Photostory Friday: Gratitude

Hosted by Cecily

For another Thanksgiving with my wife. For fifteen years of marriage, with no end in sight.

For my children. For Jordan's artistic eye. For Matthew's gentle soul. For Emma's emma-ness.

For life. For new love (Andrew and Michelle). For family scattered to the four winds -- I wish you were here today. For friends, old and new. For opportunity. For freedom. For the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special (but I miss the Dolly Madison commercials).

For a warm home. For words. For turkey and stuffing and chocolate-peanut-butter-pie. For the things which brought joy this year. For the things that taught me harder lessons this year. For beautiful music. For the coming season of light and peace. For the paths that lead us to open doors and for the roads that bring us home.

For a talent which makes people smile.

What the ELF? (2009 Edition)

The top two are new -- the last three are for those of you who just can't get enough of the Thornblad Elves.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

365: Week 47

Day 324 

November 19: It just caught my eye. I find that this little project is full of pictures like this.

     Day 325

November 20: Not only did I park there, I stopped and I stood too.

Day 326

November 21: Same old story. Driving down the road, realized I hadn't taken a picture yet, stuck camera out of window.

Day 327

November 22: Is it winter fireworks, or is it snowflakes caught in the porch light, with the camera set on a low shutter speed?

I like winter fireworks better.

Day 328

November 23: Guess who's in charge of making rolls for Thanksgiving dinner?

Guess who doesn't know how to make rolls?

(They look like gargoyles, don't they?)

Day 329

November 24:  Centerville Ward Chapel. Built in 1879.

I was introduced to this building this week. I love these old mormon buildings. There are not many of them left -- most have been torn down and replaced with more modern buildings. But they each have such a fascinating pioneer history. At the time they were built they served not only as a house of worship, but often as public meeting spaces and places of social gathering. Here people prayed and sang, they danced, they voted. It was the hub of the community.

Day 330

November 25: New friends. I had the opportunity to take some pictures with new friends today.

Thanks Hart/Pomeroy families, the pictures turned out great (if I do say so myself...)

Photostory Friday: Shadows

Hosted by Cecily and Sue

Stars shine their brightest when the sky is at it's darkest.

That's one of those little life lessons that Mother Nature teaches us.

We don't like to think much about the shadows, we think of shadows as something negative, but I'm learning to be thankful for them. Shadows give us dimension, they make us more than a flat, superficial image.

Shadows give us definition, and they hide our imperfections.

The truth is, our lives are framed by shadows. The past and the future are equally shaded.

Shadows are not simply the opposite of light, they're a byproduct of it. It all works together.

What I'm learning is that it's the shadows of life that focus our attention on the light.

365: Week 46

Day 317 

November 12: Working on a logo for the fledgling photography business. Tentative name: Five Olives Photography. There's a cheesy reason behind the name. If you're curious, let me know.

Days 318 & 319

November 13 and 14: The new Holiday Oreos: chocolate, creme and peppermint. What's not to love? Also, winter weeds. We had serious snow for the first time Saturday. A good day to stay home and eat Holiday Oreos. I had to show these pictures side by side, because I can't figure out what's going on with Blogger. GRRRRRRR!

Day 320

November 15: Emma June got a haircut this week. Her 1st Grade class voted her the girl with the longest, prettiest hair. Naturally, she had to do something about that.

Day 321

November 16: Emma and Dad rockin' "Eye of the Tiger!"

Day 322

November 17: When you have hours and hours of time on your hands, you find things to do -- like getting out the ladder and cleaning that window way up there, that hasn't been cleaned in a year or so.

Day 323

November 18: This is where I spend a good chunk of my days now. You know, except for when I'm washing the windows.

Photostory Friday: Q & A with Emma June

Hosted by Cecily and She's a moron and can't remember...

There's really no need for elaborate introductions.

This is Emma June.

The world revolves around her.

Recently, Emma had a conversation with her mother -- a series of questions and answers.

(Bear in mind, these are immediate and off the cuff answers -- Emma didn't have to stop and think about them...)

Mom: If you were a color what would you be?

Emma: Pink. NO! WAIT! Hot pink!

Mom: If you were a food, what would you be?

Emma: Spaghetti and meatballs.

Mom: If you were a candy, what would you be?

Emma: A red raspberry sucker.

Mom: If you were an animal, what would you be?

Emma: A pony.

Mom: If you were a flower, what would you be?

Emma: A dandelion.

Mom: If you were a drink, what would you be?

Emma: Cream Soda.

Mom: If you were a Disney character, who would you be?

Emma: Minnie Mouse (this one surprised me).

Mom: If you were a movie, what would you be?

Emma: Rapunzel.

Mom: If you were a car, what would you be?

Emma: A monster truck.

Do you have ready answers to all of these questions? How about your kids?

We'll end with my favorite Emma quote of the week:

I wish I never had to wear matching socks.

365: Week 45

Day 310

November 5: Photo Finish.

I shot about 30 times to get this shot. Two of these cars (the bottom two) are ours, and the red car with the little Lego guy , belongs to one of my son's good friends. The middle car is my son Matthew's, and the ultimate winner of the 2009 Pinewood Derby!

Day 311

November 6: Your tax dollars at work.

Why say something in three words if you can say it in five? Better yet, say it both ways.

Day 312

November 7: Someone threw away a perfectly good Emma.

Day 313

November 8: Over our front door. Hopefully, these are the last words my children see each day, as they walk out the door.

Day 314

November 9: It's been close to thirteen years since Sharon and I have had pictures of just the two of us.

Aren't I a lucky man?

(I shot this remotely, so it still counts!)

Day 315

November 10: I just love this shot -- it seems so surreal. The ball is actually casting a shadow against the sky.

Day 316

November 11: To those who serve. To those who stand firm. To those who fight. To those who come back and to those on the green fields of foreign shores, who lie beneath white crosses.

Thank you.

And Happy Veteran's Day.

Heeding the call

For years, my family and friends have been encouraging me to pursue my photography hobby professionally. It hasn't been that I have been resistant, it's just that I really haven't had time. Well, the world changes -- quickly -- and I find myself with no where to go but up. It seems like a great opportunity to chase a dream. Now before you think I've abandoned all reservation to the wind, I don't see this (especially in the short run) as a full time gig, but as a way to bring in some extra money, doing something that actually lies within my skill set -- unlike most other jobs that some unsuspecting employer might offer.

This is one of those "I'll never know if I don't try" moments.

Which brings me to you, my friends.

I know several of you have walked this path ahead of me, and I'm looking for information. I want to hear about your successes and your problems. I want advice and warning. I want to know what you have learned. I want to hear your ideas. What do you charge? How do you market yourself? How do you find clients? What do you offer? etc. etc....

What follows is a small collection of portraits I have taken over the last several years, including a portrait I shot yesterday of my wife and I. Normally I wouldn't subject you to such a thing, but my beautiful bride was so stunning, that I had to share.

At the very bottom is a slideshow that I put together for my brother-in-law's unofficially official engagement (I'm considering offering that as a service as well). If you've got ten minutes or so, and aren't bored to tears yet, have a look. They're just so CUTE!

(HOWEVER, it has just come to my attention that even though the video embeded properly,now that it is published on the blog, it is sitting cock-eyed -- so you're only seeing the left side. If you click in the center of the video screen twice (not the play button) it will take you right to Youtube and you can see the whole thing. Assuming anyone is still reading at this point!)

Sigh.