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Archive: November 2009 | View all recent posts |
11.25.09 PersonalFaith, Family, Friends, and Freedom |
T hanksgiving ... a time for family, friends and reflection ... a time to look back and count your blessings, to look forward with a steadfast faith believing that great things are yet to come ...
There's much for me to give thanks but for the sake of time, I will narrow it down to four things... faith, family, friends, and freedom. These four things are very tightly woven together forming the spirit and reason for my being. Faith is the cornerstone for them all, it is the cord that binds them together. Faith is an unwavering trust in God, putting my hopes and dreams, my successes and failures in His hands, while believing without reservation, that even when I am not on a mountain top, He has a perfect plan for me. My family, nothing on earth means more to me. My wife Karen is the sweetest and most beautiful person God ever created ... she is the wind beneath my wings. My children ... they bless me with life's sweetest memories and it gives me such joy and pride to see them grow into responsible adults. My grandchildren, what can I say, they make me understand what's really, REALLY, important in life. I'm thankful for my friends. They give good advice and they are there when I need them. We share secrets and we trust each other. True friends are hard to find, I've been blessed to find the best! Finally... my freedom. It's something I've never taken for granted. Honestly, I still get teary-eyed at times when I hear patriotic songs. I'll never forget the price that many young men and women paid so that I might live freely. I will also remember with freedom comes responsibility and though I am free to say what I want, words can sometimes cause others great pain. To all the friends of Autumn Song, thank you each and every one for making this year so special. We wish you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving. A post just wouldn't be a post without a couple of photos so ... here are two of my greatest blessings. |
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11.22.09SeniorsNC Portrait Photography - Rebekah |
| "Youth is, after all, just a moment, but it is the moment, the spark, that you always carry in your heart."
~ Raisa M. Gorbachev ~ She stepped gracefully out of the car, flowing curly hair and a big beautiful smile. I watched as she approached with her friend ... laughing and having fun. Do you remember how it was when you were a senior? ... the fun, the laughter, laughing so hard you cried! ! Then finally getting your license ... and maybe a car and that little bit of freedom. Having friends and hanging out was the absolute best in life! I remember those days all to well ... time passes and days turn into years but you'll always recall the wonderful memories of that special moment in time. Rebekah ... unique in many ways and yet so much a typical teenager with her whole life ahead of her. Thanks, Rebekah, for allowing us to capture this time in your life and all the best to you in your pursuit of eternal happiness. |
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11.19.09Children/FamiliesNC Children's Photography-Ansley |
S everal years ago Kodak had a commercial that aired on television about photography. I was just a boy when I first saw it, but it really made an impression on me. It was about a child growing up and all the different phases of their life. With each change mom or dad was always there with their Kodak camera and Kodak film documenting the event. What really made the most impact on me was the song that was sung during the commercial, these are a few of the words ...
Where are you going my little one, little one. Where are you going my baby my own. Turn around and your two, turn around and your four, turn around and your a young girl going out of the door. How true it is, our children grow up so quickly ... one day your snuggling beside them on the couch watching Barney and the before you know it, you're waiting for them to come in from a date! We have had the opportunity to photograph many families with young children this year. My prayer for these families is that they will realize just how quickly time passes and that a child spells love..TIME so give your children as much of your time as possible. Karen and I would like to thank the Ferree family, including there beautiful daughter Ansley, for the opportunity to photograph their wonderful family. We hope the photos will be more than just pictures, but will always serve as a reminder of this special time in your lives. |
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11.16.09PersonalFilm and Digital Photography |
I was talking to a friend and fellow photographer the other day about shooting film. He looked at me for a second and asked "why would you ever want to shoot film again?". I think that's a pretty good question considering it's not easy to find professional film and get it processed any more. It usually takes about a week to see the fruits of your labor with film whereas, with digital the results are immediate. I love film, not only because of the way it looks, but because of the way it makes you approach the art of photography as well. PLEASE ... don't misunderstand me, I love digital photography too, so much that at least 98% of my work is digital. Still, there is something about film that won't let go of me.
When we have a little spare time, Karen and I like to visit antique stores. I asked Karen "what is it about antiques that you like so much." Her response was " they are handcrafted slowly with a thought in mind and have such character about them. They are not crafted just to make a few bucks but crafted to last for years and years." I started walking through the store picking up things and looking more closely at them. I noticed they were heavier and thicker more substantial than the modern versions and even the nicks and scratches gave them a certain character. These are some of the same things I like about shooting with film. It makes me slow down and take a more studied approach, back to the basics of exposure and composition. Film is not dead, there are a growing number of folks who are learning to appreciate its look, the thickness and the subtle changes in tonality that it gives. There are differences between the two, and given the right circumstances film is the perfect choice. What's really funny about the whole thing is ... photographers, including myself spend a lot of time trying to make our digital photos look like film. There are a plethora of actions being created to help accomplish this. I'm starting to ramble now so I will bring this to a close. My last post were some maternity photos of my daughter Lindsey. During that session I shot some of the same photos using my mamiya 645 and 80mm 1.9. Below are some comparisons between film and digital. Take a look and let me know what you think. By the way, none of the film photos have any post processing work done to them ... none at all. The digital photos were processed in Lightroom with a preset I use on every digital image I shoot. The ones on the left are digital and the ones on the right are film. |
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| Probably my favorite of the day with film. |
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11.11.09Children/FamiliesLife Is Like A Merry-Go-Round |
S ometimes I like to go out in the woods and just sit on a stump and think. I never come up with any life changing revelations. However, just sitting alone with my thoughts is like salve to my soul. It occurred to me that life is a lot like being on a merry-go-round. At first it goes so slow that you want to get off and push. Then, as time passes and the world goes whizzing by, all you want to do is drag your feet and slow the darn thing down!
It seems like only yesterday I was sitting at the hospital with my dad waiting on mine and Karen's second child. My dad was always there because he knew God answered his prayers. It was his honor and duty to pray the first prayer for each grandchild ... man how I miss him. Karen delivered Lindsey ... the most beautiful baby girl that God ever created! Lindsey has always been daddy's girl, at least in my mind. Now she is only a couple of weeks away from delivering her second child and oh the memories that flood my mind ... The merry-go-round continues to spin at an ever increasing speed. I'm never so foolish as to wish it would go faster and I'm working hard not spending valuable time dragging my feet to slow it down, but rather enjoying the ride, living minute by minute, and being thankful of all my blessings. Oh, and by the way....she's still "daddy's girl"! |
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