Singin' in the Rain

I had a great time with David and Melodie Hanes, shooting in Nashville. They're fairly recent transplants from Indiana and thought it would be good to send photos of themselves in their new home to all of their family back in the North. We started on the Shelby Street Bridge before moving down toward Broadway. As we were shooting in front of the turquoise wall, thunder started rumbling. We quickly started making our way back to the car when we got caught. Never fear, my gear was securely stored in my nearly waterproof bag. Anyhow, since we were already wet, I asked if they would mind playing in the rain a bit. You can see the results here.

Tim & Jessica's Full Wedding Gallery

It is my pleasure to announce that Tim and Jessica's full wedding gallery is now online.

Feel free to peruse and enjoy!

Oh, and congratulations to the happy couple!

Autumn McEntire Shoot

Gee whiz, things are just jumpin' around here! Today I got to spend the day doing a second shoot with the beautiful and talented Autumn McEntire. Our first shoot (about six months ago) yeilded some great stuff. Stuff that was easily some of my best work to date. I think we may have blow the top off that today.

We started in "the gulch" in downtown Nashville, then moved to a beautiful little church off Charlotte. We finished up shooting in Dotson's doing two pretty dramatically different looks in one setup. They're closed at the moment while they make improvements to their kitchen (I can't wait!), so now was a perfect time.

I can't wait to see this stuff printed up in a CD! Check out the entire gallery here.

Dallas: Day Three (Angie Raess Band)

Whew! What a whirlwind! Today has been (just like the last few days) a blur of activity. Today started with the ARB and I under one of the Dallas's MANY overpasses and highway interchanges. Terry and I had seen this particular area as we drove past yesterday. With a little work, a good deal of sweat and some mud on my boots, we got some shots that I'm quite pleased with.

After that, I finally met my match in the form of a beautiful old chapel on the campus of Texas Woman's University (Little Chapel in the Woods). Try as I might, for over an hour and a half, that place foiled every attempt I made to light and shoot it properly. Had I had all day, I'm not sure I would have found anything that had satisfied me. Frustrated beyond belief, I finally gave in and shot the guys (and gal) in one of the anti-rooms that had large windows. As soon as I did that, we had more shots that (I hope) will serve them well.

Right now, I'm sitting in the Kansas City International Airport about to board my connection home to the great city of Nashville (Nashvegas for those in the know). Rest assured that I'll work diligently in the days to come to get those photos up in galleries for all to see and enjoy!

Happy Trails!

Dallas: Day Two (Echo After & Angie Raess Band)

I don't think today could have gone any better. Sure, it could have been a bit cooler and less muggy, but that's about the only complaint I can come up with! We didn't start shooting until after lunch, but we worked quickly and got some very solid stuff with Echo After. We went looking for an orchard North of Ft. Worth. Unfortunately, when we found it, we were less than overwhelmed. Still, it was on a GREAT looking road and we managed to make use of the trees nearby. We all experienced the joys of feeling sweat drip down your back, but I think it was worth it.

From there, we headed toward the studio where both bands were recording so week could start working with the Angie Raess Band. Our first shoot ideas were brought low by the terrible scythe of circumstances. Nevertheless, we soldiered on and found a GREAT building that provided us with three very different but equally great set-ups. Again, it's going to take some time to get the best of these up, but here are a few of the obvious winners to tide you over.

Stay tuned! There will be more to follow!


And another Echo After shot...

Dallas: Day One (Echo After)

Terry Weaver and I got to Dallas today, by about noon only to be greeted by rain. Still, undaunted, we set out to shoot with one of his bands anyhow! Echo After was a blast to shoot with. The first few minutes of a shoot can always be uncomfortable as everyone gets the situation felt out. For my part, I didn't feel any of that with these guys... They were just genuinely good guys.

I'll have a full gallery up before too long, but for now, enjoy the shots below!

Tim and Jessica Say "I do!"

Caroline (aka the boss, aka honey, aka my wife of five years!) and I just got back from Tim and Jessica (now) Smith's wedding in Nashville. What a great time! I don't know if I've ever worked with a more relaxed, laid back couple. They were so relaxed and in love that nothing fazed them! Every wedding has SOMETHING go wrong. In mine, the wedding rings were tied too tight to the pillow... so the pastor bit them off. In Tim and Jessica's... nothing I noticed!

Obviously, I haven't gotten all of the shots edited or ready for a gallery yet. Still, I had to take a moment and through a couple of my favorites up for everyone to see.

Mazel tov!

Hometown Quotes Promo Shoot

Thursday afternoon, I had a fantastic time working with the folks from Hometown Quotes. We had figured out an ad campaign that would work for lots of situations because it gave them lots of options. We took shots of all sorts of different people holding big white signs. Rather than hire a bunch of professional models, we used the HQ staff! They fit the bill perfectly and did a great job.

I'm not posting a gallery because they're not THAT much fun to look at yet... wait till they're up on the Hometown Quotes website.

I can't wait to see all of the ideas they come up with for what to write on those... Wait! That's a great idea for homework! take pictures of yourself and your family holding up these big white boards making all sorts of expressions... then add your own comments to the boards! No? Well... it was worth a shot.

An Exciting Week

Folks, I'm so excited about the next few days. I'm shooting a new ad campaign for Hometown Quotes this afternoon. Saturday, I'll be photographing the wedding of Tim and Jessica. That evening, Caroline and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary! Sunday, I'm flying out to Dallas for photo shoots with two bands. I'll be there until late Tuesday night. After all of that, I'll be needing a LONG nap!

Keep your eyes here for updates! I'm going to try to get things up as fast as I can!

Photo Tip Number Two!

Today's tip is a simple one. WATCH YOUR BACKGROUND! Many shots would go from ok to great had someone been paying just a bit more attention to the background. I'm not talking about finding the most scenic location possible. I'm talking about he little things. For example, if your subject has dark colored hair or dark clothes, don't let them stand in front of something black! Also, check to make sure things aren't "growing" out of your subjects head. Trees, phone poles and the like are frequent offenders of this rule. The sad thing is that in most cases, the photographer taking one step to the left or right would correct the problem.

If there's a perfect moment, grab it. Forget the background. When you have time to check, make sure you've considered your background.

Minor Renovation

I am mid-way through a big addition to this site. From lots of wise council, I've decided to seperate the wedding photography section away from the rest of the photography. Eventually, there will be an "art" section as well, but one thing at a time, please!

Stay tuned for the latest! The changes are coming fast and furious these days!

New Seed of Sudan

I’m part of a fantastic group of (primarily) men called the New Seed of Hope. It’s an organization dedicated to helping South Sudan and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa… well… I’ll let their words speak for themselves:

“To bring hope to the millions of people in East and Central Africa, especially widows and orphans, who are victims of poverty, famine, tribal conflict, wars, genocide, disease, HIV/AIDS, and internal displacement.”

The big project that I’m a par t of is a documentary film about the “Lost Boys” of Sudan. Rather than give you a drawn out explanation here, please go to www.newseedofsudan.com to learn more. Periodically, I’ll post new images I get while working on the film. Currently, you can see several of them on my home page, or you can go HERE for more shots from our last filming date.

Please pray for South Sudan and her Lost Boys.