National Breastfeeding Week Celebration

Did you know this is National Breastfeeding Week? Neither did I until a La Leche League member invited me to the local walk and picnic to photograph the event and hang out. I had a really great time getting to meet and know some of the families and support the mommies.



The MC, Kim, was unfortunately not able to participate in the walk due to hip surgery not too long ago but was all smiles as she greeted the large group.


Mayor Dyster presented accolades to Gina and Lynda for their 20 years of working to help mothers breastfeed.


There were infants that breastfed at the picnic...


... and toddlers! His shirt says "I'm a breast man" and his mommy's says "Yes! I'm still breastfeeding!"

Most of the kids had the opportunity to enjoy playing in the water park for about an hour. I think this little guy shows us what an awesome time the event-goers had all in all!

Thank you La Leche League for inviting me to photograph this special event for you!

Diana's Portrait Session

Like Phyllis, Diana won a gift certificate at a fundraiser and decided she wanted to do some portraits for her and her long-time boyfriend. Her daughters, K and C, styled her wardrobe and K did her hair and makeup. I think she looked incredible and she was psyched when I text her a teaser shot. I hope you enjoy the rest and can't wait to see everyone again soon!

Phyllis

Phyllis came to me after winning a gift certificate in a fundraiser wanting to do portraits as a gift to her mom and dad. We spent part of an afternoon shooting at Hyde Park and these are a few of my favorites.



Thanks for the laugh Phyllis and hope you enjoy your pictures!

Layla and mom Charlotte

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon shooting 5 month old, baby girl Layla and her mom Charlotte. Not only is she a gorgeous baby but she was such a well behaved one at that. It was an absolute joy and pleasure to photograph the two. Charlotte, here are a few of my favorites from our time together, I hope you love them. Enjoy every moment with your beautiful girl.


Thank you for a great afternoon together!

Tiny Gods, the book

While I was sick in February I had the opportunity to complete the layout for the Tiny Gods book. It's 67 pages of color and black and white images on glossy heavyweight paper. Each chapter begins with a digital contact sheet of the subject photographed for it. There are 13 subjects and 8 chapters. The book is here and is available in 2 sizes (12x18 and 6x8), and there are only 10 copies (each signed and numbered) of each size available for sale. 12x18 size is $150 and the 6x8 size is available for $80. If you are interested in ordering a copy, leave a comment with your contact info. No personal information will be published, and those comments will remain private.

The name of the series, Tiny Gods, comes from the idea that we idolize our partner(s). Often times, it appears from the outside looking in that we worship our romantic interests and lovers, thus making them miniature deities. Each piece of writing on each image is about one of my previous loves or another and was written at the time I felt such notions. So each one of those good lookin' individuals I photographed for the series took on the task of conveying what was written on their finished image.

Jonathan and Tosca

I first met the fantastic Tosca and her person Jonathan in August while shooting a modeling portfolio. I got their number so I could photograph her and promptly lost it. Luckily, I ran into them again 2 weeks ago outside of his studio. Jonathan shared the sad news that Tosca's health has been on the decline recently and the 14 year old Leon Berger is not doing well. I made plans to get in his studio a couple of days later to get some portraits of the dynamic duo.

Tosca is a wonderful dog, and I'm pleased I got to spend some time with her and Jonathan recently. I wish them both the best for their remaining time together. You can check out some of Jonathan's killer work at jonathanrogersart.com .

Light Painting

I've always been fascinated by light painting and recently began a series in January that was to be entered into a juried show in March. Due to illness, I wasn't able to finish the series and had to pull out of the show but recently I've neared completion of it.

There are almost 20 images in all and I had a great time photographing my 12 subjects, including one brave couple. The framing is taking the longest time because of the sizes and once complete I hope to show in several summer events.

They're kinda creepy, they're kinda weird and each an original...

These creepy guys are miniatures from the game Warhammer 40k that were hand painted by my friend A.P. He hired me to photograph them at the end of December for a couple of online contests and to sell to other gamers and collectors. Each piece is 4 inches or smaller but painted with incredible detail. He paints each one by hand, without the use of magnifiers and the detail is sick!

I photographed about 100 of them in total and it was a much different project for me. I'm more into shooting people and places than small objects, but it was really cool to get to check out the great work A.P. does. He says he only spends a couple of hours on them, once he gets the look in mind he runs with it.

He's previously won national contests for his work and I wish him luck in the upcoming year's.

Keeping busy

I photographed these lovely girls in November, but have been super busy and forgot all about keeping this thing updated. I spent the day with S. and L. and their dad in Delaware Park enjoying the changing seasons and looking for artifacts to remind them of the day. Among some favorites they picked up were ENORMOUS golden leaves.

I always enjoy shooting kids, and have been shadowing a few families for "Day In the Life of..." series recently. It's great getting to see all the different types of families there are, and the kinds of dynamics they have. Other than that, I've also been working on upcoming gallery shows, and a few commercial jobs and am gearing up for modeling portfolio season..

Canon shooters need an upgrade?

I'll forgive my friend Max for his choice as a Canon shooter, but only because he's selling some equipment. Those of you looking for some awesome fucking gifts for the photographers in their life (who sadly shoot with Canon) should look no further than this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&&item=330383973734&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1120#ht_500wt_1182

The EOS 20D is the semi-professional digital SLR to deliver all the speed, precision and flexibility synonymous with high-end film SLR cameras - plus a whole lot more.A rugged magnesium alloy body provides the first clue that the EOS 20D is no ordinary camera. Canon's award-winning CMOS technology delivers outstanding image quality and 8.2 Megapixel resolution. The DIGIC II architecture drives blistering 5fps continuous shooting with a maximum burst of 23 frame JPEG images, class-leading color rendition accuracy, quick start-up times and rapid display and zooming of images during in-camera review. JPEG and RAW files write simultaneously with no loss of performance.9 auto focus points are carefully distributed across a wide area of the frame for fast, accurate focusing, even with off-center subjects and particularly with 'rule-of-thirds' compositions.The E-TTL distance-linked flash algorithm takes factors such as lens distance information and ambient light readings into account for accurate flash metering, even in circumstances such as recomposed shots, or where high or low reflective objects appear in the frame. The camera is compatible with the entire EX-series Speedlite flash range. This includes the 580EX, which transmits color temperature information for improved color stability and auto zooms to match the camera's APS-C sensor size.The EOS 20D is compatible with more than 60 Canon EF lenses, including Canon's EF-S lenses. Built with the EOS 20D photographer in mind, the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM and EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM cover popular wide (approx. 16-35mm) and standard (approx. 27-136mm) ranges in the 35mm equivalent.An extreme high (3200 ISO) setting extends the camera's wide 100-1600 ISO speed range. Both sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces are supported. Digital Photo Professional image processing software permits high-speed processing of lossless RAW files.The EOS 20D's USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connection enables fast download of images to the computer. PictBridge compliant, the camera supports direct printing to any compatible photo printer. It takes both CF and CF-II cards, including cards of over 2GB capacity.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&&item=330383836597&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1120#ht_500wt_1182

I am cleaning out a lot of my excess photo gear. I recently closed my studio location and have items that I just don't have a need for. Up for auction is: Canon 300mm F4.0 L series non-is telephoto lens with front and rear caps. This is a used lens and does have signs of wear and use as might be expected. All is in working order. Glass is clean, no fungus or marks on the glass. Sample images were taken very recently in a hockey rink, hand held at iso3200 - F4 1/250. This is a VERY sharp lens! Fast Focusing! Be sure to ask questions before bidding! And a picture, so that you've got some eye candy...