Varland Photography Blog

Happy New Year!

Annie Varland — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:30:47 +0000

This month will bring three new things for Varland Photography and we are so incredibly excited about them all!!! A sneak peek of each one is below!

Until then, we hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!!!

- Annie and Toby

It’s Christmas Night

Annie Varland — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:59:22 +0000

Every Christmas I stop and ponder the amazing love that radiates throughout the world. I think about how there are so many who reach out to others this time of year. I marvel at the goodness we are capable of. I pray that Toby, the kids, and I can be a part of that goodness and love. And I pray that we’ll spend the coming year “playing our best for Him” like the little drummer boy. That’s what it’s all about.

In that same spirit, I’d like to share with you something that I came across years ago in one of Max Lucado’s Christmas books. Every time I read it, it’s as meaningful to me as the first time. I’m moved and filled with hope. God came near. We are so incredibly blessed.

Merry Christmas.
Annie

It’s Christmas night. The house is quiet. Even the crackle is gone from the fireplace. Warm coals issue a lighthouse glow in the darkened den. Stockings hang empty on the mantle. The tree stands naked in the corner. Christmas cards, tinsel, and memories remind Christmas night of Christmas day.

It’s Christmas night. What a day it has been! Spiced tea. Santa Claus. Cranberry sauce. “Thank you, so much.” “You shouldn’t have!” “Grandma is on the phone.” Knee-deep wrapping paper. “It just fits.” Flashing cameras.

It’s Christmas night. The girls are in bed. Jenna dreams of her talking Big Bird and clutches her new purse. Andrea sleeps in her new Santa pajamas. It’s Christmas night. The tree that only yesterday grew from soil made of gifts, again grows from the Christmas tree stand. Presents are now possessions. Wrapping paper is bagged and in the dumpsite. The dishes are washed and leftover turkey awaits next week’s sandwiches.

It’s Christmas night. The last of the carolers appeared on the ten o’clock news. The last of the apple pie was eaten by my brother-in-law. And the last of the Christmas albums have been stored away having dutifully performed their annual rendition of chestnuts, white Christmases, and red-nosed reindeer.

It’s Christmas night.

The midnight hour has chimed and I should be asleep, but I’m awake. I’m kept awake by one stunning thought. The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed. The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stop watches and weapons. We stepped off our racetracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the star of Bethlehem.

It’s the season to be jolly because, more than at any other time, we think of him. More than in any other season, his name is on our lips. And the result? For a few precious hours our heavenly yearnings intermesh and we become a chorus. A ragtag chorus of longshoremen, Boston lawyers, illegal immigrants, housewives, and a thousand other peculiar persons who are banking that Bethlehem’s mystery is in reality, a reality. “Come and behold him” we sing, stirring even the sleepiest of shepherds and pointing them toward the Christ-child.

For a few precious hours, he is beheld. Christ the Lord. Those who pass the year without seeing him, suddenly see him. People who have been accustomed to using his name in vain, pause to use it in praise. Eyes, now free of the blinders of self, marvel at his majesty. All of a sudden he’s everywhere. In the grin of the policeman as he drives his paddy wagon full of presents to the orphanage. In the twinkle in the eyes of the Taiwanese waiter as he tells of his upcoming Christmas trip to see his children. In the emotion of the father who is too thankful to finish the dinner table prayer. He’s in the tears of the mother as she welcomes home her son from overseas. He’s in the heart of the man who spent Christmas morning on skid row giving away cold baloney sandwiches and warm wishes. And he’s in the solemn silence of the crowd of shopping mall shoppers as the elementary school chorus sings “Away in a Manger.” Emmanuel. He is with us. God came near.

It’s Christmas night.

In a few hours the cleanup will begin — lights will come down, trees will be thrown out. Size 36 will be exchanged for size 40, eggnog will be on sale for half-price. Soon life will be normal again. December’s generosity will become January’s payments and the magic will begin to fade. But for the moment, the magic is still in the air. Maybe that’s why I’m still awake. I want to savor the spirit just a bit more. I want to pray that those who beheld him today will look for him next August. And I can’t help but linger on one fanciful thought: if he can do so much with such timid prayers lamely offered in December, how much more could he do if we thought of him every day?

from God Came Near
copyright 1987 Max Lucado

Giving is Awesome :: Winners

Annie Varland — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:59:19 +0000

It’s been amazing to hear all of the wonderful things about so many people in our community who give so much of themselves. We’ve managed to narrow things down to two official winners and a two people who will be receiving some other packages on us. (It’s just so hard to choose!!! )

Our official winners are the nominees of Bridget Kaiser and Brian Hiser. Both of these families sound like they are made of fantastic people and we can’t wait to meet them all!!!

Here’s a little bit of what Bridget and Brian had to say:

“Last year, I interviewed John and Cheryl for a paper in a sociology class and was totally blown away by how great their love is and how passionately they are in love. They have raised upstanding intelligent gentlemen and an incredibly giving daughter. I was in their house a couple of weeks ago and looking at the photos on the wall. In the last family photo, Olivia was about four years old. I know that they don’t have a lot of money with college tuition, paying church bills before their own, and feeding anyone that comes through their door, but they have the biggest hearts of anyone I know.”

“I have a friend that I work with who matches the criteria to a tee. He works with me at the bank so I know he doesn’t make alot of money and his girlfriend works part time as a waitress at Barlycorn’s and he has two small children and they really struggle just to make ends meet. In fact my boss gave him a coat last night at work because he doesn’t have one. He is an extremely nice person and I think he and his family would greatly enjoy this for the holidays.”

Thanks to everyone who nominated someone for this year’s Giving is Awesome! Our official Christmas post will be coming Christmas night!

For now, I’ll leave you with the image below from earlier this evening. I fell in love with it as soon as I took it. Emma’s look of pure wonder warms my heart…

Merry Christmas!
- Annie

Giving is Awesome :: Reminder

Annie Varland — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:32:05 +0000

Just a reminder to nominate someone for our Giving is Awesome giveaways!!! The deadline is tomorrow, December 23rd at 11pm!

Thanks for your participation so far!!!

If you missed my two posts from earlier today, you can click on the links to see them! I posted one of the four of us and one about the get-together we had with some photographers last weekend!

I’ll be announcing the winners tomorrow! Here’s some pictures of the kids to hold you over (as if I haven’t posted enough today)!
- Annie

Realize Your Dream

Annie Varland — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:27:15 +0000

Please check out our Giving is Awesome post for more information about free portrait sessions for those in need.

If you missed my post from earlier today, you can see it here!

Ever since we started Varland Photography, I’ve hoped and prayed that I could build wonderful relationships with those around us. We’ve always thought that photography should bring us closer to those who also share that passion. There are so many kind-hearted people out there that share that view. We are so blessed to have met (both in person and online) the wonderful people that we have - photographers, videographers, wedding planners, etc. There is so much talent out there and we both feel so humbled by it. We’re just incredibly thankful to be a part of this amazing industry!

One of the things that making those friendships has given us is the opportunity to just relax and enjoy the passion that we share with good friends. When I mentioned it in a previous post, I referred to the experience as getting “back to the basics”. Capturing joy. Capturing laughter. Capturing passion. Capturing color. Capturing details. Capturing all of those things that are part of life’s beauty and delicate grandeur… All of those things are present in a wedding day and one of the reasons we love shooting weddings is that everyone else seems to have a heightened sense of how extraordinary ordinary things can be. To us, though, that wonder and excitement about our surroundings happens every day. And it’s nice to stop sometimes and capture that.

So here are the things that we captured when we got together with Amanda, Cailyn, and Kevin.

Thanks for a wonderful day, guys!

- Annie

We started out at the most amazing breakfast place in the Cincinnati area. That’s right. Toby and I love their food so much that we had them cater our rehearsal dinner! Personally, I’m a big fan of brinner (for all you Scrubs fans out there)!

I’ve always been a Northern Kentucky girl, so this is one of my favorites of the day!

Cailyn and Kevin… Nice Shootsac, Cailyn!!!

The color in this was so great that I had to stop and get the shot. I love how warm and vibrant something so simple can be.

Pinky out, Amanda! Haha!

I LOVE this shot!!! Toby and I love our zoom lens and I just couldn’t resist snapping one with these two bad boys together!

My favorites of Kevin!

Amanda and her camera… Remember that ring? (Check out the last picture of this post!)

One of ours…

My inspiration for this post. I remember stopping to take this picture right after we left the playground and thinking everything that I just wrote above.

We’ve done pictures of the Cathedral in Covington before, but I love this shot that Toby took with the 16-35mm f/2.8L. Sweet.

One of the places that we went, this caught me eye… probably because it’s red. And I love all things red.

Loved the sharpness of the bricks’ texture…

I have such a hard time narrowing posts down! Check out the slideshow for more! You’ll see some great doors, more Shootsac goodness, Amanda inside a playground tunnel, Kevin trying unsuccessfully to scare some geese, holly, a ladybug, Covington Latin School (where Toby and I met and went to high school), a sweet shot of my engagement and wedding rings, and more…