Recognizing that by being suburban in our breeding, there are many new things to see, so we ventured north on a sweltering hot Saturday to our first-ever threshing. 
It was like traveling back in time.
We had to keep it black and white because it was just too darn hot. Everyone from the community gathered to celebrate the old ways and catch up on gossip.
After which we ventured a little further north to where A Simple Life…
is simply sublime.
During this morning’s check-out-the-new-garden coffee stroll, the echinacea was blooming.
I almost missed him underneath the plants…
He was playing possum. Really.
I see you, Robin Jr. !
I can see by your expression (and I know my bird expressions having worked with many bird models in the past), that you are telling me me to go away.
So I did.
Every Monday, we struggle a little in adopting the proper attitude to energize and set the tone for the week. One side pulls for energetic optimism while the other side clearly indicates the need for a catnap. Mondays are like budding plants, full of possibility and potential beauty.
In our experience, it has been much more difficult to dread the week ahead. Monday is most often the day we spend the morning getting caught up in the studio and the afternoon/sunset out on location shoots, finding little bursts of beauty along the way. This Monday, we are a little sore from digging in new garden beds that will serve as wonderful backdrops for portrait sittings.
What about you? Are you hanging on to the weekend of yesterday, or forging ahead keeping your sense of humor, to see what this week will bring? Here’s hoping that Prof. Harold Hill was right all along about the “think” method. We “think” this week will be the best ever!
The images above were taken in Columbia, MO during a Monday location hunt. May they brighten your week as all of your positive remarks, shares, follows and likes have brightened ours.
On a Sunday afternoon, we arranged to meet with Josh, Jamie and family for some fun family pictures. We were in town for the Missouri National Guard Association Conference, so we met at a local park.
When you are a child or a child at heart, what is more fun than climbing and swinging?
Thanks for letting us tag along!
This weekend we have been asked to shoot portraits at the 2012 Missouri Army National Guard Annual Conference banquet. As recently retired military, we are proud to support and participate in functions such as this. Images forthcoming.
We are also sending out congratulations and “Thank Yous” to our own USMC PFC Curtis Bobka, who today graduated from his MOS School at Ft. Benning, GA. He is on his way to his duty station. We couldn’t be prouder.
Thank you to all those currently serving in the military, veterans, and their families for your service.
Thursday has us aching for a weekend on the beach, sunsets included. Peace. Romance. Serenity.
This image was taken at Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, CA. It is a popular destination for residents and tourists alike.
We won’t be making it to the beach, as we were asked to a fun photo shoot in Springfield this weekend. Stay tuned.
In our part of the country (Mid-Missouri), winter and spring have been fairly mild. But last week, we had several days of hard rain, giving us a bit of cabin fever and itchy shutter fingers. At the first sign of sunshine, we took a drive a few miles from our home to see what, if anything, the rains had brought. Creeks were pregnant with water.
The water from the fields in the glade ran off into a creek that travels to the nearby Missouri River.
It was like in the movie “The Wizard of Oz” when things are clear in black and white.
But then BURST into dazzling color. The sky was never bluer.
The grass was never greener.
And even though we were warned to “Keep Out”, we were drawn to the bright colors of the day.
Funny what a little rain can do.
We love photographing after a good rain. Everything seems so vibrant and peaceful. A fresh start. Do you like the rain?
Things aren’t always as they appear.
It can take thought and reflection to figure things out.
And hopefully…
…a touch of whimsy.
On our way up to the Chicago area to see family and do some portrait shooting recently, we were curious about a small town on our trail called Bluffs, located in western Illinois. Growing up in Illinois, we knew there weren’t many places owning bragging rights to anything resembling elevation. This little settlement was nestled nicely along the south-eastern edge of the Illinois River, and there were actually bluffs. The population of the community hovers around 750. On the day we were there, not much was going on while walking around getting a feel for the local flavor of Bluffs.
There were some dilapidated old buildings on the main street. Sleepy’s looked sleepy. Rather like the rest of Bluffs.
As we walked along, there was a railroad crossing.
Trains have always been special to us. The allure of playing on the tracks (forbidden to us growing up near the then Soo Line tracks) was too much, and we stopped to explore. Then all of a sudden; action!
Were we tempted to gain the attention of the engineer to blow the whistle? Absolutely.
On the next track, lonely cars stood in the sun, telling tales of adventures past.
Who climbed this ladder to the top? Train robbers? Hijackers? The train and adventure-loving minds of our childhood took over.
Uh-oh. Was that a warning of impending doom, or a comment on past events? (Craig doesn’t look too worried.)
It may end here.
It sure was fun to let our imaginations take over and relive youth spent playing adventure games.
Bluffs, Illinois. A nice place to stretch your legs on the way to Chicago.
Coming Soon: New Focus on Family Portraits
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Innocently beautiful, violets and dandelions are the stuff of poems. Four states in the U.S. name the violet as their state flower. At least four sororities list the violet as their official flower. There have been serious, yet so far unsuccessful campaigns to name the dandelion as the official flower of several states.
They are intriguing camera subjects. Their crisp colors and edges are interesting. Children look especially darling when photographed amongst them.
Both the violet and the dandelion are culinary delights.
While dandelions and violets are great ingredients for delicious fare, and are fun to photograph and play amongst, they display innate leadership qualities by taking over in whatever area they grow.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Friend or foe? For purposes of photography, we call them friends. Should they even think about taking over our yard, perhaps not so much. What do you think? Feel free to comment below.
Clever Creek Photography 