News From Tressie Davis Photography

Time Out

2011-08-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Take time out to relax and do fun things and give yourself a break from worrying about your responsibilities. Everyone says it's good for you - even the internet, so it must be true. I try to take that advice, but anyone that knows me will tell you that I'm not a person that relaxes very well. I actually enjoy being busy, so I suppose my relaxation must come in a form that allows me to be busy without having anything to do with responsibility.

I love photography. I do a lot of photography for other people. A lot. 'Photography For Other People' comes with it's own set of pressures and responsibilities. I never saw that coming...because if you do what you love, everything else falls into place, right? Not always.

In an effort to bring back the love, the fun, and a little sanity in my otherwise chaotic life, I am going to reserve time to create images because I want to. I will broaden my horizons, stretch new creative muscles and immerse myself in creating images for the pure joy of it. I will take pictures of things that do not have eyes - an immense challenge for me, as portraiture is what comes most naturally to me.

With my new resolution in mind, I attended a Meetup with the Ann Arbor Shutterbugs at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Had a great time working side by side with other amazing local photographers, no pressure, just fun. Check out a few of my favorite images below!

(Ok, so some of the subjects have eyes...I can't help it)

A Favorite Family

2011-07-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

My annual visit with fellow photographer Judi Morrissey was a blast! A few family pics for Judi, and our kiddos were off swimming in no time. I love how they act like old buddies, even though we only get together once a year :) Kevin pulled up the boat for a ride after lunch, and the kids had a great time jumping off the boat in the middle of the lake (with their life jackets on). Even Robby got into it, though rather than jumping off he just clung to Kevin and got pulled around in the water LOL (thanks Kevin!) In years past I have taken more pics, but somehow neither Judi or I picked up our cameras much this year - a good thing I think, as it allowed us more time to enjoy each others company. Below is a pic of Judi and me that Kevin took (he did good, didn't he?), as well as a few shots I took of Judi's beautiful family. Thanks so much to all of the Morrissey's for a great time, can't wait to see you again!

My Four

2011-07-10T15:42:00.001-07:00

No words :)

Softball!

2011-07-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, since the softball season is almost over, I suppose I should share my proud mama moments before it's old news. Riley and my niece Grace are playing U10 for the Yellow team, and Allie is playing U8 on the Red team. This is Riley's first year in player pitch, and Allie's first year in "real" softball (as opposed to T-ball) :)
LOVE watching them have so much fun! Check it out...

Happy birthday Katelyn and Josh!

2011-07-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Every June I have the honor of photographing Katelyn and Josh's birthday party. It has been such a pleasure to watch them grow - aren't they completely adorable?? This year I also took formal photos of each of the super cute attendees - images are posted on the web for viewing and ordering HERE - please contact the party host or me for the password.

Happy Birthday Katelyn and Josh!!

Sweet Sophie

2011-06-12T11:45:00.001-07:00

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of working with sweet Sophie. The Eddy Discovery Center was chosen for the shoot location, as Sophie has many happy memories on those trails.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Sophie run...but rather than trying to explain the beauty (my words cannot do her justice), I will let the video speak for itself.

Enjoy...

My Poor Neglected Blog

2011-06-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

If you relied solely on my blog posts, you would have no idea of all the super cool things that have been going on in my life - personally and professionally. I really need to make a better effort to keep up here, to allow my clients a little glimpse of my life and also to share my proud mama moments with the world.

My new blog resolution? To stop stressing about the frequency of the posts, but to post what my heart tells me to and what I have time for.

So without further ado - my catchup blog post with the highlights of the last few months...I really have been busy in 2011, I swear!! I promise to try not to overload you with images, I will do my best to choose the best few from each special event. :)

2/20/11 "Masked" - a creative collaboration with a couple of very talented ladies; model Kiki Fagan who designed and created her wardrobe, and hair and makeup by Maria Kesto of MAKStyles. So much fun creating this dramatic, theatrical look. Funny, we walked outside right before shooting to some light snow, and after shooting for an hour realized that the "light snow" had turned into a BLIZZARD - poor Kiki drove home in like 2 feet of snow that had accumulated in just the time that we had been shooting. This on the heels of my 47 degree snow angel shoot - crazy Michigan weather :)

3/18/11 Studio Fun - A fun shoot with the amazing Jen Alder of Jennifer Alder Photography and an all time favorite model of mine Lynn Kelsey. Hair and make up again by the incredibly talented Maria Kesto of MAKStyles. Some cheese and crackers, a little wine, creative collaboration and crazy talented friends - what more could a girl ask for?

Spring Break - April 2011 - Disney Cruise!!
The BEST vacation EVER. Sailing on the Disney Magic, we stopped and explored Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Castaway Cay (Disney's private island). So many fun family memories, like Robby screaming every time the toilet flushed, to Dominic posing with Chip N Dale. A character breakfast, a sea turtle outing (Alex wanted to know why the sea turtles had price tags), the sting ray encounter, and swimming with dolphins (Riley's dream come true) are just a few of the incredible experiences that we had. I truly should make a blog post only about this vacation, but even if I were to post the hundreds of images taken I could not do justice to the crazy, wonderful, fun that we had on this trip.

4/16/11 - Urban Drama Workshop by Jennifer Alder Photography - Jen's workshops are always outstanding, and this one was no exception. With An incredibly talented styling team and models, great location and concept, and the guidance and direction of Jen you are guaranteed to walk away with images to be proud of. I am still working on editing my images from this workshop (I know, I know - I'm behind, what can I say?) but below are a few of my favs so far.

4/23/11 Alex Ice Skate - proud mama moment, my Allie learning how to ice skate. We signed her up for the Learn to Skate program at the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea because she told us it was something she would like to try. She had a rough start, but she LOVED it. Every time she fell, she would get up smiling. Sooo much fun to watch her love what she is doing!

Easter 2011 - my mom came out and colored eggs with the kids this year, they were so excited to have Grandma there. We love this creative tradition, so much fun to design unique eggs with dye, markers, paint and stickers. The Easter Bunny hid them outside this year, so glad it was nice weather for the hunt.

4/30/11 Riley and Grace Soccer - my daughter Riley and my niece Grace play on the same Chelsea Soccer Club team, and that makes for twice the photo opportunities. More proud mama (and aunt!) moments.

5/7/11 Chelsea Prom - it's hard to believe that my Dominic is old enough to attend prom, but here he is in his tux with his prom date. Big thanks to Hannah's parents Skip and Mary for allowing me to follow Dom to their home to take pictures of the handsome couple. Aren't Dom and Hannah cute??

5/14/11 Chelsea Children's Choir Spring Concert - Riley sings... Held at the Chelsea Farmers Market and the Chelsea Library, the kids sounded beautiful. Riley also had a small poetry reading during the concert (proud mama again) :)

5/21/11 Riley and Alex's Birthday Party - Since their birthdays are only two days apart (Riley turned 9 on May 11, Allie turned 6 on May 13), the girls shared a mass birthday party with friends and family on May 21. A Basketball-Butterfly-Picnic Birthday, perfect for my growing girls! Sack races, egg/spoon races, jump rope relays and just all around fun outdoor play made this birthday a hit. Happy Birthday Riley and Alex!!

Whew - so how is that for being behind on blogging? That's not even everything, but I think I've covered the highlights!! Still to edit - a super fun session with a very sweet Miss Sophie; Riley, Grace and Alex Softball pics; and a few snapshots of me with a make up artist friend. Also looking forward to Jen Alder's next workshop "The Water Series" next week 6/11/11 - stay tuned...

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5x7 Folded Card

2011-05-30T05:32:00.001-07:00

A thank you card I designed at Shutterfly - so cute! Photo by Judi Morrissey Photography

Classic Thanks Noir Thank You 5x7 folded card

Shutterfly custom cards for Valentines Day, Easter & Mother's Day.

View the entire collection of cards.

Skip and Mary are Hitched!

2011-02-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard

It seems that every time I have the honor of shooting a wedding, it becomes my new favorite - and Skip and Mary are no exception.

The day was perfectly beautiful, the ceremony sentimental and heartfelt. Plenty of laughter, and a few tears...their wedding was 100 percent "Skip and Mary".

With Meredith Phillips assisting, I photographed the day at the Chelsea Depot and witnessed so many blessings - loving family, loyal friends, and of course the romance and dedication of the happy couple.

Thank you Skip and Mary for choosing me to photograph your special day, it was truly an honor. (Thanks also for venturing outdoors for a few romantic captures - yay!!)

Congratulations, and best wishes for enduring love and a joyous life together. Enjoy your sneak peek below...

Snow Angels

2011-02-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, my poor neglected blog...was my last post really in November?? The crush of the holidays and ramp up of basketball must have caused me to lose track of time, but....I'm baaack! And with a resolution to do more creative, fun stuff with my photography in 2011 (and hopefully keep my blog updated LOL).

With that resolution in mind (back in December, I was early!), I posted a notice on FB that I was looking for other creative souls that were interested in collaborating or anyone that had great ideas....local photographer Meredith Phillips' simple response "snow angels!" was the planted seed that resulted in my first creative collaboration of 2011.

Kelsey Wonsavage and Amanda Kern served as Angels, and the multi-talented Maria Kesto of MAK Styles did hair and make up (as well as joined in on the photography fun). Kristina Opal Designs provided Kelsey's gown, transforming an old Victoria's Secret nightgown into ethereal, flowing angel-wear. Meredith Phillips joined me in scouting locations, brainstorming poses and shooting images.

Meredith's idea to move our shooting down to the dirt road resulted in one of my favorite images of Kelsey. LOVE this image, so sassy!!

The winter sun and low camera point of view provided the ethereal glow for this shot of Amanda, another fav so far.

Some fun shots, including the use of my new fish-eye (yay!)

And a few close ups of the angelic beauties

These behind the scenes images show Maria working her magic. Kelsey was styled first while Amanda cuddled with Molly, then Amanda's turn for styling. :)

We were soooooo fortunate to have a LOT of snow, and then a virtual February heat wave of 47 degrees the day of the shoot. Unfortunately that made for some wet snow...as you can see by the back of my pants (it's melted snow, I swear!). It was awesome though, for being able to stay outside and shoot without danger of frostbite. Below Image of me shooting courtesy of Meredith Phillips.

Sooooo much fun!!! BRAVO to everyone involved, you are all completely AMAZING and I hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with you again in the future.

Also a huge thank you to my mother in law Katy Davis for allowing us to use her home and property, it was perfect.

Up next for Tressie Davis Photography? Wedding Bells for Skip and Mary, and another creative collaboration. Stay tuned.....

Thank You Cards

2010-11-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

Shutterfly has some really cute cards this year - check out the Thank You note cards I made for my family...photo by Judi Morrissey Photography

Fun stuff!!

Make The Mantel Holiday Thank You 3x5 folded card

Shop hundreds of holiday photo cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Past and Present

2010-10-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about photography is that it periodically brings people back into my life that I may not otherwise have occasion to visit. Over and over again I find that I am blessed with the opportunity to re-connect, to see how people have grown (more than physically LOL) and for a small moment to once again share in the beauty of their lives. I had the pleasure of this kind of session last weekend - the grown son of a former boss (yes, a favorite boss). :-) I hadn't seen Tony since he was a teen, and now he is a man with a gorgeous family of his own (wow I feel OLD). After the shock of seeing how "Little Tony" has changed, we had the BEST time on this shoot - playing in the leaves, and exploring Mill Race Village in Northville. Little Braiden (3) is quite the model, following directions like a pro and always looking up with her beaming smile. Avery didn't always follow direction (hey, when you're 1 1/2 it's more important to EXPLORE), but she is such a sweet little thing and the camera loved her big blue eyes. I ended up with sooooo many incredible pics, I'm really excited to start editing. Picked out a few for a sneak peek - is this not the most gorgeous family you've ever seen??

The leaves are always a hit - LOVE fall!

Mom and Dad need a special shot of their own. Don't worry Tony, I'm saving the embarrassing shot for later LOL
Peek a boo!!!

And there is nothing better than a daddy with his daughter....pure sweetness.

Tony and Richelle, thank you so much for allowing me to spend this time with your family, you made my heart smile. :-) Hope you guys enjoyed the sneak peek - there are many more pics to come, I will keep you posted...

What's up next for Tressie Davis Photography? Well, Halloween is right around the corner, and I plan to spend the weekend with my own little goblins. I have a handful of projects slated for November, including a family shoot, website pics for Common Bond Basketball and maybe, just maybe I will FINALLY finish my new website. Stay tuned!

Oh Baby!

2010-10-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

Take a peek at this precious little bundle! All bendy, soft and sweet - and for once a new little one that mostly slept through the session and didn't pee on me even once (yay). :-) Almost makes me want another...not really LOL, I'll just share in the joy of my beautiful client newborns. :-)
Britney and Shawn you are truly blessed, thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your gorgeous little girl!

Costume Fun

2010-10-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of the BEST parts of fall, and the highlight for me is finding out what my kiddos want to dress up as. This year, I have a Soccer Referee, a Sleestak and a SWAT Officer. You heard that right, LOL No way we can let a photo op like that slide...so last weekend we scheduled a costume shoot. I invited my friend Kathy and her daughter Candis came along, and we headed out to a local park to take advantage of the beautiful fall color.

My beautiful little Allie is the sleestak. Is she not the cutest little swamp monster you ever did see?

Dom doesn't have a costume, but I had to torture him with a pic since he was there :-)
Miss Riley is a soccer referee...I'm guessing the whistle may have to be "lost" after Halloween...

Robby is a Swat Officer. Or as he calls it, a "wee ooo". He was really excited to find that his costume included a working flashlight. Criminals better watch out when Officer Robby is on duty!!

Last but not least, a couple shots of Candis...a Queen and a perfect little model. We had so much fun throwing leaves, and twirling in the grass.

Thanks Kathy and Candis for hanging out at the park with us, I know it's kind of chaotic but we loved having you!

Lots more recent pics to get through and blog...a wedding slideshow for Jeff and Jenean coming up, as well as pics from Jen Alder's Autumn Love workshop that I attended. Lots of new sessions coming up too, it is officially the photography crazy season! Stay tuned....
xoxo

Jeff & Jenean Got Hitched

2010-10-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Jeff and Jenean!!! I am honored that you chose me to document your special day. Jeff, I am so happy for you, that you found someone deserving of your kindness and love, you are an awesome guy and could not have chosen a better wife (enjoy the compliment now, it will be business as usual back in the office LOL). Jenean, I knew you were perfect the day we met at lunch - funny, kind, smart and strong - keep him in line, ok?? HUGE HUGS to both of you!!
A special thanks to my second shooter Jennifer Alder (you know you rock) and to Meghan Innes for assisting with so many details (like making sure the photographers didn't get hit by cars). Thank you to everyone for being so sweet and so much fun!
Here is a small sneak peek of an incredibly beautiful and very special wedding...soooo many more images to come! (This was just to keep Meghan from coming after me, hopefully it buys me some time - ha ha).
In addition to this sneak peek, be sure to check out Jen Alder's Blog post for more images from this gorgeous wedding - LOVE working with her!!

Claire - Class of 2011

2010-09-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Am loving the class of 2011 - Claire, I had so much FUN on our shoot! Though I am generally a planner, there is something to be said for spontaneity and I adore the freedom and joy that I see in your images. Thank you for being such a good sport when I asked you to roll around on the ground and other funny stuff...and I'm pretty happy that you didn't fall in the river while turning around on the fallen tree LOL. Here is the sneak peek I promised, more images to follow...

Meet Clint

2010-09-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Meet Clint - a responsible, hard working and intelligent young man. A young man who considers computers, cell phones and other technology a distraction, he puts his efforts into setting and achieving the life goals he has set for himself. Clint plans on joining the Navy after graduation, and works out as often as possible to prepare for the demanding physical requirements of the Navy. He works part time after school in addition to studying for the ASVAB (the entrance exam for the Navy), all while maintaining straight A's at Chelsea High School. Clint aspires to become part of a Navy dive rescue team, and hopes one day to become a Navy SEAL.
Clint, I am proud to know that upstanding, patriotic young men like you are entering the armed forces to represent and protect our country. Here is a sneak peek of your senior session...

A Beautiful Family

2010-08-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Do you all know how much I love being a photographer? I get to meet and spend time with the coolest, kindest people! Mike and Andrea, your family has touched my heart and I am honored to have had the opportunity to photograph your little people. Here is a sneak peek of your session (I have lots more to edit!)...enjoy!

J & J - The Video

2010-07-06T15:48:00.001-07:00

Well, I was going to try to think of something incredibly clever to say to preface this video...but clever eludes me today (insert joke here LOL).

Instead, I will let the video speak for itself. Love is a beautiful thing. :-) Congrats Jeff and Jenean!!!

(*note that the video is embedded...sometimes folks accessing on their phones may have trouble viewing. Go to a computer, it's totally worth it!)

Happy Birthday Katelyn and Josh!!

2010-06-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

I am honored to have the opportunity to photograph Katelyn and Josh's birthday every year - it's amazing the changes a year can bring, and I so enjoy watching these kiddos grow. Kathleen, your children are beautiful...here is a sneak peek of the images in store for you!

11 Puppies in a Boat?

2010-05-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yeah, well it sounded like a good idea at the time, but didn't quite work out as planned. I tell ya, these puppies will give the most rambunctious toddler a run for their money...and do I mean run LOL. So while we had grand plans, we ended up shooting them individually and in pairs, but check out this sneak peek (there are lots more!) - how incredibly cute are these Portuguese Water Dog puppies?

The icing on the cake is that the handler/breeder of these beautiful puppies is an old friend of mine from high school - so I had to have my sis in law take a pic of Angie and me together while she was there. I know we can't compete with the puppies, but this pic warms my heart :-) Angie, you are still the sweetest, and so beautiful - it was fun to see you again!!
And...just for fun, here are a couple of out takes from the "puppy herding" - our failed attempt to get a pic of them together LOL

Interested in Portugese Water Dogs? Be sure to check out Angie's Website http://www.swseas.com/ - hopefully some of my pics will be making their way there...

Worth the Wait

2010-05-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ever known a couple that you knew in your heart would be the best parents ever? Warm, loving, kind and FUN? Beth and Jim are that couple. The first time I officially photographed Beth and Jim, it was for images to add to their adoption portfolio. The session was incredibly fun and heart warming, offering me a glimpse into their silly and love filled world. I was honored to have even a small part in the beginning of their journey. And now I am blessed to come full circle and photograph their little miracle - meet Noah...

Congratulations Jim and Beth!!

22 Years is a Long Time

2010-04-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure not long ago of visiting with a friend that I had not seen for 22 years. Sheila, you have not changed a bit, and your family is abolutely charming. Thanks so much for making time for me on your vacation, and for driving all the way to Chelsea to see me. And a big thank you to Kirstie too, for taking the pics that include me in them. Here are a few of my favorites....

SeaWorld 2010

2010-04-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Note: Sometimes the videos do not show up on phones and mobile devices - if you want to see the video please visit my blog from your PC!! :-)

Just when you thought you were safe, here I am uploading more vacation shots LOL. I can't help myself, we had soooo much fun at SeaWorld in Orlando and I did my best to capture the day. We took the VIP tour, and got to feed dolphins, sea lions and sting rays; we rode roller coasters and watched shows...a very good day. Some of the video clip credit must go to my dear husband (thanks Rob!) and our awesome tour guide (thank you Nicole!!), check out the resulting movie:

And if you have just 30 seconds more, here is a video of my trip with Alex (some Mommy/Allie time!) to the Calusa Nature center. Just a short clip of that day.

Old St Mary's / Mount Calvary

2010-04-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well I needed to take a break from editing vacation photos, and move on to some of the other exciting things I've been doing - I'll just have to get back to the vacation photos later. :-)

I was invited by a friend and fellow photog Brian Lantis to visit and photograph an old cemetery in Chelsea, MI. I worked hard to find some history and / or a story on the cemetery, but either there isn't much on the web or my search skills are lacking as I was unable to find anything. Brian indicated that the cemetery is called "Old St. Mary's" or "Mount Calvary", and many of the graves were moved to Mt Olivet when it opened.

My Riley came with us to explore, and before we explored the cemetery itself, we walked into the wooded expanse behind it to see an old car that Brian knew was there. This ended up being Riley's favorite part of the entire trip - a neglected little piece of history out in the middle of nowhere. Who knew you once had to roll up car windows by hand with those wierd little handles? LOL

After investigating every detail of the car, we went back to the cemetery, where Riley was fascinated by the writing on the stones, the way that the stones have changed over the years and the fact that some are so weathered that you can no longer see any writing at all.

This cemetery is certainly not forgotten, as there are US flags on the graves of veterans and a few stones have been replaced with newer versions. However, there is also evidence of vandals in the form of broken and toppled stones, as well as cans and other trash in the wooded area beyond the cemetery where it appears that kids have probably been "hanging out".

As the sun lowered in the sky, I tried to add sunflare to my shots and to capture this wonderful place as it appeared to me, I wanted to photograph the site in a meaningful and respectful way. My images do not do this incredibly beautiful place justice, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy...

.....

A Day at the Beach

2010-04-12T14:31:00.001-07:00

What would a Florida vacation be without a day at the beach? I think the kids had more fun in the sand than in the water. Here is a video of our day...

Ding Darling Nature Center - Sanibel Island

2010-04-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Riley and I got up bright and early one day on our vacation to take a special trip to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, just the two of us. Ding Darling is incredibly beautiful, and a great place to photograph wild birds especially. Riley and I looked for alligators (we know they live there LOL) but we never did spot any. We took our time exploring the 4 mile wildlife drive, stopping to take pictures along the way, or parking to get out and explore on the hiking trails. Riley loved playing "nature I spy" - a game we made up to see who could spot the most wildlife before the trip was over...Riley won. :-) Check out the video below of our mommy/daughter special time...

Florida Vacation - Day 1

2010-04-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

What could be better than the first day of vacation?? Especially when Nana has a pool...the kids didn't even care that it was a bit chilly the first day. Here they are...fun times :-)

Fun Stuff, Coming Soon and Personal Goals

2010-03-14T08:14:00.001-07:00

Long time no blogpost, eh? One of those times where "life" is getting in the way I suppose....so much going on, and not a lot of time to dedicate to my trusty blog. Here is my way over due update...and a long one because of my neglect :-)

New Fun stuff: I signed up on Formspring - you can now ask me anything...anonymously. I will try to answer each and every question...but I reserve the right to be ambiguous LOL. Wanna know my secrets? Check out the box on the right side of my blog, and go ahead, ask me anything you want to know about me, or about my photography! Or go directly to Formspring and search for vsprink, my formspring page.

Coming Soon:

My Florida vacation - plan on seeing lots of fun family shots, and nature! I will hopefully blog it by the end of April (need time for editing LOL). Lots of plans in the works to expand my photographic horizons while on vacation.

I have signed up for a workshop at the end of next month with the incredibly talented Jennifer Alder. Some of you may already know that she is my sweet friend and I adore working with her - check out Jen's Winter Wedding blogpost for the wedding we shot together last month...this time, rather than strictly working we will get to play (well I will anyway, LOL). Models and Make Up Artists and other Talented Photogs...Oh My!! I will be sure to blog about the workshop...including my sneak attack snapshots I take of the other photographers. :-)

Basketball - HS Basketball is over, Common Bond tryouts are March 21...brace yourself for blog posts of ACTION from try outs through Nationals in July.

I have booked a date to photograph a litter of puppies, how fun is that? The session will be roughly the first week of June (assuming all goes as planned). Location TBD but probably near a body of water...if anyone has any creative props/posing ideas please let me know - and keep an eye on this blog the month of June for the results of that session. Hm...and maybe a 2011 calendar...

On Meeting 2 Personal Goals:

Goal 1) Get Organized. I have an ipod touch. I am not that into music that I would really need an ipod, but I bought it to help get me organized. Seriously. :-) And it has been one of the best things EVER. If you have never heard of ToodleDo, go check it out. For FREE, you can open an account and keep a to do list online - that you can organize by category/folders, assign due dates to, reminders, prioritize, link to do's to goals (remember the old Franklin planners? YES) and all other manner of cool stuff including linking to do's and reminders to your google calendar. For $2.99 you can purchase the iphone/ipod touch app to sync your online toodledo to your ipod/iphone touch and keep your to do list with you and reference it/update it anywhere. It has seriously saved my sanity!! If your life is complicated (like mine!) and you need even more from your to do list, you can upgrade to a paid account (the most expenive is $30 per year) that lets you create sub-tasks within your todo's, and keep history forever (rather than the limits on the free version) and 1gb of space for documents related to your to do's.

Goal 2) Lose Weight. A lofty goal for many of us yes? And how on earth would my ipod touch help me with that? In the form of a food diary, and tracking calories to ensure that I burned more than I consumed. Here I am 15 lbs lighter in 2 1/2 months, and I owe it to the App called "LoseIt". I entered my age, my current weight, what I wanted to weigh and a target date, and within healthy guidelines (up to 2 lbs a week), "Lose It" told me how many net calories I could eat in a day and meet my goal. So, with no exercise, I could eat only X number of calories, if I exercised 300 calories off I could eat X + 300 calories that day and still meet my goal. I have to admit, I was HUNGRY...but it works, and it encouraged me to exercise so that I could eat more LOL. It includes tons of foods and exercises, but you can also enter custom foods and exercises. No cheating...

Facebook: If you are on Facebook, please be sure to visit my Tressie Davis Photography page and become a fan!

Photo of the Day 3/12/10 - Wishful Thinking over at Digital Image Cafe - I especially appreciated this POTD, since I have not been entering contests as much in the last month or so and just started up again. Not only that, but I am putting effort toward expanding my photographic vision beyond portraits. Not because I don't still love portraits - I do! But because photography is my passion, and to feed that passion I must continue to learn and push my own boundaries. Still life is NOT a strong suit for me, so I was very excited about this shot.

Happy Spring Everyone!!

I Love St Louis!

2010-01-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I was required to travel for business (my day job), and while most times I would protest, I have to admit that this was a pretty awesome trip. We flew in to St. Louis (my boss and I), and since I had never been there before we took the opportunity to wander around and enjoy every spare minute until we had to make the two hour trip to our hotel in Marion, IL. First stop was Union Station - recommended by a co-worker that knew I had visited Michigan Central Station in Detroit, I wanted to see what St. Louis had done with their precious bit of history - I was so enthralled, I asked to have my reservation for my last night switched to the Marriott that is there now. More on that later...

We arrived at the famous Arch just before sundown, the perfect time for pictures! I barely noticed the wind and 15 below wind chill...but Lanai sure did LOL. Wimpy Texans. :-) I suppose I will never live down the fact that I was lying in the snow to get some of the pics...as Lanai huddled with her back against the wind. All joking aside, I'm so glad that Lanai humored me as I love the resulting images!

Fast forward through the business part of my trip, and on my last night I drove back to Union Station (Lanai had gone back early). Some of you are familiar with my exciting exploration of the abandoned Michigan Central Station last spring - if you have not seen it already, be sure to check out the MCS blog post HERE.

St. Loui s Union Station and Michigan Central Station have a similar history, Union Station in operation from 1894 - 1978 and MCS in operation from 1913 (after the previous MCS burned) - 1988; both stations closing with the decline of rail travel. Both stations fell into ruin, but this is where the similarities end. While Michigan Central Station remains empty and dilapidated, victim to thieves and vandals, St. Louis Union station was re-opened in 1985 after a 150 million dollar renovation. And there lies my excitement...

The outside of St. Louis Union Station looks like a castle, with a 280 foot clock tower. (in comparison to the 18 storey/230 foot Michigan Central Station). Walking in, I saw all that Michigan Central Station should be. Having experienced both buildings, the contrast was striking - in St. Louis a precious bit of history restored and saved, in Detroit our history forgotten and left in ruin. I wandered and explored St. Louis Union Station, trying to capture similar images of the restored station that I had previously taken of MCS. The great room is a grand expanse of beautifully detailed arches and stained glass windows, the tile and romanesque decor exactly what I would imagine it was in 1894. Arched doorways and columned balconies, intricate carving on the walls and columns, period statues - everywhere I looked there was more to see. In the shopping center portion of the building, Trompe-l'œil adorned the walls in sharp contrast to the graffitti seen at MCS. The photos I am posting here do not do the beauty of this building justice. Be sure to check out the pics at the bottom of this blog post - there are some comparisons to photos taken in MCS.

I was fortunate to be able to stay overnight in this exceptionally striking and historic building, and greatly enjoyed the hospitality of all of the folks that work there - everyone excited to talk about the beautiful structure and the history behind it, as well as the current struggles to keep this saved bit of history open and operating. I am hoping that with the upturn in the economy, St. Louis Union station will continue to operate, grow and prosper.

And...just a tiny bit more sight seeing before I headed for the airport. To the other side of the river to photograph the city, then back to the Arch for a trip to the top. Whew - all that AND business completed.

I LOVE ST. LOUIS!

A comparison of the two stations:

The exterior - St. Louis Union Station on top, MCS below

Graffitti vs Trompe-l'œil

Great Room

Interior Halls

2010 and Happy Birthday Dom

2010-01-03T12:38:00.001-08:00

My resolution this year? A more streamlined business flow for Tressie Davis Photography.

I spent the last 10 days or so cleaning up - professionally, creatively, and personally (ugh, this house!). If you haven't checked out my website recently, now is the time to do it - I updated all of the image galleries including the home page slideshow, and created a separate image gallery for weddings (and engagement pics). The pricing pages now link to downloadable/printable PDF files, and my new Tressie Davis Photography and Team D e-commerce site is up and running - you can check that out under the link "Videos and Prints" (be sure to watch the sample client video in the 2009 video folder - the new vids are awesome!). A DVD video of YOUR images will be included with the purchase of a Digital Session.

The ordering site shares space with my sports photography, Team D Photo - I'm hoping to have more time in 2010 to dedicate to photographing local sports, I have created new business cards for that side of the business in anticipation of that effort.

And on that sports note, my husband has just launched his one on one basketball coaching business, Davis Basketball. Be sure to check him out if you are in Washtenaw County or the surrounding area.

As always, if you know anyone in need of custom photography - please have them contact me, I'm now booking for 2010. info@tressiedavisphotography.com

And...last but not least, I'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to my oldest son Dominic. Dom turned 16 on December 28 - it's hard to believe he could be that old (or that I could LOL). Happy Birthday Dom, I love you!!

Wishing you all a Happy, Prosperous and Creative New Year - all the best to you in 2010!!

My New Nephew

2009-12-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

Well here he is, baby Chase. Born November 3, 2009 on his daddy's birthday. I have been itching to get my hands on him in a formal photo shoot since he was born, and this one will have to last me awhile since mom and dad won't move back to Michigan no matter how many times I ask... :-) Sean and Janelle, enjoy the pics of your little miracle!

December Inspiration

2009-12-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

I live and breath photography - any of my friends or family can tell you that. And yet sometimes, that breath of artistry feels "used up", and I have trouble finding it in me. Any artist will tell you of ups and downs - every writer has writers block every now and again, every painter or photographer a (hopefully temporary) loss of inspiration or motivation. While in the midst of this block, you cannot imagine the inspiration ever returning, and begin to question if it ever existed. You begin to create...and then stop because the vision will not take place.

When this happens to me I do one of two things: I either let it go and commit myself to other things - with four kids (three in sports) and my day job I certainly have enough to do....or I push my boundaries and try something that I have never done before with my art.

This time, relief came in the form of my friend and fellow photographer Jennifer Alder, and model Jacqueline P. Jen was kind enough to coordinate a shoot that was originally supposed to be a snow covered fairy tale. Jacquie had the perfect dress picked out, we were all set and then....no snow. We decided to go ahead with the shoot anyway, and planned to figure it out when we got there. Of course, even with no snow it also happened to be the coldest day of November/December so far - a chilly 30 degrees (and something like 20 degrees windchill, brrrrrr...).

So there we were - hanging out in the cold and looking at a barren clump of trees. The good news was that Jacquie looked beautiful. We walked into the small barren "forest", looking for a good spot - apparently Jen is the master at finding the spot...first up, our "woodland clearing":

Jacquie had done her own hair and make-up, she looked absolutely stunning.

Jen sneak attacked me while I was shooting - here is her snap of me, and one of the images I snapped at the same time.

A few in black and white:

Jen and I both brought parasols LOL (great minds and all that) - Jen's parasol was a perfect match for Jacquie's dress.

Darkness and light....

Jacquie was absolutely AMAZING - if it weren't for the goosebumps, I would have never known she was cold with no coat, and at some points in the shoot even barefoot. When she took her boots off, I got my favorite pic of the shoot check it out!!

And.....I couldn't let Jen get away without showing me how to get one of those awesome dramatic scarf pics that she takes. While I know this is not exactly like Jen's, I like it - see my try...

Last but not least, I couldn't let Jen get away without shooting Jen, shooting Jacquie - here they are:
Jen and Jacquie, thank you so much for such a FUN and adventurous shoot.

Robby Dooby

2009-11-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

Does it get any better than this?

Honored

2009-11-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

I'm honored to have been featured in the journal of a fellow artist on Deviant Art - check it out HERE

Yay!!

Skater Chick

2009-11-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

7 going on 17...but still Daddy's Girl Forever

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

A few quick snaps of my littlest monsters :-)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

More Award Winners

2009-10-10T13:45:00.001-07:00

Note: Post edited 10/11/09 to add another winning image. :-)

Digital Image Cafe Theme Photo of the Day 10/11/09 - "Chicago Lights"

Shutterbugs Scenic Photo of the Day 10/10/09 - "Electrifying"

Digital Image Cafe Macro/Abstract Photo of the Day 10/9/09 - "Bean"

Award Winners

2009-09-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Below are a few images that recently won awards...some you may have seen before from other contest wins. Those little ducks (and the cutie with them) are popular! Shout out to my girls for the image "Sister Fun" (I love when they giggle at each other), and my niece Gracie for her model work in "Reverie"

Better Photo Finalist August 2009 - "Sister Fun",

Better Photo Finalist August 2009 - "Little Friends"

Digital Image Cafe Black and White Photo of the Day 9/25/09 - "Reverie"

Nicki and Josh

2009-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

True love, beauty, romance and humor - all present and accounted for at the wedding I photographed this past Saturday with second shooter Judi Morrissey of Judi Morrissey Photography. Nicki and Josh pledged their love, joining their hearts in marriage while surrounded by friends and family that cherish them. I am still sorting through the many images taken, but below is a sneak peek...enjoy!!

What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life. (George Eliot)

Note: Check out Judi's Sneak Peek HERE

40 and My Four

2009-09-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Turning 40 - a milestone for sure...and oddly enough many things in my life have come together in the last couple of weeks. I'm still reflecting on it all - kind of a collision of my past and present lives....lives that did not realize that I had so fully separated. It's not a bad thing, just odd....like being 40. I never thought I would be 40? And like it? Well, other than the wrinkles and extra pounds I like it LOL. I am truly blessed - with loving family and friends, with a handsome husband that loves me dearly, with four beautiful children, and a passion for photography to document it all. I'm not sure where I am going with this post, so I will stop before I bore you all (and embarrass myself) - here are the latest pics of my biggest blessings...

Abby's POTD

2009-08-29T05:00:00.001-07:00

My beautiful niece Abby is the famous one today, on Shutterbugs - Black and White Photo of the Day 8/29/09 "Enough". Yay Abby! (Can you tell she'd had enough of me with my camera by the time this was taken? LOL)

The Model

2009-08-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

This blog is supposed to be about the "interesting" things going on for Tressie Davis Photography, or personal stories in my life to give you all the "inside scoop" so to speak. Unfortunately, other than the photo contests that I am obsessed with, there isn't a whole lot that I can blog about (without getting in trouble LOL). At the risk of becoming repetitive, I would like to share another recent Photo of the Day win - My image "The Model" was the People Photo of the Day on Digital Image Cafe yesterday (8/27/09) Yay! Some of you may recognize Judi M's son - thanks again for hanging out with us this summer Judi, and be sure to let S know that he's famous! :-) Here is the winning image, "The Model":

Sunset Splash

2009-08-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

This image was taken during my mommy / daughter trip with Alex to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island back in June. I am thrilled that it has been honored with a People Photo of the day on both DigitalImageCafe on 8/22/09 and Shutterbugs on 8/23/09. This image warms my heart. :-)

SUNSET SPLASH

BetterPhoto Finalists

2009-08-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

The following images were finalists in BetterPhoto's July Contest...

"My Girl"
"The Edge"

And the great honor of a Daily Deviation on DeviantArt for the image "Little Friends"

Abby

2009-08-03T01:50:00.001-07:00

Had a session last week with my niece Abby, such a cutie!!!! Sugar and spice, and all that jazz - check out her video below...

The Henry Ford

2009-08-02T04:52:00.001-07:00

This past Wednesday, my three youngest and I went exploring...first stop was the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. My kiddos just LOVED the interactive exhibits, and running ahead to see what was next. Riley used a computer that they had set up to "build a hotrod". All of the kids had to try the crank on the front of the car - can you believe that's how people used to have to start them? Robby couldn't do it, so I had to help him. :-) They cracked up when they pulled aside a big door and the "shipping guy" behind it started talking to them. Toward the end of the tour, they picked up their "$5" for a days work - a bill with the story of how Henry Ford instituted the $5 a day pay as opposed to the industry standard $2 in 1914. When we finished there, we moved over to the Henry Ford Museum. Robby could hardly contain himself he was so excited - he kept running ahead screaming "Drive!", "Wheel!" and "Bike!" while he pointed to things all around him. Too funny. The girls liked the train engine that they could climb into, to see how it worked and what it looked like inside. And I think the highlight for all three of them was the Miley Cyrus smart car that they could get inside. They took turns "driving" it - when Riley was the passenger, she stuck her head out of the roof. :-)

We finished the day with a trip to the IMAX to see Under the Sea 3D. This was Robby's first time in a theater of any kind, and he was a little nervous to go into the dark. I had to pick him up and carry him in because he stood in the doorway and said "no". Once inside and 15 minutes into the movie I finally convinced him to put his 3D glasses on - he was a hoot, screaming when things moved toward him, and reaching his hands out to touch them. He fell asleep about half way through the movie though - all of us were tired by then...definitely time to go home after the movie, but what a great trip!!

Slides at Nana's!

2009-07-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

My MIL recently had water slides built at the edge of her pond...now how cool is this? Party at Nana's!

Recent Photo Contest Wins

2009-07-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Another round of recent Photo Contest Wins...four photos, two little girls. The models made these pics :-)

"Little Friends" Digital Image Cafe People Photo of the Day 7/29/09

"My Girl" Shutterbugs Black and White Photo of the Day 7/28/09

"Quack!" Shutterbugs People Photo of the Day 7/15/09

"Repose" BetterPhoto Finalist, People category June, 2009

Meet Another Photog Friend

2009-07-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with another photographer friend to do her family portraits. Judi M is not from Michigan, but visits every summer so we made plans to hook up while she was here. She invited my kiddos too, and I took the girls with me. Judi's family was a joy to work with - I can always tell the difference in photographers kids...they emote on cue LOL. Her little ones are sweet, charming, and oh so cute!!! Once the family pics were done, we turned her kids and my girls loose to play - they swam and fished and had a good ole time. When it was time to leave, Riley asked if we could come back tomorrow....then on the way home she said she wished C lived in Michigan so we could hang out with them more often. :-) Here are a handful of Judi's family pics, as well as some snaps of the kiddos playing.... (Judi's DH took the pic of Judi and me together)

LOVE my Photog Friends!

2009-07-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

My friend Trula visits Michigan from Missouri every summer, and we always make an effort to get together while she is here. Seems like it gets harder every year - but I am so thankful that Trula fits me in to her vacation schedule! This year, I am especially thankful, because Trula took the time to do my family pictures for me....no easy feat when there are SIX of us (one of which is a "terrible two", and another a teenager LOL). Patience is a virtue, I know, but I am on pins and needles now until I see those family pics...I am soooo excited, because these will be the first ones since Robby was born that will have been taken without the self timer. And as any of you photogs out there know...self timers are, um, "difficult" with any age group that does not "get" that they need to look at the camera until it clicks LMAO.

SO - I don't have any of MY family pics to show you (yet), but while we were together I also took pics of Trula and her daughter Sarah. Two of the kindest, sweetest people you will ever meet. Every time I see Trula it makes me wish she lived closer, and Sarah might just be the most charming young lady I have ever met! Below are a few pics of them. Love and Hugs Trula!!

Mackinac or Bust

2009-06-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Just a couple short weeks ago, my Allie and I took a 'mommy-daughter' trip to Mackinac. I was so excited to get so much one on one time with her - she is such a charming, FUNNY little girl and I had her all to myself. :-) Allie wasn't quite prepared for the length of the car ride, but on the way there we broke it up with a couple of fun stops. First on the itinerary was Deer Acres Amusement park in Pinconning, Michigan. I had never been there before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Allie was excited about the story book scenes all through the park, like the three little pigs - a few of which she could become part of the scene like the one for Little Miss Muffet. I had a hard time getting her to sit there on the "tuffet" though, because she was afraid of the spider LOL. We rode the antique cars together, and Allie rode the carousel while I took pics. She really enjoyed the "jungle walk", complete with life size animal statues that she petted and hugged. We had lunch there at Deer Acres, then continued on to our next stop - Sea Shell City in Cheboygan, Michigan. Sea Shell City is really just a gift shop in the middle of nowhere, but you'd have thought that I'd brough Alex to Disney she was so excited. She picked out some shells for herself, and a Dolphin statue for her "Wiwey" (Riley). This was a shorter stop, and when Allie finished her shopping we headed to the St. Ignace Mystery Spot. Alex was a little young for most of their demonstrations, but participated anyway (with nervous mommy standing by!). Allie was ready for more touring, but mommy was tired so after we finished the Mystery Spot tour, we headed for the Grand View Resort in Mackinaw City, which would be our "home" for a few days. We crashed early, to get ready for our first "real" day of vacation. On our first day we ferried over to Mackinac Island for a whirlwind day of a carriage tour (Alex's highlight was when the horse pooped and "tooted" - we were in the front seat LOL), the butterfly house, multiple museums and SHOPPING. Allie and I got matching sweatshirts - I know, cheesy, but Allie thought it was cool and I took our picture with them on. :-) She was really excited to go see the butterflies, but once we got in there she was scared and wouldn't get near any of them. You should have seen her face...oh wait, I got a picture, check it out LOL. We ferried back over to Mackinaw City around dinner time and toured some of the historical spots on the mainland...then stayed up hoping for a grand sunset pic of the bridge, but it wasn't meant to be...I mean, the sun set of course, but it was not spectacular. Darn. Beach time, pool time, miniature golf, play time and relaxing time rounded out our last full day of vacation, and in some ways I think Allie may have enjoyed that most of all. She was so incredibly cute playing in the sand, and running up and down the beach....I think my favorite part of this trip was getting to know my little girl for the individual that she is, and seeing glimpses of the "grown up" she will become. It was a reminder that I need to make the effort to spend one on one time like this with each one of my beautiful blessings...

Robby's Birthday

2009-06-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can hardly believe that my littlest baby is TWO - where did the time go? We celebrated his birthday at Nana's house yesterday...lunch, birthday cake and PRESENTS. It was just the immediate family and Nana - Grandma had come over on his actual birthday last week (the 21st) to celebrate but Alex and I were still in Mackinac, so I don't have pics of that. A bit of bad scheduling on my part for yesterday -Robby was a bit crabby. I'm showing the happy pics though, and leaving the meltdown photos for his highschool graduation party LOL. Happy Birthday Robby!!

Hand in Hand

2009-06-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Digital Image Cafe Black and White Photo of the Day 6/25/2009

Winning Images

2009-06-24T13:31:00.001-07:00

Recent Wins:

Better Photo (www.betterphoto.com) Finalist People category May 2009: "Bliss"

Shutterbugs (www.shutterbugs.biz) Black and White Photo of the day 6/24/09 "Summer Days"

More for Brig

2009-06-23T04:40:00.001-07:00

So my visit with Brigitte wasn't all spent doing formal portraits, our kiddos got to play a bit too. Brigitte had her three with her, and I had my two youngest. Allie was very excited that Brigitte's DH kept pulling coins out of her ears. Even now she is still telling me "Mommy, I'm full of money" LOL. A big thank you to Brigitte's DH for taking a pic of the two of us together - here are a handful of fun shots...

For Brigitte

2009-06-19T04:08:00.001-07:00

So I'm a little later than I intended in posting this blog, but better late than never... Just over a week ago, I drove to Marshall to see a fellow photographer and her family, who were in Michigan for a brief visit before they returned home to Kansas. Brigitte and I had met originally online, and for the first time in person almost two years ago at a workshop held by Jessica Hughes in Oklahoma. It was awesome to see her again, even if it was just for a few hours. Brigitte is beautiful inside and out, and her family is the same....I sure do wish they lived closer! While we were together, I took lots of pics (go figure) - so many that it's going to be awhile before I finish proofing them all LOL.
Brigitte: I'm so sorry it's taking me so long, I'm working on them I promise! I have not gotten to the "umbrella duckies in the rain" pics yet, but below are a few that I hope you enjoy in the mean time....

Loretta Mae (Saylor) Wheeler April 8, 1926- June 15, 2009

2009-06-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

I will miss you Grandma XOXOXOXOXO

Loretta Mae (Saylor) Wheeler (April 8, 1926 - June 15, 2009)
Loretta Mae Wheeler, age 83, of Marshall died Monday morning, June 15, 2009 at her home in the loving care of her family, after a lengthy battle with Multiple Sclerosis.
Mrs. Wheeler was born on April 8, 1926 in Fredonia Township to Bert Lee and Donna (Banfield) Saylor. She was a life long resident of Fredonia Township and was a 1943 graduate of Marshall High School. Loretta had been employed by the Kellogg Company for twenty five years. For many years, she worked the night shift at Kellogg’s, came home to do her household duties, only to get only 3 hours sleep and then go back to work at Kellogg’s. She loved her job there and would have stayed with the company longer if it wasn’t for her husband, Wayne, convincing her that they should retire together. They retired in 1984.
On October 29, 1945, she married Wayne F. Wheeler at the United Methodist Church in Marshall. He preceded her in death on August 13, 2008.
Loretta enjoyed cooking, baking and canning. She was best known for her delicious cookies. When her sons were young, she was always busy driving them to their many ballgames and other activities. She enjoyed bowling and had bowled in the Marshall leagues.
She is survived by her sons, Robert (Mary Ann) Wheeler of Tekonsha and Gary (Linda Brittian) Wheeler of Jackson, T N; grandchildren, Caleb Wheeler of Tekonsha, Rachel Wheeler of Marshall, Gary Mitchell (Jenny) Wheeler of Jackson and Tressie Lane (Rob) Davis of Chelsea; eight great grandchildren; brothers, Bert (Annie) Saylor Jr. of Marshall and Arthur (Gail) Saylor of Marshall.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday at the Craig K. Kempf Funeral Home from 6 PM to 8 PM. A funeral service to celebrate the gift of her life will be held 3:30 PM Thursday at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Oakridge Cemetery.
Friends who wish may make memorial contributions to the Oaklawn Home Health Care of Oaklawn Hospice. Assistance with memorials is available at the funeral home.

A Day at the Park

2009-06-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Last week Sunday my friend Stacey and I (Dom took our picture!) decided to have a picnic at the park with our kiddos. It started out as a comedy of errors - cold and rainy, pizza place closed, we forgot plates LOL, but it ended up being a really fun time. I got there first with my kiddos, and I turned them loose to play while we waited for Stace. First thing Robby does is climb to the top of the structure and sit in a giant puddle up there. Then he went down the wet slide. Ack. Well at least it was dry for everyone else!

Dom was cracking up because everytime anyone would walk by (male/female/dogs/geese) Robby would look at them and say "Hi Daddy!". The ducks thought we were going to feed them, the people were mostly confused and would either stare or giggle. :-)

Stacey arrived with her kiddos and we ate lunch (while fending off wild mutant ducks) and chatted while the kids were distracted for a minute. It's easy to lose track of time, and Stace and I hadn't really talked in forever so we had a lot to get caught up on!

The highlight of the afternoon was when we took a walk to the bridge, and the kiddos spent time throwing rocks into the water.

Got some cute pics of Dom and Robby walking hand in hand, then Robby and Allie. I love it when they take care of baby boy. Other than the chance shots, the kids weren't too interested in posing for pics (shocker, right?), but allowed me some time when I took pics of them jumping high in the air. Everyone got a turn but Robby - he was still busy throwing rocks.

So it was only a few hours, but I really enjoyed it - got to chat with Stacey, see our kids be a little crazy, time for some CUTE pics. I need to do this more often!!

A Boy And His Dog

2009-06-09T02:05:00.000-07:00

Yay! :-)

"A Boy and His Dog"

Digital Image Cafe (www.digitalimagecafe.com), Digital Art Photo of the Day 6/9/09

Recent Photo Awards

2009-06-04T12:59:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I'm still entering photo contests even though I haven't really been blogging about it. I always say I'm going to stop entering because I don't have time, and then I can't help myself - guess I have to admit that I'm obsessed. :-) A few of my (relatively) recent wins below.

"In Profile"

Shutterbugs (http://www.shutterbugs.biz/) People Photo of the Day 5/30/09

"Urban Adventure"

Shutterbugs (http://www.shutterbugs.biz/) People Photo of the Day 5/29/09

"Sisters"

Shutterbugs (http://www.shutterbugs.biz/) Black and White Photo of the Day 5/15/09

"A Boy and His Dog"

Shutterbugs (http://www.shutterbugs.biz/) Photo Art Photo of the Day 5/15/09

"Grass"

Better Photo (www.betterphoto.com) Finalist in the Theme Category (Backyard) April 2009

"Behold"

Better Photo (http://www.betterphoto.com/) Finalist in the People Category April 2009

"One Day"

Shutterbugs (http://www.shutterbugs.biz/) Black and White Photo of the Day 5/4/09

"Two"

Shutterbugs (http://www.shutterbugs.biz/) People Photo of the Day 4/30/09

"Cold"

One of my all time favorite images, and it won at a few different sites...

Digital Image Cafe (http://www.digitalimagecafe.com/) People Photo of the Day 3/19/09 (and second place in the people category for Photo of the Month)

Shutterbugs (http://www.shutterbugs.biz/) Theme (Magic Light) Photo of the Day 4/3/09

Better Photo (http://www.betterphoto.com/) Finalist in the People Category March 2009

Sugar and Spice

2009-06-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

As I have previously posted, I am no longer participating with Celebrating Adoption and stopped taking new CA clients several months ago. However, there were a few families that I had outstanding obligations to....and this past Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting a family that traveled from out of state for my very last CA shoot.

Kyle and Crystal, I have to say that I am so glad to have met you, and what a heartwarming memory to have for my last CA shoot! Your love for your children and enthusiasm for the shoot was contagious, and I think you are going to be very happy with the results - K and C are absolutely adorable, with personality to spare - sugar and spice in two perfectly beautiful little packages. :-) C's smile just warms you to your toes, and precocious little K is a hoot!

I am about half finished proofing your session, and I should finish up this weekend. In the mean time, please enjoy the sneak peek of your beautiful daughters below.

Happy Birthday Bob

2009-06-02T02:07:00.001-07:00

Thinking of you Bob...we miss you so much, you will always be in our hearts. Happy Birthday with love

Time Together

2009-05-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's easy to get caught up in the day to day, to concentrate on all of the things that you "should" do, instead of those that you "want" to do. Children set such a great example of living for the moment - something we should all spend more time doing...and doing together.

Our Memorial Day was very special, spent at the Detroit Zoo as a family. Not separated by different sports, jobs or responsbilities, but all six of us together, for an entire day.

While Robby had been to the zoo last year, this was the first trip that he was really aware of his surroundings - he was so excited I think he stopped breathing a couple of times LOL. The penguins were our first stop (mainly because it was the first exhibit we came to) and Robby pointed and squealed at them over and over again.

Rob was the navigator/tour guide, and Riley read the signs next to the exibits to learn about the animals. Riley was excited to learn about the monkeys because she was doing a school project about them, and Allie kept wondering if she was EVER going to get to see the giraffes. Dom helped out with Alex and Robby, lifting them when they needed help to see something, and only giving us his "teenager look" a couple of times. :-)

I of course documented the day with my camera, even stopping once to set up the self timer to get a few pics of all of us together. While we were stopped, Rob took a few pics of Robby and me too - this is soooo cool, PROOF that I was actually there. It is so rare that I am in the photos, I'm happy to have these.

This year the Detroit Zoo has a dinosaur garden. Alex was a little nervous initially, but after the first couple of scary dinosaurs (and seeing that Robby was NOT afraid) she soon began running ahead with Riley to see the next one. Their favorite was the dinosaur that spit water on unsuspecting passers by.

Our initial plan was to spend just a couple of hours at the zoo, and 5 hours later with Robby fading fast and the girls starting to get grumpy, we finally decided to pack it in. Alex had walked the entire time - Robby was the only one in a stroller. Rob ended up carrying Allie for the last little bit because she said her legs were soooo tired. The kiddos fell fast asleep on the way home.

It was a beautiful day....

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Michigan Central Station

2009-05-24T06:01:00.001-07:00

What an exciting photo outing this was, thank you so much Kiah for inviting me! Kiah's friends Brian and Ralph were great fun too - I loved talking photography and sharing ideas/comps. Oh, and Ralph you were a great model, we'll have to get some pics to your mom for ya LOL. I have to say that while I am generally a portrait photog, I absolutely LOVE taking pics just for the sake of taking pics, and what a golden opportunity for beautiful images in Michigan Central Station.

A grand, majestic old building scheduled for demolition, you walk in and your reaction (after an appropriately stunned silence) is a breathless "wow". The sheer expanse of the main room alone is breathtaking, and that is even before you look around and see the intricate stone and tile work. It's sad and depressing too, as the initial impact wears off and you realize the state of total decay this beautiful building is in - the regal columns and gorgeous architecture defaced with graffiti and crumbling concrete and tile.

It's easy to lose track of time exploring this building, around every corner was another room or expanse, always with something different if not more beautiful. I must say, some of the grafitti was pretty interesting as well LOL - gotta love urban humor.

According to wikipedia "The building is composed of two distinct parts: the train station itself and the 18-storey tower. The roof height is 230 feet (70 m)" Yes, we climbed the stairs to the top, stopping every couple of floors to take pics and look out the windows. The stairs had no railings (yikes), missing tiles and even holes/broken spots (FREAKIN yikes) and no glass in the windows on the landing of each stair floor (I can't type an expletive strong enough here). For someone afraid of heights (yes, me), it was somewhat of a nightmare to make the climb.

Good thing the boys humored me, though I'm sure Kiah will make fun of me later LOL. A lot of the floors looked the same, not as grand as the main floor and mostly with loose boards and nails covering the floors, and just the skeleton of the structure - support beams and such but not many walls/separate rooms outside of those on the outside structure of the building. There were heavy doors on a couple of the landings, but most of the doors were gone as well.

Every floor brought a more beautiful and clear view of the city of Detroit...and just when you thought it couldn't get any better, you get to the top. Tired and shaking legs do nothing to diminish the absolutely breathtaking view from the roof of MCS.

Temporarily forgetting (ok, ignoring) my fear of heights, I walked to the edge to get my pic taken with the D in the background. Kiah and Brian, get those pics to me, I need proof that I DID it! (And a printed record for my great grandchildren that I'm not quite as boring as my kids would lead you to believe.) We spent quite some time on the roof - taking pics, chatting, watching some teenage degenerates (or degenerate wannabes LOL) spray painting any open surface they could find, though I'm not sure how they were finding ANY. It was pretty windy up there compared to the ground floor and soooooo so high up and scary! Beautiful, but scary!

As the sun started to go down, we snapped a few more pics and decided that we wanted to start the decent to the bottom floor while it was still LIGHT out. I'm pretty sure it would have been an incredibly stunning sunset from the top of MCS, but not sure I would have survived (emotionally if not physically) walking down those stairs in the dark. Although the fears/concerns I had as the shoot started turned out to be unfounded on this trip. We didn't get arrested, and no one fell through a hole in the roof - though I'm still certain that it could have been a possibility because a piece of the structure DID fall down on Brian - no crackheads or bums to be found anywhere, the only other people in the building were other photographers, and LOTS of them. Some heading UP the stairs as we were heading down. I'm sure they were on their way to photograph the sunset from the top - they are braver souls than me. :-) If you'd like to read more about the history of Michigan Central Station, see the wiki page HERE. See a floor plan of the main floor HERE. I'll be updating this post and posting more pics as I get them, this was one of my most fun "non client" shoots to date - thanks again to Kiah for organizing this outing, Kiah you are the best tour guide in the D!

Alex's New Friend

2009-04-05T15:47:00.001-07:00

Ok, so these images aren't portrait art, but they are fun...

Allie made a new friend at the Chelsea Teddy Bear Co! She spent (no lie) the first half an hour stuffing her bear and placed a charm that said "FAITH" inside. Once her bear was closed up, she took great care in picking out the outfit too. In the end, she dressed her bear in a pink soccer uniform with "Alex" on the back. :-)

Meet Alli H

2009-03-29T12:52:00.001-07:00

Thanks for your help Alli, here is your video!

For Christina

2009-03-28T08:22:00.001-07:00

Love and Hugs...

Riley and Dominic

2009-03-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wanted to post new pics of all of my kiddos, but Dominic does not want his pics up....so here are a few of Riley. :-)

Robby Dooby

2009-03-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Robby Dooby (Allie's name for him) looooves to be outside! A few pics that I took of my littlest angel today. :-)

2009-03-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Oh my poor neglected blog! I really have nothing to write, and I'm a picture person anyway...sooo...here is the result of my most recent session with Allie. Isn't she beautiful?

My Girls

2009-01-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Quite a snowstorm today - but it wasn't all bad, we had time for a few fun snow shots!

18 Months

2008-12-31T10:15:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that Robby is already 18 months old, and yet, here he is. He doesn't talk much, but he has personality by the truckload!

Davis Elves

2008-12-24T06:27:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Interview with Allie

2008-12-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I interviewed Allie....when you watch this, keep in mind that she is 3 years old, and her birthday is in May. :-)

Thank You and Jingle Bells

2008-12-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

A huge THANK YOU to all of you that voted for me in the favorite ad contest at http://www.lifestyle-portrait-photographers.com/ - I greatly appreciate it. Tressie Davis Photography is the winner!!! I couldn't have done it without you all. Now, nothing to do with the contest, but how cute is Allie singing Jingle Bells? Kinda. :-)

Please Vote for Me!

2008-12-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Tressie Davis Photography is one of the 25 finalists in the Lifestyle Portraiture Ad contest. Now it is up to our (adoring?) public to vote for their favorite ad. (or you could just vote for me...I wouldn't complain LOL). See my ad below, and vote for me HERE. You will have to scroll to the bottom of the page for the voting buttons, click on Tressie Davis Photography - one vote per ip address. Thanks a bunch to any/all that take the time to vote for me!!

Florida Vacation

2008-12-05T01:57:00.001-08:00

I have so many pics from our vacation before Thanksgiving, that I am still proofing them with no end in site LOL. I did finish the ones I intend to use for our Christmas card, and a handful that I loaded up to contest sites. Below is the latest to get Photo of the Day - this time at http://www.bestfoto.com/ for Black and White on 12/5/08. Riley is only 6, but she frightens me with how grown up she looks some times - I know I'm not the only mom that wants them to stay chubby little toddlers! (Those were the days) :-)

Another Winner

2008-11-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

The below pic won second place for October in the People category at BetterPhoto.com. See it in my BP Gallery HERE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE11/28/2008 Photographer Tressie Davis of Chelsea, MI, has won Second Place for October in the prestigious photography contest sponsored by BetterPhoto.com, the site's founder, Jim Miotke, announced Friday.More than 22000 entries were submitted to the online photography contest, which attracted contestants from around the world and featured 10 separate categories. Davis's stunning image, "Hugs", garnered top honors after being submitted in the People category. All of the winning images can be viewed at BetterPhoto.com's contest page: http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/winners/0810.aspThe contest is conducted each month. Categories include Nature and Landscapes, Animals, People, Elements of Design, Digital Darkroom, Travel and Place, Flowers, Details and Macro, Catch-All, and Monthly Theme. Judging is performed by a panel of professional photographers.Besides its free, popular photo contest, BetterPhoto.com also offers a variety of services: digital camera reviews, online photo courses, free newsletters, a discussion forum, Web sites for photographers, question-and-answer section, how-to articles, photo galleries, and more.Photographers can enter this month's contest and learn more about photography at: www.BetterPhoto.com

Alex is on the Kodak billboard in Times Square today!

2008-11-29T05:03:00.000-08:00

Alex's Kodak Picture of the Day 11/29/08 - the below image is displayed on the Kodak billboard in Times Square, NY today! So Allie has both the Kodak Golf Picture of the Week and Kodak Picture of the day today - yay Allie!

Kodak Golf Picture of the Week

2008-11-27T06:03:00.001-08:00

Allie has the Kodak Golf Picture of the week this week, see it HERE until the next image is loaded. Below is the winning pic. Yay Allie!

B&W POTD at Digital Image Cafe

2008-11-19T02:01:00.000-08:00

The below photo of beautiful S is Black and White Photo of the Day at Digital Image Cafe today. Check her out - she's famous. :-) (Thanks Jess, for the permission to enter her in contests - I just knew she was a winner!)

Pixels Are Like Cupcakes

2008-11-17T04:21:00.000-08:00

In the market for a new camera? More megapixels does not equal "better". See this interesting and informative article in the NY Times:

PIXELS ARE LIKE CUPCAKES

Happy shooting!!

True Love

2008-11-02T15:08:00.001-08:00

True love...forever. Alexia and Jeremy, you guys are all that. Thanks for being such good sports when I asked you to do silly things, and for bringing your "baby" Napoleon. :-) I am about half finished with your proofs, and I can't wait for you to see them all! Below are a few to enjoy until I get the slideshow up. (You guys are sooooo cute!)

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T13:35:00.001-07:00

Well, one holiday past...can you all believe that it's November already?? Halloween was a great time in the Davis neighborhood. My three youngest were golfers. Actually, Allie says that she was a "carrier" (caddy). All were super cute.

Here is Riley looking too grown up, which is becoming the norm lately - complete with her visor, golf shoes and golf glove. Riley is a REAL golfer, in case you didn't know. :-)

And how cute is Alex, modeling in her "Carrier" costume? What a ham!

A few pics of baby boy, super cute as usual. He's supposed to be a golfer too, but he had his face painted at Riley's school party and he wanted nothing to do with the toy golf clubs that came with his costume so he ended up looking like a clown or something. It may be a confusing costume, but it doesn't diminish his cuteness any!

Dom did trick or treat, but I had to catch a photo of him on the fly - he was in a hurry to get away from his embarrassing parents and get some candy. Go Blue!

My niece and nephew live in our neighborhood too, so we all went trick or treating together. Isn't this the most adorable Mummy Fairy and Indiana Jones you've ever seen?

And then the costume posing is over and we get to the Trick or Treating - FINALLY.

Robby didn't go Trick or Treating, but he got quality time with Nana - thanks for coming out to help Katy!!

Hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween - now on to the rest of the holidays, and the remainder of 2008!

Fall Fun

2008-10-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Jess and Noli - you have a delightful and beautiful family!! So glad the weather held out for us. Here is a sneak peek for you to tide you over until I can finish proofing your session...your kiddos gave me too much material to work with LOL - just look how cute!

Alley Sneak Peek

2008-10-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

One of my fav family shoots so far this fall, Patty and Jeff your family is beautiful!! I am about halfway through your proofs, and will work diligently until they are finished - but I just HAD to share a few ahead of time. Enjoy your sneak peek and stay tuned...

MY Nearest and Dearest

2008-10-04T09:29:00.001-07:00

Well a tripod and self timer is not exactly conducive to spontaneity, but I couldn't leave my family out....here we all are!

Family Fun

2008-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

A fun shoot with my friend Stacey and her family...

Stacey is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside - and that's truly a compliment, just look below!!

Senior Rep Photo of the Day!

2008-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

My Senior Model Lauren A. had one of her senior images chosen as Photo of the Day at http://www.shutterbugs.biz/ on 9/8/08. Yay Lauren, thanks for being such an incredibly beautiful model, and congrats on POTD! See it on Shutterbugs HERE.