Pensacola, FL...

NEW BLOG!!!!!!

2008-10-17T11:58:00.004-06:00

Well... it's not *quite* perfect yet, and it may change a bit before I'm completely satisfied with it... but I'm finally ready to announce my new Blog :) You can reach it here: NEW Blog. This will be my last post on this one. I won't change or delete anything here, but I won't be making any more updates to it :)

Please come check out my new blog and let me know what you think! I'll be adding more content (and lots more BIG pictures) VERY soon. If you run across any problems, please let me know via comments or an email: gypsyisledesigns@yahoo.com

I look forward to seeing you at my new Blogging home! (and, since I am taking December off to work on my Biz... I should have the new wedding and Boudoir site up by Jan. 2009... only 6 months later than I originally planned :) I'd feel worse about it except I had so many wonderful clients keeping me busy! Thanks for sticking with me!)

Brent... 2009 Senior

2008-09-21T09:40:00.007-06:00

Working with Brent was an absolute blast! We were supposed to do a beach session, but because of all the storms our beaches are a bit messy (and VERY windy) right now, so we put off that part of his session until later in the year. We almost cancelled, but I convinced his mom to let me do an urban session instead... my favorite kind! I hope you guys love these and will agree that these are as good or better than the beach would have been. And I can't wait til part two of our session!

The Green's

2008-09-14T19:46:00.003-06:00

The Green's were a wonderfully fun family to photograph! Thanks to Hurricane Gustav, our session was almost canceled... but they decided to brave the wind (plenty of it!) for a fun beach session. The kids had a blast looking at jellyfish and running up and down the beach, and mom and dad were up for anything. Thanks so much for letting me be a small part of your family vacation- I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Kim and Chad- a wedding

2008-09-07T13:19:00.008-06:00

Kim and Chad are an awesome couple from Hattiesburgh, MS. We tried meeting several times... but in the end, it was just 2 weeks before her wedding when we were finally able to sit down and go over everything. I was thrilled that they were so handsome and that Chad was such a great guy- obviously in love with Kim and willing to do anything to make her happy (shouldn't all grooms be so accomodating?). Unfortunately, a little storm by the name of Tropical Storm Fay was threatening Kim's perfect beach wedding. We weren't sure if it would be a hit or a miss...but to be safe we went ahead and scheduled a pre-wedding shoot with just Kim and Chad. It was a beautiful afternoon and I am so happy we were able to do it. TS Fay ended up being mostly a miss... but did provide some jittery nerves, dramatic skies, and a spattering of rain just as the bride was walking down the aisle. But a little rain never deterred the fun and everyone enjoyed the ceremony and the party. Kim and Chad- thanks for allowing me to document one of my most memorable wedidngs :) I can now say I've done a wedding in the rain- and it was a blast!

Ms. Kristin pt 2!

2008-09-06T22:32:00.005-06:00

I was hoping to debut my new blog with this post, but I don't want to hold off sharing these any longer. Kristin- thanks again for being an awesome hostess and for running around scouting with (and for) me. I REALLY appreciate it and love you to death! Enjoy :)

Ms. Kristin Pt 1...

2008-08-19T18:46:00.005-06:00

Wow- didn't realize I'd been away for so long! I've been so busy that I had to skip a few blog entries/clients... if I get a chance I'll put them up later :) But Kristin has been terribly patient waiting for her small sneak peek. I promise there is TONS more to come (there are a few small benefits to being my hostess for a whole week... one is that you get more pictures than you will ever need in your life ;))

I have to admit these are a bit skewed towards pics of Kristin herself- but I think she is just gorgeous and I love working on her pics! the next peek will have more of her adorable boys (all 3 of them!). Thanks once again for being an awesome hostess and setting up my California trip for me. Enjoy your pics... I hope you love them all!

At long last... The Sissons

2008-07-28T15:33:00.005-06:00

The Sissons have been so wonderfully patient with me! I thought I'd have this peek up last week- but got a wee bit sick (ok- a lotta sick!) and just couldn't get them blogged as fast as I wanted. This family was so fun and fabulous to work with. It didn't hurt that they opted for an urban+beach session (the two types of sessions I most love!, and that they had a teen boy (my fave age to work with!) so I was definitely excited about their session. But, they were also a very close family (I couldn't believe a teen boy could enjoy being around his parents so much- give sme hope for my future in 10 years lol). I hope the wait was worth it and you love your sneak peeks! Your gallery will be ready tomorrow :)

Ms. Martinez... & family

2008-07-20T17:37:00.005-06:00

Ms. Martinez definitely had the easiest "baby" to work with, which was a huge surprise (and relief) to me lol. I've never done a doggie session before but my wonderful friend Jeanette Chisolm of Off the Leash Photography had given me some tips in the past and I tried to do her proud! (incidentally- Jeantte comes down to visit me few times a year and I'd be happy to arrange a session with her if interested!). Xochitl (sol-chi) was beautiful but a bit shy... but I managed to coax her into a few pics with her baby. I hope you love these! (I just had to add really fast- the first is my absolute fave)

The Walkers...

2008-07-18T23:06:00.006-06:00

The Walker's were a gorgeous family and were the first to treat me to a California Beach! It was a bit weird shooting at different angles to the sun than I am accustomed to, but it was definitely cool for me to have something other than white sand to work with! I loved all the rocks surrounding this spot, while Ms. G & Mr. B. loved the birds and tide-pools. It was definitely my most climatic end to a session ever- my camera and I were drenched by a big wave (we have itty bitty ones here in Pensacola lol) but we both managed to live lol. Thanks again everyone; enjoy your peek!

The Bartholomay's... plus a peek for Cindy :)

2008-07-15T10:20:00.007-06:00

Phew... I'm getting there :) First off, I want to say thank you sooo much to Cindy for being a sweetheart and giving up her place in line. Since she was kind enough to move to the back of the line, I wanted to share a few pics from her session before I put up PJ's sneak peek :)

And, I wanted to apologize for my super short blog postings lately! I'm a bit (ok a week lol) behind right now due to numerous reasons... so I'm trying to keep these short and sweet so I can keep on working! So please don't take my lack of gushing as any indicator of how aweosme everyone was to work with!

PJ- Thanks for your patience... I hope you love your sneak peeks... your full gallery should be ready by tomorrow :)

The Witherby's... and cousins :)

2008-07-12T01:25:00.008-06:00

The Witherby's heard about me at the very last minute, and I was so honored they wanted to do a session! It was a double session (hence the LONG post lol)... and these were a very energetic group of children :) I have to admit they got the best of me- I never did get the cousin shot we all wanted. So, in honor of the lost cousin shot, I'm including the one (yep- just ONE!) picture I got before the little ones got away ;) I hope you guys find it as cute as I do! Thanks again and I hope you love these! I'm almost done with both of your sessions and will send a link as soon as I'm done.

(next up is PJ and Robyn ;))

The Perez's...

2008-07-08T20:06:00.004-06:00

Monday June 23rd was my first "double,; was the hottest day of the whole week, and I had two "Jennifer P's" that day! To add to the similarities (to ALL of my sessions up to this point!) I once again had an older sister and toddler boy :) I have to admit those little boys wore me out! I definitely need to hit the gym to keep up with these lil guys! Mr. C and Ms. K were a lot of fun. While we were waiting for Mr. C to arrive, Ms. K ran around and modeled for me- and did a great job! I'll have your gallery ready by tomorrow (both Jen's ;)), but I hope you enjoy these until then!

The Priest's...

2008-07-08T14:07:00.004-06:00

The Priest's were a delightful family (plus cousin!) who unfortunately had the HOTTEST session of the week! But they were troopers and managed to keep lovely smiles throughout the entire session. And I even managed to sneak a few of grandma in! I hope this sneak peek can tide you over til your gallery is ready. Thanks again!

The Kastners...

2008-07-04T19:24:00.003-06:00

My second session in California brought this adorable family- who are new to the area (they're actually Yanks- but I forgave them ;)). I had a wonderful time chasing down dandelions and "seeds" with Ms. M while Mr. J was determined to ignore me. He loved his Buzz and Woody and we were finally able to tempt smiles from him with lollipops and ice cream. They chose beautiful locations and we had a great session. Thanks much, enjoy your previews!

The Olivas...

2008-07-04T19:12:00.006-06:00

I've been having a blast editing the Cali sessions, and am pleased to share these sneak peeks from the first session I had the pleasure to shoot. The Olivas were so much fun and I was so pleased with this cute little park. And my favorite moment was when I asked Mr. R if he loved his mom and he said she was the best mom ever and deserved a gold medal- then promptly gave her an imaginary one. I hope you guys love these!

Wild Gypsies part 2...

2008-06-19T01:08:00.003-06:00

I'm running off for two weeks and probably won't have a chance to update my blog... so I'm going to throw a few more sneak peeks up. I'll get the rest up when I get back (sorry kappie!!! But I'll make it up to you ;))

I hope you love these Summer!

Oh yeah- the spider is just b/c I thought it was purtiful!

Wild Gypsies on the Beach

2008-06-18T12:06:00.005-06:00

I am working on my new site "Wild Gypsies" which will celebrate strong women who want to feel sexy and beautiful... these are just a few pics of Summer and Kappie (both of whom have been on my blog a few times- I just LOVE working with these girls). I know they are wanting to see more... but these will have to do until I get back (remember, patience IS a virtue girls ;)).

Bridals...

2008-06-18T11:54:00.005-06:00

This was a TTD Bridal Session that I was waiting to reveal on my new blog... but since it hasn't happened yet and I'm running off for 2 weeks... I'm going to go ahead and (finally) put them up. Miranda was soooo fun to work with and we had a blast! The fun part about a TTD session is that you don't have to worry about mussing the dress... and we had a blast tromping through the woods and going out on the beach. She's already received her pics and these were some of our faves:

I've been a BAD blogger!!!

2008-06-18T11:44:00.005-06:00

Well.. I've never claimed to be a great blogger (desopite the fact I actually enjoy writing and was a journalism major at one point lol)... but I seem to have gotten a lot worse lately! Thanks to a friendly reminder I realized I never posted any pics from some stuff I did back in late April and early May. So, hopefully the adage "better late than never" will apply in this situation :)

I figure since I'm leaving for California tomorrow (yay to working vacations!) that now would be a good time to add some blog entries really fast. So, I will be making a few back-to-back posts :) (aren't you a lucky blog reader?) Part of teh reason I've been a bit lacking in my blogging is b/c I've been planning on getting a new blog, website, and logo. Well, I've managed to get teh new logo... and some of these will be featuring my new logo- while some will have my old one... try not to let it confuse you too much ;)

Without further ado... here's a small mix of pics... try to figure which are my 2 ;)

Gonnie and Jenny ~ May 24th 2008

2008-06-01T23:16:00.006-06:00

I had a blast with Gonnie, Jen and their families (and lots of friends!) Jen, who had been rather shy during our engagament session, came out of her shell around all those who loved her and was a delight to photograph on her big day!

I hope these sneak peeks get you excited about your full gallery. Tanks for inviting me to document your wedding, I was honored to be there.

Paula & Mike- Encore...

2008-05-22T23:43:00.004-06:00

I just finished getting up your gallery... but just realized I had a few more pics ready for blogging- so why not share them with you! :)

Congrats again Mike and Paula!!!

Ms. S & Ms. M & Mr. W...

2008-05-14T23:04:00.010-06:00

are all just cute as can be! I loved this impromptu session (and Dele LOVES Ms. M!!! I have some cute ones of those 2 to share as well ;)). (I have to say- I love all of these- but the one of Mr. W by himself just *cracks* me up! He was such a ham :))

Paula & Mike... Wed at last!

2008-05-11T19:58:00.007-06:00

This was such a wonderful wedding to be involved in. Paula was once my roommate (best one ever!) and I've said for years she needs to be a party planner. Well, she even managed to exceed my high expectations and threw a wedding to remember! Rain poured in the morning and it was a very hard call for her to make... but after calling everyone she could think of for a weather forecast- she made the final decision to hold the wedding outdoors and just wish for the best... and the best was definitely what happened. It cleared up and was just a perfect sunset wedding!

From the McGuire's Bagpipe player(s) escorting the old Packard car (courtesy of Seville Quarter) down to the ceremony, to the beautiful flowers decorating the chairs and the graceful columns (done by the talented Fiore), to the lemonade stand with freshly squeezed lemonade, to the violinist, to the sailboat shooting off canons as Paula and Mike walked back to the car as man and wife- no detail was overlooked and all were beautiful.

Thank you so much for choosing Chyrel and I to document your wedding. We had a blast and we loved all the yummy details- it was like being in a candy store set up just for us :) I kind of overdid my "sneak peeks" this time... and plan on doing at least one more blog entry for you guys. But, I hope these preview images get you excited for your gallery of images. Thanks again- I love you guys!

Last time ;)

2008-04-24T23:32:00.005-06:00

I promised Summer I'd give her one more sneak peek... so here it is :) Your gallery will be live tomorrow!

(the first is my fave :))

Gonnie and Jen...

2008-04-22T23:30:00.003-06:00

This cute couple met with me last week for a mini engagement shoot... and, as always, I couldn't quite grasp the concept of "mini" :) Well... I think I am going to be a bit beyond the 5-10 proofs I promised lol, I'll have them ready tomorrow night. I hope these will tide you over until then! I'll see you in one month! (man time flies lol)

The Gilley's Part two

2008-04-17T09:26:00.006-06:00

I'm nowhere near being done with this wedding yet... so I may end up with one more blog entry on the Gilley's :) But I promised Summer I'd have sneak peek part two up today... and these were just a few more that caught my eye. And I wanted to reiterate once again- despite the unplanned , last second switch in locations, I honestly don't think she could have had a prettier wedding! The green grass was such a lovely compliment to the girl's dresses and Summer and Josh both looked relaxed, happy, and gorgeous. I promise I am working hard on getting your final gallery ready, but until then I hope you guys love your 2nd round of sneak peeks!

Introducing the New Mr. & Mrs. Gilley!

2008-04-12T02:37:00.008-06:00

Summer and Josh are so fun to work with! She definitely knows how to work the camera- and he adores her... so they are definitely a photographer's dream to shoot. They were wed on April 5th. It was supposed to be a beach wedding, but Mother Nature didn't quite cooperate and they had to move to their back-up plan (which is a GOOD reminder to ALWAYS have a backup plan when dealing with ourdoor weddings!). I know Summer was very disappointed at not having sand between her toes while she said her vows- but the green grass, vibrant from all the rain, really made a lovely backdrop to their day! And the cloud cover made my job even easier because I didn't have to worry about harsh shadows. So, surrounded by their family and friends, they were married in front of a beautiful fountain (the rain stopped just in time to have an outdoor wedding afterall!).

Both sets of families were lovely... with lots of VERY cute kids runnning around (though I never got my shot of all the kids sittting on the fountain- darn!). Her bridesmaids were beautiful and fun, and his groomsmen were too (well- maybe not quite so beautiful ;)). Anyway, they have been VERY patient while waiting on me to get their sneak peeks posted... But, hopefully these are worth the wait :) I promise I will post more next week!

The Sullivans part two!

2008-04-10T20:41:00.004-06:00

One last peek for you guys! I hope you enjoy them (remember you can click on them to make them bigger then right click to save for Myspace or online sharing :))

Here are a few more of my faves (including some yummy details!):

Another Congrats!

2008-04-07T07:56:00.002-06:00

I just had to do another quickie Congrats post to the Lovely John and Samya (whose gorgeous daughter I got a peek at last week... and man, does she have a FULL head of beautiful hair!).

But this time it isn't about their beautiful daughter... it's about another baby of theirs- John's Coffee shop which opened just a little over a month ago and is already getting rave reviews and sell-out lunch crowds!

Here's the link to the (most recent.. he's had a few ;)) article in the PNJ: Grab a cup o' joe and a bite to eat at Habana Coffee

And here's where and when you can drop by and see him:
WHAT: Habana Coffee.

WHERE: 18 S. DeVilliers St. (right behind Everman's!)

HOURS: 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

PRICES: Coffees, $.99 to $5. Sandwiches, $6.75 to $8.75. 10 percent discount to hospital corpsman and security stationed at Naval Hospital with ID.

PHONE: 637-1177.

Congrats again John! I know this dream was a long time coming and I am so happy it is going so well for you!

Introducing the Sullivans!

2008-04-03T15:29:00.005-06:00

It was a great pleasure and honor to be invited to document Carmen and John's wedding. They had an intimate and informal beach wedding- just my kind! Though formalities may have been bypassed, the fun was not! Getting married in front of the Phoenix X meant getting an aerial show by all the parachuters at the Flora-Bama (or a "fly-by" as Carmen would say!). This was a huge hit with the Bride and Groom- both major Nascar fans.

Their lovely wedding ceremony was brief and heartfelt. John's daughter was Carmen's bridesmaid- and she made a lovely one (I couldn't take a bad shot of this little redheaded beauty). Surrounded by family and friends, everyone made their way down to the water to toss a stone in- after making a wish for the couple's happiness (I even managed to toss one in while still snapping away!). After that the party was on! Carmen's momma is quite the dancer... though we couldn't quite convince Grandma to join in.

Carmen and John, thanks for entrusting me with your day. I had a wonderful time and enjoyed the time I was able to spend with your lovely families. I wish you much happiness in life! Enjoy your sneak peeks (and if I get a chance I'll post some more in a few days!)

Bachelorette Party!

2008-03-27T11:56:00.009-06:00

This was a blast! Paula was lovely, her bridesmaids and friends were just as lovely, we stayed at the most GORGEOUS condo.... and we got to meet emeril when we went to dinner! All in all- a perfect time was hadby everyone. I can't believe the wedding is only a month away! I can't wait- Paula has planned on incredible wedding and the amount of yummy details we will get to shoot is getting Chyrel and I excited! And here's a reminder peek at Paula (and Mike's!) Engagement shoot (well- I made 3 posts total lol- but that one has the most ;)).

He was a GREAT sport!

The food was divine!

Paula and her lovely preggo Maid of Honor (expect to see baby pics soon!)

See the family resemblence?

And her soon to be SIL

Sushi... it was divine!

Mugging for me!

Everyone

Lindsey and Our hostess Adrienne

Wooohooo- how many can we fit in?!

At least one more!

Ms. Amanda & Mr. C

2008-03-21T13:58:00.005-06:00

I met up with Amanda and her son last Sunday for a mom & son session at the beach. Mr. C was such a cutie but really had NO interest in me or my camera! It was his first trip to the beach in a year and he was enthralled by the water- so I was definitely NOT the most exciting thing around! But we perserved and I ended up with a ton of fun pictures. Sorry it took me so long to get your sneak peeks up... to thank you for your patience I put a few extras up for ya! I hope these are worth the wait :)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

2008-03-18T07:48:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to give a quick hello to two new babies... Ian and Maya. Ian was born last Monday to the lovely Caylin and Steve, and he has a very proud big brother in Mr. David! I can't believe it's already been a month and a half since I was invited to document their maternity. Then again, I also can't believe she held on for as long as she did! Congrats on the safe arrival of your newest member!

And Maya was born just yesterday to the wonderful Samya and John, whose beautiful wedding I covered last June. Maya is their first born, with hopefully many more beautiful children to come. I know you will both be wonderful parents and couldn't be happier with her arrival.

Congrats again to all of you!

Will & Denee Part Deux...

2008-03-17T14:05:00.010-06:00

Whoops... I *thought* I'd done this last week... but either my blog post got eaten (not likely) or I just completely spaced it (much more likely! lol). So here is the final sneak peek for the New Mr & Mrs. Wansley! I'm going over the final selections from Chyrel, and should have your entire gallery up by mid-week :) I hope you love them! Thanks again for inviting me to be a part of your day. You were so fun to work with, and everyone really enjoyed themselves- me included!

And Chyrel has her pics up now as well; check them out HERE!

Denee & Will 3/1/08

2008-03-05T13:10:00.008-06:00

Wow! I can't believe a whole year has passed since I first met with the always delightful Ms. Denee and discussed shooting her wedding! Since then I have done a portrait session with her daughters (still one of my faves to date! find it Here ) as well as an engagement session with Denee and Willie (which was a blast! Find it Here). After shooting this family over the past year, I feel as if I have known them forever.

It was a huge honor and great joy to be able to document their wedding day while surrounded by all the family and friends who love them so much. These two families seemed so close already, and it was wonderful to be around so much joy and excitement!

Denee and Will, you are beautiful people and treat each other with so much love and respect. I can't wait to see what the future holds for you and your beautiful children. I hope you love your sneak peeks, I'll try to make another posting next week... and the entire gallery will be ready in 2 weeks!

*Oh- and a quick note to my future brides... I wanted to point out that though the first picture is actually from the rehearsal- I generally NEVER show pictures from that day! If these two weren't so adorable, they wouldn't be here either ;) So no fears- when I'm clicking away at your rehearsal- those pictures aren't going to randomly show up on my blog ;) (unless you are an uber cute 2 yr old being helped down the aisle by your big sis!)*

Summer & Josh

2008-02-26T20:16:00.009-06:00

As soon as Summer stepped out of the car I knew we were going to have a great shoot. She couldn't have worn a more perfect outfit for the spots I wanted to start off with! And Josh was adorable and totally in love with Summer- another great combination! I showed a few more than I normally do b/c I just couldn't narrow down my faves... but for the record, the first one is my pick for the newspaper announcement ;)

You'll be seeing quite a bit more of Summer and Josh in the near future- their wedding is only one month away! And after that, Summer is going to do a few more things with me (yay!!)... so this won't be the last you see of the gorgeous couple!

Thanks again for choosing me to document your wedding. I'm really excited to see what your day will bring (another beach wedding- my fave!) And I want to take a moment to thank Jill and Steve for recommending me to Summer & Josh- I truly appreciate it!

CJ... man I love Teen shoots!

2008-02-20T13:13:00.005-06:00

It's no secret that I just LOVE doing teen sessions! As much as I enjoy the challenge of working with children and families or the thrill of shooting weddings... there is just something about seniors that makes it feel a lot less like work and more like a whole LOT of fun!

CJ is a typical male senior... not at ALL interested in having his picture taken! But he loosened up and I got some really great pictures with him. By the end of it I would have sworn he was a pro model! He took direction great and always had an easy smile (ok- so I had to tease him mericlessly for the smiles... but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!). Thankfully, his sister came along to keep him in line, and to help with the smile-evoking!

Here's the first looks at his session. CJ (and sis), I hope you find the end results worth your time!

Just a few to share...

2008-02-11T15:47:00.001-06:00

Today I'm sharing a recent one of my daughter. This is one where I really let myself experiment with the color and the crop. Something about her expression I just loved. And though the picture itself is technically incorrect on several levels, it is one of my faves!

But first, I am very happy to present the picture the fabulous Ms. Denee chose for her Engagement print. She was kind enough to allow me to get a bit artistic with it (always my fave thing to do!), and said she trusted my judgment (always my fave thing to hear!). I can't wait for her wedding (less than 1 month away! yay!!!). Her colors are Black and Teal and I think this one will really flow well with her entire color scheme/decorations. Thanks again Denee and Will... see you in less than a month!

The Stinnett's

2008-01-28T23:21:00.001-06:00

are an absolutely gorgeous family, and lots of fun to be around. I had a blast rolling around in the grass with Mr. D, and hopefully he had a good time as well :) Mr. D's eyes are such a gorgeous chocolate brown- I could easily melt in them! His only request was that I take a few pics of him with his dog, who was also gorgeous! And Mom and Dad were so cute together and are definitely looking forward to their newest edition. They were definitely worth coming off my vacation a bit early :) With mom ready to pop any day, I didn't want to take the chance I'd miss this awesome time in their lives. And with such a perfect model for my first maternity- I couldn't go wrong! I hope to see Baby "I" soon, but in the meantime- enjoy your sneak peek!

A+A done E-style

2008-01-21T10:37:00.001-06:00

I just realized I never Blogged the pictures from the utterly adorable Andrea and Aaron's engagement style session! I say 'style' b/c it was in fact their 1.5 year anniversary (some of you may remember their wedding pics, which I had on my website for quite some time :)). They never did Engagament pictures, and before starting their family, they really wanted to document how much in love they are/were. I have to admit, I never thought an old married couple could be as affectionate and fun as my newly engaged couples who are just starting out in life together... but they are definitely still enjoying each other as much or more than before! I wish them a long marriage filled with as much joy as they had on the day I spent with them. Thank you A and A for allowing me to once again document your love for each other!

A few arty pics just for me...

2008-01-18T15:42:00.000-06:00

But maybe you will enjoy them as well :)

the nicest part about taking some official time off... getting to work on my own pictures! These were all taken back in early November. Josh made us get up at 5:30 am to go fishing (ok... I wanted to go fishing... just could have skipped the 5am part ;)). But, it was *almost* worth it to be able to get some gorgeous sunrise pictures. I really just wanted to play and have fun with these. I hope you like them :)

Enjoying my vacation...

2008-01-14T22:09:00.000-06:00

and spending time with the kids. Yesterday Josh and I decided to take the kids to the park. While there we went on a nature walk and discovered a little pond. The kids had a blast and it was sooo fun and relaxing just shooting for my own enjoyment. Definitely something we all need to do more often! I'm working on some new "looks" for my clients... this is just one of them. I hope you enjoy these pics of Dele done in "vintage raspberry"!

I'm Back!

2008-01-10T14:05:00.000-06:00

I had a wonderful time at PPA "Imaging". I learned a ton and met a lot of really wonderful photographers, and was able to get my hands on some really cool products that I will begin selling a bit later this year. All told it was a blast!

I know I am probably going to regret this... but here's proof that I was there (I'm the dorky girl in between the 2 far more serious guys lol): Imaging USA 2008 (I'm in the middle of the movie if you want to skip ahead).

Anyway, for thsoe who have met me... please tell me I am a BIT cuter than that (lol)... and for those who haven't... I'm really a GODDESS... I'm just hidden in a Fluffy body... lol ;)

Also, thanks for those of you who have called or emailed me. Losing my gramps was very hard and I am still a bit upset about it; but he is in a much better place now. It was wonderful to know that despite the fact I get very few comments, that you guys do pay attention and check in on me. And, I plan on resuming regularly scheduled programming very soon (ie, the pretty pictures will return soon!)

A whole month has gone by...

2008-01-03T16:56:00.000-06:00

and it feels like only a week! Sorry I haven't been updating my blog; it has been a crazy month and a half! Plus, my last 2 sessions I can't share pics from (gotta love those boudoir's!). This will be my first (and hopefully last) post without any pics to attach. I actually have quite a few to share, and have been gearing up for a big "year in review" type of post... but my grandfather passed away this week and suddenly I'm just not in the mood. So I am just going to make a very brief posting now and I will hopefully be feeling more festive when I get back from my photography conference next week.

First, a very belated Merry Christmas! And a (slightly less belated) Happy New Year!

I had a wonderful 2007 and hope that 2008 will be even better! Thanks to all my wonderful clients and supportive family and friends. Without you my business wouldn't exist. I have some wonderful Brides next year and I can't wait to see your beautiful weddings! I have several maternity models getting ready for me (lol), and I can't wait to see all the newborns that are due next spring and summer! The 2008 class is almost ready to graduate and the class of 2009 is gearing up for a great Senior year. I can't wait to see what beautiful people and things I will have the honor of shooting next year.

I am taking the month of January off. Partially because I want to revamp my pricing, policies, website, and business literature... but mostly b/c I am a big wussy and can't handle the cold :) (plus, I really need to spend some time with my family... December was a CRAZY month for me and helped me realize that I really do NOT want to be that busy again! My poor family STILL hasn't recieved any christmas gifts from me... I was too busy editing/ordering/delivering to even think about shopping!)

So, at some point this month, I will run a little blog contest featuring my fave pics of last year... and the winner will get a VERY nice surprise gift from me :)

Thanks again for everyone who has supported me this past year. You are all very wonderful and I truly appreciate everyone! Have a wonderful 2008!

Adele's eyelashes...

2007-11-25T14:53:00.001-06:00

I just couldn't resist sharing this one..

New camera... means new pictures of Dele!

2007-11-24T21:10:00.000-06:00

I just got my new camera and of course I *had* to take a few pictures to try it out. Dele's grandma had given her a red lobster lollipop... and this is what I got... (next time she has to wait til she is at grandma's house to eat it!). Now I jsut have to decide whether I want a 10x20 storyboard or 3 large canvases!

Happy Thanksgiving! (and a sneak peek)...

2007-11-23T13:01:00.000-06:00

First off, I hope everyone had a marvelous Turkey day! I am STILL stuffed from eating yesterday and I think I need a big nap lol. I really wanted to go shopping today and get some good deals... but I just don't have the energy! Soooo... instead I'll post a sneak peek for Ms. Denee and Mr. Will!

I am not even close to finishing up their engagement shoot from this past Sunday... but hopefully these will tide everyone over until I can finish. Denee and Will are so cute together- definitely a fun couple to be around! I know they are both anxious to see how their pictures would turn out, so I hope these will exceed their expectations (and these aren't even my favorite faves! Just my faves from the few I've actually had a chance to proof so far)... and without further ado I present Will and Denee:

Ms. Rachel... round 2!

2007-11-14T16:45:00.000-06:00

Some of you may remember this gorgeous Senior from earlier this summer. She was incredibly generous and donated her hair to "locks of love"; so we squeezed in a quickie mini session prior to her momentous haircut. Well, last weekend we finally had a chance to do part 2 of her session- this time with a new, sassy hairdo! She was just as sweet and fun as before... and I got some great pictures! Rachel, I hope you love these as much as I do. Thanks for being such a wonderful girl to work with!

Adele again... plus some sunflared Cam

2007-11-07T09:23:00.000-06:00

I totally wasn't planning on putting my baby girl up again so soon... but as I was editing these pictures yesterday I just fell in love with them. I often hear "you must be so lucky to know how to take such beautiful pictures, I bet you have tons of great pictures of your kids." Well, this is and isn't true. I do have some WONDERFUL pictures of my children... but I also have a harder time getting my children to even THINK about looking in my direction (this phenomenon is commonly referred to as "photographer's child syndrome", and both of mine have it BAD).

But, then there are times, like this one, where it doesn't matter that they aren't looking at me. And yes, at times like these, I do feel very blessed that I have the technical knowledge to be able to take this picture so it turns out as planned.

I love everything about these- but most especially I love how happy she is with her little flower, and I just adore her curly wisps of hair glowing in the sun. This "look" is exactly why I prefer natural light in outdoor settings... there is nothing in the studio that can replicate this beautiful glow! And these pictures get me in the mood for fall! The beautiful yellow glow just seems so "autumn", doesn't it? I hope you enjoy looking at my little pixie again... and if not... phooey on you! ;)

And, I can't forget about Cameron! I was specifically practicing capturing sunflare in my images... and though my sunflare isn't the best in the world here, I still love these b/c they are my boy :)

My baby girl is getting so big!

2007-11-05T23:39:00.000-06:00

I don't think I show off my cute kids often enough... so today I am showing some of my baby girl. I guess I can't really call her a baby anymore though... she is DEFINITELY a toddler. And one with ATTITUDE! So here we have:
1) Very happy dele.
2) Very nosy Dele.
3) Very determined (to get away from me) Dele.
Enjoy! (PS check out her cute white petticoat in the last picture... I just LOVE matching it with her polka dot green chucks!)

All good things come to those who wait!

2007-11-05T22:49:00.001-06:00

a.k.a... I should have had these up a week ago. But, I hope mom agrees with me that they are worth the wait! The first one is my new fave. I just love so many things about it- but she is just so darn cute here; from her hair & eyelashes, to her mouth, to the way she is holding the bottle, to the drips coming off the bottom- I just think it is beautiful! And I am in love with the other pictures as well. And Big sis was such a charmer and is another gorgeous little girl!

Carol and Family

2007-11-04T22:56:00.000-06:00

I had the pleasure of doing family portraits for this gorgeous family last weekend. With two photographers in their family, the pressure was definitely on. The day was beautiful but cold, yet the little ones were troopers. Chyrel assisted me... though in the end there were plenty of helpers to try and get the littlest ones to look in my general direction while I worked as fast as possible. I have to admit, big groups are not my forte, and I think I am now convinced they never will be lol... but hopefully everyone will be pleased with the results. I am a much more photojourmalistic photographer, yet, due to the cold weather, I wasn't able to take as many candids as I wanted. But I'm very happy with the few I managed to squeeze in. Thanks so much for being such a great family to work with! Enjoy your sneak peeks!

I just had to add a few more of Paula & Mike

2007-10-28T23:08:00.001-06:00

This first one I just aboslutely love! I think it may be my favorite from their session.

Finally! Ms. Paula nd Mr. Mike...

2007-10-26T08:58:00.001-06:00

My computer problems haven't abated- but I finally managed to finish proofing Paula and Mike's engagement session... though it still may take me a day or 2 to get it online. So here is a sneak peek until then. I hope you love them! I can't wait until your wedding in May!

I'm a bit behind...

2007-10-17T21:56:00.001-06:00

as always lol. I need to get previews up for an engagement session and one year anniversary... but am having technical difficulties with my new computer (Vista and I just aren't getting along too well yet).

So here's Just one for Ms. Paula and Mike. We had a very interesting shoot, with lots of unexpected surprises. But Chyrel and I had a great time with them! More pictures to follow soon (hopefully!) Enjoy!

Jill and Steve 10-06-07

2007-10-10T17:31:00.001-06:00

This was such an incredibly beautiful and fun wedding! The bride and groom planned a gorgeous beach wedding- and the rain held off the perfect amount (ok- one more minute would have been good for my poor heart... I don't think I've ever run so fast in my life!). But the dramatic skies offered an absolutely gorgeous backdrop. I have so many faves from this day- but here are just a few. Thanks for welcoming to your day. I hope you love these as much as I do! (my fave is the next to last one... I just adore it!)

Last one of Ms. C

2007-10-10T17:25:00.000-06:00

I am a bit behind on getting this up... but I couldn't NOT show it! This girl is so fun and unique... I just love how "Super Model" she looks in this one!

S.E.N.I.O.R.

2007-10-03T15:15:00.000-06:00

I meant to post this a few days ago... but I am now offering these awesome collages. For a limited time I will be selling them for only 50.00; a savings of over 50 percent! It is a 10x30 collage, and has room for six pictures (your choice), and can come in color or b/w. This offer is good for any 2008 Seniors who have booked with me or will book with me prior to December 31, 2007!

And don't forget about my regular storyboards. They come in 2 sizes, 5x10 (mounted on styrene and with an easel for desktop display), or a 10x20 for wall display. For a limited time I will also offer these at special pricing! 10x20 storyboards may be purchased for 70.00 (normally 95.00) and the 5x10 desktop displays may be ordered for 40.00 (normally 60.00). This special will expire 11/30/07 and is good for past sessions as well as new sessions!Anyone wanting to order a custom designed storyboard or collage should contact me at gypsyisledesigns@yahoo.com

Another Birthday party!

2007-10-03T13:52:00.000-06:00

I am a bit late getting these proofs put up... but these little girls were a BLAST to work with! If I had to choose the single most fun age-group to work with... it would have to be 9 yr old girls, hands down! They are just so fun and free-spirited! A true pleasure to work with.

Just in case you weren't aware, I am available for birthday parties. I don't generally do much of the "present-opening" type pictures; but I make myself available to all the children for some fun portraits (alone or in groups of friends). Each child will be given a 5x7 (they will choose it from an online gallery). For girls I also have "petti parties". There is no additional cost beyond my normal events fee (based on an hourly rate); but I will provide the birthday girl with her choice of several petticoats that she can wear throughout her party. I have several sizes and colors available. This is perfect for girls aged 1 to about 8 or 9 (depending on height). I will also have extra pettis available for picture time so all the girls can feel included and pampered! Just contact me if interested!

And, without further ado, here is Ms. A and her friends :)

Attitude with a little bit of sass!

2007-10-01T16:30:00.000-06:00

I think the title adequately describes Ms. C. This little girl was SOOO much fun! Every time I took a shot she had a different "face". Definite "Next Top Model" material! Sorry it has taken so long to get my Sneak peek up- I bought a new computer and Vista is giving me some headaches! But here she is in all her spunky glory...

A Birthday party and more

2007-09-24T22:08:00.000-06:00

Well, I had a busy week! And here are a few pics to prove it. This first picture is another one for daddy serving in Iraq. I was told he hasn't yet seen his baby girl walk... so I hope this one makes him feel a bit closer to home!

The next 6 are from a birthday party I was invited to this weekend. It was a former client and she just turned 2 (wooohooooo for Ms. L!). She is a big Dora fan and she absolutely LOVED that Dora managed to make it to her party. She hugged poor Dora so much I'm surprised Dora had time or energy to hug any of the other kids! On the other hand, my daughter, who ALSO loves Dora, felt the need to get safely behind some iron bars before she was cool with Dora hanging around (and Dele would NOT hug Dora- or even get within 5 feet of her lol). I am also shooting Her mom's engagement session too- and isn't her mom gorgeous as well??? I can't wait to get her and Will in front of my camera!

And the final 2 are of Ms. M :) she is very good friends with my son, and I just couldn't resist getting a few pics of her! She is so stinkin cute and full of life, a definite personality!

A belated Happy Birthday to my son!

2007-09-24T21:52:00.000-06:00

My son just turned 6 last week, and I can't believe how fast it has come! This is a very VERY belated present to him. I just recently discovered this picture (and others) of him from his first REAL bike-ride. So I had to do something special to it :) He saw it and said "I look cool, My helmet looks like it's on fire!" So, I'm getting it printed as a 12x12 mounted on styrene to hang in his room.

Can't show one w/o the other! Plus, I just love this picture of my baby girl! She looks so sweet and angelic (she's a spitfire when she's awake lol)

These next few are from a few different times and I am sorry it has taken me so long to get them up for their moms to take a peek at :) I'll have more later!

Eric and Trent...

2007-09-19T17:55:00.000-06:00

Before I forget... Because this was originally supposed to be one shoot with all four boys, I had enlisted the aid of another photographer, Chyrel Fogarty, to come along as my assistant. Since it ended up being 2 smaller sessions instead, she had plenty of time to shoot as well as help me lug around my equipment. Chyrel has made a blog entry with a few of her shots of the boys... check it out HERE.

And here are a few of my faves of Eric and Trent. This first one is absolutely one of my faves ever! (I have a REALLY weird sense of humor ;)). Eric was a GREAT sport for me... but when a bum (yes, a real one!) came up and started telling him how much he looked like Brad Pitt... he literally lost it ;) This led to a series of photos that as a whole are just GREAT! But this one really stands alone! The rest of these are just pics I like for various reasons... hopefully you will as well!

Zach and Cameron...

2007-09-18T16:04:00.000-06:00

Today I will be showcasing a few pictures from Zach and Cameron's session. Originally I was going to shoot all four boys at the same time, but due to a few unfortunate circumstances I ended up splitting the session into 2... which was honestly, MUCH easier for me! Though I did miss out on some fun group shots (ok... the boys may not agree, but *I* think they would have been fun!)

Check back tomorrow for a few more peeks at Trent and Eric!

Four Boys!

2007-09-17T17:29:00.000-06:00

How lucky am I? I was able to shoot four handsome boys this weekend. All are 2008 Seniors and they were tons of fun to work with (though I'm not sure they would say the same lol). I have to admit working with boys who have NO interest in getting their pics taken was a big difference from my teen girls who seem to never want our sessions to end! But it was also the fastest teen sessions I've ever done (45 minutes and 1.5 hours)... so there are definitely benefits to working with reluctant boys! They were all great sports though, and did everything I asked of them. And I am really happy with what I was able to capture! Hopefully they (and their families) will be pleased as well. I promised I would get a few sneak peeks up for the moms, so here they are... check back in a few days for some more!

Cutest baby ever?

2007-09-17T09:13:00.000-06:00

And she's not even mine! This little cutie is just a doll... she smiled and waved for the camera, and was just utterly adorable in every way! A definite ham, and we photogs LOVE hams! Her daddy is serving in Iraq right now so I hope these pictures bring him a little smile:

A new lens means new pics!

2007-09-17T09:09:00.001-06:00

I just bought three new lenses and the first to arrive was my new 85mm 1.8, and let me tell you- it ROCKS!! So sharp and clear... this lens is NOT leaving my camera! The moment it came I had to put it onto my camera and just WOW from the first shot to the last! So, in honor of my new baby... here's a few shots of my other babies...

More pics...

2007-09-14T09:24:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to meet up with 2 photographers for some fun pictures. The conditions were hard at best (super sunny day, 11 am at the beach!, and it was CRAZY windy!) but we all persevered and we all got some good shots! It was a bit stressful knowing that, unlike most of my clients, I was taking pictures for people who actually know what makes a really great picture... the pressure was definitely on! But I managed to get some pictures I really liked despite the stress and the less than optimal conditions... and I had a BLAST meeting Laura and Judy!

These were some of the pictures taken with my wide angle lens... hence the strong front to back Depth of Field (this info is for all my photography friends lol... if you have no clue what I am talking about-don't worry about it! It really isn't all that important ;)). I can't wait until I can edit the pictures taken with my portrait lens... I know I have some fab pictures of the 3 kids!

Happy Belated Birthday Kristin!!

2007-09-14T08:36:00.001-06:00

I also need to say Happy Belated Bday to Beth... but I don't have any pics to put up for you yet ;) I hope my Virgo girls are having a wonderful year so far!

It was brought to my attention this morning that I haven't made an update in quite some time... I have to admit I am probably the suckiest blogger in the world! So... This Blog entry will be FULL of pics... gotta show what I have been up to ;) Thanks to those of you have been kind enough to tell me you have missed my posts... and are wondering when I will be sharing some honeymoon pics; just for you guys I added a few :)

To start with... my dear sexxy wonderful friend Kristin... if you don't like this picture I am never taking your pic again! I think you look smokin! Sorry it took me so long to get your prints to you (they are in the mail today! But I hope you enjoy your belated Bday present nonetheless)

And here are some of the long-awaited (and 3x's promised) honeymoon pics! You will notice I am in NONE of them! This is what happens when you are a photographer lol. I did actually manage to get 3 pictures of myself... 2 are even WITH Josh!! woohooo! But none of them are exactly Blog worthy lol.. so unless you really love me and come over to my house- you won't be seeing those ;)

This first picture is one of my faves... simply because it is the first picture I have that shows Josh's ring. This was from our first day full day at St. John's. We had just arrived the day before and our first priority was to go Blue Marlin fishing. Alas, we didn't have any luck! (for a much better accounting of our trip you should visit my hun's website... he seems to be a better blog than I lol:
Capt. Josh. But I also love this picture b/c I am quasi in it! Take a peek in his sunglasses and woohoo- I did exist on our honeymoon! (hey- I'll take what I can get!) The next picture is also from our Blue Marlin trip and is one of my favorite art prints I've done recently. I'm trying to decide how big I want to print it... but I am thinking BIG!

The third picture is from our walk to the Ruins (and seemingly around the entire Island! phew that was a workout!). And the last picture is from the Anaberg Ruins... just a gorgeous spot where I took WAYYYY too many pictures! I will eventually get them all on my website and will link them here... but don't hold your breath since starting Sunday I am double-booked every week until November!

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Be back with more pics in a minute!

Ms. Kappie's sneak peek!

2007-08-22T16:26:00.000-06:00

I have been super busy editing my wedding and honeymoon pics... but I managed to take a quick break so I could do another session for the Lovely Ms. Kappie. I had the pleasure of doing one of my first sessions with Kappie and we had so much fun! But at the time she really wanted to do part of her session at the Fort and unfortunately, it was closed by the time we arrived. She is moving to Atlanta this week so I made time for her and finally managed to schedule another session just in time!

Ms. Kappie is an aspiring model and we had a blast trying to "beat the clock" (we were given only 15 minutes to do this session! But the park ranger was absolutely lovely and ended up giving us closer to 30 minutes total.)

More wedding pics!

2007-08-15T07:42:00.000-06:00

And this time they are from mine :) First off, I have put my Uncle's pics online and you can check them out here:
Photos by Chris Stark

And Yay!!! Chyrel made a Blog entry!!! Check it out here: Island Time Studios Blog

My favorite picture she posted (and maybe out of all she took!):

Ok, I'll be back in just a bit with a few Honeymoon pics :) Thanks for looking!

Sorry I have been MIA...

2007-08-13T07:43:00.000-06:00

but it was for a very good reason at least :)

Josh and I had a wonderful wedding; small and informal, just like we wanted! But for anyone else who thinks small and informal means NO stress... well I am here to tell you that is NOT true lol. But at least I didn't get to stress about every little detail for an extended period of time. I couldn't imagine what a stressball I would have been if I had been agonizing over all these decisions for a year!

I will hopefully get some wedding pics up soon. My best friend and sometime partner in crime, Chyrel of Island Time Studios, was my photographer. I also was lucky enough to have my Uncle there to help her out (also a photographer though he specializes in Studio photography). I have seen a few of Chyrel's pics and I can say I am VERY VERY pleased with them! I already have my uncle's pics and just need to sit down and figure out which ones I want to add to my blog... I'll hopefully have put some up by tomorrow.

As far as the honeymoon... St John, VI was PERFECT! So relaxing and beautiful! We spent most of our time snorkeling so I really don't have quite as many exciting pictures to share as I originally thought I would. But I could never find anywhere that would rent an underwater casing for my camera and the little disposable waterproof cameras pretty much just SUCKED! Better than nothing I suppose... but not by much! But I did take some wonderful pictures from our balcony overlooking Maho Bay; as well as some gorgeous pics of our walk to and from the Leinster House Ruins and the Anaberg ruins. And we did a LOT of walking! My butt hasn't been in this good of shape in YEARS! We are already trying to figure out when we can go back just for all of the health benefits! Plus it was so relaxing and secluded and peaceful... just HEAVEN! I definitely recommend St John!!!!

Ok, back to business! I have a few more straggler pictures from Ms R's session to show off. I finally finished proofing her pictures last week. With the wedding etc I just couldn't get everything done and she was sweet enough to allow me the extra time (thanks!). We have tentatively scheduled the 2nd part of her session for October. I have also scheduled 2 other shoots for October, so if you are wanting a session for early fall when you can still wear short sleeves but won't be sweltering, you need to contact me ASAP! I prefer to only take one client per week because I like to be able to spend quality time with each client and I want to take my time to make each proof perfect. I will only double-up a week if it is absolutely necessary!!

And on to the pictures! The first one is of the Lovely Ms. R and her Mom. I actually asked mom to take off her glasses b/c I could see the reflections of everyone (me included!). But, when it came time to edit them, I decided I actually liked having Ms. R's friends in the pictures, even if only peripherally. Seemed like a nice touch since they all mean so much to her!

The next 2 Pics are of Ms. W and Ms. A, both of whom were wonderful, fun models!

And the final picture is of Ms. R in her lovely brown dress. I wish we'd had a chance to get more pics of her in it as it was such a pretty dress and Ms. R looked beautiful in it! As it was, I only snapped about 10 pictures and I proofed over half of them. Hopefully Ms. R will find at least one or two to her liking!

Thanks again to Ms. R, her mom, and Ms. A and Ms. W for a fun session! I hope you remember all of my modeling tips for the next time you are out taking pictures, they really will help any girl look better in front of the camera! (swivel those hips, smallest body part toward the camera, extend your neck, and try to look like you are having a good time ;))

A few more of Ms. R...

2007-07-20T16:05:00.000-06:00

I can honestly say I am surprised at how hard it is for me to concentrate this week! I never realized I would get so stressed out trying to plan a wedding! I am definitely non-traditional when it comes to my wedding and I erroneously thought this would mean I would have no problems continuing as usual this week... but suffice to say I haven't gotten much done!

Thankfully there are only 8 more days left for me to obsess, then I will walk down the aisle and then I will be in beautiful St John... hopefully catching a world record Marlin! But, since I promised these proofs before my wedding day, I better get my tushie in gear!

Here are a few more sneak peeks of the Lovely Ms. R and her friends Ms. A and Ms. W. Hope you and your family/friends enjoy!

I've Been busy...

2007-07-17T13:24:00.000-06:00

and I have been a VERY bad blogger! But hopefully this post will make up for it :)

For those waiting on Samya's proofs... we finished all the edits last week and are just waiting for a convenient time to meet up with them to go over a few things. After that they will be free to release the password to their friends and family! In the meantime... here is one final proof for the happy couple to enjoy (and I have to admit it's one of my definite favorites of the day):

On June 28th I did a mini shoot with a beautiful newborn baby by the name of Mr. A, he was so sweet and cuddly that I wish I had been able to spend more time on his session. We had planned on finishing his session up the following day... but for the next 4 afternoons it was raining and it just never happened. But here are a few for mom and family to see:

For 7/7/07 I was invited to shoot at a second reception for a co-worker's daughter, but the official photographer ended up being able to make it so I was off the hook, which was just as well b/c I felt pretty crummy that day and there is no worse feeling than to have to work when you feel yucky! But, before going home to crash in my bed and fall asleep (at the grand hour of 6 pm!) I was able to take these adorable pictures of my co-worker's granddaughter and another co-worker's grandson:

And finally, here is the LOVELY Ms. R who is a class of 2008 Senior! Unfortunately her session was cut short on Saturday (7/14) when the huge thunderstorms rolled in on Saturday; but I have to admit to being quite happy with the few images I managed to capture before the rain (and heat) ran us off! Ms. R is an incredibly sweet, funny and generous young lady... and a big reason why her sesssion was scheduled during the sweltering heat of summer is because she is donating all of her lovely golden tresses to "Locks of Love" this week. I don't know too many senior girls who would so readily part with such a mountain of gorgeous hair, so I definitely think she is someone special and deserves to be recognized for her charity!

Happy 4th of July!

2007-07-03T16:42:00.000-06:00

Just one for your viewing pleasure today- hope you enjoy it!

Samya readies herself...

2007-06-29T16:10:00.001-06:00

Here are a few more pictures from when Samya was getting ready. Don't forget to check out Chyrel's blog for more pictures from Samya and John's wedding day.

I love this first picture for a lot of reasons... but mainly for how well it shows off Samya's beautiful waistline!

This is a back view of almost the same moment. She had so many tiny buttons on her dreess that at one point she had at least 4 people touching her at once! I don't think it is quite Guiness book of world records worthy... but was definitely a new record for me.

I just love this picture of Samya's mom and sister helping her with her veil. Check out those smiles!

This next lady was both Samya's hairdresser as well as one of her soloists during the ceremony. She has an absolutely beautiful voice- and her hairstyling technique isn't bad either! I can personally vouch that Samya's hair was just as lovely (if not lovelier) by the end of her reception as it was at the beginning of the day! A definite tribute to Mrs. "T" (gosh I hope I got that right!)

And finally... another big star of the wedding day- the shoes! I must admit that I think anyone who will wear black maryjanes with a wedding dress is just about the coolest person ever! I couldn't help but smile every time I saw these shoes peeking out from under her dress. Stylish, elegant and fun all at the same time; and definitely unique!

Samya's Arrival at the Church...

2007-06-28T08:49:00.001-06:00

I meant to make an entry yesterday but was on a roll with proofing and didn't want to interrupt myself and lose my mojo while it was still strong ;) So I apologize for not getting more sneak peeks up sooner! I would also like to take this moment to link to Chyrel's blog as she has added a few sneak peeks of her own: Chyrel of Island Time Studio's Blog. Definitely take a minute to check them out! She also plans on updating and adding a few more pics every other day or so, so make certain to check back often!

And on to my pics of the day... As opposed to last time, some of these *are* my faves from her arrival at the church... I just couldn't constrain myself any longer :)

Here is the lovely Samya arriving at the church; check out that gorgeous smile! Definitely the epitome of a radiant bride!

This is the Bride's younger sister, also just-arrived, and also looking radiant and fresh... based on the huge smiles everyone had when they stepped out of the van, that must have been a fun car ride over!

Their lovely mother in her beautiful dress; you can definitely see where her girls got their beautiful smiles from!

Bridezilla or helpful friend?? You decide! (actually, I have enough pictures of Samya seemingly slapping people to make an entire blog entry about just that! They are quite funny to see :) I may just do an entire "bridezilla" type posting if I ever find the time... and assuming Samya wouldn't kill me ;)). This is one of her bridesmaids, Anya. I think Samya was cleaning off a kiss, thought the jury is still out... It sure does look suspiciously like a slap!

This is the Bride's baby brother and his lovely girlfriend (who also sang beautifully during the service). You can definitely see that good looks aren't just confined to the ladies in the family!

Samya's 3rd lovely bridesmaid. She is watching as Samya is getting finished with dressing.

And the final picture of the day is of the dress... one of the most important details of the wedding day and a definite star in its own right! Samya's was absolutely gorgeous; and it looked even prettier on her!

I hope you enjoyed these! I will add more tomorrow (I promise I actually will this time!)

Samya and John

2007-06-25T14:08:00.001-06:00

Samya and John's wedding was absolutely lovely!

I am so honored to have been a small part of their very special day. I definitely teared up quite a few times during the day; notably during her brother's toast and when she saw herself for the first time in the mirror. I promised that Chyrel and I would both put a few pictures up every couple days. These first few don't follow any specific order, nor are they necessarily my faves; but I have too many of those to list! Usually I want to put my faves on my blog... but in this case I am going to try and restrain myself so I can surprise Samya and John with the best of the bunch. Then I'll freely and liberally fill my blog full of them!

So, without further ado...

These first 3 are just a tiny sample of the images I was able to capture while the Lovely Ms. Samya readied herself:

This is the very proud momma of the groom, watching her son and new Daughter-in-law as they danced for the first time as husband and wife:

This is the Groom's utterly adorable nephew playing with the bubbles... all the kids had a blast with the party favors!

and finally... a sneak peek at one of the many great pics we captured of the newlyweds on the beach:

I know Chyrel is planning on having a few up by tomorrow and I will link to her blog for easy access. I hope this tiny sample brings a smile to the newlyweds!

my new lens is here!

2007-06-17T21:27:00.000-06:00

I've been practicing with my new lens!

This little girl was a sweetie and agreed to be my first model! Isn't she cute? The sun flare is b/c I was trying to test the lens in full sun/backlighting.

This was shot later the same evening. I was coming home and saw the way Monsanto was lit up and I just had to stop and take a picture! I was surprised at how well it turned out considering my Shutter speed was incredibly slow (1/6th to 1/15th second, handheld!). I think I am going to print this one on metallic paper! (if you click on the picture you can see a larger version)

These last 3 pictures are a few sneak peek shots from the quick walk-through we did with Samya and John. They were so much fun to watch- very fun and affectionate! I can't wait for their wedding next week! The first two pictures are of their lovely chapel. The final picture is of a chandelier at the Officer's club, where their reception is being held. I just love the way it is lit up.. so beautiful!

Piggytails!

2007-06-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

Adele enjoying the first watermelon of summer... while wearing piggytails!

We usually get quite a few watermelons as soon as they are in season, but this is the first one of this year. Last year Dele didn't seem to like them very much... today you couldn't get it away from her! But this post is more about her cute little ponytails... 3 to be exact! Check out that top view... I told you she had hair finally!

This first picture is just pure her! That is, in fact, generally how she smiles! I can never explain it to people, but she smiles by turning down her little lips into an almost frown. Only her eyes let you know it is her little smile :) Doesn't she just look like trouble? (and boy is she a handful lol!)

and one of Cameron... this is the look you get when you tell him he needs to leave his water gun at home...

more from the park!

2007-06-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

A few more of my kids (+ a storyboard!)

I had fun proofing a few more pictures from yesterday at the park, so I decided to make a little storyboard to commemorate it! I will be printing it as a 5x10 mini collage, have it mounted on styrene, and then place it on a little easel. I think it will be so cute and fun! If it turns out as nice as I envision, then I plan on offering these in the future; keep your eyes peeled for some pics!

This one is quintessential Adele. That little pouty crease between her eyes and determined face... she kills me! I don't know what exactly she wanted in this picture, but I don't doubt that she probably ended up getting it!

This last picture is the storyboard; I will be printing this one as a 5x10 mini collage; but it could be very easily converted into a 10x20 wall collage design instead! My 10x20 collages are only 85.00 and include up to 12 pictures (depending on the design chosen; other sizes such as 12x12 also available). Contact me for more details and examples. (Click on picture to see it better detail :))

Shoreline park

2007-06-10T20:33:00.000-06:00

Today we went to Shoreline park in Gulf Breeze. I've never been before and the kids had a blast. I had my camera handy (of course) and here are a few from today:

Here is Cam in the truck on the way to the park. I can catch the most amazing light in his eyes when he is in the backseat!

Once we arrived at the park both kids made a beeline to the teeter-totter... neither one had seen one before so they were very excited to play on it!

The blues surprised us by doing a fly-by in formation... I was quick enough to catch a few shots before they were gone from sight.

I just loved his look of concentration while he was coming down this thing... it took him FOREVER!

Dele had a blast going up and down the slide... and also eating sand, which is evidenced by her very dirty face and mouth! Considering how picky she is at dinner time, dirt must be pretty tasty!

I just love this picture of Dele. She was checking out all the little skater boys who had just been kicked out of the skate park. They were showing off their moves as they were all going home... she was enthralled! Great, isn't she a little young to go for the bad boys? (and older ones at that!)

New Website coming soon!

2007-06-06T18:41:00.000-06:00

BIG news Today!!! For starters, I finally found a website design that I like! I am super excited about this one and have just started making it my own. I am hoping to be completely finished by this time next week (crossing fingers, throwing salt over my shoulder... all the good stuff!) So wish me luck! A lot of the images that have only been seen on my blog (or not at all!) will finally be on my official website- that alone is reason enough for me to get excited! But the new website will also have password protected proofing galleries, music on every page, LARGE pictures (wooohooo! every photog likes to see their stuff BIGGER lol :)), plus a plethora of other fun goodies! And, it is stylish and elegant to boot! I may just have to come up with some type of "new website celebration" special lol... start stalking my blog ;)

I also just met with the CUTEST Couple, Samya and John, who will be getting married in just 2 short weeks! I am very happy to say they have chosen Chyrel and I to photograph their wedding. I think it will be a lot of fun! Her dress is divine, the chapel beautiful, and the reception is being held at the Officer's club which is just gorgeous; I can't wait!

I have also been going back through all of my sessions to find good candidates for my new (larger) portfolios on my new website... and I have been finding a lot of lost gems! Mainly from my "fun" sessions that were put aside in favor of my "real" sessions lol... but it is always nice to find new stuff to play with!

Here is just one tiny example; this is my friend and fellow photographer Chyrel Fogarty of Island Time Studios:

Isn't she beautiful? We were scouting locations and we just fell in love with the green brick mixed with the colors of the old water pump... too bad every time I've tried to go back there the light has been just terrible. But that's ok, it is kind of like our secret spot where we both took lovely pics of each other :) Sometimes it is nice to have a spot where you don't/can't take clients!

Here is another example of a spot I haven't taken any clients... and don't plan to simply b/c it is kind of hard (and a bit messy) to reach:

This one was taken last weekend. I love this location for nature type shots; my new Blog header was shot there as well... in fact, if you look closely at this picture you will see the same heron featured in it! Maybe one day soon I will share the non-pink version of the blog header ;) I've shot here several times, but this was the first time I brought anyone with me. That's my son, Cameron, peeking through the tree. He had a Blast playing in the water and on the stumps... until he cut his foot open on a rock. So, I DEFINITELY won't be taking any client's to this spot!

And the biggest news of all... I went to pick up the kids from school today and Adele comes running out with a big old ponytail on her head! Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration lol... but it was at least an inch worth of the cutest curls in the cutest "Pebbles"-esque ponytail you ever saw! I would have a picture to prove it, but I let a friend borrow my camera so she could see if she liked it before she went out and bought one (she loves it by the way!). I am sure this is only the first of many ponytails though; I will make certain the next one is documented for all posterity!

Taking a break from people...

2007-05-31T10:38:00.000-06:00

so I can play with some fine art shots! I have finally caught up on all of my client sessions!! This doesn't seem to happen that often so I am celebrating by playing with some landscape/art prints. As much as I love working with people, sometimes it is nice to just do something creative and beautiful for me. I don't have to worry about pleasing anyone else but myself- very freeing!

So, here are the fruits of my fun labors:

This first one was taken b/c I loved the way the light was filtering through the clouds... and the birds added just the right amount of context to make it especially interesting to me.

This one I am actually thinking of turning into a postcard to give to my clients. What native Pensaoclian doesn't have fond memories of this sign? I'm just happy it found a nice, LOCAL, home at Flounder's on Pensacola Beach. I think I would have been heartbroken if the casino (in Biloxi??) had won the bid instead!

some pics of my kids to prove they exist!

2007-05-25T00:06:00.000-06:00

I swear some people think I really just want to take pics of their kids b/c I am bored or something lol... but the truth is, in that case I have all the subjects I need at home! Here is my little pixie, Adele. She is a fireball- very bossy, determined, mischievous and funny... definitely a character! These pictures are from last Thursday at Music in the park (Seville). She had a blast playing in the dirt (and eating a bit too... which is evidenced by her VERY dirty mouth/face! She isn't usually *quite* this filthy!). And yep, this is about what I capture when trying to get a good one of her smiling lol... just goes to show you that being a photographer does NOT mean you know how to magically pull smiles from every kid- Especially your own (who has heard all your bad jokes 10 million times and really isn't interested in showing off for you anymore *sigh*)

And here are some pics of Cameron from last week as well... and yes, he *is* always this goofy :) Man I love this kid!

And finally... a quick sneak peek of the incredibly cool Graduation party I was at last week! I hope to get these pictures proofed and online very soon! Thanks for your patience Ms Kelly and Katie!

(I am thinking this next one must have been the work of my son.... since it wasn't a spidey themed party ;))

I have finally finished session #1 of Kristin's family...

2007-05-24T14:32:00.000-06:00

Hopefully I can knock out session #2 tomorrow... but until then here is the link to her 2nd gallery of images (be warned if on dial-up- there are well over 100 images in the gallery and it will take awhile to load them all!)

Kristin 2

and a few of my faves from the 2nd gallery:

and I think my fave from the entire session (heck- from *both* sessions)...

I've been tagged...

2007-05-24T14:14:00.000-06:00

and I am supposed to list my 5 favorite things; which is incredibly hard for me to do! I have so many favorites in this world lol... heck, I can't even pick 5 faves in a single small category :) But here is my best try:

1) sleeping in! I get to do it so seldomly that when it happens- it is divine!

2) all the small "surprises" my son leaves in my car seat for me... usually a wildflower or a small rock, just whatever cool thing he happened to see. I know this little rite will eventually stop- so while it lasts I am going to cherish it! (even when I don't REALIZE he has left a nice pointy rock for me and my big bottom gets poked!! ;))

3) Watching TV with my hun... specifically Grey's Anatomy and House. We always make a point to watch these 2 shows together... and I am thrilled he likes them as much as I do!

4) Photography... ok... that was an "easy" answer lol... but photography has really allowed me to be creative in a whole new way. I am a bit of a control freak. I never much cared for the messes left behind after painting. And even though I loved scrapping- again, lots of little tidbits to clean up when finished. Jewelry is the same. But with photography- there is no mess when I am done... just a beautiful piece of art :) (and it doesn't hurt that the control freak in me has complete and absolute control of teh entire process down to the finished product!)

5) Hmm... tough one... how to figure out which of all the rest of my faves is deserving of making this list??? Well... I guess I will have to say the Beach. we have the most incredibly beautiful beaches here in Pensacola, and I truly feel blessed to live this close to so much beauty! For the past 2 years I haven't been at the beach much due to Cam's ears. I feel awful when I tell him he can't play in the water, so staying away is much easier. But no matter what, the beach is a part of me and I will always live near it!

OK I am going to fudge a bit lol:

5.5) my IPOD!!!!!!! love that little sucker! As a lover of music there just isn't anything better on this planet (well... maybe the Bose speakers to listen to the ipod with ;)). As the proud owner of over 500 cd's, an ipod has made listening and enjoying my music again so incredibly fun and easy! I remember I used to think that people who ranked their ipod as one of the greatest things ever were kind of fruitloopy... but since owning one I have definitely learned their worth!!!

Ok... enough about me :) back to the original purpose of this blog... to show off some pictures! (next post :))

Phew... finally have one gallery ready...

2007-05-22T14:24:00.000-06:00

Ok, for all of Kristin's family and friends who may be checking in, here is the first (of 3) web galleries:
http://gypsyisle.com/kris1
(yep- VERY original naming scheme I have come up with lol).

These are all the pictures from the first location we visited, the lovely and historic Fort Barrancas. It is one of my favorite places to visit as well as shoot. My kids just love to run up and down the long hallways (and from the looks of these pictures that is a universal joy that all kids can share)... and I love all the beautiful light spilling through all of the rifle slots! I love so many of these images... I hope you do as well!

And here are a few sneak peeks from our next location- the graffitti bridge and wall:

And this is just a silly picture :) I am not usually a feet person... and this shot wasn't technically a picture of feet (the real gallery will have the full image there ;)) But I just loved how everyone kind of lined up on an angle... it's funny the things that make me smile...

artistic edit...

2007-05-18T15:51:00.000-06:00

For most of my client's images I do what I call a straight edit... correct skin tones and blemishes, and make sure the colors are nice and vibrant. I save my "artistic edits" for my own images or my landscapes. But I find these far more satisfying from a creative standpoint... and every now and then I just feel the need to play with a client's image to see if I can find something I like better than just a normal run of the mill portrait.

Today was one of those days when I needed a bit of a creative release! I had fun playing with one of Ms. Kristin's images... in the end I ended up with 6 different versions- all of which I liked for different reasons. I decided I would put the most "out there" version on my blog... it just makes me smile when I look at it- I think it is a beautiful image, green/blue streaky hair and all!

Vacations kind of stink sometimes...

2007-05-17T16:19:00.000-06:00

As much as I love going on vacation... it always means more work when I get back lol. I haven't had much time to do any proofing over the past few days... and, with as many GREAT pics as I took of this family, it is taking me even longer than normal! But, to prove I *am* making a bit more progress, here are your sneak peeks for today! Kristin, I hope you love the one of yourself- I do!

a few more for mom!

2007-05-15T16:03:00.000-06:00

Since I did 2 full sessions for Ms. Kristin and family (once with her whole family and once with just the boys), it is going to take me a bit to get all the proofs ready. So, to make sure mom knows I *am* working on them, here are a few more sneak peeks... I hope you enjoy!

2007-05-13T22:17:00.000-06:00

I had a blast shooting Kristin, Trafton and their 2 boys, Mr. M and Mr. L while they were visiting in Pensacola for a week. This is just a very small sample of all the fun shots I captured while they were visiting from California. I hope these images will always remind them of their fun family vacation!

Yay... Mom said she loved the pictures!

2007-04-26T09:18:00.000-06:00

And since she has now seen them all I wanted to introduce you to Ms. A and her little sis Ms. L. I ended up with SOOO many wonderful pictures of these little girls, I am going to have a really tough time deciding which to include in my portfolio! These little girls were just phenomenal models. Not only are they both grogeous, but they were very open and receptive to me and my camera. No fear here! So, in no particular order, here are my faves:

and... as you can see... it is hard to take a bad picture when you have such adorable and willing models! Thanks soo much Ms. A and Ms. L!

Sneak peek for mom!

2007-04-23T22:18:00.000-06:00

Still proofing...

2007-04-17T13:21:00.000-06:00

I've had a crazy few days at home and work which has slowed my proofing down considerably. I am still slowly editing my way through a few sessions. But, to help tide mom and dad over... here are a few more pictures of the Lovely Katie and Lindsey:

My mini session on Easter...

2007-04-16T12:15:00.000-06:00

produced some phenomenal pics of Ms. M who is too cute for words! Those big blue eyes are simply amazing. Here is a sneak peek for mom and dad; hope you enjoy!

My most recent Sessions...

2007-04-10T23:12:00.000-06:00

Have been the most incredibly fun girls! A Huge thank you goes out to Dana, Katie and Lindsey! I hope you like these sneak peeks...