A snowstorm blows over the summit of Mt. Shasta in Northern California

Not a big deal, really, but I was pleased that the above shot won “Shot of the Day” on Earthshots.org, a daily photo contest site that mostly features the beauty and wonder of the natural world.  As I am primarily a portrait photographer, I don’t usually have much to submit to them, but I do from time to time when I shoot landscapes.  After the bevy of shots from our vacation, I entered several.  I was happy to see that one of my favorites made the cut.

I don’t win anything special, but it’s nice to be in the company of some very good photographers, many of whom I am lucky to have regular correspondence with.  And for those who are interested, the print is available for sale, and you can order it through this website!  :-)

I started this website for my portrait and wedding photography, and people are primarily what I shoot.  However, every creative person needs a break, and needs a way to keep things fresh.  This week, I’m visiting my mother in Ashland, Oregon, where I am treated to the above view from my bedroom window — yes, literally!  I promised myself that this trip wouldn’t be focused around photography, and it hasn’t been, really, but it still provided a great opportunity to shoot some landscapes, something I don’t do much of ordinarily.  Landscapes are creatively charging because they are so different than my normal shooting style — they are deliberate and pensive, where I am usually improvisational and on the move.  They are stopped down and on a tripod at base ISO, where I am usually shooting wide open, handheld at higher ISOs.  Landscapes obviously don’t feature people (generally).

It’s been gratifying to get some landscapes I’m really pleased with.  I feel like I finally have some that aren’t just good to my standards, but to other standards, as well.

Even though this trip wasn’t specifically about photography, I find that I engage more with a place when I think about it as a photographer.  It gets me out and about, looking for beautiful things, interesting things, ironic things.  In previous trips to visit my mother, I’d ventured out a little and appreciated the beauty that this state and region have to offer, but I had never really explored.  With this trip, I feel that Hanna, Isaac and I have had a much better opportunity to explore this beautiful, amazing place and hopefully, with these images, I can bring some of that experience back to others (especially those back home on the East Coast).  The fact of the matter is that Oregon is an exceptionally and exquisitely beautiful place, and I am extremely fortunate to have a mother who lives right in the middle of it all (figuratively, not literally).

I’m still taking the time to shoot the other stuff I shoot — the rural architecture, the quirky and the colorful.

And, of course, I haven’t neglected the things I shoot most, just been a little bit more, um, free about it… :)

It seems like a long, long time ago now, but I went to high school with Shari Liv.  Now, just a few years later, Shari has accumulated a beautiful family.  I feel very lucky to have reconnected with the Beckers a few years ago, and have enjoyed getting to know Noah and their new son, Owen.  I can’t believe I’m surrounded by so many cute babies!

Thanks Shari, Noah, and especially Owen for letting me into your lives for a little bit — I had a lot of fun taking your photos!

I am a big fan of old mills, and old buildings generally, so I took a drive out to Raleigh to check out the Yates Mill off of Lake Wheeler Road.  Even though the weather was gloomy, I got some nice shots of the mill, especially the spillway and the millrace.  I also had an equally nice walk around the millpond, which was surprisingly quiet and peaceful, given the buzz of the city surrounding this nostalgic park.

I am looking forward to the day when Annabel starts more reliably smiling, but I felt like Hanna and I got a good photo of her today.  Thanks for the help, Hanna!

Hanna, Isaac and I went over to Eli and Amanda’s for Eli’s 28th birthday, and were treated to potato and leek soup, pizza, the birthday cake above, and, as always, great company.

Happy Birthday, Eli!

The proud baker showcases her masterpiece

Eli gets ready to blow out the candles

Halfway through!

Enjoying our birthday gift to Eli

Dave, a local skater, attempting a trick (I should probably learn its name!)

Durham, impressive in its rennaissance of downtown, saw fit not only to designate an area for a central park and a thriving farmer’s market, but also deemed a small but impressive skate park worth $500 grand… yes, that’s right, five hundred thousand bucks for a SKATE PARK.  I have been meaning to go check it out and get some photos since it opened, but haven’t been able to.  Fortunately (haha) I had jury duty downtown this week, and got dismissed with just enough time to go down to the park and check it out.

I was impressed to see quarter-pipes, rails, ramps, and even a pool!  One skater in particular, skating in the pool, caught my attention and was gracious enough to let me try some skating photos.  Dave, thanks a lot — it was great talking to you, and I hope you make your way over here and find the photos!

Yesterday, November the 16th, my little boy completed his first year.  I just wanted to share a few photos I took yesterday to celebrate his first year of life with us, and to share the wonderment of this handsome little toddler that only just a year ago drew his first breath.

This week was full!  Hanna’s new schedule has allowed me a little more time to schedule some long overdue photography, and I have also been busy finding a new assistant manager candidate at the “real” job.  From Kim on Wednesday, to Erik and Iris on Saturday, then on to Amanda and Eli on Sunday, I had a full week of shooting sandwiched in with work.  Phew!  Fortunately, putting some time in the doldrums behind me, I really felt on the ball this week and have produced some of my best photos to date.

Saturday morning, I met Erik and Iris at Duke Gardens for a shoot.  We had been watching the stormy weather all week, hoping things would clear up by Saturday.  Luckily, they did, and we had near perfect conditions for an engagement session.  We had lots of fun and got some great shots that I hope they will love — if they really love them, it could lead to bridal portraits and a wedding down the road, which would be awesome.

Sunday was another challenge — I woke up even earlier to meet Isaac’s godparents at the Eno River.  Amanda and Eli are great friends and are both artists as well (photographers, even!), so the stakes were high!  Amanda linked me to some inspiration the night before, and I spent some time envisioning what their photos should look like.  Fortunately, I know them both very well and felt comfortable that I could showcase their particular style.  I think I was successful — maybe they’ll still be friends with me, and maybe they’ll invite me back to shoot their wedding!

I owe a big thanks to both couples for  choosing me for their photos — I have had a really rejuvenating week of photography, and I hope it shows in the photos!

There are some truisms that are just so true, they have to be trotted out, no matter how tired they might be.  Kim and I have been trying to coordinate our schedules for a shoot for a long time, with many missed connections.  When we finally found some time, Hurricane Ida conspired with a cold front to drop buckets of rain, wind, and generally chilly, miserable weather on the Triangle.  We said we’d watch the forecast, meet in the morning for coffee, and see what happens.

What happened was magical.  We met and talked, discussed what we wanted to do, then Kim went and changed and made herself up.  We left the warm comfort of coffee-scented air and cushy couches and ventured out into the miserable rain.

The resulting photos, taken in Carrboro and Hillsborough, are, in my opinion, some of the very best portraits I’ve ever taken.  I’ve long been trying to merge my love of all things decaying with my love of portraiture, and Kim is helping me take  those first steps.  I’m also trying to expand my portfolio and perfect my portraits, since that is what I really love to do.  I feel like all of these shots of Kim really showcase her beauty and her personality, and really show how much fun we had shooting, even though we were wet, shivering, and being accosted by a parking deck attendant who probably though Kim’s clothing choice woefully at odds with the weather.  More importantly, they highlight that you don’t really need a spectacular location, or amazing weather (or even good weather) to shoot good portraits.  The bulk of the photos were taken in a parking deck and inside and behind Open Eye Cafe.  Nothing fancy, just quirky paintings of American flags and nicely textured concrete.  Fancy lights are all well and good, but finding good natural light is not so hard and is generally much cheaper and less hassle.

So thank you, Kim, for being a trooper and for helping me realize the vision I’ve had since we first talked.  I look forward to more shoots in the future, especially if we continue to get results like these.