Category: Family

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Blog Children Family Pets Portrait Sessions Rambling Self-exploration

The Hiccup in My Brain

Pano of the portrait garden

I woke up this morning different. As always with me in February, I begin to get a little moody. I’ve always blamed it on the lack of sunshine or of being outside less often. If I don’t watch myself, I begin to care less about the things that are important to me; I begin just passing time.

As the temperature fell be a degree or two, I looked out the window and began to see the heavy raindrops turn to sleet and then, to snow. And as the snowflakes fell lightly to the ground, it seemed as though something in my thinking seemed lighter, maybe fresher? By the time I got to work, I felt entirely different from the day before. I was making lists and looking forward to the weekend. I was planning my next craft project and looking forward to making dinner tonight.

How is it that a little snow could change my whole attitude? Am I so shallow that it took an abrupt change in the weather’s pattern to shift my perspective? Why do I feel so useless, at times, when trying to gain the upper hand with my emotions?

Change, whether good or bad, can be construed as positive, in that it opens up our mind to possibilities that we couldn’t contrive before. What I experienced this morning was a simple jump start for my brain. I’m sure I could have found other ways to achieve this, such as taking my dog for a walk or visiting a sick neighbor.

Bertrand Russell said, “In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth: will you not be aware of it?”

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Avoiding work
Pano of the portrait garden
Pano of the portrait garden
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Blog Children Family Rambling Self-exploration

Taking inventory

Instead of setting some goals for myself this year, I decided to take stock of my life. With everything I do, I ask myself why am I doing this? What is my main motivation? For instance, I might ask myself why am I cleaning the house today? No one is making me, so why do it? Is this really all I have to do today? It’s not like there’s bacteria growing under and between things. It’s not that I enjoy it that much. Do I do it because it’s expected of me? If someone sees it dirty, what might they think of me? This is the dialogue I have with myself a lot lately, and I’m not liking hearing what I’m saying.

If my main motivation of doing anything is to keep up this facade, this perfect person I want to display to the world, how will I ever know the real person inside? You might argue that becoming a better person is a good motivator. But, what if that ambition to be a better this or a better that makes us blind to how we’ve manipulated those around us? Getting what we want, in essence, has stolen away some really great relationships. Returning to the cleaning house analogy, what if I kept the cleanest house in town, but I’ve distanced my family, because I got mad every time something was set out of place?

I’m reminded of the question that brought me here. Why don’t I enjoy life more? Is it because I’ve filled it with a lot of things I think need to get done.
How many of us go through the day checking things off a list. How many of us have grown weary because we’ve followed the same list for so long? Grocery shopping on Monday, Bible study on Wednesday, date night with hubby on Friday, try to impress the boss today, make this month’s budget in order to have something to put in college fund, and so on and so forth. All those things are really good, but if we’re doing the same things the same way all the time, we could forget why we’re doing them. Have we forgotten that every day is a blessing, and we have some latitude as to which way it should go. You say you’ve never been good at navigation?
How about daydreaming? But isn’t that a waste of time. Try telling that to Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Albert Einstein or Adele? All admit to daydreaming. So, what’s stopping you, except for that careful plan you laid out for yourself. You better be careful; life might pass you by.

This week I’m looking at the book of Ecclesiastes, and here’s what King Solomon, the smartest man ever had to say about life, “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered.”

A better question to ask myself before doing anything might be, “Does this have any eternal value? Or does this simply help make me a busy person?”
In the words of King Solomon, (I’m paraphrasing here) “It’s not the end of the world. Don’t sweat it!”

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Middlebrook

Let us raise our flags together in unity.

Golden Retriever and winner of the "Awesomest Dog in the Universe" Award frolics in bluebonnets.

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Blog Family Portrait Sessions Rambling Weddings

Photographer Needed

When people find out that our oldest, Jessica, is getting married, invariably one of the questions they ask is, “Who’s going to be the photographer?” Her father will be walking her down the aisle, after all. But, before we ever get to that point, Greg’s been able to do for her what he’s done for so many other brides over the past twenty five years. Because, what many brides want nowadays is the whole experience caught on camera, not just the wedding.

Jessica is fortunate to have a wonderful fiancee who recognizes the importance of capturing life’s moments on camera, big and little. So, they have pictures of the moment he proposed atop a mountain in Utah. Since then, we’ve taken many more of their story together. Some for the “Save the Date” cards, some more of their engagement, and a few in between. There will undoubtedly be many taken on the actual wedding day. Most of these Greg will take, but we’re not sure who’ll be taking pictures during the actual ceremony. The album we layout for a newly married couple is very appropriately called a “Storybook.” Here’s a small montage of Jessica and Grant’s story so far. patterson_9822_nocrop 700_9740 700_8927a photo1 photo5photo1

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Blog Children Family Portrait Sessions Rambling

So, What Have We Lost?

While perusing new book titles on Amazon I saw one that caught my attention. What could a book titled “The End of Absence” be about? I wondered. The first thing I thought of was that the opposite of absent is present, right? So, was this another self-improvement book about how to stay present? I didn’t need to read another one of those, but I had to know what was “ending” exactly. I wasn’t intrigued enough to pay to read the book, but I did read a few reviews. Here’s the gist of what I got from a few of them.

fun in the portrait garden
fun in the portrait garden

The author describes the society that we’re in now as one being void of any new or creative thoughts. Because of the internet, we’ve allowed Google to do our thinking for us. We drag ourselves out of bed each morning to see what’s new on Facebook and end the day by checking our email one last time. And, in between, we’ve posted any number of pictures and videos, some our own, some we share.
Do we remember as youngsters daydreaming while looking out the window? Or, how about imagining that a cloud looks like an elephant? Does today’s generation have time for getting lost in their thoughts?
But, before getting too lost in this sentimental journey, I recall how I reminisced with an old friend I’d just reconnected with on Facebook. And, that recipe I got from a blogger in Canada was really good. I’ve gained so much through digital technology, it’s hard to imagine life without it anymore.
In fact, I can’t pinpoint exactly what we’ve lost, except our childhood. For those of us who are middle-aged, we tend to feel nostalgic about the simple joys of rolling in the grass or splashing in rain puddles. We wonder why our kids want to spend more time on the computer than they do outside. The next generation will feel the same way when they remember the first digital diary they created from a family vacation or come across the first selfie they ever took.
I’m going to pass on this book; it won’t tell me much I don’t already know about the growing number of hours we spend on the internet. I’ll try to spend that time instead by staying close to the people I love. And, if that’s through Facebook or Skype, so be it.

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Blog Children Family Graduating Seniors Portrait Sessions

To Photoshop or Not to Photoshop?

That is not really the question. In today’s society, we all do a little tweaking with our pictures. With the ability to change and enhance at our fingertips, it’s hard not to. We’ve been engineered to like beauty; our eyes are drawn to it. Companies plan their ad campaigns based on it. Beautiful ads sell!

True beauty is different, though. True beauty is what happens when someone smiles without inhibition. Photoshop can’t create true beauty.

Daniel as a child posing like a "power ranger" showing off his true self.
Daniel as a child posing like a “power ranger” showing off his true self.
Daniel as a high school senior just being himself.
Daniel as a high school senior just being himself.

Fortunately, we see a lot of beautiful people at our studio. My husband is a good photographer, but he’s also good at bringing out a person’s natural beauty. Do we photoshop our images? Yes, absolutely, but it’s a collaborative process between us and the client. Oftentimes, if a client doesn’t like that mole or the gap in their teeth, we encourage them to leave it untouched. Those “flaws” are what make you, well you! Looking back on my own children’s pictures from years ago, I love that my son made his “Power Ranger” pose for every picture. And, I’d never want to change my daughter’s oversized front teeth. (She did finally grow into them.)

So let’s all agree to celebrate the true beauty within.  Even the most reserved of our clients walk away from a portrait session looking and feeling beautiful.  To those who haven’t had that experience yet, we’d love an opportunity to showcase your “true beauty.”

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Blog Family

Is it Christmas, Already?

Portrait of sweet family of five taken by Greg Patterson
Portrait of sweet family of five taken by Greg Patterson
Portrait of sweet family of five taken by Greg Patterson
Portrait of sweet family of five taken by Greg Patterson

Before you start decking the halls and hanging ice sickle lights, no it’s not already Christmas… but it sure feels that way.  Time has a way of zipping past us.

Back in October of 2013, my family first started planning our Disney World trip to be taken eight months later in June of 2014.  Last year we thought the day would never come.  Months of anticipation and arranging schedules had to be endured, and now it is ancient history.  Maybe not ancient history, but it has already been more than a month since we have returned from that long anticipated trip.

Yes, time goes by at an alarming rate.  And although we have five more months until Christmas, soon I’ll be writing another one of these blog posts saying how it came and went too fast.

A friend of mine said that the relative sense of “time flying” is directly related to how much fun you are having.  So, the next time you are having a lot of fun, remember to pause and enjoy it.   Because it will zip past you in a blink.

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Beautiful Christmas Cards of a sweet family of five created by G. Patterson Studio.
Beautiful Christmas Cards of a sweet family of five created by G. Patterson Studio.

And since you brought it up 🙂  …..  Summer is a great time to take family portraits to be used on your Christmas Cards.  Our studio will do all the heavy lifting when it comes to designing the perfect card for your family.  It’s just up to you to schedule.  We don’t want you to find yourself stressing at the last minute to get it all done.  So call today.  936-569-7116  It could be Christmas in July!

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Blog Children Family Rambling Tips & Tricks

Hey now! It’s not as bad as it sounds.

"Photographers are violent people. First they frame you, then they shoot you, then they hang you on the wall."
"Photographers are violent people. First they frame you, then they shoot you, then they hang you on the wall."
"Photographers are violent people. First they frame you, then they shoot you, then they hang you on the wall."
“Photographers are violent people. First they frame you, then they shoot you, then they hang you on the wall.”

I love this quote.  I wish I knew the author so I could compliment them on their wittiness.

Truth be told, when you’re in the hands of a true professional, a photographer is anything but violent.  If anything, a photographer, as well as the photo session, should be FUN, EXCITING, MEMORABLE … and above all – PAINLESS.  At least, that’s how we feel.

A family of four enjoying a reality moment as parents laugh and kids run around.
A family of four enjoying a reality moment as parents laugh and kids run around.

We are often asked what age child is the hardest to photograph.  My response is always the same, “a 40 year old man.”  Kids are easy… OK, most kids are easy.  If you get down on their level and play with them, you’ll have an instant buddy.  Moms are the best.  They are usually the ones coordinating the whole shindig, so they are a photographer’s greatest ally.  Dads, on the other hand, take a little more finesse.  But if we get them talking about their latest fishing or hunting exploit, or maybe last night’s game, then he stops thinking about the camera and starts having fun.

A photographer might seem a bit intimidating (or even violent) to those that have never had professional photos taken, but I assure you that anyone who visits our studio is in for a treat.  Our goal is for all who enter our studio as clients leave as friends.  And that won’t happen unless we show you a good time.

We’d love to show your family a good time and exactly how painless a professional portrait session can be.

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Blog Family Travel

About a boy

Nathan Patterson sits in the shelter of a rock.
Nathan Patterson sits in the shelter of a rock.
Nathan Patterson sits in the shelter of a rock.
Nathan Patterson sits in the shelter of a rock.

No, this isn’t a movie review; it’s about my son. He’s at camp this week, and, boy, was I looking forward to some time away from him. I had become fed up with putting up with his “teenagerness.” I know that’s not a word, but every parent with a teenager knows that’s synonymous with lazy, selfish, withdrawn and moody.

Photos of Cindy and family in Zion National Park in Utah
Photos of Cindy and family in Zion National Park in Utah

But, this week while he was gone, I was going to use the time to devise a plan to “fix” him. As my thoughts turned to the things I could do to change him, I began wondering what he might be doing right now, maybe eating breakfast? Maybe tidying up his tent? At least he wouldn’t be playing a video game. So, how could I keep him from playing them so much when he got back? That seemed to be a constant struggle between the two of us.

I began thinking about how he had helped with VBS at our church the week before. And, before that, hadn’t he participated in a missions project? All of this, without complaining? I began missing him and wondering why I couldn’t feel so favorably toward him when we were together. Maybe our strained relationship had more to do with me than with him. I could be critical to the point where I begin feeding my own negativity. In my mind, I had him going from video game-playing teenager to college dropout living on skid row overnight.

I’m excited, now, about him coming home, because I feel that it’s not too late to work on our relationship. I’m going to practice positive thinking every day, so I can recognize when a negative thought enters my mind. Yes, he is growing up fast, but that should not make me fearful. These upcoming years could be some of the best ones of his life! And, I might just have a little something to do with that.

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Blog Children Family Rambling Travel

Disney World Magic

Magical family memories made with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
Magical family memories made with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
Magical family memories made with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
Magical family memories made with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

My family recently got back from a FANTASTICAL trip to Disney World.  We were able to enjoy seven magical days of Disney parks despite it being Florida’s rainiest month.  (About that… When the rains come, you can either get upset or you can act like a kid just playing in the rain and splashing in puddles.  We chose the latter.)

The few hours we slept were at one of Disney’s newest resorts “The Art of Animation” – (unbelievably awesome!).  We arrived at the parks early each morning and didn’t leave till close.  My daughters, ages 8, 5, and 2 were so hopped up on pixie dust, we were able to stay through the oh-so-fun magic hours.  This is when most of the crowd has gone home, and the park remains open only to those staying in a Disney resort.

From morning to midnight, magical memories made with great characters and castles.
From morning to midnight, magical memories made with great characters and castles.

During this two hour span, my girls and I went from ride to ride non-stop.  And when it was finally time to leave the Magic Kingdom, we would pause in front of Cinderella’s castle as she bid us good night, then sleepily stroll down Main Street, basking in the glow of lights and recalling the day’s adventures.

The memories my family made that week will forever be etched in my mind.  Too many memories to recount in a single sitting.  But just a close of my eyes, and I’m instantly transported back there riding Splash Mountain with my girls, hearing my oldest giggle about how she is always the one that gets soaked at the end of the ride; or I’m outside Gaston’s Tavern laughing at his hilarious mixture of comedic arrogance and charm; or I’m hearing my 2 year old’s sweet voice exclaim, “Mickey Mouse!” as she sees him for the very first time.

Magical family memories made at Disney's Magic Kingdom.
Magical family memories made at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Our children are young for such a short time.  I plan on making the most of these moments and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Have you created any special memories with your family lately?  I’d love to hear your family’s stories.

 

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Blog Family Portrait Sessions

Is there a better way to start your day?

The Middlebrook Family plays instruments for their family portraits by Greg Patterson.
The Middlebrook Family plays instruments for their family portraits by Greg Patterson.

Amy Middlebrook is sure to be one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet.  Her nature is pure and genuine, and she is a delight to be near.  So when she called and asked Greg to capture photos of her family, we jumped at the opportunity.

Like with our other clients, we first asked Amy if there was something in particular she had in mind for the portrait.  She mentioned that her family was musical and enjoyed getting together from time to time to just strum a little.  Could we photograph something that captured this aspect of her family?  Of course the answer was “yes,” and the wheels in Greg’s imagination begin to turn.

The morning of her session, we gathered onto the porch of the Hardeman House, just around the corner from our studio, eager to see what musical moments we could create.  What followed was such an emotionally and spiritually stirring event.  George and Amy kicked it off, softly playing the guitar and mandolin and adding in some vocal harmony.  Their son delicately joined in on the ukulele.  Soon the street was echoing with their rising voices.  They were singing to God.  The sound was tender, yet powerful.  It was heartwarming to notice each of the little smiles, nods and quick glances they gave one another.  To hear this sweet family that morning was incredibly uplifting and wonderful to experience.  To see them relate to each other the way they did was quite moving.

Usually we are the ones trying to provide the memorable experience for our clients.  But on that day, we were treated.  Every time I see the beautiful portraits of Amy’s family, I will be reminded of how I felt that special morning.  It was only 30 minutes, but I will carry that memory with me for years… and I am thankful.