winter at the St. Louis LDS temple

I was on the drive home from Kirkwood the other day and came across a really cool sky to the northeast of the St. Louis Temple in Town and Country. Half of the adventure was scrambling across traffic to reach the outer road in time before the sun set, which I knew would happen at any moment, not to mention the possibility of the clouds shifting completely out of the scene...

Time of photo: 4:30 p.m. Lens: Canon 17-40mm f/4 L, zoomed to 29 mm, f/11. Approx. 1/60 second exposure. Camera: Canon 5D.

this week in pictures

december: it's bell season

Silver bells. Wedding bells ... We're all about December chimes in this family, as we ourselves are nearing our sixth wedding anniversary on Tuesday (cue celebration, please, and break out the sparkling pomegranate juice).

Laura and Jay, on the other hand, are on day two, with wedding bells for this newlywed BYU couple ringing out Saturday, Dec. 19, at approximately 2:45 p.m. (Congratulations to both!!) Hope you enjoy this sampling of photos from their big day. (For best viewing, select the "HQ" version in the viewing window; the improved clarity is worth the delay.)

And, finally, thanks be to Amie for the referral :)

sweet caroline

There are many different ways to portray an infant in photos, typically sweet, serene and oh-so-tiny wins out. But when your little one receives a gift like the top right from a family member - it just has to be showcased in a few photos.

We always strive to find unique angles, but when you find unique objects as well to dress up the shoot (i.e. the middle shot) it's a win-win.

What a fun family, and a precious baby girl. Thanks for the referral, Kathryn, and thanks Hess' for the great night!

it seems like yesterday...

... that we were in Nursery with their oldest. And now? Two years later: Welcome, Baby Christian! Congrats to the Tilton family, our friends and members of our ward.

I'll be on the 7 o'clock to Chicago ...

Above words sung by the amazingly talented Kate Voegele come to mind when I think of Selena, the beautiful daughter of one of my coworkers. Random, I know. But I could not stop humming the song during the shoot.

Ben and I got to hang out with Selena and Amy this weekend at Forest Park while she was on winter break from Loyola. So these pics are a different kind of senior pictures. Yes, it's true - only one semester left until college graduation. So tell me, if a resume came with the picture three over from the right, would you hire her?

I guess Richard Peck was right, we are a Long Way From Chicago. Images shot with Canon 5D and Canon 30D; 50mm f/1.8 lens and 70-200 f/4 L.

e.m., part II (19 days young)

Got the chance to shoot David & Val & Zoe & Emery again!! Something so sweet, serene and adorable about a sleeping newborn; so glad we had Round 2. All images captured with a 50mm f/1.8 lens, at varying apertures (from 1.8-4).

bad poetry and beautiful children

Precious. Little. Children. Of All Ages: 2 years. 10 days. 9 months. All so different. All so happy. Lucky parents. Happy families. Merry Christmas. Awwww.

merry christmas season

Several of you have asked to see more of what I shot at the LDS nativity exhibit, Dec. 4-6. Now you can :) See all 65 images from this year's Creches and Carols exhibit in Frontenac, Mo.

Most viewers must click the "Play" button once the page loads to view the slideshow.

i'll try to stop growing up so fast, love winston

f/4 @ 50mm & ISO 320. Colors changed in Photoshop CS3, Image > Variations.

happy birthday! i'm 12!

... Days. 12 days. Like, 298 hours. 12.
Congrats, Val n David! We're ridiculously happy for you!

not exactly twilight

Meet Megan, STL-native and student at the best undergrad school in the nation. I love the colors in this image, achievable when the sky is overcast or when you're in complete shadow. In this instance, we were tucked away in the woods on an overcast day, so we got the best of both worlds. Great expression to boot. Heck. If it weren't so cheery and bright, you'd think we were shooting something for Twilight. PS--Photos are all but done from this hour-and-a-half shoot!

Update: View a slideshow from this shoot... Click the play button once the page loads.

out of the ordinary

This is not a typical blimbam post, but in honor of Day 1 of the best month of the year, we're sharing two things that you might want to consider getting out of the house for and attending if you're in the STL/StChuck area (both very Christmas-y, for sure).

1) If you're looking to expose the kids to theatre but don't feel like dropping a ton on tix, visit SCC's calendar website and find the info on "Scrooge, The Stingiest Man in Town." Shot this picture last night for the show's publicity:



2) If you just want some good old-fashioned holiday cheer & spirit, free of charge, then the 5th annual Creches and Carols exhibit at 10445 W. Clayton Rd. in Frontenac is a must-see, Dec. 4-6 from noon-8 p.m. Put together this short video a while back: