Hard Decisions

This is not the easiest post to write...but here it goes...I have been praying for God to make it clear what He wants me to right now in this stage of my life. I LOVE being a mommy and I LOVE being a photographer. I have had a tough time with this pregnancy, much like I did with the twins, so life has been a little crazy. During all of this, I have still been going to my Heavenly Father and asking Him to show me what I should be doing and right now, I should be more intentional with my time learning more about Him..and being a good mommy and wife. Change can be hard, but I am really looking forward to this stage in my life. I want to be there for my kids, for my husband and for my family and friends. I want my children to know and love the Lord and I need to make sure that I am being fed spiritually so that I can teach them. :) As I looked at what changes needed to be made in order for this to happen..I realized where I needed to cut back...and that is with work. So...I have decided to put Tammy Dugger Photography on hold for a while. God has blessed my business and I think the world of my clients and thank you all so much, but I know this is the right decision at this time. I have been reading Shepherding a Child's Heart in a women's bible study and when I came across this...I knew I was making the right decision. "Parenting is your primary calling. It is one of your most important tasks while your children are at home. It is your calling. Parenting will mean that you can't do all the things that you could otherwise do. You have only a brief season of life to invest yourself in this task. You have only one opportunity to do it. You cannot go back and do it over."
I look forward to being a full time stay at home mommy. I would be happy to recommend some great local photographer friends. Just send me an e-mail. :)
Thanks again for everything.
Have a blessed day!
Here is one of the latest newborn sessions I did for sweet baby "S" She has 2 great big brothers that are going to take care of her!!

How sweet is this?! Her tiny foot is the perfect chin rest!

Latest Newborn

I know, I know...where have I been lately? I have been neglecting the blog. Sorry about that! I will however, leave you with some sweet newborn pictures that will make your heart melt! Life is good, we are expecting baby # 3 October 10th and are very excited about that. 3 kids under the age of 2 is crazy!!!...but crazy fits us! I am still looking for a few more senior ambassadors for 2010. If you are a current junior and live in the Atlanta, Cobb, Dekalb or Fulton area...send me a snapshot and an e-mail letting me know a little about you. You will receive a free session, some prints and some really neat "business cards" with YOUR picture on them to pass out to friends. AND...you can earn money or prints by having your friends book a session too! Let me know if you are interested. I can't wait to have fun with these sessions! My next goal is to work on my blog...I need to customize it so that my pictures are bigger!! Ok...well I have a newborn next week...a sweet baby girl who I can't wait to get my hands on!!!

I will leave you with some fun images of Sweet Baby W.

New Site

The new site has finally been launched! I still have a few things to work on...but that will come! Many of you have asked about the music. I LOVE it. It is by renee and jeremy. They are so great to allow me to use their songs on my site. Check them out http://www.reneeandjeremymusic.com/ you can also by their songs on itunes too. The kids like them...I will sing to them and they smile....well my James sometimes cries when I sing...but not Haley...she thinks her mommy has a pretty voice! (Not really, I stink..no American Idol for this girl! )
I hope everyone has a blessed day! Thanks for stopping by!

New in 2009!!!

I know it has been a while since you have heard from me...but boy have I been busy. I am working on a new website that was way overdue! I am excited about what 2009 is going to bring. I have had a lot of newborn sessions lately and they have been SO much fun! I look forward to many more this year. I am also going to focus on high school seniors this year. I really wanted to do this last year, but God had other plans for me. :)

If you are an upcoming senior and you are interested in having a free senior session send me an e-mail with your contact information, what high school you attend, and a recent picture of yourself. I will be choosing several guys and girls as Senior Ambassadors. This is a great way to earn some extra cash too. If you want to know more about it...send me an e-mail. :)

This year my availability will be somewhat limited. I am only going to schedule 2 sessions a week, so if you are wanting a spring session...be sure to fill out the contact form and get on the books soon. :)

If you are expecting a little one, be sure to schedule a session in advance. Just let me know the due date and I will pencil you in. I will be sure to fit you in with the 1st 2 weeks of your baby's life. :)

Thank you so much for making 2008 so great!

Be sure to check back and see what is going on at TDP!!!

Finally Caught Up!

Well...Every year I set a deadline for holiday orders and sessions...and it seems every year I always go past that date...trying to fit in as much as I can...but it is all worth it! :) I have had a lot of newborns lately..and I am loving them! I even had a fun twin newborn session...reminded me so much of my own sweet babies and I can't believe they are now 6 months old. Where does the time go? I am finally caught up with proofing sessions, I have one more order to place, and some packages to send out...and then it is time to rest. :) A BIG thanks to everyone for making this another great year. I have enjoyed meeting so many new clients this year and look forward to the new year ahead. There will be lots of changes in the business...all of which I think you will enjoy! So be sure to check back and see what is going on. :)
Here are some images from recent sessions...enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

This is Baby NI. He was so sweet and I enjoyed my session with this wonderful family!

Here is his sweet older sister...what a doll!!! I loved the look Miss M was giving me here! Look at those stunning blue eyes!These brothers were a lot of fun. I loved this picture of them playing together...so sweet!

Who could resist a face like that? Watch out ladies!

These twins melted my heart! So precious! Meet Baby E and Baby K. I had such a hard time picking a favorite...there were just too many! Their mommy is going to have a hard time choosing her favorites too! :)Look at their tiny feet...Baby E knew how to work the cameraHere is another sweet newborn...Baby W. We finally got him to sleep...he looks so cozy here. :)

Another Fun Session

I am editing a very fun session from this weekend. This 3 year old cutie was absolutely adorable!! He is a big fan of trains, so we met in Marietta so he could see the train. We were shooting for quite a while...and no train...then we moved to another part of the square...and sure enough...that train came by and we missed it! Very sad! He was such a trooper! They also brought their very sweet dog. He is their "1st baby." This was one well-mannered dog and very photogenic! :) Meet Mr. N.

Well...being a mommy to Haley and James has been so much fun!! Hard work...but they fill my heart with joy. They bring a smile to my face all the time and I fall more in love with them each day. I fall more in love with my husband too...as I watch him with our sweet babies!

I thought I would share from some recent sessions. :)

This is Miss L ....isn't she beautiful!! This was such a fun maternity session! We had a blast. It was an honor to photograph a dear friend of mine and fellow photographer. Andrea you and your family are so very special to us and I can't wait to meet baby Frank!

Does this little one look familiar? Maybe not...because they change SO much from when they are itty bitty newborns. This is Mr.C ...and here he is on the move!

This is a sweet newborn who decided to surprise his parents and come early. Meet baby C!

And here is a precious one year old, another Mr.C ....

Does it get any cuter than this? What an adorable family!!


Have a blessed day! It is great to be back at work and I look forward to all the upcoming sessions! :)

Working again...

Well I am back at work again. :) I had 3 sessions this weekend and it was so much fun taking pictures again. I still have a few openings this fall, so if you would like to schedule a session send me an e-mail to get on the calendar. The last day for holiday orders will be November 14th.
I am editing away during nap times and late at night. It sure is tough balancing work and being a mommy. :) I will add some sneak peaks in a little bit. :)
Have a blessed day!

Holiday Sessions...

Yes! It is that time! Can you believe it? I know it is blazing hot outside..how can you possibly think about Christmas cards? Now that I am a mommy of two, my family comes first, so I will not be working every day like before. Sessions will be limited, so now is the time to book yours! I will be offering mini-sessions again this year. I am also excited about the new designer line of Christmas cards. This year I have decided to have all of my cards press printed. That means they will be printed on a heavy card stock or linen paper...front and back...and look just like a card from Hallmark...but better!! This is not your ordinary card from the chain stores!!

We have designer cards to fit everyone's style. The fresh, fun, funky retro twist. These are sure to be a hit and you will wow your friends and family! I can't wait to make my own family's card! We also have some beautiful cards for the more traditional style. These cards are just beautiful! You can mix and match the front of one card with the back to another. Very fun!!!

The end of August is upon us and I am starting to book sessions now! In fact, I have had many inquiries already and spots are filling up fast! If you are wanting a holiday session, be sure to send me an e-mail or call and I will try and get you on the calendar!(with twins at home, e-mail is the best communication right now. )

HOLIDAY MINI-SESSIONS ARE HERE!!!

Book now for a holiday mini-session. Each session will last 20-30 minutes and you will have 10-15 proofs to view online. You will also receive 25 press printed holiday cards designed just for you!!! Not only will you get fabulous designer cards...you can also get some Christmas shopping done too. I am sure the grandparents would love a nice enlargement to hang on their walls or a beautiful album to display on the coffee table. Gift certificates are always a nice gift too!

Holiday mini-sessions are $175 and are filling up fast! Think of how nice it will be to check Christmas cards off the list early!! (Sessions are for immediate family only...grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles will have to schedule a session separately..sorry! )

****The 1st 2 people to comment on the blog will receive a free 8x10 from their next session!!!****

The babies came early!!!

I went into pre-term labor and they tried their best to stop the contractions. Those babies were just ready to enter the world!
Feel free to visit their blog for updates.
www.duggertwins.blogspot.com

Taking a Break

Well...I thought I would make it a tad longer, but it looks like my body has other plans. We have 8 weeks left before the babies are supposed to arrive and I am SO excited! I have started having some contractions and after my last few sessions have felt pretty tuckered out. I have also developed carpal tunnel...which is no fun at all!!! It seems to make taking pictures and editing on the computer difficult. It looks like it is time to make the call...so I am going to have to put work on hold for a little while.
I am hoping to be booking sessions again in September, just in time for holiday pictures and cards. :) I will be sure to send an e-mail out letting you know of the fun "comeback" specials I have planned.
All pictures from recent sessions need to have orders placed by the end of May. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail.
I wish everyone well....and I will be sure to update the blog when the babies arrive!!
Take care!
Tammy

Time is flying by...

Well I have kept myself busy with newborns and toddlers and even a wedding! Yep, you heard me right. I said I would not do weddings...but it was hard to say no to this one. A dear friend and fabulous photographer, Andrea Young, gave me a call a long time ago and she was giggling away. I knew something was up. She said, "What do you think about tag-teaming for Kimberly's wedding?" My first instinct was, no way! I am not getting into the wedding business!! But then I quickly thought about sweet Kimberly! This girl is amazing! I have known her for a while now and she is one of those girls that you LOVE to be around. She has such a heart for God and she is full of energy!! It would be an honor to photograph her wedding. So I thought about how far along I would be in my pregnancy...and said yes!!!

March 15th quickly came and we had a great time. We finally finished up our editing and put the slide show together for Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson!
Click here to see their wedding



I am also throwing in some cute pictures from some recent sessions. Jen...here is a sneak peak...I will finish the rest when I get back from vacation.


I will be away until the 19th of April on vacation...so all calls and e-mails will be returned then.

Have a great day!!

We found out...

We had our big ultrasound appointment yesterday and it was VERY fun! I am still amazed at the miracles growing inside of me. It is the neatest feeling to see their little bodies move around, sucking a thumb, and stretching their tiny legs..and to hear their heartbeats...it makes my heart melt for sure!!

So here is a quick update...both babies are healthy and believe it or not...both weigh 9 oz. which is great that they are growing at the same rate. :)

This is what we found out...

Aren't these shoes just the cutest things you have ever seen?!! A dear friend of ours works for New Balance and brought us some stylin' sneakers for the babies. They sure are going to be hip!! Thanks Matthew! I know the little ones will LOVE wearing these. The whole family can now wear their New Balance kicks!

I hope everyone has a blessed day. I will try and post some pictures from recent sessions this afternoon. :)

It's been a while...

I know, I know...it has been a while and I am so sorry that I am a "blog slacker."

Life has been pretty busy lately, but I will make no excuses.

Well the rumors are true...Jimmy and I are pregnant with twins!!! Well....I am pregnant...you know what I mean. It was a very rough 1st 4 months. I am really not sure why they call it "morning" sickness, when it can really last ALL day. I had to slow things down a bit with work, but now I am back at it, and LOVING it. For those of you who have asked if I will continue once the babies get here, my prayer is that they will be happy and healthy so that I can do sessions a few days a week. :) I love what I do SO much, I can't imagine stopping now!

We are due in July, but they may decide to come a little early. :)

Our hearts are filled with joy knowing we will have 2 sweet babies. It has been a long journey trying to become parents. God tells us to come to Him with what is on our hearts...and we did! We would pray "BIG." After 2 1/2 years, our prayers were answered. When you pray, He listens. We don't know all of the answers, but it is so wonderful knowing that He has a plan for us and He has a plan for you too! :)

I have always loved doing newborn sessions, but my heart just sings now, knowing I have 2 little miracles growing inside me. Here are a few pictures from some recent sessions...

These pictures were taken the day this sweet little one was born. She still had the teeny bandaids on her feet. It was so much fun taking her pictures in the hospital, then rushing home to edit, make a slide show, and then revealing them to the proud parents to send to their friends and family and announce the arrival of their little princess. If you are interested in hospital sessions...send me an e-mail. :) I would love to capture your bundle of joy within their 1st 24 hours of life!! Priceless memories!!

Here is Miss "K"...she came a little earlier than expected. Can't you just feel the love between this sweet daddy and his baby girl.

Now this little man was an angel. He slept when we wanted him to sleep and opened his precious eyes when we wanted him to! Easy peasy!

I will post more next week.
Have a blessed day!

A New Year...

I am so excited about 2008! I know there are many great things in store for this year. :)

I have finally caught up with editing, ordering and packaging and I can now catch my breath.

I am including some of my favorites from recent sessions. Enjoy and be blessed!

These are sweet, sweet triplets. 2 precious girls and one handsome little man!

Now these twin gals are too stinkin' cute! They always make me giggle and are SO much fun to be around.
Meet Miss "M"...she entered the world just in time for Christmas! What a perfect gift from above!

MUCH to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving only comes once a year, but I am reminded daily how we really do have much to be thankful for! When we go to our Heavenly Father with our requests...we see His faithfullness and how He is full of grace and mercy and wants the very best for us.
He has blessed my business more than I can ever imagine! and a BIG THANK YOU to all of you!! Word of mouth has certainly made October and November very busy months. I feel like I should be feeding the UPS man or atleast getting him a Christmas present since he comes by my house everyday with orders. :)
I have a little break...so I figured I would share a few from recent sessions. :)
I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving!!! Take time to tell someone how thankful you are for them!!

Carving Pumpkins

This is going to be a quick post. I still have a lot of editing to do. :) I will be sure to post some fun pictures from recent sessions soon.

But for now...here are the pumpkins Jimbo and I carved. I think carving pumpkins is so much fun...but I will let you know, we cheated and used templates. I don't care...they still look cool!

We did not have very many "trick-or-treaters" in our neighborhood of 13 homes. This year we gave out candy and Play-Doh....we had to remind the kids to eat the candy and not the Play-Doh. Although I do remember tasting it as a kid and it is very salty! :)

What a busy October!

October has certainly been a busy month, but guess what? I am still LOVING every minute of it.

I am about to run out, but I wanted to share a cutie with you. This is Miss "S". I did her newborns and now she is 6 months old! That is one of the many things I love about my job. I get to have fun taking pictures of little ones AND I get to see them grow up!! How fun!!

I just downloaded her session and I LOVED this one!

I have more to share...but that is for another post. I had a very fun maternity session the other day that was awesome! I can't wait to see those images too.

Have a good one!!

Bentley Green

OK...so I know a lot of you are not rap fans...and that is ok...but this 6 year old little rapper is just too cute!!! Check out his other youtube videos from The Ellen Show.

We can't water our lawn...

Well...I must admit...Jimmy and I are not winning "Yard of the Month" anytime soon. Neither one of us really know much about gardening. So, our yard was way overgrown and we called someone to come and clean it up. They cut the trees back, pulled the weeds, and removed a couple of dead plants/trees. As the yard man was talking with Jimmy, he said it would really be best if we just "nuked" the entire yard and started over again. Now are yard is not very big at all, but still, we let it get that bad, that the best solution would be to kill it and start fresh!

That hurt our ego just a bit. Anyway...before we left for the beach at the end of September, Jimmy decided to kill the yard while we were gone. So we came home to see our new brown backyard. We also came home to a MAJOR water ban! The only way we can water our lawn is if we have it professionally done, and even then...our water ban is so bad...there may not even be water to use on the lawn! What a mess! That is what is going on with the Duggers right now!

Tammy Dugger Photography is very busy! We are now booking for 2008! I can't believe how much business has grown...just on word of mouth! You all are fabulous! Thanks so much for telling everyone about me. I am LOVING it! I have a few newborns on the way and I can't wait to see their sweet little faces!

Little Miss "A" has her pumpkins and she is ready to go!

Check out this Junior Jacket fan! I love the looks this little man gave me! He was on the go just about our entire session, and at the end...I stuck him in this...I might just need to bring a bucket with me to all my toddler sessions! :) I love the enthusiasm little boys have. Bless all you moms of little boys. They certianly keep you on your toes!!

Brothers

Well I just finished up a session today with such a sweet family! I love my job so much because it allows me to meet such special people. This family had 2 adorable little boys. I had a blast and couldn't wait to start editing them! I think I will finish with this session in record time! :)

Here are just a couple that I loved! Watch out girls! These boys are gonna be heartbreakers!!

We are leaving this Saturday for our beach trip. I can't wait to sit back and relax. I get to spend some time with one of my sweet nieces. She is just 5 months months old and I can't wait to love on her! I will be sure to share some pictures when I get back. We are going to attempt a family picture...wish us luck. :)
Have a blessed week everyone!!
BTW...if you want to leave a comment...all you have to do is click on "comments." Feel free to say hello!!

Madison turns 5!!

I remember the day my sister had Lauren, my first niece, who is now 13! Now...her second little girl is 5! She is such a drama queen and I just love every minute of it.
Kids say the funniest things! When Lauren was little her favorite time to talk was in bed at night or early in the morning. We would just lay there and she would talk, talk, talk. I remember once she was lying in the bed looking at her hands. Out of nowhere she asked, "Why do they all keep growing except for this one?" as she was pointing to her thumb!! I crack up everytime I think of her saying that! You wonder where it comes from!
Well...Maddie is full of crazy quotes! I need to start writing everything down because I don't ever want to forget those fun moments! That is just one thing I LOVE about taking pictures. They capture those moments that you want to hold onto and remember forever!!
Well...here are some pictures from Maddie's birthday...just a few fun ones.
Have a great day and take the time to just sit back and enjoy the people you love!!

I love the faces this little one makes! He is a doll!!

These 2 know how to strike a pose!

What's a boy to do?

Hawaii is AMAZING!!!

Ok...so Jimmy and I spent 11 days in Hawaii. We spent 5 nights in Oahu at Ko Olina, then 4 nights in Kauai (The Grand Hyatt rocks!!) and then 2 full days in Maui.
We would just stand in awe at God's creations!! Everytime we turned around, there was another fantastic view. It didn't matter where you were...His beauty was everywhere!!
Well...I can remember as a child always wanting to swim with dolphins (I think that is every 5th grader's dream to be a marine biologist! hehe). It stemmed from my older sister's love for dolphins. You know how it is, you want to do EVERYTHING just like your BIG sister. Anyway...I have held on to that dream. I didn't want to take a snorkel trip in "hopes" to see the dolphins, I wanted the trained ones! I wanted to do tricks with them!! So my sweet husband said "Do it! "
He took me to Sea Life Park and I was able to hang out with 2 sweet female dolphins and 1 wolphin ...yes you read right...a wolphin is a cross-breed of a dolphin and a whale!
They gave kisses, had belly rubs, took me on a ride as I held on to their fins and we did what you call a "foot push" You can see it in the pictures. I was in a group of about 8 other people and I was last in line for the foot push and at that point they swapped one of the dolphins for the wolphin...and as you can imagine...she gave me quite the push and I went way up in the air! It was SO much fun! Jimmy didn't have much interest in swimming with the dolphins...his mind was set on golfing at Kapalua...so we did that too! :)
Vacationing is a lot of fun, but one thing I find hard is getting pictures of the 2 of us. You always have to stop and ask someone to take your picture and often it turns out blurry or an arm gets cut off...so you try the old "self-timer"...but I made a big mistake and forgot my tri-pod, so I tried to be creative and set the camera in odd places, but that didn't work great either. Maybe there is a market out there for hiring photographers to vacation with you so you can get great pictures!! hehehe I would have no problem going to Hawaii again to take some family pictures! :)

Well...I really love this blogging stuff. I have to thank Andrea for pressuring me to make one.:)
Looks like you guys like it too...because I have had 6 calls for sessions since I started it!
Thanks so much for passing along my name and helping me grow my business! I really do LOVE what I do!
Have a blessed day!
Enjoy the slide show of Hawaii!
Click Here to view the Hawaii slide show!

It's time for Holiday Cards!!!

Wouldn't it be nice to cross your Christmas cards off the list early? I know it sounds crazy, but sessions are filling up already for holiday pictures!! The deadline for holiday orders is November 21st. I have a lot of really great card templates for 2007 and I know you are going to LOVE them as much as I do! If you have already had a session and would like to use some of the pictures for a customized Christmas card...just let me know and we will create something fabulous! Call 404-358-5450 or e-mail me at info@tammyduggerphotography.com to schedule your session. Sessions can be scheduled Monday-Friday.

New 2007 designs will be posted soon. :)

Have a great day!

You have to have a blog!!

"You don't have a blog? You need one!!"
Well , "technically" I have one...but I thought I really didn't need it...I guess I was wrong!
I just returned from a FABULOUS weekend at Bookout Studio and Design and I do believe I was the only one without a blog :( So I decided to take the advice of others and try out this whole blogging thing. It should be a great way for me to keep in touch with everyone and let you know what is going on with Tammy Dugger Photography!!!
With that said....let me tell you about the wonderful weekend I just had. Heather Bookout invited 9 other photographers across the Southeast for a "Fresh and Focused" workshop. I was lucky enough to get an invite and boy was it unbelievable!!
The workshop started with each photographer drawing names for an assistant, a model (ranging in ages of 18 months to maternity), a location for your session, and a store to buy props for our session!
I drew the name of a sweet, sweet 5 year old girl named Kylee...she was an absolute doll! My location was a barn...and my store was TJ Maxx.
I had so much fun with this little girl!
I feel like this workshop really helped me to stretch my creativity as an artist. Sometimes we get stuck in our ways and life just "happens" and somehow along the way we forget that God has made us to be so special and so unique and He has given us talents that He wants us to use for Him! I am so psyched that I am now doing this full-time! I have so many great ideas for the business and I can't wait to share them with you! There is nothing more fun than a weekend of fellowship with other photographers who share a passion and love for photography as much as you do! Each woman there was unbelievable! I continue to be blessed each day and every morning when I wake up I thank God for what He is doing in my life!!
Be sure to check this blog often to see what is going on in the life of Tammy Dugger Photography!
If you want to see some of the great pictures from the weekend...Heather has it up on her blog now and I will have some examples up very soon!!!!
http://bookout.squarespace.com/
Have a great day!!!

Here is a picture of Miss Kylee...watch out boys, she is going to be a heartbreaker! :)