moe and ellie :: portraits

Say hello to Morgan and his little cousin, Elizabeth.  Morgan is no stranger to the GC as I photographed him last year but it was little Elizabeth's first time.  Moe, being a pro was awesome.  He hit poses like no other and was really great.  Ellie wasn't so used to the glitz and glamour of paparazzi and lights and studio work, but was still adorable. 

scenes from christmas

A quickie post-the boys and us thought our tree was a little lacking so we bought new ornaments. It's when they take the time to hang them up together that the magic happens.

louisianagrams

December 1st the Octavia Gallery in New Orleans is showing Instagrams of Louisiana by Louisiana photographers. I am fortunate enough to be apart of this gallery. Because the images were curated through Instagram I can't be sure which images of the ones I submitted will actually be in the show, so below are a few of my own favs. To see the others search #abpgallerypics on Instagram, and then visit the Octavia Gallery from December 1st - January 5th to see them with your own eyes as well as many of the other great photographers that are featured.

portrait :: aidan

Some time has passed between his baseball season and now, but I promised myself I'd get his latest portrait session done and post them so there they are.  Aidan is our sportsman, more so than any of the rest of us in the family, and so we went down to the local baseball field and I shot what I could against the setting sun-the best time of day for portraits in my opinion.

day of the dead and wha...?

One of these things doesn't belong here, one of these things just isn't the same.  Yeah, well the kids wanted me to be a zombie super hero but I opted out.  Just your garden variety super hero was good enough for me.  I hope everyone has finished snacking on their candy, I know I have, and now I'm heading out for a quick jog.  Looking forward to the holidays.  More to come...

halloween :: teaser

Zombie Ewan and Aidan channeling the King of Pop. Taken on my Fuji Instax-some of the most fun one can have behind a camera body; I love that camera.

the blue monks

The Blue Monks playing a [maybe] one-time-only reunion show at The Grotto in Fort Worth.  I love this shot, everyone is represented except for Raleigh Smith, the awesome drummer who unfortunately was in the shadows for this shot and can barely be seen behind his drum set.  My apologies Raleigh, but great show man.  I'll have more pics up soon.  

disa and russ-preview

Russ and Disa, September 1st, 2012.  Times Ten Cellars in Fort Worth.  More to come!

he-man woman haters club

I think every all-American boy should been able to grow up having a tree house in the backyard.  I every all-American boys' father should be able to have a hammock underneath it.  Perfect.
Taken with my Polaroid Land Camera on Impossible Sepia film. 

disa-analog

I finished out a roll of film at Disa's bridal shoot recently, this was my favorite shot on the roll (or what was left).  The 800 speed film makes the image pretty grainy, but I just love the look and feel of this photo. 

somewhere in Louisiana...

Moss; Gonzales, Louisiana. Found along a morning walk. Taken with the Fuji Instax 210.

somewhere in Louisiana...

The back door to an unknown abandoned home. South Louisiana.

at the movies 2012 :: lifechurch.tv

Just a few friends of mine...

the clubhouse

One of the projects the wife and I have undertaken this summer is building this awesome clubhouse for the boys. Even the girl next door is jealous.

portrait :: ewan

So here's the full post of Ewan's portrait session I did right before the summer kicked off.  For these he really let loose and took to the dance floor and gave me some awesome photos.  To look at them are only half as fun as they were to actually capture.

aidan-the player (sneak-peek)

So, here's a quick hint at Aidan's shoot.  We went out on the ball field at dusk to do some Joe McNally inspired one light portrait work.  We had a good time despite the heat out there and he always makes my work look so good.  He really gets into character and even though the mosquitoes were buzzing 'round our heads he sure made it look like the only thing on his mind is:  The Game.

ewan-party rockin' (sneak peek)

To avoid the nagging voice inside my head that reminds me everyday that I take pictures of other people's kids via my job at the studio way more than I take pictures of my own kids, I finally got down and dirty with my camera equip and put Ewan in front of the camera.  And I'm so glad I did.  This is just a preview of what's to come.  I really want to present a full portfolio of his session and show everything all at once, but I figured a little teaser never hurt anyone.  So, here's an awesome shot from that session.  More to come...

convenience

The working title to a new series of photos I am working on is "convenience".  Obviously dubbed so because of the subject matter, the series really is a more personal project based on my favorite pop artist Edward Rusha and his iconic paintings of gas stations, as well as my ongoing love of things old and forgotten.  Most of the photos in the series are shot in the same way and in the same manor, low angle looking up letting the structure loom overhead.  I think the photos are more dramatic this way and I like stressing the low-fi architecture of structures that exist literally on every corner that become almost dismissive until we need lighter fluid, toilet paper, motor oil, or cotton swabs.  Then they become invaluable.  They are like debit cards and ATMs, what did we do ten years ago...write checks?!  Now that the local 7-Eleven is just down the road, how did we ever do without?

music to my eyes

Buddy of mine Greg White of SG Studios is making a few changes to his website-namely making it mobile friendly, among other things-and asked me to shoot some promo stuff for the 'net.  The chance to shoot his studio is one thing, but the opportunity to shoot portraits of a good friend of mine is another.  Here's a few shots from the day.  Also, visit www.soundsgreatstudios.com to see and hear both of our work.

Mobility

With Twitter and Facebook and Tumblr and every other social media out there I knew only time would tell if I would be able to blog on the go. I sort grow weary of being a member of everything, can't I just share a thought or a photo in one spot and all social sites the world wide web over hear it? Well, here's my first try. Blogger Mobile App: testing...one, two, three...

pinhole adventures

A few weekends ago was Worldwide Pinhole Day, where for one day pinhole photographers went out and took pictures with a pinhole camera, some film, and a thirst for analog.  My wife had given me a DIY pinhole camera kit that was all cardboard and glue that I started but never finished.  Well, with Worldwide Pinhole Day fast approaching I took it upon myself to mark the occasion by finishing the camera construction and then taking it out for some exposures.  Sadly, the first roll was a total dud.  Due to extreme lo-fi technical difficulties the entire roll was overexposed.  But, you live and you learn, after fixing said lo-fi tech problems I took my pinhole camera back out into the world and here are just a few things I captured.

If you are interested further in pinhole day go to www.pinholeday.org

monoliths

I am, and have been, attracted to these huge silos that spread out across Fort Worth. Been eyeing them for a few years now. They're massive structures, nothing of any monumental architectural wonder but they still cast some sort of aesthetic upon me. I think they are awesome. I've been trying to dig up a little history on them lately and really can't find anything that quenches my thirst. They are mysteries to me. What are each of them used for? Are they still in use today? I'm pretty sure they play a part in the story of Fort Worth and it's rise to Western Cowboy Fame, but what part is that? Some of this attraction is that I find wonder and beauty in the simplest of things. A lot of architecture that is applauded can be found on Catholic churches, modern art museums, and the like. I tend to focus on those little known structures that not many people stop to think about: gas stations, grain elevators, flour mills. I don't know why I find beauty in the plain. Maybe it is just the minimalist in me.

...this misty morning

Another from the series of photos I shot from Louisiana. Hope you guys are loving them as much as I am.

tree fog

I love how fog separates a subject away from all distractions. Behind these trees was a field and a tree line way off in the background, and by day the other trees would be competing for attention within the frame of the photo, but in the hi-key background that is this early morning fog, these two get there due portraits taken. Much like a Rorschach test, or an abstract piece of modern art, they evoke a little more interest than just a simple photograph of two mossy trees, but they are at once mysterious and creepy. Again, I love this.

the fog

In South Louisiana the humidity in the air often gives way for eery foggy mornings. It is a thing of beauty. When the fog rolls in I'm too often in my car on my way to work, actually at work, or worse...asleep. In Texas, the air is so dry that I'm lucky to get any foggy mornings at all. Anytime. So, on this latest trip home, I made sure to get up and get out the door before the fog burnt off. This is one of my favorites I took on that early morning.

barnyard

Behind the old Victorian home sat a half kept up horse barn. The land owner still uses the land but the person who owns the home on the property is content to letting mother nature take it over. Anyway, here's a shot of the barn with that big blue Texas sky stretching out from behind it, for what could be forever.

abandoned beauty

In Justin, Texas on the outside of town, rests this old Victorian style home. If anyone who knows me or seen any of my previous work you know that my lens has a strange attraction to old runned down buildings. I have had my eye on this particular one for the past few years, today I decided that I would finally obey my instincts and photograph it.

the blog.

It's been nearly two months since I last posted anything in this space. To some, like my mother who is one of my biggest fans, this has been brought to my attention; but in today's constantly changing world I don't know how useful this blog has been. Lately I've been actively not seeking freelance work, choosing only to shoot for myself and engage in those projects that are personal. I have a few baking, and others that I've bought ingredients for but just haven't been in the kitchen lately. Don't worry, they are still there, and they will come to light soon, but until then I'm taking my time-something that is hard to come by when so many things demand it of me. This is excluding my family of course, I always have time for them. With technology advancing so fast, and the exchange of information so instant these days I have been really giving thought towards taking the counter-culture route and slowing things down a bit. I plan on digging out my old film cameras and getting out early some mornings and hopefully pitching my tripod up beside some scenic wonderland, some abandoned gas station, some forgotten hotel, and take my time remembering how much I love this medium. Until then, this blog may be a bit barren, but don't worry. I am sure to have some beautiful images to share once the film is developed. Thanks to all who still follow.