ThompsonPoole Photography

Fun Food Friday :: Sandwiches

2009-07-02T18:54:00.007-05:00

It's summer and really hot in Texas. What better meal than a sandwich? I thought I'd share some of the out-takes from my shoot for San Antonio Magazine's dining feature on the top sandwiches in San Antonio.

The Tomato Basil Mozzarella Panini from Texas Farm to Table at the Pearl Brewery. I have to say this one was tasty.

This is the Spinach Chicken Salad at W. D. Deli on Broadway. If you know me at all you know I loathe mayo. The sight and smell of it make me nauseous so this wasn't the easiest thing to shoot. That said, the deli is great. Reminds me of someone's hip grandmother's house. I would definitely stop in for lunch, just not this sandwich.

Shrimp Poboy at Podna's Catfish and Poboy's on Austin Highway. This place was fun. I walked in and the cooks were ragging on each other and I was hit with the wonderful smell of fried food. This sandwich was huge, but because of the presence of that offensive condiment, mayo, I only ate a couple shrimpies. They were very, very tasty. Two, maybe three people could share one sandwich.

Have fun and enjoy your sandwiches. Don't forget to pick up a copy of San Antonio Magazine. There are a lot of cool things in this issue.

Wendi

Neal and Allison One Year Anniversary

2009-06-14T18:45:00.004-05:00

Happy First Anniversary Neal and Allison. You are one amazing couple and I am so glad we got the opportunity to be a part of your amazing wedding.

I hope this past year has been as fun as the wedding and then some. And may the ones to come continually be filled with joy.

Wendi

Fun Food Friday :: Fried Chicken

2009-06-05T10:00:00.004-05:00

Ok, I love Fried Chicken. I'm from the south and growing up I can swear I had it almost everyday. So, In Texas finding that great place for Fried Chicken and traditional southern fair has been hard. Then a few years ago I discovered the joys of Mr. And Mrs. G's in San Antonio. This place is heaven for a southerner. When I worked in Birmingham, Alabama the city was littered with places called meat and threes, which means you choose a daily meat then pick three sides to go with it. That is exactly the description of Mr. and Mrs. G's. They always have a choice of meats and veggies, but I never can sway from the awesomeness of the fried Chicken. It's divine and second only to the now gone (due to Hurricane) Hopkins House in Pensacola, Florida where I grew up. I actually had our rehearsal dinner at Hopkins House for the sole reason of Fried Chicken! That said, I with a crew of photographer friends make special trips to Mr. and Mrs. G's just to get our fix. This was one of those Fried Chicken Fridays from a couple months ago.

Fried Chicken Goodness. You can't forget the awesome black eyed peas and sweet potatoes. Almost as good as the fried chicken.

A Piece of J. Michael Short's Pork Chop.

Part of the photo crew. Mark Greenberg in the center, his wife on the left and Mark Sobhani on the right.

Pie! How can I forget their desserts? They are homemade goodness. I am very partial to the pound cake and the chocolate cake. These desserts look and taste like somebody's grandma made for the church potluck. Delish. How'd that black-eyed pea sneak in there?

I couldn't quite finish it all but tried. Everytime I leave Mr. and Mrs. G's I end up feeling like I just had Thanksgiving dinner. Nap anyone?

Wendi

Angie+Hector :: San Antonio Wedding

2009-05-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

Another awesome couple! Angie & Hector were married at the Chapel at Cornerstone in San Antonio with the reception at the Doubletree. I had a great time with these folks. Take a look!

The fabulous printed materials including programs and invitations were designed by the oh-so-talented team of Bobby and Kim at Arispe Creative! They also happen to be the brother and sister-in-law of the bride and my friends!

Just before going down the aisle. This is one of my favorite parts of a wedding -- always filled with such emotion and anticipation.

Bobby, the bride's brother getting his boutonniere.

I just love this one.

Cake fun.

A beautiful moment between the bride and her mom at the end of the night.

Ok this is the first time I've followed the bride and groom to their room, but I'm always up for a little fun and adventure.

Congratulations!

Wendi

Fun Food Friday :: Luling City Market

2009-05-01T10:00:00.005-05:00

It's BBQ time! Today we're exploring one of my many obsessions -- BBQ. Luling City Market in Luling, Texas, in my opinion, is the best BBQ ever. Texas Monthly named it to the Top 5 best BBQ places in Texas in 2008.

Here the meat shines! The brisket is amazing and the sausage -- WOW is all that comes to mind. Another really cool thing about this place is, well, the place. It sits on the downtown strip in Luling, Texas and looks like it hasn't be updated since it was built and that's the charm. With no further ado here is a tour of Luling City Market.

I love the cars that happen to be outside during my visit. Perfect.

Ah, the smoke room. You smell so good after you leave. Note the check sign has been up a long time. This was taken a week ago.

Look at those crazy prices.

That is heaven on a plate and only $1.80 a link.

A real Butcher Block.

Can't forget the pickles.

Sad but true I couldn't finish everything I ordered.

I'll leave you with a photo that looks cool to me.

If you're ever in the mood for real BBQ call me!

Wendi

Girlstart

2009-04-19T17:12:00.013-05:00

Last month I had the privilege (and fun!) of covering Girlstart's 2009 Epanding Your Horizon's conference. Girlstart is a non-profit organization created to empower girls to excel in math, science, and technology. Founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, Girlstart has quickly established itself as a best-case practices leader in empowering, educating, and motivating girls to enjoy and become more proficient in math, science and technology. Girlstart's Expand Your Horizons conference gives girls an opportunity to sample exciting careers -- from crime scene investigation to dissecting fish and everything in between. Over 300 girls learned about a new math, science, engineering or technology career with the help of some amazing professional presenters and great volunteers.

I love this group and what they are doing. I encourage you to volunteer, make a donation or take one of their Girl Start for Grown Ups workshops.

Dissecting fish. Smelly!

Extracting DNA. CSI is one of my favorite shows so this one was cool to me.

Playing "Cheese or Disease" during the general session.

Learning how to fuse pipe with the gas company.

Learning how to take some one's blood pressure. I always lose count.

Slap games! Remember these? Takes me back to recess.

Wendi

Tyler+Caroline :: Pensacola Wedding

2009-04-05T23:06:00.009-05:00

Last month I had the joy of attending Tyler & Caroline's wedding in Pensacola. Caroline is the sister of my good friend Suzie. We all grew-up in church together and I remember teaching Caroline in Vacation Bible school; now she is teaching math with my mom at my old high school. Go Aggies! Well I had a blast at Caroline's wedding and even though I was supposed to be "just a guest" I couldn't resist shooting some fun shots. The ceremony was at First United Methodist in downtown Pensacola, Florida and the reception was at a really cool venue called My Spayce. I also have to put a plug in for the awesome florist, Wendy Childress of Distinctive Blooms and Botanicals, who did some beautiful work and helped Caroline create her dream wedding. The reception was themed A Night at the Movies and it was beautiful.

Such a cute flower girl and I love the head piece.

Caroline looked liked a classic movie star in her dress. The black and white gives an old Hollywood feel.

I love this one because we got mom and grandmom sitting and Caroline's two sisters standing in the background watching the formal photos being taken. Great example of the advantage of having a second photographer.

I love Caroline's dad and this was just too fun. He was very proud.

If you follow this blog you know I love transportation photos and here's a fun shot of Caroline and Tyler on the trolley going to the reception.

One of the cool floral arrangements.

During the toasts.

Caroline's sister Ali and her fiance Will. They are getting married in June and I can't wait for that one too.

You gotta love feather boas.

Congrats you two!

While in Pensacola I also had the pleasure of meeting Lara Casey, of Southern Weddings Magazine at a Social Media workshop hosted by the magazine. Great workshop and not something I expected to see happening in my little hometown of Pensacola. It is getting bigger and better every day.

Wendi

Fun Food Friday :: San Antonio Magazine

2009-04-03T14:11:00.013-05:00

To celebrate my love of food I'm introducing Fun Food Friday. The first Friday of every month I'll be bringing you all things food. For our debut, I'm thrilled to share my cover (yeah!) on the April addition of San Antonio Magazine. I regularly shoot the dining section for the magazine and this month I was asked to shoot a feature and the Top 10 New Restaurants. Very excited that one of my favorite restaurants, Tre Trattoria made the list.

This is the cover with my photo from Luca. It's downtown at the Fairmont Hotel. Cool restaurant and the hotel has a dog as concierge.

This is inside Luca. Love the light. Luca would make a great place for a rehearsal dinner or bridesmaid luncheon.

I am not a fried fish fan but this dish from Tre Trattoria was very intriguing with a yummy aroma. This didn't run in the magazine but I love the natural light from the sky light.

Gnocchi from Tre and it is awesome. If you go, don't forget the heavenly Almond Italian Soda. Great patio for enjoying this fabulous Spring weather.

Last but not least a dish from Oloroso. How cute is that little quail egg on top?

Bon Appetit!

Wendi

San Antonio Wedding

2009-03-25T13:05:00.009-05:00

Ok, here goes it! I had a blast with these two amazing people. They are a very special couple with really great family and friends. The Grand March was a blast and I didn't get too turned around. Their ceremony was at MacArthur Park Lutheran Church and the reception was at the Knights of Columbus Hall in San Antonio, Texas.

Mirror fun with Amanda (left) and her sister Stephanie (right) having their makeup done. Stephanie has amazing eyes!

Amanda and her mom.

Window light is nice.

Andy waiting for the first look at his beautiful bride.

One of my favorites. Dusk + Street lights = great fun.

One of my favorites. A special father + daughter moment.

Amanda's grandfather leading the Grand March.

I couldn't resist. The flower girl peeking out from the cake table.

Congratulations Andy and Amanda!

Wendi

food and fun

2009-03-04T18:37:00.004-06:00

This weekend I attended one of my favorite events of the year. The Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in Ft. Worth, Texas. I love this three day event. I have been to at least 6 of these conferences or more and I get something new from it each time and meet so many cool people. One of the things I love about it is that they let anybody have the stage for 2 minutes to either present 6 photos or a multimedia presentation. You get up and introduce yourself and talk about your photos. I love this because I get to learn about some many cool people and what they are doing. I've made some great friends from this. Because I presented some of my photographs of my baking endeavors at the last conference this year I decide to show the food photos I have been taking recently for jobs that are a direct result of the self project. So, I thought I let you see my two minute show.

This is the only photo I took of my baked goods that I showed. My Hostess cupcake.

It was kinda neat that I went up right before dinner, too. I have been doing a lot of food photography for San Antonio Magazine and love it. Be sure to check out the March and April issues. You might recognize a byline or two.

Also, the SWPJC has a special place in my heart because back when I was 16 I attended it for the first time and that was when I figured out that I was supposed to be a photojournalist. I can't count the amount of amazing things that have happened at or through this conference. You can't forget Babe's Chicken Dinner House either.

Wendi

Custom Fabric for Your Wedding

2009-02-09T12:35:00.002-06:00

As some people know I obsess over things and my current obsession is really cool fabric.

I bought a sewing machine about a year ago and taught myself how to sew. I love it, but now I find myself with stacks of unused fabric and a list of sewing projects. So much cool fabric and so little time.

On my quest to find the coolest fabric I discovered Spoonflower. They print custom fabric using your design! The possibilities are endless and what a great way to add a unique and personalized touch to your wedding.

Here's one example featured on Martha Stewart Weddings. The tablecloth is a custom designed fabric by Spoonflower featuring the couple's initials. The bride used the cloth after the wedding to create a wedding quilt. Imagine that quilt being passed down through the generations. Timeless.

What are you creating?

via Martha Stewart

Wendi

Happy New Year!

2009-01-20T18:32:00.003-06:00

Ok, I was told by a friend that you can still wish people a Happy New Year until the end of January. So, this is my delayed Merry Christmas and Happy New Year message. Rick and I made a trek to Cincinnati right before Christmas and things have been crazy busy since. So I thought I'd share some photos from our trip. We went to see the 20th anniversary show of Over the Rhine, one of our favorite bands. It was a blast and we had fun just being somewhere it felt like Christmas, they even had outdoor ice skating downtown.

A pick from the first night's concert at the taft theater. This was during their version of silent night.

Rick and I on the streets outside of Cincinnati.

These are example of why I love to shoot portraits on cloudy days. Rick took the one of me.

A fun wall near our hotel downtown.

We found these one morning when we got lost near downtown. We had a GPS but we still managed to make wrong turns. Lucky us.

Take care and God bless you!

Wendi

Handmade Holidays

2008-12-17T16:21:00.002-06:00

This year I wanted to make most of our Christmas gifts. That didn't happen. I did make one thing for my sister-in-law, a purse that I am very jealous over. I love it and want to keep it now. But I won't. I also had my annual baked goods extravaganza. Where I made four different cookies and fudge barred one fudge incident it went over well and I sent out some yummy treats take a look at it all.

The right side of the purse. I used Erin Michael's new fabric pattern Lush and I love these fabrics.

The left side of the fabric. I used the Amy Butler Birdie Sling pattern. It was easy and fun.

The inside.

The cookie package. The ginger cookies are so awesome. It was the first time I made them and they are so on the list for the future.

Merry Christmas!

Wendi

Nephews and flowers

2008-12-08T21:01:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I spent the after hanging out with Ricks family in the hill country. It was a blast. My nephews are great fun. I thought I'd share some of those cool photos.

My youngest nephew decided that riding his tricycle around the kitchen was fun.

My nephew made a monster face at Rick so he thought he'd make one back. Of course this was followed by a chorus of "again, do it again!"

My nephew went to see Santa and Santa gave him reindeer food, really just corn, and he had to go feed the deer. It was fun to watch.

Today I want shopping at Central Market for some special stuff for my holiday baking and was greeted by one of my favorite flowers, Peonies.

They were on sale and so I couldn't pass them up. They made cleaning out the kitchen cabinets a lot more enjoyable.

Wendi

Jenny + Aaron Daniel :: San Antonio Wedding

2008-12-04T14:21:00.006-06:00

First of all I would like to say how awesome it was to shoot this wedding in November. Jenny, you and Aaron Daniel are two very special people. I knew I would like them the first time I talked to Jenny on the phone. She has been in theater and dance all of her life and Aaron Daniel is an accomplished vocalist. These things shone through in their wedding.

First, I think Jenny needs to go into the wedding planning business. When I asked for a rundown on the wedding events I was greeted with a multi-page packet of information, including illustrated stage directions for the ceremony. Jenny you really are amazing. Jenny made a packet for each of the wedding participants which made the wedding run smoothly and it was a great help to me. You rock!

Secondly came the very cool reception. My assistant Bobby made a comment that I found very true. He said he laughed at movies when people would break out into perfect choreography. That just doesn't happen in real life. He was proven wrong after the reception. Thanks to a crowd of dancers there were numerous times when whole dance floor synced up into prefect choreography. Amazing!

Aaron Daniel at the guys breakfast the morning of the wedding. Who can help but smile at Magnolia Pancake Haus.

Jenny getting ready. I love the light in this one and the girls fixing the train in the background.

The bridal party plus mom in the elevator.

The Menger Hotel had some beautiful places for portraits.

I love this father daughter shot. He looks so proud and happy.

Choreography 101.

I love this leaving shot. It looks like something from the forties or fifties to me.

Lastly, Jenny and Aaron Daniel never stopped smiling from the guys breakfast to leaving the reception. Congratulations you two! God bless you both. It was a pleasure working with you.

Wendi

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2008-12-01T17:28:00.002-06:00

Today is my mom's 60th birthday! I already called her and sang her the birthday song. I don't know if people get tried of my horrible singing of the birthday song but I love doing so they will have to suffer a little more. Yeah! So this year I decided to make my mom's gift. She loves Christmas decorations and she will have a crowd at the house this year. So, I thought what better way to celebrate her birthday than making her a Christmas quilt. I started it before Labor Day thinking it would be plenty of time. I finished it on Thanksgiving. I always underestimate the time it takes me to make stuff. This was my second quilt and the first one I pieced. It was a blast and she loves it. Take a peek, forgive the messy garage.

This isn't quite my taste in fabric but I thought my mom would love it.

I also think it looks cool from the back, almost like stained glass.

Wendi

Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T17:36:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am very thankful this year. I give thanks to God for my family and friends, my wonderful business partner Denise, my crazy dogs and so much more. I feel very blessed. Rick and I have had a crazy few weeks but we are still very thankful them even if they have been stressful good things are to come. But I think I might be most thankful that we are not still living in the 1980's. My friends had an 80's party and Rick and I and our friend Kim dressed up. I think that is the biggest I've ever had my hair.

My friend Bobby Arispe took these fun photos thanks! (Kim, Rick, and Me!)

My socks with heels. Thanks Sandy for the styling, you rock.

Happy thanksgiving to all and I am send you all hand turkeys in my mind.

Wendi

Funny e-mails

2008-11-19T09:52:00.002-06:00

My friend Steve Crawford has posted a great blog that lifted my spirits during a crazy week and I thought I'd share.

Check it out.

Steve works at our church and I photographed their wedding at the first of the year. Steve is a funny guy and his dad seemed pretty cool at the wedding. Little did I know how cool until I read this post. I don't think you have to work at the church or even go to church to see the humor in these e-mails he sent to the staff.

Thank you Steve and Steve's dad for making me laugh when one was needed.

Wendi

Fun Links

2008-11-15T12:26:00.003-06:00

I have had a crazy week. So, I thought I'd post a couple links for things that have made me smile and helped me get through the week. Also, if you need sushi suggestions in San Antonio give me a ring. After photographing six different restaurants in two days I know a little bit about where to go. Godai is pretty yummy. I'll post some photos in a couple months once they run.

A very funny site.

I can't help but laugh at cats doing funny things.

Wendi

Portrait fun!

2008-11-06T23:03:00.003-06:00

Today I invited my friends, the Isenhowers, down to the garage studio to do some portraits. I am working on a prospective job and wanted to show the client what I saw for the job. So, I set up the white back drop and tried to do some non portraity portraits. It was a lot of fun and I think turned out pretty well. These are the results.

I put three of the photos of Christina together to do a fun triptych.

Kyle and Parker.

Parker in his spiderman pose. I know this is portraity but I couldn't resist with that face.

Wendi

Halloween!

2008-11-03T14:58:00.002-06:00

Friday was Halloween and so we had the annual Dr. Oktober's Falloween Frolic as my husband Rick has named it. It's our annual Halloween party. This years party didn't disappoint. My husband Rick is a huge fan of the holiday and so I have joined in with his celebration. It was a little difficult for me to get behind the idea of a costume party, but I am glad I have. I was always the person in the ghost costume at Halloween, aka a white sheet over my head. I did this because I could never decide what to wear and it was easy. Now we have started planning our costumes at least six months in advance. It is fun and Rick really enjoys it. This year I was a geisha and he was a ninja. I set up a backdrop and made a studio in the garage to capture all the people in costume. We also played a game where couples competed to see which one could eat a doughnut off a string the fastest. The trick was they had to do it together without the use of their hands and they were blindfolded. Great fun ensued as you will see. That said, hear is a collection of the photos.

This is my favorite photo of the night. Chris is trying to swallow the rest of the doughnut as Joel is celebrating in the background. We ended up calling the game a tie and they both won prizes.

Wendi the geisha, Rick's sister Sandy did my make-up. She did a great job. It was fun getting it off.

Rick as a ninja.

Chris and Lauren as McCain/Palin. They were my favorite. They came in with photocards and were campaigning. They even left a sign in our front yard.

Bobby and Kim won the contest as tree and tree hugger. Really creative.

The doughnut game isn't the easiest if you have a height difference like Nancy and Joel. I think Joel just gobbled it all.

Until next year.

Wendi

Fall Fun

2008-10-29T09:17:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile. Things have been crazy, but good. I have finally gotten into the fall spirit, thanks to the cool weather we have been having. Yeah! Today I was looking through old photos for something and stumbled upon these gems from last fall. Last year, when I had more time, my husband Rick, my nephew and mother-in-law all went to the corn maze in Hondo, Texas. It was a blast and I would highly recommend it. So, I thought I share with you some of the fun.

This is one of my favorites. It's what I saw the whole time in the maze, the back of Rick's head.

Rick wanted to take this "Which way do we go?" photo.

Sneaky Rick

Classic vacation photo. I wish they had cutouts everywhere you go. It would make a trip to the grocery a lot more fun.

Yeah Hay!

Wendi

Dogs and crafts

2008-09-22T12:39:00.003-05:00

I love my two crazy dogs. I call them monkeys because that is what they secretly are. They are both Australian Shepherds and are full of energy. Frieda is the older of the two and is very prim and proper. She crosses her legs and eats daintily. Then every once in a while she goes psycho, barking, bouncing and attacking the other dog.

They love to play, even though it looks rough, they are just having fun.

Chewbacca, or Chewy as we call him, is our other dog. We got him as a puppy a little over a year ago. He is all puppy and all male. He also lives up to his name and loves to chew on anything and everything. Plastic and wood are his two favorites. So, when he got a hold of a piece of PVC we were discarding this is what ensued.

The one thing I didn't realize is that he is part cat too. I am a bit of a crafty person and love knitting and now I am getting into sewing. That said, I had a plastic bag full of fabric and a couple balls of very nice alpaca yarn sitting on the coffee table last week. I had the dogs in the house and they were asleep in the kitchen so I left them there to go to work on the computer. Five minutes later I go back to the living room and see Chewy doing something under the dining room table. Knowing this could be trouble I go check it out. I was correct. I never knew he had a fondness for yarn. When I came in the dining room he looked up at me from under the table, mouth full of yarn and his paws all wrapped up in it, too. It would have been a great photo but I was so angry I didn't think about the humor until later.

This is the end result of his mischief. The funny thing is that he had to dig around in the bag to find the yarn; it wasn't at the top of the bag. He knew what he wanted.

I also wanted to share photos of my fun Sunday sewing project. This is my first purse. I have made some totes but nothing with interfacing, stabilizer, and false bottoms. I am very excited about it. The pattern is from Amy Butler who is amazing. I love her patterns and fabrics. Check her out.

I love the bird fabric I used for the interior. I wanted it for the exterior but I think it works better this way.

Wendi

Album

2008-09-22T12:32:00.006-05:00

Because we are working with more out-of-town brides I thought I would post some photos of one of the album choices included with each of the packages we offer. It's a bit tricky to really explain an album over the phone or through email.

This is our flush-mount album by Cypress Albums. It is a sophisticated custom, made-to-order handcrafted book by the artisans at Cypress. The album is bound in an elegant Japanese bookbinding fabric -- which you get to choose from over 18 colors. This is one of the most finely crafted albums available. We hope you love it as much as we do!

This shows the thickness of the pages.

Wendi

Florida Fun

2008-09-19T13:33:00.003-05:00

Well I am finally getting around to posting fun photos from Florida. The weekend of Labor Day and Hurricane Gustav, I went back to Pensacola, where I grew up and my parents still live, for my high school reunion. The Reunion was ok, but my friend Lottie couldn't make it because of hurricane Fay trouble. She just back to her flooded neighborhood that weekend and so our plans of getting the girls back together didn't work out quite the way we had planned. My friend Suzie came into town though and I had a blast with her family.

I especially loved getting lost in the woods in Alabama and piling into her dad's truck after we got her sister's truck stuck in the sand.

Here are Suzie on the right and me on the left getting my dad to take our photo on the porch before the reunion.

One of the coolest parts of the weekend was that by sheer luck it was scuppernong season. Scuppernongs, or muscadines, are these southern grapes that are amazing. I grew up eating these and haven't had them in at least ten years. So, when my dad suggested that we go to a pick-your-own farm near the house I did a happy dance. My grandmother, who is a bigger fan of the grapes than I, my dad and I all went to pick and here are some of my favorite photos from the trip.

I love homemade signs.

Scuppernongs on the vine.

My grandmother picking the scuppernongs.

There are two different colors of the grapes. The purple ones are slightly sweeter, but I like the golden the best.

My dad picking the grapes.

My dad picked a lot of grapes. I think his eyes were bigger than his stomach.

I had fun in Florida, but remember not to drive there during hurricane season. I got stuck there for a couple more days than I planned because I had to wait for Hurricane Gustav to pass so I could go home on I-10.

Wendi