One of the things I offer my maternity clients for their newborn baby is custom announcement cards. I use the fine art card stock from several fine art printing companies that I’ve used over the past several years. The hot new card that I love is the metallic paper stock. It is very luxurious and comes in either a pearl finish or gloss metallic. I create custom designs using a few of your favorite images, and select graphic embellishments and fonts that make a statement! I can use some of your favorite color choices and create a card that fits your lifestyle. Here is an example of a card I created for a great client when her baby was born. Fine art announcement card prices can be found on my a’ la carte pricing page right on the main page of this blogsite. I can usually get quick turnaround, but I suggest planning ahead for a 30 day window to shoot your images, create a design, get a proof, and then final delivery.

The cards come is flat style front and back, or a folding card with a blank interior page for handwritten notes. You can add these fine art cards to your maternity or newborn session and have them ready to mail within a few weeks, I take care of all the details, you spend time at home with your new baby! Matching envelopes included!

Several years ago Audrey and Reid ran off to some island to get married. When they came back, they commissioned me to photograph their wedding reception that summer. {Another one of my wedding couples} In the past few years they began a family. They have 2 really cute baby boys, and as you will see in this post, we captured some very classic and timeless images of the family. I usually suggest a nice bright day session so we can take advantage of my giant window with natural light, but in this session Audrey and Reid wanted something in classic black and white. With this in mind I scheduled a night session, which worked out better for them with work, school and two boys. {I’m glad it worked out that way, because it gave me a chance to use a new softbox I had just purchased.} I used a simple black backdrop with the main softbox as a dramatic key light. I wanted a classic hollywood look, but with a bit more drama and mystery to really draw you into the photographs. {On Another note: when I created a wedding slideshow for them for the wedding reception, Audrey had this really cool photo of her posing with Drew Barrymore, to this day, she still won’t tell me the story behind that photograph. I’m kind of a Drew Barrymore fan, along with a million other guys on the planet. I wish I knew the facts about this mystery photo.} Anyway, back to their family session. Here are some of their portraits from their session. These are some of my favorites from the session…the first one…..the third one…and the last one….but maybe they are all my favorites!

One of my very good friends and her husband {also a very good friend} just had a new baby boy to supplement their family of two boys. We just live around the corner, so we tend to go their house a lot. Our daughter loves to play with their boys, so adding one more boy for her to play with is an added plus. I think we’ve been to just about every birthday party they’ve ever had, and visa versa. Jill and my wife also sing together, perform is comedy skits, and pretty much are twin sisters in just about every respect. When Jill announced another youngster was on the way, I wanted to offer her something a bit different than the typical baby photos from the mall. Max was a bit upset with me for taking his comfortable blanket away and making him pose all natural, so let’s just say this session went pretty quick. My vision for this shoot was inspired by some images that I’d seen this summer for by another photographer that I admire. Because it was winter time and beginning to get cold, an outdoor session was not going to happen, so I went on an expedition to find some giant banana tree leaves. My other friend and photographer Brian Crain just happened to have a small jungle in his yard full of banana palms, so I was all set. With the outdoor weather not cooperating, I went for a modern nature style. I also created the photo styling for the baby on the towels, good thing he didn’t fall off of the high stack that I set up, it was a bit wobley…..(just kidding, that’s a post processing illusion, Max was very cozy and safe at all times) Thanks Jill, for letting me photograph Baby Max, one of these will make a nice museum art canvas.

Did I mention that I love photographing babies? A lot of photographers run the other way when you mention “baby photography”, but I have a different perspective about photographing babies and children. A lot of those same photographer run the other way when you mention “wedding photography” too. Sure, I love photographing high fashion models on the beach, but there is something special about babies that I love to capture. They are so busy inspecting the new world that they’ve just come into, that they don’t need much coaching on what to think or do, they are just little miracles breathing in their first breath of fresh air. I love using a macro lens and capturing all the tiny details, their little hands and feet, even the hairs on their head. I guess that’s why so many moms call me to schedule their photography sessions.

In this session you’ll get to meet baby Miller and his wonderful mom, Lindsay. Lindsay is full of life, fun, silly and great to be around. When she told me that she was going to have a baby, I signed her up on the spot. When she did bring Miller to the studio, she was so excited and proud of him. Welcome to Memphis little baby miller! She was on a mission to share her new found love with the world, and I was the first person on the greet list. {that’s the excitement that I love being around as a photographer} Well, I could talk all day about that, but you just want to see some pictures, right?

Over the years of photographing fashion models, I’ve created a signature style of edgy, photography that gets noticed a lot. Some people see my photography and ask me {who shot that photo?} and I respond, thank you for the compliment. I’m kind of a humble person, so I don’t always rave about my own photography, but I do admit that I love what I do, and I’m very confident in my work.

I get calls all the time asking me to photograph seniors for their high school portraits. Up until just the past few years, edgy, artistic portrait photography for senior high students was unheard of. Just the typical cap and gown photos, and maybe a few photographs by a tree in a park setting. Now the trend has shifted 360 degrees to an edgy, urban art style. Color tones, sepias, black and whites are all very in demand with students. I’ve also photographed a lot of musicians and rock bands, that gives my portraits a unique style that students love. When I go on shoot for a professional singer/ songwriter, they are wanting images that sell their brand, and give them compelling art for the album cover. I take a similar approach when photographing students.

I love to scout locations and come up with some fun and different scenes for my senior high portrait shoots. Its usually a spot that you’d never dream of. One of my favorite places in Memphis is near the old train bridge on the Mississippi River. It has become a very popular icon in Memphis, and makes a great contrast from our history of old to the modern traditions that are shaping our world today. If I can find a spot like that for my shoots, then I know when the students look back, they will see the art and history of the photographs that I shoot of them. I still like to shoot in natural settings, but shooting in a garden is not quite my style. But, if you make me shoot in a garden, I will break the rules and shoot images that you would not think of. I love to think out of the box and think creatively.

Here is a session with Claire. She did a great job with coming up with different looks and styles for the shoot. Having several color combinations helps give the shoot more character and appeal. If you see these images and like them, spread the word. I love photographing students, they are so much fun!

I love photographing high school seniors with my edgy artistic style. Over the years of photographing rock concerts on the one extreme, to photographing fashion models on the other extreme, I’ve ended up creating my own style of edgy, artistic senior high portraits. The photography world is catching on, and they have labeled senior portrait photography as “Rock Star” photography.  {Some mom’s get scared when they hear about my style! Don’t worry…} my mission is to catch senior students being themselves, having fun, and establishing an identity that shows their friends who they are. {I call it self esteem – moms – it really is good for your kids to step up and claim their spot in this world} I do my best to help them see how great they are, and their potential.

Ok, enough about the image stuff. Here is Meridith’s Senior Portrait session. She was a blast to work with. For my sessions I like to meet the students on a location of their choice and shoot some pretty amazing images, very edgy, very fun! We went into downtown Memphis and found a few of my favorite places, then we went on an expedition to find some more cool spots. I’m always shooting downtown, and I worked downtown for several years, so I know all the backstreets, safe havens and cool places to shoot.

I also can shoot on locations like Shelby Farms with the horses, or on our lake at Riverwood Farms, or in my studio for some really cool fashion model looks and styles. We can also schedule a hair & makeup appointment and give you some really amazing looks right in our studio! For the fashion model shoot styles, I bring in several scene changes, backdrops, some funky furniture pieces and shoot with some fun music, just like a professional model shoot!

In the old days students just got a senior portrait package with one or two photographs in their graduation cap and gown…schools still offer that style, and you can usually get a very cheap set of photos for the wall in the hall back at home. My sessions go a bit further. My packages cost a little bit more, but I shoot on location with a few outfit changes, then I offer a complimentary rock star slide show set to some really great music, and they get to post a copy on their own Facebook or personal website. Next I create a really amazing personal album of the session that students really love. A custom layout in a custom album all their own. Then I create a personal card layout design for thank you notes or graduation dates. On top of all that, they get their images posted online on my website with a link to order A La’ Carte prints and other products.

You will absolutely love my Senior High Portrait photography. Edgy, artistic, fun!

Here is a cutie. Taylor first session was her newborn session. I love to see children as they start to grow up. This first photograph drew me in, but at first  I was not sure why, but after studying the expression on the bears face, I can see that Taylor’s expression kind of matches the bear’s expression, and it kind of makes you want to laugh, but then you want to say ‘awe” first. This session was in celebration of Taylor’s new sibling who is due to arrive on planet earth in about 2 more weeks. {We did shoot some mommy belly photographs, but I like to keep those private from my posts unless the mom’s really want me to show them.} I do have to admit, Taylor stoled the show for this session. Here are just a few images from the session. I love the simple innocence of some of the images, and some of her fashion modeling was kind of cute too! Congratulations Brad and Amber, I can’t want to see the newest addition to the family.

Several years ago I photographed Shannon and Peter’s wedding which was one of my favorite weddings to shoot. They had a wedding in the countryside, and I remember one of the scenes we found a barn in Arlington Tennessee with an old airplane sitting just inside the door. {Shannon and I took several shots of her and the plane just a few minutes before her wedding, that was just a blast for both of us.} In this post you’ll get to see their new baby boy and just a few of my favorite images from the session. Shannon had come in just about a year before for her maternity session, and I’ll show you one that I don’t think she’d mind me sharing. Probably one of my favorite maternity photographs because it was so different and fun. Anyway, Shannon is another incredible bride that had me photograph her wedding and has become one of my family session clients. I hope you enjoy these. {I know you will love their new baby boy, he is just full of fun and happiness!}

I get a lot of requests for the “Modern Art” Collection from mom’s what want something unique from their newborn session. I blend my lifestyle portraiture approach into the photography session and spend some extra time getting simple images that I can use to create works of art for canvas print enlargements. Most moms order a 24 x36 Gallery Wrap Canvas Art Print that they can hang over the babies crib or bassinet in the babies nursury. This work of art becomes the focal point in the new nursury, when family, friends and other guests come by for a visit, they are not only smitten with the beautiful new baby in the home, but they are amazed by the beauty of the Canvas Art Print. The great thing about Canvas Prints with the large Gallery Wrap edge, it goes with any style home decor, both traditional and modern. When we create these beautiful canvas prints, we are able to do some amazing art effects in simple black & white, sepia tones for aging techniques according to the clients personal taste. We also work ardently to find just the right accessories for our art images, maybe a blown glass bowl, a hand woven basket, or some special flowers or leaves. I also encourage moms to go shopping to find some items or objects that they may want used in the session, it adds some fun to the session to use items that can become familiar icons around their home in the future. Some of my favorite places to shop around in Memphis are Pier One, Pottery Barn, and some other gift shops in Germantown. There are also a few new art galleries downtown in the South Main Art District that offer some beautiful blown glass vases, plates, bowls and artefacts. A small basket, or a piece of pottery, or special platter that serves not only as a piece of art, but a reminder over the years what a simple miracle it was to see the birth of their child and how much they have grown. The modern art sessions can take a couple of hours depending on the new baby and feeding schedules, I focus more on getting artistic photographs with limited scene changes, as you really only need just one for your fine art piece. The rest of the images from the session can also be made into a modern coffee table book. I offer some beautiful leather album designs and several modern art book choices. Images like these deserve the investment into an album that will last over 100 years. Here are some images I photographed from a recent session.

I do quite a few editorial magazine shoots, usually fashion shoots with professional models, lots of incredible clothes like Armani Fashions or Nicole Miller. I got a call from one of the editors at Southern Bride Magazine asking me if I’d do a children’s shoot for one of their issues.

Of course I said yes, and soon the date was set. The theme of the shoot was designed around “Cupcakes and Candy”. If you have not been to a really chic & posh Southern wedding lately, one of the hot items is a “Cupcakes and Candy” bar, full of Godiva Chocolates, pretty and colorful candy items, and jars and jars of different candies for guests and children to enjoy. {believe it or not, the children on this shoot did a great job not wiping food all over their very expensive outfits.}

For this shoot the fashions were provided by Strasburg Children’s Fashions, Halo Hattie, Bella Bliss, and Baby Deer, which are all very well known lines in the children’s fashion industry.  The candies were provided by Dinstuhls Fine Candies, and the cupcakes by LaBaguette. For the shoot, Magic Mr Nick’s was brought in to entertain the kids, and he also brought some live doves, which were a big hit with the kids on the shoot.

Angela Dacus with Southern Event Planners was brought in to create the setting for the party shoot. Also, my wonderful wife, who happens to be the owner of Eston Salon, bought in her hairdesign team to handle the beautiful hair and makeup for the kids. I get some calls from time to time to shoot children’s parties, so if you have a party coming up, this spread from Southern Bride will definitely give you some ideas on how to plan an incredible kids party. {Here are some of the actual spreads from the magazine issue from Tennessee and Alabama editions in 2008.}

{and, yes, we ate a lot of candy on the shoot}