One of the beautiful things I get to do because I work for me and make all the decisions (good, better, and worst) is write from the heart.  It has always been my thoughts to share some of me with others that are thinking of hiring me to photograph their wedding.  You don’t hire a machine. Photographers live, breathe, bleed, and like everyone…..eventually die.   It is not possible to have just part of me show up to shoot for you.  It’s a package deal……all or nothing!

So! Tonight while Lightroom exports a disk of images I choose to write and expose a little more of my heart.

Why do I shoot weddings?
I do so because it gives me the biggest emotional jolt.  I feel good!  NO matter what is going on, I am alive, vibrant, and liking what I do!  I believe in marriage, and I know just how hard couples are going to have to work at it to make it last.

Would it surprise you to know I pray for my couples?  That side of me so often remains on the quiet side because all the world wants to tell you there is no place for religion in business.  They are right. “Religion” is overrated.  I believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Will I shove my beliefs down your throat?  Nope!  You have to find the way home on your own. Of course I am going to pray about it

I am a trained chef.  Credentials to prove it.

I can design a fairly nice website!

Godiva Chocolate is great but I like Ethel M’s better.

Bare feet, jeans, and ride bareback…. I grew up riding shortly after I was three.  There’s a place on the back of the right horse just letting the horse have his/her way…….riding in the wind and sun.  The mind turns off and the spirit soars.  Love it!

As much as I hate to admit it a friend nailed me perfectly by describing me as an armour coated marshmallow.

I love flowers.  Favorite?  One yellow rose given to me out of love!  If you don’t love me………the whole freakin’ dozen.

Passion in photography?  The next image.

Why do I choose this image to post with Reflections?  She chose to be vulnerable for the camera.  No pretense.  “This is me!  Love me or hate me….this is me behind the mask”!  Most are not that brave!

See what I mean?  “This is me”!  No apologies!  I love anyone willing to put their heart in their hands and let me really see them!  Game?  Yes?  Then perhaps you are my next wedding!

Ok… enough honesty for one evening!!

Meet Chef Jeremy at Duck City Bistro (Facebook) .   The “boy” can flat out cook!  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed, AND he is a marvelous hugger!  It is one place in the Quad Cities they are pleased to greet you arriving and again when you are leaving them.   A must!   Just sayin’ no one has captured his heart yet!

Just a teaser for both of you.  More to follow tonight.

We get really excited when we hear it is Milan Flower & Gift Shop. Damian rocks! Unique. Fresh. Unexpected. Innovative. All are words I would use to describe their florals.

It was fun for me to do both the images and the advertisement for the June 2010 Gold Book for Tita’s Linens By Claudia.

In today’s world with Facebook, Twitter, websites, and a prolific amount of digital images abounding a la cell phone so often the images are poor quality.  Most men will shrug it off and forget it shortly after seeing a crappy image of themselves.  Women answer to a different standard.  So it is with my friend!

She is an amazing beautiful woman, wife, mother, and business owner.  Tita’s Linens By Claudia.  I have been bugging her for some time there were no pictures of Claudia on her site or in her advertising!  Yesterday I had my chance to remedy that.

This isn’t the portrait that will be chosen for her advertising nor her website.  I am waiting for the files to upload, but I snagged a couple while waiting.

Claudia………… wonderful shoot.  Can’t wait to see all of them and create the ad!

Alux Restaurant and Lounge in Playa del Carmen.   The food is excellent, the ambiance is seductively dark with jewel tones of light splashes, and you must ask for Alex.

2 people or 120……… you will have a wonderful time!   I will let their website images show you around.  Enjoy the menu.

This was a trip almost 3 years in the planning.  The fun part about Apple Tours is they can be planned, a deposit made, and the balance paid in full 30 days before departure.  Second factor is I happen to like “all-inclusive” vacations.  Long story short…it was planned for us to leave last November, but for health reasons we needed to postpone indefinitely.  Talk about a major disappointment.

Gulliver’s Travel in Duck Creek Plaza and Margie saved the day making it easy to cancel, and then get us all set up for the April departure.   Margie has handled several trips for me, and I won’t use anyone else!  She’s the best.

So!  Before May and the crazy part of the wedding season begins for Studio D, I packed my swimsuit, turned off my cell phone, left the laptop home and headed for Mexico and the Riu Palace Mexico for seven glorious days of hot and very high humidity.

As promised to a couple of friends……photos would be forthcoming.   There are a stack of things waiting for me to do them, so these two are just a down payment.  For the most part I avoided people shots and set myself a personal project of shooting shadows and lines.  I love wedding photography, but beyond my little assignment I wanted to take one camera and one lens…….no lugging all the equipment.  It was really fun to play tourist with a camera for a change…….ok………no point and shoot……….but still for me……bare bones.

I had to play paparazzi to get these shots.  They had their own cameraman posing tourists with them for $$$.   I quickly grabbed the shots and cropped out the tourist with each :).  The Mayan costuming is superb.

These are from 4 years ago.  We wll see how much it has changed.  I know they have a brand new beach.  Hot days, soft nights, sumptuous food, cute guys to photograph on the beach, plus lots to do!

Yippee!  Home to do laundry, pack, or shall I say repack.  There is way too much in the suitcase.  Need to simplify

Their signature burger off the lunch menu is to die for!  Best in the Quad Cities!