Teri Hales Photography

Retarded!

2009-10-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

OK everyone,
I just learned never to make a blog post at 2 am. Our new website and blog are www.bluerockphotos.com and www.bluerockphotos.com/blog. The name of our business is Blue Rock Photography. Sheesh. I'm losing my mind!

Now...we'll really see you there

New Name, New Blog

2009-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Everyone...
We have changed our name to Blue Rock Photography and have a new website and blog to go with it! We're super excited to share our continued journey with you. For more updates, posts, recipes and much, much more...visit http://www.bluerockphotos.com/ and www.bluerockphotos.com/blog for all of the updated information about our photography.

We love you guys! See you in our new place!

Williams Family

2009-10-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

I love little boys with personality!!! I love how they pal around with eachother. I love their rough-and-tumble love. This fun family came to the shoot with their two good-lookin' kiddos and I knew almost from the moment they stepped out of the van that this was going to be a fun day. They were good brothers! We captured some great moments! And, I was so excited that a family with some younger kids wanted to try the junk yard. I love photographing amidst the junk. It's one of my favorites. (Ask my husband, I'm always on the lookout for grunge). Thanks, ya'll for letting me tag along with you for a few hours today. I came home smiling!

The Taggertys

2009-10-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

This is a family that lives in my neighborhood. Everyone knows them for their block parties and their friendly cat, Fen. I was so excited when they asked me to do their family pictures. They love England and will soon have to leave. They chose the iconic Bury St. Edmunds Abbey gardens for their shoot (and we threw in a little of the city as well). Today was a BLAST. I had so much fun taking pictures as the Taggertys climbed, cartwheeled and laughed. It felt like playtime...and I loved it. Thanks, guys for letting me capture a window in your life! And good luck in your next adventure. May you grow to love it as much as you loved it here (and may I be brave enough to undertake the block parties from here on out. YOU WILL BE MISSED!)

Urban Cuties

2009-10-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

OK...so the results are in from the "Free For All" Urban Kids' Shoot today. It was windy and cold...but these kids were such troopers...and they came in the most adorable outfits. Their mothers and fathers really went all out. We had so much fun...and captured so many good moments. I loved it! Here are just a few of the MANY fun pictures from today. Thanks everyone for showing up, braving the wind and the cold...and hanging out with my son and I on this breezy Autumn Saturday! And thanks, parents, for all of the jokes, funny faces, and games!

Bale Family

2009-09-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

The little girls in this family had so much personality. I captured so many funny faces, both happy and sad...it was incredible. I loved the energy they brought to the photo shoot.

"Free For All" Urban Kids Photo Shoot

2009-09-23T14:36:00.001-07:00

Ever since I moved to the UK, I've heard dozens upon dozens of mothers lament that there is no place to take the kids to get annual pictures taken without paying a boat load of money. I have tinkered with several ideas to help the situation, and none seemed do-able unti now. Today that lament is BANISHED! Introducing the first bi-annual (yes, that means TWICE a year)

"Free For All"

Urban Kids Photo Shoot!!!

Where: Meeting at MY HOUSE in Mildenhall (sessions will take place in the 4 city blocks surrounding my abode. The next photo shoot will be in a different location...but I figured this was as good a place as any to start).

When: Saturday, October 3, 2009

Time: Sessions start at 10am and will run until no later than 4pm.

Who: Anyone with kids from infants up to 16 years old (Sorry...no senior photos included in this shoot. Bummer...I know).

What: 15 fun-filled minutes per child of outdoor, natural light photography in the wonderful, colorful, rustic English town of Mildenhall.

What to bring: Bring your child in a fun, bright, trendy outfit. Now is the time to really show off his or her fashion and really knock the socks off grandma and grandpa. (Actually, with all of the black and white stone here, you'll really want your child in something colorful to keep your child from getting "lost" in the background and add interest to the photograph itself.) I promise, I can find a background to go with any outfit...including those who come dressed as Ariel from "The Little Mermaid"... (you know who you are). Also bring along things that make your child happy. Does she love to wear her princess crown, jewels and high heels...bring 'em. We won't use them in every picture...but we WILL use them (and you'll be so glad you have that precious moment documented). Is he a "gun-a-holic" like my son (even if you've seriously tried to dissuade him)? Bring the guns. Does your little one cling to his teddy? Bring teddy along. I'll have bubbles and suckers (and even my son's red trike) to keep the kiddos busy.

What to expect: First of all, alot of fun. This is not a stuffy, smile and say "Cheese" type of a photoshoot. This is an opportunity to catch your child being...well, YOUR child. This is about catching that funny face she always makes, or capturing him in mid jump! Moms...Come armed with your best funny faces, jokes and other "tricks" up your sleeve to get your kid to giggle and laugh and occassionally look my direction. I promise, we'll get at least one traditional picture...but the object of this shoot is about documenting a child's life...dirt smudges and all. If we have time, we'll snap some sibling pictures as well...but this shoot is mainly about capturing your child's individual personality.

Prints: This photoshoot is sitting fee free. That means the only thing you pay for is prints (though you are not obligated to purchase prints). After the shoot, I'll choose the best 5 pictures of your kiddo (and 2-3 sibling pictures if we had time for those) and post them in the "Free for All" password protected gallery on my website. You'll be able to browse the pictures and choose your favorites for print. Prints from this session will only be available in 5 special packages I'm creating for this event (prices for print packages start at $30). Details on print packages will be available at the time of the session. Larger art prints (11x14 and up) and canvas prints can be added to the package if desired. High resolution, copyright free photo disks of your child's session may be added to your package for $25 per child. However, no small a-la-carte prints (8x10 or smaller) will be available for this session.

How to book: Leave a comment here on the blog requesting the time(s) you would like and the number of children you're bringing (and ages would be helpful too). Remember, the session starts at 10am and ends no later than 4pm. Schedule 15 minutes per child. All session times are first come first serve.

Can't wait to see you all and photograph your wonderful, energetic children!

David and Jami

2009-09-20T09:33:00.001-07:00

These two love birds were so much fun to photograph! They've been dating since they were in high school...and it was so apparent that they were in love, and knew each other so well. I loved spending time with them, listening to them joke with one another, and just having fun. Every once in a while, you have a photo session that really energizes you and makes you SO EXCITED about your work. This was that photo session for me. More pictures to be posted a little later tonight.

Dean and Camille's Family

2009-09-19T04:28:00.000-07:00

So everyone loves the sunflower field and the double decker bus out in the middle of nowhere...and I love it twice as much after this fun family shoot. These are some of my dear friends. They are some of the people I look up to the most right now. We love how fun loving they are. Their house is open to the youth of our church all of the time for Rock Band tournaments, volleyball, and cookouts. I've always wanted a house like that. I've been taking notes on how to have the "cool house" where the church kids can come, play, and feel the Spirit of Christ all in one place. Grateful I got to spend some one on one time with them yesterday!

Paul and Gina's Family

2009-09-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

I just love it when families allow me to take them into the industrial area of town! This cute little family let me take them to one of my most favorite photo areas and snap away. Their kids were so adorable with their bright blue eyes. I could have taken pictures forever...but the kids were definitely ready to be done by the end...and go home and eat their icecream sandwich. Here are just a few of my favorites. There are many, many more that I'll have fun editing for the next little while.

CJ and Tessie's Family

2009-09-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Ok...their little 3 year old kiddo was cracking me up during the entire family shoot. I have to say, I don't think I've ever seen so many facial expressions in an hour before! Holy cow! This was a really fun family shoot with a really fun family...one of our favorite families ever! And afterwards, they introduced us to an awesome new little bakery in Bury St. Edmunds.

Junior and Theresa's Family

2009-09-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite family shoot ever! What a fun, photogenic, and just laid back family. We were able to go to my favorite junk yard here in England, hang out and take pictures. The kids were all so cooperative and it's been hard to select my favorite pictures...there were so many. I've always thought that senior portraiture was my favorite...but you know...if all families were THIS fun to photograph, I might have to choose family portraiture over seniors!! Here are a couple from today's shoot.

Trevor

2009-08-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Had an AWESOME shoot with Trevor today. I have so many good pictures of this guy, I don't even know where to start. Here are some of my very, very favorites. We had lots of fun talking about music, my tendency towards being a clutz (and yes, I did almost kill myself AGAIN on this photoshoot. I always have a tendency to put my best foot forward when I'm looking through a lense, and I'm getting the battle scars to prove it. Today I got a scraped palm.), and we were both stung by the nettle while tramping through the countryside. No British photoshoot is complete without that experience, apparently. So a BIG thanks to Trevor...I had a ton of fun! Good luck with your senior year...have lots and lots of fun!

Mel and Cheria's Family

2009-08-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

Stephanie

2009-08-22T16:00:00.001-07:00

My workshop bridal model

2009-08-05T14:27:00.001-07:00

During part of the workshop, we were split into groups to practice the techniques we had been learning in class. I was put into group 6. This is our beautiful bridal model from the Love Affair Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia. She is studying to be a teacher...but I think she could certainly pull off a career in modelling...don't you??? We had a wonderful team that chose clothing and hairstyles for the models. I will say I'm not wild about the toole turban/veil she's wearing...it covered her beautiful eyes. But, if anyone could pull off a toole turban, this woman could! I've had so much fun editing these pictures and can't wait to put my new mad camera skills to practice!

Love Affair Photography Workshop- Day 1

2009-07-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

These were the first sights that greeted me when I checked into my room. Doesn't this place ROCK?

The 4 gals sent us bags of goodies and flowers in our room on Monday afternoon. We got salt and sugar scrub for the bath and a whole TON of candy. When we walked in from Chick-fil-a and saw these cute things, both of us whipped out our cameras PRONTO and started shooting pics. (It's so nice to be rooming with someone who is as addicted to my camera as I am).

The sign for the spa. They also made the lemon-sage soap in our room, which smells wonderful.

The bar (that our finale was supposed to take place in, but which we were kicked out of last minute because American Idol decided to come to town. They'll be here Thursday).

My roomie, Sara, checking out the internet situation. This was us, lounging on our awesome and comfortable beds before we hit Chick-fil-a for some much needed fried chicken goodness.

It's finally here...it's finally happening. I'm at the Love Affair workshop in Atlanta, Georgia living it up and learning alot with 59 other photographers. Millie Holloman, Davina Fear, Kelly Moore Clark, and the fabulous Lauren Clark are our wonderful teachers. We're staying at the beautifully modern W Midtown in Atlanta. The hotel is gorgeous! I don't think I've ever stayed in such a swanky hotel in my life. I feel totally pampered. Above are some pictures of our awesome hotel room and some shots we snuck of the lobby before the crazy receptionist made us stop taking pictures. I've still been sneaking my camera around and shooting pictures anyway.

I've met a group of girls that are alot of fun. My roommate, Sara Dawson, is one of them and totally cool. We stayed up last night editing these pictures until midnight. I promised her I would sleep in...but jetlag kicked in and I was wide awake at 6 am. I snuck out of the room in my workout clothes and decided to hit the gym before breakfast. It felt so good to get my body moving and sweating so early in the morning...I just may start a new trend. I feel so alive today. I should do it more often. In fact, one of the things we were encouraged to do today was to put things like that at the BEGINNING of the day before inundating ourselves with work. Oh...and to make our bed. Oh...and about a million other things.

Today I learned some rockin' photoshop techniques, how to cut my workload in half and still have fabulous pictures and I got to watch the ladies as they did a shoot with models. The best thing about this workshop has been networking with other photographers and getting to brainstorm ideas and techniques. I also have loved how personal our instructors are. Right now we're hanging out in the lounge, talking about things...and I'm about to learn how to get my workflow going in Adobe Bridge. Can't wait. Which...having said that, means I should probably go. There's so much to learn.

Going to Atlanta

2009-07-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for the Love Affair Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia for a week of fun photography learnin' and growin'. I won't be answering my emails while I'm gone. See ya'll later!!!

Norwich Stake Youth Pioneer Trek

2009-07-25T06:59:00.001-07:00

The youth in our stake just had the AWESOME opportunity to re-enact the Mormon pioneer trek across the United States in the 1800s. They dressed in period clothing and pushed/pulled handcarts with their belongings for over 20 miles (in two days). They slept outdoors with nothing to protect them from the English rainy weather but a small tarp. They had just enough food to sustain life (which was SO much like the real pioneers). They learned about men and women that completed the pioneer trek in the 1800's, their struggles, their triumphs, and the way God touched their lives through the journey. I had the privilege to hike with them for 3 miles of the journey...and journal their progress across the British fens. These are just a few of my favorites that I wanted to post before I leave on Sunday. More, I'm sure will follow when I return.

488th Family Pictures

2009-07-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

So, I had the really awesome opportunity to do a morale photoshoot for the families in Kevin's squadron. We had such an awesome turnout. It was alot of fun. And, miracle of miracles, it DIDN'T downpour on us. Mother Nature blessed us with a beautiful blue sky...and a TON of wind. I could have done without the wind. But, otherwise, it was an ideal day for pictures. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Austin and Becca

2009-07-11T15:27:00.001-07:00

Had so much fun with this cute couple today. At the beginning of the shoot, Becca described Austin as "funny". He was such a jokester. It was fun to capture all of the faces he pulled for the camera. And Becca is such a beauty, it was a joy to work with her. We were so glad that we got the photo shoot done just before the rain started coming down. Thanks guys, for a great afternoon. Here are a few of today's favorites.

Haley

2009-07-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is beautiful, talented, gorgeous Haley. It was a surprise that I got to do her senior portraits while on this trip to the USA. A very pleasant surprise!!! I came back to Omaha and was so amazed to see how beautiful and mature all of the young ladies at our church had become. I can't believe it's already graduation year for some of these beauties! I wish you all the best this upcoming year, Haley...and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your scholarship! Good luck!

Bethany

2009-06-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is another one of my favorite young women. I can't believe these girls are getting ready to graduate high school this upcoming year. I swear, I blink and the world revolves another trip around the sun. Time just goes way too quickly! Bethany, I had such a fun day with you and your "best friends". Have SO MUCH FUN your senior year!

10 Minutes to Practice

2009-06-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

One of the wonderful things about being here in the United States again for a few weeks is that I was finally able to get my new camera...a Canon 5d! (And OH was it worth the purchase!) I have been anxious to use it ever since I got here last week. But jet lag, catching up with Kevin and old friends, church and a host of other things have kept me away from giving the 5d a whirl. Last night Kevin and I decided that today was the day. Tomorrow I have a senior photo shoot and I needed to practice and see if using the 5d was going to work or if I needed to use my old XT that I'm used to shooting with (even though the pictures from today's shoot turned out beautifully, I think I'll still probably use both, just to be sure). We decided we'd do it after dinner.

When we went into Buffalo Wild Wings, the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day. When we came out, rain was blowing side-ways!!! and the trees were blowing all over the place. When we were almost to the hotel, the sun came back out. I found a building with this cool-looking blue sign and we pulled over for the quickest photo shoot of my life. 10 whole minutes of photography later, we were back in the car and on our way to a friend's house for some board game fun. Here are a couple that I liked from today's practice. I'm hoping they look alright here online. The pictures I've posted from my desktop at home look a little different on this laptop here in the hotel.

Greg and Eva (and their family)

2009-06-13T13:14:00.001-07:00

Another fun family shoot in Bury. We had a lucky bought of sunshine and it only sprinkled a little bit during the photo shoot. What great luck! You just never know what you're going to get here in England! I have to say, I'm loving the red (or in the daughter's case, strawberry blonde) hair on the women in this family. I've always wanted red hair. Every time I see long, flowing red locks...I get total hair envy!

Jo

2009-06-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

Jo really should have been born about 100 years ago. She's got this amazing vintage style, natural beauty and would have really rocked a hoop dress. I told her that men would have been falling all over her! As it is, I'm sure men are falling all over her anyway. This woman is AMAZING! She's a black belt at martial arts, a mom, a devoted wife, gives voice lessons...and now added to the list...she's beginning a musical career recording music for composers....and I'm sure I haven't even TOUCHED on half of what she can achieve. She has some great ideas for her portfolio. We took a couple of head shots...but spent the majority of our time playing with her fun vintage hat for her portfolio cover. We were going for an old fashioned movie star look. (I think she could have been an old fashioned movie star. Like I said, she should have been born about 100 years ago). I couldn't get over her EYES! Love, love, love her blue/green (I think that's called hazel???) eyes. Just amazing...and the netting of her hat really brought the focus right to them. (And, of course, I considered stealing her nice little vintage hat...but then I thought it might ruin our friendship.) :) Thanks, Jo for the photo shoot today! You're gorgeous!

Meatless Spinach Lasagna

2009-06-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

Another day, another recipe. We've been on a veggie kick here lately. We tried this dish (though I realized later that I didn't totally follow the directions) on Monday. It made A LOT of food. So, be prepared. If you're going to make this lasagna...invite a crowd over for dinner. We gave it an 9 on the "do we want to eat this again?" scale. It was GOO-OOD! (And yes...I do take every opportunity to use my blue Burleigh china...in case you're wondering why it's in every photograph of food I take. It makes me happy.)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, cubed

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 -3/4 cups half and half

1 cup heavy whipping cream (I didn't say this recipe was good for your hips...just yummy)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 cartons (15 ounces each) Ricotta cheese

1 pkg (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 medium zucchini, grated

3/4 cup shredded carrot

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

12 no-cook lasagna noodles

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded, part skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions :

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add creams. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and the nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, zucchini, carrot, salt, onion powder and remaining parmesan cheese.

Spread 3/4 cup sauce mixture in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Layer with four noodles (noodles will overlap slightly), half of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1 cup sauce and 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese. Combine bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over lasagna.

Cover and bake at 375 (degrees F...for my British friends who might crank their centigrade ovens to 375 and burn the house down) for 55 minutes. Uncover (dish will be full); bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yields: 12 servings.

Anyway, Enjoy!

Friday's Group Shots

2009-06-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite "group" shots from the entourage on Friday. I took some sister shots of Katrina and Carly, and some best friend shots of Katrina and Emily. It was fun to get them together and watch them make eachother laugh, poke fun at each other and just goof around. I loved it!

Emily

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

So, Emily came along on the shoot I had with Carly, as did Katrina, Carly's older sister. I was going to make a post that was titled "The Rest of the Pictures" with all of the fun group pics and single pics I did of everyone that was crammed into my car yesterday...but Emily was so darn cute, she deserved her very own post. So Emily, this one's for you, girl! You look GORGEOUS! Holy cow! And after this shoot...I TOTALLY want some Converse. Red ones. Really bad!

Carly

2009-06-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Meet Carly. I took some pictures of her sister earlier in the year and some photos of Carly today. I'm pretty sure this family was endowed with perfect skin, perfect hair and ability to just look good in high wind, rainy weather, sunny weather...whatever. These girls just look good no matter how the camera is pointed at them. Carly was super fun and ADVENTUROUS! The girl even walked through stinging nettle in her high heels to get to one of the locations. Talk about brave! Stinging nettle totally hurts (I know from painful personal experience). She just brushed her legs off and kept going. I was amazed! And we even had a close encounter with a van full of men in turbans out in the countryside who were almost leering at us. Scary at the moment...funny now that we're safely back at our own homes. Enjoy the pictures!

7 Eagles

2009-06-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

We had a phenomenon here. We had 7 Boyscouts receive their Eagle this year at our Troop's Eagle Scout Court of Honor (only about 2-4 percent of all boyscouts receive their Eagle). I was able to attend and take pictures for part of the event. This was amazing! To see the hard work and service these young men have rendered to the community, not just here in England, but in the many states and countries which they have lived was truly inspiring. There were troop patches that spanned the globe attending this event. It was incredible! My husband is an Eagle Scout, my brother is an Eagle Scout...and I KNOW what kind of hard work goes into this achievement. I know also that this was as much a tribute to their hard work of their mothers and fathers as it was to the efforts of these young men. So happy to post your achievements here! Congratulations to all of you!

Taylor

2009-05-30T14:01:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness gracious, was this girl ever fun to photograph. She let me drag her all over East Anglia...and we've got the photographs to prove it. We had a ton of fun, talking about our lives, the ways her friends make her laugh, her desire to be a model someday, and what she does in her spare time. In exchange, I talked with her about how I got started with photography and my lack of "girly-ness". I'm trying to change that, by the way and become more, well...girly. Mom helped me out with a dose of some cute vintage-type clothes when she was up last...but that's a whole 'nother story. So, here's some of the MANY favorites I had of Taylor!

The Poppies

2009-05-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Living here in the UK, I've been most impressed by one thing. The FLOWERS! This place seems to spontaneously blossom. My garden is included in this phenomenon. I have never tended a garden less and seen more production. This morning I awoke to these blooming beauties. I only became aware about a week ago that they were poppies. (I've been hesitant to uproot anything here because I am having the hardest time telling what is a flower and what is a weed. Even the weeds have pretty blossoms here. Except the stinging nettle. I now know what THAT looks like from a painful experience in the garden about a month ago...and I've been attacking it with vigor each time I see it). I have been waiting to see them unfold. They were waving their cheerful pink heads in the breeze this morning, beckoning me to come and examine them closer. My son and I carefully tiptoed out into the dewey grass to smell them and photograph their fuzzy stems. You know, I don't think I've ever seen a poppy up close before...if at all. But, they may become one of my favorite flowers forever after!

Grilled Chicken and Summer Veggie Sandwich

2009-05-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

OK...so I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight and OH MY HECK was it fabulous! We'll rate this one a 10 on our food scale (10, by the way, stands for "I'd eat this every day if I could"...1 being "I'd rather eat cardboard". None of the "1" recipes make it to this blog. Thank goodness. I don't think I've ever actually made a recipe like that, but I've seen a few. Ran across one once that was a mixture of cottage cheese and frozen mixed veggies. The lady who submitted it said it was good...but it LOOKED like vomit, and combining the ingredients in my head, I was pretty sure it would taste like vomit too. But, I digress...) This is a grilled chicken and summer veggie sandwich that will knock your socks off! And, if you're like me and trying to cut a couple of pounds...it's not bad for that either!

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (more if you like alot of meat on your sandwich...but the veggies really do add alot of substance to this baby...so less is more in my opinion.)

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise (I used a vegetable peeler to slice mine)

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and quartered

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup prepared Italian dressing (divided in half)

1 loaf ciabatta bread (14 oz), halved length wise

2 tbsp olive oil (accept no substitutes...this adds some oomph to the sandwich)

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayo (or if you're throwing caution to the wind, like I did tonight, use real mayo)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the zucchini, pepper, mushrooms, onion and 1/4 cup salad dressing. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Drain and discard marinade.

Meanwhile, grill chicken, covered, for 7-10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with remaining 1/4 cup Italian dressing. (You can tell chicken is done when you prick it with a fork and the juices run clear). Remove chicken from grill, cut into slices, and keep warm.

Brush cut sides of bread with oil; set aside. Place vegetables on grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm. Grill bread, oil side facing the heat source, over medium heat for 30-60 seconds or until toasted.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, peel and garlic. Spread over bread bottom; sprinkle with cheese. Top with chicken, vegetables, and remaining bread. Cut into four slices. Yield: 4 servings.

*If you're feeling adventurous, just like to march to the beat of your own drum, hate to be told what to do, or just hate feta cheese, zucchini, or whatever else...use this as a loose guide. Hey...that's what I do! You didn't think this was actually the recipe I got from the magazine, did ya? I made it my own thing. The recipe in the magazine was an idea maker...not a strict "how to". So, take out the mushrooms, add some fresh tomatoes, forget the feta and go with cheddar, use your own funky raspberry balsamic vinagrette instead of the Italian...whatever makes you happy. After all, cooking is about the creative process. It's expressing yourself in edible form. And creativity equals joy in my book!

Happy

2009-05-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

I keep coming back to this blog...not to update it, but to look at the blog header and smile. It makes me happy. Simple minds, simple pleasures...maybe. Or maybe I just derive joy in the everyday. Either way, I like what I see. And there is nothing more rewarding than a job well done.

Our Deepest Fear- By Marianne Williamson

2009-05-25T03:56:00.000-07:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

God works in mysterious ways. He's proved it to me over and over again. And then, this morning, as I opened my scriptures, I thought of this quote. It was exactly what I needed to hear right now.

Beginning this business is stretching me. It's purging me of my insecurity. It's making me face myself as I've never done before. I am not afraid that I will fail in this business. I KNOW that I have what it takes to make fabulous art, to friendship and network with other people and businesses, to drive myself to improve. I think what I fear the most is that this whole plan will actually WORK! What then?

I think I've spent so many years hiding from myself. Fearing that if I'm my best self, that others will feel uncomfortable around me, and so I sink a little...give them the upper edge, make myself appear lowly. I thought for the longest time that this was modesty and humility. I thought that I was following in Christ's footsteps. But, now I believe I was DEAD WRONG. That is not humility. That is humiliating! And if we kick ourselves down a notch too often, pretty soon, we begin to actually believe it! We begin to actually think that everyone else is better than we are.

Jesus Christ knew who he was. He was NOT afraid to let his light shine. He wanted people to rise to his level. He showed them what they COULD become. We are his children. He's asked us to "Come follow me". Shouldn't I do the same? Shouldn't I let my light shine instead of hiding it under a bushel? Wouldn't people be more confident to be themselves if they knew the genuine me? I think so.

I am not perfect, nor will I ever be in this life. The piles of dirty laundry in my hallway and clean laundry piled on my bed can attest to that. But I have a lot to offer the world. I love my family. I love people. I serve my heart out every stinking day. I love Jesus Christ and I'm doing my very best to do his will for me. I have so many gifts it's ridiculous. I don't know what I ever did to deserve them all. This business is helping me see that I was given those gifts to USE them, not hide them. And if using them means that I put myself "out there" a little more, that the beauty that is inherent in my person comes to light along with my warts...so be it.

So, watch out world! I'm going to try and stand up tall on these two feet of mine. And, maybe, just maybe I'll get around to doing the laundry too?

Goodbye Favorite Shoes

2009-05-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

I've already received some "concern mail" from some of you who love the "red shoe" picture that used to head this blog. Be assured, the red shoes are alive and well. They are still my favorite shoes. I still wear them frequently. They actually kinda stink from all of the wear-age. I really should probably put some powder in them or something. OK...TMI. But, in the interest of preserving their memory forever, I will post the picture here. Look at it to your heart's content.

Shelby

2009-05-24T09:09:00.001-07:00

This is Shelby. We had a very fun photo shoot yesterday where she pretty much let me try any and everything that came to mind. She was so fun to photograph, as almost all teenagers are. A little shy, alot spunky...it all came out on film. I considered it my greatest triumph to get her to full out laugh! What a beautiful girl! Truly, truly a pleasure.

On Shelby's photos, I used a series of vintage washes. I really am in love with vintage right now. The locations we chose today just lent themselves well to the washes I've been dying to use. I think they look fabulous...old and wistful.

Late at Night

2009-05-22T15:22:00.001-07:00

Above is the original. It's a great picture. I liked it to begin with. But, I think I like it better as a vintage picture. This location just screams for vintage, doesn't it?

I think this faded black and white might very well be my favorite. I love black and white to begin with...and add my new vintage craze on top of that, and this one's a winner!

Alright, I can barely keep my eyes open, and here I still sit, addicted to learning everything I can get my hands on about photoshop. I finally figured out layering masks (which is no small miracle in and of itself) and it has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. Possibilities that are begging me to try them out RIGHT NOW.

My latest craze is making "vintage" photos. Tonight I've practiced for a few hours, used a few actions from Pioneer Woman (another in a long line of photographic heroes of mine). One of my favorite photos from James' senior session has undergone a makeover...several times over. If I had a little less self control, I'd stay up another hour and play with another photo...just to see what happens. But, a hot bath and a tall glass of ice water are calling my name. Ha! And you actually thought I was going to bed!

Love Affair Workshop

2009-05-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

So, I did it. I bit the bullet and clicked the "register" button for the love affair workshop in Atlanta, Georgia. Of course I talked to Kevin first, and of course we both kind of hyperventilated when I told him the price. But, we're committed to making this new little business of ours viable, and we both figure it's better to learn from other people's trial and error mistakes than make them all ourselves. Like I've heard several times before, "Why reinvent the wheel"?

So, in July, I'll head to hot and humid Atlanta where I will learn from 4 wonderful and SUCCESSFUL photographers who will hopefully help me reach my photography goals. I have a vision for this little baby of a business, and I can use all the help I can get lifting it off the ground. Plus, all of you know how over-obsessed I am about making my pictures look as good as possible. They are going to help me in 2 ways with that. First, they are going to help me make my pictures look more amazing. And second, they are going to help teach me ways to keep my obsession from taking over my life and my time with my hot husband and cute kiddo.

And last, I get to eat Chick-fil-A. I almost would have bought the plane ticket and paid the workshop fee for that alone. So, first opportunity I get, I'll be trekking to the nearest Chick-fil-A for some good, ol' fashioned fried chicken goodness...I can almost hear the hallelujah chorus already! (It's been over a year since I've laid into one of their sandwiches!)

Anyway, I am SO EXCITED about this trip on so many levels. First, I get to visit the US of A again (because I'm a little homesick for the familiar), second, there's chick-fil-a, third, it's a trip ALL TO MYSELF to relax from the 4 months of being super mom while Kevin's been deployed, and fourth, it will be so nice to have a successful professional answer all of my questions that have been clanging around in my head for the past 2 years. I've been writing them all down so that I don't miss a single one. And, last...I get to do nothing but photography for an entire solid week without an ounce of guilt and hopefully I'll come home feeling like I can conquer the world...and help get myself geared up to meet all of those goals I've made for this year!

So, check out their website and blog...it's awesome. Just reading it pumps me up! And about the name, it's a workshop for women who have a "love affair" with life, their families, photography, and so many other things. The workshop is about sorting out all of our different loves so that we can live life and build our business to the fullest.
http://www.loveaffairphoto.com/

James

2009-05-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love photographing seniors! Hanging out with teens for a couple of hours is so much fun. It was a joy to photograph a GUY again. They are so easy going, less self conscious, and he was willing to climb on pretty much anything I asked him to climb on...except the dirty seat in the jeep. Heck...I don't know that I would have crawled in there. What a great shoot! I'll be editing into the wee hours of the night because there are SO MANY GOOD PICTURES. These are some of my favorites.

Baby Jack

2009-05-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Meet Jack. He is a wiggly, wriggly cutie pie that I had the privilege of photographing today. I love his little wrinkle on the bridge of his nose. I could have photographed that all day long! But, he was pretty ready for us to be done taking his pictures by the end of it all.

A few more from the beach...

2009-05-08T16:30:00.001-07:00

Weslee flexing his muscles with Nawni...and then, pulling sheepie into the action. Gosh! I love this kid! He keeps me young with laughter!

Today we've bummed around the house. Weslee and mom are both sick today. After all of yesterday's excitement, it was kind of nice to hang out, watch movies, and eat good home-cooked food. While they drifted in and out of sleep, I got to work on a few more photos from our fun times yesterday and dream of the places I'll take mom next. These pictures make me smile!

Great Yarmouth

2009-05-07T16:43:00.001-07:00

My mother flew all the way from the US of A to keep me company for a few weeks. She was exhausted from the plane trip yesterday, but we woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed for some good English fun today. We headed to Great Yarmouth (it's a seaside town...a WAY fun seaside town here in East Anglia...and well worth the trip) in the afternoon and ate some fish n chips...and then just had a bit too much fun with the camera. Mom and I took turns wielding my Canon so see what we could capture. This is one of my favorites of my mother (she HATES having her picture taken...and it took alot of manuevering to get her to pose in front of the lense.) She was very surprised by this picture...she even let me post it here. Mom captured some shots of me...and I like alot of them! Weslee had alot of fun running down the board walk and eating too much junk. Grandmas definitely spoil their grandkids rotten, I think. He was bouncing off of the walls tonight from the sugar overdose, and then collapsed as soon as we put him in bed.

It's totally late right now...we're working on 2 am here...but I wanted to post this before I went to bed. Enjoy...I'm sure more will be posted later tomorrow.

Doug and Missy (and their family)

2009-05-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

These are just a few of my faves from the family photo shoot I had today. A new baby was just added to their family and they wanted some updated family pictures before they left England (and can I just say what a DOLL that new little girl was!). What a fun family to have in front of the lense. So photogenic...and with 5 kids, so full of energy. I loved it! Thanks everyone for the great time!

Teri

2009-05-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

So, I needed a fix today. Teri was nice enough to come along with me on a spur of the moment photo op. And, yes, we do have the same name...I didn't mix things up. She was a fun girl to work with. She LOVES animals and wants to be a vet someday. So, we spent most of our time with the horses we found. These crazy horses had moustaches...seriously. They were all curly and crazy and coming off of their upper lip. We had some good laughs about that. Teri was so good with the horses...she'll be a great vet someday!

Weslee is Two

2009-04-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

So, these are a few of Weslee's two year old pictures...for the time being. This photo shoot was a WORKOUT... let me tell you. It was "snap a picture", run away, "snap a picture", run away for about half an hour. But, oh, Weslee had the time of his life! He loved getting to hold the "Brulla" (that I picked up super cheap at the BX) and it helped keep him stationary every now and then. I had fun seeing what faces he would come up with next. Yep...that's my kiddo!

Tonight, we played in his "new house" that we made out of the box his grandmother sent his birthday presents in. We had fun cutting out windows and the door, and coloring the whole thing with a box of crayons. Wes listened to bedtime stories from the window of his little home (I'm too big to sit inside) and basically camped out while we did the whole bedtime routine. I had the hardest time getting him into his bed when it was finally time to say goodnight. He wanted to keep playing in his house.

Birthday Cinnamon Rolls

2009-04-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

So, Weslee just had his 2nd birthday...and what better way to celebrate than a huge pan of freshly made cinnamon rolls? We had lots of fun making and sharing these babies with the neighbors. Here's the recipe if you'd like to cook up a celebration at your house! (Um...and note that if you DON'T want your cinnamon rolls literally swimming in frosting, cut the frosting recipe in half).

Ingredients for Rolls:

2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
2 tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

1/3 cup melted butter
1/2- 1 cup brown sugar
cinnamon to taste

Directions:
In a large bowl of electric mixer, combine water and milk powder, stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed of mixer until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes on medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and the remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Add about 1/2 cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. (Add flour in 1/2 cup increments until desired consistency is reached. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. I used 5 cups when I made the recipe here in England). It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour.

Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about 1 tbsp of oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. This keeps the dough from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a sink filled 1-2 inches with warm water. Cover sink with a cutting board or pan to lock in moisture. All dough to rise until doubled in size.

Sprinkle cutting board or counter with flour and place dough on floured board. Roll out into a rectangle. The dough should be 1/4 inch thick when you're done rolling it out. Spread melted butter to within 1 inch of the sides of the dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up from the short side like a jelly-roll. Cut into 1 inch thick rolls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before frosting.

Icing:

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup shortening
4 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup water

In a large mixer bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat until very creamy and light. Serve over cinnamon rolls.

Our Website is Up and Running!

2009-04-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hooray! After a couple of weeks of serious late night hours, I am pleased to announce that www.terihalesphotography.com is launched! Now you can view my favorite pics arranged by gallery, check our calendar for available dates for photography, see our detailed pricing, and even book your session online! Learn fun facts about our family...and even check the gallery to see the proofs from your latest session.

Can't wait to see you there!

Katrina

2009-04-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

Yea! I'm back in business! This beautiful girl is one of my Senior Reps this year at the local high school. What a joy to work with her! Natural beauty and natural talent behind a lense. So much fun to explore my new home and find all of the fun places for urban pictures. She was such a sport to explore with me. What a joy to be behind the lense again! Katrina...I had so much fun with you! Thanks for all of the fun and laughs! These are some of my faves from today. Enjoy!

Still learning

2009-04-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Something I love about photography is that you've never learned all that you need to know. There is always something more to learn, something more to tweak to make your pictures even better. Today, I spent the day learning how to improve the overall look of my pics.

Cheria

2009-04-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Maternity pics for a cute prego friend of mine!

Away in a Manger...A Thetford Primary Christmas

2008-12-07T15:21:00.001-08:00

These are children from my church ward, acting out the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for a slideshow presentation for the Christmas season. It was so fun to take pictures of them all, both when they were "in character" and when they were "just being kids" in costume.

Landscape and Architecture Portfolio

2008-11-14T12:28:00.001-08:00

I finally decided that since I take so many landscape pictures as a hobby, I'd share it with the public. This is what I do with my spare time. I never am far from my camera. It's just part of my life.

Amutan

2008-10-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

This is an older pic that I love. I just reworked it with some of my new tools and wanted to include it here.

Andrew

2008-10-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

A senior shoot with one of my good friends from the Young Men's Program. Good kid and really fun to work with. My last photo shoot in the United States for a few years. So sad.

Chelsea

2008-10-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

A few from a photo shoot last week at my favorite picture spots.

Paul

2008-08-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Fun senior photo shoot in downtown Omaha...and at some of my favorite railroad tracks. Fun guy to work with! I had so much fun at the shoot, I couldn't wait to get home and edit the pictures.

Nguyen

2008-08-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorites from the photoshoot today...at the most popular park I've shot at here in Omaha. Seriously, it's hard to beat this park. We shared the grounds with 2 weddings and a couple of other families being photographed today. It was a happening place.

This was a particularly fun shoot because it was so busy. I try to avoid the Old Market at all cost on the weekend evenings, but it was fun to see it alive and busy. The sidewalks were full of shoppers and diners. I also loved having the two puppies as part of the shoot. They were so cute and everywhere we went, people commented on them. It (almost) made me want to get a dog. Then, I remembered that I'm not a pet person. I came home and happily sat next to my cat that is indifferent most of the time and mostly takes care of herself. Glad I came to my senses!

Duran

2008-08-02T13:48:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorites from a family photoshoot in July. Their daughter is one of my favorite people in the world, and I had the privilege of taking their family pictures while everyone was in town. Durans, while looking at these, realize that these are only the pictures I thought everyone looked good in, but if you would like to look at some of the other takes, let me know.

Wedding Portfolio

2008-08-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Is there anything more exciting than a wedding? Everyone spends hours getting ready. There is a tangible excitement in the air. The bride and groom are so in love. There are flowers and cakes and friends and family. A new beginning. The start of a new life. The start of a new family. I feel privileged to be a part of such a special event each time I'm asked to photograph a wedding.

Teen Portfolio

2008-08-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ok...to be honest, there's not a facet of this business that I don't like. Working with the people, capturing their personalities and preserving them forever in print is the best part. There is something I like about every age group I work with. Something unique. With teens, I like that they've finally figured out who they are, apart from their parents. They are quirky, spontaneous, and full of dreams. Many of them are still vulnerable and uncertain. Almost all of them are ambitious in some way or another. And, it all shows in their pictures. In the locations they choose. In the look in their eyes. The way they carry themselves. I love getting to know these upcoming adults during the shoot and trying to portray their hopes, desires and uniqueness in print.

Infant and Kids Portfolio

2008-07-31T22:58:00.001-07:00

Having a child of my own sparked the immense joy I find in taking pictures of small children. They enjoy every moment of life. Every photo session with them is full of surprises and opportunities to have fun. I've found that during a photo session with a child, I too get to explore the child locked inside myself. It's exhilarating!

Tice

2008-07-31T12:08:00.001-07:00

Favorites from the shoot in the downtown park. The more pictures I take downtown, the more I fall in love with Omaha, and the more sad I am to leave. I love the funky little places around here nestled in the middle of the city. These two are close friends of mine and they have darling children. I love those dark brown eyes! It will be a shame also to leave so many of our wonderful friends we've made here too!

Family Portfolio

2008-07-31T12:03:00.001-07:00

Families are my favorite thing to photograph. I love catching the interaction of mother, father, husband and wife. I love seeing the children run around and have fun with their parents. This is what life is about. The day to day interaction with the people we love.