Jumping Pics Will Save the World!

Salt Lake Valley Jump

2011-12-14T20:45:00.001-08:00

Salt Lake Valley Jump, a photo by Flickr_Rick on Flickr.

I wanted to get a photo of the Salt Lake Valley without the inversion but that might not happen until spring. Storms clean out the haze but that brings snow, and the trail leading up to this overlook is steep enough that it wouldn't be much fun trudging in the slippery snow.

The jumpshot made up for the hazy inversion and I'm determined to get back up there with blue sky and a clear view of the valley.

CLaP: Continuing Adventures

2011-12-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

I went on a two day hiking trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire in October with my buddy Grant (aka Gritter of the infamous Gritter jump). Though we were hiking an eight mile in, eight mile out trail with camping gear on our backs, we still had some energy to take jumping pics. The first one occurred within the first two miles of the hike. The beginning was relatively flat through a wooded area that included boardwalks over and around water.

We then had a long day of climbing a couple mountains to get to our eventual campsite. The next morning on our way back, we were at the top of Mount Guyot within the first half mile. The day before we had gone the same way but it was late in the day and getting very cold. The summit is an exposed area and therefore vulnerable for strong winds. As this was October in New Hampshire, it was already a bit chilly to begin with. So we hurried through it the first time through. Anyway, we stuck around in the morning and took in the incredible scenery…

…and had some fun too!

The rest of the day we spent hiking the eight miles out, and capped it off with some delicious food and beer at the Woodstock Inn Brewery.

CLaP

Well Traveled Harley Davidson Shirt

2011-11-30T19:53:00.001-08:00

A month ago I received an email from a friend who lives in Southern California asking if there was a Harley Davidson dealership nearby. "Heck yes" I said, "I drive by it every week on my trip to central Utah." She went on to explain that she wanted to give her husband a Harley branded tee shirt for Christmas and wondered if I would pick one up for her.

I don't know for sure, but I figure there must be dozens of Harley stores in SoCal and at least one near my friend. So it wasn't until I read the next part of her email that it made sense. She wanted me to get my faithful jump subjects to each wear the shirt and get a jumpshot of them to include in the package to her husband.

I've been so excited about this project I haven't been able to stand it! It's been nearly 4 weeks and I have all the jumpshots done and today I put the shirt and photos in the mail to my friend. She wanted the photos to show him all the collaboration that went into this gift.

I thought it might be fun to share some of the photos on this blog :)

Mom, Can We Go?

2011-11-27T15:11:00.001-08:00

The love of jumping pictures knows no bounds. My peep Ashley invited me to her house to grab a few family portraits last week before they left for the weekend. Since Ash is the queen of jumpshots I figured a few were in my future after we did some portraits. In most cases her family cooperates but when a trip to beautiful southern Utah is in the wings their patience wears thin :)

When Ash says "one more jump!" who am I to argue?

Just so you know, they made it despite freeway construction, fuel pump failure, holiday traffic, pesky photographers and "one more jump"!

Some Jumpshots Are Worth Risking My Neck

2011-11-14T16:54:00.001-08:00

My friend Jamie and I had just finished taking photos of about 50 kids, 3 to 12 years old. We all know the brains and brawn behind this blog, Alex, deals with kids every day, but for the rest of us mere mortals it's a different story!

I can tell you that 3 year old's and 12 year old's are fairly clueless and the ages in between are a little better. I dare you to ask a stubborn 3 year old to stand still and smile. Good luck. Same with a 12 year old. Different reasons but same result.

So after the 2 hour wrestling match, that I'm not sure we won, I grabbed Jamie and dragged her out to the road for these jumpshots. Yes I was risking my neck but some shots are totally worth it!!

Birthday Jump for the Marines

2011-11-10T14:46:00.001-08:00

The internet is not blazing the title "Happy 236th Birthday Marines!" but November 10th is the celebration. I figure a birthday is nothing without a jumpshot!

I'm not 236 years old thankfully, but wouldn't that be cool to have had a camera at Tun Tavern back on November 10, 1775! We are pretty lucky to have the ability to record events for our posterity to enjoy forever. I wonder if the founding fathers envisioned some crazy dude in Utah (which didn't exist either haha) taking a jumpshot 236 years later to celebrate the event. Makes you wonder what will be going on in 236 years from now. Maybe living that long wouldn't be so bad after all! As long as I can still jump.

Happy Birthday Marines!!

A New Friend

2011-11-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

November is a month for gratitude in many photography groups. I suppose it could be because of Thanksgiving being celebrated in the states this month, but whatever the reason I enjoy reading posts about gratitude.

I'm grateful for many things and I could fill this entire blog with my list. But one thing I'm particularly grateful for is the way photography in general, and jumping pictures specifically, allow me to meet so many wonderful people. That might surprise some folks but if you are reading this then my guess is you understand what I'm saying. After all, the title of this blog is "Jumping Pics Will Save the World".

About a year ago I met Nam on Flickr and we've kept in touch through our photography ever since. Earlier this fall she emailed me and said she was coming to Utah for a visit and wondered if we could meet and take some jumping pictures. I screamed like a kid at Christmas!

This week we met in person and I just about killed her doing jumps :) Her mom and dad were with her and they are visiting from Thailand. Is that awesome or what! No doubt they'll have plenty of stories to tell friends and family back in Thailand about a crazy American that had them and their lovely daughter jumping all over northern Utah.

I'm sad that Nam is heading back to Texas but I sure am grateful that we met.

Friends and Family Friday: #5230

2011-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Christi Says:

Three aunts and one uncle from Maine are currently visiting my parents in Okinawa, Japan. We've been having fun showing them the sites around the island and that had to include Okuma in the northern part of Okinawa. It's the off-season (as you can tell from the super crowded beach), but still warm enough to go swimming. It's my favorite beach on the island, so I thought it'd be fun to get some jumping pics in. We would have taken more, but (1) we only had my small point and shoot and (2) I just had a baby 3.5 weeks ago and probably shouldn't be jumping tons. :-) That last reason is also the only reason my brothers can jump higher than me. :-)

Alex Says:

What a great way to start the weekend! Thanks for sharing these, Christi! Now hurry up and come HOME! We might have to recreate the "owling" jump. Your brothers might have started a new trend.

Happy Halloween WEEKEND!

Senior Street Painting

2011-10-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

One of the things that leaves a bittersweet taste in my mouth this year is getting to do so many awesome things with Colby and his buddies during their senior year. As we attend each concert and each event I am made fully conscious of how much I will miss this motley crue of young men next year. And then I ask them to humor me with some jumping pics. And I think they do because they have big hearts. And big jumps.

I love how all three of them look perfectly suspended here. Like they can fly in real life.

Colby shows off his muscles, Chad works on some new jumps, and Ethan looks like he just won the lottery!

Happy Faces.

Looking at these pictures reminds me to enjoy the time I've got. Days come and go much more quickly than you think.

Happy Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday: Juan-derful, WONDERFUL, wander-full!

2011-10-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. Can we change it to 1 word Wednesday?

Wow!

I. LOVE. THIS. Okay, I know that's a lot of 1 words, but...can you believe this shot? Awesome, Juan!

Happy Wednesday, Everybody!

Sofa's Are Made for Jumping

2011-10-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

There are times I wish I could haul a trailer full of props around with me. Things like you might find at a thrift store, old clothes for costumes, or furniture, for instance. So when Ash and I were out shooting at a deserted building and found this sofa I had all sorts of ideas. It took a little convincing to get Ash to even get close to this couch but once she warmed up to the thought of jumping off of it I was ready to start snapping the shutter.

Friends and Family Friday: Power UP!

2011-10-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

Before you read what I wrote, hear what I am hearing.

I told the boys they should dress like this EVERY DAY. EVERY DAY.

Every time I see this picture, it makes me happy! I'm so glad that Iwalani took it and let me gleefully liberate it!

Happy Freaky Friday, Kids! Halloween is coming!

Fire MUSTER!

2011-10-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Every year for Fire Prevention, the fire department gets the community involved with their short but deceivingly difficult obstacle course. And by difficult, I mean, wet, sweaty, and dirty. AND FUN!

This also means more jumping pictures! My teammates, THE INFANTICS (you have to hear it with an echo, echo, echo) humored me and took one both BEFORE and AFTER (in all the sopping wet heavy gear).

I *LOVE* how happy we look here!

Afterward. Can I just tell you that stuff weighs around 20 pounds? I almost threw my back out!

We didn't win, or place 2nd, or 3rd. But that's not the important part, is it? We laughed. That's the important part.

Thanks, fellow Infantasmics!

Drug Free Celebration

2011-10-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

The local elementary school PTA dreamed up an idea to get all the kids to spell "Drug Free" with their bodies and asked me to take the photos. I don't own a 70' ladder and the building is only one story so the first call they made was to the fire department. They gladly made time to bring their ladder truck over and set the shot up. We hit a bump in the road when the fire department had liability concerns letting me go up 3 stories in the air. I had liability concerns letting some joker take my camera up nearly 3 stories in the air! After negotiations we reached an agreement, one of the fireman had a Nikon pro-am camera and had experience taking photos and would strap my camera to his harness, and then after the shot they would all do a jumpshot for me. I love compromise because it can end in a win/win situation :) Even in the Marines when I was dangling off and out of things, I didn't really enjoy it that much and when I saw the fireman on top of ladder 60' off the ground I was glad it was him. I noticed he wasn't all that comfortable either and he said normally the ladder is against a building and not in mid-air so he was happy when he was finished with the shot.

True to their word we got this cool jumpshot of them before they headed back to the fire station.

When the kids saw how much fun everyone was having jumping they started crowding around and wanted more :) I wish I could have taken class jumpshots but the teachers were getting a little uptight and I had relinquished the bull horn to the principle so it didn't happen. But, as with most things, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and the mom's were just as excited about the jumpshots as their little "apples" and they didn't have teachers squawking at them :)

This shot made my day. The kids were just outstanding and perfectly behaved even though it took 30 minutes to get the photos finished and the success is showing on the faces of these moms. They sensed the relief of pulling off a successful event and I was happy they mobbed me for a jumpshot of their own!

Friends and Family Friday: #42304

2011-10-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

The best thing about jumping pictures? When your friends who you've known so long that they are family send you jumping pics.

Behold these lovely ladies from my (totally recent, cough cough) Loyola New Orleans days:

Natalie and Dawn

Ally A. in the Anti-Jumping picture.

Getting jumping pics from a reunion is almost just as good as being there. Whenever I think about these girls, I can taste crawfish and Abita beer. Hear peals of laughter and Cynthia singing at Pref. There's too many words to describe these ladies or what they mean to me. Big love to YOU, ladies!

This is What We Do for FUN.

2011-10-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Does it look like we're grimacing in pain? I know I was. We took this after we completed the first long race of the season - 13.1 miles! What made this race spectacularly painful? Well - we finished at around 8:00 in the morning here, which means it was ridiculously HOT and HUMID. And hot. I can't even tell you. You want your legs to go, and they just. won't. And THEN after all that running stuff, I asked them to jump with me.

This was our first jump. As you can tell, Phil is the only one who was prepared! I couldn't believe that he jumped this high! And I see that he has taken our "bend your legs!" philosophy and personalized it so he is almost in a sitting position which makes him look even higher up in the air. A lesson on the science of jumping pics!

A candid shot of the guys chatting. I don't know what they were saying, but the look on Chad's face says it all. :)

Happy Thursday, Everybody!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

You didn't *really* think I would be able to go wordless, did you? I will, however, restrain myself.

Airborne.
Carefree.
Heartfull. <-- It's my new word.

Love these men.

Fall is in the air!

2011-10-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air here in Utah and I think Breanne and I lucked out with the colors and the warm temperatures. We locked the door at work and cruised up the canyon for a good afternoon of jump shots. The day after we took these shots it snowed and there is about a foot of snow where these photos were taken. It will probably melt over the next couple weeks but that much snow will take the leaves off the trees.

I'm a big fan of snow and it gets me in trouble with summer lovers, but I have to admit the warm fall days and cool nights are hard to beat. It makes a person want to get outside and take some jump pictures!

So! Happy! It's! Thursday!

2011-10-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

How can you not be happy looking at these pictures? Try it. I dare you. Graduation. Colorful. JUMPING!

Joseph and Janae

Whitney and Joseph

These fantastic jumping pics were sent to me courtesy of my friend Joseph - who just finished his R.N. program. CONGRATULATIONS! And keep jumping, will ya? You are too good at these not to take any more!

ADRIENNNEEEE!

2011-10-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Mike is as excited about Rocky as I am! There is only one thing that would make this picture more perfect. A grey sweatshirt and hoodie.

I love that my friends are all about jumping on location!

Thanks for sharing!

Jump For The Cure!

2011-10-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

Cancer is such an awful disease and the progress for finding a cure seems to come in baby steps. Each October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in the States we see pink everywhere. All of the NFL teams sport pink on their uniforms somewhere and the media flood the market with messages of hope and encouragement. I'm sure most of us have experienced cancer in some form, either personally or a close family member or friend. I hope the awareness helps in prevention if not in the cure. On the news the other night they featured two beautiful women who are recent survivors of breast cancer. One was 24 years old and the other was 101 years young. It really drove home the point that this insidious disease can strike at anytime and any age and awareness is the best prevention. Both women had noticed a change on their own and moved quickly.

Since I'm a guy I love women, and I have a number of them in my life. My beautiful wife, my lovely daughters, a whole bunch of babe friends who without even one of them, my life would be much worse. So I jump for a cure and I'm pretty sure all of us do.

Two Jumpers That Make Me Smile

2011-10-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

If you are viewing this blog hopefully you love jump photos like I do and while thinking about Monday and all the challenges that brings it occurred to me that two people always bring a smile to my face when they jump. Breanne and Jamie have yet to say no to my request for a jump shot and they both tolerate my hare-brained ideas. I could fill a book with jumpshots of either one and when it's gloomy outside or a Monday like today, all I have to do is look through my collection of photos of these two lovely ladies and the world magically seems right.

Road Trip Jumps

2011-09-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like a road trip to get the juices flowing and to provide a number of cool places to get jumpshots. I think I could be happy making loops all around this great country taking photos, sadly that doesn't pay the bills, but it sure makes for a fun vacation.

South Dakota was beautiful and the Black Hills were amazing. I'm not sure about calling them the Bad Lands however. I've seen some remote areas in Utah and Wyoming that might fit that description better!

Mt Rushmore!! No way I could pass up a jumphot here. It's pretty funny to see peoples reaction and I tried over and over to get some of them to jump :) Too bad none of them agreed, they could have been famous!

Welcome to Nebraska! I would find it really hard to live very far away from the Rocky Mountains but I thought Nebraska was gorgeous. Rolling landscape and green farms every where with the kind of folks I would like to have as neighbors.

Fort Madison, Iowa was a cool old fort right along the Mississippi River. The economy here looks like it's been bad for quite awhile and it surprised me a little since there is so much commerce up and down the river. Based on the descriptions of life in the 1800's in the fort, the people here are tough bred and I suspect they will find a way to continue to survive. I know how rough the living conditions were in the pioneer towns in Utah settled by my ancestors and it's pretty remarkable how people can adapt to the worst of conditions.

Missouri! Tornado alley, at least by some maps. We didn't make it down to Joplin, MO to witness the most recent tornado damage so I really can't relate to that kind of destruction. But stopping to get gas at a Shell station along I-35 and realizing the huge canopy that covered the 20 odd gas pumps had been ripped off by some horrendous wind certainly grabbed my attention. I can see why people live in this beautiful state though.

Liberty, Missouri was screaming for a jumpshot with that blue sky in the background and we visited a cool outdoor fall festival just a block away from where this shot was taken. Yes I tried to find unsuspecting jump subjects and I was sad I was unsuccessful! That just makes me more determined to take another road trip and have as the goal to get a stranger jumpshot in each location. Lucky for me, Marsha was willing to fill in for strangers on this trip :)

Just a Skosh.

2011-09-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

Technically, Rachel belongs in Friends and Family (old school style), but I couldn't wait until Friday to put up this picture. I met Rachel when I was 11 years old, in Hong Kong. We became friends through gymnastics (can't you tell by the matching arms?) and then just friends. Friends who, as teenagers, snuck out in the middle of the night (if you're reading this, Momma, I am sorry!) and called each other in the middle of the night. As adults (pfft.), Rachel is the kind of friend who packs up her family and picks me up at the airport when I have a super long layover, takes me to lunch, takes me back to her house AND packs me snacks and offers me her shower and then takes me BACK to the airport, AND takes jumping pics with me. Friends like these are the ones that make your life FULL.

Thank you, Rachel!

Happy Tuesday, EVERYBODY.

Making a Run for it.

2011-09-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have a huge soft spot for kids jumping. Suffice it to say that soft spot becomes ginormous (yes, it is a real word. I looked it up!) if the children belong to my friends!

I thought that on the first official day of fall these pictures are a great reminder of a warm and wonderful summer.

Thanks for sharing your kids and their jumps with us, Catherine! Happy Saturday, Everybody!

Friends and Family Friday

2011-09-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Do you have those friends who have been part of your life for so long and know you so well that they are like family? Be thankful for them if you do. I am certainly thankful for these two jumping friends of mine, Dan and Sarah. Oh, the stories they could tell. But thankfully they stay mum. This shot was taken at Sarah's wedding last year, and I have been hearing about it for MONTHS! I was so excited to see it on my wall this am. It totally made my Friday. Not many people will jump in a strapless wedding dress and suit.

I think Dan will be relived that he finally looks happy in one of the jumping pics. Sarah, as always, looks beautiful.

Happy Friday, Everybody!

Friends n' Family Friday

2011-09-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

A fabulous inside jumping picture for Friday. Way better than a Rebecca Black song! Okay, maybe I am a little jealous of their flash capabilities. My friend Greg (from wayyyy back. So far back there are bad nicknames back) sent me this picture from a birthday scavenger hunt.

Greg is a pretty awesome musician, too. Check it out! Hint: He is the boy in the purple shirt.

Thanks Greg, and Happy FRIDAY everybody! I hope your weekend is peaceful.

One Day at a Time

2011-09-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

My mom made this sock monkey for my Nana several years ago, and it cracks me up every time I see it. Even though I still have teary moments when I think about living in a world without her physical presence, I am darn tootin' certain that she would want us to remember her with a BIG. SMILE.

Being the person that I am, I'd like to remember her with a BIG SMILE, AND a jump.

She was always one for some mischief (oh, the stories that I could tell you), and these pictures remind me of her playful spirit and willingness to go out on a completely wacky limb. I hope I inherited those things from her.

I'll miss you, Nana, but I know you're jumping around up there somewhere.

Linky Love

2011-09-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Mikey. Brown men CAN jump!

I'm sending some loving linkage to my friend Mikey over at Hey Freak. He always shares the best jumping pics, and this is no exception. I would love to jump with him in person one day.

Thanks, Mikey -- you are the BEST!

Breaking in new jumpers

2011-09-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

Usually I'm aware when the neighbors watch me take pictures, but not always. So when we were at a block party last night and my neighbor mentioned seeing me in all sorts of strange positions taking pictures, it kind of caught me off guard. However, I've learned to pounce when the prey is unsuspecting and this gave me the chance to sell jumping pictures to some novices.

I started with the moms and when the kids saw the smiles and heard the laughs I knew I had them right where I wanted them! We went from reluctance to uncontrolled laughter in 3 photos :)

I've yet to meet anyone that can resist a good old jump shot.

Domin I CAN!

2011-09-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, y'all. I'll speak more about it when I have words, but I'm still here.

Here's a great jumping pic for the day. Luke Jonathan. A distant relative whom I have never met - but you know how I know we're related? Look at his ups!

Family makes me smile.

Happy Friday.

My Visit To The Dentist

2011-09-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

I showed up for my semi-annual visit to my dentist's office and was relaxing in his magic chair enjoying the magic gas when Dr Findley said "I'd like to get a jump shot of our entire staff." Normally nothing brings me back to reality while under the nitrous except pure oxygen, but that statement sobered me right up!

I've taken jump pictures of Dr Findley's lovely wife Tracee a few times but never his staff, so out came the appointment schedule and we each blocked out lunch for Tuesday September 6, 2011.

Taking group jump photos has always been a challenge for me. Even adults find it difficult to all jump on the count of 3, but this group pulled it off without a hitch! I made them jump several times just because I couldn't believe how good their timing was. Each time they were successful.

I've taken jump shots of bigger groups but none as disciplined as the staff of Olympus View Dental! I can't wait for my next appointment :)

Closing Time on Summer

2011-09-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

I don't want to sound overly dramatic but Labor Day is the unofficial closing day of summer here in the states. With that said, it's also the unofficial opening day of my favorite time of year, Fall. Cool evenings, warm days, football on every Saturday and Sunday and other than football widows, I think attitudes begin softening. I know what hot humid days do to my mental state.

As much as I love my kids, school starting works much better than a midnight curfew, and gets them home and in bed much more effectively than my screaming :) In fact 5 out of 7 nights they go to bed earlier than I do! Ahh, I love autumn.

One more thing is that days get shorter, and besides the med's many of us are forced to take as darkness takes over, sunsets are more available for jumpshots because they happen at time that more people are out and about.

So maybe instead of putting the "closed" sign up I'll hang "Welcome Fall, Open for Jumpshots"!

Crossing State LInes

2011-09-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

I have been taking jumping pictures for a few years now and I've met some wonderful people as a result. Take Alex for instance. Now if I can convince her to stop by Utah during one of her trans-world jaunts we can get some jump shots together :)

I want to introduce my friend Cindy and her family to everyone. I received an email from her a few months ago and she said they would be traveling through Utah to drop their oldest daughter off at college in Laramie, Wyoming. It took us about 2 milliseconds to make plans to meet and take some jumping pictures together. They arrived last week for a really fast day and a half visit and we didn't waste any time!

This is Cindy's lovely daughter Abby showing off her jumping talent at 8,600 feet elevation. Not bad for someone who lives at sea level!

Abby and Cindy are bookended by Ashley on the left and Marsha on the right, both of which are noteworthy jumpers in their own right :)

I talked Cindy's husband into joining in this jump and that normally wouldn't be a big deal but he had just recently twisted his ankle on a hike so this was a one foot jump. Not bad Wally :)

I've been in contact with Cindy for well over a year because of photography but we live about 1,000 miles away from each other so we hadn't met in person. That all changed last week. What a wonderful visit and it gave me the chance to capture some jumpshots.

Controlled Insanity

2011-09-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know about your experience taking jump shots of lovely young ladies, but in my experience it is nothing short of controlled insanity. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you better be ready when the jumps start. I wasn't exactly ready ... at first.

It didn't take me long to get rolling and the girls didn't disappoint. They are daughters of two good friends and had never met until the other night. While I was snapping photos the thought occurred to me of the magic of jumping pictures and how strangers a few minutes earlier became fast friends. Portraits don't accomplish that and neither do yearbook pictures :)

Between The Trees

2011-08-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

I love it when I find a new jumper. Kari has been a friend for quite a while but we only see each other once or twice per year and it hadn't occurred to me to ask her for a jumpshot. Until the other night!

We were finishing up our visit and she said she was headed to a movie so as I was walking her out to her car the sky and the sunset slapped me in the face. She was kind enough to get between the trees so I could take this silhouette of her.

It didn't surprise me that she could jump, it surprised me she could jump so freaking amazing! I always watch the jumper's feet and try to catch them at the highest point in the jump and hers were moving so fast I had to improve my timing to avoid getting a motion blur.

That is the kind of challenge I like! Thank you Kari :)

Jumping Accoutrements

2011-08-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

My friend Ash always has some cool stuff with her when we do jumpshots. Her parasols add a flare to the photos and her vintage camera is really sweet. I thought it was time to give them a little credit. Ash is, and always will be, the focus of my jumpshot, but the props she brings make it even more interesting and enjoyable.

And she picks the coolest colors of shoes :)

50mm Jumps

2011-08-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

I've used a 50mm prime lens for portraits for a long time but I wasn't brave enough to use it for jumps ... until now.

Their focus is legendary and at 1.4 or 1.2, speed is unequaled, but for some reason I haven't viewed it as a jumpshot lens. I still love the epic look my wide angle lens offers but it doesn't have the crisp sharpness that a prime lens offers.

If I have the room to back away from my jump subject I've been grabbing the "nifty fifty" for a whole new look!

EL LAY!

2011-08-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Do you know how happy it makes me to find jumping pics in the inbox? It's like sparkles and unicorns and warm fuzzy slippers all in ONE!

And these are from my friend and yours, CLaP, of whom I am a HUGE FAN! How could I not be? How could YOU not be?

CLaP says:

When I was in LA in July, I managed two jump pictures. The first is at Griffith Observatory with my youngest brother Ben, and he is taking part in his first ever jumping picture.

The second was at Madame Tussaud’s in Hollywood, in a scene with a wax statue of Kobe Bryant. I decided to jump up for the block. Sadly you can’t really see that my feet are off the ground, but the statue and basketball hoop are life sized.

Now, I rarely disagree with CLaP, BUT - I beg to differ about the foot! I think you CAN see that it is off the ground! Gold Star for You! :)

Happy Hump Day, Everybody!

City Slicker: Seattle Edition

2011-08-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think of Seattle, I think of, among other things, Pike Place. Fish flying, vendors chatting you up, live music ringing out from every corner - people en masse. It is nearly the complete opposite of the Kwaj life.

I'm not even going to pretend that I wasn't ridiculously anxious (remember Chicago? Like that) as I fumbled my way through thousands of people. Life is about new experiences; I got my hyperventilating under control (after a quick stop at Starbucks) and disappeared into the crowd with my family, elbows out so I could still maintain my bubble.

Once my eyes stopped bugging out of my head I started wondering, "Can I jump here?" And I got over my, "People are going to look at me like I'm nuts if I stand in the middle of the street and jump," fears (because seriously, how ridiculous would that be if I ended up with NO jumping pics because I was afraid?), I went for it.

A jumping pic in Post Alley. We waited for people to cross the street in between shots. One passerby observed, "That might take you a couple tries," to which I replied, "S'okay! I got nothing but time!" It probably would've turned out to be a better shot if we came at a different time of day, but I'll take what I can get when it comes to SUN!

Who jumps in the middle of the street when there is traffic on it? I do. Why not?

These pictures were actually Chad and his father's idea (hint: if you look carefully you can spot him! He tirelessly and kindly offered to hold my purse while I hopped, skipped, and jumped all over the market.). They figured out that if I jumped at the top of the hill, we could get the world famous PUBLIC MARKET sign in the background. Holy angles, batman! Chad (who is also extremely patient and encouraging) stood on the crosswalk opposite me - we waited for the little green man, both ran out into the middle of the street, and then used hand signals to communicate when I would jump!

This may be my favorite shot of the day. My arm makes the 'l' in Public Market! I also think I look like Snoopy doing his happy dance, and who doesn't love that?

Today made me wish for: a tripod, a better eye, and MORE. TIME. in MORE. PLACES. While I do miss my coconut jumping pics, and my coconut jumping pics friends, jumping in the city isn't an experience I'll likely forget.

I have to say that I wouldn't have had the nerve to take these pictures without Chad and his dad. Sometimes we're fortunate enough in our lifetime to have people who know what you consider your limitations and help you leave them behind - particles of dust in your past.

Next stop? HSBFFJPWSTW. Do you have your decoder ring on?

Happy Monday!

A Day at the Races: Ironman Lake Stevens

2011-08-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Today, the Chad swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 (up and down hills), and ran 13.1. Because I am such an awesome and accomodating wife (you can stop laughing now. no. seriously. STOP!), I only asked him to jump in his wetsuit in front of 2000 other participants and double the spectators BEFORE the race, because I KNEW he would be tired after.

Guess what?

He DID. It's an Ironman pre-swim jitters levitation shot.

He did an amazing job - next year, maybe I'll be standing next to him.

Great work, THE CHAD! You are an inspriring athlete.

Happy Sunday, everybody!

Solo Saturday: #329304

2011-08-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

With Chad getting ready for the IronMan 70.3 tomorrow, I've had tons of time to myself. Well, not really, but I was trying to think of a creative lead in for this jumping pic. It's Saturday, it's almost the end of summer, and I don't have one! Forgiveness is key, folks!

The story.

I was standing outside on the deck taking pictures of Chad barbecuing oysters (Say it with me now: M'mmmmm) and caught sight of my shadow in the afternoon sun and thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if I could take a jumping picture of my shadow? In mid air?"No, it's not quite Wright Brother idealicious, but it's something.

Do you know how hard that is? Trying to hold the camera and jump and click all at the same time? I would jump and click and laugh hysterically to myself (Yes. I am only child. What gave it away?) because Chad was like, "WHAT are you doing?" When I told him, he just shook his head because I had confirmed for the umpteenth time that he IS, in fact, married to a crazy lady (stark, raving MAD).

This is the RESULT. Be PLEASANTLY AMUSED. Additionally, did you know that two of my favorite words (even though they only form one concept) are amuse-bouche? Almost as good as the literal translation of Coca-Cola in Mandarin. But that's a story for another time, and Chad's pacing holes into the wood floors, so it's time to go!

I know, I know, it would be so much cooler if I could've gotten my bottom foot in the shot. Something to strive toward.

Next up? 70.3 Jumping Pics, starring Chad! Less permanent than a tattoo!

Happy Saturday, everybody!

Michelle. Ma Belle.

2011-08-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

WARNING:

The following blog post contains some non-jumping pictures. You're a big girl/boy. You can deal with it. Plus, it is almost the weekend - that should make you HAPPY!

Yes, Friends, Romans and Countrymen - Seattle is COLD.

You know what makes it warm? Friends.

You know what makes it HOT? I'm sure you can guess!

When you say good bye to military friends, you never know when you will see them again, if ever. Many of the families that we met when we were stationed in Japan are still overseas. Or have gotten lost in the shuffle of time and address books.

I cannot even tell you how surprised and happy I was when I found out that Michelle and her family moved to the same town as Chad's mom! When Chad and James (Michelle's husband) got deployed together, Michelle was the one who picked up the phone and said, "C'mon! Let's go do something!"

For that, I am eternally grateful. I can't imagine what those months would have looked like for me without her. Having your spouse deployed is probably one of the most horribly gut-wrenching experiences I've ever lived through. Having the opportunity to share a jumping pic with a friend who shared those feelings with me was a wonderful highlight to the summer!

Thank YOU, Michelle! Next summer, I want you to take a jumping pic with me at the finish line of a marathon.

Happy FRIDAY!

I'm Feeling Like a New Generation of Jumpers Are Coming

2011-08-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

When my awesome friend Andrea emailed me last night and said she wanted maternity jump shots I leaped out of my chair! Andrea is a photographer to the core and when her last baby was being delivered and the doc said "Push", Andrea said "hand me my camera!" That is the truth :) I know a doctor and a nurse that experienced a first that day.

I didn't think that event could be outdone but maternity jump shots come pretty close. Being refreshingly modest, Andrea hasn't shared the photos from little Everett's birth, but I know her well enough to know they must rock! I know which end I was at when my kids were born and to have pictures from the north looking south would be unique to say the least. And mom taking them while she pushes is even better.

Part of the deal taking these jumps was that we were in front of a hospital ... I only look stupid :)

Virginia Beach Jumpin'

2011-08-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Heeeerrrreeee's Garrett! Catching some air time in Virgina Beach. :) Thanks, Daniel for sending this to me. I love to see that somebody else is putting the trampoline to good use.

Happy Thursday!

Freaky Friday: #52093 Shadow Dancing!

2011-08-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure we could all use a little cheese as we get ready for the weekend, wherever YOU may be. Apparently, I am stuck in the late 70's. Can't say that I'm surprised, honestly.

Still lost in my quest to find the perfect alley picture for Rick and to catch the right Mike Hedge tribute shot, I thought this tunnel in Rome would do the trick. It didn't, really (not enough colors, can't get my arm right), but I'll keep trying!

It did, however, remind me of this .

Go ahead, click and listen. I'll wait. I'm patient.

You're welcome!

Happy Friday.

Thankful Thursday!

2011-08-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for Kwaj friends that take jumping pictures. Thanks, Phil for letting me post this. The jumpers are Tommy and Phil's nephew - what a great way to spend the summer!

Rain? No Problem!

2011-08-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

I seem to find it difficult to get any jump shots in the sunshine. Part of the problem is we keep getting rain! But regardless of the weather, jumps are always a welcome sight. I'm not complaining either, clouds make a nice background :)

Delta Lake

2011-08-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Perhaps one of the only reasons that I ever want to leave the rock is so that we can run/bike/swim more races. When I first told Chad that I wanted to take a year off and run, he thought I was nuts. Well, look at him now! Who would've known that triathlons are so addictive?

This weekend, we drove to Rome, New York to participate (Well, he participated. I observated. <--- yes. I know that is not really a word. And if you had to ask me whether I knew that or not...then we just *can't* be friends. It's worse than you asking me if I want bacon on that.) in the 2nd annual Delta Lake triathlon. I have to say that after coming from Kwaj sized events, this was a nice venue. With around 340 athletes, there were available parking spots and I didn't have to fight my way through throngs of onlookers just to get snapshots of the boy. Although believe you me, I definitely would've thrown an elbow to get the shot I wanted (Just kidding. JPWSTW PSA: Use your words, boys and girls, not your fists. OR elbows. ESPECIALLY elbows. They are pointy and sharp.).

Behold!

Before (in his wetsuit, which I am told makes it harder to swim because while you are floaty and weed protected, it snaps your arms back like rubber bands. Not fun for extended distances):

During:
This one is one of my favorites, hands down. I had 2 chances to catch him jumping. The first time he did it, he said, "I'm jumping!" and all I could say was, "Oh no! I missed it!" and feel horrible about it, because a.) he was competing in a triathlon and b.) he was COMPETING. IN. A. TRIATHLON! I should've captured every shot! On the 2nd round, I got down in the grass and sat real still like, waiting for him to jump. Guess what? I missed again. Don't hire me as a photographer any time soon. I had to settle for a landing picture.

After:

When he crossed the finish line and set a PR, he jumped a third time in his triathlon t-shirt. Setting a new record for yourself? That definitely deserved a little celebration. Good thing I caught this one the first time, because after he jumped he said, "You get it? I. AM. DONE." Guess his legs were a little tired. Can't really imagine why, though!

Not only did he blow his old time out of the water, but he's such a good husband that he drove us all the way home (He didn't even say, "Whee, whee, whee!" Is that what the little pig said? Or, "Wee," as in the squeals a pig makes? There you have it ladies and gents. Deep thoughts from a summer brain. Boy, do I need to get back to school!). I, the observator, was too tired to get behind the wheel of a car.

What kind of husband does that?

Mine does.

Goodbye, JULY!
Hellooooooo August. Be nice to us, please.

Turning Japanese: Gaijin Edition

2011-07-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

I love when my family gets out and jumps. These shots that my cousin Lori took on Mt. Takeo make me miss Japan...I can't think about the food without drooling on my keyboard - which is a bit of a disaster, as I'm sure you know!

Lori said that she hopes I give her points for jumping off a bench. I say: LADY, there are NO rules! As long as you are jumping and smiling, I'm happy! She even wore hometown colors - that gets extra extra points.

Thanks for the photos, Lori! I miss your face!

Hooray Hooray! Ten Second Timer DAY!

2011-07-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

Spurred on by CLaP's 10 second timer jumping pics success story, I had to drag Chad and get out there and try again (If at first you don't suceed...). It should be easy to count to ten, right? I mean, I *AM* a teacher. Something like that should come easily to me. <-- And that is possibly the funniest thing I will say all year! Chad had to count.

Blurry!

Chad has big jumping leg muscles. That's my excuse, anyway!

Happy Friday!

Family Party

2011-07-24T20:02:00.001-07:00

It's always nice to have family visit so when Angie (jumping) invited everyone over for a bbq we all, uhhh, jumped :) I had to talk pretty fast to convince the whole group to do a jump but coming from Phoenix they were chilly enough from the cool temps of Salt Lake to pull some off.

It's one thing to jump in the hot temperatures of Arizona, and the markedly cooler temps of Utah, but neither state has high humidity except during the monsoons that move in during a 4 Corners high pressure and then it rains and is quite comfortable. So for all of you wild folk jumping along the east and south coasts all I can say is good on you!!

Battle of the Brothers, Island Style

2011-07-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

Just in case you were missing some shots from the island, Christi sent us some!

Four of my five brothers are out visiting me in paradise. It has been fun having them here. I've been trying to keep busy with them, though I don't have quite as much energy as the last time they were out here since I am seven months pregnant.

They obliged me by taking some jumping pictures . . . I love their faces. One of my brothers had a hard time remembering to face the camera. Alex says: Even though they did have a hard time facing the camera, they *definitely* pulled out the poses. We'll have to file this for later use!

My handsome brothers in non-jumping mode

Then I took a faux jumping pic. Give me a few months, and I'll be back to jumping (hopefully). In the mean time, it's kind of fun to watch my belly jump.

Thanks for sending the shots, Christi! I can't wait to jump with you again!

Happy Sunday!

A Day At the Races: Emily Rose 5k

2011-07-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not the sort of wife to let her husband recover from something as insubstantial as jet lag, so the day after Chad got here I dragged him to the Emily Rose 5k. She was a freshman at the high school here when she collapsed at the soccer field two years ago. The family uses the money from her run for a scholarship in her name.They also help out with CPR training and buy AED's to place where they are needed. As parents, how could we NOT support her family and run the race?

Even though the 10:00 start time promised a dauntingly hot uphill race - we walked down to the starting line and listened to the benediction - where Emily's mom asked us to run with our whole hearts (I think. I was nervous.) - before taking off up the hill.

I'd like to say that it was over before it started, but that would be a big, fat, sweaty lie. It was hot, and I often lagged behind Chad, wishing that there was a rope tied from his waist to mine. But there wasn't, so I did the best I could - wish I guess was good enough for that day. We both won 1st place in our age categories with 8 minute miles.

I couldn't leave it all out on the course, though - I had to save a LEETLE energy for jumping pic! My mom laid down in the grass for these shots! Brave lady!

Wonder Twins. When you look at it, you have to hear the "Shiiiing!" metal sound in your head.


If I keep jumping with Chad, I'm going to have to get on some of those trampoline shoes!

These shots lead to one of THE BEST (you have to say it, "Thee" not "Thuh") landing pictures to date. I laugh EVERY. TIME. I see it.

Stomp the Yard and Jazz Hands!

It was a wonderful day for a run in honor of Emily.

Happy Friday!

Self-Timer SCHOOLING.

2011-07-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

When CLaP resurfaced after a difficult year of school and sprains, I asked him the same question that inevitably comes up when I encounter other jumping pic fans. "What kind of camera do you use?" Not only was I amazed by his camera, but I was absolutely FLABBERGASTED to find out that all his jumping pics are 10 second timer pics! Which just leaves me in awe of him even more.

He says:

I’ve gotten pretty good with the 10 second timer jumps. If you consistently use the same camera you tend to get a feel for the right time to jump. They all just so happen to be from 2010, which is when I first got my gorilla pod. The first pic shows me setting up my camera with gorilla pod, and in that situation the picture that was taken is the second picture below.

The rest of these pictures are from CLaP's self-time collection. I just can't believe it! I spent all year trying to get one successful jumping pic using the 10 second timer, and he has it down to an artform! I'm trying to convince him to put up a YouTube tutorial. Jumping when you think 10 seconds has passed is definitely harder than it looks or sounds. What is even more impressive is that he is NOT the only one jumping.

Awesome photos, as always, CLaP! Thanks for sharing.

Happy Thursday!

Fun for a Girl and a Boy.

2011-07-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last year on Chad's first day in New York, we DID go to a super grocery store. We did NOT jump. This year on his first day? We went AND we jumped!

About 6 months ago I told my friends I wanted to jump in a grocery store but just never got around to doing it. I thought I needed more light.

MORE! LIGHT!

When we walked into this store, I knew it would work, so we tried it. You guys know that I am a fan of the levitation shots - I also wasn't sure I wanted to full out jump in front of our friendly neighborhood shoppers. With the levitation shots we got a couple questioning double takes, but it was over so quickly they just moved on. Not TOO embarrassing. Except for maybe my mom, who quickly wheeled out of there saying, "You guys are NUTS!" She should know this by now. Seriously.

Chad jumped second, but by the time we tried to get the shot I was laughing so hard we decided to go with what we had. People kept poking their faces around the end of the aisle and then quickly making themselves scarce. He needed to work on his feet. He knows. He DID think of the shower brush all by himself, which I think is genius.

When it was my turn, I was at a loss. Trying to look natural in a grocery store is harder than it looks. I can promise you, though, I spend OODLES of time smelling all the body washes; this is plenty realistic for me!

If anything, it was a good distraction from the jetlag.
Ooh. The best part about the store? It is AIR CONDITIONED!

Happy Tuesday!

Guess Who's Back?

2011-07-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

You know, life gets busy in between sprained ankles and school and work and LIVING. That is why I was SO! EXCITED (yup, I probably even squealed when I saw the pictures in my inbox)! when I got another jumping picture from CLaP (say: C-La-P. not: clap, even though he'll probably answer to both).

In San Diego a couple of weeks ago, CLaP and Mike were waiting for a cab after last call when they were downtown. See? ANY TIME is a great time for a jumping pic!

And then they were tired!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so happy that you are all healed up and jumping! YAY!

Don't Know Much About History

2011-07-17T04:58:00.000-07:00

Florida Beach Jumpin'

As I was leaving Florida, my friend Rob from UAS (Uruguayan American School) told me to be sure to check my inbox for a surprise. And this is it! I LOVE when my old friends send me pictures. I've actually known this kid (I guess he's a man now) in the picture since I was 15, and got to see him again for the first time in 20 years this last weekend. :)

I was going to hassle his brother, Stel, for not appearing in the picture as well, but he is the photographer - and that IS a little bit of his finger appearing in the upper left corner, so I'll let him slide this time.

Thanks guys! It was wonderful to see you again!

Happy Saturday, Everybody!

A Break in the Clouds

2011-07-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

I've been surprised at our weather this year here in Utah. Normally we get to early June and we don't see a cloud until the monsoons start arriving from Arizona early August. Not this year! We get a sunny day twice a week, whether we want it or not :) But the clouds make for some beautiful backgrounds and they cut the sweltering heat too.

Ash was able to jump for an hour before she needed a break since the sun wasn't beating down on her, but I was excited to see a break in the clouds to let some amazing light filter through. I don't know who to send the check to, the clouds, the sun, the weatherman or Ash, hmmmm.

Friday Fun (a day late, because I procrastinated)!

2011-07-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

You know what makes today a great day? We have friend submitted photos today! That is a *GREAT* way to kick off the weekend. Especially since my official jumping pic photographer will be joining me tomorrow.

These two kiddos belong to my college buddy, Cristi.

Brother and Sister

Making a Big Splash!

This young lady belongs to another island friend, June. She and I used to work together, so she knows my love of jumping pics firsthand!

She said:

Beauty jumping off to the deep end. 3 years old & already a swimmer. Whew! She can swim betta' & faster than me. She sure is brad's mini' shadow... She loves jumping off the pool & not wanting anyone to help her right away. Pretty good at holding her breath & swim/dive. :)

Have a great weekend, everybody!

July is for jumping too!

2011-07-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

I should say, every month is for jumping, but I've seen things on the internet that leads me to think that many folks believe June is the month for jumping. I have news for them :)

I cornered my friend Jamie the other day and asked her if I could get some jumping pictures of her. She runs and runs, (sound familiar Alex?), and that amazing leg strength pays off when I ask her to jump 20 or 30 times until I capture the shot I have in my tiny little brain. The upside is I end up with 20 or 30 pretty sweet photos that my brain couldn't even imagine!

Main Street Jumpin': Fourth of July

2011-07-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Every year, we have a huge crowd that gathers to watch the 4th of July parade. We gather in the yard and wave at the floats while we wait patiently for Perry's to come by with their Popsicles (yummy AND delicious and also my real motivation for parking it on a curb in New York summer heat).

With as ENORMOUS crowd of people out there (Hey. I live on an island -anything over 50 is HUGE.), I *knew* that I would be able to get some people to jump!

We waited for the parade to finish - SAFETY FIRST! - and hopped out into the street before the traffic started picking up. After we jumped in a group, Kim said, "Now you!" As I was jumping, I had someone who wanted to join in the fun! She said that she couldn't jump, but went for it anyway. Lady, enthusiasm will get you EVERYWHERE with me.

Happy Friday!

Happy 4th, a day late!

2011-07-05T14:25:00.001-07:00

It was quite the day yesterday so I'm slow getting these 4th of July jump pictures posted. Manti is a little teeny town in central Utah and with a home there it seems to be a gathering place for friends and family. I have work down there but not like here in Salt Lake, so it's even more relaxing for me. Over the long weekend, for those of us in the States and also our great neighbors to the north in Canada, there were celebrations on Friday for Canada Day and on Monday for Independence Day. I figured I should celebrate both so it was play time all weekend long.

I tried to get the guy dressed like Uncle Sam with stilts to jump for me but he was a little reluctant since the stilts were at least 3 feet. So I resorted to a standby, my goofy family :) We had relatives come up from Phoenix and with a little coaching even those two got off the ground. The other 5 jokers are quite practiced at my jump commands and did okay. I really liked how the second shot of Kirsten and Kylie turned out because it started out looking pretty screwy with them flying towards each other. Whatever it takes right?

We are officially half way through 2011 and I don't know how you're doing on your resolutions that you made January 1st but I hope one is to get some jumpshots taken and emailed to us so we can include them on this blog! I hope you had a great weekend!

CHEATER!

2011-07-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Netiti's house for a barbecue. This is only the 2nd year in a row that we've done it, but I think it's the start of a great tradition. Last year, we waited until the sun had gone down to start jumping on the trampoline and it was too dark for my flash. I'm sure if I knew how to do some of that fancy camera wrangling I could figure it out, but why learn something new when I can just buy a bigger one (yes. I am joking. This is my joking font - can't you tell? )?

I felt a little apprehensive about hopping up there and jumping, but...if I stopped doing things every time I felt embarrassed or less than, my list of accomplishments would be VERY. SHORT.

So. I jumped.

I haven't figured out whether I think jumping on a trampoline is cheating or not...which is why I made sure to leave it in the shot.

Happy Happy Girl.

Alphabet

Distractions

The final shot is my favorite. I'm pulling my pants up, getting razzed by the peanut gallery and 105% relaxed. I'm pretty sure I do not always look like this from August - June. More like Bill the Cat.

Maybe I can manhandle some strangers at the 4th of July parade and get them to jump with me. If not, I'm in search of a footbridge or alley (Yes, RICK! I heard you!).

Happy 4th of July, Everybody!

Freedom

2011-07-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

No matter how many times I come back to this place, no matter how many lines may etch their angles into my face, this place will always feel timeless. Always feel like home.

Standing with Nicole at the top of that bouncy house slide, holding hands as we laugh and shout, "1,2,3, JUMP!" and hurtle down the slippery plastic with such force that we tumble out landing on top of each other, gasping to catch our breaths - this is home to me. This is summer. THIS is happiness. It is anticipation and acceptance, open arms and spontaneous silliness. It is picking up relationships that are so comfortable they slip right on, like my favorite flannel that Dolan gave me 21 years ago. While parts of the shirt are threadbare, the love is still there. It has always been there. It is unconditional.

Hot and Humid

2011-06-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Utah has NOT been hot and humid ... until yesterday! I've been trying to find time to get some jump shots of my most awesome friend Ashley for over a month and finally we were able to get together yesterday for a few minutes. And just our luck the heat and humidity was on!

I guess I should say "just Ashley's luck" because I wasn't the one jumping over and over :) The weather went from cloudy to windy to rainy to sunny to cloudy again, but one thing was constant, the humidity.

The clouds and the light filtering through made for some dramatic views and since Ashley is serious about her amazing jumps, we managed to capture some lovely shots. She is on her way to South Carolina for a month of visiting her family so this humidity was just a warm up, so to speak.

Viva Italia!

2011-06-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. That might be a lame blog post title, but it's all I could think of. Christi and TC (of Cherokee Adventures fame) did some globe trotting a little earlier this summer. IN EUROPE (I can *totally* hear the Hallelujah Chorus right now). Because they are wonderful friends, they took some pictures for the blog!

YAY!

This is TC jumping in an empty place in Vicenza, Italy. Christi said that it seemed like *SOMEBODY* should get a jump in, and I am thrilled that TC obliged!

Here is Christi jumping at the Castel Vecchio in Verona, Italy (isn't that where Romeo and Juliet are from?).

I am so happy and thankful that you guys took these and sent them in! I can't wait to jump with you in person!

Happy TUESDAY!

I Had Some Surprise Visitors

2011-06-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

I was in Manti a day early this week and planning on a quiet evening when I received a text from a friend I haven't seen for a year or so. Turns out he and and 3 pals were in the area for some small town Utah fun and wanted to see if by chance I was there too.

Perfect timing! When they got to the house and after catching up on the past year I explained to JJ's friends about jump pictures. Anyone who proposes taking jump pictures to the uninformed is greeted with the same blank stares :) After the stares and wry smiles we got to work and before long I had 4 seasoned jumpers.

It makes me smile every time I try to capture group jump shots because people tend to ignore the count down and instead watch the person next to them for the timing. That results in a missed jump shot because they are consistently slow. When everyone focuses on the count ignoring their next door neighbor the results are amazing!

Come Together.

2011-06-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Living on Kwajalein has certainly made me appreciate the power of community. Specifically, people coming together (whatever the occasion) to lend a hand. It is not often that I have the opportunity to witness the same kind of community stateside, and I love to spend time with my family, so when the opportunity presented itself I jumped in with both feet.

Yesterday, I went with my cousin Nicole to help out at a golf tournament in remembrance of her brother in law, Matt Luxon. This is the 2nd year that I've been, and every time that I DO go I am in awe of all the people that come together to celebrate him. Young folks and old folks, golfers and dabblers, lifelong friends and newbies, all for Matt. Every year I think it is one of the most amazing and heartwarming things that I have ever seen.

What better way to commemorate than with a jumping pic? "You're so predictable, Alex," you say, To which I proudly reply, "Yes. I. AM."


I should call this photo, "Where's Flug?" Jesse, Allison, Josh, Alex, Nicole, and Stacie.

This is a Jumping Pics Will Save the World! first. As we were getting ready, Flug and Allison made some quick plans, but I had NO idea what that would translate to until I got the pictures from the camera. Which is one of the exciting things about jumping pics: everyone has an individual interpretation and execution. In this case, he THREW and she JUMPED. She's not at full height here, but just you wait!

Launched!

The rest of us are ALL on the ground and Allison is still in orbit! Amazing.

Faces

We're not all in the air here, but it IS the only one where you can see all our faces, so I'll take it. It's not always about leaving the ground.

Boys WIN!

After giving instructions for a levitation shot in roughly 5 seconds or less ("Jump up, don't look like you're jumping, and flex your feet.) we gave it a shot (ha!). I have to say, Look at the BOYS! Josh looks PERFECT and Flug can jump higher with straight legs than anybody I know. We didn't quite get it down, but it's still June. We've got plenty of time to practice.

Thanks for taking time out from the golf tournament to jump with me, guys!

Free Fallin'

2011-06-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Watching these boys jump off the falls reminded me of the feeling I get at the beginning of summer when the bell has just sounded and long, glorious days of sleep and sunshine stretch out before me, seemingly infinite.

Moment of Truth

Pictures like this remind me of potato salad and the Fourth of July, swinging out in the hammock at Momma's house and baseball games with Nicole and Josh.

Airborne

The inextinguishable grin that accompanies me everywhere I wander. The anticipation of unplanned adventures in my immediate future.

Days of Summer

SUMMER.

More Birthday's

2011-06-21T14:06:00.001-07:00

Alex's post yesterday, and her comment on my photo, convinced me to post this shot. Birthdays should be great days, full of celebration with friends and family. When I read Alex's comments about Colby it reminded me how much I enjoy sending birthday wishes. I'm not so big on my own birthday since it comes too fast and I've had too many, but celebrating others is different.

I posted a jumpshot of Annette that she sent me a month or so ago, and turns out it was her birthday the other day. She's a youngster :) And she is a great photographer and a great jumper, so when she asked me for a jumpshot for a birthday gift I knew that was something I could fulfill. So this was for Annette!

Birthday Boy

2011-06-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Colby turns 17 today. 1 year away from college and 18, and 4 years away from 21 and adulthood. When I think about how quickly the ten years since we have come into each others' lives has passed, I wish I had video taped all of it. Every remark, every note, every argument, every laugh. I guess that is what being a parent is about. Wishing you had more time with your child as you watch it slip through your fingers.

Today as we were reminiscing about his younger days (read: I kept saying, "Remember when?" And he kept humoring me, because he is awesome like that.) he said, "Yeah, I was out there."

To which I say: You were always just perfect to me. Every moment.

Happy Birthday, Kid.
Big LOVE for you.

Chest Bump Gone Wrong

2011-06-16T15:21:00.001-07:00

You see it all the time. Someone gets a touchdown, a goal, whatever, and then comes the chest bump. Our jump outing had gone better than we expected and nearly all the shots turned out great so Ashley and Calli decided it called for a celebration. A chest bump sort of celebration. What is the equation? Mass x velocity = ... bad things?

No Snow in Florida? Come to Utah!

2011-06-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when my friend Ruth emailed me and said she and her fellow teacher Alissa were coming through Utah on their 2 week road trip. Ruth is an avid jumper and I have enjoyed her jump pics from all over the world. This road trip was not for wimps either. Alissa ran a 1/2 marathon in San Diego then that afternoon they drove to Vegas. Then the next day off to the Grand Canyon for some sight seeing. Next on the schedule, Southern Utah to enjoy the Red Rock country and Arches National Park. They raced into Salt Lake Saturday afternoon for a fun dinner of Chinese with me and then up the canyon for some jumpshots. They are now past San Francisco and heading down the famous PCH. Dang that was quick!

Since these two lovely ladies and their families reside in Florida I thought it was appropriate that we head up to the snow to get the jumping pictures. They were excited too. Until the cold temps brought them back to reality in their flip flops and short sleeves :) They were such good sports and despite the shocking cold they jumped and jumped without complaint.

It was so enjoyable to spend a few hours with Ruth and Alissa and it just helped reinforce my belief that this jumping world is filled with wonderful people. Just like all of you!

Don't Try This At Home

2011-06-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

That title certainly doesn't apply to everyone. In fact I think Alex needs to do a jumpshot like this just as soon as she's rested up from her school year. If she would stop by Salt Lake on her way to Buffalo I would be happy to run the camera, (hint hint). But in the mean time I was blown away with Ashley's jump and couldn't wait to post it. She could almost fit in my shirt pocket and she is solid muscle. It made parts of my body hurt that I didn't know I had just watching her do this. But she is certainly qualified and experienced to pull off a jumpshot like this. Ashley is on her way to California to teach cheerleading clinics for the next few weeks and here's to well wishes. Those girls are in for a real treat!

Speechless.

2011-06-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

180 days of blood, sweat, and tears (a few of them my own).

Saying good bye to a class year after year never makes it any easier.

Thanks for jumping with me.

Summer Days (are almost here)!

2011-06-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

I know I've been slacking with the jumping pictures. Jumping by myself (mostly) in Buffalo was...not always funtastic. It made me realize that the next time I got a shot, it should be FULL! OF! PEOPLE! And, because this is an island with an overabundance of outside activities, the opportunity presented itself. Jason (he is the one in the white trunks without the shirt) turned 30 this weekend (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JASON!). Everyone there graciously jumped when I made the ~~demand~~ suggestion that we take a picture.

We went for the levitation shot, but took a couple tries to get it. Looking like you're floating takes practice!

Thank you jumpers and AWESOME photographer! I appreciate your willingness to jump again and again and again! On concrete! Barefoot! You guys are the best.

Rock and Roll Forever!

2011-06-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

Each year in the tiny town of Manti, UT a car show is held. It's to celebrate the life and talent of "Big Daddy" Ed Roth who was the creator of the "Rat Fink" caricature. His heyday was during the SoCal hotrod days of the late 50's and 60's. "Rat Fink" was sort of the antithesis of Mickey Mouse with his bulging bloodshot eyes and biker gang looks. "Big Daddy" had, and still does have, quite a loyal following among hotrod and custom car enthusiasts. They gather each year in Manti because Ed left the wild life of Southern California to retire in the mountains of Utah and a much quieter life. Sadly he passed away a few years ago but each year his home and museum is opened to the public and the car show explodes with hotrods, rumbling V-8 big blocks and wild paint jobs on the cars.

I look forward to this event because of all the interesting people and the great cars on display. This year one of the bands performing grabbed my attention as I walked the rows of old and new cars. Their music was outstanding, much better than what you might expect from a local band. I enjoyed their performance so much I thought the only thing that could make this day better would be to get a jumpshot of the band members. So here is the result!

When the lovely lady in front asked if she could do a toe touch I nearly broke down in tears, yahoo!!!! Rock on "Plan B" your music is amazing and so is your jumping!!

Hello from Kiev, Ukraine!

2011-06-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have a beautiful friend, Anastasia, who right now lives in Gomel, Belarus and I have enjoyed her photos for nearly a year. She is far too modest about her photography, and her English, both of which are outstanding! I noticed she had posted a jump shot she called Ukrainian jump and I knew everyone here needed to see it.

Instead of me babbling on I'll let Anastasia explain this great photo.

"During my visit to the Norwegian Royal embassy in Kiev I met this Ukrainian girl, she was applying for Schengen visa (allows people to travel between the 15 European member countries) to Norway to visit her boyfriend. It was a hard day for both of us: we were standing in queue (line) for 5 hours. The weather was hot - almost 30 °C, (86 F) but after all we were doing important things and we didn't let that bother us. We went to the main square, and we were drinking some cold kvass, (known as a bread drink in English),(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass) and I could not skip taking nice images at this beautiful part of the city."

I hope to convince Anastasia to take a jumpshot of herself very soon so you can see how pretty she is, but I sure was excited to get this photo from her today! And this year I can't relate to the temperatures in Kiev because Salt Lake was 13 C (55 F) today!

June is for jumping so don't forget! And thanks to Anastasia for sending this jump shot :)

June is for Jumping!

2011-06-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

I hesitated to use that title for today's post because every month is for jumping in my mind, but I've run across many groups that celebrate June is for Jumping. It could be that in the northern hemisphere June means summer and nice weather. I suppose that's legit, but maybe I need to google it to find out. Remember when we needed to grab an encyclopedia to learn things like that? The ones I remember using wouldn't have contained anything as obscure as jumping in June so right at this moment I'm feeling real warm and fuzzy about the world wide web!

But here is a challenge. Put down the encyclopedia you just picked up, grab your camera, iPhone, whatever, and take some jumping pictures!! Don't let another day in June pass without taking a jumpshot. Help us all celebrate June is for Jumping!

Breanne agreed to kick this month off with a green-grass-has-been-unusual-here June jump. I better grab that encyclopedia and make sure Utah is still in the northern hemisphere since our weather has been more like winter approaching!

Flying in a tutu

2011-05-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Right up front, I don't own a tutu but I'm glad Ash does. We haven't had sunshine or blue skies for most of the spring and I'm convinced that she brought that out by wearing her tutu and making Mother Nature smile. If you own a tutu I think you need you need to go outside and take a jumping picture. Even if Mother Nature doesn't cooperate it will make you, and us, very very happy!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Long weekends are something to look forward to and this one is the kick off to summer for those of us in the States. It's also a time to remember those who gave their lives serving our country to secure our freedom. Since I was a little guy I've visited cemeteries and decorated the graves of family members. Despite the somber feeling cemeteries carry, I've always enjoyed the bright colored flowers and flags that are on display honoring the deceased.

I wouldn't want to offend any who mourn by inappropriate behavior in a cemetery but I know my family members who are buried there would welcome the pure joy of young people coming to visit. My experience is decorating the graves on Memorial Day is a chance to renew old acquaintances, meet new friends and share some reflective time in a beautiful setting, so when I ran into these young people and got the chance to take some jump shots of them .... well I jumped for it. They were visiting graves of ancestors they never met and were so patient with their mom while she walked from headstone to headstone. I was very impressed. But the excitement they showed when jumping made my day! I hope someday in the far distant future someone takes a jump picture by my final resting place! I'd rather have that than a bunch of tears :)

Got Legs?

2011-05-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend everyone! Here in the States it's a long weekend with Memorial Day on Monday and I'm happy already. I'm convinced that we would all be better off with 3 day weekends more often. Or maybe 3 day work weeks instead :) I bet Alex's 3rd graders would go for that! I'm thinking I need a chat with her 3rd graders to see if they can convince Alex to take some jumpshots.

In the meantime I cornered Jamie for a few jumps that made me smile and also shows off her great form! I'm lucky to have Jamie and her family living just around the block from me so all we have to do is time the outing to when her twins are taking their nap.

You can see from the photos that things are turning green despite the near constant clouds and wet weather. I think it helped to have the sun come out the day we took these shots to feel more like jumping!

More Mike!

2011-05-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

No, Alex isn't jumping yet.
All rain and no jumping makes Alex a dull girl.
Thankfully, her friends are *still* getting out there, because they are awesome!

These are from Mike, in Charlestown, MA, where they filmed "The Town". I don't know what that is! All Mike's jumping pictures are educational!

Have a wonderful Friday, everybody!

Masada!

2011-05-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed at the Jumping pics my friends take! Smiley hiked all the way up a mountain to get this one. I had to google it.

Masada is a desert fortress in Israel that overlooks the Dead Sea. Oh, the places jumping pics will go!

This pictures makes me feel like summer, which is a great feeling after all those freezing pics in Buffalo.

Thanks, Chris! I will surely owe you one when I see you!

More Yellowstone? Yep.

2011-05-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you aren't tired of Yellowstone jumps because I still have more to process.

I try to visit as many jumpshot groups on Flickr and other places as I can to get a feel for what pictures people are taking and how they do them. One common theme I've noticed is a fear of having bystanders see you taking a jumpshot. I understand, but it's something you have to get over or it will limit you on when and where you get a shot. Since I'm used to people thinking I'm a little off kilter it doesn't bother me to have folks watching. Thankfully that same attitude carries over to my subjects! The poor fellow watching from the sideline may never visit the States again however :)

Yellowstone is Jumping!

2011-05-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

I finally escaped from the rat race and spent a week in Yellowstone National Park. I don't want to come right out and say I deserved it .... but I deserved it!

This time of year is a nice time to visit Yellowstone because the baby animals are out, bears are waking from their winter nap, Park Rangers aren't grumpy yet and tourists are few and far between. The downside is there usually is a lot of snow on the ground still and the weather can change from sunny and warm to a blizzard in a matter of hours. After giving the pro's and con's a once over I chose wisely and headed up with the family.

Since this blog is all about jumping pictures I had some ideas locked away in my tiny brain and I hoped to get two things accomplished, a jump shot in front of Old Faithful while she was blowing her steam and a jump shot with a Park Ranger before he or she blew theirs.

Mission accomplished!!

Don't worry about the hostile tourist in the red coat at Old Faithful, we didn't :)

It's Spring in Germany

2011-05-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

I was so happy to see this photo show up in my email. Andrea is one of my favorite jumpers and to know she is busy taking jump shots over the pond in Germany does my heart good too. In her email she told me that she and her husband were driving past this field and when they noticed how beautiful the flowers were she knew she wanted a jump in front of them. Personally I think Andrea makes the flowers more beautiful, not the other way around :)

A Little Levitation

2011-05-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

I was SO excited about the jumping pics that I was going to take at The Bean. SO excited. And then? When I just couldn't get myself there (Holy panic attacks, batman!)? I felt horrible. Defeated, even. And then?

And then:

I found myself tagged in these wonderful photos that a high school buddy from Hong Kong days took of her children on her recent travels there. She said, "Appreciate this Ali. It took 25 takes." I do, Christine. More than you know. Grizzly Adams days have come and gone, but the friendship lives.

Happy Wednesday, Friends.

p.s. If you look closely in the 2nd picture, that's Christine on the left (in the reflection) ready with her camera.

200 Posts!

2011-05-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Usually when I get e-mails from buddies that say, "Look what you started!" I cringe outwardly (and inwardly), wondering what they have dredged up from earlier days. ESPECIALLY when it is from college buddies. I'd like to say that what happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans, but I know from experience that there are some things I am just NOT going to live down. Knowing that facebook pictures of my high school laquered perm hair days are posted is punishment enough.

Suffice it to say I was apprehensive yesterday when I read Mike's subject line. But, I should've known better. It was JUMPING PICS! These awesome shots are from Venezuela, at Canaima National Park.

These are fantastic! I'm glad to see that I am not the only thirty-something getting some serious air time. Thanks, Mike!

Happy Friday the 13th, y'all!

Jumping for the Railroad

2011-05-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

What little kid doesn't want to be a train engineer when they grow up? I know I did, plus I wanted to be a cowboy and a fireman! A CPA wasn't even on my radar but when real life hits and you have to pay the bills some of the dreams go by the wayside. I did get to shoot guns when I was in the Marines and that satisfied some of my childhood daydreams. And being a CPA isn't as bad as TV and movies make you think, but I don't get to ride trains and hear the clackity clack of the steel wheels as they roll down the tracks. I thought about being a bum and riding in train cars but again there is that "real life" thing that keeps getting in the way.

I cross an interesting stretch of train tracks each week as I travel to my second office in the central part of Utah. This is pretty rural country and not a lot of traffic goes past. I actually get a little excited when I pull up and the guards are down with the red lights flashing for cars to stop. So last Friday when that happened I thought it might be fun to get some pictures of the passing train. When I pulled up to the crossing two Union Pacific workers were waving me between the lowered guard rails so I rolled down my window to see where the train was. "No train" he said, "we're just doing maintenance on the tracks and the guards automatically lower."

What's the next best thing to getting artsy shots of a train hurling down the tracks? A jumpshot of the Union Pacific workers of course!!!!! It took roughly 1.2 seconds for me to respond with "How about doing a jumpshot on the train tracks?" Well, you can see the result in living color. These two gentlemen were as friendly and cooperative as I could have hoped and it reinforced my childhood dream that everyone who works on the railroad, engineer, conductor or maintenance, is as good as gold :) Thanks to the Union Pacific for hiring people who can still make dreams come true even if it's just a jumpshot!

We All Have a Mother ...

2011-05-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

...everyone does, and to all the mothers out there HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

We love you,
Jumping Pics Will Save the World

What Traffic?

2011-05-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

Alex says "jump" and say I how high? And I'm only half joking :)

This picture is my wonderful jumping friend Ashley. We haven't had time to get together for far too long for my liking but between my tax season schedule and Ash being a busy mom and taking a quick vacation to Southern Utah, it's been nearly 8 weeks. We were lucky to have an abundance of sunshine and blue sky the other day so our timing was perfect. As I write this post the weather dude is predicting more rain and snow for Sunday so this lovely weather is coming to a screeching halt!

Speaking of a screeching halt, I've wanted to get a highway jumpshot for a while and live to post it. So when we had a break in traffic we ran out into the road to get this shot. I have to tell you that even with no traffic in sight it gave me pause to lay prone on the double yellow lines :) I'm fast but I didn't want to test my speed against a speeding 18 wheeler zooming down the canyon! You know the saying "sometimes you're the bug, sometimes you're the windshield", well I didn't want to find out which I'd be that day.

Turns out it was a great jump by Ash, the weather was perfect, the traffic complied with my wishes and the clouds presented themselves at just the right time to give Ashley wings.

Goose Poop and Sunshine!

2011-05-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

I know it's spring, not because of the weather, but because the baby ducklings and goslings are milling around. Eggs hatch in spring so I'm pretty sure spring is here despite the odd weather we've been having. I thought a jump photo near the pond would be nice since it's finally thawed and Breanne readily agreed. When I suggested jumping on the rock we noticed it was covered in goose poop. If you know goose poop then you understand, if not then think small German Shepherd poop, only green and stinky, and piled up. Why they poop in piles I've never known, but it creates a challenge to jump near a goose poop pile and land safely, particularly when you're sharing the poop pile on a 4 square foot rock.

The solution? Breanne took off her shoes :) I guess poop washes off feet easier than shoes, hahaha. I think Breanne deserves an award regardless of the outcome of the risky poo jump. She doesn't complain about my ideas of jumps and this wasn't the first time she dodged unsavory things on the ground!

Friends AND Family

2011-05-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

You know the thing about life? Sometimes it gets in the way. Dayna and I had planned to go out and take more jumping pics this last weekend, and it rained BOTH! DAYS! That, and I worked all day Monday.

It seems that the closer I get to having more free time, the less free time I get. Frustrating but true.

A recurring theme in all classrooms is recycling, and I was digging for jumping pics to put up, I realized that I hadn't put these up. I am recycling Thanksgiving!

After the Marshmallow incident (November 2010), Julie and I snapped some shots while MOST of the Wiley family jumped. Looking at their smiling faces makes me happy. And who doesn't need a little happy in the middle of the week?

Happy Hump Day, Everybody - whether it is Wednesday or Thursday for you!

Jump With an Asian

2011-05-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Not long ago Alex did a post about Hug an Asian day and it cracked me up. I thought that's a great idea and since my son Bret is fluent in Mandarin he has friends visiting all the time from Taiwan. His friend Vickie is headed back in a couple days and I'm sad to see her go. I know she's thrilled to see her family and not struggle with the English language, but I've enjoyed knowing her. So in keeping with Alex's theme of Hug an Asian, I did a jumpshot with Alexis and Vickie to celebrate a sunny spring day and say goodbye to a wonderful Asian friend!

The End of the Week and the End of April

2011-04-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

This week has flown by and so has April! Personally I couldn't be happier but I know it's bad to wish my life away. As May arrives time can slow to a snails pace and you'll hear no more complaining from the peanut gallery. The month of April presented some great opportunities for jump shots despite the inclement weather and the other "w" word ..... "work"! Defying both weather and work we managed to capture these two shots, one of Breanne (top) and Jamie (bottom). Both are wonderful seasoned jumpers and they always bring a smile to my face. I hope you enjoy these as well!

I Love Jumping Pictures!

2011-04-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

I love jumping pictures. Okay I said it, I feel better now. I have two psychologists next door to my office and during tax season they drop in and thinking they're funnier than Jay Leno say "We should trade services!" Hardy har har. They tell me they do crisis intervention should I need it :) One day they were strolling around our building analyzing one another and stumbled on to me taking jump shots. Oh boy, you'd thought they were given a key to a nut house!!! Dr "Nut" and Dr "Case" had a live one ... me! I politely explained that it's completely normal to have a 20 something beautiful girl in cowboy hat and boots do jump shots. "Right ....," they said, as they smiled knowingly and slowly backed away. I felt the urge to shout the comeback of all time, "Yeah, so there!!!!" but I resisted, because I had more jumpshots to take and Morgan had a schedule to keep. I love jumping pictures!

April Means Graduation

2011-04-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

My brain tells me April means terrible tax day and my busiest month of the year, but most people don't set their lives by tax deadlines and think of nicer events related to the month. I've been told I'm a little sketchy. April also means college graduation time and how better to celebrate than with a jumpshot! My lovely friend Morgan has been with me since I started taking jumpshots and will forever hold an honored spot in my library of photos. She's been in another city the past 18 months finishing her degree so I haven't been able to corner her for photos very often, so when she called me recently and asked if I would take her graduation pictures I was thrilled! We have patiently waited for a sunny day but that just isn't in the cards for Utah this spring and we decided to alter our expectations and try to squeeze the photo shoot between rain storms. If you live in a moisture advantaged area of the world you may not have much sympathy for us, but keep in mind Utah is suppose to be a desert with average annual rainfall of 22" or so and in the first 6 months of our water year (Oct 1st to Sep 30th) we've received 18"! When the snow melts and rushes downstream it will be quite a sight.

With no hope of bright blue sky framing Morgan we did the best we could with flat light and gray clouds and I hope she is happy about the photos. Since this blog is jumping related I'll limit the photos to her celebratory jumps, but we managed to get some formal cap and gown portraits and Morgan looks beautiful. A college degree doesn't make you smarter but it proves you have the courage to start something important and the tenacity to complete it, and I'm very proud of Morgan for that!

7 Degrees.

2011-04-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

I met Kara when we were twenty something fabulous, living on a (different) island in the middle of the Pacific. Through the power of her blogging and the ever expanding jaws of facebook, we've been able to keep in touch and watch each other grow and change and grow and change and grow and change.

This morning, Kara dropped me a line to let me know that her friend Ryan took some pictures on a trip and GUESS WHAT?! They are jumping pics! Ryan dropped me a line and told me that I could gleefully liberate them from his facebook page and I am SO HAPPY that he did. They are beautiful. They smell like Spring and Freedom and the pages of a book to me. Put your nose on the screen.

Mandy outside the Bill Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas

Ryan. Little Rock. Bill Clinton Library.

Thanks, Ryan and Mandy for sharing your pictures with us. I hope you take lots more!