Blog

I had the best Fathers Day ever! Amanda and Liviah gave me beautiful cards, and an awesome gift of a wooden box with pictures in it, love it!

A little girl needs Daddy
For many, many things:
Like holding her high off the ground
Where the sunlight sings!

Like being the deep music
That tells her all is right
When she awakens frantic with
The terrors of the night.

Like being the great mountain
That rises in her heart
And shows her how she might get home
When all else falls apart.

Like giving her the love
That is her sea and air,
So diving deep or soaring high
She'll always find him there.

I have a photo in a show called "Healing" hanging in the Buelher Gallery! The photo is part of a series that I'm working on for a one-man show in the fall.
Let me just say, I'm truly honored to be allowed to photograph such beautiful, strong, courageous woman! I think it takes a VERY special person to tackle this terrible disease with such grace and dignity!

To Michelle:
This is how I see you, vibrant, beautiful and strong. Thank you so much for opening up and letting me capture your image, as it naturally appears to me!

On a recent trip to Toronto, Amanda, Liviah and me decided to get out and have some fun! I didn't have a ton of spare time, but we made it work, it was soooo fun! We just walked around and ran some errands. We went to see a jeweler and went to Kensington Market for cheese and meat, we had lunch, and just meandered, it was a great day! Also, we met the cutest lil dog named "Chester", what a sweety!
I love my family and its great to get time with them! Aunty Sue was all to happy to join in! She's the best, thanks for a great visit my dearest sister!

How amazing you're already One
What a precious person you've become

A One-year-old child is so many things --
A tiny discoverer of butterfly wings,
A hugger of Teddies,
A sweet sleepyhead,
And someone to dream for in bright years ahead...

A year's gone by,
How time has flown,
We can't believe
How Liviah's grown!
She's such a joy
And so much fun,
Oh my! Our baby's
Turning One!

You're as cute as a bug
So precious to hug
A darling child
Who's nice to be near.
So.. hope turning one
Is happy and fun
And takes you along
To a second great year

We love you Liviah,
Love Mom & Dad

started 425
now 353
down 71.5

Friday the 23rd was my birthday, A lot has changed in the past year or so. Change has touched every aspect of my life, from family and friends, to where I live and work. It’s been a year of new beginnings, some difficulties, happiness and love. I’ve discovered that life isn’t fair. Bad things happen to good people. Sometimes a lot of bad things happen at once. There will be times when we feel like the whole world is against us, and things can’t possibly get any worse…and then they will. But, the thing is, there’s always someone, somewhere, who is worse off than we are, as hard as that may be to believe. Putting things in perspective is incredibly powerful.

All of this change has caused me to change as well. I’ve learned that we have two choices when it comes to facing life’s obstacles: let them defeat you, or take the opportunity to learn and grow. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the most difficult experiences of the past year have taught me a lot about myself and made me appreciate all that I have.

For quite a while, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go with the rest of this post. I probably re-wrote it half a dozen times, unsure of what message I wanted to get across. I was going to list all of the people and things that I appreciate, but I believe that appreciation is something that should be part of our everyday lives. It’s not just for special days like birthdays, it should be everyday.

Life is beautiful, fulfilling, and exciting, but it is also unpredictable. So, make every moment count, and don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Stop making excuses. Say things like "thank you", "I love you", "I appreciate your hard work", and "You mean so much to me".

When I closed my eyes and prepared to blow out the candles on my birthday cake, I wasn’t just making a wish, I was taking a moment to appreciate my life, and all of the wonderful, beautiful, people and things that make it all worthwhile.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to you all for being a part of my life, for making my world a bit better, for taking the time out of your day to send me Birthday wishes!
I've got to be the luckiest man on earth.

That's the way I see it.

Today I had coffee and a visit with James & Liseanne from Blink-Works. I rarely come into contact with people that have such a down to earth, common sense approach to work and life. These are now valuable people in my life, in a single word, Integrity. Thanks for a great chat, my face still hurts from laughing.

VIA Wikipedia
Integrity as a concept has to do with consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome. People use integrity as a holistic concept, judging the integrity of systems in terms of those systems' ability to achieve their own goals (if any). A value system's abstraction depth and range of applicable interaction may also function as significant factors in identifying integrity due to their congruence or lack of congruence with empirical observation.[citation needed] A value system may evolve over time while retaining integrity if those who espouse the values account for and resolve inconsistencies.

That's the way I see it!




Photos used with permission courtesy of Ian McCausland

The moment I realised I have friends, I realised I had people that care about me. I was emotionally attached to people other then my family. People that I entrusted with a piece of my heart, not to tear that little piece I gave them apart.

It's hard for me to entrust people with my heart, I am constantly afraid that they'll break it and that the little piece they had will turn into just another gaping black hole. But for now, I'll trust them, because I think, I know, that they won't hurt me. They tell me I'm strong, even though I can't see that, they tell me that they will always be there for me when I need them and I tell them I'm fine, but they know I'm not and I end up telling them what's wrong anyway. I turn to them when I need help, I turn to them when I need cheering up and I turn to them when I am happy and just want to talk for no reason. The same thing goes the other way around, I will always be there when they need me, when they need help, when they need cheering up and when they are happy and just want to talk for no reason.

Frankly, I am the type of person that cares more for others then I care for myself, they seem to know that and they seem to control that, I don't care, I feel as if I'm usefull around them. I feel like I'm constantly floating on a cloud. It's hard to hold my balance and I fall frequently, but they catch me and lift me up again, I do the same in return, that's what friends are for. Because that moment I realised I am needed and that I don't want to live my life any other way.


That's the way I see it

Wishes are meant for you to ponder, they pass along to someone in need, or can be kept all to ourselves. They're sincere in belief that all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

My wishes for you are my own'..They are an everlasting trust that miracles happen and dreams really do come true. Understood is the value of a nurturing heart, the innocence of a child's eyes and the wisdom of an aging hand.

I hope that the morning sky will forever intrigue you and the stardust of the night will captivate you. I wish that you will always see the man in the moon and entrust him with your deepest secrets.

You have a creative spirit that dusts your imagination with youthful dreams and opens you to wonderful surprises just waiting to happen.

I wish for you to yearn for nothing and find contentment from within. That you will always know what to say to a friend, that your compassion will heal, and many more names will be etched in your heart, as your name is etched in mine.

The first time we talked there was something about you
As we talked on the phone you had my full attention
I lingered on your voice hoping you would say those five words
And when you did I was so overwhelmed I missed it

The next day when I got to hang out with you was more than I ever expected
When I looked into your eyes I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to be
Lying in your arms I realized that I might never get the chance to feel this way again
So I decided that if being with you was a risk then I was willing to take it

After I left that night so many thoughts ran through my head
I wondered if you were feeling exactly the same way I was
I wanted to know what it was that was going on inside your head
I was hoping that what I was feeling was more than just butterflies in my stomach

I spent the whole night wondering what would happen next
I realized that nothing was like I ever expected it to be
Even though I had put up a wall to keep all those others on the outside
You found the one little crack and seemed to work your way inside

Once I figured out what was truly going on inside my heart
There were so many things that I wanted to say to you
I wanted to let you know how much you truly meant to me
I wanted to tell you that I wasn't sure if I could make it without you

But at first I just couldn't find the words to say exactly how I feel
I was afraid to let you know that you had found a way inside
I was worried that if I let you know how I felt you wouldn't feel the same way
But I took a risk and let you know how much you truly meant to me

I need you to know that I would never trade you for anything in the world
I love you more and more every day.

While I was out for my morning walk this morning at 7:30AM I was just amazed at all the Hoar frost! The trees were covered and so were many surfaces too! I love how the frost clings to everything, it's really a very cool part of nature. The other thing is the thick fog hanging in the air, very spooky and sort of "old London" feeling from a 1960's Sherlock Holmes movie or something? I couldn't resist snapping a few shots (as I always have a camera with me).
What a beautiful world we live in.

That's the way I see it!

,,,,,,,,,,

started 425
now 357
down 68

This afternoon I had a consultation with a young gentleman about doing sexy photos for his girlfriend who lives in another province. This is not an odd request at all, in fact, I get requests like this quite often. But what I did find really interesting, was how much love he had in his eyes for this girl? Some people are OK with just being photographed for a portrait or whatever, but you must really have strong feelings for someone to pose nude, or semi-nude for them. It's the ultimate "unmasked" portrait.
I was quite taken by how much he loves her, I also think he misses her so much that he would give everything up and go to her!

Its funny to me how life takes all of these twists and turns?

That's the way I see it!

As it turns out, I'm not the only one who was available for a get-together tonight!
Now, most people would be spending Valentines Day with the ones they love? Not me and my friends, "NO"! For unforeseen reasons, we were all without wives for the evening. Nothing bad, it's just the way it worked out. You have to understand, when you are married for a lengthy amount of time, "special days" are not necessarily celebrated when the day happens but rather when you have time, as it was this year!

So, this Valentines Day, I spent it in a lounge with buddies. We all chatted late into the night and enjoyed many libations, wings, and laughed our asses off! We all agreed it was AWESOME! I'm truly blessed and fortunate to have people in my life that are so gifted, kind, and with so much integrity! Thanks guys!

That's the way I see it!

Amanda,
Thank you so very much for always being there for me, I appreciate everything you do. I am in awe watching you as a mom, our little Liviah is so very lucky to have you as a mom. I'm so very lucky to have you as a wife, friend, life partner, and lover. I'm really excited for what the future holds for us? It will be great I'm sure.

Happy Anniversary Amanda, I love you more and more with each passing day.

That's the way I see it!

I woke up this morning and went into Liviahs room to check in on her. There she was, my little angel sleeping away peacefully in her comfy crib! I just wanted to crawl into bed with her for a quick cuddle. I love my little girl, she's my whole world, when I put Liviah together with Amanda, I'm the luckiest person in the world.

Liviah + Amanda = very happy Jon

I'm so blessed.

That's the way I see it!

Well, after much hype and long months of waiting Apple finally unveiled it's newest product, the iPad! I have to admit, i was waiting for this to be released as I'm an avid Apple guy. However, I find myself feeling a bit let down? I guess I thought that it would be revolutionary or something? It's actually just a large version of the iPod Touch? i don't think there is a single piece of new technology in it? Now, don't get me wrong, for the price ($500ish) its a very appealing product for surfing the web, viewing photos, and chat etc, but not too much more than that. It would be a great little tablet for a college student, although you wouldn't be able to add a bunch of programs to it? for general "keeping in touch" purposes, it might be a great tool?

At this point, i don't see me adding this tablet to my business any time soon, what would i use it for? Possibly a portable portfolio? But I have a MacBook for that? I don't know?

I think people will go "gaga" over it, but it's not for me.

That's the way I see it!

It was one year ago today that Shane took his own life.

I remember like it was yesterday getting the news of his death, i immediately felt nauseous and thought i was going to pass out. You hear about these things all the time, but never really put much thought into whether it would ever happen so close to home?

I remember what fun we used to have on vacations, it was a non-stop laugh fest! it seemed to always be over before we wanted it to end? We had so much fun in our little group of friends, going way back to when we all worked at the Zoo together.

Many times i wished i could of helped him more? When he came to me for help i did my best to try and help, but it wasn't enough. The last time i saw him, he was sitting with me in my living room just shooting the shit, i knew something was up? He always appeared at my door when something was going on for him, actually, I went to him as well when i had stuff going on too, so it was mutual. I just wish I could have tied him down if i had known how bad things were for him?

Shane,
I miss you. I tried. I hope you're OK now? I remember how drunk we all got at my wedding, i'm sad there wont be another party that we are at together? Remember that crazy night at Rock Candy in Seattle in '91, so fun! i'm so very sad you are gone, i wish i could go back in time and talk to you one more time?

RIP my dear friend, gone but not forgotten.

I often think about what if something catastrophic were to happen here like it did recently in Haiti? Would all of my imagery be lost? Would all the clients I have, loose their images? Would I be alive??? What about my beloved Amanda and Liviah?

I felt like I needed to do something in support of those peoples struggles? So,I donated 100% of my earnings for January 16, 2010 to Haiti relief. I feel like its a small thing i can do, but actually i have ulterior motive as well, I would hope that people would come forward to help us if we ever needed it!

At times I feel guilty for all the good fortune I have, even though I know I've worked for it? It still haunts me in some ways.

My heart goes out to all the people who struggle with a level of adversity that seems insurmountable.