Young Photography

Hall Family Photos

2011-06-08T20:50:00.001-07:00

I took family photos for one of my co-workers this weekend in Fort Scott. It was a beautiful morning and despite all the hustle and bustle of Good Old Days we were able to find some fun places to shoot. It was my first shoot with a large family but everyone did great and we got some really fun pictures. What a terrific family!

Shoots with Colleen

2011-06-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have had the honor of having two wonderful shoots with Colleen in Saint Louis. She is perhaps the best model I have worked with at capturing mood and a sense of style. I absolutely love the 40's looks that we have done. Hope to do it again someday!

Alicia

2011-01-23T19:20:00.001-08:00

I got to have another shoot with Alicia. As always she does a terrific job at modeling!

Terin and Trafton's Wedding

2011-01-23T19:16:00.001-08:00

Kate and I had the honor of photographing Terin and Trafton's wedding at the Stoneglass Chapel near Branson. What a terrific couple and an absolutely gorgeous setting. Thanks Terin and Trafton and congratulations to both of you!

October Session with Nick and Dallas

2010-11-20T17:05:00.001-08:00

I always love photographing this couple. Nick and Dallas are a great looking couple and Dallas has been one of my models from the very beginning. We thought we would do a fall session at Linden Lure. The results were stunning.

Jessica

2010-10-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

We got go work with this beautiful young lady several nights ago and I am just now getting to post the pictures. Jessica is an aspiring model and she is really great to work with! I just love that smile in the lower picture.

October 2 Session With Alicia

2010-10-04T21:12:00.001-07:00

I was fortunate to have another chance to work with the beautiful Alicia Hughes this last weekend. Kate and I joined Alicia at the ruins of an old barn near Republic. We had tons of fun crawling around the ruins of that barn and shooting various looks and styles.

Glamour modeling has been one of our strongest requests this year. If you have been looking for that special gift for your husband or boyfriend this may be something worth considering. Contact us for details.

Evening Shoot with Alicia

2010-09-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

Had a great session Sunday evening with Alicia. She had not modeled before so she got the run down of the fat guy showing her the model moves and then she was off and running! Alicia is also a budding photographer and I was showing her some of the hot spots for shooting downtown.

Amy and Joe

2010-08-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Had a fun evening shooting my daughter Amy and her boyfriend Joe. What a cute couple!

The World Wide Photo Walk - 2010

2010-07-24T21:24:00.001-07:00

Today was Scott Kelby's World Wide Photo Walk. Above are pictures of our Springfield walk group and pictures of Anna our model.

Rebecca's Wedding

2010-07-05T20:06:00.001-07:00

Rebecca is one of the teachers that Teresa works with. We were invited to the wedding and being the avid photographer I am we asked if I could take some pictures. The Churches rule is no flash...so I took my Olympus and shot at 1600 ISO wide open. Still somewhat blurry using natural light but I liked the output really well. My favorite shot of all is the blurry one of the kids coming down the aisle, after receiving instructions and prodding they came down the aisle fast!

Since I have become a photographer I love to go to weddings. It is really fun to watch the "real" photographers work as well as try a few shots of your own. Needless to say I don't pay a whole lot of attention to the actual service. I am too busy being in photographer mode.

Have a Happy and Safe Fourth of July

2010-07-03T19:07:00.001-07:00

This was taken at the Independence Day festivities and Traveling Vietnam Wall exhibition in Cabool, Missouri.

Amanda

2010-07-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite images from a recent shoot with Amanda. She is a talented and versatile model!

Nikkia and the Urban Photo Shoot

2010-06-14T20:56:00.001-07:00

Saturday evening we had our Urban Photo Shoot with the camera club. I had the privilege to work with this delightful young lady and her mom. Nikkia was an absolutely wonderful model full of energy and creativity with a smile that was absolutely arresting. She could really go far with her modeling!

Emily in Downtown Aurora

2010-06-08T17:12:00.001-07:00

Teresa and I had a great time in Downtown Aurora, Missouri on Sunday evening shooting with the absolutely lovely Emily. She is getting so good at this! Emily will be one of our models coming up on our Urban Photo Shoot with the Camera Club this coming Saturday.

Colleen in Forest Park

2010-06-03T20:35:00.001-07:00

Some more shots from my great shoot with Colleen in St. Louis.

The Sanders

2010-05-31T18:56:00.001-07:00

These are some of my favorite images from a shoot I did with the Sanders family. I particularly like the last image which reminds me of a CD cover and Karissa is the lead singer. Shooting families can be a challenge. You can have x number of people to satisfy with the shots. I think they really sharpen your observations skills though and I highly recommend practicing them and then reviewing them with the family as a whole to get each persons perspective. This is easy to do with Facebook. It helps you grow as a photographer!

An Evening With Colleen

2010-05-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph this lovely young lady in St. Louis last week. She is an absolute joy to work with and is extremely talented at her work. She could bring up any emotion I asked her for.

This is also the first fully completed photo I have processed on my new Mac using Photoshop CS5. It is taking a bit to get used to which accounts for the fact I have been kind of slow posting these new pictures.

Session 2 with Jessie, Continued

2010-05-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

I am still having loads of fun processing pictures of Jessie. She is such a great model to work with. These are all still from our session 2 shoot.

Jessie, Session 2 Continued

2010-05-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Some additional shots of the amazing Jessie Murray. I hope you enjoy them.

My Second Shoot with Jessie Murray

2010-05-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

I have had so much fun working these pictures of Jessie up. I really love the way Jessie pours on the emotion and feeling in her work. We had a blast taking these shots and I hope to do it again someday.

Seven of Nine

2010-05-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

My Scavenger Hunt entry for the Spring Southwest Missouri Camera Club contrast category. The shot is of the Hallmark Star Trek Christmas Ornament "Seven of Nine" which is one of the characters from the Voyager series. The six inch tall ornament was set up on a poster board with a flash behind it and behind a diffuser.... The steam is from dry ice. Definately my most complicated scavenger hunt entry to date. I was fortunate to receive first place in the category for this shot.

Amy!

2010-04-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Amy and I had some picture fun the other day with speed lights in the studio.

Working with Jessie 2

2010-04-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

I have had so much fun processing the photos I took of model Jessie Murray. She did such a great job and I hope she has enjoyed getting my emails of pictures for the last few days.

Working with Jessie

2010-04-21T04:30:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of working with Model Jessie Murray this Sunday in Branson. Jessie is a beautiful young lady who was a pleasure to work with. At almost every turn she would strike a new pose which even when she wasn't trying to would be just stunning.

Her first change was a dress which gave her a 1940's look which turned out just perfect for Branson. We were downtown and we spent a lot of time near the station and the Branson Scenic Railway with its collection of passenger cars from the California Zephyr. Perfect fit for Jessie and her look.

Later that evening when it started getting dark she changed and we went into an alleyway in downtown Branson. The speedlights came out and we shot away until it was just too dark.

We had a great time and Jessie was beautiful and fun to work with!

Springtime in Springfield

2010-04-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Teresa and I went downtown last night for both Artwalk and to find some neat scenes to overlay the images I had taken of Lauren and Laura the other night. I came away with some extras that speak volumes about Springtime in the Ozarks. Rain, love and flowers are staples of Spring around here and I was able to capture all of them last night in the short time I was downtown. I am always amazed at the color of the night and last night was no exception.

Happy Springtime and Happy Easter everyone.

Night Scenes 2 Finished. Springfield, Missouri Portrait Photographer

2010-04-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

These are essentially the same images I showed the other night but this time they have the reflections added. The ladies, Laura and Lauren, were shot in the studio...the reflections were taken tonight in downtown Springfield.

Emily at Wilson's Creek Springfield, Missouri Portrait Photographer

2010-03-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

This has turned out to be my favorite picture of the session. Emily is a fantastic model and I think this picture captures her the best of all I took. I look forward to working with Emily in the future.

Raindrop Imagery - Springfield, Missouri Portrait Photographer

2010-03-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Laura posing for my raindrop imagery photos. Dark, moody and wet these shots were taken inside the studio. It was great fun working with these two and they did such a great job of giving me that serious look I was after.

Emily at Wilson's Creek - Springfield, Missouri Portrait Photographer

2010-03-27T22:21:00.001-07:00

I had the privilege of shooting with this lovely lady this evening. We shot at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield just after a storm passed. Emily did a fantastic job and it was a real pleasure working with her.

Casey

2010-03-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

Casey is one of Amy's friends and she and Amy had the unfortunate misfortune to show up at the house just as I was wanting to try out my newest toy another SB-600 flash. Casey was good enough to step in and do a few shots with me as I tried out my new light.

Strobists Meet Up Take 2 and Senior 2011 Offer

2010-03-11T19:00:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite shots from the Strobist meet up. The shot of Sasha was taken with a soft box to camera left and two SB flashes behind Sasha shooting forward which highlighted the hair. Not readily apparent in this shot was another SB flash on the background. This lighting set up was designed by Matt Dewitt and it has become a favorite of mine...I am still trying to figure out the best way to duplicate this shot with what I have on hand!

I would like to do a few more senior shots this year so I am offering a deal for the first 2011 Senior from each of the area high schools to sign up for a senior shoot. Be the first from your school to sign up and we will waive our sitting fees! If you are from El Dorado Springs High School (my old Alma-mater) I will try to make the deal even better!

Email me at ozarkphotos@sbcglobal.net to claim your spot!

Strobists Meet Up

2010-03-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Kori

Kori

Sasha

Will

Lance

Lauren

Brittney

On March 6th Teresa and I met up with several other photographers and models for the Spring (almost) Strobist Meet Up here in Springfield. It was great fun to learn new things about small flashes and what can be done with them. It was hard NOT to take a good picture of our talented and great looking model pool. Thanks to all of the models who participated.

Jordan Valley Park Pictures

2010-02-03T20:40:00.001-08:00

My favorite people shots from our recent camera club field trip to Jordan Valley Park.

Amy at Oak Alley

2010-01-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite shots of Amy that we took for her Senior pictures. This is on one of the benches under the live oaks at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana.

Kate's Big Day

2010-01-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

Pictures from my daughter Kate's wedding. Word of advice...don't be father of the bride and photographer in the same wedding. Actually it wasn't too bad. We hired a photographer to do the main ceremony. I picked up the pre and post ceremony sessions as well as a full range of pictures at the rehearsal.

Last of a Breed

2010-01-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

The red caboose. It used to adorn the end of every freight train in America but has all but disappeared, replaced by a little black box on the last car of the train with a flashing light. Efficiency for the railroads which helps the bottom line, but leaves me missing an old tradition.

This is an old bay window caboose on display in Amsterdam, Missouri which is on the Kansas City Southern Railway. The KCS is one of the last regional railroads not swallowed up in the merger mania that took place a few years back.

Worship

2010-01-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

Church. What word can mean so many things to so many people? Sometimes Church can be a place of joy and celebration or it can be a place of sorrow and regret. Some people have bad memories of Church when their parents forced them to go. For others it is a place where they are complete and at peace.

This picture gives me a lot of satisfaction. It was taken in an old Methodist Church in Arrow Rock, Missouri. It reminds me of my high school days when I spent a couple of summers with a young lady and her family. It was the best of times when I first learned to love and know the Lord and my future path was set. We attended many revival meetings in small Missionary Baptist Churches around El Dorado Springs. The temperature was often hot and the services were at least as hot. It was a time of laughing and crying, hard benches and the sounds of summer. I learned songs, how to pray and how to love. Basically these days made me who I am. I am one who would be lost without a Church and the person who invited me to Church.

The next time someone tries to talk to you about Church take a few minutes to listen. You can then decide to pursue it further or walk away. That choice is yours.

Lauren in Model Mode!

2009-12-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

I love shooting pictures of Lauren. She is a great model and friend. It is funny how changing lights and light locations can drastically alter a persons appearance. Compare Lauren's hair color here with the black and white below.

This shot was taken with the Nikon using speed lights rather than the studio lights. A speed light was used on either side of Lauren in this set up. A white background indirectly lit tends to turn to gray and this is a great illustration of that effect.

My Favorite Photo of Lauren and her Mom.

2009-12-28T21:22:00.001-08:00

I took this shot with the Olympus E-3 under our studio lights. I was particularly pleased with this shot and it rapidly became my favorite of the bunch. The E-3 seems to produce a much sharper image than the Nikon does. Not sure if it is because it is new, less used, or has the built in image stablization.

During this session I used both studio lights as well as small flashes and I was equally pleased with both results getting some unique shots out of both.

Christmas Celebration!

2009-12-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

A recent shot taken at a photo shoot with Lauren and her family. While most of our shots were taken indoors in the studio I had these Christmas lights I just wanted to try out!

Hometown Christmas

2009-12-06T15:46:00.001-08:00

Some shots from my trip yesterday home to El Dorado Springs. When photographing Christmas lights it is more effective to go out and shoot before losing all ambient light.

Oak Alley Plantation -- The Traditional Shot

2009-11-28T18:08:00.001-08:00

Then of course there is the more traditional shot of Oak Alley. This is a must see stop if you are ever in Southern Louisiana.

Oak Alley Plantation. The Live Oaks.

2009-11-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

A view from the opposite direction of normal from the top balcony at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. This is the view those sitting on the houses porches would of had toward the river. You can see the levy just the other side of the road at the end of the walk way.

The Front Porches of Arrow Rock

2009-11-23T19:44:00.000-08:00

These are some of the neat front porches in the Missouri River town of Arrow Rock, Missouri. Larry and Carol took Teresa and I to this picturesque little town during their fall festival. Of course when I saw all of these neat front porches I had to wander around a bit.

Generations

2009-11-22T18:35:00.001-08:00

My niece Rebecca asked me to take a few shots of her and Annabelle along with her Grandmother, Helen and Mom, Carol. These are some of my favorites from the day. I loved the top one. I just kind of like pictures that just "happen" and this is one of those.

El Dorado Springs, The Bandstand

2009-11-22T15:25:00.001-08:00

Inside of the city park in downtown El Dorado Springs is this lovely bandstand. During summer weekends it gets a lot of use!

City Park - El Dorado Springs, Missouri

2009-11-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

I am continuing work on my El Dorado Springs project. I am creating a series of pictures to display and hopefully sell in my old hometown. I have enjoyed every aspect of this project and it has been a truly rewarding experience. Today I was able to secure matting and frames for some of my first pictures. I will start putting them together tomorrow.

A New Beginning

2009-11-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

This blog will eventually replace Ozark Photos and Ozark Faces, my two older efforts. Another camera club member has adopted the name Ozarks Photos and it is creating confusion to people who are requesting my services so I am going the more direct route.

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago in El Dorado Springs, Missouri and is of the old rock wall downtown which is the official social gathering spot of the community. Of course at 7 am in the morning it is a little quiet. I have lived in a lot of places over the years but El Dorado Springs is the one place I do call home. It is a wonderful little town and was a terrific place to grow up in.