Engagements - Monica & Wil - A Couple of April Fools

March 27, 2012 in engagement

Last October a few friends and I headed for Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada for a few days of relaxation and fun in the desert. Little did I know that my friend and co-worker Wil was also heading out there at the same time with his girlfriend for a little bit of same. After a few Facebook post and text messages we made plans for all of us to hook up one evening while we were there, but what happened was something I was totally unprepared for.

Music - A Skylit Drive @ The Main for SXSW

March 19, 2012 in concerts

My goal for SXSW this year was just to go down there, wonder aimlessly, and just see what we happened upon (see yesterday's post here). The only thing we had in stone was making it to The Main Friday night to see The Artery Foundation Showcase featuring A Lot Like Birds, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, For The Fallen Dreams, Attila, Woe Is Me, Chelsea Grin and A Skylit Drive.

Music - Our 19 Hours of South By Southwest

March 18, 2012 in concerts

South by Southwest is a chaotic orgy of sensory overload that leaves your body and mind pummeled for days. Over 90 venues and 2000 artists turn downtown Austin into the largest music festival for 5 days every year. It's a music nerd's nirvana.

It's been years since I've made the trip down for SXSW, and until a couple of weeks ago, it looked like I was going to be missing out on another year. But my schedule cleared up and the madness of last minute planning began.

Stacy & Andre - I Finally Got To Shoot Your Engagements!

February 07, 2012 in engagement

Well its about damn time! I know I'm not the first one to say that, but I thought I'd add to the chorus of others that have said it before, but in a happy and teasing way while making the infamous "dusty face". Okay, that maybe a little too inside. For those that don't know, Stacy is my cousin, and she has been a major part of both mine and Jennifer's life for as long as we can remember. It seems like yesterday that you were living with us and we were meeting Andre for the first time in his little bicycle shorts, hahaha.

In Flames @ The Granada Theater 1.22.12

January 25, 2012 in concerts

This past Sunday, Swedish heavy metal band, In Flames return to Dallas in support of their latest release Sounds of a Playground Fading with Trivium, Veil the Maya, and Kyng along for the ride. Each of the opening bands did a pretty decent job warming up the crowd, but for me, this night was all about finally seeing In Flames after gaining knowledge of them in 2003. Well that's kind of misleading, I did see them at Ozzfest in 2005 on the side stage, but seeing a band in the parking lot of an amplitheater with crappy sound and a 20 minute set really doesn't count as seeing them. I digress.

The Burning Hotels @ The Granada Theater 01.14.12

January 16, 2012

If you take a look through this blog I don't think I've made it much of a secret that the Burning Hotels are one of my favorite local bands, and over the past few years I've probably seen them a couple of dozen times. But their headlining show at the Granada this past Saturday, part of the inaugural "Local Edge Presents" showcase, easily rivaled some of the greatest local shows I've seen, including those of Tripping Daisy, The Toadies, and Brutal Juice.

Michelle & Josh - A Night Out On The Town - Engagement Session

January 09, 2012 in engagement

My preferred working time is anywhere from about 2 hours before the sunsets till about 3-4 am. Most photographers fear working at night, but I openly invite it. My somewhat logical thinking is that controlling light is a lot easier in the dark then when a giant orb of orange and yellow is hanging in the sky. It always helps to have a full arsenal of speed lights and remotes at your disposal, as well as nice warm ambient surroundings. So when Lisa called me up and said she had an amazing couple that wanted to go out on the town for the night, I instantly got all tingly inside.

Lyndsey & John: Wedding at the Marty Leonard Chapel

December 28, 2011 in weddings

Lyndsey and John, I don't even know where to begin with these two. It always seems harder the closer you are to a couple, and I've known these two for quite a while now. Lyndsey is a down home girl with punk rock appeal, and John is a "guys guy" who works with his hands and plays in the mud. Put these two together and they are a perfect fit. I met up with Lyndsey early that morning with her girls at the salon, even though John tried his hardest to put me out of commission the night before. That's a different story for a different time.

Artopia Prints Are Available

December 05, 2011

Thank you to everyone that came out the Dallas Observer's Artopia 2010, it was a great night full of aural and visual arts from artist all over North Texas. A special thank you to everyone that purchased one of the prints I had available for sale. It's a great feeling knowing that one of your little babies is going to be hanging on the wall of someone else's home, hopefully bringing a little joy to their day.

If you wanted to purchase a print, but weren't able to make it out to Artopia, well I have some good news for you. I have a few left over! They are all

Erin's Bridals - A Modern Girl With A Bit of Vintage Charm

November 21, 2011 in bridals

About couple of months ago Lisa gave me a call and told me to take the day off and come shoot some bridals with her. I agreed, but was a little confused on what the big deal was. Had I known that, a) we were going to be shooting the extremely elegant Erin, and b) we were going to take over Bailey's Prime Plus for a couple of hours, well there never would have been any confusion to begin with. Erin is a true beauty, that one minute can embellish the essence of classic vogue, and the next minute be frolicking in contemporary chic.

Amber & Cody - The Greatest Love on Earth

November 21, 2011 in weddings

This year has been packed full of interesting weddings with unique themes and locations, but when Lisa told me that we were going to be shooting a Vintage Circus themed wedding, I knew that this was going to be a spectacular event. Inspired by the movie Water for Elephants, Amber and Cody enlisted the help of their family and friends to help transform the Willow Lake Wedding Gardens into the sight of the Greatest Love On Earth. They built everything from

Stefani and Patrick - A Storybook Wedding - 9/17/11

November 14, 2011 in weddings

When Lisa, Eric, and I began our little journey out to Jacksonville, Texas, I wasn't sure what to expect, nor was I quite ready for the excitement we had ahead of us.

First off, the bar was already set high after shooting Stefani's bridals at the McKinney Cotton Mill. That shoot ended up being one of those epic shoots where the bride just fits perfectly with the location she's being shot in, and it's easily one of the best shoots I've done. So when I was told that the wedding was taking place in East Texas, near Jacksonville I became intrigued. When I was told the place was called Castle on the Lake my curiosity peeked.

Gentri in Palo Duro Canyon

October 28, 2011 in Boudoir

The saying goes - "Good things come to those who wait."

Well I have a confession: I've been meaning to post this set of pics for a few months now. But I do have my reasons. For one, I've been wrapped up in Summer weddings, and two, I really couldn't narrow down my favorite pics. One of the down falls of shooting in new locations and with a stunning subject is that you become attached to the shots. This shoot generated over 1500 pics and sorting through them became a nightmare.

DOMA Showcase 2011: The Burning Hotels

October 19, 2011 in concerts

Local indie pop/sex wave darlings The Burning Hotels capped off my evening Saturday night with there midnight performance at Trees. I believe I've gone on record at least once or twice before with saying that these guys are one of my favorite bands in North Texas, and if you haven't had a chance to catch them live yet, well your really missing out. Their set Saturday was fantastic, and possibly the most aggressive I have ever seen them. In fact there were a few points that I feared one of their instruments was going to meet it's untimely demise.

DOMA Showcase 2011: The Toadies

October 18, 2011 in concerts

Wrapping up the main stage activities on Saturday night was Fort Worths' own, the Toadies. And as the first notes of I Come From The Water rang out, it quickly became evident that they weren't there to pace through another set. Instantly the air became electric and the crowd was easily whipped up into a fist pumping craze which helped feed the aggression of the band. It was becoming clear that this night was going to be a special night in DFW music history, not to mention the sports history that was being made by the Rangers on the Jumbo-Tron across from the stage.

DOMA Showcase 2011: The Old 97's

October 17, 2011 in concerts

The Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase was held this past Saturday and over 50 bands played on 10 different stages through out Deep Ellum. The Main stage hosted Sarah Jaffe, Centro-Matic, the Old 97's and the Toadies while directly across from the stage the Texas Rangers were playing game 6 on a large portable jumbotron. It was a fantastic evening, and all bases were covered, no pun intended.

Rita and A New Arrival Just Around the Corner

October 12, 2011 in Maternity

A few months ago when Rita asked me to shoot her maternity photos, I instantly said yes and ideas began racing through my head. Little did I know at the time that we would be returning to Niles City.

Stefani's Epic Bridal Shoot @ The McKinney Cotton Mill

September 21, 2011 in bridals

Meet Stefani, one of Lisa's brides, that I had the wonderful opportunity to join on her bridal session. It's not every day that you run across a bride that wants to break away from the traditional floral and garden shots that normally go with bridal shoots. Stefani wanted something different and unique, and Lisa threw out the suggestion of the McKinney Cotton Mill. I don't think there could have been a better place for her.

Blondes vs Brunettes Dallas: 2011

August 20, 2011 in sports

For the past two years, Eric and I have had the privilege to cover the Blondes vs Brunettes charity football game. The powder puff style football game raises money and awareness for the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Over 70% of Dallas participants have been touched personally by Alzheimer’s disease and they've pledged to spend their summer with the organization as a way to help others in the North Texas community that are struggling with similar stories. This year marked the forth annual game for the Dallas foundation, and the girls were able to raise an incredible $250,000.

All Stars Festival @ The Palladium 7.24.11

August 09, 2011 in concerts

Chaos, mayhem, and panic was in store for the Palladium Ballroom, and that was before the any of the 30 or so bands even took the stage. Due to the recent deaths and injuries at the Electric Daisy Carnival, the Dallas Fire Marshall and Police Department would not allow the promoter, AEG, to operate stages in both the main room and the South Side Music Hall.