Pure 7 Studios bio picture

Welcome.

Pure 7 Studios takes great pride in our passion. Studying, learning, and researching every day... striving to be better than we were the day before. We want our images to tug at the heart by capturing all the wonderful moments that we often take for granted. We want to write the story through our work. Art is about life, the way the heart sees it. We are inspired and driven by our passion. We get excited when we capture emotions through the lens. We do not try to classify our work as being traditional or artistic, we simply feel the shot and go with it, capturing the real moments.

National MPS Society Annual Family Conference

This past December, we were blessed to have the opportunity to donate our services at the National MPS Society annual family conference held at Disney World in Orlando, FL. This annual family conference is attended by families with children affected by MPS and related diseases. Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) and related diseases are genetic lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) caused by the body’s inability to produce specific enzymes. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS and related diseases, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials. Pure 7 Studios, along with Contagious Photography from Hattiesburg, MS traveled to Orlando providing complimentary studio family portraits during one full day of the event. The following evening, each family was given a framed portrait of their family. The portraits and frames were donated and sponsored by our church in Destin, Shoreline Church. We also documented some of the events planned for the children that took place that weekend. This was most definitely one of the most rewarding experiences we have ever had, both professionally and personally. Although these families and children have dealt with more than most of us can even imagine, they are filled with JOY. These families were so loving, gracious, and downright INSPIRATIONAL. We are hoping that we will be able to volunteer our services again for future MPS Society events. A huge THANK YOU to all of the families that allowed us to be a part of this event, may our paths cross again! Here are some of the family portraits!

my meatloaf kicks your grandma’s meatloaf’s butt.

When Ryan & I were first married, my mom gave me the cookbook “The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook” as a gift at my bridal shower. In the front she inscribed, “Dear Erica, Remember what my mother taught me- The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach… Here’s wishing you many years of happy cooking! Love, Mom”   I really took this to heart and so began my quest to try out as many new recipes as possible from this cookbook and others. She forgot to mention that this is also the quickest way to gain 25 pounds in 3 months (yes, you heard me correctly). OOPS!  Ryan put on a few as well, might I add, but nowhere close to my sudden “I’m happy and in love, so will quit working out and start eating” weight gain. Lucky for me, I am married to one of the best men in the world (that’s no lie), and Ryan never said one word about the extra junk in my trunk. Honestly, I think he was just happy to have someone at home cooking for him, and perhaps had newlywed blinders on.. who knows? I ended up taking the weight off, but my AMAZING, TO DIE FOR, BETTER THAN YO’ GRANNY’S meatloaf recipe stuck with me. Seriously, this recipe is the BEST, and one of Ryan and my all-time-favorites. I make it a lot for company, and most always am asked for the recipe and also told that it is better than their momma’s and grandma’s (and am also asked not to tell them that)! I figured instead of having to dig out the cookbook and try to get it to fit on the copier each time I’m asked (which has proven to be a pain), I would blog about our love affair with this recipe and therefore have an online link to send my meatloaf admirers. Without further adieu, here is the BEST MEATLOAF RECIPE EVER!

Prep: 7 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes (sometimes longer; depends on oven)

I *always* double this recipe. You will most likely eat 2 pans the first night, and nothing better than meatloaf left-overs! I have not doubled the below amounts for you, however, in case you are a light-weight. I have included some changes I have made to the recipe below as well.

2 pounds ground chuck (I use lean ground beef when it’s just for us, but keep it full fat for the company!)
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt (I usually omit this, as I find that the ketchup makes it salty enough)
1/2 tsp pepper

Topping:
1/2 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp mustard

The topping is delicious, but for those who find it too sweet, plain ol’ ketchup works just as well!

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl (the easiest and most therapeutic way to do this is to squish, smash, and squeeze the death out of it with your own two CLEAN hands); shape into 2 (7.5 x 4-inch) loaves. Place on a lightly greased rack in broiler pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Combine last three ingredients and spoon over meat loaf. Bake 15 minutes more until meat thermometer registers 160.**

**Please note: This is how the original recipe instructed, but I have never done it this way. I always bake the meatloaf in standard 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, lightly sprayed with Pam. I usually split the meat between 2 pans if I did not double the recipe, and 3 pans when I double it. I believe that the loaf pans are the secret to the moistness of the meatloaf, as shaping them into loaves and putting on rack would allow the juices and *gasp* fat to run out.. no fun at all!! This does, however, increase the cooking time so I recommend using a meat thermometer and taking out at the recommended 160 degrees. I usually cook them for about 45-50 minutes before putting on the topping, and then for about an additional 15 min. or until the thermometer reaches 160. Meatloaf should be VERY moist. If you find yours comes out a bit dry, reduce cooking duration.

Yield: 2 loaves or 8 servings
337 calories, 17.8 g fat, 120 mg cholesterol, and 734 g sodium per serving.

Bon Appétit!

Studio and Outdoor Headshot Samples

Below are some samples of our outdoor and indoor head-shots for commercial use. Our head-shots can be fun & fashionable, or classic & contemporary, whichever suits you best! The price for a 20 minute head-shot session is $150 for studio or $200 for outdoor and includes the following: 1 fully edited image in color and black & white on DVD in high resolution jpg, low resolution jpg, and tiff format with advertising and printing release form. Additional a la carte images may be purchased for $75 per image. Please contact studio at 850.654.6523 for more information or to reserve your appointment.

Win a *FREE* Legendary Wedding with *FREE* coverage by Pure 7 Studios!!!

We are so honored & excited to be a part our favorite magazine’s awesome, all-inclusive, Legendary Wedding Giveaway at Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village!!!

The ever so awesome VIE- People + Places Magazine has totally hooked it up and has arranged the most awesome wedding giveaway ever! Here’s the scoop… pass this on to all of the engaged (or soon-to-be engaged) lovebirds you know!

You’ve been dreaming of your wedding day forever, or at least as long as you can remember. A day filled with family and joy. A celebration where your fairy-tale vision of yourself in a beautiful wedding gown would come true. A day that would mark the beginning of a new life together as husband and wife. Now imagine the chance to win that wedding—with sugar-white sands, emerald waters, and the glorious Destin Harbor as the backdrop to your special day. Your dream can come true with A Legendary Wedding Giveaway provided by Legendary, Inc. and Emerald Grande.

The winner of A Legendary Wedding Giveaway will be announced at Commander’s Palace on Sunday, February 14, 2010, and will have at least one year to have their fairytale wedding at Emerald Grande. VIEtv will film the announcement of the winner, and follow the lucky bride and groom making plans for their wedding while visiting all the fabulous companies who are participating in this giveaway. The wedding will also be filmed and shown on www.VIEzine.com and all Legendary, Inc. websites for promotional purposes.

Dreams Do Come True!

A once-in-a-lifetime event calls for a spectacular celebration, and Emerald Grande is a dazzling backdrop to your special day. Overlooking Destin Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico, this idyllic wedding venue includes a stunning outdoor deck with a wedding staircase to an elegantly appointed reception space that accommodates up to four hundred guests. The giveaway also includes:

  • Wedding rings for the bride and groom provided by Destin Jewelers in Miramar Beach
  • A wedding gown chosen by the bride-to-be provided by Simply Elegant Bridal in Fort Walton Beach
  • Music by DJ-Zoran of Celebrations by the Sea
  • A four-tier wedding cake to serve up to one hundred guests by Confections on the Coast, LLC
  • Hair stylingfor the bride and groom at the prestigious Salon Twist on Highway 30A
  • Photography services by Pure 7 Studios
  • A dream reception hosted and catered by Emerald Grande.

The lucky couple will have their wedding day showcased by VIE – People + Places, Legendary, Inc. and Emerald Grande. With the promotional items included, the value of this wedding giveaway is over $30,000.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!!

sierra & francisco’s awesome saint augustine wedding!!!

sierra contacted us waaaaaay in advance before her wedding. which is awesome, as in addition to the spring/summer months, the fabulous fall months (october/november) often book up a year or more in advance. so this girl was on the ball! i knew from talking to sierra on the phone a lot during those initial conversations that i would love her. she just has a sweetness to her personality that radiates and i could tell even just by meeting on the phone that she is someone special. i also knew that photography was very important to her, as was having a beautiful wedding that all of her friends & family could come together and enjoy. her grandfather is also a wonderful photographer, and she was very concerned that he would not be able to enjoy himself if his role was of “main photographer”. so, she hired us to work in conjunction with her grandfather which was a pleasure! this wedding was also very exciting for us, as it was one of our first “destination weddings” that we were able to travel to shoot. saint augustine is a beautiful place, and we had so much fun making the trip and enjoying this historic town. ryan loved getting to shoot the bride and bridesmaids in the historic streets and up against the aging buildings… a nice change from the many beach weddings here in Destin. our style is more artistic and vintage, so saint augustine lent itself wonderfully to our photography. another cool detail was that one of our good friends from high school lives in jacksonville and is also an awesome photographer (Julie Cate Photography). she was so sweet to come and second shoot with us and it was great getting to see her! we look very forward to shooting in saint augustine again. when we do, we are giving you a call, sierra & franciso, and would love to get together! we wish you a BLESSED new year and a MERRY CHRISTMAS! xoxo erica

preparation venue: The Westcott House
ceremony & reception venue: The White Room
wedding planning & coordination: Premier Planning, Danielle Bridges
gown: Park Avenue Bridal
florals: Park Avenue Florist
guitarist: Goliath Flores
DJ services:  A Unique Entertainment