So Hard to Say "No"

I am (thankfully) booked to full capacity this fall. Still, it has been so hard to say "no" to people who are calling and emailing wanting information on portrait sessions. Last week I got an email from a young mother who wanted a newborn session with her son. He was already four weeks old - well past the optimum time of 7-10 days - so I really thought I might have to turn her away.

As the Lord would have it, we finally got some much-needed rain on Sunday. This led to an afternoon outdoor portrait session being rescheduled and me being able to work in this handsome young gentleman!



We may not have gotten any of those little sleepy pictures, but I certainly love what we did capture.




And I got to meet his beautiful mom...



...and equally beautiful "Mimi."



I am so glad that things worked out like they did. It turned into a delightful session - just so much fun for me! I cannot help but feel blessed when I look at these pictures... blessed that I couldn't say "no," blessed to have the opportunity to meet such wonderful women, blessed to have had rain, and blessed that much of the day was enjoyed with my own family.

Thank you, Mom & Mimi (and to Mom's sweet co-worker who encouraged them to call!). Your gallery will be released later this evening.

And to all you expectant ladies out there, please call as far in advance as possible with your due date. We can pencil in some dates so you won't be turned away. I don't think people realize how far in advance good photographers are booked for weddings and portrait sessions. I am currently booking into June of 2011. There are still open dates in February, March and May but they are filling up quickly.

Only 4 Days Old!

We had to squeeze this sweet little girl's newborn session into a very full fall schedule, so she was only 4 days old when these were captured. I had the honor of photographing their older daughter's first year and was thrilled to learn of the new addition to the family. Although I blogged my very favorite image from the session last week, here are a few more for mom and dad to enjoy and share with friends and family while their gallery is uploading.





We got a few special ones with her big sister:




Sweet Big Sister painted this work of art for her little sister's nursery...



and had received a little special pampering from one of the grandmother's earlier in the weekend. She was so proud of her pink pedicure!



Mom is truly one of the most beautiful people - inside and out - that I've ever met. She certainly doesn't look like she delivered a baby 4 days earlier!



And here's one for Dad ... his three beautiful girls.



Mom and Dad, your gallery is uploading tonight and will be released tomorrow so you can enjoy all the images! Thank you so much for inviting me back into your lives to celebrate this miracle!

Jenna's Dress

I had the honor of documenting a beautiful wedding at The Oaks in Pike Road today. Since I was able to photograph her dress (sans bride) yesterday, I have this little teaser ready to upload tonight. More to come.

Enjoy Grudges

There is no way I will acknowledge that I even pick up a Reader's Digest since someone told me it was written on a 5th grade level. Much less would I deign to admit I read anything in it! However....

There is this amazing article in the April 2010 issue on nursing grudges. My husband must have brought it to my attention or something.

Please allow me to quote a few of the best points:

I may be outnumbered, but I still believe in the healing power of the grudge. I've deployed grudges with an equal-opportunity sense of fairness ... I've chosen to stop speaking to certain people permanently and occasionally even spoken ill of them -- but more with incredulity than a sense of revenge. I'm neither proud nor ashamed. But I've discovered that nothing feels quite as satisfying as a grudge well nursed (p. 64).

Oh my! I could have written that myself! (Is "incredulity" a 5th grade word?) And he cites the example of a boss who laid him off just before Thanksgiving.

Was I to forgive her? Should I now? Give me one good reason. My grudge against her balanced out that injustice, somehow righted the universe. It has kept me warm on many a cold night (p. 65).

Isn't that GREAT! But wait, there's more...

A long-standing grudge suggests that we hold certain standards, that we respect ourselves enough to reject bad behavior. Failure to forgive can be just as righteous, just as honorable as forgiveness itself (p. 65).

I know the sweet Lord Jesus is very disappointed in my agreement with Bob Brody, but (sigh) it's just how it is. I may even be genetically predisposed to grudges ... I come from a long line of grudge holders on both sides of my family.

And here's a few snaps of EJ working up a grudge because I took his pacifier away to get a photo. I think he's forgotten it already, so technically it was just a pout, not a real grudge.




And, please don't take me too seriously. I just really think it's a great point of view - exactly how most of us feel but won't admit. I really don't need any clarification on the medical and spiritual reasons to forgive. Nor has anyone done anything lately that prompted this post. I just had a few minutes and these cute pics of EJ. I promise :)

Brody, Bob. "To Forgive is Good But Sometimes I Want to Stay Mad." Reader's Digest Apr. 2010: 64-65.

Enjoy Expectations

Sweet Eden is expecting her first baby in October.



So we got together last week to document and enjoy the occasion. What a beautiful model!



Do you remember the feeling of dread that you may never be able to see your toes again ... much less tie your own shoes? That's what I was trying to capture in this photo.



As I told Eden, I think as photographers we often forget that just because we've taken a particular photo hundreds of times doesn't mean that our client has ever had that captured before. Like at weddings - every single bride asks me for the behind the door shot. I've taken it so many times I wouldn't even do it if they didn't ask. But they love it... so they should have it... so I take it. It's the same with the blocks and bows. It warms a mommy's heart ... so she should have it ... and so I take it ...



and, I confess, I love it, too!

Enjoy Newborns

My "one-woman-show" became a bit overwhelming this year. Actually, it started back on Feb. 11th when the snow canceled an all-day Enjoy Moments session at Buena Vista. All those sessions got added to the next scheduled Enjoy Moments day and I never got caught up again. I found myself apologizing profusely all the time for running behind on editing and uploading, not enjoying this very enjoyable creative outlet anymore, and not being able to relax when my family was around. I had to set some priorities and realize that I had taken on more than one person could do. After lots of prayer, thought and research, I started using two companies in June to help me with post-processing and editing so I could do what I liked to do the best - take photographs and do creative things with them. So, I now use Photographer's Edit to do the first edits on my weddings, and Vital Edit for my portrait sessions. I'm back to enjoying what I do and uploading my sessions to my clients' galleries on time. If any other photographers want to know why I settled on these companies - and why I use different companies for portraits and weddings - please feel free to shoot me an email.

All of this long explanation - which very few people are really interested in anyway - is to explain why I don't do sneak peeks right after a session anymore. When I started outsourcing the first edits, I started doing the sneak peeks as the galleries were uploading. It was just a better use of my time.

And all of that is to say,

I had to make an exception today.

When I was preparing today's newborn session to upload to Vital Edit I saw this:



and my heart stopped

and I just couldn't go any further.

So - only this once - will I do a sneak peek the day I do a session.

Enjoy!

Mitchell-Murray Wedding

It was a distinct honor to be invited to photograph Tanyanika and Roderick's wedding at the Capital City Club two weeks ago. I do not remember being part of a celebration where more love and respect was displayed. The bride's family loved the groom and his family and the groom's family loved the bride and her family. It was just an uplifting celebration of what a wedding and the joining of two lives should be. Their gallery will be uploading today, so I wanted to post a sneak peek of what they will be viewing



Tanyanika's sons receive final approval from their grandmother. They served as the bride's escorts for the ceremony.





Roderick's beautiful daughter served as a bridesmaid.



The handsome little ringbearer had refused to smile for any of the formal portraits earlier in the day. I thought he was just displaying a little attitude. Then the ceremony started and I saw he was really using a tough exterior to hide the anxiety inside. He was such a little man and carried on with his responsibilities. He will probably never in his lifetime forgive me for taking these photos, but it was just such a precious moment!



And no one present will ever forget Roderick's reaction when he first saw his bride. It was the reaction every woman hopes to have from her man on her wedding day!






The new family portrait!



Marcus from Rosemont Gardens outdid himself on the decorations for this wedding! I just loved those little sparkleys hanging from the table decorations. I tried to put one in the camera bag to take home for my dining room table!







Roderick and Tanyanika, your gallery will be online soon. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day.



And many, many thanks to the fabulous wedding planner, Guenada Lambert. I am so sorry that this was her last wedding. I will miss working with you very much, Guenada!

Enjoy Cute Babies

These three images were chosen for publication in an Cute Babies ebook by Better Photo:





The info states:

Eye-catching Images and Inspirations

This wonderful ebook puts the spotlight on heart-warming baby images captured by the creative photographers at BetterPhoto.com. The pictures are accompanied by thoughtful quotations and verses of inspiration.

These amazing photos show babies in all poses and in all moods, some with Mom, Dad, or siblings. These images are guaranteed to elicit "Awwwww..." and "how adorable!" responses!

The book is available for purchase and download here: http://www.betterphoto.com/ebooks/

Enjoy Home Decorating

Did anyone else see and love this in a recent Pottery Barn catalog? Ohmyword!



I shimmied right on over to Eastbrook Flea Market and now have this in my dining room:



I think I need to add a couple more rectangular platters to my collection so will need to return and look again!

I have been trying for months to find a creative way to include photography in my dining area without having it look like a studio. I knew this was it when I saw it! Right now I have it decorated with Polaroid Transfers of fall leaves. I plan to change it up with the seasons using some favorite photographs.