My senior, my daughter...

My beautiful oldest daughter is a senior this year--sigh---.... She has been bugging me to get her senior pictures done since June! I have just been so busy taking everyone elses senior pictures that I just haven't had time to do hers.

Well, I got a request from a senior asking if I would do her senior pictures at a waterfall. After some research, we headed up to the mountains in search of a waterfall. After a long drive, followed by a long hike (is that in my job description?!?) we found a gorgeous waterfall. I think it was worth the drive and sore legs!!! She even got brave and went under the falls.....and it was very cold to say the least! What girls won't do for a great picture...


I thought they turned out great and she loved them! Who said you can't make teenage girls happy??

My boys....

These are the cutest little boys on the face of the earth! Of course, I'm a little partial because they are my nephews. They look so different that it's hard to believe that they are really brothers. Ben, the oldest one is into Star Wars (like his dad was back in the day) and super heroes. Noah, the little guy, is into Thomas the Train and "gators". I love these guys and they are always fun to shoot.

Zach, Headshots

Zach is off to college this Fall and needed headshots for his Drama classes at Oklahoma University. Since he needed them asap, we shot off a couple of headshots and we were done. Zach has an awesome voice and I wouldn't be surprised if to see his name on Broadway some day. He's a handsome young man with a great voice! Good luck at college, Zach!

Tarah M, Class of 2009

Tarah M. was my last senior in July. Tarah had such beautiful big, blue eyes that I knew the camera was going to love her. She was very comfortable in front of the camera and I knew there was no way I wasn't going to get great images with her as the subject! I was right. Her mom wanted her to wear the green shirt but Tarah wasn't quite sure....great pick, Mom!

Amy Grant & Vince Gill

One of my greatest wishes came true in July when I was asked to shoot a benefit concert at the Broadmoor for Challenge Aspen. The headliners??? Amy Grant and Vince Gill!! I have been a huge Amy Grant fan since the tender age of 12 when I heard her for the first time. She was a role model for me during my growing up years. For goodness sake....I wanted to BE Amy Grant. I even went so far as to perm my hair so it would be curly likes hers was back in the day. Plus, my grandmother who passed away last year, was the biggest Vince Gill fan ever! She had every tape/CD he ever made (well, maybe none from his Pure Prairie League days...). I wish I had been able to meet him before she went to be with the Lord.

Not only did I get to shoot the concert from right up front, but I was able to meet Amy and Vince. Amy is just as gracious, and even more beautiful, in person than what you see on TV and videos. Poor Vince was suffering from a back injury, so wasn't as inclined to join in on the chit-chat. (Although he was gracious enough to sign Amy's book for me). I had a blast and came away with some pretty great images.

If you ever get a chance to see them in person, do it! It was one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

For more information on Challenge Aspen, go to http://www.challengeaspen.org/ . Challenge Aspen provides recreational, cultural, competitive and educational experiences for individuals who have cognitive or physical disabilities.

The Light the World Parade

My daughters are dancers and their dance instructor was asked to help choreograph some dances for a production called The Light the World Parade that was going to be part of the opening ceremonies of the State Games of the West here in Colorado Springs. I was asked to take pictures of the parade so that they could be used in a proposal for it to be performed at the Opening games of the 2009 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Ed James of Ark2 Productions in Franklin, TN is the creator and director of this non-profit organization. They were able to perform in the Athens Olympic Games a few years ago and had been asked to participate in the Beijing Games this year but were unable to do so because of the turmoil in that area.

Special thanks to fellow photographers Tim Skrastins, Russ Pitts, Ted Mehl and David Cartwright for helping me out.

For more information about The Light the World organization, go to http://www.ark2.com/ .