Okay, so today I’m going to share something very personal. My husband and I were married five years ago…he gained a wife and two children; I gained a husband and his son and daughter-in-law. In the past five years, my son became a man and moved away from home; my daughter, now a sophomore in high school, is almost sixteen and will be driving soon. And then, four months ago, Buddy’s son and daughter-in-law blessed us with Cooper!

Cooper is a very personable baby…he is very happy (most of the time) and enjoys spending a lot of time with his doting parents. Weldon brought Cooper into the studio last week for our baby modeling session for one of my clients, Little Trousers. The Auburn themed outfit on Cooper was made by Tiffany Bell, owner of Little Trousers…too cute!

While he was here, we took advantage of our time together to create some images for mom and dad. You may notice that a clothing change number 3, Cooper is beginning to show some signs of ‘I’m ready to go home now.’ As proud “Gigi,” I would like to share with you our baby Cooper.

This morning, I received this sweet note from Tracie, one of the family members we recently photographed in Hoover. Just had to share! Also, I’ve posted their favorite image and a slideshow of their session, and I think you can see that we all had a great time. It started raining (a lot!) after we were together for about 10 minutes–we all decided to wait it out since three members of the family are from out of town and would not be available again. Fortunately, we were able to take advantage of the beautiful light that often appears after a rain!

Tracie ordered a book of images–I can hardly wait for her to see how the book looks! I love wall art and coffee table books–both well suited for their own purpose. Tracie has her own blog, and I encourage you to take a peek…her interests are varied so her blog has something for everyone.

“Our time with Gretchen was a wonderful experience. Coming together with family and all of its dynamics can sometimes feel like a chore but with Gretchen’s fun-loving and accepting professionalism our family has ranked our experience with Gretchen number two in quality time together with an after effect of lasting joy second only to the birth of the youngest in our clan, Filly, who is currently nine years old. Eventually we relaxed into the process and began having fun. We started poking fun at each other as all families do and to our surprise our camaraderie did not end with our photo shoot. While visiting Gretchen in her studio to view the photos in her living room setting complete with large screen monitor for viewing and comfortable sofa and chairs our family relived and created new moments of quality time together with lasting joy. The best part of all is being able to choose which pictures please you the most, taking them home with you to relive and create more wonderful, loving memories over and over and over. Our family thanks you Gretchen from the bottom of our hearts and wish you well in your photographic journey.

The Talmadge Family”

Casual Family Portrait

What a wonderful day in the studio this past Thursday! Little Trousers is a new baby clothing business started by one of my brides (well, I still think of her as a bride even though she’s been married a year and a half and is now expecting her first baby!). Tiffany wants to work from home, and she’s always had a love of color and fashion so Little Trousers has been born.

We had a baby model call and were pleased to have five babies in the studio to model some of Tiffany’s creations. We are having a cutest outfit contest on facebook so be sure to visit my facebook or Little Trousers facebook pages to vote! Simply “like” your favorite outfit. Winners will get free outfits and photos!

Here’s a preview of what you will see:

War Eagle!

Chillin' in Snowflakes

Way fun!

Caitlin and Paul were married on a beautiful summer day on August 6. Vestavia Methodist Church provided a stately background for the ceremony. Both Caitlin and Paul grew up in the church, and their minister spoke so personally about Caitlin and Paul and her feelings toward them. It was one of the most intimate ceremonies I’ve witnessed…I think we all felt like we were being “let in” the relationship that Caitlin and Paul share. Caitlin and Paul were whisked away in the waiting Bentley to their reception at B&A Warehouse. About 300 people joined in the celebration with a terrific band playing a wide variety of music that had people dancing the night away.

One of my favorites from the wedding reception and a short version of their wedding highlights slideshow. Enjoy!

Lauren is one of our high school representatives (want to be one? email me for an application!) who agreed to go play with us while we used a new off camera flash softbox. Using off camera flash correctly is the best way to create very natural looking portraits without harsh shadows. We shot Lauren late in the afternoon and were happy to have more than a few clouds. Lauren wore her dad’s cowboy hat and really had fun modeling it. The old wood on the log cabin, the barn, and the outhouse all provided cool textures and color for backgrounds. We laughed while Lauren pulled the petals off the daisy and ended with “he loves me not”–Jamie, I covered your back…I’m sure she pulled two petals off at once!

Here’s one of my favorite images from the day, although it was very difficult to choose so I’m also posting a slideshow of our afternoon. Enjoy!

Contemplation

When Tammy and Hunter were choosing where to have their wedding, they decided on Hunter’s family farm in Linden, Alabama…was the best decision they could have made! Hunter’s mother does a lot of entertaining…the grounds are absolutely gorgeous. Hunter’s mother, “JoMomma” is a terrific host. Rachael Grammer of Two Hearts Weddings and Ricky Whitley changed the large carport into a dreamy dining hall with a seated dinner for 30. The couple was married under the shade of a giant oak tree decorated with a flower cross on the tree and ribbons floating through the limbs. The swimming pool had floating wreaths with burning candles. The intimate wedding was relaxed and elegant all at once. The guests had a marvelous time celebrating the union of Tammy and Hunter–two people who are perfectly suited for one another. Congratulations to you both, and may you enjoy many, many years of happiness! Thank you for allowing us to share in your joy!

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter Hall

This short video will give you a glimpse into their day.

Jason and Kristen were married on an absolutely gorgeous day…Saturday, June 28, at First United Methodist Church in downtown Birmingham. Their reception was held at the Birmingham Museum of Art…the guests were entertained by a fabulous band while enjoying delicious and artfully displayed heavy hors d’oeuvres. Jason and Kristen are perfect for each other as you can see in the images of the two of them. This is one of my favorites…a few more are included in the short video of their wedding day highlights. Enjoy!

Mr. and Mrs. Jason Smith!

Kerri Burson is my guest blogger today…she sent me this the other day, and I just have to share! It totally made my day!

Fun at “Miss Gretchen’s”

I was so excited to finally be taking my boys to a professional studio to have their portraits made…So excited that I stressed about the clothes and the setting and the time of day and their behavior and whether or not we would end up with usable photographs. I even ended up talking myself and my husband out of the session entirely. Our experience however, was life changing-we’ll never go back to the other guys. We’re life-longer’s with Gretchen B Photography because of the addition of family heirlooms to our walls and more importantly, the family-fun experience of our session with her.

Hangs above mantel in their home

We live in Alabaster, and often drive passed Gretchen’s studio in Old Town Helena, and my boys (4 and 7) always ask when we’ll get to go back to “have fun with Miss Gretchen” again. This proves that the experience of a professional really does make all the difference.

Before our session, Gretchen briefed us on all we’d need to know about time of day and appropriate clothing option, but she also gave the best advice I’ve ever heard about having your children photographed. She asked me not to tell them that they would be having their picture taken, but that they were going to have fun with a friend of mine, Miss Gretchen. That is exactly what they did.

After jumping up and down and laughing their ways into some hysterical poses in studio, we took the session outdoors for some priceless moments between brothers that I am so happy to have in books and on my walls to enjoy forever. We were able to capture these moments because they were having such a great time, and I’ll never settle for anything less.

Watch the re-creation of this pose in the video!

We’re really looking forward to our next session as a whole family with Gretchen next month. I know now what to expect from our session-and I can’t wait to be a part of it.

Please watch the following video to hear my boys tell about their experience in their own words.

All I can say is, “WOW”! Emily and Caleb came to the studio a couple of weeks ago on a very hot June afternoon for their engagement session. I had met Emily once (thank you, Trey, for your referral!) but had not met the groom…Caleb. What a happy couple! They laughed and played and generally had a great time in front of the camera. Their wedding is in December, and I can hardly wait! One of the best things about being in the wedding industry is meeting so many different types of people. I simply love studying how people interact, and it constantly amazes me that there are no two couples exactly alike. “Ain’t love grand?”

Here are some of my favorite images from the session, and I’ve put together a slideshow, too. There are just so many fun images! I trust you will enjoy watching Emily and Caleb as much as I did photographing them!

Emily and Caleb in the studio

By the waterfall

A private joke

Although Lauren is a rising Junior, she is participating in my high school senior modeling program. Lauren is active in the American Heart Association Sweethearts which fits with the spring fashion show in the planning stages where the proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association. I’m thrilled to have Lauren working with me! Watch for more images of her in the near future. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites from our first session together.