EGR . . .

We met at the coolest statue in EGR for her first location--the colorful sail at Gaslight Village. Surrounded by "adoring" fans (her mom, brother, aunt, and friend), Valerie posed effortlessly by climbing steps and crawling through bars. Next we went to the smallest blue wall ever--so small we struggled to keep the trash can out of the picture!

We stopped at Aquinas College to capture some unique backgrounds from some of the oldest buildings in East Grand Rapids, and we're happy to say that no mosquitoes made it into Valerie's pictures (whew!), despite their relentless efforts. I'm almost positive I heard a cheer when we headed for Yesterdog for the tastiest hot dogs ever!

OLYMPIC SPIRIT . . .

She's THE most adventurous girl we know. Her pictures turned out just like her - full of life and lots of fun! She plays varsity soccer, varsity golf, and she's frequently the only girl on the competitive volleyball teams (way to represent!) For her next adventure, Jenna is considering several different colleges and majors. We can't wait to see what she does!

Jenna was the best quick-change artist we have ever seen! She brought along several outfits and changed so fast that if it was an olympic sport, she'd capture the gold! Her mom should get a medal, too, for the best assistant ever--she never had less than 3 items in her hand at one time! I can hear the national anthem now . . .

GO RAMS . . .

We arrived at the RHS parking lot, jumped out of the car, and were immediately transported to another place and time--a crisp, fall Friday night accompanied by shouts from the practicing cheerleaders: "RAMS - DO IT RIGHT!" Because he is the starting center on THE team, Cody has connections and made special arrangements for us to enter the hallowed Rams stadium--a privilege no one in this area takes lightly! The place is amazing to say the least; even the grass is perfect!

Cody is so nice (but he probably won't appreciate us broadcasting that)! He is amazingly patient, and we thoroughly enjoyed learning everything we could about football first-hand. The only problem we had during his shoot was that we couldn't straighten the "R" on his jersey sleeve because his muscles were too big (what a problem!)

BARE FEET . . .

It's unbelievable to me, but Samantha chose to be barefoot throughout her photo shoot! This is an amazing feat (excuse the pun) when you consider she was walking all around her farm, AND then also posing at a farm built in the early 1900's. The property was spectacular--complete with a barn, corn bin, stable (with a blacksmith's area) and even an outhouse! We felt like we were exploring our own personal museum, and appreciate our early American heritage more than ever.

One of the neatest pictures was of Samantha next to her great grandma's wagon wheel which has been passed down through the generations. When she becomes a teacher, we know Samantha's students will be lucky--they'll have someone especially nice and someone with lots of exciting stories to share!

BUBBLY . . .

I think it's totally possible that Colbie Caillat wrote her famous song, "Bubbly" with Bri in mind. She makes you smile just by being around her. She's so much fun that even her little brother came to see her get her pictures taken (even though we accidentally lost "the fam" for a little while...)



One of our favorite pictures was taken with Bri wearing her winter hat--what a great idea!! Bri plans to pursue a career in art and psychology, so it seemed perfect to shoot some pictures by graffetti near her volunteer job downtown. Her dark eyes and striking features really stood out against all the colors!

JUMP DRIVES . . .

For all of you who will be ordering your pictures soon, here's the jump drive you will be getting:



Your web images will come loaded on it and then you can keep using it for "homework"... How cool is that?!

We also recently ordered key rings for your USB from a company called MemorySuppliers.com who have an amazing website and a super-cool selection of jump drives to choose from--they even have wooden ones! If you get a chance, check out the site, and let us know what kind you think we should order in the future! If we choose yours, you will win a free one!

FASHIONISTA . . .

If ever there was a "fashionista," it's Katelin (we think she may have a future in couture!) She was a blast to photograph--she brought a ton of props including jewelry for every outfit, black gloves, and red pumps!

You can't help but notice her beautiful blue eyes, but what's in her heart is even more beautiful. She plans to join YWAM after graduation, and use her life to make a difference in the world. She is exceptionally sweet and compassionate. And, to top it all off, she was even willing to go to BK Lounge (we spare no expense) with her mom and us for diet cokes and apple pie (in a box)!

CALM, COOL, COLLECTED . . .

She smiled as if nothing was going wrong, but bugs had invaded the photo shoot! Attracted by Jerry's light in the dark alley, they zoomed around Abby's head which ultimately caused the light operator (me) to run for cover. Thankfully, we moved on and they didn't!

Abby is great - she was willing to pose in adverse (see above) conditions and not-so-normal places! To celebrate the end of a successful shoot, we went to Cold Stone for ice cream. While we were there, we were happy to learn that she's planning to become a conservation officer (how cool is that?!) which will be a perfect fit for her. Now we can have hope for the reduction of the bug population--well, at least for outstanding care of our natural resources!