Guest Photographer

This is a picture posted by my cousin Jessica.
She's got an eye for art, which means that though she has no official training or special photography equipment that I know of, I love following her pictures because of the life that she captures.

Jess, feel free to correct any of these details if wrong. :)

Didn't take these (duh)

Most of you probably already know,
but figured some sort of blog acknowledgment was in order.

Thanks to Josh and Darren for the candid pictures.
(well only candid for one of us, I guess) :)

Chris did a really nice job at picking out the best
and putting them in order on Picasa.
You can ignore the old-lady looking hands in the ring pictures.
My nerves were a mess and my veins are all sticking out :-p.

July 11, 2008
Main Quad, University of Illinois
(Taken by Josh)

I said "Yes" (bet you didn't see that coming). ;-)

Fiancee and fiance (did you know they're spelled differently? (Thanks, Ben)

Darren's "disguise" so I wouldn't recognize him (they made him hide in Lincoln Hall instead)


The guys who helped :)

Josh Ritter 4-Pack

So it's about time I posted on here again.

On May 15th, I took Nick to a Josh Ritter Concert
in Indianaoplis, IN as his (long overdue) Christmas gift.
It was one of the most enjoyable concerts I've ever been to.
Josh just couldn't stop smiling; you could tell he loves what he does.

2 of the 4 other members of josh's band.
Couldn't get a good shot of the drummer or the bassist
(who had a sweet handlebar mustache).

Question with this one?

March 14, 2008
Date night with Nick
Church parking lot, Champaign, IL
No editing
Note: So this looks much better when I open the photo from the file on my desktop. It's got deeper color and more defined lines. You can see the birds flying across the sunset much more clearly. So what happens in the uploading process that makes it look crappier? I tried uploading in all three sizes and it didn't make any difference. Thoughts?

Worn

Spring, 2007
FlaVet Field, Gainseville, FL
My friend Sash was visiting us from Jax and took this picture
with my camera while I played Sunday Ultimate.
Color/saturation enhancement and edge-blur added.

Frame

8/07/07
Port Sheldon, MI
Jim at our grandparent's cottage on the lake
No editing.
In need of a title, but can't come up with a word captured in this photo.
Ideas?

Patio

2006?
Orlando, FL
My parents designed and put it together all by themselves. . . and then we had to sell the house the next year. :-/
No editing.

Gator

2005
Jacksonville Zoo
Mild color boost

Name

11/12/2008

Champaign, IL
John and Lauren's Wedding Program
No editing other than a slight color boost to give it a soft sepia feel.
I did some messing with vignettes, but couldn't tell if it looked cheesy or not.

11/12/2008
Champaign, IL
John and Lauren's Wedding
Nick actually took this one, but I really liked the composition, so I'm posting it.
I tweaked the brightness and contrast a lot more with this one to lighten it without making the candlelight appear too blown out.

Lightnin' Salvage

Gainesville, FL
Lightnin' Salvage, located at the back of Satchel's Pizza
Slight saturation and contrast increases, but original coloring

Opinion Poll

A lot of times after I've edited a photo, I can't decide whether I like the original
or the "corrected" photo better.
Usually, as in this case, I think it depends on the feel you're going for.

So here's where I let you weigh in with your opinion (though no one actually reads this yet).

#1

The first one washes the second one out when seen next to one another,
so look at them apart from each other if possible.

#2
Champaign, IL
The side garden at the "Palace"
Wishing I had have turned the time stamp off that summer.

Keys

November, 2007
Champaign, IL
My first Illinois game
No photo-editing

Berry

December 8th, 2007
Champaign, IL
Ice Storm

Tree of Light

December 22, 2007

Flint, MI
Light Village with the cousins
No photo-editing