full house | thanksgiving in the land of san fran | california

nearly two months since the last blog entry...and although i sometimes feel the need to remain more consistent in my posting, i have to remind myself that for the most part...this is the off season, and sometimes my family really just needs me 'off.' and so a few weeks out west to unplug and spend time with my parents was rejuvenating for the whole english clan.  growing up out west, i can distinctly remember the times i would see my grandparents here in michigan - and how exciting those visits always were. and now, my kids have the opportunity to experience something similar and it certainly brings me joy to see them run to their papa and grandma in the airport, ready for new adventures and vacation memories!

benjamin the photographer a true roast beast... we headed up north to wine country, with the hopes of finding our way through napa to the inviting town of sanoma. yeah...this bakery...all sorts of goodness wide-eyed ben...with treats galore! when wine tasting with parents who are club members...you must pace yourself! benja is a good sport...i try my best to follow along on his adventures with as little direction as possible...but sometimes, just sometimes he gets a 'hey bud, stand there...look up at the clouds' grandpa and komali girl just workin' on my lorax stance 'we're going buddy!!' sanoma details ravenswood...yeah, i think i've heard of them* dad and i are working on a new brand / website / logo for his custom woodworking business.  we snapped some shots to help tell his story.. ben wants to be just like grandpa! in grandpa's classroom dad did some work for concannon and we wanted to catch some of the details of his work there...so we decided to stop off for a bit of the afternoon. this place is awesome! dapper jonathan, of english craftsman woodworking the ladies of my life! a table in the tasting room made by english craftsman woodworking out past the skyscrapers of SF is land's end...we arrived in time for a spectacular sunset hike! #bensadventures somebody seemed to be pretty comfortable around people.. a few days later we headed down the coast to monterey, stopping along the way near santa cruz for a little beach exploration.. destination station i couldn't take enough of these silhouette photos in the aquarium...spellbound.. the look of surprise! truly mesmerizing* ben and his love of sharks..

drew + katie | wedding | gull lake country club | richland, mi

it was an absolutely perfect september day. crisp morning. clear blue skies. the ceremony on the edge of the lake. it was one of those days that has the ability to stop you just admire it's beauty and serenity. and the funny thing was, it rained for their engagement session. but that didn't stop drew and katie then. we used the rain as a character in their story...but that character was far from returning as saturday showed not a cloud in sight!

i cannot say enough about these two friends and their incredible trust in me as an artist. i felt like just another member of the wedding party, with drew and katie up for any of my sometimes crazy ideas.  and for that, I am truly grateful! once again, it was an honor to be a part of this incredible chapter in a couple's life.

from our meetings at vivant and engagement session in the rain, to the last dance on the rocking dance floor - it has been a privilege d&k. thank you. rich blessings to you two.

- npe

john + kelsey | engagement | ludington, michigan

what a privilege to be a part of john and kelsey's wedding story! these two are dear friends and our engagement session was certainly a blast because of it. it didn't take long for these two good lookin' folk to get their 'model' on and give me some amazing things to work with.  again, you two...i cannot thank you enough for the chance to capture these moments in your life together. 

and yes...it rained a lot. and it was wonderful.

peace and blessings my friends!

- npe

mi belleza {made.for.the.sun}

'dark am i, yet lovely'

if there is a sunset upon the waters of perfection, her face shines brighter.

if there are flashes of beauty across the star lit sky, her eyes flash fiercer.

if there is a crowning beauty only God can create, it's home is in her gaze.

her life, a gift of beauty and love. my bride.

my wife is beautiful, truly in every way. and probably the only place that could even come close to heightening that beauty, is the sunny escape of a palm tree canopied beach.  on our recent retreat i had the chance to do a little shoot with my wonderful kay, and these are a few of my favorites!

-npe

bienvenidos al paraíso {beaches.&.bermuda.shorts}

oh mexico...as james taylor puts it, 'it sounds so sweet with the sun sinking low...' five years ago in june, i married my very best friend, jana kay.  after our wedding celebration, we slipped away to a small island off the coast of mexico and began our adventures as mr. and mrs. english.  we absolutely fell in love with the island, its colorful and authentic charm...the people, the water, the food, the beaches, the turtles*

seeing a chance to visit the island for a third time, celebrating our 5 years, we jumped at the opportunity and headed south of the border.  with our beautiful children in the hands of always fun and exciting grandparents, jana and i were blessed to take in a week of serene beauty and rest, just us...

here are some photos from the one and only isla mujeres...if you ever have the chance...make your way on down to paradise*

-npe

brian+meghan {st.joseph.selebration}

summer is headed to michigan* as four lads from across the pond once said, here comes the sun...and with it...the joy of wedding season in the land of the great lakes!

it was an honor to be a part of b & m's wedding and to see all the planning come to a beautiful conclusion*

mr. & mrs. - enjoy that honeymoon! and even though chicago is where you call home..don't be strangers!

cheers*

npe

max+chelsea {truly.best.friends}

when i first met my wife...it was, in a sense, a two for one special* chelsea and jana: best of friends, thick as thieves, two peas in a pod...

i had the honor of having chels on my side as i fell in love with, pursued, courted, married, pursued, pursued, pursued my beautiful bride.

and now, jana and i have the honor of being on her side as chelsea soon will become mrs. max garter! chelsea has found a new best friend in max...an incredible man of God and now truly a good friend of mine*

so good for each other, so overjoyed, so clear eyed and head over heals in love.

being a part of their story is truly a humbling honor.  cheers for best friends in love!

-npe

luis+maria {from.sand.&.city.with.love}

i love shooting in michigan, and i certainly love our city of grand.rapids! but when maria and luis said 'chicago' - i jumped at the chance...and exciting possibilities*

we had a great day, starting at the beach where these two best friends had their very first date, and ended in a city that luis knows all too well - the windy city delivered with a beautiful day, and spectacular skylines!