Senior Portrait: Melody Redburn - 11/22/2009

Another round of senior portraits down! It's crazy to think that I was a college student preparing for finals this time last year. Time certainly flies. Melody wanted to surprise her parents with some senior portraits as presents for Christmas. Is it really almost Christmas?

#1

#2

#3 - It was a chilly day in November...

#4

#5 - Rock Chalk...

#6 - by the wheat...

#7 - obligatory fun picture...

Explored

I'm an avid Flickr user. I love the communities that can be joined to receive comments and critiques. One of the most fun attributes of Flickr is the Explore page. Based on a photo's "interestingness" (which no one really has a great idea of how it's determined) a photo may be lucky enough to make it to the Explore for the day. I was lucky enough to get one of my newest posts onto the Explore for November 11th. As of this post, this image was ranked #37 out of #500 for that day, and I'm honored and humbled by it.

Fall Road -- ©2009 Ian Lacy

Senior Portrait: Shannon Stone - 9/20/2009

My love for photographing people extends, obviously, beyond wedding and engagement shoots. I was recently commissioned by my uncle to help him take senior portraits for his daughter, Shannon. The location was the West Bottoms, the temperature was incredible, and the lighting was perfect. I gained some really good experience with some off camera fill-flash (in this case it was holding the camera in one hand and through wireless communication triggering the flash that was held in my other hand), and I got some spectacular results.

#1

#2

#3 - some experimenting here...

#4 - instant favorite...

#5 - I guess these started turning more into modeling profile type shots...

#6

# 7

#8 - Like I said, more like modeling profile... but hey, I enjoy that side of photography too.

#9

A ton of images from this session turned out really well. More senior portrait sessions still to come.

Engagement: John & Maddie - 8/2/2009

My closest friend, John, approached me about a month ago and told me that he was preparing to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Maddie. He had it all planned out and it sounded beautiful; I couldn't have been more happy for the two of them. Naturally, I offered to take their engagement photos! John, knowing how I'm hoping to expand upon this passion willingly obliged. Here are a couple of shots from that incredibly hot day in August.

John also asked me to be a groomsman in his wedding, so no photographing the wedding for me. However, being in the wedding is much more of an honor... and I still get to take pictures at the reception. Win-win.

Honored

I'm honored to have been chosen first place for the KC Rivermarket portion of the Scott Kelby Worldwide photo walk! There were tons of great entries, and the experience was really eye opening. Living in Kansas, and not really finding this place interesting, I had become a little complacent in my surroundings and fell into a lull when it comes to finding new places to shoot. This photowalk helped remind me that Kansas City is FULL of beautiful and unique places -- I just have to get out and explore! Note to self: I will.

Here's the shot that took the cake:

Wedding: Tom & Shannon - 7/11/2009

I had the opportunity this weekend to assist a retired but gifted photographer shoot one of my good friend's weddings. Actually, this was the first wedding that I've actually had deliverables from, and it was very exciting! I think I'm addicted to the responsibility, and I love it. Here are just a couple shots:

The Church

the groom & his best man...

at the altar...

a vow...

a delicious cake...

the first dance...

Not too shabby for a first attempt! I really can't wait to do more of these to hone my skills.

Engagement: Blaise & Kate - 6/14/2009

I had the honor of being able to take engagement photos for two dear friends of mine, Kate & Blaise. The weather was a bit troublesome with poorly timed overcast halfway through the shoot, but nothing too hard to handle.

Here are a couple of shots from session:

Here's to a happy couple!

A Sunset to Remember

Good deeds and good rewards go hand in hand.

I battled the Kansas City rain and traveled out to Lawrence on Wednesday night with a mission; it's finals time at the University of Kansas. I remember all too well what it was like slaving away at review packets and old tests for hours on end without stopping-- the rumbling in my stomach growing louder and louder, and my concentration waning with my gut writhing with hunger. Yet I could not leave. Leaving to get food would render my parking space obliterated within seconds, my study desk swept up by the vulturous crowd of fellow engineers studying on the floor, and my concentration left at the door for good. Not to mention my rear having to re-mold itself to the chair I've been confined to for half the day. No, leaving would have been the worst idea. So instead, I would get up, grab some water, and scour the almost empty vending machines for any morsel that would satisfy my hunger. Oh, I remember it well. My mission was simple. I was going to drive to Lawrence and buy food for all of my friends stuck in the engineering library like I would have been just a year ago so their studying could be as uninterrupted as possible.

Good deeds and good rewards go hand in hand. The rain I had experienced in my first half of the journey out to Lawrence had diminished by the time I reached my destination, but the clouds were still hanging in the sky like anvils full of water, burdened by their task. I made it to the library, took orders, and set out to continue on this epic quest when I noticed the brilliant, fiery orange from the sunset. I knew I had to find a way to photograph it and my lazy tendencies really paid of when I found my tripod still in the back of my car from the weekend shoot. It was perfect.