Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

It has been a LONG time since i've gone out to take pictures of something other than a portrait! This used to be the only type of photography I enjoyed. After church on Sunday a couple friends invited me to join them on a trip to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens. Now, I know what most of you are thinking. Rhododendrons aren't in bloom right now!! Well, yes.... But there is so much more to offer there than Rhododendrons. If I was a smart gardener or horticulturist i'd name off the other plants that were there, but i'm not. So i'll just leave it to a few pictures. It was fun to take pictures of the ducks, geese and squirrels too. They are all so tame here because people feed them all the time. It Made it easy to get in close for some fun shots. But a little scary to be so close to that BIG funny looking goose. I was afraid he was going to bite my nose off. (I vaguely remember being attacked by a goose when I was really little).

Have you ever been to these gardens? It's really an awesome place. It would make a great place for portraits too. Any suggestions of other fun places to visit in and around Portland like this?

Thanks Stephen & Stephanie for a fun trip!

New Lens & My Favorite Subject

Today a new toy arrived in the mail that I just had to try out.  So we took my ever willing subject out to the back deck to get some shots.  I'm sure someday he won't be so willing to be my model....  Until then, here's some shots of my son:

Please Remove Your Shoes (Completed)

My amazing, creative wife has completed the "please remove your shoes" frame.  As promised, here's the final product:

Who Is This Jason Guy Anyway? (Part II)

Continued from Part 1

At the top of the South Sister with a good friend

My interest in photography began in high school when my family took a trip to Germany. I took so many rolls of film, and loved taking shots of all the landscapes. I took a photography class my senior year which taught me a lot and expanded my interests. We even made a camera out of a shoe box! I still remember the little black and white prints that we developed in the dark room from that box.

After I went to college I bought my first digital camera. It was a top of the line, 3.2 megapixel canon!! I continued to photograph landscapes. Actually it wasn't until about a year before my son was born that I started to enjoy taking photos of people. I didn't just sort of enjoy it, I became crazy about it. I absolutely love to capture authentic expressions and emotion in a still photograph. My favorite subject is my son, of course. He has some really awesome facial expressions!

Photography is now one of my biggest passions. I have come to enjoy photographing people more than anything else. Engagements and weddings have become my favorite! Surprisingly, I really enjoy the business side of photography as well. I still have a lot to learn and am convinced that I will always be learning - there is so much to learn!

As time goes on I will continue sharing photos from recent photography sessions, as well as little glimpses into our life.