David B Hoffman | Blog

Ready for Change...

2010-01-26T17:10:00.002-06:00

After 15 years of living in the Midwest I have decided to head back to my hometown of Seattle. I've enjoyed working with some wonderful couples here in South Dakota and I look forward to meeting new couples in the Northwest. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my work. The next chapter of my life is beginning. I plan way more blog posts and a whole lot more change.

Light Speed...

2009-08-05T10:12:00.007-05:00

I decided to take a few photographs at the airshow here in Sioux Falls a couple of weekends ago. It was surprising how much I enjoyed the process and challenge. I found that I am rusty at keeping a good even pan going so I was shooting with a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. Like all things a little practice would have solved my panning technique but ISO 400 1/6400 @f3.5 did fine at taking care of the shakiness.

The Airforce's F-22 demonstration team put on an amazing show. When the plane made a pass with it's bomb bay doors open I got the image below and flipped it vertical to make an interesting composure. The white in the background is a cloud but it gives the appearance that the plane is sitting on a sheet of seamless.

I had a really fun time out there and got a wicked sunburn too boot.

I was reminded how much I like photographing these kinds of subjects and I'm glad I brought my camera along. More images to come soon. I need to get caught up with some posts.

Some New Stuff

2008-12-08T09:46:00.005-06:00

Haven't forgotten to blog... Just haven't had time.

2008-07-21T04:50:00.002-05:00

I've been really busy lately. I have all kinds of images to blog. This image is just one of many more to come. Hope everyone is having a great summer. :)

Tori & Dustin Engagement Session...

2008-06-30T04:31:00.007-05:00

I feel so blessed to get to photograph this couple. They are so open to my experimenting and I think it really paid off. We went a little long on the session even by my standards. At one point during the session Tori was really feeling the energy and excitement caused by really great light and she was saying "this place rocks!".

See I told you it was totally Gap ad... :)

Look at those mosquitoes, the things we endure for great images...

Love you guys. Your wedding is going to be so awesome.

06.21.08 Erica & Brian ...

2008-06-30T01:38:00.007-05:00

What an awesome pair of people. I just can't say enough. This wedding was a lot of fun. Brian & Erica are such laid back people it made the event a low stress day for the family & me. Everyone was having fun and the weather was perfect. I travelled all the way to Marshall, Mn. and was assited by Matt. We found a nice band shell to shoot in. And these two have such a classic style that it reminded me of the wedding portraits of the 1940's.

Thank you so much for allowing me to photograph your wedding. And Congrats Brian & Erica. Don't forget to "Smile Big". :)

Dwellings At Last...

2008-06-02T00:13:00.001-05:00

Ok so I'm finally moved.Or at least my stuff is all in boxes on the floor of the new place. Just so you know I don't have total internet access yet, only with my pda phone right now so I won't check email for a couple of days.

So I totally underestimated how much it was going to take to move. Without the help the of my friend Katie & some wonderful guys from my church I might still be working on it next week. I feel so blessed to have people in my life that are willing to help. I've never been good at asking for that whole help thing. I guess I should get over it. Anyway.

Thanks to: Katie, Carl, Austin, Scott (and his sons), Jeff, & Brian. I really feel blessed by your help.

Habitation Relocation....

2008-05-28T23:53:00.005-05:00

Yep, I'm moving to the other side of town. Moving can be so stressful. Especially if you wait till the day before you move to sign a lease like me. My phone number will stay the same and all mail can still be sent to the post office box listed on my website.

Thank you to everyone that reads my blog on a regular basis. It's nice to see that your out there. I would love to meet some of you. Leave a comment, don't be shy. If you have questions or just want to say hi. You can never have to many friends. If you want, you can befriend me on Myface.com or Spacebook too. By the way I updated my music playlist with some new songs and moved it off to the side of the blog so it doesn't bother the folks that don't really want to listen to my eclectic taste of music.

Oh yah! I almost forgot. I'm looking for model type persons to be the subject in a couple of shoots. if you know someone that will work for prints let me know. I'm looking for someone with a strong sense of style and uncommonly good looks.

No one does the sprinkler like Mr. Bendo...

2008-05-28T23:43:00.004-05:00

Doesn't it look like Mr. Bendo's doing the sprinkler.. For those of you who have not been lucky enough to have witnessed someone doing the "Sprinkler Dance" look it up on Youtube or something. :)

The Big Show...

2008-05-20T03:43:00.004-05:00

Did an engagement session over the weekend with Brenda & Dan. It was a lot of fun. We happened upon this really awesome wall mural that was begging for some camera love.

Lost in the Forest...

2008-05-13T01:52:00.015-05:00

I know it's been a while since I posted last. There are a few projects that I have been working on. Can't wait to finish them so I can show the world.

Checkout this rock star! Ok it's my cousin. Hope you enjoy them. :-)

***Update. I've gotten a little bored with black & white lately. ***

Youth Escape...

2008-04-01T13:54:00.010-05:00

For several months I have wanted to checkout the youth service at Faith Family Church. Dustin & Andy had invited me to stop by to take some photos. Finally had a chance on Wednesday night last week and I wasn't disappointed. The youth of this church are on fire and it was amazing. The music was great. Hey they're looking for a drummer by the way.

They have a pretty elaborate lighting set up that made for a little drama in this series. Even with all the lighting it was really dark shooting conditions. These are all at 1600 ISO and very slow shutter speeds hand held. I love dark shooting conditions if there's some drama in the lighting.

I've gone with black & white again. This time with a cool tone and a treatment that imitates Scala chrome film. You just can't argue that film is still the standard.

This image is a little silly, but hey I kind of like silly.

Morning Light...

2008-03-10T08:50:00.005-05:00

Morning is a reminder of the continual renewal of a new day. Today is a new day...

Tea for Three...

2008-03-09T05:25:00.010-05:00

Last Saturday I met with Shannon, her mother, and her grandmother. They were in town to do a little shopping and enjoy each others company. Shannon had scheduled this time to photograph the three of them several months ago. She wanted to have some keepsake images of her grandmother. As you may remember I shot Shannon's wedding last year and she is also the jewelry artist behind Almost October as well as being a new friend.

It was fun to find a good place to do the shoot. This time of year in the Midwest it isn't as if I can stage a shoot outside. I decided to go to a restaurant here in Sioux Falls. The owner Doug treated us all to a nice corner spot with a couch and chair. It was perfect. The dessert menu was awesome. I had a piece of chocolate cake with a French raspberry liquor sauce.

Some Date....

2008-03-09T03:31:00.016-05:00

Ok, so we all know that dating can be brutal. That's why I don't do a ton of it, or at least that's one of my many excuses. Tonight I was at dinner and as often happens when your dining alone I started to overhear parts of the conversation from the next booth down. Ok, it was impossible to not overhear it. This poor fellow was on a first date with a women that I have to assume he met online judging from how the conversation was coming together. It started out with the usual salutations of online daters. You know, "wow your taller than you look in your picture" and the like. Then some small talk about family and so on.

So you may be wondering what made this date interesting enough to write about. This fellow apparently was nervously making jokes and his date was nervously "Cackling". No really it was the worst sound I've ever heard. The type of laugh that could clear a room, it would make Woody Woodpecker stare in silent disbelief. Then she decided to make nervous jokes too, only hers were more like a cross between the in your face style of Don Rickles & the innuendo of one of those redneck style comedians. When she started making cackling jokes about the fact that he had never been into a 'Victoria's Secret" or a "Fredrick's of Hollywood" I could tell he was ready to fake a stroke or just bolt for the door.

So about the time I was ready to ask for a table somewhere far away from the cackler a table of ten was just starting to get loose in the bar area. Who would have thought there could be three obnoxious cacklers in one restaurant. It was a trio in surround sound. Isn't the fire code enforced "Max occupancy 250 diners & 1 cackler". It was unbearable. Apparently it was all a little too much for this guy he suddenly came down with all the symptoms of Rubella or Bird Flu or something and felt he really should skip desert and get going.

Now we know that there is someone out there for everyone of us if we're patient. So if your reading this Nervous Stuttering guy & Cackling gal don't give up. Oh and if it happens to work out I would be happy to photograph your wedding. :-)

Bright Eyes...

2008-03-08T05:17:00.010-06:00

Hello everyone. Boy it's been a while since I posted anything, Sorry. Just been really busy. Since I'm slacking here in the off season I thought I'd post this family session from last fall. And I've got some other stuff to post later this weekend as well. This is the Clemen family and they're such awesome people. I met them at church a year or two ago. I really enjoyed the kids. They are all so polite and happy. It was very cool.

Guess I better say happy birthday to my Brother & Dad too. Love you guys...

Big Prints...

2008-02-27T00:58:00.004-06:00

Printer technology has gotten better since I bought this Epson stylus 2200 a few years back but it still makes amazing prints. Can't wait till I can upgrade to a large format printer down the road a bit. As if 13x19 isn't large format. :-)

New Image...

2008-02-10T03:26:00.001-06:00

Matt "Matteo" Stirling stopped by this afternoon. I've been telling him that his profile pictures for Facebook & Myspace needed a little pro touch so I took these for him. Matt has recently gotten interested in photography and will be assisting me this summer. I think he has a natural eye for creative photography, it will be interesting to see what he can create in the coming years. He's only nineteen and is still working out his choices for the future.

Canon 5D EF 135L f2 @ f2.8, 1/160th sec. flash & Tungsten lighting

Pole, Poll, Paul, Pale....

2008-02-05T03:04:00.001-06:00

Share your thoughts... What are you looking for in a blog. If you have a good idea write in your answer. I would love to hear from all of you. Or... Just one of you. :-0 Don't let me down Maria...

Workspace...

2008-02-05T01:50:00.000-06:00

Picked up a new desk set this weekend. I'm so excited! I've needed a place to get my work done and get organized. Ok, so it may end up a finger print nightmare but it looks good now.

I've had a lot of fun talking photography with a few newbies over the last couple of weeks. It's so fun to talk about the art and technique of image making. It's funny most new photographers are really worried about the tech side when it's really all about the art. Well maybe not all... about the art. If your a photographer that is interested in learning more about making interesting engaging images please don't hesitate to contact me I would love to offer my knowledge. I'm all about new friends. Leave a comment or send an email. I'm usually pretty busy but I'll get back to you. :)

Hey, forgot to mention. I'm still booking for 08 weddings so if you know anyone that is getting married tell them about me and my work. I'm available nationwide and I really love photographing weddings. Later. -D

P.S. Anyone having trouble with the images loading on my blog? You may have to refresh the screen. Sorry...

Two steps forward...

2008-01-30T11:21:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone.. Again I've let time pass between posts. I guess it just takes a lot of time to get over being sick. Oh well. I'm used to set backs and the show must go on. This time of year in the Midwest can be a tad on the chilly side. Last night it was -11 and the wind made it feel like -25. I consider that a very good time to just stay inside and avoid prolonged exposure to the elements. I personally have underground parking and the heated seats in my VW help as well.

So a while back I was talking about a new website. It's still in the works. And a few other changes as well. Can't wait to get it all done.

This spring I'm going to be getting myself back in to shape. My goal is set and I'm going to do some before and after pictures. Who's with me? If you are waiting (like me) for motivation I have something to tell you. Motivation is a total crock. It doesn't exist. Forget about motivation and do what it is that you are dreaming of. I think that I need to get a tattoo saying that to remind myself of that truth everyday. "Motivation is a fig newton of your imagination".

My stats have recorded a few interesting visits to this blog lately. I've had visitors from: Sweden, India, Argentina, Denmark, Germany, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, England, Netherlands, and Mexico. Welcome to all. Thanks for stopping by. I'll have more pictures in the next few posts. Bye... D

Please pass the tissues...

2008-01-18T04:58:00.000-06:00

I have never been so sick in my whole life. I'd like to make a shout out to Chicken soup, Tissues, Codeine, and Antibiotics. If it wasn't for all of you I wouldn't have made it the last two weeks. I love you guys... Oh yeah and I can't leave out Oatmeal. :-)

Something to inspire you...

2008-01-18T04:30:00.000-06:00

I don't watch American Idol or the like but this fellow's story & talent are blow your mind inspiring. This clip left me in tears. Dane Sanders had this on his blog and makes a few really excellent points about the power of practice. Check out his blog. Hope he doesn't mind me using this piece. By the way this clip is from the British version of idol called Britain's got talent and this regular fellow Paul Potts won. -D

It's A New Year...

2008-01-03T12:40:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone is having a happy new year so far. I know that I am. 2008 is going to be a wonderful year. It's funny that when you turn on the television news this time of year there are always people predicting how bad the year is going to be. Then by the time the next year comes around we have forgotten the gloomy outlook they gave us the year before and we listen to them again. The truth is that we have a lot of control over how good or bad are year goes. Most of our outcomes in life are based on our decisions. So this year might have some bumps in the road but it's still going to be an awesome year, let's plan on it.

Merry Christmas....

2007-12-25T00:29:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. I will be over eating this year. That's the plan anyway. -David

I'm Dreaming of a Christmas...

2007-12-20T14:51:00.000-06:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've come to realize that not blogging in a while is something to blog about. Ok, so it's not a lack of things to write about that is the trouble I've just been to busy. Hope everyone is having fun shopping and preparing for Christmas. Just a little reminder for those of you who are freaking out because you don't have enough time to do it all. Holidays are supposed to be fun, relax. Take some time to taste the food, smell the Christmas smells, and tell your family and friends that you love them. I'm going to find some time to post a few more wedding shots before the end of the year. Maybe a year in review post. We'll see. Happy Holidays... -D

Melanie & Tom...

2007-12-05T04:29:00.000-06:00

Hope no one minds that I have used (or perhaps overused) the look of my favorite black & white paper. Back when I printed my work in the darkroom using the chemical process I loved to use Iford multigrade fiberbased paper. It has just a touch of warmth (brownish/Green tint) to it and makes for really elegant prints. I was staying at the MGM Grand this weekend and they have these images in the hall ways of movie stars of the forties and fifties like Cary Grant, Samy Davis Jr., Lauren Bacall, & Audrey Hepburn. I've always loved the movies from that era. And with all of the Las Vegas cliche' I wanted these images to reflect the elegant timelessness of those classy folks. Tom was wearing a sharp looking suit and Melanie chose a sleek simple dress with beautiful little details. The style just fit them.

Melanie & Tom where not alone, altogether they had forty six guests made the trip to celebrate they're wedding day with them. It was a memorable event for all. The first image is the view from they're suite atop the MGM. And the last image was a collaboration with Melanie's dad who traveled all the way from Germany. He had asked to take a picture of the couple early in the night and I could tell that he was really passionate about his vision. After all the guests had left he asked me if I would take the photo for him. My German is bad, guess I never paid enough attention in that class, but I felt like we clicked. I hope I was able to capture the feeling & vision that Arnold had in his heart. I feel his vision was the poetic feeling of love that Melanie and Tom have for each other expressed in a photograph. Or it could just be that he thought it was cool with the two of them in the mirror. Who knows. :-)

las vegas, weddings photography wedding photography

Marathon Wedding...

2007-12-05T04:14:00.001-06:00

Tom & Melanie chose a very unique location for they're wedding. This wedding was held at the run through wedding chapel 5 miles into the Las Vegas Marathon. Elvis was there. Well there were a lot of folks dress like the king anyway. Melanie & Tom were both members of the running club at work and met while enjoying they're common passion for long distance running. It was so much fun hanging out with they're family's for the weekend and photographing this unique event. I'll post some images from the reception in a second post.

photography wedding photography

Sleep Deprived Vegas Style....

2007-12-04T01:33:00.000-06:00

I had a great time shooting in Las Vegas this weekend. I'm too tired rights now to do a long post so I'll just share this pic I took with my Treo phone of the Venetian hotel for now. The flight attendant on the plane this morning summed it up well when she said "It's been our pleasure watching you all sleep today". Having to get up at 3am for the Las Vegas Marathon where my clients were married in a run through wedding chapel, then another 3am wake-up to catch my plane home have taken they're tole. -D

Que Sera Sera.....

2007-11-30T01:51:00.001-06:00

I have some pretty amazing clients but Shannon blew me away with her beautiful jewelry. Her company is called "Almost October" and above are a couple of examples of her work. She has great names for all here pieces like a necklace called "Que Sera Sera". Very hip stuff. Shannon has found beads and stones on her travels to Eastern Europe and North Africa that she uses in her work. I'll be doing a shoot with her and her dear grandmother when time will allow and I'm looking forward to it. Shannon your smart, beautiful, and creative. Check out her work at her website www.almostoctober.com

Grinning In The Sun...

2007-11-29T05:24:00.000-06:00

Saturday I leave for my wedding shoot in Las Vegas and I'm pretty excited. But I've got so much to do before I leave I'm kind of freaking out. There just isn't time in each day for all there is to do. I guess I can't worry hard enough to add an extra day to my life so I'll just have to stop worrying huh. I'll be back on Monday so I should have some photos posted on the blog Monday night. Who knows I may post again between now and Saturday. I updated my musical selections a couple of days ago, I found some good tracks. I usually listen to it while I work. Wish me luck. Oh and if your wondering why I'm blogging at 5am it's cause of the worrying I shouldn't bother doing. :-)

Editors pick....

2007-11-23T14:02:00.000-06:00

I was looking though some photos from a recent wedding and thought I would show this one. The way all the hands come into the frame and the tonal range adds such a soft feel to it. Hands can get a little cliche' but I don't think this one is. Or is it, you decide. :)

Things To Be Thankful For...

2007-11-23T03:30:00.000-06:00

There are so many things to be thankful for this year. Thought I would just share a few.

1. Christ's love and provision for my every need. Rom. 8:39

2. A wonderful family that support me and encourage me to keep on keeping on.

3. Friends that make everyday fun and entertaining.

Thanks to everyone that has added value to my days: Customers, New photographer friends, and all the nice folks that just stop and tell me that my work has touched them in some way. I really appreciate all of you. -D

Game Face....

2007-11-18T00:47:00.000-06:00

Bringing my A-game to my editing today. Ok, so I did stop for a few minutes to make this photo using my Treo camera phone and a flashlight. I'm calling it "Wild Eyed Ambition" It doesn't even look like me. I've got one of those rubber faces I guess. Back to the grind stone...

Egg-Nogged!!!

2007-11-16T01:48:00.000-06:00

The holidays are here! The holidays are here! I'm so wonderfully excited. The holidays mean food to me. And I'm writing this today because I was wondering through the grocery store last night and picked up a half gallon of Egg-nog. It's gone already but it got me in the whole holiday mood. What a strange drink. It's so very noggish. Also I'm pleased to announce that I did not use any in my Cheerios's yet this year and probably will not after last years bad experience. Hope everyone has gotten their Thanksgiving plans figured out. Why is it that I always feel like baking this time of year?

Happenings...

2007-11-09T04:19:00.001-06:00

Life is so busy. It's hard to find time to blog. I've been woking on getting all my production work done so I can get the new website up online. It's very exciting I have so many photos that I want on the site. One of my tasks for the week has been working on the details of what may be the coolest wedding I've ever shot. Vegas baby! Stay tuned... I'm taking my services nationwide.

Big Blog Post....

2007-11-03T01:14:00.000-05:00

So as I had mentioned in my last post I had been asked by Cameron Ingalls for a few lines of advice for new photographers. Today his column appeared on the Bigfolio Blog. It features nine photographers interpretations of how to "find your voice". I feel so honored and blessed to be one of those photographers. And the only one outside of California to boot.

The really cool part is that the other eight are amazing photographers. Cameron Ingalls does beautiful work that is so inspiring, Jeff Newsom's work totally blows my mind and I stole my Myspace layout from him. Jasmine Star makes all her clients look like celebrities. Jose Villa makes clean beautiful photos & is bringing back 8mm motion images as well. I'm now a fan of them all.

I was born and raised in Seattle so I guess I'm west coast enough for this line-up.

Click Here to check out the whole Bigfolio post...

photography wedding photography

From My Heart...

2007-11-02T01:53:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had someone ask you a question that really made you think? I recently received an email from another photographer who is writing a blog column for new photographers. He was collecting quotes from several photographers dealing with the subject of "finding your voice". So I put some thoughts together on connecting with the viewer on an emotional level. Next day another email, this one requesting an example or two to back up my statements. Great! :-) Now I've actually got to back it all up with something emotional. That made me start to think about how when I'm shooting I get so into it. I visualize emotionally connecting images. My whole goal during the booking process is to connect with the couple so that I can deliver strong images.

So are these just words or do they mean something. Am I making images that connect with people? Scary questions. Fortunately I was looking through the weddings from this summer and found these images and many more that connect with me. Maybe that would have been a better quote, "Make images that connect with you on an emotional level". The rest of the details will work themselves out.

The following images are what I thought to be fair examples to back-up my statements. Please let me know your thoughts.

Thank you Cameron for the opportunity to share my philosophy. -D

photography wedding photography

Book report.... Failing Forward

2007-10-27T03:26:00.000-05:00

This week I've been reading a very encouraging book that I feel compelled to tell everyone about. It's called "Failing Forward" [Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success] by John Maxwell. Ok I must start out by saying that these kinds of books really add a lot of hope to your life. If your not putting positive stuff in it's very hard to have positive stuff come out.

The whole concept is that we often loose our perspective on failures, how ever big or small they are. Small failures are seen as avoidable & large failures are seen as an end to it all. If you think of the perspective from which some see their lives it's not hard to see why they arrived at the places they are now. Their fear of failure is so intense that it limits them, almost stops them in their tracks. I'm a little guilty of this by the way. This book deals with the myths about failure we must overcome in order to start using the failures to move us forward rather than back.

I have a strong belief that you just never give up. But even when we don't give up sometimes we don't really move forward either. It's very important to change our perspective on failure and use the knowledge we gain from it to allow us to move forward with our dreams and ideas. If you don't already own this book please pick it up. It's really hard to go wrong with any title from John Maxwell. Get it in the astore.

"The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure."

Rumors & Rumors of Rumors...

2007-10-24T04:22:00.000-05:00

Very excited to announce that I have a new website in the works and will be expanding my coverage area soon. Check back for updates. And please feel free to leave a comment I would love to hear from you. I'm always up for meeting new friends. :-)
Have been noticing visitors from all over the states and the world, thanks for stopping by. I even had someone check out the blog from Ulaanbaatar. That rocks! You can't get much more international than Mongolia. I hear they have a wicked camel race over there. Hope to get there sometime and check it out. Never did understand the whole outer vs. inner Mongolia thing, oh well.

An Honor & A Privilege...

2007-10-24T03:19:00.001-05:00

So a week and a half ago my phone rang it was a (212) area code. I recognized it as being an area code that I should know but yet could not place why. The caller introduced himself as a representative of a national photo agency located in New York City. He was inquiring as to whether I was available to photograph an important event in Sioux Falls. He was looking at my website and said that he liked my work and that my style fit the clients needs. Ok, so he totally had me at "National Photo Agency". The client turns out to be a PR group representing the Tour for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

These beams will be part of the museum & memorial when it's built at ground zero.

The local police and fire dept were well represented and were destinquished guests...

Capturing an image of her signature...

Photo opp...

This boy was viewing images of the chaos on 911. His quiet thoughtful gaze reminded me of how each person is effected by the events of that day. Young and old...

photography 911 memorial

10.13.07 Erica & Brian

2007-10-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

It was a busy Saturday. Erica & Brian drove all the way from St. Cloud, Mn and we had some fun with there session. These two seem to be totally intoxicated with one another, I've nevers seen such big smiles. :-) On a side note Erica, Lexie & Shannon are all cousins. What are the odds of having so many beautiful girls in the family. I'm so excited for they're wedding!!

"Smile Big!!!"

10.13.07 Lexie

2007-10-14T20:39:00.000-05:00

Had a wonderful time yesterday photographing Lexie for here senior portraits. I had met her mom at Shannon & Nicks wedding. They travelled all the way from Marshall, Mn to meet with me. What a sweet girl! Lexie is as cute as a bug so it was no trouble getting beautiful pictures of her. Thanks for coming all that way guys, hope you like them. -David

I love cloudy bright days!!

Philosophy...

2007-10-06T15:34:00.000-05:00

Came across this quote that really sums up my feeling about the use of photography to express and communicate. "Emotion or feeling is really the only thing about pictures I find interesting. Beyond that it is just a trick." -Christopher Anderson Magnum photographer

photography wedding photography

Highly recomended...

2007-10-05T03:04:00.000-05:00

I'm really into feeling good. And have found some products that really help. If your trying to loose some weight, build muscle, or just need a good vitamin try Advocare products. They have really helped me get back on track. There are no miracle pills. But these magic beans rock!

The performance line is amazing....
Check it out!

Advocare
weight loss

Randomness...

2007-10-05T02:36:00.000-05:00

So I couldn't get more random than the juice. Ended up in bizarre small talk with O.J. at the Kentucky Derby a couple of years ago. Kind of an interesting life experience.

O.J. Simpson circa 2005... No I didn't ask him!!!

O.J. Simpson

Hot Wheels...

2007-10-03T07:32:00.001-05:00

I know this is kind of silly but I just like this image...

Who ever thought of the name "Dart" let alone "Swinger" oh well.

True image...

2007-10-03T04:13:00.000-05:00

Ok so this isn't a really new image. It's one I took of my friends Megan & Steve's little boy named Truman a little over a year ago. But what you'll notice is that I've finally figured out how to host larger images on my blog. Yeah! I love tinkering and learning new stuff.

This guy is what the statement "what a cute baby" was invented for.

Insomnia...

2007-10-01T07:59:00.000-05:00

Had a little trouble sleeping last night. So I added some new elements to the blog. Please let me know what you think. My taste in music is a bit diverse, "if you don't dig it just pause it". You can now sign-up to have an email sent when ever I post. Or you can sign-up for a feed. And I've gone back and labelled my posts to make it easier to find what your looking for. Thank you for stopping by to look around. Please check back often. I'll try to get more consistent on adding new posts. -D

09.15.07 Charity Carshow

2007-09-23T03:11:00.000-05:00

Volunteered to photograph a charity carshow last weekend. And I found a nice way to showcase the images as well. Here are just a few of them.

Myspace....

2007-09-17T00:12:00.000-05:00

Had a few minutes tonight so I put together a myspace site for the biz. Check it out.

08.25.07 Rachel & Aaron

2007-08-29T01:45:00.000-05:00

It wasn't more than three weeks ago when I talked to Rachel and she was really questioning if she could pull off the wedding she was planning. She had the guy & a really good attitude and that's all she really needed. The whole thing turned out beautiful. It was very nice to have the freedom to experiment a little with these two. Feels like I was not as original with some of these images but I like them anyway hope you do too. Love you guys. -David

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wedding photography

08.11.07 Dixie & Chris

2007-08-29T01:21:00.000-05:00

What a day. This couple rocks. They definitely know how to have a good time with there friends. We got the mayors tour of Huron on the way to the reception aboard the trolley. It was so thoughtful of Dixie to stop at the nursing home to visit her Grandfather after the wedding. Family is so important.

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wedding photography

Integrity People...

2007-08-06T04:16:00.000-05:00

Had the great opportunity to photograph pastors Mike & Vicki Bang of Faith Family Church here in Sioux Falls. They took me out to lunch and we had a chance to visit. What amazing people. They have inspiring faith and hearts of gold. I feel blessed to have there leadership.
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Creative mood...

2007-08-06T03:59:00.000-05:00

Today I just feel like creating.. But... It was a bit drab out and no one to stand in front of my lens. So I dug up these pics of Ayden from the vault. Ok so it's not exactly from the vault. It was just a month ago. But It's been so long since I added any images to the blog that it seems like forever. Sorry just got busy editing weddings. More to come this summer too.
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Ayden is Cory Ann & Andy's little boy quite the explorer too...

Laura...

2007-07-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

Did a senior session with Laura recently. I'll have more information on senior sessions soon.

Creative Folks...

2007-07-15T16:20:00.000-05:00

Had the opportunity to hang out with a friend and fellow Photographer Cory Ann Ellis in Brookings on Saturday along with Maria Lavallee. It was a blast just playing around with different photography techniques. We have similar tastes but different styles. Her son Ayden kept us entertained and also joined in to take a couple pics. We got our heads together for this pic. It made the three of us laugh hopefully you will enjoy it too

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07.07.07 Sonja & Mike

2007-07-11T12:09:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the big wedding day of this year. I had the honor of working with two people with very good taste. Sonja & Mike had a beautiful wedding & reception. Every detail was done well from music to the tux & dress. It was a hot day but we had a blast photographing the event.

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Mike has a great sense of humor...
wedding photography

An encouraging note from Shannon...

2007-07-11T12:01:00.000-05:00

David-

Simply amazing. The first few pictures are exactly what I hoped (and knew) they would be!! You are truly talented and if you aren't doing this full time by next year I am going to drive down to Sioux Falls and kick your butt. I mean it!

We can't wait to see the rest! I will share this blog with our family and friends. We had a blast at the wedding and I am glad that you and Maria enjoyed the day as well. I LOVE the photos of my dad and I. I probably should have mentioned that day to focus on my parents and Grandma Ann and I, but I am sure that you did that. :) Grandma is almost 90 and those are pictures I will cherish forever.....

Also, I have already been your own walking advertisement because I am just SO impressed with your work. It is so refreshing to see your style. We will have to go into business together- I'll make wedding jewelry, my mom can be a planner/florist, and you can do the fabulous photos! We will be in touch!

- Shannon

07.03.07 Independence Day Early

2007-07-06T00:29:00.000-05:00

Got invited to a celebration of our countries independence the other night. I felt a little anti-social spending all of my time taking photos of the kids and not visiting with the adults. But you know if there are photo ops I'm there. Did visit with an aspiring photog and had the opportunity to pass some knowledge on. Anyway, kids and explosives what a grand combination enjoy. :-)

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06.30.07 Shannon & Nick

2007-07-03T02:24:00.000-05:00

My most recent shoot took me to Marshall, MN for the wedding of a really special couple. Shannon & Nick came to Sioux Falls a few months back for an engagement session and we had a very good time together. From the time I stepped into the church I felt right at home with there friends & family. There were some tears shed in the audience particularly Shannon's aunt that was labelled "the cryer" prior to the ceremony. :-) Tears of joy that I was honored to capture in some of the pictures. I am looking forward to working with more of Shannon & Nicks family & friends. Also looking forward to a long friendship with these new friends. Shannon hope the three of us can make that Europe trip happen, I'll be the photog. Love you guys. -David

The details were awesome...

Tears of joy...

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Dress details...

Shannon was so excited to see Nick...

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Thank you to my assistant Maria Lavalle...

wedding photography

Snips and Snails and Puppy-dog's Tails...

2007-06-21T23:02:00.000-05:00

What are boys made of? I remember being very young. And the day dreams and make believe that made my play time magical. Come to think of it, the images that I create today are just an extension of that same day dreaming heart. It's funny how boys this young will play and make believe and they hardly say a word to one another. They seem to communicate physically rather than with words but yet there imaginations are intertwined.

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Yet again who doesn't love babies!

Fathers Day...

2007-06-18T00:44:00.000-05:00

This evening I did a little shoot with my friends the Hartz family. While looking through the images on my pc it hit me that there was a nice tie in to fathers day in some of the pics. Randy and I were talking after the shoot about how he & his wife Melissa are raising their son Noah. And how important it is to give their son the tools needed to stay on the straight and narrow.

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Talked to my Dad back in Seattle today. It's great to have parents that support me in all or my endeavors.

06.15.07 Rachel & Aaron

2007-06-16T15:50:00.000-05:00

Went out last night for a session with Rachel & Aaron. They have a nice wedding planned for August. Aaron was a photographer in the Marine Corp. I was so pleased to get to work with them. There patience made for these memorable photos. Bug bite, dark of night, or a hike up a muddy hill were not going to deter us from our mission. Rachel made me laugh when she pointed out that I mumble to myself from behind the camera> :-) I must project my voice! We had dinner after the shoot and Aaron and I just about fell asleep at the table. Thanks for hangin in there Aaron & Rachel. Hope you enjoy these. Looking forward to your wedding day. You guys are awesome!

Who doesn't like babies...

2007-06-12T22:03:00.000-05:00

Meet Josi. This portrait session was in the planning stages for about nine months. Kelli & Jay have a beautiful baby and I'm thankful that they let me capture these images. She really liked the soft warm lighting and fell right to sleep during her close-up.

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Simple...

2007-06-11T02:31:00.000-05:00

I was working on a print of this image last night for a charitable auction. Thought I mite share it with the rest of the world as well.

06.02.07 Moment captured...

2007-06-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

A mother's love is a constant and amazing thing to see and feel. What a tender moment. It made me feel good when I was editing Felicia & Brad's wedding and I thought it might do the same for you. There is a lot of love in that family and these images are just further proof of that.

06.03.07 Great light in the darkness...

2007-06-07T22:32:00.000-05:00

The other night I had the opportunity to photograph this event at Faith Family Church. The light was amazing as it came through the large window in the balcony. The atmosphere was other worldly.

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2007-06-07T01:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog. A place to share new images and my personal spin on the world.