Filed under: personal
(note: Jason yelled at me for not posting any photos, so I am editing this to add some visual goodness)
Wow, I have SO MUCH news to share with you all today, so I am going to get right to it.
First and foremost, a huge thank-you to Brittani and Corey Oliver, two of my best friends in the world, for letting me crash with them this weekend. It was so amazing to spend time with them, and I feel totally inspired after seeing how they live their lives. Corey is a budgeting genius, and I love chatting with him about money and saving and planning and budgeting.. Every time I talk to him I have a renewed drive to get myself back on track with my finances, and I have definitely noticed that I am doing a lot less needless spending lately. Brittani is one of the craftiest, most design-savvy people I know, and seeing their incredibly cute house has completely inspired me to get organized at home and stop putting off all my design plans. They are also both really health conscious and environmentally friendly, which is so admirable. In short, not only do I love them dearly, I pretty much want to BE them. So C&B (and Blitz!), thanks so much for pedicures, Cheesecake Factory, TIVOed Oprah, carnivals, pancakes for dinner, holding flashes, holding my camera as I jumped into the Gulf of Mexico, and for just plain being great friends. ps :: I left a gift for you in the guest bathroom – I hope you got it!
Here is a photo from Britt & Corey’s engagement sessions YEEEEEEAAAARRRSSS ago. This was one of the first engagement photos I EVER took. Notice the cheesy glow effect and way overdone retouching. This was also after almost seven hours of shooting, so they are pretty much exhausted and ready to be done with photos. Also notice Corey’s kickin’ haircut.
I took this one of Corey a couple years back for a photo contest.. The theme was “Words.” It won first place!
This is from Britt’s bridal session (also my first bridal session ever!), and to this day it is one of my most popular photos.
This past weekend was super busy and super fun… I had two engagement sessions, a bridal session, and a Fearless Bridal/Day After session, so I have a LOT of great images to share with you guys over the next week. Stay tuned!
This upcoming weekend, I am traveling to Vail. I am still looking for brides in the Vail area to do a Fearless Bridal with me, so if you are available any time this Friday, Saturday, or Sunday and have a wedding dress, let me know! I will be spending most of the time reuniting with one of my favorite girls in the world, Juls Sharpley.
Back when I was just starting my business, Juls posed for a bunch of portraits for me.. I still love them! Isn’t she a hottie? I will be taking some promo pics for her this weekend for her new broadcasting career!
My work is starting to get noticed in the media, which is a really exciting thing for me. Both Houston Bride (a division of Modern Bride) and Weddings in Houston are featuring my work in their upcoming issues, so if you are a Houston bride be sure to pick up the new issues when they come out in a few months. And – this is HUGE – I am going to be featured on a morning news show while I am in Vail! HOLY COW! I will be discussing wedding photography on Good Morning Vail on channel 8 at around 7:40 AM next Monday, so if you’re in that area, tune in and let me know how I do! 
The Stacy Reeves Photography blog as you know it is about to be a goner – I am having the blog completely redesigned – and it is MOVING! I am not sure when exactly this will happen.. It could be a few days or a few weeks.. But it is coming!! Be prepared to update your links and subscription feeds. If you want to be the first to know about the change, go to my main website at www.stacyreeves.com (click “enter site”) and sign up on the email listserv (the little envelope at the bottom of the page).
We have had a sudden burst of inquiries for late 08 over the past couple of weeks and we are filling up very quickly. If you are still looking for a wedding photographer for your late 08 wedding, let us know ASAP, we would love to talk to you about how we can serve you!
Alright, that’s about it for this week’s Humpdates.. I’ll leave you with this. While I was in Houston, I watched an Oprah episode about wasteful families, and it was shocking to me how similar I was to those people. You don’t think about how small things can add up, like drinking from water bottles, leaving electronic devices on all the time, buying too much food at the grocery store (and subsequently throwing most of it away when it goes bad), wasting paper on little notes, etc.. I am always amazed at how I can fill up my huge trash bin pretty much the day after the city comes and empties it, and I am ashamed to be contributing to the global pollution problem in that way. I am making a huge effort from now on to stop being wasteful, to reuse things as much as I can, and to only use electricity, water, paper, etc when I really need it! One great suggestion that I got from Oprah (and Britt) is to shop for groceries once a week, and plan out your meals in advance so that you only buy what you absolutely need. Not only will this save money on groceries and fast food, but it encourages me to eat at home, which is always good, plus I will get to spend more time with Jason that way. It’s a win-win all around! Another great suggestion is to minimize TV and computer usage.. Jason and I are TERRIBLE about sitting on our laptops alllllllll night and just goofing off and watching TV. Not only do we use a lot of energy that way, but we also aren’t spending quality time together. So now we’re going to make an attempt to do other things like take walks, play with Sallie, work on the house, read books, and other things that will enrich our lives in a more substantial way. Do you guys have any other suggestions on how to stop being wasteful and starting leading fuller, more enriching lives? I am all ears!
Filed under: engagements
I am still in the most beautiful city on Earth, The Woodlands, TX (seriously.. This place is ridiculous), but I had a little down time and I was able to finish Laci & Josh’s engagement session that I shot yesterday. Laci is a friend from college, so it was so great to be able to spend some time with her and her fiance Josh. Laci’s uptown Houston apartment is absolutely adorable, so I can only imagine how beautiful their small-town Hereford, TX wedding will be!
Laci totally made my job easy and found some really cool locations for us to shoot at. Here are some of my favorite photos from the session!
First up was this gorgeous tree-lined street.. Wouldn’t this make a PERFECT canvas for their wall? It would look so good in black and white, too, especially with the texture!
Next we headed to a really cool law office built in an old-world Mediterranean style.
This photo is SO Laci and Josh, to me.. They are just fun, happy people in love!
An engagement session just isn’t complete without a little dancing!
We saw a bridal shop across the street – and, conveniently enough, the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen in my entire life, and I have seen a LOT of dresses. It was STUNNING!! I totally wanted to buy it right then and there, just in case I ever get married. I think Laci liked it, too
Finally we headed back to their apartment complex, where there was a cute little courtyard with some great backdrops.
Ahh, the kissing game.. works every time.
Last but not least, we drove up to the roof of their parking garage to take advantage of the awesome view of downtown Houston.
Laci and Josh, thanks for the yummy breakfast, braving the gross weather, and showing me another side of downtown Houston. You guys are awesome!
Filed under: personal
I spend a lot of time looking at weddings and wedding related things, and I love living vicariously through my brides. I am constantly clipping out photos and ideas from wedding magazines, looking at other photographer’s wedding shots, and creating a “perfect wedding to photograph” in my mind’s eye. I would love to share some of the things that I am dying to shoot with you guys. So, without further ado, my Wedding Wish List ::
1. A bride wearing a fascinator/birdcage veil
2. A bride with long wavy hair (wearing it down, not in an updo)
3. a reception in a fabric-draped tent with chandeliers or paper lanterns everywhere!
4. a wedding with professional color wash lighting
5. a wedding in Venice! (hands down my favorite place on earth)
6. a wedding held at the Angel Orensanz in NYC
7. a white/black, all-white, or all one color wedding, where all the guests and vendors are asked to dress in the same color scheme. I got this idea from an all-white wedding the incredible Jessica Claire shot in Greece last year
8. a New Year’s Eve wedding! Complete with confetti and balloons at midnight!
9. a wedding with a full choir at the ceremony and a full jazz orchestra at the reception
10. A bridal session shot at the Old McKinney Cotton Mill
11. A Las Vegas engagement/bridal session.. That place is like a playground for photographers!
12. A scottish wedding – KILTS!
13. An outdoor wedding where the ceremony guests sit on pillows instead of chairs
14. A club lounge style reception, with artsy, fun furniture
15. 2-3 loooooong tables at a reception, instead of a bunch of small ones
So, if any of you are planning any of these things, let me know – I would LOVE to photograph your wedding!!
Filed under: news
HUMPDATES! Volume two
The 09 bookings are flooding in!! We still have a handful of remaining dates for weddings in late 08, but surprisingly enough, almost all of our inquiries are for 2009. What is going on? We already have four weddings booked for 2009 and it’s only APRIL! You brides are way too on top of the ball. I would love to get 2008 filled up in the next month so if you or any of your friends are getting married August-December of 2008, give me a call, I would love to be your wedding photographer
TRAVELING! I am going to be doing a lot of traveling this year.. In the past two weeks I have spent over $3,500 in airfare. Yipes! This weekend I am headed to Houston for five days, next weekend I am off to Vail to visit one of my best friends ever and former roommate, two weeks later I will be shooting a destination session in NYC, two week after that I am off to Nebraska to shoot a wedding for a fellow wedding photographer, a month after that I will be doing a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic, a week after that it is back to New Yorkfor two more sessions, and then I can relax and stay home for a bit. WHEW! I hate hate hate flying so I can’t say that I am hugely excited about all those takeoffs and landings, but I can’t wait to experience new places and take some gorgeous photos.
Babies!! No, none for me My best friends Britt and Corey (also the first couple I ever photographed) came into Dallas this past weekend to photograph some babies. Britt is starting her own kids/family/maternity photography business, b::louise photography. She let me tag along to her sessions and watch her work her baby magic! Here are some photos Britt took at the shoots:
First up we had Jolee, the cutest little baby girl I have ever seen. Mom and dad were pretty hot themselves, too!
Look at those beautiful eyes
She made the funniest faces!! One minute she would be smiling and laughing, the next she would be angry and upset, and the next she would look totally confused.. It was hilarious!
Love this beautiful window light
Mmmm.. more window light..
How cute is this wall?
Mom and baby spending some quality time together
I don’t think Jolee was a fan of daddy’s facial hair..
Jason will totally laugh and/or roll his eyes at this, but I had to bring along a few strands of pearls for little Jolee. Every girl needs some pearls!
And finally, I got a chance to do what I do best with Jolee’s mommy and daddy…
Next we headed to Lily’s house for some fun photos of the little princess.
I knew exactly what type of girl Lily was when she introduced herself like this..
This girl loves her toys! Pretty much everything you put in her hand is a new and exciting thing to play with, so we gathered up some of her favorites and headed off to a local park. I think Lily took us a little too seriously when we told her to get comfortable.
Peek-a-boo!
I am a sucker for eyelashes..
The light was so perfect!
Some fun with mom’s sunglasses.. Her future’s so bright, she’s gotta wear shades
We tricked mom and dad into joining the fun!
Dallas has the best blue skies!
This shot is especially cool because I took one almost exactly like it for Britt & Corey’s engagement session many many years ago. Now Britt is taking her own photos! It’s so funny how things come full circle
Thanks so much to Britt for letting me tag along and watch her work. I am terrified of children (I have never been around them so they are a mystery to me) so I don’t really do kid’s portraits.. If you’re in need of a talented photographer for your child, give Britt a call! Don’t forget to stop by her blog and leave a comment – tell her I sent you!
Filed under: news
Anyone who knows me know that I am pretty crazy-go-nuts about my alma mater, Texas A&M. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of knowing about A&M, it’s sort of like a cult mixed with a service academy (like West Point or Navy). It started as a military school, and has only been open to non-Corps of Cadets students and women for a few decades now, so as a result, the virtues of service, leadership, patriotism, and loyalty are very strongly taught throughout the school. We also have our own set of vocabulary and rites of passage that students must go through, most of which seem absolutely insane to outsiders. I know that most major universities have traditions, but trust me… They’ve got NOTHING on A&M. We even have several organizations dedicated to ensuring that students (and non-students) are educated about Aggie traditions and are adhering to them in the right way.
One of my favorite traditions is Aggie Muster. Held every April 21 (which is also the anniversary of Texas’ independence), it began in 1883 as a “field day” where all the students would gather together to play games, compete in friendly competition, relax, and reminisce with former students (we have no alumni, only former students). Over the years it became a day where Aggies across the world would gather together to remember their time at A&M. It is often said, “If there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.”
So what happens at Muster? Quite a few things!
The day begins with a huge barbecue for the 50-year reunion class (so the class of 1958 will be gathering today) in the center of campus. Student performance groups come out and do their routines, campus tours are given, and current students are encouraged to mix with former students and talk about how the school has changed (or in many cases, hasn’t changed at all!).
A Remembrance display is put up in the middle of the MSC (our “student union”) with personal effects from Aggies who have died the previous year, including pictures, senior boots, Aggie rings, old corps outfits, and sometimes video displays about their lives. The names of these fallen Aggies makes up the “Roll Call for the Absent,” which will be read later that night.
At 7 PM, everyone gathers at Reed Arena, with the 50-year reunion class seated on the floor, as well as the family members and friends of the fallen Aggies who make up the Roll Call. The night begins with a few speeches from the outgoing Student Body President, the university President, the Muster chairperson, and a special keynote speaker who is typically a highly accomplished former student.
At one point the lights are dimmed, and a candle is lit in the front of the arena. Each name from the Roll Call is read aloud, and all those who are present who knew the fallen Aggie call aloud “Here,” to signify that although they are gone in body, they are present in spirit. A family member or friend comes forward to light a candle in their name, until all the names have been read, and a circle of candles rings the arena. Then a familiar poem is read….
In many lands and climes this April day
Proud sons of Texas A&M unite.
Our loyalty to country, school, we pray,
and seal our pact with bond of common might.
We live again those happy days of yore
on campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill
Fond memory brings a sigh — but nothing more;
Now we are men and life’s a greater thrill,
On Corregidor 65 years ago today
A band of gallant Aggies, led by Moore,
Held simple rites which led to us doth all to say:
The spirit shall prevail through cannon roar.
Before we part and go upon our way,
We pause to honor those we knew so well;
The old familiar faces we miss so much today
Left cherished recollections that time cannot dispel.
Softly call the Muster,
Let comrade answer, “Here!”
Their spirits hover ‘round us
As if to bring us cheer!
Mark them ‘present’ in our hearts.
We’ll meet some other day
There is no death, but life eterne
For our old friends such as they!
Then the Ross Volunteers, an elite group of the Corps of Cadets, come forward to perform a 21-gun salute, and taps is played three times – once to the north, once to the south, once to the west, but not to the east, to signify that the sun will never rise on those Aggies again. A member of the 50-year reunion class comes forward to adjourn Muster for the year, and declare that we shall all meet again on April 21st the following year.
Muster is very special to me because it seems like not a year goes by that a member of the Aggie family that I knew passes away. Many, many, many of my friends from A&M who were in the corps are now serving in Iraq (A&M provides more officers to the armed forces than any other university), and we have lost a lot of good men. It’s also special to me because I know that one day, my name will also be read at Muster, and my friends will answer “Here” for me.
Here are a few photos from the campus Muster that I took when I was a student:
A flyer I made for the Muster Committee with photos of the Muster statue
A moment before the 2006 Muster ceremony, with a ray of sunlight peeking in through a door onto two candleholders. I love this one because you really get the feeling that the Aggie they were there to honor was truly there in spirit.
Former president of A&M, current Secretary of State, a man I have met with many times and learned so much from, and then man who handed me my diploma – Robert M. Gates, speaking at the 06 Muster.
Some photos of the candleholders…
The ring of candleholders, with the 21-gun salute firing in the front of the arena
A closeup of the 21-gun salute
So, Happy Muster to all my fellow Ags, Happy Birthday to the Republic of Texas for all my fellow Texans, and Happy April 21st to everyone else. If you’d like to learn more about Muster, check out Wikipedia or the official Muster website.
