Welcome to my blog! My name is Natalie Franke and I'm a wedding photojournalist and portrait photographer in the Philadelphia, Baltimore, & DC metro areas!

I specialize in capturing candid moments as they unfold and finding real emotion in each image that I produce.

I love my job & feel so blessed for all of the incredible friendships that I have gained through photography. I'm happy that you've come across my little piece of the universe! Take off your coat & stay a while!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Trash the Dress Trio!

Yesterday I met Kira, Ashley, and Brianna at the beach for a hot trash the dress session in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Hot (not only because these girls are gorgeous) but because temperatures were in the mid 90's with little to no breeze on the beach. No one seemed to mind as we ran around the beach laughing, splashing, and taking some fabulous pictures! This has to be one of the most fun sessions that I've done all summer!






TTD-18st






The splashing action sequence!
SPLASH! :)
Mission Accomplished!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Stephanie & Jake's Engagement Session

Stephanie & Jake make a wonderful couple. They were incredibly easy to photograph, always laughing and smiling. Quickly into the session, I found out that Jake is Penn alum. Such a fun coincidence! They are getting married in Georgia & after hearing just a few of the details - I have no doubt that it will be a beautiful wedding! Here are some of my favorites from the afternoon.

My new favorite gate! :)



I told Stephanie that every time she looks at Jake, she lights up. It's so true. They are perfect together!





When I saw her ring my jaw nearly dropped! Gorgeous! :)

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Meg's Session

On a beautiful Friday morning in downtown Annapolis, Meg (with the company of her boyfriend and best friend) met me for head shots to include in her acting and modeling portfolio. We photographed a little bit of everything, different backgrounds with completely unique feels for her portfolio! Here are just a few of my favorites.


We photographed everything from cute cafes...
To urban graffiti.. :)
BFF-2st

Talk about a blonde bombshell! Meg is gorgeous!



Meg and Brooke together.
BFF-1st

Friday, August 7, 2009

Theresa's Senior Session

Just a few days ago, I had a great time photographing Theresa for her Senior Pictures at her home in Severn, MD. She is gorgeous and goal oriented! I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. Here are a few pictures from the session:





Julie (Theresa's older sister) and their friend Amanda joined us for a few pictures at the end.
I don't think I've ever seen three people laugh this hard at a shoot. They were hilarious! :)
The three sisters.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

When I Look at the World

When I look at the world, I see everything with potential. Every blade of grass, every flower, every tree. There is something beautiful just waiting to be discovered and I know that with a camera in my hand -- I can do it. I have never looked at myself as an artist, but lately something is changing. I have a new curiosity. I want to create something beautiful with my camera. I want to capture the color of this world in a new way. And aside from my portrait work, I take a little time every week to explore the world around me. We've been having a lot of thunderstorms lately, so most of these pictures are centered around rain drops. I guess you could call it this week's theme.

"A picture is a poem without words." -- Horace



I loved how the water droplet was sitting in the shape of a heart.

Can you believe these beauties were in a pot outside of the Market House in Annapolis?
Something simple. Something abstract.


They are by no means incredible, but my half decent attempt at creating art with my camera has resulted in somethings that I'm proud of. Okay so off to the business portion of the post.

UPDATES:
- I am completely booked for the month of August. I feel bad because I keep having to repeat this email after email this week. With a session nearly every day, I have stopped booking for the summer. If you are interested in scheduling with me for the fall, I am booking sessions in November around Thanksgiving. Email me soon because my available spaces are already filling up.

- August 27th is my birthday. Just throwing that out there... lol.

-In September I'm moving up to Philadelphia to begin my sophomore year of college at the University of Pennsylvania. I will be shooting sessions in Philly if anyone wants to take a day trip! It's a fun city & I can't wait to live there!

That's all for now! I'll keep you posted as things begin to change towards the end of the month! Moving, a new school, some amazing weddings, and much more.