Author: otis

I'm cheese. Velveeta, specifically.

A Message from Matthew & Jamie (aka Otis & James)

As anybody that lives in our great state of North Dakota already knows, the City of Minot as well as other communities along the Souris River are preparing for a flood of unprecedented magnitude.  According to current estimates, the water level from this flood will be nine feet higher than the 1969 flood – which had previously been considered a hundred year event.

First and foremost, the greatest concern to us is our family, friends & clients that have been and will be affected by this disaster.  Because of that, until further notice, Otis & James will be closed to allow for all of us at the studio to help assist in the flood efforts.

At this point, all general portrait shoots & senior portrait shoots for the remainder of this week will need to be rescheduled.  These shoots will only be temporarily postponed – we will find times to reschedule all of these shoots.

To our upcoming wedding clients – do not worry.  Even if we have to evacuate the entire City of Minot we will still be able to provide our wedding services.  We are mobile enough and flexible enough to adapt to this situation.

For those that may be worried about images that we have already shot and have on file – again, do not worry.  The elevation of our studio is roughly 25′ higher than the elevation of the river – meaning that even at projected crest, our studio is at an elevation that is 10′ higher.  In addition, we have contingency plans to protect our data if in the highly unlikely event that the situation should change.

If you have any questions, please call our studio at 701.838.6181 to leave a message, or e.mail us at info@otisandjames.com.  It may not be an immediate response, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Our community is strong.  We are strong – and together we will not just survive, we will thrive!

Stay safe, and God Bless Minot

MuchLove!
MuchLove!
MuchLove!

Matthew & Jamie

Main Street 1911 | Minot, ND

 

Looking For An Internship?!

Just Wait Until You Change Diapers!

Are you currently looking for an internship position in a super-awesome photo studio?  Then look no further!  Otis & James Photography is glad to announce that we are currently accepting applications for internships!  College internships are preferred, but high school students will be considered as well.  No experience is necessary, but individuals with a background in the creative arts are preferred.

Please call our studio at 701.838.6181 if you would like more information.  And hey – that could be you in the picture above!  Except we don’t use film cameras.  And I’m kind of hoping you don’t wear that hat.  And you probably won’t be smiling that much unless you are on some hardcore happy medication.  That’s about it.  And we didn’t take that picture.  It’s just from the internet.  OK then.

MuchLove!

2012 Seniors…We’re Almost Full! Don’t Miss Out!

Just a quick reminder that our calendar is booking up quickly – if you are thinking about getting in for your Summer Senior Portraits – don’t delay & call today!  Sessions are limited, and you will be sad if you don’t get in.  And we will be sad too.  We want you to be our friend!  Yay for friends!

CLICK THIS GIANT LINK to find out everything about our 2012 Summer Senior Portraits.

MuchLove!

Adrienne & Brandon

Adrienne & Brandon

Before the great floods came, before a world filled with information about cubic feet per second, when our rivers were just the same old rivers they always were, there was this magical time and place – back just a few weeks ago in the glorious first weekend in May, when the Otis & James Caravan of Love & Pictography rolled on out of Minot town and into Bismarck town (B-Town, as the hipsters like to call it.)

And what was this special occasion, you ask?  Well, I’m just the person to tell you!  You see, we ventured down to the Capitol city for the lovely wedding of the one & only Adrienne & Brandon!  It was a wonderful day – not just in regards to the barometric pressure and wind speed (although, they both seemed to be quite nice, but I’m not a meteorologist, I’m just a simple photographer man), it was a wonderful day because this couple made it that way!

It was a zero stress event, and it was also the first one that the one & only Queen James worked with us since she went off and had her lovely child!  At first, we were nervous about that.  What if Jamie didn’t know how to work the camera any more?  What if she could only talk to adults like they were children?  What if her direction and sense of style moved on from cutting edge to something more along the lines of ‘mom-pants’?

Rest assured, my dear friends, it was clear from the very moment that she slammed her first Red Bull that Queen James was back, and she was ready to destroy that camera.  And destroy it she did, my dear friends.  She destroyed it with gorgeous, beautiful images – the kind that have earned her the title of Queen.  But none of it would have been possible without the hard work of every single person that worked with us during this wonderful event – from the Bride & Groom all the way down to the people at the reception that were ready, willing and able to tear it up on the dance floor.

So, we would now like to give a huuuuuge MuchLove to this wonderful couple for letting us be a part of their wedding day, and we could think of no better way to lead off the 2011 wedding season!  Oh, and to the rest of you good people out there in Land of Blog that continue fighting the good fight – Enjoy!

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Memorial Day 2011

Today we remember those which are no longer with us. Service members, friends, family – everyone that has slipped out of this world and into the next, we will meet again.

And today we also think of those in Minot & Bismarck that are suffering due to rising flood waters – and to everyone from Montana to Louisiana that is sees and feels this same darkness of water.  We think of those in Joplin, Missouri whose lives were forever changed in an instant last week.  We think of those in Tuscaloosa Alabama suffering the same.

And regardless of ideologies, class, ethnicity – we understand just how fragile life can be.  And we offer prayers of hope to ease the pain, and give thanks for the beauty of grace that will always see us through.

And this is Memorial Day, 2011.

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Categorized as Musings

Congratulations Class of 2011!

We would like to take a moment to wish a huge congratulations to all of our 2011 Seniors that have graduated, are graduating today, or will be graduating!  We thank you so much for letting us be a part of your senior year, and we offer up so MuchLove to each and every one of you as you travel through life!

Enough of my words.  We offer up instead a simple poem of hope written by Dylan.

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

[audio:foreveryoung.mp3]

Young Bobby

Summer Portrait Sessions

Have you ever been sitting there thinking to yourself, ‘Man…I sure wish that I could have some sweetly pictosnaps taken of me/us/our family/our dogs/the grandkids/the kids/my friends during the summer time, and I sure wish I could get into our friends at o&j, but we know they’re always so busy with Senior Portraits & Weddings during the summer.’?

Well have I some good news for you, then!  I’m here to let you know that during the month of June we have left session times open for portraits!  No longer is there a need to fret, as you can pick up that phone and call our studio to schedule an appointment today!  Or tomorrow!  Whichever!

Some may be wondering what is so awesome about getting into us during the summer, so let me give you the skinny.  You see, contrary to popular belief, good ol’ North Dakota is not an Arctic tundra at all times (even though right now you might want to consider building an Ark) – in fact, there are oh so many wonderful places that we can take your pictures that are outside of our studio!

The session is still the same price as The Otis & James Portrait Session, the big difference is that we can get out of our indoor confines and out there in the real world, with the sun, and the birds, and flowers…hooray!  If this sounds good to you, we reccomend calling our studio at 701.838.6181, or e.mailing us at info@otisandjames.com and we will get you on the path to beautiful summertime portrait sessions!

MuchLove!

It’s The Ever-Lovely Sibelle!

There’s an old song called In The Wee Small Hours of The Morning, and it goes on to tell what this sad old soul does during these times (mostly lying awake and thinking of a girl.)  It’s a wonderful song from an equally wonderful album (do the kids still call them that?  Albums?  Do you still drop the needle on the wax and groove out to the Doobie Brothers?  Somebody let me know.) and now I’m going to tell you what I’m doing in the wee small hours of the morning.

Ready?  Here goes.  What I’m doing is putting up lovely pictosnaps of the totally gorgeous Sibelle!  I mean really, how am I supposed to sleep when there are these wonderful images for us to gaze upon?!  So, to heck with the sleep – I can do that when they put me in the ground (which will be like, a hundred years from now, BTW) – now is the time for us to rejoice in the loveliness that is this young lady!

So without any further delay, we need to now give a big MuchLove to this little lady for stopping by the FunCenter and sharing a bit of her day with us, and to the rest of you out there sleeping in your happy homes – Enjoy!

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