Some Light Reading

Comrades,
Well my friends, it has been a tad too infrequent a visit for me to the good old blog spot. Much has transpired since the last time I came to you. Between three weddings and trying like a maniac to balance my family life mixed in with some bang bang fireworks it has battered but not beaten this soon to be 36 year old guy. Let us get right into the three weddings before we get into anything else. First stop on the tour was McCall where I had the pleasure of working with Jake & Kassy. What is it with me and lawyers? I have shot more weddings for lawyers in the last three years than most people have in their entire careers! I digress, hanging out at Shore Lodge I yet again visited the gorgeous waters with my subjects known for making amazing picture. Funny thing is, it marked the first the first time the caterer gave me flack for trying to steal a piece of chicken at a wedding. To make a long story short…….Wait, you don’t need to hear that crap, all you need to know is that I am convinced little miss server had plans of her own for the food that was supposed to keep my blood sugar from hitting the ground like a bull rider with no arms! So to offset this nutrient greed, I went over to the lodge and had em make me a burger. Little did I know that I was about to get hit up for $15 just for a beef patty on bread! No wonder the world goes hungry in some parts! Seriously, I had a blast and realize more and more just how much I enjoy doing what I do with the people who entrust me to make their day memorable. Jake & Kassy are amazing people with the looks, smarts, and edge to go the distance in this world. I hope that my commitment to their day stands the test of time as well.

Part 2July 4th was not your typical shin-dig by any stretch I am here to tell you. What was supposed to be a small neighborhood get together turned into something resembling “Daddy Daycare” vs. the Pyromaniacs! Funny how kids will crawl from all parts of the world just to get their paws on your firework supply and I am certain at one point in the night I was randomly pointing bottle rockets at those pre-school agitators! Just kidding…..I was more than glad to share the wealth and to make things complete, my son & the crew he runs with spent the better part of two weeks designing a launcher that rivaled NASA. We managed to shoot mortars across the night sky without getting anyone killed so I venture to say it was a success.

Part 3 (Sorry, No Pics)

Had the chance to spend some time in Redfish with Andy & Sabrina has they had a small ceremony with the Sawtooth Mountains as a backdrop. Talk about awesome! Met some really amazing people and spent the better part of the after party camped out on the patio of the resort drink in hand of course. The sun is so direct up in the mountains my face looked like an apple by day’s end! I always love the type of weddings that end up in a bar long after the formalities are complete. It is there that you see people letting their hair down and taking you in as if they sent you an invitation as a guest. It symbolizes one more block in the wall towards this thing a good wedding photographer invests heavily in that being, relationships with people!

Part 4The grand finale or the hot tamale you can take your pick I found myself spending some time with the ever so adventurous Mark & Emily. This gig marked the first time I participated in a “trash the dress” session and that in itself was both different and a blast. I didn’t want to do the typical dump something on the bride instead, I felt a need to create a scene of confusion mixed colors further emphasizing the beauty of the moment. For all that fancy romance novel talk I just spewed at you let me share what I used. SMOKE BOMBS! Yes, I had her in the cliché water shot but to add some depth I figured red & blue smoke would give the viewer a dybamic caught somewhere between the cover of a romance novel and a Vietnam Flashback. As for the wedding, let’s just say I just keep getting so damn lucky to run with people who represent everything that is right in this world. Somehow I know I have not seen the last of these two and my hats off to Emily for being daring enough to push our pictures to edge and beyond.

I always like to thank those who have pushed, encouraged, and helped me as I continue to pursue the ever changing world of photography. I can always tell who the “real players” are for it is not their gross revenues that speak highest nor is it their talent. It is an understanding that in some way all of us must pass the torch of knowledge on to those who come behind us so that something as healthy and worthwhile like pictures lives on forever. To that end I say thank you to the likes of Scott Evans & Greg Sims for their ability to strip out the ego & secrecy that has become so pervasive in the industry.

Selling Novels in your Hood,

Lance