Guns and Money

It is not that often that I have a stack of $100 bills in my possession, so I wanted to take a commemorative photo before I took it to the bank. I had just recently sold my beloved motorcycle of 10 years and this was all that was left of it. It was kinda a sad day for me.

The Glock is a new addition to the household for those just-in-case-someone-is-dumb-enough-to-break-in moments. There have been a few burglaries in the area so one can never be too careful.

I guess this was my attempt to make a photo that is gritty and gangster.

Amber Preganancy Photos

Have you ever waited patiently for cookies to come out of the oven? It takes forever! That is the way I felt waiting for Amber's belly to protrude enough to shoot maternity photos for her and her husband Jason. Amber is an extremely fit person so it was months before we had enough baby bump to work with.

Amber and Jason's first baby was a 60 pound husky named Roscoe so it was important to get some photos with both of them.  Click here to see the full pregnancy gallery.

My New Honda S2000

They say the best time to buy a convertible is in the winter so I took that advice and bought my "new" used car during a rare Atlanta snow storm. I had just turned 40 and had wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a really cool sports car.

I had been lusting after the Honda S2000 since 1999 when it first appeared. To me this is what a sports car should be... beautiful, simple, timeless, well balanced and made with a very high standard of quality. It's not the fastest or the biggest, but it is one of the best affordable sports cars made in the past 10 years.

I had been casually hunting through classified and Ebay to see what the current market was for these cars when I saw one advertised at a local dealership. I was really just going to go for a test drive... Really I was. I swear. But there she was on the edge of the lot... looking perfect. The yellow paint almost glowed in the dark, and I soon started to think about the possiblities.

Was I originally planning on buying a pearl lemon painted car when I started my search? Heck no! Yellow attracts cops almost as much as donuts. What I was looking for was a nice used Honda S2000 that was silver with a red interior, second generation with mileage under 100,000.

This car smelled new, looked new and had a small fortune in upgraded and tasteful wheels installed already. It was a 2002 model and it had less than 11,000 on the odometer. That means that the previous owners barely drove this car.

We settled on a decent price and I took the car home when the snow subsided. I have not looked back since. This has been the coolest thing I have ever bought. Luckily my wife is not a jealous woman because I tell her everyday how much I love my new toy. Life is good!

Syl Arena Canon Speedliting Class

Syl Arena, the writer of the popular photo blogs, pixsylated.com and speedliting.com was in Atlanta to teach his philosophy of using portable off camera flashes to create dynamic and beautiful light. This class was specifically for the Canon Speedlite system which has its share of idiosyncrasies.

Syl showed us how to create interesting lighting effects using portable Canon flashes, diffusers and hi-speed synching techniques. The all day class opened my mind to what is possible with the simple flashes I already carry in my bag. I learned powerful techniques that give the photographer the tools to turn high noon into midnight, or make the mundane dramatic. Really magical kind of stuff.

During lunch, I shared a photo of my wife with Syl who told me that he would love to photograph her. I guess redheads have to stick together. The next day he produced some of my favorite images that I have seen of my wife, Jenny.

Any photographer looking to refresh his small flash knowledge, or push onto the next level, should definitely consider taking this class. A full event schedule can be found here. And if that was not enough, Syl is putting the finishing touches on his Canon Speedliting book due out within months. I personally can't wait. Thanks Syl.

Catching Up on the Blog

For anyone who happens across my blog, you will notice a big gap of many months for my entries. I wish I had a good excuse like an alien abduction, but I don't. I have simply been busy. So, many of the stories that will soon appear will already be old news, but what isn't on the internet. Thanks for looking.

Canon 5D Mark 2 Web Commercial for ReNu Finish

When a client needed a demonstration video for his car restoration product, I did not hesitate to use the Canon 5d Mark II. Hollywood has already embraced this DSLR video technology for movies, television and commercials. Considering the relatively low entry cost for full HD quality, it is easy to see why.

The product demo was filmed on a used car lot where we found the a very weathered 10 year old vehicle to show how ReNu Finish restores plastic trim to its original factory finish. The best thing about this product is that one application can last up to a year, unlike some of the silicon spray products on the market.

The video was a group effort with me shooting the raw footage, Chase Walker providing the voice over with music and David Struve at Graphic Works editing the clips.

This product should soon be available at many major retail auto parts stores and department stores. For more information visit www.medsproducts.com.

Mixer at Zach Arias Studio

Tonight I visited the studio of Atlanta photographer, Zach Arias. The studio was awesome with a positive energy. I met a lot of talented and interesting people. The event was a to celebrate photographer/blogger Syl Arena being in town to teach a 3 day seminar on Canon Speedliting. I felt energized as I left.