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Words can’t even begin to capture all the thoughts pinging in my mind today. To all those who are currently serving this amazing country, to those who have quietly served in the past, a heartfelt thank you. I take so much for granted, and the more I learn about the world around me, the more I see how truly blessed we are in America.
Long may she wave, and long may we cherish what she stands for.
No, I don’t have a studio. And no, I don’t even have my own lights yet because I love natural light so much. That’s the very reason last Friday was so much fun. I was able to get together with my dad and Steve for some playtime with some incredible equipment. The kids did great, and I fell in love with way softboxes wrap a subject in light. I don’t think we got quite the classic look Steve was looking for as far as dress, posing or expression . . .
. . . but the lighting was dead on. I doubt that was the image he had in mind, but I love that shot, heehee. I have a ton more pictures to look at (it’s been so busy I haven’t played with them like I normally would have wanted) but I have to say thank you for the teaching and the time spent.
Here’s another more classic type look. (But that first one still captivates me for some reason.)
What a fun day I’ve had today! I was asked to document the fourth annual Clark County Chamber of Commerce Golf Scholarship at Camas Meadows. At times it poured, at times it got windy and cold, but what a bunch of troopers these golfers were. I’m not sure the exact dollar amount of what was raised for the 2009 Scholarship Fund, but I know everyone seemed to be having a ball.
Camas Meadows is an incredible golf course – the grounds are beautiful, the carts with their GPS, onboard tournament scoring, and instant communication with the club house if needed were just amazing to me. And a special thank you to Shannon for manning our cart as I snapped away all over the course. 
Below are just a few shots from the day:
All the golfers lined up awaiting the shotgun start at 8am:
Here is Dee Metro with her Putt Putt Pool competition out on the putting green:
An oops drive into the weeds:
The amazingly chipper gentlemen from Costco sponsoring one of the holes on the backside:
Three of the gals from Columbia River Bank who stuck it out so doggedly, despite the cold and rain:
And a special shout out to the folks at Umpqua Bank. You three were such a treat to get to know!!! I’m seriously considering switching my business account to your bank as a result of today’s experience.
I’ll be putting all the photos from this event into featured gallery on my site in the next few days. Right now I’m going to warm up, rest my feet and love on my kids for a bit before they’re off to bed. LONG day but totally fun! Thanks for letting me be a part of it.
Here’s why I do what I do, and why I beg people to use their cameras every single day. It’s why I started this whole photography business.
Thanks for the link, Mark.
I got a new lens on Saturday. On Sunday I used it, something like this:
Me *deep serious voice*: Hey guys, we need a family meeting RIGHT NOW.
All them: huh? what’s wrong? grumble grumble grumble
Me: You are all too obnoxious and wild today, so son number one is the first to go up on ebay. We need to decide how to word the listing . . .
Son #1:
Me: Okay, how can we get the most money. Can you smile a little there guy? If you look pleasant that may help . . .
Son #1:
Me: Not working so good. Hmmm . . . what are some of your strengths that people would pay money for? You sleep a lot at night. But wait, no, you get up too early . . . What about muscles? Not too big, but you have some great endurance . . .
Son #1:
Me: Well, this isn’t working so well. Let’s just play yatzee instead, but you’d better behave!
heehee, he knows we’re kidding. But I think at first he was a bit worried, don’t you?
I just finished up the editing on this senior shoot this evening, and I can’t help but share a few more. This shoot was a blast, and I’m looking forward to more seniors this summer!
Tomorrow I’m going to be moving my work space, both to free up space in our living room and to garner some uninterrupted editing time when the need arises. I’m so excited to have an “office” even if it is just a storage closet off the patio, lol. I know one thing for sure – it will give me quicker access to the water balloon bombs this summer for when the two older kids are playing three floors below.
I’ve had this dream in my head of a shoot up in a lily meadow – a beautiful, magical, wonderful dream. I honestly love the place, and my kids love to wander the trails each time we go as a family. Today I was able to meet another family there, and was all geared up for a fabulous time. But then the unthinkable happened – my glasses fell apart. Seriously, folks, I’m totally blind without my glasses, and the screw was long gone, buried in the moss and grass in the middle of this amazing meadow I could no longer see. It threw me for a loop, that’s for sure, and I was scrambling trying to figure out the best way to handle it.
Mike and Sarah, thank you SO much for your patience, your amazing graciousness through all that. I really, really appreciate it, and wish I could have connected more with you, had I been able to actually SEE you. It made me realize how much I rely on little nuances of facial expressions and details to lead me through a shoot, and I feel I really missed much in the capturing of who you are as a family. We just might have to pick another Friday and have some fun at a local park to thank you for your time. And I’ll bring an extra pair of glasses with me next time around!
Oh gosh, this afternoon I got to have a session with Colton and it was a treat and a half. This guy will be graduating from high school this year, and he is amazing. Honestly. He’s got a lot on his plate, and it’s the coolest thing to see how his faith is carrying him through, and to see that strength of character he is developing. Kudos to his family.
Colton, thanks for your time. I had a great time and wow, we got some shots! I’ll have the rest of them edited up soon – these are a blast to work on. Hope you enjoyed your brownies and ice cream tonight – you deserved it, lol.
And the best til last. I LOVE this shot!!!
