Simple Truth

Thanks to a great group of volunteers and workers we were able to present Streets of Bethlehem to the community of Salinas. People come from far and wide each year to experience this wonderful presentation of the birth of Jesus. This year went pretty well and we were able to share the Gospel with all who passed through the gates.

This year we made a few changes and one of those was to have Jesus the grown adult come out at the end of the presentation and talk to the crowd about the rest of His story. It was a great addition to the story and we wondered why it took us so long to add such an integral part to the story.

I was working on putting together a recap video to show in church on Sunday and when I came across this picture it really struck me in a powerful way.

It got me to thinking about what it would have been like to listen to Jesus talk in person. People came from far and wide just to be near him and hear his voice. He wasn't flashy but simply spoke the truth in authority and love. There was nothing special about his appearance but people were still drawn to him. I wonder what it would have been like.

Simple Truth. That seems like an interesting concept in our culture and time. I think sometimes we get lost in everything the world has to offer. Even as Christians we get lost in all the church has to offer. Often we get lost in doing church and lose sight of what drew us there at the core. So many people have an undying love for things of this world: Sports teams, musical groups and even other people. Jeus offers us a dying love that reaches through the years to come straight to our hearts. I hope that we (I) can remember to keep that in focus and appreciate what a splendid gift we have been given. The great thing is that we are called to be "regifters" of this amazing love. Who are you going to share it with?

Here is the recap video.

Procrastinators Special: Family Portraits

Hey all you procrastinators out there. If you have you been thinking about having a family portrait and Christmas card sent out this year there is still time, but it is running short. As a recovering member of the NAPPA (National Association of Professional Procrastinators of America) I want to extend an invitation to all those out there who have been thinking of having their family portrait done before the year is over.

I am offering a special package to help you spend the happy smiles of your family to all your friends and family who are curious what you have been up to and see how much you have grown over the past year.



The Procrastinator's Special includes:

~One hour family photo session.
~Custom editing and retouching of your images.
~A CD of images available for you to print or share as you see fit.
~A custom Christmas Card Website that you can share with all of your friends and family digitally.

*Additional prints and specialty items can be ordered but I cannot guarantee delivery prior to Christmas.



Here is a sample "Christmas Card Website":





All this for the Special price of $150. This is a very limited time offer and you need to make schedule a photo session by December 17th in order to guarantee delivery by Christmas.

If you have any questions feel free to give me a call or email.

Broom Family Portrait

Here in California we have been very cold often dipping below 40 degrees! Of course I talked to mom today and the high there was nine! I guess that is something to look forward to as we will be heading back for Christmas later this month. Hopefully it heats up by then.

It is getting colder everyday and that means Christmas is getting closer. That means it is Christmas card season. I had the opportunity to shoot some portraits with the Broom ladies over the Thanksgiving break and wanted to post a couple samples to share with you all. I don't want to share all of them because you should be patient and wait for their Christmas card to come out later this month.

Here are a couple images to warm you eyes on this cool winter day.

this isn't your grandma's christmas card

It's only October, but now is the perfect time to be thinking about Christmas. I know it seems early but before you know it you will be packing up the decorations and making new resolutions. If last year you made a resolution to get things done early so that you wouldn't feel so rushed then here is a great opportunity for you.

I want to present you with the new line of Christmas letters. This year your family can have website for people to visit. Loaded with pictures and information about your family and all the excitement that you have been a part of this past year.

The best part is that we are currently offering this service with all of our family portrait packages. Time is running out so its best to plan soon.



You can check out an example of a site that could be customed built just for your family. This one was built with the beutiful Beuving family. www.danvans.com/beuving

Beuving Family Portraits: Sneak Peek

A while back I got the chance to have an afternoon of fun with the Beuving family. We headed out to the Fort Ord Public Lands and played in the fields for a while and got some great pics and then we headed down to the beach for a few more. It was a little breezy, which offered some challenges but we had a good time anyways. I am not totally finished editing the pics but I wanted to post a few just because they are too good to keep to myself. I hope you enjoy and I hope to post some more soon.

Showit Designers Insight Group

I am down in Santa Barbara for a couple of days to meet with the guys from Showit and also some awesome designers to talk about all that is happening with Showit, how to use it more effectively and how to improve it for clients. It has been awesome to meet all these great guys and gain more knowledge about the software. We meet all day and then hang out in the evenings. Last night we went to the Canary hotel and hung out on the roof for a while before an amazing supper. We have been meeting and staying the night at MontJay which is DavidJays place which has awesome views and is a great place to stay.

Morning Walk

With such wonderful temps yesterday and last night I slept with my window open, which is always a treat. One draw back is that it is often noisy in the morning with cars driving by and also the added noise from the planes practicing for the Air Show this weekend. So at 5:30 in the morning, which is slightly before my usual waking time, I decided to see if I could catch the sunrise. I took a look out the window and noticed it wasn't totally overcast, as is the common state of the atmosphere in the morning.

I grabbed my camera and a sausage mcmuffin and headed out to creekside terrace, which is part of the old Fort Ord. There is a great place to see all of Salinas from the top of the hill. There is even a bench to sit on. So I took off up the hill, enjoying the moonset, trying to get to the top before there was too much day. I got to the top and looked out on the valley. Unfortunately, the clouds in the distant prevented my from catching the full sunrise but it was still beautiful nonetheless.

I have also liked sunrises a little more than sunsets for some reason. I think that might be because it takes more effort to take one in. I love the morning light and the stillness that is there as well. There are still a lot of people in bed so it's quieter and I got to see a bunch of animals because other hikers had not scared them all off yet.

On the way back down the hill I took a new route which turned out to be pretty nice and I came around the backside in time to catch these shots. i love the light and the tall grass. There is just something about that color.

Roseanna and Hector Wedding

I got the opportunity to shoot Rosanna and Hector's wedding a while back with Chuck from Ead's Photography. The wedding was held at Santa Rita school and afterwards we went out to the Creekbridge area to take some pictures. The late afternoon light was amazing and R and H were a blast to photograph because they had some great ideas and up to try new things. They rocked it like professional models. What a great combination for a photoshoot.

Elizabeth and Brad Wedding

We had a blast at Elizabeth and Brad's wedding weekend. It was full of fun, good food, and lawn bowling. That was a new experience for me and just let me say watch your toes. I ended up taking a ball to the toe. It turned a little purple but seems to be doing better now. Here are a few pics from the weekend. They did some pics before the ceremony at a friends house on beautiful lake minnetonka. Spring is a lovely time to be outside in Minnesota.

Four wheel Fun

While I was back home we got to have some fun with my Dad's new toy. Here are a couple of pics of my cousin Bethany and here family rockin' out on the four-wheeler. It's always good to give kids a need for speed!

Naomi and Kevins Wedding

I had the privledge of traveling back to my homeland of South Dakota for my cousin's wedding. It was a great ceremony and reception. It was also fabulous to see relatives that I haven't seen in a few years. Here is a sample of some of the images I collected.

I love old chalkboards and couldn't pass up the opportunity to make use of it.

New Youth Page

We just spent the afternoon getting the new youth page up on the First Baptist website. Go over and check it out.

More Bob Jones Trail

Here is another pic I took during our trip to San Luis Obispo earlier this week. You can read about it below. I had some fun with photoshop and I am really happy with how this one turned out. Jordan and Kristy really seem to be having a good time. Oh the simple joy of swings.

Bob Jones Trail

Wednesday morning I got a random call from some friends to take a hike. I said yes and we headed down to San Luis Obispo to rewalk to Bob Jones Trail. It was a trip we had taken a few years earlier on Thanksgiving. That trip was a memorable one as we took off at breakneck speed in the warm sunshine. This trip was much more enjoyable as it was a bit cooler, a slower pace and we knew what was in store. Oh yeah, I wore appropriate shoes because I knew what to expect. It was an excellent day and I got to snap off a few pictures. I hope you enjoy and find yourself soon in a random adventure!
Here is a pic at Avila Beach:

Here is what can happen if you don't see people hiding in the bushes waiting to scare you:

Little League Photography

Earlier this week I got the opportunity to tag along with the chuck from Eads Photography to photograph a couple baseball games. It was great to see the pure excitement of these kids playing a game. The expressions on their faces were priceless. Here is a pic of me in action.

Photographic Endeavors

I had the awesome opportunity to assist the Chuck from Ead's Photography at Les and Janet's wedding in Carmel a few weeks ago. This was an awesome experience and I look forward to many more opportunities to capture the special moments in the lives of many more people. Here are a few of the shots I took from that day. Congrats Les and Janet.

Exhibition at Habanero in Downtown Salinas

I am honored to have my artwork featured at Habanero in downtown Salinas. If you haven't eaten there yet the food is amazing! If you are in the Salinas area and looking to enjoy some tasty food and delicious artwork stop by. The restaraunt is right next to maya theater on main street. Special thanks to Gregory Artist Studio for pullin this together and letting me showcase my paintings.