In June 2023 I went on a trip to NJ to see family (son, grandkids) and I met my son’s friend, Deana. She was gracious enough to let me take some photos of her outside. I think they reflect her sunny disposition and her beauty. I used a fill flash that I had built into the camera which worked very well to eliminate shadows in her face.
It has been 7 months since I finished chemotherapy, in which I lost my nice hair. Now, after 7 months it is starting to look like an actual hairstyle, albeit not what I ultimately want. It is a work in progress. I thought I’d take some self-portraits to show I can still look pretty good, even after everything I’ve been through. I like to take my own photos because I know exactly how to pose to look good plus I can do editing to achieve the ultimate result I am looking for. The photos are similar but different due to different backdrops and different lighting.
I discovered some gorgeous sunflowers at Kroger recently. I thought they’d make some beautiful photos in the studio. I staged them on a white and then black background. On the white, I added in Photoshop, a texture. On the black background – no texture. I like how they came out. I tried several textures. I even took a self-portrait smelling the sunflower.
Donna, one of our favorite people, celebrated a Big Birthday. She is so well loved that I cannot even count how many friends came to wish her well. I tried to capture everyone in the party as best as I could, but it was almost impossible. I decided to at least get a group shot at the end of the evening. I gathered everyone who was still there on the front lawn, set up my camera on the tripod, and got in the picture. The evening was so lovely, the food was wonderful, and most of all it was in celebration of a specular lady. Happy Birthday Donna and many more.
My friend asked me to do some Christmas family photos. It was especially poignant since the two young people were engaged and about to be married in early January 2019. I took along my new strobe light with a beauty dish. The transmitter was made to pair with the strobe light. I thoroughly enjoyed capturing a family not only enjoying their Christmas celebration, but preparing to welcome their new daughter-in-law into the fold. I asked that I take a picture of their hands, which was met with skepticism, but it was ultimately a good decision as evidenced by the photo.
I had a wonderful Thanksgiving 2018 at Grace House. The food was amazing, especially the Turkey, but most of all the company was superb. I took a few photos outside on the steps. All in all, although I didn’t spend the holiday with my biological family, it felt like family–and that’s what it is all about.
I went to New Jersey for a very complex surgery in May 2018. I decided to take my camera just in case I had a chance to take some photos. The surgery was scheduled for May 16th, so on May 15th, on a very unseasonably warm day, we decided to head down to the Jersey Shore. The doctor’s office was near the Shore and the hospital itself was the Jersey Shore Medical Center. Here are the photos I took on that beautiful warm day before surgery.
I took some studio pics of my friend, Kelly and her adorable granddaughter, who is a very precocious 4 year old. She loves to talk and enjoys having her picture taken. She is the perfect photographic subject, not just because of her “Shirley Temple” looks, but her personality as well. I took over 200 photos, and narrowed it down to about 100. Here are the ones I like very much.
