Grace Portrait Design

Finally! A New Post!

2009-01-28T09:08:00.001-08:00

I made a New Year's Resolution that I was going to be more diligent in updating my blog - primarily for my business' sake. I want to be able to draw more traffic to my website and apparently "they" say a blog is the way to do it. So, since it is now January 28, I decided to make a brief post today of a picture I took yesterday of my youngest, Caleb.
If you don't know Caleb, you are definitely missing out on a hilarious kid. Yesterday he was home with me all day, and even though it was supposed to be a cleaning day, I actually didn't get much cleaning done. The main reason is the look in this kid's eyes when he asks me to do something with him. It looks very similar to the look in his eyes in this photo. To double the effect on me, he usually throws in that little smile and says, "pleath mommy" (he's in speech, of course so I sometimes feel the need to spell out what he says phonetically because it seems even more sweet when you hear it exactly like he says it).
So, if you happen to stop by my home sometime and its a mess, simply remember what this kid looks like and you can know why my house isn't clean. I figure when he goes to Kindergarten I will worry about a clean house. Until then I will have a great time playing video games, playing cars, racing around the house and laughing hysterically - all of which I did yesterday!

New Senior Pictures

2008-10-31T00:24:00.000-07:00

I got to meet this senior a couple of weeks ago when I took his senior pictures. Normally senior guys are harder to photograph than their female counterparts, but I have to say that was not the case with this senior. I rarely had to give him any direction. He is clearly comfortable in his own skin (something I definitely was not at that age), and his easy-going confidence shines through in his pictures.
I have to turn in his senior picture that he chooses to the yearbook tomorrow and I haven't heard back from him yet, so I decided to post several of my favorites here for he and his mother to check out.
I definitely have two that are my very favorite of the ones posted here, but I will keep that to myself until he and his mother choose, then I will post here to tell all of you which ones were my favorites and which one he chose.
Since it is now 2:30 in the morning I believe I will go to bed now.
Goodnight.

Darling Little Man!

2008-10-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Since taking these pics of this beautiful little guy, I have had every single person in my home down with one virus or another. Last week I had at least two of my four home from school sick. Suffice it to say, it has put me somewhat behind on my editing projects. Therefore, I wanted to post a few more of this cutie for his extremely patient mama!

Happy Birthday Baby C!

2008-10-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

I first photographed this beautiful little guy when he was only four months old. He was just as beautiful then, however, now the kid is mobile, which only accents his cuteness. I also have to say, I have never seen eyes that are quite this blue. The funniest part of the day was how C responded to me. He pretty much acted as if I wasn't even there. When he was sitting on the ground and I would move in front of him to take his picture, he would scoot around so that his back was facing me. It was really quite amusing. I just had to include one picture documenting this little stunt of his.

Cute-y Patooty Baby

2008-10-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I love this baby. I loved him before he was born because I love both of his parents. After editing all of his pictures I am sure I am going to have to order a bunch for my own house!!

For my dear, sweet, patient friend!

2008-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine told me last night that I was "on her list" because I have shown two other people (one of them being her husband) some of her pictures, and she has not seen any of them. I am really sorry. :-) I won't show anyone else any pics until YOU see them first - deal?
I hope you love them as much as I do. These children are so beautiful (which isn't surprising when you see their mother), and so much fun to be around. I love having their entire family as neighbors!

First Session in Cedar Falls, Iowa

2008-09-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. I have finally gotten going here in Cedar Falls. We moved here in late July and I have been struggling to get our house in some semblance of order before "opening" for business. I had the privilege of setting up a display in the mall that ran from the 18th through the 28th of September. It was a local photographer's exhibit. Cameron really did most of the work in putting my display together and he spent a lot of time building it and setting it up. It turned out beautifully.
So this past week I finally got to start shooting here in Cedar Falls. My very first session was with a little girl who lives in our neighborhood. She has two older sisters, one is good friends with my daughter Grace, and the other is in my son Luke's Kindergarten class at school. And I have been so blessed to get to know her mother who has become one of my first real friends here.
We were doing her two-year old pictures, even though her birthday was in May. Luckily the dress still fit her, and she was so darling. She even had a matching dress for her baby doll, and if you knew this little girl you would know how this is so perfect for her. I'm pretty sure I have never seen her without her baby doll. She is such a sweet little mother.
These pictures are just a quick preview for her own sweet mother. I hope you enjoy...

Caleb and his new bike

2008-09-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

Caleb wanted only one thing from Cameron and me for his birthday - a new Thomas bike. He rides it everywhere (usually with a helmet on, but for the sake of good pics we didn't where it this day - come on, I have my priorities. It goes: good pictures THEN personal safety. lol)
He rides like a speed demon on this thing. When Luke is riding his own bike he stops at every bump in the road and walks his bike. He won't turn corners for fear of tipping. Caleb, however, starts at the top of our driveway and races down the driveway and turns onto the sidewalk at full speed. He really isn't afraid of anything. You might think after breaking his leg on a trampoline and his foot at the YMCA that he would be afraid of getting hurt, but it seems to have made him realize that hurting isn't as bad as Luke and Ryan think it is. :)
Cameron always teases me that this kid has me wrapped around his little finger, but look at him! How could a mother possibly resist that smile and those dimples?

Caleb's New Love

2008-09-24T07:19:00.001-07:00

there is something so sweet about a young boy and his first love.
This is Millie and she lives across the street from us. Millie and
Caleb are just crazy about each other, as you can see in these pics. :)

Gotta say, I love this kid!

2008-09-18T09:53:00.001-07:00

Trying to get caught up with all of my previous sessions here on the blog. These images were taken in Corsicana, Texas. We were down there for a funeral and I was approached by the mother of one of my favorite little people to see if I could do some portraits while I was there. Of course I jumped at the opportunity.
This little guy's name is Rhyder. He looks a lot like Ryan did at this age - same hair, same eyes, same smile. Not surprisingly, Ryan is crazy about this kid - a feeling which Ryder reciprocates completely. If Ryan walks into a room where Rhyder is, Rhyder immediately runs up to Ryan or leans out of anyone else's arms to reach for Ryan. They look so much alike they could be brothers.
I love this side of Ryan's personality. This attachment he has for babies. However, I am left to wonder: why didn't he love taking care of babies when we had babies here in our home? Caleb just turned four and to be sure, Ryan did not spend nearly as much time entertaining him as he does with Rhyder and other little ones now.

Giddyup Cowboy!

2008-09-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, it has been forever since I posted any new pictures. I guess that's not completely bad seeing as it means I've been so busy shooting pics that I haven't had a free minute. We also lost Cameron's grandfather Labor Day weekend so we were traveling FIFTEEN hours each way in a minivan with four children. (glad that's over)
On August 12 two of my very favorite people in the world had a baby boy, Daniel Joseph. He is so perfect. I didn't get to see him and hold him until this past weekend. So I overstayed my welcome and took hundreds of pictures of this little guy. It took me back to when my oldest Ryan was a baby. We would do all kinds of crazy things with him - dress him up, talk for him, dance him like a little puppet. (I'm pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out so don't bother trying to report us to DFS.)
While I was taking these pictures of Daniel in his little cowboy outfit I was laughing so hard I was crying. Just look at him. I look at this picture and I can feel his soft baby skin and feel his light little body in my arms. Tracy and Tim, enjoy this time. It goes so quickly. (case in point: Ryan will be twelve in December!) We are still praying for your family!

Josie Girl

2008-07-30T15:17:00.001-07:00

Whew! Just got our internet working after the move from Missouri to Iowa. Talk about a painful week. I'll write more about the move this week, but wanted to post a couple pics from my last session in Ozark. Here are they are:

Can you spell S-A-S-S-Y?

2008-07-08T20:43:00.001-07:00

There are some kids who are just born with "it", this child is one of them. From the very first time I saw her (in the Olive Garden, no less) she was a bundle of personality. She and I immediately clicked and had a great time during our session together. For this picture on the right I asked her to give me "the Hannah Montana pose". She immediately struck this pose.

Swimming Fun!

2008-06-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our family's recent trip to the neighborhood pool.
Cameron bought the kids a basketball goal and they had such a blast with it.
You would think that he would be happy to sit and watch the kids play with the goal - you would think that, that is, only if you don't know him. He spent the day playing with Ryan trying to perfect the 360 degree spin and shoot. He actually did it. Here are some pics to prove it. :-)
Enjoy!

Here is Ryan, flying through the air!! Whew, he is good!

The boys, at 3 and 5, try the same run and spin move, only this time into the baby pool.

Father's Day Camping Trip

2008-06-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in Eminence, MO camping and floating on the river. We also found this amazing place called "the Falls" or something like that. Here are some of my favorite pics:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

You've gotta' love her sense of humor!

2008-06-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

I recently had the immense pleasure of taking the aforementioned "trash the cake" session with this darling little girl. I always get a real kick out of her when I take her pictures, because I think she truly "gets" me! Enjoy her sense of humor...

Fun with friends!

2008-06-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Our good friends came to Springfield a couple of weeks ago for Memorial Day. We met them at the pool and our kids had a ball. They have four children, just like we do. In fact, their four were all born within three months of each of ours (except for our third children which were born a year apart).

Grace (mine) and Mackenzie (theirs)

Caleb & Luke (mine)

Tanner (theirs) Cameron (mine) & Caleb (mine also)

Zach (one of my favorite little guys around)

Tucker, left (theirs) & Tanner, below (also theirs)

Happy Birthday, Lydia!

2008-06-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the first post of my new blog. My business recently changed names, from gHodges Photography to Grace Portrait Design. I am so excited about all the changes occurring with the business. Our family will be moving to Cedar Falls, Iowa next month (July 2008). It's somewhat disappointing that I am just getting Grace Portrait Design up and running and we are now moving, but I am very confident that things will continue to go well.

I have changed my blog address due to the change in name and therefore the images that I have been posting to my other blog are fair game for another post. :) This image is from my good friend Kristen's daughter, Lydia. She is absolutely precious. In fact, the picture on the left in my blog header is Lydia as well.

Some of you are familiar with the fairly recent trend in wedding photography, that is, a "trash the dress" photo shoot. This takes place after the wedding when the bride doesn't have to worry about her dress so much, and all bets are off. I have seen brides taking pictures everywhere you can imagine. The most recent bridal Trash the Dress session that I did involved the young bride climbing into a fountain at the end of the day. We had a great time shooting it, but her mother was aghast! :-)

Anyway, along this line I do a Trash the Cake session with babies turning one. I usually set them up in front of a white backdrop and then simply place the cake in front of the baby and shoot away (with my camera - that actually sounded funny). Here is one of the first images from Lydia's session. I will post more later.