This past weekend, I had the honor and privilege of witnessing one of my very dear friends marry the girl that he has grown to know and love. I've known Ryan for years now. I remember the time we drove to Little Rock to see the band Wilco perform. I remember a road trip to Florida complete with the entire series of Friends, ocean-side shenanigans and the theft of a piece of musical equipment that we blamed on a local "pirate". I also remember conversations about life, love and the vast expanse in between. So it was with a great mix of emotions that I witnessed and photographed his wedding. But on top of all the emotions is the satisfaction of knowing that he has found a deep love and connection with Amanda, who seems to makes him smile wider and laugh louder than I've ever seen or heard. Congratulations, you two. 

Meet Tyler and Emily. They hired us based on some engagement photos they'd seen on our blog. They specifically pointed out a few photos they loved because they were NOT typically what people would think of as "engagement photos". That got me excited right away. When I met up with them, we talked about everything from traveling Europe (we're going in July/August), to how mad Tyler was when Emily's dogs chewed holes in their living room sofa. For their wedding, they've planned a quiet, intimate weekend with close family and friends and they made a point of telling us that they simply wanted us to document it. Their engagement pictures however, were going to be.........different. Here's a few of our favorites. Enjoy. 

P.S. Makeup by the super-talented Courtney Summers​​

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At first, we weren't particularly excited about creating images in the rain. There's always that sense of dread. The couple are wearing nice clothes, the photographer's using nice equipment and the overall mood is just gray and dull. But Dan and Stephany are adventurous and so am I. So we checked the radar and plotted a course that would hopefully get us through and onto the other side of the storm system that had somehow developed in the last hour. On the way to our shooting locations, we chatted and got to know each other better. We had to talk loud because it was raining so hard. And when we arrived at our location, it was still pouring so we decided to shoot anyway. 

Once you realize that your new camera won't be deterred by "a lot" of water, it's very easy to get lost in creating images. As it turned out, the rain left soon thereafter and the sun even peeked through at times. And Dan and Stephany and I had a great time exploring the area, chatting and celebrating their upcoming September wedding. As with many situations in life, inconveniences and plan b's and even sticking to plan a's in the midst of thunderstorms can in fact be a refreshing and beautiful thing. 

This past weekend, I had the honor and privilege of celebrating with Josh and Jenna. They were of course, giddy with nervousness and love and very excited to finally be getting married. As a photographer, I tend to get "in the zone" at weddings, making sure I get shots, anticipate what's next and try to document the day as creatively and as artistically as I can. But without fail, there are points during a wedding where my "photographic mind" takes a back seat to my "real mind", and I am temporarily lost in the reality of love and of life. It could be any number of things that trigger it; The intensely personal vows they've written, the way the groom's lip quivers as he watches his bride walk down the aisle, or the heartfelt words of their friends and family as they retell stories and wish them the best during the reception. Literally, this happens at every wedding. And I'm glad it does, because if I ever stop "feeling" the things I photograph, I should probably stop photographing them altogether. Josh and Jenna have a very bright future together. And they have lots and lots of wedding photos headed their way. Here's a few of my favorites. Enjoy. 

After rescheduling TWICE (once due to snow...in May), the sun FINALLY came out and we were able to hang out with Joe and Becky and create some engagement images for them. We started out in Fayetteville where they had their first date and then, we hit the road to find some places with cool walls and No Trespassing signs. Here's a few images from our afternoon together. Enjoy. 

Yesterday was another memorable Day 2 Play. In the process of switching our camera gear around, yesterday served as a time for me to really bond with some new camera gear and as always, it served as a therapeutic recharge of my creativity. Somehow or other, I made the comment to the two friends I was with that the only agenda I had was to find a "rusty old car" to photograph. Sure enough, one appeared out of nowhere in the woods alongside a muddy country backroad. We found two old cars yesterday, not to mention a plethora of abandoned structures and homesteads. Here's a few images from the trip. 

Enjoy. ​

With a full academic and track scholarship to Baylor University, you might say Maggie Montoya is going places. And quite literally, you'd be right. In fact today is her last state high school track meet where she'll be competing in a number of long distance runs, cheering on her friends and teammates and making memories. Last Monday evening, we had the opportunity to hang out with Maggie, her mother Debbie and her brother Nicholas while creating some senior portraits for Maggie. As always, it's a real joy to be able to get to know people better over the shared experience of traipsing around different places. We wish Maggie nothing but the best in her years to come and we also wish her a happy birthday today!

Last week, I had the opportunity to hang out with Cory and Amanda in Eureka Springs for the afternoon. We had lots of fun gallivanting around town, seeing the sights, goofing off and creating images. We visited an old Spring, the town's historic library (it's a great place for a ward robe change), an old bridge, someone's backyard, a huge run-down building with "NO TRESPASSING" signs on it and an abandoned Dinosaur Park...also with "NO TRESPASSING" signs. To top off the evening, they treated me to some delicious BBQ and great conversation. Here's a few images from the day. Enjoy.

Meet Josh & Jenna. 

He works for a church, she works for a LARGE corporation. 

Together, they make a super sweet, super cute couple. 

Their first date was a hit.

Their second date, which involved a rather awkward Chinese restaurant experience, was....well...awkward.

That story and so many other little stories and comments kept us laughing the entire time we were creating these images. These two are yet another reminder of why we love hanging out with couples and why our work really isn't work at all. Enjoy.

That story and so many other little stories and comments kept us laughing the entire time we were creating these images. These two are yet another reminder of why we love hanging out with couples and why our work really isn't work at all. Enjoy.

This guy happens to be my nephew and he also happens to live in one of my most-favoritest (I know that's not a word) places in the world. I was up there recently and decided to do some senior pictures for him. Here's a few of my favs. Enjoy. 

In light of yesterday's events, we are reminded that life is fragile, unpredictable and often times, simply wrong. Regardless of the circumstances, we should always be quick to mourn with those who mourn. And today, we mourn with you Boston. ​

Thus far, April has been one of the busiest months we've had...and we're only half way thru it.  So far, we've spent the month traveling, working on design projects, planning a video, writing music and gearing up for upcoming commercial photography jobs and weddings. Here's a few "as of late" snapshots. Have a great weekend. 

Last week, we had the opportunity to travel to Jonesboro Arkansas for a commercial photography job. We always welcome the opportunity to travel and having never been to Jonesboro before, we were excited to explore and shoot in new territory. Here's a few images from our commercial photography shoot with Ritter Communications. Enjoy.

​Less than a week ago, this new little camera arrived straight from Hong Kong. I have yet to REALLY put it through it's paces and do a full review but initial usage shows that the "S" in the new Fuji X100s could stand for sexy, speedy or ssssssso ssssfreaking sssssawesome. Full review to come but in the meantime, here's a few of the first images from the camera. Enjoy

Let me begin this feature with a heartfelt thank you. The idea to "meet our neighbors" started as a personal endeavor, partly to get to know the other people and businesses around our studio and partly to hone my writing skills. But an even bigger reason why we're doing this is because we find value in taking the time to offer deeper glimpses into ordinary lives. In this fast-paced day and age, we oftentimes skim the surfaces of each other when in truth, the really interesting stuff lies further down. Little did I realize the inspiration that would flare up or the stories that would unfold as a result. Just two features in and I'm already receiving more encouraging words and warm compliments than I ever expected. I would be foolish to think however that these have anything to do with pretty pictures or carefully formed words. Instead, I believe that these "deeper glimpses" resonate with readers because they reinforce the fact that we are all just people and we all have attached to us, a unique set of circumstances and experiences. These in turn, mold us and shape us and give us the unique life in which we live. Many thanks to the people who have agreed to take time out of their busy lives and schedules to share with me and a great many thanks to all the people who have read and responded so kindly.

And now without further adieu, I'm going introduce you to some Opticians :)

Truth be told, I was going to stick to our somewhat regimented blogging plan and share some "recent work" today. But over the weekend, I happened upon images from a long-lost blog post that died with our old blog so I decided to post them instead. On my first visit ever to Crystal Bridges, I decided to try and make "art" out of the "art museum" using only my iPhone. Here are some of the images that resulted out of this little creative experiment. Happy Monday.  

​This past Saturday, we had the honor and privilege of celebrating with Adam and Beth on their wedding day. Camera's in hand, we hung out with them while they enjoyed a day full of family, friends, old cars, cupcakes and fond memories. Here's a few images from their celebration. Enjoy.