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.

Shoveling Snow

We don't get much snow in Memphis, and the snow we do get is typically gone within a couple of days if not a couple of hours.  However, we haven't always lived here.  As a matter of fact, most of our family's life has been spent in states in which there was plenty of snow.

I remember all too well those mornings when the snow was falling so quickly that the only hope you had for being able to get your car out of the garage was to shovel. Then an hour later you would shovel again, and again....and again.....all day....however long it took.....until the snow stopped falling.

Tis the Season

Deck the Hall with boughs of holly......and crystal reindeer, and Santas, and lights and you have the most wonderful time of the year with the folks at the Arlington Senior Center.

Once again, I had the privilege of photographing the Christmas Gala and once again, I was impressed.

(Click here to view photos)

Jolly {Little} Elf

 ".....a right jolly old Elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself." As if this baby boy wasn't cute enough the day we shot his Christmas pics, looking back at the photos has brought a merry and bright spot of Christmas into a rainy December day. 

This little guy was unbelievably happy the entire time we were playing Christmas.  I was surprised - after all, my children wouldn't have tolerated all this at this age. (Actually, now that I think about it, they don't tolerate it at their current ages of 26 and 23!)

A Truly Good Thing

Good thing I'm a gadget-girl.  Ask my husband.  He'll tell you that it's hard for me to walk away from a good gadget.  I also love color.  Especially bright pink.  That's a good thing, too, since these little plastic gadgets will likely be part of my life from now on.

Do you recognize them?  Two months ago I wouldn't have had a clue.

Perfectly Framed

I always appreciate the thoughtfulness of the folks I get to work with, and this was certainly no exception.  The project was brought to me by this gentleman's great-great-(great?)-granddaughter-in-law. She is a librarian, so  it shouldn't have been a surprise that she is  attentive to historical details.  But let's just say, I was impressed!

Flay Day 2012

To celebrate Flag Day (and just for fun), Sarah and I worked together to create some truly fun, vintage-inspired images.

I had borrowed my dad's Army uniform from my sister who has legal, full-time custody.  I had this idea about having my son, David, wear the uniform for a kind of rite-of-passage kind of photo shoot.  David simply wasn't "feelin' it", so I mentioned the idea to Sarah. 

Sweet Expressions

The feelings your baby creates in you is something you have to experience before you can fully appreciate it.  I will always remember my husband, Tim, after the birth of our first child, Sarah.  It was magical to watch him as he held her and looked at her little face.

And this little guy.....oh my, I saw the same look in his parents' eyes as I saw in Tim's all those years ago.

A Little Light Please

Yes, it's been forever since I've posted. Tomorrow I'll begin sharing pictures that illustrate the reason for the long silence, but today I'll reveal the cause:  There was mold in them there Hills' (house).  

Fortunately, it wasn't the dreaded black mold. Nevertheless, anything and everything it touched had to go.  And that has meant a rather intensive and unplanned remodel of  my office and our master bathroom and bedroom.

Every now and then,  however, there was a fun by-product of the remodel.  Since the office was affected (more information on this later) and as an upcycled bookcase began to take shape, I realized I needed a new lamp.

Fabulously, Personally Vintage

 I love vintage styled photo shoots.  However, I see so many these days in which the subject is dressed totally in the photographer's props.  In some cases, the props become the focal part of the photo.  While I still love the look,  I prefer that each element in my photographs have personal meaning to my subject.

It's About Time

It's about time I got a handle on off camera lighting.  And this vintage clock was a very patient subject for today's practice shots.  The first goal was to create an image that shows the detail in the clock face.   Second, I wanted  to have a dramatic sky  in the background.   The third goal was to utilize minimal adjustments in Photoshop.

Mission accomplished....