Hurt me, baby. Oh, *ahem* not THAT kind of dominance.

Here is your useless fact for the day. Ocular dominance, also known as “eyedness,” describes a person’s tendency to prefer visual input from one eye over the other. It’s kinda’ like handedness. I am right handed but left eyed. This is somewhat unique, but not uncommon. It’s estimated that about 90% of the population is right handed, while only about 30% is left eyed.

Why does all this matter? It doesn’t. But, it means that when I take your picture, you will see me holding my camera with my right hand (supporting the lens with my left hand), but bringing the camera to my left eye.

So, how do you determine your eyedness? Follow these steps:

1) Extend your arms out in front of you.
2) Using your thumbs and pointer fingers, form a small triangle.
3) Look at a small object across the room through your triangle, keeping both eyes OPEN.
4) Now, slowly bring your hands towards your face while humming the tune to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
5) As you bring your hands toward your face, they will naturally head toward your dominant eye.
6) If you want it to be really clear and obvious, stand up on one leg to throw your balance off a bit. You better believe that I am a master at posing people!

Oh, man! If I were around, I would SO take your picture…lifestyle portraiture, baby!

I was recently directed by some acquaintances to a set of feature photographs taken by Renee C. Byer, for which she won a Pulitzer prize. The photos show a portion of the story of a mom and her terminally-ill son. They were some of the most moving photos I have ever seen. The love and devotion that Ms. Byer documented should be enough to move even the hardest individual.

After thanking God for the mom in the photographs and for my own family and friends, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the privilege granted to me by those of you who invite me into your lives and allow me to spend some moments with you documenting your life, your significant events, and your loved ones. I always walk away from a session with the warm fuzzies…how wonderful it is to witness those aspects of your life that provide you with the greatest joy, love, pride, challenge, and wonder. I love and appreciate each one of you.

Have a look at Ms. Byer’s Pulitzer Prize winning photos and be sure to turn the captions on using the link in the lower left. When you’re done, hug a friend or family member. And, thank the good Lord for all your blessings and struggles…sometimes they are hard to differentiate.

I love my job because I get invited to share in the joy that people experience during those special times. In this case, it was a lazy Sunday afternoon and Katriel was absorbing all the love that her Mommy and Daddy could pour out on her.

Katriel’s favorite story right now is Green Eggs and Ham.

And, she shares her Daddy’s love for fish.

Some family time out in the front yard…

Washing up before coming back inside!

Katriel has a beautiful room. Perfect for a sweet little girl.

Nothing like a bath after a hard day of lovin’ and playin’. Here is Katriel during the calm before the storm.

The STORM!!!

Thanks for spending the time with me!

Last weekend, Nicole, her mom, and I cruised all over the Tri-Cities hitting the perfect locations for Nicole’s senior portraits. It was totally worth it! We found some great spots and had a chance to do some night-time senior portraits. Doing senior portraits at night were a first for both of us, but it definitely won’t be a last for me. Nicole was a superb model and was so willing to do what we needed in order to get the sweetest shots. Here’s a sampling.

We started out at Nicole’s home and got some shots with her loveable lab, Phoenix.

Moved on in search of willow trees, which are Nicole’s favorites.

Nicole is a sweetheart and we had to capture her playful side.

We ended the session with some amazing night-time portraits…no need for daylight here!

I love this shot…Nicole found it on her own. She thought she could get a break from all the posing by sitting on these rocks. Instead, she found a great picture opportunity…it’s a rockin’ shot!

Slooow shutter speeds to make the water in the fountain as smooth as butter.

A nice warm fire.

Thanks Nicole and Tracy! You guys were great fun and are awesome clients.

The family and I took our first plane ride together last week. Boy did we have to haul a bunch of stuff…2 car seats, a collapsible playpen, a stroller, 1 large suitcase, 1 small suitcase, a HUGE diaper bag, and 3 carry-on bags. All of that fit in a Volvo S40 with 3 adults, a toddler, and an infant. Luckily, I was trained as an engineer in my former life. Anyway, we had a blast and were stoked to see our family and friends from our old stomping grounds. Here are a few pictures.

Here are the kids and my awesome wife on the airplane.

Here is my boy with his aunt.

The ladies in my life…so beautiful!

Here is Lucas’ other aunt…they were having a laugh-fest.

I don’t want to perpetuate any rumors, but we spent a lot of time in the car in LA.

Emma did an amazing job, though. She was just happy to hang out with her family.

Finally, here are a few from our trip to the zoo.

Thanks Vicky, Raoul, Mom, Dad, Jo, and our crew in LA. We loved hangin’ with you guys and we miss you.

Well, as fun as LA was, we’re happy to be home. And, we’re excited to be getting back to work. We’ve got some sessions to catch up on and a couple new ones in the next week, so stay tuned!

One of my favorite seniors ever is Sharaya! She’s smart, beautiful, and has deep convictions. If I were her dad, I would carry a big stick to beat back the boys! I was totally jazzed when she asked me to do her senior photos.  We stopped at a few of places that are significant to Sharaya and got some killer photos…

She loves basketball, so naturally we had to stop by some courts for some shots. Then we headed to her church where we took advantage of some awesome light…FLARE baby!

Yolanda and I are so proud of you, Sharaya! God bless.

Last weekend, I spent the day with Kelsie, Joe, and their wonderful friends and family. They are a really sweet couple and it’s obvious that they love each other a bunch. Joe can evoke this contagious little giggle out of Kelsie that can’t help but make you smile. Here are a few early standouts.

Their ceremony took place in a cute little church with an American indian flavor.

You can’t see it, but Kelsie was gigglin’ away.

Kelsie and Joe recruited the cutest flower girl!

Like I said, the love between Joe and Kelsie was totally obvious…tears of joy.

The reception took place at Joe’s folks’ home and the sky was gorgeous. Here’s one of the bride and groom during their first dance.

Congratulations Kelsie and Joe! Thanks for letting me be a part of your day.

In building my website, I’ve had an opportunity to go back through my portfolio and I was pleased to see portraits of Tory. Tory is such a sweetheart. Her eyes make your heart melt and her smile is totally contagious. Tory was six months old in these pictures…

I had a great time with Tory and after our photo session, Mom and Dad invited me and my family to stay for dinner! Good times…