.:a sneak peak:.

May I preface this by saying that I am SO behind on blogging? I have a folder full of Becca & Rob's stuff to post from May with all kinds of fabulous details and fun giggles, gorgeous pictures of Lauren & Justin's engagement session, fun photos from our session with Ryan & Leah, and not to mention photos of Ashley-the-drop-dead-gorgeous and her hubby. I keep thinking I will have time but, alas, time has not yet caught up to me.

I haven't even looked at any of the other photos from Katie & Mitch's wedding other than this one, because I knew when I took it that it would take my breath away. I don't know what I like about it so much. Maybe the simplicity of it?

So until the day when I have some extra time and am not spending all night photoshopping portaits for clients, here is a sneak peak at what I will be working on shortly:

.:almost ninety:.

I was reminded today again how fleeting life can be. I get to visit semi-frequently a senior community here in town that my company owns. I attended a photoshoot there in January which consisted of six ladies and one onery old man. The property manager e-mailed me today and told me that the man from the shoot was recently diagnosed with advanced cancer and was told he had seven months to live. He tried a round of chemo but after the first visit made his 84-year-old body a little too sick, he decided he had had a good life and it was just time to leave this one. Friends and family don't expect him to live past next month and as I delivered a gift today to he and the others involved in the photoshoot I walked up to their apartment door and saw a sign his wife had written, "Visitors Welcome". I literally stopped walking when I saw it. It reminded me how important other people and their friendship are at all stages of life. Even moreso probably when we are at the end of it.

When I was little I remember overhearing my grandmother making remarks about how she pitied those that lived into their 80s because their quality of life was so bad. Well, here we are today--she'll be 90 in September. I did a quick shoot of her and her eight children this past Sunday so that they could replace the last photo taken of the whole family 17 years ago. As we were enjoying the breakfast casserole and fruit a few of my aunts had brought for all of us we suddenly realized that I hadn't taken any pictures of Grandma by herself.

I asked Grandma if I could take her picture somewhere by a window as my flash batteries for some reason had drained themselves. I suggested she go to her bedroom and sit on her bed. I had this photojournalistic image of her sitting on her quilt on the edge of the bed and looking towards the window. The perfect balance of the dark room with the light window and her looking off towards the future, which was still bright. I patiently followed as she slowly wobbled across the house and when I offered to go find her cane to help her, she politely put me in my place and told me that she doesn't use a cane in the house.

I pulled up all the blinds in her bedroom but still there wasn't enough light to satisfy me. I started messing with my camera settings when my grandmother said "Malry, I'm gonna go sit on my stool in front of my quilt. That'd make a nice picture." It surprised the heck out of me because I'm not sure I ever thought Grandma thought about pictures let alone cared what they looked like. Perfect idea! So here she is in all of her eighty-nine-almost-ninety-year-old glory in front of the quilt the family put together for her 80th birthday.

If you know Grandma you will know that she, like many of the older generation, is stonefaced a vast majority of the time and getting a photo of her smiling let alone laughing is a pretty difficult task. I took this one right after she started laughing a little and said, "Malry, why are you taking so many pictures if you just need one?" I smiled as I captured this and told her, "Grandma, to make sure I got just the right photo." I think this is it.

.:lunch break and a thanks:.

On lunch break I was going back through Dusty and Adam's photos when I came across this one. It took my breath away. That song comes to mind, "Isn't she lovely... isn't she wonderful...?" And, yes, I am singing this out loud as I write this and Brian is in the background trying with partial success to harmonize. Wish I knew the rest of the words (are those even the words?).

Oh, and thank you for all of you who have now and again (or continually) written me kind words about my photography. I never know how to respond, so I just don't. Know that you encourage me when you write or tell me that you have been following my blog or the few that have admitted to me in person when we've run into one another that you are a (self-proclaimed) stalker of my photos. So thank you Dwan, Kim, Andrea, Rob, Crista, Dusty, Emily, Dustin, Melissa, Beth, Mike, John, Becca, Lindsey, SungHan, Brenda, Mazvita, Lauren, Brian, Elaina, Mitch, Jennifer, Ryan, Beth, Terrence, Blaire, Casey, Katie, Mary, Kate, Chris, Jackie, Allison, Alan, Justin, Misty, Nathan, Crystal, Dawn, Ayesha, CortneyJo, Tamika, Amy, Dusty, Julie, and whomever else I haven't mentioned off the top of my head because it's time for me to go back to work. You bless me! It means a lot.

.:dusty & adam:.

Dusty was my resident for two whole years in the Honors community at Mizzou. I recognized Dusty as a kindred spirit pretty quickly. (Plus, I was the only one who had ever heard of the Presbyterian denomination she had grown up in.) I like to call women like Dusty and I confident, purposeful, and resourceful. We have chosen well (or, rather, been chosen) and married men that see our strengths for what they are (unlike the anonymous reader who decided to send Adam a little note right before their wedding, right, Dusty?).

It was so fun finally getting to meet her fiance that day after hearing so many wonderful things. I knew he had to be special as Dusty is quite an amazing gal, for real. Brian, who followed around the guys, said watching Adam was like walking down memory lane to our wedding day as Adam was super laid back and happy-go-lucky (even after getting a seatbelt ticket that morning from a cop in addition to getting over Mono he had come down with a few weeks before!). Dusty, on the other hand, was busy trying to stay calm and simultaneously making sure everything was perfect. Her excitement was more than once mixed with tears of joy during the day (I seem to remember a few bursts of my own on my wedding day). Her hardwork paid off as the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. The only thing we were missing was more time for pictures!

I call this classic Dusty.




Check out the boutonnieres--Dusty made all of them! They were so cute!

Brian and I have a theory going (mind you, it's only a theory and hasn't been tested, we just like to speculate) that you can tell a lot about a couple by their kiss at the end of the ceremony and by what they do as soon as they come down the aisle. I am pleased to announce that Dusty and Adam passed the test with flying colors. Their kiss was not only passionate, but long, and when they came down the aisle they immediately kissed and embraced. Brian and I have decided this means that they are destined for a long, loving road ahead of them!
Is this not the most adorable cake ever?
This was Dusty's non-verbal communication to Adam not to shove cake in her face.
Dry counties. I don't think you can find them in Mid-Missouri...




Father of the bride!

.:out east:.

I love being a photographer.







































I think words would just ruin most of these photos.