Meet Taylor and McKenna....

I don't even know where to start on this one. You see, I met Taylor and McKenna years ago when they were just little peeps and in my head, I think that I thought that they'd always stay that size. So, when we set up a time to do pictures with them and these two teenagers stepped out of the car, I had to realign my whole way of thinking. Their cousin Ryan came along with them and I'm convinced that she has got to be one of THE sweetest kids in the entire world. You never looked her way that she didn't have a smile on her face and was offering to help in any way that she could. You cannot meet this child and not love her right off the bat!

When I caught a glimpse of Taylor, I was sure that there was some mistake. I was expecting her shy smile and quiet personality but what I got was this beautiful girl with a confident smile and a contagious laugh. She is a bit more quiet than McKenna but she managed to throw a few zingers my way on more than one occasion! She's smart, funny and just an all around nice person.

THEN, there was McKenna.....I could feel trouble brewing from the moment that I saw the grin on her face. There was no mistaking the mischief behind that smile! The last time that I saw her, I'm pretty sure that she was working on growing in some teeth and she'd already developed a personality as big as her grin. Time had only enhanced that part of her but the scrappy little girl that I remembered was now this beautiful teenager.

These girls were all for getting down to business but there were times when we had NO choice other than to take a dance break. I mean, when you've got to dance, you've GOT to dance! It didn't matter if it was in the middle of the street or at the saw sharpening shop, when the groove hit them, there was no controlling it!

Once they got that out of their system, it was back to the business at hand. The smiles started flashing and we were back on track.

They were scared that they'd appear to be too responsible if they kept up this behavior so the frolicking soon commenced. Now, I can understand the need for this as I am quite the seasoned frolicker myself so we just stood back and watched them go.....run Forest, run!

I offered to frolic with them but McKenna assured me that she thought that I was somewhere around the age of dirt so it would probably be best if I sat tight with my Geritol and walking cane. Taylor never chimed in with McKenna to offer an opinion but I've got to tell you that there was a visible look of relief on her face when she realized that I was going to hang back. It hurt a little but I moved on.

All of that frolicking can wreak havoc on a girl so in Taylor's down time, we managed to snap a few pictures of her. She was a sweetheart....climbed fences, was nice to her sister and even said that she wanted to look JUST like me when she grows up. Ok, I made that last part up but the rest of it is true.

It was almost impossible to get a smile from McKenna. She is such a serious, solemn child so we were THRILLED to get shots of her that showed a different side of her personality.

The abuse that I suffered at the hands of these two isn't something that I can talk about without fighting back the tears so I'm going to skip it. I'll just summarize it by saying that, in time, the wounds will heal.

In all seriousness (which I normally avoid like the plague), I have to say that a day with these teenagers was probably one of the most fun days that I'd had in a long, long time. Teenagers in general get a bad rap sometimes but these girls are smart, funny, beautiful, caring, loving and some of the sweetest spirits that you'll ever have the pleasure to meet. I only hope that you enjoy these pictures even half as much as we enjoyed taking them and having time with these peeps.

Thank you Taylor, McKenna, Ryan and Jenny! We had an awesome day with y'all!

Meet David, Mark & Lorelai Grace

I met Mark and David through our sweet friends, Carla and Lisa. You may have remembered them from a few blog posts back that was about them and their cute kids, Charlie and Sam. We all met at a party given by another friend and there were never any awkward moments of silence like you sometimes have with people that you meet. It was like we were all instantly fighting for our turn to talk and we laughed until our sides hurt. It's pretty much been that way from that night on.

I remember cracking up laughing when David told about one of the first conversations that he and Mark had where he told him that he liked the Tennessee Volunteers and Mark wanted to know what they volunteered for. To me, that's funny all on it's own but if you know Mark, it's even funnier. In fact, he's probably one of the funniest people that I've ever met and he doesn't even have to try. His off-beat sense of humor and his lack of a "filter" about what stories he tells can absolutely crack you up!

But not only is Mark funny, he's probably one of the sweetest souls that you'll ever meet. He would give you the shirt off of his back if he knew that you needed it. He'll drive an hour away to return the box to you that you left in his car. Or, he'll bring you a book of pictures for the time that you missed with Lorelai so you can feel like you're a part of things from the beginning. Mark has carefully sketched out his plans for what he's going to do with the lottery winnings that he's going to have one day and his fortune will be short lived because he's got something special in mind for almost every single person that has ever crossed his path. He truly enjoys making people happy. I love this man.

Then....there's David. I feel like we should cue some sort of dramatic music here. David and I have an unspoken rule that we will never say anything nice to each other. Ever. But, since that rule doesn't apply to writing, I can tell you that David is one of the best friends that you could ever ask for in life. He is as generous as Mark and will do anything in the world for the people that he loves. David has a fantastically creative mind and he has no problem standing up for what he believes in and for the people that he loves. I honestly don't think that there is anything that he wouldn't do for you if he loves you. Give him the slightest hint that you need something done and he'll forego his own needs to help you accomplish your goal. David is a true friend and although I will never admit it to his face (because that's not how we roll), I love him and am thankful for him. I almost threw up a little bit as I typed this because the thought of being nice to David is so against everything that I believe in.

I've saved the sweetest for last here.....this is Miss Lorelai Grace or "Lolo" to those of us who know and love her.

I don't even know where to being with her. I can say without hesitation that the very sight of her sweet little face can make you feel like your heart is going to explode with love for her. From the very first night that we met her and she wasn't content until I was covered in chocolate and various other pieces of our meal, I've loved her. I have always liked babies and kids but there is something different with her and we loved her from the start.

She walks into our house and takes over. She and Tora became fast friends but I've seen her wrap every single member of our family around her tiny, little finger. Too many days without her and we all start going into withdrawals. It's just a given that we've GOT to see her! She's a very talented performer who can alternate between singing "the itsy bitsy spider" and "snoooooop dog, snoooooop dog" all in the same car ride. She's no lightweight at dancing and raising the roof either.

Although she looks all dainty and sweet, don't let her fool you! Just last night I was changing her diaper and popcorn fell out of it. I wouldn't have been any more surprised had it been a switchblade or a part of a cheeseburger. She's not scared of anything that I've ever seen and I've yet to find anything that slows her down. Unless, of course, you find a good Dora the Explorer movie and you hear that sweet, soft little voice singing along to the theme song.

Trust me, I've heard the back and forth and the not-so-subtle opinions about gay families but you can say whatever you want, you'll find few families that measure up to this one--gay or straight! I'm not going to get on a soapbox about this issue because this is about a family of people that love each other. If you'd like to know my opinion on these issues, feel free to e-mail me anytime and we can discuss it there. For now, I'll focus on Mark, David and Lolo. The way that they live their life and love each other every single day is a testament to the strength of their family and their own quiet little rebellion. They have their own problems and issues just like any other family but they love each other enough to keep pushing through them because that's what families do.

This is a home filled with love and laughter. They want only the best opportunities in life for their daughter. They know that starts with the strong foundation of two people who love each other and who work for the common goal of building the best life that they can for their child.

We love this family and we are blessed to have them as members of our "chosen family" that I've talked about before. I sincerely hope that every child in the world can grow up surrounded by as much love as Lolo has in her life.

Thank you Mark, David and Lolo not just for a wonderful afternoon of picture taking but for a lifetime of friendships that we treasure.

Happy Day Everybody!

I Can Accept My Limitations.....

I am not a pet photographer...REPEAT....I am not a pet photographer!

It's not that I don't love the furry little guys because I do. I love cute little puppies with their wet noses and the way that their entire back end shakes when they wag their tails (I think that someone once made mention that my back end did the same thing. To my knowledge, their body has never been found). I love the way that cats make you work hard for the slightest acknowledgement that they notice you. I love the way that some of them can look at you like they understand every single word that you're saying and I absolutely LOVE the acrobatic skills of baby kittens. I say that I'm not a pet photographer because I stink at taking their picture and it drives me bonkers!

A friend asked me to take some pictures of her dogs for her partner's birthday and I was happy to oblige. I mean, how hard could it be? It's not like you have to worry about their outfits or if they have a few hairs out of place. I didn't anticipate a lot of time in Photoshop making sure that the dark circles were removed from underneath their eyes or that I've covered a stray eyebrow here and there.  I've taken pictures of people with their pets many times before and was pretty pleased with the results. However, I learned the hard way that this undertaking was way out of my league!

I arrived with camera in hand and thinking that in 20 minutes or so, I'd have some masterpiece worthy of a gallery showing......cute dogs, beautiful home.....this was a win-win situation for me. As I stepped through the door, I was met with a onslaught of energy! I was pushed back against the door and it was hard to decide who I should acknowledge first....scurrying feet, tails wagging, tongues flapping...it was a madhouse! Then, I persuaded Shannon and Bonnie to step back and let me meet the dogs.

There was sweet little Josh. He has the most sincere expressions and loved to mug it up for the camera. He was determined to get in any shot that he could and was quite tolerant of the pimp jacket that his mommies insisted that he wear. I could sense the shame that he was feeling but he was a trooper.

Then, there was Sidney...the Sidster....the Sidmeister. He just seemed to be over all of the hoopla before it even really got started. His one focus in life was working those eyes for a treat. I consider him to be quite indecisive because he couldn't even decide to go with a blue or a brown eye so he chose both. I think that he did it to show off but he wouldn't own up to it, even if you asked him.

Not to be shown up by the boys, Olive decided she'd steal the show! She was an explosion of playful energy. She wanted to give love and kisses to anyone within a zillion mile radius. She ran, she jumped, she taunted...you name it. She kinda reminds you of that kid in the daycare center that's always on top of the sliding board or the bookcases but that you can't get mad at because she's so dang cute. There's Ritalin for those kids but for Olive, there's parents that appreciate her eccentricities and energy so it all works out in the end!

Even the slightest mention of treats could bring this trio to a screeching halt. They'd fool you into thinking that they were little angels until the last treat was dispensed and then they were off again! It's amazing how these guys can work you in the same way that little humans can work their parents.

The cats around this place have the right idea. They have their own space and it wasn't uncommon to see one of them slinking in and out of the bedrooms or through the fence. I wouldn't swear to it but there were a couple of times when I was sure that the cat gave the dogs the finger through the window. This one little beauty seemed to have the demeanor of a tiger...she was bold and could stalk a ribbon like nobody's business!

So, the day wasn't a total bust. I got a shot (totally out of luck!) that could be used for the birthday canvas but I learned that pet photography is NOT my specialty! I have a new-found respect for my friend, Julie, who IS a pet photographer....and a DANG good one at that! Her website is a work in progress but she is THE best pet photographer that I've ever met. Not only that, she's probably one of the nicest people that I've ever known. If you need pet pictures taken, call her and you will be blown away at what she can do! You can check her limited web presence out at www.bellyrubbz.com (how cute is that name?!?) and she can send you more samples of her work.

As for me, call me for people pictures. I can handle those but I'll leave the four-legged friends to the people who do it best!

Have a tail wagging good day!

Meet Grace, Jake, Luke, Mike & Sherry

Since I've been taking pictures, it's always interesting to me to watch the different dynamics in families. I grew up with those pictures of everyone posed neatly around the fake fireplace. Mom and Dad would be positioned in the middle and the kids would be staged around them with their fake smiles beaming. It looked like they would all spontaneously combust if the photographer snapped one more picture. My friend, Amanda, did a really funny blog post about these kinds of pictures a couple of weeks ago and it made me think about when I started taking pictures. I had a tendency to try to group people the same way and she told me to to let everyone "stage" themselves. She said to pay attention to where they'd go and it was interesting to watch the way they'd all fall into place.

When we grouped everyone together for the family photo, we got what I thought was a really good shot of everyone. Jake was kinda peeking off to the side to scope things out but overall it was still a good shot.

While I liked the picture a lot, I liked this one better when they all posed themselves.

This one seemed to tell the story of their family more appropriately. The guys are standing protectively over Sherry and Jake. Grace, who is more into the teenager stage where hanging with your family isn't the most fun idea that you can entertain, has positioned herself off to the side a little bit and it shows a hint of independence.

This is pretty typical of how things go when I've watched everyone fall into place at other shoots. It's always cool to see how each family interacts with one another and how something so trivial as where you stand can tell such a story. Even though they aren't sitting at the fake fireplace, mom and dad still tend to be the center of things and everyone is tied together around the two of them. This kind of pose tells me that this family is rock solid and there is an abundant amount of love here.

Mike and Sherry met a long time ago....somewhere around 100 or so years ago. I know, they are holding up well for their age but, trust me, it was a long time ago. I always laugh when Sherry tells me the story of him asking her to marry him when she was really young and she told him that she wasn't ready. She said he told her it'd be a long time before he ever asked her again and it was. It was almost 10 years later when he asked the next time and I guess she figured she better go with it. Otherwise, they'd be the oldest couple still dating in the nursing home. Well, that was quite a few years ago and they are still going strong.

He doesn't look that stubborn just glancing at him, does he?

Stubborn or not, he is still one of the nicest men that I've ever known in  my life. He's one of those guys that's so nice that you find yourself wondering if he's really for real. You wonder if it's possible that someone can be THAT nice and that calm all the time. Almost 15 years have passed since I first met him and I can say without reservation that he is truly just that nice. All the time.

Meeting Mike led to meeting Sherry. While she's more high strung than Mike, she is equally as nice. She's the super mom that you always wonder if you have the capacity to be. She was always running someone to band practice, study time or was making some meal that actually required something more than a box of Hamburger Helper or ketchup. As the kids have gotten older, she's running less but still manages to amaze all of us who know her.

When I met the kids, I was amazed to witness the myriad of personalities that formed this family and to see how they all worked together.

I remember Jake coming in with Sherry when he was a little boy. He has a constant smile and a pure, sweet heart. He is the most genuine person that you will ever meet. He loves everyone that he comes in contact with and he's a whiz at video games. To this day, I've never met anyone who can change channels on a remote control faster than he can. He's the person who can make you smile just by looking at him.

Luke was always more reserved than Jake but he was always very polite. He was the smartest kid that I'd ever met in my life and he's grown up to be one the smartest men that I've ever known. His mind works in ways that my simple brain just can't wrap around. He's wise beyond his years and Jake's face always lights up when it's Luke's weekend to come home from college for a weekend visit. It's hard to look at him now and see a grown man looking back at me when in my head, he's always that gangly little kid with a shy smile. If there are any single women around who are checking out this blog, you'll want to grab onto him now. Guys like Luke don't come along every day!

Then, there's Grace! She was THE most quiet child that I have EVER met in my life! For years, she'd hide behind Sherry's leg when I'd talk to her. She would take in everything that you'd say to her and then she'd whisper into Mike or Sherry's ear so they could answer you back for her. I'll always remember the shock that I felt the day that I finally heard her voice. She was playing with a plastic frog outside of my office door. I asked her if it was a Beanie Baby and I expected to her to run to Sherry to whisper her answer. She looked up and said, "Nope...it's a plastic frog", and she giggled....out loud! She then came and got up in the chair in front of my desk and that little mouth just started running. I'm thankful to say that I've talked to her many times since that first frog chat and that she's just a really cool person. She's got an independent streak a mile wide and she's a bit on the stubborn side but she's got a really sweet heart and she's just a good kid...uh, I mean...young adult.

You see families strengthened by the issues that we all go through. Strong families get stronger and there are those that don't make the cut. This family will always get stronger together because they were always meant to be together.

These kids are going to find spouses that really, really love them. They are going to expect their spouses to support them and let them grow. They are going to laugh a lot. They are going to form the kind of families that stick together because that's what they know as their normal. That's what they've always seen from their parents and they are going to be so thankful for that example.

You don't have to look very hard to see the love here.

Or here....

Or here....

To say that I'm happy to know this family is an understatement. I've been blessed by them in countless ways and I am very thankful to call them my friends.

Happy day everybody!

Meet the Jinks Family....

Jayvion, Marvin, Montaega, Natalia, Natalie and Nehemiah. This is also the family who were the victims of our doberman's SD card eating spree! Thankfully, they were all good sports and nice enough to go for round two of picture taking with me. And although I'd never admit it to Ace (aka "Card Killer"), I liked the shots on the second round even better than the first!

Every shoot that I'm on always seems like the most fun one that I've ever done but I definitely think that these guys went out of their way to make it great! We laughed and joked and the time seemed to fly by! There is a wide variety of personalities in this family but they all mesh together to create a family that is full of love.

I was lucky enough to talk my friend and world's greatest photographer/artist, Amanda Summerlin (of http://www.amandasummerlin.blogspot.com/), into also going with me for round two of the pictures. She helped me out on the first go round with them and saw my pain when I realized that the dog had consumed my efforts! I know that I've sung her praises in my posts before but I honestly can't say enough good things about her work. She's a true artist and a great source of inspiration and instruction for me. She was nice enough to share some of her images with me so that I can share them with you, too. You'll see what I mean about how great she is and if you haven't checked out her work before, you really should do it now. Go ahead.....look at it....I'll wait.

Back now? Good. I told you that she was awesome. Now I can show you some of the gorgeous shots that we have of these guys.

First, came Natalie and Marvin. They are the brave parents of these kids. Well, they are the parents of Natalia, Jayvion and Nehemiah and the aunt and uncle of Montaega. It doesn't take being around Natalie and Marvin very long to see that these two are one of the most fun couples that you can imagine. They laugh and tease one another constantly and you can see the sweet little smiles that they share when they think that no one is looking. Amanda caught one of these sweet moments in this picture:

These kids are rambunctious, polite, funny, loving, energetic....you name it. Almost any good quality that you'd want to instill into your kids have all been rolled into these guys. You instantly feel a warmth when you're around them.

Being the oldest of the gang, we pulled Montaega into the festivities first! He was a good sport about it and set the tone for the rest of the kids to follow. He flashed that pretty smile and tried his best to appear bashful, which I almost fell for until a few minutes passed and his real personality started to emerge. He was the instigator behind the pranks and could flash an innocent face quicker than anyone that I've ever met. Amanda caught one of these sweet looks when he was still in the seemingly shy phase of the shoot. How good looking is this guy???

Jayvion was up to bat next. He tried his best to resist smiling for me as you'll see in some later shots but my sweetness eventually got the best of him and that sweet grin came through. He is a fun kid that is FULL of energy and seemed to bounce from place to place while we were shooting. You'd be ready to take his picture and look around and he was like a little Tigger from Winnie the Pooh....he'd be across the yard, throwing the football or teasing one of his sisters. When we finally got him to stand still for a second, I got this grin that's going to melt the heart of lots of cute little girls who won't be able to wait to get to meet him!

The men in this house are as handsome as they come but then you see these beautiful girls with smiles that can light up a room! Natalia is the sweet, older sister who is is so quiet that you hardly even know that she's around. Her mother assures me that most definitely isn't the case most of the time but I don't know if I believe her or not. Natalia is a stunningly beautiful girl but you kinda get the impression that she doesn't know that. She has a sweet, calm presence and a genuinely kind disposition. If I were Marvin and Natalie, I'd load the shotguns now because there will be NO shortage of boys lining up to get her attention. Look at this shot that Amanda took and you'll see what I'm talking about:

Even if they manage to hold the boys back on Natalia for a while, there'll be no need to unload that shotgun anytime soon. Coming up right behind her is Nehemiah. She's going to have her sister's beautiful smile and eyes and rumors are that she's already perfecting her Supermodel walk now. This girl can work a camera! I'd barely have it up to my eye and this beautiful grin would stretch across her face. I think that there may be a modeling career in this little beauty's future!



The time spent with this family was just flat out fun. They are the friends that you'd want to have because you know that you'd laugh uncontrollably most of the time! But, they are also be the friends to fall in there and hang with you when you aren't at the top of your game. These aren't "fair weather friends" kind of people. You leave this gang feeling a little envious that you can't be a part of it!

They came up with their own poses and we finally just let loose and went with having fun! This was my favorite part of it all!

You see where the kids get their sense of humor from because these two are constantly joking and having fun!

We talked Marvin into striking his sexy, serious pose in this one.....

Deciding that the right thing to do would be to make fun of him for posing, this is Natalie cracking herself up after she made some joke about him!

Do these men look like mighty powerhouses or WHAT?!?!

I know that I'm repeating myself but I can't say enough good things about this family. I can say without reservation that there's no doubt in my mind that during these days of shooting with them, I was surrounded by people who truly love each other and have a strong sense of family.

Thank you to each one of these guys for being so sweet and understanding about the SD card mishap and for giving me two days of more laughs than you can possibly imagine! I hope that we can do this again soon!