Lydia’s Portrait Session
Last weekend, Deborah and I went out to experiment with some new lighting gear and techniques. I ‘volunteered’ the girl who cuts my hair because a year ago, I had gotten a quick picture of her in a parade and I thought she was very photogenic! I was getting my haircut and said to her [...]
Taking better photographs of your children
One of the most popular things we all use our cameras for, is taking pictures of your kids, grandkids, neighbors kids, and on and on. Let’s face it, you pull up a camera to your eye and every child within 100 yards puts that ‘typical’ silly grin on their face. You snap the picture, and [...]
Painted Portrait – Ava
We had the family Christmas Party at the beginning of December last year, and I took some casual portraits of family members while everyone was together. A few turned out really well, so I decided to turn a couple of them into painted portraits. This is Ava, and she is my nephew’s daughter. Her mother [...]
Painted Portrait – Deborah
Seems like I’ve been trying to finish this one for the LONGEST time! I did the portrait session with Deborah when we were in Elgin. Then, I worked on the image when we got up here, but I didn’t do the painted portion because I had a very particular style in mind for this. Over [...]
Painted Portrait of the Mother-in-Law
Well, my wife wanted to make sure that I did a painted portrait of my mother-in-law JUST like the one I had done of her father-in-law last year. So, we did the portrait session last weekend, and then this week I worked on the painted version of it. Finished yesterday – JUST in time for [...]
Have I been taking ANY pictures?
Since I haven’t had an entry here in awhile, you would think I haven’t been taking any pictures! Well, truth of the matter is I have been VERY busy with the LensFlare35 podcasts with some of the top Canon photographers from around the world. It takes up a LOT of my time, as does the [...]
Being the Spouse
Well, being the spouse of a photographer is probably not the greatest deal in the world. The thing is, I’m always telling Deborah we need to go here or there so that I can check the lighting, or try a pose, or I need yet another image of her to test some theory or new [...]
Painted Portrait – Butch
Let’s face it, most of us really don’t like to have our picture taken. I know that I’m one of those people who is never pleased with pictures of myself. And, as a photographer who has taken pictures of a LOT of people over the decades (I know, I’m old as dirt), I’ve heard it [...]
Kinneil – Glamour Shot
Kinneil is a friend of mine from Galveston who was interested in trying out for the Houston Texans cheerleading squad. Of course, they needed a headshot and a couple of other poses with the application, so she gave me a call. This is the headshot that we decided to use. Of course, you are always [...]
Anne & Edgar Painted Portrait
Well, Anne (with Edgar) will take center stage again, even though the wedding was four months ago. I decided to take one of their more ‘stylish’ images and turn it into a little bit different style digitally painted portrait. This time I didn’t want the oil painting look, but something that looked like a hand-colored [...]
Melissa’s Painted Portrait
Well, there is one really good thing about snow days – you get to just barricade yourself in and work on projects that you haven’t finished (on the computer at least). I was working on this digitally painted portrait of a picture of Melissa that I had taken in Elgin’s Western Days Parade. I thought she [...]
Painted Portrait – Cynthia
One of the great aspects of the digitally painted portrait, is the ability to control the AMOUNT of painting that you do. It can be very heavy, impressionistic brush strokes, or it can be just a very light touch. You can combine the two, where one area is more painterly, and then you choose to [...]
Hidden Faces
We’ve known Anne for a number of years. Her bubbly personality and flashing eyes created a single image in our minds of who Anne is. So, when she called to say she wanted us to do her bridal portrait work, we were thrilled. Deborah, my wife and artistic assistant, began pulling poses that she thought [...]
Gallery Closed – On the Road Again!
Well, we closed the retail gallery on May 3, 2008. It’s a mixed blessing – something that you love and now miss, and yet, something that had you tied down so that you couldn’t do what you REALLY love! Getting out and taking the scenics, landscapes, and other kinds of photographic work that is truly [...]
Music Anyone?
Well, a 7,000 acre ranch in the morning, work the gallery in the early afternoon and then a photo shoot for a couple of musicians in the late afternoon. All in a days work. Ron and Debbie have written a song for Elgin and it’s largest festival of the year – Hogeye. It brings 20,000 people [...]
