link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Sv4ukXNKhE/Tvywu2kH72I/AAAAAAAAH2c/I0vpwdHuLoA/s1600/superb.png"/> February 2010 | Priester Photography

Forevermore...

I'm a little concerned by this image.
With technology advancing as quickly as it is, brides may one day be able to take ALL of their own wedding day pictures.
Where will that leave little ol' me?
Out on the street.
Cold and alone.
Oh, technology...what are you doing to me?

I guess we have a love/hate relationship.

Totally unrelated:

This song is amazing.

It makes me happy.

I remember singing it with one of my best friends and her mother when I was a teenager.

I love the variation on this one and the part where she goes, "woo hoo-hoo hoo-hoo Hoo"!

Just listen to it.  You'll see what I'm talking about.
In conclusion...as I was wrapping up this post, this little guy showed up in front of my screen.

He was just hangin' around.  I worked with him there for quite a while (going somewhat cross-eyed in my observation of him) before I decided he was posing and wanted me to take his picture.

So I did.

He's famous now, although he's no longer with us.

He lived a good, long life.
B

Smarties...

I think she likes them.
Um.
Yes, I'm sure of it.  She likes them.  Alot.
I think she ate all five packages that I bought for the session.
But if five packages of Smarties get me shots like this...
and this, then I plan on stocking up.
After Smarties we made "cookies".
The only way she would take her eyes off the task at hand was if I bribed her with more flour.
Who knew flour could be so entertaining?
I'm not sure about the cookies, but the pictures are delicious.

At least in my humble opinion.

You can see the rest of the session here under "Miss Huffman".

More wedding up next...

We interrupt regularly scheduled programming for a special news bulletin....

My husband is a hero!

Don't believe me?

Read this:
I remember this day quite well though Matt only has a vague recollection (he's had a brain injury from a car accident since then...seriously).  I confirmed with a friend that the incident must have taken place in late 1996 or early 1997 because she wasn't married until March of 1997 and she wasn't there with her husband.  Also, I didn't have any children on this trip and Mercede was born in 1998.  So this actually took place about 14 years ago.

 Here's my recollection, maybe the others can give their input in the comments section if they have any further information:

A little story within a story...
We had a rather large group of friends that went camping that weekend.  At the same campground but further back in the lot, some older friends of ours were also camping.  Ours was a group of teens and twenty somethings and theirs was a group of thirty somethings.  The other group decided to come over to our site to spy on us at about 10 pm but they were shocked to find that we were all in bed already.  So they sabotaged us, putting chairs in front of our tent flaps and tying our zippers so we couldn't get out. 

Two words for them...very mature. 

I just remember that one friend had to go to the bathroom badly and couldn't get her tent open because it was tied shut.  That is NOT a good feeling.

I'm just glad we could make them feel younger, if only for that night.

On to the heroism (if you want to call it that)...

Late into the same morning as the sabotaging incident we were all sitting around the campfire talking about whatever it is that youngsters talk about when we heard yelling from the river.  We assumed it was drunken canoeists making their way down the river so we yelled something or other back.  Probably something along the lines of, "Hey!  Pipe down over there!  We're trying to enjoy the nature!".

They didn't pipe down.  We heard more yelling whereupon someone from our group said, "Wait a second.  Did they say, "Help?"".

We decided that they did, indeed say, "Help", so our entire group meandered, with more of a sense of curiosity than of urgency over toward the river to check it out.

Of course we found Mr. and Mrs. Allen draped across logs with their belongings bobbing down the river and the boys jumped in to help.  We can't remember who did what, but I do remember that I didn't want Matt to get in and he did anyway.  That may sound selfish of me, but I was newly married and I didn't see how my little husband with his 29" waist (seriously) was going to help anyone out of a quickly moving current.

I guess he proved me wrong and now he's a "hero".
(giggle...sorry that just sounds funny)

So thank you Mr. and Mrs. Allen for the memory and the gratitude.  I know everyone involved will enjoy hearing the story again and appreciate the acknowledgement of a good deed.

If you're reading this and know the Allen's please send them this way so they can find out where their "heros" ended up fourteen years later.
B

Interpretation...

As a wedding photographer I've come to realize that not only is every wedding different in its location, personalities, and emotions,
but that I, as the photographer, am able to manipulate those things to tell the story that I want to tell.
That's a BIG responsibility!

But also a big privilege.
For instance...Perhaps this groom wasn't behaving as affectionately as I thought he should be.

After I shot the first image of them both looking at me, I would have asked him to look towards the door.  He would do it thinking I'd lost my mind, not knowing that I was creating an "image" of him being affectionate by trying to look at his bride through the door.
Thankfully, for me, this handsome young man needed no direction in that area and he produced that look all on his own.

Bravo young man!  Bravo!  Us girls like a man who isn't afraid to be mushy.
Another example...If my bride is stiff and uncomfortable in front of the camera (as most of us are) and I want to get a shot of her looking unabashedly ecstatic then I would ask her to lean back and tip her head and act like she's fanning herself with her flowers.
She would also look at me like I was a lunatic, but when she saw herself looking like the "image" I had created, she would be happy.
Again...thankfully, this bride needed no direction.  She was pouting and posing like a pro.  We even captured a shot of her making muscle arms (which I won't post for fear of a lawsuit).
The point of these incomplete and run-on sentences?

I've discovered that I'm not only a photographer but also a director.

Camera!  Lights!  Action!
B

Up next:  More Millie

Haiku

Everyone seems to be enjoying the five worded sentences, so I thought I'd take it up a notch with a Haiku.
In case you don't know (shame on you), a haiku is a Japanese style of poetry that contains three lines.  The first line is five syllables, the second is seven syllables and the third, five.  Also, they don't rhyme...which could be disconcerting to those of you who expect your poetry to rhyme.

To those people I say, "step outside of your box".  At least for the moment...you can get back in after this blog post if you'd like though it must be starting to smell in there.

Diclaimer:  The following attempt may not be a true Haiku since I'm not sure it paints a mental image for you as they're supposed to, but you get the idea.

Right?

My Haiku
Sweet Millie giggles
waiting for the sweet reward
of candy in hands.
Well?

I should probably stick to pictures.
B

More wedding previews up next...

Five Pictures, Five Words...

I've heard less is more.
I'll give it a try.
Beautiful bride from last weekend.
Bride is also my relative.
Check out those toned biceps!
Alas!  I didn't inherit those.
B

More picture + more words next...

Sprout...

A great time waster.

If you're in need of such.


Enjoy.

I did.

Wedding pictures next, I promise.

My excuse is that my tummy hurts.  I can't focus on editing when my tummy hurts.

I think I need chocolate.

Yep.  I'm pretty sure that's it.
B

-9x+1= -80

That is an algebra problem.

I don't like math or anything associated with it.

I would much rather give you the etymology and definition of the word "algebra" than actually do algebra.
This is my Sophomore year algebra teacher, Mr. Coffman.
Though this might be starting off a little sketchy, there is a reason that I'm blogging about him....and algebra.

I have never excelled at math...who am I kidding?  I'm awful.  In fact, I still use my fingers to this day when doing math problems.  Don't judge me...I have a method and it works.

During middle school and then into my freshman year in high school I nearly flunked out of every math class I was in, though I was usually above average in all my other classes.

  I  always enrolled in the lowest class the school had to offer, as were the "trouble makers", so class was often disrupted which further delayed my learning process.  I struggled to get by with the basic mathematical education that the public school system thought I needed to succeed in the world.

Then I was assigned an algebra class with Mr. Coffman.

I don't know what he did differently or how he approached the subject, but while he was teaching, I was learning.  I actually understood and (gasp!) liked algebra! 

I'm not saying it was easy all the time, but it made some semblance of sense to me and I enjoyed it. 

Maybe it was the mystery...the satisfaction of uncovering the clues to determine what number had gone undercover as "y" or "x". 

Maybe it was because I could use my imagination in trying to figure out why we didn't know what "x" stood for.  Was it some Indiana Jones like puzzle with it's missing pieces?

Whatever the reason, I enjoyed the way Mr. Coffman taught and thank him for helping me pass algebra.

However, the algebra teaching skills are not what stand out the most in my memory of this teacher.  The thing I remember most (because this is how my roller coaster ride brain works) is a comment he made to our class one day after he had been on a long trip by car.

He said that he really enjoyed driving on long trips because it gave him time alone to think about things that he didn't have time to think about during the busy day.  He said he could zone out and really give his brain a workout and it was refreshing.

Here's the tie in:

I drove to Springfield this weekend for a wedding which is a about a four hour drive one way.  Which means I had eight hours in the car.

Eight hours to think.

When I started the drive and my mind started to take off to the little places it tends to go, one of the first things that came to mind was Mr. Coffman and his advice on using our driving time for good.

I took his advice and I feel refreshed.  Much like you feel after a strenous physical workout...tired but rejuvinated (minus the sweat).

I could tell you some of the things I thought about on the drive, but it would be neither beneficial for me to spend fifteen days writing it nor beneficial to my goal of proving to you that I, in fact, don't have a mental problem.

I have no idea if Mr. Coffman is still teaching or sadly, if he's still among the living, but if he is, maybe he'll stumble upon this little memory of mine and feel like he accomplished something during his teaching career. 

 Even if that accomplishment didn't solely  involve algebra.

x=9
B

Up next:  Wedding Sneak Peeks

A desultory post...

before I leave for the weekend to shoot a wedding.

I didn't want to leave you hangin' for that long and I have several unrelated things to share.

Let's begin...shall we?
A candid shot of Merna that I happen to like.  Yes, that's a rearview mirror.
Yes.  This does make my heart beat faster as the seller's description suggests. 

I originally saw it on this wonderful site and I want one.  

However, I have no earthly idea where I would put it in order to see it everyday so that my heart would continue to beat faster and  I can't help but  wonder what detrimental affects a continually faster beating heart would have on my health.

Upon further consideration I've decided that despite any physical ramifications I might endure, I need this printed on something...other than an article of clothing.

Any suggestions?

Much to my dismay, no one I've talked to in the past remembers the Jabberwocky. 

It was very coincidental that one of my readers used the word in a comment they made a few days ago which brought him back to my mind again (the Jabberwock, not the reader).

This is a clip of the Alice In Wonderland that I grew up watching...the Jabberwocky scene. 

Now when someone mentions the Jabberwocky you'll know what they're talking about.  I'm sure it will come up often.

One more thing before I walk out the door...

I had three of my pictures printed in a local paper.  You can see the online edition here.  While this may be unimpressive to you, I was giddy and presented the issue to the cashier with much excitement, spouting "those are MY pictures!" as I did so (she was not nearly as impressed as I thought she should have been).

  Very immature and uncool, I know, but I've never been able to pull of the whole unaffected act. 

Miss me while I'm gone and remember that "my feelings will not be repressed" and "I admire and love you".

Well, some of you.
B

The continuation...

of the story of my fun filled Saturday evening. 
If you missed part one you can read about it here.
The second half of the night's entertainment involved  The Two Man Gentlemen Band,
who were indeed two gentlemen (at least according to appearance)
that have a band.
A very entertaining, foot-tapping, hand-clapping, audience involving, feel good band.
This is an example of the requested audience involvement I speak of.
There were many things I found enjoyable about these fine gents...
the hat sported by "The Councilman"...
the suspenders...
the slicked back coif displayed by Mr. Andy Bean...
the energy...
The Councilman's skinny little 'stache (though I'm not a fan of 'staches in general, he managed to make it work for him)...
the wonderful facial expressions...
including tongues sticking out in concentration...
the whoopin'...
the hollerin'...
and last, but definitely not least...
the kazoos. 

Seriously.  Who doesn't love a kazoo?
I'd also like to mention that they have a blog that is quite entertaining.  You can view it here, just don't get so wrapped up in their witty, well-composed banter that you forget about little ol' me and my discombobulated, carnival ride of a blog.
Thanks again to Tim and Kerry at Unique Ink for bringing such big sounds to our little area.

Maybe now you'll come to the next show and see what you've been missing.

Here's a little snippet of "The Two Man Gentlemen Band" doing what they do.

A special bulletin for the complainers:

I do not have an external microphone for my camera.  stop
My camera microphone is the size of a pinhole.  stop
People are usually talking in the background at shows.  stop
This does not make for an acceptable recording environment.  stop
Turn up your volume.  stop
Or buy the music here.  stop
And quit complaining about the sound quality.  stop
(In my head this sounded like a telegram bulletin, so I went with it...if it makes no sense to you, then you should watch more AMC.)

stop
B
 
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