Jessica + Josh + Me + Ernie the cat = Good Times in Cherry Valley

A few weeks ago, I drove out to Cherry Valley to take some engagement pictures for my good friend and co-worker Jessica and her fiance Josh. Cherry Valley is absolutely gorgeous! I'm definitely going to have to do some more exploring of that area one of these days.

We took the majority of the photos at Josh's parents' house, and it was a truly great location. Not only that, but I got to meet one of the coolest cats ever: Ernie. The first thing I noticed about Ernie were his gigantic mitten paws.



I don't think I've ever met a cat who was so incredibly friendly. He was more like a dog. All he really wanted was to be petted and held, and I was happy to oblige. I found a lot of cat hair in my cleavage when I got home. Oh, and he had six toes on each foot, hence the gigantic paws.



Unfortunately, and I didn't know this then, Ernie's time on this earth was running very short. Jessica told me just this past Friday that he had more than likely been eaten by a wild animal. I was definitely a little heartbroken.

RIP, Ernie. You were the shit.

Okay, so back to the subject at hand: Jessica and Josh. Well, we had a great time while doing their session. They were really great models and did anything I asked. They get bonus points for patience (as it took me three weeks to get to any of their pictures) and for being so overwhelmingly photogenic. And I love the way they laugh all the time - I feel that it's a really important part of a relationship.

And now, the pictures!

I loved this tractor, and I loved that Jesshua and Jossica were willing to get on it.




And I loved this fountain. I took the fountain shots with two different cameras (and thus, two different lenses) and obviously processed them both differently. I really am pleased with the way they both came out.






If you look closely, you can see the rainbow in the sky. It had rained earlier that day.


This barn was great. I loved the red door. Did I mention that Josh's parents' property was totally amazing?








And last, but not least: Jessica's rock. Blurry but cool looking. I took this photo with my makeshift macro lens.


The final verdict on their pictures: I am really happy with the way they came out. I definitely learn more with each session. It helps to have patient people to work with. Thank you, J + J!