The Wilkus Family

A family portrait session shot at the beautiful University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, Kansas. 

The boys are in second, fourth and sixth grades. 

They were great about trying out lots of crazy poses and coming up with cool ideas of their own. Photo sessions always turn out a lot better when everybody is willing to have a little fun! 

Photographer moves to Colorado, becomes happy mountain person

I've been so busy in recent weeks with moving, shoots and a new job that I haven't had a chance to post about it all. I'm getting some shoots edited and ready to go though, so I should have some pretty new stuff for you to look at over the next couple of weeks.

After returning from Madrid, I had a few amazing months relaxing at home and catching up with family and friends, but after that it was time to hit the road again. I have taken up "permanent" residence in Louisville*, Colorado. It's a beautiful little town between Boulder and Denver. The historic downtown has great shops and restaurants, a reasonably-priced farmer's market (especially compared to the fancy Boulder version) and a well-stocked library. Basically, I'm in heaven.

The following, taken at Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, explain why everyone in Colorado is always in such a great mood:

*Pronunciation note: it's pronounced Lewis-ville, not like the city in Kentucky. There's historical reasons behind this, and for some reason it really drives me crazy when people pronounce it with a Southern drawl.

Success!

The First Fridays show had a huge turnout and was an all around great time. A big thanks to everyone who came out to see it and an even bigger thanks to my wonderful friends who came early and stayed late to help me pull it off. And of course, thank you to Stacey Schmitz of Stacey Schmitz Photography for letting me use his wonderful Imago Gallery, 217 W. 19th Terrace, for the show.

Illuminations at First Fridays

I'm going to be exhibiting at First Fridays in KC this Friday, July 2! I have been traveling and photographing for the last two years, which has been "illuminating" in both the sense of cultural and personal revelations and in the sense that it always has for the photographer, exposing film, or in this case sensor, to light. I will be exhibiting some of my recent travel and portraiture work at the Imago gallery on July 2 and I hope you will join me. Refreshments will be served.

Please feel free to invite friends and be sure to RSVP to the Facebook invite so we will know how many to expect. I hope to see you there!

Music man

I have found that a lot of times shooting portraits of people close to me is more difficult than shooting portraits of total strangers. I think it's because it forces me to redefine my role; to suddenly turn professional on someone I have know casually and comfortably for a long time. Shooting a musician portrait for my brother, Matt Lewis, was especially challenging because a lot of my own hangups about how I look in pictures were staring right back at me. In the end we were able to relax and have a good time with it, which I think shows in the photos. We chose to do the shoot at my grandparents' farm in central Missouri, because as the scene of so many of our childhood misadventures it was meaningful and inspirational for both of us. 

An urban engagement

Zach and Susan, both good friends of mine from college, did a wonderful job of being beautiful and in love for their engagement session in the Kansas City River Market. They're so excited to get married that they've moved their wedding date from next May to this October. They wanted their photos to show who they are -- urban and sophisticated but also happy and fun-loving. I can't wait to shoot their wedding at a gorgeous country inn!

Here's a sequence a good friend of ours particularly loves:

Spring is springing

And it´s about damn time.

At the University Botanical Gardens in Madrid.