So I'm sitting with Vanessa and Cory having coffee and a danish, wearing green because it's St. Patrick's Day, and I realize that Cory's last name is Irish. I asked about Vanessa's name...Irish. Wow, I'm shooting their engagement on St. Patrick's Day? How cool is that?

We had a great time. Went all over the place (why else would I call engagements "safaris"!) and ended with dynamite images! Here are a few to check out.
Cory is a firefighter. Yeah! Need I say more? Every firefighter can be a hero many times over -even if it's just part of the job. Vanessa is beautiful -and in radio. They are a great couple and I can't wait to do their wedding on May 29.

Sunday I had a great wedding! I'll blog about that in a week or two after I've been able to process each image to make them their very best in presentation. As I sat outside the wedding chapel, I marveled at how beautiful a day it was. I also noticed how strange it felt. Wedding photographers have an inner clock set to Friday nights or Saturdays. I did not take a wedding Saturday after booking this Sunday months ago (I don't like to crowd the weekend with 2 weddings, because I put so much time into processing the images in the days after). I took my Saturday off to drive Sylvia to Dallas to check out the new Rack store in Dallas for a shoe sale.

Jenna was my second shooter for Sundays wedding. (I like having pros shoot with me. Their expertise is always a plus for great images.) She too took Saturday off from her business. She told me about World Down Syndrome Awareness Day. Jenna has a daughter Lana with Down Syndrome. She reserved her Saturday to be exclusively with her daughter. And she blogged about the day she spent with Lana, horseback riding and exploring nature.

Yeah, you have to spend time together when you're married. And sometimes you've got to shop. But when I compare my Saturday to Jenna's -Jenna is my hero of the week.
If you'd like to read about her day with Lana, here is the link to her blog. www.fzphotography.com/blog
Jim Rode

Photo Montage/Used by permission of FickleZeal Photography

Last week I had great fun photographing two great people who connected in our world. They are wonderful, and in love. Need I say more? Kenia is the human resources director for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. David manages human resource services for another company. That's common ground!

He proposed in Maui at the Grand Wailea Resort. They were in the restaurant Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (the Hawaiian name for the state fish). The Polynesian thatch roof restaurant floats on a saltwater lagoon filled with tropical fish. Can you think of a more perfect place to ask "Will you marry me?" I don't think I can!

They will marry April 18th at the Corner Wedding Chapel.

Last night, some photographer friends and I met with Meagan, Alli, and Julie from the magazine Brides of North Texas. It begins publication in Feb. of 2010. It looks great, with good paper stock, excellent treatment of the photography, and the most exciting part (to me) is a large section devoted to weddings you would recognize!

What I mean is, the magazine will not necessarily feature the "high society" weddings - the movie stars or captains of industry and their daughters, the oil giants putting on 20 million dollar weddings. YOUR wedding can be in the magazine.

Of course, the editors are making sure they are dealing with decent photographers! That's why they are being selective. That lady who works in the office down the hall from you-the one who does weddings on the weekend with her Cannon Rebel-she's likely not going to be able to pass the professional photographers test with her photographs.

Here's the cool part. Your wedding (perhaps we did it recently - or maybe you've booked me already) can be in the magazine for peanuts! Get in on the ground floor while the magazine skyrockets! A one page article with several photographs is only $400 (you pay the magazine, not me! I'll provide the photographs at no charge.) A two-page spread is $700! Just imagine, not only having your wedding book on your coffee table, but a cool bridal magazine there too -with your wedding in it. Do you think you could resist having one issue? I bet Mom, your Mother-in-law, Grandmother, bridesmaids will get a copy too! Would Dad show it at work? Are you kidding? Of course. You know what I'll be shooting for? The cover. Who's going to shout loudest with the biggest smile if I can get the cover -you or me?! Hah! If I can get you on the cover, I'll buy ten copies!

Contact me for details, or directly to the magazine. Brides of North Texas

Considered by many unofficially, to be the most published writer in Texas, Sheryl Nelms is the definition of a prolific writer. She has more rejections through the years than most people have...well, I don't know. She probably wouldn't want me talking about that anyway! Writer, poet, teacher, does anyone need a more distinguished line of work that that? If you ever get a chance to attend one of her writing workshops, you will come away a better person. I had ten minutes to photographer her. I think I did pretty good! (I did have a good subject though!)
Here is a short webcast of our brief photo session.

Here is a portrait shot I did of Martha and Jim. Great love between them! She teaches in one direction, he remakes restaurants in another. Together they meet back at the "ranch" on their hill overlooking the Texas prairie. Not a bad place to meet. Not a bad love to have either.

I spent the day with many friends and acquaintances and David Allan Evans. David is the poet laureate of South Dakota. He and his love Jan drove from the north to spend time with friends. We all brought a dish for lunch, and spent the morning with his words. Lunch went for nearly two hours! Good food, fun, and friends who can play guitar, piano and sing too! Then back to discussion of poetry and thought. I couldn't do it every day, but it sure was fun! By 4:30 or so, I was sitting off to the side listening, but playing with my camera!

I soon got a chance to do a portrait study on the author. Had a great day.