as you can see ...

, originally uploaded by pr9000.

We had a good time at the "Dickens of a Christmas" festival in downtown Franklin on Sunday, even if the weather didn't exactly cooperate. It felt more like the week before Halloween than the week before Christmas, but after spending four holiday seasons in Minnesota, I'll take it.

And so will Trotter, though he misses the snow ... he was amazingly cute in his elf hat and collar, and, pound for pound, attracted more attention than anyone (or any thing) else on Main Street.

Dogs dressed up in costumes will always be a winner.

our first snow day in Franklin!

Amina and I moved here from cold, barren, frozen Minneapolis. On our moving day, it was 95 and rainy here -- and that was fine. No mosquitos, no long sleeve shirts in the evening ... it was all good.

We enjoyed the rest of summer. We thoroughly enjoyed the fall -- amazing to have a full season, with falling leaves and a sense that Mother Nature was back to her old self.

Last night, Amina comes running in from the front porch. "It's snowing!" she exclaimed. "And it's sticking! Come see!"

I followed her over and, lo and behold, she was right. Snow was falling, and accumulating. By thte time the evening was over, I'd taken Trotter for a walk, gotten into a snowball fight and helped construct a snow fort down at Chess Park. I came home soaking wet but with a promise to myself: If the snow was still there in the morning, I was going out with the camera.



Yup, it stuck around.

Here are some of my favorites from today and a few excerpts are below ... it was great weather for walking around -- not too cold, with vivid blue skies and kids of all ages goofing off. It was a nice way to spend a Friday morning, and Westhaven just looks that much better with some snow to accent everyone's decorations.









Too bad that, as I type this, all I can see is green across the street.

If you'd like a copy of any of the photos in the gallery, just contact me via email or at 545.5503.

dancing queen

, originally uploaded by pr9000.

This is a shot of my niece, Hailey, after her "ballet" class this evening. "Ballet class" consists of about 40 percent listening to the teacher, and 60 percent running around in circles. It's safe to say, she's excellent at the latter and needs some work on the former ...

in mom's hands

in mom's hands, originally uploaded by pr9000.

There is something precious about the trust in which babies place adults. It's almost sounds ridiculous, because that's what babies do -- they can't help themselves. And yet, you take it for granted until you're face to face with it ... and you realize (in my case, at least) that you're a big, big man with large feet and little depth perception when you've got two Nikons around your neck.

Such were my thoughts as I was photographing Claire, not quite two months old, one morning between feedings and bath. Her mom was quite the pro, and if she was nervous to have all this equipment and attention around Claire, she (mom) didn't show it.

The session went rather well, though I'm always reminded that baby sessions are as much sitting around as they are taking photos. Babies seem to last about 15 minutes between please-provide-the-necessary-basics panic attacks. Thus I saw Claire fed, then changed, then fed again, then given a bath, and finally put to sleep.

After all that, I was ready for the exact same sequence of events, but my lovely wife had work to do, so I had to make my own lunch when I got home.

Enjoy a few other photos of Claire. She was a joy to work with, and I look forward to repeating the process for her when she's a bit older.

baby toes, originally uploaded by pr9000.

Boys Will Be Boys!

Ah, glorious Fall Saturdays ...



I had a session scheduled for November 1, which happened to be Dia De Los Muertos, at gorgeous Cheekwood Botanical Garden in Nashville. It was an incredible morning, because the gardens were looking fantastic, thanks to Mother Nature's decision to finally let the leaves start to change color ... Cheekwood was a mix of greens, browns, reds and yellows. It's really a treasure, and I'm pleased that we chose it for the session.

Brittany has a large brood -- three boys, from middle school to age 2, and a beautiful dog, Lexie. We bundled out of the car in the parking lot, and the race was on -- Jackson, Anderson and Charlie were a mass of boyish energy, and it was all I could do to keep up with them. We had a wonderful time, and I think the photos show it.

Funny thing -- I kept worrying about the boys getting dirty. It's not easy to Photoshop away dirt and grass stains, and in my eager, naive way, I thought I could keep the boys clean. It didn't work very well, as it seems that boys are genetically attracted to dirt ... or at least to the chance to get dirty by jumping over rocks, fountains, benches, even blades of grass.

But we all came through unscathed, and now the hard part -- picking my favorites from the session -- begins. I just hope Lexie approves. :)

the perfect cup

crema coffee, originally uploaded by pr9000.

I was lucky enough to snag some tickets to last weekend's Spears Foundation for Hepatitis C Awareness benefit concert, featuring The Red-Headed Stranger himself, Willie Nelson, in the middle of some farm pasture in Leiper's Fork. The show was outstanding -- for a man of 75 years, Willie sure can put on a heck of a show ... to see a few select shots of Willie, go to my website and click on "Clients" at the bottom. Enter the password willie to enjoy the slideshow.

While I was roaming the grounds prior to the show, I came across this awesome little Terry Travel Trailer -- at least, that's what I think it is -- that served as the mobile HQ for Crema (as in "Emma") Coffee, located (when not on wheels) in the Rutledge Hill neighborhood of Nashville. Rachel and Ben Lehman run Crema, and judging from the lines that formed before and during the concert, I'd have to say they're doing something right.

This shot was just too good to pass up, though there was some difficulty in getting it -- I came to the concert with my new Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens, and truth be told, I'm still learning to use it properly. A prime lens is a very different experience than the more normal telephoto zooms that so many of us use ... 50mm means 50mm, so the only way to change the composition of the photo is to move your little feet to and fro. I had to camp out in front of the Crema trailer, hoping that Rachel wouldn't see me and (1) move or (2) call the cops to get this stalker away from her.

It all worked out, as you can see, and I'm very pleased with the results. I was also pleased with my shots of Willie performing; I purposely went ISO 1600 on those shots, because I love the old-school grain/noise that high ISOs bring. Makes the photo seem older, more authentic ... much like Willie Nelson himself.

a kind heart

Nicole Brush and her family were like family to me and Amina during the four years we lived in Minnesota. Her husband, Scott, and her three boys -- Aaron, Matthew and Joey -- couldn't have been nicer to us, and to Trotter as well ... They became his surrogate family whenever Amina and I had to travel. Or, I guess, whenever they missed him too much, because they'd come down and get him to take a walk, or to spend the night ... you name it. 

I won't give away too much, but you really should read her story, as it's inspiring and life affirming. And, of course, whoever took that photo? He's a genius. Just makes it all that much better. :)

with dutch in front ...

with dutch in front ..., originally uploaded by pr9000.

This is from a shoot I did last year in Minnesota, not too far from my house and right around the end of September. By that point, the leaves were already starting to change, and, as any Minnesotan will tell you, the end of September means you've got one month left of "decent" weather before the cold moves in ...

It was obvious that the boys loved their sister, and she was just as enamored of them as well.

Parents usually ask me "How should I dress my children?" To that, I have two stock answers:

(1) You can dress them far better than I ever could, and
(2) Solid colors, on the whole, tend to go over better than patterns.

I always start with (1) because, well, I'm a man, and as a man I can safely say that my knowledge of "what matches what" disappeared when Garanimals stopped making adult clothing. As for (2), solid colors are always nice. In the photo above, the boys were wearing white shirts and dark jeans, and Dutch's dress was black and white. The color shots we took emphasized Nature's awesome backdrop, and the kids still looked fantastic.

So moms (and it's always moms): keep on doing what you do. Your kids will look great no matter what.

Welcome to Rinkes Photography!

ryan with colored leaves, originally uploaded by pr9000.

Welcome to the first post on the new Rinkes Photography blog!

I'm Paul Rinkes, the proprietor of Rinkes Photography. I focus on child, family and pet photography, and I'm writing this from the fabulous Rinkes Photography World Headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee ... my administrative assistant, Trotter, is at my side and the rest of the family isn't too far away.

As you can see from my site, I'm a natural light photographer. I strive to capture those candid moments when people's defenses are down and they're not doing the "fake smile" thing. I try to get you and your family in their natural elements, because those make the best photos. I also try to be sensitive to what moms want -- simplicity, quick response and a great value for the investment.

Rinkes Photography is introducing itself to Westhaven by holding two open houses at the Residents' Club theatre:

Saturday, Sept. 27 -- 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesay, Oct. 1 -- 12:30-3 p.m.

Come meet the staff, see some samples of our work, and pick up an exclusive coupon for a free 8x10 print -- it's a $40 value, and how else can you make forty bucks for eating homemade cookies? :)

We're having a Holiday special : a 45-minute photo session and 100 holiday cards for $225. On our website, click on "Ho Ho Ho!" in the lower right corner for all the fine print. Without fear of overstatement, I can safely say that this the greatest deal in the history of mankind.

Check out the card designs we're featuring, by clicking on "Cards & Custom Design" under the "Galleries" tab. You'll be thrilled with the photos you receive, and you'll make all your friends and family jealous!

drama queen

drama queen, originally uploaded by pr9000.

I took this at Christmas last year. Hailey had been up all night, waiting on Santa, so her mood on Christmas Day was, shall we say, a bit less wonderful than normal.