Ms. ADONIA FIT 2015

In late summer 2013, the creative idea came to mind to host a Mr. ADONIS photo shoot. The minute the thought downloaded into my head, I immediately set about determining certain criteria that had to be met before crowning someone with the title. Well, with the success of the Mr. ADONIS 2013 shoot, we had to follow-up with a 2014 installment. After introducing Mr. ADONIS 2014, we received an inquiry from someone asking why we did not host the same for women? Well, to be quite honest, the thought NEVER came to my mind. Since this project has always been MY baby, all of the planning that is involved has always been up to me. So after much thought and consideration, we are finally able to present the female counterpart to Mr. ADONIS with Ms. ADONIA (pronounced /a' dōn ya/) FIT!

Introducing Ms. ADONIA FIT 2015... Jazmyne Johnson! Twenty-one year old Jazmyne is a student athlete and broadcast journalism major from Mississippi State University. Jazmyne is a proud member of the Mississippi State volleyball team (Go Lady Bulldogs!), and in addition to being a standout volleyball player, Jazmyne also enjoys spending quality time with family and friends. Her future endeavors include the possibility of playing professional volleyball, particularly overseas, or becoming a sports broadcaster while completing her Master of Business Administration. She would one day like to coach at the collegiate level, and eventually own and operate her own volleyball club, where she can coach and mentor young girls and teens.

 

 

 

Following this phenomenal photo shoot and standing at an impressive 6 feet tall, she may be able to add one more career possibility to her long list of options... MODELING!  She notes, "There is a lot I would love to do in my life, but whatever doors God opens for me, I will accept them with open arms! My family and friends motivate me. They push me to be the best person I can be in life in whatever activity I pursue. They keep me encouraged to go further!" Jazmyne is not only gorgeous, but she has a sweet spirit and there is no doubt she will achieve all that she puts her mind and hard work in to accomplish. Congratulations, Ms. ADONIA FIT 2015!

The Ms. ADONIA FIT shoot also introduces our brand new glam squad leader, Tynita Hunt! We are excited to welcome Tynita (get Polished by Tynita) to the TEAM, and we look forward to her getting our clients "polished" on future shoots. Email her at tynitahunt@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @MakeupbyTynita for a consultation!

Congratulations again Jazmyne and Welcome Tynita!

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 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!

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Mountain Moving Faith... Our Son's Story

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)

When you have children, you just want to wrap them up in a bubble and protect them from the dangers and uncertainties of life, illness and even the effects of their own wrong decisions... but in the end, all you can do is introduce them to Jesus (this is a MUST by the way), teach them right from wrong, cover them in prayer and trust God to do the rest. Sometimes things are just out of our control, and it is then that we realize we have to operate in mountain moving faith. Here is our son's story.

Our son, Sean, was born on September 24, 1999. I can remember like it was yesterday, when he was only a few weeks old, I was led to Mark 9:24 which reads in part, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" There was movement in my spirit, and at that moment, I knew our first born son would be a constant reminder that we must hold fast to our faith, no matter the circumstances. Verse 23 says, "Everything is possible for one who believes" and finally in verse 25, Jesus speaks to the impure spirit and says, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." Bookmark those last two verses. They will be relevant to our story soon. 

Sean has overcome so much in his 14 years... severe colic in his infancy, inability to sleep through the night until he was four years old, and an ADHD diagnosis (which he overcame); but the greatest test he would face by this age would be when we received the call that he had cancer. I will never forget it as long as I live. It was Friday, December 13, 2013. I was home on bed rest, just having had major surgery four days earlier, when the surgeon who removed a mass from the ball of our son's right hand index finger back in October, called to tell me that after receiving lab results from several facilities around the country (including Johns Hopkins), what I assumed was simply a cyst turned out to be malignant. It was cancer. Everything from that point was a blurr. My eyes immediately began to fill with tears, and I could barely wait to get off the phone with the surgeon before the tears became screaming sobs. I have never cried out to my God in such a desperate way in my life, but I felt so helpless. How could this mass that seemed to appear out of nowhere in July be cancer? How could this have happened? Was it something we didn't do? This can't be real! My mother, who was there caring for me in my recovery, came racing around the corner and all I could do was scream, "Sean has cancer!"

As soon as my mother began to scream, the fear that was beginning to overtake me left. I hopped out of bed (as if I had not had surgery), and ran to the kitchen to grab my oil. I became angry. There was a spirit of infirmity that had invaded our home and attacked our son and I was not having it. This illness had to go! I cried out and commanded the spirit of infirmity (our mountain) to leave our son. He had a purpose in God's plan, and nothing and no one was going to hinder him. I anointed everything my son could possibly touch when he got home and prayed that it would be like a healing stream! I knew God would get the glory from his testimony and in that knowledge, I found great comfort. After some time I settled down, called my husband to tell him the news, and began to pray for the strength to tell Sean and his little brother later that night. I repeated over and over again... "Lord, we trust YOU. We know YOU will heal our son. Our faith WILL NOT waver." This is a statement I would continue to speak aloud, with confidence, throughout his experience.
 
We have always been straightforward with our kids. We have made every attempt to be as honest as possible with them (after all, we were the parents who never taught Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy). We're realists, and we wanted to make sure our sons were the same. However, this was a moment of honesty I didn't want to face. We gathered around the dinner table, like we always do, and I broke the news. Stefan, who turned 9 one week prior, immediately burst into tears, while Sean sat staring... speechless. He didn't show a lot of emotion, which concerned me, but later that night, after his brother was asleep, he came to me and sobbed in my arms. It was heartbreaking. I told him that we would pray and have faith that God would heal him. I began to pray the scriptures over him and I told him God honors His word above His own name. This illness was nailed to the cross. He would be healed and we could not waver in our belief that he would. I anointed his head, we prayed and I sent him to bed. We soon mobilized prayer warriors across the nation to go before the thrown on his behalf. This was one battle we would not fight alone, but we would surely get the victory!

Our first visit to see the surgeon and oncologist left us with an option we were not anticipating. They felt the best recourse, if his fingertip was the origin of the cancer, would be to remove the tip down to the first digit, resulting in a negative scope. Mind you, this was his right hand (dominant) they were talking about. The thought was devastating. As parents, we first had to research, ask questions, and seek out a second opinion, and at the same time be very aware of the timeline. Sean underwent numerous tests and scans, but they could not specifically identify the type of soft-tissue sarcoma he had. What they discovered was that he had no other cancer growths in his body (Thank you, Jesus!). Since they were unable to attach it to any other family of sarcomas, because it was so rare, they had to create a name for it until further research was done. It was referred to as an unclassified epithelioid round cell neoplasm. 

They would have to continue running tests to find out more about it, but what they could confirm was that it was very aggressive and every oncologist we spoke with expressed their concern for what could happen if it spread. The surgeon and the entire Department of Oncology group at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, suggested the same treatment plan; he would have to have the fingertip removed in order to save him from possible life-threatening spread. Test after test was run to make sure there was no other cancer in his body and they all came back clear. They could not believe it was discovered while it was still very small and still at the source. These types of cancers are usually not discovered until they are either much larger and require removal of the entire finger, or after they have already spread. We were so grateful and we knew the power of prayer was hard at work!

His father recalls talks with Sean, where Sean would ask, "Dad, why me?" He explained that sometimes life seems unfair, but no matter what happens, we need to learn from life's trials and remain strong in the process. He never wanted Sean to see him worry, but remain strong in spirit and full of faith, so Sean could be the same. Attitude and perspective are everything. Sean's surgery was Wednesday, February 26, 2014. The entire time he remained brave and very mature in how he handled his circumstances. He has continued to impress many, including his doctors, with his positive attitude. We have continued to live our lives as usual, the entire time, refusing to waver in our faith; and as a result, he did not develop fear of any kind. He accepted what needed to happen and he was ready to be rid of the disease so he could get back to life and basketball. It is one thing to SAY you walk by faith, and not by sight, but it is something TOTALLY different when you actually have to WALK it out. He watched us, and through our faith, he knew God had everything all under control. His faith grew from this experience.

Sean is now getting back to his old self, with full use of his finger though some modifications. He never missed a beat and went through it all while still playing basketball for his middle school. He refuses to allow this situation to discourage him. It happened and he has accepted that his shorter finger is a part of who he is now. He has been healed of this disease on THIS side of heaven, with no chemotherapy or radiation treatments necessary, only semi-annual scans until he is well into college. He has a reason to be excited about life and we, as his parents, have a reason to rejoice! His story had to be told. It happened so quickly, all over the course of seven months, that it's almost hard to believe... BUT GOD! He has returned to AAU basketball and is looking forward to heading to high school in the fall. For those of you who prayed, THANKS will NEVER be enough, but please know that you are appreciated more than you will ever know. May you be blessed beyond your greatest imaginations, in health and in every area of your lives!

Victorious Cancer Survivor!

"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." I Chronicles 16:22

Thank you so much for visiting our blog. I know this post was long, but we really felt the need to tell our son's story in as much detail as possible. This is our heart and our prayer is that it encourages someone, that no matter what you are going through, your faith can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Trust God in all things and pray without ceasing... No, pray His WORD without ceasing. It works and we are living witnesses, when your faith is activated, there is NO room for fear. Our son is cancer FREE and has a testimony! What an awesome God we serve! Visit us on the web at www.PhotographybySeanPonder.com. Like us on FaceBook and follow us on InstaGram and Pinterest!

May you each be blessed with God's most divine blessings!

In Him,

Angela
The Creative Director

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The Dynamic Duo - The TEAM at Photography by Sean Ponder

Like we always do at this time... The Dynamic Duo is BACK!

Since this is the first blog of 2014, allow us to extend our warmest, "HAPPY NEW YEAR" regards to all of our readers! We are glad to be back after the holidays and other life circumstances brought us to a bit of a stand still. However, like anything else, we have to always proceed in faith that we are exactly where God wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do and being the example He wants us to be. I must say that building this photography business has brought us face-to-face with a wealth of challenges, but at the same time, it has awarded us a lot of great opportunities and a chance to meet and network with some really outstanding people, and for that we are truly grateful.

Well, after a brief hiatus and putting everything on hold, we FINALLY decided to delve into our long awaited promo shoot for The TEAM. Kind of corny, but I like to refer to what I have always known the acronym for T.E.A.M. to be... Together Everyone Achieves More, as something to live by while we continue to work on our dreams. We love having something that we can build TOGETHER. This business is our passion and we are enjoying every minute of the journey. We are learning and growing TOGETHER, and although we may not always agree, the lessons learned are well worth the late nights and occasional stress we experience.

For our photo shoots, I decided to give the stylist in me room to step forward and be more prominent. While I allowed Sean to simply be who he is (he usually doesn't budge when it comes to comfort), I decided to experiment with plenty of color and a totally new look! It was a lot of fun, and in the end, I think all of the looks worked for me. What do you think?

The TEAM at Photography by Sean Ponder

The Photographer & Lead Visionary

The Creative Director & Stylist

  

On Saturday, March 8, 2014, we will celebrate seventeen years of marriage. Those kinds of numbers really help to put things into perspective. We have two phenomenal sons (ages 14 and 9) whom we would go to the ends of the earth for, a great life, and a business we could literally see building and growing into an empire. As long as ideas keep flowing, we will continue to keep moving in the direction we are led... TOGETHER (#TeamPonder). If we could offer anyone advice when it comes to starting your own business, it would be to never give up on your dreams. Put less faith in yourself and every ounce into God and the vision He has given you, and then put in the work required to be successful. He will give you everything you need to get started, but it is all up to you to make the first move. Let's start the process of making our own dreams come true in 2014. Wishing you the best!

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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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