Category: Travel

The Newest Gift Shop in Nac

Post author By cpatterson
Post date November 2, 2018
No Comments on The Newest Gift Shop in Nac

House of Photography {Gifts + Photos + Classes}

A Year of Change
We get a lot of questions these days about the changes we’ve made at the studio. One is, “Why would you want to change the name of your business from G Patterson Photography Studio to House of Photography?” and “What is this I hear about you selling gifts?” or “You can teach me photography?”

This year certainly has been a year of change with our small town business. For the past 25 years, we have been photographers. Pretty simple! Photography has changed dramatically the past 10 years. The idea of who and what a photographer has changed as well. But to answer the questions in very broad terms, the reason for this change is that we see Nacogdoches undergoing many positive changes and we wanted to be part of that effort, making this town we call home the best it can be. Utilizing our talents as photographers, experience in graphic design plus the love and ability to create unique products has allowed us to “think outside the box!”

25 Years of Professional Photography
There’s many things we do right at House of Photography like capturing professional photographs, providing beautiful surroundings and backdrops for those photos, great customer service, and the ability to finish the art with professionally printed portraits worthy to hang on your wall. This is our passion and will continue to be our focus! We LOVE creating photos that make you love the way you look.

Learning Photography from a Pro
We’ve even put our expert knowledge of photography to work by teaching people of all ages the basics of photography in both our kids photography camps and adult photography classes. Just this year we have taught almost 100 people through our photography classes. Adult classes run throughout the year with new classes pretty much every month. If you want to know how to use your camera or how to see like a photographer, these classes were designed to get you started. They are FUN, FUN, FUN! You can see our current class offerings by visiting https://houseofphotography.as.me/learnphotography.

We ❤️ Nacogdoches and SFA! Introducing the Newest Gift Store in Nacogdoches
With our love for this town we proudly call home along with our favorite university-SFA, we embarked on a venture, an idea really to help promote what makes this place so unique. We want to highlight the history of Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas! We also want to shine a light on some of our local talent, artists, and makers. All of this wrapped up together led us to rename, rebrand, and build something totally unique.

With twenty-five years of experience in photography, you wouldn’t be surprised to find an overarching theme to just that. Some of the photography related gifts include camera stickers, camera patches, camera straps, camera bags, etc. We have scenic Nacogdoches photographs for purchase by local photographer Wendy Floyd; also, some great photography including Big Bend and our local Goodman Bridge prior to being moved to Pecan Park.

Nacogdoches Gifts, SFA Gifts, Gifts for Men, Photography Gifts, etc…
Because our town boasts such diverse talent, we also have bath products, wood carvings, coffee mugs, drink coasters and jewelry made right here, all of which make great gifts! You’ll find whimsical products like camera purses, camera bubble blowers, t-shirts, hats and unique and award winning greeting cards, Nacogdoches post cards, SFA post cards, as well as other products devoted to SFA. All these together with a handful of supplies for the amateur photographer combine to create a collection of unique and fun gifts.

When you leave House of Photography, we hope you’ll tell others of the unique experience you had here; but, also, a sense of deja vu as we’ve chosen black and white prints from the past 100 years to decorate our walls and help bring a little recognition and prestige to SFA and the beautiful town it which it calls home.

The quaintness and attention to personal detail you receive in shops like the ones in downtown Nacogdoches is a real appeal. So, we hope you’ll drop in and experience all the changes we’ve made. You can even leave with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee while the weather’s cold.

New Hours
One last note, from now until Christmas, we will be open Monday 11 am to 4 pm, Tuesday-Friday 10 am to 5:30 pm and Saturday 11 am to 4 pm.

Tags antiques, Bruce Cunningham, coffee, gift shop, gifts, House of Photography, Mason Jar Shirts, merchandise, Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches CVB, products, SFA

Blog Photo Gear Rambling Self-exploration Travel

New Mexico, Land of Enchantment

Post author By cpatterson
Post date August 3, 2017
No Comments on New Mexico, Land of Enchantment

Okay, so Greg and I traveled to New Mexico last week for a backpacking trip in the mountains…well, and to sample the awesome cuisine! It’s in the name, right? New MEXICO? Who knew driving just one state over could take as long as it would’ve taken to get to Florida if we’d gone in the opposite direction. Or, pretty close.

When going backpacking, one does not just throw stuff into their backpack and go, Greg tells me. It takes an enormous amount of planning (and half of what REI has to offer, apparently.) When packing, a good rule of thumb is to not pack more than what your back can handle! It’s not rocket science, but it does require you to ask such questions as, “Do I really need a coat or can I get by with a fleece jacket?” or “How small amount of food can sustain me each day?” Thankfully, this wasn’t our first rodeo, so we knew that skimping in these areas could make for a tortuous trip!

Greg could’ve easily left his camera and tripod and extra lens at home, but would Dr. Who leave his screwdriver? or Dora leave her backpack? or Ernie his Rubber Duckie? Boy, was I glad we weren’t relying on my rinky-dink camera to give us those awesome shots of our epic vacation. So, below are two sets of pictures from the same trip. I bet you can tell which ones are Greg’s and which are mine.

Being in a place like New Mexico surrounded by the beauty of it’s landscapes, structures and nature, you understand Georgia O’Keeffe when she said, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way…things I had no words for.”

Besides our backpacking adventure, we visited the towns of Albuquerque, Taos and, lastly, Santa Fe. Did you know Santa Fe has over 250 art galleries as well as a variety of museums and performing arts? By the end, I’d seen so much raw beauty in nature and in the renderings of so many painters, sculptures, photographers and other craftsmen, I felt full. In fact, gluttonous to the point of feeling selfish. I wanted to share something of my own world before I left their world.

Driving home, I thought of my own little “neck of the woods.” And, in my woods the trees are tall and beautiful and stay green all year. And, the ground is lush with grasses and gardens. We should all be inspired wherever we go and by whatever we see. We should want to come back from our travels and, “Bloom where we are planted.” God created me just the way I am to the family and place I was born. Who am I to argue about anything?

So, the food wasn’t Mexican food I’m accustomed to having in East Texas. The most popular restaurants seemed to be the ones that served “New Mexican,” and your waiter asks if you want red or green chile. It did not disappoint!

Tags beautiful, East Texas, G. Patterson, g. patterson studio, Nacogdoches, New Mexico, Photographer, travel

Blog Graduating Seniors News Travel Workshops, Seminars & Talks

Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful

Post author By cpatterson
Post date July 3, 2017
No Comments on Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful

G Patterson Studio owners and volunteers pose with Katie Blevins in recognition of the Nacogdocehes Landscape Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce)

It’s been three years since we visited Park Cities, Utah. In my mind, it’s a city that will always be synonymous with beautiful. Besides its terraced landscape and grandiose vistas, it was clean. I don’t just mean absent of trash on the roadways, but attention-to-detail clean. We’re talking yards mowed, hedges clipped and roads swept. There were no garish signs on poles; in fact, there were few poles of any kind at all. Maybe it was the way the sun set in the sky or, simply, because I was on vacation, but I was happy. It felt like I’d just stepped into the Technicolor “Wizard of Oz.”

Until I visited this town, I wouldn’t have imagined how the aesthetics of a city could truly make or break a tourist’s experience. Nacogdoches is home to many tourists each year. Many of them come because of our designation as the Garden Capital of Texas. Our city’s university, businesses, civic groups and many individuals have worked well together to help create that designation. We should be proud of these efforts and for the difference it’s made in our parks, paths, and gardens.

Luke Stanley surrounded by his Eagle Scout project in the SFA garden. The labyrinth was finished spring 2017. (Photo by Greg Patterson, G Patterson Studio & Gallery)

G Patterson Studio owners and volunteers pose with Katie Blevins in recognition of the Nacogdocehes Landscape Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce) — G Patterson Studio owners and volunteers pose with Katie Blevins in recognition of the 2017 Nacogdocehes Landscape Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce)

When I see the improvements to our parks or the flower boxes downtown or the new labyrinth at SFA’s trail system at University Dr. and Starr, I’m inspired to play a part. We recently received the Landscape Leadership award by Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful for the initiative we took in establishing our portrait garden in downtown Nacogdoches. It was bestowed on us due to the efforts made by my parents and other volunteers; it’s because of their concerted efforts, I realize that “many hands make light work.”

If you want to be part of the change but don’t know what to do or where to go, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful is a great place to begin. KNB implements programs to clean up litter, reduce and recycle waste, encourage individual responsibility and beautify and enhance the local community. KNB’s volunteers have done this so well they were named a Gold Star Affiliate by Keep Texas Beautiful, a designation conferred on just 66 of KTB’s more than 395 affiliates in 2017. At www.keepnacbeautiful.org, you’ll see exactly what they do and many different ways you, or you and your family, or you and your co-workers can get involved.

There’ve been many positive changes made to our city, but noo one will tell you it’s easy. Wouldn’t it be worth it, though, to be able to say, “We’re proud of Nacogdoches and how beautiful it is?” To be the town that everyone else blogs about? I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend but alongside friends helping clean and beautify Nacogdoches. It all starts with you!

Blog Children Events Family Portrait Sessions Rambling Travel Weddings

One great afternoon in Nacogdoches

Post author By cpatterson
Post date April 29, 2015
No Comments on One great afternoon in Nacogdoches

HALPIN FAMILY-This weekend we met with two families we hadn’t seen for a few years. They’d each been a part of Nacogdoches for different reasons. The Halpins came, as many do, to SFA to further their studies. In fact, both Michael and April were students of Greg’s in the Communications Dept. They asked Greg to photograph their wedding here in Nacogdoches fifteen years ago.

Conditt Family-A portrait session in the Ruby Mize Azalea Garden brought Becky’s family together this weekend. Though Becky and her daughter have lived away from Nacogdoches for awhile, Clint calls it home, for now. We reminisced about how Sabina, during her portrait session when just 4 years old, was happier to pull the flowers than pose for the camera. When Greg finally got her attention, she looked up angelically still with fists full of flowers.

Later, as I reflect on all of this, I’m happy to have shared some important moments with them, and for the opportunity to reconnect. I think about other people and families who we’ve built relationships along the way, and how this small town brings us together at different times and for all kinds of reasons. It seems that we’ve changed so much more than has the town. Sure, many businesses and restaurants have come and gone, and many of the people who were once here have moved on. But, much of it is still the same, and that’s comforting especially to those who’ve been away for awhile.

Many, many years ago, a college town became our home away from home when we came from Dallas to attend SFA. Although we didn’t intend it, Nacogdoches became home when we started our family. Now, as our kids are turning into adults and moving away, I can’t imagine living elsewhere. Sure, we talk about all the fun and exciting locations where we might move upon retirement, but this will always be the spot to which we come back. After all, what better place to spend an afternoon with friends and family.

Tags 2015, anniversary, children, East Texas, family, flowers, fun, G. Patterson, g. patterson studio, garden, greg patterson, Nacogdoches, Photographer, Portraits, professional, wedding

Blog Family Travel

About a boy

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

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.

Tags family, mother, patterson, personal growth, relationship, son

Blog Children Family Rambling Travel

Disney World Magic

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.

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.

Tags creating, disney world, family, florida, magic, memories

Blog Tips & Tricks Travel

Stretching your LIFE

My Friday started with a visit to a physical therapist as I have been having pain in my right shoulder. Max, my PT described how a slight injury can result in so much pain and tightening of everything that is needed to make the shoulder work as it should. The process of getting it back into shape involves routine heating, stretching and cooling. If you have ever gone through this process, you know the stretching process can be quite uncomfortable and downright painful.

That got me to thinking about some of my recent conversations with our 13 year-old son on stepping out of our comfort zone. Talk about stress. How would you like to be 13 again? Not me!

No matter your age, have you ever been in a place in your life, relationship or job that you felt lack of movement and a tightening? Sometimes stretching is the answer. I have experienced this in my life many times, and the benefits are always worth the pain involved through the process.

Here are my top 3 tips to summarize stretching your LIFE

When an opportunity arises or a door opens, don’t let yourSELF talk you out of it because you aren’t ….qualified, the right personality, smart enough, good looking, excuses, excuses, excuses!
Realize that your attitude determines outcome! Check the attitude of your heart. Getting out of the doldrums has nothing to do with anyone other than YOU.
Wake with purpose and passion and carry this throughout the day.

I hope you are stretched often as I am. I know its sometimes painful, but with passion, purpose, and a great attitude, you are sure to look forward to those opportunities when they arise.

I would love to hear how you have been stretched recently or your thoughts!

Lush green growth and ever watching aspens.

Beauty in the small things!

Utah in June can include SNOW.

Blog Events Links News Rambling Travel

Texas Celebrates Independence

Post author By Greg Patterson
Post date March 3, 2014
No Comments on Texas Celebrates Independence

I enjoyed documenting the celebration of Texas’ 178th independence this past Sunday, March 2, 2014. The celebration took place in the Old University Building located just west of Mound street on the campus of TJR elementary school. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT), mayor Roger Van Horn and others were there to organize, make proclamations and honor our Texas history. Local Boy Scout Troops were invited to participate including Troop 100 which my son Nathan currently holds Star rank and who was honored to hold the American flag during the celebration.

I would love to get your feedback!

Enjoy,
Greg Patterson, Certified Professional Photographer

Tags Boy Scouts of America, Nacogdoches, Old University Building, Texas Independence

Blog News Rambling Travel

Nacogdoches Snow Day

Solo tree just outside of Douglass Texas along the el camino real de los tejas .

Old church along el camino real de los tejas .

Snow topped camellia bush behind historic Nacogdoches home.

Black & white snow ladder.

Nacogdoches Mound street snow covered business.

When Thursday afternoon temperatures started dropping, I was hopeful for some of that white goodness and we rarely see in Nacogdoches. About 6 pm last night, the snow came and continued for most of the night creating a beautiful white blanket over everything we normally view. Thankfully Douglass ISD started with a two-hour delay. We were certainly enjoying the few extra hours sipping on freshly brewed coffee.

There is a #solotree along my normal path into Nacogdoches from Douglass. I’ve been wanting to stop for the past month to capture the stark contrast between this tree without any sign of life which stands in front of an army of mighty pines. Today was one of hopefully many attempts to capture this solemn tree. I tend to see the world differently than most with even the most simplistic creating strong meaning and visuals such as this tree.

I’ve included a few additional images captured on this Nacogdoches Snow Day. I would love to hear your thoughts and or comments. And by all means, share the love of photography by sharing this blog post!

Enjoy!

Greg Patterson
Certified Professional Photographer

Tags G Patterson Studio & Gallery, greg patterson, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Nacogdoches, Snow, Snow Day