Girl Scouts

On Thursday evening, I had the pleasure of hosting the meeting for Girl Scout Troop 148.  This troop meets at St. Anne’s – the very place my daughter, Megan, went to Brownies about two decades ago.  The leader,  Jennifer Cramer, contacted me about a month ago and inquired about the possibility of having me speak to the troop about photography.  It sounded like fun to me – so I was in.  But instead of going to St. Anne’s, I had them come to my home so I would have plenty of pictures and my computer available.  The girls were very attentive and well-behaved.   I spent time telling them about the differences between film and digital cameras, the proper care of cameras, and how to take, download and edit images.  We spent quite a bit of time discussing composition so that they can go out and take their own pictures to earn their merit badge.

Here is Troop 148!

I’m not sure what they enjoyed most . . . looking at before and after pictures or the pizza I fed them for dinner.  To be honest, it was probably the pizza.  I just hope they enjoyed the meeting as much as I did.

christmas traditions

I love the sights, the sounds, and the smells of Christmas! My family, or should I say my daughter and I, love our family Christmas traditions. I’ve tried to give up some of the traditions, but Megan fusses until I throw my hands up in defeat and do it her way. . . the old way. Our first tradition is to have a real Christmas tree. I read today that only 25% of families use real trees these days. I can certainly understand going artificial. I even tried it a few years ago. The tree was beautiful, but even Rusty complained about it. So, the artificial tree is collecting dust in the attic while my beautiful, real tree is shedding all over my carpet! I do love the smell of a real tree. Our tree is about 4 feet from my desk and I can smell the fragrance while I work late into the night. My tree is decorated primarily with angels – all types and sizes. But, it’s a little difficult to find angel ornaments, so I fill in spaces with silver balls, and mirrored, crystal icicles. Here are a few of my favorite ornaments.

For many years I collected Santa Clauses. But, I had to stop because I ran out of room. Truly, there is no room left at the Inn. But I do love the Santas. Many of them were gifts from family and friends. I also spent many hours scoping out sales after Christmas to add to my collection. I couldn’t get all of the Santas in one picture – but here is a sampling of my collection.

These two Santas are very special. The one in the rocking chair was a gift from Rusty, my husband, about a week before my mother passed away. He knew how much I loved Santas and he realized what a hard time I was having. He had seen an article about Jean Littlejohn who makes handmade Santas in the western part of NC so he called her. He and Jean moved heaven and earth to get me the Santa for my birthday on December 4th. I loved it so much that I had a Santa made for Megan using one of my mother’s red, wool jackets and pearl necklaces. The Santa is all about Megan. It has a shopping bag – since everyone who knows Megan knows her love for shopping. It also has a Phi Mu emblem – Megan’s college sorority. There are lots of small touches that make this Santa uniquely Megan. Each year when I unpack these special Santas, I remember my mother and smile.

I also have more decorations that have been collected through the years. My glass trees and reindeer have been around since the early 80’s. And Megan’s cup and plate and the cookies and milk for Santa set are over 20 years old. I just can’t seem to get rid of these decorations. They bring back such beautiful memories of Megan growing up.

I have tons more decorations, but decided not to bore you with more.

For the past few years, Megan and I have gotten in the car on December 23rd to travel way back into the country to Bulk and More, a bakery and store unlike anything you have probably experienced. The store is owned and operated by an Amish family and they bake the most amazing breads and rolls you have ever tasted. The first time we went, I was surprised when I saw the outside. It wasn’t what I expected at all.

When I opened my door, the aroma coming from that little store was enough to make a grown man cry! I can’t even describe the smell of the fresh baking bread. I always call ahead to order my rolls, banana nut and apple nut breads. If you don’t call ahead, you’ll be disappointed to find the shelves nearly empty. People come from near and far for the Bulk and More experience.

Our most treasured holiday tradition is spending time with family. We’ll spend Christmas Eve with my side of the family and Christmas day with Rusty’s side. It’s wonderful that we don’t have to choose – we can spend time with nearly everyone in the family since most of us live in eastern NC.

I hope you and yours have a beautiful Christmas celebrating with your family traditions.

christine and victor

Whew, it has been a BUSY week!

Christine and Victor were married on a rainy, dreary Saturday – October 18th. But their wedding was anything but dreary! To view the photographs from their wedding, go to www.elisebeall.instaproofs.com. Just click on their name and sit back and view the pictures. Christine and Victor had two photographers and an assistant for quite a long time, so they have a LOT of pictures.

Try viewing each gallery using the slideshow option. I always set the speed to the fastest possible and zip through the gallery. You can press “add to favorites” to make a list you can view later. To stop the music, press the music notes on the upper right.

As always, all pictures will be on sale for the first 30 days! Enjoy.

trent + katie’s gallery

Whew, finally! Trent and Katie’s gallery is ready for viewing at www.elisebeall.instaproofs.com. The gallery will be active for 60 days.

In all the years I have been in business, I have never delivered an order late. I burned some midnight oil this week to keep my perfect record. Trent and Katie’s wedding was the longest contract I have done in quite a few years. That means they have a LOT of pictures. I delivered their prints to them earlier tonight – so now you can go view their gallery.

The easiest way to view the pictures, in my opinion, is to view a slideshow of each section. You can speed it up so that the pictures go quickly.  When you see a picture that strikes your fancy, click on “add to favorites” – then go back later and spend more time on your favorites.

And don’t forget – all photographs are on sale until August 9th.

Enjoy!

trent & katie – the wedding

As I mentioned in my last blog post, Trent and Katie’s wedding was magnificent. I can’t imagine what they could have done to make it better. One of the things that helped me enjoy the wedding was being able to work with some of my very favorite vendors.

Florist: Forget-Me-Not Flowers and Gifts

Ceremony Director: Carol Long

Reception Director: Ann Kunkel

Wedding Cake Baker: Kathy Canby

Band: The Clamslammers

Paradise Point Officer’s Club Catering Manager: Dawn Jensen

All of these people worked incredibly hard to insure that Trent and Katie had the perfect wedding – and they did. Lynette, Katie’s mom, was an absolute joy to work with. She is THE most organized, energetic woman I have ever met. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to work with this entire group.

But even without all of the details and special touches, this would have been a truly wonderful wedding. That’s because Katie and Trent looked forward to the wedding, but they never lost sight of the fact that the most important thing was the marriage. These two were just so happy to be getting married that all the other things were simply icing on the cake. I have truly never seen a couple more relaxed or more in love. I smiled all day – when I wasn’t shedding a tear or two.

I am going to share more pictures than normal in this blog post. I’m actually on vacation – but I took the time to download my cards and back them up – and to post this blog. This is the last one for a week, so enjoy.

The girls started their day at Hairtage Salon where they relaxed, snacked, and were pampered.

Then it was on to Trinity United Methodist Church to get ready for the ceremony. We did a few formals before the ceremony, but Katie and Trent chose not to see each other so we kept them separated. The first picture is Katie with her sister, Jen, and the newest Lowrimore grandchild who is due in 8 days! Jen was just so happy that she could be here for Katie, she never complained all day.

And Trent with his groomsmen. This is what happens when you tell bunch of guys to put their heads closer together.

And because I love, love, LOVE the colors in the flowers, I had to take some extra pictures of the bouquets.

Neither Trent nor Katie showed signs of nervousness before the wedding. Trent was his usual, outgoing self and the girls passed the time doing the Hokey Pokey. Just before walking down the aisle with her father, Katie looked very serious – but happy.

And then the ceremony. Again, Trent and Katie could not stop smiling. These two smiled constantly all day – well except when Katie was reciting her vows. She did get a bit choked up with tears of happiness.

After the ceremony, we took a few more formals at the church and then on the water near the Officers’ Club. It was very hot at the church and very windy on the water, so we didn’t spend quite as much time as planned. We were still able to capture some very nice images.

And last, but certainly not least, the reception. Katie and Trent danced together for the first time as husband and wife and laughed through the entire dance. However, when Katie danced with her father, they both got a little emotional. Connie was all smiles when it was her turn to dance with Trent.

I’ll show just a few more general reception pictures.

I was gratified to learn this week that some of the young adults I have known since they were children actually read my blog regularly. They said they like to see the pictures and it helps them keep up with what’s going on in Jacksonville. So, I promised Eileen and Terra that they would make the blog. Here they are – along with Megan and Debra. All these girls have been Trent’s good friends since elementary school – or before.

I had a lot of help photographing this wedding. The pictures posted here are all mine with the exception of the two ceremony shots taken by my tireless assistant, Karen. I have a LOT of pictures to edit – so be prepared for a large, beautiful gallery in about 4 weeks. I’ll post when it’s ready.

Trent and Katie are getting ready for their honeymoon in Aruba. Have fun – and be safe.

Now, I’m on vacation for the next week. Whew, I need it!

joelle

Joelle wanted me to take a few head shots of her. And the timing was perfect. I have just bought some new equipment – and I needed someone to try it out on. I knew Joelle wouldn’t mind me fumbling around trying to figure out my new gear.

About this new equipment . . . I’m finally getting off my butt and learning to use off-camera lighting. I do a great job with natural light, but sometimes you need a little something more. Off camera lighting will give me the ability to take beautiful portraits when the weather isn’t exactly what I’d like it to be. And, I can use it indoors and not get the flat lighting an on-camera flash provides. I’m hoping that when I get all of the equipment I need and learn to use it all, this will take my portraiture to a new level. The downside is that most times I will need an assistant to help me with the lighting. Karen went with me yesterday and I think we did a good job for our first time out.

Here’s Joelle.

OK, now I’ll be completely honest with you. It doesn’t take an award-winning photographer to get a few good pictures of Joelle. She’s a photographer’s dream. But, I still think Karen and I did a pretty good job! Now, I’ve got the bug and I want to learn more – and that means buying still more equipment. So, Rusty better clean out the storage room because I can see soft boxes, and umbrellas, and light stands and reflectors in my future

morgan

Morgan is jumping for joy because she’s about to turn 16!

All those years of gymnastics and cheerleading really paid off. Some people have trouble getting their feet off the ground and getting high enough for a decent jumping picture. That wasn’t a problem for Morgan – she soared.

Sixteen is the perfect time for portraits. It’s a turning point in a teenagers life; things are never quite the same after teens become mobile. Morgan wanted to do her portrait on the beach so we headed off to Topsail. We shot at a place that’s new to me – and it was perfect. We had a nice section of the beach to ourselves, the lighting was perfect, there was a nice breeze, and no bugs. I can’t think of a better time and place to shoot. Here are a few of my early favorites:

Morgan brought her boyfriend, Colin, along for the trip. We decided to do a few shots of Morgan and Colin together. Colin has just graduated and will head off to State in the fall. Even though he’s going to State instead of Carolina, I still liked him quite a lot. Colin was a great assistant – carrying chairs, wiping sand, adjusting clothing, and generally helping out. I told him I might just have to put him on my payroll. Here are a couple of Morgan and Colin together. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a cuter couple!

In every gallery I like to include a few extreme close-ups.  When I look at a person, the first thing I look at are the eyes, and the extreme close-ups do such a great job of showcasing eyes.  When working on Morgan’s gallery, I came across this one and decided to post it.  I think it’s a great image of Morgan – and her beautiful eyes.

Happy Birthday Morgan!

mini-vacation

damn yankees

I have been taking pictures for the Anderson family for many years – since Spencer was nine. So when Spencer won the lead in Jacksonville High School’s production of the Tony award winning musical comedy Damn Yankees, Melissa contacted me to shoot some pictures at the dress rehearsal. When people would ask me who I was there to photograph, we kidded that I was Spencer’s personal photographer. And I took a LOT of pictures of Spencer! But, since I was there and set up, I took lots of pictures of other performers as well.

I have to say that I was somewhat nervous about this endeavor. Taking pictures of a production on stage with spotlights is out of my realm of expertise. But, I was really looking forward to seeing the performance. I started going to the spring musicals at Jacksonville High School in 1986. For fifteen years the play was a highlight of spring for me. But then life got in the way and I stopped going. What a huge mistake! I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed these shows. Last night I was awed by the talent I saw on that stage – and heard from the pit. These kids dedicate months of their lives to the spring musical. They are committed to putting on the best show possible – and they did. Thanks to the hard work of Mr. Howard (pit band) and Mrs. Zawistowski (director/chorus), Jacksonville High School has once again exceeded my expectations of what a group of high school kids can do.

But enough words . . . here are some pictures.

If you are in Jacksonville and you want a real treat, get a ticket for one of next weekend’s performances of Damn Yankees. You’ll be glad you did!

In a couple of weeks, I will be posting a gallery of all of the pictures I took of the dress rehearsal. The gallery will be password protected. If you are a parent and interested in purchasing pictures, contact Melissa Anderson for the username and password.

Date Change for Rachael’s Believers Reverse Raffle

Due to a scheduling conflict, the Rachael’s Believers Reverse Raffle has been moved to Friday, April 11. The time and location are the same.

Tickets are still available from Fanci Friends – across from Jacksonville High School – and from friends and family.

Racheal will have surgery at Duke on Thursday, April 3rd.  Please keep Racheal and her family in your prayers.