Andrews Photography of Decatur, Indiana

The Other Woman

2010-06-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is the other female in Brian's life. We adopted Maggie last October. She is a miniature dachshund, a mix of long hair and smooth coat. Brian declares she is just the cutest dog ever!! And in case you didn't know it, today (June 25) is "Take your dog to work day". That is really no big deal for Maggie because she comes with us most days. It's a good thing my feelsings don't get hurt easily because lately more and more people come and and the first question is "Where's Maggie?" She is very good with children of all ages.

We took this picture when we had the set up for one of our babies. We hung Maggie's "puppy clothes", easter bunny, collar and her very favorite bedtime cuddler "Wormy" on the clothes line. Would we do this for customer's pets??? You bet! We had a ball and Maggie seemed to enjoy it too!

One small compensation we have made at the studio is putting up a small counter and gate to keep her away from the front door and people as they first come in. That way if someone has an allergy or isn't comfortable around dogs she can be moved to a back room.

The Buuck Family - Together Again

2010-06-24T11:32:00.001-07:00

Things have been interesting with the Buuck Family over the years. I believe the first time we did pictures for them was when daughter Stephanie married Bruce Fuhrmann. How do you test the dedication of two great families? Plan your wedding for January and hope for a little snow - then pull it off in a snow storm at a little country church. That was one time we actually worried about making to the church. Thankfully God smiled down on the Decatur - Hoagland - Monroeville area that day and the road stayed open.

Since then son Jeff married Cristy, son Chris married Laurie and lots of grandkids have been added. It has been a pleasure to watch this family grow and we appreciate the faith they have in our ability to create memorable portraits for them.

Travis

2010-06-24T09:39:00.003-07:00

Every year we meet graduating seniors who have never been to our studio, some have never been professionally photographed other than school pictures. And then there are those whom we have watched grow up, maybe even photographed their parent's wedding. Travis Wyss is one of those. It seems like such a few short years since Joe and Lucinda got married. Family weddings, baby pictures, family pictures have kept us in touch. Travis has two passions in his life - bowling and video games, and he is a master of both. However, personally the thing I will always remember about Travis growing up is his jokes. No matter where I would see him Travis always had some good jokes for me! Best of luck in all of your future endeavors, Travis!

Mark & Sadie

2010-06-24T09:00:00.001-07:00

When it came time for engagment pictures Mark Baker and his fiancee, (Sadie Cooper of Garrett) chose to be photographed at Grandma Bonnie's. First they had to wait to finish school and get back to Decatur. Then we got rained out. Then we got rained out AGAIN! Finally we got good weather. Ask Mark who won the contest and what it was about. This was probably the first time the photographer and groom got in a competition during a portrait session!

Reader's Choice

2010-06-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

We were surprised last week to hear we were nominated for the Fort Wayne Newspapers Reader's Choice of photography studios in the Fort Wayne area. We have been chosen every year by the readers of the Decatur Daily Democrat, but this is the first year to be a Fort Wayne nominee. This ad will appear in a special booklet to be distributed early July in the Journal Gazette and News Sentinal. Thanks for the nomination! And thanks to Kaylee Kolter for a great session. It is so much fun watching you, your brother and cousins grow!

Andrew's Story

2010-05-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of the most time consuming images Brian has done. You see, he has only begun to create the image when he presses that little black button on the camera. Often times he has an image in his mind's eye of how it will end up, and it takes a considerable amount of time, knowledge and several computer programs, filters and plug-ins to bring it to life.

So, you wonder, what is this image about? Well, Andrew Bultemeier has been wrestling for years, probably since he was 3 or 4. His dad was a skilled member of the Bellmont wrestling team, as was his older brothers, Victor and Ben. Andrew's goal was to follow the long line of BHS wrestlers to a state victory. Unfortunately, a host of sports injuries kept this from happening. That is why we have this image of his injuries "haunting" him.

Class of 2011

2010-05-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

Heather Kohne and Zach Stoppenhagen

2010-01-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

Heather is one of our 2nd Generation weddings. She danced with my son at the receptions for some of her parents friends, and went to school with him kindergarten through high school. I have to admit it makes us a little sentimental.

Zach's family is a part of our military family. When Kyle graduated boot camp we were told we had a new family, our marine family. However, even though the different branches give each other a hard time, everyone is working for the same cause. And the families back home have the same apprehensions and concerns. Zach and his two brothers have all served and have deployed. Thanks for your sacrifice guys!

Chris & Marissa

2010-01-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

Chris and Marissa got married last spring at the Cathedral in Fort Wayne. We made plans to photograph in the park before the wedding since time is limited at the Cathedral. God had other plans for us! Rained lightly in the morning, looked good. As we neared the Jefferson St. exit on 69 the rain picked up and got pretty hard. A couple of quick calls and we regrouped. Everyone was very cooperative and Chris and Marissa got all of the pictures they wanted, just with a rearranged schedule for pictures. AND they still made the reception on schedule! Chris considers himself one of the luckiest guys on earth. He got an absolutely beautiful bride who comes from a family as sweet as his is!

More tomorrow.......

I'm back!

2010-01-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

The fall season got the best of me - but I'm back! New postings will be up tomorrow with wedding images, among other things. See you tomorrow!

"Good Enough"

2009-08-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

If you have a hammer, does that make you a master carpenter?
If you own a set of wrenches, are you an expert mechanic?
If you can read, are you a teacher?
If you can write, are you an author?
Does a thermometer and PDR make you a doctor?
Any professional needs training in addition to their talent to deliver the level of expertise you expect. That is why we routinely attend seminars and conventions, even though we have been photographing for 25 years. We understand that even though we know how to correctly pose and light a subject, it is important to continually educate ourselves on new equipment, techniques, and products.
We start to creat our professional product before we take the first picture. It doesn't end with the click of the shutter either. that is why we don't hand you a cd with your images at the end of your session. Our goal is to deliver finished professional artwork that you will be proud to share with your family and friends.
At Andrews "Good Enough" just isn't.

Brittany

2009-08-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

What are you DOING???

2009-08-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

We have been answering that question a lot this summer. If you have been by the studio, you have probably noticed what amounts to basically a mess at the back of our corner building. What most people didn't know was that we have been tearing down the back section, starting with the inside. This summer it was time for the roof and walls to go!
We have been told that the back section was actually an old farm building brought in to town, probably 100 years ago. What we found out during the de-construction phase was that it was basically set beside the exsisting building and tied in with the flashing and siding. More importantly, it was not set on a real foundation. Of course, over the period of 100 years four wooden beams are going to rot, the soil will move and erode, creating an unstable contruction, to say the least.
The good news is - it is gone! We are now in the process of filling in the holes, re-siding the back, and figuring out how to finish up the open ground.

Upcoming Studio Events

2009-08-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to know what the specials are this month. So.....

Until August 15 we have the $10 Senior portrait special

Until august 25 we are offering the Back to School portrait special - your child's portraits can be done in the studio or outdoors - you pick! Packages start at $25 and there is NO SITTING FEE!

Coming up next month - September 1 to 18 is our Grandparents Special. Book your appointment with your grandparents during these dates to qualify for our special packages.

October 31 & 31 will be our Fall Portrait Special

November 14 & 15 - NEW Christmas Nativity Scenes! Let's put your baby in the manger - or your angels around the manager. Call or email me with your questions or ideas.

November 20 & 21 - Christmas Scenes Portrait Special

December 6 - Portraits with Santa

December 28 & 29 - JUST ENGAGED! portrait special

Kelsey

2009-07-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hopefully Kelsey & her mom enjoyed

this session as much as we did!

High School Senior Portraits

2009-07-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

To the Class of 2010

Did you know that session fees at Andrews Photography in Decatur start at just $10?

Did you know that portrait packages start at $29?

This offer is good until August 15, 2009.

Stop in our studio at the corner of 2nd & Jefferson Streets in Decatur or email us at AndrewsPhotographyDecatur@gmail.com.

You can call us during studio hours at 260-728-2636. Our office is open Tuesday 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 :00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed for lunch from 1-2 p.m. these days), and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Other hours are available by appointment.

The Heartbreaker

2009-07-08T15:11:00.001-07:00

This was quite a day at the studio. Ricky was a few weeks old and we wanted to get some pictures of him with his dad. Then we set out to get the family together. Oh yes, what a way to have fun - a newborn, a 2 year old and a 4 year old! This is the makings for what is commonly known as "photographers birth control". Actually everything was going quite well. Brian was setting up the family with Katie, the 2 year old standing behind mom & dad, who were sitting on the floor. For a reason only Kate knew, she decided to leave the group. She walked right over to me and without a word gave me the sweetest kiss! Now who could discipline her for that - and no one had better! She may as well as have taken my heart and put it in her pocket!

Well, I guess after that, we must have been feeling pretty brave, because we put the girls in the ivory lace dresses to photograph them with Ricky. As you can see, he wasn't really happy about it all at that point, but this is just the sweetest portrait!

By the way, Kate is still very, very special. Her eyes just twinkle when she smiles. She makes me wonder just what is going on in that little mind.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Kyle and Rachel get to spend their anniversary together this year!

Kyle has been deployed to Iraq twice since they got married, so we are thankful he will get to spend the day with Rachel this year. Happy Anniversary and many, many more!

Love you guys!!!!

Tami and Heath

2009-07-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

Young farm lad meets farmer's daughter,

Young farm lad decides to marry farmer's daughter,

Farmer's daughter says "Yes!",

Time to plan a wedding,

Engagment pictures! she says,

Engagment pictures? he asks,

"Let's go out to the wheat field,

and you can bring your tractor, honey."

Princess Meghan

2009-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Meet

Meghan

"Princess"

Pettibone

Meghan has cancer. Her grandmother had a family portrait scheduled just days after her first chemo. She is such a trooper! Brian was thinking about the next pose he was going to photograph and she was sitting on the posing stool, holding her mask so she wouldn't pick up any nasty germs going around. Just look at those eyes! What a beautiful little girl! We have had a lot of "cancer conversations" because Brian's mom had found out about her cancer at about the same time. But Barb was 70 years older than Meghan. Something about a child with cancer that pulls at your heart a little harder...... When spring rolled around I asked Jen to bring the kids in for bunny pictures if they could. You never know what obstacle cancer will throw in your path, so we crossed our fingers it would work. Luckily Meghan, now Princess Meghan, came in with her brother Zach. She had on one of the most beautiful Easter dresses I have ever seen - along with her crown. She took the crown off for pictures with Zach, but we had to have one with the crown! I am not sure who had a better time - us or the kids. Or maybe Tom and Jen. After all, it was a chance to do something as a family that made you feel normal in the midst of all of the abnormality that over a year of cancer treatment gives you.

Now Princess Meghan is the honorary chairperson for the 2009 Adams County Relay for Life fundraiser to be held this weekend. If you get the chance to go and get even close to Meghan, I am sure you will get to hear her wonderful giggle, because she laughs and giggles a lot! And next year, we look forward to her participating with the wind blowing through her hair and even more giggles and laughter!

The Senior Consultation appointment

2009-06-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I didn't think of addressing the consultation appointment before, after all - it's the first step to a great senior session! Brian & I spent some time with a really cute senior this morning (Hi Kelsey!) and her mom. They found it very helpful to do this before scheduling their portrait session. Mom said she could almost see the wheels turning in Brian's head while they were talking. the neat thing is while this time gets our creative wheels a head start - it also gets yours going too. There are sooooooooooo many cool things to do and the more we know about you and you know about us the better it gets. There are so many awesome images Brian has created, but without knowing ahead of time what the senior's interests are we wouldn't have been prepared and neither would they. Like Gavin for instance. We have photographed his three older brothers so we knew the family, plus his dad was Kyle's coach for 3 years. But when he and his mom came for the consultation they came up with some really cool ideas and picked up a few clothing props to go with it. I guarantee it wouldn't have been as cool without the consultation. I hope you'll take the time to call me soon to schedule your consultation appointment. Marilyn

PS. You also save some $ on your session fee when you do this!

Emily

2009-06-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from Emily's session! What a beautiful young lady with a wide variety of interests. Emily enjoys sports and was so pretty in her prom dress - who would ever believe she was also a "grease monkey"? Her mom seemed to really enjoy the session also. We both enjoyed working with her and her parents. Marilyn

Senior Specials

2009-06-19T14:31:00.001-07:00

Class of 2010 special

2009-06-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Until July 29 only

96 FREE Wallets with any Class of 2010 Senior Portrait order placed by July 29.

The wallets can be ordered from up to 4 poses.

Bellmont High School Billboards

2009-06-17T13:51:00.001-07:00

This images was the first student billboard posted across from the entrance to Bellmont High School in Decatur. It was sponsored by Andrews Photography and Grote Chiropratic PC, also from Decatur. To create this image Brian had to ask Decatur City Council for permission to block the street. With the blessing of Kenny Ketzler, Chief of Police, we had 15 minutes to get what we needed. The guys were stoked and people lined the street to watch. It was pretty awesome to see their determined faces and hear the scrape of the metal cleats on the asphalt as they "took the town"! By the way, we were done in 10 minutes, thanks to the wonderful cooperation of these Senior Braves.
The 2007 Senior Braves were: Justin Hall, Zach Colclasure, Mickie Smith, Gus Ranly, Ryan Baker, Chadd Keller, Ben Bultemeier, Johnathon Shifferly, Clint Wurm, Scott Gaskill, TJ Gerig, and
Skyler Curtis.

Craig & Veronica

2009-06-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Anniversary

Craig & Veronica!

Craig & Veronica got married at the Lakeside Rose Garden in Fort Wayne, Indiana on June 14. They met while working at The Galley Restaurant in Decatur. Even though they now reside in Michigan, Craig is still a Purdue fan!

Happy Anniversary Jeff & Melissa!

2009-06-17T13:08:00.001-07:00

Happy anniversary to

Jeff and Melissa Richards of Bluffton, Ohio!

We met Melissa when we photographed her as a high school senior. The special pictures were of her and her sister, Morgan, with their Coca Cola props.

The day of the wedding started out great, but the clouds moved in with heavy rains over the little church in rural Pandora. We were hoping for dry skys and dry ground by the time we got to Findlay for the reception. As you can see, it didn't work out that way, but they were willing to work with us. These are some of our favorite pictures from the day.

Senior portraits - all wet!

2009-06-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

We have been taking senior portraits by the water, on the water, and yes, even in the water! These sessions do take a little planning, that's why we offer a free consultation appointment for all senior sessions. Do you have any questions? Call us at 260-728-2636 during studio hours of Tuesday 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (out to lunch from 1-2:00 p.m.) and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. In case you are wondering, WE DO photograph outside the regular studio hours oftern.

Another often asked question - can I bring my parent, sibling or friend along for my session? Of course! Most seniors do bring someone along to assist them.

Just getting started!

2009-05-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the first post on this blog as the school year draws to an end. The Class of 2010 specials are ready to begin. We have remodeled about 1/3 of the camera room and it is ready to use.

Something that proved invaluable to the class of 2009 was the free pre-sitting consultation. Most seniors brought one or both parents along for this. You may wonder why we do this. It make our job easier in the long run, for one thing. We can pull props out of storage if need be, make sure you are scheduled at the right time of day, and make suggestions of any additional items you may want to bring with you. It all boils down to everyone getting what they want out of your senior portrait session - mom, dad and senior!

Stay tuned for the our next post that will include some of the specials for the class of 2010.

Brian