Kristin's Bridal Session Slideshow went Live today!

If you would like to visit my client proofing site to view some gorgeous images of a beautiful bride, go to http://michellesibley.smugmug.com/.  Scroll down past my intro to view the bridal session slideshow.  OMGoodness Gracious Mercy Sakes...!!!  We had an amazing time this weekend.  Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Scarbrough, better known as Michael and Kristin.  They were married Saturday, June 19th.  Melissa and I photographed their entire wedding day.  We captured some sentimental (lots & lots actually..), funny, charming & endearing moments that Krisitn, Michael and their entire family are going to absolutely cherish!  So, I will be working on preparing the images for printing & slideshow this week while the newlyweds are vacationing.  By the time they return, I plan to have the wedding day memories posted to the smugmug site as well.  I've got tons of files to go through so I better get to it.  I think I need to make a pot of coffee because I'll be busy for a while!

Introducing Melissa, my 2nd shooter for this weekend...

Photo by Melissa Roe

I want to introduce you to Melissa Roe.  She is married to my first cousin, Roy and they have one daughter.  Their daughter is the beautiful and talented Cameron!  Melissa, a.k.a Hula, is going to be my 2nd shooter at Kristin and Michael's wedding tomorrow.  We talked about how I got started in wedding photography.  My first experience was through a mentorship with a Baton Rouge photographer.  I offered him my files in exchange for his mentorship.  Melissa saw some of my photography and asked if she could hop along and 'shadow' me on a photo shoot.  Ring, ading,ding!  The bells went off in my head.  I love Melissa and I know that she has an amazing sense of style, sophistocation and grace.  I asked her if she wanted to come and help me out with my next wedding.  She responded with something like a "Heck Yeah!".  I am so glad and excited to have her by my side tomorrow.  She has a photog friend that together, they photographed a wedding already.  All experience and practice is good!  I know we will have fun and capture some amazing images together. 

I told Melissa that I was going to introduce her through my blog.  I asked her to send some of her images.  A few of these were taken by her friend Julie (the one's with Melissa in them of course and a couple more).   I am anxious to meet Julie next weekend as we have scheduled a tentative pow-wow, round table discussion regarding the joys and challenges of wedding photography.  I had mentioned to Melissa that I would like to start at network of local wedding photogs.  It would be great to know people in the industry and have a forum for growth and sharing.  I follow some amazing photographers from the Seattle area who enjoy special meet ups with fellow photographers on a regular basis.  So, I'm thinking about trying to get something together.  Looks like next weekend might be the inaugural meet up.  When you step out and try something new, you never know where it leads....TBD...

I created this slideshow from the files that Melissa sent.  I hope she approves.  Love ya Hula!

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Car-LESS Drive thru service

Car-LESS Drive thru service
Uploaded for Daily Photo Challenge,
Subject: cars, June 15, 2010

I was out and about town to find a unique car subject for today's challenge. I saw these little guys in the drive thru placing their orders. I bet they ordered a malt. Linda's serves the chocolatey-est, thickest and most delicious ice cream malts ever! The malt is so thick, you have to give it a minute to melt a little because you can't pull it through the straw at first. They are that good!

I took the original picture and manipulated it to look somewhat like a color pencil drawing.

Day 156 of 365, music & dancin' makes me happy!

The black and white image is Terry and I at my brother-in-law's retirement celebration.  We photographed the event and had a blast doing it.

Today's photo challenge was music.  I never got around to doing a photo for the challenge.  I looked for my tamborine.  I was going to do something with that put couldn't find it quickly.  So, I gave up on it and found some pics that remind me of music...dancin'!!!. 

When I hear music, or even think about music, it makes me wanna dance!  Here, are a couple pics from last year at the retirement party.  I am dancing with my fantastic nephew.  Isn't he cute?  He is a great dancer and musician and collegiate athlete!  Too bad for all the girls, he is taken.  He has a beautiful girlfriend of a couple years.  She is a lucky girl because he is quite a catch!  When Terry and I took a turn at the dance floor, my other nephew picked up my camera to capture this shot.  At first, I looked at this picture and I was really critical.  I wish we looked like we used to look when we were young.  Before we were married, we were out at the dance club every weekend.  I was a clothes hound who looooved fashion.  Going out gave me a good reason to dress up and prance around.  Time has a way of changing lots of things.  Time changes our opinions of what is really important in life according to the stage that we are in.  At this time, I have raised two daughters to young adulthood.  

Terry and I started dating when I was a senior in high school.  Actually, I remember that I asked him to escort me to my HS prom on New Years Eve, 1983.  So, what began on January 1, 1983 is still going strong and we have never been apart since. 

We really love each other's company.  Although sometimes I do want to pinch his head off.  And, I am sure he could do the same to me!  Some people say that when a couple retires and are spending time together 24/7, it is a difficult adjustment.  Maybe I need to knock on wood, but, I think that we are going to truly enjoy each other when he does eventually retire.  Terry and I have always enjoyed dancing together even though we don't quite match in height at you can see. :) It doesn't matter to me. I hope we can continue to dance together through this life and beyond!

Day 155 of 365, '78 Ford

You see this 1978 Ford?  My father in law purchased this new in that year.  He has a 1997 Ford truck that he still calls his 'new' truck.  He keeps the 'new' truck in the garage it is rarely ever used.  It still has that new leather interior smell.  Can you imagine?  He maintains this huge 30 acre place along with a one acre garden.  Everything is neat as a pin. He had a stroke about a year and a half ago.  You would never know it today. He picked that bucket of squash in the foreground just before we arrived.  He had it ready for his brother to pick up and enjoy.  He raises the vegetables, not for himself, but to share with everyone he cares about.  He had called us to come get some tomatoes.  Terry likes to eat tomato sandwiches for lunch. 

Here is Terry's mom.  She is a very sweet mother-in-law.  I am very blessed to be part of this family.  You see the pictures laying on the counter?  Those were pictures of PawPaw Sibley's grandparents.  They were framed behind glass at his brother Herman's home.  Below, you see Herman and Claude (brothers) holding the antique image of their grandparents.  I took this picture then cropped the image for reproduction.  Terry's mom requested 3) 8x10 prints of the image.  She had wanted to give the copies to other  family members.  It worked out pretty good considering it is literally a picture of a picture behind glass.  In my opinion, the images printed a bit too light.  This happened because when I first had the 4x6 printed, I thought they were too dark.  I overadjusted.  I bought them anyway.  Later, I might try to get a better copy. 

 From this image, I cropped out the image below.

Day 154 of 365, Las Palmas yummy!

Terry and I went for lunch at Las Palmas.  Before that, he took me to get my acrylic nails full set.  I asked him if he wanted to come in and wait.  NO, no!!!  He said he was not going into that girl shop.  So, he dropped me off and went riding somewhere.  Oh, well.  He should have come in to get his MAN-i/ pedi.  If he ever does, he will be spoiled.  When he picked me up, he turned his truck in the opposite direction of home.  I wanted to know where we were going.  He said for me to just wait and see.  He probably was still trying to figure out where he wanted to go.  We ended up at Las Palmas.  I love this place.  The food is always good and the price is right.  He ordered a marguerita.  I had my camera with me.  Our photo challenge of the day is Motion.  I asked him to stir his drink for me.  I decreased my shutter speed to 1/15th of a second at f.5 to get this shot.  I didn't get any swirl of the drink but my straw blurred out with the motion.  I need to practice this more.  Anyway, it was cool to try. 

Here is Bella on the Cheerio box.  I don't know what the heck she was doing with this dumb empty box.  There used to be a little doggy bed under my computer desk.  I think she was soooo sleepy but wanted to stay where she could keep her eyes on me.  So, she drug this box into the hall and made it into her little bed.  She is a funny bunny, cat, dog.  Seriously, there are times when she looks just like a bunny and times she acts like a cat.  So we literally call her bunny, cat-dog.

Day 153 of 365, P is for Picking!

Today's photo challenge subject was:  Something that starts with P.  Well, PawPaw Sibley (Terry's dad) called to say that the corn was ready..."come get it!"  He had already picked a truck load of vegetables by the time I got to his house.  I racked up on about of 50 ears of fresh picked corn.  He also gave me a big mess of tomatoes, cucumbers and squash.  Yummy good summer eatin'!  He grows this huge garden every year.  Every year he says he going to cut it down. He is kinda like my mom.  She says that she doesn't know how to cook just a little bit.  PawPaw doesn't know how to grow just a little bit.  His gardens are always successful and the veggies are delicious.  We appreciate you PawPaw!

I was going though some engagement and bridal proof prints of my bride and groom that are getting married next weekend!  I can't wait.  I had their enlargements printed that will be displayed at their reception.  All I have to say is omgoodness!!!  So beautiful.  They will be proud of them.  I just know.  I love this couple.  They are the kindest, most wonderful and easy going, precious people.  I wish for them all the best in the whole wide world!   

So, for today's photo challenge, here is a beautiful

Picture in a Picture!