Mr. Madison....

This year CK sponsored the Mr. Madison Contest. It's the male version of a beauty and talent pageant. Devin was this year's winner. Devin is a great young man. He is one of the most compliant and respectful young adults I've ever met. On top of that, he is a phenomenal athlete. He accepted a full-scholarship in football to the University of Arkansas. Devin's overcome tremendous adversity this year. During the sixth game of the year, he broke his ankle; meaning his senior year football season was over. I can relate to that, because I had been through similiar circumstances in my athletic career. But even through all of this, his demeanor and humility stayed firmly intack. To make a long story short, he wrote a poem about his experience and read it during the Mr. Madison contest, as part of his talent (you can read it on my web site with his images). When you think of Madison HS in 2007-08, who best would represent the school? Hands down, Devin T. Enjoy....

Del & Kevin....

Del and Kevin were married last weekend...Their ceremony was held in a brand new church. Actually it opened the day before and had the official blessing the night before. It's a pretty church on the inside, but they didn't let the bride have her own dressing room (what's up with that?) While the bride was dressing and getting ready in the womens' restroom, I thought it would be appropriate to get a shot of the place where she got dressed. I thought 6 stalls, 6 total in the wedding, why not.... Put the fisheye on and fired away. I think it captures the essense of the dressing room quite well..... Enough of that, the wedding went on with out a hitch. Del has the voice of an opera singer (even though she's not). She sang Ava Maria in Italian, and brought the congregation to tears.... It was a surprise. The reception was fun, and when it ended with bubbles, the brand new Mr. and Mrs. were off to their honeymoon destination.... Congratulations Del & Kevin....

LL aka Lauren.....

Lauren is a simple, funny, & laid back young lady... I have had the privilege of having her in my classes for the past two years... She said that she wanted something outdoors... When she described her dress, I thought "for sure, I'll use the field of golden grass".... The sun was in and out with some heavy thick clouds at times... we got two different looks.... I enjoyed the session, and came away with some wonderful images... Thanks Lauren...

Refined Rachel...

Rachel is a very simple, yet elegant young lady... She's a ton of fun too.... For Rachel's session, we started out downtown... While downtown, Rachel wore two dresses, pink and white.... Each had a totally different look. While she was in the white dress, pearls, and throw coat (I don't know the actual name, so that's what I call it), I saw this cool huge flag draped from the top of an entrance way. It almost made her look like she was a politician's wife from the 1950's (very cool).... We came back to the studio for the final part of the session.... Her yellow dress was groovy.... I thought yellow, yellow, yellow.... Amazing how color can make an image (of course the beautiful girl helps too).... We finished outside because I wanted to really show her incredible eyes.... I LOVE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHY..... Thanks Rachel, hope you had fun too....

Relationships....

I recently photographed a mother and daughter.... They were so cute together.... the lil' girl was so sophisticated and sharp as a tack... mom wanted some interaction with her daughter, so I chose low-key to shift the emphasis on the relationship.... they kissed, laughed, and tickled each other... it was just beautiful.... photography is such diverse thing.... it can paint a picture of reality in a third world country that spurs people to take action and help, or it can capture the beauty of the bond between a mother and daughter that just stirs the soul.... it's something that can never be duplicated; relived in it's authenticity ever again.... it's a reminder of how precious each moment in life really is.... Maybe that's why I enjoy it so much.....

Jocose Jennica...

Jennica was a treat... She's funny, quick-witted, and she makes the funniest faces.... She can actually make one eye look at her nose while the other stares straight at you (or maybe we both discovered that during the session - hehehehe). She wants to be a Doctor, and I'm sure she won't have any problems becoming one. She reminds me of a dark-haired Meg Ryan... She was extremely excited about the session, and I think we got some great shots.... Thanks Jennica....

Kyann "Pepper"...

Kyann was a blast... She drove in from over 250 miles away.... She heard about us through her cousin's cousin (that's a first)... She's a beautiful, vibrant, and a fun young lady.... I'm gonna let a little secret out (hopefully she doesn't get mad).... Kyann is a "City-Cowgirl"... There I said it, now Kyann if you're reading this you can relax, your secret is out.... Don't you feel better? All kidding aside, I really enjoyed this session, and wish her the best in her future endeavors....

Karen & John

Karen and John were a bunch of fun... They are getting married in late December... so that meant an engagement session... We took a few portraits inside then changed outfits and headed to the great outdoors... I asked them who is the athlete of the two, and by the looks of the first pic, my question was answered.... John and Karen are a great couple, and I look forward to photographing their wedding.... Congratulations guys.....

Fun Family session....

Yesterday I had the privilege of photographing a beautiful family. I photographed Brianna's senior portraits about a year ago, and her mom wanted a family session done so she remembered CK. Heather, the mom, was all giggles the entire time, Brianna was quietly chuckling as well. Chris, the dad, seemed to enjoy himself too. Now, on to the brother, Aiden (hope I spelled that right). I think he smiled and laughed more when I wasn't photographing, especially when I was photographing mom and dad. He kept making some kind of face behind me that mom couldn't resist from laughing uncontrollably. I really enjoyed the session. There's something about photographing a family that gives me hope and helps remind me that it's the most important thing in our lives.... So hopefully those reading this will appreciate and cherish theirs.... Enjoy...

My '08 Senior Reps...

Natalie, Rachel, Lena, and Cindy.... this past weekend, I scheduled them all to stop by and have a session. I'm making my 2008 Sr rep cards.... So I wanted to get some images from my newly selected Senior Reps...

Rachel is a sweetheart... She's bubbly and fun... Firmly grounded... and most of all, very soft-spoken... She's my rep at WC....


Cindy is simply-sophisticated... She's inquisitive... Her laugh is contagious... She's my rep from Randolph... Of all of the schools, I think Randolph is my most consistent school each year....


Natalie is artistic, reserved, and seemingly quiet... Her smile is like a mirror, once you see it, you have to smile back... She's my rep at MAC...


Lena is a little shy, but is a joy to be around.... She makes me laugh with her little mannerisms, and she's game for trying new things... She's one of my reps at JM...


It was a fun weekend... and I hope to see more business from these schools....

Fun Filled Famliy Weekend....

An engagement, senior, and family session filled my weekend activities.... Of course it rained, but I used it to my advantage... The engagement consisted of a girl I photographed a few years ago for her senior portraits... Josh and Etzel are a fun, and happy couple... We did the military uniform idea again (this time it was hers). We recreated the famous "sailor/nurse kiss" on the cover of Life magazine.... Turned out pretty cool.... Then my senior guy, Kris, is a soccer stud... we incorporated that into his session, which turned out fabulous... then I photographed a family that came down from Wisconsin (their little girl was a doll)... I'm beat... but ready to for the weddings we have coming up..... enjoy....

Busy Weekend....

It's been a busy weekend... I started back to work last week, so I was gone all day... Friday night I mounted my new track system, cleaned and set up the studio... Let's just say I only got 3 hours of sleep that night...

Greg was a cool dude... Usually guys aren't into the "photography thing", but that's what mom wants... Greg was a trooper... We started off with an old car... He wore his late grandpa's letter jacket... Just happened to be from the same decade the car was from (1940's)... We then moved on to other outdoor locations, then to the studio... Greg never once complained... We got some great images...


Later that evening, I had the privilege of photographing an engaged couple. Ricky and Layla. He's a newly commissioned officer in the Army, and she's a TV reporter from the South. They were a lot of fun... They both wore their college T-shirts and razzed eachother a bit... The final part of the session, I had this idea to try a flag with him in his uniform... Kind of "An officer and a Gentleman" theme. It turned out so cool.... Gotta go, I have my first day of the 2007-08 school year tomorrow, so I've got to be fully rested and rairin' to go... Enjoy....

Ernest....

My first senior guy this school year... I usually photograph more girls than guys, but for some reason, this year I'm starting out with 3 senior guys scheduled. I'm excited and am looking forward to getting the creative juices flowing. Ernie was a blast... He's a footballer, so we incorporated that into some of the images. During the session, the sun had already gone down, but the sky was this phenomenal red color, we were walking in and I just had a vision and acted upon it. The image turned out really cool.... He was excited when I showed him the LCD screen of the image. Hope he likes them....

Back, Moved-In, and Settin' Up

It's been a crazy week and a half... Returned from our wonderful and blessed vacation... Saw some of the most amazing things... We moved into our new home... and I'm in the process of setting up the new studio... I'm excited... Here are some images from our trip... Enjoy....

Much Needed Vacation.....

I'll be out of town from July 21-Aug 7. If you want to schedule a session, have a specific question or concern, please call or email after Aug. 7. Off to the Great Outdoors....

Future Silver Dancer?

Christina is trying out for the NBA San Antonio Spurs' Silver Dancers... She needed a head and body shot. I photographed her wedding about 4 years ago, so we had previous experience working with eachother. The images turned out fantastic.... Let's hope she makes the squad... That would be so cool....

Baby Joshua....

Joshua was a tiny and cute lil' guy... He loved to straighten his lil' legs... For any people interested in newborn photography, here's the secret... Keep'em warm... Studio temp. should be warm and cozy, may mean you may sweat a little, but it's for sure the ultimate secret in getting the shot.... Congratulations again Donna and Jason....

It's been a while.... Revamped web site!

It's been a long time since my last post. A lot has happened... Photographed a bunch of people, a few weddings, and took a mini-vacation. My web site has been revamped, you'll have to check it out and let me know what you think? We move into the new studio some time in August, I'm so excited... I'll try to keep things updated, but probably after we move into our new studio....

Sassy Cassy...

I've known Cassy for almost two years. I think it really helped with our session. She was extraordinary. She sang, acted out parts in movies, and laughed quite a bit, which helped with creativity in the images. Her family is musically inclined. Now I know where Cassy gets it from. Her hair is out of this world. And on top of that, she said she was having a good hair day (I wonder what a bad hair day looks like). The outfits she picked out helped make this session. It's a shame she has to graduate, I'd love to shoot her senior pics again.... :-) Enjoy....

Bluebonnet Cowgirl...

Ashley is a very funny and personable young lady. She wanted bluebonnets and fortunately at our studio we have access to several fields covered with bluebonnets. Our neighbors are so kind to allow us to use them. Ashley also brought her dog, Buddy. We did several images with him. He was a spaz. I enjoyed this session and hope Ashley did too.

What's not to Love....

Devon (yes that's right, two girls with the same name in one season) was one that is a pure beauty. She's not girlie or complicated like many typical high school seniors, just simple (and I mean this is the absolute best way). Great personality, cute smile, very funny and good-spirited. The title of this post couldn't fit her better. She's just a natural. She was easy to work with. I think she's one of the funnest people I've ever photographed. If only there were more Devon's in the world, it sure would be a much better place. The images turned out great.... Hope she's likes them

All-American Alexis...

Alexis is your All-American girl. She's athletic (basketball), artistically inclined (plays the flute), and she has a wonderful personality. While taking some of the images, she reminded me of the actress Natalie Portman, she could go for her indentical twin. She's kind of quiet, but very personable. When I talked with her before the session, I asked her if she wore hats. She said that she wasn't a hat-person. Well, my wife, towards the end of the session, suggested she put on the famous CK hat. She did, and "Wow, she looked fabulous". Her mom wanted to incorporate her baby picture in a collage. One below is what I came up with. I enjoyed the session, even though it went a little long. The images are great. I hope she enjoys them....