There’s nothing like taking a phone call while your daughter is snapping your picture. Thanks for ignoring me, Dad. I realize that being ignored is precisely what I want my subjects to do for me. Now, how to make that happen? Gotta think those photog-ninja thoughts again.

The last few days have been chilly and rainy. The snow on the ground has almost melted entirely and some mornings feel almost springlike outside. The darkness and general dreariness make me want to hole up inside with hot beverages and good books. However, work calls to me and even when I ignore it, the internet and DPP are always calling my name. Taking shots of people every day is indeed a challenge. Some of my energy and drive has ebbed away with the daylight and I feel I’m getting to the hard part of the December Photo Project! Yet, I know that pushing myself is really healthy and that sometimes it exposes creative thoughts and energies I didn’t know I had.

Here’s to tomorrow and the days beyond! Press on, fellow DPPers. We can do this!

I love the people of Redeemer. Featured here are two fabulous musicians. Brittany just happened to have a night off of playing music (and thus was sitting in the perfect location for me to snap her picture) and Josh, well, Josh pulled out the banjo for a few songs. I love that banjo business. Thanks to both of them, and the rest of our musicians, for leading worship week after week. Singing praises to God corporately is always a great way to soften my heart to focus on Jesus.

There’s just nothing like a grocery store for a little photographic inspiration. Um, kidding. Though I will admit the vivid colors of the supermarket look great through my lens.

I try to avoid the grocery store at all costs on the weekends (something I can do as a freelance photographer, writer and partial SAHM mom). I found myself at a local HyVee today voluntarily decorating tables in their club room. Turns out they have a nice space on their second floor for catered meals, and my friend Leigh of the Foster Care Closet needed a second pair of hands to take care of table decor.

While I was upstairs I couldn’t help but spy on the plebeians below. A few were doing good deeds as bell ringers.

Others were merely shopping for fruit, unaware of the photographer in need of a photo one floor above them.

I decided that shooting from behind glass was for weenies and I pulled out my camera after going through the checkout lane. This dude was a little taken aback by the impromptu portrait… “Wha??” Poor guy. I know it was a little surprising. My apologies. I hope you don’t read View From the Prairie Box.

The Redeemer Christmas Party was tonight. Such a great time of hanging out with fun folks. The top shot is my friend Tara, who is also a DPP participant. The bottom shot is the lovely Ashley modeling her white elephant gift.

The first rule of the DPP is don’t talk about the DPP.
Wait, scratch that.
The first rule of the DPP is… don’t leave your camera at home.
Seriously.
DON’T LEAVE YOUR CAMERA AT HOME. It is no good to you there.
Until it really kinda is.

Today I left my camera at home. I was all prepared to photograph my dentist, but somehow the notion of camera got shoved back behind 1) the desire to actually shower before going out in public and 2) my typical dentist office anxiety. However, I’d say things worked out well because, in the end, I snapped this image which I really love. On my way back into the house I saw the Morehead family coming home from lunch. After running in to grab my camera, I quickly snapped a few shots in the snow. Whew, I got my portrait for the day.

Livia, age 7, receiving some fatherly instruction at dinner tonight.

I’ve had a really wonderful birthday. I can’t put together coherent sentences anymore because it’s late and time to shut down for the night. Thanks to my mom for capturing this moment of me on my 34th birthday. I altered the camera settings and told her where the shutter button was, so it totally still counts for the DPP. Night, all!

The gorgeous and talented Christine Weeks! My guess is that this woman can do anything. And if she can’t, please don’t tell me; I’m enjoying living in this fantasy world. ;)

My little friends Grace and Micah were baptized tonight at church. I was going to link back to the photo shoot we did a few weeks ago, but oh yeah, I haven’t posted those images yet. This is an excellent reminder to do so! So anyhow, tonight these sweet kids were baptized at Redeemer—and it got me a bit choked up. Baptism itself doesn’t save; Jesus is the Savior of mankind. But we baptize our babies, our toddlers, our teens, our adults because it’s a sign that we belong to God. What a beautiful expression of faith tonight, to see Grace publicly proclaim her faith and to see Micah receive this sacrament. Afterwards I told Grace how neat it was to see her baptized, and she informed me with great excitement that she got to take communion. Yep, communion is pretty darn exciting, too.