Shannon Gurney Photoblog

Just Married...

These two young people were recently lucky enough to get married on a totally cool Carnival Cruise with a small group of family and friends.  I was lucky enough to get to photograph the fun reception they had for everyone who didn't get to go on the cruise.  HA!  :)  You might remember this couple from back in May when I shot their engagement session.  Well, they're finally HITCHED!  Congratulations you guys!

And these last two pictures have a small story to tell...
Apparently, when the newlyweds and myself ventured outside for a few shots... the door to the reception hall locked snuggly behind us.
What's a reception without the bride and groom?!?!?!
Luckily, the groom had a cell phone and we were finally able to go back inside...

but, not until after a good laugh!

Best Shot Monday - "JUMP" - the series!

Okay, here's my Best Shot Monday - only it's not just one shot.  It's more like a series of shots.  Last night, my sister brought home a bunch of her college buddies for dinner (you know - a free meal and a little road trip brings 'em from miles around!).  Anywho, the kids asked if I'd take a handful of photos of all of them.  I thought, why not, it's always fun to have kids that'll do almost anything you ask.  Towards the end of the night, it was getting a little dark, and I asked them to play in the street.  That's how we came up with this series called JUMP!  Be sure to go over to Picture This and check out all the other best shots for today.  Happy Monday to you all.

Oh, I'll be posting more from that night very soon.  SO, STAY TUNED!!! 
Click on these to make them bigger.  By the way, my sister is the one on the right!

and here's the same picture in three other versions... which one do you like best?

Alrighty, here's a few more in the series.

a little adult conversation...

Lately, I've had a craving for knowledge!  No, seriously, I want to go back to college - it's that bad!!  Don't worry - I'm not really gonna do that, but I hear online courses can be fun.  Anybody out there ever taken an online course?  Just curious...  I would love to take some photography courses, but the only ones offered around here are online - unless, of course, I want to go full-time to the Oklahoma School of Photography, which is pretty much out of the question. 

Remember, I have children and am a stay-at-home mom (which I don't plan to change anytime soon).  I love being home with my kids, but I also would love to have some other outlets of enjoyment.  I'm sure all you moms out there know what I mean.  This week, my only adult conversation has been with the checker at Wal-mart, and my grandmother, who went along with us.  Pretty sad state of affairs...  let me tell ya. 

Josh has been working until around 9pm every night this week.  I'm just plain LONELY!  That only leaves you guys out there... most of which don't even leave me a small little hello.  Remember, if you're getting enjoyment out of reading this here blog, tell me so... sometimes I even write back! :)

So, anyway, instead of taking a class...  here's what I've been doing.  The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby is a totally awesome and cool book.  For those of you aspiring photogs out there, you'll love this book!  The rest of them are just some I picked up here and there - I'm just now really starting to read them all!

My sister just bought me this next book at her college bookstore.  Apparently, it's the book that is required for their photojournalism class!  I was totally PUMPED when I found that out!  So far, it's an awesome book - starts with the basics and moves right into the pro stuff.  SUPER COOL BOOK!!!

And, since Wes doesn't get nearly the blog time he deserves... here are some pics I just snapped.  And yes, the lamp is on right above his head...  I don't care - I still love them!!! HEE!

I turned the light off in that last one - just so you could see the difference.  Okay, I have to get back to work proofing photos from this past week.  I have a wedding reception tomorrow - wish me luck on taking the best pictures ever!

Roommates

Do you remember how much fun you had in college?  I sure do...  In fact, a trip to visit my sister in Stillwater was a huge reminder of days gone by.  She is a student at Oklahoma State University (GO POKES!) and has four roommates - all of which are totally great gals!  Upon arriving in Stillwater, I was remembering the days I spent driving along those streets and roaming those same sidewalks.  What a blast I had in college - too much fun - some would say.  HA!  My sister is a sophomore this year and is having a great time herself.  She's much better behaved than I was back then.  That's for sure!  But, I can tell she's really having fun being out on her own (especially having spent this past summer back at home). 

Well, these gals (all four of them) have been wanting me to take some fun pix for them to display on their apartment walls.  Currently, the walls are completely blah.  So, I decided to head to Stillwater with both my boys in tow and my mom.  We stopped by their apartment, then went to dinner, then back to pick up the rest of the girls.  After chatting about where to go take pics, we decided the best place was Theta Pond, which is very well-known for cool picture taking places, among other things.  We were really losing our light fast, but were able to snap a few photos before heading home.  Some are a little blurry due to low lighting, but still worth a look. 

Sis, I hope you like 'em!

And the last picture of the evening - taken with flash - really starting to get dark...

I had a great time girls!  Let's do it again before the year is over!

Millers part two - everyone else!

Okay, I've finally got a few more edited.  I know the Miller family has been patiently waiting for their second dose of photo bliss... so here we go!

Junk to anyone else...

is a completely unique treasure to me!  I LOVE OLD STUFF!  I keep telling Josh I want to find an old tractor (I mean really old) that doesn't even run anymore just to keep on our land.  Some people would call that an eye sore.  I call it love!  This stuff makes the best photo backdrops and it's just plain nice to have around (if you ask me anyway).  I passed by a house tonight on my home.  It caught my attention because of an old tractor that was parked off to the side... then I noticed all the other treasures that sat along side the tractor.  The yard was jam packed full of JUNK - huge old tractor tires (you know, the bigguns!), old plows, you name it and they had it!  I'm actually thinking of stopping by, knocking on the door, and begging for some of their goodies.  Do you think they'll mind?  I'll let you know if I decide to do it and then if noone hears from me for a while, you'll know to contact the proper authorities, right!?! 

Here are a couple of my JUNK pieces... 

Normally, that old wheel is not hanging from a tree.  It is propped against the barn or the house, but we were cleaning up outside and mowing, so up onto the tree it went.  It was enough to catch my attention though or I probably wouldn't have snapped this photo.

and here's another for you...

So, if you're ever ready to clean up at your place and have some neat, old stuff... send it my way!  Happy Wednesday to you!

Gift Certificates... (scroll down to see new posts)

I'm now offering gift certificates to my clients.  These make really cool gifts, be it holidays, birthdays, or another fun occasion.  If you are interested in purchasing a gift certificate for someone, just shoot me an email or give me a call.  I can mail these out directly to the person or send them to you.  Purchasing a certificate does count as a referral and will get you 10% off your next family session.

Millers part one - the kiddos

I feel like I've been a posting fool these last two days.  But, I've had so much to share!  The posts will just keep coming and coming.  I have a ton of sessions to share and some more fun stuff from the home front.  So, keep comin' back!

Okay, so, the Millers...  Man, what fun I had!!  I seriously had such a blast with this group!  And, believe me, it was a group.  There were 13 of them in all, including 6 kiddos.  I had some major work in front of me (at least that's what I was thinking).  But, I was SO wrong - these guys were so well-behaved and polite!  I was shocked at how easy it was to get good shots of them.  There are so many good shots that I'm posting in two parts.  Part one - the kiddos and part two - everyone else!  So, Miller Family, be sure to check back again for the next dose. 

and here are the kids...

Best Shot Monday - Mushrooms...

This picture is by far not the greatest.  It's blurry in all the wrong places and was snapped in a hurry as I was getting attacked by dogs and kids.  But, something about it spoke to me.  The tiny little mushrooms look like little tents for the smallest of creatures to take shelter.  I just like it.  It's that simple. 

Have a blessed Monday and check out all the other shots over at Picture This.

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we only tune in."  -George Washington Carver

Worms, frogs, and boys...

First, Click here to help me find new locations!

Why is it that little boys (and big ones) love bugs, worms, frogs and anything else dirty they can get their grubby little hands on? 

Today was a wet day and our weekend has mostly been the same. 

My boys have been cooped up in the house trying to get the walls to expand... 

Our household does not do well being cooped up for more than a day. 

So, when Ty was begging to go outside to work (be work - I mean mess around with whatever he can find) with Daddy, I figured he might as well go.  He already had his rolled up jeans and rubber boots ready.  All he needed was something to do.  He told me he was going out with a bucket in search of worms.  Alrighty then...

Turns out Daddy likes to hunt for worms too...  Now, most of you are reading this thinking... worms, little squiggly worms...  But, you don't understand at our house worms are the size of small snakes.  I MEAN IT!  No, seriously...

I happened to peak out the window just in time to catch Ty and Josh with a small bucket lifting every rock and brick and piece of junk around our yard.  I also noticed there were already a large number of BIG SNAKE-LIKE worms in the small red bucket. 

I HAD to get a picture.  So, I plopped Wes into the Exersaucer and headed out the door after the boys. 

By the time I got there, they not only had found a HUGE amount of nasty, squirmy, squiggly worms, but also a poor little frog who'd been caught by the frog torturer (not meaning to be a torturer, of course).  Here's what I got...

at this point the poor little frog gets burried... "Can you see him, Momma?"... "Oh no, honey, where could he be?!?"

There he is...  upside down, no less...
Don't worry, no frogs were harmed in the making of this post... the worms...however...are another story...

they were fed to these ugly little guys...