Where dreams really do come true

Little Graycen can tell you the name of every Disney princess along with every character that's a their stories. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Ariel, Mulan, Poccahontas, Belle, Tinker Bell, and all their supporting cast.

So when we looked at the calendar and found a few open dates following our speaking engagement at the Florida Professional Photographers convention, it was the perfect excuse to take Graycen to Disney World for the first time. Speaking of the convention, if you're reading this blog and you were at the convention and happened to get a pic of me speaking, we'd love to include it on our blog. We accidentally left our cameras upstairs in our room and didn't have time to run back up and get them.

Now back to Disney. I remember my first time at Disney World. For me, the magic was in Adventure Land. The Swiss Family Robinson Tree House was amazing and it inspired my brothers and me to unite our individual fort-building efforts, and upon our return home we began to connect my fort to Brandon's tree house and Brandon's tree house to Tabor's. Looking back, it was a pretty rough comparison, but with our collective imaginations at work we realized that anything was possible.

For the past two months Graycen has been asking, "When is it going to be August so we can go to Disney World?"

Well, yesterday was finally August and the excitement was unreal. She woke up first and announced, "Hey everybody, it's morning!" as she pulled back our eastern sunrise-facing curtains letting the Florida sunshine flood our room. She was singing and dancing around the room before we left and I honestly can't remember the last time we've never seen her so wound up.

Minutes after entering the park we rounded the corner and saw Cinderella's Castle. She was so excited.


And a few minutes later, on stage were Mickey and Minnie, Goofey and Donald Duck, Cindarella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. It was great!




We rode It's a Small World, the Peter Pan ride, Dumbo, Aladden, the boat adventure, went to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, and played in the water fountains outside Ariel's Grotto. Graycen's Lola and Lolo came as well, and we met up with them half-way through the day.








Everything was fantastic. But without a doubt, the highlight of the day was meeting Princess Ariel and Princess Jasmine, two of Graycen's favorites. She just stood there with her eyes fixed and a smile from ear to ear.


Graycen and Princess Ariel


Graycen and Princess Jasmine


It was an amazingly magical day. And for Graycen, it ended on the elevator somewhere between the lobby and the 15th floor.


This morning, well-rested, we head back for more.

Logan and Daniel, married in Asheville

We were thrilled to photograph Logan and Daniel's wedding recently in Asheville, North Carolina at Homewood. Each wedding and each couple that we photograph is meaningful to us, but there's something about Logan and Daniel that registers on a new level. Daniel was a student in my photography class at Southern Adventist University. I always enjoyed viewing his work, and even more, I enjoyed when he'd stay behind after class and visit.

Not long thereafter, Daniel underwent a very serious health scare. A tumor was discovered on his brain and tests revealed that he had cancer. Normally devastating news, Daniel and Logan determined to fight it with full force. Drastic changes in diet and lifestyle as well as a host of other medical treatments lead to a successful removal of the tumor and a complete cancer-free prognosis.

Certainly, undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy while completing their college degrees was a challenge. But Daniel and Logan credit their faith and courage, as well as the support of their families and friends, in getting them through the trials. So a sweet wedding was made even sweeter knowing what they have already undergone as a couple.





The broach ring that Logan wore had been passed down through her family for several generations


Their moment





We love the portrait session











The bridal party








The kids were absolutely beautiful






Waiting for the groom


The ceremony took place in the glen across the street from Homewood. It was beautiful!








Logan's dog Rose, was quite the guest of honor.








These were fantastic cakes! The groom's cake, check it out, a mountain board...




The first dance


Celebrate!!!!


Following the reception we headed downtown for a few images in a different setting.








Thanks so much, guys, for letting us capture your special day. It was an absolute blessing to be there with you. May God richly bless you as you enjoy this exciting journey.

"Daddy, can I have a photo shoot?"

It's been an embarrassingly long time since we've posted any new pics of Gray. I think it was back on her birthday in May. Lately she has been asking for a photo shoot with several of her new dresses, so the other day we had a shoot at the new studio gallery. It was dangerously close to nap time so we had to cut it short, but fortunately we held it together long enough to get a handful of fun images.










(we're really excited about the wall art in the background. More on that later.)







We're excited about the new studio gallery because as you can see, it offers some great opportunities for beautiful natural light portraits. This week we'll be on the road speaking for the Florida Professional Photographers convention. When we return we have a few finishing touches to take care of and then we'll officially open our doors. Exciting!

Peace and Blessings to all.