hcolephotos

Out with old...in with the new.....

2008-05-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

So....in addition to our new studio, shooting some crazy kick ass High School Graduates, and some AWESOME Weddings and Engagements, we thought we'd step it up a notch and make a BRAND NEW Website/Blog. After today, this blog will no longer be updated and the new place to find us will be HERE.

So enough blabbing on this old thing...go check out our new site and make sure to update your RSS FEED with our new information so you can keep coming back!!

Whoo hoo...fun.

Allison + Outside the box

2008-04-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

Oh my GOD..how lucky am I? I had SOOO much fun with Allison yesterday taking her Senior pictures. Not only does this girl know how to rock it in front of the camera, but she has a personality to boot!

Allison - YOU seriously ROCKED!! MEOW!

Find the light...D-O-N-E!

Don't be mad that she looks SOO CUTE....

Somebody put me out...cause I'm on FIRE!! One of my favs...

Umm....MEOW is all I have to say...

SHUT UP!!!

Super HOT!

I said SHUT YO MOUTH!! OW OW

This is how much I love Allison..I saw this Sign and she happily played along..LOVE YOU GIRL...

MAYJA NEWS...our new studio IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!

2008-04-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

So today Heather Cole Photography took a HUGE step, we have OFFICIALLY opened our new studio today and we couldn't be more excited!!

WOWZERS...what a serious roller coaster the last few weeks have been for us. If we've been delayed in emails, calls back, it's because for over the last four weeks we have done nothing but LIVE at this place. Since the space was new we had to make every single decision down to the FACUETS! NONE of this would be possible without the help of our wonderful supportive friends: Tielor, Jen, Aaron, Bill, Gary, Kevin, Tim, my mom, Jake's mom, Bobbi, Josh, Roger, Judy, Bob and last but CERTAINLY not LEAST my SUPER SUPPORTIVE husband and daughter..thank you, thank you, thank you. This place and everything in it, is what it is today because of you. Thank you SOOO MUCH!!

So without any further talkie talkie....Introducing our BRAND NEW Baby (I was able to get SOME of the pictures, but Josh was a ROCK star and made it out for my ribbon cutting ceremony and took some too....thanks Josh)!

The first day I even saw the space.....

Sheet Rock was up, ceiling and trim painted....

The living room....

Ready for Tile....

Our LONG day Faux Painting....

Our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony....so excited to see so many faces!!

The Front Entrance...

Our cozy living room....Ummm..who doesn't LOVE THOSE CURTAINS!! OWW OWW...

WALL-O-IMAGES...MEOW!!

Our cute little kitchen...

I love this little cork board in our kitchen. It holds all of our thank you cards from our WONDERFUL clients, some pictures from our WONDERFUL clients and some personal pictures to boot.

A view from the back....

Another great view of the whole studio from the back....

Our back door area

This image couldn't work out any better for this area of our studio....

me and my baby girl...WHO by the way turns FIVE tomorrow. Leave her a comment and wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Last but not least...a beautiful flower arrangement..from my daddy which made my day (thank you mom). I love you daddy and miss you everyday. I wish you could be here to share in this experience with me but the truth is...I wouldn't be here today or in this place of my life..without knowing you were with me, every step of the way. I love you and miss you. XOXOXO

Something MAJA is about to go down....

2008-04-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Not just major, like MAJA (says Posh).

You SOOO want to know..don't you. Oh yeah..well you will soon enough and let me tell you, this is no SMALL POTATOES. Na ah! Nope. No maamm. This is big time. I'm big time. Not really, just sounded good. MEOW.

So here's the skinny, the studio is ALMOST done. If I've been delayed on emails or responses you know why. I have been LIVING at the new studio, painting, laying tile and everything else that comes with building this awesome space. Aaron has too. This man has NOT stopped with the track lighting switches. It's CRAZY! So, I have so much to show you just give me a few more days.

ROCK on my friends. It's go time. The count down is on. April 24th. Be on this blog, or be square.

PEACE!

Andrea - Outside the box

2008-04-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

This last week I've blessed to shoot two amazing Seniors!!!

I shot these downtown with Andrea yesterday and let me tell ya, it was windy and chilly! Like what happened?? Oh yeah, we live in Kansas City so it's a crap shoot and you never know what you're gonna get. But Andrea WORKED IT OUT!! Check out a few of my favs!!

Thanks Andrea for letting me take your pictures. I had such a good time!!

Umm...yeah...my fav of the day. P.S. THOSE ARE HER REAL EYELASHES! I have never seen eyelashes like that ever!! BEUTIMOUS!!!

Shut up...I know. I already told her.

Meow!!

Get it!!

Ohhh la la!!

Thanks Andrea for the good times! ROCK ON SISTA!!

Meghan & David - The Main Event

2008-04-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot Meghan and David's wedding. For those of you who follow my blog, they were the ones I shot at a carnival. What a great time that was!!

There wedding was nothing short of amazing from start to finish. The day started off just wonderful with the weather in the high 60s. No rain, no snow. Sunny and 60. I also had my wonderful assistant, Aaron, and my good buddy Josh to help with the day. Between the three of us it was NON Stop fun. Narrowing down the pictures was almost IMPOSSIBLE. I'm a little late posting this (my two over achievers that shot with me already posted) so I wanted to try to find stuff completely different than them. I think I did alright.

So without blabbing on any further...here are just a FEW of my favorites from the day. Thanks Aaron and Josh for doing such an awesome job! Your blogs are amazing.

Meghan and David, I love you both very much. This last year getting to know you has been a blessing and I'm so glad you've been added to our "family".

Waiting....

How intense is this... ha ha....

What a great moment...

Meghan's dad had NEVER seen her dress so the first time they saw each other was VERY emotional...FOR EVERYONE!! (YES I CRIED).

Don't like to post a lot of ceremony shots but this one I loved. For all you photogs out there this was shot at ISO 4000 1/200 f2

Love this shot I snagged while they were bustling her dress....

We had two hours in between the ceremony and the reception and were able to have some fun..

Dude...how hot is SHE????

L-O-V-E this shot.... MEOW! Yep I said it...

If only you heard what I said to get these guys to laugh....

Tee hee...

Everyone's gotta stop and grab a bite to eat!! Right!

Josh showed me this cool spot to climb in so I squeezed my "tiny hiney" in this old ran down building and grabbed this shot through the glass...

Probably one of my MOST FAVORITISTISTISTISIT pictures from the whole day.. MEOW to the MEOW!!

The toasts...

Nice little joke the best man played on the groom...ha ha

Thanks to Josh for the following shots of us "in action"

Ahhh what's that I see...Aaron...chimping??

Good times..Josh driving my car...

Ceremony - St. Peters Catholic Church
Reception - Club House on Baltimore
Hair and Makeup - Zuri Color Studio

Olivia and her feathers...

2008-04-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last night my good buddy Josh asked if he could take Olivia out to get a few shots of her for an upcoming fair he's doing. Of course I said YES!!

The clouds were rolling in quick so honestly we were outside for about 20 minutes before the sky unleashed on us. Had we been out there any longer, I don't think we would have been able to pick there were so many good ones!

Olivia had a blast. She was able to dress up (how she wanted to) and go play in a field while Josh and I took pictures. Actually I was trying to make her laugh most of the time so I only grabbed a few shots. But I think the ones I got...are BEAUTIFUL!! I'll let you be the judge of that.

Josh - thanks for the quick photo shoot. We had a blast!

To see Josh's album of Olivia - go here.

Here are a few of mine....

I think Josh and I got this SAME shot. I love it SOO much. Ahh to be free like that again!!

How can you get mad at that face???

I love this shot...

I love you Livy. You are such a blessing to me each and every day. I'm so glad I'm your mom.

Love you.

It feels so real now...

2008-04-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know why...but once you get your name in print...it just feels surreal. The sign went up today which was W-A-Y exciting.
Despite me and my husband running ourselves into the ground, we are SOOO excited for this thing to go "LIVE". More pictures later. Have to run!!

Amber - Outside of the box

2008-04-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

Here's the scenario...sunny skies, new D3, my first Senior of the year and my friend, Josh Solar. Umm...deadly combination.

My mind was FLOWIN today and guess what, my new LOVE (MY D3) was keeping up every step of the way. I can't say enough good things about this camera. My favorite part of it is the full frame and boy did I ever use it.

Amber showed up and was as cute as can be. I surprised her with a second photographer my good buddy Josh Solar. He wanted to tag along and why not...the more the merrier. So we drove downtown and WORKED IT OUT!! OWW OWW. After a few "meows" and holy shizmolys...I came home a happy girl.

Here are a few (ha ha few) favs.... WARNING...I WAS FEELIN IT TODAY..LOTS OF PICTURES TO FOLLOW!!!!

Oww oww...

AND WORK IT OUT...

I just love the lines in this photo.......

Yep...those are real...I know...SHUT UP!

Had to give it a little "heather luvin"

Then we changed clothes and brought sexy back...again...

There was seriously a dead bird about a foot from her head...god I love people who trust me...she rocks!

My second fav of the day...so real...

this was IN CAMERA...me lovey..for those technos out there I shot this at ISO 200 1/400 F9 MEOW!

How cute is she...for real...

Then we changed clothes again...BAUUMMM CHICA BAUUMM... HOLY HOTNESS ALERT!!

Me likey the green....

Elevator Shaft.... ha ha

Had to save my favorite one for last. We climbed in a cement "sewer" thing (not used people..come on) and dude..WE BOTH ROCKED IT. WOWZA...

Thanks for the fun day!!

Hugs,

Me

This fascinates me...

2008-03-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

I look on my stat counter every once in a while to see where people are located that look at my site. The other day I had a few in England (thanks honey) but today I had one from freakin Singapore. That is very exciting considering I'm just a small town girl from Missouri. Take a look see!!

If you don't have a stat counter already for your website, I highly recommend one!

I get mine HERE.

Leavin Las Vegas - Video

2008-03-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

So as I said before....I extended my stay to shoot at Red Rock Canyon with "leavin las vegas". So many wonderful photographers were there and probably some of the coolest cinematographers from Still Motion I have ever seen. Here is there video of our shoot.

If you look closely one of my pictures make it in the video as well as a little snipit of me and Bobbi. :)

Leavin' Las Vegas Shootout from Patrick Moreau on Vimeo.

I made it out...ALIVE!!!

2008-03-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Okay so this is going to be a long read...but I assure you, it's worth EVERY SECOND of reading. :)

Wow, what a trip. When I decided to go to Vegas to attend the WPPI convention I never knew in my wildest dreams what Vegas had in store for me.

The convention itself was a thing of wonder. It seriously took me 3 days just to get through it all. For those of you who have never been, I highly recommend going. I love meeting the faces behind all those people you talk to every day. Not only that but you get to touch and feel all of the products. It’s one thing to see them in a catalog, but another to actually touch and feel. Here are some of the fun booths I hit…..

First up, Big Folio. These boys are amazing. I love their websites along with their customer service. For me, that’s number one. My website is A BIG deal. It’s the first point of contact my clients see, so for me, it’s my number one priority. The team at Big folio have always quickly resolved any issues I’ve had and for me, that has made me a long time customer. For more information on Big Folio, visit their website HERE

Albums, albums and more albums. Upon opening our new studio I really wanted to get see what new product there was out there. I’m happy to report that I have found a album company and I’m over the MOON excited about their products. Look for them in our studio as samples. Not only is the product amazing but their team at the WPPI convention was AMAZING!! Patiently answering every single question I had. Clients, watch out…you are going to see some amazing stuff. Sorry guys, not revealing this product. Keeping this one to myself.

GETTING ORGANIZED!! I’m so excited to start implementing this new software program within our studio. Because I’m a one woman show, this is going to allow me to keep things organized from every single detail to your wedding, to keeping contracts, invoices, emails and everything in between. It’s called Shoot Q and I’m stoked to start using it. I will keep you posted on my thoughts but after the demo I received…this is going to change my life!!! To get more information about this awesome product visit there website HERE.

Presentations. I didn’t go to a ton of presentations this year but the ones I did go to I absolutely loved. My all time favorite one had to be hands down Jesh deRox. For those of you who haven’t met him or heard him speak, I absolutely urge you to. Jesh is such an amazing soul. I attended his life as an artform workshop last fall in San Diego and it has been LIFE CHANGING for me. I think the reason I liked his workshop so much is because it focuses on YOU. It has made me more connected to my clients and a better person all around. Not only in my professional life, but also as a wife and mother. I can’t say enough about this man and his work and him as person, I’m blessed to know him as my friend.

Me and Jesh (sorry it's a point and shoot people and I'm almost positive that the person directly related to taking the picture had some "beverages")

Leavin Las Vegas – a shoot in Red Rock Canyon, Vegas. I extended my stay for one more day in order to attend this field trip. Me and about 75 other photographers got together to shoot at Red Rock Canyon. We were given several models to take and just do whatever we wanted to do. I liked it because it was like the HARSHEST light to shoot in and I WORKED IT OUT. It challenged me to think outside the box and play with shadows, light and angels. It was FUN!!! The best part about it is that I was able to witness John Michael Cooper of altF in his next concept shoot. Just to be around this man is inspiring. He pushes my brain to think harder, further and better. John and his wife Dalisa are AMAZING people. I attend the anti-workshop last year in Seattle and that was a pivotal moment in my career. This workshop taught me how to better tap into my creative channel and not be afraid. They taught me how to see light in ways I never knew how. This workshop also gives you the best of both worlds. altF teams up with the Boutwells and you get to see how these two extraordinary studios have become the successful businesses they are. Doug and Chenin are SOOOO amazing. Doug is a photoshop genius. He created the Totally Rad Actions and I use them quite often in my pictures. He also has great tutorials that will teach you how to do it all. Go HERE to see them. I highly recommend signing up for one of these workshops if you can. For more information for the anti-workshop go HERE.

John Michael Cooper doing his thang.....

his beautiful wife Dalisa...

Watching him work his magic on his concept shoot...

at times shooting the models were a little crowded.

despite the crowd, I was still able to grab some BAD ASS SHOTS!!

Here are some other shots I got from models at our Red Rock shoot.... MEOW!!

My favorite of the day....

Some awesome shots of my friends old and new...

First up...my partners in crime, Bobbi and my associate photographer,Aaron. I couldn't have roomed with better people. I had the TIME OF MY LIFE!!

Um....I even got Bobbi to try Coffee. Well not really coffee, it's creamer with sugar and a splash of coffee..but she liked it!!

Me and Bobbi..lookin cute...WORK IT OUT!!

Oh yeah..and check out this awesome picture Shawna Schaub took of Bobbi and I. We are WORKING IT...

My favorite photographer of all time, Nate from the Image is Found. He is as amazing of a person as he is a photographer. I had the pleasure of staying at this studio for 4 days last fall at Jesh's workshop. Good times.

The ever so beautiful Jasmine Star. She is such a sweet girl. I love her dearly! And she introduced to me to David Jay which...let me tell you, seriously LOVE HIM and his ultra cute girlfriend Allie. :)

My girl Shyla and me with Kevin Kubota's ACTION MAN!! Oww...ow.. P.S. Congrats to Shyla for making the cover of RANGEFINDER! Uhh...that's a BIG DEAL WOMAN!

Becker. He's so funny!! I loved seeing him again. I met him at Jesh's workshop in San Diego. Good GUY! Very smart and very successful. :)

Justin Lyon goofing around...

Paul and Sofia from Amorphia Photography.

Yep me...LOVIN my new Shootsac cover...DOUBLE MEOW!!

We had a fun night at a bar called Double Down where all the Anti-workhop alumni hung out. I brought my D3 and ROCKED IT!!

First a picture with no White balance.... (go Jason Clark)

Then with one snap with my new Expo Disc.... beautiful....

John Michael Cooper documenting the night..with what else...poloroids...

Then I grabbed Doug and Chenin Boutwell for a quick pix.. and they offered to go into the mens bathroom...I LOVE THEM SOO MUCH!!!!

Networking, networking, NETWORKING!!! Last but not least, the most important part of this trip is to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. I’ve listed all the people I’ve met at each workshop/convention just to prove my point…..

Antiworkshop/ Seattle

John Michael Cooper
Doug and Chenin Boutwell
Jesh deRox
Jasmine Star
Jessica Claire
Marisa Holmes
Fred Egan
Dustin Stellar
Shyla
Jan Garcia
Ed Atero

Life as an Artform/ San Deigo

Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser (the Image is Found)
Becker
Kathy Carlisle (Heavens Eye Photography)
Shannon Sewell
Susan Yee (En Pointe Photography)
Lisa Roah
Amy Seeley
Sarah Maren
Justin Demers
Sarah France

WPPI Convention

Mike Colon
David Jay
Michael Norwood
Justin Lyons
Angelica Glass
Nate and Amanda (Turtle Pond Photography)
Joe Photo
John Mireles
Jason Cohen
John Edgar
Kyle Barnes
Scarlett Lillian
David Beckstead
Lauren Chapman
Jessica Strickland
Anne Ruthmann
Marc Eric
Paul and Sofie of Amorphia photography
Chris Stewart
Shawna Schaub
Vu (vu goes vegan)

Just to name a few……

If you don’t understand the power of networking then you will not be a successful person in this business. Not only have these workshops allowed me to invest more into myself (which is the CORE of this business) but it has also allowed me to meet some amazing people with inspiration out the ASS!!

Last but MOSTLY important, my favorite person….Bobbi. I met her last December at a luncheon and we have been connected ever since. I have become seriously one of the luckiest people in the world. This woman has brought me so many riches in my life. I have a friend when I need one, I have a sound board about my business when I need one, she has helped me identify my personality with a logo that rocks and she is seriously one of my best friends. How our paths have never crossed before this (she grew up in Kansas City) is beyond me. But I truly believe that people come in your life at right times, not when you want them to. For me, December was the right time for me and I’ve been thankful ever since. Jesh deRox in his speech put it perfectly. You become so “rich” in life when you have REAL relationships. Have you ever really benefited from a fake relationship???? When you surround yourself with real people, real experiences, and real connections you life will become richer than you know. You can have all the money in the world but if you have no real people to share it with…how rich are you? In my eyes I’m one of the richest people in the world.

I’m sorry this week I haven’t posted a whole lot on my trip to Veags. It’s been a very consuming experience. I have laughed, laughed so hard I cried, cried because I’ve been touched, inspired, and proud. This week was such a growing experience for not only me but for my associate photographer, Aaron. I’m so happy he was able to experience what it’s like to see this inspiration all around you. He was able to shoot with some of the best photographers of the WORLD and let me tell you. The images coming out of his camera….are REMARKABLE. How RICH has he become investing in himself and making so many new friends. I expect big things from Aaron. His journey is just starting and I’m honored to watch his transformation happen. Aaron, thank you for being a big part of this dream of mine. I can’t wait for you to fulfill your own dreams. I know it will happen for you.

All in all, Vegas was an amazing experience. A little long (5 full days) but nevertheless, worth every day. Thank you Bobbi and Aaron for a wonderful experience. I wouldn’t have wanted to room with anyone else but the two of you. Here are just a few “words describe our week

*I don’t think we’ve met….” * this eleveator is going down…just in case you wanted to know* Your welcome for that…I’m here all week, tip your waitress* Maam, this dish is awful….how do you want pepper on it?*Crazy old man in the terminal shuttle getting his happy ending* Bodacious Lips* I forgot my lanyard* Bring it in tight* And five, six, seven, eight* On a scale of one to ten…how hungry are you?* Did you just get back from skiing?* I got a little south tower on me* $3.00 photo sessions…right now..come and get em* And work it out…..* Can we get more creamer?*Mmmmm (upper lip)* I don’t even know why I’m crying…* Getting hit by the laughing bullets* Heather+Bobbi+Aaron deFirm* You two should come to my workshop…seriously you two are crazy together.* We got some ACTION from Kevin Kubotas action man* It’s okay to stare, I won’t be mad*Do you need a model. I’m here all week* Why are we always walking the WRONG WAY, there is something wrong with this picture* If you were to tell me I was going to hug that man after this, I would have called you crazy* It could have been worse, there could be no wall. * STOP THAT TAXI* Do you have your ID?* So do you just love your D3?* You are much prettier than that picture* Enough about her…let’s talk about me* Don’t even think about touching my Biscoff*You won..that was a better shot* Did you take that? Of course I did..what did you think I handed my camera to someone else?* No…(pouting while stomping your foot).

Whew…I’m spent. Aren't you???

I had to end this post with some of my favorite shots that I took of my now GOOD friends Nate and Amanda from Turtle Pond Photography. I just wanted to snap off a few cool shots of the two of them on the strip.. and wow. I think I'm going to blow the first one up in my studio!! Thanks Nate and Amanda for letting me shoot your MUGS.

Peace. I'm out. Stay tuned for the slideshow...yeah, there's more. LOTS MORE!!

off to Vegas baby!!!

2008-03-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than post from the airport terminal, don't you think? So, today I'm leaving for Las Vegas on my way to attend my first WPPI. I'm soooo excited! Meeting all the photographers I love and admire and watching them do their thang! I'm rooming with Bobbi too...so that's going to be SUPER exciting!!! If you need anything I will TRY to get to emails as fast as I can. This is a convention so I'm here to LEARN and I'm not sure how much working I'm going to be able to get done.

I'll be posting more from Vegas! Miss you Livy, miss you honey!!

Love,

Me

Me and Aaron...waiting for our plane....

Hard work...pays off...

2008-03-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

So as most of you know, Bobbi and I have been HARD at it getting on the healthy train. It's been so awesome to have such a wonderful conductor on this train because let me tell you, when things get hard...you need SOMEONE to help you.

Anyway, the best reward of doing this weight loss challenge is that I have found something...myself. As you can see from Bobbi's photos of me below, I have become a bit more confident in my own skin since loosing some poundage and some major inches. It's very uplifting.

The other day I received a phone call EARLY, EARLY, EARLY (okay 8:00 am) from my good friend, Jason Domingues. He started screaming, "you won, you won, you won". Still half asleep I mumbled, "I won what"? "You won Kelly Moore's weight loss contest"!!!! That was followed by screaming, more screaming, then...screaming, crying and I think a few laughs on Jason's part. WOW! I actually won. So let me recap. Back in December, this AMAZING photographer, Kelly Moore, created a weight loss challenge. We had to set goals and if we met them, after 11 weeks she would determine a winner. The reward??? First I get to meet her and hang with her. Two, on the first night I get, manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, dinner and a movie - WITH HER! The second day, I get a make over and a professional photo shoot done by her. SOME ONE FREAKIN FRACKIN PINCH ME!! So really friends, just goes to show you that blood, sweat and tears pay off (okay that was oh so dramatic). But hard work comes with MANY rewards. For me, I found myself and got some "icing" on the cake. I think this has to be the COOLEST month for me yet.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU KELLY!!!!!!

Now go check out her blog. She's freakin OFF THE CHAIN!!!

AND since there can't be a post without a picture...here is a picture of my smilin FACE cause I'm SO STINKIN HAPPY!!!

Our Big News......

2008-03-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

What is that I'm holding? A Key????? To what?????

Our future.

Key...meet world...world...meet the key to our new studio. As in OFFICIAL photography studio. Keep checkin back for news about our Grand Opening coming soon. It's going to be KICK ASS!!!

Whoo hoo!!

Heather

My first real professional photo shoot....of ME!!

2008-03-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

A normal photo shoot with me would consist of a few things...

1. Asking clients to walk long distances in uncomfortable shoes
2. Stand or climb in places that are either dirty, smelly or uncomfortable
3. Stare into hard golden light because the light is OHH soo YUMMY

For the first time ever, I was on the receiving end of these things. Man it was an EYE opener!!! Not as easy as I thought. Saturday I was blessed to have THREE very talented people involved on my first professional photo shoot, OF ME!! So much is happening at Heather Cole Photography. Some I can tell you now, some your going to have to wait. Ohh....I love surprises...don't you. First, we have a new website coming out. It's so fun and so me. I can't wait for you to see it. It should be up and running in about a week. I'm excited...are you?

Second, I have never had a professional headshot done. Seriously, pretty bad considering I have like a million friends who are photographers. I just have never done it. A lot is because of the weight. Since I've lost some weight, I guess you could say I have a lot more confidence and was ready to be in front of the camera for once.

My very talented friend, Sharla, flew in from Nashville and hooked me up with some AWESOME makeup and hair and wardrobe. This woman is nothing short of amazing. If you have an upcoming wedding, Prom or event and need some styling...this is your girl. Check out her mad skillz on her Myspace page .

Then of course we have bobbi+mike. Where do I start with these two. First of all, they are awesome to watch. Mike is so sniperish with getting those amazing candid shots and bobbi...yeah, she's just as funny as everyone says. I'm so happy that I finally got to see it in action. The truth is, I was very nervous being on the other end of that camera and they both made me feel very comfortable, which was hard to do. We literally walked down the street into a ditch in my backyard and shot. Just goes to show you that anything is possible if you open your mind and let the creative juices flow...or allow the hamster to run on his wheel...Mike, I'm not sure I did that saying justice. Ha ha

Anyway, the shoot was a success. I was given some AMAZZZZZZZZINGG headshots for the new website, got to hang with both her and her husband and see Sharla. WHAT A FREAKIN awesome weekend. To add the icing on the cake, since we were in my backyard (literally) I asked my husband to come outside for a few shots. I have always longed for a shot of me and Jake that was a piece of art, something that spoke volumes of how much we loved each other. The last couple picture we have professionally done was our wedding pictures, 7 years ago, which is TOTALLY NOT ME. I wanted something YUMMY, something that would create a conversation. I got it.

Thank you Sharla, bobbi+mike for all your hard work. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules and making some like this happen for me. I love you guys.

Here are the results of our fun day..... :)

I was serious when I meant...we were in our backyard...

My associate photographer, Aaron.

So serious.....

This is soooo our personalities.....

My husband coming to join me....HOW HOT is HE???

I love how he's looking at me in this photo...

Soo sweet....

My absolute favorite of Jake and me. This is going BIG in my casa....

bobbi was just as excited as I was after that last shot...she showed me and I was OVER THE TOP excited.

Thank you bobbi+mike. Love you guys.

Thank you Sharla. Thank you everyone. LOVE YA!

Fun Filled Weekend

2008-02-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

So this weekend was fun, fun, fun!! Friday night, our good friends, Tielor, Jen and Owen came over for some Yummy Heather Cole Spaghetti. It was so nice to have them over as we haven't seen them since NEW YEARS! Yeah, pretty bad. Olivia was slightly in love with Owen all night (if you can't tell by the pictures).

Olivia and Owen

Me and Jen

Awwwww....

Then Saturday night Kelley Walker Chance dragged me to Harrahs to watch the band County Road Five. They ROCKED! The only bad part was the ride home. The northland had NO rain, no snow, no NOTHING. I drove home to 4 inches of snow. NICE!

Amanda, me and Kelley

Ohh...pretty....
This was taken at ISO 2500 1/30th f1.8

Me lovey widey angley......
For all you photographers out there...this was taken at ISO 6400 1/80th f1.8

Weigh in...LATE!!

2008-02-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry I was out of the loop on Friday for my weigh in. I was stressing out HARD CORE because for like 4 days I couldn't send any emails out so I was trying to get all that stuff worked out. I'm finally back up and running so I'm trying to catch up on some posts too!

Obviously, first things first, WEIGH IN!! I lost another 1.8 lbs this week bringing my total to 12.9 which in my brain is 13 so there! 13 lbs. I also went shopping this weekend and as crazy as this sounds, I bought a pair of jeans TWO sizes smaller and a top that well...wouldn't normally have been bought. I might bring it out in Vegas, we'll see. :) So things are going good, and I'm feeling better and better about myself.

This week I decided to post this picture about my family for a BIG reason. One of my goals is to have a REAL family picture taken once I lose my weight. It's pretty pathetic that I have not ONE real family picture but for me, getting in front of the camera, especially as heavy as I was, was NOT HAPPENING. So as my pants get smaller, and I lose more weight I'm excited at the thought that one day, I'm going to be proud to be in front of a camera and have a REAL family picture taken one day.

As for the conductor on this healthy train, Miss Bobbi is rockin her socks off too and she's lost 13 lbs as well! We have definitely been really in sync with each other this whole weight loss which has made it SOO MUCH EASIER. It's nice to have someone that gets it. You know what I mean. I hope each of you have that somebody cause it makes all the difference in the world!!! So enough of my blabbin...go see Bobbi on her blog and tell her how freakin proud of her you are. I know I am. :)

My oh my.....Sweet Caroline.....

2008-02-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Okay so I finally had my first portrait shoot with my new D3. Two words. FULL FRAME. For all you non-photographers, that will mean nothing to you. But for all of those Nikonians out there who have never been able to shoot yet with a full frame...man, save up, and get a D3.

Caroline is probably one of the sweetest little girls ever. I went over to her house to play and the rest was history. The second I start playing shopping, blocks, or stickers, I was in like FLIN!!! I love watching kids do just this, PLAY! I love their faces when they giggle, when they are hiding from you, when they are being sneaky. I just LOVE IT. What a great age.

Here are a few of my favorites from the day. Thanks Caroline!!!

ahh...oh my gosh...I want to squeeze her...she's so cute....

She sure loves her mamma....

Um...I love her eyes...SOOO PRETTY!!

Caroline giving me a hug. I wanted to show how I have to get used to the FULL FRAME! Notice me in the picture. Yeah....FREAKIN AWESOME....

I love this next series soo much. I'm funny if you didn't know. Seriously, I am. Ask Caroline.

P.S. Have I mentioned lately...how much I love my job?

On another note...still not out going mail...so I'm not ignoring you. I promise.

Email Issues

2008-02-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION everyone!! I can get your emails, I just can't send anything out right now. So if you were expecting an email from me, I RESPONDED, it's just not going through. I'm working hard to get this fixed and will keep you posted!!

Drew Davis Band...New website

2008-02-19T19:56:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited!! My boys from the Drew Davis Band just got their site updated...with ALL of their pictures taken by YOURS TRULY!

GO CHECK IT OUT! It's so awesome!!!

A fun cold day......

2008-02-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

Sunday we had a crazy cold snowy day here in Kansas City. After the snow stopped I called up my buddy Josh Solar and asked him if he wanted to come shoot with me. After all, I'm DYING to get my new baby, my Nikon D3, out and about to see what it can do. Without hesitation he said yes and we were on our way. Words can't express how cold and windy it was. Seriously my hands were numb within a few minutes of being outside. Did that stop us? HECK NO!! Here are a few of my fav shots from the day.

A shot of my buddy Josh.....

and the shot he got of me.....(the second he took this my hood flew over my head) it's a great shot I think. :)

I can't wait to go exploring again! Thanks Josh.

Finally, progress I can SEE!!!

2008-02-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

This week I decided to do something a little different. Instead of posting some random pictures, I thought it would be fun to take picture of myself last night and compare them to the ones I took in December. I have had several friends tell me they could see the difference but I couldn't until I looked at the photos. AWESOME motivation to keep going!! Also - happy news to report, I am down a size in jeans!! So that was awesome too!!!

As for weigh in today...I lost another 2 lbs this week which brings my total to 11.1 pounds! :)

Let me just tell you how hard these were to share.WOW!

Me a happy girl. :)

As for my partner in crime, Bobbi. She's been in Texas all week so I haven't had a chance to connect with her to see how she's doing. I'm sure she's doing great although traveling and dieting are VERY hard to do together. Go check out her blog to see how she's doing and leave her a little note!

Valentine's Day....

2008-02-13T22:45:00.000-08:00

Today is Valentine's Day. To be honest, I'm not a big V-Day girl anymore. I don't know, to me, it's a holiday that you go out and spend an abundant amount of money to show how much you love your significant other. In my opinion, it's highly over rated. Perhaps it's because I've been with my husband for 12 years now and the things that make my heart go flutter flutter are no longer a dozen roses or a $3.00 card. It's not dinner at a fancy restaurant or some expensive gift. My heart goes flutter flutter because of the things he does the other 364 days of the year.

My husband, Jake, is such an extraordinary person. He's a good friend, a good father, and a good husband. He's my biggest cheerleader and my biggest fan in all that I do whether I'm trying hard to lose weight or coming up with the next big thing for our company. He's always there. Always supporting me.

The flutter flutter of my heart comes when he comes home for a hard days work and calls an impromptu dinner outing so he can be with his "two favorite girls". It comes when he buys me things, just because. It comes when he sits patiently with Olivia and puts together a gingerbread house. It comes when he comes home with a sleeping bag and fishing pole for Olivia so he can have a father/daughter camping night. It comes when he makes me feel like the prettiest girl in the room while we are out with our friends.

In my opinion, life's too short to wait for Valentine's Day to show or tell someone you love them. Tell them each and every day, in all that you do. :)

I love you honey. Thank you for being such a wonderful partner in my life. Happy Day. :)

Drew Davis Band Night

2008-02-13T15:38:00.000-08:00

The other night my boys from the Drew Davis Band stopped in to Kansas City and swung by the Cole house for some good eatins, some Olivia lovin, and yes...some of my home made spaghetti. YUM!

Here are some of our fun pictures from the night. Yes... we had to whip out the Guitar Hero. I'm SOO HOOKED!

Get it Roger!

Um yeah...Olivia was a bit attached to Mo.

Ohh Loren...so intense!!

Dave the man...so serious!!

A perfect ending to a perfect day.