Christmas and Birthday Photos for Danielle

Danielle just turned one year old, and wow! is she growing. I have known her parents, Josh and Michelle for a long time, and we came up with a plan to take photos of "Dani" indefinitely for many years to come. Children grow so much the first few years that it is important to document them at this time. Everyday is an adventure through their eyes.

We took some photos of of her birthday outfit and Christmas dress. She was a real trooper hanging in there for a long time for a small child. Her father, Josh, deserves an Oscar for "Best Comedic Performance" because he made a fool out of himself trying to get Dani to smile. I think it worked.

Check out Danielle in her First Birthday Gallery here.

Check out the Danielle in here Christmas dress here.

Chilly Holiday Photos

I met my nephew and his family early one morning in Town Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia for some quick photos for their holiday cards. The weather had been pleasant until that morning when chilly winds started blowing hard enough to make me feel like my jacket had a hole in it. We were all cold so we cut the session down to just a few moments. Brrr....

You can check out the gallery here.

Digital Doctoring on a Corporate head Shot

Recently I was asked by a client to retouch a corporate headshot photo that I took of her. I usually touch up minor skin blemishes and fly-away hairs, but this request was more than that. She told me that in the past year she had suffered severe medical issues resulting in a weight gain that she was uncomfortable with. I can relate.

When I get such requests, I have no problem tweaking the image to make them happy... after all it's their face and a lot cheaper than plastic surgery. We all just want to look good.

DesignConnex Web Site

Graphic Works has entered into a new partnership with KnowledgeConnex to provide graphic design services to trade associations nationwide. We built a new web site to to promote these services to their clients.

Check out the new DesignConnex web site here.

Confide IT Web Site

I recently finished a web site for an SAP/IT specialist named Damian DellaVecchio who wanted to be able to easily update text himself. The completed design is clean HTML, uses minimal flash and is client serviceable. Visit the ConfieIT.com web site here.

Headshot for a Psychologist Writer

I was contacted by Dr. Glenda Corwin to take a portrait for her soon-to-be-published book about  lesbian relationships. Glenda is a fantastic person who is instantly likable and a pleasure to talk to. We had a good time making her portrait.

I used Strobist techniques to make the portrait with small Canon flashes and Pocket Wizard remote triggers.


You can see the the final portrait options I offered her along with the original unretouched photo in this gallery. (The original photo is the very last one of the first page.)

Corporate Event Photography at ADAC Atlanta

I was hired by a long time client to take photos of a special event seminar about Green Design that she was hosting in ADAC's presentation room. The seminar had many distinguished speakers from the interior design, architecture and scientific worlds and it was important to record this event.

When I arrived at the room, I noticed how dark it was. Their plan was to show slides as the speakers talked about their areas of expertise. Mary requested no flash so that the speakers would not be disturbed.

Luckily, I own the new Canon 5D Mark 2 which allowed me to boost my ISO to extremely high levels without noise in the final images. Along with a trusty monopod and controlled application of the shutter, I was able to pull the job off without a hitch.

My client was thrilled with the final photos of the seminar and the wine party in her shop afterwards, and she gave me a nice compliment: "I did not even notice you during the seminar, but you got the shots!"

You can see the seminar photo gallery here.

Meeting the Tattooed Man

At a party I went to over the summer, I met a very interesting man named Steve who was tattooed all over his body. The gathering was a cool event that attracted a unique collection of characters that could have come from a traveling circus. There were fire jugglers, trapeze artists and acrobats. Many people were in costumes. These people knew how to have fun and everyone was friendly. Steve and the others allowed me to shoot them as much as I wanted.

Later I contacted him to share the photos. This is when I found out that he is a professional photographer and videographer... and a very accomplished one at that. Needless to say, this made me nervous after the fact. I had unknowingly photographed a  man who has been in the business longer than I have been alive. He shared some fascinating stories and insights with me, and I instantly liked him. You can see some of Steve Carmichael's photography here.

You can see some of the photos I took of Steve Carmicheal here.

Riding Motorcycles in North Georgia Mountains

It has been a long time since I have ridden my motorcycles in the North Georgia mountains. A few weekends ago, I finally got back up there during a warmer than normal November day. It was a great escape with just me and my friend, Kris, running all of our old routes. Even though the mountains change, a good friendship never does, and it was nice to relive our glory days.

Head Shots of Atlanta Doctors

I was hired by a long time client at Graphic Works to shoot headshot portraits of 16 doctors in 3 different hospitals in the Atlanta area. Painstaking efforts were taken to ensure that all of the portraits looked like they were taken in the same studio on the same day, instead of 3 different times and locations. This was accomplished with a low-tech tape measure, pen and paper.

I really enjoy this kind of work because I get to meet a lot of different personalities in  a short period of time. You can see this and other corporate photography at my new site promoting my corporate photography services... launching soon!

Father and Son Photos in Piedmont Park

During a father-son photo session in Piedmont Park, I wondered what the answer was to the age-old question of "where little kids get all of their energy?" Vincent is a 2 year old ball of unbridled lightning. This is the age when walking is really running and hugging is really tackling. Trying to get his photos involved running, spinning, tickling and lots of distractions. My friend Kris was laughing at me because I was sweating so much trying to keep up with his son. The kid was so fast, that I had to pre-focus on him to try to the shots.

You can see their Piedmont Park photos here.

Couple Photography in Piedmont Park

My good friends, Jason and Amber wanted images for their holiday cards. We decided to meet in Piedmont Park right before sunset to grab a few shots with their Huskey named after Roscoe P. Coltrane (yes, the one from the Dukes of Hazzard.)   If you look closely, you might be able to see Amber's baby bump starting to show. This family is about to get bigger!

Check out their gallery of Piedmont Park Photos here.

A Dull Year for the Leaves

I know that these fall leaves may look vibrant, but overall, the fall foliage in Atlanta seemed to be duller this year and spectacular specimens were harder to find. Colleagues have told me that lots of rain can do that to the colors.

I noticed that many of the leaves seemed to be more opaque and they blocked the sun's rays more. If the sun can't get through the leaves, the color will not show as vibrantly. I could be wrong, but that's what my eyes were seeing.

Trading in Our Pool for a Back Yard!!!

After years of looking at a a rarely used pool in our back yard, we decided to do something about it. Honestly, we loved everything about this place EXCEPT for the pool. We bought it anyway thinking that we would learn to love the luxury of a private pool. We were wrong.

The previous owners must have been nuts to build a pool in a shady forrest next to a swampy marsh or they must have liked icy water and mosquitoes. That was our experience.

We had the pool demolished in the rainiest fall on record, but it eventually got done. And now, when we look in the back yard, the pool is a faint memory. An added bonus is that the dogs actually like to do their "business" in our yard instead of leaving the neighbors tootsie roll treats.

I made time-lapse movies of the whole event compressing whole days into minutes. I think it is fascinating to watch this transformation and you may too. Enjoy the videos below.

Small Doggin' - Learning from Scott Dorman, the master photo retoucher from SmallDog Imageworks

With so many great photographic images passing our eyes everyday, do you ever stop and wonder why certain photos are so memorable? In many cases it is not just because the skill of the photographer, but the painstaking work of a behind-the-scenes wizard known as a digital photo retouching artist.

It's kind of sad that many of these artists never get the recognition or credit that they deserve. Having seen "before" and "after" photos of many photographers, I can tell you that the skilled digital artist can make a big difference between a "good" and "spectacular" final image.

I have had the pleasure of seeing the work of one such master photo retoucher, Scott Dorman of Small Dog Imageworks in action. Since I have known Scott for 20 years (and we have mutual blackmail material on each other), I am sometimes allowed to see his working method. This has given me a great appreciation for the amount of hours, talent and dedication that goes into every photograph that he transforms. There are no secret formulas. Each photo calls for something different.

If you ask him, he might tell you that "Scott Dorman of Smalldog Imageworks specializes in high-end, professional digital retouching, seamlessly blending art with photography for photographers and advertising agencies."

If you ask me, I think he performs magic with pixels creating unbelievable photo illustrations and pushing good photography to new heights. I am not the only one who has noticed either. Scott Dorman's work has graced the cover and pages of Communication Arts magazine and others, countless ad campaigns, packaging and huge Times Square monster billboards. I would almost bet money that you have seen one of his images somewhere.

Don't believe me, check out Scott Dorman's new portfolio web site at www.smalldoggin.com. Pack a lunch because you might be there a while checking out the cool images. Want to go retro? Check out his previous site at: www.smalldogimageworks.com.

"Caffiene and Octane" Car Show

My good buddy Scott has been trying to get me to go to an EARLY Sunday morning car show that happens in Roswell every month. I dragged myself out of bed at 7 (what?!!) to get there before the crowds came. I am glad that I did because the fabulous cars that arrived were worth the effort.

I have to confess that some of the older cars caught my attention than then ultra exotic an modern supercars that were on hand. The highlight of the day was when I was standing next to Scott's BMW M-Coupe and overheard a guy tell another "I'd take any car in this lot... even this ugly BMW!" That just made my day. ha!

Check out the car show gallery here.

Banner Stand Expo Site Launched

Presentech Advanced Print Solutions asked me to create a specialized web site for them to show case their wide array of trade show materials including many types of banner stands. If you need any large format color printing, posters or tradeshow displays, this Atlanta-based company would be on the top of my recommendation list.
Visit them on the web at www.bannerstandexpo.com

Video for a wedding, a Baptism and a 3 First Communions

Lituanians know how to pack many events into one big church service, and I was asked by my friend Paulius of EuroFotoVideo.com to be his videographer for a day. Usually, he and his brother, Justinas, take photos and video at these events, but Justinas was out of town. We recorded a wedding, a baptism and a 3 first communions in the span of a couple of hours.

To make matters more challenging, the services were not in English and this was the first time for me using their pro video camera. Paulius was able to give me cues from across the room so I knew when to move in for important moments. This on-the-job training was invaluable.

It was a great fun, and I felt like we were preserving important memories for the families involved. Talk about cramming a lot into one day.

Matrondola 50th Anniversary Celebration

The parents of my friend, Lisa, were having their 50th wedding anniversary and she asked me to take photos to commemorate the event. In a time when 60% of all marriages fail, it is amazing to see a couple who have been together this long. I had fun meeting everyone and watching the festivities.

Among the highlights of the night was that the anniversary cake that ended up on the anniversay couple's faces... just like newlyweds.

Roberto & Max the Boston Terrier

Being an owner of 2 Boston Terriers myself, Roberto and Max caught my eye in Piedmont Park. After sharing stories of our furry friends, Roberto let me take a few photos of him and the dog. It seems that Max came to Roberto by way of a will. After many month of anxious behavior by the dog, they were starting to bond. Looks like Max found a great new home.

Goodbye Matthew

I have waited many weeks to write this blog entry about Matthew, who recently passed away on July 2nd, by his own hands. I think that my brain needed some time to process the events that I foresaw as inevitable. Matthew was always kind to me, straight to the point and real no-b.s. kind of guy. My comments in this entry will be the same. They are not meant to upset anyone.

I met Matthew many years ago through my coworker, Lisa, who would later become his wife. Some just seem to have the "it" factor, and Matthew was one of those people. Handsome, energetic and charismatic, he made quite an impression on me. I worked for him in a professional manner building many web sites for his businesses and personal endeavors in music. If you are interested, you can hear the music that he wrote on his web site: http://matthewhumphreys.net/. The songs will give you a glimpse into his psyche and talent that he had.

One day he approached me with a special project that he had in mind. He confessed to me that he had been living with severe chronic pain for many years. Matthew suffered from Fibro Mialgia, a misunderstood medical condition, and it had taken its toll on his vibrant spirit.

At first, Matthew was private about his condition, and many people to this day do not know the agony that he was going through. He wanted to document the pain and suffering of his condition for the world to see, and I felt privileged to be let into his private world.

We called the photos the "Pain" series and we shot them one weekend when nobody was around. When I began to take the photos, Matthew went into a what can be described as a trance of grace. The look on his face was of one carrying a huge burden, but also one begging God for mercy from his suffering. Whatever happened, I kept clicking away. Then he came out of the fog and he was normal Matthew again. You can see the "pain" photos here.

I had originally thought that the photos would be some sort of creative therapy for Matthew, but I started to suspect something darker when I found out that he had not told his wife of the photo shoot. Lisa is a good friend of mine and this put me in a awkward position between a man and wife. I don't like to be the keeper of secrets, and I felt like Matthew would share the photos with her in his own time.

From comments made after the session, I suspected that Matthew had suicidal tendencies so I kept the photos from him for months until I ran out of excuses. I did not want to be part of his self destruction.

The story does not have a happy ending. Some of the photos were used in a emailed suicide note to the world. And though, family and friends prevented the first attempt, they could not stop the final event.

I pass no judgment on Matthew or his actions. Life is complicated and nobody can imagine what his world must have been like. I choose to remember Matthew as a man of humor and grace who always treated decently... and one who let me see into his private world for one brief glimpse.

Engagement Photos in Piedmont Park, Atlanta

I have wanted to photograph Grace ever since I met her many years ago at a party. She has a million dollar smile, beautiful skin and a great personality. Now that she is engaged to Matt, it's like getting a 2-for-1 deal. They look so happy together and make a great looking pair.

We had originally planned to shoot their engagement photos in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, but I was told that I would be charged $150 to shoot professionally on the grounds. That would not do for any of us, and Piedmont Park is right next door. Nature blessed us with a gloriously cool day and beautiful light.

I told them that 2 people in love cannot hide that from my camera. Check out their engagement photo gallery to judge for yourself.

Approaching Strangers in Piedmont Park

I'm not going to lie... approaching total strangers to take their photo, may not always be the best approach to getting the shot. But if you are in Piedmont Park on a breezy summer day with nothing better to do with a monster camera in your hands, the idea starts to look like a good one. This couple looked so beautiful together that I almost felt like not intruding. They agreed to have their photo taken and bam, bam, bam the session was over in less than a minute.

Last Minute Wedding in Virginia

The whole adventure started with a call from my college buddy, Tony. "Guess what? he said. "I'm getting married." Of course I knew hell must have been freezing over because Tony seemed to be the perpetual bachelor, but "it" was finally going to happen. Then he tells me the punchline... the wedding was going to happen 1 week from the day of the call. They had just decided a week before to get hitched and that it was going to be "just family" since their budget was so tight.

I found a loophole by offering to fly into Charlottesville to shoot their wedding. This way he gets a photographer, and I get to see an event that I thought might never happen. I just could not pass up the opportunity. And technically, I am family.

I am glad that I did too. The day was filled with warm and friendly folks. The weather was perfect, and the house where they had the ceremony was beautiful. His bride, Marilynn was the perfect hostess and I had a great time photographing the event. I wish them years of happiness together. Check out the galleries below:

Before the Wedding

The Ceremony

The Bride

The Couple

The Reception

Family & Friend Photos

Mother & Child

Loominocity Product Photography

Ramping up for Christmas starts many months in advance for makers of ornaments and holiday decorations. I was hired by Loominocity to photograph their illuminated star and angel tree toppers, and their illuminated candles. The tree toppers look like lead crystal that is lighted from within by powerful LED lights that shift colors. The effect is quite beautiful, but it is also difficult to photograph an item that is reflective, transparent and colored by an internal light source all at the same time. Tricky indeed to get right. View the product gallery.

Baby in a Lightbox

Putting a baby in a lightbox may sound like a very unconventional way to photograph an infant less than 6 months old, but it worked perfectly. If that was not strange enough, we put little Dani in a salad bowl too. This is the age where babies are just starting to sit up for seconds at a time. The bowl gave her just enough support to sit up straight, and it will be a wonderful reminder of how tiny she is now. Our plan is to photograph her every few months for the first few years to record her growth.

Atlanta Photographer's Guild

I finally made it to the popular biweekly APG meetings where I met some very interesting and nice photographers. The models are provided and everyone gets a chance to practice their technique and learn from others. For more info, check out their Flickr Group.

Here are some photos that I took that night:

BugBand New Catalog for 2009

I gave BugBand Geraniol Insect Repellent a facelift during the redesign of their catalog and retail product line. The packaging and displays were made to emphasize the fact that the repellent is made from naturally-derived ingredients, not pesticides.

To see the catalog PDF, click here. To learn more about BugBand, check out their website at: www.BugBand.net

Mother's Day Baby Portrait of Dani

Michelle came by my office today wanting to get a quick photo to give all her "mothers" for Mother's Day. Caught off guard, what was I supposed to do? I ended up throwing the kid in a box of packing peanuts so she could sit up and making something out of nothing.

Corporate Portaits and Posters for Kimberly-Clark Safety Program

More and more frequently, clients are looking for a Graphic Design firm that can handle all of their graphic design needs from start to finish. At Graphic Works that often includes shooting the photography to be used in our graphic designs projects.

This poster includes photos of real Kimberly-Clark employees for their Safety Program. For more information on Graphic Works, check out our web site at www.GraphicWorksAtlanta.com

Sun N Fun 2009 Airshow

This year I was able to attend Sun N Fun Fly-In and Air Show in Lakeland Florida. My client and friend, Dan Ritter, flew us down in his Barron twin engine airplane. That turned a 7 hour drive into a 2 hour flight. I could get used to this.

I was there to take as many photos as possible of airplanes, especially war birds. I met up with an ace aviation photographer, Jo Hunter, who was kind enough to share some of her vast knowledge of aviation photography with me. She is definitely worth checking out at www.futurshox.net.

To view my photos check out my Sun N Fun Photo Gallery.

Happy Birthday Justinas

You only turn 29 a few times in your life, so my friend Justinas decided to celebrate his birthday in fine Russian fashion. It seems that he and many of his friends lived in countries that once were part of the USSR. They are glad to be in America, but they get nostalgic for their comrades, the crazy food and customs. I have to say, it was a lot of fun.

As I present, I made him a KGB photo ID. This might help him get out of speeding tickets or it could get him arrested. We'll just have to wait and see. Justinas is a gifted photographer too. You can check out his work at www.EuroFotoVideo.com.

Naked Cowboy Seen in New Orleans

The last time I was in NYC, I saw the naked cowboy in Times Square strumming a guitar and making a racket. I would not exactly call this guy a serious musician, but he got lots of attention. Now imagine my surprise to see this same guy in New Orleans walking around with a MTV crew following his hijinks. He was practically begging young ladies to "grab his butt" as he did vice versa. What a gig.

Easter Bunny Spotted in New Orleans

If you walk the streets of New Orleans long enough, you are bound to see something strange. In this case, I saw what could very well be THE Easter Bunny. Luckily I was able to fire off a frame as he sped by on his bicycle. Or, maybe this could be some kind of rabbit super hero. Who knows?

Product Photography - Kool Innovations Cooler

Documentopia hired me for some quick product photography of a unique cooler design. This product has dry refrigerated drawers to keep food cool and dry. Pretty neat, huh? Learn more at www.koolinnovations.com

Spencer Branding Web Site Launch

I have worked with Scott Spencer of Spencer Branding for a few years now on many cool projects. After working on everyone elses sites, finally, it was time to revise the SpencerBranding.com web site. We wanted to show more of the work that they are involved in. The main directive for this project was to design a site with code that would both work on web browsers and PDA web browsers such as the iPhone. By using compatible java-based code, instead of Flash, this was possible. Visit SpencerBranding.com to see more.

Corporate Portraits for Solvay

Graphic Works, who I work for, was hired by Solvay to shoot cover and feature photography for their corporate magazine, Elements. Four portraits were shot on location using small, portable flashes in mixed lighting scenarios. I am excited to offer my photographic skills to the clients of Graphic Works and hope to do more of this in the future. To learn more about Graphic Works check out our web site at www.GraphicWorksAtlanta.com.

To see the rest of the photographs from that issue, check out the gallery here.

Postcards from New Orleans Mardi Gras

This week I saw Mardi Gras in New Orleans and it was everything that I expected it to be... crowded streets, drunken party people, strange costumes, elaborate floats and lots of tasty food. This was my third time back to N.O. with my wife, but the first time during this celebration. It is definitely worth seeing at least once.

The biggest shock of the trip was not seeing naked people in the streets or celebrities, but my germ-phobic wife picking up stacks of mardi gras beads that had been thrown in the filthy streets. Here is a gallery of the weekend.

View the New Orleans Gallery here.

Snow Falls in Atlanta

Today we woke to drizzly rain that turned into wet snow and then big fluffy flakes the size of down feathers. It was beautiful to see. I did not have my camera with me at the time, but I was later able to capture my house covered in snow and the spectacular sunset.

Web Site for Photographer Teri Darnell

My friend Teri asked me to create a portfolio site for her excellent photography. I met her in a photo composition class at Showcase School of photography and was impressed with her work. She has been getting inquiries about her work so this site can do all the talking for her. I built this site so she could easily update her portfolio herself directly from Lightroom, with out having to resort to HTML editing. Give her site a look at www.TeriDarnell.com

Assisting for Melissa Witcher Photography

I had the opportunity to assist Melissa make some head and body shots for a young male model named Kipp who jumped off tables, changed clothes 3 times and blushed when we asked him about his girlfriends. It was a fun experience. To see Melissa's work check out her site at www.MelissaWitcher.com

To see Kipp's photos that Melissa took, check out Kipp's gallery at www.MelissaWitcher.com/kipp

Marie Fashion Shoot

I got to work with a chameleon today in the form a beautiful young woman named Marie. She can change her look very easily to give a lot of variety to the photos. She was part of an all day test shoot that I did with photographer Justinas Bartkevius. We had 3 models and full run of his house. Here is Marie's photo gallery of that day.