Elizabeth is my album designer - isn't she cute?  She needed an updated photo for her new website that is just getting off the ground.  Of the ones we took today in the park, this one is my favorite.  You'll have to check out her site in the next few weeks to see which one she selects (this is where I would insert a link to her site, if I knew what it was!!)  I love Elizabeth because she keeps me from being totally bogged down in album designs - trust me, she does a better job much faster than I ever did!  Thanks Elizabeth :)

These guys live in Houston, and they just barely made it away from Ike for the wedding.  Some of their friends and family didn't make it out for the celebration, but it was still a great party.  The ceremony was at the Old Cathedral, with a reception at the Lemp Mansion.  Fortunately the rain held off for the outdoor reception (something that the bride and groom were thankful for all night!)  For a few songs Johnson joined the band to play the guitar and sing - that really got the crowd going.  If you watch the SLIDESHOW HERE and wonder why there are so many cake photos, it's because Johnson didn't quite play fair.  They did the traditional cake cutting, serving with forks and being very classy.  Then right after that (and after the videographer had left the area and could no longer document it) Johnson grabbed another slice of cake and attacked Courtney with it.  She fought hard, but in the end she did have frosting smeared on her face.  Honestly, it was pretty funny, and she had a good sense of humor about it.  Plus I got a lot of funny shots, so I'm for it :)

These guys are in St. Lucia for their honeymoon, staying away from Houston for a bit.  I hope all is well for them when they return!

Abby starts her senior year in about a week, so it was time for her senior photos.  We shot in Lafayette Park (a favorite of mine - especially because it is walking distance from my house!)  Abby was a total natural - I think she made mention of watching America's Next Top Model a lot...whatever it takes!  She is really into cars, so we made sure to take some photos of her in the car and tinkering with the engine.  I had a great time shooting with Abby and I wish her all the best in Honors French 3 this fall :)

The rain tried to scare us off for this shoot on Saturday, but I am so glad that Renee and John were willing to give it a shot.  The lighting ended up being really nice, and we had a blast shooting around town.  We went to the Spirit of St. Louis Airport first, since John is a pilot.  It was fun to shoot with the planes - brave Renee even got on top of one (John's idea, not mine!)  Then on a whim we went to the graffiti wall downtown before heading to Lafayette Park.  These two were so fun and did pretty much anything I asked.  There are a ton of photos above because we spent so much time together it was hard to choose my favorites!  I can't wait to shoot their wedding in Ste. Genevieve next April.

I'm having a really productive Sunday, so I'm doing two blog posts today!  Jennifer and Patrick got engaged in Lafayette Park a year ago, so we went there today for their engagement photos.   I couldn't resist putting a ton of their images in black and white - these guys just look so good in black and white for some reason :)  They aren't getting married until October 2009, so I probably won't see them again for another year.  They are such planners! 

 It was COLD on Saturday!  But it could have been far worse - at least there was sunshine.  Between the cold and the early sunset, we had very little time to take outdoor photos for Jennifer and Christopher's wedding.  The wedding party told me I was being bossy, but I think they appreciated that things were getting done quickly so they could get back on the trolley (I'm not bossy I'm efficient :)  ).  The ceremony was at Trinity Lutheran Church with a reception at the Franklin Room, both in Soulard.  We went out to Lafayette Park and downtown, as well as hitting Nick's Pub where these guys met and got engaged.  You can see their SLIDESHOW HERE.

This was my last wedding of 2008!  The next wedding I'll be at will be Sarah and Dan's in March.  It's been a great season - thanks to Jennifer and Christopher for making the last one a fun one!

It was COLD today!  Poor Sarah was freezing out there in her little sweater - eventually she had to stop taking the coat off for photos and just keep herself warm.  Fortunately, she and Dan didn't have a hard time smiling and laughing in the cold wind.  We shot a few photos at City Hall (which is where they got engaged last July), and then wandered over to Lafayette Park.  Hopefully it will be warmer for their wedding in March!

Meet Joseph.  He is 11 months old, and has awesome hair.  During this portrait session he had his first ride on a swing, and took his first family photo.  It was a big day.  I think the last image (where he's reaching for the camera) is my favorite.  It may not hang on anyone's wall, but I think it's fun :)

Lacy Branch is a wedding planner here in St. Louis, and she snapped up a timeslot during my portrait marathon on a technicality - "me and my assistants are like family!"  These three barely stopped laughing for me to take their headshots, so I believe it :)  I hope they can carry that laughter with them into the busy wedding season!

This session nearly got rained out, but Kelly and Joe persisted, and we did a quick shoot this morning during a break from the storms.  We shot in Lafayette Square, and managed to keep dry long enough to wander the park and the neighborhood.  I've shot in the area quite a lot recently, but I don't mind - I live less than 2 blocks from the park so I know this area pretty well.  Despite claiming he didn't like having his photo taken, I think Joe did a pretty good job laughing and posing - you'd almost think he had fun :)  I'll see these guys again for their wedding in October!