Friday, November 4, 2011

The Simmons, Timmons, and Watkins Families

A few weeks ago we were finally able to do a photo shoot we've been trying to schedule for months. With a busy family like this one, scheduling was a challenge, but once we all got together, we had a great shoot.

Bloggers, meet the Simmons gang.

This is my Aunt Jackie, Uncle Tommy, their daughters Jennifer and Kari, and their husbands, Wayne and Grant and kids, Ashley, Justice, Ila Beth, Eden, Fuller, and Grey. Quite a crew!

Here's a great shot of the whole crew. I was amazed that we actually got everyone looking at the camera and smiling on the first shot!
Kari, Grant and Grey on the left... Jennifer, Wayne, Ashley, Justice, Ila Beth, Eden and Fuller on the right.
This is a really cute one of all Tommy and Jackie's grandchildren. Love this picture!
It all started with these two.

The girls...

 and the boys...




Thursday, October 20, 2011

Kevin + Shannon {Engagement}

Kevin and Shannon are getting married this Saturday, October 22, (same day as Lorenzo and Erika!) and they'll soon be a happy little family of 3 with Kevin's super-sweet daughter.

This fun photo session took place a few weeks ago in Jonesboro on a somewhat rainy afternoon. We had already postponed the session once due to rain, so when it started drizzling on us in the middle of the shoot, we decided it was obviously meant to be... a rainy photo shoot! So we grabbed the umbrellas and took advantage of it.



Honestly, Chad and I wanted to do an engagement photo shoot in the rain when we were getting married, but it never worked out for us... So I was a little jealous when I saw how cute these turned out! (It's ok, I'll get over it.)



Before the rain began, we had walked around downtown Jonesboro (one of my favorite places to shoot) and got some really cute shots near some of the old buildings and cool allies.

I never pass up an interesting doorway. Great way to frame out a sweet moment like this.

I love the simplicity of this shot. And all the happy faces.
McCayle loved the camera, and it loved her! She had a great time being the center of attention.
The rain let up for a few minutes, the sun peeked out, and the green field and softly lit sky created the perfect backdrop for this perfect picture. This was my favorite shot of the day.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Victoria & Bret's Summertime Brookland Wedding

The Novo's were wed on a HOT August day in the small town on Brookland, Arkansas. One of those southern summertime days when your skin starts glistening the moment you walk outdoors. But inside the walls of that church a cool, sweet love was in the air. It didn't show on the thermometer, but on the faces of the bride and groom who were so obviously and hopelessly crazy about one another. 


How sweet are these two?

When I walked in to bride's dressing room, she was all smiles, and she was implementing a strict "no tears" policy for her wedding day. (It didn't last through the ceremony.)

Victoria was true to tradition and carried something old, new, borrowed, and blue. The handkerchief is the same one her mother carried on her wedding day in 1987.
The Hand Fasting ceremony is a Celtic wedding tradition.
The getaway car was 1930-something car with a rumble seat. (Awesome!)

Monday, September 12, 2011

World, meet Daisy!

Chad and I adopted a playmate for Rowdy last weekend. Her name is Daisy, and she came from the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society. She is super sweet and not nearly as rowdy as Rowdy!



Here's Daisy lounging on the rug in the "doggy area".  She's still getting used to the look and smell of her new home.
Daisy and Rowdy love playing in the backyard!

She also has an incredibly long tongue and nice big floppy ears. Just the right combination for a cute pup!


We are so glad Rowdy has a friend to play with now when we have our hands full with other things! They are getting along well. They play together until she gets tired, and then she sits and looks annoyed while Rowdy continues trying to play. Fun times!

If you're interested in adopting a dog, visit the NEA Humane Society. Daisy's brother Cooper is still waiting to be adopted!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Scenes from the Farm

My dad asked me to put together a collection of photos I've taken over the years of farm scenes. He will be using them as the backdrop of a booth at the NEA fair this year.

I enjoyed going through several years of photos to gather this collection! Some of these were from my first photography class at ASU with Dr. Jack Zibluk (a great man who taught me everything I know about photography).

Enjoy the photos.

Left: My dad took on the challenge of rebuilding my grandparents' barn a few years ago. He had his work cut out for him, but the finished product turned out great. Right: I caught this fantastic sunset one night on my way home in a field which is now the future site of the NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital.
Top: My aunt is a leader of the 4H club in Jonesboro, and they raised chickens as a learning project. They were housed in the barn from the first photo. Bottom: This flag was flown on the front of my parents' house.
I never pass up a chance to get a great close-up of insects. They are such interesting creatures!
Top: I can't actually take credit for this photo, but I love it so I included it in the collection. My sister actually took this one evening while driving around my grandparents' pond. Bottom: Some of my cousins were practicing roping one afternoon.
Left: My cousins' daughters are having some fun climbing on the tractor. Right: My favorite horse photo. This one is actually hanging up in my house.
Be sure and drop by the fair and maybe you'll find these hanging up in a booth!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Lorenzo + Erika {Engagement}

Our good friends Lorenzo (Zo) and Erika are getting married in October, and I'm the lucky gal they chose to be their photographer! I was ecstatic when they asked me to photograph their wedding, and so grateful they also let me do some engagement photos. They are fantastic subjects to add to my portfolio... so photogenic and so relaxed with each other. The poses just fell into place and seemed so natural.


Since Zo and Erika are both graduates of Arkansas State University, we decided to do the photo shoot on the campus. It's a lovely campus (of course, I'm partial to it) with lots of options for photos. The clock tower and arch are two icons of the ASU campus.


Sweet and casual...


 We totally got lucky with timing the sun. Perfect sunshine coming through these trees with the fountain in the background. Ahhh, love it.





We also went over to the pavilion at ASU for some nice photos by the pond with nice soft lighting after the sun went down past the trees.

Check out that beautiful rock!
A solitary light shone down on the side of the pavilion making for a really fun lighting + background combination.


And just for funsies, Chad used a little magic to make this funny photo!!

Glad we got to showcase our alma mater, and looking forward to sharing more photos the wedding in October. Stay tuned.


Saturday, August 20, 2011

Ryan & Lauren's Sweet, Fun Trumann Wedding

Photographed this sweet wedding on June 11 (Chad's and my anniversary weekend!) in the small town on Trumann, Arkansas, at Maple Grove Baptist Church. It was such a wonderful wedding and everything went like clockwork.

Lauren and Ryan's love for each other was obvious throughout the day in everything from heart-felt moments during the before-wedding photo session, to the way Ryan was constantly willing to help with any last-minute wedding needs.

 Lauren was a gorgeous bride. Love that veil!

Lauren's bouquet was simple white roses with some blue ribbon accents, and the bridesmaids each carried a hydrangea.

They made it official, and sealed it with a kiss.



The couple shared their first dance at a reception held at the Trumann Country Club. Such a pretty place flooded with natural light!

Lauren is a daddy's girl without a doubt!

One of my favorite moments of the day! During the father-daughter dance, Lauren's mom was about to cut in to steal a dance with her husband, and when she stepped onto the dance floor, she was caught by her dad (Lauren's grandfather). So the two father-daughter duos danced the rest of the song. Such a sweet moment. I'll admit, I teared up a bit.


All in all, it was a fantastic day. Lovely wedding followed by a fun reception.

May God bless this special couple!