Haith

This gorgeous mama made two handsome boys as you can see. In February, the family will finally welcome a baby girl - Audrey!

Rogers

Baby Zachary was just 8 weeks old when these photos were taken!

Miss Tara & her girls

I met up with Tara & her girls at the family farm. We hiked through the woods & roamed the old barn (imagine American Pickers!) It was so touching to see how much this piece of land means to their family & I loved hearing stories of Tara's grandparents & all her memories growing up there. Her beautiful daughters will look back one day & realize what an amazing history they are a part of and get to share! Even sweeter - these photos are a surprise Christmas gift for Tara's husband! SHHHHH, no telling! (:

Lamb Family

I went to high school with this gorgeous couple & now they are married with 2 beautiful kids! I first had the opportunity to photograph this family last fall & was so happy when they asked me to do their photos again this year! We met up at River Island last weekend & here's a sneak of what I captured. I hope you enjoy the photos, Lamb family! Thanks again - I am so honored you've chosen me to capture these sweet moments!

Kaitlynn Turns 2!

I have been truly blessed to watch this beautiful little girl as she grows up & am honored her mama has chosen me to capture her as she grows! We set up a clothesline the day before her birthday with her Halloween costumes & from there, Jenn & I chased her around the park. I love how Miss K is always on the go! Here is a sneak peek of that session:

Scott

In high school, I listened to "classic rock" & rolled my eyes at people who thought Pink Floyd was a person. I was downtown every weekend listening to local bands (who out there remembers Jemani, The Big Mighty, or Daze of Haze?) with everyone, painting on the wall at Mount Helicon (before they turned it into some soap shop), & laughing at the sky line on top of parking garages. There was this kid named Steve who went to Davidson who lived in an old victorian house right at the end of Calhoun Expressway & we'd all gather on his balcony late at night counting cars or we'd sneek into the abandoned gymnasium behind Ronald McDonald House & climb the rotting steps to the basketball court; playing music that would echo off the high ceilings & our casted shadows would grow longer as the street lamps turned on outside the floor to ceiling windows. That was also when I started taking photographs: instant Polaroids, b&w grainy film, & eventually digital (all of them have ended up in scrapbooks or shoe boxes; a testament to what I have been warned will be the best times of my life)


While I was busy trying to figure out who I was supposed to be, all those events were busy making me who I was.
We graduated high school & spent hours at Waffle House drinking coffee (to the point they knew us by name & would have a cup with 2 creamers a piece waiting for each of us at the same booth every time). We always played Van Morrison, Jack Johnson, & Def Leppard on the jukebox. We wrote Top 10 lists (bands/album covers/movies) on napkins & pondered the lyrics to Scar Tissue (was it a lonely or lovely view?). We'd drive over the dam to Hippie's Cove & play music on MONK rock. We went to see Jet in concert at The House of Blues. I remember Scott always wanted to find Lucky Strike cigarettes because we'd read that James Dean smoked them. We'd all congregate in Scott's living room late at night & speak in run on sentences laughing/singing/planning. We even killed a opossum in his kitchen one strange night.








All of these things happened during & immediately after high school with my family of friends. Scott Reese was a part of that family & was a part of all those events. One of my favorite things Scott ever said was: "Sometimes life just happens." Most of us have grown apart/lost touch over the past 7 years because life just happens.
As columnist Mary Schmich said: "Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young."

Remembering all these things, telling these stories --- it is the proof I need that he existed. It's how I'll make sure he continues to exist. I didn't really know Scott the last few years of his life, but I know how I want to remember him. I think everyone who knew him will hold on to their own "version" of Scott.


A mix tape is serious stuff - Scott knew that. That's why I think the most important thing I can do is put together a mix tape (High Fidelity style) to remember him by:

AC/DC - Back in Black
Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
Modest Mouse - Float On
RHCP - Scar Tissue
Led - Rock & Roll
Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
RATM - Renegades of Funk
Sublime - What I Got
Jack Johnson - Times Like These
Hendrix - Foxy Lady
Jet - Get Me Outta Here
Joe Cocker - Feelin' Alright
Pearl Jam (Unplugged cover) - Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Foo Fighters - My Hero
Black Keys - Heavy Soul
Doors - Roadhouse Blues
Foo Fighters - Statues
Floyd - Wish You Were Here


This weekend I will not mourn; I will celebrate Scott's life. Rest in peace, babe.

Shakia + Sean Michael= Engaged!

I've had the pleasure of working with the gorgeous Miss Shakia for a year now & was so excited when she asked if I would take engagement photos for her! I met up with the sweet couple at River Island on their anniversary to take the photos. The lighting was great and the weather was perfect! I had so much fun taking these photos - they laughed, danced, & almost fell over more than once!! Sean, it was so nice meeting you! Shakia, you look beautiful (as always!). I wish the two of you infinite love & happiness!

Lindsay | Linden Tree Jewelry Designer

Lindsay & I go way back - like, all the way back to high school. I just became aware that it has been 7 years since I graduated high school so I think I can now officially say that's "back in the day".
She was a music major at GA Southern (she has a phenomenal voice!) but along the way discovered she enjoyed designing jewelry, so that's what she's been doing lately. She started selling pieces on Etsy & I took some photos of some of her favorite pieces at the beginning of the year:





















This time around, I wanted to photograph the designer (wearing her own designs, of course):









You can usually find her at the Augusta Market downtown on Saturdays; she's there bright & early. Stop by & say hey, check out her designs. If you can't make it to the market, there's always her Etsy store.

The Divine Miss S

I first met Stevie in 6th grade when she moved here from Utah. We spent countless nights on the phone over the years giggling about boys, school, & the future. We didn't have very many classes together in high school but she was always counted as one of my nearest & dearest friends. I was so proud of her when she received her degree in OT & moved to South Carolina to start a job immediately afterward.
Just a short 10 months later, Stevie suffered a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. In fact, she coded 3 times during her time in ICU & there were questions of whether or not she would suffer permanent damage if she even lived. If you read the odds of survival you'll understand the grim prognosis the doctor's gave to her family (at one time they gave her only a 10% chance). Against all those grim odds, she survived.
The only visual evidence of these events are some tiny scars on her arm where they placed needles for an arterial blood gas and some scar tissue in her nostrils from the long term placement of tubes. On the inside however she still has tiny clots in her lungs that appear on xray and she did unfortunately suffer some permanent damage to one side of her heart.













The day that I did these photos, Stevie & I had a "lady date" & went to lunch together for the first time in seven years! There were some tears while we talked about what she's been through but there was a lot of laughter, too. After a mild depression during the earliest part of her recovery, she has joined a support group with other people who have suffered from pulmonary embolisms. I know that all the love and support she has received from her family and friends means the world to her but I'm happy that she has people to reach out to that know exactly what she's been through. I loved hearing her talk about the future. This was an event that changed her life & will continue to shape her life forever but she still has the same positive outlook as she was when I met her in middle school. She's considering a career path involving possibly speaking about her condition to raise awareness.
No matter what she decides, I am so incredibly proud of her & so proud to call her a life long friend - I can't wait to see all the amazing things her future holds.

Stevie, let's not wait another seven years for the next "lady date"!