They always say be careful what you ask for because you just might get it!  Well this was certainly the case recently and I am not complaining.  A couple of weeks ago I witnessed a raccoon crossing the road in my neighborhood, which isn’t a big surprise since there are a variety of critters where I live, even though I live in town.  Upon seeing the raccoon, I thought to myself how I would love to hold a baby raccoon someday.  Then I quickly reminded myself that where there are baby raccoons, there are mother raccoons and they are mighty protective of their young.  Loosely translated I told myself that my wish would probably never be granted.

Fast forward one week and my wish was granted!   While visiting my neighborhood Starbuck’s, I stumbled upon a man and his friend sipping their coffee and hanging out with a young racoon. It turns out that the racoon is three months old and named Misha. Her owner Doc adores her and I can totally see why! I had no idea that it was legal to have a pet as a racoon, but it turns out that it is in Tennessee as long as you have a license.  It was an absolute thrill to photograph the cute and funny Misha!  I must say that I fell in love with her immediately and wishing I could babysit her from time to time!

Doc thinks Misha looks really cute by the pink flowers.  I think he’s right!

Just look at that face!  Sweet baby you need to come to my house and play with Smokey Robinson!

Doc’s friend with Misha.  See how little she is!

Aren’t they sweet together!

Misha is all about eye contact!

Doc loves Misha!

Misha loves Doc!

Angela loves Misha!

You see I wasn’t joking about being at Starbuck’s!

Yes, it really is Starbuck’s!

Misha wants in her little pouch!  By the way, notice her little pink harness and name tag.

Misha looks so small in Doc’s hands!

Misha feels safe and sound in her pouch!

Lately I have been extremely fascinated by the human canvas, meaning people with tattoos.  While I personally do not have any tattoos I am intrigued by others who spend countless hours and time adding art to their bodies.  So what do I do to remedy this curiosity?  I create opportunity and ask Jerrod, a friend of a friend, to let me photograph him.  On his 18th birthday Jerrod skipped school to get his first tattoo.  When I asked Jerrod how many hours he had logged under the needle, he told me that he “stopped counting after 100 hours!”  Here are a few of my favorite images of Jerrod and his colorful, artful tattoos.

Hanging out in the back yard in front of what would have been my dream playhouse as a child!

This red door was the perfect background for several shots!

I couldn’t decide which image I liked better, between this image and the one below, so I decided to show both.

Can you tell what this tattoo is?  Yes, it’s a cross!

I really love this shot!

Detail shot of a tattoo on Jerrod’s calf.  What a beautiful piece of art!

Detail shot paying tribute to the parents!

Jerrod’s English Bulldog Bama licked my lens during this shoot!

Another detail shot!

Jerrod loves old things and so do I so we decided to do a few shots of him at his table which has been in his family for years.

One of my favorite shots.  Sorta looks like a most wanted shot but I love it anyway!

Wrapping up the shoot with a little bit of Scotch….yum!

Anyone who knws me knows that I adore old things!  Recently, I had the privilege of photographing the charming Reggie and his stunning, 1939 Packard.  Reggie is such a gentleman and his car…well it stops people in their tracks!  So for those of you getting married, or anyone who wants to plan a special night out with a loved one, Reggie is the guy to call.  Reggie is currently working on a website but can be reached via email or phone.  His email address is atyourservicechauffering@hotmail.com and his phone number is 615-977-2210.

Reggie and his “Baby” in front of Union Station Hotel!

What a lovely pair!

Reggie and his “Baby” in front of the Assumption Church!

Very classic!

Riding around with Reggie.  What a blast this was!

Reggie and his “Baby” in front of the Parthenon!

Reggie showing me the beautiful details of his car.

Reggie really adores and pampers his car!

The most beautiful hood ornament in the world!

More classic details!

Here are a few of my favorite pics, of the radiant Sabrina, at Riverwood Mansion!   What a gorgeous, elegant and classic bride!

Here are a few of my favorite images from the lovely Sarah’s bridal portrait session!  The day of our shoot was a typical hot and humid summer day.  Nevertheless, Sarah was patient, glowing and radiant the whole time!

Looking lovely and graceful!

What a great smile!

A Magnolia bloom makes for a pretty prop!

Some of my favorite shots come from letting people move naturally…like this one of Sarah adjusting her hair!

Sarah loves to smile and has an amazing smile.  However, here is a shot where I asked her not to smile.  This shot is all about her beautiful eyes!

Layers of crinoline = several fun minutes of shooting!

Classic, sexy and beautiful!

What’s a girl to do when it gets really hot outside?!  My suggestion is to break out the Champagne!

I thoroughly enjoy being a wedding photographer, but am especially loving mixing things up these days with lifestyle sessions and shooting personal work. Variety is certainly the spice of life and I think that this variety makes me a better photographer! It was such a pleasure photographing Stefanii, in her environment, a couple of weeks ago. Stefanii’s style is the perfect example of vintage/modern and I must say I love how her style is so unique! While I do not have any tatoos, I find myself being fascinated by them and the human canvas. There were so many great shots from this session, that it was hard to narrow down my favorites for this blog posting. I look forward to more lifestyle sessions like this one. Until then stay tuned and enjoy!

I love the intimacy of the portrait session! It is also such a treat to be able to photograph someone and not feel totally rushed(time on wedding days passes so quickly). The photos below are of my sweet and handsome Canadian friend Jesse. Jesse was kind enough to sit for me, so I could experiment with some new lighting gear and techniques. I really love how classic and gorgeous he looks in these photos!!! All I can say is “watch out Canada!”

Lisa McCallum is a talented(and beautiful) singer/songwriter living in Nashville, TN. While I love photographing weddings for a living, it is always refreshing to switch gears and do something a little different! Lisa and I had such a blast creating the images that she will be using for promotional purposes. Below are just a few of my favorite shots from our shoot!

Victoria Banks is a talented songwriter friend of mine whom I recently found out has a song titled “Come On Over” that Jessica Simpson decided to cut. Victoria co-wrote the song with Rachel Proctor & Jessica herself. As it turns out the song has been well received by fans and was #28 on the charts only two weeks after it’s release! I am so happy for Victoria! Not only is she extremely gifted, but she is also an amazing woman! It really is a thrill to see good people have success in their lives. Click here to check out Victoria’s diary entry. Below are a few shots of Victoria that were taken a while back. You’re a talented and beautiful woman Victoria!