so, what better way to celebrate than with a senior shoot
i love being able to travel around, try out new locations, and include things in my images that most would not think of…
thankfully Alyssa was cool with that as well whether it was a huge truck, a broken pepsi machine, or some huge concrete drainage thingy (that’s the technical name)

I met Alyssa when I taught for a day in a photography class she was taking at one of the local high schools – it was really cool teaching that class and I think it’s something i want to try and do more often – i love the creativity of high schoolers and how they are not constrained to how things should be or ought to be – we can learn a lot from them

here are a few from the shoot – thanks Alyssa

can’t wait for this bearded terror to be unleashed upon the world – unless it’s a girl, then that would be rather worrying

many more pics to come in the future

Matt is the local high school stunt man. When not on his bike, he is being asked to back flip off anything and everything – we had a blast hanging out and i was pretty pumped on the new location we stumbled upon
as much as i would have loved to hop on the bike, it was probably in everyone’s best interest that i didn’t – mostly mine though

here are a few of the pics

i’ve known Alyssa for about 4 years now and it’s crazy to think that she will be heading out at the end of this year…i have had the privilege of going on a ton of different youth trips with her all over the country and recently to Panama
she has a great heart for others, especially when it comes to younger children…i’m also glad she was able to bear the blood thirsty mosquitos in the field that apparently were out to consume people

here are a few from her shoot…

that can be the hard part i think with being a “creative”…our to-do lists primarily get so filled up with other peoples to-do’s that we never put personal items on our lists – but that’s one of the biggest mistakes we can make

i have been reading through this book called Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky and I highly recommend it – it’s kicking my butt – i am learning so much about the process from being creative to actually creating

so whatever your creative outlet is, create something today – whether it’s for yourself or for others

here are a few of the shots from last night…

they have a true love of all people whether that puts them in India or Kentucky…and i think that is why so many people wanted to make sure they were there to celebrate with these two on their big day. People who give up their lives to serve others naturally draw people in – they even made a point to thank me about 8 different times for being their photographer – i know full well that these two will continue to make lasting impressions on everyone they come across

Thanks Jessica and Tyler for allowing me to share in your wedding day – and know that you have made a lasting impact on my heart as well – you two are going to be great!

Hair: Advanced Coloration Salon
Reception Venue: Payne-Corley House

the main concept from the conference was this: We all have ideas, but we all don’t more forward with or execute these ideas
mainly out of: fear

we are wired to make ourselves safe and comfortable – not just physically, but i would say even more so emotionally
we don’t want to be embarrassed
we don’t want to fail
we don’t want to say the wrong thing
we don’t want others to not like us
we don’t want people to think we are dumb

we want people to like us – like our ideas – appreciate our abilities
but, we are sometimes too afraid to go for it because hiding under the radar seems better than the alternative

and so, we play it safe – we blend in – we play it cool – we do what others are doing – and we become boring

it’s boring because we were not meant to blend in

you have been given a set of gifts – you have something to offer – and we, the community, NEED you to follow through on those gifts
we want to be inspired – we want to be encouraged – we want to see people stand out and be exceptional, and not boring

because that’s what helps us keep going, i think, as people

well, this has mostly been for me trying to get out what i have been thinking, but hopefully it makes sense to the other 3 of you reading this…ha

you have incredible ideas and a set of gifts capable of accomplishing them – so move forward – share them with others – keep going – and please, stop blending in
will you fail sometimes – probably
will it be hard – yup
will you ever get discouraged – almost daily

is it all worth the pursuit?: most definitely

Jacob and I headed down to Williston, FL to meet up with Bethany and Luke at the home that Luke grew up in. We spent a night there with them and Luke’s family as we hit up a total of about 4 different locations between 2 different shoots…Friday night was full of Jurassic Park land, an old cabin, and a field full of cattle, gators, and buffalo – yes, buffalo. Then it was up early Saturday morning to get some shots with the ‘53 Chevy out in the pasture before hitting the road back to the ATL

I can not wait until their big day coming up next month – we all stayed up until midnight just sharing about our lives and goals that we all have – that’s a big part of what makes this photography gig so much fun…you get to meet so many cool people, share your lives with each other, and then help create images that reflect their story and will be with them forever

I feel like I could put together 3 different posts from this shoot but I will just share these and leave the rest for Bethany and Luke.
Bethany, Luke, and Traylor fam – Thanks so much for letting us come hang out – we had a blast, appreciated your hospitality, and can’t wait to hang out again!

i had the privilege of traveling to the country of Panama with 18 students from our youth group as well as my close friends Stuart and Paige
we spent 10 days serving people, sharing a message of radical/life-changing love, and experiencing life with an indigenous village

didn’t take a ton of pics, but here are a few
just had my mark II with a 50mm lens and my trusty vivitar 285…sometimes it’s nice to keep it simple

one highlight was that i did manage to trade away my Teva’s to the chief of the village (he’s the big dude in the final image) in exchange for a small hand-carved canoe and a pair of earrings for Jenica…you don’t do that everyday
if you want to know more about the trip, feel free to ask

I love it when a couple and their families become more than a client and we can become friends…this is the 3rd wedding I have shot for this extended family with the 4th coming up in October

Since I was around all weekend, Javi and I just got to hang with the families a lot and pretty much cover the weekend for them.
We took some casual engagement type shots of Kathyrn and Jimmy, their family party full of Uno, Catchphrase, and Rock Band, as well as a meal that the family shared together which is a Chinese tradition where the parents would share gifts with the bride and groom…it was really cool seeing the mix of cultural customs throughout the weekend and during the ceremony

Kathyrn and Jimmy shared a small, intimate ceremony on the beach together with around 25 of their closest friends and family…plus a few spectators that decided to hang out before going in for dinner
the joy that Kathyrn and Jimmy share with each other is incredibly infectious…you can’t help but smile when you see them interact with one another

i’m excited for their shared life ahead out in California and thankful I was able to participate with them in their big day

congrats to you both!