Amy and JP, aka, the Prutches are a husband and wife team of photographers. They literally reside 4 blocks from me. We met 10 years ago, after being introduced by our FedEx driver. Our kids go to the same schools and we celebrate most of our holidays together. The most famous of which is our annual 4th of July block party. JP is one of the few people I know with as as much technical knowledge as I have and we talk nearly every day. I call him the other half of my brain. Amy calls me his boyfriend. Needless to say, they’re family.

Lately, I’ve been wanting to explore a new direction in my work. My current style is cinematic, accomplished with the compression and environmental isolation of my beloved 70-200 telephoto lens. I like the storytelling aspect of wide angle lenses, but they have an inherent depth of field, meaning everything is in focus even wide open. Canon has a couple of wide angle lenses which have a very wide aperture. This would give me a shallow depth of field. In short, this means I could control my plane of focus and make things in the background dreamy and soft as I do with my longer lenses. I contacted Canon and had them send me two lenses for evaluation. The Canon 24mm f1.4 and the 35mm f1.4.

It just happened that the Prutches invited our family to Long Beach, Washington for a weekend getaway. We have endeared this coming together of our families as “KepPrutch” time. I asked if they were willing to let me photograph their family and they graciously agreed. Our mutual friend, David Williams from Australia, has made it his mission to encourage photographers to document each other’s families. Pay it forward. I know it’s hard for Amy and JP to get family portraits done since they are BOTH photographers. The hard part for me is that if there’s one thing I know by now about the Prutches, it’s that they are anything but normal. That was the challenge.

I mean, come on. Anyone who names their blog “The Shutter Monkey” has got to be somewhat irreverent. Posing on the beach is not something that authentically captures who they are as a family. Not to lessen their affection for each other, but they are not the type to hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes. They’d be laughing before I could release the shutter. They were the perfect family to challenge myself with a new style of shooting portraits that are different than what you’d expect to see from a family portrait session at the beach.

My Facebook friends challenged me to illustrate how a wide angle lens could be used effectively in environmental portraiture. I also brought along my beloved Lensbaby for something even more distinctly different. At the end of the day, we had great fun with the Prutches. I was nervous shooting for two other professionals, but pushed myself to do it regardless of the outcome. Long Beach is one of the few beaches in Washington where you can actually drive on the beach. We threw the kids in the back of the Dodge Ram pickup and took off for a day of adventure. The kids never stopped smiling and we all left with more KepPrutch memories.

So tell me. What do you think of this new direction? What do you like or dislike about these images? Do they tell a story? Is this something you’d want for your own family? Does this capture a moment that will be remembered when our kids are parents themselves?

When I traveled there for Kristen’s wedding, I extended my trip a few days to visit my father. He is the third owner of a jewelry store that’s been in Richmond, Missouri since 1850. Since my trip, he’s sold the store and retired to continue his personal work in South Africa. My father was a minister and that’s how I fell in love with the Northwest, as we traveled across the country to a congregation in Seattle. He’s remained active in the ministry, even while running his jewelry store for decades. He’s now free to focus on his passion of helping South Africans set up small businesses and churches.

The first thing I did when I arrived in town was eat lunch at the original Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque in Kansas City, Missouri. There are four regions in our country famous for different styles of barbeque and trust me, the Northwest is not one of them! My friend, blues musician Mark DuFresne and I literally grew up just down the road from each other. Kansas City barbeque is always a topic of conversation for us. Arthur Bryant’s may not be the best in town, but it’s the most well known. Presidents, celebrities and regular folk all have sat down together at this world famous joint. It’s a Kansas City institution.

Sitting at Arthur Bryant’s, I thought the neighborhood felt familiar. I called my dad who reminded me that I grew up just down the street, so I drove past the old house and the church where he was a minister. I learned to ride a bike in that church parking lot. Remembered the stone wall like it was yesterday, where I scrapped the skin off my knuckles because I was afraid to turn the bike handles in fear of falling over. And Askew Elementary, which three generations of our family attended school. Lots of history there for me.

While taking pictures with my Lensbaby for my dad, the minister pulled up. I thought I was in trouble for taking photos of the church, but that was not the story this time. It was sheer coincidence. The nicest man— I shared with him my memories of growing up in that church. He was very interested in the history and opened up the church and let me step inside the memories of my childhood. As I left, he warmly embraced me and told me to thank my father for keeping the ground. I had to ask my dad what he meant. Ended up being preacher speak. An inner code.

My father wore me out keeping up with his busy schedule. We drove to Carrollton, Missouri and recorded a couple of father and son radio ads for the retirement sale, ate more barbeque and drove back for a city council meeting. My beloved aunt works for my dad, so I spent time with her as well. It was strange being home. Felt comfortable, as if I’d never left.

Just outside where my dad lives is another famous barbeque joint in the old Wabash train station called Wabash BBQ in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. I had to stop and compare their short ribs to Arthur Bryant’s. Purely for scientific reasons, of course. If I’d had more time, I would have sampled a lot more barbeque.

I also spent a weekend with my friend Mark Kegans in Des Moines, Iowa. Everyone who knows Mark loves him and his witty, sarcastic, dry sense of humor. A unique and talented photographer who’s roots go back to the Dallas Morning Tribune in Texas. I got to meet the Des Moines crew (who tried to hurt me with alcoholic drinks) and photograph a 12 hour wedding alongside this wedding legend who may actually be better then me.

Thanks for sharing in this personal journey of my humble beginnings. I feel that knowing the personal history of any artist is valuable insight into what motivates them. I promise to get back to business with my next post. There is a long list of things to share with you. So tell me gentle reader… what’s the best BBQ you’ve ever had?

As I reflect on the past year, I realize that much has happened for which I’m thankful. It’s true that my blog has been painfully silent, but that doesn’t mean life was quiet. Yes, the recession finally made an appearance and business was frighteningly slow. On the other hand, it presented opportunities.

As a visual artist in the business of photography, I simply don’t work conventional hours. 7 day work weeks are the norm and personal growth takes a back seat to business. It’s a fact of life for the self-employed. My work this year was scattered enough that there were lots of gaps, so I took the opportunity to travel.

I journeyed to Phoenix, Arizona for an annual photography convention, Cancun, Mexico— San Antonio, Texas— San Clemente, California for our annual family vacation and finally the Midwest in November for a wedding. It’s been wonderful seeing new places and experience different cultures. My focus was on growing as an artist and stepping back from my fear of not working. I was blessed in attending a workshop with Jesh de Rox which gave me new perspective on many things in my life.

Earlier this year, I started a new photography project called My Portland Photographer. Showcasing the tremendous talents of 20 of Portland’s finest wedding photographers and educating the public as to why hiring a professional photographer is so important. With the help of my colleagues, we’ve put together quite a body of work that continues to grow and evolve. I’m proud to be associated with this group of artists who’s passion is crafting unique and compelling images of weddings. We are even taking out an ad in the 2010 Oregon Bride Resource Guide.

For those of you who read my blog, I want to thank you for your continued support. I have a whole list of things to share with you once the new year settles in and takes off. Lots of images and stories from my travels and the wonderful people who were married this past year. I sincerely appreciate you stopping by my corner of the world and letting me share my passion for life, visual artistry and storytelling with you.

No matter where you are, my wish is that you find yourself surrounded by the warmth of family and friends this holiday season. May the blessings of life find you in the New Year!

All of us want to be different. Yet, we are the same. All of us trying to get back to something.

This past weekend, we watched UP. An amazing movie that my wife called “cute”.  Any reference to old people in love is deemed cute. Without spoiling anything—what touched me is a reinforcement of a lesson I recently learned. That we are always free to change the choices that we make.

Have you ever decided to buy a car that you felt was perfect? A car that was unique—that really expressed who you were as a person? All of a sudden you see that car everywhere. That’s the way it works for me. Whatever lesson I’m supposed to be learning at any given point in my life is reinforced in everything that I see around me.

Recently, I attended the Life (as an artform) workshop with Jesh de Rox. One of the ideals I left with is that we always have the ability to change the choices that we make. If you know me at all, you know my passion for movies.  Here was that lesson whispered to me in the form of a movie. Later in the evening, we enjoyed another movie together as a family and I kept thinking of how important movies are to our society.

Joseph Campbell wrote about the power of myth in our society, which includes movies. One of the reasons I enjoy movies is that we get to witness the choices and consequences of choice in other’s lives.  I preach to my girls over and over again about about making good choices in their lives.

As the evening ended, I found myself alone on the couch watching a VH1 show about Steely Dan. Funny how I always seem to wind up watching behind the scene shows about musicians at the end of the day. A former musician turned photographer, I’m fascinated to learn about their creative process. What struck me was a comment from a session player who worked with them. He commented on how they would drive everyone to perfection and then go past it to a place where everyone found a comfortable groove.

If I could sum up the Jesh experience, it would be in his own words… if someone has been a friend to you,,,(life). He’s a photographic poet with the heart and soul of a wise and ancient teacher. We spoke very little about photographic technique and a lot on connecting to the heart of the individual.  He challenged us to look into our hearts and examine our creative process and be brave enough to see past ourselves. For me, it helped connect a lot of loose ends from the past few years. I hope to share some of this in my work in the coming months. Until then, be brave and live in love!

Last year, I celebrated with a decadent treat. You can read the archived ’08 Birthday Blog and A Few of My Favorite Posts, but the one that started it all was The Blank Canvas in 2005. I never intended this blog to be a vehicle to promote my business. I wanted it to be a peek into the life of an artist, a storyteller’s journey. A pulling aside of the curtain sharing with you the story behind the scenes.

If you follow my blog, you know it’s's been very quiet. May is the month that I hit the reset button. I’ve been reevaluating my relationship to my business—my art and the path I’m traveling. Business is very slow, as it is for many in this economy, yet I’m busier than ever finding my life.

Upon reflection, I’ll say this was the year of travel. My first trip to Mexico, a life-changing workshop with Jesh de Rox, a trip to San Antonio, Texas with my wife and then Seattle for the annual Microsoft CEO Summit. This summer we are vacationing with our girls in southern California. The girls have grown up so incredibly fast and I’m in awe of life that never slows down.

This month alone, I’ve celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary with my beloved and I will see my oldest daughter graduate from high school with a 4.0 grade average, beginning her life as an adult. This may be our last opportunity to share a vacation together as a family as we’ve done in years past. A moment to hang onto all that we love and treasure— a family of 5 beautiful souls sharing life.

I have much to share with you in the upcoming months, including thoughts about the direction of my work in the coming years. I’ve felt a transition coming for years now, but recently it all came together for me in a beautiful way. I intend to show up every day for my work. I am going to distance myself from the creative process. Practice being in the moment and staying connected to life. Let go of the outcome, the end result and the labels and pressure that I feel from everything around me. To do otherwise would be like trying to swallow the sun.

A photographer at Jesh’s workshop had a beautiful phrase inscribed on her body. A thought—a frame of mind that I intend to keep present in my thoughts. Live in Love.

Be brave my friends and Live in Love!

My father was a minister, as was my grandfather and great-grandfather. I grew up in the church. Literally, I learned how to ride my bike in the church parking lot of the Church of Christ in Kansas City, Missouri. I remember being afraid to turn the handlebar because I didn’t want to fall. After scraping my knuckles on the brick wall of the church, my father patched me up and told me that skin grows back.

Being a wedding photographer, I’m never far from the church. Perhaps I’ve strayed from the lineage of ministers in my family, but I’d like to think my art has as much of an impact in people’s lives. Photographs and the memories we carry in them connect us to the people in our lives, both present and past.

This is a photograph of my great grandmother, taken by my cousin. I have such fond memories of this woman. It’s funny how you connect with certain people in your family. The original negative is long gone and that’s a shame. This moment embodies a lifetime of memories and love.

My father stepped down from active ministry in the 80’s and took up another passion as a jeweler. The years have lead him from a chain of three stores to a smaller store in Richmond, Missouri. His custom designed jewelry pieces are works of art. I’ve never seen anything like them. He always says jewelry is meant to be enjoyed. It’s a touchstone, much like a photograph that can connect you to someone special in your life.

My great grandmother has long passed away and my father had her wedding band fashioned into a heart. He wears this as a necklace. It reminds him of my great grandmother every day. Someone who was very special to him.

I decided that I would commission my father to make a cross necklace for me that he and I would design together. After months of emailing designs back and forth the process was set in motion. Nearly a year later, it was ready. Creating jewelry for family does not pay the bills, so patience was required and that was something I was willing to do for this unique piece.

Here is the finished piece of jewelry fashioned by hand out of white gold.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. My wedding band and a stainless steel ring that my wife gave me on an anniversary that’s inscribed with a Hebrew phrase, which roughly translated says “love your lover as yourself”. This commissioned piece of jewelry will forever connect me to my father. Although I am not Catholic, I am spiritual and this cross represents a faith I share with my father. When it was finished, I asked him to bless it. He placed one hand on my chest and raised his other hand to God and blessed that cross. A memory with my father that I will never forget.

To me, this is why my art is so important. It’s why I have chosen to photograph people. Connecting people with their past, with their loved ones and helping them remember their lives is the essence of what I do. What items do you carry with you that remind you of loved ones? What images do you have in your life that you will treasure forever? The heart matters and the heart remembers.

1.  You are based in Vancouver, Wash., do you ever get to travel for work? If so, how often and where are some of your favorite places to go?

Traveling was one of the reasons I wanted to become a photographer. I’ve been fortunate in my career to have traveled all over the country. Lately, it’s up and down the West Coast for destination weddings. Last year I traveled to Vermont for an incredible wedding weekend and the year before that to Jackson Hole.

2. You were a musician before becoming a photographer. Do you find the two artistic fields have much in common?

As a society, we keep our memories in music and photographs. Both are touchstones to a moment in time. There are many parallels. Both require a dedication to practicing the discipline of the art. This translates into a vocabulary— a set of tools that you reach for without thinking, to express your vision. I find it interesting that so many photographers are inspired by music. Personally, I can’t imagine a world without music. There is a magic to both arts that transcends the moment.

3.  So when did you realize that you could make a living shooting pictures?

Ironically, when I was a musician, my day job was working as a custom printer. I printed black and white art prints, wall prints and even worked for an aerial photographer a few years. That inspired me to go back to college and get a degree in commercial advertising photography. I had been in so many bands over the years and they always ended up falling apart. I could see the writing on the wall, it was a natural progression for my artistic sensibility.

4.  Was there a photographer (or anyone else) that inspired or influenced you?

When I started assisting, I was fortunate to work with some of the best photographers in the business. From Michael Grecco to Chris Cuffaro to Stephane Sednoui, all of them inspired and influenced me. In school, I found that I related to the work of Josef Sudek and Alfred Stieglitz. Recently, the photographer who has been a profound inspiration is David Williams from Australia. His dedication to the heart, soul and passion of photographing people has forever left it’s mark on the way I shoot.

5.  How would you best describe your style?

Style is always a tough one to describe. For me, it’s a point of view. The voice of the artist. I watch a lot of movies and find inspiration in the way they frame the shots to the lenses used to create a feeling in the film. So many photographers come into the industry armed with an arsenal of actions and textures and camera gear, emulating everything they see that catches their eye. Somewhere along the way, you learn to trust your personal vision. This is the development of style. That point of view is always there, from the beginning. It just gets lost in the noise of inexperience. I’d like to think my style is cinematic, emotionally honest and intimate.

6.  Any horror stories you’d like to share? Something bad that happened during a shoot?

I’ve heard some great horror stories that have happened to other photographers. If you do this long enough, you’re going to have a horror story. It’s just the way life is, no matter what you do. The challenge is to be prepared as much as anyone can and build in a system of checks and balances. From the way you pack your camera case to all the other rituals you develop.

However, there was a wedding back when I was shooting film with a Hasselblad. The shutters were built into the lenses. They break. It happens, but you’d never know unless you were using a flash or shooting Polaroids. At this particular wedding, I was using a long lens for my formals. We were using natural light and a reflector to light them. For the rest of the wedding, I used my normal-wide lens. A week later when I picked up my film from the lab, I was told there were 10 rolls of blank film! The shutter broke on my long lens and many of the formals portraits were lost. We were able to put together a very nice set from the 35mm images my second shooter captured during the formals of the family. In the end the album was amazing, but that was one of those moments you never forget.

7.  Do you ever do any photography just for fun? If so, what are your favorite things to shoot?

Photography for fun? I love being behind the camera! However, it’s easy to lose sight of the reason you became a photographer in the first place, given all the demands of running a business and staying on top of constantly changing technology. Last year, I decided to start doing art walks. Taking a day and going out with my camera and photographing whatever inspired me. I used to do this when I was in photography school. It was a great exercise and very challenging. I was very happy with the body of work that I produced and would like to do this more often. I think it’s a necessary part of practicing and developing your artistic vision. I posted three of these journeys on my blog last year.

8.  Any predictions on the next big trend in the wedding photo industry?

Don’t we all wish we could predict what the next trend was, especially in this economy? Obviously, things are very tough out there for everyone. During times of recession, people return to classic styles. Look at fashion magazines and you’ll see trends in imagery that show up in wedding photography. Trends are cyclical. Eventually, everything come back in style. I think timeless black and white will make a big comeback and that’s great. My roots are in black and white film and printing. I’ve been fortunate to have that background as it gives me a sensibility for how my black and white digital images should look to emulate that classic style. Trends keep the industry fresh and that’s what makes being a wedding photographer so exciting.

9.  What type of local publications or resources do you advertise in? What about international publications?

I advertise regionally with a national wedding site and locally with ISPWP, which is an amazing group of talented wedding photographers. I have tried print advertising, but it never really works for me. Word of mouth from satisfied clients has always been the best form of advertising for me.

10.  What are you working on next?

I’d like to work on a tan, and I may get that chance if the economy doesn’t start picking up soon. I recently put together a collaborative blog project called My Portland Photographer. 24 photographers joining together and committing to post one new image every week showcasing our unique styles. It’s a great resource for brides, wedding planners and a unique opportunity to drive traffic and bring exposure to our individual sites. Together, we are joining to elevate our profession. Other projects include a lighting workshop that I’m creating with Kevin Focht.

This year I’m taking a step back and evaluating my business. It goes in cycles. I have 2-3 years of creative inspiration and then I spend a year working on the business. Updating the galleries on my Big Folio web site and evaluating my pricing, products and services are the next steps for my business. I’d like to travel to Germany with my father and explore our family genealogy. You never know what life has in store. Most importantly, trust the process and continuing to strive for something.

Traveling the world has always been a dream of mine. A dream that I share with a woman who’s been my wife for 10 years in May. Unfortunately, because life seems to have a different plan most times, we have never been able to do that. We’ve traveled for work and personal trips, but never together.

My father and his wife enjoy 6 weeks every year at a villa in Cancun, Mexico. They’ve invited us in the past, but we could never make it happen. This year, we decided that being married 10 years was worth putting in the effort to make it happen. Having a place to stay was certainly a deciding factor.

I’ve never been to Mexico. Having seen so many images, I had an idea of how it would be. I was surprised to find Cancun very similar to Las Vegas. Very Americanized. My expectation was for more of a native experience. Honestly, I was slightly disappointed, but once I accepted the fact that I was there to enjoy the sun, the amazingly blue water and the tequila, everything fell into place. Spending a week with my wife, my father and his wife was priceless. A week I will never forget.

We visited the Maya ruins at Chichen Itza and along the way, met some amazing Maya natives who worked at the resort. Tammy and I walked the flea markets, took a trip by car to Playa del Carmen going through a Federal checkpoint where the guards had Uzi machine guns and even went para-sailing on a stormy sea.

I hope we have the opportunity to go back again. I know I’ll add a few more outings to explore the real Mexico and capture it in images. All of these were captured with my amazing little Canon Digital Elph point and shoot. I only say that because I think it’s important to note that you don’t necessarily need professional gear to create great images. Having a point of view and knowing how to use the tools you have are far more important. Enjoy a few of my favorite images from our week in Cancun!

It’s that time of year when one dark day can push you over the edge. It’s always been tough to make your living as an artist, but it seems even harder in recent days. We all know the economy is on the brink of disaster. Technology is decreasing the entry threshold into photography and society is struggling to understand the differences between a weekend hobbyist and a professional.

Technology is depressing. I tire of technology, especially when it fails and it seems to do THAT more often than not. Where technology does work, human greed steps in and it breaks again. Is this the nature of technology from this point forward? Will we ever find balance in our lives and satisfaction? Will we figure out that merely having the technology to create a great exposure does not mean we have created anything of substance?

My brand new Apple Mac Pro is stunningly fast and I utilize every ounce of speed it has to offer. But I’ve already had to replace the logic board and power supply. Countless hours of troubleshooting, waiting on hold to talk to tech support. Setting up appointments to have a technician evaluate the problem. Hours of lost production. Hours of my life I’d like to have spent doing something, anything but watch the endless blue task bars.

Dish Network and ABC have been fighting over pennies for months now. During this time, my wife can’t watch her favorite Sunday night shows. They gave us a $1 credit for our trouble. Wow…thanks Dish. I recently added Boxee to my Apple TV so we could watch television shows and movies on Hulu. Now the content providers are blocking Boxee users. Apparently, I’m not alone in my frustration. And once again, a web site such as Lifehacker steps up with a solution.

My RSS reader is filled with blogs of photographers who usually inspire me. Lately, I find myself trying to figure out my place in all of this. So much incredible work and so many talented artists. Never in the history of the world have we had access to so much information. I can’t help but wonder if all of this exposure is numbing us to the value of the art form. All of this has given me great pause and for that reason, I’ve been stalled with my blog. In the midst of this darkness, I stumbled upon the voice of a fellow artist. A call to transformation by Zack Arias. If this touches you, be sure to visit his blog and comment. Feel free to comment here too!