Nothing better after a long day than a juicy steak and loud noise. And, redneck music…plenty of that.

More Photos after the jump!

Tricia, my assistant/producer/vehicle navigator/in-transit DJ and traveling companion for the shoot.

Up in the cage for the areal shots. Wasn’t too long after this the lift malfunctioned, leaving us slightly crippled (production-wise…no physical injuries, though emotions were fragile) and feeling a bit more than frustrated.

A muralist hard at work as we stopped to grab a bite to eat. I liked the concept with the veil of history being ripped away, offering a glimpse in the past. Plus, it was on the wall of a kayak shop.

a) What the heck? And, b) what is this world coming to? Sitting in the only parking lot in Frenchtown, NJ, this little mobile left me scratching my head…and wishing I’d have thought up something that ridiculous first.

Our areal lift broke down halfway through the day, and we spent several hours trying to fix it, on the phone with manufacturer support, and cursing its very existence.

I eventually diagnosed the problem, and we set about trying to correct it, part of which involved manually operating the hydraulic system (seen here with Tricia the manual pump). However, after we got the mechanics of the situation resolved it was discovered that a more involved electrical malfunction had also taken place and was out of our area of crack-pot expertise. Had to leave the bloody thing there while a repair specialist goes out to work on it today.

In the words (or word) of Peter Griffin, “Roadhouse.”

They say that we learn something new every day. For some of us it happens several times throughout a 24-hour period. Last night I learned that we could actually select our own steaks for grilling. This is mine. I called him Fred.

This past Sunday, our local newspaper, The Daily Item, ran a story on the cover page of their special At Home section featuring the newly-constructed, energy-efficient home of area residents Craig and Christine Richard, using a selection of my photography for the piece. This home, overlooking the couple’s 85-acre farm, received a 5 Star + energy rating, the highest rating by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, due to the design, construction, and materials used to build the home.

The photography they chose to use were magazine scouting shots I had taken to send to a national publication for an anticipated feature story in an upcoming issue. While they work well for the piece, they weren’t intended for publication. So, in essence, it’s a photographer’s equivalent of showing up naked at your high school reunion as a middle-aged woman without makeup — nothing inherently wrong with it, but still a bit awkward and embarrassing.

I was recently searching for a particular look for a series of photos I had shot, but I wasn’t able to find anything that was already out there from another photographer or retoucher that closely matched what I was visualizing in my head. So, what do you do when you want something that nobody else produces? Create it yourself!

I wanted a feel that was reminiscent of the low-contrast, slightly-desaturated look of 1960s and early ’70s consumer photography. My reasoning behind this was to allow the hues and tones of the image to tell a story almost of their own, instantly drawing the viewer into a place of memory and recollection.

My initial application was a series of photos captured while out for a day of fishing with my father and uncle. I wanted to tell a story of their relationship — years of memories and experiences with stories shared and laughed about throughout the day; a bond forged stronger through the loss of close family members over the last half a decade; and a love only two brothers could share.

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Ever since I was a kid (or youngin, for those of you south of the Mason Dixon line), the first day of trout has been our one consistent tradition year after year. Come Hell, high water, or ridiculous price increases in fishing licenses, each opening day you could find my father, uncle, and I sitting in the chilly morning air waiting for the magical moment we could finally cast our lines into the water. Our crew would vary from year to year, for a while including my brother and sometimes other family members, but, for the most part, it’s just been us.

Some years were a bust. Some years we were shivering, wet, and cold. But, then there’s times like yesterday when everything comes together for a perfect day of fishing. The weather was perfect and sunny (so much so that I fried half my face), the farm-raised fish that they dump into our favorite fishing hole were biting like crazy, and it was by far one of the most relaxing days of sitting along the bank that I have probably ever had.

But, it’s not all about great fishing and good weather. Five, ten years from now I won’t be able to tell you what the weather was like or how many fish I caught. I won’t be able to tell you what food my uncle stocked in his cooler. It’s the times I’ve shared with the ones I love and the memories we have made which will last a lifetime. Whether it’s the stories we’ve shared whilst sitting with our rods dangling over the water, the laughs we still have a decade later at the drunk guy who nearly fell into the water while trying to over-feed the fish because he was pissed at us, or our yearly tradition of urinating down through the beams of the old covered bridge and into the creek with fishermen on either side of the water, each moment is cherished. Someday our loved ones will no longer be here, but the memories of the times we’ve shared will live on forever.

Before start time, a young boy perches atop the steel tile at our fishing hole in Buffalo Creek, reading in the chilly morning hour.

It wasn’t my largest catch of the day, but I think I took home a record for the largest number of smallest fish caught for the day — three little buggers like this.

Two Brothers (my uncle and father) – I wanted to tell a story of their relationship — years of memories and experiences with stories shared and laughed about throughout the day; a bond forged stronger through the loss of close family members over the last half a decade; and a love only two brothers could share. Here they are sharing memories, discussing economics, and cracking political jokes while relaxing around the rim of the lake at R.B. Winter State Park.

The best part of the day, apart from the memories made, was the ability each of us had to simply sit back, relax, and not worry about the pressures to which we would have to soon return.

Had a lot of fun on a family and maternity shoot over the weekend! With one adorable child running around already, this beautiful couple is anxiously anticipating the arrival of their second this summer.

Want to have those special family memories to cherish for years to come? Contact me about scheduling your photo session, or sign up today and stay up to date on happenings, discounts, and promotions.

Yes, those of you who know me are probably scratching your skulls like our primate ancestors of eons past, but, no, I haven’t crossed over to the dark side, found a heart, or been bought off by PETA (those bastards). I still reserve the same feelings for animals.

However, sifakas, and their cousins the lemur (all part of the primate family, so we’re all kinda connected), are some rather comical, energetic, and fairly handsome creatures. I have cajoled my wife for years about one day bringing an ape or monkey into our home to live among us as it rather darn should, but, upon meeting this friendly chap (I named him Doug), I changed my mind.

I have since, much to my disappointment, learned that sifakas are not known for their spontaneous flinging of poo, a must-have for all indoor-inhabitting primates, so we’re back to drawing board with Dunston.

Live vicariously through my camera (yeah, last time I tried that I sent it bungee jumping), and let the ideas flow!

my photography + your facebook profile

The introduction of the new Facebook timeline has brought a wealth of exciting possibilities to the everyday user. Make your profile stand out with the help of my stunning photography! (Yeah, I get a bit egotistical at times…what of it?) Beginning today, download and use my custom Facebook cover photos for your profile, and share the beauty (and utter awesomeness, of course) with your friends!

I will be continuing to release free Facebook timeline covers for you to download featuring a variety of my work, so become a fan on Facebook, and stay tuned for more!

DOWNLOAD MY FIRST ONE, “WALKER LAKE,” HERE