onslow cotillion christmas ball – 2008 (part two)

Tonight is my last post featuring the Onslow Cotillion Christmas Ball. Tonight I’ll be showing you some of the formal portraits taken on a backdrop at the Ball. I bought a new backdrop this year and wasn’t sure how much I liked it. In the bag it didn’t look very special. But, I’m very pleased with the way it photographed. I have to be careful to insure that the backdrop doesn’t clash with the formal gowns the women wear. I have always wanted to photograph the honorees on a red background, but that just wouldn’t work for a lot of the gowns that guests wear. So I go for something more muted. This year there were some absolutely gorgeous dresses in every shade imaginable – and no clashing. Whew!

I want to start out with just a few portraits of Kirkland and Marycobb, the honorees. First, each girl alone, followed by Kirkland with some of the friends who came to support her and Marycobb with her family.

The sons and daughters of Cotillion members who are seniors in high school or in college are encouraged to attend the Christmas Ball. And they are given bids to invite a few of their friends. I’m happy to say that a few of the young people come back for me to take their pictures. Some of the kids have been in front of my camera before, so I enjoy seeing them all dressed up at Cotillion.

Not only the young folks enjoy getting their portraits made. I get the opportunity to photograph Cotillion members and their families, as well. The Laniers and the Williams family always come back for their turns in front of the camera.

That’s all for now.  But I have WAY more pictures to show.  Keep checking back and I’ll let you know when the complete Cotillion gallery is ready for viewing and ordering. I estimate it will be ready in about ten days. I took a LOT of pictures!

Happy New Year!  Be safe.

onslow cotillion christmas ball – 2008

As I have said before, I love photographing the Onslow Cotillion Christmas Ball. I love the pageantry – girls in white gowns carrying red roses. Seeing all the young women dressed in the formal finery is fun for me too. How is that for alliteration! It is also a great opportunity to see some of my current and former clients and to make new contacts. The Ball starts with a receiving line so that everyone entering can meet the honorees and their parents. I’m sure Kirkland and Marycobb heard a million times, “I haven’t seen you since you were a little girl.” When the honorees are presented, the Master of Ceremonies gives a brief list of their accomplishments. I was tremendously impressed by how much both of these young ladies have accomplished. Not only are they bright and beautiful, they have completed numerous hours of volunteer service in their communities. And they are continuing their volunteer efforts while students in very demanding programs. It made me tired just listening to all that they have accomplished.

The presentation this year was beautiful. Lynda Humphrey from Forget-Me-Not Flowers and Gifts helped with the decorations and she always does a fantastic job. Kirkland was presented first followed by Marycobb. Both girls were escorted by their proud grandfather.

They danced first with their fathers, then with their grandfather, followed by their dates.

When the honorees had danced each of their dances, the rest of the family joined in.

Then the party REALLY got started! The band played and the guests, young and old, enjoyed every minute.

Check back tomorrow for a sneak preview of some of the formal portraits taken during the evening.

onslow cotillion – 2008

The Onslow Cotillion held their Christmas Ball on Saturday evening. However, that was not the only event of the day. First, the honorees were honored at a brunch at the home of Cotillion President Steve Goodson. His wife, Beverly hosted the brunch with the help of other Board wives. The brunch was attended by the honorees and their families. This year’s honorees were cousins, Kirkland and Marycobb, the granddaughters of Ken and Mary Morgan. I always look forward to photographing the Cotillion Christmas Ball and this year I particularly looked forward to working with the Morgan family. You see, I have known most of the Morgans since I first arrived in Jacksonville about 28 years ago. I watched Kirkland and her sister and brother grow up. Although I have only met Marycobb once before, I’ve kept up with her through her family.

The brunch was a wonderful opportunity for me to touch base with Marycobb and Kirkland and to get to visit briefly with their mothers and aunts. I took quite a few pictures at the brunch, but will only show a few. First is Kirkland, followed by Marycobb, then the girls together and with the Morgan side of the family.

Later in the afternoon, I met the Morgan family at their home to take some family portraits. We had hoped to do the entire family together as we did three years ago when Elizabeth was presented at the Christmas Ball. But football got in our way! Marycobb’s brother, Morgan, is a member of the Carolina football team and was in Charlotte for a bowl game. He did manage to make it in later in the evening so there are pictures of him at the Ball. I love taking pictures on the Morgan’s lawn because the light is usually so good. Saturday afternoon the clouds rolled in so we had to deal with a little less light than normal, but we still had a great time and got some nice pictures. I’ll show several of the pictures we took on the lawn, but can’t show every grouping. There were just too many!

Later we headed to the Country Club where Marycobb and Kirkland changed into their Ball gowns for more pictures.

And the entire Morgan family . . .

I had too many pictures I wanted to show for one blog post, so I’m dividing this year’s Ball into three separate posts. Check back tomorrow night for a sneak preview of the presentation. On Wednesday, I’ll show a few pictures of the other guests in attendance.

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.

Certified 35 Years!

Yesterday I received a surprise in the mail . . . and I LOVE surprises.  The good kind, anyway.  This is what I received.

I wish this meant that I was certified to be a 35 year old – but no, the meaning is quite different.  This pen was a gift from the Dental Assisting National Board commemorating my 35 years as a Certified Dental Assistant.  Wow . . . that makes me feel REALLY old.  Of course, I was a child prodigy and became certified at the ripe old age of 10!  Well, maybe not 10 – more like 20.  To become a Certified Dental Assistant I graduated from a Dental Assisting Program that was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental Association.  Then I had to successfully complete a comprehensive written examination.  And to maintain my certification I have  completed continuing education requirements each of the last 34 years.   That’s quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself.

One of my students and I were talking today and I told her how blessed I am.   Many people never really find a career that gives them satisfaction.  I’ve found three!  I love dental assisting and enjoy patient care – though I don’t get to do much of that these days and haven’t for a long time.  Being a dental educator has been a remarkable ride.   Helping students achieve their goals for the last 30 years has really been a profound experience.  These young women (and a few men) have really touched my life and made me a better person.  And now I have photography – a third career that honestly fulfills a need for me.   I am amazingly lucky to have  been able to do something I love for so long.  And I look forward to the new opportunities that will be available when I retire in May.

mallory and chaz – the gallery

I have Mallory and Chaz’s wedding gallery ready for viewing.  Go to www.elisebeall.instaproofs.com and click on their names.

The software interface on Instaproofs has changed since I posted my last gallery.   To view the pictures, I still like the slideshow option.  When you click to view the slideshow, it will open in a new window.  You have the option of viewing it full-screen or normal (the size it opens).  While I like seeing the pictures larger, the quality is better on the smaller version.  On the upper left, you can choose the speed of the slideshow – I like FAST, add images to your favorites list, and mute the music.  When the slideshow has finished, just click on the red box with the X in the upper right corner and it will close the window.  If you don’t, the show will loop and play over and over.

As always, the earlier you buy – the more you save.  Orders received by Saturday, December 13 will be delivered by Christmas.  After that – no promises.

December Sale!

I saved the best for last! My December sale starts at midnight tonight and runs for the next 5 days. From December 5th-9th you may purchase prints 5X7 and larger for 25% off my normal prices. This is a great time to finish some last minute holiday shopping for friends and family, or to order some beautiful photographs that you didn’t purchase with your original order. The sale is open for all portrait galleries posted in 2008. Wedding photography is not included in this sale – it’s for portraits only. There is only one catch. I must receive payment for your order by Saturday, December 13th. If payment is not received by the deadline, your order will be canceled. All orders placed by December 9th and paid by December 13th will arrive in time for Christmas! This will be my last order before the holidays – so get them now or not until the New Year. You snooze . . . you lose!

I have reactivated all 2008 galleries. If you don’t remember your user name or password, just give me a call. Use the coupon code 025 to receive a 25% discount off of your order. Remember, the discount only applies to portraits 5X7 or larger. If you want wallets or 4X6 prints, you will need to complete a 2nd order. Please do not mix sale items with non-sale items. My shopping cart isn’t sophisticated enough to handle that.

Remember, if you want to pick your order up to save the $10 shipping charge, note it on your order. And don’t forget to use the discount code!

Happy Shopping!

courtney and haylee

Courtney and Haylee have been in front of my camera more times than they would like to remember. When I was first learning portraiture, their mom let me practice on them. Back then, they were just little girls. Wow, what a difference a few years can make! I told Lynn I couldn’t believe how much they have changed just since last year’s portrait. They are making me feel really old – and I don’t like it. I want all these kids to just slow down and stay kids for a while longer.

On the day we shot Courtney and Haylee’s session, the planets seemed to align. The weather was perfect, the lighting exquisite, and the girls were extremely cooperative. I got great exposures, great expressions and had a great time hanging out for a little while with these precious girls.

Here are a few of my favorites. This isn’t a sneak preview since I posted Courtney and Haylee’s gallery a couple of weeks ago. I just never had time to blog it until now.

This truly may be a first. I have just posted an entire blog entry without a single black and white image. Those of you who have spent much time around me and my camera know that I have a passion for black and white. It speaks to me – scary, but true. However, I truly love this session in living color. The girls’ sweaters and tanks looked amazing with our surroundings – and the colors just popped.

Blogging will be a slow from now on. I have orders to place, orders to package, cards to design, and end of year business to complete. And I haven’t even started getting ready for Christmas.  But I will be announcing the December sale Thursday – and it’s a good one!  Check back Thursday evening for the news.

racheal . . . an update

I have been wracking my brain trying to decide what to blog this week. Since this is a holiday week and Elise Beall Photography is closed, this will be the only blog of the week and I wanted to make it good. I knew that I wanted to blog about being thankful . . . it is the season for giving thanks, after all. Then I had a brainstorm! My blog stats show me which posts people view the most. For the past nine months, two posts have remained at the top with the most views – and both are about Racheal. Since we have a lot to be thankful for with Racheal’s treatment, this seemed like a perfect idea. So, I called Racheal and we met Sunday afternoon to take a few pictures and have a nice talk. You see, there has been so much misinformation about Racheal, I wanted to make sure I got it right!

For those of you who have not read Racheal’s blog posts, I’ll catch you up. Racheal was diagnosed with liver cancer in February. When she went to Chapel Hill to begin treatment, a scan was done that found not only a very large tumor in her liver, but multiple tumors in one lung. The doctors in Chapel Hill did not think surgery was an option and they really didn’t give the family much hope. They just didn’t realize who they were dealing with! The Humphreys are full of hope and have a deep and abiding faith that Racheal will be healed. This family will not even listen to negativity. So they decided they needed to find a group of physicians who had a more positive outlook. They went to Duke and met an awesome team that decided to treat Racheal aggressively. After doing a wedge biopsy of her lung, the surgeons later removed the large tumor in her liver. After surgery, Racheal started taking an oral chemotherapeutic agent that sadly didn’t work for her. A scan in June showed that the cancer had spread. There were more lesions than found in the original scan with both lungs now affected. Also, the tumors found earlier had grown. Although this was not the news Racheal had hoped for, she didn’t let it get her down.

Since early summer, Racheal has been going to Duke every two weeks for a combination of chemotherapeutic drug infusions. At first, she was taking two drugs. The doctors decided to add a third drug to improve the action of the other two. These guys are not fooling around – they want to kick this cancer for good! Racheal has been extremely lucky. She told me that the 4^th day after therapy is the worst, but even then she isn’t as sick as most people who are having chemo. When she visits the oncology clinic for her treatments, she realizes just how blessed she is. And the best news of all . . . a scan in late August showed that Racheal has improved dramatically. Many of the small tumors have disappeared and the remaining tumors have decreased considerably in size. Racheal is winning this battle! The doctors are stunned that she has improved so much. Racheal knows exactly why. She said that having all of her friends and family praying for her has helped cure her. And though she is much improved, she still needs our prayers. Racheal continues to be amazed at the outpouring of support she and her family have received from our community. She is so thankful that she is surrounded by such love.

So, when you are giving thanks this week, give thanks for Racheal and for the team of doctors who decided she was worth the effort. If you believe in the power of prayer, as Racheal does, say a prayer for her. If not, just send positive thoughts her way. She deserves all that we can do for her.

And by the way, Racheal isn’t wearing a hat because she has lost or is losing her hair. She’s wearing it because she looks so darned cute in it – I had her put it on. I love hats – but they just don’t look the same on me that they do on Racheal. Hmmmm, I wonder why.

Oh, another thought. I got an e-mail from Racheal tonight and she signed it RacHEAL. How awesome is that?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Carli

Wow, it’s amazing how different the weather was from one shoot to another this week. All of a sudden, at my normal shooting time (about 4:00 pm) it’s COLD! Thankfully, this arctic blast hasn’t been too bad and it’s not scheduled to last too long. It’s really a shame I didn’t have my camera available when we had snow flurries Tuesday afternoon.

Carli and I met earlier this week for her senior session. It was nice to meet another senior who I have something in common with. No, Carli doesn’t want to go to Carolina – at least right away – but she would like to go to Dental School there after graduating from State. Since dentistry has been my life for the past 35 years, I was excited to talk to her about her career ambitions. I think one of the reasons I like photography so much is that it gives me the opportunity to meet new people and talk . . . one of the things I do best!

Carli liked my downtown pictures but really didn’t want to do the blue doors, so we went somewhere I hadn’t been for a little while. And of course, we finished up at the park. Carli is a smiler – she had a big smile on her face through the entire session. We did get a few non-smiling pictures, but somehow I think the smiling Carli is what her friends and family are used to seeing – and what they will prefer. Though I do love a few of the more serious poses. See what you think.

Carli is my last senior scheduled before Christmas. I still have a lot of editing left to do, proofs to get online, orders to fill, cards to design . . . and on and on. So, I’m taking a little break from shooting to catch up on my other work. But keep watching the blog. You’ll find some interesting things posted in the next couple of weeks.