Captured Moments Photography

Location: Samantha's Bridal Shoot

2010-02-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

Once again, we trudged out in the bitter cold... this time we were a little more prepared. Dressed in hunting coveralls, ski pants, and about 3 layers of clothing, we sought to capture Samantha's perfect bridal shot. Samantha was also prepared as you will see below. Our theme for this shoot was "NOSE". Samantha's nose kept running and there were about 5 or 6 of us armed with tissue in hand to keep her gorgeous gown in tact.

Samantha: You are an absolute hoot !! Beauty and a sense of humor.. Jamie is one lucky guy

Location: Cassie's Bridal Shoot

2010-02-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Our Theme for this photo shoot was "COAT". This was one of the coldest days in the year... and what were we doing ? Taking pictures of course. We had a couple of brides who were bound & determined to have their bridal portraits displayed at their wedding, and as always, we were up for the challenge. Miss Cassie was a REAL Trooper... or should we say REAL Soldier. Thru teeth chatting, blue lips, and frozen toilets.... we got some of the most beautiful shots of her... and you can't even tell she's practically frozen.

Cassie: You were one beautiful bride. We'd freeze our toes off for you anytime !

Captured Moments' Merry Christmas !

2010-01-09T21:48:00.000-08:00

Thought we'd share a few of our snow angels with you guys !!

Captured Moments' Class of 2010

2009-12-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

What a great time we had working with all of our Seniors. We are so proud to present some of the Future Class of 2010 !!

Long Time No See......

2009-12-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

The good news is.. Captured Moments has grown exponentially. However, one of the very few bad things about growing and getting busier, is it's harder to keep up with all of our facebooks, myspaces, twitters, blogs, etc... So we're going to try and catch everyone up a little bit. Coming Soon..

Presenting Rachael Johnson's CD Debut & Our CD Cover Debut

2009-09-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

We felt very privileged to take a trip out to Nashville to shoot Mt. Airy's very own Rachael Johnson's CD Cover. Words cannot describe how excited we are to be a part of her music project. (We're talking.. woke up to discover we were married to Gerard Butler happy !!) That... and the pictures came out quite AMAZING. Don't take our word for it we've given you a sneak peek below, so you can decide for yourselves. We definitely can't forget to give our prop boy his "props" ... and you know who you are Justus. So help us give Rachael an out of this world homecoming, and support your favorite local photographers!
Come out on Saturday, Oct 10, 2009 to Mt. Airy! Miss Rachael Johnson, our 1st CD Cover & awesome country music singer will be performing with her band at 1 pm at Veteran's Park and at B52's Bar and Grill that night at 10 pm. This is a CD release event, so make sure you come out!
It's going to be a BLAST!!
Time:1:00PM Saturday, October 10th
Location: Veteran's Park
Time:10:00 pm:
Location: B52's Bar and Grill

April & Chris's Sneek Peak !

2009-09-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ok guys, here is a sneek peak at your pictures ! Hope it leaves you begging for more.

Be a Part of our 2010 "Senior Blitz" Group

2009-08-07T19:55:00.001-07:00

We are looking for some local high school seniors to be a part of our "Senior Blitz Group". Participants help spread the word about Captured Moments Photography and show off their portraits to all of their friends. In return, our "Senior Blitzers" will receive 20% off their entire portrait order and receive a free sitting ($65.00 value). If you or someone else you know are interested, feel free to e-mail or give us a call !

Curtis and Jessie's Wedding

2009-07-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Curtis and Jessie are both rodeo-ers and carried out the Western theme throughout their wedding. We nicknamed this our shotgun wedding. They are an absolutely adorable couple. As their pictures show they are so happy just to be together. We have to say that Curtis' smile says it all in the outdoor couple shots. Thank you both for allowing me to be a part of your happy day. May your life together always make the two of you smile the way it did on your wedding day.

We are NOW on Facebook

2009-07-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Start spreading the news ! Michelle and I would like to reach out to all of our loyal clients that have graced our camera lenses to become a fan of our new Facebook page. While you're there, take a moment to give us a Review and share your Captured Moments photo session experience with others !

Captured Moments Photography on Facebook

Jordan & Alex

2009-06-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to share in this unique wedding with Jordan and Alex. The atmosphere was wonderful - big outdoor party, great food, music and a wedding all at the same time. They were married underneath a grapevine arch beautifully decorated and scenic beauty all around. They are an adorable couple with a great future ahead of them. Best of luck to you two and thanks so much for allowing us to capture and share those special moments.

Location: Candace & T.C. Engagement

2009-06-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

This photo shoot started out as a "Rain Out"....but rain never hurt anyone, and we were determined not let it ruin our day or our shoot. Candace and T.C. were great sports and played in the rain for us, as we got our cameras out and trucked thru the mud puddles after them. It ended up being one of our favorite photo shoots ever !

Alex Bridal

2009-06-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have been anxiously awaiting Alex's wedding so I could finally post her bridal pictures. As you can see the wait was completely worth it ! Alex: you were amazing to work with !

Better Late than Never !

2009-04-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Time... where does it all go ? So many pictures, so little time.... We recently took time to catch up on Rome's monthly pictures and boy were we happy we did ! Here is the handsome devil in all of his glory. Enjoy !!

!! Our Website Has Finally Launched !!

2009-04-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

We're are pleased to announced the Official Launch of our Website.. www.capturedmomentsfotos.com ! The website features our schedule, shopping cart, proofing section, and much much more ! Check us out and spread the word to all of your friends and family. The

Spring Has Sprung

2009-04-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

The flowers have been blooming and spring is in the air. We've been very very busy, but wanted to show everyone what we've been up to lately. We just finished our 6th Daycare and are now processing Spring picture orders, etc.... If you're interested in a Spring or Summer photo shoot of your own, just give us a call !!

Vintage Photo Shoot

2009-02-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

We had an absolute blast during one of our latest and newest "Vintage" photo shoots. You'll probably notice 3 of the models, Michael, Matthew & Genesis, but we were fortunate enough to get to work with two new cuties, Miss Jada and Miss Paris. We let the kids rummage thru grandma's trunk of goodies and play dress up, and as you can tell they were all right at home !

A word from the studio.....

2009-02-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've updated the blog.... so, my many apologies for that. The holidays were hectic, and we decided to take a little breather to spend some time with the families. Speaking of.... I've also included some bragging pics of them below, so feel free to ooohh and awwww. While you're here, take a look at the new blog entries below and watch for more to come. You'll see new babies, weddings, and lots of cute kids from local preschools in the area. That and much much more to come... Stay tuned... and check out our beautiful families. Oh yeah, and don't forget to spread the word about Captured Moments Photography!

Meet Bryson-- "Daddy's Hero"

2009-02-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Meet Bryson. Bryson is the grandson of one of my best friends. He is just an absolutely adorable little boy with soooo much personality. He is the son of a firefighter so we wanted to capture daddy’s hero . He was so much fun to have in front of the camera. I love you Bryson!

Lauren Coleson's 21st Birthday

2009-02-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

Oh to be 21 again! Lauren recently celebrated that long awaited birthday. We wanted to capture her youth before it disappears ! We had the pleasure of visiting an old family farm that belongs to a friend of mine that gave us the perfect setting. Lauren wanted to capture the farm atmosphere and the tractor that goes along with it. It was a blast having her climb all over the place just trying to get that perfect tractor shot. I know at times she thought that I had lost my mind. It will definitely be a birthday photo shoot that she won’t forget. Happy 21st!!! Lauren, I promise from now on the birthdays will come a lot faster than this one did. A special thanks to Brandon for allowing us to share in the beauty of the farm.

The Mirror

2009-02-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

This was a gift to Caroline and Nathan Frye when they welcomed Rome into their lives and hearts. Several people had asked about the "Mirror picture", so I am posting this pursuant to requests.

I call it... "Into the Looking glass"

Laiken Mabe Maternity

2009-01-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

Nothing is more precious than witnessing life in all of it's raw stages, especially the stages of a new life. Laiken was a beautiful model and will be a wonderful mother to little boy Aiden. Aiden, it feels like we know you already. Laiken, we're very anxious to meet little Aiden and capture his first images with you.

Rome's 1st Christmas

2008-12-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

Some gifts just can’t be bought. That special gift for us this year was our new addition to the Frye family. It was so much fun taking his Christmas pictures. He is growing so fast and has certainly developed his own little personality. I think we have a Nathan Jr. on our hands already.

The Hull's Christmas

2008-12-22T15:31:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a fun time we had with Brea, (and forgive me if I have the spelling wrong..) her husband, Will and son, Carter. Little Carter was such a little ham, and knew exactly what he wanted and didn't want. He even tried hitting on my 2 year old little girl while he was here. As you can see in the photos, he was having a blast.

Kathi Lightfoot Christmas

2008-12-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

We have the distinct pleasure of taking pictures for Kathi Lightfoot and her son Jonathan for their annual Christmas Cards. What a loving and fun mother and son duo they were !! Thanks for allowing us to share part of your holiday Kathi !!

The Hiatt's Christmas

2008-12-12T21:31:00.001-08:00

After doing my long time friend Tonya Hiatt's family pictures, I was delighted to receive a call from her sister & brother-in-law, Karen and Todd Hiatt. This was one of the easiest photo shoots I have ever done. They were a bit stressed at first, just like every family is at the dreaded "Family Portrait" time. The time when everything seems to go wrong, but I kept reassuring them, that everyone goes thru the Murphy Law blues when it comes to picture time and that we were all there to have fun and enjoy the picture taking experience. As you can see Karen and Todd have a absolutely beautiful family.

Our First Christmas Shoot

2008-12-09T21:35:00.001-08:00

We had been anxiously awaiting our first Christmas shoot, and we weren't disappointed. First off, we were lucky enough to get to work with Malorie, who has to be one of the most adorable little girls I have ever met. She was sick, and yet blissfully happy !! As you can see in the images below..... Christmas came early for us and her parents. Thanks for choosing Captured Moments Photography to capture your first Christmas with Malorie !!!

Location Shoot: Dusty & Sarah

2008-12-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

I love showing off my family, so when Dusty and Sarah called me to take their pictures.... of COURSE I said yes. I was excited about trying out a new location and new ideas, and I was absolutely thrilled at how the images came out. Even through the freezing cold, goose poop, and Dusty locking my keys in the van.... we had a blast.

Dusty and Sarah: I love you both with all of my heart. Dusty, I am extremely proud of you, your great ideas, and your patience with taking so many photos. Sarah, you're absolutely beautiful inside and out, and don't let anyone tell you different.

Covington Maternity Studio Shoot

2008-12-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

I was recently introduced to Lura and immediately started talking to her about maternity pictures. She is a beautiful pregnant girl. Lura is 8 1/2 months pregnant with her first child. Have you ever heard the saying that a picture tells a story? Well Lura's pictures tells a story unlike most. Lura's husband Caleb is in the Army and is stationed in Iraq. This is his 3rd tour. He was last home in April of 08 and it was only after he returned to Iraq that Lura found out she was pregnant. So Caleb has not been able to see his wife through this pregnancy in person. During a recent conversation about what he wanted for Christmas he told her that all he wanted was a professional picture done of her pregnant. So this is where we come in to play. We had sooo much fun doing this shoot. We brought out all of the props so that we could capture her beauty in a way that was special to him. We were so happy with our results. Lura was absolutely adorable playing tribute to Caleb and the service he is giving to our country with the flag and his dress uniform. The baby is due soon and Caleb will be getting an 18 day leave. We are all hoping that he gets home before his son Zachary Caine is born but if he doesn't get here in time to see her at least he will have his picture of this moment captured in time. Lura thank you so much for allowing us to share your special story and Caleb thank you for your service to our country.

Justus Senior Portraits

2008-11-21T06:50:00.000-08:00

Ok so I am not the blogger but I have a lot of catching up to do to keep up with Tonya. I love photography it is a true passion…just ask my kids. I am always with a camera just ready to catch that moment.

You see Tonya talking about how fast her children are growing up right before her eyes but I keep telling her that these are the best times of their lives. It just seems like yesterday my kids were babies and I was never able to rest, much less eat a hot meal. Life was always an adventure. Now my children are all grown up and boy do the adventures keep coming. My oldest son Nathan is married to a beautiful girl, Caroline and they have a precious baby boy, Rome. My daughter Candace is a senior at Appalachian State University with such a promising future ahead of her. My youngest son Justus will graduate high school in May and plans on getting a degree in racing performance and working for Nascar one day. Where has all the time gone? Being a senior requires that certain things be done, i.e. senior pictures. SO of course I had to do some of them myself. Justus huffed and blowed at first but as you will see he quickly warmed up to the camera. It was so much fun.

Our baby girl turns 2 !!!

2008-11-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

If you had told me two years ago that I would have a little girl of my own, I would not have believed you... definitely overjoyed... but yet very skeptical. So when the fates shown upon us and God blessed us a second time around, this time with a little girl.... I thought I was dreaming. The kind of dream, where you wished you would never wake up. On February 7th, 2007, Gray and I picked up our little girl, and prayed, (but somehow knew in our hearts), that she would be ours forever. I can't even possible begin to tell you how many people our Genesis has touched in her two years. I can however tell you that everyone who knows and/or has met her... has fell in love. There is no denying that Gigi, as we call her, has something special. She's stubborn and moody like a normal 2 year old would be, but just take one look in those baby blues of hers and you see the magic and creativity and life that she brings out in everyone.

Thank you God for bringing her to us. Thank you Gigi, for opening our eyes even wider to how special life and love can be.

Rome Frye 2 Month Photo Shoot

2008-11-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

If I haven't mentioned already, we love, love black and white images. I think they capture the moment more, and was very pleased with how Rome's 2 month photos turned out.

Baby Rome's First Fall

2008-11-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

Baby Rome is growing like a weed, and you will probably be seeing more of him to come since he is one of our "Baby's First Year" babies. That and my partner in crime is his "Mee-Mee". So we really aren't shy about pulling out our lens(s) when he comes around !! Here is Rome Alexander in all of his glory !!

Matt & Katie

2008-11-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

Matt and Katie are two of my favorite children. I recently did a photo shoot for
their family. We started out at their home where their dad pulled out a prized family possession….a Model A. I was able to get a few shots of them with the car. When their mom looked at some of the pictures she immediately said that the two of them looked like a modern day Bonnie & Clyde…I must agree. We finished up at Tanglewood park where it was absolutely the perfect setting. They were so easy to take pictures of and so much fun. Again I brought Justus along for the ride and he introduced them to the nuts that had fallen on the ground while I was trying to get a picture of their parents. I am seeing a trend here…bring Justus and my subjects misbehave. I love you guys!!!!

Huff & Garza Wedding

2008-11-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

You may remember Ms. Ashley from the Bridal session we did a couple of weeks back. The new Mrs. Huff looked stunning on her wedding day and "Huff", as his friends called him, was quite handsome himself. Ashley's little girl, Faith, was the flower girl and she like her mother, did not like getting her picture taken. Although there were a couple of speed bumps a long the way, i.e., nervous flower girl, groom seeing the bride right before she walked down the aisle, etc.. , the ceremony and reception were both beautiful. Here are some of the images from the Huff & Garza Wedding.

Oh...Sheila !

2008-11-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Shelia was my guinea pig recently. I had found a new outdoor prop and was eager to try it. Shelia took a break from her studies to help me out. She is such a beautiful girl and so photogenic. I did make the mistake however of bringing Justus along for this adventure and the two of them are still grounded for misbehaving. They should be actors as they spent the whole time reciting movie lines and not cooperating!

The Hiatt Family

2008-10-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tonya Hiatt and I have been friends for about 7 years now and I absolutely adore her family. It is because of her that Gray and I decided to become foster parents, so without her, we would not have our three little miracles today. This was a family oriented photo shoot with her 3 biological sons, 2 adopted sons, and 1 (soon-to-be) adoptived daughter, her (soon-to-be) daughter-in-law, husband Chuck, and infamous mee maw !

Tonya: Thanks for allowing me to share this moment with you & your family !! I really enjoyed it.. tears & all !!!!

Toby & Staci

2008-10-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

Toby & Staci's images were part of the "Hiatt" family photo shoot, but since they recently got engaged, I wanted to put their images in their own posting. I hope you guys like your shots !!

Oh, and by the way... I am giving you guys a free 8 x 10 of your choice as an engagement present !

Ashley's Bridal Sitting

2008-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

Whoever said that Virginia is God's country knew what they were talking about. Ashley's shoot took place in the quaint little town of Fancy Gap during the weekend of the Autumn Leaves Festival. Although the day started out dreary and rainy, we were optimistic that we were going to have a good shoot that day. I guess someone up there was really looking out for us, because our prayers were answered. The rain finally let up, and we were actually blessed with about 30 mins of sunshine. As you'll see from the images below, Miss Ashley is a country girl at heart. What you don't see is the fact that she was actually a little camera shy... I guess she never knew how much the camera really loves her. Stay tuned to see the images from her upcoming nuptuals this upcoming weekend !!

Ashley: You were a real trooper !!! Michelle(my new partner in crime)and I loved working with you, and are looking forward to this weekend.

Tyler & Alex Engagement Shoot

2008-10-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day we had to spend with Alex & Tyler last weekend for their engagement debut pictures. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the breeze was blowing... hmm... kind of sounds like a Disney movie doesn't it? Trust me, it could have been. You can truly see in the images below, that these two love birds are the real deal. My assistant in training, Miss Sarah Vanhoy, and I had a really great time during this shoot and I am extremely proud of the way Alex and Tyler's images turned out.

To Alex: You have the most amazing blue eyes that stay with you even after the flash goes away !!
To Tyler: I have done nothing but brag about how willing, and cooperative you were thru the whole photo shoot. Two and a half hours, and two locations later.... you never complained not onced. Alex definitely has good taste in her men !

Tyler & Alex

2008-10-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Carson

2008-09-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Carson is my nephew. He arrived in the world quite a bit earlier than he was suppose to but he is catching up quickly. On a recent visit home we were able to get Carson to flash us a few smiles and share his love for UNC basketball with us. I can’t wait for Rome and Carson to create the havoc that their dads created for me.

Playing About.....

2008-09-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

With the early sun sets, and the falling leaves... you can tell that fall is definitely right on schedule this year, and the kids and I are loving the the outdoor weather that comes with the season. It's a lot easier to chase 3 kids when it's 10 degrees colder. Hmm.... note to self.... increase work outs to 4 times a week and buy vitamins. It's so odd to see Genesis trying to climb the ladder and sliding by herself. Michael and Matthew are really trying to help her out and show her the "big kid" way... although she doesn't always agree with "their" way, and freely expresses her opinions when needed. Believe it or not.... none of these shots were posed !!

Baby Frye is here !!

2008-09-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Caroline and Nathan welcomed their newborn son on September 23rd, weighing in at 7 lbs, 14 oz. Some of you may recognize Caroline and Nathan from the ever popular maternity photo shoot I posted a couple of months back. After a labor that would make most women jealous, Roman made his appearance while exhibiting his high lung capacity !! Mom, Dad and baby (not to mention grandparents and new aunties and uncles)are doing wonderfully. As you can tell, the little bundle of joy is absolutely gorgeous. He sports his mom's nose, skin & hair, and may end up having his dad's eyes.

Scott & Lauren Coleson Wedding

2008-09-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

This was one of the larger weddings that I have been a part of. An 18 person Wedding party poses as a challenge to any photographer, which is why there were a total of 3 photographers covering the Wedding Celebration. All in all, we were all very pleased with the results. Kudos to Michelle Frye and her assistant Katie !!! They do great work. The following images were some that I took of Lauren & Scott's special day.

Jason & Rae Smith Wedding Celebration

2008-09-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

It was a complete delight to take Jason and Rae's pictures to capture their Wedding Celebration day. The entire day was beautiful and might I say... relaxing from beginning to end. As soon as I saw the small old Moravian Church which was built in the 1920's, I knew I had hit the mother load. From the stained glass windows to the beautiful wooden pews and ornate chairs... I was in pure heaven. Rae and Jason,,,,,I really enjoyed sharing this special time with you guys and I hope you are as pleased with how your images turned out as I am.

Here is a sneak peek of your special moment's images.

Location Shoot: NaeNae Puckett

2008-09-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

It's always a joy to work with friends and working with Nae Nae is a blast !! Not only is she a great babysitter, but she is an excellent model as well. I would be remiss if I didn't also have give a shout out to that handsome boyfriend of hers, who also agreed to pose for me as well.

Nae Nae & Zach : You guys are truly awesome and it was a blast working with you.

My Baby Boy turns 6 AND goes to Kindergarten....

2008-09-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Do you remember how you felt when people would talk about their children getting older and how old it made them feel ? Now... do you remember thinking.. what the heck are they talking about ? THEN.... 10 - 12 years later it hits you and hits you HARD. It hit me today. Michael turned six and as I watched him walk into his school for the first time without MOM.... I cried. Partly because he is my baby boy... but partly because I remember doing the same thing. It seems like yesterday that I made the walk into kindergarten, with all the new faces, new colorful posters, new smells (crayons, disinfectant and new paper....) Fast Forward... and I am meeting my sons for the first time ages 2 & 3... and now he goes into kindergarten...and then I think to myself... I am getting old.

Beach Photos

2008-08-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

I think the hardest pictures to take are the ones that include yourself. Take a good look, because this is a rare opportunity to see the photographer in front of the camera, as opposed to behind it. Our vacation was nice, but as always too short. This was Gigi's first time at the ocean, so it was a little special for us. You always have this perfect image in your head of how your child's first time at the ocean is... and never ends up the way you have it planned out. She loved the ocean (as long as we were holding her by the arms yelling "Whee.....", which of course made the arm muscles sore by the time the week was out), but hated the sand. The boys learned how to boogie board for the first time. Matthew of course was a natural... and Michael... might have had more fun shopping .

Studio Shoot: Nathan & Caroline Maternity

2008-08-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was excited and truly honored to share in the celebration of Nathan & Caroline's special time in their lives. Roman Andrew Frye will be the couple's first child, and I am sure he will be just as stunning as his mom & dad. Nathan was very sweet and seemed to glow just as much as Caroline. Caroline was such a beauty.... as you can see her pictures speak for themselves.

Location Shoot: April & Chris

2008-08-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

After the Rock House photo shoot I did, April was anxious to get back in front of the camera. This was also a new location for me, and I love how the field of flowers and vibrant colors pops out at you and gives you a sunny feeling inside. The black and white shots seem to tell more about the pair, than what the human eye actually sees. I was very happy with the way the images turned out will definitely use this location again.

Location Shoot: Rae & Jason's Engagement

2008-07-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

It was a pleasure to work with Rae and Jason during their photo shoot to announce their engagement and I look forward to taking their wedding celebration photos. I shot this at the Mount Airy Visitor's Center because I love their flower garden and gazebo area. You can tell from the images below that the couple is completely smitten with each other.

Location Shoot: Rock House Shoot

2008-07-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite shoots. I love the Rock House location, because of the detail, it's rustic feel, and the color it gives off in the colored images. April is one of my favorite models, and it doesn't hurt that the camera absolutely loves her.

I love this one because it symbolizes her faith

This has to be one of my favorite shots of all time.

Location Shoot: David & Cindy George

2008-07-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I was anxious and excited when David & Cindy George, and let's not forget big brother Kyser, invited me into their home to help celebrate the birth of their beautiful new baby girl, Myla. I took these shots at their beautiful log cabin in Westfield, NC. Myla, as tiny as she was already had a mind of her own, and Kyser wanted to make sure that he got in his close ups between play dates.

Location Shoot: Brothers

2008-06-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

A brother's love is never ending and these two are pure joy. Although different, as night & day, where one is, you'll find the other. Matthew, small, handsome and full of energy had to see his picture after every shot. Michael, however the beautiful charmer, portrayed the professional model and would wait until I posed him for a different shot, and then would ask if he looked ok. I loved the traditional white crisp oxford shirts against the natural background. And those beautiful blue eyes, grins and dimples speak for themselves...

Michael the professional...

Matthew the heartbreaker.....

I LOVE this shot. Both boys kind of just fell in place for me. My favorite aspect of this photo is the crisp detail of the blades of the grass.

Location Shoot: Beautiful Elise

2008-06-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

Elise was such a beauty. Behind those beautiful blues is one determined young lady, who you can already tell knows what she wants in life. From the bouncing curls, to the twinkling gaze she gives you, you know she will be turning heads and breaking hearts in the future.

Our New Beginning....Baby Genesis

2008-06-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Less than a year after Michael and Matthew came into our lives, life threw us another unexpected, yet blessed surprise, when we received a phone call on Feb 2nd, 2007 about a 3 month old baby girl who had been abused. Her name was Genesis.... her name could not have been any more perfect. February 7th, we drove to pick our baby girl up five days later, and as I turned the corner there she was. Dressed in a little valentines sleeper and a little hooded coat with little ears on the hood, she was so beautiful, and tiny and looked exactly like Matthew. I sat there jumping out of my skin wanting to hold her, while trying not to act too presumptuous around her birth family. As soon as the social worker handed her to me, she snuggled in as a perfect fit. My hands were shaking so nervously while I put her into the car seat. I think I was excited and scared that the birth family was going to change their minds at the same time. I just wanted to get her in the car, and drive far far away. At 3 months, Gigi (as we now call her) weighed 9 lbs and looked just like a newborn. She was such a good baby and loved to coo and talk. I remember holding her and just crying every night for two weeks straight, thinking about the photos the social workers had taken of her after she had been taken into custody, and thinking about what I would do or how I would ever be able to give her up and let her go back to that.

I had it all planned out.... Gray, the boys, and I would take our baby girl and flee to Mexico. Gray could get a day job and the kids and I would braid hair on the beach for money... Whatever we had to do... I was going to do it. I would resort to anything to keep our precious angel from ever being hurt again. As we all know God answers prayers, and although we are still unworthy of all his blessed gifts. He answered ours, and justice prevailed. Her adoption was finalized this February 2008. It is my honor to introduce to you our angel, our new beginning, our baby girl, Genesis Mae Senter.

And they came two by two... Michael & Matthew

2008-06-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

On the other side of my love for photography, is my pride and joy, my blessings from above.... my little family. Gray and I knew from the beginning that we wanted to have a family, so when we began trying, it was disappointing to learn that the odds were not in our favor of conceiving our own child naturally. We tried some fertility treatments, and when those were unsuccessful it seemed only natural to adopt. We only wanted a family and it didn't matter to us what our angels' birth plans originally were.

And they came two by two...... June 13th, 2006 we received a call from our Social Worker asking if we could put a rush on foster certification because there were two little boys (brothers), ages 2 & 3 who needed a loving home and there would be a good chance of adoption. Without hesitation I screamed YES ! We're interested. It's a good thing Gray felt the same way... because I screamed this before I talked with him. When I spoke to him... he had even less hesitation in his voice and said... "When can we get them?"

Two weeks later... with bated breathe and anxious excitement we met our boys. All of these thoughts and emotions ran thru me.... "Will they like me.... will they accept me ?" "Will we fall deeply in love with them, only to be ripped away once again ?" So we pulled up to the house, held our breathes and watched our boys run onto the front porch to greet us. They looked up at us as if to say... "You're here, I've been waiting for you." One look.... and it was over. I was in love. These were my boys, now & forever. I have to say that their Aunt, Uncle and cousins who was caring for them at the time took excellent care of them and loved them so deeply that they chose to give them their own family. For that,,, we will always be eternally grateful. As now, I could never see myself without them. Just know as you see the images below, these are more "mommy" shots.

Don't worry.... this has a happy ending. A year later, almost to the date of when met our M&Ms.... our adoption was legally finalized. Let me introduce you to our boys, Michael Shane and Matthew Gray Senter.