Rachel Browne Photography

Kate and I have been friends since freshman year at Carolina (the real one) and have had our fair share of shenanigans. When she moved to Kentucky, I had to start hearing about all her crazy times and fun friends over the phone instead of being there. But when she called me to tell me about Peter, I could tell something was a little different.  Hanging out with them over Memorial Day Weekend in Kentucky, I know why…he’s absolutely perfect for her.  Congrats, Kate, on finding the perfect guy. And welcome, Peter, to the insanity that is a weekend with me and Kate…. I’ll try to visit often. :p

Emily and Ryan were so fun to photograph. There’s nothing that makes me happier than when I ask a couple to kiss for a picture and they give it their all instead of a polite peck. We did our shoot in downtown Columbia, in the Vista, along with their two dogs, Cosmo and Nova. Emily works at a shelter, so these pups are living the good life now. They might need to work on their supermodel skillz, though. Not once did the dogs flash blue steel…and rarely did they look at the camera lol. Luckily, Emily and Ryan were naturals and their pictures turned out great!

We did Kerry and Chris’s engagement portraits in their neighborhood, which is gorgeous. The homes are around 100 years old and filled with friendly people who stopped us for conversation along the way. It’s obvious that Kerry and Chris are well-liked, and no wonder. They’re sweet and absolutely adorable together. Add in their golden retriever, Dillon, and you’ve got a fun shoot.  Here are just a few of my favorite shots from the session.

I met Julie while doing commercial work for USC Specialty Clinics…I actually did photos while she performed surgery. It was a pretty cool moment for me, probably business as usual for her. So when she contacted me about wedding photography, I was thrilled. She and Craig are splitting time between Columbia and Charleston, but the wedding (and the engagement portraits) are all Charleston. I had such a good time shooting in parks and exploring side streets with them!

Bonnie and Shane are so much fun to work with. When we scheduled their engagement portrait session, Bonnie told me that the theme for their wedding is “Love is Sweet,” and she had some ideas for their engagement portrait….involving candy. If you know me personally (and have witnessed the Sour Patch Kid addiction), then you know I loved it. The two of them are so sweet together, the theme just slides right in.

I had the pleasure of shooting with Heather and John not long ago.  John’s a USC student, and Heather’s an alum, so they decided to take their engagement photos in the USC Horseshoe.  I’m new to Columbia, so I appreciated the opportunity to explore the “other Carolina.” (Heather’s a big USC fan, so I won’t go on too much about how I went to the real Carolina. :p) After we made the rounds on the Horseshoe — and encountered an, um, interesting man playing a recorder — we went on to shoot at Maxcy Gregg Park.  Both locations were beautiful backdrops for Heather and John’s photos.  They’re such a fun, sweet couple, I’m already getting excited about their wedding in May!

I recently had the pleasure of shooting an engagement portrait with Monica and Ryan in Grant Park in Atlanta.  Just a few minutes in their company and you can see how much they love each other.  We had a great time despite the heat, and even got their pups to pose for a few shots!  The two of them are absolutely adorable.  They even had me smiling as I retouched the photos. I’m so excited to be shooting their wedding in Hilton Head this October!