I do not like the word "no." It could be the most agitating word to my ears. Despite hating the word, I love to play a game with our daughter, Lilah, whose favorite word to say is "no."
"Lilah. Would you like a giant hot fudge sundae?"
"No."
"How about to play in a room filled with sweet little puppies?"
"No."
"Would you like to swim in a pool full of marshmallows?"
"No."
Read MoreOh! Well, hello there, pretty thing! You look great this morning! Checking out the interwebs, sipping your coffee, swatting at the children under your feet... It is so good to see you again!
That's enough for the greetings right now, but it does seem like it has been forever since I have been curating lovely photos for you. Patrick and I have working hard over the last 18 months adjusting to life as a family of four, or really showing a little one how to adjust to life in our family. Work has not slowed down (can you believe I first typed "slown down?"), but instead is constantly filling. We have kept up everything, except for taking a calm moment to sit and share this passion of ours with you.
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Swoon.
Isn't she lovely?
Today we get to work with this talented young woman again, and we are over the moon.
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The Biestmans are home after the loveliest vacation at Hilton Head Island, and for proof we can produce our Instagram account (@acuityphotography)! It has been a wild and wonderful nine months since our youngest was born, with our first shoot only 48 hours after her arrival. We were grateful for some time away from the computer, but of course we return with a lot on our plates (and nothing in the refrigerator).
Journey with us now as we share some of the gems we have stored in our hopper, the first set of images boasting of this fascinating couple.
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I sat across from her about a month ago, scrutinizing every inch of her face as she spoke. We were eating an incredible meal: bread warm from the oven, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, pork tenderloin. It was the meal of a lifetime- one that we could never have afforded 15 years ago.
I couldn't believe she was sitting in front of me. I imagined us, walking to and from train stations. I imagined us lying on the ground miserable, holding our stomachs on a Tuesday after prematurely eating most of what we had rationed for Friday.
Read MoreThere are only two days of March left, and wedding season is in full swing.
Formal hairstyling isn't for everyone, and I used to be terrified of it. Seven and a half years ago I worked in a large spa/salon in the Augusta area, where many a girl would schedule her whole wedding preparations. Unknowingly, 4 of those formal styles would end up on my book. The impending doom of such a Saturday would beat upon me all week long. I woke up with severe anxiety on said morning, stuffing bites of chicken biscuit into a stomach filled to the brim with butterflies. I would stand behind a girl with a comb, bobby pins and a prayer, struggling to knot up loose tendrils into some sort of configuration. Standing back from my creation, I scrutinized: "it's up."
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Four months after the fact, here she is.
It isn't that we have been reluctant to share her with the world, but it is simply that time has flown. She is... everything.
Read MoreThis is my friend, Cara, and we share a small plot of land in the back of a salon in Evans, GA.
I asked her to shoot with us as a part of a photo project we are working on, as she is one of the prettiest people I know.
In looking over these images, in speaking with other stylists, and in having experience in several other salons; I am reminded of just how great I have it. 9-5 salon life can be brutal, and yet this group of girls make it bearable, and sometimes sublime.
Read MoreAt times when you meet someone it may be hard to know where your relationship may go. Jessica and I met almost 8 years ago during my Starbucks District Manager days, and it did not have an auspicious beginning. Not to denigrate anyone, but let's just say the leadership around the store was a bit immature and led to some humorous (and not so humorous) moments.
One such moment occurred when I was called in to talk with a young woman who refused to remove her custom nail manicure: a "no-no" in the food service industry. As is usually the case in these moments, simple communication was at the core of the problem. With that connection I discovered a passion of Jessica's, America's Next Top Model.
Read MoreOh, our dear Miss Anna.
I have known her for five years, which puts her age then at 10. Her mother pulled me aside as we walked into a Kroger, me with a very fresh pixy, and her inquiring where I got my hair done. People ask stylists this question all the time, and my answer quickly diverts them:
"Actually, I am a hairstylist!" I exclaim with a smile.
No, I did not cut my hair like this. Yes, the person who did cut it had 7 years more experience, and was Vidal Sassoon trained. But, "Actually, I am a hairstylist" diverts them every time. And with this diversion I got one of my favorite, most consistently encouraging clients, and her sweet daughter.
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I remember-
Six years ago I was very pregnant with our son, and I remember being very surprised by this photo. I remember working all day, and occasionally looking in the mirror. I was proud that I had curled my mistake of a short haircut, proud that I had attempted an accessory or two, and overall relieved that I had very little time left carrying our firstborn. I remember seeing this photo, and becoming overwhelmed by the fact that I still looked like me.
I felt similarly when I saw this image two days ago...
Read More"13 weeks."
That is what I was just told, so that is what is left. And no, I did not ask, it was more of a declarative statement on Rachel's part. Just so that I know. Officially. 13 weeks. We officially entered the countdown stage at week 15, Rachel having entered that mental stretch run to the final push. In recognition of that transition, we decided a little photo session was our next step, so one morning Rachel prepared herself in her usual beautiful manner while I was in charge of deciding the location (behind the Evans Target for those keeping score).
Enjoy the following excerpts, which will be the first of three maternity sessions between now and delivery day.
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This is Crystal, and if you are familiar with the blog you have seen her before. Crystal is usually cute, sweet, and full of sunshine. However this afternoon we made her moody and sultry- a little less California, and a bit more NYC. We love giving women the opportunity to show their extraordinary.
Here is Crystal, kindergarten teacher by day, and someone perfectly transformed by night.
Read MoreMonths ago we did a fundraiser for our friends, to help them bring their two youngest children safely home from Africa. Our friend Jessica won that fundraiser, and we finally were able to get our schedules coordinated for a photo session.
Fresh from Italy, Jessica joined us on one of the hundreds of chilliest days here in Augusta, GA. She stood strong as we shivered around her, remaining calm as my own fingers turned blue. Thank you, Jessica, so working so hard to help us capture so many stunning images of your sweetest self. We Biestmans are delighted to call you a friend.
Read MoreJust consider this our flashback episode for our adventures so far in The Miller. In monochrome if you will.
There is so much to be said for the opportunity that Rachel and I find presented to us in this mystical place, one that we shall not rest our laurels in. So we invite you to look through this Miller review and then contact us at the bottom for your opportunity to take part in this exclusive backdrop of beauty.
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You may remember Lindsay from her maternity shoot so many months ago. Baby F is 7 months old, and Lindsay makes a gracious mother. Having a had a cancellation last week, we called her in the off chance she was available.
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On a misty Monday a few weeks ago, we met Emily at a barn in Harlem, GA.
I am embarrassed to say that prior to this afternoon, my only experiences with horses were on a trail ride in Tanglewood Park at age 10. and a pretty extensive "My Little Pony" collection. Besides sitting in school and trying to determine which girls rode horses based on the unruliness of their pony tails, I never gave anything equine a second thought. Horses can be massive, and I was small. I was afraid to fall off of one, and lets not forget that they are outside (which I never really cared for, anyway).
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I get away with doing very little I don't like. I have a son who is a wonder in every way. I have friends who are faithful, and challenge me endlessly to be better. I have a job that is pretty much amazing. We write off things like makeup and bobby pins on our taxes. How cool is that?
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Being gone for a week can, and usually does cause the weary traveler to declare "I need a vacation from my vacation." We tried so hard to keep work at home, and we were successful most days. The only problem is that a to-do list deferred maketh the mind a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, working these two friendly faces into a blog post was task #1.
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We can say so much for weddings, as we have many of them this fall. We love big budgets, silk gowns, and smiles for days. We enjoy people; family and friends who fill up every pixel of a captured moment. Patterned and busy, in this age of pinterest we all work so hard to create a theme that drips down walls, and spills over tables. Weddings are about the bride and groom (and we try so hard as photographers to make it that way), but they are also about everyone else. The men, maids, relatives, and friends; it is about those who came before, but also the ones who come later. "This was my wedding." What an honor it is to curate those memories.
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