makiko and Adam were such a kind couple and their wedding under the textured Michigan skies was so beautiful. Here are some of my favorite images from the day. Thank you so much for having me Makiko and Adam!

Thanks Janet for your help and thanks for catching a behind the scenes shot!

Heather and Troy's Wedding Reception

2010-10-13T13:23:00.008-04:00

Heather and Troy celebrated the recent marriage with a beautiful reception at Sister's Garden in Raleigh. I had photographed their engagement session in Apex, and Heather's bridal portrait session here in Durham. This reception was the perfect final celebration of their marriage and I was happy to have been included! Here are a few of my favorite photos of the perfect details and the fun that was had that evening! Thank you Heather and Troy for having us, and thank you Katie for your help photographing this event!

New Accordion Books!

2010-10-12T23:18:00.006-04:00

Check out this cute little book that is now available on your proofing site! Like always, you get to select the photos that go into the book, I design it just for you and wa'la... a fun little book to show off your photos with. The book is 4x8", hard cover, with your choice of cover finish and interior paper type. The paper on the inside folds out like an accordion (hence the name) and is printed on the front and back. It all closes neatly with a hidden magnet. Check out the one I made of Tanner below, and look on your proofing site or contact me directly to get one yourself!

Occoneechee

2010-10-11T17:01:00.007-04:00

Late summer fades into fall at Occonneechee Mountain.

A New Baby Boy

2010-09-22T18:52:00.005-04:00

It was about a year ago that I visited the Jones family in their beautiful old home in Raleigh to photograph their sweet little girl, Jackie. I saw her mother again at Leigh-Ann and Harrison's wedding and she asked that I come out and photograph their baby boy soon after his birth. Baby McLain was born right on time so I was lucky to come and meet him at five days old! The house was filled with that perfect mixture of excitement, love, activity, and delirious exhaustion that a newborn brings with him into the world. When I arrived McLain had just finished feeding and was very alert which allowed the camera to see his beautiful eyes. When he went in for another feeding and a nap, I had a chance to play with his big sister, Jackie. Her curls have grown in to the perfect little girl length.. so sweet! Once McLain was fully asleep we got more photographs of him in dreamland... here are just a few of the images from the day....

Kate&Bart ~ Adventure Buddies for Life!

2010-09-22T10:50:00.006-04:00

I love photographing weddings at the Celebrity Dairy Goat Farm in Siler City, NC. I love this place so much that Simon and I had our rehearsal dinner here. It is a special place to me, and when I found out that my friends, Kate and Bart, were having their wedding at the farm, I was so happy they asked me to be their photographer. Kate and Bart met while they were serving in the Peace Corps. Bart would make the trek to Kate's camp via un-airconditioned chicken buses and then hiking over steep mountains to pursue his Kate. Their love grew like the lettuce in their home garden and continued, leading to this day when these two agrarian geniuses ended up tying the knot at a farm here in Chatham County. Every little detail of this wedding was beautiful from the dress made by Kate's mother to the adorable cake made by the bride's brother and sister-in-law, to the flowers from the local farm where I used to get my CSA, Edible Earthscapes. Everything was done with love and it all provided a meaningful setting to bring together the self-proclaimed "adventure buddies" for life! Thank you for having me Kate and Bart, and thanks for photographing this with me Alexa!

The Spencer Family in NC!

2010-09-21T14:53:00.004-04:00

Elizabeth is one of those friends that moved away geographically, but never left my love bubble! We went to high school together in Kernersville and then she headed north for college and graduate school. While in graduate school she met a wonderful man and proceeded in very short order to get hitched and have the cutest babies. Now those babies are little children with their own personalities. It is beautiful to see my beautiful friend with such a wonderful family.

They came down to North Carolina from Connecticut for our ten year high school reunion. Here are pictures from when we visited the American Tobacco District in Durham, right down the street from where I live, and at the Kernersville Lake Park, right down the street from where we grew up!

A Sneak Peak ~ Kate and Bart

2010-09-17T10:49:00.005-04:00

I'm working on the photos from Kate and Bart's beautiful wedding at the Celebrity Dairy Farm. For those that are waiting to see the pictures, here is a sneak peak showing the "adventure buddies" smiling right before their ceremony. There are many more pictures coming from my friends' beautiful wedding! I'll post them soon! Until then...

A funny little moment...

2010-09-08T16:20:00.003-04:00

Here is my cousin and my brother playing with my little nephew. Love the chubby cheeks!

Bekki & Shawn ~ Classic Beauty

2010-09-02T12:36:00.004-04:00

This wonderfully sweet couple, Bekki and Shawn, welcomed me to their elegant wedding. The beautiful ceremony was located at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church with a reception following a the magnificent Graylyn. This was one of those weddings where the photographer struggles to hold the tears back... everything was perfect down to the handkerchief embroidered by Bekki for Shawn, and the intricate lace garter which Shawn's mother made for Bekki to wear under her gown. Wendy Weeks helped me capture this joyful day. Enjoy viewing these photographs!

Our Yard ~ A Sleepy Summer Afternoon

2010-08-25T16:08:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I need to take a break from all of the computer work that comes along with running a photography business. Yesterday cooled off after an afternoon shower, so I headed outside to tend the chickens and observe the garden.

Sarah Kuhn of Hotel Hadley Studios

2010-08-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

Chatham County, NC is known for its vibrant art community. I was lucky to have had the chance to photograph Sarah Kuhn's plexiglas creations for her website. Here are three samples of her work, that shows her Constellation Series, her Personal Geography Series, and her Play Series. I love how she takes objects that would be trash and makes them into beautiful pieces of art. If you'd like to view more pieces of her work, visit an art opening at Hotel Hadley Studios in Siler City, NC and meet the artist yourself!

The Beach & The Babies

2010-08-20T11:33:00.005-04:00

I am lucky enough to have made it to the beach twice this summer to vacation with my side of the family and my husband's side of the family. I have two little nephews, so you can imagine what the main subjects of my camera attention where... little Ben and little Boyd. Here are some of my favorites from the two trips.

Bekki and Shawn's Wedding ~ A Sneak Peak

2010-08-18T14:03:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday Bekki and Shawn were married at St. Timothy's in Winston-Salem, NC with a reception following at the magnificent Graylyn. I just had to take a little peak at the photos from their beautiful wedding ... here are a few from the day. I'll post more of this sweet couple once I have a chance to look through everything!

Lovely Heather

2010-08-12T10:44:00.004-04:00

Heather came to my home in Durham for her bridal portrait. We started the session inside and then moved to the nearby Duke Gardens for the second half. She is the perfect graceful and beautiful bride. Here are a few of my favorites from our session.

Dana & Greg ~ Wedding

2010-07-29T13:00:00.002-04:00

Awhile back I photographed the beautiful area found at Twin Lakes Lodge. It was there that Dana and Greg were to be married. They saw my images from that former photo session and asked me to come out there again to photograph their intimate wedding. Dana and Greg decided to have a small ceremony with just the two of them present. They were high school sweethearts, were separated for many years, and found each other again later in life. I know that these two sweet people will treat each other well. I'm happy that I could be there to witness their wedding. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day.

Mae and Joey ~ Charlotte Engagement Session

2010-07-13T15:48:00.005-04:00

My brother introduced me to his friends Mae and Joey since they were looking for a photographer for the upcoming Charleston wedding. All I knew about the two going into this engagement session is that Mae is the former Ms. Virginia and Joey just got into an MBA program in Austin. When I arrived I found out that these two are also a fun and sweet couple. Mae and Joey met in DC when she was a student. Now she flies to NYC every week for work as he makes plans for the move to Austin. I'm glad this jet setting couple took time to have their portraits made. Thanks Matt for introducing me and carrying my photo gear!

Holly and Andrew ~ Old Salem Wedding

2010-07-12T12:21:00.006-04:00

I met Holly several years ago when she and my sister were in graduate school together. A little while later Holly met a nice guy named Andrew. It wasn't long after that Holly asked me to photograph her beautiful wedding at Old Salem! This wedding was a little different than any other I've attended. The idea was to throw a big party and get married in the middle of it, which is exactly what they did. Holly arrived in a cute cocktail dress for their pre-ceremony party. From there she quickly changed into her wedding gown for the ceremony and then it was on to the reception where they danced into the heat of the night. I loved their beautiful cake, flowers, rings, and location. There were also memorable moments as when Andrew and Holly performed a Natalie Merchant song dedicated to Holly's mother. They ended the night with a swirl of sparklers and a late night carriage ride through Old Salem. Thanks for having me there Holly and Andrew and thanks for helping me photograph the event Lucy!

Ginny and Michael ~ Engagement Session

2010-07-07T10:29:00.004-04:00

I felt like I was shooting a piece for Vogue magazine when photographing this good looking couple at the Governors Club in Chapel Hill. These two where so charming and photogenic, and the rolling hills of Governors Club set the perfect backdrop for the session. There were places in the community where you felt as if you were in the mountains due to the grand hills, valleys and forests that were dotted with mansions and one old and quaint log cabin! Here are a few of my favorite images from the session....

Independence Day Sale! 10% off online orders

2010-07-02T09:43:00.003-04:00

In celebration of Independence Day, I am offering a 10% off sale on July 3rd and July 4th 2010 if you order prints and other products online! Click on this link to connect to your event and to the Jessica Lobdell Photography store: SALE!

Tanner!

2010-07-01T14:13:00.004-04:00

Jenn and Grant, who's wedding I just photographed in April, have the cutest little fluffy dog named Tanner. Jenn wanted a portrait session done of her sweet natured pup so that she could always have good memories of her little guy. So off we went with Tanner to a scenic park to photograph Tanner running around and being cute. This is the first session I have done of a pet, but I'd be more than happy to do this more often since we had such a good time trying to get Tanner's personality showing through in the pictures. I end this post with one image of Jenn, Grant and Tanner at their wedding. As you can see... Tanner lived happily ever after!

Kate and AJ ~ Inn Fashion

2010-06-28T14:51:00.009-04:00

You may remember this fun couple from a stylish engagement session we did awhile back. Kate and AJ once again were a fashionable and cute couple at their wedding held in Greensboro, NC at the Groome Inn. My friend Wendy and I photographed this wedding for Steve Exum last month. Everything from the touching flower ceremony to the west coast style of Kate's brothers made this party lovely, while the love and excitement from the bride and groom kept the party going late into the night. It was wonderful to see how happy Kate and AJ were from their getting ready moments all the way to their last dance where AJ belted out the romantic song lyrics to his new wife. Thanks for having me there to share your special day Kate and AJ!

Sweet Southern Style ~ Leigh-Ann and Harrison's Wedding

2010-06-25T13:33:00.005-04:00

With the cicadas humming in the trees, Lucy Clement and I photographed Leigh-Ann and Harrison's beautiful wedding at the Stonewall Manor in Rocky Mount, NC. I had a hard time narrowing down the pictures to go onto this blog post, because this wedding was so wonderful. The grand old house and its towering oak trees make the ideal spot for a summer event. I love how the bride was escorted by her father down the grand stairs of the house, which is also where you can see that she and Harrison saw each other for the first time in their wedding attire. As the sun shone through the trees, their vows were exchanged and they were happily married. After the ceremony, the party progressed to the back lawn where the tent was set up. You may remember baby Jackie and her mom Katie from a portrait session we did together last fall. The dancing and laughter went late into the night and ended with Harrison and Leigh-Ann leaving through a tunnel of sparklers. It was a lovely wedding and I am so grateful they asked me to attend!

A Beautiful Evening ~ Leigh-Ann and Harrison's Rehearsal Dinner

2010-06-22T13:11:00.006-04:00

The elegant and historic Myrtle Grove Plantation in Macclesfield, NC was the perfect setting for the beautiful rehearsal dinner that Laura Dudley planned for her son Harrison and soon to be daughter-in-law, Leigh-Ann. You may remember Leigh-Ann and Harrison from an engagement session that we did together in the middle of winter. The sticky hot southern weather during the dinnner was held at bay by the cool beverages that were served in one of a kind glasses that Laura collected during that past year just for this event. The evening was pleasant, the dinner was delicious, and the intimate atmosphere lent itself well to friendly laughter and kind toasts. Here are a few of my favorite images from the evening.

Heather & Troy ~ Love in Small Town America

2010-06-19T20:33:00.005-04:00

When Heather and I were discussing where to photograph her engagement session, she suggested downtown Apex, NC. This town was not only super cute, it was the place that Troy took her for their first date, and where they plan on raising a family. I was delighted when I showed up to photograph Heather, as she wore the cutest polka dot green dress that complimented her red curls, and her fiance was a sweet as could be. We wandered the town, even sticking our heads into a little used book store called All Booked Up. The photo session ended with a kiss in front of the setting sun, when Troy took his soon to be bride off to dinner, where it all started. Thanks for being so much fun Heather and Troy!

Farewell to the Outerbanks

2010-06-11T08:49:00.003-04:00

This will be my last posting of pictures from the Outerbanks of NC for awhile since these are a few pictures from my last day there. I started the morning with a little stroll on the beach next to my campground. The little seashell creatures were having breakfast and the dad and daughter were catching fish in the sun. Goodbye beach, and onward to home. Before I could leave the islands completely, I stopped off at the wildlife preserve on Pea Island. This part of the Outerbanks is so narrow that it seems to be mostly shallow water where migrating birds and sea turtles can stop over on their journey. I conversed with a gaggle of turtles, hiked a bit, and on my way out ran into Devon and Mitch again! They were also checking out the natural wonders of this beautiful land before heading back to the Piedmont. I thought that chance encounter was a wonderful way to end the weekend.

Film from 2007

2010-06-08T16:11:00.004-04:00

I'm trying once again to organize my hard drives filled with photos from weddings, portraits, commercial session, and other things. I came upon some film I scanned back in 2007 while I had access to a dark room and scanner at photography school. I'm posting them here in hopes that they'll give you a little break in the day just like they did for me.

Wandering through Buxton Woods

2010-06-02T13:26:00.005-04:00

The day after a wedding I am always exhausted, so instead of driving the six hours home from Devon and Mitch's beach wedding, I decided to take the day to explore the beautiful island I was visiting. Hatteras Island has been able to support human habitation since before Europeans settled the area. This part of the Outerbanks is wide enough to support the growth of one of the oldest and largest maritime forests in North Carolina. These trees and plants offered some protections from the harsh island weather, materials for building, and even leaves for tea. You'll see below what is called a "sedge," which is a low lying area that holds fresh water. Apparently this sedge is rapidly giving over to the growth of cattails as the water level rapidly drops due to human consumption. The delicate ecosystem does not escape the human footprint. I emerged from the trail, leaving the toads and dragonflies behind, to view the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. After few moments viewing this old building, I traveled over to a more remote section of the Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve set aside by the Nature Conservancy and the NC Devision of Coastal Management in 1993 and 1994. The trails meandered over old sand dunes in the middle of the ancient forest. The air felt tropical as I checked at ankle height for any poisonous snakes and listened to birds above. As the sun was getting low, I decided to head back to the Frisco campground and was greeted by a most wonderful storm. The rain just missed my campsite leaving me with a spectacular view of the retreating thunderhead cloud. I slept peacefully, grateful that although the island isn't wild as it once was, there were still places preserved that allow a true island experience.

Devon & Mitch ~ Wedding on the Beach

2010-05-27T17:55:00.006-04:00

Devon and Mitch were married at Hatteras Beach under clear blue skies. They and their family had been there all week preparing for this big day. Everything came together right on time and the two wed with their toes in the sand and the wind in their hair. With blue dresses and pink umbrellas, sparkly new rings, hand folded origami cranes, and drawings in the sand, the two started their life as a married couple surrounded and filled with joy and love. Thank you for having me there Devon and Mitch!