nmathai photography

We've Reached the End

2008-08-08T08:00:00.007-05:00

I've officially reached the end of NMathai Photography and this blog. I've had a good run, don't you think? I actually began this blog as a personal journal of sorts back in 2006, and its come a long way since then...almost 200 posts, over 100 comments, thousands of visitors. It was fun while it lasted. Rest in peace, people.

OK...obviously, it's not the end. But going through many changes recently, this was another one that was in the works. And today, I am excited to reveal to all of you the new...everything! Here goes...

- New Name: The business will now be know as Nate Mathai Photography...it's a lot easier, don't you think?

- New Cards: With the new branding of the name/site, I got these super cool new business cards made up, too! I've already switched my image branding to the new logo and such (as you probably noticed awhile ago), but now it's all tying together. What do you think of these?

- New Site: I've completely revamped my blog and site...and in the process they got merged together to form my new and improved blogsite! There's still some features that will be added in due time, but I've been patient enough until now and got tired of waiting! So now the new site is located at http://www.natemathai.com/ (it's a lot easier, don't you think?). Make sure you update your bookmarks and RSS readers, because I won't be making any new posts to this one.

Why do I love my new site...let me count the reasons (this is more a way to help you navigate)...
1] Easy Commenting!
No more needing to leave the page or anything. Easily view/hide all comments, and add your own much faster! This is by far my favorite thing (...and to prove it, I've also added a shout-out to those who comment most at the top of the blog :))

2] Rotating Banner!
At the top of the page, you'll see some of my favorite images of my clients. Each to you reload the page, you'll get a new one. Changing content is a beautiful thing.

3] Photo Challenge Location!
Now there's an easy way to see the current and past challenges...just go up to the drop-down navigation under 'extras' and find everything you need! (You can also follow my progress in my 28 in 2008 in the 'extras' section)

4] Client Cart!
Also in the navigation at the top, you'll find a "clients" where you can view your events in your own gallery. I'll also post personal work on their available for purchase too (once I start shooting more personal fine art stuff)!

5] Mobile Ready!
For those of you who browse on your iPhone's and such, you can go to http://m.natemathai.com/ for a mobile-friendly version of the site!

I've pushed all my old posts from this blog to the new site, so there really is no reason to keep checking this one moving forward- unless for some reason you really want to read this one post again, or have an odd love for this blog design...then by all means, to each his own.
With that said, head over there now and have a blast! (Oh, and let me know what you think about it over there too!)

NMP Photo Challenge: August

2008-08-06T22:30:00.001-05:00

And for August, here we go!

Theme: Signs

Much of the communication we receive and give are visual. We signal hello's and goodbye's with a wave of our hands. A circle with a line through it means not to do something. We are directed how to get around a building or where a restaurant is by signs.
For this challenge, show me some signs! Have fun with composition or tell a story with the sign (...like, have a picture of people running past a "Slow Children" sign), or display a universal gesture that has become standard in our lives (...such as the two-finger peace sign).
Send your submissions to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com with the month in the subject, and include your name, link to your site, and a description/explanation of your image (especially if it is a gesture). Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Happy shooting people!

100

2008-08-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

I just came across that I received my 100th blog comment! Woo hoo! Thanks to everyone who leaves the love. I stole this idea from Jasmine* who does something similar, but I did a search for "100" on Google images and found this:

Sunil was the 100th commentator to my blog, and with that he will receive a $10 iTunes Gift Card! Congrats Sunil! And now you know that it pays to leave some love...you never know when I'm a mood to give some gifts. :)

Reflection...

2008-08-06T07:24:00.005-05:00

He made dancing fun for me...

It was one year ago - though there has been healing, there is always pain. And I question what to write, what to share, what to post...so many different directions and angles my heart feels like taking this, but not knowing which one is 'best'. Words will not do justice, and might only make me more restless, or bitter, or something (praise God for the delete key and delayed postings).

I remember December 2006. At our church's regional conference, Binil asked if he could talk to me, so we found some time to meet up separately between things to talk. It was a question i knew was coming - 'Are you willing to serve in leadership with CPT?' CPT was the Creative Presentations Team at our church, which I was a part of way back in the day (mid-90's), putting on skits and presentations for different events. It transformed greatly over time, and was something that Binil invested so much of his time and effort in. Over the winter, though, many of the leaders were being called to different ministries and stretched too thin, and they were lacking people to take charge. I'd always loved serving in it, and that type of ministry is a 'fun' passion for me, but we both knew that I had already accepted the role as VP of our youth fellowship, and it just wouldn't be right for me to take on more at the moment.
The one thing I always seem to share of him is his passion, and it came out here again. He got into talking about his vision for the ministry, his heart for the people involved, his feelings on the leadership. He was a visionary and a dreamer. He looked at the Kingdom before looking at the situation at hand, and I still don't know how he did it.
Looking back on the year, many things have changed in my life, and I've grown a lot. But these are stakes in history to remind me of different areas where I stkk lack. I praise God for a relationship that is continuing to push me to not be limited by the practicality of this world's abilities, and to be a dreamer, to have a vision. And moments like these remind me of what a full life consists of.
His time came at the right time.
But I say that with a mental understanding of God's control more than a heart-filled conviction that he shouldn't have been with us longer.

I hear him challenge us with a reflection of his own life:
"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."

...and continuing to say...
"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Do your best to come to me quickly..."
2Timothy4:1-9

ETA- Binil's slideshow/testimony

[08.04.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-08-04T14:50:00.007-05:00

[Photo Challenge] Was the last challenge that difficult? I haven't received a single entry...how sad is that?!? Well...as always, there's a grace period, but I'll have August's challenge up in the next day or so.
[Wedding Photographer] Especially when you are a photographer, one of the most common questions asked is "Who's going to be your wedding photographer?", which is commonly answered with "I am. I'm going to set up the cameras on tripods with a remote in my hand and get everything I need." Seriously though, it's a tough choice...I know of so many amazing photographers that it's hard to narrow it down. Setting a budget helps a bit (but you're always willing to bend on it!).
One thing I plan on doing from now until the wedding is 'feature' a couple photographers that I would have loved to shoot my wedding if money/location/time/etc. were of no issue whatsoever. And it would have been cool to have it all lead up to the actual photographer chosen around my wedding next year, but it's not possible, because I'm going to post some images of his shortly :). I'll probably still 'feature' him at the end with an explanation of why we chose him, but for now, here he is: Kenny Kim (of Kenny Kim Photography).
[The Proposal] People have been asking about the who/when of the proposal for quite some time now (including my now fiance :) ). It was quite difficult planning one with the busy-ness of our schedules this summer, and more so my sister's wedding last weekend (can't steal her thunder...that'd be mean of me). When I met with Kenny earlier in the year, we were trying to find a time for a mini e-session because we wanted to get a couple of images in time for our traditional engagement ceremony/party in a few weeks. He was able to find time for us this weekend in the midst of his nationwide travels, and I immediately knew what I wanted for the proposal.
We scheduled to have our e-session at the beach, and God blessed us with some BEAUTIFUL weather (more on that to come). And so our plan was to meet up with Kenny at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park, and then walk over to the beach. Nithya and I got to the museum a little early, and I texted Kenny to see how long he was going to be (we'd been texting back and forth for the moments prior to set everything up). In the back of the museum was a pond and a bit of a cross-platform over it, which would have been a perfect place for the proposal. The only problem was there was a wedding being held at the museum, so everything was closed off...there were some people from the wedding party hanging out on the platform too. So I took Nithya around the back to walk around while we 'waited' for Kenny (...Kenny was making his own pathway through the bushes and found a way up on the platform). Nearby that area, I found a little rocky area just next to the pond, so I stepped in to see if I could get on the platform from there...sadly we couldn't. But it was a nice enough place, and I knew Kenny could see us there (I spotted him because I was searching for him to make sure, luckily Nithya didn't)...
After a few more random words, I turned, looked at Nithya, (insert words here), got down on one knee, (insert more words), pulled out the ring, asked her if she'd marry me, she said yes, I put it on her finger, and stood to hug her with the applause of the wedding party. By that time Kenny moved into plain view where Nithya saw him. Here's one of the shots he got:

[The E-Session] We carried on the rest of the day as planned. We headed over to the beach to get a handful of shots and call it a day. Let me tell you, it's very awkward being on that side of the camera. With a camera in front of my face, I never have to worry about my facial expressions or what not...luckily, weddings/e-sessions are all about the girl so I'll be out of focus in a majority of them :) . There will be more to come, but here's one that Kenny got to us so far:

[The Cubbies] As I posted before, Nithya bought us Cubs tickets for my birthday, and we went on Sunday afternoon (after church and getting her ring sized). We had a great view and experienced a great win...Zambrano pitched a decent game, back-to-back-to-back doubles, after being down 2-0, and then after the Pirates tied it up with 3 in the 8th, the Reed Johnson hit a pinch-hit two-run homer to put us back up by two, followed by a solo shot by Soriano. And then Marmol closed it off for the win as expected. For my first (and probably only) Cubs game this season, I can say I was satisfied.

[The Power of the Ring] I've noticed that there is a lot of power that comes with a diamond engagement ring. Prior to the proposal, the perception was it being in my 'possession'. And with that, I got a lot of attention...everyone asking me about it, when's the proposal, how am I going to do it, etc. Now that she has the engagement ring, I get nothing. The occasional congrats, but that's it. Now, its all about her. Every question is now directed to her and I'm all alone. Woe is me...woe is me. :)

She said Yes...

2008-08-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

{I'll have more info later...}

[07.28.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-07-28T23:15:00.002-05:00

[Photo Challenge] This month's almost done, so get your submissions in ASAP! I promise I'll be better about posting the next challenge within the first week of the month. :)
[Nish & Joel] I posted yesterday, but my sister got married on Saturday and the happy couple are on their honeymoon now. I was told not to bring my camera so my gear sat at home throughout the festivities. But if you want to see some pics from the rehearsal and a quick grab of the details, check out yesterday's post.
[Summer League] The Bulls win! The Bulls win! They beat the Jazz! Reminds me of mid-90's...except no last minute jumper by MJ to win it. With 6 rookies, the Bulls took had am impressive run through the league losing only one season game on a last second shot on day2. There was some amazing talent that came through again, and it's only looking to get even more exciting in years to come. Thanks to all the staff who helped put this together as well as the players for making it the success that it was. Check out the site for many more pics for this year's league.

[Teaser] I'm still getting through Linzy and Christiaan's wedding, but wanted to get another teaser out there for you..the full recap will be coming soon.

Nisha and Joel

2008-07-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, my sister finally got married! I did their e-session a bit ago, but they said I have to stand in the wedding so they hired other photographers...ah well, such is life. After many years and a lot of planning and preparing, everything finally came together yesterday. We had many relatives coming in from around the country for a 600+ person wedding, and everything went by smoothly.
By ~~order~~ ~~demand~~ request of my girlfriend, I was not aloud to bring my camera with me to the wedding and take pictures while being a groomsman. So sadly, my gear sat at home for the entire festivities. HOWEVER, I did grab some shots at the rehearsal earlier (with some fun processing).

I was also able to get a quick grab of the dress/shoes when the girls were getting their hair done.

They're off to their honeymoon tomorrow, and then next up for our family is my engagement ceremony in a couple weeks (wow...things are coming up out of nowhere!)

PS> There have been many questions regarding the realness of emotion in my toast. Let's just say the dramatic pause in the beginning was pre-planned for an added kick to the punch line, BUT it was more dramatic than I had intended due to some realness sneaking in. Make sense? :)

Linu and Sunil's Engagement

2008-07-23T15:30:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the month I shot the engagement ceremony of Linu and Sunil. Their wedding is going to be held in India, so this was their opportunity to bring all the close friends and family together to celebrate with them who will not be able to make the trip.
I love it when you can see the union not just of two individuals, but also two families. It was also so great to experience the love within each family...the fathers had so much to say of their children, and it was very clear how tightly knit all of them were.

Linu and Sunil, I wish you guys all the best in your married life to come.

[07.21.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-07-21T22:26:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] I know I posted it late, but the month's almost up for July's challenge! Get on it and send them in!
[Turning 24] This past Thursday I celebrated my 24th birthday...man am I old! I started with work from 9-5 (I know...I should have taken the day off, but I need to save my vacation days). Afterward, I came home for dinner with my family and girlfriend, and then the two of us went to watch a movie in the park. A rather relaxing night.
Last year, I made a point to respond to each person who wished me a happy birthday, but this year there were way too many sources! Text messages, phone calls, e-mails, facebook, twitter, IM...I just couldn't do it! I'm thankful to all of you who did send messages though...if it makes you feel any better I did read them all!
Oh, when you get this old, you rarely receive physical gifts, really...but my girlfriend came through yet again (isn't she the greatest!):

[Indo-Pak] I remember going to helping out with the Indo-Pak tournaments in the early 90's since my cousin ran them, and this year I went back as a photographer. I'll have a write-up once I process the images, but here's what you get for now:

[Girl Seeing] That's a very loose translation of what Saturday held for me. It's an Indian tradition for the groom (to be)'s family (elders) to go to the house of the bride (to be) and see the girl...and so on Saturday my family went to visit my girlfriend. About 15 from my side of the family drove over there, sat around and stared at each other, ate dinner, and returned. In the end, I think everything worked out because nobody is going to call off the wedding :)
[Summer League] My season is over. Sadly, I wasn't able to take any pictures this past week either! I was shooting Indo-Pak earlier in the evening, and made it to Summer League just in time for the last 3 games of the night, 2 of which I was playing in (we need more photographers!). The good news is we finally won! We had inter-league games, and we pulled out the first win in OT, and the second one we pulled away at the end. Even with those two wins, though, we weren't able to get into the playoffs because of the point differential. Ah well, we played the spoiler determining the fate of a couple of teams in the West. Looking forward to seeing EVERYONE there next week for the playoffs and All-Star game!
[Wedding Planning] Man is it busy! My sister's wedding is this coming Saturday so it's a last minute crunch on seating charts and details and such. The good news is I'll have a lot of things taken care of and organized for my wedding next year! Yay for silver linings!

Jiju and Soumy (and Baby Abigail)

2008-07-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

I remember the younger days with Jiju. Being cousins and all, we had a lot of family parties and such, and I still hear him claiming he was Michael Jordan and the famous Indian actor Mamooty. Now he's all grown up, married a little over a year ago, just had his first child, and is finishing up seminary. It's crazy to see how much we grow over the years, yet still how much we retain our character.
I went over to take a few family pictures with Baby Abigail and the inlaws, and followed it up with little portait session of just Jiju and Soumy. They had their wedding in India (and I wasn't doing international destination weddings at the time :) ), bu really wanted to have some portraits of just the two of them...and of course I was game!
We started indoors for some family portraits:

Isn't she precious?

The rain let up, so we decided to take their portraits out by a lake nearby...

The winds picked up, though...which was entertaining, but a bit hard to control...

So we took the shoot back indoors...

Jiju, Soumy and Abigail...I had a great time shooting you guys. Definitely looking forward to seeing Abigail grow up this year!

Happy Birthday!

2008-07-17T00:00:00.002-05:00

24. Wow, I'm old. God is good, still. It was a rather crazy 23 with many ups, downs and changes in life, but all with a purpose (much of which I'm still looking to figure out). All things considered, I'm thankful.

I realize you people come here for the images and not for the words (it's OK, I'm still going to write stuff :)), so here you go. In the past year there's been a handful of images from my younger days posted on Facebook, so I figured I might as well post one from 'way back'. Enjoy! (I was rockin' the orange way back then too!)

Happy 17th Everyone! Celebrate it well!

::EDITED TO ADD::
Like last year, I was planning on responding to everyone who wished me a happy birthday...but this year I was receiving it from too many sources! I had around 100 on Facebook, a couple e-mails, some texts, a few phone calls, some twitter ones, gChats and a blog comment (plus the obvious face-to-face). SO...consider this message to everyone who contacted me through those sources: THANKS!

[07.14.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-07-14T21:19:00.003-05:00

[Rough Thursday] Last Thursday I had a rough day. A bunch of last minute projects made me stay at work an hour late. Then I had to walk to the train in the rain. Then I drove through a hailstorm to get to the Men's Warehouse in order to get fitted for my tux for my sister's wedding in 2 weeks. I pulled into a parking lot to turn around and I hit pothole and popped my tire. And I still hadn't packed for my trip. But I thought, 'Ah well, it could be worse.' And then I was fine. :)
[North Carolina] Because you all are obviously wanting more, here's a pic of part of the living area in the cottage I was staying at, and then a view of my "backyard":

[Linzy and Christiaan] Like I said before, I was out in North Carolina to shoot my first destination wedding! The wedding was at the beautiful Duke Chapel (...I'm still not a Duke fan), with the reception back at the Governor's Club. I'll have a full write-up later, but here's a handful of teasers until then:

[Photographic History] Somewhere on the plane ride back I got a bit under the weather, and just felt like sleeping. But I got a quick call from my dad asking to go to my godparents place (his uncle) to take a portrait shot of them (which I wasn't too excited about intially due to my 'under-the-weather-ness'). You see, hanging in family room is a picture from India taken awhile ago with my Dad's father, his brothers and their wives (minus the youngest brother, who is my godfather). So my dad wanted to get a picture of them in a similar pose/style blown up to hang right next to it. I don't have a copy of the original, but this is what we're blowing up:

It really helped me remember the importance of photography in people's lives. This is something that goes back many generations. My only knowledge of some of my grandfather's brothers are purely through these pictures. I'm glad I'm able to provide a service like this which last well beyond even my client's years.
[Summer League] After the portraits I got changed up and headed out to summer league. There were some good news and bad news. The good news was I played like I knew what I was doing (unlike last week) and felt closer in skill to my younger days. But the bad news - we lost both our games. So that makes us 0-4, and the only team not to win a game yet. Sad! We've got to step it up big time next week as our league lives are on the line...I'll have gone from being in the Eastern Conference finals last year to not even making the playoffs this year. Wish me luck!

[The Shot] Sadly, I didn't have a picture of this as I put my camera to get ready for my game. But just a story: Going into the day, there were 3 undefeated teams, and all 3 suffered their first loss. The one with all the attention was the Pistons vs. the Bulls. Clock winding down, tie game, Shawn Thomas with the ball...8, 7, 6...baseline, spin...5, 4...turnaround, fade, shoot...3...around the rim, SCORE! The Bulls had 2 seconds but couldn't get a good shot, and so ended their run to perfection! This porved a couple things to me...1) Summer League is filled with MADNESS!, and 2) Never put down the camera. Sorry guys!
[All-Star] This is probably most boring time in sports during the year, as none of the 4 major sports in the US have an official game going on. It's the night of the MLB home run derby before the all-star game, but it just doesn't have the same excitement as before for me. But the All-Star game tomorrow...the Cubbies got 8 represented (with Marmol taking Woods's place because he has a blister)! Awesome!
[2.0] The iPhone 3G came out, and over million were sold over the weekend (the original iPhone took 74 days to hit the one million mark). I'm still debating whether to switch over to AT&T once my contract with T-Mobile finishes up, but we'll see. I must say, I am liking the 2.0 software though (played around with it on my brother-in-laws original iPhone...).

Welcome to the Governor's Club

2008-07-11T15:15:00.003-05:00

I just got into NC a little bit ago and haven't had a huge amount of time to wander, but wanted to let you all know I got here safely! Oh...and here's where I'm staying:

And that's just my room. There's also a living area in the center since there are four rooms attached.

Alright...time to go!

NMP Challenge Submissions: June-Rule of Thirds

2008-07-09T08:45:00.000-05:00

I posted the July challenge here, so make sure you check that out and get your submissions in this coming month. For June, we worked on composition, and I applaud you guys. In honor of the 4th, here's one of the submissions by Bincy from NY:

And here are the rest:
[Bincy]

[Leena T]

[Taffy]

NMP Photo Challenge: July

2008-07-08T23:00:00.000-05:00

I said I'd post it, and here it is!

Theme: Games

The theme is pretty simple enough...I'm looking for games. Maybe those fun little past time games that you might play 1-2 times a year but they are just so fun! Or games that you find yourself getting overly competitive in. Games that remind you of your childhood.
This theme might not be that difficult, but get creative with how you set it up! With this one, I lined up the dominoes, then used an off-camera flash to camera right to throw the shadows in the frame and give the image more depth. Now, I know not everyone has an off-camera lighting set-up, but again...GET CREATIVE! Give us a point of view that we normally would not see. Take something simple then make it something eye catching. Happy shooting everyone!

Alexis' 3rd Birthday

2008-07-08T18:56:00.004-05:00

It seems like just yesterday I left work early to get to the hospital to see my first niece. Now she is 3 years old and has a baby sister. It's crazy how fast things change.
Alexis had a luau for her 3rd birthday and invited a bunch of her friends (and their parents), which meant the house was filled with these little ones running around. With a scare of rain, they brought much of the festivities indoors, but were able to go outside for some cake...and everybody loves cake!

Here's the birthday girl...

There was a time for dancing...

Some of the best limbo you've ever seen!

When I took this picture, I thought "If these two hook up, this is definitely going in their wedding slideshow". Then I thought, "That's like in 20 years at least!" Do you think they'll still be doing slideshows? What do you think will be the next big thing?

And with everyone there, it was only fitting to have a quick portrait of all (most of) the parents with their little ones(I think the parents enjoyed it a bit more than their children)...

The wife and kids couldn't make it...but that doesn't mean he can't have a picture...

[07.07.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-07-07T19:57:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] Sorry everyone for the delay...things have been VERY hectic as of late. I'll get the challenge for July out by tomorrow, and post the June entries by Wednesday. (remember, you can keep sending them in until I post everyone's submissions...my delay means more tme for you!)
[All-Star] The MLB All-Star game is right around the corner, and the Cubbies will be sending 7 guys, including our rookies Soto and Fukodome! It's also pretty impressive that Kerry got called as a closer...well-deserved recognition for the Cubbies. (I am a bit surprised that Soriano got voted as a starter with his limited action as of late, but ah well...I'm not complaining)
[Linu and Sunil] On Saturday, I shot an engagement ceremony for Linu and Sunil, so I'll have a full blog post coming up (...along with many other blog posts coming up :)), but here's your tease to hold you over:

[Summer League] The first day of summer league kicked off yesterday, and boy was it exciting! There was a new batch of rookies (and some vets back to prove a name for themselves) which proved to show for some tight games. Personally, I played as if I never shot a basketball before (we went 0-2 on day1), but it's alright. Now that I know what it feels like to play again, I'm ready for next week! Here's a couple shots, and you can find the rest on the summer league website (for the photogs, I normally shoot raw, but I did these jpg with limited post production for quick turnaround. I give much respect for sport shooters who have like a 10 minute turnaround time to turn images in for the web or paper while producing amazing images...it's tough stuff!)

[Things to Come] So you all know, I'll be flying out on Friday to shoot a wedding in North Carolina on Saturday, and I'll be back on Sunday in time for day2 of summer league, so I'm not sure if you'll hear much of me during that time. But I'm looking to get a couple posts up before I leave, so that should be a fair trade, right? :) Happy Monday everybody!

4th of July

2008-07-04T19:23:00.003-05:00

Another national holiday means another chance for my college friends to hang out. We weren't able to get 100% attendance again, but got a good majority to celebrate and catch up.

The food:

Here's a cake shaped like a hamburger! (nobody really ate it, but it sure looked cool...)

In addition to the 4th, we were celebrating 6 birthdays (one from January, one from February, 2 from June, and 2 in July), a welcome back to our friend who is in London the past year, and a 'congrats on a new job' to a friend who wasn't even there today [but at least we caught up!]. My girlfriend asked to borrow my camera (literally took it out of my hands) because she wanted to take the picture of myself and Ekta (the July birthdays) blowing out the candles on our cakes. She still hasn't grasped the concept of the back focus...

Hers was actually a set of cupcakes...

My cake had these basketball candles on it...getting me hype for summer league (rosters will be posted tonight!)...

And this is what everyone actually looks like when we have our conversations...

Happy 4th everyone!

Dianna & Joe's Wedding

2008-07-02T10:43:00.007-05:00

They had been together for around 5 years, and finally chose to take that next step into married life. It's such a special moment to see two people so entwined together make a commitment to each other. Dianna and Joe wanted to have a very small wedding with just their family and close friends, and they got exactly that. It's such a different look for me, as I'm used to a 500+ wedding every other weekend, so it was very refreshing to see a gathering like this. With such a small group, Dianna and Joe were able to share their special day personally with those they love, and you could definitely feel the love between everyone that day (especially these two!).

Some getting ready time...

Have I mentioned how much I love ring shots?

Help me out...I keep looking at the next 3 and can't figure out which one is my favorite! They are so in love...

Here's a nice rendition of the wishing well...shaped like a cake! (It was surrounded by smaller cakes for the reception)

The pastor had received the rings earlier without the knowledge of Dianna and Joe...just before this he asked for the rings and there was a brief moment of silence/searching by Joe before he finally pulled it out.

Dianna and Joe, thank you so much for letting me take part in your special day and I wish you all the best!

[06.30.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-06-30T20:57:00.004-05:00

[Photo Challenge] As today is June 30th, get your submissions in NOW for the June Photo Challenge! I'll post the next challenge later on this week (...oh, and if you have any ideas/suggestions for challenges, feel free to leave them in the comments).
[Cubbies] After sweeping the Sox last week at Wrigley, they repaid the favor be sweeping us in the Cell this weekend. I'll give them credit...it's not like they're a bad team, they're leading the AL Central. What do you think...too soon to call a Cubs-Sox World Series?!?!

|ETQ| The Cubs OWNED the Giants tonight in San Fran 9-2! DeRosa had 2 home runs (a grand slam in the 8th after they walked 3 straight batters to load the bases) and 6 RBIs...now that's how you swing it back in the right direction!
[Summer League] I can't believe its almost here! The second annual Summer League is starting this coming Sunday (draft on Friday), and I am OUT OF SHAPE! I tried ballin' with guys last week and was winded after 1 game. We played again today and I at least had better endurance...maybe playing indoors well bring me back to true form...maybe?!?!
[Abigail] On Saturday I did a shoot of baby Abigail. Im not sure of what I'm supposed to call her...she's my Dad's-uncle's-wife's-brother's-son's-daughter. In any event, she's family. Here's a glimpse:

[Jiju and Soumy] While I was there, I did a fun little portrait session of Abigail's parents, Jiju and Soumy. They've been married for over a year, but had their wedding out in India and didn't really have many relaxed portraits of just the two of them, so we made sure to get some there. Another glimpse:

[Busy Schedule] I thought June was a busy time for me, but July is even busier! I've still got to get some dedicated posts up about Dianna and Joe's wedding, Alexis' Birthday, and now baby Abigail and Jiju and Soumy's session. And looking ahead, I've got an engagement ceremony this Saturday, a wedding the week after [more details to come], a basketball tournament the week after that, and then my sister's wedding on the last weekend! (I'm standing in that one, but maybe I can pull off a few snaps without getting in the pro's way :) ) I'll be hard at work so please be patient if it's a little quiet on the bloggin' front or responding to e-mails/comments- I'm definitely reading everything and planning on getting back to all of you soon! Back to work!

Cleaning and Reminiscing

2008-06-25T21:35:00.007-05:00

As my sister's wedding draws closer (July 26th), my dad seems to be finding more and more home improvement projects to do. I thought the big thing was painting our family room...boy was that a silly thought. I believe his main thing is cleaning out our basement. He's been wanting to finish the basement completely for awhile, but we've never got around to it. Although we probably don't have time to do it now, he t least wants to clean out all the junk and what not that's been piling up over the years.
The last time I remember being down there with people was after my oldest sister's engagement party...like 7 years ago. Since then, I basically only went down there to store boxes or whatnot...which is what everyone in the family did. But now, we must clean. So I went down there today to start organizing things a bit to make it easier to sort through, as well as do a quick grab of my stuff. There's so much more to go...

Here's a small corner of the basement...

The evolution of phones. I found a couple more (including a few cell phones) as I started to unpack boxes. And yes, that is a rotary phone. I believe it still works, too.

A vintage vinyl record player. We have no more records; the needle is broke. Yet we kept this thing for years.

And you obviously need some speakers to go with. I actually brought these to U of I during my senior year and we hooked up our TV to it for some quality sound during movie nights (or when were bored and wanted loud noise).

As my parents seem to keep many unnecessary items for years, I think it's made its way into my genes on the tech side. here are a couple printers and a scanner (mind you I currently have an inkjet printer and a printer/scanner/copier in my room).

And here are 3 monitors. Note: During the last week of school, make your rounds to the apartment buildings around campus...many people throw away perfectly good stuff as they are moving out because they don't want to pack it all up. I think we picked up 3 monitors from there. And that has helped me to have, between my room and the basement, 4 CRT monitors, 1 LCD monitor, 3 PC towers, and my Macbook Pro. I really need to figure out what to do with this stuff...I just can't let go!

And you might think you know religious people, but look at here. These are 'extra' bibles in our basement. Personally, I think I have another 6 bibles on my shelf in my room (not counting my regular use one). And that doesn't include what the rest of the family has scattered around. Is it just me, or is it really hard to get rid of a bible?

As I unpacked some boxes I started to stumble upon some old stuff of mine, which got me into a reminiscent mode. To start:

This was my first digital camera. In 2002, I bought this HP Photosmart digital camera off ebay, and people quickly got annoyed of me (that was the beginning of my photographic life).

Yep...you are reading these things right. That's a 2.1MP camera with a 4x digital zoom. Man I thought I was cool. I had the only camera around. And I tortured it a lot, as you can tell. I can't count how many times this thing had been dropped.

One of the goals on my 28 in 2008 list was to organize my card collection. When I went off to college I moved all of this from my room to the basement, and I wanted to go back and get it all back together. I started collecting around 1990 (if my memory served me correctly) and only did it for a few years. But I was hardcore then, constantly checking the value of the cards in Beckett. I haven't taken great care of these,a s you can tell, but I wonder how much all of this is worth now. I guess step 1 in the process is bringing this all out of the basement.

Another thing that I collected very briefly was newspapers. There were a couple papers that I thought 'In the future I'm going to look back on these and be glad I kept them.' And I look at them now and think the same thing...it's a small thing right now, but looking 20+ years down the line, this will be fun to reflect on.

[Thursday, April 25, 1996] Bulls 4th Championship run (I also have the papers from the 1st, 3rd, and 6th titles)

[Friday, February 27, 1998] Harry Caray's passing

[Monday, March 12, 2001] Illini's first major run in the NCAA Tournament (my junior year of high school)

[Wednesday, September 12, 2001] September 11th

That last one hit me a bit. Almost 7 years ago. The big tagline during that time was "We will never forget." Sure, I think we all remember it. But does it impact our daily lives? Life is short. Ultimately, our time on earth is out of our hands and has already been decided for us. Are we making the most of it? Are we living purposefully able to be 'satisfied' with this day being our last?

I don't recommend you guys keeping clutter and stuff for years, but if you already do it...take some time and go through it all. It might be a good thing to help bring you back for a bit and put current situations in perspective again. It's interesting just thinking of how far I've come even in the past 5 years...

[06.23.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-06-23T19:14:00.004-05:00

[Photo Challenge] 1 more week for this month! Remember, this challenge is about composition, and giving your keeping your subject OUT of the center of the frame.
[Cubbies] We had tough break getting swept by Tampa last week, but we just owned the AL Central leading White Sox in the crosstown series! (For the record, I'm not a White Sox hater...but am a MUCH bigger Cubs fan). Surprisingly enough, I was busy enough that I didn't get to see any of the games...how sad is that!? Ah well...
[ABDC] I was very disappointed in America's Best Dance Crew last wek...the people who killed it the season premiere dropped the ball, and the average dancers really put on a show. One thing, though...I don't like there are these "Best..." shows that do not bring back previous competitors. It would have been better if you had like that top 3 from last year come back and defend...I mean, seriously. JabbaWockees, Kaba Modern and Status Quo should have to prove themselves year in and year out (of course, they'd obviously own the competition...but it'd still be fun). Just a thought...
[Ben & Anee] On Saturday, another set of friends got married...yep, it happens A LOT in my community. I think this is the 3rd set this year where both the bride and groom were from my home church! I've known both of them for awhile and have served alongside them over the past year. It's so exciting to see two people get together with such a great vision for the future.
Showing up as a guest, I let the paid photog's do all the work :). But here are a few I grabbed...

Binil Samuel Memorial Fund

[Alexis' Birthday Party] Happy 3rd Birthday Alexis!! Wow...my niece is now 3! Today is her official birthday, but yesterday we had a Luau party for her and her friends at the house...my goodness all these kids are growing up so fast! I'm actually able to have a bit of dialog with them, which makes them more entertaining for me (I mean, they're cool when they're younger, but this is the age I like). Here's a glimpse of the party, with a recap to be posted later:

[Reflections] On my train ride to work, I was listening to a podcast by Ravi Zacharias entitled 'The Lostness of Man". Here are a few quotes that really hit me that I felt like sharing:

The fact of the matter is that man carries on this game of pretense into many, many arenas of his life. He is attempting to build civilizations when he does not know what it means to be civilized. He is trying to be a philosopher when he does not know who the master philosopher is. He is portraying his artistic perceptions, he does not know the master artist. He moralizes on life, but he does not know the moral law giver.
(quoting Dr. John R.W. Stott) Many of the happenings of civilized society would not exist if it were not for human sin. A promise is not enough, we need a contract. Doors are not enough, we have to lock and bolt them...Law and order are not enough, we need police to enforce them. All these things and many others to which we have grown accustomed that we have taken them for granted are due to our sin. We cannot trust each other, we need protection from one another; it is a sorry state of affairs.

...until [we] understand the heart of man, [we] will never understand the justification by faith.

So there's a glimpse into what I contemplate during my days...enjoy! Happy Monday everybody!

Lenie & Namratha's E-Session

2008-06-20T19:36:00.004-05:00

I knew Lenie and his family growing up, but then awhile back they moved out to Atlanta. After graduation, he found a job as a Math teacher in the Chicago Public School which brought him back around, and we re-connected since I came back from U of I. Lenie and Namratha met while they were in college, and have been doing the distance thing for a bit as she is still out in Georgia, but she was able to come down for a recent weekend so we made sure we got a session in for them. We took a stroll around downtown Chicago in some great weather (though the weatherman told us we'd experience rain...silly weathermen). The wedding is going to be out in Atlanta on July 12th, so it's right around the corner!

Now I don't do many images with textures, but I knew I had to with this one right when I snapped the picture...

And I love this set...It's great when my clients are willing to stand in the middle of the road just before a truck comes at them...

Lenie and Namratha, I had a blast with you guys and wish you all the best on your wedding day and married life to come. See you guys back in Chicago in the fall!

Baby Seylah

2008-06-20T18:45:00.003-05:00

Baby Seylah was born a little bit ago, and I had gone to take a few portraits of her for the birth announcement. Normally it's a bit tough to take these portraits because the kids can get a bit fussy over tme, but she seriously did not mind the pictures AT ALL! Here's a few more from the session:

Big brother Jaden...

And this one's to show that he really does like her :)

[06.16.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-06-16T19:43:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] Yep...June's challenge is right here.
[Summer League] WOW. Within the first 7 days, we maxed our capacity for Summer League! Last year was the first season, and we had about 70 players...this year we boosted it to 90 and already maxed out! A waiting list is open for another week or so in case people drop for some reason, but regardless its time to get hype! Summer League is taking over Sunday nights!
[Cubbies] 45-25. That's right...best record in baseball, 20 games over .500. PLEASE! Somebody take me to a (couple) game(s)!!!!!!!
[NBA] The playoffs should be over. I mean, the past two games, the Lakers were up by at least 19 points, and blew the lead. They somehow were able to pull it out in the last game, but I really don't think they can survive too more games...do you?
[Painting] Some of you know that my sister is getting married in July. And it's bit of a tradition in our community (I don't know where the tradition started or why) that when someone gets married a part of the house gets remodeled in some way, shape or form (yeah...the tradition doesn't make sense, I know). I think for my oldest sister we redid our bathrooms. This time I around, we repainted our family room, so the weekend was spent setting it up and paiting it all...looks good, though. Once the paint dries we'll be good to go!
[Picture] And so I don't have a post without a picture, here's one from a set I'm currently working on...

...am I the only one picturing it as a 20x30 canvas hanging above the couch in the main room?!!? I love it!

Boda Bag Review

2008-06-14T14:33:00.004-05:00

So there were a few questions/interest in the Boda Bag that I just got, so i wanted to throw a little review. Mind you this is the original Boda, and they've come out with the Boda Dry and the Boda Dry Jr. (both look very interesting), but here's my take on it. Oh, and if you haven't noticed before, my room is not the most perfect choice for product photography, so for a better look, check out the website!

I've been in a hunt to find a shooting bag, because its just not feasible to carry around all your gear, and I don't like having to constantly go back to my bag whenever I need to switch lenses or something. When I second shot for Kenny earlier in the year, he had his Boda with him and let me do the wedding with it, and I knew this is what I needed. There's nothing extremely fancy about it, but it gets the job done, which is exactly what I needed.
So, generally, this is what I'll be carrying with me when i do my shoots (obviously this isn't all the gear (ie. no camera body!), but this gives you an idea:

(1) 70-200 2.8 IS L
(2) 24-70 2.8
(3) 430EX Flash
(4) Notebook and Writing Utensil
(5) Extra AA Batteries for Flashes
(6) Extra Batteries for Body
(7) Extra CF Cards
(8) Cell Phone
(9) Business Cards
(10) Snacks (you always need some extra energy)
(11) 17-35 2.8-4

The first image was shot with the 17-35, which is why it wasn't included in the main layout.

So generally, that's what I carry. When I pack it all up in the Boda, this is what I get:

PERFECT! I just sling my camera on one shoulder and the Boda over the other, and I'm good to go! It's got flap top as well as a zippered top to easily get to the lenses, which makes changing them MUCH more efficient for me. And it was so fun when I was going through the bag, because every time I thought something like "OK, where should put the camera batteries?", I opened a flap and there was a special spot just for it! I still have a few empty pockets and such that will still need to be filled, but I'm not trying to pack this thng with as much as I can because then it's just added weight to slow me down. So for now, I've got all I need.
Like I said, I use this bag while on shoots for easy access to my gear and other necessities, but I do have another bag/case for traveling and storage.

So there you have it. I can't really comment on the other shooting bags on the market, but I do know that this one was well worth it for me. Not only is it functional, but oh so stylish!

CMTC Metropolitan Reception

2008-06-14T13:11:00.003-05:00

My home church (Chicago Mar Thoma Church) is a part of a much larger diocese which spans North America and Europe (and I believe Australia). It's really amazing to think back of the rich history and tradition that my church holds, as we trace our beginnings to 52AD, when the Apostle Thomas made his way into India (don't worry...I won't go through the entire lineage!)
Due to the size and growth of our community in recent years, we officially have three churches in the Chicagoland area to accommodate, and every now and then we are able to hold events to bring all of them together. A few weeks back, we had two of the bishops from within our diocese visit us, and so we were able to bring all the churches together at Evanston High School for a service.

Ajoy's 30th Birthday

2008-06-14T09:32:00.002-05:00

His sister asked him what he wanted he wanted for his birthday, and he said appetizers and drinks at Bin36 with his close friends. So she set it all up, but then along the way he decided he didn't want that anymore. That didn't stop her from setting it up, but if his request for no party wasn't enough, the week of the party he called up Bin to check if there were reservations made!
Many people know how difficult it is to plan a surprise, but somehow this one still worked out. Ravita and Anu were able to throw a great surprise 30th birthday party for their brother at Bin36 in downtown Chicago with all his friends. And even through his attempts to ruin the surprise, they still pulled it off nicely.

I had a blast shooting your party, and another Happy 30th, Aj!

NMP Challenge Submissions: May-Movie|Music Titles

2008-06-13T19:57:00.004-05:00

OK. I know this is LONG overdue, so here we go. These submissions were by Taffy and Leena T, so enjoy! (June's challenge of 'Rule of 3rds' can be found here...)

[Taffy]
Philadelphia

[Leena]
Chicago

Blue Skies - Point of Grace

Life is a Highway - Rascall Flatts

End of the Road - Boyz II Men

[06.09.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-06-09T11:56:00.006-05:00

I know it's past midnight, but I just got back from a fun dinner with the Bebbs and some others (I'll update with links to their sites/blogs when I have a bit more time).

[Photo Challenge] I know I've been very delayed on the last results (apologies), but remember: the new one is already posted!
[Summer League] Last year we had an amazing time at the first annual Summer Basketball League, and since it was met with such great enthusiasm, we're doing it again! Get the word out because registration ends June 30th and the season starts on Sunday, July 6th. We can only take a maximum of 90 players, and we're a third of the way there (in only about 2 days), so hurry up! (side note: for anyone who registered this weekend prior to 10am this morning, you need to re-register as our system went down and we lost your info...sorry guys!)
[Things To Come] You've probably noticed a few changes going on here, most obviously with my new imge brand. It's just the beginning, as I have some changes coming up hopefully at the end of the month. Keep an eye out...here's a blurry teaser...

[Boda Bag] I ordered the original Boda Bag and I got it in the mail this past Friday, just in time for an e-session and wedding. I borrowed Kenny's when I second shot with him and I knew I needed it...I'm happy!
[Lenie & Namratha] On Saturday morning I shot an e-session for Lenie and Namratha in Chicago, who are getting married in Atlanta July 12th. Here's a quick favorite:

[Dianna & Jeff] After the e-session, I had a quick break before heading over to shoot the wedding of Dianna and Joe. Of course, I'll do a more thorough recap later, for now I'll let a few picture talk:

[ABDCv2] Anybody watch the live casting of the second season of America's Best Dance Crew? I'm impressed with a couple groups, but a little upset with a few of the crews that advanced. What do you think? I'm thinking its Supreme Soul will take it all...quote it here.
[The Bebbs] The Bebbs were in town all the way from Vancouver, Canada for their Bebbinar Seminar this week, so a bunch of the photogs got together for a dinner at Weber Grill downtown. It's always a blast hanging out with everyone. Sadly, regardless of how late I get in...I still need to wake up early. Ah well, so is life. Goodnight everyone!

NMP Photo Challenge: June

2008-06-03T12:22:00.003-05:00

Theme: Rule of Thirds

I figured that in addition to people getting creative, that I could use the challenges to teach different rules/techniques/etc. to help you shoot better.

One of the standard rules of composition in photography is the "Rule of Thirds." Ultimately, when you look through your camera's viewfinder, imagine there is a 3x3 grid across the screen (some cameras actually can do this for you). The rule of thirds states that you should try to place the main point of interest in your image along those lines/intersections. They don't necessarily need to be directly at the intersection points or whatnot, but close enough to make a difference. Here's a look at the above image with the grid in place:

I used a lot of 'space' in the image to bring out the subject, but as you see the primary focus is in the upper-left. Technically, you can re-crop the image in post-production, but I recommend trying to get it right in camera first.

So go out there and before snapping a picture...re-compose it! Give it a bit more impact. The one thing I'd like to steer you away from is keeping the subject in the dead center of the frame...

(A little bit more detail on my composition above: since the 'baller' was facing towards the bottom, that's where I placed the majority of the open space. It gives sense of direction leading the viewer into where the subject is heading. Let the subject lead the viewer into the image...)

All submissions should be sent to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com, and be sized to around 500px on the longest side. Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

[06.02.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-06-02T18:29:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] As always, I'm providing a bit of a grace period for last month's challenge. Keep sending it in until I post the submissions. I'll hopefully have the next challenge up sometime tomorrow...keep an eye out!
[Cubbies] How could you miss it? They went 7-0 on this past 7-game homestand! I LOVE IT! #1 in the majors (oh, and the White Sox are #1 in the AL Central working off a 3-game losing streak...well done to you as well). We've been coming from behind and proving ourselves, so I'm pretty happy. Tonight we've got Zambrano on the mound looking for his 8th win...I'm feeling good!
[Bulls] Looks like its almost official we got ourselves a new head coach...good ol' Doug Collins. Not sure how it'll look from a win/loss outlook, but it will definitely be a nostalgic time with Collins back in charge (...I know I was like 4 when he coached, but still...I know history!).
[Youth Chaplain] This past Saturday, my home church held a special program to meet our new youth chaplain, a pastor who will be dedicated to the youth and young adults of our church. It started with a short discussion time with everyone, and followed with a rousing game of softball! I like shooting things like this for fun at times, because it lets me have some fun with the processing...what do you think?

[Baby Seylah] On Saturday, I visited my to-be sister-in-law, and took a bunch of portraits of their newest addition. She seriously didn't have a care in the world during the shoot...got to love it. I think this one is my favorite...I think...

[Facebook Friends] Are you desperate for friends on facebook? This seems to be a great way to meet new people and get new friends! What do you think...would you ever purchase/where this?

find my profile here

Indian Christian Fellowship Alumni Reunion

2008-05-29T21:32:00.004-05:00

The Indian Christian Fellowship is a college ministry at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), which I had attended through my college career there. A couple weeks ago we had a little reunion with graduates from years past (about a decade covered!), and it was an awesome time to reconnect, play some games, eat some food and here what was going on and how things have been changing and transforming over the years. Here are some shots from the night:

A future Illini...

A few reflections...

Yes...it is a mustache! He's doing a bit of a fundraiser at his church where the elders are growing mustaches (no beards, goatees, or anything like that) for 6 weeks! I think he should keep it even after the 6 weeks :)

The entire gang:

It's great to be connected with such a rich organization that transcends yourself. Hopefully we'll be able to get even more of the alumni to come out!

[05.26.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-05-26T10:13:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] There's about a week left in this month's challenge! This one takes a bit more 'creativity' and possible 'work' than the earlier ones, but I know my blog readers can do it! Looking forward to seeing your work!
[Cubbies] We've hit a bit of a slide lately, but no worries. Still holding strong at #1 in the NL Central...you can't win 'em all, right?
[LinkedIn] I've been trying to expand my network/'net-worth' in many ways, as well as broaden my connections with others. My latest attempt is through the online professional network of LinkedIn. I've avoided it before just because I didn't feel like joining another online network, but I recently recognized just how beneficial it could be. The biggest thing for me is realizing what everyone does! I have many friends in many different industries (medicine, teaching, engineering, business, etc.), but I really never knew what it was specifically. By knowing other people's industries and abilities, we can find a way to see how we can benefit them, or they might be able to provide help for us. So get connected!
[Surprise Party] On Friday, I shot Ajoy's surprise birthday party thrown by his sisters, held at Bin36 in downtown Chicago. Everything was beautifully set up and everybody had a great time. Here's a detail shot to hold you over until i get them all processed:

[2 Years] On Saturday, my girlfriend and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. We don't always have tons of time to spend with each because she's normally out in Champaign and we both have busy schedules (even in the summer), but we were able to take a day trip together downtown to Navy Pier. For her sake, though, I left the camera at home (...but I do plan on making another Navy Pier trip this summer for the purpose of taking pictures). We wandered the loop, went to Millennium Park, had dinner at Capi's, saw a Vaudeville Magician, went on the Ferris Wheel, and took a Seadog boat ride (note: wear many layers on that thing...it's cold!) All in all, it was a blast and very well needed.
[CMTC] On Sunday, it was a special time at my home church, as we had two of our diocesan bishops visiting. Because of the occasion, we had a combined service with both our church and the St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, held in Evanston Township High School. Here's one of my favorites...:

[Nap Time] I used to take a lot more naps when I was in college, but I was so drained yesterday afternoon that I took one after church...for 5 hours. During that time, I missed out on a softball game (we try to play softball on Sundays when people are free...first time this summer) as well as an after party/hangout. But I don't mind...I needed the rest :)
[Memorial Day] As you probably noticed, this is an early post, because of Memorial Day. I'll be heading over to my girlfriend's place for lunch, and then going to my sister's inlaws for dinner. I like these extended weekends, but I'm dreading a bit to go back to work...going to be some busy times this week. Ah well, so is life...Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

Nisha and Joel's E-Session

2008-05-22T20:13:00.005-05:00

(Seriously on a roll with this blogging thing! Is it too much, too fast?)

Nisha is my sister, and Joel and her will be getting married this July, so it was about time they got their e-session taken care of (I'll be standing in the wedding, so I sadly won't be shooting it)! We all grew up together...myself and my older sisters, Joel and his older sister, and my brother-in-law and his brother. We called ourselves the "Saturday Night Family"...as we basically would spend our Saturday nights together since we all lived within 5 minutes of each (...we were really cool, I know). We all grew up, and these two grew closer...from really good friends to soon to be husband and wife. After I got over the initial awkwardness of my shooting my sister, it turned out pretty well, I think. I figure if I can shoot an e-session my sister...I can shoot anyone! So bring it! :) They braved the semi-cold-not-really-warm weather out here, so mad props to them.

Alright all, got a busy weekend ahead, so you probably won't see an update again to Monday...that should give you more than enough time to review the recent posts and leave comments :)

Jane and Alan's Wedding

2008-05-21T22:17:00.003-05:00

I am on a roll blogging this week! This past weekend I attended the wedding of my good friends Alan and Jane. If you remember, I shot their e-session and engagement ceremony last year, so it was so great to finally see the 'culmination' of it all with their wedding. The wedding was held at the St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church in Lombard, IL, with the reception being hosted by Venuti's Banquets in Addison.

The arrival (the bridesmaids were singing "Going To The Chapel.." on the way in)...

Hairstyles by Gigi...

This is what happens when you show up late...you are only allowed in after the processional...get with the program, people! :)

The first dance...beautiful...

Alan and Jane...congratulations again! The wedding was great, and I can't wait to see you guys when you get back!

Dawn and Richard's Wedding

2008-05-20T19:07:00.003-05:00

A couple weeks ago I second shot for Kenny Nakai for the wedding of Dawn and Richard, and since he just posted about it, I figured I should get on that too! This was an amazing wedding, with the ceremony being held at the Ss. Cyril & Methodius Church in Lemont, IL. From there we went downtown to the gorgeous Sofitel Hotel for their reception. I talked about it this before, but Dawn had EVERYTHING consistent, which set it up for beautiful night and fun pictures.

The bridesmaids and flower girl carried these hanging boquets, which I hear is less painful on the arms for a wedding:

Speaking of gorgeous, they traveled in style with a classic black and red Rolls Royce, and here's a glimpse from the drive into downtown:

A few portraits:

I think a favorite:

They hired the 80's band "The Brat Pack" to dance the night away, and boy was it a blast! Although I was but a few years old during those days, I feel like I grew up on these songs, and these guys were awesome! Everyone had a blast on the dance floor:

Doesn't this just scream fun times? I LOVE it!

Dawn and Richard, I had a blast at your wedding! You guys sure know how to party and I know you guys are going to have some awesome times to come!

[05.19.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-05-19T10:10:00.005-05:00

[Photo Challenge] We've got a little over a week left in this month's challenge. This one requires a bit more 'creativity' on your part as the photographer, but should be tons of fun! Get 'em in!
[Twitter] I tried doing this before, and after one tweet (is that what it's called?) I stopped. But I'm going to try to get back on this again. Maybe I'll even start updating my Facebook away message with twitter as I seem to be a bit bad about updating that one either. Soooo...FOLLOW ME!
[Equinox] It happened. I renewed my contract with my gym (after going like 5 times in the past 6 months). But I'm determined now. I met with a Personal Trainer (complimentary) and they told me just how out of shape of was, which will hopefully kick me in the right direction. Wish me luck and make sure I go more regularly!
[Cubbies] Still flying high in first place in the NL Central. Today we take care of the Astros 7-2, capped with an inside-the-park home run by our catcher Geovany Soto. I definitely need to find a way to make it to a couple games this year. Please take me!
[Children's Museum] So, it seems that through my work, I get free access (along with 3 guests) to the Chicago Children's Museum. I think it might seem a bit shady for me to walk around there taking pictures of random children, so if anyone is interested in going on a Saturday when I'm free, I'd be more than happy to get you in (...s long as you don't mind me photographing you and your child).
[Playoffs] I feel like I haven't been as 'into' the NBA playoffs...but its reaching the end. We got Boston vs. Detroit and the Lakers vs. the Spurs. Who you got? I'm not much of a fan of any of these squads, but I think I'd like to see KG get one...he deserves it.
[Podcasts] I have about a 45 minute trip to and from the city everyday, and so many times I try to read during the train ride, but sometimes it's just not feasible to pull out a book. So I've been quite into listening to podcasts, and decided I might as well give you guys a list of a few that I listen to quite regularly (in no particular order):

Photoshop User TV (video) - Before I even started photography, I've been following these guys because they provide quite of few interesting tips and tricks in using Photoshop.
The [b] School (video) - Becker (photographer) has been putting out these video shorts in prepartion for his online [b] school for photographers. I recommend any into photography as more than just a hobby to check out these videos as he covers many things from contracts to organization and many things in between.
Desiring God Sermon Audio - A great preacher and author in John Piper provides these sermon podcasts that are very deep and powerful. It takes a bit of focus to really understand, but its amazing and challenging to hear the passion of this man.
A New Beginning with Greg Laurie - Pastor Greg Laurie is from California and I've been following his podcasts for a few years now. He has a pretty laid back approach in his preaching style, and is able to speak clearly and simply well not watering down a message.
TEDTalks - TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and it's been an conference that's been held for years bringing together the greatest thinkers and doers of our age to share their knowledge. These keynotes have all been posted online, and its very inspirational. Topics can range from advancements in medical science to using the Wii as a virtual white board. It's amazing to see the potential of our world through these talks.
Let My People Think (RZIM) - This podcast is from Ravi Zacharias, who is one of the most powerful Christian apologist I have ever heard. His theology and explanation is extremely profound, but again requires focus to truly understand. It's not something you can multi-task with (...at least I can't without getting confused).

[Jane and Alan] Last year I had the pleasure of shooting an e-session and engagement ceremony for my friend's Jane and Alan, and this past Saturday was their wedding! I attended as a guest, but I just had to bring my camera out. I'll post more later, but here's a little teaser for you:

[Nisha and Joel] For those who don't know, my sister is getting married this summer, and so on Sunday I did an e-session with them out in Prospect Heights. Again, I'll have a more detailed post when I process all the images, but I feel it's only right I leave you with another teaser:

[ICF] After the e-session, I made my way over to an alumni reunion of the Indian Christian Fellowship, which was a ministry I served in during my time at the University of Illinois. It was a great time to reconnect with many of the alumni as well as recent grads...and you guessed, more images will come later, but for now a tease:

Cabin and Deb's Wedding

2008-05-16T22:56:00.005-05:00

I posted a couple teasers earlier about Cabin and Deb's Wedding in St. Louis a bit ago. I second shot this wedding with Kenny Nakai and he recently posted a bunch of images on his blog, so be sure to go over there to check those out. Here's a handful of my faves throughout the day. What do you guys think...any favorites from you? I'd love to hear them!

This seems like a good idea, two pairs of shoes! One for the ceremony...

...and something a bit more comfortable for everything else...

Quite possibly my favorite set of images from the whole day. They opted to do a 'first look' before the ceremony, so we set Cabin up and brought Deb to him...and then just let them enjoy each other on their wedding day :)

And then a couple more from the relaxed portraits afterwards...

Deb and Cabin, I had a blast shooting your wedding and wish you guys all the best!

[05.12.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-05-12T22:05:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] April's is posted...got anything yet? Have FUN with it!
[Busy] Yep, another busy week ahead. Wedding planning tonight (I know...a year and a half away...madness), physical fitness test tomorrow (so someone will officially tell me I'm overweight), family time on Wednesday, birthday party on Thursday, wedding Saturday...hmmm...I think I have a break on Friday? That'll fill up, I'm sure.
[Diversity Day] Have you guys seen the 'Diversity Day' episode in Season 1 of The Office? HILARIOUS! I bring it up because I just had a diversity training meeting thing last week at work, and I couldn't help but smile. It was more like the guest speaker than the way Michael ran it, but entertaining nonetheless. I did get this nice book of different actions/words that can trigger the buttons of others...I'm thinking of trying a few out soon :) I wish I could go through all of them, but here's one of my favorites...has this happened to you?

[Cubbies] 12-3 tonight. I love it...we've won 4 straight at home...how can you NOT love it?
[Kids] On Saturday I went over to my girlfriend's place to visit since she's finally back from U of I for the summer, and there were a handful of children under the age of 3 there which was entertaining. (the one in the Old Navy sweatshirt is not under 3, just so you know...)

[Goodnight] I wish I had more to post for you, but I'm tired. Got anything you want me to post about? Let me know!

NMP Challenge Submissions: April-Symmetry

2008-05-09T10:23:00.003-05:00

This is quite a bit overdue, but here are a handful of images from those participating in April's photo challenge with the theme of "symmetry". I thought this would be a bit more difficult than the first, but you guys were able to pull together some quality shots here. To start, my favorite has to go to Taffy out in Philly...I'm a sucker for ring shots...

...side note: reflection shots of tables etc. can be very difficult to set correctly. It all begins with good light (as is with all aspects of photography)...

The rest of these submissions were brought in by Marily (photo credit to Yliram), Leena T and Briana.

[Marily]

[Leena T]

[Briana]

Remember, May's challenge has already been posted, and I think it's SO FUN! Get all your friends involved to do some exciting stuff. The theme is music/movie titles, so get creative, set things up, and start shooting! Image you are creating a CD/DVD cover...what would it look like? I'm so excited!

[05.05.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-05-05T20:21:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] If you missed the announcement last weekend, the new photo challenge is up, and it's the most fun to date (at least to me)! I'll get last month's submissions up shortly for 'symmetry'.
[Dawn and Richard] On Saturday, I second shot with Kenny Nakai for the wedding of Dawn and Richard, with the reception held at the Sofitel Hotel in downtown Chicago. Let me tell you, everything was GORGEOUS! Dawn had consistency from her bouquets to the centerpieces (and everything in between). Here's another teaser as I go through the images:

[Nieces] Madelyn is now almost 7 weeks old, so the parents decided to do a little photoshoot of the sisters. (For reference, I think the best time to do newborn pics are around the 12 week mark, when the baby is able to hold their head up steadily for the most part) People say they look like me...what do you think?

[Another Niece] My family just keeps growing (a bit premature)! Last Thursday my girlfriend's sister had their second child, and I was finally able to get a glimpse of baby Seylah. Obviously I can't see a baby without taking a few snaps. I love when baby's yawn:

[UPS] You know, I don't understand why they make their deliveries during normal business hours..especially if they require a signature. I've missed my 70-200 because of this...sadness. I need to start sending shipments to my work address.
[Interviews] Lately I've been reading about a lot of photographers being interviewed and such...so I just wanted throw my name in the hat as well! A friend of mine did an interview about my for a paper. It was actually very insightful for me and I recommend everyone to do it consistently even for your own benefit. It made me reflect on my foundational passion for photography and purpose behind it all. It's good to do this for whatever you are doing consistently as it will keep you more focused and grounded. Oh, and she got an A on the paper! I love knowing my life is worth an A. :)
[Cubbies] It's been a tough streak so far, dropping 8 of the last 11. But that's why it's a 162-game season...much more to go and we're still in 2nd in the division. Keep hope alive!
[Busy Week] Just a heads up...you probably won't hear much from me this week as I've got a bunch of meetings and such throughout. Hope you don't miss me to much!

NMP Photo Challenge: May

2008-05-02T13:17:00.003-05:00

I believe you guys care more about what the next challenge is than what the submissions were, so I think I'll get into the habit of posting the next challenge earlier, and then the previous month's submissions. Sound good? Here we go for May:

THEME: Movie/Song Titles

Switchfoot - The Shadow Proves The Sunshine

This is where you guys get creative! The basic premise of this challenge is to think of a song or movie title, and capture an image that best represents that. When you submit your image, please provide the name of the movie or song and the artist as well (as that's the most important part!).

Simple rules again (I feel like I keep getting more relaxed with this):
- E-mail your submission to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com, with "May Photo Challenge" in the subject line
- Provide a link to your blog/website so I can link back to it
- Image should be a maximum of 500 pixels on the longest side
- Unlimited submissions per person

I'll hopefully get last month submissions up by Sunday (Monday at the latest). The weather is starting to get better here in Chicago (and I'm sure everywhere else), so no excuses! Get out there and start shooting!

Don't Waste Your Life

2008-05-01T21:08:00.005-05:00

I took this picture on August 4th, 2007, and almost threw it away because it was out of focus. He never let me take a 'natural' picture, because he'd always see it coming and put on his cheezy smile. He was such a character. For those who have been following my blog for while, you know that this is Binil Samuel. And within 48 hours after the image was taken, he was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Chicago. Today would have been his 23rd birthday. It's been almost 9 months since it happened, and there's so much that runs through my mind. But I just wanted to share a memory.

In the spring of 2007 I started my corporate job in downtown Chicago, and Binil was interning down there as well. Within my first days there he asked to have lunch together, and it soon became a regular occurrence, both alone and with other friends downtown. Throughout the summer we would talk and share about our lives, our visions for our church, our future, our friends. It was good to have regular conversations to talk to and share openly about perspective.
As the summer drew to a close, he was planning on leaving the city for another job. But he had a vision that went much farther than basic living. He shared with me how he read this book called "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper, and it really challenged him in living for more. He didn't want to live a comfortable life...he didn't want to simply go through the motions. He wanted to make drastic changes in the world, spreading the message of the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ beyond our general comfort zone.
He was one of the leaders of our creative arts ministry, and I remember him talking about it many times, as if it were his own child. He wasn't able to take on the full burden of that ministry in the coming year because of other life callings, but was desperate to make sure it kept pushing through. He shared about how he wanted to do so much more with it. He wanted to evolve the ministry from being one that puts on skits for our church events, to becoming a missions based ministry, making trips to India to perform dramatic plays in areas that don't know Jesus. And I remember I laughed, because I'm a much bigger 'realist' than others. But his passion encouraged me so much. He set his goals high, and the only thing I could do was encourage him to push forth...I didn't want to be the one to quench his fire. I was so impressed with him, as even just hearing him talk and share, it moved me to really seek more and do more.
He had a vision for many years down the line, but God had different plans to bring him home sooner. Although he's physically gone from our presence, I can honestly say that his passion still reverberates within me on a regular basis. As I say many times...there is so much more to this life than what our eyes see and perceive. I want to live with an even greater vision. I want to see this world transformed.

[04.28.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-04-28T20:33:00.003-05:00

[Photo Challenge] FINAL NOTICE! April's challenge of "symmetry" is coming to a close. Get your submissions in ASAP!
[lensrentals.com] Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to LensRentals. I wanted to try out the 70-200 before purchasing, so I rented it for the weekend. Quality condition, and extremely fast shipping (2 days!). I am very impressed. Oh, and here's an image of what I was dealing with:
[Deb and Cabin Preview (and #25)] This past weekend I went out to St. Louis (next bullet point) to second shoot the wedding of Deb and Cabin with Kenny Nakai, which was a great time to try out the 70-200. I had a blast, and Deb an Cabin were an absolutely gorgeous couple (they made my job so easy)! Here's a little teaser as I start going through the images...I'll blog a bit more as I get through all of them. Be sure to check out Kenny's blog as he'll be posting soon too! (And #25 of my '28 in 2008' list has been completed- second shooting with someone)
[1 of 5 States (#6)] ...And that also helped me completed part of #6 on that list. I'm not much of a traveler, so going to 5 states in one year is a lot for me. Being in St. Louis, MO was state number 1. We were literally there for less than 24 hours, so not too much sight seeing or visiting friends, but it still counts!
[Never Eat Alone (#7)] This post is long overdue, so I figured I'll just throw it in here. My book for March (I know...I'm a month late...sorry!) was "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi. Its an interesting read, covering his life and view of the world around him. He stresses the importance of networking, and more so the value of your network. By providing various case studies (many from his own life), he shows just how important we can be to the people around us (and them to us). By looking at relationships and networking with an unselfish motive, it provides the greatest benefit to all.

For April, I purchased 2 books, and started one of them: "How To Win Friends and Influence People". It's a classic and a good foundational book, which is mainly repeating many of the standards and views I was taught growing up. A long read though, which I won't finish this month. Ah well, I will still read at least 12 books (and purchase 12 books) this year.
[The Office] I don't believe I blogged about this recently, but The Office has been back with new episodes for the past couple weeks! I love Thursdays again! If you've never seen it, go and watch them, and set aside your Thursday nights for this. I've been impressed/entertained greatly with the new episodes...have you?
[Leadership Meeting] On Sunday, my church had a meeting among the leadership body of our youth/young adult ministries. It was good for us to re-connect and start progressing in standards of leadership. I'm excited to see the growth and change that is going on, and look forward to what's ahead.
[Chicago Weather] Who wants to complain with me? This is what see today from my Google weather:

[04.21.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-04-21T19:54:00.004-05:00

[Photo Challenge] There's about a week left in this month's challenge (symmetry). Get creative and get your responses in!
[Michael Clayton] My girlfriend came home for less than a day this weekend (woo hoo!), so we rented Michael Clayton. Was anyone else as confused as as I was? I mean, it seemed like it had great potential, but I kept getting lost every other scene. Maybe it's just me. I feel like I needed to focus a lot more to get it.
[Weekend Wedding] I had a friend's wedding this past Saturday, which is the first of like 42 (exaggeration...more like 8) weddings that I'm invited to as a guest this year. Liju and Stacy's wedding was held at the St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church in Lombard, IL, and the reception was at the Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. Congrats guys!

Some coaching for the flower girl...

Seriously...got to love the white socks...

Ring bearer with some pre-wedding reading...

And here's a little 'details' spread for you...

[BBQ #1] To celebrate the first sign of consistently pleasant weather, we had the first (un)official BBQ! BBQs were the 'thing to do' for us last year, so we'll see if history repeats itself. I've snapped some pics of our shopping spree and such, but figured that wouldn't be as interesting for you all, so here's something you can take home with you. What's an important thing to do at parties? NAME YOUR CUP. Everybody gets the same looking cup, puts a liquid in it, takes a few sips, then gets up and walks away. Now you have 15 cups on a table, with nobody knowing whose is whose. So now, when you enter a party, grab a sharpie and label your drink!

[Facebook Chat] For those who haven't noticed, facebook has rolled out a chat system now. When you log in, at the bottom of the screen you'll see a chat bar (which you can pop out), and if your friends are on facebook, you can chat with them! What do you think? Worthwhile? Useful? I'm not sure I want another chat open, but if Adium supports Facebook in the future, I'll like it. Let me know what you guys think of it.
[Spam Comments] Woo hoo! I got my first one! I feel like I'm starting to make a name for myself! (one of the reasons that come year-end, we'll have a whole new look!)

[Cubbies] They are on fire! Number 1 in the NL Central, and pulled off another win today against the NY Mets, 7-1! You know how we do. It might have taken about 100 years, but now's the time. Anyone want to take me to a game this summer? Let me know when, and I'll free up my schedule. :)

Some More Madelyn...

2008-04-19T15:54:00.004-05:00

It's been some time, and she's transforming a lot, so here's a quick glimpse as to what she's up to now:

Baby Vivek's Baptism

2008-04-17T22:31:00.003-05:00

I posted some preview images of baby Vivek's baptism last week, so I just wanted to get a bunch out more to you guys. Have I mentioned how much I love photographing children? Oh... Enjoy!

[04.14.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-04-14T21:21:00.003-05:00

[Cubbies] An off day today, but we're still above 500! It's the little victories that keep me going...it's still early. I still haven't seen a game yet (not even on TV!), but that's why its a 162 game season.
[Photo Challenge] We're halfway through the month! Keep taking those pictures and get your images in for the photo challenge!
[UIUC] So this past weekend I made my last trip of the semester down to U of I to visit my wonderful girlfriend (and all the others). It was a rather busy time for everyone, so I wasn't able to make my visits and such like I normally do, but I still had a blast. It's always great to go back...my home away from home.

[CFC] I got in Friday night, and caught the end of large group at Covenant Fellowship Church, the church I attended during my undergrad. Although I've been gone for over a year, it still feels like I've been there every week day in and day out. On Sunday, Pastor Min game a message on our dual natures which makes me want to go back and hear the podcast from last week's message (since this was part two). A little something-something that caught my attention:

Don't be too impressed with the greatness of people, and don't be too surprised by their sin
Growth is not a weaker propensity of sin, but just a stronger ability to fight

[ICF] My other ministry on campus was the Indian Christian Fellowship, and I was able to hang out with a select group on Friday night. A quick game of catchphrase followed by a rousing time of the bowl game kept us busy until the wee hours of the morning. Good times!

[Bloomington] On Saturday, Nithya and I took a trip out to Bloomington to visit my good friends Jason and Susan, and their little one Isabelle. One thing I love about Bloomington: the price of gas was $3.20. That was about 20 cents cheaper than what was at U of I, which is a few cents cheaper than up here! It was a fun catching up with them and spending some time with Isabelle. She's quite the character!

[Colbert] Anyone watch the Colbert Report today from Philly? He sang the National Anthem with John Legend. I must say, he did surprise me...he's got a decent voice.
[Delayed Posts] Keep an eye out, as I've fallen behind on quite a few posts that I wanted to get out. Things like an S&P on TaDa Lists, a book review on 'Never Eat Alone' (I've started my new book 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'...it might take me over a month to finish though), and some photography tips are just a piece of what to expect. Sorry for the delay!

Pimp My Ride

2008-04-09T21:59:00.003-05:00

Back in the day, I spoke about how my dad was MacGyver-esque in the way that he was fixing up our van...a 1991 Chevy Astro. And (this post is slightly over do), I'm here to announce that he is truly amazing in his skill. Screw West Coast Customs or GAS, my dad's got mad skill. Who else can take a vehicle that looks like this:

And turn it into this:

OK, all joking aside, it's finally happened. The Big Red Van had been through alot...logging many, many miles. I remember trips to Canada...and Detroit...and Philadelphia...and New York (...yeah, we never flew places...). It was the ultimate caravan. And the best transporter whenever someone needed help.
But earlier this year, it took it's final breath. Well, technically it still worked, but the brakes were shot. So you could drive it, you just couldn't stop it. So, after a little look into fixing it by my dad (he seriously wanted to keep it), he finally decided to give up and buy a new car. So he's gone from the 'vintage' Van to a pimp Accord. We donated the van to the American Lung Association (I wonder what they plan on doing with it), so at least someone will put it to use.

It's been a good...17 years (my goodness...I've had this van longer than some of you blog readers have been in alive!). Fun times...rest in peace.

[04.07.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-04-07T19:36:00.005-05:00

[Photo Challenge] The April challenge is posted here, and for those who don't feel like clicking the link to see the theme...that's just sad. (The theme is "symmetry")
[Cubbies] It's still early, but I'm liking how they've played. Just won a few games (3 straight), and are now above 500 at 4-3. Keep it up, guys! Hopefully I'll get some time this year to check out a game or so...
[Baptism] On Saturday morning, I had the honor of photographing my cousin's baptism. Earlier I had taken his newborn pictures, and it's crazy to see how much he has grown since! It was also fun to see some of the family again (though the time was short). I haven't gone through all the images, but here's a little something-something for you:

Matt, Ravita and baby Vivek (enamored by the candles)...

Big sister Sureya (I LOVE this shot!)...

And I love this! Completely unposed. Am I the only one reminded of The Little Rascals?...

[Bachelor Party] This weekend we had a two-day extravaganza bachelor party for my soon-to-be brother-in-law Joel, and his best friend Alan (whom I shot their engagement last year). Can't get into too much details but it was a fun (and draining) time. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue, and then had many fun filled activities through the two days. We had a little fun with some scavenger hunting-ish-ness downtown, and so I was able to get some great pics of one of my favorite things: SUN FLARE! Some people hate the high sun when they shoot, but if you know how to use light, it can be a beautiful thing!

[NCAA Tourney] Today is the final day...and I'm still in it! This is the first time since the Illini made it the finals that I've had my pick for the championship game made it to the finals. And if Memphis wins, I'll have won my pool that I had with my college friends! (And I'll probably be in the top 5 for the other pools I was in...awesome!) I'm pretty proud of myself...but first we need Memphis to pull this out. Here's to hoping!
[Taxes] Just a reminder, April 15th is around the corner, so take care of everything NOW!
[Above the Weather?] So at the end of last week, I finally got better. Than the weekend filled with non-stop activities and no sleep has left me not at my best again...so that means time for rest!

NMP Photo Challenge: April

2008-04-04T19:59:00.002-05:00

As promised guys, here's the photo challenge for the month of April:

THEME: Symmetry

Here's a few definitions of symmetry to get you thinking 'outside the box':

A relationship of characteristic correspondence, equivalence, or identity among constituents of an entity or between different entities
Beauty as a result of balance or harmonious arrangement
Satisfying arrangement marked by even distribution of elements, as in a design: balance, harmony, proportion

This might be a bit tougher, but remember, try looking past the obvious, and see things under a new light! And if you think one of these definitions does a good job explaining your image, let me know which one. Also, feel free to "set up" or pose a setting. One of the most beautiful things in photography is having a vision in your mind and being able to capture that in the frame.

The directions are pretty much the same as last time: e-mail it to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com, the longest side should be no more than 500 pixels, and you can enhance it in Photoshop/Picasa/etc., just don't let it look too 'photoshopped'. And again, send me your blog/site to link to, and a title and description/vision if you have one.

So now that you've got your mission, get out there, seek reality, and start shooting!

Photo Challenge Submissions: March-Yellow

2008-04-03T18:32:00.003-05:00

So for the month of March, I started a little 'photo challenge' to get people more active in taking pictures and being more creative and purposeful with their shots. The first challenge was to photograph "yellow", and I had quite a few submissions on it. A handful of responses were brought in my Rincey, Leena T, Briana, Reny, and Maya. As I stated before, I'm in the process of building a separate site just for the challenge to make it more accessible, easier to submit, and have the ability to view all the images, but that might only be up and running by the fall. For now, here's a few choice images.

First, I must declare this one as my favorite, submitted by Rincey (with help from Biji):

(for those who can't read it, it says "Nate, pick me as the winner of the photo challenge. I'll hire you as the photographer at my wedding. Nate, even though I go to Marquette...U of I for life."...and we'll disregard the last line. Now that's creative!)

And here are a couple more of the images I liked.
[Leena]

*this would probably finish a close second...

[Rincey]

[Maya]

[Briana]

[Reny]

After doing this first one, it got me wanting to do a few posts teaching about photography...some rules, tidbits of knowledge, etc. Be on the lookout for those to come...'m trying to think of the most efficient way to write it as right now it's just a mess of disorganized inspiration :) .

I'll get the challenge for April posted tomorrow (and I'm already getting excited for the ones after that...it'll force you guys to REALLY get creative!). OK, open your eyes and keep shooting!

Engagement | Impromptu Portrait

2008-04-01T20:38:00.004-05:00

I'm finally getting 'above the weather' (not sure what got into me), so I got a chance to go through some of my images from the weekend. On Saturday morning, Sunil and Theresa had an engagement ceremony at Florian Banquets (formally Crown Jewel).

Being invited as a friend/family, I was able to sit back and relax while my friend Kenny Nakai did his thing. Here's a few of him sporting the D3 (I forgive him) and doing this so-called 'thing':

With no official photographic responsibility, I just brought one lens and took a few images at will...which somehow always leads to me taking images of children, as they always find a way to distract themselves with more entertaining things that what their current scenario is giving them.

At the table next to me, I was seated by the beautiful Elisha, who seemed very prepared for a photoshoot. Before I even pulled out my camera, she went by a pillar and started posing! So I grabbed my camera and took a few frames of her. Afterwards, she came and checked out the images on the back of my camera, and I'm assuming she wasn't too impressed because she went back to pillar for more poses! Hopefully she approves of these :)

Probably tomorrow night (or possibly Thursday) I'll post a handful of images from the recent "yellow" challenge as well theme for April's challenge. Get your cameras ready!

[03.31.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-03-31T20:39:00.002-05:00

[Photo Challenge] So today is officially the last day for the photo challenge, but I'll give a couple day grace period for people to send their images in. It was fun seeing the "yellow" from others perspective. In the next day or so, I'll post the collection of images that have been sent for the first challenge (and state my 'favorite') as well as post the challenge for April. I'm building a new site for the photo challenge to make it easier to view the images and stay up-to-date with the challenge, but that might only be completely later in the year (I've got like 5 site designs/re-designs that I'm working on for the year). So if you haven't sent it yet, SEND YOUR IMAGES NOW!
[Under the Weather] So over the weekend I came down with a bad cold, which was terrible because I went to visit Madelyn and couldn't hold her. I put myself on bed-rest yesterday (took a 6 hour nap), and am slowly feeling better. Because of this, I haven't been able to do my same day / day-after photo posts, but I'll have something at the end to get you coming back.
[Home Opener] Today was the home opener for the Chicago Cubs, and how else would we start a season than with a rain delay followed by an extra inning loss? Zambrano pitched a great game, but I guess we just couldn't finish. Well, it's only 1 game in a 162-game season, so anything can happen. All this to say - I love BASEBALL!
[JabbaWockees] As I called it, Jabba won the Best Dance Crew title (so what if all my other assumptions were wrong?). The final show was entertaining, with a great collective performance by Jabba, Kaba and Fish. I expected a much better final routine, but can't complain...they kept me entertained all season long. I wonder what season 2 will bring- dancers on stilts? Skateboarders?
[NCAA Tournament] For the first time in history, all four #1 teams made it to the Final Four. Impressive. And with that, there's still a chance that I can win at least one of the pools I'm in. So this is what I need...Memphis over UCLA, Kansas over UNC (even though I had UNC in the finals for one of brackets), and Memphis winning it all. So everyone wish your good feelings on this...I think I have a free dinner riding on this!
[Uncle Bob] The term 'Uncle Bob' is used among photographer's to define that person/family member who shows up to weddings and such with their own camera, and normally hangs over the photographer's shoulders taking all the pictures they set up and such. Now, this can pose a bit of an issue, as the people in the picture sometimes look at his camera, his flash ruins the exposure of your shots, he gets in the way of your picture, etc. Different photographers deal with it differently, and all I ask for people is to just respect the photographer. Many will let you take pictures and such, just follow their directions so that the pro's pictures (the one the couple paid for) turn out the way they expect.
I bring this up because this past weekend was my friend's engagement ceremony, and they hired a photographer friend of mine, Kenny Nakai, to shoot the event. At the end of it he was going through formal portraits with everyone, and I just thought it was hilarious seeing all the other cameras. He did a great job letting people get their pictures while making sure he got his as well. Normally you're looking through your own camera and you don't notice it, but this is what the photographer is dealing with.

And possibly my favorite...

So for all you guests at events, try to steer clear of the photographer's way as much as possible, and for all you photographers working Indian events, get ready for 15 other photographers alongside you :)

[03.24.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-03-24T18:36:00.004-05:00

[Easter] Quite possibly my favorite holiday. It really refocuses me, and helps me put everything in perspective. I hope everyone had a blessed Easter!
[NCAA Tourney] And this is quite possibly the least productive weekend for me all year. This first weekend is the most exciting, tracking teams that I've never watched before. And like always, I have a few teams that lead most of the game, blow the second half, and totally mess up my brackets (thank you Georgia, Clemson). I'm still fighting strong, though, but hanging out a thread.
[NCAA Tourney #2] I've made 6 different brackets, and am in 4 different pools (4 on ESPN, 1 on Facebook, 1 on Yahoo Sports). The hard thing is it takes so much effort to figure out who to cheer for! I might have one team winning in one pool but losing in another. Then I waste so much time figuring out which one is most worthwhile to win so I can win a pool...and then I need to think about which pool I have the best chance of winning, and so forth and so on. It's tough! I need to figure out a better way to do this next year so it's not so mind boggling.
[Dance Crew] It happened. Jabba Wockees and Kaba Modern split the Asian vote, which kept Status Quo safe last week. Which meant Jabba and Kaba went head-to-head, causing Kaba to go home. It's very sad- they should have both been in the finals this week. Ah well, now it's up to Jabba to take care of the high-flying antics of Status Quo.
[Photo Challenge] Just a reminder that there's less than week to get your submissions in for the March Photo Challenge (Yellow). Keep shooting and get them in fast!
[Perception] Check out this video:

Did it work? It gets me thinking on so many levels...Leave a comment whether "it worked on you" or not. I'd love to get some stats on this thing.
[Spring Break] Only in Chicago is there a 'snow storm' during Spring Break. Luckily (or unluckily, I guess), the corporate world doesn't have spring breaks, so it didn't really hurt me too much. Still sad though. But high schoolers have this week off, which should be nicer for them. Congrats!
[Madelyn] Might as well throw some pictures in this post, huh? Enjoy!

Her eyes are HUGE!

Big sister Alexis will obviously still get her picture too...

Madelyn with daddy...

She started getting a little camera shy, I think...that can't be a good sign :)

Big sister is doing a good job helping take care of Madelyn as well...

And that's the end of that photoshoot! Let me know if you get sick of these (not that I'll stop, but it's still nice to get some feedback :) ).

Hello Madelyn!

2008-03-19T22:40:00.004-05:00

I know I said I probably wouldn't blog again this week, but I just need to get this announcement out. I'm an uncle again! On Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 12:02pm, my sister gave birth to her second daughter, Madelyn Joy. A little bit after I started work I got a phone call saying they were at the hospital, but my sister was walking around and such so no real hurry (I thought). A few hours later, I get a call saying I have another niece! I mean, seriously?! Who said this pregnancy thing was tough? [Totally kidding...]
Well, just wanted to post a few pics of the newest one to whet your palette. I'm excited to have a new model...you'll be seeing plenty of pictures of her in the near future!

bonus notes:
- About a week and a half left in the photo challenge! Get your images in to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com.

- Last time to create your NCAA brackets is noon on Thursday, so go to ESPN, fill out a bracket, and join the nmathai photography group! HURRY!

Happy (early) Easter everyone!

[03.17.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-03-17T21:31:00.002-05:00

[Illinois] After a disappointing season, I was thoroughly impressed that they made to the Big 10 Finals. I mean, they were a 10 seed going in expected to lose the first game, and came one game short of an NCAA Tourney birth. Rough season, but well played at the end (minus the last game...a little disappointed).
[Tourney Time] It's finally here! So, I really haven't followed college ball this season at all, but I'm still excited for the tourney. Brackets are out so start building yours! I've created a public group on ESPN so make a bracket and join up. It doesn't matter what you know of the game - I used to watch the games religiously in college and still couldn't be in the top 50% of any tournament. Hurry, brackets get locked on Thursday, March 20th!
[Girlfriend] She's Back! She's on her spring break now, and it's rough that it's during Passion Week as my evenings are busier and I still work days (I wish we got a spring break), but we were able to hang out Saturday evening. We watched this movie called Margot at the Wedding (her choice) starring Nicole Kidman...I was lost the whole time. I really don't think there was much of a plot or character development...it did take up quite a bit of time. I think I actually fell asleep a bit too. Ah well, better luck next time.
[Vantage Point] Yesterday we celebrated my brother-in-law's brother's 30th birthday. My goodness have we all grown up. After dinner with the family, a couple of us went out and watched Vantage Point with Dennis Quaid and Forest Whitaker. I'm not going to ruin it for you guys, but it's an interesting concept but could have been written a lot better. A lot of details could have been added to make it a top movie...for now, it's just 'decent'. But definitely better than that Margot movie...definitely.
[Passion Week] A bit late as yesterday was Palm Sunday, but we are now in Passion Week, remembering the week up through Jesus' crucifixion on the cross followed by His resurrection. I'll be busy most nights with church stuff so I probably won't be able to blog much. In any case, wanted to get this resource out to you all - it's a collection of bible passages that account Jesus' last week. It'll be a good way to reflect during this week.

#7 (2 of 12)

2008-03-11T20:53:00.002-05:00

March Photo Challenge: Yellow

This post is long overdue, but I've finished my second book in my race of 1 book a month for 2008, "UnChristian". Like I stated in an earlier post, I've already started my next book which is "Never Eat Alone." For now, a recap:

I was pretty excited/interested getting into this book. The premise of it is seeing how a new generation view "Christians" and the Christian faith. As a whole, its a very interesting topic, with a lot of research put behind it. A lot more research than I expected. Much of the book was stating the results of different surveys that were given, from how people view different issues pertaining to Christianity. Although it was more stats than I would have liked, there were some interesting points brought up:

Christians seem to be too concerned with a "Get Saved" mentality, trying to convert the world and not really caring for the individual. (What happens after they 'get saved'?
Those outside of the faith have a smaller community of friends who do not follow the same belief. (If they are called to reach the unreached, why aren't they interacting with them regularly?)
There's a perception that Christians do not live in 'reality'...they don't understand what's going on the world, how society is run, and the likes. (It's not as perfect as they make it seem).

Now, I don't agree with every conclusion that was brought on through the research, but there are a great amount of points that need reflecting on.

Apart from Christianity, this is an important concept for people to think about. How do those around you perceive you, your community, your business? Where is the truth behind the statements? How can you change the perceptions that you are giving off so people get a true look at who you (your community | your business) really is?

And as a fun addition, here are a few images on my walk home from work today, with some fun processing. With the weather getting better, I'm excited to finally have more opportunities to get the outdoor shots that aren't just snow!

[03.10.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-03-10T18:50:00.002-05:00

March Photo Challenge: Yellow

[Bulls] It was a rough weekend...we got rocked Friday night by Boston, and then got our first loss to Detroit this season yesterday...geez. Even still, we're still fighting for a playoff spot...I love the Eastern Conference!
[Bears] We re-signed Briggs and Rex. We lost Moose, we lost Berrian, we lost Ayanbadejo, got rid of Griese. We picked up Marty Booker...again. Lord help us.
[Daylight Savings] To make up for 'losing' an hour on Sunday, I took like a 3 hour nap. Still haven't been able to sleep in until 11am once this year yet, but an extended nap is always nice.
[Facebook Notes] Seems facebook is really delayed in importing my blog posts...I posted Saturday afternoon and it still has uploaded that one yet. So remember, if you want to get my posts as it happens, subscribe to the feed with Google Reader!
[Dance Crew] Yep...still impressed. They did a throwback special to Michael Jackson, and as Shane Sparks would say, they "killed it...murdered it." The way I see it, Status Quo will be out next, then BreakSkate...then Kaba Modern meaning Jabba will take it all! You can quote me on this.
[NCAA Tourney] I haven't followed college basketball at all this year, and it's on pretty much every channel now as they tourney is right around the corner. Not following it, though, just might give me the best chance as ever before because I always over-analyze everything. Is anyone doing a pool? Let me know...
[Uncle Soon] It's only a matter a time, but I will soon have my second niece! In a few weeks, get ready for many pictures of the new little one.

Late Night Monopoly

2008-03-08T13:07:00.003-06:00

March Photo Challenge: Yellow
To keep you seeing yellow:

I saw this car just sitting outside my house on my way out last night. Right underneath a streetlight, which was the only real light shining on it. Jumped out, got a quick grab without any flash, and a bit of a boost with the raw file. It was literally 'glowing' when I came out of my house...
(keep sending your 'yellow' images to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com)

Last night a few of my friends go together to hang out, and decided (after watching the Bulls get rocked by the Celtics and a few youTube Dance Crew videos) to play a rousing game of Monopoly. To speed things up, we randomly game each player 2 property cards, and went on from there. And although I started strong, I was the first out (sad!). I had two monopolies, but didn't have the money to really build, and then got screwed with one guy having 3 houses on Greens while another friend having a couple on Boarwalk (and I landed on both back to back). Although I didn't last long, we played until around 1:30am, with one trade of property pretty much deciding the game. Congrats to Aby for pulling out the victory (sorry Jerry...better luck next time). It's been awhile since I played (I think since college?)...I wish I did this more often! Here's the 'glimpse':

S.A.L.T.

2008-03-06T22:51:00.003-06:00

March Photo Challenge: YELLOW
(I'll keep this info at the top of each blog post until I figure a better way to do this)

Last weekend I attended SALT (South Asian Leadership Training) hosted by Cornerstone Fellowship of UIC and Campus Crusades. It was a great time for leaders of college ministries to get together and connect and get energized to start off this semester strong. Here's a glimpse of the event (for what I was there for), and you can view the entire gallery here.

In order to keep people from blinking, I told them all to keep there eyes closed until I counted to 3. This was when I said 2 (Can you spot who wasn't following directions?)

And look! Nobody blinked!

NMP Photo Challenge: March

2008-03-04T10:09:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! OK, so I got good feedback from people interested in talking part in the monthly photo challenge, so we'll get started now and see how it goes. Please read through the directions to help this flow as smooth as possible. I've been going through many different concepts for photo themes, so I'm very excited to see what people will come up with. But for the first one, I figured I'll start very simple.

THEME: Yellow
(here's a little something to get you seeing yellow)

DIRECTIONS | RULES | REQUIREMENTS
- Be creative! Think outside of the box. Use different angles. Just before you take the picture, think what would make the image stand out more.
- Focus on the theme. Take the picture in a way that the theme 'jumps out' at you (blatantly, or creatively).
- Images must be taken by you (do not submit images that are not yours...that's just wrong).
- There is no limit to the number of images a person can submit (this might change in the future...but for now, just shoot and send!)
- Images can have basic adjustments (exposure, crop, white balance, highlight/shadows, contrast) using photoshop or your favorite image editor, but should not be drastically edited (it shouldn't look "photoshopped"). We want to show our visions before we press the shutter, not after we sit at the computer!

SUBMISSION
- All images should be re-sized to have a maximum length of 500 pixels. (I don't need your full-resolution images, we're just posting them online). I'll post directions below.
- Please do not place any sort of watermark on your images. I will provide credit and link back to you with your information presented, but I'd like to keep the individual images as pure as possible when I receive it.
- E-mail all images to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com , with the month submitted for somewhere in the subject (ie. "March Photo Challenge").
- Please include the following information in your e-mail:

Your name (and whether you would like me to post your it or not)
Your website/blog (for me to link back to)
Title of your image (if you have one)
Vision with the image (why did you take this picture the way that you did?)

And that's that! Just get creative, and open your eyes to the world around you. Like I said, think outside the box. Take a couple 'safe' shots (things that obviously fall under the category of "yellow") and then push the envelope a bit. I know my blog readers can be an artistic bunch if you try, so go! Let me know if you have any questions on the challenge, as this is the first one, there will probably be many details to iron out as we get this thing set. For now, just get out there, see reality, and start shooting!

!!!!BONUS PHOTO TIP!!!!
Re-sizing an Image for the web

Photos can be very large in size when taken from the camera, which is great if you want to make a 16x20 canvas, but useless if you're just e-mailing a picture to friends or posting an image on the blog. Most online photo hosting sites will shrink your images to display properly, but if you shrink it before hand, you can upload faster and upload more! So unless you're planning on printing it, shrink it. A general rule of thumb would be to have the resolution at 72ppi/dpi for web, and 300ppi/dpi for print. Also, for my challenges, I'd like the images to be no larger that 500pixels on the largest size, because that's just a good viewable size and easier to deal with. So here's how you can do that.

In Photoshop:

Go to File->Automate->Fit Image, and set both values to 500 pixels.
Then go to File->Save As, and save it as a jpg image, at a quality of around 7-8.

Using Picasa:

Click Export to Folder
Under Image Size, move the slider to set it at 500.

This should shrink your images considerably and make them faster to upload/e-mail.

[You guys interested in photo tips? General photography or post-processing? Let me know and maybe I'll post things like this more often]

[03.03.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-03-03T22:45:00.007-06:00

[Internet] For some reason, my internet has been acting up since last night...majority of the time I can't access any page, and sometimes it takes 5 minutes to load my homepage. It took me forever to even get to the site to post this blog...hopefully it all works well when I actually try to post it (didn't work, hence the reason its posted on Tuesday morning).
[SALT] Friday evening and Saturday I spent at SALT (South Asian Leadership Training), which was held at the Comfort Inn in Des Plaines, IL. I love working with college kids, and it was a great time for me to re-connect with some U of I kids. The event was co-hosted by Cornerstone Fellowship and Campus Crusades of UIC. I'll have a photo post recap later this week (when my internet works a lot better, hopefully). For now, my 'press pass':

[PassingTheTorch] It's finally over. I spent 2007 serving as the vice president of my church's youth fellowship, and this past Sunday was 'officially' my last day in that position. It was a very stretching year for myself and our church in general, and I know that God has some amazing things in store for the year to come.
[PhotoChallenge] Last Friday I thought of having a monthly photo challenge where I post a theme and get blog readers to send in their photo interpretation of said theme, and it was met with a great response. So I'll be posting the first theme tomorrow morning, with more details/directions as to how the process will work. I'm so excited!
[NewBook] I did finish my book for February, which was "unChristian" by David Kinnaman. I'll have the recap posted shortly as well (I've got so much to blog!). My book for March is "Never Eat Alone", which covers the concept of purposeful relationships and building relational networks.
[Girlfriend] My girlfriend came home this weekend for the SALT Conference, and I was able to spend some good, quality time with her. I saw her at SALT Friday and Saturday, on Sunday went to her sister's place for dinner (Jaden is slowly starting to like me...I think...), and then she came over on Monday. Good times indeed! In a couple a weeks she'll be back for Spring Break...that's one whole week! I love it!

I'm Thinking of a Challenge...

2008-02-29T15:49:00.003-06:00

Pretty much everyone and their mother has a camera nowadays, by it a D3, an XT, a simple P&S, or even a camera phone. At a wedding, about 75% of the people there will have some sort of camera (no factual evidence for that statistic). And I think it's a great thing. I feel like so many people, though, are not letting themselves really use this tool to get a deeper glimpse in the world around them, which is one of the things that I love about photography. As I walk down the street, I immediately see a massive picture with great details, be it signpost, a colored door, or a distant statue. And many times, as we walk through the day consumed with the concerns of ourselves, we walk right past the beauty that's around us.

So I was thinking of possibly doing some sort of "Monthly Challenge" thing, basically in an effort for people to take more pictures and get creative; to experience the beauty and 'reality' of the world they live in and share it with the rest of us. There would be a simple topic/theme to cover, and then for the month you would go and 'search' for it., take LOADS of pictures, and e-mail them to me. I'll combine them all and post the different perspective that we all have on the same idea. What do you think? Here's an example scenario to show you want I mean...

Theme: Color
And people would submit (these images are from a free stock photo site):

It'd be very interesting to see how different people perceive the same direction. Even though we're all looking at the 'same thing', we will all have different aspects of it that jump out at us. And recognizing the differences in people's perceptions will inevitably open up our eyes. So...do you want to play?

This will only work if we have a decent number of people participating, so let me know (leave comments!) and if we get a good response I'll post the first theme. Maybe I'll even pick my favorite one (totally subjective :) ) and that person can win a special prize. So...let me know! Happy shooting people, open your eyes and keep it real...

[02.25.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-02-25T19:43:00.004-06:00

[Blogging] So I've only been posting MNRs recently, and I'm sorry! I've been spending a lot of time working on the business-side of things, but don't worry...I'll get back on track before you know it! Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see here...I'm always open to ideas!
[Manoj&Jaime] Two weeks ago, I shot the engagement ceremony of Manoj and Jaime. Manoj is from Dallas and since the wedding is out in Texas, they had a ceremony up here in Chicago at the beautiful Abbington Banquets in Glen Ellyn. By request, their gallery is protected, so if you know them, you can contact them for the login and password. Thanks again, guys, for allowing me to take part in your special day! Here's a little tease of details:

[DanceCrew] Have you guys seen this show on MTV? I must say, my whole life I desired to have skills in the creative arts. I tried drawing, singing, acting, and even dancing in various capacities (...as well as graphic design, web design, and now photography...I think I finally found my creative talent!). These guys are just SICK! A small part of me wishes I didn't 'retire' from dancing (of course...I've retired from like 100 things in my life, so maybe I'll come out of retirement someday...doubtful). My votes are going for Kaba Modern and the JabbaWockeeZ...that's straight talent.
[Bulls] Finally a trade. I'm fine with getting rid of Big Ben, but I wish we didn't have to drop Joe Smith. We'll see Gooden plays out...in the weak East, we still have a chance for the playoffs...here's to hoping.
[GoldenBirthday] My (soon-to-be) brother-in-law is celebrating his golden birthday no Wednesday, so on Sunday we had a 'surprise' celebration for him: laser tag at Eskape and dinner at TGIFridays. I hadn't gotten laser tagging in years (we've moved up to paint balling), but it was still fun. We played the old guys (21+) versus the young guys, and we crushed them both rounds! What can I say...we might be slower, but for now we're still wiser with strategy :)

[02.18.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-02-18T20:58:00.003-06:00

[Slam Dunk] He was robbed last year, and I called it again for this year- Dwight Howard is a beast! When the man requests to raise the rim to 12 feet, you know there's no contest. Did you see his superman dunk? It makes me wonder what the exact definition of a dunk is...anyone know?
[AllStar] I missed the all star game, but even still, it is my favorite all star event of all the sports. Football players don't really play because it's the off-season and they fear getting hurt. Baseball isn't as fast-paced during actual gameplay (though I still watch it). The NBA has both excitement, entertainment, and competition. What else could you ask for? (Hockey isn't a sport, for those of you who were wondering...)
[Engagement] I was busy Saturday morning with an engagement shoot Saturday morning...it was a blast shooting for Jaime and Manoj. Did I tell you I love my job? Although they stated the hate photographs, they are both very photogenic...I'll post more about them later on this week.
[AfterParty] It just so happened a couple friends of mine got engaged that morning as well, but I missed the ceremony do to the other engagement. I did make it out to their after party, and that was some fun times. It such a blessing to see two friends get together and chase God...I'm praying your ministry guys! I decided to take a few 'ambient light' [high ISO, low shutter, no flash] shots throughout the night (I was a bit tired after the morning), so here are a handful of the headshots and such:

[KnightRider] Did anyone see the premiere of the new Knight Rider? I missed it, but heard some bad reviews? Anyone got any comments?
[MyDadsBetter] I just got the tale end of "My Dads Better Than Your Dad," a new show on NBC. Ummm...is this seriously the type of mentality that this next generation is being taught? I'm not a fan of the concept.
[Canvas] My girlfriend came home this weekend, and I gave her this as a gift:

I love canvases! I'm going to get some bigger ones once we get our own place. I knew those years of Trading Spaces in college would be of benefit...I have a much better eye for design.

[02.11.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-02-11T20:43:00.000-06:00

[UIUC] I posted yesterday about my festivities at U of I. It's always so fun to go and visit, but my time feels so short (even though I take Friday off of work to visit!). No matter how much time I have, I still can't find time to meet with everyone I'd like to. Sorry people- next time we'll create a list with 1.5 hour slots...will that work? Keep in touch even if I don't visit! E-mail, IM...whatever!
[TheKingdom] On night #1, we watched The Kingdom...I thought it was very well made. There's something about these movies that get to me...keeps me interested. It always attempts to show the humanity of both sides. Opens up minds to perspective.
[CFC] It's great going 'home'. I post this every time, but whenever I go back there's always a handful of people not just saying 'welcome back' but 'welcome home.' I spent 4 and a half years being raised/trained there, and while many have left (including myself), we still have a bond that transcends location. A bit of teaching that hit me:

at every single moment, we are seeking maximum pleasure
past events don't determine our current choices, though they do influence them
Repentance is more "God Help Me" than "God Forgive Me"

[Disappointed] My girlfriend and I had an early Valentine's celebration since she's away at school. We were searching for things to do and stumbled upon an event called "Covered in Chocolate" held in Monticello, IL. There were many different events, and we got tickets to go to a live jazz show with a chocolate buffet. And let me tell you, we were a bit disappointed. The jazz band was nice (though I guess we're not that cultured to love it), but the buffet was said. It seriously seemed like a small table with 3 different chocolate items that they just purchased from Meijer. We made the most of the night and had a blast, but we expected more...I'm just saying. Maybe it'll get better over time.
[Allerton] The event was held at Allerton Park in Monticello. It was late at night when we were driving, and the place is not lit at all...no real street signs or lamp posts. We found our way by the occasional "Allerton Park -> " signs. I've heard the grounds are amazing there, but the outdoor area is not lit at all to notice at night...so sad. We were inside one of the buildings for the jazz event, and it is a rather beautiful place. Anyone having a wedding in the Champaign area, I recommend booking the place (and book me too!), because you can get some great photos there. We did wander around a bit and took our share of photos in there, but my girlfriend's bit shy, so I won't post (all of) them.
[SelfPortraits] People have always asked what who we're going to hire for our wedding. I always tell them that I'm going to do it...I mean, I'm going to have the best view right up front. I'll also set up a few cameras on tripod with a wireless remote in my pocket for different angles. Everyone thinks I'm joking...I don't know what to tell them. But here's proof of what's possible! This was one camera, no tripod, no flash, no nothing! It might take us like 8 hours to do an e-session having to set everything up, but it's possible! What do you think?

*I'm getting into a habit of pulling over on the side of the road when I drive. The banner picture is from one of those stops on my drive back from Champaign. Here is the full picture...

Quick Post - UIUC

2008-02-10T21:39:00.001-06:00

I just got back from Urbana, and boy did I have a blast. It was a rather busy weekend with the regular church events, meeting up with current undergrads, birthday celebrations, as well as spending quality time with the girlfriend. All in all, I had a blast. I didn't get an opportunity to pull out the camera too much because of the busy-ness and such, but I did take a few quick grabs on Saturday. Here's a quick recap first:
- Got in Friday morning, met up with two of my 'children', then got lunch with 2 seniors.
- Picked up girlfriend from law school, went bowling (redeemed my poor 64 from earlier this week with a 158), then went to starbucks and hung out.
- Afterwards, caught dinner with her and two of her law school friends, followed by CFC large group. The night ended watching The Kingdom.
- Saturday morning, met with a few more 'children', where my 'kid' and the 'neighbor's kid' made me a pancake breakfast (they love their alumn!) and chilled/caught up.
- Lunch was at Ruby Tuesday's for my 'youngest daughter's' birthday with a crowd.
- Then I went and showered/changed, rested, went back to starbucks (it was a high coffee weekend for me), and had an early valentine's day celebration at Allerton Park with the girlfriend.
- At Allerton was a [unexciting] Jazz Festival / Chocolate Buffet which had about 3 different chocolate snacks that could have been purchased from Meijer. But the place is beautiful and we had a blast wandering the grounds.
- Sunday morning was church, followed by the mandatory "Lunch at Za's with the Alumn"...then a bit more chilling with the girlfriend before heading home.

Very brief, not much excitement in the text, but I truly had a blast! The play-by-play doesn't begin to scratch the surface. Maybe I'll provide more details tomorrow with the MNR, but for now, here's a few pics of the kids making me breakfast, and the birthday lunch:

***The reason for all the single quotes ( '...' ) is because I don't really have any biological or legal children, but there have been a handful that I've taken on as 'my own' due to the fact that they go to U of I (and I practically raised them :) ). Don't get it twisted...just go with it...

The Beauty Within - 01

2008-02-06T22:31:00.000-06:00

Earlier, I stated that I was going to start on a personal project outside of the project100's (100 different images of the same type of subject). And this one is called "The Beauty Within". What I love about photography is it captures the essence of life. It looks deeper than we did at a single moment, and allows a clearer reflection of our lives. With that in mind, I realize that there's so much around us that we overlook so quickly. We might 'experience' it everyday, but from our general point of view, it looks very bland and doesn't catch our attention. But from a different angle, everything can look simply stunning. This project is for me to capture 50 different objects within my house from an angle that I just might not totally look at it. Here's image number 1:

Sometimes, you need to look at things from a different angle to see the beauty in it. A change in perspective can open up your eyes and your mind to new ideas and a greater vision. Do not let yourself be limited my consistency...work outside of the box, step a few feet back, and open yourself to a greater potential. Much love.

DWF Bowling

2008-02-05T23:22:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are all the pics from bowling with the Chicagoland photographers from the Digital Wedding Forum at Lucky Strikes Lanes last night. Let me tell you, it's very difficult to take photographs in a dark place like a bowling alley...but that didn't stop us! Here's the best I could do. I'll give a shout-out to the photogs ~~soon enough...for now it's late, so~~ NOW.
The biggest shout-out goes to the creator of it all, Jason Kaczorowski. There were two trophy winners with the highest score going to Cindy Fandl, and the lowest score to Yola (though she did strike in the 10th). Honorable mentions to everyone else! We had quite a showing with Kenny Nakai, Mr Stacey, Andy Schneider, Christian Muntean, Jay Crihfield, John Patrick, Emily DeWan, Bradley Floden, John Burdick and Jeff Lee. We also had a few fans who didn't bowl: Vida Perez, Roger Beck, Russ Lowe, Abigail Harenberg and
Melissa Downham. It was great meeting all of you guys (hopefully I didn't miss anyone!).

Here are just the pics for now(pardon the grain, these were shot at 3200):

[02.04.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-02-04T23:06:00.000-06:00

Got home kinda late, but still getting the MNR up...look how dedicated I am!

[SuperBowl] I'll repeat what everyone else said: Boring 3 and a half quarters, and then an amazing finish! I did call it though. I said the 4th quarter would be amazing, I said Brady and the Patriots score too quickly, I said Manning was Grossman with better luck (he lofted quite a few at the end), and I called the last drive completely being Brady to Moss. I like the sound of 18-1...though I'm not a fan of of the Giants at all. Fun time watching though.
[SuperAds] I wasn't too impressed with any of the superbowl ads this year. I guess I was just expecting more. But this one I thought was greatly written and executed. It's the one from Matt Hasselback...hilarious, in my eyes.
[Lent] I barely eat enough as it is (and I get in trouble all the time for it), so sacrificing food doesn't do much for me. But what I'm trying to do is sacrifice a bit of sleep. Hopefully this will become a habit...I'm waking trying to wake up between 6 and 6:30 everyday so I won't be as rushed in the mornings, and do my quiet times at home instead of on the train. Wish me luck!
[PottyTraining] Alexis was over this weekend, and she's in the process of being potty trained...and is doing a great job (or so I'm told). It's entertaining, because when she has to go, she stops what she's doing and runs to the bathroom and says, 'I've go that feeling.'
[Fog] It's crazy...I could barely see anything driving tonight. I practically got lost going to Lucky Strikes for bowling.
[LuckyStrike] A bunch of photographers from the Chicgoland area got together tonight and went bowling at the Lucky Strike Lanes out in Lombard. It was some fun times. Mad props (yes, Mad ones..I don't give those out all the time) go out to Jason Kazcorowski for setting this all up. You haven't really bowled until you've walked towards the lane with 5 cameras pointed at you, and 3 flashes when you're releasing the ball! People must have thought we were crazy. Sadly, I bowled one of the worst games in my life (64), and we only bowled one game. So I definitely will find some time next weekend to bowl...I don't care if it's by myself. I'm going to prove that I still have my 150 average...I promise! I'll post more pics tomorrow, but here's a glimpse:

And quite possibly my favorite shot:

First Snow...

2008-02-01T20:02:00.000-06:00

Well, maybe not the first snow of the winter, but the first time I pulled my camera out. Last night the snow was coming down gradually, but consistently...and it took me about one hour to get from the train station to my house (normally about a 15 minute drive). So we pulled out the snowblower and cleared off the driveway. This morning I arose to find the snow had kept falling...I love the look, but hate the travel in it. Luckily I parked in the garage so I didn't have to clean off my car. But I left for work, I pulled the camera to get a few quick shots...it's been awhile, right?

And as you can see, I got a bunch of trees for my Project100. I can't wait until spring...trees are beautiful then! Oh, and keep an eye out...I'm planning on another type of personal project aside from the Project100's...and they'll be quicker to finish so I'll be able to post them more often.

Super Bowl Sunday coming up...My mind says Patriots, but my heart says not the Patriots (but I don't really care for the Giants at all...meaning another Super Bowl to simply watch the commercials). Stay warm!

[01.28.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-01-28T20:56:00.000-06:00

[CollegeDays] This past weekend, I went to sleep at around 4am and was up by around 7am...This used to be a daily occurrence in college. Now? I was passing out at 2 in the afternoon...man I'm old.
[Equinox] After a bit of a hiatus (again), I've started my workout regime again. Wish me luck!
[StateOfTheUnion] George Bush gave his State of the Union address today. As I watch, one sad thing is seeing the ovation and cheers by one side while the other stays seated. I know there are differences of opinions and varying stances by parties, but these are times where you dream of a unified nation...rebuke and challenges coming face-to-face, but speaking highly of the President to those in the public. 'Holy Gossip' as I was taught...
[MissionsPresentation] As promised yesterday, I uploaded the missions presentation online. It's just a glimpse of the faces out at the NavJeevan Center. If you guys have any interest in helping out or making donations for them or just to learn more about it, let me know or visit the NavJeevan website.

Here's the presentation...

#7 (1 of 12)

2008-01-27T01:20:00.000-06:00

In my 28 in 2008, I'm 1/12th of the way of completing #7. The first book I bought/read was "Egonomics" by David Marcum and Steven Smith. And let me tell you, I really recommend this to anyone who is in a leadership position...be it in a company, ministry, relationship, whatever. It creates an opportunity for important self-reflection...understanding the limiting factors in our own lives (as well as understanding the internal issues that others could be limited by). And by knowing these things and acting wisely upon it, it will lead to more efficient progress in life.

Here are a handful of texts that jumped out at me for various reasons throughout the month:

Curiosity is the active ingredient that drives exploration of ideas. Curiosity gives us permission and courage to test what we think, feel, and believe is true, reminding us we don't know everything about anything.
When competitive challenges consume us, combined with the general inaccuracy of our comparisons, we get sidetracked in three ways: we set goals we shouldn't set to begin with, we set the bar higher than is reachable or realistic, or we get comfortable where we are at.
The logic behind defensiveness doesn't stack up. If we're wrong, do we really want to defend a bad idea or position? If we're right, will being defensive increase or decrease the strength of our position?
When people move from sharing to showcasing, the smartest people are ignored - even when they're needed the most.
For most people, tradition holds that the opposite of excessive ego is humility, when in fact having too little ego is just as dangerous and unproductive as having too much.
The closer we move to the extremes on humility's equilibrium, the harder it is to make our way back to the center. The longer we stay off-center, the more comfortable we become off-center. If we don't quickly recover, we're more likely to develop an egotistical reflex in the way we work.
Regardless of what others say or how they act, a genuine exchange of ideas isn't possible until people are sure what's being questioned is ideas, not identity.
Veracity doesn't differ from truth in its destination, but in action. Veracity implies the habitual pursuit of, and adherence to, truth. Both pursuit and adherence matter immensely, pursuit in arriving at truth, and adherence in making a change once truth is discovered.

Just recap a small glimpse of it was exciting again for me. Who would have thought this reading thing would be so informative and beneficial? Next on my reading list is unChristian...I'm excited!

Alright...3:15am...time to sleep! (I wasn't up this late to blog, but making the 2007 NavJeevan Missions Team video for tomorrow [today's] service. If I get time, I'll try to shrink and post and it on youTube or something)

Facebook

2008-01-24T20:38:00.000-06:00

I never joined Friendster. Nor did I join MySpace. I didn't really see any benefit to it. They were social networks, but seemed more stalker-ish than I liked...and I still just can't stand the layout of MySpace. But when Facebook came out, it came as a huge benefit. Initially I used it as a way to connect with classmates...if I missed an assignment or didn't know when an exam was, I could easily find the people in my class and send them a message.
It's continued to be a great resource for me to re-connect with friends from high school and old friends from across the country. It's also a great way to reach my clients (past/present/future) and get notice to people of things going on. BUT...sometimes, it can get a bit out of control.

In it's simplest form, Facebook is great at 'shrinking the world'. I love things like that, because it makes us more efficient. But now, there are all the applications that that just get in the way. Normally I decline everything other than friend requests or group/event invites. But I decided to let a few just sit there for a bit and look at what I had (above image). "Friends for Sale"..."Heroes Ability"..."Zombies Invitation"...I mean, seriously? I'm sure some people have fun with this, but there are some things that just seem to not be worth the time. So just so everyone knows, I mean no disrespect by not playing the Oregon Trail with you, I just don't have the time to play. Plus, I hate clutter, so I try to keep my page as clean as possible.

On a similar note, there are some useful/fun things that aren't that crazy. One thing I like is the "Friend Wheel" as it visually shows the interconnectedness of all your friends...interesting thing to see. So what's your favorite facebook app? Maybe I'll try it out...

ReDesign: BLOG

2008-01-22T21:26:00.000-06:00

Alright, once I start thinking of something, I can't let it sit. If I do, then the creative juices that were once flowing slowly dry up...and I'm left with an old idea and no real passion behind that motivation.
So what I thought would take a few months took a couple days (probably the same amount of hours logged though): I've redesigned my blog! Now, for everyone who subscribes to me using Google Reader (or your favorite newsreader) you won't really notice the change. But to all the faithful who check my actual blog site, or the new-comers here, I've made some changes that I think you'll enjoy.

[1] 1-column, no frills: I took out the sidebar with the archives list, the dancing photographer, and so-forth, and stretched the main content area to the full length. Now you get more of what you want, and less of what you don't! :)

[2] color|brand consistency: I've matched my color palette to be consistent with that of my website. I've also matched transfered the signature over. I love when things work together!

[3] leave comments!: OK, you could leave comments for my posts before, but you would have to go into each individual post to find the link. That's just silly...and I'm sorry (I didn't even realize it for awhile!). Now after each post you'll see how many comments are there, and also see the link to post your own. So start leaving comments! I love them...and I try to respond to them if you leave contact info.

[4] subscribe easier: At the bottom of each post, there's also a link to easily subscribe my blog to your Google Reader (or Bloglines or Yahoo...whatever your reader of choice is).

[5] custom post titles!: This is by far my favorite customization. All photography related posts (and possibly others) will have a custom image to go along with the title...how cool is that?! I posted a semi-random one for this post, so you get the idea, and you can also check these past post's to see it too: Jaden's Birthday, Regional Conference, and Ammachi's 75th. I love it!!!

Alright everyone...enjoy the new blog and start leaving comments!

[01.21.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-01-21T20:16:00.000-06:00

[Website] So what's been keeping me busy to start '08? The new website!
[Design] Don't you just love beautiful objects that are functional? Some things are made as art, and art alone. Functional design is the greatest.
[Gladiators] I continue to enjoy it. I guess I'm a bit old school because I think the acting is over-the-top, but I still love the competitive nature of it all. Maybe one day...
[Girlfriend] Another great weekend because my girlfriend was in town. Now we take about a 3 week hiatus before my U of I trip #1 of the semester.
[Touch] As many know, Apple came out with an update for the iPod Touch which adds a sort of wi-fi GPS, as well as putting Mail, Maps, Notes and Stocks on the home screen. My only issue is it's $20 software update. It's not a huge amount, obviously, but is it really worth it? I don't know. I'm going to hold off hoping they'll make an announcement...but I do want to see how the wi-fi GPS works. Ahhhh...
[SuperBowl] Patriots continue rolling. They don't look dominating like at the beginning of the season, but they still don't seem beatable. and I can't believe the Pack lost in that type of weather...it's looking like a very boring Super Bowl Sunday coming up.

NEW WEBSITE!

2008-01-19T21:49:00.000-06:00

I know it's been a bit quiet around here, but it hasn't been without reason. With a new year, a new plan, and a new focus I wanted to bring about some 'newness' and changes for everyone.
I'm excited to announce my new website is up and running! It took a bit of time planning, designing, and coding it all (I know, I should just outsource it or buy a template...but I find a weird joy coding), but I finally got it together. Let me know what you think!
This site is simply bringing a bit of freshness for 2008, but obviously my blog is the more consistent way to keep in touch with my work and my life, and it's the most constantly updated with information, so keep browsing. And I've got some changes planned for this as well! No guarantees as to how soon it'll be, but I'm excited! (Again, I'm a coding nerd at times)
Alright, just wanting to let you all know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth recently and I have been working. Enjoy! Here's too an amazing 2008!

Macworld 2008

2008-01-15T19:00:00.000-06:00

I just finished watching the demo of the Macbook Air, as well as Jobs Keynote Address. I never thought I'd have this much Mac-love before. I was anti-Mac through high school, even into my freshman year of college. Then it was just too expensive, but I slowly started loving everything about it...their innovation, their marketing, and their understanding of the client.

My Highlights:

Mac Ads- hilarious as always
'GPS', Weather, Mail for the iPod Touch ($20 upgrade)
AppleTV Take2 (public announcement that they made a mistake with the direction of AppleTV)
HD/DVD Quality 30-day/24-hour Movie Rentals (probably won't use, but interesting)
[humorous - Flickr photos DON'T work during presentation...I still enjoy when Apple has problems too]

It wasn't the most inspiring keynote to date, but interesting none the less. OK...I'm a nerd for watching the full keynote as well as the Air demo (especially since I wouldn't buy the Air), but I just love technology and innovation.

I realized I haven't posted images in quite awhile...I've been a bit busy, but I'm planning on getting back out there and even just shooting for fun in the coming weeks. It's coming, I promise!

[01.14.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-01-14T19:16:00.000-06:00

[NFL] What's going on? Eli advances, and Peyton is out. Not sure what to expect coming up...maybe Moss continues to be human and Brady shows he is too? (It's not as exciting with the Bears out...)
[Illini] The basketball team continues to struggle, so we'll keep that topic silent. In other news, Mendenhall is going pro...let's see if Zook and the Illini can follow up the Rose Bowl with another strong year.
[Alone] My girlfriend finally had to go back to U of I for law school...it was a great month...back to the grind...
[#12] With my 28 in 2008, I've completed #12! This past Sunday, I was given the opportunity to share my experience at the recent Regional Conference with my church. A quick 3 minute thing, but still...a speaking opportunity nonetheless!
[10ItemsOrLess] I heard a commercial for this new show on Tuesdays on TBS (11/10c) that will be on the air after re-runs of the Office (10/9c). Seems like my kind of humor. Anyone else watching?
[LazyMonday] It is...American Gladiators and rest for me! I don't normally get many of these.

S&P #003

2008-01-10T09:49:00.000-06:00

After reading a friend's post about her recent switch to Google Reader, I figured it's a bit time for my next S&P post (...for those who forgot, these are things that I've done to increase efficiency and productivity in my life [without losing purpose]- Simple and Purposeful).
In my first two posts, I covered using folders (filters, and quick responses) in Gmail to clean out your inbox, as well as iGoogle to speed up necessary data retrieval and limit unnecessary browsing/searching/clicking. Of the 3 things I have on my iGoogle, one of them is Google Reader. It collects all the xml/rss feeds that I go desire (blogs, news, etc.) and organizes it in a setup similar to an inbox. It pulls new material as it comes in and can be sorted just like e-mail.

Being the organizational madman I am, I immediately went to the route that many others might go to prove a faux-efficiency/organization. I subscribed to all the sites I wanted to, and immediately placed them in folders/labels according to what they were about: photography, productivity, religion, friends' blogs, etc. Now, I like this setup for e-mail because it really speeds up search time when looking back at old e-mails. But for blogs and daily news, this really doesn't speed up efficiency. There are some blogs that I care for more than others, and some sites (specifically news) that have a new story every 10 minutes, and so my google reader then fills up rather quickly.
The solution to this is by organizing not by content, but by personal importance. In addition to the original labels (because I can't force myself to not organize things like that), I've made a couple special labels that all my feeds fall into:

Must Read: I definitely want to know the content of this as it comes up.
Should Read: Good information to know, but not life altering (...really, what is though?)
Bonus: If I get time, this would be some nice reading, but I'm in no rush.
News: Between 10 different sites, I get 100 updates an hour...I'll deal with you later.

Now, I set up my iGoogle widget for the Google Reader to only show me the feeds from my 'Must Read' category. This cut the amount of blog sources that I get up-to-the-minute updates from almost in half, but more importantly the total number of blog posts and news stories are drastically reduced. Again, I quickly check my homepage to see the new content, breeze through them through little pop-ups, and go on with my work. If I have time, I'll go into Google Reader and walk through the 'Should Read' group, and continue on down depending on how much free time I have.
So read the info you need to have, and don't worry about the junk stuff until later.

Oh, and some tips:
- At the end of the day, you should just click on the "Mark all as read" button for news...if you missed it that day, oh well. If it's important enough, it'll come back tomorrow.
- To quickly scroll through the posts, press the j-key to move to the next post, and the k-key to move to a previous post. This is really helpful when there's some really long post that you don't really care for so you don't have to keep scrolling for eternity.
- If you find read something really good, SHARE IT with me! First we have to be friends on gTalk or google chat, but afterwards, at the bottom of each post there's a 'Share' button, and when you click that, I get sent the same article. I love reading what other people find important.

Ego-Check (Pt.2)

2008-01-09T10:42:00.000-06:00

As promised, here's the 'flip-side' to yesterday's post.

So you selected your top 3-5 characteristics that you think best define you. Congrats. Those will be so beneficial in your life. But the point of this exercise was not to simply see the good in you, but learn to combat how even your good characteristics can lead to your downfall.
Every 'good' that we do can lead to a negative and potentially dangerous/damaging outcome when it isn't controlled and handled properly. The same is true with your character. Here's the list that I posted yesterday of 27 characteristics:

assertive
analytical
flexible
charismatic
committed
decisive
dedicated
directive
passionate
dependable
optimistic
open-minded
discerning
loyal
trusting
strong-willed
pragmatic
self-confident
straightforward
alert
diplomatic
determined
courageous
innovative
disciplined
smart
independent

Now, when you let your ego get in the way, here is the negative aspect of it. This is the risk of it all. Not having a proper balance of yourself- being too defensive, too comparative, too competitive, looking out for 'me' instead of 'we'- will lead to this. And this is what others will most likely be able to define as great weaknesses in your leadership (Find the numbers the you chose above, and follow it through this next list):

pushy
pessimistic
pushover
manipulative
overbearing
hasty
stubborn
dictatorial
overzealous
rigid
unrealistic
indiscriminate
judgmental
blind
naive
inflexible
uninspired
self-absorbed
inconsiderate
anxious
political
stubborn
reckless
impractical
restrictive
know-it-all
detached

Let me give you some time to digest that...

Basically, when we don't keep our ego in check, we can quickly move our positive characteristic to these negative ones, which hinder growth and progress and communication. And we probably don't recognize it when we do. We hide under the positives of our strength, then we use that as a cover when people might tell us otherwise.
For my 5, my 'egotistical risks' are being pessimistic, judgmental, restrictive, a know-it-all, and detached. Harsh...but I see it as being true issues at times. One thing that I 'pride' myself in is my analytical and discerning characteristics. I am very capable at looking at details, being realistic, and seeing things logically. But when I put too much weight on my own abilities and research and knowledge, I tend to stunt growth by not being open to change, basing potential purely off of past experience, and not being able to trust. I was somewhat aware of it, but seeing the direct link between my strength and weakness helps me keep a strong eye on when I 'showcase' those characteristics.

The point of this is not simply to recognize where we are weak. We need to take this knowledge and start making change. Evaluate yourself in conversations and decisions over the next week. When you look at yourself with an open-mind, do you see yourself displaying your strengths? Do you notice how quickly it can (or did) turn into a risk, especially if you felt your 'ego'/character/self being challenged? Write down your 5 strengths, and their corresponding weaknesses, and keep it with you. Put it up somewhere you'll be constantly reminded of it. And learn to keep an eye on both aspects of it. The more control you have of this, the more beneficial you'll be in your work and in relating with those around you.

So what were your 5? If you let me know (and leave an reply address), I could give you a bit more info on what are the potential rewards/risks of your strength and weakness combo.

Ego-Check (Pt.1)

2008-01-08T10:55:00.000-06:00

Like I stated yesterday, I've started my "1 book a month" thing with the book "Egonomics." I won't give updates all the time but more of a recap at the end of each book, but for this one, I really wanted to get this info out there.
The premise of the book is learning how 'ego' can be both your greatest liability as well as your biggest asset. And the idea is to learn how to control the ego in such a way to use as your asset and avoid the liability. This is very important in any sort of leadership, or even relationship in general. The more your recognize of the limiting factors of reaching your potential (and allowing others to reach their's) the better you can fight it and work for the greater good of all.

This 'ego-check' post is about identifying your assets/liabilities. Part 1 will be determining what we consider our greatest assets, which will in turn help us figure out how ego plays a role in our lives. By recognizing what it is, it's obviously easier to know how to combat it. So to start, here is a list of 27 characteristics. Pick 3-5 of these that you consider to be your strongest assets.

assertive
analytical
flexible
charismatic
committed
decisive
dedicated
directive
passionate
dependable
optimistic
open-minded
discerning
loyal
trusting
strong-willed
pragmatic
self-confident
straightforward
alert
diplomatic
determined
courageous
innovative
disciplined
smart
independent

These are your top5 strengths. This is how you 'sell' yourself. For a company, organization, relationship- this is what you bring to the table. Learn to use these to the fullest potential. A great leadership body would be able to have various people covering all these characteristics, therefore balancing the strengths.

Tomorrow, I'll post the flip side to this. This was the eye-opening aspect for me.

Oh, and in an attempt to be humble, I'll show you my 5: Analytical, Discerning, Disciplined, Smart, Independent. (It might not seem like it from these 5, but I'm really fun and exciting! I promise! :) ) The humility will come in my post tomorrow...right now it just seems like I'm praising myself.

[01.07.08] Monday Night Recap

2008-01-07T19:22:00.000-06:00

A new year, and the first MNR for me...

[Regionals] Like I stated before, it was truly amazing. I forgot my battery charger (doh!) so I limited my photos, but you can see the full gallery here. Again, there were many lessons learned, but one thing that reverberated day in and day out: we are forgetful people. We need to be constantly reminded...hence the reason for disciplines.
[Patroits] What did I miss? The Pats finished an undefeated season. I tip my hat to them. Not much more to say.
[Bears] I mean, seriously? Kyle Orton finishes the season 2-1! The defense loves to play when he's in the game, for some reason. And Hester had another pro bowl game. Here's to next season- Devin's breaking the return record if people keep kicking to him. I guarantee it.
[RoseBowl] Ummmm...let's not talk about it.
[Lost&Found] So, over the past 3 months, I've seem to have lost a few articles of clothing...and I have no idea how. If you find them, please let me know. Missing: Aeropostale Jeans, Winter hats (all 3: black/red, white/green, gray/orange). I mean, seriously? Who stole them?!
[28in2008] At the end of last year, I decided to set some goals in 2008. Looking over it, I realized one thing- I'm not really good at goal setting. But, I'm starting to make some progress. I didn't realize how many blog hits I'd get, but I'm on pace to hit the 2000 mark by the end of February, so we'll say its 2000 in the year. I did, however, start my book reading/purchasing, and the first two I bought were "Egonomics" and "unChristian", and I'm starting with Egonomics for January. The first chapter in and of itself is so eye-opening...keep an eye out for a 2-part self-evaluation post from there.
[Gladiators] I posted earlier about the return of American Gladiators, and it CAME! I caught half of the season premiere yesterday, as well as watching it right now. It'll be shown Monday nights at 8/7 central on NBC, so be sure to re-live your childhood and check it out.
[Fact] 1 in 1 people die in their lifetime. Crazy statistic, huh? Are you prepared?

Jaden's 2nd Birthday

2008-01-05T19:19:00.000-06:00

Same day post...woo hoo!

My soon-to-be official nephew has been celebrating his 2nd birthday for about a month now. Due to Christmas, he seems to have been receiving gifts every other day, and is starting to get used to it. But I think today will be his last party for awhile.
He's in love with fire trucks, so his parents threw him and his friends a "Fire Truck Party"! Have I told you how much I love shooting children?! With around 10 kids under the age of 3, it was a rather busy house, but entertaining (and tiring) nonetheless. There was a general play time, craft time, lunch time, cake time, and nap time (I wish I had that). It was fun hanging out with the parents (many of whom I grew up with) and capture the realism of children. I love this.
To view the full gallery, click here.

Logo 2008

2008-01-04T23:11:00.000-06:00

With the new year upon us, I figured I'd change up my logo/proof a bit. Hope you like the new look (because if you don't...that really sucks...):

The Logo

Proof (landscape)

Proof (portrait)

Blog of the month(s)

2008-01-02T18:53:00.000-06:00

In a recap of 2007, I figured I look back on my 'favorite' (whatever that means) blog posts for each month. Looking back, though, I realized that I took a bit of a blogging hiatus from January-April, so as a bonus, those months will be recapped with when I started blogging in 2006...my have I come a long way. Enjoy!

[January] Overflow...
My first post ever. I started this blog as sort of a journal, a way to express my thoughts/feelings/views, as it's something that I always had difficulty doing (even now). This was at the beginning of my Senior year at U of I, and had so much going on. Great weight on my shoulders regarding graduation, relationships, friendships, purpose, etc. And as I put the pen to the pad (...or more my fingers to the keys), this is what came out. I must say...I'm no great lyricist, but sometimes I impress myself :)

[February] Grace Period
Part of my collection of 'purposeful' posts. I didn't want to just post random happenings, but information and thoughts that were beneficial to those who read it. I still desire to do that now, but also give people a glimpse as to who I am on day-to-day basis.
This concept of grace is still so foreign to me at times. It's amazing how much we learn at one point, yet still forget as days and months go by. We are a forgetful people. I'm so glad I'm doing this reflection post because it's a great reminder of how much I'm in need of grace.

[March] Leave a Legacy
Plain and simple - this is my desire. I want to leave a legacy. Not for my own name, but for His. I want people, when they remember me, to think, 'Man, that man loved Jesus.'

[April] Immature 21
The more I tried to blog 'purposefully', the more I was able to see God in many different scenarios and life situations. It's an interesting thing to look at the world and see things just a bit differently. It's so beneficial to do this in all aspects of life, and it's something I take pride in my growth. To look at a sports team and learn about business structure, or wildlife and see something about leadership- it's an exciting feeling.

[May] Indecent Exposure (?)
Finally...a 2007 post. I laughed a bit again when I saw this. We live in such a crooked world. It doesn't make sense the things societies try to censor, at the same time the things people try to receive "freedom" to do. It just doesn't make sense.

[June] Alexis' 2nd Birthday Photoshoot
She turned 2, and I'm just thinking of how much I've changed. I was using my brother-in-law's Rebel XT for this, and retty much spent a lot of time post-processing. Over time I've learned how to 'get it right' in camera and less time behind the computer. It's nice to look back at things like this, because you see progress and growth (as well as a picture of how potential can be achieved). Oh, and my goodness these little ones are huge now. They really keep me grounded with what life is really about.

[July] MTC Summer League Photoshoot
This was my first opportunity with my 30D. Outside of that, this was also the first Summer League that we ran (after a long drought since out last hosted bball tournament). The league was a learning experience, but the response was so great. Everyone came to play and it was fun and exciting. Not too shabby for year1, and I'm looking for to the return in 2008. The help was amazing too...I would not have been able to put on something like that without the help provided.

[August] Grieving and Praising [Reviving]
The Lord had brought my community through a lot. I still haven't completely dealt with it. It's not easy, but God is good.

[September] nmathaiphotography.com
The official announcement. It's still a bit surreal that I decided to go full force (some what) and start my own photography business. It's one of my joys and passions, and I've received such great support. Mark it down...the beginning of forever! I love my life!

[October] [10.22.07] Monday Night Recap
Another first's for the year. I was able to keep the recap going every week from this day through the end of the year, with the first day that I was missing was New Year's Eve. Not bad, I'll get back on board again next week.

[November] Jane & Alan's E-Session I LOVE e-sessions! My joy of photography is capturing reality and emotion, and I love having an opportunity to capture the relation of two people madly in love with each other. And even more, I love hearing their stories. Everyone is so unique and it's just so much fun! (And with these two being my friends, all the more exciting!)

[December] Holiday Cards!
December was a tough choice as there was much that went on that I enjoyed, but I figured I'd post another 'first'- my first Christmas Card! It was purely for fun, and I'm glad I was able to bring a smile to many people's faces during this holiday season.

So there you have it...a post for each month (be it a few from 2006). It's always good to look back and remember what you've experienced and what you've gone through. There's so much more between the lines than what I've posted. I hope you all had a great time following my blog, and I hope to give you much, much more to look forward to in 2008!

Regionals Recap

2008-01-01T21:09:00.000-06:00

It feels like it's been forever since I've posted. I apologize in advance for those who were checking the blog in hopes of seeing a daily update from regionals, but I really had no time to even transfer the images from the camera to my Macbook. But I've got them here for you now!
Regionals was truly amazing. Over the 3 nights there, I probably got a total of 5 hours of sleep. I don't I've ever been so active at a conference/retreat in my life. Overall, though, it was a real blessing. I was forced to really serve beyond my abilities and desires.
I don't know how to put into words just yet what happened. I know I was challenged, and I know my generation (and what I consider this next generation) was sparked to set this world ablaze in 2008. If I'm able to recap in words what was gained, I'll post about it. Until then, you'll just get a glimpse through photography.
To view all the images, check out the regionals website. You'll have a link to the photo gallery, and you'll hopefully be able to download a few of the messages on the site as well.

Vacation!

2007-12-26T17:02:00.000-06:00

As announced before, I'll be heading out for vacation early tomorrow morning, beginning with my church retreat in Michigan. Due to this fact, I'll be away from my e-mail and (most likely*) blogging for while. I'll be back responding to everyone's e-mails by January 7th, 2008. So until then, have yourself the happiest New Year, and get ready for a 2008 that you will NEVER forget!

*If I'm able to gain a solid internet connection at the conference site, I might do some photo dumps to get a glimpse as to the goodness that we're experiencing up there. No guarantees, but feel free to check in!

[12.24.07] Monday Night Recap

2007-12-24T21:09:00.000-06:00

[Bears] Now this is the team I remember from last year. No real offense, amazing defense scoring all the points. If only they did this throughout the season. At least we swept the Packers this season.
[Illini] We're having a tough season so far, but we beat Mizzou in the Braggin' Rights game. Go Illini! Can't wait for the Rose Bowl on New Year's...
[ChristmasGifts] I've never been a big Christmas gift person but there are two I want to talk about. First...

I bought my niece a digital camera! After a couple minutes learning to hold it, she was off snapping away telling everyone "Say Cheese!" (she wouldn't take your picture unless you said it). I wonder if she'll be an apprentice or competition...
And then my girlfriend and I exchange gifts and she got me...

A monopod! Totally unexpected. It's on my Amazon wishlist (along with many items which i doubt anyone would buy me), but she went and got it for me! She really is supportive! Also, she bought me a new sweater and some socks...all very practical gifts. She's the best!

[Fantasy] Obviously. The final matchup of the season, and I outscore my opponent by over 100...And I score more than every other player in the league (minus the one who won the whole thing...stupid LaDanian and his great Monday Night game). If my guys played up to potential all year and not just the last two weeks, I would be in the top 3. Instead...second to last.
[Vacation] After a busy first year of work (both corporate and photography), I've got my first extended 'vacation' this week. It's a good time to relax and get refreshed. I'll be out in Michigan from Thursday-Sunday for a church retreat, so I'll be back posting and responding to e-mails shortly thereafter.
[1More] I've got one more party left on my plate- a Christmas party with my extended family (70+) on Tuesday evening. Maybe I'll post before I leave...but I highly doubt it...here's to hoping :)
[HolidayCards] It didn't seem like much of a contest, as this was the selected card:

...I got a bunch of responses (you'd expect), so here's some excerpts of my favorites (hope they don't mind me posting)...
- 'OMG he's so adorable'
- 'Absolutely hilarious...that picture just made my day!'
- 'Wow...he's really...mature-looking.'
- 'Man, that baby looks strange...'

Again, wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas time, and I look forward to amazing things in 2008. Much love, everyone...God Bless!

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

~Welcome To Our World - ChrisRice

75 Years | (Her) Siblings Christmas

2007-12-24T19:51:00.000-06:00

On Saturday evening, my extended family got together for a pretty big reason. My godmother (my father's aunt), and one of the sole reasons why all of us are in America, turned 75 years old! This lady has been such a foundation of prayer and solid living in our family. She is one of the most selfless people you have ever met, and there are countless people (both inside our family and outside) who can attest to this. It was an emotional time for many as people stood to share of how she's touched their lives and wish her a happy birthday. With both sets of my grandparents being in India my whole life, she was who I knew as my grandmother (and the grandmother of our family). It's a blessing to recognize the life she has lived and the passion she still has. Here's few looks at the celebration...

After that I high-tailed it to my girlfriend's house to have a little "siblings" Christmas party (centered around the relations of her sister and brother-in-law). The fun thing about it is I pretty much grew up with these guys my whole life! It's amazing how God had placed us all in the same church or community growing up, and now have used the bonds of marriage to bring us even closer. God is good! Our celebration had the obligatory food, fun, and fellowship: pre-made snacks as well as ordered food, great conversation and reflection on the past year, an entertaining game of white elephant, and a rousing competition of Catchphrase (...everyone might seem like a good calm Christian, but boy are we competitive)! All in all...good times. 4 parties in from last Wednesday-Saturday. Here's a quick look:

Since I have time to post today, I'll get the real MNR out as well. Keep an eye out...

Christmas Parties (1&2)

2007-12-21T20:11:00.000-06:00

This past Wednesday I had two different Christmas parties that I was invited to: (1) my weekly small group bible study was getting together for a 'potluck and PS3' party in Mundelein, and (2) my college friends were having a 'order in and talk' party in Des Plaines. The small group one started at 7, the college one at 7:30. Impossible? Maybe for your average person, bet definitely not for ME!

I picked up my one of my roommates who would do the party crawl with me, and got to Mundelein at around 7:20. Whoever says boys don't know how to cook is lying. We had ribs, chicken (BW3s), gyros, brats, cookies, puppy chow, punch...we FEASTED! And whoever said that boys don't know how to talk? For the time I was there, we watched the Detroit/Boston game, and finished it off with a rousing game of Bears/Packers in PS3. (For the record, I [Bears with Orton as QB] won.) Here's a quick collage of the event. Don't we look fun?

We left a little later than expected, and got to the college party a little before 10. The "feasting" was much different, as we just ordered pizza (I was already stuffed anyways). It was a great time of catching up with each others lives, relationship statuses, reminiscing on the past, and so forth and so. I kept the camera down a bit and just enjoyed the conversation. Doesn't this interaction look a little bit different than the one type above?

Different types of food, different groups of people, different conversations...but all in all, a great night. And this is just the beginning. Tomorrow I got 2 more parties (one birthday, one Christmas), then another Christmas one with the family on Sunday, followed by an extended family Christmas on Tuesday, before heading out to Michigan for my church's winter retreat. Trying to finish the year out strong...and already getting excited for 2008. I love my life!

_______
Question: Do you like the collages better than the individual pictures?

"After" & After...

2007-12-20T01:50:00.000-06:00

I normally don't post the process of my image corrections and things of that nature, but I decided I would post this one just to give an idea of the type of retouching that's available. Now, this isn't "Before & After", as the retouch happened on a partially processed image already. This was taken from an earlier e-session with Jane & Alan.
Originally, I performed some basic adjustments and color correction to the photo, as I do with all images. Then, I performed my secondary processing, what I like to call my "creative" or "artistic" processing. I don't do this with every image, and it varies from shoot to shoot. Some people go crazy with these things, and although I do enjoy them, I only try to make these types of adjustments when I feel it will truly add to the image. At this stage, this is what the general final print would look like:

I really liked this picture, but there were a couple of things which jump out that could be improved. If I could go back in time, I would have moved the yellow cones out of the way, as well as asked the drivers in the cars to move (where were the drivers?...who knows...but I still wished they moved). Instead of just giving up on the image, though, it proves to be a great example what a little extra time and effort can get you. After a bit of editing, I was able to get this:

Many people who just saw the first one image might be pleased...but doesn't it feel better knowing what's possible with the second?

My goodness it's late...good night everyone!

[12.17.07] Monday Night Recap

2007-12-17T22:12:00.000-06:00

[Dolphins] They finally won a game! Although they started out 0-13, at least they won't be placed in the record books of NFL history as the first winless team. Keep celebrating, guys...you deserve it!
[Fantasy] This week and next week, I'm in a battle for last...er...second to last place (I'm trying to win...right.). I finally have all my players playing up to potential. Being up 40+ points going into the final week makes me confident I won't be in last. But anything is possible...right? Can't start celebrating yet...
[RoseBowl] My girlfriend can be very cute. She told me that when she found out the Illini were going to the Rose Bowl, she was thinking of taking me there. I laughed...she asked why. I then went on to tell her that the game was New Year's day, in Pasadena, California, and the cheapest tickets are around $250 each. She responds with 'oh.' It's the thought that counts.
[HolidayCards] Keep the votes coming (either on facebook or the blog), as I'll be sending them out this weekend.
[Clarity] I first got glasses my junior year of high school. My sophomore year of college, I went and got my eyes re-checked, and a new pair of glasses. I haven't been too fond of how I look with glasses, plus didn't feel they were that vital, so I don't really wear them often. But then they broke on Thanksgiving, which forced me to go to the eye doctor again. This time I went all out: contacts and frames! My goodness is the world a whole lot clearer! I'm on my trial pair of contacts, and I love it. We'll see how I feel about my new frames.
[MNF] Bears vs. Vikings, Kyle Orton vs. Tavaris Jackson...what?! I'm sure it looked like a great matchup at the end of last season. At least they let Orton throw and Hester play offense more. All we needed was him to not make a mistake- one bad throw at the end, and we're officially out of the playoff race. Oh well, at least Urlacher looked like a beast again.
[GPS] At first I thought if I could just get GPS on my iPod Touch, I'd be set. Now, I'm not too sure.
[ChristmasEve] Due to the holidays, I can't guarantee an MNR for next Monday...but we'll see...keep an eye out through the remainder of this week though...got like 5 holiday parties.

Holiday Cards!

2007-12-16T20:48:00.000-06:00

A little bit ago, I had expressed my desire to make holiday cards for Christmas, but expressed my issue of not having a wife and child(ren) to place on it. But recently, I had done a couple shoots for birth announcements/Christmas cards, and I just felt that I needed to do something. Being a recent grad, I don't have the funds to mail everyone a card this year (nor can I guarantee they will arrive by Christmas). But what's the next best thing? An e-card! (of sorts...)

I figured I'll send it out as an e-mail to friends/family, but I'll let you guys help me choose which one to send out. Here they are:

Card #1

Card #2

So leave the comments...do you guys like card #1 or card #2?

:) Merry (early) Christmas everybody!

Trend Setting

2007-12-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

A few people have forwarded references of this article on to me this past week, and so I wanted to take this opportunity to let everyone know that, even if you feel your voice is small, you will be heard.
This past year, I'd taken on a small role in my church to simply give the general announcements after our large group meetings on Fridays. And so, in order to spice up the time, I searched for a buzz word- one that would get people hype. There were two that I felt would be strong: "Holler" and "Woot". Now I had been using holler for a couple years now, and so I might not have carried the same 'new-ness' with the people that I was hoping for. Luckily, the 'woot' stuck. Initially, it took some time for people to lower their pride and 'woot' back, but through the year people got more and more comfortable.
You might be thinking, 'How do these two correlate?' It's obvious. After these meetings, the kids started taking the 'woot' into the schools and communities, and it just kept spreading. From a local church, it's now gone nation-wide, and being recognized by a dictionary as the word of the year. Now that's amazing.

Inspirational Message...
You might not think that your voice holds any weight in the big scheme of thing. You might feel so small. But everything has impact. Your words and actions will impact those you interact with. And likewise, they will impact a broader group, and so forth and so on. What message are you getting across? What change are you making in the world? How are you making a mark in your society?

:)

Positional Power

2007-12-12T19:09:00.000-06:00

The greatest cause of Atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, and walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
- Brennan Manning

There are so many reasons why people are turned off by Christians (and the Christian faith). I've been reading a book called "UnChristian", which was basically a 3-year research project on this subject, looking from the view of those not of the Christian faith commenting on the belief systems and the people. It's very eye-opening to see the faults in the Christian society (and not necessarily the faith itself) to learn how to correct it.
Normally, I'm a bit turned off from people who use political issues as a pedestal to preach the faith. Many times, it simply puts a foul taste in the viewers/listeners mouths, as its not done in a loving way. Also, in an effort to try to seem as if Christians have all the answers, they speak in a way that's either disrespectful or illogical, which does not make others open to it either.
But in the 3rd CNN debate, Mike Huckabee was asked a question regarding his view on creation vs. evolution (ummm...why is this so important for selecting the next President?), and he answered it remarkably. I'm not stating a political preference or posting loyalty, but simply posting a quality response.

Don't try to act like you know everything, but don't be scared to say what you believe is true. Props, my friend- mad props.

I dislike the RIAA...

2007-12-11T15:37:00.000-06:00

I'm not a proponent of downloading music/videos through P2P sites. Claiming ignorance, I used to...having Napster, Grokster, Bearshare, LimeWire, and Kazaa (sometimes all at the same time). The more I gave it thought and researched it, the easier it was for me to just get rid of it all. When dealing with personal entertainment, it's not worth it.

With that being said, I still have a strong dislike with the regulation by the RIAA, and their views on their copyrights. Being a member of the 'creativity industry' through photography, I understand the importance of retaining your copyrights, and the financial loss that could amount if there was no regulation. I wouldn't be overly excited to have a client scan a picture that I took of them and then make 5,000 copies to send out all over the US (why 5,000 people would want there picture, I have no idea).
But then I stumbled upon this article, which blew my mind. I mean, seriously? Basically, they are claiming that copying the CDs to your computer for personal use is stealing. What? Ultimately, they are saying if you want to do that, then buy another CD. Now, I provide a CD of web images to my clients. What if I told them that if they wanted to copy it to their hard drive, they would have to buy another CD of web images, and then destroy the CD after copying? Ridiculous? I think so.
General consumers are not trying to steal at every opportunity they get. When you provide a way for them to fulfill their desires, they in turn will support what you offer. Once the big companies break down the barriers separating them from the people, and start building 'relationships', there will be a much greater balance on both sides of the ball.

[...oh, in case it was unclear...you have the right to copy your web images to your computer, post them on blogs, or email it to families/friends...we're cool like that...]