Wow.... to be there again. Just reaching what the world (and most folks) consider adulthood. That's an odd word.... Hmm, anyway here's a link to the gallery with just a sample of the shots that we got as a celebration of another chapter closing as a new one begins. Congratulations Maci!! (I am pretty sure she'll be either a rock star or famous one of these days!!! Just remember us little people!!!)
Here's to many more birthdays going forward. Sherissa and I got the privilege of capturing this special event for Maci!! Thank you for allowing us this opportunity as well as a thank you to Sherissa!
(We had a cute little helper with us that day also!!!!)
Hahaha and the little helper I'm referring to is Josie!!! Not Sandy... Although she helped tremendously too!! (thanks for that...!)]]>
Hello there everyone!!! November already!!! Seriously... the older I get the faster it seems to go by. Anyway on to the post... Sherissa and I were contacted last year about shooting a wedding for a previous client!! WOW!!! It was such an honor that the bride considered us to capture her special day! After an initial meeting to discuss the many details, venue etc... dates were set and we were booked!!! What an experience... I had such a great time!! We were a little nervous the day of! Here is some of the BTS (behind the scenes) shots from throughout the day. And of course... Here is a link to the gallery which is but a sampling of the memories captured that day. Thank you to Theresa Murr (left)
and Stephanie Ratliff
(right) of Happily Ever After at The Barn.
Thank you as always to Sherissa for her creative eye and wonderful help I couldn't have made it without ya'!
And a huge thank you to Marissa and Joey for allowing us the privilege of capturing this day/these memories for them forever.
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Got a chance to head back out again and fish some more with this unseasonably warm up we had for the first of March and it was great!!! Here is the gallery with the pics form this trip also. This time I got two largemouths over 5 pound and a new personal best smallmouth to boot!!! The smallmouth was 2.5 pounds!! Check out how pretty that one is!! Wow!! So awesome with God's creations!!
This photo shows my fishing partners fort the day!! I'm very happy going forward as I have a goal to get a 10+ pounder this year!!! We will see!!! Hahaha
Well, I had intended to fish right through the winter months but things got in the way... Life happens as one might say. Sooo finally I did get to go and wow what a time!!! Went on Monday March 7th with Larry (my uncle in-law well, my wife's uncle) and it was a BLAST...!!! With Larry getting a new personal best of a healthy 6 pound largemouth!!! Wow! it was great... Caught both Large and Small mouths. Here is the gallery to a few we snapped pics of... Look for more to come! 2016 is off to a great start.
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Hahaha this past weekend was a surprise birthday party for her. We had to reschedule it after the weather gave us some of that snow that so many of us love or hate... hahaha Here's the gallery for the photos of the party. Check them out and enjoy. Feel free to leave a comment etc. Oh yeah!! Wish her (a late) Happy Birthday!!!
During out anniversary week we decided to take a trip to Chattanooga for a weekend getaway. I had this idea we could run down there and eat lunch, shop, and then grab a room for the night (without reservations). Wow, was I wrong... Chattanooga has and continues to grow into a beautiful town. Knoxville is running behind in my opinion for sure. Anyway we did make it down there and did some shopping grabbed lunch then decided to take in Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls, and Rock City.
Whew... it was SOOO busy!! That's when we were asked if we were in town for one of the 4 softball tournaments, Riverbend, some other convention or just visiting? Hahaha THAT'S why there were no rooms ANYWHERE and it was packed with people. IT was a great little trip, but next time we'll book a room a little farther out... Here is a gallery of the pictures (Mostly Ruby Falls) which is worth the trip and for sure needs to be seen if you never have. I had been YEARS ago as a kid but it is much more appreciated now as an adult.
I really look forward to going back to Chattanooga for a weekend trip maybe this fall. Such a wonderful town with so much to do.
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It's that time of year when the fish in the East Tennessee area start to migrate to spawning areas. This drives many of us to the numerous local lakes to pursue these fish whether in an attempt to fill a cooler (for dinner) or for the pure sport/enjoyment of the catch. For the most part my time fishing has been the later of the two. I have (I should say WE have as my Dad along with friends got me into fishing waaaaay back when...) on occasion kept our catch to eat but very rarely. Most of the fishing I do is for pure sport and in pursuit of what's known as a "lunker" which in fisherman's terms is the biggest fish or at the least a very big fish! I had the opportunity to get to one of these lakes on Friday April 24th with a very good friend Eric. It turned out to be an awesome trip!! As will be shown in the small gallery. Every fish didn't make it to a photo op but there are a few that were worth it. Hmm so it IS photography related... kinda. As you can see I caught my new PB (personal best) today!!! YES!!! What a thrill!! It was awesome! Thanks to Eric as I almost didn't land the fish she fought so hard!! Here's to many more days with friends and family spending time doing what you enjoy (in this case fishing). AND here's to the continued pursuit of my NEW PB! Oh for those who have no clue or are curious the fish in the gallery are crappie and Largemouth bass. And that big girl, we figure to be one side or other of 6 pounds!! Awesome day! Thanks for going Eric!
PS There will be no fish on the menu this weekend as a fish such as that I'll not keep.... She's out there for another person to catch. Let 'em go.... let 'em grow.
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He took off towards her as she's shooting away!! You can see the resulting pictures in the gallery. It was a blast!! Happy Birthday Cooper!!! Time goes so fast.... Here's to many more!
Hahaha it was awesome! I am glad I was able to catch that shot! Oh yeah one more thing... My nephew decided he needed to photobomb the picture, and with a little "coaching/guidance" I think we pulled it off quite nice. Even though it wasn't a true photobomb.
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Another snow storm!!! Wow, this one was quite a good one. I think I read that it was way back in 1996 since we've had this much snow!! It was very pretty and we really had a blast as you'll see in the pictures here. It was a family snow/play day. I really enjoyed it and it brought back many memories from years gone by playing around in the snow, sledding and having a blast!! Ahhh this just might be cause to go and try to dig out all the pictures taken from back in the day of years/snow days gone by and scan them into the computer to have digitally as well. Check out the gallery, leave a comment, let me know what you think.
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Sooo with the upcoming holiday and off from work that Wednesday morning I checked to see if the roads were open and then headed over to Cades Cove to get some winter shots. Sherissa had mentioned a few times in the past about wanting to go when there was snow on the ground/falling. Sooo after a phone call or two, myself, Brent and Sherissa all headed over there to see if we could get any good shots. Here is the gallery of what I was able to capture. I love the mountains as it is so peaceful and beautiful (seems even more so with the winter scene all around). There were few critters stirring during the day. Then we DID stumble upon one of the better bucks I have witnessed in some time. Here's a link to the gallery of shots Sherissa got with quite a few excellent shots of that said buck.
They were moving/running/chasing each other quick and on a mission as the rut was going on (that's the time romance is in the air/mating season for those folks who are not familiar with the jargon). It was a great time but was cold... and time to leave came sooner than I wanted it to. So here's to next time and if you can I'd for sure recommend visiting during the winter.
Another trip from our fall vacation was to a cabin in Wears Valley for some R&R, ummm, that's rest and relaxing, or Running and romping….??!?? Hehe we did some minor shopping around the area and for sure ate VERY well!!! Hehe had planned to go to the Glades Rd area and shop but instead managed to hang out closer to our cabin and hit the shops around that area. We had a beautiful view of the mountains and most all of the family came with us. My parents even came up for a night as well. That time with family is so much fun and it's important also. In my younger years I never realized how important it is. Umm, did I just call myself old? Hehe Oh yeah HERE is the gallery link in case you can't locate it. Enjoy… and hey there's more galleys to come!! Here's a little hint…. SNOW!!!! Hahahahaha
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I'd recommend ANYONE who has never been there to make plans and GO DO IT!!! It is a very nice half day or can be an all day ride (not to worry it's ALL downhill… well there are SOME level places but nothing anyone can't handle). I am ready to go back. Wow… it was probably the busiest weekend they've had if not then for sure the second busiest (according the the nice folks at the Bike shuttle/rental place). I took some photos along the way of us and of the scenery. FOr sure worth it and a great family outing as well. I'd like to stay longer next time well, by longer I mean a day or two more. Damascus isn't a vacation town to spend a week. Then again that's all relevant to what you want to do and how disconnected you wanna get I suppose. Here is the gallery to go check out of the many pictures I got along the way. Feel free to look comment and hey let me know if you've been and what your thoughts/experience was on the trail.
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New Bern, North Carolina. Then over to the Southern Outer Banks. We loved it, and I wanna go back to the Outer Banks sometime, it is just a rather lengthy drive. I even went as far as to post a picture of one of the wild horses on my facebook page when we got back.
Yet, I never did manage to upload the pictures and post any info on the blog here about it. Well, with all this nice warm weather (it's snowing as I type this) I figure now is a great time to go back there and share all this with you folks. Yep, it's supposed to be near 6-8 degrees tonight so these beach shots look rather nice if I say so myself. I'll update info in the pics as I can, but for now here is the gallery for you to check out and enjoy! Here's to that next summer vacation!!!]]>
Here's a rare shot of me showing off what I captured at the moment.
And oh yeah here's a few complementary shots of Sherissa doing her thing getting the shot. 
Thanks to Sandy, and Maci (oh Logan helped out too!!) and to Sherissa also as always. I hope you enjoy your pictures Maci here's to your Senior year!
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Being one of many things that draws over nine million plus visitors annually. (This according to the book of knowledge ummm Wikipedia that is...) Of these visitors most if not all would love the rare chance to see a bear in the wild. As of lately there have been more and more sightings of bears closer and closer to urban areas as the population grows. Another contributing factor in the bears coming in closer contact with humans is the idiots that feed/bait the bears. Possibly to get them closer or for whatever reasons, none the less they are doing far more harm than good. I do enjoy if not love this area (all along the Appalachian mountain chain). The more time spent there the more I learn and even have more of an appreciation for. I try to visit the park as often as I can, with the Townsend/Cade's Cove area being one of my favorite locations. Throughout the years most of my visits (the majority being in the fall/winter) I had only saw the rare bear on occasion, actually up until 2011 the total number I had seen was less than five. That changed once I learned more about the bears and their activities. Now every year I am going to try my best to make the trek for a minimum of a few days (if not a week) to capture the bears during their most active times. The gallery I have posted is the collection of the best shots from this year. Some I love ( I could watch the cubs play all day..!) others are just so so. Either way here they are to share with you all. Enjoy, and PLEASE BE AWARE that you should stay at LEAST thirty yards or more from all bears. (That is probably a great rule for all wildlife...) I have used a few super telephoto lenses to achieve these shots. Never getting too close, so much as even at proper/safe distances if I notice the animal changing its behavior then I move away even farther. This is done more to protect the bear than myself.]]>
What an awesome time we had. Logan did a great job, her and her Mom (Missi) were a pleasure to work with. It was quite warm outside, and other than a few yellow jacket stings everyone came out unharmed. Yes you read that right… some genius (that would be me) decided to move a rock and disturbed a nest. Lesson learned… leave things alone and work around them. I did (and still do) apologize for that little booboo. Here is the gallery of shots to check out. No, this isn't all the shots, but a selection of some of the best ones to put here for all to see. Again thanks Logan and Missi and here's to the best going forward!]]>
After the usual text messages and discussion of time, place, etc... etc... to get an idea/feel for what she was looking for we scheduled and then did the shoot! What a BLAST!! I've got a small gallery of the shoot up and ready to view. It was so much fun and yet shows another service that we are happy to provide to people as a means to capture that special moment. 
Thanks to Sherissa for shooting the shower as Amy and I were out of town on vacation that week. Here's to all the best to a healthy beautiful baby Heather and Josh. Oh yeah I'd recommend checking out the small gallery of shots also!]]>
Well the 9 to 5 (that would be my "day job" that's not really "days" for sure) prevented me from staying much past Noon that day but it was a great time! I'm looking forward to some time up there to try to capture a wild bobcat photo for sure now! I'll give it a shot this coming fall/winter.
(Ummm, again here I am just now getting to posting this update to the blog and website. Ahhh yeah catching up is kinda' fun to relive all these adventures!! Look for more in the coming week!)
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Oh sorry for the side track there. Amy and I have talked before about how it seems like we plan our vacation around the food/eating. No we really don't pick places based on the food (actually haven't researched any of that for a destination until we're already there). However, I don't think that we have yet to find a "bad" place to eat while we've been on vacation! Hehe It was a great trip! We went with Amy's Mom and Dad 
and Lisa a co-worker/friend of ours. (who by the way can COOK and cooks VERY tasty food!!) 
Lisa has been to St George Island as have Amy's parents so they all kinda' knew what to expect. It was my first trip so I kinda' planned on fishing (surf fishing on the beach) and checking out the area for future trips to fish and play in the sun.
I wanna go back for sure! We all had a blast. go check out the gallery and let me know what you think. If you have any tips, suggestions, or just wanna comment feel free to leave a comment ,send a message, email, text or whatever form of communication you want to. 
The website has gotten a slight facelift with some minor changes as far as the viewer end goes. Ok, without continuing to bore you to tears I'll hush and get to editing and uploading. Feel free to leave a comment or if you have any questions etc... fire off an email or text message.
(hehe on a side note I do have to confess to one thing that happened. I had to edit this blog post BEFORE I published it for all the internets to see. I originally started this post when it was about 3 months since I had posted an update/photos. As I said... where DOES that time go?)
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A good friend of mine came to me about shooting these engagement pictures of her sister. Of course I jumped at the idea. And what a small world. It turns out Maygen knows Sherissa! Anyway we all met at Cracker Barrel (hmmm, food has to be involved SOMEHOW right..?) and ate a bite of lunch and then headed off to shoot. What a great time I had, and I know Sherissa enjoyed it as well. Oh yeah they wanted to incorporate the UT VOLS into the shoot... that turned out quite cool if I say so myself. I enjoy photography for so many reasons one of which is the friendships that emerge from each shoot. Those that know me know that I am rarely at a loss for words. (well, there was that ONE time...) So through the process of getting to know the client we begin building what has turned into many friendships via. this medium. 
Check out the galleries. The first gallery is a sampling of some of my shots and then the second gallery is a small selection of Sherissa's. There are some of those in her gallery that was Josh's idea, but then Sherissa had a twist on that idea and ran with it! 
Great job!! What a fun time we had!!! To capture these moments is something that I truly love. So see what you think and wish these two a heartfelt congratulations as they begin this journey through this old world together, as one. May God bless you both. Ok, you know I have to include some of these shots that Maygen's sister took of us in action! It was GREAT to have someone there to capture us as we captured the moments. Check these out, and feel free to leave a comment if you want.
Yep that's me. Posing... well giving posing instructions. And over here is Sherissa w
aiting on me to move to get the shot.
Sherissa REALLY was working to get just the right angle and composition here. Pretty cool that I'm in the shot too. Well, my shadow.
Here is a good one I got of Sherissa as she was pausing while shooting. And I like this one she got of Maygen and Josh getting a quick preview of the pics still in camera. Ok, I gotta' go for now. Catch ya'll later.
Such a fun time shooting this session! The whole family is wonderful, as a good friend of mine says "They are good people". I enjoyed meeting them and taking the day to capture some moments of them together as a family. Another blessing for me to have the pleasure of getting to meet them and know them. Oh yeah Sherissa and Brent came along and helped also. 
She has such a good eye. I know from experience you can't make someone see what you see sometimes while setting up a shot, but the proofs n the photo (or something like that). Here is a shot of Sherissa grabbing one of those "I never even saw it shots!!" 
I have to say a big thank you to Brent as well. (he's been reduced to the pack mule on more than one occasion, I'm gonna buy him a meal at Cracker Barrel just for that!) We had a great time and I know they loved the pictures. As always I'm my own worse critic, but the joy I receive when clients light up and see the results, THAT makes it worth all the harsh criticism I dish out to myself. Oh yeah! Here's a good one of me in action. And Brent as a voice actuated light stand! Hahahaha 
Enjoy the galleries.... Again I have to say thank you to the Maples family it was a blast! There are more galleries to come. Finding the time to blog/post is the tough part.
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As I said in my title I want to say Congratulations to Erica as she moves on to college, and thank you to her and Melanie (her mom) for contacting us to shoot her Senior session. It was a blast! And the pictures turned out great! I hope you enjoy them. Again Sherissa jumped in and did a wonderful job of capturing the moment/light. We headed to the Great Smoky Mountains for this session and WAS it packed!! Check out the two galleries for Erica, let me know what you think.
Here's a shot of Sherissa in action! I grabbed this one just as she took the photo. Good work! Ok, enjoy the galleries. There are more to come. I'll have another update for the blog/site first of this week, well on into the week probably.
Ok, to start off I've gotta' tell you something that my father-in-law said during our trip to Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor, Maine. "You could wear a camera out here...!" I do agree.... I could spend hours.... no DAYS at each location just shooting.... it is INCREDIBLE. I do think that I have some good pictures... but none of them.... (to ME) NOT one of them do the place justice. That being said, we left Portland and headed up the coastal highway rather than go on up I95. It is SUCH a much more scenic route. I think it was US 1. Yeah that seems correct. I was taken away! BEAUTIFUL landscape! Just what I had in mind of the rugged North Eastern Coastal area. Although prettier.... Feel free to check out the galleries on Acadia, leave any comments or questions you may have about the area. I WANNA go back.... I WILL go back one day... Wow, amazing beauty!
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As you can see here and from the gallery of pictures on my webpage it was BEAUTIFUL! It's a small park near the western border of Virginia. Skyline drive runs the length of the park for 105 miles. I'd recommend the drive but plan a good 3 hours or more on a clear day. We were interested in getting to our first planned stop on the trip (and food too!!) So we only drove about half of it. There are four places (I think that was all) that you can enter/exit Skyline drive. We ended up at Johnny Appleseed's for dinner! 
Yes THAT Johnny Appleseed's. And it was DELICIOUS! We then headed on up towards Gettysburg, PA. Our first stop for the night. Ans then a day long tour of the battlegrounds there in beautiful weather! I do want to go back there for at least two full days in order to take int he WHOLE auto tour! Well worth it! There is so much to see, read, and hear. I DO recommend one of the auto tour CD's to go along with the tour. Very nice.
After leaving Gettysburg, PA we drove up the coast via I95. Well worth it to see lots of this country that I never have. After getting through New York (I do NOT recommend THAT drive!) we went on up I95 into Maine. Our first stop as should be ANYONE'S who is traveling through the area was Kittery Trading Post!!!! EXCELLENT!!! Think Bass Pro or Cabelas with that home town local sports store feel. I loved it!! Would stay there for hours... oh wait I did!! Hehehe ok, then it was on to Portland where we stayed for a few nights to see the sights and all of the Portland area. Very nice little town... went to LL Bean and oh YEAH Delorme's store is in Yarmouth, Maine!!!! And as a map nut.... well I had to go!!!! Ok, here is one last shot to post in this blog update and it is the most photographed light house hmmm, was that on the east coast or in the US? I can't remember. Portland Head Light. Look for another update soon.... next we were off to Acadia National Park! Oh yeah feel free to go look at the galleries for each area. More to come!!!
Well, hello to everyone! I wanted to take a minute to rant for a little bit. It's really a rant about a majority of people (including myself). So you've got a digital camera, maybe a point shoot, maybe a DSLR with a collection of lenses. Maybe just a nice cell phone (some of them now are BETTER than some point and shoots!!) Either way.... you've got how many photos...? 200....? 1500?.... 5000...? Too many to count? Here's the thing, people seem to never get prints from their photos anymore. We take pictures, create memories, capture moments and all this just to share the pictures etc... on Facebook...?? REALLY? I would have to recommend (especially now that I've received my latest order) that you get some prints from your last batch of photos. Who cares what size.... I just received my order of 20 16x20 prints and 5 11x14 prints!!! I LOVE THEM!!!! Soooo nice to be able to actually look at and soon I'll display my work here at home! I even ordered some for a few clients (and/or friends..). 
And they are beautiful!!! (the prints... well the friends/clients too!!) I can't express to everyone how great it is to HOLD my work in my hands. To get the prints on the wall and on display for everyone will be AWESOME!!! I have included a few samples of the shots I ordered. Wow... some are almost three years old!!! I too have been guilty of shooting and then archiving photos on CD's, hard drives, backups and possibly even social media sites (like facebook BEFORE I deleted my account!!) but never got physical prints!! That has changed now! I'll be ordering more prints. I will also order a few photo books and other items to have as keepsakes for many events/trips. Ok, I'll hush rambling for n
ow enjoy the website, and I'll get a lot more galleries up as I can. Take care and feel free to leave a comment or ask any questions if you have them.
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I shot the engagement session (well sessions) for them last year, no wait... It will be two years ago this October! Wow... I know it is so cliche but time really does get away. I have more info about them on the gallery description but here is a brief version of that now. I have been blessed to get to know this couple whom 
I work with on my normal "9 to 5". Which if you know me you know that is about the furthest it can be from actually "9 to 5" hehehe. I am very thankful for all the friends that are in my life, including Brent and Sherissa. "Good people" as another friends grandfather would say. Rather than bore you even more with ramblings on how we got to this point I'll just say that here we are now. I wanted to ask someone on board with me to help assist a wedding that I had booked. THAT'S where I thought to myself maybe I'll ask Sherissa and see if she has any interest in shooting pictures. Well, she said she would love to try.... and as you can see 
from her first gallery/shoot of Kelly's senior pictures she did a great job!! Even giving a few shot ideas to me that she saw and I didn't! Great job Sherissa!! I'm always ready to share any knowledge I have of photography or capturing moments on time for whatever the occasion is. It is in the eye of the shooter that has to turn each image into a special feeling or thought. To quote one of the masters:
"You don't take a photograph, you make it."
- Ansel Adams
"Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art."
- Ansel Adams
These are just two of many good quotes that I wanted to share as food for thought when it comes to the art of photography. Too many people (myself included) get caught up in the "gear" or equipment spiral. Thinking that if I get this camera or that camera or piece of gear then I can create better pictures. It is not the camera that makes the photograph but the photographer. I can not remember who said this (so please forgive me for not crediting them) but I heard it said that if you are not at the limits of your current camera, lens, etc...etc.. nor do not KNOW what the limits are then you can not possibly know if you need the newest latest and greatest!
Sorry for the rambling again. I get a little passionate about these things. Oh yeah one more thing!! I about completely forgot to send a big thank you out to Brent also for all he did helping Sherissa with that shoot and me too! 
He was a BIG help carrying gear/camera bag and made a GREAT voice activated light stand!! Hehehehe hahaha but seriously gotta' say thanks to him also.
There she is! Absolutely beautiful, I'm so thankful for her, for us. Thankful that God has blessed me with all that he has, including Amy. I posted a new gallery that is a misc. place to put pictures of family and friends. Ok, so I had to use it to get this photo here, with more. I'll update the blog and website as I can. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think. Oh yeah I about forgot to introduce another good friend (ok, actually two friends you've seen in a few galleries already...)
John Alley
truephotoplus
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