Late Post From Our St. John Trip

Cristi and I spent our 5 year anniversary in St. john and stayed at the very awesome Caneel Bay. It has to be one of the best locations ever, if you're planning your honeymoon, look here! It was once owned by Laurence Rockefeller and is now smack dab in the middle of the Virgin Islands National Park. The rooms are great and have shutters that open the rooms up to the outdoors (we were woke up one morning by the Donkeys) but it is greatness. No TV's except for the one we all gathered around to watch Grey's Anatomy, Monday Night Football and such at the Breezeway Bar with tons of Bushwhackers (you gotta try this drink). When I tell people how big this resort was, they still can't grasp it! It's 170 acres and seven different beaches just at Caneel Bay. Everything is included, snorkeling gear, kayaks, sail boats and beach loungers. We ate at the Sugar Mill a few times that week, which is an 18th century sugar mill turned into an open air restaurant atop the hill. We had breakfast buffet every morning at the Caneel Beach Terrace, overlooking the ocean, the iguanas, the mongoose and of course the donkeys would walk along the beach every now and then. Here's a few pics, I could spend a week uploading more and still might so keep checking.


Mongoose just running around.

A friendly Iguana.

A big 'ol fat caterpillar.

Our guide letting us hold an urchin.

A shot of the grounds from the kayak.

Another shot of the grounds from the kayak.

A few friends kept coming around while we were kayaking, be sure and watch the video and you can see some more at the end.

Just a pretty plant growing out of the old Sugar Mill.

There is nothing cooler than swimming into a wall of fish!

Me diving down to have a look at something...

More of this huge school of fish swimming all around.

Ok, this really freaks you out while your face is under water and seeing some weird looking feet flapping in front of you.

I had to pop my head up and take a peek, I guess he was hungry and that huge school made it pretty easy.


Ok, last but not least... a little video.

Sunday at the parents

Sunday we spent the day in Little "D" with my parents and had to go to the pond and feed the geese. Abby loves feeding the ducks and fish, and of course I love taking photos! Here's a few from Sunday at the pond.



The walk down to the pond. One handed as I was holding Abby's hand!


Abby tearing bread with her Papa (my dad).



Abby in the tall grass.



Same pic, with a cross process effect.

Been a while...

Saturday Night! Here's my two lovely girls, can't keep her away from the chocolate though!


I actually attended a wedding this weekend as a guest, although a guest with a big camera. Of course, I made the wife mad that even though I wasn't shooting it, I was still shooting it. Not to mention when I wasn't shooting, the other photographer and I were comparing notes, the upcoming season and tips and tricks and such. I did however get to dance with my two girls and we basically had to pry my daughter off the dance floor (more of that video later). My friend Jeff Nunn was shooting the video for it, so check him out if you need a videographer. My sister in law was the Maid of Honor and caught the bouquet, sorry Jeff I have visual evidence of the hands in the pocket.


Jennifer & Jeff

Jeff Nunn hard at work!

Jennifer being the pretty maid of honor.


Jeff hiding in the back (notice the hands in the pocket).


Jennifer fighting off the crowds! Notice my little one next to me, I wouldn't dare let her try and catch!


The First Kiss!

Vista comes out tonight....

but, you could have had it all along! Of course I always push the Mac on everyone that visits this blog, so keep it going, a video for you all.

Vista vs. Mac OSX

Bride wigs out and then needs a wig!

Just a video of what not to do on your wedding day! Always get your hair done beforehand by the person that will be doing your hair so you know what to expect... I would like to say I have seen worse, but this one takes the cake.



Just an update, working on a new website, logo still being designed, I might post some of the concepts that I have gone through here soon. Anyways, I am thinking about adding links to various vendors, like venues, DJ's, caterers, florists, planners and even hairdressers. Let me know what you think.

Doctor? I did go to school for 7 years...

I have been playing Dr. the last few days and haven't been able to do anything but wash pukey sheets, towels and clothes. Not to mention the first time my daughter got sick was in the car, so car seat and backseat of the car (ok, I took it down the street and it was the best $37 ever spent after tip). I don't do well with certain smells and I have had my fill of them while holding hair and buckets trying to fight off the gag reflex. To add to it, my wife came home last night and started with the same bug...

I had to snap a pic of my daughter when she rolled over and the hand print on her face was the shape of a heart. I also decided it was time to show off my germ/smell mask. I can't count how many times I have washed my hands and sanitized the last few days.

iPhone has been announced!

I have been looking at the BlackJack phone ever since it came out and debating on whether I should spend the money on one. The reason I have been going back and forth is because there have been rumors over an Apple phone as well as some patents out there for a touch screen iPod with phone capability. Well, I knew MacWorld was this week and it finally got announced that they are coming out with the iPhone!

This is by far the coolest phone out, and I will not be buying a BlackJack now. I will start saving though, no telling how much this iPhone will cost. It is a phone with email, google maps, Safari, Widgets, the works! It has a built in iPod to store all your movies and music and by far the coolest feature is the way it tilts and rotates what you are looking at on the screen. For example, an image shot vertically you can look at long ways, then say the next picture is horizontal, you turn the iPhone and the picture rotates to show you a full screen version.

Go take a look, they aren't expected until June so start saving and get the coolest phone that will be out with Mac OS running it!

Happy New Years

Happy New Years to everyone and thanks for making 2006 great! Here's to good luck, prosperity and happiness in the new year. I have never been a resolution guy but have vowed to get back on my diet, after all my black eyed peas of course. I have a ton of goals for this year and hope to share lots of great things here next year. We spent new years eve day at the Cowboy game (thanks for that miserable game) and they lost to the Lions! The Lions had all of two wins until they played us. {Did you know? The Cowboys have lost the last game of the season 7 years in a row now!} I had playoff tickets to the Cowboys first home playoff game until they choked on X-Mas to Philly, so for football the year didn't end to well. Oh well new year and the playoffs are basically a new season.

I have quite a few audio books lined up, so hopefully I can get to all those this year. New website, ok a couple new websites, new products, new logo, etc. so keep coming back and checking in on what's new. We spent the evening with our neighbors and some other friends of theirs and ours and hopefully picked up some new work from our other neighbors and friends Heather and Greg.

********

I've been having some email problems so, call me if you have trouble getting through.

Mele Kalikimaka

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry X-Mas and thank you all for visting the blog and making it such a great year! So, I give you my little one wishing you a Hawaiian Merry Christmas.

X-Mas Touchup

My mother in laws best friend had an old beat up photo of herself riding a horse that she wanted to know if it could be fixed. I think she'll be happy with it when she gets an 8x10 of her new photo for X-Mas. I have a few more in the works, that I will share later, for now though let me know what you think.

You know you've spent to much money

at Apple when they start sending you X-Mas cards! I got this great X-Mas card in today from the fine folks at Apple. If you're a photographer and not using Apple, shame on you! If you aren't a photographer and not using Apple, shame on you too!

The new Apple Intel Core-Duo is simply awesome, as you can see in the background of my new 15" Macbook Pro and for all you photographers out there... Adobe Photoshop relased the CS3 yesterday and it is much improved and faster for the new Macs!

Please, if you don't use a Mac and don't know why you should leave a comment and I will post some reasons why you should.

Time to start posting some bridals

This year I think I spent more time at the Arboretum than any other photographer, so now that the weddings are over I will start posting some of the pics from some bridal shoots there. I enjoy shooting at the Arboretum because it has so many great backdrops, but you don't always have the best light out there. The day I met Shelby out there, was probably the most perfect light I have had all year and doing them as late in the year as we did I didn't expect much color, but I was wrong, it was very vibrant with all the fall colors. Shelby was very photogenic with great bright blue eyes, as you can see below. I know they just got home from their cruise where they were married and had a reception last weekend in Anna that my friend Jim Miller shot for them. So anyways, take a look, leave your comments that's what the blog is for. I did find a new favorite spot in front of the rock wall and I think almost had her talked into getting in the fountain, maybe if it had been after the wedding? We would have had to post them on Trash The Dress if she did!As always, click the pic for a bigger view!

TomKat wedding...

Of course any big wedding that comes up or gets mentioned, I immediately start wondering who shot it and what do the pics look like. So, I have to go and do a little digging to find out... Surely by now, everyone has seen this image of TomKat together

The photographer that was lucky enough to shoot this wedding was Robert Evans, I mean what better marketing than having your name attached to every picture in People, Enquirer, etc. as well as every website in the world. Robert is not one of the photographers I keep up with, mainly because I haven't seen a blog from him... but I will save that for another post to come. I have a handful of photographers that I keep up with to see what they're doing, what's new on their blog, etc. So what makes TomKat pick Robert Evans? I wish I knew, but I imagine the fact that he also shot Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston's wedding. So how did Brad & Jennifer find out about him? The Bridal Bar, an LA based special events referral service

So an offer to any celebrities that might stumble across this blog, I'll shoot your wedding for free. I mean think of the marketing...

Cole & Susan's Wedding at the Chapel at Chestnut Square

Cole & Susan were married at the Chapel at Chestnut Square yesterday and had a really lovely wedding, I really liked how Susan kept the same clean lines and theme throughout. You can see some of the details along the left side of the collage, just click the pic to make it bigger. The dress, the cake, the flower girl, the chairs, even the asparagus had a wrap around the middle (ok, that ones a stretch), but it was a lovely wedding in a historic setting. Cole got a friend's band (Ryan T, Briggs Band) to come play at the reception and they are a really good band if you like Pat Green, or my buddy Chance's band Spur 503. Last I heard there was a delay in the honeymoon, and had nothing to do with Cole's planning or getting out of work, but I believe they were headed to Mexico somewhere. Well I hope you guys enjoy your collage and even more so enjoy the honeymoon, I'll talk to you soon.

David & Tiffany's wedding at Cross Roads Chapel

I had the pleasure of shooting David & Tiffany's wedding last night at the Cross Roads Chapel in Cross Roads. As far as I know they are my first eHarmony wedding, my cousin also found her match on eHarmony although they got married on a cruise that I couldn't make due to another wedding already booked. Davids daughter reminded me of someone during the entire wedding and I finally figured it out... Jack Bauer's daughter on 24. She wants to become a photographer so hopefully I gave her some good tips while she was snapping away, good luck.

David & Tiffany are on their way to St. Lucia for their honeymoon, hopefully the humidity has dropped some since we were over that way a few weeks ago. I still need to post some of their engagements from our shoot downtown McKinney, but I have enough trouble keeping up with my Sunday posts. Hope you guys have a great honeymoon and enjoy your collage, let me know when you get back.

Kent & Lisa's wedding at Lantana Lodge

Kent & Lisa had a great wedding yesterday at Lantana Lodge on Lake Ray Roberts and had quite a party afterwards. They had planned on having one of the horses that they show at the wedding but it wasn't able to make the trip. I still think it's great that Kent, being a Texas A&M grad, has his weddng on the day of the Texas-OU game. They made a perfect couple and were very photogenic, not to mention Lisa has a notebook of photos from brides magazines that made it a great challenge to impress!

They are staying close to home and having a quick getaway so they aren't to far away from the horses, so ya'll let me know how it is out there. I had a great time at the wedding, and hope you enjoy the collage. Congratulations you two.

Jimmy Ray & Shelleys Wedding at Storybook Ranch

Jimmy Ray & Shelley had a great wedding at Storybook Ranch last Saturday and it now ranks as one of my favrite places to shoot at. It's a great Ranch house with a saloon that looks over a creek for receptions as well as an old country chapel in the middle of the old west town. You can see the chapel and part of the old west town in the collage, just click it to enlarge it. Jimmy (the groom) was telling me that movies have been filmed there as well as some photo shoots done by that magazine that Hugh owns. I wish we would have had a little cooler day to be able to do some shots down there before the wedding but everyone would have been soaked by wedding time. Hope you enjoy the collage, and a big thanks to Jimmy for helping me with my electrical problem at my house.

Cole & Susans Engagments

I think I am finally catching up on things since getting back from St. John, so here is some engagements I did before I left out of town. Cole & Susan will be getting married at the Chapel at Chestnut Square in McKinney early November. For now here are a few of their shots...

Down in St. John...

For the week and will post some late engagement pics and a wedding on Saturday once I get back.

For now, take a look below.

Been a few days since my last post...

So I thought I would share a vide of our little dancing queen. I actually just took her to a dance school that allows two year olds and she is ready, I couldn't get her out of the tap room full of older kids.

News Story I Gotta Share

Ok, I think I can tie in both of these. Frisco teacher being fired and then my picture with Kinky!

A 28 year veteran art teacher was let go because of a school approved, parent approved field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art. Sydney McGee the 28 year veteran at Fisher elementary took her 5th grade class to the DMA and was let go because a parent (one parent) complained about their kid seeing a nude statue. The school had to approve it, the parents would have had to sign a field trip waiver and the teacher contacted the museum to see if it was 5th grader friendly. The fact that the principal and the school board wouldn't stand behind her or grant her a transfer is ridiculous. I went to the DMA in 5th grade as well, if some parent complains because her kid sees the Statue of David, probably the most famous nude statue done by Michelangelo or the Venus de Milo housed in the Louvre, then they need to be home schooled. For the parent that complained, here's a few more statues you should take a look at.. The Thinker by Rodin, Discoblos (The Discus Thrower) by Myron, The Kiss also by Auguste Rodin
Dallas News Story

I know politics is touchy and never wins, but just in case some aren't familiar with our current governor and the new guy running... A few weeks back I had the opportunity to go see Kinky Friedman, the independent running for governor. I have never been a two party system fan, being one of the only guys that actually voted for Perot and Nader, Kinky makes perfect sense for me. He tells it like it is, "the two major parties blew $100 million in the last governor's race to elect a candidate to a job that pays $100,000 a year". Why would they do such a thing? Lobbyist kickbacks! Texas has the 8th largest economy in the world and 1st in drop out rates, 32nd in education spending. Teachers salaries are $6K below the national average and get canned for a field trip to the DMA! Here is a pic of myself with Kinky taken by my buddy Jim.

Top Ten Reason to Pick Kinky That's not Kinky as in nude statue Kinky either... Kinky could actually end up the first independent since Sam Houston (another statue, but he is in clothes)

One of my favorite movies...

I don't know if it has something to do with being in the wedding business but I loved this film. I'm sure even if I wasn't that I would still like this film because Swingers with Vince Vaughn is still one of my all time favs! Makes me wonder how many crashers I have seen at weddings and not known it though?

This is a great site where you can take a pic of you and a friend, in this case I used myself and fellow photographer buddy Jim Miller and whipped up this little video. I am the one that is playing Owen Wilson (bushy hair) and Jim (glasses & goatee) is the guy playing Vince Vaughn. If you liked this movie, you have to go and crash the trailer and make your very own trailer.

Click here for the trailer...

My daughter Abby's 2nd Birthday

Last week my daughter had her second birthday party and had some of her little friends and kids of our friends come over. She got a toy kitchen that looks nicer than our real kitchen, a little tikes basketball goal, a tricycle, tons of dolls, play food and dress up toys and of course her very own bounce house that fills up our backyard. Enjoy the collage. She's the one in the green dress and then on the bounce in her diaper, thanks to the over 100 degree days!

Mike & Catrina's Wedding in Duncan, OK

Mike & Catrina had a great wedding at the Moose in Duncan last night. It was a late drive home but Balinda (Catrina's Mom) sent us back with a huge chunk of wedding cake! Thanks Mom! They're delaying the honeymoon trip for now due to some conflicts but will be on a cruise very soon. I did their engagements a few months back and they were just as cute a couple then. Although there was less licking at the wedding!











I had a great time at the wedding guys and will talk to you soon. Have a great honeymoon and congratulations.

Jason & Catie's Engagements

Jason & Catie had an emergency engagement session last weekend at Catie's parents lovely house in the backyard. It was a little humid, but they toughed it out and fought off the camera loving cats that followed us through the yard. Here's a couple shots from their shoot, it's just too bad they had already booked a Vail photographer because I do destination weddings as well.

Derek & Meagan's Wedding in Whitesboro

Derek and Meagan had a lovely wedding at First United Methodist Church in Whitesboro yesterday and then moved over to Gainesville for the reception. They left early this morning for a nice cool getaway from the Texas heat and will be on a cruise to Alaska. Derek might have to be restrained a bit from the casino on the boat, especially with the room right next to the tables. I actually ran into Derek one night up at Choctaw, so I know he's as big a poker junkie as I am, hopefully he's a little luckier than I have been lately.

Have fun on the cruise and I'll see you when you get back, it's been a long weekend with their wedding yesterday and some engagments this morning. Congratulations you two!

Justin & Angela's Wedding at the Bingham House in McKinney

(Click the pic to enlarge)
Justin and Angela had a lovely wedding at the Bingham House in McKinney last night and now they are sitting in Mauai. They make the cutest couple and are so photogenic, Angie is a news anchor and I'm sure we'll see her sitting next to Matt Lauer in a few years. I haven't seen a hit from Hawaii yet, so maybe they'll take a look tomorrow.

Enjoy the honeymoon guys, I really enjoyed shooting your wedding last night and we got some really great shots. Hopefully this collage will tie you over until I have your Fine Art Flush Mount Album online for you to see.



The Bingham House had a great Videographer filming a commercial that will be playing locally at the Studio Movie Grill so once I hear it's out I'll let everyone know on here. They actually have a showing August 13th, so take a look at the site and if you're planning on getting married, this show will definitely help you out. Thanks to Ben for checking the blog and sending me the link.

What would you do?

Tuesday (trashday, and the only day we're allowed to water due to drought) morning about 7AM with my daily muffin in hand, I was heading out the garage to go do some work when I remembered take the trash bins out. Then I hear what sounds almost like crying and pleading and I have no idea what it is. I get closer to the end of the driveway when I see a dog running towards me and a woman asking me to help catch him. She sounded a little winded and upset as she had probably been trying to get him for a while. If you've ever tried to catch a dog that doesn't want to be caught, it's not an easy task.

So, I try to speak real softly and kneel down to get the dog to come to me to no avail. When I move towards the dog he does his little playful "try and catch me" act and now i'm hesitant because I don't want to make the dog run off any further...

With my trusty weight watchers muffin, (indiviually wrapped in plastic and the lowest fat muffin you can find that still taste like a muffin) I think maybe the sound of crinkling plastic will get him coming. So I try shaking and crinkling the plastic wrap to get him to come to me, of course he doesn't. The lady then says can you give him some of the muffin, I'll give you $10 for it if you can just get him to come to you. I say sure, and open the muffin and she tears some off and tosses it towards him, he sniffs and I guess doesn't like blueberry? She tears off some more and when he goes to sniff, she jumps on the dog and finally gets a hold of him. I pick up her leash and garage door opener and bring them to her so she can get the dog's leash on. She gets it on and thanks me and heads out with dog in tow, I finish pulling the trash out and head out for the day, after I run back in and grab another muffin.

This morning I am backing out of the drive when I notice something yellow on my windshield, I stop and get it and it's a card. So I start opening it up as I am heading down the road, the outside says "Thank you for helping me catch my dog...". I say that's nice of her, then I open it up to find a $20 bill inside. Wow, that's a big thank you for a 75¢ muffin, I would want someone to help me catch my dog if it got out (even though we have a psycho yorkie). I go on reading the note she wrote and it quickly turns somber, as you can read below.



I can't accept $20 for a 75¢ muffin that helped someone catch a dog, nor take money from someone that tells me they were just diagnosed with breast cancer? Problem is, I don't know her name or where she lives... I search through the Central Appraisal District and find someone that might be her, but she gave this as a token of appreciation and it would be kind of rude to go try and stalk her out and make sure it's her and return the money? So what to do? I decided the best thing to do, take her $20, add some more to it and make it a nice round number and donate it to the Breast Cancer Foundation. If you have a wife, mother, sister, grandmother or know a woman, do your part and donate to this cause, it could help someone you know.

National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc
Susan G. Komen

Matt & Tammy's Wedding at Tartan Thistle

Matt & Tammy had a nice bed & breakfast wedding at the Tartan Thistle, which is a historic landmark having been built before the late 1880's. It's a great older house with an octagon tower that extends three stories high. Hopefully Matt & Tammy are enjoying the sun down in Mexico right about now (marriage license permitting). They ended the wedding leaving in high style in a 1937 Rolls Royce, I can only wish I had that car... maybe a couple hundred more weddings and I can talk him out of it! Enjoy the collage and Mexico and see you when you get back.

Todays Fed-Ex shipment wasn't photos but my new Holga!

For the first day in the last few weeks the Fed-Ex man didn't deliver an order of pictures but instead brought me my brand new Holga camera. I know what you're all thinking, that sounds like a cool expensive camera! Think again, the Holga is a twenty dollar, medium-format plastic camera. That's right, I said plastic. Plastic body, plastic lens, plastic mechanism and even the gold made in china sticker on the bottom. I included a picture for you to see, but one might wonder what I want to do with a $20 medium-format camera? The characteristics that make it special are the same things that would make any other camera a “lemon”--light fall-off, lack of sharpness, distortion, accidental double exposure, flare, or any combination of the above. I plan to mod this one out and do some really neat shots that will be the start of my storefront for poster prints. My next Holga purchase will be modded into a pin-hole camera, although I might go through a few of them changing the shutter from the set 1/100th of a sec. If you want to get a good look at what the Holga brings to the table visit DigitalSucks. While I don't think digital sucks, I think it's great shooting in film, there's just still something cool about film. After the Holga, I think a nice Lomo would be a good addition, just in case someone is wanting gift ideas.

Matt & Amber's Wedding at Swan Court

Matt & Amber had a lovely wedding at Swan Court in Richardson and now are sitting somewhere in Maui. It hadn't rained in weeks until last night and unfortunately that wasn't the only sprinkle(r)s we saw. It made for a good laugh and Amber just rolled with it without a hitch. Just think of it as practice for the daily shower ya'll see in Hawaii. Congratulations guys and have fun in Maui, hope you get a good fireworks display for the fourth.