Is it that time again?

Well, it's official. Wal*Mart is playing Holiday Music, the city has wrapped the lightpoles in garland, and I've had people request Christmas trees for their portraits. This can only mean one thing, it's Christmas time again! I'm very excited this year because last year I got some great deals on cute little Christmas props for kids. I've got some giant bows, plastic snowflakes, and lots of other things including the adorable mini Christmas trees shown here. I had a really busy Holiday Season last year so if you need portraits take for cards or anything else give me a call today to schedule your appointment. My November is already half booked and if you wait until December, chances are it's too late. Call today: 722-3333.

Thankfully the weather finally turned back to pleasant enough for photography just in time for Matt's photo shoot. We started out in his wrestling room that was about 109 degrees. We followed that up with a nice session in an ally downtown with a windchill of about -3. My fingers were starting to tighten up on my camera and I could tell some of Matt's crossed arm poses were more for warmth than for creating a casual pose. The studio was a nice 70 degrees though so we were on easy street once we got back there. The wrestling shots turned out pretty cool considering wrestlers don't have a lot of built in props. No balls or equipment or anything else, just a big circle drawn on the ground. There's a cool selective color shot in the gallery. I hate to say it, but for anyone that hasn't gotten their senior portraits taken yet, you're either going to have to wait until spring or put up with being cold. I'm not sure how many more nice days we're going to get this year to do outdoor portraits.

What happened to the weather?

Well, everything was cruising along just beautifully then it dropped to 40 degrees outside! I had to do all of my scheduled senior portraits inside this weekend. Here's to hoping for a warm up for at least a couple of days so we can squeeze a few more outdoor sessions into 2008. We got some fun studio portraits of Brandon and his dog though. We also did some cool stuff with a huge US flag. We were hoping to do some stuff down on the dam, but with the huge drop in temperature and all of the nasty clouds rolling through we're pushing it off until a more seasonable day.

2008 LAA Photography Competition Scores

Advanced

Creative Manipulation
1st Ryan Buck Metal Church 6
3rd Susan Stewart Faded Caddi 53

Landscape/Architecture
1st Dale Sullivan Peggy's Cove 19
2nd Ann Weigand Desert Sanctuary 86
3rd Karen Nacke Ridgeview Lake 26
4th Ann Weigand Elegance in Architecture 88

Nature
1st John Troxler Hummer Tongue 11
2nd John Troxler Ruby Throat 8
3rd Dale Sullivan Gone Fishing 18
4th John Toxler Pollination 10

Open
1st John Troxler Sunrise Siding 9
3rd Susan Stewart Forgotten 59
4th Dale Sullivan Glacier 20

People
1st Ryan Buck On the Dock 7
2nd Susan Stewart Little Shy Guy 52
3rd Ryan Buck Little Angel 5
4th Karen Nacke Roasting Hotdogs 25

Amateur

Creative Manipulation
1st Jeremy Ashcraft Berries on Ice 97
2nd Don Weikle Lost in the Red 34
3rd Don Weikle Flowering White 33
4th Don Weikle Sunset on the Watseka 35

Landscape/Architecture
1st Ashley Meagher Behind the Window 58
2nd Arlene Puralewski Sunset on Lake Bruce 1
3rd Rosie Schafer Hidden Treasure of Cass County 74
4th Judi Barr Winter Valley Shadows 39

Nature
1st Stephen Goodwin Backyard Surprise 95
2nd Judi Barr Sky's the Limit 37
3rd Nancy L. Clark The Gulf Fritillary 64
4th Vickie Mechling Colorado Sagebrush 42

Open
1st Don Drone For Sale 84
2nd Don Drone Untitled 85
3rd Olga Khokhlova Fashion Time 61
4th Judi Barr International Charm 38

People
1st Arlene Puralewski Quinn at Park 3
2nd Vickie Mechling Goldminer 41
3rd Janet Fawley Honor and Courage 31
4th Olga Khokhlova Mother and Child 63

Youth

Kaylee Ervin Reflections 78
Tristan Kizer Reflections 67
Tristan Kizer The Forseers 68
Nicholas Kizer Shade Tree 71

Best in Show: Ryan Buck On the Dock 7
Youth Best in Show: Kaylee Ervin Reflections 78
Judges Award #1 John Troxler Hummer Tongue 11
Judges Award #2 Ryan Buck On the Dock 7
Honorable Mention Dale Sullivan Peggy's Cove 19
Honorable Mention Ryan Buck Metal Church 6

Luke Sparks

Little Luke didn't really enjoy his second portrait session with us. He seemed to really hate having the big shiny round thing pointed at his face. Every time I brought my camera up to my face he started squealing. It was kind of comical, but of course I felt bad for him. For all he knew my camera was some awful medical device designed to make his life miserable. We got some really cute shots and after about an hour of trying he finally figured out it wasn't so bad getting portraits made. Either that or we wore him out and he just gave up out of sheer exhaustion. I'm ok with either one.

I was so wrong!

I made a comment a few weeks ago about how the senior season was "winding down." I'd like to go on record now and say nothing could be further from the truth. I've never photographed so many people back to back to back like this before! It's really awesome. The only downside is I've had so much work to do I haven't had a chance to choose images for my gallery and I haven't had any time at all to blog about my most recent work. I also had a wedding about a week ago and I haven't had a chance to blog about it either. I'm so sorry the blog is being neglected, but as a photographer I'm absolutely ecstatic that I've got enough photography to keep me busy from morning till night. As soon as things slow down I'll try to get caught up on all of the shoots I haven't blogged about. Sorry everyone, but thanks to everyone out there that is making it impossible to blog! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Nathan's Senior Portraits

I haven't done any cool edgy portraits all year so it was really exciting working with Nathan yesterday. He had some really good ideas for poses and we put them together on some of the dilapidated buildings in down town Logansport. We created some extremely interesting portraits, one of which I'm planning on entering in a contest this month. This portrait is one of my favorites, we broke all of the rules for a good portrait and it turned out amazing.

Brittany's Senior Portraits

We had a nice studio session this weekend with Brittany, and got some amazing portraits. We also tried to get some shots in the Berry Patch up at the high school, but it really didn't look that great, photographically speaking. The floor of the forest is mostly just dirt and fallen over trees. Nothing green anywhere except 200 feet up in the trees. We decided to postpone the outdoor stuff and find a more picturesque spot. I'll be sure to post some in the gallery once we schedule the second session.

Kayla's Senior Portraits

I have to say that even though I really enjoy photography and I'm willing to put up with almost anything just to have the chance to do it, I'm so so happy the weather is cooling off and I don't have to put up with oppressive heat and humidity. Last nights shoot with Kayla was just a real pleasure. A gentle breeze was blowing the whole time which not only felt wonderful, but it also blew her hair around a bit giving her shots a really dynamic feeling. We spent some time walking around downtown getting some grungy portraits then we spent a half an hour or so at Spencer Park posing on and around her parent's motorcycles. It was really fun and we got some great shots, to see more check out my High School Senior's gallery.

Bethany Sager's Senior Portraits

I'm having such a blast with Seniors this year. No matter how many times you use a spot for portraits each person brings something unique to it. Bethany really rocked it on the railroad bridge and even though we do portraits there a couple of times every year, she got some truly unique shots. We got really good stuff at every spot we stopped, from Little Turtle all the way back up to my studio. The seasons starting to wind down, but I've got plenty of evenings free if you still need to schedule your senior portraits. I'm pretty sure I'm booked every weekend for the rest of September though, so unless you're willing to wait an evening will have to do.

More Senior Portraits

It's been a crazy couple of weeks but it looks like it's finally slowing down a bit. We had a lot of fun this weekend with Nathan posing on his dad's old Ford Tudor. Talk about a great old car and they had an even better old barn full of antique farm equipment. We got some really neat dramatic shots inside the barn, they were so full of texture, rough wood, rusty metal, straw, and pretty much everything in between.

Lamar's Senior Portraits

Well I guess senior portrait season is here in earnest. I've been averaging 3 seniors a week all month long and it's been great. I had a lot of fun with LaMar. She kept things simple with just a few outfit changes, but we made the best of it. We got great portraits in all of the scenes we made in the studio and out at her dad's house along the river. She did an awesome job posing all I had to do was snap the shots. If you still need your senior portraits taken give us a call and we can talk about any ideas you have and how to make those ideas a reality.

Tee's Senior Portraits

We got a huge variety of portraits last night out on Tee's farm and back in the studio. We covered everything from his yellow truck to a big stack of hay all the way back to football portraits and then some casual street clothes shots. It was a fun ride that's for sure and we got some amazing portraits. I know they're going to have a hard time choosing the best ones because they're all so good.

Brittany's Senior Portraits

We had a nice quick jaunt up the creek at France Park for Brittany's senior portraits. The bedrock makes the neatest little water falls that are much more photogenic than the large waterfall that everyone always thinks of for their portraits. We got some really good shots then headed back to the studio for some fun casual shots.

Hanna's Senior Portraits

I had a ton of fun, and almost a heart attack, doing Hanna's senior portraits. Talk about a muggy humid day. It was so oppressive I actually had to stop halfway through and take a break. We got some really amazing shots though, and considering most of the outdoor shots look like they were taken in the Amazon, I guess the humidity was just part of the effect. It was a relief to get back to the studio though for her final portraits.

I love newborns!

After all of the toddlers I've done recently it was wonderful to get a nice sleeping 2 week old in. Aside from keeping the studio warm enough to keep the little guy comfortable this session was a breeze. The shots are super cute too, we did some with nice blue blankets and also a few with our angel wings.

Josh is Two!

Ahh, two year olds. Do I have to say anything more? It's great that they're developing minds of their own, but boy it does not help when taking portraits. We tried everything to get little Josh to sit, stand, or kneel in front of my lights for a portrait or two. He fought us every step of the way, but we got the last laugh. I didn't make more than 30 exposures, but we got about half a dozen really cute shots. This one is my favorite, but there were a couple of really cute smiles that mom really loved.

Missy and Justin's Wedding

I had a great time in Indianapolis photographing Missy and Justin's wedding. It was ridiculously hot, but we all managed to get some great shots in and around the church. The garden was just beautiful and Missy and Justin couldn't keep their hands off each other. Their portraits really capture how truly in love they are, anyone that looks through their gallery can see it. Congratulations you two!

4-H Fair Week

It's that time again, the Cass County 4-H Fair is in full swing. If you've been wanting to see some samples of my work close up come on out to merchant building number 2 and see my booth. I've got a dozen of my finest samples on display as well as all of last years sample coffee table books. I had a blast last night meeting so many people, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the week. I hope to see all of you there.

Meagan and Matthew

I don't know what is going on with this crazy Indiana weather, but what started as a bleak stormy day turned into a gorgeous day for a wedding. Meagn and Matthew had a beautiful ceremony in Kokomo, Indiana for what seemed to be most of the county. That was by far the biggest guest list I've seen this season. It was a beautiful huge church though, so it wasn't an issue at all. We had a lot of fun and, of course, we got some awesome images. Here's to a lifetime of happiness!

Eric's Senior Portraits

Even with all of the rain we've gotten lately, we didn't achieve our exact goal of getting some good shots muddin', but we did get some good shots of Eric zipping around a pasture kicking up dirt and grass. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day although, after the sun came out it was still so early in the evening it was a bit bright and a tad on the warm side. We got some really great shots though showing all of the things Eric loves, his trucks, his trophies, his trucks, his cattle, his trucks, his bulldog, his trucks, and his semi truck. Here is my favorite of the montages I desingned for him, you can check out the rest in my gallery.

Ian's 4 year Portraits

Ian is a long time customer of mine and we've had some good times and we've had some bad times. I was starting to think he just didn't like me, until last night. We posed for a couple of studio shots and he was really into it. He was all about being a part of the creative process. We got half a dozen good shots to choose from, but then we left the studio to get some outdoor shots. It was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. He was no longer a part of the process. Despite his wanting to go play, run around, be free, and just in general be a 4 year old boy, we got a couple of pretty good shots. The one I added to my gallery is a super cute casual pose on an outdoor chair surrounded by raspberries. So I guess all's well that ends well.

Photographer's Daughter

I don't know how it is for other photographer's children, but I have not gotten a good portrait of my daughter since she was 8 months old. As soon as she got really comfortable being photographed, and she got used to the studio as a second home, all bets were off. She knows where the fun props are and she loves hiding between the hanging backdrops. Every time we've tried a new portrait with her in the last 2 years she's ran the gamut from extremely disobedient to playfully uncooperative. Don't ask me how we did it, but somehow we snapped this gem. I can only assume my wife offered her a million Barbie dolls if she would smile for one picture. At this point, I'm so happy to have a great portrait of her that I might just buy them for her.

Congratulations Crystal and Matt!

Well it was a whirlwind of a day. I think I've said that already this season, but I didn't know the definition of whirlwind until this weekend. The church was in use for baptisms until noon, which was exactly when we needed to start the formals to be done by 2pm for the ceremony. The people in the church got out at exactly noon. Then when the ceremony finished and we started doing the combined formals people started arriving for the church's afternoon mass. I think we got out of there just in time. It was a lovely ceremony though, and such a huge guest list, we put the Memorial Home to the test for the reception that's for sure. Seeing Crystal and Matt interacting throughout the day, it's obvious they are going to be together forever. Congratulations you two.

First Album of the Season

I just finished the design for my first coffee table book for 2008. I think it turned out really well. Kristin had such fun bold colors the album turned out extremely bold. It really has a lot of personality and it's a really exciting design. You can check out the entire design in my wedding album gallery.

Congratulations Abby and Luke!

I had a lot of fun with Abby and Luke and their families. It was really a joy to be a part of their day. It was a really lovely ceremony and a rocking good reception. I wish you guys all the best in your new life together.

Dylan and Kelsey

We had a nice fairly relaxing shoot on Saturday with these two. Kelsey did wonderful for her first professional photo shoot. Dylan on the other hand had his own agenda. We ended up just letting him wander around the studio until he finally found his way to the shooting area. We took what shots we could until his dad had a great idea. He tossed him up in the air 3 times, then on the third time he set him down in front of the camera and I took a shot. We did this 3 times and we got one really great shot. Unfortunately dad has been complaining of a sore back ever since. Small price to pay for portraits that will last a lifetime I guess. I'm just glad it's not my back.

Congratulations to Kristin and Chris!

This was a great wedding to kick my wedding season off. I had a lot of fun and even though all groomsmen are hilarious, Chris's group really was a riot. Even through all of the joking around the shooting went super smooth. We got done a full hour before the ceremony was supposed to start. That's a first for sure. It was a beautiful simple ceremony and there were plenty of tears all around. Congratulations Kristin and Chris!

Custom Digital Mats

I just wanted to remind everyone about my custom digital mats. I can create an infinite number of varieties of mats for any image. Not only can I do amazing things not possible with traditional mats I can do it a lot cheaper. Once you've got your image you can slip it into any frame you want. No expensive custom framing charges at all! I've got lots of samples of mats in my galleries check them out and keep it in mind as a way to make your next portrait extraordinary.

Angela's Portraits

Well as far as exciting goes, this session takes the cake! It started out pretty cold in downtown Logansport. We got some good shots then moved into an alley for a few more. The alley was funnelling the wind and speeding it up to what felt like 200mph. It sort of wreaked havoc on my camera and Angela's hair. Just as we were finishing up, it started to sprinkle. Not a huge issue, but I've never gotten a flash wet before and I was worried about the safety issues that might pose. We decided to drive to some railroad tracks for a few more pictures. When we arrived we found 2 trains parked on the tracks idling and a third train barreling down on us from about 2 miles away. Angela showed no fear and hopped up on the tracks and started posing. I kept 1 eye on the moving headlight and 1 eye in my viewfinder at all times and the whole time my heart was racing. We weren't on a bridge or anything, all we had to do was step back 2 feet and we'd be fine, but there was something about being in front of a moving locomotive that just left me unsettled. I think we took about 8 shots when we heard a voice say "Ok, you got your shots, move away from the tracks NOW." We did and I was relieved. To say the least.

Little Ballerina

This is little Audrey and if anyone has seen my new brochure you'll probably recognize her as the cutie on my front cover. This was her one year portrait and her mom had her heart set on a ballerina portrait. We had a lot of fun watching her dance around in front of the lights. She wasn't entirely happy to be there, but we kept her distracted and got lots of really great shots. This one is my favorite, it's just perfect in my opinion.

Calm before the storm...

Well I've had a nice quiet month with very little photography to do. I've used the time very wisely, getting new backdrops hung, ironed, and ready to use for the upcoming summer where I am looking forward to a very busy season. I've got a portrait session scheduled every single day for the next week though so expect lots of great updates here and in my gallery. Here is the first of them, a nice head shot for Stacy Cox of Cox Insurance Agency here in Logansport. We had a lot of fun getting this shot and when it was all over with she couldn't decide which was her favorite. That's the best kind of problem to have. If you're needing a new head shot give me a call and we'll set something up, these types of portraits usually take 15 to 20 minutes so even the busiest person can squeeze one into their day. I'll even meet you at my studio on your lunch break if that's the only time you can find.

Marketing for Artists

MARKETING 101 FOR ARTISTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 from 4-6 pm

Angie Berry from the Cass County Chamber of Commerce will provide important and unique marketing tips for artists. Basic business tools and how to network. Free.

Pre-registration required by Wednesday, April 23
Call 1-574-735-2915 or send notice to loganart@verizon.net

Logansport Art Walk

I hope everyone is planning on coming downtown this weekend for the semi-annual Artwalk sponsored by the Logansport Art Association. There's a ton of fun stuff going on and some really amazing art will be on display. My studio isn't exactly in the walking path but I will be open for the duration of the artwalk giving tours of my studio and answering any questions you might have about my work. I'll be at the studio from 4:00pm-8:30pm on Friday and 10:00am-2:00pm on Saturday. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Alex's Senior Portraits

It took us 3 tries, but we really nailed the perfect date for this portrait session. We had a fairly mild winter around here so we tried to schedule this outdoor shoot for the middle of January. It was fine the whole time until the day before the shoot we got a foot of snow. So we postponed it until the middle of February and the same thing happened, the day before the shoot we got about 4 inches of snow. So we pushed it off 30 more days and it was perfect. The sun was out, it was warm, the snow was mostly melted from last weeks winter storm, but I'm not going to complain about a thin layer of snow in the shade. The shots all came out great, Alex had a lot of great poses in him so all I had to do was snap the shots.

Cat in the Hat Celebration

I had a blast photographing all of the children that came out to see the Cat in the Hat at the Logansport Public Library. From what I heard this was the most successful Reading Railroad event EVER! That's amazing and I'm excited to have been a part of it. The portraits all turned out really nice and will be available at the next Reading Railroad event which is scheduled for Monday March 10th, between 1pm and 6pm. You can swing by get your portrait and a free book.

Bailiegh's Portrait

This was a fun shoot to have on a Saturday. I set this scene up hoping to really make her red hair pop and I think it turned out great. I really can't imagine a more perfect portrait for her. There's a couple of different versions that all turned out great but this landscape with her arms on the back of the chair just really speaks to me. There is another version in my gallery that shows more vertical, it's really good too, but I think this one is my favorite.

Kokomo Bridal Show

For anyone wanting to check our albums out we're going to be at the Bridal Show at Johannig Civic Center this Sunday. We'll be there from 12pm until 4pm. Come on down and see all of our 2007 albums as well as some of our other products. See you there.

Eric's Senior Portraits

We had a nice long studio session last week with Eric for his senior portraits. We had a lot of fun. I spent a lot of time up on the ladder getting some dramatic shots looking down on him, but I think this one on the floor is my favorite. The pose looks so natural it really makes it a great portrait. If you still haven't had your senior portraits taken, I just posted a senior portrait deal so look below to find the details.

Last Minute Senior Package

It's pretty late in the school year to be thinking about Senior Portraits, but I'm sure there are a few people out there that haven't gotten around to it yet. If you're still needing your senior portraits taken I've got a great deal for you. For just $100 you can have your portraits taken in my downtown studio, change your outfit up to 3 times, we can use unlimited backdrops and props, and you'll get 10 sheets of wallets and an 8x10. That's $47 off the normal prices for these items. If you want to schedule a sesion give us a call at 722-3333. This deal is good for the entire month of February.

Excellent posing!

I love when small children do cute little poses like this. It makes them look so cute to do a pose a bigger children would normally do. We got a lot of really cute shots of Scott, but this one is my favorite. It just makes him look so grown up. I think it's adorable.

Bad to the Bone

We did a fun shoot with Johsua this week. He had his tiny little motorcyle jacket so I got out a backdrop that looks like the fire you might paint on the side of a motorcycle and we put him on one of my lighting cases. Kind of looks like he's a roadie with ZZ Top. It turned out really nice.

BPS Templates now live!

I've created a blog to go along with my online catalog of flush mount wedding album templates. I'll be converting and uploading my designs at least once a week so the blog will be a convenient way of keeping up with the new templates. Check it out often to make sure you know when the newest templates are available.

BPS Templates

Custom Templates now for sale!

After designing my 50th flush mount album last month I started to think about the hundreds of hours I put into designing each page. Why shouldn't all of this time be something I can pass on to other photographers who are designing their own flush mount albums. So since winter is usually very slow for me, I've started converting my album pages into templates that can be used with any images. I've gotten the first 10 done and I've uploaded them to my online proofing system. You can view the templates and purchase them here:

Album Templates

For now they're $20 each but there are discounts for buying them in multiples of 5. I've got hundreds more pages ready to convert though, so over the next few months there should be tons being added weekly. Once my entire catalog is uploaded only new pages will be uploaded after events.

These templates use clip masks which is only available in Photoshop CS2 or later. Once you purchase your templates I will send you a link to download them in zip format from my website. If you have any questions please feel free to ask!

January Wedding Promo!

I've never really offered any promotions before, but I've got a handful of Saturdays this summer I'd love to get booked immediately. So if you're looking for a wedding photographer just mention this blog to me at your consultation and if you book me and purchase a 10x10 album I will include 2 additional 5x5 albums for free. These are the cute purse size albums perfect for moms to carry around to show everyone. This is a $140 value. To qualify you must either purchase a package that includes a 10x10 album, or you must purchase a package and add the 10x10 on ala carte. Either way will get you two 5x5's. Email or call today to set up a free no obligation wedding consultation. This offer expires January 31st, 2008.

Wedding Reviews

There is a great new wedding service called Wedding Wire that has really made the most of the benefits the internet offers. You can log on and read reviews of lots of wedding vendors from your area, start discussions with brides, and even set up a custom wedding site that your guests can visit. I've signed up and I'd love for all of my previous brides to post a review of my services. Just visit:

Buck Portrait Studio

If you're not a past customer please check it out as well and read some of my reviews.

2008 Wedding Availability

I have a lot of dates available for weddings throughout 2008 but unfortunately I am fully booked for the month of June. I have several July dates and Several August dates and tons for the rest of the year, but June is completely out. This also includes any non-standard wedding dates such as Friday night. All of the post processing and design work required for a wedding requires me to limit the number I do, so even though I may have a Friday night available, I cannot shoot any additional weddings in June without sacrificing time to my other clients. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Welcome to 2008!

We're really looking forward to a great year of portraits in 2008. We've got the new studio, we've got lots of great new backdrops, props, and even some new lighting toys. I have to tell you I'm especially excited about senior portrait season this year. We made some really great art last year with the students that chose us and I know it's just going to get better this year. If you're thinking about getting a portrait done this year, children, family, senior, engagement or whatever please give us a call and we can talk about your ideas for a truly unique portrait.