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!

Pomegranets!

I had the chance to shoot an awesome band from a city that is close to my heart in many ways about two weeks ago. Pomegranets are from the land that is home to Skyline Chili, Graeter's Ice Cream, and the amazing Krueger family! That's right, I'm talking about Cincinatti, Ohio. Not only do they come from a great place, they are ridiculously cool guys and their music is awesome! And oh yeah... they lived in this house that I almost lived in if this position I had lined up about a year ago hadn't fallen through. Crazy! Anyways, here's some of my favorites.







Check out their music on the link above! I hope you like it.

Cheers,

tom

I've got some 'splanin' to do

Soooo... some of you may have noticed a little promotion news around here, gone to check it out and wondered if I had sent you on a snipe hunt because it wasn't anywhere to be found. Well, I've got some 'splanin' to do.

Lately, I have been driven towards a goal. With that goal in mind, I ran on the balls of my feet, chin down and set to reaching it as soon as possible. My goal was to make my work available to as many people as I could, and to become whatever I imagined a successful photographer to be.

The other day I had a conversation with a true friend. I asked for the truth, and I got it. Is the truth easy to hear? Not usually. She helped me see that that goal was not one that was going to lead me, right now anyways, where I wanted to go.

Speaking of how a writer's work takes its shape, Annie Dillard said:

It is the beginning of a work that the writer throws away. A painting covers its tracks. Painters work from ground up. The latest version of a painting overlays earlier versions, and obliterates them. Writers, on the other hand, work from left to right. The discardable chapters are on the left. The latest version of a literary work begins somewhere in the work's middle, and hardens towards the end. The earlier version remains lumpishly on the left; the work's beginning greets the reader with the wrong hand. In those early pages and chapters anyone may find bold leaps to nowhere, read the brave beginnings of dropped themes, hear a tone since abandoned, discover blind alleys, track red herrings, and laboriously learn a setting now false.

Right now, I am in that early section which will remain lumpishly on the left. I am working to make something truly unique, of great value. You may have noticed that I took down the wedding giveaway I announced. This is why. It's part of my growth that I'm not quite ready for yet.

Is that to say I don't want to try to capture someone's happiest day in a beautiful way? By no means! Bring it on! I love weddings, I love how perfect a picture of true love they are in all the richness of their meaning. I'll be doing a lot of that in the coming months with my friends at Photogen Inc. and I can hardly wait to get that ball rolling. However, I'm not quite ready to bear the full responsibility of a wedding on my own just yet.

While I'm sure I could give you something you would like, I know that I would give you something you LOVE given more time to develop my skills. Luckily for me and you, I have many close friends who are, and who would love to do that with me while I grow! Just ask. As far as the other coverage I offer, I am thrilled to take on any and all opportunities! Do you want some family portraits? An engagement shoot? Concert coverage? Headshots? I am 200% totally there!

Here's to looking forward to better and more beautiful things!

Cheers,
tom

P.S. I buzzed my hair off!

Beth and Jeremy

My hilarious friend Melissa Oholendt asked me if I wanted to tag along with her on an engagement shoot a few weeks ago. Of course I said yes! It was an awesome experience with an awesome couple whose names are Beth and Jeremy. As we walked, Beth and Jeremy told us some of their story. They met each other in junior high, and it wasn't until later in life when they really came to love each other. As they told me this, I had to chuckle... it sounded so similar to the parts of Melissa's story I've heard. I think Melissa has some kind of cosmic understanding of where they were coming from and where they were heading. Can I prove this? No, but the pictures show the magic that happened from their lives coming together.
Oh yeah, there was another couple with us on the shoot. Meet Chloe and Buddy.

Then we came to this great bridge by the Lake of the Isles.Jeremy was a great story teller. Although I can't remember what this was about. I do remember laughing hysterically.

And we finished off the night with a little nostalgia in their old stomping grounds, Uptown!

Finally, There has been a lot going on here lately. So in the next week stay tuned... I'm going to have quite a few sweet things to share.

Cheers,

tom