And So it Goes...

...another year gone. I had a great 2008, mostly thanks to all of you out there. I had fantastic customers who helped me far exceed the expectations I had going into this year. I'd like to thank each of you for choosing us to be your photographers, I really hope you'll continue to come on back to us any time you need pictures. Looking ahead, with so many amazing changes and opportunities in store for our business, I'm just in awe of how far we've come in the past two years. I'm so glad that you all could be a part of it!

The end of the year is always a time of reflection, and as I think about how great this year was, I remember everyone and everything that made it so great. All of my friends and family who are so caring and supportive, my husband (the goofball) who loves me unconditionally and always makes life interesting, and most importantly, my Savior. I would be nothing without Him, I'd have nothing without Him. He has blessed Adam and I in too many ways to count, I'm so thankful for His grace and for His awesomeness! :)

I hope you all have fun plans for this evening as we ring in the New Year. Be safe and God bless!

-Gina

Michael & Sara

My brother Michael proposed to his girlfriend Sara on Christmas! They were in town visiting from Colorado, and since I may not see them again before their wedding this summer, I had to do a quick engagement session! They've been dating for about 9 months and seem so perfect together. I met Sara for the first time in July when we went to CO for a visit, and she fits right into our family. I hardly had to give them any direction at all for the pictures, they're just so in love! I'm so happy for you guys and I love you!

Michael got cold and I gave him my coat since I was hot. It was a little small...

CHRISTMAS

We are CLOSED! After today, I will hopefully be able to stay away from the studio and take a Christmas break with my lucky husband who gets 16 DAYS off since he's a teacher, which is crazy but awesome! Run-on sentence. Sorry bout that. So...that means we will not be answering emails, taking orders, talking to you on the phone, et cetera et cetera (please pronounce each syllable separately), til our first day back which is January 6!

Lindsey and I got a little kooky today...must be the thought of the ENORMOUS break we're about to get!

Crystal + Nathan

I love this couple. They were so sweet and so in love and so emotional that it was hard not to get caught up in it all and feel like I'd known them for years. Crystal's dress was amazing, their ceremony was amazing, and they even went outside in the single digit freezingness, all for the sake of getting great pictures. The wedding was up in Manhattan on Saturday (our last wedding of 2008!), so I got to go some locations that I hadn't been to in awhile, and some I'd never been to. Super fun stuff. Here are my favorites...there are a lot and I didn't even put them all up.

Tyler

I've been taking pictures of this crazy dude since he was brand new! I made yet another nervous venture into the studio, and while I still don't have it all figured out, I think we got some really good stuff. Tyler made me laugh...he gives hugs and (open-mouthed) kisses, so I was treated to both. :) And he loved to press the button on my pocket wizard that made the light go. He stared directly in the light and pressed it over and over and over. Hopefully that didn't do any permanent damage. Tyler's getting a new little brother in March, can't wait to take pictures of the two of them together!

His favorite thing was to sit on the EDGE of the paper backdrop, not the middle, so we went with the flow...

W&W's = M&M's. Gotta learn the code language before I have kiddos!

I think this is my favorite:

Here we are trying to drink "mulk" and eat M&M's...at the same time. That's one talented little guy.

Another favorite:

Things Lindsey Says...

"At least she wasn't being strangled by a bear shackle."

Things Lindsey Says...

"That's a beautiful drawing of a mustang...............with laser beams."

Things Lindsey Says...

"That's a sad, sad story...fatty."

And then when I told her that was going on my blog she laughed/convulsed and said:

"I just snotted all over my sweater."

Diesel at the Studio

I brought Diesel and Axl with me to the studio today. Axl was being super annoying and whiny, so he's been banished to the car for now. Diesel's so cute though, he found a perfect little spot and is hoarding all his goodies.

Things Lindsey Says...

*DISCLAIMER: I would just like to say that a lot of the funny things Lindsey says aren't appropriate for me to post on my blog. So these are pretty watered down, but sometimes they're still borderline vulgar. I don't approve, I just laugh. Hokay, on to the next crazy one-liner.

"Don't quit on me, hoebag."

Madison...Again

I was editing Madison's session yesterday. Here are a few more. :)

Things Lindsey Says...

Gina – “What are you ruining over there?”
Lindsey – “Your reputation.”
Gina – “Oh.”
Lindsey – “BURRRRRRRRRRRRN!”

Things Lindsey Says...

"Where are your pants? There they are!! Peek-a-boo pants!"

Kevin

Saturday I photographed Kevin for his senior photos. We walked around downtown and found some new stuff I hadn't used before, which is always cool. Then we headed over to a park for some pictures with his car. Here are the faves.

Things Lindsey Says...

"Don't do that! It scares my pants."

Me and Adam

Friday, Lindsey took some pictures of me and Adam and our dogs for our Christmas card. I'll post more when I'm on my nice computer (laptops with no mouses are very difficult to use Photoshop on), but this is probably my fave.

Reid

Yesterday I photographed Audra and Justin's little baby Reid. I took a few of him in the hospital as you may remember, but these were his official newborn pictures. We started out at their house and he'd just gotten done eating, so he was pretty happy. When we got to the studio, he was a little upset at us for a number of things: taking his clothes off, putting his clothes on, making him lay in a basket all by himself, changing his diaper...and the list goes on. Poor guy has it so hard. :) Here are a few of my favorites of my little buddy and his mama and papa.

Things Lindsey Says...

"Lunges and kicks. Woo! Woo!"

Studio Lesson

Today Lindsey gave me a lesson in studio lighting. I learned a lot! She was my model and since you all hear me talk about her a lot but never see her, I thought I'd share a few. This first one is the first picture I EVER took in a studio. After viewing it, I exclaimed, "I'm a studio photographer!"

She was actually on the phone but I didn't stop shooting, so she would flash me some sweet poses.

And this is how she normally looks. When she stops talking (which is rare), her mouth just goes to this position. :)

I must say as a disclaimer that I'm still NOT a studio photographer. I'm not comfortable enough with it to do YOUR session there. So don't ask! Okay, you can ask, but I'll refer you to Lindsey. :)

Things Lindsey Says...

"BELCH." ...pause... "[It]s fine."

Today needs two.

"...lemme see your grill, yeh yeh, yo grill!"

Things Lindsey Says...

A new addition to our blog . Lindsey is crazy. Let's just get that out in the open. A lot of times, the things she says are a little over the line. So I felt the need to post them. Check out her blog for some of my profoundness. Here's todays:

"I really just wanna breathe all up in your face."

Shelby

Last night I took Shelby's senior photos. I feel like I'm on repeat, but I know Shelby from church. She was all about doing things no one else had done, so I took her to one of my new locations for some grungy backgrounds. Towards the end of the session, she was completely taking the reigns and posing herself. Way to be modelicious!

Madison

This photo session has been in the works for YEARS. I met Madison a little over three years ago when she was just a little freshman. Her brother Scott is like a brother to me and Adam, which makes Madison kinda like a sister...? Anyway, we did all the photos out on her family's land, which is, um, AH-MAZING! There were old junker cars everywhere, barns, a pond, strange multi-purpose buildings, animal bones....er, we didn't use those in the pictures but they were still out there. Here are a few of my favorites.

Their new dog Wallace! Notice the old dog Reggie in the doorway. He was being shunned.

Wook at dat widdle face. I heart puppies.