Anyone who knows me know that I am pretty crazy-go-nuts about my alma mater, Texas A&M. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of knowing about A&M, it’s sort of like a cult mixed with a service academy (like West Point or Navy). It started as a military school, and has only been open to non-Corps of Cadets students and women for a few decades now, so as a result, the virtues of service, leadership, patriotism, and loyalty are very strongly taught throughout the school. We also have our own set of vocabulary and rites of passage that students must go through, most of which seem absolutely insane to outsiders. I know that most major universities have traditions, but trust me… They’ve got NOTHING on A&M. We even have several organizations dedicated to ensuring that students (and non-students) are educated about Aggie traditions and are adhering to them in the right way.

One of my favorite traditions is Aggie Muster. Held every April 21 (which is also the anniversary of Texas’ independence), it began in 1883 as a “field day” where all the students would gather together to play games, compete in friendly competition, relax, and reminisce with former students (we have no alumni, only former students). Over the years it became a day where Aggies across the world would gather together to remember their time at A&M. It is often said, “If there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.”

So what happens at Muster? Quite a few things!

The day begins with a huge barbecue for the 50-year reunion class (so the class of 1958 will be gathering today) in the center of campus. Student performance groups come out and do their routines, campus tours are given, and current students are encouraged to mix with former students and talk about how the school has changed (or in many cases, hasn’t changed at all!).

A Remembrance display is put up in the middle of the MSC (our “student union”) with personal effects from Aggies who have died the previous year, including pictures, senior boots, Aggie rings, old corps outfits, and sometimes video displays about their lives. The names of these fallen Aggies makes up the “Roll Call for the Absent,” which will be read later that night.

At 7 PM, everyone gathers at Reed Arena, with the 50-year reunion class seated on the floor, as well as the family members and friends of the fallen Aggies who make up the Roll Call. The night begins with a few speeches from the outgoing Student Body President, the university President, the Muster chairperson, and a special keynote speaker who is typically a highly accomplished former student.

At one point the lights are dimmed, and a candle is lit in the front of the arena. Each name from the Roll Call is read aloud, and all those who are present who knew the fallen Aggie call aloud “Here,” to signify that although they are gone in body, they are present in spirit. A family member or friend comes forward to light a candle in their name, until all the names have been read, and a circle of candles rings the arena. Then a familiar poem is read….

In many lands and climes this April day
Proud sons of Texas A&M unite.
Our loyalty to country, school, we pray,
and seal our pact with bond of common might.

We live again those happy days of yore
on campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill
Fond memory brings a sigh — but nothing more;
Now we are men and life’s a greater thrill,

On Corregidor 65 years ago today
A band of gallant Aggies, led by Moore,
Held simple rites which led to us doth all to say:
The spirit shall prevail through cannon roar.

Before we part and go upon our way,
We pause to honor those we knew so well;
The old familiar faces we miss so much today
Left cherished recollections that time cannot dispel.

Softly call the Muster,
Let comrade answer, “Here!”
Their spirits hover ‘round us
As if to bring us cheer!

Mark them ‘present’ in our hearts.
We’ll meet some other day
There is no death, but life eterne
For our old friends such as they!

Then the Ross Volunteers, an elite group of the Corps of Cadets, come forward to perform a 21-gun salute, and taps is played three times - once to the north, once to the south, once to the west, but not to the east, to signify that the sun will never rise on those Aggies again. A member of the 50-year reunion class comes forward to adjourn Muster for the year, and declare that we shall all meet again on April 21st the following year.

Muster is very special to me because it seems like not a year goes by that a member of the Aggie family that I knew passes away. Many, many, many of my friends from A&M who were in the corps are now serving in Iraq (A&M provides more officers to the armed forces than any other university), and we have lost a lot of good men. It’s also special to me because I know that one day, my name will also be read at Muster, and my friends will answer “Here” for me.

Here are a few photos from the campus Muster that I took when I was a student:

A flyer I made for the Muster Committee with photos of the Muster statue

A moment before the 2006 Muster ceremony, with a ray of sunlight peeking in through a door onto two candleholders. I love this one because you really get the feeling that the Aggie they were there to honor was truly there in spirit.

Former president of A&M, current Secretary of State, a man I have met with many times and learned so much from, and then man who handed me my diploma - Robert M. Gates, speaking at the 06 Muster.

Some photos of the candleholders…

The ring of candleholders, with the 21-gun salute firing in the front of the arena

A closeup of the 21-gun salute

So, Happy Muster to all my fellow Ags, Happy Birthday to the Republic of Texas for all my fellow Texans, and Happy April 21st to everyone else. If you’d like to learn more about Muster, check out Wikipedia or the official Muster website.

Every couple shows love in a different way.. Some have special looks or signals that only they understand, some hold hands and share the occasional kiss, some prefer to keep their affection completely hidden from the outside world.. Then there’s Drew and Sarah. These two are not afraid to show the world their love for one other.. They are always kissing, hugging, rubbing each other’s back, laying a hand gently on the other’s shoulder, sharing a knowing smile across the room.. Their love is so evident and genuine, it is truly amazing to everyone who watches them. I know that all of my couples love each other deeply, and I am so privileged to be able to see the affection between bride and groom that they may not normally share with others, but never have I seen such an outpouring of love come so easily from two people. I mentioned before that for as long as I have known Drew (and I have known him for a pretty long time now), I have always known that when he found the girl who was right for him, he would be head over heels, completely insanely in love. I am proud to say that I could not have been more right
Drew and Sarah got married at the beautiful Quail Ridge Ranch in Glen Rose, TX, which was easily the most photogenic location I have ever shot at. I have seen some amazing ballrooms and venues, but Quail Ridge was so relaxed and homey, the weather was perfect, the natural surroundings were idyllic.. It probably also helped that I had been to Glen Rose a few times in college for various road trips, so I felt very at home there. It also helped that I drove in and stayed at the ranch the night before, which eased my stress level substantially. It’s amazing how being comfortable with a person or place can drastically impact the quality of the photographs you take!

Here are a few details of the girls getting prepared…

Ring shots!! Woohoo!

The bride, who does NOT have a bad angle. How come I get all the beautiful brides??

Sarah and her fierce bridesmaids! Every time I look at these girls, the theme song from America’s Next Top Model plays in my head: “You wanna be on top?! Doo doo doo doo doo…”

A fun candid moment while taking the formal shots

This shot was the girls’ idea.. I love it!! Look at all of their fierce eyes!

And now for the boys.. Their morning consisted of barrel sawing, keg standing, scar ponging, and skeet shooting. I was going to say that I am proud to call most of these guys good friends, but now I think maybe I should be a little embarrassed

Jason H. got this cool shot of the guys taking a goofy self portrait, and the resulting photo.

More candid fun.. I can only imagine what happened here to set them all off!

Preston (Drew’s twin brother), Drew, and their dad

Two groomsmen and a bridesmaid sang a really neat version of Amazing Grace called “Grace Flows Down” for the ceremony. It was beautiful!

I really do cry at every wedding I shoot, but I was a complete mess for this one. Look at how choked up Drew is to see his wife-to-be coming down the aisle towards him. I knew he was going to be a wreck when he started tearing up earlier that day as they were testing the ceremony music.. I think this is a moment that Drew and Sarah will cherish for the rest of their lives.

One thing I LOVED about Quail Ridge is that there was a little walkway that a photographer could hide in and take photos of the bride and groom from the front without being seen much. Thanks to that, Jason H. got this incredible shot of Sarah and Drew praying together during the ceremony.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones.. Could the light BE any more perfect? I think not.

Love this cool detail that Jason H. captured

We all joked that this shot makes them look like they are in Africa, which might be where they are honeymooning.. It was a big secret, only Drew and his parents know for sure!

The reception area.. For all you photographers out there, the new beta version Lightroom allows for selective exposure adjustment (dodging/burning), so I was able to expose this photo for the sky and then bring everything in the foreground up in Lightroom - no Photoshop necessary. Awesome!

Some reception details..

Drew and Sarah’s last dance..

There are so, so, SO MANY amazing photos from this wedding, you just have to watch the slideshow to see them all. It takes a minute or two to load, but it is beyond worth it!!

Special thanks to two very cool Jasons (besides my own amazing Jason G ):

1) Jason Huang of Table4Photography, who is uuuuuber talented and kind enough to second shoot with me

2) Jason Castro, my old graphic design buddy and fellow Aggie, for providing me with a beautiful song for the slideshow. Check him out on American Idol, he has now made it into the top six!! Woohoo! Go Jason!

By the way, if you liked the suits that Drew and his groomsmen were wearing, go to www.djonescollection.com and order yours today! Drew custom tailors suits to fit your own personal measurements and style.. He does everything from shirts to ties to vests to sport coats to full on three piece suits. His work is exceptional, he has literally hundreds of fabrics and patterns to choose from. Grooms, this would be a perfect gift to give your father, father-in-law-to-be, best man, or all of your groomsmen, not to mention yourself! Maybe if you mention that he has the best wedding photos EVER he will give you a nice discount

I think I am going to steal an idea from the brilliant [b]ecker (whose two blogs are a daily read for me, and should be for you, too!) and start posting updates once a week. Since he has the lockdown on Miscellaneous Mondays, I am staking my claim on Hump Day Updates.. Or better yet, HUMPDATES!

Last Sunday and Monday Jason and I celebrated our one-year anniversary. It has been a crazy, eventful year for the both of us, thanks in large part to meeting each other, especially for Jason. In the past year, Jason has acquired a house, a dog, a laptop, and a bike, left the country for the first time in his life, went to his first (and second, and third, and fourth) Aggie football game, and traveled quite a bit. I like to think I have been a pretty good influence on him
So to celebrate this momentous occasion, we decided to go to the most luxurious, romantic, swankified place we could find…

Medieval Times!!! WOOHOO!! Although I grew up about five minutes away from the Dallas location, I had never actually been, so Jason and I decided to go for our big day. I expected it to be cheesy, bad food, way overpriced, and anticlimactic, but I was surprised in every way. It was pretty expensive, but in my eyes, SO worth it. We had a blast! Yes, it was cheesy, but even the people who work there don’t take themselves too seriously, they really have a blast with it, and it shows. The food was really good (definitely didn’t expect that), and it was a great way to kill 3-4 hours.

Here we are showing off our urban knight side..

On Monday, our actual anniversary, Jason “surprised” (as we all know, he can’t keep a secret to save his life.. neither of us can, actually) me with an Edible Arrangment

DELICIOUS! Don’t ask me why he chose the basketball, I have no idea either! Although it was soooo tasty and I snacked on it all week, fair warning - the customer service at Edible Arrangements is pretty ridiculously bad. I got one for my mom for Valentine’s Day (ordered almost two months in advance, confirmed twice on the phone the week before), and it was never delivered. The one Jason ordered for me showed up at about 6 PM, despite their claim that they all arrive by 5. They are amazing and make a wonderful gift, the fruit is super fresh and lasts several days if refrigerated immediately, but if you need one to arrive at a specific time, pick it up and deliver it yourself.

Our anniversary weekend (or as I like to call it, the Love Trifecta) was a BLAST, Jason makes me laugh no matter where we are or what we’re doing, and that is only one of the many reasons that spending this past year with him has made it the best year of my life. Hopefully there will be many more years of kite flying, wine drinking, road tripping, dog wrangling, cheesy tourist attraction visiting, new music finding, and goofy photo taking to come

In other Humpdates…

The couple from the very first wedding I ever photographed is coming to town this weekend, and staying with Jason and me, and I couldn’t be more excited! Britt and Corey are also two of my best friends, and Britt is starting her own children’s photography business. More on that next week!

I might be running (WALKING) a 5K!! I have never done anything like that and I’m not sure I’ll make it.. 3 miles seems short, but then again, I don’t think I have ever run/walked three miles at one time. Yipes!! Any advice?

I met with one of my newest couples (Susan and Adam - YAY! Can’t wait!) the other day, and they actually recognized themselves in some photos from one of my sample albums. Turns out that Adam was a groomsman in a wedding I shot a few years ago. Small world!

Monday is Muster. Any Dallas and/or Collin County Aggies planning on attending the A&M Club Musters? I am not sure which one I am attending yet. I can’t wait to “live again those happy days of yore
On campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill” with my fellow Ags!
Okay, enough blogging.. back to work! If you enjoyed this Humpdate, leave a comment and let me know if it’s worth doing again next Wednesday!

You know, often we Texans get a bad reputation as being hicks or rednecks.  I just don’t think that stereotype is justified!  Here are a few groomsmen from Drew and Sarah’s wedding showing their more refined side…

Even us hillbillies know how to get all gussied up for them there fancy occasions

Well I am very close to being done with the Jones/Baker wedding - which is a very strong competitor for the “Most Photogenic Wedding EVER” award - but in the meantime I thought I would post some photos I took of Rachel, Sarah’s younger sister. Rachel never got the chance to have senior photos taken, and since we had some down time and every girl deserves to feel like a model at some point in their life, I jumped at the chance to photograph this stunning lady!! Here are a few of my faves:

To all my present and future clients,

If you need some convincing that you should see each other BEFORE the wedding.. Here you go:

All of these amazing images were taken BEFORE Jena and Justin’s ceremony. If they had not taken the risk and abandoned the tradition of waiting to see each other, there is no way we could have gotten all these gorgeous images. Otherwise we would have left the guests waiting for hours! Not to mention that their wedding ceremony was fairly late in the day, so there was very little time left between the end of the ceremony and sundown. Jena is a fellow wedding photographer, and she understands the importance of leaving plenty of time and light for photos.

Here is an example of how a First Look happens…

We find a nice, secluded area and then we step aside to give the couple plenty of space. Then we have the bride walk in, and let the groom turn around to see her for the first time. Why is this so great? Well, for starters, we get to pick the location, the lighting, and the time, resulting in beautiful photos and a special, private moment. Many churches force us to shoot from the balcony or won’t even allow us to shoot the ceremony at all, and even lenient locations are restricted with shooting because we don’t want to interrupt the ceremony, so if you want a great shot of your fiance seeing you in your dress for the first time, often the First Look is the best way to get it.

Okay, enough lecturing about the First Look. Onto the important stuff!!!

Jena is one of my best friends in the world, I love her dearly, and we have been discussing her wedding for over two years now. She and Justin have been together since they were in high school, so she has had plenty of time to plan out her dream day! In addition to being a talented wedding photographer, Jena is also extremely crafty and creative, and her DIY decor was as inspired as most of the professionally planned decor I have seen. Can you guess from this collage what her wedding colors and fabric pattern were?

I was on lime green and gingham overload - it was adorable! Jena put so much thought into every aspect of her wedding, and it truly showed. From the decorations to the photography to the many little “secrets” she had planned for Justin throughout the day to the music they played (My Jason actually wrote the song she walked down the aisle to - I was so proud!), everything reflected Jena and Justin’s personality and relationship.

I am trying something different for this blog post.. I am only posting the posed group and couple shots. If you want to see the candids of the preparation, ceremony, and reception, you will have to wait for a slideshow later this week!

Some of Jena and her hilarious bridesmaids, who were absolute troopers for letting me drag them all over the countryside in their heels!

Jake did an awesome job on the guys’ portraits, as usual!

It was pretty much impossible to take any photos of this wedding party without cracking up.. These guys are fun!

One of my new all time favorite photos!

And a few more of the happy couple after the ceremony

And last but not least.. RINGS!

Jena and Justin - you two are among the kindest, friendliest, most gracious people I have ever met. Your love for each other is so genuine and true that it just radiates outward. I have so many great memories with you, and I can’t wait for a whole lifetime of more fun with the Millers! I am so honored to not only call you clients, but very close friends, as well. Jason and I love you guys