In concert with Scott Riggan

In September Scott Riggan wowed a crowd at Eagle Christian Church with a concert promoting his new album "Clouds and Fire". A local radio station, KTSY promoted the event and the auditorium was nearly packed with Scott Riggan fans. It was a lot of fun to be the event photographer!
This album is truly a remarkable project for Scott and a very personal one, as this album he filled with music that he likes. He told me a while ago that he was tired of writing music to impress music promoters and record labels...this one he decided to write what he liked and just simply go with that.
So far his reviews have been outstanding, and for me personally, I think I'll probably wear my copy out as I truly enjoy listening to the music.
Check him out a www.scottriggan.com, and check out his music at www.indieheaven.com.

Amy and Rick

"I want a picture of my daughter and her husband in front of the waterfall." It's the kind of request that separates the photographers from the weekend shooters. There is only one spot that this photograph can be taken, Amy and Rick would be in full sun, the waterfall would be completely in shade. Normally, you'd either one or the other, but I had to get BOTH...and I did. Many thanks for the very helpful groomsmen who teetered on the railing holding reflectors and diffusers in just the right spot to make this shot possible.
There was an elegant simplicity to this wedding, it reminds me of how weddings were conducted many years ago...a gathering of close friends and family under a grove of trees. It was truly awesome. Congratulations Amy and Rick!

Bob and Nissa

Truthfully most wedding days are at best (barely) controlled chaos. Not the case with Bob and Nissa's wedding. I have honestly never photographed a wedding that went like clockwork as this one did. Nissa spent a great deal of time, effort and energy making sure that things would go well on their wedding day...and it paid off.
Bob is a local musician in the Boise Valley, now playing bass for at least 3 different bands. Nissa is a Business Manager for a local investment firm. Both have a deep love and respect for nature (it's not often that I get the request to photograph Blue Herons at a wedding). Definitely an inspiring couple.
Good luck Bob and Nissa!

Amy and Lance

For those of you who enjoy love stories. Here's the Hollywood version...
Boy meets girl.
Boy and girl become High School Sweethearts.
Boy and girl break up before graduating and go their separate ways.
Boy and girl separately encounter many difficult trials in their lives.
Boy and girl eventually overcome the difficulties of their lives.
Girl moves to the other side of the U.S.
Girl graduates from college and moves back to Idaho.
Boy and girl rediscover each other.
Boy and girl decide to get married.
For any of you Hollywood directors out there reading this blog and looking for a good love story...I'm sure Amy and Lance would happily entertain offers. Contact me for details.

Busy, busy, busy...

It's been a busy few months here. I have dozens of unfinished blogs and more to post that I haven't started yet. I think it's a good problem to have...it beats having all kinds of time to blog and nothing to blog about. I promise to get caught up here...soon.

Elisha and Amanda senior portraits

Two sisters that are as much alike at they are different. Both are Seniors in High School despite their age difference due to their homeschooling background. Basically they started homeschooling at the same time...thus they finish at the same time. How cool is that?








Their fondness for the arts are reflected in their portraits! Both are also active in world missions having served and supported several missionary outreaches in Mexico and Asia.

Reason number 562 to hire a pro wedding photographer...

Some time ago a digital print order came into a photo lab facility and the photos were a total loss. It was someone's wedding and the files were overexposed, there were severe color problems, and noise. To fix these images in Photoshop would have taken weeks! One of the technicians made the comment that this bride was not going to be very happy. The other responded..."reason number 562 to hire a pro to photograph your wedding".
This is a true story and it happens with alarming frequency.
Conventional wisdom would say that most of us can bake a small cake with a pile of frosting on top, but very, very few of us could bake and decorate a wedding cake. Most weddings require a large venue (building, park, etc...) of course there is the wedding dress, tuxes, minister, rehearsal dinner, reception food, DJ, Limo and finally the honeymoon...oh yeah...the photographer. The budget has now hit critical mass and is threatening to explode, and it is then the advertisement comes on TV; the miraculous Brand X camera that shoots beautiful photos all by itself! The potential Bride and Groom look at each other and think, 'Uncle Joe has one of those cameras...and he takes good pictures!. We could save a bunch of money!'
Uncle Joe and his miracle camera is recruited for the task. The big day comes and Uncle Joe (wanting to do a good job) takes photo after photo and in the mind of the bride, she can envision hundreds, maybe thousands of photos just like what she sees in the Bridal Magazines. Little does she know that Uncle Joe is shooting under conditions that he is not familiar with, there is no such thing as a miracle Brand X camera, therefore many of the photos will not turn out on that basis alone. Uncle Joe (wanting to do a good job) spent some time the night before reading his instruction manual so he could figure out what else his miracle camera can do, and having tried out these features for the first time...on their wedding.
Somewhere in some photo lab, a technician will be watching these photos fall out of their printer and they will shake their heads in despair, there is going to be a very disappointed bride and groom...and they think to themselves, they should have hired a pro to photograph their wedding.
You see, when the reception is over, the dress will hang up in the bride's closet, rarely to be seen again, the tux goes back to the store, the cake will have been completely eaten, the limo makes it's way to the next wedding and the friends and family will have gone home. All that remains are the photos.
Photos are our identity, our heritage and our memories. Shop carefully and wisely for an experienced photographer, and make the appropriate investment in remembering your wedding.