wow! what a week!

jill had her beautiful baby... Kassandra Faith, September 21, 6 pounds 4 ounces.  she is GORGEOUS!  mom and baby doing great!  jill is amazing, she was out walking 2 days after having Kassandra.

love those little feet!!! here are all the photos:  http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/bambino.htm

we also sent our competition candidates to the print lab!!  very exciting.  we sent an email out to ask for votes.  it was nice to get so many reponses!!  in the end we added a few that we felt were just good, strong images along with the ones with the most votes.  we aren't sure how this all works, but our customers are happy, so we're happy...  and we hope to win something, or at least learn! here are a few on my favorites:

here are all the entries: http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/compete/index.htm

i can't wait to get the prints back.  lately, the images look good on the monitor, but the prints will knock your socks off!!  and i'm very pleased with how these came out... i tried a few new photoshop techniques, and experimented a little.  i just asked the lab to check the skin tones, which i tend to get a little red.

we had a great couple last weekend!  the image above in the car is from their wedding (brenda caught them driving off to the reception).  i'll post more, soon.  and we have a heinz chapel wedding next weekend.  can't wait to see what we can do in the dungeon.  the last heinz chapel stuff was great, and of course we have another gorgeous bride!!  come to think of it, we've had all gorgeous brides!  no wonder i'm single.

that's all for now - back to work!

well still no baby!  any minute now!

xander and i went to visit my family in ohio this weekend.  the dogs had a great time! xander met a new friend, Otto.

the dogs had a great time together,

and then laid around the house -

the lake was warm, but the sun didn't 'fall in the lake', so instead of a sunset, i got these shots, just before sunset:

and these are for Brenda!!!!     lots of spriders!!!

my friend jill is expecting!  we took these photos a few weeks ago, and the baby will be here any day now.   i put the photos here on my website: http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/bambino.htm

     Isn't she darling?  Kevin is excited about being a big brother, and I can't wait to take infant photographs for the birth announcement! 

hang in there, jill! 

well, it occured to me that i haven't given a titanium update.  as a metallurgist i take a lot of photographs through a microscope.  not as fun as weddings, but just as challenging to show good microstructure and surface issues.  right now i'm working on the traceability of an ingot of ti6/7.  it's used in medical implants, like bone screws and dental implants.  making sure the heat is good.  just a little update!

still counting votes! so if you haven't voted, yet, go to our website and pick you favorite!

http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/vote/index.htm

the winner so far...

well, we are entering a competition! we need help with which ones to enter, so if you're interested.. VOTE!!!

vote for as many as you want! go here or click a picture!http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/vote/index.htm

well, jade and xander had a very fun time this weekend.  here are a few of my favorite pictures...

jade is a challenge to photograph because she is so black and shiny.

this little guy kept tormenting them.  i love the way the shallow depth of field made a 'halo' of color around him....

thanks for coming over, Jade!

here are all the pictures: http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/New%20Folder%20(2)/index.htm#19

we are having a devil of a time deciding on which photographs to enter into national/international competition.    i think we will put our favorites on their own page and invite people to vote.  hopefully, i'll be able to figure out how to make it simple for people and then we'll email everyone who wants to take a look.  at least we'll know our clients were happy, even if the judges don't agree.   here are a few that are up for consideration.  these are only from 2 of the 5 weddings in the last 3 weeks.  for those of you who are not familiar with us, yet, we only select about 20 weddings per year to shoot.  having so many at once is unusual for us.  once the next 3 are ready, it will be REALLY difficult!

thanks for stopping by!! oh! and if you click one of the little pics below, it seems to take you right to our proofs! !

all photographs are ©Bellissima.

well the web proofs are coming along!  erin & hayden and shannon & bryan's proofs are available!  i hope to have everything available for this weekend.  once these are ready, we're pretty caught up. if you want to check them out: http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/community.htm

we get the moving pictures up the night of the wedding, but the web proofs take a little longer.

i can't wait to start working on the albums and choosing some photos to enter in competition!  we have been so fortuante to have really awesome clients.  really happy, and excited and fun! it really makes a photo!!  it will be hard to decide which to enter - there are so many great ones!  once we do, i'll post our decisons - with some reasons.  sometimes the story behind the shot is almost as good as the picture itself!

thursday - yay! - could only be better if it were friday!  brenda and i are going to see amy grant tonight - a benefit concert for habitat for humanity.  unfortuantely, no cameras.  i don't get that.  i don't understand why you can't take photographs at a concert.  i have only been able to take them at one concert.  the pictures of the people attending the concert were great - the ones of the show itself...  just ok. 

well my dog-in-law is coming to visit this weekend.  jade.  she's a black lab.  i let her sleep on the bed with xander and i, and the cats have to stay down the basement.  they aren't very gacious hosts, and all kinds of termoil would break out.  could make for some interesting snapshots!

i can't believe it's september 6th!!  where did that first week of september go?  this morning, while taking the newly shorn xander for his walk, i noticed leaves on the ground beneath a few trees.  i adore autumn, but i am NOT looking forward to snow.  i guess we can hope the warm holds out as long as possible.

we have some more fabulous weddings coming up!  true to form, as non-traditional shooters, we seem to find a good fit with interesting locations, and celebrations.  we have been so lucky with such wonderful couples and cooperative weather (most of the time) and an amazing mix of traditions. 

to our most recent brides and grooms... i'll have your web proofs available for you this week!!

coming off back to back weddings after back to back weddings last week!  yikes!! that 's 5 weddings in 3 weeks.  we've decided that's a little much.

fortunately, the photographs all made it worth it!! www.bellissimaphoto.com

the moving pictures are finished, now to edit and proof all five weddings!!!