some time outside...

We all got some one-on-one time out in the sun with Pyper this past Sunday. Figured it was a great day to spend together as we prepare for our new arrival this week...

happy birthday to you...

I cannot believe that Sadi is 18 years old today. I will always remember the night Sherri went into labor with Sadi. It was April 15th and I was working late. I was planning on getting home after work to finish my taxes and get them to the Post Office by midnight for a postmark (before electronic filing). I ended up getting "the call" from Sherri and things became a blur. I did get my taxes mailed and Sadi came into this world early on the morning of April 16th. 

So here we are 18 years later, my little girl has grown up into a beautiful young lady. The years have flown by and now she is in college and I only get to occasionally see her. Nothing like a photo of us together to celebrate those occasions. 

Happy birthday to you Sadi! Your mom and I love you and are so proud of you!!!

coming home...

Came home today and Pyper was at our house. Love that I get these opportunities to see her so often and document so many of her unique expressions. Only have a few more photos to go before my "Faces of Pyper" project is complete. Hopefully will be posting the entire set soon...

when you can't decide...

If I can't decide which one I like best, I just edit and post them all.  The first one was a lighting test for the Impossible 8x10 portrait using studio lights in my garage. Sadi's not smiling, but I really love the stare. The second and third ones are primarily the same with the exception of one is vertical and one is horizontal. Both of them were shot with window light coming in beside and behind me. To be honest, my instinct is to mostly shoot horizontal images, but occasionally I step outside my box and shoot a vertical image. I usually like the image when I shoot them, I just feel that it takes more mental effort to remember to turn the camera. Is there such a thing as a lazy photographer? 

let's take pictures...

So I've been working on a little project with Pyper using the Impossible Instant Lab and four packs of Impossible Cyanograph SX-70 Film. I am calling it "Faces of Pyper". It is all made up of portrait-style head shots that show many, if not all, of her expressions.  I will not be posting any more of the Cyanograph shots until the project is done.  When Pyper came over today, I wanted to capture a few more of her expressions. As soon as she saw the camera, she asked me if she could takes some pics of me. I absolutely love that! She took a few of me and I took a few of her. My two favorites are above... 

something to smile about...

Pyper's smiles are the best when you catch her unprepared to pose. Perfect opportunity when she's watching a favorite tv show...

no loitering...

Another few photos from our weekend trip to Gruene. Got up early on Sunday morning and headed down to the Guadalupe river to capture a few photos. It was a cloudy, but warm morning and the mosquitos were out in full force. Needless to say, I didn't stay long. But I wondered; if they didn't want me to loiter, why do they have a stool sitting by the river? Just a thought...

a little baking...

Pyper helped me bake some Lemon Cooler cookies tonight...

am I dreaming...

Sherri and I never really go on vacations to just take photos. Sherri has never been a fan of that type of vacation. She generally tells me to go and have fun without her. Well, that all changed this past weekend. We went to Austin and Gruene Texas to see a few things we have never seen and TO TAKE PHOTOS. After getting some coffee and relaxing, we took these photos of each other taking photos of each other. This really makes me smile...

growing up before my eyes...

A photo of Pyper leaving our house today with her umbrella, backpack and dog "Felicia"...

Little miss Pyper is literally growing up right before my eyes. Seems like yesterday I was photographing her as a newborn on a set of antique scales in our living room. I am so thankful for being blessed with so many types of cameras to take an incredible amount of photos of our family and to be able to look back and see every milestone on my multiple blogs. Photos like this truly inspire me to continue to photograph... 

more than just joshua trees...

You can only shoot so many joshua trees without adding people. Found a grove of joshua trees and added Juli, Will, Toby and Jessica...

happy birthday to you...

In this image, I love how Maci is isolated in her own world enjoying Pyper having fun at her own gymnastic birthday a little over a week ago. 

I have to tell you there is nothing like the joy of a father capturing his daughter in a moment of happiness just watching her daughter have fun.  

With that being said, I am using this image & my blog as just another way to wish my beautiful daughter Maci a VERY happy birthday. Your mom and I are so very proud of the daughter, wife and mother that you have become...

before she left...

Sherri took this image before Sadi left to go back to college today. So many things that I love about photography, but the memories that are left behind is right at the top of that list. Nothing like having a memory like this as a reminder of our precious time spent together again...

waiting...

Our lives seem to partially consist of waiting on something. Above is an image of Pyper standing at the door of the gymnasium waiting on her friends to get there for her party. I love it when I can capture moments like these. Pictures that have more to say than what is going on in that moment. How many times in our lives do we let "waiting on something" consume us. How many times do we miss what is actually going on at the moment because we are waiting on something better. This is true for photography and every other area of our lives... our family situation, our job, our happiness, our faith and our stuff. The list goes on and on...

My prayer for my family and friends is that we can enjoy what we have, when we have it, for as long as we have it and we can minimize the time in our lives that we spend waiting on something better...

no cake, but candles...

Pyper's birthday party with cake, candles and most of her presents will be this coming Saturday. Maci had to let her blow out candles on her birthday tonight. Just in case I miss the photo on Saturday, here is Pyper giving her all trying to blow out the candles...

leaving my handprint...

As I age, I sometimes become concerned with what happens after I die. Dying is an inevitable part of living on this earth. Knowing that really doesn't help. I still have the questions... Will my family be alright without me? Will they miss me? Will they remember and treasure the things that are important to me? Will my love and mercy that I tried to share outweigh my faults? The photo above was inspired by the lead-in photos of the most recent Kinfolk magazine (volume 10, the age issue). The photos made me rethink what I want my handprint to look like when I die. My handprint will be reflected in the memories that I leave behind. The memories that do not fade with time, much like a handprint. My focus is to concentrate on the little things. The little things that make life special. I look forward to all the little things that I get to share with my family and friends for the rest of my days...

morning light...

Our kitchen/dining area has windows on the east, north and west sides. Morning and evening sun, when diffused with our blinds, provides the perfect lighting for portraits. As always, my main problem is finding a willing participant. Nothing like catching someone right before they are leaving on a trip. Sherri was about to leave for Childress this morning for a few days so I knew she would feel sorry for me. :) 

on the other side of the camera...

Spent a little time with Tyler this afternoon/evening scouting out a location for an upcoming photo shoot of his. Since he spends so much time shooting photos of others, I thought I would capture of few of him to remind him what it is like to be on the other side of the camera...

it all starts with curiosity...

Nothing like the curiosity of a child. Pyper saw me and Tyler working on a camera tonight and she wanted to do the same thing. Tyler let her "work on" a parts camera. It was funny how she kept wanting more tools. Being both an engineer and a photographer, seeing her in this photo just makes me smile from ear to ear...

somewhat inconsequential success...

Mixing up my camera types/formats tonight. I spent a little time with my studio equipment and multiple cameras set up in the garage to practice with different lighting setups. The first image was shot on my 6D (processed with VSCO Fuji Neopan 1600+) with the lighting on my right at twice the intensity and height of the lighting on my left. The second image was shot with my 6D (processed with VSCO Fuji Neopan 1600+) with the lighting on my right at four times the intensity and twice the height of the lighting on my left.  The last image was shot on my 600SE with the lighting and height equal. 

All that being said, my main purpose was to just shoot and create something tonight. Creativity in the inconsequential. I guess I at least succeeded at that...