I love taking pictures (as you can tell), but do not like having my picture taken. Unless it's by my daughter. 
I recently acquired a Nikon D70, which was one of the first DSLRs I ever came across, and decided that it would be the perfect camera for which to teach my eldest daughter the ropes.
We had our first photography lesson (or 'go-frog-ery' as she first mispronounced it in her excitement) over the weekend, and the kid is a natural! The above image is her work - not bad at all! As I showed her how the camera worked and answered her questions (and she had many!), I could see a spark in her eye, and a certain enthusiasm. That feeling of wanting to shoot everything in sight, the wonderment of being able to capture a moment in time, the beauty of creating art. These are the same things that captivated me when I first held up a camera, and it's inspiring - and contagious - to see it in my own child. What mad adventures lay ahead for us this year? 
We also enjoy GeoCaching, and I am certain that a few images will be created while exploring on our treasure hunts as well.
We'll keep you posted on how subsequent lessons turn out, but for now I'm just happy to see the spark.

I absolutely hate taking my phone out of its case. The main reason - because I get to see how grubby the back of my iPhone is. Yuck! If you have the same issue, we have a solution for you.
We're excited to announce that RyKie Photography has partnered with some new creative types. That means we're able to provide more interesting and varied products to our amazing clients! Today, I'll talk about the iPhone cases that we now offer.
Not only are these cases unique, but tough and stylish! The image you choose is printed on metal as an insert to the case. That way, if you want to change your look, you don't have to buy a whole new case - just replace with another insert! Like the iPhones, the cases are available in either black or white. 
Also, if you want to express your uniqueness without a phone case, we offer iPhone skins. These are vinyl with a gloss laminate for protection and are available for iPhone 4, 4s and 5. The great thing about skins is they offer protection, but will not interfere with cases, chargers or docks. They're also easy to change - just peel off the skin and replace with another! 
Now, to solve the initial problem of the gross backside of my phone. I'm going to order some skins AND a new case (my current one has certainly seen better days!). 

I absolutely love happy people. 
A great place to find a lot of happy people is at a nightclub, and this kind of work can be elusive. However, if you can illicit quality images on a consistent basis, it can be a lucrative prospect.   
Shooting in a club can be quite the test of your skills. Not only are you dealing with low-light conditions, but also fog machines, movement of your subjects, effects lighting and a tight time frame to capture the images. Things happen fast. As with any event, you have to be in the moment, sometimes predicting what will happen next (especially with lighting effects rotating around) to get the cool shot. It takes a lot of trial and error, and experimentation, but the end result can be quite amazing. 
I don't usually use HDR in my editing process, but felt a few images from my most recent shoot warranted a different look. I'm not a fan of grain in my images, but it is tough to avoid when working with this effect. I also like to create different effects with the club lighting, mainly to use the 'light trails' to focus on a single subject. I also like to switch things up between flash and available light, longer exposure times, anything that seems to suit the event. 
For any photographer stuck in a rut that has not tried nightclub photography, it is a super fun way to explore a different set of creative objectives. 
And you may just have some fun, given the right DJ is in the house!