First Haircut!

We finally decided that since his bangs were down to his nose that it was about time for Payne to get his first haircut. Only the bangs though...not the curls in the back. Thanks to Michelle Scott at Serenity Salon for helping us out!

Are you ready?

It's football time! Tonight is the first night for High School Football in this area, and my favorite team, the Boaz Pirates travel to Arab to face the Knights. As usual I'll be on the sidelines to try and capture some of the action. Let's hope for a good and safe season for all our local teams. Click here for my Boaz Pirate football slideshow!!!

Work...

Michelle took this picture of me taking a picture at last Saturday's wedding. I told her next time I looked so goofy she needed to stop me. I imaging over the years I've had to look pretty strange to get some shots...like laying down in the aisle, or standing in chairs, or hanging from balconies...but hey, it's what I do.

On the subject of work though, I was watching a US Open tennis preview the other day and they had a special segment on Andre Aggassi. Now when I was in high school I loved to play tennis. None of my friends, however liked to play. Tennis is one of those sports where you need at least two people because you can look pretty stupid trying to play it yourself...so I eventually switched to golf. Anyway back in those days Aggassi was all the rage. His hair was just a little longer then...and he always wore denim shorts. Well twenty years later, he's still the rage, but he's decided to retire at the ripe old age of 37 (same age as myself, incidentally). Numerous major titles, millions in prize money, a career that spanned over two decades, and all while showing class and integrity. I was thinking as I watched, "here's a guy who has done what he loves to do for his entire career, and has gotten paid quite well so now he can retire." Then reality hit me like a ton of bricks. It's not just about doing what you love...it's much more than that. It's about work ethic. Andre Aggassi didn't get where he is today simply because he loves to play tennis, although that's a huge piece of the puzzle. He has been successful because he has worked his tail off day after day, and practiced endless hours to make himself better. If you don't LOVE your job/career, why not? What steps can you take to make this happen? If you are doing what you love as a career, good for you! But are you working daily to improve and become better at what you do? I think the majority of us struggle here...notice I said "US." Anyway, that's all I have for today...now it's time to go to work.

Congratulations Andre on a great career!

Jessica and Keith!

We spent the weekend in Tuscaloosa for Jessica and Keith's wedding....which was absolutely incredible! I had the pleasure of shooting their engagement portraits on the University of Alabama campus back in the spring, and they were so much fun to work with. The wedding was no different. The ceremony was held at the Chapel of First Baptist Church downtown followed by a reception at the beautiful Jemison-Van de Graaff mansion. Everyone looked great and we ended up with some awesome images. You can see the slideshow here. Thanks to Jessica and Keith and their families for trusting us to capture their special day and making us feel welcome. Also a special thanks to Rita Hyche who helped us so much throughout the day.

Amy and Gavin!

I can't think of a better way for me to spend my birthday than photographing this amazing couple. Amy and Gavin were married this past Saturday at Bethany Baptist Church, followed by a reception at the Guntersville Hampton Inn Courtyard. This couple is just too cute, and they look just perfect for each other. Funny how people manage to find their way to one another. She is from here in Alabama, but he is from California. They met at the University of Alabama, where they cheered together. We had such a great time at the wedding, and ended up with some great images. Just click here for the slideshow!

Fun stuff!

Wednesday I had the chance to do a couple of sessions at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and I wanted to post a couple of my favorite shots. First is Princess Brooklyn, who has just started school in the 4 year old class. As usual she was a perfect model. After that was Mr. Rafe, who has just grown up so fast...six months already...hard to believe.

What Summer?

Well I don't know where it went....but I know that it's gone. I think this just might have been the fastest summer ever. Even though we had a great time, now we look forward. Today is the first day of school. Jackson is starting 4th grade at the intermediate school...or "BIS" as he calls it, and my little Sylvie is going to 1st grade...and it's breaking my heart. Even Payne will be going to school...for two days a week anyway. One thing that I know for sure is that they will all be in good hands, and that helps put my mind at ease. We know for a fact that they have excellent teachers, so we will look forward to what will certainly be an excellent school year.

Jana and Chris!

What an incredible day! Jana and Chris were married this past Saturday at The Church at Lake Guntersville. These two are so much fun and obviously completely in love with each other. We were very pleased to be part of their special day. Before the wedding, Chris gave Jana a Bible with her new name printed on the cover which I thought was super sweet. The reception was held at Gunter's Landing and before things got started we were able to sneak away for a few portraits around the golf course. Back at the clubhouse, the couple toasted with Coca-Cola, which they had both sworn off since January. I know that Jana and Chris will be happy together, and I think their love for one another shows in the pictures. Click here to see a slideshow from the wedding day.

Birthday Bash!

Yesterday was so much fun! We decided this year, since all our kids' birthdays are in July, to have one big party at the Boaz pool. All in all it was a good decision. As you can see, Payne enjoyed his cake, Sylvie and Jackson enjoyed swimming with friends, and to top it off, we had a special surprise visit from Hanna Montana herself! Anyway, thanks to everyone who came out and helped make the day so special.

Friends...

While I had a minute, I wanted to post a few more portraits from the beach. These are special to me because this year we had the opportunity to photograph a few of our church friends. These families hold a special place in our hearts, and we are thankful that they were able to join us this year.