Parker Wade

Today I went to New Market, Alabama, to photograph newborn Parker Wade. Parker is the son of my first cousin, Michelle, and her husband, Wade (hence the name); and he's the first little boy to join my Baby Steps program. Something gives me the impression that he's going to be heavily pursuaded by his daddy to follow Auburn football; but he'll have a tough time with his Alabama mommy and big sister, Emma. Parker is as cute as a button; and we look forward to watching him grow over the next year.

Look for all of Parker's proofs to be available soon!

-BYRD

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from the Byrd's!! Thank-you to everyone for a great 2006; and I'm looking forward to some great things coming in 2007! Here's a snapshot of my girls this morning! They were both SO excited to see what all Santa Claus brought them!! I hope all of you have had a great Christmas!!
-BYRD

Happy 50th Anniversary!!

Congratulations, Uncle Jack and Aunt Fay! Saturday will mark 50 years since the couple eloped to Iuka, Mississippi, to be joined in holy matrimony. A reception honoring this major milestone in the couple's life was held Tuesday night (December 19) at the Riverton Holiness Church, near Huntsville, Alabama. The reception was given by the couple's two children - Sherry and John, along with John's wife, Lanier, and their two children - Brittany and J.K.

A large crowd showed up to congratulate Uncle Jack and Aunt Fay, including Uncle Jack's sister and brother-in-law, who came all the way from Uncle Jack's homestate, Pennsylvania!

Byrd Photography was on hand to document the event, and you can view the proofs by clicking on the picture to the left!

-BYRD

Gillian

Three months old already! I spent Saturday at Gillian's house, photographing her for her three month old session (she'll actually be four months old next week). We did a lot of momma & baby shots with Kim and Gillian, and also a few with Daddy (Ross) and grandmother, Cindy.

We spent several hours in this session; but it was time well spent as you'll soon be able to see from all the beautiful images that were captured.

Gillian's turning into a regular little model, as it seems it's time for another of her "Baby Steps" sessions every time we turn around!

Click on Gillian's picture to download all of the proofs from Saturday's session.

-BYRD

Hali-Kathryn

Today I had a visit from little Miss Hali-Kathryn. Hali-Kathryn is one year old; and today was the first time I've had the opportunity to photograph her and her big brother, Haydn.

As you can see in this sample photo, Hali-Kathryn is a beautiful little girl, and was all smiles and ready to play!

Look for all of Hali-Kathryn's proofs to be available on the website very soon!

-BYRD

My Girls!

Yesterday was picture day at the Byrd House! Kellie finished the girls Christmas dresses, which she hand smocked. She spent HOURS on the dresses and did a beautiful job!

Here's one of my favorite pictures from yesterday. I think we'll use this pose for our Christmas Card this year.

After this weekend, I should be finished with all of my Holiday pictures. I had planned on doing more this year; but I was so busy with other things that I just didn't have time to dedicate to Christmas pictures. But hopefully next year I'll have more opportunity and more space to set-up for Christmas!

-BYRD

Breakfast With Santa

So guess who I had breakfast with this morning... that's right - Santa Claus! The Lady Indians Softball Team of New Hope High School in New Hope, Alabama, hosted a pancake breakfast to benefit the team in the upcoming season. Breakfast was great, and so was the company! A huge crowd turned out to help support the team.

There's something absolutely magical about the countenance on a child's face when he or she looks up and sees Santa Claus in the very same room where they happen to be. Of course, sometimes their countenance quickly fails them as they become completely overtaken by fear of the big man who sneaks in your house at night when nobody's looking - ha, ha. Such has been the case with my oldest daughter, Mackenzie; but this year, she finally braved it out and decided to sit in Santa's lap (instead of peaking at him from the second story balcony of the Mall).

As you can see in the picture to the left, both girls cooperated long enough for daddy to capture the moment. Just a few seconds later, though, Makayla figured out who was holding her and lost it. Oh well... at least we got this shot!

Thanks, Marty, and all of the kids and parents from the Softball Team, for allowing me the opportunity to participate in your program; and I hope we'll get to do it again next year!

-BYRD

Down on the Corner

On "Black Friday", after getting out of bed before sunrise to hit a few stores in search of the year's best bargains, I met up with Marty, Kylee, & Kade, on the Square in Huntsville, Alabama. What a beautiful setting to capture some great urban shots!

Kylee is a beautiful young lady, and is as photogenic as any subject I have ever photographed. Kade is as handsome as they come and also photogenic; however, that boy is as much of a monkey as anybody I've ever seen! He is one hilarious little man and so much fun to be around!

This is the second time I have had the opportunity to photograph this brother and sister; and I look forward to working with them in the future! To see a slideshow of all of the proofs from Friday, click on the picture to the left!

-BYRD

Family

It was a chilly day in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where I shot a session with the family of one of my co-workers, Vanessa. Vanessa and her sister, Carla, brought their families together to create some last memories at the beautiful Audubon Acres. It was great to meet Vanessa's family - most especially the four beautiful children - Katie, Reace, Julia, & Lauren!

Thanks - Vanessa, Dan, Carla, Tansley, Katie, Julia, Reace, and Lauren, for allowing me the opportunity to photograph your family! You can see all of Saturday's proofs by clicking on the picture to the left, or by accessing the website - www.byrdprophoto.com.

-BYRD

Congratulations, Amy & David

Last night, Kellie and I had the honor of photographing the wedding ceremony of Amy Vann and David Baker. The ceremony was held at the Huntsville Holiness Church in Huntsville, Alabama, and was performed by Rev. Charles Underwood and Rev. David Jones. It was a beautiful service, followed by a beautiful reception, which was catered by Scott Adams and Artistic Design of New Hope, Alabama.

Thank-you, David & Amy, for choosing Byrd Photography to assist you on this special day; and you can now view all of the Baker's proofs online.

-BYRD

Gillian - 8 weeks old

Saturday was one of the busiest days I've had in a while. And these last fews days haven't been much easier! After Zilah's newborn session Saturday morning, I came back to the "studio" and shot Gillian's 6 week session (though she's actually already eight weeks). My how time flies!

Gillian was bright eyed for about the whole session, which was a complete 180^ from her newborn session. I know her parents, Ross & Kim, have to be very proud of such a beautiful little girl!!! (I should know, I have TWO - ha, ha)

It might be a few days before I can get all of Gillian's proofs uploaded onto the website. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this sample picture.

-BYRD

Zilah Elizabeth

Today was a very busy day! I started out the morning shooting a newborn session with little Miss Zilah. It seems like just a short time ago, I was photographing Zilah's Mommy & Daddy (Lauren & Jody Lee) on their wedding day! Now, just a few years later, little Zilah has come along. A beautiful baby indeed, Zilah is a member of my Baby Steps program; and we truly look forward to watching her grow during the coming year. See all of Zilah's proofs by clicking on the image to the left.

-BYRD

Mackenzie

This is a snap-shot I made of Mackenzie last night while playing with some settings on my camera. After I started editing the picture, I realized - "Hey, this is pretty good!" Mackenzie is one of those children who just doesn't like having her picture made; and it is especially hard for me to make her picture since I'm just her daddy! She is a precious little angel; but I'm telling you she is SO full of life (what they sometimes call rambunctious). I never ceased to be amazed at some of the things she comes up with! But anyhow, this picture really displays a side of her that doesn't come out very much - her innocense.

-BYRD

Cades Cove 2006

Well we had a great time in Cades Cove during the past week! Every year, my family camps for a week in Cades Cove - part of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It's a great place to do both nature photography, and serve as a background for beautiful family portraits.
This picture is of my two girls, Mackenzie and Makayla, enjoying their Poppa Byrd's hammock. The week was spent catching up on some R&R, as well as doing some family portraits. While it's nice to be back amongst civilization, I can't help but to also look forward to next years trip!

-BYRD

Alaynah Evonne

Kellie and I are busy today preparing for our trip to Cades Cove tomorrow; but I managed to pull away long enough to visit some friends across the state line in Georgia - Barry, Kristen, & Alaynah - my most recent Baby Steps enrollees. The last time I was at Barry and Kristen's home was for their wedding a few years ago. Now they've been blessed with a beautiful little bundle of joy!

Alaynah is one month old; and we captured some great shots during our visit. I look forward to photographing Alaynah throughout the coming year! Look for all of the images captured today to become available soon on my website, or you can click on the image to the left and download the slideshow from here.

As I mentioned, tomorrow is when we're leaving for our annual trip to Cades Cove, nestled in the majestic Great Smokey Mountains. The weather should be nice all week long; and I'm looking forward to some R&R as well as shooting some great portraits while we're there. If anyone else out there is interested in having their portraits made next week, look me up in the campground!

-BYRD

The Cardin Family

Saturday, Kellie and I had the privilege of photographing members of the Cardin Family at their family reunion, held annually at Tims Ford State Park, near Winchester, Tennessee. I've know members of the Cardin Family for years and felt right at home amongst them. We had a great time and enjoyed the weather and beautiful scenery at the park! Check out their proofs on the website soon!

-BYRD

Nothin' Much

Not much going on this week, though I did get my new computer today via UPS! It's faster, smarter, and sleeker, than my old one! It's also much more expensive. It's one of the few ways that I'm enhancing my business as I move towards opening a studio and expanding a little. Business really has picked up a lot lately; and for that I am thankful. Saturday, I'm going to Timms Ford State Park near Winchester, Tennessee, where I'll be photographing the Cardin Family reunion. The Cardin's are a great bunch of people; and I'm looking forward to spending some time capturing some memories for them!

Photo Restoration: Before & After!

Moral of this story: keep your priceless portraits away from children!! Ha, ha! This portrait of my mother and her older brother, Dean, was all but ruined by apparent sibling rivalry. "Oh, yeah! Draw big ears on me? I'll draw tusks on you!" My mother was so ashamed of this portait that she asked me not to show the "before"; but to be able to truly appreciate the "after", I'm afraid you'll have to see the before! After several hours of artwork, I was able to bring this photo into fairly presentable condition. How about your cherished old family photos? Have any with bad rips or wrinkles? Call or write to me about my Restoration services, now available at Byrd Photography!!

-BYRD

A New Look

Thank-you, Susie with BlueBird Blogs, for the great new customized look of my Blog! Be sure to go out and check Susie's gallery to see samples of the great custom design work she has done for others!

And for everyone's information, the precious little angel in my header photo is my youngest daughter, Makayla!

-BYRD

Baby Gillian Reese

Today, Kellie and I had the opportunity to photograph Miss Gillian Reese, who made her debut to the world a little over a week ago. We had a great time visiting with Gillian's Mommy and Daddy, who happen to be long-time friends of ours, Kim & Ross. Gillian is my first baby to start the "Baby Steps" program with Byrd Photography; and we couldn't have started with a more beautiful little girl! The session, held in Kim & Ross' beautiful new home in New Market, Alabama, turned out great; and I left with the strange feeling that Ross might be some kind of sports fan or something. Thanks Ross & Kim for sharing this special time in Gillian's life with Byrd Photography; and thanks Gillian, for being such a good little model! Gillian's proofs are now available to view on the website.

-BYRD

Fall Is On Its Way!!

Can you feel the change in the air? It's cooling down (a little); and I am so excited about that!! It's September 1st already; and it's a great time to start thinking about having your family photographed in a beautiful outdoor location. If any of you will be in the Smokies between October 1 and 5, you should think about coming to Cades Cove, where I will be photographing families in this beautiful Fall setting! But for those of you who want to hang around more locally, there's dozens of places around here where we can go to capture some beautiful life moments!! Give us a call or send me an email now to discuss your personalized photography needs!

-BYRD

Miss Mikayla Grace

Today I had the opportunity to meet for the very first time Miss Mikayla Grace and her mother, Stacie. Mikayla's daddy, Michael, is stationed in Baghdad, Iraq, serving in the US Armed Forces. Michael and I were childhood friends; and his parents, sisters, and niece, are all good friends of ours, with whom we attend church. Mikayla and Stacie now reside in Clarksville, Tennesse, but was in Trenton, Georgia, visiting Michael's family. I was so glad to have the opportunity to photograph Mikayla, and her cousin, Kaitlyn.

Before their arrival, I told Kellie that I wanted to do their sitting for free, as well as give them a free 8x10, just as a small token of our appreciation for Michael's sacrifice - bravely serving his country in Iraq. After I decided to do this for Michael, I thought to myself, "I'm going to offer this same service to any family with either a mommy or daddy stationed overseas in any of the Armed Forces!" So if there's anyone out there who would like to partake in this offer, please give me a call!!
Anyhow, Mikayla, who is a few days shy of nine months old, wasn't feeling too good this evening; but as you can see, she still struck a few sweet poses for the camera. Thank-you Stacie, Mikayla, Marnicia, and Caitlyn, for coming by to see us this evening!! Mikayla's proofs are now available to view at my website!

-BYRD

New Camera

Well, I did it! I broke down and purchased a new camera - the Canon 5D. This new 12.8 megapixel camera, used in conjunction with the L-series 28-70 lens, will give Byrd Photography the use of cutting edge technology to enhance the quality of the life images we capture in each of our sessions. I also purchased a new CPU to help speed up my productivity in editing the larger files created by the new camera. I can't wait to get started using my new equipment!!

-BYRD

Introducing Baby Steps

Help us spread the word about Byrd Photography's new "Baby Steps" program! Baby Steps is an exciting new program from Byrd Photography, which offers a series of sittings to help capture the major milestones during the first fleeting year of the life of your new baby. The six sittings are arranged at major milestones of baby's first year - New Born, One Month, Three Months, Six Months, Nine Months, and One Year.
Be sure to get in on this exciting program at the introductory rate of only $120.00!! This fee includes all six sittings, and your choice of an 8x10 from each session – a $150.00 savings!! This is a new offering from Byrd Photography, and you can help us grow our business while we watch baby grow – together! Call or email now!!

By the way, the cute little tootsies in this photo belong to my youngest daughter, Makayla!

-BYRD

Byrd Photography Blog

I keep hearing so much about blogs; and so with a little encouragement from a friend (CK), I decided to go ahead and try to create one for Byrd Professional Photography. Here I will try to post news and current events regarding the growth and future of Byrd Photography, as well as comments about each of my portrait sessions.