Stacey and I just returned from the Imaging USA conference in Nashville.  WOW WOW WOW is all we can say!  The Gaylord Opryland is huge… needless to say, we got lost a few times.  I know – I know… you’re saying that I should just rely on Stacey for directions-  You’re Right!  She always got us to the right spot… except for that time we were walking for 10 or 15 minutes and ended up right where we began- Hey, it was the first day and we eventually figured it out.  We can’t wait to implement so much of the stuff we learned so that we can serve you better and better!

2 new slippers and 1 that’s not… can you guess which are which?

Googley Eyes and Home-Made Glasses!

We met at the GLBL Memorial Day Tournament in Mentor, Ohio and the team chose to purchase one of our hottest new products… the team pano (short for panorama).  When I brought the finished product in to show my girls, they stopped playing Webkinz on the computer and shouted out “cool” and “awwwhhhhhhsome” and “who’s is that?”.  It’s a good feeling to see that someone else likes it as much as I do.

Well, she’s a 16″x36″ beauty, who will find a new home in New York.  The only thing I can say to her in parting is “I’ll miss you baby.  Go make me proud!”

Here are my 4 girls

Giraffe’s look funny when they eat… don’t they?Give me a kiss baby!

Marissa started to pout and just stopped.  She said that she would not come… actually she said “I will newer come”… not newer like a new item, but pronounced like “never” with a “w” sound… So CUTE!  After 20 seconds, she decided to start walking again.

Beautiful Underwater Colors of the Aquarium
No trip to the zoo would be complete without an image of the King of the Beasts.  This guy was a little sleepy though.

An itchy polar bear got all the kids to giggle.
When we were looking at the seals and sea lions, a boy next to us was looking down into the pool and dropped his cowboy hat.  Instantly, the animals went from casually swimming around to coming over the the edge of the pool to investigate the new “visitor” in the water.  This guy came up on the ledge and just looked at and sniffed the hat.  Pretty neat.

Marissa’s at it again.  On the way our of the wolf exhibit, she started to ride a wolf statue and called it her “doggie”.  She wouldn’t come for about 10 minutes.  She even started to tell another little boy who came over to see “her” wolf (I mean dog), to go away because this was HER doggie.  She finally came and all of us parents got a laugh out of it.

I’ll leave you with this image that I really like.  It’s one that I call “Defiant Strength”.  The light was starting to get lower in the sky by this time and this rhino gave me a look I couldn’t pass up.  I subdued some of the color from this image (it’s not black and white though) and sharpened it a bit.  I love the wrinkles and fortitude of this guy… it was a boy rhino… trust me!

PS – I also captured an image of one of the sharks swimming around a very dimly lit viewing room in the aquarium.  It will become the first of our “photo lessions”.  Stay tuned!

Fish on!  Fish on!

The battle of cat-and-mouse continues!

Nice fish for Timmy O

Happy guy with a nice steelhead!

OK, now that I’ve had my fun this morning blogging about yesterday’s adventure, it’s back to work!

Hope your day goes well and that you enjoy the time spent with family and friends during this upcoming Easter weekend.  Remember, He’s Alive!

We’ll talk soon… Tim

The cover was a special (and secret) part of the process and was only revealed at the very end.  It was especially important to me.  It was a mosaic of Jesus Christ’s face made out of the images of all of those we photographed (or submitted pictures).  It represents how as believers in Christ, we are all part of the same body.  I think it’s especially fitting at Easter time.  (Following the image is a note about the cover that was included on the inside front cover of the printed directories.)  Take a look at it’s uniqueness and I hope it encourages you.

Happy Easter!

ABOUT THE COVER

“The Body of Christ”by Tim O’Keefe

The Church is not merely a building.  The Church is the collective group of those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ…in Willoughby Hills, Ohio… and around the globe.

No doubt you have looked intently to see where your picture appears on the cover.  We hope this photo mosaic helps you remember an Important point.  While, we are each different and unique, God created each one of us to work together- to complement and complete each other.  We want to encourage you to remember this so that individually, and collectively, the world will see us unified as we represent Jesus Christ in all we do.  Remember, we are His ambassadors whether we minister full-time in South Africa, Russia, or China, but also while we talk with our neighbor from across the street and go grocery shopping.

Anyway, on to the pictures!!!  I have to say that these were taken (mostly) by my kids and the color, lighting, composition, focus, etc… is not what you can expect from us when you hire us as your photograhpers (hey, I had to say that… it’s a photography blog after all!), but these images are priceless from a dad’s point of view.  Look at them through that “filter” and we’ll be just fine… OK?

Our little one, M3, is potty training and having pretty good success at it so far… at least for Number 1.

Again, her big sisters get a kick out of “having fun with Marissa”… it’s all good clean fun, but the chicken does get tired after the extravaganza and needs a drink… almost bed time!

Now for bubbles and bed time…


This is what she calls her “Farmer Hat”… that’s some cityfied farmer if you ask me!

Some miscellaneous dancing with her big sisters laughing their heads off in the background…

This was a fund raiser that we went to at a local skating place.  The girls had a great time with their friends.  This was Marissa’s first time on skates and she did great!

Next, M2 caught this rainbow out our back window.  She was thrilled when I said I would put her picture on our blog… I think she’s a photographer in the making.

Lastly, M3, with the prodding of Maggie, decided to do a little magic work… she forgot to click her fingers and have the stuff automatically get put away when she was done.

I hope you enjoyed some of my “proud daddy moments” above.  Take care and we’ll be in touch soon… God Bless.  Tim

delicious homemade irish soda bread

carrots, potatoes and corned beef

cabbage, carrots, potatoes, fresh homemade irish soda bread, corned beef and an irish ale… what could be better!

4 generations sharing a meal

 
our crew dressed in St. Patty’s day green!

fresh strawberry topping

homemade sweet corn bread shortcake

the perfect end to the perfect feast!

We hope you enjoyed your St. Patty’s Day too!  Until next time, take care, God Bless and remember, when you image matters, go to the TOP… Tim O’Keefe Photography.