Austin family

The cute little family came back to see me recently for their very first family portraits.  I had the pleasure of shooting the little princess as a newborn....she's already changed so much!! Looking forward to watching this family as they grow!

Hinton family

This little guy brought his mom along for some cute family shots, and grandma tagged along to watch the shoot.  He was absolutely adorable, and pretty smart too! I told his mom she's gonna have watch out for him in a few years....with those big blue eyes, he's going to be a hit with the ladies! LOL

Corbett - HCHS Class of 2013

I had a great time photographing Corbett's senior portraits! We went to his family's property for his outdoor shoot, and I had serious envy over some of the spots (and props!) that we had to work with.  LOL  Thanks for choosing us for your senior portraits, and best of luck in your future endeavors!

Dunn family

This family was our last outdoor session of the year! We took these shots on the property of a friend of the family....it was very pretty and quiet! I'm glad I was able to shoot these for this cute family!

Alford family

Customers of ours since near the very beginning, the Alford's got together with us at John James Audubon Park in Henderson for a family session. These guys are a ton of fun to work with, and totally sweet people to  boot.  Thanks for the great day guys!! 

New! Custom sports banners & shirts!

I cannot tell you how EXCITED I am to be able to offer these to the amazing athletes in our area!! What better way to show your support for your favorite play than by display a banner or wearing their shirt??

Banners and shirts are completely custom to the player's school and/or colors.  Stop by our Facebook page to get all the information about booking one of our quick mini-sessions for these items! 

Russell Family

We did a sunset family session at Madisonville park with this little family.....I love the colors the sunset provided for us! Thanks for letting us capture your family session for you! 

Mr C - children's session

Talk about ADORABLE!! This little guy came to visit me for the first time not too long ago.  He wasn't feeling great (his Grammy and I think the card ride may have upset his belly a bit), but you'd never really know it from looking at these! Totally sweet boy....not only did he play peek-a-boo with me, he ran up to me to hug me around the neck, then cuddled in my lap to "help" me take a picture of his Grammy!  Melted my heart! 

Ashcraft/Hibbs family

I had so much fun with this group! They were easy going and up for anything (which made for some good laughs and some great images).  And the little guy is not only cute but all quite the ham, which could explain why I had such a difficult time narrowing down this session's final images! 

Thanks, guys, for choosing me to photograph your family!!

Ms K. - newborn session

Such a sweet and tiny thing this baby girl was!!! We, of course, did all the little girly flowers and bows, but we also did a few for Dad, who is a Braves fan!  She was a dream to work with, and absolutely rocked the teddy bear hat! :)

Thanks to her mom and dad for bringing her to me! I look forward to watching her grow! 

Ms A - children's session

I had the honor shooting this little cutie's newborn session four years ago....my how time has flown!! Now she's in school and learning all sorts of new things (including dance, which she was only to happy to demonstrate). Such a sweet girl! Thanks to her mom for bringing her back for a visit!!

Johnston family

The Johnston's came back to see me recently! I've known them for years, and I still can't get over how much the littlest guy has grown!! We had fun shooting in a new location (for me!) and I think we've got some wonderful images for Mom to choose from.  :)

Stone maternity

This mommy-to-be came in recently so we could play with some new ideas and have some fun. I know it sounds cliche' but she has such a glow about her! Tried something a little arty & different with the last one....didn't come out quite as I planned, but she's still pretty! :)  

Green family

A trip to the family farm, sunshine, horses and baby deer? Makes for some pretty sweet family images! 

S, R, & D - Lil' Ones

These cuties came in and played with me for a while....I even managed to get a sweet smile from the Little Miss! :)  They were a bundle of energy and fun, and I'm glad that I got to spend the time with them!

Mr G - newborns

This little guy spoiled me BIG time with his session!! Once he was fed and changed, he was out for the count.  We made it through most of the entire session without a peep.  :) He finally did let us know that he had had enough! He is such a cutie....can you tell that he is absolutely adored by his older brothers and sisters??

L & L - newborns

My, oh my we had cuteness in the studio the day these little guys came in! Our first ever set of twins, and they did great.  Big sister was absolutely adorable, and Mom (not to mention Mom's friend that came along) were a great help! 

Herran - maternity

These soon-to-be parents were a lot of fun to work with, easy and affectionate.  Not to mention that she is totally rocking the belly look! :)  Thanks to both of them for coming over and letting me play....I think I've got some gorgeous images to work with! 

Mr G. - newborn session

This little guy's mommy was our maternity/newborn contest winner! I'm so glad she was able to bring him in, he did so well on the sleep baby portion of the session!! Got some cute shots of him with mom and dad, as well as with his big sister.  Looking forward to seeing this little guy get bigger!! 

How are you different?

Anyone who knows me knows that I am constantly trying to learn new things.  I read books, articles, attend online classes about different aspects of my business, watch videos, and listen to audio recordings by different leaders in my industry.  A couple weeks ago, I was watching a video by one of those leaders, and she asked this question:

How are you different?

To be honest, I never really stopped to think about it.  I probably should have, but it's one of those things that I just don't think about.  So, I sat down and came up some ways that I think we are different for our customers.

For those not familiar with my business, I consider myself a boutique studio.  Everything I do here is custom...in fact I don't think I've had two identical pieces (other than duplicates a client has ordered) ever go out the door.  This is everything from wall art and framing to albums. Every thing is unique to the individual client. Everyone wants to be unique, and here, they get that.

While we do this as a business, as a way of paying our bills, we're not just in it for the sale. I know when I'm sitting with a client and they are having a difficult time choosing, I try to go out of my way to help each client pick out what works best for them (not too long ago, I even went to the client's home - she lives pretty close by - because they forgot to measure their walls, just so we would know what would work in the space they had in mind). I do this because I want my clients to be absolutely in love with the finished product when they see their portraits up on the wall, or the reaction of their family when they receive a gift print or item that we've done.  


That reminds me of a story a good client of mine told me not too long ago.  She brought her little girl into us for her first birthday cake smash....we got some priceless images that the client wanted to share with her grandmother, so she purchased a set of accordion minis (little brag books), so that she could give her one.  The next time she came in she told me that her grandmother had passed away, but when they were going through her things, they found that brag book in her purse. She told me that her grandmother had loved the mini, and that the creases were so worn from her grandmother constantly opening and closing it, because she showed it off to everyone.


Those kinds of stories give me the warm-and-fuzzies, because I know that I sat with the client and worked with her to come up with a product she would love, rather than just putting something in a cookie cutter template that ten other people have and sending her on her way.  


I look at it this way...if my clients wanted a quick, impersonal portrait experience, they would have gone to a chain studio. You know, one of those places where the employees wouldn't take the time to get to know them, would just snap the pictures, take their order and push them out the door so they could move on the next person. But they didn't...they chose to come to me, so I work hard to not only give them the best pictures I can, but also to take the time to get to know them, remember their children's names, what's been happening with them, and so on. 


So what makes me different? Simple.  


I care. 


I care about the images you get, about the final custom products I've designed for you.  I care about how you and your families are doing, even if you haven't been in to see us in a while.


How many chain studio employees are ever going to tell you that? 

Mr. B - 1st birthday cake smash

This little man was just too adorable for words! He's the strong and silent type, with all those red curls and blue eyes. ;) Dad brought in the mini version of a farm tractor for some shots, we did a few others, then we got down to the serious business of cake!

Ms Cali

Ms Cali's session was her first with us, and I think she was more interested in seeing everything than me taking her picture! She made it worth the effort though....look at those beautiful blue eyes!! Oh, and we let her family in for a few too! ;)

If you would like to book a session with us, please give us a call at 213-2010, or book online using the "Book a session" tab above!

Ms Sophie

I last saw this little girl when I did her newborn portraits six months ago. Boy, has she grown! She's still a cutie, and full of personality! Thanks to her mom for bringing her back in to see me!

If you would like to book a session with us, please give us a call at 213-2010, or book online using the "Book a session" tab above! 

Workshop images...a tad late!

Can't BELIEVE that I never did post images from a recent workshop to our blog!!  Recently my hubby and I traveled to Mayfield to visit with some photog friends and do a day-long workshop.  I had a BLAST shooting all day and learning new things! Special thanks to Shawn and Willard Jones of Jones Photography in Mayfield for having us, and for Twila Reed of Enchanted Light Studios for the awesome instruction!

You only get one chance....

...to capture that special moment in the lives of your family.  Whether it's a wedding, a newborn baby, or high school graduation portraits, it's important to get them right the first time. This is why it is so important to have these moments documented by a professional photographer, someone who has the knowledge and will take the time to get your images done right the first time.

I know that many people are on a budget, especially with the way the economy has been.  You may be tempted to go with someone who happens to have a camera, just because they are cheap.  At this point you have to look at their work, and decide for yourself if it's worth the risk of losing a once-in-a-lifetime moment. If you're going to look at those images years from now and wonder what you were thinking when you had them done.

I've had people tell me that they love my work and want to book with me, but that I'm too expensive for them.  While my pricing is about average for professionals in my area, and I offer payment plans, I hear this more than I care to admit. People wonder why professionals charge what they do....I did a blog piece on this last year that you can read here.  I won't rehash that post, but basically it has to do with time, knowledge & experience, gear maintenance, business expenses and more. Not to mention, photographers need to be able to provide for their families as well.  :)

If you are looking to have portraits done, trust a professional to capture your memories.  If you have one in mind, go to their website and/or Facebook page. Look at their work, see what their clients have to say.  Ask yourself if their style is what you like, and if images they may do for you would be something you would be proud to display years down the road.  If you want to ask about booking with a particular photographer, call them up and ask questions!  If cost is an issue, ask about payment plans....many photographers, like myself, do offer them and will be willing to work out a payment schedule with you so that you can order what you want.  We understand that money can be an issue, but don't let it be THE issue...don't shop on price alone! What good is saving a few dollars if you end up regretting your decision and not loving the images that you get? Or worse, having to spend more money with another photographer to try to capture a moment that has already passed?

Mrs L

This beautiful gal came in to do a special session as a birthday gift for her husband.  Her images and custom album turned out gorgeous, and from what I'm told, her husband loved her gift to him! Thanks to her for letting us help her make this a surprise he won't forget! :)

If you would like to book a session with us, you can visit our online Appointment Reservations to view our calendar and book at your convenience!

Ms Reece - newborns

She's here!!!  We did the maternity session for the Phillips Family last month, and their beautiful baby girl came in yesterday! Love it when we have new babies come in!!

The Bradford Family

The Bradfords were back for their family portrait session, and we got to take advantage of some gorgeous weather (and spring foliage!).  Loving the look of spring!

Phillips Family - Maternity

The Phillips Family came in to do a maternity session as they await the arrival of their new baby girl! I'm sure they can't wait to meet her! 

Ms Nene

What a cutie this little girl was! It was her first time visiting our studio, but after warming up the new place a bit, she did great!

The Herran Kids

Bundles of energy, these two are!! Keirli is sassy, and Braden is a sweet little guy.  We were happy to have them back in the studio! :)

Don't Let 'Em Fool You - Size Matters!

In the instance wall prints, yes, size DOES matter! I try to stress to my clients to fill their walls with images that fit the space where they hang. I inwardly cringe at times when someone tells me that they are planning to hang an 8x10 or even a 5x7 (gasp!). Now, don't get me wrong - there are times when you can group small prints together and make them work. But personally, I find the look a little busy. I prefer larger prints on the walls.

Here's an example. I had a pretty newborn baby girl come in just before we closed for the holidays. Her parents came in right after we re-opened to place their order. We went through the images, then got to talking about image sizes and wall space. And they just got it. They understood that bigger spaces, more often than not, need bigger images to look balanced. The dad fell in love with one image of his little girl, and ordered a 20x30 size print (this is just smaller than your average size poster). You can see it here, and the size comparison to an armchair in my living room (yes, the chair is ugly, but that's beside the point. LOL).




You can see that the size of this image works for the space of the wall (even though it's not hung up). It would look nice framed above the chair here, because the size of the print fits the space it would hang in.

Now, we also did a small wall collection of 3 lovely images of baby girl and her parents. We had them printed in black and white, and they are gorgeous. That's them propped on the back of a standard sized couch below. This is an example of image sizes that just don't work for the wall they are on. Care to take a guess at the sizes of the prints?



You might be thinking, maybe a 10x13 and a couple of 8x10s. Nope. The middle print is a 16x20, which some consider huge (side note: 16x20 prints/canvas are the smallest single-image prints I hang in the studio. Those who have been here can see how they work better than the smaller prints). The two side images are 11x14 in size. They look tiny, right? That's because these are really too small for this space. Now, the clients have a space in mind that this collection will work with, and that's great that they know where they can place them at this size. For a wall this size, though, these images should go quite a bit bigger, so they don't look like postage stamps that you have to squint to see.

If you're ever in doubt about what sizes go up on the wall, there's a simple little thing to remember. 8x10 and smaller size prints are typically good desk or table top sizes. 10x13 and 11x14 prints can be the odd ducks - depending on where they'll go, they can hang as a small group (usually in a small narrow space, such as between a door frame and a wall corner) or they can also work well in a well-thought out collection that fits a larger space. Anything larger should be considered a wall print, because, well, that's pretty much the only place they're going to fit. :)

We give out a decorating guide to clients that come in for a session. In fact, this guide goes home with them the day of the session, so that it can be looked over before they come in to order. It talks about the print size issue (and measuring the spaces where you are considering hanging images before coming to order), as well as working with the decor in your home (ie color print vs. black & white, frame styles, etc), so that everything works together and your images look like treasured art pieces instead of, well, postage stamps stuck on the wall that you have to squint to see! We also walk our clients through sizing in their ordering session as well, from everything to what image works best for a wallet to what sizes work well together for a wall collection in a specific size space. We don't just want to hand you your portraits, wish you well, and send you on your merry way. We want you to be able to look at the images on your wall for months or years to come and think about how great they look. We want you to be as proud of your images hanging on your wall as we are to create them for you. For an investment such as this, you shouldn't settle for anything less from your photographer.