i met Brad at Ryan and Morgan Gill's wedding back in july.  Brad is Morgan's younger brother.  Brad just has that easy going and cool way about him.  nothing seems to phase him.  Brad, now a senior at hilliard darby, rocks in a heavy metal band as the bassist.  his music style and clothing style are a lot further ahead than my sense of style when i was in high school.  for instance, he has many a pair of some kickin nike shoes.  and i also just knew the session was going to be phenomenal when we both showed up wearing plaid/flanel shirts.  be sure to check out his band's music on myspace; their band is called legion and they play in the columbus, oh area.

side note one: we were pretty sure that SOMETHING very shady was going down at one of our locations.  we didn't stay long to find out if we guessed right or not...

side note two: bought my first mac computer today.  i've been a windows man up until this point.  but i believe it's just time, don't you think?  i leave to go pick it up now.

my niece Sadie turned one year old TODAY!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SADIE!!  it's hard to believe that this little gal is already walking and saying my name -- JJ.  my sister lives up in grand rapids but came down for a b-day party for miss Sadie a few weeks ago.  this, of course, meant i would be the photographer of said b-day party.  some might fear such a responsibility of documenting one year olds in their natural habitat, i.e., running around half naked, eating devouring cake, fat rolls, screaming their heads off because of the amount of sugar my sis...their parents gave them.  not me, ha, i embrace the position! 
my sister also asked me to take Sadie's one year old pictures.  this was a privilege and a blessing.  Sadie is by far the happiest baby i know.  she always has this big (toothless) grin on her face that causes me to have just smile back.  okay, enough talking.  Sadie Michael, Ella (the older sister), and Ella's friends... 

Kirk and Laura are absolutely, positively, fabulously great.  there was an immediate connection between us.  Kirk has the kind of funny wit that makes me smile.  and Laura is very down to earth and genuine.  they are definitely very cute together.  they're graduates of butler university, so we went to butler's campus and just wandered around and talked and took pictures.  i even got to see the classroom where they first met, spanish class.  mmm, español love.  their love is real, that's for sure.  and it was a wonderful treat to have a glimpse of that during our time together.  i am very excited for their wedding!

tonight i am going on a date with my mother!  we're going to see singing in the rain in the park.  it's not my first choice for a movie, but i've never seen it and you of course can't beat the company :)

when i needed a model for some photographs i asked for a volunteer via facebook.  Molly K immediately volunteered and i immediately accepted her volunteerism.  a little background on Molly K:  Molly K = my first girlfriend.  enough background, right?  well, when i say first i mean the first, second grade that is!  our love didn't last long, she eventually dumped me for the new kid.
despite our "past", what's fantastic about Molly K is that she worked really, really hard trying to capture the vision we had.  it paid off.  we made these photographs in the middle of the day right when the sun was it's harshest.  i loved every minute of it.  it was hot, but i'm sure i could have made it less by not wearing my boots.

recently read from Thomas Hoepker:
"Find your own way to photography, nobody will ask you later if you have a diploma.  Visit as many museums as you possibly can.  The images you see (painted, drawn, etched or photographed) will stay with you for the rest of your life.  They will help you to discover good pictures in real life.  Suppress any sill ambitions of becoming a great artist.  Being a good photographer is difficult enough."