2011 was an incredible year for us. We learned so much, we accomplished many goals, we grew as photographers and as a couple, we laughed, we loved, we traveled, and we made some absolutely amazing new friends along the way.  There is no doubt that 2012 is going to be the best year that we’ve ever, ever had, and just thinking about all we have to look forward to makes us so insanely happy.  We have so much to be thankful for…it’s kind of mind-blowing.  :)

We take a lot of quick snaps with our phone cameras (since we always have them on us), and at the end of the year, I back them all up to make room on our phones for another year’s worth of images.  This year, I thought it would be cool to share them, so I stitched them all together into these giant collages for your viewing pleasure.  There’s a ridiculous amount of photos of our cats and dog, but that’s because they are an enormous part of our lives and we love them to bits.  We’re both really into gardening, so the gardens are pretty well represented here, too, as are our many, many nature hikes, visits with family and friends, and yummy treats.  I have had three different phones since the beginning of 2011, starting with a Blackberry and ending with an iPhone 4s (who goes through 3 phones in a year?!  I knooooooow, right?!?!), so please excuse the less than perfect quality of some of these shots.  The people who appear in these photos are all very dear to us – our parents and grandparents, our nieces and nephews, our siblings, and some of our closest friends.  In this case, it’s all about the content.  So, enjoy a look into what our lives consist of in the super rare moments that we are not working!

If you’re a wedding photographer, like us, then you already know all about the insane amount of stamina that you need to keep up with everything that happens on a wedding day. If you’re not, then let me clue you in. It’s biz-onkers. You have to run around like a lunatic with 40 pounds of gear strapped to your body for 8-12 hours, try to be in two places at once at ALL times, AND apply every ounce of creativity you have into each and every frame you shoot. It’s a super challenging, high pressure, skill specific, not-for-the-faint-of-heart job that requires a LOT of energy and stamina; but honestly, there’s nothing in the world we’d rather be doing.

Having said all that, I thought I’d share the recipe for our “wedding day power smoothie.” It’s our go-to breakfast of choice on wedding days (and most other days, too!). It keeps our energy levels high and our minds alert, so we can crank out amazing images. But, even if you’re not a wedding photographer, you should give this a try – it’s so healthy, you feel like you’re flying!

Jenn and Ben’s Wedding Day Power Breakfast Smoothie
*This makes enough for two hungry peeps!

Add the following to a blender:

2 bananas
1 cup frozen fruit (we use blueberries most often for the antioxidants, but mango and strawberries are our other faves)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
2 scoops Amazing Grass Green Superfood (we use the berry flavor)
2 tablespoons finely ground flax seed
1 cup almond milk

Top off blender with water until contents are covered, then BLEND, and VIOLA!! Instant stamina!! I’m drinking mine as I type this…CHEERS!! :)

Here’s a brief summary of what we did during our time in DC (in no particular order). :)

We: rode the metro, walked around the “Mall,” ate amazing Thai food, marveled at the architecture, searched hi and low for Georgetown (but it eluded us), got caught in a torrential downpour, took a zillion photos at the Cherry Blossom Festival, got lost in Foggy Bottom using GPS directions meant for cars NOT pedestrians, checked out all kinds of monuments and memorials, had a fantastic e-shoot with Katie and John, ate the most delicious Mexican food we’ve ever had in our lives, drank WAY too many Margaritas (no salt, please and thank-you), met with and booked another radical couple for 2012, and sat next to a very odd man on the train who was laughing hysterically out loud – VERY LOUD – at the book he was reading (definitely should have gotten the name of that book).

Enjoy this peek into our DC adventures!  :)

“Oh my god, that’s so horrible,” I kept saying over and over, “it’s so sad.” I asked for her new mailing address so I could send her a card – my stepmother said she’d email it to me. As I hung up the phone, my eyes filled up. I looked down at my own baby, my beautiful golden girl, asleep at my feet, and thought about the fact that I, too, will someday have to say goodbye. I started to sob at the mere thought of having to part with her; she is my heart, she is love incarnate. I knew in that moment, that sending a card was nowhere near enough…it was an almost laughable gesture considering the situation at hand. I knew I had to do something to let my sister know that I could feel her broken heart, and that mine was breaking for her. I picked up the phone, and called my stepmother back almost immediately…I didn’t even say hello when she picked up. “I thought of something I can do for Nikki,” I said, “Can you ask her if she has any free time tomorrow or Monday for me to come in and take some portraits of her and Taylor?” I hung up the phone again, and pulled out my travel bag to pack for the unexpected trip home. I knew that there was nothing I or anyone else could do to ease the pain of her loss.  There is no substitution on this Earth for the unconditional love we receive from our animals…they come into our lives for the sole purpose of loving us, and teaching us about love; and, when it’s time for them to leave this plane, they leave a massive, gaping hole in our hearts.  All I could do was show my support and offer my love in the best way I know how…through pictures.

This is my stepsister, Nikki, and her beloved dog, Taylor, during their last days together. I’m so unbelievably grateful that I had the opportunity to capture the love between them.

Nikki’s puppy, Oliver, came along, too, so we squeezed him in for a few shots.  He’s a wonderful boy, but he definitely has some very big Taylor-sized shoes to fill.  :)I took a few video clips during the shoot, as well, and put them together with the still photos into this slide show.  Most of my family have already seen this show (including Nikki), but I love it, and really wanted to share, so feel free to watch. The soundtrack is “A Beautiful World,” by Tim Myers.  :)



Love you, Nik! You’re such a wonderful, amazingly strong, beautiful woman, and I feel lucky to have you in my life. :)

Most recent photo as a couple since 2005…yeah, I think it was about time.
LOVE this one!!  I think it might be my favorite.
Although, this one’s pretty cool, too.  ;)
Yes, they live on a real farm, with real animals, a red barn, and a real tractor.  (I’m totally jealous.)  We were like, “let’s try for an American Gothic shot…it’ll be AWESOME!!”  It’s pretty cool looking, but…
I like the real them better.  :)
Super-cute!!
I guess I never really knew this until they told me (or I just never wanted to think about it before), but even though I buy “free range” eggs from the grocery store, they’re not actually fresh.  In most cases, they’re out of the hen for a month or so before they make it to the store.  Truly “fresh” eggs, like the ones you see in the following photos, taste AMAZING!  Andrea and Pete sell the delicious eggs their hens produce, and they wanted a nice looking label to put on the cartons (which is partly why I photographed these lovely chickens); so, I threw one together for them!  It’s at the end of this post.  If I lived nearby their farm, I’d be a regular customer!  :)
Lana, with an adorable, friendly red hen!
So, here’s the label I came up with!  Pretty cute, right?  I think it’ll look great on the cartons!

Andrea, Pete, and Lana: We LOVE you guys so much, and we’ll see you again real soon!!! :)

me: “So, uh, do you know what you’re getting Patti for Christmas yet?”
my dad: “Ehhh, I have a few ideas, but I don’t know yet. Why? You got any ideas?”
me: “Dad…(in an are-you-kidding-me-right-now tone, followed by a long-ish pause)…how about a diamond ring??”
my dad: “What kind of diamond ring?”
me: “An ENGAGEMENT ring, Dad (same are-you-kidding-me-right-now tone)…you’ve been together long enough. It’s OK.”
my dad: “So, you’re ok with it then? What about the other kids (my sister and brother)? Are they ok with it?”
me: “Dad, (same overused tone) we’re all ok with it. We all love Patti; she’s part of our family…and she’s a really good person.”
my dad: “She’s a very good person. I wasn’t going to say anything until one of you kids brought it up.”
me: “Well, consider it brought up. It’s time. Have you looked at rings?”
my dad: “A little…why? You know what she wants?”
me: (sigh) “White gold or platinum, a classic setting with a round stone, and nothing smaller than 1 carat…she’s going to be so excited!!”
my dad: “It’s the last thing she’s expecting.”

Fast-forward one year (and a few months), and here we are.  All of the wedding arrangements have been made for their fabulous October wedding.  Naturally, Ben and I will be the photographers at this event, so as we do with all of our wedding couples, an engagement session was scheduled.  My dad (hilariously) decided that he would like their photos to have a sophisticated look and feel to them (again, if you know him, you are probably rolling right now), so we headed over to Route Glen at Hamilton College, which is an amazingly gorgeous little park with well-groomed, wooded trails – the perfect location.  I knew that Patti would look gorgeous (as she always does) and offer us her best effort, but I had no idea what my father (that rascal) would do in front of a camera. I had to growl at him a few times to keep him on task, but overall, he exceeded my expectations, and the resulting photos speak for themselves!  They both look fantastic, happy, relaxed, and in-love…I couldn’t be more thrilled for them. :)

Patti, you are STUNNING!

I made up this scenario in my head (purely for my own enjoyment) while working on this next photo:

“Ring-ring, ring-ring”
“Hello? Ayres Photography…This is Jenn.”
“Yes, hello, this is VOGUE magazine calling. We have a special edition of VOGUE in the works right now, it’s set to be released this summer under the title VOGUE – The High-Fashion Baby Boomer’s Edition. We happened to come across a photo on your website of a charming high-fashion couple, who absolutely embody everything we’re seeking for this issue. We’d like to offer you a ridiculous amount of money to feature it in our special edition.”
“Well, Mrs. Editor of VOGUE, here at Ayres Photography we specialize in photographing Baby Boomer Fashionistas. We and our fab models would be honored to be featured.”

I crack myself up…but seriously, though, how great is this photo?





LOVE these…

…soooo much!!



This darling child is my niece, Lana, who came as our assistant, and did an AMAZING job at holding our reflectors for us!  Thank-you, Lannie!  :)

Dad and Patti, all jokes aside – I am so, so happy for you! Looking through these photos only confirms to me that you have both found your true soul mate. Patti, you and your girls are a welcome addition to our family. We love you so much, and are so grateful to you for loving our dad as much as you do. He is a better man because of you, and I hope he knows it. Dad, you’re a rascal; but you’re the best dad in the world, and we love you so much! Looking forward to being a part of your wedding day!

This past year was an amazing one for us and for our business! We have come so far from where we first started, and we are incredibly grateful to all of our friends, family, and clients for their loyal support. We would not be a successful business without all of you! We both feel so blessed to be able to do something we love to do; and, as we are flooded with phone calls and emails, we are constantly reminded of how truly fortunate we are.

Here are just a few of our holiday photos for your viewing pleasure!

Harold, the Christmas cat…

Lily, the snow dog…

Ben and Jenn on an early Christmas morning walk through the woods! It was so beautiful there, and we got some pretty sweet shots.


The family farm and surroundings…





L-O-V-E this shot!!!

We got some flippin’ sweet new lighting accessories for Christmas from our families, so of course we had to immediately set up a light in my father’s living room and take some test shots! This one is my favorite from the test set. Can’t wait to use this gear at weddings!

So, here’s to doing big things in 2010! Happy New Year, everyone!