Through The Lens

Where Have You Been?

2010-05-11T16:03:00.008-05:00

I have always enjoyed that feeling I get when a new piece of photography related gear arrives. The discovery, and the experimentation that will shortly follow can occupy me so much that the rest of the world seems to slip away. New gadgets and the new approaches they offer to my photographic endeavors can be very tempting.

Last year, I made quite a few large purchases. For a new camera body, I bought a Canon 50D...a 15 megapixel DSLR to take the main brunt of my work and give my old but trusty Canon XTi a rest.

In addition to that, I bought a Canon 70-200 F2.8 L IS, a beast of a zoom lense that has surprised me by taking a lead over my dependable 17-55mm F2.8IS as my primary lense used for portraits. It is an incredible piece of glass!

This year, I thought I'd be taking a year off from gear purchases. Being quite satisfied with my two cameras and lense choices, and also fully rigged with flash units and wireless gizmos to operate them I felt completely at ease with what was in the bag. Well at least until the bug bit!

A few weeks ago I ran across a couple old Kodak Duaflex medium format cameras in an antique store. I always wanted to try my hand at something called "through the viewfinder" photography. This is done by shooting a macro lense equipped modern digital SLR through the viewfinder of a camera with a waist level viewfinder like the Duaflex utilizes. I have seen quite a few very interesting results from this method. I was able to clean both cameras up pretty well and get both of them functional should I ever decide to put a roll of film in them. In the meantime I am searching for a good macro lens!

My first "through the viewfinder" attempt.

But this all got me thinking...and researching...and well...one thing leads to another...and I bought another camera! This one is a true classic. A very sturdy and dependable Yashica Mat 124G medium format film camera. These were popular in the late sixties and through the seventies with any photography enthusiast who wanted to "step-up" to medium format. It's a great looking and very "mechanical" instrument, and the one I purchased only needed new light seals to make it servicable.

I have shot two rolls of film so far, and am waiting to get the first back from the developer. Id like to see them before I proceed, to be sure my exposure strategy is smart. Stay tuned on this though...as I have a very special project that I intend to complete with this old gear!

Lindsey and Alton Tie the Knot!!!

2009-07-03T13:35:00.003-05:00

On April 4, Lindsey and Alton were wed lakeside at the scenic Camp Istrouma. It was a beautiful day for a wedding, and the outdoor location was a perfect choice for the affair. It was my pleasure to not only witness, but to also document through images this beginning of their life together. Congratulations Lindsey and Alton!!!

All About Seniors!!!

2009-07-03T12:33:00.009-05:00

Admittedly, the on-location senior portrait sessions that I do are among my favorite types of portraiture. Getting to know the young men and women that I photograph, and sharing a part in this milestone in their lives brings me great pleasure. Capturing photographs that will represent their personality in a manner that will be as much in style in the years to come as it is now is a goal that I set and follow with each of them. While clothing plays a huge part in this goal, the type of processing and treatment of the images after they are captured is also a big part of keeping with the classic...yet stylish...look.

I was blessed this year to have the opportunity to photograph seniors from four different area high schools. One drum major, two football players, a baseball player, a cheerleader, three young women who are on a flag team....(all three of whom will be part of the LSU Marching Band flag team next year)...a dancer, and, well, the list goes on and on. All of them great looking kids who seemed actively involved in their respective schools. I think the rest of us are fortunate to have young adults such as these joining us in the coming years in our voting booths, workforces, and communities....as I am sure they will play vital roles in each. I wish warm congratulations to the graduating class of 2009. May your best years lie ahead!

...and now....a few samples from the class of 2009!

Every Time a Bell Rings....

2009-05-25T18:21:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I have had time to make an entry here on "Through the Lens". Thankfully, that is partially excusable due to the fact that I had been super busy with an April wedding and an influx of senior portrait clients. That is a good thing. I also have been preparing to transition over to a new desktop pc. I chose to build this one myself and it has been a fun project. Aside from that DIY satisfaction, the fact that I built it myself also meant that I could afford extras like...oh say....12 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM. I know...its ridiculous, but what the hay, right?

I am finally getting caught up on my photography "work" from last month. This was further delayed due to super long hours and a seven day per week work schedule at my "real" job. Im not complaining though...not in this economy!

And lastly, I had to say goodbye to a true friend. Our nimble, smart, loving pup became seriously ill and although we provided all the treatment and prayers we could she just wasn't able to recover from her surgery. We later found out that she had cancer. If she had made it through surgery, we would have had to put her to sleep a few months later. Thankfully, God made that decision for us as I think we would have all had a hard time following through with that. She resides now, dust in a box, that we are reluctant to bury.

I think we could all stand to learn a lesson or two from a dog such as she. She always met us happily as we returned from wherever we had been. Loving us as though it might be her last chance. No matter what kind of day we were returning from, there she was...tail wagging...excited grin...relentless companionship. Unconditional love at its purest. She was a good girl...a very good girl....and yes she was well trained and did indeed ring a bell when the need arose and she needed to go outside.

We miss you Pep..... everytime a bell rings....

Jesse- Senior Peek!!!

2009-03-17T20:05:00.008-05:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of capturing Jesse's senior portraits. On day three of a four day rain we snuck out between showers, well mostly between, to shoot the photographs. It was soggy, muddy, yucky weather, but the dense overcast skies provided us the opportunity to shoot in an area that normally would be bathed in harsh sunlight, something I try to avoid with portraits. It turned out to be a productive afternoon, and a lot of that can be credited to Trey and his family for allowing us to use their property for the photographs.(Thank You Trey)

Having known Jesse for quite some time, I already knew that he REALLY doesn't like to have a camera pointed at him! Despite that, Jesse made a special exception to his "no photographs" rule and together I think we captured some great senior portraits that his family will enjoy for a very long time.

Jesse is a member of the Central Private School graduating class of 2009. After graduation Jesse has made plans to become a United States Marine. Congratulations Jesse!!!

Jesse,

You are a tough guy! I know this because I know that it is tough sometimes to be a christian in today's world. It's tough to choose between doing something for your church, or having fun with friends. It's tough to keep focused on what's right, and set a good example. It's tough to be a good role model for your brother, and it's tough to be the man of the house. It's all tough, but you are "the man" and I feel privileged to have you as a friend. Keep the faith Jesse, and I want you to know that I am very, very proud of you!

One Soon

2009-01-23T20:19:00.006-06:00

I recently spent an afternoon capturing engagement photos of Lindsey and Alton. Their wedding is planned for early April and will be conducted outdoors near a lake. For the sake of variety, they chose to shoot the engagement photos in downtown Baton Rouge. We began on the state capitol grounds and then moved to downtown proper and finished up on the riverwalk atop the levee. Breanna, my youngest daughter, assisted me on this afternoon mostly in aiming and adjusting my off camera flash.

I decided to enter the above photo in an online photography contest. Titled "Head Over Heels", it recieved enough votes for a fourth place finish in a field of superb photographs. It was a no-brainer for me to finish the photograph in black and white. The classic composition and timeless content made it so. The square crop came later as I was preparing the image for competition. Reminiscent of the medium format crop ratios, the square crop also adds to the "classic feel" of this photograph. Admittedly, it is among my all time favorite captures and I am thankful to be able to share it with Lindsey and Alton.

Lindsey and Alton are each remarkable individuals. Together, they make for a great couple. I am not only flattered to do so, but am also looking forward to playing my part in preserving the memories of this momentous beginning.

Christmas Eve- Through the Lens

2008-12-26T15:40:00.010-06:00

As a photographer, my ultimate goal is to produce images that move people. It sounds like a simple enough goal, but even though I am competent enough with the technical aspects of photography I often feel as though the story I am trying to tell with the photographs falls short artistically. Of course, on the technical side of things there are some "rules of thumb" that I try to adhere to that are "supposed" to generate more appealing compositions, but here again a textbook composition far from guarantees that the resulting image will pull any emotion whatsoever from someone viewing the image. So, how do you make that jump...from snapshot, to technically correct, to something that is artistically deeper?

The congregation singing at Blackwater United Methodist Church on Christmas eve.

In my experience, finding "that image" within any particular scene first requires that I am looking for it. Yes, I know that sounds silly, but over the years I have trained myself easily enough to look for God in the simplest of things and so I simply apply that same technique to photography. That is, I look for a beautiful approach to the simplest of subjects. It isn't a foolproof method, as often I see things in the composition, and read things from the scene that other folks simply do not "get"(or maybe it's just me?)....but...that's okay. It's okay because now and then...often enough for me....folks DO.... "get it".

"The Trinity" at Christmas Eve Communion.

The Christmas Eve "Candle Light Service" has become something of a tradition for my family. It has always been a spiritually enlightening experience for me, and I have always relished in the beauty of it. This year, on Christmas eve, I was determined to at least try to preserve some of that mood in photographs. I have taken enough wedding photos to know that the lighting in churches is most definately not designed by photographers, and on this night I knew from past experience that even that lighting that is difficult under the best of circumstances would be dimmed....if not completely doused. But...that is exactly what I wanted to capture. Surprisingly, there was ample light from the candles to portray this story in photographs. I was even able to get quite a few shots of faces aglow with candlelight. Simply beautiful. However, I found in the midst of my shooting that there was another way entirely to capture the event. That is, looking at the service from views that most, if not all, of my fellow church goers never see this service from. From those angles and vantage points, I found entirely new layers of beauty through which to view the night through...and found that if I threw the focus of the lens on those things...in the foreground...and let the scene beyond go soft, blurry, and impressionistic the scene changed dramatically. Add to that some slight tilting and short focal lengths in a journalistic style and evrything seemed to click. The scene that is even normally beautiful took on an entirely different and surreal quality. Looking at the photos myself, I must admit, that if I saw them in print without a caption I would most certainly not immediately guess that they were taken within the walls of my own sanctuary. Despite that, I am hugely satisfied with the resulting images from that evening. Everything I had hoped to convey in the images is present, and I will always cherish these photographs.

"Silent Night"- As sung on Christmas eve by candle light.

...And So It.....Isn't?

2008-12-23T16:18:00.004-06:00

This isn't the first time this particular set of photographs have graced the pages of my blog. These were captured on January 18, 2008, nearly a year ago, and a lifetime away it seems.

Last week I had what my doctor described as a simple surgery....and maybe it was. For me, other than having my wisdom teeth removed, this was my very first surgery. I guess I have been extremely lucky, as I really haven't gone out of my way to increase my chances of being a healthy person. Though I suppose there are a lot of good reasons that I chanced this particular malady, I am convinced that the primary reason is simply my age. Let's face it, it ain't exactly 1985 anymore is it?

...And so, things change, places change, we all change...which really brings me to my point.

I remember this old coupe parked just off a nearby highway in nearly every era of my life. I had seen it before, but became extremely aware of it as a teenager. Dreams of hotrodding the old thing ran like fire through my adolescent brain. Vroom-Vroom!!!

...and yet at some point and time it was also someone else's dream. I now imagine the person who bought it new. Scraping his money together, kicking the tires, maybe a test drive, and then the pride he wore as he drove it home from the dealer. Perhaps he loaded his family into it and drove around town to show it off to friends and family. I'm sure it made many a trip to the grocery, and to church where these people worshipped God, and where they prayed in earnest that their own needs be met, and for their own health. I imagine the kids, of this family, eagerly waiting their turn to come of age, and learn to drive in this coupe. Maybe a few first dates as well. What a life this car had!!! This good and faithful servant!!!

I was so excited when I captured these images. I was sure the old thing was looking at me as I studied it from this angle, and that, but it cannot do it anymore. Unfortunately, the property where it sat all those years went up for sale shortly after my "camera-in-hand" expedition. Undoubtedly, the new owners have no use for a sculpture such as this on the premises, and it has been moved. Long gone. No retakes!

Things change, places change, we all change...and so....it isn't...anymore.

"And So It Is".....thoughts on 2008

2008-12-16T21:08:00.008-06:00

2009 is nearly upon us, approaching at the speed of light. I am ready, eager to step forward even though much of 2008 will be carried with me. Sweet, and bittersweet memories etched upon my heart. I recieved all the sweetness that life has to offer a man this year, and experienced my share of sorrows as well.

I feel like my photography has grown in leaps this year. I've lost count of the epiphany moments where some technique or other has finally found its way to my own understanding of it. Creating, bending, and shaping light has become a pre-occupation whenever a camera is in my hand. To that end, I have reached my goals for this year by beginning to use flash off of the camera, and in purchasing a fast telephoto zoom. It's been a wonderful ride for me this year as far as photogrphy is concerned. If variety is the spice of life, I might be a cayenne pepper. I had the opportunity to photograph everything from infants to a 90 year old...a New Mexico desert to a Louisiana snow....a birthday party and a funeral...from wine rooms to sandy beaches....from high school seniors to weddings. You might say I have just about seen it all in 2008 through the lens.

On a personal side much has happened as well. Highs and lows. Happiness and sorrows. We watched Kristina graduate from high school, and then a few months later drove out of town, moved her into her first dorm, then drove away. It was a very quiet trip home. We had a major hurricane named Gustov that turned Baton Rouge upside down....then last week the worst snow I have ever seen here...ever! Breanna, our youngest, got her drivers license. That'll make you feel old. My saddest moment was with my grandmother. We listened to her call out for my long dead grandfather in agony. I watched an uncle drip water into her thirsty mouth with a straw. The following week, along with her other grandsons, I carried her to a place beneath an ancient magnolia tree in the National Cemetary in Baton Rouge to rest, peacefully with my grandfather. Losing someone whose mere presence on this earth brings comfort is a tough pill to swallow.

My happiest moment, though, found me as happy as I have ever been in life. So high that the weight of all the rest that is wrong in this world could never tether me to the ground. Joy, so pure, at the sight of my son walking out of the assembly center at Southeastern Louisiana University with that diploma in his hand. I have never been so proud of anything in all my life. Man that felt good!

My hopes are that 2009 will be every bit as meaningful to me as 2008. My prayers are that my friends and loved ones experience that same kind of sweetness in their lives. That regardless of the joys and sorrows that we experience, God has orchestrated our paths as part of His perfect plan. He has given us this miraculous gift of life and promises us infinite life beyond.

..and so it is!

Congratulations Garrett!!!

2008-11-12T18:32:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday I had the good fortune to spend a few hours capturing images of Garrett for his senior portfolio. Aside from being an awesome young man, Garrett also serves as Drum Major for his high school's marching band, and plays saxaphone in the jazz band. Our afternoon took us to several locations in the downtown Baton Rouge area. We began on the State Capitol grounds, and finished up after dark under the contrasty lights of the Catfish Town area.

High School graduation is a special time, and is perhaps the first milestone in a young person's life. It is also a time when parents begin to contemplate the fact that our kids are growing up...even if we cannot comprehend the speed at which that has happened. There are some major decisions to be made... Which school to attend? Career paths? What should I major in?...a time of excitment as well as uncertainty.

Congratulations Garrett, and may God bless you and your family at this exciting time in your life!

Telephoto Maximus

2008-11-12T16:57:00.004-06:00

I try to set up goals for myself and my photography each year. This years goal was to get the equipment needed to begin experimenting with off camera flash, and to aquire a 70-200mm large aperture zoom lens. I have been exploring off camera flash for quite some time now with excellent results, and a few weeks ago I finally purchased a 70-200mm zoom. I had a two-fold reasoning behind the purchase of such an expensive lens. First and foremost, it would enable me to get better images of my youngest daughter performing on the football field with her dance team. Secondly, the large aperture combined with the long focal length would allow me to take better looking portraits by throwing the background more out of focus...especially on full length type portraits. I have had a chance to use the new lens, a Canon 70-200mm F2.8 "L" IS, on several occasions and I have to say that it is an extraordinary piece of glass. The proof, though, is in the pudding and below I have shared a couple of the captures I have made on these preliminary outings.

These Are the Days...

2008-10-10T16:19:00.003-05:00

Our local high school held it's annual homecoming dance a few weeks ago. Breanna, my youngest daughter, allowed me to capture in photographs the early evening part of her festivities. This is a fun time for me as a father and photographer. The kids always look their best, and it is a time when even the shyest of them will allow a photo or two.

I have now had plenty of experience with high school dances. We usually begin in our own backyard, capturing photos of our own kids and their dates. Then, usually, we meet a large group of kids and their parents for photographs at some other pre-determined location. Here the kids get together for large group shots with friends, and I usually come away also with some nice candid photos from these gatherings.

Afterwards, the kids all leave for a resturant, and then on they go to the dance. The waiting begins...and if you are a parent you know exactly what I mean!

Overflowing

2008-10-10T16:01:00.005-05:00

"Overflowing was the theme for a recent Corner Challenge at http://www.photographycorner.com/. The object was to portray overflowing in a photograph. My entry, "Suds" at left, held it's ground during the voting for a first place finish. This image represents one of only a handful of others where I have utilized multiple off-camera flash sources for light. Using the Canon STE2 transmitter to fire the flash units, I located One at camera right and one at camera left. This was a simple set up, with a 1:1 ratio on the lighting. I used a small aperture to hold as much of the texture in focus as possible. Both the bottle and the mug had spent some time in the freezer before hand to also add to that texture.

Heavy Metal

2008-09-13T18:54:00.009-05:00

Hurricane Ike arrived this morning in Galveston. The effects here in town were limited to a bit of wind, rain, and a some limited power outages. I was in need of shooting an entry image for the Digital Sharp Shooters Challenge#8 that takes place every two weeks at http://www.dgrin.com/ . The challenge theme this go 'round is "Weathered or Polished". I had an idea about what I wanted to use as a subject when I first saw the theme. Anyone who knows me well will know that aside from people, my next favorite subject to photograph are well worn and discarded cars and trucks that are silently rusting away in their final resting places. A friend of mine is the proud owner of three late forties model Chevy trucks. One is nearly pristine, the other two are used for parts. I made a phone call to him about photographing them tommorrow, but quickly called him back when I realized that hurricane Ike had left us with some great overcast daylight.

"Nearsighted"

I shot these photos at mid day. Usually, this would have been a time of harsh undesirable lighting. Today, however, I was treated to the giant softbox effect photographers love about overcast skies. This results in softer shadows, and nice even lighting. There were a few breaks in the cloud cover that I had to wait through. Luckily, though, the wind was still brisk enough to make those breaks short in duration.

"Diamond in the Rough"

I haven't decided for sure exactly which image I will use for the contest. Having such an affinity for these old relics as I have makes it tough for me to eliminate a choice. For now I have chosen the image below, "American Pie", though I am not sure that I will use that title. Trey, the owner of this truck, is lucky to have the chance to breath life back into at least one of the three that he owns. He has offered, and I have accepted, the opportunity to use them as I wish as backdrops for portraits. I can't wait, and hope that when that day comes the light will be as great as it was today.

"American Pie"

Up To the Minute...

2008-08-20T17:16:00.005-05:00

For the last few weeks, I have been involved in several small photo competitions. The first is at www.photographycorner.com . In this competition the theme was "silloutte". I entered a photo that I had captured at a recent wedding in Gulf Shores, Alabama. My efforts produced a first place win in my first competition on that website.

"The Honeymooners"

The second competition I was involved with is at www.dgrin.com . Here I had qualified for this quarterly challenge with a photograph taken several months ago. This quarterly "Mega" challenge was made up of photographers who placed in the top 5 in votes for the photographs they entered in the qualifying rounds. The theme here was "The Elements". I chose to enter an image that was built in several steps, a layered composite. It followed a very basic and literal interpretation of the theme. When the final scoring ended, it had done well with the judges, but not well enough to win. Maybe next time!

"Tungsten No.74"

Congratulations Claire and Danny!!!

2008-08-10T20:45:00.002-05:00

On August 2nd, 2008 Claire and Danny were married in Gulf Shores, Alabama. With the wind in their hair and sand between their toes they said their "I Do's" as the gulls and waves sang in the background. It was an awesome weekend filled with go-carts, putt-putt golf, and a beautiful couple becoming one. Claire and Danny, I wish you all the best that life has to offer, and I was flattered to be your guest and photographer on your wedding day. May God bless you both!

Claire and Chris....

2008-07-29T15:58:00.003-05:00

On July 19th Claire and Chris joined strings! The wedding was held at University United Methodist Church followed by a reception at the Multi-Cultural Worship Center near LSU campus. I had a blast capturing their wedding and preserving it for the future. Congratulations Claire and Chris!

Window Light

2008-07-29T11:11:00.005-05:00

Last week I was asked to photograph an 8 month old! My usual approach to portraits is in outdoor on location type shoots. For infants, though, I make the exception and set up indoors. This little man's mother and I discussed the look we were going for in advance. She has two older children, and most of the photos hung on her walls are either in black and white or sepia tones. From the start we were not interested in color photos at all. This gave me a lot of freedom to ignore colors in the room and instead to concentrate on light and texture.

Most of the light here is natural light filtering through the windows. I did use a reflector for some of the photos, and also a flash unit on all of them to kick a little extra light into the shadows, but was able to control the artificial light well enough that it did not rob any of the ambience from the window light.

In the end though I can only take a tiny bit of credit for these images. Much of the success of an infant's photoshoot depends on the infant himself. Brooks behaved very well throughout the shoot and put on quite a show for us. His little face also has that classic shaping that lends itself very well to a classic style of photo processing.

More from New Mexico...

2008-07-10T10:40:00.005-05:00

Heart to Heart...

2008-06-30T16:16:00.008-05:00

Over the last ten or so years, I have participated with our Church's youth group. It is one of those things in my life that give me peace, joy, and hope. Each year we travel to some part of our country to serve others through mission work, and this summer is no different. Last week we made our annual mission trip. We teamed up this year with youth groups from Zachary and St. John's UMC. Our destination this year was New Mexico, and we spent a few days in Carlsbad followed by some time spent in Roswell. For fun, we visited the Carlsbad Caverns and the Alien Museum in Roswell. These trips are very special to me as they are full of fun, hard work, and also an opportunity for us each to stretch ourselves spiritually. It is a special gift when all three of those activities can be accomplished as one. This year we accomplished quite a bit of work; maybe even more than I have ever seen our group complete in one trip. We painted the exterior of a church in Carlsbad as well as repaired some windows and sheetrock. In Roswell, we painted the interior of a church, made some roof repairs, did some yard work, and uncovered a beautiful stained glass window. The Boys and Girls Club of Roswell hosted us in Roswell. There, we painted a room for teens (complete with a mural), helped with younger kids in arts and crafts, organized a weight room, served meals, and again did yard work. The yard work at the Boys and Girls Club included spreading a truck load of manure from the zoo! All of this, of course, is something to be proud of, but for me it is all worthless unless we have grown within our own spirituality and found deeper meanings in the experiences we have had. This year, I found all of the meaning I needed to find in an old stained glass window.

Removing plywood from a stained glass window.

On Wednesday, of our week in New Mexico, we began work at El Divino Pastor United Methodist Church. Located in Roswell, NM it is known by the locals as the Spanish Methodist Church. Sadly they have lost all but five members. In an effort to inspire growth, they invited us into their church to give it a facelift. The facilities at El Divino Pastor are not perfect, but are all intact. There is a mid-sized sanctuary, a large fellowship hall, several classrooms, and a small kitchen area. Nothing really is lacking as far as the buildings are concerned. Our work list here included patching some roof leaks, cleaning up the church grounds, and painting the interior of the church. I set out early that morning to show four teenaged girls how to spackle cracks and holes in drywall in preparation for painting the sanctuary(...and they did a great job!), but that was just my task. We were a group of nearly fifty, so if you can imagine a swarm of bees decending on this place and going to work at different jobs, then you will nearly have a picture of all of the activity of that morning. In the midst of all of this buzz I noticed on the back wall of the sanctuary near the peak of the ceiling a darkened stained glass window. I could barely make out a few details because of the darkness, but I was positive that it was of an intricate design...and quite old. I couldn't help but wonder why it had been covered, and then I saw the holes. The window had been broken.

An art project made with the plywood that was removed from the window.

After awhile, when I was sure that our sheetrock patchers could be left to their own devices I made a tour of the building to see what other work was being done. Eventually I found my way to the roof. There, I realized that the stained glass window had been covered over with a simple piece of plywood to keep the rain out. I thought that it would be pretty easy to remove the plywood and replace it with a thick sheet of plexiglass. Not neccesarily what the window really needed, and not on our worklist, but definately a way to allow light to pass once again through that stained glass. I suggested this "fix" to one of our other adults. He and I then convinced the other adults that we ought to at least give it a try. Everyone was onboard with the idea. A few phone calls later, I had located a local supplier of plexiglass who had enough of the stuff in stock to cover the window. All the supplier needed was the plywood covering to be used as a template to cut the right size and radius on the arch at the top. Three of us then went up to the roof to remove the plywood so that it could be taken to the glass shop. Removing it was simple work that required a screwdriver and a ladder. I remember picking up all the loose screws as well as a couple of small shards of the broken stained glass that were lying below the window on the roof and put them in my pocket to be thrown away later. I was later told that while I was away at the glass shop an adult woman who had come from Baton Rouge with us began crying at the sight of the window once it was uncovered. It was that beautiful.

Worship at El Divino Pastor with the window lit by the afternoon sun.

I would have liked to have been a part of repairing the window, but on Thursday I began work at the Boys and Girls Club of Roswell with part of our crew while the remainder went back to El Divino Pastor to complete the work we had started. I am told that the plexiglass installation went smoothly, yet I was unable to see the finished project until we held a worship service in their sanctuary on Friday evening, our last night in New Mexico. On that night it was lit very well by the setting sun, and later was a beakon to the surrounding neighborhood by light from within. Two of El Divino Pastor's members were present at that service, Carmen their lay pastor and her older sister-in-law. Carmen spoke to our group briefly through a shower of tears expressing her thanks, and telling the kids how much they have inspired her. She was without a doubt the most greatful person I have ever seen, and to show her gratitude she had us line up so that she could give us each a hug, a kiss, and a thank you. She wanted to be certain that she had not missed thanking us each and all personally. I had the feeling that the inspiration we had given her paled in comparison to what she had given us. Carmen had to leave for work before we were done with our worship time, but her sister-in-law owns a fireworks store, and we were to visit the store that evening and be treated to a box full of fireworks for our own enjoyment, so after the service, myself and another adult went to the fireworks store so she could show us the field that we could use to set off all the gizmos in the box. This is when I found out what the stained glass meant to at least one of the members of El Divino Pastor.

A Son who lives eternal.

On a gravel patch in the middle of a field on the outskirts of Roswell she leaned against the door of her car and said "thank you". " Thank you, thank you, thank you" over and over again as tears trailed from her wrinkled eyes. In her heavily accented and broken english she says to us " I have seen that window once before, but only once." "My son would have been fifty-two this year" she says "but he was killed young in a skydiving accident....but I remember that window". When he was seven, he was christened on Mother's Day. She had attended her own Catholic Church that day for the christening, and then gone on to her mother-in-laws church, and now her own church, El Divino Pastor for the Mother's Day service. She said that she never noticed the window until the service was over and it was time to leave and then "Oh, it was so beautiful, and the sun, and I could only stand there and stare, I could not speak". By my math that day was Mother's Day forty-five years ago. On this night the most beautiuful archetectual element of her sanctuary had been returned to her and it had ressurected long ago memories. Memories of her dead son's christening returned by gazing into a picture of a Son who lives eternal.

Later, while packing, I found the two shards of stained glass I had pocketed. I have always collected tidbits such as this to be tucked away into the box my Bible came in. It is full of cards and letters and other momentos from my experiences with our youth group. This may seem too sentimental for some of you, but the things in that box mean the world to me. On a whim, I offered one of the shards to Jill. She is the lady who travelled to New Mexico with us and cried at the sight of the uncovered stained glass. She didn't say, but I have a sneaky suspicion that her shard means perhaps as much to her as the rest of the window means to Carmen's sister-in-law.

Details...

2008-06-16T19:23:00.007-05:00

Many times while out on a photoshoot, I like to take the opportunity to capture some details. Often, the detail shots are the ones that define the day, and often are favorites among the people involved in the shoot.

Aside from our faces, there are many things that say who we are. A parent or loved one can recognize us just as easily from our parts as from our whole. As much time as I spend trying to set up a location shoot so it will look "just so", these detail shots do not depend on anything to do with the location other than the lighting. Straying from what is typically defined as a portrait and focusing in on details often results in photos that are more abstract in nature, yet they still portray us as who we are.

Family Photos...

2008-06-04T19:57:00.006-05:00

I have a bad habit of looking for portrait settings everywhere I go! This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Often, when approached by someone who wants to do an on location portrait session the very first thing they ask is..."where would be a good place". As long as I keep my bad habit up I guess I will never have to scratch my head to answer that question. There is a treasure trove of excellent locations in and around Baton Rouge, and I have made great use of many of them.

A week or so ago, I was approached by a friend about doing a set of family portraits for her family. Sure enough, the question of locations arose. Although I can supply recommendations of great locations, I usually make certain to point out that a location that actually means something to those involved would be best. On this recommendation, it was decided that we would do their photos out of town on a beautiful piece of property owned by her father. With his barn and the golden glow of the afternoon sun as a backdrop, we were able to capture some very good looking photographs that will become even more valuble to the family over time. So, when booking for your on location family portraits remember....location, location, location!!!

"Released"

2008-06-04T19:09:00.014-05:00

Last week, I found out that this photograph recieved enough votes to place as second runner up in a photo contest. I was thrilled with this news, but even more thrilled that I had envisioned this and been competent enough to capture it and see it through its post processing to realize that vision. Although many of the photos in the competition were of the type that could be repeatedly shot until it was right, my idea for an entry was based on a one-shot opportunity. I arrived at my daughter's high school graduation early enough to insure that I would have a seat in close proximity to where I would need to be for this shot. During the ceremony, I fiddled constantly with camera settings trading ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds around until I felt I had a wide enough aperture and fast enough shutter speed to accomplish my goal. I wanted a perfectly crisp image, but not necessarily one that did not have any motion blur. I used a hotshoe mounted flash bounced into the ceiling behind me for additional light. As the ceremony wound down I positioned myself for this shot and was able to squeeze off three shots that captured the hats in the air. This one was the first of the three frames, and held the most hats aloft. I knew instantly when I viewed it on the LCD that it was an excellent photojournalistic type photograph.

"Released"

I awoke the morning following graduation and immediately went to work on the image. My first step after minor adjustments and converting from the RAW file was to convert the image to black and white. I chose to use a LAB Mode conversion method which is by far my favorite method of conversion when working with portraits. It seems to offer the very delicate, crisp, smooth tones that I like in a good black and white photograph. The only ill effects of this type of conversion is that mid-tones are usually somewhat lost in the conversion, and it will magnify noise in a high ISO photograph. Since I was going for that richly toned photojournalistic look, I would need to take special care that I retained as much mid-tone contrast as possible. I achieved this by doing curves adjustment layers and masks in Photoshop to squeeze every drop of contrast that I could get out of several key areas in the photo. I had one layer totally devoted to pulling a shadow out that had gone inky dark between the feet of the young man at front left. This part of the photo isn't visible in the version I have posted here, but you can at least appreciate the trouble I was going through to achieve my end-goal. Another layer was entirely devoted to adjusting for contrast in the faces of the kids. The hats in the air were also treated to their own layer to adjust their sharpness and contrast. Once I had the tones I was looking for, I moved over to noise control. The well exposed foreground had very little noise, but the dark curtains on the back wall were another story. My solution here was to do two noise correction layers, one for the foreground and one for that back wall, to allow me to minimize the ill effects of noise removal in the important areas of the photograph and keep my image crisp. I then added a warm tint to the photograph to keep it from having that greenish grey cast that is present in many black and white photos. The final step was to sharpen the image using the high-pass sharpening method. I have found that this is an excellent way to sharpen the details in an image while having 100% control over sharpening the noise in an image.

The version here is one that I plan to present to our school board. They have only been in existence for one year and this was their very first graduating class. I hope that they can see and appreciate the sheer joy on each of the faces within the frame. So many dreams and ambitions together with relief are evident in every corner of this photograph. I think it speaks well to what the goals of the school board should set for itself. Congratulations to the class of 2008!

Devine Intervention-Live

2008-05-20T13:14:00.003-05:00

Our youth director at church is also a musician. Last Sunday night, his band "Devine Intervention" held a concert to raise funds for our summer mission trip. Of course Chris, our youth director, had a special interest in raising money for our kids, but the other guys were there purely out of kindness and generosity. Thanks guys!!!

The music was great. Very upbeat and modern. I know that Devine Intervention plays venues near and far at every opportunity. If they are in your area, I urge you to check them out. If anyone is interested in booking them for a concert let me know, and I can put you in touch.

Never having had the opportunity to photograph a concert I decided to give it a try last Sunday night. In addition to the existing light in the fellowship hall, I used a single speedlight that was fired wirelessly using the Canon STE2 transmitter. The speedlight was located on the other side and in front of the stage from me. It provided some additional light, but also threw many interesting shadows on the walls in some of the photos. For processing, I used some common Lightroom presets and then applied an assortment of textures in Photoshop to add an edgy grunge appearance.

Congratulations Courtney and Tommy!!!

2008-05-11T16:30:00.004-05:00

Last Friday night, I was blessed with the opportunity to share in the festivities as Courtney and Tommy got hitched!!! The location was a rustic building just across the St. Helena Parish line and was the perfect spot for a cozy and romantic evening. The bride wore a beautiful candlelight gown. The Groom, and groomsmen, wore black tuxedos that were accessorized with camoflauge vests and ties. The music was good! The food was great! ...and a good time was had by all!!! Congratulations Courtney and Tommy!!!

Late Date...

2008-04-20T22:37:00.008-05:00

Prom season is here!!! We had a busy weekend last weekend with my oldest daughter and her senior prom, and my youngest attending two different proms. I am pretty sure( I can't keep up!) that we still have one coming up next weekend. I will be glad when it is over. As a father, I can say with certainty that the best part of prom is when they whisper through my bedroom door, "I'm home".

I do like the idea of a prom for the photographic possibilities. A time when the girls have a chance to pretty-up and are actually willing to have their photos taken. Of course it just so happens that our climbing rose on the patio blooms every year for prom. That makes it even all the more better!!!

I know that many of my blog visits are by family and friends. Statistics, however, lead me to believe that most of my visitors are fellow photographers. Either way what we all have in common is that the majority of us are watching our children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews grow up. So for the sake of sentimentalism I have a story to share about a photograph I captured on last year's prom night, and a bit of advice.

The first photo in this post is a shot of my daughter Kristina in the mirror. It was taken this year as she was preparing for her senior prom. I have always made it a habit to grab a few of these type shots as the girls prepare for such events. I chose to give this particular photograph an aged look, and I am pleased with the results.

The last photograph in this post(below) is a similar type one that I captured last year as she was preparing for her junior prom. Looking at it you will notice several things. First and foremost the photo was captured with an exagerrated tilt. I shot the photo through a 50mm prime lens in a fairly tight area. The tilt was needed to keep the elements of the composition inside the frame. All of the elements in this composition are important to the story that this photograph tells. Secondly, this photo is finished with an aged look achieved by processing it as a duotone. This was an easy choice at the time since the color of her clothing and all of the items on the counter were a distraction to what was really going on in this image. Lastly is the story itself. The photograph depicts Kristina applying make-up while sitting on the vanity with her feet in the sink. This, of course, used to be a common occurance anytime she was doing her hair or make-up. In fact, while I did make sure that the photograph clearly depicted her sitting on the vanity, the specialness of her action did not really cross my mind. As I said, we saw her doing this every day.

Now the sad part...

The day that I captured that photograph was the last time that I can remember seeing her sit like that while dolling herself up. The end of an era in my home. That simple fact makes this photograph priceless to me. It is another example of how fast our kids grow up. Their habits that are cute and commonplace could be only a memory as soon as tommorrow. My advice to you is to be absolutely sure that you are capturing these memories of your little ones. Words cannot even begin to express how thankfull I am that I was there on that day to capture this image of her. There she is...through the lens...for all time.

Help!!!...I Can't Keep Up!!!.....

2008-04-20T19:04:00.007-05:00

The saying "time marches on" is completely off the mark. "Time races on, nearly ahead of us, swallowing everything up in it's wake" would be a more accurate phrase. Maybe it is common among "over 40" adults and they just don't talk about it, but lately I cannot help but feel that time has slipped like sand through my very fingers. My son, the oldest of our three children is graduating from college in one month. If that isn't enough, my oldest daughter will graduate high school the same week. I feel as though I have lost something that is terribly important to my existence.

A week or so ago the Army Corps of Engineers opened the gates at the Bonnet Carre Spillway. This is a flood control gate that diverts water from the swollen Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain just north of New Orleans. The last time this protection system was used was in 1997, eleven years ago. It so happens that eleven years ago I drove the family to downtown Baton Rouge and we walked up on the levee to witness the historic high water level. I did not remember bringing a camera, but I did.

I was charged, last week, with putting together a slide show for our church to honor our high school seniors. We do this every year. Among the sports and senior portraits we include photos of the kids that were taken at various stages in life. So I found myself digging through boxes of old photos when the photo above presented itself. That is Kristina in the center(our high school senior) and Josh just to the left (our college senior). At the very left of the frame is Kim and Breanna. I didn't include the photo in the slideshow, but brought it to work to show the guys how high the water was in 1997. It so happens that I was also planning my 10 year service celebration at work this week. I am treating the guys to boiled shrimp and fried fish next week.

Joshua, Breanna, and Kristina last week

It dawned on me, when all these various events of the week lined up together that it really seems as if I started that job yesterday. The photo was taken only one year before. My kids are sooo tiny in that photo, and now they are all but grown. What is going on? I can't keep up!!!

Ghosts of the South

2008-04-04T12:10:00.006-05:00

I was delighted last week to be asked to do some senior photographs in beautiful St. Francisville, LA. Only a short drive from Baton Rouge, it is almost like taking a trip back in time to this quaint town. St. Francisville is home to a long history and many antebellum and plantation homes.

One of our stops last week was at The Myrtles plantation. This home is most famous for it's purported hauntings. The lush grounds are shaded by giant live oaks and spanish moss. We also spent some time on the grounds of Grace Episcopal Church, and at the heritage museum in Zachary, La.

The young lady in the photographs is Rachel. She will be graduating high school in May. I have had the pleasure of knowing Rachel and her family since she was not much more than a toddler. We wish Rachel all the best in her future.

Grace Episcopal Church

Rachel and I at the Heritage Museum in Zachary, La

Lindsey - Class of 2008

2008-03-13T12:14:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a great day for photos. We began yesterday morning at the old state capitol building. Afterwards we spent a little while at the train station downtown before moving on to the state capitol grounds. Lindsey was a good sport throughout the shoot, and never complained. Having known her for many years now, it was surely a pleasure to be her photographer of choice in marking this event in her life. She is not only a good student, but also is involved with cheerleading and tennis.

Congradulations Lindsey !!! We are all very proud of you.

Graduating from high school is the first major milestone in many of our lives. Senior Photos are a great way to mark the event. Aside from the wonderful enlargements, many seniors send out wallet sized photos to friends and relatives in their graduation invitations. May graduations are right around the corner, so now is the time to get your senior photos done!!!

Who I Am

2008-03-11T18:53:00.004-05:00

Today I took a few minutes to try to compose a self portrait. I wanted it to portray something about who I am. Aside from photography my next favorite art is music. Around 8 years ago I began working with the youth group at my church. I was so inspired by the music and those who make it that I made the decision to learn to play guitar. I find it very therapeutic to end a day of work by picking through a few songs before dinner.
This self-portrait combines me, music, and photography into one single image. It is perhaps not your idea of a self-portrait, but for me it works.
What would be included in your self-portrait?

On Campus

2008-02-27T11:27:00.004-06:00

Monday of this week I had the opportunity to do some really fun photography. I met a wonderful family on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge for some very special photographs. We attracted quite a few onlookers during our session, and that may or may not be due to the antics the mothers pulled for smiles. The children were all dressed in beautiful traditional Korean clothing. This clothing is usually worn for the celebration of the child's first birthday. In Korea, first birthdays are a major event. Although these little ones have all already celebrated their first birthdays, their mothers wanted photos of them in their outfits together. It was my pleasure to capture the images!!!

The clothing makes for some very colorful images that seem to pop from their surroundings. Aside from the vivid colorations, intricate details make the clothing very interesting. The clothing, however, is only a part of the images, and these children had upbeat personalities to give the photographs what is needed to transform them from snapshot to keepsake.

Even though the weather is still somewhat hit and miss this early in the year, we were blessed with a beautiful afternoon for this session. Signs of impending spring are everywhere. Azealias are beginning to bloom and clover is sprouting up everywhere. The campus of LSU is loaded with locations for portrait work. The archetecture and landscaping make it a very picturesque backdrop for any type of photography.

Book your spring session now!!!

Old School!!!

2008-02-17T12:25:00.002-06:00

In case no one has noticed, I have a deep appreciation for old cars and trucks. Whether they are pristine restorations, or rusting away peacefully beyond repair makes no difference to me. Saturday night was the annual twerp dance at our local high school. This year's theme was the 1920's. My daughter made a comment that she had seen an old "model T looking car" that would be cool to take photos with in their outfits. Unfortunately she did not remember where she had seen it.

On a whim, I had her turn the car around and pull it into a stranger's driveway. This "stranger" keeps a beautiful old coupe in his garage and I have noticed it over the years. He happened to be in his garage doing some woodworking when we arrived. After introducing ourselves, I asked if he would be willing to meet us and let the kids take pictures with his car. He was more than willing, and even seemed to enjoy that we had asked. So, we arranged to meet down the street in the parking lot of the electric company that evening with my daughter and a group of friends.

Right on time, Mr. Jim came rolling up in his beautiful car. He explained that it is a 1948 Desoto, and that he knows of only 4 others like it in the United States. It is the epitome of classic from its deep wide gracefull fenders and split windshield to its wide whitewall tires and art deco trim. He intends to redo the car soon with new chrome and new paint among the plans. As for the photos, they wouldn't have been the same without using the car as a backdrop. Thank you Jim, all of the kids were thrilled, and appreciate your generousity.

Here are a handfull of the photographs that were taken with the car.

Sorority Formal On The Capitol Grounds

2008-02-15T15:54:00.003-06:00

Last weekend my son's sweetheart of a girlfriend had a formal mixer for her sorority. He manages to avoid having himself photographed as often as possible. She, however, asked me to do some photos of them dressed for the event. I took advantage of that by meeting them downtown on the state capitol grounds for some afternoon portraits.

There are many ancient live oak trees on the grounds that have protected the greenery beneath from frost. This has preserved the greenery that provides such a nice backdrop for outdoor portrait photography.

I am very excited about the possibility of using this brick wall for senior portraits. It serves as an excellent background that doesn't distract from our all important subjects.

It was a beautiful afternoon, and many other photographers were on the grounds posing their clients while we did our own thing. Here is a sampling of the other shots we were able to capture that afternoon.

Revamping

2008-02-07T17:57:00.000-06:00

Please excuse the mess. I am currently switching to a larger template, and older posts will not look very good. Thank You.

Where The Heart Is

2008-01-27T12:33:00.000-06:00

Recently, I wrote a bit about my experiences and discoveries while digitizing old family photos that were stored in shoeboxes, albums, and bags. In that, I also posted an image of the scanned floorplan that my grandfather used to build their family home. Last week, I went by the old place and brought a camera along. Oddly, some of the things I wanted to photograph just didn't look the way I wanted, and had remembered them. It was a cold, wet. very overcast day that landscape photographers would usually take a pass on. But I did manage to get a little of what I was after.

My mother and a younger sibling playing in the hose.

Helen, Ralph, and Jane

Charles Adcock tossing a ball with ?

Terry, Kim, and Mary Walters

The house last week from a similar angle.

I must say that the property has shrunk. It was a vast holding of land, a frontier of sorts in my childhood memories, but isn't so large that squinting is required to see all of the property boundries. The plum tree we ate from is long gone. The fig, and pear tree are looking rather haggard. In fact, I compared what I saw today to an old photo and the pear tree definately used to be much bigger. There also was a cedar tree that we used to climb in the front yard. It was cut years and years ago. The tree I actually wanted to photograph was the one that let me down the hardest. At the rear corner of the parcel there is a large, old tree where many of my mother's brothers would carve their names. I was saddened to see that all traces of this abuse have been swallowed whole by wood and time. The barbed wire fencing...and it's posts that my father and I labored on weekend after weekend have also fallen prey to the relentless ticking of the clock. To say that I was saddened by any of this is an extreme understatement. So much that I remembered just isn't the same. Time marches on.

The old fence.

You have to wonder where those memories of grandeur even came from. What exactly was it that drove me here with a camera to try and capture? What do I love about this place? I realized later what it was as I witnessed a glimpse of the love that has been shared here.

A straw dipped into a cup of water. A finger placed over it's end. A carefull and loving taste, drop by tiny drop as my uncle tenderly let them fall into my grandmother's waiting lips.

It's where the heart is.

My grandmother doing her ironing.

TOGETHERNESS

(excerpts)

Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped away into the next room.

I am I, and you are you; whatever we were to each other, that, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used, put no difference in your tone, wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we shared together. Let my name ever be the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect,  without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.

All is well.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before,only better, infinitely happier,and forever we will be one together.

By Canon Henry Scott-Holland

Mary Louise Coates Walters

November 13, 1912 - January 27, 2008

Today the angel has flown

Ray's Oak tree last week

Lyn hunting Easter eggs near Ray's oak tree

L to R: Pear tree, Cedar tree, Norma, Jackie, and Karen

Same angle last week

Left Behind

2008-01-18T14:25:00.000-06:00

This old car was pointed out to me over 20 years ago by a friend. It is located only a few miles from where I grew up and where I currently live. At one time, for a few years, I thought someone had moved the old car because it was no longer visible from the road. I remember as teenage boys we would talk about buying this old car and souping it up. We would turn it into a hotrod. Deuce coupes are every boys dream car!!!

Well today was the day I took a closer look. It is no deuce coupe, and I doubt it will ever again grace a highway with its presence. The car I dreamed of is long gone now and probably was beyond ressurection 20 years ago. It stands sentry over a small clearing of golden grass. About 100 yards away, a new subdivision is going up. The roads that wind through it are being blacktopped as I write this.

You have to wonder if sometime soon a teenage boy will spot the old car through the trees and dream of restoration. Visions flying through his head of a candy paint job and alloy wheels played to the soundtrack of a high lift camshaft and loud exhaust of a thundering Detroit powerplant. Boys will be boys I guess, and I think that this old car, while far from roadworthy, has yet to inspire its final dream.

.......Back to the Shoebox

2008-01-15T14:39:00.000-06:00

I was lucky to find this little gem as I digitized my family photos. It was carefully folded and tucked away among old photos, greeting cards, and report cards. It is pretty fragile, and is quite old. After studying it for about 30 seconds, I realized that it is a floorplan for my grandmother's house. I showed it to my mother, and also asked my grandmother about the constrution of the home.

The story goes that my grandfather built this house himself. It was built during WWII at a time when building materials were rationed. At that time period, they were only allowed to purchase around $300 in materials at a time. The photo here is the front of the paper. On the back were several sets of figures that all tallied up to around $300. My grandmother said that the neighbors pulled together, and some of them went to the lumber yard and purchased their $300 worth of lumber to allow them to gather enough materials to build the house in the required stages. She also mentioned borrowing money against an old chevy car they owned, and as soon as that loan was paid, they would again borrow against the chevy. The family moved into that home before it was completed. The exterior walls were wrapped in black felt or tar paper, and the interior walls ,while framed, were not covered. Sheets and linens were hung around the framing of the bathroom to give privacy to it's users.

My grandmother still lives in this home. I wondered for years why she is so stubborn as to stay there instead of moving in with one or other of her children. After hearing her story, about the struggle they went through to build the house I now uunderstand. The home represents a defining moment in her life at a defining moment in our nations history. It also is a big part of who my grandfather was, and what he was capable of achieving.

What's in your shoebox?

Digging Through A Shoebox

2008-01-13T14:57:00.001-06:00

My mother has kept old photographs in boxes for years. As a child, I remember getting all wound up each time she would open one of the boxes and sort through each photo explaining who the faces belonged to. Not long ago, I went through those boxes, and bags, and albums trying to digitize as many of those old memories as I could. If you have never sat at a scanner for four hours at a time.....well that is another story. In any event, I was able to put together a pretty decent sized folder on my pc with all those old photos. Now and then I would come across one that I couldn't wait to email off to a sister, cousin, or uncle just to see what their reaction would be.

I know that the safest place to store photos in this day and age is to duplicate them and store the digital duplicates at two seperate locations. Second to that would be to have them printed on archival paper and store them in archival grade containers that are acid free and will not harm the photographs. Thats all fine and dandy, but I must say, there is something to be said for storing them in boxes. I am sure that most of those old pictures were bright and colorful the day they went into the boxes. When they came out it was a different story, as they have aged and have gained that beautiful faded-yellowed-patina that only old photos stored in boxes can get.

Oh and what about albums. Today we store in scrapbooks or printed press books that use all acid free archval quality STUFF. Back then the photos were carefully taped into the albums with clear(which was yellow back then) tape. There were also the little lick and stick corners that (on my good authority) do not stick for 40 years. I even scanned some photos in some of my grandfather's photo albums in which the photos had been carefully stapled into the book. That's what I like to see.....if your gonna do something.....do it right!!! Can you imaging, trying to be carefull with a 50 or 60 year old photo and a staple puller!! Then all the staple holes have to be fixed in photoshop, and finally the photo must be carefully stapled (not me! )back in it's place. On second thought I prefer the box method.

Today I found myself going through folders on my hard drive when I ran across the images in this post. They are candid shots of my daughter and a friend goofing around while I was trying to capture some senior photos for her friend. I had disregarded them at the time, but when I gave them a once over in photoshop, and tried to give them an aged look they really came to life. It isn't quite like finding a burnished treasure of a long gone era in a shoebox, but it was a great find and for today it will have to do.

See You Next Year!!!

2007-12-31T21:55:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to get out today for a few photographs. My oldest daughter was my cooperative model, and we had a fun time in downtown Baton Rouge. For those of you who aren't aware, there are many changes taking place downtown.

First of all, there is a project underway to refinish the iron fencing that surrounds the old state capitol building. Section by section it is being taken down, stripped, and powdercoated. The new finish is nearly black as opposed to the old light grey finish and shows really well as a backdrop in photographs. It is tough going to do portraits in that area at the moment due to all of the construction equipment, but we were able to manage a few.

The second big change downtown has taken place at the old train station at the Arts and Science Museum. There has been an antiquated train on display there for an eternity, but sadly no more. The passenger cars and dining car have been sold and moved to new homes. I am unsure as to the fate of the old engine, For now the engine still rests silently in downtown Baton Rouge. We decided to take a few photos with the old engine just in case it too is gone the next time we visit downtown. It sure looks empty outside the old train station!!

The Year In Review

2007-12-23T12:38:00.000-06:00

The slideshow below is a selection of some of my favorites from 2007.

Hope you enjoyed!!....and Happy New Year!!!

Elbow Grease

2007-12-22T06:51:00.000-06:00

There is nothing quite like the smell of a new car, and buying one is usually a momentus occasion. These are a few shots of some old rusting in peace vehicles I have found near my hometown. Though well past their prime, I am sure they were the epitome of engineering in their heyday. I imagined the families that owned these machines as they went to the dealerships to pick them out. Negotiating the price. Excited. Nervous. Choosing optional equipment. Perhaps even driving around after the purchase to show off their new car to friends.

American Grafitti

Heavy Metal

THe Picures Please!!!

2007-12-18T11:12:00.001-06:00

Jen's Bridal shoot.

My very first customer.....how could I go wrong with a cutie like that!!!

My daughter preparing for Prom.

I will post more from 2007 as 2008 approaches. Thanks for visiting.

Oh!!!......I am blogging now!!!

2007-12-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

I have finally been convinced that I should keep a blog. The deciding criteria was that it is just to easy not to do it. Hopefully by the time 2008 rolls in I will be familair with everything I need to be familiar with to be able to keep this blog up to date with the goings on of JKMann Photography.

I have recently begun the search for a very inexpensive way to use my Canon 580EX II flash unit off of the camera. If you don't know it, the 580 EX II has a PC jack so that all one needs to do is purchase a cord, and (if your camera doesn't have one) a hotshoe to PC adaptor. This would seem like a pretty easy and cheap way to get the flash off the camera, but there is one major drawback. Using the PC connection will allow the flash to be used only in manual, and the highly touted Canon ETTL II functionality would be lost. I have a plan to be able to extend the flash up to 30 feet from the camera and retain ETTL II functionality for under a hundred dollars. I plan to go forward with this experiment after the first of next year so......stay tuned.

I was lucky to have expanded my passion for photography into a business last March. Friends and aquaintences had told me for years that I should be charging $$ for my photography. I did not think that it would take off as fast as it has. I truely feel blessed that I can now share something that is such a huge part of who I am with others. I will take this opportunity to kindly thank ALL of my clients for entrusting their memories to me.