Leighton (8) and Ellis (4) | Central Georgia Children's Photographer

These two seriously moved the cute factor up a bit! I don't know if it is their chocolate brown eyes, the fact that they had just come from a trip to the beach with tan skin, or just a picture perfect smile! They warmed up to me quickly. I think I learned with Henry (a few entries down) that boys this age LOVE to ham it up for the camera and Leighton would do anything we asked as long as he could get his silly out too! You will notice that I had too many to choose from. I had lots more with mom and dad, lots of silly, and lots more of what you will see below!!! Mom... i am pretty sure you will love your sneak peek!

um... excuse me... the shorts... i love them!

Laurie and Mike

One of my college friends Laurie just recently got engaged! She and her fiance Mike are from Michigan and drove down to TN for our 10 year college reunion last weekend. It was GREAT to get to meet Mike and I promised that we would sneak away from the festivities to get a few engagement shots of the two! Have fun with all of the wedding plans, and hope you enjoy your sneak peek...

Mommy & Me Minis at Meadowlark Gardens

`I just wanted to let you know that scheduling for the Mommy and Me Minis at Meadowlark Gardens is now open! These are actually going to take place during Mother's Day weekend! I will be doing these sessions on Friday, May 8th and Saturday the 9th with available time slots beginning at 9:45, 10:15, 10:45, 11:15 and then beginning again at 4, 4:30, 5, 5:30, and 6. These will be first come first serve, so please email me with your first and second choice for time slots!

Details:

$50 per session

You will recieve a minimum of 20 images on a high resolution CD within 2 weeks

Shoot is for UPTO 3 people from the same family

There will not be time for clothing changes due to the shorter time frame and multi-spot photo shoot (the gardens are huge).

if you have more than 3 for your session, or desire a clothing change, please just request 2 slots back to back.

Moms... this could be a good HINT for your husbands as a GIFT for Mother's Day... just send them the link and have them email me!

my sweet girl is 6 months!

As promised... here are a few more of MY sweet girl Lawson. She turned 6 months, April 2nd! I am so glad that she is so willing to participate in my obsession of taking her picture! In a few weeks a photographer friend/mentor of mine is coming down to take our family pictures since she has hit the 1/2 way mark to her first birthday!

A few people have asked about this sweet hat. You can find it here... she also makes cocoons for newborns, so if you are expecting... pick one up. I have a pink one for the girls... she even used the picture of Lawson on her site! Tell her Cindy sent you!

SPRING cleaning

I have some new advertising coming out tomorrow to a few of the preschools here in town AND I am donating a photography session to St. George's Get-Away-Gig. So, I am hoping that my blog will be seen by some new people interested in booking a session. For those of you who are REGULARS... you know the drill. I am trying to do some spring cleaning... you know... just to organize the site a little more to make it more user friendly. So bear with me if you are getting more info than you care for, but if you are NEW and still have questions, please email me anytime!

Location, Location, Location

One of the first questions asked when planning a photo shoot is WHERE should we meet?!?!

Sometimes coming to your home is very appropriate. Many people have incredible window lighting which is ideal for infants and some have INCREDIBLE outside areas, but if you are like the Stansberry family... there just isn't much happening at our home!

There are several places I LOVE to visit and I am always up for new ideas and new locations. I will travel anywhere within a 20 mile radius of downtown Griffin. I do love to GO farther, but charge a small fee for that depending on the length of the drive.

Here are a few of my favoite locations to shoot. If you click on the links below you will find some previous posts on my blog from that specific venue! You can also click on the age of your child (under labels) and see some of the more common places used for that age range.

County Line Road: lake, wooden fence, brick pillars, fields, swings. This is private property and I only give the exact location once the session is booked. The family that live here and own the property have been EXTRA gracious to me for the last 3 years! This location is ideal for ANY photo shoot!

Experiment Station Research Gardens: this venue has an abundance of options, but is probably not the best for shoots including more than 5 people. Perfect for children and teens! You can learn more about the gardens specifically here.

Meadowlark Gardens: This venue is truly one of Griffin's biggest secrets! I have had the pleasure to begin a relationship with the people of Meadowlark. They not only are a perfect venue for outdoor weddings, but they also facilitate reunions, parties, family gathering... you name it and they will work with you. Click HERE and see for yourself! I do have to check for availablity to use this venue and there is a possibility of a small fee on top of the session fee.

Bailey Tebault House: This venue is ALSO one of my new favorites! There are many options for incredible pictures both inside and out. Scheduling early is a must for this location. Click HERE to learn more about the Griffin Historical Society!

Courtyard behind Angelo's: This area is always green and always pretty! Great for families under 5 people and great for toddlers. Located on Solomon between Angelo's and Thacker Law Offices.

Washington Park Macon, GA: I have done a few shoots at a PERFECT location in downtown Macon. It is great for children and families, engagement sessions, and senior sessions!

Orchard Hill Tree Farm: This is only available in November and December! We have done our personal Christmas pictures out there and it is perfect! We can JUST take a few pictures, or I can capture your whole tree cutting experience... hayride, hot chocolate, and the saw!

Grayson Farm: This location is private property and only open to return clients!


Please keep in mind that I am certainly not limited to these places. I have a few others up my sleeve, but these are the most common places to find me! Some other options are Stately Oaks Plantation in Jonesboro, Stars Mill near Peachtree City, Dauset Trails near Jackson, and the Downtown Square in McDonough!

10,000!!!

So I noticed that my BLOG just made it to #10,000!!! OH MY! That is pretty exciting... especially considering I only added the counter a year ago!

I purchased my first DSLR camera in February of 2007. I remember getting it in the mail and feeling like I just recieved a new baby! I stared at the box and didn't even open it for a few days. I couldn't believe it was really ALL mine! I read the manual twice BEFORE I even touched it. I did that with a REAL baby too... read the books before Miles even came out!

I remember my motive for purchasing it THEN was Easter... the Easter Egg hunt and pictures of Miles in his cute little Easter outfit!

I think I started this blog just to "test the waters," back in the spring of 2007. I had been taking pictures for about 2 years by then for friends and some for a little pay (or a pedicure). I still know for sure that I have a lot to learn and a ways to go, but it is so neat to look back at the new friends I have made and babies/kids I have gotten to watch grow!

Now I look at my calendar and have a hard time plugging people in when I used to LOTS of options... even while working FT in ministry!

I only say all of this to say THANK you to YOU my clients who not only come back for more, but to those of you who have sent me your friends... and then some! Resigning from my full time job at the church was a HUGE leap of faith, trusting that the Lord would provide... and He has... abuntantly!

Easter Sunday

I don't always get super personal on this blog, but those of you who check in every now and then (or stalk) know that I love the Lord, and for 10 years not only was it just "part" of me, but it was my occupation... Easter has always been so special to me and I have lots of vivid memories surrounding this time of year.

The truth of Easter is what sets us apart... it is what makes us BELIEVERS. I have always LOVED the reality that the Disciples and people who surrounded Jesus during his ministry just did NOT always GET IT! They did not believe that the tomb would be empty! No matter how intensely Jesus prepared them for THIS day, they didn't get it! I think we can ALL relate to this at some time or another. In my heart there are things that I just "don't get." Things that happen to me and my family, and sometimes even more... things that happen to other people I love. The struggles, the sorrows, and just the reality of the life that is set before us that we THINK we are prepared for... only to find out they cause us to question and even doubt sometimes, BUT hopefully draw us even closer to the Lord than we ever could imagine.

What I have come to grips with... is the faith and truth in the empty tomb... that there is something bigger and better out there for us than we could EVER imagine. No matter HOW prepared we think we are... sometimes we are either just left dumbfounded or more importantly, in awe. In awe of what HE has done in our lives... and holding tight to the knowlege that any plans that WE think WE have for our life are going to be FAR surpassed by the incredible PLAN that God has for our lives. More abundant, and more importantly, more steadfast. I can be confident that God knows the plans, and I am so grateful for the people he has put in my life to help prepare me for where I am now. I love to look back and just see how God brought me to this place.

Easter is amazing... the empty tomb is my reason I believe.

{and because posting is no fun without a cutie pie picture... here is Lawson @ 6 months... more to come on those later!}

Riley Kate (3Y) and Laine (6M) | Central GA Infant & Children's Photographer

This is the last of the sessions I did last Saturday at the Bailey Tebault House. This one had 2 purposes... mom wanted to be sure to get some good ones of Laine before he outgrows his baptism gown AND Riley Kate is about to turn THREE!

I am grateful that this mom lets me "have at it" with her kids! I don't know that many moms that would let me put their (infant) son on the floor IN his baptism gown!!! My problem with boys and baptism is there is just no good way to make them look like a boy (in a dress)! So I thought the pictures below caught the beauty of the gown (and its purpose) but still caught the BOY with the sweetest blue eyes!

I can't believe this sweet girl is already three... it has been a pleasure for me to continually capture these special moments for her parents... ever since day one!

Henry & Lucy | Central GA Children's Photographer

Okay, I have to introduce this session by letting you know ahead of time that Henry is 7 and Lucy is 4. Now, Henry is at that age where he is very concerned about what is COOL and what is NOT. Apparently he THOUGHT that coming to take pictures with ME was NOT going to be cool. He also didn't think what his mom picked out for him was cool either, but little does he know... that is exactly what the "ladies" like these days! Somehow... I won him over... you will see by the very last picture what I mean. Anyway, both he and Lucy were NOT super excited about getting dressed up on a Saturday afternoon after they had been to an egg hunt and soccer games! Even Lucy would have preferred to be in her soccer uniform than a DRESS! We STILL had fun... and they kept me laughing the whole time! I hope you love your sneak peek, mom, I had a VERY hard time picking!!!

I want these pants for my little boy... okay? (I am hoping the Easter bunny read that)!

I wish I had enough room to show you the outtakes of THIS below... right after this, Lucy gave her brother a BIG kiss and he was completely mortified!

Henry just looks like a college boy here to me!!! Watch out mom!

Okay, below would be only ONE example of how I THINK I won him over. Silly pictures are fun for me too and I am convinced that the Griffin Historical Society will want to use THIS as the cover of their newsletter next month!