My Crew!

Here's the latest on Lisa's group of children, grandchildren, and godchildren. It's a lively bunch - And the lineup goes: Kate, Cassidy, Tatum, Katie, Zachary, Triston, Taylor & Jonathan. Whew! We had fun—but we always do! I'm glad this dock is long because I'm sure we've got more coming! I'm creating a new piece for my entry hallway from this session. I can't wait til it comes!

It' Double Digits for Sarah!

I recently had a Double Digits session with this little girl and almost cried. I've been photographing her since she was born and now she is in Double Digits! Almost grown. Our Double Digit sessions are created for that time when children are almost passing over into adulthood. You see glimpses of the adult they are going to be and yet they are still a child—still full of wonder and FUN! My husband and I had Double Digit celebrations with our children when they turned 10 to make a special time of getting older and getting new opportunities and responsibilities—it was so much fun and they still talk about it and how special they felt. That's what we do with our Double Digit sessions. We really make your child feel special about being in double digits now—it's an exciting time in life and yet one that often goes ignored. It's a time for celebration! Here's how we celebrated Sarah's! Happy Birthday Sarah and welcome to Double Digits!

MACK ATTACK!

This is such a darling little face! It lives in a sweet family too. I had so much fun with Mack and his parents, Krista & Jack, at the park recently. He's a busy toddler and loves to run and play soccer so we had plenty of wide open space and we even saw a few ducks in the creek at Woodward Park. Their Christmas card is in the Christmas Card slideshow too. I want to introduce him to my granddaughter in a couple of decades!

Little Jessi - and her sibs!

Jessi is going to be 2 in April. I first photographed her "in utero" so to speak, when I had a maternity session with her family as they anxiously awaited her arrival, and then again when she was born. She had the most hair I've ever seen on a newborn baby! Now, she has little ponytails. She looks like BOO on Monsters, Inc, don't you think? Her big brother Max and big sister Alex are having lots of fun with her too. Here's a few from their Christmas Card session this year.

Catch up!

One of our New Year's Resolutions is going to be get our blogging under control!  I'm afraid it does kind of get pushed to the rear when we get busy and have orders and viewings and, of course, we do take photographs from time to time!  Anyway, we've had lots going on at LSD and it's going to be VERY FUN!  Our new website is getting ready to launch and we are so excited.  It should great for everyone - we can update it ourselves!  yeah!  It will link to our BLOGS - one for weddings and portraits, one for seniors (all your own!) and our fun little Trippin' with LSD for some of our stranger outings.  ( I use the term outing to mean going out - on a trip or ... you know what I mean!)  Sometimes I say things and my kids (adults) look at me with "the look" and tell me "you can't say that anymore, mom".   So, feel free to tell me when my terminology is askew.  I take no offense!   These next few blogs are all on the same date but have been taken in the last month or so.  We're really focusing on our portraiture these days and LOVE it.  Stylizing a session, creating and directing a session, shooting a session - it's all so much fun - and then the artistic implements to the image come into play and it all comes together just like in our heads!   It's a beautiful thing!     

Amy Takes Brookside!

 We had so much fun in Brookside a couple of weeks ago with Amy.  She is gorgeous and just as beautiful on the inside as out.   She's a cross country runner and we were all in awe of her legs! This Edison Senior is full of life - what your grandma calls "a go-getter" - so, "Go get it, Amy!" 

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep - Annual Drive

LSD Photography supports NILMDTS and feels it is a wonderful organization and a way for us to give back to others.   If you are looking for a noble cause to support, please take a look at NILMDTS.  Click here

New York Says Thank You - Greensburg, KS

We were recently invited to Greensburg, KS by the New York Says Thank You organization (you can see a little about them at the Youtube link here) for their annual Pay it Forward event. Each year a group of US citizens headed by FDNY firefighters, many who were present on 9/11, go to another U.S. location hit by hardship to help fellow Americans rebuild their lives after disaster. Each year, more and more people show up to help - usually from the place that was helped the year before. This year, it was Greensburg, KS, a town virtually destroyed by an EF-5 tornado May 4, 2007. Along with the FDNY, there was help from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, California, Louisiana, Mississippi and others. They all worked together in mud like you wouldn't believe! to raise a barn on the fairgrounds in Greensburg, KS for the 4H club. They worked sun up to sundown for 3 days and, even though the weather was a little hampering, got a great start for the barn! As a side project, FDNY sent the flag that was hanging at ground zero for several months after 9/11 until enough debris could be removed to reach it, to Greensburg, where it was lovingly patched with flags from Greensburg and other places. We were humbled and honored to be here and to document the weekend's activities for this wonderful organization. Jeff Parness summed it up in his 9/12 email "Seven years ago today, our world changed forever as well. That’s the day New Yorkers and Americans came together and witnessed unprecedented acts of kindness, neighborliness, and love. And that’s what NEW YORK SAYS THANK YOU is all about. What we do is not about 9/11. What we do is about 9/12....From one day of terror, 10 Years of Kindness." Please take a look at the video link and you are welcome to go to Pictage.com to view the Greensburg, KS Barn Raising photos we're sharing! Please support this organization with your time, talents and/or money! NewYorkSaysThankYou.org. Thank you!

Seniors Rock!

Ryan is one of our senior spokes-models and will graduate from Holland Hall this spring!  Beauty and brains about to be unleashed on the world!  Thanks Ryan!  We had a blast with you around town!

Oh, Those Friendly Skies!

Sara and Shane both have to travel a LOT for their jobs in the medical industry.  But as Shane said, "it's not that bad, that's where I met the love of my life."   It looks pretty apparent to me that he and Sara both feel that way.    So, it was very appropriate when Sara wanted to do their engagement session at the Tulsa International Airport, where we met Sunday afternoon.   It was a perfect spot for this perfect pair.   October skies are going to be even friendlier!  Thanks for a fun fun time guys!  

Beautiful Boys!

Little boys are the most adorable things on the planet!  The wheels are always turning, if you know what I mean.  They always seem to just epitomize the "joy of life".   I recently had the pleasure of photographing a new addition to the Breneman family - Cole and his big brother, Carter, who's going to show him the ropes.  Too darling for words.   We had a great time playing around.   This is the last session in my old natural light studio (sniff, sniff).  BUT...we have a NEW natural light studio opening this month in Brookside.  Slideshow here

BackYard Bliss - Married at Last!

May 17th was a beautiful Saturday afternoon for Kim Payne and Scott Stivers to exchange vows with friends and families surrounding them.  A reception followed outside in a park-like backyard with wonderful food prepared with love by The Wild Fork.   A pink dress, ribbon-tied shoes with light-up heels, a jewel edged veil and something blue on her bouquet of pink roses made for a fairytale day marking the beginning of wonderful marriage for Kim and Scott and their family of boys - Kyle and Benny.   Congratulations!  It was a wonderful day!   

Guests can access the wedding photos with password "Payne-Stivers Wedding" thru the view proofs link on the main website.    See slideshow

Just another Manic Monday

I don't even know what to say about these two.  Patti called me a few weeks ago from Texas and said she and her fiance were going to be in Tulsa on Monday, May 5 to get married at the Chapel by the Courthouse and could I meet them there and take a few photos.  She found me on the internet - the same place she found Dave - her fiance.  The same place she found Chapel by the Courthouse too.  I listened to her story and I was so curious to find out more.  Maybe because 20 years ago, I got married in a similar fashion - eloped to a city I barely knew, met the witnesses to  my wedding that day at the courthouse.  I felt a connection to Patti and I didn't really know why.  I asked her if she knew how much we charged for weddings.  She had no idea. She told me she'd broken her foot and was in a boot but had a great shoe for the other one.  We made a deal.  A few days later, she called me again, she needed someone to fix her hair and makeup that day.  I called my daughter, Morgan - a hairdresser and great makeup artist...she said "sure".   I showed up at 3:00 at the Renaissance Hotel and met Patti and Dave -- "Mr. Dave" she called him.  Morgan fixed her hair and put on her makeup.   We learned they'd met on the internet.  Both had been married before.  Both were still looking for "the one".   They knew they were in love before they ever met, and the deal was sealed when they finally did.  Kendra with VIP limo picked us all up at the Hotel.  We went to the Tulsa County Courthouse to get the marriage license.  My sister, Sandy, works there and we practically grew up in the courthouse so that was a breeze.  Next, Kendra takes us to the address we had for the Chapel by the Courthouse.  It's now a bar.  Ummm.  We call "Pastor Bob" and leave word.  He calls and directs us to the "new" location.  It's at 12th & Houston.  Oh, and by the way, he also runs the gas station next door.  Yeah.  (I'm not making this up)   We pull up there in the VIP limo.  I see the bride's face fall to the floor.  They are catching Southwest to Vegas for a much anticipated honeymoon the next day --- they must get married today.  It's almost 5 o'clock. Too late to find a judge or justice of the peace.   Well, it just so happens that I used to be on staff at Asbury United Methodist Church so I called out there and there were two Pastors still in the building, but they were meeting with people so I couldn't talk to them.  Kendra fired up the limo and away we went towards Asbury.  I went inside and Pastor Darlene was still there.  I told here they had to get married today and were waiting in the car outside.  She said, in her Darlene way, "Today?  Well, give me a minute and I'll meet you in the prayer room."  Hallelujah!  Darlene married them in the beautiful little prayer room at Asbury on May 5, 2008.  Kendra had them back to their Hotel and on to her next appointment by 6:00 p.m.    Mr. & Mrs. Kerbs finally got married and got to spend their first night together as husband and wife in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Neither had ever been here before but I'm thinking they will always have a sweet spot in their hearts for our dear little city.  Maybe on their anniversary they'll say...."Take me back to Tulsa."    Slideshow here

Swept Away

"And so it begins
This journey of love
The summer wind carries us to places all our own..."

And so it seemed the wild wind of this May day could've swept anyone off their feet. In a lovely outdoor garden setting on a mighty windy day, gusts flirted with skirts, tousled tresses, and lifted Amy's veil into the promising sky.

"Seeing my tomorrows in your eyes
I was swept away."

To view Amy and Jason's slideshow, click:

Happily Ever After

‘Twas the night they had planned ‘neath many a full moon….a fairy tale wedding befitting a sparkling princess and her dashing prince. It was an evening of merriment in an enchanted villa of vaulted ceilings, gilded walls, burnished floors and leaded glass. It was a swirl of lace, a splash of champagne, scattered rose petals, toasts and tears—and finally a stolen moment…

From across the room she moved like a swan on a moonlit lake. The flickering candlelight danced upon her emerald-flecked eyes. Chestnut curls tumbled over her ivory skin. The room fell away upon his embrace and he whispered in her ear, “As long as there are stars in the sky, we will dance among them.”

To see Nicole and Brock’s love story, click here.

Here's Sophia! - Official Introduction

A lot of you already know Sophia Litchfield because we've been shooting together from the studio for over a year BUT it's now official... We're full partners in this business. Our Partnership is named Five-to-50. Sophia and I were each other's "first friend" - the one you meet in kindergarten that isn't part of your family and you realize you're not stuck playing with your sisters all the time! So that's the Five and I think we all know what the 50 means! We photographed for yearbook, graduated high school together, I was in HER wedding (it was the first time I'd seen champagne come out of a fountain!), stayed in touch during all our child-rearing years and reconnected when I shot her daughter, Jessica's wedding. Even though we hadn't been together a lot for 20 years, we fell right back into that same friendship we've always had. Sophia has a degree in ART/Graphic Design and brings incredible artistic skills to the venture along with her existing Graphic Design business-Pixel Passion. Here's some photos I've taken of her On The Job - she likes the first one but I kind of like the others! I couldn't be partners with anyone else and I'm so glad she's here!

We've got a remodel beginning at the Studio this week. After a year in the space, we've decided to re-configure and enlarge the media room to include a natural light studio wing. We should be back in there by mid-june full time and have a new studio to shoot in too!

Please come by and Welcome Sophia in person and check back often for more news!