don't try this at home

two weeks ago, i travelled to LA with my wife to attend the wedding of my cousin and his bride. at the very front end of the trip, we were packed and ready waiting at our house for our neighbor who was our ride to the airport... he was a little bit late. then, as my wife sat outside with her bags, so prepared, the neighbor called to let me know that he was "just around the corner," and that he would be there/here in about five minutes. well, he was true to his word, and he pulled in our driveway with a slight bit of unexpected hurry. then, he exited the car, and within ten seconds he flashed an armband and said that he had come from the hospital where his wife, the subject of these portraits, had been admitted several hours early for early labor. she was four weeks early, but already halfway dilated. according to him, she was relaxed and having coffee with her mom in the hospital room. my wife and i stood, likely with our jaws sagging, perplexed at how he had decided not to call us and opt out of the service work that he had agreed to the day before. well, he, and she, are just that kind of people. he was persistent and convincing that he was the one that was going to escort us to the airport, so much so, that i hardly got a good word in to counter his pitch. i was able to utter, "i don't know that i feel real good about this." in looking back on it, i conclude that he was high... not in the drug induced kind of high, but pure adrenaline skyrocket kind of high. he is often abuzz, but he was maxed out on the way to the airport. it was kind-of awesome to witness. he was considering stopping back by their house to caulk their bathroom that he had worked on the night before... ??? anyways, these portraits were taken a year ago, and since then, she has birthed a baby girl, and the husband, our ride to the airport, was thankfully present for the delivery. they are great neighbors/parents/people. i hope that they know that we owe them one... besides the vegetarian shepherd's pie that we gave them tuesday.

lights out

they say that april showers bring may flowers, but i would also like to add that they also sometimes knock out power in city blocks... and sometimes worse, like flood a city. anyways, on a particular april evening, i ventured to a friend's house, who happens to live nearby, and when i arrived at her house, it looked as though nobody was home. i rapped on the door several different times, and then as i decided to leave, she arrived with her two sons and husband. they were surprised to find the house without power, but, they were evidently prepared... even prepared to sit for a portrait. these are the kind of shots that make this project complete. not that i am not thrilled to capture a random stranger in a parking lot, but these types of quirky, extremely circumstantial moments round out the story that is told here with these images. this woman is the mother of one of the boys that has a piece of my oldest daughter's heart... it is a sweet connection between two young human beings. unfortunately, i just found out that they are moving to texas, and i am not ready to watch my daughter (who is under nine years old,) navigate the complicated waters of a long distance relationship. it may be a painful separation, but the heart's gonna break sometime... so, i will begin preparing the daughter.

twice in a back yard

sometimes, the portrait was right there in my back yard... and, lucky for me, i sort-of have a handful of back yards. the gentleman here was one of a group of about nine masons who were gathered outside their meeting place, which is just behind my studio. as i left the studio on my way home on this particular morning, i spied these white coated men bathed in sunlight, and it was a no-brainer to turn the car and head straight for the gathering. as expected, they looked at me with deep curiosity as i stepped out of my car with my camera... and, as expected, one of the group quickly emerged as the go-to guy for my proposed project. there is always one in the bunch, and this guy came through with poise and pride. having the coat on surely added to the "attitude," and the only challenge he seemed to have was not breaking his seriousness as his buddies threw comedic quips his way. the next back yard discovery was behind the back yard at my in-laws. i was there celebrating several of the five birthdays that fall within the span of four weeks. as we were out on the screened-in porch eating cake, this girl strode by trying to keep her busy friends in line. although she was obviously on a walk, she didn't seem too bothered with my stopping her... and i did keep it brief. so, if you ever need a portrait in a pinch, don't forget to check the back yard... there is likely one there waiting.

the giver

into this world, some people are born who are capable of doing much more than the average person; this woman is one of those super-people. she gives of herself constantly. she runs a clinic that helps children with special needs... it takes the saint variety of human to successfully accomplish something like this, and she does it with style. she also co-chairs a fundraising event every year to help support a foundation that establishes connections between adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and fully functioning peers. these photos were taken last year at the end of a long evening (and even longer week for her,) as the party/fundraiser was coming to a close. she was a little leery of allowing me access to her exhaustion, but, as she does time and time again, she gave of herself for the greater good.

hip hop girl scout

if i had not seen this girl dance in her hip-hop class (that my daughter is also in,) i would have held a certain opinion of her... that she is sweet, subtle, and not really a hip-hop type of girl. well, i still think that she is sweet, but her moves on the dance floor prove that she is much more dimensional than she appears to be on the surface. what is more awesome is that every other week, she goes straight from hip-hop class to a "girl scout-ish" type meeting. i have watched her transition from hip shaking to selena gomez, to sporting the scout cap without missing a beat. her parents should be proud, and i believe that they are.

good hair day

picking up my oldest daughter from school sometimes seems like a chore, and other times it seems like the blessing that it is. sometimes, i see parents that seem sad and burdened and distracted and angry. other times, like with this parent, i see positive, bright energy beaming from within. here, the energy evidently travels up and out through her hair, eyes, and smile. she is a wonderful addition to the experience of the "pick-up line." on the particular day that these photos were taken, she seemed to feel like it was serendipitous for some reason. i will send her the portraits soon, and i may get more info on this. regardless, i am thankful for her presence at the school and on this project.

god-child

i know very little about the rules of godparenting. i did not grow up with godparents, as i am not catholic or whatever it takes to make such type of parents necessary. but, i am now a godfather to this beautiful little girl. as i understand, i am to be available for consultation or guidance if she needs assistance in any way as she ventures down her path. i believe that i am equipped for this, but i have yet to be tested by her. one challenge could silence any doubt i have, or it could send me into a shallow state of despair as i question my skills as a godfather. regardless of any of this, she is a cute joy, and i could not be more honored to be in her life. one of the wonderful things about this situation is that her, my god-daughters parents know that i (and my wife) do not attend church.