hi. my name is owen. in recent years i've been focused on growing my videography and photography business. i don't use social media anymore so you most likely found my page through a friend or colleague. thanks to them for sending you my way! i've produced award winning commercials for brands, shot wedding videography and captured many wonderful moments as a photographer. i desire to be a helpful person. so please reach out to me using the links below!
This past weekend I was asked to be a judge for the IAAF State Talent Show contest at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Illinois. Huge thanks to the board and my friend Kris Lowe who serves as Secretary for St. Clair County for asking me.
Jillian and I packed the crew up and we stuffed like sardines into the hotel room. Really it was meant for 2 adults, but that’s how we roll sometimes.
Before we headed home we did a little bit of site seeing around town.
One of the spots was this spot called Dumb Records. Highly recommend if you need some vinyl OR want to checkout some arcade cabinets or pinball machines. Of which they had a nice little collection!
In no particular order. Here’s a few shots I captured during our trip…
Curtain’s Up Theater Company, a local theater group that our family as grown close to this past year, has their final show of the season this weekend: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Z and Cash are both in the play and my sister-in-law, niece and nephew are playing as well as several friends of ours that we’ve made this year.
I asked Evan Totsch, our young actor friend in the theater community if he would help me with a “man on the street” esk behind the scenes bit last night. I filmed it and edited it within a 24 hour window. I’m very pleased with the fun result we got out of this. Evan came up with the brilliant name. He wrote all of his material that he came up with on the fly. Awesome job, Evan.
Big thanks to Melissa MacIsaac for asking me to provide photo coverage for her Grand Opening event for her real estate business, Haven Homes, located in O’Fallon, Illinois.
Also shoutout to the event planner, Trinity Griffin, who did a remarkable job setting the tone and vibe for the evening.
If you’re in need of a home purchase assistant or looking to sell your home, reach out to Melissa MacIsaac and let her know! She and her new business partner (and husband!), Charlie, are ready to serve you at Haven Homes. You can contact Melissa HERE.
Here are a few more photo highlights from the evening 🙂
I had the pure joy & honor of recording The Fun & Learning Variety Show. This production is put on by The Colleen Nesbit Memorial Foundation and features skits and songs performed by adults with intellectual disabilities.
This Saturday Curtain’s Up Theater Company and the Nazarene Community Theater is playing this video on their movie screen and all of the performers and their families have been invited to come see themselves on the big screen.
I really hope this brings joy to the performers as much as it did mine 🙂
Purchased this antique lens off eBay and feel like a kid in candy store. It’s been a lot of fun shooting without the convenience of Auto Focus or anything. And I’m loving the results from this weekend… Here are a few:
Chinon F2.8 135mm
Keep trying to teach the kids about ‘hot dog fingers’ and how not to approach a dog. But they can’t help it. They love dogs as much as I do…
Not always sure what to say or how to say it. Because I’m still trying to connect the dots of how I feel and what my feelings are in a particular situation.
Life is challenging.
Not enough money. Not enough time. So much clutter. So many todos piling up. And my memory just slips more and more. And I disassociate more and more. But I want to keep the peace for those around me and for myself. But in doing so, I avoid myself. I lose track of the things that matter to me.
The Nothing.
When I’m uncomfortable I avoid and/or consume. Whether that’s the junk that I consume in my diet or in my spiritual and emotional diet. I avoid even the good things for me. Or I throw myself at whatever feels right in that moment. Shooting from the hip.
My prayer for myself today is to find my way back to an honest and true Peace. To find my feet and stand tall.
// I apologize for this cryptic free type of post. It was more me thinking out loud for a second than anything.
August 14th, 2022 – Cast & Crew of School of Rock The Musical performed by Curtain’s Up Theater Company at Nazarene Community Theater in Roxana, Illinois
About 6 months ago I took my son to an audition for School of Rock – The Musical. On the way to auditions, my sister in law tells me that “I have to audition too.”
A few hours later I got a phone call where the director asked if they could speak to my son to which he was offered the principle role of Lawrence Turner (keyboardist in “the band!”) He smiled so big and accepted the part. Then I was handed the phone back and offered the spot of Doug / Mr. Green. I accepted. My brother-in-law was cast as the lead of Dewey Finn. My sister-in-law the assistant principal, my nephew as the lead guitarist and my other nephew as a student in the class.
What started as a fun hobby turned into this very demanding extra-curricular. I don’t think there was a week of less than 10 hours of rehearsals leading up to tech week which only doubled.
I noticed that my smaller parts wouldn’t warrant as much demand or effort as I could offer. So I started bringing my camera to rehearsals and filming behind the scenes when I was waiting for a scene to start and offered to create some videos to help promote the show. But honestly more for my own personal joy of documenting things and being up close to something special as its happening.
I fell more and more in love with the cast and crew and the folks involved became like family.
It’s important to note that throughout this time, my wife sacrificed so much for me to be gone so much during the week for such a long period of time. Nearly 6 months of intense sacrifice.
May 2022 hits and our 4 performances went off amazingly well. Nearly selling out each show.
About a month went by and I was going to grab a cigar and a scotch with another amazing cast member. That day I received a text from some of the leaders of the theater company saying that they had some leads on a potential venue and encore performance of the show. We ended up meeting that night and then again that weekend at the venue in question.
Could we do it one more time? Should we? Will people come? Will the venue be large enough? Will the cast be as excited for a second run?
We proceeded with what I would label as a coin toss.
Last night I left the venue knowing that not only did we make the right decision, that there were what I can only warrant as ‘bigger than just us’ moments. Spiritual moments. Lives changed. Vision refocused. I promise you I am not offering superlative words. If anything, I am underemphasizing the magic that we all experienced. Not just us performing, but the show goers too. We were a part of something bigger than just ourselves.
I can sleep knowing that it was worth the extra hours and the encore.
I know I owe it all to my wife and her support and sacrifice to make it all even accessible. Thank you, love.
And thank you to Cast, Crew and Pit for everything. – I love you so much.
w/ Carol Hodson: Directorw/ Justin Brooks: Bob of No VacancyMe in my No Vacancy get up. I played Doug in the first run and Theo in the second. – How do you like my Freddie Mercury attempt?My boy getting ready to go on in Act IIFrom left: Zackery Coe, Laila Williams, Laurel Bleier as Celine, Spencer Kimmey as James Drake, Maeve Durkee as Marcy, Maggie Hertz as Shonelle , Carol Hodson as Director, Poppy Bauer as Madison, Evan Totsch as Billy, Oliver Sprenger as Mason, Kya Wonders as Summer, Laila Hutchinson as Tomika, Dara Shininger as Katie, Leland Sprenger as Zach and Cash Pye as Lawrencew/ Kya Wonders as Summer HathawayJeffrey Yapp-Ellis: Choreographerw/ Carson Robinson as Mr. Williams
The Cast and Crew: Dewey Finn – Joel Sprenger Rosalie Mullins – Debbie Maneke Ned Schneebly – Vince Ojeda Patty Di Marco – Christy Luster Zack Mooneyham – Leland Sprenger Freddie Hamilton – Zackery Coe Katie West – Dara Shininger Lawrence Turner – Cash Pye Summer Hathaway – Kya Wonders Tomika Williams – Laila Hutchison Marcy Sullivan – Maeve Durkee Shonelle Andrews – Maggie Hertz Celine Lloyd – Laurel Bleier Billy Sandford – Evan Totsch Sophie Weber – Layla Williams Madison Barber – Penelope (Poppy) Bauer Mason Ward – Oliver Sprenger James Drake – Spencer Kimmey
Mrs Sheinkopf – Elise Sprenger Mr Noble – Justin Brooks Mr Green – Owen Pye Gabe Brown – Andrew Totsch Mr Sanders – Hal Morgan Ms Gordon – Donna Carli Ms Wagner – Shameem Coppotelli Ms Bingham – Megan Rauh Mr Janes – Paul Durkee Ms Macapugay – Alie Morgan Mrs Mooneyham – Alie Morgan Mrs Hathaway – Jennifer Hitt
Mr Spencer – Paul Durkee Mr Williams – Carson Robinson Mr Sandford – Hal Morgan Mrs Turner – Ali Cummins Mrs Hamilton – Shameem Coppotelli Jeff Sanderson – Jeffrey Yapp-Ellis Theo (No Vacancy) – Owen Pye Bob (No Vacancy) – Justin Brooks Tiny (No Vacancy) – Steve Shininger Snake (No Vacancy) – Steele Clement Stanley Byers – Johnny Reynolds Police Officer – Johnny Reynolds Bartender – Donna Carli
Director – Carol Hodson Music Director – Steve Shininger Assistant Director – Jeffrey Yapp-Ellis Choreographer – Jeffrey Yapp-Ellis Assistant Director – Vince Ojeda Asst. Choreographer – Jennifer Hitt
Stage Manager – Jennifer Hitt Stage Manager – Christy Luster Costumes – Carol Hodson Dance Captain – Megan Rauh Props – Sharon Laswell Set Design – Christy Luster, Paul Durkee, Leon White
Set Crew – Christy Luster , Paul Durkee, Leon White, Doug Schultz, Andrew Totsch Lighting – Diane Wingerter Spotlights – Gretchen Hertz Sound Engineers – Sam Poirot, Mia Sanchez
Orch. Director & Keys – Steve Shininger Guitar – Johnny Reitano Bass – Aaron Johnson Drums – Erik Westlund
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