Paris Lady
A compass rose is embedded in the cobblestones below my feet. It’s fitting decoration for a place where the course of history has changed direction so many times since work began on Notre Dame in 1163 — work that took nearly 200 years later to complete.
They say that women love drama — and Our Lady of Paris is no exception. Dramatic moments at Notre Dame include:
- The third crusade was launched from here.
- Henry VI of England was crowned king of France.
- Napoleon was named Emperor.
- The cathedral bells signaled the Allied liberation of Paris during WWII.
- Philippe Petit walked a tight rope between the two towers. And presumably scared his mother to death.
Speaking of change….Image this. Construction of this western façade alone took 80 years. That’s why the face of the building is layered like tiers on a wedding cake. None of the architects in charge of the building project lived long enough to see it to completion. When the architect changed, so did the creative vision for the structure. Progress was too slow in to keep up with the latest 12th century masonry fashion.When a new archetect came on board, new creative direction was given.
Changing her mind is Our Lady’s prerogative, I suppose. And though this massive cathedral was centuries in the baking, it’s eclectic tiers of stonework make it a multi-layered slice of public history.
You’ve come a long way, baby camera
It’s another proof of the adage that good things come in small packages. A studio test left me impressed with the big time potential of the compact Canon T2i digital SLR.
If you’re wondering about the future of small and mid-budget video, there’s little doubt shrinking camera size and interchangeable lenses will be huge.
Now, if someone could invent a pocket-sized tripod…
Old Country Church
Location scouting for an upcoming shoot when Mandy drove us by this Allen, Texas gem, built in 1887. Read about its history here…
Studio setup
Testing out our new kinoflow diva lights for my first studio session at the new job…
Help me out with the “Underdog” project
Click to read more about the "Underdog" project...
Today, I’m putting the “U” in man-U-script.
For the past several months, I’ve been typing away on a manuscript project. Now, I need your help.
The working title is: Underdog: A no-nonsense guide to preparing for a life that matters. Inspired by a troubling trend of seeing so many of my friends’ faith go flat as they’ve entered their early adult years, Underdog talks straight about questions like:
- Does my life really matter? Why?
- Is living my faith day-to-day honestly worth the risks?
- How can I hang on to my faith and go the distance?
Several friends and family members have patiently struggled to make sense of the scribbles that I called a “rough draft.” Many of them have told me that Underdog provides a unique perspective from life and Scripture that puts together things they’ve always known in a fresh, encouraging, and challenging way.
Now, it’s ready for beta testing. That’s where “U” come in. I’ve created a special blog where you can read the manuscript, interact with it, and give feedback: http://underdogtheblog.com. If you’d rather download pdfs to read, you can do that from the blog, too.
I know, you’re not supposed to beta test manuscripts. But to be honest, I don’t have any business creating manuscripts anyway – what with all the real writers out there. It’s not really a book and I’m not really a writer, so I’m allowed to do non-writerish things like beta testing. Right?
The way I see it, I have a very sharp group of friends and it would be a shame to let all that brilliance go to waste. Maybe some of it will rub off on me.
If you’re already super-excited and you want to get started reading, then here you go….
Thanks for checking it out!
Love it? Hate it? Share it!
