AM Weakley Creative: Traci and Rick [F3H Session]

Welcome

My eyes have led me down a path I never thought I would take. Although holding on to memories has always been important to me, I haven’t dreamed of being a photographer my whole life. I have, however, dreamed of keeping my kids small and my vacations alive. I have wished to stop time, to hold on to the moment, to bottle up my kids cute faces or the silly things they wear. To some extent, photography allows me to do just that. It has opened my eyes to a previously undiscovered world. It has allowed me to see the world around me with a deeper appreciation. I am constantly aware of the extraordinary among the ordinary and the beauty in the mundane. I don't see pictures. I see stories ... with both my eyes and my heart. I am a wordless storyteller. Thanks for joining me here.

What fun it was to drive to campus last weekend to shoot in Ohio Stadium! {Can I get an O - H ?) Campus is beautiful and I don't know why I don't choose to shoot there more often! I spent a few years in college at OSU when my plan was to be a physical therapist - God had other plans but that is a different story for another time. It was good to be back on campus though - older and wiser and enjoying the beautiful day, the blue skies, etc.

Traci and Rick made the trek to Columbus to have an F3H session - Full Families, Full Hearts - extended family session. They had reserved the shoe months in advance in preparation for the shoot. I arrived early to get some storytelling shots and to be sure that I had everything in order as we would be on a strict time frame (5-6) and I had a good plan for our hour. Good thing I have had plenty of practice being innovative and flexible (weddings allow lots of practice in that area!). There were many people out front by the rotunda, where I was hoping to start....including a large bridal party. I also learned at that time that it was one of two nights - in the whole year - that the horseshoe had a movie night scheduled and the doors opened at 6 (Keep in mind the family had it reserved from 5-6!!!) The movie night was raising money for Pelatonia and cancer and sounded like a great event, but my mind was spinning....so much to do and so many people around and so little time!

Nevertheless, once the family arrived, we had a blast running around inside the stadium. It was exhilarating and inspiring actually to be on the field. I loved getting to know this Buckeye-loving family. The mom and dad are a part of the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer each year and are very active in raising money for the cause. From the website, "Proceeds from the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer benefit the Urban & Shelley Meyer Fund for Cancer Research and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute" I know what a wonderful cause that is - like many others, our family and some close friends have been touched by cancer ~ Hopefully one day we will have a cure!

Enjoy scrolling through a sampling of our photos from the day!