After a long travel day and great night’s sleep in our hotel room, the first full day in Quebec City did not start well for me. We woke and dressed as planned, but I didn’t get 10 steps out the hotel room door before my stomach committed mutiny.

When we arrived at Hotel Sainte-Anne on our first evening in Quebec City, Canada, it was already getting dark. Our room was cozy and inviting, so Jen and I had half a mind to stay in and call it a night. However, after the long trip, I was hungry, and there were a decent number of people still milling around the streets outside, so there was a small chance of getting a photo worth keeping. We were in a new country, and I wanted to explore!

Good photos, at least those I consider good, generally fall into two categories: they are either stand-alone or part of a story. Any time I’m fortunate enough to photograph new locations over long periods, I inevitably end up with a handful of stand-alone photos (if I’m lucky), a decent collection that benefits from being part of a story, and a bucketful of junk photos that will never see the light of day. What’s the difference between stand-alone and story photos? In my opinion, a stand-alone photo can interest someone who wasn’t there when it was taken. It contains something in the lighting, composition, subject matter, or a mixture of elements that makes it strong enough to bear the weight of scrutiny without the support of other images. Because of the criteria I listed, they are rare.

After a hectic year, my wife and I finally got a small break, so we headed to Canada to beat the Texas heat. The trip was not intentionally planned this way, but we arrived in Quebec City on Quebec Day and left Montreal the day after Canada Day (something like Independence Day in the US). Of course, I have hundreds of photos to sift through and process before I can post any of them online, but until then, here are some of my favorite photos of the many buskers we encountered.

On the drive to McKinney, I told my daughter I didn’t expect to see too many protesters, and when we first arrived, I saw what I expected. However, over the next hour or two, hundreds and hundreds of people arrived, filling the public green spaces along 380 and the North Central Expressway. As the crowd swelled, I was surprised, to say the least.

I’m excited to work with Gateway Community Church, taking photos of worship, baptisms, and other events. I’ve only been photographing for two weeks, and it really feels good to serve my church, practice my photography, and capture moments of authentic worship.

Brazilian photographer, humanitarian, and environmentalist, Sebastião Salgado, dies at the age of 81.

On March 8, 2025, Wylie High School Theatre had their one and only public performance of Shakespeare in Love, their chosen stage play for UIL (University Interscholastic League) competition. After their first competition performance, they finished 1st and will advance to the next level!