Abby and Haleigh with Daddy at the Nelson

Tonight had a gorgeous 'magic hour'. Magic hour is the last 20 minutes of light in the day where it is perfect for shooting specular subjects and anything that requires soft light. Tonight I did a shoot of my friend Britt and his two beautiful daughters, Abby and Haleigh. Britt wanted to surprise his wife with photos of the girls next weekend for her birthday. They were a great joy to shoot but the girls really challenged me cause they did not want to keep still. They are ages 3 and 4 and kids that age are just wired to move. I still managed to get some amazing shots. We went to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum and their water pool out front made for some great reflection shots at sunset. Here are a few for you to enjoy and now I am off to shoot two weddings and a family session this weekend. Oh yeah, along with a night of bbq and poker with friends:) Hoping everyone has a great weekend!

I really like this one in sepia too. Which one do you like better?

It was a Picturesque Christmas

Sticking with the true meaning of Christmas I wanted to share with you all what I GAVE for Christmas this year rather then what I received. Here are photos of the framed prints that I gave to my family. I did family portraits for my brother and his family a couple months ago so they could give them out for Christmas gifts. Well, I decided to steal my sister-in-laws idea and I gave them one of the photos as a nicely framed 8x10. I also gave my mom, dad and brother a framed series of three photos of myself that were taken by my amazing photographer friend, Sara Tafoya. So, what did you GIVE for Christmas this year? Leave comments of creative gifts or just fun stories from your holidays! Can't wait to read them!

Yes, I shoot more then just weddings

Many people think that I just shoot wedding photography. That is my focus but I truly enjoy shooting portraits too. It's fall and the weather is beautiful for family portraits. Give me a call if you need portraits for 2007 or pass on my info to those that don't know I am more then a wedding photographer. I want to share some photos from a family session I did last year with my friends, the Herrman's.

Business Marketing Portraits in KC

I had the pleasure of shooting business marketing portraits for Greg Patterson yesterday. Greg is a real estate developer in Kansas City. It was so cool talking to him and listening to all that he is planning in his business. He is focused on building up the urban areas of Kansas City and it will be exciting to see his projects develop over the future. He wanted to get his portrait taken in front of his office building. It is an old 1920's building that he has spent a lot of time restoring. It is amazing what he was telling me about the place. He tore out some of the drop down ceilings to reveal the original architecture in the building. There is such great detail that I couldn't believe that anyone would ever cover it up. I really like the classic architecture. I studied architecture at Kansas State University and it brought back my appreciation for it when I was walking through his office building. Thanks again to my friend John Jordan for giving me this assignment.

Longview Mansion and some self-portraits

Yesterday I went out to Longview Mansion to scout the location for a wedding I am shooting on Aug. 4th. I met Marsha, the manager, and she is a super nice lady that showed me around the place. Longview Mansion is a photographers haven. It is so beautiful with brilliant lighting in so many rooms. I can't wait to shoot there. Here are some of the photos of the interior rooms.




There is also a stone colonnade down by the water that is so rustic and perfect for some great bridal shots. I took the time to take a few self-portraits while I was down there. I didn't have my tripod so I got creative with setting my camera on the ground and elevating my lens with a piece of stone. This was after I got bored of shooting my mug so close-up by holding the camera out in front of me. Here is a couple of my favorites.

Back in Kansas, photos in Minnesota

I am back in Kansas City! I was so excited to get back home. I have spent the weekend catching up on all the sleep I missed out on in Minnesota. Today I have been trying to get all my clothes washed and get through all my emails. My life is almost back to normal.

One exciting thing in Minnesota that I didn't share with you was at the Herrman's house. The Herrman's are the family that called me to operate the firework tent in Detroit Lakes and I stayed at their house for a couple of nights. Randy and Karen are the parents of one of my best friends from high school, Josh Herrman, and they have become like a second set of parents to me. They were so hospitable to me and Jon while we were in Minnnesota. Karen works at the Tommy Hilfiger outlet store and even hooked my up with some great clothes at a big discount. I love my new wardrobe. Thanks so much Karen.

Anyways, they called me down to Wichita, Kansas on Christmas Eve to do family portraits for them. This was one of the only times they would all be together at once. I was going to be in Wichita for Christmas with my family and I told them I would be glad to shoot their family photos. I never get to see the final prints since I have such an awesome online lab with Pictage that takes care of all the orders for my clients. I just see what I post on the web. Well, when I was in Minnesota I saw that Karen had ordered a lot of my photos and had them all over their house. It was awesome to see the final prints hanging in their house. This is why I do what I do and it is so gratifying for me to see how excited my friends are to have my photos in their homes!

Portraits on the Plaza

I had fun on the Plaza yesterday shooting photos of my friend and photographer Sara Tafoya. She is so beautiful and fun that it was easy to get great photos of her. It was hilarious cause she is so use to being on the other side of the camera. She kept asking me what to do and I let my subjects be very natural while I shoot them so I give them minimal direction. You could tell it was driving her crazy but in the end we got some amazing photos.