new blog (?)

I have a little bit of time for some technological experimentation this week & have decided to try a new blog set up.

click here and check it out & let me know what you think. i may or may not keep it - depending on the difficulty of using the template & navigation systems.

thanks!!!

my cowboy

having a boy means ALWAYS doing something! my little guy loves anything with wheels, an engine, or that involves gasoline!

so his "toys" include... weed eaters, lawnmowers, tillers ( yes you heard right, tillers - he even asked for one for christmas!), four wheelers, chain saws, combines, and tractors!

today he decided to play cowboy & pose with a few of his - um i mean HIS FATHER's - gadgets

yes - cowboys wear lime green crocs! much easier to hose down when they are COVERED in mud and grass.









recognize the t-shirt aunt kelly?



i <3 this face!



and no cowboy would be complete without a sidekick...... so meet hank!

little "c"

today we ventured out to high rock lake early this morning to play with little "C".

i work with his dad in "my other job" & he used to build boats in our barn. if you're into duck hunting, you may want to check out his website at toller boatworks.


despite what this image says, "C" is at his best early in the morning, so we were there bright and early to catch a few images of this little guy.


here are a few of my favorites.
























and these are what i call his "spanky" shots.
meet the president of the "he-man-woman haters club"





thanks guys! he's adorable! your gallery will be up by the end of the week!

the women of P31

i am not a big fan shooting of weddings.

it's not all the emotion, i can handle that - makes for great REAL life moments that no photographer could ever "create"!

no, it's the large group shots that don't exactly thrill me - you know, the ones with great aunts & great grandfathers & little nieces and cousins from iowa & the dog.

i understand the desire to capture entire families, but the challenge for me is that there's someone in that group who is expecting EVERYBODY in the shot to look perfect.

now according to murphy's law, no matter how many shots i take, someone in that posse of thirty odd people will blink, sneeze, turn their head, blow their nose, scratch, etc. in every single frame. hence rendering my chance at pleasing "great grandmother from topeka" impossible.

personally, i like the "non-perfect" ones - they reveal people's true personalities & trigger memories that aren't recalled with images of perfect poses.

because real life isn't - posed that is.

so when amy asked me if i would be interested in shooting some pictures of the women of Proverbs 31, i paused.......

she said it would involve about 20 - 25 women.

hmmmmmmmmm....... groups of many women........ large group photo session....... hmmmmmmm?

truly i paused.

but in that moment of hesitation, i thought about all these women do and how they have influenced me.

- a friend of mine sent me a devotion from their site about 5 years ago & since then i've been a regular subscriber who has gleaned much from their insights.

- several of the women have adopted children - a foundation at the center of my family.

- the women are strong supporters of compassion international and our family sponsors a little girl in rwanda through that same organization.

- but most importantly, they are women whose hearts seek God and His will.
"when she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
and she always says it kindly" - The Message
they inspire, encourage, and support other women to do so.

after my BRIEF hesitation, i knew there was no way i could refuse.

so today i ventured to the convention center near the speedway to try and capture some of the beauty of these proverbs 31 women....

their conference is entitled



and it encourages women to share their experiences and thoughts through writing and public speaking

we started out with a rock -



followed by much discussion of where to stand -





then we attempted some "non-blinking" portraits of the speakers -



(uummmmmm, strike one )

positions had to be shifted a bit -



and we tried again -



[ not bad ; ) ]

then we added everybody else -



here, however are a few of my favorites.....




- and nothing like a little bling on the feet of those who bring good news!!



ladies, thank you - for all you do.
you are a blessing to many.
blessings, peace, & joy for all of you this weekend.

-s

what a difference a day makes

welcome to the world sweet miss ellie.

baby "M" is on the way

yesterday i shot a maternity session for my dear friends "A & T"



you might remember these 2 from previous posts. this is the third time i've done some photos for them, but they're expanding.....literally!






"T" 's delivery date was to be towards the end of july, and we had already discussed me coming to the hospital to take some pictures when the baby arrived. we joked about how she needed to make sure baby "m" arrived between my trip to the beach & my brother's wedding.




she was really excited yesterday and she looked great!



and then this morning at about 7, she called me from the hospital saying her water broke around 5:00!

looks like i'll be meeting baby "m" sooner than expected!



lots of prayers for a safe delivery you guys!

325 4 seniors

it's that time .... finally ..... it's that time...!!! and i know you're as ready as i am!

yes, i will be taking a break from my other job for a while, but that means this one will shift into high gear, and that's great!

it's also time for some of you to start thinking about your senior year.

so to celebrate the seniors who will be the class of 2009, i've got a "package deal" for you.

get :

* one 2 hour session
* four 8x10s
* four 5x7s
* four 4x6s
* four sets of wallets

all for $325 ( but worth more than $400!)

if you're looking for something a little different in a location that's all YOU, give me a call & we'll set up a time.

but hurry........ my other job will be back in full swing before you blink!

here are a few for you to check out while you're dialing my number!