Ike

Ike is all of the buzz right now.  It is currently approaching Galveston.  I hope everyone's family and friends are safe for the weekend.

Fortunately, this is a free weekend for me so I will not have to contend with Ike for any sessions.

Stay dry and safe!

God Bless,

-Ryan

Bells to Babies

My last post came just after the Dupre wedding.  Today I write after Kristina and Darrel's engagement session at Perdenales State Park and photos of Madelyn Enriquez, the first born of Ron and Risa.

Yesterday was Pedernales.  I met Kristina and Darrel bright and early at 7:30 in the morning and we headed to the park.  They were kind enough not only to offer to drive but, to buy me lunch too!  They realized that a drive and somewhat of a hike in the park was not quite the normal photo session.  Their offer was very much appreciated.

We made it out to the site around 8:30 and walked down to the rock shelf where the falls were.  Already the sun was high and in this part of the park there be no shade.  We took a handful of photos with water cascading down the rocks as the backdrop and then headed hiked back to the car.  From there we went to the beach/swimming area.  It is a really pretty part of the river with calm, green water and cypress trees reaching over the water from both sides.  It was a a tad longer of a walk with a few more stairs than I had remembered.  Never the less we got there.  The day was a bit later and the temperature had already gotten higher.  The water and cypress trees made for a beautiful natural setting.  After some shots and a hike back to the car we left the park and headed for lunch.

We set our heading for the Nutty Brown cafe on W 290.  It was a welcomed chance to sit, cool and refuel (the humans needed fuel).  After a good lunch and great conversation it was back in the car to drop me off and wind up the day.  We had a really good time.

Thank you KO and Bone for a fun morning and into the afternoon.

So today was baby Madelyn.  At only 3 weeks old she is a cutie.  Ron and Risa had a few different looks and wardrobes in mind for her. With only a few breaks Madelyn was such a trooper.  She did so well!  There are some adorable shots that I hope the family has a really hard time choosing from.  If that is the case, it just means I did a good job!

Congratulations guys on a beautiful baby!

So, all for now.

God Bless,

-Ryan

Photography and Not

Since I last wrote I wrapped up a maternity session with Tammy and Michael. Just like the rest of my clients...super people. We had a great time.

Brent and Sande followed through on their vows last Saturday.  Brent and I have known each other for 10 years so it was a privilege to not only attend but to photograph their wedding.  It was good to see some other mutual friends that I have no seen in a long time.  Sande looked beautiful.  Brent, you did good.  The reception was a blast.  Your peoples are crazy.  Maybe that is why I liked them so much.

I have also done a complimentary session for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (www.nilmdts.org) . The organization provides sessions and a cd/dvd of images to parents who give birth to babies that never make it out of the hospital.  Either the baby is a still birth or has some other condition that will end in death shortly after birth.  It is a humbling and solemn experience to be in a stranger's life during a time of such intimate grief. My prayer is that images from the session provide something tangible to the parents that their boy Ayden, was here, and did live if only for a short time.

Last week I met a man only known to me as Alex.  Our meeting took place not long after he found out his 18 year old son was killed in combat in Iraq.  It was one of the most difficult conversations I have experienced in a long time.  Alex was a combat vet himself who has been suffering from mental and physical trauma for years.  Among other things he was feeling guilty for "letting" his son join the military.

The point of including this into this post has nothing to do with the politics of the war.  I want it to serve as a reminder that whatever your stance is on the events in the Middle East, people are dying there, and friends and family are being devastated here.  If you pray, keep those that are fighting and those who had to watch them leave in your prayers.

All for now.

God Bless.

-Ryan

The Frames in Spain...

Good evening. If you have been checking in on the ol' blog here you have read about our trip to Spain. I am finally caught up on all wedding and portrait work and have begun working on the photos from our expedition.

I hope to have them online in the next couple of weeks.

The first print debut will be in September at the Austin Humane Society's Casino Night Fundraiser. I will be donating a canvas print for auction.

We hope all are blessed.

-Ryan

Matrimony to Maternity

Isn't ironic when people say "don't rush, you have plenty of time" and in the next breath "I wish I had more time"? Time is so relative and can pass by so quickly. That leads me to this blog entry.

Charles and Erica had a nice and intimate ceremony downtown. The Old Pecan Street Cafe has a hidden little gem of a place upstairs right on 6th St. It started off hectic with crazy traffic and family getting in town late. All that was laid to rest once the ceremony started. The peace that is supposed to be present during such a commitment to God and each other definitely prevailed. It is always encouraging to be a part of a ceremony where God gets the focus and not just a honorable mention just to be polite.

The following week I met my friend and attorney Dax (www.daxlegal.com) at the Capitol for an executive session. We met early in the morning and started outside before the sun got hot After that, we went inside to the House of Representatives chamber and view gallery for a few more shots. Some of the photos are displayed on his website.

That brings us to Fred and Irma's wedding in Round Rock. It took place at First United Methodist Church in Round Rock. What a beautiful Church. It was a great day for a wedding. Everything went off without a hitch. Fred, Irma, and party looked smashing. As always, Amanda and I were honored to play a part in the wedding and really enjoyed getting to know everyone. Photos coming soon.

Then there is Anna and Jayson. Amanda and I photographed their wedding in March of 2007 at the Oasis. Now they are parents to be and called on us to do maternity photos. I always say I have the best clients and of course that still holds true in this case. The portrait session went well and it was really nice to be able to catch up with them and see how their lives have grown since the wedding. We look forward to the arrival of a healthy Austyn and putting him in pictures as well.

That pretty much makes the blog current. I hope all have a blessed week.

-Ryan

Free Wedding Chapel Time Lapse

At my last post I was getting geared up to photograph Alfredo and Elizabeth's wedding. Well, it has of course come to pass. The weather was let's say...interesting. Chapel Dulcinea provided a beautiful setting over looking the hill country as always. What was a little unexpected was a constant wind of around 15-20 miles per hour and gusts well over 30! It certainly helped keep the temperature down though. Even with the wind, it was a great day for a wedding.

The ceremony went off with out a hitch (and no one was blown over the railing). The recently constructed reception hall on the chapel's grounds also contributed to a carefree wedding. A short walk from the Chapel itself and there we were. The folks out at the Chapel did a really nice job with it.

Thank you Elizabeth and Alfredo for inviting us to share in your day. Also...we had a lot of fun!

The proofs should be ready and posted by the end of the week.

Next up, Charles and Erica. Amanda and I are looking forward to it!

Full Swing

Good Sunday afternoon!  What a beautiful day we have been given in good ol' Austin, Texas.  The sun is out, the clouds are scarce and there is even a good breeze blowing.

I write today from the patio of Austin Java at Southpark Meadows.  It has been over a week since my last post.  My failure to to update the blog however does not mean I there hasn't been anything happening.  I know in my earlier blogs I wrote about getting motion sickness after our last train ride in Germany.  Well, I was out of commission for 3 of  the first 5 days back.  I initially thought I was having the mother of all migraines until I realized that no combination of migraine medication and miscellaneous other drugs that focus on migraines/headaches were working.  What it took to finally make me feel better was motion sickness medication, meclizine and scopalomine.  I went to the doctor and he said I had an inner ear problem called areo-otitis which is what was definitely making me sick.  It is a common thing amongst travelers and scuba divers that deals with the pressure inside the ear not equalizing properly.  So, for now, I still am using the scopalimine patch and per doctor's orders, taking sudafed and using a nose spray to try to clear things up.  Let me just go on record by saying the nose spray is nasty.  Prayerfully the problem will go away if for nothing else so I don't have to use that disgusting stuff.

Immediately upon our arrival back at our home there were photo orders waiting to be processed.  Our first weekend back had us in full swing with Misty and Josh's wedding in Elgin.   Misty and Josh looked great and so did all of the bridal party.  The ceremony had an attendant making an unscheduled appearance.  Misty's little boy, Wyatt, decided he was much happier up with Misty and Josh than with the rest of the guests.  So, he helped himself and climbed on up to the elevated stage. It certainly got a few laughs. Kids are Kids.  The reception was south of Smithville at Kovar Hall (http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2007/12/1209dancehallmap.html      look at # 11).  It is a neat country no frills dance hall that reminded me a bit of Gruene Hall in New Braunfels.  It was definitely a "roll up your sleeves" kind of joint.  I say that because one of the modern amenities that Kovar Hall lacks....air conditioning....and it was hot!  Unfortunately, Amanda started feeling really sick (had nothing to do with the wedding of course, just bad timing) and had to leave.  So, she didn't get to sweat with the rest of us.  Despite the temperature, it was a lot of fun.  Good food, good music, good people equals a good time.

Later in the week I met with Fred and Irma about photographing their July wedding.  Fred and I already knew each other so it was nice to have time to meet Irma and talk about their big day as well.  I look forward to being able to provide then with unforgettable images and service.

Saturday morning had Amanda and I started early and met Michelle and David in the booming metropolitan city that is Rockne, Texas for their engagement photos.  We met at the church that has special meaning to them to start with and then went next door to the grounds of the Rockne museum. Yes, that is right, Rockne has its own museum.  No really, I'm not joking.  David and Michelle looked great with the white shirts, jeans and boots.  They made for some really nice photos.  The location came with a bit of irony for Amanda and I.  In both of our lives we have never been to or near Rockne.  Now, in one week's time, we had been the twice.  We drove through Rockne to get home from Misty and Josh's reception.  Go figure.  Of course if not before, we will certainly be back for Michelle and David's wedding next April.

So that brings me to the present.  Amanda and i went to church this morning (www.hpbc.org) and will head over to Austin New Church (www.austinnewchurch.com) in the next hour or so.  The rest of the week will consist of a lot of computer time doing post production on the photos we've taken since we have been back.  We are also looking forward to Thursday and Elizabeth and Alfredo's wedding out at Chapel Dulcinea  (www.chapeldulcinea.org).

I want to end on a  thank you to everyone who has ordered photos over the last couple of weeks.  Your orders are greatly appreciated and one way I know that I did a great job.

Until next time, be blessed.

-Ryan