Kevin Blackburn Photography

OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:59:00 +0000

Come visit, learn, eat, drink, and enjoy,

Help us make a difference at home and around the world

Wednesday Hump-day PIC me up : Out at the Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:48:00 +0000

As a editorial photographer and having come up cutting my teeth in photojournalism in a small town paper In Waynesboro though owned by Media General a HUGE media giant we had that small town flavor and closeness. I also shot for a number of regional dailies, weeklies and even a few monthly magazines all with that still small town feel and personality.

Now as a full time commercial photographer the experiences I had as a journalist are more valuable than I could have ever imagined I learned to often step back and look at what was before me not just jump in and start shooting even though you often have to race in get the shot and move to the next assignment I learned patients in waiting for a shot, most importantly I think I learned about people I learned to listen and hear what they were saying. Stop take a moment and get to know them this experience is priceless to me now and helps me create images in the corporate world of clients that I never would had I not learned to take sometimes just a few minutes to get to know the people I photograph to learn a little about their story and who they are and putting that into the image I create of them.

This image is a little bit of my story and warms my heart when I see it. Though just a simple shot of the local DOOMS Volunteer Fire Dept. annual Fair held in Waynesboro it is just a part of me I go as often as I can just for the sights sounds and smells of the Funnel Cakes and Cotton Candy, It all brings me back to being a kid begging mom to take me. This image is a part of me and my past and makes me a little more complete

EYE AM

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I have decided to start a little segment with a play on words. "EYE AM" ( I am) Is going to be a place to simply state who I am or for that matter for other photographers friends and guests to say who they are. This will be I hope a place for everyone to open up express themselves and maybe allow readers not only to see my guest blogger's for who they feel they are but to look inward at themselves some to venture into who they are on any given day.

Welcome to EYE AM

Stay tuned for the EYE segment this Thursday

Monday Caffeine

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a Clients well Client. I was working on assignment for Community Bank based in Stanton. We were in the small town of Beauna Vista Virginia at The Amish Cupboard . This is a Husband and wife owned small business in a very small town that just opened in the fall of 2011.

After spending time with them and my Client just talking and getting to know them long before we started the shoot. I had this realization. All the big companies in the country all the mess going on with the economy Factories closing Layoffs everywhere we turn. What is really carrying this country through these times is not the thought or hope of them opening back up or recalling all those laid off but it is the Small Business that is going to be this countries saving grace.

With that said my hats off to Deb and her husband for making a difference in this small community and in this country

For all you photogs this simple evenly light shot was taken by using 1 small off camera flash and balancing the color temp with the existing Fluorescent

The BIG Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:36:00 +0000

I'M Going back to HAITI

That's right after missing my fall trip things are working out and I am going back to Haiti. It all started to fall in to place last Friday and we have been hurrying around making arrangement's flight plans filling out applications and making our contacts.

So here's whats happening on this trip , I am gong in support of an NGO call GCOM here is there link www.gcomintl.org I will be providing photographic,Video, and Adio documentation of thier efforts and the great things they are doing . They are working in the Thomazeau, Ganthier regions out lying of Port-au-Prince.

In addition through Fishburne Military School I have connected with an FMS Alumni Greg Kenol who is from Haiti and back in Haiti and the DR building from within with start up companies and building schools in the DR and the Kenscoff area.

I am so looking forward to this trip meeting new friends and creating work that can truly make a difference.

To support What If Gallery www.whatifgallery.org , this trip and our planned domestic projects over the summer we are holding a few special events so check out the flyers below come join if you can help us make a difference

Happy Groundhogs day

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000

Though a German tradition now a days most of us thing of the Bill Murray Movie where everyday is the same day after day after day until just the right thing happens to break the cycle.

Well Happy Ground hogs day and I can tell you being a professional photographer can be allot like that sometimes it really all depends on the area of photography you choose to work in. Me as Commercial photographer living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia lodged between Winchester Harrisonburg to the North Roanoke to the South and Charloteesville and Richmond to the East and Wild Wonderful West Vriginia bringing up my Western front I well count myself Lucky. Rare is the occasion that my days a the same much less even similar. I don't do weddings and portraits but man One day its annual report photos for a Bank the next Car parts in the studio, or maybe a health care ad or even heavy equipment on a construction site. Even as I type this I am headed out to a Tech company tomorrow to photograph servers and in a Month I am going to Haiti for NGO work In June its a 5 week documentary and book road trip across the US on HWY 50 so Here's to no day the same and adventure at every turn.

I hope you all are having as much fun

Wednesday Humpday Pic me up

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Took this on a photo Walk in Roanoke this weekend this little stand has been in the same place owned by the same owners for nearly 82 years and when you go in you see why. Great comfort food great people serving you and entertaining you and one of the best little hidden places to eat in Roanoke even for a guy that normally doesnt eat Hotdogs and burgers. All hale the mighty Texas Tavern

Free Desktop Calendars for Feb 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:19:00 +0000

Feb 2012 1280x800,
originally uploaded by Kevin Blackburn Photography.

You can download your free desktop calendar from our Flickr gallery here. Enjoy

Image of the Month

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:17:00 +0000

This month's image of the month comes from a collection of images from my last trip to Haiti. I chose this image for one simple reason. I am headed back on March 4th I will leave for 15 days in Haiti shooting for a few different NGO's and hopefully meeting up with a local Fishburne Alumni that has moved home and is working to raise his country and country men from within. I am supper excited about the trip and can't wait to share more as we get closer to the trip and while I am there. Stay tuned at www.whatifgallery.org for travel details and fundraising events as well as on my BLOG

This image was taken from the back of a moving (sort of) Pickup truck Motorcycles serve as Taxis in Haiti to great effect and a bit of fear. I saw as many as 3 adult and 2 children on one motorcycle at times

Monday Caffine Put a smile on your face

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:37:00 +0000

I'm a photographer that's not just what I do it is a part of who I am. It is very easy as an artist and especially as a photographer to be very independent and to hide behind our work from the world around us. This is even easier for photogs because we carry our canvas with us hold it up to our face and create a barrier between us and the world and our subjects if we are not careful.

I have mad a point in my past to try and avoid this happening but I get busy and get so into my projects that well it just happens. I shoot shoot shoot and work work work and before you know it I am all closed up and hidden from the world family and friends around me.

This weekend I stepped out and woke up yet again, I stepped out of my comfort zone and went out with a group of total strangers on a Photowalk sponsored by Exposure Roanoke and the Charlottesville Photography Initiative. Wow what a great weekend we talked and walked allot shot a little but mostly we just all became friends some of the group knew each other some didn't and like me a few we brand new to the experience. What I can say is it is nice to step out take a chance be the new guy let down your guard do something new and yep you guessed it PUT A SMILE ON MY FACE .. I suggest you try the same no matter what you do or what your interest step out take a chance it is worth it.

Wednesdays Humpday Pic me image

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:57:00 +0000

You may not see this a a pic me up pic but think like this. We haven't had a very white winter Good and Bad we didn't have a white Christmas That just stinks. But here at good ole Kevin Blackburn Photography we love a good snow flake pic and being in the dead of winter with no snow makes us feel a little better.

The real point if there is one behind the image is that like snowflakes no two people are alike no 2 anything is really alike I mean even Identical twins have something that makes them different from one another. So this also holds true for photographers and artist , Just because the work and price may be similar no 2 of us are the same with the same knowledge or experience. With that said I am look forward to a weekend with a bunch of Photogs that are nothing like me and hoping I can 1 learn and 2 maybe share some knowledge so we all come out ahead at the Roanoke Photo Walk with the folks from CPI AKA The Charlottesville Photo Initiative and Exposure Roanoke.

See everyone there....

Monday Caffine : By Definition

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

OK so this one always eats at me and I have heard it best defined my a former MSGT while ins the USAF and by fellow Photograher David DuChemin. Here are the hard fast definitions but for me plain and simple I say it like this. as Artist and photographers I think we all to it because we love it IE Amateurs and Some of us earn our living at it some don't. Here's the confusing part . hat the earning a living at it makes us professionals and to be honest I disagree if you earn your living in photography then that is your chosen career to pay your bills this by shear virtue does not make one professional. It is your conduct between you and Clients,Vendors, and other career photographers that makes you a professional It is you conduct that makes you a professional not the fact that you get paid for it. So with that said and yes this can apply to any of a number of professions. I hope we all do what we love as much as we can and for a lucky few we get to earn a living doing what we love but regardless weather your a photographer for a living or just as a hobby we should all conduct ourselves professionally trust me it is for the greater good of the industry as a whole

From Websters ONLINE

AMATEUR
noun

a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. Compare professional.

adjective

characteristic of or engaged in by an amateur; nonprofessional: an amateur painter; amateur tennis.

:08

Origin:
1775–85; < French, Middle French < Latin amātor lover, equivalent to amā- (stem of amāre to love) + -tor -tor, replaced by French -teur (< Latin -tōr-, oblique stem of -tor ); see -eur

<><>

PROFESSIONAL

— *adj*
1.	of, relating to, suitable for, or engaged in as a profession
2.	engaging in an activity for gain or as a means of livelihood
3.	a.extremely competent in a job, etc
	b.(of a piece of work or anything performed) produced with competence or skill
4.	undertaken or performed for gain or by people who are paid

— n
5.	a person who belongs to or engages in one of the professions
6.	a person who engages for his livelihood in some activity also pursued by amateurs
7.	a person who engages in an activity with great competence
8.	an expert player of a game who gives instruction, esp to members of a club by whom he is hired

Humpday Pic me up

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:26:00 +0000

Shot this over the summer on a visit to Roanoke Va. Went and visited the Star on the hill and the Mill Mountain Zoo. this flower was blooming in the little garden leading into the Zoo. No special lighting no special post production just patients and good ole natural lighting a little luck and allot of old fashion know how in photography created this simple image. I have a small print of this image on my desk ant it makes me smile everyday when I see it, It is just a simple reminder how the smallest things in life can be so beautiful and how they can bring so much happiness and joy . And thou her at Kevin Blackburn Photography we sell De core and Fine Art Prints prints and are in this business to make money while this image has not made me one red cent so to speak in has paid me time and time again in a way that green backs never can.

Humpday Pic me up. Twisted Up

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Though this looks like it may have been taken on some African Safari, It was actually taken at one of my favorite place right here close to home. In the Shenandoah National Park at Big Meadows, I chose this image this week because of the twist and turns and because after years of lower back issues I have thankfully found comfort without Meds and without surgery and my back no longer feels like these trunks and branches all twisted up.e

Monday Caffine

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Ok so heres you wake me up thought for the week and if it is not PC enough get over it this is just how I heard it 20 years ago.

"Its the Indian not the Arrow"
I know seems like one of those things you hear in a some really bad B flick movie . But if you really think about it makes a ton of sense and can apply to just about anything.

I am a photographer here in vriginia plain and simple I choose to shot commercail assignments and the like not other types of work, Now like all photographers and well carpenters, mechanices,teaches etc etc etc I need tools to do my job. and Like the afore mention and many other professionals to do the best job I can and produce the best results I can for my clients I need the best tools I can afford.

You may as why does this matter.. Well recently Nikon the camera that I happen to use announced a new PRO series camera after years of attcicipation and everyone is going well ... Ape shit gaga over it, Hey I get new toys and hey it does a ton of great things and yes some of the new features will help us work faster and be more effeciant and I have no doubt that the technology has improved the image capabilities and the like( but most likely only going to be noticed by us photogs and pixel peepers not our client) The important thing is this.

At the end of the day when we all go home and our work is done no one says wow that hammer really build a beautiful hosue, or man can that smartboard teach math , or man my car runs great thanks to that socket wrench. No what they say are Kevin Blackburn Created great images for us, or Ms Miller really helped me in Geometry, and man Mike really made this car perefect , and WOW My builder Matt from Peak Construction really built my family a beautiful house.

So the moral of the story Tools and toys are great they help us do our jobs but at the end of the day the quality of that job and the finished product we produce is soley up to us The indian not the Arrow.

Old Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Old Theatre,
originally uploaded by Kevin Blackburn Photography.

There is a series of three of these that I took while on a road trip to southwestern Va. I was working on a documentary on how the down economy is effecting us right here in our own back yard and that poverty effects everyplace. This is an old theatre in an old 2 lane one road town now bypassed by a 4 lane limited access Hwy near Cumberland Gap, Nostalgic yes sad yes but non the less signs of the times. Shoot in Sept 2010

Nature Up Close

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:04:00 +0000

Nature Up Close,
originally uploaded by Kevin Blackburn Photography.

Just added a few to this Photostream :-)

Virginia Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:58:00 +0000

Restaurant and Food,
originally uploaded by Kevin Blackburn Photography.

I have no idea why I am so excited about this news but I am. According to the Washington Post Virginia is one of the top 10 Wine Destinations in the World for 2012. SO here is a shout out to one of my customers and well one of the places I take part in wine right in my backyard. Barren Ridge Vinyards Heres to you John and Shelby Love the wine Love the place and Love you guys....
http://www.barrenridgevineyardsva.com/

Killer Bees Autoparts Waynesboro Va

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Killer Bees Autoparts Waynesboro Va,
originally uploaded by Kevin Blackburn Photography.

Just doing some product photography for a local specialty parts business here in the valley, Of course we did the standard catalog on white or black shots for drop outs etc. But then I get do to what I love to do PLAY, The client will get the play shots and they may or may not ever use them but for me its just another excuse to play with my toys try new things learn a little and well buy a bucket of mixxed up odd sized bolts for props... and have the guy at the hardware store look at me like I have lost my mind... Almost forgot this ia a Gear knob for a shifter of some kind. The stuff he dropped off has been way cool to shoot I will post a full set of images from the shoot when we finish it up.

Wednesdays humpday pick me up

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Ah deep breath we are half way through the week and what better way to relax than a nice image from the beach . I can just hear the surf in this image when I look at it.

This image was tken in Virginia Beach at sunrise in March of 2009 of all times. Yes it was cool out but still no matter the weather the beach and the cound of the surf in my imagination helps me relax.

Kevin Blackburn added you to his circles and invited you to join Google+

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:28:00 +0000

Kevin Blackburn added you to his circles and invited you to join Google+.

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Reflection in the flower pot

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:21:00 +0000

Reflection in the flower pot,
originally uploaded by Kevin Blackburn Photography.

Just added this Reflection image to the Reflections gallery . I have set aside about an hour a day to get galleries updated and what not done on the computer, Right now spending time in the Archives selecting Favs to upload.

Red Bull kinda Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:38:00 +0000

After a New Years Weekend and no I didn't spend it out I unfortunately spent it flat on my back nursing a progressively worsting bad back. and with no or little sleep all I want to get through the day is IV RED BULL

Monday Caffine from Kevin "fruit for thought"

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

???? Profits are down I have to downsize you , Wait I own the company and I am the only employee, so if I downsize myself then I have to fire myself but I don't really want to hurt my feelings and let myself go besides the business is doing fine and its a new year.......

OK funny random thought I know but there is some truth to what I write, In the time of financial uncertainty and change companies downsize and get rid of employees all the time. Even those of us that are self employed can feel this pinch. We can have a drop in clients calling or even clients not renewing contracts due to changes in funding.

Why do I bring all this up and what is the point? well the point is simple. As humans our first response to this type of change is OMG what will I do now. Here's what I offer. do what I do. Look at it as an opportunity look at it as a chance to well take a chance make a major change of your own grab the bull by the horns and go for it. Sometimes these things are the signs of a change we need to make but are afraid to make that leap so the leap is made for us so now all we have to do is take that first step through that new door down that new path to happier days.

In between Light(s)

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Blackburn Photography) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Image taken over the James River near Williamsburg Virginia while on an assignment for a health care client photographing their new radiology department.(hey a guy has to have a night life right?)

So another year has come and gone and 2011 is officially behind us. At this point the traditional thing for photographers and many artist alike is to have a year in pictures or a year in review kinda thing. Hey I have done this in the past myself. The old hey I am a photographer from Virginia and these are the things I photograph and here are the images I took in 2011 for myself and my clients that make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Well for me 2011 while packed with fun, good times as well as many images and memories that will last a lifetime is really a year for me that I am looking forward to leaving behind. I am excited about the opportunity 2012 offers to start fresh and rebuild in the new year. Yes this sounds and is very Cliche but for me this truly is a mark of things to come and a mark in time like many I have had in the past and is a turning point in my life and I am hopeful for the 2012 that I face ahead.

So goodbye 2011 hello 2012 and all the great things and many challenges you offer.