Thursday, December 4, 2008

The New Site Really Is Coming!!


So Andy & I have been trying to get this new site done for quite some time now. We were very close to launching it back in September but at the last minute, decided to make some major changes. Now that it is completely revamped, we are hitting the launch button! So, this time is for real. In the next few days, our new site should be up. I'm not sure if the "launch department" works on the weekend, so it may Monday or Tuesday before it's live.

While we are waiting for that....take a look at some of the family portraits we've done this fall.


Saturday, September 13, 2008

New website coming!!

Well...as is typical with me, it has been a while since my last blog. But, exciting news is hard to keep quiet! We are updating our website!! Hopefully sometime next week, you should be able to see it. I can't wait to switch over. The images will be larger & the site has a clean, classy look. The only downside is that we won't have 2 separate sites like we do now. We can add that at any time, but we are not doing it right now. Instead, we will have a gallery button, and in that section, we will have all of our different subjects...seniors, brides, engagement, families, ect. Hopefully, it won't disrupt our client's sites. We will be sure to get it straightened out if it does.

Check back soon!!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Full speed ahead!!

Well, as usual, the time just slips away before you even realize it!! We have been busy shooting lots of seniors, brides, and weddings! I'll tell you about some of our seniors for now. And by seniors, I mean high school seniors!!

Kristin is a go-cart racer, so when we did her shoot, we asked her to bring her racing gear. She was super nice & fun to work with. She even let us set her helmet on fire...even though it is flamable!! (her dad did the design work on her helmet, we just added the flame!!) I had the fire extinguisher handy...just in case... Check it out. It looks awesome.





Brittney is a surfer & a cheerleader, so we spent a ton of time with her. She brought so many outfits that it was hard for us to choose, so we did a little bit of almost everything! It was a blast! Thank you Brittney for letting us spend so much time with you. I know you were exhausted by the time we finished!!








We have been trying out some of our new props & backgrounds & there seems to be a few favorites. Of course, the red velvet couch has been a favorite for a while now, but we recently picked up an antique door & some stairs. We have yet to use the stairs, but everyone loves the door and the brick wall. We are going to a workshop Sunday & Monday & hope to come home with some new ideas! So check back later to see how we were inspired!!



Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Beau Beau Tang


















Wow...I didn't realize it had been so long since our last blog entry. We will try to be better about that!!

Well, things have been a bit hectic lately. We've had weddings, engagement sessions, bridal sessions, senior sessions..... and so on. But we wanted to talk about something near and dear to our hearts. The picture of the dog that links you to this page is Beau (affectionately called Beau Beau Tang!) We adopted him in December of 2004 from friends that found a litter of pups on their property. He was the most adorable puppy we have ever seen & so full of energy!

Hence the name "Tang". He was sweet with a touch of tanginess!


Well, maybe a little too much tanginess....


This picture was titled "sorry mom"




He was no more than 6 weeks old when we brought him home. Our other dog, Sezwha (our deaf border collie, hence the name...says what??) was about 9 years old & not up for a pup with so much energy. Beau was so desperate to have Sezwha's attention, that he followed him everywhere. Sezwha, with his gentle nature, just endured Beau's constant pestering. A year later (almost to the day), Sezwha became sick with heart disease and we had to let him go to greener pastures. Beau was so sad. :(










Three months later, we found a golden retriever in the middle of the road. We found the owners, but they decided they didn't want him anymore, so we adopted him and named him...Luke. Get it...Beau & Luke. Anyway, it didn't take long for the two to become inseparable. Beau continued to be "tangy" and Luke was the polar opposite...lazy. But they loved each other! Unfortunately, they liked to escape out the front door whenever possible. They would go traipsing through the neighborhood & we would have to hop in our car & track them down. As soon as they saw our car, they would come running & hop right in...all smiles & panting.





About six weeks ago, they bolted again. This time, when they saw me, Beau headed across the street to meet me. There was no way to stop him. He had already seen me & was coming to get in the car. All I could do was watch as the van headed right toward Beau. Beau looked at the van & then back at me, tongue hanging out, all smiles from his quick jaunt, not realizing that the van wasn't stopping. It happened in seconds, but it seemed like slow motion. Before I could get across the street, he was trying to get up, but couldn't. Luke was hovering over him as if he knew something was wrong. The driver of the van, and a neighbor helped me get him in my car & I rushed him to the vets office. Andy met me there. We waited while the doctor checked him over & took xrays. When she came back in, I knew it was bad news. He wasn't going to make it. Andy & I were devastated. We went in to see him & stayed while the doctor gave him the drug that put him to sleep. For several minutes after he was gone, we stayed and talked to him & petted him. We just wanted to make sure he knew we were there & that we loved him so much. I know many of you understand the emotional ties we form with our pets. They are part of the family. And we had just lost a sweetheart.

Luke did not understand why Beau wasn't home. He kept looking out the window & when we went on walks, he had his head to the ground the entire time, trying to locate Beau. We mourned for several weeks before we started talking about whether we could handle getting another dog. We knew Luke (Pookie Bear) was lonely, but we were still mourning the loss, and just couldn't imagine bringing home another dog & watching him or her take over Beau's belongings. It was just too hard. But then we came across a picture of a little dog that had been dropped off at the spca with a broken leg. She looked so scared & we thought we would just go look. When we saw her, Andy looked up immediately & said, "she's the one. let's get her." So, a few weeks later, we brought home a playmate for Luke. She is quite a handful and we have decided that Tangy is channeling his spirit into her! Luke has become very jealous. She was getting a little extra attention because she had a cast and needed to be restricted in her activities. But things are starting to settle down now & they are falling into a routine & she is acting just like Beau did when he was trying to win Sezwha's attention.

We still miss Beau, but it helps to think that he is still here in spirit. Especially when Tauffie (sounds like sophie with a t) does things that are so much like Beau. It makes us smile...

So, here are a few pics our new addition, Tauffie. Our babies are all so precious!


























Wednesday, April 23, 2008

And now featuring....Nora, soon to be famous!!

Andy's brother, Doug, or as we like to call him, Gar, (don't ask me...I don't know where it came from), is a videographer in Seattle, WA. But Gar is not your average videographer. He has won 7 (or is it 8 now?) Emmy's. Needless to say, his home movies are pretty cool. He and his wife, Peggy, have two children, Charlie & Nora. Charlie is your typical "wear you out in a hearbeat" son & Nora has a passion for singing. In this video, 3 year old Nora proudly sings an all time favorite, Take Me Out To The Ballgame!! Enjoy!! We sure did!!!


Saturday, March 29, 2008

"My Space - Created at Our Place"


Kippi and I are very excited about our upcoming offerings for our H.S. Seniors. We are making available web rez. images created from your sessions to use on your My Space and Face Book pages. If you book a qualifying package you can share your Top Model look with friends and family. Give the studio a call. 804.687.2551

Sunday, March 9, 2008

As Seen on TV


Kippi and I created this image outside St. John's Church. This was the location of Patrick Henry's famous speech. "Give me liberty or give me death." The image we created was used for print promotion, posters and the DVD cover for the "Liberty or Death" program.

This documentary was produced by The Community Ideas Stations Richmond, VA PBS/WCVE and the St. Johns Church Foundation.

"Liberty or Death" can be seen on PBS nationally as well as PBS/HD. Check your local listings. It was a real pleasure work with the actors on this project. You can see the famous speech performed inside church itself. Located in Richmond, VA.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

High School Seniors





If you're an upcoming High School Senior have we got some great ideas for you. Sure we can create the image your parents like but, we can create the images your going to love. Give us a call at the studio 804.687.2551 to make an appointment.

VPPA State Convention

Kippi and I are members of several professional photography related organizations. The Virginia Professional Photographers Assoc. is an organization we are very proud to be a part of for many reasons. Education, Certification and the promotion of Ethics are just a few.

We attended a day long program presented by Vikki Taufer. Vikki is an amazing photographer. Vikki and her husband own a studio in Illinois called V Gallery. We left her program inspired and ready to bring some new and creative ideas to our clients.

Andrew and Mom


Happy Birthday Andrew