Tulsa, a city I love

Howdy all,

Its been a couple of months since I've posted, so I thought I better. I thought I'd do an ode to Tulsa. I've lived here (or near) for almost 10 years now and I've loved every bit of it. I love the art deco, the modern designs, the trees, the parks, neighborhoods etc... homes in Tulsa seem to have so much more character than other cities!

The first pic is just a generic skyline shot that has been used a few times for various things. Thought I'd just put it in for all you "out of towners"

The second photo this blog is from Starship, a wonderful record resale shop. Although I do miss there older location, there new one is bigger, but you really have to know what you want before you go... not too easy to just look around.

The next one is Under the Mooch, another great record store over on Harvard. I haven't been nearly as many times as I've wanted too, but the few times I have, I love it. The characters you meet, the records (yes, mostly lps sold here), the location, everything makes it a great place in T-Town that I hope lasts for a long while...

#4 on the blog today is a night shot of BOK, I had finished up a job there after a hockey game and just hung outside for a bit to catch some night with light. Really a very cool building inside and out, if you haven't made it there yet, I highley advise you do.

The last photo, I want people to guess wheres its from. If you've been in this "little" place, you surely will recognize it. Just an extra pic from the end of a gig there. The first one to leave a comment of the correct place wins a little prize...

Personal:

I want to take this chance to thank EVERYONE for there support, love, gifts, etc... for our open adoption of Dexter Greene Taylor. You are all wonderful people! Every thing is still going good, It will be about another 9 months or so before its 100%, but we are not worried, all the paper work has been filed and if anyone was to make it stop, it would have happened by now.

He is going to be quite the spoiled little man, I think we could change his clothes everyday for the rest of life and he would never wear the same thing twice! He's growing and growing... it was a said day when Deanna packed up his newborn clothes... so sad!

He'll be 3 months old next week and is very alert and a very well behaved baby! He loves us too and everyone that touches him I think falls under his spell. Please keep us still in you prayers, still a little bit more to go.

Facebook and Flicker:

For those of you big into online social networks, you'll be happy to hear that I joined Facebook and Flicker now... I am about to close out everything on myspace and use Facebook only. Its pretty nice and A LOT better than myspace. I encourage my family (mom, mom-in-law) to start a page... Dexter likes to post pics there. Look me up on Facebook, my flicker is: www.evantaylorphoto.flicker.com.

I hear Dex waking up from his nap... gotta go, talk you all again soon!

Evan Taylor
918 693-8932
evan@evantaylorphoto.com
www.evantaylorphoto.com
www.evantaylorphoto.flicker.com

Dexter Greene Taylor

Hello all!

Well if you haven't heard yet, heres the latest news: Our son was born! Dec. 15th on a cold Monday morning at 11am. 6 lbs 13oz. 20" long! We are overjoyed and very tired!

As you know, we are adopting him through a local ministry, Crisis Pregnancy Outreach (google them) and it is an open adoption. Meaning that we know the birth mom and have a good relationship with her and will continue having one. She is now a part of our family too.

We named him Dexter after the old cartoon Dexter's Labrabtory. (not the serial killer show) and his middle name Greene was found in a cemetary of all places and Deanna and I just liked the sound of it.

I'm writing this while he is napping, so this blog will be a little short. Feel free to email me if you want more in for on CPO or know someone whoes pregnant and need some options.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and kind words of support! It has been a long journey and still is not 100% from anywhere of 9 months to 18 months, so please keep prayers going!

Enjoy the pics! More to come!

Peace,

Evan Taylor
evan@evantaylorphoto.com

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Hello all,

Welcome again to another blog from Evan Taylor Photography. Its been a busy couple of months. Where did the summer go? I figured this blog, I dedicate to my favorite thing, FOOD! Here are some food shots, I'll let you all take a guess were they're at. The one who answers them all will get a gift card to one of the locations that they choose! You will have to leave you guess in the comments section and I'll check it often, first one gets all three wins! Good luck!

PBJ Time: Check out the video at the bottom, Sorry, found the costume and couldn't help myself! Deanna is the one laughing. The sound is quite, so turn it up if you can hear it at all!

Work:
Work has been pretty busy too and this year I was asked to join the board of the Art Directors Club of Tulsa, I was/am very honored! I've been working on some shots of the board members, check them out at www.artdirectorsoftulsa.org. There a little different than has ever been done before. Edgy, artsy and just fun. Let me know what you think.

This year of the club promises to not disappoint, if you've never been before, this is the year to join. We've got JAY SHUSTER from pixar coming in November!! It will be a limited seating event, so join now!

I've also been keeping busy with various clients around town, shooting everything from senior citizens at a local retirement community, to wine and vineyards around NE Oklahoma.

Personal:

Last week was a crazy one, my wife of now 5 years threw me a big surprise party at our house! I was great! I knew there was one coming (about 4 people slipped and said stuff about it, you know who you are!!!) but knowing made it almost worse! For any of you who now my wife Deanna, you know she can be cruel. Once she knew that I knew, she started teasing me with hit. Pulling tricks like accidentally honking the horn whenever we'd pull up to the drive of our house, or make plans with friends to meet somewhere to eat. If I could have chosen, I would never have wanted to know.

It was a great time, everyone chipped in and got me a new gas grill! Its huge and wonderful! I've used it every other night since we've had it. And I've learned not to burn. Heres a recipe that we did that I think you might like.

Panini Nini: Pre-heat grill to 350-400 degrees Pick your thick cut bread (I love Tomato Basil from Panera, they'll cut it for you)
Butter one side of each all the way to the edges, don't hold back
Go to the grill.
I like to preheat my lunch meat in a stainless steel pan on the burner if your grill has one. melt a little butter in it and add some of your favorite spices. (I use the McCormick basil/garlic blend that I've mentioned in the recipe Hummus Amoungus in my previous blog)
While the meat (your choice) is cooking, I lay the bread on the grill straight on the heat. Add a piece of provolone, swiss, whatever to each side. When your satisfied with your meat, use tongs to transfer it onto one piece of the bread. (if you want, use rye and add sauerkraut at this time to on the same side as the meat)
Gently lift up the side of the bare side and check for grill marks. It won't take long. Once you see solid marks (not black, but dark) flip the bare piece on top of the full. Like making a grilled cheese!
Gently press down with a big spatula (or use a meat press if you have it). When you like the marks, flip it fast and cook the other side a little bit too. If your lucky, you'll have a sear er on your grill like I do! Its great for this.
Turn it on and sear each side of your bread, really takes it over the top!
Let it cool and dig in!

Adoption Update:
We could get a baby any day now. Could be today, could be a year from now. Emotions run up and down all the time. One day its all we can think about, others we get kind of numb to it, some days we just want to cry and others we want to scream!!! But through it all, we know that this is how we are going to have a baby. This is the way that God is going to do it for us and we have TOTAL faith in that. If you pray, please add us to your list. Check out this website to learn more about open adoption and the agency were going through: www.crisispregnancyoutreach.org

Cool Websites/podcasts:

Adobe has released Lightroom 2! www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom
Theres a great podcast of killer tips in iTunes too.

Love viewmaster? Love www.3dstereo.com

In closing:

Thanks for reading! Feel free to pass anything on to friends/family/etc... Should you need any photo work, please contact me: 918 693-8932 or evan@evantaylorphoto.com

www.evantaylorphoto.com

PBJ TIME!!

Dang its hot!

Hello all again,

Welcome to my blogg. It is a place where I share whats going own with my work, life etc...

Work:
Check out some new photos here, the first two are shots of some of my in-laws wheat farm out in Rocky, OK out in western Oklahoma. A real small town with lots of character, a single stop sign and lots of land. We go there to visit my wifes grandma every once and a while. These were taken in May.

The next two shots are of the BOK arena that is opening soon in Tulsa. I got to go on a pre-tour and shoot some fun shots of the construction. The place is huge! I think its a lot better than the Ford Center in OKC too. Parking? Thats going to be fun... I think the Eagles are going to be the opening act in Sept...

The next and last shot is a piece I did for Oklahoma Today Magazine at the Price Tower Arts Center in Bartisville for a show going on through the 6th of August on mid-century dinner ware. I haven't actually made to the show yet, but hoping to to soon. This image ran about 2 months ago in the March/April addition of the magazine (I think, can't remember 100%).

I've been busy shooting for Imax Imports aswell and doing a lot for a new line of products we've joined with Donald Trump. I haven't got to meet the man (most likely won't either) but it is kinda cool. Also been doing freelance for companies all over town too.

I recently shot some pics of some non-profit work for an organization called Project Elf. When there finals are done, I'll put them up here. Its a great organization thats really taken off here in Tulsa, let me know if you want to more, or you can go to www.projectelf.org.

Life:

Deanna and I are done with all our obligations to adopt. We are now officially a "waiting family" We were picked by a girl at one point, but she changed her mind the next day. That was hard to go through, but we know it just wasn't meant to be. We feel now that Open Adoption if a calling on our hearts to adopt this way, not just a way to get a baby. It has its ups and downs, but we just keep praying for everything to go smooth. Please keep us in your prayers.

We recently did an Ikea trip with some good friends and got enough stuff to finish off the baby room. We pretty much have everything we need, except the baby and diapers...

I am turning 30 next month, which is something I thought I would not care much about, but the closer it gets, the more weird it feels... I mean 30 I know is not old, but it does feel a little different than I thought it would. Especially now that we are preparing for a baby, I start thinking about all the things my child will have that I didn't have. Like cell phones, the internet, and gas that cost 1$ a gallon... I guess these will be my "old man" stories.

Tid-bits:

I've recently been playing around with some recipes too. I've developed a good hummus recipes that I've named "Hummus Amoungus" Heres the recipe:
Into a food Processor:

1 can of generic Chick Peas, washed and drained
half a package of sun dried tomatoes (They sell them in little packs in the produce section of walmart)
half a jar of marinated red peppers (I usually buy the $$ ones, but this time used some from the dollar tree and they worked out great)
watch and check to see if there marinated in olive oil, cause you can add that later with the regular olive oil
about 2 tablespoons of sliced banana peppers (in a jar)
1 table spoon of raw horseradish
3 teaspoons of crushed or minced garlic
2 tablespoons of McCormick Basil/Garlic blend spices

My secret ingredient: 4-6 garlic stuffer green olives (these are kinda pricey, sold with pickles and such)

I start processing at this point and begin to add olive oil to it. Depending on how thick you want it. I let it run for a bit and then turn it off and add generous amounts of salt and pepper (or garlic salt), blend again. I let it go for a while to really make sure it gets all bended well.

I like to make it the night before and put in the fridge over night. I like mine real thick. We use it at home all the time in place for mayo and dips.

Let me know if you have any recipes! I've been working on a real good bean dip too I'll have to share next time.

More Tibbits:

www.jpgmag.com
www.photojojo.com

In closing:

Thats all for now, should you need any photo work, please contact me. evan@evantaylorphoto.com; 918 693-8932.

Thanks all, let me know what you think!

Evan Taylor

graphex 39

Hello all,

Well this is the first of hopefully many more blogs to come. I'm kinda behind the trend in just now starting one... it seems that everyone has one now, so I hope you guys won't mind reading another one.

I plan on using this blog to update folks on my work, a little of my life, and some various tid-bits of info that I enjoy.

Work:
If you happen to make it to the Graphex 39 Awards last week, you may have seen a new side of me that (next to my wife) a lot of people have never seen before. Thats right, I'm talking about my citation winning piece titled: "I was young and needed the money" It is a nude self-portrait that I took with command-z letters that Darshan Phillips created for a past issue of Kern Magazine for the Tulsa Art Directors Club. Darsh had first contacted me a while back about the project and left photography pretty open... He just wanted pics of using the letters in a way that was something you would want to "undo" in your life. My immediate thought was when you here about politicians or celebrities that posed for playboy or pornos; they always say, " I was young and needed the money"... hence my photo. Don't worry, everything important is covered up. Also here is another more serious shot I did in a graveyard using the letters as head stones. It wasn't published in Kern, but it sure was work quickly hauling them across a private grave yard by myself... that was fun.

Also, I won another citation for "Cold Comforts" I personal piece I did last winter, but then submitted it to Oklahoma Today Magazine out of OKC for a winter landscape photo section. I didn't know that it was going to end up being the opening spread! The chair is a old 50's style chair that my grandma-in-law gave to Deanna and I. The snow had closed down the city and I just really liked the look of the red contrasted with the white snow in our backyard. Pretty simple, just shot what I saw.

Personal:
Deanna and I are still going through the adoption process too. We found out a little over a month ago that we are not able to have children. We kinda already figured this out, so we had began the adoption process with Crisis Pregnancy Outreach here in Tulsa. They are a non-profit group that deal with Open Adoptions mostly on the local level. We have had some good friends go through it and it seems like the best bet for us. It has been quite a process though, background checks with the FBI, OSBI, and DHS, fingerprinting, financial checks, living history's, family backgrounds, church, CPR classes, etc... Its a lot, but we know it will be worth it for us to have a child of our own someday. At this point, it could happen next week or in a matter of years... so please keep us in your prayers.

Tid-bits:
I've developed an addiction lately with my iPod, its a podcast titled "Cult of UHF". (search on iTunes if you want) Its a great podcast of old black and white "B" movies. I watch Reefer Madness the other day and a few episodes of the Three Stooges. The host is hilarious too!

I've also can't seem to control myself on craigslist either. (tulsa.craigslist.org). I've been buying lots of cheap baby things on it and trying to find some fencing and a new door. Its a great way of going green and saving some money. Baby stuff is VERY EXPENSIVE!

In Closing:
I guess that's all for now. I'll try to keep this thing going. Should you need any photography work, please call 918.693-8932 or email me: evan@evantaylorphoto.com... you can go to my website: www.evantaylorphoto.com, but I'm really needing to update it soon.

Peace,

Evan Taylor