As the saying goes, “I wasn’t born in Nacogdoches, but I came as soon as I could.” Greg and I both grew up in Dallas, and my family would often make the short 1 1/2 hr. drive to Tyler State Park to camp out in the summer. And, that’s where I fell in love with the Pineywoods. I often wish for those first summers back when I was a young girl and smelled the fragrance of the pine trees and felt their soft needles under my bare feet. It was lush and brilliant green, and so different from the concrete jungle of MY hometown. Fast forward to now, and I’m so grateful for the steps that brought me here and for the life for which God has privileged me.
I couldn’t write my life story and leave SFA out. It’s been Greg’s employer for the last 29 years; it’s, also, where we each received our degrees. Like so many others, that town that was home to the university to which we came as freshman, eventually became OUR town.
When we were first married, Greg was photographer for the student newspaper, the Pine Log, and I was a student worker in the Computer Science department. Our daughter was born when we lived in the New Raguet Apartments. This was student family housing on the grounds that now belongs to the SFA Charter School. Many afternoons were spent fishing, picnicking, and walking at the Ag Pond. Collegiate sports was comprised of Lumberjack football and Ladyjack basketball and not much else.
It doesn’t take long to grow roots in a town such as Nacogdoches. You spend enough time here weaving common interests with people at your church, in your school, at your job, you can’t imagine living anywhere else. I’m reminded of the quote from Our Town, “Does anyone ever realize life while they live it…every, every minute?”
So, here we are again, on the eve of another SFA Homecoming. You’d think after thirty-two of them, they’d become dull. But as I grow older (and wiser), I realize those same things we thought were boring, have become the things that have endeared us to this place. Surprisingly, I’m hoping to attend yet another SFA Homecoming parade. I might even throw up an “Ax’em Jacks.”
Your wedding is much like standing on a precipice.
Your wedding is much like standing on a precipice.
One of the biggest privileges we have at our studio is photographing weddings. Over the last thirty years, we’ve photographed countless of them and each one different from the others. Some weddings stick out more than others, for instance when we photograph the wedding of people close to us. A couple of months ago, we did just that. Haley has been working at the studio for two years; in fact, you might have read her wonderfully-worded blog about her engagement. Two years in a small business among just a few employees can seem like a long time of relationship-building, because you share each other’s ups and downs and, in this case, life-changing events. We consider those close relationships a perk to running a small business.
Getting Married…
Getting married for most people must seem as if you’re standing on a precipice, at least if it’s your first. Culling through Haley and Kyle’s wedding pictures and seeing the looks of unabashed joy on their faces is enough to bring tears to my eyes. The more you admit to knowing very little about being married, I think the better. Thinking back to my own wedding thirty years ago, Greg and I, both of us twenty, didn’t know much about life except that we loved each other. Had we known more about the hardships that would come or the dreams we’d give up for one another, we might have called the whole thing off! Knowing so little, for us, proved to be a real asset. We learned as we went along, together! At times, the more experienced of the two of us patiently led the other through a trial. Other times, we both went blind with only each other to cling. There’s been more good times than bad. And, looking back, we consider each one a blessing if only for the fact we came away better for it. This wide-eyed optimism has gotten us through thirty wonderful years together. We pray the same for these two.
Thanks, Kyle and Haley, for letting us come along on the beginning of a great adventure!
Two very blessed people.The moment after you hear “May I now pronounce you man and wife.”
2014 Bunnies at Greg Patterson Studio in Nacogdoches.
A Magical Combination…
Since we opened our doors twenty years ago, we’ve had a lot of good ideas come and go. Though our focus has always been to provide lifestyle portraiture that makes you “feel” something, we’ve always tried to keep things fresh and in keeping with today’s trends. Making elaborate sets for one person for one hour was never our style, but could we decorate a set for many clients over a short number of days? We’ve always had great success photographing children, so we began using the holidays as an excuse to do something a little more fun! We began with the Easter holiday and bunnies, because…well, do I really need to explain it? Children with bunnies is a magical combination.
2011 Bunnies at G. Patterson Studio.
There’s a huge element of unpredictability when photographing animals, but that’s what makes for a great photo session! Just when you have all your subjects, both kids and bunnies, looking in the general vicinity of your camera, the bunny hops off. Or, it could be the child scooting out of the scene, because come to find out, they’re afraid of rabbits! Photographing with rabbits, means you’re constantly picking up little pellets that look like their food, but they’re not. And, once, we had a rabbit bite a child, but that was just once. And than, of course, you may have two rabbits acting amorous all of a sudden, and you have to explain that’s just their way of playing, because that’s a conversation better left for the parents to have with them.
They’ve come with many names attached to them, but “Payday” has stuck with me, because of the number of years we used him. He was a beautiful big flop-eared rabbit that was so gentle and not easily spooked. Children would remember him from one Easter to the next, and were always happy to see him. Tracy Steinhauser and her two, Kasy and Keelan, were instrumental in keeping us in stock every Easter. We knew if our rabbits came from them, they’d be groomed and well cared for. Each of our three children were photographed with the bunnies. Our daughter, now 28 years, loved the bunny sessions so much, she even posed as a teen with her best friend and the bunnies. Our sons were a little less enthused. We even acquired a couple rabbits of our own at one point and would allow them to play in the backyard with the cats.
Since that Time…
2013 Bunnies at G Patterson Studio.
Since that time, we’ve had many more of these types of sessions designed around a theme or holiday. We’ve had Santa for Christmas, pumpkins at Halloween, watermelons for Independence Day. For these children’s session we’ve used titles like “Gone Fishin’,” ”Puppy Love,” ”In the Attic,” ”Tea Party,” ”Little Guys in Ties,” and ”Mom & Me,” to name a few.
All of these “mini” sessions over the years serve to create fond memories for us at the studio. Our favorite remembrances, though, come from the sessions with the bunnies. They take a little more time and effort, but they’re always worth it!
Just4Fun is the title we give these specially designed sessions. They’re just for kids and just fifteen minutes long. We provide viewing at the time of your session, and our packages are offered at a discount. If you’re interested in our “Easter Bunnies” Just4Fun session, visit
I’m a student of human behavior, especially when it’s a little peculiar. The people that intrigue me the most are those that are single-minded. I’m not talking about people who prefer to stay single. Nor, am I talking about people who have narrow views. I’m talking about a person that likes one thing so much, they don’t like much else. We all know at least one person like this, a family member, a friend or even a neighbor; but what they all have in common is a laser-like focus on a particular thing. This obsession, which could be a cause, a hobby or, even, a celebrity, leaves the rest of us baffled.
Many single-minded people are worthy of notice, like a scoutmaster I have the privilege of knowing who’s been in charge of our local boy scout Troop 100. He’s served in this position for many years, going on countless campouts, attending workshops, holding meetings, conducting ceremonies and, as we learned at a recent Eagle Award ceremony, overseeing numerous boy scouts as they navigate the waters of earning the rank of Eagle. I’d venture to say his knowledge of scouting and everything Troop 100 is unparalleled.
Although Tim Tindall has passed his baton to another, he still performs unofficially many of the same duties. Recently, Tim took our own boy scout, Nathan, to discover what Eagle Scout project might interest him. As they set off, I hoped that some of Tim’s commitment to service would rub off on our son!
In a time when there is so much to detract us from our focus, it is refreshing to have single-minded people among us. I’ve determined that my interest in them is truly selfish; I want what they have. If I had their same determination, I might keep my New Year’s resolutions for more than a couple of days. How is it that someone can grow their hair an extra twenty inches for “Locks of Love?” Or have the biggest collection of stamps? Or, have the same best friend for their whole life? I want to cry out, “How do I resolve to be more resolved?!”
The other day I found a picture of myself in an old album. It shows me warming up for a run, while my two-year-old is pretending to warm up with me. As I looked fondly at how cute she was, it struck me. That was twenty-six years ago, which means I’ve been running for, at least, that long. I’ve been committed to doing something most people find hard or mundane most of my life! Now, I know this is far from the picture left us by Mother Teresa and her life-long commitment to the poor of Calcutta, but maybe a little single-mindedness can be cultivated. If you’re like me (and you are if your #1 characteristic is ADHD), look below at 9 things you can do to help stay focused on whatever you choose.
Me and Jessica, about to chase the sun!
NINE STEPS to be Single-Minded {focused}
1. Clear the noise. People who focus start by controlling their environment. Set up space that is conducive to the task at hand. Remove everything that’s not helpful to your objective.
2. Create a plan. Have a clear picture of where you’re going and how to get there. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Maybe just a few bullet points in a message.
3. Set up clear compensation. Focused people clearly understand why they’re engaged in a particular activity. Get excited about it by creating a reward for completion to help yourself become accountable and make the task a priority over all other distractions.
4. Create routine. Being disorganized can cause distraction, stress, and inefficiency. Give everything its proper place, so you can be free to deal with things that come up.
5. Work methodically. When you multitask, you accomplish less and what you accomplish is lower quality. Schedule your day to compartmentalize projects so you can give them your complete attention.
6. Live in the now. Be respectful of lessons learned and have a vision of where you’re going, but always be mindful of what’s happening now, the people around you and what they’re saying.
7. No second guessing. Everyone’s different, so don’t confuse someone’s else’s path with your own.
8. Embrace failure. Don’t let a mistake disappoint you for long. Allow it to guide you back to the right path.
9. Learn from others. You may not share the same path, but you can learn the characteristics of successful people. Make a habit of being around them, or you can read a biography about a successful person.
A much younger Greg enjoying a camping trip to Pedernales River.
Twenty-one years ago when we got started in the “biz,” no one could’ve told us we would one day be school photographers. But such is life, and we haven’t regretted it one bit! It’s rewarding getting out in the community to provide a valuable service, for us photography. We’ve gotten to know families we might have not have had the chance to know otherwise. And, having someone tell us the school pictures and photography we take are so much better than your “typical” school pictures is certainly fun to hear!
We get used to cowlicks and the missing teeth. Also adorable are the girls that wear a kazillion necklaces or when ten out of the twelve girls in the class have on a kitten t-shirt. Never is it more fun, though, than when something takes us by surprise. It’s always smart to keep your humor about yourself, especially when you have one like this student at Tanglewood Learning Center last week. To the older ones who make such a face, I like to tell them that’s the pose for the yearbook. That’s when they make the funny face!
Interested in us photographing your school pictures?
If you have kids at one of our local area school, consider asking the school if they would consider using our services. We would be glad to provide them with a competitive quote. And if you work at one of our area schools and wonder if we can provide all of the services other “larger” companies provide, rest assured that not only can we provide these services but surpass their quality and service.
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?”
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!”
Wedding storybook album spread of bride and groom by G. Patterson Studio.
Wedding storybook album spread of bride and groom by G. Patterson Studio.
Summertime is wedding season! We’ve had so many walk-ins and phone calls from brides and mother’s of the bride during the past few months, it seems like everyone is in love and getting married.
There are love stories to unfold… and then be told… and retold.
The photographer’s story is not so much a love story as… well… a story of anxiety, excitement, fatigue, joy, nostalgia, hope, and stress. As a photographer, a wedding brings with it a mixture of emotions for sure. We’re genuinely thrilled for the happy couple, but we simultaneously realize the gravity of the situation. When photographing a wedding, emotions and stress levels are already red-lining. Add to that the daunting task of getting the shot right the first time…. because the first time is often the only chance you will have. The day of the wedding, we put our game faces on, and pray that a thousand different people running around doing a thousand different things miraculously comes together at just the right moment in just the right way… and we are there to capture it all.
But enough about the photographer. It’s the bride and groom’s love story that is the one worth telling.
A few weeks ago, Greg Patterson and his wife Cindy photographed my baby brother’s wedding. The day included the usual happy tears, nervous hand wringing, goofy characters, loving reunions, and friendly fair wells. The bride was beautiful and my brother was beaming with joy. Rings and vows were exchanged without incident. It was a beautiful day. And then, somehow, the day that took months to plan was over in the blink of an eye.
“I thought you were going to tell me a love story,” you say. Well, this love story will be told the same way we tell all our other love stories… Photographs delicately arranged in a stunning “Storybook Album” that tells of nervous anticipation, hopeful expectations, overflowing hearts, divine union, thoughtful commitment and the details that connect one moment with the next. The compilation of my brother’s wedding love story is not yet complete, but is well on its way. I’ve included a glimpse of some of his story’s pages.
Wedding storybook album spread of bride and groom exchanging notes before seeing each other.Wedding storybook album spread of groom seeing his bride walk down the aisle.
If you haven’t seen the movie Frozen, you are missing out. It’s one for the whole family to enjoy, especially for those families like my own that are full of little princesses. My girls have not stopped singing the songs or acting out the scenes since the day we got home from the movies. Yes, it drives me crazy, and yes I find myself singing those songs in my head as I brush my teeth… but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My girls are my life, and if it brings them joy, I will endure the never-ending off-pitch tunes because I love them. (but I digress)
In the movie, there is a magical snowman by the name of Olaf. He is my favorite character by far. As pure as the snow he is made of, Olaf makes you laugh and even cry. There is one scene where he stands beside a fireplace talking to his friend Anna. Even though his face starts drooping and his eyes and nose almost fall off, he makes the profound and instantly famous statement, “Some people are worth melting for.” As I sit here just two days away from Valentine’s Day, wrapped up in my scarf due to the frigid temperatures outside, his words are ringing in my mind. We all have special people in our lives that we would do just about anything for. I have my girls, my wife, my friends, and you have a list of people yourself. When we share our lives with others, we form bonds of love that almost nothing can break. We give our time and energy. We buy gifts, and we make gestures all to demonstrate how we feel.
Valentine’s Day is almost here. I know, some cynics say it is a gimmick created by the greeting card industry to boost sales. But no matter the reason, we now have this special day out of the year where we are reminded to make some gesture of love for those we hold dear. What are you planning on doing for your loved ones? Make sure you show them how much you care. Make some magnanimous gesture. Make sure they know that they are worth melting for.
(and if you are still searching for ideas… I know a photography studio with some great gift ideas. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. 🙂
Family of four loving their dog Abby. Photo by Greg Patterson.
Each year, the studio hosts a promotional event in support of the Humane Society. Although the details of the event have changed from time to time, the goal is ultimately the same. We want to be a part of helping those pets that are in need while offering others an opportunity to join this effort. So, as a photography studio, what better opportunity is there than capturing special moments of your family with your beloved pet? These photos will capture the love your family has for your pet and will remain in your hearts for years to come. I know personally the lasting joy of having family photos created that included my dog Abby. My precious Abby left us all too soon, but we remember the great times we shared with her. In fact, the photo of all of us sits on a shelf right in front of me at work. A simple glance of this image brings a flood of happy memories and instantly improves my day.
Family of four loving their dog Abby. Photo by Greg Patterson.
Schedule your appointment now for this incredible opportunity to love on your family pet while helping those animals that have yet to find a home.
A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Humane Society of Nacogdoches County. Call (936) 569-7116 to set your family’s appointment.
Appointments still available for Friday, February 14th at G. Patterson Studio in Nacogdoches. Hope to hear from you soon!
