I’m lucky tonight to be typing this at the beautiful Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. I’ve been enjoying the PPA Charities event that is kicking off Imaging USA this year. PPA Charities supports Operation Smile each year and the rumors I’ve heard put the donation at over $100,000 this year! I’ve met some fun and interesting people tonight and am looking forward to getting to know more people. The schedule has lots of great speakers and topics over the next three days. I’ll try to keep updating my blog while I’m up here.

Tom and Stephanie are a great couple who allowed me the privilege of capturing some memories of their wedding day. Unfortunately I left town the next day and have not been able to post any of their pictures. That changed today though! They just arrived back from what looked like a fun honeymoon in the British Isles and I arrived back home early yesterday morning. Here is a small slideshow and a link to the first batch of pictures!

It’s been a while since I shared anything on here, but I don’t want you miss out on the chance to get some great family portraits and at the same time help out an organization whose purpose is to help kids smile!

DON’T MISS OUR SPECIAL “FAMILY PORTRAIT MONTH” PROMOTION!

This October M. A. Wear Design and Photography by Tony Wear will participate with an elite group of photographers around the country in a very special family portrait promotion. Throughout October we will celebrate “Family Portrait Month,” a wonderful opportunity for you to update your family portrait (or portraits of your children), and help to support Operation Smile, which treats children around the world who suffer with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Along with other members of Professional Photographers of America (PPA), we have pledged to
contribute $75 of your sitting fee to PPA Charities, which has chosen Operation Smile as its charitable partner.

And Don’t Miss This Special Family Portrait Month Pick-Your-Own Bonus…
With your purchase of a gallery wrap canvas portrait 16 x 20 or larger, choose one of the following:

• 2 free 5 x 7 portraits
• 1 free 8 x 10 print
• 24 free custom holiday cards
• a bound 4 x 5 book with your favorite prints from your portrait session

Recording the faces of children and their families is our greatest pleasure. That’s why we believe so strongly in the work of Operation Smile. Each year this incredible organization of more than 6,000 volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists, and specialized health care professionals, perform free reconstructive surgeries for children suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. (More than 100,000 children are born with a facial deformity each year in Operation
Smile’s 26 partner countries.)

We also believe that Family Portrait Month is a wonderful way to teach children the value of
reaching out to others. Even small children can understand the importance of Operation Smile’s
work, and they are eager to help these needy children.

We hope you will join with us in helping to make this vital work possible. Don’t forget that the
holiday season is right around the corner, so there’s no better time for a family portrait, which is
always appreciated as a gift for family and friends and to send along with holiday greeting cards.

As always . . . we look forward to creating some truly wonderful portraits of your family. These can be on location in your favorite park, or in the studio.

Book soon.  I’m headed out of the state on the 20th, so time is very limited!

Tammy, Paul and myself are having a great time.  So far, we’ve stopped and seen several old friends  (sorry to keep you up so late Darren!), and seen lots of beautiful scenery.  We stopped at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and toured the museum.  We decided not to go to the top since it was an hour wait and we still had another five hours of driving to go.  We did get some nice pictures while we were there though.

Reflections on Exploration

Yesterday as we were driving through Kansas, we started seeing wind turbines.  We don’t get to see them very often, so we stopped for pictures of course.

A wind turbine against a bright blue Kansas sky

We spent the night last night in Ft. Collins, Colorado and are headed towards the Tetons today.  Hopefully I can give another update in a couple days.