Being an amateur photographer, I’ve experienced when I’m out somewhere taking pictures of something, anything and someone sees what I’m shooting with, I get asked if I shoot ____ (family portraits, weddings, etc). Last October I was at my niece’s birthday party, at Incredible Pizza, and one of the people working there was getting married and she asked me if I had a business card because she was looking for a wedding photographer. Business cards? They’re something that I know that I needed to get at some point in time, but also something that I stressed about quite a bit. I wanted them to be perfect. Did I need an image? or several images? Which ones? Did I have “those” images that I could put on a card to advertise what I do? What about text? What about color? Vertical or Horizontal? I was sent an invite to attend a Pictage group meeting (which people who weren’t members could come, I’m not rolling like that….yet!), where the topic of discussion was going to be second shooting/shooters for wedding photographers. Hmmm, I’m trying to be a wedding photographer (along with other subjects as well), and I’ve been looking for opportunities to second shoot for someone, and there’s going to be a discussion group on this topic, with plenty of networking opportunities. As I was getting more and more excited about attending, I noticed a sentence saying “Bring lots of business cards”….Again with the Business Cards! There’s nothing like short term necessity that motivates you to action doesn’t it? Thanks to the advice ofAshley Kinney (who also passed me along the invite to the Pictage meeting), she recommended VistaPrint, who just happened to be running a free business card promotion, free cards! so I created an account, and had them rushed to me 3 day FedEx, and I must say for free business cards, I’m pleasantly surprised and happy with the way they turned out!
As I’ve been working on developing my music portfolio, I’ve been replying to ads like crazy, it’s what you gotta do sometimes! Marktavious was one of a couple of responses that I recieved; so on a recent cold and gray Sunday, we took to the streets of Dallas and shot some photos….First we stopped at a downtown parking garage and went all the way up to the 11th floor, the security guard that rolled up on us was pretty cool, he was just making sure that we didn’t jump off!
I totally think that the one on the right could be an EP/Album cover photo….not tooting my own horn or anything, it just has that feel to it. After these, we made our way into Deep Ellum where I had seen this awesome red brick wall and I knew that it would make the perfect background, especially when I hit it with a 20 degree Grid spot….
This was a great shoot, Marktavious brought energy from the moment that I told him “Stand right here” and snapped the first test shots. Looking forward to working with him again in the near future…hmmm…maybe we’ll get in the studio and throw down on the white seamless!
Oh, yeah, if you want to support local artists/music; Marktavious has a single for sale on Itunes, check it out right here.
I just opened an account with FullColor Lab out in Dallas. I know that it’s probably something little, but when you have to fill in a URL for your blog/website and then a day later you get a call to say that your account has been approved and that they’re ready to fill my first order, I was a bit excited! It’s just the little things that give you validation… I didn’t know what I wanted to print, but I know that I wanted to see how they did black and white so I picked a fairly recent image that I shot toward the end of last year:
The packaging was first rate, as well as the delivery time; I placed this order on Saturday, it was printed that day, and in my hands on Tuesday…very fast turnaround.
I’m very happy with the tones of the print; from the deep blacks of the shadows, to the greys, all the way to the whites of the highlights!Just have to size it next time so that I can have a border around the edges, I’ve never been too fond of borderless prints, it was extra to have them resize and add it, just need to take an extra couple of minutes in post next time….
Even the grain is showing through nice. I can’t wait to use FullColor again! Maybe a gallery wrap next time…
Oh yeah, KRS-1 will end this post (for those that might not know the reference of the title of this post, just give a click and listen)
I’ve been waiting for it seems like forever to go to a camera show, but it’s not like none have come around these parts; they have. I saw that this past September, there was a show in Grapevine. I just always seem to hear about the shows AFTER they’re over. It’s been years since I’ve been to a show, they’re always a good place to pick up little odds and ends that you might have a hard time finding in your local camera shop, and you didn’t want to pay full price from like B&H or Calumet Photo. Plus if you want to get some old film or early digital gear, there’s no better place to get it. I was excited because my favorite place to buy my gear KEH, was going to be in the house – buying gear on the spot and paying you in cash, then and there. So I unloaded a couple of D1-series bodies that I stopped shooting regularly with when I bought my D300, and I said goodbye to my Tokina 12-24. A great lens, I just wasn’t using it enough to justify keeping it. Now that KEH put some cash in my pocket, I’m torn about what I should buy…I know that I’m getting a lens, something in a focal length that I’ll use. I’ve narrowed it down to either the 85 1.8D, or the 20 2.8D….choices, choices.
I came across this one dealer’s table…well he wasn’t really a dealer. He was a collector who was trying to sell off some of the cameras that he had collected throughout the years. He was worried what would have happened to his collection if he passed away, that his kids would sell it at a garage sale, not knowing the value of the items. He had a lot of great stuff, he let me shoot some photos of his items:
He had a lot of old Nikon manuals for lenses and for some of the motor drive models, and I wish I had bought that old Bolex! Everything that he had was in immaculate condition…
He had 3 of those Speed Graphics, 3 of them, all in excellent condition. Check out the box of KodaChrome II movie film by the old Bolexes! And he was telling me how cool I would look with that Nikon 300 2.8 attached to one of my Nikons….I don’t really have any use for glass that long, but I couldn’t disagree with the coolness factor!
Other than the cold hard cash that KEH put in my pocket, the only other thing that I left with was something else that is easy to find at camera shows: old film. I saw a vendor selling rolls of film for $1 a roll, so I bought four rolls of Ektachrome 160T:
***Yeah, you’re seeing that right Expiration date: August 1984. I’m curious to see what kind of results I can get from 26 year old film, see how much color shift I get! Even though those eighties Kodak boxes are awesome as well, I hate the thought of cracking them open to get at that film inside.
I’ve been applying myself into shooting things that I don’t normally shoot, you have to mix it up a little bit. I’ve been interested in getting into music photography, so I replied to a couple of postings on Craigslist, and I got one response. This is Cambrie Briggs; she has an powerful voice and incredible stage presence. She only sung three songs, all covers, in a short 15min set. I didn’t get a chance to shoot this as I wanted to, I was all ready to setup some off camera lighting, but the stage area was really small. I really hope that I’m able to see her do some of her originals sometime soon!
Last month I had an opportunity to help out by second shooting a wedding for Miranda Smith Photographyin Fort Worth. This is my first time really second shooting with someone. I’ve partnered to shoot weddings before, but second shooting is different, and fun! You shoot and turn over your files to the primary, Miranda was nice enough to give me copyright of my images for usage in my portfolio. Thanks Miranda! I’d like to share a couple of images from the day.
While at work today, I got a text message from my friend Josh saying that he had left a present for me on my porch. It. Was. Awesome:
I always love Josh’s birds and other assorted animals that he draws, and I’ve been waiting for this limited edition framed print of Bela!
Thanks!
**I do love Field Notes’ motto: “I’m not writing it down to remember it later, I’m writing it down to remember it now” – something that I’m making a resolution to do next year, with a lot of other things (in an upcoming post)**
Sorry! Don’t think that I didn’t remember to post the last port of call of the cruise! Cozumel, Mexico – a land of beautiful blue water (it was really that blue!)
Stephanie loved her fan that she bought, both for the way that she looked when fanning herself, and for the cooling effect. It was hot, not Cayman Islands hot, but still pretty hot!
After the little shopping that we did, we took in lunch at Pancho’s Backyard, a nice little place right close to the port. If you’re ever in Cozumel, I recommend it. We even got a free appetizer coupon from our cruise shopping director (that’s that tiny dish in the upper right corner…small, but can’t complain too much, it was free after all!)
Collecting some sand – taking in the view…
Oh Yeah, can’t forget the towel animal that we got that night!
We enjoyed this experience of traveling on a ship, can’t wait until we are able to do it again!
Came back from a 7 day cruise…left out of Galveston, sailed to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel. Took some pictures, gonna break this up into four posts!
Day 1 and 1-ish:
Our stateroom, and some free gifts from our Travel agent Tren-d Travel
The Daily Cruise paper with schedules for the activities, a Map of the ship, and for anyone who’s been on a cruise – a Towel Snake, we got a different towel animal every night and purchased a how to book of our own at the end of the week…
This was a great shoot, Marktavious brought energy from the moment that I told him “Stand right here” and snapped the first test shots. Looking forward to working with him again in the near future…hmmm…maybe we’ll get in the studio and throw down on the white seamless!
The packaging was first rate, as well as the delivery time; I placed this order on Saturday, it was printed that day, and in my hands on Tuesday…very fast turnaround.
I’m very happy with the tones of the print; from the deep blacks of the shadows, to the greys, all the way to the whites of the highlights! Just have to size it next time so that I can have a border around the edges, I’ve never been too fond of borderless prints, it was extra to have them resize and add it, just need to take an extra couple of minutes in post next time….
Even the grain is showing through nice. I can’t wait to use FullColor again! Maybe a gallery wrap next time…
The Daily Cruise paper with schedules for the activities, a Map of the ship, and for anyone who’s been on a cruise – a Towel Snake, we got a different towel animal every night and purchased a how to book of our own at the end of the week…