WKU at Christmas

I passed by Western earlier today when I was dropping off some prints to a client and I saw some Christmas decorations on Cherry Hall. I was thinking that it might be pretty cool looking around sunset so I came back to have a look. I had my daughter with me, we were way past sunset, and it was pretty much freezing temperature so we didn't stay long, but I got a few interesting shots. Though we missed sunset, I did manage to get a crescent moon in one shot. I may have to do some more shots around town this week.

The Cotton Carrier System

I recently discovered a breakthrough in camera carrying systems called the Cotton Carrier (Thank you Andy Cotton) and I wanted to share it with everyone who visits my site. It's a vest system that allows you to take the weight off of your neck and also keeps cameras from flopping around on clumsy straps. I've tested it on some shoots now and I love it. I've got a few weddings coming up right after New Year's and i'm excited to field test the system in that arena. My weddings are very long due to the documentary nature of my shooting, and after 12 hours with a typical camera strap, your neck and shoulders are ready to bail out.

I also have some traveling coming up this year, some urban, some more rural. I'm excited to see how the system feels in different environments. The Cotton Carrier folds down to almost nothing and fits nicely inside my Think Tank Airport International rolling case.

I would also like to acknowledge Karl Grobl where I first heard about the Cotton Carrier. He is a traveling photojournalist who has a wealth of knowledge and information on everything from how to pack for trips to how to travel in general. He does a lot of work for humanitarian organizations all over the world.

Jantsen's Gift

As a storyteller, i'm constantly studying, reading, quietly observing the world around me, trying to gain a deeper understanding of what makes a great story and how everyday stories are made great. Through this search to sharpen my craft i've been introduced to "Jantsen's Gift". It's the real life story of a woman who lost her child to an undetected heart ailment, the painful journey that must accompany such a loss and how you eventually pull out of the tailspin of sorrow.

But it's more than just a book, it's a foundation for change. Pam Cope, the mother and author of the book, found a way to make her son's passing meaningful. They received several donations after his passing and created Touch A Life Foundation to help children around the world. This small town wife and mother with her average life became an agent of change on a global scale. Through her struggle to make sense of a world without Jantsen, she became a beacon of light and hope for children all over the world.

As the father of a five year old daughter, I can tell you that this book was tough to read. If you are a parent, you'll need a box of tissue to get through Chapter Two, but it's worth it. If I ever understood the meaning of "Empathy", the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, this book made it clear. Sometimes I would read a page and take a break and then come back for more. It's challenging to hear her story and think about your own kids.

You can get the book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble, but the best way is to make it meaningful by making a donation to Touch A Life Foundation, I hope you will. She will send you a signed hardback copy of the book and they have a 100% matching program right now for all donations.

I made a donation through my photography company and she sent me a signed copy. I especially love the way she autographed my copy of the book, almost daring me to lead a meaningful life! Thank you Pam, definitely words to live by.

Adria and Jonathan

Here's a few shots from a recent engagement shoot with my long time friend Jon and his fiance Adria. We had fun shooting on one of the last great Autumn days with leaves still on the trees. Adria came down from Lexington for the shoot and we went to one of my favorite spots on WKU's campus.

They are getting married just outside Washington D.C. in June. I think they are giving me a historical tour of our Nation! The ceremony is in Martinsburg, West Virginia, the rehearsal dinner is in Hagerstown, Maryland and i'm flying in to D.C. to get there. Wow, this is going to be a great wedding celebration! While i'm there, I may have to make a visit to the Smithsonian. And I heard about one other really interesting location. I'm looking forward to it, I hope we have time to do a day after shoot in D.C. before they jet off.

Thank You

As my business has progressed over the years, i've watched it evolve and move people with emotion. Which is exactly what it should do as the craft of storytelling gets better and better. I still love to hear clients voice it in their own words. I recently booked a wedding with a Marketing Professor at WKU. In her first correspondence with me, here is what she had to say:

"When some of your pictures of people I don't even know brought tears to my eyes I thought I'd better contact you about my own wedding!"

Thank you Joanna, I know that is sincere.

I shared with her a funny revelation that hit me on the way to our first face to face meeting. After I parked at Western and made my way toward her office, intertwined with the latest crop of WKU students, it hit me; "Wow, i'm about to show my presentation to a Professor of Marketing on her home turf. This is where she judges presentations for a living!" And I knew there was a pass/fail outcome associated with this single meeting. I hope she gives her students the benefit of the entire semester.

I'm going to assume that it was the power of the images and not my presentation that is the reason I will be documenting her wedding day celebration. We both got a nice little laugh out of it though, and I look forward to presenting her own wedding images to her.

Traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial

This past week the Traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial came to our hometown. I had a chance to visit it briefly and captured a few images. I also dug into some old files to get a comparison to the original Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C. which I visited several years ago. I think this is a great opportunity for the many people who may never get the opportunity to visit our Nation's Capital.






Here are some shots of the real Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C. I photographed these several years ago. It's amazing how emotional each of these memorials are for the ones touched by the Vietnam War.

This shot is actually somewhat of a self portrait. If you look closely, i'm the one with the Khaki photo vest.

Jillian and Joe

Recently I had the pleasure of working with Jillian and Joe from Edmonton, KY, they were a great couple to work with. Here is a series of images from that shoot, but if you really want to see how the day went, check out this Slideshow.

Incidentally, Joe is the Tour Manager for Black Stone Cherry, a local band that's made quite a name for themselves touring all over the world. If you look closely you might see some of the band members in the slideshow.




This was my first time shooting at the Glasgow Country Club. It was a beautiful setting for a wedding and Jillian made my job easy.









There was an Elvis sighting at the reception.