The Month of July, 2009.....Wheeeeew!

Man, the month of July went by like a whirlwind! It went by so fast, it was like a blur. I'm gonna use my photo files to get you up to date on everything. Here goes.


First up, I got to shoot the Pass Series race out at Greenville Pickens Speedway. I saw the likes of Brian Ickler, and such. You can see those pics at this link


http://public.fotki.com/racepixs/official-gps-photos-3/



Then I did a shoot in the Lynch machine shop, with the amazing Amanda Lynch.....from Amanda Lynch Racing. She and her crew were swapping everything from the red car, over to the original car. It was nice to 1. shoot in the actual shop, where "it all happens" and get an inside look, and 2. be in a shop, and not have to work on the car! lol

Then on the 11th, I was back out at the track, and got to meet Wendell Scott, Jr. I went to hand him a business card, and it just so happened that it was the very last one I had with me! I thought that was pretty cool.

He's telling me the story behind the image on his shirt. Very interesting, and also very cool to be able to meet a legend like this man.

Then, on the 12th, I was invited to the second annual Lake Keowee shoot, held by the Touch of Grace photography gang. What a day! It was awesome, as always. We rolled out on the lake in early afternoon, and got back after sunset. We were expecting more girls to show up, but I think the fact that we only had 2 gave us more time to get better images. The girl in the green is Dana, near the pool, and the one in the orange is Kim, one of my favorite models in the whole world.

Then, on the 15th, I had the pleasure of shooting a fantastic bridal shoot out at Furman! It was with Courtney, and we did it in the rose garden. We got out there early to beat the heat, and Courtney was in a breathtaking gown that just made the pictures amazing!

It was an awesome shoot, and I thank all the staff out at Furman, who take care of the garden. I was able to talk with one of the caretakers, after the shoot, and was blown away by how much money and man-hours it takes to maintain everthing. I really appreciate all their hard work, and being able to use such a gem.

Then, the very next day, I got to do a bridal shoot for my very good friend, Todd at Picture Perfect of Easley. Ashley and I were able to get some great shots before a rain shower popped up. If you'd like to see some of Todd's work, you can find him here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pictureperfectofeasley/

Then on the 18th, we had the much awaited wedding of Traci and Stephen! What an fantastic group of people! Everyone was very lively, and the excitement was truly contagious!

And I finished up the month with some more racing! You can get to those pics at

http://public.fotki.com/racepixs/official-gps-photos-5/

And that's the month of July 2009! That's got to be the busiest month I've ever had, and sure to only get even more hectic. I'm already scheduling for next year! I'm gonna update again in a couple days, so be sure to check back. For now, lemme get back to work.......

About to cry with the UPS Man

I've been waiting on some stuff to come through UPS, because I'm gearing up for a wedding this weekend. Well, I heard a knock at the door, and was like....Woohoooo, it's the UPS Man! (yeah, it doesn't take much to get me excited, lol but anything camera related makes me crrrrrazy!)

Well, I go out on the back deck and I quickly noticed that it wasn't my usual UPS Man. He asks me for my signature, and I get started signing. He says....this one's from LensProToGo.....then he says, did you do some family portraits for J____ K_____ a couple years back? And it totally dawned on me that he was a past client!!!

I said yeah, now I remember you!!! How's it going?! And then he said...."I have to thank you for doing those pictures, you don't know how much I look at them, and how much they mean to us." " My brother passed away not long after those photos were done, and those were the last family pictures we have with him in them. You don't know how much I've looked at those pictures, and so glad we had them done."

I was totally stunned, and had to fight tears. That had to be one of the highlights of my lifetime. I'm so sorry for their family's loss, but so extremely glad that I could be part of helping them remember their brother. It makes me speechless that those pictures were of such importance.


I don't even know how to change the subject from something like that, but I'll wipe my eyes, and update you on some things. Along with the rental lens in the UPS shipment, www.lensprotogo.com I also got my stack of reception cards for the wedding. They are absolutely stunning! I get them done at www.vistaprint.com because they are super professional, high gloss, and you can put your own wicked pictures in place of their generic ones.

Well, they've got a photo from the Bridal portrait session I did for Traci a couple weeks back, and they are so fantastic, it's hard to believe I did them!! Just kidding, if you're Haunting Images fan, you know I've been taking my work up to a whole new level these days, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here! I can't show you the bridal pictures just yet, but I'll put some up after the wedding! Woooohoooooo!

I'm currently working on my new website, which should totally incinerate my phone, and strike fear into the other local photographers, so keep an eye out for it......I'll let you know when it's up.....but you'll have to promise not to lick your computer screen, lol! I can't be held responsible if that happens! lol, lol I cannot wait 'til it erupts onto the scene!!

So, here I go to get some more work done on it, until next time, have an excellent day!!!!

Busy Weekend

I've got to get out to the racetrack pretty soon, but I thought I'd update you guys on this weekend's activities. First, I went to the chiropractor yesterday morning, to get my lower back cracked. I've been having some terrible pain in the lower back lately. If you've been feeling the same way, you need to get over to see him too....you can go to http://www.garciaspine.com/ for more information. And, while you're there, you can look at the pictures in the lobby, done by yours truly :)

Then, later, I finally got to go up with a great friend of mine, Anthony Seeger, of 2nd Wind Balloon Team, during Freedom Weekend Aloft. It's a local hot air balloon festival, that really draws a lot of attention, especially from those on the ground......who will sometimes stop in the middle of a 4 lane hiway to take pics, while hanging out the sunroof, lol. I've been up with Anthony a few times before, and it was one of the best things I've ever done.....but going up during the festival, with 30+ balloons below, and alongside you, is something I'll never forget----absolutely amazing!!!!

Here's a few pics from the trip, and there's plenty more on my flickr page. If you've never been up in a hot air balloon, I'd advise you to put it on your list of things to do before you die.......it's that cool!

Then, this morning, I did a shoot with a friend of mine, who is now the husband of one of my model friends.....who is now like the sister I never had (lol, long story), and who's wedding I had a blast shooting. He was needing a model shoot done to send in to an agent. We did the shoot out at Coop's Fitness, at the Greenville location. I had never been out there before, and was totally amazed at the range of equipment they have there! They even have a kids playhouse in there!

Well, needless to say, the shoot was awesome, and I surprised even myself....since this was my first model shoot with a male subject. Here's a couple pics from that shoot, with some minor editing.

Well, I just wanted to touch base, and let you know a little about this busy weekend, which should end with some racing at Greenville Pickens Speedway, as long as the weather cooperates. I finally got a starter website up, over at http://www.hauntingimages.net/ so it's easier for people to find me, and all the pages and websites I use. If you get a chance, send anyone and everyone over there to it! Anyway, got to get going! Later.

Progress

Ok guys, I haven't had a chance to update this page in a long time, with all the other stuff that's happening. Here's the scoop, I finally got my domain name!!!! Woohooooo!!! Just type in www.hauntingimages.net and it will take you over to my myspace page. Later, once I come out of poverty or bankruptcy, whichever comes first, I'll change that to a bludomain site. But, it's a momentous step in my plan.

Then, I've been shooting racing for Greenville Pickens Speedway for about 3-4 weeks now, and it's turning out to be very exciting. Here's how it works, in case you were wondering. I've got the title of Official Track Photographer, which means that I shoot all the victory lane photos, of the winning drivers. Then, I post the non-victory lane pics to the fan page at www.greenvillepickens.com and you can get to those here---http://public.fotki.com/racepixs/ Right now, that page has about 2000+ views, and I just uploaded the pics this morning!

After that, I send the winners' pics to a couple email addresses for the next week's program, and for the collage you see on the GPS main site. I then put the winners' pics up on my sales site, for sale to the drivers. That's www.hauntingimages.photoreflect.com

I found out, through the help of some of the friends I've made, that most of the drivers don't have internet access, so I've begun to print the photos as 8x10's and carry them with me the following week. This helps get around the lack of internet, and helps increase the impulse sale.

Right now, I'm using my XT, with a 580ex on top, with stophen diffuser, and another 580ex in my left hand on slave mode with a lumiquest softbox on it. I keep the camera in Program mode, and shoot in ISO 400. It works pretty good for the time being, and produces some great results. I could definitely use a 50D though! I want one so bad I can taste it!

I finally got my hands on an issue of Practical Photography, the UK based photo mag, that doesn't beat around the bush. I heard about it on Strobist, and have been looking for it ever since. Anyway, it's got TONS of articles, with actual stuff you might want to know.....not comparisons of million dollar printers, and the newest terapixel cameras, lol. I really like it.

Well, there's a quick run-down of what's going on lately. Hope it gives you a brief look into my operations. TTYL

Pet Peev

This isn't related to photography, but it does have to do with people, especially ones that work for us, or will work for us in the future. It's about the #1 word that pisses me off to no end, that I'd rather eat a bag full of nails, than ever hear again! I absolutely, undeniably, categorically HATE this word. The word is associate.

Yup, that's the word. Not predatory lending, not bailout, just associate. And here's why. I hate the fact that companies have dehumanized their employees so much that they can't even say person, people, or worker anymore. It makes it so much easier, especially in times like these, to kick 1000 associates to the soup line, than it does persons, people, friends, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters.....faces, NAMES. Just think how much money we could've saved if we put "50,000+ associates died" on the Vietnam war memorial, instead of heros' names.

There are aspects of american business that I love, and there are plenty that I abhor. But, during my time as an "associate" I have made a vow that I will never call any of my employees, helpers, salesPEOPLE, assistants, etc---associates.

Sorry, that's just my venting for the day.

Greenville Pickens Speedway

I'm the new official track photographer for the Greenville Pickens Speedway! This past Saturday was my first time out there, and it was awesome! I've got some of the photos up on my flickr page, www.flickr.com/photos/hauntingimages and even a couple videos to show how close I am to the action. I'm very excited about the whole thing, and this coming weekend will be a nationally televised event--Camping World Series----and will be on Speed channel on 4.16.09. I can't wait.

I have to laugh at the fact that I have lived within .25-1.5 miles from this track for about 6 years, and have never been there! I can hear the anouncer from my back porch on Saturday nights.......just goes to show, sometimes the best things are right under your nose.

Using TTL

The other day, we had a couple inches of snow hit the area. If you know anything about Greenville, SC, you know we don't get snow very often....barely ever. Well, you can look at my flickr page to see pics from the snowfall, and the photo above is what typically happens when you get basically any type of winter precipitation in Upstate SC-----the power goes out. This is my son looking wistfully at the candles on the kitchen counter.....thank God for strobist and double A batteries!!



Anyway, in the last post, I talked about reverting back to using TTL mode for lighting. Well, my niece was having her 17th birthday today and I decided it would be a great time to try using it. Here are the results. All of these are taken with TTL, with one 580ex on camera, with my frosted Gary Fong Lightspere on top.


This one is bounced off the semiwhite carport roof.

This one's just out in the front yard.

Off the carport again.

This one's bounced off the open hatch of a Dodge Durango, with tan interior. I usually use a mid-high contrast setting on my black & white parameter.

I love the dynamic nature that this has allowed me to recapture in my photos. If you haven't tried using it, or a Lightspere, this will give you an idea of what you're missing.

Last Weekend

Last week, my friend and mentor---Todd from Picture Perfect of Easley (http://www.pictureperfectofeasley.com/) asked me if I would assist him with a wedding. I jumped at the chance to finally do the assistant's part of a wedding. We rolled out to Clemson, to the Clemson United Methodist Church and found that it was a perfect setting for any wedding. It has tons of outdoor spots for shooting, along with large windows on the right side of the sanctuary.



There is a balcony-type sound booth at the rear of the church, where you can get amazing wide angle shots.


It was nice to see how someone else handles the rigors of wedding shooting, especially someone with so much experience! I really learned a lot. The most important thing I learned was the usage of TTL flash. After joining the strobist ranks, I pretty much kicked TTL into the weeds. I could get better results with the strobist techniques.....mostly due to having a shutter speed of 1/200 available, so everything stays sharp.

I always had the problem of the camera (Canon), choosing some ultra low shutter speed when I used my 580ex in TTL mode---in the Av setting. I'm like, why in the world would I want to have a flash with blur stopping capability on my camera, if I am guaranteed blurry pics with the low shutter speed?!!! I found that I could shoot at 1/60 in priority setting, but it wouldn't let me take advantage of my lenses low DOF abilities. Well, after watching Todd, I figured I needed to take a look at TTL again.

I started at the http://www.canonusa.com/ site, where I went to the learning center. I remembered seeing a tutorial where it showed some TTL techniques. Well, with a little digging, I found that there is a setting in the custom functions area, where you can set the min shutter speed to 1/200 when shooting in Av mode!! Woooohoooo! That will let you shoot at 1/200, with any fstop you wish! The camera comes set to Auto as the default (who knows why they would set it to that?!) Anyway, I've been experimenting like crazy to get back into using TTL because I saw how important it was with Todd's approach.

The only other drawback that would have to be dealt with is range/sunlight. If you've ever used the Canon/Nikon speedlight systems, you know that they use infrared triggering. The range is very limited, and it's like cactus in your undies when used in direct sunlight. Well, Pocketwizard is about to change all that with the new MiniTL and ControlTL modules. They are supposed to be releasing this month, for Canon!! They give TTL control, with Pocketwizard's insane range! It's the best of both worlds. I'd love to get my hands on some of them, but I'll have to save up my Obaba money forever first. They are rumored to be $300 for the MiniTL and $400 for the ControlTL. It's looking like you'll need one MiniTL for each speedlight, so these could end up being a super-size investment.....in Haunting Images terms ;)

You might be able to shell out the pesos, if your income tax refund hasn't gone to get your power and water turned back on. Hopefully you live in a state where you are actually getting a refund, and not an IOU! Or, you might spring for them anyway, if you happen to have a Maytag fridge box lying around! (LOL, just my attempt at humor, surrounding the current economic anemia.)

Another arrow for your quiver

Ok, I'm back. I just came across another blog that you have got to read. It's John Harrington's blog, the same guy that wrote Best Business Practices for Photographers. Roll on over to http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/ and mark it down on your follow list.

Then, you've got to watch this video! It's got quite a few bad words in it, so turn your speakers down if the kids are jumping on the bed behind you. It's about a writer, and his anger at amateur rookies that take the bread off the tables of the big players.





Now, I've thought about this subject to no end. And, granted, there should be debate on it. But I can't see the fool that comes out the gate, with the camera freshly unboxed, charging a client what the pros do. That's ludicrous. It all depends on overhead, and ---should---and I stress should depend on the portfolio of previous work. The thing I have found strange about this business is that most of the potential photography shoppers don't know a thing about photography, or what makes a pro's work different than the amateur's. A lot of them also equate the price to one's ability, without even looking to make sure their assumption is correct.

I've thought extensively about making some sort of price list, or flat rate fee calculation table that could be used to set prices among photographers, without price fixing issues, but even then, who is to say that the amateurs would use it! Anyway, I'm a semi-pro that's learning about becoming pro, and anyone that wants to discuss pricing, and the setting thereof is more than welcome to leave comments here. Until then, I'm gonna go fool around with HDR.

Must see places-for photographers

Photo.net is a site that I think every serious photographer needs to be a member of. They have a ton of forums, from critique forums, to ones on running your business. You wouldn't believe how many people have the same questions that you do, and how many are willing to answer them. You can join for free, with limited uploads, or $25/year for unlimited uploads but the most valuable thing is the forums. You owe it to yourself to become a member.

Well, I was over there reading some of the posts today and came across a link to a blog you must take a look at. Go to http://www.nigelmerrick.com/zenologue/ It is one of the most in-depth blogs on starting/running a photo business I've ever found. I wish there were more like it.

I'll leave you with a photo I shot a couple years ago, on a cemetary headstone.

News Flash

Ok, here's a new update. In a past post, I mentioned that I heard somewhere, (suspecting a podcast), that the median annual income of an American photographer was $26,000. Well, I did a little research and found that Salary.com had some enlightening info......go to http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_CM02000016.html

It says that the current average is $53,054. That looks a hell of a lot better than the previous number!!

I just started a project to update my portfolio, I'm very excited, and can't wait to see the outcome! I'll have to figure out how to show you guys when it's all done....it should be fierce, if it's anything like the picture in my mind.

Reading Materials--(of the paper kind)

Alright, let's talk about the books I currently have, and keep in my arsenal. Some of them I have read more than once, some of them I would recommend to you....and then others you might use to prop up the couch when the leg falls off.



List of Reading Materials
Photoshop Classic Effects, by Scott Kelby**

Creative Lighting and Posing Techniques for Portrait Photographers, by Jeff Smith

Group Portrait Photography Handbook, 2nd Ed., by Bill Hurter

The Business of Portrait Photography, by Tom McDonald

Posing for Portrait Photography, A Head-to-Toe Guide, by Jeff Smith

Successful Self-Promotion for Photographers, by Elyse Weissberg

The Outdoor Photographer's Bible, by Lawrence/Watson

The Waterfalls of South Carolina, by Brooks/Cook

Business and Legal Forms for Photographers, by Tad Crawford

Photography Your Way, by Chuck Delaney **

Power Marketing for Wedding and Portrait Photographers, by Mitche Graf

Master Lighting Guide for Wedding Photographers, by Bill Hurter

Digital Wedding Photography, by Paul F. Gero

Professional Techniques for Digital Wedding Photography, 2nd Ed., by Jeff and Kathleen Hawkins

The Best of Wedding Photojournalism, by Bill Hurter

Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Photography, by Kirk Tuck

Garage Glamour, Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple, Rolando Gomez

Holywood Portraits, by Hicks/Nisperos

Great Photography Workshop, by Bill Fortney

The Tao of Photography, by Gross/Shapiro

Shooting and Selling Your Photos, by Jim Zuckerman

Wedding Photography, by Mark Cleghorn

The Make-up Book, by Joy Terri

Get The Most From Your Digital Camera, by Simon Johnson

Photography-The Art of Composition, by Bert Krages

The Digital Photographer's Guide to Photoshop Elements 4, by Barry Beckman

Photoshop CS2, The Art of Photographing Women, by Kevin Ames

Canon EOS Digital Rebel Field Guide, by Charlotte K. Lowrie

Professional Techniques for Pet and Animal Photography, by Deborah H. Muska

The Photographer's Guide to Light, by Nigel Hicks

Close-ups in Nature, by John Shaw

Best Business Practices for Photographers, by John Harrington


This is not a complete list. I have also read hundreds of magazines, and school based texts on the subject.


Oh, and this is a book I have found useful many times, for improving the appearance of various webpages. It gives you all the HTML codes for colors, fonts, etc.

Creating Web Pages with HTML Simplified, 2nd Ed., by Maran Graphics, IDG Books


**books I recommend.


Now, if you haven't fallen into an ADD induced coma yet, I would like to tell you what really burns my onions! In all the material I have read, very little applies to the actual day-to-day running of a photography business! I'd say roughly 5%. This is very aggrivating.


Anyway, I'll get back to that later.....for now, I just want to show you a couple shots, and show you how I look through the camera to get them.







This one is a detail shot of a Jack Daniels minibottle that was attached to a Harley Davidson, with a light underneath. It was a very unique detail, and I had to get a shot of it.





The owner of the bike is now a friend of mine, due to the fact that I was one of the few people to notice that it was even there. Sometimes details rule!









Here's a detail shot of a 105th Anniversary Harley gas tank. The whole purpose of the shot was not really to capture the tank, but to get the silhouettes of the people near the bike. I wanted to show the comraderie, and atmosphere that a "Harley" fosters.















I used the same concept in this one. You can see the bikers on their bikes, handlebars, the sun going down....just hangin' out. Hopefully this will give you some ideas about how to put a picture within a picture. This can open up all sorts of possibilities.

Try to come up with a few shots using this technique this week. You might be surprised at the results.

Food For Thought

I was over on Strobist the other day, and watched a video about Annie Leibovitz. The actual post is about her newest book, but the video I'm about to show you is one of her other ones on Youtube.com It's about photographers living their lives through the lens....and shows some of Annie's work. Well, right about 1:40 in the video, it cuts to Annie talking while driving down the road. It also shows the interior of Annie's ride.

Now, you know I'm constantly scrutinizing everything about photography, and it's craft.....especially when it's related to making a profit (see original post). And you know I've got to comment on anything that I find to that effect. Well, here goes. You would think that Annie, a household name in the Photography world, would be pimpin' the Rover LR3 or something. I never expected her to be sportin' the 78 Oldsmobile whatchamacallit, with the headliner falling down. This directly relates to this blog, and the photography industry. Is cruisin' in the hoopdee due to a personal choice, or maybe because she spends all her money on Hasselblads.....I'd like to know!

Hopefully it's due to the latter. Take a look and tell me what you think.







You would think, if you had the skills, client list, experience, etc, that she has....you'd be smoking cigars made out of dollars. It kinda makes me nervous....how 'bout you?

The purpose of this blog

I've been thinking of starting this blog for some time now, wracking my brain with what it should be about, and what needs to be left out. It is first and foremost about photography, and second, how it relates to me.....a small town, aspiring photographer.

I should probably start out by saying that I'd rather take pictures than breathe! There are many reasons I love it so much, but I'm sure this blog will show you that over time. I really just wanted to learn to make great photos of my family. See, when I was about ten years old, almost all our family's photos were destroyed in a house fire. I set out with a mission to make sure that my kids would have amazing photos to record their lives.

Well, I have finally gotten to the point where I feel I have accomplished this goal, constantly adding to it of course. And I will add new photos as I feel they warrant display in this blog. I have branched out into other directions in photography over time and I want to learn to turn this love into profit. This blog will document my journey. You can ride shotgun, and maybe we will learn something together.


Note: I recently read somewhere, (cannot recall exactly where-feel free to message me if you have the details), that the average annual income of an American Photographer is $26,000. I seriously want to make sure that I buck this trend.....if you know what I mean.



Oh, before I wrap up this post, I have to say that I'm a strobist addict! I have to thank Dave Hobby for changing the way I thought about photographic lighting forever.