These are a few favorites from this last weekend’s shoot with Roger Williams and his family. They opened their beautiful home to us to shoot in.

This turned into a very large project. We ended up doing 14 different setups in less than three hours. It was a crazy pace, but having four great subjects and two of the best assistants in the world made it flow very smoothly. We spent well over two hours in preproduction scouting and planning and it paid off huge dividends here. We had a master plan of exactly what shots we needed in which rooms along with all the lighting equipment we’d need for each setup.

I’ve been trying for three years to find a bride willing to use and abuse her dress after the wedding. Finally Rachel stepped up to the plate and hit it out of the park. We started at the Stephenville City Park for a few. She decided to give the slide a shot and went right off the end. Turns out wedding dresses are slick.

Then we headed out to this great little road where Rachel had seen a tree that had been cut down. It made the perfect setting for a shoot like this.

We finished up at the Erath County Volunteer Fire Department. Rachel’s husband Kevin is a firefighter there so she wanted some shots that would mean a lot to him.

Then we set up for the shot that we’d planned for weeks to get. To be honest, I still can’t believe we convinced Rachel to do this one. It was cold outside before we ever fired the water up. This is really one of those ideas better suited for a warm summer day, but we pulled it off anyway. Rachel was a trooper. And thanks to her mom for talking her into this in the first place.

I had a great time shooting with Dr. Doug and his awesome family (and pets) on Thursday. We set up a backdrop and rocked the white seamless for this one. We laughed at Jane the entire time. It’s always fun shooting such expressive babies.

And this outtake just makes me laugh. Somehow it seems very fitting.

As we’ve started looking to the future of our business, I’ve been thinking a lot about my schedule. Right now I’m working about seven days a week and usually just getting done what is in front of me that must immediately be done. This doesn’t leave a lot of time to work on growing the business and planning for the future.

For 2010, we’ve set some very ambitious goals. To hit those, I’m going to have to spend a lot more time working on the business instead of in it.

I thought I’d share what I hope my weeks will look like soon.

Sunday :: Rest
I’m terrible at taking time off. Sunday isn’t really ideal for rest because we work at church for half the day but usually it’s the only day of the week we don’t have anything else scheduled. Any week I can have another day off, I’ll take it, but for now this will probably have to do.

Monday :: Marketing/Learning
Eight straight hours of working on nothing but my business and learning new skills is the goal for Mondays. Everything from designing promotional pieces for us to reaching out to other people in the business. If I spend a solid eight hours a week promoting us, I think it will make a massive difference. I’m planning to spend about half the day working on marketing and half the day reading, watching and learning everything I can to become a better photographer.

Tuesday – Saturday :: Planning/Scouting/Shooting/Postproduction
Pretty self-explanatory. Tuesday through Saturday are when the real work will happen. Everything that goes into running a photography business will happen on these five days. Having Sunday and Monday marked off means I’ll have to focus even harder these five days to get everything accomplished.

I’m under no delusion that this schedule will work every single week. If a client needs to shoot on Monday, we’ll probably shoot on Monday. However, if I can stick to this schedule the majority of the time I think we’ll go a long way toward hitting our goals.

So what does your average week look like?

I took these new shots of the boys today to test out a new 50″ soft box. Unfortunately, Conner wasn’t big enough to hold it in the wind so I only got a few shots of Colton.

Here’s a quick preview of last Saturday’s wedding with Jennifer and John. The ceremony and reception were both at Texas Old Town which was an amazing venue to shoot at. The day turned out perfect, between a UT win (which everyone at the wedding was paying attention to) and great weather.

Matt Chandler says to find things that stir your affections for God. For me, it’s clouds. I know that sounds goofy, but there’s something about clouds like this that leave me in awe of our creator. The idea that the maker of something so amazing loves me is comforting and humbling.

Taken with the iPhone using Best Camera.

As I’ve made the switch to doing photography for a living, I find I can’t seem to turn it off. No matter where I go or what I’m doing, I catch myself sizing up locations and looking for places to shoot. Every day when sunset rolls around if I’m not shooting, I wish I was. While probably being mildly unhealthy, I think it’s also made me a much better photographer. It’s much easier to go into a location and find great angles to shoot from if I’m used to doing that everywhere I go anyway.

I took these shots today at my in-laws’ land. We’re planning a shoot with Leon next week to promote his music ministry. These are just test shots, but I had already taken both these frames in my head before I ever set up any gear. The more often I practice taking pictures with my mind, the easier it becomes to find the shot I want quickly.

Yesterday I did a shoot with David Norman and his awesome family. We shot in a couple of locations around downtown Austin. They are moving to Kansas in a few days to take a position pastoring a church. It was now or never to do a shoot and get a little flavor of Austin to send them on their way with. ATX will miss you guys.

This last Saturday, we shot Jennifer and John’s wedding. These pictures below are from Jennifer’s bridal session we did in August. We shot at the capital and the Zilker Botanical Gardens. We had previously shot their engagement session and have had a blast with both of them.

Last Saturday, we had the honor of shooting Jessi and Lane’s wedding at The Oasis in Austin. They were amazing to work with. There are some couple you can instantly tell are deeply in love. That’s Jessi and Lane. Between their awesome family and the great staff at The Oasis, we couldn’t have asked for a better wedding. Here are a few favorites from the day.

Here are a few shots I grabbed from last night’s One Light Workshop here in Austin. After a couple years of talking with Zack, it was great to finally meet him. I’d highly recommend his workshops.

Ironically it was a lighting workshop and I think one of my favorites from the day is the third one down, which isn’t lit at all. I think I’ve been shooting with lights for so long now that I forget the beauty of a really well done available light shot. Other than the side of the building coming out of the top of his head I really dig that one.

Here are a few selects from Dianne’s bridal session. We shot at the Austin Women’s Club in downtown and it was one of my favorite shoots this year. Dianne and her family were amazing to work with. We were almost rained out, but we rolled with it and had a blast. She was even brave enough to climb up a lot of very large rocks in her dress. Most brides aren’t that brave.

I think this is one of my favorites of the year.

Today, you get the two for one special. Colton and I went to pick up pizza for dinner. I had to stop on the side of the road and climb into a ditch for these. I know the people driving by think I’m weird. Do my kids? Probably.

Taken with the iPhone using Best Camera.

During my rare down times when I’m not shooting pictures or designing like crazy, I get the odd urge to shoot pictures and design things. So I decided it was time for some new photos of the boys.

Below is a post I wrote over two years ago. Yesterday we laid Granny to rest in Gorman, Texas. It’s funny because when I think about the fact that she’s gone, I don’t get very sad. I think because Alzheimer’s took her mind so long ago. What makes me cry though, is when I think of her in Heaven sitting at the table with our great King. She is now free of a mind and body that failed her. She is back to being the amazing woman who loved us all. If, in my life, I can help and love half the people she did, I’ll be doing very well.

I’m always amazed at the power of our senses to transport us to a different time and place.

On a recent grocery run, I grabbed a bag of Ruffles Sour Cream & Onion chips. It was just a normal afternoon. There was nothing remarkable about it, and that’s usually when something extraordinary happens. A few chips sounded like a great mid-day snack. As that first chip hit my tongue, I was gone.

Suddenly, I was six years old, sitting at a light brown card table in my Grandma’s living room. I was munching on a few chips while Granny, as I call her, was in the kitchen making a bowl of bean dip. The Rangers were playing a Saturday afternoon game on the TV. A game of Yahtzee was spread out on the table in front of me.

Granny walks in with the bowl of bean dip and a small plate with sliced cheese. She always spoiled me. My favorite meal at her house was chips, bean dip and cheese. Real healthy.

That one little taste of a chip brought back memories I hadn’t experienced in years. Even as I write this, I marvel at the wonderful memories, while still being sad they will never happen again.

My brother and I would rotate spending the night with her on Fridays. She lived in a small mobile home just outside Snyder, in West Texas.

I am reminded of how much fun we used to have, but especially the little details. I remember the sound of the heater in the winter. Being a mobile home, the heat came through vents in the floor. I used to love laying by those vents, soaking up the heat. I remember watching ball games with her while she introduced me to games like Wahoo and dominoes. Always on the rickety little card table.

The porch outside was surrounded by black metal railing that seemed a little too wobbly to actually stop someone from falling off. Down the cold concrete stairs was the large circular driveway with small dips in it. When it rained, the dips would fill up and become vast oceans for my G.I. Joes to fight around.

Then, there was my first bb gun. Granny would take me to shoot cans out near the woods. I became the first grandson to shoot her when one rogue bb ricocheted off a can and hit her in the shin. She never let me forget that.

I remember her small blue car, I think it was a Chevrolet, and the trips to town we would go on. On one of those trips to the local K-Mart, she bought me a small Hot Wheels car. It was an army vehicle with moving missles and everything. I felt so special because she spent all her “silver money” on it. I think it was a grand total of seventy five cents, but I felt like royalty because she had given everything she had in her coin purse.

In the grand scheme of things, a very small part of my life was spent at Granny’s, but it continues to influence me even today.

Today Granny lives in an assisted living center in Weatherford. Her health seems to get worse week by week, and we’re not sure how long she will remain with us. When I see her now, she often mistakes me for my Dad. She doesn’t remember much, but one thing she always tells me is about the fact that Cody and I always stayed with her and “never forgot who’s turn it was to spend the night.”

They say within three generations no one will remember you. As I think of my Granny, that makes me very sad that if I don’t do something, my kids and their kids after them will know nothing of this great woman and the influence she had on my life. It’s our job to make sure no one forgets the great ones. And Granny truly is one of the great ones.

All that from a stupid little chip.

I find a lot of comfort on my parents’ back porch. They’ve spent so much time working on their back yard and turning it into a very peaceful place. I’m here for a day or two as we get ready for Granny’s funeral on Sunday. I find myself gravitating towards the porch a lot. This shot is of the ceiling fan and the amazing ceiling my Mom built using old rusty tin.

Taken with the iPhone using the Best Camera app.

Meet Jerry. Recently retired from the Marines, he now does lawn care for a living. Being that I’m very busy/lazy, I was happy to have him mow our lawn. After he was done, he mentioned that he still needed to get some business cards made. I offered to help him out with a set, I just needed to know what he wanted to say on them.

This evening he came back with his info, and his business name. Military Mower Man. I instantly envisioned him in uniform next to a mower. Fifteen minutes later, we were doing an impromptu photo shoot in my front yard. From Creative concept to photo shoot to design all in about an hour. I love being creative like that. Plus now he’ll have the highest quality business cards anyone’s ever had to promote lawn service.

How much money would we save if we stopped eating fast food? How much smaller would our waste lines be? How much healthier would our hearts be? So where exactly is the benefit in fast food?

I was pondering this after spending another $7 on a meal the other day. It was your typical fast food. It didn’t satisfy in any way. It looked nothing like the menu photo. It tasted nothing like the menu photo promised. It was really a waste of money. I can only think of one restaurant with a drive through that actually delivers what it promises.

I’m not saying don’t eat out. Usually if you go to a nicer restaurant, you pay more, but you leave feeling like you got your money’s worth. It’s just that when we keep buying fast food, we are really rewarding mediocrity and encouraging more of the same.

So what if we just didn’t buy any more fast food? Why do we continue to pour money down that disappointing drain? Save your money and maybe your health too. I’m going to try it.

On September 8th, Jeremy Cowart did a live critique of photos people sent him. I thought I’d get in on that action so naturally I grabbed one of the best photos I’ve shot in the past few months (the one above). Out of all the random links submitted, Jeremy grabbed mine to critique. You can see his comments at the 39 minute mark.

It wasn’t until after he reviewed my photo (and loved it, by the way) that I realized I’d just wasted his time and mine. Here’s the thing, before I ever submitted that shot, I knew it was great. I don’t have the confidence to say that about most of my photography, but let’s be honest, sometimes you are blessed with a photo that is universally considered beautiful. This was that photo for me.

And naturally, as I was choosing a photo to submit, insecurity kicked in and I grabbed the one I knew would be well reviewed. But honestly, what good does that do? Even having someone at the level of Jeremy tell me it’s great only confirms what I already knew. My better bet would have been to take a photo a few notches below that and submit it. Something where I could have received advice that would have really helped improve my future work.

So, thanks to Jeremy for taking time to help out the little guys. And sorry for wasting your time.

Saturday turned out to be a very rainy day to get married, but Dianne and David took it all in stride and had a beautiful wedding here in Austin.

Taken with the iPhone using CameraKit.

Taken with the iPhone using CameraKit.

I took a few photos I was proud of last night when we went out for our anniversary. I’ll post them over the next few days.

Taken with the iPhone using CameraKit.

Here are a couple of my quick favorites from Cindy and Matt’s wedding yesterday. They were married at First United Methodist in Stephenville.

Here are a few of my favorites from Wendy’s bridal session. We shot these back in May but I’m just now getting around to posting.

I make a point to always be looking for that next great photo opportunity. This is probably why I carry a complete lighting kit with me just about every where I go. You never know when a great shot will present itself. Or in this case, himself. I was shooting Devin and Mallorie’s wedding exactly a month ago. Devin’s grandpa attended the reception rocking a kilt. How can you pass up an opportunity like that?

I had about five minutes for a break during the night so I setup a quick one-light rig outside to try an capture a portrait. When you only have a few minutes, it’s great to have someone who can work well in front of the camera. I’m really proud of how they turned out considering how little time we had.

Because sometimes, it involves guns. I haven’t even had time to edit these yet, but I thought you’d enjoy seeing what my weekend consisted of.

So you may have noticed (or not) that my Daily iPhone photo feature has been less than daily lately. However, I did make it two and a half months so you have to give me that.

I’m still taking iPhone photos and I’ll post some of the choice ones when I get time. I’ve just spent the most of the last couple of weeks on the road so my time for the little things has been limited.

Monday the kids started another new year in school. I was pretty depressed about the fact that I had to be out of town Sunday and Monday. I don’t like missing the big moments in their lives, but some how manage to anyway.

Becca sent me this picture and it made it somewhat easier. Conner is six and headed into first grade and Colton is nine and joining the ranks of fourth graders.

Meet Mike and Brenda James. I’ve spent the past couple of days shooting in their furniture and antique store in Hico, Texas. You guessed it, we shot furniture and antiques.

There are some jobs that come through the door that motivate you to new heights of creativity. There are other jobs that come through the door that you take because, let’s face it, your kids need to eat. I had assumed this would be one of the latter. Shooting furniture in a store doesn’t usually result in award-winning work. But, as always, I thanked God for sending more business my way and was determined to make the best looking furniture photos I could.

We had decided to shoot on Sunday afternoon to avoid inconveniencing customers. This was the day after my kids’ birthday party so I hadn’t really relaxed at all during the weekend. When I finally arrived at Homestead after a two-hour drive, I was worn out. Shooting was the last thing I would have chosen to do that day.

But before we shot a frame, we sat down and talked. They told me the history of the store and what they loved about it. Homestead, it turns out, is something of a dream for Mike and Brenda. Both are retired and working seven days a week on the store is their idea of retirement. Both love the business but more than that, they love people. They enjoy the interaction with customers and it shows.

Before long it was time to shoot. As I stood up to start setting up for the shoot, I remember feeling much more relaxed and in my element just from that short conversation. Our first subject was a table. This is where the real challenge starts. How do you light and position a table in a way where it will stand out from a very cluttered backdrop? And so that became the challenge with every piece we shot. Though a lot of trial and error each time we would get the lighting adjusted just right to really make the piece look great.

As the night went along I realized I was having a really good time. The challenge was pushing me photographically and I was getting results I was proud of. The James’ were funny and helpful the entire time. We shot for a little over three hours that night. When it was done I was worn out, but felt really good about what we’d done.

Through the process I got to know them much better. Each had their own areas of expertise. Mike and I spent a lot of time talking through the mechanics of lighting each set up and changing things. He has a very ordered, technical mind. Brenda is the creative of the two. She can take a table, a pile of antiques and turn it into a work of art. She really has a passion for it. It showed every time we had to destroy one of her beautiful displays because it was in the way of a shot. It obviously wasn’t her idea of fun. But she was a trooper, and I’m sure by now every piece is back in it’s precise location. If you ever make it to Homestead, take a second to admire the work she does. It’s time consuming but it’s the details that make that store great.

As I wrapped up the shoot, I prayed that my retirement with Rebecca would one day look like this. Maybe not owning an antique store (or maybe, they made it look like a lot of fun), but doing something that we both love. Mike and Brenda will be married 20 years in December. After all that time I have no doubt they love each other more today than when they met. That’s impressive these days and something I aspire to with my family.