When people learned we were going to New Orleans for Imaging USA they always mentioned one of two things: the music or the wildness of the place. My impression of the Big Easy? She reminds me of an old lady who forgot to put away her Christmas decorations…. Festive. And yet sad.
The colors and textures of the place were absolutely amazing! 
Favorite.
You knew we’d have to bring the cheese to Bourbon street!
Thanks to Elise Ellis for snapping a picture of us together for once!
Posted in Randomness, Travel Sessions, Uncategorized | Tagged Bourbon street, Imaging USA, New Orleans | Leave a Comment »
Never have I felt so proud to be part of a community.
The months since the tornado hit Joplin have been a strange mix of struggles and triumphs. This city has been weary, but it has never been weak. Joplin has been in pain, but never overcome by it. When I first documented the aftermath of the tornado on the blog, it was a way of reaching out for support… and it came. It came in vanloads of people wielding chainsaws, in truckload after semi-truckload of bottled water and laundry detergent and building supplies. It came in the form of thousands upon thousands of prayers lifted up for this community throughout the country. And more recently it came in the form of a television show. We were blessed to be among the thousands and thousands of volunteers who joined together to bring homes to seven families, to renew the spirit of hope in Joplin, and to share the resilience of this community.
This security guard was so sweet. First he tried to get out of my picture (not realizing it was HIM I was trying to photograph), then he gave me a hug. Love those not-so-tough tough guys.
This little kewpie doll of a girl was the daughter of one of the builders. She was so adorable I could not stop taking her picture!
I just missed the shot, but I think this producer actually spit-shined Ty’s hair….
The crowd went wild when Ty was around…
and he had some serious fans!!!
I KNOW!
These guys worked on… you guessed it! The PINK house. : )
Ever wonder what’s back behind there when they “Move that bus!”? 
Paparazzi everywhere! ; )
Getting ready to “Move that Bus!”… seven times!
The Gonzalez family.
I loved that even the show’s producers got emotional during the reveal. 
The Nguyen family
The Cogdill family
The Howard family
The Whitely family
Hello handsome!
It was surprising to see how slow everything actually moves. There was lots of downtime.
Self-portrait behind the bus. See it?
The Walters family
The Nevins family
This reminds me of when Ben brings his G.I. Joe’s in to play with Emma’s Polly Pockets…. 
The excitement was really just too much for some people.
The dangers of photography on the set.
Thank you Extreme Home Makeover, for bringing joy to Joplin. Many volunteers who gave of their time had their own heartaches from that day in May. You gave us a place to be of help, and that is how we heal.
The Joplin episode airs this Friday night the 13th.
Posted in Assignment, Behind-the-scenes, Events, Partners, Personal, Publications, Randomness | Tagged Extreme Home Makeover, Ty Pennington | 11 Comments »
It’s true. We had a SUPER time visiting friends and family and doing sessions in Oklahoma City! Here’s a sneak peek!
Sam has the most gorgeous AND expressive face!
We love our friends the Scotts! No relation to us, so we call these kiddos the “un-cousins”!
Ben loves his buddy Drew. So hard to have a photo session in the park… have to wait till it’s over to play!
Now this is some SERIOUS Oklahoma red dirt. No photoshop color here!
The Sims were crazy fun!
The entire Harris family should be featured on a GAP ad. They are seriously photogenic!
and to think that someone told me before the session that Kamryn was going to be camera shy!
This shot just makes me laugh!
And the sweet Medley family! This is our third year photographing them. Last year it rained the entire day of our photo session! This year? Perfection!!! Love these images.
This picture is begging for a couple of thought bubbles floating above their heads….
Thanks so much to all our OKC clients. We had such fun spending time with you all. Your photo goodies will go out in the mail this week!!
Posted in children, family, Travel Sessions | Tagged Oklahoma City photographer | Leave a Comment »
One of the more interesting photos we taken at a wedding is this one of Scott patiently waiting for Leah to put the finishing touches on her already beautiful face just before their ceremony. A millisecond, never to come again, can tell such an interesting story. To view more of their story, go HERE! (Just type in their name, insert your email address…and don’t forget your password). Congratulations Leah and Scott!
Posted in Events, Wedding | Tagged Leah, Missouri, Rush, Scott, Vintage, Webb City, Wedding | Leave a Comment »
With the excitement of Extreme Home Makeover coming to Joplin next week, everyone is focusing on efforts to help Joplin tornado victims. I wanted to remind you of one more! It was my pleasure to work with Show Me the Ozarks magazine as photo editor on this memorial book commemorating the events of May 22, 2011 and beyond. This 32 page magazine style book is filled with amazing photographs taken by both myself and many of the area’s best photographers. It includes personal articles that are both heartbreaking and inspiring. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Joplin Tornado Relief Fund. You can order your copy from Show Me the Ozarks facebook page linked below:
Posted in Events, Partners, Personal, Publications | Tagged Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Joplin tornado, Show Me the Ozarks magazine | Leave a Comment »
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