Nakeva Photography

Lifestyle Portrait with Dr. Nicole Cutts

2011-11-21T18:30:00.000-05:00

An opportunity to do a headshot is excitement! Being able to do lifestyle photos on location creates a unique experience and connection between photographer and the client. Working with Dr. Nicole Cutts proved to be an amazing experience.

Dr. Cutts is not only a business owner, she is an artist and a success coach. She has her own style and lives her brand to the fullest! The preliminary shoot called for viewing the space to check lighting, colors and persona. A successful open discussion over coffee revealed Dr. Cutts is not self-centered but driven and focused. She asked me some pertinent questions, such as: "Are you living your vision?" This is energy I used in the photo shoot to capture not just her interesting looks, but also to highlight the the fact she is living her vision, her complete lifestyle is prevalent in personality, business actions and personal motivations.

Meet Dr. Nicole Cutts, PhD of Cutts Consulting and Vision Quest Retreats!

Facebook | Website | Blog | Twitter

[Photos:]

Event Photography: Bar Mitzvah Fun Times

2011-11-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

I do event photography all the time around the DC, Maryland and Virginia area including: private parties, corporate events, tech events, fundraisers, and fashion events. Adding to the list of unique event photography, I had the pleasure of shooting a post-ceremony Bar Mitzvah and completely enjoyed the celebration! Its a special moment in a young person's life to reach an age physically and spiritually and have family and friends celebrate the occasion! The event production included live music, fun green screen photography, several courses of food for both kids and adults and a true focus on the young man growing up.

#MobilePhotography: Fall Photos from an Android

2011-11-21T13:21:00.000-05:00

Mobile Photography is a growing movement of artistic creation to be respected as a medium of creativity and instant journalism. There are numerous blogs, photo sites and mobile applications covering the iPhoneography world and variations of mobile photography. However, there are Android phones on the market that take exceptional photos and also have editing apps that give a plain smartphone photograph a look worthy of exhibition and print. Instagram is a tremendous photo tool to share ordinary daily photos or stunning images that make you question: "Was that REALLY taken on a phone?!" This is amazing for the mobile photographer!

There are countless mobile photos appearing from iPhone and Androids. The defining factor is not the phone itself, but how the images are taken and if edited 100% on a mobile device. Taking great mobile photos to document your day, your family gatherings, or that night out with friends is cool, its real life. Taking great images with a specific view, creative composition and artistic expression is what grabs a viewers attention. The Android phones out there are capable of creating "droidography" that is both breathtaking and exceptional if the eye behind that mobile lens is thinking like an artist.

A few images provided below taken on an Android HTC EVO3D that represent some of the creative work produced on the go. Different mobile editing applications used to to get the final result, essentially making it true mobile photography.

PhotoVine Mobile Photo App: The Google+ Sleeper?

2011-07-19T13:30:00.000-04:00

Could it be there is a mobile photo app coming to a G+ near you? PhotoVine is a mobile photo app and social network. The focus has been on the fact its part of Slide, which was acquired by Google back in August 2010. The video shows how you could create and share photos around a theme, similar to using hashtags on Twitter. It functions like a community photo scene and you watch it grow based on your friends interpretations of the topic! This adds a circle of entertainment and fun to mobile photo sharing. Social Media Photography is growing with technology thanks to developers that “get it” on the social end. Google+ Circles and photo sharing could benefit from an app like Photovine since its based on focused groups and sharing.

Below: the Warm and Fuzzy video from Photovine. Stop by their site and request your invite. If you are already using the app, leave your thoughts in the comments and give us a “cool kid” opinion.

A version of the Official Video provided below.

[Update: The Photovine Project has been canceled, see The Next Web article]

A Day At The Beach: Ocean Waves

2011-07-14T05:09:00.000-04:00

The ocean is one part of nature that is always fluid and ever moving in a forward direction. The power of the water can bring you to the edge of life's end, take you to far away places of pure beauty or bring you a feeling of peace. The latest trip to the beach with family and friends brought me to an inner circle of clarity. Watching the waves swell and crash into the sand or crawl the sand seeking its end was like watching the spirit of life roll in full strength. Waves of the ocean tell their own story if you see them the right way.

Mobile Photography: Creative Daily Scenes

2011-07-08T11:13:00.000-04:00

I have my mobile phone with me all the time, a Blackberry at the time of writing. Of course I would rather have the iPhone or Android to be part of the cool kids group using the snazzy mobile photo apps. However, I do have other options to play with my mobile photos. These are a few images of things I may see in day around town.

HDR Photography At Arlington Cemetery

2011-07-08T00:30:00.000-04:00

Father’s day this year was spent at Arlington National Cemetery. I've been in Washington, DC for just over 10 years and have never gone to visit this site or quite a few others. I need to play tourist more often. I snapped a few shots and immediately had HDR in mind to document the day. After finding the plot we came to visit I took a few mobile photos and looked for an angle to not only pay respect to the lost family member but also to bring some fresh perspective to create a memory. There is so much history at the National Cemetery I have to return and hopefully before they do the wreaths to be prepared for some emotional moments. These are my first HDR photos.

For the relevant photos, a thank you to the soldiers that gave their service to our country and their families resting in such a beautiful space.

Ciroc The Bull

2011-04-04T21:41:00.000-04:00

Celebrity Photography Emmy Rossum Starring in Shameless

2011-01-06T02:35:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to snap Emmy Rossum on the red carpet for the grand opening of W Hotel Washington DC in 2010. The out take photos were reserved for a personal gallery while the best photos were sent to a media outlet in Los Angeles. Relevant timing to share a shot as Emmy Rossum is starring in a new Showtime series, "Shameless," which airs January 9, 2011 at 10pm ET/PT. On Jimmy Fallon she admits, "I wasn't the first choice for this show." She has a busy resume with movies and music!

Catch Up with Emmy Rossum On The Web

Shameless on Facebook

Video Sneak Peak of the show, “Shameless,” VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED.

Happy New Year From Nakeva Photography

2011-01-05T20:09:00.000-05:00

A new year and new decade. Time for new photo opportunities, meeting new people and growing the world of photography not just for me, rather for the industry as a whole. I have learned a great amount of skills in the last few years and glad I stepped forward to venture into photography full time! Thank you to all the friends, family, clients and nonprofits for providing feedback and opportunities for growth.

What's in store for 2011? Projects that challenge me! Event photography is the staple of what I have been doing the last two years. Its a phenomenal experience snapping shots of business events, tech events, nonprofit fundraisers, social media events and the nightlife scene. Its time for the artistic side to shine through a little more and not become a slave to one area of photography. Fashion, food and commercial photography are what I look to add to my portfolio this year. This means work ahead and finding the satisfaction in the "yes, we want to work with you" AND the "no, sorry kid, you need ten more years experience." I'm going for it!

What I need from you? Feedback! A photo of a car is boring unless you make it interesting. A photo of a model is just another photo unless the model gives some personality and the photographer gives direction. Sharing a photo and the work is nothing more than self promotion if the people its shared with simply view or lurk without feedback. Let's get this growth and fun going together!

How do we start? A little something coming your way to kick off 2011, from me to you! In the meantime, tell me some things you like about photographers and what is your ideal, BEST EVER photo.

Photo Credit: Josiah Lau Photography, Flickr Creative Commons

The Gift

2010-12-24T18:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy Friday! The season of gifts, giving, sharing and spending time with people you care about all wrapped up in life's bow. Thank you for being in my circle and sharing in this journey. Best wishes to you and yours this season!

Lunar Eclipse Night Photography

2010-12-21T06:37:00.000-05:00

The Lunar Eclipse was amazing! The fact that this phase occurred during the day of Winter Solstice has not happened since the year 1638 made it all worth the freezing cold, wind and clouds. This was another lesson in night and distance photography and I used the gear I had to get in a few shots. Tripod and 3 layers of clothing were my friends! The blanket of clouds that made their way across the view? Friends, not so much! Note to self: fingertips freeze first and will cause some degree of camera shake.

A moment of reflection after processing the whole experience:
The beauty of the earth and all that is natural is like no other mental high man can reproduce. Our little cameras and creative ideas to capture these moments are only a small piece of a larger canvas. When the clouds rolled into the view and blocked my ability to get a clear shot, my thoughts grasped an idea. Things of beauty are always visible. Although things get clouded and seem difficult to reach, the beauty and magic are still in the same place. If you wait with faith, you will see what you are looking for and it will make the difference. If you give up at the slightest hint of obscurity, you lose the momentum of the natural flow of finding your edge of the best.

These are not prize winning photos or anything to sneeze at for NASA. These are my little pieces of life's magic. Enjoy the photos below.

Event Photography - SpeakerBox PR New Offices

2010-11-15T03:37:00.000-05:00

SpeakerBox Communications, a technology public relations firm in McLean, VA, has moved to new office space! In honor of the new spot an open house party was hosted for clients, family and friends. SpeakerBox CEO Elizabeth Shea was presented with a surprise gift of sweetness: her dog in the form of a cake! The gift presented by two new young entrepreneurs in the cake baking business, Jennifer Cheney and Tracy Fuller. Congratulations to SpeakerBox on a beautiful new office and successful open house event!

In The Lens Of Blogging

2010-11-01T20:22:00.000-04:00

I had to take a break and step away from blogging. As a new entrepreneur I wanted to find my voice and ideas for what I want this photography blog to be about, what could I offer other than photos. I also write other blogs in other areas of interest. In reading other blogs and taking personal journal notes I found that there are a few things that make me different worth sharing. It was also a struggle to see that while people were visiting this blog they were downloading images and not leaving any comments. The best download was seen going to a mobile phone! I think I had to stop and decide that I would be tolerant of that considering when you put something on the web, its due to be taken and more often than not, never credited.

Happy reading! And if you find an image you like and download it, please leave a comment. Its nice to know why you liked it or even didn’t like it and share ideas.

Buddha Thought

2010-09-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

A moment to reflect in thought and refuel the creative spirit. Buddha Thought, glow.

Cafe Press With Canvas For Photographers

2010-09-05T18:50:00.000-04:00

Cafe Press, an online site for creating personal products using photographs and images, has now acquired Canvas On Demand, Canvas on Demand Pro and Get Big Canvas. This opens a one stop shop for photographers to create art out of their best photos and provide products to clients that include canvas prints! Cafe Press has been around for years making it fun to create t-shirts, stickers, mugs, posters stationary and now canvas.

News Slant

2010-09-02T03:11:00.000-04:00

News around DC for September 1, 2010 ended up centered on the gunman, James Lee, that took hostages at the Discovery Channel building in Silver Spring, MD. This photo taken at the end of the day at Shady Grove metro station seemed appropriate. Calm, quiet, news boxes almost empty. In the morning race to get to a job, an interview, a travel destination these boxes will be refilled and most likely the cover story will be about the gunman. Every story will have its own news slant.

Photographer From Cubicle 9.5 to Entrepreneur 24.7

2010-08-19T15:04:00.000-04:00

Making the move to fulltime photographer and entrepreneur is amazing and by no means an easy task. When you follow your passion and believe in your skills there are always many things to learn. One of the lessons involves learning to place a higher value on my time and how many shutter snaps is too many for freelance freebies. Gathering information on current clients and aiming to land new clients is somewhat fun to me. I find out how diverse my friends and contacts are and see how I could be of benefit now that I have more time to spend on being creative. The downside is these current contacts and friends have an expectation of favors which usually don't feed the kids or pay the rent. Making selective decisions to help others, assist nonprofits and crank out awesome paid work is a balancing act. Having friends in the photography arena helps keep the fire burning when I think I'm going through the transition alone or wondering if what my images offer is really that different. My good friend Patrick reminded me there is more than one way to make things happen, photography or any other business idea. After all, I am an entrepreneur working in the right-side of the brain!

I was given an opportunity to share the journey from a day job to the world of 100% self-employed. Photography is now one of my main businesses as I also do social media and PR. Check it out at D. Allison Lee's Organize To Revitalize. Deb has the cool job of being a professional organizer and offers tips on staying organized for business, home life and shares tools to help you accomplish your goals.

Photo credit: Beth Kanter - www.bethkanter.org

Amazing Videos With New Pro Plans From @Animoto

2010-07-27T20:07:00.000-04:00

Animoto is giving photographers and other creative minds a few new styles in video and pro pricing plan! Photography is an art form and a business that thrives on creativity. An image can convey so many different emotions, ideas, bold statements and sell products. Animoto allows the photographer to import images, video clips add text and music to produce a professional quality video that sizzle for a client! Now they have added an additional tier to their Pro plan with a choice of either $249 per year or $39 per month.

A few options you get with Animoto Pro:

Unique Videos
Music selection from various genres, legal use
Hi- resolution video options
Unbranded page to show clients
Call To Action button to assist with sales
Download video in web or Hi-Res
Social Sharing including upload toYouTube/SmugMug
Set of different themes to use in your video
iPhone app

I have used Animoto to create some videos for clients under the All-Access pass. Lets just say friends, family, clients and potential clients were amazed and excited by the videos. Its worth the investment for any competitive photographer! Check out what The Professional Photographers of America had to say and see why this service is an investment rather than a bloated social tool. Animoto can make video creation less time consuming and a great marketing tool. The few drawbacks I have experienced include integration with Facebook using videos you have created on the site. You would need to download the video and upload to Facebook in a separate action. I also noticed there seems to be some loss of quality when adding the video to YouTube, however, with the hi-res video option you have a better chance at less blurred or grainy viewing. Overall, I think Animoto is an excellent photo tool to add to the photographer's toolbox.

Here is an example video created on Animoto under the PRO account. The client, Becky Lee, manages the nonprofit Becky's Fund and helps victims of domestic violence. The organization also works in the Washington DC area communities with the youth and all ages to promote domestic violence awareness and establish healthy relationships. The July 3rd baseball game between Washington Nationals and New York Mets was just one example of Becky's Fund activities and perfect for a video memory!

Teaism DC Visit | MobilePhotography

2010-07-20T17:39:00.000-04:00

I went to Teaism for a networking event. This was my first time and I always love finding new places and trying new food. The environment was casual with jazz music playing and an educated, professional demographic of people. The wood floors, wood tables and green plants make you feel right at home. Looking at the menu I was almost overwhelmed with great choices! Bento boxes, sandwiches, teas, desserts, beer and cocktails. I tried the Korean BBQ special and had Chocolate Silk Cake with cinnamon gelato for dessert. My mouth and tummy were happy!

MobilePhotography via Blackberry

Sex And The City 2 With Moet

2010-07-05T09:35:00.000-04:00

Sex And The City 2 premier parties everywhere! On Wednesday May 26th Moet & Chandon hosted the DC Premier of the movie with Angie Goff, Paul Wharton and a handful of fashionistas at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring. The divas were out and shoes were the at the heat of conversation! Guests were treated to the red carpet with photographers, delicious chocolates, champagne and Moet stylish bags of popcorn. A fashionable way to spend a night at the movies with THE GIRLS!

NewsBabes Bash 2010 - Pink Tribute

2010-05-16T18:03:00.002-04:00

Clinton Portis - Walk This Way Becky's Fund

2010-05-16T17:55:00.000-04:00

Clinton Portis, 2009 NFL Washington Redskins

Pink Fashion Rocks - Jennifer Corey And Designer

2010-05-16T17:33:00.001-04:00

Madhatter DC - Yelping In Wonderland

2010-05-16T17:20:00.000-04:00