4th Of July Weekend Getaway

On Friday we all attended the Albert Lea parade and got home fairly late so Tammy and I decided we would get up early the next morning to pack up for our trip to Flandrau state park by New Ulm. We had expected the kids to come into our bedroom early demanding their chocolate milk or jump all over me as they usually do, but on this morning we were not bothered and took advantage of the situation and slept in. Tammy had hoped to be packed and get over to New Ulm and visit some of the historical sites before our 4pm. check-in time at the park but plans always seem to change.

We arrived about 2:30 that afternoon and did manage to drive around a bit to see some of the interesting things in town. Some areas we would like to see in the near future like one of the parks which had a fountain with a statue of a fairy on it.

Once we got to the park we bought a year round state park pass and some items for our camping expedition like fire wood, ice and some really neat packs which you could throw in your fire to change the color of the flames. We camped in the rustic area where there was no electricity and the toilets were rested in a shack with a hole in the ground. (P.U.) You may have to fight the flies when you go in though so a can of raid might be useful. Water was available from a well which you had to hand pump from a nearby faucet. It really gives you a sense of how things must have been in the old days.

There are lots of things to enjoy there like swimming, long trails, and lots of wildlife to see. The deer in the park are use to seeing people and roam all over. We saw them several times and one night there was a group of five within 150ft. of our tent.

We would like to get out and do more camping yet this year. The girls had a good time and it was nice having them connect with nature instead of tying themselves to the TV all the time. Tammy and I had fun teasing the girls about Big foot and telling them we were going to give them some bread and leave them in the woods if they didn't behave. Of course that back fired when Kenzie said " Hey how did you know about Hansel and Gretel." We had to laugh and when we told the girls it was time to leave the park she yelled to Macayla, "Come on Hansel, its time to go."Yes people were looking at us chuckling. All and all I think we had a good time.

Sara & Peter Tie the Knot

On June 20th 2009, Sara and Peter tied the knot. I stated in a previous post that I would post some photos from the wedding and here they are. I want to personally say congratulations to them and hope their lives are filled with all the love and joy life can bring. And thank you Susie (Mother of the bride) for the opportunity to help make your day memorable.

New Student

I Have begun training a new student in photography. Lindsey has joined me in the studio to learn photography. I have never trained anyone before but her enthusiasm is very very high and she seems to be enjoying herself. I brought her in on a sitting today and allowed her the opportunity to do some shots herself. Over the next few weeks we will examine indoor and outdoor photos along with working on enhancements through photoshop. It is my hope that she will be ready to go out on her own within the next few months. Thanks again Lindsey for allowing me to show you all I know.

Love Is In The Air

Over this past weekend, I was given the great pleasure of photographing a wedding for a young couple Sara and Peter. It has been a number of years since I last did a wedding and I think I was just as nervous as they were. I must say of all the weddings I have done, this one was the funnest of all. The people and the atmosphere was very relaxed and they were all very friendly and made me feel like one of the family. Sara's mother, Susie asked me a few months ago if I would be willing to do the wedding for her daughter and I'm glad I did. Susie and I worked together at a local nursing home before I was laid off for economic reasons. Once the family receives their CD's, I will post some of the photos provided I have their permission to do so.


On another note, I would also like to Thank Jenny for taking time out to come and assist me with the wedding. She did a beautiful job and if another wedding comes my way, I would like to hire her on again. She knew what to do and even offered some great advice on some shots to take. She told me she had fun getting out there to help me achieve the photos I got. I couldn't have gotten those shots without her so again, Thank you so much

COPY-CATS

According to Webster's dictionary the term copy-cat means: one who imitates or adopts the behavior or practices of another. I'm sure many of you have been frustrated by an individual who feels the need to dwell in your shadow to copy or create something which is very similar to your work or ideas. Its true that all of us become inspired by something we have seen which helps our own imaginations and creativity. For that, there is nothing wrong. It shows how talented we are. However when you work hard to accomplish something only to have people basically steal your thunder and pretend they are the originators of the work seen by others can be very intimidating. I say it only shows that there are people out there who are basically riding through life, feeding off their predecessors to accomplish goals they could never achieve on their own. In one way you can feel good about it to an extent. It only means that these type of people are jealous and envious of those who actually have the creative flair to succeed. I mean I'm not just talking about a photo or even a product on the market. It could be something as simple as running an ad in the paper or quoting a logo a business may use. What ever the case I just wanted to let all the people out there who feel as I do, that it will never stop me from using my imagination to create works of art which I know was not produced by another. Besides could you ever really be happy knowing your success was attributed from another.

Mckenzie's busy week

On Friday of last week, my youngest daughter Mckenzie graduated from pre-school. Moments after receiving her diploma she said, "Now I can go to kindergarten tomorrow." She was upset to find she has to wait til fall to begin.
The following day was a gathering called Take a kid fishing day, held each year in Albert Lea. The weather was not so cooperative but I took both my girls there anyway since neither one had every fished before. They gave out free fishing poles, tackle and bait to all the kids that showed for the event. Also they would give out lots of free prizes. Mckenzie won a teddy bear and Macayla scrambled to gather as much free tackle as she could carry. Mckenzie caught her first fish and you can see by her photo that she was happy yet a little afraid by the fish flopping all over the place. The weather turned nasty shortly after and the event was rained out, but I promised the girls I would take them out again this summer.

A simple background idea

Here is an interesting way for anyone to bring a background to your photos. I photographed a sheet of scrapbook paper from my wife's stock and merged it with a picture of my daughter. Using photoshop, I shot her against a black background, screened it and dropped it in for a fun way to do pictures. By doing this it also helps when it comes to creating a page to scrapbook since it was made from one. By the way, I asked my daughter to give me the look when she does not get her way and as you can see by her expression, its either give in or watch as she becomes possessed by a little demon.