Stephanie Greenwell Photography - Babies Children Seniors - Hayti Caruthersville Missouri

{Senior} Casey | Portageville Missouri Senior Photographer

2010-03-04T19:20:00.005-06:00

When I called Casey to discuss our session, I asked her if she was excited. She replied, "Not really", with a nervous laugh. I asked her if it what because she was nervous, "Yes, ma'am", she said. I love a kid with manners!

Of course, I informed her that I'm cool and laid-back and that I certainly don't bite! I think the last one made her feel so much more comfortable with me.

When she showed up, I noticed her awesome dimples. However, during our shoot she made the comment while her mom was making her laugh that her dimples would show! I had to let her know right then and there that her dimples were beautiful and after going through her images, they only brought out more of her beauty.

And speaking of beauty, I couldn't shake the feeling that she looked like someone. I couldn't pinpoint it at the shoot, but it drove me crazy. Then when I started editing, it hit me. She reminded me so much of Katherine McPhee from American Idol Season Five. Something about her face and her smile, just beautiful.

Casey, I had a great time at our shoot. You totally rocked out our session and I hope you enjoy your images. Have a great rest of the senior year and best wishes on your future!

{Senior} Cameron | Hayti Missouri Senior Photographer

2010-02-28T22:26:00.000-06:00

I'd like to think that I'm still hip to the younger generation, but most days, I know I'm not. However, after chatting up Cameron, I think he may have thought I was cool. I'm sure it was the Tupac comment I made after he told me he liked country and rap music. Yes, I admittedly knew me some Tupac back in the day(along with some other unsavory rap groups, but that was another time!)

Cameron is the typical cooler-than-ice senior guy. Piercing eyes, solemn stare, but with my comical genius and suave dance moves, I cracked a few smiles from him and I know Mom will be happy with that. I'm shameless, no doubt.

Cameron brought his new lifted Chevy and he borrowed on old shiny blue Chevy to incorporate into his session. And he also had his little 3 year old brother join him in a couple of shots and they are too sweet!

Other than me wearing my heels to a shoot(never again!), I had a great time today. Fun, laid back, me showing my awesome dance skills on a ladder. Yep, that's more like the reason my feet hurt so bad that night!

Cameron, congratulations on your achievement and best wishes for your future! On a final note, keep ya head up...

{Sneak Peek} Senior | Portagville Missouri Senior Photographer

2010-02-28T11:06:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day, albeit chilly, but the sun was shining, and it was a reprieve from the cold, dreary days we've been having. This senior braved those chilly winds and we had an awesome time. Here's a quick peek into her session. More to come later!

{Sneak Peek} Senior | Hayti Missouri Senior Photographer

2010-02-26T22:00:00.006-06:00

I've finally gotten my first 2010 senior boy! I just wanted to post one image from our session yesterday. Check out those piercing eyes!

Get your Free on | Hayti Missouri | Stephanie Greenwell Photography

2010-02-24T15:15:00.003-06:00

It’s contest time again! Can I get a “whoop, whoop”? *fists pumping in the air*

I’m so excited to announce another contest because you all are the reason why my business is growing. And can I just say that I feel so very blessed? I am. And thank you.

In honor of hitting 700 fans on my Facebook fan page, I’d like to offer a couple print credits to be used when you book your session in 2010. And hey, this is open to anyone who has already booked their session for 2010, and session will take place after contest ends.

Here’s what you need to do: Leave a comment in this specific blog post about your favorite picture. It can be of your kids, your significant other, your dog, your house, a bug in a bush, heck, it could be a blurry picture that you have no idea what it is, but you just love it. Make sure you’ll be able to share that image with me if you are the winner(I want the evidence!).

But it gets even better.

You have a second chance to win if you comment on the actual announcement about the contest on my Facebook fan page(and you have to be a fan). Same thing, tell me about your favorite picture. And try to keep it clean. But dirty trucks and messy faces are fine.

The winner will be selected at random using a Random calculator and the results will be posted, along with the winners. Each winner will receive (1) $100 print credit to be applied to their print order. That's $100 in free prints! (And for even greater savings, I'm currently offering 30% off Custom Art Collections for a limited time!)

The contest will end on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 3:00 p.m. CMT.

And I know rules are made to be broken, but not these rules:

1) Only one entry per person/family only per chance. For instance, Sally can post one time to this blog post and one time to Facebook, thus giving her two chances to win. I don't want to have to disqualify anyone, so please don't make me do it.

2) Only one person/family can win once. Sally can't win both chances.

3) Print credit applies to Custom Art Collections only.

4) Print credit is non-transferable. Sally can't win and give to her friend. But I hope Sally will tell her friend to enter.

5) Print credit cannot be applied to session fee or session deposit.

6) Session must be booked for 2010, as print credit expires December 31, 2010.

7) Have fun and be nice!

So, wipe the slobber from your chin, click on "Comments" below, and tell me your favorite picture. Then head on over to my Facebook fan page, and post on the Official Fan Page Contest announcement. And make sure to fan me, if you're not already a fan! The contest will end on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 3:00 p.m. CMT, so you better get crackin'!

In front | Stephanie Greenwell Photography

2010-02-22T21:57:00.004-06:00

Being a person who photographs other people, it's very uncommon to find myself in front of the camera. Mostly because no one in my house knows how to operate the dang thing, but also because I'm protective of my camera. I know, I know.

It's just a camera.

I mean my life doesn't revolve around this inanimate object, at least that's what I tell myself. But frankly, I do have a tight relationship with my camera. Even though I intend to upgrade this year(I hope), I feel like me and ol' Camera have a history.

And we are thick as thieves.

It's captured sweet moments of my children, the birth of my latest child, programs and plays, Mother Nature at her finest, and even helped me launch a so far successful small business. But don't get me wrong, if it were destroyed, my life would go on. Albeit, I'd be sad, but I know it can be replaced.

I'm just not ready to invest in another relationship yet.

So, since I'm always behind the camera and I have absolutely no images of me and my newest baby together (because, c'mon, that big heavy sucker is not as easy to turn around one-handed and snap those two-person shots with part of an arm in view!), I decided to let my 8 year old daughter take some pictures of me and John Cooper together. In my style.

With the settings already in place for her, neck strap around her neck, I just played with John Cooper and had her snap away. She was so very excited to get to do this. (Fortunately, Aubrey and Brennan were in the other room, or else that neck strap would have been ripped in two over who gets to hold the camera!)

The following is one of the images she got. I edited the image to my liking, and I will forever cherish this sweet reminder of my love of being a mom. One child photographing mom and another child together.

And Haley thinks she wants to be a photographer when she grows up.

Thankyouverymuch.

[Senior] Hannah | Hayti Deering Missouri Senior Photographer

2010-02-15T16:41:00.005-06:00

I love senior sessions! Seniors are so stylish and hip and cool. Words that don't describe me these days. I'm more like "momma", "tired", and "stylish-to-the-degree-that-it-just-has-to-fit". And sometimes I'm cool, but my kids might think otherwise.

So Hannah is my first senior session of 2010 and she totally hit it out of the park. It was a cold day, but at least it wasn't windy and/or snowing! Bless her heart, I could just see the chill bumps on her skin, but she was a trooper and I'm very happy with the end result. I got to try to a few ideas and even implement my new find: a $4 chair from an antique shop! Oh, I heart the antique store! And Hannah was just the perfect subject to use with it.

Her mom is always quite the laugh-maker, so we hee-hawed throughout the whole session. We had a blast and I can't wait for our spring session! Thanks for the laughs, Mom, and for bringing out some beautiful smiles from your beautiful girl!

And, Dad, I got permission to dress and pose your baby girl! I hope you all enjoy!

[Sneak Peek] Senior: Hannah | Hayti Deering Missouri Photographer

2010-02-14T10:05:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to post one sneak peek from yesterday's awesome senior shoot! Stay tuned for more to come this week!

[Babies] Mollie Claire | Caruthersville Missouri Baby Photographer

2010-02-13T07:45:00.004-06:00

This baby girl was one happy baby when I walked into her home. Beautiful smile, happy demeanor, you name it. And she was pretty as a peach.

Mom really wanted to get some images with her beautiful Christening dress before she outgrew it and as I mentioned in the sneak peek, I really loved how the traditional mixed with the old in the barnwood floor.

After a while, Mollie Claire got tired of the fuss we were making over her, as she was ready for a nap, so I captured some of the sweetest sleeping images of her. Mom later told me that she was really pooped because she slept for 3 hours! (I was a little tired too because I had another shoot earlier that day, but it was great!)

Thanks for opening your home to me today and for accomodating my "find-the-light" request! Mollie Claire was a doll and I hope we'll work together in the future. Enjoy your images!

[Babies] Baby Will | Kennett Missouri Baby Photographer

2010-02-10T02:57:00.009-06:00

This past weekend I got to have a session with this 3 month old, who happens to share the same birthday as my 3 month old. That day, of course, was the day God decided to send two good-lookin' little fellas to this Earth. (I'm sure his momma will agree with me!)

Baby Will started out a little fussy, but after a little down time and rest, he was a champ. All pimped out in a basket. And lookin' fly. If you know his mother, you'll notice that her baby boy has the exact same pouty lips that she has! It's uncanny!

We had a nice time and I certainly felt the love for this little guy. There's no doubt he's his momma's baby, but more importantly, he's his gramma's baby. Thanks so much for allowing me to document this special time in his life and I look forward to more sessions in the future!

[Sneak Peek] Baby Girl | Caruthersville Missouri Baby Photographer

2010-02-07T11:31:00.004-06:00

I had not one, but two sessions yesterday with babies. If I didn't already have a baby of my own, I might have gotten baby fever! Here's sneak peek #2 of the day of one of the sweetest little baby girls ever! Mom wanted to get a shot of her in her beautiful Christening dress, and I just loved this image with the mix of traditional with the beautiful old barnwood floor. Every one have great Superbowl Sunday! God bless!

[Sneak Peek] Baby Boy | Kennett Missouri Baby Photographer

2010-02-07T10:50:00.005-06:00

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Up for your viewing pleasure is a sweet baby boy, born on the same day as my baby boy. He was a little tired for his shoot, but he got it worked out after a nice nap! Aww, babies. They certainly have their own schedule. I just wanted to post a quick sneak peek for mom and grandparents. Have a great day!

Slackers Anonymous | Hayti Missouri Photographer

2010-02-01T23:52:00.010-06:00

I've been so bad. Remember when I said I would be blogging more in 2010? Yeah, that time and that other time. Uh-huh, I totally fell flat on that 2010 resolution. To tell the truth, I really thought I would get with the program, but it's really hard to do.

You see, going back to work and familiarizing ourselves with the new addition in the house and my other kids and school and cooking and breastfeeding and editing and laundry(oops, the hubs does most of that!) and giving baths and, oh yeah, let's not forget, Facebooking and scheduling 2010 sessions and wiping my hiney...you catch my drift, right?

Add blogging to the mix and well it makes for a recipe of complete madness and chaos. Oh and I forgot to mention, dieting, which is in its own world of craziness. Except the only thing dieting has done for me is give me the will power to get off the couch and grab a couple of cookies. Dang diets.

And while on I'm the subject of dieting, all of you new mommies-to-be who are planning on breastfeeding because, "like, I will totally lose weight if I breastfeed!", well, I will tell you this: Don't go to Vegas with those kinds of odds. You'll be ravenous. You'll eat more. Heck, you might even look at your baby's fat legs and think about how tasty they are. But then you'll remember that you're not a cannibal. At least, that was my case. You may in fact be one. To each his own, I say.

Anyways, while I'm uploading some images to my lab, I thought I'd take a moment and reintroduce myself to you.

Hi, my name is Stephanie Greenwell. I'm a die-hard ~~fat~~ momma, I love sweets, my husband, and a good episode of "The Big Bang Theory" (and countless others). I'm a computer geek, a forever-student of photography, a Fox news junkie, and a child of God. I'm passionate about my beliefs(and if you don't want to hear it, don't engage me!) I crack up at myself all the time, I don't get jokes and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm a slacker-blogger, but if you elect me for office in 2010, I promise I will blog more and be the best dang blogger-er on my street. But most of all, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't throw tomatoes, real or virtual, at me for trying to be funny.

Lately, I've been trying to get things in order(see above madness), and I hope and will try to blog more. I'm starting to book my 2010 sessions, so of course, I'll be posting "Sneak Peeks" and sessions I've photographed. So come back from time to time, sit down and enjoy a couple of cookies with me.

Oh, did you say you wanted to see another image of my new baby boy? I can certainly oblige. He's now three months old and just adorable as can be. Don't be j.

And Where Does Time Go Exactly?? | Hayti Missouri Photographer

2010-01-11T23:56:00.007-06:00

Today, my baby boy is 11 weeks old! 11 friggin' weeks! Can anyone tell where time goes? Because from my records, those last 11 weeks of my pregnancy moved at a turtle's pace. On this side of the pregnancy, time has kicked up to super-high speed!! So, can anyone tell me, where does time go exactly? Depressing, I tell ya. Pass the Prozac, please.

John Cooper is a growing boy, no doubt, and he looks older than 11 weeks. But that's expected when the kid was born the size of a small car! Just kidding, kiddo. At his two month check-up, he weighed 14 lbs. 6 oz and was 23 in. long. In medical terms, he's in the 99th percentile!! That's how my little Michelin man rolls...literally. Rolls and rolls of fat everywehere!

(On a sidenote: The kid sleeps like a dream! Like, up to 8 hours each night! I know, I'm so lucky. And no, I'm not giving him a sedative.)

So, John Cooper and I had an impromptu shoot this past Saturday. I tried to get him to sleep so I could get those sleepy images so desired in the beginning of their lives. It took a while and it ended up working to my advantage because the light coming through was stunning.

So here's to you my chub-a-lub. You beautiful, sweet chub-a-lub. How I love thee!

Christmas Giveaway | Southeast Missouri Photographer

2009-12-07T17:35:00.009-06:00

A little while back, I announced a little Christmas giveaway for a deserving family. I received several nominations that were very heartfelt and sincere. It's nice to know that people are so thoughtful of others and think so much of others during difficult times. So before I announce the winner, I just want give some needed thank-you's.

Thank you to God for blessing me this year with another beautiful, healthy child to add to our growing family. Thank you to Him for my other children, who at times are quite rambunctious, but they are good as gold and they love me unconditionally as I do them.

I give all the glory to Him for allowing me to start this little photography business. And many thanks to all my clients of 2009 who took a chance on me and allowed me to photograph them, their children, and/or their families. I'm beyond grateful and I only hope that my business will continue to grow in 2010.

Now, back to the announcment. I decided to not be a judge in this contest, since I knew most of the people that were being nominated. There were three judges and they had no clue who each of the nominated families were since I removed all mention of names in the emails I received. I wish every nomination could be picked because they were all very deserving, but there's only so much time in every day that I can do this, and with a new baby, my time is even more limited. So quit babbling, Steph, get on with it!

The following is the email I received. It was very endearing and even brought tears to my eyes. And I'm sure you will feel the same...

"Stephanie,

I would like to nominate a family from Kennett. Keith, Michelle, Kevin, Lil' Keith, Kara and Alayna Johnson. We are very close to this family and they have been a blessing to us. I went to school with Keith and he is one of my husband's best friends. Keith got married soon after high school and had twin boys, Kevin and Keith, which are now 16. They will be 17 in January. Two years later they had their daughter Kara.

I am not sure when exactly that they found out there was something wrong with two of his kids but they did find out that Keith and Kara had Morquio Syndrome. Morquio Syndrome is a genetic disease of metabolism in which the body is missing or doesn't have enough of a substance needed to break down long chains of sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans. There is a 1 out of 200,000 births this would happen and to them it happened twice. Keith and his wife divorced and she left him with all three kids.

They have had numerous surgeries over the years, had to be in bed for long periods of time, and even where the body halos. Keith did all he could do for his children. He had to quit work to care for them. They have been held back in school due to missing school due to the surgeries. This disease causes abnormal heart developments, large fingers, knocked knees, dwarfism. They have to use walkers and wheelchairs because they can not walk due to the pain. This of course does not stop them from doing things.

Keith is in the choir at school. The kids at Kennett Public Schools are wonderful to them. They are such of the best kids and truely thankful for their life. Also, it is hard on Kevin as well. He looks over both of them and it is hard for him trying to live a normal life and do things that they can never do.

Keith finally remarried a few years ago to Michelle. She is wonderful with the kids. They had another daughter Alayna a little over a year ago. (I believe the mother was the carrier of the disease so they were not concerned about that.) Alayna adores the older children. I think they love the attention.

What I have seen over the years is that whatever you could do for these children they were appreciative. Whether you gave them something new or old they still kept smiling. It is hard not to love them. What I have read about this disease is that the life expectancy is usually between 20 to 30 years old. I can not imagine knowing that your child or children may have lived half of their life. They do not ever talk about that, they just cherish what they have.

I think they are deserving of being recognized. They truly are a blessing. They do not dwell on what they have been dealt with but praise God for it. This has only made them a stronger family. The go to church religiously and do no question what they have been given but are truly thankful that God has picked them to care for these children."

Is your Kleenex soaked? Uh-huh, thought so. When I read this email, I just knew they would be picked. Being a parent, a mother at that, I can't begin to imagine that any of my children could be anything other than healthy. I know these parents have seen their share of struggles, but from the sounds of the email, they have God in their hearts and live each day fully.

I'm excited to meet this awesome family and give them something special to remind them of their strong family bond for many years to come. Congratulations and I'll be contacting you soon!

Also, thank you to Charitie Jones for the nomination. I can tell how strongly you felt about this family and I'm happy that you are also a winner with a $50 print credit and no session fee on your next booking.

Again, thank you to everyone who nominated a special, deserving family. I hope you all have a very blessed Merry Christmas and remember that Jesus is the Reason for the season! (None of that Happy Holidays baloney!)

And since it is Christmas time, here's a cute lil' dude to make you smile even more...

[Senior] Meredith | Caruthersville Missouri Senior Photographer

2009-11-29T19:14:00.006-06:00

Meredith is my first senior to have a multiple session: this fall session and her summer session. (You'll notice she's changed her hair color since the summer!) I have been pleasantly surprised at the relatively mild weather we've had, especially since I'm getting a late start on fall sessions and a few Christmas sessions.

I shot at a few new locations seeing that some of the other locales I use are getting quite a bit of use out of them. I'm amazed at some of the places that strike a creative streak in me, since I've been to these places in the past and nothing hit me. We had fun, as usual because Mere is that fun type and up for anything.

It's hard to believe that this school year is almost half-way over. Thanks for the fun time and for understanding about bringing along a handsome lil dude for the shoot. Best wishes for your future and we'll miss you next year!

[Sneak Peek] Meredith | Hayti Missouri Senior Photographer

2009-11-27T19:00:00.004-06:00

Just one.

I wanted to post one image from Meredith's second senior session. It's fall and the weather has been great. So here's just one...

Introducing John Cooper Greenwell | Hayti Missouri Baby Photographer

2009-11-26T00:26:00.004-06:00

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful time with family and friends and you find that you have a lot for which to be thankful. I certainly know that I do, especially with my God, my husband and my children, all for whom I'm most thankful. We've been blessed beyond any measure and only God gets credit for that.

And I'm certainly thankful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon my ever-growing business this year. Thank you to my clients for taking a chance on my journey into photography and I can only pray that you know how much it means to me and my family.

___________________________________________________________

I wanted to post earlier about the birth of our son, but having a newborn and caring for our other children and trying to recuperate, well, blogging about it took a back seat for a while. So I thought, what a wonderful Thanksgiving treat to my readers to introduce our newest addition...

Now, on with the story...

I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Well, actually, I'd been feeling that way for a while. This pregnancy had been so different from my others, but when the swelling set in the last week before before he was born, I was just praying my doctor would actually schedule an induction. Like the other times.

I don't know if my doctor was going to schedule me for an induction, but when I gained 8 lbs. in 9 days, oh, I knew he had to do something, even if I had to bring it up first.

"Oh, Doc, please tell me that we can schedule to have this baby soon?"

I was two days shy of being 39 weeks, and with my pleads, Doc decided to schedule it for Monday, October 26. Good, I got my way. And now I had 5 days to get my stuff in order. No problem.

Except that I didn't feel prepared until the ~~day~~ night before. I mean, getting bags packed for three kids to stay with our friends, getting my bags packed, making sure the baby's new clothes were washed, laundry done(well, that was my husband's job), batteries for cell phones, camera, & video camera were charged, making sure the monkey was caged and had enough food, er, just kidding. And we also had people in our kitchen working on Sunday to finish getting our walls done and painted, which look awesome, by the way. So needless to say, Sunday really wasn't relaxing as I was so anxious about the happenings of the next day.

I fell asleep around 11 p.m. only to have to wake up at 3 a.m. to get ready and drive an hour to Cape to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. And I was oh so hungry, but couldn't have anything to eat. Only ice chips. And they tasted like Heaven.

We got checked in around 5:15 or so, and everything started rolling from there. Tommy was doing his usual stuff, being the early morning entertainment for the nurses. I got hooked up to the fetal monitor, which proved to be quite a hassle since the baby wouldn't stay in one place. I had blood drawn, I was poked and prodded, and eventually hooked up to the Pitocin drip. Eventually, I started feeling contractions and I was getting anxious. I couldn't wait to meet my lil' man. And I was hungry. Like ravenous. Road kill would've probably sufficed if it were sitting in front of me.

At first, I thought I might tough out the contractions, but as they progressively got stronger, well, I decided that I'm not so tough. I took the darn thing. But the drawback was I think I got a little too much numbing because I felt a little loopy, but I couldn't feel much else. Well, the contractions I felt, but they weren't painful. The nurses probably thought I was crazy because I kept asking if I was supposed to feel like I felt. "I have no legs!", I kept thinking. Really though, this wasn't like my previous pregnancies I can tell you that.

Well, after some prepping and pushing and pushing and more pushing, John Cooper made his way into this world on October 26 at 3:19 p.m. He certainly was a lot larger than I expected, weighing in at 9 lbs. 7 oz. and he was 21 1/2 in. long. And he was puuurty. Just like my other children, he was chubby and pink and had a full head of dark hair. I got to hold him as soon as he came out, which never happened before. But I wanted him clean so I could kiss him without getting, well, yucky. And once that happened, I couldn't get enough of him. His soft skin, moist lips, tiny hands. Oh, I'd have ten more if they stayed babies.

I uploaded images from his birth to my Facebook account so our other children could see him. The kids stayed at a family friend's home and when I called to let them know to look at the images, the happiness was apparent. I couldn't wait for them to meet their little brother. We came home the next evening, thank goodness for that, and when they came in, it was pure elation as we had not seen the kids in almost 48 hours, but even more, the kids were happy to finally see John Cooper in the flesh. Even though he was a big baby, he was still tiny, especially seeing him next to the other kids. These days, the kids can't get enough of him, from holding him, to talking and singing to him, to making faces at him. It's almost too much. Brennan wants me to have a million more babies, he says. Dream on, son, dream on.

___________________________________________________________

John Cooper is a month old today. Hard to believe how fast the time goes by and this sinking feeling sets in when you know that the newborn and baby stages are short-lived. He's starting to smile more frequently, especially in response to my voice. Makes me want to cry even now. He's been an ideal baby, my "dream baby" as I refer to him. He breastfeeds like a champ and has now grown 3 more inches and has gained over 2 lbs. since his birth. He even sleeps like a dream. I guess God knew I needed a good sleeper after the many restless nights of not-so-great sleepers. Our lil' butterball has us all wrapped around his tiny fingers and we couldn't feel more thankful and blessed as we do right now.

When he was three days old, he had his first impromptu photo shoot with me. He had another one at 11 days old and I have to say, it's a lot harder to shoot your own baby when you just had him and your haven't fully recuperated from giving birth. He's beauty, even if I am his momma. Enjoy!

[Family] The Henfling's | Dyersburg Tennessee Children's Photographer

2009-11-23T16:05:00.008-06:00

Liz talked with me about getting some images of her new precious addition, Knox Walker(dontcha love the name?). She has two other boys, Jackson and Riley, and it was quite evident at our shoot that they are in luuuurve with their new baby brother. How sweet is was to get them all together for pictures! Like I mentioned in my previous post, there's something so special about the bond between mother and son. And in this case, the bonds between mother and sons.

Liz's boys are sweet and handsome and polite. I know they will grow to be the same way and make some girls very happy wives someday. (I think Liz just had a heart attack to think of her boys growing up!) They are also very sweet on their Nan, Liz's mother, whom she brought along for ride. Oh Nan, er, Mrs. Gardner, how you ever put up with all of the kids at your house, I'll never know, but you were always so patient even when we were holy terrors, up all night watching Def Comedy Jam and scary movies and laughing and prank calling every one. Except me. I always feel asleep early. Darn narcolepsy.

Liz, I'm so glad that you wanted me to photograph your sweet boys. I think you look fabulous as you always have and you have a beautiful family of which you should be very proud. And I'm glad we got to have a few laughs. Oh, how I miss your everyday witty humor.

And thanks for the awesome bibs and wipey case. Much love Hooch.

[Babies] Brody | Portageville Missouri Baby Photographer

2009-11-22T16:59:00.005-06:00

I told my best friend, Tara, when she found out she was having a boy, that there's nothing like the bond between mother and son. Sure, I'm very tight with my girls and Tara is with her daughter also, but there's a special something with mommas and their sons.

So, one day a few months after Brody was born, Tara came over with him. We sat there talking about him, and she said, "I know what you mean about you and Brennan; I feel it with Brody." I smiled. And my heart did the same.

Brody turned a year old last weekend and I find it hard to believe that it's already been a year. We decided to shoot a fun session in the leaves in my neighbor's yard, since all but a few of our trees were lost in the ice storm earlier this year. Brody's big sis Reed was a super-duper helper by carrying and entertaining him. And thanks to Tara's mom for keeping my baby boy while we had fun in the leaves.

Happy 1st Birthday, Brody! Much love to you!

[Sneak Peek] Henfling | Dyersburg Tennessee Child Photography

2009-11-21T16:55:00.005-06:00

Momma and her boys. Her sweet, handsome boys.

This is my other BFF. (Can't believe I'm using that acronym seeing that I'm no longer in high school. Or college. Or my twenties.)

Liz just had her 3rd boy in September, but I have a quiet longing for her to have another baby, keeping my fingers crossed for a girl. I don't figure she'll grant me that wish, since I won't have to raise her. Ah, hope floats.

Anyways, I just wanted to post a sneak peek of my beautiful friend and adorable boys. Stay tuned for my images!

[Sneak Peek] Babies:Brody

2009-11-19T20:36:00.006-06:00

This is one of my best friend's little man. She wanted me to get some one year shots. I know she's dying to see some images of her boy, so I thought I'd grant her this one...well, two...

[Engaged] Ashley + Joel | Hayti Missouri Photographer

2009-11-15T16:41:00.015-06:00

Frank and Ava. World War II. Casablanca. Tracy and Hepburn. Presidents Roosevelt and Truman. Pin curls. Dior. It's a Wonderful Life. Humprhey Bogart. Chanel no 5. Fred and Ginger.

Ashley had it in her mind. A 1940's-inspired engagement shoot. She enthusiastically conveyed it to me on the phone the night before. We talked about "The Notebook" with its 1940's setting and the passion of Noah and Allie. That decade was full of passion. And then my heart began racing.

See, I had never shot an engagement session, much less a themed session. A 1940's theme, at that. I told her that my hope was that I could do it justice, but inside, oh, I was a nervous wreck. I knew this meant a lot to her, and what if I didn't quite get the idea? I mean, I totally loved the idea on paper, but it's only natural to question one's ability when one has no experience in it.

And Ashley was just as gracious as Mother Teresa. She more than once insisted that she wasn't picky at all. But what she didn't know, is that I totally am; I am my own worst critic and I certainly wanted to give her and Joel an exquisite engagement session. Because, you know, Ashley went through a lot of trouble to get all the props and outfits we were going to use. And, let me mention, we were getting to use a beautiful vintage 1932 Auburn V12, courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Glen O. Petersen.

So, I took pen to paper and started writing down my ideas. I wanted to see the ideas in my head on paper without the distraction of being on the actual shoot. What was the outcome came across far more beautifully than I ever expected. It helps when the subjects are beautiful and fun and didn't laugh at me when I would get all giggly over an awesome shot. Like a kid in a candy store, I tell ya.

Thank you, Ashley and Joel. I'm honored that you chose me to shoot your engagement pictures. I had so much fun with you both and I appreciate the time you took to prepare for this shoot. I'm feeling my age seeing that I clearly remember you two as little tykes. Thank you to the Petersen's for loaning your beautiful car and for your hospitality.

Best wishes for your future together!

[Sneak Peek] Engaged:Ashley + Joel

2009-11-14T18:21:00.007-06:00

Three words: Old. School. Glam.

Three more words: Oh. My. Gosh.

This was such an awesome shoot and I'll give more details in a later post. For now, here's a quick sneak peek of Ashley & Joel's engagement shoot. Enjoy!

Baby Giveaway

2009-10-20T12:40:00.011-05:00

Uh, no, I'm not giving away my baby-to-be. So get that idea out of your head!

Now, onto the details of this post. I mentioned on my previous blog that I probably wouldn't be blogging before the baby boy gets here. However, in honor of my 20,000th hit to my blog, and that I'm one fan shy of the 400 mark on my Facebook Fan page, and the fact that I would like to do something special for a deserving family, I'm offering an awesome giveaway. At least, I hope you find it to be awesome.

As you may or may not be aware, that is if you have not been hiding under a rock, I'm having a baby boy sometime in the next week or so, adding to my ever-expanding family. With the approaching holiday season, family is all the more important and we couldn't be happier to welcome our son during this time.

What I'm even more excited about is getting to photograph my new addition with the rest of my children for the Christmas season. It's such a special time of the year, all the more sweeter with a new baby. Of course, pictures are great any time of the year, but around the holidays just makes it all the better.

This holiday season, my Christmas 2009 Special is a simple DVD collection of images for families to print at their own convenience. Read more about it here.

So, now I'm getting to the nitty-gritty. What a word(or is it two?)!

Chances are, you know a deserving family that would love to have their family photographed, but for reasons only known to them, just can't. I know there are so many people going through hard times right now, and though my giveaway isn't life-changing, I hope it will bring a smile to the faces of the winning family.

Here's the deets:
Nominate a family or your own family by sending me an email to stephaniegreenwell@sbcglobal.net. The selected family will win a free Christmas DVD session
and (1)mounted 11x14 portrait (retail value: $310). This family must live within Pemiscot, Dunklin or New Madrid counties. Tell me why this family should be selected for this giveaway. I will be enlisting the help of two judges and myself, and all details will be kept confidential. I will try my best to confirm the nominations, so I ask that you please be truthful about the family you nominate. One nomination per person please.

Please have your nominations into me by Sunday, November 15th, 2009, 12 midnight(CST). The nominating person of the winning family will receive a $50 credit and no session fee upon booking a session with Stephanie Greenwell Photography.

I hope this will get people into the spirit of Christmas and think about ways they can contribute to others less fortunate. As I previously stated, I know this isn't a life-altering giveaway, but my hope is that will bring a little cheer to a family during the Christmas season.