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.”
An idea that was born to the studio earlier this year has continued to spice things up in our mini model department. With the success of our Microfashion {Brick Streets} to kick off the series, we decided the Brick Streets edition was simply the beginning. Adorable kiddos are the heart of our portraits, while their personal style (or, personal styler) is brought to life through their unique portrayals of “microfashion.” From the tutus to the cowboys… The more variety, the better!
Its a newfound love, for us, to see just what these minis dress up in and how their little personalities glow through their portraits.
If you happened to miss the ’51 Chevy Microfashion sessions, fret not. We are planning another edition for September 1 & 2 with a Back2School theme. Check out more MicroFashion on our Facebook page and outfit ideas on our Pinterest board.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
montage of children, families, seniors, and weddings photos
montage of children, families, seniors, and weddings photos
As we continue to reflect upon and celebrate all that has happened in the past 10 years, we take a look at the numbers of unique moments we’ve captured.
Over 1000 Just4Fun Kid’s sessions with all the goofy grins, silly smiles and unexpected moments one can imagine…
Hundreds of furry friends and their owners, those that behaved and those that made attempts to chase the neighborhood cat…
Over 800 nervous, yet excited graduating seniors, each with their own brand of style and personality…
Nearly 1500 fun-filled, action packed family sessions with crazy kiddos running around being chased by each other while the parents stand back and laugh at the mayhem…
Several dozen voice quivering “I do” moments, decorated Just Married getaway vehicles, and teary dads that are reluctant to give away their baby girls…
You, our clients, have invited us to be a part of creating tens of thousands of special moments. It continues to be a blessing and honor.
