Big Changes...

Greetings all,

It's funny how much things can change in a short amount of time - I thought I'd seen some big changes in my life, but they were nothing compared to the last few months - and we're just getting started!

The main catalyst in all this flux has been the great news that my wife Maisi has been accepted into a graduate program for vocal performance (opera) at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore MD. The Peabody is a part of Johns Hopkins University, and is an absolutely top-notch program. For aspiring singers, it's a bit like making it into the big leagues in baseball.

Needless to say, while we're ecstatic that Maisi's been accepted to such a great school, it has been a bit stressful getting everything set for our big move to Baltimore. We've found an apartment, gotten funding for school figured out, reserved our U-Haul truck and started packing...Oh yeah, and I've gotten a new job.

Yep, after four + years as a freelance photographer, I've gotten a "regular" job. Actually, I'm extremely fortunate to have been approached by a great company that I've shot for for a couple of years - they were in need of someone to help them with the more creative aspects of growing their business and I was thrilled to oblige. I'm the communications coordinator, and I'm responsible for everything from overseeing the redeployment of their website to writing press releases and much more. I've been buried pretty deeply for the last two or so months, and I've got a long way to go before I'm caught up, but I'm really enjoying my new job. Maybe the best part is that I'll be able to work from home in Baltimore. It's the best of both worlds - I get the security of bringing my job with me, and the excitement of living in a new city.

Also of note, I've decided to undertake a new sport. I'm joining the novice class of the Baltimore City Rowing Club. The class is six weeks long and teaches newbies like me the basics of rowing in it's various forms. I'm very much looking forward to learning this sport, and hopefully being able to continue on to become an active member of the club. I think it'll be a great way for me to meet some new people and also to get back into better shape. Having a set schedule for this exersize will certainly help me stay more committed.

At any rate, I'll post a few shots below if I can dig some up. I'm still shooting, just not as much as in the past.


The two above are from Sarah and Tanner's wedding in Brainerd, MN. I can't say how much I enjoyed being a part of this wedding - it was one of the most meaningful, spirit-filled and downright fun weddings I've been involved in. I'm looking forward to getting started on putting together Sarah and Tanner's album - I think it'll be a good one!


These two are of our friend Erin and her daughter Mary. Erin was here to practice with Maisi for her upcoming recital and it was such a nice day that I suggested we take a few pictures in the back yard. Mary is a very cute kid, and probably one of the happiest little ones I've met.
This one is of my biggest supporters, and also my dad, Darrell. He's a pastor in the Brainerd area and has been working on his writing career as well. This shot was to accompany his bio in an upcoming issue of The Lake Country Journal, a beautifully done magazine that concentrates on Minnesota's lake areas. Dad's been published in the LCJ a few times before, and if you're a long-time reader of this blog, you might remember that I've been published in the LCJ as well.

My background in photography is pretty closely tied to shooting sports and news, so I always enjoy getting the chance to shoot for the paper that got me started - the Brainerd Dispatch. I often joke that I'm the "Twin Cities Bureau" of the Dispatch - over the past few years I've shot a lot of state tournaments for them, and this spring I spent a few hours at the state track meet. It was a stormy day to start but got really nice in the afternoon. I'll miss shooting for the Dispatch...