pjkphotography's Xanga

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Sat, 10 May 2008 23:36:51 GMT

My trusty assistant and I spent a lovely warm and breezy morning with Tracy and her two munchkins. I can't say that ALL of them were excited to be there... smile. In spite of a young man who would have rather been doing something besides 'girly' stuff or ... kissing his sister ... we came away with some beautiful shots from the day.

I actually ended up having a very nice conversation with a very smart 6 year-old little boy who told me all about his all-star baseball career having made 4 homeruns, how he has hunted snakes with his b-b gun and how he has even shot at a bear (with his computer game gun, of course). Here's hoping that Cash won his first baseball game today.

We had a wonderful time ... hope they did too. Here's your sneak peek ... enjoy!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:13:46 GMT

Ok, I know I'm a little prejudice, but aren't these some of the most beautiful children you've ever seen???? They might be my grandchildren but I still think they are pretty wonderful.

My precious little princess was celebrating her '4th' birthday so I was thrilled to have some time with her in front of the camera to record her special day. Big brother and little sister joined in the fun we were having ... and I am reminded again why I enjoy photography so much. It's pretty cool that these treasured memories belong to me.

Hope you enjoy this little peek into our fun day!

OUR GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:19:47 GMT

It's after 1 a.m. so technically, it was yesterday that I and my trusty assistants, had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with two of the sweetest, blue-eyed munchkins that you've ever seen.

It was a beautiful day for taking portraits ... the weather was warm and breezy. We had to shoot just short of the perfect light but their precious little spirits made it worth the hunt for beautiful shade and colorful backgrounds.

You may recognize this baby boy from our BABY FACE Contest. Chaz was our Grand Prize Winner ... with those eyes, there is no wonder! Be looking for an update of our website in the next couple of weeks. Along with a Complimentary Portrait Session and a 16x20 Wall Portrait, Chaz wins an exclusive spot on our webpage.

Hope you enjoy this little peek into our afternoon.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:13:52 GMT

Saturday was zoo day ... a first for these three little munckins. Grammy bought lollipops and effectively bribed her sweet babies to patiently, though sometimes full of giggles, tolerate her and her camera.

Here are a couple from our great time together. I think they are some of the most beautiful little people I've ever seen. Even though I realize I'm a bit prejudice, I still think it's true ~ smile!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:17:31 GMT

Sometimes, when things just don't go the way they are supposed to ... like when I get home from a shoot and find all my images are bad because of a camera error ... I wonder if I should really be doing this. It's easy to doubt myself and think that there are so many others who could do the job I do so much better.

Then there are days when I get to spend some special time with a special little girl ... and I know why I've chosen to be behind a camera recording memories to be treasured for always. Today was one of those days. Today, Lilly (and Baby Wesley) came for a visit ... and we got to capture some of those precious moments.

Lilly is a special little one to my heart. She is the granddaughter of a friend of mine and I just love her to pieces. Lilly has a disease called Neurofibromatosis. This disease will cause her little body to be invaded by tumors that will not go away, as well as other related complications. Most of the time, this disease does not progress until puberty but for Lilly, it has already begun. She has already endured lots of tests and a biopsy and now faces an MRI in the next couple of weeks. She'll soon be having surgery to remove the first agressive tumor that is growing on her tongue. I know all those who treasure her would appreciate your prayers.

If you'd like more information on this disease, you can go to the Children's Tumor Foundation website and read up on it. Her mom will be hosting an NF Tea Party in the near future to help with fund raising for research. We look forward to being a part in some way. We'll keep you informed about that.

Here is a peek into our afternoon ... I know it will make you smile as much as it did us.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:28:18 GMT

KK and I had the pleasure of spending some time with a wonderful family this morning. Our afternoon shoot from last week got rained out so we squeezed a session in this morning before they head back to school tomorrow. Our spring morning was a bit nippy at 39 degrees. A little chilly considering they had planned their photos around bare feet and short sleeved shirts.

After a tromp down a golf course path hoping to find that perfect spot in the morning sun, we ended up back where we had started, in the beautiful yard belonging to their good friends. I'm afraid I had them worn out and cold before we had even begun ... poor things. Even so, all of them were great sports in spite of their frozen toes.

There is no doubt that this sweet family loves each other well. It was such a blessing to be a part of a few of their precious moments. We are so glad we were invited. They just made us smile by being with them!

Here is a sneak peek into our morning ... you can't even tell it was frosty outside, can you?

Friday, March 21, 2008

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:03:26 GMT

Today I had the pleasure of conducting my first 'father and sons' portrait session. Kind of reminded me of that show that many of you have never heard of ... My Three Sons ~ smile. Got together with these nice young men and their dad as a gift for their mom's upcoming birthday. John assures me that his wife will not see this entry ... she apparently is too intelligent to spend her free time surfing the net or lurking on blogs such as this. Still, if anyone should see her, do keep it to yourself that you saw her boys on this page.

We did have a few moments of calm and cooperation ...

BUT ... if you know these boys, then you know that SOME fun must be had when they are present. Glad that we got to have a part in it.

If you haven't yet recognized these silly boys ... maybe this one will help jog your memory! Anyone ever see John do that from the pulpit? ~ smile

AND ... I have to tell you that I began to laugh out loud when I took a look at these photos for the first time on my big screen. During our session, I asked them to give me some attitude. It cracked me up to see how John and Randall had taken the same exact pose in response to my suggestion. What is that they say? Like Father, Like Son ... or ... hmmmm, could it be that it's the other way around?

Hope you enjoy this little peek! Thanks, Guys, for letting us join the fun.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:31:24 GMT

My life on a normal day, is a little crazy ... it seems I'm always on the run. I've always got a list of things to do that need completing. Always trying to take care of people ... always trying to meet my responsibilities. I find myself, at the end of the day, wondering if any memories were made for the most important people in my life ... and so often knowing that none were.

Today my oldest daughter shared this with me. It's written by a teenager with terminal cancer. Once again, I'm reminded how important it is to grasp each moment and treasure it in my heart for always.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day

On the fly?

When you ask, "How are you"?

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Ever told your child,

We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time

To call and say,"Hi"

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.

Life is not a race.

Do take it slower

Hear the music

Before the song is over.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:34:31 GMT

Azalea Park in Summerville, South Carolina is a wonderful backdrop for a portrait session ... and two precious little munchkins will complete the beautiful scene.

You may recognize Earl from our BABY FACE contest. He didn't end up winning the contest but he's definitely got one of the cutest little faces you'll ever see. I was so blessed that baby Earl and big sister, Audrey, allowed me to capture a few of their precious smiles in spite of the ending results of the contest. =0)

Here are a few images from our session:

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:37:17 GMT

Well, I'm back from South Carolina after a wonderful time at my photography conference. My head is reeling from all the things I learned (or was supposed to learn, anyway) and I'm very excited about where we might be headed in the future.

Coming home yesterday was a bit rough with bad weather, delayed flights and various other little mishaps. Left a week of sunshine and warm weather there to find snow on the ground in Dallas. Anyway, it was nothing monumental but I'm pretty pooped from all the traveling I've been doing lately. Looking forward to having some time in my own town (and my own bed) ... and am anxious to get back to work.

One of our BABY FACE contest winners was from South Carolina though, so I had the pleasure of spending some time with our third place winner ... sweet little Andy. I'm not sure he felt the same about me, however! We had a bit of a hard time convincing him he needed to be out of his mommy's arms so I've had to laugh at all the shots I ended up with that look as if he was intensely distressed. Poor little punkin! Even so we had a great time and ... we captured some precious moments that I know will be treasured forever.

Here is a sneak peek into our afternoon ....