Stick out Your Tongue

Don't ya just hate it when someone catches you in a photograph with your mouth open, or your tongue out? This sweet girl dog is very regal as you can see in the bottom photo, but just as I started to take the first photo, her tongue came out and it was caught on camera.
So her best "model" shot has two takes because I think the top one is adorable. She was for adoption at Needy Paws Animal Shelter in Clarksville, Arkansas USA.

Betsy the Beautiful Momma

Betsy the Beautiful Momma was abandoned in a field with her very young puppies. She tried to take care of them, but her milk had dried up since she had no nutrition. They were saved, nourished back to health and put up for adoption at Needy Paws Animal Shelter in Clarksville, Arkansas USA

Firecracker can JUMP

Adorable and Adoptable
This little Firecracker can jump into your arms, and into your heart. She was for adoption at Needy Paws Animal Shelter in Clarksville Arkansas USA
I love photographing pets from there every week. They deserve every advantage they can get in getting into their forever homes.

Watching them Grow up - Hazel and Reid

In this profession, I often have the opportunity to watch as a child changes from a newborn to a young adult.  Both Hazel and her brother Reid started with the Baby Steps program. I remember Hazel's sweet little smiles at her first sessions. I remember her first photo with Santa, and trying to convince her to were her fairy crown when she was a toddler.

Then came Reid, with a completely different personality, but still sweet smiles. So big in his newborn session, and each session during his first 14 months he changed so much.

These children are precious to me. I know years from now, they will not know me as well, and will be standoffish like all kids get with strangers they only know once a year. But the hugs, smiles, and giggles I get to capture now will live on in my memory and even more important - live on for generations to come in the photos I was able to create.

Don't Cry - You can come Back!

I love photographing kids. Sometimes they really make my day!  Sometimes  my day includes tears, which is usually just the opposite. In the photo above one of little boys wanted to stay with me.
At Halloween, we always open up the studio for a few hours for free professional photos for community kids and this little girl didn't want to leave me, so I stopped and carried her out to the parking lot.

Look Here Kitty Kitty

Meow Meow Meow - this sweet kitty is so cute and available for adoption at Needy Paws Animal Shelter in Clarksville AR. Cats are a little more challenging to photograph than dogs, but totally worth it, and the Animal Care Specialists that bring them are so patient with all of them too. It was a treat to get this image!

Take me Home to my Childhood

I grew up in the country. I rode a school bus down dusty roads, idolized the older kids, and loved when I got to go their houses.  Jewelletta was my cousin's friend, an older girl, basketball star. Her stop was at the end of the dirt road, next to Tater Hill.  I used to play in her neighbor's creek, catch crawdads, wade around with pants rolled up. It is a great memory.

So a few weeks ago, I get a call about Senior photos. The mom's name was Jewelletta, a name I had not heard in a long time. But this kid was from Shiloh, so it couldn't be the same person. The more we talked, I though she sounded familiar. Then when we made plans for the location, I was so excited!! I was going back to a wonderful childhood place to photograph Josh and his family at his Grandmother's place close to Tater Hill.

Jewelletta was the same as I remembered, and her son and husband was great to work with. Josh has a great dry sense of humor - the kind I can connect to. What special photos these will be as they are passed down through the generations with the family property in the background.

Tutu Cute

This little sweetheart was such a good model. Annalee loves to dress up in her tutu, but can definitely keep up with her big brothers.

Lowrider Perks UP

Adorable and Adoptable Lowrider was not sure he wanted to perk up his ears for his profile pic, then (as often happens at Hardgrave Photography) a Tigger toy went flying through the air and Lowrider was ready to play. He is for adoption at Needy Paws Animal Shelter in Clarksville Arkansas USA

Karlita's Quinceañera

Karlita was so beautiful in her formal Quinceañera dress. She wanted to do both indoor and outdoor photos. When it came down to ordering her wall portrait, her and her mom were torn on which to order. On one hand, the outdoor was what some of the other Clarksville girls were getting from part time photographers, so Karla wanted to be like them. On the other hand, the studio images were stunning, classic, and different than everyone else's.
Which would you have chosen?