Day 30

Here is my last post for the 1 month challenge, and I am so glad that I got to end on a high note.

I had a fun time today, shooting family pictures for the Young family, they are such a neat group of people!

We tried a few "creative" shots, and I was pretty pleased with how this one turned out.

Day 29

I was totally thrilled this evening when I got a my first look at the sign that was put up in the Crown Point Strack & Van Til made with the photos I shot of well known places around Crown Point.

This is by far the largest print of my work so far, and it was fun to see it in such a prominent place.  I didn't do the design work for the sign, but I was pleased with how well the company that did the design put it together.

Day 28

We had a bunch of fun helping celebrate David and Cindy's birthdays this evening.  While we were there, I grabbed a couple of pictures of the birthday people for my daily entry.

Day 27

Happy colors...tons of flavors...need I say more?

Day 26

I messed around a bit with an off-camera flash the other day and came up with this picture of Eli playing basketball in our hayloft.

Wouldn't it be nice to actually be that tall for basketball? :o)

Day 25

Today while at the Savos Strings practice, we took the time to grab some updated portraits for the group website, and I was pretty pleased with the results.

I couldn't choose just one, so here are a few of my favorites.

Rick plays the violin and viola.

Alyssa plays violin.

Nathan has nothing to do with Savos, but he was hanging around and I had to get a picture! :o)

Alexis is one of our pianists.

Day 24

Perspective

Yesterday, I was messing around with Nathan, grabbing a few pictures, and I decided to try to shake up the perspective of the shots.

I like the first picture because it almost puts you in the story.  I wanted it to almost feel like you are holding Nathan's hand and looking down at him as you walk along.

The second picture was in the spur of the moment...I was standing on top of the rock, Nathan was sitting on the edge, and I just asked him to look straight up at me.  Definitely a non-typical shot.

Let me know what you think, keep these shots in my idea bank, or scrap them? 

 

Day 23

I had taken, portaits, animals, nature shots, scenery, old cars....etc. during this challenge, but I hadn't gotten a self portait yet, so here it is.  I figured that it was most fitting today as it is my 21st birthday!

So here is a picture of the guy who prefers to be behind the camera, rather than in front of it.

Day 22

Day 21

Well, I turned in my wonderful new camera today and got the results in a little envelope at the 1-hour photo counter and I wanted to do a quick review on some of the wonderful breakthrough technology that this camera offers.

The number one amazing feature is battery life.  How many times have you been out shooting, when you have to cut a shoot short due to low batteries?  That is solved with a truly extraordinary feature on this camera.  All you have to do is swipe your thumb across a small wheel on the back of the camera, and you are ready to shoot!

Number 2 giant leap in the photography world is the incredible lightness of the camera unit.  No more wrist strain, no more bulky, heavy bags of equipment, just slip it in your pocket and you are ready to travel!

Thirdly, the space that these pictures take on your computer (once you print them and scan them and crop them) is so minimal and uploads at lightning speeds to the most popular photography sharing websites!

There are a few drawbacks such as, low resolution, no hot shoe flash option, no changeable lenses, only 27 shots per camera, huge amounts of noise, no tripod mount, annoying scroll wheel sounds and no editing until after you scan the pictures into your computer, but who can complain about these trivialities when this cutting edge technology hits the market?  Nobody!

Below, I have included a few sample shots from the camera, duly printed and scanned into my computer today.  The results will speak for themselves.

Day 20

I am so excited about this post.  I got a sneak preview of the newest Canon equipment. 

This is some technology that hasn't even hit the stores yet!  I got hooked up with some Canon factory workers that gave me a prototype to mess around with on my birthday.

So here it is, leaked pictures of the latest and greatest from Canon! 

Oh yes, this is the most powerful camera ever built as of right now!

Day 19

Okay, a good picture typically has a good story behind it, and today's picture is no exception to that rule.

I was very surprised when I arrived at a local park yesterday to check out something that my Dad was "interested in", and a large group of some of my best friends came running around the corner yelling "Surprise!" "Happy Birthday!"

I found out later that my little sister Emily had been planning this party for two months!

Thank you everyone for making the party so much fun, you guys are the best!

Day 18

I had no idea what I was going to take a picture of for day 18 as I arrived at my office today.  But when my neighbor parked this 1932 firetruck out in his driveway, it didn't take long for me to ask permission to take a few pictures of it.

Yes, the puffy clouds on the blue sky were added in photoshop for some practice.  I personally think it makes the picture look much more cheerful. :o)

Here's a handy dandy flashlight, just in case you need to dash into a burning building at night. :o)

And here is the original picture of the firetruck on my front lawn.  The only thing different with the top picture, is that I added the blue sky.

Day 17

Okay, I know the first thought that you will have when you look at this picture.  "Why didn't he take a picture of a prettier flower, without the curled petals and smashed together like it is?"

Well, it is because I wanted to capture the essence of a flower that grows wild on the edge of a field, in a ditch, pushing it's way above the weeds surrounding it.

I do love perfect gardens filled with neatly trimmed hedges and gorgeous flowers, but I also love the rugged beauty of a wildflower growing along a highway, where it may never be noticed, yet it still is there. 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin : And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matthew 6:28b-29)

Day 16

2 beautiful sisters + 1 merry-go-round = 1 totally cool motion-blurred background

Day 15

Well, day 16 is coming to a close and I just realized that I didn't post anything on day 15!  I was sure that I had, but I guess I missed that one.  So here is day 15, a day late.

I was a bit conflicted about posting this picture.  Mainly because this was a very nasty tasting drink.  It was the first drink that I have ordered at Starbucks that I didn't like.

I love green tea, and I love frappes, so I thought it would be good to order a green tea frappe.  I learned quickly that those two things do NOT mix well.  From now on, I will order my green teas and frappes very separately! :o) 

Anyway, the drink looks good in the picture, I just wish it was maybe a vanilla/mint green, rather than a green tea green.  Oh well, lesson learned!

Day 14

We were at a Savos practice a few days ago and I was messing around in the parking lot with my camera.  Josh came riding up on his bike and gave me one of his super cute smiles and, of course, I had to get a picture of him.  He is so awesome!

Day 13

I was a bit surprised today when I saw this baby mouse running around in my office.  I threw him outside, but not before I grabbed a picture or two of him.  I don't care what kind of animal it is, if it's a baby, it is cute. :o)

Day 12

I recently had the opportunity to not only shoot some family pictures, but do a little bit of design work as well when I put together the Gellos' new prayer card.

I enjoy experimenting with things that I haven't done much with, such as graphic design.  It ties in so well with  photography, that you almost can't help but like it.

Day 11

In these pictures, you will see that I am holding a treasure of inestimable value.  

Not the two slightly worn, golden rings that you see with your eyes, but the thing that they symbolize, the marriage of my parents. 

Having happily married parents that have worked together to raise me in a Godly fashion and encouraging me to pursue my goals is something that I can not set a price tag on.  I am so thankful for the parents that I have.

Day 10

There are many things that I enjoy doing, but among the top few would have to be having long discussions with Emily and Elizabeth about every issue that life throws at you.  

They are some of the most amazing (and beautiful) sisters that a guy could ask for.

God has blessed me with great sisters!

Day 9

I love the sound of a skilled violin player, it is such a beautiful, moving instrument.  I have played the violin for a couple of years now and have enjoyed learning more about how to play this amazing instrument.

Day 8

Day 8 is done, and I was pretty busy today, so I grabbed this shot late in the day, with just a try or two.

I wasn't thrilled with the composition and shot, but with time winding down I decided to go with this one.

So here it is, my first attempt at "headlight trails"  (This is two semi-trucks, in case you were wondering.)

Day 7

Day 7 has resulted in yet another two picture post.  These two were the finalists, and I didn't have the heart to cut either one, so here they both are!

Presenting my sweet and beautiful red-headed sister...

Anna!

Day 6

Once in awhile, I dream of having a fish-eye lens.  Eventually, I will purchase one, but until then, I have to content myself with taking picures in my truck's rear-view mirror.   :o)

Day 5x2

As you may have noticed, I posted Day 5 a little early due to the fact that my Sunday is pretty crazy busy.  So to do penance for not posting on the correct day, I am putting up a double picture post.  (Such hard punishments I give myself! :o)

This picture is my tribute to the end of summer.  Although we will still have some warm days, laying on the trampoline with bare feet and soaking in the sun is about over with for this year.  

My favorite season is Fall, but still, I do enjoy the summer months and they always seem to pass altogether too quickly.

Day 5

Over the past few years, a wind farm has sprung up in our area, and I have enjoyed seeing these towering turbines in all sorts of different weather and lighting.

This evening, the lighting was especially cool, and I have been trying to learn how to capture sun flare a little better, so I grabbed the opportunity to get shot.

Day 4

I cheated just a little bit today, because I did not take an "artistic" picture, but instead shot a picture of a photo project that I just completed yesterday.

Believe it or not, all these good looking kiddos are all siblings.  They worked with me to surprise their parents with this picture frame full of smiles.

You may recognize the middle/right side picture as yesterday's post.

Day 3

Day 3, and I have a picture of a human being.  A very cute, little human being in my humble opinion.

Kara has lots of blonde hair and a beautiful smile, which make a winning combination!

Day 2

Well, here we are.  Day two is done and we have a picture of a very bright-eyed cat to add to the mix.

I promise that I will get some people shots soon, but I couldn't resist snapping a picture of this cat when I saw it's eyes peering around a corner in the barn today.

New Facebook Page

New Facebook Page!

Hey folks, if you haven't seen it yet, head over to Photography by Jack's new Facebook page Here and click the "Like" button to keep up with the latest and greatest news from the photography side of my world.

Day 1

Day one was ending with no truly satisfactory pictures, when I found this downed pilot, just begging for a picture to be taken.  (Seriously, he asked me to do a photo shoot.)

And so ends day one of the 30 day challenge!