Fashion shoot

We recently did a test shoot for our friend Jordan Crowson who is a talented fashion designer. In January we will do a full line of his designs for a redesigned web site. Here is a sneak peek at some of Jordan's work.

It's been a while

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. It is definitely not because nothing's going on. This time of year there doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day. As we put our girls to bed tonight, I was reminded of backpacking in Colorado. I know that sounds weird, but when you go backpacking the guides would remind us to look around and enjoy the mountains and lakes and the incredible scenery. There is a tendency when you are hiking to just stare at the person's feet in front of you. All of this to say that we have been so busy I can tend to just look at all the work there is to do and forget about what an incredible season this is and how much I have to be thankful for. Anyway, I will try to get you guys up to date on what's been going on soon.

Lifeword

I recently photographed the new studios for Lifeword. Lifeword is a broadcast ministry based in Conway. They recently purchased a new property and have renovated it into the nicest recording and production studio I have ever seen. I wanted to share a few photos from this shoot.

My Girls

Thursday night Melissa had some friends over, so I decided to work late with our girls at the studio. Anne Ryan came first after ballet and Mary Dean showed up later after swim lessons. Annie really wanted me to take her photo in her ballet outfit. I convinced her to wait until Mary Dean got there so I could get some work done. Of course Mary Dean wanted to take the pictures, so I let them take turns taking each other's photos. These are the results. No kidding, they took these all by themselves. I hope I have two future photographers here.

Barb at Garvin Gardens

I wanted to post a few images from a wedding Barbara shot last weekend. Her wedding was at Garvin Gardens in Hot Springs, which is a beautiful place for a wedding. Barbara really has a great eye for capturing the important moments on a bride's special day. It's a great joy for me to have such talented photographers as Barbara and Brooke on staff. It's wonderful to know that when I am already booked, instead of just telling brides that I can't photograph their wedding, I can send someone like Barb or Brooke to capture their big day. One thing I encourage every bride to consider, is the role your wedding photographer plays in the wedding day. When looking at photographers you should not only consider the quality of their work, but also the personality of the photographer as well. In many cases we are still friends with the bride and groom from weddings I photographed ten years ago. I hired Barb and Brooke not just for their skill when it comes to photography but also for their character and personalities as well. Check out this beautiful slideshow of the Mannis wedding.

Press

It's been a great month. Inviting Arkansas was kind enough to do a nice editorial on our new studio in Little Rock. If you haven't seen it, look at this month's issue. I also was asked to contribute to the recent fall At Home in Arkansas wedding edition. These are both such great publications.

These Are Days to Remember

I love photographing High School Seniors. Seniors are one of my favorite subjects because they are always up for something new and different. I honestly feel like I'm getting to play and just have fun when I'm photographing a senior session. I have a special place in my heart for high school students because of twenty plus years of working with YoungLife. I know a lot of you think I'm only twenty-three "HA HA", but I am, in fact, old enough to have done something for twenty years. Anyway, high school is such a pivotal time in a person's life. I feel like high school and college were truly my formative years and that anything was possible. I love being around young people who are full of so much hope and promise. I hope seniors will always be a big part of our business. Check out a few of the seniors I have photographed in the last couple of weeks.

Cooking with Paula Deen

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a kitchen renovation for Cooking with Paula Deen magazine. I love architectural photography, so I always jump at the opportunity to photograph homes for builders, designers, etc... I love details and everytime you photograph a room or someone's home, it's all about the details. I will be doing photography for the Conway Symphony designer house in the near future and I am looking forward to that project as well. I hope you enjoy this article. Be sure to pick up a copy of this month's Paula Deen.

Home Sweet Home

I just got back from my annual trip to Dallas. This was our best trip yet. I got to Dallas on Friday afternon and got straight to work. I spent the next three days photographing kids and families pretty much non stop. This was such a great trip and I appreciate all of my friends and good clients who send out e-mails for me and introduced me to new clients. A special thank you to the Danza family for their hospitality while I was there. On my way home on Monday I decided to stop at Full Color, our lab which is in Dallas. I had a great talk with Paul Fuller the owner who has been in the business for over forty years. He has a lot of wisdom when it comes to photography and life. I would like to make this a semi-annual trip, so if you are in Dallas, or have friends who are, watch for a photo weekend this spring. If you are a photographer looking for a new lab consider giving Full Color a call. They are the best.

Old Friends

I thought I would give you a look at a couple of our former employees, Sarah Kate Holt and Christen Byrd, both of which worked for me while they were attending college in Conway. Now Sarah Kate is a wedding photographer in Dallas with VIM studio . Sarah Kate is a great girl and a talented photographer. It is great to see her doing so well. Christen lives in Kentucky and just had her first baby with her husband Ryan. I am so very proud of both of them and I wish them both the best of luck.

My Favorite Subject

I don't usually play favorites because I love all of our clients. I enjoy photographing every bride, child and high school senior that calls but Aiden is definitely at the top of the list. You might recognize him from the series of gallery wrap prints hanging in the Conway studio. I love the shots of Aiden, but the family shots are some of the best I have ever taken. It is so cool to know that when they are older this family will look back on these photos and remember how much fun this time in their lives was.

Here is a slide show of a few images from a wedding Brooke and I photographed last weekend. I thought Lauren was a beautiful bride. They had a great day and it was a pleasure to work for them.

remember having this much fun...

Look how much fun these kids are having. I remember having this much fun when I was young. It is amazing how quickly an ordinary event can be turned into a gut busting , hilarious moment when you are a child. I hope I can learn to see life a little more like Ethan, Olivia and Simon do.

Wooo Pig Soooieee

It has been a long weekend. Melissa and I went to Fayetteville with some friends to watch the Razorbacks play Auburn. I am a pretty serious fan of the Razorbacks, unfortunately that leads to some fairly sad and depressing Sundays, but I always believe that the Razorbacks will win next weekend. I included a shot that I took with my phone of the view we had from the upper deck this weekend. It was a beautiful night especially at that altitude. Go HOGS! Beat Ole MIss!

Beautiful Botanicals

I introduced Brooke one of our wedding photographers and studio manager in Conway about a month ago, now I want to show you some of her personal artwork. Brooke has a unique style mixing digital photography, photoshop techniques, and an oil medium all printed and stretched on canvas. This process gives Brooke's botanical prints a beautiful and original look. Brooke's work is featured in many galleries and private residences. If you are interested in pricing and availability you can contact her at the Conway studio 501.513.0777 or at 970.389.6277.

"Sequoia National Forest"

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

We just returned from a trip to our favorite state, Colorado. Melissa and I spent last week in Durango with our friends and clients the Kairalla family. We spent a couple of days photographing new clients in and around beautiful Durango. I managed to squeeze in a round of golf, as well as a little frisbee golf (one of my favorite pastimes). We timed the trip based on the aspens turning for the fall and they did not disappoint. Melissa and I spent our honeymoon in Colorado, and on the way out recounted all the Younglife backpacking and ski trips over the years. It had been seven years since we had been to CO. In recent years we have traded trips to Colorado for trips to the beach in the summer. The beach is a much easier trip to make with small children, but I have to tell you, Mary Dean and Anne Ryan had as much fun on this trip as any I can remember. I think the Colorado climate suits our family pretty well. One day we took a drive up to Silverton, an old mining town that reminded us a lot of the little town of Creede, where we spent part of our honeymoon. There is a steam train that runs all day long between Durango and Silverton. It, along with the mountain landscape, provided plenty of photo ops. I am including plenty of images from this trip because it was inspiring. I hope this will become an annual trip.

Vintage Arkansas

For about a year I have been working on a project for Arkansas Medical Research. I have been photographing all over the state, capturing images that represent Arkansas in a unique and artistic way. This project has taken me all over the state. One of my favorite stops was in Altus. It has been years since Melissa and I visited the vineyards at Altus and I had forgotten how great it was. It truly is like a little Napa Valley. If you have not been to this area you should take a visit. Here are a couple of images from the vineyards. Keep an eye out for more on this project, we should be wrapping it up shortly.

Fall Promo

Take a look at our latest promotion and the images of little Edward. We had a great time with this new client and the photos show how much fun this session was. If you mention that you saw this offer on my blog you can take advantage of this special as well. Call us to schedule your complimetary session.

"Faces of Arkansas Charities"

"Charity sees the need, not the cause."
-German Proverb

I recently had the privilege of photographing the images for "The Faces of Arkansas Charities" calendar, published and distributed by Inviting Arkansas. I was honored to meet and photograph these wonderful people who give back so much to their community. Check out the calendar in the October issue of Inviting Arkansas.


It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it."
- Albert Einstein

Arkansas State Convention

Today I spoke with Mike Colon, one of the premiere wedding photographers in the country. He resides in Newport Beach, California. He has agreed to speak at our Arkansas Professional Photographers Convention in Little Rock. The convention will be this coming July at The Doubletree Hotel and Convention Center. I am on the board of our association and this year I am in charge of arranging all of the talent. I have also talked with one of my favorite photographers John Bamber from Chattanooga ,TN, as well as one of my best friends Kristian Andersen , who owns KA+A, a branding and design firm in Indianapolis. This convention is shaping up to be one of our best. If you are a photographer in our state or region check out the info at arkansasppa.com . You won't want to miss it!

Off to the BIG D!

My wife Melissa and I are heading to Dallas again in a couple of weeks to photograph families and children in the area. This trip began with a couple of clients who would have portraits done everytime they came home to Arkansas. We then decided last year to go see them, and now it has grown into a portrait weekend. We are excited to already have seven families lined up on this trip. If you have friends in the Dallas area, tell them we will be there from October 19th-21st. We are already booking fast, but we do have some time still open on Saturday afternoon. We have started doing a lot of these destination portrait sessions, and would love to continue doing more of them.
Here are some shots of one of our clients we photographed last fall in Dallas.

Brooke's Hawaii Adventure

Check out these images from the wedding Brooke Bailey, our newest addition to our staff, just photographed in Hawaii. They are incredible. I always love a destination wedding. Some of my favorite weddings I've photographed have been the ones that have allowed me to bring together my love of travel and photography. I've been blessed to photograph weddings in California, New Hampshire, Florida , and all over the south. These destination weddings have given me some of my best memories as a photographer, and remind me that I am part of an incredible profession.



I am so excited to have Brooke and Barbara on my staff, and I can't wait to see all the beautiful wedding images we will create together in the future.