nolen photography

update

2009-03-19T11:21:00.002-05:00

Be sure to bookmark the new blog or subscribe to it or whatever you're supposed to do to get updates on new blog posts! We are trying to post like crazy over there!

www.nolenphotographyblog.com

all good things...

2009-03-04T21:48:00.003-06:00

I am kind of surprised at how sentimental I am about this! I am also so excited and hope that you will visit us soon at the new home of the Nolen Photography blog. See you there!

http://www.nolenphotographyblog.com/

looking ahead...

2009-02-19T16:33:00.004-06:00

*Just to be clear--these are my only weekend dates for now! I will continue to offer shoots in the week usually on Monday or Tuesday mornings, Thursday and Friday afternoons. I can often offer other spots during the week depending on my schedule!

The perpetual boy who cried wolf has turned into me: the girl who cried blog posts. We have been busy but who isn't? I do think that I am probably burning a few extra calories these days by chasing an extremely busy little baby all over the place. He is on the move and loving it! As much as I wish I could slow these sweet days down, I know that I cannot. In honor of looking ahead, I've been thinking about spring sessions. With weddings, I have so few Saturdays available for portrait sessions. I wanted to go ahead and let you know these Saturdays that I will be shooting sessions all day! They are already filling up so let me know if you want one!

Birmingham--March 28 and May 9 (I may add others but this is it for now)
Memphis--April 11
Nashville--March 12-14
Huntsville--TBA

2009-02-09T21:07:00.002-06:00

I've had a little time today to go back through our shoots from summer to the end of 2008. There are SO many that I've never posted! I'm going to try to do some mega-posts in the next couple of days so stay tuned! Here are two cuties that always find their way to the blog...their slideshow here.

growing up: alex at 6!

2009-02-09T12:07:00.003-06:00

This is Alex, our sweet niece who is somehow already six and a half years old! I moved to town just weeks before she was born and have always been so grateful that we have had the chance to watch her grow. When people ask me how I got into photography, I cannot tell the story without mentioning Alex. Taking pictures of her was really my first try at this whole thing. When she was little(r), I was always sticking my camera in her face, always following her around trying to capture every expression and detail. Most of the time she'd oblige me but always made it clear that taking pictures wasn't really her favorite thing in the same way that it happened to be mine. Sometime last spring, she said the most surprising thing to me. "You never take my pictures anymore!"

Due to some unexpected but very happy events in our life over the summer, we did not get to do our session until this past September. My favorite thing about it is that Alex planned the entire thing! She chose the place (the gardens), the outfit (a slightly too small pink dress with purple crocs), fixed her hair, set up every pose and location as well as expression. It was her custom photo shoot from start to finish! I cannot believe that she kept the whole thing a secret from her parents from May until late this fall. She worked with her Mimi and made a beautiful scrapbook as a Christmas gift for them. Here are a few shots from our time together!

Allison and Matt

2009-02-04T19:56:00.009-06:00

It was a cold but brilliant December day. The kind that deceives you when you look out the window. The kind that makes us a little nervous about how excited a wedding party is going to be about outside pictures. Oh, and it also happened to be the day of the SEC championship game. If you live anywhere remotely close to where we do, you know that you do not mess around with game days.

With all of that being said, I have got to say that we could not have asked for any more from the wonderful Allison and Matt, their fabulous wedding party, and their sweet sweet families. There is nothing that makes our job more worthwhile than leaving a wedding and feeling like people have truly given us the honor of stepping into their lives.

We were so excited to find this super cool site just down the street from the church!

The groomsmen totally rocked these shoes.
Classic. Every time I book a wedding for a fall wedding in the south, I know we are pretty much guaranteed to get this shot. Though we are not always as fortunate to get expressions like these!
Need I tell you that these two are C R A Z Y about each other?

This ceremony was one of the most intimate that we have photographed. We do this week after week and yet the gravity of two people committing their lives to one another never grows mundane to me. Thank you, Matt and Allison, for the honor of photographing your wedding day! And happy almost 2-month anniversary!

hello there...

2009-01-28T22:57:00.006-06:00

I can hardly believe how many beautiful new babies I have been meeting lately. Meet the precious Jonah and his fabulous big sister, Grace. Click here for their slideshow.

hope

2009-01-27T15:09:00.006-06:00

Winter is always hard but there is no question that this one has been harder than any other for several people that we love. In the midst of dark days such as these, I was comforted by the sighting of these daffodils out my kitchen window this week. I thought that it might be appropriate to share them here.

welcome, baby sam!

2009-01-25T14:58:00.011-06:00

When Corey and I first met over ten years ago (crazy!), one of the first people I heard about was his best friend and next door neighbor, Stokes. In some ways, the two of them could not be more different but in others, they are EXACTLY the same. Connie and Stokes started dating soon after we did and married just a couple of months before us. Their journey to parenthood started a little earlier than ours and for this, we have been so grateful. We have so much to learn and their wisdom is priceless to us. An added blessing for us (and them) is that their newest son, Sam, is just months younger than Grayben. We are so excited about having boys close to the same age! I was so excited that they let me come over to take some pictures of sweet baby Sam.

checking in...

2009-01-20T22:41:00.003-06:00

Hi there, long lost blog readers. Remember when I used to post to this blog? It was sometimes once or twice a week and sometimes more. I have to admit that I think it's really sort of disappointing when you go to a blog and all they have is a message such as this. But here is mine anyway. The last week has been mostly a blur and we have been pretty inaccessible for most of it. We have been walking with some precious friends during incredibly hard days. We would not have been anywhere else and have no regrets of our absence. I do want to thank you all for your faithfulness to our blog and let you know that things will be back up and running on a much more regular time frame very soon. There is much to do, much to post, and maybe a few things to say! We are so thankful for you all!

tis the season for bridal shows

2009-01-09T12:40:00.005-06:00

I love meeting with newly engaged brides-to-be. I love the excitement, the anticipation, the joy. It goes without saying that planning a wedding is also filled with a lot of details and work as well. It seems that you can't plan a wedding these days without attending a bridal show and there is a big one coming up this weekend here in town. Corey was asked to shoot the cover for a Bridal Guide that is being distributed at the show. We did the shoot at American Village which is a really great and popular venue for weddings and receptions.

We did most of the outdoor pictures on the porch of what they call Washington's house. Kathryn is an amazing model and I have got to tell you that she is also enormously brave. The day of our shoot was seriously freezing with an absolutely vicious wind. She did not complain at all. The dress she is wearing came from the always amazing Bella Couture and she could not have looked more gorgeous in it. So, with an amazing dress, model, and location, the rest was left up to us. As we have learned with publications, only a select few make it to print so we thought we'd share some of our favorites from the day.

a quick post...

2008-12-27T11:10:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year, friends! I have been thinking a lot about my absence from the blog and how the longer that I go, the harder that it seems to jump back in. The truth is that I have so much to say and so much to post that it continues to feel a little overwhelming. I think it is safe to say that we made it through the busiest season of the year! It feels good to be in a quieter season and be able to take some time to enjoy our precious boy as he is quickly changing before our very eyes. We had a wonderful time celebrating this season of love and grace with our families and had the privilege of understanding the birth of Jesus with new eyes this year. I have so much that I want to post of Grayben from the last few months not to mention so many wonderful weddings and portrait sessions. We're hoping for some mega-posts soon to try to catch up on the fabulous year that was 2008. We are truly overwhelmed with God's goodness to us.

I took these pictures back in the summer but loved everything about this shoot. This family holds a special place in our hearts and I am so glad it worked out to do some family pictures for them!

merry christmas

2008-12-22T12:03:00.000-06:00

ode to my 30d

2008-12-17T08:15:00.006-06:00

I've had 3 cameras in my lifetime as of yesterday. A Minolta film, a digital Rebel (the very first model), and a 30d. Three years ago I started taking pictures for people who weren't just my friends... 2 years and 7 months ago is when I got my 30d. It has been with me through every wedding, every portrait session, and every shoot in between. Canon says the shutter cycle life of the camera is around 100,000 clicks. We figured I was currently somewhere in the ballpark of 350,000. To say this has been a great camera would be an understatement. It has basically been the foundation on which we've built our business.

Earlier this year we decided we needed to make the investment into newer cameras. The problem was that rumors of a replacement for the camera we wanted started surfacing. So we waited and we waited. Finally in September Canon made one of its most anticipated announcements ever when it unveiled this new model. We immediately ordered them online only to find out that they were already on back order! So, once again, we waited and we waited. Yesterday--three months later--the UPS man finally showed up at our door... he's actually at our door most days but this day he had something for us. So in keeping with the theme of business changes here on the blog, we are proud to announce our new upgrade in equipment. More than that though we are using this as an honorarium to our newly retired 30d. We won't forget you.

Sorry for the lack of session posts. We've been trying to get through the Christmas rush. We'll post lots soon and hopefully unveil our new sites in the coming weeks!

at long, long, long last...

2008-12-07T22:58:00.005-06:00

Last January, Corey and I sat down to have a business meeting. It was really official. We wore business suits and sat at a long, fancy table. Not really. Really we sat at Panera and drank hot chocolate. One thing we did do was talk a lot about our vision for the future of Nolen Photography. Our biggest "to do" on our list was to update our brand. Our goal was to come up with something that was more us, something that demonstrated who we are and what we're about. The truth is that this process wasn't easy, wasn't quick, and didn't exactly stick to that original to-do list. We wanted our new website and logo to be original and customized. We wanted our site to truly represent who we are. We wanted to give our current clients and our prospective clients a clear picture of where we've been and what they can expect with us. We hope you'll find all of those things here. So far we only have the wedding website up and running. Please check back soon for the portrait and commercial sites.

And so, after months and months of planning, designing, customizing, emailing, consulting, and who knows what else, we are so excited to show you our new logo and website. Let us us know what you think!

nolenphotography.com

down on the farm...

2008-11-20T22:54:00.015-06:00

Dawn had been telling me for months now that she wanted to do a shoot with all of their family on the farm where her mother grew up. We finally scheduled a date and headed out early one morning for the trip to the farm. I was armed with camera equipment and absolutely no knowledge of what to expect. From the moment I drove down the long driveway, I knew that this was an amazing place. A place full of history and memories and experiences. The house itself is truly incredible with its wrap-around porch and tall windows and doors. And the land just seems to stretch on forever. The best thing about this shoot though truly was watching this family enjoy it all together. They explored the old barns, took turns on the 4-wheelers, climbed on the hay bales. A day in the country that I know they will not forget.

Can't you see how pretty this home is?
The kids were all truly interested in exploring the farm. It is easy to see what a cool place this would be to come with your family.
Scott loves pictures.
The view from the house...
All the kiddos. (Jake had had enough of pictures. Also, there were no guard dogs.)
I was told that a picture of this (former) post office hangs in the Smithsonian Museum. How cool is that?

You cannot take a picture of the Harrisons without getting this shot. They just won't let it happen.
The always adorable Fischer.
I love the vintage-y feel of this one.

Jeremy & Katie:engaged!

2008-11-20T21:45:00.012-06:00

I had SO much fun taking these engagement pictures of Jeremy and Katie. They are a beautiful couple and it was a beautiful afternoon with the most perfect light that fall can offer. One of my favorite things was just getting to hear their story and see the way that they have been prepared for a lifetime together. It is crazy to think that it took them a while to finally start dating because it is so obvious that they are the perfect match! We are looking so forward to their wedding in January. Here is their slideshow.

fall leaves...

2008-11-17T22:26:00.002-06:00

You never know what to expect in a session with a set of barely two-year-old twins and their three-year-old brother. I made it my goal on the way there to just get one shot where they were all looking at me. I have to honestly say though that the Armstrong kiddos were just awesome. It may have been the prettiest day of the whole fall on the day of our shoot and they were so willing (with only the occasional two-year-old no!) to play in the leaves and explore their backyard with me. I could have taken their pictures all day long! Here is the link to their slideshow!

Lindsey and Vince

2008-11-09T21:35:00.020-06:00

Vince and Lindsey had a beautiful wedding day from start to finish. The weather was perfect, the details exquisite and the bride truly could not have been more gorgeous if she tried! From the first day I met with Lindsey, she was so excited about all the plans for her wedding-the veil, the trolley, the getting ready suite. It was one of those weddings where I can truly say the vision from the beginning was truly executed in the day. And the fact that Lindsey and Vince are surrounded by so many friends and family who love them was really what brought it all together. We were so grateful to have the privilege of photographing their day! Click here for their slideshow.

Getting ready was an event in itself for Lindsey and Vince. They really took the time to enjoy the preparation process! What a gift to not have to rush this part!

Lindsey's amazing dress and shoes!

The details of this wedding were incredible. I know I've said that like twelve times but it's true! Hoover Florist did an amazing job on these bouquets!

Super cute flower girls!

Lindsey is a supermodel.

Lindsey had her bridesmaids just choose a dress in a different fall color. Don't the colors look awesome? As the girls were dressing, the zipper on one of the dresses broke! It would have been more traumatic had they not had different dresses already! Luckily the getting ready suite was in a hotel connected to a mall so the bridesmaids made a mad rush for a new dress just hours before the wedding. Funny now but stressful then!

First dance.

This may be one of my all-time favorite pictures!

Ashley Mac's

2008-11-04T21:07:00.007-06:00

I am sort of obsessed with strawberry cake. On the whole, I do not have what you would call a sweet tooth. I will almost always take chips and dip over something sweet. But I have a thing with strawberry cake. For years, I have requested the strawberry cake from a local bakery for my birthday because it has been my very very favorite. I swore it was the best strawberry cake in the world.

But that was before I tasted Ashley Mac's.

And that was when everything changed. It is the very best strawberry cake I have ever had. I can't wait to eat it for every birthday for the rest of my life. And any other time I can think of a good excuse to have it.

If you have not been to Ashley Mac's, you are really missing out. They are a catering service who also offers boxed lunches and to-go dinners that you can pick up. I have ordered their casseroles (there are tons of awesome choices) for dinner parties and it makes it like a gazillion times more fun than cooking. Ashley felt like they needed some pictures of some of their most popular items to hang up in the shop so she asked us if we could help them out. Corey took all of these pictures and did an amazing job showing the absolute yummy-ness that is everything they make. I am so happy to post some of Corey's pictures other than weddings on this blog for a change.

Here it is. It will change your life.

A piece of this came home with us. Also incredible.
If you are like us, you are always on the search for great chicken salad. This is just about as good as it gets as far as I'm concerned. I think I might go get some out of my fridge right now.
I don't even know what kind of dressing this is on this salad but I think that I could drink it. We were so excited that Ashley let us take home all of the food we photographed for dinner that night. I really did not want to share this salad with Corey. There. I said it.

Actually I just realized that these did not come home with us and so I have yet to try these amazingly beautiful strawberry cake TRUFFLES. Seriously, how amazing does that sound? Plus they're so pink and pretty.
Ashley Mac's also ships their yummy brownies and they come in this adorable box. Doesn't it make you just want to give someone a present? And share the brownies that are inside of it?

If you are not hungry after seeing all of these, I am very impressed.

election day 2008

2008-11-04T14:40:00.003-06:00

I was so excited to take Grayben with me to vote today! I remember going with my mom to vote when I was a little girl and the experience of going in the booth and pulling the curtain. I know that Grayben won't remember this experience but I want him to know that he was there! I am always overwhelmed at the opportunity we have to voice our opinions and so grateful to be able to cast my vote. I hope all of you were able to cast yours as well! No matter what, this is a historic day and I am so thankful to be a part of it.

this just in...

2008-11-03T18:14:00.002-06:00

I have an open time slot this Saturday at 12:15 for pictures. If you want it or know anyone who does, just shoot me an email!

checking in...

2008-11-02T22:49:00.004-06:00

Well, as usual I managed to eat way too much candy without doing any trick-or-treating personally. Luckily the older brother of the one trick-or-treater that came to our house took all of the Reese's cups out of our candy bowl so I don't have to worry about that this week. Just the banana Laffy Taffy. Things continue to be crazy around here but it's also really fun in the midst of the craziness. I am looking so forward to the holidays coming up and am so so happy that the season is upon us! I'll be updating the blog this week as much as I can...there is so much to post. Weddings from the summer that still haven't been posted as well as so many fun kids and families that I can't wait to share. We really have the best job ever.

And just to kick off the week, I found this picture on my desktop and thought I'd post it because it makes me laugh. This is a shot from the super impromptu maternity shoot I did of Andy and Kelly in September before baby arrived the next week. Though Andy's smile looks like he knows, they really had no idea that their photo session was being crashed by a certain sweet baby!

happy halloween!

2008-10-31T12:43:00.002-05:00

I will try to post some pictures of our little Halloween cutie but for now, I couldn't miss my chance to post some of these from the past week. There are others but I had to start somewhere!

jennifer and joseph: engaged!

2008-10-28T18:37:00.005-05:00

It is Christmas card season and that means lots and lots of family sessions. I love that. But I also really love engagement sessions! We are booking so many weddings for 2009 and it is so great to start getting to know all of our amazing brides and grooms for the upcoming season. Jennifer and Joseph are getting married next June and I am already looking forward to their wedding. It was so much fun to hear their story of how they met--and then met again--and fell in love. They have such a sweet comfort with one another. Also, I have been waiting for the perfect shoot to use this song that I love. This was definitely the one. Enjoy their slideshow here!

and the costume sessions begin!

2008-10-27T14:20:00.006-05:00

Sydney

2008-10-26T17:17:00.001-05:00

It was a beautiful weekend. I had shoots all day yesterday but was still able to run home between to visit with our family who came to town to help us celebrate Grayben's baptism today. It was great to be surrounded by so many who love us and care for us so well. I continue to count our clients among those who have been so kind to us. Spending time with all of you, your children, your wedding party, your families is constantly amazing to me. Here is a recent shoot with precious Sydney. Seriously, do they get any cuter than this?

they're here!

2008-10-22T21:33:00.001-05:00

friends

2008-10-19T21:33:00.006-05:00

Taking pictures of people that you love just might be the most fun thing of all. These are our best friends and their amazing daughter.

what season is it anyway?

2008-10-16T12:13:00.002-05:00

Call me crazy but I love that you can wear sundresses for your pictures for over half of the year. I know it's the middle of October and it's eighty degrees outside. But I like it. It's going to be cold soon enough and I'll have to find some of those gloves that have the fingers cut out so I can still use my hands to work my camera. If you see me wearing those this winter, feel free to call Stacy and Clinton. Anyway, randomness aside, I loved photographing these sweet sisters in their blue dresses. I love it when people aren't afraid to use a little color! The most important thing is that your pictures represent YOU and your family. I hope I captured the laughter and energy of the Norman family. Also, I should probably thank them publicly for the grace that they showed me the day of our session! If you want the story on that adventure, you'll have to ask them!

Lindsey: bridal

2008-10-13T17:50:00.002-05:00

I am so happy that I can finally post these pictures of the gorgeous Lindsey. Lindsey and Vince were married this past Saturday in a beautiful fall-themed wedding full of incredible details. These pictures are from her bridal shoot that we did several weeks ago. She was and is a supermodel in every way. I can't wait to post pictures from their wedding soon! Here is the slideshow from her bridal session.

For these last images, we were trying to recreate a picture that Lindsey had taken as a little girl. She gave it to her dad as a gift the day before the wedding!

Christmas Cards 2008

2008-10-09T09:59:00.007-05:00

Here is all of the info that you need for Christmas cards 2008! I hope that you like them! Remember all of the text and most of the colors can be changed on these if there is just something little that you don't like.

To order, you will just send me the number of the image you would like to use and the card that you would like to use. I am happy to send you a proof before going to print. I will be doing a maximum of two proofs for the cards this year.

Here are the 2008 prices.

25 cards for $75
50 cards for $125

Purchase the right to an image to print your own cards $50
(Files can only be used to print cards or 4x6 prints or smaller)

times two...

2008-10-07T13:08:00.001-05:00

I love twins. I just think they're cool and I'm jealous of people that have them. These past couple of weeks have been filled with twins! I think I've photographed three or four sets (all boy and girl!)! I have to admit that there is something a little...umm...intimidating about knowing you're about to begin a session of twins under the age of two. But these two were awesome. Don't get me wrong...the session wasn't without it's fair share of craziness (helped out by some well-timed snacks) but these two are just so cute. Enjoy the Pattons!

sweet kate...

2008-10-05T22:00:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe that Kate is 9 months old! I have been photographing her since she was born and it has flown by. There is something so wonderful about photographing nine month olds...it is one of my very favorite ages. We took these pictures on one of the first cool mornings this fall. It was such a sweet and peaceful time. Kate is a total delight.

Sydney

2008-10-01T08:30:00.007-05:00

The Johnsons

2008-10-01T08:14:00.009-05:00

This is my friend Lorie and her beautiful and amazing family.

The truth is that I really don't know Lorie well. We've only seen each other twice and both times were for photo sessions. I feel like I know her though. Lorie's just that kind of person. One of those with the rare gift of making you feel like one of her favorite friends (even though you know she's the kind of person that everyone wants to be friends with).

I don't really have words to describe her.
Or the experience of taking these pictures.

If I tried to describe Lorie, I'd start somewhere around here: strong, brave, real, faithful, beautiful, incredible. And if I tried to describe the experience of the photo shoot, it would be with this: "are you kidding me?" These were the words that I spoke as I approached the Johnsons on the Saturday of our session. The Saturday of our session that we had moved about 12 times due to Lorie's treatment and appointments in Houston. The Saturday of our session that we tried to time perfectly with the boys' naptime. The Saturday of our session that had been a picture perfect fall day filled with sunshine and a cool breeze. These were the words that I spoke as I crossed the street to where they were huddled under the one sheltered area IN.THE.POURING.DOWN.RAIN. It was truly unbelievable.

And you know what? I think it was probably the most fun, overwhelming, intense, crazy and important photo shoot that I have ever had. We had to try to find spots that were covered which meant that the boys had basically no space to run and play. Lorie and Daryl weren't planning on being in the pictures (like I wouldn't have made them be anyway) but were necessary for crowd control. Honestly, I wish I had a video of the whole event. I'm sure we looked completely insane chasing their cutest boys in the world all around town in the rain. The image below is the moment when we looked at each other as we realized just how hilarious the whole thing was. I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. If you know Lorie Johnson, her joy will surprise you, amaze you, and inspire you.

It is probably the most sincere and true joy I have ever seen in my life.

I really can't look at these last two images without tearing up. If you read this blog and if you pray, I am asking you to pray for Lorie and her family. Here is the link to her CaringBridge site and here is the link to the slideshow of our time together.

Lorie, you are a hero to me and I cannot wait to see what God is going to continue to do through your life!

the first day of october...

2008-10-01T08:07:00.003-05:00

I could get used to this. These fall mornings and evenings, pumpkins on the porch, the way the light is changing. It's the first day of October and I cannot believe it. We have been shooting weddings like crazy lately and they have all been so wonderful and different from one another. I have really had to work to make sure I still have a few weekend times to offer all of our family and kiddo clients. It has been awhile since I've done a Saturday full of sessions so I was really happy to spend a whole day doing just that a couple of weeks ago. I'll be posting lots of sessions from our day in the next couple of weeks. For starters, here is the beautiful (really seriously beautiful) Haynes family.

sneak peek...

2008-09-25T22:12:00.003-05:00

Here they are! A preview of this year's Christmas cards! I think they are so cute and hope that you will, too. I will be sharing all of the details as well as each card individually very soon so stay tuned to the blog in the next few days!

the harbours

2008-09-23T21:43:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about life these days. Not really in a philosophical kind of way but more in a how does it go so fast and how do we learn to really be present in it. I get so much joy from being around families and stepping into the way that they love one another. When I sent this slideshow to the mom of this family, she wrote me back to tell me that she loved them and that they were "exactly what she wanted." I guess that is kind of always the thing about taking pictures for people. You know that really (deep down or otherwise) people have some idea of what their family looks like, of what it will be like to actually see themselves through the lens of a camera. My job is to show that to them, to bring to life what they somehow knew was true but did not have tangible evidence to know it for sure. Enjoy the Harbour family!

Sweet Lauren was just not into taking pictures with her brother unless they were in motion. If there is anything I have learned, you've got to just go with the flow. You cannot manufacture a posed sibling shot when it's just not happening!

Rebecca & Cason

2008-09-21T21:45:00.002-05:00

We met Rebecca last fall when she was a bridesmaid in a wedding that we photographed. April and Jonathan will always be one of our favorite couples and we knew that photographing any friends of theirs would be just as wonderful. We were so excited to learn that the wedding ceremony was going to be at one of the prettiest churches in town! Even though we knew that the site was going to be pretty, there is no way we could have been prepared for how breathtaking Rebecca was as a bride and the beauty of every single detail. From start to finish, this was an amazing wedding. Rebecca and Cason made our job a complete delight. They made it clear that they wanted lots of pictures and gave us full creative reign over the day. Their wedding party was so much fun and so committed to honoring the couple they were standing beside. And their families were truly amazing. My hope is that these pictures will capture the beauty of this day and that in doing that, they will communicate the gift that it was to Corey and me to be there to document and celebrate their promise and commitment.

Click here to watch the slideshow of Rebecca and Cason!

I can never contain my excitement when couples see each other before the ceremony! Can you see how special this moment was for them?

Rebecca and Cason were supermodels. So easy to photograph and needed so little direction. They just enjoyed each other and let us be there to capture that. As photographers, you cannot ask for any more than that.

How awesome is the car?

We love fun bridesmaids and groomsmen! We know we ask a lot of them and this group of guys and girls just totally went with the flow.

Supermodels, I tell you....

exciting news!

2008-09-19T22:33:00.003-05:00

Well, after what seemed like forever, we got the call on Wednesday afternoon that my sweet sister-in-law was in labor! We packed up the car within the hour and headed out of town to be there for the big event. Baby Myles, however, took his time and did not appear until after 22 hours of labor! Kelly was incredible, so strong and brave. And my little brother was amazing. It is an unbelievable experience to see them being parents. And really, how cool is it that Grayben and Myles are just three months apart? I never had cousins who were close to my age and I am so thankful that they will be so close. We are truly overwhelmed with gratitude.

checking in...

2008-09-16T13:51:00.008-05:00

So, I've been thinking about my blog a lot lately. Mostly what I've been thinking is how little I've really shared in the past few months. There are a couple of contributing factors to that. One is that things have really been busy. Even since I've been thinking about writing this post, several days have passed. It is amazing to me how fast the days fly by (I mean, really it's already time for Christmas cards?) Another reason is that I've been trying to figure out what blog life looks like with a baby in our family now. We've talked a lot about how much to post and how to find the balance of being real while still being aware that this is, after all, the world wide web.

This has continued to be a wonderful season for us. As of yesterday, our adoption was official and final. It was an exciting and celebratory day for our family to say the least! Grayben continues to delight us and we still cannot believe that he is really here. The truth that our longing has actually been fulfilled is still somewhat unbelievable. We hope that our story will be an encouragement to people who have considered adoption. If there is anything I have learned, it is that everyone's journey looks different. Yet I know there are things that bind and connect us and I hope that our story will be used in some way. Though it is a cliche, it is nonetheless true: Grayben is a testament to God's faithfulness to us. Had we waited longer or had our longing never been fulfilled, God would be no less faithful. We consider Grayben such an overwhelming gift, so much better than anything we could have imagined. Friends who have gone this way before us told us that this would be true but you don't believe it until you walk it yourself.

We were able to spend a few days down at the beach a few weeks ago. Our friends, Josh and Keely, were able to join us there over the weekend and we had a wonderful time. We ate at all of our favorite places, the boys played tennis while we talked by the pool, and we fit in time for a brief little photo shoot. Keely offered to take these pictures of our little family and she did an amazing job. I am so grateful to have them and will treasure them always.

Kayla

2008-09-16T09:47:00.002-05:00

We have really enjoyed shooting these senior pictures. It is really fun to get to try different places around town for sessions (or even look for new ways to use places). Kayla is full of life and energy. Enjoy her slideshow here!

Ashley and Bo

2008-09-10T13:50:00.001-05:00

Wedding days are never dull. Maybe I should just go ahead and say wedding weekends or maybe entire engagements. I have to say, though, Ashley and Bo's wedding seemed to be going rather smoothly. Yes, it was about a million degrees outside for their outdoor August wedding (that freak cool spell came the NEXT weekend) but truly everyone handled it with the kindest of attitudes. Bo and Ashley have the kind of love that is unmistakable. She was a gorgeous bride and he could not take his eyes off of her. The location was super cool and unique, everyone arrived on time, there was plenty of bottled water to go around. The time for the ceremony arrived, the reception began and filled the room with laughter and the sounds of guests celebrating such a special day. It wasn't until the first dance that we looked out the window and saw them: the darkest and largest clouds looming just over the river. We sprinted outside for a few final pictures before the lightning was too close and the wind nearly blew us away. It was total chaos! There were people gathering chairs, bows, flowers, anything that they could grab! Within ten minutes or so, the unthinkable happened. The power: totally out. By this time, it was dark outside leaving the candles on the tables as the only light. As we waited out the tornado warnings, we were so excited that Bo and Ashley were up for staging a leaving like no other we've done. Since the sparklers she had so excitedly hoped for were no longer an option, we improvised with everyone holding a candle as they ran through! Ashley was so amazing about all of it and did not let a little (okay, an incredible amount of) rain ruin her wedding day!

Thanks again, Ashley and Bo! We had a truly unforgettable time!

supermom (or the story of lauren taking on a photo shoot solo)

2008-09-08T16:31:00.001-05:00

I first met the Blakes last fall when they were expecting baby Matthew a few months later. Thanks to Matthew's arrival, we've been doing photo sessions every few months. This means that I feel like I've gotten to know them over this past year and am in that usual transition where my clients start to feel more like friends. I love that part about my job in case you didn't know. I realize that I say it about ten times a week but it's just plain TRUE. So, on this particular sweltering August morning, a certain dad just happened to get called into work at the last minute and not be able to make it to our photo shoot. (Just kidding, really and truly it was a for real thing. Lauren totally vouched for him.) I have to say that it can be a challenge to try to get pictures of a barely sitting up six-month-old with his older (but not enough older to make it easy) brother. The boys were amazing though and I love the pictures from our session. And I'm so glad that their beautiful mama shared in them, too!

down on the farm...

2008-09-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

When Mandi wrote me to schedule this shoot, she was very sure of one thing: they were not a gardens and flower kind of family. I think the way she described it was more like "as country as they come." We decided on a local stable and it could not have been a better location! When they bounded out of the car in their matching boots, I knew we'd made a great choice. There is nothing like a family who's not afraid to get dirty!

Because I'm always trying to really capture who an individual family is, I will often ask them to just talk to one another, to just hang out and be together. One of my favorite things about this shoot was just listening to them talk and enjoy their family. From upcoming Wii tournaments to playing outside, it just made me look forward to the days to come one day for my own little family. I hope you enjoy the pictures of the Logans!

sweet girl...and fall update....

2008-09-03T16:09:00.001-05:00

Well, things have certainly been crazy around here. And it's barely September! August is actually one of the slower months for our business. I freaked out last August when things slowed down but this year we were kind of looking forward to a few weeks of a slightly slower pace. Because of that, we decided to spend a week at the beach bookended by time with our families and friends. We ended losing almost half of our trip to the rain of tropical storm Fay but it was still nice to have a few days away.
It's clear that going to the beach will never be the same now that we have a baby but as with every part of this journey so far, the joy far outweighs any semblance of sacrifice.

But we're back now and gearing up for fall! We are so excited about all of our upcoming weddings and I can't wait to begin the mania of fall and Christmas shoots. We hope you'll see some exciting changes in the coming weeks and months. One of those will definitely be blog posting on a more consistent basis!

Also, look for the launch of the 2008 Christmas card line soon! Also, if you are interested in booking a session for Christmas cards or just want fall pictures, things are booking fast. If you need a Saturday, please email or call as soon as possible. There are a very limited number of days (as in one each month this fall) that I will be shooting on Saturdays so please let me know if you'd like a session!

Here is a shoot of a precious little princess, Ellison. She is such a sweet girl and I loved spending a session hearing all about Ariel, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. I know she brings an incredible amount of joy to her mama and daddy!

farewell to summer...

2008-08-27T11:34:00.007-05:00

I always look forward to sessions with older siblings. It seems to open the door to some creative opportunities that can be harder when you're chasing little ones around. I absolutely loved this session with the Adams' kiddos. We shot these pictures on the afternoon before school started. I'm not sure it was their ideal way to end their summer vacation but I can tell you that I for one had a total blast. And they were promised ten bucks each by their grandmother if they cooperated so all in all, I think everyone won.

I love these pictures of McKenzie and Ethan. They are very close in age and clearly have the love/hate thing going on. I did not prompt any of this sequence at all other than asking him to stand by his sister. Ethan is one photogenic kiddo. I love his serious face. Such a doll. And I don't even have to tell you how sweet she is...doesn't her smile just say it all?

One day they will all love each other and enjoy being close to one another. This day has not yet arrived. I think the ten dollars was necessary for these next couple. :)

Doesn't she look like a little surfer model? It's amazing how much people will pay for these kind of highlights...I love the way they all three have the same sparkle in those brown eyes. You can really see it in these next three.

I mean, seriously, could they GET any cuter than this? I think this would look awesome as a big canvas. I love their serious expressions...I can't believe I managed to get any without McKenzie smiling!
Thanks for a super fun shoot, guys!

Matt & Julie

2008-08-27T10:37:00.009-05:00

Matt and Julie's wedding earlier this summer was awesome. Seriously beautiful. From the location to the colors to the flowers to the gorgeous bride, everything just seemed to come together. I know there was a lot of work behind all of that but they made it seem so effortless!

Matt and Julie are high school sweethearts. That made for some awesome pictures in their rehearsal dinner slideshow but much more important than that, their ease and comfort with one another could not be more apparent. Though it is clear they are madly in love, there is no doubt that it is grounded by a deep and lasting friendship. Matt and Julie, thanks for letting us be a part of your wedding day! We had a blast.

Aren't these bridesmaid's dresses awesome? I love the way that they pop in the pictures. A little pre-wedding prep. Is Julie a picture-perfect bride or what?

This was our first wedding reception to shoot at Vulcan and it was an incredible venue. The sun set on their first dance overlooking the city and it could not have been more perfect. We were so excited to go up to the top of the statue once it got dark to take a few more pictures. The excitement was limited to the taking picture part because I have to admit that I am very scared to ride up that elevator and walk on that grated floor up there! Still, it was very worth it. I love love love these shots on the stairs.

new babies...

2008-08-26T11:28:00.003-05:00

Newborn shoots seem to come in spurts. It's like I'll go weeks without any and then all of a sudden, there are all these new babies to photograph! Last month it seemed that it was all boys being born...everyone who called me was having a boy. But August seems to be the time for girls. Hooray!

Sweet little Avery was only a week old when we did these pictures last week. She was an absolute angel (though a hungry one at times) through the whole session. Isn't her hat the cutest thing ever? She seemed so tiny to me...

getting cuter all the time...

2008-08-24T18:01:00.003-05:00

If this isn't the cutest thing you've seen all day...

These pictures are actually a few weeks old but we have had so much fun with these first smiles. I am amazed at the amount of time we can spend just staring at him! Things in our life have definitely changed over the past couple of months but it's really true that I cannot imagine our world without him here. These were just some snapshots on his changing table one morning. For whatever reason, no matter how tired or hungry he is, the second he lays on that changing table, he just lights up. It is so much fun!

Everyone continues to tell us that he is going to be the most photographed baby in the world. I am here to (sadly) tell you that this is not true! We're working on it, though.

grayson

2008-08-18T11:15:00.003-05:00

Grayson is another sweet kiddo that I have been privileged to photograph since he was just days old. Not a baby any longer, we took these pictures the other day in a race to beat a quickly arriving thunderstorm. I'm not sure if it was the thunderstorm or his 18-month-old energy that was the real cause of the race but I can tell you that we all spent the whole session running! As always, my hope is that these pictures would capture this time in life and in doing so, somehow celebrate the gift Grayson is to all those who love him.

Also, I should mention that this was the first time I have used this particular spot for pictures! I kind of happened upon it but thought that it was a great spot. Let me know if you're interested in this kind of location!

bears and bubbles

2008-08-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

I'm not even sure I need to write anything to tell you what a delight and joy little Sophie is. If you've been a long time blog faithful, you'll know that I've been photographing this sweet girl for awhile now and even I can't believe how much she's changed just since last fall! As her mama told me after seeing the pictures, her baby face is gone and she is such a big girl now!

Jenna and Garrett

2008-08-12T12:25:00.005-05:00

It feels like we have been looking forward to Garrett and Jenna's wedding forever! Over the past year, we shot engagement and bridal pictures in preparation for the big event. During that time, I feel like I got to know Jenna pretty well and really see her sweet and joyful spirit. When I told her about our baby coming home, she celebrated with us like we'd been friends forever. That is an unspeakable gift to me! I knew that when we photographed their wedding, that joyful spirit would be overflowing.

I have to say that it was suffocatingly hot on the day of their wedding. Seriously. I cannot even convey to you the amount of humidity in the air. Seriously. Jenna and Garrett were great sports about it and I love the shots that we got. We had to race outside before a huge thunderstorm to get pictures of the wedding party and barely made it in as the raindrops began to fall. Talk about a crazy day! We had a great time, though, and were so thankful to be there to capture such a beautiful day!

Jenna and Garrett opted to see each other before the ceremony. We are always so excited when that happens! They had one of the sweetest first looks that I have ever seen.

It was so cool that Jenna and the girls could see everyone arriving for the ceremony!

The golf theme was all over the groom's cake at the reception! It was super cute.

travels...

2008-08-11T11:35:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we took our first family road trip to see some friends. On the way there, we stopped for this photo shoot with the McKnatt family. It was one of those things that just kind of fell together at the last minute but because of that, it was really fun and natural. These pictures were taken in a town called Leiper's Fork and it is truly one of my favorite places in the world. I love the interaction between this brother and sister...the perfect mix of loving each other one second and pushing away the next. And talk about amazing blue eyes.

life...

2008-08-05T13:13:00.005-05:00

So...from time to time, my mom likes to send me packages in the mail. It's really awesome. Apparently she saved all of the pictures we drew, crafts we made, and notes my brother and I wrote when we were little. For the past couple of years, she will include one of these creations in with a package that she sends to me. The one that I got yesterday made Corey and I both laugh out loud. From the print, I am guessing I was about 6 or 7 at the time of composure. All that it said was this (in all caps and purple crayon):

"No one cares about me. Just my dumb brother."

This confirms two things for me, both strangely comforting. One, I love my brother. There is nothing like the connection, friendship, and laughter we share. Two, I tend to be a bit on the dramatic side. I guess that I always have been. I like to make extreme statements; sometimes this is because I really believe them. At times--okay, a lot of the time--this makes me feel like a crazy person. My emotions tend to take over the rational part of me and it's often hard to reel that back in. Sometimes though, I feel like it helps me to just really experience life. To soak it in and feel it really deeply.

There seems to be a lot of emotion to feel these days. Our life feels really full right now. Really joyful and new. Laughter feels deeper and connections to other people feel more authentic than before. I also feel stretched in new ways and some of those make me feel really tired and also very scared. It also feels like there are a lot of really hard things happening around us right now, too. A lot of things that don't seem to make any sense, that seem to be in direct contradiction to what seems so true in our own lives right now. I have been able to photograph some families lately who have been vulnerable with me in ways that have made me connect anew to what I want to do and be as a photographer. For these things, I am very grateful.

My shoot with the Edwards family was one of my favorites that I've shot in awhile. I was able to just let them be themselves and then work to capture that. For many families that I photograph, I think that this is harder than showing up for what they consider to be a typical photo shoot geared up to smile and pose. And yet it is truly my heart as a photographer. I long for families to see the beauty in their children, in their families, in their story together.

Also on that note, we had the chance to watch Steven Curtis Chapman and his family on CNN tonight talking about the dark days their family has walked through this summer. There are really no words but I can promise you that it is worth watching.

changes...

2008-08-05T13:08:00.007-05:00

I know that it seems like I always have a lot to say. That can be kind of annoying--even or especially for me--since my job is to tell stories without using words. I hope that these pictures of the Menk family will do that. I met them over a year ago to take pictures of their son, David Scott and I have known for awhile that they were on a long and heart-wrenching journey toward bringing their daughter home. I was so thrilled when they asked me to take these pictures during Zoie's first weeks home. It was such a privilege to get to meet her.

brothers...

2008-08-04T14:28:00.007-05:00

I had so much fun with these boys. They were the perfect mix of super polite, easy to work with, and the energy and goofiness that only little boys share. I loved seeing their different personalities and yet the way that they love and care for one another. I think the top picture is a good representation of the way I classically see birth order play out in pictures! It makes me laugh every time I look at it! Also, you have to watch the slideshow to see their beautiful mama...it is no surprise where these boys get their good looks.

You couldn't get Will to stop smiling if you tried!

A little sprinkler fun on a hot day...

So serious...but SO cute. I love this one.

on the road again...

2008-08-03T09:50:00.015-05:00

*Disclaimer* We are not in Maine with a newborn baby!*

I think making new friends is really hard. I mean real friends--people that you connect with and trust and laugh with in a way that just feels hard to get to with others. About 3 months ago, our good friends, the Williams, came and stayed with us. One of the best things about being with Brave and Jennifer is the pure comfort we have from being with them. This visit was no different.

Corey met Brave and Jennifer when he was working at Student Life back in 2001. I had not moved to town yet but I will never forget Corey telling me about them and insisting that I would love Jennifer and knowing that we would be friends. They had recently moved to Alabama from Maine. From the beginning, we truly have been great friends. They have walked with us through a lot of stuff and there aren't enough words or time on a blog to say how much their friendship has meant to us. A couple of years ago, Brave entered a master's program which meant they had to spend a year in Tuscaloosa and a year in Montgomery. All this time, they have longed to get back home to their family in Maine. This past spring, Brave landed a dream job super close to their home town and they couldn't have been more excited. They have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to get there.

We miss them like crazy but are thankful for God's provision to bring them into our lives for a short time. Now I just have to settle for email to learn from Jennifer's wisdom about what kind of bottles to use and how to make your own baby food. Look for pictures from Maine before long because we WILL be going to visit.

These pictures came from an impromtu photo shoot in our nursery (that was just an empty room at the time) just before we were leaving for church. I'm so glad it happened though. Brave and Jennifer, we love you guys and are thrilled for you. Here's their fun family!

beautiful maggie...

2008-08-01T14:33:00.006-05:00

Seriously, do they get any prettier? And I KNOW that I say this all the time but this is truly a girl who has a beautiful heart, too. I only spent a couple of hours with her and in that time, I saw her kindness, patience, and gentle spirit. She is also a budding singer and guitar player! Nashville, get ready for this one!

back on track...

2008-07-31T12:49:00.004-05:00

I know it seems like I have dropped off the planet lately! I promise that we are still here and things are just as busy as always in the photography (and in the baby) world. We are having so much fun in this new season of life with a little one. I can't believe it but he has been home with us for a month already! Time is flying. We even ventured out of town for the first time and he did great.

I feel like becoming a mom has changed so much about the way that I approach photography. It's like seeing the world in a whole different way. I have met so many really great families and couples in the last few weeks. I can't wait to share them on the blog! Now that we're settling in around here, I will be posting pretty regularly. Here are some from a sweet session I did several weeks ago. I posted one other shot from this session awhile ago but here is a show that I did that is a little different than the usual. Melissa wanted some pictures of just her and the girls...they are so beautiful that they made my job a breeze!

old friends...

2008-07-21T20:40:00.008-05:00

We love photographing weddings. I always say that one of my favorite parts of photographing weddings is the relationships we're able to build with couples and their families. There is nothing like leaving a wedding and feeling like you've known people forever. However, in the case of Amy and Daniel, I realized that it was actually true. Daniel and I have been friends for a long, long time (I think we figured out that it is like 15 years or something). I spent so much time at their house in high school and each member of the Little family holds such an important--and different--place in my heart. When we met Amy earlier this year for their engagement session, I knew that she was the perfect girl for Daniel. She is as sweet as she is beautiful and we are just so happy that they have begun their life as husband and wife.

A few wedding details. The bridesmaids' bouquets were unbelievable.

Some getting ready fun...
Amy was truly a princess in her dress and fabulous wedding shoes.
This is my dear dear friend, Sara. She also happens to be the sister of the groom and one of my favorite people in the whole entire world. For those of you who have seen my Facebook picture, you have now seen the flipside of the moment.
I love how Corey captured Daniel's expression as Amy walked down the aisle. It is actually really hard to capture that moment in most weddings from the back of the church where we usually are during the ceremony. Married!

The reception was super fun and filled with a ton of laughter and emotions. There is no way I can post all of the fun dancing and toasting pictures but I really love how they all turned out. Amy and Daniel, thanks again for asking us to photograph your special day! We are so, so grateful to have been there to celebrate with you.

good fortune

2008-07-15T21:16:00.005-05:00

So, I'm perfecting the art of working with a sleeping baby on my lap. I keep thinking I should put him down but then I keep hearing the words of EVERY person these days telling me how quickly these days are going to pass. I don't know how to hang on to to them any more than I am.

Tonight I was working on the pictures from one of our recent weddings. We're working hard to dig out of the pile that accumulated when the surprise of our life arrived. I found this picture and loved it. For one, I love it for Janna and Michael--an awesome couple who were wonderful to photograph. But I also love it because it's true for us in this season, too. In a fun, fortune cookie kind of way.

Back in the swing of things... Senior Session

2008-07-14T12:42:00.008-05:00

Well, it's been quite a week. Were it not for an amazing baby, incredible family members, and too many friends to count, I would not be able to make this post right now. We have been loved and supported so much through this that it seems like it might just be possible to keep things moving right along.

Corey and I had our first wedding since the baby came. Outside of the few times we both thought we were going to fall over with exhaustion and the one argument we had over when our baby should be put down for the night, we were pleasantly surprised at how well everyone did in our first full day away. More from that later.

In the meantime, I have a pile of shoots that just haven't made it to the blog yet. Hopefully I can get those up this week. This one is of Katelyn. She's soon to be a senior. Corey & I had a lot fun with her and her mom. She really was such a natural and I think it really came through in her pictures.

the whole world

2008-07-10T07:59:00.004-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of our sweet boy. I know they kind of all look the same but he is just so cute and sweet in each of them. He continues to be more wonderful than we ever imagined having a baby could be.

I cannot believe that it has already been one week that he came into our lives.

In some ways, it feels like he has been here forever and in others, it feels like this has been one long day.

In every way, I cannot imagine our world without him.

We have been truly humbled by how many people have been there for us during this past crazy week. We are so grateful and honestly just overwhelmed by the way our friends and families have shown up in these past few days. There have been borrowed cribs and bouncy seats, incredible meals, a gazillion phone calls and emails, friends who have come from near and far, really fun presents, and my personal favorite: blog comments! And all for a precious little boy who has no idea.

I can't believe how much I love him. I told Corey that it is like realizing a whole dimension of love that you never knew existed. I have thought for a long time that I at least had a little bit of a grasp of how God loves us. I know that there is no way that I'll ever really understand that. But what I do know is that if THIS is anywhere close to how God loves us, I really had no idea before now.

Also, I feel like I should say that we are still working in the midst of all of this. Though we were completely surprised by little one's sudden arrival last week, we have known for awhile that a baby would eventually be coming and we have worked hard to structure our work situation accordingly. Please feel free to still call and email us to set up sessions! More than ever, we are thankful for the gift of what we do!

2008-07-07T16:14:00.003-05:00

Everyone keeps saying that he is going to be the most photographed baby in the world...we have been hearing this for months. I have been terrified that it would be the classic case of the cobbler's children having no shoes. So, at least for now, I have been trying to capture him every chance I get. I have to give some major credit to my mom for helping me out even when I know she really thinks laying a naked baby down on a hard surface is super mean. He looks really unhappy, huh? I will post more from our time later.

We are having so much fun and really just cherishing every second. Every expression and sweet sound. Even waking up in the middle of the night feels like a gift.

love

2008-07-06T08:52:00.004-05:00

I know I'm in big trouble for not posting yesterday. Here's the cutest baby in the world...we are so grateful for this miracle. We love him more than we ever thought it was possible.
He loves hearing his daddy sing and play guitar.

update

2008-07-04T21:40:00.002-05:00

Okay, okay! Tomorrow I'll post pictures...promise. But you're not even going to believe how cute he is.

update

2008-07-03T08:33:00.003-05:00

Due to some recent exciting news, Nolen Photography may be hard to catch up with in the next few days! Please feel free to call or email us and we will get back in touch with you just as soon as we can. We are so thankful and humbled by the support and encouragement in our lives. Updates to come...

2008-06-30T08:35:00.003-05:00

We have had a busy weekend to say the least! Since Thursday, we've shot two big family sessions at the lake (different lakes), a regular portrait session, a rehearsal dinner, and an incredible wedding (more on that later). However, I have been waiting since last fall for the Pepper Place farmer's market to open again. I have what you would probably call an obsession with farmer's markets and this is my favorite one in Birmingham. The colors, the flowers, the veggies, the people, the dogs, the morning, some music and art thrown in. The market is held every Saturday morning and this past weekend was literally the first time I have had an open morning since they opened this year. I am a big fan of seizing the moment so I took my tired and too much work to do self downtown anyway and enjoyed every second. I came home with two of my top five favorite things--zinnias and homegrown tomatoes. I spent way too much on both of them, especially since they are both currently growing in my backyard (but way too slowly!).

part 1

2008-06-25T21:08:00.004-05:00

I really wanted to post more tonight from Jessica and Corey's wedding but I have got to quit and go to bed! I keep finding more pictures that I want to play with and put on the blog but I really know that I could do this for HOURS if I'm not careful. So, here are some early favorites. I really will post more later. And I know that I also still owe pictures from other weddings that I've promised to post. We are smack dab in the middle of whirlwind wedding season '08 and loving it! I realized today that I was wishing it was closer to Saturday because I can't wait to shoot our wedding this weekend!

rosie's

2008-06-24T08:40:00.004-05:00

My Huntsville friends are a creative bunch. When Michelle told me that she wanted to take the girls' pictures at their favorite restaurant, I was so excited but also a little bit nervous since I had no idea where it was or what it looked like. I love taking pictures at new places so I was ready for the challenge. Turns out it was one of my favorite places that I've ever shot and the girls--as usual--could not have been cuter. We had a great time and I love the way the pictures turned out. Enjoy their slideshow!

shout out (way overdue)

2008-06-20T20:47:00.005-05:00

So, I'm not what you would call an ambitious girl. Not big on the risk-taking, one of those who dreams big but acts pretty small. One who can convince herself she's content when she secretly wonders if there might be more. The truth is that I didn't really know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Who really does? There were things I knew that I loved--kids and their families, art and creativity, being outside; I sure had no idea how all of those things could ever come together in an actual career. I mean, really, surely that would be a little too much to ask for, right? I spent my first few years in Birmingham teaching preschool and kindergarten and I found many of those loves nurtured by my job. Yet I always knew that it wasn't really my PASSION.

Meet my friends, Melissa and Rishay. For the first couple of years that I knew them, they were simply mothers of daughters who were in my class. As it happened, their girls moved up with me through preschool, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten. Our friendship began through chats at school parties and field trips and just simply grew over the years. I have always been in awe of the way they selflessly love their families. As I had dinner with them and their families tonight, I was struck once again by how faithful and encouraging these two women have been to me along this journey. Other than my family, they were the first two people who let me/asked me to photograph their girls. I have no idea why they believed in me or why they gave me a chance at all. All I know is that because they did, I had the courage to actually do something that I'd always dreamed of doing. For that, they deserve way more than a blog shout-out and I wish that I had so much more to give. Thank you, sweet friends, for everything.

really?

2008-06-17T21:18:00.008-05:00

Seriously, it feels like it was just a couple of months ago that I posted the picture of Corey and me at the Cubs game on our four year anniversary. I'm not sure a year has gone by quicker in my entire life. I just cannot believe we've been married for five years. This past weekend we shot a wedding in Memphis, my hometown. It was the wedding of an old friend and there were so many people there that I had not seen since before Corey and I were married, some of them since we began dating. I feel like I have been Erin Nolen for so long now that it becomes a weird feeling to be recognized only by my maiden name again. There is comfort in it and yet it makes me realize how different I am and how different my life is because of Corey. I am thankful for that. So, anyway, I think I said this last year on my fourth anniversary but I still can't figure out whether it feels like it's been a long time or not. All I know is that I'm grateful for another year together.

Also, I have been asked who takes the picture of the photographers. This picture was taken with the timer as the camera was propped up on the back of the Volvo. In our driveway.

may wedding

2008-06-16T02:13:00.012-05:00

It has taken me forever to get this blog post up. Part of that I must attribute to how many pictures I love from this wedding. We had such an amazing time photographing Tiffany and Rick's wedding. They have an incredibly sweet story of falling in love (Tiffany's family moved to the same street as Rick's family in high school!) and their excitement toward becoming husband and wife is truly inspiring. We just felt honored to be a part of it and to witness this celebration. I told Corey that their wedding reminded me most of our own and that was a sweet gift in itself. Enjoy their slideshow!

Aren't the hydrangeas beautiful? Tiffany wanted as many blue flowers as possible and their florist did an incredible job with the flowers.

We are always so excited when couples choose to see each other before the wedding for pictures. We work hard to make it a special and intimate time since we understand it is going against tradition! It is so much fun and allows us to really focus on pictures of the bride and groom.

Tiff and Rick told us they were renting this car before the wedding but we had no idea how much fun we'd have taking pictures in front of it. Their reception was at the always fun SoHo in downtown Homewood. It is a great venue!

Just a few more portraits...

home

2008-06-10T11:39:00.005-05:00

Like I said in the last post, I never know how a shoot will go. This session had to be rescheduled a couple of times due to weather and we came so close to missing this one as well as a result of threatening storms. It was late on a Friday afternoon and the gardens were nearly empty (one of my favorite things). I love the pictures from this shoot and I am once again so awed and grateful for the relationships and connections I experience through what I do. I'm not sure what was going on here but this picture cracks me up. I know it looks like we are playing peek-a-boo but we were not. I think this is more a look of exasperation...

This is a boy with more expression than you can believe. I wish I could include a live track of him talking along with the pictures.
Maybe one of my favorite pictures ever.

sisters

2008-06-09T11:37:00.007-05:00

You never know, really. Before every session, there are always these moments of anticipation when I wonder how things will go, how the whole experience will unfold. Sometimes things go exactly as I expect but most of the time, each session takes on a life of its own and I feel as much as anyone like I'm just watching to see what happens next. I really had no idea what to expect when I photographed these sisters several weeks ago and I'm not sure they did either. The pictures were a gift for their mom and from the beginning, she said she wanted to be surprised instead of watching the pictures being made. These two were total naturals and I had SO much fun getting to know them. Obviously, they are beautiful girls on the outside but I can promise you that they are just as beautiful on the inside as well.

It is not hard to see where these girls get their beauty...

The cell phone picture was a request by her mama.
It's not my usual style but I thought I'd try this look on a couple of these photos. This field was awesome and the girls were total troopers about walking through the itchy weeds. I like the timeless look of these...

it's monday again!

2008-06-09T08:30:00.002-05:00

These things happen so fast! I am posting to say that I will be posting at least one session today and maybe more!

just the beginning...

2008-06-04T22:01:00.004-05:00

I may post some more vacation shots again someday but for now, I have so many other things that I want to post. We have had so much fun at the weddings we have shot recently. Something about photographing a wedding makes you feel like you have a whole new community of friends when they're over. We loved every minute of Tiffany and Rick's celebration last month. I am planning a longer post on their wedding and another May wedding soon but here are a couple of sneak peeks. Talk about a photogenic couple. We're begging Tiffany to let us do our first trash the dress session!

catch up.

2008-06-04T11:44:00.004-05:00

Whew! Coming back from vacation is kicking my tail! Luckily, we really love our job. It is such a relief to come home and not dread work. There is just so much work that it feels nearly impossible to fit it all in! We are working around the clock to get the slideshows and orders done from the week before we left as well as in the middle of a full week of shoots. Thanks for your patience, everyone! Here are just a few more vacation pics...

The whole gang...

Some shots from Yellowstone...

The one and only Old Faithful...

Most of Glacier

2008-06-02T23:04:00.011-05:00

Here are some things that I learned on vacation:

1. I never feel ready for vacation to be over. I have counted down to this trip for months and it was still a million times better than I imagined.
2. I was a crazy person to think I'd be able to post to my blog everyday. I probably could have if the wilderness had internet access. But is the wilderness really the wilderness if it has access to the world wide web?
3. You should eat all of the huckleberry ice cream, smoothies, shakes etcetera that you can while you have the opportunity.
4. Even when coming home is really hard and you miss your friends so much it hurts, it is awesome to have your mother-in-law pick you up at the airport with your favorite pizza and drinks waiting for you in the car. Especially when it's 10 pm and you've been traveling for 17 hours.
5. I love Montana. (I knew this one already.)

I really do want to post a lot more pictures from our trip. There are so many more from Glacier and then a ton from Bozeman and Yellowstone, too. We'll see how that goes now that we're jumping head first into work tomorrow. For now, here are some highlights.

A shot of our amazing hotel lobby. My grandmother just told me that I had lunch here when we vacationed in Montana when I was a little girl. How cool is that?

Aspens. Cannot get enough of them.

They're not kidding about these bear warnings.

You may recognize Salem from other posts on this blog. She was a total angel this entire trip and made everything even more fun. I miss her so much already.
Corey and Say conked out in the back seat. It takes a lot of driving to see most of Montana.
Here are some fun wildlife spottings in East Glacier.

Seeing this mama and baby moose was one of the highlights of my life. I know that may sound crazy but I have always dreamed of seeing a moose. Josh and Corey saw one on a hike the day before (see below) and were so sweet and apologetic to me that I missed it. We really didn't think we'd see another since the ranger told me he'd only seen 3 or 4 in 4 years. We saw 5 in one day!!! It was amazing.

Corey and Josh hiked one of the most difficult hikes in all of Glacier National Park. I still can't believe they did it. They said it was incredibly hard but worth it in the end. I love this morning shot of the mountains. On the snow picture, you can see Corey to the left. They were the only ones up on this amazing lake.

The first moose sighting. Is that incredible or what?

Just a few more nature shots from the trails.

I am planning on devoting a whole post to this place. I have never been anywhere like it...from every angle. The yummiest homemade bread I have ever ever had.
East Glacier.
Sweet friends. More friends to come!

welcome to glacier. day 1.

2008-05-30T23:48:00.005-05:00

We arrived in West Glacier late in the afternoon on Monday just in time for one quick walk down a nearby trail. It is incredibly beautiful. The lodge had opened for the season just days before and it turns out that in a lot of ways, this is a great time to visit the park. There are hardly any people and everything is fresh and green in the best of ways. There are some downsides to the early season but mostly, it was great. We had an incredible dinner in the lodge restaurant where we discovered the delight that is huckleberry ice cream.

If you want to know what Corey looks like on vacation in the mountains, here it is.

I love this shot of the fly fisherman. It makes me wish my dad was here. He loves Glacier and has always talked about how incredible it is. We came as a family when I was 11 but I don't remember much.

idaho day 2.

2008-05-30T09:39:00.005-05:00

We have officially been in the wilderness. We left Idaho for Montana on Monday and headed to Glacier National Park where there was no cell phone service, no internet,no televisions and nothing but mile after mile of the prettiest mountains I have ever seen. It was awesome. We are now in an amazing house outside of Bozeman and though you need 4-wheel drive to make it up the crazy winding dirt road, I strangely enough can post to the blog. Before we left Idaho, Corey asked if we could drive through the downtown area of the town where we were staying. We drove up to this amazing lake and within minutes, Keely had called and scheduled a ride for us on the sea plane sitting in front of us! We're still kind of in shock that we did it. If you know us, you're probably also in shock that we did it. More to come...

Seniors 2009

2008-05-26T08:21:00.018-05:00

Corey and I are SO excited to announce the launch of the Nolen Senior Sessions. We have been planning this for a long time and it has finally come together!

Back in January, when we met and started really discussing making a push into senior photography, we knew we wanted to do it our way. By our way, we mean that we wanted them to be fresh and fun and not your average, every day senior portraits. We wanted them to have style...atmosphere... and show a lot of personality. And so, without further ado, I present our first subjects of the 2009 year: Heather & Whitney .

If you know of upcoming seniors who are looking to do pictures in the next year, please let them know about us. We are offering discounted senior sessions for anyone who books before August 1. These will be customized photo sessions created to show each individual senior. We guarantee this will NOT be your typical senior shoot!

For more information or to schedule a shoot email us: info@nolenphotography.com or call: 205.533.7664. We are sticking to our commitment to stay affordable while offering a creative and fun photo shoot.

day 1. idaho

2008-05-25T22:21:00.004-05:00

We made it! Corey and I are not big fans of flying (okay, actually we hate it) but we had two fabulous flights today and actually enjoyed the whole traveling experience. Here are a couple of shots from the plane.

We met up with Josh, Keely and Salem and our vacation adventure felt like it had officially begun. Through the referral of a good friend, we were able to find an incredible steakhouse for dinner tonight. The food was amazing and the company ideal. So far, Idaho has surpassed my expectations which is actually saying a lot because I have been ready to visit Idaho for a long time. Also, I should say that it does feel like the longest day EVER. It feels like it has been daytime forever with the time changes. Being in the mountains is just the best.

exploring...

2008-05-24T23:01:00.002-05:00

This little guy is on the move! I have spent a lot of time in the last few days chasing these new little walkers around and it is so cool to see them exploring the world in such a new way. It makes sense when you think about it...it's a freedom that they've never known!

woo-hoo!

2008-05-24T17:25:00.001-05:00

Like I said, I will be updating the blog when I can over the next few days. We are so thankful to have such good friends housesitting for us while we are away...makes me feel like maybe my tomato plants will survive after all!

hmmm....

2008-05-23T09:53:00.002-05:00

I don't know what's up but I can't seem to post any pictures right now! Anyway, I will just hold off on the post that I was about to put up. We are gearing up for our big trip out west...I can't believe it's almost here! I am going to try to update the blog on our adventures but I have no idea if that will be possible. I am thinking that maybe I should start packing one of these days...

for this child...

2008-05-21T22:04:00.003-05:00

I have just met one great family after another. I mean, seriously, how great is my job? I get to meet these awesome people and come into their lives, sometimes even their homes, and do what I love to do. I have met a lot of families lately who have waited a long time for the children who are now a part of their lives. Because of our own journey, this is especially encouraging to me. It helps me to believe that what now seems hypothetical will one day be reality. Enjoy these pictures of Pierce. He is a genuine delight. There's wisdom in these eyes. I love this expression.
Sweetest little baby toes.

sneak peek

2008-05-21T20:48:00.002-05:00

I don't think Tom and Emily are back from their honeymoon so they haven't actually seen their wedding pictures. I am waiting to hear from them before I post their show but here is a sneak peek. This was such a fun wedding and I do have to say, Emily was our first bride with pink hair. She looked like she was famous...total supermodel. We loved getting to meet all of their friends and family...it was such a celebration.

country roads...

2008-05-20T23:33:00.008-05:00

So, this was one of a few shoots we've done on a farm in the last few months. I like farms. It's official...I really do. I like the idea of growing what you need to live on and really appreciating the beauty of that cycle. I love the calmness, the peace and relaxed go-with-the-flow attitude that people seem to have when they're out in the country. I always kind of saw myself as a country girl but this future only included being barefoot, wearing pretty dresses and having a big white house with a porch. Also wildflowers. And mountains. I kind of left out the hard work part. I'm telling you...this seems to be a never-ending job. But hey, I have definitely found that farms are a great place to visit. I think I'd even enjoy an extended stay so I could really see what it was like. Also, I forgot to mention this: farms have animals. During this shoot with the awesome Lowery family, I was so excited to get to go and see all of the animals at the end. They have calves and mama cows, cats, puppies (I love puppies), more cows, chickens (not my fave), goats and probably a bunch of other stuff, too. It would have been perfect if they'd just had a donkey. In case you didn't know this about me, donkeys are my very favorite animal. Wow. This has turned into kind of self-revealing post, after all.

Anyway, the Lowerys were so much fun. I am so thankful they invited me out to capture their world! It was well-worth every minute!

knowing...

2008-05-20T07:54:00.002-05:00

I love the expression on Elle's face in this picture. It's like she knows without a doubt how much her parents love her. She has amazing eyes, don't you think?

any takers?

2008-05-19T10:24:00.006-05:00

Maybe it's the upcoming vacation but I'm feeling like this week's not QUITE crazy enough. It's also the last week of school which means summer is almost here!!! And even though I'm not IN school and that really doesn't affect me at all, I still love summer and can never shake that anticipation when it's right on the brink.

And so, in honor of these things, I thought I'd offer not one but TWO discounted photo sessions this week. If you want a $50 session, send me an email or post a comment on the blog. It will be first come, first served. Sessions have to be this week...I can fit people in at some point pretty much any day so let me know what day and time might work for you!

Also, we had thought we'd be out of town shooting on Friday but it looks like that will be in June instead. I was thinking of offering sessions at the gardens instead since I have that day open. It would be the regular sitting fee but I'm thinking of throwing in a free 5x7 since it's such late notice. I'm telling you, summer makes me do crazy things...

Jessica and Matt

2008-05-15T16:11:00.032-05:00

When I met with Jessica last year about the possibility of Corey and I photographing her wedding, she was glowing with excitement about her engagement and the anticipation of a spring wedding at the beach. From the outset, Jessica knew she wanted her wedding to be full of life and color and energy. Once you get to know her, you see that this makes sense because it mirrors her personality exactly. At our second meeting, Jessica and her wedding coordinator handed me pages and pages of images knowing exactly how they wanted this day to unfold. I have to be honest here and say that I was a little bit unsure that they were actually going to pull this off...I'm telling you, these were girls with BIG plans. The truth of it is that they totally and completely blew me away with this celebration. It was a beautiful day from start to finish, down to the very smallest detail. Matt and Jessica, we were so honored to photograph your wedding and inspired by the love you have for one another.

I had a blast capturing Jessica and her sweet friends as she got ready for the day. What hair and make-up session is complete without fun music and lots of laughter? Can you tell how happy she was? And this is even BEFORE she saw her groom...Like I said, the details for this event were so beautiful. If you are looking for a wedding coordinator who can pull of this sort of event, we know the one for you!
Jessica--looking beautiful as she waits for her groom. I love this series that Corey took of Jessica walking to see Matt for the first time. It is so sweet to me to see the anticipation on her face! We work hard to make the "first look" for couples a time that they really share together. As you can see, no one's on the beach except for Matt, Jessica and my cute husband!

Though we understand when couples choose not to, it makes our job SO much fun when the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony. It also means that the bride and groom get a lot of pictures that they wouldn't have without the extra time we have to shoot. Matt is a golfer and Jessica is learning to play so they thought it would be fun to take some shots on the nearby golf course. These shots were taken at Peninsula Golf Club and they were awesome about letting us on the course.

Then it was back to the beach for some fun shots with the wedding party!

Jessica and her dad have such a sweet relationship. He loves his little girl so much. This shot is actually taken post-ceremony when the light wasn't quite as crazy bright. Jessica and Matt were willing to leave their super fun reception for some sunset shots. And finally, what party is complete without sparklers? Thanks, guys for such a wonderful day! We enjoyed every minute.

one on one...

2008-05-13T12:30:00.003-05:00

Another great idea for a photography session: make it a special day for just one of your kiddos! I thought this was a great idea and really loved seeing Griffin savor in all of the attention from his mama and daddy. The matching seersucker shorts were an added bonus. This was such a fun session!

sweet spring day...

2008-05-12T22:36:00.005-05:00

This shoot had just about everything I could ask for. Including bubble machines, happy kiddos (except for that loud rooster!) and a really great place to explore. I have loved getting to know these three over the past year and look forward to watching them continue to grow up.

PS--I have finally added labels to my blog so that you can easily see the different types of pictures that we've taken over the last year or so. I should have done this forever ago. It is not a thorough list yet but it is a start!

collages

2008-05-09T11:50:00.007-05:00

It has been a while since I've posted any of our custom collages. Since we create them after the slideshows are finished, I never seem to get them up on the blog. We love the way that they reveal so many different characteristics in one image. They are a great way to tell a complete story of the photo session and incorporate some of the detail shots. Corey custom designs all of the collages based on the favorite images chosen by each family. Here are some of the variations he's created in the last few months...

sweet claire...

2008-05-07T11:27:00.007-05:00

I have been photographing Claire since she was in her mama's tummy! I'm not sure if the maternity pictures count as actually photographing Claire but I did meet her just weeks after she was born. It has been such a privilege to watch her grow and grow! She has gotten to be such a big girl and gets sweeter and cuter every time. I told her mom that I didn't know how that was possible but it's true!

up high...

2008-05-04T22:57:00.011-05:00

This is my friend, Brandon, and his really beautiful family. Brandon and I were friends back in the day when we were at Rhodes together. We haven't really kept in touch but were kind of randomly able to connect for some family pictures a few weeks ago. It was so much fun to see him so naturally as a dad and see the way the sweet family that he and Brittny have together. I do have to say that he has mad skills in throwing his son up in the air.

two years in...

2008-05-01T06:46:00.006-05:00

Jennifer and Allen have been married for a couple of years and decided that they needed some updated pictures. I thought that was a fabulous idea and had a blast traipsing around the sweet little town of Mt.Laurel with them. I think that this would be a great anniversary present for people, no matter how many years you've been married! It is just a great way to celebrate where you've been and where you're going. Obviously, there is still a lot of fun and romance between these two!