Picture Perfect, Auburn Photographer, Candy Avera

Christmas with Santa Cowz? {Auburn/Opelika Family Portraits}

2011-10-18T14:26:00.008-05:00

Meet Missy 809. She wants to wish you a Merry Christmas! Picture Perfect is offering Limited Edition Sessions out at Missy's place!

I fell in love with this barn one foggy morning a few years ago. Driving down the road, the beautiful scene caught my eye.

I was at once drawn to this place. Since my maiden name was Edwards, I was intrigued to find Edwards Farm etched on the barn, . I've since met the wonderful owners and learned the story of Edwards' Farm. Thankfully, my sweet "cousins" are allowing me to hold mini sessions in the pasture, with the holiday barn as the backdrop.

These sessions will be held Friday, November 11th, and Sunday, November 13th. (Auburn City Schools are out that Friday for Veteran's Day.) These will be 30 minute sessions and the total cost will be $320 (family of 5.) Yep - total $320, and guess what? That gets you the FILES! You will receive 10-20 edited, full size files with a print release for personal use. You may use these for your own Christmas cards, prints, calendars, etc.

Call me or email me to reserve your spot. 334.501.1613 & cavera4@bellsouth.net

Behind the Cover {Auburn Opelika Parents' Photographer)

2011-02-02T09:56:00.012-06:00

I was thrilled last year when I got the call asking if I'd be interested in shooting the cover images for Auburn Opelika Parents' magazine. I knew it would be a great and sometimes challenging experience. And it has been. It has been wonderful stretching my creative boundaries and meeting so many wonderful people from the Auburn Opelika area. The publisher, Kendra Sumner, is delightful to work with, and together, we've come up with some fun and unique magazine covers. When she told me the focus of February's issue was to be traveling, I had an "ah ha moment." Of course, my two supermodels had been begging to be on the cover ever since I started taking the pictures. Now they had their chance.

Combine two sweet sisters,

and an awesome Grandpa with a plane at the Auburn Opelika Airport. Viola! We were set!

Working with magazine deadlines means we had to shoot February's cover in December. Just so happens we had lots of rain in December - so time wise we were pushing it. Finally had a clear day, but it was a little chilly and very windy. But the models were perfect, although sometimes a little silly =)
There was no shade at all at the airport, so the lighting was a challenge. I used supplemental off camera lighting and was thankful to have Grandpa handy to hold the light stand. (Light modifiers act like big sails in the wind.) We also had a few props handy, to go along with the travel theme.

Sometimes it's hard for photogs to photograph their own children, and that's often the case for me. But proud mama I am, for these two worked like pros that day!

This is the image we used for inside the magazine - the "On the cover" part. We zoomed in on just their faces though.

Now how many grandpas do you know that not only have a plane, but a motorcycle as well? This is one cool Grandpa!

Of course, these girls have had him wrapped around their little fingers since the day they were born! Thanks Grandpa Edwards! We couldn't have done it without you!!

This is the image that Kendra selected for the cover.

And here's the finished product. Love it!

Thanks for letting me be a proud Mama and a proud photographer!

(I'm currently working on a new blog. Hope to have it up and running soon.)

Awesome Anslee {Lee Scott Class of 2011}

2010-09-13T13:46:00.008-05:00

Beautiful Anslee is a senior at Lee Scott this year. We did a session with her gorgeous horse, Darby. Darby was so very patient with us. I love doing these sessions with seniors and horses!

We had this session in the afternoon of a very, very hot day. (Y'all know what kind of summer we've had!) But the good Lord had mercy on us that evening and sent the nicest, cool breeze.

Anslee rocked the studio session too. I swear she looks great in every color! Makes my job easy.

Anslee was recently selected to be on the Lee Scott Homecoming Court this year. No surprises there considering her beauty and sweet disposition. Congratulations Anslee and thanks for choosing Picture Perfect to create your senior portraits!

Beautiful Elizabeth {Lee Scott Class of 2011}

2010-09-03T14:29:00.003-05:00

Ah, beautiful Elizabeth and her noble steed, Harry. What a gorgeous couple these two make, out amongst the green grass, blue skies and setting sun. There was even a nice breeze for our session.

While posting some of Elizabeth's favorite portraits on Facebook, I noticed some pics she had posted of Miss Annelise Walley, who has just held a CD release party. I listened to "Wild Heart", Annelise's debut CD, as I finished editing Elizabeth's senior portraits. It was love at first listen and I knew I wanted to use the song "I Believe" as a background for these senior portraits. What a great message and a great song. And what beautiful young women these ladies are, both inside and out!

Enjoy the video and then go check out the rest of the CD!

A Friend in Need

2010-08-30T10:04:00.004-05:00

One thing I love about living in Auburn is how our community reaches out when one of our own is in need. We all hurt for each other and we all lift each other up in thoughts, prayers and deeds. The Strength family needs that right now. Their home was struck by lightning Saturday night. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the house is pretty bad. If the smoke and fire didn't damage something, the water that put out the fire likely did. They are such a sweet, sweet family and my heart is hurting for them. I just blogged about beautiful Sarah Grace a while back and featured her in my AO Parents' ad this month.

A fund has been set up through Charter Bank to assist the family. You may mail or bring a check to Charter Bank, made payable to the bank. In the memo line please put "Strength Family Fund."

Thank you so much for helping this precious family in whatever way you can.

Photo of the Day {Commercial Children's Photographer}

2010-08-02T16:17:00.005-05:00

While we were off enjoying our family in Orlando, FL the image Nerd Chic was awarded a Photo of the Day at Shutterbugs. It's just too cute not to share!

Auburn-Opelika Parents {East Alabama Photographer}

2010-07-30T13:56:00.005-05:00

I am so excited to be shooting the cover images for the Auburn-Opelika Parents magazine. This is such an outstanding publication. The magazine and the web site perform a valuable service to families in the Lee County area. They provide lists of resources, camps, activities, services, etc. available locally. Inside the pages of the magazine you will also find school updates and articles on issues facing today's busy families.

August's issue is the Back to School issue and features a beautiful Lee Scott senior on the cover.

(Sorry, I don't have larger images of the covers. They look great full sized!)

I do have full sized versions of the Picture Perfect ads though. I'm having fun designing something new each month. I decided to feature another beautiful Lee Scott senior in my ad this month. Simply stunning!

July's issue was the Birthday Party issue, full of fun ideas for your birthday boy or girl. Precious siblings on the cover.

And more precious kiddos in the Picture Perfect ad.

So, you may be wondering where you can get this awesome FREE publication. They are placed around Auburn and Opelika on the 15th-18th of the each month at all city parks and rec., both public libraries, all Elem. Schools, every dentist /office on Dean Rd, Premier Spirit Academy, Frog Legs, Mamunchis, Parkway Baptist, AUMC, Auburn First Baptist, Opelika First Baptist, Trinity Opelika, Growing Room, Hardy’s Daycare, Rising Starz, Make Your Move Dance, Lakeview Baptist, Auburn Academy of Mixed Martial Arts, Fringe, Cutie Pie, Kumon, Sylvan, Fun and Fancy, AK’s Coffee, Panera Bread, The Skate Center, EAMC and the doctor / dentist offices across from the hospital, Bonnies’ Kids, Surfside Waterpark…..to just name a few.

Keep and eye out for September's issue and look for the Picture Perfect ad. You just might see someone you know =)

Sarah Grace & Snicker {Auburn Photographer}

2010-07-28T15:56:00.006-05:00

Sweet Sarah Grace has been riding at Sandy's Stables for several years now. She won a session with her favorite horse from Picture Perfect at this year's schooling show. Sarah Grace had a hard time deciding with which horse she'd share the spotlight. Snicker was her pick, and after the session I could see why. These two are an awesome duo. Both beautiful, sweet, and of course, charming!

Snicker demonstrating his sense of humor.

Snicker is one of those snuggly horses. He'd be a lap horse if she could.

Two peas in a pod.

Both are ready for their close up.

It was time to put Snicker away, so we could get some images of the beautiful Sarah Grace,

all by herself. Simply gorgeous!

Of course, we had an audience during the session. The boys were feeling a little left out, and even Ravada and Sugar in the background were trying to get in the picture.

Thanks so much to Sandy Brown @ Sandy's Stables for allowing us to borrow her horses, her property and her hands. It was a great session!

Awesome Kids {Auburn Photographer}

2010-07-13T18:44:00.001-05:00

Colorful Kids { Opelika Children's Photographer }

2010-06-22T17:06:00.012-05:00

Perhaps I'm posting these beautiful spring portraits now (the second day of official summer though everyone knows 'round here summer starts in May) to remind us that we did, indeed have a spring. Or perhaps I'm just a horribly behind/slackish/delinquent blogger.

These were just too cute to not share.

Beautiful young Hannah.

And her handsome big brother Hunter.

I didn't convert many of these to black and white because I didn't want to lose the gorgeous colors. But this one makes a stunning black and white.

Love love love those precious piggy toes!

Typical Hunter =)

I enjoyed photographing y'all so very much! Y'all are fabulous models.

Until next time =)

Art & Hearts, Part 2 {East Alabama Photographer}

2010-06-16T13:57:00.017-05:00

It was a wonderful evening. I enjoyed almost every minute of it. I say almost because I did NOT enjoy the minute when my camera broke. Argh! But, I had a backup on hand because the show must go on. (I also now have a new 5D Mark II in hand - SWEET!)

So I sent Jen an email telling her I'd be blogging about Arts & Hearts and did she have a list of people they'd like to thank. She sent me a list 3 pages long!! The support amongst the residents of the Auburn/Opelika area is amazing. (but get ready for a long post lol.)

Here are the beautiful ladies who pulled the whole thing together, Dawn Spurlock and Jen Slocumb. They worked so hard coordinating, fund raising and publicizing Arts & Hearts. Never would've happened without these two.

A big huge thanks goes out to Ms.Lisa Beck, of The Event Center Downtown.

The Event Center Downtown used to be the Opelika Coca-Cola bottling plant. Now renovated, it's a unique, spacious venue for large events, ie. weddings, concerts, etc.

The food for the evening was delicious!

Thanks goes out to the following restaurants that donated food:

Jimmy's, Christine's Gourmet, Chappy's, Hamilton's, Amsterdam Cafe, Maestro 2300, Johnny Brusco's, Allison Mitchell Cakes, Starbucks & Panera.

Beautiful pieces of art were on display and were auctioned off during the event. There was also a silent auction going on through out the evening.

A heartfelt thanks to the following for donating art pieces to be auctioned:

Cindy Massey, Al Kratzer, Deborah Strawn, William Campbell, Petticoat Junction, Tricia Oliver, Susan Chase, The Villager, Vickey Wheeler, Resurrect Antiques, Marilyn Henry, Mary Elizabeth Goodrich, Kendal Lock, Sandy, Susan Chase, Carole Carson, Perch, Lindsay Jones and Glenda Devore.

Thank you also to the following contributors:

Arricia, re:new, Gnu's Room, Mama Mocha, Wm Harrision, Mac Makeup, Red Door June, Southern Crossings, Reinvent, Behind the Glass, Wrapsody, Auburn Art, Fine Wine & Beer by Gus, Dimensions Hair Salon, Moxii & Fringe.

Thanks to Mr. Butch Brock for acting as the auctioneer. The organizers would also like to thank:

The OA News, Jerry Katz, OffbeatAuburn.com, Steven Dixon, Winn Dixie Opelika, Sam's Club,

Magnolia Hair Salon, The Corner News, Mammoth Print Shop, Cheree McGlade & Sandy Sweeney.

My 2 Wings started the evening's entertainment and sounded wonderful. Spoken word artist Kolayah-KeeVan also performed. You can see these artists this Friday night in Auburn for the Summer Art Walk.

Martha's Trouble closed out the evening with their usual flair.

All these thanks are from Dawn and Jen, but I also wanna give them a big thanks! Without them, this never would have happened and I hope this Arts & Hearts was the first of a new tradition for our area.

Arts & Hearts {Auburn, Opelika Photographer}

2010-06-08T11:24:00.010-05:00

You may have seen the image below on the front page of the Opelika Auburn News recently. Hopefully it caught your eye and you read the article about the upcoming benefit, Arts & Hearts. Jen Slocumb and Dawn Spurlock have been working their tails off planning this awesome event. It's going to be held this Thursday, June 10th, at the new Event Center in Opelika. Arts & Hearts is a fundraiser to benefit Pam Worthington, a single mom fighting breast cancer. There will be live entertainment, gourmet food and a silent auction of gorgeous art pieces donated by local artists. I'm excited to be photographing the event and I am so looking forward to a fabulous evening! Tickets may be purchased on line HERE. Even if you are unable to attend the event, I hope you will consider purchasing a ticket or making a donation.

I want to share some more of the publicity images I did for Jen. She's an awesome model and I had a blast photographing her.

Hope to see you this Thursday at Arts & Hearts!

Gorgeous Graduates {Auburn High School Seniors}

2010-05-25T13:34:00.008-05:00

Tonight these young ladies will receive their high school diplomas, graduating Auburn High School with the Class of 2010. I am so proud of them and of the many other Picture Perfect seniors. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting you all and thank you for allowing me to photograph your senior portraits. It is a joy and I look forward to watching you all continuing your education and taking on the world!!

Twins, Jennifer and Julie were so much fun. I love the way they interact with each other and anticipate many, many hours of cell phone conversations and text messaging between them, as they head to separate universities next year.

Stunning Julie is headed to Georgia and Columbus State University.

And beautiful Jennifer is heading to some school up in Tuscaloosa. Bama something or other;)

And this is gorgeous Jenna and handsome Latinum. Jenna has already begun her college courses and will be attending Auburn in the fall. (Yay! )

Good luck ladies and Congratulations to the Class of 2010! Get out there and change the world!

AHS Class of 2010 {Auburn Senior Portraits}

2010-05-17T10:39:00.009-05:00

I'm all over the place with my blogging these days. Mostly I'm absent, but I'm trying to do better. So although these sessions were held in the fall and I didn't blog them back them, I don't want them to be overlooked, because #1 - theses are gorgeous young ladies and #2 - they are about to graduate from Auburn High School and continue their education at Auburn University!!

This is beautiful Taylor. I've heard that she's received numerous scholarships to Auburn. Way to go Taylor!!

And this is gorgeous Haley. She has a heart of gold and I know her sweet family is thrilled that she's staying close to home.

I enjoy working with these young ladies so much! I'm looking forward to shooting a sharing several more senior sessions in the upcoming weeks.

Welcome to the Auburn Alumni Family {Auburn Photographer}

2010-05-14T11:20:00.004-05:00

Congratulations are due to these awesome young ladies. Both will be receiving their bachelor's degrees from Auburn University today. I am so proud of them!

This is Meaghan Gonsalves, and she is receiving a Bachelor of Science degree and graduating Magna Cum Laude! Congratulations Meaghan!

And this is the amazingly talented Emily Stephens. She will be receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. I've seen Emily perform, and look forward to seeing her shine for the world to see. Congratulations Emily!!

And welcome to the Auburn Alumni Family. WAR EAGLE!!

Candy Avera

Bachelor of Science in Education, 1984

Michael, AHS Senior {Auburn Senior Portraits}

2010-04-08T13:15:00.009-05:00

I recently spent a fun afternoon photographing this handsome young man, Michael. Michael will be graduating from Auburn High School this year. He is a scholar, an athlete and an all star big brother!

Michael is a fantastic basketball player and will no doubt be continuing to play in college. He's hoping to play in Florida.

This is what we called a HUNK when I was in high school. (Gosh I hope that doesn't mean anything bad now days.)

We did a lot of laughing during the session, since Michael's sweet mom, Jasmine, and his adorable little sister, Brianna came along. I'm guessing they think I'm pretty crazy, but at least I did NOT make Michael pose like a kangaroo! (I had him going there for a minute though.)

ANYWAY, here's the sassy Miss Brianna.

So pretty!

This family will forever miss their wonderful brother, Bennie, but his spirit lives on strong in the family. They are so close and their love is eternal!

Jasmine, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful children with me. It was a joy to spend time with your family!

Opening Day 2010 {East Alabama Children's Photography}

2010-04-07T10:24:00.002-05:00

What an awesome way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon!! I got to take pictures of precious kids and Meredith got to be their buddy!

I was familiar with The Miracle League and had read in the papers about Billy Hitchcock Field but didn't get to experience it first hand until a couple of weekends ago. I just can't say enough about this awesome organization. Thank you so much to all the volunteers and supporters who have made baseball a reality for these kids. I think the smiles on the kids' faces say it all!!

The Miracle League of East Alabama has games most Sunday afternoons during the spring. For more information please visit their web site and/or their Facebook page. I can't wait to get back out there this Sunday!

Meaghan, Eric and Patch {Auburn Photographer}

2010-04-01T16:13:00.009-05:00

Gorgeous Meaghan is about to receive her bachelor's degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences from Auburn University. (Hopefully she'll be returning in a year to attend vet school.) She wanted to commemorate this accomplishment by having portraits made with her four legged companions, Eric and Patch.

Meaghan has been riding Eric competitively throughout her college years. He is a thoroughbred appaloosa gelding and is such a beautiful horse!

Patch is a wicked smart border collie. Meaghan can send him out into the pasture to round up Eric and he'll quickly do the job.

Poor Patch got a bad rap from me when we first got started. I said he'd be a nightmare to photograph because of his coloring. His black is black and his white is so very white and you photographers out there will understand what I mean.

I was, however, apologizing to Patch by the end of the session because he is such an awesome model! Who cares if his coloring requires a little extra effort, the camera loves him and he was so cooperative and perky.

And this pretty much sums up what Eric thought of the whole thing.

Thanks for letting me share in your awesome accomplishments Meaghan. I wish you nothing but the best as you graduate and move to a new chapter in your life. War Eagle!

Bunnies and Kids {East Alabama Children's Photography}

2010-03-24T13:41:00.007-05:00

These are just too cute to not share! Here's some of my favorites from the recent limited edition sessions. These were taken at Kids Kloset in Auburn. The bunnies were wonderful and the children are just precious!!

I will be doing one more day of these sessions (with these same friendly buns) at Kids Kloset on Friday, April 9th. The session fee is only $25 and you can score an awesome deal on prints by purchasing in advance.

Call me at 334-663-6643 to book!

An All Auburn Family {Auburn Family Photographer}

2010-03-03T16:51:00.010-06:00

This precious family is so much fun to hang out with and photograph. They are up for anything! I enjoyed seeing how much the kids had grown up since our last session.

Beautiful children!

And studious too!

Mom and her beautiful girls.

And the men, waiting patiently.

This was our version of rolling Toomer's Corner.

Thanks so much for allowing me to be a small part of your family and WAR EAGLE!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail {Auburn Opelika Easter Portraits}

2010-02-18T11:02:00.003-06:00

@ Kids Kloset, 555 Opelika Road, Auburn.

Friday, March 12

Saturday, March 13

Friday, April 9th (for all you last minute seamstresses.)

Session fee = $25 for 20 minute session (up to 3 kids.)

Call 334-663-6643 to book.

The LeCroy Kids {East Alabama Photographer}

2010-02-17T13:35:00.013-06:00

My sister, Sherry, recently told me that I should call my business "Beautiful People by Candy.com" since all my clients are so attractive. She asked how it was that I had such gorgeous clients. Well, the truth is, they are home grown! Seriously, check out these gorgeous kids/young adults. Their sweet mama, Terri and I went to AHS together. Her kids are further evidence to the fact that AHS alumni produce beautiful offspring!

Dashing Austin,

gorgeous Hannah,

and handsome young Conner.

Fun, fun fun! Calvin is ONE! {Auburn Baby Photographer}

2010-02-03T10:22:00.001-06:00

The Family That God Built {Auburn Family Portraits}

2010-01-29T12:37:00.009-06:00

It was a chilly, windy morning at the Forest Ecology Preserve here in Auburn. But this family was dressed up in their Auburn finest and raring to go. Well, the kids were anyway ;)

The terrific trio-

Kylie

Tyler

and Livi.

Here's the condensed blog version of their story. I met Heather, Tyler and Livi in the fall of 2008. We had a great family session at Storybook Farms. They had been through so much sorrow since they had lost their daddy the year before. Kylie and her awesome daddy, Kevin, had also been going through a tremendous time of loss, as they had lost their mommy around the same time. But God wasn't finished with them yet. Using various match makers, he introduced Heather and Kevin and eventually created one beautiful, loving family.

And what a fun family they are!

God is good.

All the time =)

More Cute Kiddos {Auburn Children's Portraits}

2010-01-22T08:40:00.007-06:00

It's been 3 years since I last photographed this precious family. Since then, they've added another banana to the bunch! These kids are so fun and full of adventure.

Big brother Carson.

Beautiful big sis Avery.

Adorable Ansley,

and Colton, the precious baby of the bunch.

I am so thankful for my repeat clients. It is such a joy to see your families grow and shine.

Comfort and Joy {Auburn Children's Portraits}

2010-01-21T17:09:00.003-06:00

"Comfort and Joy" was selected as a Better Photo finalist for the month of December, in the people category. This image features my two angels, Lena and Meredith.

The American Child Photographers' Charity Guild {East Alabama Photographer}

2010-01-20T15:26:00.005-06:00

I was honored to do this session for this beautiful young family.

To find out more about ACPCG go here or click on the link at the end of the video.

Barn Boys {Opelika Children's Photographer}

2010-01-12T17:13:00.014-06:00

My favorite barn boys have had 2 1/2 sessions since I last posted about them. I'm combining the last two into this one post.

The first one was our annual session. We did it a little later this year because SOMEONE SHORT AND CUTE got a hold of some clipping shears and gave themselves and their brother a hair cut. Mothers of preschoolers can definitely relate. So we waited for the hair to grow out, and then played with the animals, climbed the rope ladder, swung wild and high on the swings and, oh yeah, took some pictures. Fun fun fun!

Here's my friend Jacob with his chicken.

And my buddy Patton.

Look up in the air. It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a Jacob!!

I've often been asked how I get children to be so cooperative. One answer is my background and years of experience in special education. Got lots of old teacher tricks up my sleeve. But with these boys, another reason is because they know me. I've been photographing them since Patton was born, so they really do know the drill.

What goes up...

must come down.

And now for the Christmas card session.

No chickens in the session, but we did include Woodrow, the Haflinger pony.

Keep checking back because I'm playing catch up and have lots of beautiful portraits still to share!

Stunning Savannah {Auburn Senior Portraits}

2010-01-10T14:02:00.020-06:00

I shared the video of the Rundquist family session, but since one member of the family, Miss Savannah, is a senior, I wanted to spotlight her more. Savannah is a senior at Lee Scott Academy. There she is involved in the music and drama programs. She is truly stunning and the girl has got some legs! Runway model material. During our session she rocked a variety of looks.

The first part of her session was held at the gorgeous home of Ms. Maryann Stiles. It is truly an architectural masterpiece.

Simply stunning.

The second part of the session was held at the Rundquist home. The ducks that you saw in the video are family pets. Ducks are such funny animals, but a bit camera shy. For this session, Savannah wore casual clothing. (I like to shoot seniors in both casual and formal attire.)

As shown in the video, the session also included Savannah's beautiful family. Here's her sister and BFF, Vanessa w/Zeke the pup.

And here's their beautiful mama, Ann, straightening brother Hunter's bow tie.

Handsome young Hunter with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

We did family portraits in formal attire as well. Isn't this a gorgeous family?

But my favorite family shot is this more casual one. Looks awesome as a gallery wrap canvas hanging in their beautiful home!

Thanks y'all! I had a wonderful time getting to know you all and photographing your gorgeous family.

The Rundquist Family {Auburn, AL Photographer}

2010-01-07T16:09:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year 2010 {Auburn Family Photographer}

2010-01-06T15:10:00.003-06:00

Now that the kids are back in school, I'm ready to jump into 2010 with both feet! We had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you did too.

I wanted to share two of my favorite Christmas cards. The first one is mine =) If you've been on my card list the last few years, you know I try to make my card unique and special each year. This year was no exception. We almost didn't get the shoot in though due to all that rain we had before Christmas. This card was printed as a trifold. The third image is showing the inside spread when the card is completely unfolded.

This was my mom and dad's Christmas card. My entire family was home for Thanksgiving, so we had a family photo shoot. This is the Edwards' family.

I'll be playing catch up over the next week and adding lots of images. Can't wait to share more!

Family Fun {Auburn Family Photographer}

2009-12-18T15:19:00.000-06:00

East Alabama Children's Choir

2009-12-10T09:02:00.001-06:00

Sisters, Sweet & Sassy {Auburn Children's Photographer}

2009-11-16T09:19:00.010-06:00

What fun it was photographing these two beautiful sisters! It was a gorgeous afternoon and these two had no problem getting into supermodel mode. Not only are they beautiful, they are so very sweet and full of personality.

The beautiful Misses Kate and Campbell.

Love the sparkle in their eyes, reflecting the love in their hearts.

Miss Campbell is so full of personality!

Beautiful Kate demonstrates the grace and strength of the awesome gymnast she is.

Just a few more of these sweet sisters.

Gayle, thank you so much for sharing your precious girls with me. I so enjoyed photographing them and spending time with you all. Hooray for our little Delta Zeta legacies!

Until next time =)

American Heroes {East Alabama Family Photographer}

2009-11-10T17:23:00.014-06:00

Today is Veterans Day. A day our country has put aside to honor those who truly give their all in order to defend our country and our freedom and way of life. Of course, my favorite veteran and personal hero is my dad, USAF Col. (Ret.) Ollie H. Edwards. I was in kindergarten here in Auburn when he was required to leave our family and serve a year in Southeast Asia. I have many memories of his preparations and departure, and also of his joyful return. Being a military family was just our way of life.

I wanted to share this wonderful military family with you all. I've been photographing the girls since before the youngest was born. They are an awesome family, full of strength and love. We held this session just days before Dad departed for his next tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Meet American hero, Major Stewart Robbins, of the United States National Guard, and his beautiful family.

So as you reflect on those who unselfishly give their lives in service to our country today, say a special prayer for Major Robbins and his family. Pray that God will keep him safe and will give his family strength and countless blessings, as they keep the home fires burning.

God Bless the United States of America!

Beautiful Ashley {Auburn Senior Portraits}

2009-11-06T11:59:00.007-06:00

I've already shared one of my favorites from Miss Ashley's senior portraits, Beauty in Color. I wanted to post a few more of this beautiful Auburn High School senior.

Thanks Ashley! You rocked these sessions and I had a blast shooting you.

Little Monsters{Auburn Opelika Children's Photographer}

2009-11-04T12:53:00.019-06:00

I thoroughly enjoyed all the little monsters that came by in support of The Food Bank of East Alabama. Thank you so much for supporting this awesome ministry. And thank you for sharing your little monsters with me. I love them so!!

Check out the cuteness =)

And my own little monsters -

Meredith as Bonnie Parker

and Lena as Lady Gaga.

I look forward to hosting the second annual Little Monsters' Food Drive next October. It's gonna be fantabulous!!

And don't forget that right now the Food Bank is having their annual Beat Bama Food Drive. Bama's won the past two years and we don't like that one bit! Most schools and many preschools are collecting, as are local grocery stores. Thank you so much for helping!

Until next time (which will be soon since I'm so far behind on blogging.)

Little Monsters Food Drive {Auburn Opelika Children's Photographer}

2009-10-23T15:27:00.006-05:00

I am proud to announce the first annual Picture Perfect Little Monsters' Food Drive, to benefit the Food Bank of East Alabama. Please bring your little monsters, angels, ghosts, pirates, princesses, etc. by, in costume, for a quick shot. 5 food items or $5 donation per child will get you a 5x7 print of your little pumpkin. 10 food items or $10 donation per child will get a 5x7 print and 4 wallets. There is no session fee and ALL proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank of East Alabama.

Time slots are available on Tuesday, Oct. 27, Wednesday, Oct. 28th and Thursday, Oct. 29th. Call (501-1513) or email me @ cavera4@bellsouth.net to reserve a spot.

We will also be taking drop ins on Thursday afternoon, since this is Trick or Treat night. You can come by, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m, before you hit the streets.

Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays. I thoroughly enjoy seeing kids in their costumes and how much fun they have getting into character. I hope many of you take this opportunity to get a professional print of your little monster and help the Food Bank at the same time.

Even if you can't participate in the Little Monsters' Food Drive, there are many other ones going on in our community right now. The Food Bank of East Alabama does an incredible job meeting the needs of so many in our area. Check out their site and/or become a fan on Facebook to learn more about this awesome ministry.

Beauty in Color {Auburn Senior Portraits}

2009-10-23T11:49:00.003-05:00

"Beauty in Color" was selected as the Photo of the Day today at Shutterbugs, in the People category. This portrait features the beautiful Auburn High senior, Miss Ashley Norton.

Lena commented this morning that I must really like shooting from that perspective. Yes, I do! I love how the colors pop in this image and how Ashley's gorgeous eyes sparkle. BTW - if you're one of my AHS alumni friends, this is Tony's daughter. Yep, Tony Norton from our class. She gets her good looks from her lovely mama, Lisa. (Just kidding Tony! You might have had a little input ;) I'll be sharing more from Ashley's session soon.

Brighter From Here {East Alabama Family Photographer}

2009-10-07T09:55:00.004-05:00

I was excited when Jen called me to inquire about a session for her children. I had seen her family around church and knew how striking they were so I talked her into doing some family pics too. I knew they were musicians, I'd heard great things about Martha's Trouble. But I'm in those middle years of life and go to bed before they usually would've started their first set @ Eighth & Rail, so I wasn't that familiar with their music. That was my loss - and now I'm making up for lost time!! I loved putting their video together using one of my favorite songs of theirs, "Brighter From Here", off the "Sleeping Dogs" CD. Isn't Jen's voice amazing?

Anyway - the session was Monday morning, and Miss Emery was nursing a birthday hangover. She had just turned two and had celebrated in style over the weekend. A true child of artists, she had no trouble expressing her emotions - and I captured it in pixels. One of my most favorite family pics ever!!

Of course, mood swings are temporary.

So I was able to capture her true, angelic disposition as well.

And then there's big brother Wilson. Just about the sweetest, cutest kid ever!!

Be still my heart!!

Jeepers, creepers, these two have gorgeous blue peepers!!

I'm happy to share that Martha's Trouble will be in concert Friday, October 16th at Toomer's Coffee. They start at 7:00 and I'm planning on taking my whole family. Come join us!

If you can't make that, Martha's Trouble CDs are available on Itunes and you may also purchase them through their site. (or tell me and I'll get them for you;)

Jen and Rob - love you guys and your precious children. I'm so glad we've connected.

Until next time....

Pretty Little Princesses {Auburn Children's Photographer}

2009-10-02T16:03:00.005-05:00

I recently got to photograph these two beautiful sisters. They had so much fun dressing up for our session and had no problem slipping into the princess role. It just comes naturally for us girls!

Sugar and spice and everything nice. That's what little princesses are made of!

Her First POTD {Auburn Family Photographer}

2009-10-01T10:34:00.003-05:00

"Beagle in Black and White" was selected as the Photo of the Day today at Shutterbugs in the Black and White category. This image features my sweet pup, Bailey.

I really like this image in color as well. I think it highlights those soulful, brown, puppy dog eyes. Those eyes that look at you filled with love and innocence, right after she's snatched your sandwich off the counter and scarfed it down.

Ah sweet Bailey Boo. I'm so glad we finally got her inner model to come forth so she too, could be featured in a photo of the day. She's celebrating by indulging in a few extra milk bones and maybe rolling in something stinky if she gets the chance. It's a dog's life!

Beautiful Auburn Family {East Alabama Family Photographer}

2009-09-28T12:09:00.005-05:00

I want to share a few images from a recent session with this beautiful family. We held a morning session, before they headed off to the mountains for a weekend get away. We families often find precious little time to get everyone together for family portraits. It may take extra effort, but in the end, it's worth it!

I photographed these gorgeous kids a couple of years ago. I thought I had them on my blog, but apparently their session was before I started this blog. I do have one of the images of beautiful Emily posted here in my BP gallery. She's as beautiful as ever. Still the natural beauty with the added poise and grace of a dancer.

I think Harrison has grown at least two feet since our session. He's such a handsome young man with strong convictions and values.

Thanks y'all, for continuing to allow me to provide family portraits for you. You are a beautiful family and a joy to photograph!

Sweet Allie is Almost 5 {East Alabama Children's Photographer}

2009-09-23T09:00:00.012-05:00

I spent the most beautiful morning photographing Miss Allie. Allie is about to be 5 years old and is modeling the same dress both her big sisters wore for their "formal" 4 year old portraits, a gorgeous, heirloom bishop dress.

Four is a very popular age for classic portraiture. At four, most kids are old enough to follow the photographer's posing directions. They understand what's going on and eat up being the center of attention. This is also before most children have lost any teeth and still have the sweet sweet smiles and innocence of preschoolers.

LOVE this age!

The lovely crepe myrtles were shedding their last blossoms. The breeze made the petals dance and twirl, like summer snowflakes.

Photographer's favorite. Well, at least ONE of them. I have several from this session.

Lovely Allie has such a sweet, spunky personality and the happy go lucky nature that is often seen in "the baby" of the family.

But a baby she's not. She's about to be FIVE and is smart as can be. AND she's a preschool super model.

Thanks sweet Allie! You are an awesome model!! Tell mom to give you a big ol' squeeze from Miss Candy!

Photo of the Day {Auburn Photographer}

2009-09-21T09:01:00.005-05:00

"Unwritten" was selected as the Photo of the Day today in the Digital Art category at Shutterbugs. This image features the beautiful Kiri. For more of Kiri, just scroll down ;)

Keep checking back because I have some great stuff to share soon!

Captivating Kiri {Opelika Senior Portraits}

2009-09-10T13:18:00.011-05:00

Kiri is a beautiful Opelika High School senior. We met for her senior portraits at Municipal Park, aka. Monkey Park, when I was a child. There were really monkeys in cages, right? I thought I remembered that from my childhood. I definitely remember the train, and riding in a train from Mrs. Meagher's Kindergarten to the park for a picnic. But I digress. Who wants to hear about me when you can look at beautiful Kiri?

Isn't she something?

Such a beautiful young lady.

Having fun with the shadows =)

Captivating indeed.

We also shot a few in downtown Opelika. I processed these a little differently to fit the mood.

I've always admired my good friend Carolyn Foster Spano's senior portrait work. Cari's work inspired me to create this portrait for Kiri.

Thanks so much for allowing me to create your senior portraits and have an awesome senior year!!

Photo of the Day {Auburn Photographer}

2009-08-31T08:40:00.003-05:00

"Meredith" was selected as the Photo of the Day yesterday at Shutterbugs, for the People category. This is my new favorite image of my sweet and sultry Meredith. I was testing out some new studio lighting equipment and had to hire her to model. Yep, hire her. Meredith doesn't enjoy modeling quite as much as her sister. However, given the proper motivation (in this case, cold hard cash) she is a stunning, very emotive model. I love how the guitar frames her face, the movement in her hair and the golden, earthy coloring in this image.

Here's to my beautiful models, my sweet, talented girls!

The Author {Auburn Photographer}

2009-08-27T14:53:00.007-05:00

I am so proud to share these portraits of the beautiful Mrs. Christy Kyser Truitt. Christy is the author of the award-winning novel, Where the River Bends. I'm half way through this and loving it. (You can get it at Hastings.)

Photographing her headshots was like a morning of hanging out with girlfriends. So fun and refreshing. Isn't she lovely?

Christy is currently represented by Rachelle Gardner of the WordServe Literary Group. Her third manuscript entitled The First Drop of Rain is being considered by several major publishing houses. To learn more about Christy, visit www.christytruitt.com.

Beautiful Dancers & POTD {East Alabama Photographer}

2009-08-23T15:24:00.014-05:00

"Serenade" was selected as the Photo of the Day today in the black and white category at Shutterbugs. This image features some of the beautiful dancers from Variations.

I was excited when Stacy called and asked me to shoot the dress rehearsal for their spring recital. I had heard great things about Variations and have done portraits for many of thier dancers. I had so much fun at the rehearsal and was so impressed, I went back the next day and took some images during the performance. I'm posting a few of my favorites here, and the rest may be viewed on my web site, under proofs titled "Variations." I posted these last spring but I'm afraid many people didn't know about them and didn't get to view them. So help me spread the word to other Variations' dancers that these images are available to view and prints may be purchased. Please keep in mind that since I was shooting for the studio w/displays and publicity images in mind, I did not photograph every dance and/or every dancer.

Y'all did a wonderful job with your performance and I enjoyed photographing all you beautiful dancers!

New Best Friends {Auburn Children's Photographer}

2009-08-20T15:08:00.014-05:00

My awesome models, Harrison and Banks are back and this time they've got puppies!! Two cute boys and two adorable and very laid back pups.

This is Harrison and Bolt.

And here's Banks and Rebel.

We put a little peanut butter on the boys' cheeks to get the puppies' attention. It worked and made for lots of giggles too!

Rebel and Bolt are the most laid back puppies I've ever seen.

Gotta love a pup that can handle being lugged around. These were taken a while back and I'm willing to bet that Harrison couldn't lift Bolt like this now.

Couldn't let the sun set without snapping a few of the pups in canine supermodel mode.

Thanks y'all! I had a blast and I'll talk with you soon.

Until next time =)

The All American {AHS Senior Portraits}

2009-08-17T12:26:00.011-05:00

Honestly, I have the nicest clients! And it's awesome for me because the majority of my business comes from word of mouth referrals. And nice people tend to know other nice people, so I keep getting fantastic clients. Thank you!

Patrick is such an "All American" kinda senior. He's a scholar and a talented athelete. Patrick is a member of the Auburn High School varsity baseball team. This team, under the leadership of Coach Cimo, won the state Class 6A baseball championship, May 2009. Way to go AHS Tiger's Baseball!

His easy going personality made it a pleasure to work with him. That and the fact that he's about as handsome as they come!

The gorgeous family property provided inspiration.

A southern gentleman after my own heart, Patrick loves the great outdoors, and likes chillin outdoors with his best friend.

Fishing at the fishin' hole.

Such a well trained lab. You know it was so hard for her not to jump in for a swim.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you all and look forward to photographing the entire family (plus or minus various animals lol) this fall.

And y'all keep sending these sweet clients my way ;)

Girls Raised in the South {East Alabama Photographer}

2009-08-05T12:24:00.014-05:00

A few posts ago I shared a Shutterbugs POTD of the adorable Miss Emmy. Here's the award winner in black and white, followed by some of my favorites from that session.

I titled this post "Girls Raised in the South" because that's what came to my mind when I choose these images to share. One of the unanticipated blessings I've experienced since starting Picture Perfect, is the blessing of heritage. The blessing of meeting the kinfolk of those I knew way back when. The blessing of getting back in touch with friends and acquaintances from the earlier years of my life. And realizing anew some of the things that make this area so special to those of use lucky enough to call it home. We are proud to be GRITS!

So, why do these images evoke the spirit of us southern girls? Well, GRITS are fun and love to play games.

GRITS' natural beauty shines though. Especially when we're outdoors.

As I said in my last post, southern girls LOVE their football and we are loyal to our teams.

GRITS can handle a horse, and look gorgeous doing so.

GRITS love their Mamas.

GRITS are strong and beautiful women of faith, who stand tall and firm through the storms of life, and give praise for the blessings to come.

Lucy, it was a joy to photography you and Emmy. You both have the sweetest spirits and I do know you will continue to be blessed, as you are a blessing to others.

Until next time!

Back to School {East Alabama Photographer}

2009-08-04T15:38:00.005-05:00

Yep. Even though we're in the middle of summer. My friends in other parts of the country are amazed that we start school so early here. It does seem crazy to have to air condition buildings in the hottest month of the year.

But, we all know what comes with back to school and that's FOOTBALL!! We southern girls LOVE our football. The anticipation is rising as we Auburn faithful wait to see what the Tigers, led by awesome Coach Chizik, have in store for us. And the local high school teams are back out in the heat, preparing for their seasons. It's our tradition, and we're proud of it.

This is an ad that will be placed in the Lee Scott Academy Sports' Program. Word on the street (aka. my Facebook newsfeed) has it that they have a very strong team this year and that Coach Maddox is a top notch coach. Here's to a great season!!

And best of luck to all our student athletes. We've got a lot of talent in this area, and us fans are looking forward to cheering for you all.

War Eagle!

The Beautiful Family {Opelika, AL Family Photographer}

2009-07-29T08:52:00.008-05:00

A few posts ago I shared some images of a handsome young senior. We combined his senior portraits with a family session, and I'd be remiss if I didn't share some images of them.

"And now we have, the rest of the family," said in my best Paul Harvey voice.

Daddy's Girl

Sister is a natural in front of the camera as well.

Great looking kids, well, young adults really.

Thanks so much for sharing your family with me!

Harper Family Video {Auburn AL Photography}

2009-07-26T19:38:00.003-05:00

Love doing these videos for customers. This example is a lower resolution version. Clients receive the full resolution videos on a DVD in a custom case. These look FANTASTIC on a big screen!!

Sweet Emmy {East Alabama Children's Photography}

2009-07-24T09:26:00.002-05:00

"Sweet Emmy" was selected as the Shutterbugs Photo of the Day today in the People category. I am so happy to see this precious face get some recognition. She is adorable! I had so much fun photographing Emmy and her beautiful mommy and promise to share a few more from their session soon.

The Natural {Auburn Opelika Senior Portraits}

2009-07-23T10:45:00.007-05:00

I recently spent a very sunny and hot afternoon photographing this handsome senior and his family. You'll see the family soon, but I thought the senior deserved his own post. He is, after all, a senior. And if he needs a little career guidance, I might suggest modeling for GQ. No kidding, this fella is a natural in front of the camera.

Check it out -

Photographer's Favorite ;)

And ladies, he's not only an awesome model, but he's an athlete as well. He's in such great shape, I had to pose him to show off his "guns."

(Psst -Thanks for being such a great model on such a hot afternoon!! Enjoy your senior year.)

I'm Back, I Think {East Alabama Photographer}

2009-07-20T11:36:00.004-05:00

Summertime, and the living is easy. At least it was the past couple of weeks when I was vacationing! Other than that, I'd say the living is quite challenging. The girls have enjoyed various camps and I've struggled to maintain the biz while juggling the summer schedules. I am woman, see me multitask and roar ;)

School will be starting in a few weeks, but things will not be back to normal for the Avera family. We'll be trying to find a new normal as the girls will be in different schools and my hubby will be in a different state. That's right - a different state. Dave's required to report to and work from a Sybase office in Alpharetta, GA. We're in no hurry to relocate to Atlanta - don't want to leave our awesome hometown - so we're going to have 2 homes. Aren't WE the contemporary family. Believe me - I'd rather things stay the same, but adaptability is key to survival, so adapt we will.

So what does this mean for Picture Perfect? I really don't know yet. I do know that I am having to limit the number of sessions that I book and I am having to enforce deadlines and minimums. I know I will continue to place a high priority on my family time, with weekends being rarely available for business. I know that I am already booked for August and only have one opening left for October. If you are interested in Picture Perfect portraits of your family, kids or senior, please call me as soon as possible to book your session. It kills me to have to turn away friends, but I have to limit myself so I can take care of my family. Thanks for understanding.

Don't want to leave you without some images, so here's a couple of Mr. Calvin @ 3 months.

Cutest beach baby ever!

Anastacia (and Jake) {Auburn Senior Portraits}

2009-07-01T10:44:00.009-05:00

It was a beautiful afternoon to be outside. And what made it even better was being outside with gorgeous Miss Anastacia and her trusty steed Jake. Anastacia is a senior at Auburn High School, Class of 2010. She's currently in Australia and I'm sooooo jealous! Here are a few of my favorites from our outdoor session.

Love love love the classic glamour look of this black and white.

And love the fact that Jake was almost as good as model as Anastacia! (Big almost there.)

Look how he loves her!

This young lady can certainly do glamourous. But she rocks the barn in her cowboy boots!

And still looks beautiful barefoot in jeans.

Perfect sunset light on an amazing senior. Picture Perfect!

I had a blast photographing you Anastacia and look forward to our studio shoot in August! Hope you're having a wonderful trip. Have a fantastic birthday too!!

Stacy & Bryan are Getting Married! {Auburn Wedding Photographer}

2009-06-17T14:04:00.012-05:00

I spent a wonderful afternoon photographing this gorgeous young couple to commemorate their engagement. They are such a talented couple, and I know their families are thrilled with their upcoming nuptials.

Besides the traditional engagement portrait, I wanted to also capture a bit of what makes their relationship so special. Their interactions, their inside jokes and even their intimate moments.

Stacy is a dancer and the owner of Variations Studio in Auburn. She giggled when I asked her if Bryan was also a dancer. So she's got her work cut out for her to get him ready for the big day!

Photographer's Favorite ;)

A few more of my favorites, inside the cabin, natural light only.

Their wedding will be July 25th at Auburn United Methodist Church with a reception to follow at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. I'm sure it will be just as special as this sweet couple is.

Stacy and Bryan, thanks so much for allowing me to share in this exciting time in your lives. I wish you all the best as you start your new life together!

Flower Girls {Auburn Photographer}

2009-06-09T09:20:00.005-05:00

I wanted to share a few more images of my supermodels from our shoot in the daisy field. The field and the light were just gorgeous. The models were great, but a little impatient because the ground was squishy from days of rain. But as they know, from watching cycle after cycle of America's Next Top Model, being a model sometimes means being in yucky situations.

Here's beautiful Lena,

and gorgeous Meredith,

and perfect sunset light.

Aren't they something?

Thanks for letting me be a proud mama!

Fresh Flowers {Auburn Children's Photographer}

2009-06-06T17:01:00.003-05:00

"Fresh Flowers" was selected as the Photo of the Day at Shutterbugs today in the people category. I took this portrait on Mother's Day. I had seen this beautiful field of daisies and took advantage of the occasion, dragging my super models out for a couple of spring portraits. I hope to post a few more from this outing soon.

I apologize for being a slacker blogger. With the children home from school and all that entails, I'm having more trouble than ever keeping up. I'm sorry if I am not able to post from your session. I'm staying so busy that I just can't post from each and every one. If you are on Facebook, "friend" me and I'll post a few there for you to share with friends and family. And thank you so much for your continued support of my business and your referrals. I am so blessed!

Until next time =)

BHS Senior Spokesmodel - Casey Danielle McConnell {East Alabama Senior Portraits}

2009-05-18T17:08:00.012-05:00

I am proud to introduce my Senior Spokesmodel from Beauregard High School's Class of 2010, Miss Casey Danielle McConnell. Casey is the daughter of Danny and Cyndi McConnell.

Casey's favorite music is rap, but she's been known to listen to a lot of Taylor Swift. Her favorite thing to do is hang out with her friends. (and talk and talk and talk ;) Her favorite color is purple and her favorite subject in school is Science.

Casey has a heart of gold. She is a helper for the students with disabilities at BHS and is a Special Olympics volunteer.

When asked what she is looking forward to most about her senior year she replied, "Graduation." The least? "The work." Spoken like a true senior.

Casey modeling "the dress." Isn't she stunning?

After graduating from BHS, Casey plans to attend college and pursue a career in the medical field.

I asked Casey, "Where do you see yourself in ten years" and she replied, "Married, with a job and a family." (She's gonna break a few hearts in the process.)

Once again, Picture Perfect's BHS Senior Spokesmodel, Casey Danielle McConnell.

Photo of the Day {Auburn Photographer}

2009-05-17T09:11:00.004-05:00

"Street-Heart" was selected as the Photo of the Day today for the monthly theme category at Shutterbugs. The Shutterbugs theme for May is street photography. This image was taken during the Auburn Arts Association's Summer Arts Fest in downtown Auburn last June.

Down Country Roads {Auburn Family Portraits}

2009-05-12T15:53:00.010-05:00

I had a great time with this family, but if you know them, you won't be surprised by that! We drove out to their gorgeous property for the session. I love doing this because it allows me to think on my feet and let the creative vision take over. Everything was so lush and green and there was the coolest oak towering over the fishing hut.

This handsome young man is Harrison.

And this is dashing younger brother, Banks.

And this is the family out by their future retirement home. ;)

Dad had surprised the boys with this new tire swing. Cool dad.

And I just gotta say how awesomely cooperative these two fellas were. They played and modeled and ran and modeled and swung and modeled and ate candy and modeled. And they did not complain a bit! (At least not to me.)

On the way there we passed this very cool old store front. It was begging to be photographed and the family was happy to oblige. The result is some of my most favorite family portraits ever!

Clay and Jennifer, thanks so much for allowing me to spend time with you all and photograph your awesome family!! (And thanks for the cold one too!)

Baby Face {Auburn Children's Photographer}

2009-05-06T09:55:00.011-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing the lovely Miss Anna when she was nine months old. She was such a beautiful, serious baby. Here's one of my favorites from that session.

Now, two years later, I got to see sweet Anna again and this time, photograph her and her little brother Max.

Max is nine months old and although he's pretty serious too, he's very laid back and easy going.

Max didn't mind doing "nekkid baby" shots at all. In fact, he even gave us some sweet smiles!

And pensive gazes. He's got the coolest eyes.

Sweet Anna enjoyed playing outside. She's grown up so, but is still as beautiful as ever.

Thanks for continuing to share your sweet children with me!

Until next time ;)

Fabulous Family {East Alabama Family Photography}

2009-05-01T11:54:00.011-05:00

This is another session we struggled with scheduling due to rain and chilly weather. But like the previous session, spring came through for us and God granted us a glorious day for portraits.
As Kim and I planned their session, I mentioned having access to antique tractors. She thought that was quite fitting for their family, who spends a good bit of their time outdoors, so they wore their John Deere green and brought the hats for the men.

Many thanks to my kind neighbor, Mr. Larry McGhee, for allowing us the use of his tractor and his lovely property.

The family looks fabulous in blues too, don't you think? I LOVE the father-son shirts. They (our offspring) only let you get away with that for so long.

This is Ryder, and as my friend Megan would say, "I have a new crush." Ryder is on the verge of 4 and is so sweet and so smart and so fun and full of life.

But he's gonna always have a special place in his heart for his number one lady!

"Snips and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of." That and of course, the occasional reptile/amphibian.

Thanks so much for sharing your family with me. I had a great time photographing you all!

Sweet Anna {East Alabama Children's Photographer}

2009-04-25T12:00:00.007-05:00

It had been raining for what seemed like weeks, when at last, we had a gorgeous spring afternoon. And there were still some azaleas blooming. AND I had a beautiful young subject, modeling her heirloom first communion dress. What more could I possibly want? Well, maybe an antique truck - lol.

Meet sweet Anna.

She's eight years old. And I think she surprised her mama with her supermodel ways.

Anna's dress was made by her great grandmother. Anna's grandmother wore it for her first communion when she was a girl. The intricate hand sewing is so delicate and feminine. The diaphanous fabric catches the light gorgeously.

And what about that truck? It serves as a perfect backdrop for this timeless portrait. This image, "Monday's Child" is going on my most favorite images list for sure!

I enjoy creating contemporary children's portraiture, which is colorful, fun and whimsical - just like kids. But sometimes the occasion calls for something more classic and timeless and it is a joy for me to create classic portraiture as well. It is a honor to create art for your family that will become a family heirloom, just like that beautiful dress.

A Few More {Auburn Children's Photography}

2009-04-22T11:26:00.006-05:00

These are the last of the bunny pics I wanted to share featuring some of my supermodels.

Super model Meredith =)

And super duper model, Allie ;)

These bunnies were so much fun to have around. Thanks to the Newsome family for allowing us to foster the buns for the Easter season. Rabbits are inquisitive, quick little creatures and they eat a lot!! Bailey beagle got used to having them around, but would still get overly excited and could not be trusted much with them. I guess there's nothing a beagle likes better than a race with a rabbit. We didn't try to validate that. And we sent Easter, a boy, and basket, a girl, back to their home before we ended up with more little bunnies. But I'm sure some of their rabbit kin folk will be back next Easter!

Easter Babies {Auburn Children's Photographer}

2009-04-22T08:09:00.006-05:00

I have so much fun watching my Picture Perfect kids grow up! These two sisters could not be more precious. They were so sweet, modeling their Easter dresses with the bunnies.

Little sis with Basket,

and big sis, with Easter.

These two take me back a few years, to when my girls were their age (and would wear bows and smocked dresses!)

Baby Jake's first Easter.

"The Line Up"

Jake was not worried about those bunnies one bit. And, since Mom is a veterinarian, she wasn't uptight about having fuzzy rodents near her baby.

A few more bunny pics to come!

The Bunnies {Auburn Children's Photographer}

2009-04-20T07:56:00.008-05:00

I'm such an animal lover. "I love all things furry" is number 10 on my Facebook list of 25 random things. And I like to introduce young children to animals and watch how they interact. Interacting with animals uses all of our senses and is a wonderful learning experience for children. Soooo.....as Spring was upon us and Easter was right around the corner, I decided to pay a visit to one of my farmer friends to see if I could borrow a bunny. He sent me home with two baby bunnies in a feed sack, along with some food and hay. Of course, the girls were beside themselves when they met the buns, and they promptly claimed them and named them. We had no idea the little critters would be such supermodels.

This is Easter. This image, "Easter, the Bunny" was selected as a Photo of the Day at Shutterbugs (see below.) About a week and a half after I took this picture, Easter would no longer fit in the watering can. (They were well fed at the "Picture Perfect Bed and Breakfast for Seasonal Rodent Props".)

Here Easter models in the Carrot Mobile. I captioned this one, "But officer. I was only going 55."

And here's Miss Basket, modeling in the Carrot Mobile. This one's titled "Speed Racer".

This is Basket again in "Garden Bunny". This was a tricky shot to capture because Basket was more interested in munching on the flowers than modeling with them.

The bunnies were on trial this year. I only did a few sessions with them this year, but I'm pleased to say they went great, so I'll be doing more next year.

Anna got tickled by Basket's whiskers.

And Philip kept Basket calm by feeding her lettuce.

I'm so far behind with my blogging (so what else is new?) and I know I need to post a bunch more. Check by soon for more bunny/kid pics. Spring sessions to come too. This gorgeous weather is a photographer's dream!

Photo of the Day {Auburn Photographer}

2009-04-10T07:56:00.003-05:00

Easter, the Bunny was selected as the Photo of the Day today at Shutterbugs.biz. I took this picture 2 weeks ago and Easter will no longer fit in this watering can!

There is such a great story behind Easter and I hope to blog it very soon and share more bunny pictures. Easter and Basket are foster bunnies, who are spending the Easter season with the Avera family. They have enjoyed their 15 minutes in the spotlight and have once again shown that Picture Perfect can bring out the supermodel in anyone or anything!

AHS Senior Spokesmodel, Sarah Margaret Lyons {Auburn Senior Photographer}

2009-04-06T14:49:00.018-05:00

I am so happy to introduce my Senior Spokesmodel from Auburn High School's class of 2010: Miss Sarah Margaret Lyons. Sarah Margaret is the daughter of Randy and Fran Lyons. I asked Sarah Margaret to answer a few questions for me so you all could get to know her better.

Favorite Color: Purple...ALWAYS (It's the color of royalty =)
Favorite Subject: AP Calculus AB or French 104

Favorite Song/CD: It changes everyday. Music is pretty much my life. Any kind will do, minus rap...yuck. But right now I really like ABBA...Does that make me weird? (Nope.)
Favorite Hobby: Choir, Dance and D-Group
Favorite Thing to Do: Play outside when it's sunny.

Extra Curricular Activities: National Honor Society, National French Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Key Club, AHS Varsity Singers, Schools4Schools (we raise money for our sister school in Uganda), AHS Varsity Track and Field, AUMC Substitute Sunday School Teacher, Society of Women in Sciences and Mathematics, French Club, Future Teachers of America, Student Outreach for Christ and Fellowship of Christian Athletes

What do you look forward to most about being a senior? BEING A SENIOR! Ah, it's so surreal. I'm not really about to be 17, but I am. It's sort of weird actually, but I'm so excited. I'm especially excited about seeing where I'll go to school, because I have no clue where I'm going.

What are you planning on doing after you graduate high school? Attend a good school and discover what I want to do with the rest of my life.
After College? Hopefully, get married sometime after that and get a job sometime before then. I would like either to be some kind of architect or a choir teacher.

"Faith: It's so important to me. With all the things I do, if I didn't have the Lord's peace within me, I would literally go crazy from the stress. God is all I need. No one or nothing can give me the love, assurance, strength, peace, hope, and comfort the way that God does."

"I love sharing God's love with others...even though it does get hard sometimes. Without God, I don't even want to think about the person I might've been. Only He knows what I'm going to do in college and His plan is the only one I want."

Thanks so much Sarah Margaret for sharing of yourself and thank you for allowing me to share in this important year.

Miss Sarah Margaret Lyons: Auburn High School, Class of 2010

Grant and Beck

2009-03-04T16:48:00.007-06:00

I spent the an afternoon recently photographing these gorgeous siblings.

This is Grant. He's 9 years old and is learning the violin.

And this young lady is Miss Beck, who greeted my by telling me how very CLEAN they were. She was so proud, and so beautiful.

We went out, into the woods for our session. Hard to believe these images were taken just days before the snow!

Beck poses by "the haunted house." Doesn't look very scared now, does she?

I mean they were clean right down to their toes!

And cute as can be.

Thanks Grant and Beck for being such terrific models. I hope you like your pictures!

Photo of the Day

2009-02-25T08:47:00.005-06:00

"Melody" was selected as the Photo of the Day today in the People category at Shutterbugs. This image features the alluring Melody, daughter of fellow Pixel Chick, Cindy Harter. Melody is a model with Elite Model Management in Atlanta. This image was shot in raw using only natural light. It was processed in Adobe Lightroom and converted to black and white in Photoshop.

BetterPhoto Finalist

2009-02-23T14:31:00.006-06:00

"Snow Much Fun" has been selected as a BetterPhoto finalist in the people category for the month of January. This one features my super models, Meredith and Lena.

Photo of the Day

2009-02-20T13:41:00.003-06:00

"Sleeping Like a Baby" was selected as the Photo of the Day today at Shutterbugs, in the Black & White category. This precious images featured baby Jake, when he was one week old.

Beautiful Emily

2009-02-18T10:48:00.005-06:00

This beautiful young lady is a student at Auburn, majoring in theater. She needed some new head shots for upcoming auditions and we had so much fun shooting these.

I've known Emily for a long time, and her sweet mom even longer. Emily has been our girls' favorite babysitter for years. We are fortunate to have my parents in town, who love to spend time w/the girls, so we haven't had to hire a sitter very much. But my girls would BEG us to go somewhere just so Emily could come over. She is just as fun as she is pretty.

She has the most gorgeous coloring and hair to die for!

And is stunning in black and white.

I enjoyed our time together Emily. I'll have some more for you soon.

Have a Picture Perfect day!

Another Sweet Baby Boy

2009-02-10T14:52:00.012-06:00

He was the most easy going newborn I've ever photographed. I don't think I heard him fuss but once the entire time. He was a great sport, modeling many different hats.

Mom really wanted to get some strong black and whites, so I'm posting some of my favorites.

Meet baby Calvin.

Calvin was also only a week old when we did this session. We think that Calvin's room was right next to Jake's room at EAMC.

Peanut in a hat.

Calvin's beautiful mama, Heather.

The proud new family!

Heather and Trae, thanks so much for sharing precious Calvin with me! I look forward to watching him grow.

Sweet Baby Jake

2009-02-08T13:44:00.007-06:00

There is nothing sweeter than fresh baby! Recently I've photographed two precious newborn boys. Today's sneak peek features baby Jake. Jake was a week old when we took these pictures. Isn't he gorgeous?

Even though Jake was well fed and was kept warm and snuggly, he wasn't really very interested in sleeping. He really was more interested in what was going on around him. Don't let these pictures fool you. He was fighting sleep the whole time. But you'd never know it looking at the images below.

Here he looks like Jake Van Winkle! It just makes me smile.

His beautiful parents, Johnathon and Monica. And Jake makes three!

Thank y'all so much for sharing your precious little man with me! I look forward to watching him grow.

Photo of the Day

2009-02-07T17:49:00.006-06:00

"Snow Much Fun" was selected as the Photo of the Day today at Shutterbugs in the people category. These are my two cuties having fun in the snow - um, right. This was shot in RAW, natural light only, developed in Lightroom. The snow effect was enhanced in CS3.

Many of you will recognize this one from our Christmas card. Which reminds me. Things got kinda whacky around here at Christmas. Imagine that. We had those elves, and well, those stinkin' elves never finished the Christmas cards. There are still 25 cards, in the box from the lab, that they never even opened. And they lost the list! So I apologize if you didn't get a card from us this year. Good elves are hard to find. ;)

Beautiful Melody

2009-02-06T18:17:00.009-06:00

I recently spent the weekend with some of my fellow Pixel Chicks at the home of Cindy Harter in Cartersville, GA. Cindy made arrangements for us to have the use of a fabulous farm home that was built in 1855. Cindy also made arrangements for her fantastically beautiful daughter, Melody Smith, to be our model for the afternoon. Melody actually does this for a living. She is not only an incredible dancer, but she is also a professional model for the Elite Modeling Agency. Lucky me!!

Here are some of my favorites from the afternoon.

And I can't decide whether I like this one best in color,

or black and white.

You can see more pictures from the Pixel Chick's weekend by visiting the Pixel Chick's blog here.

Cutie Patootie

2009-02-02T13:34:00.008-06:00

I had so much fun shooting this little cutie patootie AND using studio lighting to do it. I have to give credit to my fellow Pixel Chicks, Laura Stetser and Julie Monacella. They are the ones who set up the lights, while fielding my nonstop questions the whole time. But I'm excited to be learning new skills, which means I'll be able to offer you all new options.

This little guy is 6 months old. He was so agreeable and fun to photograph. Isn't he the cutest?

And here's a black and white for "The End".

Beautiful Isabel

2009-02-02T10:11:00.003-06:00

"Isabel" was selected as the Photo of the Day at Shutterbugs on January 21, 2009.

This portrait was taken during the sister's session, Lily and Isabel. You can see their slide show above this post. I'm going to be changing featured slide shows soon so make sure you check out this one before it goes!

Still Kickin'

2009-01-25T16:24:00.005-06:00

I'm so sorry I've let my blog fall behind. Honestly, I've found it so easy to post images and news on Facebook that I'm afraid my blog has been neglected as a result. If you are on Facebook, find me under Candy Edwards Avera. I'm in the process of creating a group for Picture Perfect and would love to have you all join.

Check out the nifty video above of Lily and Isabel. These are so fun to create! A DVD slideshow/video like this is your free gift with a print order of $750. They are going to be offered to my 2010 senior models as well. I hope I can figure out how to embed them in my post soon.

Until next time.... which I promise won't be weeks...

Let's Do The Time Warp Again

2009-01-09T09:35:00.010-06:00

I'm still back in December '08, posting my last senior of the year. Are y'all with me?

Meet Charlie.

Charlie is another talented Lee Scott senior with so much going for him.

He's a quiet, down to earth kind of guy and I have no doubt that he is going to make his mark on this world.

I enjoyed hanging out with you Charlie and wish you the best in all your endeavors. Sorry I'm so behind in posting this!

Auburn Photographer Perfects Time Travel

2009-01-06T15:19:00.013-06:00

You heard it here first! I'm traveling back in time and it's now December 2, 2008.
So, here's the second part of my post from YESTERDAY...snerk snerk ;}

The awesome Brown boys and their pups! They just don't come any cuter.

Obviously Daisy was bored with modeling.

This was the one we used - erm, I mean the one we WILL use for the front of their card.

Now let's zoom forward just one week and see a sneak peek from the session w/the cousins. These were especially for their sweet grandmother.

About a year ago there was a show called "The Shot", a reality competition for photographers. Like most reality competitions, the contestants had to compete in various challenges and face elimination. One week their big challenge was to work with children. GASP! I got a big kick out of that and wondered what these photogs would do if faced with lots of children AND dogs AND horses. I'm willing to bet that a lot of them would be reacting like the little cutie pie in the middle below.

But I wouldn't miss this for the world!

Kids, horses, dogs....bring it on!!

(We now return you to your regularly scheduled schedule.)

America's Next Top Model, Equine Cycle 3

2008-12-01T07:55:00.012-06:00

As you know, not all Picture Perfect models walk upright. Some of my favorite models are equine. Photographing horses really takes me out of my comfort zone. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with horses, it's just that photographing them is not quite so easy. They are such beautiful animals, but their features are much different than ours, (You know the story -horse walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Why the long face?") requiring different lighting, compositions and lenses, etc. But I love stretching my boundaries.

The winner of America's Next Top Equine Model wins the honor of being the cover horse for Sandy's Stables' annual Christmas card. This card has become a keepsake for many a riding student and there is much anticipation about who the cover horse (or pony) may be.

The winner of Equine Cycle 1 was everybody's favorite horse, Sugar Mama. That year there was a talent portion of the contest, and Sugar took that by storm with her rendition of Jingle Bells.

Last year there was a new kid in town, setting a new standard for equine top models. He not only won the cover of the Sandy's Stables' card, he also was featured on the front of my card, posing with my girls. The winner of America's Next Top Model, Equine Cycle 2 was

RUDY!

And now it's time to reveal the winner of America's Next Top Model, Equine Cycle 3. This lovely lady is definitely the top mare of the stables. She's a girly girl, rocking it in her holiday attire and strutting her stuff for the judges.

The winner of America's Next Top Model, Equine Cycle 3 is

GINGER!

Good models are always ready for their close up.

A good model knows to turn into the light.

And a good model has a fierce runway walk; or in this case, pasture trot.

Congratulations Ginger!! If you are a student of Sandy's Stables, you can look forward to seeing Ginger's card in the near future.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!

Teens and Tweens; More Beautiful Kids

2008-11-23T12:26:00.013-06:00

One of the things I enjoy about my job is I get to spend time with kids of all ages. I enjoy photographing the itty bitty kids just as much as I love photographing teens and tweens. As the mom of a couple of "tweens", I'm enjoying these years and I'm finding the impending teen years not quite so scary.

These beautiful kids have so much talent. They have such sweet sibling relationships and were a pleasure to photograph.

Here's gorgeous Sarah Margaret,

and dashing wake board champion, Joseph,

and beautiful, sweet Catherine.

And some fun black and whites from the session.

Thanks for a fun session guys! I enjoyed spending time with you all on a beautiful afternoon. And I'm looking forward to my yummy chocolate cheesecake sampler!

Thanks for stopping by!