A few weeks ago I was once again blessed to participate in a fantastic event that features children and families with Down Syndrome; the Share the Passion Event. This was my third at year to participate and it always moves my heart to be a part of their efforts and experience the love given freely to the participants. The feature of the gala is the next-year calendar, which has in it a set of photographs of DS kids and adults enjoying their hobbies and interests with celebrities. The gala event brings families, friends and supporters together once a year to benefit the programs and people with Down Syndrome in the Central Texas area.

Here are a few of my photographs from that day; you can grab a full set over on the DSACT web site. It is an honor to be able to help this organization out; they really do wonderful work. Continue Reading →

I mentioned in my last post that I had the opportunity to photograph a couple of bands at the Independence Day party recently. Since the bands performance on an outside stage, and since I had access all around for the evening, I was able to get some great pictures from every angle and vantage point around the performances. It was just plain fun, and great music to boot. Burns & Poe opened, followed by the Oak Ridge Boys. Wow, what an awesome set of voices and musicians in both cases; I really enjoyed getting to listen as I worked around the stage and created some fun pictures of the performances.

In addition to wedding and family photography, I sometimes get called to photograph events. Just last month I was hired to photograph a wonderful Independence Day party and totally enjoyed the event. Lots of people, lots of food, and lots of fun were the order of the day. I admit that I have never seen a backyard human slingshot device before, but these guys had one. Two people strap in, are pulled back and launched 180′ into the air! Basically it’s like an upside-down bungee jump. Pretty amazing.

For the most part, event photography is really all about catching people having fun or doing interesting things. Of course, there are always a few people who specifically want their candid portrait, but most people really just want to ignore the photographer; that’s fine by us! Photographing of people having fun is always interesting to me and I think helps to create photographs of life that are encouraging and inspiring. And then, in the modern culture, there’s always a few hundred people talking on their phones, or checking email Go figure.

There were even a couple of celebrities there; see if you can find them!

At the same event the Oak Ridge Boys performed, opened by Burns & Poe; I have a separate post over here with some of those photos.

A friend passed away very suddenly a few weeks ago, and today was his graveside service.

At a friend's graveside service, a Navy serviceman holds the folded flag close before giving it to the family.

Well, working with all the pictures and video taken at that birthday party I wrote about recently allowed me to create a fun slide show / video mix that I really like. These guys went all out with all the activities and I think we captured the feel and fun of the party. Enjoy!

Yes, it’s been too long since I posted; don’t quite know how that happened Here are a few photographs from a recent birthday party; just when the weather started to turn wonderful we enjoyed a fantastic time photographing in the afternoon and evening outdoors. Lots of rides and fun for everyone at this neighborhood party.

Bull Rider

Climbing Wall

The Birthday girls

Goin

Nighttime Juggler

Enjoying the Spinner

Warmth

J.J. Seabrook Bridge

I was blessed to be a part of the Martin Luther King day celebration this year, photographing both the speeches as well as the march from the MLK statue on the UT campus down MLK Blvd, across I35 and over near Huston-Tillotson University in East Austin. A very cool celebration of a very important man in our history. The part I was specifically focused on was the newly-commissioned name on the bridge that spans I35; it was recently renamed the J. J. Seabrook bridge in honor of the man who, in 1975, made an impassioned plea to the Austin City Council to ensure that the whole of 19th Street was renamed MLK Blvd., and not just the East Austin part. He collapsed while giving addressing the council and died that day of a heart attack.

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