I'm off to Berlin for 5 days, so here's to Polka, schnitzel, and a Volkswagen or two. It's supposed to rain all day, every day while I'm there, but I'm hoping to click a few (hundred) images in between downpours, so stay tuned. Bisbald!

Okay, first off I assume everyone knows the legendary Bob Ross, right? Happy trees? "Van Dyke brown"? Big hair? Legendary PBS fame? Ringing a bell, yet? If not, just stop reading here... next to baseball and apple pie, Bob is next in line in Webster's dictionary when you look up 'Americana'. Go ahead, look it up. I checked. Wait... don't really look it up. I's just kiddin'... sorta. Anyway, I recently took a week long class with Bry Cox, and one of the many things I learned was how to create digital paintings. They take a little time to craft, but they're so cool. Check out a sample painting below. Here's the "before" image... not too shabby.

And here's the "after" painted version. Pretty sweet, eh?

Here's a close-up detail shot showing what the texture looks like.

I'm excited to start offering these for all my awesome clients. These will look fantastic as a canvas wall portrait, and just imagine having something like this to pass down from generation to generation.

Hey, my first real post on the new blog! Wow, the images are SO MUCH BIGGER than the old blog. I digress, though. The day after I photographed Sharon's family in Houston, the next day it was time for Karen's family. BTW, sorry, Sharon - the new blog went live a day after I posted your images on the old blog, so you just barely missed out on the bigger images. Ummm, oops. When Karen and I talked on the phone before the trip down, she described her son Ethan as "active, outgoing, and a ham", and little Kate as "a little shy at first, but she'll warm up". Mom was right on the money, and in cases when I'm photographing kids and don't have a chance to meet them before the session, it's so helpful to at least know a bit about their personalities before I approach them. Both Karen and Sharon did an awesome job of giving me the low-down on the kiddos before their sessions. Thanks ladies. Here's a few images from the last session in Houston.

Come on now... the creme dress and matching bow, the boots, the big brown eyes... that's just not fair. Little Kate was so precious and adorable.

Total GQ.

Such a sweet shot. Kate was worn out by the end of the session. So was I... looks like I need to hit the gym a little more regularly (which is to say more than twice a year like my current regimen).

We met at this really cool park in downtown Houston that had several vintage houses surrounded by a back drop of city sky scrapers. What you don't see is that on the other side of these houses were several thousand people packed into the park for the annual Houston iFest (International Fest).

I told Ethan, 'Okay, you're in the jungle and you're a lion..." He jumped right into character. Too fun.

Welcome to the new blog... I mean, "photo journal". I feel like a kid who just got new school clothes and feels like a million bucks by not having to wear those old Garanimals outfits anymore. (I could never find my hippo shirt and matching hippo pants at the same time). Maybe that's being a bit harsh about the old blog; she did serve me well for two years after all. Sorry, Blog 1.0... I didn't mean it, and you didn't deserve that. Anyway, I couldn't be happier with the new digs. Not only is the look and feel more in line with new branding materials that will be rolling out soon, the pictures are HUGE compared to the old blog. There's a few other features I think you'll find to be cool over time, too, including the ability to quickly search for things through the new "categories" menu or by typing in a word in the "search" box. Also, I'm planning to have resource sections for clients and photographers over time, too, with (hopefully) helpful suggestions, tips and insights, so stay tuned. Finally, I can't say enough about Brock and Dave over at Infinet Design. Not only are these guy super-talented, you won't find better customer service anywhere. I promise you. If you're looking for a new custom blog and/or website, check 'em out and see if they're a fit for you... you won't be disappointed.