Furman is always a hot spot for photographers, but sometimes in July it's just plain HOT...and it was last week when I met Mandy and her family! We survived the heat and got some really sweet shots!
Here are some of my favorites....

To see their show, MUTE music on home page and return here: Mandy's Family

It is always a fun challenge to do a sitting somewhere new, but Charleston, with its streets dripping with the texture of our state's history, is one of the most amazing of our SC locations. When Chenoa asked me to meet her and Keith and their families for an afternoon of photos, I was thrilled that she chose the city as our backdrop....
On Saturday afternoon the weather was perfect as the effects of the hurricane passed, the setting was gorgeous, the 3-year-old, Langston, smiled on cue every time we said "peaches", and Mike and I became enamored with this super sweet family!
We took oodles of photos with 2 objectives-great shots for each family and anniversary images for Chenoa and Keith as they celebrate 2 fabulous years together...so I'm grouping them into 3 different shows, appropriately.

Tony, Leshonda, LaJai, and Langston are a fun family of 4! Tony is the ham of the group, but has some strong competition emerging with little Langston! The ladies laugh on cue and take care of these gentlemen well and bring true beauty to the bunch! Uncle Keith and Aunt Chenoa love the little ones and were happy to share the spotlight with them on Sat! Click here for their show: Tony's Family

Chenoa, her parents, brother, and husband were so fun to photograph! Mom, you smiled in almost all of these-we knew you could! As I watched this one, I loved seeing each member of the family interact with each other so lovingly and playfully. As a mom of a girl and a boy, the interaction of Chenoa and her brother, Myron, makes me smile! Click here for their show: Chenoa's family

Chenoa and Keith are beautiful, photogenic, happy, loving, family-oriented, and super hot together! Mike and I enjoyed working with you and are happy to present you the product of our original task-your anniversary sitting! Here's to you two-Happy 2 Years of Marriage! We wish you many more! Here's the show: Happy Anniversary!

When Amy's brother Demps and his family come home from Brazil, the family takes time to make lots of memories! I hope this afternoon was a good memory making time for all of you! These cousins are wild about each other...and things can get a little wild, too. Thank you, sweet friend, for letting me capture them for you.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from our afternoon adventure...

To see their show, MUTE music on home page and return to: The Dempsey Family

Our family enjoyed being at the lake the week of the 4th, and although at times it felt like we had the lake to ourselves, we were not alone. Andrea's extended family gathered to celebrate the holiday from all over the map so she decided we needed to capture the crew while they were all together! It was a whirl of activity, but I think all of the singing, dancing, and bribing paid off and we ended up with really sweet shots that will mark the memory of July 4th, 2008!
Here are some of my favorite shots from the afternoon....

To see their show, MUTE music on home page and return to click on: Andrea's Family

Twas the night after Divisionals and all through the pool, the swimmers are pooped and the parents are too! The lanes, timers, and tents are all packed away...the strobe back in storage until the end of next May. The stats are all in, the concessions are closed, the ribbons and trophies are finding their homes. The swimmers are proud of the way they've performed. They practiced and shaved time and now they are done! "Rays Rule" "Feel the Sting" are part of our cry...now "Eat Our Bubbles" as we climb out to dry.

Happy Summer! Go McCarter! To see the highlights of our fun season, MUTE music on home page and return to click:Best Of McCarter Stingrays 2008

Some people are morning people and some are night owls-I am the latter, but Ethan prefers the a.m....so when we tried to photograph him at the park late one afternoon, he preferred to not be there. When I agreed to work on his time schedule, my main concern was lighting....morning light is to evening light as 2 year olds are to still life subjects-harder to work with-not impossible, just harder.

Ethan and I ended up having a grand time climbing on the huge set of rock stairs, watching people on their morning walks, and throwing sticks off the bridge. We found a beautiful little yellow leaf and although many things went over the bridge, his little fingers never parted with it! (one time he held it over like he was going to drop it, then changed his mind-you can see it in his show.)

After being a perfect gentleman for his morning sitting, he sweetly gave his leaf to his mommy! To see our adventure, MUTE music on homne page and return to Ethan at the Park

Last Sunday I joined my family to celebrate the Infant Baptism of my sweet niece Ashlyn. She not only looked like a doll, she played the part perfectly through the entire service. Here are a few of my favorite shots...

To see her show, MUTE music on home page and return to: Ashlyn's Baptism

For most of our vacation week my camera and I were resting, but I couldn't go ALL week without taking a few shots! Here are a few of my favorites!

Our family is enjoying the beautiful lake this week, but today it's a little stormy and my kids are lying around sleeping...and actually I just woke up from a long nap as well. We are pooped! This has been our first summer of swim team and hats off to those of you who faithfully do this year after year! We will head home early Friday to be ready for Divisionals and I'll post a "Best Of" show then, but here are the highlights of the mighty Stingrays' season of meets... (I've been the "official" photographer although I gave a huge disclaimer that I'm not a sports photographer at all!) It's been a fun season at McCarter-Feel the sting! Go Rays!
Here are our shows: MUTE music and return to click below-
Stingrays-Meet 1
Stingrays-Meet 2
Stingrays-Meet 3
Stingrays-Meet 4
Stingrays-Meet 5

One of my favorite things to do is work to capture the children I know and love. I think it's sometimes also one of the hardest things to do, but when they give me marshmallows, it's all worth it!

Shannon, I loved photographing your three! I loved working in your beautiful yard! William, Rose, and Mae, you are precious to me and all who know you! In honor of you, I've put your show to the music titled "Three Children"

To see it, MUTE music on home page and return here: Wilson's Three

I buzzed out between services on Sunday to take newborn photos of sweet little Chan at his grandparents home. He was so perfectly alert that it was hard to believe he's was only a week and a half old-third child!

It was exciting to have the whole family there for his sitting! Chan looks exactly like his granddad-both of them! Before I left, I got to take a few shots of his parents, who just celebrated 11 years of marriage! Congrats, Suzanne and Will, on your anniversary AND on the birth of this precious baby!

To see the show, MUTE music on home page and return to click: Chan's show

I'm not going to cry...OK, really, that's way overrated! I am going to cry-every time I even think of this little guy I get misty eyed and am reminded of the wonder and magnitude of God! Between doctor visits and therapy sessions, Emily worked in a window of time for me to enter her world and get some 3 month old photos of Cohen. With those sweet blue eyes, long eye lashes and dimples, even without his story, he melts a heart!

Big brother Cort showed me all of his favorite toys-I think my favorite thing at their house is the line of cars that graces the back of the couch at all times! We had fun naming them while I was there.

Emily, thank you for allowing me to celebrate these extra sweet milestones with your family!

To see the show of the Cort and Cohen, MUTE music on the home page and return to click: Cohen is 3 months old!