Boise Idaho High School Senior Photographer/ Anne

What an amazing journey it's been working with Anne this summer.  She was so excited about working on her Senior photos that she started before her Junior year was up and pretty much wanted to everything.  We did a casual studio session, a vintage light session, an outdoor session and last but not least, we trashed her prom dress in a friend's pond.  What a fantastic set of images we captured of this truly wonderful girl.

Boise Idaho Wedding Photographer/ Andrew and Sarah

Andrew and Sarah were married this June at the Boise Botanical gardens. The couple is a very relaxed pair, certainly a breath of fresh air in a fast-paced, "get is done now" world. They were a joy to photograph.
This wedding was the maiden voyage of some new off camera radio triggers I recently purchased, which were pressed into service just in time. The off camera flash really tamed what can be a very difficult venue for family group shots...particularly in the mid-afternoon. We got some awesome family photos and it worked out well for the bride and groom too...photographs that would not have been possible without it.

Boise Idaho Wedding Photographer/ Richard and Becka

Here is a wedding from a few months ago, I happen to be a little behind...well... a lot behind on my blogging.
I became acquainted with Becka several years ago, I am good friends with her parents and I also took her High School Senior portraits. The wedding was held at the historic Capital City Christian Church in Boise...quite frankly I never tire of the stained glass in that building...it's just amazing!
There was a lot of laughing, singing, dancing and fun throughout the day. This was a joy to photograph!

Boise Idaho High School Senior Photographer/ Justin

Justin is just about to graduate this spring and is looking forward to serving in the military after High School.

Boise Idaho High School Senior Photographer/ Mike

We greatly enjoyed working with Mike on his Senior session. Mike will be graduating this year and will be attending Boise Bible College in the fall.

Boise Idaho Portrait Photographer/ CarolBeth

This is a publicity shot for a local musician who I have known personally for a very long time. CarolBeth is very accomplished classical pianist...but also is a pretty cool keyboard player and can mix it up playing in any band she chooses to. This is a photographic tribute to a very good friend...

Goodbye Boise Blue Art Supply

Boise Blue Art Supply will close it's doors in the next couple of weeks. After 71 years of serving the art community, the iconic art supply store succumbed to the pressure of economy, online retailers and "big box" stores.
When I began to study art back in the early 1980's, I learned about Boise Blue and began to make regular treks to Boise so I could see what art related item I was missing, and I always found something I needed. When in college, I spent a lot of time there finding things to complete my assignments. Even after college I get a job working in advertising design and publications ...guess what? I was there...a lot! Even today, as a Photographer, I would go a buy mat board and other framing related articles because they had a huge selection and a staff who really knew how to pick the right colors for your print, and they always had the right item to solve your problem. Nobody else in town had that. And now, nobody will.
It's almost like losing a Grandparent, so many memories attached to that place, it was always good to me, I always found exactly what I needed there and I wonder what life will like without it. It is part of an institution that is fading away in our country, the small business.
I walked through the store yesterday looking at the shelves that were beginning to empty out. There was no "Going out of Business Sale" happening, but the store was full of customers, buying their art supplies there for the last time and grieving with the staff over the loss of Boise Blue.

Boise Idaho Commercial Photographer/ Hairstyle model shoot

Once in a while a project comes along that promises to challenge me. About 2 weeks ago I got a Facebook message from Toronto Canada from Dawn Maglish, a student of cosmetology who was in Toronto at a conference to further her education. The message stated that she was entering a national hairstyle contest. Her mentors advised her to hire a professional photographer as her designs were really strong and she just needed someone to who could illustrate her designs to the panel of judges in the best possible fashion. She was going to be back in town in a couple of days and she would only have a few days to get the pictures taken and submitted for competition.
Although my entire career has been dedicated to portraiture, I've admired model photography for some time. Yes, I admit, I watch America's Top Model every time it's on. I read Vogue, Elle and In Style magazine in order to keep up with the current trends of the fashion world. I have found this to be a very important part of the photography business.
I'm finding that a fashion vibe is starting to infiltrate my work and I'm actively finding ways to incorporate it into my High School Seniors and Wedding work. Now there was no incorporation...it was going to be all about fashion.
We scheduled a couple of appointments to accommodate the model's schedules and went to work. Rule number one: everything else fell secondary to the hairdo. Secondly: the light had to illustrate the point of the hairdo. Either the coloring, the styling, or both. Nothing important could be allowed to fall into shadow. Thirdly: the picture is all about fashion, and using traditional portraiture or just snapshots were not going to get these hairdos noticed.
It was great to work with Dawn, she has the makings of a great hair stylist, and I look forward to working with her again in the future. It was also great to work with the models, Melissa, Julie and Bailey. They were great to work with and very patient as we fussed over the light and the hair.
In the end both Dawn and I were pleased with the results, it was a great session! Dawn got all three of her images for competition, and I think I have another competition print for PP of I this year. Yeah...it was that good!