michael ::: portrait

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Location: Cleveland, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon
Tools: Nikon D700, 1 SB-900's, natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0

kay ann & hill ::: portrait

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Location: Cleveland, Mississippi
Time: mid morning
Tools: Nikon D700, 2 SB-900's, natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0

the dargie family ::: portrait

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Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Time: late afternoon
Tools: Nikon D700, Nikon D300, 2 SB-900's, 1 SB-800, natural light, Nikkor 180mm 2.8, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0, 10.5mm 2.8 fisheye --Sigma 30mm 1.4

pax & aidan ::: portrait

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Location: KC's restaurant; Cleveland, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon - early evening
Tools: Nikon D300, 2 SB-900's, 1 SB-800, umbrella and lights, natural & ambient light, Nikkor 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0, Sigma 30mm 1.4

mcknight family ::: portrait

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Location: Skene, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon -- 4;30 PM -ish
Tools: Nikon D700, 2 SB-900's, Natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0 -- lots of laughter and encouragement from Mom & Dad !

adam & elliott ::: portrait

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Location: McComb, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon -- 4;30 PM -ish
Tools: Nikon D700, 2 SB-900's, 1 SB-800, Natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0

mary michael & martin ::: portrait

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::: griffin :::

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william (& mary ella) ::: portrait

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shipp family ::: portrait

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katy & will ::: portrait

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ruthie & henry ::: portrait

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chandler ::: round 4

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john everette & james ::: portrait

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caroline & joe ::: e session

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More from Caroline and Joe's wedding:

After spending the afternoon with Caroline creating her bridal images, we headed downtown to meet Joe. We walked around for just a bit, starting at the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. Apparently that is the spot to go in Nashville, as there were several other photographers working there at the same time!

Here are a few of the images from the session. Hope you enjoy them. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

~wj

caroline :::bridals

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Continuing on with my "catch-up" from a busy spring and summer, I've got quite a few images from Caroline and Joe's wedding in July I'd like to share with all of you. I'm going to break them down into a few posts though, as it would probably be too many images to share all at once.

First, here are a few images from Caroline's bridal session. I went to Nashville in June (that's where she and Joe live) to work with her in creating these. We spent most of the afternoon at Cheekwood-Botanical Garden creating bridal portraits, then met Joe a bit later downtown for a quick session with the two of them.

The engagement session will be next, followed by images from the wedding in New Orleans. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

~wj

the ludwigs ::: portrait

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The Ludwigs drove down from the memphis area a few weeks ago for a family session. Since summer is in full force we stayed inside for most of the session, but we were able to get out for a few minutes at least. Here are a few from the session.

Andrea, thank you so much for driving all the way down here. I hope you guys enjoy your images!

~wj

anderson, matthew, & emma grace ::: portait

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I spent a couple of hours recently with some of my oldest clients. My friends Ryan and Heather have invited me to photograph their children Anderson, Matthew, and Emma Grace since Emma was just a baby. For the longest time this family lived in the house where I grew up, so it was always tons of fun to go back to my old stomping grounds. They have since moved and become "country folk", but that doesn't make our visits any less enjoyable.

Here are a few images from our most recent session.

Thank you Heather and Ryan for being such great supporters of mine. And give the kids a good noogie for me.

~wj

owen & vaughn ::: portrait

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I visited Dallas recently, and while I was there I had the great pleasure of meeting Owen and Vaughn. We spent an hour or so together seeing what type of images we could create. So much life and energy in these two!

Here are a few from the session. I'd love the hear your thoughts.


~wj

andrea & chris ::: congrats

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I'm headed back down to New Orleans this weekend for a wedding. This time, I'll be a guest though. My buddy Chris is finally marrying and I'm really looking forward to seeing all my old college buddies. We just don't see each other enough anymore. We've all be chatting a lot recently, and we're anxious to get together again. But I have a feeling at this wedding we won't be quite as rambunctious as we were about 15 years ago where the first of our crew married. I highly doubt I'll be playing bongos with the band this time around. But you never know.

I was in New Orleans a few months ago and spent a fun day with Chris and Andrea. Hanging out. Enjoying the city. And we created a few images for their engagement session as well. Here are just a couple of images from the day (and night!), and the last one is just a little dig at my buddy.

Congrats Chris and Andrea. Can't wait to see y'all this weekend!

~wj

harris family ::: session

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I met the Harris' recently for a family session. Such beautiful children! Here are a few images from the shoot. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

~wj

::: ruthie ::: round one

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Ruthie and her mom Sarah came up to Cleveland from Madison a few weeks ago. We'll have a few more session over the next year as Sarah has enrolled Ruthie in my "A Year in the Life" plan. Ruthie was about eight weeks old when we created these images. We spent most of the morning working patiently and letting Ruthie get used to things. Thank you Sarah for being so flexible. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that any shoot involving children is going to run by them - not us. So I do my best to just relax and be patient, and allow them to take them lead. Here are a few of the images from our session.

chandler ::: round three

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I spent a morning a few weeks ago with Chandler and her mom, Stacie. Stacie signed on for my "A year in the Life" plan, so we schedule a session about every three months so that we can record Chandler as she gets bigger and bigger and bigger. So amazing how fast they grow!

Here are a few images from our session. Hope you like them!

~wj

kelly ::: bridals

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I've been anxious to show these, but had to wait until after the wedding to do so! I spent about four or five hours with kelly and her mom a few weeks ago creating these. We had a great time, and it was so much fun working with them both. I love it when my clients want to push and try new things, and kelly was certainly up for all kinds of fun ideas.

Here's a few from teh day.

~wj

lucy kate & bryant ::: 1st birthday

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I recently spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon with Lucy Kate and bryant at their first birthday party. Hard to believe these two are a year old already! They're getting so big!

Momma Lesley had a candy store themed birthday party planned -- I'm sure all that sugar was a big hit with the other parents! It was such a beautiful day spent with some wonderful people. Thank you guys for letting me be there.

Here's a few images form the day. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

~wj

Ashihai & James ::: esession

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I'm catching up! Lots of editing going on here -- busy time of year! (Thank you all!)

Here are a few images from Aishihai and James' engagement session a couple of weeks ago. We spent a wonderful afternoon just exploring the backroads around the Delta, stopping wherever things looked interesting.

The wedding will be here in Cleveland in a couple of weeks, and I'm excited to visit with them again. It'll be the first wedding I've photographed in my home town in about 3 or 4 years! I'm looking forward to that as well.

~wj

natalie ::: age 3

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I met Natalie and her parents, Jasmine and Robert, recently for her annual photo session. We've been doing this now for about three years, and it is absolutely amazing how much she grows every year. I have to say, one of my favorite things about photographing children, is seeing how much they grow, and the joy and wonder in their eyes. And Natalie certainly as a smile and a laugh that is amazing.

Thank you Robert and Jasmine for letting me spend such a wonderful afternoon with all of you. And thank you Natalie, for helping me remember how great it is to see the world with such wonder.

Enjoy the photos!

~wj

tara :::: graduate

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Most of my portraits are of kids, but every now and then I get a request from a soon-to-be graduate. Tara is one of those exceptions. I was flattered when her mom asked if I would mind working with Tara, and I had such a blast creating these images.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a more creative, genuine, well-rounded and mature senior out there.

Congrats, Tara. I wish you all the best and hope that every one of your dreams come true.

~wj

lucy kate & bryant :::::: round 2

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I have the pleasure of photographing Lucy Kate and Bryant every three months for the next year or so. I'll be documenting their growth during their first year, and it's been such a pleasure so far! Their mom, Lesley, is always wanting to try new and different things. It keeps me on my toes, and I love it . But the best part is getting to know Lesley and her husband Charles, as well as their beautiful twins.

We met recently for their second round of photos and will be scheduling a session again right after Thanksgiving. For this session we decided to not only create a few images in their christening gowns, but also head out to the backroads so that we could have some images made in the environment where their daddy works. Thus, the cotton fields and gravel roads!

We started sometime around 1 PM, and before we knew it, it was dinner time -- 5:30 ! You know the saying -- time flies . . . .

Well it certainly did on this shoot!

Here's a few images. Hope you like 'em.

~wj

emma grace, matthew, & anderson

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Well, I'm a little bit behind on a few blog posts.

And this is one of them. I recently met Heather and her kids at their new home. Their old house was the same home where I grew up years ago, so I was a little sad to not be visiting there again. But the new home is gorgeous! And such a great playground for children.

So we spent a few hours wandering around and watching the kids play, and they're always such a joy to photograph. Here's a few images from the session.

Thank you, Heather, for being patient with this post, and thank you for being such a great cheerleader of mine.

And coming soon -- photos from Anderson's 1st birthday party !

(and don't worry Lesley, your pics are next !)


~wj

elizabeth & david :::: portrait

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A couple of weeks ago, I met Ruth King to photograph her children. Her friend Leah was quite gracious in allowing us to use her home, and as we were creating images of Ruth King's kids, Leah asked if I would mind working a bit with her children afterwards. I was honored and humbled to do so, and I look forward to plans for a longer session a bit later in the fall when the colors begin to change.

Thank you Leah, for allowing us to use your home. It is quite stunning, and certainly a child's wonderland. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

~wj

john haga, luke, & annie

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I received a call a few weeks ago with an inquiry about my portrait services. Ruth King had seen an article that Delta Magazine had written about my work, so she called from Oxford to see if I could meet her to create a few images of her kids. We chatted for a while, and in one of those "wow-this-is-a-small-world" episodes, we came to realize that her husband John and I had played ball together waaaaaayyyyyy back in college at Millsaps. And I have to say, her kids, especially the boys, really favor their dad.

So we met in Clarksdale, almost in the middle for both of us (but a wee bit further for Ruth King). We made our way out to the home of one of her friends, which made for an incredible setting. River banks, open fields, country roads -- you couldn't ask for a better place to photograph kids at play.

Odd the paths we wander in life sometimes, isn't it? We just chug along, meeting and befriending others along the way, only to drift apart as we continue on our respective journeys. Then, some years later, those paths converge yet again, and we are greeted with so many wonderful memories.

This session was one of those moments. I got to make new friends, and reconnect with an old one.

Here's a few of the images. Hope you like them.


~wj

warner ~backyard exploration

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It's been a few weeks, but I went to Clarksdale recently to create some images of Warner. We had a great time following him around the house, and then headed outside to let him explore even more. He was very curious and I got a nice little workout following him around, but it was well worth it.

I love the curiosity of children. When they enter that zone of genuine wide-eyed wonderment it is a beautiful thing to watch. And the images that come when you let a child just wander and explore the world around him tend to have so much truth in them. I really enjoyed my morning with Warner and I'm thrilled with the images we created. I hope you will be as well.

Take care, and never forget that your backyard is filled with more answers than you might think.


~wj

jackson & joe ~delta session

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I've been photographing Joe for about a year now and for this last session his mom Katie wanted to add older brother Jackson into the mix. One of my favorite things about Katie, besides her paintings, is that she really likes to do different things with her sessions. So for this one, we headed out of town, down a gravel road, and past the bayou until we finally stopped at Po Monkey's Lounge.

I'm sure most of you readers that are from the Delta know exactly where and what I'm talking about. Many of you have probably even been there. For those of you that aren't familiar with the area, Po Monkey's is one of our wonderful, out of the way jewels. An old sharecropper's home that has been converted into a small blues joint with a very random schedule. Rarely are events widely publicized, and often you have to just ride out there to see if anyone is playing. But that's OK, because the place probably only holds about 50 people anyway. Here's a cool little article the New York Times did about a year ago.

So these images were created there, as well as right next door beside another old sharecropper house that has been abandoned. I love these parts of the area where I was raised. Sessions like this remind me quite a bit of growing up in the Delta, and whenever I photograph brothers, it always makes me think of my little brother. We quickly grow out of these overalls and start putting on suits and ties. And sometimes it's just nice to reminisce about the days when we all ran around barefoot, played with sticks and rocks, and jumped fearlessly into muddy puddles of water.

Katie, thank you so much for letting me remember some of my own days with my brother. It's been a fun year. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did making them.





~wj

nancy margaret & Andy ~ esession . . . round 2-dc

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I flew up to DC a little over a week ago to create a few more images of Nancy Margaret and Andy for their guest sign-in book. I can't wait to wrap up the design on it. It's going to be a challenge, though, because I've now got twice as many images from which to pick! And I've got to edit them down to only 20 or 30! Between Oxford and DC, it'll really be a fun book to display and share.

Nancy Margaret and Andy, thank you both for being such gracious hosts to me while I was in Washington. I truly had a blast and I can't wait for the wedding in October.



~wj

Nancy Margaret & Andy ~ esession . . . round 1-oxford

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I met Nancy Margaret and Andy a few weeks ago for an engagement session. Things went so well we've got another planned for this Thursday in DC. I can't wait. It should be a ton of fun. This session was in Oxford, MS near Nancy Margaret's home, and I'm sure Andy will be thrilled to create some fun photos exploring the DC area near his home.

They'll be marrying this October in Water Valley, Mississippi and the wedding is going to be absolutely gorgeous. Kate Barron of A Bash Events is coordinating and I'll be assisted in my photo duties by Deb Tracy, who's flying in from California to second for me (thanks Deb!)

So I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning for a quick trip to DC, and be back in Cleveland Friday night. It'll be a bit tiring, but tons of fun. Nancy Margaret and Andy -- see y'all tomorrow!

~wj

Lila ~dancing queen

These images are of my youngest niece, Lila.

I call her the Dancing Queen because she dances as much -- if not more -- than almost any child I've ever met. She is also the songwriter in our family. I haven't kept a scientific count, but my gut tells me this child has written and performed at least 150 original tunes in the last 18 months. Perhaps her mom or dad can help us out with a more accurate total? She is quite prolific!

Keep singing and dancing Lila. Keep singing and dancing.


Love you tons.

~wj

Caroline ~co-starring The Wonder Twins

More photos from our recent family trip. This time I took Caroline out along with The Wonder Twins (Wilkins , light hair ; and Jacks, dark hair). We had a great morning playing and exploring.

In the middle of our adventure Caroline looked at me and asked, "Can you make a movie with these images?"

"Well. Sort of," I replied.

"Good. We're ready to be famous. That way we can start our band."

By the time the trip was over, they had cheerfully and unanimously named their new band "The Rockers". And this was to be not only the images that made them famous, but also the ones to be used for their album cover.

"It's more efficient that way." That's how Wilkins put it.

Alas, it was not meant to be. By the end of the day the band was no more.

"I can't take this Hollywood lifestyle, " bemoaned Jacks. He, of course, was all set to be the quiet, moody art-eest that was so aloof his fans would just HAVE to know more.

"I'm quitting the band."

Caroline overheard. "Well, if Jacks is out, then I am, too."

I turned to Wilkins. "So, are you done as well?"

Wilkins is the showman. He was all set to be David Lee Roth to Jacks' Kurt Cobain. (Caroline would be a mixture of Cher, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Liza Minelli) My sister had told the three all about Elvis only hours before. Wilkins was smitten to the point that we had already ordered him the classic Vegas jump suit that was The King's trademark.

He curled his lip and snarled at me, cocked his hip and mumbled in his best Elvis impersonation.

"Uhhh, that's right, baby. The King has left the building. Uhhhhh, thank ya. Uhhhhh thank ya very muuuch."


_____________________________________________________________________________________________


Tomorrow: niece Lila -- Dancing Queen

_____________________________________________________________________________________________


peace, love, harmony, and sequined jump suits with the collar flipped up

(all of which make me smile)

~wj

Caroline ~a study

Jamie and I spent a little time with our nieces and nephews recently. I was excited about the three or four days we would be with them, because I really wanted to try a few things photographically and they always make great subjects. I wanted to go beyond just making "pretty pictures" and did my best to push myself to not only create photos of the kids, but to create feeling as well.

I dunno. I just have such a curiosity about the vulnerabilities of all humans. We're born innocent. We say what we mean. We mean what we say. We're not afraid to show our emotions. Then somewhere along the way --slowly -- but often quite certainly, we begin to build walls. Rather than admitting our fears, our worries, our ignorances -- we craft a life we think is correct. Often hiding to others the vulnerabilities we all feel in one way or another. We don't always know we're doing it, and I don't mean to imply this is bad -- or good -- it just is what it is. And I am fascinated by it.

If we are lucky, we recognize the boundaries we've built in our lives. We recognize them early enough that we are able to do something about them. I doubt we ever truly overcome them, but I do think we can whittle them to the point that we reclaim some of that innocence that we were blessed to have when we entered this world. But it's not easy. And just as it takes time to build them, it takes even longer to tear them down.

So while spending a little time with my nieces and nephews this week, I decided I would take the opportunity to use them as models. These images are an exploration. An exploration of life. Of childhood. And of my own feelings and curiosities. Children are truly a wonder, and we adults could all do ourselves a service if we tried to be more like them.



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Now, on a technical note. I've had a few questions from other photographers about how these images were created. They were all photographed with a Nikon D200 and deliberately underexposed a stop or two so that they would be a little more grainy and film-like. But the key ingredient, technically speaking, is the Lensbaby. Well, that and not being afraid of a little (or a lot) of blur. The images were then processed in Lightroom using some custom presets, and a few were textured a bit in Photoshop to finalize the effect I was looking for. If you have any questions about how they were created feel free to post them here or email me directly. I'll answer as best I can.

Take care and continue to explore.

~wj

Shelby, Sydney, & Hunter ~portrait

Shelby, Sydney, and Hunter came to Cleveland to visit their grandparents and I was asked to come over and create a few images while they were in town. Such great kids. Hunter is such a loving big brother. He's gonna have his hands full with two younger sisters to look out for!

Maggie & Anthony ~esession

Maggie and Anthony are marrying June 14, so we met recently for their engagement session.

As I was driving up to Tunica, Mississippi to meet them, I began brainstorming on things we could do. I always go into a shoot with a pretty good idea of how I want to shape things, but I also like to leave myself a bit of flexibility in case inspiration strikes.

About five miles outside of Tunica I noticed a set of three crosses that frequent our Delta landscape. The crosses are about 25 feet tall, though many here in the Delta are now leaning over, as if worn out from the ongoing struggle to get their message noticed. There actually are nearly 2000 of these clusters across the country, and they dot the landscapes in 29 states -- at least that's according to a quick search I did online.

They are symbols that I think are ingrained in all Deltans, as you cannot travel through here without seeing quite a few of these. I think, perhaps, to people not familiar with our area the crosses would immediately stand out. But when you ride the backroads and highways of this land for your entire life, they tend to blend in and become as common as the flat land that runs parallel to the sky. But I always seem to notice them. Always wanted to create images of them. And until now, have done nothing more than observe them. I think it's quite fitting that the first images I created around these symbols are ones of love and happiness.

So I met Maggie and Anthony, and asked them if they'd like to try something different around these crosses. They were all for it, and were real troopers when we realized we would have to walk through about 80 yards of swampy earth to find a good spot to begin. Such great spirit in the two of them. I think a lot of that comes out in their photos. And it is quite humbling when the people I work with have such a great drive to explore and try new things.

We spent a few more hours just riding the backroads, stopping at places that struck a chord and getting to know each other a little better. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. I am really excited to work with them in June.

Thank you, Maggie and Anthony. You both helped me complete an idea I've been kicking around for many, many years. I am really proud of the images we created, and I hope you are as well. I look forward to seeing you both very soon.

take care

~wj

baby Joe ~round 3

I've been so busy with weddings this spring that I really haven't had time to schedule many portrait sessions. Katie is one of my favorite clients (and a wonderful artist), so I always do my best to find a time to work with her. Her youngest son Joe turned nine months old around the first of May, so we headed out to create photos to remember this time in his life.

I love the fact that Katie always wants to try something a little different -- at the end of the summer we'll be doing 1 year portraits in a cotton field and outside of a juke joint -- so we headed down to Merigold, Mississippi to work around some of the old brick buildings there. If you're ever heading through the Delta on Highway 61 be sure to stop by Merigold and visit McCarty's Pottery, their restaurant The Gallery, and if you're coming by after dark be sure to stop and eat at Crawdad's.

Aimee and Will ~ esession

Aimee and Will are getting married this Saturday in Tunica, Mississippi. We met a few weeks ago to go over a few details and create some fun images for their engagement session. We spent a couple of hours riding around some of the backroads of the north Mississippi Delta--always one of my most favorite things to do. They are a great couple and I cannot wait to help them celebrate their wedding on Saturday. It's coming at a time when I really need to have a happy day, and it's going to be absolutely beautiful.

They are marrying at a small church in Tunica. It's an old, wonderfully solid small town church. The reception will be held right on the Mississippi River at the Tunica River Park, which is just a stone's throw from the casinos. Everything should happen right around sunset, which will only make things even more magical.

Keep an eye out here. I'll post images from their wedding soon.


Take care,

~wj

Kingsley, Wesley, & Jack

When I was eight I used to ride my bike about two miles from my house to the edge of our town. Of course, memories tend to grow grander with time, but it seems to me I did this at least once a week, and sometimes two or three times during the summer. I continuously made this trek so I could visit the first girlfriend I ever had.

Her name was Angie, and her family owned a small convenience store. Her, mother, Ms. Lizzie, was--and still is--perhaps the kindest person I've ever met. Ms. Lizzie would give me a soda, a candy bar, and a handful or quarters so that I could play Pacman until my hands wore out. So the time I spent with my first girlfriend was primarily around a video game.

Well, years later Angie married another friend of mine--Jim. And I won't even begin to tell any stories about our childhood and teenage adventures. They now have three beautiful children, daughters Kingsley and Wesley, and new son Jack. recently, Angie asked me to create some headshots for her business, and that session actually turned into a family sitting.

The kids were great. Kingsley and Wesley dote over their new little brother and are such great sisters to him. Hopefully, I was able to show a bit of that with these photos.

So, without further adieu. . .

A quick one from Monday

The banquet at DSU was a huge success. Over $100k was raised for the athletic department. That may be a drop in the bucket for large universities, but for a small school like Delta State it made a tremendous difference. Mr. Grisham was warm and gracious. He took no payment and even donated a bit of money himself. One attendee even paid $15k to have his name used as one of the character's in Grisham's next book!

I wish I could include more images,, but I promised university officials I would keep things under wraps, so this is all I can show. I had a great time, and I'm really proud and excited by the images that were created. Check back with me in a few weeks, or contact the Delta State Alumni Foundation to receive a copy of their magazine. It should be printed in a few weeks and will feature a big article about Monday's fund raiser. Many more of the images will be included there. Until the publication comes out, this is all I can show.

In the meantime, check out this column by The Clarion Ledger's Rick Cleveland. It's a great read and gives you a little more insight into the great character of Mr. Grisham and Coach Boo Ferriss.

John Grisham to speak at Delta State

This Monday night, February 11, John Grisham will be speaking at a fundraiser for the Delta State University baseball team. Former Statesmen head coach Boo Ferriss and Grisham go back a long way (Grisham walked-on to the Statesmen baseball team but was cut by Ferris because John "couldn't hit a curveball") and the event should be great for the program, the school, and our community. It will be a busy evening of meet-and-greets culminated by a dinner and presentation by the author about his path and how the Delta State baseball program was its start.

I am very excited not only because I am a baseball lover, but because the university has asked me to capture a very specific image they would like to use in a University publication. Before all the hoopla begins, Coach Ferriss will be meeting with Grisham so that they can visit a bit in private. He'll also be showing the author the new museum built at the entrance of the baseball complex which bears his name. It is during this time that school officials hope to capture an image of the two men that illustrates the admiration and love they share.

It will be my job to deliver this image. The catch--I only have about 20-30 minutes and I can't direct them in any way. As a matter of fact, school officials would prefer that I be so incognito that Coach Ferriss and Mr. Grisham not even know that I am there. I'm not sure I can pull off a disappearing act, but I will certainly do my best. It will be famous author John Grisham, Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Famer Boo Ferris, and me. They will be catching up on old times, and I will be doing my best to record the meeting without interfering in it. I'm nervous about delivering the image the school wants, but very excited about the opportunity.

If you are going to be in the area and might want to attend the dinner, tickets are $100 to the event and are available at the Delta State Department of Athletics or online at www.GoStatesmen.com. For more information, please contact DSU Athletics at (662) 846-4289 or email them at athletics@deltastate.edu.

baby Joe. . .round two

This was Joe's second round of portraits in the last three months. His mom, Katie, scheduled a session in October for his 3 month potraits, and quickly after set a date for Joe's six month photos. Katie is an excellent painter herself--I'll probably being showing some of her work in my gallery in May. I'll have more info on that soon.

In the meantime, here are a few of the images:

baby Avery

Jamie and I did wind up staying in today and I decided to catch up on some editing. So here is a bit of it. More to come the next few days.

About two weeks ago I went down to Laurel, Mississippi to create some black and white images of the area for an interior designer client. While down there I met April and her daughter Avery for a portrait session. I didn't realiuze it beforehand, but after meeting April I learned that her father-in-law is one of my Cousin/Uncle (long story) Roy's best friends. I've met Grandpa Tony many times and played several rounds of golf with him as well, and he is one of my favorite people. Always smiling, always laughing, I don't think I've ever seen Tony in a bad mood. So it was a pleasure to create the first "professional" photos of his granddaughter. I can't wait to see him again so we can talk about it.

We created these images at my friend George Bassi's home. George is the executive director of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel. If you ever get the chance to visit, definitely do so. It really is a little gem of a museum, and the town of Laurel is so lucky to have it there.

Oh, and we did go see Juno tonight. Wow. It is a very smart, funny movie. Ellen Page absolutely deserves her Oscar nomination. If you enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine, you'll love this movie as well. Which, now that I think about it, is not surprising considering they are both Fox Searchlight movies.

And now, a few of Avery's images.

baby Anderson

I spent most of last week working on a commission in Laurel, Mississippi, but the morning before I left I met my friend Heather to photograph her son Anderson. Anderson is Heather's third child, and I've really enjoyed photographing his sister Emma Grace and brother matthew over the years. Another neat thing about going to their house is that it is the house I grew up in! Granted, it's been nearly 25 years since I lived there, but it still kinda feels like home to me. Is that weird?

Anyway, here is Anderson at about 3 months.

Nancy & Roger : Engagement Session

I met Nancy and Roger this past Saturday for their Esession. They both live in Birmingham, but will be marrying in Nancy's hometown of Inverness, Mississippi. It's one of our wonderfully beautiful small Delta towns. The wedding is in April and I can't wait to see how gorgeous Deer Creek will be that time of year. If this first run (in January, no less) is any indication, the images from the wedding should turn out great!

Natalee -- take 3

This was my third session with Natalee. Her parents, Robert and Jasmine, first asked me to create images of Natalee when she was about 6 months old. She's now just past 2, and it's unbelievable how quickly she's grown (but don't they all!) We met in December just before Christmas, and I was so excited to see how well the fallen leaves matched her beautiful auburn hair. And of course, Natalee's fun little personality makes create great photos of her so easy.

Thanks, Nat !

Ragan & Jack

I'm wrapping up orders for Christmas--so much to do!

I met Jack, Ragan, and their parents--John and Melissa--in Memphis recently for a downtown photo shoot. I am flattered that this is the third year that they have asked me to create images for their Christmas cards. Melissa always wants to do something that reflects the family's roots, so the previous two years we created images around the Delta--Melissa's home. This year, we focused on downtown Memphis (where the family currently lives), primarily Beale Street and the Mississippi River Bridge.

This image from two years ago was created in the middle of a large, empty cotton field that was taking a break for the winter and biding its time until spring.



This one was used for last year's card and was created at Dockery Farms, a place considered by many to be the birthplace of American Music. So it seemed to fit.



And here are a few images from this year's session in Memphis!








And the slideshow.

Hannah, Natalia, & Kristina

With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, I'm wrapping up a few portrait sessions from last week before moving on to some new sessions this week. These images are from my appointment with Hannah, Natalia, & Kristina. We started inside as I wanted to do some cool black and white images, and then made our way outside to roam the neighborhood and create some color images. The trees down here are finally starting to turn, so I was really excited by the colors we were able to capture. Towards the end of the session the girls said they wanted to play in the leaves, so that's what we did!

















And the slideshow. . .

Henry & Charles

I met up with Henry and Charles at their home in McComb. It was the first "real" photo session they'd had in a while, so I really wanted to get their mom and dad a nice collection of different types of images--black and white, color, and a decent variety between somewhat posed and totally candid moments. We spent about half of the time inside, and a lot of that was just spent letting them play in their bedrooms. A little later, as the sun was going down, we went outside so they could run around a bit and I could take advantage of the great light that was spilling through the pine trees in the yard.

And this is what we came up with.

A few on the sun porch. . .




And upstairs hanging out. . .





The light in the backyard was incredible. . .










And the slideshow. . .

Adam & Elliott

During my trip last week I stopped in McComb for a few days. One of my appointments was with Adam and Elliott. We had a blast! We went out to the family farm, which covers about 100 acres. The 4-wheeler came out and we just roamed the property. It's so much fun when I get to relive some fun moments from my childhood while "on the job". We spent several hours in the woods, roaming the huge field running the length of the property and playing around the pond (which is stocked, by the way. Next time I need to bring my fishing gear!)

Adam and Elliott--thank you. I had a blast and y'all were great.













And the slideshow:

OSP NOLA

Part of my trip last week was spent in New Orleans. I met several other photographers in the French Quarter and we spent three days listening to great speakers and roaming the streets. We had several great models assisting us, and boy were they ever patient with us! I can't imagine how tough it must be to model in the first place, much less in the middle of Bourbon Street with 10 photographers yelling different directions at you. Thanks to all of our models for all of their hard work.

On Monday night we had a night shoot in the French Quarter, and Tuesday we went across the river to a cemetery in Algiers. Here are a few images from those shoots.

Harry Potter. . . perhaps?

Well, actually this is my nephew Wayne. For the last week I've been on a whirlwind tour through south Mississippi, culminating with a three-day stay in New Orleans for some workshops, client meetings, and "brain-picking" along with several other great photographers. (I'll post more about all that very soon)

So on my way back north, as I slowly head home (I'll be back on Sunday after a few more appointments and meetings) I stopped today in McComb for a portrait session (the Sanders. . . .more to come) and a chance to spend some time with my sister and her family. Nights like this are one of the benefits to my job, and I am grateful for them.

My nephew Wayne is one of the most intense, most brilliant children I know. He is 10, carries a book with him everywhere (and I mean everywhere), and has written more stories in his 10 years than I'll write in a lifetime. He is his father's child (brother-in-law Charles is a brilliant writer himself).

Tonight, he was reading away and I couldn't resist snapping a few photos before he went to bed.

Katie & Spencer

Lynn and Angel Hardin are very old friends of mine. We attended high school together--Lynn and I played ball on the same teams, he was a few years ahead of me, and Angel and I were in the same class from elementary school on. Lynn and I also serve on the fire department together. So it is always a pleasure when I am asked to photograph the children of my friends.

Angel allowed me to wander off with Katie and Spencer, and they were great! Spencer is too funny--he's very much a boy. He's curious about anything and everything on the ground, and all he needs to have a good time are a few sticks and some rocks. And Katie? What a sweetheart. She treats her younger brother so lovingly. And she was such a big help keeping up with Spencer.

Meet Joe Byrd

Joe is the son of Katie and Jeff Byrd here in Cleveland. Katie brought him by the house a few days ago so we could create some images of Joe in his Christening gown. She was really looking to do something a little different. Hopefully we pulled it off.

Enjoy!



















And the slideshow:

Dutch. . .is that a cool name or what?

So I've been working on a book from a photo session I did back in june, and I realized I haven't posted anything from that session. Shame on me!

These are some pages from my photo sessoin with Dutch, the son of Andy and Becky Songy. Becky and my wife Jamie have been BFF's for a looooooooooooong time. Needless to say, when Jamie and I started going out, becky was one of the first that had to give me the seal of approval before we could get to far along. Thank goodness she did!

So here is the layout. The design is for a square coffee table book. let me know if you have any comments or questions about it.

~wj

(click on the image to see it larger)

Amber & Christpher

OK. I'm getting older. As if the hair in the shower drain weren't enough of a reminder every morning, last week I photographed Jennifer and Bob for their engagement session.(I coached at her high school when she was a junior,see below) Well, this week I had an appointment with Little Christopher Card and his fiance' Amber.

Actually Christopher has grown into quite a young man. A tall, strong, Air Force young man. (And Christopher, I use the term "Little" lovingly.) Christopher's parents, Bob and Beverly, are great friends of my mom and dad. Bob was perhaps the finest coach I've ever had (high school football and basketball) and definitely the best history teacher I've ever known. So I've known Christopher since he was just a wee-little thing. It makes me proud to see what he's become, so I can only imagine how his parents must be bursting. And to top it off, he is marrying such a sweet girl in Amber.

The wedding will be near Riceville, Tennessee in September. I can't wait--the weather should be gorgeous and the foliage at that time will make for stunning backdrops.




Christopher and Amber had a very tight schedule as they were in town for only a few days and had lots of parties and showers to attend. So we met early Sunday morning in the cool little Delta town of Merigold and played around a bit. The old buildings there make for great images, but we didn't stop there. Seeing as Christopher would be marrying outside his hometown, and he currently lives in Texas, I though it would be nice to create some images with a reminder of home. So we made sure to visit some crops (usually cotton, but this year it's corn) and Po' Monkeys Lounge--our local "juke joint" made famous by Annie Leibovitz in Vanity Fair magazine.

More from Jennifer & Bob

I've been editing Jennifer and Bob's engagement session the last few days and the images are great! They had so much fun with each other and it really shows. Here is the slideshow.

Jennifer & Bob

Well, I first have to apologize for being so tardy in posting! It's been a busy month--which is a good thing. I have a ton of stuff to put up here so there should be quite a few new posts the next few days.

The first is an engagement session from Saturday (7-7-07). Let me preface this by saying that my first job post-college was teaching 7th and 8th grade English (as well as coaching football and baseball) at Marshall Academy in Holly Springs, MS. While Jennifer was not in one of my classes she was a student (she was a Junior at the time). So it's kinda strange beng called "Coach Jacks" during a photo shoot.

I met Jennifer and Bob around 4:00 PM in Memphis and we didn't stop until around midnight! But it really only seemed like about an hour or two had passed. We went all over downtown--the river (naturally) , a Redbirds ballgame, the trolley, Flying Saucer (one of my favorites!), and of course, Beale Street.

The wedding is in Downtown Memphis on September 29 and I can not wait. It's going to be too much fun!

The Dowdys take New Orleans

I met my sister Bethany and her 4 kids--Wayne, Beth, and twins Wilkins and Jacks--in New Orleans last week for a session in the French Quarter. What a blast ! The kids were great and mom was a trooper as well. I wish we could do this every week as we don't see them nearly enough.

Next up is a fun trip with sister Emily's daughters Meredith and Caroline. Then brother Tom and his beautiful daughter Lila. There is nothing better than traveling to great locals and create awesome images--well, maybe doing all of that and doing it for family.

The Laskers and the Longs

Two of the best friends Jamie and I have are Aaron and Mary McKay Lasker. I went to college with both of them, and was very excited when they decided to move to Cleveland just a few years after Jamie and I had moved back. Mary McKay works with Jamie and they are slowly taking over the office (kidding. . .but it would be very hard for anyone to argue that they aren't very good at what they do). Aaron and I took a very memorable trip to California together (thanks, Aaron!) last September and the least I can do is help them capture the early years of their children. We spent a Saturday morning creating images of their two kids Hill and Kay Ann, along with their nephew Cliff (son of Mary McKay's brother Cliff and his wife Allison). The parents (and grandma) even got nudged into a few of the photos.

Mary McKay wanted to make sure we got some good pics of Aaron's dog. Mookie is nearly 16 and obviously is moving a bit slower these days, so it was great that we were able to get some great shots before it becomes a lot harder for Mook to get around. He reminds me alot of my "college" dog, Socks (who I miss tremendously) so I was especially happy that I could do this for Aaron.

All-in-all the morning was a ton of fun. We had a blast! I love this job!

Here are a few images. Here is the slideshow.

I'm headed to New Orleans

I've scheduled a trip to new Orleans the week of June 11-17. I'll be scheduling session beginning Tuesday, June 12 and continuing through Saturday, June 16. Each day will have two time slots available--11 AM and 4:30 PM. If you are interested in setting up an appointment give me a call or shoot me an email.

Adair

Victoria Adair Gaines.

Isn't that a beautiful name? Adair is the new daughter of one of my oldest friends, Stan Gaines. Stan and I have been friends for nearly 30 years (wow, that's kinda hard for me to type). He and his wife Tori have been some of our best friends since Jamie and I moved back to Cleveland about 10 years ago. We even went to their wedding at Kiawah Island and had so much fun! I'll have to post some pics later from their wedding. It was gorgeous. Let me know if you want to see a few and I'll get 'em posted.

slideshow here.

the potter's grandkids. . .

Sheila Clark has recently started sharing studio space with me. She is a WONDERFUL potter, and I've had a great time getting to know her and I am constantly in awe of the work she is producing. It is so nice to have someone to visit with during the day, and it makes it even better when their work is so outstanding!

Anyway, I was honored when she asked me to photograph her grandsons, Rives and Charlie. They were too much fun! I'll see if she'll let me snag a few pics of some of her pieces and post them in the next few days.

Here are a few pics of the boys, and, of course, the slideshow.

Tristan

Tristan Johnson is the son of Lance and Scottie. Lance and I serve on the Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department together (he is a much better firefighter than I), and it is always a pleasure to photograph the children of your good friends. It means so much to me when they enjoy the work that I do.

Lance is also an avid hunter and is turning into quite the videographer. He has been carrying a video camera on his hunting trips the last two years and has captured some amazing footage in the process. I am helping him edit a video that he will enter in a national contest with the hopes of getting hired on to do more of this (him--not me). A dentist AND a TV personality--what a combination!

Anyway, as soon as I finish editing the video I'll post it here for your enjoyment. The editing is a bit rough in spots, but hey, he is a dentist and I'm a still photographer. We've had a great time putting it all together, though.

Now back to Tristan. The slideshow is here.

Ann Riley

I took pictures of Ann Riley Cotton (daughter of Jason and Kelli) when she was just a few weeks old. This is the first session we've had since then and she has grown up so much! We had a beautiful day to work with, and the light in the house was fantastic. I wanted to try a few new techniques, so I added some texture to a few images that I thought warranted a little more "depth". Let me know what you think. You can see the slideshow here.

Meet Mollie Townsend

Valerie and Paul Townsend brought their adorable daughter Mollie by for some 1 year pics. She is too cute! We had a great time and Jamie and I can't wait to hang out with them more often.

Here are a few images. Check the slideshow out here.

Kashayla Miller

I had the pleasure of working with Kashayla last week for her Graduate Session. She is such a smart and lovely young lady. She plans on attending Alcorn State next year, and I wish her all the best!

You can view the slideshow from her session here.

Mary Ella Chicorelli

Mary Ella and her mother, Amy, came by the house today for morning photo shoot. Mary Ella was such a little sweetheart. We spent a little over an hour playing in the sun room and out in the yard. She was the perfect subject! Here are a few images from the session.

Click here to view the slideshow.

I had the privilege today of helping Mary Margaret Roark create her headshots for the upcoming Miss Teen Mississippi USA pageant. The event will be held June 13-16 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Good luck Mary Margaret ! We can't wait to see you in the national event in August.

a beautiful Saturday morning

I spent a little over an hour yesterday with the family of one of my
favorite people--Pat Tibbs. Her newest granddaughter Rachel was
being christened later in the day, and since most of here family was
going to be around she wanted to get a few photos to remember the
day. I always have a great time with the Tibbs, and their kids are
so much fun!