I decided on the Continuous Garden Gate design and bought the narrow wedding band to use as the engagement ring. When I presented Alyson with the ring, she was surprised and ecstatic. For the wedding ring, we choose the same style with the addition of a 1/4 caret diamond. As you can see below, it’s pretty stunning. (Alyson, purchased me a wider ring, of the same style, with no diamonds.)

I really appreciate the helpful, friendly service and the incredible artistry of the people at Reflective Images.

Below are some quick shots (the close-ups are reverse macro) I took before the sun set. I’ll probably borrow a friend‘s light box/tent sometime in the near future and use it to shoot some super sharp pictures of the rings.

Also… It’s spring now. *grin*

The other day, my friends Paul Rohde and Peter Boysen decided to have an impromptu photo shoot to play with some of Paul’s new lighting gear. My girlfriend Alyson put up with us taking photographs and took a few herself.

Here are the results:

I finally got a chance to edit some of my photographs form the last few weeks… So there should be a few updates over the weekend. Here are some to get you started.

smirk

We had a chili feed at our church today, and I took lots of photographs, as always. Here are some good friends of mine.

Some of my friends decided to be really awesome, so they all chipped in to buy me a sweet new lens for Christmas. I have been saving to get this lens for a while now, and Paul Rohde had the idea to get it for me, with the help of some of my friends (Peter Boysen, Andy Hamilton, Amy Kopitzke, Alyson Norgaard, Dan Elo, Dave Priebe, Priscilla Priebe, Ingrid Ogren, and Chad Wardwell).

So I am a bit excited. Here are some pictures with the new lens. Thanks guys!

Things picked up a little, cause we had free food for lunch at work. Then I went to my other job on campus, and sat in my studio for a little while. My fellow coworker and I started to move some stuff around in the studio, cause it has been a mess since we inherited it, and is desperately in need of cleaning.

At 13:00 I went to take pictures at a candle light vigil that was being held for Jared Stene, the president of the WSU student senate, who died Thursday night due to a sudden kidney & liver failure. Let’s just say that it was awkward. Events like these are what remind me why I am not going to be a photojournalist. I don’t have a problem taking pictures in awkward or intense situations, but I want to have a personal connection to the situation, and not just be a vulture. So that event kinda added to the blah feeling.

At 15:00 I went to my news writing class, and then remembered that it was an optional class day. There wasn’t anyone there but my professor, so I ended up talking to her for the duration of the class period, which was a nice break.

By 16:30 I was feeling really tired and slightly despondent… And I wasn’t sure why. So I decided to hang out with my friend Peter Boysen. I spent the rest of the evening chilling with him, talking and doing some random stuff. That brought me out of my funk, which was cool.

I then went home sometime after 22:00, and visited with my grandparents who have come to visit for my younger siblings birthdays. And then I tried to go to sleep a little after 23:00.

And I kept trying… but kept becoming more and more awake… (I think this may have been partially due to my brother’s chainsaw snoring). Finally at 01:00 I was wider awake than I had been all day (or all yesterday I guess), so I got up. I had left all of my stuff (computer, camer bag, etc..) at work, and the only thing I had brought home was my 20D. So I sat and took pictures in low light till I was tired again.

Man… It was a long day.

Very soon I will be developing and printing my photographs from the pictures I take with the Pentax 645. I also will be developing some large format film for my friend Peter Boysen, as he has a large format camera to shoot with. I’m sure I will have some lovely photos for you all very soon.

Naturally we put them on the couch.

What is the couch you ask? It is part of an ongoing series that my friend Peter Boysen is working on.
You should… check it out!

Anyway…Peter took most of the shots of them on the couch, but I took a few with my medium format camera, just for the heck of it. I did however take a few random shots with my 20D. Here are the results.

I will mostly be shooting in black and white, using Fuji NeoPan 400ISO film, but because I was anxious to use the camera yesterday, I grabbed a roll of Kodak Porta 160nc (color) to start with. To get a feel camera, I set it up in my studio and shot some self-portraits using the help of my friend Alyson, because the Pentax doesn’t have a timed shutter release. I used a lighting angle similar to one that my friend Peter likes to use, and the 55mm for a little bit of a wide angle feel. I’ll have to get my film developed before you or I get to see them, but they should turn out well.

Here are some decent test shots that I took with my 20D, just to give you a taste.
  

I am a photographer for Winona State University’s Communication Dept. (PR), and my work entails covering events on campus, taking publicity shots, and fulfilling other various photography needs. I generally take lots of candid pictures for work, so it has been fun developing that skill. For my Photo Communication class, I usually have a project to work on every other week. So I am continually on the lookout for subject matter that fits my assignment. (The ‘Fire’ Hydrant pictures were for a class project).

Because it has been awhile since I uploaded any pictures, I decided to gather some of my best shots from this month. Most of them are portraits and candids, though there are a few landscape photos in there too.

Anyway…I’m going to attempt to upload things more regularly… we shall see. Anyway, Enjoy!

And now, I have more for you.

Enjoy!

   
   
   
   
Alyson, Peter, and Brady (left to right), my fellow compatriots.


   
   

Expect many more to come!

Produced by: Brady Whealon
Screenplay written by: Brady Whealon, Jordan Ogren, and Peter Boysen
Directed by: Jordan Ogren
Cast:
Alyson Norgaard – Pyro
Chad Wardwell