Tonight marks the end of an era.

The Homecoming Dance Era. We do have Prom in the Spring, but it still feels nostalgic for me. I have been the mom/photographer for Homecoming dances for the last 8 years, beginning with my daughter Katie’s first dance in 9th grade. I am going to miss it. Tonight was Johnny’s last time going to Homecoming. Boys are not quite as cost or time-intensive for this event as my girls were, nor do they want as  much input. Still, I still felt needed as a mom, and those times are getting fewer and far between. These are sweet times. I will cherish these photos and the fact that I was asked to photograph them.

Here are just a few of those crazy kids.:)

Soooo… I have a dilemma. SO many photos of Catalyst 2010, and a 6 photo limit. Hmmm. What is a girl to do? Well, I will just think about the ones I had to leave out, but trust me, they are amazing! Only because Catalyst is such a fantastic event. I am so grateful to have been privileged to help capture it for the past 4 years. Wow, I am still astonished at the beautiful people I get to brush elbows with when I am there. This year was no different. Worship was mesmerizing. The speakers so witty and wise. I wanted very much to bring my own perspective to this event. I spent much of my time with the crowd to try to capture their experience.  I hope I can bring some of that too you.  You can find out more about Catalyst Conference at www.catalystspace.com. If you can go next year, don’t miss it!

Enjoy!

It is true that I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, if I ever do. I feel pulled in so many directions in photography. I love so many things, but am finding the importance of narrowing my focus a bit in order to stay sane. I also desire very much to find my place. I believe we all have one, and mine will not be in the same spot as so many wonderful photographers I follow. That is good. There is a famous quote by Oscar Wilde on Jeremy Cowart’s blog that I adore.  He said ”  Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” I like that so much. So,  I am working on being myself in this crazy world of photography and life.

That being said, there is one job  I absolutely love  that I have had the honor of doing for three years now. It is the Youth Evangelism Conference in Nashville, TN. It is put on by the Tennessee Baptist Convention and draws nearly 9,000 teens every year to hear teaching from God’s Word, spend time in worship, and laugh and cry with the incredible artists and groups that are brought in. Every year I am moved to tears while shooting the event, whether it be in worship or listening to the speakers that come in and share their hearts with the kids.  This year, Unhindered lead us in worship,  The Skit Guys kept us laughing, Joe Castillo blew us away with his incredible sand art, and Ed Newton brought it all together with some serious truth. As always, it was a great weekend. Here are a few shots of the wonderful time we had.

This is the third year I have had the privilege of  shooting the  Catalyst  Conference in Atlanta.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Catalyst, it is a gathering of dynamic speakers, authors, musicians, and many more focused on helping the next generation of leaders to reach their full potential. Catalyst rocks, and I am so excited that I have been able to shoot this event for the past three years. I often find myself emotionally caught up in what is going on and have to remind myself that I am there to capture it for everyone else. This year, I  could not help but fall to my knees at the base of the stage as Francis Chan and Aaron Keyes tag-teamed some deep and meaningful moments with God. I wondered if it disturbed anyone that I sat on my knees with tears streaming down my cheeks during Aaron’s song “Not Guilty Anymore”. I doubted it though, as everyone else seemed fully involved in the moment as well.

Other artists that were there included,  Kari Jobe, opening up with “Revelation Song”, Eddie Kirkland, who led worship in the Labs, Steve Fee, who rocked us with “We Shine”  and so many more.

Below are a few photos from the event. Could post hundreds, but will try to limit it.  Loved it. Thanks, Catalyst Team.

This year, Johnny had his first homecoming dance and date. It was a big deal to us both. He asked if I would be the photographer for the group, as I have photographed his sisters’ groups in the years past. ( I miss those days!)  Of course, I jumped at the chance! They had 12 in their group and they were so excited about their pictures. Unfortunately, it rained. I mean it RAINED. There were even flash flood warnings and severe weather alerts. So, our lovely outdoor location was a no-go. Thus, my trusty ( but small), studio came in very handy. I ran to the local Kroger and picked up 12 red helium balloons and dozens more to toss on the floor. This is what we came up with.  They had so much fun, and  of course I did too! We played music and danced and snapped some great shots. I am going to miss these days.

Jeremy and Jasmine are the cutest. I absolutely loved my time with them last week. The first destination for our shoot was Chow Baby, a restaurant in Atlanta where they had their first date. The manager there was kind enough to allow us to come in before the lunch rush to get some special shots.

From there we just explored. We found all kinds of delightful places in Atlanta, including an old yellow caboose in a metal junk yard. We had so much fun!

Blessings, you guys. I can’t wait to be part of your special day in November. To be continued…