Moving

I hate loathe it. Especially the whole cleaning process. At least the bathroom is already spic and span:

Edwina

On Sunday Ginny and Maureen invited me to come along for one of their visits to The Vintage, a senior care facility in Denton. They've been visiting Ms. Edwina and her roommate, Kitty, for sometime now and I've heard so much about the two. I finally got to meet Edwina...what a beautiful woman! She's tremendously sweet, has stories for days, and has a very contagious smile:



here, she's mid-story:

and there was light.

they're here

Thinking for a Change

Learning to consistently cultivate creative thoughts has become a very important issue for me,
as someone who's launching a career in the creative sphere. Lately I've been nearly obsessed with seeking out the things that spur my creativity - helping me think forward. Not only with photography but in business decisions, personal relationships, finances...you name it.


I recently picked up Thinking for a Change,by John C. Maxwell, and have been impressed. I'm normally not drawn to the whole motivational genre but this book is not anywhere near the level of corniness that I've grown to expect from motivational authors.

In fact, after reading the chapter entitled 'Discover the Joy of Creative Thinking', I nearly filled one of my little Moleskine notebooks (i love these things) with some fresh lighting ideas, marketing, sketches...

So I think I may have to settle on one of two conclusions:

1. I'm actually becoming so corny that I can no longer detect the corniness of others.

or

2. The book actually does it's job. Whether the practices outlined in it are the real deal or not, if I'm motivated/inspired after reading it I got my money's worth.

wow...hilarious

I never really noticed how truly bad lousy the Marmaduke comic strip is. That is until Ian led me here: Marmaduke Explained. The comic's jokes aren't funny (very un-funny, in fact) but the explanations offered by Joe Mathlete, the blog's creator, are more than funny. As if I needed yet another internet distraction.

I will...

...be there.

Ginny's Birthday!

Here are some images from Ginny's birthday get-together. The combination of good friends/good food has always been a favorite of mine.



Sangria.




Mango, Jicama and Basil. Loved it.






oh snap.


Maureen is a culinary wizard-ess.


More of Maureen's magic.



not fooling anyone.


Congrats to Oscar! Just before the party he received the news that he's now an uncle.
Here's a pic of his newborn niece on his mobile:

Gear Lust

The pageant that I shot last Saturday got me thinking about how much I need a set of Pocket Wizards. I HATE the quality of on-camera flash. I like to use my flashes off-camera whenever I'm able...but, as in the case of last Saturday, I don't always have someone to assist me or the ability to remain within the 9ft range of my sync cables. I can't wait to grab some of these! I love the way new equipment can change the way you think and work: more creatively. I've been day-dreaming of so many different ways I'd be able to use these things! Definitely near the top of the gear lust list.

examples:

beautiful woman. UGLY on-camera lighting.




crazy dude. much nicer light quality via sync
cable.


*photo nerd signing off*

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time -

It's not often that I get to sit down and zone out to the tube...but when I can you'll normally catch me watching the Discovery and History channels. I love learning about things that I'd otherwise have no inclination towards investigating. Take the History Channel's special on Houdini for example. I've never been a huge fan of magicians/illusionists/escape artists but I have always been able to appreciate the skill of true entertainers. Harry Houdini was THE entertainer of his time. Seeing how seriously he took his art form as well as how he lived it is what stood out to me.

I remember telling my mother (when I was much, much younger!) about my desire to become a stand-up comedian. Ha! That delusion remained until one day, for one reason or another, the thought of how difficult it would be to attempt to entertain a group of complete strangers overwhelmed me. Strangely enough, watching the Houdini program, as it revealed so many little things the man did to set his shows apart, conjured up those same feelings from so long ago. Some people are born entertainers...i guess.

The Greenest of Houses

Just got back from the Greenhouse where a friend, Ian, was playing a farewell show of sorts before he ships off to take his post as the Artist-in-Residence at the University of Idaho. Great musician (swings harder than most other Canadian jazzers). Here are a few shots of the evening:

Jasmine's on the move...

My sis called late last night with exciting news (well, at least to us): my seven-month-old niece is now crawling! Time is definitely flying...

Catching up...

I've been a little behind on things since I got back from vacation last week. Hopefully I'll be able to make up some ground as soon as possible.

I've been booked for a San Antonio area wedding this fall and I can't wait! I love photographing weddings. Everyone is in a great mood, looking their best. Here are a few shots from the pre-bridal session:







Congrats to Amanda Castillo and Scott Crowder on their engagement! I appreciate them allowing me to be a part of their special day.

Manny Librodo, Jr.

...is simply amazing. I've been a fan of his work for while. Sometimes I think about how lucky I am to live in the digital age - inspiration at the click of a button.

here's a quote from his pbase profile:

"My goal is to infect
my viewers with what they see in my picture. Be it a
smile, a frown, a hopeful gaze or a look of despair,
life is worth sharing."

Leo

Yesterday was a busy one. Errand after errand. Didn't get to do any shooting until late. My buddy, Leo Johnson, came to me for some stylized head shots he had in mind.



This cat's a really talented entertainer who's definitely headed to Tinseltown one day. Watch out for this guy!

On the map! - Reverse Nostalgia

My first blog post! This should be fun...

I've been thinking about this for a while. With so much going on in my life: moving, starting a business, new family members, etc I've been thinking that a blog might be a nice thing to have. I'm certain I'll be better able to connect with clients...I know after reading the blogs of some of my favorite fellow photogs I feel like I already know them! I also think that one day it would be nice to sit back and reminisce on the days of Lathon Photography's infancy, the wonderful people who allowed me to photograph them, and all of those who helped me along the way...

thanks in advance.