Mission accomplished

How long is a week? Logic and a basic elementary education would say seven days (translate: blog Thursday through Wednesday.) But announcing on a Thursday that I am going to blog every day for a week sounds like I'm going through the next Thursday (translate: bonus day!) Ah, one of life's many mysteries...

Regardless, I did it! And no, I have no plans at this moment to make one of those blog-every-day-for-a-year promises you hear of. (No tears please.)

So anyway, in order to celebrate my accomplishment I am in Florida! No really, it has nothing to do with my blog. That's right, just another vacation. Don't hate.

I'll be back on Monday with plenty of new photos to share, but no promises to blog while I'm here!

Secret recipe

Ingredients:
1 precious two-year-old
Really tall weeds
Assorted bugs (butterflies, dragonflies, "jumping bugs", etc.; avoid bees or ants)
Abandoned structure
100+ degree weather
Minature tuxedo
Cheese cubes and sippy cup
Stuffed Tigger

Directions:
Make sure the bugs, weeds, and abandoned structure are in one spot. Allow temperatures to rise quickly, and be sure the humidity is at least 90%. Place precious two-year-old child in minature tuxedo, reward with cheese, and begin photographing.

Replace tuxedo with polo soaked in water from spilled cup. Place child in tall weeds. (Abandon all notions of carefree child frolicking in field. Child will be unable to walk or see mommy through grass, so photograph quickly before panic sets in.) Use assorted bugs to keep child's attention away from the Stuffed Tigger you just took out of his arms. Retrieve child periodically and reward with sippy cup. Repeat procedure for 45-60 minutes or until images are delicious. Continue to add in exciting new bugs as needed. (Thank goodness for bugs.) If necessary, make up bugs that aren't even there and enlist Stuffed Tigger to "help find" them.

Note: If it turns out someone delivers a newspaper to your "abandoned" structure during the shoot, do not alter recipe. Procede with haste and be glad no one caught you unintentionally tresspassing.

Quickly on his way to blog stardom, here's Jesse who just turned two! I was so excited when Kate came up with this location- I've been looking for something just like this.





I think everyone should model a little formalwear for their birthday sessions. Fabulous.




















Sidenote: Kate is running a Tot-Topper giveaway this week! Visit her blog for more details.

One big happy family

I think by now you already know this family pretty well:



Doug and Neely and their kids are by far the most photographed people on my blog, in my computer files, and possibly in America.

But do you know the REST of them?





Doug's entire family got together for vacation last week in Hilton Head- brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, parents and Grandma all made it.

I spent an afternoon shooting the kids just being kids, and then rejoined the group in the morning for a beach photo session. When you're shooting that many people you end up with a lot of great images. Here are a just a few.

















Doug's grandma lived most of her life in Ohio, and has only traveled to the coast twice. For the first time in 86 years she got to feel the ocean on her toes- how cool!

















This family was a blast to hang out with. Thanks for letting Dylan and I crash your vacation and capture your fun!

Off to bed. Night.

The poems just keep coming

Tonight I have an acrostic for you:

M ade cheese fries for dinner (good choice), paired them with white wine (bad choice)
O rdered a new external hard drive FINALLY
N ever had time to go running
D og is driving me insane chewing his fur off
A ppreciating having a/c in this hot weather
"Y" am I unable to upload pictures tonight???

That's all I got. Better blog post tomorrow- promise!

Pops

I'm really not very consistent with my birthday shout-outs or holiday messages on here. For instance, my mom did not get a Mother's Day post, but pops is getting this Father's Day post. And let's face it, he just lucked out because it's day four of my blog-every-day week.

He also gets bonus points because he subscribes to my blog and reads it regularly. He never leaves comments (hint hint), but he does call with his comments so I guess that's just as good.

Anyway, if you are my friend on Facebook you'll know of my recent struggle to find a good Father's Day card. I thought perhaps instead one of my famous poems was in order. Ahem:

Happy Father's Day, Dad, I think you are great,
Here are a few things about you that I celebrate.

I know no one better with a hammer, saw, and wood,
You trained me from infancy to be a Mac geek for good.

You make great french toast and you drink Coke a lot,
And each time you park you back into the spot.

Your new Burberry glasses are pretty sweet,
Since you opened a Rita's we get free ice to eat.

I'm tired of rhyming so that's all I will say,
So even though you're at work I hope you "Have an Ice Day!"

The BFF gets hitched

So, to make up for the fact that I didn't blog for ONE WHOLE WEEK, how's this: I am going to blog EVERY DAY for the next week. For real- with pictures, and not just of my dog. I've already got it planned out. So check back every day!

And for tonight, posting just in the nick of time, here are a few images I got at Kati and Stephen's GORGEOUS wedding at Four Sons Farm in Sandersville, Georgia.

I didn't shoot a lot- I was pretty busy removing crickets from wedding dresses, relocating the hair stylist's screaming child, doing the mother of the bride's makeup, etc. (you know, typical matron of honor stuff)- but I just couldn't leave my camera behind. It was a photographer's dream location.

Really most of what I got was just pre-wedding Kati and not a whole lot with the bride AND groom (sorry Stebo!) They were kind of popular and hard to pin down. So here we go, starting with the bride getting ready.




















I think this is my favorite shot from the whole day. Just beautiful.











I thought the window light gave this one such a dramatic look in black and white





We had lots of fun watching the guests arrive from upstairs!





One quick self-portrait before we headed downstairs to get Kati married.





...and then on to the reception. Hey look, the groom DOES exist!





KatiRu changed into a white sundress and cowboy boots for the reception. (So typical.) I love her expression in this one dancing with Stephen.





As you might notice by the time the reception rolled around I had reverted to snapshot mode. So here's something new, a quick collage of friends at the reception:





Brantley and Richard Freeman of All Dressed Up Photography in Columbia were the real wedding photographers and did a fantastic job. Check out a sneak peak and full posting on their blog.

Love you Kati and Stephen! Hope week number three of married life is the best one yet.

Not bad

So I think it's safe to say that if you got married on Saturday, spent your weekend at the Ritz-Carlton and then have your birthday on Thursday you're having a pretty good week. (I think it's also safe to say that if your best friend is storing a pile of your wedding gifts in her dining room she might re-wrap one in birthday paper and give it to you. Shhh, no one will know.)

Happy birthday to KatiRu, my best friend, the new Mrs. Everett, and the most beautiful bride ever! Hope you have a great day!

And since I haven't had a chance to share yet here is quick shot of Kati from her wedding day. I didn't shoot a ton since I was in the wedding, but I'll have more to share as soon as I get caught up and go through them.





Her last name is no longer Rudziensky, but I am pretty sure that KatiRu is going to stick. KatiEv just doesn't have the same ring to it. Sorry Stephen.

Tot-Toppers model shoot

A few weeks ago I got together with Kate from Tot-Toppers to do some product shots of her adorable hats. She was getting ready for a craft show and had TONS of great hats on hand!

We headed out to Riverfront Park in downtown Columbia with our little group of models under the threat of rain which turned out to be blazing sunshine. Despite the heat all the kids were so great and easy to work with!

Here are a few of my favorite shots. Oh, did I also mention how precious these kids were??






























To see more of Kate's fabulous creations, visit her Etsy shop! And hurry- through June 15 she is offering a free pacifier leash with $20 hat purchase!

Mandy and Rick (finally!)

So my big plans to catch up on blogging during vacation didn't really pan out. Ooops. But watch out, cause this week I'm back in the real world and have lots to share with you.

I do very few weddings throughout the year, so each one is pretty special. I shot this one a few weeks ago and it was particularly cool because it was so small- just Rick, Mandy, their children and a friend who officiated. I was honored to be asked to photograph such a close family event.

After a sweet and intimate ceremony on a gazebo in Persimmon Grove in Lexington, SC, I got to spend time capturing their first family photos.




























Mandy and Rick, I know you have been WAITING FOREVER to see these and I have plenty more coming your way! I loved meeting your family- congrats again!