CPD

The new blog...

2008-04-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

is here! This will be our final post on the good 'ole blogspot. It has served us well, but we are excited to share with you our new look. We will keep this one up for good measure. Please change your bookmarks and favorites to our new link. Thanks for joining us here and we can't wait to hear from you in the future! Many blessings!

www.carpenterpd.com/blog

Ava is a 2 year old...

2008-04-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that little Miss Ava is a 2 year old. We started documenting her life when she first entered the world. She is absolutely precious as you can clearly see from the pictures below. Ava's daddy has a blog for her that gives updates to family and friends. I truly enjoy his ability to blog. I get some good laughs every time I read it. On top of that, we truly value the friendship that we have developed with the three of them and look forward to more memories to come. :) Enjoy!

A little reward after being such a big girl for the camera!

Kierstin Paige is two...

2008-04-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

We have known this precious little family for a number of years now and are truly blessed to be able to share a friendship with them. It had been a while since Kierstin had her pictures taken by 'yours truly' and talk about a fun session... Kierstin had many smiles to share and wasn't afraid to give them away. She was also very compliant to what I asked of her. :) Take a look below and see how much fun we had.

Swinging is so much fun!

Even busy little girls get tired...

On top of being friends, we have also connected with Darin and Lisa on a business level. They own the Higher Grounds coffee shop in the Geist area off of Olio Road...which you have to check out, especially if you have a coffee addiction. They also have live bands and amazing art hanging all around the shop. They have been gracious in allowing us to hang some of our prints in their shop which in return have opened the doors to some new and wonderful clients for us. Thanks guys! We love you!

Kate & Lanny...married

2008-04-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Kate and Lanny had such a beautiful day...regardless of what the weather report said. :) I loved the way she incorporated the lavender with the brown...every detail was perfect. They celebrated their wedding at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and the reception was at Union Station downtown Indy...beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful...Kate. It was obvious how much Lanny adored her. They are so sweet together and I am so thankful that they chose us to document their day. Have a wonderful time in Mexico! Blessings to you both!

Two of Kate's adorable nieces in big girl shoes...

A quick peek...

Veronica...a senior

2008-04-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

I got to know Veronica at her sister's wedding last fall. It's amazing how one person can change so much in such a short amount of time. Last fall she had braces and long hair. Obviously, things have changed, including the loss of 20 pounds! Way to go! Veronica is going to beauty school on top of finishing her senior year. She had the opportunity to have a complete make-over at a hair show by stylists from California. I love the new look and kudos to you on your weight loss!

Anyway, we had such a fun time doing her indoor shots and I can't wait for her outdoor session. She is so much fun to be around and has the sweetest personality. I love how she already sees a vision for her life and is following her dream. Keep believing and go after it. Stay tuned for more...

Collin at 6 months...

2008-04-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that this little guy is 6 months old! He is getting so big and even more adorable. The day of his session was definitely his day...nothing but smiles the entire time. His mom and I were getting so tickled when he would give a big smile and then put his hand in his mouth. Either way...cute shots. It wasn't until it was time to go home that he crashed and I had to grab a couple of shots of his "lovin' on mom" time. Enjoy!

Can you do this? ;)

Baby Joel is here...

2008-04-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

What a story. First of all, I will try not to ramble, but there is a lot of information, so here goes. First of all, this session is of our new baby nephew, Joel. He was quite the special surprise and talk about adorable! Jeremy's brother and sister-n-law had tried to have children for several years and resorted to IVF which is how big brother Cale came into the world. For their second child, they thought they would try the natural way in hopes of it happening. Well, much to their surprise it did...and much sooner than they had planned. These two brothers will be about 14 months apart...wow!

Of course, these new moments were worth the documentation. They happened to be visiting for a long weekend, so we took advantage of the opportunity. Well, things didn't go exactly as planned. Baby Joel was a little out of sorts from his long travel and we thought it would be fun to get a picture of all of the grandkids (6 under the age of 5) for Grandma. All of the stimulation made for a long session. It worked out just fine...besides we had some time to catch up in the midst of the craziness. :)

These two shots make me laugh...smiles in one, chaos in the other...story of our night. :)

Kynsey turns 1...

2008-04-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that lil' miss Kynsey is a one year old. I had the opportunity to document those precious stages of her first year and I am so glad I did. She is an absolute doll and has been full of smiles during her sessions. In addition to capturing these moments, I have developed such a sweet friendship with her mom. We met several years back and have since then, documented special events within their immediate and extended families...the next one being her brother's wedding. All of these moments have allowed this friendship to bloom. What a blessing. Love to you guys...

Kate & Lanny

2008-04-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I will be starting our wedding season this weekend and we are so excited that it will be with Kate & Lanny. Schedules and weather prevented us from getting their engagement session in earlier, but I am so glad that we were able to work it in before their wedding. They are such a sweet couple and the love they share is quite evident...just scroll down. :) It was wonderful getting to know them better and makes me that more anxious for Saturday. A special thanks to my good friend, Shelly, for joining me on this session. Shelly happened to be downtown with me for the OSP conference and had a new lens to try out. Thanks Shell! Anyway, enjoy and stay tuned for their wedding preview!

Finally...

2008-04-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's here!! As you may recall, we have been working on our new website for quite some time. Well, after much delay it is finally ready to share. The original goal was to have this up and running a couple of months ago. However, problems with our host prevented that from happening. A big thanks to Harald and Zahari at bludomain for all of their help. I will admit that there were some frustrating times when we couldn't figure out what was going on, but it has been worth the wait. A clean, fresh look that describes us...Real.Life.Forever. Stay tuned because there is much more to share-new blog, new products, new, new, new...woo-hoo! So, keep checking back for more and feel free to leave us a comment with what you think about our new looks.

Also, after a couple of weeks of pulling our hair out and trying to send the same email over and over...we are finally up and working again with email. It was such a bizarre situation...every once in a while we could send an email, but 95% of the time it would give us a lovely error message telling us that it was not connecting. I was having to go a completely different route to send even one email...what a process. We had multiple conversations with our internet company before they finally figured out the problem...another woo-hoo! If you have emailed, thank you for being patient. I will be in touch very soon. In the meantime, check out our new site: www.carpenterpd.com. Enjoy!!

Gabe & Claire

2008-04-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted pictures of our two, so I had to share. Claire was in such a smiley mood (that is, until I brought the camera out:) that I had to grab a couple of shots. I even managed to talk Gabe into smiling for a couple of pictures as well. I can't say enough how blessed we are to have such sweet and beautiful children. I know that I am biased, but it's true. ;) It is also hard to believe that Gabe will be 4 soon and Claire will be 3 months...crazy!

Such a beautiful family...

2008-03-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I have gotten to know Jon and Meg rather well over the past couple of years. They happen to be mutual friends to a number of our former wedding clients, so it seems as though we have seen them on a somewhat regular basis...which makes for good times. When Meg called to set up their session I was so excited that we would get to see them again. They have 3 beautiful boys who are as sweet as can be. Their youngest little guy is only a couple of months younger than Claire, so we got to go through the pregnancy joys and woes together. I can't say enough about them...they are so much fun to be around. I hope our paths continue to cross in the future. Enjoy, enjoy!!!

...nothing better than brothers!

...love those chubby cheeks...both sets! :)

Little Baby Jordan...

2008-03-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity of documenting this special time for Todd and Jenni. They have such a sweet little family and I truly enjoyed getting to know them. Jenni and I started talking last year about this session. Since we were both having babies and both were girls it was fun to touch base by email about how ready we were to not be pregnant anymore. ;) The best part was the finished product. Jordan is absolutely precious and pretty much slept through the entire session. Congratulations you guys! You have such a beautiful family.

We had an Elmo fan and I was obviously in the way. ;)

I just had to post this shot. Yes, his finger is entering her nose. Hilarious!!

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it was another busy weekend for us, but this time it didn't involve a camera (other than my point-n-shoot :). We had been planning a trip to Ohio for quite some time to visit with family and friends and to show off Claire. We knew that once wedding season started our times away would be few and far between, so we decided to make a go of it this weekend until...our hosting issues started.

As you read in the previous post, we have been having some hosting issues. We spent a good portion of our Friday trying to straighten things out. This whole mess was completely out of my department of understanding...:) Thankfully, Jeremy had the day off to make some long phone calls to our old host, new host, you name it, he probably talked to them. ;) Anyway, things turned around for the better and we were able to accomplish what we needed on our end, so we hit the road bright (oh, wait...dark) and early Saturday morning.

We celebrated birthdays, had Easter egg hunts, visited with friends and family, and headed to church with my family...all within 36 hours. I was so thankful that we continued with our plans to Ohio even though it was for a short time. I tend to be one of those people who thinks...if I can just get this done then I will be able to relax. Ha! My list never ends which means little relaxing. However, life can pass us by quickly if we don't take the time to stop and listen. This weekend I stopped and I listened to... the excitement of being a child while Gabe looked for Easter eggs, the real reason we celebrate Easter, my family and friends sharing stories with laughter and tears, and the list goes on. I hope that you will be able to stop and listen even when our lists in life seem to fill the page. God's blessings to you and we trust that you had a Happy Easter.

WPPI...kind of a big deal!

2008-03-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from wonderful Las Vegas! It was another worthwhile year at WPPI and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to go. It is amazing how much information you can receive in just a couple of days. I look forward to implementing a lot of it this year. We also were able to experience first-hand some of the awesome products we will be offering this year. I look forward to sharing it all with you in the near future.

In addition to the speakers and trade show, networking is another integral part of WPPI. As I mentioned before, I was able to travel with some close friends who just happen to be photographers. :) It was a great time to continue the building of those friendships and the start of many more.

The topper of the whole trip was Claire. I had some reservations about taking her, but she surpassed all of our expectations. She was happy and content the entire time...not to mention she was quite popular. We didn't get far without people stopping to take a quick peek at her. She was also joined by others in her age-bracket like little Alexia from Vancouver, Canada. They are just days apart and we had to snap a quick picture of the two of them together.

Finally, thank you for your patience while I was away on this trip. This is such an important time to learn and see the new products that our out there. We strive to bring you the best and times like these allow us to pursue those goals for you. On a side note, we have been experiencing some email issues--arrgghhhh!!! We are switching hosts to help prevent any future problems. Please bear with us over the next week or so while we get these details ironed out.

Sweet Baby Austin

2008-03-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Baby Austin came into the world weighing 1 pound 8 ounces. After her 2 month stay in the hospital, she was ready to come home. She now weighs 8 pounds and is as healthy as ever. It wasn't long before she was ready for her first photo session...and I was so excited for them to call. She is a delightful baby who loves her mommy and daddy. Many blessings to you both. You have a precious baby!

My next two weeks...

2008-03-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I mentioned that there would be some exciting happenings taking place. Well, I guess you could say I'm getting anxious which is probably one of the reasons why I have this horrible headache today. :) Anyway, we are in the process of launching a new website. We love our current site, but we have needed one that would allow our portrait clients to view/order their pictures directly through us (instead of an outside source)...this one will accommodate this need. We will also have a separate site for weddings and a separate site for portraits...since we do a lot of both. :) Originally, we had hoped to have this site up and going in January, but between having a baby and issues with our host...hasn't happened yet. Soon though... :)

Secondly, we are getting ready to launch a new blog. I am overly excited about this as well. Ross with flosites has been amazing to work with and has designed some awesome (that's for you, Ross:) blogs for photographers.

Hopefully, within the next couple of weeks you will be able to see some of these new changes. One of our biggest projects that we plan to have completed by May is our new viewing room/studio. We are going to be inviting our clients in to view their pictures on the big screen. This is a dream we have had for quite some time and look forward to sharing it with you.

Last, but not least...are the exciting conferences I have coming up. Claire and I will be leaving bright and early Sunday morning for WPPI in Las Vegas. Sounds crazy, I know...traveling with an almost 3 month old to a place where babies are more likely to be made than to be taken. ;) However, it was so well worth it last year and I will have some extra hands from some of my favorite people and closest friends...Shelly, the Turtles, and Jenn & Brian Stump. It will be an amazing trip with lots of new and fresh ideas.

And finally...the second conference I will be attending is OSP Indy...March 24-26. This was such a wonderful time for me last year. I had the opportunity to really connect with some of our locals and it has been a true blessing to build these friendships. So, if you are a photographer and in the area you need to sign up. You won't want to miss it!

A lot of information, I know...but exciting all the same. It is going to be an amazing year and we look forward to sharing it with you. Below is a picture of Gabe holding his little sis (it's been a while since I have shared). He was quite insistent on holding her while we were looking for furniture for the viewing room. :)

Luke & Kayla are engaged...

2008-03-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

...And I truly adore them. I know I say that with all of our couples, but it's true. We have been so blessed to work with such wonderful people. Luke & Kayla will be getting married the end of May at the home of her parents. It will be a beautiful outdoor wedding with exceptional scenery and a beautiful couple...can't wait!

One of the things I enjoyed the most about their session is Kayla's contagious laugh. I laughed right along with her and I was the one behind the camera. There were several times where Luke had her so tickled that we all had to stop and laugh. Of course, I can't forget to mention her adorable green jacket. I'm slightly partial to green anyway, but it looks awesome with her blonde hair in these pictures.

This is my first try at this common jumping shot and I just had to share it. The first shot was hilarious because even though Luke had plenty of clearance Kayla was in the background ducking...hilarious! His face...love it...:)

I apologize for so many posts in the past two days. I had planned to put more of these up last week, but since it's tax season I needed to get that taken care of. Thanks to everyone for being patient. There is more to come with pictures, product, blog, website and places to go. Stay tuned for more...

Meet Julia...

2008-03-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Just wait until you see her smile. :) She had her smiles ready to go as soon as she walked in the door. I couldn't take it! I was afraid they would be all used up before the pictures started, but she had plenty more to share. It is quite obvious that she is a happy baby. As you will see below, all of those smiles wore her out and it was within a few minutes that she was asleep. Oh...the life of a baby. ;)

Anyway, stay tuned to more of Julia. Her mommy and daddy signed up for the baby plan and will be coming back soon. It was purely by random that I met Julia's family. We had a mutual friend that introduced us while Christmas shopping...and I am so glad she did. They are a very sweet family and I look forward to getting to know them better in the near future. Blessings to you...

I have that same expression when Jeremy kisses my cheek...gotta love facial hair. :)

The Moore kiddos...

2008-03-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at how quick some of my favorite little ones are growing up. We had several milestones taking place for this session...9 months, a 3 year old and a big sis who I couldn't resist snapping a couple of pictures of. :) I know it won't be long before they are back to capture more memories of their childhood and I can't wait. I hope that these moments will be documentation of those precious faces, expressions and personalities that they can look back on and just remember. I love you guys!

Now I lay me down to sleep...

2008-03-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

A few posts back I mentioned my acceptance as a photographer to the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep organization. I received an email yesterday notifying us that the Today Show would be doing a segment on what it truly is. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it first-hand because I was doing a newborn session of little Austin...more to come. ;) However, they do have a link and I just had to share. It is such a beautiful and moving organization and this segment justifies once again why I want to do what God has called me to do.

NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP on the TODAY SHOW

Matt & Ashley are getting married...

2008-03-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

I love Matt and Ashley! They were such troopers on this "not so warm" Indiana day. :) However, the cold air was more than worth the results. They are such a sweet couple and it is completely evident how much they adore one another. They will be getting married the end of April and we are excited to be a part of their day. It will be a day to remember!

Jacklynn turns one...

2008-03-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

Isn't she adorable? It seems like only yesterday that I took pictures of baby Jacklynn...and here she is today...turning one. She had plenty of smiles to share which made my job super easy. I have to give credit to Jaime, Jacklynn's Mommy, because she knew exactly what to do to get Jacklynn to giggle. All I had to do was push the button. :) Thanks Jaime! What a great start to our season... Enjoy the pictures.

...this picture taking thing sure is tiring. ;) I love it!

It is hard to believe...

2008-02-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

that Claire will be 2 months on Sunday. The past 8 weeks have been amazing and life with two children is better than I could have ever imagined. Now it is time for our season to begin. We will be starting the month of March off pretty heavy with sessions and look forward to sharing them with you. Our weddings will begin in April...so stay tuned. :) Below you will see a sampling of some of the ways we will be documenting some of our sessions in the coming weeks. Enjoy!

Thank you again for all of the love and support you have given us as we prepared for (and are now living) life with two. We have been truly blessed with amazing families, friends and clients! We look forward to sharing life and living life with you. May God bless you all! Much love...

Claire at 7 weeks...

2008-02-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

It has been another wonderful week with our new addition. She is full of smiles and loves to talk with you...it is absolutely adorable to watch. Claire continues to have longer stretches with her sleeping...giving me more time to sleep as well. I won't lie...I enjoy my sleep. ;) Check back for her 2 month pictures coming soon. It is so crazy to think about how much time has passed already. I continuously stop and remind myself that I need to enjoy all of these special moments I have with her and Gabe. Before long...they will be all grown-up...aahhh!!! :( Anyway, my maternity time is finishing up and we will be starting our season next week. We have some wonderful sessions coming up that I am already looking forward to sharing. My mind is spinning right now with all of the new and exciting things we have taking place this year. Stay tuned for more!

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...

2008-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

I am honored to say that I have been accepted to be an Affiliated Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Photographer. I found out about NILMDTS at the WPPI conference last year and my heart fell in love with the program. NILMDTS is a non-profit organization that uses local photographers to document families who have suffered the loss of an infant...providing them with images that will keep the memory of their little one alive forever.

In January of 2001, Jeremy's brother and sister-n-law, lost their precious little boy, Isaac Matthew, at 6 months gestational. It was a difficult time for all of us, but especially Scott and Julie. I remember seeing the pictures the hospital took to preserve his memory, and while they are an invaluable memorial, they do not reflect the work of a skilled photographer. I don't say this in negativity to the hospital because I understand that they are not photographers. However, there are those of us that have the ability to document a life and I so wish that they could have had that kind of documentation...celebrating his life.

As a result of our personal experience and the heart I have for those who have lost a loved one, we decided that I would check into it on a deeper level. I know that this will be a humbling/difficult, yet gratifying experience for me. Jeremy and I talked a few years back as to how we could give to the community and be an example by using the talents and abilities that God has given us...this is one of them. I hope that as these times develop that I will not only be able to provide lasting memories, but be a comfort during this devastating time. Check back for future posts.

Smilers and Winners...

2008-02-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

First of all, I wanted to share a couple of shots of the kiddos from today. Claire started smiling last week, but has made it quite difficult to let me capture it on camera. They come and go quickly at that age. ;) I have been trying to get some pictures since she started, but have failed miserably. So, I talked Gabe into smiling for me...and I got a couple... and he was done. :) Then, later on this afternoon I finally captured Claire on camera. Now my lighting was on the verge of going and the background...well, there wasn't one, but her cute little grin was all I needed. I may be a little biased, but we have some cute little ones and I just had to share. ;)

Now, the "real" reason for this post was to share what our winner, Megan, had won from the contest we had when Claire was born. We just shot Megan and Tim's wedding in November and I figured they still have some decorating to do, so I am sending them a gift card to one of my favorite places...Pottery Barn!! I'm saying this with a small amount of jealousy. ;) Happy shopping Megan! Congrats on winning the first CPD contest! More to come...

Our last six weeks...

2008-02-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Claire is 6 weeks old today! It has been wonderful having so many of our friends, family and clients sending well wishes our way. I've gone back through our little Canon point-n-shoot and have wonderful memories of those who came to welcome our little one. I put a little slideshow together of our past 6 weeks. There is no obligation on watching the whole thing...believe me, there are a lot of pictures. ;) I just wanted to give you a small taste of the many friends, family and clients who came to visit us (and please remember these are with our point-n-shoot:). I had so many more pictures I could have shared, but I thought this may be overwhelming enough. My highlight of this weekend was having 3 of my closest friends from Ohio come to meet Claire. I absolutely love them and are truly thankful for their friendships. I value those in our life who love us and challenge us to reach a potential that we didn't know we had...family, friends, clients, etc. We are looking forward to this coming year in our personal lives and in our business. We love and appreciate you all!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2008-02-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Gabe, Claire and I spent the afternoon at a friend's house...actually the house where my friend, Joy, is a nanny. Anyway, we celebrated with some yummy Valentine cupcakes. Of course, I had to snap a quick picture. :)

We hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Love to you,
Gabe & Claire
(and Jeremy & Melody, of course:)

Our little gems...

2008-02-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

All I can say is that I am loving being a mom of two! We couldn't have asked for anything better. Every day I am thankful...even in the midst of frustration or sleep deprivation. God has blessed us beyond words in every area of our lives and we are so thankful for that. It is easy to forget all that you have when you are going through the motions of life. I'm trying hard, every day, to be thankful...even when things don't go my way or when I feel too busy to notice. I hope you enjoy the pictures of little Claire. She is one of our many blessings and I just had to share these adorable pictures of her. No worries...it won't be long before we are up and running again... sharing the memories of our wonderful clients...and maybe a few of Gabe and Claire here and there as well. :) Love to you all!

Something new at CPD...

2008-02-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

We are getting anxious about some of the new products we will be offering in 2008. The first one we would like to share with you is the flush mount album we will be offering our portrait clients. Our wedding clients have been enjoying this awesome product and we decided that it is time we bring it to our portrait clients as well. Below is a sampling of a newborn album. These albums will include 20 sides. Feel free to touch base with us if you are interested in these albums or would like to see a finished product.

Of course, I had to post some new pictures of little Claire. She is growing like crazy! At her 1 month appointment last week she weighed in at 9 lb. 6 oz...quite a difference from her beginning weight of 6 lb. 9 oz. You go girl! ;) More of these fun pictures to come!

More on Claire...

2008-02-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that our little Claire will be 4 weeks old on Sunday. We have been adjusting so well. She even went 5 hours last night which was a huge blessing for me. :) As you can see, Gabe is quite the big brother. He just adores his little sister and is aware of her every move. If she cries, he says, "It's ok Baby Sister, Mommy will feed you." Or, "It's ok Baby Sister, I love you." It brings tears to a hormonal mommy. :) We are finding out more and more every day how blessed we are. Life with 2 children and an amazing husband couldn't be any better for me. Enjoy the pictures...plenty more to come. :)

On top of all of the newness we are experiencing in our own family we also have some newness coming to CPD. We are in the process of getting a new website up and going...which I am extremely excited about. We will be changing things a bit with how we present portrait sessions and so much more. I will explain everything in more detail as we go through the process. It is going to be an exciting year for our family and for CPD. We look forward to sharing it all with you. Below is a bit of an experiment for our website. Your thoughts??

We are so blessed...

2008-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

...talk about an amazing two weeks. From friends and family visiting and bringing meals to Gabe being such a big helper to Claire giving us several good hours of sleep a night to...I could go on and on....she is such a sweet, sweet baby. It has been quite wonderful! I have had quite a few of you ask for more pictures, so here they are. :) There will be many more to come...:) Enjoy!

Collin is 3 months old!

2008-01-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that little Collin is already 3 months old!!! Isn't he precious? I love his little rolls. Gabe didn't have the little "rolls" that most babies have and I'm guessing Claire may follow in her brother's footsteps. So, I have to enjoy those little ones who do as much as I can when I'm shooting. :)

We had a great time during his session...as you can see from the pictures below. I must say that Collin is the first 3 month old that I've seen who is already sitting up on his own. Impressive...Enjoy the pictures!

Claire is here!!!

2008-01-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

Claire Marie Carpenter
Born: January 6, 2008
Time: 5:39 am
Weight: 6 lb. 9 oz.
Length: 18.75 inches

What an amazing couple of days! I know that many of you have been waiting on this post and I have been anxious to write it. :) Our sweet little Claire came into the world on Sunday morning. We thought for sure we would be sent home Saturday night when we went to be monitored for my contractions. However, after walking for 90 minutes (and doing some standing squats:)--I wanted her out:) Claire decided that she was ready. I was admitted around midnight and had our sweet little blessing at 5:39 am that morning. Things couldn't have gone better. On top of having a wonderful experience we had a dear friend of ours, Amanda, offer her amazing skills to document the event. I told her that there are some "not so pretty parts" during it all, but if she was willing we would love to have her there. Just last week I asked her if she still wanted me to call even if it was in the middle of the night...she said yes and I am so glad she did. We knew it would have been hard for Jeremy to document since he would be tending to me. We would have missed so much! If you would like to see some of the moments that she captured just click on her name. Amanda...once again, thank you a million times over for being there, not only to take pictures, but to support us. We love you!

One of our highlights was when Gabe got to see her for the first time. It was absolutely precious. He just loved on her and kissed her and kept saying, "Hi Baby Sister Claire, hi." It brought tears to my eyes. He is already a wonderful big brother and is adjusting well to her. She is a very sweet baby and loves to be held. We are dealing with some jaundice issues and have been making daily trips to have her monitored (which is part of the delay in getting this posted), but overall is doing wonderful. Keep checking back for updates as we capture these quick changing moments in our little girl's life. We are going to be doing her newborn session this weekend and I will share as soon as they are ready.

Thanks to all of you for your well wishes and support as we have prepared to bring this beautiful life into the world. God has blessed us beyond measure and we are so thankful to be able to raise not one, but two, little miracles. As for our winner...it was a close call. We had 3 different people choose Sunday. However, Megan Stankus, one of our 2007 brides, came the closest. She guessed Sunday, January 6th at 3:34 pm. Our second place winner was Brittany Miles, a 2008 bride, with a time of 5:15 pm and the third place winner was Joy Bradley, a portrait client and friend, who forgot to mention her time guess. :) I will be in touch with our lucky winners! Enjoy the pictures and many blessings to you all.

Check this out!

2008-01-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

We received an email from one of our brides today that was quite exciting for us. I'm sure you remember Mike and Andrea from the wedding we shot at Notre Dame in October. Well, they were interviewed by the "Wedding Day" magazine that is published out of the Northern Indiana/Southwest Michigan area. We have been working with "Wedding Day" in regards to sending pictures for the article and Andrea just wrote to tell us that it has published. We sure were excited and know that they couldn't have chosen a better couple to write about. Mike and Andrea truly had a fairy tale wedding and I'm glad to see that so many others will be able to share in the memory of their beautiful day. By the way, if you want to check out the full article just click on the link above to the "Wedding Day" site. Enjoy!

No baby yet...

2008-01-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

...but we sure are ready for her to be here!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year! So, I'm sitting here trying to get some work done and realized that I haven't given an update in quite a while. :) Many of you have asked if our little one is here yet, when she will be here, maternity leave, etc. No, she is not here yet...uuggghhhhh! I have no idea when she will be here...she can't stay in forever. :)

As for my maternity leave, it kind of goes like this... We will not be booking any portrait sessions the months of January or February. However, our March is already filling up quickly...so you may want to get in touch soon if you are wanting a spring session. We will still be taking care of other business things; phone calls, emails, print orders, albums, consultations, etc. Please realize that there may be a delay in our response time, but we will be in touch. We also have some new and exciting changes that will be taking place this year, so stay tuned to our updates.

On a lighter note...:)...we thought it would be fun to have a little CONTEST. Since we are all trying to figure out when Claire will be joining us we're going to offer a gift card to the person(s) who comes the closest to her actual due date and time. Below are some hints to help you out:

-My actual due date is January 18th
-I will be 38 weeks tomorrow
-I am 2-3 cm dilated (hopefully that isn't too weird to put on a blog:)
-I have the joyous Braxton Hicks contractions all day long...not regular though

That's about it...exciting, huh? ;) We will decide the actual gift card option when we see how many winners we have. You can send your guess to cpd@carpenterpd.com. I will post the winner(s) when she gets here, so stay tuned. So, send in your emails with your guess (due date/time) and we will see who the lucky winner(s) will be!

Aaron & Jennifer are married!

2007-12-31T19:08:00.000-08:00

Where do I even begin?? First of all, we have had such a wonderful time getting to know Jennifer and Aaron. You would think that we have known each other longer than we have. :) They are so much fun to be around and absolutely adorable together. Jennifer had said from the beginning that she would love to have some pictures in the snow on her wedding day. Little did she know that she would have snow come on the actual day. There were some uncertainties with the weather, but as it turned out, the day couldn't have been any more memorable. I told Jennifer and Aaron that I prayed all week that the weather would cooperate...and that I wouldn't go into labor before or during. :) All prayers were answered and they had a beautiful December day. Brandon and Cybil were there to capture their day by video...amazing work and wonderful people..check them out! Congratulations and much love to you both!

Jeremy helping the girls to their cars.

The random snowman...

Snow=snowball fight! WIBC radio made reference to this snowball fight that was taking place...

Time to go!!

Well, this officially completes our 2007 wedding season...and what a wonderful year it has been. We have been truly blessed to be a part of so many lives on an occasion that is meant for once in a lifetime. Many thanks to all of our brides and grooms for choosing us to celebrate with you. It was an honor to be a part of your day and the memories will last a lifetime. Happy New Year and God's blessings to all of you!

Baby Maguire

2007-12-28T20:15:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to meet baby Mac! Isn't he adorable? It's hard to believe that it was just a little over a year ago that we shot Chris and Jamie's wedding...and, here we are celebrating the birth of their firstborn. He is such a sweet baby and the friendships that we have developed with Chris and Jamie are invaluable. I must say that Jamie and I had a good time sharing our pregnancy blahs over the past 9 months...though I'm a bit jealous that she is done and I'm still quite the preggo...any day now. :) Anyway, we are truly blessed to be able to establish friendships with our clients...it truly makes what we do that much more rewarding. Enjoy the pictures!

Nate & Courtney

2007-12-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

I knew from the moment I met Nate and Courtney that we were going to get along just fine. :) They are such a fun couple and we have already had many good laughs. They were wanting to get their engagement pictures in so they could take advantage of the guest book that we offer. However, we didn't have many options since we met with them the end of October. We made it happen even with all of our crazy schedules and I must say that they were troopers...it wasn't exactly warm. ;) We were able to get some wonderful shots and had a blast doing it. Nate and Courtney...looking forward to next June...it's going to be so much fun! Enjoy!

Kennedy & Madelyn

2007-12-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity to document these sweet moments of the Sipe girls. Madelyn has just turned 9 months and needed some shots taken to document this sweet stage. Kennedy was a helpful big sister and jumped in for some smiles as well. Aren't they adorable? One of the best parts of this session was that we got to visit with their family for the evening. Jeremy and "Sipe" (aka: Carey) were good friends at IWU and we haven't seen them for at least 5 years...crazy! Time flies by us way too fast. I'm glad we had the excuse of "taking pictures" to be able to visit with them. They live in the Ft. Wayne area, so hopefully, we can make this a little more habitual. :) Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Hatten Family

2007-12-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have truly enjoyed getting to know the Hatten family this year. They have been participating in our "Grow with Me" plan so I have had the chance to document their little family 3 different times. Chad recently took a position in the Chicago area making their availability a bit more of an obstacle when trying to get here for pictures. The day of their session was not the best weather day, but we made the most of it and managed to get some great shots. :) If it looks like there are more shots of Kendall being displayed, you're right...the focus was her 6 month session. :) Enjoy!

Tim and Megan are married!

2007-12-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

The more I am around Tim and Megan the more I wish they still lived around here (Megan recently accepted a new position for Nascar in Charlotte this fall...in the midst of getting ready for her wedding...craziness). We have had the opportunity to work with them during her sister's wedding, their wedding and the wedding we shot this past weekend (Aaron and Jennifer's...coming soon:). It didn't take us long to realize how genuine they were and how much laughter they brought to everyone around them. We had such a wonderful day with them and truly enjoyed watching them celebrate the love they have for each other. Congrats you two!

We saw a lot of this throughout the day! :)

The wedding party entries were quite entertaining!

Tim was willing to share his birthday with his wedding day...Happy birthday Tim!

Reinhard Girls

2007-12-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the delay in posting. Christmas orders have been rolling in and I'm a bit behind on my blogging. I wanted to share a handful of shots of Mia and Marisa's session. They came in during our Christmas special that we had for children. They were so full of smiles that I had to share. We had a wonderful turnout and look forward to doing it again next year. Enjoy!

The Moore Family

2007-12-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

Yet, another one of our favorite families and closest friends...the Moore family. I could go on and on about how much they mean to us, but I know you would rather see pictures. ;) We had so much fun on this session...with many laughs. The boys were incredible with all of their smiles. This was one of those sessions where we tried 2 different times before we could actually make it happen...crazy Indiana weather. However, it was all worth it. I also wanted to try some shots at the field below, so I talked Mark and Kelli into a few more...love them! Anyway, enjoy! Love you guys!

Mark will be pastoring a new church plant (formed from our church) in the downtown Indy area soon after the new year and needed some head shots. Our church is sponsoring an event called Advent Conspiracy...check it out. The church Mark will be pastoring will be a result of this event...good stuff.

Brooke & Corey

2007-12-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

...another wonderfully fun engagement session! Brooke and Corey will be getting married next August and I'm sure there will be a lot of good times to be had. I can't wait! They were such a fun couple to be around...despite the fact that it was quite bitter outside. I must say that I was proud of Brooke for going short-sleeved. Anyway, on top of being a fun couple, they are also a very sweet couple and I am so glad that they chose us to document their day. Enjoy the pics!

Pay back time!!

I'm still not explaining the "pick her up" part very well. ;)

Roe Family

2007-12-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

We have had the opportunity to work with some wonderful families this fall and the Roe family is no exception. We had so much fun with them. Little Avery and Luke were full of energy and had a great time in front of the camera. We had many laughing moments and captured special memories that will last a lifetime. I hope you enjoy the preview!

Amber & Jase

2007-12-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

Amber and Jase will be getting married next September and I can't wait! They were such a fun couple with the sweetest personalities. We connected right away and they were so willing to let me tell them what to do. ;) Anyway, thanks again for choosing us to document your wedding...it's going to be amazing!!

Cobb Family

2007-12-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

Meet the Cobb family... This was such a fun session for me and talk about sweet boys! Mitchell and Trevor are twins and were an absolute blast to be around. They knew how to work in front of the camera...making my job super easy (which is nice at this point in my pregnancy:). On top of that, we couldn't have had a better day for the pictures. We had to reschedule their first session due to weather and were thinking we would have to reschedule again because of rain. Thankfully, we moved the time back a bit and had perfect conditions. I love the color in their pictures and the fact that they are in them makes it complete. They are such a sweet family and I hope I have the opportunity to capture them again in the future. Blessings to you!

Bradley Family

2007-12-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

...another one of my favorite families! Drew and Joy have been close friends of ours for quite some time. Joy tends to be my phone buddy during the day since being self-employed prevents co-workers from being around to carry on a conversation with me. ;) They are another family that we have had the pleasure of documenting over the years and we love them to pieces! True friends are hard to come by and we have been blessed to have them in our lives. Enjoy!

Earlewine Family

2007-12-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

I always love taking pictures of the Earlewine family. Not only are they some of our dearest and closest friends, but they are so much fun in front of the camera. We have truly enjoyed documenting the different stages in their lives and are blessed that they have chosen us to do so. We hope you enjoy the pictures and can catch a glimpse of why we love them so.

...for all of you motorcycle fans!!

Nathan & Christie

2007-11-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

Nathan and Christie had a beautiful day for their engagement session! The leaves were quite brilliant and made for perfect scenery. I truly enjoyed getting to know them during their session...we had so much fun! However, we won't have the opportunity to document their wedding day because we were already booked. I was honored that they still wanted us to do their engagement pictures and I am so glad I did. They are adorable together and I trust that they will be blessed as they start their new lives together next summer. Thanks again and best wishes!

I love this shot!

Paradigm...the band

2007-11-29T20:44:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? I guess you could say that we've known these guys for quite some time. During our years at IWU, Jeremy and I were (and still are...) friends with this crazy bunch of guys. They started a band while we were there, but after the college years ended everyone went their own way. However, they have all found their way back to the Indy area and have picked up a dream that they thought had ended. They needed some shots for advertising purposes, so here they are are...an amazing band who love what they do and why they do it. Did I mention that the guy with spikey hair is the pastor at our church and the guy with the hat is the assistant pastor at our church? They have amazing hearts and are completely driven to seek the lost. We also shot both of their weddings several years back...time flies! Anyway, enough of our history with these guys...enjoy the pics!

Sam & Kristie

2007-11-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

Sam and Kristie are such a fun couple! We had an absolute "Ball" with them on their engagement session. Yes, I know, that was cheesy (that's what happens when you are up for all hours;), but we did do their engagement session on the campus of Ball State. I have to admit I have never been there, but it sure is a beautiful campus. We are already looking forward to working with Kristie and Sam over the next year as they prepare for their special day next October. They have such sweet spirits and the love they share is beautiful! Thanks again for choosing us to document your day!

Erica is a senior!

2007-11-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

What a fun senior session! Aren't her eyes amazing? Erica happens to be one of Jeremy's students at Kokomo High School and will be graduating in '08. She had an awesome serious look on top of her beautiful smile...making our job fun and easy. :) I often think back to my senior session and laugh. I definitely don't have the "serious" look, so I applaud those who do. You should have seen some of mine. ;) Anyway, I hope you enjoy some favorites from her session!

Christmas Cards

2007-11-27T06:20:00.001-08:00

Here is a brief sampling of the Christmas cards we will be offering this year. There are more to see on our website! If you are interested in Christmas cards, please contact us. For those of you who are participating in our Christmas special for children this weekend, these will be some of your options. More to come on our website...

The Reust Kiddos...

2007-11-26T12:37:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing the Reust children. Aren't they adorable? The focus was on little Claire's 9 month pictures, but Ben had to get in for a few as well. It was a great evening for pictures and they did so well in front of the camera. I hope you enjoy the sampling!

Ashley & Brennan are married!

2007-11-26T06:27:00.000-08:00

What can I say? Ashley and Brennan are one of the sweetest couples ever. I know it seems as though I say that a lot, but they truly are! They have awesome personalities that light up any room. We loved being around them! On top of being who they are, they also did a wonderful job planning their day around a fall theme. I just love the fall, so it made me that much more excited. :) Thank you guys for letting us be a part of your day. It was amazing!

Do you remember the original "Family Feud?" All credit to the guys on this one! ;)

Brennan mastered the dip at their engagement session! Love it!

Quick update...

2007-11-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

We trust everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This is always a special time of year for my family. There are about 50 members on my mom's side who get together every year for Thanksgiving. The festivities start on Wednesday and go through Saturday. It's a tradition we have been celebrating for about 14 years...it's wonderful! Our families have grown so much over the years...making each year that much more special!

We will be heading to Tim and Megan's wedding later today, so stay tuned. ;) Also, there is much more to come in regards to portraits, engagements and weddings. We will be offering a preview of the Christmas card's Jeremy has designed on our website early next week for those of you who have been inquiring about the cards. We know that many of you have been watching for your session to post, it will soon. This is always our busiest time of year, but everything will be done in plenty of time to order for Christmas. We appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing so much more with you! Have a wonderful weekend! Many blessings to you all!

Trent & Kim

2007-11-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that when Trent called to set up this session I was a bit nervous. He had this idea of surprising his wife with a "glamour" type session for their anniversary. Kim had never had any professional portraits taken besides their wedding pictures and he wanted to give her the chance to experience it. Well, the more we talked the more I was able to understand his heart behind it...and he wasn't looking for glamour shots.:) His idea was more than worth it. Not only did Kim get some portraits taken, but she was excellent in front of the camera...obviously! Their "kids"--Haley & Mason--were also great in front of the camera. All I had to say was "chicken" and they were, literally, all ears. ;) I had so much fun with this session. They are a beautiful couple and so sweet to be around. Thank you guys for allowing my creativity to be stretched...I had a blast!

The Carpenter Family

2007-11-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

Each year Jeremy and I have the opportunity to document those yearly changes in our nephews' lives. It is so much fun to watch them change and grow. I can't believe how much they've grown in the past year. There are so many times when I wish life would slow down a bit so that we could enjoy it rather than capture it in a picture only. ;) I guess that is why cameras were invented. Anyway, I hope you enjoy some precious moments of Jeremy's brother's family. They sure do mean the world to us. Love you guys!

He has the most contagious laugh!

Seth, the younger one, had a bit of a problem with his pants running down the bridge. I couldn't resist this picture. ;)

Brittany & Grant

2007-11-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

Brittany and Grant are such a sweet and genuine couple. I knew from the moment I met Brittany that we were going to connect and that we have. ;) We shot Grant's sister's wedding in July and we are SO looking forward to shooting their wedding next July. The session proved to be a great way to get to know them on a more personal level and it made me realize, once again, how important these sessions are. The time we spent together will make their wedding day that much more relaxing and fun. Can't wait, you two!

Such a funny moment...I asked Grant to pick up Brittany and this was what he got from my verbal description...not exactly what I had in mind...made for some great shots. ;)

The water was a bit deeper than we thought...thankfully it wasn't too cold. :)

Polly & Travis are married!

2007-11-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

Polly and Travis couldn't have had a better day for their wedding. It truly felt like fall and the color scheme they chose for their day was complimented by the fall colors. On top of that, Polly and Travis were so much fun to be around. We didn't have the opportunity to do their engagement session because they live in the D.C. area, so we didn't get to truly know them until the wedding day. You wouldn't have known that by the way we connected. We are, once again, blessed by the couples we have worked with this year. This is why we love our "job." ;) Enjoy!

The warning...;)

The Czerwionka Family

2007-11-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

How adorable is this family??? I just fell in love with them during their session. Little Ricky was full of smiles and his hair was just precious. I couldn't take it. It's making me that more anxious to meet our little girl...craziness, I tell you. In addition, they were such a sweet family to be around. We connected at the very beginning and had some good laughs throughout the session. I hope to capture more of their special moments in the future. Blessings to you!

Andrew is a senior!

2007-11-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Andrew was such a fun senior to photograph...quite the natural. He made my job very easy. Andrew's mom has taken his pictures for years so he's had some time to practice. ;) The more I shoot seniors the more I enjoy it! There are more seniors to come. :) Enjoy the highlights from Andrew's session.

The Madison Family

2007-11-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

What a sweet, sweet family. I had such a good time getting to know the Madison family and capture them at such a precious time in their lives. Little Isaac has just turned one and is 100% boy. He was ready to go the entire session. I truly enjoyed following him around...he didn't stay still for long, so I had to be quick. ;) I hope you enjoy some of the precious memories captured that day.

Tim & Megan

2007-11-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's crazy how small the world is...Megan and Tim found out about us through several different couples...and now it is their turn. I had so much fun shooting their engagement pictures. They are so easy-going and fun to be around. They know how to make my job easy. :) Megan was actually in her sister's wedding (that we shot) in July so we've had the chance to get to know them both prior to their session. Now, they will be getting married in just a couple of weeks...(so stay tuned). Then we will see Megan again in Jennifer and Aaron's wedding in December. She may get tired of us by the time this is all said and done. Ha!;) Enjoy!

This shot makes me laugh...:)

Megan & Tim are huge Colts fans!

This is where Tim proposed to Megan...a little gazebo right off of the Geist reservoir. We had to relive the moment. ;)

Mike & Andrea are married at Notre Dame!

2007-11-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

We have been excited for this wedding ever since we booked with Mike and Andrea last year. Now, that we have gotten to know and love them, we have been overly anxious to share with you our experiences from the day. I truly don't know where to begin. Everything about their day was amazing...from the location, beautiful ceremony (they had the ND choir sing-WOW!), to the weather, such an exquisite couple, wonderful families, and a reception that partied through the night...we couldn't have asked for a better day. We are so happy for them and gracious that they chose us to document their day. The pictures will speak for themselves (I just apologize for the extreme number...I should have put them in a slideshow;). Enjoy!

Ryan & Kristen

2007-11-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

What a fun couple! Ryan and Kristen are more than just a sweet couple...they are a blast to be around! When I met with Kristen to talk about wedding packages, one of our conversations had to do with their engagement session. She wanted to know if she could bring an old couch from college to use for the pictures. Of course, I was all for it! The fear was that the couch wouldn't hold up while they were jumping. So, there was some hesitation on Ryan's part, but we got him going and it was SO worth it. There were many moments of laughing taking place. They will be getting married next July on the canals...can't wait! The slideshow will be coming soon!

A nice profile shot of a pregnant lady! Thanks Jeremy!

The shot Jeremy should have been getting. ;)

For sure, my favorite shot of the day!

Some of Gabe's favorite people...

2007-10-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

Meet the Reed girls, Kristina and Elizabeth...they are sisters of one of the sweetest families we know. We have been doing yearly sessions with them for the past 4 years and it has been so much fun to grow with them.

On top of that, they are also one of the wonderful families that keep Gabe for us during our wedding season. They have been such a tremendous blessing to us and have been so willing to take Gabe in as part of their family. Just to give you an idea...we alternate with them and another family and at the beginning of this year they got in touch with me in regards to our wedding dates for this year. I sent them all 30 weddings and I think between the two families they covered every date with the exception of 2. Amazing!!! The fact that they are giving up a lot of their Saturdays to love our son is beyond what we could have ever imagined...and the fact that he adores them is the icing on the cake. We love and appreciate you guys so much!

Taylor turns 3!

2007-10-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Taylor's mom had the best idea for doing her 3 year pictures...go to the pumpkin patch! Since Taylor's birthday is in October, her mom, Jennifer, thought it would be fun to do her pictures there...and that it was! We took a hayride, picked out a pumpkin, played, and of course, took some pictures. Taylor was a true champ. There was so much to see and do and the thought of snapping a picture wasn't always appealing to Taylor, but she hung in there and we got some great shots. I, obviously, had to get a couple of Taylor's little brother, Cole. I love the pumpkin shot! ;) Enjoy!

Gabe got to join me on this session, and of course, I had to snap a couple here and there of him. ;) On a side note, I know a lot of you are checking this daily for your pictures. They are coming!! The crazy weather we have had the past couple of weeks called for a lot of rescheduling and a lot of messed up work time! This time of year is also a prominent family picture time, so it seems as though we are taking more pictures than we have time to edit. However, we are working as fast as we can to show you the pictures and we appreciate your patience. Keep coming back...there is so much to share!!!!!!

Ana & John

2007-10-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Ana and John were truly blessed the day of their wedding. The weather was absolutely perfect and everything went as planned. It was amazing! Every detail was taken into consideration and the results were quite exquisite (you can see it in the beauty of her dress). We are so happy for them. They are such a sweet couple and John absolutely adores Ana...didn't she look beautiful? I love it! Thank you for choosing us to document your day. It was more than worth it!

I love what bridesmaids will do to help the bride! ;)

I absolutely adore this picture of Ana dancing with her proud grandfather.

Gabe is going to be a big brother!

2007-10-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, as most of you know...we are expecting a little girl to be joining our family in January. We have been wanting to share this information for quite some time. I was trying to be creative with my ideas of sharing, but that didn't happen.:) Jeremy and I were hoping we would be able to have our second child during our off-wedding season and fortunately enough, it worked in our favor. In the mean time, we have been busy with our current season trying to get as much done as possible before she arrives. Our biggest surprise came when we found out she was a girl. Jeremy is one of 4 boys and there are 5 grandsons (not one grand-daughter!). We only assumed it was going to be a boy! Boy, were we wrong and quite shocked, to say the least! However, we are looking forward to this new stage in life and are anxious to meet her. I will continue to keep you updated as I near the end of my pregnancy.

We have also been very behind in getting Gabe's 3 year pictures taken. I was pretty sick (as a lot of you know) early on in the pregnancy and doing anything outside of our normal schedules didn't happen. So, here we are sharing his pictures with you. He has grown so much and is at such a fun stage right now...we are loving it! People have asked if it is easier taking your own child's pictures being photographers. The answer...it is much harder. We have to read Gabe with his attitude to know whether or not we should take his pictures. When your parents always have cameras in their hands it becomes a norm...nothing exciting. We were very fortunate to capture these moments below...he happened to be in a smiley mood. ;) Trust me! This doesn't always happen! Enjoy!

Future track athlete?! ;)

Collin Walls

2007-10-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to me how fast time can fly. I remember just a few years ago when Jeremy and I shot Chad and Jennifer's wedding. Jennifer and I have kept in close contact over those two years and here we are celebrating the birth of their first child, Collin Walls. He is absolutely adorable and oh, so sweet! We had a wonderful time talking and snapping pictures. Once again I must say how blessed we truly are to have such wonderful clients (and friends)!

Chelsea is a Senior!

2007-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Chelsea was so much fun to photograph during her indoor/outdoor session! She was so willing to do anything I asked...jump in the middle of the street, climb a wall in an alley and so much more. :) She was a true champ and I absolutely love her pictures. I must say that we have known Chelsea for quite some time so I was a little more daring with her. ;) I don't ask everyone to climb walls! ;) I hope you have a wonderful senior year, Chelsea! I still can't believe you are a senior!

Jed & Emily

2007-10-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

I don't think that Jed and Emily's day could have gone any better. It was so much fun documenting the events of their day...as you can see I had a hard time choosing what pictures to share. On top of a beautiful day, we fell in love with Jed and Emily. They are the sweetest couple and a blast to be around. There were times I was crying from laughing so hard. I hope you enjoy this presentation...so much more to come! Congrats you two!

Nothing beats Old Navy flip-flops!

You should see the guys' shot! ;)

I love this series!

How many times do you see this shot?

There wasn't a dry eye after the best man's speech!

Kynsey is 6 months!

2007-10-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

How sweet is Kynsey?! And her big brother, Bryce (he had to jump in for a few)? While I was working on their pictures I thought how what you see below says it all between siblings. I couldn't help but laugh at some of them. However, at the same time, I thought they were absolutely precious! I am looking forward to her one year session...I'm sure they will be just as adorable!

I don't usually do this to pictures, but she looked so "angelic" I had to do something. ;)

Brodie & Erin

2007-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Erin and Brodie are such a fun couple...in case you can't tell by their pictures! ;) They had such a beautiful day celebrating with their friends and family. If you may recall from their engagement session, we are good friends with Erin's family so it still seems crazy that she is married! However, we couldn't be happier for the two of them. They truly love and care for each other and their day was as priceless as the two of them are. Many blessings to the two of you as you start your new lives together!

Tymi is a Senior!

2007-10-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun taking Tymi's senior pictures. She did an awesome job in front of the camera...making my job a piece of cake! It doesn't seem that long ago when I had my senior pictures taken, but then again as I count back the years...it makes me feel old! Stay tuned for some indoor pictures of Tymi in the near future. She wanted to make sure she got her outdoor pictures in before the weather changed. Enjoy the sneak-peak!

Joe & Chrissy

2007-10-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

This was quite the engagement session! Several things happened that were firsts for me...from the attack of the mosquitoes to Chrissy and Joe's dog using the bathroom in a way I've never seen. :) This didn't keep us from getting some wonderful shots though...we just had to move a bit faster because of the mosquitoes. I must say that Joe gets the champ award because he was definitely the mosquitoe magnet.

Chrissy and Joe will be getting married next summer and we are looking forward to it. They are such a sweet couple with genuine spirits...so much fun to be around. We have also gotten to know Joe's family over the years through various photographing opportunities which will make the experience that much more enjoyable. Looking forward to 2008!

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A funny moment of their dog "doing business"...oops! :)

The Moore Family

2007-09-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with these pictures right now! First of all, if you are wanting family pictures this fall these two locations that we took the Moore family to are wonderful! Let us know if you want to set up a session. Second of all, the Moore's happen to be some of our closest friends and we love them to death. You may remember them from a while back during Lesleigh's pregnancy. I must say that we don't get tired of taking their pictures or spending time with them...how can we? They are true blessings to us and we love them, love them! Enjoy!

Greg & Jackie

2007-09-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Greg and Jackie celebrated their day at the Indiana War Memorial. It was quite exquisite with its marble walls and amazing architecture. We had never shot there before and I must say it was well-worth the experience. It was an intimate setting for Greg and Jackie's close family and friends...perfect! We had quite a bit of rain that day so we didn't have many outdoor pictures, but we made up for it with what we had to work with inside. :)

As for Greg and Jackie, what a couple! They are so sweet and so in love. We had a wonderful time getting to know them better throughout the day. Have I mentioned that we love what we do? :) Thank you Greg and Jackie for choosing us to document your day...many blessings.

Isn't she beautiful?!

Brennan & Ashley

2007-09-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

After shooting Brennan and Ashley's engagement pictures, I am now getting quite excited for their wedding. We had so much fun! We laughed and shared stories throughout the evening which made for some humorous moments. On top of the humor, they are such sweet, sweet people...no wonder they are together. :) Brennan and Ashley live in Muncie so we did their session there and I am so glad we did. The places we went to were quite amazing. This was completely her recommendation and it was more than worth it. We're looking forward to celebrating with them and capturing their day the end of October. Enjoy the pictures!

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Susanne & Keegan

2007-09-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day! We had the opportunity to share in Keegan and Susanne's day on the beautiful campus of Indiana University in Bloomington. They both live in California, but wanted to get married at Susanne's alma mater, IU. Every detail was taken into consideration and the hard work they put into this long distance wedding was well worth it. As for Keegan and Susanne, I wish they lived closer. ;) They are such a sweet couple and so much fun to be around. The day flew by with so many memories captured. Thank you for letting us share in your special day!

The shot that never dies! ;) Check out the two guys on the left--hilarious! Also, there were several pregnant bridesmaids...jumping! Love it!

Yes, that's me! Thanks Jeremy! ;)

Why we do what we do...

2007-09-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

We are in the process of finishing Keegan and Susanne's wedding pictures...which I can't wait to share!...and wanted to share with you a few words from Susanne following the wedding day:

"...I just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you again for everything (and I do mean everything) on our wedding. You guys were so fantastic, and not only with the photography, which I'm sure will be amazing, but with every aspect of the day - you guys are so great to have around, are so wonderful to work with, and really put my mind at ease about every step along the way. Keegan and I talked on our honeymoon about the way both of you went above and beyond throughout the day to make sure every detail was great, but also to help us - whether that was advising us on the cake-cutting (which we had no idea how to do!) or helping find people when we needed them, etc. It was beyond full-service and it was greatly appreciated. It truly was a pleasure having you both there."

This is why we do what we do... I did not choose to blog this for an ego-boosting, but wanted to share with you how wonderful our clients are and thankful that what we do brings joy to their day. Time and time again, we receive feedback from our clients about their thoughts from the day. Many times the comments are in regards to things we just do...without realizing it. Our goal as photographers is to not only provide life-long memories, but also to provide service that allows the focus to be on our clients and their day .

On another note, I apologize for the lack of posting. We have been busy editing (of course), trying to transform our logo/look, ordering pictures/product, updating our website, and attacking the miscellaneous calls of life and business. There is a lot more to come! Feel free to let us know what you think about our new "look."

Tammy & Dustin

2007-09-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful time with Tammy and Dustin. They are such sweet individuals and the love they share makes them perfect for each other. The day was absolutely beautiful! They have many memories that they will be able to cherish for the rest of their lives. Thank you two for letting us be a part of your day!

Ty Damon

2007-09-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Little Ty has been growing by leaps and bounds...absolutely adorable! I am so lucky that I get to take the pictures! ;) He is definitely developing his own personality and it is written all over these pictures. We had a few smiles and a lot of expression! It is so cute how interested he is in his surroundings.

Ty's mom and dad are very good friends of ours and have been for quite some time. It means so much to us that we are able to capture these special moments in the lives of their children. We love you guys! Looking forward to next time...

Halle & Sydney

2007-09-05T08:09:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when I finally got to take pictures of my friend Jennifer's little girls. Jennifer and I go way back...we've been close friends since middle school and she is always on my list of "people to see" when I go home. Well, due to our busy wedding season I didn't make it home much this summer, but the end of August finally allowed that to happen.

Halle and Sydney were so much fun to photograph. Halle made up some crazy stories and even had her own little model session. Let's just say we had some good laughs. In addition to them being adorable, I must say that I love the rolling hills of southern Ohio. The flatness of Indiana is great and all, especially while running, but the hills are so much more fun to photograph. I miss Ohio! :) Anyway, enough of that...enjoy the pictures!

Greg & Katie

2007-08-30T14:24:00.001-07:00

Greg and Katie's day was nothing short of amazing! The only battle we had was the heat, but that didn't affect the outcome of the day. They are so in love and so made for each other. Everyone who was around them could feel their emotion. There were so many moments from the day that will make life-long remembrances for those who were there. I hope that the sampling I'm posting will give you a brief impression of their beautiful day. Congratulations you two!

Seeing Katie for the first time...

My favorite of the day!

I love this one!

David & Ellie

2007-08-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

It was a hot, hot day for David and Ellie's pictures, but you would have never known by their attitudes. They were all about checking everything out and were always ready to go. Things got even better when we went down by the water for some pictures. They were so full of energy which made for a lot of laughs. We had the pleasure of getting to know David and Ellie at an Easter session we did a few years back. They come from such a sweet family! Enjoy the pictures!

Beau is 6 months!

2007-08-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that I get to take pictures of such cute little kiddos. If you remember, I had the opportunity to take Beau's newborn pictures and here he is...6 months old. The time is flying! Of course, Beau's big brother, Dylan, got in on a few of the shots. I love the "all boy" shots with the stick. Beau's mom, Kelli, and I just laughed at what gets a boy's attention. We are definitely made differently. ;) Enjoy the pictures!

Chad & Jennifer are having a baby!

2007-08-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for Chad and Jennifer! They are going to have their first baby in September. I know he is going to be absolutely adorable! Look at his parents! It is hard to believe that we shot their wedding almost two years ago...sure is amazing how time flies. During that time, Jennifer and I have become wonderful friends. We even started our mini-marathon training together...that is until she found out she was expecting. ;) Anyway, we had a ball with the pictures and I can't wait to meet little Collin...and show you more pictures, of course.

Jacklynn

2007-08-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

I can't get over how stinkin' cute Jacklynn is. We've been taking her pictures since she was a newborn and here she is at 6 months old. I can't believe how much she has grown and her little personality is absolutely precious. You will have to check out the shot where she was doing "touchdown." She is obviously ready for the season to begin. :) Enjoy the pictures!

Jesse & Mary

2007-08-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing day with Jesse and Mary. They were married in Noblesville with the reception at the Bridgewater Country Club in Carmel. I loved the simplicity that Mary portrayed and the obvious love that Jesse had for his bride. One of the highlights from their reception was when the d.j. played "Jesse's Girl" and everyone, and I mean everyone, made a circle around them and sang to them. It was so sweet and quite hilarious at the same time. We wish you two the best as you start your new lives together. Blessings...

Lauren...Senior 2008!

2007-08-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had another out-of-towner for a senior session. ;) Lauren lives in Florida, but has family in the Indy area. Jeremy and I happen to be very close friends with her cousins, so when they asked if we could do her senior pictures it was an obvious yes. We had so much capturing her while trying to avoid the blistering heat! Lauren...it was so good to see you again. Enjoy the pictures!

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We've been tagged...

2007-08-20T05:57:00.000-07:00

Photographers all over are participating in this little tag game and our closest friends, Nate and Amanda, with Turtle Pond Photography have tagged us. So, now I get to share some interesting information about us that I'm sure you are all dying to hear. ;)

-We met at Indiana Wesleyan University.
-Jeremy no longer has a colon...crazy, huh?-it's all good!
-We are proud parents of the cutest little 3 year old...ever!
-Mel was a high jumper at IWU--had the record for 7 years.
-We are both pastors' kids.
-Jeremy played baseball at IWU--has had records all of his life for this sport. ;)
-We (also) love fried zucchini!
-Traveling is one of our favorite things to do!

It's our turn to "tag" some of you:

Shelly Valentine
Asher Collie
Chad Franz
Laura Eaton
Nate & Amber Holritz
Jenna Walker

Ben & Betsy

2007-08-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

We have been so excited for Ben and Betsy's wedding! They have amazing chemistry and the love they share for each other is beautiful. It truly makes our job as photographers easy because we just snap away. ;) On top of who they are as a couple, they are also amazing individuals. We love being around them! Well, their day was priceless. The atmosphere drew you in causing you to be absorbed with their love for each other. Congratulations Ben and Betsy and thank you for letting us be a part of your day!

Josh & Britney

2007-08-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official...Jeremy's younger brother, Josh, is married. One of the best parts for me is that I have gained another wonderful sister-in-law. They are such an adorable couple and we have truly enjoyed watching their love grow over the past year. As for the wedding day...it was beautiful. We did the majority of their pictures at Britney's parents' house...amazing property and "wow" pictures! The church that they married in was the same church that both Britney's grandma and mom were married in...talk about the history. We are so happy for them and thankful that they chose us to document their day. Congratulations Josh and Britney! We love you guys!

Baby Hunter

2007-08-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting little Hunter Bollman. Talk about a sweet, sweet baby. He came to visit when he was only 12 days old. I remember the days when Gabe was that small. Then I look at him today and wonder where the time has gone. Little Hunter is quite the miracle to his mommy and daddy. They have been wanting a child for 8 years and were finally blessed with a beautiful little boy. Congratulations!

Drew & Leslie

2007-08-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day! After having so much fun at Drew and Leslie's engagement session I knew that their wedding was going to be a blast...and that it was! They were so much fun to be around and so in love! The atmosphere of the whole day was filled with love, good times and laughter...everything that should be felt at a wedding. Jeremy and I are excited because we will get to be with a lot of these people again in November at Leslie's sister's wedding. We couldn't be more blessed!