When is the best time to have surprise visits from life-long friends...? Hmmm, ANYTIME! Darlene became a faithful follower of my blog some time ago, so when she traveled to Florida from Atlanta, Ga to visit family and friends, it was the perfect opportunity to capture the crew so she could have her own post!

We grew up in the same local neighborhood, eventually created tons of chaos in high school, and now stay in touch from different states as we build our families strong. Darlene is married to Jason, a faithful soldier in the US Army, and they have three beautiful boys Noah, Lawrence, and Nicholas who were an absolute blast to hang out with and capture.

Darlene: It was wonderful hanging out for the day and catching up while we had time. Thanks for always keeping it real and providing tons of laughter. You have a beautiful family - I am super proud of you and look forward to good times ahead. Lots of love ~

Long before she detected on her romantic radar, Ricky was in full pursuit of his future bride with his eyes fixed on the prize and his hand to the plow. They established a solid friendship, however, while Ricky was clearly developing feelings, Kelli was unaware of his intentions sensing that friendship was all he had in mind. Needless to say, they continued laughing together, playing together, sharing life together… and consequentially their story began to develop while the door to their hearts unknowingly began to open.

With great anticipation, Kelli and Ricky pulled into our driveway after five-hours of traveling from Gainesville ready to rest and relax in preparation for our early morning photo experience, which would indeed prove to be an absolute blast! With so much in common, it felt as if time slipped from our hands as we swapped stories, ideas, beliefs, and our experiences realizing that we were becoming connected as friends very quickly. Watching these two interact throughout the day only magnified what we already knew to be true of their genuine and sincere love for each other not to mention, their strong romantic connection which we captured with honor.

Kelli and Ricky: thank you for your friendship, your kindness, your laughter and sharing your life with us. We are grateful for your caring hearts and want to express our deep appreciation. We are looking forward to an amazing weekend with you guys… maybe we can fit a little triathlon training in there too…? The competition is on!

The demands of intense preparation and planning for a wedding day can often consume us while we forget to simply enjoy the day.  Here is a quick capture that reminds me to loosen up in life and maintain a good perspective on what is most important.

It's always great to find your personal work or identity appearing in print form for all eyes to see. Kim and Scott Goodwin are an absolutely amazing couple that I've had the pleasure of working with and now seeing on the pages of New Canaan Darien and Rowayton magazine out of Norwalk, Connecticut, just 45 miles from New York City.

Here is the write up on these two:

Kimberly Wynns Arbuckle and Scott Kreitler Goodwin first connected while attending a mutual friend's party at an Irish pub in New York City's West Village. After they spent the evening chatting over a few Irish specialty drinks, Scott asked Kimberly on a date. The two shared an unforgettable time that started with a sushi dinner, which included a daring uni shooter. Kimberly says, 'I'd spent most of my life avoiding eating fish, but I didn't want to let him down." Next up, third-row seats at a Rolling Stones concert in Madison Square Garden.

Two years later – just before the couple was due to leave for a romantic retreat to the Coral Beach Club in Bermuda – Scott asked for Kimberly’s hand in marriage. The sweethearts were married by the Reverend Thomas R. Niblock in October at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. They enjoyed a honeymoon in Thailand and Bali and now live in Manhattan. She has since tried over four different types of fish.

Kimberly, promotion director for Lucky Magazine, is daughter of Catherine and Stephen Arbuckle of Miami, Florida. She received her B.A. in communications from Boston Colle ge. Scott, the son of Joan and John Goodwin of Rowayton, is director of high-yield credit trading for Citigroup. He is a Darien High School graduate and received his B.A. in economics from Duke University.

From their energetic engagement session to their memorable wedding day, and now to the birth of their soon to be son, we have documented the series of major life moments for these two each step of the way. Kelly and Marcelo are expecting sometime in August and approached me for a simple yet creative maternity session. Clearly I agreed with one stipulation, I get to shoot it my way, my style, with no boundaries on creative license..."you got it Mike, let's make it happen". Our shooting time was filled with laughter, swarms of killer mosquitos, green pastures, lots of yummy light and the beautiful ocean blue as Kelly pushed through the day with us like a true champion. I've never been a die hard fan of the whole maternity session concept but after seeing our work together my opinions may have turned for the better as I love the results out of the camera. Congratulation you two! We are absolutely certain that you will provide the ideal loving home for your beautiful child and look forward capturing your smiles as a family. We love you guys...