"Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!"

(Name the awesome movie that line came from.)

I am sharing the latest bit of humor from Aaron Johnson, my favorite photography cartoonist, that illustrates the negative experiences I was talking about in my last post.



Aaron is another person that I give credit to for helping me in my photography profession progression, because his oh-so-accurate comic strips have brought me much-needed laughs and relief from the stress of it all. It really helps that someone truly understands the daily struggles of the professional photographer, the creative blocks, and the, uh, quirks of potential clients.

So, a shout-out today to Aaron Johnson! Check out more of his awesome comic, "What the Duck", here.

I like nice photographers...

I had the opportunity today to meet Kiera, a photographer in my area whose blog I have been following for quite a while because I like her work. If you check it out, you'll immediately see why. Kiera does great portraits that have a warm, funky feel to them (and I mean warm in the best possible way) and her kid shots are truly real.

Here is one my FAVORITE pictures that Kiera made (of her daughter at Halloween):


Awesome.

Anyway, what made meeting Kiera so great today was that she was nice, friendly, and open - a gal willing to talk and share about photography with another photographer. It is actually a rare quality, I've found. Many photographers out there are so scared that you'll take business away from them that they are as friendly as a porcupine with allergies. (It is an odd thing that I hadn't expected at all when I first got into the professional photography business.)

But Kiera wasn't a porcupine. And neither is Jen. Or Justin. (They totally rock, and I'll talk about them soon.)

Kick-butt vehicles....in fog

Kick-butt vehicles in fog = gorgeousness! Awesome. Stunning, even. (I just love tossing vocabulary together in unexpected ways, like using "gorgeous" and "kick-butt" and "vehicles" all in the same sentence. It's fun.)

Those of you who know me well know that I'm a big supporter of the good men and women in law enforcement and public safety. As one of my service projects during the holidays, I shot one of the local "Shop With a Cop" events for free. It was a terrific experience, and one that probably would have brought tears to my eyes had I not needed them to be blur-free so that I could see through my viewfinder. ;-)

Even though I was shooting on assignment for a "client", I made sure to look out for personal work/fine art print opportunities. And I found a great opportunity as I watched a very long line of law enforcement vehicles drive through the early morning fog to the store where the kids and cops would shop. I've shared three of those prints on my website. (Here's a little preview, too.)


Officers! Deputies! Chiefs! These prints would look KICK-BUTT in your office! They'd look AWESOME! They'd look GORGEOUS! Contact me if you want a picture that will make you the envy of the department...

It's a new year and a new decade!

Happy New Year 2010 to all my friends and readers!

I've been having fun reviewing various "Best Photos of 2009" lists and online galleries. There are WAY too many to share here (and I'm sure you've already found many on your own), so I thought that I would share one specific photo and then let you get back to your celebrations.

I actually hadn't seen this one published during the past year, and I'm bummed I didn't see it earlier because it is pretty awesome!! I love the colors and the contrast between them, the terrific dusting patterns, the shape of the toes and feet, and the subtle vignette. Any photo that can tell a great story using only the bottom 6" of a person's body gets two thumbs up in my book!

Copyright Alastair Grant/AP Photo.

You can see more great photojournalism pictures here or do a Google search using the phrase "Best of 2009 Photos" or "Best Photos of 2009." Happy surfing!

Rose Print - Fine Art and Inspiration

I've been looking forward to sharing my latest fine art print design with you, but I had to wait until after Christmas had passed because it was created specifically as a gift and I didn't want to ruin the surprise! But the 25th has come and gone, and the print was unwrapped and well-received, so here we go...

The quote (by President Abraham Lincoln) reads: "Die when I may, I want it said by those who knew me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower could grow." It was chosen because it was a very relevant and meaningful quote for the recipient.

Do you want a beautiful, custom-designed fine art print like this for your office or home? Choose your favorite photos from my portfolio and let's talk! If you want custom photography of your favorite place or subject, I can take care of that, too.