It's Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas to you all - may you have a wonderful day and may the blessings of God be with you throughout the coming year.

Guess Who's Coming to Town?!

Not long ago I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing someone we all know well.  He has different names depending on where you live in the world:  Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas or Papa Noel, to give but a few - yes, it's the twinkly-eyed man himself - Santa Claus!

I met with Santa and Mrs. Claus while they were getting ready for the big event and was able to photograph him while doing the laundry, darning his loooong red socks and sitting down to have a nice cup of hot cocoa.

It was so much fun chatting with them and getting to know them!  Santa's a great guy (as we already knew!) and he's also graciously allowed me to share some photos with you.

So coming in December, I'll be posting a photograph of Santa every day (except for Sundays!) on my Facebook page.  Come and join us for the fun!

Alaska - Wolves and Bears

Part 4 of the Alaska Series.  Don't miss a moment: click here to start reading at Part 1: Above the Arctic Circle!


Luckily, I wasn't holed up the entire time with a cold.  The first fine day saw me champing at the bit to be out by myself in the Great Outdoors of Alaska.  But there was a problem:  I didn't have anything for protection from the wild beasties.  Not that we'd been inundated with four-legged visitors; all we'd seen so far were a couple of moose, at a distance.  The only thing I was planning on shooting with was my trusty Nikon.  Nevertheless, best not to tempt fate, so when Wayne offered to lend me his handgun, I accepted.

This wasn't any old handgun though; this was a Smith & Wesson 500, no less.  According to Wikipedia, the S&W 500 is 'the most powerful production revolver in the world today, and it is being marketed as [...] "the world's most powerful handgun" by the manufacturer."  Yikes.

(I just used Wikipedia as a source in my writing.  My English professors will be rolling their eyes in dismay.)

Okay, so that you know where I'm coming from, I hadn't even seen a handgun until I came to the US.   My brother has a rifle, my uncle and cousins enjoyed hunting and I'd shot a BB rifle, but I'd never been in the presence of a real-live, hip-holstered, gun-totin' type before emigrating.  When we were planning the Alaska trip, Steve and I decided it would be a good idea for me to learn how to use a handgun, if only so that I didn't shoot myself...  (For the record, I'm pretty darn good at sporting clays and the paper-silhouette target at the gun range ended up with a nice, tight cluster of holes in its shoulder, right where I intended it to be.)

Smith & Wesson 500

Anyhow, back to the story.  Here's me, the rookie in camp, out for a walk by myself with a portable canon strapped to my chest (gee I hope Mum isn't reading this...).  The S&W 500 is a lot heavier than those I practiced with at the gun range, but Wayne promised me the adrenaline rush would take care of that if I had to point it at something.  Oh joy.

I walked far enough away that camp was a few smallish white blips in the distance, then stopped to breathe in the scenery.  A movement caught my eye and I spotted a black bear moving at a fairly quick pace in the direction of camp.  My heart started racing - it wasn't the first black bear I'd seen in the wild, but this time I was alone.  My initial thought was to alert the folks back in camp.  Actually, that was my third thought.  The first two were:  Eek!  Oh whew, it's moving away from me and then Rats!  I wish I had a longer zoom lens.

Black bear heading towards camp.

But my cellphone was stuffed into the bottom of a pack in my tent and no-one provides service north of the Arctic Circle anyhow.  Yes, that's right; of all the ridiculous things to flash through my mind at that moment, calling camp on the cellphone was one.  Yet more proof that I've lived in a large city too long.  (Smoke signals would have been more effective.  Hold on a moment while I rustle up a fire.)

By this time, I was fairly hopping with excitement and no-one around to high-five.  At least I had photographic proof!  I turned south again and spotted husband-and-wife team Jerry and Lisa heading back to camp.  Walking over to meet them, I 'casually mentioned' seeing the bear.  Jerry took one look at the photos and hot-footed it back to camp, trying to intercept the bear before it could disappear.  Lisa and I chatted for a while, then she followed Jerry back to camp.

If you look closely enough, Jerry is just below the horizon off
Lisa's right shoulder.

That wasn't the end of the excitement, however.  Walking back to the river, I spotted a wolf on the far bank.  No doubt he'd long since seen me, but right then he was watching Jerry and Lisa intently as they moved further away.  Determining that they were no longer a threat, he focused his attention on the next curiosity - me.  My heart was now pounding so hard that I could barely get a clear photo, because if there was one animal I wanted to see out here, it was a wolf.

My friend the wolf.

I was totally okay with him trotting down the far bank, then daintily crossing the river and I even got a few shots of him looking upstream and downstream on the near bank.  But when he stared fixedly at me, then quick-trotted straight for me, I started getting nervous.  I thought wolves were shy creatures!  This one was sizing me up for a tasty snack.

Quickly but carefully (yes, carefully, go figure!), I placed my camera on the ground and stood up, drawing the gun and standing broadside to the wolf in one movement.  The gun that was so heavy had never felt lighter.  Until this point, I'd been standing side on so as to better steady myself while photographing the wolf, but turning to face him afforded him a better view of me and he realised I was human.

If I'd known then what I know now, I would have handled it completely differently and ended up with some beautiful photos before scaring him off.  And I would also have scored some awesome video footage as the wolf spun a swift 180 then forded the river, pushing up waves bigger than he was as he bounded back across.  My mind is now the sole keeper of these images, as well as how he quickly climbed the bank, shook himself, then looked back at me over his shoulder before disappearing into the trees.  Next time, my friend.

Next up: Planes from the Inside World

Madison | Alpharetta GA Senior Photographer

Meet Madison - and her precious pup!  He tried his best to lick her teeth while she kept right on smiling.   And you have no idea how hard it is to photograph bubbles with a constantly shifting breeze...  Thanks for a fun shoot, Madison and best wishes for school next year!

Alaska - Food, Glorious Food & Pitching In

Looking south-ish from near camp.  The sun never got higher than this, but it took forever to cross the sky.

Part 3 of the Alaska Series.  Click here to read Part 1: Above the Arctic Circle, or Part 2: The Outfitters Camp & Moose Bottoms.

Any camp that has razzleberry pie or cake every day is not too shabby in my books, even if it does mean dealing with a long-drop.  I thought I was going to lose weight out there - not a chance - these guys can cook!  And you have the opportunity for fresh caught food, like the Arctic Char one of the hunters fished.  If you've never tried fresh Arctic Char, you're missing out on a treat.

Part of the fun of camp is helping out with the chores.  This is no five star hotel with a chocolate on your pillow!  But that's not my cup of tea anyhow - I'd much rather be having fun in the 'great outdoors'.  Although, the hot shower in Kotzebue after eight days out in the field was much appreciated.  Taking showers by mixing a tub of hot water with a tub of cold water, then ladling it over the top of your head has only so much entertainment value.  Especially when the shower tent is built with shorter people in mind.

I made a killer pasta sauce one night (with the help of a special, top-secret ingredient entrusted to me by Le Roy) and chicken with chipotle sauce another night.  What else was I going to do while having to hang out in camp for a couple of days, nursing a nasty head cold?

Then there's the wood-chopping to do and plenty of it, to keep the cold nights at bay.  I helped out with that too, mostly chopping kindling.  Welllllll, I say chopping, but it was more like scaring the wood to pieces, if the truth be told...

Next up:  Wolves and Bears

Christmas Card Photo - Mini Sessions!

October 1st - today is the anniversary of the day I set foot in the US for the first time.  In celebration of that, I'm opening up one day this month for a limited number of 20 minute mini-sessions to get that special photo for your Christmas or Holiday cards!

When is it?
          Saturday, October 26, 2013.

Who are you photographing?
          Families, children or pets.

Where is it?
          An outdoor location in the local area.

What comes with it?
          20-minute session, 25 folded cards with envelopes OR 50 double-sided flat cards with envelopes.

Call me at 404.583.0659 for more information and to secure your time slot!

Alaska - The Outfitters Camp & Moose Bottoms

Alaska Kobuk Outfitters Camp

Part 2 of the Alaska Series.  Click here to read Part 1: Above the Arctic Circle

Prior to leaving on our Alaskan Adventure, Steve built a slider for my camera so I could pan smoothly while videoing.  The whole thing disassembles and fits neatly into a tube for storage and travel.  The mistake we made before catching our flight is that we didn't have the TSA folks open it, check the contents and seal it with "TSA Inspected" tape.  After all, it was a whole bunch of metal rods and hunting knives stuffed into a 3ft PVC pipe...

We arrived into Kotzebue with all our bags except for the one containing the slider tube.  A search by the helpful airport folks found it in Seattle and one of the local pilots brought it out to me at camp that evening (yay for fantastic customer service - thanks Alaska Airlines and Eric!).  The whole bag was thoroughly inspected, including my apparently suspicious-looking bag of woolly socks.  I do wish the TSA people would learn to repack stuff nicely.  It all fit in once upon a time; it can do it again.

But while waiting for the bag to arrive we realised that my sleeping bag was with it.  It's not much fun in Alaska without a warm sleeping bag and not knowing if it would arrive that day (if ever), I was in a bind.  Camp guide Cecil came to the rescue with a -40deg sleeping bag.  I was Toasty (see that capital T?!) and kept it for the whole time we were there.  I even had to take my socks off.  Best. Bag. Ever. (Thanks, Cecil!)

Wayne and his Alaska Kobuk Outfitters crew really treat you well.  There is a woodburner in your tent to keep the cold out and trust me, you stay warm with that going, as well as drying your clothes when it rains.  And it rained.  We were in a four-man tent (with Steve's brother and sister) and there was plenty of room.  The cots (stretchers in Kiwi-lingo) are comfortable and have enough clearance to store bags under them.

The first full day in camp brought a lot of rain.  Did I mention before that it rained?  September is definitely rainy season in Alaska.  But that (along with a snowfall the previous week) dealt to the bugs, so I was okay with it - mostly because I wouldn't need to wear my BCHN (this is comparable to a pair of BCGs, but is a hairnet instead of glasses).  We spent time getting to know the other folks in camp then suddenly word came in that a moose and calf had been spotted nearby.  Steve and I took off after them, but those long-legged beasties are speedy even when walking.

We climbed up a small rise and waited for a while, finally seeing the pair as they broke cover and headed for the hills.  I only had a chance to photograph their backsides as they quickly moved away from us.  But hey - I snagged a photo of a moose.  Next time it'll be up close and personal.

Next up:  Food, Glorious Food & Pitching In

Alaska - Above the Arctic Circle

Alaska - a land of wolves, bears and cute arctic foxes; rugged wilderness and breathtaking scenery.  A land where one mistake can make the difference between life or death and a land that will take hold of your heart and not let go.

Two weeks ago Steve and I boarded a plane for a part of the world where I never dreamed I'd actually set foot.  Three flights and 19 hours' travel time later, we arrived in Kotzebue - 53km (33mi) north of the Arctic Circle (if you're really interested, the coordinates are 66°53′50″N 162°35′8″W.  Trust me - it's waaaay up there).  But this wasn't an ordinary tourist excursion to the top of the world; we were there to hunt caribou and rough it - as far as you can call it that with a gas stove in camp.

Kotzebue gave us a welcome that was a far cry from the Hotalanta summer we'd just left: cold, windy and a misty drizzle.  Arriving at 9:40am local time, we had a few hours to kill while we waited for the weather to clear for the flight out to the camp run by Alaska Kobuk Outfitters.

One thing we noticed while exploring Kotzebue is that the satellite dishes don't point up; they point to the horizon.  Yet another clue that you're in a completely different part of the world.

At around 3pm local time we finally received word that the cloud layer had lifted sufficiently at camp for us to land out there - and we were off again; even further north and inland.  I've piloted a Cessna once, a long time ago (and have one hour clocked in a pilot's logbook to prove it) but that was on a sunny, windless day and this was not.  I'll freely admit I'm not the happiest flyer, but once I got the courage up to ignore the bumps and look out the window, I was in for a treat.

Our pilot was ever on the lookout for wildlife and thanks to him we saw a group of musk oxen and a rather large-ish moose, which glared up at the plane with a "what?!" attitude.  After a sweet landing on the riverbed (much smoother than the wind-blown thriller landing into Kotzebue), the pilot took off back to Kotz, leaving me to catch this shot of the plane heading for the cloudy sky.

This truly was an adventure to remember - and one that will always be among the best I've ever had the privilege of experiencing.

Next up: the Alaska Kobuk Outfitters Camp and Moose Bottoms.

Morgan | Playing with Light

Sometimes I ask someone to step in front of my camera just for the fun of it and for this shoot I wanted to play with different lighting setups.

The photo above was made on a bright sunny day, inside my garage.  The natural 2pm daylight is reflected off the concrete driveway straight onto Morgan's face, resulting in Flat Light: a low contrast look that gives very little detail to the face, emphasising the eyes and mouth.

Compare this with the photo below, which I made using my studio lighting setup.  The main light is a softbox just in front of, and very close to, her left shoulder (camera right) but not aimed directly at her.  Instead, the light which 'spills' off the edge of the softbox is what reaches Morgan's face, creating a much softer look.  This technique is called 'feathering' the light.  

In addition, I placed a diffuser between the softbox and Morgan's face to soften the light even further.  Finally, there's a second light behind Morgan on her right, which serves to separate her from the background a little, often called a 'kicker' light.   You can see the effect of this light in the hair on the right side of her head (camera left).

The angle I'm shooting from produces what's called Short Light on Morgan's face.  The fully-lit side of her face is turned slightly away from the camera, leaving the shaded side toward me.  This creates a little shadow in the outside curve of her nostril called Loop Lighting, as well as giving definition to her right cheek bone.

So which is best?  It all depends on your taste and why you're photographing the model.  What story are you wanting to create with your image?

These photos of Morgan were taken just after she'd graduated as a high school senior and not long before she headed off to university, to study photography.  I've seen some of her work and she's definitely someone to watch.  Thanks, Morgan - and best wishes!

Order Your 2014 Dog Calendar Here!

Atlanta's temperatures are surprisingly cool for this time of year, but here on my blog the CAREing Paws Fundraiser Thermometer is heating up!

Our goal is to raise $2500 for Georgia animal therapy group CAREing Paws and we're using the 2014 Dog Calendar to do it!  Each calendar sold earns $5 for CAREing Paws - keep track of our progress on the thermometer at the top right of this blog.  Come on folks - help us help this group of wonderful people serve those in need in our community!

Here's how you can do it:  click on the link below to order your calendar.  At the end of each month I'll place a bulk order for all the calendars ordered in that month and ship yours to you the following month.

Calendars make great gifts and yes, it's coming up on that time of year - it'll be here before you know it!

SORRY, THE 2014 DOG CALENDAR IS NO LONGER FOR SALE.

The calendar costs $19.95 + Tax (GA State: 7%), Shipping & Handling.  Thanks for your help in supporting these 'Four-Footers'.

   

An Unlikely Match

Here's a short and sweet clip to help dispel your Monday morning blues.  I was looking for motivational videos this morning, to kick-start my week and uncovered this little treasure.

I love cats, hedgehogs are cooler than bowties and the videography is lovely.  Enjoy and have a great week!

A Passion for Learning

Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago IL USA

This week I was in Chicago for Skip Cohen University's Summer School, an annual photography conference that gathers many of the great photographers of our day into one place, to teach others in the field.

Industry icons such as Joe McNally, Clay Blackmore, Roberto Valenzuela and Ryan Schembri joined many other well-known photographers in heading up the list of instructors for SCU 2013.  We studied topics such as lighting, posing and fashion, for family, child and wedding portraiture, as well as fine art, marketing and the business of photography.

All this so that we can get better at doing what we do, for you our clients.

So what do a bunch of photographers do at night after class?  We hit the town - with our cameras.  We learn from and teach each other; because we love what we do and get a kick out of helping others improve their skill.

It's all about learning, progressing and improving the photography industry as a whole.  As Anthony J. D'Angelo said: "Develop a passion for learning.  If you do, you will never cease to grow."

Dog Therapy - A Love Story

Here's a sweet story to warm your heart.  Mick is a pup born with Swimmer Puppy Syndrome, which means he couldn't stand, walk or even sit.  Instead of being euthanised, which is the usual procedure for these puppies, The Mia Foundation took him under their wing and worked with him daily.

Here's Mick's story - and I double dog dare you to make it through without at least sniffling.

2014 Dog Calendar - The Finalists!

At last, the long-awaited results from last week's 2014 Dog Calendar vote!  The finalists are (in no particular order):

Annie

Bogee

Tebow

Hollis

Raven

Lincoln

Wilbur

Bear

Tara

Cowboy

Bingo

Phoenix

Felix the Cat

But wait, you're thinking; that's 13!  And you'd be right.  Felix the Cat was in the top five, but it's a dog calendar!  So he gets an honorary mention in the calendar for being so bold.

Here's a preview of the calendar lineup:

And here's a link to the video in case you missed it, because I had so much fun photographing these pooches (and cat) and producing the video.  It's been a blast, folks and we might just have to do this again next year for a 2015 Dog Calendar!

2014 Dog Calendar - Thank You!

Thanks so much to all who were involved in this event; from the candidates and their humans to the seemingly endless group of voters, and especially my ever-supportive husband, Steve.  It's been a fantastic couple of months!  And some die-hard voters were still at it last night at midnight, when the poll closed.  You're a great bunch of people and you made this project a lot of fun.

Now it's time to shake it off (I know more than one of you had a less-than-productive day on Friday!), sit back and relax.  Monday will roll around before you know it - doesn't it always, relentless and sometimes unforgiving? - and I'll publish the finalists.

Until then, enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a blessed Sabbath day. 

Summer in Georgia | Cumming GA Family Photographer

"And now for something completely different".  Well, it's not really, but it is a break from the 2014 Dog Calendar campaign!

Georgia summers are a dodgy time of year for photographers; the weather changes at the blink of an eye.  But thunderstorms mean you have puddles to play in, which is great for kids - including us big kids!

During this particular shoot, fortune was smiling on us and the rain held off for the entire shoot.  We were lucky enough to have an overcast evening which turned the sky into a lovely, big softbox, meaning no harsh shadows from sunlight.

There's only so long that Hotlanta can go without rain during summer, though, and as we were heading back to our cars the skies opened and we were pelted!

2014 Dog Calendar - Vote Here! | Pet Photographer

It's time to vote at last!  Over the past two months I've photographed 19 dogs and 1 cat from all over Georgia - ranging from Dahlonega in the north to Warner Robbins in the south.

I've heard all sorts of stories about these four-footers, both heartbreaking and delightful.  But no matter their beginnings, there's one thing they all have in common: they're now loved by some of the most wonderful people in Georgia.

As much as I'd like to put all of these guys in the calendar, there can only be twelve.  And because it's such a tough decision, I'm asking you out there to help me choose!  Starting Monday, 29 July and running through Friday, 2 August the polls will be open for your vote.

Those who are selected for the calendar will win a free copy for their human friends.  And yes, the calendars will be available for purchase, with $5 from each sale going to CAREing Paws; Georgia's own non-profit animal therapy group.

It's up to you how you do it - vote for as many as you like, as often as you like!  Just remember that the poll closes at 11:59pm EDT on Friday.  Thumbnails for each pet are shown below, or you can see them larger in the gallery on my Facebook page by clicking HERE.  And there's a video slideshow of all the candidates plus some bonus images, which you can watch HERE.

Android & iPhone Users:  It's been brought to my attention that you're unable to see the voting form.  Click HERE to visit a page on my website where you can vote.  Thanks for playing!

Poll open: Mon-Fri, 29 July - 2 August, 2013
Happy Voting!

2014 Dog Calendar - The Candidates

Many of you have been following the model search on my Facebook page as it's been happening over the past two months.  It's been a huge amount of fun and I've met some of the nicest people in Georgia.

It's proving to be a tough job to choose which dogs to include in my 2014 Dog Calendar, so I'm enlisting you to help me choose the final twelve.  Voting starts this coming Monday, 29 July and runs through Friday, 2 August.  You may vote as often as you like, for as many dogs as you like!

In the meantime, here's a quick review of all the dogs (plus one cat!) who are vying for their page in the calendar.  Thanks so much to all who participated - it was lovely meeting you and your furry friends!

2014 Dog Calendar - Model Shoots

Just like the little guy in the photos above, we've been looking here, there and everywhere for dogs to grace our 2014 Dog Calendar.  And I've been having a hugely fun time meeting these dogs and their owners.

Since the start of June, four-footed laddies and lassies from as far north as Dahlonega to as far south as Warner Robbins have been posing for my camera.  So far there are 12, but there are more to come.  Soooo... what do I do with so many models?  Only 12 can make it into the calendar.

I'm throwing it out to you to help me decide which pups will be in next year's calendar.  The last shoot will take place on Saturday, 27 July and after that I'm going to open up a poll on this blog.  But you'll have to be quick - it's only going to be open for three days!

UPDATE: THE POLL WILL BE OPEN ALL NEXT WEEK - Monday to Friday!

Watch this space to vote: Mon-Fri, 29 July - 2 August 2013.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CANDIDATE SLIDESHOW!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW!

Ethan - 7mo | Cumming GA Baby Photographer

Check out these baby blues!  And in case you're wondering, that's their real colour - no tinting in Photoshop.  Ethan's photo shoot was a huge amount of fun and he ran the whole gamut of expressions across that precious face.

You can see more from Ethan's photo shoot in his album on the Southern Kiwi Photography Facebook page.

Mixing Work and Play

One of the personal projects I'm working on at the moment is a Wildflower Series.  More to come on that later, but today I wanted to showcase this little guy I spotted while out shooting.

He was busy scouting around on the post I was using to brace myself when I spotted him.  We both paused for a moment, taking time out of work to play.  I took one image of him and then he graciously lifted his head up.  I'm certain he was posing - it had nothing to do with the big black lens suddenly dominating his world...

Celebrating People

I don't normally post on a Sunday, but I thought this one was appropriate for the Lord's Sabbath.

There's so much of nastiness, unkindness and uncertainty in our world today that it's truly heartwarming to see regular people doing simple, random acts of kindness.

This kind of love and concern for those around us - as well as for our animal friends - helps us to see that it's not hard to make a real difference in someone's life.  And what may be small to us as a giver can be monumental to the person receiving.

It doesn't take a fancy-dancy organisation or programme, it just takes love.  Share your humanity with those around you.

There's a Big World Out There!

Here's something to make you smile on a Friday and get you through to the weekend - it's almost here...

I totally understand where this woman's coming from!  So many folks think I'm either Australian or British and even when I say I'm from New Zealand, they think I'd prefer to be asked about Australia or England.

My top 5 'favourite' questions I've been asked since moving to the USA:

5. Do you have McDonald's there?
4. Have you ever heard of Motown?
3. Do you have electricity there?
2. How long did it take you to drive here? [Seriously?!]
1. How long did it take you to drive here? [yes, there were two unrelated people who asked this one.]

Oh and there was one young lady who asked me how I got my accent.  I told her that for the first part of my life I practiced really hard and that's when I discovered 12 year olds can be incredibly gullible.  Hook, line and sinker.

There's a big world out there and it's full of different and interesting people :o)  Enjoy!

Isabelle | Suwanee GA Senior Photographer

Being a Senior Ambassador, Isabelle also had an early season photo shoot.  Luckily for her though, she didn't have to deal with a cold day.  After all, spring comes early in Georgia, right?  Sometimes...

Isabelle didn't have it easy though; she had a warm, beautiful day, but had a strong wind to contend with.  She kept her cool though and handled it extremely well.  You'd never know except for the occasional photo with her hair streaming out behind her.  Have a look at the video page on my website to see more from Isabelle's shoot.

Many thanks to Rachael Adams for Isabelle's hair and makeup.  If you're looking for a stylist for your senior shoot, I recommend her.

"No Such Thing as Professional Photographers"

“There’s no such thing as Flickr Pro today because [with so many people taking photographs] there’s really no such thing as professional photographers anymore.”

With this statement made during Monday's press conference, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer landed herself in hot water, among professional photographers at least.  And word travels quickly in the photography community, especially when it leaves folks shaking their heads in disbelief.

I don't have a Flickr account but there are a lot of people who do.  A LOT.  Some of them are amateur photographers and some are professional.  But unfortunately for Mayer, pretty much all of them are up in arms about Monday's changes to the website.  Have a look at the Flickr Help Forum discussing the changes - it's rather entertaining.  Note that a few folks are a little more, shall we say: colourful with their language - reader beware.

As for the "no such thing as professional photographers" comment, well-known photographer Scott Bourne has challenged Mayer to join him for a podcast on his website to discuss her statement.  He'll even donate $1000 to a charity of her choice if she does.

Meanwhile, professional photographers will carry on with our business licenses and sales tax payments, with continuing education to improve our style and techniques, and with finding the best print labs for our clients' memories.  And close our drop-jawed mouths.

Maddie | Cumming GA Senior Photographer

I'm a little behind on blogging but here we have Maddie, one of my Senior Ambassadors.  She was a real trooper on a fairly cold spring day - her happy, light-hearted attitude shone through in her photos.  You can see more of her session in her video on my website.

The location for this shoot was Burruss Mill and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Gray and Kelley Smith for allowing me to shoot on their property.

Rachael Adams did a great job of Maddie's hair and makeup.  If you're looking for a stylist for your senior photo shoot, Rachael is fun to work with and I recommend her.