Memorial Day Weekend Wedding Extravaganza

This was my first 2-wedding weekend, with one ceremony on Saturday and another on Sunday. To say that it was a long week is an understatement. That said, I had a blast and made some good images I think!

Corey & Kiersten
Bayley & Brett

A First In Wedding Photography - Lindsey & Bo

Ladies and gentlemen, I experienced a first at my last wedding: A bride and her bridesmaids jumping into a pool. Dresses included.

I mentioned the idea of jumping in as a joke...why WOULDN'T you? I mean, come on, it's a wedding in Mexico. Near sand and ocean waves. OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO JUMP IN THE WATER! Fortunately for me, and the rest of the guests, the ladies provided a bit of entertainment to end the evening.

Mahekal Resort

A few pix from my recent trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I was reminiscing today about how beautiful the weather was....

The view from my porch...

What Makes Me Happy - Part 3

I'm back in the groove after a short trip to Mexico. Oh the pains I go through for photography...so hard to even WANT to go to a beautiful place and photograph beautiful people....but I guess I'll suffer through it.

Here's a few things that make me happy on this glorious - but slightly chilly - Friday.

1. Shallow Depth of Field. Photographers will understand what I mean...

2. My beautiful daughter, who will hopefully be the next big thing in the world of famous beautiful babies. She's already numero uno in my eyes.

3. BRIGHT COLORS! This was a wall at my resort in Mexico...just screamed TAKE MY PICTURE!

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Yup, tomorrow morning at 11:25 a.m. I'll be on a flight to Cancun, Mexico. From there I'll take a bus to Playa del Carmen for a beach wedding Saturday evening.

Lindsey & Bo tie the knot Saturday and then I fly home early Sunday. My shuttle picks me up at 5:30 a.m.!!!! I haven't been up at that hour in YEARS!

Friday is my down-time day so I'll probably stick to the resort to avoid kidnapping. I might actually get up at sunrise in hopes of photographing a beautiful panoramic shot of the beach and horizon...we shall see......

Hope everyone enjoys Kansas, Missouri and every other state in the Union while I'm gone.

Vote YES!

YES!

Yes, I will vote for the one-half cent sales tax increase in Fort Scott on April 5.

Serving on committees and boards aren't really my thing. Several months ago I was invited to lend a helping hand and serve on the Community Health and Wellness Committee, a group of people assembled to promote the half-cent sales tax increase that would fund the $3.9 million renovation of the city pool and an addition to Buck Run Community Center.

At first I was skeptical if I wanted to be involved. It took less than a 1-hour meeting to change my mind. Later that evening I told my wife that I didn't want to be a person who supported an initiative but didn't back it up. I didn't want to be someone who complained about a lack of good opportunities in Fort Scott yet did nothing to fix it. So there I was, involved.

I've heard the bad. Why do we need a pool? Why does Buck Run need to be bigger? Fort Scott needs jobs...not recreational activities! And so on and so on. The thing is, I know we need good jobs in this town. We need to focus on that as well. But nobody wants to live in a town with nothing to do.

I've also heard the good. And there's been an overwhelming response from the YES voters.

So before I jumped to make a decision I wanted to know the facts. Fact is that the pool is OLD! Buck Run is small and crowded. It's going to cost money to fix both issues...

After hearing all the facts and opinion, it's been surprising how easy of a decision it's been coming to the conclusion that I came to. IT'S WORTH IT! Yes, we are raising the sales tax . . . but it's by half a penny per dollar. Before I dismiss the fact that a half cent seems trivial, I decided to figure up what I spent in Fort Scott last year. On debit card transactions alone, I spent right at $4,000 in Fort Scott establishments. That figures to be $332 dollars in sales tax that I paid out last year based on 8.3%. If it raises to 8.8% I would have paid $352. That's a change of $20!!! If we take that times 10 years, it's $200. I'll write a check TODAY for that amount with no second thought and I don't have a surplus of $100 bills sitting around.

Granted, that was just on debit card transactions. But I rarely write a check to a local establishment OR pay with cash. This was a simple decision for me. I'm giving up a few hundred dollars over the course of 10 years for a new pool and expanded Buck Run. The trade-off, for my family, is worth every penny.

I personally will likely not swim in the pool. My daughter, though, most assuredly will. And that's why I will vote YES on the initiative to build a new pool and expand Buck Run.

BOLD

I've decided that the best way to make a statement is to be bold. So, while it's always my goal to make all my clients say "WOW" when they see their photos...it's also extremely important when meeting prospective clients. So, for that reason, I had designer Brittany make me a new business card. It's not regular business card sized but skinnier. I'm attaching the front and back...email me what you think! kfelt3@gmail.com