INTRODUCING...

Ok, I realize that it's been too long since our last post... Wow, time flies, especially over the holidays and starting the new year. We've been doing really well over the past month. A number of shoots, but mainly getting caught up on book designs and preparing for 2009. It's going to be a great year!

A new addition...
We have a new office manager!!! Meghan is the friendly voice you'll hear as you call our studio. We are really excited to have her with VISIO and are looking forward to her continued involvement in the company as well as our family. We wanted you to get to know Meghan so below her images is a little interview we had with her the other day. As well, please write a quick post to say hello if you get a chance--I know she'd love that :)



JandJ,"How would you describe yourself?"
Meghan,"Ummmm, I think silly... loyal... and a family person; I love being with family and friends"

JandJ, "What is your favorite food?"
Meghan, "Cereal"
JandJ, "What kind is your favorite?"
Meghan,"Almost any kind--I'm not picky."

JandJ,"Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?"
Meghan,"I love the mountains!"

JandJ,"Who's your favorite artist/musician?"
Meghan,"The Avett Brothers"
JandJ,"We'll have to look them up..."

JandJ,"Who has made the biggest impact in your life?"
Meghan,"Aside from the obvious? (referring to God)
JandJ,"Yes, who else?"
Megan,"My mom."

JandJ,"What is your favorite color?"
Meghan,"Brown and Purple"

JandJ,"If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?"
Meghan,"Hmmm... (smiling) I guess a dog."
JandJ,"Why a dog?"
Meghan,"Because they're free to roam around and explore. I think also possibly a killer whale or a lion. They're amazing and beautiful animals."
JandJ,"That's quite a mix (laughing...)"

JandJ,"So where is one place you'd love to go, but haven't been?"
Meghan,"I think traveling the country in an RV would be cool. I'd love to a lot more of the country"
JandJ,"When I was younger..." (James went on a rabbit trail of childhood travels...)

JandJ,"If you had 10 million dollars, what would you do with it?"
Meghan,"I'd give to some charities"
JandJ,"What else?"
Meghan,"I'd first buy an airplane for Ian (her new husband). I'd buy my mom a house and get that RV for us... I'd probably build our dream home; not extravagant, just really nice."

We know Meghan to be as she describes as well as someone with a tender heart who loves children. We are so excited to have her on board...

Back to Phoenix...

So we headed to Phoenix to catch the redeye out to Orlando. The drive back was nice as it was during the day :) Here are a couple of shots from the trip.

A couple of Hoover Dam..




I have no idea.. just a really cool sculpture thingy.


A roadside stand..


Quite possibly the funniest sign I've seen at a tourist stand--notice the upper left corner.

New York..

The conference was fantastic. We got a lot of ideas and were challenged, particularly in the are of business and marketing, two of our weaknesses. It was great seeing old friends and meeting new ones. It was great running into John and his wife. As well, it's always great to see Scott Kouns. We definitely will have to get out to California sometime before too long. It was also so nice to meet and spend some time with Melanie Mauer, a very gifted photographer out of Kentucky.

The photography we saw inspired us, the seminars challenged us, but the best part was getting time with fabulous people..

Ok, so a while back I told you about some amazing chocolate. When we were in one of the shopping malls, we came across the Vosges boutique--a chocolate lover's dream. This decor was minimalist, the atmosphere was like a very upscale cafe or even jewelry store, but the chocolate was what we were there for.



Here's a shot of James wafting the chocolate.. This came just before he took a bite, swished it around, and proceeded to gargle a taste!--


Shannon, Jen and Melanie enjoying flavors such as paprika, wasabi, curri, and ginger infused into the chocolate..


Vegas the night before we left..

Paris...

So we arrived in Vegas a little early and met up with some friends that we had met last year. Shannon and Steve of Shannon Ho Photography are an awesome couple with a real gift for photography. We were planning on just coffee, but ended up spending most of the week together! We enjoyed every minute of it..

As well, we got some time with an old friend (and I mean OLD...) Mae. Mae is a lot of fun to be around because we share a similar sense of humor (corny with an edge of sarcasm..) It was great getting some time together and as well seeing Michael again and meeting the family--

Here are a couple of images from Paris... I mean Vegas..




We couldn't keep Shannon and Steve off of eachother. Good grief guys! Actually, we had a little mini photo shoot with them and they shot us as well. Kind of a nerdy photographer thing I guess :)



A nice shot of Jen and I. Now we know what it's like on the other side of the lens. I think I'll stick to photography and leave modeling up to the professionals (and tha purdy people.)

Marion to Phoenix to Vegas...

Ok, ok, no more harassing emails, I know it's been a month since our last post :) It has been a busy month, traveling to Atlanta, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Orlando, Nassau, Bahamas, and Indianapolis. We've actually been away more than we've been home.. BUT, it has been a blast and we've had the opportunity to visit some great places with some amazing people.

About a month ago, we headed to Phoenix to introduce Em to her new cousin. Jen and I decided to drive to Vegas for WPPI, the biggest photography conference we attend each year. We had a great drive up and a great visit.

This was the view pretty much the whole way to Vegas--I've heard this stretch of road is really scenic.. who knows :)


Coming across Hoover Dam at night..

WF fashion shoot

We had a fun opportunity the other day to hang out with some great friends from Wedding Festivals and shoot for their upcoming marketing campaign. Kelsey was a wonderful model and we were blessed to have a beautiful day as well! Here are a couple of images from the shoot. She's not photogenic at all is she?