Brittany's Bridal Portrait

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a bridal portrait and luckily for us and our friend Brittany we scheduled hers. :-) Lori and I have known Brittany for a few years now and it is so cool to be able to reconnect and do work for past clients again. She was so flexible we did a great variety of things and got a great number of really cool images. So we did some pics in and around the studio and then went around town stopping at a few stops. I will post pics later after their wedding so Corey isn't tempted to look. Thanks Brittany you are amazing!!!!! 

Grace's 1st Birthday!!!!!

This past Saturday was Baby Grace's 1st Birthday!!! I had the really fun opportunity to go and spend the afternoon with the family for her party. She had a number of her friends and family were able to be there. Plus we were able to see some of our other friends Chandler and Madelynn. Grace had a wonderful time playing and eating her cake as you can see. She is so funny! I think the best part was when Brandt pulled her from the cake and she started crying and soon as they sat her back down with the cake Grace was totally cool. :-)) I laugh every time I think about it. What a sweet heart!! Amy and Brandt are always so cool they even gave me some cake to-go. Thanks guys!!! Hope you enjoy the pics!

Chrissy and Addison Baby Pictures

We had a short visit with our friends Chrissy and Addison today. She is so cute and still so red from being born 12 days ago. She looks like a Papoose. I think that's how you spell it. Can't wait until we get to do a real session in a couple of weeks. Maybe even her big sis can come and play and take some pics too. Addison is adorable Chrissy and we hope to do many many more pics of the girls together through the years to come. Lori and I can't wait to see you guys this week to review the images!!! Cya soon! 

Best Guide for Photographers

I want to share with you some thoughts and things I have discovered through research and seminars. I have found several great resources through PPA such as Delta School and others. I have been a member with them and WPPI for several years now. They are both great and respectable organizations.

PPA however is a better organization for continuing education and support. Lori and I attended last year the SMS workshop. It was a great way for us to learn more about ourselves and our company. I would suggest any aspiring studio to attend an SMS event. PPA was great at keeping up with us and helping us keep better detail of our financial portfolio. Beth and the girls are a truly special and amazing staff.

On a more important note and one of the main reasons for this post. In explaining my support for PPA I have recently attended Imaging USA in Phoenix this past year and while I was there the first half of the week I was there preparing for the CPP exam. This is the become a Certified Professional Photographer. It was one of the hardest exams I have ever taken. I am very excited about working towards my Masters. Here are some fun photo's Lori took while we explored Sedona for a day trip before we returned home. Arizona is an awesome place to visit.

Frist Center - George Eastman Collection Photographic Exhibit

Today Lori and I attended the intriguing exhibit of the George Eastman collection downtown at the Frist Center. The collection was donated by current owners and exhibitors across the country. I have studied and learned a great deal of the history of photography. It was a great treat to see the history and the lesser known or publicized details of the photographic timeline of my craft. I hope if you have time to try and make your way down to see this exhibit while it is in town. 

A busy year ends with a great mission trip to Puerto Rico

The last few months have been crazy for us. I wouldn't have it any other way. :-) We have traveled so much that I recently came home from being gone over 22 days. First to Greenville, SC, then to Puerto Rico (San Juan) back to Nashville for 24 hours then out to Phoenix for a week to the PPA Imaging USA Conference. None of this vacation really. It was great for your normal workaholic.

Many of you know how involved Lori and I are with our church and our teen program. For those of you who do not we have been blessed to be leaders for our teens for several years now. I started off coaching basketball for the jv and sr high boys and it slowly progressed from there. We have been Small Group leaders for the same teens for 4 years. This year they are seniors and I had the privilege of going to Puerto Rico with them for a Mission Trip to a small church community of Caugas. This is where the journey begins. When I left I fully expected to go and help someone build something. Which we did however while their our Church and their Church became Family. I love people but you never expect to make friends and meaningful relationships with people hundreds of miles away living in another country but in this case we did.

We left on the 27th of December and returned on January 5th. It was a long time for 55 people to spend together. We loved every minute of it. I wish, truly wish Lori had been able to come with us but since she was not her ticket was given to someone who could not afford to go so God reigns and works on even when we are not seeing it.

I tried to take pictures while we were there but I became so enthralled with our work and the Church people we were coming to help it was almost an after thought. This is obviously not like me. While I can not describe to you all the words and all the wonderful things and experiences that took place. I do want to show you a little of what we did do by the small number of pictures I have from while we were down there. I have more of our 2 days off than anything but none the less I hope you enjoy.

Feel free and email me to share any thoughts or similar experiences that you have had in the past. It was a great way to give of my time and my love. My team of that week was the "Conquistadors" and our theme was Love Wins. This I deeply believe and I am still wearing the bracelet today. Grace and Peace to you and may God Bless all those who read and see these images. May this motivate you in any way to go out and help those in need.

For a little background on the images. I chose a small variety. The first image is of the Church we came and worked on. We completed more than we guaranteed we could complete and this is what we had done when we left. Our church is already planning another trip in the summer of '09. The second image is of our final night in PR and we were able to reflect, pray and share with each other. The 3rd and 4th are more touristy shots taken of downtown San Juan on our day off. The 5th is a "victory" shot of most or our Seniors on the trip. Enjoy!

Thank you

~JG

Beauty

Rachael was simply beautiful! Scaritt Bennett is such a great location in Nashville for portraits.

Saturday afternoon with Baby Grace

Today we had our second session with Grace for her 6 month pictures. She is sooo sweet. I love working with her and her family. We had her Grandparents there today and had a lot of fun getting to know each other and playing with Grace. I am looking forward to meeting everyone for our Thanksgiving family session. It will be a fun day spending time with the entire family. 

Friday night with JB & Dette Sallee

Lori and I decided to be apart of the "I shoot people" tour. We had a great time meeting and hanging out with JB and Dette Sallee of Sallee Photography. They are an amazing couple and we shared many similarities and it was just great to be able to talk and hangout with people who understand your type of work and the type of issue's you deal with on a daily basis. 

Lori and I hope to be able to meet up with them again at Imaging USA in Phoenix and get together again for dinner and hang out some more. What a great mini-seminar right before TNPPA's this weekend. Looking forward to trying some of the great new things we learned and shared tonight. 

Thanks guys you were awesome to hang out with and it was cool getting to know you both!!!

Crazy Friday!!!!

Today we were filled with great stuff to do. We started this morning at one of the clinics for one of our health care clients, doing promo material photos and clinic marketing spots. 

We then met with one of our friends for a Senior session. Brian and his mom Pam came over to the studio and we were able to do a partial session for his yearbook today and will do the other half in the fall. When the temp is cooler and the leaves change and we don't have a deadline to work within. We also went over to the park and gets some shots around the Parthenon. Centennial Park is such a staple of Nashville, I love it and people love to have their pictures taken there. 

Finally we ended the evening with a great party for one of Nashville's finest photographers. Russ had his birthday today. I will not tell how old he is but lets just say he is old enough to have taught me almost everything I know about great light and a way to see things and the world around you differently. He is an incredible guy and we love hanging out with him and Johnetta. They are great people. Oh and most importantly about Russ he coined the phrase "make something out of nothing" long before anyone in the industry even thought about it  or how to MacGyver through a shoot. Here's to your Russ!!!! You are awesome!!!!

Here are a few of Brian's pics....