"Joshua Drew"
I just received my Alien Bees studio lights yesterday, and this is the result of my first efforts! I am very happy with this shot and look forward to doing more with the lights. This shot was accomplished with one strobe on 1/2 power, shot through a Brolley softbox, and a reflector to the dark side...

This shot won POTD at www.digitalphotocontest.com for the People/Portrait category on October 1, 2003.

"City Kid"
Downtown-ish Colorado Springs, CO. Just chasing the kids around with the camera. My goal is to photograph them, their goal is to keep me from doing it, oh yeah, and to run out into the street, throw rocks, and eat bugs... Such is life with three boys.

"Saying His Prayers"
I intentionally over-exposed this shot, hoping for a result like this. I didn't expect it to turn out so well, though! This shot is ranked (a finalist, so to speak) at www.DigitalPhotoContest.com. (9-8 to 9-14)

"Reading to My Brother"
Josh was able to read at 4, and his Kindergarten teacher says he is reading at the 3rd grade level now at 5. Here he is reading a story to Jonah.

Jonah and Ethan were surfing the web together. I shot this with just the computer monitor for lighting (Canon EOS 10D, 50mm f1.4, ISO 1600). It won a POTD at www.digitalphotocontest.com on Septermber 6, 2003.

I shot this image for the Self Portrait weekly challenge at www.fredmiranda.com. It made it as a finalist in that contest...

I took this image of Jonah while we were at Josh's TyKwonDo lesson. His eyes are amazing in this shot! (November 2002)

This is one of my favorite photos. This was Tracy and Ethan in the summer of 2002 (around July??)

I took this shot of Jonah at Pebble Beach in California in May 2003. That was a great place! We had lots of fun there.

Josh laid down on the couch after taking a bath, still wrapped up in his towel. The morning light was shining through the sliding glass window. I ran and got my camera and took a couple of shots before he noticed me. He never cooperates for pictures, so I have to get them when I can without him knowing!

I set the camera on a tripod, hung a black backdrop and used two 500 watt halogen worklights. Using the self timer, I took about 15 shots until I got one with an interesting expression on Ethan's face. Worth the time and effort!

This was shot at Mount Vernon (George Washington's estate).
I liked U2 during the eighties and nineties...
Had to get this shot and call it The Joshua Tree!
Mount Vernon is behind me, and the Potomac River is down the hill behind Josh.

Ft Story Army Base, Virginia Beach. Jonah is heading for the beach Christmas Day 2002.
This won a Photo of the Day at www.Digitalphotocontest.com and at www.Bestfoto.com, and it won third place for the monthly contest in Black and White category at www.Digitalphotocontest.com.

Ethan at Pebble Beach, California. He liked sucking on the rocks and pebbles. I'm sure he got some kind of nutrition out of them!

Joanh sitting by the window at Barnes and Noble, Colorado Springs, July 2002

Ethan just turned one!! This is one of my favorite shots of Ethan. They just don't get any better than this!

Ethan getting clean, November 2002

Too bad that was a Sharpie permanent marker!!!
Quite the artist, huh? I have a feeling Josh had something to do with it.

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Self Portrait for DPChallenge.com
Not angry... squinting due to the bright light and holding very still for a slow shutter speed!

Tracy and I love this picture. Too bad Josh wasn't looking over Jonah's shoulder as well.
I need to start a trust fund now in order to feed three teenage boys all at the same time (coming soon in 12 years!)

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This was a photo for the DPChallenge liquid shot. I love unconventional portraits of the boys. Most voters at DPC didn't agree!! LOL, their loss...

Josh in his Bibleman get up, ready to save the World!

I guess Jonah is practicing to be a salesman. I'd buy something from him!!

This is a profile close up of Josh on Christmas morning. I desaturated all colors except blues for fun.

Josh during his yellow belt test, After award presentation with Master Kim

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Josh was actually watching TV, not posing for me (posing for a photo is against his personal ethics). This is probably one of my favorite shots of Josh...

Two ornery boys...
Jonah will pose for a picture, I had to pay (bribe) Josh to pose for me.

Reminds me of Popeye

Christmas Day at Virginia Beach

I shot this just goofing around with the low-res digital camera. I'd like to do this one again and do it well.

Josh has that "I'm going to kick your butt" look on his face.
Not sure where a four year old comes up with a look like that. Just natural, I guess...

Josh and I built this birdhouse on the 4th of July 2003. Jonah is helping us paint it. The roof will be copper sheet metal...

My lowkey self portrait (previous image) inspired me to do more with this technique and composition. This is Jonah (three years old). This has much more post-processing in Adobe Photoshop, and is much more abstract. I think I like this one better than my first shot at it!

I began by creating a spiderweb type image in Photoshop (from scratch, no photo) and placed a gradient behind the web. I saved it as a displacement map. I then applied the displacement map to a closeup of Jonah. I then copied the same image over and over again, changing sizes and orientation. I then smoothed the overlap for each image layer. Converted to BW and applied a sandstone texture...

This is Josh and Jonah at the aquarium in the Indianapolis Zoo. I played with it in Photoshop...

As usual, Josh wouldn't cooperate for a photo. I paid him to sit still and stare at the camera for a few minutes. That's more cooperation than I usually get, and it only cost me a dollar!

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Jonah enjoying the Sunset over Pikes Peak. Our viewpoint was the overlook at the top of Palmer Park. July 29, 2003

How many more generations will the Earth last?
This image began as a photo of a marble and its shadow in the bright sun. I modified it in photoshop to become the 'planets.' I created the space from scratch in PS, and the image of Josh is from early 2003. Josh thinks this composite is pretty cool!

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After Willy Wonka, who wouldn't want an Everlasting Gobstopper? Josh's photo was taken in early 2003, everything else was created from scratch in Photoshop!

Believe it or not, I'm not really angry here (people who know me are surprised by this shot because I rarely get angry). I was just playing with some self portraits for www.dpchallenge.com and the Hulk movie had just come out... I guess this is my Hulk face, minus the green.

This original was a little blurry, but I wanted to do something with it because Jonah's eyes and smile were wonderful! I tried to make it look like an older photograph by desaturating the colors and creating several layers, one in 'overlay' blending mode and another in 'soft light' blending mode. I adjusted the opacity of the layers to get this. It wasn't quite right (to look old) so I flattened the image, then duplicated it and applied a light gaussian blur to the upper image. I reduced its opacity to 30% just to soften the image. I erased the portion of his eyes in the blurred layer, just to keep them sharp. A lot of work for an image that isn't great quality, but is priceless as a moment in Jonah's life (at least to Tracy and I).

Josh's first day of kindergarten! I can't believe he is in school already! The sun was in his eyes, so that's why he has the funny look on his face.

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I love this shot of Josh, but it didn't place well. The DPChallenge silent rule of "Never Submit a Nostril Shot'

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Apparently, DPC voters don't like seeing toddlers in gas masks! This was inspired by the tensions in Isreal just before the second Gulf War. Families were preparing for a SCUD missle attack from Iraq, and there was a great deal of news coverage, especially of children being fitted for gas masks.

This won a POTD at www.bestfoto.com on february 8, 2005!

Josh being a little weird... Well, OK, a lot weird!

"Drive by Painting"
Josh and Jonah painted Ethan today. He didn't seem to mind very much! They played in the sprinkler to get cleaned up when they were finished.

This was from awhile back and I just ran across it again. I'm posting it here because I think it is a funny shot! LOL!

"Early Morning Light"
Ethan in the early morning light coming through the living room window.

"Joshua Drew"
Josh is my oldest at 5. He was very bored on the ride home from church. He was also upset that we were not going to stop at 7-11 for Slurpees!

"Jonah Skylar"
Jonah is our middle boy at 3. We were out walking in the Autumn leaves that are falling everywhere. I laid down on the sidewalk to get this perspective. Our neighbors think I'm a little off kilter, but I'm OK with that.

This image won a POTD at www.digitalphotocontest.com on December 2, 2003 for the Black and White category!!

"Ethan Taylor"
Our youngest at 1. This was also during the ride home from church. This is just before he told me no pictures! My own kids consider me papparazzi!

"I know the Way"
Josh, Jonah, Ethan, and I went for a hike this morning at Palmer Park. We met Tim, Kiera, and Eli at the top of the overlook. This is Ethan leading the way...

"Me"
Well, this is sort of me... I copied half of my face and flipped it, giving two identical sides. It is a little strange, as no one has a completely symmetrical face... (9-22 to 9-28)

This is another self-portrait, doctored up in Photoshop. This one is a little stranger than the first... I over exposed the image on purpose to give white tones for most of the facial area. A levels adjustment increased the constrast even more... This shot is ranked (a finalist, so to speak) at www.DigitalPhotoContest.com.

"Jonah"
Just a fun candid of Jonah at the Raven's Nest...

"Ready for School"
Josh started Kindergarten this year, and here he is in his uniform, waiting for his ride. One of his classmates (Aiden) takes him to school, and I pick them up in the afternoon. They wear school uniforms at the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy.

"Keeping Up With My Brothers"
Ethan has two older brothers, and has had a hard time keeping up, until now. He is one tough kid... When they make him mad, he runs them down, tackles them, then pounds on them. We need to put a stop to that, although the two older boys have deserved it for soooooo long!

"Strike a Pose"
Jonah decided this was a photo worthy pose. When he decides he wants his picture taken, it is usually pretty interesting to see what he does. He makes his own poses and facial expressions as he sees fit. Reminds me of the movie Zoolander with Ben Stiller, because Jonah's serious poses are usually pretty rediculous!

"So Many Choices"
Josh and Jonah are amazed with the number of choices at the bookstore!

"The Chase"
Quinn is a working dog, being mostly Blue Heeler (Austrailian Cattle Dog). She needs to get her exercise and do her work. Here is a shot of her herding Josh. She is so fast and he is so slow, it really isn't much work for her.

"Sugar Crash"
I realize this is a snapshot, but I couldn't resist. With all of the toys and books, you would think this busy three year old is just tired, but I know better. He had way too much Halloween candy, and this is the resulting crash (after the sugar high, much resembling the Tasmanian Devil tornado in the cartoons).

"Not So Scary Monster"
Jonah found Josh's monster costume from two years ago and put it on this morning. The boys never let me take their photo, but Jonah agreed to sit down for a shot. I attached the Brolley to one of my Alien Bees 800 strobes and fired this test shot. He bailed on me before I could make any adjustments for a second shot, so it is a little hot on his facial highlights. With a busy three year old, one shot is all I get sometimes...
This beautiful shot won First Place in the Halloween Challenge on November 8, 2003 at www.dpchallenge.com. Hooray, my first Blue Ribbon at that site!
And it won a POTD at www.bestfoto.com on November 11, 2003, and tied for third in the Best of Month voting!

"Spray Painted Baby"
It looks like we spray painted Ethan, but I actually achieved this effect just using Levels and Hue/Saturation in Photoshop. I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened. It is not something I would print and cherish forever, but it was interesting enough to put on here! Kinda weird, don't you think?

"Forks are for Sissys"
Jonah is having a little spaghetti for lunch. He decided the "hand-shovel" method was more effective than a fork! I love his eyes in this shot!

"Concentrating on Homework"
Josh is in Kindergarten and he is working on his cursive writing. Academics come so easy for him (reading at four), but the physical coordination required for cursive writing is a challenge for him!

"Learning to Slurp!"
Ethan figured out how to slurp spaghetti for the first time today! We celebrated his new talent by making chocolate chip cookies! Aren't stay-at-home Dads great! I love the way it looks like he is snapping his fingers! I don't remember any music playing during lunch!

"Headed for the Park"
We took Quinn to the park yesterday to run and play. Jonah got out ahead of the rest of us and I snapped this shot from behind. I love shots like this, and I have several other similar shots in my galleries...

"First Day Together"
We adopted Quinn at the Humane Shelter today. There were other dogs that we thought were cuter, but Quinn was so loving to the boys, we had to bring her home. She warmed up to the boys immediately. This shot was taken right after we got home.
This shot won a POTD at www.bestfoto.com on november 4, 2003, and tied for third in the Best of Month voting for November!

"Scary Jonah"
This is a shot of Jonah practicing for Halloween. He has been practicing his scary faces all week! He is going to be a bat this year and Josh will be a Ninja. Ethan will be wearing a costume one of the boys wore in the past (not sure which one yet).

"Driving Lessons"
Ethan found this cart abandoned at a strip mall. He pushed it around for about 10 minutes. He was determined to push it straight, but he mostly went back and forth, crashing off the curb several times.

"G Force"
Just a shot of Jonah on the swings after the football game.

This collaboration of two photos and some Photoshop creation won POTD at www.bestphoto.com on Oct 26, 2003 and at www.digitalphotocontest.com on November 6, 2003! Way to go Jonah!! It also won third place in the "Best of Month" voting at Bestfoto!

I put my Canon 10D on 3200 ISO just to see what it would do. I was hoping for a grain that would remind me of old BW Tri X I used to shoot. I was very happy with the 'gritty' rendition. Jonah was making up his own songs on a keyboard, and this was the look of concentration he had on his face the whole time. It was very interesting to watch him. He was not looking at his hands/fingers playing the notes, but he was staring into space, in his own little world. His intensity was amazing to watch, especially for a three year old.

"Just My Size"
Ethan picked one out for himself. He was not interested in the big ones his brothers wanted...

"Happy"
Simple pleasures work for Jonah. He was very happy to have a cup of milk at the Raven's Nest Coffee Shop (Institute and Boulder, for those in Colorado Springs).

This shot of Jonah won a POTD at www.digitalphotocontest.com on October 14, 2003!

"Dirt"
Ethan at Palmer Park. Mesmerized with the falling dirt! He did this for about 30 minutes!

"Hiking... Sort of...."
I took Josh and Jonah hiking, but they decided they would rather climb down this steep ravine, rather than stay on the trail. We usually have Ethan with us and don't go off the trail, but we took advantage of the fact that just the three of us were hiking today. The boys wound up with a few cactus thorns and Jonah got a skinned knee, but we had lots of fun!

"Feels Like a Monday"
This is Ethan not getting his way. My three boys are all wonderful, but they have their trying moments here and there...

"Heading Home for Dinner..."
...and not happy about it! Josh and Jonah would rather stay out and play rather than eat dinner!

"Do Over"
This is a re-edit of my shot from 3-24-04. I used a tighter crop, and darkened the left side of the eye to make it more realistic. I think this version works much better...

"Josh and Benjamin"
This is Josh (on the right) and his friend Benjamin on the left. They had a great time at Champion Golf and Games!

"No Energy"
I didn't have the energy to find a PAD subject today, so you get me instead...

"Matthew 6:25-34"
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

"Chapped Lips"
I am starting a new job at Intel with a different consulting group tomorrow. I don't think I will have time for photos this week, so I am posting several today. If I have the chance, I'll post more this week, but don't expect to have the time. I hope everyone has a great week!

"Jonah Skylar"
My four year old, middle of three boys...

"Brothers"

Tracy and Jonah having a together moment!

Ethan, dirty face and all...
I wanted to try a new style of BW conversion. How does this look??

Ethan after his shower...

Hiking with Josh, Palmer Park. Pikes Peak is in the background. I softened this, and tried to give it an old time nostalgia look...

Proverbs 22:6
"Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it."

We are doing our best to teach our children strong values and morals. We hope with that solid foundation, they will not stray from 'the path'. Do you have a plan for your children's character development?

We went hiking this morning in Palmer Park, here in Colorado Springs. We saw a rabbit, a lizard, a chipmunk, and a coyote!! Oh yeah, we also saw a dalmation and two golden retievers. :)

Ethan fell asleep in our bed for a nap today. I liked the peaceful feeling of the image, as well as the array or reds and blues.

Making Faces

I was hired by a couple of families to shoot their Christmas card photos this Saturday. They both want to use Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak as a background, so I ran over there at lunch today to do a test shot. I had to set the focus on manual and ‘guess’ where to stand, but it worked out alright. It isn’t Friday, but you get a self portrait anyway.