Katrina and Derek

I first met the Buchholz family around 4 years ago when I was hired to photograph their daughter, Kayla's wedding at Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It was a memorable event and a great pleasure to photograph. Then, a year ago, I was contacted again and asked this time to photograph daughter Katrina's wedding. I was honored to be asked by the parents of multiple daughters to photograph more than one of their children's weddings. So this fall, on October 15, Katrina married her love, Derek Selsor at Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs. Fall is a beautiful time of year in the Ozarks and Eureka Springs is full of that natural beauty. Thorncrown Chapel sits in the forest and is surrounded by the warm colors of fall. After the ceremony, Katrina and Derek enjoyed a reception with family and friends in the Conservatory Room at the historic Crescent Hotel. A few of my favorite photographs from their special day are below. Again, it was a great pleasure to work with this lovely family. Best wishes to Katrina and Derek.

Caldwell Family Session (Buffalo National River Photographer)

I first met Melinda at my son and daughter in law's wedding shower earlier this summer. I was taking some pictures of the shower and she and I talked about her need for some family photos and a photograph she needed for her own business website. I gave her my card and we finally got the chance to get together and shoot these images at our favorite place, the Buffalo National River, near Ponca, AR. The fall colors were a little past their peak, but it still looked beautiful that day. I had a great time visiting with Melinda, Skyler and Rufus and capturing these images of them. The popular Steel Creek access is one of my favorite places to photograph people and you can see why. The beauty of nature is boundless here and what it does for your soul cannot be described in words. Here is a sneak peek from our session. Enjoy!

Riley Wilks (Senior Portrait Photographer)

Last year I had the pleasure of taking senior portraits of Mason Wilks. Now it's his sister, Riley's turn. Fortunately, we were able to find a beautiful fall day among Riley's busy schedule and still have some warm temps for most of the afternoon. Riley and her family live on Fisherman's Haven Resort on Table Rock Lake in southwest Missouri. Their home is a great setting with beautiful grassy areas, giant trees, bluffs and of course the beautiful lake. Riley is so pretty and fun to be around. You can tell she loves the great outdoors.... oh and the Kansas City Chiefs, and volleyball, and much more!
Our afternoon session was great fun with some really nice people in a beautiful spot in the Ozarks..... I'm kinda lucky.
Here's a little sneak peek for you, Riley. The rest are on the way!

Lindsay and Owen (Eureka Springs Wedding Photographer)

I first met with Lindsay and Owen nearly a year before their planned wedding date of October 2, 2010. I knew right away that they would be a fun, light hearted couple and we would certainly create some awesome wedding day photographs. During our first meeting I suggested ways to plan that "first look" so that they could get together prior to their ceremony for photographs without any rush and stress. Owen came up with the idea for them to use blindfolds. I have to admit, I had never heard of doing that, but it was a cool idea. They pulled it off beautifully on the lawn of the Historic Crescent Hotel. Later their ceremony and reception were held at the Basin Park Hotel, another of Eureka Springs' great historic venues. What a great day all around, timing, weather, location... everything came together in a smooth, perfect flow. Here are a few photos that we captured that day.

Brianna and Blake (Eureka Springs Wedding Photographer)

September is a beautiful time of year to be married. Brianna and Blake chose September 18, 2010 as the perfect day to exchange their vows on the East Lawn of the Historic Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. A small group of friends and family gathered for a quiet ceremony outdoors in the garden area. Fortunately, we were able to capture almost all of our photographs before the rain set in for the evening. Here's a little peek at some of the photos from their day.

5K Running of the Elk (Ponca Arkansas Photographer)

The first ever 5K Running of the Elk was held on September 11, 2010 at 8:30 am in Ponca, Arkansas and I was invited to photograph the event. The run was hosted by the Upper Buffalo River Merchants Association and was a charity event with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. 107 runners turned out on a beautiful morning to run in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Why in the world is it called the "Running of the Elk"? The area pictured below is a favorite haunt of a large herd of elk that live in the Buffalo River valley. Unfortunately, when the sun came out, the elk retreated to the shady woods and riverside so they were not available for photos. Thanks to all the great sponsors of the event and the folks who worked hard to make this happen. I hear talk about next year's event.....