Chicago Session

John, Brian, and I traveled to Chicago this past weekend. Brian's friend from Kentucky was in town and it had been several years since they had seen each other.

Anyhoot, I took the opportunity to take some urban shots of Brian, John, Travis, and Allen in the Windy City. Here are some of my favorites.

Emery & Delaney Sawyer

It rained most of the night and morning the day of Emery and Delaney's session. Thankfully, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. It didn't take long for Emery's cheeks to get pink from the heat. Delaney is such a great sister....and her vocabulary is amazing for a 6-year-old!

At this session, I tried something new. I brought along a canvas backdrop and taped it to an outside wall. I absolutely loved it! The light was amazing and the canvas held up nicely. Studio lights are great, but you just can't beat natural light!

Here are some of my favorite shots and a link to their slideshow!

Little Miss Maya

Maya is the daughter of Laci Cook, owner of Pawsitive Animalworks (http://www.pawsitiveanimalworks.com/). Laci does an amazing job grooming Chipper!

Anyhoot, I digress, John and I arrived at Laci's house to find Maya being a little shy. "Hector, if this doesn't go well, I will pay another sitting fee," Laci said. But John and I worked our little magic on Miss Maya, and she warmed up to us within a few minutes.

We ended Maya's session out at our friends Jodie and Lee's house. They live out in the country and have some really nice rustic buildings that I like to use as backdrops. Lee also does a wonderful job keeping the lawn nicely manicured. They even made us dinner!

As I downloaded and uploaded the images for the slideshow, I was brought to tears....again. I just get so emotional when I capture truly candid moments. I am so blessed to be a photographer.

Maya had so many candid moments that I had trouble narrowing down the 350 raw images to just 50. I know, I know...I went a little crazy, but she was such a joy to photograph.

Here are some of my favorites, and here's the link to her slideshow!

Mr & Mrs Grogan

Angel and John are officially husband and wife. The two tied the knot on June 14, 2008 in Memphis, Missouri. We were truly, truly honored and humbled when Angel changed her wedding date to accommodate our schedule. "I want you to capture our special day and if that means moving the date...then that's what I will do," she said.

I must say that is the highest form of flattery. Thanks Angel!

Angel's mom had some very kind words to share with us after seeing the slideshow we put together.

"As a mother, I have envisioned my daughter's wedding day all her life. Since day one, she has always been our princess. You totally captured every thing that I envisioned. It was the most beautiful day, and she was the most beautiful bride. You captured her special moments like no one else could. Angel and John are so fortunate to have chosen you guys as their photographers, and they are lucky to call you friends. I can't wait to see the whole album. Word of mouth is the best advertisement. Lucky for you I don't shut up! I tell everyone I know and show them your site. Thank you so much for the beautiful everlasting memories! Kathy (a.k.a. Mother of the Bride)"


Here are some of my favorite shots from their big day.












Here is a link to their slideshow

Boudoir Session

I don't have a section on my website about Boudoir Sessions, but it's definitely something we can do. The Boudoir Sessions are sexy photo shoots in which you can wear lingerie or your beau's favorite jersey. Some brides request these sessions and the books to give their fiancee on the wedding night. Others book these sessions for an anniversary gift. Really, there's no special occasion required!

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about our Boudoir Session:

Q: What if I'm not a model with a perfect body?
A: Not a problem! I can find poses to accent your assets and hide your imperfections.

Q: Where will we shoot?
A: We can shoot at my studio or home or your home or wherever you want. Some clients rent a room at a nice hotel, and we can shoot there.

Q: What should I wear?
A: It's best to bring a wide variety of different outfits and photos of poses you've seen in magazines that you like so we have something to start with. As the shoot progresses, you will feel more comfortable and able to try different things on your own, but it helps if you have something to look at to begin.

Q: Do you shoot nudes?
A: If that's what you want...yes. But I believe sexy is leaving something to the imagination. There are certain poses we can create to give the illusion that you may or may not be naked.

Q: Will you post my photos on your website?
A: Only if you give me permission. I would never violate your trust and jeopardize my reputation.

Sessions are $200 and albums start at $400, so if you are interested send an e-mail to finephotos@studio1004.net to schedule your appointment right away!

One Little Pig

After church on Sunday, John and I went to Wal-mart to buy some necessities. On the way out of the lawn and garden area, I saw the most adorable pig ever! It's as if he was calling my name. He didn't look like any other pig I had ever seen, which is why I was so drawn to him. Anyhoot, I just had to have him! John said absolutely not! It's ugly. "Excuse me! Don't say that about him. He's not ugly and no is not an option," I said. John says he looks like a cross between a pig, cow and giraffe!

So here he is, smiling at me in our kitchen and reminding me to stay out of the refrigerator.

I need help naming him. Any ideas?

Stormy Weather

I love Billie Holiday's song, but this entry is actually about the storm we had this week. On my way home I saw this huge and vibrant rainbow. My camera was at home, and I was still a good five miles away. With every moment that passed I could see the rainbow becoming less and less vibrant. "Oh hell, I'm going to miss it," I thought.

I rushed up the driveway, threw open the door, grabbed my camera and started shooting!

Catherine & Will

Catherine and Will were my first wedding clients. They booked just a month after our website launched. We were stoked about their big day.

The ceremony was held at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Kirksville. So they wanted to take pictures prior to the ceremony. I got permission to use the Art Gallery at Truman State University and also shoot in Ophelia Parish. The shots turned out just as I had envisioned in my mind. We also drove them to the red barn by the stadium. I wanted to hit a few more places, but we ran out of time.

The reception was held at the Jackson Stables. Very, very, very nice location.

Here are some of my favorite shots of the evening. By the way, thanks for helping me shoot John. You did an amazing job!











Here are some of the highlights in a slideshow.

Ballerinas

So I photographed our neighbors, the Coy girls, on Sunday out in the open fields of their family farm. On Thursday, Lisa brought the girls to our house in their ballerina outfits for another session.

I had to move the dining room table and chairs into the living room and foyer to make room for them. I turned on the "ballerina" music on and off the went! They just danced until their cheeks where as pink as Pepto-Bismol! What a great session!

Here are some of my favorite shots!

here is a link to their slideshow

Jessica & Ryan Proffit

What an amazing night! Our day started at 2 p.m. with behind-the-scene shots of the bride and groom preparing for their big day.

The ceremony was pretty emotional. Jessica sang a song to Ryan, and Ryan had a friend play an acoustic love song to Jessica.

The reception was great! It was held at the Silver Rails Event Center in La Plata. I love the rustic look and feel of the place.

Here are some of our favorite shots!











here is a link to their slideshow

Logan Wehner

Kirksville High School senior Logan Wehner is the son of Vicky and Glenn Wehner. He was a great sport and a joy to photograph.

This senior session was a true godsend. So, I met Vicky and Brianne (Logan's sister) for lunch at Washington Street Java Company to discuss photographing Brianne's wedding. The day before this meeting, I had the mother of a senior cancel a session that I was so excited to shoot. I was totally bummed.

Then at the meeting the next day, Vicky says, "I have a son who is going to be a senior and would love to hire you to shoot his senior portraits." You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Here are some of my favorite shots from our session.

Here is a link to his slideshow

Coy Girls at home on the farm

Claire(a.k.a. Curly) and Olivia are such independent little women. They were a delight to just follow and watch. Here are some of my favorite shots.