A girl and her camera

The Real Deal

2008-09-04T13:17:00.010-05:00

A new business has opened up around these parts and they are using almost the exact business name and blog address as our business. We are the "real" Shutterbugs Photography. We are NOT MY Shutterbug Photography which just opened in June 2008.

I want to make sure our clients know we have no new blog, no new website or new logo. We're still us!

Use the real deal! We're like Coke-the real thing. Accept no substitutes! ;)

Kaitlin

2008-04-04T15:54:00.006-05:00

Wednesday was the perfect day for portraits! Here are a few of Kaitlin's beautiful senior portraits

!

Crazy busy!

2007-11-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

With Fall portrait season winding up, Christmas coming at a fast clip and weddings, we have been busy bees around here (get it, bees, bugs....okay..I'll stop )

I wanted to pause a minute and post a quick edit from a family session on Saturday-Stacy & Carter-what a sweet mom & baby photo!

Hopefully by midweek, I can get some of the other sessions up too-can't wait to post a few of Isabella and Tripp!

Keith & Katie

2007-10-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

Keith & Katie got married yesterday and the whole day was a blast! They know how to throw a party-as you can see-everyone was having a blast!...Jen K & I had a great time spending the day with them, their family & friends. Rachel Duke, of A Fairytale Wedding , did an awesome job to make sure everything went smoothly and the bride and groom enjoyed their day. She was great to work with.

Chris & Mindy

2007-10-21T12:24:00.001-05:00

Mindy & Chris are getting married December 8th. Friday we did some engagement photos at the park-it was rainy that morning but we ended up with a beautiful fall day for our session. Jen K & I really enjoyed getting to know them both a little better, they are a really sweet couple and we are looking forward to photographing them again on their big day!

Chloe

2007-10-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

We got to spend some time with Miss Chloe today-she just turned two and is just adorable and such a good girl! She was so well behaved and cooperative for her age and her photos are all going to be so cute! Just like her!

BEACH!!

2007-10-15T09:53:00.000-05:00

I love, love the beach, the ocean...to me, it is the most relaxing place on earth...nothing like a cool ocean breeze while reading a good mystery novel...or a walk along the beach with your talkative 7 yr old while hunting for the perfect shells...We spent last week at Indian Rocks Beach-we go every October-love it-it is quiet, peaceful and the weather is perfect(but shhhhh keep it to yourself-we do not want everyone to find out!!)

I attempted to do the kid's yearly session there but the evening I picked was horribly windy so not as good as I hoped-but I was pleased with using my new lighting techniques. The ones with the black background were actually taken while the sun was still up.

Cool site

2007-09-21T07:16:00.000-05:00

Dogster-if you have some time to waste and like animals-it is a fun site to poke around. Ellie and Max have "profiles" on there. You can visit and leave them a
virtual bone :)

Join the Dogster community

Eric & Kim-The Tennessee Theatre

2007-09-17T19:51:00.000-05:00

Eric and Kim had a cool wedding yesterday at the newly renovated Tennessee Theatre -Such a neat venue to have a wedding and they did it up right with gloves, top hats and all!

I shot Kim's sister's wedding last April and recently shot her new little nephew's baby photos-so it felt like old home day for Karen & I. The family was a joy to work with as always.

I am just getting started on the edit-but here are a few:

Nick & Tanya

2007-09-01T21:25:00.000-05:00

We had the joy of photographing Nick and Tanya's special day at the Lily Barn on August 11th. What a wonderful couple with such great families. In spite of the heat wave we have been having-everyone was a trooper and had a great time. My clients are the BEST!! I loved watching Tanya's grandmother dancing with the great-grandkids-she has spunk!

I rarely get to...

2007-09-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

shoot for fun. I have had some time off with the remodeling and the heat so it
has been alot of fun to just shoot for the heck of it. First photo is Corey and his friend Logan. Of course, you know Ellie the wonderdog and Cissie the cat. I have been shooting alot with primes lately and I am loving it-especially this 85mm prime-it is so sweet, It may replace my 70-200 2.8 IS's place in my heart.

If loving a lens is wrong....I don't wanna be right

2007-08-22T16:50:00.001-05:00

Can I say, I am in love with my new 50 mm lens?

Ellie DOES NOT like my camera...or any camera...but sometimes I can catch her:)
But she never smiles-she prefers the "get that thing out of my face" look.
She is SUCH a diva....

Family

2007-08-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

We went up to my parents and spent the weekend-my sister Eileen and her family came in from Virginia Beach and the kids had a great time together.
Corey-always the ham:

My brother-looking sauve(but we all know he is as goofy as they come, but he is our favorite brother...wait...he is our ONLY brother!)

The kids taking a break from an intense wiffle ball game in Grandpa & Grandma's backyard:

How come

2007-07-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

They cannot advertise tobacco products on tv (and please do not take this as support of that) but they can advertise "male enhancement" products, Viagra, Herpes medicine etc whenever???

Mommy, what is ED?

Yeah, not exactly the conversation I want to have with my 6 yr old...

And that smiling Bob guy-good heavens....Mommy, why is that guy so happy? Well...ummmm...

Darn Bob.....like parenting is not HARD ENOUGH....what with the tampon commercials and all...

Happy Independence Day!

2007-07-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

Everyone says Happy 4th of July.....

That is kind of like saying "Happy November 16th" really...no difference except time of year.

It's Independence Day;)

Like as in the Declaration of Independence.....

So Happy Independence Day!

(I have probably been in the sun too long)

Ian & Ashlie

2007-06-28T20:22:00.000-05:00

We shot Ian & Ashlie's wedding May 26th...I am slow and just getting around to sharing some shots on here. Such a wonderful couple!

Eric & Kim

2007-06-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

Did a fun engagement shoot with Eric & Kim in downtown Knoxville-I love getting to shoot in more urban settings! We did Kim's sister Lisa's wedding last April and we get the honor of doing her wedding this September. Such a great family!

Brad & Rachel May 19

2007-05-26T20:52:00.000-05:00

Brad and Rachel had the perfect May day for their outdoor wedding at Magnolia Manor. Here are some of our favorites of the day. Brad & Rachel's slideshow

Corey's Art Work!

2007-04-24T19:38:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the county-wide art show for K-8...Corey's painting was chosen for the show to help represent his school! We are so proud of him and wow-what a great painting for a kindergartener! We think he did great:)

And we are totally unbiased!

David & Jennifer

2007-03-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

David & Jennifer came into Knoxville from Florida where they live to do their engagement session and take care of some wedding planning. We had a great session and we are really looking forward to their wedding-they are so much fun!!! (and big UT fans-as you can see!!) The UT women's rowing team was out on the river practicing so of course-they had to wave their orange & white pom poms and cheer them on!

so I really really want a new website

2007-02-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

or at least an updated one...I have been so swamped the past 2 yrs-my website has fallen into a state of disrepair and is dismal for me to look at. It does not reflect me anymore....

It is at the point do I start fresh with a whole new site, do I try to rebuild?

oh woes me. I finally have the time-YEAH but now for decisions. Kim, photoshop goddess and designer extraordinaire, is helping me with a new logo....but I need to pick fonts and colors--I am thinking a salmon and brown combo-what think you?

artsy fartsy

2007-02-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

my roots are in fine art so I always enjoy when I have time to be a little "artsy fartsy" as my friend calls it;)

We think he is still laying out in the driveway

2007-02-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

Bill took his black tip test today-for those who do not know what the heck that means-the next belt up is black belt. I am six months from having a black belt for a husband. Remember that if you even think of touching my camera gear (I kid, I kid.....hands off my 70-200mm 2.8L IS though-I sleep with it next to my pillow)

Shane worked him HARD...he just collapsed in the driveway-we did not attempt to move him...

Seriously though-he did well for an old guy...oh come on...we are not laughing AT him, we are laughing with him....(Bill turned 40 Jan 3rd)

Here he is breaking his board. More to come.

WE REALLY ARE PROUD OF HIM.

Cassidy and Corey

2007-02-06T14:44:00.000-05:00

My kiddos....

Kristen & Ryan-Maryville, Tennessee

2007-01-07T22:31:00.000-05:00

I have to say, Ryan & Kristen's wedding yesterday had the best music of any wedding I have shot to date(sorry-I am a bit biased because New Hope Baptist has the most awesome talent in their choir) The ceremony was beautiful and she had great bridesmaids who-as you can see-had alot of fun! And when we got to Twin Cedar Farms for the reception-the sky was just right for some gorgeous shots on the dock. I hope they are having an awesome honeymoon in Montana! Click here for the slideshow

Some Holiday Funnies

2006-12-09T08:54:00.000-05:00

Well, it is the holiday rush around here but I wanted to stop in and post some funnies-a laugh during the stress of the holidays is always welcome!

more fashion!

2006-11-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

High Fashion!

2006-11-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

While in California-we had a great photo shoot with four beautiful models. It was so much fun to do something different.

Benji & Hannah, Seattle, Washington

2006-11-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

Seattle is GORGEOUS. If you have an opportunity to go-GO. So green and just so pretty-I really enjoyed going there and hope to go back again soon.

I was priviledged to shoot Benji & Hannah's wedding while I was there-such a great day-we shot alot of photos in the beautiful Japanese gardens near the church. We had fun going with Hannah to get her makeup done (you know me-had to photograph the brightly colored makeup!)
Here are some favorites of the day:

Anticipation:

some fun makeup shots:

Mike & Hillary, Chico, California, September 16

2006-10-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to get to go to California in September and shoot Mike & Hillary's wedding with my bud, Bethy B from True Love Photo. Great couple and wow, Norther CA is gorgeous!! I will definitely have to post some Napa Valley shots soon-gorgeous! Here are a few of my favorite shots of the day:

My favorite:

Dave & Diana September 30, 2006

2006-10-15T09:19:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of sharing Dave & Diana's special day with them a few weeks ago. What a great couple they are and what a dream to work with....Diana's mom called me a few weeks before the wedding after we had our final consult to tell me that the church they were supposed to get married in had a fire and the sanctuary had smoke damage so they could not use it! It seemed like it was not going to turn out well, but they ended up being able to get the Episcopal church across the street and everything turned out great-the church and church grounds were gorgeous and everything went like a dream. To view the slideshow: Dave & Diana

Here are a few favorites from the day:

long time, no see

2006-10-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

WOW, I just realized how long it has been since I posted. On top of the normal crazy wedding season which does not end til mid-November, we had a few nutty things going on here at home. The second week of August, Bill was working on putting a new floor in Corey's bedroom....I had just gotten home from dropping Cass off for soccer practice at school and was sitting on the porch talking to my sister on the phone. Bill runs past me yelling "Water pipe busted". I run in the house and get about 10 ft in and step in water. Apparently what happened was, a piece under the sink broke and water was gushing out from under the sink. Trust me-in 20 minutes time-it covered most of the house except the master suite and Cass's bedroom. Amazing how far water can go. Ruined the floors-the countertops (water was shooting up AND out) and part of the cabinets. All the floors had to be ripped up-cabinets and appliances had to come out of the kitchen, the kid's bathroom had to be dismantled. TODAY they finally finished all the work-6 weeks, 6 days later. Yes, my office floors were ruined too. Luckily nothing was damaged but the floors but it sure was rough and some days-impossible to work-I had to set up a makeshift office in our bedroom. So I got SO backed up but this week, I am seeing the light of day finally!

The first week was the worst, we had the big dryer/fans set up all over and those are LOUD along with the huge dehumidifiers going to. The first few nights-Cass spent with our friends across the street and one night Corey stayed with Shane and Laura and the next two with the Kirsts. What a blessing that was on so many levels-1) they did not have a bathroom at their end of the house 2) we had no kitchen 3) Corey had no bedroom since he had no floors 4) it was too loud to sleep at that end of the house 5) it helped to not have to worry how they were while we took care of getting the mess out and the work going on the repairs.

So you can see why the blog has been a tad bit neglected. I am going to try to post some things in the next few weeks and catch up.

Introducing Ellie....

2006-07-20T21:42:00.000-05:00

Ellie is here!!! We picked her up from Kristina last Monday the 10th and she has fit right in here at the Shaffer household. She was a little camera shy but is getting over that now. She is a sweetheart-so loveable!! Here are a few snaps from her first "session"

Remember-Save a life-rescue your next pet!

a few more of Jon & Kristen

2006-07-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

Jon & Kristen

2006-07-18T22:09:00.000-05:00

We had such fun photographing Jon & Kristen's wedding day up in Cumberland, Kentucky-what a pretty drive it was up there into Eastern Kentucky....Jon and Kristen are a great couple who did not let a little rain and mud ruin their big day! For a slideshow of their day, please visit Simpson Wedding Slideshow

Here are a few of our favorites:

not all dogs are as lucky as Max

2006-07-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

Recently I found the organization Almost Home Animal Rescue in our search for a buddy for Corey. These people do wonderful work-this area does not have a true no-kill shelter but these folks DO NOT EUTHANIZE any animals. They have people fostering animals and many of them rescue pets from the local shelters who do put the animals down. Cassidy & I have decided to get involved and help them as much as we can. They need donations, foster families, and most of all-a permanent shelter with a spay/nueter clinic. It seems the most urgent needs are 1) adoptive families 2) foster families 3) MONEY

I want to help with 1 & 3 (our neighbors would have a fit if we fostered-we will soon have 3 dogs of our own) -what I need for this is volunteers willing to help with fundraising and public relations. We need to get the word out to as many as we can that there are so many dogs and cats waiting for homes and also that we need to bring in money to either buy an existing structure as a permanent home or build one (for which we would desire a land donation)

If you can help-PLEASE contact me and we can get you started. We are definitely doing "Santa Paws" around the holidays (location/date not yet determined) This is where we photograph pets alone or with their owners with Santa (or the Grinch) for a 25.00 donation and they get to take a cd of images with them for their own use. It is a great fundraiser as PSTCC lets us use their equipment and the students/faculty donate their time-the only cost is cd's.

If you are looking for a new friend or know someone who is-PLEASE visit http://www.almosthometn.net/index.htm and see all the wonderful dogs and cats who are waiting for their forever friends!!

We are adopting Ellie-who is a sweet little lady of 6 months. She is an Australian Shepherd/Lab mix with the best personality who became totally attached to Corey. We say she found her boy!!! Next week-we will post photos of the birthday boy (Corey will be 6 on the 13th!) and the new family member.

Max

2006-07-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

Here's my little buddy Max-he is Cassidy's dog but he likes to keep me company on my office couch while I work...as you can see-he also likes to have his photo taken. These are all done with natural window light -no flash.

I love first dances

2006-07-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

I love photographing the first dances-everything is winding down-no one is asking them for anything...it is just a new husband and wife, enjoying each other....to me, it is the most romantic moment of the day......

Here are a few romantic and fun moments with Chad and Mindy.

Chad & Mindy

2006-07-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

Well-been a while since I posted-wedding season is in full swing and we are crazy busy!! Here are a few from Chad & Mindy's June 2nd wedding. Unfortunately it rained so they were not able to have their ceremony in World's Fair park as planned but the wedding was beautiful and sweet none the less at the Foundry. Her dress was just breathtaking and Whimsical Gatherings
( www.whimsicalgatherings.com ) did an incredible job with the flowers all the way around. Heather from Whimsical Gatherings was a dream to work with too.

Just for fun

2006-06-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

I love Napoleon Dynamite...I often watch it or the Wedding Singer while editing...sometimes You've Got Mail-another favorite:) What can I say? I'm a goober...

You didn't think this blog was all busines-like-did you? Heavens no!

Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?

You are Deb and you could drink whole milk if you wanted.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Matt & Shelley

2006-05-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

Some fun photos from Matt & Shelley's May 13th wedding!
Here is their Slideshow Beautiful wedding and these two are so
much fun! We truly enjoyed ourselves and we saw some dance moves
we have never seen before....

A new slideshow! (and a few of my favorites)

2006-05-16T10:28:00.000-05:00

You can view a slideshow of Lisa & Shaun's Wedding HERE

A few of my favorites-one of Lisa's photos has been picked to be on the cover of the next Wedding Idea's book!

Mindy & Chad

2006-05-02T10:54:00.000-05:00

Oh I forgot to post these-the other day blogger was giving me trouble when I tried to post and then I kinda forgot.

We did Chad & Mindy's engagement session downtown Knoxville and UT Ag Gardens-it was alot of fun-and they did great! I love the downtown shots so much. Here is their slideshow: Chad & Mindy

Lisa & Shaun

2006-05-02T10:48:00.000-05:00

Saturday we photographed Lisa & Shaun's wedding. They both looked incredible and everything went so smoothly-Lisa looked like she was straight out of a bridal magazine as you can see here. My friend Karen assisted me for the first time and I have now dubbed her "Supreme Dress Straightener" -seriously-she was great! I hope she is able to work more with us this summer as she was a tremendous help. Lisa & Shaun-I hope you are having a fabulous time on the beaches of Jamaica(we are all jealous because it is raining here and 60 degrees!)

FORE!

2006-04-25T09:42:00.000-05:00

I sometimes get to do some pretty fun things-Sunday I got to drive a golf cart while shooting an engagement session with Jon & Kristen! I'd like to thank Scott in the pro shop at Royal Oaks for letting us snag two golf carts free of charge to ride around and snap some shots. Jon & Kristen are golfers so the golf course was the perfect place to start their session. We had alot of fun and their photos turned out great! To view their slideshow: http://www.shutterbugsphotography.net/jonandkristen

I love spring!

2006-04-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

I love having a bit of time to get back to my roots-fine art-and these flowers Sunday inspired me-enjoy!

Happy Easter!

2006-04-20T09:41:00.000-05:00

I photographed this adorable little guy Monday for his Easter pictures. I forget sometimes how much 2 year olds move! He was really good though and just such a cute little boy. To see more-visit his slideshow at Zackary

Vive Las Vegas Baby

2006-04-11T18:47:00.000-05:00

Isn't that a cool shot?

I have been in Las Vegas since Sunday for the WPPI convention-Wedding and Portrait Photographers International. The tradeshow has been incredible-so many new toys!! Seminars have been interesting-but the best thing was Bethy B taking our little group "The Deletors" (long story for another post) out to give us a quick lesson in how she shoots portraiture and head shots with all natural light-she is so incredibly talented and Autumn, Aronda and I are all set to go out to Sacramento and learn more from her. We told her she could do her own seminar and make a ton-the "Be like Beth" workshop. I will post some photos when I get in later this week. I do NOT look forward to the 5 hr flight to Charlotte and another hour to Knoxville!

I love to play

2006-04-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

I love my job.....it is almost always fun(except paying the bills for all the toys!)
here are a few from today-I keep telling Cass-she needs to model-she has that "look" and Corey was captured in his usual state-in motion

and now a word from our sponsors

2006-03-31T17:47:00.000-05:00

I am really getting into this commercial photography! Here is a favorite...I'll post a few more later..

Fun stuff

2006-03-31T17:41:00.000-05:00

I like doing different things...
it is always cool to me to take the ordinary and put a different spin on it-here is my son playing checkers-which gave me a few ideas. All natural light @ f1.8 @ 1/30 of a sec or so.

Total concentration-you think he beat me?

A break in the action:

been a long time since we rock-n-rolled...

2006-03-31T17:09:00.000-05:00

Have not posted in a while-between work and finishing up school, things have gotten pretty hectic! 5 more weeks til graduation-YEAH!!

We now have remodeled the house and have a new office where we can-wow-meet clients! We are pretty excited about that. Next month, wedding season gets in full swing and we probably will not look up again til December....

Oh-SUNDAY -we are helping with a fundraiser for the no kill shelter in Knoxville-we'll be there from 2-5 at BUNNY PAWS. Come bring your pet or pets, or kids and have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny-it's for a worthy cause and trust me-the cameras and skill level of the shooters (PSTCC photography students & staff) are way higher than the Mall! Call or email me for more details or directions. They will also be shooting Saturday.

We have been doing engagement session for our Spring and Summer bride & grooms lately...here are a few of our favorites:

Jayson & Katie's Wedding Day

2006-02-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

Well, the weather outside looked frightful at the start but as you can see above-we ended up with an absolutely beautiful day! Everything went wonderfully thanks to a group of hard working folks. The Mackey's (owners of the fine home where the wedding took place www.mackeyhouse.com ), Dolores, wedding coordinator-extraordinare and Ray Williams, DJ, made everything go so smoothly and truly gave Katie & Jayson a storybook wedding. If you are getting married in Savannah, definitely look these folks up-I would love to work with professionals like this for every wedding! Jayson and Katie are a beautiful couple and wow, do we have an editing job ahead of us! I had the privilege of photographing a LARGE group of Army Rangers-many of which just returned from Iraq. The above photo is my absolute hands down favorite of the day. More to come! Check back for a slideshow Monday or Tuesday.

Savannah Smiles

2006-02-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Savannah yesterday afternoon-took a little longer than anticipated. There was a tragic wreck on I-95(had my poor mom worried because it was on FOX news and she knew we were on I-95) I believe 3 people were killed, just horrible-like 7 tractor trailers and a van involved. Tied up the interstate for 14 hours. Luckily, I was with the king of the backroad-Backroads Bill, and he found a way around it all and we lost just an hour. We got here in plenty of time for the rehearsal. Mackey house is absolutely Gorgeous and the owners are such nice people.

We later went to eat at The River House down by the, of course, river. Our waitress was truly a icon of southern hospitality. It is very Old South (in the good way with the people very hospitable and polite) -she called us "Baby" and "Babies". It was so cool. The food was delicious-filet mignon that melted in your mouth. I Hope we can return when we can enjoy Savannah more. Amanda, sadly we will probably not get to Lady & Sons this quick trip.

We snapped a quick shot of Katie and Jayson(below) last night for the signature mat since Jayson just returned from Iraq 3 weeks ago! What a beautiful couple!!

We are off to photograph their wedding-everyone pray for some sun to come out-it is not raining-thank goodness but is very angry looking!

Gone to the dogs...

2006-01-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

From here to there and there to here...funny things are everywhere!

2006-01-18T15:55:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Cassidy & I went to Tampa to attend the AKC Eukanuba National Championships (for you non dog people-that is like the superbowl of dog shows) 2 days of nothing but dogs, dogs and more dogs. Cass was in "dog heaven". During the day there was meet the breeds-where alot of the different breed specific national organizations had booths set up with info about the breed-people to answer questions and most importantly-DOGS. They had the obedience and agility trials going on too. We went to the agility finals Sunday-look for us on TV-Feb 12th on Animal Planet! They had vendors and lots of freebies...it was cool. Sat. and Sunday night was the big show-the Alaskan Malamute won best in show. He was beautiful but all the dogs were. Anyway-we saw lots of funny stuff so here are some photos we took with Cass's camera to share-WOOF. Oh for those of you dog lovers--check out this site- www.dogster.com . Also be sure to spay and neuter your pets!

Tara & Donnie

2006-01-13T18:51:00.000-05:00

A few favorite shots from their big day!

Coolest Cake

2006-01-02T22:44:00.000-05:00

Okay-I have just started editing and this cake was so unique-no bride and groom on top or flowers-I thought it was SO unique and pretty in its simplicity-I wanted to share a sneak peak with you.

Tara & Donnie-Starting a new life together on New Year's Eve

2006-01-02T12:34:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!
Our New Year's Eve was spent photographing Tara & Donnie's wedding. What a great way to end one year and begin another-marrying the one you love! The ceremony was sweet and the decor was beautiful. Tara looked so beautiful in her dress and Donnie so handsome in his dress Army uniform. I teared up more than usual at this wedding. The families were just all so nice and everyone was so kind and helpful to Bill & I. It was just their families and a few very close friends-very intimate and loving atmosphere. I wish them every happiness and a long and wonderful marriage together. I really do get to work with the nicest people-I do something I love and get to meet wonderful people-who could ask for a better job?!

I hope to have a slideshow and a few photos posted by week's end so look for them!

Wishing you all a safe and prosperous 2006!

Santa!! I KNOW HIM!!!!!

2005-12-25T11:17:00.000-05:00

Line from our favorite Christmas movie-Elf. Gianormous is now a part of our every day vocabulary. I expect it to show up in Websters soon. Some one asked this morning if Max was happy now since he looked so depressed in last nights photo-yes -he is happy-got a new comfy bed and his stocking was full of his favorite rawhides and doggie treats. Thing is-he wanted to check EVERYONE'S stockings! He has now collapsed again -if he does not sleep now, he may not get in his 22 hours of beauty rest today.
Just what I wanted! Corey asked Santa for a scooter...So he was thrilled that the old Jolly dude left him one. Let's hope he does not break anything on it-Cass is banned from scooters-after she broke her arm in two places falling off one....Luckily-Corey did not seem to get the accident gene like Cass did. Thank goodness..We have an orthopedist on retainer for her.
This is the cutest little digi camera -it is so teeny....looking for a good camera for a preteen or teen? Canon A410-lots of cool features and won't break the bank. This one was highly recommended by my incredibly techy, has to be king of the Geek Squad-friend Jon (and I mean that in the most loving way, as Beth would say) Cass is gonna have a ton of fun with her friends with this. And I have feeling we will come back from the AKC Eukanuba Dog show with a gazillion doggie pics to print out. Someone-send me another Epson Picturemate print pack! Did I tell you? Cass & I are hitting the road for a girl's weekend to Tampa-her and I and my big sis Karen are going to the dog show--2 days may be a bit much for me of the canines-but it is right up my dog crazy daughter's alley. Hopefully we can sneak in a quick trip to the beach if we leave on Thursday! Bill & Corey will hang out and probably take in the Ice Bears Hockey games that weekend.

Santa's on his way!

2005-12-24T21:36:00.000-05:00

Sending warm thoughts

2005-12-20T01:28:00.000-05:00

Okay-it is so cold here...I dug up this palm tree from August at Clearwater beach....I would like to be there now, decorating a palm tree rather than here-freezing....I can deal with cold if there is a point to it, but cold + no snow= no point...give me some snow for goodness sakes, please!

On a business note-big changes are coming -changes I think you are going to like-I am excited about it. Look for some news soon-hopefully by the new year!

Well, again, I stayed up entirely too late...night night

4.0 -Dean's list baby!

2005-12-20T00:41:00.000-05:00

I just got in from out of town and checked my grades-4.0! Dean's list...just one more class til my degree and if I can get another A-I will graduate May 5th with a perfect GPA...okay-so I am patting me on the back--raising two kids, running a business and in college full time, I think I deserve a bit of back patting-eh? AND Cassidy got all A's this term in 6th grade-she and I are SO good LOL...

It is okay to brag on oneself sometimes-right?

The little lights aren't twinkling....

2005-12-20T00:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays to you all! Above is my goofy son...we strongly suspect he will grow up to be like Clark Griswold...his room is fully decorated in a way only a 5 yr old Clark could do it.....he's got the spirit-that is for sure-no matter how many lights we have, it is never enough for him!

We wish everyone a safe and fun filled holiday season and a prosperous new year!

ooooo ooooo it's a new chimper!

2005-12-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

A new chimp is born. For those who do not know-the term chimping means to snap a shot then immediately look at the LCD screen and go "Oooooo OOOO oooooo" much like a chimpanzee. Cute video explaining chimping-must watch: http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/chimping/index.html I handed Cass my 10D backup with a 50mm fixed lens and set it on auto and let her shoot away. Some would say I am crazy for hanging over a 1000.00 in gear around an 11 yr old's neck-but heck, she has to learn sometime!! I cannot keep the child in film at the rate she goes through it. Anyway-she began chimping right off and the first question she asked was: what do I push to see all the pictures I took? She looked so darn cute doing it-I had to share. I am so proud *sniff*...I am feeling a bit verclempt -talk amongst yourselves.

I think I am going backwards-I'll get back to my original reason to post. Reason she was playing photographer was: We went to Rainbow Acres today for the annual Christmas party. We had a great time & I will post more pictures when I go through them tomorrow. Rainbow is a Tennessee Baptist Adult home for the mentally challenged. Bill has been doing mission work there for about 4 yrs now with our favorite Uncle Joe. They have gone 1 or 2 weeks a year and have been remodeling the whole place. It was really in bad shape. All the people who have been volunteering their time & skills over the past few years have done wonders. It looks great. Cassidy & Corey helped hand out gifts to all the residents-I guess you could say they played elf today. We always enjoy when we get to go visit and help spread a little Christmas cheer. It is a much needed lift during the busy and often stressful holiday season. Tomorrow I will try to post a slideshow.

Kristi & Kenny

2005-10-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

While I wait for Pictage to get Kristi & Kenny's engagement photos up, I made a slideshow of some of my favorites.

Check it out here:
http://www.shutterbugsphotography.net/kennyandkristi/

I am hoping for sunny skies and pleasant weather for Amanda & Steve's wedding day tomorrow. It was warmer today, so let's hope it is even better tomorrow. I look forward to all the neat things we can do tomorrow with their Fall farm wedding!

Chattanooga

2005-10-27T01:05:00.001-05:00

I love Chattanooga...Downtown is a photographer's dream...So many cool places to shoot. Bill & I went down there Sunday to photograph Kenny & Kristi's engagement photos. They were so much fun and so up to a lot of different locations and ideas. Look for a slideshow soon-I am still editing-I never shoot 350 frames for an engagement but I did Sunday! They all look beautiful...Sunset on the walking bridge...beautiful skies, beautiful couple.

Saturday is Amanda and Steve's wedding day and we are experiencing a cold snap-I am praying for a warm day for their outdoor wedding! We'll have fun though and it is going to be such a cool wedding, fall themed....horse & buggy, antique tractors...

Look for our new wedding pages to debut sometime in the next few weeks-each couple will now have their own page on the site to direct friends and family to, there they can see the couple's engagement session slideshow, register to be notified of the release of wedding images, view a slideshow of the wedding images after the wedding. I'd like to incorporate "love stories" for those who want to share how they met and got engaged-complete with engagement photos.

It is late and I have a day of computer work ahead of me...night night...

Boy-I am BEHIND!!

2005-10-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry for my long absence....We left on vacation for 10 days Oct. 7th and are just now back in the swing of things.....

Oct 1st-we shot Danica & Joe's wedding here in Maryville...What a sweet couple with such nice family & friends! The wedding was such a breath of fresh air...With the concentration being so much on the love of these two wonderful people and their love for their family & friends. Small, touching ceremony followed by a lovely meal(best meatballs I have EVER had-ask me about the caterer-I highly recommend them-professional, wonderful presentation & yummy, yummy food!!) and socializing/dancing.(the DJ was a sweetheart too-see Merlin's Music to hire Brian) You could just feel how much everyone loved this couple....They were so relaxed & comfortable in front of the camera and I am so happy to be releasing their photos later today for them.....Each one of them shows how much they love eachother and are oh-so-romantic......I love to show the love!! I had such fun creating dreamy romantic images from this wedding....I think have have just as much fun editing & enhancing as I have shooting the actual affair.

Sunday we have an engagement session in Chattanooga (oh, how I love that town-I wish we still lived there....But visiting is second best, eh?) with Kenny & Kristi who are getting married next July. Another super nice young couple. Another great part of my job is getting to work with so many great people, it is truly a joy meeting them and having the priviledge to preserve the memories of the most special day of their lives. Fall is a great time for portraits and we will have a lot of fun shooting all over downtown, and sunset shots on the wonderful walking bridge over the Tennessee River!! I am so excited about this...Something other than Cade's Cove (don't get me wrong-I love it there, but change is good)

Our vacation was WONDERFUL.....We did little more than hang at the beach and pool.....I could sit on the beach this time of year all day & just watch the waves roll in....Nice breeze, warm sun...Fresh sea air....I hated to leave! I'll post some vacation photos soon....The kids had a blast, Cass was ready to come home (middle schoolers-friends, friends) but Corey could have stayed....He loves the beach and the pool. He loved sea world and came home with a whole menagerie of sea creatures (stuffed, that is) and , oh, about 30 lbs of seashells....

Off to edit-have a great week and continue to pray for this facing yet another hurricane....Let's pray it stays out to sea...

New slideshows

2005-09-28T17:54:00.000-05:00

Be sure to check out the new slideshows in the gallery....and look for a wedding show on Sunday for Danica & Joe! They are going to have a great party after the ceremony so I bet there will be lots of fun shots!

Slideshows

Amanda & Steve's engagement photos will be up in the next few hours-I am so excited about their wedding-it is going to be something really different:)

Well, off to portrait class-next week is pet day-what an experience that is gonna be! I will be sure to post Max's photo session asap(Max-our mini schnauzer-our youngest "child")

Everyone have a great day!

late nights...

2005-09-27T03:31:00.000-05:00

I get started on something and cannot go to bed til it is finished...well, tonight's project is not completely done, but just needs some finishing touches.....my website has been completely revamped....keep watching for more changes....be sure and check out the new slideshows in the gallery-Amanda & Steve and Kierra are the featured shows for September....

I bought one of those templates but I really like doing my own site......something quirky & different...now to do an about me page!!

Well, time for bed....and I just realized I am out of coffee...things do not look good for tomorrow morning....

fun people

2005-09-26T12:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a busy day! Thankfully the rest of the week I get to work at home:) I shot the cover shots for Corky's CD(so excited for her!), then met with a sweet couple about their wedding, then went to shoot Amanda & Steve's engagement photos. We did the session at the farm & had lots of fun. Look for a slideshow soon. We climbed up in the barn, Steve got his cool totally restored & shiney green John Deere antique tractor out and we did some on the tractor. I tried to convince him how cool some pics of them in their wedding finery would be on that tractor! Their farm & fall themed wedding is going to be just beautiful. I can't wait!

National Heart Gallery

2005-09-26T12:06:00.000-05:00

I got an email today telling me that one of my heart gallery http://www.adoptuskids.org/

photos has been chosen for the National Heart Gallery in Washington DC. Mine will hang in Union Station! WOW is all I can say & I'm not worthy....(Wayne's World)
WOW to be able to give back to others with a gift you yourself have been given is incredible. What an honor to be part of something that will help these children find loving homes. It is heartbreaking when you think about how many children out there lack a loving home, something so many of us take for granted. I pray my photo of this young man will capture a family's heart and they will make him part of their family.

I am still working on details for the animal fundraiser...but I have found that we now have a no kill shelter in Blount county (YEAH) so I may opt to try to do a fundraiser for them since it will go to local needs. I will keep you posted-start looking for a Christmas outfit for Fido!

In need of sleep-know where I can buy some?

2005-09-25T01:26:00.000-05:00

YAWN...I was up until 3 am figuring out the logistics to embed a flash file in my website for a slideshow presentation of weddings but I finally did it! (Lynn-thanks for making sure it worked for other folks) You can check it out at http://www.shutterbugsphotography.net/slideshow1/index.html

I am still tweeking it...so check back. I want to have a slideshow up the day after each wedding so family & friends can get a sneak peek!

Tomorrow Amanda & Steve will have their engagement session at the family farm....and in just few weeks-they'll be walking down the aisle! I am so excited to shoot their fall farm wedding...it will be beautiful & so unique.

Sat. we'll shoot Danica & Joe's special day! Sounds like it will be a fun and laid back affair. I am looking forward to the relaxed atmosphere-I bet Jessica & I will get tons of fun candids of them all having a great time.

Corky's CD cover is coming along-tomorrow we will shoot her cover shots. I got to go & shoot the guys in the band Thursday & wow they all sounded awesome!! It is going to be an incredible cd....they laid down the tracks (is that how you say it?) today. I told her to remember me when she was all famous:)

Well, since I was up til 3 am...I am about to fall over...and tomorrow is a very long day with 3 different places to be!! Florida-less than two weeks and I look forward to some relaxation!!! Sand & sun-here we come!!

It's a go...Almost!

2005-09-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

I got a response from Kara at Project Starfish & she thinks it is a great idea. Next step is to find a spot to host us. We basically need a place to set up and electricity. Going by to see the people at Petland here in Maryville....I may see if some Vet offices will sponsor this as far as helping pay for supplies for the prints...If not, I will foot the bill myself. Going to try to shoot for Oct 22nd-Sat. I cannot see having it all a go in a week or two with the work I have right now and a wedding Oct. 1... That would give us approx a month to get the word out and secure a spot...I'll keep you posted & if you are in the area and have a pet-you better come by & support this-it is a GREAT cause....Check out the site to see all the work they are doing & the animals they are helping. I am afraid their role is going to expand with this new hurricane brewing and about to hit again on the gulf in a new spot....Lots more people & animals needing help.....Very scary-espy since a lot of these folks are evacuees from NO and now are being moved yet again.

Welcome to my daily ponderings...

2005-09-20T14:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, I live most of my working life with either a camera in hand, or a computer on my lap...Probably many of my ramblings will concern that.....yes, I am a photographer...

Today I was booked to photograph & design a CD cover-cool! Really cool lady from my church with an INCREDIBLE voice and I do not exaggerate(when it goes on sale-I'll let you know where to get a copy) Going to photograph the boys in the band Thursday night for the back cover art-some guys from our church who are alot of fun....I am looking forward to it. I love new experiences...you learn & grow from all you come in contact with....and that is never a bad thing.....

A really great charity for animal lovers concerned about Hurricane Katrina's animal victims is Project Starfish-http://www.projectstarfish.org/ I just contacted them about hosting a fundraiser here locally to help the animals affected by this devastating storm. My idea: Set up at the local pet store & photograph pets & owners-have the laptop, 4 x 6 printer all set up so they can get a print in a folio before they leave the store. If not, I may contact the humane society (we no longer have one in our county-don't even get me started on that!!!!) for Knox co. and raise $$ for food, etc for their shelters.

Well, I am off to Adv. Digital Imaging -fun fun...