Perfect!

What else is more perfect, pictorially speaking than a wedding at sunset? Plus in Phoenix in the fall.........? Nothing I tell you!

I had an awesome opportunity to second shoot for the talented Kara Layne (http://www.karalayne.com/) So you bet yer booty I took it. ~Respect~

It was a fabulously unique and gorgeous wedding! Picture this... outdoors...cool breeze...sunset...asian themed.....Panda Express catered....and an after ceremony spin in a boat on the community lake! It was awesome! There are weddings you take photographs of, then there are weddings that are the most unique opportunity that you do not pass up :)

Just a touch of class.

In an effort to give my clients the very best of myself, I am delivering my session packages to them in a fun and crafty way. My Momma always said go with your strengths. I want my clients to feel like they are opening something very special, just for them. just like opening a Christmas present, but with something that says I will always go the extra mile to make sure my clients know how special they are. love is in the details folks, love is always in the details...

Yehawww!

OK, I just had to post this.

I have been messing around with this key chain puzzle off and on for like a year and a half.... Just this morning I finally solved it. YES!!! I bought this Puzzle in a little shop just off the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel. There were lots of cool hand made puzzle boxes and wooden toys. Which is why I stopped in, in the first place. I wanted to pick up a couple of toys for my kids before heading home. The owner of the little shop was messing with one similar. She sighed and then tossed it to the counter to declare she had had enough. I had then asked her if the puzzle was a particularly difficult one? She looked at me cross-eyed and said if I could solve it I could have anything I wanted in the store. I took the challenge. I stood there leaning against the counter for what seemed an hour. People coming in, people leaving, things going on in my peripheral vision....needless to say I didn't get it solved and to top it off I bought one :)

I see now the great marketing idea it was. How many, like myself walk into that store and leave with one of those key chains. Genius. But now it is solved as you can see. And what I thought would have been a great sense of accomplishment is .... I'm not gonna say empty because that's not what it is. I think I'll just go with - Whats next?....

Labor day weekend.

AHHH Labor day……I love any excuse to do a little Grillin’. This year we had our friends, the Browne’s over for some garlic, cheddar, bacon, guacamole and Hatch chili burgers. You have no idea how good they were?! Then to top it off Mr. Browne grilled up some seasoned shrimp that they had brought over…much to my wife’s satisfaction. To me there is nothing better than the Kiddos splashing in the pool, my beautiful wife by my side, some good friends and an ice cold beer in hand. These are the American Freedoms and the moments of my life that I cherish so much.

After an awesome dinner, if I do say so myself, I set the movie screen up in the backyard. We had a double feature tonight. Ghostbusters followed by Ghostrider. The adults sat back in some comfortable chairs with frosty beverages in hand, while the kids soaked their toes poolside.

I love my life. I have been so blessed and I thank God for every moment he gives me J
Have fun and be safe this weekend… :)

Shylah Rae is Six Months Old :)

Wow do the babies get big fast!

It seems like I just uploaded her infant photographs yesterday?!?!?!?

This baby is the most smiliest, laughing-est baby I have ever seen. I had an extremely easy time getting her mommy to coax the little smiles outta her. Her laughs were abundant let me tell you.

So cute!

Also, her big brother was in town on a break from the military. He's a Marine people! And he has my utmost respect! As do they all.... (God bless them.)

So we made sure to take some shots of him with his baby sister that he can take with him when he heads back to work. Later, we went to my home to do a little studio work as Phoenix, Arizona gets a little hot pretty darn quick. So... click, click, click and a frosty beverage later we have achieved awesomeness...

Perseid Meteor Shower. Ahhhhhh Nope!

Well last night we had a thunder storm.....The weather guy got one right :).
Soooo... no meteor shower photographs, but I did get a couple of lighting strikes. Those are always cool!

Maybe I'll have better luck later...

Perseid Meteor Shower 2009

Well.... you pack your equipment up, ice down some cold drinks, charge up the Ipod and head out to capture one of the universes wondrous marvels. But Mother Nature had a different idea. :)

I had hoped to get some long exposure shots. You know, the kind that shows the stars moving in circular patterns and that one streak moving perpendicular right through the image like a comet? Nope... the clouds moved in. Just figures, hardly any weather all monsoon season and on the peak day of the Perseid event, the clouds roll on in. Oh well, on the lemonade making front I did capture some images of the clouds moving past the waining gibbous moon. No meteor shower but I must say I still had a pretty good time.

The forecast for tonight...Thunder storms. I'm debating whether or not I want to try again for the meteor shower? Maybe...

Cody's a Senior! Class of 2010.

Senior portraits are always fun. It is a chance to break the mold... bend the rules a bit if you will. Teens are always more open to fun places, edgy contrasts and thick colors...

Cody is a cool guy with aspirations of being a physical trainer. He'd like to be the guy that works with the professional athletes. Pfft... who wouldn't, huh? And if you couldn't tell, he likes the Atlanta Falcons.....I'll hold my comments to myself ;) But when he asked if I ever worked with models... I think he is now thinking of being a photographer. LOL. Cody is an Athlete, he likes to work out and runs on track. I was extremely happy to capture this senior moment. Senior year is very exciting and moves very fast. It is good idea to capture who you are now, before you become who you are going to be. I know I'm not the same :) ...

Time Marches on....

Hard to believe my friend's little baby girl is one year old!
Living in Az. means a birthday party involving water in one form or another from time to time. It was so fun to shoot this party! Children slipping down the slip -n- slide, toddlers toddling around a sprinkler and babies discovering water. These are the types of things I like to capture...Life as it's happening.
Obviously I miss out on some things, sneaking around stealthily with a largish block box and matching largish black flashy thingy, trying to get photos of people laughing, telling a very important story, or a baby smiling. But that is alright, it's my job. It brings me joy and I love it!

The Kidwell Kids

I had the awesome pleasure of getting the chance to shoot these lovely little darlings. Both Chloe Ann and Rindy Lee had these deep dark eyes that looked right through you and both were so expressive. Like most kids they were a little bit hesitant of the bald guy. But they always come around. How could you not at this goofy guy. I think the trick to shooting kids is you really need to let them get comfortable with you. A strange person with a big black camera making kissy noises is enough to make even the most outgoing child a little defensive...

how much fun was this!!!

I went out on a photo shoot with a photography practice group that a buddy of mine (Andy Andrews) organizes for photographers of all levels. Anyway, it was at this mountain preserve and we were working on sunsets and the like. I had to leave when the group was done to meet some old friends that had come into town, but some of the group that decided to stay were asking if I wanted to go to this tunnel in the park to do some further shooting.... "Naw man I can't. I gotta go." "Are you sure?" they said. "It shouldn't be too much longer and it should be pretty cool." "Naw" I said, "I really gotta go." Besides, it's a tunnel. Woo hoo! Right? Well...........I should have stayed! The shots they were getting were way cool. So I talked to Andy later telling him that I was going to have to go back there and get some shots. So he got a model arranged and I met him out there. Here is some of the stuff we captured. I hope you like it. I sure do.