Enjoy First Birthdays {Montgomery, AL Baby Portraits}

Sweet Evan came by to document an important milestone - his first birthday.



But before we got down to the cake smash, we grabbed a few images in the garden of Evan and big sister, Cloe.






We also grabbed a few in a precious Auburn outfit that mom brought.



And we finally get down to the business at hand!





Evan's full gallery of images is uploading tonight. This is just a sneak peek for mom and dad while they're waiting. What a privilege to be a special part of Evan's First year!

Enjoy Brothers {Montgomery, AL Child Photography}

I had so much fun with these brothers recently at Shakespeare's Garden. What cuties! I wanted to blog a few of my favorites while their gallery is uploading.

Enjoy Haven {6 months}

I'm so excited to be uploading Haven's 6-month session to her online gallery. Here's a few of my favorites for mom and dad while the gallery is uploading.

What to Wear 5 {Montgomery, AL Senior Portraits}

Inspiration for those important senior portrait sessions that should be scheduled this summer before your busy school year begins!

What to Wear 4 {Montgomery, AL Photography}

Enjoy Special Dresses {Montgomery AL Baby Photography}

Miss Carly came by to show me her very special Easter dress! And I just had to share a few of my favorite images. What a special treasure! And nothing beats this beautiful late afternoon/early evening spring light!





The remainder of Carly's images are uploading to her online gallery.

Enjoy Mothers' Day {Montgomery, AL Baby Photography}

I have been blessed to meet many wonderful young mothers through photography. It has truly restored my hope for our future. This sweet mom recently met me at Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum in Wetumpka to document her son's first birthday. It is with great pleasure that I release her sneak peek on Mothers' Day!








Mom, your full gallery of images is uploading and will be released for view shortly.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Enjoy Cats

My cat is always waiting for me when I get home. He somehow knows the sound of the car and comes to meet me. (okay, he's not really my cat. he belongs to my neighbor. but he thinks he's our cat. maybe because we don't have 3 preschoolers and a pit bull. anyway ...)

Friday, he didn't come to meet me. I immediately noticed his absence but went on in the house. I waited a few minutes then checked at each door. Still no cat. I walked back to my office and did a little work but couldn't help but think how strange this was so headed to check the doors again.

Then, as I was passing the bedroom we keep set up for the grandchildren, I caught something out of the corner of my eye:



I did a double-take. Sure enough, there he was.



What was he thinking when he settled down here? Was he thinking he was part of the pride?



I was pleased he let me grab the camera and take a few shots of this. How funny is this!

Apple's Not-so-Smart iPad2 Cover

Warning ... this is not a pretty post!

This is the Apple iPad2 cover that cost me $359. "Why," you ask, "would you spend $359 for a cover that is advertised for $39?"

Well the answer is, "Because I believed Apple when they clearly stated on their site, 'The Smart Cover and iPad 2 were made for each other. Literally. Built-in magnets draw the SmartCover to iPad for a perfect fit that not only protects, but also wakes up, stands up, and brightens up your iPad. That’s not just smart. It’s genius.'"



But this is what happened the first time I dropped my iPad2:



Note the cover still on.

The drop was so slight I didn't even open the cover to see if anything was wrong with it. I've dropped my cell phone with much greater force (cell phone is a blackberry, not an iPhone!).

Not only did the screen shatter, but look at the damage on the edges. It must be made of aluminum foil!!



So, I enjoyed my iPad2 for about a month, and then had to pay $320 to replace it (even though the computer part still worked fine) because it was "damaged beyond repair" !!! So, $39 for the Smart Cover that wasn't really such a smart idea after all, plus $320 for a replacement. And then the customer service rep says, "Is that satisfactory?"

If I wasn't afraid my grandchildren might see this post I'd use bad words to describe what I was thinking at that moment. "Well ... no that isn't satisfactory, but what else am I going to do!!! Really???

Throw $538 into the trash can or throw another $320 into Apple's coffers? Well, let's see...

Well, I can fault Apple for a horrible design, but I can't fault them for poor service after robbing me of another $320. I took the iPad to the UPS store on Monday morning and I had a new one back Wednesday morning. ... and it was charged to my credit card on Friday morning.

Needless to say I've ordered a strongbox to keep the new one in. I still haven't taken it out of the wrapper and won't until the new case - made by someone other than Apple - is delivered.

So, if you're ordering an iPad2 please skip the Smart Cover. It's really not so genius as they would lead you to believe.

Andrea & Jerome {Alabama Wedding Photography}

Andrea and Jerome got married on a perfect April day.

But shortly after, their hometown of Tuscaloosa was ravaged by tornadoes.

Such a brief time to celebrate.

Thankfully, they were spared, but the hurt still goes deep as the city works to recover and rebuild. So, I wanted this sneak peek of their wedding day to portray beauty ... the beauty of people, the beauty of love, the beauty of family, the beauty of life. And hope ... hope that they would soon be able to celebrate again.










One of the groomsmen wrote and delivered a beautiful poem extolling the importance of marriage.





Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Foster. I hope you and your friends & families will enjoy this little preview of what's uploading to your online gallery.



Many thanks to Sue Sizemore for helping me photograph this wedding.