Surprisin’ & Seein’ the Fam in Mississippi!

June 22, 2011June 22, 2011
by Victoria J

Last week, my family threw a surprise party for my Dad. It was a real surprise party because his birthday was four months ago… and because he was under the impression that he was planning a get-together for one side of his family. Well, I was delightfully surprised to see that we managed to keep it a surprise up until mom yelled “SURPRISE!” This was largely because he was making a lot of calls to family and running into people that were not doing the best job at keeping the surprise, but thankfully he did not notice all of the comments that were made. But better than seeing his surprised face was the opportunity to see family that I had not seen in years. For many of my family members, I had not seen them since the homegoings of other family members, so it was good to see them for a celebration of LIFE! Needless to say, I ran my mouth more than I clicked away with my camera, but I was still able to capture the highlights of this event, which I have included below.

We not only had family, but we also had friends of the family, who seem more like members of the family than friends! One of which was a very dear friend of mine, who is also my travel budding/road dog! She has gone with me on all of my international trips and she has been present for so many noteworthy events in my life… Anyway, at the event, I took inspiration from a photo I took in Paris in 2008 of her, and I have included this throwback/inspired photograph in the collection below.

Another great moment for me was an exchange with one of my uncles. For as far back as I can remember, I recall that my uncle Stan and my dad had the same Canon SLR camera. Uncle Stan always took so much longer than Dad to capture any moment, but his pictures (as well as Dad’s) were always priceless! So when I saw him at the event, he told me that halfway down from WI, he realized that he left his camera. Well, thank God for preparation! I was able to let him use my backup camera, which I was appreciative of afterwards when I realized that there were some people that I talked to, but did not photograph – Thanks Uncle Stan! Among other shots, one of the things we did was capture each other capturing each other… and those were among my favorite shots!

Y’all, it was just sooo good to be around family, despite the heat and the loooooonnnnggg road trip! I wouldn’t have traded these moments for anything!

Enjoy the photos below, and if you see something you like, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!!!

He was officially surprised!

Family & Friends

You don’t see cuteness like this everyday!!!
TCW Throwback

My Name’s Sake – 5 Months Later

June 16, 2011
by Victoria J

Last weekend, we had a family reunion/surprise party in Mississippi… Yep! I have roots in the country, and I am proud of that fact because those country-roots have made me to be the resourceful person that I am. Anyway, among seeing aunties and uncles and cousins and great aunts and first and second cousins, I saw a young face that I hadn’t see in a little over 5 months… That young face was none other than Victoria Faith Payne, my cousins’ little girl that I met over the Christmas break. You may remember her from my post “My Name’s Sake,” but man, now she’s grown a bit and taken on a new look. She’s looking more and more like her siblings. Y’all she was crawling, standing up, eating real food, and so much more – I wasn’t ready… Ok, I was… And I was there with my cameras. Funny thing was that as I was looking for photos to share on this blog site, I realized that I did not have many. The reason was because on the first day that I saw her and her siblings, I was using the video feature to capture them… but thank God that I was commissioned to be the picnic photographer because I did capture some still photos of her.

Anyway, in seeing her, I am so refreshed… and not just her, but her brother and sister too. You see, the children are growing up. They are becoming thoughtful citizens, caring people, and just little balls of joys. I really believe in that verse that says, “Children are a blessing from the Lord!” Y’all let’s not take the precious moments we have with the children or even the children themselves for granted! The young care-free years only last for so long, so enjoy ’em, love ’em, and play with ’em while you have ’em!

Spending Memorial Day with Family

June 6, 2011
by Victoria J

Last week, I spent Memorial Day with my brother and cousin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While there, we saw some of the famous landmarks like the Love Park, the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, and Reading Terminal. That Monday was a bona fide hot day – if you know me, you know it takes a lot for me to call a day hot. Anyway, it was so hot that we ended with ice cream, and I agreed to use the A/C in my car (again, if you know me, you’ll know I am a little cheap, and air conditioning is a last resort for me). See images from our Philly expedition below!

Ms. Payne, M.Ed.

May 12, 2011May 13, 2011
by Victoria J

Today was what I called my graduation ceremony, although the official ceremony will be on Saturday. The reason today was official in my mind is because today I got to walk across the stage and receive a case for my diploma. I was able to hear my entire name called out, and I was able to stop for “official” photographs from the photography company that was contracted out. You know, these are the things I have come to expect in a graduation ceremony. Well, on Saturday, we won’t get all of that pomp and circumstance. My name will not be called, nor will I walk across the stage. I still find this phenomenon interesting to say the least, but I am content to know that I will have two opportunities to wear this $55 robe and cap instead of just one like I did in high school and undergrad.

Interestingly enough, people have asked me if I was going to attend the Saturday ceremony as if it really were optional. Perhaps I am just old school, but I believe that you GO to your graduation, if for no one else than your family and those that helped you get that point. Believe me, whether or not they admit, they WANT to see you walk across that stage and hear your name called, especially mamas.

Soooo… come rain or shine, I will be there on Saturday at my “real graduation” because this is the start of something new! It’s the commencement to my journey into the classroom with some of God’s most precious gifts: children! I don’t yet have any of my own, but I look forward to being able to pour into those of others (in the meantime).

Below, I have included images from my recent “graduation.” I must give photographic credits to my dad and mom. I love y’all! Thanks for always being there for me!!!!! I also wanted to shout out my aunts and cousins that came out and supported me today during this affair! I love y’all too, and each of you has played a critical role in my success today! My brother is coming out on Saturday, so I am giving him a special thanks in advance!

I figured this was the day to look cute because it may rain on Saturday, and if you know anything about natural hair and rain, you’ll know that today was the better picture day!

Through the Eyes of a Child

March 14, 2011March 14, 2011
by Victoria J

Back in 2007, I photographed one of my first weddings for a San Antonio couple. What a joy it was, as well as a learning experience! Welll, at the start of this year, I had the opportunity to photograph this family at one of San Antonio’s scenic parks, Brakenridge Park in the downtown area. Since their wedding, this couple has welcomed two new people into the world.

In this post, which was previously “sneak peaked,” I have included images from this recent portrait session, and you will notice a focus on the children. I could attribute the emphasis of this post to the fact that I love children or to the fact that our children are our future… I could even attribute the nature of this post to the fact that these children are soooo absolutely cute! But today I am focusing on the children because I remember reading somewhere that you will and can judge a tree by its fruit.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to spend some time with this family, and words cannot express the joy that filled my heart in being around them. Their genuine love for each other is not something that I always see in our culture, especially not among younger families. But in this family, I saw love, support, honor, obedience (which probably goes hand in hand with honor), care, well-wishes, modesty, wise choices, and maturity. The children were mindful of the rules and the instructions given by their parents. They did not talk back to their parents, nor did they roll their eyes. They did not try to cause harm to each other or anyone else. The children were very appreciative of gifts without a sense of entitlement. They liked to play, as well as learn and read. The truth be told, watching these children made me look forward to having a family of my own one day.

Anyway, I share all of this not to subliminally reference “bad” kids that I have encountered along this journey. Not at all! I shared this to say that you will know a tree by its fruit, and this couple has been very purposeful in the rearing of their children and the establishing of rules in their home, and it shows! It shows when you engage these children in conversation or play. It shows when you see their manners. It shows when they ask to eat bell peppers instead of candy as a snack. It shows when you watch them interact with their parents. For me, it shows when I am directing the portrait sessions.

With this post, I wanted to honor these parents because they truly are doing what they have been called to do! Raise up a child in the way that he should go, and when his old, he shall not depart from it…

Below are some throw back pictures of this couple back in 2007 when I photographed their wedding…

And now, for where they are now!

Another Sneak Peek – Through the Eyes of a Child

March 3, 2011March 5, 2011
by Victoria J

I am just about done editing the photos from a recent family portrait session, but I did not want to let the week go by without posting anything on my blog. The truth is, my focus has been on being prepared for the children at school and completing projects for my clients… so much so that I have not been able to update my blog as much as I’d like to (or even release my newest version of my website yet). But this is great problem to have — plenty of work! So please enjoy this photo, but more importantly, stay tuned for the rest of the story!

My Name’s Sake

February 5, 2011
by Victoria J

In the summer of 2010, my cousin and his wife welcomed another beautiful baby girl, and they named her Victoria Faith Payne. You can imagine how excited I was when I was told her name before her birth! But that feeling paled in comparison to the elation I felt when I actually met her in Texas recently. Now my cousin and his wife are on a winning streak; they have produced nothing but beautiful children thus far, and Miss Victoria is no exception. See images below of my name’s sake, and if you see something you like, please do not hesitate to leave a comment!