Valerie & Derek Wedding - Indianapolis Wedding Photography

Valerie & Derric got married last weekend at the Rathskellar in downtown Indianapolis. You can just tell when people are in love and these two are undoubtedly so. I know they are enjoying themselves on the beach right now as the snow continues to fall. I wish them the best in their new lives together!

Yuletide Family Portraits - Indianapolis Family Portraits

Now this is a good group of folks who know how to have a good time. Taking a Saturday and getting together before going to the early Yuletide. Then follow that up with continuing to enjoy the company and the Christmas Spirit. The group is much bigger than when it started about 20 years ago. Kids are grown and some even have their own little ones now. All in all, it is these types of gatherings that help give Christmas its meaning.

Keaton Still @ 3 Months - Indianapolis Family Portraits

Baby Keaton is three months old now. Cami and Allen have one cute little boy. He was fighthing the smile but when he showed it, it was pretty awesome. I was excited when Cami mentioned the snowsuit and that we could take him outside. The snowfall was perfect. The flakes were big and the wind was minimal. Had an awesome time taking their pictures and can't wait to capture more photos of Keaton in the future.

Dennison Family Portraits - Carmel, IN

It was great to see Kenny and Sarah and meet baby Jonah. I met up with them at their new place in Carmel and with Jonah being so young we stayed inside which is expected this time of the year in Indiana. Jonah got a bath and a few changes of clothes for the pictures and I can already see him as a hurryin hoosier and going living in Wrigleyvillle!

Jaime & Josh Engagement Session - Bloomington, IN

When Jaime and Josh asked if we could the engagement pictures in Bloomington my ears perked up. I love Bloomington and am reminded why every time I go. We met at the Sample Gates which is such a neat entrance to a beautiful campus. Being fellow Hoosiers, I hope they enjoyed walking around as much as I did and to get to take pictures of a great couple on top of that was pretty sweet.

Henry Thomas Woods - 1 Month Portrait Session

Headed to Cincinnati on Saturday for a newborn portrait session for Henry Thomas Woods who is the newest addition to the family of Joey and Allison Woods. He joined the world on October 19, 2010. I am always amazed being around infants. They really are the definition of innocence. Photographing Henry over the next year and beyond is going to be awesome. With Joey and Allison as parents, his level of awesomeness is at a pretty high level.

Hagan - McVeigh Wedding - Indianapolis Indiana

Heather and Mike got married this past weekend in downtown Indianapolis at the State House which is a beautiful building. Although the elements outside didn't let us take very many pictures, the State House provided more than enough opportunities. It was great seeing these two tie the knot and you can tell that they have great family and friends who love and support them. Oh yea, and the father/daughter dance was awesome!

Rhoads Family Portraits

I had a lot of fun shooting the Rhoads family on Sunday. Ryan is the brother of my lovely fiance and is married to Amanda. They had Lyla in April of '09 and it has been awesome watching her grow even though it took her a while to warm up to me. I think her playing with my iPhone helped! We took the family portraits at Washington Park with great fall weather. Lyla seems to really like the camera, and of course, she loves the playground. With her blond curls, she's a cute little girl, and Steph and I look forward to seeing her all dressed up as our flower girl in just under 6 months.

Senior Portrait Session for Allie Light - Indianapolis, Indiana

I met up with Allie and her mom on Sunday morning on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis to shoot her senior portraits. It was a little chilly when we got there so after a few outdoor shots we went inside for a few to let it warm up a bit. Allie was awesome to work with and was a trooper when the wind picked up and had a little bite to it. It was a pleasure meeting both her and her mom and I look forward to possibly being with them at the Indy 500 next year!

Smith Family Portraits - Indianapolis Indiana

When Melissa recently contacted me about taking family portraits for them it was hard to believe that it had been a year since the last shoot. We went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art which was the second session in one weekend at the IMA! I always enjoy seeing their family and Andrew and Joe are my buds.

Family Portrait Session - Indianapolis Indiana

Jenna got a hold of me and I was excited to take some family pictures for them. I've known them for quite some time and remember swimming in their pool when I was younger. We went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art which is such a great place for pictures. It really is a gem in the city. It was perfect fall weather and I had a great time catching up with old friends.

Engagement Session - Indianapolis, Indiana

I met up with Heather and Mike in downtown Indianapolis for their engagement pictures. We started near the canal which always provides a number of different spots places for good photos. It was much warmer than expected for this time of year so the shots where they were in the shade were welcomed by all three of us! I had a lot fun taking their engagement pictures and look forward to being their for the big day which is also in downtown Indy.

Engagement Session - Bloomington, Indiana

Headed down to Bloomington on Saturday for an engagements session with Leslie and Chris. We started on the downtown square which is right by Scholars Inn Bakehouse which is where their first date was! We then moved off to Nashville which with the great weather, was packed. Nashville being the quaint little town that it is provided some pretty unique engagement session photos. Last stop was Brown County State Park which this time of year is beautiful.

Marvel Family - Photography Portrait Session

I've known Justin and Kelly for quite some time. If I remember correctly, my family even borrowed a 15 passenger van from Justin's parents for a family vacation or two. It had been a while since I've seen the family so it was definitely nice to catch up. We started the portrait session at a church that has a Cross in the back that made for some cool shots. We headed over to the park which always presents unique backgrounds. Fall weather was definitely in the air.

Bruce & Emily's Wedding

I had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of my cousin Bruce and his new bride Emily. The church was beautiful, the people were great, and good times were had by all. St.Louis has some backdrops that make for some awesome pictures. Were were not the only ones that had the ideas of being downtown either. Some of the locations had wedding parties lined up. It was a great time and I thankful for having the opportunity for being the photographer for an important day in a family members life.

The Newest Still - Indianapolis Portait Photography

Cami and Allen have a new addition! Keaton Michael was introduced to the world on September 3 at 9 lbs 6 oz! As his mom and dad will share, he's quite the Purdue fan already making sure to arrive just in time for the first football game of the season. He is one cute kid and has two great parents. I look forward to watching him grow over the next year and beyond. Congratulations, Cami and Allen. Steph and I couldn't be happier for you and your family!

Ricky & Jess Wedding

I have assisted my good friend and fellow photographer Brian McGuckin at a few weddings over the past year or so and I did so last weekend as well. The wedding and reception were both beautiful. The reception was at the Grand Hall at Union Station which is a pretty amazing venue for such an event. Ricky and Jess were great to work with and I wish them the best in the new life together.

The Woods - Pregnancy Shots

Ahhh the Woods. Two of my favorite people. Living in Cincinnati, they are not around as much as everyone would like but it is always a blast when they are. Their first baby is on the way and they are doing it the old fashioned way and waiting to find out if it is a boy or a girl. Either way, the baby will be welcomed into a great family. We were going to hit up a Reds game but they are actually playing well this year so it was sold out! Good times were had nevertheless.

The Duncan Twins - 6 Months

The smiles of these two will make even the meanest person smile. It has been a blast to watch them grow over the last 6 months. I remember how small they were when they came home. They continue to make everyone around them smile. Andy and Lori are very lucky parents.

Bearman Family

I've known Rebecca and Nathan for a while now. I first met Nathan while working for a landscaping company while in high school. It was hilarious to reminisce about those days. We met up at Eagle Creek and headed to the marina. Rebecca's sister was in my high school class and lived just down the street from one of my best friends growing up. It was a lot of fun to hang out and take pictures of them and their little guy. Nicholas was curious as most boys his age are.

Shae & Billy Engagement Session

Shae & Billy are two pretty awesome people. They take in pitbulls which most people won't even consider. I only got to meet one of the three and enjoyed playing with the big guy. We walked around Broad Ripple which presented some unique shots. The day started off a little chilly but come picture time it turned out to be a great day.

What to say

I'm not sure what to say here. I lost a dear friend over the weekend. James Douglas, a.k.a Jimmy D, will be sorely missed by so many. It renders the age old question as to why bad things happen to good people. We see other tragedies and ask ourselves why them and then when it does happen to us we ask ourselves the same question. Some questions are answered only in time and prayer.

40 Years of Marriage

Rick and Patty Smith have been married for 40 years now. They are an example of what can be done when two people love each other. They have raised a great family. They were able to celebrate the impressive occasion surrounded by family and friends at the Allison Mansion which provided a great atmosphere for a good time.

Lindsey and Kyle Engagement Session

We met up at a drive in on Tibbs Ave where Lindsey and Kyle have been going for years to enjoy the outdoors and a flick at the same time. It was a unique place for some photos and they are a great couple who like to have fun. It was great seeing these two again.

Medjeski Family Shoot

I hadn't seen Heather in quite some time and it was my first meeting of Tim and their two children, Rylan and Isabelle. The day was hot, pretty sure the warmest day yet this year. The kids were tempted with ice cream since when we arrived the ice cream truck was making a boat load of money. By the time we were finished he made his cash and was already gone. It was a lot of fun seeing Heather and meeting the rest of her family.

The Track

Went out to the Motor Speedway yesterday. Got some decent shots of back in the garage as well as the drivers out on the track. Below are some samples.

Rude Family Shoot

I got a call and it was my cousin on the other end. We haven't spoke in a while which I wish wasn't the case. He and his wife Kelly were looking for some family shots of them and their adorable twins, Thomas and Elliot. It was my first time meeting the little guys and I must say they are pretty awesome. I met them at Holliday Park which is a nice park. Walking around the play area I noticed that the playgrounds of today are not what they were 15 years ago. I really enjoyed hanging out with the Rude's and hopefully it won't be so long next time in between visits.

Jackson Abernathy @ 9 Months

Jackson is 9 months old. He's my bud and has been for a while now and I look forward to continuing to take his photos. Being a future short stop for the St. Louis Cardinals I am happy to say he is a close friend. You can check out all his pictures that I have taken at www.jackson.photosbywoodall.com

Scott & Jennifer Engagment Session

My brother recently got engaged. I have been meaning to take some shots of him and his fiance for a while now and an engagement session seemed like the perfect reason to do so. We walked around downtown with nearly perfect weather and had a good time. I can't wait for their wedding and I giving the best man speech. 

Lyla is 1!

Lyla Grace Rhoads is turning 1 this week so some family and friends got together to celebrate. She tore the cake apart but didn't eat much of it. She visited a lot of people that day so when it came time to open presents, mom and dad had to do the majority of the work. Here are some shots from the party.

3 Month Old Duncan Twins

Alex & Raegan are 3 months old now. I remember when I first saw them and how small they were. We went to the park but Raegan didn't really like it there so we headed back home. We got some good shots while we were there though.  It has been awesome watching them grow literally inch by inch.

Engagement

I recently proposed to my girlfriend.  She had an idea it was coming in the future but she certainly was not expecting it when she got home from work on Good Friday. Here are a couple pictures of how I had it set up before she got home. Inside the paper was words that describe her, such as smart, beautiful...The last piece of paper which was in the bedroom had the word "Engaged?" on the inside. She picked it up and I got down on one knee.

Weather

It appears that Spring is officially here. It is days like today that allow us to have an appreciation of the changing of the seasons.  Without question, it is nice to have a vacation or a business trip somewhere south or to the west while it is winter here. However, when these days are here it sheds light on how awesome these days really are.

Tired Dog

We have two Jack Russels. One of which was very tired yesterday. The other one is pretty timid and would scurry off when I pointed the camera at her so I couldn't get any shots of her. Lexy is shown here.

David Gray Concert

Ever since I heard his music I have been a huge fan of David Gray. So when I heard he was coming to town I snatched up some tickets for a Christmas present for my lovely girlfriend. We are both pretty excited to see him live for the first time.

The Drisko Family

I have known Janelle for quite some time. We hung out in high school and had a lot of good times down in Bloomington. It was a pleasure to meet Sam and Olivia. They have a baby boy on the way and they are keeping it on the wrap the name of the little guy. I tried to get it out of them but I suppose they were afraid the secret may slip and end up on some guys blog on the internet. Olivia is adorable and was great to photograph.

WPPI

Wish I could have gone to WPPI this year. It is a great convention to learn from and mingle with other photographers, and a trip to Vegas. Next year hopefully.

Big Bro

My brother is starting a videography company (www.scottwoodall.com) and wanted some pictures for his website. We went downtown to take some shots. The weather was perfect which was encouraging and has me hoping it is here to stay. Had a good time hanging out with with bro.

Twitter

You can follow me on twitter @ rwoodallphoto

Showit

Showit (showitfast.com) is a great resource for any wedding photographer. It has been a priceless resource for growning my photography business. The recently sent out an e-mail looking for people to help facilitate their monthly meetings. Hopefully I can help out which will allow me to meet and learn from other photographers.

Evan "EJ" Swann

A soon to be professional athlete Evan showed his skills behind the wheel, with the football, and with the basketball. He got to play in the snow and other than when we tried to get him to do a snow angel, he enjoyed it. It was unfortunately only the second time I have hung out with Evan but I'm glad we got to catch up.

losing the big one

Not sure what role karma played in the Super Bowl. You could say it was coming back to bite the Colts since they purposely lost two games at the end of the season thus ending the quest for perfection. On the other side of the coin karma is giving back a little to what was once, and in some parts still is, a ruined city. Either way, Colts fans need to keep their heads up knowing that Peyton Manning is still our quarterback and that every season he plays is another chance to get to back to the big game.

The Duncan Twins Have Arrived!

Alex and Raegan were born last week. They have already have a lot of new friends and I'm proud to say I'm one of them. I look forward to saying how I can't believe how fast they are growing!

Baby Jackson @ 6 Months

Jackson Abernathy is 6 months old, hard to believe. It has been and will continue to be a joy to watch him grow up. He's just so darn cute that it makes taking pictures easy.

Helen Bishop 90th Birthday

Helen Bishop, or GG, turned 90 and was surprised! Her family surprised her with a party to celebrate the big day. Told that there were some twins that had been born, she was expecting to meet the two newest great grand kids. Family flew in and people bared the cold temperatures to come together to enjoy the occasion.