What quiet baby?! {June 2010}

Okay here's another one...

I really shouldn't be doing this right now, I have editing to do, but... Other people watch TV when there is a to-do list wating for them, right?  Consider this my TV time.

Madly in love with this child.

I just got an enormous amount of clothes for Reagan at Gymboree, (or favorite store) and my favorite is a shirt with an ice cream cone on it that says "I Scream."

Perfect!

Read more...

Pizzaholic {April 2010}

Sorry this one's old, but you will be getting some random videos now and then.  I haven't been able to download my video camera for months because my computer was just MAXED out on space and couldn't handle it.  Well, I have a new computer now, and catch up is going to be a you-know-what. 
For now, here's a video of my pizzaholic husband teaching his daughter how to be like him.  She is so sweet, we love these random kisses she gives us.  They're the best!

Read more...

Do we need a reason? {June 21, 2010}

Do we ever need a reason to remember a moment?

You don't ever need an event, a holiday, or a reason to pick up a camera and remember the day. 

For those of you who don't think is necessary, or can't think of a reason to have your family photographed, just do it.  Shouldn't LIFE be reason enough?

I know you all have an overwhelming love, for your child, husband, wife, or even your pet.  In just a few short years, your life will be completely different.  Every one of us.  You may have more children, different in-laws, or move from the home where your children were raised.  Any of these things are enough to completely change your family dynamics, and it will be hard to remember the way things are now. 

What you preserve in photographs today, will forever be a reminder of those feelings.  What was your family like before you had baby number 2 and 3?  It's hard to imagine, and hard to remember that pre-teen as a toddler sitting on your husbands shoulders.  And hard to remember your daughter before her hair even covered her ears.  If all you have is a house full of dogs by your side, you probably haven't stopped to think how much you really love them.

I want you to all look at your lives. What part do you not want to forget?

For me, it's every piece. I eat up every morsel of Reagan's little squeals, giggles, and pouty moments.

I know you all are aware and hopefully fans of my photography. I would love to help my friends and family remember relationships in their lives. I was planning on running a 'free family session' special for the month of July. But I want to think a little bigger.

I want all of you, for what ever reason, to let me step into your world for an afternoon and record what ever it is in your lives you want to celebrate. We can go to your kids favorite ice cream shop, plop down on the curb and go to town on their favorite treat. Your 3 year old pushing her new puppy down the slide in the back yard, whatever!

These pictures of Reagan for example. All I needed was a wet parking lot after a good Sunday afternoon rain, and I set her out to collect rocks. That's it.  No fancy backgrounds or complicated sets to fuss over.  Just a happy baby, out doing what she loves.

Those are the things I always want to remember.

And they will always be my favorites.

Okay now.

Don't just read this post, and go on about your day.

I want you to really think about who and what to celebrate in your life.

I want you to call me, as soon as you come up with your reason, or maybe call me to help you think of one. 

I will be doing these 'lifestyle' sessions through July for all of you.  No session fees and order what you love from your gallery online.  Tell your sister, your Mama, your cousin, your friends at work.  I appreciate all of your support, and there is no greater compliment than your referrals. 

: )  Here's to life!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Viva!

Read more...

Pool party at Paradise {June 4, 2010}

The long awaited... Chris and Muffin shots! 

I think she kinda likes him...

So sorry for taking a while to get things posted lately.  I guess I'm running about a month behind on updating you on things, but, ahhh!  I just can't stop taking pictures!!! And then I just get further behind. 

I know.

I will just have a talk with Reagan tomorrow and tell her not to do anything cute for the next week and then maybe I could get caught up.  Ha.  It will eventually happen.

Oh-

I got the best video of her today doing her jibberish talking.  She carries on and on, making the same few sounds just in different pitches.  All the while her brows are moving up and down to 'emphasize' certain parts.

It's the best.  Soon to come. 

Dad had a pool party with all the barn-folk, and all his kids came too.  He tried to make this his birthday get-together but Alden luckily refused.  He said we never get to talk to Dad when the barn people are there, and boy was he right.  That's why we also ate at Carrabba's a few days before.  He just gets busy when he's cooking for THAT many people!

Dad's "LOOK" we all know, with the glasses off the nose. 

He's not as mad as he looks : )

Chris and his Dad... could you tell?  He's a clone!

We escaped over to Kaki's old house (now the, umm, trophy house?) to play some pool.  Yeah right, Reagan just knocked some of the balls around.  It was fun, and she of course cried when we had to leave.

I will have to post about our step-mom Tracey sometime.  She has so many trophy's and such from her horse shows, that they have just chosen to fill the extra house with them.  Kaki and Granddad used to live here (it is attached to my Dad's house.)  They later moved back to Arizona and since have both passed away. 

I miss them all the time and wish they could have met Reagan. 

 Kaki would have loved her. 

 

I am in tears now.  I love her so much.

Yeah.  I will be doing a Kaki post soon. 

Back to the party... Sniff sniff-

Stay close by! 

I will be posting a lot to catch up soon!

Read more...

Paw-Paw's Birthday dinner {May 23, 2010}

Dad is a little spoiled in his restaurants (he's a good tipper.)  He eats out daily and it's funny to me that he knows the wait staff and cooks in most restaurants in town. They sent him this awesome dessert platter for his birthday that we passed around the table for everyone.  

I had to follow it to get all the tiramisu that I wanted. : )

Oh yeah... I'm a Pollo girl- (Rosa Maria that is)

Read more...

I like to move it! {June 2010}

Get ready-

This completely cracks me up, it's Reagan's favorite right now.  Pops sent us a little video clip on my phone one day and now I pull it up on YouTube for her.  

Yeah baby, she can dance.

*Remember to pause the music>

Read more...

Ahhh... Weddings ; ) {June 2010}

Heaven for me:

 (besides anything Reagan does)

My shoot sac on one hip and Nikon on the other

A beautiful blue sky with rolling clouds and a couple in love in front of my lens

I just launched a new website, so now the Weddings and Portraits are separate.  Please check it out!  There was just too much information to cram in there, and I am LOVING the new site! 

 I have recently changed my logo too... you likey?

Just have to share...

I know I have a few photography connaissuers out there, so thought you might be interested in this technical stuff.

I am in love.

Junior just bought me my "DREAM CAMERA"  Nikon's D700

It kicks so much butt.  More than I could have ever dreamed.

I've been putting off upgrading my camera, because I just thought the next step up was the D3 (x or s, wasn't sure) which are MUCH more expensive.  Well I read a review on this D700 and was completely turned on.  I mean it took me a couple hours to fall asleep, so excited to find 'the camera.'

It is the perfect hybrid.

The most impressive thing, if I had to pick, would be the ISO capabilities.  You can push that puppy up to 5000, 6400 with out batting an eye, and it has very little grain.  I actually shot some at Carrabbas the other night in a dark restaurant, and they are beautiful.  My old camera could have never hacked it.  I like to shoot with as natural light as possible, obviously, and I feel like this camera was made for me.  There is something about the 'ca-ching, ca-ching' flashing during a special teary moment at a wedding that is not very attractive to me. 

Not to mention...

The full frame body, I just gained 50% more in the frame from the same lenses I already had.

The pop up flash the D3 doesn't have, which fires my SB900 off camera.  Awesome.

The 3 inch screen and quick finds to menu buttons.

The megapixel quality is superb.  I can tell a huge difference from the 200.

I actually didn't realize how much I don't like my D200 until I started using this one.

When we shot this weekend's wedding, the maiden voyage, I was prepared with both cameras thinking cool, I can shoot from 2 bodies.  Wrong.  I just spent extra time lugging around the old one and taking the lens I wanted off of it thinking, "the new camera is SOOOO much better."

Every artist needs their instruments to perform to their needs, and this one excels in every way I need it to.

Oh, and lens... hehehehehehe.

One of my dream lenses now adorns my hip, so beautifully, it just makes me smile to look at it.

Nikon 14-24mm 2.8

It is the most perfect combination of glass I have ever encountered. 

I am a wide angle junkie, love those beautiful sky shots, and all about the architecture, so this is it for me.  No more days of being crammed in the corner of a dressing room and only able to see the back of someone's head!  Uhhh uhh uhh!

I'll share when I get my next couple lens.  I already have them picked out...

Nikon's 70-200mm 2.8 VRII

Nikon's 105mm Macro

We figured as my business grows, I can add on to the collection  : )  My goal is by the end of the year : )

Get ready Kyle and Brittany, here I come!

I linked up the reviews of the great Ken Rockwell for all my equipment.  He is for cameras like Drudge is for the news, in my humble opinion.  If you ever wanted to know about cameras, look him up!

So, I just got finished with Brandi and Rob's wedding and had to share a few.  It was a lot of fun, and I am shooting another reception at Belle Meade this fall.  Can't wait!

For fear of ever posting without a Muffin shot...  Tah-dah!

Reagan and her boyfriend Chris.

Aunt Ashton only thinks she is dating him, but we know who his heart belongs to.

{more of these to come...}

Read more...

Reagan 19 months {May 21, 2010}

The Oven Mit

A lesson on cleaning up after ourselves.

When I am cooking Reagan likes to think she's going to help me by getting the oven mit. 

This time it was carried over to the computer and dropped on the floor.

"Pick it up Reagan, carry it to the kitchen."
"Nah!" (with wrinkled brows and a toss of the mit to the floor again)

"No Reagan, pick it up.  We have to clean up afterourselves."

"Nah!" (as she picks it up again, and throws it this time.)

I haven't really done 'time-out' nor have I really needed to, but thought I'd try it.

Carried her over to the rug in the living room, and told her to sit.

She pouted, quietly, and laid face first on the floor.

About a minute later she was up and in the toy box.  Okay, she's over it. Good.

BOY was I WRONG.

She pulls out an oven mit from the toy box, I didn't even know I was missing, carried it to the edge of the living room, and made this grunt/whine to get my attention. 
When I looked at her, she gave me 'THE LOOK' and
YES...  SHE DROPPED IT.

OH NO SHE DIDN'T.

It was everything in my power not to bust out laughing, so I held it together, stomped over there, and made her pick it up.  I carried her hand and the mit together over to the drawer with her feet running to catch up.  Plopped it back in the drawer and "Yay Reagan!  That's how you clean up!"

It actually worked.  She has done better the last few days and just today she opened the mit drawer and stood there waiting on me to look at her.  She pulled it out with this blank look on her face, and dropped it.  Maybe she thought it was a dream the other day. 
I just scoweled at her and she picked it up and clapped for herself. 

I love this kid.  : )

This is Reagan's permanant do.  The pigtails just don't stay up well enough and get rubbed out in her carseat.  We love her little Cindy Loo-Who do.  Her Daddy can't stand how much he loves it. 
































'Helping' us in the last few days of the Braddock house.

Loving on her Daddy : )

-PS-
Don't forget to check your 'Daily Dwight' now and then : )

Read more...