From the Mind of JScott

Congratulations to the Maquoketa Valley girls basketball team for punching its ticket to the state tournament in Des Moines with a 39-30 victory over North Butler! The Wildcats (19-5) and ranked 15th in Class 2A overcame a slow start and knocked off the 5th ranked Bearcats in the Class 2A Region 4 final. I had the opportunity to photograph this exciting night for the Wildcats and it was awesome to say the least. The anticipation could be felt from both sides of the gym from the moment I walked in. Both sides filled the gym with bodies and a buzz that is hard to put into words. Even during warmups you could tell these fans were ready for the game of the year for their teams. **** As a photographer, I try not to get caught up in the game. I'm there to capture photos. But then again, I'm human. I have had a connection to Maquoketa Valley for almost a decade now and I cheer for them as if I an alum. I used to work for the Manchester Press as well as th...

(This is part one of hopefully many more features that I will bring to you in the coming weeks and months. I hope to spotlight more area businesses that either have a local connection, share a similar interest as I do or feature a unique story that just needs to be told. This is the story of a small town girl living a big city dream!) Natalie Mormann brings a small town smile and charm to Bride's Corner, a 30+ year fixture in the uber-competitive bridal gown market in the Cedar Valley, Iowa and Midwest. Bride's Corner features 3,200 square feet of today's latest fashions in bridal gowns and Prom dresses. Don't let the title "Business Owner" fool you. Natalie Mormann is as small-town as they come. "I'm from the Manchester area and went to Maquoketa Valley High School," she said with a warm, welcoming chuckle. "Sure, there were opportunities to move away and work in a big city but I don't know, I guess I just love this area." ...

A cell phone shot I took out front of North Tama High. Probably one of the coolest entries to a school in all of Eastern Iowa that I've ever witnessed! I must start out by admitting that I'm not originally from this area so when I heard about the buzz surrounding last night's Dunkerton Raiders and North Tama Redhawks basketball games in Traer, Iowa , I was like "Cool, that sounds like fun." I had no idea what was in store! So far this winter season I've had the opportunity to  photograph basketball games at a variety of high schools  ranging from the smaller ones (like Don Bosco in Gilbertville) to the larger ones (like Waterloo East in Waterloo) and yet,  none of them have offered the playoff atmosphere like last night ! North Tama High School has a very cozy gymnasium that really allows the fans to be close enough to really take in the action from up close and offered a throwback to a time before giant new gyms and additions to high schools. I und...

Greetings! I am a wedding photographer near Independence Iowa and would love your business! For more details please call me at 319.521.3991 or email me at jscottimages@gmail.com. I invite you to check out some of my work as a wedding photographer near Independence Iowa at my website  HERE  or on my Facebook page  HERE . Wedding photography near Independence Iowa is AWESOME!

Greetings! I am a wedding photographer near Manchester Iowa and would love your business! For more details please call me at 319.521.3991 or email me at jscottimages@gmail.com. I invite you to check out some of my work as a wedding photographer near Manchester Iowa at my website  HERE  or on my Facebook page  HERE . Wedding photography near Manchester Iowa is AWESOME!

Greetings! I am a wedding photographer in Waterloo Iowa and would love your business! For more details please call me at 319.521.3991 or email me at jscottimages@gmail.com. I invite you to check out some of my work as a wedding photographer in Waterloo Iowa at my website HERE or on my Facebook page HERE . Wedding photography in Waterloo Iowa is AWESOME!

Haven't you ever wanted to get so great at photography that you get to shoot inside an old camera? Thanks to my buddy Josh for jumping inside this one for this image! I get asked all the time "How do I take better pictures" or "How do I take pictures like you JScott?" or "How do I better do what I do the way you do?". Okay, so I made that last one up. But in all fairness, I think that essentially that's what I'm being asked by photographers of all levels. Before I get started let me make one thing perfectly clear: If you're not a full-time--or even part-time--photographer right now or you're not even charging people for your photography (and even if you are I guess), I'VE BEEN IN YOUR SHOES.  I'VE BEEN that person with a fancy piece of machinery in front of me called a camera and had no idea how to make it work. I'VE BEEN that person watching other photographers' work (even as far back as the days before F...