Here are some images we did of Bet out at Tempe town lake near ASU. Enjoy!!

I'm no professional but... oh yes, in fact I AM a professional and this is some pretty sweet lighting. First person to tell me how I did this image below, what type of light i used and where, I will send them a crisp clean one dolla bill!

This image below also had some magic light, any guesses?

last but not least, under the tracks. This lighting was pretty obvious! and no I didn't use my super wonderful speed lights.

Normally Desiree is shooting with me but for this, I dragged her out of bed to come be my mobile light stand! Bravo Desiree not only is she one of my all time favorite photographers, she is my new favorite light stand!

Why Apples?

Saturday morning I was packing my camera bags up for a wedding. Next to my lighting bag was a bag of Champaign apples from Dixon Farm. As with many from Albuquerque, we have a family tradition of going to Dixon farm every yeart around Balloon Fiesta. The apples were falling from the bag onto the floor from a hole that our youngest son had cut into the bag, (he eats about three apples a day.) as I saw them in a small pile I remembered that I wanted to check something with the focud on my camera so I might as well photograph the apples. Each time I pressed the shutter release I felt compelled to take another picture. I waited with anticipation for that entire second until the image showed itself on my display. Why apples, what was this attraction that drew me to photograph them more than just the one time it took to check my focus. Is it some sort of subconscious attraction to round objects? Is it the forbidden fruit syndrome? Is it a metaphysical reference to an apple as a root of life. Artists have been fascinated with the apple for a millennium. .......
I think I just liked the color and I was really hungry!!

No time wasted

The other morning I drove my old beater car to work. And, as usual, I forgot the gate opener. I found myself stuck in old town at 8:00am with nothing to do. I actually only thought that for the two steps it took me to walk from me door to the trunk. I realized I had a camera and an empty plaza with a nice morning light. I called Desiree and told her I would be walking around Old Town and to call when she get into the studio. Then, I walked. I found a few ally ways that I had never seen before with cool little gates and power boxes and little eclectic things. Just as I was getting into a zone, Desiree got to the studio...Back to work. I plan on leaving my opener home more often!!

better days

Art has always been a part of my life. I would stay up at night drawing, painting, writing, sculpting. Anything that would let me express myself. (it also gave my hands something to do)
When I first picked up a camera I tried to create a scene and photograph it. I was essentially creating the art and using a camera as a way to document what I had created. It took me quite sometime to realize that the camera is one of the greatest tools of art we have. It is a way to interpret life to manipulate it through our camera. We create art from our surroundings without touching, moving, disturbing in anyway. It is amazing what is around us that we just don't take the time to see.
Regardless of the subject of a photograph, there are always two people in it. The photographer and the viewer. We present an image, a frozen glimpse in time - a time that will never be repeated. Inside of that 125th of a second is an eternity for you to live. It is up to you to live it. A picture really is worth a thousand words. The next time you look at an image, look into it, make it relate to you, find something about the image that speaks to you and enjoy it.
I don't know much about the man in the image above. I don't know where his life has taken him. I don't know his life's experiences. I believe he has probably seen a lot in his life that I will never live through. I think he has probably seen better days. Of course maybe these are his better days...

soul music

Tuesday morning discussion

A young lady, not 20, pulled along the side of the road to talk to an old man drinking freshly poured bottled water from a plastic cup. I watched them for 10 minutes before moving on. It was Tuesday morning about 8:30. No one seemed in a rush to get anywhere. People were smiling.

one way?

one way streets are too common. It's slowly making our society less social. we no longer are able to look into the eyes of the oncoming drivers. No more morning hellos or masculine nods at the people driving toward you. I guess the one way street can be a good thing if you have some neighbors like we have had. There were time that I wished our street would end between our houses so that our paths would never cross... so call me a hypocrite.

a moment to breathe

There is a small town in southern Louisiana, Abeta Springs, nestled in the woods just north of Lake Ponchartrain. Every year in April they have the traditional crayfish festival, where they shuck 'em and suck 'em. I stayed in a small cabin on a small lake, the fishing was pretty sad... too many gators in the pond.
The speed of life so often keeps us from pulling into the slow lane and enjoying the scenery. This was one of the few times, of late, that I have been able to stop and breathe. I would watch the morning mist rise from the lake and the surrounding swamp area and just breathe the cool morning air. I thought of very little. I just watched and enjoyed those few seconds of life.

leaving

to dance...

in the beginning

I am starting this post as an outlet for my thoughts (and Desiree's when she takes time to write). I hope to take some every week to photograph what I want for my personal satisfaction. I also hope to post other things that are important to me, outside of the area of business. They may only have pictures, they may only have text, who knows.