Road Rage

I return from North Carolina and headed off to a day at Disneyland with the family yesterday in the late afternoon.  You always see on TV and sometimes on the side of the road people fighting with road rage and getting into it.  I never thought I'd be part of an incident but yesterday...I was.  

We pulled out of our neighborhood street onto a two lane road that goes downhill.  We turned into traffic with plenty of time to get into the lane.  A Saab convertible was rolling down the hill very fast....when I turned into the lane I compensated for his distance from us but couldn't account for his speeding.  Both lanes were open and I stayed in the right lane.  The Saab came up on us pretty quick...but by the time he was behind us we were going 45 mph...the speed limit.  

The Saab then started tailgating us and swerving violently behind us on purpose.  He then pulled into the left lane and started screaming and flipping us off, all the while honking his horn.  I had Kara and the boys in the family minivan, and Kara waved to the guy hoping he would realize we didn't mean anything...no bad feelings.

The Saab then pulled in front of us and started "German Braking" the practice of slamming on your brakes trying make the person behind you crash or have to veer quickly to the left or right.  I just slowed down at his pace of braking...and then this guy stopped his car dead in front of us.  He then proceeded to start to get out of his car.  Kara then quickly looked at me and said, "You aren't going to get out are you?"  I replied, "Are you kidding?  Do you think I'm going to fight some idiot throwing a temper tantrum with my family in the car?"  

As Mr. TT (Temper Tantrum) a man in his mid 40's, approached us I put our van in reverse and started to back up....Mr. TT started following us on foot.  As soon as I head enough room between him and his car to avoid hitting both I put the minivan in forward and hit the gas.  At this point he was at my window screaming violently...and as soon as he realized that I wasn't going to engage him he punched the window as hard as he could.  As we sped away he kicked the car leaving a significant mark on the side that we found later when we inspected the car at a gas station.  As we drove away I saw Mr. TT screaming in the middle of the road flipping us off and yelling.

A few thoughts on the experience: I would be humiliated to attack a family and a car full of children just because I had no control over my anger.  I doubt he will feel that kind of emotion...but he wasn't a man, he was a child.  Anyone that knows me knows that I'm not bashful, and given the need I would have no problem defending myself or my family.  But this wasn't defense, it was sheer lunacy.  The best way to defend you and yourself is by taking the most expedient way to ensure your safety....99% of the time using your fists or other weapons isn't the way to ensure your safety...in fact, it's the best way to ensure your danger.  

Road rage is a clear sign that you have no control over your emotions, and you are just choosing to unleash your fury on a stranger.  Keep yourself safe and don't become a news item...stay in your car and leave the situation..never make it worse.  We live in a very nice neighborhood, and Mr. TT drove a very nice car...so road rage isn't about how much money you have or where you live....in my opinion it just means you still haven't finished that last leg of puberty.  Have a great weekend.

Note: This is not a picture of Mr. TT, just stock footage...but he did kind of look like this...maybe it's the same guy!

Herrin Bros Ice Company

I love finding old stuff....I just returned from a trip to North Carolina and found this great abandoned gas station just outside of Charlotte.  I just love history and when I shoot old buildings like this it always makes me wonder what this looked like when it was first built...what cars came through, what products they sold, what the street looked like, etc.  

I find these places by just wandering aimlessly in the car knowing that I can always get back to the hotel with my GPS.  These kinds of places are disappearing throughout the US...wherever you live try and find a really cool place and snap a picture of it before it goes away forever....

Grandaddy's Homestead

Our final stop on our trip to Colorado and back was the Lanier family farm.  The picture below is of the first home my Grandpa Lanier built on the farm when he homesteaded the farm 90 years ago.  The way the story is told...as small as this little house was, my Grandpa (Robert) and his brother would actually invite a few people over with a fiddle and have a dance.  

Looking at this dilapidated shack I can't believe how much times have changed just since my Grandpa homesteaded the farm so many years ago.  I still remember spending summers at the farm in Pleasant View and as we would play in the fields we would find parts of pots from the Indians that once inhabited the land hundreds of years ago.  Now that my Dad has passed it is always awesome to go back and visit...this is the place he grew up, and was a place he truly loved.  I will now be taking my boys to the farm for summers so they can start to build some of the same memories that I have.  Nothing is better than feeling a part of your family....

Kids Big Rock

After we left Zion's Canyon we started our drive to Colorado.  The drive is quite long and that can take a toll on a family with three 5-year old boys.  We have a goal that every time we pull over we find something fun to do if possible.  While driving we saw this huge rock just to the side of the road.  We took our van...did some off-roading and drove to the rock.  The boys unbuckled themselves and RAN to the rock.  This shot wasn't set up...they just ran because they needed to get their energy out.  

We stayed there for about an hour....longer than a normal break but it was so much fun that we just couldn't cut it short.  The boys threw rocks, and the coolest thing was the rock was so big that as the boys ran up to it yelling all the way...a huge echo came back.  It was pretty surprising given the fact that the area was so wide open...but that's how big the rock was.  The boys must have spent 10 minutes just busting up laughing from all the crazy things they said and listened for the echo back.  It's moments like these that make being a Dad the best thing in the world.....

The Look

I had a lot of fun on this shoot because it was an unconventional shoot.  The bride and groom were very free and up for anything....and any idea I put forward was met with, "Yeah...we'll do that!"  I have found the most successful way to have a great shoot is to use the challenging parts of the surroundings as tools to enhance the shoot.  

The wind was blowing so hard that I put the groom in front of the tree to block the wind on him a little bit...and then put the bride out there where her dress and veil could blow with reckless abandon.  I always tell my clients that in order to have a great shoot they must trust me and do whatever I ask...and that's when we can get shots like this.  I hope you enjoy!

Cave Kiss

I took this shot in Zion's Canyon of Jake and Libby.  You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to climb to this location....there really is a huge drop off to the right of the bride and groom...and you have to walk around some parts on a make shift wooden bridge because there is no trail.  It was crazy to shoot there but worth it!  More shots to come soon.....

Zion's Canyon Bride

While in Utah we did a shoot in Zion's Canyon.  If you haven't been to Zion's Canyon you should go....it's amazing.  In many ways it's better than the Grand Canyon because there is so much to do...and with Zion's Canyon there is so much to explore and discover.  We had an amazing shoot, and my boys were in heaven.  We did the shoot with Jake and Libby who are getting married next month....and they did a great job.  The wind started blowing so hard when we were taking these shots that I told the bride to fight the wind...which lead to the shot below. More shots to come later!

Lone Rock- Lake Powell

During our road trip we had to take a driving break to release some energy.  We stopped off at a place called Lone Rock at Lake Powell.  During summer season this place is packed with smimmers, boats, and people...but during our trip we almost had the place to ourselves.  I decided to try and teach the boys how to skip rocks...like my Dad taught me so many years ago. 

As enthralled as I was with skipping rocks, the boys were just so happy to be able to throw rocks without getting in trouble that they tried to skip the rocks....but eventually just reverted back to throwing rocks...and boy did they throw.  It was great...and a beautiful place to stop and enjoy some great family time together.

Playing in the snow

Global cooling?  We are on a road trip passing through the states of California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado.  Yesterday there was a fresh batch of snow dropped just north of St. George Utah.  The boys asked to play and how could we say, "No?"  They didn't care about coats, how cold it was, or anything....they just wanted to play.  It was awesome and a wonderful start to the trip....more cool pics to come later...

Downtown Los Angeles- A night to remember

Once in a while a night comes along where everything goes right...and it truly becomes a night to never forget.  We spent the day as a family going throughout the city on several appointments and ended up in downtown LA at 7pm.  Tired from the travels and needing food we ordered room service and it was fantastic.  They brought it up to our suite...and we had so much room it was just perfect.  

We then spent the night watching movies until the kids fell asleep and then Kara and I finally got some time to unwind.  I snapped a few shots quickly to chronicle the night....and the first shot of the freeway was taken from our suite that had windows over 80% of the room.  The boys were mesmerized by the views and just sat by the windows watching everything.  They got a big kick out of watching a cop give a motorist a ticket....they kept saying, "Ooooh, he got busted."  It was great to be at the hotel, together as a family...and a great start to the weekend!  Have a great Friday.

New Galleries Coming Soon

Now that we've launched the new website....we are launching new Galleries that should be done in about two weeks.  We probably should have done the galleries before the website....but hey...sometimes it just works out like that.  I'm heading up to Utah to do a shoot with a bride and groom that should be a lot of fun.  I'll make sure to post pics when I have them....Happy April Fools to everyone!

WPPI 8x10 Competition- Another submission

This has been a really great and bad month for my blog.....It's the most I've ever posted in one month but I haven't posted for the past 5 days....not good. Below is the second print I've decided to submit to WPPI for the upcoming competition. Things have been crazy for me lately. I was talking to Joe Buissink the other day and we discussed the economy and the impact it's had on photography.

What about you, has the economy impacted your business? As hard as it is, brides and grooms are still looking for fantastic photography....consider yourself lucky to be working in an industry that provides coverage for a once in a lifetime event...because if you didn't it would be even harder. I promise to get back to posting regularly. Have a great weekend!

Candy Girls

"I don't like to sleep"

Last night my son Kevin woke up and walked down the hallway and peeked around the corner watching TV way past his bedtime.  I took him back to his room with his brothers and told him he needed to go back to sleep.  Kevin looked at me and said, "Daddy, I don't like to sleep."  I chuckled  and said, "I know, but you need to sleep so you can get bigger."  

Proving that kids are smarter than parents Kevin responded, "I don't need to get bigger...I like my size."  I laughed again and said, "I like you just the way you are too...but you need to get bigger so you can grow up and take pictures like Daddy."  Kevin looked at me and said, "Okay, but I want you to sleep with me."  He then proceeded to sit up, scoot over and say, "Look there's plenty of room, my pillow is very soft, and my blanky is very comfy."  How could I say, "No?"  

By the time I turned off the TV and went back to the room he woke up his brothers who wanted to talk to me about taking a camping trip...and made me promise they could have s'mores.  One thing I'll never regret is taking time for my kids....because I will never get last night back again...it's in the record books...and I'm glad I spent it with my boys...all of whom don't like to sleep........

Ontario Mills Appearance

We've been asked to make an appearance to display our work and speak with brides about their weddings this coming Thursday March 19th from 6-9pm at the Ontario Mills mall.  This mall is the second largest mall in the US, so this should be a lot of fun.  Below are some of the prints that we will be displaying.  If you have some time drop by....it will be a lot of fun!!

Children- the icing on the cake for wedding photography

I can't help myself from looking for great opportunities for photo ops at weddings with children.  It's a given that what you capture of the bride and groom will be magical...but capturing the children adds such a different element to your photography.  I receive more comments from the bride and groom after the wedding on the shots taken of children.  Take the first picture below as an example....I took this shot before the bride walked down the aisle.  The groom was waiting inside and the bride was sequestered in the hotel...so neither bride or groom ever saw this moment.  That is what makes photography transform from something you just snap to something to capture and create.....it's all about moments and I love the ones with children.....

Lighthouse Bride- WPPI 8x10 competition

This is the first image that I've chosen for the 8x10 competition for WPPI that has to be submitted within the next month.  I love focusing on imagery that evokes a story....that makes you stop and think about the photo for more than 1 second.  It's always my goal for my images to do this for the viewer.  More images to come.....

Mahana Water

These shots were taken in Maui at a beautiful waterfall with a bride named Mahana.  We had to hike down a big trail which wasn't easy with a ton of camera equipment...but it was worth it.  More shots to come later!!

Cleveland revisited

Cleveland is still one of my favorite shoots ever.  Between the Squires Castle and the shots taken at Jacob's Field where the Indians play....what could be better?  The shot above in the field is one of my favorite infrared shots ever....

Redoing History- Finishing the job

I have learned so much over the last couple years with photoshop that I got the urge to go back and re-photoshop some of my favorite shots from my past weddings taken years ago.  People often ask me why I am able to charge the rates I do....and what makes the difference between a good photographer and great photographer?  Over the years I've had the opportunity to meet and work with so many great photographers....Yervant, Joe Buissink, David Jay, etc...and in all my time spent I've learned so much about finishing the job...

When I first started photoshopping years ago I would take probably 10 minutes each on my favorite shots, now I'm taking hours or days on 1 shot.  It's not only how you take the shot (which is vital), but it's also how you finish the shot.  It would be like having a Lamborghini with a horrible paint job.  It's great to have an awesome car...but it doesn't look very good.  My advice to all photographers is....finish your work....and the money will come.