j meyer photography

Blake turns ONE!!!

2009-08-11T16:32:00.004-04:00

See the little boy in the mocha at the top of the blog? That's Blake when he was just a few weeks old! Now he's ONE! I met up with Blake and his parents Megan and Raun for some birthday fun a couple of weekends ago. Megan is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet...she is a wonderful Music Therapist serving clients of all age ranges and abilities and is a terrific mom! Raun is an engineer and a great father!

Quick family time before the cake :)

Mom and an upside down Blake!

Tickle time with Dad!

Cake time...or rather cupcake time! Mom was a big help in trying to control the mess. :)

But Blake still got into it!

The it was time for presents! And TONS of wrapping paper to tear!

He didn't much like this hat...

But he sure did his John Deere hat! That's my kind of kiddo!

Thanks for having me at Blake's first birthday celebration! I look forward to many more! :)

The Blackstons

2009-08-11T16:14:00.004-04:00

It's catch up time! This is the Blackston family - Jason, Debbie, and Jack who just turned ONE! (Happy birthday Jack!!!) :) I've known Jason and Debbie since college at TTU. They currently reside in Dupont, Washington and came to TN for the Fourth of July and visit family before he headed to Iraq this past Wednesday. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers!

Family shot in front of the Bond family milk barn.

Jack and his Daddy...he threw him up and down...even upside down! He loves to be rough and tumble! I love their expressions in this one. :)

Jack loves to swing too!

A quiet moment with Momma before naptime. :)

Another fun thing comming up is that Debbie and Jack are going to come visit family this fall while Jason is away...which means you could very well see some Haley and Jack pictures in the near future! I had fun with you guys, your family was great, and they sure know how to cook! See you soon!

Summer School is Finished!!!!

2009-08-10T22:53:00.004-04:00

Wooooohooooo! Which means I will be blogging like a maniac this week until starting my new day job, which I am totally excited about. Don't worry, I'll still be around to artistically capture your most memorable moments, just not M-F. :) I am going to be working at The Montessori School as the preschool office assistant and receptionist. Haley gets to go there as well! For those of you who don't know, I am extremely interested in all things concerning the Montessori Method. Look it up. It is amazing and makes a ton of sense!

SOoooo...comming up: Blakes 1st Birthday Party (that would be the little guy yawning up there at the top of the page!), family fun, and of course, Haley antics. :) (Remember, I officially took the summer off as to survive three crazy summer school courses and being a wife and mommy...and I still have a lot to post!) As far as the fall goes, we are now booking sessions for September, and will soon announce our Holiday Card collections!!!

Stay tuned!

Fun, fun, fun!

2009-06-15T12:02:00.005-04:00

There has been LOTS going on lately! I am up to my ears in Physics and Astronomy (Speech too, but it's not nearly as complicated)! We have been out of town on and off for the last few weeks, and the week before last I left my phone charger in Crossville...so that meant I had to use my old phone with older numbers until I could meet my grandparents halfway in Dayton to get it back. Speaking of Dayton...if you have a child and they need shoes, there is a shoe store called Shoe Sensation across from Wal-Mart that has some great deals! I got Haley a pair of white leather sandals with butterflies for $9...and a black pair of leather shoes for the winter for $3!!! Now I'm wishing I would have tried to stock up more. :)

Photography wise, these summer classes are really making my previous post about a Summer Sabatical a tough reality. I simply am not superwoman...so I am having to neglect my blog (hence the absence of photos for the last few posts) and my website. But good news...I am working on a new website that will have easier navigation for the galleries and maybe even a pretty new color or design or two. ;) In light of the first sentence of this paragraph, this will not be finished anytime soon...but I hope to have it up and running by August. And that is when I will start accepting bookings as well!

Another thing I have going on is that I am working on fixing my electric kiln. Jared bought me a used kiln for our wedding...and it hasn't once been fired up. It needs a few parts replaced, but it shouldn't be too bad. Once he finishes the shop/garage plans are to move it in and fix it up so I can a) get back into clay and b) produce work for my final project class so I can graduate with my bachelor's degree in December!

As if this weren't enough, I have more news! I have accepted a position at The Montessori School for the comming school year! I am very, very interested in the Montessori Method and learning to teach it. The position I have for the school year isn't teaching (it's more like receptionist, lunch deliverer, teacher stand-in, diaper changer...you get the picture) but it will allow me to learn more about the system and allow Jared to finish school without so many loans. :) Another perk is that Haley is going to be in one of the Toddler classrooms!

Yes, I have a lot going on...and it is good. Slightly crazy, but good. :) I have a lot of intrests, as you can probably tell, and a few goals of mine will be out of the way or on their way to being accomplished. Bachelor's degree, clay, learning Montessori...and of course, photography! I am getting excited for fall shoots! And I am planning a Christmas Card mini-shoot day...details to come in a little while. :)

Even though I am taking the summer off, I am still booking for the fall! Just send me an email or give me a call and we'll chat about it (click here for my contact info)!I'm always excited to meet new families and to get reaquainted with old friends!

I hope all of you are having a fantastic summer!

Something New!

2009-05-28T15:37:00.003-04:00

We would like to introduce something new for our clients! For a long time now I have been looking for photo tile jewelry that was unique. I have searched the internet, even thought about attempting to make some myself. After a while I stumbled upon Elemental Memories Photo Tile Jewelry...and I fell in love! But alas, when I found them Lisa was on maternity leave and her Photographer's Program was closed...until now! How excited I am to offer these to you...and to pick up one for myself! Lisa's designs are gorgeous...my favorite is the Pea Pod. :) So hop on over there and check her work out!

A New Bundle of Joy...

2009-05-28T00:54:00.002-04:00

A quick little post before I call it a night...of a beautiful little bundle of...Joy :) Bryleigh Joy, that is. No captions on these, I think I'll let them speak for themselves...

I love this :)

2009-05-26T17:55:00.003-04:00

A while back I published a post titled A Yummy Breakfast. A few weeks ago I decided to do it again, only with her current favorite of yogurt, granola, and whatever fruit we have on hand. I am excited to post the series, but I had to stop myself because I need to get a few other things done first. :) So here is a preview...a warm rendition of a quite moment of my not-so-little-anymore girl wearing her monkey bib. Warm fuzzies. :)

Summer Sabbatical...

2009-05-16T08:59:00.005-04:00

So I have made a decision to put photography on the back burner for the summer. It's a difficult decision, but I need to do it. Why? Well, for starters, I'm officially finishing my degree at TTU through online classes to earn an Interdiciplinary Studies degree in Art and Education! Which means in the next two months I will be taking three classes: Astronomy, Intro to Physics, and Speech. Basically the two sciences and speech class that I dropped more readily than art classes because they were always available...and I think it will be easier to take these science classes from home than say Bio or Chem with their labs. Then only one Final Project class in the fall (which I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate pottery into)and I will be a long overdue graduate with a Bachelor's Degree!

As far as the biz goes, I am also going to work on restructuring things such as my website (yes, finally!), design goodies, introducing a new jewelry line from a fabulous designer, and much, much more! Oh, yeah, and be a wife and mom...those come first, you know, so I will definately have my hands full!

And since I'm not supposed to be doing any shoots this summer (though if you pull my leg hard enough I just might ;) ) I will be booking dates for the fall. So just give me a call to book, say hi, or help me with Physics! Hope you all have a fantabulous summer!

-- Jennifer

more comming soon!

2009-05-05T13:46:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to leave a quick note to let you know I have more fun moments for you to view in the near future! Haley moments, cooking moments, friend moments...the list goes on and on! Keep checking back, or you can subscribe via RSS or become a Follower!

Comming Soon: Bryleigh Joy

2009-04-09T00:09:00.006-04:00

Josh and Jenee are friends of ours who are expecting their first child, a little girl named Bryleigh Joy (don't you just love it?!), in just a few weeks! They are a beautiful couple (both inside and out) and they are going to be wonderful parents!

During the course of trying to set a date to do a shoot we had postponed a few times for the weather, and we were bound and determined to make it happen this time. Thankfully the rain held off just long enough!

Walking along...

One of the many conversations they had...

Belly and bracelet :)

A fun angle...

This is one of my favorite shots. Jenee's bracelet was made by one of her friends from Beadazzled. Love it!

I loved the texture of the old brick...

Jenee has gorgeous eyes!

Josh in a candid moment...

Some serious expressions...

Lovely soon-to-be momma :)

Deep in conversation...

Bellies, plural :)

A favorite composition...

Josh and Jenee, I had a great time with you three *wink* and I can't wait to meet Bryleigh! Blog readers, be sure to check back in about six or so weeks...it'll be Bryleigh's turn!

Julie, Bailey, and Sadie

2009-04-07T12:11:00.004-04:00

Julie is an awesome mommy to two adorable doggies, Bailey and Sadie. When we first spoke about doing photos with them, we knew it would be a challenge...but it was so worth it! I think they had some great moments! And it never hurts to have a few of their favorite treats (also known as cookies) on hand!

Just relaxing on a bridge...

Fun with Sadie ears!

Everybody's happy!

I had a blast with you this time around too, Julie, as usual!

Family Portrait Time!

2009-03-30T23:31:00.006-04:00

Remeber a few posts back when did a session for Julie? In return, she did a session for us! This time we met in Crossville so my whole family could be involved...only my mom got a migrane that day, so she and my dad aren't in them, which is a bummer. But I am still excited that we got Jared, Haley and I, my grandparents, and my sister Jessica in them! Here are a few...you can check out more on Julie's blog!

We hopped an electric fence (that wasn't on) and braved cow patties for this shot!

Isn't my little cute?!

I think Haley was thinking about giving Dada a kiss here...

Solo shot against the fence...

I think this was Julie's favorite...posing on the tractor!

You'll probably be seeing a few more here and there peppered aorund Facebook, the website (which is about to get a face lift!) and blog...so keep your eyes out!

Thanks again, Julie! You rock!

Portrait of Ability...

2009-03-27T20:02:00.005-04:00

is the title of my dream assignment. I entered to win a contest that would allow me to use my skills and talent for a great cause: to promote awareness of the abilities of individuals with special needs.

I ask all of you who read my blog to support me and vote for my cause, and I ask you to tell friends and family and ask them to vote as well.

To vote you have to:

1. register with a user name, password, and email
2. check your email for a link, and click the link
3. log in and either search for "portraits of ability" or copy and paste this link
4. vote by "pic"ing it in the upper left hand corner

Thank you so much for your support!

This is what I wrote on the website:

I would like to travel the US in search of those with special needs who have risen above and beyond what others thought was possible in hopes of inspiring others with and without a disability to achieve greatness.

I have a twin sister that has cerebral palsy. Growing up as a sibling to a child with a disability, I witnessed countless times where she would be told she could or couldn't do something because of her special needs. I think that a majority children (and adults) with disabilities hear a contradictory message of what they are capable of doing and because of this they don't achieve what they are fully capable of.

My project would consist of contacting organizations that work with children and adults that have special needs to find those that have risen above what others thought they were capable of in whatever area of life they are in now. I would like to document "a day in the life" of those that are followed as well as photograph the people in their lives that have made a difference and have been a positive influence to help them become what they have today.

I would then exhibit the portraits in hopes to encourage those with all levels of abilites that they are capable of more than what others tell them and that they can achieve greatness if they will allow themselves to do so.

I would also hope that the exhibit would encourage those that have individuals with special needs in their lives to be a positive influence and an advocate for them, helping them to achieve their best.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post and supporting me in this endeavor!

One of my favorite photos ever...

2009-03-26T22:52:00.005-04:00

is of me and my Little on the beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was her first trip to the beach, and we specifically went to do a little mini-shoot with Jared's sisters and brother-in-law. It was really windy and kind of chilly that day, but she didn't care, she had a blast! She explored the rocky sandy beach, ran away from the waves, and had to have multiple hand cleanings. :)

Toward the end after we were all ready to leave and the sun was begining to set, I called her to come so we could go back to Jared's brother's house. Jared had the camera and grabbed this shot.

I love it because of the memory I have of her running to me with her arms wide open and big smile. I love it because I now have this memory forever. As a photographer, I don't always get to be in the photos since I'm behind the camera.

That's why I love being a photographer, because I get to do this for my clients. I get warm fuzzies just thinking about it!

Julie, did you know you're beautiful?

2009-03-26T01:22:00.011-04:00

Julie has been my friend since we met the summer of 2001 as two members of a five college student mission team traveling Tennessee (in a red minivan!) running youth camps, vbs, painting walls...you name it, we did it!

In 2006 I was planning my wedding, and I happened to remember she enjoyed photography...turned out she was starting her own business. In 2007 she photographed my baby belly, and in 2009 she photographed our family (which is to come on her blog!)

A few weeks ago I had the priviledge of photographing her. The day was overcast and windy, perfect for our shoot, but definately chilly...I was wearing a fleece pullover! But being the brave model she is, Julie wore short sleeved shirts, and even a skirt! She is gorgeous, both inside and out, and it shows. :)

See what I mean?

I love all of the angles we got.

Here, the wind worked for us!

Baby blue eyes...

All smiles!

One of her requests was to include this gate in some shots...one of her favorite spots in Chattanooga.

Beautiful.

And don't forget the red shoes!

Can you say va-va-voom?

Last one, the camera takes center stage.

Julie, I had so much fun with you. I can't wait to do it again!

The Hughes Family - round two!

2009-03-24T11:07:00.004-04:00

A while back I got the chance to visit the Hughes family once more and do some fun shots inside. :)

Isaac takes pirates seriously.

Tickle time with Allie and Daddy.

Ethen explores Daddy's face!

And the show stealer, Canaan.

Look at those BLUE eyes!

Sweet Canaan and Mommy. :)

The whole crew!

And last but not least, a request from Meaganne...a fun feet shot!

A Bunch 'O Cousins :)

2009-03-05T22:13:00.008-05:00

Chattanooga, Tennessee Children and Family Portrait Photographer
In December Jared, Haley, and I went to George West, TX to visit his family. While the adults were preparing supper I took the kids out to a nearby field and took advantage of some great light and energy the kids had!

This is Steven...he can be a ham, and is tons of fun :)

Next in line comes his sister Darla...she is extremely photogenic...

even with her eyes closed!

Wyatt is next.

I like his name...it is my maiden name. :)

And the oldest of the bunch is Tyler.

He looks tough, but he's soft around the edges, especially with Haley. :)

Dane starts off the other set of cousins...a very inquisitive young fellow.

Followed by Christian..I think the other kids were trying to make him laugh here...

And Mason rounds off the second cousins set.

We did everything from blow bubbles with bubble gum...

To see how high...

they could jump!

We even played follow the leader and built pyramids! But one of my favorites

is from when they all laid down and somebody told a joke...and not even Tyler

could keep a straight face. :)

Next time I see them, they'll be more grown up than they already are.

Why do kids grow up so fast?

Soon to be back up!!!

2009-02-23T20:31:00.003-05:00

I have been a horrible, horrible blogger lately. What happened? Well, my external hard drive went out...and my internal is itsy bitsy...so things around here went to a screeching hault until my new, beautiful one terabyte hard drive arrived!!! Yay! Endless storage! And to top it off, Jared surprised me with a lightscribe dvd burner! So I am back in business, and have a lot to catch up on, including blogging! Watch for more soon!

Sometimes I will do anything...

2009-01-14T15:48:00.003-05:00

to show a client (or in this case, cousin) what I want them to do. In this case, a little girl's Grandma wanted her to get a photo with her lamb named Monkey. She was not touching that bench with a ten foot pole! I thought that maybe if I pretended to sleep with Monkey, it would make her think twice...I was wrong. :)

Tomorrow I hope to have Texas family editions of this blog. But until then...here's a shot taken by Jared of me at work. ;)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T11:19:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year from our family to yours! We spent a week in Texas last week for the holidays and spent this past week recovering from it and ushering in the gregorian new year. We had tons of fun with family, and Haley was kept very occupied with her other 5 cousins, the kids of Jared's brother Tim who we stayed with the whole week! We saw family, had the best tortillas ever, went to Whataburger and Scholtozky's, went to the bayfront, and survived driving 18 hours both ways all the way through...barely! This weekend I am going to spend time with some girlfriends from college that I haven't seen in a while. Haley is going to have her first ever sleepover with her Aunt Janet and Aunt Laurie! Jared is going to have the house all to himself, though I think he is planning some movie nights of his own. Look for new blog posts comming next week!

Meet Sawyer...

2008-12-17T23:52:00.007-05:00

he is the handsome little fellow of one of Jared's best friends David and his wife Summer. Seeing as how he just turned one, we figured it was about time to do a session! Here are a few of my favs...most are in B&W, since I know they're Summer's favorite. ;)

Finishing up a quick change with Dad...he looks thrilled, doesn't he?!

Eyelashes :)

Working on those first steps!

I love this pose! He was patiently waiting on bath time to start!

And then this one...Dad gave him the Elvis look...I love his expression!

Big boy Sawyer brushing his hair all by himself! But he did get a little help from Mom. ;)

Playtime...where's Daddy?

Sawyer love his house that he got for his first birthday...

The paci game...

Sawyer flying high!

I had a blast with you guys! Next time we'll have to include Jared and Haley! See you at the next playdate!

My Apple-Eater :)

2008-12-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's another Haley post! I was going to save these for later, but she's just toooo cute. :) These were from today...while I was making pigs-in-a-blanket for our fellowship tomorrow Haley ate her lunch...which included apple slices. The special thing about apples is that she can say it and you actually know what she's saying! She has the whole word down except for the "l" sound. Her other favorite words of choice? "Uh-oh!" and "No?!" "No" usually includes a face scrimace and the sign language version of the word and usually comes up when asked if she is ready for a nap. ;) Anyway, here's my cutie!

Happy apple eater!

She gets really excited sometimes and shakes all over!

I'm not sure what she was doing here, but I thought it was a fun angle anyway.

She likes to share her apples too. :)

Now I just get a "look"...I love this expression!

"All finished."

Really mom... I'm done!

My Little at Papa and Gigi's house

2008-12-11T15:43:00.008-05:00

I'm not too sure if I can still call her Little! She's getting so big and learning so much! Here are some moments from about a month ago...we go to visit my parents and grandparents at least once or twice a month, and I cherish every moment, as they do as well. They only live about an hour and a half away, but sometimes that's just too far when she's changing every day! We went up this past week so I could go to the dentist (no cavities, yay!) and my Mom noted that she changes every time she sees her.

This trip was one of the first that Haley really clung to Papa. She's usually following Gigi and asking her to play the music box again or leading her around the house by her finger exploring, and this time it was Papa's turn! He was amazed at how much energy she has and how she can keep going and going and going...and I think she wore him out...but not before she got a chance to see the Moo Cows!

Papa came in from feeding the cows in the morning and Haley had to be by his side as he walked down the hall...

Haley's cabinet in Gigi's kitchen...full of Tupperware and reusable plastic containers!

One of Haley's new games (as Gigi watches)...she could only get the lid off of the green candle, and so she practiced getting it off and putting it back on...then she learned that she could smell it...

and everyone takes turns smelling the lid! Sometimes Haley shares well ;)

My cutie with the t.v. remote...Papa showed her which button turns it on and which one changes the channels...she loves buttons!

Now it's time to see the cows!

Walking to the barn...

There's a calf!

Watching the cows...they didn't really like that we were there...so they pretty much ran away.

What does a cow say? "Moo!"

Next time...more Haley...and Thanksgiving...including more visits to see the cows!

my clay date

2008-11-29T21:48:00.006-05:00

One weekend way too long ago I met up with a dear friend in Cookeville to reminice about old times and talk about new ones...and to play in clay. When I was a student at Tech I studied Art Education and my concentration was Ceramics. There were times I felt I lived at the Craft Center! The beauty of studying art was that I was able to study several different mediums including painting, drawing, design, fibers, printmaking...and yes, photography. ;) Did you know my wedding present from my husband was an electric kiln?! Yep! Now all I need is a wheel, which he wants to make me one day, being the engineer minded fellow he is...however, we will probably just end up buying one someday so he can do things like finish his project jet engine. :) Here are a few moments that capture that day...

note: The ones of me and my hands are by the talented Beth Pope. :)

I loved this old pencil sharpener...

her awesome studio...

wedged clay...

the wheel...

tools of the trade...

just like riding a bike...

the finished vessel.

We must do it again!

Meet The Hughes Family

2008-11-21T12:26:00.003-05:00

Mom, Dad, plus four kids under the age of 5...wow!

Allie found some leaves...

Mom comforting Canaan...

Dad and Ethan fun!

Another family portrait...with Isaac taking the lead!

I had a great time with you guys even on that very chilly day...hope we can do it again soon!