Defining Moments

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I shot a really fun wedding today. Perfect weather and happy people. Well…..maybe the girls were temporarily annoyed with me for dragging them onto a wild prairie, but hopefully they will be glad they did it when they see the shots! Overall Diane and I had a great time, and I think we got some really great photos. The full gallery will be up by mid-September, but here’s a bunch of teaser shots for now:

OK, the full gallery is up HERE!!

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Brandon, Mary Ellen, thanks!!

Really fun session, Brandon and his mom were very laid back and cool, and we had a great time, both in the studio and in West Branch. I will say that Brandon is a very easy going guy, happy to get involved in the photo session. But I suspect if West Branch had a Panchero’s, we might have had to cut it short. So how was your burrito, dude?

Here’s a few from Brandon’s shoot:

And finally, since I know parents LOVE having their picture on my blog, here’s one of Mary Ellen in her role today as on-location wardrobe manager:

More of Brandon HERE.

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Are you set to graduate in 2008 from a Cedar Rapids high school? Then you’re eligible for some savings on your senior session! Through 5:00 pm on September 10th, I am offering $50 off the session fee for a Senior Basic session or $75 off a Senior Combo session to anyone from ANY Cedar Rapids high school (that’s half off the session fee).

Regular studio pricing can be found HERE.

All you have to do to take advantage of this special is call with a credit card to reserve your time. As long as the session fee is paid by September 10th, the session can be scheduled any time. Call soon to reserve, or if you have questions!

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High school seniors, if you’re thinking of an outdoor session with autumn colors, I encourage you to call soon! October was my busiest month last year. I love shooting in October. The weather and the light are often at their best for outdoor photos, and if you like these colors for your images, this is the time to book!

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Cute girl with AWESOME hair! We tried lots of different poses in the studio. Sarah braved the spiders in the studio basement to get a few shots with my crumbling brick wall (not previewed below, but will be in her gallery soon). We also went to the Hoover Prairie, where the overcast (but HOT) evening gave us some great light. A fun session! Here’s a peek:

Just got the full gallery up HERE.

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Well, I decided to take the day off and go to the fair today. Here’s a few random images…..I’ll post some more once I’ve had more time to go through them. Enjoy!

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Did a combo session with Tyler today, at the studio, and outdoors. Really nice kid, very easy-going and fun to work with. Mom was great, too. Beautiful day, and no bees this time! Here’s a sneak peek:

And I’ve just uploaded Tyler’s full gallery HERE.

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This was my worst session ever. But not because of Karisa. SHE was wonderful, and her parents were totally cool, too. I love when parents are along and having a good time, too! Karisa is a dancer with an amazing smile, and she wasn’t afraid to get a bit muddy and wet for a waterfall pic. Problem is, the perfect spot to take said pic happened to be right on top of a bees’ nest. So, yeah, I got stung like 50-100 times. Thus, “worst session ever.” But not really….all’s well that ends well, right? Geeeeez, the tribulations I go through to get the good shots!!

Fortunately, no one else got stung, and I don’t seem to be allergic to bees (I had never been stung before). So despite a little pain (OK, a LOT of pain), we finished the session. It may be a couple of days before I get her gallery up, and it’s gonna be tough deciding on the best pics, but here are a few initial favorites from the session:

And here’s dad, helping out again with lighting. Parents, take note: I love having you along for sessions, but you WILL be put to work!

More of Karisa HERE.

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Ben’s also a golfer, but we did more football images than golf. We had a studio-only session, but did step outside for a few at the end. One of the hottest, most humid days so far this year, and he was wearing jeans and a letter jacket, and also his helmet for a few shots. I was definitely glad to be behind the camera today! Ben’s a really nice kid, and he looks like a nice guy, too. I did my best to make him look mean in the last shot. Did it work?

Ben’s complete gallery can be viewed HERE.

I am on the West Branch Animal Control Commission, and we are responsible for planning an annual pet show, which coincided with Hooverfest this year, but will be held during West Branch Hometown Days in the future.  I took some pictures of the show, also a few snaps of Kevin Burt (who is awesome, should you ever have the chance to see him play!), and I have never shot fireworks before, so I wanted to see how I could do with that.  A few samples below, and full gallery HERE.  The gallery is mostly pet show and fireworks images.