Nashville Wedding Photographer, Nashville Portrait Photographer | Mark Denman Photography » Live, Laugh, Love

Meet Rachel and Baby (as Rachel calls her) Sharron and I were in the other room when we were interrupted by Rachel’s scream. Its hard to get what actually happened. You see, Rachel’s not saying anything, but the best I can gather is that Baby was not eating her food. Actually its Rachel’s food, but we are teaching her to share so I can’t complain too much. We tried explaining that Baby was not hungry but Rachel would not have it.

Baby was going to eat this food!!!!

We had four unsuccessful attempts at starting our family and I knew it was hurting her – the prospect of not having a child (and having only my mug to look at for the rest of her life). So when Rachel was given to us I know Sharron felt complete. When the midwife gave Rachel to Sharron she could not stop saying “its a girl, we have a girl!” Everyday I’ll see Sharron looking at Rachel in awe of her. “She’s so wonderful,” she says. She’s just so wonderful.” (She really is, y’all”)

Sharron hasn’t stop marveling since.

Someone once told me that I should marry someone who I would want to raise my child. I cannot think of anyone better than Sharron. Rachel absolutely loves her and I love seeing them together. They have so much fun. Every now and again I get some face time with Rachel but for the most part, its Mommy! Each time they go to playgroup or storyhour at the library or when she’s chasing Rachel around the house and reading to her or singing to her, their relationship gets stronger. Rachel has the perfect example of what it means to be a lady, a mother and a christian.

I love Sharron and I don’t know how I would be without her. I’m still trying to figure out how I made it all those years without her without killing myself, but I’m glad she’s in my life now. My plans for a mother’s day gift didn’t materialize like I had hoped but at least I can publicly proclaim that I’M MARRIED TO THE MOST WONDERFUL WOMAN ON EARTH.

She’s a wonderful mother to Rachel, a beautiful wife to me and gift to both of us. Happy mother’s day Sharron Yvonne Denman (aka Baby Boo) We love you!

Here are some images of Sharron from a time before “us”, as a mother and as the beautiful woman she is.

I think about my mother often. She’s been gone from me almost two years now and I still wish I could pick up a phone and just say hi. I never called home as much as I would love to now but that just how it is I suppose. My mother was a teacher and she taught me a lot of things. Too many to recount here. Suffice it to say that she was the rock that served as the foundation of my development. I remember her reading to me Green Eggs and Ham over and over with her finger underscoring each word and then she would ask me to read it back to her and I would. I enjoyed reading to my mother. I always looked forward to hearing her say “Very good, Mark” Every child wants to please their mother and I certainly was no different.

She was a very soft-hearted, kind and soft-spoken person and I NEVER saw her mistreat anyone. Her entire life was an example that I can celebrate. However it wasn’t her life that I remember most now. Its how she handled the prospect of death that I remember. She battled cancer off and on for 22 years. She fought it until it finally caught up with her. When it did, she never wallowed or cried and asked “why me?”. She bravely faced it and if she was ever in pain it never showed. My mother didn’t know fear. It just wasn’t a part of her make-up. Her last lesson to me was a lesson in courage that I try to practice everyday. Its not always easy and sometimes I don’t know how she did it. With God’s help I will learn it because its such a wonderful trait to past on the Rachel.

I miss her tremendously.

Here is a slideshow of snapshot photos I gathered of my mother. I put this together as a tribute to her memory.

Happy Mother’s Day.

She made it or Sharron and I made it (however you might look at it.) Rachel is 1 yr old today. Nothing big scheduled. She had her party last week. She’s been so much fun to get to know and I know year two will be no less exciting. Just wanted to share a few from the first year. Each image was taken for every month she’s been with us. (First image is Day 1)

My little girl will be 1 yr old in a few weeks.  There is so much about Rachel that I just don’t want to change.  Yet when I look back over the year, there is so much that has changed already.

She’s crawling (at record speeds)
She’s standing on her own.
She’s exploring.
She’s laughing.
She’s very independent.
She’s know’s what she wants and screams when she’s denied.

I suppose you can look at those things and say “those are good things.”  Perhaps.  I just know that I’m going to miss her crawling onto my chest and falling asleep.  I’m going to miss hearing her giggling as I toss her into the air.  I’m going to miss marching around the house with her in my arms singing “The Grand ole Duke of York”  I’m going to miss her going into Sharron’s drawers and pulling everything out onto the floor and then crawl away (That is funny!!)  Right under my nose she has grown.  There is a knot in my stomach that wants things to slow down just a bit.  Let me enjoy the little Rachel that I’ve known.  Yea its great to see her develop and experience new things and its fun to witness the development of her personality-getting a glimpse into what kind of young lady she might be.  All those things are great to see and I’m excited about the endless possibilities for her except it just reminds me…

She’s not so small in my hands anymore

Meet Annabelle and her little sister Lydia.

One of the most adorable and happiest little girls I’ve have every met.  I photographed her in Birmingham, AL and she really put me to work.  Annabelle had her own idea of how our photosession should go and not even the big bad photographer was going to tell her otherwise.  So what was I to do? Well, the only thing I could do.  Let Annabelle be Annabelle and capture her in the process.

Some people jokingly ask me as I’ve photographed their children,  ”Are you sure you want to do this?”  I have to admit its rough sometimes.  It’s a challenge and when I make it home and I look over the images I captured, I say to myself, “yea, I’m sure!”  Sometimes the best images are the one you aren’t trying to capture.

She never knew me as a photographer, but she knew I would be whatever I chose to be.  I vividly remember talking to my mother saying to her that I did not want to work for someone else for the rest of my life. That was in November of 2006.  She was 21.5 years into her battle with cancer.  Some might have said she was winning.  To see her you would never have known what was going on inside.  She offered two simple words in response to my plight…”well don’t!”  Years of her telling me that I was smart enough to do anything and accomplish anything wrapped nicely into two little words.  

It was not the least of her gifts to me.

At that point I decided to take control of my own life and pursue something that I enjoyed.  I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue a career in photography.  I chose not to tell my mother until I was sure that the finances were in order that would allow me to enroll in school.  By the time I had secured funding, I had less than a month left with her. Unbeknownst to me at the time.  She was in the hospital and desperately weak.  I told her that I decided to pursue another career and enroll in photography school.   She said not a single word.  She smiled… and whatever I was expecting her reponse to be, that smile is more than I could have asked for.  I’ll never forget it.  A life time of instilling confidence, a life time of hope, a life time of encouragement, all behind one gentle smile.  I know that she was proud that I chose to be what every man and woman has a right to be – what she’d always wanted me to be…Happy!

On a bus in London, England

This is the last photograph I took of my mother in December of 2006.  She passed away 5 months later.  It was hand held on a dark bus for about 2 seconds.  When I first looked at this picture, I thought to discard it, but now its more valuable to me than any picture I’ve ever taken.

I wanted to take a minute to pay tribute to my mother with this first post.  Joyce Marie Denman – the reason I am who I am today.  She will always be remembered.