Happy Fourth of July!

I can't imagine that Daddy was happy with the composition of this picture. After all, in 1950, this just wasn't how most people holding a twin reflex camera tried to capture a scene.  

However, I am captivated by it. 

These soldiers were very young. My dad was only 22. He had never traveled more than 6 hours away from his home in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I can only imagine how he felt being on a ship headed for Germany.

Hearts, Home, and Hope

One of the first slides I scanned is this image of our grandparent's home.  Built in about 1948, this is the home that served to connect our family members to one another.

Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great grandparents all gathered here. Together, vivid memories were created of a family who loved, laughed, worked and played together. For those of us old enough to remember, this was a time and a place that we recall with great fondness.

Illustrated Stories

This is my current project.  Hundreds of family negatives and slides - and only about 15 of them identified.  They were taken in a period between 1930 - 1976 and are in surprisingly good condition. They had been hidden away for over 30 years in a cardboard box on a shelf in my mother's garage. Despite the heat and humidity, they are relatively undamaged. 

Our Little Heart-Stealer

How does one "catch up" when a blog has been on the back burner for so long?  One doesn't. These eyes ..... oh.my.stars ...... these eyes!

 

This little sweetie has been the focus of much of our energy for the past 18 months.  When we were moving, we looked for a house in which we could imagine him playing.  When we were decorating, creating space that would be memorable to him has been a big priority.  (Just wait till you see the cowboy room).  When we take out our calendar(s) and plan our days and weeks and months, this guy receives priority scheduling.

Mutual Sweetness

Nicole and Parker, your wedding was an absolute delight - from start to finish.  Everywhere I looked there were vignettes that perfectly reflected the two of you.  I got teary more than once that day and again when I was going through your pictures.  

Constant Motion

Constant motion.  That's what I kept thinking of as we did a shoot for a just-turned-one-year-old.  But what a cutie!

I've taken this little guy's pictures ever since he was a newbie.  And this time, I just couldn't believe how much he has changed.  And as always, it was terrific to play with him and catch up with his mom.

The Face(s) of Memphis

Some of the faces of last weekend's "Bellevue Loves Memphis" and "Memphis Starts with Me" projects. Click "Read More" to see more photos.

KROC Memphis!

If you haven't visited the new KROC Center in Memphis, I encourage you to check it out. 

I had the opportunity to work as one of the photographers for the Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting ceremonies February 23 and 24.  All I can say is "I am impressed. Seriously impressed."

Many thanks to the Kroc family and the Salvation Army for making it possible.

Christmas Surprise #2

Christmas Surprise #2 was crazy-fun! 

For years, the framed original had been displayed on a table-top, along with other photos.  One of the other photos had blocked the sun, which is what caused both the fading and the harsh line across the image.

A little digital magic of layering and blending colors of varying opacity, gave us a color image. Then adding a touch of a soft pink blush and lipstick resulted in an image that accurately reflects this woman's beauty.

Christmas Surprise #1

I've been eager to post the before/after of Christmas projects I was working on, but have had to wait until after all Christmas celebrations have passed since each of these was a surprise!!

Pictures were "snuck" (a universal Christmas activity) out of the unsuspecting surprise recipient's home and brought to me for some repair and restoration; and in this case, just a bit of imagination.