Danny's Photo Session

It's been a while since I updated ye olde blog so I thought I'd post a shot from Danny's photo session. It was an awesome spring day for shooting outside which is always hit or miss around here. :)

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday.  A day we can all pretend to be someone else.  To get in the spirit, I carved a couple jack o'lanterns and we put a little harvest themed vignette out on the front lawn to amuse the passing raccoons.

My son went as Link from 'Zelda' (note my attempt at making his costume), and because I can't resist dressing up, I went as Pippi Wrong Stockings. Imagine a darker, scarier non-dubbed Pippi.

As we were roaming about town, my son shamelessly begging for candy door-to-door I received some bad news about my dad who has been in ICU for the last few days.  Being so far away, I hadn't been able to see him and now I find out that he's gone. So tonight, this morning, I'm a bit sad and still in shock. My only hope is that now he's in better place.  

Saturday's Sunset

Some days the sky just smiles for the camera.  There are definitely some cool clouds here leaving no shortage of photo ops.  

Senior Portraits!

It's that time of year again. That time when leaves trade their green for red, orange and yellow, pumpkins take their place upon porches and high school seniors have their portrait sessions.

Today Matt and I braved the nearly freezing temperatures (somewhere in the 40s) and had an awesome session despite the chill in the air. Here are a few shots from our shoot.

Dragonflies Through A Child's Eyes

I love Dragonflies. Maybe it was all the years of admiring those stained glass Tiffany lamps.  More likely I have this interest because when I was a kid I liked to believe they were fairies.  This belief didn't stem from any childhood fairy tale.  

On more than one occasion I would be taking a walk and a Dragonfly would be flying right beside me at eye level. It would keep the same pace as if it was trying to lead me somewhere magical or deliver some telepathic message. They looked like little humans with wings.  Then I grew up, like most of us, and the magic was gone.  

Now dragonflies (and Damselflies) seem like some sort of alien life form or radio-controlled robotic insect.  If you look closely at their body, where their wings attach, it almost looks like some sort of sci-fi circuitry. Whatever the case may be, dragonflies are always fun to photograph because they rarely land for long and don't hover in one spot for any length of time.  To me, they're still pretty magical.

1,200 Beats Per Minute

Have you ever spent any time watching a hummingbird?  I've always been captivated by these tiny, stealthy birds.  It's amazing to think that the average hummingbird weighs as little as a penny, and according to the Audubon Society it's heart rate during the day is more than 1,200 beats per minute. Compare that to the average human heart rate, which is about 72 beats per minute.

I sat outside for hours as various species of hummingbirds buzzed my ear.  I could hear them as they approached as their beating wings provide a distinctive hum--this giving me time to ready my camera eye.  Often two at a time would dance around the air fighting for their chance to reach a nearby source of nectar.  I never realized how aggressive these birds can be protecting their territory.  I've witnessed their attacks on wasps, blue jays, even a hawk was put to a challenge. These little birds seem to have no fear.  I admire them for that.  

The wings of a hummingbird beat so extremely fast, which gives them an angelic quality as they hover about, seemingly wingless to the human eye.  I found that capturing the essence of a hummingbird in flight proved to be quite challenging as they don't hold still for long. This holds true when photographing any subject, as time doesn't wait. Everything is constantly changing, which is why I love photography so much, it's the only way I've found to stop time.