Kathy Ziegler Art & Photography Blog

Megan

2010-09-21T11:51:00.006-05:00

Megan is a wonderful young horsewoman & photographer that has come into my life recently. I think she was sent here to motivate me to do more of what I love since we have so much in common despite the fact that she is young enough to be my daughter! She approached me about assisting with photography & I really feel we are both getting great things from our new friendship.

Megan has such a serene look about her...she is confident in her views yet vulnerable & humble in a way that endears her to you immediately.

I LOOOVE this picture! And she told me she wasn't photogenic!

Havin' a discussion....

Senior photos for a Junior

2010-09-07T14:49:00.005-05:00

I had the best time shooting pix of Mary Allyson last week! She's such a sweetheart & an obvious animal lover so we had fun working those aspects of her life into her shoot. I think Ford could use her for a commercial, don't you?! I love this pic becuase the bag holding the goldfish says "attitude" & Mary Allyson's is just perfect=)

Oliver is one of her family's 8 dogs!

Reba was all about the carrot & Mary Allyson handles a horse like she's always had one.

Photographer tips - Notice how diagonal & leading lines can give your photos interest. Another compositional trick is to place your main focal point on one of the intersecting points if you were to draw a tic tac toe grid on your image. It's much more interesting than having your subject dead center.

Belk hosts Engagement Party

2010-09-01T08:55:00.004-05:00

Belk sponsored an "Engagement Party" the other night & invited some local wedding vendors to participate. Whitney Green (pictured) was the winner of the photo folio I donated & Elizabeth Davis was the winner of the drawing for an engagement photo session. Congratulations to both of you!! Some of the participating vendors included Hawk Specialty Services DJ, Photo Food, Mt Juliet Wedding Chapel, Publix Bakery,& Moss Florals We all set up our little displays in the home goods dept. & got to know each other & share wonderful food while we waited for brides to come through...

My little display of wedding albums & books....

Tea & Company served great food that was artfully presented.....

Dating Site Photos????

2010-08-27T11:16:00.006-05:00

If you are one of the many singles that are using an on-line dating service to help you find that elusive perfect mate having pictures that really embody you can be very helpful. A picture of you with the things that are important in your life, like pets for instance=), can help assure attracting someone else that likes pets. So ask yourself, "Is my photo talking to anyone out there?", "Can they really see how beautiful I am or is this just the best pic I could find of myself?" Call me & let's talk about some ideas to help you put your best image out there.

AQHA Queen from TN

2010-08-14T10:44:00.007-05:00

Erica is Tennessee's Queen for AQHA & is headed to the world show in Ohio to compete for the overall title. I have to say that she fits the bill - she is an excellent horsewoman, absolutely adorable & full of poise with the ability to represent the AQHA organization as it would hope to be represented. I understand that hordes of young girls aspire to do what these State Queens have done & even line up for autographed photos! Erica is beautiful inside & out!!

Even my horse, Reba, wanted in on the action... Reba knows Erica from horsesitting for us, & what a wonderful job she did!

You'd never know it was about 98 degrees outside & thunder showers were eminent when we took these, Erica wore her leather musical note outfit representing TN with honor.

Angus added a touch of doxie class to Erica's fashion look. We were happy to return to the air conditioning to finish up. I'm glad Erica liked my old saddle for adding some character to the images she needs to submit to the judges.

Photographer's tips - Using window light is one of my favorite ways to light a subject, & sometimes adding a reflector & a touch of ambient light from a fixture adds the fill light & warmth I'm looking for & no strobe is needed. Doesn't that make it look more natural? I was actually standing on our dining room table for this angle, don't tell our next dinner guests=P

Fostering Kittens

2010-06-22T12:29:00.006-05:00

After the floods we decided to be of service by fostering an animal from the Mt Juliet Animal Shelter. Well...., we ended up with 6 of them! A mommy & her 4 kittens born right after the floods & then a couple weeks into it an orphan kitten was brought over & the mommy took him in, no questions asked.First day of eyes opening...Then a couple weeks later Angus, our mini dachshund, is allowed to mother them too. He's in LOVE!!! Some shut eye after all the rough & tumble wrestling...

Late in the game, after I'd named them all, I found out they were 3 boys & a girl, not the other way around=(

Lil' Joe became Lil' Josie & is she ever the feminine dynamo, here she showed her adorableness at a Shelter fundraiser party we held at our home....

Mittens (a neutral name) has been my favorite ever since he started staring up into my eyes, he's super intelligent & confident. Here Angus nose boxes with him as the evening light streamed into out den.

Cooper loves them all too, pit bull mixes are soooooo gentle, as are all dogs raised with love.

A typical naptime scene in my office....I'm sure going to miss them!!!

March in Ocala, Florida

2010-04-08T11:14:00.007-05:00

I just got back from my first Bucket List item - to spend a month at the Parelli Natural Horsemanship training center in Ocala, Florida. Wow, what a wonderful experience for a horse lover like me, spending all day, everyday, learning & playing with my horse was just incredible. Dean was terrific to say this is the time in our lives to do those things we really want to, while we have our health & the means, I sure love him for that! I knew this would be a transitional point & have decided that I am headed toward new endeavors in my life. I will still do photography & art, but in a different way & at a different pace. Here are a few pictures I took that inspire me to get back to my art & start honing my oil painting skills....

This little guy is what got the previous horses so jazzed up; adult horses just love foals!!

Zeus was like a mythical character in the woods.... I look forward to painting some favorite horse antics like these....

This horse just LOVED a long cool soak....

Dog portrait

2010-02-09T14:39:00.007-06:00

Here's the latest commission I just completed for Bob of his dog, Flash. Bob has to be my all time best art customer, this is the 5th dog portrait he has had me do for his Mom. I think they are as much for him as they are for her which is awfully sweet. In progress....

San Diego Wedding Photography - Immaculata & El Cortez

2010-02-01T09:39:00.007-06:00

Laura & Jeff had the perfect San Diego day for their wedding at USD Immaculata for the gorgoeous ceremony & El Cortez for the hoppin' fun reception following. Laura was the most gorgeous bride, looking so regal. She has class! Here she looks like a Francie doll I had as a kid. Jeff & the guys had some time to play down in the bar at Manchester Grand Hyatt where they all got ready. He looks dashing himself, kind of like my Ken doll I had as a kid!!!

All the attention on the bride, oh me, oh my......

Gettin' the jitters...almost showtime....

Had to make a stop for some pix in the gorgeous lighting & backdrop of the hotel.

Love this pic Michele took as they headed off down the aisle=)

You just have to get some with the iconic old El Cortez as the backdrop. Having time to take a little walk across the street is important. As with any wedding you gotta have time for LOTS of romantics, my very favorite part & what it's all about, right?!

Nashville Wedding Photography

2010-01-20T20:21:00.007-06:00

This beautiful October wedding of Brittney & Bryan's actually took place just across the TN border in Ringold, GA. We narrowly escaped rain once again & Brittney had her heart set on an outdoor wedding on the lawn. We were blessed with a great rainless afternoon & the tent wasn't needed for the emotion filled ceremony.

See what I mean about emotion filled???!!!!

Their florist, a relative from Atlanta, used the most unusual vessels to frame the alter, they were extra tall jute rope-like "barrels" spilling with local tree branches & hydrangeas. So impressive on this huge lawn.

Bryan's son was a hoot to follow around for some very expressive shots. Lots of emotion, as I said=P

Scrumptious candy table.....

They passed out neon glow necklaces & Men at Work hats & sunglasses & the dance floor never emptied. What a blast everyone had! I loved this jumble picture with no flash to stop action & dragging the shutter to get all the motion with the neon things. Can you guess which song was playing here?

Temecula Creek Inn Wedding Photography

2010-01-17T12:04:00.003-06:00

Temecula Creek Inn is a gorgeous hideaway kind of place for a wedding, you feel like you've been transported to another world with the old stone house & enchanting bridges & oak trees. The wedding of Suzanne & Anssi was one filled with wonderful emotion & feeling, & a little trepidation that the rain may fall & cause us to move inside. Luckily the call to hold everything outside was a good one & all was perfect. The Inn requested some pix so here are the ones I chose.

The cutest little flower girls!!

Showing their love for their parents with a rose ceremony....

Nashville dog portraits

2010-01-14T20:48:00.004-06:00

There's something about sad doggy eyes that are just irresistable. I wanna lay on the the floor & smooch 'em up every time they give 'em to you. This is Sadie, she could be Sadie Sadsack in this instance.

This is my Cooper boy once again, I love him sooooooo much!

Animal art makes a terrific gift!

2009-12-20T16:24:00.006-06:00

This sweetie is Dexter, owned by a small animal vet in Portland Oregon. She plans to give it to her husband for Christmas since he is ga-ga over his perfect lab with the perfect smile, wrinkled cheeks & all =)
Animal art has been a part of my business since 1998 & pencil is one of my very favorite mediums to work in. It's kind of like B&W photos, the character of the subject comes out so well when color doesn't distract you. Giving a gift certificate for art to someone with a special pet is a great way to let them be involved in the photo shoot & choosing which picture most embodies their baby. And surprising someone with a gift like this usually brings tears to their eyes. Please call me to do one, or two, or three for you=))

The Ray Family

2009-12-15T20:04:00.005-06:00

Taking pictures for Fawn & Jeff & their boys was such a treat. We took a nice walk across Two Rivers bridge just as the light was leaving us but we still ended up with some fun & interesting pictures. You may recognize Jeff as our morning weatherman on CBS & The Weather Channel. Fawn is a fantastic chiropractor & owner of Ray Chiropractic.

I asked Ian to act like he was holding up the bridge & just got this one image before he ran off to do something else, got it pretty close=P

Love this one of Fawn & Joe.....

What an ending for us...

Country Music Hall of Fame - Nashville Wedding Photography

2009-12-06T20:10:00.006-06:00

Jessica is the sister of one of my past brides from San Diego! Jessica & Robert moved here shortly after we did in 2008 so it was so thrilling to have her family choose me once again to do the honor of capturing their wedding. We had such fun taking a shooting stroll around downtown before the evening ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame (they really wanted to show their families the real deal of Nashville)

Rob is such a hambone & I was duly warned.....

So many places to play!!!!

Square tables along with some rounds made for an interesting & beautiful arrangement around the gorgeous wood floor at CMHF.

My handy dandy video light helped create some pretty ambient light in the VERY dark ceremony. Thank goodness for pro cameras that have low noise & Hi ISOs that seem to create light where none exists too.

Getting a picture of everyone after the ceremony was going to be difficult but we spotted a ladder in the guitar room so did a repeat of one of our last wedding's fun shots. Everyone seems to get a little crazy when you direct them to, I love that!! Thanks to Brent Cantrell of Cosmo Creations DJ for helping with that.

Mt Juliet Animal Shelter Calendar

2009-12-03T09:38:00.005-06:00

I'm pleased to announce that the calendars for the Mt Juliet Animal Shelter are now available. For a $20 donation to the MJAS Benefit Fund you can look at 12 of the wonderful pets that found forever homes this year. This was a bigger project than I anticipated, photographing 6 dogs & 6 cats (in their homes) & creating ads for the monthly sponsors, but considering the large amount of funds it will generate for the shelter I was happy to do it. Animals are my greatest joy!

Lindsay & Luke's Nashville wedding

2009-12-01T09:30:00.006-06:00

It was probably the coldest Saturday in October for Lindsay & Luke's wedding but this game wedding party & family took it all in stride as we found sheltered areas to shoot in where possible. The wedding took place at the beautiful 100+ year old Assumption Catholic Church & The University Club at Vanderbilt. Lindsay is such a classic beauty, I have such a hard time choosing just a few pix to show her off...

This is just inside the shelter of the "getting ready building" with the door open for beautiful natural light.

Brrrrrrr, I'm cold just remembering that day

The Bishop performed their ceremony, what an honor!!!

Flowers from Fall Wedding

2009-11-20T13:25:00.004-06:00

The Bellevue Florist did a gorgeous job on Lindsay & Luke's Oct wedding, more pix to follow as I catch up!! Here are a few pix to entice you to check them out if you are planning a wedding.

Haley & Jack

2009-11-05T08:48:00.006-06:00

Haley is one fantastic kid, not to mention hot little horsewoman! She & her partner, Jack, are the perfect pair. I sure love taking pix of kids with their animals, heck, adults too, there is such a positive energy to capture.

MY favorites......

This one makes me think of, "Silly wabbit.. " for some reason...

Cami & Cam tie the knot

2009-10-14T15:46:00.011-05:00

This is the Gramma of the groom & what an adorable, class act she is. The family have been my friends for over 20 years!! Ila is always decked out but on the wedding day she was in the truest sense of the word sportin' her Vans=)

They went all beachy, casual with Tommy Bahama attire... Cam is a helicopter pilot which may have inspired this action shot...??? Cathe, mother of the groom, looking soooooo wonderful. That's where Cam got his piercing blue eyes.

And then Cami appears & what a vision she was. All the guys yelling what a lucky guy Cam is....

I could go for some this this sunshine around Nashville right about now!!! The sisters made for great eye candy & loved to let me play with them for their pictures.

Cami is just gorgeous!!! She's a Julianne Hough look-alike=)

Such wonderful friends giving sincere, heartfelt toasts always makes me glad I met my couples & their friends & families.

I love this one looking back at her mom who is obviously very close to her....

Shelter Volunteers get some of my own volunteering

2009-10-07T16:00:00.005-05:00

You may be aware that I donate a good deal of time to the Mt Juliet Animal Shelter, taking the "kids" pix so people are inspired to come in to adopt them. I recently offered to take pix of some of the other volunteers animals too. The volunteers do soooooo much for the shelter & contribute greatly to its success. And the Mt Juliet Shelter has a fantastic adoption rate! Go online & check them out & see if you can find a place in your heart & home to give one a forever home. These guys are already happily in good families but there are lots more like them. Teddy, the blonde below, came from the Shelter... Trish adopted him the first day he arrived=)

This is one of Mary's sweet kitties... she has four

Judy's little Macie...

Dawn's four kids....

And I had to throw the latest one of my Cooper in=P Man, I love that dog!!

Beach Lifestyle

2009-10-01T20:19:00.007-05:00

I guess moving from San Diego isn't keeping me from photographing my past brides & grooms families too much. I seem to be able to slide in a couple of reunions each time I go back to photograph a wedding & that makes me so happy=) Robin & Jim were married back in July of 2004 & look at the gorgeous children they have made together!!

I love these father & son moments....

Is Allie the cutest thing, or what?!

Gettin' naked was a natural=P They were all wet anyway!

The end of another glorious day & Robin was feelin' it....

Holly's animals

2009-09-30T10:57:00.008-05:00

What fun to go see Holly's new barn & photograph all her sweet animals, all with such individual personalities.. Couldn't resist the last bit of light on her barn & the glimmer it put in Wyatt's eye.

Some yoga stretches for Gracie, look at the happy closed eye as she accommodates & relaxes.

Sadie after hard day of play...

Bones was boney when he found Holly but sure isn't now!!

A couple of so many shots we took of the horses, I'm going to do a drawing & will combine a couple of images that work well together. Not these since the lighting is different but I loved Grace's soft look here.

Farrier came & the light was so dramatic & created such a story.

Loved the lighting.....

Pink is for Girls

2009-09-17T20:09:00.004-05:00

A family reunion at Torch Lake in Michigan gave me the opportunity to catch nieces & cousins playing with my new "favorite for the moment prop" - hula hoops.....

The gorgeous evening light was irresistable....what a pretty scene.....

Claire ...... and parents

2009-09-16T15:06:00.008-05:00

What an absolutely adorable family the Schroeders are!!! This is the 2nd time I've gotten to photograph Claire & it's just so much fun to capture so many moods & expressions of children as you follow them around, and that's about all you can do! I'm really enjoying this family & toddler stuff=)

A hoola hoop & a dandelion keep her still for a few shots....

Lindsay & Luke's engagements

2009-09-16T14:48:00.002-05:00

Lindsay & Luke will tie the knot on Oct 17th in Nashville. I can't say enough good things about them, they are such a sweet couple with super parents - we are sure to have a great time on their wedding day.Lindsay could be a model, don't you think?

Our favorite pic, The Feet. Lindsay says this is totally them!

Joan & Ryan's gorgeous day

2009-09-08T13:14:00.012-05:00

Joan had something happen on her wedding day that I hope will never happen to you ---- she got the flu!!! She was at the emergency room the night before & didn't want Ryan to know, & honestly, the way she cowgirled up, I had now idea she was ill until later at the reception. It is amazing what adrenalin can do for you!! Joan had a couple of "bridesmen" as well as her beautiful bridesmaids....

Her flowers & bridesmaids dresses made the otherwise gray, overcast day pop with color. The unique thing she added to the bouquets were different vintage looking hankies. Frankie at Hartworks Floral created these stunning bouquets.

Anticipation.....

Soooooo Joan!

Humphrey's by the Bay at Half Moon Inn is always a beautiful spot & so much fun for guests to celebrate by the water & under the stars when the sun sets.

Look at this adorable cake topper!! This is about salsa dancing, supposedly=P Cool wine stopper favors....

Love the groomsmen in the background=)))))

Again, sooooo Joan.

Amy & Tommie tie it

2009-09-08T11:45:00.006-05:00

Amy & Tommie's is a story of long distance love... Amy from Australia & Tommie over in Kuwait. Falling in love after she read his blog entries & started communicating, such romance!!!

Tommie's niece as the most adorable flower girl...

The dudes hammin' it up!

Paradise Point is one of the prettiest, beachy locals to have a wedding at in San Diego.

The Carrolls

2009-09-08T11:20:00.005-05:00

Laurie & Mike were one of my brides & grooms from 5 years ago & they just had their 2nd precious boy a month ago. Here's Peyton with dad giving chase. We met up in San Diego while they vacationed there from AZ with newborn, Kemper...

Loving big bro....

Yiks! I'm so behind on blogging......

2009-08-24T17:04:00.007-05:00

I can't help it, I just don't get around to blogging because there is sooooo much more fun stuff (& work) to do!!! Until I can get some of the last shoots up, here are a couple of puppies to share with you. This is Marley, a friend's dog that came to visit & play with Cooper & Angus, mostly Coop.
This is Angus, our little one-eyed weiner =P AKA, hot water bottle....

The Berson Kids

2009-07-21T13:25:00.004-05:00

Susan & Jeffrey are one of my wedding couples from the past & now have two precious boys.

Julie & Derek's Wedding

2009-07-21T13:06:00.008-05:00

There was so much emotion at this adorable couple's wedding, so many tears & so much laughter, check out the funny family dance at the end...

How very hard it is to choose which pix to post here...I always want to tell the story of the day & so many pix need the two on each side of it to tell it all. Guess that's what albums & slideshows are all about though... Here is a sample of what I'm talking about & this isn't the half of it!

Here's their funny alligator dance where they all end up on the floor smashing the gator, too cute!

Perla & Robert & their "kids"

2009-07-21T12:44:00.007-05:00

Perla & Robert were wedding clients of mine from way back in 2004 & wanted a family picture with their fur children. We took to the hills by the reservoir near their home & got some coorperation, & some not, but it was all very fun! And as I learned at the Mt Juliet Shelter, no outfit is complete without a little dog hair=)

Couldn't resist doing some of just them & these are a couple of my favorites.

It's a fun hike up the hill to shoot at this location....

Laura & Jeff's Engagements

2009-07-21T12:01:00.006-05:00

Jeff & Laura are both such easy-going sweet souls, you can just see it in their eyes. They will be married in the fall in San Diego at the beautiful USD Immaculata & have their reception at El Cortez. I sure look forward to their big day, Laura will be a gorgeous bride!

Kassidy (Lead singer of SHeDaisy) & Derrick's San Diego Wedding

2009-06-15T16:10:00.011-05:00

What a joy for all of us waiting outside of the LDS Temple in San Diego to see Kassidy & Derek finally come out the back door! It was a drizzly, May-gray day but the happiness was so overpowering. I LOVE weddings like this!!

The families were so thoughtful & adorable as they shared in Derek & Kassidy's day...... Kassidy is one of the beautiful SHeDaisy sisters, you've surely heard some of their great music!

Could Kassidy look any prettier.......?!

or Derek more dashing?!!!

With just a little daylight left, the family headed to the coast in a bus for some shots we couldn't get in Nashville

Then on to The Ivy in downtown San Diego for their intimate rooftop reception overlooking the city.....

Have you ever seen a cuter cake topper?!!!

Simone & Dunny

2009-05-26T20:08:00.007-05:00

Kids & animals make the cutest pictures. Perfect skin, perfect fur, great smiles, lotsa love..... Look at that TAIL!!!

Dangerous, don't try this rope wrapping with a pony you don't know=0

......Or laying by a horse or pony's back legs=P

More Mt Juliet Shelter kids needing homes....

2009-05-15T14:17:00.004-05:00

Please go to the Mt Juliet Animal Shelter to give one of these or many others a forever home....

Liz & Scott's Engagements

2009-04-30T11:14:00.006-05:00

Liz & Scott found this lovely area in Belle Meade that they wanted to have their engagements taken. Totally romantic & fun, just the way a couple to be married should be!

Are Liz's eyes incredible, or what??!!!

Habitat for Humanity

2009-04-30T10:05:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday was a super fun & rewarding new experience for me, helping build a Habitat for Humanity home. The recipient of the house was there to help & "feel the love" of all the TWESA (Tennessee Wedding & Events Specialists) volunteers. The highlight, besides the good feeling, was learning how to put windows in!! We got darn good at it! It was an early morning call of 6:00 but being a a group with lots of great caterers as members, we were well cared for. There's Mary of Menu Maker Catering enjoying coffee...

There's our new homeowner, Ayalew, in the background on the right..... Diane of Matchless Limousine stricking a careless pose

Sunscreening was the order of the day along with drinking lots of water. Evan & his wife, Amanda, (Evan Baines Photography) slather-up along with Vicki from Branching Out & Patti from The Hilton Garden Inn that will be opening soon.Jody & Zach of Gray Photography acted as our really official photographer & local sunshine...

Angie looking stylish & doin' the admin.....

Jack (Silent Light Images) lookin' good....

Volunteering for the Mt Juliet Shelter

2009-04-25T15:41:00.005-05:00

Well, as I said I was going to do, I started volunteering at the Mt Juliet Animal Shelter last Sunday. I cleaned cat enclosures & then took some pix of the sweet dogs up for adoption. Go see Gizmo, this first one, I'm partial to him since I know firsthand how loveable pit mixes can be.

Silly Kitty

2009-04-19T14:14:00.004-05:00

Silly is the newest edition to the Ziegler family. We adopted her when our vet friend was looking for a home for her. I expected a wild barn cat & she is anything but wild! She looks like Sylvester but since she's a girl she was dubbed Silly.....

Mary & Gary renew vows

2009-04-15T19:37:00.006-05:00

Gary is such a sweet husband, he arranged a 20 year anniversary vow renewal ceremony for himself & his beautiful wife, Mary. It was at the always wonderful Gaylord Opryland Resort where no detail was left undone. They made the pretty bouquets, baked the gorgeous cake & served up champagne elegantly for this little ceremony that included their son Garrett & daughter Danielle.

We had alot of fun walking around the property taking family pix in all combinations & locations. Mary commented that not having a reception waiting was really nice & different than the day they got married. I'd have to agree that is was really nice to just have time to play!!

Katie & John at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

2009-03-26T14:26:00.008-05:00

Having pockets in her gown personifies Katie! What a pleasure it was to photograph such an easy-going bride & all her friends & family that embodied those same great qualities. Carol Jensen coordinated in her usual ease with Rob, her adorable, fun assistant.

A prettier setting than the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is hard to find......

2009-03-25T15:09:00.005-05:00

Here's a piece I just finished & shipped off to it's owner. His name is Blackhawk & he lives in Del Mar, CA. I happen to be helping haul horses out of the danger of the San Diego fires before we moved & he was one of them. He was such a gorgeous Arabian that I told the owner I would LOVE to draw him, & Sheila decided she'd like that too! This is a good opportunity to show how close the fires came to us in San Diego the year before we moved. It was the 2nd time in 4 years that what seemed like all of San Diego was on fire, maybe even all of SoCal! This was Mt Miguel, the hills we rode in just East of us.
This is a gorgeous pic of downtown San Diego that I cannot take credit for. The fires were everywhere!!

Lora & John's Engagements

2009-03-13T12:03:00.005-05:00

Lora & John met during law school so how appropriate for them to want to take engagement pictures around the Courthouse John works in & Lora works across the street from! Set to be married in September, they couldn't be more in love.

Soup Sunday for Our Kids

2009-03-11T15:45:00.005-05:00

Sixty local restaurants came out for the fundraiser for Our Kids a couple of Sundays ago at LP Field. Over 1700 people ate scrumptious samples of soup to their hearts delight & stomaches overload. Our Kids is a Crisis Center helping families struggling with the issue of child sexual abuse. I was happy to donate my services to them as well as all these chefs & silent auction donators. Don't miss the event next year, it's ton of fun for a very worthy cause This photo appeared in the Tennessean the next day when their reporter ended up sick & they asked me for a photo to use, whooohooo!

The crew from Chef's Market (awesome wedding & event caterers) & Wild Ginger Fusion Cuisine......

Sweet volunteerism was everywhere.....

Happy soup eaters of all ages.....

And auction bidders too....

Celebrity judges.....

High school competitors winning awesome awards......

Be sure you go next year, check the Our Kids website for the date.

Need a new head shot?

2009-03-08T12:02:00.010-05:00

I had the pleasure of taking some headshots for super sweet & beautiful bridal consultant, Latrice, from Bridal Opulence. Be sure to give her a call if you need help with your wedding or event.

Pearl

2009-03-04T14:10:00.002-06:00

My latest completed drawing for Bob. I think I've done about 5 other portraits for him of his "children", past & present. I work in pastels & graphite pencil & used to do tons of commissioned artwork until the weddings took over. I think I shall get back to some of this type of work as it can be so rewarding too.

Some good stuff.....

2009-02-27T15:40:00.002-06:00

Life Is Too Short, Break The Rules, Forgive Quickly, Kiss Slowly, Love Truly, Laugh Uncontrollably, And Never Regret Anything That Made You Smile. Life May Not Be The Party We Hoped For, But While We're Here, We Should Dance...

This was at the bottom of an email I received today & I liked it alot. Life seems to be barreling along these days, it's already March 1st on Sunday, yiks!

Julie & Derek's engagement

2009-02-25T09:01:00.006-06:00

Julie & Derek are set to be married on June 20th of this year in San Diego. Their engagements are fitting for the location they chose for their wedding, the beautiful Paradise Point Resort. These two are so cute together, we will surely have a terrific day!! I see hearts all over the place in the shape of their embraces in these pictures.

Beverly & Jeff

2009-02-23T10:15:00.006-06:00

How fun my adorable couple, Beverly & Jeffrey, are going to be on their wedding day in San Diego next September. Truly a match made in heaven!!

Animal Portraits Postcard

2009-02-19T13:50:00.004-06:00

Pursuing the other end of my business is also really important since animals are so dear to me. This is a postcard I just designed to further that cause. I plan to ask all the vets & other animal related places I visit if they wouldn't mind displaying them for me. The new Mt Juliet shelter will be the beneficiary of some of my donated time for sure.

Albums display on my site!!!

2009-02-18T16:09:00.003-06:00

Yeah! I finally have a very cool way to show some album designs on my site! Check this out - http://www.ktziegler.com/albums2.shtml. A huge hug to Chung Chan of Modern Album Designs for the great job he does every time I need help designing albums, & for putting this together for me to show how the stories unfold.

Hotel Del for Jeg & George's wedding

2009-02-16T20:38:00.008-06:00

Having a wedding at Hotel Del Coronado is always something special, but there's definitely something extra special to have the one that's in the Crown Room when there are multiple weddings around the hotel that day! Congratulations Jeg & George! You made it such a nice day with your great planner, Joan Whalen.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T16:16:00.005-06:00

It's wonderful to be in a business that feels like Valentine's Day all the time......

Rachel & James La Jolla Wedding

2009-02-13T15:14:00.008-06:00

One of my favorite weddings from this year was Rachel & James' at Mary, Star of the Sea & La Jolla Country Club, it was so relaxed, almost too relaxed in the getting ready stages! We had lots of time to play with them which is so fun when you have a great prop like an apple red Packard!!

2009-02-08T09:44:00.004-06:00

This is that time of year that we all try to update our sites & I was sending some images to TWESA for their new site they are building & thought I'd share some beautiful florals from past weddings to inspire you. I love lots of texture & variety in arrangements, which these all have -

The Schroeders

2009-02-05T21:14:00.008-06:00

While in San Diego for a wedding I had the opportunity to photograph the adorable Schroeder family. Little Claire was absolutely precious, as you can see.

Barbara & Don

2009-02-05T14:50:00.012-06:00

Good ol' San Diego....can't beat the weather for a wedding on the bay. Barbara & Don were so relaxed that we had a terrific time photographing their wedding ceremony at the Coronado Island Marriott.

2009-02-05T12:53:00.003-06:00

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Kathy Ziegler Art & Photography has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™! In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Kathy Ziegler Art & Photography is one of the very best wedding photographers. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews. “We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.” Kathy Ziegler Art & Photography would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

The Old Way

2009-01-07T21:31:00.007-06:00

Having had my Recent Events section of my site for years I thought that was a very cool way to show what I'd been up to, but peer pressure has prevailed to have a blog so we'll see if I can keep it interesting for those following along. Hold me back from posting too many pix of my animals!!!