The Month Ahead...

Well, it seems September has finally arrived. It's a month I have been simultaneously dreading and looking forward to. Three out of the four weekends are already booked, two with business and one with pleasure (which sounds really bad now that I've typed it out). Let's start with the pleasure first, shall we? (too much?)

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Another Wedding Weekend...

Surprises aren't always nice, so when I come across a pleasant one, I always like to share. Once you've shot weddings for a couple years, you become able to notice when a couple has actually put their own personal touches on their wedding day and not just whipped out the 'Church-Reception Hall-90s Top 40 Music' cookie cutter wedding. So, when I got to the address for this weekend's wedding ceremony and I stepped out of the car and into some grungy Power and Light District back alley with no church in sight, I knew the day showed a bit of promise. Then, as I walked past the graffiti sprayed walls, stepping over cigarette butts and streams of water coming from who-knows-where, I rounded the corner to find this...

The reception area upstairs wasn't too shabby either. A mix of modern flair and rustic charm that really showed off the couples burlap, wood, and springtime flowers theme.

Wedding critiquing aside, it was nice to find myself behind the camera at a wedding again, even if it was just a short 5-6 hour shoot. It's been a slow wedding season this year and with a few more bookings to go, one of which is a double wedding and MMA shoot day, it felt good to get back in the groove of that type of shooting. Hopefully I can keep the momentum and good vibes going into the next gig and finish the year out strong.

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A Quick Holiday, Some Volunteering, And It's Back To Work...

I suppose it's been too long since my last post. However, in my defense, there was a holiday weekend mixed in there somewhere, so I feel little remorse. I decided to leave my Memorial Day weekend open to spend some quality time with the family and work in a bit of volunteering. Then it was back to work.

That's right. I said volunteering. After all, I'm not completely heartless. I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the complete devastation that occurred when an EF5 tornado cut through the center of Joplin, Mo. It was, and still is, a tragedy that will be felt for years to come in Southwest Missouri. Living less than 30 minutes away, I felt I had to make an effort to help in some fashion, so I took a day to participate in debris removal. It was an experience that words can't describe. Seeing it first hand is not comparable to pictures or videos that have been shown. Sadly, I can't give as much time as I would like, but I do plan to return in the near future and I would encourage anyone sitting on the fence about helping to stop thinking about it and just go.

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