It's okay not to smile.

Photography is such a subjective thing. My husband thinks that in order to be a good picture, all body parts should be in the frame, you should be looking at the camera and smiling. I don't exactly agree. While I understand as a mom that those precious smiley pictures are wonderful, I like the serious pictures too... and the ones where they aren't looking at the camera... and tight, tight crops that accentuate features like those big baby blues. In fact, some of my favorite photos of my own children do not contain smiles.

This week I had the opportunity to photograph 6 toddlers (barely!) from a playgroup. Some of the moms were concerned that the babies weren't smiling, but I still feel like we got some nice shots...

Don't get me wrong. I'll work hard for the smiles. There's nothing more gratifying. But shots like these show children being children. Don't forget to document the "everyday" and not just the smiles.

Happy Harvest

Whew! What a weekend! Two of my wonderful customers, Paige and Lana, combined forces to have a huge portrait party event! I shot over 20 groups of cutie patooties this weekend!

There is no way I'm going to be able to select just a few favorites, and I still haven't even been able to go through all the pictures, but I just HAD to share this adorable picture of these two buds in their military gear!

These pictures just pull on my heartstrings because this precious little boy's Daddy is in Iraq. Can you just imagine what his proud Daddy will think of this picture?

It's not too early...

to start thinking of Christmas cards!

**** WEB SPECIAL ****

Book your session between now and Oct. 1st to recieve 10 free holiday cards with your October family session.

Call or send me an email (laura@odomnet.com) to schedule your family portraits. Mention this web speical when booking to receive your 10 free cards. (Cards are sized 4x8 and come with envelopes). Choose from a pre-set selection of cards or have one custom-made.

My Fall calendar is filling up fast, so book today to get the date and time you want!

Just the Girls

I had so much fun with this shoot. There were 4 generations of girls in this family, and they were all so much fun! Baby Emma was a DOLL ~ I don't think I could have gotten her to frown if I'd wanted to. She was perfectly content to sit wherever we put her and SMILE away! Everyone was laid back, relaxed, and open to whatever I suggested ~ which is always fun!

A few more....

Thanks again ladies! I hope you'll let me take pictures for you again when Emma turns ONE!

Beautiful Bride

I had such a good time taking Sarah's Bridal portraits. Sarah is such a laid back bride and is so easy to work with. We did the portraits at Ashelynn Manor, which is WAY out in the boonies ~ but it was so worth the drive! The house and grounds are beautiful, and the wedding is going to be here too, so it was fun to scope out all the great photo op spots.



Thanks, again, Sarah ~ I look forward to the wedding!

My Birthday Buddy

This precious daughter to a good friend of mine was born on my *ahem* 30th birthday. Little Leah was a perfect angel through the session - my one complaint was that she wouldn't wake up at ALL to let me photograph her gorgeous eyes! Big brother Cooper is a cutie patootie as well!

Reserve Your Spot!

I'm so excited about our first annual Autumn Apple Affair! To view time slots still available, please click HERE. You don't want to miss it!

Moving to the next level...

I went out on a limb and signed a contract for an ad in a local community magazine. I'm hoping to open a studio soon, so I'm ready to step it up a little and drum up some more business.

The ad will be coming out in the October issue of "Space City Parent."

Cutie Pie

Baby Caleb was just so precious! Usually 3-4 month olds tend to be a little difficult to photograph, but Caleb was all smiles, even during the 6:00 "witching hour." He did get a little cranky at the end of the session when we tried to take his picture with some stuffed animals, but even babies can only stand so much before they claim cuteness overload! Thanks, Mom and Dad for letting me take pictures of your little man!

Angel Baby

Baby Chloe and I met in the Pediatrician's office when she was a newborn. (As a mom to three girls, I spend a lot of time there - even if they're well!) Chloe was an absolute sweetheart with the most gorgeous eyelashes! The teddy bear angel has a special meaning, as it belonged to Chloe's late grandmother. Here are a few shots of Mommy & Daddy's angel:

Mr. and Mrs.

Congratulations to Sean and Christina! I had so much fun capuring the joy of their special day. The ceremony was so meaningful, and there were wonderful personal touches entertwined throughout the day. The Bible Christina carried was also carried by both her mother and grandmother on their wedding days.

The bridal party was a lot of fun. Even the groomsman I had pegged as the troublemaker turned out to be a sweetie! They had a lot of fun together as you can see in these pictures. (In the last shot, they're all eating chocolate covered strawberries off the groomscake!)

You can view Sean and Christina's wedding slideshow HERE.

Welcome to my new photo blog!

Inspired by some other photographers, I decided to rename my blog and gear it more toward my clients and business happenings. Check back often for pictures of the cutie patooties I get to photograph and for upcoming special photography events.