Tina Wrona Photography BLOG

NEW WEBSITE!!!

2009-08-23T15:34:00.004-04:00

NO more posts will be on this BLOG.

Go to my NEW SITE ...

www.tinawronaphotography.com

(save it in your "Favorites")

ALSO... if you go see my new site, you can see PHOTOS of my NEW DAUGHTER!!!

There will be no other posts on this blog. You'll need to check out the new one from now on. THANKS!

.

We love you, Jodi Baker!

2009-08-12T17:03:00.016-04:00

Today is a WONDERFUL, yet SAD day!

1 year ago, I decided to add another photographer to Tina Wrona Photography. It was a decision that has BLESSED me beyond belief! Not only is Jodi Baker an AMAZING photographer, but she is also an INCREDIBLE friend!

As many of you know, my family is in the process of adopting an 11 year old girl, Alexis. We are THRILLED BEYOND BELIEF + so overjoyed by this new + exciting time in our lives. But during this wonderful new time for our family, I have been scheduling fewer photo shoots + focusing more on my family.

Because of this, I have encouraged Jodi to branch off + to begin her own photography business. I am THRILLED for her + I would love to have clients from TWP to now go to Jodi Baker Photography for photos! (I am still doing some shoots, but much fewer than in the past.)

And, rest assured, Jodi + I will still work together often. She is on my calendar for many upcoming weddings, + I will continue to book weddings with her. She is AMAZING!

I am sad at the thought of not working with Jodi on a more regular basis (because her friendship to me is HUGE in my life), but I know that we will probably continue to talk shop often + work together whenever possible.

Jodi, THANK YOU for all your love + understanding + your giving heart! I love you, girl + I am so PROUD of you!

Here is Jodi's touching good-bye in her own words...

"OK... it has been a while since I have posted anything which some may have noticed. It isn't that I have not been photographing anyone.. I have just been working on my new adventure."

"With Tina slowing down some to focus on her AWESOME (NEW) FAMILY, she thought it was time for me to go out from under her wings and fly on my own. Believe me.. when she mentioned that to me the first time, I didn't want to. I LOVE working with Tina.. she has been such a HUGE blessing to me (that rolls down to my family). I could have never gotten to where I am now without her. So... after a lot of convincing... I am going out on my own. Jodi Baker Photography has now been established. A wise person once told me use my name when I go out on my own, that way when people see the photos they will recognize your name with the photo. When I did agree to go out on my own I made her promise to let me still work with her when she needs an extra camera. So really, I will always be Tina Wrona Photography's Company Photographer :) For those who I have been blessed to photograph through TWP, I hope you allow me to continue to capture your moments for you in the future."

"Thank you Tina for everything.. there are no words to express but I hope you know that I love you and your family and I am SO blessed to call you my friend!"

Check out Jodi's new BLOG at...

www.jodibakerphotography.com (and be sure to save it in your "Favorites")

Bath Time

2009-08-10T10:05:00.006-04:00

I just came across these photos today of a bath time awhile back with Winston + Houston + thought I'd post them.

Meghan + Derek. engagement shoot

2009-08-09T18:25:00.012-04:00

I pulled into the parking lot to meet Meghan + Derek for the first time. As I pulled in, I could see Meghan waving to me from in their car + that's when I knew. I knew that hanging out with them would be like being with old friends... very comfortable + fun! And it was. I had a great time getting to know them.

Our shoot was at the Covington House, owned + run by my good friend, Linda Covington. The grounds are BEAUTIFUL (a FABULOUS place for a wedding!).

Meghan is so cute...

And I LOVE the way she's looking over at Derek... SO SWEET!

I LOVE this... Meghan had SUCH CUTE SHOES!

Derek, holding the flower, which is holding the ring, that he gave her...

I love this next series of shots... Meghan + Derek are so cute together!

One of my favorite shots from the evening...

Meghan + Derek, THANK YOU for such a FUN photo shoot! I really enjoyed getting to know you + being able to see the wonderful relationship that you two have. CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement!

Sneak Peek

2009-08-08T18:22:00.003-04:00

Want to know who this ADORABLE couple is? Well, you'll just have to wait. Here is just a sneak peek of my FUN photo shoot last night. More photos coming soon.

Chris + Casey

2009-07-29T23:15:00.007-04:00

I don't have a lot of time to blog right now. As many of you know, my family and I are in the process of adopting a girl. We are THRILLED + BLESSED beyond belief that this wonderful young girl may soon be ours. As our steps toward adoption increase, I have been wanting to spend more + more time with our new hopefully-soon-to-be-daughter + our 4 other wonderful boys. But with that said, I did want to post a few more photos from last weekend's wedding. With all that is going on right now, this wedding post may be 'several small posts' instead.

Here are a few photos from Chris + Casey's wedding last weekend at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst... It was a BEAUTIFUL ceremony!

Casey + the girls...

Chris + the guys...

And here is my FABULOUS Company Photographer in action! She is photographing Chris + Casey's rings on the top of the lime + lemon. Oh, I LOVE this shot! Jodi Baker, you are WONDERFULLY AMAZING!

More photos coming in later posts.

Sneak Peek

2009-07-26T18:54:00.004-04:00

Here is a quick little sneak peek of some wedding rings from a wedding I photographed yesterday. More photos of these rings (+ the two fabulous people that they now belong to) coming soon.

Brooke + Jason

2009-07-16T23:33:00.010-04:00

There was nothing traditional about Brooke + Jason's wedding. Rather, it was filled with only what was truly important + meaningful to them, which I LOVED, because in everything that they did, they showed such great passion.

The ceremony took place at 8am, simply because Brooke's favorite time of day is morning. It was important to them that they wear what they loved... + I have to say, they have AMAZING taste! Their outfits were refreshingly FABULOUS! Her BEAUTIFUL blue shoes...

His hat + those FABULOUS pops of orange...

Brooke + Jason chose to see each other prior to the ceremony (which is FABULOUS for photos, by the way!). They wanted to start off their morning with just the two of them (along with their favorite photographer). Their meeting was SO INCREDIBLY SWEET + ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

They then exchanged gifts that they had brought for one another. Brooke gave Jason a leather band for his wrist + Jason gave Brooke a leather bound journal, in which he had written the most sweetest love letter to her in the first several pages.

Their gifts, along with their rings...

Their alone time prior to the ceremony...

Jason + Brooke have been together for 9 years + have two wonderful children.

During the ceremony, I cried three times. Jason's love letter to Brooke was simply AMAZING! If I can, I'll get a copy of it to share with you on the BLOG.

Brooke + her mom...

The guests at the ceremony...

The guests headed over to Rhett's, in Southern Pines, for a big breakfast celebration. But before Brooke + Jason headed over, we took a few more more photos of the newly married couple.

Brooke + Jason, THANK YOU for sharing your morning with me! It was a very meaningful experience + I hope your photos will bring back some of those emotions + feelings as you look back on them through the years. And THANK YOU for letting me be a part of it!

Another Sneak Peek

2009-07-15T23:30:00.003-04:00

Our family is in the process of adopting an 11 year old girl. She's WONDERFUL + we feel BLESSED beyond belief! With all that is going on right now, I am getting WAY behind in blogging.

Remember that FABULOUS wedding I photographed last Saturday morning? Oh, I wish I could show you all of their photos right now! They are SUCH A CUTE COUPLE!!! Well, I don't have time to post them all, so here's another sneak peek...

Eric + Shaneitha

2009-07-12T14:40:00.011-04:00

This past Friday evening, I had the pleasure of photographing a BEAUTIFUL ceremony between Shaneitha + Eric.

Usually I meet my brides well in advance + we spend many hours planning + preparing for the big event. But not this time. This time was different. Shaneitha contacted me over the phone, wanting me to photograph her very small, Friday evening ceremony, with only 12 people in attendance (including the bride + groom). Since it was so small, we never actually met in person to talk about the plans for the day, + I also decided to photograph it all by myself (without the help of my AMAZING Wedding Assistant, Jodi Caddell, + my other Company Photographers). It was MUCH harder photographing the ceremony without them there (they are ALL INCREDIBLE to work with!!!), but hopefully I was still able to capture some images that show the WONDERFUL love between Shaneitha + Eric.

Here are a FEW of their images...

Shaneitha's cousin applying her make-up...

Shaneitha is GORGEOUS!!! And I loved the flower in her hair! BEAUTIFUL!

Her shoes were SO CUTE! What a GREAT touch of orange!

Shaneitha, you are ADORABLE!

Her brother walked her down the isle...

One of my favorite images from the day... I LOVE the look in Shaneitha's eyes as she looks up at Eric. It is so incredibly sweet!

And since I come from a family of cyclists, I was THRILLED to find out that they were riding away on bicycles! It was SO CUTE!!!

Shaneitha + Eric, you have something very special + I was BLESSED to be a part of your VERY special day! You put such great thought into all of the AMAZING details + made it a WONDERFUL celebration of love + commitment + unity in Christ. THANK YOU for letting me be a part of your celebration!

Sneak Peek

2009-07-11T14:00:00.002-04:00

What a FUN wedding! Here is just a little sneak peek. More photos coming soon.

Sneak Peek

2009-07-10T23:05:00.006-04:00

Here is a sneak peek of a WONDERFULLY SWEET wedding I photographed tonight. More photos coming soon!

Shawna + Tiffany

2009-07-09T19:20:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, I met up with Shawna + her sister, Tiffany, for their bridal photos. It was an EXTREMELY HOT day, but we managed to get in a few photos. Both Shawna + Tiffany are so WONDERFULLY SWEET. I always feel as though I'm just one of the family when I am with them.

Shawna...

I LOVE when brides wear fun shoes!

And Mike, her fun husband, bought her these cute boots for the shoot. I LOVE it! What a guy!

Tiffany...

So cute...

I have many more photos, but I thought I would post just a few before my VERY BUSY weekend.

THANK YOU Shawna + Tiffany for the fun shoot!

TWP - Big News!

2009-06-16T12:36:00.005-04:00

4 years ago, I started this business because God told me to. It has been His business this whole time. He has led it + directed it. I'm just... there.

But now, 4 years later, God has moved our family into a new direction. We are in the process of trying to adopt a girl. (YAY!!!)

I will still be doing photography but not nearly as much as before. Instead of doing 4 shoots a week, I am now only booking 1 shoot a week + I am going to be spending a LOT more time with my wonderful family. This decision to cut back on photography happened about a month ago + I have been booking less and less since then. So... I am STILL doing photography, but my first available opening is now in October.

But the GOOD NEWS IS...

My WONDERFUL Company Photographer, Jodi Baker, may be able to get you in much sooner. Her contact number is 910-215-5605.

(photos of Jodi)
And you can check out her work by clicking HERE.

Cooper + Houston @ the Pool

2009-06-16T11:59:00.010-04:00

I LOVE summer time! The boys and I have been keeping track of how many days in a row we can go to the pool. So far, we have a 14 day streak going.

Here's Cooper showing us his INCREDIBLE surfing moves...

Houston ran up to me + decided to start dancing. I was laughing so hard I could barely shoot the camera!

We woke up to rain today, but if it clears up even just for a bit, we're hitting that pool! This could be Day 15!

Bailey, Connor, London + Liam

2009-06-15T20:34:00.009-04:00

Dan is our Web Specialist here at TWP + he is AMAZING! One of my favorite things to do is to hang out with Dan + his family! They are SO MUCH fun! Dan + his FABULOUS wife Donna have 4 children.... Bailey (9), Connor (8 in 3 days!!!), London (5) + Liam (2). I have photographed their family several times now. The first time was before Liam was even born + way before I began blogging.

It has been such a joy to see their family grow + change over the last 4 years. Here are some of the photos from our shoot a few days ago...

Donna brought along bubbles, which is always fun...

Bailey is in gymnastics + is FANTASTIC at it!

The very first time I photographed their family, I brought along some apples for the kids, thinking that the apples may be good for some photos. Donna said that those apple shots have been her favorites, + so she brought along some fun green ones for the shoot.

I love, love, LOVE Connor's freckles!

And I LOVE London's glasses... SO CUTE!!!

And little Liam LOVES to play hockey + to punch daddy with his BIG gloves...

Liam + mommy...

When Donna + I talked about doing this shoot, she had said that she just wanted photos of the kids this time. But... since Dan + Donna were both there... we just HAD to get in a few Mommy + Daddy shots!

Dan, THANK YOU for ALL the wonderful web help you give me! You are AMAZING + you have such a delightful family!

Lore

2009-06-12T21:57:00.004-04:00

My friend Lore.

The Ninja

2009-06-05T17:49:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, Winston got all dressed up in his 'ninja' clothes, as he calls it. He wanted to go outside + show me all his ninja moves. Now, I realize that I am his momma, but I must say that these moves were pretty impressive!

Awe, the concentration...

The 'Crouching Tiger' ...

Great moves, Ninja!

Adeline

2009-06-05T15:18:00.007-04:00

Remember Natalie's maternity shoot? (Click HERE to see those images.) Well, now little Adeline is nearly 8 months old and is just as cute as can be!

And Adeline smiles a LOT!

Natalie, it is so fun seeing you be such a FABULOUS Mommy! Little Adeline is so blessed!

Taylor

2009-06-05T14:52:00.007-04:00

Little Taylor is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! I had a great time getting to know her and her parents, John + Siouxsie (pronounced Susie). Taylor is SUCH a little CUTIE!

And I LOVED her little striped leggings...

We played on the swings...

And even played in the sand a little... (although that wasn't Taylor's favorite thing)...

Then we got cleaned up again...

And had some play time on the grass...

... along with a DELICIOUS picnic dinner.

And since Taylor is now 1, Siouxsie + John ended the picnic with a birthday cake, just for Taylor. And she LOVED that!

Happy Birthday Taylor! John + Siouxsie, THANK YOU for the WONDERFUL afternoon! It was so GREAT to get to meet you! You have a FABULOUS family!

Sneak Peek

2009-06-03T14:01:00.004-04:00

I photographed this little cutie yesterday. More photos of little Adeline coming soon...

King's Fifth

2009-05-31T22:20:00.011-04:00

A few weeks ago (YES, I am REALLY behind in blogging!!!), I photographed Gavin and his good friend James. You may remember Gavin from a previous shoot with his sister's VW Bus. Click HERE to see those photos.

Gavin and James are both talented musicians / singers. In fact, they are getting jobs all over town, playing in various restaurants. I was able to hear a little of their music while photographing them, and it was WONDERFUL!

Here are some images of the guys from King's Fifth ...

In this next image, you can see James in Gavin's glasses...

When we came across this old pickup for sale, we all knew that it would make for some great shots. I LOVE the $800 plastered across the front of it...

And if anyone is interested in purchasing the truck, you can reach the owner at 910-528-1162.

I took a few extra images near the end of the shoot of just Gavin for his senior photos...

What a GREAT smile!

And I didn't want to leave without taking a shot of the really friendly goat nearby...

THANK YOU Gavin and James! You guys were WONDERFUL to work with and LOTS of fun! I look forward to hearing you play your music around town!

Rachel

2009-05-28T07:43:00.005-04:00

I love meeting fun, wonderful people! And I love high school seniors! Rachel and I hit it off right away. She is FABULOUS! She is smart + funny + BEAUTIFUL!

I did something on this shoot that I normally would NEVER do... We started off with NO location in mind. Instead, we just went for a drive, and pulled off the road when we saw something that looked interesting.

When we saw this field, we both knew that it would make for some fun shots. We first got permission from the people in the nearby house, + then we went into the field + began shooting.

A lady bug landed on her finger...

After the field, we were close to Ashley's home (a model you may remember from previous shoots), so we stopped by for a few photos there. I LOVE Rachel's cowboy hat.

Rachel, it was SO GREAT to get to meet you! You were WONDERFUL!

Me in Action

2009-05-22T09:03:00.003-04:00

I just received some photos from Gisela. While I was photographing her daughter, she took a few of me. They're hilarious! You can see the photos by scrolling down to the bottom of the next post.

Gus, Gisela + Dana

2009-05-20T17:52:00.018-04:00

Last week I met a most wonderful couple, Gus + Gisela, along with their daughter, Dana. Gus was wonderful to talk with and made me feel right at home. Gisela has a passion for photography, so that was fun. I was able to see some of her photography work (which is WONDERFUL!) + we had plenty to talk about. And Dana owns her own graphic design company, so there is plenty of creativity in their family!

Both Gisela + Dana spend a LOT of time on their laptops, so we thought that would make for some fun photos...

And then they played some cards... I LOVE this series of shots!

And when Dana wasn't looking....

I love the passion in this...

Gus + Gisela live on a lake, so after shooting the family for awhile, I headed down to the dock with Dana, who is AMAZING to photograph! I love, love, LOVE her hair!

This next shot is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE of hers...

THANK YOU Gus, Gisela + Dana for a WONDERFUL shoot! I REALLY enjoyed getting to know your dear, sweet family.

Here are some photos that Gisela took of me in action. They're hilarious! Thanks, Gisela! I got quite the laugh!

Prom Again

2009-05-17T23:54:00.004-04:00

I am swamped right now with work + my wonderful personal life, + I am getting a little behind in my blogging, but there are many photos coming soon! For now, I thought I would quickly post a few photos from a photo shoot I had a few weeks ago.

A few weeks ago, I photographed 9 girls + their prom... from the getting ready, to their dates arriving. And so, rather than going blogless for so long, I thought I would quickly post a few more of their photos. To see the photos from my previous Prom post, click HERE.

And in case you haven't heard (this was a new one for me), spray a little hairspray on your face, + your make-up will hold longer.

THANKS again, girls!

Sneak Peek

2009-05-15T12:45:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, I had the most wonderful photo shoot. Here is a little sneak peek... More photos coming soon.

Kristyn + Caitlyn

2009-05-11T08:08:00.007-04:00

A few days ago, I met Kristyn + her twin sister, Caitlyn. They are BEAUTIFUL + so much fun to hang out with! Kristyn + Caitlyn graduated from high school last year. Rather than beginning college right away, they are taking the year off to concentrate on golfing, + then will begin college next year, where they plan to do more golfing.

Here are some photos of both Kristyn + Caitlyn together...

Caitlyn + Kristyn...

I have so many fun photos I would like to share, so I've decided to break it up into 3 different blog posts. I put the individual shots of the girls are in the next two posts...

***NOTE*** When you scroll down to the bottom of the page, click the big red letters, "Older Posts" to see more!

Kristyn

2009-05-11T07:51:00.006-04:00

Here are some more photos of Kristyn...

Both Kristyn + her twin sister, Caitlyn, have taken a year off of school to focus on golfing, before going to college, where they also plan to golf. Currently, they try to play a full 18 holes each day. I wanted to give them a golfing shot, but they certainly did not want a "typical" golfing shot, so I had them climb up on this old truck + golf from there. Kristyn was able to stick her tee into the Ford emblem, which turned out EXTREMELY COOL!

Kristyn, I had a FANTASTIC time taking your photos + getting to know you! You are GORGEOUS + have a WONDERFUL personality! THANKS for the fun shoot!

***NOTE*** When you scroll down to the bottom of the page, click the big red letters, "Older Posts" to see more!

Caitlyn

2009-05-10T17:19:00.010-04:00

Here are some more photos of Caitlyn...

Caitlyn's eyes are AMAZING!

Caitlyn + her twin sister, Kristyn, have taken a year off of school to focus on golfing before going off to college, where they plan to play, as well. I thought we had better get some kind of golfing shot in, but they didn't want "the usual" golfing shots, so I thought we'd try from the top of an old truck...

Caitlyn, you are BEAUTIFUL + you have a FABULOUS personality! I absolutely LOVED hanging out with you! THANK YOU for such a FUN shoot!

***NOTE*** When you scroll down to the bottom of the page, click the big red letters, "Older Posts" to see more!

Fashion Consultants

2009-05-09T12:29:00.007-04:00

Remember, we have 2 FABULOUS Fashion Consultants here at TWP! They can come to your home + help you put together the PERFECT outfits/accessories for you + your family so that you will look ULTRA FAB for your shoot. (AND... then you can have those FAB outfits to wear even AFTER the shoot. BONUS!)

Click HERE for more information on our Fashion Consultants.

***NOTE*** When you scroll down to the bottom of the page, click the big red letters, "Older Posts" to see more!

Sneak Peek

2009-05-09T11:38:00.007-04:00

Stella + Martha Anne

2009-05-07T11:39:00.009-04:00

I first met Stella + her parents, Charles + Allison, 3 years ago. Stella was a little 3 month old baby at that time. She was ADORABLE + it was nice to see how much her parents ADORED her! I had a wonderful time getting to know them during that shoot.

Now, 3 years later, Stella is 3. I can't believe how time flies! She is still ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE + wonderfully FUN to photograph! And now Stella has a new little sister, Martha Anne. Martha Anne is just 4 months old + she reminds me a LOT of Stella at that age. Once again, it was fun seeing this WONDERFUL family interact + to see the LOVE that Charles + Allison have for both of their little girls.

Charles + Allison wanted a photo of them kissing each of their girls. When it was Martha Anne's turn....

... it looks like she got a little hungry...

As I walked through their home, it was such a treat to see photo after photo, framed, hanging on their walls or resting on nightstands... photos that I had taken 3 years ago. It COMPLETELY warmed my heart to know that they had cherished their photos. These next few photos of Martha Anne are very similar to ones I took of Stella 3 years ago.

Then we headed inside for a little tea party...

And then up to their rooms for some reading...

I was THRILLED to get to come to your home + photograph your BEAUTIFUL family, once again. THANK YOU!

Luke

2009-04-30T14:30:00.008-04:00

I first met Amanda + Jeff 2 weeks ago. They are WONDERFUL! They came to the shoot with their ADORABLE little guy, Luke (6 mo.), + a bunny. Yes, they came with a REAL bunny! How FUN! But, the weather was not cooperating with us that day, + the place we were at was locked up so there was no shelter inside. So... we decided to try for another day.

Last week, I met up with Amanda, Jeff, + little Luke once again, only this time without bunny (maybe next time!). As soon as we started shooting, the rain came, so we huddled under a near by tree + kept shooting. But soon, the rain cleared + it was once again beautiful out.

And this DELIGHTFUL little Luke, who is NEVER fussy, was just not happy. Maybe it was his teeth coming in. Whatever the reason, we tried + tried to keep little, ADORABLE Luke content + tried our best to get a smile out of him. Looks like we succeeded! I have a TON of photos of Luke laughing / smiling. Here are just a few of their photos...

Grabbing Mommy's jewelry...

Then it came time for some photos of Jeff + Amanda together. Jeff spotted these amazing flowers, so we thought we'd take a few photos over by them. Then Jeff took one of the flowers + placed it in Amanda's hair. She thought it was so silly, but I assured her that it actually looked rather sweet, so we kept it in for a shot or two, which made her laugh, of course!

VERY sweet...

THANK YOU Amanda, Jeff + little Luke for a great shoot! You are such a FUN family! I am VERY EXCITED to get to photograph Luke's 1 year birthday party in September!

Sneak Peek

2009-04-29T15:39:00.004-04:00

These were the last few shots of the day... Must be nap time. Too cute! More photos coming soon!

Getting Ready for Prom

2009-04-28T11:20:00.011-04:00

This past Saturday was the Prom for Pine Crest High School. I was invited over to Caitlyn's home to take some photos of her + her girlfriends getting ready for the big night. This was my first time meeting the girls, + as much as I love my 4 boys, it was sure fun photographing a house full of girls being silly + VERY girlie! I have a ton of shots, but here are just a few of my favorites...

While I was there, I saw a lot of AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL food being prepared for the girls + their dates. As I walked around Caitlyn's property, I spotted some ULTRA FABULOUS cars. We moved a few of the cars out of the barn for some photos. I LOVE this first one of Caitlyn in the mirror...

I love these shots of the girls in the car... So fun!

So cute...

It was getting a little (lot) hot outside, so I had the guys come in + play some pool for their photos... (here are just a few)...

Hope you had a WONDERFUL time at Prom!

Mike + Shawna. PART FOUR. the couple

2009-04-25T22:23:00.010-04:00

This is my 4th blog post of Mike + Shawna's wedding last weekend. It was WONDERFUL! You have seen photos of the girls getting ready, Mike + the men, and Shawna + the ladies. Now, here are a few of the photos of Mike + Shawna together...

Shawna had seen a photo I took of a wedding last year where we placed the rings on the words 'love' in the Bible, + she had asked me to take a similar photo with her rings. I love it.

The receiving line...

Mike has one of those AMAZING personalities! When he talks to you, he has a way of making you feel as though you are the most important person at that moment. He is WONDERFUL to be around + people are sure drawn to him! Here are just a few of the images that show some of his FANTASTIC personality...

Mike with Shawna's grandparents...

Shawna + Mike's mom...

Shawna + her brother giving their secret handshake, while Mike hugs Shawna's mom in the background...

Shawna + her mom...

Mike + Shawna. PART THREE. the ladies

2009-04-23T18:27:00.006-04:00

Let me just start by saying how COMPLETELY STUNNING Shawna is! Wow! She was such a beautiful bride.

Last weekend I had the AMAZING privilege of photographing Mike + Shawna's wedding. I've already posted photos of Shawna + the girls getting ready, + then photos of Mike + the boys (you can scroll down past this post to see those photos). So now, here are photos of Shawna + her bridesmaids (+ more photos are still coming!) ...

These were Shawna's bridesmaids shoes... The same shoes that Shawna wore for her engagement shoot (click HERE to see those photos).

Shawna + her mom...

More photos from the rest of their wedding / reception coming soon!

Oh, + we LOVE it when you leave us comments!

Mike + Shawna. PART TWO. the men

2009-04-23T14:55:00.006-04:00

Mike + Shawna's wedding was this past weekend. Yesterday I posted photos of Shawna + her bridesmaids getting ready (just scroll down further to see those). Now, time for the boys...

Mike looks like he could be straight out of the catalog, modeling the tux. What a handsome groom!

Mike and his mother...

The groomsmen...

Mike with his new brother-in-law...

I was in a complete rush getting these photos. We had about 25 minutes total. But Jodi, my WONDERFUL Company Photographer, stayed with the guys longer to take more photos while I headed back to the home where the ladies were getting ready. Keep checking Jodi's part of the BLOG to see her photos from the day! (go to "SITES" in the yellow menu bar + click on "Jodi's BLOG")

Coming up VERY SOON.... photos of Shawna + her bridesmaids!

Mike + Shawna. PART ONE. getting ready

2009-04-22T18:07:00.010-04:00

This past weekend, our good friends, Mike + Shawna, were married. You may remember Mike + Shawna from their engagement shoot (Click HERE to see those images).

As a photographer, I don't think there is anything better than getting to spend such momentous moments with people. And spending the entire day with a bride, from the getting ready, to the giggles + laughter, to the deep breaths + the I-Do's, to the wonderful celebration, is something I ALWAYS cherish! The wedding day is such an important day for the bride + it is my HONOR to get to spend that day, filled with those special moments, with her + the ones that she has chosen to surround herself with.

I have so many wonderful images from Mike + Shawna's day that I would like to share with you. Because of that, I have decided to post their images in SEVERAL different blog posts. I will first begin with Shawna + her bridesmaids getting ready. I have MANY images, but here are a few of my favorites...

We started out the day at the Spa at Pinehurst for hair + make-up. Shawna's hair was done by Julie Reed, who did a FANTASTIC job!

And her make-up was done by Melissa Richardson, also of the Spa at Pinehurst. Shawna's make-up was beautiful!

And as you know, I LOVE color, natural color, in my images. But, I have been thinking lately that I would like to branch out + try some different coloring effects. So, I changed the coloring on a few of their images, ranging from black + white to sepia, all mixed + tweaked just to my liking for that specific image. Let me know what you think...

Here, you can see Shawna, along with her sister, Tiffany, + one of her bridesmaids, Danielle. I had JUST met Danielle when I went out to her home for her family photo shoot just a few days prior. (Danielle's photos are shown following this blog post)

Then we headed to Mike's parents' lovely home in Whispering Pines for some lunch.

That chocolate dessert was AMAZING! Recipe?

This is also where Shawna + the girls got ready for the big day.

Shawna's sister, Tiffany, putting on Shawna's shoes...

And touching up her lipstick...

Probably my favorite image so far...

Shawna's mother, Debbie, getting her flower pinned on...

Shawna, you were STUNNING + you + your family + friends are such a delight! More images coming soon!

Reese, Logan + Brooke

2009-04-22T08:02:00.013-04:00

When Danielle called to schedule her family's photo shoot, she requested that we have the shoot at their home. She explained that her family would be moving soon + leaving behind this home that was so dear to her. I could hear the sadness in her voice, almost as if she was saying good-bye to an old friend. Danielle grew up near this home. It was the home of her best friend + she played there often. Then, when she was getting married, they saw that this home was on the market + knew that this was the perfect house to start their life together. Since then, they have added children to their family. This has been home to all 3 of their children.

Danielle + Jeremy have Reese (3), Logan (2), Brooke (5 mo.), + Rosie, the family dog.

I began by having them play outside, showing me all the things that they love so much.

Climbing their favorite Dogwood tree...

Then we headed inside to make some cookies...

Such great family memories.

Last, we headed into the den... The spot where their family has curled up time + time again, on that couch, reading books or watching TV. I can only imagine all of the wonderful memories that they will hold dear from time spent in their den together.

Good-bye House.

THANK YOU for opening up your wonderful home + your precious memories to me! May your new adventures in Pennsylvania bring you even more great memories.

Trevor + Peyton

2009-04-21T18:24:00.010-04:00

Nearly 2 weeks ago (I know, I have been swamped with shoots + being sick + I am getting a little behind on blogging), I photographed TWO wonderful families during the same shoot. Kelly + James are great friends with Tiffany + Jason. Between the two families, they have 5 boys. Because the families are so close, they wanted a shoot with both families, so that I could take a few photos of all 9 of them together, as well as several of each individual family.

Both families were so COMPLETELY fun + energetic! I can see why they get along so well. I had a FANTASTIC time hanging out with them + getting a glimpse of their AMAZINGLY fun personalities!

Here are some of the images of Jason + Tiffany's family...
Jason + Tiffany have 2 adorable boys, Trevor (3) + Peyton (1).

The moms, Tiffany + Kelly, LOVE scrap booking. I mean, they take this VERY seriously, even going on weekend get-a-ways...

I had such a great time photographing your two families! THANK YOU!

Hunter, Landon + Gavin

2009-04-21T12:03:00.011-04:00

Nearly 2 weeks ago (I know, I have been swamped with shoots + being sick + I am getting a little behind on blogging), I photographed TWO wonderful families during the same shoot. Kelly + James are great friends with Tiffany + Jason. Between the two families, they have 5 boys. Because the families are so close, they wanted a shoot with both families, so that I could take a few photos of all 9 of them together, as well as several of each individual family.

To start with, here are some of Kelly + James, and their 3 boys Hunter (10), Landon (4) + Gavin (1.5). Little Gavin was ADORABLE. I love his curly hair! And his brothers are both so good with him.

And here is Landon who was just a sweetie!

And big brother Hunter was AMAZING on the shoot. He was so helpful + completely WONDERFUL!

And what would a Rock Band be with out an actual rock?

Here is a shot of the two families together. More photos coming soon!

THANK YOU for the REALLY FUN shoot!

Sneak Peek

2009-04-19T23:17:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, my good friends Mike + Shawna were married! I am so excited to post their photos, but for now, this sneak peek will have to do. More photos coming soon!

Sneak Peek

2009-04-16T21:46:00.004-04:00

Here is a sneak peek of my photo shoot yesterday. What a CUTIE! More photos coming soon...

Alexandria

2009-04-15T01:21:00.008-04:00

I am blessed to have 2 Jodi's working with me. One is my Company Photographer (who's AWESOME!) + the other Jodi is my FABULOUS Wedding Assistant! Oh, she's absolutely FANTASTIC! Well, for the next few weddings, I have had to replace Jodi as my assistant. But, it is for a VERY GOOD reason! Jodi + her husband, Heath, just had their 3rd baby. A week ago today, Jodi gave birth to Alexandria, who they'll call Allie. I got to go over to their home today + take a few photos of little Allie. She is absolutely ADORABLE!

I was at their home for one hour + little Allie was asleep the entire time. But then a yawn...

And a smile...

And finally, I was able to see those beautiful blue eyes of hers...

I'd like to come back another time + take some photos of little Allie with her big brother + sister. Oh, the fun she is going to have with them!

Congratulations Heath + Jodi! Little Allie is PRECIOUS!!! Absolutely PRECIOUS!

Meirra

2009-04-14T11:40:00.008-04:00

Meirra is absolutely GORGEOUS! I had so much fun photographing her. She is a wonderfully sweet teen with a GREAT sense of style! I could have posted a TON more photos of her, but for blogging sake, decided it was best just to post these few. Here's Meirra..

This Indian skirt she wore was SO AMAZING to photograph! It was like a giant wedding dress, only with FABULOUS color! WOW!

This 2nd image below is one of my FAVORITES of Meirra. She is SO STUNNING + I love how the light is coming down onto her face.

Oh, + did I mention? Meirra has the "Model Walk" perfected!

THANK YOU to Meirra + to the other 4 models who joined us on this shoot! You were all SO FABULOUS! I am still surprised that we were able to photograph all 5 of you in only 2 1/2 hours total, + get such great results. Just goes to show what WONDERFUL models you were!

And remember, Jodi + the "Mystery Photographer" took photos, too. Their photos will be posted soon! To see Jodi's photos, check out her section of the BLOG (go to "SITES" in the yellow menu bar, then click on "Jodi's BLOG").

SENIOR PHOTOS: On a side note, if you are a senior in HS, and have not had your photos taken yet, give us a call to book your shoot soon! We love, love, LOVE seniors!!! 910-295-4906

Or if you are a junior and want to book your shoot for the 2009 - 2010 school year, we have started booking those shoots, so give us a call + tell all your friends!

THANK YOU!

JB

2009-04-13T16:42:00.008-04:00

JB is the creator/host of Bootleg + B-Sides Radio, a radio show that he started about 3 years ago. The purpose of the show is to offer a health alternative to today's most popular style of music. They play everything from Gospel, Christian, Inspirational and Alternative. They try to bring cultures together through their music + message.

When JB saw that we were needing some everyday models for an upcoming shoot, he sent in his photo + was quickly chosen. So, last Wednesday, JB drove down from Virginia for the shoot. If you've listened to his show, then you know that JB has one of those FANTASTICALLY DEEP radio voices. He is so calming to listen to. But you may not have put a face to that voice. Well, here he is...

I LOVE this first photo!

We took the photos in a place with a lot of very old, rusty cars. We even asked JB to climb inside a few. He was such a great sport + up for anything. THANKS, JB!

JB, you are FANTASTIC + we have been blessed to get to meet you! THANK YOU!

And remember, Jodi (my AMAZING Company Photographer) and the other "Mystery Photographer" were there photographing, too. Jodi will soon be posting her photos from the shoot, so be sure to check out her part of the blog, too! (go to "SITES" in the yellow menu bar at the top, then click on "Jodi's BLOG")

Sneak Peek

2009-04-13T00:25:00.003-04:00

This past Friday, I photographed TWO really fun couples + their sons (5 sons in all). Tiffany + Jason are best friends with Kelly + James, and wanted photos of EACH family, along with photos of BOTH families. I am not quite ready to post their photos, but I did want to give you a sneak peek...

Kelly + James were so sweet...

And here's Jason mauling his wife! SO funny! I LOVE it!

LOTS more photos of their two families coming soon!

ComeUnity Service - Part 1

2009-04-11T20:51:00.008-04:00

Last night was the 3rd Annual ComeUnity Service at Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines. The event is designed to break down the walls of division and to bring the body of Christ together in UNITY, focusing on Jesus Christ as we celebrated Good Friday and Easter. Sal DiBianca of Teen Challenge and Kevin Baker of Grace Church organized the details of the event.

The worship (which was AWESOME!!!) was led by several churches in Moore County. The names of everyone involved will be listed at the bottom of the post.

I had about 200 photos from last night + it was really hard to narrow it down to just a few. I still wanted to show several images, so I've broken it up into 2 posts. You can see them here...

Now continue on to the next post to see MORE PHOTOS from the ComeUnity Service...

ComeUnity Service - Part 2

2009-04-11T20:39:00.008-04:00

More photos from the ComeUnity Service held last night, on Good Friday, at Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines...

Here is a list of all of the churches who participated in this event, along with the worship leaders + band members from all over Moore County who contributed their time + talents...

John Penny- Harrington Chapel of Southern Pines

Charles Bloom- Kingdom Minded Church in Southern Pines

Joshua Haire- First Missionary Baptist in Southern Pines

Bill Wetmore- The Village Chapel of Pinehurst

Dean Englebretson of Christ Community Church in Pinehurst

Mike Branscome of Aberdeen First Baptist- church involved but pastor was held away by an emergency

Eugene Ussery- of Emmanuel Baptist in Carthage

William Meares- Harvest Church of God- church involved but pastor was held away by an emergency

Ben Lawson- Calvary Chapel of the Sandhills

Lee McK

David Pratt of Pray Moore

Youth Pastor Heath Caddell of The Uprising Youth of Grace Church

Youth Pastor BJ McLeod of 1^st Baptist Aberdeen

Youth Pastor Stuart Richardson of Seven Lakes First Baptist

Youth Pastor Bryan Moore- Southern Pines First Baptist

Stoney Locklear- Turning Point Worship Center in Aberdeen

Bryan Rainbow- Sandhills Assembly of God in Southern Pines

Jim Bollback- Sandhills Alliance Church in Pinehurst- church involved but pastor was held away by an emergency

Chip McAuley of Sandhills PCA in Southern Pines

Larry Gordon- Trinity AME Zion in Southern Pines- church involved but pastor was held away by an emergency

David Marks- Pinehurst Baptist- church involved but pastor was held away by an emergency

Larry Ellis- Village Chapel

Gregg Newton- Pleasant Hill Baptist Church- church was involved but pastor was held away by an emergency

Steve Coleman- Mosaic Ministries of Aberdeen

Randy Thornton- Grace Church

Sal DiBianca, Adam Love, Joe Rivera, Brandon DiBianca and the Sandhills Teen Challenge Ministry

Nick Picerno- County Commissioner, from Seven Lakes First Baptist- bass player

Larry Caddell- County Commissioner, from Grace Church

Mike Haney- Mayor of Southern Pines

John Letteney- Police Chief of Southern Pines

Coach Chris Metzger- Pinecrest High School Head Football Coach

Worship leaders:

Macky Kyle of Aberdeen First Baptist led “All Creatures of Our God and King”

Chantel Bullard of Turning Point Worship Center led “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”

Brandon DiBianca of The Uprising Youth Ministry of Grace Church led “One Way”

Ren and Marie Lee of Harrington Chapel led “Lord You Are Good” and “Friend of God”

Kevin Baker of Grace Church in Southern Pines led “My Savior Lives”

Rob Ely of Christ Community Church led “O Worship the King”

Community Band:

Acoustic Guitar: Kevin Baker of Grace Church

Lead/Rhythm Electric Guitar: Bruce Bishop of Christ Community Church

Lead/Rhythm Electric Guitar: Jon Sibbett of Grace Church

Lead Electric Guitar: Brandon DiBianca of The Uprising Youth on “One Way”

Bass Guitar: Nick Picerno of Seven Lakes Baptist

Piano: Rob Ely of Christ Community Church

Pads/Keyboard: Chantel Bullard of Turning Point Worship Center

B3 Organ: Donnie Wicker of Turning Point Worship Center

Drums: John Heimrich of Christ Community Church

A host of volunteers helped with the promotion, setup, and tear down

And at least 800 were in attendance! WOW!

Laura

2009-04-11T13:36:00.006-04:00

Laura is ADORABLE!

A few weeks ago, we asked you to send in a photo of yourself if you wanted to be used as a model in an upcoming shoot we were having. We received MANY e-mails + photos (THANK YOU to ALL who replied!), but we could only choose 6. Laura sent in a photo of her at work, in a diner on 50's Night. It was SO CUTE, we just HAD to photograph her! Here are some of her photos from Wednesday's Model's Shoot... She's BEAUTIFUL!!!

I LOVE these next two... Laura felt a little silly with a magazine on her head, but I MADE her do it! I told her she had to TRUST her photographer on this one. hee hee

Laura, you are so INCREDIBLY sweet + fun, + I really enjoyed getting to know you! And I'm sure the other photographers would say the same! THANK YOU so VERY much!

Jodi + "The Mystery Photographer" also took photos that day, + you will be seeing their photos from the shoot shortly. Keep checking Jodi's Blog for her photos! (Go to "SITES" in the yellow menu bar @ the top, then click on "Jodi's BLOG")

Also, I hear lots of comments from our FABULOUS BLOG readers, but unfortunately, not many of you say your comments here on the actual BLOG... And we LOVE your comments SO MUCH that we want others to hear them, too. So, if you can, please leave us some comment-love.

Dominic

2009-04-10T21:54:00.010-04:00

This past Wednesday, I got to meet Dominic for the first time. You may remember his younger sister, Michela, who I photographed this past October. You can see her shoot HERE. I had been scheduled to photograph Dominic's senior photos last year, about the same time I was going to have Michela's shoot, but it just never worked out with scheduling. So I was THRILLED to finally get to meet Dominic. He was very easy to photograph... He has those AMAZING eyes + FABULOUS smile! His hair is pretty cool, too! Here's Dominic...

One of my FAVORITE photos from the day... What a FANTASTIC smile!

THANK YOU Dominic! It was so fun to get to meet you!

We photographed 5 people on Wednesday. You've now seen Katie + Dominic. Photos of the other three are coming soon!

And remember, Jodi will be posting her photos from the Model's shoot on her part of the BLOG, so be sure to check that out!

Katie

2009-04-09T15:36:00.009-04:00

Meet Katie! I had the fun pleasure of meeting + photographing Katie, along with 4 other fabulous people, yesterday afternoon. Katie has a WONDERFULLY FUN personality + it really shows through in her photos. Photos of the other fabulous models will be posted in the next several days. But for now, here are some of Katie's photos...

These next two images are pretty crazy, I know, but we were having fun...

She's absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

Also, I was not the only photographer there. There were THREE of us there, photographing, + getting lots of FABULOUS photos. Jodi Baker, my AMAZING Company Photographer, was one of the other photographers yesterday. Soon, she will be posting some FUN photos on her part of the blog, too! So check out Jodi's blog to SEE MORE PHOTOS (go to the yellow menu bar at the top, mouse over "SITES" and then click on "JODI'S BLOG").

The THIRD photographer still remains a mystery for now... But not for long!

THANK YOU Katie for the AMAZING shoot! You are ultra FAB + you ROCKED this shoot!

Sneak Peek - Models Photo Shoot

2009-04-08T22:53:00.004-04:00

Today we had the photo shoot with models from all over the area, including one who drove down from Virginia just for the shoot... Thanks JB! I haven't even had a chance to look at all of the photos yet, but, just to give you an idea of what we did today, here are a few shots of Meirra, one of our models...

A HUGE THANK YOU to ALL of our FABULOUS models! MORE PHOTOS coming soon!

Scheduling for Spring

2009-04-04T16:59:00.006-04:00

Spring is here + people are wanting photo shoots! I am receiving several calls each day from people wanting to book a session. My April calendar is completely booked, + May is not far behind. Jodi Baker, my INCREDIBLE Company Photographer, still has a few openings in April + some in May, but you are going to need to book your shoot quickly. Spots are filling up VERY fast around here! So if you are thinking of getting a shoot, call now. 295-4906

Models

2009-04-03T10:59:00.005-04:00

We have chosen 6 people to model for us for our upcoming shoot + have already notified each of them. But a big THANK YOU to ALL OF YOU who sent in photographs to model for us! I will keep your photos + information handy + you may possibly be called upon in the future.

And on a side note... Oh, how I love a good Cinnamon Dulce' Latte'. But, I am trying to cut back on the amount of coffee that I drink. So, I am thinking that maybe, just maybe, if I put the sleeve around my water it will somehow taste better.

I'll let you know if this works.

Houston

2009-03-30T16:25:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, we celebrated Houston turning 3! We decided to have a morning time celebration + present opening, because we were all just too excited about his presents + wanted him to be able to open them early on that day. So, since it was in the morning, a birthday cake just didn't seem to fit, so I quickly changed my plans + made him a pancake tower instead. He didn't seem to mind one bit!

And we wanted to give him three candles to blow out...

And what would a birthday celebration be without Winston's beloved R2DU?

And for those of you who have been out to our home, you know that we have giant signs that we make for nearly every occasion we can think of, + we all pitch in to make the letters...

Happy Birthday Houston! We love you!