cheekwood in the springtime ...

I've done sessions at Cheekwood in the past, but last Saturday was my first spring Cheekwood experience. It did not disappoint – spring has most definitely sprung in Middle Tennessee.

Mark and his children, Taijana and Taren, were excited to get for the session – as was I, because aligning schedules had been quite a challenge. Both children are very active in sports, and that means most weekends are spent shuttling between soccer fields and basketball courts. Honestly, I'm not sure how most parents do it. Trotter wears me out, and he's just a dog. :)

Taren was really, really excited to be in front of a lens. Without question, he is the most camera-friendly young man I've had the honor of photographing. Need a pose? No problem! In fact, don't need a pose but want to see one anyway? Taren's the man!



Taijana is a freshman this year and is a pretty accomplished basketball player. I wonder if Pat Summitt reads this blog? If she does – and I'm not saying she does, but maybe – I hope she remembers this post, and calls me when "Tay" is on her Final Four team in a few years. After all, I like press passes for sporting events. :)



We had a fun afternoon by all accounts, and I think Mark and the kids are thrilled with their photos. And we ended the session with my patented "Make Everyone Jump Off A Wall" maneuver ... it never fails to entertain!

Puppies and Bubbles

Two of my favorite subjects: puppies and children.



Westhaven held a "Bubbles on the Great Lawn" event recently, where toddlers and their parents were invited to enjoy a nice, spring morning blowing bubbles outside the Residents' Center. I think the kids had more fun running around and burning energy, while the moms were enjoying the bubble soap and generally happy to see their kids tire themselves out. :)



Good friends, great weather and license to run around – can you imagine a better morning?



The only thing that would trump it – a nine-week-old Goldendoodle puppy!



You may have heard that I have a doodle myself; I don't talk about him much. (Ha ha) A neighbor fell in love with Trotter, and called me last week to say that they took the plunge, and brought home little Obie. We took Trotter down to Chess Park to meet him, and it was quite the scene ... Obie's obviously learning about how to deal with other dogs, and it's got to be a tough lesson when everyone is bigger than you:



Trotter's a big boy, and I think Obie was more than a little intimidated. Amina had to put Obie on top of Trotter, and once that happened, they got along well. Obie smelled like puppy breath, which I think should be bottled and sold as a cologne or an Airwick air freshener scent.

His teeth were puppy sharp and he always rolled over on his back – he knows he's not the boss of anyone yet. He looks just like Trotter did when he was a pup, and I almost – almost – did a straight-up trade. :)

Winston!

With a smile like that, no wonder Winston was the big hit of my recent photoshoot!

My neighbors Terry and Trina asked me to photography their son, Lance, and his girlfriend, Katherine, over Spring Break ... but the real star of the shoot was Winston, their year-old basset hound. Winston's a drool machine, a deep barker and three times as long as he is tall. His ears drag on the ground and when he's done walking, he'll just up and stop, however far you are from home, and refuse to continue unless he's carried the rest of the way.

Needless to say, he's a charmer. :)



We had a great time, and our neighborhood – like the rest of middle Tennessee – is just on the edge of full-fledged spring bloom. We hit a few of our favorite Westhaven spots, and of course ended up by the fountain, where Winston was just about finished ... it's funny – kids and dogs all seem to have about a 45-minute limit to how cute they'll be on command.

I think Lance, Katherine, Terry and Trina all were happy with the results. And Winston? It was the most Beggin' Strips he'd ever eaten in one afternoon.