We've had a great run...thanks everybody!!!

After much contemplation, Leigh and I have decided to shut down Nexis Photography and we are no longer accepting bookings going forward. For those of you have already booked us for your wedding next year, don't worry...this won't affect you at all.

For those of you who wanted to book us...all we can say is we're sorry, and we'll be happy to refer you to some other great photographers.

By way of explanation...no we haven't gotten bored with photography, nor have we experienced a lack of clients seeking our services. However, we have a beautiful one year old daughter and our time with her has become more valuable than the extra income our photography business brought in. Wedding photography, while a lot of fun, is also very time consuming. Shooting a wedding may take up an entire Saturday, but editing can take nights and weekends for several weeks.

The website will remain active for a while due to the client proofing side of things. We want to make sure everyone has a chance to use their photo credit and place orders.

We want to thank all of our clients for choosing Nexis Photography for their special day! We have truly been blessed through our photography business and we have made some wonderful friendships with people we've met along the way!

- M&L

Jacob and Bekah's Wedding - Wetumpka, AL

Talk about an awesome wedding! Jacob and Bekah were married in Wetumpka, AL on a beautiful (yet incredibly hot) August afternoon. These two love the Lord, and love each other...and it really showed throughout the day as the anticipation built up to the ceremony where they saw each other for the first time. There were too many things we loved about this wedding to list, but one thing that always makes weddings fun is a wedding party that jokes around and has a sense of humor...and this wedding party was no exception! Time flies when you are having fun, and you could tell everyone at this wedding was having a great time!

Jacob and Bekah, we really enjoyed getting to know you guys and are so glad you picked us to be a part of your special day. We wish you guys all the best out there in Texas, and hope that we can catch up when Auburn goes down to Baton Rouge for the LSU game. We hope you enjoy the slideshow above of some of our favorites, and all of your wedding pictures are now available in your gallery which can be accessed by going to www.nexisphotography.com , clicking on "Client Proofing" and then looking for your picture.

WAR EAGLE!

- M&L

Marilane and Adam's Wedding - Birmingham, AL

After a little hiatus from weddings due to our little baby Kelsey being born last year, we are back with our first wedding for the year! Marilane and Adam are a wonderful Christian couple that were married last month on a beautiful April afternoon in Birmingham, AL. These two have a wonderful story, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them, and being a part of their special day. We had a great time taking pictures with their family and friends...and the wedding party kept us laughing all day...which we like! Oh and I forgot to mention...Marilane, Adam, and their entire wedding party must be professionals...I don't think anyone blinked during a picture the entire day! After the wedding and a short reception, we followed Marilane and Adam over to Samford for some awesome bride and groom pictures! We absolutely love the way their pictures turned out! Marilane and Adam...you two are a fantastic couple and we know you will have a blessed marriage together. We hope you like the brief slideshow we put together above, and all of your pictures are online in your gallery which can be accessed by going to http://www.nexisphotography.com/, clicking on "Client Proofing" and looking for your gallery.

All the best!
- M&L

Jacob and Bekah's Engagement Session - Auburn University

Jacob and Bekah's Engagement Session was AWESOME! These two were so much fun to work with and we enjoyed getting to know them a little better. The story of their engagement is pretty cool. Long story short, Jacob lives in Texas currently, and drove through the night on a Friday in order to get to Auburn on Saturday for a surprise proposal. He did it right in front of Samford Hall (totally showing up every guy, and making every girl jealous who walked past the sign that he had made to pop the question). It was only fitting that they took their engagement pictures at Auburn. Jacob and Bekah laughed and joked around the whole time which always makes an engagement session fun. They weren't afraid to get a little goofy...as you'll be able to tell by some of the pictures :) Jacob and Bekah, you guys are awesome and we can't wait to shoot your wedding in a few months. We hope you enjoy the slideshow above of some of our favorites. All of your pictures are online in your gallery which can be accessed by going to www.nexisphotography.com and clicking on "Client Proofing" and then looking for your gallery.

WAR EAGLE!
- M&L

Marilane and Adam's Engagement Session - Montgomery, AL

Marilane and Adam's Engagement Session was a blast! We met Marilane and Adam at the Blount Cultural Park (the Shakespeare Festival as we call it) on a beautiful spring evening, with lots of sunshine. The wind was a little strong, and that presents some challenges, but I think we pulled it off anyway. Marilane and Adam were so great to work with...they were relaxed and up for experimenting with various shots...and even though it started to get a little cool in the evening, they were good sports and hung in there until the end! Marilane and Adam are a fantastic couple, and we can't wait to see them unite in marriage later this month!

Marilane and Adam, we hope you enjoy the little slideshow above of some of our favorites. To see your entire gallery go to http://www.nexisphotography.com/ and click on "Client Proofing" then look for your gallery. Can't wait until the wedding!

Thanks!
- M&L

Robin is Gonna Trash Her Dress!!!

We have had some awesome clients over the years...actually come to think of it, I don't know if we've ever had a client we didn't really enjoy working with. We've just been blessed to attract awesome people I guess :) Anyway...getting to the point.

Out of all of our awesome clients, one of our favorites is Mrs. Robin Ford. The camera loves Robin, and she is a master of just about any facial expression there is. Tell her to give you happy, pouty, sexy, serious...you name it, she has it. She can even do Blue Steel (if you don't know what that is...google it).

Not only is she a great model, but she is so fun to work with. During her engagement session, her bridal session, and her wedding she was laid back, and was cracking jokes with us.

Anyway, we were pumped when Robin let us know that she wanted to do a Trash the Dress session in June! For those of you who don't know what that is all about... #1 - sit down. Ok...are you sitting? #2 - make sure your mother is not reading this...she may not be able to handle it.

Basically, the Trash the Dress (TtD) session involves you doing the opposite of what you passionately try do with your dress before your wedding...keep it clean. For the TtD session you want to get it dirty, sandy, muddy, wet, you name it. At this point you are probably asking yourself why...well...because it makes for some INCREDIBLE pictures and its ALOT OF FUN! Putting a bride in her wedding dress in a setting that you would not normally see it really makes her stand out...after all, what are you going to do with the dress? Store it in the closet or attic?

Tawny, one of our previous brides did it last year and loved it! Here are a few pictures from her session:

Looking forward to it Robin!

- M&L

Matt's Top 5 Favorite Superbowl Commercials

Matt's top 5 favorite Superbowl commercials ranked from top to bottom:

#1 - Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

How can you not love this commercial...pure genius by the directors and pulled off perfectly by the kid. By far my favorite commercial.

#2 - Doritos Commercial: Best Part

If this commercial doesn't make you laugh out loud, something is wrong with you.

#3 - Pepsi Max Commercial: Love Hurts

I wonder if Leigh feels like this sometimes with me...we eat pretty healthy most of the time...but every once in a while I get a little hardcore on the nutrition.

#4 - Audi Commercial: Release the Hounds

This is hilarious...got to love the Kenny G part :)

#5 - Doritos Commercial: House Sitting

This one was pretty funny...not laugh out loud funny...but clever.

Epiphany on Blogging

So I’ve had an epiphany about our blog. We are much better photographers than we are bloggers. After realizing that I was not particularly efficient updating the blog, I thought my beautiful, lovely, intelligent (…you get the idea) wife would be much better at updating posts on a regular basis. Well…apparently that hasn’t quite worked out either.

As I contemplated the fact that neither Leigh nor I are exceptional bloggers…it hit me. Why does it matter, or does it even matter? Are clients really that interested in seeing a daily update about the TV show we watched, or what the dog did today, or how many dirty diapers I changed? I could be wrong…but I don’t think so. Therefore…going forward…I’m not going to stress about keeping the blog updated. If we have something to post we definitely will…but I just don’t think we’re ever going to be good daily bloggers. We'll put our time and energy into doing what we do well...taking great photos and providing the very best customer service to our clients.

Anyway, since I took the time to post something…I might as well add a photo. Here is one of my favorite pictures of Kelsey that Leigh took last month.

Kelsey LOVES our dog Foxie…she smiles and laughs just about every time she sees her…I love this picture!

- M&L

It's Leigh Time, like hammer time but not...

Ah, new responsibility. Although Matt probably talks about updating the blog every day, he seems never to have time to do it; probably due to all his new fatherly responsibilities. Oh, Matt…if you only knew. So I’ve been given the job of official Nexis blogger. I’ve never blogged before so this should be interesting. So what’s in store for the Nexis blog? Hmm…Well I’m sure I’ll talk about Kelsey (our brand new baby girl), pictures, and any other thing that I want to blab about but can’t get Matt to listen to. J So for my first blog… Kelsey is almost 4 months old and sweet as can be, we have been taking pictures of Kelsey but not as much as I thought we would, and I’m loving the Bachelor right now…can’t get enough of it. J And here’s a picture of Kelsey’s crazy eyes just for fun. More to come!

God Bless
Leigh

Getting ready for the Tough Mudder!!!

This is TOTALLY unrelated to photography...well I take that back...its slightly related if your wedding date is March 12, 2011. If it is, while you are getting married, Leigh and I will be competing in one of the toughest events on the planet - the Tough Mudder!

The Tough Mudder in March is being held just outside of Atlanta the weekend of March 12th. Its a 10 mile course that involves multiple obstacles designed by British Special Forces.

Check out the Tough Mudder website at www.toughmudder.com and watch some of the videos...its AWESOME!

Nexis Photography Review - Kayla and Shane!

All I can say is WOW! We have had some amazing clients, and many have written us some fantastic reviews and testimonials...but I've got to say this one is up near the top! Kayla and Shane were married in Florida in May of this year and she recently wrote us the following review. This is what makes us love what we do...doing anything we can to make our bride and groom have the wedding of their dreams. To us, that means so much more than just taking pictures...check this out:


"We chose Nexis Photography as the photographers for our wedding based on previous friends that had used them with amazing results. My husband and I first met them at a bridal fair in Prattville, and immediately we felt at ease with them. We had spoken to other photographers at the event but none of them seemed to reach out to us like Matt & Leigh did. My husband, (who has never been one that liked to take pictures) was so excited after meeting them that he would not leave the event without booking them for our upcoming wedding. And I have to say that this was the best decision we could have made in regards to the wedding planning.

We wanted our engagement pictures to be special...as most couples do, but we wanted our pictures to incorporate baseball, since my husband played in college at the time. Matt came up with the idea of having some pictures taken at the Biscuits Stadium downtown, and he even got in contact with the administration and made it happen.

We had the best time ever taking our pictures and we were absolutley amazed at the end product. We had never seen any pictures like these before and we were so proud to show them off.

As amazed at we were at our engagement pictures, we could never have imagined how beautiful our wedding pictures were to turn out. It was a gorgeous Saturday in May (in Florida) so of course it was a little hot. We had made it through the ceremony and were on the way to the reception. Upon arriving to the ceremony I quickly noticed that something was not right with my family...mainly my dad. As it turns out he had to be rushed to the emergency room and ended up missing the entire reception. Needless to say I was an emotional wreck and Leigh stepped right in ushering me away from the crowd, taking me aside and talking to me. She was a shoulder for me to lean on while managing to keep me calm. After I was ready to re-enter the reception I had so much on my mind that the last thing I could think of was the reception agenda (cake cutting, first dances, and etc). But thankfully I didn't have to Matt and Leigh stepped in and quickly got the reception flowing smoothly again. I was so grateful to have them there, because without them I would have been a wreck as well as the reception.

We kept hoping by the end of the reception that my dad would make it back so we could at least have our father-daughter dance. Unfortunately my dad was not able to make it back, but that didn't stop Matt and Leigh. Even though the reception was over they offered to come to the hospital, along with our dj, and take pictures, so that me and my dad could have our first dance. Now I know I can say that not many photographers would have even offered this, especially considering how late it was in the night at an out of town event. This just proves that Matt and Leigh are truly special people. They do things out of the kindness of their heart, and they genuinely care about others...it wasn't about the money to them, it really was about making our wedding day special...and it was apparent that they would go to any length to make this happen.

You can imagine how upset my dad was that he missed the reception, but what we didn't count on was how the pictures would allow him to be a part of every moment of the reception. He was amazed at the story that the pictures told and upon finishing he was in tears. The pictures allowed him to experience the reception, although he was not physically present. For pictures to speak that loudly, you know you must have some amazing and truly gifted photographers.

There are not enough words to express our gratitude towards Matt and Leigh for all that they have done. Our wedding was a very memorable time, but we are especially thankful to have such beautiful keepsakes to remind us of that special day. We are so lucky to have had them as photographers, and now we are even luckier to be able to say that they are our friends. Not only have we been able to see how wonderful they both are from a professional/business aspect, but now we have been able to experience their genuineness and appreciate their character, personalities, and spirit as friends.

Anyone that chooses Nexis Photography will not be disappointed. Not only will you have amazing pictures that will serve as great memories forever, but you will have excellent proficient photographers that will take every effort in ensuring your day is special and is everything you ever dreamed of." - Kayla & Shane Moye


Thank you guys...you two are the best!
- M &L

Nexis Photography Review - Kristina and Jacob!

Here is another great review from some great clients that were married last year. Things were so crazy this year with Leigh's pregnancy so we are just now getting around to asking our clients to write us a review.

"I highly recommend Nexis Photography to anyone and everyone! I have been in many weddings and have never been apart of picture shoots that were so organized as Nexis, especially with the family shoot. Most family shoots take an hour. Ours took 30 mins. They were wonderful to work with, very layed back, creative, and their pictures are beyond what we could of asked for. After every picture shoot we walked away feeling like Matt and Leigh were old friends instead of photographers we hired." - Kristina and Jacob

Thanks guys!
- M&L

Review from Jessica and Cory!

Jessica and Cory were married on May 1, 2010. They were an awesome couple, and we had so much fun shooting their wedding. They recently wrote us a review...check it out!



"If you are looking for AMAZING pictures and photographers with a sense of humor as well as a complete professionalism, then look no further! Matt and Leigh were beyond wonderful. I first met them at a bridal show in Prattville, AL and fell in love with their photographs. When it was finally time to start planning, I called Matt and Leigh and fortunately they had our date available. For me, the pictures of our wedding were the most important aspect of the planning and I couldn't be happier with our results. From the bridal session to our "big day" I have received so many compliments on our pictures. Matt and Leigh were there the moment I started getting ready until I told them to go home. They definitely calmed my nervousness with their humor and went out of their way to be amazing. Leigh even helped me get my dress and shoes on and Matt bought me and my bridesmaids and Leigh taco bell!!! My husband left for Basic Military Training ten days after we were married and took some of our wedding pictures with him. I went to his graduation in San Antonio and the whole weekend all I heard from the people in his military flight was about how amazing our pictures were and who took them. Matt and Leigh are definitely worth the time and money!! In the end, we not only have amazing pictures but we have made two wonderful friends."
- Jessica


Thanks Jessica and Cory!
- M&L

Introducing Kelsey Reese!

She's here! Kelsey Reese Abele was born at 2:32pm on Friday, October 1st. She was 7lbs 6oz and 20 inches long.

Leigh and I didn't find out the gender of our baby, so it was a wonderful surprise when she came out and we found out we had a daughter. Labor and delivery could not have gone better...we had been praying about that and for a healthy baby for 9 months, and we are so thankful the Lord answered our prayers in that way. We actually had a photographer friend photograph some before and during the delivery, but we did take a few snapshots throughout the last couple of days. Here are just a few of our pics to share with everyone.


This is Leigh, aka - Superwoman, only a few minutes after labor. She looks like she just put makeup on for hot date...doesn't exactly look like a woman who labored for 11 hours.

Mommy checking out her little bundle of joy...

Sweet little Kelsey...she was very calm after birth.

Daddy and his little girl...

Nothing like holding your daughter in your arms...

Love the look on her face...she is already very expressive.

This is one of my favorites. She was just so calm and content with Leigh holding her. She just looked around the room wide-eyed and coo'ed a little here and there...it was so sweet.

haha...making faces....awesome!

One of my favorite moments of the day...Leigh and baby resting quietly.

So sweet!

She was suckleing while sleeping...it was so funny listening to the little "popping" sounds she was making with her lips. You don't get the full effect with the picture, but its still cute.

Sleeping...being a baby is hard work.

My little girl...

I can get used to this dad thing...

Don't let her fool you...this chick has a serious grip. I wonder how early is too early to start boot camp? Future boot camp champion in the making :)

Hand on the face...it looked so comfortable I figured I'd try it too...

She is a cute one! I give Leigh 100% credit for that :)

...at this point Kelsey is wondering what is that big black thing dad keeps sticking in my face. It clicks alot....hmmm....

A flash of a smile...it was probably gas...but I'll take it! I can't wait until she is smiling and laughing all the time...its gonna be fun.

More looking around...all kinds of new stuff to check out. Although newborns can't see that far, she is definitely looking at something.

Just a little kiss from mommy...

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but she was looking at me out of the corner of her eyes...it so cute...and it made me laugh.

Alright, so its official...I'm one of those parents that just gushes over every single thing his daughter does. I'm gonna try hard not to spoil her...its going to be tough :)

Continue to keep us in your prayers...we covet wisdom to raise our child properly and take care of all her needs. We also want sleep...which is a rare luxury these days :) Thank you to everyone who has given us gifts, come by to see us, prayed for us, or just wished us well. We are incredibly blessed and look forward to the upcoming days, weeks, and months as Kelsey grows.

-M&L

Video Blog Update!

First video blog update...check it out!

- M&L

Haha...who is updating this blog???

First of all...yes...both Leigh and I are still alive :)

Wow...I can't believe its been almost 3 months since I've updated the blog. In case you didn't know...Leigh (my beautiful wife) is pregnant and we are expecting our first child in about 4 weeks!

We decided early in the year...well actually, late last year to only book weddings through May of 2010 so that Leigh wouldn't have to shoot weddings when she was uber-pregnant. It worked out well, because an all day 8+ hour wedding can be physically tough on anyone, let along an 8 month pregnant woman.

Anyway, are now booking weddings for the 2011 year starting in April. I will try to update the blog with a video post later in the week...that should be fun :)

Abbe and Josh's Wedding - Opelika, AL

Abbe and Josh's Wedding was a great way to cap off a short, but fun wedding season for us. As I'm sure everyone knows, Leigh and I are expecting our first child in October...and since we truly believe in having 2 photographers at a wedding, we decided not to book any weddings for 2010 after May. Don't worry, we'll be available for weddings again starting in March of 2011.

Abbe and Josh were married at First Baptist Church of Opelika. These two were so great to work with...they were accomodating, friendly, and relaxed, even though there was definitely some nervous anticipation right before they saw each other for the first time in the day.

Some of the things we'll remember most from this wedding: Abbe's grandmother...super nice lady, the hilarious groomsmen, Abbe's beautiful dress, the expressions on Abbe and Josh's face when they first saw each other, the awesome Jordan-Hare and Toomer's Corner cakes, Josh leading the final WAR EAGLE cheer before they left the reception, and taking some final pictures at Samford Hall.

Abbe and Josh, we wish you the best as you start your married lives together. We hope you enjoy the slideshow above of some of our favorites. All of your wedding images are online in your gallery which can be accessed by going to www.nexisphotography.com and clicking on "Client Proofing" and then looking for your gallery.

Congratulations!
- M&L

Anna and Patrick's Wedding - Lake Martin, AL

Anna and Patrick were married on a sunny May afternoon at a beautiful lake house on the shores of Lake Martin. The ceremony was very cool...Matt got to shoot it from a pontoon boat floating out in the water, while Leigh was left on land to do most of the hard work :)

Talk about a FUN wedding...these guys know how to throw a party! After a somewhat traditional reception filled with dancing, speeches, cake cutting, garter/boquet, etc...the wedding party stripped down to their swim suits and jumped into the lake together! From there, the reception turned into a lake party! We loved the way Anna planned out her wedding...it was beautiful and elegant, but also very comtemporary and cool all at the same time!

Anna and Patrick, congratulations on your wedding and we wish you guys all the best as you start your married lives. We hope you like the slideshow of some of our favorites listed above. All of your pictures are available in your gallery which can be accessed by going to www.nexisphotography.com and clicking on "Client Proofing" and then looking for your gallery.

Congrats!
- M&L

Kayla and Shane's Wedding - Pensacola, FL

Kayla and Shane's Wedding took place on a beautiful, sunny afternoon in Pensacola, FL. This was our second Florida wedding of the year...and just like the first, it was beautiful!

Ceremony - Old Christ Church
Reception - Pensacola Yacht Club

Kayla picked a beautiful church with a large stained glass window behind the altar...we loved the way it lit the church and provided some stunning backlight in the afternoon sun. The church was packed too...obviously Kayla and Shane have developed alot of great friendships over the years, because it was standing room only. The reception was beautiful as well, and everyone had a great time eating, talking, dancing, etc. There were a few hiccups throughout the day, but at the end of the day, two beautiful people who love each other were married surrounded by their family and friends. Kayla and Shane, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You two were so much fun to work with, and you really made us feel like good friends who were there to enjoy the day with you. We wish you the best as you start your married lives together. We hope you enjoy the slideshow of some of our favorites above...it may move a bit quick, but we had so many favorites that we had to put them to a fast moving song to get them all in :) All of your pictures are now online in your gallery, which can be accessed by going to www.nexisphotography.com and clicking on "Client Proofing" then looking for your picture!

Congratulations, and all the best!
- M&L

Jessica and Cory's Wedding - Montgomery, AL

Oh man...where to start with this wedding? First off...it was AWESOME! Jessica and Cory are two of the most fun people I think we've met. They cracked us up the entire day...which if you know us...we love to joke around/goof off...while always remaining professional :)

Ceremony - Maxwell AFB Chapel 1

Reception - The Alley Station

Leigh has unofficially awarded Jessica with our "Most Organized Bride" award. Jessica had everything planned out to the tee...and even knew her formal poses like the back of her hand. She made command decisions and didn't waffle back and forth when someone asked her anything. In other words...she was the freaking Bomb!

Cory was hilarious...and was a trooper taking pictures all day long. He also is one strong dude...you have to see this pose these two did for us...are you kidding me??? WOW...he didn't even break a sweat...coulda probably held her there for 10 minutes. Jessica probably deserves some credit as well...I don't know many (or any) girls who could do that!

Jessica and Cory...thanks for allowing us to be a part of your special day...we thoroughly enjoyed working with you. We also want to thank both of you guys for the sacrifice in your service to our country. Cory is going to be a para-rescue trooper (hope that is the right term)...and is going off for training in a day or two. We wanted to get these pictures online before Cory had to leave so he could see them. We hope you guys enjoy the slideshow of some of our favorites above. All of your pictures are online in your gallery which can be accessed by going to http://www.nexisphotography.com/, clicking on "Client Proofing" and looking for your gallery.

All the best!

- M&L