Saturday, January 22, 2011

Enjoy Jack {Montgomery AL Family Photography}

These are a few from a Christmas session that did not make it to the blog in the pre-Christmas rush, but this little fellow is so stinking handsome I just had to go ahead and post them when I ran across them tonight.




I loved.loved.loved these of him giving his pretty mom a kiss.



I'd love to say I could go back and blog all the Christmas sessions, but am just not sure I'd be able to follow through. I'll be returning to a rather full photography schedule next week - for which I'm very thankful!

Enjoy Mary Mason {3 months}

There was only one appointment that couldn't be rescheduled during my recuperation from recent surgery: sweet Mary Mason's 3-month session. Fellow photographer and good friend, Lori Mercer, filled in for me. Mary Mason's gallery is uploading tonight, but here's a peek at what Lori was able to capture:



I see a lot of her daddy in this one!




Mom and Dad your gallery should be ready to view later this evening after Mary Mason and big sister are all tucked in bed. I'm looking forward to capturing the special 6-month session!

Thank you, Lori, for capturing this very important milestone!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Enjoy Flowers & Old Dishes

This week's theme in the 365 day challenge was flowers and old dishes. I really enjoyed the theme ... so it may be carried over a bit into another week.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Enjoy a & a {Baby Photography Montgomery AL}

Misses a and a were delightful during their 6-month session.



And mom always has them dressed in such precious outfits! I don't know how she does it!



And Huntingdon College always provides a beautiful backdrop of architecture and flora.



And Daddy is so funny and makes all three laugh with delight.



These and more are uploading to Mom and Dad's gallery now. The editing and uploading were delayed by some unexpected surgery the day after this session. Again, many thanks are due to the folks at Vital Edit for going through these files for me and making sure they were all in focus and ready for a few final creative touches.



Mom and Dad, your gallery will finally be online tonight! Enjoy the sneak peek while you're waiting.

Enjoy Time with Family

Work will always be there, but quality time with friends and family are in limited supply. -Anne Ruthmann (blog 12.30.10 www.anneruthmann.com)


2010 was a blessed year for my photography business. In spite of the recession and economic uncertainty, I did more weddings and portrait sessions than I would have ever dreamed. As I reflect back on 2010 clients, I feel so honored and blessed to have been chosen to document such special occasions and milestones. However, my family and friends paid a price for this success. I missed times and opportunities that cannot be recaptured. After reading Anne's blog I wrote the above quote on a sticky note and put it on my booking calendar. I have resolved to not only spend more time with family and friends, but to savor and enjoy it greatly!

Grandson Elijah spent some time with us yesterday playing basketball, coloring, and putting together puzzles. I loved watching the interaction between Elijah and his "G" and hearing (repeatedly) "Where does this one go?"




Granddaughter Haylie spent the night with us Saturday. On our way back to her house on Sunday we stopped to feed the birds at Shakespeare.



The answer to my dilemma appears to be the standard economic wisdom of supply and demand. I will be greatly limiting the number of weddings and portraits booked in 2011, which will require an adjustment in the required investment. Wedding collections for 2011 have been finalized and are in effect for any bride who has not yet reserved a date for her wedding. I'm working on 2011 portrait collections this week. They should be in effect by the end of the week. So, if you're thinking you'd like to book a session this year, please go ahead and contact me this week. I have a few openings in March, none in February or April, and some weekday openings in May (all weekends are booked).

Let's all take time to enjoy family and friends in 2011!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Enjoy Puzzles

Week 2 of Challenge 365. Theme: Puzzles.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Enjoy Silver Linings

Grandson EJ broke his arm last week. If I'm not mistaken, it was while jumping out of a chair. hmmmm..... apparently didn't learn his lesson!



But there's always a silver lining, right? EJ loves monster trucks. So it may have been some consolation when he got to attend the recent monster truck jam in B'ham AND got his cast signed by Maximum Destruction AND Grave Digger!!!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Enjoy Color

Like many other photographers, one of my 2011 goals is to take a photo a day. When I did this for 60 days one summer it really improved my knowledge of my camera and my ability to see and think more creatively. I wasn't sure it would be possible to follow through on this goal after my surprise surgery the week before Christmas, but I somewhat blundered into a photo on Jan. 1st.

Then I prepared this gorgeous and delicious Baked Panzanella Caprese on Jan. 2nd after watching Giada De Laurentis prepare it on her Food Network Show (recipe):



How could I not photograph that!!

At this point I was in too far to stop -- especially when I saw all the posts on FB from other photographers who were going for 365!

Unable to return to portrait photography yet post surgery, I pulled out my macro lens and left it on the camera all week. I've been wanting to do some color-on-color images since seeing some gorgeous ones on big banners in Publix last year. That became the theme of the first week of "Challenge 365."



As I was setting up these photographs and noticing how difficult it is to find purely monochromatic items, I started noticing how God put colors together ... the pink and yellow in the grapefruit, the yellow and purple of the iris, etc. I'm thinking I'll probably come back to a theme that will focus more on colors from His handiwork in another week.

Not sure yet what this week's theme will be. Perhaps the winter weather predicted for our area will bring some interesting opportunities! Praying everyone stays safe and warm! Praying for all the emergency and health-care professionals who will have to work in the bad weather. And praying for the animals.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Alaura ♥ Chris {Montgomery, AL Engagement Photography}



It was a crisp - but beautiful- winter day when Alaura and Chris met me at Huntingdon College. We still had a touch of fall color to compliment the beautiful architecture.



Chris was a groomsmen in two of my 2010 weddings, so I considered it a special honor when his fiance called to talk about photographing their wedding. Their Valentine's Weekend wedding will be my first wedding of 2011.







Alaura and Chris' E-session actually took place before Christmas, but due to some unscheduled surgery two days after their session I am just now getting the images uploaded. I really owe a big THANK YOU to the folks at Vital Edit for taking care of most of the post processing while I was recuperating. Any photographer considering help with post-processing please feel free to shoot me an email so I can tell you how great they are!

Alaura and Chris, your online gallery will be released very soon.

Enjoy!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

When Life Happens

I've been wondering for days how I would start this blog post.

"Don't anybody panic!" is what came to mind most often. Mainly, because the details will sound a little scary to current and potential clients at first ... but it all ends well.

I'd also thought a good sub-title might be "Why you shouldn't wait until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping." Which is exactly what I did! Hopefully, I've learned my lesson!

I was on my last portrait appointment before Christmas last week when I started to have some difficulty seeing out of my left eye. It got increasingly more difficult to see as the appointment progressed. So, instead of leaving the appointment to start on my Christmas shopping as planned, I drove straight to ITEC where they graciously worked me in (could it be my panic-stricken face?). They sent me directly to a retina specialist who also graciously worked me in. By the end of the day I was diagnosed with a torn retina that needed immediate surgical repair.

So much for the last minute Christmas shopping.

I came home and quickly uploaded the last wedding of 2010, arranged for sweet Lori Mercer to cover appointments that could not be rescheduled, called my wonderful children and told them they'd have to plan for Christmas dinner without my help, arranged for last minute orders to be picked up, gave my strong husband a detailed list of needed Christmas presents and where to get them, and cried. a lot.

The surgery went very well (Dr. Parma rocks!) and the nurses and staff at Baptist South could not have been more wonderful! When I left they gave me a little survey on a card to fill out. There isn't enough room on that little card to tell you how special every single person I encountered that day made me feel. I know I was tacked on to the end of a long, hard day of surgery. But everyone ... the admissions counselor, the nurses, the doctor, the scrub nurse, the anesthesiologist ... every single person treated me like I was their most important patient of the day and they'd much rather be there with me than doing their Christmas shopping! I was amazed. I cannot say enough wonderful things about every one of them! They kept saying, "You look like you need a hug!" and then they'd give me a big hug and say, "It's all going to be fine. We do this every day."

My husband and I both are A.MAZED at how well I made it through the surgery. God was so good to give the strength and (relative) calmness that was needed each step of the way. Dr. Parma was very pleased when I returned the next morning for the post-op exam and the prognosis is very good.

The mixture of anesthesia and adrenaline overload pretty much wiped me out for Christmas celebrations, but I still have good memories of the day. One of my granddaughters snuggled up in bed with me to watch movies most of the day. I kind of faded in-and-out of them, but she stayed right next to me. At one point I had three grandchildren, a son and a daughter-in-law all in bed with me watching a movie. That will always be a special memory. My kids and daughters-in-law are wonderful people. I really don't deserve them but am so blessed to have them in my life.

As promised, the end of the story is good. The sight in my left eye is improving every day. While still not good enough to drive or return to work, I can already tell that everything is going to be fine when the gas bubble (used to hold the retina in place while it heals) dissolves and I can stop using the dilating drops. Dr. Parma says I'll be good to go by mid-January. So here's where I need to say again, "Please don't panic" to my 2011 clients. I would never leave you stranded or give you anything less than 100%.

In the meantime, I am watching WAY too much of the Food Network Channel. It's sad. really. I've gone from someone who rarely watches TV to someone who knows all the chefs by name. I also know that the secret to a great buttermilk biscuit is using cold ingredients. And I need a pastry bag, and a lot of other kitchen gadgets. Sad. Sad. Sad.

And now for my first picture since my surgery and my first picture of 2011. I didn't plan to pick up the camera today, but how could I not when I saw this on my living room floor:




He was "helping" my husband take down the Christmas decorations! It looks like he's getting over a long night of partying on New Year's Eve!

With all this time on my hands I've had a lot to think about concerning all that was accomplished in 2010 and the goals for 2011. I will blog about those in the near future. Right now, I need to close so I can see who is going to get cut from "Worst Cooks in America." (I love Chef Anne! She does rock a skirt in the kitchen!)

Have a blessed 2011!
 
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