Posted by charlotte on Feb 22, 2013 in Portraits |
I have known Calise since she was a little girl. To see her grow up to become a lovely, smart, and mature young woman has been so much fun. 2 years ago TJ & I embarked on a journey with a group of high school seniors to Ireland. It was there that Calise and I became good friends. Since then we’ve had so many laughs and shared memories. So, when she asked us to photograph her with her horse, Honor, it was a no brainer. Calise brightens up any atmosphere when she smiles and her laughter is pure joy. Throughout the entire shoot we joked, laughed, and froze. ha! We began the shoot early in the morning, so needless to say it was very cold. It was so worth it though. The images turned out so wonderful. When Calise saw the final images, she text me with pure delight. Her words made me so happy….”They are so beautiful, I’m crying”. To hear compliments like that makes me so glad that I am a photographer. Our goal in every shoot is to make people look their best and to capture moments that allow their best qualities to shine. Everyone needs those special moments (i.e photo shoots) that allow them to be who they are and have it documented. I know Calise will cherish these images with her beautiful Honor.
Thank you, Calise, for bringing us along to create memories with you. We love spending time with you and look forward to having an “Irish” day of tea and biscuits while watching Irish movies. 
Posted by charlotte on Feb 8, 2013 in Baby Bump, Portraits |
Yesterday I had so much fun photographing my sister in-love (in-law). She and my brother, Jacob, are expecting their first baby in March. There is so much excitement in the air right now as the days get closer to Jacob and Alisha becoming “Daddy & Mommy”. Along with the adventures of pregnancy, J & A also just purchased their first home right before Christmas. They are joyfully creating a beautiful place to welcome their little boy and raise a family.
For Alisha’s photo shoot, I really wanted to focus it on all the “newness” in her life. I couldn’t think of a better location than in their new home. We had such a fun time yesterday playing dress up, listening to Pandora, dancing like a crazy person (ok that was me), and creating beautiful images.
Congratulations, Jacob & Alisha! This Auntie & Uncle are so excited to meet this newest little dude that we will call nephew.
You can also view Alisha’s Baby Shower photos here!
So thankful to have you as a sister, Alisha!
Posted by charlotte on Feb 7, 2013 in Events, News |
Feb 6, 2013 -Columbia, SC. State House Building
I travelled to Columbia, SC to cover a story that is shaping up to be one of the hottest issues in the country -Nullification. On January 8th hundreds of people turned out for a rally on the steps of the State House and a Press conference inside where Rep. William Chumley introduced a bill to nullify ‘The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” aka Obamacare (H3101). Rep. Chumley had 25 cosponsors for H3101 and it was refered to as the House Judiciary Committee.
On Wednesday, Feb 6 there was a House Subcommittee hearing on H3101 as well as another bill, H3473 sponsored by Rep. Greg Delleney, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. H3473 does not feature any of the nullification language and is seen to be not as resolute as H3101. I observed that most of the people there were interested in H3101 and its firm focus on nullification.
The meeting was so well attended that there was standing room only in the back of the hall. Since it was a public forum people were allowed to sign up and speak concerning the bills. There were many people eager to have the committee hear what they had to say.
The first person to speak was Rep. William Chumley, who authored the H3101 bill. He was greeted with a huge wave of applause that bordered on a standing ovation. Everyone was warned that although they were passionate about the issue they must not have any outbursts or applause. (There was still some subdued applauses throughout the proceedings.) After thanking everyone for attending he summarized that it is not a bill about hate of anyone or any administration but a bill about love. Love of freedom, love of liberty, love of our way of life.
Professor Crocker, a USC constitutional law professor then spoke and declared “This isn’t a debatable point, there is a definite right answer. The state of South Carolina has no power to nullify the Affordable Care Act”. In contrast to his opinion, Dr. Donald Livingston, a retired Philosophy of law professor from Emory University, spoke and cited examples of state sovereignty and the states rights and the cases and uses for nullification. He summarized the discussion of the constitutionality and stated that the final authority on laws doesn’t rest with the U.S. Supreme Court or the federal government, that authority rests with the people and the states that created the federal government. In an erie foreshadowing of what doors may be opening up with the passage of the legislation he said “If you think Obamacare is bad, wait till you see what happens later.”
Doctor Thomas Kendall, who has been an active physician since 1976 to the present, and is president-elect of the Association of American Surgeons and Physicians brought the perspective of an actual physician that will be laboring in the system if Obamacare goes into effect. He summarized his testimony into 3 key points. There is a war on Doctors, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not patient protective or affordable & is bad for South Carolina, and that innovation and creativity can succeed when given freedom. In short Obamacare is bad for South Carolina.
By the end of the meeting it was clear that the debate is far from over. Since there is so much at stake in regard to the future of our country this issue is sure to continue to grow and move to the forefront. Due to the large amount of citizens that spoke at the hearing the allotted time ran out and a followup meeting will be scheduled. If you would like to attend the next meeting, go to this link for the date and time that it will be held.
Here are some links to a few resources you may find helpful:
H3101 Bill
H3473 Bill
Rep. William Chumley’s information
Nullification Information
Video of the entire meeting
-TJ Petrino
Rep. William Chumley addressing the Committee.
Rep. William Chumley
South Carolina Citizens speaking to the Sub Committee
Professor Livingston
