I traveled to Ft. Collins, CO, this past week and made some time to go out and enjoy the location.  Let me tell you, it is a gorgeous part of the country.

Here are a few photos from that trip.

Horsetooth Mountain Reservoir, just west of Ft. Collins.

A walking trail near the reservoir.

A self portrait off some street art in Old Town Ft. Collins.

Sculpture at a plaza in Old Town Ft. Collins.

I had a chance to make a very quick visit to Rocky Mountain National Park which is about one hour drive from Ft. Collins.  Amazing natural beauty.

Some elk enjoying the beautiful weather.

Me, enjoying the fine weather!  ;-)    I had a Suzuki XL7 SUV as a rental and the hood became a good tripod for this shot!

Some of the stunning vistas.

A panoramic shot - this is made up of three photographs “stitched” together.   When printed, it will be about 12 inches tall by about 30 inches across

The weather was beautiful - but not quite good for a picnic.  Maybe on my next visit!

I took a week and went off for spring break. Florida. No, not Daytona and some wild crazy times. Orlando and Boca Raton.

So, what did I experience?

Mardi Gras celebration at Universal Studios…

I did a bit of shark fishing…

Almost had some green eggs and ham for breakfast…

 Ran into a couple of rodents and their big ball…

 Some goofy characters…

 Must have been pretty close to royalty…

Some things were just full of hot air…

And a quick visit to the beach - even though it was a rainy day.

As we move halfway through the second month of 2008, I wanted to introduce my new “toy”.  Yes, we tend to call new equipment “toys” and this particular toy is one I’ve been wanting for a long time.  What is it?  Well, it’s a camera modified for “infrared photography”.

Now, what is “infrared photography”?   No, it’s not what you see on TV where you see “thermal images”.  In this case, it is a camera that has been specially modified to be sensitive to “near infrared light”.   What does this mean and why would I want it?  Well, it allows for some really cool looking images - specially outdoors.  With an IR camera, greens such as those in grass and tree leaves reflect the most light back - and appear white.  Skies reflect the least amount of IR light - resulting in very dark skies.

My intent is to use it primarily to document outdoor images of venues and wedding locations.  In addition, experimenting with it for “different” looking portraits is in order too as IR modified cameras actually tend to “penetrate” a little bit into the skin - providing some very rich, creamy, smooth skin textures. 

If you’re technically inclined, you can read more about it at WikiPedia but it’s best to just show you some of the results.

So, that’s it for the new toy.  I look forward to further experimentation with it and to providing more image options to my couples in the future.

I want to wish all my friends in China and Taiwan a great holiday.  Yes, February 7 is the Lunar New Year - commonly known as the “Chinese New Year”.

Over the last twelve years I’ve had the opportunity to travel to China and Taiwan quite often.  During this time I’ve made some wonderful friends and shared some great times with them.  I have learned much about them, their country, their culture, and along the way a lot about myself too.  What has impressed me the most is how friendly and loving they are.

So, I’d like to celebrate by displaying some photographs taken during my most recent trips there in 2006 and 2007.

Let’s start with Taipei and a photo of Taipei 101 - currently the world’s tallest building.  Just one block away from this marvel of engineering is a sculpture portraying a chess board.   I have spent many weeks in Taipei and have become very familiar with the city, its restaurants, its sights, and its people.  I have made many friends there over the years.

 Let’s next shift across the Taiwan Strait and a bit north to the wonderful city of Shanghai.  This is the Television Tower which is one of the many landmarks in this modern, cosmopolitan, and all so beautiful city.

About two hours drive outside of Shanghai is one of many “water towns” where parts of the city are preserved as it was years ago.  These towns, built around rivers, streams, and lakes, used water as a key mode of transportation.  This photo was taken in the city of Xitang.

Another “water town” is the city of Zhou Zhang which I had the pleasure of visiting on another visit to China.  This particular city will always bring beautiful memories.

This next image was also taken in Zhou Zhuang and it is an opera performer getting ready just before going on stage.

Finally, the Lunar New Year celebration is all about family and…well, food.  Some of the best food I’ve ever had has been in Taipei and Shanghai.  There are so many fine restaurants featuing cuisines from throughout the world.  One of my favorite meals was a dim sum breakfast (brunch actually).  This series of photographs will always bring warmth to my heart.  Here’s one.

So, I’d like to again wish all my friends in China and Taiwan a great holiday and may the Year of the Rat be a good one for them all.

Wow…what an awesome show!

 I spent both Saturday and Sunday at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center as one of the photographers at the Dream Weddings Bridal Show.  Let me just say it was INCREDIBLE.  The turnout of future brides was great and I had a chance to talk to many - easily handing out more information than I anticipated.

I’d like to share some photos taken by my friends Rob and Kathy.

My booth - simple, but it showcases some of my favorite large images.

A closer look at the large images in the background - featuring Annie and Eli, Sarika and Atul, Stephanie and Christian,  Dhara and her dad, Amanda and John, Sophia, and Shelah.

One of the many brides that kept me busy the entire two days.  

Overall, it was a fantastic show and one that will keep me busy well into 2009!