Jeremy Lawson::::Photographer

My first wedding of 2007 was in Pennsylvania this year for a great guy and and old friend of mine Seth Brooker. Bud as we called him was a College roommate of mine the last year or so. The Wedding was in a town a few miles outside outside of Pittsburgh. Because it was such a long trip we decided to turn it into family vacation. It was our sons first really long car ride and decided to leave about a week early and make a few pit stops along the way to see some family. The first half of the trip we made with my mother-in-law and Big Smile Staff Photographer Tina Hamilton (you will be hearing a lot more about her later ) After meeting with a few great brides-to-be in St. Louis and another in Chicago we arrived in New Castle PA. (Officially the most confusing town in the world). Driving in New castle is like driving through a black hole. I got lost for more than an hour almost a handful of times. If you decide to drive through New castle you can start and one end of the town driving in a straight line and drive out of town and then drive back into another town called New Castle that is the same town only that you would swear is a different town entirely. Driving in New Castle is almost as confusing as my previous sentence. But along the way we saw some great sights and got some great vacation and wedding shots.

The first is Tina on the phone with Lindsey's Grandparents outside a loves somewhere in Illinois. Here is Liam with Great Grandpa Don in his Favorite chair. Lindsey's Grandparents got to see him roll across the room for a toy for the first time.



Now for those of you that have been Big Smile Photo fans since the beginning you remember my first logo. It had Big Smile in Big Goofy Letters and the dot on the "i" was a big yellow smiley face. It was officially the most obnoxious logo ever. The point being that I was a poor photographer trying to do what ever i could to get people to remember my logo (and thus me). I even used to have window lettering that covered the entire back window of my car. Genious marketing or dumb luck asside. It worked. Back then I never could have imagined being where I am now. All thanks , in part, to that silly logo. Unfortunately i am now stuck trying to be a serious photographer with a studio name like Big Smile. After a while people started getting the idea that i liked big yellow smiley faces. I started receiving an inordinate amount of smiley face stuff. Everything from candy and suckers to lunch boxes and dinner wear. Smiley face stuff is now become the bain of my existence. I am actualy not a fan of Smiley Faces. I tell you this knowing full well you will send my smiley face stuff just to annoy me. That brings me to the point of this tangent. So I am driving through Illinois and what do i spy but one small towns tribute to the big yellow smile.


After being on the road for hours, my bladder about to explode from a 44ounce Super Gulp from the QT and the giant yellow face decides to torment me in my darkest hour. and yet despite its mocking black eyes , its wicked smile, and the pain from my overfull bladder, I smile. For without your bright yellow boldness and unrefined charm i would not be who i am today. Thank you , you big stupid yellow face.

Well that's part one of the trip. i will finish the final chapter when i get home. who knows what could happen.