Family Archives - RodneyCurtis.com

Sep

A Chaldean Catholic Celebration

Our friend Shamamta celebrated her 90th birthday over the weekend. She’s the matriarch of some good family friends and I was lucky enough to be invited along to hang out, eat some great food and snap some photos of her family and friends at the happy occasion.

In my favorite photo from the day, her daughters take their mother to the sanctuary of the Church of the Transfiguration in Southfield, MI.Read More

Sep

Squeezing The Last Drops Out Of Summer

We squeezed the last drops out of summer at a dear family friend’s cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan this past week. Here are some of my favorite images; cold plunges, beach buddies, fashionable headwear, chilling out and vibing on the ridiculously unbelievable colors — day and night.

Marci emerges victoriously from a cold plunge.

Jun

A Fun Outdoor Wedding in Ypsilanti

I was thrilled when my buddypal’s daughter, Brie, asked if I would shoot her fun outdoor wedding to Eric. I’ve been friends with the family for decades and it was such a joy to be part of their celebration. It took place at the couple’s old farmhouse in rural Ypsilanti. Here are just a few of my favorites from a June wedding in Ann Arbor’s cool cousin, Ypsi.

Brie peers through Eric’s ring, just like she did during the ceremony.

Sep

Baby Photography

For a professional photographer, having a granddaughter is like a chef discovering an all-new ingredient.

Add a SECOND granddaughter and you get a whole buffet of fun!

I’ve been updating this page every so often whenever a new, fun, cute, cool photo or video pops onto my pixels.

This Kodak moment is brought to you by an almost waterproof iPhone.

My granddaughter jumped onto the chair, raised the blinds and waved bye-bye to Mommy (who’d be back within the hour).

Apr

Jo-nan ‘Zactlyright

Joanne Mae Adams in high school and Joanne Adams Curtis nowadays — top right photo by Taylor Yau

She used to fight her twin sister over who got to babysit at a friend’s house because they had something called “TV.” Once the kids were asleep, she would turn on the screen and just stare at the test pattern, “There was seldom anything on,” she said. “But it was so fascinating.”

Now she carries an iPhone that’s connected to her hearing aids. A call comes in and she hears it in her brain. Talk about fascinating!Read More

Mar

Never, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, Go Into a Cave With a Photographer

Notes From Down Under

Be afraid; be very afraid!

If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk. Likewise, if you go into a cave with a photographer, he’s going to ask you to pose. And you’ll likely be trapped underground indefinitely.

Aug

Scenic Scotland

“When the heart is full the tongue will speak.”

— Scottish proverb

Please allow me to change just one word of the proverb, from tongue to camera. I have had the unbelievable luck to have visited Scotland three times in my adult life. And though I’ve written much about it in the past, this time, I’ll let my favorite photos do the tongue wagging. May Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon beckon you to wander here also.

On one of our last nights in Scotland, I managed to stick my iPhone a few inches out of my hotel window and snap this dramatic picture of the sun setting over Inverness, reflected in the hotel window.
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Apr

Liminal Spaceman

My garage is a liminal space.

When I sit in my car, I’m only temporarily there — whether coming or going. I generally don’t linger in that here/not here place. Today I lingered; today I sat in the driver’s seat and tried to allow in the feelings of spontaneous temporariness. Read More

Feb

To Chris and Becky on Your Wedding Day

Marriage — somewhere between Mars and Marrakesh. Photos by Wikimedia Commons.

In an old World Book Encyclopedia that was copyrighted the year Chris was born, I found — sandwiched between Marrakesh and Mars — a 1960’s definition of marriage.Read More