Thursday, May 29, 2008 - Personal
Happy Anniversary (to me!)
T
oday Emily and I celebrate 9 years of marriage! YAY US!
We'd love to go to Ireland to celebrate year 10, but now we're thinking that Ethiopia will do...
Crazily, we have no plans tonight except to attend a parent meeting for a brand new school that our daughter was selected to attend next year (via lottery).
But it's not like we're not celebrating. We forked out some $$ and went to see 'Swell Season' on May 3rd down in Denver. 'Swell Season' is that wonderful band from the best film of '07, 'Once', that I've mentioned on here a ton of times (please tell me you've seen it by now!)
We forgot to take a camera which was a bummer - but I did have my phone on me and you know how much phone photos just ROCK!
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We were just 5 rows from the stage which was incredible. You can kinda get some perspective in this next photo. Oh, and these girls did NOT forget their cameras. Emily and I were able to enjoy the view on their LCD screens most of the show! :)
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We had some time to kill, and I guess after 9 years you kinda run out of things to talk about, and so we just played around with said camera phone...
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I am so creepy!
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I love Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. Glen uses the exact same guitar I do! Mine has a hole in it just like his (though mine's not quite as big. The hole I've carved in mine is about the same size as the one Murray Cook has carved in his acoustic which is just like mine and Glen's)
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But you know who I love even more? My wife of 9 years - Emily Wilson. She's just amazing. Really. And I was totally making a bad joke about not having anything to talk about. For us it goes beyond words - we could just stare at each other really...
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See what I mean? :)
Happy Anniversary Honey.
I luve you.
Happy Anniversary Honey.
I luve you.
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Thursday, May 29, 2008 - Treasure Box
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S
o tonight is the big 'LOST' Finale!
What's going to happen? How do the 6 survive? Does the Ocean Liner blow up? Is the island going to move? Are any of the main characters going to die? Aaron is Jack's Half-Nephew!? Where's Walt? Who was the person in the coffin? I read that after tonight we're going to question everything that has happened before - what does THAT mean?!
Well, you know what? I don't care.
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Now before anyone interprets this to mean that I don't like the show - let me explain.
I love this show! But from the very first episode I made a decision to not give a hoot about what is 'happening' on the show. I learned my lesson from being an 'Alias' fan (briefly) that these guys are going to jerk you in so many directions that I'm convinced THEY don't even know what's happening!
But I just love this show for the interpersonal relationships between all of the primary characters. I love it for how rich and deep each character is - far more than any other show on tv (at least, any that I've ever seen).
And so I enjoy watching LOST to see where each character is going - how they're going to learn, and grow, and fail, and achieve...
And if it means they have to wander all over the universe and every dimension between here and eternity and find their way out of plot-twists-within-love-quadrangles-within-cliffhangers-within-backstories-within-flash-forwards-etc. - then so be it.
I'll be watching and loving every minute of it (except for that minute when they killed off my favorite character - Mr. Eko. That stunk.)
I love this show! But from the very first episode I made a decision to not give a hoot about what is 'happening' on the show. I learned my lesson from being an 'Alias' fan (briefly) that these guys are going to jerk you in so many directions that I'm convinced THEY don't even know what's happening!
But I just love this show for the interpersonal relationships between all of the primary characters. I love it for how rich and deep each character is - far more than any other show on tv (at least, any that I've ever seen).
And so I enjoy watching LOST to see where each character is going - how they're going to learn, and grow, and fail, and achieve...
And if it means they have to wander all over the universe and every dimension between here and eternity and find their way out of plot-twists-within-love-quadrangles-within-cliffhangers-within-backstories-within-flash-forwards-etc. - then so be it.
I'll be watching and loving every minute of it (except for that minute when they killed off my favorite character - Mr. Eko. That stunk.)
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - Weddings & Clients
Elise and AJ - The Engagement
T
here's no doubt about it - Elise and AJ are capital F-U-N, Fun!
And so it was great going to a local amusement park for their engagement photos. I'm always trying to think of something kinda new or unique like this and so I was excited that Elise and AJ thought that it fit them and were willing to meet me there.
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AJ did what he was supposed to do and won his gal a prize!
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Even though it was packed at the park, we managed to find some quiet spots.
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And sometimes you have to find 'quiet' amidst the crowd...
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But it wasn't all quiet and serene - we were at an amusement park for cryin' out loud! It was time to play!
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I love this next one - AND Elise is terribly frightened of Ferris Wheels, so I think that fact takes this photo up another level. Congrats for braving it!
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It really was a great evening having F-U-N in Colorado.
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Looking forward to the wedding you two! :)
treasure this day forever
treasure this day forever
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - Personal
Adoption Update - and more...
I
t recently dawned on me that the last mention here of our adoption plans was a bit of a 'downer'. We were really struggling with a few things and I guess I needed to share.
Well, here's some new news: Things are going great!
We've finally completed our 'home study' after beginning it in the fall of '06. This is usually a 3 month process or something in that ballpark anyway, so yeah, ours took a bit longer and it's kind of a long story but I want you to know that we're not looking back on all that. We are rejoicing at the Wilson household to be through with Step 1 and moving on now to Step 2! Step 2 is filing tons of paperwork with the governments both here and then in Ethiopia. Step 3 is waiting for a child to be referred to us. Then Step 4 is making all of the arrangements to travel and pick up our child.
We are praying that our newest addition to the Wilson family would be home by Christmas. But we'll have to wait and see...
In other news, and along the same lines - Go out and rent or buy the film Born Into Brothels if you've never seen it. Trust me. It will be two of the best hours you'll ever spend on the couch. This film plays an important part in our adoption story. I think it could play an important part in your life too - so go see it!
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To hear a little more about this film go checkout my absolute favorite podcast Filmspotting! In Episode #209 our two hosts, Adam and Matty, list their Top 5 photography movies and they totally MISS listing 'Born Into Brothels'. In an effort to set them straight I sent them an email. Then in Episode #211 (in which you'll also hear their review of the new Indiana Jones film) they discuss my email, this film, our adoption, and more.
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Hmmm... 211 Episodes + extras = 9 full days of my life listening to these guys talk movies. I Love it!
So, here is your homework. Watch 'Born Into Brothels', go listen to 'Filmspotting', then come back here and report your findings. What are you waiting for?! :)
Take care everyone!
So, here is your homework. Watch 'Born Into Brothels', go listen to 'Filmspotting', then come back here and report your findings. What are you waiting for?! :)
Take care everyone!
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Thursday, May 22, 2008 - Treasure Box
Honoring Heroes
T
his post is a hard one. I’ve been considering it for nearly 18 days.
On one hand I am so afraid of making it sound like it’s about me – no, not even about me, but that it has anything to do with me at all. On the other hand I feel so small when I try to consider how I might speak for anyone else – whether it’s you, a family, a country. Who am I to speak for anyone else? And so, the more I’ve thought about it, I just feel like, well, it must be about me, for that’s the only voice I truly know.
I’m a United States Citizen. I was born in Denton, Texas in 1975. I was married to my wife Emily in Long Beach, California on May 29th, 1999. That was Memorial Day weekend, and I must confess that Memorial Day weekend has never been to me what it is intended to be. (And I wonder if in this I might be speaking for anyone else as well?) But today I’m seeing that it is more than another day off, a three-day weekend, or someone’s anniversary. Yes, it’s much more than all of that.
On May 5th I received word via an email from Melissa Martinez that her husband, Glen, had been killed on May 2nd while serving our country in Iraq. Both Glen and Melissa are Marines with whom I had the great privilege of spending the day with, and photographing, on December 30th, 2007 – their wedding day. Later in the day, May 5th, Melissa called me and asked if I would come photograph Glen’s Memorial service. Not that she wanted me to document the grief everyone was feeling, but so that I might participate in honoring a hero. I was humbled and grateful and accepted the invitation.
And so on Tuesday, May 13th, I watched a country honor a hero. A town salute. A family say goodbye. A wife bury her husband. And now I grasp for words to express what I’m feeling. I looked for a poem to lift our spirits. I looked to speeches from President’s to give us some perspective. But it just seemed that those words were not my own. And I just couldn’t pretend that this here blog and this here post are some grand things that can speak for the many. So, instead, I settle on using my words to speak to the few – you, dear reader – as if you were sitting here by my side. And here’s what I want to tell you:
I’m a United States Citizen. Born in Texas. 1975. Married. Two Kids.
And I’m free. Free because of great men like Glen Martinez. Friend, would you please join me in honoring our heroes? I realize this could sound false coming from me, but I tell you friend, I’ve seen things and I’m beginning to understand and so I beg your forgiveness and ask you again – would you join me in honoring our heroes? Remember, this weekend isn’t a long one just so we can have more time to play. We have Monday off so we can have time to remember. I’m getting that now and so, for me, this Memorial Day will be different. And I ask you – would you join me in honoring our heroes?
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(I want to say a special thanks to a few. First, to God who gave us freedom. To Glen Martinez for his service. To Melissa Martinez for bestowing on me the greatest honor of my photographic career and for seeing in me someone who could do it. To Jolynne Aszterbaum who worked with me at the wedding and who flew out from California to be there for Glen, Melissa, the family, and me for the funeral. About half of the photos you see here were taken by her. To the Aszterbaum and Grana families for making this possible. To the Schaefer and Bolton families for your help as well. And to my family – to every day we have together living in freedom.)
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - Weddings & Clients
Annabelle and Mosh - The Engagement
T
he 17th was a first for me - the first time I had two engagement sessions in one day! It started off at sunrise with some balloons and finished up near sundown on the streets of Boulder, Colorado.
It's only fitting that this first included Annabelle and Mosh as their wedding is providing another 'first' in the life of Jared Wilson Photography. I won't spoil the surprise and tell you now, but you won't have to wait long to find out as their wedding is now just 9 days away!
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We started things off in Chautaqua Park near the Flatirons. It was a beautiful evening!
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For some reason this reminds me of U2.
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It's so freaky when you're taking 'romantic' photos and people just stop to stare! I mean, c'mon, isn't there something else you could be gawking at!
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Thanks guys for a wonderful time hangin' out in the beautiful Colorado scenery and enjoying the summer breeze.
9 more days...
Wow, kinda sneaks up on you, huh!? :)
9 more days...
Wow, kinda sneaks up on you, huh!? :)
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treasure this day forever
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Monday, May 19, 2008 - Weddings & Clients
Natalie and Chris - The Engagement
A
bout three weeks ago, an idea popped into my head and so I sent out this email to a few of my clients who were due for some engagement photos:
Hi Everyone!
I'm sending this out to all of 'my' couples who haven't yet done their engagement session.
I have a fun idea that I'm sure would be just beautiful for the first couple that responds and says "That's Us - We're In!!"
It's on Saturday, May 17th in Erie, Colorado and it would start around 6:15 or so in the morning!! Yes, that's right - AM!
It's their annual Hot Air Balloon Launch (60 Balloons!) - I went there last year and it was one of the most fun and gorgeous photo experiences I had in 2007. So I thought I'd kick it up a notch and do an Engagement Session there with anyone who was up for it and thought it sounded like something you'd love.
Keep in mind that there will be a couple hundred other people there as well so it won't exactly be 'private' - but it will be COLORFUL!
Here are a few photos from last year's event that I posted on my OLD blog
8 minutes later I received the following note:
Hey Jared,
Chris and I would LOVE to do that! It sounds like a lot of fun, and definitely a unique idea for an engagement session.
Am I the first to respond? Being online all day for work has its perks I guess :-D
Hope to hear from you soon,
Natalie
And so the date was set.
This past Saturday we arrived around 6am as the balloons were being unrolled and layed out across the field. While we waited, we took advantage of the gorgeous morning light and came away with one of my favorite frames I've ever captured.
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And then it was time for some Balloons! I love what's happening in the background in this one!!
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Colorful indeed!
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And then we got this photo which inspired me with yet another idea...
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...
Going through the photos I couldn't help but notice the great theme we had going on throughout our shoot - which isn't too hard to image with us being surrounded by 50 or 60 giant colorful balloons. It got me thinking that this would be an awesome collection of images to go in one of my Guest Book Albums that I prepare for some of my clients.
They are designed with quite a bit of negative space - the idea being that all of your family and friends can sign their names and well wishes inside your album of engagement photos, instead of one of those boring guest sign-in books with just lines on a page. (It's kind of like the old picture-in-a-jumbo-signature-mat idea, only taken to the next level.)
So I made a little slideshow of a guestbook album and of course, every slideshow needs some music! And so if you want to see a few more photos, see what an engagement guest book album might look like, or if you just want to take a 66 second trip back to the 80's - then start the slideshow. :)
Natalie and Chris - Thanks for the awesome morning. I had so much fun running around with you guys chasing balloons! I'm sure that now there will be a line of people begging to be THE couple who gets to join me next year! I'm thrilled that you guys were the ones who responded so quickly and made the first time so memorable.
treasure this day forever
Going through the photos I couldn't help but notice the great theme we had going on throughout our shoot - which isn't too hard to image with us being surrounded by 50 or 60 giant colorful balloons. It got me thinking that this would be an awesome collection of images to go in one of my Guest Book Albums that I prepare for some of my clients.
They are designed with quite a bit of negative space - the idea being that all of your family and friends can sign their names and well wishes inside your album of engagement photos, instead of one of those boring guest sign-in books with just lines on a page. (It's kind of like the old picture-in-a-jumbo-signature-mat idea, only taken to the next level.)
So I made a little slideshow of a guestbook album and of course, every slideshow needs some music! And so if you want to see a few more photos, see what an engagement guest book album might look like, or if you just want to take a 66 second trip back to the 80's - then start the slideshow. :)
Natalie and Chris - Thanks for the awesome morning. I had so much fun running around with you guys chasing balloons! I'm sure that now there will be a line of people begging to be THE couple who gets to join me next year! I'm thrilled that you guys were the ones who responded so quickly and made the first time so memorable.
treasure this day forever
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