I'm an Uncle...Again!

Actually, I'm an uncle twice, again. What I mean is that I now have two more nieces as of Saturday. Yep, in case you're wondering, they were born on the same day. Madison Jean ( I love that name, Madison) and Lilly Jane are the newest members of my extended family. It's really crazy how different they are, physically, I mean. Maddie weighs about 3/4 what Lilly weighs and she's smaller too. When she curls her legs up and she's wrapped up, she seems even smaller than she really is. I unfortunately didn't get to see Lilly very much because it was late at night and her mom was tired, not to mention how tired I was after an hour and a half of a hospital waiting room. My older brother Joe, who is Lilly's father, was taking pictures throughout the whole thing and did a fantastic job. He's totally a natural, but that's to be expected. He's such an artist, so I didn't take so many pictures of them, knowing that he's got it well under control.

These are pictures of Lilly.

Grandpa (Dad) likes to whistle through his teeth at babies. It's fun to watch.





And here are pictures of Maddie.





Grandma (Mom) was just loving it! I would have thought that it was her birthday, twice, by how happy she was.


I promise that this packaged baby has a head. Now you see what I mean when I tell you that she is tiny.

Ice Scream, You Scream

My little sister got married about three months ago and for her reception my parents bought a used soft-serve ice cream machine that they had found online. It's been a ton of fun for everyone since then. Last Sunday, my nephew was blessed and we were having lunch afterwards and we decided to bring along the ice cream machine. It was a huge hit with all of the little kids, and even those not-so-little kids (the kids at heart) like this first picture of me and my sister, Katie.

Lisa's Bridals

I had a bridal shoot after spending a couple of days at Bear Lake with the family. I had such a good time on my little mini-vacation that I was afraid that I would come back and that my mind would be elsewhere during the shoot. Luckily, I was just fine when I got home and I went out and had a great shoot with Lisa, who's marrying Bryce later this month. Here's my favorite shot from yesterday.

A Shout Out To My Mom

I've been really busy for the past couple of days, but not taking pictures, as you might expect. I've been helping my mom, who has been extremely busy. She's done a lot of new cakes and recently and they look awesome! Whenever I can I help her deliver the cakes so that I can take a picture of them. Not only that, but she's also so busy decorating them that she doesn't have time to drive all over and deliver them. So this one's for you, mom. If you want to see more of her work, you can see her website by clicking here.

The pattern on these cakes looks absolutely amazing! My mom really is the best in Utah! And in case you're wondering, there is no bias in my opinion whatsoever.




This is my favorite one of these most recent cakes. It's funny how some people will react differently when they first notice mom's cakes. Some people are initially most impressed with the look of a cake. And then there are some who, especially with mom's secret chocolate frosting recipe, can smell the cake first. I just find it interesting how varied our responses can be. But seriously, no matter what your sense of preference is, with a cake like these, that sense is sure to come away stimulated.

Jenny

So I found an album of really good photos and I was shocked when I realized that I had never posted any of them! Not a single one! Well, sometimes that happens, but it all worked out in the end. Sometimes I get a kick out of going back and editing my old work. It's nice to see that what else can be done with what I've learned over the years. In between the time that I took these pictures and the time that I'm posting them, my Photoshop skills have become ten times what they used to be, and I don't think that I'm exaggerating. I see two ways of looking at that last statement, and both of those ways are positive, which is awesome! Two glasses that are half full = a nice tall glass of melonade (see homestarrunner.com to find out what melonade is).

First, I'm ten times more proficient at Photoshop then I was when I took these pictures. That's just awesome by itself, no explanation needed. And second, if I'm as good as I am now, and I've come that way through a lot of hard work on my part (and little or no "formal training," then I realize that I can go so much further and I know that I'll constantly be improving. I've been using some tools to edit these photos and I've seen how some of the best photoshoppers/photographers do things and I know that I'm only part of the way there. Often times we think we know everything there is to know about a certain subject, and then something will happen that will give us some perspective by letting us know that we don't know everything and that there is so much more to learn. One of my greatest fears is that my work will be just like everybody else, that, as Zack Arias put it, what "I bring to the table" will be no different than everything "that countless others have not already served up on this massive platter of visual pollution we create each and every day." After seeing how far I've come, and knowing that I have so far to go, I'm absolutely convinced that I can be happy with my photography because I'll be constantly changing, evolving, and pushing myself to the limits. So far I've really enjoyed where this career path has taken me, and I look forward to the future and the scenic route that life has a way of making me take. Those detours have made life so much more interesting and beautiful (because it's a metaphorical scenic route and I'm a photographer, get it) than I ever would have made of it in my own hasty crossing from point A to point B. Pleas forgive my rambling, but I honestly feel deep down that the future is very bright, for me professionally as well as personally. Thank you all for joining me in my little journey through life as a photographer, artist, and a man.

Now, let's get to the good stuff, okay? These tools that I've been talking about are called actions, the hidden power of Photoshop. They allow me to edit so much faster than before and the results truly speak for themselves. The creator of these actions is a guy named Doug Boutwell, and the action set is called Totally Rad Actions. Here are some of photos of my incredibly photogenic sister, Jenny. Isn't she beautiful?!

Lisa & Bryce's Engagements

So I just got back this week from New York and I've had a lot of work waiting for me here at home. First on the list was Lisa and Bryce's engagement pictures. I love how they turned out! These guys are going to have a seriously cool guest sign-in book at their reception.

I love this first picture. It's an idea that I've had for the longest time and now I've finally spent the time to do it, and believe me, it took plenty of time. But I think that it was worth it.














This one is my favorite one of them all.

Preview

I just got back today, like 3 AM today, and I can't tell you how good it is to be back. I hate sleeping in cars! Thankfully, I only had to sleep in the car maybe 3 nights while traveling. It was such a good vacation, one that I desperately needed and enjoyed thoroughly. I made a lot of new friends and just had a great time. Here is a preview of some of the pictures that I took during the last 3+ weeks. Remember, I took all of these pictures with a small, consumer camera.