“I sit here as the sun hits my skin in patches of light and dark; filtered through the trees as the train meanders forward. My eyes are filled with tears as I reflect and find my heart overflowing with gratitude.

Gratitude for friends, new and old. For their time and our conversations. Gratitude for the majestic beauty on the other side of these dirty glass panes. Gratitude for my amazing wife. My partner, my encouragement; a woman of great resolve and never ending beauty.

Gratitude for this amazing gift of life we have been given. Overflowing. My heart is beyond full.”

You can see my shots on Instagram here. (BTW: Yes, that is Seattle in some of the photos, I came home via the train there and then flew back from SEA).

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Last year’s small lakeside wedding in Milwaukee gave way to a larger destination wedding in Atlanta at The Foundry at Puritan Mill, a beautiful old brick lined soap factory.

I love watching Mindi+Neil together – when they are around others they are both outgoing and full of laughter. When they are together, they share those qualities and then add a level of intimacy and tenderness that is quite touching.

Thank “y’all” for bringing me down south to be part of this continued celebration of you, your families and your friends!

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Jessica and I have gone to Splash Studio twice now and have had a great time. Neither of us is a painter and we’ve had such a fun time we can’t wait to go back for more. I’ve actually always been afraid of painting because I was so bad at it. The instructor really helps and makes it easy and very fun.

They have growing library of paintings you can choose from to learn (some for each level and style), including a 3D painting and a glow in the dark painting. And you have complete freedom to make the painting unique to you, which is one of the things I love about their setup.

It’s great for a date night for sure and because they do private events it’s perfect for a night out with the girls or guys; a wonderful memory to share with your wedding party.

Here’s a few shots from our two visits so far (from my X100 and iPhone). If you go, I want to see a photo of your paintings!

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If you haven’t already seen the news, I’m now selling my landscape work AND next week am giving away a large canvas to celebrate. Just sign up for my newsletter to be entered to win that canvas.

Here’s a random collection of shots from the trip. Enjoy!

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Kate+Matt are going to be hitting 10 years this summer. They took some time away from work and kids to focus on each other and remember that connection they share and what brought them together a decade ago.

We headed to the bluffs near their house in Goleta (which is just west of Santa Barbara) to spend these minutes together. A guy could really get used to shooting in California…

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Not only did we have a great time shooting, Andrew joined me the next day for surfing lessons (from Jason – great guy!) and Sarah was wonderful enough to grab some shots (which you can see on my facebook page). Oh, and I REALLY liked surfing too!

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I’m very grateful for 2012 and all of the couple’s I worked with this past year. To all of you, thank you. As a way to give to celebrate these couples I’m doing a good old fashion contest of the voting kind.

Here is how it will work:

1. You pick your favorite couple from the photos below (you can click their photo to see more from their wedding).
2. You vote on the bottom of this page in either one of the comments section (the Facebook or normal comments). Let me know which couple you choose (and be creative – extra points may be awarded!)
3. The couple with the most votes wins a 24×16 canvas to hang in their house! They get to pick the photo that’s printed on it too.
4. The winning couple thanks you profusely for the rest of their life, constantly trying to find ways to repay you for your vote (Ok, I can’t promise this but I’m sure they would be very grateful!)

The Rules:

• Only vote per person, so make it count!
• Voting is open to anyone – so spread the work on share on facebook, Twitter, email, etc!
• Anyone having trouble voting below can email:
• Voting ends Feb 12th at midnight CST.

Couple #1: Caroline+Michael

Couple #2: Mary+Nick

Couple #3: Julia+Scott

Couple #4: Anna+Nick

Couple #5: Cassie+Craig

Couple #6: Courtney+Ethan

Couple #7: Jeni+Jacob

Couple #8: AJ+Chris

Couple #9: Jenny+Nate

Couple #10: Dana+Adam

Couple #11: Amanda+Aaron

Couple #12: Leah+Scott

Couple #13: Heidi+Mark

Couple #14: Stacey+Travis

Couple #15: Lorissa+John

Couple #16: Melissa+Matt

Couple #17: Mindi+Neil

Couple #18: Britney+Brad

Couple #19: Susan+Mato

Couple #20: Kate+Joel

Couple #21: Tracey+Andrew

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Some of you have asked about prints and canvases for your walls. I will have information about that in the next few weeks. Until then, enjoy!

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Kate+Joel planned a very unique and beautiful wedding at the Mitchell Park Conservatory (or as everyone calls them, “The Domes”). They spent a lot of time and effort in the prep work and it all paid off.

Their wedding was my season’s end, and it was a good way to end.

We also did a day-after session to get some more time with just the two of them (you’ll see those photos at the end of the post). A day after (week after/year after – no time limit really!) session is a great option for couples wanting to spend more time all dressed up together, without having to worry about the guests getting hungry!

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