Senior Portraits on my Birthday

So I turned 37 yesterday and had the greatest time shooting Senior Portraits of Laney Mann. Isn't she gorgeous? She kept apologizing for having me shoot these on my birthday, but I tried to assure her that there was nothing I would rather be doing.

I shot 800 or so images at maybe 10 different locations, in about 4 1/2 hours (spread out over two days). Laney was a real trooper. The temperature when we shot this image was somewhere in the low 20s, and the wind was howling through the alley where we were standing. We kept her wrapped in a blanket until time to shoot, then she would throw the blanket aside and I could get maybe ten frames shot before we would cover her back up and get her in the truck. I hope she doesn't end up with pneumonia! You can't see it in this image (through the miracle of Photoshop), but she is COVERED in goose bumps. Have a look at the high-res version here.

Hey lady, nice hair!

If you haven't seen this video yet, you have to watch it. This is the perfect reason why you should do a dry-run with your hairdresser before the day of your wedding.

The video is safe for work, but it does have some foul language. If that sort of thing offends you, please don't watch it.

Lust

Oh, will somebody please buy me one of each of these.

The first one is the new G7 from Canon. This is a 10 (!) megapixel point-and-shoot.

Dig the styling on that thing! I can't wait to get my hands on one of these. I just love things that are beautiful just for beauty’s sake.



The other thing I can't wait to get my hands on is the HV10, also from Canon. I'm usually a Nikon guy, but these new Canons have really got my attention.


What really rules about this little device is that it is the first consumer camcorder to record in FULL HD RESOLUTION. We're talking 1960x1080 pixels for the other tech nerds out there (like me).

Think about that for a second. This thing records at a resolution somewhere on the order of 20x than that of my first video camera (a Minolta Hi8 I bought in 1992).

Yes, Please!

Speaking of things I would love to have...

How ’bout an Audi R8?

420hp, 0-62 mph in 4.6 secs.

I'll take two.

Apple iPhone

Steve Jobs is the most amazing guy who has ever lived. He invented the personal computer, he invented the iPod, and today he brings the iPhone. In all seriousness, today will go down as a turning point in the history of personal electronics. I don't think this is giving too much praise to a single item. In only 90 minutes, Steve made your current cell phone, iPod, laptop computer, handheld GPS, and camera obsolete when he introduced this thing. Think I'm gushing? Have a look at these videos and tell me if you don't think he has reinvented all of those things; and these videos barely scratch the surface of what this device is capable of.

• Music
• Video
• Phone
• Voicemail (this one is particularly unbelievable)
• eMail
• Text Messaging
• Internet Browsing (pure genius)
• Maps

Go check this thing out for yourself at Apple.

Only 349 days until Christmas. Hmm, I think Santa may be coming to my house early this year.

Cory Cunningham

I had a fun session with Cory Cunningham earlier tonight. He's an up-and-coming actor in the Memphis Theatre scene and he wanted some new headshots. I'm looking at these images, and damn if he doesn't remind me of a young Kurt Russell.

Cory just recently finished a run at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis as the actor portraying George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

When Cory makes it big, I'm going to be able to say, “Yeah, I shot him, back when he was still wet behind the ears.” (Just kidding, Cory. Go break a leg, or something.)

Check out the whole portrait session here.

Emily and Tyler

I shot a great wedding last weekend. Emily and Tyler were married at St. Peter's Catholic in Memphis, followed by a reception at the Yacht Club on Mud Island. I think Mother Nature had it in for us, as there was a torrent of rain during the reception. Even so, it didn't stop Tyler and his groomsmen from sharing some fine cigars on the rooftop. Congratulations Emily and Tyler.

Check out the entire wedding here, in the Proofs section of my site.

BUILD IT, PLEASE

Those of you who know me know that I am a nut for cars. If I had tons of money, I would have a ton of cars. Maybe it's the whole matchbox mentality. "Too many" is "never enough."

Apparently, Lincoln is going to unveil a new concept vehicle, called the MKR, at this month's Detroit Auto Show. Please—dear God, Lincoln—BUILD IT! And don't water it down, like every other American car maker does before it reaches show rooms. Holy crap, this is a great looking car. Read about it here.

Christmas, Part II: Emma and the Bunny

Our lab, Emma, received a Christmas gift this year from Jordan's aunt Libby and uncle Warren. They got her a bunny from the American Kennel Club.

I didn't figure she would react to it the way she has. At first she looked at it strangely like she was waiting for it to move. When it didn't, she gave it a good sniff. Finally, she picked it up and trotted all over the house with it like she was going to hide it like a bone. In the process, she bit down on it a little too hard and it squeeked at her. I guess the squeek made her think it was somehow still "alive," so she commenced to shaking it furiously until it was "dead."

Over the next couple of days she carried it with her everywhere. Occasionally she would bring it to me and drop it in my lap or at my feet. She didn't do this to get me to play fetch, I think she did it as an offering.

Emma carries that bunny around like it is an egg, always very gently. I'm not sure what she thinks about that bunny, but I am sure she loves it.