Twins are Twice as Nice!

Who says that less is more?? My good friends Fred and Jennifer recently welcomed twin boys into their lives. After being on bedrest (or "recliner-rest") for most of the summer, Jennifer managed to go almost full-term with the boys. Elliott and McCrea are so sweet and cute! We had their first photo session on their 1-week birthday, and lemme tell you--these brothers are good at taking turns...one would cry while the other was nice and quiet, and then they would switch roles. ;-) Seriously, it was a fun day and I was so happy to get to photograph the babies while they were still so little and "new." Newborns change from day-to-day, and I've never had a mom tell me they regretted doing portraits within the first week or two! Fred and Jennifer are so blessed with these healthy little boys, and I've been blessed by their friendship. They have been waiting anxiously for their family's blog-debut! So here goes...

Elliott is deep in thought...





LOVE this one!


Jennifer sings Barry Manilow tunes to calm them down. Apparently the twins are little tiny "fan-ilows."


If you read the blog, you know I'm a little obsessed with shoes. Well, I also love baby feet. These babies have teeny little tootsies, and I completely adore these next two shots.





More tiny toes...


Oh my goodness, I *heart* this photo!!



Big Brother (by 5 minutes) Elliott...


Little Brother McCrea...


Not a happy face, but sweet anyway!



"You lookin' at ME?"



"Ohh, woe is me..."



A couple of details from around the house...



Fred has family in Minnesota, and it only makes sense that they are already grooming the boys to be Twins fans!



And finally, a whole family of feeties. (I swear, my foot/shoe thing really isn't unhealthy. Really.) We decided that every time the boys have their portraits taken we will have to re-create this image to show how they've grown!




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Marilynn: Leaving Ash-vegas

Over the past couple of years, Marilynn has become one of my closest friends. She has an infectious laugh, a quick (and sarcastic) wit, a huge heart, and the craziest eyes you've ever seen. We have a tendency to get on the phone and three hours will pass in the blink of an eye.

A few months ago, Marilynn's job moved her from Asheville, NC, which had been her home for the past 10 years, to another part of the state. To commemorate the Asheville phase of her life and to get some killer canvases for her new downtown condo, we had a marathon photo shoot all over the city. Asheville is such a laid back and colorful place--murals, brightly painted doorways, sculptures, and beautiful mountain views every way you turn.

Marilynn was a freakin' rock star during this session; see for yourself...

Um, hello eyes!

If you are a fan of live music and you've never been to The Orange Peel, you'd better head on up the mountain and correct that mistake! Awesome venue for an eclectic mix of artists. Go, now!

Looooove this series outside of the Peel...

And for your final dose of sultry sassiness...

Whatcha think, color or black & white?

Either way, WOW.

Mar--Of course, you are fabulous! :-) I miss having you just an hour away, but yay for good cell plans!

Some "me time"

Warning: major stream-of-consciousness to follow. ;-)

I am analytical. I like to think things through and figure out all the possible scenarios. I want to know "why" things happen and "why" people do what they do. I like to be prepared. I am a sucker for those annoying (to everyone else...) email surveys that ask "hugs or kisses?" "the last time you cried?" and "your favorite toy as a child?" With all of the thinking and analyzing I do, you'd think I could figure MYSELF out. Not so much! Like everyone else, I guess I'm a work in progress, although I have had some major epiphanies over the past year or so in a couple of very diverse places: Vegas and the Keys. (Who the heck besides me has an epiphany in Las Vegas?!?) Something about letting my brain and body rest while I'm on vacation has been really cathartic and eye-opening. I feel like I'm at a place in my life where I really want to get back on track, but it's hard not to be overwhelmed sometimes. Anyway, I started seeing this survey popping up on various photographers' blogs, and thought I'd answer for some self-discovery of my own. Let me know if you see any surprises in my answers or if you include a version on your own blog!

I AM … a Gemini--and all the contradictions that go with it! :-)

I WANT… to be organized.

I HAVE … the most loving family in the world.

I KEEP … things to remind me of special people, special places, and special times.

I WISH I COULD … get my life under control!

I HATE … deception. And confusion.

I FEAR … change.

I HEAR … a positive shift in my thinking.

I DON’T THINK … our hearts use a lot of common sense!

I REGRET … very few things. Except maybe being too analytical sometimes. Sorry!

I LOVE … to hear the crowd singing with the band.

I AM NOT … quick to open up about myself.

I DANCE … to 80s music. I'm not sure it's a pretty sight, but I really don't care! :-)

I SING … along with the radio, all the time, even if people at the stop light beside me can see.

I NEVER … like to get up in the morning.

I RARELY … initiate conflict.

I CRY WHEN I WATCH … the Olympics. A bride and groom during their wedding. Countless sappy commercials.

I AM NOT ALWAYS … on time.

I HATE THAT … most people lack empathy. We would all be better off if we could put ourselves in others' shoes and act accordingly.

I’M CONFUSED ABOUT … my careers. Why my clothes won't fit into my closets (yes, plural), even though I just cleaned them out. Love. Balancing life.

I NEED … some direction, some control, some balance, some fun, & quite possibly some more shoes.

I SHOULD … stop procrastinating! (And also stop buying shoes, hehe.)

How about you??

Will Parks and Claire at the park!

I have known Will Parks' and Claire's mom since we were in the 6th grade, and I've taken their cousins' photos many times. When they were back in town recently, of course we had to get together for some family photos at the park!

This whole family has the prettiest blue eyes, Claire was Miss Independent, and Will Parks couldn't wait to get in the water, so he was VERY cooperative knowing that would up his chances of wading later...

Gotta love those chubby little toddler legs!

Unfortunately, there was a wading incident. (No children were harmed in the making of these photographs, heehee!) Will Parks' parents both wanted me to keep taking pictures of this "real life moment"....maybe to show his prom date one day??

Now recovered from the wading problem, it was time to look for fish. I really love this casual portrait, and especially the great reflection in the pool below!

He looks so serious!

Who doesn't love Eskimo kisses?? Sweetness!

Fun, fun!

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Your Prayers are Needed...

I recently spoke with Ciera, whose wedding I photographed in May, and she shared some heartbreaking news. Her Maid of Honor, best friend, step-sister passed away on July 30.

Ashlee was only 22.

I may not have the timeline exactly right, but after about a week of having really bad headaches, Ashlee went to the hospital where the doctors found a brain tumor, which doubled in size in just a few days. Within about a week, she had successful brain surgery but soon passed away from complications.

Ashlee has two precious little boys, Javyn and Rylan, who need your prayers as they grow up without their mommy. Ciera and Richard need your prayers as they face such sadness only months after they became husband and wife. I'm certain that Ashlee's entire family would appreciate your prayers. Whoever you are, and from wherever you are reading this, please take a moment to pray for comfort for Ashlee's family and friends--especially Javyn and Rylan--and for guidance for those who will raise these two little boys.

Tammy & Cecil--Sneak Peek!

A-maz-ing. Tammy and Cecil's small morning wedding was held in a tiny little church in Highlands, NC, up a winding, woodsy path; theirs will be the last wedding the "Church in the Wildwood" ever hosts. They are unbelievably in love, and their ceremony was so spontaneous and emotional and real. Their singer had an angelic voice, and during her second song the bridesmaids were crying, Cecil's mom was crying, Tammy was crying, and the almost-newlyweds were basically slow-dancing during the song. It was beautiful, and I couldn't help but cry with them!

Fortunately, I can sniffle and shoot at the same time. I promised Cecil a sneak peek before I get the "real" blog post up; what you're about to see is just the tip of the iceburg in terms of smoking-hotness! Tammy and Cecil are SO not scared to do whatever I ask, including lay in a bee-filled patch of wildflowers and pull off the side of the road on a whim, not to mention the massive quantities of chemistry these two have!



During the ceremony...so sweet...no wonder we all teared up, right?




I'm at a loss for words, I just love this shot!



Smo-kin'...



Their after-work reception was back in Greenville at The Lazy Goat--super cool lounge-y feel with awesome views of the Reedy River...



How's that for a preview, folks? :-)

Rockin Slideshow

I went to a photography workshop on Friday with Sposa Bella Photography, and they told us about these edgy slideshows from Animoto. I wanted to play around with their free 30-second short, so I created a video from our Pearl Jam pictures. I know you've already seen them, but hey, they were edited. :-) What do you think about the slideshow?