Wow.  That's all I can say.  This shoot was fantastic.  Sarah and James are so open and so appreciative of each other and the relationship they have built together... it's inspiring.  It's clear that they have something really special.  Something deep, something meaningful.  They're in it to win it.

I took some artistic liberties with these photos for Sarah and James and found it to be a rather wonderful processing experience, which was a pleasant change from being so obsessive about the white balance that all joy is lost.  I've been doing a lot of self-education recently about the direction that I want to take my photography in and my most recent sources of inspiration are Samm Blake and Dan O'Day.  These two Aussie photographers are truly groundbreaking.  They create art, something unexpected, something that doesn't look like every other photograph of a couple.  If I could even get one step closer to that, I'd be a happy camper.

Without further ado, the amazing Sarah and James:

I just added these three items to Etsy... and I woke up to a lovely surprise: I had some mini-cards featured in a new Treasury!  Go check it out, there are some really unique items in there :)

This past weekend we were in Georgia attempting to experience the mountains.  We didn't have much luck for a number of reasons, but at least we were up there.  The next post will feature shots from the trip... but at least now you know why it's taken me so long to post :)

I took this shot at Bo's house on Friday evening.  The theme for the current DGrin challenge is 'Unique or Ordinary', so I decided to do a photo of one of Bo's masks.  I'm really not a big mask person myself, but he has one or two (which are only mildly freaky) so I thought it might work.  

Yes, photo.  Here it is:

50mm 1.4, f/2.0, 1/8sec, ISO 1000, no flash

I almost didn't make this one, folks... I am so tired right now.

For this photo I laid down in the middle of the street and shot at ISO 3200.  I came back in and stacked five frames in photoshop to try to reduce some of the noise.  It didn't reduce the noise as much as I'd expected... I guess that's part of the learning process.... it was my first time stacking. 

I've noticed that I've had lots of really warm-toned images happening recently... some of that will probably change soon as we'll be heading to the mountains in Georgia for the weekend and hope to encounter some snow and bright blue skies.  I likely won't be posting until Tuesday since I won't be back until late Monday night.

50mm 1.4, f/2.0, 1/5sec, ISO 3200, no flash

Well, starting Thursday evening, I had some internet connection issues and then I was out of town for the weekend and just got back home.  I figured that since there was so much to post, I would just put them all into one.  

I have to admit that I am happy to be on the home stretch at this point.  I have enjoyed the challenge so far and feel like I've started to learn something about my shooting style, but it does add a little stress to my day to come home after a full day of work and then come up with an idea for a photo... especially when it's been a slightly less than stellar day and I am not really in the mood.  I do think that it is important to push through those moments and do what you set out to do.  Sometimes those moments force me to get creative and the result something I wouldn't have otherwise done, so they have their merits.  This challenge does force me to keep my eyes open and to focus on details that are easy to overlook.  

Day 17: The necklace.  Beth made this for me!

50mm 1.4, f/2.0, 1/30sec, ISO 800, no flash

Day 18: Decent Pizza.  Not the best shot ever, but if you go to a pizza place with hand-tossed dough, then you just have to get this shot... even if you do have to use a really show shutter speed and it comes out kinda crappy. :)

28-135 3.5-5.6 @28mm, f/3.5, 1/30sec, ISO 3200, no flash

Day 19: Leaves.  Now that it's nearly February, we're starting to see a handful of colorful leaves here and there.  Florida is so weird.

28-135 3.5-5.6 @135mm f/5.6, 1/1000sec, ISO 400, no flash

Day 20: Geometry.

28-135 3.5-5.6@ 135mm, f/5.6, 1/20sec, ISO 400, no flash