Thursday, April 28, 2011
Hope =)
I get excited about seeing this little shoot! It makes me think that I might see lilies blooming sooner or later. It makes me think of hope, and what it really means. Just by looking at something, like a babies eyes, or a birds egg, or a little tree, or any number of things....we love to have hope in something. And I'm here to tell ya, I'm really hoping to see these flowers blooming in the yard! :)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday Morning :)
It makes me wonder who chose that the quote should come to rest here. Was it a wife, that chose to comment on how she was loved during her life? Was it a parent that wanted to leave a reminder to themselves, that true love never runs out?
It rings true when I think of God's love for us, that's for sure, but it also makes me wonder if my love for something or someone ran out, or waned, was it love at all? LOL, yeah, I know it's a lot to get from a quote on a headstone, but that's the way I am. I usually think about things on 20 more levels than anyone else. Most people would walk right past something like this and wouldn't even notice. But, I guess I've come to understand this quote so much more since I shot this photo, way back when.
Love really doesn't run out. I think it's like energy. It can change forms sometimes, and it can flourish, and go through droughts, but I think true love is absolutely bulletproof. It's like a lighthouse, standing against the crashing waves. It transcends time and space. It can last longer than the stone where these letters find themselves inscribed. Love has power to move mountains. It makes you do crazy things. It can scare you, it can inspire you to do great things.
What got me thinking about all this was when I went down to Blockbuster and had a few DVD's I was going to rent. I went up to the counter, and the lady asked if I had seen one of them in particular (which I thought would be a good love story.....one of those ones I love, lol, where you have to keep the tissues handy). I said I hadn't, and she said "you're gonna be really disappointed if you get it". She asked if I had seen a different movie and I hadn't seen that one either. She said it would be a lot better than the one I originally selected. LOL, thank the Lord I didn't get the first one, because the second one was terrible!! LOL
It makes me laugh, because when most people think of me, I don't think they see someone who is looking for a love story. I think my exterior is a whole lot different than the interior. But, I think it's a good thing, and.....I think I'll keep it that way :)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Let's take a walk :)
If you know anything about me, you know that I love quotes. I have tons of favorite ones from a long time ago, and some newer ones......like, "Always kiss me goodnight." But sometimes there is nothing that says it like a quote. And most of my favorite ones revolve around goals, and aspirations. And the other day, while we were mounting a gigantic, framed 40"x60" print on the wall of our studio, I got to thinking about goals and thought I should take a lil walk with you and let you in on what I think about them.
First, I'll put some of them here,
"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you."
"Life is not a practice run"
"Commit to having what you say you want"
"If you are truly a DIAMOND, why settle for lying around with the plain ole gravel?"
"Winning is a conscious decision"
"When you undervalue who you are, the world will undervalue what you do" (Suze Orman)
"Is your FULL POTENTIAL less than, greater than, or equal to what you are doing at this very moment? THEN SHOW ME YOUR FULL POTENTIAL!!!!"
"Failure to plan is a plan to fail"
"The universe rewards ACTION, not wishes, not intentions, not dreams, not hopes, only ACTION!"
"It's tough to find what you want when you don't know what you're looking for. When you don't know where you're going, you don't know when you have arrived."
"If it's impossible, it will just take a little longer" (Capt. Hammerin Hank Elrod, Wake Island)
"What you are tomorrow, you are becoming today."
"Every problem is an opportunity in disguise."
"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have someone click the shutter." (Ansel Adams)
Now, there are a couple that I want to draw your attention to. The first one is by Hammerin Hank, a fighter pilot on Wake Island. (www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/wake-island-0) He, and a small band of Marines were faced with absolutely overwhelming odds, to the tune of 30-1. The tiny airforce on the island was something like 3 planes! Well, those boys made everything count.....and they fought for all they were worth!! You can read all about what transpired that day.....but at some point, someone told Hank that it was impossible to go up against such a strong, insurmountable force. And his reply was "if it's impossible, it will just take a little longer"
That has never left me. It has stuck with me for probably 7 years now. I look back at all the things in my life that I thought were impossible to do, or to get through, and see that I'm still here!
The next one is "every problem is an opportunity in disguise". I can't even begin to tell you the things I've been through here, perhaps that's a different walk, at a different time, but I do know that when something comes your way it's a test. Am I going to hide from it, am I going to avoid it, or am I going to turn the ship toward it and slam the throttle, while yelling my most violent yell?!!!! These tests are a way of God showing us what we are capable of, and what we can get through!! I'm a rock solid believer in that.
And, finally the last one. "the universe (I insert God here) rewards ACTION...." Once upon a time, I used to work on cars. I had drifted into a job that I had carried for 12+ years just because it was something I could do with no real effort. I worked for a place that I hated with a diabolical hatred. And I had a crazy goal. It was just a whisper of a goal back then....just a faint whissssssper. I wanted to become the best photographer within a 100 miles. And then this quote crossed my path. Basically, it's saying that you can talk all you want, plan all you want, crybaby all you want, strategize, etc. But ACTION is what pulls the fabric of the universe in your direction!!
Lol, I remember putting a banner on my phone, at the time, that said "SHOW EM". I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was going to. It was better than begging and praying to God that He'd let a car fall on me (which I actually did many times!) What in the world did I have to lose!! Well, I set my first goal, lol.....which was to sell one picture. That was it....just one, didn't matter how big, or anything. Well, that year I ended up selling TONS more than that!! I set another goal the next year, and smoked that one too!! It seemed like writing my goals down was like writing a script for how the future would play out! And I finally began to understand what that quote really meant. I have noticed SO MANY TIMES, that I would cross paths with just the right people, at just the right times, who supported me, and have helped me on this journey.
It's like ACTING on my goals, just a little at a time, altered the entire course of existence or something!! And when I think of all the people that have been there for me, and all the amazing opportunities that have "fallen into my lap", and how far things have come......I throw my head back, look into the clouds and say thank you!! :)
I just had to explain to you how I feel about life, and handling obstacles, and what I think of impossible. There have been people that have said, it's impossible to do what I am doing.....lol.....and to them I say........you hear that noise?.....click, click, clickkkkkk, yep, that's me doing it! So, don't ever let anyone rain on your dreams, God put them there for a reason. Don't ever let anyone say anything is impossible!! Write down that whisper of a dream, and take one tiny step every day toward making that dream happen. It will blow your mind where it will take you!!!
And when you're faced with insurmountable odds, and everything is looking grim......just know that you are 1000 times bigger and more powerful than you ever dreamed. You got this!!!!! I believe in you!!!
First, I'll put some of them here,
"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you."
"Life is not a practice run"
"Commit to having what you say you want"
"If you are truly a DIAMOND, why settle for lying around with the plain ole gravel?"
"Winning is a conscious decision"
"When you undervalue who you are, the world will undervalue what you do" (Suze Orman)
"Is your FULL POTENTIAL less than, greater than, or equal to what you are doing at this very moment? THEN SHOW ME YOUR FULL POTENTIAL!!!!"
"Failure to plan is a plan to fail"
"The universe rewards ACTION, not wishes, not intentions, not dreams, not hopes, only ACTION!"
"It's tough to find what you want when you don't know what you're looking for. When you don't know where you're going, you don't know when you have arrived."
"If it's impossible, it will just take a little longer" (Capt. Hammerin Hank Elrod, Wake Island)
"What you are tomorrow, you are becoming today."
"Every problem is an opportunity in disguise."
"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have someone click the shutter." (Ansel Adams)
Now, there are a couple that I want to draw your attention to. The first one is by Hammerin Hank, a fighter pilot on Wake Island. (www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/wake-island-0) He, and a small band of Marines were faced with absolutely overwhelming odds, to the tune of 30-1. The tiny airforce on the island was something like 3 planes! Well, those boys made everything count.....and they fought for all they were worth!! You can read all about what transpired that day.....but at some point, someone told Hank that it was impossible to go up against such a strong, insurmountable force. And his reply was "if it's impossible, it will just take a little longer"
That has never left me. It has stuck with me for probably 7 years now. I look back at all the things in my life that I thought were impossible to do, or to get through, and see that I'm still here!
The next one is "every problem is an opportunity in disguise". I can't even begin to tell you the things I've been through here, perhaps that's a different walk, at a different time, but I do know that when something comes your way it's a test. Am I going to hide from it, am I going to avoid it, or am I going to turn the ship toward it and slam the throttle, while yelling my most violent yell?!!!! These tests are a way of God showing us what we are capable of, and what we can get through!! I'm a rock solid believer in that.
And, finally the last one. "the universe (I insert God here) rewards ACTION...." Once upon a time, I used to work on cars. I had drifted into a job that I had carried for 12+ years just because it was something I could do with no real effort. I worked for a place that I hated with a diabolical hatred. And I had a crazy goal. It was just a whisper of a goal back then....just a faint whissssssper. I wanted to become the best photographer within a 100 miles. And then this quote crossed my path. Basically, it's saying that you can talk all you want, plan all you want, crybaby all you want, strategize, etc. But ACTION is what pulls the fabric of the universe in your direction!!
Lol, I remember putting a banner on my phone, at the time, that said "SHOW EM". I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was going to. It was better than begging and praying to God that He'd let a car fall on me (which I actually did many times!) What in the world did I have to lose!! Well, I set my first goal, lol.....which was to sell one picture. That was it....just one, didn't matter how big, or anything. Well, that year I ended up selling TONS more than that!! I set another goal the next year, and smoked that one too!! It seemed like writing my goals down was like writing a script for how the future would play out! And I finally began to understand what that quote really meant. I have noticed SO MANY TIMES, that I would cross paths with just the right people, at just the right times, who supported me, and have helped me on this journey.
It's like ACTING on my goals, just a little at a time, altered the entire course of existence or something!! And when I think of all the people that have been there for me, and all the amazing opportunities that have "fallen into my lap", and how far things have come......I throw my head back, look into the clouds and say thank you!! :)
I just had to explain to you how I feel about life, and handling obstacles, and what I think of impossible. There have been people that have said, it's impossible to do what I am doing.....lol.....and to them I say........you hear that noise?.....click, click, clickkkkkk, yep, that's me doing it! So, don't ever let anyone rain on your dreams, God put them there for a reason. Don't ever let anyone say anything is impossible!! Write down that whisper of a dream, and take one tiny step every day toward making that dream happen. It will blow your mind where it will take you!!!
And when you're faced with insurmountable odds, and everything is looking grim......just know that you are 1000 times bigger and more powerful than you ever dreamed. You got this!!!!! I believe in you!!!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Oh, here's one I hafta mention
Jen and Jay won a big framed print of this shot, and just picked it up yesterday. We've been so busy here at the studio lately, it took FOREVER to get it done and into their hands! But, I have to say that I love this shot! It's one of my favorites, because it's loaded with passion, and it has a very unposed feel. Usually, when I shoot an E-session, I tell my couple to just be themselves and pretend it's only us. Like.....what would they do if there wasn't a camera trained on them? Jen and Jay were off and running as soon as I said it, and we came away with some amazing shots, filled with emotion and passion. 
Some new great shots
I had the pleasure of shooting Brandy and Jonathan's wedding this past Saturday, and it was wonderful!!
While we were at the rehearsal, this hawk flew in and perched not 8 feet above the pastor's head!! It was incredible!! I had to snap several pics of it because it was so close, and didn't seem to be bothered, at all, by 12+ people being so close to it.
Well, once we got a chance to talk, the family told me that there was a significance to the hawk being there. Jonathan's late grandfather was known to have the "eyes of a hawk" and could "see like a hawk". They were blown away that a hawk had come to make an appearance!! I don't know what I believe about that, but I do know that I've never been that close to a hawk, and gotten pictures of it, and never known one to be that close to people for that long a period of time. It was truly amazing!
Then, there is the shot of grandpa walking down the aisle, and the wind catching Brandy's veil. It was one of those once in a lifetime shots, that I actually prayed to God while pushing the shutter, that I hadn't missed it!! It's one of my favorite shots EVER!! I love the expression on his face!! Shots like these make me smile from ear to ear!! :)
Here's another shot that tells a story. It's grandpa and grandma kissing Brandy on the cheeks, and her face says it all! It's a great moment captured in time.
Then, after the wedding, we took a walk across Falls Park to shoot some more shots of the couple, and used the sun's reflection off a buildings' windows to provide the light on their faces. It made for a really dramatic look.
We started shooting at the Marriott hotel, and I just had to use the amazing bed in the room. I had to employ one of our simple, but effective lighting techniques for this one, because it was just begging for some dramatic effects.
Then, after the wedding, we took a walk across Falls Park to shoot some more shots of the couple, and used the sun's reflection off a buildings' windows to provide the light on their faces. It made for a really dramatic look.
We started shooting at the Marriott hotel, and I just had to use the amazing bed in the room. I had to employ one of our simple, but effective lighting techniques for this one, because it was just begging for some dramatic effects.
Then, I hopped out of the truck this morning to shoot some of these.....I think they're Irises, but not sure.....maybe you can correct me. All I know is that I like them, and the morning light just spoke to me.
I wish I could share some of the recent bridal sessions I've been doing, lol. But, you'll just have to wait for those...... :)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Had to share these :)
I just had to share some of these shots. I've got a friend that LOVES tulips, purple ones in particular. Well, I saw tons of tulips out at Furman, while assisting Todd with his E-session yesterday and decided to go back today to get some shots. It was also the perfect opportunity to let my daughter try her hand at shooting flowers. She's been dabbling with photography, and wanting to go on an outing to put it all into practice. 
I love how the shots look on a black background, lol, and you can best believe there will be some new 20x30's going up on the walls of the house soon!! :)
Oh, I almost forgot.......
Ok, I just hafta tell you about something that Todd and I saw yesterday. First the back story. Todd and I use a methodology that says......know your equipment inside, outside, and upside down. Then, if you don't need it, don't carry it. People usually can't believe the stuff we shoot, with how "little" we carry. One of these days I'll hafta take some shots of just what I have in my bag, lol.
Anyways......we had just finished shooting an incredible engagement set, where Todd was on camera and I was on reflector, and we were getting read to leave. I turned around to see another photographer blowing the highlights on a bride's dress behind us. Well, I had to watch and see what they were up to, and admire his "technique". He had glorious light to work with, but had the bride taking full sun from her left. Once he popped off a few shots, he began to move toward the area we had just used, and I noticed he had an entourage following him.
There were three behind him, all with equipment in there hands, one of which appeared to be pulling what seemed to be a single-wide mobile home!!! LOL The single-wide turned out to be a colossal softbox, and they began to set it up on a huge C-stand!! This was quite a show! So, we watched even more intently because this was so interesting.....mainly because our "entourage" wouldn't have anything to carry, and we obviously don't work hard enough, so we were trying to see if there were any pointers we needed to write down. Well, he proceeded to keep the bride in full sun, still from her left, and had the giant softbox also blasting away from her left, probably trying to shoot at 1 millionth of a second shutter speed, and wondering why the background was totally pitch black, lol.
Well, I have to share what pointers we came away with.......lol, the amount, and size of all your crap doesn't improve your pictures!! It's an impressive show, but in the end, the client only cares about value vs. price, and output. And more importantly, did you capture the detail in my dress, or does it look like I'm wearing a big white triangle?!! lol I CONSTANTLY have people (usually with 4 pro camera bodies, 2 bags of gear, 18 lenses, and look like an airborne ranger ready for the big jump), ask me how I get the stuff I get with such a scrawny bag of gear! They're probably like, "where's the rest of it?!!"
The point I'm trying to make is....if you're looking for a photographer, don't get caught up in all the hype. Sometimes photographers try to make it appear that they are the messiah, and that they can move the sun, and blah, blah, blah. But, the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. More crap, doesn't equal more amazing, and less crap doesn't either. It's all about the photographer themselves. The most important tool is between their ears! LOL
Sorry, just had to vent a little, and share some "photography from my perspective"
Anyways......we had just finished shooting an incredible engagement set, where Todd was on camera and I was on reflector, and we were getting read to leave. I turned around to see another photographer blowing the highlights on a bride's dress behind us. Well, I had to watch and see what they were up to, and admire his "technique". He had glorious light to work with, but had the bride taking full sun from her left. Once he popped off a few shots, he began to move toward the area we had just used, and I noticed he had an entourage following him.
There were three behind him, all with equipment in there hands, one of which appeared to be pulling what seemed to be a single-wide mobile home!!! LOL The single-wide turned out to be a colossal softbox, and they began to set it up on a huge C-stand!! This was quite a show! So, we watched even more intently because this was so interesting.....mainly because our "entourage" wouldn't have anything to carry, and we obviously don't work hard enough, so we were trying to see if there were any pointers we needed to write down. Well, he proceeded to keep the bride in full sun, still from her left, and had the giant softbox also blasting away from her left, probably trying to shoot at 1 millionth of a second shutter speed, and wondering why the background was totally pitch black, lol.
Well, I have to share what pointers we came away with.......lol, the amount, and size of all your crap doesn't improve your pictures!! It's an impressive show, but in the end, the client only cares about value vs. price, and output. And more importantly, did you capture the detail in my dress, or does it look like I'm wearing a big white triangle?!! lol I CONSTANTLY have people (usually with 4 pro camera bodies, 2 bags of gear, 18 lenses, and look like an airborne ranger ready for the big jump), ask me how I get the stuff I get with such a scrawny bag of gear! They're probably like, "where's the rest of it?!!"
The point I'm trying to make is....if you're looking for a photographer, don't get caught up in all the hype. Sometimes photographers try to make it appear that they are the messiah, and that they can move the sun, and blah, blah, blah. But, the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. More crap, doesn't equal more amazing, and less crap doesn't either. It's all about the photographer themselves. The most important tool is between their ears! LOL
Sorry, just had to vent a little, and share some "photography from my perspective"
Weekly Update, LOL
Ok, let's just start by saying this has been the busiest week of my life!! LOL I've shot more pictures this week, than probably in the last 6 months combined!! So, let's start. A huge thank you to my brother, who has loaned me the money to buy a new 5D Mark II!! It has always been something I had put off, mainly due to the price, but have always needed it to take my work to it's fullest. It has been shooting non-stop since I pulled it out of the box!! It's definitely the perfect time for it to make it's debut!
The story of how it happened is just too amazing not to share. My brother was thinking of investing some pesos in my biz. He had mentioned it a while back, and started saving up some money. I had told him at that time, what I thought would be something that would make the biggest impact, and how much it would cost. Well, he had saved up what I consider a LOT of money already, when he gets a letter in the mail from his mortgage company, saying that he owed them $75. He called them to get it straightened out, and they told him there had been 
a mistake, and that they owed him $2400!! Well, if you know anything about me and my life.....you can prolly guess how much the camera is! LOL $2700!! It blows me away sometimes when I see how God works!!
Ok, now with all that said, I want to thank all my amazing clients, which are absolutely coming out of the woodwork, due to word of mouth. We have been absolutely swamped with work because of it!! 
This first set of pictures is an E-session, for a bride that will be getting married in the latter part of May. We had a fantastic time shooting down at the Rock Quarry, and Todd assisted with "light control", lol, normally called reflector work. But since we were shooting at 2 pm, it's more like light reduction. But we had a lot of fun, and the couple really connected in the pictures! We didn't have to work at all to get genuine looking smiles, which made it easy work :) Thank you Kristie and Ryan!
This first set of pictures is an E-session, for a bride that will be getting married in the latter part of May. We had a fantastic time shooting down at the Rock Quarry, and Todd assisted with "light control", lol, normally called reflector work. But since we were shooting at 2 pm, it's more like light reduction. But we had a lot of fun, and the couple really connected in the pictures! We didn't have to work at all to get genuine looking smiles, which made it easy work :) Thank you Kristie and Ryan! 
Now, this past Saturday I was back out at the racetrack, shooting the general shots I normally do, along with Victory lane. My favorite thing to do is shoot back into the sun out there. It's what makes the best lighting, and adds a sort of timeless touch. 
Then, there were two bridal sessions in between, that will absolutely make you snap a button right off your mouse when you see them!!! They are truly breathtaking, to say the least!! I cannot wait til the weddings to show you what I mean :( But, it just makes me crazy, in a good way, when I look at the camera's display and know that a shot I envisioned came out 10 times better that I ever dreamed. 
Then, there was an awesome wedding on Friday. The church was absolutely stunning, with stained glass windows that would blow your mind!! There were tons of little kids at this one, which made it a lot of fun :) Kids always add more excitement to a wedding, and they don't hold back their expressions like we adults sometimes do, lol. But, I was able to take the guys down for some shots near downtown, which is alway fun.
It's already shaping up to be a super busy weekend, and I can't wait to see how many amazing shots we can make happen!! :)
Then, there was an awesome wedding on Friday. The church was absolutely stunning, with stained glass windows that would blow your mind!! There were tons of little kids at this one, which made it a lot of fun :) Kids always add more excitement to a wedding, and they don't hold back their expressions like we adults sometimes do, lol. But, I was able to take the guys down for some shots near downtown, which is alway fun. 
And then there was my E-session down at Mary's cottage, at Falls Park. We had a great time with Brandy and Jonathan, and we were able to utilize their wedding site for the shots. Their wedding will be this coming Saturday.
It's already shaping up to be a super busy weekend, and I can't wait to see how many amazing shots we can make happen!! :) Til next week! :)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Easter!! :)
This is my shoot from Sunday morning. And I can't possibly be happier about them! :)
Whenever I shoot someone, my goal is to make a shot that not only captures the person's spirit, but also has a universal, timeless quality.
Like how would you picture say, curiosity, or summer, or spring, or fun, or joy. I actually want to capture these universal traits to the point where you would want to buy the picture, even though it isn't even your child, or mom, dad or daughter. 
I absolutely love when I get to shoot shots like these. I get to see how much each of these little angels has changed, and become just a little more of who they will eventually become. I love that I'm starting to get more and more clients that are coming back on a regular basis, for me to record their kids' walk through this great big world! :) 
It's when I have caught a certain glance, or giggle, or smile that makes my day on a shoot like this :) 
Time for something new
Ok. It's been like a million years since I updated this blog. I mostly use Facebook as my main way of connecting with clients and such.....but I think a blog still serves the purpose of letting me talk about how I feel about shots I get, and people I meet. It's through a friend's advice that I'm dusting off the cobwebs once again.....and putting a reminder in my phone, hopefully to help me keep up with it. LOL 
Ok, here are some shots from this weekend's K&N Pro Series East race, out at Greenville Pickens Speedway. It was a perfect day for racing!! We had Bill Elliot make an appearance, shhhhhh :) I don't think he was trying to make an appearance, but I had to run over and get a quick couple shots. 
The weather was perfect for shooting, and made for awesome colors. 
But, this gives you an idea of what I was doing on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I think there's something like 400 shots up on the track's site at
www.fotki.com/racepixs Just look at the first album marked GPS Official Track Photos (which currently has 1633 views)
There are a lot of photos there that nobody really sees, unless they know where to go and look, so please take a look and lemme know what you think! :)
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