Ella

Our friends just welcomed little Ella into the world!

We're so glad you're in our lives!

Nori & the Gang

Our niece Nori turned 3 months! We commemorated her milestone with a photo session with her and her entourage, of course!

room with a view

Pete and I photographed a corporate holiday party last weekend on the top floor of the Renaissance Hotel. It was such a beautiful, contemporary room. I, personally felt really cool. I wanted to share the downtown Asheville view with all of you!

Album Design Options

Image One: Album Cover Options (leather)

Images Two and Three: Imprinted Text Font Options

As you can see, the albums we offer are highly customizable and allow for individualized style that echoes your day. Once your images are placed in your online gallery, let our professional designers create the layout for your Premium Leather Album. Simply create and choose the folder of your favorite images. Your custom design will be created and sent to you in 5 business days.

You will be able to proof and determine the final design! It's that simple.

Albums

Product Feature

(click on images for larger view)

WillowBook Sequoia Flush Mount Album

Like the Giant Sequoia of Northern California, this flush mount album has a majestic beauty and natural longevity all its own. This classic album is characterized by a seamless center and storybook layout that evokes tradition and elegance.

Each album is created from your square, vertical or horizontal professional prints and carefully mounted flush to the page. Additionally, this classic album comes in several sizes and is bound in your choice of genuine leather or metal.

Special Features of the Sequoia Album:

• All of your images carefully mounted on durable hardbacked pages with a beautiful book-style binding, making it a perfect heirloom.
• A narrow binding seam that lets you design a variety of cross-page layouts, giving you the freedom to be as creative as you want.
• Customized imprinting and several beautiful cover options including, genuine leather and metal, giving your album a personal touch.
• A large selection of album sizes to choose from.

The Big 1

Happy 1st Birthday to our goddaughter and niece Willow!

A One-year-old child is so many things --
A tiny discoverer of butterfly wings,
A hugger of Teddies,
A sweet sleepyhead,
And someone to dream for in bright years ahead...

little boy 2

I enjoyed a session with the Bookout family at the beautiful Biltmore Estate! It is such a joy, and unique opportunity, to be able to watch this little boy grow. This time last year we conducted his 1 year session; needless to say, he will be turning 2 very soon. Happy "almost" birthday Jackson!

more

To view more of our work, visit www.canvaschurch.org. Most of the images are courtesy of Echoes!

Canvas is a church plant that Pete and I are helping lead.

Check it out!

fresh air

I love how this image portrays the energy of a child in the brilliance of the Fall season.

I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite's for a long time.

Thank you Goodman family for a great family session!

cousins

Thank you to the Smith and Aycock families for a great Arboretum shoot!

We all enjoyed the beauty of Fall's amazing color pallet. And, while fending off the rain and sickness, we managed to portray some beautiful moments!

Tammy and Dave

To view Tammy & Dave's on-line gallery, visit:

http://www.pictage.com/721835

You will need to sign the guestbook to view the photos.

emily

This is Emily.

As I mentioned in previous posts, Emily travelled up from ATL to help us out with our marathon wedding weekend! Since Pete was officiating the ceremony on Sunday, and had the rehearsal to attend on Saturday, we were in need of another artist ready and willing to help photograph these occasions.

In short, Emily and I went through the same art program together in college. We helped one another pass long hours in the pottery lab and darkroom. We can attest to many adventures in our creative pursuits... let's just say that we are "all or nothing" kind of people! Though Emily has a great eye for photography, she has been most often seen painting and making stellar metal and glass sculptures! You could say that our house is really Emily's gallery: everything from the welded lamp in Pete's office, to the welded sculpture in the garden to the glass flower on our coffee table. I LOVE her work... perhaps even more than she does. I like to remind her to the time when I intercepted the garden sculpture when it was on its way to the dumpster.

She likes stars, tattoos, dancing, teaching, road trips, music and coffee (at times with ice cream in it). I kid you not, she travels with instant coffee from Starbucks, which is only one of the many reasons why I love her.

In essence, Emily is a natural born artist- seeing the world and life in colors most of us are unable to see. Thank you Emily for dedicating your weekend to Echoes. We really appreciate you.

2 become 1

We enjoyed back-to-back weddings this weekend!

Saturday's wedding took place at Rainbow Lake in Brevard. Thank you to Emily and Kaitlin for helping me coordinate and capture Tammy & Dave's wedding celebration!

Just look at all of these sweet faces. 8 lovely flower girls, 1 handsome ring bearer.

Mr. & Mrs.

Wow, what a joy is was to be a part of Molly & Dave's wedding day celebration! Pete performed a beautiful, personal ceremony, while I had the privilege of photographing it with our good friend Emily.

What an incredible, holy occasion.

Corrao Family Fun

Thank you to the Corrao family for a fun-filled family session!

As you can see above, we played on a wonderful playground in Hendersonville.

We're looking forward to the Fall photos to come. Stay tuned!

Senorah

This is a bit late, but...

We would like to announce the arrival of our niece, Senorah (Nori) Beth Bleisath!

Just look at that dark hair!

She joins big, blonde-headed sister Addie in the Bleisath abode.

Girls in the City

Thank you Stephania and Willow for this "mini" shoot in the heart of downtown Asheville!

You two are the perfect models... especially together.

Summer Evening Bath

We had a wonderful visit with family this weekend!

Here is Addie playing the role of country girl!

The Newtons

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Newton!

The newlyweds were married 2 weeks ago today at Berry College Chapel!

It was the perfect day to shoot (minus the 100 degree temps of course)!

As you can see, the bride and groom are runners and we gladly jumped at the chance to photograph them in their wedding day garb complete with their running shoes.

Again, Congratulations you two!

9 days

He's here!

Congratulations to the Mason family on another precious little boy!

We are looking forward to watching him grow.

grow

Grow.

2 and 1 on the way!

family

Few words can express the joy of family.

June

Echo of the Month:

June

Location: Greenhouse at the Biltmore Estate

sweet

Oh so sweet!

Thank you to Zoe and her family for allowing me to photograph them in the comfort of their own home.  This is one precious little girl!

We appreciate our friendship with this family, and are so excited to watch this little one grow!

Biltmore Blooms

We had the opportunity to hang out with some of our closest friends.

This shoot took place at the Biltmore House just as the Springs flowers were blooming!

We love you guys and think you are a beautiful family.

May

Echo of the Month: May

Title: Singleness. Pure in Heart.

You may recognize this image from a previous blog post!

I thought I would resurface it, however, as a quintessential Spring image.

May I suggest... 16x20 canvas of this beauty to adorn your family room wall?!

Bring a little natural beauty into your home!

Drew

What a handsome little man!

Thank you to the Rowan family and Drew's adoring grandmother.

Congratulations on the new phase of life, and thank you for letting me portray it.

Happy Mother's Day Katrina!

Published!

We are proud to announce that our work has been published on the front page of Asheville Citizen Time's Arts and Living section!

The article is promoting Highland Acting Company's Godspell production which takes place this weekend.

Below is a link to the article:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904050334

April

Echo of the Month: April

Spring.

Isn't it lovely?

Rain.  Blossoms.  Emergence.

You can find this image, accompanied by other "Echoes of the Month", in our website's Featured section.

Maggie.

Maggie.

Maggie is an artistic, gifted, beautiful, intelligent, inspiring teenager.

She is the eldest of 6 kids, and mature well beyond her 17 years of age.

I truly enjoyed this peaceful session as she played and sang songs.

I don't get to use the word "peaceful" very often when describing sessions, but it is the only way to describe this one...

More of Maggie's portraits will be in our Featured section, along with some images including her 5 siblings!

Precious

This precious little girl and her parents are returning clients.  I had the pleasure of photographing this family when she was just 10 weeks old.  Now, she is 1!  I had no idea when I started this business that I would be able to really follow children as they grew through such momentous stages of life.  It is amazing!

A gallery of this shoot will appear in our Featured section... complete with a sugary, birthday lollipop!

Art on Art

We conducted a photo session with Highland Acting Company's Godspell cast in downtown Asheville.

Thank you so much to the cast for your lovely personalities, and for being "in character" during the shoot.

We were happy for our creativity to be stretched for this artistic endeavor.

More images from this collection appearing soon under our Featured section on the website.

Bridge

"Bridge"

Image of the Month: March

To see the "Image/Echo of the Month" collection, visit our website's Featured section.

We began this collection last Fall in hopes to complete a year's worth of thought-provoking images that are outside our usual realm of wedding and family portraiture.

We hope you are enjoying the journey with us!

February Echo of the Month

Rusty Treasure

Pete photographed this amazing old car in a nearby field. 

Isn't it such a treasure?!

There is something so nostalgic about a worn out vehicle... especially when it is used as a lawn ornament (which I am sure has to do with my southern roots)!

Pete commented on how he could just imagine that this vehicle was probably once a family car.  In its prime, it may have proudly escorted its caretakers to work, school, church, weddings and funerals.  I cannot even begin to calculate how many times the doors were opened, closed or slammed.  Then something ended.  Perhaps the "clicking" sound in the engine was more of a problem than anticipated.  Or maybe its joy-riding life was shortened by an unexpected encounter with a telephone pole.  Or perhaps it ran the miles it was intended to run, and it now lays to rest in our neighboring field.  I can only guess how this vehicle served humanity in its time.  

Regardless of its past life, it draws us near now.  Even in its rusted, warped existence, we come close.  We examine the intricate and vintage detail.  It calls us in its silence to wonder.

Trees

January Echo of the Month (We will catch up soon!)

Below is a poem that has given me great reflection over the winter months.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have... 

Lesson From a Tree

By Ilan Shamir, Adapted by Monnie Leigh Southern Meads

Stand tall and proud

Sink your roots deeply into the earth

Reflect the light that the Lord gives

Remember your place among all living beings

Embrace with joy the changing seasons 

For each yields its own abundance

The energy and birth of spring

The growth and contentment of summer

The wisdom to let go of leaves in the fall

The rest and quiet renewal of winter

Feel the wind and the sun

And delight in their presence

Look up at the moon that shines down on you

And the mystery of the stars at night

Seek nourishment from the good things in life

Simple pleasures

Earth, fresh air, light

Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes