Getting Boys to Laugh

Getting girls to laugh requires knowledge of each particular girl mixed with knowledge of the age group that girl happens to be in.

Getting a boy to laugh requires only one thing: Potty Humor

Age is not a factor. Anything the boy might find funny doesn't play into it either. Mention anything related to something gross, and a boy age 2 and up will giggle away without end.

Add in a mom singing the Diarrhea Song, complete with sound effects, and you've got a recipe for sucess.

I loved this family. I loved the boys and their completely opposite personalities. I enjoyed getting to know them all. And I most enjoyed how excited the father was about suggesting locations to take photos.

Dads are tricky. They are an unsual breed to take a photo of. Most of them don't want to be there. Most of them would rather be having a root canal. Or at least, that's what they want you to BELIEVE. But deep down, they are giddy. It's work to dig under the layers of "coolness" to the giddy boy underneath. But all of that work is worth it when you capture a golden moment.

A special thank you this family for reminding me of just how much fun boys of all ages can be.

stops me in my tracks

a couple of months ago, I was comissioned to take photos for a 16th birthday party. It was a bit unusual as the portion of the day I would be photographing was the hour and half spent on horseback. It was quite the adventure to try to take pictures while also trying to stay on a horse. A fun adventure, but also a very interesting challenge.

As we rode about the Arizona desert on a dark afternoon with heavy monsoon clouds hanging to our South and the wind picking up, our trail guide told us stories - about the desert, about the wild horses, about his life and his travels and his journeys. He pointed out the ruins of old stagecoach stops. He told us Native American legends of the plants and the mountains.

He reminded me so much of my grandfather. A tall, lanky, horse-loving man whose face bore the tales of his life hardships and struggles but whose heart, instead of becoming hardened by these difficulties, instead had grown tender and warm.

Everytime I pass by this picture, my heart catches a bit. For a moment I am sad at the loss of someone so special to me. And then, my souls lifts up. I was priviledged to know my grandfather, and I am priviledged to have met this man.

I am reminded of how many truly wonderful people there are in this world.

The Many Faces of Children

Everyone loves a smiling face. Especially if it is a genuine smile - the real deal, not the fake cheese smile we are all so fond of taking pictures of.

I do love a smiling face. But some of my favorite faces aren't smiling.

Kids can makes some absolutely wonderful faces. They can mush and pull. They pucker. They stretch. They are elastic, like gumby meets Silly Putty.

I can't help but laugh when I see them. So here's a pictoral ode to some of my favorite kid's faces --

"I'm A Scary Monster" Face



"Kiss Me" Face



"Are We Done Yet?" Face



"Look At My Lost Tooth!" Face



"GRR! I'm A Tough Guy" Face

Playing with Light

I love natural light. I'll use a flash when I have to because there just isn't enough light, but I try to avoid it if I can. I'm not stricly against using a flash, but natural light is so much clearer and cleaner.

And just much more fun.

Just sitting outside playing with my kids as the evening traveled towards dusk, noticing how the light spikes around them, bribing my son with a cookie to get him to look at the camera (which resulted in a horribly fake smile right below a runny nose so I'll spare you Looking at That One). This type of bribery doesn't work with the girl child. She is too much like me to be distracted by a cookie (but very much angry later when she didn't get one like her brother).

Welcome!

I am very excited to welcome you to my photoblog!

I wanted a place where I could share the stories that go along with so many of my photos. A place where you could step with me behind the camera and see what I saw.

I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I will.