Monday, April 28, 2008

My Mother... My Hero!

I've noticed that I don't really post a lot of personal stuff here on my blog, but figured that this would be appropriate considering that Mother's Day is right around the corner.

I got an e-mail from my mom today that stopped me in my tracks. I was amazed at what was written about her, and I want to shout from the moutain tops how amazing my mother is. I count my blessings every day that she is the person who raised me, and who continues to inspire me on a daily basis.

Her e-mail today included this image... taken from the front page of her town's newspaper. Yep, you heard that right. My mother, on the front page of the newspaper! Please click the image below to see a larger version and to read the article if you'd like.




In the spirit of Mother's Day, and the fact that Mom is the one that got me interested in photography to begin with, I've decided to offer a Mother's Day Special! Here's what you'll get:

- 1 hour session with me
- Images presented online for proofing and ordering
- 4x6 leather album featuring 20 images (like the one you see HERE)
- A $200 value... for $125

E-mail me at: thebondbetweenus@gmail.com for more information or to sign up for this session. This special would be great for moms, grandmas, aunts, or any other special woman in your life! Heck moms, you can even buy one for yourself!

Deadline to sign up for the special will be Friday, May 9. Make sure to make reference in your e-mail that you'd like to take advantage of this offer!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Desiree & Stephen : Engaged

Yesterday, I drove down to Gainesville, Florida to meet Desiree and her fiance Stephen. Desiree and I have been chatting via e-mail for what seems like months, and it was so nice to finally put a face with her words.
We first decided to meet at Atlanta Bread Company for some breakfast and chit chat about wedding details. After that, we headed to the Thomas Center for their engagement session.




The Thomas Center, from the photos I found prior to the session on the internet, is like a little oasis among the hustle and bustle of Gainesville that surrounds it. With a garden area and walking path with a fountain, to a big arbor on the corner of the property, there were plenty of photo opportunities for us! And, on top of it being the location for their engagement session, Desiree and Stephen are hosting their wedding reception here too! (I've already begun plotting the spots we'll take pictures at on their Big Day!)

First we went over the to arbor. We figured we'd go far out, and then work our way back to the main building.


Next, we spotted this HUGE tree in the lawn area.






This is over by the fountain. We would have taken some fun images, but we didn't want to catch any illnesses. :) We opted for a nice bench.







Isn't Desiree pretty? I can't wait to see her in her dress. From what she describes, it'll be gorgeous!




Stephen isn't bad himself! They're such a cute couple!




We ended up walking around the building, and checking out some of the tiny nooks. I love this shot... you can tell how much Stephen has the hots for Desiree, and how happy she is because of it!



Desiree and Stephen... thank you so much for meeting me yesterday! I can't wait until July!!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Session Albums

I recently had the McNicol Family order a session album, and thought to not only share their images, but to show everyone in cyber space what my albums look like. When you order a session album from me, I'm not driving to Wally World or Target and buying a $5 album to stuff your pictures into. I carefully order your portraits from a reliable online lab and showcase them in a leather album.

All albums come in a black presentation box that not only keeps your album clean and safe, but it's beautifully lined with satin fabric too!



Each album has a little window that peeks through to show off one image (usually, my favorite).



Each album is leather-bound and carefully constructed.



The inside is FABULOUS! I love how the black pages provide a solid border for each image!



So remember, when you purchase a session album, you're not just getting a plastic container. You're getting a memory keeper. And just in case you forgot, here are the prices (which are a fantastic deal, if you ask me!)

20 4x6 images $150
30 4x6 images $175
20 5x7 images $180
30 5x7 images $220
Or, if you would like to purchase a CD of all edited images with a session album featuring 20 4x6 images, the cost is $300.

Ashley & Brandon : Engaged

Thankfully, the weather on Sunday morning was better than Saturday, and Ashley & Brandon were able to keep their re-scheduled engagement session at Grand Bay. And I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to see them getting out of their car wearing yellow and blue! :)
I had so much fun getting to know these two, and I loved that their love for one another was obvious. They warned me that they're a pretty shy couple, but after their session together, I'm not believing it one bit!
Here's a sneak peek into their session. You'll be seeing a lot more of them after their wedding on May 17th in Panama City Beach!









Sunday, April 20, 2008

Sometimes, rain is wonderful...

Yesterday morning, I had an engagement session scheduled... but the weather had something different planned. I drove all the way out to the location, looked around a bit to scope out cool spots, and the skies opened up to rain. And lots of it.
As I sat in my car just after getting off the phone with my bride-to-be, I looked out my car window and realized that there HAS to be some good to come out of me driving into the middle of nowhere. It was then that I grabbed my umbrella and camera, and started walking in the rain. Thankfully, since it was raining, there was no one else around. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to be in nature!
As it turns out, I took several pictures during my nature mini-session... here is a collage of a few images!



If you click on the picture, it will enlarge.

Luckily Ashley and Brandon were available to shoot today! More images to come from their session later!

Boudoir Shoot in May

In February, I offered my first boudoir shoot. I had a few people express interest, but maybe with the winter weather and short notice, not enough signed up to have the idea take off. Since that time, I've had two people express extreme interest, so I've decided to offer it again.

On the weekend of May 24-25, I'm looking to host a boudoir shoot in Valdosta at a local hotel to provide a swanky atmosphere, and tons of natural light windows... don't worry, I'll ask to be on a top floor.
If you think you might be interested in joining us for a session, see the flyer below. Talk to you friends, and sign up around the same time... the more, the merrier.
I've done boudoir shoots individually, but never one huge shoot. They're perfect for wedding, anniversary, birthday and "just because" gifts. And remember, it's not how you see yourself... it's how beautiful your partner sees you!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Landscapes

Many who know my history with photography are familiar that I started out with interest in landscape photography. My mom loves landscape photography and for as long as I can remember, every family vacation dragged on longer because of having to stop along the road for pictures. Of course, I now appreciate this aspect of my mother... but at the time, I didn't like it.

On Tuesday afternoon, I took the trek from Valdosta to Columbus for a conference. I was so excited to (1) drive someplace I've never been and (2) to go alone. Meaning, I could stop along the road and not have anyone roll their eyes or huff and puff at my interest in stopping. :)

Here are a few pictures from my travels.







Technically, the picture below is not in Columbus. It's the Dawson Courthouse that is being restored (hence only showing you the tower area), a TINY town between Columbus and Albany.