Random Things From A Random Mind

2009-09-28T09:37:00.006-05:00

"God has paid us the intolerable compliment of loving us, in the deepest, most tragic, most inexorable sense."

~C.S. Lewis

Beautifully Terrifying

2009-09-19T00:52:00.002-05:00

Let me just say, I really hate spiders.....Especially massive ones that make webs as big as me. That being said, they do make some beautiful photo opportunities!

I hope you enjoy these, because I feel like I risked my life to take them (yes, somewhat dramatic I know).

Random Motivation

2009-09-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

Heather and I have been talking a lot lately about how I need to post more textures, on istock. I was randomly motivated last night and hit my quota of 15 submitted files before the end of the night. I have about a 50% approval rate on there, so be watching for some photos to pop up on my profile!
My goal is to get 10-20 a month accepted, for the remainder of the year. I only have about 19 total on there right now, so my profile is in dire need of more submissions!

Check it out here!

Antique Wallpaper

2009-09-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Currently my highest seller on Istock. Go buy one and make a poor photographer happy.

All or Nothing

2009-09-05T06:00:00.003-05:00

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian."

A.W. Tozer

Inkblot

2009-09-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

I see a duckling riding a magic carpet.

Seriously.

Door to another world

2009-09-03T06:00:00.003-05:00

Vines

2009-09-02T14:52:00.005-05:00

I took this awhile back when I was helping out at a wedding with Novo Studio. I had lots of fun shooting their awesome decorations at the reception!

Waves

2009-08-05T06:00:00.005-05:00

Check this one out on IStock!

Fenced in Beauty

2009-07-28T06:00:00.005-05:00

I love my 50mm f/1.4! The quality of this lense is beyond amazing. Not to mention the fact that it's incredibly cheap for the astounding quality you get. Worth it for anyone in photography (and of course we all know true photographers use Nikon!).

You can also check this one out on IStock.

1287

2009-07-27T09:30:00.003-05:00

Well the weekend is over and Heather and I are exhausted! We were only homeless one night; I can't imagine that being a permanent thing.
It was great to get to see some people we recognized, but it's sad how few showed up. It seems to be a cause no one cares about and would rather not think about. It's interesting how we tend to only want to support causes that make us feel good. I hope and pray that the people that attended on Friday night can make some more people aware and can bring that number way down from 1287. Especially considering that the average age is 9 years old!! We have to look around and start helping those that need help. If we have extra, which most of us do, why can't we give it away? Do we really need all those extra coats, shoes, jeans, shirts, etc?? Is it really too much to ask to give some canned food or a pack of socks?

Check out the story here:
http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/75744/

Love the Poor

2009-07-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

My wife and I will be going down to Fayetteville, AR tonight to support the Cobblestone Project. Hopefully they have an awesome turn out! Their ministry does some amazing things to help out the poor, needy and homeless.

I think it's sad we aren't taking care of our neighbors better. There are so many in this country that need help buying food and clothing, but we choose to spend our money on ipods, cell phones, movies, games, 10 extra pairs of shoes, etc. With the amount of people that claim to be Christians in this country, the problem of poverty (here at home) should have been solved long ago. Most of us have more than enough, yet we have a hard time giving it away. I'm not innocent in this either, I think we all have some growing to do.
When you look at it through the Old Testament, the scary part is comparing us to Sodom. Most people remember that they were destroyed because of their abundance of promiscuous sins. Yet, the core of their problem was much deeper and is found in the book of Ezekiel. Their sexual sins, while wrong, simply showed how evil their hearts had become. Their bigger problem was they had been blessed immensely, but gave nothing to those who needed it. They were lazy, arrogant, selfish and gluttonous. If we fail to help out those in need, we will follow the same path to destruction as Sodom. We are commanded to serve the poor, it isn't a request.

Ezekiel 16:49
Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.

Deuteronomy 15:7
If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.

Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent!

Luke 3:11
John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

We hope to see some people we recognize out there! Have a great weekend and enjoy this cool weather while it lasts!

30 Years!!

2009-07-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

We had a surprise 30th anniversary party, for my parents, on July 10th. It went over great! I'll try and post some pictures of the actual party in a few weeks (a little behind on editing). For now, here is a photo I took for them. My brother Jared and his wife Michele had it mounted and framed. I'll also try and post the final product of that soon.

Hope everyone has a great week! Hope this cool weather lasts!

Zach & Kim (6 of 6)

2009-07-18T06:00:00.003-05:00

Zach & Kim (5 of 6)

2009-07-17T06:00:00.007-05:00

2009-07-16T06:00:00.004-05:00

A creature revolting against a creator is revolting against the source of his own powers - including even his power to revolt...It is like the scent of a flower trying to destroy the flower.
C.S. Lewis

Zach & Kim (4 of 6)

2009-07-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Zach & Kim (3 of 6)

2009-07-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Zach & Kim (2 of 6)

2009-07-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

Zach & Kim (1 of 6)

2009-07-08T17:58:00.002-05:00

Novo Studio asked me to help out with a wedding in Kansas, they had just a little while back. I loved the chance to get to shoot with an incredible photographer and had a great time! Here are just a few of the shots I came out with.

Enjoy!

Glass - High ISO

2009-07-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

This one is actually digital, but I used an extremely high ISO and didn't try to take out any of the distortion. I really used to love buying like 3200+ ISO and shooting film, just for that really old school look. Sometimes distortion is bad, sometimes it really fits the image.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!

Honeymoon (8, 9, 10 of 10)

2009-06-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Best pizza place around!

Honeymoon (7 of 10)

2009-06-23T12:13:00.002-05:00

Art & Architecture

Honeymoon (6 of 10)

2009-06-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

"Haunted" Hotel hallway

Honeymoon (5 of 10)

2009-06-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

Honeymoon (4 of 10)

2009-06-17T17:03:00.002-05:00

Honeymoon (3 of 10)

2009-06-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Honeymoon (2 of 10)

2009-06-12T06:00:00.003-05:00

This is my beautiful wife Heather!! We were in one of the banquet rooms of the Crescent Hotel, exploring, and beautiful sunlight was coming through the window. I couldn't resist having her pose for me!

Hope everyone had a great week! Enjoy the weekend! I'll be out of town this weekend, at my brothers wedding. I'm not the photographer, but I still plan to sneak a few shots!

Honeymoon (1 of 10)

2009-06-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

We did a bit of sight seeing while on our Honeymoon, in March. We hadn't been to Eureka Springs, AR in quite a long time, so it was mostly new for us. It's a great town for photography! Lots of old buildings and artsy stuff for creative minds to have fun with.

We stayed in a little cottage up above town, but we made it out to the Crescent Hotel one evening for some sight seeing. If you're ever in the area, make sure and stop by! It's a beautiful hotel with an incredible view of the valley from the back balcony.

This next set will be a bit random. I just picked some of my favorite shots from the trip. They aren't really in any certain order. Just as I came across one I liked, I added it in.

Enjoy!!

Nieces (3 of 3)

2009-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nieces (2 of 3)

2009-06-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nieces (1 of 3)

2009-06-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

I took these about a year back with my old camera. Detail isn't as good, but I really enjoyed the bright colors and the older sister observing from the background.

Hope you have a great week!!

Wailing Wall (3 of 3)

2009-06-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

This was a close up of a Jew praying at the Wall. They believe since it is the last remaining wall of the Temple, that God is protecting it and to lay hands on the wall or put prayers on paper and shove them in the cracks of the wall, is to communicate more directly with him. That's probably a horrible description, but I'm not a Rabbi!
The sense of respect and overall reverence for God, held by these Law abiding Jews, was inspirational to say the least.

Wailing Wall (2 of 3)

2009-06-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wailing Wall (1 of 3)

2009-06-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Just a small series I wanted to post. I have a bunch more at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, but these caught my eye the most. There, often, wasn't enough time to really get invested in taking pictures. We went with a big group. If you ever get the chance to go, as a photographer it's a dream. The depth of culture there is unreal when compared to America (obvious I know). Also, more importantly, was very moving for me as a follower of Christ. To see the places mentioned in the Bible and to be explained a lot of the cultural meaning behind the scriptures, really makes an impact. It is less of a book to me now and more the living word that it actually is.

Abandoned

2009-06-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Decided to explore one day after work and found this old beat up Ford sitting on the side of a back road. One of my favorite parts of photography, has been the search for a shot. Early on in my hobby, I used see something awe inspiring and simply just take a picture of it. I rarely got any good pictures doing this because I wasn't looking for a shot from the perspective of a camera lense. After years of frustration, I've finally learned to start looking for a shot through a lense. Once I began to imagine how a shot would come out, before I ever put the camera to my face, I consistently began to find shots I was happy with.

Hailstorm

2009-06-02T17:00:00.005-05:00

This is actually from about a year ago, but for the time of year we're in, I thought it was relevant. Went out in the evening after hailstorm had hit, due to a tornado warning. Exposure was around 30 seconds and involved me jumping up and down yelling at my cat so he wouldn't turn. As you can see, his face is slightly blurry due to him finally loosing interest and turning his head. Still loved how this shot came out though.

This Summer

2009-06-01T18:23:00.002-05:00

My goal is to be updating this weekly throughout the summer. I have been busy for the last few months with getting married and working lots of overtime. Things should begin slowing down soon and I have been shooting a lot. Expect to see regular updates coming soon!!

Progress

2009-02-26T20:26:00.000-06:00

We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.

-C.S. Lewis

Last day for Week of Photos!

2009-01-21T07:30:00.001-06:00

Well that was a small overview of what I did in 2008. Hope everyone enjoyed it!

I saved my favorite shot for today! My fiance is probably one of the most photogenic people I've ever gotten to take pictures of. Lucky me since I'm a photographer!!

Hope everyone has a great 2009!

WOP - Day 6

2009-01-20T07:30:00.001-06:00

This shot was a lot of trial and error. Direct lighting just did not work out with these bottles. The light would pick up all the finger prints and dust on the glass. I put these on my window, took out the screen and then turned off all the lights in the room so it was pitch black. Then I set the camera to expose for about 10 seconds, while I ran a maglite all around the base of the bottles. When direct lighting doesn't work, use indirect lighting!

WOP - Day 5

2009-01-19T07:30:00.001-06:00

I can't express enough how much I love using wide angles to create different perspectives! This isn't as exaggerated as I would have liked, since my lens is not quite wide enough. That being said, I still think something as simple as using a wide lens with an interesting angle, will get you good results.

WOP - Day 4

2009-01-18T07:30:00.002-06:00

I was disappointed with the cheap magnifying glass we used to get this. It was real foggy and scratched up. Nonetheless, I loved this perspective and decided to keep the shot anyway.

WOP - Day 3

2009-01-17T07:30:00.004-06:00

It's so easy, in digital photography, to get wrapped up in lots and lots of editing. It's so much easier and less time consuming if you can get a shot upfront that needs little done to it.

I didn't want to do a whole lot of editing to this shot, because I really liked the natural look in the faces and felt the composition / subjects were enough to make this shot work.

WOP - Day 2

2009-01-16T07:30:00.001-06:00

The sunset on this beach line was beautiful. I loved the colors in this shot. The dark ocean and the bright colors in the sky. This was just a few days before the tropical storm would roll in.

Week of Photos....

2009-01-15T12:30:00.008-06:00

....Begins today!

These will be very random, but I wanted to get a pretty broad overview of what I've done in 2008. This week of posts may turn into 2 weeks or even 3, but I wanted to get at least a weeks worth rolling so there is always something new to look at.

Enjoy!

Persistence = Annoyance (true in this case)

2008-12-29T10:10:00.002-06:00

Well my computer problems continue. I've reinstalled Vista (I'm aware this is probably the problem) and I haven't had any problems yet, but I haven't had the time to reinstall any of my photo editing software. I have a few that I've already edited and will try and get those installed soon.

I swear to you Macintosh, if I ever make enough money I'm totally buying one of your computers.

The Glorious World of Layering

2008-12-18T14:37:00.004-06:00

This is something I've known how to do since....well since like Jr. High, but I rarely ever actually do it. I sometimes get lazy with my editing and don't tend to go past a bit of cloning and of course the obvious color/contrast tinkering. Lately, I've been following some photographers who go past that basic editing and start layering. This has convicted me to break out of my lazy streak and mess with layering more often.

Layering isn't hard, but it can be somewhat time consuming. The advantage of this technique, though, is being able to adjust your color/contrast differently with each layer. Below is a shot I broke into 2 simple layers. One is for the subjects and the other is for everything else. Backgrounds (especially skies) tend to look much better with higher contrast, so it's a great technique to whip out when you've taken some portraits outside. Don't go overboard though or it might look too fake!

I Love Computers

2008-12-12T13:46:00.003-06:00

Yes it's true, the computer I built with my own hands has crashed.....completely. I'm not sure if it was due to poor cleaning (I admit that I've only taken it apart once in the last year) or maybe a part just decided to go.

That being said, I was working on posting some stuff on here real soon, but it looks like that might be delayed. As soon as I'm back up and running (that's if it's not too expensive a problem), I'll try and post more often. I'm thinking of spacing out the photos, maybe one every few days. I recently went through all of my photos on my HD and I have quite a few I want to edit and post up.

Stay tuned!

C.S. Lewis comments on Love

2008-11-24T23:24:00.000-06:00

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

Simple Is Good (with a capital 'G')

2008-11-19T17:30:00.003-06:00

Sometimes photographers try and get too fancy I think. I think the easiest and most emotion invoking portrait shots are those that are taken when the subjects are acting like the camera isn't there. That's why I've chosen a few here that I took in Florida. The editing done to these is fairly minimal. Little cropping, little contrast boost, little saturation, etc. I haven't done anything with the backgrounds. No fancy lighting. No set up poses. Honestly the photographic skill required to take good portraits is very little. You just need some subjects that are comfortable acting themselves in front of a lense and some landscapes that look good but aren't distracting to the focus of the shot.

Generally, the portrait shots I lean towards are the more casual with maybe one person out of the group actually looking at the camera. I don't know why, I just love the mood this type of shot invokes.

What's the Point?!

2008-11-18T17:30:00.012-06:00

I honestly intend to use this blog as more of a forum to display my photos. Too many times have I wanted to show someone a shot and then realized I only posted it on facebook and can't show it around. Occasionally (probably more often than desired by most) I may put my two cents in on politics, government, religion, life, love, etc... but I'll try to keep that at a minimum ;)

Hope you all enjoy the future posts!