Pining for my little rectangle of plastic

No, not a credit card! My laptop is at the repair shop, and it was hard to realize how much I depended on it to get work done (among other things). Some of my work has come to a dead stop, which isn't a good thing at all.

It was sent off from a retail store on Monday. According to the online support site, as well as the supplied FedEx tracking number, my laptop is actually back in Texas now, delivered to the store and probably lonely and cold, sealed in its packaging. But when I called the store, it had not been "officially checked in." What, are you going to throw a party for it? I want it back yesterday. Still no phone call or e-mail letting me know it's ready, either.

But on the bright side, I guess it was an easy or routine fix. That's good. I am in no position to buy a new laptop right now, even though several shiny, expensive ones beckoned to me as I left the store.

Like a pep rally for romance

This is my wife's diamond and my wedding band, shot on a window sill in our bedroom with a Canon 100 f/2.8 macro lens (a tool that helps render objects in life-size). We'll be married 10 years this April.

On Jan. 31, I had the chance to photograph the wedding of a wonderful couple. It was obvious they are very much in love, something I enjoy feeding off of while doing my job. Makes it easier when it's easy to believe a newly minted married couple will go the distance. In fact, that feeling is a major reason I enjoy working weddings.

It's like a pep rally for romance. In the case of this wedding, not everything went right with the ceremony. But the important things were perfect and that's what matters. And the reception? A genuine celebration, for sure. I'll upload a few photos here if I can pick from all of them! There was a lot to capture.

In a changing world, there are some things that never change. Our hearts are all looking for something to fill themselves with. Love will do.

A fantastic couple

I was honored to photograph a wedding on Jan. 31 of a very sweet couple. Their friends and family were very nice, too, and really let loose at the reception. Kind of reminded me of some of the college parties I attended and a few post-college parties I threw, especially while out in Lubbock. A real fun time!

P.S. the groom was crazy (but in a good way).

The power of a new perspective

Sometimes a new "toy" can make you see the world differently. It doesn't even have to be a piece of photography equipment ... can be a car, a bicycle, a new book, etc. It can also be a vacation, a special trip to your favorite place nearby, special time with a special person ... doesn't have to be about stuff, either. A change of perspective, even temporary, reminds us who we are, what we have and what is possible. Definitely something worth pursuing!

For me, a little piece of photography equipment can help rejuvenate me. In the case above, it was above "stuff." After an ice storm, I found a dandelion covered with ice and used a new lens to capture it. But it wasn't just the act of buying a lens that did it; it was thinking of new ways and places to use it. Finding new places to go, new people to meet, new ways to see the things I'd seen so many times before.

Spring is a month or two off (depending on where you live). But what better time to find something new to love about your life?

Recent advertising project

I was recently contracted by a gym in Tarrant County to take photos and put together a full-page newspaper ad. I was very pleased with the results, which were published last week, in no small part to the ladies who were willing to pose on some of the exercise equipment. Both mothers in their 40s, they sure don't look it!

If you are looking for a great place to work out in north Tarrant County, check out Fitness 2000: with locations in far north Fort Worth (Heritage Trace and Beach/Basswood) and in Watauga (Rufe Snow Drive). Make your New Year's Resolution a reality this year!

Here is a "save the date" photo I recently assembled from photos I took of this great couple. Amazing what a little Photoshop can let you do nowadays!

I've got a wedding to shoot on Jan. 31 in Tulsa, Okla., and then my calendar is clear. Not the best scenario for a photographer, but I do have a few projects cooking on the side. Didn't get to launch my marketing plan for early 2009 on time, but maybe that will work itself out, too.

Happy New Year!

Testing out 2009

When you take 2009 for a spin, be sure you hold on tight!