Anytime: A funny

I would guess that most people who read this blog know that I'm also a school teacher. I teach middle school and high school art and the kids more than keep me on my toes! A few weeks ago kids were running for student council and were allowed to hang signs to encourage people to vote for them. These two signs absolutely cracked me up! Every time I walked by these signs they made me laugh!



This little guy can "relly" help you out - just don't ask him to help you study for a spelling test.



I got a kick out of the creepiness of the face on this sign! And again, spelling is not their forte! But don't worry, if you vote for this student - happiness will surely follow!!!

Senior: Kayla

Kayla came to us from Dubuque Hempstead High School. We shot her sister's pics a few years ago and her cousin's last year. Kayla and her mom were like a walking salon! Every time I turned around Kayla's mom had her throwing on a new top or switching out her accessories! Kayla's mother is a hair stylist in Dubuque and changed her hair in just minutes. I was so impressed at how fast these two could create such completely different looks in no time!








Kayla, I love your laugh and your dimples! You are a gorgeous young lady and The Locket wishes you tons of fun memories in your last year of high school!

Wedding: Lara and Chip

For the most part, I think people know that the other half of The Locket, Sarah, got married last weekend and moved to Georgia! Holy cats, right!?! As scary as this is for me, I can't help but think I put the nails in my own coffin! When we were shooting a wedding last year I introduced Sarah to her now husband, Brent. Yikes! Brent was one of my high school classmates attending Lacey and James' wedding. Talk about my two worlds colliding! My high school classmate marrying my business partner and originally one of my high school art students! For real though - she married a wonderfully respectful and kind man - I just wish he hadn't taken her away from me!!! "Can someone please get me a tissue?" Just kidding, but with that being said, we are going to give it our best stab to book as many destination weddings as possible. We are so looking forward to shooting two weddings together we've booked in Hawaii and Rome in 2010. So, if anyone knows of friends/family having destination weddings, please send them our information! If anyone knows information or resources to help direct/guide people to our site as destination photographers, please contact us and let us know. I think after the hype of Sarah's wedding dies down, we'll create a completely different site that specifically features our work from and for destination weddings. Oh, I can't wait!!!




Miss Lara was one of the most gorgeous brides I've worked with! She was so stunning I decided to make a mini gallery of just Lara! Love this set!!!







Lara and Chip kept the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony so that first glimpse of each other was especially awesome! If you remember Lara and Chip's engagement session, these two are crazy tall and made an impressive statement as a bride and groom. I loved Lara's mother's sweet hat! Not everyone could pull that off as beautifully as she did!










Lara and Chip were married at Schwab Barns outside of Solon and the facility was nothing less than breath taking!!! Brides, I've heard the owner only allows a few weddings a year, but this round barn and the outside facilities were unbelievably gorgeous! As Lara's father explained in his speech that night, the day felt like a dream!

Engagement: Greg and Tracey

Although I'm nervous I've lost all my followers after such an insane lack of posts, I. AM. ALIVE! In the craziness of losing my business partner, I still have many, many clients to complete work for as well as continue with new ones everyday. I have been trying so hard to stay afloat and in the midst of figuring out how to run a two person business with one person - something had to go. My college years of sleeping three or four hours a night have returned and something had to give. Blogging is something I love to do, especially to have the chance to tell stories, but it just slipped aside for a bit. While I'm nervous out of my mind of what is to come with my, "I've finally got a plan and know exactly what I want to do with my life," I'm trying with everything in my heart to stay focused on my dreams and trust that God will guide the rest of my life in the direction it needs to go. I'm behind. I'm scared. I'm exhausted. And I'm timid to trust. And even with those feelings of doubt, I ask for the courage to be confident in my business and patient to see the results. I want to refocus. I want to be refreshed. I want to serve.

Enough of that deep talk! I really do love what I do and am thankful for my blessings everyday - I'm just trying refocus my goals! So... without further ado, I post again with high hopes of keeping things updated. I've had lots of exciting and creative shoots lately so keep checking back for more!



The next series of shots is from a recent engagement shoot of Tracey and Greg. I met these two through my college roommate Minda. Minda is just getting her feet wet in a possible photography career and we are going to shoot their wedding together in Chicago this coming May and I can't wait to see everything they have planned. I'm so pumped to work at a new venue!




Tracey and Greg met while attending the University of Iowa and stopped by Iowa City on their way home to the Chicago area. We did a few shots at Quinton's because this is where they had their first date!

My Wedding: A Photography Workshop by Bob Davis!

Okay, so now for the big news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The workshop is finally released!

OUR WEDDING, a photography workshop by celebrity photographer, Bob Davis! Check it out!

http://davisworkshops.com/#/calandar/





Happy Thursday! Woot! :)

-Sarah

Wedding: Cameron and Liz

~ Manson

Wow! What a gorgeous day Liz and Cameron! These two really lucked out and had the most BEAUTIFUL Iowa summer weather day ever!!!








I love this pic! Liz wanted her dress to be a complete surprise so I believe her sisters were the only people that had seen "the dress." I love the bridesmaids as they saw her for the first time!

The stunning bride!!!



I caught this photo during the ceremony.


The reception was held in Dubuque at the Julien and it was incredible!!! I was in love with the beautiful furniture!


Liz and Cameron kept the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony so snagged them away from the reception for a bit. I love the classic, a bit old fashioned look to these two!


And the cute flower girl was hamming it up for us too!!!

Anytime: Daniel and Caroline

~ Manson






And the real reason they invited me over... to take photos of the kids with their new kitties! Daniel is really sweet with them and Caroline, she just grabs whatever part of the kitten she gets ahold of first - head, tail, fur! One time I turned around and she had climbed on top of a filing cabinet to get one of them! No fear! She has scratch marks everywhere!






This was my attempt at getting a photo of the two kids together! I have better ones but this one is hilarious!


My favorites from the day...