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.