jessica :: portrait

After being a photographer for sixteen or so years-getting jobs here and there through word of mouth, the occasional freelance job, and pursuing my own personal projects-I figured it may be time to actually start putting together a real portfolio of work.  As I work through past photographs and edit them down and down until I choose which should be included in the portfolio I've also decided to start a new series of portraits.  Larger in scope, concept, and execution I plan to photograph these portraits and add them to my existing work rounding out the body of work I already have. 

This is one of the first for the portfolio.  Shot in Burleson, Texas on the football field of Kerr Middle School; Jessica is friend and co-worker of my wife and was awesome on the shoot as it was about 40 degrees outside with high winds, but she hung in there and if it weren't for her goosebumps no one would be the wiser.

sunrise over cowtown

During our recent spring break I was able to take some time out and capture a few images I've been dreaming about, one particular image involving a nearby neighborhood and the morning sun; more on that image when I get it back from the lab.  But, while prepping for that shot another one greeted me unexpectedly:  Good morning Fort Worth.

horses, horses, horses...

This is one of those driving-down-the-road-pull-over-and-take-a-picture moments.  It is a practice I usually don't practice enough of.  This day, I was glad I did.  Taken with expired Impossible Project sepia 100 film.

help me obi-wan kenobi

What's better than playing Monopoly with good friends? Playing the Star Wars Trilogy version with good friends. Unfortunately the Force was apparently not with me as I was the first to go bankrupt. My opponents must have been Sith Lords in disguise and clouded my vision. Friggin' dark side.

cotton pickin'

Before I grow old and die I have one thing I really want to see happen as it pertains to my photos:  I want to have a gallery show featuring all the images I've taken of Louisiana.  If you know me at all then you know that I've been hunting for a publisher of a book I've been working on for the past seven or eight years based solely on my growing up in Livingston Parish.  Yeah, I'm sure I've mentioned it a time or two here.  The images I've captured over the years of that region also have their share of "outtakes" on the roll of film that accompany the ones set aside specifically for Livingston, these are just random shots of the state that I've taken over the years.  In fact, the Livingston project began with a much broader theme in mind-the entire state of Louisiana herself-and so in the beginning I was stopping on the side of the road all the time.  Early on I realized that it was much to massive of a project to get done in any sort of timely (I'm using the word rather loosely) manner and that if I ever intended on actually finishing a project I should narrow my scope.  Which I did, focusing on just one parish.  As an afterthought though the "big picture" of capturing the state at large isn't such a bad idea.  In fact, I'm still pretty sure it is one I intend on tackling.  The only difference is now I have the knowledge and the patience to understand that like a woman, it will take years to truly capture all the beauty and secrets and intrigue and history that the state embodies.  I'm okay with that now as I realize that I've still many years ahead of me and rest in the simple fact that getting out there and taking pictures five, ten, twenty, thirty years from now is still exciting. All of this is to introduce this photograph, what may be the beginning of truly lifelong ambition. 

presenting : the Reyes family : portraits

 The Reyes Family.  Trinity Park, Fort Worth, Tx.  Shot with my D200 and Mamiya RZ Pro II on  120 Kodak Portra 400 speed film.  The results: beautiful.

 

 

roots :: an underground study II

"I think that I shall never see/ A poem as lovely as a tree." -Joyce Kilmer

reyes family portraits :: teaser

Last weekend I got to photograph Aidan and his parents.  I'll be honest, he kept me on the move, but it's photographs like this one where he really believes that he can fly, that make what I do so awesome.

off interstate 20

It is starting to become some sort of tradition:  When scheduled for pictures at Millsap-bring along an extra camera or two for some great photo ops along the route.  Here is one of them found on the outside of Millsap, right off of interstate 20.  Shot with my Polaroid land camera and Impossible sepia film. 

these boots were made for bankin'

While standing in line at my bank, the bank of Texas, this guy walks in.  Figures.