Defining Grace Photography

I HAVE A NEW BLOG

2010-06-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! If you haven't checked it out yet or discovered that I have a new blog then you HAVE to check it out! It's way better and it's where I'll be updating all my posts from now on. So if you have THIS blog bookmarked, you'll need to change it to the link bellow! Check it out and leave a comment...

www.defininggracephoto.com/blog/

See you over there soon!

I wish I could show you...

2010-05-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I could show you all a sneak peek from a recent bridal session. The bride was stunning! We took her pictures at a couple different locations including a horse pasture filled with buttercups, a field in front of an old rusty house, and we finished the evening at Wild Life Pond. The lighting was great and she was so fun to photograph. I was so pleased with how these pictures came out...there are some gorgeous shots!
I say that not to "toot my own horn," (I feel really cheesy saying that..."toot my own horn"...corny I know but you get the point), but I say that to let you all know how beautiful she was and IS...on the inside and out. AND how great God is that he blessed the shoot with some good lighting and locations! By the end of the shoot I felt like I had a new friend and I am thrilled to be shooting her wedding this June!! Which, by the way, is why I can't show you her bridal's yet...not until AFTER her big day! But after June 5th you can expect to see some beautiful pictures of a very precious girl!

But for now you can take a look at Graydon's first time strawberry picking! I love strawberry season....YUMM!! Hope you enjoy!

This is a picture of my mom and her best friend picking strawberries. It was not just Graydon's first time picking but also my mother's friends first time picking!! I love how timeless this image feels...even in color!

Engaged and in love

2010-04-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things I love about life...but my favorite thing and what it is all about is relationships. True, meaningful, loving relationships. It's what we were created for, to be in relation or community with one another... That's why I love photographing people so much. Friends and family have often asked me what I prefer to photograph, families, children, babies, or weddings. I really can't answer that question because I love photographing and witnessing ALL those things. There is something so special about each one.

This past weekend I had the honor of photographing a young couple in love. What was so awesome to see about Austin and Stephanie is that they were not ashamed to allow their love for one another to shine through for everyone to see. He was so tender with her and treated her like a princess...and the way she looked at him in return was the stuff that story books are written on. These two are high school sweet hearts who, several years later, are still head over heals for one another. My husband and I are so excited to be able to document their love once again On January 1st when they become husband and wife. Thank you so much to the two of you for sharing these moments with us and trusting us to capture them for you.

It was very hard for me to narrow it down to just a couple of my favorites so I posted a few more than I normally do...hope you enjoy your extended "sneak peek"! Let me know what you all think!

How goOorgeous is this girl?! Quite an attractive couple the two of you are!

Ok, I love this one because it shows a little of Stephanie's playfulness and you can just tell that Austin enjoys watching her. Way to give me a bit of sass...you know how to work a camera girl!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Austin... Stephanie is not the only one who knows how to work the camera!

A quick outfit change and a 10 minute drive to a different location and BAM...

The lighting God gave us for these shots was incredible! Seriously, I did minimal work to this photo...it's very close to how it looked straight out of the camera...One of my favs!

May you always look so peaceful in each others arms...

Senior Session

2010-04-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had the privilege of meeting Matthew. I really enjoyed my time with him and his mom. He is an avid golfer and enjoys the outdoors and was so super sweet and funny! Because of his love of golf we decided to start at Walnut Creek Country Club and go from there. Here are a few of my favorites from the afternoon. Thanks for being such a gentleman, you were a lot of fun to photograph and I enjoyed getting to know you a bit! Hope you enjoy your "sneek peak"!!!

What a great smile!! Matt, you have some of the nicest teeth I've ever seen!

Happy Easter...

2010-04-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

...He has Risen! Well it's officially spring...I can tell by the gross layer of pollen that I'm greeted with every morning when I go out side. This is my first spring in North Carolina and all I want to know is where in the world does all this pollen come from?!? Seriously, one day it was gorgeous and cool, 65 and sunshine, no bugs...then BAM...the next day there was a covering of light green dust on EVERYTHING and with that pollen came all the bugs!! Spring in Dallas did not have this, so you can understand my perplexity of this situation.

ANYWAY, sorry about the tangent. With spring also comes a freshness of new life and discovery and that is even more prevalent raising a two year old. I seeing all the flowers bloom and hearing kids playing in the streets now with the warmer weather. But my FAVORITE thing is watching Graydon play and discover...so I thought I would share with you all a bit of my joy in watching him.

I'm hoping that you all can push your spring time allergies aside, (as I have to), and enjoy the freshness and new life of spring. This Easter Sunday, or at least maybe sometime this week, take a walk with your spouse, be sure to hold hands, or grab an ice creme cone with a good friend and take in all the flowers and enjoy watching the neighborhoods come to life with children playing...it'll do you good! Trust me! Happy Easter to you all, and happy Spring!

This was Graydon's first Easter Egg Hunt! My sister's church, Faith Alliance puts on one for the community every year...Here are a couple of my favorites, including two with his cousin Jordan!

So sassy...this is totally Jordan! I love it!

LOVE these next two!!!

Hope you all are having a GREAT Easter weekend!!!

Graydon is TWO

2010-03-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

...I can't believe how time fly's!! I realize that's a bit cliche and we hear it often, but man...just two short years ago I was holding a tiny little baby and crying at how overwhelmed I was to have the honor and responsibility of caring for something so precious.

We take time for granted way too often and it is such a gift. Most of us don't make time for the stuff that lasts, the stuff that matters. Everyone is always sooOOoo busy. The truth is there will ALWAYS be something that needs to get done, another dish to wash, or two more hours of overtime we could squeeze in. But time passes and you CAN'T get it back. My father-in-law always says "you make time to do the things you really want to do"....and he's right! If I really want to watch the new episode of the Office, then I'm going to make a point of watching it. If I really want to check out the sale at Old Navy then I'm going to try and find a way to squeeze it in while I'm running errands.
I realize having said that, sometimes I need to re-prioritize day.

I have a TON of work I should be doing on the computer. I have a new web-site and new (way improved) blog that I have been trying to work on, as well as family photos I've been meaning to process and organize. But those things are not more important than my son. So I work on client's photos and blog when I can and choose to laugh with my son while rolling around on the floor in a tickle fight instead...I can always work on that other stuff later, but tickling, laughing, and cuddling Graydon is something that in a few more short years from now I won't be able to do...mostly because it won't be cool to snuggle with your mom when your 10 or 12.

My point is that we could all stand to take some time to do the things that are important to us...reading more, journaling, catching up with old friends, turning the TV off and talking with your spouse, exercising, or tickling your two year old before more birthdays pass and your wondering again, where did the time go?

We spent Graydon's birthday weekend in Myrtle Beach with my family...it was nice to get away. I hope you enjoy these pictures from the beach and of him enjoying his strawberry cake. AFTER you take a look at them :) stop surfing the net, log off facebook, close down your e-mail, turn your computer off and go take the time to do something that matters!

This was the view from our balcony...not bad eh?

Jeremy took this one of me in "action"!

My sister and her friend goofing around.

Thanks to Venessa (my other sister...the one with the baby just above) for taking this picture of my beautiful family...I am so blessed! Have a great Wednesday!

Baby Belly

2010-02-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

How cute is this girl with her precious pregnant tummy?!! I was happy to do this session because, truth be told, it's been a little while since I've done maternity photos for a couple. This couple was very easy going and fun to photograph so we had a good time (thanks again you guys!)...Here are a handful of my favorites from yesterday's session. Hope you all enjoy!!!

BELLY LOVE

Can this girl take a picture or what! I told you you were very photogenic! Beautiful.

Can't wait to see your little girl when she comes!

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

We hope you all have a wonderful Valentines Day! Enjoy these pics taken this morning from the crazy snow we got last night! Oh, and stay tuned for another "sneak peek" coming up on Monday the 22nd!

Let me first say...

2010-02-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

...how wonderful my internet family is!!! (E'hemm, that's YOU). After my last post I got a wonderful and unexpected response from so many of you who had either experienced what we have recently gone through, or just wanted to express your sympathies and let us know you were praying and thinking of us.

I can't tell you how much I appreciated that. We have felt your prayers and are moving on, not forgetting of course, but trusting God and enjoying and delighting in one of the many blessings He has given us in our amazing son Graydon. So with that, here are some recent pictures our our little guy along with a couple of his cousins...

So my dad has a set of rather large cooking pots that were dug out of storage recently for my mother to use. Two days ago the weather was a bit gloomy so we stayed inside the whole day at Grandmas and Graydon decided to get a little creative. My sister came over for a bit with her two kids and they had some fun with the pots too. They were just too cute to leave my camera alone! Hope you enjoy these "just for fun" pictures and thank you once again!

HOW CUTE IS THIS KID!!!

Let me tell you why I LOVE this photo...When ever Graydon hears people laughing he likes to join in the fun too and "laughs" along with everyone as if he knew exactly what was so funny. What cracks me up about this is that it's a fake laugh and every time he does it he squints his eyes and covers his mouth and then "laughs" very loudly. It is so cute! So that's what you see here in this picture.

I love how big my nephews eyes are...he is such a sweet heart so I had to include these last two as well.

Have a great Wednesday and check back again in a few days for another post!

Personal

2010-01-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

Life is a very precious thing. It's something we take for granted too often and something that too many of us allow to pass by without enjoying it. It's the little things, an elderly couple holding hands, children laughing, stopping to appreciate the warmth of the sun, sharing an ice cream cone with someone you love. It's why I love doing what I do.

True to life however, is that it's not always sweet. We all experience heartache, disappointment, frustration, and loss. But I believe that these things are also necessary and a very important part of life as well. They help bring perspective in some instances, other hardships let you know that people care and you are truly loved. Working through them makes us stronger and helps us to grow as people. I also believe that all of our hard times only make the sweet moments even sweeter and more precious.

We have recently experienced a very sweet moment in our family when, on December 1st, we found out we were going to have another baby. Our hearts and minds filled with joy and excitement as we told friends and family about baby number two. This week after a visit to the ER we discovered that we lost our little blessing. We would have been 13 weeks today.

Part of what makes life so sweet is being able to celebrate and even mourn with people who care about you. My hope and prayer for you all today is that you would take time to appreciate the people in your life that mean the most to you, the people who make you laugh, who you can cry with, or who just make you smile. Give your kids a hug and be thankful for every moment you have with them. If you don't have children, be thankful for your spouse or special someone. If you haven't found that person yet be thankful for your parents and siblings and certainly for friends.

This picture is of our son Graydon when he was just two weeks old. Next month he will be turning two. This picture always made me smile a peaceful kind of smile. I hope it does the same for you. We appreciate you all. Don't take the life or the moments it gives you for granted.

How Exciting...

2010-01-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

...is it when our troops come home safe! On Friday January 8th the 335th Fighter Squadron swooped in perfect formation above the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as many family and loved ones watched and waited anxiously to greet their hero's returning from Afghanistan.

I had the privilege of photographing this family back in August just before the husband and father of three was to leave for his deployment. I was invited once again to photograph them but instead of a regular family session they wanted me to document the long awaited reunion and I felt honored to be asked.

Truth be told, I love to photograph all kinds of things but I adore documentary! I have a degree in fine arts photography and my senior project was a documentary...maybe someday I'll post about that but back to my point. In studying photography, out of all the styles and genres there are I was always enamored with documentary. SOooOoo I'm very excited to share these pictures and timeless moments from this wonderful families joyful reunion! Hope you all enjoy the sneak peek!

Ok, I had to post that photo by it self because it's classic...now on with the sneak peek in the order of how they happened...starting with the oldest son watching his daddy's jet circle in for a landing!

Here is his jet...it was hard to miss with him proudly holding the University of Alabama flag after their win against Texas in the BCS championship the night before. Then I turn around and see his beautiful wife proudly waving the same flag! How happy is she that her man is home! His daughter too...

Here was the long awaited moment!

I love how happy and at peace the older two look holding their dad who is equally as happy...and the two year old is classic...no care in the world with her daddy safely home and some McDonald's fries in her hand!

Preview of Tomorrow's Post

2010-01-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I promised a special post tonight about a beautiful family that I have had the privilege of getting to know over the last few months. Even more, I was invited to come and document an intimate and special moment in their lives when the husband, father, and hero arrived home safely from his deployment with the Air Force to Afghanistan and was once again reunited with his wife and children. THAT post is coming......tomorrow.

I'm so sorry to the family and friends that expected to see the sneak peek tonight. I had a very long day and am not feeling very well. NOT that that should be an excuse but there will be a full "sneak peek" tomorrow night...AND...to help hold you over one more day here is a quick preview... Thanks for understanding.

Ohio Family

2010-01-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

During our two week trip to Ohio I had the honor of photographing one of Jeremy's mentor and friend's family. The husband and head of this family has been a long time friend and encouragement to Jeremy for over a decade. I have met him before and heard plenty of stories, (don't worry all good), so I was delighted to be able to meet the rest of the family on this day. Here are a few pictures for your sneak peek! Hope you enjoy them so far! Thank you for inviting me into your home and your family...we love you.

Anyone who is a pet lover knows that the pet becomes a large part of the family so we couldn't leave this guy out! This was one of the most beautiful shepherds I've ever seen...I think he might have a bit a wolf in him!

Winter and the New year

2010-01-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know these pictures in this post are not typically what you would find on my blog...because there are no people in them and people are absolutely my favorite thing to photograph...But once in a while I actually take pictures of other things, I just usually don't share them. Well today's post is different.

We spent two weeks in Ohio over the holidays visiting Jeremy's family and friends. It was really nice to have extended time there to relax and see people who we don't get to see very often. Among many things, one thing that made this trip special was the snow!!! For a lot of you who follow my blog I'm sure you don't get to see wintery scenes very often. I'm guessing this because most of you I'm assuming are from Texas or North Carolina.

We woke up Christmas Eve morning bright and early to a beautiful monochromatic winter wonderland. It was early enough that night time sky and fog that it had brought was still lingering and I HAD to photograph it! Later that morning the fog had lifted and the sun came out and provided a wonderful crispness for the rest of the day. I have some pretty magical childhood memories during the winter time having grown up in the north east so these moments, although there aren't any people in them, are still pretty special to me.

I hope you all enjoy something a little different to start off this new year. I'm looking forward to seeing what surprises 2010 will hold and sharing them with YOU as they come. God bless.

Thanksgiving...

2009-12-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

...a couple weeks late! Sorry that I didn't get this post up sooner, now that Christmas is just around the corner. But better late than never. That plus I figure Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years all kind of bleed into one another with family, friends, and food!!! (Throw in Faith and you have my favorite four words beginning with "F"!) Those four words are what the holidays are about for me...the forth word, FAITH could be "unpacked" quite a bit more but I'll leave it at that for now.

I wanted to share with my internet family a few photos from our Thanksgiving in a small town in up-state NY. Walton NY is where my cousin and her family live and they graciously hosted 25 of us for the day! It was the first time we had all been together in almost 5 years so the occasion was extra special. I hope you all enjoy these pictures as you reflect on your own families this Christmas. My husband and I will be spending the next two weeks in Ohio with all of his family so I will not be posting again until the new year....BUT PLEASE check back early in 2010 because I know I will have a LOT to share with you all! Be safe and God bless!

My cousin, who hosted the big day is an amazing cook! Of course she did study culinary arts at Johnson and Wales University in Providence RI. and is now a college professor of culinary arts at a small university in up-state NY. She was responsible for this incredibly scrumptious and perfectly cooked turkey!!! Yummm!

Who doesn't like pie!! Graydon was looking for seconds I'm pretty sure!

How beautiful is my cousin's daughter...it's been said many times but I have to say it again...you can't pay for hair that color!

Graydon watching his daddy throw around the football after all that eating!
What's Thanksgiving day without a little football?!?!

The kiddos wanted in on the game too!

I'm so thankful for so many blessings that God has given me though I don't deserve them!

Another Precious Family

2009-12-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

So a while back I posted a few pictures of a couple families who are on staff at Excel Church, the church plant that Jeremy and I are on staff with here in Holly Springs. (You can check out the web-site by clicking the link in the sentence above). At the time of that post I had not had the chance to photograph the other family that is also on staff. So here are a couple of my favorite shots of the other amazing family we work with!

Ok, so I realize their daughter probably looks like she has to go to the bathroom here but she doesn't. She's actually holding a small toy between her legs that she was fidgeting with for the first part of this mini shoot. So I kind of wish I had caught that before I snapped the picture but this was one of those now or never shots that didn't really allow time for instruction or I would have lost the genuine happiness and joy in all of their expressions. When photographing young kids you have to take the moment when you see it and just laugh and use the cliche "kids will be kids" when you get something like this. (But between us that's one of many things I love about photographing children!)

I think this one is my FAVORITE!

CHRISTMAS CARDS

2009-12-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

YEAH...I finally have up this years Christmas card samples!! (By the way- I realize the first card has the wrong year on it...my bad...obviously if you want that card with the year on it, your card will say 2009).

So you'll notice that each card has a number to the far left and they are numbered #1 through #16. This is how I will know what card you wish to have. That plus I will e-mail you a "proof" with the pictures and sayings you choose to look at before they go to print. There is a wide variety this year and they are customizable...many of them have the option to change the color if you wish as well. Hope you like them and enjoy......

#1

2009-12-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

2009-12-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

2009-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

It's been a while since...

2009-11-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

...I have done a NEW BORN!!! I was so happy to photograph this little guy. He was so so precious and tiny! Actually his mom said his birth weight was over 8lbs and I think she said he was around 22 in...don't quote me on that. My point is that as far as new borns go, he wasn't that tiny. It's just that you forget way too quickly how small they were when you first met them. Mine is almost 22 months and when he was born he was actually smaller than this guy...but I sure don't remember him being that small!!! THAT is why new born pictures are so special and such a treasure to have to look back on.

I enjoyed meeting this family. This was number three for them and the first time they have ever had professional new born shots done, so I was honored to take the photographs for them. It was a bit challenging for a couple reasons. The biggest challenge was an over cast day late in the afternoon. So I didn't have as much lighting as I was hoping for. (But God was good because at least the rain held off!). The other was that this little baby did not want to sleep! Ideally you want a sleepy baby but he was so alert...so as you can see I shot him wide awake! We eventually waited him out and right at the end of our time he finally fell asleep so we did get a couple sleepy shots. (Those are my favorite so I posted them first) Thank you for the opportunity to capture such a treasured time in your new son's life! Hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

If your wondering about all the hands, I had the whole family place their hands on him. So your seeing two of the mother's hands, one of the dad (under his head), and a little two-year-old hand and a five-year-old hand.

A mamma in love...

How Cute is this...

2009-11-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

...little boy! Actually the whole family was just as sweet and fun as their little man. I really enjoyed meeting this family and spending my afternoon with them. Let me just say how hard it was for me to pick just a few favorites to post...man you are all so photogenic. This little guy was such a trooper...the whole time! He was so expressive (as you can see from this post) and such a joy to photograph. Thank you so much for asking me to come spend some time with you and document your love for one another. After a very short time with his parents anyone could see how cherished he is by them. I look forward to a future "play date" with our little men! Thank you again and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

I have to say something about this picture. He is just learning how to walk...kind of. He's at the stage where he's walking across the room with the assistance of something he can push. In this photo he was showing me how he can push his wagon across the floor and he was just so proud of himself! How cute is this expression! (I love the little teeth peeking out too)

Cliffs of the Noose...

2009-11-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

...State park in Goldsboro, NC was the site of the family shoot I had this past Saturday. It was beautiful with all the leaves changing colors and covering the ground. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year and the cool brisk morning and crunch of leaves beneath my feet gave me such a warm feeling just thinking about a fire and hot chocolate later that night. But for as much as I LOVED being out in the fall weather at such a beautiful location I LOVED spending time with and getting to know the even more beautiful family that I photographed! They were such a joy to be around. You don't always meet families who, within 10 minutes of being with them, you see just how genuine and caring they really are. I enjoyed watching the dynamics of your family unfold, I enjoyed capturing moments for you to treasure, I enjoyed our conversations, I enjoyed all of it! Thank you for inviting me into your family for a couple short hours...you were a blessing to me. I hope you all enjoy your pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them! Here is your "sneak peek"!

I love these next two shots...especially the second one-seeing the tenderness of their mother with the youngest.

Ok, real quick...I love this one of the mom, simply because I didn't ask her to smile, I just asked her to look at her husband and this is what I got! A woman still in love.

My first family shoot with Pooches...

2009-11-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun photographing this sweet family this past Sunday afternoon. I have never done a session with animals so I was excited when asked to do this one! These little doggies were so sweet and so well loved and cared for...of course how could you expect any less when their mama is a vet! Thanks for inviting me to hang out with you and capture some moments of you and your family...hope you enjoy your "sneak peek" and I'm looking forward to seeing you on Sunday again this week!

(Personal) It was a warm evening in N. Africa...

2009-11-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

...and we were on a roof top sitting in the middle of a circle of beautiful flowers the night he proposed to me. Six months and a few days later we were walking down the isle of an elegantly simple white church in Collinsville, CT. We celebrated our love with close friends and family in a very intimate and personal ceremony then escaped the following day for the best vacation we have ever had on our honeymoon in Stowe, VT. The picture you see here is from the proposal. I'm so thankful to God for the amazing life He has given me and the tremendous amount of blessings that are so undeserved. Besides Jesus, one of the biggest blessings that I will continue to praise Him for until He takes me home is my love, my best friend, my husband, my Jeremy. These four short years have flown by but I know it's just a scratch on the surface of our life together. There isn't anyone else I would want to be on this adventure with. I love you my heart...you are my home. Happy Anniversary!

Fun weekend with our friends from Excel...

2009-11-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

...Church! We spent this Halloween weekend hanging out with the staff from Excel Church in Holly Springs, N.C. We kicked off the weekend Friday night with a corn maze, hay ride, and camp out! Unfortunately we got rained on all night while in our tents and it continued into the morning so we packed up early. But later on Saturday the rain left, the sun came out and we had a beautiful afternoon at the Holly Fest. That night we joined each other again for some trick or treating with the kids but Graydon was so exhausted from camping the night before that he slept through it all! Oh well, we had a nice visit while we watched the other kids go from house to house. Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween!
Now that it's over I'm pretty excited to enter into my favorite season...Thanksgiving and Christmas!!! (Ok I know they aren't a "season" per say, but you get what I mean ;)
Before we entered the corn maze we planned to get a couple family photos for the church web-site...here is a little sneak peek of two of the wonderful families we have the honor of working with! Hope you enjoy!

Anytime Session...

2009-10-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so one of my favorite wedding photographers, Jasmine Star, every so often is asked to photograph an individual for all different reasons. Some want pics of themselves for web-sites or resumes, and some just want fun and beautiful pictures of themselves just to have...and why not! I think there is a piece of us all that wants to feel beautiful, or glamorous, or just plain hot! If we are truly honest with ourselves, it's kind of fun to see great pictures of yourself. Anyway, when Jasmine takes these sessions she calls them "anytime" photos. For a lack of something better to call them, that's what I'm going to call this one!

This particular "Anytime" shoot was done for a professional profile picture to be sent with his bio for speaking engagements. (He's a pastor...and a new friend of ours here in N.C.) Although he's already seen these pictures (sorry I'm behind on blogging), I hope the rest of you enjoy the "sneak peek"! Have a great Monday!

Trip to Ohio

2009-10-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

These post are a little out of order but that's ok. We went to Ohio for a week so that Jeremy could officiate an old high school friend's wedding and we could visit his family. Before the wedding we had our annual family photo shoot with Jeremy's family. Here are a couple favorites from that shoot! Two precious little girls were born into the family since we had visited a year ago...the first two are those adorable princesses with their mommies.

Cousin Georgie and his daddy, Uncle George (Jeremy's brother).

The oldest of the grandchildren, cousins, and best friends!

Gammy and Grammpy with their seven beautiful grandchildren!

Vacation at Hilton Head...

2009-10-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

...with the in-laws. We had a very nice time relaxing and spending time with Jeremy's family in South Carolina last week. One of our favorite things to do while we were there was ride bikes on the beach...so fun and peaceful. Another great memory I have was hunting for shells! We didn't find very many impressive shells but we did find lots of STARFISH and even a few sand dollars (I thought that was pretty cool and turned into a bit of a kid again with excitement! :) I didn't get much time to photograph like I'd hoped with my professional camera because of "technical difficulties" but here are a couple I did snap before that happened.

So I was bummed because my CAMERA BROKE!!! The shutter collapsed before I could do a photo shoot for my sister-in-law and her family on the beach. I was really looking forward to doing a session for them at sunset on the beach. But we improvised. We did a mini shoot anyway with our little five year old sony cyber-shot point and shoot camera. Here are a couple pics from our trusty 7.2 mega pixel point and shoot. The black and white one below was from the afternoon on the beach and Jeremy shot it. The others were after everyone was cleaned up for the evening and I shot them. The picture Jer took of G-man and I was a bit grainy so I decided to add to the effect with a grain filter...I kind of like it but am a little on the fence about the added grain. (love the pic though)

I love this generation picture too. I snapped it real quick while Jeremy was looking at Graydon, Graydon was looking at Grampy, and Grampy was laughing at Gramy who was busy making everyone smile.

Not exactly what I wanted for this family photoshoot but not too bad for the camera I had to work with!

Back from a long trip...

2009-10-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

...and way too much to blog about!! Jeremy, Graydon and I have been gone for a little over two weeks and man did I take a ton of pictures! I have a bunch of stuff I will be blogging about over the next week but I wanted to start with a wedding that I was NOT the photographer at but a guest. My husband officiated the wedding of a long time friend of his from high school and I just couldn't leave my camera at home. So please keep in mind as you scroll through these that I only stuck to details and candid shots. I did not want to get in the way of the "hired" photographers or step on any toes so I just snuck around and snapped when I had the chance or the other photographers weren't around! So, sorry you won't see any bridal shots or beautiful portraits of the wedding party but I hope you enjoy anyway! The first few are of the rehearsal...that IS the bride but not in her wedding dress.

Since yesterday when I posted this original post I have spoken with this beautiful bride and discovered that her new husband's grandfather was rushed to the emergency room last night after a family dinner. He had extremely low blood pressure and very shallow breath. I am pleased to say he is stable now and doing well. I snapped this picture of the groom's grandfather at the rehearsal the evening before the wedding. He is 95 years old and I remember thinking how well he looked for his age and I could tell he was well loved. We will keep you in our prayers Grandpa Gander!

Now For the wedding day "sampler"!

The reception was BEAUTIFUL! They cleared out and transformed this absolutely gorgeous greenhouse for their grand celebration.

Once the sun set and the moon was up the atmosphere certainly changed! The lighting was fun and beautiful with pink and blue lights everywhere. I chose to photograph with only available light (which means I did not use flash for ANY of the pictures on this post), that way you get a better feel for the ambiance and mood!

First Dance

Parent dances

The bride and groom had a unique feature at their reception. In the main room was the traditional DJ and dance floor but in a smaller secondary room was a cigar lounge complete with a professional cigar roller originally from Cuba who rolled a couple hundred complimentary cigars for the guests while they listened to a live musician...it was definitely the hot spot of the night! The bride and groom even had an opportunity to try their hand at rolling a cigar...that's the picture you see here.

If you would like to see more details and candids from this wedding you can find Defining Grace Photography on facebook...while your there become a fan and leave a comment! (if you haven't already :) ALSO check back because I'll be posting more blogs over the next couple days!!!

First North Carolina Shoot...

2009-09-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

...since we've moved here! Ok, it's my sister but it was still a lot of fun and felt good to be out shooting. My 14 yr. old sister just had her school pictures taken last week and was complaining again about how they rush you in, sit you down, say "smile" then CLICK and it's over...NEXT! She is tiered of the same old boring traditional school shots every year and I certainly can't blame her. SooooOOoo I said pick out a few of your favorite outfits and come with me! Here is a "sneak peek". Hope you all enjoy and as always...LEAVE COMMENTS!!!

My Last Session in Dallas...

2009-08-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

...for now. If you've been following my blog you know that we are moving to North Carolina. We pull out of Dallas at the crack of dawn on Tuesday morning and drive with the biggest "drive it your self" moving truck we could rent and our little camry in tow. We close on our house tomorrow and this chapter in our lives will come to a close. We are certainly sad to leave so many wonderful people that we have grown to love behind but we are encouraged and excited to see what the next chapter holds. For those of you who were some of my loyal repeat clients or even those of you who follow my blog and always wanted pictures but never got around to it, I am hoping to come back next year if I can schedule a handful of appointments in a short period of time. And of COURSE I'm always willing to come back to shoot a wedding! So this post will be my last session in Dallas for the time being.
Now on to my lovely couple and their "sneak peek"! Thank you for being so patient in waiting to see your pics. I shot them Monday morning and they have had to wait longer than usual for their sneak peek...however, as consolation, (and because I will not be able to post anything new for a week or two), I am going to post more than my usual 4-5 pics. There were just too many favorites for me to choose from! This "engagement" session was SOOoooOO fun!! Not only is this couple GORGEOUS but they are so sweet and genuine. I loved watching them interact and they were so willing for me to shoot them how I wanted to! I'm excited to see what the future has in store for you guys. It was a pleasure and honor to get to know you and to be able to photograph you two just being in love. Even though I haven't known you long you will be missed. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! And as always I LOVE getting comments and feedback!

Ok, I know the way I processed this photo does NOT go with the look of their session...but I had to process it this way, it just makes me laugh I love it! Can someone get me a pitch fork??

rrRRAAaawwrrr

I had to include this one of Liz laughing...it's so her!

This was the last shot I took as we walked back to the car so I thought it was a perfect way to end the post...it also happens to be my favorite shot of the day!

God bless you guys...you rock!

My last family shoot in Dallas for a while...

2009-08-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

I had my last family shoot this past Monday before we move and I couldn't have ended our time living here by shooting a better family! This is our head pastor and his family, (Jeremy's boss up until a few months ago when we stepped down from the church). They are such an amazing family and so genuine and fun to be around. We hold a special place for them in our hearts and will greatly miss them! They were an absolute joy to photograph. I loved watching them interact with each other and laugh at ALL their dad's jokes...really ALL of them, he's a funny guy! Here are a few favorites from their session. Hope you enjoy your "sneak peek" and we look forward to seeing you one more time before we head out of Texas.

How GORGEOUS are these girls!?!

I had so much fun shooting this last one...I think I was laughing just as hard if not harder then they were!

North Carolina (Personal) PLEASE READ!

2009-08-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

SO, there have been some BIG changes for those of you who follow my blog and are used to me being a "Dallas" based photographer. For those of you who just enjoy checking out the photos from places outside Texas this won't effect you all that much...unless you live in or close to North Carolina! For the past four or five months we have been in transition. For those of you who might not have known, my husband stepped down from his pastoral position at the church here and we have been praying and seeking God's guidance for the next season in our lives. It was a desire of ours to move closer to family (not above being in the center of His will however), so we went back and forth for some time about moving to Ohio, (where his family lives), or somewhere close to NC, (where my family lives). We thought about Nashville or Indiana, places that were closer than Dallas, we also considered that God might want us to stay here longer as well, just ministering in a different capacity.
So to bring it back around to my point, after all this time and a recent visit to NC, we have sold our house and will be moving on September 1st to North Carolina. The plan is to take my business there and focus on it, possibly pick up some more weddings and events. Jeremy will look for a job once we get there and as for a place to worship, we will be joining a great team of three other families to help plant a church in Holly Springs, (Just outside the Raleigh area). So that's it in a nut shell. We would GREATLY appreciate your prayers as we drive across country with our little camry in tow and our 18 month old in the cab of a moving truck. Thank you so much to all my wonderful local clients who I have had great joy getting to know and photographing you and your families! I know this was a long post and I appreciate you all taking the time to read it. Here are a couple pictures of my family from the beach we visited while we were in NC.

This is my 14 year old sister...for those of you who remember her very little...isn't she BEAUTIFUL! Oh, and you see my dad in the background peeking around the pole...that's so him to do that!

Here are a couple pics of my other sister's family.

2009-08-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

So sorry to be behind on my blogging again! I have spent the last couple weeks in North Carolina with my family and a few days at the beach! It was very nice and Graydon LOVED playing with his cousin Jordan and tossing around the sand...but I'll blog about that later. Right now I want to introduce you to an awesome family that Jeremy and I had the privilege of meeting and hanging out with while in NC.
I was very honored to photograph you all and we had so much fun taking pictures of you and playing with your kids. Your family is just beautiful! A BIG thank you to Gabe who is in the Air Force and shipping out overseas soon. Your service and sacrifice is appreciated more than you know...you will be in our prayers. We look forward to seeing you all again soon! Well, enough reading...ON WITH THE PICTURES...enjoy your sneak peek!

Time for Mom and Dad!

I know I don't have to tell you Gabe, but your wife is GORGEOUS!!!

Thanks again and God Bless!

Family Pictures!!!

2009-07-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here they are at last!! If you haven't been keeping up with my blog your wondering, "What's here at last?" BUT, if you have been keeping up then you know I said I was going to post some recent pictures of my family that our wonderful friends Tim and Shauna took for us while we were in Las Cruces. Tim and Shauna own Vision Yard Studios and are exceptional wedding photographers in the Phoenix Az. area....However, they are not limited to Phoenix and often book shoots and weddings in New Mexico and other locations. Point being that if you love there stuff and want to hire them, they will travel! So, if you haven't checked them out yet please click on their names after your done catching up on this blog and enjoy their work too! By the way, Tim started his career as a wedding photographer with the documentation of OUR wedding!! (Shauna was in the wedding so she was not able to assist her talented husband!) I think he still has our wedding slide show posted at the very bottom of his slide show page on his site for anyone who wants to see OUR wedding pictures from 2005! We were married in Connecticut in November. Ok, enough talking...check out what you came here for...the PHOTOGRAPHY!!! Oh, and we LOVE it when you leave comments!

Vacation to Cruces

2009-07-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post (for those of you who follow regularly), my family and I took a trip back to our beloved Las Cruces , NM. back in the beginning of the month. It was so nice to visit some dear friends, eat at some of our favorite restaurants, and visit some of our favorite spots again. Among a couple favorite spots to visit while we were there was the beautiful Organ Mountain, Old Mesilla, and White Sands. Here are just a couple fun pics of Graydon and Jeremy at White Sands National Monument. For more pics from our trip click on the link to my husbands blog over on the top left of this page! Also check back later today for some of our family pics that Vision Yard Studios took while we were in New Mexico!!

I Know, I Know...

2009-07-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know the wedding was a couple weeks ago and I promised to post pictures of us that my friends Tim & Shauna took next, BUT, I just finished all the wedding pics and I had to post just a couple more. Man it was hard choosing some of my favs to post! I just have to say one more time...isn't my bride BEAUTIFUL!!!! It was so fun shooting this wedding with Jeremy and I can't wait to shoot another one with him. We love you Bill and Amanda!

Best Friend...

2009-07-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to be able to see one of my best friends and her lovely family last week when my husband and I went on vacation to our beloved Las Cruces, New Mexico. Although our time together was too short we had so much fun hanging out with them and meeting their newest member of the family. During our short time together we did manage to do a little bit of a photo shoot trade. Tim and Shauna are incredibly talented wedding photographers in Phoenix, Az They own Vision Yard Studios and if you have never heard of them or seen their work you HAVE to check it out! (Just click the link here after checking out this post!)
Anyway, they were gracious enough to photograph my family then I had the privilege of turning around and photographing theirs! Unfortunately their two little munchkins were napping at the time...so I took some pics of just the two of them. Don't worry, the next morning I was able to grab a few of the whole family!
I will be posting some of my favorites of the pictures they took of Jeremy, Graydon and I soon, but in the mean time I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites from their session with me! We love and miss you so much Tim and Shauna and pray of a day that we might at least live in the same state! Don't forget to leave a comment!

Ok, I wouldn't be truely representing Tim and Shauna if I didn't include these last two pics!

A Mother and her Beautiful Daughters

2009-06-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun photographing these three lovely ladies! The two girls are not only sisters but best friends and man do they love to laugh!!! Of course that thrilled me to no end because I could easily get natural smiles out of them. I posted a few of my favorites but it was hard to narrow it down to just a couple. Photographing genuine laughter is one of my favorite emotions to capture...it reminds me to not take life too seriously and just relax. Laughter can not only reveal something about your relationship with a person but also really show a closeness and love that you share. Although I can't post them all, I certainly had a lot of laughing and giggeling pictures to choose from!
Okay, after having said all that about laughter, I have a couple other favorites I have to post too. Hope you gals enjoy your "sneak peek"...it was a joy to photograph you. By the way I think I counted about 15 bug bites from our time together but it was definitely worth it :)

I LOVE the attitude in this one...bring on the sass!

"W" is the first letter of her new last name...

2009-06-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

...of course it was the first letter of her old last name too, but never mind that! Jeremy and I had the privilege of photographing our first wedding together this past Saturday in Kilgore, Texas. He did a great job and we had a lot of fun working together. It was a very emotional day. The ceremony was beautiful with so many personal touches. The bride's father is the pastor of the church and officiated the ceremony. He surprised everyone, including his daughter, with a very intimate heart to heart on stage in front of all the guests...I don't think there was a dry eye to be seen.
Thank you to the bride and groom and their families for trusting us with such a special day and allowing us to document the beginning of the rest of your lives together! We hope you enjoy this "sneak peek" of your beautiful day! We always love to get feed back if anyone feels like leaving a comment thanks again and we love you Bill and Amanda!

The ever so handsome groom.

The groom and all his studly boys.

Jeremy had a little extra time with the guys (they don't take quite as long to get ready) so he took them to a local gas station for a couple fun pics...who doesn't love a good icee?!?

The beautiful bride getting ready with the help of her girls.

The lovely mother of the bride giving a helping hand as well.

How stunning is she!?!

I love these next two. Jeremy captured such a precious moment between the groom and his father and brother. And the picture below that is the exact moment he saw his whole future at the end of the aisle for the first time.

Here are a couple of that intimate "chat" between the bride and her father.

Father daughter dance.

Their first of many dances as husband and wife...congratulations!

A family photo session with one of my favorite families...

2009-06-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for inviting not only me but my family into your home and lives over the past several years...I can't thank you enough for the love you have shared. I was privileged to be asked to photograph your family and always enjoy spending time with you all! Hope you enjoy your "sneak peak"! By the way, this first pic is pretty hot...I can feel the chemistry you still have for each other!

Squeezing in one last senior session

2009-05-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of my favs from a resent, very last minute senior session!

Yeah Nicole

2009-05-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

So one of my favorite wedding photographers is Jasmine Star of Jasmine Star Photography. She is one of the top wedding photographers in the nation right now and I find her (along with many others), VERY inspirational! She is lives in LA and shoots incredible weddings and beautiful engagements all over the country with her very sweet husband JD. I follow her blog often and she periodically has all kinds of different contests. A couple weeks ago she had a contest to win a yummy gourmet gift basket of Italian chocolates thanks to Vita Dulce...All you had to do was nominate someone who you thought was deserving of some encouragement in the form of this scrumptious treat. So I thought for about a second and nominated one of our youth from church, Nicole. I shared her story and out of 306 nominations....dun da DA...She WON!!! (If you click on Jasmine Star's link above and scroll down until you get to Vita Dulce Basket Give Away you can read about Nicole and the comments others have left her). Here are a few pics of her I grabbed this past Sunday after church. Way to go Nicole for your selflessness and giving heart. YOU have inspired many people and I know God will continue to bless you!

My Little Man

2009-05-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a little while since I've posted...sorry to those of you who frequently check. It's been a bit busy. We were out of town for a weekend and then the internet wasn't working....ANYWAY, here are a couple more pics of THE cutest little boy EVER....my son of course! These were taken with his Easter pics as well, I just didn't get the chance to post them until now. Hope you enjoy them and have a GREAT Friday!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE

2009-04-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

Christ Has Risen!!! I love Easter and the whole week that leads up to it known as Holy week! There are many reasons I love this holiday and time of year. The number one is the whole reason why we celebrate Easter; that Jesus died for us to pay our debt AND then He rose three days later conquering death! The grace of God is soooo sweet!
Another reason I LOVE springtime is the freshness of new life! New flowers, babies being born and fun new Easter outfits. So here are a few of my precious son Graydon's Easter pictures! Thanks for the awesome Easter suit Grandma!!! I hope everyone has a great and happy Easter!!!

2009-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Baby Boy

2009-03-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

This was my second newborn shoot this weekend. Don't you just love spring...warmer weather, wild flowers, and new life! I had the pleasure of photographing this precious fellow and his new parents who openly boasted that he was the most beautiful baby ever! As you can see from his photos I think their boasting is justified! Thank you again for inviting me to your home to photograph such a lovely family! Enjoy your "sneak peek"!

Beautiful Girls

2009-03-23T08:28:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing TWO newborns and their families this weekend. The first was a sweet baby girl and her beautiful older sister. I know my son is only 13 months but you forget too quickly how tiny these precious angels are when they first arrive! Beautiful beautiful family! This sweet sweet baby made me want another. Thank you for letting me come and capture a little love in a photo for you guys!

I love Senior shoots...

2009-03-23T07:14:00.001-07:00

...especially when they have ideas of what they want to do to express who they are. This shoot was so fun and I loved the idea she had for our last set of shots! This beautiful senior holds a special place in my heart and I was thrilled to do her pictures for her.
Hannah, I love how your photos capture your inner beauty and grace, your artistic side and even your goofy side. There is a freedom that others notice in you when you are just being YOU. Thank you for allowing me to capture some of that. Hope you enjoy your little "sneak peek"!

A Beautiful Mess...

2009-03-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

I LOVE BEING A MOM!!! The best job in the whole world, even above photography, (as much as I love it), is being a mommy! Graydon is almost 13 months and growing so fast. It's been so fun to watch him discover different things like feeling a fury dog for the 1st time, (which made him laugh and scream like he was at a rock concert), or the soft peddles of a flower, (that made him giggle), or how he's been noticing the leaves on the trees fluttering in the wind as we go for our walks.
Graydon is also learning a ton. He is up to nine steps now all by himself and is also leaning how to use a spoon. I usually supervise him with a spoon and help him get the food on it then let him put it into his mouth on his own. This helps cut down the mess. Last night, however, Jeremy fed him. After Graydon made it clear that HE wanted to do it, Jeremy gave him the spoon AND his container of strained green beans and let him do it all by himself! I had to grab a few picks and share them with you all! He looks good in green don't you think?

Bluebonnets and Spring Sale...

2009-03-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

I love the spring...ok, I grew up in the Northeast so in truth I love all four of the seasons for various reasons. But something I really love about spring here in Texas are the WILD FLOWERS! Who doesn't love a field bursting forth with a rainbow of color? And my favorite color just happens to be blue! It's almost bluebonnet season and that means the normally drab concrete highways lined with old billboards and crazy traffic suddenly become a little bit refreshing. Alright refreshing might be a stretch but at least the bluebonnets and the little pink and yellow flowers sprinkled in make driving DFW highways much more tolerable!
So in honor of that we are having a sale! Get 10% off your ENTIRE print order! This includes specialty items such as canvas wrapped prints, books, albums, etc. Something else to think about is Easter and mother's day are right around the corner. Give something different this year like a Defining Grace Photography GIFT CERTIFICATE! Who wouldn't love amazing pictures of loved ones that will last a lifetime?!
And because it wouldn't be a good post without a photo or two here are a few of my favs from past springs! Enjoy!

Time goes by WAY too fast...

2009-03-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my precious boy turned ONE last week! On February 26th I explained to Graydon how the most wonderful thing happened to us that very day one year ago...God blessed us in ways we never dreamed of with our first son! This past year has been so amazing and I have adored being this child's mommy. He has brought Jeremy and I so much joy it's hard to put into words how grateful we are to God for such a precious precious gift. We celebrated his birthday a few days later on the 28th. Here are a couple pics from his party!

Senior Shoot

2009-02-22T20:18:00.001-08:00

Ok, I bet this senior didn't realize she was a SUPER MODEL!!! Wow, you look beautiful if I do say so myself. (Sorry dad, your little girl is all grown up)! I had a lot of fun with this shoot especially since I know and love the family. Thanks for being a good sport and "trusting me" to pose you a little bit. Hope you like your sneak peek! (Oh, and in case you didn't know, if you click on the photo you can view it a little bit BIGGER!)

As Promised...

2009-02-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more from my nephew's photo shoot!

I've Been Out of Town

2009-02-11T12:03:00.001-08:00

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything! I just got back from a ten day trip that started with super bowl weekend in DC and ended with a visit with my family in NC. I was able to see my grandmother who lives in up-state N.Y. and meet my new nephew! (I was sick the whole week before the trip...so needless to say, I haven't posted anything in a while). Now I'm back and in the swing of things... and it's my opinion that a blog post is MUCH more enjoyable with a picture so here is a "sneak peak" of my niece and new nephew. I'll post a few more from this shoot later, until then, hope you enjoy!

Fun in Down town Dallas

2009-01-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

We recently had some beautiful weather here in the Big D and, surprisingly, a little time on our hands! So we took advantage and packed a picnic lunch and headed for the city. It was a short but fun afternoon exploring a few places we hadn't seen yet...and of course, I brought my camera! Here are a few pics. Oh, and didn't Jeremy do a good job taking the pictures of Graydon and I!!! (I'm trying to teach him a few things on my camera :)

My family

2009-01-13T15:02:00.001-08:00

Over Christmas we went to visit my family in NC. It's becoming a tradition that once a year when we visit our respective families I do a photo shoot with everyone. Here are a few pictures from the one over Christmas with my family. The day was very cloudy and overcast...a bit cold if I remember right as well...but I think we got some good moments! Here are some of my favorites! I Love the ones of my parents...aren't they so cute! Can't wait to see you all very soon and meet my new nephew!

My family continued

2009-01-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

As Promised

2009-01-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more from my nieces session!

Over Christmas Break

2009-01-02T20:59:00.000-08:00

While on vacation to visit my family in NC my sister asked me to photograph my niece's 4-yr-old pictures which I was happy to do. Here is a sneak peak at my adorably sassy favorite niece! Check back for a another posting of some more pics from this session, you'll see why sassy HAS to be used to describe this precious kiddo!...I'll post them as soon as I can. Love you Ness!

Thank you for serving

2009-01-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

I had a last minute shoot with a family just before Jeremy, Graydon, and I left for NC for Christmas. Now that we are back in town I had a little time to get a "sneak peak" ready for this family. Thank you to the father and son for your committed service in our military and to the mother and daughter for their sacrifices and as well...these things don't go unnoticed.

GIFT CERTIFICATES

2008-12-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

We are now offering gift certificates! Are you running out of time and ideas for Christmas this year? Why not get them a gift that they will always treasure! You can purchase them for any amount above $50....AND...we are now excepting credit cards through PayPal. Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Photographers Give Back

2008-12-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

Something special is happening among photographers across the country, and beyond, thanks to a fellow photog friend, Kristen Kalp of Essential Imagery. She is using her talent to bless a family in need and challenging the rest of us to do the same. Well, I accept this challenge and also challenge you to do the same.
(thanks to Kristen for allowing me to borrow her words!)

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography – This includes a session, 4-5x7, 3-8x10, 16 wallets, 1-11x14, and a full resolution CD of their session! (over a $800 value)

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $100 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be.

The rules:

*You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services.

*The nominee must reside in Dallas County. The session has to take place between January and March 2009 and will accommodate up to 5 people.

*Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why you feel they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself.

*Comment on this blog entry to let me know you've entered, and e-mail me the full story: defininggracephoto@sbcglobal.net

I will be taking nominations through December 23 at 10pm and the winner will be announced on Christmas Eve...get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season – and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

One last quick session before the Holidays

2008-12-02T12:55:00.001-08:00

Last night I had one last mini session before Christmas. It was later in the evening and a beautiful new born was involved so the session took place inside. You and your girls are beautiful Alexis, hope you enjoy your little "sneak peak"!

I love it when...

2008-11-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

I LOVE it when a family can play around and be themselves in front of my camera! I photographed this family the day before Thanksgiving and after a little bit of getting used to a camera in their faces they just goofed around, played, and interacted as a family. While I usually do some posed shots, typically per request of the family, my FAVORITE images are almost always the less "posed" moments! Impromptu pictures are WAY more fun and truly what I prefer. Here are a couple examples of both for your little "sneak peak"! (The tackle is my personal favorite from this shoot!)

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T10:37:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed a relaxing time with friends and family. Jeremy, Graydon and I could not be with family this year but the chance to be with great friends was a close second! We spent this turkey day with one of my best friends, Mariah and her husband's family in North Dallas. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing afternoon and evening. With outstanding food, a loving family and a fire in the fire place there was so much to be thankful for! Even without all those things Jeremy and I have so much to praise God for and can't even begin to count how many blessings we truly have. I hope we all remember why we celebrate this season and what it is truly all about!

I love color

2008-11-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to photograph these beautiful ladies yesterday morning. I have to say it was so much fun to see this family again and to photograph such photogenic girls! I love the way those purple sweaters just pop against the fall background and soft morning light! Thanks again Rachel and hope you enjoy your little "sneak peak"!

Thanks for being patient

2008-11-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a VERY late "sneak peak" at a wedding I did back in October. Thank you to the bride and groom for trusting me with your special day. I know you are both enjoying married life and I hope that these pictures can serve as a reminder to you of what God has done.

A Big Compliment

2008-11-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest compliments I can get is a repeat customer. I was very excited to be able to photograph a lovely woman and her granddaughter again this year. I first met them last holiday season and had the privilege of photographing them in my home and at a near by park. This year we had fun at a different location. I enjoyed being able to see how this little girl has grown since last year. She's still just as spunky and headstrong, but always a joy to follow around and photograph! Thank you again, Jan for inviting me to hang out with you for a bit and capture some more memories for you and your granddaughter!

I love meeting new families

2008-11-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing this lovely family this past Saturday. The weather was a bit cool and windy but we made it work. I will say this about the weather however, it was perfect play in the leaves, go for a hike, curl up by the fire place and drink hot chocolate weather! Jeremy and I were thrilled that this past weekend actually felt like fall to us (This time of year us northerners long for colder weather) As wonderful as the crisp weather was this weekend, it was short lived...back in the 70's tomorrow...not that I'm complaining because 70 degree weather is beautiful too. Anyway, thank you again to this fun family for giving me the opportunity to spend a little time with you and photograph your family!

Three Year Anniversary

2008-11-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

Recently my husband and I celebrated our third year anniversary by visiting Pine Cove in Tyler Texas. This seems to have become a tradition of ours since its also our third year of going there. This year, however, we were not alone...Graydon got to join us for our get away celebration! He loves being outside, and while our time was very brief we did get to enjoy some beautiful fall weather. Hope you enjoy a few pics from our overnight in Tyler!

Future Fashion Model

2008-11-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

This was such a fun photo shoot. This little girl had so much character and style and I really enjoyed getting to know her and her mom.
Kamisha, it was a pleasure to spend Friday afternoon with you and your daughter, I can't wait for you to see the rest of these pictures! Hope these few hold you over until then!

"S" Family

2008-11-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this very sweet family this past Wednesday. We joke that Graydon is sweet on this little girl because every time he sees her he tries to hold her hand...its soooo cute! Thanks again for letting me capture your precious little girl and your family.

The "M" family

2008-11-03T09:58:00.001-08:00

So I had the pleasure of photographing another fun family this past Saturday. I think I get just as excited as the families I'm photographing to see how their pictures will turn out! Here is a small sampling for you Meredith... hope this ties you over until I can finish processing the rest!

Ok, so I tried something new, this first picture just screamed vintage black and white to me...any thoughts?

"B" Family

2008-10-29T20:21:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday I had the honor of photographing this family for the second time. Thank you so much for allowing me to capture moments with your family, it was great to see you guys again and I truly had fun hanging out with you this past Sunday. Hope you enjoy this sneak peak!

2008-10-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Josh's Senior Pics

2008-10-23T16:08:00.001-07:00

Josh you rock star! These are a few favs from the senior session I had this past Sunday with Josh...don't worry mom the ones of him in his suit look great too!

From the Cedar Hill Fall Festival

2008-10-23T16:04:00.001-07:00

This photo was taken by a woman I met at our booth we set up for Defining Grace at the Cedar Hill Country on the Hill Day. Her name is Mary Purdak and she was gracious enough to share this image of my son and I with me. I love this picture! Thanks again Mary!

2008-10-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to catch up on a few personal photos so I thought I would post a couple. Yes the first is my two darling men, Jeremy and Graydon. The next are our nephews, Jeremey's sister's boys. Hope you enjoy them!

Christmas Appointments

2008-10-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a reminder to schedule your appointment NOW if you want pictures in time for Christmas cards and gifts. Due to the busy season I cannot guarantee orders in time for the holidays on photo shoots taken AFTER November 16th! I will be more than happy to take appointments after this date and try my best to get orders in on time, but cannot guarantee they will arrive BEFORE Christmas.
Also, custom Christmas and Holiday cards are available this year! They come in sets of 25 as 5x7's printed front AND back on press paper, (like the thickness of card stock, not a normal photograph). They DO come with envelopes as well. Scroll down to see the RED and GREEN collections that you can choose from. A la carte prices for your 1st set of 25 are $80, additional sets are $70. If you purchase a package or spend a minimum of $150 on other prints then your 1st set of 25 is $60 and additional sets are $50. Please contact me with any questions!

Trip to Ohio

2008-10-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

We recently got back from a trip to see Jeremy's family in Burton Ohio. It was good to see them all and was so nice to be in some cooler weather! The trees hadn't started changing yet but boy it sure felt like the beginning of fall and made me long for the season even more. For those of you who don't know, I grew up in up-state NY and MA, so I'm used to bright leaves of color, cool crisp days, pumpkin patches, and fresh squeezed apple cider from a local orchard.
Anyway, here a few pictures from a family photo shoot I did the day we arrived. The kids were so cute running around playing together and did an excellent job in front of the camera!

2008-10-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

2008-09-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had the honor of doing my first "official" engagement shoot. Here are just a couple from the session...Michelle, I thought you might like a sneak peak! Thanks again for letting me photograph you, I look forward to your wedding!

CHRISTMAS CARDS

2008-08-30T16:24:00.001-07:00

HERE THEY ARE! I'm offering custom Christmas and Holiday cards this year! I'm pretty excited about these two collections. There is the "Red" collection and "Green" collection. The card sizes are either 5x7 or 5x5 (for the two square ones in the "Green" collection). Cards will be sold in sets of 25 on professional paper that is thicker than a regular photo...more like, well, a card! They also come with envelopes.
Dates are already starting to book up for Holiday pictures so make your appointment soon! I'm offering a special $50 print credit for the first three people to book an appointment with me after this post is published. (That means you have to have paid your creative fee to secure your date in order to obtain $50 toward your print total). I'll be posting more holiday specials soon so keep checking!

Motherhood

2008-08-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ok Merideth, here's a sneak peak at the pictures I told you about. For everyone else who's a bit out of the loop on these, this is Graydon and I in an impromptu morning photo shoot. I did not have any make-up on and was not ready for the day but my hair was styled "professionally" by my son...he loves to pull chunks of my hair down and suck on them...if you look close I bet you can tell what strands he had been sucking on! I took these not exactly sure how they'd turn out since I was in front of the lens and not behind it like usual. A lot of them turned out really great despite not seeing what I was focusing on. They are pretty raw, I didn't do much to them in the way of processing and they are very raw, moment and spontaneous wise. Hope people enjoy them as much as I do! Feel free to comment and let me know what you think! By the way, I LOVE being a mommy!!!

The Cutest Baby Ever

2008-08-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

I just did a 6 month shoot with my son and had to post this picture! There are so many cute ones it's hard for me to choose which ones to process but here are a few of my favorites! I can't believe Graydon will be 6 months this Tuesday...where does the time go?

Beautiful Boys

2008-08-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

So I just got back from a long weekend in Alb. New Mexico. Once a year my three best friends from college and I get together for a "BFF" reunion...this year three of us had little munchkins with us. The boys got to all meet each other for the first time. Here are just a couple pics of these precious boys. The first little guy you see is 8 month old Simmon, the second little guy is 10 month old Keenan, and the third guy you might recognize is my angel, 5 1/2 month old Graydon.

Sample

2008-07-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Story Boards Now Available

2008-05-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

A variety of Story Boards are now available. Here are just two of many different examples. Please contact me for details!

Graydon at 3 months

2008-05-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

My Beautiful Son

2008-03-21T20:42:00.001-07:00

Time for Senior Pictures

2008-02-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

This is my Hot Husband

2008-02-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

My Hot Husband!

2008-02-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Me Pregnant

2008-01-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

Boyter Family

2007-12-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

Thomas Girls

2007-11-30T19:37:00.001-08:00

Thomas Girls continued

2007-11-30T19:33:00.001-08:00

Selizia 2 weeks old

2007-11-05T08:46:00.000-08:00