We wanted to send a special Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. In portrait photography, we feel so blessed that we are able to aid in celebrating special relationships between fathers and their families. You would be amazed at the amount of people who do not have a portrait with their dad, or barely a couple of snapshots with him. Fathers get the back burner when it comes to family photos because he is mostly behind the camera, if there at all. Fortunately, this can change.  Say “Sayonara!” to that old trend and let’s bring on the 21st century, where we are more connected than ever.

I would encourage you to take the time to bring dad and the family in. Celebrate his hard work and kind heart with a gift that will not be able to be recreated. That gift would be a memento of today!

Here is a poem just for the Dads.

Dad

He never looks for praises

He’s never one to boast

He just goes on quietly working

For those he loves the most

His dreams are seldom spoken

His wants are very few

And most of the time his worries

Will go unspoken too

He’s there…. A firm foundation

Through all our storms of life

A sturdy hand to hold to

In times of stress and strife

A true friend we can turn to

When times are good or bad

One of our greatest blessings,

The man that we call Dad.

When it comes to family events and everyday life, does your family call you their photographer? This new found nickname begins a breeding ground for your developing passion for photography. From candids of the hot dog eating contest at the reunion last July to snapping photos of your oldest boy attempting to help your youngest son remove his loose tooth by the whole string tied to the door trick, your camera becomes almost as important as your cell phone!

What’s next? A natural progression is nature. Nature is a great way to practice with natural light, different angles, and composition. The best part about it, nature is everywhere.  

If this is you, I want to introduce you to a photographer who has revolutionized the art of photographing nature. Many have heard about him, most have seen his photos, but rarely do people actually study him and his work.  His name is Ansel Adams. He is known for his beautiful black and white photographs of the American wilderness.

I want to encourage you to look at his work and understand how he brought his passion for preserving the great outdoors to the attention of the public through photographs. The next time you visit Arizona, go to see Adams’s work which is featured in the John P. Schaefer Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, Tucson. 

Our very own Charlotte portrait photographer who stays busy doing family portraits, baby portraits, and corporate head shots, always finds the time to surround himself to get outdoors and be further inspired.

A great reference for Ansel Adams would be http://www.anseladams.com/index.html

While checking out our archives, I came across a session we did last month that just about knocked me right out of my chair. I couldn’t believe I didn’t see these prints go out the door. I remembered talking with the mother on the phone about appointment times and the holiday schedule a couple of times, but I never had the opportunity to see the final images.  

True emotions and feelings are a tricky thing to capture through a lens. To me, these images had just that. They were beautiful. Love, happiness, and a feeling of closeness is just oozing from these photographs. I enjoyed them so much, that I wanted to make sure you had a chance to as well.

A two hour drive from Charlotte to Ashville awaits me for Thanksgiving day and I can already tell you what events are about to unfold. There are four key ingredients when it comes Thanksgiving.  1. Giving Thanks, 2. Family, 3. Food, and 4. Football.

If your family is like ours and the whole crew comes together only twice a year, take advantage of that time and bring them in for some family portraits. We still have space available for Thanksgiving weekend!

Portraits are a good change in the normal holiday festivities. We have the pleasure of updating the Willard family photo this year. Their family visited us in 2007 and with everyone back in Charlotte, they are coming in for an up to date session!

Willards, Nov. 2007