Latest Newsletter ...

For those of you on my email newsletter list, I apologize for the "jumpy" pictures on today's newsletter. Not sure WHAT is going on with them! I promise you they don't really look like that.
I'll have to do a little investigative work to see what I can do to create clear pics for my next newsletter.

I tell ya, every day provides some sort of lesson for me to learn. Think how smart I'll be by the time I'm old and decrepit!!! :)

10 Minutes, Tops (Portrait Photographer, Catawba Cnty, NC)

"Mom" she said, "I need some new pics for my Facebook page." I said, "Okay lets go take some." "RIGHT NOW?!" she said. "Sure" said I, "It will only take a minute." So we went out to the back deck with the heat and mosquitoes and snapped a few. My little fair-skinned child...



Then he appeared. At the dining room windows (on the inside) making fun of the fair-skinned one outside. So we hauled his butt outside as well.



Even got a couple of them together actually looking like {gasp} they might like eachother!!!


My work here is done.

NEW PRODUCT ~ Senior Rep Card

Check out my new Senior Rep Cards. These little gems are sure to be a big hit amoung high school seniors and parents alike!

These cards are slightly smaller than a wallet. They are actually the size of a standard business card. The unique thing about them is they are double-sided. The front can be customized with your favorite photo as well as your name, high school and year. The back is a blank slate. The perfect place to list all the sports, clubs, etc. that you participated in at school. Or how about your email address or facebook address? What about your own signature? The possibilites are endless.

These cards are perfect to tuck into your high school graduation announcements. So much more interesting than a standard wallet. What a cool thing to pass out to your friends. And parents, these are more economical than the standard wallet. Senior Rep cards come in packs of 50 and have a beautiful linen finish front and back. Trust me, you're gonna love them!

Senior Portraits - Class of 2010

Reserve your spot now! Availability is limited!

NOTE: I do not provide the photo that appears in the yearbook. You will need to have this picture made at your school's scheduled senior portrait day.

A Sneak Peek for D & H ~ Portrait Photographer, Catawba Cnty, NC

I met Miss "H" and Mr "D" last night at a local park for a little shoot. It was sticky and hot. Surely, I lost 10 pounds last night! If it was ONLY that easy, eh??

These two were sooo easy to photograph. So natural with eachother and in front of the camera. They made my job easy. Here's just a few of the many I took last night.

Can't wait to get busy on the rest of these!

The Magic of the Internet - Portrait Photographer, Catawba County, NC

Saturday we went to Fayetteville to attend my son's gradutation from JROTC Cadet Officer Leadership School. It was a 3.5 drive, one way. Fayetteville State University is located, literally, right next to Ft. Bragg. Friday night my daughter just happened to mention that a friend of ours was stationed at Ft. Bragg. This "friend" happens to be a 20 year old young man that I used to babysit when he was 3 and 4 years old!!! I haven't seen him (except for pics in the annual Christmas card) for 15 years!

So on a whim, I decided to look him up on Facebook and tell him we were coming to town and see if he might be available. Honestly, I thought the chances of him responding were probably slim to none. I mean how many 20 year old men do you know who would respond to someone who they hadn't seen since they were 5! But, not only did he respond almost immediately, he was excited to hear from me and arranged to meet us the next morning!! I was so excited!!!

When I saw him walk up wearing fatigues and the jaunty maroon beret which signifies Airborne, my first thought was "Oh My Gosh, he looks exactly the same, only bigger!"
He hugged us and fell in like he saw us just yesterday. He sat through graduation with us and we all enjoyed lunch together. It was just so wonderful to see him and spend some time with him! I'm very proud of the man he's turned out to be. I know his mom and dad are so proud of him.

He and my oldest daughter, Stephanie are the same age. And although they don't have real memories of the days they spent playing together; the Halloween they dressed up as a lion and a princess and held hands while they went trick-or-treating; riding their big wheels together on the tennis courts at the apartment complex, etc. ; they have relived these memories through pictures over the years. So when they met again 15 years later, they didn't feel like complete strangers. Ryan was 18 months old when he saw "A" last. Boy was he surprised when he looked up to see his family at graduation and there was a uniformed soldier sitting amoung them!!

It was a great day.



then and now ....

15 years later... LOVE IT!!!

Warriors and Winners

Every summer a select group of warriors comes together to spend a week at COLS. Their average ages are 15-17. They come in every size and every color. Young men and young women. The one thing they all have in common... all are members of Air Force Junior ROTC. For most they come not really knowing what to expect. They come excited, but with a little trepidation. Do they have what it takes to make it to the end? For those that have come before and now come for a second time, they are ready for the challenge. They KNOW what it takes and welcome it.

What is COLS? Cadet Officer Leadership School. For one week these young cadets come together and are placed with complete strangers. They are broken down into Flights and must learn to work together as a team, a unit. There're no individuals here, there's only teamwork. They learn to bond.

COLS is not for the feint of heart. You MUST have heart if you hope to survive. And courage. Discipline. Perserverence. Compassion. It takes the will to take one more step when you think you can't to make it to the end. It takes heart ... it takes soul.

4:00 a.m. reveille. 2 minutes to get outside. 1.5 hours of P.T. 1.5 hours of drill. Then breakfast. Land survival. Water survival. Trips to Ft. Bragg for rapelling from a 65' wall. Obstacle course. Running. Running. Running. Drill. Drill. Drill. Jody's. Inspections. Dirt. Sweat. Deyhradation. Sleeping in the woods without letting your campfire die out. Building rope bridges. Running - 5 miles. Drill. Bug bites. Sunburn. Bruises. Blisters. Cuts. Cramps. Sore muscles. 4:00 a.m. reveille. Bandaides and Ben Gay. Day in, day out. Lights out 9:15 p.m. This is COLS. It ain't for sissys.

If you think I exaggerate, ask any of these fine young cadets. They all survived. They all graduated. They are Warriors and Winners. My son, Ryan, is amoung them. We are so very proud of him. For him, this was a big deal. For him, this did not come easy. And he is beyond proud to have made it to the end. To be able to graduate with this year's COLS class. To have formed a brotherhood that will last for years to come. To have tested himself and pushed himself beyond anything he thought he was capable of. To have finished. He is a far better young man because of COLS. He loved it and will treasure the memories forever.

... I will be adding more to this post shortly so be sure and check back ...

Awesome Pics! ~ Teen Portrait Photographer - Catawba Cnty, NC

Check out the rest of "D"s pics here!

More For "D" ~ Teen Portrait Photographer, Catawba Cnty, NC

Posting a few more of my session with "D". Love these! He did such an awesome job and we had so much fun! I can't even choose a favorite ... they're all so cool! :)













And one of "D" with his sweetie. Love how fun and sweet this image is. :)