proof that i don't lie

In my last post, I mentioned that all my friends are pregnant with boys. Allow me to present Exhibit 4B, Melanie Walker, due to deliver her new little fella in January.

They thew a swell BBQ in Athens this past weekend to celebrate Melanie's birthday. She's in her final year of law school, and STILL has time to party, look fabulous, and incubate babies. I suddenly feel really lazy.

*All these pics were taken by Matty (except the one of Matty)

This is probably how Melanie and I look about 96% of the time

...yet we are women of 1000 dorky faces.

Wait, I did NOT order a Batman stripper for Melanie's birthday. Oh, thank god, it's just Owen being adorable!

Owen's favorite game right now is to play superhero and rescue people in distress. Hey Batman, I need some gasoline!

Fighting crime for weird ladies is hard work.

Then Batman took off, and Superman showed up! Apparently, Melanie's living room is also the Hall of Justice.

Superman poses with Superdad

We all took turns playing Spider Bat, the ultra villain that Superman has to defeat as webs of fury are thrown about. Spider Bat looks a lot like Cher at the 1986 Academy Awards.

After defeating several versions of Super Bat, Superman flew off to fight more crime (translation..."go to bed").

mary and dan are expectin'!

It's so cool when people's personalities come out in their photos. If you don't know Mary and Dan, hopefully you'll feel like you know them after seeing these images. They are good friends of ours, and they have a little fella on the way. I mean, of course they do, since pretty much everyone we know is currently pregnant with a man child. I really need to check my mail more carefully, because we obviously missed some sort of notification from the government.

They are both Atlanta actors and are truly two of the funniest people walking the Earth. Head to the Switchworks site and check out "Simpson and Snatch". For realz. Mary makes me laugh so hard (I mean....so haaaaaawwwwdd) that I spit, snort, and scream like a pterodactyl. So, I knew this would be a maternity session like no other.

Mary and Dan, thanks for "letting" me take these shots. Can't wait to meet that tiny guy! Until then, here are some pre-baby pics...

Mary's due date is right near the "big" Tuesday, so they voted early.

Dan had an idea to take a series of shots with Matt invading their moment. Sorry it had to be so small to fit on here, but you get the idea. Matt pointed out that you can't go wrong with crossed eyes. I agree.

I'm not sure that either of these expressions is the result of acting. Dan's book had some scary, graphic photos in it, and any woman who isn't terrified with the idea of childbirth IS acting.

I'm sure there's something father-son-Freudian going on here, but you'll have to ask Dan about that.

Disclaimer: Mary did NOT drink or smoke during our shoot....at least not while I was looking.

We may not have had the novelty teeth, but they had the glasses!

I LOVE taking photos that show off how ridiculously beautiful Mary is.

I think this next one shows Mary just being natural. So, even with all the funny and dramatic shots, this might be my favorite for that reason.

To see a slideshow of more images from Mary and Dan's cool session, click HERE

coming soon...

I'll probably be doing a "full" post on this tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to put up a sneak peek from Mary's maternity shoot. For those who know her, don't worry, there are PLENTY of funny shots. However, this one is choc full of how gorgeous Mary is....without the cut-off shorts and novelty teeth.

Stay tuned...

synchronicity fund raiser

Recently, I photographed a fund-raising event for Synchronicity Performance Group. It was held at the stunning home of Lane and Clark Howard. For any non-Georgians or any cave-dwelling local folks who may not have heard of Clark Howard, he is a money management/saving guru. You should totally check out his site HERE. I keep browsing it to find tips on how to save money by eating only ice cream. Haven't found that info yet, but my faith is strong.

Here, Clark is greeting some of the guests as they arrive. The event was held this past Saturday when the weather was PERFECT. If you live 'round these parts, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Here are some of the fabulous decorations created by Laura of Faith Flowers. The autumn colors in the arrangements were yummy!

We had to get a shot of Laura posing with her work, along with Lane and Clark. Nice lookin' group of folks, aren't they?

I do get obsessed with reflection shots every now and then. Here's one of Synchronicity's artistic director, Rachel May enjoying a moment with the crowd.

You can take the girl out of the wedding, but you can't take the wedding photographer out of the girl. I had to snap this shot of Lane and Clark stealing a smooch. How cute are they?

During the event, there were several rooms with pieces from upcoming theater productions being performed simultaneously. The guests could pick a room, watch a performance, and then move on to another room. You can't go wrong with a barrage of entertainment!

Here are a few shots from some of the performance pieces. They have some cool work going on.

There is a phrase I will continue to write on my blog, until every reader and their mamma listens to me......"Please support your local theaters and other arts organizations". Thank you, and good night.

you barter, you brought her

In the past, I have provided my photography services to friends in exchange for some cool non-monetary items. Goodies that have been bartered for images include massages, crafts/artwork, yoga classes, clothing, meals, even trips to Jamaica! Well, now you can add "kisses" to that list. Or at least "kiss". Please keep in mind that there is a VERY small list of individuals who can attempt this method of trade. If I get too creative with swapping work for affection, I might have to change the name of my company to Stacey Bode Photography and Prostitution, Inc.

My hubby Matt needed a quick headshot for a specific audition, so a smooch seemed easier than filling out contracts and receipts. Don't tell the IRS. I'm sure they'd find a way to evaluate the cost of a kiss and tax me on it.

i cleaned up at the emmys

Few days go by without someone asking me the following question...."Does anyone ever tell you that you look like Tina Fey?". If by "anyone", you mean family, friends, clients, bank tellers, waitresses, postal workers, random strangers, and homeless dudes....then, YES. I'm just dreading the first unfortunate person who decides to compare me to Sarah Palin. Opinions of that variety will NOT be met with hugs.

I adore Tina Fey, and dig her even more after hearing a few lines from one of her several Emmy acceptance speeches last night. She said....

"I want to thank my parents for somehow raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities. Well done. That is what all parents should do."

Right on, sister. And for my sake, please keep up the good work of making nerdy women with glasses hot in the eyes of a boob job-buyin', botox-lovin', beauty-obsessed society.



Note: I did not take the photos of Tina Fey that I got off the web (duh), and I would have given credit to the talented folks who did if they had been listed with the images.

Look, she even makes the same muppet face that I do! However, you probably won't find me sporting orange rubber boots. But that IS how I ride a bicycle.

This next photo was taken by the lovely Stacy Melich.

the liles family!

I had the pleasure of meeting Crystal a few years ago at our local YMCA. We would both attend Z's hip hop class religiously, and I was so glad she was there to share a laugh when I occasionally forgot the difference between "right" and "left". I was so used to Crystal doing the routines next to me, that when she wasn't there, I felt like I was trying to learn the steps blindfolded! Even though we were both faithful attendees of the class, there was a big difference between my work out routine and Crystal's. She usually put in another hour before or after class of weight and machine training! I don't know how she did it, but I can only strive to be as fit as she is (even when she's 7+ months pregnant).

I'm so happy that I got a chance to spend some non-gym time with Crystal, meet her family, and take some maternity shots for them. We had the shoot at Crystal's mom's home, which is one of those houses that makes you say "wow!". When I first got there, I met Kendall, their little girl. We began a marathon game of chase/hide-n'-seek, and became fast friends. She is about the cutest gal you'll ever lay eyes on.

Then playtime turned to that of the camera variety, and here are some of the results...

I can't get enough of laughing moments like these.

Ok, why is Crystal not modeling for mom-to-be fashion magazines???!!!

I adore this moment between Crystal and Ken. They have that natural affection that is so beautiful to photograph.

Crystal's mom is a very talented lady, who made matching pajamas for the three of them. How cool is that? So, we decided to take this "reading in bed" shot that I think is super fun.

"Real" family moment #1....eyeball removal

In about a month, they are expecting a new little boy named Christian (stay tuned for shots after he arrives). I think Kendall will be a fantastic big sister.

Crystal and I had talked about a maternity shot I had taken for my friend Sloane, and we decided to do a version of it with her. I have no problem revisiting ideas since each person in the shot is so unique. Here's Crystal's "pearls" shot...

"Real" family moment #2....the body slam

Here's that etherial look only achieved by moms-to-be...

I thought I'd end the pics with a few layouts I put together. Crystal and Ken, thank you so much for letting me share this special time with you and your gorgeous family!

To see a slideshow of more images of the wonderful Liles family, click HERE