so it's been like forever since i've touched this blog (3 weeks is a record), and i wanted to let you know my creative efforts have still been rolling 110%, but not at the cost of a quality of life and balance.

for the last several years, nicole has been working super hard on her PA school work and clinical and I am super proud of her efforts. i wanted to share this image of nicole, which is a new recent favorite:

good things come to those who wait.... and coming soon, here's what's on tap:

5 personal posts about the mesh between buisness, technology, life, and macguyver skillz
4 engagement sessions
3 portrait sessions
2 creative projects (completed)
1 unconventional bridal photographer workshop

and the best part of it... it will be all showcased on our brand spankin' new custom blogsite by purr design.

can't wait to share!

r. j.

the big day - 4.18.09
wedding & reception - the magnolia hotel & ballroom



i worked as a second shooter with the suave, sophisticated, and charismatic jared wilson.


shooting with jared brought creativity to the next level, inspiring the courage to create. i love what's going on here as a result:




my favorite candid captured moment of the day.


a timeless sequence.


and spicing it up hollywood style, thanks to a pair of video lights.


vogue 101: work it. work it. work it.


a good grace.


the first dance, intended as a series.


ooomph!


danielle & michael let the good times roll!


a refined rock shot.... with a dash of some chocolate-covered coffee beans :)


see more of jared's coverage of this wedding here. and for an extra dose of creativity, check out his genius photo-booth here.

photographers: jared posted a great article detailing his set-up here.

as beach lovers, lesa & david were treated to their very own colorado "white" wedding on april 17 at their home in henderson, colorado.

back in december, we co-hosted a charity fundraiser to benefit the costa rican humanitarian foundation and raise money for a volunteer medical trip to costa rica. the event was comprised of a silent auction followed by a poker tournament. we donated $3200 wedding package credit to be auctioned off for charity ... and lesa & david won!

david & lesa totally dig poker, they held a tournament as part of their wedding reception... very cool.




david was so excited and ready to be married!


the First Look:



... with a few VIPs also enjoying the moment:


the ceremony was held in their home reserved for close friends & family.


they've waited sooo long to be married... and now the time has come!


proof it snowed and they didn't mind:


some portraits with post-processing thanks to creative tools from tra2.


a moment in the garage.


a favorite sequence outside in the fresh snow (barefoot, of course!):


putting those dancing skills to use:


sign the guestbook & view more images HERE. view their slideshow HERE.

9 m.o. emmett and his 15 m.o. cousin victoria shared in a cousin portrait session on saturday. these two hammed it up for the camera and were an awesome treat to photograph on saturday.

emmett is the CEO of his room.


and little miss scandinavia.



and showcasing the latest fashion (folks, that's no fake backdrop... it is real snow... on april 18)


there's a cousin resemblance:


love this!


a favorite family portrait:


a mommy & me moment.


romper room time!


too cute not to post.

fitness buffs know cross-training is a great way to keep in shape, have fun, avoid burnout, and prevent injury.

in the wedding photography, "cross-training" is no really different. keeping fit comes with maintaining mental focus, quick reactions, a healthy dose of patience and a sense of humor.

i was invited to my very first "group session" of little ones celebrating the birthday of 1 y.o. abby. a bunch of moms signed up for the mini-photo session. the kids (all under the age of one) were great personal trainers. by the end of the session, i felt like my brain did 1,000 push-ups.

here's the birthday girl, abby:


9 m.o. sam hammed it up.



9 m.o. anna.


love it!


9 m.o. jackson.


the youngest of the bunch, here's 4.5 m.o. makayla:


and emmett, who was by far the easiest kid i've ever photographed:


and here's the whole gang:


if you are a photographer looking for a challenge and are up for a test of skills.... i highly recommend a mini-project like this :) as an add bonus: i enjoyed plenty of laughs while editing the photos. (techno stuff: all images shot sans flash or tripod, using a nikon d-700, and a mixture of the nikon 50mm f1.4, 85mm f/1.4, and 105mm f/2.8 vr macro lenses.)

last week i paid a visit to old friend in upstate new york on lake george. it's been ten years since i've seen bob, and little has changed.

bob jones served as my father's scoutmaster back in the day and has been friends of our family since. he's an accomplished swimmer who has trained kids who have competed in the olympics and spent time giving me tips on flip turns and the like. he's also an artist who continues creating art in his eighties. for years, he and his wife worked in tandem creating life-like wooden models of birds ranging from ducks, barn owls, hummingbirds, to eagles and falcons. he carved and she painted. and their work has garnered awards from all over the world

their creative synergy as a husband and wife team continues to inspire. not to mention he loves to talk and has the energy of a dozen third graders.



awards from all over the world.


his wordworking captivates his hands and mind. in minutes, bob carves a mouse just for me :)




he's also an "r. j."


the artist in his studio.


intricate attention to detail demands a steady hand and sharp eyes. when asked if he ever gets frustrated, he said, "nope. it's not worth it."


one of his favorite creations, a loon in her nest. bob sold the piece many years ago, then after the owner passed away, he found it for sale in an antique shop and bought it back for a fraction of what he sold it for!!! now that is return on an investment that only comes with age and good health!


nearing 87, bob lifts ten pound dumbbells first thing in the morning and before he goes to bed. he isn't afraid to show off his biceps.


and he even has an ipod and knows how to use it. on his playlist is music from his era :) and here we are:

after i shooting lesa & david's engagement session tonight, i realized their love for each other is out of this world. indeed, the force is strong with them.

i mean, how else can you explain a hovering light that appears when their heads meet?



no lightsabers flashlights or strobes were used here:


lesa & david met playing poker so we explored the casinos at blackhawk & central city in the mountains of colorado.


don't underestimate the Force.


may the force be with you both.

headed out to see the sun set over the ocean tonight at cape cod. there is so much great wonder in the world. God has given us much to love and nature reminds this of it.

sometimes it is just great to get out and shoot for the sake of photography. here are a few things i saw today:


taken earlier in the day by a special Mashpee Wampanoag tribal elder showing me a place that has changed little in the last few hundred years.


a few boarded up beach shacks. love the dynamic range of the nikon d-300.


racing to savor the good light:



a study in timing the spin of the lighthouse light:


i miss nicole and wish she was here to share in the beach sunset.... most of the sunsets on the beach i've seen in the last several years was spent with her, so i really missed her tonight. love you sweetie and can't wait to see you in costa rica in a few days!

"sit still."  those words remind me too much of growing up. 

presidents, pharaohs, and peasants have all been told to "sit still" for hours to have their portraits painted with brushes on canvas.  "static portraiture" is nothing new.  this technique has been applied by painters, sculptures, other artists for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. you can see the results at national portrait gallery in washington, dc. after a visit to the coolest american museum dedicated to portraiture, i was inspired to light-paint inspired by the words, "sit still."

in photography, "sit still" isn't something we think about too much about.  perhaps it has something to do with the "click" of our shutter moving at 60 miles per hour 1/60 second or faster. sometimes it's nice to slow down to 20 seconds, which can feel like 1/8,000 of a second when you are in love :)

sunny & brian rock the party that rocks the pinyata.... and so the light-painting begins:


tight.



for some reason they went all jay-z on me.


--- back to "normal" programing ---

brian swept sunny off her feet when he proposed. here's the evil weapon of choice:


what a cute couple in great natural light!!


soweet.  


and version two all done up fancy dancy.




perfecto!


totally relaxed. totally fun.


when you have such pretty light, even the pavement is comfy :)


one thing i totally enjoyed about east coast light is the ability to predict timing the "golden minute," which happens when the light shoots through all the dense smog/fog/political atmosphere. in denver, our mountains block some of that light when you are in the shadows.

time to soak up the sun:


a pair of small video lights created illuminated the drama here:


and this was "officially" the latest engagement portrait ever shot by kern-photo (hint: the DC metro was almost closed).

one of the first professional-grade nikon lenses that opened my eye to a new way of seeing was the older-style 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens. i think we bought it used for $550 for it and sold it for $550 after two years of use. not too shabby. that's the nice thing about good lenses... they retain their value far longer than camera lenses. despite my accountant (my mom) tells me my camera has a 5-year depreciation schedule, digital cameras these years turn into pumpkins or dinosaurs after 3-4 years (don't tell that to a 3 or 4 year old:).... however, good glass enjoys a nice life on the second market.

which is why i recently turned to craigslist.com to purchase our newest lens, the 2-year old nikon 105 mm f/2.8 af-s macro lens. i placed an ad and a few days later i had a seller willing sell it at a good price ($550) AND to toss in a UV filter, along with a circular polarizing filter, and a warming filter (remember those?) for free. done deal.

i forgot how fun macro lenses can be. the super shallow depth of field is something no other lens can achieve, especially when used with a nikon d-300 with a "dx" sized sensor with a 1.5x crop factor. the reason we sold our old one was it proved a bit challenging to use in low-light situations. however, with the newer vibration reduction (vr) technology, tripods become a thing of the past, unless you want to stop down to f/22.

while geeking out in the botanical gardens in washingon d.c., i brought along the new lens and enjoyed the sights and serenity. for added inspiration, i listening to u2's newest album, "no line on the horizon" which gets the 5-stars in my book). focussing down to mere inches to the subject allows for a super shallow depth of field making it easy to isolate the subject.

this little guy was hungry, but didn't get a nut from me.


yikes!


there is a whole world of small things of interest if you slow down and look close.


i was impressed by the bokeh of nikon's latest 105 f/2.8 macro vr lens. the creamy blobs in the background compliment the foreground subject... adding a certain elusive quality. there is a difference between bokeh and areas of out of focus. notice the elusive quality to the background in the above image and the image below.


in preparation for use in portrait session, i walked around the streets of DC learning my capabilities with my new tool. the lens isn't necessarily ideal for street photography, but it can shine if used in low light in certain scenarios. i was impressed to see this, along with the colorful background. i doubt i'll use the lens in many portrait scenarios since i like f/1.4 apertures, thank you very much.


mmmm.... of all the portraits of lamp posts i've ever done in my whole life.... this one is the most recent:

(and you were expecting something profound???).