We love to use our imaginations at Dodgen Photography and we love low tech toys that give us lots of room for creative expression. You can imagine how excited I was to discover the i-Wood. It reminded me a bit of our own iBox, but with even more room for creative input.

via swiss-miss

Photo Tip: The Best Camera

There is a saying that the best camera is the one you have with you. Your DSLR may be great, but it won't take a very good photograph if it is at home in your closet. Of course, most of us have our phones with us all of the time, and the quality of the cameras inside is getting so much better, that if you know how to use them, you can get excellent results. Macworld recently published an article with tips on getting the most out of your phone's camera. Many of the tips apply to any point and shoot camera, so you don't have to have the latest iPhone to benefit from reading it.

Portraits at Gymboree

I will be photographing at a couple of Gymboree Play + Music locations next week. If you have children five years old or younger, this is the great opportunity for them to explore all the fun that Gymboree has to offer, while I capture the moment in black and white portraits. It is always a great time. The kids are generally so engaged in all that Gymboree has to offer, they do not even notice that I am there, allowing me to capture their true personalities. If you are interested in attending or getting more information, contact one of the Gymboree locations below.

Lake Oswego/Bridgeport Gymboree
Reserve your space today, 503-670-1683
Thursday, September 29, 2:45 – 3:30 pm

Cedar Hills Shopping Center Gymboree
Reserve your space today, 503-384-0542
Friday, September 30, 3:15 – 4:00 pm

Inspiring "back-to-school" words from Mister Rogers:

Those of us who are in this world to educate -- to care for -- young children have a special calling: a calling that has very little to do with the collection of expensive possessions but has a lot to do with the worth inside of heads and hearts. In fact, that's the domain: the heads and hearts of the next generation, the thoughts and feelings of the future.

Portfolio Update

We just finished updating our portfolio with lots of new images, with much larger images (you could even say huge), and a new category highlighting our work at Gymboree Play + Music, all using HTML instead of Flash so now you can view it on iPhones, iPads and any other device with a web browser. Let us know what you think.