Tuesday Thoughts v5

Just heard church bells, it’s 5pm and images are processing - time for some thoughts.

How good is your florist? While working on Angela & Cameron’s wedding photos I ran across a photo from some outdoor portraits Sara took of Angela and the ladies. Seems the bouquets were so vivid and fragrant a bumblebee came along to compliment the bride’s choice in flowers and florist’s arrangement.

The ever-traveling Jonathan of wheresjonathan.com fame has hit the road again. He stopped by to see our new place and growing baby boy before he and I had a nice time out for last-minute errands, dinner, and some coffee talk before departing today. Last I heard he was at O’Hare in Chicago and by now has to be on a flight to Paris. Bon voyage!

And with the another traveler is back in town. Justin just called me from his new cell number to let us know he was on a break from his trucking route and was available for catching up BBQ style like we do here.

I don’t have a lot of details yet but we’ve been invited to set up a display of our work at Art Beat here in Downtown South Bend on September 4th. I walked the Beat last year and enjoyed seeing a handful of artist friends and checking out local artists’ work, We’ve also got a gallery show in the works for October so this fall should have lots of community exposure kicking off.

It was 65˚ this morning, and in spite of chilly toes I am ready for fall weather, colors, and fun.

It’s official - Adrian is a wiggly baby. Today Sara got a phone call, ran downstairs and said “it’s business” but not that Adrian was on our bed or that I needed to go get the baby. Not moments later he crawled across our bed toward the window and landed in the gully of excess pillows between the bed and wall. If you haven’t seen our bed set, it’s pretty high altitude - super comfortable but almost requires stairs to climb into the blankets. Adrian wailed a second and it sounded muffled so I ran in to see what was going on. Didn’t see him so I looked on the side of the bed to see his feet sticking out from under the bed frame. He wiggled his way under the bed!

I dug out all the pillows and spare blankets he burrowed through so he would be on the carpet and able to either crawl out or be lifted out. Problem is that he crawls with his head high up and kept bumping the bed frame rails and couldn’t crawl out on his own. He was smiling and giggling when I got my head down there to see what he was doing (or what stored blankets he had gotten into). Look out world, a very wiggly and handsome baby Adrian is on the loose. You were warned!

This month is feeling pretty artistically inclined. Three weddings for three great couples, a great start to the Class of 2009, and a Trash the Dress session. We’re gearing up for two exhibits within a month to boot. Top it off with our second anniversary and it’s quite a keeper!

And for an anniversary treat, Sara surprised me with THIRD ROW box seat tickets to a Chicago White Sox game last weekend. I’m a Cubs fan myself but a great day out with my wife is always a good time regardless of who’s playing. Sox won in 10 innings and I saw Ken Griffey Jr at the plate 3 times.

Senior Session - Brandi

It’s official - the class of 2009 is here.

Last week we had an awesome Senior Session shoot with Brandi to celebrate the last days of summer at the beach. What a perfect afternoon and evening of fun, photos and great weather!

Nothing like a golden summer sunset!

For the final shots of her session, Brandi brought along her Prom dress for some very classy sunset and dusk photos.

Trash the Dress

First off, serious props to Sara for all her hard work, logistics and brainstorming to put this day together. Couldn’t have done it or had this much fun without you, babe.

On our way up to Lake Michigan I wondered if in fact we wouldn’t also be getting a bit messier than usual at a location shoot. Thunderstorms were in the forecast and we hit a good drizzle as we neared one of my favorite beaches, Weko Beach in Bridgman, Michigan. The rain was gone when we parked but there was lightning in the distance so I opted to keep the light stands and tripod in the car!

We started with some test shots and walked a ways down the shoreline when our brave trashee Danielle noted the rain coming across the Lake. I saw clouds across the Lake and mentioned it would add a nice touch to the sky when I noticed what she was talking about. You could literally see the storm front’s edge as the calm water in front of us was quickly turned to splashing ripples of rain. I got cameras in the bag and threw the top closed as the wave of rainfall swept up the beach and soaked us and everything uncovered. Didn’t quite expect we’d be getting pretty trashed by weather while trashing a dress.

The sudden rain stopped as quickly as it arrived and the rest of the afternoon was dry and the sunset evening’s sky was filled with dramatic clouds.

It wouldn’t be a summer Saturday night if I wasn’t skimming photos and posting a favorite before bedtime! Enjoy! (Many more to come!)

New Nikon D300 - Test Photos

Yep, the Nikon D300 passed the test - it can capture baby cuteness.

Rainy mornings are perfect for baby snuggles and photos.

Why yes, I am this cute in person!

Our little camera ham

He’s not only accustomed to having a camera in front of him but I’m pretty sure he loves being in front of the camera too.

CLASSIC Sara expression!

All cuteness photographed under window light with Nikon D300, MB-D10 vert grip, Nikon 50mm f/1.4D lens, and one amazing son Adrian.

Tuesday Thoughts 4 - Anniversary Edition

Today’s the 2nd Anniversary of my favorite August wedding - MINE! Two years back Sara met me outside an old brick schoolhouse on a cool August afternoon and we kissed for the first time as newlyweds. Sometimes it feels like we’ve always been together, other times like it was only a few weeks ago we married.

(Snap courtesy of family photographer friend Mark Blackford, Zehring Photography)

August 19, 2006 I became a husband to Sara and simultaneously Uncle Eric to more than a dozen nephews and nieces aged from 2 years old upward to 20-somethings.

Yesterday I officially became “Uncle Snapshot” while out at Lake Michigan for our niece Brandi’s senior portraits. That’s right, the uncle that brings way too much camera gear to family gatherings, and, on occasion, gets in the way of hired photographers. (Fortunately I barely go to 1 or 2 weddings a year as a guest so I try and stay out of the way.) But as much as I dreaded realizing I earned the title “Uncle Snapshot” Brandi reminded me that at least Sara and I photograph professionally and don’t tend to put fingers over lenses or leave lens caps on or many other pitfalls of an overzealous camera wielding relative. Our relatives have an Aunt Sara Snapshot too.

Growing up it was Grandpa Bob that was the family shutterbug. Grandma Joyce, his wife, made scrapbooks of photos for all the grand kids for their 13th birthday, a history book of photos and Grandma’s poems from each child’s birth to teenage years. Hard to believe it’s almost been 10 years since they both passed away. Now that I think about it I would love to share the photos, writing, travels and our little family with them. No wonder we, as sentimental people, enjoy photographs to remember those amazing people and moments in our lives.

It’s a sentimental day all around. Wow.
Don’t forget to hug someone you love.

Family First

A man should never neglect his family for business. -Walt Disney

I couldn’t agree more with the Mousekateer. Having a home office and a 6 month old both at home is tricky to be sure I put adequate time into work matters and make sure I don’t miss out on fun with Adrian.

Friday after dinner the phones and email were all shut off, Sara, Adrian and I went a saw a movie together and had fun hanging out before a busy Saturday wedding day. And what a celebration it was Saturday!

Sunday we got some much needed rest, slept in after being up till almost 4am getting home, cleaning up and unwinding from spending an incredible wedding day with Angela and Cameron. We went out for brunch and came home for snuggles with a fussy baby and more afternoon naps. (After a change, feeding and nap he was back to his full pure wiggling energy capacity!)

After naps while Adrian crawled and rolled around Sara noticed that in addition to his two bottom teeth he’s got a a front tooth about to show! How did this guy grow so fast in 6 months?!?

Don’t miss out on those little moments. Monday can wait.

Moonlight newlyweds

Congrats Angela & Cameron! Enjoy your Jamaican honeymoon!

More photos from the engagement and wedding HERE - enjoy!

Congrats Angela and Cameron

Today brings our final summertime wedding - a great celebration with Angela and Cameron!

Click the photo or CLICK HERE to see their engagement session and a way to get a reminder when the wedding day celebration photos are ready.

Enjoy!

Thinkertoes

While burning and printing stacks of printable and slideshow DVDs tonight I came across a great article on the real-world value of improvised sketch comedy. Aside from an unpredictable storyline or laugh out of the blue there were some good points about carrying on conversations and thinking on your feet.

Last weekend at two friends’ graduation open house I ran into some of the youngest students from my Christian Center School 2002-2003 drama class. All my students are graduates now, makes a drama and sub teacher proud. (I grew up at CCS and knew most of my students as kids or kindergarteners.) Every afternoon from 2-3pm I did my best to provide more than a 30-person audience for the junior high students’ improv. Our second semester we rewrote, casted, costumed and eventually performed the largest class production the school ever saw. (I can safely say that having attended from K5 to graduation and the school closed a few years after our production was done.)

During class, as a reward for hard work at rehearsals we had short improv / “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” sessions to foster creativity and wear out some energy. Anyone who studied at CCS or helped in the children’s church during 1995-2004 probably has the same guy come to mind when I say improv - Mike “Badger” McGehee, king of making stuff up and making it work. If you saw the Mike & Mike 2000 Olympics clip I posted last week you can thank Pastor Mike for not only giving us a starting idea but also letting us run loose with a camera.

Turns out that there were a handful of times that improv skills saved scenes during our class’ production, In His Steps. Classmates picked up or fed lines to students who drew a blank. The show must go on!

CCS’s very best: In His Steps cast, 2003

And if you made it though the reminiscing and want to read the article… it’s HERE. Enjoy!

Tuesday Thoughts v3

Drat, it’s 12:01am Wednesday, but my intentions only see it’s Tuesday.

Olympics… when have I ever cheered for people in spandex more? Honestly, the 1996 Olympics were probably the most memorable for me. They were on our home turf in Atlanta, my sisters and I talked about the stellar women’s gymnastics team by first names, and didn’t we send the Dream Team of NBA stars to play basketball that year? I honestly can’t say I remember seeing much if any from the other 2 Olympic games since Atlanta. I can’t even remember where else they were besides Sydney.

Wow, I just proved my obliviousness to the 2004 Games - they were in, of all places, Athens. Doh! Guess I didn’t drink any Coke that summer. Wikipedia for the win.

To make the Olympics even more fun Sara and I stayed up late providing out own MST3K style commentary.

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I’ve been meaning to write all day. We’ve had orders, meetings, albums, and life slowing me from it. I’m doing better with a Tuesday Thoughts thread than fixing my old bike, doing push-ups, or getting more sleep, so I’ll count it a success.

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It’s been rather chill this week for mid-August, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of open window non-muggy fresh air to be had. School’s almost back in session and soon it’s football season, a magical time when South Bend is Blue, Gold, and Irish all over. My dad is about the biggest Fighting Irish football fan of all. He’s also just about the biggest kid of all, and jumps on the people in front of him at games when there are great plays. I talked to him about marrying Sara after we screamed ourselves hoarse yelling at the USC game in 2005.

I got to hear the ND Drumline play at a June wedding … I never wanted it to be September / October more. I love fall.

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There are some noisy crickets outside. Except it’s not the high pitched chirping. I have no idea what that sound is. We have herds of squirrels and chipmunks around our deck, shed and yard at all times. Bunnies, birds and the occasional wild (running wild) dog.

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Our water heater gets hot and sounds like a washing machine full of gravel. I’m debating flushing it, which I’ve read is relatively simple. Drain hot water into the yard, don’t get house wet, refill tank - sounds easy enough. I already know I’m going to be working on hanging some shelves, decorations, and finishing a pretty slick under-desk pegboard organizer mod for the office. After that it’s album designs ahoy!