Darrin R. Ballman Photography

Ellery in concert | Covington, Kentucky

2010-09-22T20:42:00.005-04:00

One thing I love to do is photographing live music, and one of those artists is the Cincinnati based duo Ellery. They recently gave a release concert for their new CD "This isn't over yet" at the Carnegie Center in Covington, Kentucky. See some details below for another performance coming up there on October 1st and a clip from their DVD filmed at the Carnegie as well! For the release show Ellery pulled out a full band with some of the Cincinnati areas best loved musicians...there was everybody's favorite drummer/percussionist Joshua Seurkamp and also Jake Bradley and Kenny Hutson from Over The Rhine.

If you happen to be in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area, Ellery will be performing on Friday October 1, 2010 at The Carnegie to help kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is a FREE event! You can check out the info Here. Meanwhile, here's a clip for you to enjoy...

Chicago Wedding - Farah & Gadier | Pakistani & Arabic traditions

2010-09-22T20:05:00.005-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to shoot along with Sarah Babcock on a wonderful 3 day wedding event in the greater Chicago area. We totaled a solid 33 hours of being on the clock shooting, but with the combination of beautiful Pakistani-Arabic celebrations, it's hard to imagine stopping!

Three days, three locations and a thoroughly enjoyable group of family and friends made the time go fast - and resulted in a lot of really fun photos. Events ranged from their day number two reception in Rosemont, Illinois at the Stephens Convention Center, to the day three more intimate event at Meyer's Castle in Dyer, Indiana. Here's just a small taste of what their day was like!

Jo Jo's Salon - Cut-a-Thon Centerville, Ohio

2010-09-18T10:58:00.002-04:00

After helping Jo Jo's Salon in Centerville, Ohio with their photography needs for their web site last year - I returned a little while back to cover the Cut-A-Thon benefit they had to raise money with Vanessa Pinto for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It was a fun day filled proceeds going to the campaign - and lots of fun stuff with a raffle, face painting and a ton of Pizza courtesy of Papa John's! Here's a bit of fun from the day...

Naperville, Illinois Family Sessions...

2010-09-18T10:30:00.003-04:00

While being in Chicago for Ali & Kevin's Street Session, I also had some time to do a couple of family sessions in beautiful Naperville. Their Riverwalk area of course is a great place for photos - but really the whole town is loaded with great possibilities. I'll look forward to shooting there again sometime! Between getting some nice portraits and having some fun goofing off too - here's a few quick highlights from that morning...

Alison and Kevin - "Street Session" Chicago style...

2010-08-24T22:33:00.002-04:00

I had a great time heading up to Chicago to do Ali & Kevin's Street Session! We mixed it up a bit by spending some time in Chicago's Oak Park neighborhood, and then heading downtown for a bit of fun in Millennium Park and riding the El. Here's a few highlights from their session....

2010 "Breathe Project" calendars are available!

2009-12-27T16:16:00.004-05:00

The 2010 "Breathe Project - First Harvest" calendars are now available! These are beautiful, oversized calendars printed on heavyweight art paper. You can check them out at the Darrin Ballman Red Bubble site. Also be sure to learn more about "The Breathe Project". This "First Harvest" produced quite a variety of images from two dozen different sessions. Out of all of that came these twelve that were chosen for the calendar. Many more images can be viewed at The Breathe Project and more will be added over the coming weeks. Meanwhile...look for a "Second Harvest" of sessions to be scheduled sometime in the spring or summer of 2010. Who knows what direction that will take!

B'ginnings...part 1 - How it all started...

2009-12-07T20:53:00.003-05:00

I get asked plenty of times how in the world I ever started in photography, and especially photographing weddings, so I figure I’ll give a little background over the coming weeks as we venture into winter. Of course, I started long before these digital days we have now, so things were definitely different for me, easier in my opinion, given the variety of things photographers are faced with deciding these days. Over time I’ll give my $.02 on getting started and maybe a little perspective as well.

Starting to shoot weddings was really a happy accident for me. By the summer of 1988, I had developed a serious interest in photography, and was looking at possibly going to photography school, something I would really not recommend today. I was living in Southern California, working in Ventura County at a very small one hour photo lab in Moorpark. Thanks to having free processing and printing of my film, I had been shooting quite a bit over the past months and was really comfortable with exposure and knew my camera inside and out. I can’t say I was very knowledgeable about how to go about starting a career in photography…but I did know three things for sure:

1. I loved taking photos of mountains, nature and all that kind of outdoor stuff.

2. I knew it was advertising and commercial product photography that might pay the bills.

3. I had no desire to work with people or do portraits because I was deathly shy.

(this is where you begin to sense some irony, huh?)

One day while at the photo lab…a woman, probably in her 50’s comes in and mentions she’s looking for someone (cheap) to photograph her and her husband renewing their vows and celebrate 25 years of marriage. They were doing a full ceremony and a reception with some family and friends. I told her I could probably do that…so I agreed to do so for $200. After all, my only expense was the film!

So far it sounds nice and simple, right?

Their ceremony was going to be at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Moorpark, and the reception was a simple gathering at what I believe was the City’s community center at the time. I did what reading up I could on the kinds of photos one may want to take at a wedding and felt pretty good about things. I really only had very “basic” info about the plans for the day…something I corrected fairly soon as I shot more weddings, and have since made it a specialty of mine to be well informed. More on that some other time though.

What I walked into was a little different though….first off was a bridal party that had a good 16 attendants or so…next was the fact that it was a “full” Catholic mass. I’m not Catholic…so the hour long ceremony and vows renewal had me wondering what was going on! Then there was the “some friends and family”…all 300 of them. While it was a perfect scenario for some newbie photographer like myself to freak out, everything actually went extremely well.

Just a month later I found myself at the photo lab once again, being asked if I knew someone (cheap) who could photograph her daughter’s wedding. Now that I was experienced and everything…another $200 and away we went on wedding #2!

This was going to be much simpler…smaller bridal party and under 100 guests…ceremony lakeside on a gazebo in a housing community in Chatsworth, and the reception at the clubhouse. It really was a much easier wedding…even though I began to wonder at first when the entire wedding party came walking down the street to meet me for their formals….all of them had cans of beer, and it was evident it wasn’t their first round…at 10am. Once we got past that though it was a breeze and I was kind of hooked.

I can’t say I as much enjoyed myself as much on those first couple weddings, as I just seemed to do well in a very high pressure situation. I came to realize eventually I had a knack for that, as well as working with people. Both of those realizations served me well in both the dozens of weddings I cranked out early on and the world of wine sales that I ended up living in during the week.

So much for never working with people, huh?

A lot has happened and been learned in the years since, now that there’s a few hundred weddings under my belt, and the transition was eventually made to digital and so many new considerations that come with it. Since then I have learned 3 new things….

1. I really don’t like nature photography…it (usually) bores me to take it and to look at it.

2. I suck at commercial and advertising types of product photography.

3. I love working with people and photographing them in a wide variety of styles and situations, and apparently seem to do a pretty decent job of it.

So there you go…literally the very beginning. What has come after that I’ll save for another time…

Wedding: Pam & Brian, Los Angeles, CA.

2009-11-30T23:33:00.006-05:00

I had a great time these past couple of weeks, traveling out to Los Angeles to photograph Pam & Brian's wedding at Mountaingate Country Club...as well as staying in town to visit my daughters and enjoy Thanksgiving with family. More on that a little later though...first up here's a little peek at a few shots from the wedding! I went along for the whole day, starting out at the Mary Brambila Salon in Santa Monica, and then followed Pam cross town for make up as well. Their ceremony and reception was at the beautiful Mountaingate Country Club atop the Santa Monica Mountains. Along for the day also were Rob and Zack from ElmanAdam Films - check out their video sneak peek from Pam & Brian's day at the bottom of this blog! Special thanks also to Miguel Mayo for coming along and second shooting!

Pam didn't mind changing earrings thanks to Brian's surprise gift from Tiffany's... :)

We had a beautiful afternoon and evening with just a touch of the fall crispness in the air...

There weren't many times throughout the day when you didn't see the both of them smiling...that's for sure!

Well, ok...here's a couple... ;)

It was definitely a night of family and friends from around the country celebrating and focusing on enjoying the time together...

The Monday after the wedding we did their Street Session in Brentwood Village and out at Santa Monica Pier...all of it after dark!....a few more photos to come a little later on! Congratulations to the two of you!

Pam + Brian Brown Wedding Trailer from ElmanAdam on Vimeo.

"The Breathe Project" launches......

2009-10-17T00:38:00.003-04:00

Just a few short weeks ago, I wondered what might happen if I chose to book a wide variety of photo shoots in a very short period of time...and furthermore, if I went into them with very little in the way of having a preconceived notion of what I wanted the shoot to look like.

I have always had an appreciation for people that have the ability to improvise what they do, and wanted to create a little bit of that same feeling in my shoots. My style is that direction anyway, but I wanted to take it a little further. Now that I am 2 weeks into this experiment, and a little over 1 more week to go, the results are starting to come through.

I'll probably share a bit more of what I learn out of this over time...but if you want to learn a little bit more for now and check out the gallery you can visit the Breathe mini-site. The gallery is being added to as images come on board so there's plenty more to come! You can also Twitter search #breatheproj Here's just a couple quick samples to get you started!

Emily & Ben...a quick sneek peek!

2009-09-14T18:41:00.003-04:00

Just a couple of quick sneek peeks from Emily & Ben's beautiful wedding at Ault Park this past weekend....

Emily & Ben had a fun surprise first dance as well!

Emily & Ben also posted the theirs and the bridal party's entrances on YouTube if you would like to check it out!

Teagan & Tyler's Dayton Street Session....

2009-09-06T22:15:00.000-04:00

When it came time to do Teagan & Tyler's Street Session in downtown Dayton, we really couldn't ask for better weather or light! One thing about downtown Dayton is you can get a really nice variety of looks in a very small area....we had fun hitting a couple of old favorites - as well as trying out some new discoveries too!

Of course, if I see fountains I'm going to end up shooting through them!

It was soooo nice of someone to paint that heart on the wall... :)

Anytime I see an opportunity for something edgy or moody I'm there....

We'll see you two in just a few weeks!

Movie time..."Hitting The Nuts"

2009-08-17T23:51:00.007-04:00

When the call went out a few weeks ago, looking for people to be extra's in Joe Boyd's new movie "Hitting The Nuts", that was being filmed in the greater Cincinnati area, I quickly checked the calendar and decided to sign on for a few days. Just last week I had my first day of filming on set, so I'll share a few of the pics I snapped....

The movie itself, a mockumentry about an illegal poker tournament in southern Indiana sounded like a lot of fun...but on top of that the script is improvised! I really can't wait to see how it all comes together when finished, having now seen these actors with their improv backgrounds in action. For more information on the movie, be sure to visit the Hitting The Nuts web site, check out Joe's blog, and see the article that recently came out in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

I was only an extra, but ended up having a lot of fun with the scene I was in on my first day...of course, during our downtime, what are the odds of me not snapping a few photos...here's a little sampling from the day....

Here's Joe Boyd...writer, director, producer and actor for "Hitting The Nuts".

Joe with actors Megan Whyte Soule and Mike Betette

"Scooter Girl" Jen Johnson from Big Brother 8

"Scooter Girls" Debbie and Annie working out some frustrations in the ring between takes...

actress Karen Krueger....

Actors Mike Betette and Mathew Donnelly

cameraman Sidney Diongzon

Joe directing Jen Johnson

photographer Russ David Beckner with photographer Daniel Smyth and graphic designer Hunter Frederick reviewing photos and working on the Hitting The Nuts Facebook Fan Page....

fellow extras Tony Carter and Carly Stull....laughing it up while waiting....

fellow extra Jaclyn Winters shows her boxing moves to Mathew Donnelly....

Jacklyn and myself...our roles as "background extras" saw a little more involvement in our scene than I think either of us went into it expecting! We had a lot of fun with it though...so you'll have to wait for the "Hitting The Nuts" release next year to see what happened....come to think of it, so will I, because I think it's kind of a blur right now!

So there's some fun stuff from my first day on the set...tomorrow begins a four day run of filming the big poker tournament - so I'm sure I'll be posting more photos out of the next few days of shooting. Be sure to check out the Facebook Fan Page for updates as filming gets close to wrapping up, and stay tuned for a release date. You can also follow Joe on Twitter, and use the Twitter search #HTN for updates from the cast and crew....

Grand Opening: Lauterbach's Clothier's in Springboro

2009-08-17T22:34:00.005-04:00

I recently had the chance to help out one of my new business neighbors here in downtown "Olde Springboro", Lauterbach's "The Gentlemen's Clothier". Owner Robert Lauterbach has specialized both locally and around the country in helping men dress in style. In addition to opening his new "by appointment" Clothier to the public that day, he also had some guest music and wine being poured by Bella Vino wine bar. Another local Springboro business up the street. We also had Springboro's "Dog Daze of Summer" festival going on up and down the street with some food and pet themed vendors. Great weather that day and some nice hanging out while I snapped a few shots of his place....here's a little bit of what we walked away with....

Lauterbach's is located at 105 South Main St. Springboro, Ohio 45066

937-430-1773 *by appointment only*

Olivia...sneak peek!

2009-07-15T12:14:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend some time with this adorable little girl and her parents Hoy & Melissa...here is a little glimpse from their session!

Kelly & Ben...Cincinnati Street Session!

2009-06-29T10:45:00.002-04:00

Here's a few favorites from Kelly & Ben's recent Street Session in Cincinnati! We spent a little bit of time at Newport on the Levee and Yeatman's Cove before heading downtown to Fountain Square.

We got to Fountain Square just as some of the sunset was hitting Carew Tower real nicely...happened to be a nice, lively evening on the square too with "Salsa Night" going on....

I've also been absolutely dying to somehow incorporate part of Netherland Plaza into a session...so we headed over there to experiment with a couple of shots. It's nicknamed "the most beautiful room in Cincinnati", and with good reason. I had a couple of other ideas on how I wanted to use it though..more experimenting some other time I'm sure!

I wanted at least one shot to show the opulent entry area though....

We'll see you two in a few weeks!

The Milthaler Family.....

2009-05-05T14:29:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I captured some environmental portraits of the Milthalers....Matt, Hope, Reagan and Harrison. I took a couple of hours and followed them around for a little while, and we really came up with a wide variety of fun stuff! As usual, I had a tough time narrowing down the selections, so here's an extra special "big blog" of a few of the highlights!

Sometimes you feel like just eating lunch....

Other times you feel like you are lunch!

Plenty more to come!...and Happy Birthdays going out to Reagan & Harrison!

Caleb's Miracle...

2009-04-20T13:55:00.005-04:00

Last year at this time my friend’s, Suzanne & Gary, were expecting their first child, a boy, due in August of 2008. Of course we had talked about doing some newborn photos of him after he was here – but certainly no one expected that just 2 weeks before Suzanne’s due date – I would be taking photos of him, not only in the NICU but also at an amazing 2 ½ months old. Being a parent myself, yes it’s true you’re never really completely prepared for that first child and all the learning that comes along with them, but you are certainly never prepared for what comes with the arrival of a severely premature delivery. For Suzanne and Gary it meant delivering Caleb at less than 27 weeks, 1lb 4ozs and 11 ¾”. Of course they found themselves on the rollercoaster ride that comes with that kind of situation; all of the ups and downs that Caleb has had, fighting for what’s best for him, and the 129 days straight of making the trek down to University Hospital to be with their son in the NICU.

In just 3 weeks however, Caleb will be celebrating his first birthday, a really huge victory! I know along the way they have appreciated the support, the prayers and the work of others that make it their job to deal with these very special situations. This weekend they will be walking in the March of Dimes’ “March for Babies” walk in Cincinnati. If you wish to donate in Caleb’s name you can visit their team page at:

March for Babies - Team Caleb

I know I couldn’t do their story justice, so with their permission, here is Suzanne’s words describing their experience…as well as photos of Caleb from the beginning up to his first trip to the park earlier this month!

Suzanne:

“A LOT has happened this year. It was the worst and best year of my life thus far.

This time last year I had only known I was pregnant for about a month. I was still freaking out about it too. I never wanted kids. I feel guilty even thinking about that now. I was so freaked when I found out. I didn't know how I was going to take care of a kid and since it was something I hadn't thought a lot about I was really freaking out. Everyone kept reassuring me that I would be a great mom but I was still so unsure. After about another month I started getting really excited. The thought of having a child had sunk in and I was actually really stoked. I couldn't wait to meet him. I had all these plans. It was an awesome feeling.

I remember when things started to go wrong. I look back and feel like they should have known something was wrong with me sooner than they did. In the beginning of March they said that my BP was slightly elevated but it wasn't anything to worry about. I was gaining WAY too much weight even though I was going to curves walking on my lunch break and eating good. I remember about 2 weeks before I was admitted in the hospital the first time, telling Gary don't you think my stomach should be much bigger for being 5 months pregnant. I thought it was weird and so did he. But I went on trusting that the docs knew what they were doing. Then the vomiting started. I didn't think anything of this either. I was getting sick every time I ate something. Then I started feeling really run down which is when I decided to take my BP in Kroger. I remember looking at those extremely high numbers and somewhere deep down I knew the outcome would not be good. I went to the doc the next morning and they admitted me right to Christ. Christ kept me and sent me home a couple of days later telling me that I did not have Preeclampsia. So I went out of town to my moms house for my brothers bday and I shopped and did stuff all weekend. I probably should have been in bed. But I wasn't and then on Monday morning when I woke up my eyes were swollen shut. Again, I was admitted to Christ but this time was different. I could see it in their eyes when they were doing that ultrasound that something was really wrong. But for whatever reason when stuff like this is going on. No one ever wants to tell you anything. It felt so surreal to see all these people rushing around trying to find answers to something I wasn't even aware of yet. That is when they told me that they were putting me on magnesium to prevent me from having seizures. I totally freaked out! I was crying my eyes out. Then they also told me I was being transferred to another hospital where they could deliver a baby as early as Caleb was. TIME FROZE at this point. I didn't know what was going on. No one explained anything to me. I had no idea what was really going on until I got over to University. That is where they told me I would not be leaving the hospital without delivering a baby.

We were totally crushed. The week I was admitted to university they told us that if I was to have the baby that day that they didn't even recommend resuscitation. I couldn't believe all of this was happening to me. To US. Gary was so worried. I was worried. But I didn't even fully realize that I was close to not being here anymore. At this point they were just trying to keep him in me as long as possible. I don't remember many things the way I remember these events. I remember everything down to the words people were saying to me at the time. It is so clear in my head. I spent the next 3 weeks in Labor and Delivery under constant monitors. Worrying myself to death. I never slept....I couldn't shower. I wasn't allowed to eat every other day. But I did get to get a tour of the NICU since we knew he would be there. I hate to admit but I was relieved when they finally decided to take him. Caleb had intermittently absent flow in a blood vessel in his brain and in the umbilical cord. Then it was reversed. He went from having a decel in his heartrate 2-3 times a day to every hour or so. They said if they didn't take him then he would have probably been dead in 24 hours. So we did it. I was taken to emergency surgery to have my c-section.

This was another horrifying experience. I had no idea c-section was so traumatic. I could hear them cutting through my flesh with scissors. I could smell burning flesh. I lost a lot of blood and hearing everything the doc was saying. It was all just so vivid and horrible. I was shaking uncontrollably. I was listening to them count all the metal clamps as they used more. I went in for surgery and had already received the epidural and was strapped down to the table at 10am that morning. They had him out at 10:12. I don't remember hearing anything other than the doctor saying oh he is little. Gary said he heard him cry. But they worked on him in the room for a couple of minutes and briefly flashed him to me so I could see him in case he didn't make it. I couldn't even enjoy seeing him for the first time because of everything else going on.”

The First Days...

“After my c-section in the recovery room all I wanted to do was to see him. My heart was aching. I didn't know things like this happened. I really didn't I was ignorant. Gary, my mom, my dad and my grandma all got to see him. I was getting small updates here and there. But nothing could ease my mind. I just knew he wasn't going to make it. At first it seemed like he was doing well and he started to decline shortly after I got to see him the first time. I was finally able to lay eyes on my son for the first time on May 11th at 12:30 am. I was wheeled into the NICU and it felt like my heart stopped. Even though I had gotten a tour it still felt like my heart was being torn to shreds as I was wheeled over to his isolette. I had never seen anything so tiny fighting so hard to live before. I couldn't take it. I was in there maybe 5 minutes before I had to leave. My son was here. Not even close to the way I pictured it going down.”

Caleb at 2 ½ months in the NICU

“Caleb had many struggles and we almost lost him quite a few times but we all made it through somehow. We spent 129 days going to the NICU. Seeing him. Being and feeling helpless and hopeless. Wanting more than anything for them to let him come home. It was always something with him. Things kept popping up. But we finally got the word that we were going to be going home. And I flipped out. I couldn't believe it. It had been so long I got used to going to the hospital to see my son. It was hard leaving all the people there that we liked so much. I have so much respect for the nurses in the NICU. It takes a very special person to be able to do that job. The day we left I cried for like 4 hours. I couldn't believe it was finally happening.”

Caleb at 6 ½ months……

“Caleb is the joy of my life. I look at him and he makes everything OK. Nothing else matters anymore. I love him more than I thought was possible to love something. We are soooo grateful he is here and is doing so well. Despite our minor setbacks. So even though it has been a really hard year it has also been the most rewarding. My little Caleb :-) And I couldn't ask for a better father than Gary. He does so good with him. I am so proud of our little family. We have been through so much together.

Thanks to everyone who has been there for us!!! Looking forward to a great 2009 with my little miracle!”

Caleb’s first trip to the park!...April 2009

It’s so exciting to see Caleb growing up! Congratulations to Caleb, Suzanne and Gary on celebrating a year, as challenging as it has been……

March for Babies – Team Caleb page:

March for Babies - Team Caleb

Support page for NICU families: http://www.shareyourstory.org

Sneak Peek: Savannah & Sierrah....

2009-04-17T14:31:00.003-04:00

Last night I had fun being able to do a little birthday session for my friend Viktorya and her twin daughters Savannah and Sierrah. They are always fun to photograph! Here's a couple sneak peeks from last night.....

Sierrah....

Savannah....

double the personality... ;)

Viktorya...

More a little later on!

Brooke & Alex....Mason, Ohio

2009-02-17T10:58:00.003-05:00

Here's some highlights from Brooke & Alex's wedding that we shot at the Manor House in Mason, Ohio. It includes a few shots from their Street Session in Dayton too!

Christmas in Springboro....

2008-11-24T12:25:00.005-05:00

This weekend was our annual Christmas in Springboro Festival....it's actually turned out to be one of the larger Christmas festivals in the area here. On Main St. (where the studio is..) they close off about 6 blocks and have the plethora of Holiday food, crafts and music going on. I think this year attendance may have been a little lighter - after all it was in the mid 20"s most of the time - especially Saturday when I managed to take an editing break and headed out to snap a few shots. On average the Friday night, Saturday and Sunday afternoon festival attracts over 20,000 people! Not too bad for our little downtown. In front of my place we have the Horse Drawn Carriage rides and the Kid's Train with the colorful "oil barrel" cars. Here's a few quick snaps!

Looking south down Main St.

There's quite a bit of good festival eating - and a bunch of craft vendors - in tents fortunately! Plus most of the unique little shops on Main St. open as well.

...and who would have thought...camels in Springboro...the petting zoo added them...

No...really...

A little Trash the Dress teaser...

2008-10-11T12:31:00.002-04:00

Well, I thought I might throw a tease up from last weekend's Trash the Dress in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati….since I know there's a few curious souls out there. Every time I do a shoot…it doesn't matter what type it is – I always find myself picking out maybe a half dozen images to play around with quickly….it kind of gives me a feel for where things might be going…then a little later – maybe days or a couple weeks – depending on my work load – I then start the real post-processing. I'm not very methodical about it – I like to just see where things take me. So, with that, here's four images that jumped out to me from the TTD shoot with Julie and Charlie last weekend. Julie first contacted me last spring after she came across the blog of the TTD I did with Deanna. She loved the concept and was up for anything. Generally, I am willing to shoot a TTD for free if the bride is willing to ramp it up a bit – it's got to be more than just rolling around on the grass! So we agreed that after their August wedding we would put something together!

Julie and Charlie live in Northern Kentucky, so we started out at Tower Park in Ft. Thomas. Great run down buildings, lots of peeling paint and brick. Security looked the other way for awhile, but eventually figured out we were breaking a few rules…fortunately just as we were getting ready to move on anyway! Here's a couple from Tower Park….

Next up was the real trashing….we needed water! Of course, out here around labor day, a lot of the fountains get turned off for the winter, but it just so happened that the one in the middle of Mirror Lake, in Cincinnati's gorgeous Eden Park, was still running. Perhaps best of all, the end of the "lake" we were going to work on was set back from the road and parking, so there was less of a chance of getting kicked out! We took it easy at first by getting Julie to lay back on the wall and just drape her dress into the water. Here's a quick clip of me giving Julie some direction as we got started. (Special thanks to Viktorya for helping out with the video and pics….and lenses…and remote flash… :) )

Here I am showing Julie the goal....all the way out to the fountain!

It was quite a ways for Julie to work herself out to the fountain...I think overall she spent a solid 15 minutes or so going out there and back. At least we didn't get kicked out!

This was a real favorite as Julie was working her way back.....

There you go...just a little sampling of the little bit of fun we had once again... :) We'll have some more a little later on!

California "Street Session" - Santa Barbara Style!

2008-09-07T22:57:00.006-04:00

With my recent time spent this summer in California I had the opportunity to do a Street Session up in Santa Barbara. Not only was it great to meet Carrie and Hank and see if we could round up some killer images for them before their wedding this October, but it was also extra special since my oldest daughter helped assist for the very first time! All in all it was a great evening and we managed to get in quite a variety of shots!

Typically a Street Session will last about 4 hours...(I always tell my couples that they will tire out before I do!)...I try to keep things relaxed but still moving, looking for "cool light" and killer backdrops. Of course with Santa Barbara it's kind of hard to go wrong! Thinking back, not only did we manage to get a huge variety of shots and styles in, I think we actually did it in just under 4 hours. Definitely a record given the amount that we pulled out of this session....

Just a reminder...Street Sessions are available for anyone...even if I am not shooting your wedding. Of course, I do travel to any and all destinations, so don't hesitate to book both!

So...with that huge variety from Carrie and Hank's night out....I'm going to offer up another monster blog of images that shows you the many styles that can come out of one session! Here we go...

I always like to start out really relaxed and easy...just kind of getting used to how each couple is in front of the camera, and how they move and interact with each other. With Carrie and Hank we started out in the middle of State Street and decided to make use of one of the many little sidewalk cafes.

With Santa Barbara it isn't so much about finding great little places to shoot at - it's more about how to squeeze them all in! The next few shots made use of this incredible hallway and overlook area. Three incredible set-ups literally just a few feet apart.

With the late day sunlight really hitting it's peak, I was trying to work fast but still effective so we could make it down to the beach for the sunset. I just loved the feel of what we were getting though!

At the end of that hallway we found the "perfect studio" for something a little more formal but still relaxed!

Naturally, part of the idea of the Street Sessions is to be out among people...and plenty of people there were...sometimes working around them...other times incorporating them. Not everyone is comfortable being so affectionate in public, but Carrie and Hank were totally relaxed being the center of attention throughout the night....

Plenty of great opportunities around the outdoor mall....

Sunset light was at a premium really quick, and I forgot about the sun setting behind the mountains instead of over the ocean - so by the time we got to the beach it took on an entirely different look and feel than I was originally intending.....but, the advantage was we didn't get "the usual" beach shots and I was able to really experiment.....

Here's a quick shot showing Kayleigh assisting with the remote flash...she did an incredible job following Carrie and Hank along the beach and getting the flash directed where I needed it!

As soon as the sunlight really faded we started to go alternative and "roll with it"...personally I love capturing motion and letting the viewer get a feel for what was going on - I think it also helps to really "capture" those moments.

Carrie and Hank didn't mind getting wet...but at one point, with their dancing around, Carrie almost went all the way!

All of us got fairly wet....I was trying to shoot close to the water...the key is just keep repeating to yourself "don't drop the camera" and watch the level of the waves!

Part of the whole Street Session concept is the After Dark time...after getting cleaned up we headed back up to State Street to finish out the night looking for "cool light". First up was a stop at Starbucks...of course I love shooting through windows and looking for the little imperfections that it creates in an image, not to mention how interior light come across too.

I've always got to incorporate some car lights too...

Every now and then I do get funny looks when you see a guy poking his camera in through the window at some supposedly unsuspecting couple...people on the street never know what to think!

On our way back up from the beach I saw how cool the entrance to the Hotel Santa Barbara looked...it screamed to be used as a backdrop....unfortunately by the time we got there - the Hotel's doorman had reappeared...so we rolled with that too....I had a plan though....

My plan: "Please Mr. Doorman, can we come inside and kiss in front of the windows so our photographer across the street can take some killer photos of us?"...I told Carrie and Hank to just "do their thing" for a 3-4 minutes in front of the hotel, then when I gave them the signal, go ahead and ask to come inside...it took a minute of talking, but he said yes.....

...and we got stuff like this.....it wasn't until I started editing the photos that I noticed the nice little touch of the "Rooms Available" sign.....PERFECT!

Did I say I love including the car lights?

I also love stores with large, well lit windows.....

Perfect opportunity for something a little edgier....

...and the only thing better than shooting through a window is shooting through two of them!

So there you go! We really did squeeze in quite a bit! A reminder that with most all of my wedding coverage packages a "Street Session" is included...or you can order one seperately. We had an incredible time shooting this one....Best wishes to Carrie and Hank on their wedding this fall - we wish you all the best! Special thanks to Kayleigh too for all the great video work and assisting with the remote flash! I know it was a long night but you hung in there the entire time!

Jessica & Joe Highlight - Dayton, Ohio

2008-08-26T23:43:00.004-04:00

I thought I would share a little bit from Jessica and Joe's day here in Dayton. We started out with some wonderful getting ready time at the Patterson Homestead, where the ceremony was taking place as well. The room the girls were getting ready in gave us some incredible light to work with and plenty of opportunities for a variety of looks. I always love it when I can pull variety out of a room!

Lots of great mirror time too.....

One thing I have really loved doing, especially lately, is looking for abstract styled shots when they present themselves. This was a great example as Jessica was getting her dress on....anytime light, shadow, motion and form come together in a unique way it can make for some extremely rewarding photos!

The Patterson Homestead was built between 1810-1850 and houses with it a lot of history from probably Dayton's most influential family (founders of NCR and many other notable endeavors). I loved this following shot where it's almost as if family members from the past were watching on.

Jessica's Mom helping with the dress....

A little high-fashion feel...

Jessica and Joe decided to see each other before the ceremony...so we arranged a little moment out on the front porch that worked out to be quite emotional....

The Homestead has beautiful green space and trees on the property that we used for the formals...

During the ceremony I always like to stay as absolutely unobtrusive as possible...and in most cases that means avoiding being in front of the couple...this time however there was a very helpful line of bushes that I was able to shoot through...not only did I get a few shots from the front...but the bushes worked as a wonderfully creative diffuser for some really cool blurring effect! No Photoshop needed!

...and how could we forget our very special Bridesmaid... Heidi!!!

Before heading to the reception, we stopped at a little "secret" garden for some shots. The garden is known for it's incredible use of flowers...so we made use of that....

The reception was at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education......

We did manage to get in a little bit of our quiet time before heading back in to the rest of the party!

Congratulations to Jessica and Joe! It was a great day that we had a lot of fun with too....Best wishes to the two of you!

Ashley & Brad - Lexington, Kentucky

2008-08-03T23:21:00.013-04:00

Recently we had the opportunity to head down to Lexington, Kentucky and photograph Ashley & Brad’s day…we knew from the plans it was going to be a full day of shooting with a whole variety of great opportunities for shots! First up was stopping by the Griffin Gate Marriott resort where everyone was getting ready…I do think the girls may have set a possible record of number of people in the room – I think at one point there had to easily be over a dozen people in there – but great moments for photos kept showing themselves without much trouble at all. Here’s a variety that both Deanna and myself shot at the hotel…..(**Brides that are booking their photographers for 2009 please see the note at the bottom!**) ...there’s a huge amount I’m going to share - so here we go!

Of course sometimes things can get a little stressful as everyone's trying to get ready for the wedding - but that wasn't the case at all this day - even with a complete roomful of people! The atmosphere was quite relaxed and everyone was just enjoying the day. Perfect for capturing those little moments...

There were also some wonderful detail opportunities....

Ashley's grandmother's handkerchief...I guess that qualifies as something blue and borrowed...

A little fun with the elevator....!

Of course in Lexington there's horses everywhere...bronze or not! We did a quick stop at Thoroughbred Park in downtown where Ashley & Brad got to see each other for the first time...

I told Deanna we had to get a good shot of her using her ShootSac to send in to Jessica Claire...for our fellow photogs - if you're not familiar with the ShootSac - check it out...they are great for our style of fast paced, on the go photography. If you like to change lenses a lot like us - it can really come in handy. I also just thought it was fun how Deanna could shoot with her shades on, hold another pair for a bridesmaid, and still be able to look stylish with her ShootSac......

While it was a little warm out - we had a good amount of time with all of the bridal party wandering around downtown before the ceremony.....

Ceremony was at the beautiful Saint Peter Church...and the opportunity for some great backlighting really doesn't get any better...!

Just before Ashley & Brad's exit.....

The reception was at Spindletop Hall...a private club for University of Kentucky alumni and staff. The place is absolutely gorgeous and the staff provided excellent service from everything we saw. It was originally built in the 1930's - with over 45,000 square feet of space. The place has a wonderful warmth to it....I would certainly love to photograph there again sometime.

You gotta love the horseshoes...!

I have more couples tell me that one of there favorite times of the day is when I take them out for some quiet time during the reception. It gives them a little break - time to catch their breath - and is a great chance to get some more intimate shots. With Ashley & Brad, everything was very fast paced and it looked like we were losing some really nice sunset light - but we actually caught the last few minutes when it took on this really nice, soft glow. Some clouds were building in the west and actually helped us to get some incredible light....at Spindletop they have a huge, long tree-lined driveway and fences...perfect for a wonderful Kentucky wedding!

Back inside the reception continued on with the focus being in the old library, where the wood floors made it into one large dance room!

In the midst of all the partying I manged to find this "quiet" moment with Ashley
that I really loved....

One thing I always love to see is a DJ with a lot of lights...it makes experimenting fun!
..and have fun I did....

Just in case you might wonder...there was actually 2-3 times as many people in the following shot - but because of the long exposure not everyone shows!

Well there you go! Thanks to Ashley & Brad for a really great day! We wish you two all the best!

** 2009 Brides: Currently as part of me offering you two professional photographer coverage for your wedding day, most of those will be Deanna Keeton and myself...please ask for details, packages and check wedding date availability for both of us!..and watch this blog for additional details and announcements!**

Newborn Session...Royce at 3 weeks.....

2008-08-02T11:21:00.005-04:00

Thought I would share a few photos from this recent newborn session with Royce at three weeks old!

Big brother going in for a kiss on the cheek...

Of course I love to experiment with low lighting and see what kind of light play and textures you can bring out in a session...it's a great way to bring in something completely unique every time!

Huge wedding blog and the "Thunderstorm Street Session"!

2008-07-04T00:12:00.015-04:00

Over the years of shooting weddings, I never really had a strong desire to bring on a second photographer - but that definitely changed recently when a couple of very good (photographer) friends joined in the fun! Part of my issue in the past was finding others that "made sense" both in style and how you interact with each other. I've known plenty of photographers over the years that just "hire on" someone who can shoot competently...but that wasn't enough for me.

First up was me second shooting for Deanna Keeton. The results worked out extremely well - so much so that we ended up deciding to help each other out for the rest of the year whenever our booked dates didn't conflict. Right behind that weekend was Chris Mathews second shooting for me at Kate & Jason's wedding. Both of those experiences just made perfect sense given not only their talent in shooting, but also how each of us worked together as a team. Our agreement between us has been to just let the second shooter "shoot away" - just look for the cool stuff! Of course the having two people in two different places comes in handy too! Here's one example that Chris shot from the balcony at Kate & Jason's wedding while I was down front capturing the processional...

In addition to capturing the bride and groom - we're capturing each other a little bit too - and also doing some experimenting with little video clips we can incorporate into some slide shows later (in all of my lack of free time!). I'll be uploading some of the results to YouTube a little later this summer. That being said - here's a nice little update of some recent images! Here's a couple of shots Chris took of me while shooting.... It's good to give a little direction every now and then! Especially to the guys!

Next up was me second shooting for Deanna again for a couple more weddings...first was Mandy & Chad - and they were phenomenal! we could have just kept shooting the two of them all day long!...and they were up for it too....let's face it - Mandy is gorgeous - and can handle the tight close-ups with ease - so I took advantage of that quite a bit!

We worked this small stairwell pretty good that had some great light coming in - Deanna grabbed this one of me doing some solo shots of Mandy - I remember at one point nearly climbing the wall to try and get the angle I wanted...

Here was one result....

We kept Mandy working for quite awhile - and Deanna took this killer shot of her...

Another quick grab shot...

Right after the ceremony we followed them into their little hideaway room - I got there just after Deanna and saw this little opportunity as she shot away...

With things in bloom...we worked them a little more.... :)

Sensing just how open these two were to ideas...Deanna turned to me and asked if I thought they might be up for some shots in the old cemetery next to the church...I must admit I hesitated a bit! But before I knew it she was asking Mandy and her eyes lit up! "Sure!, let's go!" Here's one of Deanna's....

Then it was my turn as we went back into the church to gather our stuff and head to the reception..."..one more idea!" The room the guys got ready in had christmas lights hung up in it - I couldn't resist the temptation!

Well, a little later I was helping Deanna again at the "cute" little Willow Tree Inn bed & breakfast north of Dayton in Tipp City. Lots of opportunity all over the place! Brick and wood...cute grounds, a bridge..and killer light in the barn where the reception was! The cake shot really captured the feeling of the reception light...

Once again...handling two places at once...while Deanna handled the front view of the processional - I followed Erin and her dad as they neared the center aisle...

Great moment with Erin's mom....

...some good goofing off too!

Here's Deanna showing her talent of smiling and joking while trying to herd family members and bridal party!!!

Erin dancing with her father...(the tough part for us dad's with girls..)

Of course you've got to make good use of any tree lined entrance way!

I LOVE to break rules and take chances....so when I saw not only one set of windows I could shoot the two of them through - but TWO - I had to try it.... :)

There was also this killer red barn that had it's wood slats sagging big time!

The reception just had this incredible light to it....it helped to make for a memorable boquet toss too...this bridesmaid literally nearly jumped right out of her dress to get the boquet! I loved the other looks and background action on this one - a true HCB "decisive moment"!

I really love "rough" b&w shots like this one of Erin dancing....again - the light really lent itself to that kind of style....

Then a couple weekends ago I had a nice little "Street Session" with Misty & Jeremy here in Dayton. The cool thing was I finally got to have a Street Session end in the rain too...short lived but still cool. Here's a few samples.....

Just a couple days before the shoot - I had heard that our "Riverscape Fountains" were up and running again (they've had issues since they were built). They are actually five fountains (literally fire boat nozzles) that combine in the middle of the rivers at downtown Dayton to form what is considered to be the world's largest outdoor fountain (last I heard anyway). We were around when they went off - so I was able to play around a little bit....I didn't have quite the angle I wanted to really showcase the fountain the way I wanted too - that will take some special planning some other time....

Weather held together for us pretty well...even though we were supposed to get some rain moving in. As it got dark storm clouds were building pretty good...but I really wanted to end our session in the historic Oregon District...we saw a little bit of lightning in the distance - but headed the few blocks over there to see if we could squeeze it in. Right after we got out of our cars - the wind blew up BIG TIME! Apparently 50 mph gusts as I learned later...I gave them the option to call it a night - but they said "whatever you think"....I said "let's shoot!" It was potentially getting pretty nasty fast - so we did a few shots under a train trestle next to where we parked - a good safe spot to start with until we could read the weather a little better!

After a few shots it looked "reasonably" safe... :) So we went on our merry way down the street...I had to hit the good ol' Bonnett's Books and their cool little doorway....

At this point it was obvious we were going to have a bit more of a storm...so we started heading the couple blocks back to the cars as the lightning increased...

Then I saw a little more "cool light" so I had them stop one more time..even though I got a couple decent "straightforward" cool shots - I also got a couple ultra low detail shots that I absolutely love...

I also got their reaction as the lightning intensified.... :)

(you know I'm loving this by now, right?)

Earlier in the night (when the weather was fine) I told them how badly I would love to do a Street Session in the rain - I just thought that would be so cool! As we headed back to the cars - it started to very lightly rain and I turned to them and said: "You realize that if it starts pouring before we reach the cars I'm going to ask you to stand out in it while I shoot away don't you?"....Jeremy said "We'd do it..." No sooner did he say that as we were a few feet from the cars and it started to pour....and away we went! We shot for maybe 5 minutes was all - rattling off a couple dozen or so frames...it was great practice...for the next time.. :)

Photography tutoring and coaching is coming soon!

2008-07-03T23:41:00.005-04:00

I thought I would give you a heads up for the photography tutoring I will be offering starting in August. More than ever I’ve been getting requests from people who want to learn how to get the most out of their DSLR cameras, especially from parents who mostly want to take great photos of their children. Whether it be general photos, playing sports and capturing other action, or taking some nice portraits, it’s easier than ever for people to do so with even just a little bit of coaching!

There are a variety of things in the works, including some opportunities for aspiring professionals and advanced amateurs – workshops, etc…look for more details on those a little later on. I would suggest subscribing to the blog to get the first word on those events. For now, I will be offering some one on one coaching. This is strictly for those that own DSLR cameras (where you can change the lenses). At the moment I am offering the following two sessions:

Basics Crash Course (4 hours $175)
I will show you, with your camera (and mine) the key functions you need to know that will help you get the most out of your camera. I will help get you out of “automatic” and “scene modes”. You will learn about white balance, changing key settings, understanding light and what to look for, lenses and lens selection, and I will go through many of your menus with you and show you tips and tricks to up your picture performance big time!

Extended Crash Course with Shooting (4 hours $275)
This is especially designed for the parent that really wants to learn how to get some great shots of their children and/or pets(s). This will be a special session where we will spend about 3 hours going through the basics and demonstrating, then in the last hour we will put to use what we have learned and photograph your child/children or pet(s). We will have subjects! This will include tips on shooting in a natural, photojournalistic style, and a little posing too if we can. The extra benefit to this is that I will also be shooting and you will receive a set of my files from the shoot also, with reprinting rights! A small handful of my shots will be completely edited for you as well. This is like getting the education and a photo shoot too!

Availability will be limited on these and based on my schedule. I will take on sessions as I can. More details will follow….if you would like to get a jump on the scheduling of a session let me know!

Maternity & Newborn Sessions with Kim, Joe and Kailyn!

2008-03-03T22:04:00.005-05:00

So what better way to celebrate your 14 day old birthday than with a photo shoot? That's exactly what Kailyn did, the month after we shot Mom & Dad's maternity session! Here's a few highlights with Kim and Joe....

This shot may be my favorite!...maybe...it's hard to decide!

Soooooo....sweet!

If you know someone who is expecting and may be interested in a maternity and/or newborn sessions, now is the time! There are special incentives being offered right now! Call or email for details....

Trash The Dress - Cincinnati Style!

2008-02-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

If you're not familiar with TrashTheDress.com quite yet, be sure to check it out for some of the most creative Bridal photography out there! The last quarter of 2007 saw myself get in 2 different TTD sessions...I'll share the first one with you right now and save the other for later! Look and read on for some notes about TTD and a few shots of friend and fellow photographer, Deanna Keeton. First up is some shots from Cincinnati's Ault Park.

TTD Question #1: Are the dresses really ruined?

Most of the time it's just a matter of getting wet, dirty, muddy, you name it....and the dresses can still be cleaned and saved or donated. Doing a TTD session doesn't have to destroy the dress...I like the opinion that the shoots are more about the bride than the dress...it's an opportunity to get some great images in unique and even challenging settings!

Next are some shots from one of Cincinnati's great landmarks: Union Terminal! Fortunately it was early enough, and school was in session, so there was not a lot of student traffic there to visit the Museum! We still attracted some attention from everyone walking in, and actually shot for a solid 20 minutes before security kicked us out!...Just as we were about to get Deanna really wet in the fountain! Ugh!

TTD Question #2: Why Trash The Dress?

Why? Well, take a peak at the TTD site for some inspiration and other reasons....but let's face it - You don't plan on needing it again, right? Not to mention your daughter will never wear it... :) So the result is some killer images!

Does she have this down, or what? Trust me, she's great behind the camera too!

TTD Question #3: Can I do a TTD?

For all of my brides whose wedding I will be photographing, I will do a TTD session (and incorporate your husband too) for FREE. Ask for more details!

If I am not photographing your wedding, I will consider a free session, I just recommend being willing to be a little adventurous! If you want to be considered for a session, feel free to call or email.

We had a blast doing the shoot!...A special thanks goes out to Grace who snapped away with the second camera, and also had child corralling duties! Here's a few behind the scenes shots....

High School Seniors!

2008-01-31T23:46:00.000-05:00

Special offer for Southwest Ohio high school seniors!

I will be offering some very special incentives to a few lucky seniors that would like to do their photo shoot "Street Session" style!

These shoots will be available for the greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky and Dayton area. Each session will typically last about 3-4 hours and feature a variety of styles and set ups. If you are looking for something different...this is it!

Special discounts will apply for those looking to book their session for the early Spring sessions.

This will be available for a limited time. Please call or email for details...

Studio update...and catching up for 2008!

2008-01-29T14:37:00.000-05:00

Wow! 2007 came and went so fast in a flurry of activity, especially these past few months. Right now, a lot has been evolving behind the scenes, and there is a lot more to come! 2007 brought with it plenty of changes, and of course the "slowly but surely" evolution of the studio is just one part. I figured I would share with you a couple of the shots of the space since it's been painted. Granted - more painting yet to come! This currently gives me a variety of shooting options with such "flexible" space. In addition to more changes on the first floor - later in 2008 will see the second floor shooting area (for late afternoon sunlight) see some use too. More to come as it happens...

Here's one of the window views...I thought it made the "perfect" favicon since it has become kind of a symbol for the studio and captures the atmosphere!

Coming Up...look for new and exciting things in 2008! Currently there is a lot waiting in the wings to be launched...including even some resources for other photographers. I will share more with you shortly!

Cassie & Nic Highlights

2007-05-11T08:40:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone! Here is a rather large highlight from Cassie & Nic's wedding in Piqua, Ohio. We ended up with a pretty fast paced day, and started with quite a bit of rain right up to ceremony time, but there ended up being plenty of great photo opportunities - so much so that I really had a hard time narrowing down what to share with you! Here's a variety from their day....!!

It's always fun to see what direction the photos take when I start to go back and work on them. Each wedding really is different...some lend themselves more to black & white, some really saturated colors, and others to the Cross Process style - or a host of other things too! Getting shots that work as Cross Process, like the ones above and below really depend on the quality of light. It doesn't always work. For Cassie & Nic, there were a lot of shots that worked very well for it. I like it best when it brings in that "fashiony" feel. The one below was one of my favorites.

Anytime we can do something a little different for formal shots - I love to do it. These stairs, that I used for Cassie and her parents, as well as some shots with the girls were perfect - although just a little cramped! The stained glass and woodwork made for perfect elements to bring your attention in and add interest. I know it was a tight squeeze but it worked!

This little guy was admiring his ring bearer gift, a pocketwatch, when I caught up with him after the ceremony.

We also ran back to Cassie's parent's house for a few quick pictures on the front porch swing...where Nic proposed.

Cassie: You HAD to be dizzy after this dance! I don't think I've ever seen someone spun so fast! Does everyone realize what it takes to make a wedding dress twirl!!!

Getting some cool air....

The father daughter dance is always a special time anyways...but it's also kind of difficult since I have two young daughters of my own! Focus!...must focus!

Every now and then...the most unique circumstances present themselves!

This old building was across the street from the reception - it made our little "getaway time" from the reception a no-brainer choice.

Yeah...Nic knew I was ready to take the shot...so I did....!

There you go! Take a moment and let me know what your favorites were!

Cassie & Nic - Best wishes to the two of you! Thank you for letting me a part of your day - it was a great way to start the season!

New Studio Space!!!

2007-04-13T22:17:00.000-04:00

New studio space! Well, I recently had the opportunity to move up the street about 1000 feet into an area that will allow me to do a lot more. The new location, still in Springboro’s Historical District “downtown”, will not only give me more shooting area, but also room for meetings and a small gallery area. There’s lots of plans in the works, including working on a shooting space in the finished upstairs too. A couple weeks ago I tore out the carpeting on the downstairs floor in preparation for this week’s refinishing of the wood floors.

About the building….apparently there used to be a college in between here and Waynesville well over 100 years ago. It is believed that this house was moved from that location where it was used as faculty housing. As a result it is on the National Register of Historical Places. With 9’ ceilings, a 15’x15’ room, a 9’x 9’ room and archways, it will work well for a variety of shooting situations. There is another 15’ x 20’ room and then the upstairs that will also serve limited studio purposes for the time being. Of course one of the really great bonuses is that it is commercial property with great roadside exposure. Window signage went up a couple weeks back – and today the plans for the commercial sign out front were approved. Hopefully I can have that up in a few weeks!

So things have been kind of hectic around here one way or another, including launching the wedding season. I’ll post some photos fairly soon here, including some other fun stuff in the works. Right now, here’s a few highlights from the new place…I can’t wait to do some before and after comparison later this summer. Here you go…

35 S. Main St. Springboro.....

Looking into what will be the new shooting area with meeting area and small gallery space.

Saying goodbye to the carpet....apparently in the "old days" they would only stain the wood in areas where the carpets were not covering...saves money!
I'll add more photos soon to show the new look!

2006 Top Ten...picking favorites.....

2006-12-31T23:47:00.000-05:00

Now that 2006 is officially wrapped up, I thought I would just say thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a great year in many ways. There were a lot of fun moments captured this year, and I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you. Of course, trying to narrow it down to ten is impossible.....!...But I did keep it at that. A few of these you may have seen, a few I'm sure you have not. They are just a small snapshot of photos that really stood out to me.

Also...I wanted to say thanks to the best assistants I could ask for...Erica, Rosemary and Amiee too. The three of you are each incredibly talented at "being there", reading the moments, listening, watching and staying focused. A special best wishes goes to Rosemary as she moves on to Pittsburgh...as I said..."book me a Pittsburgh wedding and you're on!"

So, here are a few favorites from 2006 (in no particular order). Don't forget to say hi on the Chatbox if you want! Hope you enjoy!

From Julie & Pat's wedding in Columbus, these two guys were just relaxing for a moment when I caught up with them. I like to title this one..."On Deck".

From a modeling shoot earlier this year of Stephanie. The look of that flowy white dress and the glow of the hallway were perfect. We had some really nice shots out of that combination.

Julie & Pat's "Street Session" in Columbus, Ohio in the "Short North". Take the great lighting around the shops and add a little sexier feel to things. Yes, I will be doing A LOT more nighttime photography in 2007!

My youngest daughter on the beach in Santa Barbara, during my time out there in Sept/Oct. She was reenacting a scene from a Korean mini-series that we watched a lot of those couple weeks. I asked her what she was doing she said: "I'm dancing like she was doing in the movie" (on the beach). Lucky for me on one shot I caught her entirely off the ground...it was perfect, and might actually be my favorite shot of the year.

One more from this fall's trip to LA. My youngest again...this time at the Getty Center in the children's "hands-on" area. Each area recreated a certain artwork, and then had an activity the kids can do with it. This one was these large Plexiglass panels showing parts of a Bible from the 13th or 14th century. The kids could then take eraseable markers and write on some of the other lines. Of course the Plexiglass was a great light source.

Some of you will recognize Erica, one of my assistants. We were actually here at the studio doing the headshots you see of me on the web site and blog. Erica actually shoots herself, and is as talented behind the camera as obviously as she is in front of it too. We were talking about posing, so she took me through some of her favorites real quick. There were some excellent shots, but this might be my favorite. She just has that look and pose, pure class and beauty.

From Candace & Scott's wedding in Dayton came this car shot. I just loved how the slope of the roof framed the scene in an unconventional way.

Another favorite from Phebe & Gerry's wedding, this one a detail shot. I loved the bold mix of colors, the blue wrap and bracelet, as well as the high key lighting.

Those few quick moments directly after the ceremony can provide some great spontaneous shots, just before the couple gets swarmed by the bridal party or even guests. This is from April & Josh's wedding at Carillon Park in Dayton, just as they completed their part of the reccessional. I liked having April's sister and her escort right behind them in the frame, and the contrasting angles....and yeah, it just screamed for the cross-process style. If I had to only pick one wedding favorite for 2006, this might just be "THE shot"....

And to round it out......from my modeling shoot with Ann Nicole, came this hall shot. I loved that pose! I wanted something "fashiony", and we definitely got some good stuff that day.

There you have them! A few highlights at least! Right now I have a really good feeling about 2007 - I think there will be some really fun stuff this year. Stay tuned to the blog for updates - and say hi on the Chatbox if you have any comments or questions!

Phebe & Gerry

2006-12-31T20:16:00.000-05:00

Well, we continue our review of this year's last few weddings with Phebe & Gerry. who had their ceremony and reception at Fairhaven Church in Centerville. I have to give them the award for "coolest car" for 2006 for their classic Auburn, as you will see. The day was filled with some really great photo opportunities, from doing hair at Oney's Salon, to makeup at the MAC counter at Macy's, and of course formals at the Dayton Art Institute! Here's just a little sampling from the day......

Galleries Updated..and more!!

2006-12-26T23:53:00.000-05:00

If you havn't seen yet...I did a complete galleries overhaul over Christmas! The new gallery section is Flash based - so it does take a bit longer to load, but it does have a nice slideshow feature. There is still plenty of pictures! In addition to a mix of weddings, I did add a gallery for the "Street Sessions" which were new in the second half of 2006. Also newly featured weddings include: Phebe & Gerry, Andrea & Tony, and Gretchen & Britt. I will be highlighting a couple more weddings from this year shortly, and I am also trying to put together my favorite 10 (or so...) images from 2006.

Chatbox! Feel free to say hi on the Chatbox...I thought I would give it a try since it's kind of a fun way to get some feedback or answer questions everyone (including other photographers) tend to have.

For my California Brides: Currently I will be offering "No Travel Fees" for the weekends from May 26th through June 30th, September 15th through October 6th, and also the end of the year - December 22nd & 29th. Any other dates will require a travel quote. Already booked are: June 9th & September 22nd.

The Ultimate Honeymoon/Anniversary/Vacation: Do you love the combination of Wine, Food and Photography as much as I do? Some of you may be aware that my other area of expertise is in the world of wine and food. Currently I am working on ways to intertwine the three into an incredible experience. You will hear more about this over time - but imagine being on your own private tours of vineyards, cozy romantic dinners at first class restaurants, and staying in great little hotels and inns that have unique atmosphere. Then imagine you have your very own sommelier there for the tours, and photographer to cover all of the events. The first offers will be for California's Central Coast (Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, etc...think the movie "Sideways") and also France. (my personal favorite!) Eventually I hope to add Italy too. Couples will come back from a once-in-a-lifetime experience and also have their own elegant book to remember it by, as well as a DVD and plenty of images! The goal is to blend in plenty of alone time with some of these very special events. Can you imagine a "Street Session" in downtown Santa Barbara or in the streets of Paris and Lyon? I can.....

I'll keep you posted....we're going to have some fun with this!

April & Josh

2006-12-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

Time for some catching up! Now that things are winding down for the year I'll do some more posting and try to keep at it. First up is a few pictures from April & Josh's wedding and reception at Carrilon Park in Dayton. More about them later when the debut issue of Southwest Ohio Weddings hits the newstands, since I selected their wedding to be highlighted in the "Real Weddings" section. That should be available at the end of January.

"Call Backs": Dawn & Jeremy

2006-10-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

I thought I would occaisionally catch up with past couples, take a few pics, and ask a few questions. First up is Dawn & Jeremy - their wedding was in July 2005, in Oxford, Ohio. If you would like to see some highlights from their day you can check them out in my Wedding Galleries.

1. Your favorite thing about marraige is:

Dawn: Totally Cliche but... waking up each morning to my best friend and love of my life!

Jeremy: Realizing I love her more and more everyday when I didn't think I could possibly love her more.

2. The hardest thing about marraige is:

Dawn: Compromise/Admitting when I'm wrong

Jeremy: Think for two people instead of one.

3. Your tip to other newlyweds:

Dawn: Jeremy and I pray together everyday that God will bless our marriage and will help us to serve one another. When you're praying for your spouse it's a lot harder to get mad at them over little things!

Jeremy: Same as Dawn's advice.

4. Best wedding planning tip:

Dawn: When opening wedding gifts have someone write the gift on the inside of the card (because all Brides save their wedding cards right)! A loose sheet of paper can easily get misplaced but this way when you go to send out thank you notes you have the person and gift right inside the card! And it's fun to reread the cards when you're not so excited about opening all the gifts!

Jeremy: Eat before the wedding since you won't eat at your own reception!

5. What stands out to you from your wedding day?:

Dawn: How fast that day went/how much money we spent for a few hours!

Jeremy: How beautiful my bride was.

6. What are your future plans for the coming year?:

Dawn: Jeremy to receive his commission in the Air Force and to move wherever the military sends us. Looking forward to getting settled in a new area (hopefully San Antonio, TX)!

Jeremy: Finding a new church, friends etc...

"It was good to see you two again and chat a bit! Best wishes in these coming years"
- Darrin

Playing around...self portrait

2006-09-21T00:37:00.000-04:00

Last week I was playing around with an old camera of mine, a Mamiyaflex C2, "twin lens", circa 1958-1962 (medium format). These were some great cameras, the only twin lens system to have interchangeable lenses and bellows focusing. Some neat stuff....I thought it was a good time to take a quick self portrait....

Julie & Pat - Street Session

2006-08-30T00:28:00.000-04:00

Coming up this weekend we have Julie & Pat's wedding in Dublin, Ohio. We managed to get in their Street Session last week with a wide variety of styles captured. He's a bit of a sampling!

Our first few locations were in the downtown section of Worthington.

After shooting in Worthington, we headed down to the "Short North" by the OSU campus and took a break to go through their wedding plans. We waited for the sun to go down....then came the night shots! I'm really beginning to love the whole shooting at night thing!

I can't resist when I see neon!

We ended our last few shots in front of The Burgundy Room....a great little wine bar/cafe if your ever in the area! See you two Saturday!

Melisa & Josh - Engagement Session

2006-08-29T23:52:00.000-04:00

Well, the engagement sessions just keep on coming! We had a beautiful, pleasant morning to head out to Cox Arboretum for Melisa & Josh's session. Their wedding is next July. The two of you did great! Now you have a bit of time to relax and enjoy the next year!

Andrea & Tony - Dayton, Ohio

2006-08-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

A big congratulations to Andrea & Tony on their July 15th wedding! This summer's hot & humid weather had kicked in big time for their day, but everyone did a great job at staying relaxed and focused on having a great time. Their ceremony was at South Park United Methodist, and reception downtown at Chantille's in Kettering Tower. Here's a few from the day.....

The heat wasn't phasing these girls a bit! ....and I don't think Andrea ever stops smiling! (Andrea - You had to be about as relaxed as a Bride can get on her day!)

A brief quiet moment, right after the ceremony......

This group was having a blast the entire time!

We grabbed our few minutes of "quiet time" during the reception and ran out to catch some of the late evening light....

Best wishes to the two of you!

Tasting in Burgundy: Laboure Roi

2006-08-05T00:14:00.000-04:00

Creeeeek......I mentioned I would bring out a few pics from the past...so here we go - opening up the vault! A number of years back I was fortunate enough to be part of a wine related business trip to France. We spent 17 days traveling through most every major wine region. The result was nearly 1200 photos! It was a truly amazing trip filled with many visits to some of the best producers in France. Something I will certainly never forget. We did stay in Burgundy for three days and tasted some incredible wines. One of our visits was to the negociant Laboure Roi. Their cellars are beautiful - and huge too! Here's three photos from that evening.....

Tasting in their cellars by candlelight.....

After a wonderful time tasting and touring the cellars. We were back later that evening for a special dinner. This area was actually part of the entrance to their cellars - it was absolutely huge! When I took this photo I was standing at ground level at the top of some stairs. To the far right of the end of the table was another set of stairs that then led you further underground into the main cellar. That's how large it was! We had a wonderful time that evening!

I love touring France! Know anyone wanting to get married in France? Need a photographer? Serious discounts may apply!

April & Josh - "Street Session"

2006-08-01T11:16:00.000-04:00

Coming up soon is April & Josh's September 15 wedding at Carillon Park in Dayton! For their Session we headed down to Dayton's Oregon District as well as around downtown and Riverscape. They were so relaxed and up for pretty much anything....we had some fun, I think it shows...!

Here's one of my personal favorites....I loved that vintage style matched with the pattern and colors in April's skirt....

a little "interaction" is always good....

Congratulations! Can't wait for September!

Phebe & Gerry - "Street Session"

2006-07-25T22:02:00.000-04:00

Well tonight was a pretty nice evening out...a perfect night to take the three block stroll for a chocolate malt at K&W here in Springboro......definitely a little cooler and less humid than the night that Phebe, Gerry and myself headed out for their engagement session!

Because of the temps we started out with a few shots here at the studio, and then high-tailed it to downtown Dayton to catch the last of the evening light. Gerry had flown in for the weekend from Texas - so we had to make something happen!Here's a few favorites from the night...!

One from the studio.......

I'd say we had some fun with the night shots........

Despite the temps, they stayed "cool" and relaxed the whole time - and it showed.....!

Here's one of my favorite grabs of the night...it just has that city night life feel...maybe I'll call it the "New York Minute" look since that's the Don Henly song in the background right now.

Congratulations you two!!

California Highlights.....

2006-07-19T01:06:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share a few shots from my recent trip back to California. I was able to spend a couple weeks with my two girls who live out there. We managed to get in a lot of good pool time, as well as heading up the coast to visit Talley Vineyards - a personal favorite of mine - and camp at Pismo Beach for a couple days. Looks like I'll be able to head back out there at the end of September. Here's my girls on one of our many trips to the park.....

Just in case you're not aware I do have a real passion for wine, and have actually worked with wine for even longer than I've done photography. One of my favorite vineyards to visit is the family run Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande on the Central Coast (north of Santa Barbara). They do an incredible job as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir specialists. Brian Talley invited us up to join them for an employee luncheon in the courtyard - and then we went out to the vineyard to give my oldest a little lesson in growing grapes. Of course barrel tasting followed! Here's Brian giving Kayleigh a little grape growing tutorial....

If you ever find yourself passing through Santa Barbara, you've got to stop at the Cold Springs Tavern. A small restaurant housed in what was an old stagecoach stop. Be sure to get good directions though - it's possibly the best hidden place that everyone still knows about! Yes this is actually the front door!

Since we were staying in Simi Valley at my Father & Step Mother's home, we took an afternoon and headed over to the Reagan Presidential Library. Incredible place. Also includes this new hanger with Air Force One and Marine One in it. Gorgeous view since it sits atop some of the hills on Simi Valley's west side by Moorpark. As a side note - it was also fun being there because I used to horseback ride with a girlfriend of mine on those same hills years ago. She used to have her horses on a ranch at the base of the hills. I think the ranch is apartments now......

Here's Hanna outside at the Reagan Library looking from Simi Valley into Moorpark. And a stop at the Malibu Inn for lunch is always welcome! Located directly across from Malibu Pier.

Candace & Scott - Dayton, Ohio

2006-07-12T22:28:00.000-04:00

Thought I would share a few shots from Candace & Scott's recent wedding here in Dayton on May 20, 2006. Ceremony was at St. John's United Church of Christ downtown, and reception was at Mahara Banquet Center in West Carrollton. The weather was gorgeous - couldn't have been any more perfect! Everyone had a great time - a really enjoyable group to be photographing! Enjoy the photos and look for a more extensive highlight of their wedding on my web site soon!