Merit Award

The Arizona Professional Photographers Association held a print competition recently. I entered mainly to get feedback on my prints. I really didn't expect to win anything in my first competition, but one of my prints won a Merit Award.

Here is the winning entry.



Here's another one that the judges liked, but that didn't score quite high enough for a merit.

Sara is Graduating

My niece Sara is graduating this year. We took her Senior Portraits at the Mesa Arts Center. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot.

Congratulations Sara! Have fun at ASU next year.

Another First

It's been a while since I've blogged. The good news is that it is because I have been extremely busy since I booked my first wedding job. The wedding was on Valentine's Day. I recently previewed the images with the bride, so I can now share some of the images with you.

Congratulations Dan & Stacia!

Imaging USA

I attended the Professional Photographers of America convention (Imaging USA) in January. It was incredible. I learned so much.

I also bought some cool software that allows me to do paperless proofing with clients. Last night, I figured out that I could use our plasma TV as a display device.

I'm setting up some display space and rearranging my office so it is more of a studio. What a job that was! I still need to clean up the family room. I even made the curtains for the studio. Everything is working out pretty well.

I ordered photo jewelry to have as samples. I still need to pick the photos and finalize the order for the photo purses and other items that I bought at Imaging USA. I'm also learning the new software and configuring it.

Oh, I almost forgot. A friend of a friend called and asked me to photograph her Valentine's Day wedding. It is pretty exciting! I'm doing all kinds of research. It is a good time of year for researching wedding photography. The AZPPA meeting tomorrow is on wedding photography and the PPA magazine for this month is the wedding issue.

I'm working hard, learning tons, trying new things, and having a blast!

Little Dancer

I don't want to spoil the fun of the reveal, so I just picked a few images from this little dancer's photo shoot. I had a lot of fun photographing her as she danced and as she practiced ballet moves.

I'll post my favorites after I get a chance to show them to the family.

Christmas Holidays

We had a fantastic Christmas. Christmas Eve at Cyndi's house. Opening presents on Christmas morning. Then driving to Oklahoma (about 14 hours with a stop over in New Mexico). We even had a white Christmas driving through the Flagstaff area. The worst part about driving on Christmas Day is eating at Denny's twice in one day.

I know I've said this many times, but Riley is the absolute best traveler. He read and played with his Christmas toys pretty much the whole way to Oklahoma. Oh, and I forgot to mention how much we all love legos. They are the first toy we have found that Riley will play with for hours on end. I love how creative he is with them!

In Oklahoma, we had a great time with Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and lots and lots of cousins! Riley loved having so many kids to play with. Too bad we don't live closer together. Riley even got a chance to learn to drive and operate a back hoe.

On the way home, we made such good time the first day that we were able to stop in Flagstaff and enjoy a couple of hours of sledding fun.

Montessori Center School Fundraiser

Well, at least I have a few good reasons why I am behind on blogging. I organized a fundraiser for the scholarship fund at Riley's school. I have been photographing and editing the photos for 14 families at the school in addition to all of the holiday hooplah.

Here are a few of my favorites from the fundraiser photo shoot sessions.