Birthday Party for Vanessa

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Last fall we celebrated the 14th birthday of our daughter Vanessa. As you can see by the birthday cake, she chose an outdoor theme for her birthday.

Years ago I developed a strategy for using images to tell a story. That strategy involved scripting out the different shots that would help me tell a story with my camera.

For a birthday party this involves taking a number of shots that once done, makes it easy to create a DVD Movie or Photo Book. Following are a list of shots you might want to consider when taking pictures at a birthday party:

1. Creating the invitations
2. Delivering the invitations
3. Each of the guests as they arrive with presents in their hands
4. The decorations in a wide shot
5. The table setting in a close up shot
6. The cake (before you cut it)
7. Lighting the candles
8. The presents (before they are opened)
9. The guests as they celebrate of play games
10. The parents, family and other special guests
11. Blowing out the candles
12. Opening the presents
13. Pictures of individual birthday cards
14. The birthday boy or girl holding standing with the present and person who gave it to them
15. Cutting the cake
16. Eating the cake and ice cream
17. The party "mess" with wrapping paper and food
18. Saying goodbye as the guests leave the party
19. The tired/sleepy birthday boy/girl

You could easily take 40 to 50 interesting pictures during a party. That way, you'll have plenty of option for making great photo books and other cool personalized photo products that you will cherish for years and years.

Argentina Summer of 2008

Another of the families we visited in Argentina last summer showed what we're capable of when we have little in the way of personal possessions. These children were part of a three generation household where sisters, their husbands and children lived in a small house with grandma just off of a dirt road.

This family was well off compared to some of the others we met. While we were there, they had a watermelon cooking on the stove top filling the room with a wonderful aroma.

Thin walls separated the families, sometimes made up of a blanket. The parents and children typically wore what we'd call "sweat suits" or "warm ups" since they keep you warm in the cold and relatively cool in the summer.

Where ever we went, houses were neat and clean as were the people. Most houses were open to the outside and it was easy for dust and dirt to be blown into the house ever time the wind blew.

What amazed me was their ability to adapt to their circumstance. The lack of possessions and the need to conserve brought families closer together. The small space caused them to interact constantly with each other by playing, reading or just enjoying mate socially.

Desert in the Morning

Last week I flew to Las Vegas and then on to Los Angeles to interview a couple of candidates for an Executive Sales Position at our company. I stayed overnight in Los Angeles and then took the early morning flight out of LAX back to Salt Lake City. Usually when you fly out of LAX, the plane takes off over the ocean and then circles back as it gains altitude.

The only camera I typically have in my pocket is my iPhone. I love to look out of the window and see the patterns formed by nature. As we approached the desert between Death Valley and Las Vegas. This was the view as the sun rose in the early morning.

It's a real challenge trying to capture images out of a streaked and scratched plastic window, but if the sun is just right and you put the lens close to the window, you can minimize most of the problems taking the image through plastic or glass.