Meredith's Photography

New Blog!

2009-08-20T07:21:00.001-07:00

I have changed my blog to reflect my new married name!

meredithdanielsblog.blogspot.com

It's the same blog, but with a new name. I was able to import all of my posts. All new posts will be made on the new blog!

Karsyn Sneek Peak

2009-07-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

First, meet the family! I pulled out my camera, and somehow Karsyn knew how to smile! She's only 1!

She loves her baby dolls!

And one of my favorites so far...

Redneck Riveria

2009-07-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Sam and I spent a long weekend at the beach in July, North Myrtle Beach to be exact. "People-Watching" could be made a sport at this place! You see a little bit of everything. Sorry - I didn't take any pictures while "people watching" on the beach.

But I do have a picture of an ice cream stand at Calabash, NC. Hershey's syrup is a staple in my diet : )

My wonderful parents, who celebrate their 17th wedding anniversary tomorrow!

Here's the view from my grandparents' condo - luckily there isn't a high rise condo blocking the whole view. I somehow lucked out with this shot. I didn't have a tripod, so I was balancing my camera on the deck railing. There was also heat lightning that evening, and it struck right at the end of my exposure giving the sky the brilliant blue hue.

Blue Ridge Parkway

2009-07-14T19:38:00.001-07:00

I had a jam packed Saturday on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I signed up for a one-day Nature Photography class offered by the Photo School of the Upstate. It's a great school and I wish I could find something like it in Asheville. The class was led by Richard Bernabe. The day started at 8am (some opted for the sunrise at 6am - I skipped this part) and it ended at 9pm.

First stop, Looking Glass Falls

Second stop, Skinny Dip at mile marker 417 on the Parkway

Third stop, Second Falls somewhere between Mile Marker 417 and 431

This is where I digressed from the main subject, the waterfall and started shooting little details. The waterfall actually had tons of tourists and swimmers in front of it.

Fourth stop, Mile Marker 431 - great scenic views! The rolling mountains were my favorite! I prefer these shots to waterfalls.

Last stop, Black Balsam Knob (I think...it was a small hike uphill but sooooo worth it! And remember to bring a jacket - the wind is cold at 6,214 ft elevation).

Overall it was a great, exhausting trip. I found some great sunset spots I would love to go back to and enjoy a picnic with the views.

Have you ever seen a dog swim like this?!

2009-06-23T08:51:00.001-07:00

This might just be my favorite post - sorry to all the humans that I have taken pictures of - Roscoe trumps it!

Let's go play in the pool!

Hmm, what do we have here?

I see a tire!!!

I really want that tire!!

I really, really want that tire!

If only I could dive under....

This is hard!

But I know how to hold my breath!

I just can't get it. Will you move it to the 3rd step?

So close!

Yes, I got it!

I'm King of the Pool!

Zac is a Policeman!

2009-06-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day on Friday June 19th! Zac graduated from the Mecklenburg County Police Academy! I'm so proud of you Zac!

Proud Grandparents!

Watch out Charlotte - specifically Ballantyne!

Proud Sister!

Proud Mom!

Congratulations Taylor and Jared!

2009-06-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

Taylor and Jared welcomed their little bundle of joy, Jayne Caroline on Sunday June 7th! They waited to be surprised by the sex of the baby! How fun and what great self-control by not asking the doctor! Congratulations! I wish I had pictures of Jayne to post.

Taylor had this cute idea to make a heart with her hands on her belly. I love it with the red shirt!

Matachica - Belize

2009-06-10T07:03:00.001-07:00

Oh wouldn't it be nice to still be on the honeymoon! We went to Matachica which is located on Ambergris Caye, Belize. It was amazing! Enjoy the pictures!

Our little beach hut named "Bananas"

We got to swim with nurse sharks and stingrays!
At the pier at Matachica
The name of the amazing restaurant at the resort.
You can take sea kayaks out to the reef and snorkel! Did you know Belize has the 2nd largest Barrier Reef in the world! (The largest being the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia). The snorkeling is amazing!
This is a Beachfront Casita.

Make-Up Shout Out

2009-05-23T16:00:00.001-07:00

Meet Ann, my friend and make-up artist. She works with the Laura Mercier line at Belk at SouthPark. Go see her, she's awesome! She did the makeup for my wedding and it was perfect. And I'm hard a client to please....

How cute is this little girl....

2009-04-13T20:55:00.001-07:00

Meet Emma...

Easter and Sydney's 3rd Birthday

2009-04-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

Make Sarah Smile : )

2009-03-10T20:35:00.001-07:00

On the City's Northern Border...

2009-03-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

That's the opening line to Wofford's alma mater (we sang it after every basketball game, win or loose with Reverend Skinner leading, the basketball team, the cheerleading team, and the students in the stands). Anyways, stumbled across a bunch of Wofford pictures while going through more college pictures.

Belize 2006

2009-03-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

I still haven't taken any new pictures in a while so I started looking at old pictures I had taken in college. Here are a few from my trip to Belize in 2006. It was a Wofford trip that I took with my good girlfriends Rhea, Ryn, and Nichole. Enjoy!

Monkey Bay

Mayan House - Nichole and I stayed with a family here - great view!

San Ignacio

Caye Caulker

March 1st SNOW!

2009-03-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

Snow Sledding - Roscoe Style

Snow Day

2009-02-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

Snow Day! I haven't posted any pictures in a while and I haven't taken any pictures in a while so enjoy the dogs in the snow!

Roscoe trying to eat snow flakes (we were throwing snow balls at him).

Cute Bucky!

GO CHEERSPORT!!

2009-02-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

The World's Largest Cheerleading & Dance Competition!

www.CHEERSPORT.net

Princess Sky and Ava

2009-02-01T18:46:00.001-08:00

The Cottage

2009-01-24T05:39:00.001-08:00

I moved my furniture and stuff into "the cottage" last weekend. I can't wait until May 2nd when I get to live there! Isn't it cute!

More Pictures of Papa's 80th Birthday

2009-01-18T19:45:00.001-08:00

This is a lot of new posts for one day, but I probably won't get around to posting any more pictures for the month of January. Enjoy!

I had to see my favorite in black and white, but I like it better in color. Still a good pic in b & w.

Papa and Donny

Which family picture do you like better?! Olivia and Sydney are really into getting their picture taking....ha!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures from Christmas! I hope to post more in the next couple of weeks, but who knows if I'll get around to it...

Christmas Eve at home

Cousin Greg - Christmas morning at Nanny and Papa's

This picture cracks me up!

Olivia's new bug vacuum

Roscoe

More of Ruth's Wedding Pictures

2009-01-18T19:01:00.001-08:00

I haven't added any pictures in a while. I just purchased Jesh de Rox's textures and colorshift actions and I love them! I have had so much fun playing around in photoshop. I can't wait until I have more free time to work on some more pictures, experiment, and learn some new things. So for now, here are few of my favorites from Ruth and John's wedding in November.

I like the look of these first few pictures - I think they have a little bit of that vintage look to them with the color tones.

I love the color yellow, and this tree was gorgeous!

Cutting the cake at the rehearsal dinner.

This picture is one of my favs!

Happy 80th Birthday Papa!

2008-12-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this has to be one of my all time favorite photographs! Probably because I just love my Papa so much, and Olivia is pretty darn cute in this picture too. Papa actually did beat Olivia to blowing out the candles! And in case you were wondering, it was a chocolate cake!!! Yum!!

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

Our family began putting up our Christmas tree over Thanksgiving while Zac and I were in college. So this past weekend, we went and got our tree and did the annual tree decorating. As you can see from the pictures, we were also watching the Panthers' game while decorating the tree. My grandparents, Nanny and Papa, also came over that evening for a belated Thanksgiving dinner since my parents worked on Thanksgiving day.

My brother, Zac, hanging his trains.

My infamous handmade ornament from elementary school with Rudulph the Red Nose Reindeer (my family tells me it looks like the reindeer is throwing up, but it's just his nose is shining so bright!).

A look at some ornaments up close...

Meredith and Sam gingerbread ornaments! My mom made ornaments like this when she was in nursing school- so I thought it would be fun for me to do the same thing!

Nanny and me.

Roscoe is being a good boy, while Papa hid his ball in his shirt pocket.

Zac and Roscoe.

Meet Roscoe

2008-12-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Roscoe is Zac's (my brother) German Shepherd. He's almost 2 years old, but he is still a big play baby! And he is always into something. These pictures are from Thanksgiving 2007 and this summer. Zac was in Charlotte this past weekend for Thanksgiving- I will post some more pictures of Roscoe soon!

Priceless

2008-11-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

I did some family photos today for my boss, Kevin. And yes, his face is hilarious and priceless in this picture!

These are a few of my favorite....

2008-11-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

Sarah and Zach Preview

2008-11-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Sarah and Zach were married on June 20, 2008 in Columbia, SC. I was supposed to take engagement pictures for them last Homecoming. However, I was unable to attend the game, so I finally got around to taking some pictures for them this fall! Here's a sneak peek of a so-in-love cute couple! Love you guys!

1-1-1 Pyramid

2008-11-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

Saw this picture on Sam's computer and it made me laugh! Matt's on the bottom (Sam's brother in law), then Sam, and Rick (Sam's Dad) on top! Too funny!

A work in progress....

2008-11-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

Jennifer, our graphic designer at CHEERSPORT, designed my new logo! Thank you!! I'm working on putting together a portfolio- here's a sneak peek (this is just one page and it's not the final product quite yet).

Ruth & John's Wedding Weekend

2008-11-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Ruth and John's Wedding was on November 8th of 2008 (it has a nice ring to it!). They could not have asked for better weather! It was a beautiful fall weekend with bright blue skies and colorful leaves! I can't believe Ruthie is married! We've been friends since 3rd grade (I wish I had a scanner connected to my computer so I could show a picture of us back in 1993!). I only have pictures of the festivities leading up to the wedding. And then I actually left my camera in my bag during the reception and just had fun (what a concept!).

We started Friday off with manicures and pedicures at Charlotte's Polished Salon. I was only a little nervous when the manicurist took my camera and said "See I take good picture"- but it turned out pretty good!

Then on to the Bridesmaid Luncheon at the VanLandingham Estate.

Here's the beautiful bride!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt!

Rachel's Blog

2008-10-28T17:39:00.001-07:00

Rachel just posted images from our trip to the Hamptons. I suggest you look at it here: http://www.tamaralackeyblog.com/index.cfm?authorID=3. Pictures just seem look to better with the Tamara Lackey Logo on them!! And you can get a sneak peek of the bride and groom from the weekend (the whole point of our trip!).

Ruth & John, 12 days and counting down!

2008-10-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

I did engagement pictures for Ruth and John this past weekend. They are getting married in T-minus 12 days on November 8th! I can't wait, and I know they are even more excited. We took the pictures at the Vanlandingham Estate in Charlotte. We thought the session might get rained out, but it turned out to be a nice foggy morning. Which I think gave a nice effect on the pictures. We had a lot of fun on the swing, so there are a lot of swing pictures!

Ruth's Favorite

John's Favorite

One of my favorites!

A favorite of both Ruth and John!

Look at the fog in the background- I love it!

And we ended the shoot on a fun note!

More Hampton Pictures

2008-10-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pictures for your viewing pleasure!

I took this picture for my brother, Zac, the fisherman.

Rachel and I ate breakfast here on Saturday morning and watched the Saturday Farmers' Market set-up right in the middle of Sag Harbor.

The Hamptons!

2008-10-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

I consider myself one lucky person for several reasons:
1. I got to go to the Hamptons!
2. I couldn't have asked for a better travel partner, Rachel (my soon to be sister-in-law)!
3. I got to go to the Hamptons and shoot a wedding with Rachel!
4. I got 2 extra days in the Hamptons after shooting the wedding to have fun!
5. There was perfect weather on our 4 day vacation there!
6. I got to go to the Hamptons!

I highly recommend visiting in the fall! The leaves were starting to change and it's not cold yet. And the summer crowds aren't there (so I hear). So enjoy the pictures!

Our first stop: a roadside fresh market. We had roasted corn on the cob and apple cider. Yummy! (Rachel's pic)

This little guy enjoyed the apple cider too (Rachel's pic)

Sag Harbor- our favorite area of the Hamptons!

A duck in Sag Harbor- they walked right up to us!

That's me chasing the ducks...all for the sake of a good photograph (obviously Rachel's pic). This apparently was really funny to Rachel.

There were beautiful old churches everywhere!

Including this one where the ceremony was held on Saturday!

Even the streets were gorgeous! Look at those huge trees and the blue sky!

Fall Festival in Montauk. Rachel and I shared some cotton candy!

(once again, obviously Rachel's pic)

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk

2008-10-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

My parents, Sam, and I walked with Carolina Surgical Clinic in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk this past Saturday, October 4th in uptown Charlotte. I'm proud to say that my dad is one of the BEST surgeons in town (if you don't believe me just check it out here Charlotte's Top Doctors look for Dr. Parsons and his other partners on the list). I think one of the coolest things is that he always sees a past patient at this event who is a survivor of breast cancer!

My dad and mom

My dad, Sam, me, and my mom

Here's the Carolina Surgical Crew ready to go!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To find out more information about the Susan G. Komen Foundation please click here.

Beautiful Emily!

2008-10-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Baby Ben is due any day now, and I can't wait to meet him! In the meantime, here's another shot of Emily.

Baby on the way...

2008-09-21T20:04:00.001-07:00

I had a ton of fun shooting Emily, Luis, and their dog Rudy this afternoon. Emily is my old teammate, friend, and now co-worker at CHEERSPORT. Baby Ben is due at the end of October, and I can't wait to meet him! I know Emily and Luis are excited as well. They are the sweetest couple and I just know they are going to be F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S parents (I know that's mispelled- it's a shout out to our old Teal days).

Thank you Rachel Garrison for the PJ idea...She had similar pictures on her blog, and Emily loved them so much she went out and bought PJ's for the shoot!

Rudy wanted his picture taken too!

I think this might be my favorite. We risked getting attacked by fire ants, but it was worth it!

My attempt to take Olivia & Sydney's Portraits

2008-09-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

We started out having fun...Olivia loves getting her picture taken. However, she also likes to make funny faces at the camera. Which turns into a good thing, because she then cracks herself up and I get this shot of her genuine happy smile : )

Sweet Sydney. She's a little camera shy, but I finally got her to look into the camera.

Then we had a little fun in the Barbie Jeep. Olivia even gave me a ride up the driveway. Yes, UP the driveway...the little battery engine was struggling with me in it. Oh and you should have seen me chasing them in their jeep...that would have been a funny picture!

And we ended the session on a great note...a big happy hug from Daddy, HA (their dad did not upset them- they really didn't want to have their picture taken one more time)! In case you are wondering, although the girls were smiling in some of these pictures, I suggest taking a 5 year old and 2 year old's picture when it's NOT 90 degrees outside and very humid.

Vacation Pics

2008-09-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post some pictures from the Daniels/Garrison Beach Trip to Hilton Head this past July. We had a blast, and I managed to teach Sam, Matt, and Rachel a couple of cheerleading tricks : )

Sam with Rachel's hat on.

Matt and Rachel

Cheerleading 101

What a relaxing day at the beach...

Behind the scenes look at trying to get a picture of 2 dogs that all they really want to do is play fetch with a ball in the water.

Pink Shirt Day in the CHEERSPORT Office

2008-08-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

It was unplanned, but Bonnie, Emily, and I all wore a pink shirt to work today!

And here's the super cute pregnant Emily : )

Olivia the Viking Girl and her cat Mouse

2008-08-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

Meet Olivia, the Viking. Her sister, Sydney, broke her arm so my mom and I watched Olivia for a night to help out Amber, the mom. We took Olivia to a toy store, and for some reason she was drawn to this dress-up Viking hat. She also took home a lovely stuffed animal rabbit, named Lily, who isn't in these pictures.

Olivia is also an animal lover. Whenever she visits her Aunt Mimi, Uncle Marshal, and Cousin MerMer she knows she is going to get to see Mouse, one of our cats. Her love for Mouse is very evident in these pictures.

After getting some love time from Mouse and convincing her he wouldn't run away, I got to take some cute shots of her.

Ruth's Bridal Shower

2008-07-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

My mom and I hosted a shower for my childhood friend, Ruthie, this past Saturday. It was a lot of fun. We used my Nanny's antique party plates for the occasion- every one had a different plate and coffee cup. I thought it was super cute!

My dad was in charge of food : ) Thanks Dad!

My dad, the cook!

Here's a big picture of Ruth & John. They are getting married in November! This picture was my first published work of art; it appeared in the Engagement Section of the Charlotte Observer the last weekend in June (thanks to Audrey for your help as well)!

And you can't have a shower without presents!

This picture doesn't do all the Crate & Barrel boxes justice! Ruth received a lot of great gifts! Congratulations Ruth and John! I love you!

Dancing

2008-06-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

I'm just starting to go through Nara and Jeff's wedding pictures. I thought I would post a fun picture of Rhea directing some dance (I don't remember the name); she watched You Tube videos of this dance for at least an hour the day before the wedding to brush up on her skills...Go Rhea!

Sunset

2008-06-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures out of an airplane window...thought they were pretty!

Okay, here's one more...

2008-06-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

More Nara and Jeff

2008-06-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

I just got back from one of the best weddings ever! Congratulations Nara & Jeff! I thought I would post some more images of them, while I work on their wedding pictures.

Sarah's Bachelorette Party

2008-06-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

We had fun in Columbia, SC! It was Sarah's Last Fling Before Wedding Bells Ring!! I really can't wait for her and Zach to get married on June 28, 2008! This picture was taken at Saki Tumi Restaurant on Gervais Street.

Fun Picture

2008-06-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Nara and Jeff's wedding this weekend! Yay! So I thought I would post a fun picture from a wedding I went to last summer.

More Sun, Sand, and Ocean

2008-05-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, here are more pictures like I promised. Sam was very good at documenting our trip. Here's my mom and me at the airport in Charlotte.

Sam probably won't be happy that I posted this picture! But I love it! This was at Taylor Bay when we almost missed the sunset with our picnic dinner.

The whole gang in our minivan right after we arrived!

This is Turtle Cove, a popular place for restaurants, which is where we ate dinner and lunch one day.

Sam and Me at Turtle Cove, The Shark Bite Restaurant.

Sam and Jean at the Shark Bite Restaurant.

A view of The Tuscany from the beach. Our condo was the middle unit on the 4th floor in the building on the left.

Another view of the crystal clear water, and Sam the fish : )

Jean at the Northwest Point.

My Dad (Safari Marsh) taking pictures at Northwest Point. The drive to Northwest Point was a rocky, rough road- when you're with my dad you will always go on an adventure, we refer to the adventure as a Safari (hence his nickname!).

Nara + Jeff

2008-05-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun taking pictures for Nara and Jeff. Nara is my good friend Rhea's sister. I'm really looking forward to their wedding in June! Nichole and I are making the trip to Ohio to celebrate with the Dejesus family!

Sun, Sand, and a WARM Ocean!!

2008-05-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hello there, we just got back from the Turks and Caicos and it was beautiful! The water is the warmest beach water I have ever swam in and the clearest water ever! I tried to blog while I was away, but the internet connection couldn't handle uploading pictures.

Sam loves snorkeling-I think he's growing gills (although you can't see them in this picture)...

My mom caught me with her camera.

Sam and Me at Taylor Bay watching the sunset with our picnic dinner. However we got a little lost on the way there (not the best street signs on the island) and we almost missed the sunset.

A night and day shot of where we stayed, The Tuscany.

Here are couple of sunset pictures on the beach

Jean at the Northwest Point on the island.

We ate lunch at Da Conch Shack on Wednesday. They literally fetched the conch from the ocean when you ordered your meal.

Here's a quick video from Da Conch Shack (thank you Sam)

Lovebirds: Alicia + Jason

2008-05-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to shoot Alicia and Jason's wedding, thanks to my cousin Greg, who was a groomsman. They are both so photogenic, which you can see from the pictures. I'll post more pictures later.

Ringing in the new year with wedding bells

2008-05-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

My grandfather got married on January 1, 2008! I was honored to be their photographer- it was cool to see older people so in love like teenagers. The last picture is actually of my dad, but it's one of the best pictures of him!