L.E. Shaw Photography

Shaw, party of 7

2009-01-07T19:01:00.012-05:00

Our friends know that our animals are our 'babies' . We've had Harvey since before we were married, and he turned 7 this year. I've always wanted him to have a little buddy to play with, but was always apprehensive about bringing in another puppy because he usually only takes to cats. Several weeks ago (the day before Allen and Anna's wedding to be exact), we rescued a little shitzu (sp?) off the side of the highway. He and Harvey hit it off and became bestest buddies. I did the right thing, put an ad in the paper and found little 'Ralph's' real daddy. I feel so in love with Ralph, because he had one crazy eye that would drift a little, and his tongue stuck out to the side.

I was on a mission to find a dog, slightly cross-eyed with it's tongue stuck out...lol. We drove almost 3 hours away to see Yorkie puppies in VA. Low and behold, the moment we walked in the door; there was this perfect little girl with non-crossed eyes but with a tongue WAY to big for her little mouth. She was mine! We'd spent the entire drive up there going through a baby name book, and had about 50 to choose from. I wanted a name to compliment 'Harvey', so we had: Mabel, Mavis, Edna, Cleta, Ophelia, Gladys, Phillis etc. The Notorious Betty Page had passed away the day before, so I wanted to somehow incorporate her name as well. 5 weeks later, she still does not have a real name... right now it's: Maybelle Merriweather Page Green Shaw. That makes us a family of 7:
1)Lyndon-daddy
2)Jo Beth-mommy
3)Ebony (Ebbie)-cat
4)Bria Sophie-cat
5)Harvey Dale Jr. Green-Shaw Lipshitz Wallbanger 'the Wookie'
6)Gracie-bunny
7)Maybelle Merriweather Page

Here's more baby pictures:

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Her ears have started standing up over the last few days, and I've taken pictures, but can't find them (argh...sorry mom!). I'll snap some more when she finishes her puppy shots and can actually go outside!

Oops!

2009-01-05T22:37:00.001-05:00

I just realized the 'comment' button seems to be invisible?!? I'll work on that tomorrow. I'm not good at this whole HTML stuff...lol.

We'll be back from break tomorrow, and will finish returning e-mails and calls by Thursday

:)
-Jo Beth

Happy New Year!...and counting our Blessings...

2009-01-04T15:43:00.006-05:00

Oy vey! I have been such a bad blogger! We've had huge changes and many blessings in our business and personal lives that made it hard to find the time to update regularly! First, let me say that we hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that 2009 has gotten of to a rockin' start for you all! We had a wonderful holiday season and had so much to be thankful for in 2008.

First, we made it through our first full year as a 'business' with out throwing in the towel! :) It was a very busy year, and hopefully only the beginning of many wonderful years to come.

Next, and the biggest news of all: LYNDON IS NOW WORKING FULL-TIME ON THE BUISINESS!!! I couldn't be more excited that he has the opportunity to actually spend all of his time doing what he loves; one of the biggest joys in our lives. I have to admit, I'm slightly jealous though...lol. Plus, it's giving him more time to fix the little details on our house in preparation for sale. We were totally prepared to make life adjustments, but what we weren't prepared for was the absolutely overwhelming support we received from the people who love us. This, brings me to how grateful we are to have so many people dear to us in our lives. We are truly blessed to have so many friends and family members who cared enough about us to offer what ever help the could. I can't express how touched I was at the phone calls we received and to all of the people who promised to lend a helping hand: We love you!!! We have been so eager to begin this new phase of our lives and could not have done it with out you.

Now that Lyndon can concentrate more on photography, I have decided to do a COMPLETE over-haul in our marketing and website design. You may have noticed some of the galleries on the site are empty...I had been terrible about updating them, and they weren't a reflection on the new style of photography we want to sell, so they were yanked. More recent images will be added with in a week. Our colors have changed, we have a new logo, and will be getting new business cards and marketing materials soon to reflect the change! It may take a few weeks of work, since Lyndon has never maintained the website, but we'll get there. The blog may take a little longer, but I want to streamline it with everything else :)

I wanted to give you all a sneak peak at the new logo and color scheme! It's not finalized just yet... so we'd certainly appreciate your input and critique! Drumroll.......

TADAAAAA!!!!! I wanted something slighly more feminine (as girlie as Lyndon would let me..hehe), and he wanted something with softer colors that didn't include any variation of pink. We comprised, and I came up with this! Leave a comment to let us know what you think!

To all of the customers who entrusted your memories with us this year: Thank you!!! You have all been truly wonderful!

Brrrr....

2008-11-23T12:36:00.009-05:00

It was C~O~L~D! Really, really cold! To be honest, I was pretty nervous about our shoot Saturday. We had three families lined up and two had to cancel due to sickness and family reasons, so I was kinda in a negative fog to begin with. When I checked the forecast earlier in the week, the projected high was in the 50's...so, I thought no prob. We walked outside Saturday morning and it was FREEZING! When we got on location, there was still snow on the ground from earlier this week. I really thought there was no way a four year-old was going to tolerate two crazy people taking his picture for very long in that cold. I just knew we were in for it... I couldn't have been more wrong! I honestly think this was our best family shoot to date. He was SO well behaved, and great in front of the camera! too bad he's going to be in the NBA when he grows up, he'd make a great little model :) The whole family was uber-photogenic!

He's the cute little guy with his beautiful mom:

Playing football with dad, waiting to catch the ball:

Playing in what was left of the snow:

Okay, I think these next two are some of my all time favorites:

1)
2) I think this one will be our new main picture on the website and myspace. What'd ya think?

With Buddy and Spike ( I think?)

Such a cute lil' man!

Thanks guys for be SOOO wonderful to work with, and braving the cold for us!

We have an intern!!!

2008-11-07T14:56:00.014-05:00

Yup, we have our very first intern! Miss Kayly is SO sweet! We shot her sister's wedding this summer, and we were tickled to have her intern with us, 'cause we just love their whole family! The three of us met downtown on Halloween so that we (okay...Lyndon) could review the basics, and let her get a camera in her hands. Lyndon wanted new pics for Myspace, so he brought along his guitar and us girls followed him around like a rockstar :)

Kayly was starved, so she stopped by for a kids meal before 'class'. Her cute turtle toy:

I kept interrupting, so Lyndon banished me to the parking lot while he taught (not really):

Looks like he's explaining aperture here:

Finally, class was over and we headed to the train tracks. I liked this one because you can tell he was trying to decipher the graffiti. Too bad I cut off his arm ~sigh~

Kayly in action:

Oops, I'm sure I messed up her shot here:

I snapped this one while Kayly was grabbing a shot for our upcoming piece entitled: Track-side Dining:

She's SO cute!

Finally, we had to stop in at the bakery while we were downtown. Lyndon HAD to have a dozen Sand Dabs...they're a yummy type of cookie. I got a chocolate chess pie to eat while handing our Halloween candy at mom and dad's...then forgot I'd bought it and went off and left it in the car...lol. While we were there the bakery lady was talking about guitars with Lyndon. She was dressed up as Daisy Duck, so I couldn't resist:

2008-10-20T19:57:00.000-04:00

Hey blogs peeps! Yes, we HAVE been MIA lately...and lazy too! We just got back from our last vacation for the year, and spent 9 looonnnggg days away from cell phones, laptops and internet! Talk about s-weet, I cooked supper last night for the first time in 13 days, I walked around the kitchen totally lost! I'm far too pooped to work on the vacation pictures just yet, but wanted to let everyone know that we were home safetly. We had a fabulous trip, met some awesome people, ate lots of yummy food, drank lots of fruity drinks, and napped every single day! Now, we have to get back to the real world (yack). I'll be all by myself most of the week while Lyndon works on his haunted house, so I'm hoping to be extra productive! I have over 100 e-mails to go through from last week, so be patient with me if you sent anything while we were gone!

Coming up this week: Anna and Allen's wedding sneak peak, our fall festival blog, vacation blog, and if I'm on a roll maybe a baby blog!

Bristol Bound!

2008-08-21T17:24:00.002-04:00

And we're off! First, we're hitting the last place Hank Williams Sr. ate while alive...maybe then to the country music museum. Then the Busch (or whatever they're calling it this week) race . And then...a day packed with people and car watching before seeing the cup race Saturday night. ~w00t~ If anyone else will be there, give us a call...we'd love to meet up. For those who prefer to watch on television, we'll see or talk to y'all next week!

Sky+Catie Wedding Sneak Peek

2008-08-18T15:33:00.008-04:00

Lyndon and I were absolutely honored to shoot Sky and Catie's wedding in Chapel Hill Saturday! They were fabulous!! Catie has the most infectious laugh and was SO much fun! Both families were great to work with...what more could we ask for? The ceremony took place at the community rose garden, and it was stunning! They had some of the most beautiful and unique details we'd ever seen...from pulling the flower girls down the aisle in a ribboned wagon, to having tubs of water on hand for the guest, even having a limo to keep the girls cool before the ceremony; they didn't miss a THING! The reception was spot on. Music great....lots of fun dancing...great food :)

I love this shot of the girls holding up Catie's dress while they made their way to the limo for some refreshing A/C before the ceremony:

SUPER CUTE shoes! There were little hearts on the tips too!

The guest-sign in table was stunning! They even thought to have monogrammed towels for the guest to wipe their water bottles on!

I love the smile on Catie's mother's face as she sees their first kiss as husband and wife. You could see and feel how special their relationship is!

Another kiss:

The infectious laugh (isn't she beautiful?):

Making a quiet getaway to the Hummer for a glass of champagne:

The cake, which we didn't get a chance to taste, but looked YUMMY! Catie even thought to have the top layer sugar-free for those with diabetes! So thoughtful!

Detail shots from the Weathervane. I couldn't believe the hardwork Catie's mother put into decorating..she could have a second career!

We're making steady progress through the proofs, but still have MANY more to edit! Thanks guys for such a great time!

Chris + Maleah Wedding

2008-08-10T19:37:00.014-04:00

We finally got all of Chris and Maleah's wedding images processed and posted, just in time for them to return from their honeymoon! We've almost finished the images from our last family shoot and should have previews posted soon. If you've had a session with in the last two weeks and we haven't gotten your galleries up yet, we'll be all caught up by the end of the week!

More from Chris and Maleah:

Queen Wedding Preview

2008-08-03T21:49:00.003-04:00

What a great weekend we've had! Maleah and Chris's wedding was FLAWLESS Saturday, and it was fabulous! We had a great family portrait session today, minus the 20-30 univited guest. Not the family, the nest of deer ticks I wandered into :) After 15 or so minutes I started getting the itchy creepy-crawlies and looked down to find the crawling all over my legs (someone should have worn pants). And, there we these really REALLY BIG spiders all OVER the place. Big, huge, nasty jumping spiders the size of a small child!

All images have been uploaded, I have been de-ticked and we are exhausted! So for now, a brief preview of the fantastic Queen wedding. Aren't the colors beautiful? More to come as we get them edited :)

Anna and Allen E-Session

2008-07-27T20:31:00.015-04:00

I met Allen and Anna several years ago at my P/T job, and they are a hoot! Anna is sweet and quite and Allen is just crazy. In fact, they are just like a reversed version of Lyndon and myself, so I'd say they make a fabulous couple! We can't wait to shoot Anna's bridals in a few weeks, because they're taking us out on their boat when we're finished! I'll be sure to take the camera :) Thanks guys for being so great Friday, and the next time you talk to Lyndon, ask him what he ate for supper that night ;)

We {heart} SENIORS!!!

2008-07-20T17:56:00.002-04:00

Shooting Seniors is one of our favorites! We love being able flex our creative muscles, and try new and cool things. Plus, in keeps in touch with our inner teenagers..lol :) Our newest coolest senior graduates this year from Asheboro high school and she was ever patient and sweet. The heat was already stickin' too us at 10am and it just got worse as the shoot went on, but she never once complained! We had so much fun...maybe a little too much as the local police kept circling. She did a beautiful job and I think the proofs speak for themselves:

Another video...

2008-07-20T17:56:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I'm straying ever so slightly from photography, BUT... we really wanted the purpose of our blog to be and insight to us and what makes us who we are. So, every Friday and Saturday night, whether we're proofing images or playing cards with our BFF's Robert and Holly, Youtube is always on in the background. Whether it's Robert (our future roadie) and myself going through classic and 90's country, or Lyndon pounding his fist and demanding some Hank Sr...it's blaring from the couch. It never fails every night I listen to this song, either Bon Jovi or Rufus Wainright (no idea how to spell that). Ever so often, you hear a song that just sends chills down your spine, and this is it for me. The most beautiful song I've ever heard and a gorgeous version of it :

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2NEU6Xf7lM&feature=related]

I promise my next post will have pictures...lol. And to prove it another teaser:

~Lyndon Dances the Happy Jig~

2008-07-20T17:55:00.000-04:00

Woohoo! It so just happens that our favorite band is the best band in the WORLD!!! And.....they have a new album coming out 9-23-08 (just in time for our anniversary!), which tickles us to pieces. If you've never heard of Old Crow Medicine Show, you simply MUST check them out here: http://www.crowmedicine.com/ You can even preview the first single on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/oldcrowmedicineshow 'Caroline' and she is so simply stunning, it almost brought tears to my eyes! We've seen these guys several times live and actually got the chance to meet them once or twice. They are the most genuinely down-to-earth good 'ol boys you'll ever meet. The type of people you just want to succeed...so go check them out now!

Update

2008-07-20T17:54:00.002-04:00

Sooo, we should be technologically up and running~ e-mail is hopping again. Now if I could just sop being SO behind. The good news is that we've been really busy...the great news is we only have 2 open wedding dates for the 2008 season, the bad news is you'll have to act fast if you're looking to book your wedding!! Drumroll... even though we're swamped I actually finished working on some picture to share (you know, to prove we actually DO take them, not just talk about them). Back to the super fabulous wedding of our dear friends Lee & Tori. Can I just say that these two got engaged at Valentine's Day and planned their wedding in like three months? Talk about planning! You would never have known that it came together so quickly, it was just amazing! We can't begin to tell you how beautiful these two are, and how perfect they are together. Lyndon has known Lee all of his life, and we were thrilled to shoot their big day! Tori had the worst time with her gown, and ended up walking down the aisle in a back-up. Bless her heart, I don't think it could have turned out any better though. Even Lyndon said he teared up when he saw her walk into the sanctuary. Plus, the reception was FABULOUS!!! There was an awesome pasta salad, and (don't tell Tori) I almost stole borrowed a huge crystal bowl of feta cheese ~YUM-MY~ I died and went to salty cheese heaven. My faves:

Communication Breakdown...

2008-07-20T17:54:00.001-04:00

It seems the mail servers have been down since early Friday. Nothing has gone in or out, so we apologize for any messages we may not have received. We have contacted the hosting company and hope to have a resolution by tomorrow afternoon. Also, all problematic galleries have been rehosted, and should be working properly. ~fingers crossed~

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-20T17:53:00.000-04:00

Lyndon and I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day! This holiday is so much more than firework and barbecues. My favorite quote and something to ponder:

Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. ~Louis D. Brandeis

We spent our day doing two shoots and now processing the images, but our real celebration will take place tomorrow. :) One of a handful of annual occasions when my entire family gathers, it's one of my favorites (behind Christmas of course!). Yummy food and boat rides on the lake! We're going to attempt to get shots of the fireworks that top off the day, but I can't make any promises...lol. In the meantime you'll have to settle for red white and blue flowers. I can really only claim the white one, the red and blue come compliments of my Mom! Seriously, my mom's flower pictures rule, I opened these and thought 'holy crap!'...they were that good, and it just so happened that the perfect colors for today. We (Lyndon, my dad and I) bought her a DSL for Christmas, and she's really rockin' the semi-manual modes! How to work the buttons? Well, we'll stil working on that one, but I'm really proud of the way she's already understand depth of field and composition! :) More people pictures to come!

She did great right?

~Hellloooo Blog Peeps~

2008-07-20T17:52:00.000-04:00

WOOHOO I have another new product to showcase for you all!!! First let me clarify that when I said in the previous post I'd have some images up by the weeks end, I REALLY meant to say by the weekend...you believe that right...right? ;) Now, back to the super duper uber cool product. Many of you have heard us go on and on about our custom coffee-table books, and how fabulous they are. Welllll...now we have a new unique spin on your basic boring guest sign-in (which one bride cutely compared to the registers used by funeral homes...lol). These adorable (or manly...depending on your gender) books are the only registers you'll be eager to showcase in your new love nest! Beautiful images from you love shoot grace the left side pages, placed in unique collages. On the right a single black and white image provides more than enough space for your guest signatures. ~BEAUTIFUL!~ We're delivering the album tomorrow afternoon, but I couldn't resist snapping a few before I had to let it go. Ignore my exquisitely wrinkled tablemate!

MIA

2008-07-20T17:51:00.002-04:00

No need to send out the search parties just yet. We haven't purposely been MIA! We just never thought we'd be so busy in our first full wedding season :) Lots-o shoot lately, most of them bridal, so you can't see them just yet; and one sick baby (Harvey...but he's all better now) have kept us one our toes the last 4-5 weeks!

We're finishing the images from our last wedding, which also happens to have been of the two of the most wonderful people we know. I hereby promise to do EVERYthing in my power to have the images up for you to see by the weeks end :) We LLOOOVVEEE you guys (mean it!)!!! And to prove, I have one sneak peak for you of Tori's gorgeous gown:

Beautimous right???

8 a day...

2008-07-20T17:51:00.001-04:00

I am a dork my mothers' daughter...lol. My mom has ALWAYS taken pictures of food. Flowers, food, furry critters and family and I guess I'm not much different. If she made a pretty sandwhich...she has a picture of it. Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners? Yup we have them all in print. Even salads etc. Seriously!

So...when I was unloading groceries this weekend I got to thinking about how glad I was to have yummy fresh springy fruits and veggies again. Then, I saw how pretty the sunlight was coming through the skylights and into the kitchen. That's when my 'mom-moment' began. :) I unpack everything in the fridge semi-arrange it in the sun and start snapping away. Fruit+veggies=happy pictures for me!!!

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-07-20T17:39:00.001-04:00

Hopefully, everyone enjoyed themselves over a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend! We had two wonderful shoots this weekend, got pretty spoiled sleeping late, went out to eat at our our new favorite restaurant with my mom and dad, had burgers and hot dogs with my family and both g-ma's, and yelled at the television (sorry Kyle Bush fans) both Saturday and Sunday nights. Whew...so we've had a GREAT holiday weekend! We had a bridal session Saturday at Bicentennial Gardens (our new favorite location). Ashley was GORGEOUS in her gown (everyone in the park said so) and is going to make the most beautiful bride!!! We super excited to shoot the wedding in September...I just know it will be stunning! You'll have to wait until then to sneak a peak at her portraits (just-in-case her fiance happens upon our blog). As Lyndon was shooting, I was walking ahead scouting out our next location and saw the cutest little guy asleep in his stroller. He was just SO cute with his must-pinch cheeks :) Luckily, as we were wrapping up our session he woke up and mom and dad let us snap a few images. Ohmygosh they turned out great just to be quick snaps!

Myrtle Beach Trip

2008-07-20T17:38:00.000-04:00

I know you are all dying to know how our beach trip went! We headed down Thursday toMyrtle Beach for a weekend seminar (which was FABULOUS), and it just happened to coincide with the Harley Rally which I thought was just TOO cool. I've never seen so many gorgeous bikes in one place before! I know you'd love to see the pictures, and let me assure you we took the camera, but.....we had TOO great of a time and were forced to destroy the evidence (jk). I did however, bring back a list of things learned over the weekend:

Things I learned while attending a Myrtle Beach Seminar during bike week:

1. One Harley at 3am is louder than 10 Harleys at 3pm.

2. While it’s cool that you can still cruise the strip au natural (hair-wise that is), helmets should be mandatory after any amount of alcohol consumption or on highways (due to the other 4-wheeled idiots on the road).

3. It is fairly easy to steal a bike (they even gave a demonstration on the 6:00 news). However, fighting for survival after the owner hunts you down is not so fun.

4. If you’re planning to rent a bike once you get to the beach, you better call in advance!

5. CHROME=GOOD MOPED=NOT-SO-GOOD!

6. Ocean Blvd was originally designed as a parking lot.

7. Someone, somewhere has a lovechild.

8. It is only acceptable to drink beer at 10am in the following situations: you have yet to go to sleep from the night before - bike rally at Broadway at the beach - RACE DAY!!!!1

9. The ‘no alcohol past this point’ sign means ‘no freakin’ alcohol past this point’!!! Security will not pause to ask questions before they tackle your arse.

10. The Harley riders are soooooo much better behaved than kids at Senior Week after graduation!

Maleah+Chris E-session

2008-07-20T17:37:00.000-04:00

We met with this ultra-cute couple at a local park for they're engagement session Friday! I don't think we could have asked for a better couple to work with. They were totally at home in front of the camera and oozing lovey-doveyness! Plus, did I mention that they're just TOO friggin' cute??? We can't wait to shoot her bridal and then the wedding in August!

Collages and more!

2008-07-20T17:36:00.000-04:00

Now, I know I had promised ages ago to unveil a few of our custom designs, so with out further ado…TADA:

First, my favorite: Baby bits (or any bits for that matter…but I think we all can agree that the baby ones are the bestest!) collages. I’ll probably beat a dead horse saying this but, the options are endless with these, and of course, they’re not limited to babies! Pick your size, pick your color, pick you poses…you name it, these collages are a wonderful way to document engagements, weddings, families etc.

Our custom designs are great for any occasion when uniqueness matters: birth, graduation, and engagement announcements, wedding and party invitations; save-the-date, thank-you and holiday cards, you name it! For those imaginationally-challenged…we can do it all for you! You give us an idea of a product that you like, and we’ll pop out several designs from you to chose from! I absolutely LIVE for these projects and it couldn’t be easier for you! I thought I’d add a few more from the infant shoot you saw earlier, and hope to get a few from a love session up w/in the next few days!

Not just lazy!

2008-07-20T17:35:00.001-04:00

Certainly not US...just insanely busy!!!! The past few weeks have been crazy! First, we had a computer crisis that threw us for a major loop. Rest assured, we have learned to back-up our back-ups in the future! Then, wedding season hit us full blast (no complaints from us..lol). We’ve had either a bridal/love/family session every weekend for the past several weeks (again, that rocks…so we have no complaints!). This coming weekend we have an e-session with a fabulously cute couple on Friday, an event to shoot on Saturday, and a Sunday full of image processing. The best part? WE LOVE IT!!! It gets even better the next week! We have a seminar scheduled Wed-Sun in gloriously sunny Myrtle Beach and our first beach love session! So, if we’re absentees for the next week or so…you’ll know it’s not from lack of love on our part…just lack of time!

On a roll!

2008-07-20T17:33:00.002-04:00

Woohoo, two post in two days, I'm smokin'! Anywho:

We’ve both lived in this area all of our lives, so we had pretty much taken the North Carolina zoo for granted. For several years, we went once or twice a year with our membership. When our love of photography began we began finding the beauty in details, and our love for the zoo was rekindled. In fact, we’ve been FOUR times already this year! First, we went to update our zoo pictures on Holly Bluff Campground’s website (www.hollybluffcampground.com ). Then, it was SO warm so early in the year we got a terrible case of spring fever and wanted to walk the zoo trails and just be outside. Next, we bought our new lense and had to try it out in the Aviary with it’s pretty flowers. At Easter, we had to go to see the animals enjoy their Easter eggs :) As soon Mother Nature decides to switch back to spring, we’ll go to take pictures of the new rhino and elephant habitats.

The zoo has always been a wonderful place, but it’s so much more fun to go now with our camera’s in-hand waiting for ‘picture moments’ to jump out of us. It’s a great place to work on funky new angles and post-processing, much better than weddings or portrait sessions! We have all of these really cool pictures from the zoo clogging up our computers and thought we’d share a few. J If you haven’t been in a while, GO! It’s always changing, and there’s a reason why we meet photogs from all over the world there….it’s an awesome way to spend a sunny day!

Another cutie

2008-07-20T17:33:00.001-04:00

As promised, just a few days late :) . Here's a few of the ultra-cute Alex and his ‘big sister' Libby, both going WIDE open...lol. They were just naturals in front of the camera, like two professionals!

We had several weeks of gorgeous, unusually warm weather until the day we had planned to shoot outside (isn't that just how it always goes?). Alex toughed it out though, even if he didn't get to play barefooted like he had wanted.

P.S. We're still tweaking the borders and watermarks, but I think we're getting closer!

-Jo Beth

Sugar and spice...

2008-07-20T17:31:00.000-04:00

and everything nice :)

We had the chance to work with two of the most precious children ever! Their mom was gracious enough to let us take their pictures, and I was just thrilled with the way they turned out. Baby Carolina couldn't have done a better job posing for us, and out of 300+ images, I only had one of her pouting (it's so cute you just have to see it), and she never shed a single tear. Big brother, Alex wasn't quite as excited about having his pictures made, but did a really good job when we got started. He's taken to his new role quite well, and was so adorable giving the baby kisses on the cheek. We got lots of cute pictures with Alex and his big 'sister' Libby the lab, I have Lyndon editing them as we speak, and should have a few for you tomorrow!

I thought you would all enjoy a few samples from such a beautiful family. We've been working hard over the last several days to get our new frames ready, and they're a work in progress...lol, you may see several versions over the next few weeks until we get it just right.

Thanks again guys!

-Jo Beth

Cha...cha...changes!

2008-07-20T17:30:00.002-04:00

Wow, things are CONSTANTLY changing around here (for the better)! We're working on our new more 'visually pleasing' blog...lol, okay maybe I'm just trying to make it less cluttered. You'll notice it takes us a while to switch all of the old posts and images here, so be patient with us! Once we get them transferred we have new images from a newborn shoot that are just too cute for words, and we can't wait to unveil our new custom collage services, new image watermark, new post-processing techniques, new wedding products....new, new, NEW. Told ya things were changin', and you won't want to miss a thing!

-Jo Beth

about us 2

2008-07-20T17:30:00.001-04:00

Ten things about Jo Beth (by Lyndon)

1. She hates my favorite movie and I don’t care for hers.
2. She likes huge 4x4 trucks.
3. She’s smarter than I am…I always lose at Jeopardy and she’s impossible to beat at board games
4. She’s warm and outgoing, while I’m quiet and shy.
5. She actually likes watching NASCAR and going to races with me!
6. She’s a Democrat, and I’m a Republican.
7. She likes driving my truck more than I do.
8. I like to shoot traditional photography, while she keeps me updated on anything new or cutting edge.
9. We’re perfect for each other, we’re totally opposite, but we go together JUST RIGHT!!!
10. I do have the sinking sensation she loves the dog more than me though.

Ten things bout Lyndon (by Jo Beth)

1. He’s an Aquarius, but swears he acts more like a Capricorn…I disagree.
2. He plays guitar and sings (kinda)…although you shouldn’t get your hopes up for having him sing at your ceremony.
3. He owns an extensive collection of toys; hundreds of Hot Wheels, every Nintendo system ever created (including 400 vintage games) and Star Wars toys and models.
4. He’s sensitive, kind and caring. He’s the world’s greatest housekeeper (could I have gotten a better hubby?)!!!
5. He hates going to the dentist, even though I work there, I have to drag him kicking and screaming to his appointments. 6. He hates seafood and SWEARS he’s allergic (I know better), but he loves Red Lobster for their chicken and their biscuits. 7. He secretly thinks I love the dog more than him.
8. He loves NASCAR so much that we have to plan our lives and vacations around race schedules. His favorite drivers are: Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya.
9.Lyndon adores animals, in the 5 years we’ve been married, we’ve had: 5 cats, one dog, one evil bunny and two fire-bellied African toads (RIP Smith and Wesson, Scrappy, Tigger and Chloe).
10.He has completely different taste from mine. If he loves, loves, loves something, you’re pretty much guaranteed that I will, at the least, be lukewarm about it. LOL…that’s what makes us so good together and keeps us grounded.

2008-03-25T19:23:00.000-04:00

Ten things about Jo Beth (by Lyndon)

She hates my favorite movie and I don’t care for hers
She likes huge 4x4 trucks
She’s smarter than I am…I always loose at Jeopardy and she’s impossible to beat at board games.
She’s warm and outgoing, while I’m quiet and shy.
She actually likes watching NASCAR and going to races with me!
She’s a Democrat, and I’m a Republican.
She likes driving my truck more than I do.
I like to shoot traditional photography, while she keeps me updated on anything new or cutting edge.
We’re perfect for each other, we’re totally opposite, but we go together JUST RIGHT!!!
I do have the sinking sensation she loves the dog more than me though.

Ten things bout Lyndon (by Jo Beth)

He’s an Aquarius, but swears he acts more like a Capricorn…I disagree.
He plays guitar and sings (kinda)…although you shouldn’t get your hopes up for having him sing at your ceremony.
He owns an extensive collection of toys; hundreds of Hot Wheels, every Nintendo system ever created (including 400 vintage games) and Star Wars toys and models.
He’s sensitive, kind and caring. He’s the world’s greatest housekeeper!!!
He hates going to the dentist, even though I work there P/T/, I have to drag him kicking and screaming to his appointments.
He hates seafood and SWEARS he’s allergic (I know better), but he loves Red Lobster for their chicken and their biscuits.
He secretly thinks I love the dog more than him.
He loves NASCAR so much that we have to plan our lives and vacations around race schedules. His favorite drivers are: Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Lyndon adores animals, in the 5 years we’ve been married, we’ve had: 5 cats, one dog, one evil bunny and two fire-bellied African toads.
He has completely different taste from mine. If he loves, loves, loves something, you’re pretty much guaranteed that I will, at the least, be lukewarm about it. LOL…that’s what makes so good together and keeps us grounded.

New game

2008-03-05T20:52:00.001-05:00

We thought it would be fun to write up a few list about us, so you could get to know us better. After all, we didn't want a stranger to shoot our wedding back in '02, and we know you don't either. SO here was the deal...we both composed a list of ten random quirky facts about ourselves that people might not know. THEN, we made a list about each other. It's kinda cute how we kinda wrote some of the same things. Today's lists are the one's we made for ourselves!

Things you may not know (or want to know)about Jo Beth (by Jo Beth)

1) I'm an Aries...or rooster if you dig the Chinese version
2) I could eat my weight in Lobster every day if given the chance.
3) I'm addicted to iterjections and ellipses. That's right! As you may have noticed, I write like I speak.
4) I'm a worrier. My three biggest irrational fears: -driving in the snow, -tornadoes (to the point I have reoccurring nightmares, and can't watch the weather channel) -cotton balls (I swear it's true...that's too crazy to make up).
5) My three biggest legitimate fears: -loosing some one I love -being unsuccessful...all the way around. In life, in love, in career. - uncertainty and change.
6) One of my most favorite things to do is shift through old photos of my childhood, and family pictures from before I was born. I love how the memories of my grandfather flood back when I see those old Christmas pictures!
7) Some people say that a song has the ability to take them back in time. But, my strongest sense is smell. Seriously, I can remember what my daddy smelled like when he came home from work, the smell of my mother's perfume on her wrist, the way my first 'tinkerbell' make up smelled when I was 3, what Lyndon smelled like in high school...all of my life events have been associated with smells. Sweet cinnamon pumpkin was the first bath set I bought to keep at Lyndon's house before we were married. To this day, it's my 'happy scent' that ALWAYS takes me back :)
8) i love love love raw fruits and veggies. I eat onions on everything (except before shoots and at weddings!). I can eat them raw just like apples. However, I think tomatoes are the abomination of fruit/veggies and detest ketchup.
9) Our dog, Harvey, is our first and only child. He had his own 'myspace' before Lyndon, and has more friends. I'd be lost with out him, and so would his cat, Bria.
10) I once idolized Punky Brewtser and my parents were kind enough to fuel my individuality by overlooking my fourth and fifth grade fashion statements. From mismatched neon socks, to gigantic hoop earring, and bright, hand-made loop jewelry.
11) Favorite moves: Gone With The Wind, Steel Magnolia, Where the Heart Is. Favorite Books: NASCAR novels, Dan Brown, all of the Left Behind books. Color: black, brown neon green and neon orange. Music: Old Crown Medicine Show, Classic country, and techno when I'm in the mood. TV: October Road is my current must-see.

Things you may not know about Lyndon (by Lyndon)

1) Prefers Nintendo over everything else
2) Huge fan of the Legend of Zelda video games
3) Favorite TV show: Lost.
4) Only shoots with Canon cameras
5) Would much rather shoot outside than in studio.
6) Huge NASCAR fan. Favorite drivers: Dale Jr., Harvick, Montoya
7) Still waiting for some one to make a good banana ice cream
8) Almost never go see movies in the theater
9) visited 4 foreign countries last year: Mexico, Bahamas, Belize, Honduras (the best!)
10) Addicted to 80's cartoons.

WOOHOO

2008-03-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

Lyndon wasn't joking when he said the camera hardly came out of the bag on our skiing trip. In fact, we just got our new Canon 85mm lens, and man.... IT ROCKS!!! Too bad we only took 3 pictures the entire weekend...lol. It was so warm and pretty outside that we took it out for a spin Sunday afternoon. Nothing is really blooming to make purty pictures, but it's always fun playing with a new toy :) Here's the few I snapped of Lyndon using our new Gary Fong collage application:
Stay tuned this week for Lyndon's neat idea for you to get to know the 'real' us a little better. Plus, I hear whispering from the boss that there may be a new contest coming up as well, and you won't want to miss it!

-Jo Beth

Home at last

2008-02-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

Those of you who’ve taken the sneak peak at our new website (aka the chosen ones) already know that we have a sincere passion for travel. This weekend we took a short weekend ski trip to Massanutten. We had so much fun, the camera barely even came out of the bag. It seems that time to relax by ourselves has become more elusive over the past several months with the work we’ve spent revamping things around here and tying up the loose ends from our recent sessions (we’re REALLY not complaining…we love you guys). Being alone together gave us the opportunity to reflect on just how blessed we are, and the many things and PEOPLE we have to be grateful for. We’re at the point in our marriage where we get to do what we love more than anything in this world, and we do it with the people we love more than anything in this world. We get to meet fabulous new clients everyday and share in the love new couples have for each other. We get to document the most beautiful stage in a womans life…when she brings another life into the world. We get to forever preserve the tiny toes, fingers and nose of that new life. Okay, so I’m rambling…. My point was simply to say that we’re blessed indeed.

-Lyndon

V-Day Sweethearts

2008-02-19T19:27:00.000-05:00

We just returned from Karen and Eric's beautiful Valentine-themed wedding this weekend! Their red and white color scheme spilled out over the entire church , even down to the details on Karen's dress and veil. We've always heard that no wedding goes off with out a hitch, and their's was no different, Luckily, we don't think anyone noticed that Karen spent her wedding day barefooted because she had forgottened her shoes. It was a wonderfully romantic ceremony, and we hope they're enjoying their mountain honeymoon!

Holly and Josh E-session

2008-02-13T21:57:00.001-05:00

Woohoo! Lyndon finally got finished editing some of Holly and Josh's engagement images! It took forever, because there were just so many darn good ones to choose from. You can't tell me you can't see the love in those two youngin's eyes...crazy kiddies! These were some of our favorites:

Nearly gone with the wind...

2008-02-12T20:27:00.000-05:00

Wow! Talk about a blast! We had Holly and Josh for an E-session on Sunday. We all braved the winds and drove down to Morrow Mt. near Badin. Holly's hair was whipping every which way and trash kept blowing in our eyes. Talk about troopers though, they toughed it out and did an awesome job! They were just too sweet and so in love. It was all we could do to keep them from kissing long enough to take pictures. All of the images turned out fantastic, and I have Lyndon working really hard to get our favorites processed and on here for you guys to see. For all of you who are undecided on where to shoot your engagement session, this place is SO beautiful and romantic, and much closer to home than some of the other spots we've shot in the past. It would be the perfect spot when the spring leaves start coming in!

~Jo Beth

Look out world here we come!

2008-02-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

We have been working super duper hard on our new website and fully anticipate launching with in the next three weeks. It's been harder than we expected to sort through the awesome images we've gotten so far...not to mention wanting each and every page to look and sound just right! ~Sigh~ That's what happens when two perfectionist work together :) We also wanted to take a moment to thank all of our family and friends, with out who's endless support we'd be lost! I know everyone is just as eager as we are to see the final result, but we promise it will be well worth the wait! We love you all!

-Lyndon and Jo Beth