Colling Photography

Mary Margaret & Trent - Engagement Session

2010-01-04T22:07:00.003-05:00

It had been a while since we had photographed an engagement session, but this one with Mary Margaret and Trent was a great reminder of how much we enjoy them! We strongly recommend that our couples choose to do this because because it not only lets us get to know them better, it also lets them get used to our shooting pace and style. Although this session took place only 2 days after Christmas, we lucked out and had great weather that allowed us to have a super awesome time and enjoy a lot of great laughs!

Hope you guys are enjoying the new year and also enjoy looking at some of our favorites. Can't wait for your wedding this spring!

Tweedy Family

2009-12-10T22:52:00.006-05:00

Mary called us up on a referral from one of her coworkers and we're so glad she did! Her family owns an unbelievable farm south of Lynchburg and it was nothing short of amazing. Old barns, tall grass, and beautiful views of the area were in abundance. It was like a photographers dream location! Thankfully she asked us ahead of time what we would be driving as the road to get back in there was a bit rough and required a 4-wheel drive vehicle. So we met at Carter's Store (which, by the way, was awesome and has been around since the late 1800's), loaded up in their ride, and headed to the farm for what turned out to be a terrific session!

Mason Family - Portrait Session

2009-12-09T20:15:00.006-05:00

The Mason family called us up on a referral from their neighbor who we did family pictures for last year. You all know how beautiful the Virginia weather is in the fall, right? Well, as it just so happened, we were happily enjoying this great weather until the day of their session came and the wind decided to pick up and the temperature dropped noticeably. I know many families who, under these circumstances, would opt to reschedule...but not this family! Instead they opened a can of awesome sauce and completely blew us away with a great time photographing them in their backyard and over at a friend's house. We left the session on such a high that we found ourselves already looking forward to the next time we get to photograph them!

There was a lot of laughing and huddling, smiling and shivering, and good old fashioned fun throughout the shoot. We hope you guys enjoy some of our favorites!

There's that laughter and fun I was talking about

And the smiles

As well as the shivering and huddling when it wasn't their turn!

They've got the serious look down pretty well...

...but don't let them fool you, they're all smiles too!

Megan - Senior Session

2009-12-08T23:35:00.003-05:00

Meet Megan, class of 2010 at Amherst High School! We met Megan, her mom, and her friend for a relaxed portrait session in downtown Lynchburg. For those of you that know us or have commissioned us for one of your sessions, you know that we like to climb all over the place to find just the right perspective on a lot of our shots. Lets just say that there was a minor mishap involving an iron grate and I ended up quasi-impaling myself! Thankfully the adrenaline kicked in and didn't affect the rest of the session. The next day I was sure feeling it though!

But alas, I digress, this post is for you Megan! We enjoyed getting to know you and taking a stroll through Lynchburg to capture your senior year for you. We hope you enjoy some of our favorites from the session!

Olivia - Senior Session

2009-12-02T00:36:00.007-05:00

Olivia is the younger sister of David, whose Senior pictures we did last year. It was really enjoyable to work with them in the past, so we were very excited when Olivia's mom called us up again this fall to schedule Olivia's senior pictures. (Plus the accent is smashing!)

We had never met Olivia before, but within the first 10-15 milliseconds of introductions we knew this was going to turn out to be a great session. We actually had to push the date back a few times as Olivia runs Cross Country for Jefferson Forest High School, and wouldn't you know it they did so well they went all the way to state! So we waited until that was over, and then took advantage of the comfortable fall weather while it was still here.

Throughout the afternoon we enjoyed getting to know her little better. Not only is she beautiful but she has a very pleasant personality and was up for just about anything that we asked her to do during the day. We hope you enjoy a few of our favorite images from your session. And enjoy the rest of your senior year!

Tweedy Family

2009-11-27T22:28:00.003-05:00

Here's another great session we enjoyed on a beautiful fall afternoon in the heart of Virginia. It doesn't get much better than this time of year! We especially loved how we were able to incorporate some unique things to the girls for this session -- horses, tractors, and fishing! Give it up for the Tweedy girls!

Caption Contest II - Emily

2009-11-26T23:59:00.008-05:00

Caption Contest -- The Sequel! We had a decent number of comments on the first Caption Contest with Brooks, so here's another great contest as part of our Holiday iTunes giveaway. All captions are due by December 15th, 11:59pm EST. The winner will receive an iTunes gift card!

Same contest rules as before:

1) All entries must be submitted in the comments section of the blog
2) The contest will end Tuesday, December 15th at 11:59pm EST
3) The winner will be announced the next day on Wednesday and will receive an iTunes gift card!

That's about it. Let's hear your ideas!

Update on 12/16/09
Caption Contest Winner is: "Guess where the butterfly is!"
Congratulations Paul, your iTunes gift card is on it's way!

Thank you everyone who participated. We plan to have more in the weeks ahead, so keep checking the blog for another contest and a chance to win free iTunes music!

Alex, Mallory, & Ashlyn - Kid Session

2009-11-24T23:42:00.006-05:00

Thankfully we were able to do this session on a day that didn't require the kids to wait in the van in order to stay warm between locations! You may remember these kids from last year when we actually had to do that! Just like last time, the kids were dressed to impress and ready for a some fun as we ran around Falling Creek Park for a few hours.

These are some seriously adorable kids that we thoroughly enjoyed photographing again! We're looking forward to the years ahead capturing them as they grow.

Gordon : Family Session

2009-11-14T20:24:00.007-05:00

Kathie and our girls (Alyssa and Emily) all get their hair done at the fantastic Arte Dei Capelli -- which just so happens to be where our latest client works. You may recognize Tanya from Ben & Sherry's recent wedding we did this past Spring:

Although she's not Kathie's and the girls' stylist (shout out to Christie Camden!), she still rocks the salon chair. And evidently she can rock the camera as well. The kids are straight out of a GAP promo and have some incredible, piercing blue eyes (which they get from their daddy!) We had a great fall morning to capture the family around their house. Check it out for yourself -- and leave a little blog love if you like them!

Matt & Kristin : Maternity Session

2009-11-10T22:43:00.003-05:00

No words can do justice for this session; the emotions speak for themselves. The images from Matt and Kristin's Maternity Session embody real joy, real life, and real love. It was an honor and a pleasure. Enjoy.

Evolution of a Sunset

2009-10-25T00:12:00.006-04:00

Tonight while I was finishing up editing a recent wedding, I couldn't help notice some wicked cool cloud formations right at dusk out my window. I was so intrigued by the ominous nature of them that I grabbed my 16-35mm and headed out on the front porch to catch a few frames.

What followed, in a rather rapid progression, was a beautiful transformation of the sky turning from beautiful golden tones to a fiery pinkish-orangeish-redish. As soon as I started seeing the pink color start to appear, I realized that I needed a better vantage point than the ground. So I scrambled out through the girls closet window onto the roof to capture some of the vibrant colors taking shape. The sky looked like it was literally on fire in the far distance -- extremely awesome.

The following pictures show a 10-minute time lapse of the sky from tonight. No Photoshop here; pictures are straight out of the camera. Super sweet!

Nicole - Senior Session

2009-10-23T21:32:00.008-04:00

Meet Nicole, Brookville High School, Class of 2010! Nicole has been telling us for quite some time that she can't wait to be a senior so that she can have us take her pictures. So this fall the time finally came, and what an honor it was to enjoy a few hours with her on a beautiful {cool} Fall morning! Nicole loves to laugh and have fun, and there was plenty of that going on during her session. To put it simply, she is an incredibly fun person to be around!

So check out some of our favorites below. There's a good mixture of her personality -- fun, intense, and real. Do you love it?! If so leave some love in the comments!

A big part of Nicole's high school was spent in the theatre, so to wrap up the session we were able to spend a few minutes with her on stage

Caption Contest - Brooks

2009-10-19T23:08:00.007-04:00

We actually laughed out loud when we were browsing through our mini session of our kids. Since we think you could take this so many different directions with comments on what Brooks might be thinking, we thought we would make it into a caption contest.

There are three simple rules:

1) All entries must be submitted in the comments section of the blog
2) The contest is open for one week; it will end next Monday, October 26th at midnight EST
3) The winner will be announced on Tuesday and will receive an iTunes gift card!

So don't be shy, we want to hear all your clever captions!

Update on 10/28/2009 - The winning caption for this picture is: "Did somebody say ICE CREAM?!!!" sent in by Beth! Congrats and thanks to everyone who participated!

Laura & Patrick - Wedding

2009-10-12T22:36:00.010-04:00

This wedding had VT fans everywhere. The Minister mentioned the score during the wedding, the Groom's side checked their phones for score updates every few minutes, and the "Hokie" Pokey was played during the reception with Patrick and the Watson Men leading the way.

Aside from the Hokie enthusiasm there was a lot of emotion and joy to photograph throughout the day. Patrick and Laura's families were great people to be around and were so welcoming to us as we played the part of their personal paparazzi for the day.

We hope you all enjoy the images and we are looking forward to showing you the rest of them!

Due to inclement weather, the golf match was held at the bowling alley

Showing off picture perfect form

Meanwhile the girls were back at Laura's house getting ready

A special gift from her mom

Seeing his bride for the first time = priceless

Just because it was cool

Laura's brother Ryan and bridesmaid Helen played and sang a beautiful number

LOVE this image of the bride and her bridesmaids!

I love a competitive bridesmaid :-)

A few relaxed portraits of the bride and groom

Grace - Senior Session

2009-09-30T00:41:00.005-04:00

Grace (noun) : a charming or attractive trait or characteristic; a pleasing appearance or effect; an instance of kindness or courtesy.

Check, check, and check. Grace is an incredible individual who lives up to each of these definitions of her name. We have known her and her family for several years and have watched her blossom into a beautiful young woman, both inside and out. We thoroughly enjoyed our time photographing her and I think she had a little fun too :-) Her brother Nathan even came out with us and was our assistant for the session since he enjoys photography and helping out his sister.

It was another gorgeous fall evening for a photo session and the results did not disappoint. Warning - the following images contain graphic scenes of pure stunningness!

We found the only pine tree on campus that actually changes color in the fall!

Grace totally rocked this green barn!

To finish off the session we headed indoors to the music room and walked by this really cool fountain

Jessica - Senior Session

2009-09-22T00:57:00.005-04:00

Meet Jessica! Here's a sneak peek at some of the images from her session! We had a lot of fun and especially enjoyed the little venture out to the pier for some fishing and good laughs. A special shout out to Drew, who was kind enough to let us borrow his rod and reel. Hope you have a great senior year Jessica!

Ryan - Senior Session

2009-09-10T22:48:00.005-04:00

This was a such a fab session for so many reasons. First of all, Ryan is a cool guy. Obviously. Secondly, the rents came with and were incredibly awesome to work with. And to top it all off, I couldn't have put in a order for better weather than we had! From the get-go, Ryan had his game face on and completely rocked his senior session. He's not only a cool guy, but also a cool customer in front of the lens, which made it really easy to do our job! The hardest part with clients like this is selecting the images afterwards since they are all so good!

After some relaxed, casual portraits at our new favorite place, we cruised on over to his home away from home, the soccer field! We had a really great time and enjoyed working with some off camera flash once the sun had set.

Hope you like the pictures Ryan and have a great senior year!

The super rents, aka the traveling wardrobe

Ryan's trademark on the field are his green shoes

Gordon Family

2009-09-09T00:15:00.003-04:00

We love having the inside track on surprises, so when Abbey contacted us about orchestrating a surprise session of her and her siblings as a gift for their parent's 25th wedding anniversary, we were thrilled! It was a bit touch-and-go getting all the details worked out, but she did a fantastic job coordinating a date night for her parents and getting everyone in their Sunday best for the pictures. She even went to great lengths and ordered all new outfits for everyone just for the occasion!

Just look at how great these turned out! And in case you are wondering -- Abbey is the same beautiful young woman that we did high school senior pictures for a while back! You can check those out here!

Emily & Derek - Wedding

2009-08-25T00:49:00.000-04:00

Words can't even begin to describe what a joy it was to be part of this wedding. And even more so such an honor to be asked to capture it on [digital] film for years to come! Emily has been like a little sister to us, and our kids even refer to her as Tante Emily, which is German for aunt. When we were pregnant with our first child, Alyssa, we were working with the teens in the youth group at church and met Emily for the first time. She was a freshman in Kathie's DIA group and since then has been our regular babysitter for the last six and a half years. She is very dear to our entire family, and over the years our kids practically begged us to go out on dates so they could spend time with their Tante Emily.

And although we thought the day would never come when she would find someone that met our standards for her, eventually it did when she met Derek. And as we have gotten to know him better over the last 2 years, we have continually been impressed with everything that he is to her. He was even able to pass the most difficult challenge of gaining our now 4-year old Emily's approval. Which is a pretty big deal for those of you who know her personality! And especially since she was named after our favorite babysitter! (Yes, this was confusing for a little while. Our kids started calling her Big Emily, which we quickly replaced with a more appropriate Tante Emily )

And so on a beautiful day in July, we celebrated with Emily and Derek as they became husband and wife. We have mixed emotions as we are thrilled beyond words for them, yet sad that we won't be able to see them as often as we would like. But when they do visit you can be sure they will get huge hugs, a plethora of pictures, fabulous food, and some cool conversation.

So enjoy these images as they tell a beautiful story. The extra time it took to post them is definitely worth the wait!

A father's anticipation = priceless

Smallest. Frog. Ever.

It's not cool in July. Luckily the bridal suite had floor vents!

Yes, they did walk out to the Indiana Jones theme song. Hat included.

Fireproof!

Good advice

Kinda had to be there

Dancing with Pop-Pop

It didn't take long for our girls to realize what they could do with their dresses

After the grand exit, Emily and Derek met us around back for a quick and relaxed portrait session. We love it when bride and grooms do this! A special thanks goes out to Emily's sisters who entertained our kids in the Odyssey while we captured these. You guys rock! Just check out the awesomeness oozing from these images!

Okay this last one we just happened to see them in traffic on the way home so naturally we had to get in front of them for one last frame. It may or may not have involved one of us standing up in the front seat and shooting through the sunroof...

Discouraged Lately? Be an Encouragement.

2009-08-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

Ever been discouraged?

There are a lot of things that can cause us to be discouraged. But did you ever stop to think about what that really means? Is it a feeling? Is it a decision?

This weekend I was presented with the opportunity to be discouraged. Late Saturday night (read: early Sunday morning) I was tossing and turning in bed, trying to find that sweet spot of comfort where everything felt just the right temperature and I could go to sleep confident I wouldn't wake up 2 hours later too hot or too cold or with two arms that were still asleep.

And then it dawned on me that often times when we are discouraged it is because we choose to let ourselves feel that way. Nobody forces us to. And then I got to thinking, what if I were to choose not to be discouraged whenever I feel let down? What if I simply do not give my mind permission to feel discouraged? Would it help? Would it make things any better?

Maybe.

But that's like saying, "When I'm mad, I'll just tell myself not to be."

I quickly came to the realization that it's not that simple. We are all discouraged at different times throughout our life and for lots of different reasons. Sometimes it's a big discouragement, sometimes it's a little one, and other times in between.

This weekend I was discouraged. But what helped me the most was someone who provided encouragement. That's it. Nothing fluffy, just genuine.

So tonight as I sit here at the computer I thought, what if every time I was discouraged I tried to think of someone to encourage? What if we all did that? It certainly won't keep us from being discouraged in the future, but it sure can help during the times we are.

Been discouraged lately?

Be an encouragement.

Up for a vote

2009-07-31T00:06:00.004-04:00

Brooks is almost 8 months old now and his hair is getting long...and as you can see he has some sweet bedhead going on. We are contemplating cutting it, but it is always hard to get through that first baby cut. What do you guys think, should we clean cut it or let it grow? Vote in the comments below!

Emily & Derek - Wedding Teaser

2009-07-29T00:15:00.002-04:00

Saturday was quite a day, and after just under 3K images we were ready to give our feet a rest. But it was worth it, because this wedding was epic. Stay tuned for a full post coming soon! For now, a little teaser...

Kent & Beth - Family Session

2009-07-23T01:29:00.001-04:00

Meet the other Colling family from Virginia! Kent is actually my uncle and one of the big reasons we live in Virginia today. He was already working in Lynchburg back when I was doing my undergrad in Electrical Engineering and suggested that I apply at Ericsson for a summer internship. This gave me experience as a software engineer and upon graduating the following year, I was offered a full time position.

Two duffel bags of clothes and nine years later, Kathie and I have made our home here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are happily enjoying our four kids and the beautiful outdoors of central VA. And just in case you need proof of that beautiful scenery -- keep reading!

Kent and Beth brought the kids out for a photo shoot at our new secret location. Ok it's not that secret but it is our new favorite spot! (We'll actually be doing a wedding there soon so stay tuned!) The old rock amphitheater was an incredible location and we were there at the perfect time of day for some great light. Unfortunately, most of the gnats in the area seem to like that spot too. But after a dash back to the van and a quick dusting of Deep Woods Off, we were ready to go.

After a few family shots the kids took off and had a lot of fun running through the grass and up and down the steps. And at one point they were kind enough to give us a glimpse of their alternate superhero egos. Enjoy!

Don't mess with this dynamic duo!

This might be the sweetest frame from the entire day! I love the intensity and innocence of this image. Precious.

I am...Gladiator!

Chris - Senior Session

2009-07-20T23:00:00.002-04:00

We had a great time shooting this up and coming high school senior. He was seriously solid no matter where we took him or what we asked him to do. He made our job super fun and that's what we like! If you like 'em, tell a friend!

Sherry & Ben - Wedding

2009-07-18T19:17:00.005-04:00

We've been looking forward to this wedding for a long time and were super stoked when the day finally arrived! Not only are they a beautiful couple, but they also chose some fantastic locations for their ceremony and reception. We were familiar with the beautiful grounds of their church, but once we had a chance to see the inside we were blown away! This church also held special significance for Sherry as several of her other family members have been married here. However this time they were here to see her and Ben!

There were so many delicious images that we just felt the need to make an extra tasty post -- so enjoy the unusually long blog post with lots of images!

Details:

Ceremony - St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Reception - Boonsboro Country Club
DJ - Music, Music & More Music

The girls enjoyed a leisurely game of Scrabble at the Salon. Meanwhile the guys were involved in an intense frisbee golf tournament!

Love this image

One of my favorite from the whole day

Patiently waiting out the last few minutes as a bachelor

The walk down the aisle evoked some strong emotions from everyone

The kiss happened so fast during the ceremony that the bridal party got creative and made them do it again!

Delightful details!

She was a crazy good dancer...

...but eventually it was time to rest

These guys really had the crowd going when they busted out the synchronized worm!

Laura & Patrick - Engagement Session

2009-07-13T23:38:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time in the making but we were so glad to finally find a time to meet up with Laura and Patrick for their E-session! And what a great time we had roaming the streets of the Burg chatting and finding all sorts of crazy stuff. Among them - a random yellow cage, an old rusty commode in the middle of a parking lot, and a sweet Ford pickup stuffed back in an alley.

Take a gander at these (do people say that anymore?) and let us know what you think! We had a great time with you all and are looking forward to your wedding in the fall!

Here's a shot in the random yellow cage

Totally diggin the green in this image - wardrobe, paint, and lights!

A little behind the scenes shot of Kathie...

...and the end result!

Here's the sweet pickup I was talking about!

Sneak-Sneak Peak of Sherry and Ben

2009-07-02T00:13:00.003-04:00

As I am going through images tonight from our most recent wedding, this one just made me stop and replay an incredible moment that the bride was able to share with her dad. It is one of my favorite father-daughter moments of all time. Such a powerful and emotional frame. It especially moved me because I know I will be in the father's shoes someday...

Thunder on the Mountain

2009-06-29T00:01:00.005-04:00

Tonight we had a great engagement session downtown and afterwards took the family to see the fireworks at Liberty. We met up with lots of great friends while we were there, including Josh & Heather who were in town visiting from Boston. We had the privilege of photographing their wedding one year ago and it was great to catch up with them again tonight. They were cruising in style in their rebuilt MG so after a quick spin around the block we grabbed a quick picture of them. Are they cute or what?!

Jonathan & Julie - Wedding Slideshow

2009-06-16T22:52:00.001-04:00

Jonathan & Julie - Wedding

2009-06-01T00:25:00.003-04:00

I was looking through the images we captured from Saturday's wedding of Jonathan and Julie and came across one that I just had to put up before they leave on their honeymoon. We'll wait to do a full post in another week or two when they return from Jamaica. But for now, here's a special "sneak peak" from their day!

Jace - Kid Session

2009-05-26T23:24:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday Jace! We were able to spend the weekend with the little birthday boy down in sunny Florida. It was our first birthday party on the beach and it was a blast! Later during the trip we were able to have a one year session with him at his favorite park. The little dude is too cute for words - check him out for yourself!

Changing dealers - good luck everyone! (This one's for you Jason)

Lovin' the airplane impression down the slide!

Just think of how many people touched this bar I'm about to lick

What do you think of that mom?

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:05:00.007-04:00

A special shout out goes to all the mother's out there. Happy Mother's Day! Fortunately I was lucky enough to be raised by the best mother in the world, as well as marry the best wife and mother in the world for my kids, so, 2-for-2, batting 1.000.

This Mother's Day our family had a great weekend - the kids and I enjoyed taking extra special care of mom/Kathie. This morning before church we all made her breakfast in bed (as is tradition) and then before heading out we snapped a few shots off the front porch. The kids and I all took Kathie out shopping yesterday to pick out a new outfit, so she is sporting her digs for ya'll to see. She was going for a Classy, Trendy, No-I-haven't-had-four-kids look, which I think she pulls off very well!

She gave me about 4 seconds to grab these - lucky I was fast on the trigger!

Carter - Portrait Session

2009-05-07T00:22:00.004-04:00

This past weekend we had a great Saturday! The day started with a terrific photo shoot, followed by finding a great bagel shop in downtown Bedford - Blue Ridge Bagel. After that we took the kids to Blackwater Creek and enjoyed a leisurely bike ride with the family. We rounded out the day by having dinner with some great friends!

So -- back to the photo shoot -- this little guy was a stud! It was first thing in the morning and he was all smiles. We had a great walk through the park and enjoyed getting to know Carter and his mom. Although by the end of the session I think he was ready for his morning nap! Check out the little Michigan man!

Stephanie - Senior Portraits

2009-05-05T23:54:00.004-04:00

After a number of rescheduled attempts due to rain outs, we finally were able to meet up and enjoy a great spring evening. The colors were terrific, especially the dogwoods! Check out the great lighting we were lucky enough to have! Thanks for a great session Stephanie!

Beth - Senior Portraits

2009-04-22T00:33:00.004-04:00

Talk about a cool senior session! This one started out great at Falwell Aviation Jet Center, where Beth has spent a lot of time over the past couple years getting her pilots license. After the airport we made our way downtown where we enjoyed a fantastic session at sunset! It was great to see so many new buildings and storefronts being restored each time we make our way in the heart of the 'Burg. At any rate, both the weather and the subject were beautiful as you can see in the images below. Enjoy! And don't be shy with any comments you might have!

These Boots Are Made For -- Jumpin?

2009-03-22T16:04:00.003-04:00

It's starting to feel a little like spring time and so the girls finally got new umbrellas that they've been asking for since before they were born. So of course the first rainy day we were home we took them outside to give them a try. They also threw on their matching boots for good measure -- which are great for puddle jumping!

Here are a couple pictures I snapped of them outside (who knew it could be so much fun taking pictures in the rain?!) Lately I've been tinkering in my little sandbox working up some presets and actions to create images with an old timeless colorwashed sort of feel. What do you all think?

Alyssa is really into tattoos right now...can you find her latest one in this image?

Emily's 4th Birthday

2009-03-17T23:29:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is Emily's 4th Birthday. Wow. That means we will officially have a 0, 2, 4, and 6 year old. What a crazy time of life! Each day is a new adventure -- sometimes fun, usually challenging, and always exhausting. But it is good. In fact most days we just sit back and marvel at how God has blessed us with such wonderful children!

At any rate, as part of a traditional we started with our first child, Jeremiah always takes the time to decorate their birthday cake. Tonight he parked himself in the kitchen to freehand another work of art that Emily is sure to love! Can you guess who she is into right now?!

Today I came home to "The Office"!

2009-02-24T21:58:00.004-05:00

Today when I came home I was tackled by a bunch of miniature versions of myself and my wife. Nothing new there, but one of the best parts of my day. Well being the awesome wife that she is, Kathie told me she had a surprise for me waiting on the dining room table. She knows I will never buy anything for myself so she has to take on the "burden" from time to time. Well this time she surprised me with a fantastic gift from my favorite TV show, a DVD board game of "The Office"! I can hardly wait to play! I think the best part about it was that she got it on sale for $5 at Wal-Mart! That's right, they might as well given it away. So all you Lynchburg area folks, if you are looking for a deal head to Wally World before they're all gone!

Colling Family Portrait

2009-02-23T22:17:00.004-05:00

This year has been a busy one for us so far...actually we've been mostly busy making trips to and from the doctor's office. All six of us have been sick at least twice each in the last 6-7 weeks. Not fun. And today was no exception as we rolled up to the office complex our Odyssey has become all too familiar with. Our youngest was having a particularly hard time fighting croup, and so we finally took him in where he ended up needing a steroid shot and is getting more treatments throughout the evening. So far it is helping and he is doing a little better.

So yes, we have been away from the blog for a while and it's not an excuse but rather an explanation as to why we've been a bit preoccupied and haven't spent much [any] time posting in the last few weeks.

We have some exciting things planned for the year ahead, and can't wait to share more when the time is right. But for now, here is a little something on the lighter side -- a fun family shot we did this past Saturday afternoon at the house. Kathie and I decided it was time to fill a big blank space on one of the walls in our bedroom, and cooked up the little beauty below. This print will be going up really BIG and we can't wait for it to arrive!

Jason & Alicia

2009-01-21T23:57:00.002-05:00

We've been very busy over the last few weeks enjoying the newest member of our family, as well as taking some time off to enjoy the rest of our immediate family who we were blessed to have visit us over Christmas. But now the New Year is here and it's time to get back to work!

Our first session of 2009 was a great one, despite the subfreezing temperatures. Jason and Alicia coordinated a multiple family shoot where we were instantly welcomed and made to feel just like one of the family! Big families are great! There are plenty more pictures to share, but we couldn't keep you in suspense any longer Alicia, so here's one of your beautiful family!

Morris - Family Session

2008-12-04T23:32:00.004-05:00

What an awesome day this was for a family session! We started shooting three brothers and their families together and then moved to capturing Karen and her family, including her oldest son who was back from college for the weekend. There was a lot of laughter and fun had by all - thanks for a great time! We're looking forward to having you out to see the rest!

Alex, Mallory & Ashlyn - Kid Session

2008-11-30T12:09:00.001-05:00

We had a ton of fun at this session. Kids shoots are always great because they are so spontaneous. Although challenging at times, the results are always priceless. Just look at these two siblings and their cousin and tell me they aren't absolutely adorable! We couldn't believe how well they did on this Saturday morning with the temperature just peaking over 40!

Thank you guys for allowing us to enjoy capturing your precious little ones!

Just as the session was ending we were able to grab this candid of Ashlyn leaning upside down in her mother's arms...does it show off those baby blues or what?!

David - Senior Portraits

2008-11-25T22:28:00.002-05:00

Meet David! We met bright and early and fortunately there was beautiful light that morning. Here's just a few of the many great relaxed portraits we were able to capture. Looking forward to sharing them all with you David! Thanks for a great session!

Family Portraits

2008-11-19T23:52:00.003-05:00

We headed up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for this family session and wouldn't you know it? Apparently it's a bit cooler up there, who would have thought? Nevertheless, we were able to capture this family having a great time up in the mountains. The views and colors were terrific, and the kids had a great time making leaf piles and the like!

Just getting warmed up...

For some fun!

A few relaxed portraits

Christy & Brian - Wedding

2008-11-05T23:57:00.007-05:00

We've been looking forward to this wedding for quite some time now. Then, a few days before the big day, the weather forecast started to look crummy... and the day of the wedding it was raining all morning. About noon the rain turned to drizzle and by 2 o'clock all was looking bright. Finally the sun peeked out and gave us a gorgeous afternoon to capture an amazing outdoor wedding!

The wedding was held at Sweet Briar College and the fall colors were spectacular. The ceremony took place on the deck of the boathouse and was the perfect venue for a beautiful fall wedding. Both the bride and groom looked terrific for their special day!

One of the coolest things about this wedding was that the groom actually catered his own wedding...and we've got the pictures to prove it! The food and details were incredible and made for a great reception. Congratulations to you guys and thank you for letting us be part of your day!

While Christy was getting ready,

Brian was hard at work in the kitchen

He had to recruit some help, but it turned out great!

They even had plenty of time to kick back and relax before the main event

Some easy, relaxed portraits - first of the groom...

...and then some of the bride

Love this sweet moment just before the kiss

Delightful details!

Potential...

Kinetic!

The night of dancing started off sweet

And eventually reverted to some good 'ole dice throwing!

Richard & Christina

2008-10-27T23:13:00.005-04:00

This great couple goes to the same church as us, and although we didn't know them prior to the session, we were able to get them to warm up to the camera rather quickly. We spent a beautiful fall afternoon getting to know them a little better and enjoyed the terrific fall colors here in Virginia. If you've never seen the colors here in late October, you don't know what you're missing!

These two were celebrating their 5th anniversary, and wanted to capture the occasion in a memorable way...and we're so glad they chose to do it with a CP session! Thanks guys for a terrific night and we're looking forward to showing you guys the rest of your images!

Kaitlyn - Senior Portraits

2008-10-15T23:55:00.003-04:00

Meet Kaitlyn! We had an absolute gem of a day to photograph this lovely young lady! Not only was the day perfect but Kaitlyn made the perfect model as she was very comfortable in front of the camera. Thanks to mom for joining us, we enjoyed the time getting to know both of you. We also found out after the session that their family owns the Lynchburg Academy of Gymnastics off of Leesville Rd. If anyone is interested in some tumbling and gymnastics check them out!

Kathie - Maternity Session

2008-10-14T22:37:00.004-04:00

My lovely wife has given me permission to post a few shots of a recent maternity session. We'll be doing more of these sessions before the baby is born since this is the last one!

Yeah this wasn't the first take of this shot...but eventually we got one we liked!

What's a parent to do?

2008-10-10T01:47:00.001-04:00

I just realized that the last several posts have all been about the kids...well we've got some great sessions ahead that we'll be posting on soon...so, if you're ready to see something other than our kids...stay tuned!

Kid Studio Session

2008-10-04T22:00:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again where all the schools start sending out reminders for school pictures. Since you never know what you're going to end up with when you get the pictures back, we decided to do our own to put up in the house. It's easier for us, and this way we can shoot till we get one we like. Here's a couple of our own "yearbook" pictures for this fall.

Grand Slam

2008-09-20T21:15:00.003-04:00

My wife and I both come from good sized families and always thought we'd like to have 4 kids...This year the Lord was pleased to bless us with our 4th (and final) bundle of joy, due this December. And since we're big baseball fans, we came up with a creative way to tell our family and friends. Below is the "we're expecting" announcement we sent out:

A Butcher, Baker, and Candlestick Maker

2008-09-19T01:48:00.002-04:00

We don't own a pool, but for the kids our jacuzzi is every bit as fun. So the other night we filled it with bubble bath and turned on the jets to see what would happen. In between canon balls and bubble beards, we managed to snap a few pictures of the craziness. Enjoy!

Our Babies are Growing Up!

2008-09-11T23:07:00.004-04:00

Our two oldest girls just started school recently, so the general schedule of the household has been rather disrupted. It's a good thing though! Alyssa started kindergarten and Emily started preschool, so for a few mornings each week, Kathie has some one-on-one time with Riggs! Here's a shot of each of them on their first days of school!

Random Political Thought

2008-09-08T22:59:00.006-04:00

Is it just me or does anyone else think the "Obama-Biden" ticket sounds too close to "Osama Bin-Laden"? I can't help but think that's got to be in the back of people's minds when the those names appear together on the Democratic ticket. I'm not suggesting there's a link of any kind...I'm just sayin!

Scott & Juli - Family

2008-09-02T23:06:00.003-04:00

My best buddy Scott brought his wife Juli and their kids Landon and Lincoln to visit us this summer. It was so great to have them travel all the way out here from Kansas! Since we don't get to see each other too often we took advantage of the trip and crammed as much fun stuff as we could handle for 4 adults and 5 kids! That's too much chaos to take the camera gear everywhere, but we did a quick session at a small local park for them. Check out some of the shots we snapped of their lovely family!

Hannah - Senior Portraits

2008-08-25T22:46:00.006-04:00

Meet Hannah! Class of 2009 and she absolutely rocked the shoreline and sunset! We didn't use a fan but there was a fantastic breeze that let her power model for us :-) Except for these two weird guys who needed to find a good rock to crawl under, we all had a great time! Here's a couple of our favorites from the session but really they are all this good!

The Importance of Backups - Part II

2008-08-08T22:04:00.005-04:00

So yesterday I was talking about backups and the reason is because I just don't think that with all the technology people use these days they give enough attention to making sure it's safe. I see a lot of people just filling up their hard drives with year after year of baby pictures, birthdays, vacations, graduations, weddings...the list goes on. But I rarely see anyone being proactive and backing up those images regularly. It's a simple fact that hard drives will fail, and when that time comes, you need a Plan B!

For Plan B it's pretty easy and you've got two basic options. One is to back up to an external hard drive, and the other is to burn copies to CDs or DVDs. Just go to Best Buy or any other store that sells electronic items and look for their computer section. A spindle of 50 DVD's will probably be around $20. Each DVD holds 4.7GB of data. You'll find external hard drives in sizes as little as 80GB on up to 1TB or more in storage space. The more you need, the more you pay, but generally for external hard drives you'll pay around $0.25 per GB of space. That's really not a lot of money. If you can afford the digital camera and camcorder, chances are you can probably scrape together enough for a spindle of DVD's or an external hard drive.

Burning a copy of your pictures to a CD or DVD is pretty straightforward, and if you aren't sure how, I guarantee your kids do. For large amounts of data it's just easier for me to use external drives. CD's and DVD's work fine, I just don't have the patience to switch a bunch of discs in and out. For external hard drives, they pretty much all come with at least a USB 2.0 port, and if you've purchased one in the last 5 years, chances are it has Firewire 400. They are about the same in terms of performance. Some of the newer machines have Firewire 800, which just allows you to transfer data faster. In the end they all do the same thing. For the fastest transfer speeds possible, look for an eSATA connection. You'll probably have to get a special card installed in your computer, but if you want the absolute best performance, that's where it's at.

When you plug in your external hard drive to your computer, it will show up as another drive letter (Windows users) or be mounted under devices (Mac users). I would recommend downloading all your images to one folder and your videos to another. Both Windows and Mac do this by default, but the point is to have one high level place they all reside in. This way you aren't hunting all over your hard drive when you want to find something, and it makes it easy to know which folder(s) to backup.

To actually backup the files there are two methods: 1) The easy way - find some good backup software or 2) Manually copy all your files from your local hard drive to your external hard drive or CD/DVD. A lot of the external hard drives these days come with backup software. All you need to do is install it on your machine and tell it what folders to back up.

That's about it. It's not rocket science, it's just a good habit to get into to so you're prepared when the hard drive on your computer "bytes" the dust. That was bad, I know. Unless both drives die at the same time, you will always have at least one copy somewhere.

As for us, well 2 copies isn't enough. We have two internal hard drives, so everything that gets downloaded is automatically backed up on the other. (Time Machine rocks!) We've also got a 2TB external hard drive connected via Firewire 800 port that actually has 2 separate hard drives inside, 1TB each. Once all the images are downloaded inside the computer, we copy them over to this external hard drive as well. The neat thing about this one is that it is configured to use RAID 1. This is just a fancy way to make your data redundant. All it means is that the two drives inside this unit automatically mirror each other, so everything we copy is immediately mirrored on both drives.

So at any one time, we actually have 4 copies of our images on 4 separate hard drives. This is all great until something really catastrophic happens...In which case there is a 5th copy of all the images on another external hard drive. This one is actually stored at an offsite location, so that if something really bad happens and kills all 4 copies in our studio (fire, tornado, etc.) we still have a way to restore everything.

Sorry for such a long post, but I just wanted to bring up the topic because I've seen so many people who are one bad storm away from disaster. Which brings up another point -- always use a surge protector! By taking some simple steps to make a second copy of all your images it can save a lot of headache down the road.

Thanks! Now go out and back up your pictures already!

The Importance of Backups - Part I

2008-08-07T23:26:00.006-04:00

Lately I've been thinking about the importance of backups. It never hurts to have a backup plan for a lot of things in life, but today I'm specifically talking about backing up things on your computer. Many of you probably think this is only something important for people who make their living working on computers. After all, you just use the computer to get on the internet, check your e-mail, and pay your bills. Oh, and download all your family photos and videos...

Back in the day (as if it was a really long time ago) everyone used film and got the film negatives when they developed their pictures. Ha! Gone are those days, everybody lives the digital lifestyle now. Instead we've got all our photos and videos living as 1's and 0's on our computers hard drive. What happens tomorrow when you flip on the power to your computer and your hard drive doesn't want to cooperate? Personally I don't want to leave it up to the Geek Squad to rescue me. No offense to the Geek Squad, it's just that there's no guarantee they'll be able to restore my data, and I don't want to take chances with something this important.

I can promise you that backing up files on your computer is easier than you think, and tomorrow I'll talk about how to do this. Not only that, I'll show you how we backup all our files for every single client we photograph. Stay tuned!!!

Wedding Album

2008-08-02T14:53:00.005-04:00

We were super excited when we came home yesterday to find a package from Leather Craftsmen! Our first wedding album with LC and they did not disappoint...they definitely did a superb job! This wedding album has a custom distressed leather and beautiful panoramic spreads throughout. Here's a couple images for you all to enjoy!

Tyler & Kylie - Wedding

2008-08-02T02:56:00.000-04:00

I don't think we've come across a couple more in love than these two! We traveled up to Michigan for this wedding and it was such an awesome privilege to photograph these guys! There are way too many good images to choose just a couple for the blog. I mean seriously, how do you choose just a couple out of hundreds? Well here's a couple of our favorites, hope you enjoy the early preview! We've been waiting all week for you guys to get back from your honeymoon...Enjoy!

Seeing his bride for the first time...

The rock!

Amazing detail and color in the flowers - tasty!

The top left image was just about the only frame we captured before they let loose!

We snuck out the back for a few minutes during the reception for a quick mini shoot!

Lovin' the high key

Diggin the setup here, my wife rocks!

Dave & Michelle - Family

2008-07-17T00:06:00.003-04:00

Meet Dave & Michelle! These guys were celebrating their anniversary and did so in style with a CP family session! What a great way to preserve the day! Their son Micah started the shoot off by finding a huge beetle in a tree stump...definitely not Michelle's favorite part, but we still had a lot of fun with them and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous! Enjoy a few sneaks!

Sarah & Nick - Wedding

2008-07-04T23:57:00.002-04:00

We had the pleasure of photographing Sarah & Nick's wedding in Appomattox, VA. It was an honor to be among Nick and his comrades who have served proudly in our military and defended the freedoms we enjoy in our country. As expected, Sarah was a beautiful bride and looked radiant all day long! The colors, as you guessed, were red, white and blue. Guys, thank you for allowing us to be part of your special day, and thank you Nick for your service to our country! Enjoy a peak at a couple of the images!

Sarah and her dad...

Caught this moment of the two flower girls enjoying the flowers...

Heather & Josh - Wedding

2008-06-23T02:11:00.008-04:00

Welcome back Heather and Josh! We are so excited you have returned from your honeymoon so we can post! This week is crazy busy so more pictures will be added as the week goes on. You guys are awesome!!!!

A little stylin...

Josh gets ready and his parents help to put on the finishing touches

First time for everything

The beautiful bride and her parents

Heather & Josh - Wedding

2008-06-19T01:18:00.006-04:00

We had the privilege and pleasure of shooting a terrific wedding this past weekend here in Lynchburg. Heather looked absolutely radiant, and Josh was thrilled beyond words with the reality of getting to marry his lovely bride. Since Josh and Heather are still on their honeymoon, we want to wait to post some images until they get back so they can be the first to see them.

However, we did want to give a sneak-sneak preview for the parents of the bride! One of my favorites from the ceremony -- do you think the father of the bride could be any prouder?!

Ashley & Brad - Wedding

2008-06-11T01:51:00.005-04:00

We had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of a great young couple in Roanoke a few weeks back. After a beautiful ceremony the reception was held at the lovely Loch Haven Lake where the weather couldn't have been better! The Ruckus kept the music and dancing going well into the evening!

Here are a couple of our favorite images from the day. Thank you guys for sharing your special day with us!

Seeing his bride for the first time...

First dance as husband and wife...

Casey Wood of The Ruckus rockin' the party

David - Senior Portraits

2008-06-08T16:55:00.006-04:00

Two weeks ago we had the pleasure of photographing David's Senior Portraits downtown. Probably the most relaxed, easy going guy we've photographed to date! Here's a couple shots from his session. Enjoy!

Having a little fun at the end of the session...

Dancing All Week

2008-06-08T01:12:00.009-04:00

It has been quite busy week for us. Over the last 6 days we photographed around 250 students and roughly 50 classes at the Lynchburg's premiere dance studio, Dance Creations, located in the Wyndhurst. It was a lot of fun and the kids all had a great time and looked fabulous all dressed up in their recital costumes. We also got a chance to get to know the instructors, who are all top notch individuals and had some mad skills of their own!

Abby- Graduation

2008-05-27T00:04:00.004-04:00

Some of you you may remember a beautiful girl we did Senior pictures for this past fall, Abby. Well, this weekend was her graduation, and we were privileged to attend and take some pictures. She is an accomplished pianist and plays a mean cello. Here are a couple of great shots of the event. Congratulations Abby!

Looking lovely for the big evening...

Mom and Dad looking on, so proud!

Another one of Mom and Dad looking on, this time while she performs.

Awesome shot through the doors of the chapel.

The cake was absolutely tasty!

Sarah & Nick - Engagement

2008-05-15T00:49:00.006-04:00

Wow, what an amazing couple! We knew there was an instant connection when Sarah told us that she coaches softball! These guys definitely had it going on and were a lot of fun to get to know. As for the location -- it was unreal! A gorgeous view of the mountains with acres of pasture for horses made for the perfect setting. To top the night off we fed the horses as the sun gently slumped behind the mountains. Here's just a few of your session guys. We are thrilled to be able to shoot your wedding next month!

Family Walk

2008-05-13T00:33:00.005-04:00

One thing we enjoy this time of year especially is taking a family walk in the evening after supper. Tonight we decided to take along our trusty 5D and 85mm f/1.8 to capture of few quick shots of the kids. Here's a couple from our walk.

Yes, it's caterpillar season so we had to stop literally every 20 feet to collect more. We didn't get very far, but had a great time!

Pretty light! These next two epitomize the personalities of our two daughters. First Alyssa...

...then Emily!

Lots of flowers in bloom!

Christy & Brian - Engagement

2008-05-03T01:17:00.003-04:00

Say hello to Christy and Brian! We had the privilege of doing an engagement session last weekend with this fantastic couple for their wedding this fall. Normally our schedules accommodate evening sessions, but this time we wanted to change things up a bit. Now neither of us are morning people, so when the alarm jarred us awake in the "5's" the thought crossed our mind as to whether this was such a good idea. However once we arrived on location we quickly realized that the early morning light was definitely worth it!

We spent the morning walking around downtown and checking out all sorts of cool little spots. We also got a sneak peak at their rehearsal dinner location...and let me tell you, it was killer! It's this awesome micro brewery with a sign up that said "Stone Baked Pizza" that instantly had me craving a slice of Hawaiin style pizza.

Anyways, check out a few of our favorite shots from the morning. Enjoy guys, and thanks so much for a great Saturday morning! Looking forward to a great time this fall!

Christy this one's for you with the sign in the corner...

A favorite spot of theirs...

Tyler & Kylie - Engagement

2008-04-23T12:37:00.008-04:00

This engagement was amazing! My cousin Tyler planned one of the most creative and elaborate engagements I've ever heard of. Kathie and I were fortunate enough to be a part of their special day, so after they were engaged we captured a few brief shots of them in the limo. Congratulations guys, and we can't wait for the wedding this summer!

Dinner at the famous "Mucky Duck" on Captiva Island.

Kylie, her dad, and Tyler with the promise ring and engagement ring

Rapunzel Loses Her Hair

2008-03-21T23:31:00.005-04:00

Our little girls love stories and lately have been into a book about a girl named Rapunzel. In case you haven't read the book, it's about a girl locked high in a tower and her hair is so long that she lets it down out of the window to let the prince climb up to visit her.

Anyways, Emily likes to pretend she is Rapunzel because she has long golden hair like the fabled girl in the story. Well at least she used to. Tuesday of this week she turned 3 years old, and the very next day she got her first real hair cut since she was born. This sounds like a long time, but she had beautiful blonde curls that captured everyone's attention that made it really hard.

Another reason we waited so long is because we wanted to let it grow long enough to donate to Locks of Love. They are an organization who provides hair for children suffering from cancer and long-term hair loss.

So without further ado, here are a few shots from her birthday and then some before and after pics of her at the salon!

Opening one of her gifts from Alyssa -- a princess coloring book!

This year for her cake, Emily wanted Ariel when she was getting married so that she had on her beautiful dress

Umm, just a little off the top today

Before...

...and after!

Our Beautiful Flower Girl

2008-03-10T22:47:00.013-04:00

Last weekend our daughter Alyssa was a beautiful flower girl for our friend Mary's wedding. It was definitely the highlight of her year so far! She loved dressing up and getting to be part of the fairytale. Thank you Mary and Matt for letting her be a part of your special day!

Our little princess! (She ran out of flowers about 1/4 of the way down...then when exiting the ceremony tried to pick them up! It was adorable!)

One of the beautiful bride...

and the first dance as husband and wife!

Josh & Heather - Engagement

2008-03-09T00:50:00.002-05:00

A beautiful couple to work with, all around. We absolutely love these two and had no shortage of laughter on this shoot. Here's a couple of our favs from the day, and we can't wait to shoot their wedding this summer!

Veronica & Brad - Wedding

2008-02-20T18:54:00.000-05:00

These two were a treat to photograph and were so much fun to hang out with! We had an awesome time at the wedding. It was definitely a memorable Valentine's Day and we couldn't have asked for better weather in February. Thanks for letting us share in your special day!

Just couldn't resist including one of the sunset. This is right outside the chapel just after the ceremony.

Dance Creations

2008-02-01T21:43:00.001-05:00

Tonight Alyssa had dance class, which she's being doing now since the New Year. For Christmas Grandpa Tussey, Aunt Kristie, and Aunt Betsy all got Alyssa started with dance lessons. Since they aren't able to see her at practice each week, I thought I'd snap a few shots of her in action for you all to see. These are especially for you guys! Enjoy!

Canon 5D-elicious - Snow Day!

2008-01-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

So we woke up the other day and looked outside to see the first snowfall of the year. Hooray! We knew the kids would be extremely excited, and since we also knew that it wouldn't be long before it all melted, we bundled them up and sent them out. They had so much fun and we were so happy they got to use their snow suits at least once this year.

Riggs didn't really know what to think and wasn't too excited to be so bundled up, but he was much happier once we brought him inside and he could have a snack. The pics were the first ones to be taken with our new Canon 5D. Delicious!

Mary - Bridals

2008-01-22T00:08:00.000-05:00

A beautiful bride to be! Although we had subfreezing temperatures outdoors, you'd never know it from the pictures. Thanks for being a good sport! Hope you enjoy a few of our favs.

New Logo

2007-12-16T23:42:00.000-05:00

We've been really busy as we approach Christmas, putting together storybooks, Christmas cards, and print orders. In the midst of it all, we've come up with our new logo. You may have noticed it on the last round of pictures we posted. If not, here it is!

Landon & Amber

2007-11-29T23:19:00.000-05:00

No, you didn't just see these two in the latest GQ magazine but they might as well be. My little bro and his wife rocked the little town of Bedford!

Brittins - Family Portraits

2007-11-27T23:27:00.000-05:00

These guys were awesome to work with! And talk about a beautiful setting for this shoot -- the sun was hitting the mountains just right and provided fantastic color for the background of their pictures, even this late in the fall. We really enjoyed meeting and photographing ya'll!

Family Portraits

2007-11-17T16:34:00.002-05:00

After all the photo sessions we've been doing with clients, we decided it was time to set aside a Saturday morning and take some pictures of our own before the fall colors disappeared. Here's a couple good snaps of the fam!

Bethams - Family Portraits

2007-11-01T22:38:00.000-04:00

Meet the Betham family! The boys had a great time outdoors!

Abbey - Senior Portraits

2007-10-27T21:37:00.001-04:00

So easy to photograph this beautiful young lady. She was shy at first but warmed up to the idea of us having a camera on her every move! Who knew a Tuesday night between thunderstorms could be so fun!

In the Red

2007-10-21T01:04:00.000-04:00

Some friends of ours have a band called In The Red and we were able to take some photos of their lead singer for their upcoming album. Check out their website at In The Red

Ahrens - Family Portraits

2007-10-17T23:43:00.000-04:00

Take a family of 7 and add a little country!.... Check out the Ahrens Family!

Pumpkin Hunting

2007-10-11T21:29:00.000-04:00

Tonight we had a family night and took the kids to a pumpkin patch. The girls were really excited and didn't have a hard time picking out a favorite pumpkin. Wrigley had a blast playing with the pumpkins and enjoyed picking out his first one!

Lindsey & Bryan - Engagement

2007-10-10T23:50:00.000-04:00

We had a hard time picking just a couple good pics of you guys - they all turned out so well!

Emily & Derek

2007-09-29T00:38:00.000-04:00

Some really good pics from this shoot! We had to work fast to catch the light, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the IS and f/2.8 worked to get some solid shots in low light conditions.

Fun at the Park

2007-09-22T15:51:00.001-04:00

Lots of excitement at this shoot! Here's Little Miss Melanie, looking sweet as ever, with her two brothers having a good time running all over the park!

Ashton & Greg - Engagement

2007-09-16T23:12:00.000-04:00

Say hello to Ashton and Greg! This shoot was some of the most fun we've had so far! Here is a preview of some of the shots - as you can see, these two aren't hard to take pictures of. Thanks for a great time Ashton and Greg, can't wait for you to see the rest of the pics.

Emily in the House

2007-09-15T21:50:00.001-04:00

Tonight we went to a Liberty soccer game. Our long time babysitter and close friend of the family, Emily House, was playing so naturally we brought along the camera. That's her, #6.

Crown Jewel

2007-09-15T13:50:00.000-04:00

Now that our business is beginning to grow, we have started to invest in additional equipment. This includes software, studio equipment, and lenses. We recently purchased a new telephoto portrait lens that is now the crown jewel of our collection. For those photography enthusiasts out there, no introduction is needed. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS -- craftsmanship at it's finest. Below are a few sample pics using it out in our yard.

Grandpa Tussey's Birthday Visit

2007-09-15T13:45:00.001-04:00

Grandpa Tussey recently came up for a visit. While he was here, we celebrated by taking him out for dinner and then to the park for some photos with the kids.

Baker Girls

2007-09-05T23:39:00.000-04:00

What a blast this photo shoot was! The girls were easy subjects and had a lot of fun. Everyone enjoyed playing in the creek and catching crawdads. A fun Labor Day!

House Family

2007-08-30T00:32:00.000-04:00

Say hello to the House Family! Some of our dearest friends here in Virginia. These are some shots from our first family photo shoot. A lot of fun was had by all!

Ahrens at the Beach

2007-08-20T00:21:00.001-04:00

Here is Dave and Nicki Ahrens, more good friends of ours who we also photographed while on vacation in Nags Head, NC this summer.

Bethams at the Beach

2007-08-19T10:08:00.001-04:00

Here's some pictures we took of some good friends of ours, Brian and Karen Betham, at the Nags Head this summer. What a great time this was!

2007-08-18T20:08:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the world of fine art photography at Colling Photography!