Find something amazing, it will do you some good.

There are many things I love. One of them is being warm! Sounds simple, doesn't it? I really don't like being cold. Everyone would rather be warm than cold . . . or at least everyone would like to be warm on a beach that is almost empty. An empty beach would be the ultimate dream come true. 

We got up early, had breakfast as a family then took off to the other side of the island where this wonderful beach awaited us. The sky was gorgeous with big fluffy clouds. The water was warm and refreshing. The palm trees were loaded with bananas and coconuts which we sampled to our hearts' content. Ahhhhhhhhh, it was the life. It was so good it almost seemed surreal. The beauty was so vivid it almost took your breath away. The sweet smell of the ocean at my feet . . . man, I just loved it.

It's interesting how good it feels to be surrounded by God's beautiful creation. It does one's soul good to get away from the cell phone and email and to go somewhere beautiful . . . but what if you can't? Well, keep coming back here and I'll do all I can to bring that virtual beauty right to your home. You will have to turn off the cell phone though. I can't do that for you. ;) HAHA. Okay, I bet you thought I was going to say something serious about then but if you know me I can't keep a straight face for very long. It's too much work being serious. 

Okay, it's good to get out and take time to appreciate the beauty around you. Whether that is somewhere out west like Yosemite, out east like Niagara Falls or on a deserted island . . . take some time and do it! You will thank yourself later. And maybe you will thank me for pushing you over the edge. I hope so! Life is short. Don't miss the beauty around you. 

If you wish to own this image you can. Maybe you could bring some of that beauty and put it right in your home? I would appreciate it!

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber

My website | Contact me | Follow me on Twitter | Become my fan on Facebook

Know My Heart

"If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea . . ."

This passage is one of my all time favorites. When I looked at this image the words above just came to mind. No matter where I go the Lord's hand is going to be on me. He knows me so intimately. He knew me before I was even born. "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" It's not about religion. It's about a relationship. How awesome is that? God's heart toward us is so good.

Flying fish

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain! Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! 

-Psalm 139

Thanks for reading! I hope it encouraged you as much as it has for me. 

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber

My website | Contact me | Follow me on Twitter | Become my fan on Facebook

I'M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!!! :D

A quick video clip of Blake's 3000m race today

Using the 5D Mark II . . . I did my best at taking some clips. I don't really know a whole lot in the area of videography but enjoyed exploring it a little today. Maybe I'll do more later but I guess it will depend on how much feedback I get.

It might look to you like Blake is going slow . . . but he's so not. This track actually goes around two full size hockey rinks. The track you see here is huge. Blake set a personal track record today in this race at a total time of 4 minutes, 11.75 seconds.





So, what did you think?

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

My bro, Blake . . . the coolest speed skater.

I know Blake isn't at the Olympics this time . . . but it's never to soon to introduce you to the next Olympic Gold Medalist for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, right? :) 


Tomorrow he starts a series of races . . . it's the US Jr Championships. Tomorrow he races in the 500m and the 3000m. Please keep him in your prayers. 

It was super fun to go to our local skating rink and set up a studio right on the ice to do these photos. It was great! Blake (a very likable guy) made friends with the manager of the ice rink. He asked if we could get in early some time and do a photo session on the ice, and the manager said yes! It was so much fun. At first we had some trouble getting the lights to work with us . . . but we got it figured out after some tweaking. But I got the photos I was after and that's all that mattered to me.











Have a great weekend, everyone! I'm not sure how much I'll get to post over the weekend since I'll be gone. Well, it's tired and I'm getting late . . . ;) 

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Shani Davis . . . Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in the Men's 1000m

Tonight long track speed skater Shani Davis won the gold medal again in the men's 1000m. And Chad Hedrick took the bronze. I do believe that Shani is the first ever to get the gold in this event back to back like this at the Olympics. Congratulations, Shani!

Team USA . . . I'm so proud of you tonight! Keep up the great work!














Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Nancy Swider-Peltz Jr

One the first things that stands out to me as different about Nancy as a skater is her cool relationship with her coach. Life as a speed skater is hard. Your coach is often the one who has to give you all the hard assignments . . . Now, who in your life could possibly be more hard on you as a skater than your coach? What if your coach were your mother?  That's right—Nancy's mother is her coach. Nancy Swider-Peltz, Sr., is a three-time Olympic speed skater. I think it's cool how Nancy (Jr.) is now at the 2010 Winter Olympics continuing the family dream!

(So, I'm updating this post with a comment I received last night from a new found friend that I wanted to be sure you all saw. Looks like I had a few details wrong above and I like the way that this was all put.)

"Deborah said...

Nancy Sr is actually a four-time Olympian who participated in eight Olympic trials. She is also a world-records holder. They do have a wonderful relationship and have even roofed their own house together. Nancy Sr has devoted her whole adult life to speedskating and now to Nancy Jr. Why wasn't she allowed on the track to coach her daughter while she was competing? The entire family is devoted to each other and to God. Nancy's dad is one of the best fathers/husbands on earth!"

After receiving that comment/bit of information I just wanted to make sure you all saw it.  

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Jilleanne Rookard

Speed skaters work so hard to get where they are. It's a crazy amount of commitment. As you can see in Jilleanne's face, they mean business when they are out there. It's great!




Jilleanne, besides than being a great skater and a cool person, has ridiculously cool colored skates! She instantly became my Mom's personal favorite female skater of all times. Go Jill! We are cheering for you!





In this picture Jill had just found out that her times were fast enough to get her a spot in the Olympics. We were all very happy for her!

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Trevor Marsicano

Today Trevor raced in the 5000m. His status message today on Facebook was, "6:30.9. Not to bad." Not a bad race at all . . . only 15.4 seconds shorter than Sven Kramer, who took gold today. In the Olympics 15 seconds might sound like a long time . . . but let's not get all down because he didn't get metal. 6:30.9 is still killer fast for a 21 year old guy. Trevor once held the world record for the fastest time on a 1500m only to be beaten by Shani Davis moments later. 


Trevor is a personal favorite of mine among the olympic speed skaters. (My brother Blake of course is my favorite speed skater of all times . . . lol) Trevor's got an awesome walk with the Lord and a friendly personality to prove it. He's stopped more than one time to just talk and say hello. And it's not just me, he's friendly to everyone. I can't wait to see what great things the Lord has in store for this young athlete.




Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Chad Hedrick

So, I'm trying to write this while watching the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic . . . and I don't really have anything else to say but that I'm super excited! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Chad Hedrick: Another one of our (US) long track speed skaters.





Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Games

I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait till the Olympics start up tomorrow night.

So I figure this would be a good time to pull out some of my images of some of the speed skaters you will be seeing representing the US Olympic team over the next couple weeks.

Shani Davis:

I can't wait to see him compete at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics games. This guy comes around the track so fast it's scary.  He is a world record holder and a great guy. 

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

I never lack someone to model for me.

Yes, it's me. :) I forgot how much I love doing self-portraits till a couple weeks ago. There is something fun and challenging in doing so. I mean, you can always coach someone near by into getting the shot you are after of yourself . . . but it's fun seeing what you can come up with on your own every once in a while.

Besides, I need a new profile picture on facebook.



I love the lines I found in this old shack. Amazing fun!

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Want personality? Meet Cameron!

Here ya go.



Cameron is such a joyful guy to be around. Young, yet a true energy-giver.



Foot prints



Smile!



Don't smile . . . ;)



Laugh

Last image of Cameron flying through the air.

There are a few other images from this session here on my fan page.

I know I'm primarily a wedding photographer . . . but taking images of kids and families is a total blast too! If there is life there is something amazing to be captured, created and discovered.

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

My bro, Konner

Konner is one of those over-achiever types who isn't going to let the world get in his way. He's fun, stylish, smart, and has a deep love for the Lord and his family. He's also a great workout buddy.

I hope you enjoy them. It's great having a family who is willing to support and give time while I am ever trying to capture, create and discover something amazing . . . in this case it's easy. He's Konner. What else can I say? So with no further ado, meet my bro, Konner!

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Quick moments you might have missed otherwise

There are just two things I want to say.

1. This little guys was precious. 

2. This innocent look might have been missed forever had I not discovered and captured it.




Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

Working all night

Hey guys,

Looks like I've got an all nighter to pull through tonight. Lots of work that has to get done now . . . I'll post more tomorrow! Thanks again for your interest in me, my photography and this blog. That means a lot!


Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

The last of Samantha & Jared's Engagement photos. . .

Sorry I didn't post last night. It was a bit of a busy day, trying to knock out a bunch of images that I was editing for a follow photographer that I've been assisting with two awesome engagement sessions.

I love editing images almost as much as I love taking images . . . almost.  It's when I make my transition from being a people-pleaser to an artist. It's great fun. I can usually only take a few hours at a time before I find I have to get up and do something else. I'm not sure why. It could be that my eyes get tired of looking at a screen or maybe my brain just needs a break. But I figured you might enjoy knowing that I don't actually sit in front of my computer 24/7 and only take breaks to take more pictures.

Okay, so here are some of the last photos I'll post from this engagement session. I know for some of you this is old hat since they were on my facebook page (Create link) (I would love it if you would support me by being a fan of my page!) but they're not on my blog . . . and my blog needs to have them too. And, I liked it. :) It was a fun engagement session. Doing engagement photography in downtown Chicago (or wedding photography for that matter) is always good times. Actually, most all major cities have a lot to offer for unique, out-of-the-box photography. A game I kind of like to play when I'm doing photography in Chicago is looking for cool light, no matter the background. If I find cool light I'll have a cool image. Cool light can be found in strangest places. And I often feel that it is my job to find it. You know, I swear it's like hide and go seek. But even more rewarding. Sometimes I'm pretty sure it's waiting for me and my camera to get grab it. It's like it says to me, "Hey you! Party in your camera is about to happen if you come over here!" My camera and I are all about a good party with light and friends. Put the two together and you have something really going for you. :)

Ahhhhhh, the joy of light at the edge of a an overhang. It's something amazing for sure.

 

 Stairways are great places to find light too. 

Angels aren't they?

 

Shadows are another thing I really like a lot! Okay, I like them a lot a lot. 

Soft light . . . so calming.

 

It's funny just how happy these couples are when we are out taking pictures. I mean, last I checked, a lot of people think that getting your picture taken just isn't fun. LOL. NOT ANYMORE! We have good times when we go out. . . that's one of my secrets to good pictures. If you aren't having a good time, you aren't going to get good photos. People want to see real joy in images of themselves. Ya know? 

No long title under this one. Sound good? 

I think we should just enjoy this one too. What do ya say?

What would an engagement session be in Chicago without a little grunge?

  

She said "yes" with an extra big smile when she saw that bling I'm sure. :) 

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber

More Chicago Engagement images . . .

I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as we did. It was great times.

Moving Metros . . . or yeah!

Again, this weekend I'll be in San Francisco, California helping shoot two engagement session . . . but I'll do my best to keep the posts rolling in. First session is done, and now for the second one today. Good times dead ahead!

Signing off for today. God bless your socks off,

Capture. Create. Discover.
Something Amazing!

Britton Felber
www.photographybybritton.com | Britton@photographybybritton.com | twitter.com/brittonfelber