Christmas Family Photography Session!

Seasons greetings everyone!

When Destiny reached out to me inquiring if I would be interested capturing her family photos for her Christmas card/Family portraits I was thrilled at the opportunity.  Because I am still a newb in the C.S.R.A and have a lot to learn in terms of scouting interesting locations for photoshoots; I am always looking to try new places.  I had heard of Brickpond Park by many photographers in the area who go there for sessions with their clients.  I personally have never been there.  So the day before my session with Destiny and her kids I decided to scout the area.  When I got there I was a bit thrown off.  While it was a very picturesque, it did have have a warning marker throughout.  A marker that really doesn't go unnoticed.  Beware of Alligators!!!  Do not attempt to feed or harass if encountering one.  *Gulp*

As I walked through the area getting ideas for the session, I kept my eyes on the water......just in case.  Toward the end of my scouting throughout the park I decided to head on back.  As I walked back across one of the many ponds I peered out into the distance and notice something still and staring at me.  It was an alligator alright!  About 7-8 feet.  I noticed a stray dog in the area just moving along the edge of the pond.  The alligator didn't seem to be interested.  It just stayed there minding its own business.  After all that, I still felt that it was safe enough to have the photos taken there.  Worse case scenario I could just beat it with my gigantic Canon 70-200 lens ;-p

On the day of the photo session, Destiny bought her very photogenic kids Pierre, Carter and the newest edition to the family baby Salih!  Pierre was very helpful throughout the session helping me and his mother out with anything we needed to capture the best photos we possibly could.  Carter is just full of personality and kept us laughing throughout.  Baby Salih did what most newborns do.....sleep hahaha.  However, she did wake up from time to time just to give me a look. All in all, I believe I captured some of my best photos that day and it will definitely have a home in the IMP portfolio body of work.  I would like to thank Destiny for supporting and trusting me with photographing her family.  I look forward to photographing her family again in the near future!

Rob & Chelsee Arthur Wedding Story

Rob & Chelsee married on September 24th at the Court Street Livery in Washington, GA.  The town had a wonderful historic and rustic feel to it.  The day was absolutely beautiful too.  Here in GA, the weather can be extremely hot and humid.  But on their wedding day the weather couldn't be more perfect!  Throughout my time getting to know Rob and Chelsee, I have come to see a beautiful and caring couple who supported and trusted me with capturing the start of their marriage.  I hope to continue to be in the lives of Rob and Chelsee in the future and wish them years of happiness.  I want to close with Chelsee's wish for the start of their new lives together: "When you need a helping hand, you will always have mine.  Because from this day forward, you do not walk alone.  My arms will be your shelter, my heart will be your home and you will have my love forever and always."

India Day!

Hello everyone!  Back in Mid-August I was hired to photograph the India Day event at the Augusta Maxwell Theater.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not only a professional photographer but also an IT professional.  I have found these fields both share a central truth; the learning never ends!  Just when you think you've mastered one area of photography, you quickly realize there is another to learn.  I think that is what keeps me going.  I am not sure I could do something that couldn't provide change or growth.  

Capturing the performances for India Day would be an event the like of which I had never done before.  I couldn't use flash and the auditorium lighting would be dim and constantly shifting for the various performances.  I planned for this event in detail: ...what will my camera settings look like the day of the event? ...how will I know which parts of the performances will be the most relevant? ...how many photos do I need to capture?  Much like shooting a wedding, it's great to have a plan but nothing can fully prepare you for a new experience.  You simply have to be focused and locked in; like a musical instrument, you must know your camera inside out.  

I made many mistakes and learned a great deal with this event.  One takeaway from India Day that will help me going forward is shot selection.  I took way too many photos (almost a movie of each performance!) and the client only needed a few of each set.  Both dance and sports photography require anticipating key moments and working for clarity in difficult shooting conditions.  Clearly communicating with clients about what outcomes they desire from the photography will provide the ability to meet their expectations.  Tying back into what I love about photography, focusing on improvement keeps what I capture fresh and responsive.  The client was extremely happy with my photos and will be hiring me again to capture another event in the coming weeks.  

Without further ado, here are some of the photos....

Trip to Philadelphia

Hello all,  I finally got around to editing the photos I captured while I was in the city of brotherly love.  During my stay, I went to the Franklin Institute of Science.  What an amazing museum, if you're ever in Philly you MUST visit this museum.  No trip to Philly is complete unless you have a cheese steak sandwich at either Genos, Pats, or Jims.  I have been to all three and I really lean toward going to Jim's Steaks near South Street Seaport.  I closed out my trip with a 4th of July fireworks display in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art with performances by Boyz-II-Men & the lovely Mary J. Blige.  My wife and I were greeted by a powerful but short thunderstorm that had us under our foldable chairs until it passed,  We weren't going to miss anything, so we hung it out and it was well worth it!  Here are some of the photos I took during my trip.....

Neighborhood Halloween Block Party!

It's truly been a unique experience owning our very first home in a completely new neighborhood.  Over the past 2 years and counting I have seen it grow and change rapidly right before my eyes.  One of the things that my HOA (Home Owners Association) has been trying to accomplish is to build a stronger community.  Sure, living in GA people are polite and say hi, good morning etc.  They'll even wave at you as you drive your car into the neighborhood.  Good luck finding that in the northeast lol.  However, only a few of us in the neighborhood have gotten to know one another.  We usually meet for the dreadful HOA meetings once in awhile; where we are there to argue for or against changes and establish rules.  So when it was announced that the subdivision would throw a Halloween block party, I knew it would be a great opportunity for all of us here to finally meet up and get to know one another and just enjoy each other's company.  It was a complete success and it can only get better from here on out.  I decided to lend my photography to capture a few photos of the event.  I am really looking forward to future events like these to get to know my neighbors better and build a strong community.

Raiya's Birthday Party

When Sukhi & Gurpreet reached out to me on capturing their daughter Raiya's 2nd birthday; I knew it would be my toughest challenge yet.  Not backing down to any challenges thrown my way, I said yes.  Sukhi & Gurpreet decorated the house like a living safari; I was floored at the attention to detail they put in to make this birthday extra special for Raiya.  Sukhi, told me she wanted my images to tell the story of Raiya's 2nd birthday so that one day when she is older she can see what they had done for her.  Here is Raiya's birthday story..........