Happy Holidays from The Ponders!

This year has been an absolute whirlwind for our family! Our photography business kicked up SEVERAL notches (special THANKS to all of our clients and phenomenal models!). We published our first blog in the spring of this year, and since then, it has received over 3,000 views globally, in addition to a lot of great feedback! We developed a blue print for the second half of the year for our business, assigned tasks, and executed it exactly as planned. This blueprint also helped in mapping out plans for 2014. We rolled out our official logo, launched our website and online portfolio, and we raised the bar on our own creative offerings, in an effort to stretch us beyond what we "thought" we wanted to do; to help us determine our specific niche and really make some things happen as we go forward into the New Year.

On the home front, we witnessed both of our sons become champions this year! Our son, Sean played on a championship middle school basketball team earlier in the year, and they landed the title of Rutherford County Middle School Champions! Our son, Stefan played on a championship youth football team just this fall, where they were awarded two titles, Mid-State Youth Football League Champions and "Battle in Rocky Top" National Champions. We keep them busy, they keep us running, and they have constant goals that they are in pursuit of at all times.

This year did not come without its own set of challenges and circumstances, that tested both our faith and our ability to remain strong under pressure. Through life-changing infirmities plaguing our household in 2013, we continue to forge our way TOGETHER. We wouldn't have it any other way. 

About a month ago, we set out to take some fall family photos to create Christmas cards. It took two separate days of shooting, but we ended up with some images we really liked. This is US... the Ponder family. We are a hardworking, praying, loving family who have a great time together. We manage a growing business we are very proud of and we support every endeavor of our children, and we always will.
 

The Team at Photography by Sean Ponder is totally focused, armed with goals, and prepared to charge into the New Year at full throttle! We have some AMAZING shoots scheduled that are going to knock your socks off! In addition, by mid-year, we will introduce Mr. ADONIS 2014! Don't go ANYWHERE... The Team at Photography by Sean Ponder is just getting started!

As we wrap up this eventful year, we plan to simply relax and enjoy our family and friends for the remainder of this holiday season. We pray that you and your families have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year!

See you in 2014!

Angela

The Creative Director

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The Making of Champions!

This blog post is a little bit of a change from the norm, as the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder wanted to spotlight an outstanding local youth program, and in particular, a group of amazing young athletes, who achieved a perfect season record and who deserve to be recognized for their success. The LaVergne Wolverines Youth Football & Cheer program, located in LaVergne, Tennessee, recently celebrated the accomplishments of their CCC team for securing TWO championships, one of which is nationally recognized, within the 2013 season! 

In July 2013, in the city of LaVergne, a team was formed in the CCC division that would change the way people view the performance of small town athletes. Head coach, Adrian “AP” Parker, Sr. along with a host of assistant coaches, was determined to bring out the best in each player on his team mentally and physically. Coach Parker states, “Every now and then you just get a special group of kids. This was one of those groups and they lived up to the hype.” Everyone involved, the coaches, the players and the parents, made a commitment and devoted time and energy to building a strong team. The players put in a lot of hard work throughout the season, and in the end, every ounce of it paid off. 

Following an undefeated regular season and play-off record, the young athletes in the CCC division went on to win the Mid-State Youth Football League championship game against the Una Bears from Antioch, TN on November 9. Two weeks later, On November 24th, the young men did it again when they clinched the national championship division title against the Powerhouse Athletics from Charlotte, North Carolina, during the “Battle in Rocky Top” National Championships in Knoxville, TN. This annual competition draws some of the best teams from all over the United States to travel and compete. 
 

Congratulations to the LaVergne Wolverines CCC team and coaches on the two championship titles and the 17-0 season record! You deserve it! Looking forward to seeing what is in store for next season!
 

If you are interested in the LaVergne Wolverines Youth Football or Cheerleading program, visit their website at www.lavergneyouthfootball.org for more information.

Thank you so much for visiting our blog! Keep up with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder by visiting our website at www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com or on FaceBook at Facebook.com/PhotographybySeanPonder. You can also follow us on InstaGram at Photography by Sean Ponder!

Until next time, be blessed!

Angela

The Creative Director

Visit us on the web!

www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com

www.behance.net/PhotosbySeanPonder

The Night Shoot

Recently, we got another opportunity to work with model, Nicole, but this time around we decided on a night time concept shoot. We have been wanting to do a night shoot for a while now, but we couldn't decide if we wanted to move in the direction of a glamour or urban overall look. Nicole was able to give us a little bit of both looks all in one session!

The night of the shoot, the air was very crisp and windy, but despite the elements and a host of other challenges, we got it done. This first shot actually inspired the entire shoot and was the birthplace of the creative concept. I envisioned the look and called on a couple of models I knew could make this happen. Nicole accepted the call. She was a trooper throughout the cold wind and constant adjustments to the lighting. She definitely delivered!

These next two shots were taken inside of a moving elevator overlooking the city, and in my humble opinion, they came out absolutely stunning! Not easy, but definitely worth all of the effort and people traffic we had to contend with. Totally worth it!

For this shot, I was going for a more playful, flirty, urban look. Once again, Nicole step outside the box and gave me exactly what I was looking for with a fresh face, especially considering how late it was when we did the shoot. 

 
We ended the night shoot with some simple head shots. All in all, we had a great night of shooting! Looking forward to many more creative concept shoots for 2014. Stay tuned...there is DEFINITELY more on the way!

Thanks so much to each of you for taking time out to visit our blog! Keep up with what's happening next with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder. "Like us" on Facebook or "Follow us" on InstaGram at PhotographybySeanPonder. Find more of our work and access all of our social networking sites on our website at www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com.

Until next time, be blessed and Happy Holidays!

Angela

The Creative Director

Visit us on the web!

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The Story Behind the Photographs

It has been a while since we did a session with our kids and this week we decided to get a quick one in...so here goes!

Having children, there always seems to be an interesting story behind everything we do, and this shoot was no different. For the most part, I'm generally pleased with the outcome, especially considering the painstaking efforts we make just to get a good shot from each of our kids. While our eldest huffs and puffs, our little one just whines about having to get his picture made. I really don't think they take our photography work seriously yet. Both of them are truly characters in their own right. On the one hand, we have a son who thinks he's cooler than his parents, and on the other, we have a son who actually still thinks his parents are cool. Now I will stop right there and leave it for all of you to decide which is which. I'll wait...

Now back to the blog... =0)

My thoughts behind the direction for this shoot were simple. I wanted to showcase our sons' true personalities, while getting shots of them representing their favorite sport. We also wanted to play on the color of the images, as well, finally agreeing on more of a "washed" look in the final edits.

I think we are all still a bit amazed at the fact that Sean nailed the shot of the "floating basketball". It turned out great! This was the first photo our son added to his InstaGram page and it was an Insta hit! He is coming into his own and developing his own unique sense of confidence and style. I love watching him as he transitions from a quirky kid, to a handsome and very mannerable young man. One who has had several teachers refer to him as, "a likeable leader, who has the ability to influence his peers". Yep, that's the stuff that really makes you proud!

 

The next shot of our eldest was very endearing... God first, then family, then BASKETBALL, and in THAT order! All else pales in comparison. Those are three things in his life that he always makes time for... right now anyway. I'll embrace it, because I know that very soon, he will be adding a few things to that list. 

We drew inspiration for our little one's shoot right out of Sports Illustrated. The shot with the gloves and the attempt to create the word "Nike" was all his idea. This 4-year veteran of little league football enjoys trying to out do his big brother when it comes to just about everything. He reads and studies every book he can get his hands on about football and basketball, including information on players, the colleges they attended, their positions, and their stats, in an effort to engage in conversations about both sports on an advanced level.
 

Well, what can I say about this photo of our 8-year old? He is Mr. Personality! He rarely shows this side of himself in public, but in the comfort of his own home, he really lets loose! This is who we see, ALL the time... and I absolutely love it! BRING IT ON!

Now back to the debonair one... the final images are photos I pushed for our 14-year old to take. I drew inspiration for this set from the Men's Fashion Magazine. Although he is not very fond of modeling, he has grown to be really good at it, so I continually encourage (ok, maybe push a little) for him to cultivate the gift. We have no idea just how far it could take him. One thing I know for certain is that children will never realize their full potential, without our support as parents. Parental support affords them great opportunities and a wealth of confidence. It is our responsibility to make sure they get it. As far as The Ponders are concerned, regardless of their endeavors, supporting our kids 100 percent is not an option; it's a standard.

Thank you so much for visiting our blog. You can find out more about us and our style of photography on our website at www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com. Like us on FaceBook and follow us on InstaGram and Pinterest!

As always, be blessed!

Angela
The Creative Director

Visit us on the web!

www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com

www.behance.net/PhotosbySeanPonder

The 2013 "ADONIS" Photo Shoot

Well, as of late, my creativity has been in overdrive, and several weeks ago, I came up with the idea of doing an “ADONIS" themed concept shoot. I went to work doing some research to determine what an “ADONIS" should look like, and when I found some examples, I was immediately ready to toss the idea out of the window. I mean honestly, who on earth could I get to pose for this shoot? Even more… how was I going to convince Sean to even take the shots? I had my work cut out for me, because the latter would be my GREATEST challenge yet!

As good fortune would have it, my husband has really come to trust my creative vision, and as long as I coordinated the entire session, he would shoot it. Mission #1, ACCOMPLISHED! Now, all I needed to do was find our “ADONIS". I turned to FaceBook as a resource to see if any of my connections fit the description, but then I worried about actually approaching someone about doing the shoot. Talk about a bad case of the nerves! This was not your typical photo session.

It was a little after 6 AM one morning, when I logged on and the very first post I noticed in my newsfeed was by none other than Timothy Knott, Certified Fitness Trainer, and someone both my husband and I know personally. JACKPOT! I had found our “ADONIS!" Now, I needed to figure out how I was going to present the opportunity to him. I guess I had to take a page out of the Nike handbook and “Just Do It!” I sent him a message and told him what we were trying to do, and with little hesitation, he agreed. His last words were, “See you on the 16th.” Mission #2, ACCOMPLISHED! The rest… is now history.

Introducing our 2013 "ADONIS", Mr. Timothy Knott, Certified Fitness & Strength Training Expert and owner of 3P Fitness, in LaVergne, TN. Just to give you some background on him, Tim has always wanted to be fit and healthy. He has been working out and trying to eat right since he was in his twenties. He began his journey by giving tips on form and types of exercises that would target certain parts of the body. Eventually, after having to refuse to train several people because he was not certified as a personal trainer, he decided that this was what he loved to do, and made the decision to do it full-time. He really wanted to help people become healthy and fit, as well. Tim became certified as a personal trainer and since that time, has truly enjoyed helping others reach their fitness goals!

Tim states, "Success to me is never giving up until you see your dream come to pass." We wish you all the best in your endeavors, Tim, and congratulations on being named the 2013 "ADONIS!"

If you're interested in starting a challenging program that really WORKS, or if you just want more information, stop by 3P Fitness at 5168B Murfreesboro Rd, in LaVergne, TN, email Tim at 3PFITNESS@gmail.com or call (615) 775-2358 today! You can also visit the website at 3pfitness.yolasite.com. Now, who will be the next "ADONIS"?

(Have a small business and are in need of some highly effective promotional images? Contact Photography by Sean Ponder to book a photo session, and YOUR business will be featured in this blog!)

Thank you so much for visiting our blog. You can find out more about us and our style of photography on our website at www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com. Like us on FaceBook and follow us on InstaGram and Pinterest!

As always, be blessed!

Angela
The Creative Director

Visit us on the web!

www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com

www.behance.net/PhotosbySeanPonder