Thirst Relief International . . .

Grow as a photographer while saving lives!

I'm participating in the 2010 ThirstRelief Mentor Auction. Our mission is to save lives by tapping into the incredible talent and generosity of the photo industry.

Did you know that every 15 seconds someone dies of a waterborne illness? That's 5760 people every day! You can help. Bid on a mentoring session with your favorite photographer!
100% of the proceeds directly benefit Thirst Relief. Add to that the incredible wisdom and talent that is being shared in the one-on-one mentor sessions and you have better and more successful photographers! It's truly a win win for everyone involved!

I am extremely humbled and excited to be asked to participate in this auction. If you are a photographer reading this, please consider taking a look at the Thirst Relief website and bidding on a mentoring session with one of the many talented photographers helping out. If you aren't a photographer, but believe in saving lives and helping make this world a better place, please forward this information to anyone you may know that might be interested.

I thank you all in advance.

Included with my auction:

This mentorship includes a seat in our upcoming Rebirth retreat. Four days of emersion in creative thought and community, with access to lots of film and digital cameras and processes including (but not limited to) wetplate, holga, polaroid, and alternative digital techniques (both printing and image capture). All you have to do is get to Mississippi. The rest is covered. http://www.rebirthworkshops.com

To bid on my auction, visit thirstrelief.shootq.com!

michael ::: portrait

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Location: Cleveland, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon
Tools: Nikon D700, 1 SB-900's, natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0

kay ann & hill ::: portrait

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Location: Cleveland, Mississippi
Time: mid morning
Tools: Nikon D700, 2 SB-900's, natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0

the dargie family ::: portrait

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Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Time: late afternoon
Tools: Nikon D700, Nikon D300, 2 SB-900's, 1 SB-800, natural light, Nikkor 180mm 2.8, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0, 10.5mm 2.8 fisheye --Sigma 30mm 1.4

pax & aidan ::: portrait

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Location: KC's restaurant; Cleveland, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon - early evening
Tools: Nikon D300, 2 SB-900's, 1 SB-800, umbrella and lights, natural & ambient light, Nikkor 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0, Sigma 30mm 1.4

mcknight family ::: portrait

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Location: Skene, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon -- 4;30 PM -ish
Tools: Nikon D700, 2 SB-900's, Natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0 -- lots of laughter and encouragement from Mom & Dad !

adam & elliott ::: portrait

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Location: McComb, Mississippi
Time: late afternoon -- 4;30 PM -ish
Tools: Nikon D700, 2 SB-900's, 1 SB-800, Natural light, 85mm 1.4, 35mm 2.0

mary michael & martin ::: portrait

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::: griffin :::

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william (& mary ella) ::: portrait

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shipp family ::: portrait

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katy & will ::: portrait

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ruthie & henry ::: portrait

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chandler ::: round 4

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john everette & james ::: portrait

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the ludwigs ::: portrait

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The Ludwigs drove down from the memphis area a few weeks ago for a family session. Since summer is in full force we stayed inside for most of the session, but we were able to get out for a few minutes at least. Here are a few from the session.

Andrea, thank you so much for driving all the way down here. I hope you guys enjoy your images!

~wj

seeing the world with no agenda . . . .

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I've been working on our upcoming Contrast show today. Our official deadline for submissions was this past Friday, but if any of you would still like to send a few things in, please do. We'd love to see them.

It's really shaping up to be a wonderfully diverse event, with over 30 photographers invited to participate so far. We have 15 states represented and 3 countries. It's been a blast looking at all the personal work everyone is submitting. Very inspiring for me.

After lunch today my wife came by the studio and gallery with two of our nieces and two of our nephews. Ages 9, 7, 7, and 7. (the nephews are twins). They were looking for something to do, so I decided to put a camera in their hands and put them to work. I wanted to see what they would come up with regarding our theme of "Contrast".

None of them really understood the term, so, one at a time, I had them in my office. I didn't want them all teaming up to solve this problem. I was curious as to how they would do on their own. Thus, I met with them each individually to talk about "Contrast", then let them run around our gallery and downtown area for 15 minutes each, exploring with my gear.

We then all sat down and went through the images. Uncle Will did the editing, of course, but I really didn't do much more than convert them to black and white. This is what they came up with, and I have to admit, I'm a proud uncle.

Are these technically sound? No. Barely close. But that's not always the point. These children, with only a 5 minute conversation about what contrast means, and with no understanding of the technique involved in creating a photograph, saw the world around them in some very interesting ways. Mainly, because they were unencumbered by what they thought they should be doing, and therefore, did only what they felt like doing.

Here are a few of the images. I know they aren't for everyone. But when you look at them, consider what might be inside these images that is more than technique. Ask yourself if just maybe there might be a bit more here than what you see at a glance.

There might not be. But just as possibly, there may be tons of knowledge we can gain as well.


~wj

anderson, matthew, & emma grace ::: portait

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I spent a couple of hours recently with some of my oldest clients. My friends Ryan and Heather have invited me to photograph their children Anderson, Matthew, and Emma Grace since Emma was just a baby. For the longest time this family lived in the house where I grew up, so it was always tons of fun to go back to my old stomping grounds. They have since moved and become "country folk", but that doesn't make our visits any less enjoyable.

Here are a few images from our most recent session.

Thank you Heather and Ryan for being such great supporters of mine. And give the kids a good noogie for me.

~wj

owen & vaughn ::: portrait

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I visited Dallas recently, and while I was there I had the great pleasure of meeting Owen and Vaughn. We spent an hour or so together seeing what type of images we could create. So much life and energy in these two!

Here are a few from the session. I'd love the hear your thoughts.


~wj

harris family ::: session

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I met the Harris' recently for a family session. Such beautiful children! Here are a few images from the shoot. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

~wj

::: ruthie ::: round one

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Ruthie and her mom Sarah came up to Cleveland from Madison a few weeks ago. We'll have a few more session over the next year as Sarah has enrolled Ruthie in my "A Year in the Life" plan. Ruthie was about eight weeks old when we created these images. We spent most of the morning working patiently and letting Ruthie get used to things. Thank you Sarah for being so flexible. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that any shoot involving children is going to run by them - not us. So I do my best to just relax and be patient, and allow them to take them lead. Here are a few of the images from our session.

chandler ::: round three

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I spent a morning a few weeks ago with Chandler and her mom, Stacie. Stacie signed on for my "A year in the Life" plan, so we schedule a session about every three months so that we can record Chandler as she gets bigger and bigger and bigger. So amazing how fast they grow!

Here are a few images from our session. Hope you like them!

~wj

natalie ::: age 3

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I met Natalie and her parents, Jasmine and Robert, recently for her annual photo session. We've been doing this now for about three years, and it is absolutely amazing how much she grows every year. I have to say, one of my favorite things about photographing children, is seeing how much they grow, and the joy and wonder in their eyes. And Natalie certainly as a smile and a laugh that is amazing.

Thank you Robert and Jasmine for letting me spend such a wonderful afternoon with all of you. And thank you Natalie, for helping me remember how great it is to see the world with such wonder.

Enjoy the photos!

~wj

lucy kate & bryant :::::: round 2

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I have the pleasure of photographing Lucy Kate and Bryant every three months for the next year or so. I'll be documenting their growth during their first year, and it's been such a pleasure so far! Their mom, Lesley, is always wanting to try new and different things. It keeps me on my toes, and I love it . But the best part is getting to know Lesley and her husband Charles, as well as their beautiful twins.

We met recently for their second round of photos and will be scheduling a session again right after Thanksgiving. For this session we decided to not only create a few images in their christening gowns, but also head out to the backroads so that we could have some images made in the environment where their daddy works. Thus, the cotton fields and gravel roads!

We started sometime around 1 PM, and before we knew it, it was dinner time -- 5:30 ! You know the saying -- time flies . . . .

Well it certainly did on this shoot!

Here's a few images. Hope you like 'em.

~wj

emma grace, matthew, & anderson

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Well, I'm a little bit behind on a few blog posts.

And this is one of them. I recently met Heather and her kids at their new home. Their old house was the same home where I grew up years ago, so I was a little sad to not be visiting there again. But the new home is gorgeous! And such a great playground for children.

So we spent a few hours wandering around and watching the kids play, and they're always such a joy to photograph. Here's a few images from the session.

Thank you, Heather, for being patient with this post, and thank you for being such a great cheerleader of mine.

And coming soon -- photos from Anderson's 1st birthday party !

(and don't worry Lesley, your pics are next !)


~wj

elizabeth & david :::: portrait

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A couple of weeks ago, I met Ruth King to photograph her children. Her friend Leah was quite gracious in allowing us to use her home, and as we were creating images of Ruth King's kids, Leah asked if I would mind working a bit with her children afterwards. I was honored and humbled to do so, and I look forward to plans for a longer session a bit later in the fall when the colors begin to change.

Thank you Leah, for allowing us to use your home. It is quite stunning, and certainly a child's wonderland. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

~wj

john haga, luke, & annie

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I received a call a few weeks ago with an inquiry about my portrait services. Ruth King had seen an article that Delta Magazine had written about my work, so she called from Oxford to see if I could meet her to create a few images of her kids. We chatted for a while, and in one of those "wow-this-is-a-small-world" episodes, we came to realize that her husband John and I had played ball together waaaaaayyyyyy back in college at Millsaps. And I have to say, her kids, especially the boys, really favor their dad.

So we met in Clarksdale, almost in the middle for both of us (but a wee bit further for Ruth King). We made our way out to the home of one of her friends, which made for an incredible setting. River banks, open fields, country roads -- you couldn't ask for a better place to photograph kids at play.

Odd the paths we wander in life sometimes, isn't it? We just chug along, meeting and befriending others along the way, only to drift apart as we continue on our respective journeys. Then, some years later, those paths converge yet again, and we are greeted with so many wonderful memories.

This session was one of those moments. I got to make new friends, and reconnect with an old one.

Here's a few of the images. Hope you like them.


~wj

warner ~backyard exploration

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It's been a few weeks, but I went to Clarksdale recently to create some images of Warner. We had a great time following him around the house, and then headed outside to let him explore even more. He was very curious and I got a nice little workout following him around, but it was well worth it.

I love the curiosity of children. When they enter that zone of genuine wide-eyed wonderment it is a beautiful thing to watch. And the images that come when you let a child just wander and explore the world around him tend to have so much truth in them. I really enjoyed my morning with Warner and I'm thrilled with the images we created. I hope you will be as well.

Take care, and never forget that your backyard is filled with more answers than you might think.


~wj

jackson & joe ~delta session

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I've been photographing Joe for about a year now and for this last session his mom Katie wanted to add older brother Jackson into the mix. One of my favorite things about Katie, besides her paintings, is that she really likes to do different things with her sessions. So for this one, we headed out of town, down a gravel road, and past the bayou until we finally stopped at Po Monkey's Lounge.

I'm sure most of you readers that are from the Delta know exactly where and what I'm talking about. Many of you have probably even been there. For those of you that aren't familiar with the area, Po Monkey's is one of our wonderful, out of the way jewels. An old sharecropper's home that has been converted into a small blues joint with a very random schedule. Rarely are events widely publicized, and often you have to just ride out there to see if anyone is playing. But that's OK, because the place probably only holds about 50 people anyway. Here's a cool little article the New York Times did about a year ago.

So these images were created there, as well as right next door beside another old sharecropper house that has been abandoned. I love these parts of the area where I was raised. Sessions like this remind me quite a bit of growing up in the Delta, and whenever I photograph brothers, it always makes me think of my little brother. We quickly grow out of these overalls and start putting on suits and ties. And sometimes it's just nice to reminisce about the days when we all ran around barefoot, played with sticks and rocks, and jumped fearlessly into muddy puddles of water.

Katie, thank you so much for letting me remember some of my own days with my brother. It's been a fun year. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did making them.





~wj

Lila ~dancing queen

These images are of my youngest niece, Lila.

I call her the Dancing Queen because she dances as much -- if not more -- than almost any child I've ever met. She is also the songwriter in our family. I haven't kept a scientific count, but my gut tells me this child has written and performed at least 150 original tunes in the last 18 months. Perhaps her mom or dad can help us out with a more accurate total? She is quite prolific!

Keep singing and dancing Lila. Keep singing and dancing.


Love you tons.

~wj

Caroline ~co-starring The Wonder Twins

More photos from our recent family trip. This time I took Caroline out along with The Wonder Twins (Wilkins , light hair ; and Jacks, dark hair). We had a great morning playing and exploring.

In the middle of our adventure Caroline looked at me and asked, "Can you make a movie with these images?"

"Well. Sort of," I replied.

"Good. We're ready to be famous. That way we can start our band."

By the time the trip was over, they had cheerfully and unanimously named their new band "The Rockers". And this was to be not only the images that made them famous, but also the ones to be used for their album cover.

"It's more efficient that way." That's how Wilkins put it.

Alas, it was not meant to be. By the end of the day the band was no more.

"I can't take this Hollywood lifestyle, " bemoaned Jacks. He, of course, was all set to be the quiet, moody art-eest that was so aloof his fans would just HAVE to know more.

"I'm quitting the band."

Caroline overheard. "Well, if Jacks is out, then I am, too."

I turned to Wilkins. "So, are you done as well?"

Wilkins is the showman. He was all set to be David Lee Roth to Jacks' Kurt Cobain. (Caroline would be a mixture of Cher, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Liza Minelli) My sister had told the three all about Elvis only hours before. Wilkins was smitten to the point that we had already ordered him the classic Vegas jump suit that was The King's trademark.

He curled his lip and snarled at me, cocked his hip and mumbled in his best Elvis impersonation.

"Uhhh, that's right, baby. The King has left the building. Uhhhhh, thank ya. Uhhhhh thank ya very muuuch."


_____________________________________________________________________________________________


Tomorrow: niece Lila -- Dancing Queen

_____________________________________________________________________________________________


peace, love, harmony, and sequined jump suits with the collar flipped up

(all of which make me smile)

~wj

Caroline ~a study

Jamie and I spent a little time with our nieces and nephews recently. I was excited about the three or four days we would be with them, because I really wanted to try a few things photographically and they always make great subjects. I wanted to go beyond just making "pretty pictures" and did my best to push myself to not only create photos of the kids, but to create feeling as well.

I dunno. I just have such a curiosity about the vulnerabilities of all humans. We're born innocent. We say what we mean. We mean what we say. We're not afraid to show our emotions. Then somewhere along the way --slowly -- but often quite certainly, we begin to build walls. Rather than admitting our fears, our worries, our ignorances -- we craft a life we think is correct. Often hiding to others the vulnerabilities we all feel in one way or another. We don't always know we're doing it, and I don't mean to imply this is bad -- or good -- it just is what it is. And I am fascinated by it.

If we are lucky, we recognize the boundaries we've built in our lives. We recognize them early enough that we are able to do something about them. I doubt we ever truly overcome them, but I do think we can whittle them to the point that we reclaim some of that innocence that we were blessed to have when we entered this world. But it's not easy. And just as it takes time to build them, it takes even longer to tear them down.

So while spending a little time with my nieces and nephews this week, I decided I would take the opportunity to use them as models. These images are an exploration. An exploration of life. Of childhood. And of my own feelings and curiosities. Children are truly a wonder, and we adults could all do ourselves a service if we tried to be more like them.



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Now, on a technical note. I've had a few questions from other photographers about how these images were created. They were all photographed with a Nikon D200 and deliberately underexposed a stop or two so that they would be a little more grainy and film-like. But the key ingredient, technically speaking, is the Lensbaby. Well, that and not being afraid of a little (or a lot) of blur. The images were then processed in Lightroom using some custom presets, and a few were textured a bit in Photoshop to finalize the effect I was looking for. If you have any questions about how they were created feel free to post them here or email me directly. I'll answer as best I can.

Take care and continue to explore.

~wj

Airport Rollercoaster

Somtimes the simplest things garner the most excitement.

-------------------------------------
Posted via iPhone after hearing The Wonder Twins shout "This is better
than Disney!" for the whole tram to hear.

~wj

The Wonder Twins

Jamie and I will be playing mom and dad to our twin nephews Jacks (L) and
Wilkins(R) for the next five days. It's kinda like looking after the
Tazmanian Devil -- times two!

If you haven't heard from us in two or three days, please call the
authorities! We're gonna have our hands full.

------------------------------------------------
Posted via iPhone, as I wonder whether or not it is safe to fall asleep.

~wj

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!

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.

Remember when you were like this?

It doesn't matter the language. It doesn't matter the economic situation. It doesn't matter where you live or how you live. At some point laughter was in you.

Many still live a life of laughter and joy. But many more may have drifted away from it for one reason or another. It's still there. We just have to remember it, then focus on getting it back. Even if just for a short moment each day.

Recent studies at the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina show that laughing can help us live longer. They even suggest that laughing be part of your daily exercise routine.

So slow down. Just for a moment. Call a friend and chuckle a bit. You'll be glad you did.

Kingsley, Wesley, & Jack

When I was eight I used to ride my bike about two miles from my house to the edge of our town. Of course, memories tend to grow grander with time, but it seems to me I did this at least once a week, and sometimes two or three times during the summer. I continuously made this trek so I could visit the first girlfriend I ever had.

Her name was Angie, and her family owned a small convenience store. Her, mother, Ms. Lizzie, was--and still is--perhaps the kindest person I've ever met. Ms. Lizzie would give me a soda, a candy bar, and a handful or quarters so that I could play Pacman until my hands wore out. So the time I spent with my first girlfriend was primarily around a video game.

Well, years later Angie married another friend of mine--Jim. And I won't even begin to tell any stories about our childhood and teenage adventures. They now have three beautiful children, daughters Kingsley and Wesley, and new son Jack. recently, Angie asked me to create some headshots for her business, and that session actually turned into a family sitting.

The kids were great. Kingsley and Wesley dote over their new little brother and are such great sisters to him. Hopefully, I was able to show a bit of that with these photos.

So, without further adieu. . .

baby Joe. . .round two

This was Joe's second round of portraits in the last three months. His mom, Katie, scheduled a session in October for his 3 month potraits, and quickly after set a date for Joe's six month photos. Katie is an excellent painter herself--I'll probably being showing some of her work in my gallery in May. I'll have more info on that soon.

In the meantime, here are a few of the images:

baby Avery

Jamie and I did wind up staying in today and I decided to catch up on some editing. So here is a bit of it. More to come the next few days.

About two weeks ago I went down to Laurel, Mississippi to create some black and white images of the area for an interior designer client. While down there I met April and her daughter Avery for a portrait session. I didn't realiuze it beforehand, but after meeting April I learned that her father-in-law is one of my Cousin/Uncle (long story) Roy's best friends. I've met Grandpa Tony many times and played several rounds of golf with him as well, and he is one of my favorite people. Always smiling, always laughing, I don't think I've ever seen Tony in a bad mood. So it was a pleasure to create the first "professional" photos of his granddaughter. I can't wait to see him again so we can talk about it.

We created these images at my friend George Bassi's home. George is the executive director of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel. If you ever get the chance to visit, definitely do so. It really is a little gem of a museum, and the town of Laurel is so lucky to have it there.

Oh, and we did go see Juno tonight. Wow. It is a very smart, funny movie. Ellen Page absolutely deserves her Oscar nomination. If you enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine, you'll love this movie as well. Which, now that I think about it, is not surprising considering they are both Fox Searchlight movies.

And now, a few of Avery's images.

baby Anderson

I spent most of last week working on a commission in Laurel, Mississippi, but the morning before I left I met my friend Heather to photograph her son Anderson. Anderson is Heather's third child, and I've really enjoyed photographing his sister Emma Grace and brother matthew over the years. Another neat thing about going to their house is that it is the house I grew up in! Granted, it's been nearly 25 years since I lived there, but it still kinda feels like home to me. Is that weird?

Anyway, here is Anderson at about 3 months.

Natalee -- take 3

This was my third session with Natalee. Her parents, Robert and Jasmine, first asked me to create images of Natalee when she was about 6 months old. She's now just past 2, and it's unbelievable how quickly she's grown (but don't they all!) We met in December just before Christmas, and I was so excited to see how well the fallen leaves matched her beautiful auburn hair. And of course, Natalee's fun little personality makes create great photos of her so easy.

Thanks, Nat !

Ragan & Jack

I'm wrapping up orders for Christmas--so much to do!

I met Jack, Ragan, and their parents--John and Melissa--in Memphis recently for a downtown photo shoot. I am flattered that this is the third year that they have asked me to create images for their Christmas cards. Melissa always wants to do something that reflects the family's roots, so the previous two years we created images around the Delta--Melissa's home. This year, we focused on downtown Memphis (where the family currently lives), primarily Beale Street and the Mississippi River Bridge.

This image from two years ago was created in the middle of a large, empty cotton field that was taking a break for the winter and biding its time until spring.



This one was used for last year's card and was created at Dockery Farms, a place considered by many to be the birthplace of American Music. So it seemed to fit.



And here are a few images from this year's session in Memphis!








And the slideshow.

Hannah, Natalia, & Kristina

With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, I'm wrapping up a few portrait sessions from last week before moving on to some new sessions this week. These images are from my appointment with Hannah, Natalia, & Kristina. We started inside as I wanted to do some cool black and white images, and then made our way outside to roam the neighborhood and create some color images. The trees down here are finally starting to turn, so I was really excited by the colors we were able to capture. Towards the end of the session the girls said they wanted to play in the leaves, so that's what we did!

















And the slideshow. . .

Henry & Charles

I met up with Henry and Charles at their home in McComb. It was the first "real" photo session they'd had in a while, so I really wanted to get their mom and dad a nice collection of different types of images--black and white, color, and a decent variety between somewhat posed and totally candid moments. We spent about half of the time inside, and a lot of that was just spent letting them play in their bedrooms. A little later, as the sun was going down, we went outside so they could run around a bit and I could take advantage of the great light that was spilling through the pine trees in the yard.

And this is what we came up with.

A few on the sun porch. . .




And upstairs hanging out. . .





The light in the backyard was incredible. . .










And the slideshow. . .

Adam & Elliott

During my trip last week I stopped in McComb for a few days. One of my appointments was with Adam and Elliott. We had a blast! We went out to the family farm, which covers about 100 acres. The 4-wheeler came out and we just roamed the property. It's so much fun when I get to relive some fun moments from my childhood while "on the job". We spent several hours in the woods, roaming the huge field running the length of the property and playing around the pond (which is stocked, by the way. Next time I need to bring my fishing gear!)

Adam and Elliott--thank you. I had a blast and y'all were great.













And the slideshow:

Harry Potter. . . perhaps?

Well, actually this is my nephew Wayne. For the last week I've been on a whirlwind tour through south Mississippi, culminating with a three-day stay in New Orleans for some workshops, client meetings, and "brain-picking" along with several other great photographers. (I'll post more about all that very soon)

So on my way back north, as I slowly head home (I'll be back on Sunday after a few more appointments and meetings) I stopped today in McComb for a portrait session (the Sanders. . . .more to come) and a chance to spend some time with my sister and her family. Nights like this are one of the benefits to my job, and I am grateful for them.

My nephew Wayne is one of the most intense, most brilliant children I know. He is 10, carries a book with him everywhere (and I mean everywhere), and has written more stories in his 10 years than I'll write in a lifetime. He is his father's child (brother-in-law Charles is a brilliant writer himself).

Tonight, he was reading away and I couldn't resist snapping a few photos before he went to bed.

Katie & Spencer

Lynn and Angel Hardin are very old friends of mine. We attended high school together--Lynn and I played ball on the same teams, he was a few years ahead of me, and Angel and I were in the same class from elementary school on. Lynn and I also serve on the fire department together. So it is always a pleasure when I am asked to photograph the children of my friends.

Angel allowed me to wander off with Katie and Spencer, and they were great! Spencer is too funny--he's very much a boy. He's curious about anything and everything on the ground, and all he needs to have a good time are a few sticks and some rocks. And Katie? What a sweetheart. She treats her younger brother so lovingly. And she was such a big help keeping up with Spencer.

Meet Joe Byrd

Joe is the son of Katie and Jeff Byrd here in Cleveland. Katie brought him by the house a few days ago so we could create some images of Joe in his Christening gown. She was really looking to do something a little different. Hopefully we pulled it off.

Enjoy!



















And the slideshow:

I've now stayed in a haunted house. . . .seriously

I've mentioned in recent posts about our family trip to Vicksburg last weekend. I am part of a group show currently showing at the Attic Gallery and my entire immediate family came for Friday night's opening. My parents, my wife, 2 sisters, 1 brother, and 7 neices and nephews. As well as my mother-in-law, step-father-in-law, 3 brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, and several good friends. We spent a great weekend at Cedar Grove Mansion--all 25 or so of us.

What we didn't realize until we were checking out on Sunday, is that Cedar Grove is a very well known haunted mansion. Well to to everyone but us, apparently. I got a kick out of it. My wife was a little freaked out, the nieces and nephews really loved it.

My mother is a syndicated columnist for several small-town papers throughout the southeast. So rather than fumble through my own words trying to describe the experience to you, I figured I'd post her column which tells things in a much more entertaining way than I ever could. The link to her website is in the column on the right-- USA Deepsouth. It's an eclectic collection of musings from writers all over the world. Check it out.

Here is her most recent column, just in time for Halloween:

Living and Dying in Dixie . . .


"With Halloween close by, I’m thinking this is the ideal time to write about my latest adventure. I don’t have many adventures, really, so I grab them when I can.

Last weekend our entire immediate family – 17 of us – traveled to Vicksburg for a reception at the Attic Gallery, a well-known gallery with a fabulous eclectic collection of art. Our son, Will Jacks, is one of 7 artists whose work is being featured this month. (His New Orleans photography images are “powerful and stunning,” according to Lesley Silver, owner of the gallery. Of course, his mom agrees.)

Our accommodations for the weekend were at Cedar Grove B&B, a lovely antebellum home with grounds and gardens aplenty, providing lots of running and ball-playing space for the 7 grandchildren. The October weather was perfect; the staff was friendly and accommodating; the Cedar Grove restaurant was excellent.

G-Man and I were assigned the “General Lee Suite” (all the rooms are called suites) which was located with one other room down a flight of narrow stairs. The only windows in the room were two sets of small French doors that opened onto a tiny, dusty patio. The room looked as if it might have been two rooms at one time – very, very large, but very, very dark, with a red satin bedspread and half-dozen red satin throw pillows. Heavily accoutered, my elegant Uncle Bill would have described the decor.

There was one small problem with our room – the sound of footsteps on the stairs as we tried to get to sleep each night. The only other room on our hall was not occupied, so we were curious about the comings and goings, but we eventually tuned out the noise and snoozed.

The weekend was one to remember. The reception at the Attic Gallery, packed with appreciative viewers, went smashingly. Side trips with the children were made to the Mississippi River, the Vicksburg Battlefield, and to other spots of interest. We were sorry to see our family time draw to an end.

But on Sunday morning, as the adults packed, the children engaged one of the Cedar Grove attendants in a serious discussion about ghosts on the premises.

The genial attendant told them about the “Bonnie Blue Suite” upstairs, a beautiful room with a history. Seems there is a handprint on the wall in that room that refuses to be hidden with paint. The workers paint the room . . . and the handprint reappears. Yes. The children went to see and the print is there. The story is that a Union soldier died in that room, and as he expired he grabbed the wall. His ghost, the attendant said, still roams the mansion.

And why was a Union soldier dying in this Old South mansion?

Alas, or maybe not, the owner of the house, John Klein, was married to a Northerner who was kin to General William T. Sherman. After the siege of Vicksburg, General Sherman sent word that Cedar Grove was not to be destroyed. Instead, he instructed that the huge home should be used as a hospital for Union soldiers. Quite a few soldiers actually died there, and a number of their ghosts walk through the house, the attendant said . . . and they go up and down the staircase.

“Wow!” said the children. “And what other rooms are haunted by ghosts?”

“Well, definitely Suite 23,” he said, “because that was the morgue.”

What? Number 23 is “General Lee’s Suite” – the room where G-Man and I laid our heads each night and listened to the shuffling on the stairs!

The attendant’s eyes were wide as he told the kids. “Your grandparents probably didn’t notice anything since they’re older people, but you children would have been able to detect something different down there.”

I was not overjoyed at this news, but the kids thought that having Bebe and Pop sleep in the morgue was quite a joke.

And in spite of those blasted ghosts tromping up and down the stairs, I slept well.

Happy Halloween!"

~Beth Boswell Jacks

Finally! Caroline is in a better mood. She let me take a picture of
her with Wonder Twin #1 (Wilkins)

More fun stuff below.

From the third floor deck. That's the Mississippi River in the
background.

I'm posting these from my iPhone as we watch the kid's play in the
front yard at Cedar Grove. More info is below (I think)

The Wonder Twins

The back yard at Cedar Grove.

Saturday morning with the family

It's Saturday morning and we're all sitting around watching the kids
play in the yard here at Cedar Grove.

We had a great time at the gallery opening last night, but this
morning is what I was really looking forward to. My sisters live
about three or four hours away, and even though my brother and parents
live just across town it seems like we never get to see each other.
So just sitting around with all the family on a relaxing Saturday
morning is very rare.
I've taken a few pics with my iPhone, but I can only post one at a
time apparently, so I hope this works!

Below left to right. Wilkins (Wonder Twin #1), Beth, Meredith, Wayne,
Jacks (Wonder Twin #2), and Lila. Caroline was cranky and refused to
be in the photo. I'll try sneak a photo later and get it up here.

Dutch. . .is that a cool name or what?

So I've been working on a book from a photo session I did back in june, and I realized I haven't posted anything from that session. Shame on me!

These are some pages from my photo sessoin with Dutch, the son of Andy and Becky Songy. Becky and my wife Jamie have been BFF's for a looooooooooooong time. Needless to say, when Jamie and I started going out, becky was one of the first that had to give me the seal of approval before we could get to far along. Thank goodness she did!

So here is the layout. The design is for a square coffee table book. let me know if you have any comments or questions about it.

~wj

(click on the image to see it larger)

The Dowdys take New Orleans

I met my sister Bethany and her 4 kids--Wayne, Beth, and twins Wilkins and Jacks--in New Orleans last week for a session in the French Quarter. What a blast ! The kids were great and mom was a trooper as well. I wish we could do this every week as we don't see them nearly enough.

Next up is a fun trip with sister Emily's daughters Meredith and Caroline. Then brother Tom and his beautiful daughter Lila. There is nothing better than traveling to great locals and create awesome images--well, maybe doing all of that and doing it for family.

The Laskers and the Longs

Two of the best friends Jamie and I have are Aaron and Mary McKay Lasker. I went to college with both of them, and was very excited when they decided to move to Cleveland just a few years after Jamie and I had moved back. Mary McKay works with Jamie and they are slowly taking over the office (kidding. . .but it would be very hard for anyone to argue that they aren't very good at what they do). Aaron and I took a very memorable trip to California together (thanks, Aaron!) last September and the least I can do is help them capture the early years of their children. We spent a Saturday morning creating images of their two kids Hill and Kay Ann, along with their nephew Cliff (son of Mary McKay's brother Cliff and his wife Allison). The parents (and grandma) even got nudged into a few of the photos.

Mary McKay wanted to make sure we got some good pics of Aaron's dog. Mookie is nearly 16 and obviously is moving a bit slower these days, so it was great that we were able to get some great shots before it becomes a lot harder for Mook to get around. He reminds me alot of my "college" dog, Socks (who I miss tremendously) so I was especially happy that I could do this for Aaron.

All-in-all the morning was a ton of fun. We had a blast! I love this job!

Here are a few images. Here is the slideshow.

Adair

Victoria Adair Gaines.

Isn't that a beautiful name? Adair is the new daughter of one of my oldest friends, Stan Gaines. Stan and I have been friends for nearly 30 years (wow, that's kinda hard for me to type). He and his wife Tori have been some of our best friends since Jamie and I moved back to Cleveland about 10 years ago. We even went to their wedding at Kiawah Island and had so much fun! I'll have to post some pics later from their wedding. It was gorgeous. Let me know if you want to see a few and I'll get 'em posted.

slideshow here.

the potter's grandkids. . .

Sheila Clark has recently started sharing studio space with me. She is a WONDERFUL potter, and I've had a great time getting to know her and I am constantly in awe of the work she is producing. It is so nice to have someone to visit with during the day, and it makes it even better when their work is so outstanding!

Anyway, I was honored when she asked me to photograph her grandsons, Rives and Charlie. They were too much fun! I'll see if she'll let me snag a few pics of some of her pieces and post them in the next few days.

Here are a few pics of the boys, and, of course, the slideshow.

Tristan

Tristan Johnson is the son of Lance and Scottie. Lance and I serve on the Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department together (he is a much better firefighter than I), and it is always a pleasure to photograph the children of your good friends. It means so much to me when they enjoy the work that I do.

Lance is also an avid hunter and is turning into quite the videographer. He has been carrying a video camera on his hunting trips the last two years and has captured some amazing footage in the process. I am helping him edit a video that he will enter in a national contest with the hopes of getting hired on to do more of this (him--not me). A dentist AND a TV personality--what a combination!

Anyway, as soon as I finish editing the video I'll post it here for your enjoyment. The editing is a bit rough in spots, but hey, he is a dentist and I'm a still photographer. We've had a great time putting it all together, though.

Now back to Tristan. The slideshow is here.

Ann Riley

I took pictures of Ann Riley Cotton (daughter of Jason and Kelli) when she was just a few weeks old. This is the first session we've had since then and she has grown up so much! We had a beautiful day to work with, and the light in the house was fantastic. I wanted to try a few new techniques, so I added some texture to a few images that I thought warranted a little more "depth". Let me know what you think. You can see the slideshow here.

Meet Mollie Townsend

Valerie and Paul Townsend brought their adorable daughter Mollie by for some 1 year pics. She is too cute! We had a great time and Jamie and I can't wait to hang out with them more often.

Here are a few images. Check the slideshow out here.

Mary Ella Chicorelli

Mary Ella and her mother, Amy, came by the house today for morning photo shoot. Mary Ella was such a little sweetheart. We spent a little over an hour playing in the sun room and out in the yard. She was the perfect subject! Here are a few images from the session.

Click here to view the slideshow.

a beautiful Saturday morning

I spent a little over an hour yesterday with the family of one of my
favorite people--Pat Tibbs. Her newest granddaughter Rachel was
being christened later in the day, and since most of here family was
going to be around she wanted to get a few photos to remember the
day. I always have a great time with the Tibbs, and their kids are
so much fun!