It’s that time once again. We will be taking Youth League Portraits!!

Youth League Portraits are always exciting for us. The little ones always say off the cuff things that just make you laugh and want to be a kid again. Every year we enjoy looking through the eyes of a child, that’s what makes it all special.

To make things go smoothly, parents make sure you have a form from your coach and filled out completely. I know, it’s sometimes hard to remember to fill that form out completely with conversations going on around you, keeping track of the little ones and  and your little one’s pestering you. But each year we will have a question on someone’s order and will invariably find there’s no phone number or no parents name, or some other such item that really makes it hard to get in touch with parents.

Have your child dressed and ready for their pictures. We realize that shirts are being delivered at the same time in some instances, but if the shorts, shoes and socks are already prepared, as well as bats and gloves, then a shirt becomes no problem.

Also please don’t forget to put payment in the envelope, this makes things go slower when we have to chase someone down, and most of the time we don’t chase people down because it holds up everyone’s order because of a few people and is an embarrasement for both parties plus holds up package delivery. Really it’s not our responsibility to make sure you have money for payment that day.

Randy, Roman and I would like to share our sympathies with the Joel Church family from Hallsville.

I graduated from Hallsville and Joel was just ahead of me in school. I knew Nancy through her husband Joel and through various functions that we have attended over the years in Hallsville and from Youth League Pictures.

Tanner, Austin and Joel, you are in our continuing thoughts.

The Mirror Images Photography Team – Randy, Sheila and Roman Pauley

Three super amazing children were the key to this success. These little people were cooperative and fun!!

This was a mom who was exhausted with trying to get their portraits done at a mart store and came to us. We try hard to provide an atmosphere which is relaxed for the children we see at Mirror Images and one in which they can trust us. Randy and I work at being compassionate to their needs as they do tire easily.

We have absolute extraordinary clients walk through our doors and these guys were some of the best!! There’s nothing more successful to us than being able to please a person like this mom.

I was asked to comment on some wedding images by a friend, Amber Schmidt, from a Professional Organization I am a member of and when I spotted this, I was so impressed. I had read her blog before I viewed the images, but I guess it didn’t sink in when I read about the cabbage leaves.

I think this is just the absolute coolest bridal bouquet I have ever seen. It is from a wedding Amber did of Lisa and Nick in Lexington, Kentucky.

I asked Amber if this was something that was popular in her area and she said that Lisa was the first to ever use cabbage leaves in her bridesmaid’s bouquets. They were created by a florist called Ivory Rose in that same area.

With Amber’s permission I am posting her image of the bouquet for you all to see. Aren’t they just amazing. One could never think something so edible could also be so beautiful and amazing to look at. Feel free to visit Amber’s Studio, Schmidt Studio & Gallery, and view the rest of Nick and Lisa’s wedding.

I haven’t kept up very well with the blog and I could proclaim many excuses. We were and still are busy at the studio, baseball games in the summer, an incredible Senior season (which hasn’t ended), Professional Organizations to attend, Thanksgiving, Christmas and that’s just to name a few. Sometimes I feel like we are on the run every night. Along with that comes a lot of stress and with the digital age having made it’s statement, there is a lot to keep up with. I’ve been keeping up with my Facebook account, tons and tons of exciting albums on there. The blog and myspace has been a shortcoming on me.

But the most important thing that’s happened in our life and has taken a lot of time lately is our new grandbaby. Hunter was born on November 7 and is now two months old. We’ve had him a lot and are becoming professional babysitters as well as photographers. We now officially have five grandkids. We sure are lovin’ being Nana and PaPa!!

To the left, there he is fresh in newborn status. I was so excited about Hunter because I got to be in the room when he was born. Pretty darn cool!!

This weekend we will have one of our other grand babies, Mackenzie and can’t wait to spend time with her having such fun. Nothing is more special than seeing the wonders that appear on the face of the little ones when they discover something new and fun.

Just a month ago, we were asked by a good photographer friend, Jessica Lamb-Rosa, to participate in the Missouri Adoption Exchange. She herself once had unfortunate family circumstances which bounced her from foster family to foster family. She turned out to be a very extrodinary person and I admire her for wonderful personality and admirable work.

This has been an interesting and busy few weeks. We were off to classes, seminars and print competitions the second full week and part of the third week of February. We did get snowed out of coming home at the first seminar. While we were away, Centralia received a 1/2″ of sleet and four inches of snow.

When we came home, we were glad we stayed the extra time since we saw numerous cars off on the highways and an 18 wheeler who had apparently crossed lanes and hit pretty much head on into a hill. I’ll tell you that safety precaution was worth it.

During print competition Randy, once again, did really well winning 1st place in the Commercial category with “Bath and Body”, 2nd Place in the Digital Imaging Category with “Brail Reading”, Highest Print Case and four merit award prints. Randy also received his Fellowship Degree, which he completed last Spring.

To the left, see Randy receive his Fellowship Degree (the danglie around his neck is the award for that degree).

Wow, the applications for Senior Models for 2008 are coming in nicely and spots are filling up. If you are an upcoming 2008 Senior and would like to be a Senior Model Rep, you will want to take a few minutes and fill out the application soon – click here to fill out an application.

We are pretty excited for the upcoming year. We’ve purchased several new backgrounds which have rounded out our selections. Soon we will also have new products available and some old products coming off the price list.