We love creating a fun and memorable experience for our seniors. If they don’t have a blast, then we haven’t done our jobs. Plus, when our seniors are relaxed and having a good time, it makes capturing amazing moments that much easier. Every year, we see a new “crop” of seniors come through our studio doors, and we’d like to think they are venturing off to college with some great memories of little ol’ Nac.
It feels like we’re winding down for this year’s graduates, but there is always time for a professional portrait that represents all that your senior has accomplished. So, if you’re one of the few who haven’t made the time, please feel free to call us and set up an appointment. We’ll try to make you feel like the center of the universe… and I bet we’ll have a fun time too.
Memories of those whose help we couldn't do without.
Memories of those whose help we couldn’t do without.
Looking at these pictures from ten years ago, reminds us of how thankful we are for the help we had relocating to our present location. It was a big undertaking and we, more than anyone else, doubted that we could. But, we couldn’t have even considered it had we not had a lot of support. First of all, the place we moved into was a much bigger and older place that needed a lot of attention. In fact, the previous tenant was a fraternity, and judging by the collection of broken glass and such left behind, they must have had a good time! I can’t remember the number of hours we spent painting, sanding, tiling, hammering, spackeling, sewing, weeding, tilling, planting and cleaning (not to mention the actual moving), but there was enough to go around. To mom and dad, we thank you for being available to do anything and everything. And, thinking about how you had to drive in all those weekends makes me even more grateful. You were and are our biggest support. To Juree for being our biggest cheerleader, social planner, office manager, punching bag (on the worst of days), and most of all, friend. And Billy, for being our muscle when we moved and terrific handyman! To Jessica, Daniel and Nathan for just being great and supportive through the whole thing. And Robin, too, for lending us some elbow grease. To Scott Wagner, our master tileman. To Shawn for building us our beautiful children’s playhouse. To Barbera for giving up a weekend or two to come and paint and, then, paint some more! To all of you and the others too who helped us celebrate at our opening and be happy along with us, we love you all very much and are thinking of you fondly this month. Greg & Cindy
Original and signed version of our ribbon cutting picture from Chamber of Commerce. Shown now, ten years later on the front porch of our Victorian Studio located at 122 N Mound in Nacogdoches, Texas.
TODAY we are celebrating our 10th year anniversary in our current location and roughly 20 years in business. With God’s blessings we are proud to have served Nacogdoches and surrounding East Texas area for the past 20 years!
Over the next month we will be sharing some before and after photos while reliving the past 10 years in this historic Victorian location. We hope you join us by following along and sharing your thoughts along the way.
With deepest gratitude,
Greg & Cindy Patterson
Original and signed version of our ribbon cutting picture from Chamber of Commerce. Shown now, ten years later on the front porch of our Victorian Studio located at 122 N Mound in Nacogdoches, Texas.
The image above represents a very special story to me:
One day, a young woman, pregnant with a baby girl, buys a beautiful dress. The woman has a vision of her baby growing into a beautiful young lady that will fit into that dress for her fifth birthday. In her vision, she sees her precious daughter wearing the dress while riding a pony barefoot with wind in her hair. Before the baby is even born, her mother can see this idea as a portrait hanging in her home. For the next five years, the woman patiently waits until the day finally comes when that baby has grown into the beautiful girl she had imagined. This sweet story has a beautiful ending as the portrait of her dreams now hangs in the woman’s home.
This is the kind of story that makes photographers love their job. However, so much has changed in the field of photography over the past few years… for better or worse. Cameras have gotten faster and more powerful, as they simultaneously have gotten sleeker and less expensive. Today, even our phones have better digital cameras on them than existed ten years ago. Everyone has a camera at their fingertips. Sadly for some, the ubiquitous nature of the modern day camera has changed their expectation of professional photography. These families no longer expect a friendly, customized portrait session. Instead, they anticipate a dry, quick, cookie-cutter session with forced expressions. To these families, I encourage you to expect more from photography. Let the story of the young mother inspire you to dream bigger. Though much has changed, one very important thing has stayed the same. A well crafted photograph still has the ability to stop you in your tracks and make you FEEL… happy, nostalgic, hopeful, excited, or even in love.
At G. Patterson Photographic Studio & Gallery, taking a photograph is less about documenting what someone looks like and more about capturing the essence of that person in that moment in time. Anyone can snap a photo and have it resemble the person they were aiming at. But that’s not our goal here at the studio. Our goal is to create a work of art that evokes emotion… that sees personalities shine through… that captures the loving relationships families share. One of the first questions we ask our clients before ever taking the camera out is, “What is your vision for this photograph?” We want to know if they have thought about who will be in it, what they will wear, will it be posed or candid, what type of setting, where will it be displayed, and finally what should it be about. Anyone can point a camera at someone else and press a button. What sets us apart is our willingness and ability to cater a session to your particular needs thereby creating a piece of portrait art that represents what you had envisioned and ultimately tells your story.
Remember that it is still possible to create a photograph that captures the imagination. And that’s exactly what we strive to do each day at G. Patterson Studio. We would love the opportunity to turn your dreams into reality through our fine-art photography.
Custom graduation invitations from G. Patterson Studio in Nacogdoches.
Custom graduation invitations from G. Patterson Studio in Nacogdoches.
Right now, I am happily engaged in creating unique graduation invitations for our 2014 high school and college seniors. Some are from senior sessions we did back in the summer or fall, and some are from sessions we just photographed. Each invitation is made to order, from the selection of poses… to any particular verbiage… right down to the color scheme. These are not your run of the mill type invites. They are the right combination of bright and professional, vibrant and elegant. No two look the same. I enjoy designing these cards because it is as challenging as it is beautiful. My task is to incorporate our client’s desires into an overall layout that works aesthetically and pragmatically. It gets really interesting though when Mom and Dad do not see eye to eye with Senior. But I have yet to hear any complaints after the final product is in their hands.
Recently I’ve run into several parents who have asked me if our studio is booked up with senior portrait sessions this spring. I tell them that March is looking a little crazy, but it always does. My advice to them is call as early as you can so that we will have the most availability and flexibility. And if you are wanting those rockin’ awesome invitations that we are famous for, then call even earlier. That graduation day clock is winding down. The last thing I want is to turn someone away simply because we ran out of time. So give the studio a call if you want senior portraits and products that will make sure you stand out from the crowd.
