Ok, here is a funny one. A tree fell on the house and power lines last night. Denise called Mid-American and they came out right away. They started working on the downed limb and it started to rain. Denise and I was talking and decided that we should get a photo in case there was any damage to the roof, we could call the insurance company and get it fixed. Not thinking about anything but getting the photo, I adjusted the flash to full power +1 ¾. I took the photo and the guy in the bucket screamed “Shit” He thought it was lightning. Later he asked, “Why I would have such a powerful camera” I explained that this is our photography studio and, “It’s what we do for a living.”

It was Wright Tree Service and they did an excellent job. They was there with in a half hour and worked on it threw the heavy rain, even after I almost gave that guy a heart attack.

Weekends like this are wonderful! The weather cooperated for this top gun and his bride and you can see, it was a happy, happy day. Again, one of our other fantastic wedding couples referred this couple to us and we are sooo thankful we have clients who are crazy, fun, lovable and just great! What a great start to a lifetime of happiness!

Sundays are usually reserved for "church" and Eric shoots at Raceway Park in Jefferson on Sunday evenings. Sunday afternoons are spent working out in the yard or maybe other catch up work but this Sunday we took portraits of a family who will be celebrating their 25th year of marriage. Their kids are grown and one of them lives out of town. Sunday was the only day they could get together for a number of months so we made the appointment. This couple received their setting as a gift from another great client and friend of ours. We are happy to be a small part of their 25th anniversary! Congrats! It goes to show you that we can capture all the important events in your lives, from the very first "I do" to the continued happiness that only comes after years of sharing time.

Of course, I didn't forget about the racing. Eric spent the evening at Raceway Park. If you want to see the images go to www.racewaypark.net I missed this one but next week you should see us both out there. I'll be at the t-shirt shack so stop in and say hello!

As this year's seniors prepare to walk across the stage and receive their diploma, we would just like to say, "YOU ROCK!" We really enjoy working with seniors. Irrepreciably energetic and optomisitic, it always gives me hope to visit with a graduating senior and ask about their plans and they reply they are going to be _______ (fill in the blank). It doesn't matter what they choose to do with their life at this point, not really, but the fact they have goals and are heading in a direction thrills me to no end!

Weddings are very happy occassions and it is always an honor to be a part of such a special day even when it is a bit soggy! Here is a couple who would let a little water rain on their parade!

Spring is a great time to get your engagement portraits taken as well! Indoors or outdoors, we always have a fun time and it's so great to get to know them all personally.

Each couple has been fun to work with and you've heard me say it a million times and I mean it, we have the best, I mean the BEST clients! We are so lucky to have gotten to know and love so many people, from seniors to weddings, thanks for choosing us!

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and today is going to be fantastic! It's springtime in the midwest and this, plus the great people, is the reason we live in the heartland. Trees are budding, birds are singing, life doesn't get much better than this!

This is the time of year when the sweetest flowers bloom. Already having shown their pretty faces are daffodils and crocus. Tulips are popping up as we speak, as are grape hyacinth; rose of Sharon, dogwood trees and that thorny tree by the pond we think is a Russian Olive are all in bloom. I have a May favorite though. I wait for it all year long...the uncommonly beautiful scent of the common lilac is my favorite smell. I can close my eye and remember the smell the sweet scent of the lilac bushes that will explode onto the local landscape in the next week. Filled with anticipation of the fleeting fragrance, I know I will have my nose to the air to savor a years worth of the lilac scent on the May breeze.

It is also the time of wedding, graduations, proms and a summer of celebration. We have already started the wedding season and it has been wonderful. Brides, beautiful in their gowns, grooms dressed in tuxes, it's all a part of any wedding, spring, summer, winter or fall. Love blooms in all seasons and we are there to capture the lasting memories, be that the scent of the bouquet of the bride, or the taste of the wedding cake shared by all, our photographs will help you keep the memories of your loved ones, be that in a wedding, family portrait, senior portrait or reunion, as fresh in your mind as lilacs in spring.

Remember, Mother's Day is just around the corner and Father's Day follows quickly. Give the gift of memories this year. Portraits last for generations and they are a legacy for our children's children.