Immediately following my session with Keith and Stacey’s family I had the privilege of doing another session with Bill and Sara’s kids. I personally think Sara has put these kids through posing boot camp since they were so easy to direct and work with during the shoot. I think the photos speak for themselves in this regard. Thanks guys for a wonderful session and great way to end my year.
We were lucky to have a White Christmas this year in St. Louis. Unfortunately what was once white and dreamy quickly turned into overcast, icy and downright cold. Simply perfect conditions to do a few family photo shoots over Christmas vacation. We needed to find a location that was fun, colorful and not crowded this time of year. (That ruled out things like museums and kid centers.) An 11th hour inspiration led to us shooting at a local early childhood center which delivered on all the criteria we were seeking. I had a blast taking photos of Keith and Stacey’s family who are as photogenic as they are energetic. Thanks for letting me capture some family memories for you!
Despite the fact that the oppressive heat and humidity associated of summer is still present, it’s hard to believe that it’s time for the kids to go back to school. And yet I found myself taking the annual back to school photos yesterday in the mounting humidity of an early morning in St. Louis. For now, as my luck would have it, the kids are growing more and more accommodating each year for this ritual but I know that in a few more years Libby, as she nears her tweens, will undoubtedly begin to resist having her Dad take photos of her on her first day back to school.
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So for now I will enjoy the moment and the memories that I am capturing.
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One month and eight days ago my mother passed away. The details of her passing aren’t important anymore. The only thing that matters is that she is gone.
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There are undoubtedly many things that I could write about my mother in order to paint a picture of her life and what she meant to my siblings and I but I’ve never been one to have the patience to craft such a story. And to be honest I’m not sure if I could really do her justice. Instead I will turn to what I think I do best – photos.
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The photos included herein were not all taken by me (as you will obviously be able to see) and were compiled originally for a DVD I created to be played at my mother’s visitation. Although I created the video memorial I prefer being able to view the photos one-by-one at my own pace. Doing it this way allows me to focus only on the photos that hold special memories for me and gives me a chance to unlock them so that I can spend some time remembering.
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Nothing will be able to replace my mother but having these photos to gaze upon and remember her will go a long way in helping me mourn her passing. And they will allow me to make sure her memory lives on with my children as they grow older and start families of their own.
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If you have the chance make sure to hug your mother, take photos often, gather around a table once in awhile to look at the photos that represent the your life together and never take each other for granted.
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I miss you mom.
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The “First Time”. Such a powerful phrase when it comes to conjuring up memories. I dare say there’s no one walking on the planet currently that can escape the memory pull of this phrase. What’s even more interesting is that when someone asks you “Remember the first time….”, before they can even finish the sentence you have pulled a memory and complete the question. Now that’s powerful.
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This post, at least for me, is about my first time photographing a sunrise on the over the ocean. As a photographer it’s hard to believe that I haven’t done it before but this past week I was lucky to have gone to a resort on Amelia Island, FL for a work-related conference. As luck would have it I had the entire morning on Sunday free so I got up at 6 am and headed down to the beach with my gear. For those of you who have been on a beach before sunrise you know just how spiritual it can be. And for me it was no different.
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As I enjoyed the gentle roar of the tides I setup my gear hoping that I my early morning rising would be reward with some great colors and resulting photos. And so for the next hour I took photo after photo hoping that every new shot would be better than the one before. And before I new it the moment was gone and the sun was taking over the sky leaving me with nothing more to photograph.
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Typically I run to my computer and begin reviewing my photos hoping to be surprise by some great photos. This time however, as I was traveling for work, I did not have my MAC to view and process my images. So I had to wait till I got back home. Four extremely long days I waited. And finally when I got home I was able to see if my efforts paid off. Cue a sigh of relief….
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My “first time” taking sunrise photos on a beach was a success! And because of that I will never forget it.
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What about you?
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I bet you thought I was going to say “little girls”, didn’t you? Come on, you can admit it.
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While the photo of my niece Emma from her First Communion definitely looks angelic, and would fit the above phrase perfectly, it is not what I was thinking about when I drafted the headline of this post. Instead, I’m thankful for family and friends who through their praise, feedback and encouragement have helped push me to become a better photographer.
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The photos in this post are from Emma’s First Communion. Even if you’re not Catholic you probably realize that this is a big deal in a child’s life and is an important milestone of growth. Just being asked to attend and be part of her day is a special. But to be asked by her parents to take photos of the day, and be the official record, is a big deal. It’s confidence in my abilities like this by others that keeps me moving forward. After all, it is the reaction of others to my photos that fuels my passion. And without that fuel I don’t believe I would be half the photographer I am today.
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So I think everyone for their help as I continue my photographic journey. I hope that I can continue to make you smile, laugh and sometimes cry through my photographic vision. I truly appreciate your trust in me to capture and preserve your most special moments.
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This past Friday I had the privilege of shooting some headshot photos of an old high school friend, Preston Humphrey. Preston is an attorney in St. Louis and was looking to get some better photos of himself for posting to his website. He has a very nice web presence (http://www.phlawstl.com/) but felt the need to include more photos of himself so visitors to the site would easily connect with him as an individual. (Smart move on his part if I do say so myself.)
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For the shoot I met him at his office with the intent of shooting in his office (with available window light) with an outdoor shot as a backup plan. However when I got there Preston requested that we shoot downstairs in an old law library room. I agreed and we headed down to check it out. When we got there we were confronted with a room full of law books (good thing) but the room was fairly small, had no windows and was lit with only fluorescent tube lights. (All bad things for a photographer.) And since I don’t typically shoot with lighting gear I was faced with an interesting challenge on how to get a good shot without ample light and limited space.
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In the end it all worked out. Preston was a champ and was very patient as I worked some lighting issues out which involved using a camera mounted Speedlite, some reflectors and repositioning of furniture. I was able to get a few different poses and angles for Preston to use on his website and as a bonus I got a few “fun” shots like the one included herein where Preston does his best “Gangsta Defense” pose.
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In the end it’s all about making the most of the situation. As a photographer you have to be flexible and able to adapt. If you are able to do this your photography will benefit and your clients will love you and help grow your business through word of mouth.
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I’ve lived in St. Louis for my entire life minus 2 years spent living in Japan and 4 years living away at college in Richmond, IN. As a native St. Louisian I take pride in knowing my city and ability to point out some of the more notable historic locations and neighborhoods. So when I decided that my St. Louis Photowalk group would spend a few hours in the historic Lafayette Square neighborhood I didn’t think I would be surprised at what I found. Especially since I had spent quite a bit of time in Lafayette Park as a child playing soccer games on Saturday mornings.
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But as you have probably guessed I was wrong. I learned quite a bit about the neighborhood. Not because I suddenly turned a corner and ran into something new but instead because for the first time in my life I stopped and took time to really look at the buildings and the surroundings that make up Lafayette Square. It’s an occurrence that happens all the time for me now that I am pursuing my photography passion head on. The camera helps slow me down and forces me to really see things as they are, not as I have assumed them to be.
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One of my favorite quotes is: “Vision is the ability to see what others cannot.” My photographic vision is allowing me to see things anew with a more honest and patience lens. While I often forget what I have already learned about a subject or location photographic vision will always be there to slow me down, instill a little patience and ultimately allow me to see things in my own backyard that I have long forgotten.
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So what’s in your own backyard ready to be rediscovered and seen for the first time?
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What a face! Jack is one of the sweetest little boys you will ever meet. He’s gentle, sincere and smart as a whip. When he was just 15 months old he one of our doors off the bottom hinge and since then he has been into everything mechanical he can find. Lucky for us he really knows what he is doing so nothing bad comes from his investigative efforts. And quite honestly if something bad did happen he would just give us this face and all would be forgiven. Yes, we are toast.
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Moments like the one captured in this photo are what inspire me. To Jack he was just playing around like any normal day but to me he was creating a moment of pure joy that I wanted to preserve for all to share. In his own way Jack gave me a gift the day I took this photo. He didn’t intend to do it but it’s what kids do. Without knowing kids share their joy with those around them. Infecting us with moments of happiness that just cant’ be explained by adult standards. I love being able to not only witness and partake in these moments but also able to capture them to share with others and preserve them forever. (Not to mention I can then pull the photo out any day and immediately brighten my mood or others.)
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So next time you head out for some fun with the kids, or are just hanging around goofing inside the house why don’t you grab your camera and snap a few shots of the craziness. I guarantee you that you’ll capture something magical that will not only become a cherished memory but will also come in handy on those occasionally rainy days.
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I love photography. I love creating it, viewing it and discussing it. Heck, I even love hating it sometimes.
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I wasn’t born with this ‘love of photography’. No, it is something that has slowly emerged over the last nine years but has finally reached a stage of which I can no longer ignore. I can’t just look at a photo anymore. I have to immerse myself in it and wrestle with the subject, the place, the time and the why. You see, I’m not a technical photo junkie who feels they have to critique shooters choice of aperture or lighting. Not me. I’m more emotional when it comes to photography. I simply want to know who took a picture and why. Was it to record a special occasion or to mark the passage of another year? These are the things that I find myself wondering about each new photo that catches my eye.
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To me photography is an emotional art that allows you to capture a moment in time that makes a connection with others that never ends. Someone smiles when you first give them a photo and it makes you feel good. But what really makes you feel good is knowing that they will look at that photo thousands of times and get that same emotional lift as the first time they saw the photo. How good does that make you feel knowing you gave them that gift? It’s magical.
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Today I was blessed with a gift. I held the 1st ever event for a group I created on Facebook called St. Louis Photowalkers. It’s a group of photo enthusiasts that will get together on occasion to take photos throughout the St. Louis area. It consists of fellow friends and people I’ve never met. It is the realization of a vision of mine to try and connect people through the power of photography. While the concept isn’t new itself, this incarnation is new to me. And today it became a reality.
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I spent the walk with some existing friends and met a few new ones. It was a beautiful day. A day ripe with promise and energy. Hopefully a sign of good things to come for our group. And by the end of the walk I knew that yet again my passion for photography was making an emotional impact on others. While I have yet to make a living from photography it is clearly playing a key role in making me feel alive.
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