Re-invention, Inspiration, Collaboration

I've been feeling incredibly inspired and driven these past few days. I want to bring something true, something genuine to the table in the coming year. Not only do I want to bring something true and genuine, I want to bring something meaningful. So, I am putting my ear to the ground to hear who is making the biggest vibrations. My hope is that I will learn not only from and about other artists, but also from and about you. Who's work resonates deeply within you?

Here are some of my own places of regular inspiration.

Feature Shoot: This is an awesome site for regular inspiration and new artists' views of the world.

Chicago Artist, Chuck Anderson

Wedding Photographer, Jeff Newsom: Voltron of Awesomeness Check out his bridal light writing portraits. So wonderful.

Wedding Photographer, Ben Chrisman: His use of intense color and composition reflects the mystical and ethereal quality that true love gives to life. I can't think of a more appropriate use of such vibrancy than a wedding of two people who are enthralled with each other. I hope to talk with you someday soon Ben.

Rustica Cafe - Amazing Espresso from Minneapolis roaster, Bull Run Coffee, it's a thing of beauty. You may run in to me here some time.

Writer, Annie Dillard-- Holy the Firm: This is a short, and deep read. Annie wrestles with the question of suffering and the human condition in the most beautiful way. I hope to visit the shore she wrote from in Washington one day. I'm sure it's remarkable.

Photogen Inc.: My most significant source of inspiration and motivation this year. My wonderful boss, teacher, and friend. Thanks so much Eliesa! You are the best!

My Mom, Maureen deBruyn. She has inspired me by helping me believe in my dreams and believing in her own. deBruyn Designs

Last and certainly not least, The Bible. I can't say how much God has used this book to touch me deeply. He shapes me into the person I am every day with the words He has given us through this book.

This post is a place for photographers, artists, writers, friends and family to put their two cents in for their biggest sources of inspiration. Please leave your comments below, and tweet this far and wide. The more people comment, the more we can all learn from each other.

Much love, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year,

tom

Finally, here's a little thing of beauty I captured this summer. I hope you like it.

One Thing I've Learned From Assistant Shooting Weddings

I've been thinking about what I've learned over the past year, and one thing keeps coming up. But first, a word of thanks.
My friend, and fellow assistant of Photogen Inc., Cadence Cornelius, asked me not long ago if I could assist her in photographing one of her weddings. I was thrilled! I have such amazing friends in this industry and I am given so many opportunities to grow in my craft. I can't wait for the days to come when I will be able to give back. Thanks for this opportunity Cadence!
This week I looked over the work I have done this year. I noticed one thing I am continually drawn to as a second shooter is details. I don't just mean pictures of the rings, the cake, and the bouquet. I mean the quiet moments that pass the main photographer by as they are focused on getting all the shots on the "checklist". I love looking for these moments, I hope I continue to develop an awareness of them as they happen at weddings and throughout life.



I love Cadence, and working with her is so much fun. I can hardly wait for WPPI this year in Vegas.
P.S. I have been trying some new editing techniques. If you are a follower of mine, let me know what you think. I'm pretty pleased with these overall. But I'm definitely excited to receive critique and grow.

The Best Couple

When Mike Best and Kristin Gruber asked me to give them some engagement photos, I was so excited. Mike and I were very close friends, and room mates in college, and I got to know Kristin as they started dating our senior year. They do life together so well. I can only hope Mike will write some kind of book about how to date the Best way, or how to bring out the Best in every relationship, that will be filled with all kinds of tips and tricks about how they keep things running so smoothly. Mike and Kristin, I wish you the best of luck, and I'm so excited to shoot your wedding in June, knowing that the best is yet to come. Ok... Ok... my friends, I'm done with the awful puns... and here are my favorite pictures of the best lovely couple.

Cheers,

tom

A fun concert, and a review for my followers

Hey ya'll! I went to this awesome concert with Sufjan Stevens a few weeks back, I thought I would post my review here for you to read first! It's not yet published at Pop-Damage.com but it should be soon. This is something that I get to do pretty regularly, and I haven't shared this part of my life here very much. But I'm thinking about doing it a on a semi-regular basis, let me know what you think! Here are four of my favorite shots, and the review. Happy reading!

Sufjan Stevens – 400 Bar Minneapolis

I approached the club on the first of many drizzly and cold fall days in Minneapolis. From the outside it looked like the typical dive bar you would find on the edges of a busy city. As we approached the door we saw two friendly looking fans wearing butterfly wings, holding a box with a cake inside, shivering eagerly at the front of the quickly forming line. They came ready to thank their favorite musician for a night they wanted to remember. This place must have something truly special about it to attract an act like Sufjan Stevens, I thought. I was wrong. It was exactly what it looked like on the outside. A small, dingy dive bar with peeling paint on the ceiling, odd decorations adorning the walls, and insufficient space for the excited people waiting in the cold. My friend, Emily Barrera, and I repeatedly asked each other, “Why here?” After the opening band Cryptasize left the stage we got our answer.

Sufjan had something a little more special planned for this night than he would typically deliver to his concert goers. He and his band were testing out some new material. As he took the stage he poked fun at his often-mispronounced name saying, “Hello, I am Suff-jan Stevens.” Most laughed, some just stared back in acknowledgment of a truth they have known for a long time. Emily and I had the chance to hear not only some of his new material, but also take in performances of older classics like, “Chicago”, “Jacksonville”, “Casimir Pulaski Day”, as well as “Happy Birthday” from his 2000 release “A Sun Came” sung for and dedicated to Nedelle Torrisi of Cryptacize.

A few songs into the set Sufjan’s drummer asked the sound guy to fix a crackling in his monitor. After a few moments of tinkering, he concluded in a British accent, “I think that’s just the sound it makes.” It was refreshing to know that even the staff at 400 Bar knew that this place wasn’t anything special. As fans chuckled through the tension, I thought to myself, “Why here, Sufjan?” In that moment I found the answer to my question. They knew this wouldn’t be the easiest show. Maybe he wanted it to be a trial by fire. If the new material could play well here, they could play it well anywhere.

In the days of mobile facebook, and twitter, there is a huge temptation to let everyone know about anything new as soon as it happens. With the coming of Google Wave, we will no longer have the amount of time it takes to compose our 140 character message to consider its impact. Our thoughts will be published at virtually the exact moment our fingers type them. How many of us can say that what we have to offer is worth saying without first testing it? I certainly can’t. My writing needs editing. My photos need coaxing to bring out the vision I have for them as I capture moments. And my life must be refined by fire regularly in order to be changed into something good. Was the performance perfect? Not totally, but it was necessary. The new songs Sufjan has to offer will be better as a result of this “practice session” and I am thankful to have been there to experience it. It also taught me a lesson. When I know I’ve got something good I want to let everyone know. Perhaps it is best to take it for a test drive before I settle in and tell the world.

Despite the difficulties of playing new music at such an awkward venue, Sufjan and friends warmed the crowd with their genial stage presence and wonderful musicianship. They closed the night with a 10 minute epic called “All Delighted People Raise Your Hands.” I couldn’t help but follow their instruction. I was delighted in so many ways. Thanks Sufjan for putting on a great, yet challenging show.

Cheers,

tom

I love love.

A few weeks ago I got to take a trip to Chicago to shoot with one of my best friends in the world, Tim Tabailloux, see other amazing friends and see the best show ever conjured up by mankind (more on that later). Here are my favorite shots from Rachel and Nate's wedding!


I love how little kids eyes' always tell the truth. (Exhibit A)
(Exhibit B)


Freeze, Everybody Clap yo hands
Come on ya’ll, check it out
How low can you go?
Can you go down low?
All the way to da floor?
How low can you go?
Cheers,

tom

She's a Surivor! She's not gon' give up!

Sometimes life makes my head spin. About two weeks ago I was surfing facebook when my friend's, status said that she was going to be on Survivor Samoa that's starting up in two weeks on CBS. What? No way! So crazy. Well, it get's crazier. She gave me a call about going out to get some pictures taken to hand out to fans. Which sounded kinda crazy at first, but then I heard she's already getting fan mail from people all over. This was before the show was even on the air!!! Reality TV fanatics are nuts!
So, we headed down to Minneapolis for the photo shoot, and I really love what we got. Without further ado here is the gorgeous, smokin' hot, Ashley Trainer.

It was great catching up with you again Ash! Good luck on the show!!

Jeremy Messersmith, Chris Koza, Grey Coats @ First Ave

Awesome show with great friends. Enjoy the pictures.


Grey Coats opened, rocked the house.


Chris Koza slowed it down a bit.
Jeremy Messersmith lullaby-ed, and loved the crowd to pieces.
Everyone came out to close the set in an awesome way.
cheers,

Tom

I can't believe how lucky I am.

A friend of mine told me that this friend of his from high school was looking to update her modeling portfolio. Later that day I got a message from Ellie, we got together not much later to talk about what she was hoping to accomplish. So after doing a little research I found out that she was going for something similar to what you would find in Vogue. EEK! My head started spinning. I haven't done ANYTHING like that before. I don't think I hit the mark of legendary fashion photographers Mert Alas, Marcus Piggott, or Mario Testino. However, I am ridiculously excited to be sharing this with you and I'm pretty pleased with it as a first try at fashion photography. So thanks to my amazing model, Ellie Shaw, and her wonderful sister and brother in law for being there to lend helping hands. You guys all rock! I can only hope for a round two after all that I learned from this photo shoot.













This one is a little different than what I had envisioned, but I kind of liked the eerie feel it gave. What do you think?

And this is why I'm lucky... seriously she's so gorgeous.

Allie and T.K.

Allie and Tom are so full of love for each other and joy for life that it still floors me a week after their wedding. Their families and friends rallied around them in full support of their lives coming together in mutual love and service. Add to that the fact that they both love the Lord dearly and it makes a marriage like theirs one of the most beautiful things in life. If this sounds over the top, that's because it was. In the absolute best way possible.

Inside T.K.'s band are the words, "Hold Me Forever." Awesome.




A very proud father.
Oh yeah, they also really know how to party!

Allie and T.K., you've got me rooting for you! Much love, and God bless you both.

A BIG thanks to Brandon Werth for asking me to help cover this awesome day!