Ahhh, Florida.

It's warming up outside. (That's nice and all. But it's still officially winter...) And what do you do in winter time? You suffer a bit from the dryness and the wind but enjoy the cold while it's around because in a few short months, it'll will be hot and muggy, and it will feel like there is no escape.

It's a vicious circle. That's what vacations are for: to escape what's normal in life -- that circle -- for a short while and to focus on what's beautiful and fun and meaningful. We did that this winter, courtesy of Celebrity, and it was worth every penny. So, if it doesn't get cold again for the rest of this official winter season, that's okay. It'll give us something to look forward to the next time St. Louis goes into a deep freeze.



Ahhh. Florida. (Except for the sun-streaming-in-the-window shot, which was taken in a church in Colombia.)

anatomy of a newborn shoot

What exactly goes into photographing a newborn? Mostly: time.
We essentially tell parents, "Hey. Sit back. Relax. We're moving in for a while and we have lots of luggage."
That's because, truth be told, no two shoots are the same. Some babies are sleepers. Some, well, not so much. Some are big (well, relatively speaking). Some fit in a bowl. Some in a basket. Some fit in the palm of your hand. And, of course, some, well, don't. Some don't mind a bright light. Some require cranking up the ISO camera setting so you can shoot in the dark.
Like the tiny babies themselves, it's all about being flexible. And recognizing that not every idea is going to pan out. And that's okay.
Guess that's sort of like life in general, eh?

groundhog day 2011: postponed

Earlier this evening, I ran to the store to grab a few "essentials" -- milk and bread. Unfortunately, all I had while I was out was my iPhone. That's okay. Still was able to capture these:

welcome to missouri. and the world.

Today was a bit unexpected. Warmer weather than it has been. Partly sunny with blue patches of sky. An email out of the blue from an old friend. And ... a baby was born.

Good thing we were already out and about with a camera when we heard the news (even if we didn't have all our lenses on board). Nevetheless, world, meet the newest addition to the Maddox clan!

birds, boats and botany

Winter is wearing on... Are you happy where you are today? Literally. Or metaphorically.

Just posted some more images from our recent trip on our travelogue.

we swam with stringrays

... And it was all Becca's idea. See a National Geo video on our travel blog for a very accurate taste of what it was like.