For those that like cute babies. Maya.

Mini Session DAY 2

Thanks to the families that came out today. For all of you that wanted to come out today but couldn't I have some good News. We have decided to do as second day of free Mini sessions next Tuesday Dec 1.
The spots will 15 min long and be available from 9-12.
Click the photo below to see the details.





Jer

Free Holiday Mini Sessions

Check it out tomorrow is our second annual free session day. Yes Tomorrow!

Heres how it works. Once a year we offer free mini sessions with a special theme. Last year we did a fall theme outdoors this year we are doing Holiday (vintage Christmas) mini sessions. Its the only time of year we do these smaller sessions. We will have discounted image discs available as well and online viewing. Then as a cool bonus we will pick our favorites from this fun themed session and display them in the gallery at the December art walk.

After the First Friday gallery showing we also schedule a time for you to come in to the studio and view the remainder of the images from your session. You can order any prints or products from your session at that time.

Send me an email if you want to sign up. I will be checking my mail until late tonight. Spots for these session are available from 9-12 and spots are limited.

Jeremy
jeremy@bigsmilestudios.com

The Pearsons

Thanks for stopping by the blog. The Pearsons look adorable and we had a really good time in the studio. Dylan is one and is cute as a bug. A lady bug to be exact. Not only did I enjoy shooting her but I got to witness the joy as her family watched her dig into her very first birthday cake. I got to be a part of a Pearson family moment. Grandpa and both Grandmas where there. "Is this going to work? what is she going to do?" I could feel them thinking. Dad was beaming and Jessicas tension about the shoot relaxing. I could almost see her body lanquage saying as she rested on her mom "we made it through the first year, this is good."

Kates formal bridal teaser.

Turn up the volume

Its time to turn up the volume. My God is a passionate powerful God. Its not that I don't try to listen or obey or make plans to do so, but the things of this world and their influence seem so persistent and seem so loud. My heart mostly beating with its own meager strength. But the truth! Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. Stronger, more enduring more passionate. But how often is that reflected in me. Honestly, my heart, my thoughts, my joy, my life and my hope is so easily drowned out by the noise and the powers of the enemy. His fear has been louder than Gods hope. His persistent buzzing and chaos and agitations more present than the endurance of Gods hope and peace. No matter how loud the enemy is our God is stronger and enduring and more persistent. He is a passionate intensely loving enduring God. And he has called us not to just pursue him, but to do so with his heart to do so passionately. No more letting it be drowned out. IF need be its time to turn the volume down on the things of this world. Cast off the cares and snares that so easily entangle us. and turn the volume up on our pursuit of him of his calling and obedience to his word. We can praise louder and follow passionately, love more deeply. Trust more intensely.

This is the day that the Lord hath made I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Here is part 2:

Erin and Anthony Part 1

Part One: Erin and Anthony are Jr. High sweethearts. They have been off and on since the 6th grade. So who says you cant find your soul mate in Grade school. I did there session in two locations both with some historical family significance. The first location was out on his family's land north of Springfield near an old windmill that Anthony's grandpa found and placed on the property.

I will post part 2 tomorrow.

Holly Chris e-session on the farm

I wanted to post some images from Holly and Chris's e-session on their farm. I had been excited to shoot these for a long time. The farm has been in Holly's family for a generations. There is cattle in its future Chris says. As you can see from the images, some of the old abandon ruins from years past are still on the property. The old farm house was one of the first in the city to have pressurized water(it came from a gravity fed tank on the property) and the building picture used to be the old stone warehouse.

Megan and Riley Teaser

Here are teasers for the anxious moms. More tomorrow

Jennifer and Eric St. Albans Missouri

Jen and Eric had beautiful fall wedding in picturesque St. Albans, Missouri over the weekend. The clouds and the sky and the fall foliage combined for some breathtaking scenery. Thanks so much for letting me be a part of such a beautiful emotional day.

HOLLY and CHRIS Teaser

I know you want to see more.

Brad and Brit

Brad does contruction (I think) and Brit is a great photographer in her own right, (ive seen some pretty cool Holga stuff on her FB page). They will be tying the knot officially next weekend. Sara Lewis, one of our associate photographers, will be shooting there wedding and did a real bang up job on their engagement photos. They took a trip to the Ozark empire fair back in August. I didn't get to go but from the photos i wish that I had, it looked like they had a great time.

More than just an image

Note: this is not a rant.

Wedding Photography is more than just about creating an image or making a beautiful couple look fantastic. I see so many photographers popping up locally and across the country and quickly turning out great images. And the process for creating those beautiful images gets easier and easier. I I have been looking through blog after blog of staged moments and amazing locations and images with funky colors, giving them that perfectly popular vintage style. And I like vintage and beautiful locations. That can all be amazing. But in all honesty all It takes is decent camera, photoshop and enough images or enough tries edited in sequence to edit together a perfect looking wedding day. (side note:not every wedding day is perfect ) But our work can go farther than that. more than just capturing the right moment or right looking

moment or expression. A wedding photograph can be more than just an image, it can be more than a post on a blog. Because after all we are more than image makers. We are guests at a wedding. A wedding between 2 living people in love. And this wedding is the first day of a marriage. And these people are real living people with moments that happen after the shutter clicks, not actors or models And we are more than professionals or photographers we are guests. Real live people with real lives after the shutter clicks and real live responsibilities as photographers. With a responsibility and a privilege to do more than click a button 1000 or 2000 times at a wedding. To do more than experience our own fleeting creation but capturing part of Gods creation.

His creation of marriage uniting two people and celebration and joy and love, a reflection of God and his people. We are more than just bloggers and face-bookers and marketers (if we will let ourselves) and image makers or even just wedding photographers, the couples we work with more than just models and weddings more than just staged productions. We are making more than just cool impressive looking images. If we are willing our images can be more than just an image.

Amy+Dustin

I got to be honest this was one of the most stressful days ever as a wedding photographer. It seemed like everything was working against us. The weather, health, parking, parades equipment issues, the lady manning the desk at the Botanical Gardens. There was more than one occasion where I thought I was going to miss something big. But just as I thought that all was going to be lost, it all came together. Just as it was looking like it was going to downpoor all day. The weather gave us just enough break. Just as it looked like we were going to be stuck taking all of our images inside, rainbow. check that double rainbow. Just as it looked like the bride was going to be late for her own wedding, she made it. Just as it looked like I was going to be late, I made it. (after a good ol fashioned sprint mind you). After a day of almost catastrophies, it all came together just as it was supposed to. I am just happy I was there to capture it.