My family

I know I have raved about Erica before but we just had our photos done with her this past Sunday and she put up a preview on her blog!These are amazing like always and I was just too excited not to share =). I can't wait to see the rest!

Click here to see them!

Week #7: One object at five different angles

Took me a little while to think of what to do for this week. What is something I can manipulate and move around easily to get 5 different angles. Well while I was staring down trying to think I just thought hey, why not try my wedding rings? Tried a few different places and nothing was coming out right because I think I was trying to hard. But then I thought, well I'll just stick it on the floor by itself... and what do you know? It came out perfect!

And that would be it, but in my trials to be creative here I came out with a few more photos that I think are really cool that I'd like to share =)

Be on the look out tomorrow evening for my first ever extreme bridal session! I'm so excited that I know as soon as I get home I will be posting some as soon as I can...

Relay for Life

Last Friday was Atchison's annual Relay for Life. This is my second time going to one of these but it was still touching all the same. However, I didn't get to stay very late this time to get some of the photos I really wanted because I had two little girls I needed to take home and put to bed. And my main priority was to direct my dancers who performed. But I did manage to steal a few in between it all...

For those of you who never been to one of these before, the people in the purple shirts are survivors of cancer and they get to open the night with the first "victory" lap around the track. Now this year's theme was celebrating another birthday so as they made their way around everyone sang Happy Birthday to all the survivors. I didn't really know any of the survivors this time but it still made me teary eyed. But of course I'm some what of a softy. =)

These two were just too cute! Goes to show that this event is for the whole family!

And of course they have lots of games and things to do....

I thought these were really neat... As my dancers were doing their number the sun was setting just right in the back that is just shone beautifully behind them. Love these!

Hopefully next year I will be able to stay and get photos of the bags lit up at night. It's really cool thing to do and possibly next year we will have a team of our own. If you never been to one it's a good thing to experience! And of course it's always a good way to do your part in helping!

Week #6: Botanical

So I'm already ahead of the game this week because I did this week awhile ago. But did take a few more photos today too. But while I have time to myself (kiddos are in bed! Woohoo!) I will post this weeks project...

 And I kid you not, these are the real colors of the roses on this bush! I did not do any color alteration on these at all. Just craziness isn't it!

My apple tree =)

And my fruit cocktail tree... yes there is such a thing!

The tree is only a year old and we only have peaches and apricots that sprouted this year. Hopefully next year we will get the plums and nectarines to grow off of it too!

And items of my husbands garden that I'm sure he's proud of...

That there is a pumpkin plant ^

spinach

I'm soooo ready for some fried green tomatoes!

I sure hope I don't have to tell you what that one is lol...

And just because I thought it looked cool and it is still in the botanical category:

This tree died on our side yard and we couldn't figure out why. When my husband chopped it down there ended up being one hole running through it's trunk full of ants! Those blasted ants killed my tree! ARRR!

Well that's it for tonight folks... I need to go take advantage of the quiet and free time I have now before it's gone!

=)

Here is Savannah!

Savannah is 10 months old and lots of fun! I met up with her, mommy, and grandma today at Jackson park for a little bit of fun! There were a few times I think she didn't know what to think of this lady taking photos of her but she was quick to warm up to me! It was so hot, but we got through and hour of photos just fine! =)

Of course we had to get the wash tub out again! And little Miss Savannah had a good ole time in it...

^^^ Too Funny!!!^^^

Thanks for playing with me today Savannah!

Operation Love Reunited

I am so excited to announce that I have finally been approved and accepted into the Operation Love Reunited program for military families. When my husband was deployed to Kosovo 2 years ago I was very privileged and thankful to have found this program. Deployments are tough and a lot of people don't realize the sacrifices made by not only the soldiers but their families as well. Everyone always thanks a soldier but it seems that their families are forgotten a lot of the times. Well the summer after my husband was deployed I came across this program and an amazing photographer and was so very blessed to be given this gift! This program (and the participating photographers) offer a free photo session(s) of deployed families and sends the soldier a 4X6 album of some of the photos. Our photos were a surprise to our soldier and he was so very thankful to have this gift from home. It was something so very simple but very, very meaningful to have. And I thank those that started Operation Love Reunited and for Erica May Short from Erica May Photography for taking our wonderful photos for us!

This could turn into a longer story but I will do my best to keep it short as possible =). You see I always had and interest and love for photography but I was once employed by a department store studio and was very discouraged by the whole thing because of the way they ran their business. So I gave up on that dream until I had this session done and met Erica. She proved to me that photography isn't just about the fake smiles and being posed for every photo taken. It's about the love and joy and sharing memories. And so after we had these photos done, a once dream had sparked again and here I am today sharing this gift to others. And so if it wasn't for Erica and OP Love I probably wouldn't be here right now!

Now, within the next month or so I should be able to start accepting these sessions once my contract is done and signed. So if you, or if you know someone who is getting deployed or is deployed and would like more information please contact me! I can't wait to spread this gift to my first (and many more after) military family!

To give you and idea, here are a few of those photos taken by Erica of our Operation Love session...

Thanks OP Love! And as I've told you many, many times, thanks Erica! You can visit her website at www.ericamay.com