We've moved!

Please visit out new blog at www.ceasefirestudios.net

content will no longer be updated on this blog.
(it's a happy thing!!)

Meet Jeffrey - Senior photos, Maryville, Missouri

You should meet Jeffrey. He's kind of a quiet kid (well, he was around me anyway) but it didn't take much to make him slightly smirk. hah. He's a senior this year at one of the local high schools. He runs track and has a cute girlfriend. He obviously could also be on the cover of a J Crew catalog, do we not agree?

Let's just say, I called it first.

Tessa's Senior Photos - Maryvile Missouri photographer

Tessa is a very sweet, soon to be graduate of West Nodaway. She plays basketball and has a lot of loving family and friends around her.

Of course, we pick only the coldest day possible to shoot her photos, OH, and don't forget the wind! But we made due and ended up with a really wonderful session.

I love the analogy of an open road, a suitcase, and a senior looking into their future. Congrats to Tessa!

Dr. Seuss said it best:

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Maryville, MO family portraits

I've talked about Daniel Dunlap and his family before a few weeks ago. He's a fellow photographer from Council Bluffs, Iowa. We met online in a photography group and we tend to complain about most of the same things. Correction... I complain, and he mostly agrees.

He presented me a challenge around a year ago when I commented on a photo of his daughter on facebook. "You get her to look into the camera, I challenge you."

Game on.

So a couple weeks ago, I had a issue I needed to sort out, and Dan's one of those guys that knows just enough to get you in trouble. He volunteered to come all the way to lowly Missouri and help me fix it! All I had to offer was a stack of fat T-bones.
*he took the bait!*

So Saturday, they came down early and went to Stoney Creek for a little get away. We went down to have dinner with them, and I started turning on the charm with little Alayna immediately because I knew I'd be taking her photo at some point.

Over dinner Dan and I had this conversation:

Dan: "I'm never going to photograph another photographer's wedding."
Lana: "Yeah, me neither. Talk about pressure."

around 18 hours later:
Dan: "So you'll take our picture right?"
Lana: *eek*

(well, not exactly like that, but you know....)

I want the record to show, I got several shots of Alayna looking at the camera several times.
BOOYAH.

I also made a new little BFF. I'm going to talk her into spending the summer with me. I'm confident it'll work.. I have a pool.

I might have to rent a pony though.

Telling the story - Missouri Wedding Photographer

I once read, some place, a long time ago, from someone that I can't remember...

"A good photo has a beginning and a middle and an end."

I love the story that is being told in one solitary frame, 1/320th of a second, of one special day, tells the whole story.

Getting a little airtime!

Check this out!

So after my article was published in the Maryville Daily Forum, the St. Joseph News Press contacted me. They wanted to feature me in the women's magazine they put out monthly!! Finally, today it came out! It'll be seen by around 30,000 people! GET OUT!

If you'd like to read what the article says, you can see it online here!

Jenny and Drew get Married! St. Joseph, Missouri Wedding Photographer

You might recognize Jenny. She was one of my bridesmaids at Lauren and Josh's wedding back in July. Nope, they had no idea that they both booked me. I had no idea they were friends until I saw them in a photo together on facebook. In any event, it's always so much fun to see a lot of the same players at multiple weddings as you get to know everyone a little better.

Both are really sweet people, and I'm not just saying that because. I'm saying it because it's true. I have both Drew and Jenny on my facebook and every few days, Jenny posts a sweet little love note on Drew's wall. It's so obvious that these two are head over heels for each other.












I thought the rope was very interesting, it's the rope that you pull to ring the bell. It took everything I had to not pull it. Trust me.









Most of their fun formal photos were taken at St. Joseph, Missouri's historical Krug Park. It's beautiful no matter what time of year.




Jenny used to play here when she was a little girl, and you can't help but wonder if they didn't run across each other on the playground as children.























They were married at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in St. Joseph. I'm always impressed how beautiful these older catholic churches are. Makes me want to walk around all day and just shoot the details of the church. We were lucky in that we had the most perfect light shining in the window too. Almost makes you wonder if it wasn't planned that way.






I think Jenny is actually more ornery than Drew, but you couldn't tell it here.

































Reception was held at Stoney Creek Inn, which is beautiful and has a rustic theme to it. Lots of wood, a few horns, beautiful lighting. It's a nice overnight trip if you just want to take in the cool historic sights in St. Joseph one weekend.






A little practical joke here.... the garter is Jayhawks themed. The thing is, Drew's NOT a Jayhawk fan.

Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk Drew??






These 2 are dancing fools and I swear Jenny knows every word, to every single song ever written.




Thank you both for not only letting me be part of your wedding day, but also for being such kind, loving, wonderful people.