On Sunday evening, November 27th at First Baptist Church Kissimmee, our pastor (Tim) asked the members to donate a new gift to help 400 foster children in Osceola County that probably wouldn’t have much of a Christmas. The ages ranged from 3-17. So instead of our regularly Sunday night service we went shopping and brought our unwrapped gifts back to the church that night. Kathy, Ally, Emmy and I pulled three names 2-girls and a teenager. Going shopping without a real plan was not easy, especially for a teenager. We let the girls pick out their gifts for the foster children, when I picked up a toy that I felt a young child would like, Emmy looked at me and said “I’m a kid and know what they like”. FBC members not only met the challenge of 400-gifts we exceeded it and brought in 1,100 gifts that evening. It was a great feeling. It truly is better to give than it is to receive.
Suzie, Allen, Savannah, Haley and Sosa. I can’t believe Savannah is a sophomore in high school. Where does time go? Allen is my cousin, we even share the same birth date, he is one year older though… he called in October about his family portrait. The location was in downtown Commerce Park, what beautiful oak trees it has. Suzie is very well organized and detail-oriented. She sent me images via her iphone which was very helpful. Not knowing exactly where I was going I recognized the location as soon as I pulled up. Environmental photography is one of the hardest to do correctly. Lighting is KEY! Always look for the light first then we position the family in the sweet light area. I saw the light (no pun intended) reflecting off of a building window one-block away that looked fantastic as an accent light behind the family. For the Johnson’s we used a combination of natural, reflective, along with two strobes. One strobe was used as a fill light one to two stops less than ambient, on camera right, while the other strobe was placed way behind them set at full power 400watts for separation. The Johnson’s incorporated their dog Sosa, normally I recommend taking the family pet to the taxidermist first, that way she will stay still and afterwards you can use them as a doorstop. (my wife would kick me for saying that). Sosa was great and was no problem at all. With pets you have to get their attention with noises, toys, etc. But again Sosa loves her family and followed directions well. Driving home, I felt we had some fantastic images, but ultimately you have to please momma. Suzie said “You did such an amazing job Bruce, and I’m not someone who just hands out compliments you really did incredible work”. To me there is no better reward. There are two things that motivate me after 30-years. First and foremost client satisfaction and second being artistically satisfied. Thank You Johnson family, is was my pleasure to work with you on a beautiful fall Sunday afternoon and for the time we shared.
Jace is now one year old. The proud parents are Katie and Justin. Jace is a member of our First Year Collection. The first year is where we capture images of a child at 4, 8 & 12 months in a 8x20 panel with a frame. Jace has a great personality who always smiles at you. We are so happy to watch him grow. Happy Birthday Jace!
Giving back: Bruce, Sr. with the principal of PATHS high school receiving a commission check. Did you know that bwp gives up to $20,000 a year to the Osceola County School District? Now that’s keeping it local.
I covered the HHS girls volleyball team Regional Championship games back in November and while I was there I was amazed at just how good the HHS girl’s volleyball team is. They played well as a team first and foremost and they consistently served the ball well. It was fun to watch and you could not help but get into it, I found myself rooting for them. But what I was most impressed with was at the end of the game a young lady, #5, on the Longhorn team asked for everyone to gather around the court for a prayer. As I watched the people from the stands gather around holding hands I felt many things, one was I was so proud of her willing to share her faith so openly. The second thought was how one person no matter their age can make a difference. My third, how disappointed that I didn’t share my faith as openly as she did. I was ashamed of myself. My fourth thought was what about the separation of church and state and I immediately withdrew that from my mind. I was glad the administration and the Florida Athletic Association allowed it and did not interfere. You could feel the mood in the gymnasium and I was proud of the HHS girls volleyball team and #5 who I witnessed sharing her faith giving God all the honor and glory. It made me want to have a better, more open relationship with God.
Jamie and Caleb were married on Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at the Kissimmee Valley Livestock Arena. They decorated the KVLS arena with citrus props which looked great. Their guests took home fresh fruit. Jamie is a long-time past client and I felt honored and privileged to share one of the most important days of her life with her. We did Jamie’s senior portraits, 4-H images, her sister’s (Martha) senior portraits and their family just to name a few. I can’t think of a kinder, caring young lady. In fact Jamie worked with us at one time. Jamie is now studying for her master’s degree while working full time and now has a husband. It’s going to take some getting used to calling her “Mrs. Burrow”. It was nice to see that Jamie found her soul mate, Caleb. Caleb is a laid back easygoing young man who has fit very well into the Yates family. We wish Jamie and Caleb many years of health and happiness.
