c-iphotographers.com » Justin Mien

Nicole + Steven | Married | 4.26.13 | Pasadena Maryland Photographer

c&iphoto — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:16:00 +0000

Nicole and I met all the way back around our high school days. We (Nicole, Ian, and I) attended the same church for a while. So it was of course exciting when I got the call to meet about her and Steven’s Big day. We usually become friends with all of our brides and grooms throughout the whole wedding process anyway, so its always a bonus and makes the whole experience extra fun when we already know each other. Nicole & Steven were married at the Anchor Inn, which is in Pasadena, Maryland. The quaint little venue sits on the water overlooking little docks and lots of boats. Very pretty for a spring time wedding in MD. Congrats you guys!

-Justin

Jennifer + Buddy | Engaged | Ellicott City, Maryland Photographer

c&iphoto — Sun, 26 May 2013 18:37:40 +0000

I met these two at Liz & Andy’s wedding last summer (Liz is Buddy’s older sister). Danielle and I actually got to enjoy Sunday dinner with their whole family a few weeks ago; Buddy and Liz’s mom was so nice to invite us over before we did the engagement shoot. It was great getting to know the whole family! After dinner, Jennifer and Buddy pulled on their cowboy boots and led us behind the house down a trail into a beautiful, rustic, country-esque park. I felt like we were in western Maryland or something for a moment; I kept forgetting we were in Elkridge, only 20 minutes away from where I live. The place was picture perfect and of course Buddy and Jennifer were right at home practically in their own backyard

Taylor + Brandon | Engaged | Thurmont Maryland photographer

c&iphoto — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:02:34 +0000

I first met Taylor when I photographed Liz & Andy’s wedding last summer. Her family actually owns the Mathwig Estate Event Barn, which is quickly becoming the most popular off the grid wedding venue in Maryland. We were excited to be a part of their first wedding show there a couple months ago; Taylor did a great job hosting it of course! And then I made the long drive back to Thurmont (where the Barn is located) for Taylor and Brandon’s engagement session…which has become one of my favorite shoots recently. Everything was so inspiring – the location, the perfect lighting, and of course Taylor and Brandon My wife ended up texting me asking where I was since I had been there for so long lol oops! Anyways…here’s what we were doing for so long….

Shelley + Chuck | Engaged | Baltimore Maryland Photographer

c&iphoto — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:13:06 +0000

I always tell my couples that their engagement session should really paint a picture of who they are and the location is a really big part of creating that. Shelley & Chuck met once upon a time at a little place called the Baja Beach club in Baltimore City, Maryland. So what better a place to shoot their engagement session? Even though the club went out of business a couple years ago, we found no shortage of great spots in and around Power Plant Live. But I made sure Chuck gave her a spin right in front of that building where they met

Nicole + Josh | Married | 3.30.13 | Doylestown Pennsylvania wedding photographer

c&iphoto — Mon, 06 May 2013 02:16:33 +0000

We met Nicole and Josh through our friends Corrine & Ryan, who were our last wedding couple of 2012… And, Nicole and Josh were our first Maryland wedding of 2013 It was great getting to know them a little at Corrine and Ryan’s wedding before we even had our engagement session together. Their wedding was held at the Aldie Mansion in the quaint town of Doyestown Pennsylvania, where Nicoles family is from. I loved the overall feel of their wedding . Very relaxed and chill within the gorgeous backdrop of the ancient stone mansion with rich woodwork and an overall rustic atmosphere. One of the reasons they actually decided to have the wedding in Pennsylvania was so that Nicole’s grandmother could attend. It was an incredible moment to see her face light up when she saw Nicole in her wedding dress for the first time.

-Justin

Megan + David | Engaged | Annapolis Maryland photographer

c&iphoto — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:48:00 +0000

I met up with Megan & David at the waterfront in downtown Annapolis, Maryland. Now, people typically think, “oh the waterfront, seen it once, seen it 100 times.” But whenever I shoot here…I am constantly discovering new colors, patterns, shapes, and well… you’ll see. Megan & David, you guys were a pleasure to photograph. Next stop…wedding

-Justin

Nicole + Steven | Engaged | Fulton Maryland Photographer

c&iphoto — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:26:22 +0000

Nicole & Steven spent the morning with me hitting up all the classic spots in Fulton, MD. We started off at Sidamo Coffee & Tea in Maple Lawn, not only because its super quaint inside and they make a mean mocha, but mostly because it was 8 am and I needed said mocha in order to function. I always enjoy shooting with old friends, I’ve known Nicole for a while so it was a lot of fun catching up and getting to know Steven a bit. Since I have lived in this area for a while, it was really easy coming up with little spots here and there that I thought would work well for them. One of my favorite series in this shoot is Steven playing the guitar to Nicole in the back of the old truck. I jokingly said “hey, play Crash into me by DMB”, and off he went. That just sealed the deal for me. These two are awesome and I’m looking forward to the wedding!

-Justin

I think these two are hilarious because Nicole decided they were going to jump off the bench… the only problem is they didn’t discuss how they were doing to do that. lol As you can see she went for the high jump, Steven… did not….

Angie & Costa Engaged | Bel Air Maryland Photographer

c&iphoto — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:46:28 +0000

I met Angie & Costa this past summer at Beth & Gary’s wedding. As I’ve probably previously mentioned, I am always excited when a couple has their own plan for their engagement shoot. Their idea was to hit up all their regular spots off Main street in Bel Air. We started off in a authentic Italian deli, Savona, where they knew the owner by name, which was great because she was so sweet and gave me the freedom to shoot all over the place. We continued to bounce around a bit through some of their regular stomping grounds- and then you know, had them sit in a fountain (the one right across from a police station of course). The bikes were a cute and, yet again, true touch. They live right down the street so its not uncommon to see these two frequenting their favorite watering hole, Sean and Bolan’s Irish Pub. Angie & Costa, you guys were naturals. I had a lot of fun photographing you. Next stop…the wedding!

-Justin

Adrienne + Peter | Married 12.01.12 | Washington DC wedding photographer

c&iphoto — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 03:39:07 +0000

I had the pleasure of photographing one of my high school buddies, Adrienne We were actually in the same photo class one year. We had the best photo teacher in the world, which opened up the world of photography and started a life-long pasion for me. The funny thing is, Mr. Drew wasn’t even very good at photography, he was just an incredible teacher. To this day, every time I hear the song “Porcelain” by Moby, I remember our class photo critiques. But I digress. Adrienne has always had a unique style so I knew her wedding would definitely be one to remember and beautiful to photograph. Then I found out Peter was a fellow motorcycle rider Anyhow, from their “First Look” on the rooftop of their apartment building in downtown DC, to portraits on the Ural (his Russian motorcycle), the quaint decor and ambiance of St. Anselm’s Abbey, and the unique styling of something vintage rentals at the reception, it certainly was everything I expected and more.

-Justin

Lexi + Sam | Engaged | Towson Maryland photographer

c&iphoto — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 01:20:42 +0000

Lexi and Sam booked dates with us before they were even engaged; It’s not to have some enthusaistic fans I was mutually excited to work with them for a few reasons. Lexi is a photography-lover. So of course I love to shoot for someone who truly appreciates this art and gives me the freedom to be totally creative- the end product is just so much better and everyone is happier in the end when stipulations or boundaries aren’t made. Just let the artists do their thing. We love working with people who love photography, and don’t just hire us because they need a wedding photographer to check it off their list. We have known Lexi for a while through other clients of ours that have gotten married over the past couple of years, but since then, she has actually assisted us on a couple of shoots or tagged along for the fun of it. Anyways, engagement sessions tend to generally take place outdoors but being the middle of a cold winter up in here in Maryland… I was a little worried when they asked to shoot in February. But of course, Lexi had a plan for this shoot and provided a great framework for me to play around with, which also kept us out of the cold for part of the time. However, we were lucky enough to catch some snow, which is always fun. It was hard to stop shooting because I had so many ideas- this could have easily gone on for hours more

-Justin

Corinne + Ryan | Married |12.23.12 | Brooklandville, Maryland Photographer

c&iphoto — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:46:39 +0000

Two days before this past Christmas, and where was the party at?! The Castle at Maryvale where Corinne and Ryan got hitched! Since I met Corinne at her sister Jordan’s wedding in the spring, we’ve been looking forward to this beautiful Christmas wedding, the last one of 2012 for C&I. You can definitely tell from their engagement session in the fall that they are a laid back couple- they know how to have fun and aren’t afraid of being goofy with each other, which always makes for the best, most candid pictures. But December 23rd was filled with excitement, anticipation (as the girls were getting ready and wondering where one pair of heels went to), once-in-a-lifetime moments (as Corinne and Ryan had their “first look” in the privacy of the Castle’s library), romance (sharing their vows in front of friends and family amidst the christmas lights, tree, and garland), and of course…some numbness (since we had to drag the whole family and wedding party outside in the freezing winter weather for pictures…but it was worth it!). We wish you all the best Corinne and Ryan!! I hope that through these pictures you will always remember the amazing day that started the rest of your lives together and not the time you spent outside trying to figure out if you could still feel your fingers

-Justin, Ian & Danielle

Morgan & Chris | Engaged | Westminster Maryland Photographer

c&iphoto — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:08:34 +0000

Morgan and Chris were right at home at his family’s log cabin out in Westminster, Maryland. Morgan told me when we first met that their dream session would be in the snow. I said ok… fingers crossed we would get some snow this year. So came a Saturday morning after Christmas when it rained a little down where I live, and I got a surprising call from them because I saw no snow. But I took their word for it and just an hour northwest and …boom- 6 inches of snow. Imagine the type of house you would want to stay in if you were off on a winter getaway at a ski lodge or something… that’s pretty much Chris’s family’s property. It was a beautiful home that Chris and his father helped build- such a unique and personal backdrop for their engagement pictures, which I hope captured how full of life and fun this couple is. Anyhow, check it out for yourself! Congrats Chris and Morgan, can’t wait till the wedding.

-Justin

Nicole + Josh | Engaged | Annapolis Maryland photographer

c&iphoto — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:01:01 +0000

I met Nicole & Josh through one of my very other cool couples, Ryan & Corrine. I actually had the privilege of hanging out with them twice in the past two weeks- once for their engagement session and again at Ryan & Corrine’s wedding this past Sunday, where Danielle and I had a great time getting to know them. They told us the story of how Josh proposed, which was so personal and unique- we loved it! The funny thing about the story though was that he carried the ring around with him every day for about a month (if I am remembering correctly) until he proposed so that she wouldn’t find it in the house! lol! He was so nervous about losing it haha! I can definitely relate since I traveled all the way to Guatemala with Danielle’s engagement ring- ahh! Anyways, we had such a good time just chilling while shooting their engagement pictures in some of their favorite spots downtown Annapolis. I feel like I have known them forever already. Can’t wait for the wedding!

-Justin

Katherine + Nelson | Married | 10.27.12 | Boca Raton wedding photographer

c&iphoto — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:10:39 +0000

I first met Katherine at one of our art walk events, C&I’s vintage car shoot. She is a professional makeup artist with Face2Face Studios. They help us out all the time on a lot of our shoots. As far as we are concerned, they are the best in the business. The first thing Katherine told me was that they wanted the whole wedding party to enter the reception wearing masquerade masks- awesome ! Anyway, the wedding was to take place on the 27th of October. Most people dont think hurricane season when you think of October. After all it is the tail end of it. But… Sandy had just swept by the day before leaving the shore a little battered but basically missing South Florida. I saw parts of A1A flooded but the northern east coast took the brunt of it. They got super lucky. It was a beautiful day in Boca Raton. And the wedding was held at one of the prettiest venues in Boca, The Addison. My first stop of the day was with the boys; I took them out to the beach for some quick portraits. You can see in one of the image sequences, Sandy may have missed FL, but it left some pretty big swells. The water got the best of the buys at one point. Second stop was with the ladies. Luci Anne, Maid of Honor and owner of Face2Face did an outstanding job creating a timeless look for Katherine. I think I took more portraits of Katherine than any bride before. I loved how everything flowed together from the venue to the bridesmaid dresses and the decor. Definitely one of the more beautiful weddings I’ve been to. Congratulations again Katherine & Nelson. Thanks for letting me hang out with you and photograph your wedding.

-Justin

Elliott | Family portraits | Historic Ellicott City maryland

c&iphoto — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:35:31 +0000

Hey everyone. This is a short post about a friend of mine, Ashley, and her adorable little family. Let me start by apologizing to all our other friends who we don’t end up blogging about. Its not intentional, we simply don’t have time to blog every shoot we do so we pick them at random here and there. But we love you all the same . Anyways, Ashley and I met when Ian and I photographed Liz and Andy’s wedding during the summer. We had so much fun with their whole wedding party that Ashley asked us to do a session with her husband and her little girl, Adelina. This session was a long time coming. We initially agreed to meet up in their hometown of Las Vegas, but our schedules never meshed. I think it was meant to be that we ended up doing it in MD, however , because her parents live here and her father is an avid antiques collector so some of his amazing finds make an appearance here and there. Anyhow… get ready for a cuteness overload. lol

-Justin