These are "unofficial" because they were taken on the night when we were having dinner and working out the details. We were talking outside after dinner and I started to see that the sky was looking just right for something I had wanted to try out. I decided to go ahead and ask them if they would experiment with me. I was not planning to take any photographs that night but, I try to always have my equipment with me (you just never know). They were up for it and as a result I came away with a few images I really liked (and will be sending to them) and some practice with a technique I had not been able to play with yet. Moral of the story... always have your camera ready to go.
Dr. Brannan is a good friend of mine and a fellow teacher. I have been continually encouraged by him over the past few years. Encouragement has come through his words and his example. He has been through tough times and I have never seen him lac a smile (until I asked him not to). I think taking portrait of the ones you love or having someone take them for you is incredibly important. I am so thankful to Dr. Brannan for allowing me to make a few portraits of him especially since I know it was torturous for him to be in front of the lens. These images mean a lot to me and I hope that they may also be a blessing to his family now and down the road.
Our school has an annual even called "History Day" in which we celebrate the different time periods that we are studying. All the kids get to dress in costume for the whole day which is full of history related activities. I brought my camera and softbox to school to grab some shots of my students and these were all I came away with as my batteries went dead in my SB-900. I had more batteries... at home!