the host

I started reading 'the host' a couple weeks ago, but usually could only squeeze in one chapter a night before going to bed. It was nice to be able to find more time for reading as I traveled to and from Raleigh. I pretty much read the entire second half of the novel on my flight home -- I couldn't put it down.

Stephenie Meyer writes beautifully in this book (much better, I think, than in Twilight). The character development is poignant and intriguing. She poses the question: what is human? And shows that it is not what we are on the outside, but the inside that really matters. In our lives, you can think of it as any type of label we use to define a person -- race, gender, religious beliefs, prestige, annual salary, etc. What truly matters, though, is our hearts. How much we love and serve others, what we think about, and how we live from day to day.

I fell in love with this book and if you haven't already read it...you should!

Metaphors of Nature

This morning I had a photo shoot that was somewhat of a continuation from last year...

Brian Croft creates 3-D artwork made mostly from objects found in nature - animal bones, bird feathers, shells, rocks, and many other such items. I was hired last year to photograph them for a coffee table book that highlighted his best and favorite work with some poetry. Now that the book is printed, Brian has some new artwork that will be in his 2nd edition that he wants to replace some of the older pieces.

I also received my copy of the book, entitled Metaphors of Nature. Here are a couple shots of the book and some of my favorites from today's shoot. If you are interested in the book, you can email Brian @ croftb1@comcast.net.