Jenica's Girls

Baby Lyllia is 2 months old so I visited with Jenica and the girls last week for a lunchtime session. Jazlyn had fun playing with my new props, a green metal stool, buckets and a watering can. Even though Lyllia was not as cooperative as we would have liked there are some good pictures.

Here are a few of my favorites of the day...


Watering the 'Flowers'




Making a pansy boquet


I love her expressions!!!


Kissing on Baby Lyllia


More kisses for her baby sister!







Stay tuned for next month's session with the whole family!

>^..^<
~Cat~

Big Shanty Festival

This weekend was Kennesaw's 31st annual Big Shanty Festival. Saturday and Sunday they block off Main Street at the Depot and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomative History and set up hundreds of vendor tents and have lots to do for families. One of the fantastic parts of the event (in addition to vendors and entertainment of all types) is the civil war encampment and artillery demonstrations.


I spent Saturday morning working the Creative Memories booth and making some great contacts for both CM and our photography services. Thanks to all of our friends who came out to see me! I appreciated it!!!

Today I got to go and look around and play with my camera. Mike & I spent time watching the Civil War soldiers artillery demonstrations, we have a special interest in the cannon!

After the demonstration we noticed one soldier (Luke) and his girl (Jessa).

Jessa plays the hammered dulcimer both with the reanactment unit and a band called Un-Reconstructed. She was very captivating and Mike & I enjoyed talking with her mother while she played for us.

Here are some of the pictures I took today of her playing the dulcimer, the rest of the day's pictures will follow later in the week. I have to edit the 100 or so good ones I took, find an appropriate song for the slideshow and tend to my sunburned arms and neck (It's so much fun to be a red-head!)






















Jessa, thank you for entertaining us with your playing and to your family for posing for me. I look forward to seeing you all again sometime. I wish you luck with your music, it was beautiful as are you.


>^..^<
~Cat~
Lane and Haley, what an awesome couple! We are shooting their wedding next month in Alabama, but this past Thursday we met up with them at Kennesaw Mountain Park for their engagement session. They both love the outdoors, so we all agreed this would be a great place to do some outdoor shots! It had been cold and rainy the day before, but we were blessed with such a beautiful, crisp Spring afternoon for pictures. Lane and Haley have a beautiful baby girl that came along for pictures as well, and she did great! We meandered amongst the fields, hiking trails, and picknik areas, laughing and having a great time!

Lane and Haley, we had such a great time hanging out with you! We know your wedding is just going to be awesome and we cant wait to be a part of your special day!

To view your engagement slideshow from the afternoon , Click here .

We have so many great pictures from the afternoon its hard to pick just a few. Here are some that we really liked, but there are plenty more!


























NCHS Career Day

Today I had the pleasure of being a guest speaker at North Cobb High School's Career Day. I spent the day talking with students about how I became a photographer and what I did on a daily basis. I hope the students got a lot out of my presentation and got a chance to hear that even if your career path takes twists and turns you can be successful.

I spent first period in the Drama Class, which was great for me with having spent time in the drama department in College and my first jobs were in theater.

2nd & 3rd periods were spent in Joy Johnson's Art classes, the first of the was her photography class! (Mike was worried that it might be discovered that I taught myself how to use my camera and only took one photography class in college) I had a great time talking to the kids and loved seeing their reactions to my photographs. I showed this slideshow to the kids and I was amazed at the ones they reacted to most. I'm hoping to be able to work with some of the students in the future.

4th period I was in an English Class where despite technical difficulties we did get to see the slideshow! I had an enterprising student who had the list of questions the school gave us to help with our talk and he kept the class asking questions.

One question that stood out was - "Of all the things you did to prepare for this job, what helped you the most?" I had to think about this a minute and here's my answer...

I think the thing that helped me most to prepare for any of the jobs (careers) that I have had was my parents. They always encouraged me to try what interested me with one caveat, I had to master it, I could not quit but had to get to the level where I could teach it or in a few cases where I really sucked at it, gave it a good try. Sometimes as mom will tell you it was a fight (red-headed temper tantrum) to master and I wanted to quit far sooner than I should. This I think prepared me for the real world and showed me that I really could do anything I set my mind to.

Photography is the 'latest destination' on my career path, if you look at my resume you'll be amzed at the diversity of the careers. Interestingly enough I have been an artist with each of them and in some way photography or graphics has played a role in doing my job.

A year ago, if you had told me I would be saying I am a PHOTOGRAPHER, I would have told you that MIKE is the photographer, I scrapbook them and use them but I really don't do the picture taking. To my husband, thanks for the encouragement and support even if I did 'steal' your camera away.

Another question from the list is "What does the future look like for opportunities in your field?" My best answer is wide open! Our career as photographers has been full of opportunities. We started our business on a dream and with our families, friends and collegues sharing knowledege and support, the future holds promise and the opportunity for Mike & I to do what we love together for many years to come.

Here's to dreams and making them reality!

>^..^<
Cat

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a good spring break and Easter Holiday (if you celebrate it)

On Saturday, Emma, Connor and I joined my sister-in-law, Robin, and baby Gabriel at Dogwood Church's Easter Celebration while Mike & Colin were working with Concept Events Catering Company moving things into their new office & kitchen.

The church had 18,000 plastic easter eggs filled with candy and toys for the egg hunts. They held a number fo hunts for the kids throughout the morning and from the looks of things everyone went home with FULL baskets! They also had jumpy things and a petting zoo with the largest rabbit ever, (it was bigger than our 25 pound cat!) a camel and the cutest baby goats. Even though it was in the 40's there were kids enjoying the free snowcones (my kids included)

Here are some pictures from the morning...

Emma watching Gabriel in the stroller. Due to the weather he was dressed in a snoopy snowsuit and looked like Randy in the Christmas Story... I can't put my arms down!!!

The Hunt is on... the 3rd to 5th graders look for eggs in the field

Before the hunt began... there were LOTS of eggs for the kids to find

Emma & Connor (far right) looking for eggs

Emma being diligent and filling the bucket carefully, I think she only wanted pink and purple eggs and was looking for pretty ones (she found a glitter egg and was looking for more)

Some eggs yielded cute chickies that happily posed for their picture in front of some of Emma's fancy eggs.

My nephew, Gabriel, is now 3 months old and Emma & I took the opportunity to take MORE photographs of him so stay tuned for his pictures to be posted to the blog soon. Emma is becoming quite the helper with babies and with photography.

>^..^<
Cat

It's Spring!

The season of flowers (and pollen here in the south), proms and graduations. We had the opportunity to help a friend give a wonderful graduation gift to a lovely and deserving young lady. Jessica is the oldest of Deb & David's three daughters and Mike & I really enjoyed the session with her and her family.

Here are a few of our favorite pictures, Jessica you have such a great smile and your personality really shines. I hope you enoy these, we'll have your slideshow and gallery up soon.































Jessica with her sisters, Lauren and Mychael.









The Girls and Mom trying (not) to drop Jessica


Daddy's Girls






My thanks to Lynn for helping us meet this wonderful Family! I hope we have the opportunity to photograph the girls again.

Good luck to Jessica as she graduates and heads to college.

>^..^<
Cat