Missing My Dad
Friday, July 22, 2016
Missing My Dad

I just checked my blog site and quickly realized (but didn't realize) that it has nearly been a year since I wrote a blog.  I looked at the date of my last post and it was a month before my dad passed away from a long fight with cancer.  The last year has been about focusing on family and also business.  A lot of the extras have been put to the side but are slowly being put back onto the table.Loosing someone dear to your heart is painful.  One of the nice things I have aside from my memories are many photos.  I am so glad that I am a crazy clicking machine.  I cannot hug or talk to my dad but I can still look at him.  How sad for people before the days of photography.  How blessed I am to give people joy by taking their photos with the people they love.  I always urge families to "SEIZE THE DAY" when it comes to photography.  Things change quickly so don't put off taking those family photos.  Even if you do a few cell phone family photos.  Its great to look back on them.I want to share some of the photos of my dad.  He was a rare character with magnetic personality.  He loved people and spent many hours doing kind things for others with nothing expected in return.   Thanks for visiting and I am looking forward to getting back on the blogging circuit! :) 

That Social Media Thing!
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Missing My Dad

Annie and Jordan
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Missing My Dad

Annie and Jordan's engagement photos were some of my favorites!  I had the opportunity to photograph their wedding recently.  WeddingWire.createReview({"vendorId":"625ace6951ec9347", "id":"ww-widget-reviews"});// --> 

Relationship! Relationship! Relationship!
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Missing My Dad

As real estate agents will often say "location, location, location", I might do the same with the word 'relationship'!  As a photographer who frequently develops a client to friend, it is so important to me to be in good relationship with the people I do business with.  It begins with honesty, communication and the golden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do to you".  One of the benefits to having an ongoing relationship with the ones that I photograph is that I get to watch their children grow up (the only bad thing is I'm growing older with them!!). The Hirko family is a local family who I have walked with through many changes in their lives.  When I first met Andy, he was our son Christian's kindergarten teacher who switched careers and became our daughter's college pastor at church, who then became a pastor and is now our pastor and also a mentor to our son Dylan who is youth pastor at the same church.  I was one of the mom's in the kindergarten class, then a helper at the college ministry and have always been his family photographer.  One of the benefits to this is being great friends with him and his wife and their extended family.  I know their children and have photographed them from day one.  The photos are so meaningful to me and I believe that this makes it easy for them when they want photos because I can slip in ...

A Farm Family Shoot in New Zealand
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Missing My Dad

Recently I was able to visit myhome land - New Zealand. While there, I took the opportunity to have several photosessions.   The family in the photos herelive in a farm house and their childrengo to a rural school. Footwear for “Kiwi”kids usually consist of a pair of gumboots,jandals ( Flip-flops) and of course there isalways your bare feet. Yes, some of theschools still don’t require shoes when thekids attend school. No need to worry aboutsnakes either. New Zealand is one of thefew countries in the world that does not have this reptile in its midst. The children were delightful and enjoyedthe shoot.  They also insisted that Ifeed Daisy their cute little lamb. Last year’slambs were fully grown and were out in thepaddock (pasture) but the minute we cameto the fence they rushed up for some attention.I must say that I had a little troubledelving into a delicious lamb roast dinnerafter this episode.  The children were free spirited, friendly and full of life. Quite a delight to be around.  There were were no cell phones or computer/tv distractions here.  They were happy to play outside and mingle with the adults. We even got a little guitar recital from Jack. I took a lot of scenic photos of New Zealand while there. If you are interestedin looking at them, you can go to Collages.net and ...