The Man...The Movement...The Message.

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through 

continuous struggle." 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Saturday, January 10th, my husband and I decided to take our sons to see the movie, "Selma", the recently released motion picture drama based on the events of the historical marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama which led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This year marks its 50th Anniversary! The scene was set during a troubling time in our nation, right in the midst of a movement toward racial equality and the protection of the civil rights for all Americans. If you have not had a chance to see this movie, it is a MUST see! It is powerful and gripping from start to finish, and filled with such dramatic performances that you will literally be on the edge of your seat the entire time!

This movie will take you to a time where you witness the strength, passion, sheer determination and resilience of those who participated in the Civil Rights Movement. The peaceful, yet hugely effective protests, the sit-ins, the boycotts, the marches, and all other acts that afforded African-Americans the freedoms we enjoy today;  the opportunity to eat at any restaurant we choose, use public water fountains, VOTE (which is something EVERY legal citizen over the age of 18 should be doing), and to sit and enjoy a movie like this one in a movie theater in the south.  It is a great movie to see with the family, and especially your children. It is a part of our history, and although it is a heart-wrenching drama, it is still a movie well worth seeing. We cannot take the sacrifices of these brave men and women for granted. The movement is not over. It is important that the next generation have a greater understanding of the journey we have traveled, and how critical it is that knowledge is transferred to keep us moving forward as a people.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

"Selma" refueled our desire to attend the Annual MLK Day March as a family. There is so much we have to expose them to about the struggle...there is so much to be remembered about our past, and we have to stay in constant dialogue in hopes of further advancing the outcome of our future. On Monday, January 19th, we joined the city of Murfreesboro, TN at the Central Magnet School to begin our walk toward Remembering the Dream! There was an ethnically diverse group in attendance, coming together for one common cause... to keep Dr. King's dream alive!

   

We made our way from Central Magnet through neighboring streets toward the Patterson Park Community Center, singing hymns and binding our hearts together. The event culminated with several inspiring presentations underneath the pavilion, and a reenactment of two of Dr. King's famous speeches, including his memorable "I Have a Dream". It felt good to be back at it. We can never forget.  

 

"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend." 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

It is our responsibility to inform the next generation of what it all truly means. The Dream of Dr. King still remains dear to our hearts. There have been so many negative images of  young men in the news lately, we want to make sure ours experience a rich history, and become equipped with the resources to continue to be positive influences for their peers. I am so grateful for the examples our "Freedom Fighters" set for us all. How they taught us to fight, not with our hands, but with our will, our faith and our determination, and with the utmost dignity and self-respect. Let Freedom Ring!

"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

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 (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder. We follow back! 

Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!

Angela

The Creative Director
  



www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

It has been a minute since I last made a post, so I figured it would be a great way to usher in this New Year! So grateful for God's amazing gift of another year and for the opportunity to see it with my family.

So, what can I say about 2014? I can definitely say it was a year of highs and lows, but nonetheless, we came out of it built Ford tough! We watched while God supernaturally healed not just one, but BOTH of our sons (won't He do it?). We learned many lessons about life, business and PEOPLE. We learned to set some attainable and a few far reaching goals. We learned (and I guess are still learning) how not to take things too seriously OR personally. We learned that remaining focused would be necessary for our success in any area, and that we would need to steer clear of unnecessary distractions that threatened to redirect us. We learned that not everyone would be in favor of our progress and that's ok. It takes all of the above to help push you beyond where you are and it was always just what we needed to move past a particular plateau in our lives. We just accepted that not everyone would understand our vision, our time investment, and why and how we do what we do, but we also know it was never intended for their understanding.

Now that 2015 is officially underway, it is time to start your engines and set (or reset) some goals. Create a vision board (on our To Do List for Jan. 1st, by the way) or a bucket list of things you want to accomplish this year. If you go through year after year without a plan, what on earth are you accomplishing besides just simply "EXISTING"? When you don't have goals and something to work toward, then you tend to focus more on the people who do. I saw a quote recently that read, "Winners focus on winning, losers focus on winners."  Now, I'm not necessarily calling anyone a loser, but if you're not out winning, then what are you doing? Stop focusing on what others are doing and start building some dreams of your own. Otherwise, you miss out on a chance to really live! Oh, and don't forget to spend some of your time volunteering, whether it is to help out your ministry or for a community outreach initiative. It's a great way to develop some compassion.

Now to wrap-up 2014, our family decided to just cut loose and do what we normally do when no one is watching. I love having a family that knows how to laugh and have a good time. Laughter is good for the soul and we do a lot of it! Enjoy a few images from our impromptu shoot! It is what it is!

   

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 (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder. We follow back! 

Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!

Angela

The Creative Director
  


 www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com

Day Shoot (Part II) - The Lake & The Landscape

As promised, Part II of our recent Day Shoot is here! We return with Michael and Mariah on location lakeside, for another phenomenal shoot! Although this shoot was briefly interrupted by a rain shower that sent us running for cover in our cars, once it passed, we were back to work! We absolutely LOVE shooting on-location! It provides a new canvas for creative expression with each and every angle change. Check out these images from our shoot out at the lake!

So, whenever YOU are ready for a shot of creativity and a change from the normal photo session, email us at PhotographybySeanPonder@ymail.com and tell us your vision! If you are not sure of just what you want to do, schedule your FREE consultation and we can sit down and step through how to help you shine!

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 (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Photography by Sean Ponder!

Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!

Angela

The Creative Director

Visit us on the web!

www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com

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Day Shoot (Part I) - The Laundromat

So recently we had the pleasure of doing a couple of concept shoots with models, Michael and Mariah. Talk about a fun shoot! Michael and Mariah were definitely in their element during our day shoot, and I doubt this will be the last you see of either of them. They have some really big goals in mind and we are excited to play just a small role in helping them realize them! 

So, the first location was a little unorthodox to say the least, but we figured, we don't live inside a box, so why think inside one? We chose a laundromat for Part I of the Day Shoot. I remember wondering what Michael and Mariah would think of shooting in a laundromat... A laundromat? Really? The idea for this concept was born out of our sincere desire to be different. Every photographer becomes known for their unique style or niche and OUR style happens to be concepts. We both liked the idea enough to try it. It was something new. Here are a few images from Part I of that Day Shoot. What do you think?

Needless to say, Mariah TOTALLY loves the camera and it was evident throughout this shoot! We look forward to watching them pursue their dreams, knowing those dreams are truly possible! Stay tuned for Part II of the Day Shoot...

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, Peace, Love and Light!

Angela

The Creative Director

Visit us on the web!

www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com

www.behance.net/PhotosbySeanPonder

The "Mr. ADONIS 2014" Photo Shoot

Last summer, I had the vision to do a Mr. ADONIS photo shoot. Since my husband and I embrace that which is creatively different with regard to our photography style, we both agreed to give it a go. So I took the lead on this project and we eventually shot our very first Mr. ADONIS session. When we released the blog post, it was met with some totally unexpected approval and the post quickly became our most popular blog post at that time; having received several hundred hits within a short period. Well, this led us to decide to make this shoot a yearly event, and we began putting some guidelines in place in order to make the selection process as easy as possible. Now, here we are in 2014, and it is official... the annual Mr. ADONIS shoot is in full-effect! 

Please allow me to introduce you to our NEW Mr. ADONIS 2014... Mr. Reginald Shannon! The man who shares the same first and last name as my own brother (the irony), hails from Nashville, TN. A former athletic standout from LaVergne High School, Reginald holds the record for having been the FIRST in LaVergne's history to make it to the state tournament in track. In addition, he was also named All County in football. Based on this, it's safe to say Reginald has been into physical fitness pretty much his entire life, starting with his days in pee-wee football. Fitness is a lifestyle that he embraces wholeheartedly, and in fact, the husband and father has made it his personal mission to encourage everyone around him to get fit and stay healthy! Reginald's formula for fitness is simple: Health = Wealth. He states, "God gives us ONE temple to take care of for Him to dwell in, so I believe in giving Him the BEST!"

The day of the photo shoot, it was a beautiful sunny day, and it was perfect for capturing images by the swimming pool. Here are a few samples from that recent shoot with Mr. ADONIS 2014...

In addition to being a fitness champion, Reginald is also an owner/operator truck driver. As a matter of fact, he purchased his first truck about four years ago, following a recession lay-off. It was during this time that, instead of feeling defeated, he decided to step out on faith and start his own business. He considers it the best decision he could have made, and I must agree, there is nothing like owning your own. When I found out he was a truck driver, I thought it only fitting that he be photographed with his beloved rig, so we included it in the shoot as well!

 

In the next 5-10 years, Reginald hopes to continue to grow in his calling to help others mind, body and spirit, expand his businesses, and help others to start their own, as well. Congratulations to Reginald for being named Mr. ADONIS 2014! We applaud you for staying the course and being an encouragement for others to take back their health AND their life! Keep up the great work and best wishes for much success!

Now, who will be the next Mr. ADONIS? Stay tuned...

(As a side note, we have received several inquiries about developing an equivalent to this shoot for the ladies. Plans are in the works. Please email us at PhotographybySeanPonder@ymail.com, for more information and guidelines, if you are interested in the opportunity. We would love to feature YOU!)

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

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