Changes....

Within the next week or so I will be working on changing this blog's look. Its time for a make over! So I wanted to give everyone a heads up-if you see something strange don't worry. I will be getting some bugs worked out and know that the make over will be a improvement but please bare with me. I have a great idea in my head for the new look for the blog, and hope to be able to make the computer understand my idea! :-)

Baby Roree

Funny how fast time goes, I feel like just a few weeks ago Aubree (Roree's Mother) and I were in her dad's apartment driving him nuts playing "Is It Hot?" - A game we made up where we would simply go find a toy of some kind, set it on the plastic stove in the playhouse and bring it to him asking "is this hot?" He so kindly would play along and pretend it was so hot he burnt himself, or it was so cold he was freezing. What a great dad. :-)

Well, its been a long time since those days and now it won't be long until Roree is six and I will have to teach her "Is It Hot?" so she can drive her mom crazy just like we did her dad.

I had a wonderful time getting to take Roree's pictures and I can't wait for the next photo shoot. She is such a sweet baby girl and I look forward to watching her grow up.

Gift Certificates- NOW AVAILABLE!

Gift Certificates make for a perfect gift for any occasion! You can purchase a gift certificate in any dollar amount, select a collection, session, and/or product(s) you would like to gift to someone. (You may also purchase Life's Moments Session Special as a Gift Certificate)

Each Gift Certificate comes with a personal message and can be sent directly to your home, or to your friends and family!

Below is a Void Copy of what your gift certificate will look like.

Becky

A friend, a photographer, my second shooter, an amazing cake decorator, a wife, a daughter, a sister, & the mother of the cutest little boy ever, a business owner, a HUGE Dave Matthew's Band fan, a world traveler, a passionate hot air balloonist, a graduate of University of Dayton & Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology, an independent thinker, and my boss. Becky is the owner of elé Cake Co. where I take and work with photos of the tasty works of art that are made at elé. Becky is one of the most interesting people I have had the chance to know and be friends with. I got the chance to shoot a head shot of her the other day at work and had to share!

Baker Family

Sage, the four-legged member of the family, was very confused while getting her picture taken. She could not wrap her mind around what we were doing, she was trying to sit and stay as told but wanted to come help me take the pictures... :-)

At any rate, I have a wonderful time capturing this family in photographs and as I look over the images I love how the session really shows them as a family. We were taking photos at their home which is actually eight miles from the nearest town but believe it or not I actually enjoyed the peacefulness of the country while capturing their life's moments that day!

Through all the years that they have lived in their home, they have hundreds of pictures of everyone on these stairs. Which makes me like this shot just that much more!

Alicia and her Sweethearts

Alicia and I have known each other for years, so I have had the opportunity to see these two little boys grew up! It is so amazing to me, how fast they grow and how adorable they can be! Last year (almost to the date) I had the chance to take their family pictures as well, as it is almost unbelievable how much they have grown. Even though they are brothers, their personalities are completely different. It will be interesting to see how they will continue to grow up! Alicia does win the mommy of the year award, she is such a great mom and they both simply adore her & her famous chicken! :-)

Ashleigh's Senior Shots - Sneak Peek

Ashleigh is a soon to be Carey High School Graduate! I had the chance to snap a few senior portraits of Ashleigh this past weekend while we were taking family portraits with her mom, dad, and brother.

Ashleigh is hoping to move to Texas in the fall and study to become an OB/GYN. And I wish her the best even though I am slightly jealous that she will not have to deal with snow down there in Texas.

Tackett Family

In Ohio the weather is anything but predictable! As it was about 30-40 degrees all week I was sure winter was well on its way, although we were blessed to have 60 degree weather all weekend, making for a perfect time to snap some great family portraits!

Angel, Scott, Ashleigh, & Brice were a blast to spend the afternoon with and I really had a great time getting to know them. As I have known Angel for some time, I have not had the chance to spend much time getting to know Scott, Ashleigh, & Brice before this weekend.

Capturing your family's personality in photographs was an enjoyable experience, and I hope to do it in years to come as well!!

Your family rocks! :-) Can't wait for the next photo shoot!

A Day of Decorating...

When Mom and Dad are away, the kids WILL make a mess! :-)

This past week I got the chance to hang out with the coolest two kids I know! Emily and Evan!

We spent the entire morning and afternoon playing with frosting, fondant, and generally making the entire kitchen a complete mess! We had a blast! I brought some elé cupcakes and famous buttercream up to their home to get the decorating party started!

(Little did I know I would be cleaning the kitchen for over an hour afterwards

...but it was totally worth it!)

Emily is known as the "Cupcake Boss" in our family and loved every moment and was decorating her cupcakes with flowers and a paw prints. She even made a puppy dog out of fondant for one of her cupcakes. But after we decorated them I ask her if she would like to eat one, and she said "No, I don't really want to eat cupcakes, I just like to decorate them."

I wish I had that problem! That must be her secret to keeping so slim!

While Evan was trying very hard to complete the vision in his head to make a frog out of fondant for his cupcake. Since I have no decorating skills to speak of, I was not much help to him. He had some green fondant in a frog like form but was not happy with it. And said to me with a very serious tone of voice and a concerned expression on his face,

"I have to put this cupcake back in a box that says 'TASTY WORKS OF ART' and this is like a tasty work of crap!!" He is so sweet and tries so hard and I thought he did a pretty job but he must not of thought so highly of his work! But he is just so cute!

A New Friend....

I recently have been employed at elé Cake Company in West Carrollton as a Photographer of Tasty Works of Art! I enjoy most every part of being involved in the Company. I have gotten to know some really awesome people. Brandon is one of those awesome people, he is someone I met just one day into the job. Brandon is a Customer Service Lead at elé Cake Co. making him the youngest Lead elé Cake Co. has ever had! He is a ton of fun to be around, he can always bring a smile to your face! I am always greeted by him with a smile and a hug, who doesn't like to start their day in such a fashion. Now I have to admit that in some friendly competition he can decorate a cupcake better than myself, but not for long I've been practicing. :-)

Brandon's laugh has got to be his best feature! His laugh is tremendously contagious!

Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Casemier Sneak Peek

With autumn in the air, and the wind in Ohio blowing and blowing, Karen and Kevin tied the knot at First United Methodist Church in Bluffton. As the Bride and Groom finished getting ready for the day, the guests were gathering in the church. Beautiful music was filling the air and the ceremony was about to start...

The Bride looked so beautiful and elegant as her father walked her down the aisle to give her away. And the Groom couldn't take his eyes off her! The two became man and wife!

It was an honor to be apart of such a special day! It could not have been a more perfect memorable event! I wish you both all the happiness in the world!!

Miss Nicole (Flower Girl) gave the sweetest rendition of

"Over the Rainbow" any of us had ever heard!

Karen had to take a peek!

The first dance as husband and wife!

The perfect father-daughter moment!

Special Session til Dec. 31, 2010

June Babies!

One of my favorite things about being a professional photographer is I get to make my own rules now! Up to this point in my life there has always been rules set for every photography related activity in my life! As a child, my mom made the rules "what to wear, how to do my hair, how to smile, and sit," then in high school photography class where my teacher made the rules. Being a student at OIP&T the instructors had some new rules to teach me, in the areas of lighting, how to work a camera, etc. Even at this point in my life I still followed rules in taking every picture, no matter how much I tried to not worry about the rules!

Hate to admit it but I am pretty much a rule follower!

So, knowing myself, I decided to make my own rules! Still rules but since I made the rules I am the one that can change the rules.

Since making my own rules I have noticed that I love to just make any day a photo shoot no matter the event of the day! And make any location a great location for pictures, make the space you have work! Subjects can wear whatever they would like to, something they choose!

Honestly, if pictures are to capture life's moments and remind you of times in your life - why are we making moments up? Sometimes in order to get children's pictures taken we take them to a place they have never been and never would have gone. Dress them in clothes we bought special for the photo shoot that they most likely won't wear again.

Think about it - How many times have your children found a room in a building with a painted wall and the perfect light setup on the same day that they were wearing their best outfit?Instead I like to capture images of people where they were and in whatever they were wearing. Its much more real!

With all that said, this photo shoot was taken at a family party. We just went outside and played around the house and in the yard. I think the images are fun and we all had such a great time together! Hanging out with Emily and Evan has always been a ton of fun. It has been great seeing them grow up into young people!

I was only 10 when Emily was born but I remember how tiny she was, she only weighted less than 5 pounds! As a baby she screamed constantly, she had some healthy lungs! Through the years I have seen her play all sorts of sports and do very well in school! Emily and I have a lot in common - we love to laugh, we both have hundreds of sharpie's, and we love the color lime green!

Evan is 10 years old now, I can hardly believe it! I remember when Evan was about 5 he wanted to grow up to be a pirate! Evan has the most amazing amount of knowledge and willingness to learn! He is so smart that I have had to call and ask him questions about my college level homework, twice! He has wanted to be so many things when he grows up, (pirate, vet, zoo keeper, wild life photographer) and with his imagination and willingness to learn I am sure he will be great at whatever he does!

Evan and Emily don't have many common interest! They do look alike, they have the same address, and even go to the same school & church! But there personalities and interest are so different! I love to hang out with them and look forward to seeing them again soon!

I wish I had those shoes Miss Emily! Don't worry if they come up missing

I will take good care of them! ;-) JK

I think they look so much alike in this picture!

O boys will be boys!

Happy Birthday!

This weekend we all celebrated my great great uncle Don's 88th Birthday!! We had a cake made special for him by elé Cake Company that showcased some of the things he has done and loved throughout his life so far! It was a cake complete with the airplane that he flew for a living, a camera, deep sea fishing, train tracks around the cake as well as painting and music. It is hard to fit 88 years on one little cake but we tried our best!

Since I live so far away from Uncle Don, I don't get to see him too often so when I do I try to make the most of it. Although, I do have lots and lots of memories growing up with Uncle Don - Every time I think about Uncle Don I always remember him walking to Grandma Clara's house and popping in through the back door, usually with camera in hand! I still remember what is sounded like when he would say "hheellloo" as he walked through the door! Uncle Don also makes amazingly good jell-o cake!!

I had a great time visiting with him (and the whole rest of the family too) this weekend! Sometimes it is nice to slow down and just visit with each other!

**Uncle Don, I hope Grandma Elaine can bring this up on her computer and show you these pictures, and not to worry I will mail you some this week! I had a wonderful time laughing and smiling with you this weekend! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!**

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday

Dear Uncle Don, Happy Birthday to you!

Uncle Don's friend Oscar came to say hello as well! - Oscar is his buddy!

Janelle and Emily enjoying the nice weather at the party!

My Mom & Dad with Uncle Don!

New York CIty

After a long weekend of working at the pizza shop during the festival, we would turn off the lights, lock the door, and head to grandma's house to take off towards NYC in the "party van."

See my grandparents own Angelo's Pizza a pizza shop located in northwest Ohio, and every year the town would have a fest and we would have a booth set up to sell pizza by the slice, as well as we had our shop open for regular business. It was always very busy but we all loved working it because it was fun to work with our whole family. And after the Tree Town Fest, (around 11 or midnight) would go jump in the "party van" and head to New York City for a few days!

Well its been a few years since then, and now my cousins are a little older so this year we ALL worked the Carey Fest (for our Carey Angelo's Location) and they got to go with us to The Big Apple!

Now don't get me wrong, working the Carey Fest is a lot of fun and hard work and we all love every minute of it. But New York City is a little more exciting! Not to mention we can eat pizza every day in New York City and we don't have to make it ourselves! We tell everyone and ourselves it is research and development but truth is, my family NEVER gets tired of eating pizza!

Grandma Elaine, Popo, Mom, Dad, Chelsea, Aunt Julie, Uncle Jeff, Emily, Evan, Aunt Janelle, Uncle Terry, Paige, & Lauren - get ready next fest is only 10 months away!! - See you there!!

This picture was taken from the Top of the Rock, all 14 of us got to make the trip to the roof!

Polished Photo Shoot

My mother recently has been remodeling and expanding her nail salon Polished in the past few months. She is still currently working on the final details but I snapped a few sneak peek pictures of the improvements. She has added another pedicure chair, 2 mega tanning beds, full body waxing services, & UV Free Mystic Tan Booth - with more to come!

Polished is located on Main Street in Bluffton, Ohio. And has recently started a facebook page, which you can check out by clicking here.

2,000 Words!

Kilowatt Beach Tanning & Nail Salon

Kilowatt Beach Tanning & Nail Salon is located in Carey, Ohio on East Findlay Street. Kilowatt Beach offers 3 Levels of Tanning Beds, A 9-Minute Stand Up Booth, UV Free Mystic Tan, and a full line of Nail Services! 

As I was growing up, my Aunt Janelle started Kilowatt Beach Tanning & Nail Salon, with only one tanning bed. And at one point was open 24 hours straight! I have a lot of memories as a child being there helping, as much as a 7 year old can help. Such help as drawing arrows on the wall in black marker from the front door, up the stairs, down the hall to the entrance so that everyone would know where to go. Thankfully as I grew older I became better help. 

Doing a Kilowatt Beach Photo Shoot was a lot of fun, and it is crazy to think how much the business has grown in almost 19 years. Here are just a few images from the shot! You can check the others by visiting Kilowatt Beach Tanning & Nail Salon on facebook. 

3,000 Words!