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Location: Kalona, Iowa, United States

Husband and Wife wedding and lifestyle photographers based in Iowa.

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    30 November 2007

    The Mobile Office

    This weekend finds Jodi and I in Fredericksburg, Virginia for a business meeting.  We have long been using a financial software program called SuccessWare which has been amazing in terms of keeping track of all things business.  So we're in VA this weekend to learn more about the program, and how to manage business, and all that good stuff.  We definitely would recommend SuccessWare to any of you photographers who need a good accounting program that is designed specifically for our line of work.  Back a few weeks ago when you all asked us what part's of photography do we like the most and least, we would have to add accounting as what we like the least. :)  But, part of growing pains is that we have to improve on all areas of our work, and this is step one.  

    I love the art in a sunset.  The colors and design are amazing every time.

    My office for the next few days. 


    I was working today while Jodi was in class, and the fire alarm in the hotel went off.  Let me just say that you would never sleep through that racket, which is good, I guess.  So I grabbed the laptop, iPod, camera and hard drives as fast as I could disconnect them and ran out the door only to find the hotel staff standing around and telling us all it was a false alarm.  As I was thanking God, the door slammed shut behind me and I realized that I was holding all my gear....minus the room key.  But the nice room service lady opened it for me, while laughing under her breath.  Hey, if there's a real fire, who cares about the key?  

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    28 November 2007

    Details: Part 2


    ***Updated***

    Final Score:  Cowboys 37, Packers 27!   I'm truly sorry that Brett Favre got injured, but lets face it...Rodgers' stats were alot better than the direction Brett was headed before the injury. But, Dallas is in control of the NFC and, most likely, home field advantage in the playoffs. 

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    Shoes!

    Adding to the series on details, Part 2 is some of the shoes that have peeked out from under wedding gowns and been found resting in dressing rooms all across the country just waiting to carry a bride or groom to the altar.  Some are comfy...some are classy.  Some are painful... some are pretty.  Some are shiny...some are fluffy.  Some are plain...some are fancy. Each pair has been carefully selected, and in some way reflects the personality of the person who wears them.  



    Upcoming details:  Rings, Cameras, Kids,...

    Go Cowboys!


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    27 November 2007

    Details: Part 1

    Flowers!

    I was just working on some images here, and figured it would be cool to give you a look at some of the details that we've come across over a busy year of weddings. So, we begin an undetermined-part series on the details of weddings and such that we've come to notice and capture this past year.

    Details Part 1: Flowers.



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    26 November 2007

    Post-Thanksgiving Post.

    On our way to Pennsylvania, we stopped in with some friends in Indiana for the night. We had photographed them earlier this summer, and it was great to be back with them again, even though our stay was pretty short.

    One of their girls...


    Alana sporting a big knot on her head...


    We introduced my dad to Guitar Hero and I'm afraid he's hooked. :)


    He will be a rock star like his dad some day. Oh wait, his dad isn't a rock star!


    Lets just say that Zeke the rabbit ate more carrots than he needed to.



    Random Notes

    As a Cowboy fan growing up near Philadelphia, my taste in football teams went largely unappreciated. But last night was the first time I remember cheering for the Eagles as they made their upset bid on the NE Patriots. They came close, but not close enough to win.

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    Jackson's chicken pox are pretty much cleared up, and Jodi is 100% again!! We have alot to be thankful for!

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    24 November 2007

    Happy Day After, the Day After Thanksgiving!!

    Hey everyone, sorry we've not been posting. We are out of town for Thanksgiving at my parent's home, and it's been so much fun to be around my family again.

    We had to go buy them a wireless router today so that we could set up our computers and get some things accomplished. I'll give you some pictures on Monday once we get our "mobile office" set up. :)

    I hope that you are enjoying the long weekend, and time spent with family and friends. We have so much to be thankful for, and it's always good to take a moment and celebrate those things. God bless!

    VIDEO: 
    I know that this has been floating around on other photographers' websites, but after mildly participating in Black Friday the last 2 years, I think this serves as a great reminder to us during this time of the year when everything seems to spin 10x faster than usual. 












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    19 November 2007

    Random...

    First of all, we want to thank you for your prayers and thoughts while Jodi was sick. She is feeling much, much better, and able to be back in the office. We are very grateful for our health and you kind of take it all for granted when everything is going fine. Next on the list... if you have small children, and you want to make sure they get chicken pox while they're young, bring them over. ;)

    +++++

    We will be leaving town for Thanksgiving, so email is about the safest bet to get in touch with us the next 2 weeks.

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    There is a dead mouse somewhere near this office. Nasty.

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    More to come...

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    15 November 2007

    Happy Birthday??

    Well, it's the big day for Jodi.....sort of. Most times, your memories of your birthday are good, full of notsalgia and memories that make you smile. For the last 2 weeks, she's been battling mono, and it doesn't look like it will go away any time soon. We had big plans for today, but they won't be happening. Jodi's been a real trooper, and is hanging in there, but if you are so inclined as to pray for her, we would much appreciate it. I know that God is the ultimate doctor and we're praying that he will heal Jodi's body.....soon!

    So, happy birthday, Jodi!

    13 November 2007

    Misc. Families

    Here are a few different family shots from our Family and Children's photographer, Hannah!









    RODNEY'S STUFF:


    How about those Cowboys?! The showdown with the NY Giants proved to just be practice for a better team. Next up...Washington Redskins.

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    My latest Movie review comes on me finally watching "The Transformers". I realize that I am light years behind the times, and that many of the movies we watch are quite old. However, due to the cost of attending a movie, we have chosen Netflix as our primary source of movies. Back to the review: I didn't enjoy the movie. Sorry to the fans, but listen... if all you want is some sweet CGI, well then there you go, it's a good movie. But if you enjoy movies with plots, then this one's not for you.

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    Don't forget, if you want to order pictures for Christmas, please place your order before December 10. If you need to me re-post your images to the website, let me know.

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    12 November 2007

    Jennifer + Tracy's Wedding

    This was our last wedding for the season, and it was in Des Moines, Iowa, about 2 hours from our house. We felt like we've gotten to know Jen and Tracy this summer, just from seeing them at other weddings! The only downer of the day was the awesome VA hospital that wouldn't let us photograph with their buildings.











    NOTES: Jodi has been really sick this past week, and still is, so we're a little slow in answering the phone and responding to emails, and (as you noticed) blogging. Please bear with us as this has put things on hold this week. Many apologies for any inconvenience. Her birthday is on Thursday, so here's to praying she's better by then!

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    08 November 2007

    Poll me!

    All right...time to identify yourselves! We've been amazed at how many hits we get on this blog, and it would be fun to know who all is looking at it. Lets find out...





    Thanks!

    Upcoming posts:

    1. Jen + Tracy's wedding!

    2. A family or two...

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    07 November 2007

    Grace

    Here's little Grace. She has these amazing blue eyes that are just HUGE, but I think she was a little skeptical of Jodi, so we didn't always see them. :)





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    06 November 2007

    Rachel + Jeff

    We started off the Engagement shoot with a meeting a Starbucks to learn their story and get to know them a bit. We've heard some pretty cool stories of proposal, and this one's pretty good too. Jeff surprised Rachel with a skydiving trip, and upon returning to the ground, popped the question! Good stuff. We are very excited to shoot their wedding in Mexico next June!







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    05 November 2007

    Lindsay and Greg's Wedding

    This was our first time in Marengo, Iowa, and we are threating to move our studio there. As we drove around the town before the wedding, we noticed a sweet train parked by the feed mill. I don't know if it's always there or not, but we took advantage of it. There were some cool old buildings, and we really liked the feel of the town. Anyway, Lindsay and Greg are a wonderful couple, and it was awesome that they were up for sitting in weeds and posing with a train and driving all over town on a bit of a chilly day. We also had the privelage of having Laura along with us for a job shadow, which was pretty cool in itself.













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    01 November 2007

    A Bit About Us...

    I would suggest that you go make some coffee or grab a glass of tea and settle in for this interview. It's been fun answering your questions! Here's to you....


    What is the best and/or worst part about being a photographer?

    J: As a self employed photographer in a home studio, we can't ever leave the business. The best part about it is meeting new people.

    R: The worst part is working 18 hr days and weekends all summer and fall. The best part is making people smile. Really, the bad parts aren't all that bad.

    Rodney, if the Cowboys were wiped off the face of the earth what NFL team would you root for? Probably, the Steelers or Green Bay until Brett Favre retires.



    “What’s one of your most memorable life experiences?”

    J: My wedding day! It was in the backyard at my house, and it was amazing! We now live in that very same house!

    R: Yikes. Probably when my family went on a vacation in Pennsylvania, and we rented the "largest" of the four available cabins. When we got there, we realized that the "largest" cabin was really no bigger than a one car garage. I slept on the porch, Jodi slept in the kitchen (we were still dating), and my 2 brothers and my parents were in the only bedroom. It was hilarious! We hiked, and swam and had a blast anyway. We still laugh about it when we're together today, 8 years later. Then when we returned home, we discovered that my grandpa had died the day after we left for vacation and nobody could find us...not even the police. I know...sad ending to a good story, but sometimes life happens that way.



    “What’s your favorite holiday?”

    J: Christmas, because of the nostalgia and family and festivities...but I hate the high expectations.

    R: Thanksgiving. Family...Food...Football... and no pressure to give gifts! Easter has the most meaning of them all, though.

    “What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids?”

    J: Snuggle up with them in bed in the mornings.

    R: I love riding dirtbike with them. I tell myself that they are screaming because they're having fun! Seriously, they love it.



    Why do you have a cutoff date for seniors? Do you take the winter off? Do you just not want to go out in the snow? What if someone calls and wants senior portraits?

    R & J: We have a cutoff date for seniors because we had 31 weddings over a one-year span, and we only took 30 seniors so that we could keep up. If a senior calls, we will refer them.

    How many hours from start to finish do you put into a wedding/senior package?
     
    J:
    Weddings: 30-40 hrs total including making an album. Seniors take about 10 hrs total.



    In 10 years where do you hope to be with your business?

    J: In a new studio, for one! :) Maybe have a few more employees.

    R: I would love to start including high end video with our wedding packages. I'm a fan of Cinematic Bride and someday we'd love include something like that with our wedding packages. Do yourself a favor and click the link...it's amazing. I'd love to do the video or the editing, but we'll see. Ultimately, we want to be wherever God wants us, and if that still includes photography in 10 years, we'll be there.

    I would love to know what cameras you prefer & why?

    J: We love the results we get from Canon.



    When did you know you wanted to do this, did you take any courses or learn as you went?

    J: When we first got married, my top three choices of a career were 1) Photography, 2) Interior Decorating or 3) Massage Therapy. Rodney didn't want me to do Massage Therapy, and I liked photography better than Interior Decorating. So, I bought a good camera and 6 years later...here we are!! We are in our local and national associations and we make it a point to do some sort of education each year.

    R: I knew I wanted to do this because I was in construction and starting to despise going to work. So, in the fall of 04, I started out part-time working at home, and I enjoyed it more every day...the more I learned, the more I loved the job, so finally I had no choice but to come home full-time. I took two, week-long, Photoshop classes at MAIPP from Don Emmerich a PS master, and that gave me the basics for what I do today.


    --------INTERMISSION----------


    Our Favorite part of this past year: Our trips to Africa, and Denver CO.

    The best advice we've ever been given:

    J: "Don't marry someone you could live with, find someone you can't live without." -Dad., & "If you want to be rich, count the things that money can't buy." -Larry Peters

    R: "There is nothing so great in life, that it is worth losing your integrity." -Mom. & "We are all just one decision away from regret." -Mick Murray

    Our favorite TV shows: R & J: The Office, The Simpsons and football on Sunday afternoons.

    Our prediction for the next President of U.S.: Hillary Clinton. (We sure hope we're wrong.)



    One thing we'll never do:

    J & R: Get divorced.

    If we had a $1000 gift certificate to any ONE store, where would we go?:

    J: Hobby Lobby!

    R: Amazon.com

    If we have to share the $1000...we'd chose the Apple Store.

    Things we love:

    J: Getting a massage, Potato Soup from Panera Bread! and Peanut Butter Pie

    R: Golf, mowing the lawn, Making music, going to concerts, finding cash in my jeans

    Things we hate:

    J: When the car keys aren't hung in their proper place,

    R: Bragging, and Halloween lawn decorations...all of which are tacky, lame and generally obnoxious.



    This annoys us:

    J: Credit card companies, deceitful salesmen, and it's annoying that I don't lose weight by NOT working out.:)

    R: Loud eaters, any sort of repeated clicking noise, and hiccups.

    The worst possible job would be: R & J: One you dread getting up and going to every day.

    The best possible job would be: R & J: One you love getting up and going to!

    Our favorite kind of jeans are:

    J & R: One's that fit. We stopped caring about brands right after we got a mini-van. "Cool" has left the building.:)

    We would love to meet:

    J: Beth Moore, Jeff and Julia Woods

    R: Louie Giglio, David Jay, and Martin Smith (I met him once, but i was too intimidated to talk. I want a second chance:) He also stood on my head...seriously. You would be intimidated too. HA!! He's a singer...I was in the front row...he stood on my head)

    What's playing on our (iPod)?: The Almost, Delirious, Switchfoot, Lifehouse, David Crowder*Band, Coldplay, Anberlin, Beatles, Blindside, Rascal Flatts, TobyMac, U2, 30 Seconds to Mars, Norah Jones, and various kids' CD's.



    Congratulations if you made it all the way to the end!! Thanks for letting us be part of your lives!
    With much appreciation to you all, and special thanks to our Family & Children's photographer, Hannah, for the pictures!
    R&J

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