Love the new maxi looks with so many options!

This video from Anthropologie gives some great ideas to spice up your summer senior portraits!

The Long and Short of Maxi from Anthropologie on Vimeo.

It was an unusually chilly spring day, when we ventured out to take these Senior Portraits.

We bundled up our senior between shots, and waited for the sun’s warmth that never came.

But we were warmed instead by sweet smiles and pleasant laughter.

It was a joy to capture these moments for this lovely young lady who loves photography and nature.

The pear tree blossoms and the leaves on other trees were sparse,

but our shoot surroundings were filled with gentle spring green breezes

 that seemed to whisper the truth in the words heard in part of the slide show song below:

“There are wonders in each breath…kindness does grow like leaves on the bountiful trees.”

Blessings in your future, Miss A, as you work towards your dream of becoming a nurse.

To hear the deep, uninhibited, bubbly giggles of my dear daughter.

To see my beloved son enjoy walking as a man of God.

To take time to memorize the color of my husband’s eyes.

To see the faces of my dearest friends.

To read and study the inspiring message from God’s word.

To read books from those inspired by God.

To make a positive difference in the world.

To take photographs of those who enjoy my photography.

To feel the presence of God in all of these moments.

“The place God calls us to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”Frederick Beuchner

The video below is a little “Pep Talk” from the cutest little guy ever…you gotta watch it!

Who encourages you? Share this video with them too! And thanks for visiting and encouraging me!

Now we are on the same team! “…we chose the path less traveled on” (so cool Robert Frost).

This is one pic of my awesome…the day when I was Queen of the Cloverland Kingdom!

I love that this song was the one sung during the finale by our new American Idol winner this week.

The words are so much a part of what a woman or girl longs to know deep in her heart of hearts.

According to many books, including Captivating by John & Staci Eldredge,

little boys want to know, “Do I have what it takes?” and

little girls want to know, “Am I lovely?”

Why do the questions linger so? 

Candice Glover – I Am Beautiful Lyrics

You say I sound silly when I laugh real loud
Talk about my day and you tune me out
You keep telling me lies to make things worse
But I don’t hear you
‘Cause I’m listening to His words
And He says I am beautiful
And when I fall
It don’t matter that I’m not perfect
I am beautiful
I’m not alone
And in His eyes I’m so worth it
I’m worth every tear
And every scar
And even when you say I’m not
He says I’m beautiful
You say I’ll never be good enough
Knock me down
Won’t help me up
And you always say the right thing to make hurt
But I don’t hear you
‘Cause I’m listening to His words
And He says I am beautiful
And when I fall
It don’t matter that I’m not perfect
I am beautiful
I’m not alone
And in His eyes I’m so worth it
I’m worth every tear
And every scar
And even when you say I’m not
He says I’m beautiful
And I deserve better things
He says he understands
I got to do whats right for me
And He says I am beautiful
And when I fall
It don’t matter that I’m not perfect
I am beautiful
I’m not alone
And in His eyes I’m so worth it
I’m worth every tear
And every scar
And even when you say I’m not
He says I’m beautiful
He says
He says
I’m beautiful
And I’m worth every tear
And every scar
And even when you say I’m not
He says I’m beautiful

As a photographer of high school seniors, young girls, and women of all ages, it is my hope to present this message that

beauty is the essence every woman carries with her from the moment of her creation.

“Nearly all a woman does in her adult life is fueled by her longing to be delighted in, her longing to be beautiful,

to be irreplaceable, to have her Question answered, “Yes! You are beautiful!”

I believe, as does Candice Glover, that God’s word offers us the answer to where true beauty flows from and thrives.

Just check out a few words of scripture here: Isaiah 55:1-2, Song 4:9, 15, Isaiah 30:15, Psalm 84:6, Psalm 34:5.

Even at my age, the answer still alludes me, but when I go to His word, it always leads me to a quiet place.

“He will quiet you with His love, ” Zeph. 3:17. “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” Psalm 34:8.

And I often remember that a woman of true beauty is first and foremost a soulish beauty.

Her beauty flows from a heart that is at rest but alive and active, willing to offer to others the grace to be and become.

If you want to read more on this topic, I highly recommend reading Captivating–especially chapter eight!

Doesn’t the lovely girl below look like she feels beautiful?

]]> http://www.fulllifephotos.com/teensseniors/the-world-embraces-true-beauty/feed/ 5 http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/charming-gardners-in-chattanooga-photography/ http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/charming-gardners-in-chattanooga-photography/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 17:17:44 +0000 Caroljean http://www.fulllifephotos.com/?p=3796 After the Rain…Thankful Thursdays

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, there will be roses of all colors given to many deserving mothers.

It is certainly a time to be happy and grateful and to celebrate!

But let us not forget there are many souls on earth that do not have anyone to call mother.

Even so, there are those who have people that they call mother, but were never mothered by them.

I am thankful that we have those who choose to be mother in both these scenarios.

I agree with this comment made by Oprah: “Biology is the least important part of being a mother.”

Some great “mothers” will not receive beloved roses nor the recognition they deserve. But they will some day.

Nonetheless, I am grateful for those charming gardeners in my life who helped to make my soul blossom.

Mostly, I am beyond thankful for Jesus Christ, who has been both a Mother and Father to my soul.

(Love this blog post too…if you are a mom, go here!)

]]> http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/charming-gardners-in-chattanooga-photography/feed/ 2 http://www.fulllifephotos.com/teens-seniors/chattanooga-senior-photography/ http://www.fulllifephotos.com/teens-seniors/chattanooga-senior-photography/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 04:46:59 +0000 Caroljean http://www.fulllifephotos.com/?p=3784 Be-YOU-tiful

“Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful.”

That about sums it up. Beautiful Senior. Beautiful place. Blessed.

]]> http://www.fulllifephotos.com/teens-seniors/chattanooga-senior-photography/feed/ 5 http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/chattanooga-photographer-derby-dreams/ http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/chattanooga-photographer-derby-dreams/#comments Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:02:46 +0000 Caroljean http://www.fulllifephotos.com/?p=3629

My Old Kentucky Home

Only 20 thoroughbreds will race before the eyes of the world in the Kentucky Derby — the fastest two minutes in sports — on the first Saturday in May.

In the world of sports, there is not a more moving moment than when the horses step onto the track for the Kentucky Derby post parade and the band strikes up

“My Old Kentucky Home.”

The bluegrass area was my childhood home. I have foggy, but happy memories of my grandparents enjoying nights at Churchhill downs and the Red Mile.

So I guess you could say this song takes me back.

But what really sets the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks apart from other sports and entertainment events? Is it the world-class horses? The Hollywood stars?

Well, first and foremost, it’s the hats!!

Part Southern tradition, part spectacle, the Kentucky Derby hat parade is much of what makes “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” one of the greatest people-watching events in the world! From the fantastic to the sublime, there are no rules or limits

when it comes to choosing your Derby hat.

Wouldn’t this outfit would be perfectly divine to wear to the Derby?

Now, while I am not suggesting that anyone actually wear this outfit for a photo shoot

(although I would totally be up for that!).

I do want you to know that I adore equestrian shoots.

So if you happen to be interested in one, let me know.

My equestrian adoration runs deep and is rooted in my old Kentucky home .

Adding an equestrian shoot to your senior portrait package is a great idea too!

 (FYI…having technical difficulties…not sure why my pics won’t center etc..)

I was blessed with the opportunity to photograph these sweet sisters recently.

I love how their personalities shine from the inside out.

This is my entry for the “wind” photo challenge over at the I Heart Faces Community blog.

This image reminds me of how much my daughter loves the beach!

It doesn’t bother her in the least to be sunburned, sticky and sand-covered.

To her, sand and seashells are such tremendous treasures that she could never collect enough.

I love that she is my little nature-loving, flower-child with a glittery princess twist!

This photo was taken not too long ago when we were at Amelia Island on a very windy evening.

We were also trying to get family pictures with a tripod and remote. It was a bit tricky, to say the least.

Check out the other awesome entries by clicking here.

My old vintage soul was thrilled to get to steal a few minutes in this location for a portion of this senior ‘s photo session recently!

I loved how the sun made the restored black cherry vintage Ford truck glow inside and out.

And this young lady had a personality to match! Isn’t she stunning in her black vintage lace dress and hip high heels!

A big thank you to her for indulging me, by wearing the hat for some quick captures.

It wasn’t really her style, but she was gracious to let me photograph her in it.

It’s simple. Just get out the glitter, paper, paint, and scissors and make a big mess, and my girl glows.

 It didn’t take much this Easter season. Just a Dollar Store Easter egg dyeing kit.

I know. Very impressive, right? Well, she was over the moon excited about our egg “art.”

I love how her little rainbow necklace shows up softly in the background in this shot.

Taken with my 105mm lens…love it!

“She is my rainbow, my only rainbow. She makes me happy when skies are grey…”

This is our new corny sweet song we made up. Like it? She is over the moon about it too.

Especially since her brother had the sunshine part taken.

Anyway, just thought I would share a bit of our Easter Egg adventures.

Nothing fancy. Guess I should have trimmed the carton a bit better.

Oh, we also do the Benjamin Box eggs every Easter…to check them out click here.

And, for some fancier egg decorating source for next year or even this weekend…go here, and here.

Have fun! Oh, and don’t worry about the glitter on the floor.

Think of it as adding a bit of sparkle to your life… AND your entire household.

]]> http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/easter-egg-art-chattanooga-photography/feed/ 0 http://www.fulllifephotos.com/teens-seniors/lace-trend-chattanooga-photography/ http://www.fulllifephotos.com/teens-seniors/lace-trend-chattanooga-photography/#comments Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:42:39 +0000 Caroljean http://www.fulllifephotos.com/?p=3639

Senior Style Saturday

I am loving the lace trend that is happening right now!

So feminine, but stylish…with lots of options at most any of your favorite stores!

The simple lace top in the photos below gave extra texture and flow to our photographs.

I would love to make some beautiful “lacey” photos of you too soon!

Boho Styling for Spring Break

It is almost time! Spring break is just around the corner!

Thinking of how fun it would be to do a shoot like this sometime soon.

Boho can be so chic, colorful, and eclectic!

So I thought I would share this little board from Polyvore that captured my heart

with the butterfly detail, that amazing rainbow shawl, and the floral wreaths.

Anyone up for a Boho styled shoot this spring?

Meet Addie, high school Senior, SBA Class of 2013.

People say she is sweet, talkative, speaks her mind, and is a “shopaholic.”

I say she sounds like a whole lot of fun!

This sweet shopper also loves coaching, kids, dogs, acting, and the color purple!

Addie is a beautiful, well-rounded, young lady, who has big “purple balloon” dreams (must see photo below) .

This fall, she plans to attend college to become a Registered Nurse.

She is deep. She is thoughtful. She is caring. She is fun. She is full of dreams.

What more could you ask for?

It was totally my pleasure to meet and photograph this amazing Senior! Thank you, Addie (and mom)!

I look forward to seeing where your dreams take you!

Before sharing some of my favs from her session, I must share her favorite Bible verse…Romans 8:1.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

It was a drizzly day in November, but we still managed to captured some great shots of this family for their Christmas card.

They were decked out in a wardrobe full of my favorite colors, thanks to their sweet, stylish mother.

It was a blessing to photograph this family! Here a few of my favorites from the mini shoot.

The light and glow of nature surrounded her.

I have entered this image into the I Heart Faces March photo challenge “Framed.”

Click here to go to their website and check out some amazing entries!

Playing catch-up on my blog! Just sharing a few from one of my favorite Christmas mini-sessions!

Although these kind of fit the season in a way…this young beauty is just like spring…full of life and joy!

Today my daughter sat dreamily in front of the window drawing pictures of a snowmen.

The occasional snow flurries were beautiful to watch, but did not hold much promise for snowman-building.

Anyway, I wanted to share some my “winter” images from an awesome workshop I attended in January in Atlanta,

sponsored by Leslie Kerrigan of Seniorologie and Marsha Mason of The Savvy Photographer.

These two ladies outdid themselves with the amazing styling of four awesome high school Seniors.

The themes for the shoots were Winter, Spring, and Valentines.

Below, are a few of the images that I captured of a Senior beauty from Knoxville who posed for the winter theme.

I want to send a big shout out to her for her hard work and patience, during a long afternoon of posing like a pro.

First up, we had a bit of time in the “too cool” natural light “winter” studio setting. Ice skating anyone!

Next, we hit the hip historic art district of Atlanta.

From there we went into the woods! Well, actually it was a row of nice bare trees in the middle of a dog park…

We had some serious “land mines” to avoid, but we managed

Of course, it wasn’t actually snowing in these…we added a bit of our own snowflakes for the model to throw.

Then, I added some snow during editing for a touch of drama.

Last but not least, we got some sweet shots of our Senior having some fun blowing snow!

See you next time, when I share the Valentine Themed Shoot from this workshop!

It was my great pleasure to photograph Miss Charis, high school Senior, Class of 2013.

We had amazing light for our session! The sun glistened gold through the loosened leaves of the fall trees, and

like magic, the bees that had buzzed warnings earlier fled as we arrived at our secret spot in the shade of our farm location.

But the butterflies…they stayed to watch! They freely flitted in and out of our background,

and made me wonder if, by some chance, they knew that we had come to capture beauty and grace–not them!

We were glad to see them linger.

They were nature’s witnesses to the way Charis’ smile lit her eye’s and made them dance shyly in front of my shutter!

(The image below was the first frame of our session. When I first saw it in my viewer, my heart skipped a beat!

Just one example of those nerdy, but magical photographer moments).

If you look closely you can see one of our butterfly friends to the right in the background below.

 The name, Charis, means “grace” in Greek — further meaning “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness:

grace of speech, good will, loving-kindness, favor of the merciful kindness by which God,

exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ,”

Charis embodies her name by being kind, joyful, enthusiastic, and having a heart to glorify God by loving others.

Charis also reflects the spirit of our friendly butterflies by being graceful, independent, adventurous, and loving sunflowers!

Being on the edge of her college adventure, Charis dreams of owning her own business one day.

She is planning to double major in marketing and business, BUT she wants to leave lots of room for God’s leading.

The struggle with finding our way in life–our destiny, our purpose, God’s plan or will–is certainly a familiar topic

for most high school Seniors and college students…and for most anyone at most any age.

Matthew 10:38-39 (Message version)–one of Charis’ favorite Bible verses–

reminds us that when we “forget ourselves” that we find not only ourselves but God also.

 It says “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you will never find yourself.

But if you forget about yourself and look to Me, you will find both yourself and Me.”

Maybe, we can also learn a similar lesson about how to find our way in life from the example of our butterfly friends.

They chose to follow the light and to freely enjoy the beauty and sustenance of the sunlit evening.

Perhaps, we too can unlock our purpose for the future, by seeking the beauty and grace God provides in the present.

]]> http://www.fulllifephotos.com/teensseniors/beauty-grace-chattanooga-senior-photography/feed/ 7 http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/heart-talk-chattanooga-valentine-photography/ http://www.fulllifephotos.com/personal/heart-talk-chattanooga-valentine-photography/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:31:14 +0000 Caroljean http://www.fulllifephotos.com/?p=3186

What do those Little Valentine Candies Mean?

 Love this lesson I saw on Facebook this week…reference was RiverKidz at RiverChurch Chattanooga.

Can’t wait to go over this with my daughter today! Hope you enjoy the lesson!

(I have included a few images from my daughter’s Valentine mini-photoshoot).

Hope you have a great Valentine’s weekend!

What some of those candies might mean:

You’re Mine – John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of my Father’s hand

True Love – John 3:16 God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. Anyone who believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life.

Love Me – Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul. Love him with all your strength.

Forever True – Isaiah 40:8 The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.

Call Me/Text Me – Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call me and I will answer you and tell you great unsearchable things you do not know

Always – Matthew 28:20 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age

Sweet Talk – Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth

For Sure – John 6:69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God