fotos by michelle

Eli - Happy 2 Months Old!

2012-01-14T10:37:00.000-06:00

As of Friday the 13th, Happy 2 months old Eli!

Baby Eli - 8 Weeks Old!

2012-01-08T20:09:00.003-06:00

Baby Eli at 8 weeks old! Enjoy! ;-)

Introducing Baby Eli!

2011-12-09T09:46:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone! I'm back blogging, but really only to share a few photos of our new pride and joy, Elijah Glenn Parker! (Eli for short) He was born November 13, 2011 and weighed 8.0 pounds, 20 3/4" long. It's such a blessing having a child, and we thank God for our precious gift he's entrusted us with. So this will be a short post, but I hope you enjoy the photos from his very first photo shoot! These were taken at 6 days and 7 days old.

Amy - Senior Pics

2011-10-06T22:08:00.000-05:00

Well guys, here is the picture preview to the last photo shoot I've done before I go on Photo "maternity leave" ;-) I hate to be that way but staying up late after work to process photos is just not too feasible in the last month of pregnancy! I miss shooting already but I'm sure here soon I will have a new little subject to do lots of shooting with.

So Amy is my cousin-in-law (is that a real term??) and I just couldn't wait to shoot her senior pictures. Such a sweet and fun girl, and so smart too! I'm sure Amy's going to go on and do great things after high school! Sky's the Limit! Well here is your long awaited picture preview, and hopefully the rest of the photos will be ready and online soon!

Enjoy!

Baby Eli's Room!!

2011-09-14T19:19:00.001-05:00

In case you haven't heard, we are expecting our first baby on November 8th! We decided to name him Elijah Glenn Parker. Glenn is my dad's name, and because he has been such a huge influence in my life, I wanted to include that in our son's name. We will call him Eli for short until he gets older and wants a more sophisticated name!

Well I think we are finally almost done getting the baby room ready! I thought I'd share some of the things we did, and where we got them in case someone else was interested. ;-) When I found out I was pregnant, I decided for the baby room I wanted to do something different. Surprise, surprise for those who know me! ;-) (Different should have been my middle name) Everyone nowadays does blue and brown, or pink and green. I decided to go with cool grays and whites. And I added the stripes to make the room feel longer since it is a bit small.

After several renderings on photoshop (because I'm nerdy like that) I picked the design. I call it, "Modern Forest/Owl Nursery". Keeping with the color scheme of gray's, blues, and greens. Yes, like I said, I am a nerd! (I think if I had a second choice at a career, it would be interior design.) I did a lot of research and decided to go with a vinyl wall decal because when the baby grows up, we can just peel it right off and not have to repaint! Easy! I searched and searched and the best most unique decals were from Janey Mac on etsy. Check out her store, it's awesome!

For the crib we had looked at several modern cribs online which of course ended up being almost $1,000!! Finally I found this gray one at Walmart.com of all places! It's the Modena Baby Mod collection. And the little dresser we found online at Ikea called the Aneboda series. The next thing was crib bedding....Wow! That stuff is expensive! Plus I'm so picky I couldn't find anything that went with my design. So I finally decided to make it myself. A very inexpensive solution! I've got it all done except the main crib blanket. I found a great site where you can actually come up with your own design, and they will print it on fabric! So I came up with an owl design matching the greens in the bumper pads and will be ordering it soon! For all you fabric lovers, the website is called Spoonflower.com. Besides the big stuff, I found the lime green shag rug at target, and we are set! All we need now is baby Eli!

Ashlie + Taylor

2011-08-30T22:03:00.002-05:00

I've got another cute family to show you! This is Ashlie & Taylor, mom and daughter. You may recognize Ashley, since she has been on BET and all, I like to say she's famous! hehe Ok, so she says it was with the Arkansas Mass Gospel choir but still! What an honor. She's got an amazing singing voice and we love her! (and Taylor too!) Happy to shoot these two. Enjoy the picture preview!

Tim + Andrea

2011-08-28T18:56:00.001-05:00

This may be a long post! So if you like to see lots of pictures, you'll like this one. It's just so hard to narrow down pictures for a blog preview when it's a wedding! Too many cute things happening I think. And I can say, this is my very first Harley Davidson Themed Wedding I've ever shot, and Nathan and I enjoyed every minute of it!

It was a very unique, fun, and laid back atmosphere (which for a photographer is very nice!) And I can't forget to mention the food which was made by two very special women who did professional catering for years and it showed! We had a great time, and thank Tim and Andrea for inviting us to share this special time with them and their friends and family. Hope you enjoy your picture preview and we'll be in touch when the entire gallery is up!

Landric Turns 1!!

2011-08-26T12:03:00.001-05:00

So who can believe that little Landric is already a year old?? I know I can't. Those of you that don't know, Landric is the son of a dearest friend of mine. Nathan and I had the opportunity to head to Fort Smith and share some cake & yummy Laos food with him and his family on his birthday! And I couldn't help but snag a few pictures! Look at his big brown eyes, aren't they adorable? He will make even a non-cheek pincher want to pinch his little cheeks! Here are a few photos from his celebration, and check out the cake ones! He dove right in! Enjoy. ;-)

Anna + Carlos!

2011-08-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful, and much cooler weather we're having lately! What a break from 110! Well I know I enjoyed it today, and no better place to enjoy it than the outdoors on a photo shoot. I had the pleasure of shooting a few pictures for my beautiful friend Anna!! I'm sure you guys will agree with me this is one good looking couple. ;-) And Anna doesn't know it yet, but I have a feeling you may see more of her on my website. (hehe!) Enjoy your picture preview guys and hope you have a great night!

Averee Turned 4!

2011-08-07T21:09:00.001-05:00

So, Averee actually turned 4 on August 2nd! Can you believe she is already 4? I can't... makes me feel old! I think this is the month for birthdays since there are so many in my family.

Well for her party, we all went to Chuckie Cheese, and her and all her friends had a blast! The cutest thing, when we sang happy birthday she got shy and blushed and tried to hide! So humble. haha Enjoy the pictures!

Mom & Son Photos

2011-07-23T22:26:00.001-05:00

So what's a better present for Mother's day than a photo shoot with just mommy and baby?? There's not one! Ok... maybe with a photographer a little bit better than me ;-) haha! Well that's what this photo shoot was about. Special time with just mommy and baby (not to mention I get to catch up with my bestest friend ever!) I've been dying to photograph the cute little cheeks on this guy, and his beautiful mom too! I know there are some proud parents, grandparents and friends a family (and hubbie!) just waiting to see these. Aren't they just adorable together? Enjoy!

K + A - Spring Photos

2011-06-07T18:29:00.000-05:00

I took these spring photos about a month ago, but that was the time I was headed to bed around...oh...say 6:30! hehe ;-) Second trimester is treating me A LOT better. So I never got a chance to do a blog post! As you all may know, if you follow the blog, these two little girls are my nieces and every spring, fall, Christmas, and many other occasions you'll see their cute little faces on here! So enjoy watching them grow up! They're already so big!

Baby Archer!

2011-05-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I blogged! I'm finally back to normal after my first trimester and glad to re-join society! Now that I can stay awake past 6:30 I think it's time for some photo shoots!

I started off this weekend with Baby Archer who is truly a miracle baby. This precious little guy has come into this world after his parents thought they would never be able to have children, so it was an honor and a privilege for us to be able to take a few photos. Congrats again mom and dad! Archer has the most beautiful blue eyes and cutest little nose! I'm thinking he looks like his mom, but I still see some of his dad in him too. ;-) What do you guys think? Hope you enjoy this picture preview!

Olivia's Turns 2!

2011-03-12T20:48:00.001-06:00

Today I was invited to shoot a few photos for Ms. Olivia's 2nd birthday! Let me tell you, this girl is the master of funny faces!! She is soooo adorable and silly! I saw scary face, happy face, sad face, angry face.. the list goes on! I hear this is all due to her father, but don't' take my word for it! ;-)

Here are a few of my favorite "faces" of the day. Enjoy!

Love the pink fingernails!

Leon + Lindsey

2011-02-19T22:19:00.001-06:00

Can you believe how beautiful it was today?! My car read 70 degrees as Nathan and I headed out to the lake to meet a couple for an evening photo shoot. We began scouting out a few locations, and just walking along those piers, hearing the water splash around the boats, and smelling the fresh air made me feel like it was summer again! (my favorite season as you all may know) We had some beautiful evening light, and lucky for us a few clouds rolled in at just the right times.

Besides everything else that was already going perfect, Lindsey and Leon came, and wow! This pair is probably the most photogenic couple we've ever shot! Not to mention they both have the most beautiful smiles, especially Lindsey ;-). I barley did any coaching, which gave me more time to spend on composition and creativity. I hope you guys like your photo preview and the gallery should be up in a few days. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Tony + Sally

2011-02-14T20:31:00.000-06:00

Lucky for me, this snow and winter weather hasn't kept me too lethargic, in the people photography business that is! Nathan and I met the sweetest couple at our church, and I believe we're going on 2 years now that we've known them. Tony is also a photographer, a very gifted one at that, and a designer. I felt honored and humbled to be asked by another photographer to take their photos, and we were lucky to have such a photogenic couple! It's so hard to photograph couples who have seemed to have lost their "spark". But you can see right away, these two share a genuine love...very refreshing! And Sally....look how beautiful she is! Just stunning. Here is your picture preview guys!

Snowy Birds/ Arkansas Bird Feeder

2011-02-10T10:53:00.000-06:00

So I looked outside yesterday and all the birds were frantic trying to find food, and being the bleeding heart kinda person I am for animals I decided to do something about it! All the feeders were snowed under and empty. I looked around for the quickest solution and found a huge box that one of my photos came in. I realized that if I opened the two sides, and slid them into the snow it was just like a table! hehe (Arkansas engineering skills I guess ;-) ) So I scattered the bird food and here they all came!

We had so many red cardinals at one point it was crazy! Beautiful birds. I did find out through the whole ordeal that my windows need cleaning bad! I couldn't shoot anything through them. Plan B: hide outside and wait for the birds to come back out to get pictures of them. After frost bit toes, here's what I got. Photography is so fun. Even when it's just a bunch of birds!

The "Arkansas" Bird Feeder

Snowy Scene

How many Cardinals do you see??

Snow Update! 17"

2011-02-09T10:39:00.000-06:00

Snow update! Close to 17" at about 9:30ish am! Blue and Max enjoyed running through it, although Max is a bit smarter. He stayed close then was ready to go in! Nathan wanted to throw our cat Garfield out in it and watch him disappear...but I'm not that mean!! haha Enjoy!

Just measured 18", this pic is from 9:30 a.m., it's now 10:36 a.m.

Snow!!

2011-02-09T09:32:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe how much snow we keep getting!! This morning, so far at 7:50 am I measured 11", but the weather man is saying we are getting snow at the rate of 2-4" per hour! Good grief! Well, here are some pictures from the snow we got on February 1st. We let the dogs go out and play for a little bit and they had a blast! Stay tuned for some pictures of the Tilly Willy Bridge here in Fayetteville!

This mornings total as of 7:50 am

Blue awaiting us to throw his ball, Max in his own little world behind him! haha

Max finally getting a turn, only if Blue is held down tight!

I accidently focused on Nathan instead of Max, so blurry pic, but I couldn't resist posting this because of Max's Ears!

Gotta finish off with a Nature shot, this is a small creek near our house. I couldn't believe all the ducks! I snapped it quick enough before they all flew off.

Centerpoint Trail - Buffalo River Area

2011-02-01T11:16:00.002-06:00

Well, for the first time since my dad's heart troubles, he has finally been cleared by his doctor to start hiking again. We decided that it was only fitting for his first trip back out to be somewhere in the Buffalo River Area! Our favorite place; there is so much to see there, tall bluffs, waterfalls, elk, wildlife. If you've never been, you really should see it.

After going through several trails, we decided to try Centerpoint trail near Compton. Instead of going all the way down to Steel Creek, we headed to Big Bluff (sometimes called Goat Bluff Trail), then came back. After discovering that the whole trail was downhill, we had to turn around and climb uphill the whole way back! I believe it was roughly 3 miles there, and 3 back, so we were a little winded and sore when it was all over with! Next time we leave a car at Steel Creek and head downhill the whole way!

From the pictures you can see why it's called Goat Bluff Trail. It follows the edge of a steep bluff, and towards the end, gets a little unnerving. I included a lot of picture of my dad for scale so you can see the height of these bluffs. (and cause it's my dad and all :-)) It was pretty sunny so not very good light for landscape photography, but I managed to get a few. Enjoy!

For all the nerds out there who have GPS and would like to find this trail, the coordinates for the trail head are 36-03.85N, 93-21.62W.

St. James - Girls Night Out!

2011-02-01T10:31:00.000-06:00

Last Friday the St. James W.O.W. ministry (Women of Worship) hosted a Girl's Night Out for all the ladies at the church. It was a fun night of getting to know new people, and encouraging each other, and growing. A special thanks to our First Lady Jacinda for always having the vision, and all of the ladies who helped her to put it all together. It was a huge blessing as always, and I think everyone left feeling stronger, and encouraged. Here is a preview, and the entire album should be posted under "Client Viewing" on the website soon!

Eleuthera Part II

2011-01-20T10:23:00.004-06:00

Just in time for those of you snowed in right now, here is Eleuthera Part II! The snow is beautiful I must say, and I love to photography snowy scenes, but my heart is in the tropics! I hope these photos can help out your imagination in making you feel just a tad bit warmer in these cold temperatures! Here is part II of Eleuthera Island, and there will be 6 posts total! Once again, these are located in the nature section of my website, then in the Eleuthera gallery.

Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2011-01-17T08:23:00.000-06:00

Today we celebrate the life of a great man and inspiration speaker. His ideas and words tramsformed the minds and spirits of people everywhere in this country. I believe we could all take his words and apply them to several aspects of our daily lives even today. In rememberance of this great man, here are a few of his famous quotes. I challenge everyone to take and apply these to our lives in 2011; let it inspire us to love, not hate, and be part of the change.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. "

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. "

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

Lake Wedington - Winter Fog

2011-01-04T23:22:00.000-06:00

This big Sugar Bowl game has given me the chance to post some pictures. ;-) Ok, so I hope I don't make any enemies but football games.... not my thing. Foggy mornings on lakes, I'm there! I took these a few weeks ago on a foggy morning at Lake Wedington. Such a beautiful morning, and the lake had such a beautiful glassy surface. I really miss summertime, and my photography tends to dwindle in the winter, but sometimes I forget there are still beautiful things in nature in the winter. You just have to look for them, and it's always in the details that I get inspired. Here are a few, and the rest will be in the Arkansas Backroads gallery that is still pretty slim! I need to get to work! Click here to see the Arkansas Backroads gallery.

St. James 2010 Womens Conference

2010-12-10T22:44:00.000-06:00

Well, after a few weeks, the pictures for the St. James 2010 Women's Conference are finally up! I had the pleasure of photographing this event last year and was so excited to hear I could do it again! As you may know, St. James is my home church and I am just so blessed and humbled to be used by God here. Great things are happening here! Here is your picture preview, and the rest of the album should be uploaded shortly! Click here to view, or go to "client viewing", then "seniors + families + events" on the website!

Eleuthera Part I

2010-12-02T23:31:00.000-06:00

Well, I've finally had time to sit down and work up a few photos from Eleuthera! I know a lot of people have been asking, so even though I'm not anywhere close to being done with all of the photo's, I thought I'd go ahead and post a few of them.

For those of you who may not know, Eleuthera is a long skinny island in the Bahamas that is not very touristy and has a very small population. You won't find shopping malls, casinos, big chain hotels, or any kind of crowds. It's just miles and miles of uninhabited land and beautiful beaches. One of the things that this island is known for is it's pink sand. The sea strawberries break up in the ocean and wash ashore mixing with the white sand which creates an amazing pink color unlike anything I've ever seen. Another thing that amazed me about this island is that around every bend, there is a different beach, with totally different sea shells, sand, and shoreline. One beach was completely covered in sea sponges, one empire shells, and another tiny little white and pink shells. And if that isn't enough, the birds here are beautiful! I had so many things to explore that the first day there, I was just completely overwhelmed! Isn't it amazing what God has created! We can't even dream up some of the creations he has given us. We are truly blessed.

Well, here are just a few pictures to preview, click here and you can view Part I of the entire Eleuthera gallery.

Nick + Ashley Wedding - Part II

2010-11-21T22:28:00.001-06:00

Here is Part II of Nick & Ashley! We had such a great time at this wedding, and as you can see from the photos at the reception, so did everyone else! It's so nice to see such happy faces at a wedding, and no bridezilla's and party poopers!
I love the fall decor these two chose, and the cake topper is so unique! As for the grooms cake, does anyone know who this is? I guessed those little guys from Star Wars, but someone quickly corrected me on that one! Anyone else know?
Hope you guys had a great honeymoon, and enjoy Part II of your photo preview!

Nick + Ashley Wedding - Part I

2010-11-12T07:53:00.000-06:00

Nathan and I had the opportunity to shoot Nick & Ashley's wedding last Saturday, and let me tell you it was one of the funnest weddings we have shot in a long time! We had a blast! Nick and I went to school together back in the day, so it was nice catching up with all my old engineering friends. It's also nice to work with people who think like me! Us engineers are just a different breed I think. ;-)

Well this is going to be Part I of a 2 post wedding because there are just so many pictures! And the fall leaves were just perfect for the day. Enjoy your picture preview!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T22:56:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween and got loads of candy! We had both the families over for pumpkin carving, chili eating, and candy scarfing! Yum! Still recovering after the sugar high, then energy low so short post tonight! Here are a few highlights from our holiday.

Family & Friends can view all the pictures here:

http://www.fotosbymichelle.com/Client-viewing/My-Family/halloween-2010/14471005_U6pPk

Fall Photo Shoot at War Eagle

2010-10-24T00:13:00.000-05:00

Today I got the privilege of seeing my two little nieces for some quality time and fall photos! We loaded up and headed for the newly restored War Eagle Bridge. The bridge has just undergone a face lift including a new bridge deck, and paint job, and other structural upgrades. I'm so glad it's still here and they haven't torn it down. Such a beautiful bridge with lots of history. Isn't it funny how engineering can mix with photography?!
Well, I do have the two most photogenic nieces in the world. They love getting their picture taken. HOWEVER, they are not usually photogenic at the same time!! When one is ready and smiling, the other usually gets bored, mad, jealous, or just plain done with the whole thing! haha ;-) But there was never a dull moment with these two. And when they do something bad, they're so adorable you just can't get mad at them! Thanks to my sister for helping out and holding the reflector when Kaitlyn would let us use it. :) Overall we did pretty good on catching them together and happy! Here is a little sneak peak!

Redscale Film!

2010-08-27T17:29:00.001-05:00

For those of you who don't know, I got a vintage Holga 35mm film camera for my birthday! It's been a long time since I used film, and for most people it's a thing of the past. But I think the old retro style cameras can be a lot of fun and a great creative outlet. I just love the way the edges darken and blur, and I love all of the light leaks and streaks. I think it gives the photos a summery feel, and of course summer is my favorite time of year!

I started out with some T-Max 400 black and white, and since no one develops T-Max anymore, I will have to do those in the darkroom with my dad whenever I order some new chemicals so be on the lookout for those! Next I tried a Fujifilm Supra and got a few good ones. And when I find my scanner software I'll post those!

In searching for a more vibrant saturated film, I came across this film called redscale. When I found out how it worked I thought genius! The way you make this film is to go into a darkroom and take all of the film off of the roll. Then you flip the film over upside down and wind it back on the roll! So the film is upside down. If you have ever noticed on the back of your 35mm film there is a dark brown/orangish color on it. Well, the idea is shoot through this brownish layer and it can be used like a filter! So all of your pictures have a really saturated yellow orange or red color giving it a vintage 70's feel.

Like any film I had to kinda guess and test and sure enough if your not in total direct sunshine the photos are too red or dark and over saturated. But I think the whole idea of not knowing what your gonna get is part of the fun! Here are a few that I liked. I'll play around with it until I get some good ones eventually! Let me know what you think! It's always interesting hearing other people's views on this.

Notice this was in the shade, so more red. And because the film is on backwards, take

a look at the numbers on the building. Mirror Image!

Averee's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-08-06T17:36:00.001-05:00

This has been a huge week for the Dahler family (my sister), and ours too! Monday night we celebrated Averee's 3rd birthday! I cannot believe my niece, just a little baby girl is already 3! Seems like she was just born...and to make it even harder on the emotions, her older sister Kaitlyn just started her very first day of school Thursday! Where does the time go?

We celebrated with a barbecue chicken cookout, friends, family, and fun! Averee, if you don't' know her, is such a sweetheart. She is so loving, affectionate, and sweet.... not to mention she has those little puppy dog sad eyes! Although she does have a strong willed independent side, and has been known to bite. ;-) I think she takes after me a lot. hahaha Here is a preview of the party pictures, and take a look at this first one....Out of nowhere, she goes in her room and gets her sister's little kid digital camera and says "look shell, like you!" That just melted my heart! Enjoy!

Rachel & David's Wedding

2010-07-31T16:02:00.001-05:00

Hey guys!

I can't believe it's already been a week since David & Rachel's wedding. This couple is probably the most laid back wedding couple I've ever photographed, which makes my job a lot easier! No bridezilla's here! Just down to earth people, in love, and ready to start their new lives together. What more can you ask for? And Rachel in her dress...stunning...just stunning. We all had a great time, and enjoyed the cake! (me maybe a little too much! hehehe! ) Here is your blog preview. Enjoy!

4th of July

2010-07-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

This years 4th of July celebration was once again a fun time with our two families. The kiddos got to swim, while we all fried fish and shrimp and enjoyed each others company. Thanks to Nathan's aunt from the Gulf, we enjoyed 40 pounds of fresh shrimp! (bought before the oil spill!) The fish were crappie that were caught by Nathan and his dad, and Nathan claims he caught most of them...but I'm thinkin his dad probably was the one with more fish! hahaha

Either way, we all had a great time. In the midst of all the celebration I was reminded of the lyrics to a great song , and decided I would end this blog post with it. (and photos of course!) I think we all can find ourselves getting in the mindset of "if I only had this, or if I only had a better car, if I only had a bigger house, all I need is some new clothes, why do I have this job I hate, or why do I not have a job at all..." This song puts it all into perspective and reminds us that God has blessed us far above what we need or deserve. Hope it is a blessing to you as it was to me. Happy 4th!

There's nothing like the warmth of a summer afternoon
Waking to the sunlight, and being cradled by the moon
Catching fireflies at night
Building castles in the sand
Kissing Mama's face goodnight
Holding Daddy's hand
Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more

Running barefoot through the grass
A little hide and go seek
Being so in love, that you can hardly eat
Dancing in the dark, when there's no one else around
Being bundled 'neath the covers, watching snow
Fall to the ground
Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more

So many things I thought would bring me happiness
Some dreams that are realities today
Such an irony the things that mean the most to me
Are the memories that I've made along the way

So if there's anything I've learned
From this journey I am on
Simple truths will keep you going
Simple love will keep you strong
Cause there are questions without answers
Flames that never die
Heartaches we go through are often blessings in disguise
So thank you Lord, oh thank you Lord
How could I ask for more

Rachel & David

2010-07-03T00:48:00.001-05:00

I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful summer we've been having. I know I have! I can't believe it's already July! One of the best things about summer is the being able to use the sun in so many different ways in your photos. I love to use it to create sun flair, and to get warm sunny photos. The possibilities are endless!

After being rained out last Sunday, we tried again to shoot the sweetest couple ever! Rachel and David, congratulations on your engagement! These two were so much fun and I think Nathan kept them laughing all night long! I know I had fun, and hopefully didn't wear everyone out with my typical line, "one more!" For the shoot, we ventured out near Lake Wilson and ended up at Tilly Willy Bridge. If you've never heard of it, just ask a local. ;-) I hear this bridge is scheduled to be demolished and a new one put in it's place. If your interested, you may want to go see this old low water bridge before it's gone. Here is your picture preview!

Michelle

Vong & Wes baby shower

2010-07-02T22:25:00.005-05:00

V + W baby shower photos are now up! Click the picture to view!

Purple Sky!

2010-06-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I had to cancel a photo shoot tonight just before sunset due to rain.... boo... But the sky turned some amazing colors of red and purple and I still ran out to try and shoot it just for fun! I started just outside the front door, as you can see in the first 2 photos, then we jumped in the jeep and went down the road til we found a good place to get out and shoot. You can't capture what it really looked like, but hopefully these were close. If you look carefully you will see the sky in one, then the lightening bolt and lit up thunderhead in the next. It was a pretty spectacular night for cloud lovers. Hope you enjoy!

Baby Shower

2010-06-20T23:51:00.001-05:00

Today we got to celebrate with Wes & Vong who are expecting their very first baby! I'm still in shock about my friend expecting! We never thought it would happen! I'm so happy for them and wish them all the luck and happiness in the world.

Well the first thing I noticed at the shower was how much attention was given to all of the details! All of the decor was so creative and unique that I am dedicating this blog post to the details. Also so I don't post anyone's picture who may be reluctant to be on here! hehe! After the shower, since there are actually 6 friends all preggo at the same time, we decided to do a short bunch group photos. How crazy is that, all 6 friends all at the same time!? So I'll include one of these for ya. ;-) Here is your preview, and the rest of the photos will follow soon. Thanks guys!

Pre-K Graduation - Gallery Up

2010-06-16T08:59:00.000-05:00

The entire photo album is now up on the site for Kaitlyn's Pre-K Graduation. Click on the photo to view!

Pre-K Graduation

2010-06-15T15:54:00.000-05:00

Well the time has come.... when Kaitlyn is finally old enough to graduate Pre-K and go to Kindergarten!! Can you believe it? It seems like it was just yesterday when we heard the news she was coming! I cannot believe she is 5 and can count to 100 and now she can actually read books! This girl is gonna be dangerous, not to mention she's beautiful! Ok, so I'm biased cause I'm Aunt Shell, but still. ;-) Here are her photos from graduation night this past Friday. Those of you who didn't get to go, I hope this helps!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

Hello All!

So it seems my blog posts have been few and far between lately! I know...I know....terrible of me. I think busyness took over, and I set the camera aside as I went on my ventures...forgetting the all so important life lesson which is to stop and smell the roses, then shoot lots of pictures of them!

This memorial day, I hope everyone took a moment to remember the veterans and all of those who had a part in serving our country. We owe them our life, and there are many more out there fighting for us as we speak. Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the family and friends of those missing their loved ones overseas. We appreciate you and thank-you so much for your sacrifice.

Another event we celebrated Monday, in our family, was my sister's birthday! And in honor of that, we did our traditional devils den cookout. Besides Monday, we had an awesome weekend with family and friends and got to enjoy mountain biking, hiking, and the event of the weekend, EATING!! Here are some photos I caught while hiking at Devils Den. I bet no one gets tired of seeing these two little cuties on this blog! Kaitlyn and Averee are just too adorable! I'm probably a little biased though... ;-) Enjoy!

2010 Miss Blue Reve Scholarship Pageant

2010-05-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Well, it was a busy weekend and has been a very busy week! First off I have to explain why. I am a member of one the best churches that I have ever experienced. It is filled with the most amazing, kind hearted, and loving people. Since coming to St. James, I have had the opportunity to meet so many new people lately; all of whom needed a photographer! I am always happy to help out in that area! Check back for the other blog posts to follow.

First off was the 2010 Miss Blue Reve Scholarship Pageant hosted by the Pi Chi Zeta Chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. (wow that's a mouthful!) It's such a great thing to see people coming together for one goal, and that is to help send young women to college. This goal has a special place in my heart, as I was one who put myself through school. It's a challenge, and always great to have a support system like these young girls have. Thanks to all of those who dedicated your time and hard work for these girls. I know it will pay off. Here is your blog preview, and the entire album should be up shortly! Click here to view. Thanks!

The pageant's main organizers!

Miss Arkansas 1989!

Christa's Senior Pics!

2010-05-01T23:53:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again! Time for seniors to graduate! Lucky for me I got to photograph a beautiful young lady who was a lot of fun today! I also had the privilege of photographing her brother Drew a few years ago when he was a senior. Thanks so much for thinking of me again guys! I found an awesome new location and was just in heaven! I think there were so many great places I was getting a bit carried away. Hopefully I didn't wear anyone out. hehehe! But we had Nathan who helped keep us entertained with his random animal noises, and country slang terminologies. ;-) What would I do without my assistant? Here is your picture preview, and I'm hoping to have the entire album done by Monday. Enjoy!

Senior Pictures

2010-04-21T18:36:00.001-05:00

Saturday I had the opportunity to snap a few senior pictures for a friend at church. She is one of the kindest ladies you will ever meet. Her son was going to prom Saturday and just had to have some photos in his white tux! He's quite a looker! Wow...prom... seems like just yesterday, but for me it was over 10 years ago! I think I'm getting old. hahaha! Lucky for us, we were just in time between rain showers to snap a few pictures. Here is your picture preview and all the photos will be up in the client viewing gallery shortly. Thanks!

Dynamo vs. Whitecaps

2010-04-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

Depending on the rain, Thursday could have been the last game of the season for Dynamo! It went by so fast! Thanks to a very thougthful coach and his wife, the game kicked off with cupcakes, gift bags and metals. I think all the girls were tickled to death to get a metal, even though Kaitlyn decided to be a little shy about hers! Here are a few highlights from the game, and the rest of the photos will follow soon in the gallery. Thanks for looking!

Arkansas Back Roads - Indian Cave & Shores Lake

2010-04-16T06:59:00.000-05:00

This will be the second posting for the new Arkansas Backroads gallery, yay! Last weekend I went on a little hiking/photo trip with my dad to Indian Cave, which is near Mountainburg. I had no idea we had anything like it in this area, but it is just a small bluff with Indian carvings in it. You can definitely tell that they are legitimate, and unfortunately some very inconsiderate people who do not appreciate the value and history, tried leaving their own carvings on the walls too. But it is obvious those are fake. The lines are very thin meaning they had a sharp tool such as a knife, back then the Indians used stones creating much deeper lines and impressions.
After Indian Cave, we headed down to Shores lake which is at the bottom of White Rock. What a beautiful lake! If you haven't been there you must go. Such a peaceful and secluded place, it can help anyone de-stress. Here are a few photos from my adventures! And remember they will all go into the Arkansas Backroads Gallery!

Dynamo vs. Union

2010-04-11T11:15:00.000-05:00

So I have to start this post out by apologizing!! I have missed most of the games this season due to other obligations that came up! I feel terrible because I love sharing photos with family members who couldn't make the game! But hopefully I can make the last 3 games left after this one.

Saturday was a perfect day for soccer! So sunny, and the Dynamo girls were playing so well! I have seen lots of improvement from the fall season. I think they are starting to understand the game a bit more ;-) These girls are still so stinkin cute too! You just never know what they are going to do, or what kind of faces they will make. Here is your picture preview, and the entire gallery will be up shortly following this link.

Backyard Flower Rundown

2010-04-03T11:49:00.000-05:00

So springtime is finally here, and my backyard has suddenly burst into bloom! It's sooo pretty, except for all the weeds in my lawn! I just couldn't resist shooting some of my flowers this morning with the dew on them, and the sun shining through. The first one you will see is a Jane Magnolia tree with purple/magenta colored blooms. I absolutely love this tree! It's actually a bush, but if you prune it up right, it can grow into a tree. And, it always blooms about 4 times a year. In the summer its full over large green waxy looking leaves.

The other thing blooming right now are my daffodils. I ordered these bulbs from a place that claimed the daffodils were pink! After a few years now, they are turning pink, but they still look a little peach to me. Either way, I love unique plants! The other is a double daffodil, which means it has extra petals in it. I think the rain yesterday has beaten them up a little so they aren't as pretty now.

My bleeding heart bush is growing, and has it's first set of little hearts growing. These grow very fast, and come back every year. I think for now, the only other thing coming up is my peony bush. Those grow humongous flowers that bloom in the summer. But for now, they look pretty neat coming up out of the ground. How amazing that these plans just know exactly when to come up year after year. It's such an amazing thing, nature. God is so evident in it, I think that's why I love it so much! Well, I hope you enjoy these, and I will post them in my flowers gallery if anyone is interested! Thanks!

Courtney's Pictures are up!

2010-03-30T07:03:00.001-05:00

Courtney's Pictures are now up! Click on the photo below to view the entire gallery.

Courtney's Baci Reception

2010-03-28T14:54:00.001-05:00

To finish off the weekend, we headed down to Fort Smith for some great food, fun, and friends! Our good friend Vieng's little baby girl had a Baci Ceremony Saturday, so we came for the reception and tried to snap a few photos. Courtney is absolutely adorable! Not to mention with her new pink bow her Auntie Vee made her! So cute!! Here is your picture preview guys, and hopefully the album will be up by Wednesday! Thanks guys! We had a blast!

Arkansas County Roads- Wedington Area

2010-03-28T14:19:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been an absolute blast! The weather forecast seemed pretty gloom, but the sun really stayed out most of the day Saturday and we decided to get out and go for a drive. It seems like I haven't picked up my camera in weeks! It was very liberating to be out in the sunshine, soaking in nature, and shooting away. We found this huge old oak tree probably 8-10 feet in diameter and decided to climb it like little kids. I found out I'm not as young and fearless as I used to be but it was fun! After that, we took a break from tree climbing and soaked up the sun in a big field! Since it's still early, the chiggers and ticks weren't out yet, yay!! I think after this drive, I've decided to start a new gallery in my nature section for Arkansas backroads, etc... I'll post these photos there for purchase if anyone is interested. Here are some photos from our drive.

of course my favorite, sage grass!!

Welcome Spring! I think. . .

2010-03-21T00:48:00.000-05:00

Well it's the first day of Spring, and the start of Spring Break! I was thinking, yeah, Saturday I'll go out and shoot some daffodils and all the pretty flowers blooming right now. Maybe put the top down on the jeep and go for a ride in the country. Wrong!! Can you believe this weather? Snow, the day after a 67 degree day. Well, we do live in Northwest Arkansas. It seems like when I was in school, every Spring break always brought cold rain or snow. Well, I did shoot some daffodils, only they were covered in snow! Pretty soon, I'm sure these rains and cold temperatures will give way to some pretty flowers, green grass and sunshine!! I can't wait! For now, we will just have to enjoy these flower pictures with snow. ;-) Have a great weekend!

Baci Ceremony

2010-03-15T21:28:00.006-05:00

Saturday, Nathan and I got the opportunity to run down to Fort Smith and shoot the reception for a traditional Laos Baci Ceremony. If you have never heard of one of these ceremonies, it is a way that the Laotian community welcomes a member back after recovering from an illness, or overcoming some sort of obstacle. Our great friend, Christina, invited us down to celebrate in her mother's recovery from Cancer. What a sweet and precious family they have! The people are all so very giving and welcoming and I think everyone had a great time! At the end, all the ladies did this really cool traditional dance all together in sync! Take a look. Thanks so much for welcoming us to share in this special occasion! Here is your picture preview. To view the entire gallery click here. (should be up by Wednesday!)

Help us find Gizzy!

2010-03-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a busy week! I finally got my raised beds built and was very happy with the way they turned out. Thanks to my friend Jessica who suggested I go to ReStore, I found a whole bundle of 10' long 2x6's for only $25!! I know you should probably use cedar for something like this so it won't rot, but on a budget, this will do! And for the cost, I can rebuild another one in a few years! I'm all ready for a load of compost from the city, and then my strawberries and blueberries can be planted!

So here is the bad news. . . it was such a warm day last Saturday while I was building my raised beds, I decided to let the cats out in the backyard. It's fenced in, but in the middle of running the saw, I didn't see Gizmo jump over the fence!! We haven't seen him since! :-( We finally put out a live trap with sardines in it, but still no Gizzy. I'm starting to get worried because he is de-clawed and is an indoor cat. . If anyone has seen him around the Mt. Comfort/Crofton Manor Subdivision area please let me know!! fotomichelle@cox.net

Here are some photos of the new beds, and some photos of Gizzy so you can identify him. He didn't have his collar on. :-(

the lumber wasn't in perfect shape, but not bad for flower beds!

sam checking it out

Gizzy just before he jumped over the fence

Dynamo vs. Freedom!

2010-03-07T09:49:00.002-06:00

This Saturday was the first Dynamo girls soccer game of the season! Yay!! It couldn't have been a more perfect day. Sunny weather, warm, and lots of happy kids! The teams seemed like they knew a little more about what they were supposed to be doing compared with the fall season. ;-) I guess they have gotten older on us! Kaitlyn is just growing way too fast for me, and I'm sure all you other parents feel the same way about your little ones! I think everyone had a great time and there were lots of smiles, celebration dances, and lots of sticking out of tongues!! So adorable! Here is your picture preview, and the rest of the pictures should be uploaded here by Monday! Check back for the entire gallery!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

2010-03-05T08:46:00.000-06:00

It seems like there are so many birthdays going around right now! Nathan celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday!! Wow. We are getting old. Almost in our dirty thirties as Nathan always says. ;-) But hey, mine isn't til August so I'm still young!! ha ha Well, we started out the week with a birthday party Monday night at Nathan's parents house to celebrate his birthday, and his brother-in-law's birthday. Silly me. . . I forgot my camera. Yesterday, my family wanted to do a fish fry for him so we fried up some South Arkansas catfish (thanks to my Uncle Gary for supplying it!) and had a blast!

Mom made the best baked beans you have ever tasted. Dad was in charge of cooking up the fish. He has a double burner homemade fish cooker that he welded up. Also a homemade pot and basket used to fry it. Did I tell you that my dad comes from a family of welders? Well he did. And down in DeWitt where he is from, fish fry's are just what you do! So they came up with a design for a fish cooker, and fish pots huge enough to feed large families! If you ever need fish, just call dad. ;-) Thanks for cooking it dad!

I think everyone had a good time, and when we were all done, we were as full as ticks! Not only did we finish off with birthday cake, we also finished up an ice cream cake that Nathan's sister sent home with us from Monday's party! Two cakes! And let me tell you. . . her ice cream cakes are amazing!! Waaaay better than anything you can buy. Sorry, no pictures of that because it was eaten quickly! Hope everyone has a great day and gets out to enjoy the sunshine this afternoon! Supposed to be a warm sunny day!

Ayden turned 2!

2010-03-01T13:12:00.000-06:00

This weekend I loaded up in Jennifer & Jimmy's new truck (congratulations by the way!) and headed to the "Jump Zone" in Bentonville for a birthday party. Wow! What a great idea! If you have never been there, it's a large building with huge blow up slides and jumping toys! I always said kids need a place where they can just go crazy and jump and fall all over the place and not get hurt. This was perfect! And I think all the dads and grandpa's were enjoying the slides too!

Little Ayden seemed to have a blast too! He is the cutest little boy you've ever seen with his chubby cheeks and curly brown hair. He had a "Gabba Gabba" party and if you have kids you know who this is. If your like me, and didn't know, it's the big red thing that looks like gumby on that car commercial where the dolls come to life and drive that car everywhere! ha ha! ;-) My favorite part is when the sock monkey gets a tattoo that says mom and the guy is sewing it on his arm. Anyways, check out the photos I got! For the entire album click here.

Soccer is back!!

2010-02-26T13:44:00.006-06:00

Dynamo Girls soccer is back finally!! Last year was a great season, and my niece Kaitlyn had an absolute blast playing! This Saturday will be their first practice, and a full schedule of Thursday nights and Saturdays at noon will follow. I should be there to photograph all the games this year, and if you are a parent and want individual pictures feel free to contact me or just catch me at the game! I'll be the one with the big camera. ;-)

What I normally do is show a preview within one day of the game, then within 4 days, all of the images will be up on the site for you to view and share with your friends and family. Here are some images from last year. All of the girls were just adorable!

Congratulations to Nathan!

2010-02-20T10:57:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to say Congratulations to Nathan!! He has been promoted at work and we are all very proud of him! Because of his new promotion we decided to throw him a surprise party at Powerhouse last night. Nathan is very hard to keep secrets from so this one was hard!! All week I was arranging and he kept asking, what did your sister want when she called, or what did you do with your mom the other day?? Man! So nosy! ;-)

The plan was to tell him I was taking him out to eat at a special place for his promotion and when we get there, the whole family is there with his special cake and gifts as a surprise. I made him close his eyes the whole way so he wouldn't know where we were going, and so he wouldn't see everyones car in the parking lot. He kept saying I know where we are by where you are turning, so I turned down a few side streets and took the long way! After we got there, I lead him to the entrance, still with his eyes closed. I guess I'm a bad leader because he almost tripped and fell in the ditch, then I forgot to say there were stairs. he he he, oops. I had dad in the entrance with his camera to catch his surprised face! All in all I think he really was surprised and we all had a great time. We are very proud of your hard work and dedication Nathan, and love you very much! Congrats!

In further anticipation of spring. . .

2010-02-19T09:19:00.002-06:00

Just to further enhance my longing for warmth and sunshine, I thought I would share with you a quote from one of my favorite books. I love reading anything written by Ernest Hemmingway because of how descriptive and vivid he is with his writing style. He writes in a way that you can really feel what he is feeling. This is one of my favorite quotes from "A Moveable Feast" because I have often felt the same way about winter. Hope you like it.

"Sometimes the heavy cold rains would beat it back so that it would seem that it would never come and that you were losing a season out of your life. This was the only true sad time in Paris because it was unnatural...Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintry light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again...When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person had died for no reason. In those days, though, the spring always came finally but it was frightening that it had nearly failed."
Ernest Hemmingway - A Moveable Feast

Springtime Signs!

2010-02-18T13:15:00.002-06:00

So I looked out the window this morning and though, well looks like the neighbors kids have thrown their tennis balls over the fence again. Then I got to looking, no, it's more of a yellow color, so I had to go outside and check it out. After being attacked by our vicious guard dogs, Blue and Max, I realized, those aren't tennis balls, they are flowers!! How exciting!! And, the daffodils are already emerging out of the ground! I love spring and summer. Mostly summer. But any sign of life after all of the cold weather of winter is so exciting to me! I love gardening and have planted a ton of bulbs and flowers, and always have a vegetable garden in the summer. This year though, I am planning a strawberry patch and a row of blueberries! I can't wait! Here are some photos I got of the plants. If your like me, and are excited about spring, hopefully these will lift your spirits!

Butterflies & Frogs Valentine's Day Party!

2010-02-13T23:50:00.000-06:00

I don't remember the last time I was in a room with so many cute little faces!! Friday after "school" Kaitlyn & Averee's daycare had a Valentine's Day party and I just had to go share in the fun! Those little ones are just precious, and a handful too! I made a couple of new friends, and even taught some of them how to use fun dip! Yay!! I think Averee had a blast because she got the gift of food at her party. She loves to eat like her Aunt Shell ;-) Here are some photos I got from the party. If your a parent of one of these little kiddos and would like to have a copy, feel free to send me an email and I'll send you a free copy of the photos! The whole gallery can be viewed here.

Polka Dots!

2010-02-11T13:58:00.001-06:00

I had the pleasure of photographing the best two models in the world! Kaitlyn & Averee! Kaitlyn always has the perfect pose and smile, and Averee is just plain sassy! She has so much attitude, and is very strong willed! Reminds me of someone I know. . . ;-) After the photo shoot, we decided to build a fort in the living room and play light brite! ;-) The kiddos had a blast and after that, Averee was worn out! I got the sweetest picture of her sound asleep. Here is a sneak peak from the shoot.

Sweden Falls - Part II

2010-02-09T07:47:00.001-06:00

Here is part II of the Buffalo River/ Sweden Falls photos. And an actual picture of the 81' falls.

Before I show you the pictures I will leave you with a quote from Ansel Adams, the father of nature and black and white photography.

“Both the grand and the intimate aspects of nature can be revealed in the expressive photograph. Both can stir enduring affirmations and discoveries, and can surely help the spectator in his search for identification with the vast world of natural beauty and the wonder surrounding him.” - Ansel Adams

Sweden Creek Falls - Buffalo River Area

2010-02-07T22:19:00.003-06:00

I have to warn you, this will be a long post! This weekend I got the opportunity to go on a nature hiking trip with my dad. We decided to go to Sweden Creek Falls which is right before you get to Boxley Valley near the Buffalo River. If you've never been to this area, you must go! It's such a beautiful place. The first time I went, I felt like I had entered another country; reminds me of the smokey mountains. You look up and your surrounded by huge mountains and green everywhere! Not to mention there could be a large herd of Elk crossing the road, headed towards the Buffalo River. There are endless hiking trails, canoeing, camping, and most of all serenity.

After our stop at the King's River Store (which has tons of good food that's way bad for you!), we were full of sugar and grease and ready to go! We drove further in and realized that there was tons of snow and ice still on the ground! It was a winter wonderland! I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. It's about 1,000 feet higher than Fayetteville so the weather is always different so be prepared. As we hiked to the falls, we got to a rock bluff and there were huge icicles about 10 feet tall hanging from it! It was a bit scary since some of them had already fallen, and others were just about ready to go. If you get hit by one of those it would be like a boulder falling on you! We decided to just keep a good pace going the whole way along the bluff to the falls. Once we got there it was beautiful! Sweden Falls is an 81 foot tall waterfall! The only downside is that there are so many trees around it it's kind of hard to photograph. I think I enjoyed more of the photos I took along the way than the actual falls, but either way it was a fun trip. Here is our trip in photos!

Graphic Design Services

2010-02-05T15:38:00.000-06:00

It hasn't been a very eventful day today, except I'm going to do some painting tonight! Just call me "Jill" of all trades. But I did just finish (well, a few weeks ago) a new business card design for my dad! I thought I would share it with you guys and let you know I do design business cards w/matching letterhead or any other marketing materials you may need.

My dad is a Civil Engineer, as was I, and in light of the poor economy we were both out of work for over a year now! But, luckily some old clients called him up, and he pretty much became self employed! God has blessed us both and supplied us with work. So, in light of his new venture out on his own, he created some business cards... Lets just say it was white, cardstock, had his name on it, and a phone number. Sorry dad. But I had to vamp it up a bit! A card is a first impression of a person. So take a look, and if anyone out there ever needs any engineering services, give him a call! He is also a licensed surveyor if you are buying a house/land and need a survey! Thanks guys!

And because a post is always better with a picture, here are some cuties from this fall I got the opportunity to shoot. ;-)

I Miss Summer!!

2010-02-03T15:21:00.000-06:00

Ok, now that the snow is gone. . . I'm done with winter. That's enough. It was fun while it lasted. Now I'm in that state of I want it to be 80 degrees and sunny everyday!! Anyone else there too? So as I dream of summer, I also reminisce on all the flowers I love to plant and photograph during spring and summer. Here are some photos to keep your spirits up until it gets warmer.

And if you would like to see them larger, these photos are on display at Ultra Copy & Print here in Fayetteville at the corner of Township and Gregg. Just ask for my good friend Jane if you need any help! They are an awesome print shop, like Kinko's, only nicer. ;-) They will work with you on anything you need such as business cards, brochures, flyers, photoshop services, and lots of other stuff! Have a great day everyone!

Send me your Snow Man Pictures!

2010-02-01T12:05:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! I hope everyone got the chance to get outside in this snow and build a snowman! Snow is so much fun, and I don't know when the last time was that I built a snowman so we got out and tried! The snow was still powdery so it wouldn't pack well. Then we got the great idea to pack it in some kind of bucket, then turn it over. We searched for the perfect container and finally came up with something good! The trash can!! It's huge and it would build a tall snowman!! hahaha Besides a little dirt, we could cover it with clean snow. ;-) So we grabbed the green giant and went to work! The plan worked out great and in no time at all we had a snowman! (I think you have more patience when your a child at these things. . ha ha!)

When it came to dressing this snowman, we used our landscaping grass for its arms, found a scarf, hat, carrot nose, and coneflower bud eyes. But we couldnt' remember how to make a mouth. . . hmm. . . then Nathan ran in the garage and said I got it! He made me close my eyes, then I went out and looked. . . he had a fake plastic grill on it!!!! hahahaha!!!! So our snowman had a grill! We looked for a clock and a chain so it could be flava flav, but couldn't find one. ;-) he he he!!

So here are some pictures from our adventures in the snow. If you have any great photos of your snow creations, or others you have seen e-mail them to me and I will post them this week!! My e-mail is fotomichelle@cox.net. Happy Playing!

the grill

our snowman method

our snowman's pet flamingo cause everyone needs a pink flamingo!

proud snowman makers!

More Snow Pictures for 2010!

2010-01-31T15:38:00.001-06:00

Snow is just so much fun!! Especially for those who are still kids at heart. ;-) Thanks to Nathan's 4-wheel drive jeep, and years of experience driving in the country in ice, I got to get out and shoot a few things during the snow storm! I got some really cool shots of Nathan where you can actually see the snow falling down all around him. I love snow! (I actually hate winter. . . BUT if it's going to be cold, give me something in return, like snow!) Here is the first set of pictures I got.

This post of pictures will be included in the 2010 Snow gallery. Consider it-part 2. I had a feeling on January 2nd when we got the first wave of snow, that it wasn't the last snow of the season! As we get snow, I will add more to this gallery and each image will be available for purchase. Thanks guys and hope your staying warm and cozy!

The New Blog!!

2010-01-31T14:50:00.000-06:00

It's finally done! The blog is now integrated as a part of the website for ease of viewing! Hope you like it! If anyone experiences any problems, feel free to e-mail me and let me know, or just leave a comment. Constructive criticism is certainly welcome! ;-)

Thanks!!

Ice Storm 2010... or not!

2010-01-29T13:15:00.001-06:00

Well, it looks like so far we're not going to get an ice storm this time...at least not like we did last year! It sleeted most of the morning, then all turned to snow and now it's coming down hard!! I had to go out and find something to photograph. It's sooo pretty! But after just a few shots I noticed my camera was getting soaked! So I had to get back inside with it. Water+electronics= :-(

I did manage to take a few of my Jane Magnolia tree. It had already started to bud out with the warm weather we had last week, and the tiny little buds were covered in ice. If you look, you can see the tiny little fuzz on the buds through the ice. Nature is so amazing. . It can withstand so much, and only months later produce the most beautiful green leaves and pink flowers. How does it do that? We serve an awesome God who is capable of so many things. A small tree is only one example. :-) Ah... so reflective on a day like this! Ok.Ok.... I'm done now!

Remembering the Ice Storm of 2009

2010-01-28T10:15:00.002-06:00

Did you know that a year ago this week we had the big ice storm of 2009? And now they are calling for another one today! I hope everyone is prepared this time, and hopefully things go better this year.

Last year we were hit hard. I know my parents especially because they live in an older neighborhood with huge trees everywhere. Luckily Nathan and I live in a newer subdivision where most of the power is underground, so we were only without power for a day. My parents were without power for almost 2 weeks! The service line to their house got torn off by falling tree limbs so we all camped out at my house. It was a stressful time and really disturbing site to see so much destrution. So I thought it would be good to take a look back into last year through pictures and remember how we all came together to help out our neighbors in need. I know there was a lot of sawing and limb clean up that went on! So take a look and post your own comments of how you faired last year.

Trying to get to my parents house to see the damage. . .

checking out the down service line

electrical box disconnected from the house

poor little bird house hung on. .

The ice from our mailbox

coffee by gas fireplace ;-)

Details & Sunshine

2010-01-26T09:37:00.000-06:00

Good morning!

Well, I don't know about you, but yesterday was a pretty dreary day. When the sun is not out, it just makes you feel "ugh". I saw today on the weather channel that January 25th is the most depressing day of the year! What a coincidence cause I was feeling it! But around 4:00 the sun started to come out and my house filled up with sunshine! I suddenly noticed the light reflecting off of my glass tables, and vases and got inspired.

I never know what will inspire me or when I get inspired but sometimes it just happens and I have to grab my camera and start shooting! I thing Photogs need to take the time to just play with the light and shoot things for fun. (not that photo sessions are not fun because they are a blast!) But shooting objects plays up our creative side and gets us going again! So the sunshine really reminded me why I love photography. It lifted my mood and I hope these inspire you to pick up your camera today and have fun!

To explain some of the pictures: I have a little wire hanging in my office with clips,(to replicate the old strings that you hang photos on after you develop them in chemicals), and I have photos hanging from them that my dad took when I was little. These are so special to me because for one, my dad took them ;-) , and also because they are photos of the beach. We lived in Panama City when I was little while my dad was stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base. I could walk across the street and be on the beach! I guess that's why I love it so much. So here is a little part of me. Can you recognize the ones in the pictures??

My new lens is here!!

2010-01-22T20:06:00.001-06:00

So it finally happened. I have finally purchased the portrait lens of most every photographer's dreams!! I am truly blessed! To God be the glory in everything I do this year with photography.

This lens...it will bring tears to your eyes (especially if your a photog.) ;-) It's a Nikon Nikkor 85mm f1.4 IF!!! I was dying to try it out, and had no one to test it on but the cats and dogs. Finally I convinced Nathan to let me take some pictures of him! He only gave me 10 minutes so here is what I got! Isn't he a good looking guy? Sorry ladies, he's taken! ;-)

Babies & Newborns

2010-01-22T08:42:00.012-06:00

Hello Everyone!
It feels like it's been a while since my last blog post! I've been super busy getting together all of my new marketing materials for this year. How exciting!!
Just a reminder that the baby/newborn special of half off will continue through the month of February as well as January so if you or someone you know has a little one that desperately needs some photos feel free to contact me! Best way to reach me is e-mail, fotomichelle@cox.net, facebook message, or phone, 479-799-1333.

For babies, what I normally do is just come to your home (since it's easier with a newborn) and set up a little mini studio with some lights, or find an available light source and shoot away! My sister has had 2 and I have learned it's much easier than packing your diapers, wipes, bottles, and all that other equipment that comes with babies! ;-)
For a slideshow of some of my previous work you can visit the website
and click "babies + maternity" or just click this link.

Thanks guys and hope to see you soon!

Michelle

Sam the Kitten - Update

2010-01-17T19:03:00.001-06:00

Most of you may remember Sam. He was found in the parking lot at Sam's, explaining his name ;-), and we decided to make it our goal to find this poor lost little kitty a home! He was sooooo sweet and little. . . Needless to say, no one needed a kitten, so by default, he joined our clan!! I can't believe how much he has grown since we got him!! But you can tell he was a stray cat because he is so affectionate and loves attention! Never a dull moment around here with this little guy. So here is a little update collage picture of what Sam looks like now, and some of Sam's baby pictures to compare! See what everyone missed out on??!!

Sam as a Kitten

Sam now, about teenage size ;-)

Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-14T07:46:00.000-06:00

So sad to hear about the massive earthquake that hit Haiti Tuesday. It was a 7.0 which is very devastating. My heart goes all to all of those who are there struggling to find food, water, and shelter. We are so blessed here in the United States to have so much more than our basic needs of food, water, and shelter. Haiti is a nation that was already at an 80% poverty rate. I can't imagine how people are coping. So before we complain that starbucks didn't put the right amount of cream in our coffee, or our food was cold, maybe we should remember those who aren't lucky enough to eat.

In the midst of disasters there are those who are quick to rip us off trying to get donations so they can steal them. Everyone be careful where and how you donate and make sure they are from a credible source.

If anyone knows someone in Haiti and is looking for them, click here to find information on how to locate your loved ones.

If you would like to donate through the American Red Cross, you can text "haiti" to 90999 and $10 will show up on your next cell phone bill.

Please pray for those in Haiti, and remember we are blessed! Have a great day!

Michelle

Snow Pictures Part 2

2010-01-11T12:58:00.002-06:00

Well, I said I would be adding to the "Snow 2010" gallery this month, but I was hoping we would have more snow! We decided to get out of the house this weekend and look for some places that still had some snow, but not really any luck. We did find some frozen ponds that were beautiful and had cute little "duckies", which is what I call all ducks, geese, etc..., so I got a few shots of them. I can't believe they just lay there on the ice and freeze! They even swim in the water that's not frozen. It was still soooo cold so I didn't spend much time before I got back into the car!!
I went over to Lake Fayetteville to check it out, and sure enough it's frozen too! I couldn't believe it. I don't' think I've ever seen the entire lake frozen before. Or maybe I just wasn't old enough. The sun was just setting and everything was just splashed with that beautiful yellow light. And when sage grass it lit up with sunlight, I just can't resist! I think I have posted a lot of sage grass pictures on this blog, and will probably post more in the future! It's so beautiful to me. Gives off a calming sense, don't you think? Here are a few of the shots I got. They will be posted along with the others in the "Snow 2010" gallery.

Have a great day!

Winter Special on Baby Photos!!

2010-01-08T14:45:00.003-06:00

Well, it's frigid outside and no one really wants an outdoor photo shoot! But now is the perfect time for in-home baby shots! So for the month of January and February, all baby photo sessions will be HALF of the normal price! If you are interested, feel free to drop me an e-mail me for pricing so I can make sure I'm meeting your individual photo needs. fotomichelle@cox.net Also included in the special is birth announcements! Here are some examples below:

Have a great day and stay warm!

Oh my gosh! It snowed! Twice!!

2010-01-05T13:57:00.002-06:00

Let it snow, let it snow let it snow!! I always say, if it's going to be cold, it might as well snow! First thing Sunday morning I went to check on the dogs and gasped outloud, "oh my gosh!!". I ran around the house opening blinds and saying "it snowed!! it snowed!!" (Nathan was still asleep, needless to say he got up after that!) We decided to try out the cats in the snow. Sam and Garfield both took off running back into the house. Gizzy however, being the bengal cat he is, walked around in the snow exploring like a leopard. After that we let the dogs out and they had a blast!

We got ready and headed off to church, which by the way was a great service! After a morning of great praise and worship, we headed out to the country to take a few pictures. We stopped at Lake Sequoyah and shot a few from the old bridge that used to go over the White River, before it was flooded to create the lake. Here are a few from our day. If you didn't get any snow, hope you enjoy looking at these! Have a great day!

Michelle

Looking through the old bridge toward the new bridge

Butterflies & Frogs Christmas Party

2010-01-01T15:13:00.003-06:00

Merry (late) Christmas!
So I'm a little late with this post! I went down to Butterflies & Frogs which is a preschool and daycare, and took some photos of their Christmas party right before Christmas! (see how late I am? :-) My two nieces go there, so I just had to go and see what they were up to! Little Averee, "monster" as they call her was up to no good walking around like she owned the place, and Kaitlyn was having a great time with her friends. These little ones are so precious! Here is a preview of some of the shots I took. To view the entire album click here.
Enjoy!

This is "Rowdy" the class hampster. How cute is that?!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T19:51:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas this year. We have been very blessed to have two great families that love us and we love them! We got to spend the morning with the Carter's and the afternoon with the Parker's. Because of the snow, we missed out on our Aunt Billie and Uncle Elmer who live pretty far out. We missed all of their laughs because Aunt Billie is so funny! We also missed their daughter Sharon and her husband Alen becasue she is still in the hospital. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. We missed you guys!

In spite of the absences, we still had a pretty good time! Here are some photos from this years Christmas. Enjoy!

Michelle

Baby Sitting Adventures. . .

2009-12-13T15:35:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone!!

So last night, my sister had a Christmas Party to go to. . and so did mom. . . so for the first time ever I got to baby sit BOTH Kaitlyn and Averee. Usually I just hang out with Kaitlyn cause she's old enough to be my little buddy. Averee was always the baby and mom got to watch her. ;-) Although I am capable, I do not prefer diaper changes. ha ha ha. So finally it was my turn with both. Averee, who Kaitlyn calls "the monster" is going through her terrible two's. But despite all of that, we had a really fun time and didn't even have any problems! Besides the random "mine!!" and "sissy did it" being yelled. We tried playing dress up and taking pictures and here are the results!

Kaitlyn trying to assist Averee the "model"
*note: Averee gouging Kaitlyn's eye in the process!!

Worn out. . .

Ashlie & Taylor

2009-12-13T14:57:00.003-06:00

Good afternoon!

Here are some shots of two beautiful ladies I found at church in need of Christmas Card photos! Aren't they stunning? :-) Ashlie sings in our choir at St. James and has been blessed with the most beautiful musical gift of singing. Thanks Ashlie for serving God with your gift, it has truly been a blessing to me! Enjoy your preview!

Hannah Grace Crumby

2009-12-08T13:29:00.003-06:00

Our prayers and thoughts go out today to the Crumby Family as they have lost their 4 year old daughter, Hannah Grace. Hannah was very near and dear to us, and grew up in the church nursery with my niece Kaitlyn. They were born pretty close together and spent their entire lives together growing up.

How soon we forget how precious life is to us. May we always be reminded that no matter what we are going through, how we hate our jobs, or lack thereof, or get frustrated at our situations, we should always be thankful we have our health and our families. Some do not. Praise God for his comfort and grace and that we can all now celebrate that Hannah is no longer suffering, but is happy, healthy and free in heaven.

In rememberence of Hannah, I have posted some of the few photos I have gathered of her and Kaitlyn over the years. Just click on the picture below to view the album.

Please pray that God will send peace and comfort to the Crumby family.

This is the link to her site that the hospital has set up for her through private donations. If you would like to see this site, or donate to help some of their expenses please create a log in and sign in.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/hannahgracecrumby/createorsignin

Michelle

Got Cards?

2009-12-04T09:36:00.003-06:00

Got Christmas Cards yet? How about family photos to go on those cards? There is still time! Just let me know if you are interested in a photo session and we can get you taken care of, and fast. :-) If you would like to see more amazing sample cards just click on one of the sample cards below.

Thanks!!

Michelle

Morgan & Najja

2009-11-28T14:43:00.005-06:00

What a beautiful Saturday!!

We took advantage of the beautiful weather today and did a family photo shoot with Najja & Morgan. What an energetic and fun couple!! We had a blast! Even Duke (the dog) had fun running around the field :-) Thanks guys for sharing time with us and hope you enjoy the picture preview!

Michelle & Nathan

Mount Magazine

2009-11-17T11:40:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday. . . even though it's freezing outside!! Well, this weekend Nathan and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary!! We decided to celebrate by visiting Mt. Magazine State Park. It is our goal to visit every state park in Arkansas because after all, Arkansas is a very beautiful state. I think sometimes people forget that. Once we arrived at the new Lodge that was just opened in 2006, we walked in and were completely awe struck by the huge wall of windows displaying the most beautiful view I think I have ever seen in Arkansas. The lodge is amazing! We felt like we were in Colorado, not Arkansas. If you haven't gone yet, you must!
We hiked to the summit which is the highest point in Arkansas at 2,753. There is a pretty neat monument made of stone in the shape of Arkansas. After that we went on the Bear Hollow trail until Nathan's recently sprained ankle had enough. (thanks for hangin in there nate for me!) On the way home, we decided to take an alternate route and go see the Blue Mountain Lake that we had seen in our view atop Mt. Magazine. So glad we did!! It is a beautiful secluded lake with huge pine trees and spectacular views. Here are a few photos for you, and if you are interested in purchasing any or just looking click here. Thanks for looking, and feel free to comment on any photos you may like (or not like)!

Blue Mountain Lake Boat Dock Area

Blue Mountain Lake viewing Moss Back Ridge

A View of Blue Mountain Lake From Mount Magazine

Christmas Cards are now Here!

2009-11-11T08:46:00.007-06:00

Christmas cards are now available! Feel free to browse the templates by clicking on the sample cards below.

*Christmas cards come in standard 4x8 sizes and folded 5x7 sizes.

*They come in 3 finishes:
-glossy
-matte
-lustre (which is shiny like glossy,
but fingerprint resistant like matte)

If you are interested in ordering cards, just e-mail me at fotomichelle@cox.net, send me the photos you would like included. Or if you don't have any, schedule a photo session with me :-D. Include in your e-mail the text you would like on the card and I will make it and send you a proof. Then, you can order them directly from my site!

Happy Browsing!
(click photo cards to see entire gallery)

Christmas Cards!

2009-11-06T10:06:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone!

For those of you who may not know, Christmas is just around the corner and you know what that means. . . Christmas Cards!! Just a reminder, if you would like to get your family photos done before Christmas so that you can have photo cards to hand out, just let me know! It would be great to take advantage of this warm weather we are having and sign up for some outdoor photo shoots!

Also new this year, I will be offering 4x8 Christmas Cards and envelopes for purchase. Next week I will show off some of the new templates I have been working on for you to choose from. They can be ordered in quantities of 20, 50 or 100. Prices will follow. You may contact me at my e-mail fotomichelle@cox.net, or you may call me at 479-799-1333. Thanks!

Amaya Family Photos

2009-11-05T13:14:00.005-06:00

This week I had the opportunity to take some family pictures of the most kind hearted family you will ever meet. Dina and Gilbert are old friends of mine and their kids are so creative and smart! And you can't find a more photogenic family either! Always great smiles and laughter. Well, we were looking for fall colors and we got lucky and found a few trees that still had some leaves on them! Enjoy your preview, and click here to see your entire album. :-)

Dynamo vs. Whitecaps

2009-10-16T09:11:00.003-05:00

Last night the Dynamo Girls fought it out against the Whitecaps and that field was muddy!! I think some of the girls,( i.e. Kaitlyn), have been taught that when they get dirty, you go and get cleaned off. When Kaitlyn fell down she stood there like now what? hahaha! My sister is a clean freak and I think it has rubbed off on Kaitlyn. (sorry Jennifer, I had to. :-)) They soon learned though that they could wipe the mud off of their hands by using their coaches shirt!! So cute. . I just love watching these little girls play. Their individual personalities really come out. Here is your preview, and the photos are already uploading! Yippie! See the gallery by clicking here.

Wiping off Hands!!

Soccer Update

2009-10-14T07:35:00.005-05:00

Hello!

Well, Dynamo Girls vs. Galaxy photos are finally up on the website! I have to apologize to all the mom's out there waiting to see pictures. I had thought for some reason that they were all up on the site, but they were not!
For the entire gallery of photos just click here.

Also, I am thinking of putting together some photo books after the season is over in order to have all the photos together in a coffee table book type album similar to the new modern wedding albums. If anyone is interested please feel free to contact me at fotomichelle@cox.net . I am still working out details of sizes to offer, as wedding album binding companies are very proud of their books and can be pricey! Below are some examples of album pages that could be used. A few of them are 4x6 album pages, and some are 5x5. I like to design my own pages instead of using the templates that most companies offer because I think that each image can tell a different story depending on how it is arranged and placed. Thanks everyone for your patience and have a great day!

Cover Example