Archive: February 2009   |   View all recent posts

Day 59 ~ A Budding Star
WHAT: Portraits, Project 365 (2009)   |   WHEN: February 27, 2009
If you've been following the blog for very long at all, you've undoubtedly seen this girl making some cameo appearances. Meet Tina Tackett. Tina and her husband Jerry have been two of my best friends since I moved to Dallas almost 12 years ago. And of course, their daughter Trinity has been a featured star on the blog on several occasions, and her image is still the first image you see over on my photography website. To say Tina is talented is an injustice to the very definition of the word. I don't think there's anything she can't do. She and Jerry are incredible dinner hosts, she exemplifies creativity (and insaneness) in throwing majestic birthday parties, she's a super-talented graphic designer... oh, and did I mention she was voted Best Art Director in Dallas? Seriously, it's not fair to the rest of us how talented she is.

Next up on on her list of mad skills to add to her repertoire? Photography. She's been interested in photography for a while now, and she recently made it official by starting Tina Tackett Fine Art Photography. She's working on her website now, and she wanted a few images of her to include on the site, so we went out last weekend and created some photos she could use. Here's a few from our session.

Oh, and I need to give a shout out to Jerry. He came along for our shoot and rocked as an assistant. He's got a natural ability to see where some fill light is needed and then taking a reflector and jumping right in and making it happen. Thanks, Jerry!




















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Project 365 ~ Day 58
WHAT: Fun, Project 365 (2009)   |   WHEN: February 26, 2009
Today's post is nothing sexy. In fact, the content of this post sucks. Haha... I crack myself up.

We just bought a new vacuum cleaner, and I couldn't be more excited... well, as far as vacuum cleaners are concerned. I've seen the commercials for Dyson vacuum cleaners for a few years now, and honestly I dismissed them because 1) I wasn't in the market for a new carpet sucker, and 2) I thought, Pffft... it's a vacuum cleaner, people. It's not rocket science. Who buys this marketing crap they're speakin'? My bad. Apparently there is a bit of a rocket science to vacuum cleaners, and we bought the marketing jargon Mr. Dyson was throwing out. Mr. Dyson, my hat goes off to you. Your fancy cleaning machines may still be a bit overpriced, but they're awe. some.

I've never been more fired up about a vacuum. Let's hope that lasts. This baby turns on a dime, and sucks up more stuff than I ever knew lived in the carpet (which was a bit frightening, btw, to see).



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Project 365 ~ From Whatever Day I Was On Until Now
WHAT: Project 365 (2009), Travel   |   WHEN: February 25, 2009
And then there was Venice.

This was the last city we visited on the honeymoon. Good thing, too, because my back, shoulder and trigger finger needed some rehab after this stop... visual overload. This was probably the most "touristy" place we visited, but I could've cared less... it. was. amazing. I think it helped that it was off-season, so we didn't have to deal with too many crowds and could enjoy everything at our leisure. And enjoy we did.

Venice had so many corridors... it was like one big labyrinth with even more character at every turn. We had fun just getting lost and wandering though the markets, shops and restaurants and wished we had at least another day to play. The sad thing about Venice is that it's become so expensive to live there because of the high cost of maintaining a home due in part to strict government regulations in order to preserve that beautiful old world feel that people come to see. I could be mis-remembering this, but I think I remember hearing/reading there's a 60% vacancy rate in Venice right now. Kylie listened to a guided tour she took on her iPod that hinted at a concern that the city could one day potentially become one big museum if things continue the way they're headed now.

We loved every minute of it, though. I took more photos in Venice than any other city... by far. And it's here that I ended up with some of my favorite images from the entire trip. So, with that, I'll shut up and get to the images already.


We were there the week before the annual Carnival celebration. From what I hear, it's kind a like Mardi Gras on steroids. There were ornate masks and and elaborate costumes on display everywhere we went as the city prepared for the event.


Thanks to Kylie, we stayed about a block away from St. Mark's square, so we were in the center of everything.




I bet this guy got a killer image. I mean, seriously, look at that backdrop.




Did I mention there was a plethora of pigeons in Venice.


I can guarantee you I would not have given up my gelato as easily - and joyfully - as this girl did. Me and some pigeons woulda had a throw down.

Lights lining a corridor of St. Mark's square. On the left is during the day, on the right at night.







A couple masks being painted for Carnival.















Brown delivers, even in Venice.










Saw this hot girl in Venice.



Our last night in Venice gave us an amazing sunset, probably the most beautiful one I can remember. Of course, having incredible architecture, a romantic atmosphere, a guy playing a cello in the background, and a beautiful bride didn't hurt.





And finally, I think this is my favorite image of the trip. I don't know what it is about it, but as soon as I saw it when I downloaded it from the camera, I got a big 'ol goofy grin on my face. This was the first morning in Venice when my iPhone forecast called for rain all day, and we walked out side to see the rising sun warming up and peaking through the overcast clouds. As a photographer, sometimes some images just speak to you more than others, and without getting all philosophical an y'all, this was one of those images.


I hope you've enjoyed the visual journey of Italy the last few days as much as I did revisiting the images. I may do one more post with a wrap-up slideshow that includes many of the images you've seen and a few you haven't, but then it's back to regularly-scheduled Project 365 programming and actual clients images. Thanks for indulging me on this ride down memory lane.


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Project 365 ~ Day 40
WHAT: Project 365 (2009), Travel   |   WHEN: February 24, 2009
I'm finishing up the images from Venice to round out the honeymoon memoirs, and I'm really excited for 2 reasons... 1) Some of my most favorite images from the whole trip are in the Venice collection, and 2) it means I'll finally be out from underneath this daunting mound of Italy photos. I'm ready to be done with them, and you are no doubt also probably ready for a change of scenery on the blog. Italy has become this virus that's just kinda taken over the whole site lately, and I'm ready to get back to a little more healthy mix of images and content around here.

Hopefully I'll get the Venice images posted tomorrow, but in the meantime, here's a couple quick images that grabbed my attention.

First off, here's a photo of Kylie from about a mile away while I was still up in the top of the bell tower in St. Mark's Square.


And here's the elevator call button to get down from the bell tower. Call me crazy, but I think the quality control guy fell asleep during the naming meeting for this company. Doesn't exactly instill confidence in your upcoming ride.



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Project 365 ~ We're expecting!
WHAT: Personal, Project 365 (2009)   |   WHEN: February 22, 2009
We're wasting no time starting a family. I mean, c'mon, we've almost been married a month... what's the hold up, right? Well, wait no more. Next Tuesday we get to bring our new little girl home with us, and we couldn't be more excited. We got to see her for the first time tonight at the breeders house, and we both melted at first site. Here's a few quick images we took with the point-and-shoot. She's a Morkie, which means she's half Maltese, half Yorkie. On a side note, when we started looking for a new addition to the family, Kylie found a couple Datsun-Yorkie combinations, but that's where I had to draw the line... as cute as they maybe, I couldn't get comfortable with the idea of having a Dorkie. I mean, seriously, there'd be no end to the sarcasm. Poor Kylie, how many times would she have to hear people ask when looking at me and the dog, "Which one's the Dorkie?" Yeah..., ummm, no.

Anyway, our little girl doesn't have a name yet, so we're taking suggestions. We like the idea of something Italian-ish or photography-ish, so let us know if a light bulb goes off in the thought cloud above your head and you'd like to share your little bit of genius.

I think she has my eyes... or at least my thick Italian eyebrows.





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