The great thing about being caught up on all of my editing is that it gives me a chance to go through my archives. I stumbled across this little blast from the past and thought I would share it with you. In late 2008 I took a trip with a dear friend of mine to the Big Bend area of Texas. It is hard to describe with words or photographs. Some places just have to be experienced to really be appreciated. That's exactly how I feel about Big Bend. The landscapes are enormous and the sky seems to envelop the earth in a magical light. At night the blackness above gives way to billions upon billions of clusters of stars and for the first time I saw the milky way as it truly is. We hiked up mountains, visited the Rio Grande and stayed in towns with names like Marathon, Marfa, Terlingua. We saw the Marfa Lights! Marfa is a hub of avant guard art and artists. The observatory in Ft. Davis was an outstanding experience. We met local folks, farmers, artist and general weirdos that are attracted to the special kind of beauty this area of Texas has to offer.

I have so much to say about this trip and these photos can only say a miniscule amount of what should be said. I hope to go back soon and have so much more to say. Enjoy!  

The past few nights have been so beautiful. It has been cold with a blanket of snow covering the ground. Each night a beautiful fog has rolled in just after 7pm. I have noticed how quiet it gets even in downtown. Last night I saw the chase building just as it was being enveloped in a thick fog and I had to take a photo. Enjoy!

It's one of those times of year when being trapped inside by the snow and ice makes me nostalgic for warmer days. Living in Oklahoma, I know that February marks the end of winter and those beautiful spring days wont be far behind. I have been taking a trip through my 2009 photo archive and came across some photos from a project that Reseth and I did early last year. 

People who know me know that I love to collaborate with other artist when I get the chance. Whether that be another photographer, a model or someone involved in another artistic discipline, I love working with creative people. I was lucky to work with Reseth for many reasons the least not being that she is a creative model but she is also an outstanding photographer. I had been contemplating a concept for a book for quite awhile and decided to try it. The story is slightly abstract and left to the imagination. I wanted the book to be like a fairy tale told through photos. Check out a preview of the book "The Dream" on Blurb. 

As a photographer it can be easy to get into a rut and put yourself into a box. Personal projects can give you the chance to get outside of the normal way of thinking about your photography and approach. I think it benefited me greatly to complete this project and produce a final product. I already have a couple of ideas for projects that I will be working on for 2010. I can't wait to share the process. In the meantime check out a few images from my 2009 book project.

Wow! It felt like ol' Teddy Roosevelt would walk through the door at any moment. The details in this place are just amazing. Deer Springs Lodge is a new venue in Luther Ok. that will host weddings, retreats and parties. It's just off of historic Route 66 east of Edmond. The main house is huge and has a great view of classic Oklahoma landscapes. They even have American Bison on the property. At the bottom of the hill is a cozy bunk house that is as fascinating and impressive as the main house. I love this place and I hope that I am lucky enough to get to photograph a few events there this year.

Additional Photography by Reseth Photogarapy   

I had such a great shoot with Leigha. She is a model with the Anthony David Agency. Reseth and I have been working together on portfolio shoots for the agency's models. Leigha was so great to work with and we had a lot of fun. At the end of the shoot we had a chance to experiment a little with light and technique. That's what I love about photography the most is the ability to improvise in the midst of the shoot. That's exactly what we did and I think we got a couple of really beautiful shots. It is really important to push yourself as a photographer and see what can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone. Sometime the results are unexpected and beautiful, sometimes you fail. In this case it was a great success.

Hair and makeup by Anthony David Salon in Penn Square Mall.

Clothing by Blush in Norman, Ok.  

Check out Reseth's photos from this shoot on her blog.