Photo Specials, Gift Certificates at Holiday Fair in Davenport – 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10

Since a few of us already have lights up around the house (yes, you know who you are!) we can all focus on the holidays, right? So, what better way to start than attending a super-cool, one-of-a-kind Holiday Fair, featuring none other that yours truly!  I’ll have information on some exciting Photo Specials, including a unique Photo Charity Project I’m starting up that will help area children, as well as GIFT CERTIFICATES for sale. The info is below, so come on out and get your shopping done early this year!

Of course I won’t be the only one there. Some incredible area women representing Arbonne International, Tastefully Simple, Signature Home Styles and more will also be there with some neat goodies, drawings and FREE FOOD!

Sailor & Mate ~ Poodle Pictures

It is a little known fact perhaps that what spearheaded my interest in photography were animals – specifically sea turtles and horses. So when Louise in East Moline called me up to do a pet photography session of her poodles Sailor and Mate I was excited for something different. Sailor is 3; Mate is 8. It may be hard to tell them apart in the photos but they were well behaved, friendly, and doing their shoot – done at Duck Creek Park – was a lot of fun.

Oh sun flare, how I love thee!

Tina, Baron and the Boys

My friend Tina has been trying to schedule a photo shoot with me for a year, and finally -  amidst her and her family’s busy schedule - we made it happen last week when we met up at Devils Glen Park in Bettendorf. Joining her were her husband Baron, their two teenage boys, Dylan (left) and Kyle,  and family dogs Julia (left) and Gunner. Here’s a glimpse:

And my favorites of Baron and Tina — I love it when couples who have been together for years photograph like this:

Child Wonderment

Once upon a time we were all children, and fascinated by the most simplest of things – a stick, a rock, a leaf. Emilye reminded me of that during our session earlier this week. 

Her mother and I met met up at John Deere’s main campus in Moline, where Emilye – who turns 2 in December – walked around eager to uncover the curious nature that surrounded her.

She would pick up a stick or a rock and inspect it like it was a mystery to be solved or a jewel she wanted to share. 

And for a moment in time Emilye owned the world – the trees, the sky, the water – and blended with nature’s colors.

Katie & Ben ~ Finally Reunited

After a year in Iraq, Ben returned home on Oct. 8 ready for real life and most importantly his wife, Katie.

I photographed Katie and the couple’s dog, Ellie, this past summer as part of Operation: Love Reunited, for active-duty military serving overseas and their families. Katie and Ben, who live in Dixon, Illinois, and I finally met up in Davenport this past weekend for a reunion session.

Here’s a glimpse of the soldier and his lady:

Simple Structures

It is easy for me to take for granted the simple structures I’ve seen or driven by thousands of times. But after talking to Peter McDermott, I got a glimpse of the hard labor that went into creating such buildings. Peter, who has owned his own construction business for 30 years, took me around Moline recently. Earlier in the spring, I had a chance to photograph some of his residential projects. This time he asked me to shoot some of his commercial achievements, such as the greenhouse on Riverside Park.

Peter (the Paul McCartney look-a-like) asked for a photo with the man in charge before we left.

As we drove around, we ended up at Moline High School where Peter was responsible for building the ticket booth in front of the track. If you go there, you’ll see his name on the plaque.

‘09 March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

Last Wednesday I had an opportunity to photograph the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction for a second year. There was some changes this time, the obvious one being a new venue – the QC Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf to showcase the event’s Around the World theme: 

There was a bit of culture showcased on stage – traditional and contemporary African, Indian and Native American dances, along with a jazz ensemble in the lobby:

Nearby the jazz ensemble were tables of silent auction items - including lots of wine, hotel stays, gift certificates from area restaurants, polo shirts, purses, car washes, oil changes, tickets to area museums, theatre tickets, photo packages by me and more.

Off to the side, was an ice sculpture of the March of Dimes logo. 

Like last year, I couldn’t tell you what I ate but I liked nearly everything I tasted. This year was no different except there were more dishes and they were all sooo good!!  Also, kudos to Chef Angela Pobanz of Bass Street Chop House for remembering that I am vegetarian and whipping up a meatless plate for me.

Rose Goodding-Robinson, a certified nurse-midwife, was given special recognition at the evening’s event for her work in developing the first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the Quad Cities. Well deserved!

Now for the action of the live auction.

Just to highlight a few photos below, this live auction was a hit thanks to the wickedly awesome auctioneering talents of Jana Stenzel of Stenzel Auction (top left). One of the lucrative items being auctioned off was a football signed by Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz (middle left) along with press box seats at the Iowa-Minnesota game in Iowa City on Nov. 21. Troy and Kasi, (center) whose family photos I took earlier this year, were winners of the Ellen DeGeneres package, which includes tickets from AirTran (Lucky them!). Steve Ketelaar of KUUL 101.3 FM served as the evening’s emcee (right center) and March of Dimes Division Director Deena Bradford (bottom left) had the honors of presenting a live auction package. And back to Jana (bottom right) who was successful in selling identical packages to a man who lost a bid.

Last but not least, the event can’t be ended without recognizing Grant, this year’s Ambassador Child. His parents Jeff and Linda presented a slideshow telling their story about Grant being born 9 weeks early and the emotions surrounding his difficult birth and ultimate road home as a newborn. Even though it was past his bedtime, the 5-year-old took a moment to hug a few generous donors. In the final tally, $62,000 was raised from the evening’s event!

Jean & Justin ~ Wedding

Jean was her usual cheerful, down-to-earth self in the morning. Her bridesmaids and mother helped her dress without fanfare. She joked about not having decided on the jewelry ahead of time. She was carefree and full of good humor in the hours before marrying Justin.

But in the doorway to the sanctuary where her parents and grandparents also wed, Jean stood with her father and heard the emotion in his voice. She turned to him and felt the tears fall down her face. This was her day, her moment – and Justin was at the end to join her.

In less than an hour, Jean and Justin began to celebrate their love with family and friends.

This is my husband, Jean proudly told her guests at the receiving line as she turned to Justin.

And here is how their wedding day unfolded:

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In the days before the big day, Jean learned her original hairdresser would be unavailable. Luckily, Hair Designs in Davenport was able to step in:

Then it was off to Hairazors Salon & Spa for makeup.

Excitement and laughter in the church…

My assistant Linda took these shots of Justin, who looked ready in no time.

And then…

Standing before Jean, her father and Justin, were her home pastor and Jean’s aunt and uncle – both pastors in Wisconsin.

Afterward, we did photos in the church, and this is one of my favorites of the day.

They took off for a ride in a classic old Ford before heading to the reception at
The Moline Club.

 A glimpse of the reception…

And the First Dance…

Jean and Justin, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your joyous day! Enjoy your time in beautiful Colorado! 

Wedding Key Notes:

Hair:  Hair Designs, Davenport (Marcene Voyles, Stylist)

Makeup: Hairazors Salon & Spa, Bettendorf (Molly Chambliss, Esthetician)

Ceremony: First Congregational Church, Moline

Invitations: Target 

Officiants: Thomas & Debbie Payden, First Congregational United Church of Christ, South Milwaukee, WI;  Rev. Allen Mothershed, First Congregational Church, Moline 

Reception: The Moline Club

Flowers: Julie’s Artistic Rose, Moline

DJ: RJS Productions, Quad Cities

Cake: Sweet-Perfections

Photographer: Accent Photographics (me!)

A Walk on the Bike Path ~ Family

After a weeklong of gloomy, cold weather, Sunday turned out to be a perfect day for a walk – and a Holiday Card photo shoot with Jeff, Tami and their two children, Elisabeth and Matthew. Montana, the lab the couple has had since before the kids came, also joined us. The family lives near the bike path in Bettendorf, and people were out and about enjoying the fresh fall air. Our session took us off the side of the bike path and along Duck Creek. Here’s a glimpse of my time with them:

A Fine Affair DJ

A few weeks ago during Christina and Brenton’s wedding ceremony I saw a petite young woman sitting on the grass. She arrived in street clothes and hooked up the audio equipment. The next thing I knew she had done a Superman-speedlike of a wardrobe change into a simple black dress. It didn’t occur to me until I saw her later that she the reception DJ! 

Heather Olson – who shared some info about her business – previously did event planning for many years, and her husband Tim was a sound and music guy. They married in 2005. 

When we got married…we had a really hard time finding music for our wedding. Everyone we called was telling us all about how they would knock our guests’ socks off, but we were envisioning a low-key afternoon cocktail party for 50 people, and didn’t really want our socks knocked off!  

So last year Tim and Heather started A Fine Affair DJ. Since then the Cedar Rapids couple has taken their DJ’ing talents by storm all over Eastern Iowa, with a gig planned in Tampa, Florida later this fall. 

We started the company with the goal of doing for other brides & grooms exactly what we wanted when we got married.  The business grew so rapidly we both left our full- time jobs within a few months and we haven’t looked back since!  We have 5 other DJs working for us now as well, and this wedding season we did 3 or 4 weddings each weekend.  We anticipate that growing to 6 or 7 next year, based on the rate at which we’re currently we’re booking.  

Heather said they are always on the lookout for fresh, creative ideas when attending DJ conferences (I never knew there were such things!) and reading wedding books and magazines. This summer A Fine Affair DJ was also named the KCRG A-List winner for Best Wedding Music in Eastern Iowa.

To get a small glimpse of what the Olsons can do, here’s a few reception photos from Christina and Brenton’s wedding, as well as a screen capture of A Fine Affair’s website, featuring the couple’s first dance.

Congrats to Heather and Tim on their continued success!