I just noticed that Don Tate — illustrator of my upcoming picture book biographies The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch (2015, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers) and Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super Stream of Ideas (2016, Charlesbridge) — has posted his matinee-idol-good-lookin’ new author photos on his blog, and it makes me wonder why I hadn’t done the same.

There’s no good reason, and I’m more than happy to show off the work of the photographer that Don and I have both used, Austin’s Sam Bond Photography. In addition to these photos that Sam took last October of Jennifer and me, she also photographed our wedding last April. If she can get certain camera-shy offspring of ours to smile — and she did — I’m pretty sure that Sam can do anything.

Author Chris Barton. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Chris Barton. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Chris Barton. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Chris Barton. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Chris Barton. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Chris Barton. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Authors Chris Barton and Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Authors Chris Barton and Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Authors Chris Barton and Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Authors Chris Barton and Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

Author Jennifer Ziegler. Photo by Sam Bond Photography.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, I’ll be updating the author photo on my website to use one of Sam’s photos. Just as soon as I’ve got some cover art for my John Roy Lynch and Attack! Boss! Cheat Code! books, I’ll freshen up my whole site. In the meantime, enjoy the contrast between Me Then and Me Now.