Personal
The cobbler's kids get some new shoes.
09/10/09 11:15
It was a very long time coming but I finally took some new photos (in our soon to be “officially” open new studio!) of the kids Monday night. Since we knew how difficult it would be to get all six kids to sit together cooperate and smile we decided to do head shots and then put them in a composite. Natalie had the vision for this before we even started shooting. The print will 40x20 when it’s completed and will be displayed in our office.
For those of you who don’t know are children are from left to right: Abbi (12 yrs), Alex (10 yrs), Noah (7 yrs), Julia (5 yrs), Anna (2 yrs( and Ian (1 yr).
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Signs of spring
03/18/09 23:02
This
past weekend the kids spent some time on the swings,
(all except for Alex who was a little under the
weather). They all had a great time and Ian got his
“inaugural” ride. It’s amazing what a little sun and
warmer weather can do for your mood. C’mon spring!
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Happy St. Patricks Day!
03/17/09 17:15
A little girl's dream
02/05/09 01:30
I
normally wouldn’t use this platform to discuss
something so personal but I really felt compelled to
do so.
I had to drop something off at my kid’s elementary school yesterday. As I was leaving I noticed a class project that was on display about Martin Luther King Jr. The wall was covered with construction paper portraits of Dr. King and underneath each portrait were the words “My dream is...” along with some lines for the children to fill in their own dreams. I stopped for a moment to read a few. Their dreams ranged from the grandiose ending of poverty, world hunger and global warming to the more personal of wanting to be a professional athlete or a policeman. I smiled at most and chuckled at others.
Then I read one that was quite sobering. A little girl wrote, “My dream is that my mommy and daddy will love each other and stay together.” “Wow,” I thought, “what caused her to write those words?”
We live in an age where personal happiness supersedes personal responsibility. Many people enter marriage with the attitude that if it doesn’t work out then divorce is always an option. But I wonder what would happen if we lived as though there was no option. What if we truly took the marriage commitment to heart? What if we agreed that the word divorce would never come from our lips in the midst of a conflict? Wouldn’t we try just that much harder to make it work?
I am not an expert on marriage. I’m just a guy who’s been married for fourteen years. I can attest to the fact that every (and I mean every) marriage falls on hard times, but I can also testify to how much better things can be and how much deeper your relationship can grow once you’re on the other side of those trials. When I got married I had no idea what I was in for. I didn’t have a clue how difficult things could get. I also had no idea how good things could be and that I could love anyone as much as I love Natalie now.
As important as it is to love each other for better or for worse it is prudent to ask questions before you take the walk down the aisle. As difficult and embarrassing as it may be to cancel a wedding it is far less devastating than divorce, especially where children are involved. When Natalie and I were engaged we went through a book called “Before you say I do” (Amazon link). While it certainly does not offer any guarantees it does help to determine how well matched you and your future spouse are and how you might handle difficult times and decisions.
By the way, it is a faith based book but don’t let that scare you. You need to find out where you and your future spouse each stand on those issues as well.
Ken
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I had to drop something off at my kid’s elementary school yesterday. As I was leaving I noticed a class project that was on display about Martin Luther King Jr. The wall was covered with construction paper portraits of Dr. King and underneath each portrait were the words “My dream is...” along with some lines for the children to fill in their own dreams. I stopped for a moment to read a few. Their dreams ranged from the grandiose ending of poverty, world hunger and global warming to the more personal of wanting to be a professional athlete or a policeman. I smiled at most and chuckled at others.
Then I read one that was quite sobering. A little girl wrote, “My dream is that my mommy and daddy will love each other and stay together.” “Wow,” I thought, “what caused her to write those words?”
We live in an age where personal happiness supersedes personal responsibility. Many people enter marriage with the attitude that if it doesn’t work out then divorce is always an option. But I wonder what would happen if we lived as though there was no option. What if we truly took the marriage commitment to heart? What if we agreed that the word divorce would never come from our lips in the midst of a conflict? Wouldn’t we try just that much harder to make it work?
I am not an expert on marriage. I’m just a guy who’s been married for fourteen years. I can attest to the fact that every (and I mean every) marriage falls on hard times, but I can also testify to how much better things can be and how much deeper your relationship can grow once you’re on the other side of those trials. When I got married I had no idea what I was in for. I didn’t have a clue how difficult things could get. I also had no idea how good things could be and that I could love anyone as much as I love Natalie now.
As important as it is to love each other for better or for worse it is prudent to ask questions before you take the walk down the aisle. As difficult and embarrassing as it may be to cancel a wedding it is far less devastating than divorce, especially where children are involved. When Natalie and I were engaged we went through a book called “Before you say I do” (Amazon link). While it certainly does not offer any guarantees it does help to determine how well matched you and your future spouse are and how you might handle difficult times and decisions.
By the way, it is a faith based book but don’t let that scare you. You need to find out where you and your future spouse each stand on those issues as well.
Ken
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Where it all began.
01/23/09 09:39
Man
I love shooting with digital equipment. I love the
instant feedback. I love the versatility that it
affords... but there’s still a small part of me that
misses film.
Throughout my high school years my schedule always included a lot of art classes, ranging from ceramics to painting & drawing to screen printing. I loved and wanted to pursue a career in the arts but never felt like I found my niche. That was until my senior year. I took a Photo 1 class and instantly fell in love. I don’t know if it was the feeling I got the first time looked through the prism of my Pentax K1000 or the lingering smell of developer on my fingertips. I just loved it all.
Photography has changed dramatically since those days. Film is kept alive mostly by enthusiasts and the movie studios in Hollywood. With digital I can carry my darkroom (Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop) on my MacBook Pro and process photos while sipping on a cup of coffee at Starbucks. As much as I love digital and all of the cool things that can be done with it, I still get nostalgic every now and then and miss being in a “real” darkroom.
Would I ever want to go back to film? No... but I am very grateful that I started there. I don’t think that I would be the photographer that I am today if it wasn’t for my experience with both film and digital. Together they have helped me greatly to grow in my art and my technique.
Ken
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My first SLR. The Pentax K1000. It was a no frills 100% manual camera and it was awesome!
Throughout my high school years my schedule always included a lot of art classes, ranging from ceramics to painting & drawing to screen printing. I loved and wanted to pursue a career in the arts but never felt like I found my niche. That was until my senior year. I took a Photo 1 class and instantly fell in love. I don’t know if it was the feeling I got the first time looked through the prism of my Pentax K1000 or the lingering smell of developer on my fingertips. I just loved it all.
Photography has changed dramatically since those days. Film is kept alive mostly by enthusiasts and the movie studios in Hollywood. With digital I can carry my darkroom (Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop) on my MacBook Pro and process photos while sipping on a cup of coffee at Starbucks. As much as I love digital and all of the cool things that can be done with it, I still get nostalgic every now and then and miss being in a “real” darkroom.
Would I ever want to go back to film? No... but I am very grateful that I started there. I don’t think that I would be the photographer that I am today if it wasn’t for my experience with both film and digital. Together they have helped me greatly to grow in my art and my technique.
Ken
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My first SLR. The Pentax K1000. It was a no frills 100% manual camera and it was awesome!
Just another day for Jack Bauer
01/13/09 01:28
For
those of you who do not know, Natalie and I are
huge 24 fans.
So over the last couple of nights we spent, no we
“invested” four hours watching the season premier.
So far it’s looking to be a good (but not great)
season. The “24: Redemption” movie was outstanding
and left me with high expectations for the new
season. So far they haven’t quite been met. There
are still twenty hours left, so there is hope.
(Heck. Heroes took
three or four episodes this season before it fully
got my attention). What is it that’s bothering me?
I don’t know exactly. Could it be that I’ve seen
Jack Bauer save the world one too many times? Or
maybe it was that topcoat that made him look less
like the “don’t even think about messing with me”
Jack Bauer and more like an insurance salesman. I
can’t tell you how glad I was to see him ditch it
for a black long sleeve tee and a flack jacket
toward the end of hour four. “Alright. ” I thought
to myself, “Now that’s Jack Bauer!” I think even
Jack felt better in the flack jacket than the
dress slacks and and button down shirt. I know I
would if I were him... but then again I am
definitely not him.
Ken
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"Now Mr. Jones, If you were to die TODAY would you be certain that your wife and kids were taken care of!!?"
Ken
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"Now Mr. Jones, If you were to die TODAY would you be certain that your wife and kids were taken care of!!?"