GRGG v.5 || The Anjuli (& Puppies Too) Edition!

Who doesn’t love dogs?  Well, I’m sure there are people out there that don’t.  And actually, I’m sure that there are quite a few people that don’t.  I’m sure some people are cat people, some people are hamster people, and some people are even snake people.  Looking at that sentence, I guess that I would never really care to be categorized as a ‘hamster person’, but that’s just my own opinion.  Back to the matter at hand.

Somebody that loves dogs is the one & only Anjuli!  And because of that, she’s alright in my book.  So no matter what, Anjuli, you’ve got that going for you.  You know.  Being alright in my book.  Sooo…yeah.  OK then, let us give a huge MuchLove & ManyThanks to the ever lovely Anjuli & her wonderful pupperhounds, and to you, all my lovely peeps of blog, be sure to – Enjoy!

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Categorized as Portraits

GRGG v.4 || The Family Stayton Edition!

Hello there.  It’s me again.  I’ll bet you’ll never be able to guess why it is that I am here.  So I’ll tell you why.  I’m here because there’s happy family pictures for you to look at.  And is there any other better reason for me to be here than that?  And did that sentence really make any sense?  The answer is no to both of those questions.  So I suggest that now, we put all of these silly words aside and take in these lovely pictosnaps.  And a word of advice to all of you out there – Enjoy!

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Categorized as Portraits

GRGG v.3 || The Family Berg Edition!

Did you know that in their free time, The Family Berg practice intricate line dancing routines that have won awards around the world?  Well, now you do!  Actually, I’m not sure if that is actually a fact, but it seems to me that I heard something about it once.  Or maybe I dreamt it.  Oh well.  Either way, we had the goodlygreat pleasure of working with them in the not so distant past, and we would like to give them a big ol’ MuchLove for stopping by the FunCenter!  Oh, and to all you other good Friends of Blog – Enjoy!

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Categorized as Portraits

GRGG v.2 || The Courtney Edition!

So you’re sitting there thinking that you might want to be a model someday?  Well, you’d better make an appointment to spend some time with this lovely little lady, because she can show you the ropes.  Not gonna lie, she’s a total pro.  MmmmmHmmm.  Much Love to Courtney & her entourage (Mom) for giving us a little bit of their sweet & precious time, and to all you other good peeps of blog sitting out there enjoying your summer afternoon – Enjoy!

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Categorized as Portraits

GRGG v.1 || The Family Blotter Edition!

You know what I like?  Well, you probably don’t.  But, one of the things that I like is The Family Blotter!  You know why?  Because they’re awesome.  And you can take that all the way to the bank.  But there’s no cash value.  But enough of this blather, sit back, relax, and – Enjoy!

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Categorized as Portraits

Grumble Rumble Grumble Grumble (GRGG)

That is the sound of a sleeping Otis being awoken.  Take heed, good peeps of blog…there’s about to be some sweet sweet photographic goodness coming on down the pipeline right now.  You ready?  Great.  Let’s do this thang.

Published
Categorized as Asides

4th of July SuperFreedom MegaPost!

Oh my good peeps of Blogville…it has been far too long!  I know that all of you have been doing wonderful in you happy homes of blog – you’ve been sunning yourselves on the veranda whilst sipping lemonade on a regular basis during this fine, fine summer!  Well, I come to you today with a little thing that I like to call the 4th of July SuperFreedom MegaPost!

Now, I’m sure you’re sitting there thinking, ‘what the hell is that?’ – and you have a good question.  Not gonna deny it.  So let me explain.  If you have been a regular visitor to blog over the past few months, you may have thought that we sure haven’t had many posts go up here.  It looks like the ol’ o&j has all dried up for business.  They’ve got tumbleweeds blowing through their studio.  They must be standing in the windows looking out on to Main Street just hoping that a customer will walk into their studio and let them take their pics.  Yep.  It was only a matter of time.  I knew it was coming.  I’ve heard all sorts of things about that place.  MmmmHmmm.

Well, if you thought that, you’re wrong.  But again, if you were to base your assumptions on blog, I could see how you might start to think that.  So, I’m here today to change all of that.  Because in all actuality we’ve been busy as a mofo, and unfortunately, the blog had to take a back seat as we did some serious TCB (for all of you ‘non-Elvis’ fans out there, that stands for ‘taking care of business’) for our clients.  And it was with sadness that I looked at my baby – the blog – and would see it languishing there…all alone…no new posts…gathering dust.  But it had to wait.  Sometimes in life, you gotta prioritize.  But I’m happy to tell you that it’s time for the blog to once again regain all of its glory.

And how will this be done, you ask?  With the 4th of July SuperFreedom MegaPost!  What you’re about to feast your eyes on is a cumulation of the work we’ve done over the past few months, all mashed together in a jumbalaya of goodness for you to consume!  Before you go about checking out all of the goodness, we’d like to thank each and every person that is a part of this post – we love love love you all and thank you for being a part of the FunCenter!  Without you, we are nothing!

Now, let’s take another moment to offer thanks for what this holiday is all about, and no, it’s not about fireworks and drinking Keystone Light at the lake.  It’s about our country, this beautiful place we live in called The United States of America.  It’s about a day in July of 1776 when a group of individuals came together and created a Declaration of Independence.  It’s a day where we honor those men, honor our freedom, and honor those which have protected and are still protecting these same freedoms today.  It’s a day when we let those beautiful words ring true…

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Now, my good peeps, if your pursuit involves the lake and said case of Keystone Light, so be it – because in the words of J.C. Mellencamp – ain’t it America, it’s something to see!  Now my good peeps – Enjoy!

Summer Hours of Operation

Hello, my good people of Blogville!  Just wanted to let you know that we have updated our hours of operation effective immediately.

Summer 2010 Hours of Operation

Wednesday – Friday: 11AM-3PM

Saturdays: By Appointment Only (Call 701.838.6181 To Schedule)

CLOSED SUNDAY – TUESDAY

Please call us at 701.838.6181 with any additional questions, or e.mail us at info@otisandjames.com.

MuchLove!
o&j

Jettie & Jonathan

Oh my good peeps of blogville.  You know what time it is?  I’m going to tell you what time it is.  It’s time for another wedding season to get started at the Otis & James Center for the Study of Fun, Architecture, Industrial Lighting, and Pancake Research (O&JCFTSOFAILAPR)!

You heard me right.  It’s that time of year again.  A time for us to spend a lot of time in church basements, lurking around with cameras in our hands.  That sounds creepier than it actually is.  Trust me, it’s a good thing.  Really.  But I digress.  Where was I again?  Oh yes!  It’s time for weddings!

Now, we never really get to choose what the lead-off wedding of the year would be, but this year God smiled upon us and gave us the sweetlysweetness good fortune of having the ever-lovely Jettie & Jonathan as our first wedding.  You see, my good peeps, we have known this man, this man called Jonathan (aka ‘Jonny’, ‘Jon’, ‘Big Shooter’, ‘Tex’, ‘Sport’, ‘Pal’, ‘Buddy’, ‘Dude’, ‘The Killah From Manilla’ and ‘Typoon Scrimps’) for quite some time, as we used to be business neighbors.

Way back in the day, you see, we used to be North Siders.  North side of Central Avenue, that is.  Our studio was at 6 North Main, and his restaurant is located at 10 North Main (maybe you’ve heard of it…Jonny’s Taco Shack & Fried Food Emporium, Home of the Gut Buster Deluxe?  If not, check it out.  Tell ’em that Otis sent you.  It will get you nothing other than a stern look and perhaps a slap on the face.)

Well, as we were starting our business, he was working on theirs.  The first time ever I laid eyes upon him [ed.  OK, dude.  This is really starting to sound creepy, even by your standards] he was painting the ceiling of the Taco Shack a deep dark red.  And he was red.  We didn’t know it at the time, but it was the beginning of a wonderful relationship [Ed.  OK.  That’s enough.  This is not about you & Jonny, this is about Jettie & Jonny!!]

And here we are, practically six years later.  And in that period of time, we moved to the South Side of Central Ave., and the Taco Shack has only continued to flourish.  More important, however, is the fact that during this period of time a little something called ‘Jettie & Jonny’ happened.  My peeps, I’m going to let you in on a little secret of why that’s so important.  You see, if you work hard & strive to create something – whether it be a work of art, your own business, or whatever – none of it really makes a difference if you don’t have someone to share it with.  When it is all said in done, we can have a list of accomplishments, but the greatest achievement is how we treat one another, and the love we put back into our world.  Macca summed it up when he sang, ‘And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.’  You dig my groove on this?  Cool.

Which brings us back to this past Saturday and Jonny & Jettie, and our first wedding of the season.  Everything about the day was beautiful, wonderful, magical and fantastical!  And none of this would have been possible without the lovely couple and their awesome wedding party!  To say that we had fun would be an understatement, so I’m just going to let the lovely samplesnaps speak for how awesome this event was!

Before I let you go, I need to extend a huge MuchLove to the Bride & Groom, and to everyone that made our day so easy – I will give you digital hugs through the interweb!  Oh, and to everyone else out there in the Land of Blog – Enjoy!

Published
Categorized as Weddings

…symbioticCOLLUSION…

symbioticCOLLUSIONOn Tuesday, May 4th, Otis & James Photography will be presenting live and original music from violinist Sean Neukom and featuring Will Lardinois, cello.

The admission fee for this event is $10 ($5 with a student ID), and is open to all ages. All proceeds will be donated to the Florence Anderson Center for Hope Minot YWCA Shelter. There are no advance ticket sales – all admission will be paid at the door.

At 6:30, we will start a cash bar cocktail hour (must be 21+), and music will begin at 7:30. There will be no admittance to the event after the music begins, so please don’t be late!