Charleigh & Chandler's Photo-Op (With Mom & Dad Too! =)

Charleigh and Chandler Smith are finally teenagers and to commemorate this occasion, their mother Tara decided to use her birthday gift certificate (a photo-shoot with yours truly) to freeze frame this special time in her newly teenaged children's lives. Of course, she and Parrish snuck in on a few photos as well and I was happy to have them. This family is non-stop fun. The beautiful Tara has a somewhat calming affect on her brood but with Parrish for a husband - always a kidder, Charleigh, the other sassy female in the house and Chandler whom I can only describe as a sneaky, mischevious little imp, constantly in the mix I think she finds it easier to just go along for the ride. This is a great family and I enjoyed taking every picture from the twinkle of Chandler's eyes when he smiled to twin sister(in case I forgot to mention they are indeed twins), Charleigh's prissiness over getting dirty for any pictures. Thanks for making the shoot easy Smith family! Can't wait to do it again sometime.

Joe, Shala & Ava Grace Coley

What a sweet little family this is! I especially enjoyed the very cute and personable Ms. Ava Grace and her giant dimpled smiling cheeks. This darlin' little chatterbox kept this photo-op fun and is the one responsible for her daddy's great grin in the photo with mom below. I am grateful to Shala and Joe for making the drive down from Jackson to get this shoot done and was so happy that the weather turned out to be so beautiful despite impending threats of rain; I look forward to working with them all again soon!

I am also excited to share with you my first taker in the Fall Fairy Photo-Op. Isn't she gorgeous?!

Tommy & Janette Wallace

I feel obliged to say that being asked to take photos for this couple was a tremendous honor. They do nothing short of first class and so I feel as if I've really made an impression to have been commissioned for this year's annual family portrait of Mr. & Mrs. Tommy and Janette Wallace. Cornerstone's of our community, these two share a story that has endured numerous hardships and triumphs but what is really cool to me is that no matter what the future holds, their legacy will live on in the lives of their wonderful children and grandchildren and so on. Because Janette had asked me a while back to think of something "different" for this photo-op, I got my brain to work and came up with the idea of putting the two of them together atop a Harley Davidson bike decked out in black leather as if they were about to hit the road for some long trip away - she liked the idea and said they had a bike so we decided to go for it. I was expecting an old skinny black machine - not the 900lb purple monster that they pulled up for the shoot. This ride was awesome and brought out the "teenager" in these two. As the morning wore on, it was evident to me that Tommy and Janette still love each other as much as they ever have and this makes me happy. Too often you see a pair who have been married for quite a while but they obviously have no joy - they're just together because it's the thing to do. Not so for this special couple - they truly enjoy one another and I believe their Christian lifestyle is a major basis for that factor. I've known this family for some time but this was the first time I really got an "insider's" glance into their lives and as I said previously, they are truly classy Christians whom I hope in many ways to model someday.

Sheena & Matt Weatherford Wedding Pics!!

So I've finally got a little time to sort through the countless number of photos from this amazing wedding and here are just a few of my favorite. Though the day brought a little rain, it didn't stop the guests from coming and on October 10, this sweet couple said "I do" in front of hundreds of friends and family. The flower girls kept the crowd in laughter as they donned their bonnets (baskets), and lighthearted and fun music by artists like Colbie Callait and Jason Mraz kept the mood lighthearted to balance the earthy but elegant decor. What a great start for these newlyweds. I wish them all the best in their years to come! Congratulatiosn Sheena & Matt!!

Rev. & Mrs. James E. Carney

So this past Sunday I was fortunate to grab a few minutes with these great people to shoot some photos for their annual Christmas card. I love them both so dearly and am thankful that God has placed them into mine and Mitch's lives! They are true Christians who both live what they teach which as I often say is a very hard thing to find these days. Although this could have been one of my shortest sessions ever, I love what we were able to capture here.

Sheena's Bridals

I'm thrilled to finally be able to put these up and share with all of you guys just a few of the gorgeous shots we caught with the former Ms. Hamilton. Her dress, by Demetrios Bridal line was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen with multiple kerchief layers that were so befitting of this simple but elegant bride. Because of Sheena's love for wide open fields and different locations, we caught more than our share of odd looks as we walked about various areas looking for the perfect place to showcase her and her gown - railroad tracks and abandoned houses included. An out-of-town photographer from the sunshine state even stopped to watch the shoot and happened to compliment how lovely the bride looked and just how unique the photos were. I couldn't agree more.

Wallace Farmer turns 6!

Right before I began this blog post, I text my friend Tonya (Wallace's mother), and told her what I am going to share with you. This boy is heartachingly, heartbreakingly beautiful and until we did this shoot, I had not realized how big he is growing up to be. When I first moved to Columbia over 4 years ago, Wallace was a 2year old little baby - now he's this long and lanky kid that asks questions that can completely stump you, who's baby blues are hard to look away from and who's fashion sense, thanks to his mom and dad :), can compete with the most hardcore stylists in Hollywood. He is so sweet - I've seen him be a total softie with his little sister Gracelyn but also 100% all boy! The shot of him here sitting against the wall completely showcases his "I'm over this" attitude, but nonetheless, he pulled through it and as always, the work paid off - photos worthy of any magazine or publication you can imagine, if I do say so myself. Look around, leave me a line and if you happen to see the little Prince around, wish him a late, but Happy Birthday!

Pianist, Philip Fortenberry

Philip and I met at the wedding of his niece Didi Childress and I was very flattered by this stranger who praised my photography so abundantly. Moreso, I was honored when he asked if I would be interested in doing a photo-shoot with him for some upcoming press releases, news reviews and his newest project. Just from listening to him practice I knew that this was an incredible musician who could light up the ivories like few I've ever heard, and so I quickly agreed to the offer and, after the wedding went home to see what I could learn about this man with the glowing green eyes. Here is what I found. Philip is a native of Columbia, MS but now resides in Las Vegas, NV where he works as an associate director for Broadway's famous Jersey Boys! as well as a featured artist at the Liberace museum. His talent brought him to Sin City following a 25 year career in NYC where he played for former President Bush as well as for Lady Margaret Thatcher, Harry Connick Jr., Eartha Kitt and a bevy of Broadway productions including Cats, Ragtime, The Lion King and many more. He has also released a variety of CD's featuring music that he has written or has been inspired by. Philip wears his great acclaim very casually and his kind demeanor soon had me relaxed and laughing with him. We, and one of his colleague's, had a great time chasing the light about Columbia for this very humid and very hot photo-op. The man was a real trooper and I am very pleased with what we caught. Visit his website at http://www.philipfortenberry.com/ and tell him Brandy says hello! =)