Florida trip recap

Ahh we are finally home. The drive home really did us in. This weekend was just a nightmare on the road, so much traffic. After traveling for over 30 hours we were very happy to sleep in our own bed last night.
So a little recap of our trip. On the way down we had to stop at South of the Border, which before a couple weeks ago I had never heard of. It was something let me tell ya. In New Mexico I am used to seeing these types of Billboards for Running Indian and such so this was a treat to see how they do it on the east coast.

These images are on our way down to Florida, we stopped to stretch our legs and check out the sights. On the way back we actually stayed at the Motor Inn there. If you are into vintage things you would really dig the motel. It was pretty cool.

Don and Alma with the big gorilla.

I got to ride the jackalope

Self portrait

Woohoo Florida! We miss you already.

Me and Don on the gondola at Busch Gardens

On the way home we stopped and got some yummy items at the Orange Shop, cool sign!

Besides taking photos on the way down and back I didn't pick up the camera much on this trip. It was very relaxing. We really enjoyed our time at Don's parents and coming home is a bit depressing since we got used to walking Alma in a beautiful neighborhood, quiet and inhabited by people who care about their surroundings. We feel we need to be retired and living in a gated community like that.
There is a ton to catch up on now so I need to get back to business. Happy Monday.

Traffic

Getting home has been much more difficult. We have been in traffic outside savannah for almost two hours. 10 miles an hour isn't going to get us very far today. 'sigh' Heres hoping we pick up speed soon. Hope your Saturday is going well.

Its cold in Florida

Don and I are in Florida this week visiting his parents and it is cold! It was 35 last night. Oh well, it's still better than being in the city. The bright sunny skies sure do help to cheer you up. After the last couple of rough months we have had at our house we have seen the light and really appreciate the calm peacefulness of a gated retirement community like the one his parents live at. Alma has been having a blast in the back yard too, poor pup is such a city girl and never gets to romp around in a yard.
We drove down this past weekend and it was kind of fun to take a little road trip, I have not done the 95 stretch before. We have some fun photos but I will have to share them when we get back. Our internet access is a bit limited. I am replying to emails as I can from my iphone but thats pretty much it for me this week. If you have sent an inquiry or email I am trying to keep up on response but it may be delayed a day or two.

Have a great week!

Baby Brock

Friday afternoon I went back and visit Danica and Ben and meet little baby Brock. Last time I saw Danica she was all belly and Brock was warm and cozy inside. It is so awesome to go back and meet the babies, I just love it.

Check out this little man.

So sweet with those squishy cheeks.

I feel so bad when they get upset, but I just love the squishy faces babies make when they cry.

Looking to mom for reassurance.

Now its daddy time, what a handsome couple.

An adorable little family.

Look at the smiles he gives his Dad, we were trying to get him to smile like this the whole session but he was obviously waiting for Dad to get home.

It was really great seeing you all again and meeting baby Brock.
He is so adorable, I had a wonderful time.
One last image, such a beautiful timeless family portrait. I love this image.

Enjoy your Slideshow

Take my picture I'll take yours!

Today I met up with my good friend Ryan Estes for lunch out in Phoenixville. Ryan and I have become great friends over the past year and have had a blast shooting for each other as well. I needed some new photos of myself for a new special something that will be rolling out in the next month or so. Who better to ask than Ryan to get some shots of me? He also needed some new photos of himself so we did a nice trade. Boy is it tough being in front of the lens, to all my clients you are really awesome for putting up with everything I ask you to do! Ryan will post some of my photos on his blog I am sure so go check em out.

Here are some of my favorites of him from today.

I can't decide which I like best, this one or the next one.

The color in the water was stunning!

One of my favorites

Who wouldn't love this guy!

Awesome hanging out, thanks for lunch!

Happy Birthday Don!

Today is my Donald's birthday. :) We decided we would celebrate by throwing a little party at our house last night. It was the first time we have had more than four people in the house at one time. We have been doing a ton of work to finish the kitchen and just get the house in a cozy state of being so we could actually enjoy company. It was great, we had a wonderful time and a lot of our close friends finally got to see the house. A lot of these guys helped Don when he first got the house to tear out all the old 70's horrid carpet.

I didn't go crazy with photos, I barely took any actually.

Hanging out in the kitchen, the awesome awesome kitchen.
Babies tired, ready to go home
Ginger and Geiger making weird faces playing guitar hero
Don and Joe look so serious compared to Ginger and Geiger
A photo to document Joe holding a baby! This is a rarity and seldom seen in the wild.
And Don demonstrating how to take a self portrait for Lindsey.
So thats it. I didn't take any photos of the cake or anything, but it was yummy. It was actually really nice to hang out and not document the party for once. Lindsey took photos so maybe she will share them with me.

We took a lovely Sunday afternoon drive today and got out of the city for a bit. We had a great dinner, stopped by a local ice cream shop for dessert and made our way back home. It turned into a really pretty day too, this morning was rainy and wet. Happy Birthday babe, I hope you had a great day.

Ruder Than You, look and listen

It's been a busy week, with out further delay check out Ruder Than You.



To give you a little background on the band, I have stolen some info from their myspace page.

The bands current roster is packed with veteran members including the Round Mound of Dub Sound - singer Freddie Weaver. Band leader Doug Dubrosky still sings and plays tenor sax. He and Don Pancoe on bass hail from the earliest days of RTY. Rod Martino and Chris Klimchak fill out the lineup on guitar and trombone, respectively. Larry "Ace" Snell of the Toasters and Public Service sits on the drum throne.

The band is putting finishing touches on a 5-song EP entitled God's Ghetto to be released in May 2008. The EP, to be released on the East-African record label Lulu Nyeusi, represents the first known American ska-influenced band to have a release on an African record label. The God's Ghetto EP features the group's hip-hop and dancehall influenced songs and emphasizes lyrics penned by Weaver during and immediately after his incarceration. The group has already started recording their next full-lengh (slated for early 2009), which features their contemporary ska and rocksteady sounds.

So, whether it be on the CD player, web, or HOPEFULLY live in concert, you are oh so encouraged to let your mind and body succumb to the rude, rude, Philly-Stylee sounds of those brothers of love, Ruder Than You.

Justin & Mary at the Philly PUG

I would have posted earlier but funny thing is today I was trying to avoid panicking because I thought I might have left my little point and shoot camera somewhere on Tuesday. I have never been one to panic immediately when I think something is lost so I just played it cool and wouldn't ya know I found it tonight when curled up on the couch. It was under the little throw blanket, whew!
Anyway, on to Tuesday. Justin and Mary came down from Connecticut to speak with the Philly and Jersey PUG's (Pictage user group) about creating loyalty beyond reason with your clients. Truly inspiring and they are such a great team. Secretly I was just excited to take them to Lush though. I learned on my last visit with them that Mary is as much a fan of Lush as I am. So I had the honor of getting to hang out with them a little more before they headed back to Connecticut. Don and I also took them to dinner at our favorite place, Honey's. So they left town with full bellies and bags of yummy smelling bath goodies.

Thank you so much for making the trek down and back in one day, everyone loved seeing you as did I.

Ruder Than You

No worries, its a band! Saturday was a whirl wind of a crazy day. Mother nature was having a grand ole time and gave us a good run for our money. Ruder Than You just recorded a new record so we set out to get some shots for the album and they needed updated shots of the band as a whole.

I will share a lot more of the photos from their shoot and a slideshow to one of their songs but for now just this one. I gave them this print framed at their listening party last night.

Be sure to check back and happy Monday!

Jamie & Jason's Wedding

Here we go again, another amazing wedding. This time around I had the honor of second shooting for Ryan Estes, yes we are becoming quite the little team. As per usual I had a hard time narrowing down, especially since I am not doing a slideshow.
Jamie and Jason are such an awesome couple and I always think its cool when I first meet a bride and it feels like I would know her in real life. I hung out with Jamie and her girls while she got dressed.

Nice shoes

Gotta love wedding gown tulle

I really love this photo of Jamie and her Dad

The Kiss

They were married in St. Thomas of Villanova
Beautiful Church

I really love catching little moments

I love this shot of the guys!

Maybe my favorite of the day.

Simple flower detail

Some great window light, and I love my new D300, this was shot at 1250 ISO.

Some symmetric portraiture.

Father daughter dance, I love the emotion of Jamie's Dad singing to her.

The fun thing about second shooting is that you can step outside the norm a little. This was during the cake cutting, it was such a spectacle that it had to be documented.

And of course I have to post a shot of Ryan, I have a ton of black mail photos of him from Saturday to add to my collection.
EDIT, black mail works. I get to go to lunch on Ryan for taking it down, sorry if you missed it, it was a cute one!

So great working with you again Ryan, thanks for having me along.
Jamie and Jason enjoy your beach and sunshine!

Pizza with Photo Joe

Yesterday we headed over to Photo Joe's for a long awaited pizza dinner. Joe is always boasting about how amazing his pizza is, always blogging and bragging but never sharing! Well until now. I am so hungry after looking through my photos! We had such a great time and we got to meet Joe's new gal Gwenn, which I realize now I didn't get a photo of, doh!

Welcome to the Pulcinella winery!

Joe working up some amazing pizza!

Looks like he can't wait to dive in, no drooling on the pizza.

Proud papa.

Joe, Linette and I had fun documenting the day. Linette and I dueling.

Caver loved the pizza to, I think he had two pieces! It was great for his aching teeth.

mmmm.

Little Carver chilling in the living room, content.

Papa Kyle, I think Carver has a handful of hair here.

This was the first time Don has met Carver! He has seen plenty of photos and on New Years the little man was fast asleep. He had a good time making funny faces for little C.

Thanks Joe for such a wonderful time, we can not wait to dive into the bread you sent us home with.