In Service of Our Country

"The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country" General George S. Patton

Hello again friends!  I've returned once again to share with you a recent experience from one of my sessions. I present to you Lieutenant Colonel James Pochopien - One of the U.S. Army's finest.  James is highly respected by those who follow him, those who are his peers, and those who are his seniors in service.

On this day, he had the opportunity to share with his co-workers, both military and civilian, and with his family his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army.

Prior to the actual pinning on of his new rank, he was once again given the oath of office.  This is a great tradition/custom that confirms to all James's desire to continue in honorable service of our country...to serve and protect "all" within our nation from all enemies...foreign and domestic who wish to do us harm.

James' day was made even more complete as his family was there to help him affix his new rank to his shoulders. In spite of this being "his" day, James, in humility, acknowledges that he is only able to do what he does because of the never-ending support from his family.

Having the opportunity to serve as Lieutenant Colonel Pochopien's photographer for the ceremony was an honor...an honor I hope to do more often for others as a way to show my appreciation for those who have and continue to protect our freedoms in this our country. 

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Getting Fit Can Be Fun

Hello all!  Next up in this monthly blog is a photo shoot I had for a fitness centers grand opening.  This is JoJo on the Go Fitness. It was great having the opportunity to work with such positive, adaptive, and creative group of people.  I say adaptive and creative because initially, the plan/location for the shoot was for an urban/downtown environment.  However, the weather just didn't want to cooperate.  Hence, we have the opportunity to adapt and overcome.  

 The owners Johanna and Marquita were the wonderful women who sought out my photography business.  These women are not only business minded but very photogenic as well.  Now that is a powerful and successful combination.

The administrative and massage therapist staff were also very welcoming as I arrived.  There was no need to give much direction to them as they prepared for the photo session.  Their smile, presence, and personality shined through before, during, and after the composition of the shot.

The fitness instructors were great as well.  Not only were they full of energy (so early in the morning I must say)  but drive to do all that was needed to make this a great shoot.  It was great to see "Nitro" in there having fun right along with the ladies.

As we ended the session, all that participated shared that they had as good of a time during the shoot as they have during the classes that they instruct. I truly appreciate them giving me the opportunity to provide them with these images to mount throughout their fitness business for their recent Grand Opening. 

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Lest' We Forget

Well, I've returned once again to update you on one of my latest shoots.  Every once in a while we get an opportunity to participate in a family's desire to record the present as they move to a new chapter in their life.

Allow me introduce you to the Samson-Vazquez family.  This family has lived in this home for over 10 years but never had an opportunity to professionally record their lives while living here.  Since they have now sold the home, they wanted to be sure they could have memories of themselves while in this lovely residence.













This home was very beautiful. However, while shooting the session, I found that their care and love for each other put on display, even more so, how beautiful their family is. While shooting the session, it was great seeing how Joe, Anne, and Bella interacted with each other with such attention and care.






















Although Anne looked and carried herself as a professional model, to my surprise, little Bella was modeling and posing for me as if she had been doing this since she was born.   She was gentle and a little princess ready to take any position and display her smile, full of joy mind you, and "I've got this" attitude for the world to see.

We had such a great time on this session. Joe and Anne were able to reminisce about the great times they had and share how they truly cherish all the friends that had the chance to enjoy this house with them and make it a "home."

Lest' I too forget, I want to thank this family for allowing me to have the opportunity to record their memories as they take one last look before moving on to another chapter in their lives.

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The Unofficial Beginning of Fall is Upon Us

Hello all!  I just wanted to update you on one of the latest photo sessions I had the pleasure of taking.  This is the Fox family.  They were going to have all the kids and grandkids in for the Labor Day weekend and wanted to capture the memory making moment.  Since we scheduled the shoot about one month out, we could only hope that the weather wouldn't be too hot or a rainout.  Thankfully, we had a beautiful day for the shoot.  

The kids (young and old) had a great time in front of the camera.  The thing I liked the most about the shoot is that you could see how much they all miss and love each other.  Mrs. Fox's three kids really loved the experience and it was exciting having them interact and display those emotions within the lenses frame.

The Fox grandchildren had a fun time as well.  At first, I could see their apprehension since this is the fist time that they had met me; however, as we had a chance to interact for a while they became more comfortable and started to have a great time.  What was surprising to me was that they had such a good time that they didn't want the session to end.  

 I hope your beginning of this 2013 fall season will start out as fun and exciting as the Fox's did.  Stay tuned for more updates as new sessions have been booked and I will be posting them soon as well.

Fall is Rapidly Approaching. Don't Let it Pass You By

Great Session at Soulard in St. Louis

What a wonderful summer we had this year in the St. Louis area.  The temperature wasn't unbearable and in spite of periodic rain, we still were able to continue with summer picnic plans and varied outings.  This summer also allowed our business to grow with clients as well as provide them with new memories that will last forever.  Warm summer days and unexpected cooler evenings provided for outstanding environments for our models and their families.




Individual Session at Towergrove Park in St. Louis

Since we had such a nice summer, we hope for and anticipate a pleasant and cooler fall as well.  This will cause the flowers and trees to change their color sooner than normal.  The parks once brilliant with spring and summer flowers will give way to trees with just as brilliant colors creating outstanding backdrops for fall family and individual portraits. 

As fall quickly approaches, you don't want to miss your opportunity to capture those memory making moments you have been waiting for.  Whether it is for family, engagement, individual, or other genre of portraits, be sure to book soon or you may loose out on the opportunity to have professional portraits of key moments in your life or that of your families.

Memory Making Studios is a division of C. Wayne Mahr Photography in the St. Louis Metroeast region.