HS Senior's School Reveal & Hot Air Balloons... what a great combination.

I’m a little late in posting this blog but life has been incredibly crazy: Good but crazy! One of my HS Senior Influencers was accepted to Washburn University, and was interested in doing a school reveal session. Well, of course I wanted to make this happen so we headed to Topeka for a campus visit to do the shoot. I made the suggestion to follow up the school reveal with a hot air balloon rally to capture some shots at the balloon glow with some pilots and crew that I know. Her family bought off on my idea, the pilots and crews welcomed her with open arms, and everyone made her day.

I really appreciate her willingness to try different things, and accept the photo shoots I conjure up in my head. She’s a blast to be around and her family is so supportive of her. I look forward to my next kooky idea, and hope that she eagerly accepts the challenge. So, without further ado - here are the images for you to enjoy.

Winter Wonderland

This is a bit late in posting but I wanted to share some images from a walk about at one of my favorite places in the world - The University of Kansas. Lawrence is a really special place: The people are amazing, the campus is gorgeous, and the basketball is - well, it’s the birthplace of college basketball. The weather blessed us with an amazing blanket of snow, and helped to create some incredible scenery. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and I can’t wait until the next round of good snowfall.

Another KC Solo-Photo walk

I took a bit of time to walk around one of my favorite places in Kansas City. I love to visit Union Station during every season, and fall is especially kind. The weather is constantly changing, and even a wet, drizzling evening can provide some amazing lighting and atmospheric conditions. I will return in a few days to capture images of the Poppies being projected onto Liberty Memorial (The WWI memorial) so stay tuned!

I highly recommend Liberty Memorial and Union Station to anyone that visits our wonderful city: You will not be disappointed. I may have to consider adding the Arts District to a day photo-walk to my To Do List so it becomes a blog post. Enjoy your day, and plan your visit to Kansas City.

Newest Senior To Have Her Photos Taken

I had the wonderful pleasure of conducting a photo session with this young lady.  She is a gem of a human being, and has a heart of gold.  She's fun to be around, and will light up any room she walks into.  It was an early morning session on the Missouri River, and the wind was blowing as fast as the river was moving but the temperature was rising at the same speed as the sun.  We were able to work in three wardrobe changes, and still capture great lighting.  I look forward to the next time she is in front of my camera so stay tuned...  more will come along.  

Solo Photowalk in Kansas City

Today was a great day.  I was scouting new locations for photography sessions, and I met a lot of new people, saw a lot of interesting sights, and had some really good Buffalo Wings.  Notice that I didn't say hot wings:  I had some authentic Buffalo Wings!  There are so many places to see in KC, in fact - it can be overwhelming so I started at the WWI Museum, and move outward.  If you've never been to the Atkins Museum of Art, I highly recommend you go.  I saw Carravagio's Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness and Tanzio da Varallo's The Penitent Saint Jermome, to name a couple.  I visited the Kaffman Memorial Garden, strolled through The Plaza, and many more things but I'll only share a few photographs.  I hope you enjoy these pics because I had a great time taking them, and I have a few new places for photo sessions! Winner, Winner!

D. J. Fugazzotto

Yesterday was a fun day for a photography geek out session with a fellow photographer.  We had been talking about needing head shots for various reasons but we had put it off for at least two months. Well, we finally pulled the trigger and decided to just do it.

We managed to attract the attention of the security personnel for the building in which we work.  Thank goodness we are faculty instructors so it seemed easier to beg forgiveness than it would have been to ask permission.  Wrong? I'll let you decide.  I don't think so but I know I will make arrangements before I do it again!  

We my light set up and equipment to both shoot from, just needing to move my flash trigger from my camera to his.  Then, you guessed it - we used his set up, needing to move his flash trigger from his camera to mine.  It was really fun:  We goofed off and we challenged ourselves because I was shooting TTL and he used a manual set up.  Here are a few shots I got of him so if you find yourself needing some head shots... drop me a line!

High School Senior

This post is a little late but I wanted to share with you about a great, two-part, session with this high school senior.  It was an early start so we could catch the sunrise and beat the heat but it was all worth it.  We were able to capture some great shots of a sport he loves, and he proved to be quite the shot. The natural light was amazing so all we had to do is do what we love - golf and photography.  Day two was almost as good as the first.  We scheduled a session at the Alamo Drafthouse in Kansas City, and were welcomed with great lighting, really cool architecture, and some nooks & crannies to use some creative lighting.

I wish everyone could meet this young man because he is such a wonderful person, and gives more to his fellow man than he receives.  His heart is in the right place, and he gives off an aura of kind confidence that is usually reserved for those people with a lot of life-experience.  He is definitely going to leave his mark on the world! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. 

The Nowak Family

Each family I meet is wonderful, and restores my faith in humanity.  This family was no exception, and they brought a new element into my family photo sessions - pets!  They have a beautiful golden retriever, and we all had as much fun as the dog.  It was easy to see how much love flowed from the family to the dog, and even more from the dog to her humans.  Take a look into our session, and feel the level of fun that was had by all.

The Goldman Family

Okay, this had to be one of the funniest families I have photographed to date.  The energy level of the kids was matched by the adults, and it made for a great time.  You can feel the love across the extended family, as sisters and in-laws bled into one happy family.  I really look forward to the day, when I am able to document another moment in their lives. 

The Bednarcik Family

I was fortunate enough to capture this wonderful family from Slovakia.  They have been here for a year, and are preparing to return home in a few weeks.  They opened their home and their hearts, sharing their culture and traditional dishes & desserts!  I cannot wait until we plan a trip to Slovakia to meet up with them, and do a photo shoot on location in the beautiful landscapes for Slovakia.  Enjoy...

The Chapman Family

I had a photo session on May 12th, with this amazing family so this is a little late but I wanted to share it with you because we had so much fun.  I first met this couple when they were first expecting so it's been a real pleasure to capture their family seven years later.  

You can feel the love they have for each other, and their electricity cannot help but rub off on you.  I am not sure who was more exhausted after the photo shoot - the kids or me!  Oh well, so the way it goes.  I hope you enjoy catching a glimpse into their loving moments.

The Harris Family

I love capturing moments and memories, and this family is absolutely amazing. I first met this family about 16 years ago so I have watched them grow from a loving couple to a happy family of five.  

Their kids are amazing, and the girls were ready to have their pictures taken but not so much for the preteen, young man. It took all of five minutes to start stripping away his armor, and getting him into the fun.  I loved the way this young man opened up to his father, and led his sisters through their session.  

Enjoy their beauty.