Shelby, Sydney, & Hunter ~portrait

Shelby, Sydney, and Hunter came to Cleveland to visit their grandparents and I was asked to come over and create a few images while they were in town. Such great kids. Hunter is such a loving big brother. He's gonna have his hands full with two younger sisters to look out for!

a letter to Jay ~Brother-in-Law

Brother-in-Law,

I just got off the phone with you and wanted to let you know again how proud I am of you.

A fourth place finish in the Bocce Ball singles and a third place in doubles. What a great accomplishment for you! And your quote in the paper ! It was classic Jay, and so universally true. I'm sure there are many others there that felt the way you did, and not just the competitors.

" I am so happy. I love being here, and I love everybody. It is so much fun,” Ferguson said. “I am a winner. I won this, and it means so much to me. My coach gets all the credit.”

It's hard for me to properly describe how wonderful it is to hear the joy in your voice. I do my best to act like you as much as I can. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to only see your sister a few days a month at best. Especially lately. I am sorry for that, but know that we think of you and talk about you everyday. You inspire us both. And we miss you tremendously.

I know that you often say you want to have a life just like Sister. I can understand that. But Brother-in-Law, I hope you realize just how many people should live just as you do. You are truly a blessing.

I can't wait to see you soon. We'll have a blast.

And call me just as soon as you know the final score of the Cardinals game.

I love you.


~wj

Maggie & Anthony ~esession

Maggie and Anthony are marrying June 14, so we met recently for their engagement session.

As I was driving up to Tunica, Mississippi to meet them, I began brainstorming on things we could do. I always go into a shoot with a pretty good idea of how I want to shape things, but I also like to leave myself a bit of flexibility in case inspiration strikes.

About five miles outside of Tunica I noticed a set of three crosses that frequent our Delta landscape. The crosses are about 25 feet tall, though many here in the Delta are now leaning over, as if worn out from the ongoing struggle to get their message noticed. There actually are nearly 2000 of these clusters across the country, and they dot the landscapes in 29 states -- at least that's according to a quick search I did online.

They are symbols that I think are ingrained in all Deltans, as you cannot travel through here without seeing quite a few of these. I think, perhaps, to people not familiar with our area the crosses would immediately stand out. But when you ride the backroads and highways of this land for your entire life, they tend to blend in and become as common as the flat land that runs parallel to the sky. But I always seem to notice them. Always wanted to create images of them. And until now, have done nothing more than observe them. I think it's quite fitting that the first images I created around these symbols are ones of love and happiness.

So I met Maggie and Anthony, and asked them if they'd like to try something different around these crosses. They were all for it, and were real troopers when we realized we would have to walk through about 80 yards of swampy earth to find a good spot to begin. Such great spirit in the two of them. I think a lot of that comes out in their photos. And it is quite humbling when the people I work with have such a great drive to explore and try new things.

We spent a few more hours just riding the backroads, stopping at places that struck a chord and getting to know each other a little better. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. I am really excited to work with them in June.

Thank you, Maggie and Anthony. You both helped me complete an idea I've been kicking around for many, many years. I am really proud of the images we created, and I hope you are as well. I look forward to seeing you both very soon.

take care

~wj

Jenny ~a story from life

I love creative people. I love their energy. I love their uniqueness. I love the way really, really smart and curious people can the find the beauty and humor in even the most mundane of situations.

Check out the clip above. It's Brett and Jemaine, also known as Flight of the Conchords. They have a quirky show on HBO, which admittedly I do not watch often, but I do find myself stopping for a moment whenever I pass it while channel surfing. The show is primarily fun, silly little songs about everyday life, all joined together by a humorous, deadpan storyline. The brilliance is how they help us realize just how ridiculous or worries can be.

So take about seven minutes. Have a chuckle. I'm betting you may not have had this exact conversation, but you probably have had one very similar. And then worried about it for days.




wishing lots of laughs and smile for you today

~wj

Mandy & Matt ~wedding

Mandy and Matt were married a few weeks ago in Greneda. They rented cabins at the state park for the weekend and held their ceremony on the edge of the lake. It was quite windy leading up to and during the ceremony, but as the day slowly ended the weather became incredible. We made our way back down to the wedding site as the sun was setting and created some really great images. The light was perfect!

There were so many things I loved about this wedding. I loved the way Mandy and Matt tied in his south Louisiana heritage with her Mississippi Delta upbringing. The food was such a great reflection of this -- jambalaya, gumbo, catfish and hush puppies. And of course, much more. But it was how they made sure to include things that were important to each of them -- and their families-- that I found very touching.

Another thing that I found really unique and special was Mandy's version of the father-daughter dance. She told me a few weeks prior to her wedding that her father had an aversion to dancing. But she had a great solution and wanted to be sure I got photos of it.

Mandy was a college softball player. Her father coached her for years until she reached college, and he got so much pleasure watching his daughter playing ball. So when it came time for the father-daughter dance, Mandy took the DJ's microphone and told her father how much she loved him. She told him how much she appreciated his coaching and support throughout the years. She told him she knew he really didn't want to dance, so she had another idea. Then she led him outside where her best friend and teammate for so many years had gloves waiting for Mandy and her dad. So Mr. Russell and his little girl proceeded to have one last "catch" together. A fitting way to "dance" with your father, mentor, and friend if I've ever seen one.

It was all I could do to keep from getting watery-eyed as it reminded me a lot of my younger days as well. Such a special and touching idea. There are a few photos included here of the "father-daughter" dance.

I hope you enjoy looking at all of these images as much as I did creating them.

blessings,

~wj

Laurel - Jones County ~commission

Back in January I was asked to travel to south Mississippi to create a few images of the Laurel - Jones County area. The images are going to be used to help decorate the newly renovated offices of a law firm, so I tried to keep that in mind when creating them. The area also has a long history involving the railroad system. I did my best to tie that in as well.

I've selected a handful of images to show above, but if you'd like to see the entire set click HERE. I'll keep you updated as to which of my galleries carry these images as those details are sorted out. You can contact me directly as well for more purchase information.

I hope you enjoy them. Let me know what you think.

Take care,

~wj

baby Joe ~round 3

I've been so busy with weddings this spring that I really haven't had time to schedule many portrait sessions. Katie is one of my favorite clients (and a wonderful artist), so I always do my best to find a time to work with her. Her youngest son Joe turned nine months old around the first of May, so we headed out to create photos to remember this time in his life.

I love the fact that Katie always wants to try something a little different -- at the end of the summer we'll be doing 1 year portraits in a cotton field and outside of a juke joint -- so we headed down to Merigold, Mississippi to work around some of the old brick buildings there. If you're ever heading through the Delta on Highway 61 be sure to stop by Merigold and visit McCarty's Pottery, their restaurant The Gallery, and if you're coming by after dark be sure to stop and eat at Crawdad's.

NOLA JazzFest -- brilliance defined

I first heard the John Butler Trio late one Saturday night while watching an Austin City Limits rerun. This was about a year ago. I was blown away by John's talent and the unique sound of his band. It's a funky, bluesy, caribbean style infused with heavy beats, driving guitars, brilliant musicianship and infectious spirit. And the lyrics are poignant and moving.

I've had their music front and center on my ipod for the last few months and when I heard they would be performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival I knew I really wanted to find a way to attend. Luckily I was able to do so. And even better was that Jamie was able to head down to her hometown and attend JazzFest with me.

When I say that this man is one of the most brilliant artists I've ever encountered I do not say that lightly. He abilities are tremendous and he displays them in so many ways during his performance. Guitar. Banjo. Xylophone. Stand up bass. Kettle drums. Harmonica. Electric piano. So many incredible sounds blended together to form one of the most moving hours I've ever experienced.

Here is a performance by John that displays just how good he is. When listening to this, keep in mind that this is one man; one guitar. It sounds like at least three of each of not four or five. Give it about sixty seconds. He starts softly and builds into a performance that will leave you with little more to say than . . . "Wow"



Now, if you enjoyed that here's a link to pick a few of his songs on iTunes. While the studio stuff is great, I highly recommend the Live at St. Gallen album. Studio recordings do not do this man justice. The energy he displays in front of a live audience is amazing, and it's just not something you can capture in a studio -- no matter how brilliant the technicians are.

CLICK HERE TO GO THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO iTUNES PAGE

Right at the end of his set, the rains came. Not a hard, heavy rain, but a soft, cleansing one. Rather poetic and fitting I thought, considering the audience. When the first raindrops struck the crowd a celebratory cheer echoed around the stage just as one of the band's songs was reaching its pinnacle. Here's a picture of Jamie I took with my phone just after she covered up to protect herself from the rain. John, of course, is on the screen in the background.



Music is a powerful thing, my friends. I often wonder if it isn't the most powerful artform that we have. Just as any art, it's often done just for the sake of doing it--there's very little purpose behind it. But when the artist has a point, and has mastered his or her craft, music can change the world. One person at a time. John Butler is one of those artists. He has a point. Listen to his, then find yours.

Good luck on your journey. It's a wonderful ride if you'll let it be.

~wj