Hi, my name’s Baby Jack. You’re probably very familiar with me thanks to my Dad. Although I don’t really know what he looks like because he always seems to have that stupid camera in front of his face…..

The latest news out of JackLand is that I am now officially on the move! I’ve graduated from simply being able to flail my arms and legs like a beached whale to actually crawling across the floor….

I don’t exactly have the drooling under control though. But hey, from what I hear the baby ladies in the sandbox find the droolers quite sexy…..guess that’s just how I roll…..

This is my big brother Otis. He’s also my homey who always has my back……

Except of course when I try to play with his toys as well.

That’s all for now….time to crack open a room temprature bottle of formula and cash out for the evening. See ya soon!

Driving around in the car yesterday I heard a song on the radio by Stephen Curtis Chapman www.stevencurtischapman.com called “Cinderella.” Being at wedddings every weekend you start to see certain themes and trends come and go, and first dance/father-daughter dance songs are no exception.

If you’re planning a wedding and still looking for the perfect song to dance with your father to, you HAVE to listen to this one! I would not be surprised if this song become THE father-daugther dance song for the next several years.

She spins and she sways to whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I’m sitting wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders
It’s been a long day and there’s still work to do
She’s pulling at me saying “Dad I need you!
There’s a ball at the castle and I’ve been invited and I need to practice my dancin’
Oh please, Daddy, please!”

Chorus:
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone

Verse 2:
She says he’s a nice guy and I’d be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, “Dad the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancin’
Oh please, Daddy, please!”

Chorus:
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone

Verse 3:
But she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowin’ and tellin’ us all they had planned
She says, “Dad the wedding’s still six months away but I need to practice my dancin’
Oh please, Daddy, please!”

Chorus:
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone

She’ll be gone.

“We’re bringin’ sexy baaaaccckk…”

I’m not a wedding planner, nor do I ever aspire to be a wedding planner. However, after a couple of recent meetings with future brides, I’ve started to realize that the choices a bride & groom make in the planning stages can definitely influence the look and feel of their pictures.

A great example of this concept is the dress…

As a bride if you like pictures like the three posted above, there should be some consideration given to the types of pictures you want when you’re shopping for your dress and veil. An elbow length veil makes these types of images very difficult to create, whereas a more formal cathedral length gown and veil can provide more opportunites for dramatic images.

However I’m not trying to suggest you can’t get cool pictures in a less formal gown…

A dress like the one above allows the bride to be more mobile and active. There is no way I’d ever ask a bride (this bride actually did it on her own, no prompting from me) to walk along the edge of a fountain in a gown with a long train and veil on, that’s a dissaster waiting to happen.

I realize I’m not the one wearing the dress, and things like comfort, mobility, etc…. should all play a big part in your decision. However if you purchase a dress that takes into consideration both how the dress will photograph, as well as how you look and feel, the end result are pictures that you are going to love as much as you loved wearing your wedding gown.

Rather than put up a huge post with tons of pictures, I thought I’d try putting some highlights from 2007 in a slideshow for everyone to see……

I just returned from Tampa, Fl, where I spent four days attending seminars with some of the best wedding photographers in the world (You should see what some of the guys in Australia are doing!) This was my first photography convention since I was in college, and although I didn’t really know what to expect, I was blown away with how much great information was presented.

At first I thought all the seminars were going to be comprised of speakers who were just trying to sell you their own books, seminar registrations, or products. However not only were they all very genuine and willing to share what they’ve learned from their time in the business, they were all very approachable and willing to chat outside of the sessions as well. It shows that despite the fact that they are some of the biggest names in the world of wedding photography, deep down they are all incredibly passionate about what they do, and have commited themselves to helping as many people as possible raise the level of wedding photography as high as it can go.

Now all I have to do is lock myself in a room and start pouring over the 20+ pages of notes I took and start implementing some of the things I’ve learned!