Crouse Photography

Exciting News!

2012-02-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

GREAT NEWS! Coming Soon NEW hosting Sites and Prints are on SALE!

Soon the web hosting will be migrating to a new format! What does that mean for my current clients? Your Hosting will automatically transfer to the new site. Once the move is done, I'll send a notice out letting you know so you can check out the new site. The hosting will now be done through Zenfolio.com which will add a host of new features and products to order.
You'll be able to:

Buy and Download files from the hosting
Order guest books and Albums through the site
Easier ordering with easy cropping
Turn your photos into greeting cards

And so much more!
I will also be offering stock photos for sale of the local area. Images will be royalty free and downloadable saving you the time of hiring a photographer for your photo projects.

We’re starting the New Year off with a bang with a 1¢ Print Promotion! This is a great time to order those wedding and engagement portraits!
Promotion Details
Order two 11×14, 10×20, 12×24, 16×16 or 16×20 E-Surface prints, and receive the second print of the same image for just one cent.
Metallic and True Black & White papers, as well as finishing services added to the print order, are not included in the promotion.
Additional print quantities in the order are available at regular prices.
Place order directly with Roxanne. Do not orrder through the webhosting
Sale ends Feb 29, 2012 at midnight (Central time).
FAQs
Q: I placed a print order just prior to the start of the sale. Can I receive a credit?
A: Unfortunately, any prints ordered prior to the start of the sale will not be credited with the discount.
Q: I want to modify the finishing services on the second print. Can I still get it for one cent?
A: Unfortunately, order modifications cannot be made to the second print. If any modifications are requested, the sale is void and the second print becomes regular price.
Q: How do I place an order for the one cent promotion?
A: Order your prints directly through me, not through the web hosting, to get the deal.
Q: Can I use my package credit toward the order?
A: Yes you can!

Family Portriats from 2011

2012-02-18T08:38:00.000-05:00

I shot the Williams family back in 2011 at Clear Brook Park in Virginia. Originally, I was hired to shoot their wedding day, but they decided to elope. As you can see, their son was adorable, and still is I'm sure.

The day we shot was a bit gloomy so I had to add in the sky, just needed some color to spiff up the image.

Just finished another Wedding album design

2012-02-17T10:42:00.000-05:00

I just finished another design if you'd like to take a look at it. I'm all caught up on designing now, so if you haven't gotten your image picks in yet, now is a good time. I'll be able to start work on it right a way. You won't have to wait behind another bride and you won't have to wait for me to edit weddings!
Porter Album Design

Check Out Some of My Recent Photo Shoots

2012-02-10T08:19:00.000-05:00

Want to see some of the work I've done recently? Great! Check out the links below.

I did the Long engagement session back in December. Unfortunately I wasn't available for their wedding date, but I helped them find a great photographer and I'm sure they will be happy with the Crystal Lenz.

Long Engagement session

Here's an album design of a wedding I shot back in July

July 3, 2011 Album Design

I shot the Walton wedding back in September. I finished her album just a few weeks ago

Walton Wedding Design

The Esswein wedding was shot back in Dec. The couple didn't delay in getting me their album list and here is the design, finished a month later.

Esswein Album Design

I did head shots for a past wedding client of her children. They've been in a few print ads and commercials.

Fitz Head Shots

The Henderson 50th Anniversary was my first event at The Charles Town Race Track and it went very well.

Henderson 50th Anniversary

And last but not least, my February 4th wedding out at Coolfont in Berkeley springs.

February 4th Wedding

I've been pretty busy the last month, which is a good thing. I don't like being bored. I hope you enjoy the images.

Bridal Show this Sunday Feb 12th

2012-02-09T17:24:00.000-05:00

Don't forget! There will be a bridal show February 12th at the Clarion in Sheperdstown WV from 1pm to 5pm

My Favorite Wedding Dress From 2010

2012-01-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

I'm making my last post on weddings from 2010 so I can start showing 2011 weddings and hopefully catch up to 2012 before the season really gets going. This was my favorite wedding dress from 2010. I liked it because it wasn't white. I'm all about breaking tradition and was thrilled to see this lovely purple wedding dress.

During the winter of 2010, I briefly flirted with video. My new camera at the time, the canon 7D can record video so I took short clips and added them into slide shows. I didn't do any video clips in 2011. I found it hard to keep switching back and forth. I was always paranoid some cool would happen and I'd miss getting a pic of it, so I stopped. Below is another wedding a got a few video clips.

I hope you enjoy!!!

Bridal Show at the Clarion in Shepherdstown Feb 12

2012-01-24T07:03:00.003-05:00

The bridal show will be at the Clarion in Shepherdstown on February 12 from 1pm to 5pm

Info about the show

Bridal Show Tips

1. First thing to dois get a list of the area bridal shows. You can get a list at www.crousephotography.net

2. Planto spend a couple hours at the show, bring your Maid of honor, mom, or groom tohelp you with vendor questions and information collecting.

3. Bringpictures with you to show to the vendors. This will help them give moreaccurate price quotes.

4. Wearshows you can do a lot of walking in so you don’t get sore feet

5. Don’tbe afraid of the vendors walk up and ask questions! They want to hear yourideas. Bring a list of questions so you will be prepared to get greatinformation.

6. Takea folder with you. Make one side for information from vendors you really likedand one side for vendors you didn’t like. You may want to bring a notebook towrite down information that is not in the brochures.

7. Bringaddress labels to fill out those mailing lists, drawings, and special deals alot faster.

8. Don’tjust book the first vendor you talk to. Shop around and ask questions you mayfind a better fit for your wedding.

9. Findout what vendors are at the show so you can do research on them ahead of time.That way if you like them you can go ahead and book them at the show and savetime meeting with them again later. Some vendors will offer specials that areonly available at the show so doing your research ahead of time will help youfeel better about taking advantage of those specials.

10. You maywant to sign up for a new email address and/or open a temporary post office boxso that after your wedding you can close them and not get wedding junk mailanymore.

11. If the showhas a website register prior to the show a lot of times this will get you infree whereas you’ll have to pay if you register at the door.

12. Bring a bagwith you not every show will provide one for you. You’re going to get a lot ofinformation.

Christmas Wedding

2011-12-31T09:26:00.000-05:00

Here is a Christmas wedding album design from 2010. I'm almost caught up to 2011. Just in time for it to turn into 2012. I hope you enjoy the design.

Photos of Berkeley County WV

2011-12-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

Samples of my other types of work

2011-12-17T22:09:00.000-05:00

Here's a photo I took a few years back during a photowalk. It's an example of my strange sense of humor.

Here's another one from the same walk. One of the few HDR images I've done. I've got to get out and do more HDRs. I use photomatix software to make them.

I did it without a tripod which I don't recommend. It was a hot day and I didn't want to carry around a heavy tripod.

Wedding Album Design from October 2010

2011-12-16T10:37:00.000-05:00

I designed this layout sometime back in 2010. I decided to post the album for this wedding instead of plain pictures because the layout shows how the images can be used. Especially for my brides who are having a hard time figuring out what pictures they should choose for their album. Best advise I can give you is, more is not better.

Most brides want to cram as many images in their albums as they can. Many of the pictures are repetitive. Do you really need the close up pick of you and your mom and the full length? Those two images are essentially the same. I would concentrate more on the images that tell the story of your wedding day. You want your children and your grandchildren to be able to get a sense of who you were back then and posed family images don't tell them anything about you except what you looked like. So keep that in mind when selecting images. I hope the below design gives you some ideas.

Senior Session

2011-12-15T09:52:00.000-05:00

I don't do a lot of Senior portraits not because I don't like doing them, but because I don't like being trapped in a studio. But if your looking for something outside the studio realm, give me a call. The pictures below were fun. The hardest part was figuring out what to do with the horses. I'd never done a shoot with horses before and wasn't sure about their temperament when it came to being photographed. The horses turned out to be very cooperative and I hope I get to shoot with horses again. It was a lot of fun.

Awesome Image Number 3

2011-12-10T16:59:00.000-05:00

This image is wonderful! I'd love to do something like this. Too bad I don't have the underwater housing for my camera. It's hard to justify the cost of one when, most likely, I'll never be shooting a wedding underwater. If someone wants to have their wedding underwater I'll finally have the excuse to buy one. Until then I'll have to drool at the talent of others.

To view the original post where this image came from click here.

October 29th Wedding at Shenandoah Golf Club

2011-11-07T06:35:00.001-05:00

This was my winter wonderland Halloween wedding.I'm glad I made it there safe that morning. I didn't really think it would snow that much, just rain. I was wrong. As soon as I noticed the snow on the ground, I juumped in my car and off I went. The day turned out wonderful for the couple and the snow added an extra element of fun. Dana and Ross will never forget their wedding day and neither will I. YOu can see the rest of this wedding at: http://crousephotography.portraitstorefront.com/event/257118

Bridal Fair to offer bit of everything - journal-news.net | News, sports, jobs, community information for Martinsburg - The Journal

2011-11-05T16:36:00.000-04:00

MARTINSBURG - The 13th annual Bridal Fair 2011 will offer relief to stressed future brides and grooms by showcasing vendors who want to make their big day extra special.

In addition to featuring vendors from the wedding industry, the fair also offers couples the chance to experience the latest bridal fashions during a runway fashion show and win numerous door prizes.

The fair, sponsored by The Journal, is held twice a year - once each spring and fall. Free to the public, the event will feature around 30 vendors. These wedding professionals offer couples options for all aspects of wedding planning, such as photography and catering, flower arrangements, wedding cakes and more.

Awesome Wedding Images Image #2

2011-10-26T19:23:00.000-04:00

With all the rainy weddings this year I wish I would have thought of this idea. What a great image! I found it at Wedding Photography Project. You bet the next time I have a rainy wedding I'm going to attempt an image similar to this one.

The Lively wedding was extremely lively!

2011-10-25T07:21:00.004-04:00

I shot the lively wedding back on October 16, 2010 and it sure was lively. I was only there for 2 hours but I still shot tons of pictures. The wedding party was humongous. It must've been crazy getting all those people ready on time. I think the lively wedding party must've been my largest wedding party to date. I love the men's suits, they were a lot of fun. I could tell they enjoyed wearing them too. Without further ado I present to you the lively wedding pictures. I hope you enjoy looking at them.

Awesome Wedding Images= Image #1

2011-10-22T08:57:00.000-04:00

I found this image at Photography Business Tips and loved it! I may try and capture something similar at one of my weddings just to see if I can.

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Wedding Photographer

2011-10-21T09:47:00.000-04:00

The first question you should ask is to see the photographer’s business license. I’m surprised that in 11 years of photographing weddings not one couple has asked to see my business license. This is the easiest way to eliminate nonprofessionals. I always keep my business license close at hand in case somebody asks to see it. Another reason you want to ask about the business license is to make sure your photographer is honest. If they are charging you sales tax and don’t have a business license, then they are dishonest and are only trying to get more money.

The next question you should ask is if the photographer has liability and equipment insurance. You want to know that you are protected if someone in your family gets hurt by accidentally tripping over one of the photographer’s cables or equipment. Your photographer should also be protected against theft or equipment damage. A nonprofessional photographer without Equipment Insurance may try to sue you for damages if their equipment is broken by one of your family.

Ask if the photographer you’re considering accepts credit cards even if you’re not going to pay with a credit card. A photographer who takes their business seriously will have gone through the trouble to learn and set up credit card processing.

Ask to see a wedding from start to finish, every picture that was taken at one wedding. This will give you an idea of what type of pictures the photographer will take during your entire wedding day. If you don’t like what you’re seeing, then don’t hire that photographer. It will also show you how competent the photographer is. If there are only a few good shots, then that photographer is not a professional. If they can’t show you an entire wedding, then you don’t want to hire them. It’s a clear sign they are an amateur.

Ask for references. A photographer who is good will have no problem giving you references. They’re clients will be happy clients and will volunteer to give their reference. Almost all of my clients volunteer to give a reference for me. If a photographer you’re meeting with is reluctant to give references, then keep looking.

Ask for a list of photographers that will step in and take over in case your photographer is ill. I am lucky to say that for 11 years I have never had to use my list of backup photographers, but I will always have a list just in case. Ask for a printout of that list so you can check and make sure those photographers are also professional.

Ask the photographer if they have a money back guarantee. A true professional will have confidence in their work and will have no problem offering a limited time money back guarantee because they know they will never have to give that money back. They will work hard for you to create what you want to make sure you are happy.

Ask your photographer if they use a contract. If they say no, then don’t book them. Without a contract neither you nor the photographer have any protection. Your photographer could accept your payment and then never show up to the wedding and you would have no legal proof of your agreement. A contract also helps spell out what each of you expect so there are no misunderstandings. If it is not on the contract, then your photographer may not honor what you agreed on verbally. Always have your expectations in writing on the contract. Ask if you can have a copy of the contract before booking so you can take your time and read through the terms and ask questions.

Tell your potential photographer who your other vendors are and see if they have worked with them before. The more experienced a photographer is the more vendors they will have worked with in the past. You’ll also learn the relationship your potential photographer has with these vendors. Your wedding day is more likely to run smoothly if your vendors are familiar with each other. You may also want to ask how many years they have been working as a photographer and if they work as a photographer full time. There are a lot of weekend warriors out there who only shoot weddings on the weekends for extra money. They may not be as serious about their craft has a photographer who completely depends on their wedding income.

Ask the photographer specific questions about past weddings they have shot to get an idea of how experienced they really are. A competent photographer will have excellent ideas on how to solve problems you have planning your wedding. They will have been to many weddings and seen many different ways of handling different situations. For example, ask the photographer how they would solve a problem with exiting the church after the ceremony. A photographer who has shot a lot of weddings will have many suggestions for you. Perhaps your minister has told you that flash is not allowed during the ceremony. An experienced photographer will know how to handle that situation and will have no problem shooting without flash.

October wedding I shot a year ago. I know, I'm WAY behind.

2011-10-19T17:48:00.001-04:00

Maybe I'll catch up on blogging weddings, but I probably won't. I'm still going to try though. This wedding was held at a church on Tabler Station Road and the reception was held at the Holliday Inn. There is a great picture of Rick Rohn mixed in there. He is a local DJ if you are still looking for one for your wedding. He and I have worked together a lot this year. Hi Rick if your reading this! He told me once he was amazed at how often I updated my blog. I do update, but some how have still managed to fall a year behind in posting weddings. Go figure. While things are slowing down I'm going to try to catch up. At some point I do promise to write the second part to my white balance blog (If anyone is interested in reading that leave me a comment so I'm more motivated to write it).

Such an adorable couple below. In a few days I'll be shooting a portrait session with the two of them. It will be interesting to see where they are a year later. Hopefully still madly in love.

NaNoWriMo

2011-10-15T10:57:00.000-04:00

Wedding Back A Year Ago At Hill Brook Inn

2011-10-14T15:08:00.001-04:00

If your thinking of having a wedding at Hill Brook I can say it's a wonderful place and the staff were really nice. I've only had the opportunity to shoot one wedding at Hill Brook, but I do Hope to shoot there again in the future. Here are some images from that wedding.

A Couple photos from the 2011 Photowalk

2011-10-10T18:26:00.001-04:00

Here are some of the images I got during the photowalk

NAPP Photowalk 2011 in Lessburg VA

2011-10-01T13:44:00.000-04:00

I decided to go to the Leesburg photowalk again this year even though the Winchester walk was closer because I like to see old friends again. Maybe next year I'll do the Winchester walk. I was going to do both but the rain and the cold got to me in Leesburg. Right now I'm waiting for the pics I took to download so I can take a better look at them (and warming up). The real fun part is editing them and turning them into something magical.

This year I took my son with me and let him us my old Canon 20D. He's taking a photography class in high school and may get extra credit for participating. I was surprised at the natural eye for composition he has. I can't wait to see what he got. I hope the experience inspires him to come along with old mom more often. The download is almost done. I'll have to edit the wedding I shot last night at The McFarland House first, but I am going to take a quick peep and see if I got anything really good.

Ghost Pictures I Took At HorrorFind Weekend

2011-09-05T12:18:00.000-04:00

After going to the Spiritual Investigations seminar put on by The International Museum of Spiritual Investigations at the con, I decided I wanted to capture some images of ghosts for myself. Here was the first image I got of an apparition on our way to the theater to watch horror flicks. Keep in mind, none of these images were photoshopped in any way.

He was moving the opposite direction and looked quite menacing as he passed by us.

Later I caught this images of a ghost sitting in a chair.

You can see this ghost clearly. I guess the dead have cellphones too.

Our hallway on the 5th floor of the hotel was extremely haunted. First I caught this image of a pumpkin headed ghost trying to scare us.

Then the cellphone ghost from the lobby appeared to us again along with a shadowy ghost to the right of him. The shadow ghost was quire scary and kept me up all night.

Gettysburg is truly a haunted place to visit. I can't wait to go there again.

Photography Lesson White Balance Part One

2011-08-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

Being a digital photographer, it is important to understand what white balance is and how to use it for your advantage. The human eye will see white objects as white no matter what lighting your under because our brains compensate for the color of light. When we are under tungsten light (light bulbs like in a church or the average living room) the light gives off an orange sometimes even red color. You can sometimes see the orange light if you open up a window and let the sun in, the light from the lamp is orange or warm looking compared to the light coming in from the window which will look more blue or cool. The two different light sources mixing together helps you see their different qualities. Have you ever taken a picture indoors where the people were lit by the flash and they looked OK, but the background looked orange. That is because camera flashes are daylight balanced (blue light) and the room is lit with tungsten light (orange light). There is a way to fix that problem and we'll get into the solution soon.

A camera does not have a brain to compensate for light temperature so it is up to the photographer to fix the white balance. Digital cameras do have an auto setting for white balance, and in a lot of situations the auto white balance works pretty good like outside in full sunlight or at a beach or when your object is being completely lit by flash. Digital cameras also have preset white balance options like the picture below.

You can change your white balance setting to these options depending on where you are shooting and as long as you are not using the flash with them. If you are in tungsten light and set your white balance to tungsten light you should get good results. If you combine the flash with those settings, a tungsten lit room with the camera set to a tungsten setting, you'll get a yucky result because the flash is daylight balanced which is a blue light. Lets say you take a picture of your friend in the kitchen, the kitchen may look normal but your friend who is lit more by the flash will look blue. If you set the white balance to the flash setting, your friend will look normal, but the kitchen will look orange. So how do you get a perfect picture? Well, you can color gel your flash so that it shoots a tungsten light. Below is a picture of my flash with a tungsten gel under the white diffuser. You can see the orange sticking out. The orange gel makes the light from the flash orange just like the light in the kitchen so everything matches up.

With your camera set to tungsten, the room lit with tungsten light, and the flash covered with a tungsten gel you'll get a perfectly color balanced shot. You can also buy daylight balanced light bulbs for your home or place your shooting. You would set your camera to flash color balance and use your flash normally without a gel and you'll get a perfect color balance again.

You'll have to use gels for florescent lighting as well. The gel for florescent lights is more of a green color.

Pretty much all flashes are daylight balanced (blue light) so keep that in mind when shooting indoors under warm tungsten lighting or green florescent lighting. Most digital cameras, including point and shoot cameras, have the ability to manually change the white balance. You'll need to be brave and dig around in your camera's menu to find it.

Next time I'll talk about how to do a custom white balance which is more accurate than the preset white balance settings.

I Don't Understand Why Photographers Want To Limit Themselves

2011-07-28T17:44:00.000-04:00

I know a lot of the other photographers in the area. I've met them at bridal shows, photographer meetings, and other ways. I've never been much of a talker so I listen a lot and I'm surprised at how anti they are to some photography equipment and options. I'm not sure why a photographer would want to limit themselves, at least that's how I see it. I know now your like, "What is she talking about?" so let me explain.

Lets start with tripods and monopods. I use tripods and monopods a lot, but I've heard other photographers say how they hate them and would never use one. When I hear this I raise my eyebrow in confusion but stay silent. No need to stir the beehive. At weddings I use tripods all the time. I like to try to keep my iso to no higher than 400 as much as possible, especially with the posed family shots. So I put my camera on a tripod and use a slower shutter speed with my flash color gelled to match the location lighting and on a light stand. If other photographers aren't using a tripod I wonder how they are showing the backgrounds of dark churches? I guess they could bump their iso up to 1600, 3200, even 6400, but I've found when your album designing and you have to crop in close to something, that those high iso numbers introduce a lot of grain I don't want. I use a tripod during the ceremony when I'm not allowed to use flash (some churches restrict flash use). Again for the same reason as above, I don't want to use high iso numbers, plus the images are so much clearer when you shoot them on a tripod.

The image above was shot in a very, very dark castle with only one flash on a light stand at a slow shutter speed, 1/15 I think. If I had hand-held this the stairs would have been dark or I would have had to use iso 3200 making it grainy. I shot this at iso 400 making so I can crop all the way to her face with no quality loss.

I've also heard photographers say they hate using brackets. For those who don't know what a bracket is, it's a device that holds your camera and flash and makes it so you can always position your flash on top of your camera even when you are shooting vertical. Here's a picture of one.

I love my strobo frame. I love that I can flip my flash to the top in a second. I've shot with my flash mounted directly into the hotshoe of my camera before and when I turn the camera vertical I get an ugly side shadow that I don't want. I've tried bouncing the flash from ceilings and walls to eliminate the side shadow and sometimes it works, but having the flash directly above the camera while shooting vertical works even better. Maybe the photographers shooting vertical directly in their camera hotshoes know a secret I don't to eliminate the side shadow. Please feel free to leave a comment about it if you do. I'd love to try your technique out, but until then I'll stick with my strobo frame.

I recently read a thread on facebook between some photographers who said they hated a bunch of different types of special effects like white vignettes, black and white with color, faded look, and overlays etc. I guess that's why the brides are coming to me because I do all of those effects and more. You might think a white vignette is old and outdated, but a brides mom who had an image like that of herself loves to have one of her daughter too. If a photographer chooses not to do those effects, that's fine, but I think you are missing out on some sales you could be making. Why limit your potential. Just about every couple and their parents I meet with love vignette shots and selective color shots. Remember, it's not about what the photographer likes. It's about what your client likes.

That's my two cents on the matter. I feel every time I hear a photographer say they don't like to use something or do something they are limiting their photography world and potential sales they could be making.

Yesterday's Wedding at Berkeley Castle

2011-07-24T11:29:00.000-04:00

I t was an early wedding. I had to get up at 5am. Being so early and the fact that the bridal party were an hour late getting to the rehearsal, I figured the bride and bridesmaids would not be ready a 8:15 am and I was right. Not a big deal, it happens all the time. As I tell all my brides, "If we don't get it done before, we'll just do it after the ceremony". It just makes the after session a lot longer and I have to cut out the more creative stuff I planned to do. Which I was sad about this time because I've never shot at Berkeley Castle before and had all kinds of cool ideas I wanted to do. Oh well, that's the way wedding photography goes. Maybe next time.

[caption id="attachment_2544" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Wedding at Berkeley Castle in Berkeley Springs WV"][/caption]

At least it didn't rain even though it was burning hot. It was probably better we didn't do outdoor shots before the ceremony because the bride would have melted into a puddle of white lace and chafon. The ceremony went perfectly even with six kids all under the age of ten. The kids did make the group shots after the ceremony quite interesting as they wondered in and out of the frame. I was using a very slow shutter speed on a tripod because the castle is very dark and in one shot a little boy jumped in from no where and he looks like a ghost in the shot. I don't know how the couple will feel about it but I thought it was neat looking and kept it in.

The reception was at the Bathhouse at Cacapon state park. Normally it's a great place for a reception but yesterday I guess it was just too hot for the air conditioners to keep up and it was a bit warm in the room. I enjoyed meeting the string quartet that played at the ceremony and reception. They were very nice and extremely talented players. They called themselves the String Poets and I highly recommend them. The fairy tale theme went wonderfully with the castle. I think it turned out to be a great day and the couple seemed so happy. I hope they had a safe trip back to Michigan.

Meetings, Family, and Cleaning Oh My!

2011-07-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

Today I'm cleaning the house because family may come over later and I also have a meeting for December 3. I wish I had more time to clean but I only have a half hour til my clients arrive. I'm also charging lots and lots of double A batteries for my wedding this weekend. I need them for my 580 ex2 flash that I use off camera. I use pocket wizards to trigger the flash wirelessly even though I have a 7D that has built-in wireless control. The flash and wizard eat rechargeable batteries for breakfast.

Not sure when my family from South Carolina will come over or if they will just go to my parents house. My Aunt and Uncle are bringing my nana and pap's ashes up to be placed where they will stay (I forget the word for it, intern I think) in Maryland. No party or service. They will just give them the ashes. I still have the flowers from the funeral. I put them in my windows and am trying very hard to remember to water them. I tend to kill plants in my care, even bamboo which is supposed to be unkillable.

Tomorrow I'll go to the rehearsal for the wedding which will be at the Berkeley Springs Castle. I hope I remember the way to get there. It's been a while since I've gone to Berkeley Springs. But that's why I always go to my wedding locations the night before, even if they don't have a rehearsal, better to get lost the day before than the day of.

I tried to ride my bike this morning to the mail box but when I sat on the seat I noticed the tires were flat. I found the air pump but I couldn't figure out how to do it right. Who knew putting air in your bike tires could be so difficult. The pump seemed to just let the air out and not put any in. I'll have to get my husband to do it when he gets home.

I want to ride around on my bike with my camera and take pictures of scenery to use as stock photos. Save gas and get pictures and exercise at the same time. If anyone wants to get together and ride around on bikes taking pics let me know. I'd love company. It gets lonely being a photographer. You'll have to put up with me stopping a few minutes to take pictures.

_Later_

My meeting is over now. They seemed like a very nice couple. They had three boys. My poor son missed out. Logan loves to play with the kids that come over for meetings, which is a good thing. Wedding consultations can be pretty boring for the average child. They didn't book yet but it seems promising. It would be nice to have maybe two December weddings, and two in Jan, Feb etc. Those are the slow months and I'd rather have weddings than pick up hours at my part-time job for the winter.

Log In To See My Latest Wedding July 9, 2011

2011-07-15T17:55:00.000-04:00

Here is the link to see my latest wedding here in Martinsburg WV Barth-Stroop Wedding. The ceremony was held at Back Creek Valley Full Gospel Church and the reception at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg.

[caption id="attachment_2533" align="aligncenter" width="540" caption="Trying to get the bride to the reception on my John Deere"][/caption]

Need a Wedding Album Made From That DVD Collecting Dust?

2011-06-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

You took all those photos. Now you can sit back and let Crouse Photography design the album.

Did your photographer happily hand you a disk then disappear leaving you
unsure what to do with your images? Then give Crouse Photography a call. I can
help you get your images into a beautiful and affordable wedding album
today!

Crouse Photography provides photographers and brides with custom-created,
magazine-style albums. You just send me your photos on CD, DVD, or Blur-ray and
I hand you back a magazine-style, custom-designed album or your design on DVD in
PDF or JPG format.

My Millers Layflat books, Millers layflat Albums, and Photobooks by
Zookbinders are some of the most beautiful and affordable wedding albums made
today. The layout of each album is done on computer so each page is a unique
creation. The albums come with photo covers and are an original design based on
your wedding colors and tastes.

The Millers Panorama Albums and Zookbook Panorama Albums are a nice step up
from the options mentioned above. The covers are made of leather and the inside
pages are thicker and made to last and be handed down generation after
generation. They also feature computer laid out pages like the albums above
giving your photographer complete creative freedom.

All of my wedding albums come with a variety of photo styles from color to
black & white, infrared, sepia tone, selective color and overlays. This is
why my albums are so unique and are cherished for a lifetime.

Contact Crouse Photography for pricing information.

About to leave for an Engagement session at Hagerstown City Park

2011-06-03T12:27:00.000-04:00

Before I take off to shoot another engagement session I thought I'd share a pic I took at Hagerstown City Park a while back.

I always liked this pic. Hopefully I'll get some today that I like too. And the couple too, I hope they like them. I'll be posting on my website a new session soon, a family/ engagement portrait session. You can see all my current work by going to this link http://crousephotography.portraitstorefront.com/ All the hosted sites are open to the public so don't be shy, take a look and see if there's anything you like.

The View From The Top Of Berkeley County

2011-05-18T17:02:00.000-04:00

The view from the mountain in Hedgesville some where. I'd like to get this same shot at sunrise but haven't managed to yank myself out of bed in time yet.

Outdoor Family Portraits

2011-05-12T10:42:00.000-04:00

Enjoy One Fantastic Day together, and come away with breathtaking portraits that capture the magic between you.

Crouse Photography is an unforgettable outdoor family portrait experience, as you come together for a personal pro location portrait shoot by one of the area’s most imaginative contemporary photographers.

Crouse Photography specializes in dynamic and exciting location portraiture for real families. Not a hurried session in a studio. A fun, involving day out, planned around your life, and captured forever in a set of beautiful images. For more information please contact me at photogooroo@yahoo.com.

Crouse Photography is your family's chance to experience the excitement of a professional outdoor photo shoot, with the attention of a professional lifestyle portrait photographer focused solely on you.

• How it works

When you schedule me using the following link: http://crousephotography.bookmonline.com/schedules/roxanne

I’ll call you to talk about your shoot. You'll tell me who's going to be in the photographs, who else you're bringing to the shoot, and where you might like the pictures to be taken. We’ll discuss clothing and ideas you have to make your images more personal. I will also take a credit card number or send you a pay pal invoice to lock in your date and time. The session fee is $125 plus tax.

• The shoot itself

Your photography shoot is a family event in itself. It's a fun hour to share together, like going bowling, or going out for lunch together. It's exciting, and well...really rather glamorous. We’ll meet at the location chosen at the appointed time and get started right away. Feel free to bring props and family pets.

Who's going to be in your pictures?

You'll have your own ideas about who the stars of your photography shoot are going to be. For lots of our clients, it's simply their children. But almost all combinations of family members, and even some people outside your family group, can make for fantastic portraits. Crouse Photography specializes in energetic, lifestyle portraiture.

• After the shoot

I like to take a week or so after your shoot to look carefully at all the pictures we've shot, and make a selection of images. If these need any digital wizardry to bring out particular aspects, this will be done during this time. The Images will be hosted online for viewing and ordering for 60 days. A link to your photo site will be emailed to you. Feel free to pass the link to other family members and friends. After the 60 days you will need to schedule an appointment for a portrait viewing.

Choosing your location

The place you choose could be at your home or at a park. It could be in your home or garden. The important thing is that we're not only looking for a backdrop: we're looking for a setting in which your family can live, breath, laugh and play naturally while I captures your interactions.

A piece of moorland where you go walking with the kids and your dog? A tree under which you like to picnic? A favorite beach? A rundown old lock-up where your husband and son tinker with the car? We'll discuss ideas with you when we speak. (It's worth keeping in mind that busy public places can be a little difficult to work in and may require special permission to shoot and sometimes a permit.)****

Leaving the location to me

I've found that some people prefer to put themselves entirely in our hands, and wish simply to turn up and be photographed in a beautiful place. I will give you suggestions and directions to places you’ve never been.

Babies First Year Portrait Club

2011-05-05T10:01:00.000-04:00

Preserve your baby's first year with portraits! The Babies First Year Portrait Club is the perfect way to capture each precious stage of your baby's first year. First birthday, first haircut, first Christmas can all be captured forever. Here is what is included with your membership:

• 5 Portrait Sessions to use any time good for one year. Suggested times are newborn, 3 month, 6 month, nine month and 1st birthday

• 25% OFF single reprint prices

• FREE 8x10 with reprint orders $100 or more

• 25% OFF Babies 1st year photo book

• Sessions outdoor, or on-location at your home or a special event

• Images will be hosted online for easy ordering

• Sign Up Early and receive a FREE Maternity session as well!

You get over $625 of
portrait sessions and prints
for just $200!

Save even more when you take advantage of member’s only discounts!

• 10 FREE Birth Announcements when you buy 50 or more

• Purchase your full size image files from each session with copyright release $200 (normally $300)

• FREE 8x10 when you refer a friend

If you don’t want to join the club you don’t have to! Individual sessions cost $125 each

An Awesome Wedding Back On September 18, 2010

2011-04-28T09:40:00.000-04:00

[gallery link="file" orderby="title"]

Kristen and Matthew's wedding happened back in September of 2010. The bride and groom were both ready on time so we had lots of time to have fun on their wedding day. I was excited because they brought in a fire truck and I made sure we got lots of use out of it.

Wedding I Shot Back In September

2011-04-15T16:42:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures I shot for a couple back in September. The couple and I did an after session the day after the wedding and got some gorgeous images. We shot at a private home that the couple were friends with and had[gallery link="file" orderby="title"]

a little fun on a trampoline while we were there. These two were open to anything and the session turned out wonderful.

July 31, 2010 Digital Wedding Album Design

2011-03-24T10:26:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted any album designs in a while or any weddings so here is the design of the next wedding that should be posted. I know I'm way behind but what's the rush. Good things come to those who wait. I hope you enjoy the layout.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" orderby="title"]

Awesome Centerpiece Ideas From OffBeat Bride

2011-03-21T16:11:00.000-04:00

I'm all about different and nothing excites me more at a wedding than a bride who breaks from tradition. That's why I love the website Offbeat Bride. They have the best ideas and I love to help share them with brides here in West Virigina.

: Start getting creative with your centerpiece ideas!

So far we've brought you non-floral centerpieces versions one and two. Now get ready for non-floral centerpieces version 2.1! We're talking fun ideas like centerpieces you can play with, centerpieces that can inspire conversation, and even centerpieces that can be devoured...READ MORE

The Beauty Of Berkeley County

2011-03-18T18:06:00.000-04:00

Back in October I took hundreds of images of Berkeley county. Here is one of them. Can you believe such a beautiful area exits in Berkeley County? Well, it does. I plan to go out again soon and take spring pictures of the area. At some point I'm going to drag my butt out of bed early and drive up the mountain and get a shot as the sun rises over the county. I need to do it soon or foliage is going to block the view.

I'd love to shoot an engagement session here.

Photography Projects I Work On In My Spare Time

2011-03-17T07:03:00.000-04:00

I love manipulating images and creating composites. I especially like creating fairies and hope one day to have a studio and a huge set to do fairy portraits, giant mushrooms and everything. I'd love to find someone to take me under their wing and teach me everything they know about adobe photoshop. I spend a lot of time watching tutorials online but they can only take you so far. As soon as I get a few more weddings booked, I'll probably sign back up for NAPP. I subscribed for a year but that year was really busy and I didn't get to use it much. I did make it through all of David Ziser's videos which I recommend to anyone interested in wedding photography. He has a wonder blog Digital Pro Talk that every photographer should follow. Here are some samples of my composite images. I hope you enjoy them.

I've made several of this one now for my wedding clients. It's a really popular image.

Ideas To Lower The Cost Of Your Wedding Photography

2011-03-11T19:37:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you find a photographer that you really love but just can’t afford their price tag. Here are some tips for you to discuss with the photographer to help lower the cost so you can get the photography of your dreams.

Most photographers will negotiate their packages with you so don’t be afraid to ask. Just keep in mind we are businesspeople, and we do need to pay bills and make a profit just like everyone else. You shouldn’t expect your photographer to lower his price simply because you ask him to; if you want to pay less money, you’ll have to give something up. Here are some bargaining points that might help you get a lower price.

Just have one photographer

Some studios offer two or more photographers or assistants to help cover more aspects of your wedding day. Ask if you can have a discount if you only have one photographer cover your day or one of the assistants cover it instead of the main photographer. The photographer may say no because they really need their assistants with them but it never hurts to ask. It could save you a couple hundred dollars.

Skip the proofs.

Putting together proof albums is time-consuming. Your photographer might not mind shaving off a bit of the fee if he doesn’t have to spend time making proofs for you. Try asking if he will give you your prints in a box, or even simply images (edited and retouched) on a DVD. You may even save more if you accept them unedited because you’ll be saving your photographer even more time. With high-resolution images on DVD, you can upload the images to an online gallery, put together a proof album yourself, or print only your absolute favorites. You can also wait to make prints later, when your bank account has bounced back from the wedding. Of course getting the images on DVD may also be expensive so you could ask just to have the images displayed online or come to the photographer’s studio to view them so you can choose to only buy the ones you really want.

Have less coverage.

Many photographers offer unlimited time on your wedding day, from getting ready shots in the morning until the last guest departs the reception. That is a very long day for any photographer. Consider limiting coverage to the wedding ceremony and only two or three hours of the reception. (If you do this, plan for all your major “events” such as cake-cutting, bouquet toss, etc. to fall within that time period.) You might choose to only have photojournalistic coverage and skip all the family and bridal party formals that take a lot of time on your wedding day. If you really want those formals then only book ceremony and formal coverage at the church and let a friend shoot the reception for you.

Get rid of all the extras.

A lot of wedding photography packages are expensive because they include a lot of extras like the couples album, parent albums, enlargements, guest books, engagement sessions, etc. Ask the photographer to take some of those extras out. Let the parents order their own albums and reprints. You can always order your wedding album and reprints later after you have recovered your bank account. If your photographer offers the images on DVD you can always make these items yourself.

Get married in the off-season.

You'll have far less bargaining power during the busy season April through October. But if your wedding is between November and March you might get lucky. (This tip is less relevant to brides and grooms who live in places with year-round warm weather.) Some photographers offer deals and discounts during these months to attract business.

Get married on a week day.

Just like the slow season between November and March, photographers will offer deals and discounts to fill their week day calendar with weddings. Ask your photographer if they will discount their price if you get married on Friday or Sunday or any other date of the week. You may find that you will get discounts on all your other vendors as well allowing you to book your photographer longer and include more options with your package.

Ask your photographer if they do a gift registry

Do you and your fiancé already have everything you need for the home? Most couples do now a days so why not register for gift certificates with your photographer and let your guests pay for your photography. If you’re worried you’ll get to many certificates just give the registry out to a select few.

Ask for suggestions.

Simply ask, “What can we do to lower the price?” Wedding photographers want your business. Your photographer might have some suggestions that you hadn’t even thought of, so don't be afraid to ask.

None of these bargaining ideas are a guarantee, but a fair and reasonable approach will go a long way toward getting you a discount on those gorgeous wedding pictures.

Martinsburg Mall Bridal Show this Sunday Feb. 20th!

2011-02-19T09:27:00.000-05:00

Bridal Fair 2011 to be a one-stop shop
Story by Megan Fisher (A former bride of Crouse Photography)

MARTINSBURG - Grooms- and brides-to-be are invited to explore the Bridal Fair Sunday where vendors will display everything from fashion to flowers in the Martinsburg Mall from noon to 5 p.m.

The free event will feature more than 50 vendors from West Virginia and surrounding states. Sponsored by The Journal, the fair is held twice a year.

Event coordinator Pam Fawley-Martin called the fair a "one-stop shop for busy couples."

READ MORE

Crouse Photography will be at the show and I'll be offering a special for every bride there! For all the brides at the show, book a free consultation and you will get a free engagement session to take Crouse Photography for a test drive and the best part is you don’t have to buy anything!

All the images will be hosted online for viewing and ordering and if you decide to book with Crouse Photography, you will receive free with any package you choose, all the images from your session on DVD with a copyright release.

I wouldn't want any bride to miss this great opportunity so stop by my booth during the show!

Advice On Booking Your Wedding Vendors

2011-02-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

A lot of brides don’t know where to start when they plan a wedding so they approach booking wedding vendors randomly and never establish a budget. They end up losing money on deposits and spending more than they needed to. Approaching your wedding planning randomly or emotionally is a bad idea. Below is a fool proof plan for booking wedding vendors.

You should first announce to everyone you’re engaged before you book or do anything. Why? Because most likely your family and friends will help you plan if you tell them you’re getting married and you’re going to need all the help you can get. Friends who have gone before you can suggest vendors and give you a realistic perspective on prices and who was pleasant and easy to work with. Family may offer to help pay and that will help increase your wedding budget.

Pull together your own contributions and your families and figure out a budget before you start shopping. It’s a good idea to put all the money for your wedding, including family help, into one checking account that is for the wedding only. That way when you find the right vendors you can go ahead and book them and not wait to get a check from your parents risking losing your first choice to another couple. You’ll also know the total amount you have to spend so you can make a realistic budget for each vendor. There are lots of free wedding sites with budget calculators that can help you establish amounts to shoot for. I have a page on my website with a sample budget break down you can use as a guide at http://www.crousephotography.net/budget.html

Now that you know how much you have to spend you should ask friends, go on line, and visit bridal shows to find the right vendors for you. You may want to open an email account just for the wedding so you can close it and not have all the wedding junk mail afterwards in your regular email account. You may even want to open a temporary PO Box for the same reason.

Every bride wants to start looking for her dress first, but the first vendors you should be looking into are your ceremony and reception locations. You want these two locked in first before any other vendors because you may find you have to change your date if the locations you love are booked. If you’ve already contracted a photographer before your reception location and you have to change your date, the photographer you booked may not be available the new date and you may lose your deposit. That goes for florists, DJs and many other secondary vendors as well. You may also find you need to increase your budget for your ceremony and reception because nothing is available for your original amount which means you may not be able to afford that $2600 gown you purchased three weeks ago, but now you’re stuck with it or you’ll lose your deposit. Secure your ceremony and reception first so this doesn’t happen to you.

After those locations are booked, and that means you have contracts and have paid deposits on them, then you can start looking into dresses, cakes, photographers, DJs, bands, transportation, etc. Start meeting with vendors in the order of importance. If great entertainment is number one on your list, then schedule meetings with DJs and bands first while your money supply is still ample. As your wedding checking account lessens, you can cut back on the vendors at the bottom of your list that are least important to you. Book the same type of vendors at the same time. For example, book consults with all the photographers you’re interested in the same week so that it is easier to remember information and compare. You’ll be able to make a decision on who to book more quickly as well. If you meet with one photographer, then a month later you meet with another photographer and you decide you liked the first one better. The first photographer may have booked another couple for your date and you’ll get stuck with the one you didn’t like or was too expensive. Vendors may offer deals that are time sensitive, too, and you’ll be able to take advantage of those deals if you book consults with the same vendor types close together.

Plan your wedding randomly and you may end up paying more than you planned. Or worse, with vendors that weren’t your first choice. Follow this plan, and your wedding will turn out the way you envisioned it and you may even stay within the budget you established in the beginning of your planning.

Wedding Album Design I Recently Finished

2011-02-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

I used my new video editing software I bought recently to make the slideshow video. I know it's a little primitive, but I'm still learning how to use it. I used Adobe CS5 and Pixel Creator pro to make the album design. The images for the design came from a wedding a shot back on August 7, 2010, Miranda and Cecil's wedding. The wedding turned out awesome and I can't wait to see her finished album in book form. I hope you enjoy the design. It's time for me to start on another design for my December 18th wedding.

Well my video embed stopped working so I had to take it off,butt here's the design.

[slideshow]

How couples get Gorgeous Pictures on Their Wedding Day

2011-01-26T17:21:00.000-05:00

Have you wondered how couples have time on their wedding day to get such beautiful images? Well, wonder no more because I’m about to tell you how. They didn’t take them on their wedding day, they did an After Wedding session.

On the wedding day things can run behind, the stylist takes too long, flowers don’t get delivered on time, or bridal party and family show up late. There are also all the formals with the family and bridal party that need to be done which can take a long time. After the ceremony on average I only get ten to fifteen minutes to shoot with the couple once the family shots are done. The couple is worn out and hungry by this time and are ready for the photography to end. A great solution to this problem is the After Wedding session.

You can do it the day right after your wedding while you still have the tux and the flowers or you can schedule it sometime after your honeymoon. It’s a great way to get some beautiful portraits of the two of you without having to worry about getting your dress dirty, keeping your guests waiting, or anything else you may be thinking of the day of your wedding. You can just relax and have some fun! You can go to some really cool places to get those great shots that you may not have time for the day of your wedding. Your photographer can take their time with you and create beautiful photographs that are artistic and different from the traditional wedding poses in a relaxed care free environment.

Martinsburg Mall Bridal Show February 20th 2011 from 12noon to 5pm

2011-01-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'll be participating in this show and I look forward to meeting all the 2011 and 2012 brides. The show is always a lot of fun, especially winning free stuff!

Bridal Show Tips

1.First thing to do is get a list of the area bridal shows. You can get a list at www.crousephotography.net

2.Plan to spend a couple hours at the show, bring your Maid of honor, mom, or groom to help you with vendor questions and information collecting.

3.Bring pictures with you to show to the vendors. This will help them give more accurate price quotes.
4.Wear shows you can do a lot of walking in so you don’t get sore feet

5.Don’t be afraid of the vendors walk up and ask questions! They want to hear your ideas. Bring a list of questions so you will be prepared to get great information.

6.Take a folder with you. Make one side for information from vendors you really liked and one side for vendors you didn’t like. You may want to bring a notebook to write down information that is not in the brochures.

7.Bring address labels to fill out those mailing lists, drawings, and special deals a lot faster.

8.Don’t just book the first vendor you talk to. Shop around and ask questions you may find a better fit for your wedding.

9.Find out what vendors are at the show so you can do research on them ahead of time. That way if you like them you can go ahead and book them at the show and save time meeting with them again later. Some vendors will offer specials that are only available at the show so doing your research ahead of time will help you feel better about taking advantage of those specials.

You may want to sign up for a new email address and/or open a temporary post office box so that after your wedding you can close them and not get wedding junk mail anymore.

If the show has a website register prior to the show a lot of times this will get you in free whereas you’ll have to pay if you register at the door.

Bring a bag with you not every show will provide one for you. You’re going to get a lot of information.

Images From a Hotel Wedding

2011-01-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

Are you planning a wedding at a local hotel? Then you may want to check these images out. They are from a wedding I shot on July 3, 2010 at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg WV.

Many hotels have wonderful rooms to hold your reception in and the Holiday Inn's ball room was recently renovated a few years ago. The cake above, I believe, was made by Cindy's Sweets and turned out nicely.

When shooting in a hotel, it's great because everything is under one roof and I can go to the reception room before your guests arrive and take pictures of the set up and cake before anything gets disturbed.

I can also get pictures of the bride in her room getting ready. It's important to pick a hotel that is well decorated and doesn't have a lot of extra unneeded items in the room so your images are clean and focused on you.

You can also shoot outside around the walls and pillars of the hotel so look for these kind of features to use.

You'll want to keep an eye on the backgrounds. You don't want people walking through the back or parked cars distracting from your subject. The parking lot will limit where you can shoot at, but a creative photographer will know how to work around it.

Check out the lobby area of the hotel you choose, too. It could be a great place to shoot or a great place to avoid. Pick a hotel with a lobby that reflects your style. Don't pick a hotel with a retro 60s lobby if you like a more country look.

If you've picked a hotel solely on price and it's not very attractive, a skilled photographer will be able to angle and shoot close to cut out the areas that are ugly or distracting.

I wouldn't recommend having your ceremony at some hotels because the room may be filled with mirrors or have exit signs and temperature control panels on the walls that can really take away from the pictures. You may have to pay a lot of money to redecorate to cover up these ugly distractions. Check the hotel for a room appropriately decorated to have a ceremony in.

Sometimes you have to trust your photographers judgement. They may want to take you to a location at the hotel that to you looks terrible. The picture below was shot right next to the dumpsters. I shot it vertical to cut the ugly mess out and make use of the huge open space that was there.

You should look and see whats around the hotel you choose as well. At the Holiday Inn there is a big open field next to it that a skilled photographer will definitely make use of. I created this picture in that field by staying low to the ground so you couldn't see the interstate in the background.

If your hotel is surrounded by unattractive scenery, you can still shoot outside, the photographer will just need to shoot in closer or use a shallow depth of field to make the background blurry.

Check Out What I Offer Before You Sign Another Contract

2011-01-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

Do you have limited funds, but still want to ensure that you capture the romance of the day with quality photography? It can be a difficult decision but here’s how I make it easy for you.

MY PROMISE TO YOU
I guarantee you will love your wedding images so much you will not be able to put them down or stop showing all your friends and family or within 7 days you can return your package for a full refund.

Get beautiful, creative images you can't get anywhere else

Only buy as much or as little as you choose. There are no huge, expensive packages forcing you to buy products you don't want.

Take advantage of my value priced packages or create your own to fit YOUR budget

You can purchase your images on DVD and make your own products

Pick your own images for your wedding album. Many photographers pick the images for you, not giving you a choice.

CALL TODAY! DATES ARE BOOKING FAST!
304-229-4723
www.crousephotography.net

Roxanne truly captured the natural setting in which we were married and the vivid coloring of the photos is beautiful. Her presence at our wedding was incredibly professional but at the same time non-intrusive. She was very flexible, and captured the beauty and elegance of our special day. We would recommend Roxanne for anyone looking for an easy-going, professional, and skilled photographer.

Photos of New England and Canada

2010-12-10T09:18:00.000-05:00

The last wedding I posted was way back in June so I know I'm way behind in blogging. I decided to keep going in order until I catch up. After the June 5th wedding, my husband and I went on a cruise for our tenth anniversary. Vacation is the only time I get to take pictures for myself and I got some really good ones. One of these days I plan to decorate my walls with these pics.

We cruised out of Baltimore on a Royal Caribbean ship. If your still looking for a honeymoon I definitely recommend a Royal Caribbean cruise. The only bad thing about cruising locally is that everyone on the ship is a lot older. Our ship was dead by 10pm. If you want a younger crowd, cruise out of a southern port like Miami. Here's a picture of one of the bridges in the Chesapeake Bay.

I used Topaz Adjust to edit some of these images, a program I love. It really helps pop out the color.

The picture above is St. John. You can watch as the fog rolls in off the ocean. A few minutes later this entire area was covered in fog.

We went an excursion to a local Canadian bar. The only bad thing was the excursion was 9am in the morning, a little early to be drinking beer. That didn't stop my husband, he'd never turn down free samples of beer no matter how early it was in the morning.

We visited some museums while in Canada and took tours of the cities.

If you love lighthouse then you'll love Canada and New England. I shot so many lighthouses I actually got tired of seeing them. That's a lie, I ran out with a camera every time we passed one.

We went to Salem too. I've never seen such a witch friendly city in my life. I wish we would have had more time to spend there. I'd like to go there for a weekend some time.

A really awesome thing about cruises is you get to see beautiful sun sets and sunrises every day.

I'll post some more pictures from the trip later.

Help raise money for NaNoWriMo!

2010-10-19T10:55:00.000-04:00

As you know, I'm a supporter of Office of Letters and Light (Berkeley CA) and will participate in the NaNoWriMo contest starting Nov. 1. I want to share with you a simple way for you to help support this organization or any other cause that you care about.

Just download the GoodSearch – Office of Letters and Light (Berkeley CA) toolbar at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/office-of-letters-and-light

Each time you search the web with GoodSearch's Yahoo-powered search engine, about a penny will go your charity or school.

Also, every time you shop online at 1,000 participating stores including Amazon, eBay, Target, Apple, Staples, Expedia, etc., a percentage of your purchase will be donated for free! The site also has thousands of money-saving coupons!

To give you a sense of how the money can add up, the ASPCA has already earned more than $30,000!

Please tell 10 friends about the GoodSearch toolbar today. They've been featured in the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America and more.

More about the new Camera!

2010-10-14T14:43:00.000-04:00

I got to shoot two weddings this weekend with my new camera. I struggled a little because I can't find what I'm looking for in the menus. It will take a while but it will become second nature eventually. So if I'm at your wedding and I'm just standing there looking puzzled, don't worry, it's not that somethings broke or I forgot how to shoot, I'm probably just looking for the new location of the custom white balance.

I also learned that I need to upgrade my qflash module. Apparently after the 40D, they changed the electrical workings of the canons. I can still use it with pocket wizards and if I hook it up through the PC port but I don't get full TTL that way. I've been using my 580ex 2 more. I'll be sending the qflash and the module to Quantum to be upgraded in November. I've got two turbo batteries that died I need to send them too.

That reminds me. I need to start charging batteries for this Saturdays wedding.

I'm excited to get prints made and see what they look like.

Yeah, I bought a new camera body

2010-10-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

I bought myself a canon 7D. I wanted a 5D Mark II but it wasn't meant to be. As soon as possible, I'll be buying a second one. Until then, I'll have to use my husband's new rebel and my two old canon 20Ds as backup. I've been practicing with the new 7D. It's set up completely different from my old bodies. With them, I didn't even have to think to change a setting, it was instinctual.

I've been using those bodies since 2004 and they have served me well. It actually makes me sad to see them slowly work their way out of my regular gear. I felt the same way when I got rid of my old film cameras, three canon A2s. I sold them on Ebay and cried as I packed them up to be sent off. One of them went all the way to Korea. I hope the gentleman who bought it got great use out of it. I wonder where the Canon 20Ds will go when I sell them off too.

So far, the 7D and I are getting along well. We had a little argument when I couldn't figure out how to manually change the focusing point, but now that I know it takes two buttons, we're OK again. I love, love, love the higher ISOs. It goes all the way to 6400. My old camera went to 3200 but it was unusable for weddings; so was the 1600 iso. I've been doing tests to check the quality of the iso on the new camera and I think so far it's good all the way up to 1600. I haven't printed anything yet; that will be the true test. For now, I plan not to go higher that 1600. On my old camera I never went higher than 800 and tried to stay at 400 as long as possible. I'm hoping I'll be able to retire my tripod finally.

I love that it has built-in sensor cleaning. It was always a nightmare cleaning the sensor of the old camera. I used a rocket air most of the time and every now and then I'd get in there with the q-tips that came with the rocket air. I wonder how effective the sensor cleaning is?

I haven't played with the video that much yet. I recorded my husband eating pizza, which made him happy, mister grumpy pants that he is. I'm thinking of using it to start a video cast about wedding photography for brides and amateur photographers. There are a lot of people doing this sort of thing on the west coast, but I think it's time for the east coast to be represented.

I'm also excited about 18 mega pixels! I had to buy new cards to accommodate that size, 32 gig cards. That actually turned out to be overkill, but at least I don't have to worry about running out of card space. It will leave plenty of room for getting video clips too. Video really eats the card up fast especially at 1080. Yes, I know, I don't have to shoot that big, but why not! I can't wait to see what it looks like on our 60' HD TV. I think it would be really cool if they make a camera that shoots 3D.

An unexpected feature was the built-in wireless control. I have a 580ex2, but I've always used my pocket wizards. As soon as I have time, I'm going to try out the wireless. It'll be a great back up in case my Wizards decide to crap out on me. There are so many cool new features it's going to take me forever to master them all.

Bridal Show at the Martinsburg Mall October 24th from 11am to 5pm

2010-09-27T09:26:00.000-04:00

It's a Fall Wedding Extravaganza!!!

This spectacular Bridal Fair will be held on
Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010
at the Martinsburg Mall!
Addmission is FREE!

You'll be able to meet lots of vendors face to face in one place and win lots of free stuff!

Wedding June 5, 2010 at Wesley United Methodist Church

2010-09-09T08:52:00.000-04:00

Katie and John's Wedding turned out wonderful. It was my last wedding before my ten-year wedding anniversary vacation, which I'll be posting pictures of soon. The weather turned out beautiful and I arrived at the church early to set up. The bride was running behind so I took pictures of everyone scrambling to get ready and church decorations and flowers. We got the images with the bridesmaids, and if I remember correctly, some of the family pictures with the bride. We moved the grooms session to after the ceremony. The ceremony happened perfectly as rehearsed (as far as I could tell). The bride's father pulled me aside and asked to me get extra images of the bride's mom because he wanted to make a special album of her as a surprise. I thought that was romantic.

The reception was held at The Hampton Inn in Winchester. The music was provided by Blue Moon Productions and the lovely cake was made by a family friend. As soon as the introductions were finished, we quickly cut the cake because it was leaning a bit and they were afraid it might not make til after dinner. Next to the cake was a beautiful display of candies and small cakes which tasted wonderful. It seemed like everyone had a wonderful time dancing and partying the night away as you can see from the pictures below. Thanks Katie and John for letting me be apart of your wedding. I enjoyed every minute of your special day.

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Monthly Engagement Session Contest

2010-09-02T08:59:00.000-04:00

It’s always better when it’s free!

So I am giving away a free 1 hour engagement session. That’s right! If you are engaged and looking for a super fun engagement session, you have found it here and possibly free!!!

One lucky couple each month will win a free 1 hour engagement session with Crouse Photography! All you have to do is enter by liking my page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roxannecrousephotography! One winner will be drawn at random at the end of each month. Session will take place in Martinsburg and surrounding area. Along with the session, the winner will receive one image for their newspaper announcement and a online gallery.

No purchase necessary. Not exchangeable. Session must be booked within 30 days of winning.

Engagement Session at Stone Manor Country Club

2010-09-01T14:06:00.000-04:00

I met Heather and David back in March and they booked me for their September 24, 2011 wedding at Stone Manor Country Club. Back in June we decided to do their engagement session at the same location. I'd never been there before and was excited to see it after seeing pictures of the location on Facebook. I arrived early so I could scope out locations before the couple arrived. It was a beautiful location. It would be easy to get beautiful images there.

I knew Heather and David wanted images that were more artistic and fun so I did my best to avoid anything "traditional". I snuck in a few, I knew mom would appreciate it. My favorite picture was the one with the colorful umbrella. They asked for something wacky and I did my best to deliver.

I had a fun time with them and can't wait for their wedding day.

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Engagement Session at Bella Vista

2010-08-20T10:20:00.000-04:00

Bella Vista was a lovely location to shoot Andrea and Shad's Engagement session. The weather was beautiful and this was my first visit to this location. [gallery link="file" columns="2" orderby="title"]

We traversed all over the property making use of everything we could. It was also Andrea's birthday so I hope it was fun for her.

Andrea and Shad are planning their wedding for December 11, 2010. The ceremony will be at Marvin Chapel in Martinsburg WV and the reception will be held at The Charles Town Races and Slots. It will be my first wedding there and it should be a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy the engagement pictures.

Leah and Eric Married May 15, 2010

2010-08-11T17:58:00.000-04:00

I am far behind on blogging events so I'm going to make an attempt to get caught up. Back in May I shot Leah and Eric's wedding at the Clarion in Shepherdstown. I first met them a couple times at bridal shows, then finally they decided to come in for a meeting. I was supprised because they brought the whole family. This, I could tell right away, was a tight knit family. They were so fun and open at the meeting, I knew I would enjoy shooting the wedding, and I did.

The ceremony and reception were both held at the Clarion and the day turned out beautiful. Rick Rohn provided the music at the reception and Sweet Inspirations baked the yummy wedding cake. If you liked the groomsmen's tuxes, they were rented from Dana's Tuxedos in Martinsburg. The bride's beautiful wedding gown came from J&B Bridals and her flowers were arranged by Ginger's Florist. I also think Salon of Style did a wonderful job on the hair and make up.

I wanted to send out a big thank you to the couple and their family. Thank you for letting me be apart of your wedding day. I'll always remember it.

[slideshow]

WV PPA Photowalk in Shepherdstown WV

2010-07-13T19:54:00.000-04:00

I had a great time in Shepherdstown at the WV PPA photowalk. It started out at the Clarion where we were all given instructions and a yummy breakfast. There were so many master photographers there. I can't wait to see what they post. I'll be posting a few images I took soon. I'm still editing images from Canada. Lots and lots of lighthouses.

I rode with Rodney Clark and his wife since I knew my way around and guided them around(it also saved me from parallel parking) We started out at a really cool church with a red door, then moved on down the street to the Farmers market. Lots of interesting things to photograph there. I always love farmers markets. We went into some very artsy stores and of course the Sweet Shop. They had chocolate wine. I'll have to go back and buy some next Sunday.

Unfortunately it was really hot, and thirty pounds of photography gear on my back wasn't helping. We took a little break in front of the Sweet Shop and watched all the dog people walk by. Shepherdstown really loves their dogs. I should have taken pictures of them all and started a pet photography site.

We went back to the Clarion for lunch and had a wonderful time telling photography war stories. I enjoyed the stories of the more experienced photographers greatly. I hope some of those stories never happen to me, like the mirror falling out of my camera. He said he put it back in with gum. Oh my!

We all met at the monument and did a group shot together. I was pretty tired by then. I could barely make it up all those steps. About that time the sun had gotten to me and pretty much everyone else, so we said our good-byes and started on our long trips home. Well, some of us had long trips. I only had to drive about 15 minutes.

2010-06-11T10:34:00.000-04:00

I did a lot of engagement sessions in May and here is another one. I did Rikki and Matt's session at Hagerstown City Park in Maryland and the day turned out perfect. I also shot her sisters engagement session at the park, too, a few years back. I'm so happy to be shooting for their family again. I always love to see how my couples have progressed after their wedding days. Rikki and Matt's wedding will be in the fall, October 9, 2010. The ceremony and reception will be held at Hillbrook Inn in Charles Town WV, a location I've never shot at before so it will be new and exciting. Here are the images. I hope you like them.

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2010-06-09T16:48:00.000-04:00

Christian and Jason's wedding will be October 31, 2010 at the Gettysburg Hotel which is exciting for me because I've never been there. I love shooting at new locations. The couple decided to do their engagement session at a friend's home and this home is for sale and is beautiful if anyone is looking. I'd buy it myself but it's a bit out of our price range *wipes a tear from her eye*. Here are a couple of pictures from the session.

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Miranda and Cecil at Hagerstown City Park

2010-06-07T17:14:00.000-04:00

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I had a great time shooting with Miranda and Cecil at Hagerstown City Park. It was a beautiful warm day after several days of rain. They found me through another one of my couples from a few years ago. They will be getting married on August 7, 2010 and I can't wait to shoot it. I hope you enjoy their images!

3rd Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk!

2010-06-04T06:54:00.000-04:00

Last year, over 32,000 people in over 900 locations around the globe
participated. This year, we want each of you to invite your friends, family, and even
strangers to take part and help us make it the biggest and best one
yet!

What is a photowalk, you say? It’s a social photography event where photographers get together (usually in a downtown area or trendy section of town) to walk around, shoot photos, and generally have fun with other photographers.

Does it cost money? Absolutely not! Once again it’s free—there is no fee to join this year’s Photo Walk. If you love photography, come and have a ball!

Do you have to be a professional photographer? NO! Everyone is welcome, even your grandma with her cane camera. If all you have is a throwaway camera or phone camera, come anyway and have a blast.

The date of the walk will be July 24, 2010. There are several locations to join the walk and participate. I've joined the Leesburg Walk if you want to walk with me!

To sign up for a walk go to this website World Wide Photowalk and I'll hope to see you there!

Learning about what brides want

2010-05-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

I think it's important to know what brides really want so I can better serve them. Please fill out this poll so I can create packages and products you really want.

[polldaddy poll=3202747]

Little Baby Chloe

2010-05-14T08:21:00.000-04:00

I recently got to shoot images of baby Chloe. She is the daughter of one of my past brides from 2008. Chloe was such a calm baby, she was a pleasure to photograph. It took a while to get her to smile, she was so calm, but with grandma's help we got a great view of her new baby teeth. I hope you enjoy the pictures of Chloe. What a great mother's day or Father's day present they would make!

[slideshow]

Congratulations Amanda Fike!

2010-05-09T08:45:00.000-04:00

Amanda Fike is the winner of the free engagement session for forwarding my newsletter!

Karen and Shawn were married April 24, 2010

2010-05-07T13:35:00.000-04:00

[slideshow]

The Rose

2010-05-03T19:23:00.000-04:00

The MS Walk was today

2010-05-01T19:06:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful day for a 4 mile walk and lots of people showed up to participate. I raised a total of $70 and my husband raised $150. My son donated $5 of his eater money which I thought was sweet. In total, over $21,000 was raised to find a cure.

The whole Crouse-Mills family and friends walked on behalf of my brother-in-law Lee Crouse who was diagnosed with MS back in September. Life's been crazy for Lee and Becky sense then, Lee could no longer work as a pilot, they had to give up the beach house they were planning to buy, and Lee had to start taking medicine to slow down the illness.

I think they're doing great despite the speed bump in life's road. Thier family and friends want to do everything they can to help them. I'm glad they are so positive and not letting MS stop them from living a normal life.

I had planned to take pictures of the event but walked out without my camera in a hurry this morning. My son had his camera but he wouldn't let me use it. He never took any pictures. children just like to be difficult sometimes.

The event was wonderful. I don't get to do events like this often because they are always on Saturdays and normally I'm shooting a wedding, but I'm glad I was able to go to this one. I hope to go to more in the future.

Mandy and Tim married April 3, 2010

2010-04-29T12:37:00.000-04:00

It's been a few weeks since their wedding and I hope they are enjoying their wedding images. Mandy and Tim booked a four-hour package with me and I think it worked out very well. Their wedding was smaller and more intimate with family and close friends. The ceremony was held at Hagerstown Church of Christ in Hagerstown MD and the reception a few miles away at Nick's Airport Inn. The weather was perfect and the bride and groom looked wonderful as you can see from their images below. Everything went perfectly until I got to the reception.

For some reason 2 turbo batteries and my 580ex2 flash decided to stop working. I started to think that Nick's might be located in some kind of photography Bermuda triangle. Thank goodness I had a 3rd turbo battery and another flash as backup. Plus the room was well-lit with natural light that I really didn't need flash. I just needed to watch my position to make sure the light coming in looked nice on everyone.

It just freaked me out a little because in 12 years it was the first time any of my equipment had failed. I've always heard the horror stories of other photographers, but never experienced it first had before. I'm glad I listened and took their advise and had backup. It's a chore to carry all that extra stuff around all day, but definitely worth it.

Here are the images, I hope you like them.

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6:36am in the morning April 24, 2010

2010-04-24T06:42:00.000-04:00

I just went out in my bath robe to take a picture of the sunrise. It was gorgeous! I hope my clients Karen and Shawn saw it too. They should be up already getting ready too at the hotel. Hopefully they saw the beautiful sunrise on their wedding day. If not, I got a great image of it for them.

Mother's Day and Father's Day are coming soon! Have you found the perfect present yet?

2010-04-23T09:54:00.000-04:00

Capture your precious relationship together! Now is the time to book your Mother's Day and Father's Day session. Celebrate those special family ties in portraits that last a lifetime.
Session Fee $52
Schedule an appointment

Sign your mom up for our family portrait plan so she can have portraits of her loved ones all year long!
Click Here for more information

Enter My Contest To Win a FREE Engagement Session

2010-04-18T09:25:00.000-04:00

It's simple to enter! Just join my mailing list then forward the letter to someone you think would be interested in joining my newsletter. Each time you forward it you will get an entry to win a FREE Engagement session. You’ll receive an hour long session at any location of your choice, all the images on CD with a copyright release and one FREE 8x10 of your favorite image. The winner will be announced in my newsletter, on face book, and on my blog on May 8th. You can forward the email as many times as you like and the new subscribers can forward the newsletter for a chance to win as well.

The House-Butts Wedding Album Design

2010-04-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

You may have seen this design before. If you've met me at a bridal show or come to my house before, you've seen this design because it is one of my samples. It became a new sample when I accidentally put Nov. 8, 2009 instead of Nov. 8, 2008 on the cover. Yes, I do a lot of stupid things sometimes, but don't worry I had a new one printed for my client. I would never make a client take an album they had a problem with. That's why, in most cases, I work very hard with my couples to make sure their album is perfect for them.

I would love to hear from brides and even other photographers about their thoughts on wedding albums. Anything from cost to image selection, nothings off-limits. For example, I let my clients pick their own images for the album. A lot of photographers don't. I understand the reasons why-clients take too long to pick their images, the images they pick aren't very good for the looks of the album, clients pick too many posed family shots etc. Even so, I still let my clients pick. It's not my album, it's their album and if they like it that's all that matters. So here's another example design for you to enjoy.

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My Valentine's Day Wedding

2010-04-16T18:00:00.000-04:00

I shot a wedding this past valentine's day, Jennifer and Christopher's wedding. It was a last-minute wedding for me. The mother of the bride came in to meet with me Friday and the wedding was on Sunday. That didn't give me much time to get to know the couple. I didn't even meet them until the evening of the rehearsal. I was thankful that another two foot of snow didn't fall from the sky.

It makes me a little nervous doing a last-minute wedding but I'm not opposed to doing them. I just don't feel I have enough time to plan things out with the couple and learn what their likes and dislikes are. Jennifer and Christopher seemed pretty relaxed and easy-going the night of the rehearsal so I felt better about the short relationship. They seemed like a very nice couple.

The wedding day went smoothly. The ceremony was held at Asbury Methodist Church in Charles Town. I shot there before so I already knew what the lighting was like and where some of the good locations were. I learned that Jennifer's dress was hand-made and it was beautiful. I can't imagine doing all that embroidery. The reception was at the new Holiday Inn Express in Charles Town. It was my first reception there- it's always fun to shoot somewhere new.

I'm so glad I got to shoot their wedding and can't wait to start work on their wedding album. Here are a couple of pictures from the wedding.

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Spring Break Fun

2010-04-14T17:30:00.000-04:00

I managed to squeeze in a little vacation break. We went to Virginia Beach and South Carolina to visit family. We went to Virginia Beach first. My family and I had a fun time. It might have been better if my feet would have lasted and my hearing functioned properly.

When we first got to the hotel we were all hungry so we walked a mile to the Raven. I decided to only bring my sandals (that was a big mistake). I wore them all summer last year and they never hurt my feet. By the time we got to the Raven I had two blisters on the sides of both feet. I didn't want them to get worse so I walked barefoot back to the hotel on the boardwalk. Well, I ended up with blisters on the bottom of my feet too. It hurt to walk. I made it to a quickie mart near the hotel and bought a bunch of bandages to cover the blisters and some cheap water shoes. They weren't any better than the sandals. I ended up wearing the sandals with a bunch of bandages and socks for the rest of the trip. At least I could get around.

Later that night, still the first day of the trip, I was taking a shower and I thought I got water in my ear. I couldn't hear out of it. I messed and messed with my ear but nothing worked. I went without hearing the whole trip until the last day when this stuff I bought at Wal-Mart finally started to work. It's called Debrox and it worked great. I actually hear better now. Everything seems loader. If you get wax build up in your ears definitely buy it.

Despite me turning into a complete gimp, my family and I had a great time. Logan and I went to the beach a couple of times and Logan met a bunch of kids to play with. The water was ice-cold but that didn't stop them from getting in the water. It stopped me. I just enjoyed the sun. Logan and I rented a bike car for two hours, but only made it an hour and fifteen minutes before returning it. We were just too weak to keep pedaling. Logan bought a shovel to dig for sand fleas and shoveled one time then it broke continuing his tradition of always breaking something right off the bat. We ate expensive seafood the whole time except breakfast. A restaurant called Abby Road near our hotel was excellent. It's beatles themed and the food was the best we ate the whole trip. Definitely go there if you're in Virginia Beach. My husband, Zack, spent most of his time in the hotel room doing college work. He only came out to eat. He did go to the beach one time but looked uncomfortable the whole time. We had a room with a balcony. I took pictures of the sunrise from it our first morning. When I have time to go through them I'll put a few on here.

Next we went to South Carolina to visit family. My grandparents and aunt and uncle live there in a house together. They have beautiful gardens all around and lots of forest to get lost in. They gave me some plants. I hope they live. I tend to murder flowers and plants. I was once told that you can't kill bamboo-I proved them wrong. The first night we had a wonderful spaghetti and meatball dinner, my favorite, and hung out and talked. The second day my uncle took us on a walk through the woods. Their property is huge and it sounds like it will be growing larger in the future. Logan was too afraid to climb to the top of my uncles hunting platform. I didn't even try I knew I wouldn't make it far. It moved around too much for me. They took us out to a chinese restaurant which was really good. I was the only one who ate any sushi. Some day I'm going to get my mom to try some. We all hung out together and watched a movie and relaxed. Logan and my aunt played Mario on the Wii for a while. It was nice seeing them again.

On the way home we listened to an audiobook The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It was pretty good. Not as good as The Davinchi Code but that will be a tough act to follow. Now I'm home catching up on work and fighting with fedex to get my equipment back that malfunctioned the last wedding I shot before we left. Maybe tomorrow I'll get my flash back.

Sweet Fairy Child Portrait

2010-04-13T17:17:00.000-04:00

Recent Engagement session with Ashley and Danny

2010-04-12T11:05:00.000-04:00

I met with Ashley and Danny in person for the first time at the Virginia Arboretum. The arboretum is a wonderful place to do an engagement session. It was still a little early in the year and snow was still on the ground, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. My only wish would have been that the trees have a little more life to them.

[caption id="attachment_1791" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Engagement image of Ashley and Danny at the Virginia Arboretum"][/caption]

Lucky Danny and Ashley had plenty of life in them and really brought the images alive despite the lack of vegetation. They were a very easy-going, fun couple and went along with all my strange requests. I'm sure some of the strange things we photographers ask couples to do are baffling at the time, but make a lot more since once you see the images. We ventured all around going in places we probably weren't supposed to go (the best shots always come from areas off the beaten path). Here are some more of my favorites.

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Outdoor family portraits are the best!

2010-04-12T08:34:00.000-04:00

It's Siesta Time

2010-04-11T12:06:00.000-04:00

Will Kitty Eat it?

2010-04-06T07:19:00.000-04:00

Enjoying the water

2010-04-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

United states pride

2010-04-03T08:06:00.000-04:00

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Blue Demon

2010-04-02T08:41:00.000-04:00

Still waiting for him to come home

2010-04-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Guest Book Alternatives

2010-03-28T09:54:00.000-04:00

Guest books are nice, but they also just end up in a closet forgotten. It’s time to make it something more interesting, something you can enjoy every day. Here are a couple ideas for you to get the hamsters running.

My first idea is the photo guest book...It's sort of like a traditional guestbook except it contains images from your engagement session. If you don’t want to do an engagement session with your photographer you can also use images you’ve taken yourself. There is room left on each page so friends and family can leave messages of love.

My second idea is the signature frame. All your friends and family can sign the matt and leave you wonderful messages. Then you pick your favorite image from the wedding to put in the matt. It’s something you can look at and love every day, a wonderful reminder of your wedding day.

My next idea for you is the ceramic plate. Guests sign a white ceramic platter using Pebeo Porcelaine 150 paint markers. You can find these in a variety of colors and sets. Guests sign, draw and design on your platter and then it is baked in the oven at 300 degrees for a half hour. This makes it completely permanent and dishwasher safe.

An intersting idea one of my clients came up with was a photo puzzle. Have one of your favorite engagement images turned into a puzzle and have your family and friends write messages on the back of the pieces. It will be fun to put the puzzle together with your spouse or future children and read the messages on the back.

My last idea for you today is the wedding guest book quilt. It's a wonderful keepsake that you can use everyday! Guests sign fabric blocks at your ceremony or reception. Then A quilt is made from the signed blocks and fabric based on the color or theme of your wedding. It's something you can keep warm with for the rest of your lives together. You can even have blocks made with images from your wedding.

Click here for Bouquet Alternatives!!!

What Wedding Photographers Dream About

2010-03-27T15:30:00.000-04:00

Last night I dreamt I was dressed in a beautiful silky, flowing Vera Wang wedding gown. I don't know why I knew it was Vera Wang, I just did. Perhaps in my dreams I'd never be caught dead in anything less. I was in what looked like an old, abandoned building surrounded by my fellow paparazzi. Just the kind of place we would swarm to for a shoot. I was the model for the day, something I would normally be completely uncomfortable with because of my missing tooth, crooked teeth, and super thin lips, but today I was enjoying myself. Because I'm a wedding photographer, I had inside information, I knew exactly how to pose for my shooters, they didn't have to say a word.

I grabbed the hand of my fake groom and led him to another location in the room that had wonderful window lighting, but my paparazzi didn't follow me. I caught the tail end of them as they disappeared down the stairs. I waited a few minutes thinking, "They'll be back when they notice their bride is missing." I waited. I became paranoid and ran to look out the broken window near by. I saw all of them walking away toward the forest gabbing excitedly with each other.

"Quick we need to go!" I said and grabbed my fake groom's hand again and dragged him down the stairs. I never did take a good look at my fake groom's face. I should have. He may have been Orlando Bloom dressed like a pirate. Then I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to leave.

We caught up with the group of photographers and followed along the edge of the forest with them. In front of us was the most beautiful scene ever! A mound of moss-covered logs stood majestically among the tall trees that surrounded them in a perfect photographic configuration. The ground and surrounding trees were also covered in a soft deep green moss. There were brand new spring flowers dancing in the soft breeze and freshly opened leaves with the most colorful butterflies hovering above them. Sunbeams came in from the side perfectly illuminating the area with a god like charm. It was breathtaking, a photographer's dream location. It wouldn't have surprised me if a unicorn came out of the woods with Orlando Bloom dressed like an elf on it's back to greet us it looked so perfect.

I excitedly ran up ahead of everyone else to hop up on the logs to strike my best bridal pose, but when I got up close I could see huge, fat-butt red ants swarming all over the logs. I jumped back. I cringed. There was no way I was getting on those logs. I laughed to myself. How many times had I been disappointed because I bride was unwilling to do something I asked her in her wedding dress. I thought it was pretty ironic. Everyone's faces looked expectantly at me.

"These logs are covered in ants. There's no way I'm getting on them. We can use them as background." I said to their waiting faces. They looked disappointed, some even angry. The girl, who I knew somehow was pretending to be a senior for the day, walked over and sat on the edge of the logs and struck a pose. I could see hundreds of ants feeling around her arm trying to figure out what was blocking their path. The presence of her little arm seemed to make them grow larger. It was just a matter of time before they started biting her.

"It's alright," she said, "We can just use the edges and it will be fine." As I watched her arm, other types of insects joined in with the fat-butt ants and crowded all over each other trying to get past the girl's arm. The pile of bugs grew bigger and bigger. I could imagine them biting all over that poor girl, crawling around in her clothes. Her whole body would be covered in little white itchy bumps tomorrow. Then came the Florida water bugs. Their gigantic black roach bodies creeped me out to the point I wanted to scream. I really hated those things.

"There's no way I'm ruining my honeymoon to take pictures on some bug infested logs!" I shouted. I don't know why I said that, I was only pretending to be a bride. I wasn't going on a honeymoon. It did occur to me that the scene I once looked at as magical was now a bunch of bug infested rotten logs. It was no longer a place for unicorns to visit.

I woke up then to the sound of my cat at the end of the bed about to hack up a hairball on my sheets. I grabbed her and put her on a towel near by before she popped her load, relieved it didn't end up on my new mattress.

Maybe it was the sound of my cat huffing that turned my dream ugly or maybe it was my husband's snoring. I don't know. What I do know is that it's interesting how people can see the same scene so differently. I'll always keep that in mind. Not that I didn't before, I'd never ask a bride to do something I'm not willing to do myself. It's just more vivid now. I feel like I've lived it, even if it was just a dream.

Front Royal Photowalk

2010-03-23T18:53:00.000-04:00

I finally made it out of the house and away from album designing for a day. I went on a photowalk in Front Royal and had a wonderful time with a bunch of other photographers. It was great because I liked being around the other photographers who's skills ranged from beginner to pro. They asked me questions, I asked them questions and got to see photography from another persons perspective.

I don't get to be around other photographers very often and it was so fun to see how they saw the same scene I was seeing. It's unbelievable how all of us got completely different images of the same subject! It was fun watching them crawl around trying to get that perfect angle.

I can't wait to do another one. Maybe we should have one here in Martinsburg.

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Rehearsal Tips from a photography standpoint

2010-03-19T18:47:00.000-04:00

1. Rehearsals generally start out a little backward. Normally a rehearsal will start with everyone standing at the altar so the bridal party knows the order they will stand in during the ceremony and know who their partner will be for the recessional. It is a good idea to place a small piece of tape in the place each person will stand to keep things even.

2. Next everyone practices walking out. The bride and groom will go first and it is customary to let them go the whole way down the aisle before the maid of honor and best man start down the aisle. It is important for each couple to wait until the couples in front of them are at least half way down the aisle before starting so the photographer has enough time to get each bridal couple. If the couples come down right behind each other the photographer will only get a clear shot of the couple in front. The ushers or groomsmen will need to remember to walk back in to escort out the mothers and then the grandparents. The bride’s mom is escorted out first then the groom’s mother and the fathers walk behind. Occasionally the fathers will escort the mothers out instead of the ushers.

3. If you’re having a receiving line then everyone will line up in the back in the order they will stand. Some receiving lines only include the couple while others have the couple and their parents. If there is enough room you can also include the bridal party. If you don’t want a receiving line you’ll need to hide somewhere out of sight of the guests or you’ll have one whether you want one or not.

4. Now it’s time to practice the processional. The bridesmaids will line up at the back of the church while the groomsmen go behind the altar with the minister. Before any of the bridal party walk in the grandparents and mothers will be escorted in by ushers. First the grandparents, grooms side first then the brides. Then the mothers are escorted in, grooms mother first and then the bride’s mother. If there is a unity candle this is when the mothers will go up and light the two side candles. It is important at this time to assign who will be walking the mothers or on the wedding day there will be confusion. Next it’s time for the minister, groom and groomsmen to walk in. None of the bridesmaids should walk in until all of the groomsmen have walked in and are settled into place. It is common for the first bridesmaid to get nervous and start too early. By the time the photographer is done shooting the men and turns around to get the first bridesmaid, she is already up the aisle and the photographer can’t capture her. So wait until the men are completely in place. Next the bridesmaids will come in and they should space themselves so one is at least half way up the aisle before the next one starts. This gives the photographer time to catch each girl. They also need to remember to walk slowly and should practice it that way the night of the rehearsal or they will walk too fast on the wedding day. The flower girl and ring bearer will come in just before the bride. Once they are completely up the aisle and in place then it’s time for the bride and her father. When you come down the aisle don’t look at the photographer, you should be looking at your groom. You did go through a lot of trouble not to see each other before the ceremony so you should be looking at each other and nowhere else.

5. You’re finally at the altar. It’s time for your dad to give you away. Make sure he gives you a kiss or a hug before he leaves. So many fathers just walk away and that’s a lost opportunity for a wonderful shot. If the minister will allow it you should face each other so that everyone in the crowd and your photographer can see you and not your backs. You may want to practice putting your rings on each other so you do it in a way that it can be seen. When you say your vows look at each other. So many couples look at the minister. Remember, you’re not marrying the minister, look at each other. It is also wonderful if you hold hands and be affectionate with each other during the ceremony. These are some of the best images from the ceremony. If at all possible try to arrange it that you go around the table that the unity candle is located on so your family (and photographer) can see your faces as you light it together. Most couples walk up and completely block it with their backs.

6. The first kiss. It should be something wonderful, rememberable, and should last longer than one second. You may be shy but for this one time let your passion out for each other. You won’t regret it when you see the gorgeous images.

7. Now it’s time to go out again which you’ve already practiced so this time it should be a snap. You should repeat everything at least one more time to make sure everyone understands their job.

8. —Note: the people last out of the recessional are the first people down the aisle of the processional—except for a few adjustments. Don’t put someone at the end that is too young or shy to be the first person out.

9. Every rehearsal I attend someone always shows up late. It is a good idea to tell everyone a half hour earlier than the actual rehearsal time. If only one person is missing, you should go ahead and start practicing. They will be able to get their part the second time around.

Recent News From Roxanne

2010-03-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

My Charity for 2010 is the MS Walk on May 1 in Martinsburg WV

Why I walk

I’ve registered for the MS Walk because I have a brother-in-law named Lee who was recently diagnosed with MS. I also want to do something for the people who have been diagnosed – and because I want to do everything to prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease. Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with a diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability.

Please visit my MS page and make a donation. Every little bit counts. You can also join our team and walk with us on May 1, 2010 just click HERE to participate.

Check out one of My recent Album designs!

The final product from your wedding day will be your wedding album. It is important that you look carefully at your potential photographer's designs to make sure that you love their style and vision. It is possible for a photographer to be wonderful at taking wedding images but horrible at album designing so look at lots of sample albums before making a decision. You can view one of my album designs HERE. You can see other examples on my blog.

I Offer Wedding Pricing That is Affordable.

Because I am a small business and work from my home, I’m able to offer prices that in these economic times are more affordable. I specialize in just weddings and can devote all of my time to editing and creating beautiful works of art from your images that other photographers would make you pay extra for. I can also do it in less time. Instead of waiting 6 to 8 weeks to see your images, you'll only have to wait a week. Check out my Wedding Prices and see for yourself.
A lot of people think that if a photographer charges less that they are not as good. Sometimes this is true, but sometimes it's because the photographer loves to shoot weddings, like myself, and wants to shoot a lot of them. It is a myth that if they charge more they are better. In a lot of cases photographers charge high prices because they actually don't like shooting weddings and if they're going to shoot one they want to make it worth it. So don't be fooled, make sure you check the photographers work carefully. Meet with them and view their work in person. Make sure they seem enthusiastic about your wedding. If they seem secretive, uncooperative, or won't show you a complete wedding from start to finish, don't book them! Trust your intuition.

Vendor Spotlight! GS Productions

Are you still looking for a DJ for your event? Here is a great one! Greg from GS Productions is more than just a person playing music. He will help you organize your event and keep it flowing smoothly the whole night so you ca enjoy your time with your guests! He is fun, creative, and will work hard to get everyone up and having a good time. Check out his website GS Productions.

Sample Wedding Day Schedule for a 3pm Wedding

6:30am- Wake up! Shower and eat a large breakfast. You may not get to eat again till the reception. Load car with things you gathered over the past few days. You may want to load these things the night before into your car to save time.7:30am- Head for beauty salon for 8am appointment.

8am- Start beauty appointment. Tell them you need to leave by 10:45am. Schedule a stylist for each bridesmaid so everyone will finnish at the same time

10:45am- Leave salon with hair and make-up done. (Your bridesmaids should be following the same schedule so you will all be done at the same time.)

11:15am- Arrive at church.(plan 10 mins to park and get things from the car to the bridal room)

11:30am photographer arrives to setup equipment in the church

11:30pm- Florist arrives to ready church in time for 12:30pm photos.

12pm- Photographer starts getting ready shots with the bride and bridesmaids. The bridesmaids should be completely ready at this time so they can help the bride get in her dress.

12:30pm- photography starts of the bride, bridesmaids and bride’s side of the family. Groom and Groomsmen must be ready by 1:30pm

. 12:30pm- Any member of the Bride’s side of the family who are not already there must arrive by this time for formal pictures.

1pm- The Groom and Groomsmen should be pinning on flowers at this time.

1:20pm- Finnish photography and hide the bride.

1:30- Start photography of Groom, Groomsmen and family.

2:30- Stop photography, and start letting guests be seated.

2:45pm- Start lining up wedding party.

3:00pm- The big moment!!! (Ceremony 30 min.)

3:30pm- Ceremony over. Keep everyone together.

3:40pm- Start photography of couple together and group shots. Make sure that everyone you want in photos is aware of it and that they are to return to the sanctuary quickly.

4pm- Limo arrives.

4:15pm- photography ends.

4:25pm- into the limo.

5pm- Arrive at reception. Bustle dress. Dj starts lining up wedding party.

5:10pm- announcement of wedding party.

5:20pm- First dance.

5:35pm- Dinner and mingle.

6:20pm- Start pouring drink for the toast.

6:35pm- Cake cutting and toast right afterward.

7pm- father/daughter dance and son/mother dance.

7:10pm- crank up the dance floor!!!

7:40pm- bouquet and garter toss. Limo is ready outside.

7:55pm- pass out birdseed. guest move to outside. Couple says good-bye to parents.

8:05pm- The big send-off.

8:10pm- bridal party takes care of gifts and any other duties needed for the couple.

I suggest that the bride make a schedule like this and give it to all her vendors and people participating in the wedding. It will help your wedding day to go smoother and let everyone involved know what to do and when. Thank you and I hope your wedding planning goes well.

I Can Make a Difference MS Walk

2010-02-23T19:40:00.000-05:00

[caption id="attachment_1723" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="My family will all be walking together on May 1st"][/caption]

Why I walk

I've registered for the MS Walk because I have a brother-in-law who was recently diagnosed with MS. I also want to do something for the people who have been diagnosed - and because I want to do everything to prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease. Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with a diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability.

Please visit my MS page and make a donation. Every little bit counts. You can also join our team and walk with us on May 1, 2010 just click HERE to participate.

Martinsburg Bridal Show images are ready for viewing!

2010-02-22T11:24:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed the show. I had a great time meeting with everyone and taking pictures. Below is the link so you can see the images. Don't forget to email me the number of the images you would like me to email to you.

http://www.millersalbums.com/?event=83271Wmartinsburg

Martinsburg Mall Bridal Show Feb 21 from 11am to 5pm

2010-02-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

I hope to see you at the Martinsburg Journal's Bridal show at the Martinsburg Mall. I'll be one of the vendors at the show. I plan to do FREE engagement portraits at the show so don't forget to bring your significant other and get a Free image taken. Feel free to take fun images with your mom or Maid of honor at the show as well.

Bridal Show Tips

First thing to do is get a list of the area bridal shows. You can get a list at www.crousephotography.net

Plan to spend a couple hours at the show, bring your Maid of honor, mom, or groom to help you with vendor questions and information collecting.

Bring pictures with you to show to the vendors. This will help them give more accurate price quotes.

Wear shows you can do a lot of walking in so you don’t get sore feet

Don’t be afraid of the vendors walk up and ask questions! They want to hear your ideas. Bring a list of questions so you will be prepared to get great information.

Take a folder with you. Make one side for information from vendors you really liked and one side for vendors you didn’t like. You may want to bring a notebook to write down information that is not in the brochures.

Bring address labels to fill out those mailing lists, drawings, and special deals a lot faster.

Don’t just book the first vendor you talk to. Shop around and ask questions you may find a better fit for your wedding.

Find out what vendors are at the show so you can do research on them ahead of time. That way if you like them you can go ahead and book them at the show and save time meeting with them again later. Some vendors will offer specials that are only available at the show so doing your research ahead of time will help you feel better about taking advantage of those specials.

10. You may want to sign up for a new email address and/or open a temporary post office box so that after your wedding you can close them and not get wedding junk mail anymore.

11. If the show has a website register prior to the show a lot of times this will get you in free whereas you’ll have to pay if you register at the door.

12. Bring a bag with you not every show will provide one for you. You’re going to get a lot of information.

The Picture

2010-02-05T08:25:00.000-05:00

I couldn't think of anything to write about this week for my blog so I decided to share a short story I wrote a while back. I not only take pictures, I also like to write. Although I don't write as much as I used to back in High school.

One of my clients inspired this story. When she picked up her proofs a few weeks after her wedding, she told me that the ring bearer had tragically been killed in a car wreck. This news tore out my heart. Such a sweet child and to think I may have been the last person to ever take a picture of him. I've never been the type to outwardly show my emotions, I've always written it down in my journal or wrote poetry or short stories instead.

I wrote the story from my point of view; how I would feel. I think it expresses how I feel about photography and why I think it's so important in our lives. I hope you enjoy the story.

The Picture

By Roxanne Crouse

     I opened the bag from the one hour photo and began to look through the images. Slowly at first, then more quickly as my heart began to race. The little blond boy, my son, starred in most of them looking beautiful with his uncut messy hair and dirty cake covered face. I watched as he consecutively tore through each of his birthday presents enthusiastically. Next he blew out seven candles on his cake and ate a ton of sugar with his friends.

     My eyes began to water out of control as I got to the last image, the fourteenth image. Only fourteen, I should have bought more film. My son sat on a video game motorcycle staring at the screen trying to drive but the fake bike and controls were too big and spread out for him to manipulate them well. He tried anyway. He never listened to me; his will was like stone, unbreakable.

     I looked at his colorful unmatched clothes and untamable hair and my heart sank deep into my chest. So deep I never thought I’d be able to put it back where it belonged. I wished so badly that he would have looked at the camera for this last picture, his last picture. I didn’t want to think about it.

     Had I known, I would have bought more film. I would have tried to get better shots. The pictures seemed so insignificant then. I thought I had plenty of time, his whole life to get great shots of him. Now this poorly exposed image where he wasn’t even looking was the last.

     I fell against the wall and slid to the ground holding the image in my hand. I cried out letting all my pain finally escape. I didn’t care what the people on the sidewalk thought, this pain throbbed in me, and I could no longer hide from the truth. The truth that he was gone and this piece of paper was my last memory of him.

Just booked Breann and Eric's wedding on July 3, 2010

2010-01-31T13:41:00.000-05:00

I'm excited because I just booked another wedding. Breann and Eric's wedding will be held at the Holiday Inn here in Martinsburg. I always love a close to home wedding. Congrats to both of you and thank you for choosing me as your photographer. I can't wait for your wedding day!

Pullen Wedding album design

2010-01-29T15:35:00.000-05:00

Every time I post an album design I get a whole bunch of hits on my blog. So I'm guessing people like to look at sample album designs. So here's another one. The wedding was back in April and the couple have hadtheir fiinished album for about 6 months now. They ordered their album pretty quickly and got it just a few months after the wedding. Every couple gets to pick their own images and get to make changes to the layout before it is printed. If you have any questions about my album designs don't hesitate to ask.

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2010-01-27T16:12:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to say that Mandy and Tim are my newest couple. I can't wait to shoot their wedding on April 3. It will be my second wedding for 2010. The first was on Jan. 9th; a wedding that got rescheduled because of the two foot of snow on December 19th. The wedding and reception are in Hagerstown at two locations I've never been to before. The ceremony is at Hagerstown Church of Christ and the reception is at Nick's Airport Inn; which I hear has great food. I can't wait to try some! Congrats on your engagement Mandy and Tim and I'll do my best to make your wedding day the best I can.

2010-01-20T16:42:00.000-05:00

I took some images during the show on sunday. I really liked Hager Hall in Hagerstown. It will make a great reception location which you'll be able to see from the images.

I did free portraits during the show. I may do this again at the Martinsburg show.

Three girls modeling some gorgeous dresses

Here are some more images from the show I hope you enjoy them!

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Visit Crouse Photography at the Bridal Gala for a FREE Portrait and posing advice

2010-01-16T10:32:00.000-05:00

Bliss - The 2010 Bridal Gala

Sunday, January 17, 2010

We are pleased to announce the Hagerstown magazine 2010 Bridal Gala, presented by Hager Hall Conference & Event Center on the Dual Highway in Hagerstown.

Where: Hager Hall Conference and Event Center, Dual Highway, Hagerstown
Time: 11:30am - 4:00pm

Make sure you dress up for the show!

At the show I will have a studio background set up to do portraits of couples. The images will be hosted online after the show, just go to:

www.millersalbums.com/?event=83271bridalgala

Find your image number and email it to:

photogooroo@yahoo.com

I will send your image file to you FREE!

I look forward to seeing you there!

Crouse Photography

Exciting News!

GREAT NEWS! Coming Soon NEW hosting Sites and Prints are on SALE!

SALE! SALE! SALE! Buy one print, get a duplicate print for 1 cents

Family Portriats from 2011

Just finished another Wedding album design

Check Out Some of My Recent Photo Shoots

Bridal Show this Sunday Feb 12th

My Favorite Wedding Dress From 2010

Bridal Show at the Clarion in Shepherdstown Feb 12

Christmas Wedding

Photos of Berkeley County WV

Samples of my other types of work

Wedding Album Design from October 2010

Senior Session

Awesome Image Number 3

October 29th Wedding at Shenandoah Golf Club

Bridal Fair to offer bit of everything - journal-news.net | News, sports, jobs, community information for Martinsburg - The Journal

Awesome Wedding Images Image #2

The Lively wedding was extremely lively!

Awesome Wedding Images= Image #1

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Wedding Photographer

October wedding I shot a year ago. I know, I'm WAY behind.

NaNoWriMo

Wedding Back A Year Ago At Hill Brook Inn

A Couple photos from the 2011 Photowalk

NAPP Photowalk 2011 in Lessburg VA

Ghost Pictures I Took At HorrorFind Weekend

Photography Lesson White Balance Part One

I Don't Understand Why Photographers Want To Limit Themselves

Yesterday's Wedding at Berkeley Castle

Meetings, Family, and Cleaning Oh My!

Log In To See My Latest Wedding July 9, 2011

Need a Wedding Album Made From That DVD Collecting Dust?

You took all those photos. Now you can sit back and let Crouse Photography design the album.

About to leave for an Engagement session at Hagerstown City Park

The View From The Top Of Berkeley County

Outdoor Family Portraits

Enjoy One Fantastic Day together, and come away with breathtaking portraits that capture the magic between you.

Crouse Photography is your family's chance to experience the excitement of a professional outdoor photo shoot, with the attention of a professional lifestyle portrait photographer focused solely on you.

Babies First Year Portrait Club

Save even more when you take advantage of member’s only discounts!

An Awesome Wedding Back On September 18, 2010

Wedding I Shot Back In September

July 31, 2010 Digital Wedding Album Design

Awesome Centerpiece Ideas From OffBeat Bride

The Beauty Of Berkeley County

Photography Projects I Work On In My Spare Time

Ideas To Lower The Cost Of Your Wedding Photography

Martinsburg Mall Bridal Show this Sunday Feb. 20th!

Advice On Booking Your Wedding Vendors

Wedding Album Design I Recently Finished

How couples get Gorgeous Pictures on Their Wedding Day

How To Get Gorgeous Wedding Images

Martinsburg Mall Bridal Show February 20th 2011 from 12noon to 5pm

Images From a Hotel Wedding

Check Out What I Offer Before You Sign Another Contract

An Amazing Promise From The

Photographer Who Will Capture The

Romance Of Your Wedding

Here’s 5 reasons You Should Choose

Crouse Photography

What Others Are Saying

Photos of New England and Canada

Help raise money for NaNoWriMo!

More about the new Camera!

Yeah, I bought a new camera body

Bridal Show at the Martinsburg Mall October 24th from 11am to 5pm

Wedding June 5, 2010 at Wesley United Methodist Church

Monthly Engagement Session Contest

Engagement Session at Stone Manor Country Club

Engagement Session at Bella Vista

Leah and Eric Married May 15, 2010

WV PPA Photowalk in Shepherdstown WV

Miranda and Cecil at Hagerstown City Park

3rd Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk!

Learning about what brides want

Little Baby Chloe

Congratulations Amanda Fike!

Karen and Shawn were married April 24, 2010