if i were to do it all again…

Ok, so I’ve had one huge regret in my life. Maybe I’ve had more, but the one that comes to mind is that I was really cheap when my beautiful wife and I got engaged. Instead of spending some money and researching out a good photographer, we got a tip from a friend about this guy who did really cheap engagements. And that’s what we got. A single, cheap studio shot of us standing like a couple of deer staring in the headlights. She was sitting in a chair and I was standing with a hand on her shoulder. Very regal. Whatever. That wasn’t us. It didn’t capture our personalities. It was just a cheap photo that documented a very special time of our lives. Wish I had done something better.

So when a friend of mine told me she was looking for a quick snapshot of her and her fiancé I winced. I was in the middle of filming several different productions and not getting much sleep at night, but I didn’t want her to make the same mistake I had made. We scheduled an evening we could get together and take some shots outside. In natural light. And in natural snuggly poses. There, much better.

So to any of my Ethernet friends (this is me on my soapbox), when it comes time to get your engagement pictures taken. Take my advice and research out a photographer who takes the kind of shots you like. And be yourselves. And create a treasure. You’ll thank me later.

s

thanksgiving

Ok. So I realize I’m not very regular on this whole blog thing. Oh, well.

But it’s Thanksgiving time and that time of year always gives me reason to reflect about what I’m thankful for. One thing that comes to the top of my mind is my gratitude for the God-given artistic talents I’ve been given. Hope I’m using those talents in a way that they can be added to. I’m sure I could do more. And be more.

Then again, couldn’t we all?

I hope it doesn’t sound egotistical to be grateful for talents. I’m not saying I’m special-er than anyone else. But I do have to acknowledge who gave them to me. I believe God gives all of us talents. And math is not a talent that was given to me.

So for those of you who have great math talents. May your checkbooks always be perfectly balanced. Mine’s not. But my camera’s warm.

So in a way of sharing, here are a few shots from the past few months that I thought have turned out well. Hope you enjoy them.

Full sun

The middle of the day is not my favorite time to take photos. I’d rather look for optimal sun when the light is low and soft and golden. But when the hair is good, you go for it, right? The hair is good. We went for it.

And got some great stuff.

‘Course it’s hard to go wrong when your subject matter is so beautiful.

Still got another year before senior portraits here, but the junior portrait session turned out pretty good. Hope you enjoy them.

temptation

Sometimes the allure of a permanent marker is too much temptation for some kids.

let’s stay inside

Ok. So it’s 1° outside right now. Weather.com says that with the wind chill it feels like -22°. Yuck. Needless to say I’m not feeling like snapping scenic outdoor shots these days. When does Spring start again?

Played around with a sweet 100mm prime lens that I had to rent for a film shoot. Pretty cool lens. Canon’s L series with macro. We got some stunning shots of the Constitution lit up by a single candle flame. Very cool.

On my personal side, had some nice light streaming through the living room window the other day so I snapped these photos of our famous author. I like the warm colors. Should melt snow somewhere.