Wes and Amanda

What a fun wedding day Wes and Amanda shared with their many friends and families! Amanda's brown-and-turquoise-colored theme was carried out beautifully from the bridesmaids' dresses and floral arrangements all the way to the monogrammed cookie favors.








Their puppy, Leroy, showed up in his bowtie just in time for a quick photograph.

















We went them off through a flurry of bubbles, and we all wish them the best!

Madeline and Sophie

Madeline's mom, Amanda, was in a panic!

Madeline has FIVE loose teeth. We have to get this photographed soon and no pizza for dinner.

So... after a couple of missed attempts we finally settled on a morning appointment in our portrait garden. And it sprinkled rain throughout. I reassured Amanda that the light would be beautiful for the portrait and a few spots on these beautiful dresses would not show.

Need I say more? They are beautiful!

2008 Cotton Ball

King Charlie Hon and his family...

One Hundred Years!

Last Sunday morning I was privileged to have been chosen to photograph the congregation of the Union Chapel in Walden (or as we all know it, The Little Brown Church). The occasion was their 100th homecoming celebration.

I was very pleased to have beautiful light, if only for a moment, when it came time for the photography. The people were very cooperative and all went as well as could be expected for this large a group.

We will be offering 8x10 copies at $20 each (Includes tax and shipping) through Karen Stone.

(Click on picture to enlarge it!)

Hugh

Hugh is Eric and Nancy's third... and a bold and self confident BOY! I can at least say that no one, nor any equipment, ended up in the creek.

I've photographed all of her kids at this location. It just works!
















We managed to tag-team him and somehow we ended up with excellent photographs.






























This one of Hugh playing in the water with a stick was an afterthought. I was trying to get a traditional photograph of him on the rock and looking at the camera, smiling. Well, he loved the water eventually and gave Nancy several photographs that look more like a painting.

Sam and Angie

This is getting to be a habit with us! Again, I've seen a young child that I began photographing very young, grow into a beautiful woman and become one of my brides.

With all of their brothers and sisters in the wedding and looking on, Angie's dad stopped the ceremony, giving her away and told the world how much he and her mother loved THEM and blessed their marriage. Wow, was that moving!!!




































Angie is as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. She's a teacher in Atlanta and I think her students have it made! Sam, you have a good one here!!!

They headed to a fabulous honeymoon in Hawaii and look forward to a fantastic life together.

Caragh and Drew's Wedding

Caragh and Drew had the perfect day for a wedding. They were married in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, which is just so awesome!

The bride and groom were so easy to work with as we started with some more formal shots. The soft colored flowers in Caragh’s bouquet, designed by Jay at Ensign Florist, were so perfect for her.

The reception was held at the Sheraton Read House, with The Walt Meyer Trio playing through the evening. We love the elegance of this historic venue. Caragh and Drew shared a champagne toast before cutting their beautiful and delicious cakes, made by Dan of Cakemakers.

Friends from far and near escorted them out through a cascade of bubbles.

Our best wishes go out to this wonderful couple as they begin their new life together!

Frank and Laura

Laura's family was my second or third portrait session when I opened Contemporary Portraits almost twenty-three years ago. I have photographed her many times since then and also coached her in soccer several years. What a beautiful (and sweet) young woman she became!

We photographed her portrait at her mother's home. The spring colors are unmistakable and her gown almost glowed in the soft, evening light.














She met Frank through friends at her church and they seem perfect for each other. I love their laughter when they're together...











I know nearly everyone from Signal Mountain was at their wedding. With both families from the mountain, I don't think they left out anyone!


















The escape... This look after the ceremony says it all!















Best wishes to two of our favorites...

A charmed life!

Maria and Marc's wedding was undoubtedly charmed! On the day and night before their wedding the weather was terrible with much wind, rain, and lightning. But their wedding day dawned pretty and got better and better. By the afternoon ceremony time the sky was blue and there was a gentle, cool breeze. There could not have been a more beautiful spring day for a wedding.










Becky and Rick went to great lengths to make sure their garden setting for Maria's wedding was spectacular. The ceremony on the steps to their gazebo, overlooking Lookout Valley with the sun beginning to set was picture perfect. Even Maria's dog Lilly was dressed and on her best behavior for the ceremony.

















Under the tents or under the stars, this is a wedding to remember. I thank them for including me in their wedding celebration and wish them well in their new life together.

Julie's Little Actors and Actresses

Julie's kids were ready and willing to be our great little actors and actresses. They loved pretending! ...and didn't even mind that we had to have "Take 1" and Take 2" and "Take 3", etc. Getting authentic interaction among kids is always difficult, because we, as parents, teach them from day one that you "look at the camera and SMILE!" Eventually they forgot about us and just became themselves.



What a very natural and contemporary family the are!

Helen's Newest

This is Maggie, all dressed up in her blue Strasburg Bishop dress. How beautiful, and smart. (I always know when I have a smart one in front of my camera, because they get bored with my "photographer's tricks" very quickly.) She was a joy!

I photographed Helen's first grandchild, Alexa, almost twenty years ago on Independence Day morning. She's all grown up now, but Helen's kids just keep having babies.




































This style below is new to Contemporary Portraits! I actually sketch the portraits using my computer! How fantastic is this! We will be offering the sketches mounted with wide matting and museum framed. The final presentation is incredible. And of course since we start with a beautiful photographic portrait, the likeness is perfect!

Mary Sue has a baby brother!

Dad, Jed, was looking to match a photograph of Alderson to one of Mary Sue. Alderson looks very much like her at seven months.

Boy, did we get it right. [Note: I'll be reminding them to write names on the backs of the photographs, so when they're OLD, they really will know which baby is in the photograph.]




















Mary Sue won my "Best Girl of the Day" award... and my heart. She was so helpful with Alderson that it made our job easy. She definitely earned more treats than anyone! I found out though, that she's not a chocolate fan, rather preferring her Skittles and Sweet Tarts.



















I even convinced Coughlin to get into a couple of the photographs. Alderson smiled (laughed!) bigger for her than he had all day.

Hayden and Harrison

So our garden survived the severe, damaging, late freeze in April 2007! It has come back beautifully this year and the hostas, jonquils, and dogwoods are more beautiful than ever.



















Hayden and Harrison were our first two to be photographed this spring in our garden. They are too pretty to be boys. Their eyes, from mom AND dad are hard to look away from. I'm jealous!


























They were very distractable, busy, and ultimately fantastic in front of my camera. Hayden's confidence and inquisitiveness kept me on my toes... he's surely going to be an engineer. What a great, big brother! And sweet, hesitant, tentative Harry just melted our hearts.

Sam asked Angie to marry him... and she accepted!

Sam and Angie are getting married!

He managed to tease her to come The Three Sisters Vineyards in Dahlonega without too much suspicion. Then while enjoying the breathtaking views of row after row of grapes from the gazebo overlooking the vineyard, he proposed over a glass of wine... and she accepted! How beautiful!









They are getting married in June in Chattanooga.























They are a joy to be with and very much in love. We can't wait for their wedding day.

Signal Mountain Junior Miss Program

Preparations for the Signal Mountain Junior Miss Program are underway! The girls are working hard to claim the scholarships.

This is not to say they are not having fun! They stopped their fitness routine rehearsals to mug for my camera. What fun... and what a great group of girls. They are all winners!

Tennessee Professional Photographers Spring Seminars

We've just returned from the annual TPPA Spring Seminars at Montgomery Bell State Park just west of Nashville.

We had an opportunity to study with several well known photographers from around the United States. A few stand out: Richard Ramsey, Elizabeth Homan, and Ross Benton. Richard is from the Memphis area and Liz and Ross are from Texas.

We especially were taken with Richard's presentation on turning photographs into pencil sketches and paintings. Wow! We've known about these techniques for years, but Richard has inspired us to learn them and make these beautiful images available to our clients, as well as traditional photographic portraits.

Look for them in the future (I'd say near future, but we have a steep learning curve that is going to take some time for us to climb).

We also enjoy the camaraderie we get with our fellow professionals. It is a chance for us to catch up with them personally, as well as to find out what's hot photographically in other areas. We always love the chance to learn and get better.





Pictured are (L-R): Josh Gilreath, Gary Moor, David Wright, Jeannie and Greg. All are from Chattanooga, except David, who is from Franklin.



















Charlie Garvey (Knoxville) congratulates Greg for winning a new T-shirt. Greg is excited!

We photographed Lizzie and Hugh this morning.

I'm usually hesitant to say "This is going to be a great session" and I'm usually pleasantly surprised how a very young big sister (or brother) can rise to the occasion and help with the new baby in the family.

Lizzie really was marvelous and became my best buddy during the session (at least as long as I had my trusty container of bubbles). She really has grown up a lot since I last photographed her as a baby!


Hugh, who was generally just happy with the world, as most boys are, made the whole session a pleasure. He was content to let us do just about anything.

...until he decided he was hungry! I laugh with young moms often about feeding time during sessions. It is my observation that they will be more ravenous and demand more food than they ever do otherwise. I tell moms to be sure they are prepared! I often hear, "They never eat this much!" They do! ...and then they will take the best nap ever!



...and did I say what a beautiful little girl Lizzie has become?

John Henry's First portraits

What a lousy, foggy day to have first photographs! It was as thick as soup an Signal Mountain this morning!




John Henry has a lot of energy and will need it to keep up with big sister, Julia. From all appearances, he's up to it. I don't think he ever stopped wiggling and smiling, except to take a snack break. I think he's going to keep mom and dad very busy.














I photographed John and Molly's wedding NINE years ago! When she told me it had been that long, I'm sure my look said disbelief. (I'm just sure I'm not that old! Ha!)



















I also don't think we could have gotten these without Molly's mom helping. I'm always amazed how these young moms keep everything together. There are lots of opportunities for "loose ends". Thanks, Susie, for helping Molly and me!!