Labor Day with the Grand Kids
By Jim | September 4, 2008
I had the opportunity to spend the Labor Day holiday with my son and his family. When this happens it always required to bring along the camera. So this post is a few shots from the day. Actually one of each grand child.
We’ll start with Ethan. He’s always the “ham” and loves to pose for the camera. Here’s one of my favorites:
Emma’s finally letting me take some shots. She’s not reached “ham” status yet but I’m sure she’ll come along soon.
Last not least is Noah. Time will tell whether he likes the camera or not.
I had a hard time choosing favorites. So head on over to the whole gallery to see some more great shots.
Topics: Family, Portrait, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Alison and Rich - 06/07/08
By Jim | June 17, 2008
I had the pleasure of second shooting the wedding of Alison and Rich with Tim Hutcherson of Tim Hutcherson Photography on June 7, 2008 (6-7-8). The wedding was held in Sonora, Texas on the town square near the Sutton County Court House. It was a great location with lots of great vantage points in which to get good shots. Sonora and Sutton County are very interesting places to visit.
Alison and Rich were great to photograph and easy to work with. They were game for some of my suggestions even late into the evening. Tim brought his daughter Chelsie along and put a camera in her hand. She got some great shots! Tim and I were joking that we need to get her under contract so that she’s not competition. If he posts any of her shots I’ll be sure to mention and link them.
Here’s a few of my shots from the day. First is Alison showing a little attitude. Not sure who she was looking at but I like the feel of the shot.
The next two shots were some of the shots I suggested late in the evening. Right before they were to change and get on the road. I’m so glad that they humored me.
Of course, my signature silhouette shot. I always try to get one of these whether in the setting sun or with the use of wireless flash. This one came out well.
Alison and her mother.
And, Alison and her dad.
This one is a classic! We wanted Rich’s parents to give him a kiss. Well his dad is really tall and his mom, no so much. Anyway, it was really easy to get Dad to just kiss him on the head. I really enjoy this shot.
Alison and all the gals.
Three flower girls. Really cute and all in a perfect line.
Rich and the guys.
A shot where we dared them to take a bite out of the huge piece of cake. First Rich, then Alison, and then both. Another classic.
A shot of the cake from outside the reception area.
Of course, Sonora in June can be hot. Even at 8:00 pm. So they had fans to pass out to all the guests. I guess so that none of them “passed out”.
Just another detail shot.
I had a blast helping out with Alison and Rich’s wedding. I really enjoyed Sonora and hope to visit there again.
Topics: Bridal, Wedding | No Comments »
Dawn is Married! Here’s the bridal portraits
By Jim | May 28, 2008
My daughter Dawn was married on May 18, 2008 in Galveston, Texas to Dustin Payne. I’ll be posting some shots from the wedding later. On May 11 I had the privilege of shooting Dawn’s bridal portraits. We went to the Mercer Arboretum around five in the afternoon. Just a side note, Mercer Arboretum is very photographer friendly. A simple acknowledgment of the rules and sign in and you’re good to go. I’m happy that they allow photography on their grounds without a fee. I hope all photographers that shoot there obey the rules so that this venue will remain photographer friendly.
We arrived between five and five thirty in the evening. There’s plenty of shade so I wasn’t worried about the sun. Dawn’s mother (And my wife.) assisted along with her aunt Brenda and brother Jordan. There are two arches and we were able to use one for a few minutes. This shot is already printed as a 16×20 mounted print.
Another at the arch.
Here’s one of my favorite shots. I think Dawn likes it also. There was an arbor with a bench under it. We used the bench for this shot.
Another shot on the bench with some Photoshop ‘mojo’ put on it. We like this one also.
I always like to try some dramatic light shots when I do bridals. The first one had my sister holding a triggered flash off camera at about 90 degrees from the camera. I love the side lighting.
This one is also with off camera flash but toned down a little.
Finally back to the arch. I wanted a few without the veil and here’s one from that set.
It was a fun day shooting my daughter’s bridal portraits! I was so concentrated on the shooting that I didn’t even cry.
Topics: Bridal, Family, Portrait, Wedding | No Comments »
Dawn’s Bridal Album
By Jim | May 24, 2008
Hi all. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted last. I expect to pick up now that our move to Houston, TX is complete and we’re getting settled in. On May 11 I had the chance to shoot bridal portraits of my daughter Dawn. I will be posting some from them in another post. This is an announcement that the bridal album is done. If you would like a preview or to order one please click the link below.
Topics: Album, Bridal, Portrait, Wedding | No Comments »
Ann and Michael are married - 02/24/2008
By Jim | March 19, 2008
Ann and Michael got married at Kindred Oaks on February 24, 2008. It was a great venue and a great wedding and I was privileged to be able to photograph it. Ann is the older sister of Jonathan whose wedding we shot back in June. The Bride and Groom were both easy to photograph and fun to work with. I also shot Ann’s bridals a few weeks before the wedding. I’ll post some from the session soon.
If you’ve been following my blog you know that I love to get a silhouette at each wedding. This one was no different.
Of course the dress was beautiful and the venue had a great place to take a shot of it.
All the gals were great allowing us to get into the preparation room. Here’s one of two of the bridesmaids helping Ann.
A couple of the Bride.
A shot of Michael with his groomsmen. I like the nostalgic look on this one. The guys were great and willing to do pretty much what ever we asked.
The wedding was exquisitely decorated.
The bridesmaids and groomsmen with the Bride and Groom respectively.
Did I mention that Ann and Michael were a lot of fun?
This shot was with the flash well off to the right of the camera. Trying to get a different look that just straight on flash.
The wedding party was up for some different shots.
As was the Bride and Groom.
During the dance and reception after the traditional shots are captured I like to experiment with the lights. Here’s a couple of Ann and Michael during the first dance.
I like this one a lot.
I’m still processing shots from the wedding and these were a few that jumped out at me. It was a tremendous honor to not only photograph the wedding but to witness it as well. I wish Ann and Michael God’s blessing and many years of happiness.
Topics: Wedding | No Comments »
More Golden Gate
By Jim | February 20, 2008
I was fortunate to visit the Bay area again this month. I didn’t have a lot of time but was able to go to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area for a few hours. It so happened that the famous San Francisco fog rolled in while I was there. I wanted to get some detail shots of the old military ruins and I did. But the fog was too awesome so I took some more bridge shots. I’ll start off with two of my favorites.
This one was taken about 15-20 minutes after sunset. It was a 13 second exposure. Notice the start above the north tower.
Another neat bridge shot with the fog creeping in.
When I first got there I went to the vista point on the east side of the bridge and got this shot of a ship coming in. I wanted a nostalgic look so I converted to black and white. It’s close to what I wanted.
As promised here’s some detail shots of Battery Spencer. You can read the sign in the first picture for some historical background.
It was kinda cool the way the fog covered the city. Here’s a couple shots showing the effect.
The sunset was pretty spectacular.
A few strangers made for a great silhouette.
Last but not least as I was walking back to my car about 30 minutes after sunset I took this 4 second exposure looking towards Sausalito and Marin County.
It was a quick, short visit but worth doing. I would really like to go back to this area sometime for the express purpose of photography. Who know, the flights to SFO are pretty reasonable so it would make a great long weekend sometime.
Topics: Artistic, Historical, Travel | No Comments »
Austin - Mt. Bonnell
By Jim | January 28, 2008
We had a little down time Saturday (01/26) and decided to make the trek downtown to Mt. Bonnell. After a week of dreary, misty, cold, rainy weather it was great to see the sunshine. It was even “t-shirt’ temperature. Of course, I took the camera along. These are just a few shots from the day.
Mt. Bonnell is said to be the highest spot in Austin at 775 feet and has a good view back at the downtown area.
You can also look back to the north and view the river and the Pennybacker bridge.
Got a shot of the gang.
I also got my sons to stand still for a moment. Here’s Jordan.
And then Josh.
It’s really a great spot in Austin. I would like to go back with a willing model for some practice and test shots. If you’re game feel free to contact me.
Topics: Everyday, Family, Nature, Travel | No Comments »
San Francisco - points north
By Jim | January 23, 2008
If you read my post Santa Clara to San Francisco on public transportation! you know that on Sunday we took the car and went north of SF to a little more rural area. It’s amazing how different things can be just across the bridge.
There are lots of places to pull off and take shots and just enjoy the scenery. We started off in the morning but the light was just too much to take good pictures although this shot down to the beach and out towards the Pacific Ocean wasn’t bad.
Because of the harsh light we headed to Muir Woods. In the woods on the trails it was very dark and damp even though the skies were clear. Lots of big redwoods.
We stayed at the wood until about 4pm and decided that the light would be getting good back at the Golden Gate so we headed that way. When we got there I wanted to get to the highest point available. I don’t remember what the vista point was called but from there is a great view. You can see the bridge, Alcatraz, and of course, the city of San Francisco.
Turning west from that point was the Pacific Ocean. Here’s a shot I took into the sun and did some heavy processing to.
We climbed back down and ended the evening at the “Battery Spencer” overlooking the Golden Gate. First, here is the sunset out over the Pacific.
And…one last shot of the bridge.
It was a great day. I enjoyed it a little more than the visit to the city the day before but I’m the outdoors type anyway. I would love to go back again when I have more time. I think it would be great to be there when the fog is in and looking down on the bridge. Maybe another time.
Topics: Artistic, Historical, Nature, Travel | 1 Comment »
Put down for standing for right
By Jim | January 21, 2008
I was going to post about the second day of my sightseeing trip to San Francisco last weekend. But since then I’ve had the pleasure of seeing my friend Bruce Dickson on American Idol. Bruce wasn’t chosen to go on to Hollywood. In fact, he was ridiculed for his beliefs and convictions by the AI host and judges. What a shame. Someone who should be admired is put down by the so-called leaders of current pop culture. BTW, he was at least as good or better than most they put through. Without further ado, you can watch the video and see for yourself.
Others have made comments about it much better than I ever could. A great post at CNSnews.com, “American Idol” Virgin Fires Back at Secrest goes a long way in stating how I feel. Also Newsbusters.org in American Idol Contestant Mocked for Christian Beliefs by Idol Host hits the nail on the head. They’ve all said many great things that I won’t repeat.
Click here for a Northern California radio station interview with Bruce.
I’ve had the pleasure of watching Bruce play basketball with my son Josh last year. Being the team photographer for the TCA warriors I have many shots of Bruce playing. I want to say that he exemplifies great character both on the court and off. Here’s a few shots from last year.
I also had the pleasure of shooting Bruce’s sister Michelle’s wedding in September. Here’s a few shots of Bruce from that event.
I’m not too worried about Bruce. I know that he’ll make the best of this situation. You know, it’s hard to find individuals who stand up for what they believe in the face of opposition or when their convictions may stand in the way of advancement. It’s refreshing to know this young man.
Topics: Everyday | 1 Comment »
Santa Clara to San Francisco on public transportation!
By Jim | January 17, 2008
Except for catching a shuttle from the park-n-ride to an NFL game or the Houston Rodeo, I’ve never used public transportation. As some of you know I’m in California for a couple weeks on business. This had me staying here over the weekend and the opportunity to do some sightseeing and photography. My wife Carole flew over for the weekend and along with a co-worker, Ed and his wife, we decided to venture out. Santa Clara is about 45 miles south of San Francisco and this area boast the best public transportation system in the country.
Our first step was to get on “Caltrain” in Santa Clara.
Finally the train arrived.
I thought some of the signs around the tracks were interesting. Is jumping on the tracks a problem here?
We stayed on Caltrain until “Millbrae” station which was the first BART station south of the city. After a quick ticket purchase we got on the BART headed for Powell station near Union Square.
Once in SF we purchased a “Muni” pass so that we could move around the city on buses, trolleys, cable cars, and light rail. San Francisco was quite interesting.
Of course, when in SF you have to ride the trolley.
One thing I didn’t know was that they had to turn the trolleys around. Here’s one that they were turning.
Actually riding the trolley was a pretty awesome thing. Here we are going down the hill overlooking the bay and Alcatraz.
It was real steep here. Unfortunately it’s impossible to capture the steepness of the hills in SF in a picture.
The beach down at Hyde Pier with Alcatraz in the background.
Of course we had to visit Ghiradelli Square. Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!
One last shot from the pier.
Overall it was a great trip. My first time totally dependent on public transportation. My whole life I thought I wouldn’t like SF but I was wrong. It was a blast! Sure, I wish they would get a little common sense and end the constant “panhandling,” but I liked it nonetheless. We decided that taking the train all the way from SF to Santa Clara would be good for the trip back. A quick “zone upgrade” and the “Muni” to the station near AT&T park and we were in business. We went back the next day north of the Golden Gate bridge. Shots from that trip will probably make up the next post. So be sure to check back.
Topics: Everyday, Historical, Nature, Travel | 1 Comment »
