Priester Photography

More Johnson Family fun and an update on my British ATM machine friend...

Johnson family first.

Boys...behave!

Thank you.

Look at this handsome young man! So cooperative and willing to be photographed...Wacey could learn a thing or two from him.

I brought out the texture again. I think I dig it. Yep. I'm pretty sure I dig it.

What a fun, easy-going family! I love it! Hopefully we'll see Wyatt back next year for HIS senior session.

I've decided to ditch the slideshow idea from now on. I'm not sure anyone watches them or even likes them and they take a bit of time to put together. You can still find the proofs from all of the sessions here though. This one will be under "Johnson Family".

Now about my British ATM friend. I did another quick internet search and found this interesting article. There are now ATM machines set up around London (since August) that address the user in Cockney in hopes of keeping the dialect alive in Britian. So the machine says it's "reading your bladder of lard" instead of examining your card and "enter your huckleberry finn" means to enter your pin.

Then I found this awesome video of my man, Hugh Laurie, in an interview with Ellen using his wonderfully natural British voice discussing different British and American phrases.

But I still haven't found out if there's a marketable reason why I'm greeted by a woman speaking with a British accent instead of a man speaking with a hillbilly accent. That might go over a spot better in these here parts.

Chip, chip cheerio!

Meet the Johnson's...

You might remember Wacey from his senior session. How could you forget a face like that?

This is the Johnson's family session from August of 2008.

I've become a wee bit better at posing families since then (the daughter lives in Nevada so we didn't get her in the studio this time).

We took a few shots of Wyatt...

I also think the boys look a wee bit different from their 2008 session...more like men. Our little boys are growing up. Sniff, sniff. Losing the braces helped them on their trek to looking more manly.

Well, maybe Wyatt is growing up. I'm not too sure about Wacey.

He may still have some work to do in this area.

Is this not what every mother of a teenage boy wants to do?

Okay, calm down...we got some serious mother/son shots too. How cute!

I'm hoping to finish up this session tomorrow, with plenty more coming after that.

Can I digress for a bit?

Thank you.

I love British humor. I find that most of the books that I call my favorites end up being by British authors. I often find myself speaking with a British accent in my head while thinking or sometimes when I'm reading (scary, but you know I have to be honest with you).

Now that you know this about me, imagine my delight when upon using the ATM machine in town (in rural Missouri) I was greeted by a woman's voice that had a British accent.

I was instantly happier. I sat up in my seat straighter, smiled at the ATM machine, and said, "Well, hello to YOU!" After I talked to the machine a little bit more and collected my money I was practically bursting with happiness and then as we we finished our transaction it said, "Thank you for baunking with us". Not banking but baunking (with the "au" making the sound of the "o" in hot). I giggled and did my best "Your welcome", British style as I pulled away.

This raises a question...Why does my rural Missouri ATM voice have a British accent? Are most people happier (as am I) upon hearing it? Does it cause us to want to spend more money? Is it supposed to sound more sophisticated, knowledgeable, or grand?

I did a quick internet search and only found others with the same question I have. Although I did come across this cute blog post where someone talks about yelling back at the machine, "Chip Chip Cheerio!" as they pull away. Now when their two year old son sees the Bank of America sign he yells out "Chip Chip Cheerios!".

You'll be hearing me say that now. Often.

So the mystery remains for now. I'm not sure why we need a British voice talking to us while we gather money from a machine, but I like it.

Chip, chip cheerio!

Wondering if anyone else does this...

London and I were driving home last night after delivering the girls to a slumber party in a town about 2 hours away.

As I came through Fredericktown I caught myself doing something that I've always done and then began to wonder if any one else does it too.

I look at the houses, trees, stores, and roads as if they're houses, trees, stores and roads that I've never seen before. Like Fredericktown is just another town that I'm driving through that I know nothing about.

We drive the same roads so often and see the same things so much that we forget to THINK about them. You know how "they" say that you don't appreciate what's in your own backyard? I guess that's what I'm talking about.

So when I'm driving and thinking (I hope that's not hazardous) I try to look at the things I see everyday with a fresh perspective.

I try to admire it the way I admire other quaint, little towns that I drive through when I'm traveling. I try to add a little mystery to it, though it seems quite the opposite since I see it every day.

Have you ever done this?

If not you should. It's quite fun.

What does any of this have to do with this precious thing?

Nothing...except maybe that HE has a fresh perspective on things.

He's never walked the streets of our quaint little town.

He's just been sleeping in his momma's hands,

and crying in his daddy's.

Here's his slideshow.

The song is "Simple Gifts" by Jewel.

If you want to see the proofs without music you can go here and click "Gann Family".

Little Peek at a Little Guy...

I know it's not much of a post but I'm working like the crazy woman that I am and therefore don't have the time to come up with witty things to say.

These are mostly just to assure the little guy's momma that we DID get some of him while he wasn't making a silly face.

Though we did get several of him trying to gnaw his own hands off.

More tomorrow.

Drift Away...

You know the song. By the Doobie Brothers (and lots of other people)...

♫ Give me the beat boys ♪♫

♫♪ and free my soul ♪

♪ I wanna get lost in the rock and roll ♫♪

♫ and drift away ♪♫

It came on the radio while I was in the car. It occurred to me while I was singing along that this is how I used to sing it (and sometimes still do):

♫♪ Give me the Beach Boys ♪

♪ and free my soul ♫

That still makes sense at least.

Further along in the song it goes,

♫ thanks for the joy that you've given me ♫

♪ I want you to know I believe in your song ♪

♫ rythm and rhyme and harmony ♫

♪ has helped me along ♪

♫ and making me strong ♫

(Chorus)

I sang (sing) it like this:

♫ thanks for the joy that you've given me ♫

♪ I want you to know I believe in your song ♪

♫ lemon and lime and harmony ♫

Not making so much sense on that one, though I guess lemons and limes are sort of harmonious being that they're both fruit and they're both somewhat sour.

Right?

The fact that I caught myself singing (loudly) to this song using the wrong words even though I knew the real ones made me laugh a little to myself.

Now you can laugh a little to yourself at my expense.

Also...I just learned how to do this ♫ and this ♪. I am so cool.

Baby pictures next...

We did it!

We got a shot of them in the same picture, both looking cute at the same time.

I think this is what some people would call a miracle.

I actually managed to get six of them together. It doesn't matter that three of them were photoshopped in order to be usable.

You wouldn't believe what I can do with this program (and I'm considered an amateur). I won't tell you which images were "shopped"...that way you can tell me if you think you know which one it was. If you're correct, then I'll know I need to remove that picture. I don't want it to be blatantly obvious that I've removed, replaced or realigned someone's head or whole body for that matter.

I do have SOME pride.

Not much but some.

I don't know what it is about this shot but it seriously cracks me up. I just smile every time I look at it. His little wink thing he has going on coupled with her "seriously...this is what I have to put up with on a daily basis" face. It's too much.

These shots were ideas that my client had. This little guy likes his chainsaw very much and she wanted pictures of him with it...and because of the hurricane we had in May, I had plenty of wood for "cutting".

He was happy to do it.

Here's their slideshow.

he song is "It's a Big World" by Renee and Jeremy. They sing kids songs that aren't just kid songs.

I like them.

If you don't want to watch a slideshow you can see their proofs here under Wood Family.

Enjoy!

Chubby babies are the best!

Too bad a chubby Brandi isn't the best.

Would you believe that these two are related?

My grandma used to tell me that if I stuck my tongue out she would cut it off.

I think that may be a little extreme...but she apparently thought it worked because she continued to use the same reasoning on my children.

Does she not look just like a porcelain baby doll?

I think so. A happy, chubby, porcelain baby doll.

Resisting...urge...to....squish...cheeks. Squishee, squisha!

I love this picture...the dimples, the giggle, the suit, the intertwined fingers... what's not to love?

I think this little man wore out me, his mom, his baby sister AND his grandma.

You have to admire the energy of a two year old....admire it and long for it.

Oh. Yes. I managed to get a serious look out of him.

And this is what I call the "GQ" look.

Now I just hope that we got one of the two peaches together...as in, both of them looking cute in the same picture at the same time .

I think that may be asking too much.

Stay tuned.

Just some things I need to get out of my overcrowded brain...

1. I made these little headbands at the last minute for this photoshoot with my niece.

While I think they are super cute...they weren't made very well...unless you consider hot glue to be a high quality way to affix a bow to a headband.

It's already falling apart.

All is not hopeless! I know someone who makes bows and clips that don't fall apart.

Here is her website...http://www.littlebellesboutique.com/.

She not only has super cute headbands and bows for little girls, she also has retro bows and vintage inspired bobbie pins for us...the big, little girls. She does some awesome looking monogramming so you can get personalized fashion wipes cases, burpies, and flip flop buttons.

I could go on. I won't. Just check the website and know that when she gets the Feather Clips ready for ordering I WILL be buying one and you WILL be seeing pictures of it in my hair.

That's a promise.

2. I'm still working on revamping my blog and my website. In researching how to change things around I found a great blog that has tutorials on modifying blogger templates. If you're a fellow blogger (or if you want to become a fellow blogger) you should check out her site...http://www.coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/.

It's where I downloaded the template for my new header. She also has some photoshop tutorials and free layouts for storyboards and such. It's just basically a great learning place. If you're the learning type.

3. I love this blog called swissmiss. It's in my favorites and I check it almost daily. She finds interesting, modern, designy stuff on the www and posts them for me so I don't have to go looking for it.

Isn't that nice of her? I think it is.

Here's something she posted today that made me laugh (click here). I think it's especially fitting since I recently blogged about my apparent procrastinating abilities.

4. Just look at this ornery little, thumb sucking, sweetie pie.

That's all I have to say.

For now.

What do you do when your photographer gives you bubbles...

and you blow...

and blow...

and nothing comes out?

You get disgusted at the bubble wand and give it a dirty look.

You sag your arms down at your sides and make a sound, something like a very grown up "ooooh" combined with a sigh.

You hold your head in dismay and disappointment while again giving the malfunctioning bubble wand dirty looks,

and then hang your head in shame and disgust.

As a final display of your utter displeasure, you turn your back on said photographer.

(This consequently reminds me of the time that a grown boy pulled this stunt...click here and scroll down.)

Act slightly disinterested as the photographer tries to get your attention by blowing bubbles for you.

Give in to your curiosity...turn around and play with the bubbles. But no smiling!

Okay. Maybe just a little, tiny grin. We're talking small rewards here. What has this photographer ever done for you? You don't give away smiles for nothing. What are you? A paid model? I don't think so.