By Amanda Kicklighter - Statesboro

Nothing can tear at a mother?s heartstrings more than watching her child suffer and being able to do nothing for her child except pray. All seemed well when we left the hospital with our second daughter, Isabella. However, at 7 days old she was back in the hospital with RSV. Never have I been so numb to what was going on. All I could do for the 2 weeks in the hospital was hold her, and trust that God would heal her, and He did. A couple of months later, Lori took one of my favorite portraits of Isabella. It is a hand-colored b&w and she is lying on her tummy with a flower wreath and a tutu on. I love this picture because her eyes seem to dance with life and it reminds me that each day with her is a gift. I call it, ?I Hope You Dance?.

By: Sheri-Lyn Owens - Rincon

Finalist

We dreamed of having a child for eight years before she came.  After a tragic miscarriage and many visits to Doctors, we were facing a grim outlook.  We continued to pray and many prayed for us.  Finally, God gave us our daughter through the beautiful path of adoption.  We were there when she was born, and indeed she is the most precious gift we have ever received.

Weeks before Sydney was born, we contacted Lori Grice about her Baby’s First Year program.  After such a long journey to receive the gift of this child, we knew Lori was the one to document her life through the art of photography.  Hours after we arrived home, we were in Lori’s studio.  She patiently and masterfully captured this first image of our daughter with a gift tag on her toe.  This portrait reminds us constantly that Sydney is a precious gift “…from God.”

Love,

Sheri-Lyn

  By: Kitty Roberts Cason - Richmond Hill and Statesboro

Finalist

I got a phone call from Lori a couple of days ago.  During the call Lori encouraged me to write a story expressing what my portraits from her have meant.  When I got the phone call I was a little distracted so I asked her if I could e-mail them to her.  Honestly I forgot all about it as I hung up the phone and three children begging to hurry up and go to the pool can do.  But it came back to my mind while I had a few minutes alone in the car.  A flood of memories came to my mind. 

    Originally she had mentioned my wedding portraits but I had to go back even further.  Lori began taking pictures of my family in the early 1990’s when I was still in college. I had seen her work through the windows of her store and I liked what I saw so I gave her a call.  Little didn’t know how dear these would become to me.  You see, we hadn’t a family portrait taken in quite a few years so Lori came down to my family home in Richmond Hill and we did a family portrait.  Mom, Dad, younger brother, me and our  3 dogs.  I also had a portrait taken of me and my horse.  That may sound a little odd to some but this horse was my first horse that I got at 7 years old and we shared the exact same birthday.  I grew up with this magnificent creature riding and showing him in shows and if he could talk would spill all of my secrets.  I was the girl who loved horses.  The portraits were great.   A treasure that I could hold on to. 

    Time marched on……Unfortunately my parents divorced after almost 30 years together, two of the three dogs have passed away, and my horse too passed on.  But I still have the portraits!  And every time I look at them I think of all of the good memories.  I am so glad that I have these.  A day frozen in time.

    When I got engaged I knew who to call.  Lori!!  She took the engagement photos and once again traveled to Richmond Hill to take my bridal portraits.  Ever since I was a small girl I knew that I wanted my bridal portraits under the beautiful and grand live oaks of White Hall Plantation so that is just what we did.  Magical is what they were.  Since the divorce of my parents a lot of things had changed in my life and I wanted these pictures to reflect what I grew up knowing and loving.  The home that I remembered.  We took the pictures in a lot of the places that I spent time daydreaming and playing.  Every time I look at these I am never older than my dreams.  Once again Lori did it she froze so many of my wonderful memories in time. 

    Now I am the mother of three wonderful and spirited children.  Lori has captured their personalities and milestones too many to name.  I am appreciative for the attention to detail and craftsmanship.  Things will come and they will go.  But my pictures will be with me until my last days and my children will have them and the generations to come.  I hope that they understand the importance of them as much as I do.  It is my history and theirs to. 

   Lastly,  we had a family portrait taken a week ago.  The first for my family.  I will never forget how my 3 year old didn’t want to stand still and cooperate my 18 month old couldn’t sit still and my 7 year old would rather be playing with her friends.  Some how we came out with a beautiful picture.  Through all of the craziness of that day Lori came inside and shot some candid pictures of my kids just laying on the couch together.  They were watching Nemo on tv and were all snuggled up.  When Lori started shooting I knew these would be my favorites.  My kids would be together, snuggled tightly, just hanging out.  She froze this moment in time.  When my kids are all grown and gone and living their lives and I look at this portrait they will always be my babies.  My perfect babies. 

Thank you Lori for the memories!  Thank you for the emotions that you create in me through your pictures!  Thank you for the last 14 years that you have taken pictures of my family!  Thank you for freezing so many memories in time!  From a girl, to a bride, to a mother I am grateful!  I look forward to the years and milestones to come!

Always,

Kitty Cason

  By: Stefanie Reeder  - Savannah

Finalist

Lori,

Your photos of me telling Sean I was expecting, served as a lighthouse during the darkest time of our lives.
Just days after we were with you, we were told I was miscarrying. Devastated and broken, I was so afraid those photos would be a constant reminder of what we lost.

But through prayer we turned it over to the Lord. We decided until this child left us for Heaven, we were going to cherish every moment. In those quite days, we became profoundly grateful we had those photos- photos that might be the only ones we?d ever have ?with? him.
Regardless, we knew those images of joy would always be in our home, honoring our FIRST child.

Today, they hang outside his nursery- a beautiful reminder of God?s grace and the greatest miracle he performed in our life- our healthy son, Grant Kenneth.

Thank you for your amazing gift.

Love,

The Reeders

By: Kristen Grach - Pooler 

  Finalist 

                                                                                                     Lori, 

After 9 weeks of pre-term labor contractions, I delivered a 4 week premature baby boy at 7 lbs.      6 ounces.  He was very healthy and ate every hour and a half to prove it… for 5 months…day in and day out.  Levi was my second child so you’d think I would have known what to do, but I had no time to pull myself together before someone needed something.  I became emotion-less, robotic.  That is the only way I can describe it.  My husband sensing my distress, strategically placed our portrait in the nursery so it was the first thing I saw every time I walked in to retrieve our hungry boy.  On days I didn’t know if I’d be able to make it to lunch time without having to call someone to help me, it was there.  The days I didn’t get a chance to shower, and there were quite a few of them, it was there.  And 2 1/2 years later it is still there reminding me of the indescribable love I have for my children. 
After going through post-partum depression, I relish the moments that Levi now walks up to me and says “Hold you.”

Kristen Grach

By: Neelam Raichura  - Statesboro

Judge’s Favorite

My husband and I got married in July of 1999, against the wishes of both families. Coming from conservative Indian families, where nuptials are usually arranged, it was a bold move. Following the not so very happy wedding ceremony, which was attended by a very few close friends, I accompanied my husband to the United States and left my family and friends back home in India. Over time my husband?s family became a part of our lives once again but my parents never talked to me. They did not even want to know how I was doing in this far away land. In a new world and around new people, I made friends and some close enough to be called family but in my heart I suffered the pain of not having my parents around me. After many-many phone calls, emails and letters, I reestablished a formal line of communication with my father and my sisters but my mother never came to the phone. The distance from home, the loss of family support and a severe case of hypothyroidism was drawing my life into depression just before our daughter Misha was born in August of 2004.

We had a family portrait session with Lori in early 2006. One of the pictures in that session was of Misha and myself. For this picture I wore a traditional Indian dress that my mother had given me long back. I framed and sent this picture to my home in India and to my surprise and immeasurable happiness my mother called me. We talked for three hours mostly crying and getting emotional after a few sentences. From that moment on, my life felt comprehensive, I sensed a new confidence that comes from finding something precious that was lost long back. Soon after that Misha and I visited my parents, which was the first time in seven years that I had seen my mother and most other members of my family. My parents had a very good time with Misha and she enjoyed every single moment of it as well. Since I had last seen my mother she had suffered a serious case of Spinal Stenosis and had to remain on bed rest. On her bedside was the picture of Misha and I, which Lori had taken. This mother?s day my mom sent me a card that said, ? I am looking at your picture right now and I just want you to know that you are the best mom and the best daughter. Misha and I are blessed to have you in our lives. Happy Mothers day.? Re-establishing this relationship with my mother and hearing this from her was impossible without that one picture.

The true power of great portraits is immeasurable but sometimes it can make lives complete and living more worth it. I am glad I have one such portrait made by you that had the power to mend broken relationships.

Thank You So Much Lori!

Neelam