First up: Matt & Jen’s Wedding. The ridiculous thing is that I’m posting the film shots BEFORE my digital (Matt & Jen, I promise it’s coming soon!), because it just looks so good.

Next up: from Ashley Forrette’s portrait session:

And from Courtney & Kirk’s Day-After session:

From Kristin & Jonathan’s Anniversary Session:

And of course, a few personal ones:

Since my professional career is just getting busier (and more fun!), my 365 project most likely won’t continue in this form. But around the corner is more film, more phone, and more ways to push me to be a better photographer. Thanks for encouraging me along the way. View more on my Flickr stream.

3 Generations

Grass & Moss

Guns, in Color

Here are a few from recent client shoots and family trips.

Friends got together with lights and cameras. Tried things out. Tried to learn stuff. Watched the sunset while we kept trying things out. Threw flour at each other. All of our lighting equipment buzzed under the power lines and it felt dangerous. Thanks to Bryan, Ashley, Ryan & his dog for being gracious and weird.

You are now required to visit the Flour shots.

A Pancake Studios post will follow with live motion on-the-scene breaking news video footage.

Answer: Because I like them and photos make me excited and I spend a lot of time making them and so you can see what inspires me and what I’m working on. So there.

New recent engagement sessions and weddings are coming soon anyways.

My kids:

Near Page, AZ:

My friends Ashley & Kimi:

A train:

The point? Take pictures, see the Southwest and take some routes I haven’t before. Practice some landscape photography. Explore.

My shootin’ partner Ashley Forrette and I have always wanted to photograph “The Wave” so after picking up Ashley in Las Vegas, our attempt to get limited tickets to this amazing natural rock formation was sadly foiled because my car is NOT a 4×4 and there were a few small rivers passing over the road. “Duh, it’s winter,” said the helpful BLM ranger. “Thanks, Sport,” I said in my mind. So we decided to book it to the infamous Antelope Canyon, a dark slot canyon known for it’s insane color and record photographers-per-square-foot, and a nearby slot canyon called Waterholes Canyon. Fantastic decision of the day. We’ll be posting more pictures over at The Pancake Studios soon.

On the descent down into Waterholes Canyon, the scene on the right was what we found on the slot canyon floor. I don’t believe humans usually rip the limbs off animals…

Horseshoe Bend at sunset.

The next day on the trip back to Vegas for Ashley’s wedding photographer conference, we stopped by the side of the road for a quick “shortcut to toadstools” via the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

…and Zion National Park.

The clouds rolled in for an awesome sunset…

After leaving Ashley to survive WPPI in Vegas, I moved on to Death Valley. Awesome place. There was quite a bit of water covering the Badwater Salt Flats unfortunately but it left this unique white salt all over the place. I’d love to come back some day and walk a distance across the -190 elevation with a large jug of water.

I love the guy taking his large format camera out on the salt…

After a gorgeous sunny drive through the snow-packed Sierra Nevadas, I visited a snowy Mono Lake.

My car, “Bippy”, was fantastic and added her bright red personality to every landscape I visited.

In the snow, finding my way home.

Do not fear. I shall return a newer Man than the old one, yet better, shinier, and with more laundry.

Plug it in your rss feeds and follow because we’ll be posting stuff only at The Pancake Studios that is unique and world famous and syrupalicious.

Here’s a photo we did last summer.

Some people love Valentine’s Day. These are the recipients of the corporate chocolates, cheesy cards, flowers, or the ones whose hearts have just been punctured by cupid’s arrow. The newly engaged, the recently married, the ones wrapped up in the toasty-warm blanket of bliss. Life can take them anywhere as long as their lovers eyes and lips are within a breath.

However cynical or romantic you are, you have to agree that love is remarkable. That two people, against so many odds, connect with one another in a way that goes beyond personality, family, age, and status. Where two people grasp a selfless bond, relinquishing their own self-protection to devote themselves with complete vulnerability to each other. When one hurts, the other hurts. With joy, joy is shared. As with all the greatest love stories, love transcends time, fear, ugliness, passion, and brands herself on you, never to be forgotten. Even in those days where life couldn’t be more harsh or messy, one glance, one brush of the skin, one memory and we remember we are loved beyond what we deserve and can do nothing except return the love given.

So what if we made an institution out of it? For the cynics, they can be glad the dentists will have a lot of drilling to do in the spring. For the romantics, they can rejoice that on Valentine’s Day, the world is reminded of the love we so often take for granted. Celebrate your love and if you have lost it, find it and never let go.

My valentine, Kristen, today, with her valentine husband: