Category Archives: Story Boards

Summer trip to Arkansas

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 Posted in Food, My Family: Pictures & Stories, PERSONAL, Story Boards, Things I LOVE, Trips

Each summer, I really look forward to a week at my in-law’s house in NW Arkansas.

We eat around the clock.
We spend hours riding the 4-wheeler, Ranger and horses.
We explore new caves, waterfalls and creeks.
We try to see how many small children we can scrub down in the big bathtub each night.
We stay up way too late each night watching movies and eating the hot cupcakes my niece makes.

With over 13 people there at any given time, we all stay very busy!

To answer your question about the pictures above:
Yes, Ross fell asleep in his Nana’s arms while riding the 4-wheeler.
Yes, the children played poker any chance they got!

I thought this heart-shaped flower was so unique and interesting.  This wasn’t the only one.  There were hundreds more just like it!

A typical day includes us riding the Ranger and Matthew trying to perform a dental examination on each horse.This was one of our adventures.  The waterfall was so beautiful. 

View full post »

Andrew

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Children, Story Boards

After my long phone conversation with Carey last year, I couldn’t wait to photograph her son Andrew in the upcoming weeks.  She shared with me some really moving stories about how Andrew came into her life.  Throughout an hour-conversation, she mentioned again and again how thankful she was for her family.

Months later, I couldn’t figure out why she had not returned my emails or phone calls.  I allowed a few more weeks to pass and decided to email her one last time.  To my surprise, I received a phone call a few weeks later from Carey.  Right away, I could tell something was wrong.

Carey told me she had suffered from an extremely serious brain aneurysm.  She explained how she had almost died and lost most of her memory.  Her life had been completely turned-around since the last time we spoke on the phone.  The doctors told her, statistically, she should not be alive… much less living at home.  Through all of this, Carey, once again, continued to talk about her family and how thankful she was for all of the blessings in her life.  She told me that instead of focusing on the many problems she faced each waking moment, she choose to be thankful to get to be Peter’s wife and Andrew’s mom one more day.

I am so grateful Peter happen to find my last email to Carey.  He remembered our phone conversation from last year and urged her to call me.  This was their first family session together.  After we ended our session, Carey hugged me and said she probably wouldn’t be able to remember this day, but she wanted me to know how grateful she was for it.  After seeing her over-come so many obstacles and continue to look at all the positive things in her life, I was the one who was grateful to have met such a special person.

View full post »

Katie & Alex

Saturday, August 7, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Families, Story Boards

Katie and Alex looked super-cute as they ran towards me from their car.  They were ready for pictures!
Clay and Leah looked… well, super-comfortable as they got out of their car in cotton shorts and t-shirts.  They explained it was just going to be the kids being photographed during this session.

Clay and Leah found a shady spot under a tree while the kids and I went on a little adventure.  We really missed not having them in our pictures, but with the grown-ups not around, the kids and I were able to talk about LOTS of gross, sticky and smelly things that only kids seem to appreciate it!  And just to squeeze in a little more fun and laughs, we hit the playground at the end of our session!

View full post »

Zachary’s Baptism

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Families, Story Boards

I still remember the first day I met Melissa.  I can still see her beautiful fingernails and hear her contagious laugh.

Six years later, Melissa and I have shared some home-cooked meals and many Taco Bell lunches.  Although I still love her fingernails and laugh, I’ve grown to admire her as a Christian and a mother.  I’ve told her this before, but the more I’ve gotten to know her, the more like her I want to be.  Not only does she teach her children how to obey God, she also teaches them how to hear His voice and understand His love.

At a time in my own life when I felt over-whelmed with ‘stuff’ that was keeping me too busy, she shared her views on being a mother of young children.  She talked about all of the hobbies and things she really enjoys doing.  Then, with only peace in her voice, she told me how she had decided there would be plenty of time for her to enjoy those things in a few short years.  She knew her boys would only be ‘little’ for a short time.  She made a decision to put some of her interests aside and enjoy her children while they were still young.

Sunday was a very special day for Melissa and her family.  Zachary, her oldest son, was baptized in Lake Lanier by his dad.  It was a beautiful moment.  I couldn’t have been happier to be a part of it!

View full post »

Jay, Rachel, Halle & Emma

Monday, August 2, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Children, Families, Story Boards

If you’ve been a blog-reader of mine for a while, you may have already noticed a little trick I like to use.  When I have a lot of images I want to post from a session, I often use a Story Board design to include a few extras.  In the case of Jay, Rachel, Halle and Emma’s session, I used THREE Story Boards!  Not only were Halle and Emma sweet, beautiful and very funny, they were so much fun to photograph!       Although it was starting to get hot, we still had a GREAT time playing together!Jay & Rachel- Thank you again!  I feel so blessed to be able to photograph such wonderful families and children!

View full post »

Ryan, Amber & Lillie

Monday, July 26, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Children, Families, Story Boards

I received an email a few years ago from a really sweet girl in North Carolina.  She wrote about how much she loved photography and asked a lot of questions about starting her own photography business.  Over the next three years, we exchanged a lot of emails.  She clearly had an eye for photography and, more than anything else, worked extremely hard to make her goals happen.  (Most people don’t know how much work goes into having a photography business.  The real works starts AFTER the photo shoot!) Unlike most places now, she was in a great area that didn’t already have plenty of established photographers.   I knew she could do it! Flash forward a few years.  Now, she is a very successful photographer and her clients love her.

I was excited when she asked me to photograph her family.  We arranged a time when she would be passing through my area with her family.  After years of emails and phone conversations, it was great to FINALLY meet her in person!

View full post »

Family Beach Trip: Part I

Sunday, June 6, 2010 Posted in Children, My Family: Pictures & Stories, PERSONAL, Story Boards, Trips

We were able to get away to the beach for a few days over Memorial Day weekend.  Aside from a quick trip to San Diego when she was just a baby, this was Rayna’s first time to truly experience the sand and water. 

Our schedule was something like this: 
Jumping into the pool over and over…

Then, heading back to the beach…
Although dinner ran late and it was waaay past the kid’s bedtime, we used our last night to go back to the beach one last time.  Needless to say, we didn’t waste time by going to the room to get bathing suits! 

Rayna didn’t seem to mind.
The warm wind was blowing.
The golden sun was setting.
I wish I could have frozen that moment in time. 

As Matthew and Rayna got out of the ocean one evening, I stayed behind for a second to shoot this picture.  I love it because of the glow and the rainbow coming down on Ross…  There are a few more pictures I want to share from our trip!  Check back in a few days for the rest!

View full post »

Rayna’s Quilt

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 Posted in News, Products & Specials, PERSONAL, Story Boards, Things I LOVE

The “It’s-A-GIRL!” news had barely reached all of our family when I received a phone call from my sister-in-law saying, “Merla said she would make the baby’s bedding!”  Well, if you’ve seen Merla’s work, you simply don’t turn down that kind of offer. 

But we did.

We knew Rayna wouldn’t be using her crib for too long, so we asked Merla if she would consider making a quilt she could use once she was in a big-girl bed.  We knew how special the piece would be and we wanted to make sure it would be loved and appreciated for a very long time.

FLASH FORWARD 2 YEARS…
Rayna is definately a big girl now.
She’s completely potty-trained.
She loves every food- except fried mushrooms.
And, most importantly, she’s out of her baby crib!

A lot of time, thought and unique fabric (23 different patterns, to be exact) went into Rayna’s quilt.  Although Michelle, Matthew and I added our own special touches to it, Merla was the person who created the quilt I had always wanted!  It’s the perfect combination of VINTAGE, FUNKY and COUNTRY.  It’s my favorite thing about Rayna’s room!

I’m not the only one who loves it…   

If you’d like to contact Merla regarding a special project for you or someone you know, you can email her @ hemrichj@bellsouth.net .

View full post »

Shelby

Saturday, May 15, 2010 Posted in Children, Story Boards

If I told you Shelby was Wee Miss GA Christmas, Wee Miss Conyers Cherry Blossom and Wee Miss Snellville, you could take one look at her and know why.  She is clearly a doll. 

But, more than just her outward beauty, my favorite thing about Shelby is her personality. 

Her mom had mentioned during our session that, although she’s a girly-girl to the core, she still loves going fishing with her dad and having fun.  I got to see this side of her about half-way through our session.  Shelby spotted a tree and, instead of posing beside it, she just wanted to climb it!  (I love this girl!)

Here’s her showing off a few dance moves…

    

View full post »

Mother’s Day, Mississippi & lots of pictures!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 Posted in Food, PERSONAL, Story Boards, Things I LOVE

Several times each year, we plan a long weekend trip to Mississippi to see family.  This year, we were able to celebrate my niece and nephew’s birthday, as well as Mother’s Day during our visit.  My favorite part of each trip is seeing Ross & Rayna running around the house with their seven other cousins! 

It’s crazy.
It’s loud.
But, more than anything, it’s a lot of FUN!

Here’s the cake that traveled 450 miles from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Jackson, Mississippi for Madison’s birthday party.  My mother-in-law discovered Rick’s Bakery and has been raving about it for months.  They designed Madison’s cake exactly how she wanted it!  I can’t wait to try the bakery in a few months when we take our yearly trip to Arkansas!    


 

What’s a trip to Mississippi without going shopping at AzWell?  I discovered this store over a year ago and it’s, hands-down, my FAVORITE clothing store!  It seems like everytime someone compliments something I’m wearing, I end-up going on and on about ‘getting it at this incredible store in Mississippi.’  I typically don’t spend a lot of money on shoes and clothes, but each time I walk into this store, it’s ALL over!  I don’t care where you live… this place is worth the drive!

No shopping day is complete without my other two favorite places:  Anthropologie and Charming CHARLIE.  BTW, I have a lot of clients ask, “What do I wear for my session?”   These three places I just mentioned, as well as most anything from Ruche, would photograph beautifully!  

Before we continued shopping, we made a stop at Berri Good! to make our own yogurt sundae. 

This is soooooo-Rayna!  Before the party even started, she found her way to the snack table! 

As I was looking through my pictures coming home, I noticed a pattern in a few pictures of Rayna.  Although I never say the word ‘smile’, it looks as if she’s found herself a new one.     
On our way back home, we stopped at one of my favorite pizza places!  As I rave about how great it is, I must mention the fact that Matthew found a huge fly between his cheese and tomato sauce.  Oh well… at least we fed 10 people for free!  Can’t beat that, right?!

View full post »

Baseball Photos!

Friday, May 7, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, PERSONAL, Story Boards

I adore natural expressions… especially on children.  Since my son tends to give a very strange (and angry-looking) smile when someone with a camera mentions anything about ‘cheese,’ it was no surprise I never even considered pre-ordering a package with the company assigned to photograph his baseball team this year.  When the proofs came back and some of the other parents weren’t happy with their children’s photographs (done by the other company), the coaches asked me to take pictures of the team and kids during our next game.   

Kids.  Dirt.  Attitudes.  Laughs.  Taking-a-much-needed-break-to-find-the-closest-tree.

…I can’t think of anything I’d love to photograph more!     


Ross can be very shy at times.  Other times, he’ll surprise even me by acting like a crazy-person while running to first base.  I love that kid! 

View full post »

Ross’ T-Ball

Monday, April 26, 2010 Posted in Children, PERSONAL, Story Boards

My favorite little boy in the whole world is now playing t-ball.  I’d like to say he loves it, but he’s really only interested in the snacks that follow each game.  If I happen to be sitting close to the fence, I’ll try to sneak him a peanut as he waits for his turn to bat.  

During his first game, I looked in the dugout and saw this face through the fence…  

Here’s my little snacking-girl and her cousin.  When they were handed M&M’s, they totally forgot they were there to cheer Ross on.  How appropriate is Rayna’s shirt?!?!     

My mama is blogging this.    :-)       
Even Parker (my nephew) came out to see Ross… 

Rayna on Papa’s (my dad) shoulder… 

Hannah (my sister), Jason and Parker.  Ross had 15 family members there cheering him on!   

This is ‘Granddaddy.’  He and my grandmother were (and still are) exceptional grandparents to me and my sister.  I have a million great memories with them growing-up, so it feels so good to see them with my children.  The first thing Rayna said when she woke-up one morning was, “Wanna’ go see Granddaddy.  Love em’ so much!” 

Game over = Big throw = Big smile. 
(Finally!)

View full post »

« Back

© 2010 Christy Martin Photography | ProPhoto Photography Theme by NetRivet