I've always loved to travel, but for one reason or another, a trip to Europe has always eluded me.  A few months ago, Rachel and I went to southern Spain for a week, and it was fantastic.   I finally made it to Europe and can't wait to get back.  We flew to Madrid directly from Dallas, but spent most of our time in southern Spain, hopping from town to town across Andalucia.  Knowing we only had 7-8 days, we pushed pretty hard trying to take in all we could, visiting as many towns and sites as possible ... it was one of those "I need a vacation after my vacation" kind of trips. 

These first couple images are taken atop the Alhambra, looking down at the surrounding towns of Granada.  This place happened to be one of our first major stops and nothing seemed to compare the rest of the trip ...

Today is our baby Lauren's birthday.  We kept the celebration quite small, but made sure she felt special on her first birthday ... can't believe it's been a year.  She has been quite the joy in our family.  I took a handful of pics before she went to bed ... just us hanging out in the family room.

It's been an interesting and rewarding ride over the past year, as I've invested a lot of time, energy, and hard work into my photography business (here's to many weekend hours).  I think my path (and I've just begun) has been different from the norm, but fun nonetheless.

I work for Intuit, the small business accounting & tax software company (you know, QuickBooks, Turbo Tax, etc.).  A little over a year ago, I worked on a product idea that originated from the question around how/ where small businesses go to learn, network, share best practices, etc.  A small team and I set out to better understand the ecosystem and test several hypotheses by talking and working with many small businesses over the course of several months.

As part of the project, I decided I could learn a lot about the process and a bit about myself by starting up a "business" of my own.  Over the past year I've been learning the art of photography and small business--equally challenging and important.  Education is everywhere these days, especially on the web.  I've read my fair share of blogs, technical books, how-to videos, and even 1:1 consulting from industry trendsetters.  All have paid off, but it takes time to be successful, and as I've previously mentioned, I'm just beginning.

So what do I mean by "coming full circle?"  A couple of months ago, I was asked by our marketing team to shoot some "commercial" images for an upcoming customer loyalty campaign.  I thought this was a great opportunity for several reasons:

1. It would be my first commercial-like shoot (something beyond my default)
2. I got to work with other creatives (always rewarding)
3. I was shooting for and giving back to Intuit ... the place I started from, the original reason for venturing out and "starting a business" or coming full circle
   

All in all, a rewarding experience.  Here are a few shots from the session and a sample of the campaign:



To see some additional images from the local shoot, click here.

Last fall I had the great opportunity to second shoot a couple weddings with Fred Egan of Fred Egan Weddings.  I have read and continue to follow many wedding photographer blogs and tweets over the past year trying to learn and improve my technical & artistic skills.  I have found that particular community of photographers to be much more open as it relates to sharing tips, best business practices, and solid advice.  I also have a new found appreciation for what wedding photographers do and get paid for ... the pressure of trying to meet up to the bride & mother of bride's expectations, capturing moments of a lifetime (better not miss anything), and from my little experience, trying to coordinate with the coordinators.  What's especially challenging for the wedding photographer is the constant change in venues, people, and times of day--all factors that contribute to different situations and challenges.  As a portrait photographer, I usually have the luxury of selecting the venue and time of day that will give me the best lighting for the result.

We shot two weddings ... one in Atlanta, and one here in Dallas.  Both were impressive.  Before I had the chance to shoot with Fred, I always wondered how wedding photographers handled the reception ... night-time lighting, the dancing, bouquet throwing, etc.  The solution was to create our own off-lighting source, working as a two-man team, wireless-ly connected.  While Fred shot, I was either positioned directly behind the subject (creating a back-lit image) or 90 degrees off, creating some side, indirect light ... much better than a direct flash to the subjects face.  I learned a lot from Fred ... there is no better way to learn than just getting out there and doing it, improving as you go ... Here's a couple images I got while Fred graciously provided the light: