Woodward Park Family Portraits

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his most recent family portrait session was held out at Fresno's Woodward Park where we posed a few family shots, as well as individuals of each of the kids, but also had some fun with the youngest little guy who seemed to really like picture time at the park. The kids also climbed trees and chased ducks. I'm always glad when a family session like this one turns into more than a chore – for all of the family members. This was a nice time to remember.

Osegueda Family Portraits

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t was my pleasure to photograph my good friends Mike and Tanya with their son, Jake, and dog, Bauer, at Avocado Lake. It was good to catch up with Mike, my former co-worker, and learn about his and Tanya's coming family addition next year. Jake kept me on my toes but I think we were able to make a few good photos of the little guy. He'll make a great big brother. Can't wait to see their family grow!

Bee Critic Donald Munro

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] candid shot of my friend Donald Munro, the Fresno Bee arts reporter and theater critic as we wait to do a shoot at the Dan Pessano Theater in north Fresno.

Local Cyclist

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ack Maddux is probably one of the best cyclists in the Fresno area today. And he's 16. We did an outdoors story in the Bee about the young up-and-comer and his next move to join the U.S. Junior National Team and race in Europe. I had to make a quick portrait of Jack and dragged out my Alien Bee lights and a battery to a spot in Woodward Park. Maybe someday we'll be seeing more of Jack as he pursues his dream of riding in the Tour de France.  To read more about Jack, check out the story in the Bee.

Masumoto family

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] photographed the Masumoto family of Fowler for a story in the The Fresno Bee about their new family cookbook. I took a few shots inside of the family preparing a couple of their recipes including a cold peach soup and peach scones. All the recipes in the book have come to be developed over the years in the family farm kitchen. After that I thought I'd get a flavor of the family farm and set lights near the barn and a tractor. That's when the family dog, Bo, decided to get in on the action and do a little rolling around on the ground for me. May not be the shot we were looking for in the paper, but for me, it made putting up those lights worthwhile.

Clovis High Grad Brian

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the exception of English, Brian says he will miss his days at Clovis High School. The senior, who will graduate this May, is a four-year marching band member who played the trumpet. Brian comes from a family whose parents were also Cougars. Brian is looking to begin making his mark on the world at Willow International this fall. Here's hoping he keeps his musical talents with him, and doesn't have to struggle too much with English.

Lean and Vartan

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] will be shooting Leanne and Vartan's wedding this September for Mark Janzen Photography and I got to know the couple a little better recently when I photographed their engagement session. We had a really nice spring afternoon to do photos that started at Leanne's home near Fowler. Then we rode east to the foothills and found a few cool spots to make pictures. They were really cool and were game for any of my crazy ideas - like lying in the long grass in the foothills. We ended up at that cool old rock chimney that stand alone on the side of the road near highway 180 in the shadow of Jesse Morrow Mountain. It's a cool spot for photographs that I'll have to remember again some time down the road. Good times guys! Can't wait for the wedding.

Oscar Wilde Actor Haley White

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]aley White plays Oscar Wilde in the New Ensemble production of "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" at the Broken Leg Stage in Fresno's Tower District. Photographed for The Fresno Bee.

Mike & Holly

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]igh up on a mountain top in the foothills east of Fresno I met Mike and Holly for their engagement session. It was the home of Mike's longtime boss, a good friend of his who often has him over for parties and get-togethers. Of course it was the perfect location for Mike and Holly's engagement session. We had fun working with their host's rustic backdrops, like a wagon and a shed. But we also took lots of advantage of the lovely foothill scenery that surrounded the home. This was the first engagement session of the year for me, one of several I hope to do for Mark Janzen photography.

Cat's Senior Portraits

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hese are senior portraits for my friend Cat, who I've known since she performed in kids theatre with my son. It's so awesome to see that she has grown up to be such a beautiful young woman and attending UCLA. I'm sure big things are in store for Cat.