Art Glass

Yesterday I did some work on a project with my friend David Gappa from Vetro Art Glass. I had done some shooting at David's studio a while back and now I am working with him to document a few of their larger custom installations. The one below is in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders located in Fort Worth. It is a beautiful piece that is nearly six feet in height. This is just one of the shots I tried, there are many more that I need to go through. Shooting pieces like this is very challenging because the glass is so reflective that it is difficult to eliminate the glare. While you need a little to help showcase the "life" in the piece, too much is just not good.

Here's one of the shots from yesterday with a frame layout I had been playing with.

From "Where were you?" to "Where the heck has he been?"!

Sorry it's been a while folks...

There has been just sooo much going on that I have been slipping on the updates. My apologies...

Let's see, since I last updated there has been quite a few fun events: a triathlon, a 10K/20K race, a student vs. alumni rugby match at the University of Dallas during their 50th year celebration, a quick shot of the Sweet Hearts of the Rodeo in Fort Worth (Those ladies were a blast!) and even a trip to the
Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. Sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses and you can certainly find some there!

Here's some shots from the past few weeks.

Where were you?

Just a week ago I was visiting New York and seeing some old friends. As I snapped a picture of a changed skyline my heart was heavy with the thoughts of how the world has changed since that fateful day five years ago.

I hope that everyone takes a moment today to remember all those that perished in the attacks and their families who were left behind. Additionally, my thoughts turn to the men and women both here and abroad who are out there putting their lives on the line to help keep us safe. From the military members and emergency personnel, to the people behind the scenes that often go unmentioned, thank you all for your sacrifices that allow us to continue to live free in this great country.

Surreal Landscape

Well, I was playing around with my infrared converted camera a bit during this trip to NY. Infrared film has been around for quite some time as has infrared filters for film and digital cameras. These filters allow for some interesting effects but they are kind of tough to use. Enter the converted digital camera. Long story short, on some cameras you can do some "surgery" that allows you to take pictures of the infrared light spectrum. "Why?" you ask. Well, because you can I guess is the best answer. No, really you can get some neat effects and the huge bonus digital conversion gives you is the ability to handhold the camera and shoot more of less normally. Using filters it is next to impossible to do this.

Anyway, I'm beginning the journey to use my new camera effectively. Like any new piece of equipment it takes some use to get the hang of it. Here's a quick shot from today's attempt. Nothing special, but it was a lot of fun!

The overlook on Highway 52 near Ellenville, NY.

A wet weekend!

Well, the NY area got some of the remnants of Ernesto so it was a rainy weekend. And when it wasn't rainy it was cloudy and gray. I was still able to get most of my projects completed and still found a few minutes to swing by some of the places I remembered from when I lived in the NY area. Before I get into that, I first want to say a big thanks and congratulations to Cortney and Nance who have announced their wedding plans for next year and have asked me to be their photographer. Thank you both, I am really looking forward to working with you on your special day!!


One of the places I used to like to visit was a place called The Ranch It is always a good time to swing by there and watch the skydivers jump from their aircraft and float to the ground and today was no different. I've thought about doing it, but after years of watching guys jump from the back of KC-130's when I was in the Marine Corps, I think I'm better off just watching!


Anyway, these guys were busy today! They had two of their Twin Otter aircraft shuttling jumpers up to 13,000 feet and then diving toward the ground for a landing to get ready to do it again. These aircraft are pretty impressive. Very powerful for their weight they jump right off the ground and get these jumpers into position in no time.

New York, NY

Where has the summer gone? It's almost September already! Well, I am in New York at the moment, mixing business and pleasure. I just love when that happens! Yesterday (it’s today now here in NY) I was able to meet up with several old friends from when I lived in New York. It’s always a blast to see where our roads have taken us. One of my dear friends, Dora, has just retired after over 50 years of service with General Electric. Dora helped me out of more than one jam when I worked with her and I was very happy to have been able to see her on her last day with the company. Dora, thank you so much!

Last weekend I was able to attend a workshop given by one of DFW's, if not the country's, preeminent portrait photographers, Fran Reisner. As with any profession, ongoing training is vital for so many reasons. Whether it is to learn a new technique, networking, or just to get some fresh ideas, going to a workshop can really be rewarding. In this case it was fantastic! Fran shared with us not only her techniques and practices, but also her philosophy behind what goes into her work that makes it so incredible and in demand. It was a great experience with a fun group of folks and I look forward to adapting much of what Fran taught us for my clients so that I may provide them even more value. Thanks Fran!

(Don't wonder too much about the bears, they're just props, we didn't all just happen to show up with one!)