My photoshoot with my son and I

The APPLE OF MY EYE! I love this shot of my son and I, that Jodie took! If you know our son is the apple of my eye! I love it!



I mentioned the other day that I had a photo shoot on Sunday with a photogarpher whom i really admire. Well, here are a few of the shots, it was Jodie Goodison! She hired me to take her daughters pics and so of course I had to hire her to take mine too!
I love what she did of my son and I!
Thank you Jodie, Im picky abou who I let photograph me and you did an awesome job. I'm no spring chicken, but you made me look great. Every single shot she took was fab! I brought along one of my favorite cameras. Its an old Argus (film camera.) She had my son and I laughing so much, even though it was hotter than blazes.! Thanks JODIE!!! visit her site at http://www.digikidzphotography.com/

They dont come any nicer than this...

Recently we had a farewell party for some good friends of ours. Kay and Bill Dalke. Coach Dalke was the head football coach of our sons football team and they recently accepted job offers in the metroplex area and we had to send them off in style. My husband made his famous Fajitas which we devoured quickly! And I made Strawberry shortcake. This couple has always been so gracious and kind to us. They have a large family and I'm always impressed by people who juggle careers and family and i would say that the Dalkes have done an excellent job. Each one of their children are well mannered, nice and polite and pretty darn smart. But what Impresses me is how warm and kind they are and how positive they are. They are always smiling! I have never ever heard any of them say a negative comment in the 3 years that I have known them . Their youngest child is a fantastic golfer and will most likely in my opinion become another tiger woods. Hes a sweet kid and so mature for his age!We wish you guys the best and look forward to seeing you soon! Best of luck to you all! We will miss you. Here's a link about Brad our local news station did on him. http://texomashomepage.com/media_player.php?media_id=369211(Oh and I also won a merit of some photos I took of one of their other sons Tommy at the Texas Pro Photogs convention this June. I was so excited about that!)

Canadian Cutie!

Today I got to photograph a beautiful young lady. Her mother hired me to shoot some images of her and gave me Carte blanche to do anything I wanted. I love it when people do that!
When i saw the rainclouds this morning I was so sad because I had planned a lot of her shots outdoors today. But it stopped and turned out beautiful later!

Whats both so great and so scary is that her mother is a photographer here too! I think her mother is amazing and she does beautiful work! Shes the awesome childrens photographer Jodie Goodison http://www.digikidzphotography.com/
They are originally from Canada and are such super nice people! We had a fun day today! Thanks so much Jodie and Courtney for choosing me to take Courtneys portraits! I was so honoredand touched that you choose me!

Here are 2 with many many more to come!




MORE TO COME TONIGHT AND TOMORROW!

The saddest photo in the world.

Ever had a day like this?? I have! Thanks to my friend Misty who sent this to me. Cute.

I miss the beach already!

On this rainy day, it makes me wish I was back at the Texas Coast on the beach in Port Aransas. Our trip this year wasnt near long enough, so Im thinking we might go back before school starts. This is a place that has the best burgers and cold drinks!

Me in Front of the camera for a change?

I'm so excited! Today I had a photoshoot with an amazing photographer. Someone that I have admired since I first saw her work. She has the heart of an artist for sure. I'll post images soon!

She made me feel really comfortable and we had a great time. When i first discovered her and saw her work, it made me fall in love with photography all over again.

I'll post more and reveal who soon.
Have a beautiful Sunday. :-)

NOW THIS IS FUN!

Be sure and go down to the bottom of the page and MUTE the JUKE BOX before you watch this video!
Jill and Kevins Big DAY!Talk about getting the party started even BEFORE THE WEDDING! I dont know this couple, but I wish I did!

RUBY GETTINGER my SHERO!

I just wanted to share something with you ladies.

I heard about a show a few weeks ago and have been watching it lately and I have to share it with you guys.

Its called RUBY. Its about a sweet woman who lives in Georgia (SAVANNAH I think) and shes struggling to loose weight. At one point she weighed 600 lbs! She is now around 350, and works out every day and lives her life to the fullest. She has a circle of friends that love her dearly. Most everyone who meets Ruby loves her. She is very sweet, childlike and has the most beautiful smile!

I have become addicted to this show mostly because of her personality. Shes kind, caring, sensitive and funny.
It comes on the Style Channel (77 on cable) on Sundays and re-runs during the week. I hope you'll check it out at least once. I think she is going to make her goal and she inspires me in a lot of ways. It's not just about loosing weight. It's about living life no matter what handicap you have holding you back.

In this day and age where everyone is obsessed with looks, its so nice to see someone who is so beautiful on the inside and how happy she can be at any weight. She's a great person and I love her already!http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/ruby/index.jsp?link=show.swf

Tell a story with a storyboard!

These are really popular with our clients! We call them "storyboards" and they come in different sizes and come with the frame and glass included! Each one is custom designed by myself, Dixie and are unique. You get to select up to 7 poses and then the rest is created one of a kind. No two alike! Ive made them recently for children, babies and Seniors! I have one of a bride displayed in the studio. If we've photographed you already anytime before June 1st 2009, you can still order one from a previous photo session, and you can get one for 20% off! Just ask about our Storyboard special!

Precious children

I forgot to post this the other day and its one of my very favorites of George and Saras. Thanks again guys for coming in, your children are beautiful!

Our "Lake rat" dog!

Our son snapped this with his cell phone at the Lake Sunday. He always puts one of our life jackets on our Dog ginger when we go to the lake. She likes to lie on the back of the boat so she can see us swim.
He thinks she needs one. I think she just looks plain silly and everyone knows that dogs can "dog paddle". but she is sorta cute here...

Summer Funnies

Busy Hot Day, but wanted to post something to make you smile! This will cool you off!
enjoy!
(PS THE SURFING DOG IS MY FAVORITE, Reminds me of my dog Ginger!)

Referall from a photograhy student of mine!

My Spend a day with Dixie workshop days are ending soon. Email for more info.

I am just going to post this the way that she wrote it! Typos and all!

Hey Dixie Chickie!.........i saw that you were holding another one of your day with Dixie days and i just wanted to tell all your blog stalkers how amazing my day was!...I got to Dixies studio at 8:30 instead of 9;00 cuz i could not wait to get going, and she was at Starbucks and not even there yet! So i sat in my car for what seemed like eons. finally she pulled up in her cute Little blue truck with a sack of banana muffins and her cappuccino and we went to work. What a day it was, Dixie is like the energizer bunny when she teaches, she told me so much my hand hurt writing in all down in my notebook. I had brought some questions and she answered them all and then some. She knows about photography, financials, hiring and firing, promotions, and designing your studio to impress!
Your love of teaching is Evident Dixie!~
She got me on track with my financials and also helped me to master lighting. who knew there were 6 different types of lighting?...
Dixie brought a tear to my eye when she told me about how she learned photography and how young and naive she was as a single mom. She made a lot of mistakes in the early days and i feel like her mistakes were to my benefit because i know i am not gonna make the same mistakes as she did.
I came back to my studio psyched and ready to rock and roll and i give her credit for getting my biz on track. Especially my lighting is so much better and I feel more confident that I can handle my studio lights and my financial aspects better.
So Dixie you can give this out to your potential students and clean it up and edit it to better grammer cuz I think you are awesome! everybody who wants to be a pro photog should spend a day with Dixie because its worth so much more than that in just the money it saved me in mistakes and so on. Its like she PROPELLED ME forward about 5 years!~ It was worth flying up to her and she still helps me in emails from time to time. I am loving having a studio and so glad that I got you to help me last year.
Thx Dixie Chickie and when you are in Houston (Sugarland) puhleze come and visit us! XXOOXXOOXXOO
Debbie Rawlings

Do it Anyway

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

Love this family

I was so excited when Dena called to set up an appt for her son, daughter in law and adorable grandson! Ryan, her son has been coming to the studio since he was a high school senior and hes such a nice young man. I always look forward to seeing this family! SEAN is now walking and talking and is quite the bundle of energy!

He laughed and giggled at our silly antics and was a pleasure to photograph.

Thanks to my assistants Lauren and Belinda we had a fun time entertaining him.
I cant tell you how much it warms my heart when people come back over the years and trust me with their most precious possessions. their families!
Thank you Dena! And then to top it off, she SENDS ME a beautiful card in the mail thanking me!
I'm really blessed to have special sweet clients like Dena.
Thank you guys,
PS Sean is at the top of this blog as a baby in his daddy arms. Hes grown a lot since then!

Little Miss E

What my family lives on in the summer..

"Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonaide Recipe"

1 qt fresh cold tap water (4 cups equals 1 Qt.)
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh squeezed lemons (6-7)

Combine lemon juice and sugar, stir to dissolve the sugar
Pour into a Big Pitcher over Ice.

I like to put a sprig of mint in my glass! YUMMY!
(By the way you can grow mint, its really easy, but don't plant it in your flower beds, keep it in pots because it spreads like crazy! Although as a child I loved mowing our backyard because we had a lot of mint growing next to our back door and the smell of fresh cut mint on a summers day is heavenly!)
ENJOY!!!

Special prices for the Class of 2010!

Art is Essential!

When I was just a little girl, my dad would bring home big rolls of blank newspaper from the newspaper where he worked. I had an unlimited supply of drawing paper! I was the little girl that always had crayons in my hand. I drew, I colored, I water colored.

(I still actually get excited when I see the watercolors in the stores with the other school supplies!) and that's who I was. I drew all the time. I colored. I painted. I finger painted. I loved the sound of dipping my little brush in the glass of water and swishing it back and forth where it hit the sides of the glass to take off the previous color I had just used. So when I saw this Vid on another photographers website I squealed with Joy. Art is ESSENTIAL. To make art, To draw, to color to paint, to play with Clay, to create. TO CREATE is essential.

It makes no difference whether it is perfect or not. Its just VERY ESSENTIAL that you do make some kind of art. Schools nowadays are cutting back on art. They think its not essential. Ill tell you it is. It helps you express your feelings. Especially in children. It helps you to reconnect with yourself. It helps your soul. I encourage each of you to draw every now and then. To get yourself some paints and paint. It makes no difference what you do. Just make some art! You don't even have to show it to anyone. Just make it. You ll feel yourself feeling lighter. Feeling happier. Feeling alive. and isn't that how we are supposed to feel?
D.D.


( PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND MUTE THE MUSIC FIRST ON THE JUKE BOX before you play this Vid!
Enjoy! )

beautiful blonde kiddos!

Ive known these children for about 7 or 8 years. Maybe more? Their mom always brings them at Christmas time. The kids were so much fun, espically the little boy. Hes got that adorable 6-year-old-gap where hes missing his 2 front teeth. So cute! I love their freckles and blue eyes. Beautiful kiddos! Thanks Kim! It was a hoot!

Maleaha

Take a look at those eyelashes!!! This little girl looks like a Living Doll! I fell in love with those gorgeous Big Brown eyes! I photographed her mom 4 or 5 years ago for Senior Portraits. Thanks guys for bringing her in.

New Faster Turnaround Time!

Hey Gang! One of the policies of the studio has been that it takes us about 5-7 days to prepare your images before you can come in and view them, and then once you place your order it takes about 4-6 weeks for the finished portraits to arrive.

But now we have a new graphic artist on staff and that's all changing! Our proofing time will be the same, but the good news is that our turn around time is changing to 2-3 weeks! Thats twice as fast!

Many of our clients don't mind waiting, as they say "QUALITY TAKES TIME & The Proof is in the PUDDING."

but now that I've spent a few weeks training the girls things are going to speed up here in that department. You'll still get the great quality you are used to, only a bit faster.

Just one more thing were doing here to give our clients the best service we can! Our watercolor Giclees will still take 6 weeks, but the rest of our orders will be 2-3. Now for real estate agent head shots, and business portraits the time is going to be 7 days. And we can also offer RUSH Services in less time for everyone by paying a 10% Rush fee.

Thanks again for your patronage!

Kendalyn

How to leave comments on the BLOG.

A lot of you have been asking how to leave a comment on my Blog. My blog designer is still trying to find out from Blogger why comments aren't working, but Blogger told her to double click on the Title of the Post at the top of the post and then it will open the post into a new window. Then you can type in your comments.

Thanks Dawn from Chicago for alerting me that it doesnt work. She tried to leave a comment and it wouldnt go through. Check out their beautiful new Blog and photography. http://bobanddawndavis.info/

Quote of the Day

"Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest." - Charles Dickens

a special family

This family is so dear. The dad George or also known as Brother George used to be the Youth pastor and our son adores him! He has been such a great influence on our son. George really cares about the youth at Liberty and he gives so much of himself to these kiddos. They are a special family and Wichita Falls is lucky to have great folks like them living here! The boys are beautiful and it was so great to get to spend some time with them!

HAPPY MONDAY YALL!

Just wanted to say HAPPY MONDAY to you all. What? You re groaning that its Monday? If you love your job the way I do, then you don't groan, well not often that is. haha. (I do like my beauty sleep.)
I always receive emails from the Bishop Realtor Group from Mr. Ashton Gustafson Monday mornings on various things going on with them and in the real estate business and I love their positive outlook. http://www.bishoprealtors.com/
Im proud to say that Ive photographed them and they are a great bunch of folks!

Times are hard in various parts of the country, but we are lucky to live in Texoma where life is really good!

Just wanted to let you guys know that we've got various things in the works. Right now is kicking off our Senior Portrait Season. The Class of 2010 is coming in for portraits and we've got a few weddings in the works. Of course Families and Children are always coming in year round.
Currently we are not offering any specials except for our Class of 2010. Give us a call for more info on that!

In the mean time I hope you get a chance to enjoy some time off, take the boat out to the lake, or just take a dip in your pool, or head up to Lake Texoma.

There is so much going on in the summer in Texoma and we are so proud to live in this area with all you fine folks. It will be 15 years this September that we flew in from Okinawa Japan and you've all made us feel welcome. Of course Texas is our home, I'm from the Odessa/ Midland area and my husband grew up in Irving Texas.

Ive got to go pour myself some Iced Tea and fresh lemon and get back to work now.
Have a great Monday YALL!

Bridals after Dark

>

Summer breeze makes me feel fine...

Another beautiful day, Hope you all enjoy it. As for me, Ill be floating in my pool lounger day dreaming and staring at the clouds because I have a busy week next week.

Mardis Gras in July?

25 Things I hate about Facebook.

Hollands Birthday

Just look at beautiful Holland! Shes one now and so adorable! I'm working on her first year album and its so cute! It was so great to document her first year and see her grow every month. I'm actually sad now that shes one, but her mom said she'll still come in for family portraits and special things.

Words cant express how much Ive enjoyed getting to know this family, they are super people and Its been a joy. Thanks Leah and Kirk, I hope to see you soon and thanks again for the memories!