Portrait of a Melting Ice Cube
February 28, 2008 | Filed Under Photo of the Day, Random Thoughts | 4 Comments
I’ve been taking one day a week to explore creativity… As a full time photographer and artist, I’m discovering how much I need to care for my own soul to keep the joy alive in my work (and life!). So far, it’s been a wonderful and refreshing experience! All I do is stop… I stop the busyness of daily life and allow my mind to think of something other than what’s on my must-have-done-list. Usually, that’s just enough space for me to feel moved to create something new.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about vulnerability. I think much of modern culture is constructed as an effort to avoid feeling or appearing vulnerable. We buy insurance, we install security alarms, we don’t talk to strangers. We can try and hide it, but our own vulnerability, our fragility as human beings just doesn’t go away. Those of us who go to great lengths to bury the tender and vulnerable parts of our lives only succeed in becoming cold and hard by keeping others at a distance.
We are like a melting ice cube that cannot escape its nature. Yet, maybe that’s the most beautiful thing about us.
Baby Shiloh
February 24, 2008 | Filed Under Child Portraiture | 1 Comment
We were honored to celebrate Shiloh’s homecoming with her new family. She’s a beautiful little girl who was adopted a week ago. Her family named her Shiloh Grace Marie… “Shiloh, for the place of refuge which we hope our home provides for this little miracle. Grace, because we will need it - and God has provided it. Marie because her birth mom asked if we would keep her given middle name. It was the name of her birth mom’s grandma who was full of strength and courage - courage that her birth mom said she needed to place her baby up for adoption.”
Megan & Kyle
February 24, 2008 | Filed Under Engaged Couples, On Location Photo Shoot | Leave a Comment
Chi Omega President
February 24, 2008 | Filed Under On Location Photo Shoot, PR Headshot | Leave a Comment
It was a pleasure to meet such a wonderful young woman! Our time together was brief, but this year’s Chi Omega President (Lincoln, NE chapter) impressed me with her kindness and graceful manner. It was the ideal shoot for me because of the positive atmosphere; we could really concentrate and work things out. Each image got better and better every time the shutter clicked! My 16-year-old cousin also accompanied us for this shoot for a high school “career shadow” assignment. If you can’t tell by the image, he did a great job holding the lights!
Lisa & Dereck
February 15, 2008 | Filed Under Engaged Couples, On Location Photo Shoot | 1 Comment
Last weekend, we went downtown to create some engagement portraits - and MAN was it was COLD outside! But Lisa and Dereck endured the weather and we got some great images!
Thanks so much - I really enjoyed getting to know you both. I had such a great time I wish we could do it all over again; of course I’d wait until it warms up first! Anyway, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, and I’ll see you both soon at the viewing session.
Local Google Business Listing Apology
February 12, 2008 | Filed Under Studio News | 1 Comment
In December of 2007, a company named Local Pull solicited me with a free month trial of their web optimization services. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way this company employs practices that Google considers unethical and a potential for blacklisting. Within two weeks, I canceled the account (yet they are now billing me for their disastrous service and aren’t returning any of my phone calls or emails). Soon, I will be filing a complaint to the BBB. Needless to say, I highly discourage anyone from doing business with Local Pull.
The damage done was with a Google Local Business Listing that included the keywords “Omaha Wedding Photographer” in the name (along with several errors) to increase our rankings. This practice unfairly manipulates the system and cheats out other photographers competing in the same market. For this I sincerely apologize to the local photographic community and assure everyone we are doing everything we can to resolve this problem.
Unfortunately, these listings are easy to put up but are extremely difficult to change or suspend. We are currently waiting for a letter (which will take 2-3 weeks) to verify the suspension. Once verified, it will take Google another 4 weeks to update their listings. We value relationships in every part of our business, and we want to own our mistakes and learn from them. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we navigate the tough and sometime dangerous waters of small business ownership.
Family Portrait Gift
February 11, 2008 | Filed Under Family Portraiture, On Location Photo Shoot | Leave a Comment
It’s always a little tricky capturing the moment everybody is engaged and looking good for larger groups (i.e. roaming eyes, blinks, etc.). It took awhile, but we all worked hard and I think it paid off. We have a great looking portrait to give to “Mom and Dad!”
Democratic Caucus of Nebraska
February 9, 2008 | Filed Under Community, Daily Life | Leave a Comment
Heather and I voted today! And my-oh-my was it an experience! Although it felt a little like a high school pep rally, overall it was a positive and exciting event. Out of approximately 1,500 people, 1,100 were for Barack Obama, 350 were for Hillary Clinton and 35 were undecided. When it was time to “realign,” all but one (and several Clinton supporters) pledged for Obama. In the pictures above, you can see a former Clinton supporter peel off his sticker in exchange for an Obama one as he is welcomed with cheers and applause.
On a personal note, I like Obama because he talks about issues in a way that encourages dialogue and discussion as opposed to the traditional way of polarizing debate. Debate stops the conversation in the middle and eliminates the possibility for genuine understanding because the goal is to prove you’re right and the other guy is wrong. Such positioning stops us from truly listening to one another and keeps us in a gridlock of distrust. Dialogue, on the other hand, can actually unify us despite passionate disagreements, and it allows the freedom for discovery, renewed perspective, learning, growth, and dare I say - hope.
And I think hope is what the future needs most.
Caedmon’s Call & Derek Webb
February 9, 2008 | Filed Under Community, Daily Life | Leave a Comment
Last night, Heather and I saw Caedmon’s Call and Derek Webb live in concert (Lincoln, NE). We had a great time; we enjoyed the performance, we were inspired by the music, and we were challenged by the lyrical content. We even bought matching T-shirts!I have to tell you, I’m always amazed how art can connect complete strangers by speaking to our own inward and private realities. Somehow, an artist who is honest and vulnerable offers hope and gives us permission to do the same. Or at least their artwork provides us with another point of view - a new perspective that might change the way we think of ourselves and view the world around us.
For me, the most challenging aspect of the evening (besides Webb’s pointed political opinions - often told with sarcasm and humor) was information about the Dalit Freedom Network, an organization to support the Untouchables of the Indian caste system. These people are among the poorest of the poor in the world. “If even a Dalit’s shadow falls on an upper caste person, that person is polluted according to caste rules. The Dalit Freedom Network partners with the Dalits in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human rights by mobilizing human, information, and financial resources (www.dalitnetwork.org).” As the band shared stories about their trip to India and the relationships they’ve built with these beautiful people, it reminded me there’s something much bigger out there in life I don’t want to miss out on!