Spring is finally beginning to take hold in Northwest Arkansas. I spent the afternoon with clients Kristen Jackson and Drew Thomason last weekend chasing the few signs of spring we could find along the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art walking trail and in downtown Bentonville, Ark., for their engagement session. Kristen and Drew were a lot of fun to work with and I’m really looking forward to their June wedding. Here are a few of my favorites from the session.

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Sports and athlete portraits are a big part of what I do for a living. It’s been nagging lately that I’ve been neglecting the Sports area of my website for the past, well, year it looks like. That doesn’t mean I’m short on anything to share here. To say the least, I’ve been busy. Here is a gallery of some of my favorite Arkansas athlete portraits going back to the fall.

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All photos © Hawgs Illustrated

Katelyn Drost and Ben Craig were married on what has turned out to be the most beautiful day of 2013 to date. It’s the first day of spring today as I type this. There is snow on the ground and the forecast for the next three days is cold and gloomy. Five days ago it was 78 degrees and sunny when Katelyn and Ben tied the knot in Eureka Springs. That’s about as good of an omen as any couple can hope for to start their life together. The Craigs were married at the famous Thorncrown Chapel and their reception was at The Retreat at Sky Ridge. Here are a few of my favorites from the day. Congrats to Katelyn and Ben!

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The 2013 wedding season is off and running. I shot Heather Gray and Sam Carter’s wedding on Saturday at the Mildred Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista. Early March weddings are always a gamble with the crazy weather we get here in Northwest Arkansas. As luck would have it the day turned out beautiful, a bit cold, but beautiful. I had a great time working with the Gray and Carter families and Heather and Sam were very laid back, which made for a great start to the season. The reception was held at the Pinnacle Country Club. Congrats to Heather and Sam!

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I was finally able to talk one of my engagement couples into getting some e-session photos at the Lawrence Plaza ice skating rink in downtown Bentonville.  My newest clients Jona and Mike were excited about the idea and even hit the rink the day before to brush up on their skating skills. We came away with some nice photos, but I wish we had afforded more ice time during the shoot. It seemed just as we were getting hot (pun intended) the ice rink was closing for the day. Of course the session wasn’t just skating photos. The scenery around downtown Bentonville and the Crystal Bridges walking trail was also a big part of the shoot. I had fun working with Jona and Mike and I look forward to their wedding on April 13 in Rogers. Enjoy the photos.

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Looking back to early December, here are some of my favorites from my session with the Thomas family in Bentonville. We lucked out on the weather and had a very pleasant afternoon to work with. I really don’t get to shoot as many family sessions as I would like to with everything else I have going on, which is a shame because I always enjoy them. The Thomas’ were a definitely treat. Enjoy the photos.

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Julie Moore and Dustin Huffman tied the knot on Dec. 29 at First Baptist Church in Rogers, Ark. This wedding was a couple of firsts for me. The first time I’ve seen it snow during an indoor ceremony and the first time I’ve seen a snowball fight at a reception. The snow was faux of course, but the idea was very neat. Especially the snowballs at the reception. The snowballs were also used for the grand exit — hey, that’s another first. Here are a few of my quick favorites from the wedding. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Huffman! Enjoy the photos.

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I met up with new clients Caitlin and Daine on Monday afternoon in downtown Bentonville for their engagement session. Winter location shoots are always a tossup in Northwest Arkansas and we lucked out on the weather. It was clear and beautiful, but there was still a chill in the air. Caitlin and Daine pushed through the cold though and we made some really beautiful photos. When we met for the initial consultation Caitlin was excited about the idea of working Christmas lights into their engagement photos. We had fun with the lights, as you can see. The shots under the tree and next to the lamp post were instant favorites. Caitlin and Daine will be married on May 26 in Bella Vista. Happy Holidays everyone!

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I met with Julie and Dustin last week to shoot their engagements at War Eagle Mill near Rogers. This was my second engagement shoot at the mill in two weeks. The quick return game me the chance to work with some settings and backgrounds I passed up on the previous shoot. Julie and Dustin were very fun to work with and are definitely troopers as it began to get very cold towards the end of the shoot. Note to self: Bring more hand warmers to my next fall/winter session. You’ll be seeing Julie and Dustin’s wedding photos soon as their wedding is coming up on Dec. 29 in Rogers.

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I met up with Nikki and Jared this past weekend to shoot their engagement session at War Eagle Mill outside Rogers, Ark. This was my first session to shoot at War Eagle and I had a blast. Nikki and Jared love the outdoors and wanted to express that in the session by getting some photos using their canoe. Great fun! It felt like we were shooting an Eddie Bauer ad campaign instead of an engagement session. They both really fit the part. Nikki and Jared will marry on June 15 in Rogers. Enjoy this preview of some of my favorite images from the shoot.

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