The concert was the CD release show for a band called The Nonparell. These guys are are worship band from the area and they rock! It was an awesome show. Another sweet band called Favoretta that has been around the area for awhile opened with us and they killed it too. This was my third time hearing them and I always love them.

I took pictures for the two bands that I didn’t play in and my wife got some sweet shots of us.

Favoretta

Brothers

The Nonparell

There is a lot going on and I wasn’t sure how to post it all, so if you don’t mind, I am going to do a little mind dumb of all the things I want you guys to know about.

• Our concert Monday night was awesome! Here is a link to us playing one of our songs. My friend Ian recorded it on his iPhone so the bass is a bit too much for it but you can get an idea. It was fun. I am playing the iPad on this one.
• Lightroom 4: demo is out and is awesome so far. The editing capabilities are so much improved over the previous version. I am so stoked about it. Seriously.
• VSCO Presets: These things kinda set the photography world ablaze a couple of months ago. They recently released the newest version with support for the D7000 and I must say I really like them! They are natural looking but do give shots that “film” look. Now if only they worked in LR4…
• 85mm 1.8G: A couple of months back I posted that I wished Nikon had an 85mm lens for less than 1k. Apperently they read that tweet because they are in production of an 85mm 1.8G for right around $500. I am pretty stoked. Most of Nikons new “G” lenses have been pretty great so I have high hopes for this lens. It is the perfect addition to my bag.
• Why I Love Photography: This blog post is so simple and amazing. Quit whining and just go out and have fun.
• Yan Photo: I discovered a new photographer that I have really been digging recently. Her work is amazing and her writing is so good too. This is one of my new favorite photoblogs.
• I ordered a vertical battery grip.
• I also ordered new business cards with a new design to match my branding. I am super stoked to get them. I will post shots of them on here when I do.

And just because blog posts are super boring without pictures, here is a couple pictures of me and my beautiful wife that we took a couple weeks back in Orlando. I think she looks super pretty in this shot.

…but it does appear that she isn’t eating her broccoli.

…and I look like Waldo.

Some of you may know that I play in a little band called Brothers. Well we are playing a show this Sunday night at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center. Were opening for a really sweet band named Heaven Come Down. Tickets are $5 at the door or $3 if you bring socks, towels or blankets. I am stoked. I hope to see you there. It’s going to be LEGEN…wait for it…DARY!

TWiT Photo: Jeremy Cowart

Jeremy Cowart is one of my favorite photographers. Not just because his work is absolutely amazing, which it is, but because of how he consistently uses his art to do good. That is something I always want to do with my photography. It is a gift that has been given to me and I absolutely cannot be selfish with it.

This interview is chock full of goodness but the best part is when Leo (the host) realizes that Jeremy is a follower of Christ just by the good he is doing. He doesn’t have to say he is. He doesn’t have to be obnoxious. He just does what is right and imitates Christ and people see the difference. There is a lot to be said about that.

I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to start a swerves on photography tips. Now these are aimed at everyone. I don’t want to get all technical, I just want to give you some practical tips on how to make your pictures look less like snapshots.

Get on Their Level

My first tip is going to be aimed at taking pictures of kids. Weather you have kids your self or just know some kids, this is a helpful tip. For safety I would avoid taking pictures of random kids at the park. This normally doesn’t go over well. Try to keep it to kids you actually know.

Kids are small obviously. We all know that. That’s why we like them right? The problem is when taking pictures of kids from the heigth of an adult makes them look insignificant, which we dont want. Our goal is always to try and make our shots look better than a snapshot and with kids, getting on their level is one of the best ways to do that.

Get down on your knees or your stomach or whatever you have to do to make sure your camera is at or below their eye level. This greatly improves the picture for several reasons:

• It gives more depth to the picture. When shooting down at a kid the background is only the ground and it makes it very two dimensional. If you shoot at their level, the background can be much more expansive and can also blur with some nice “bokeh” really putting the emphasis of the picture on the child.
• It is much more personable. It puts the viewer of the photo on the same level as the child. It makes them more relatable and human.
• It is more attractive. Nobody really looks good when they are craning their neck to look up at the camera. Kids included.

So that is it! I hope this little tip helps you out. I love seeing people take great pictures of their family and friends and I want you to be able to do the same.

You can see all of the photos and order prints here.

Well I have a little secret for you, girls want to feel special and important. They want to feel like you think about them even when you aren’t around them. They want to feel like they are the most important thing in the world to you. Buying them things can do this sometimes, but maybe there is a better option.

That is why this year, a photoshoot might just be a perfect gift idea. Tell her you want to take her on a photoshoot to capture your love forever. Tell her you want to create a timeless memory of this stage in your life. Tell her you want the world to know how important your love is. I am pretty sure she would melt.

Because it is the season of love, I am offering couple sessions for 25% off of the normal booking price between now and Feb 14th.

Please Contact Me to reserve a shoot and I will send you a certificate to present to your love on Valentines Day.

Valentines Day Couple Session – $200

• 90mins of Shooting
• Typically 50-100 delivered photos.
• An online gallery for sharing with your friends and family and ordering prints
• All your photos, color corrected and stylized, delivered on digital media for archiving and personal printing

Music: “Human” by The Killers

Editing and Color Grading : Final Cut X

Expanding

One of the biggest things I am going to be focusing on this next year is expanding my business coverage area to include Orlando and it’s surrounding cities. Orlando has a much bigger population of younger people and I really want to be photographing their weddings in such an exciting city. Over the next few weeks I am going to be updating my website to feature the surrounding areas, and making connections with wedding planners, dress boutiques, florists…etc. I am really excited about this change and I believe it will be a great move for my business.

Fine Art

A personal project that I am really excited about is creating and selling fine art prints. I am not sure if I want this to become an actual model for making money or not, but I do know that I want to give it a try. I want to take my best fine art pictures, have them printed on canvas, and see if I can sell them in local galleries. It will be a really fun experiment and challange for me this upcoming year. I will make sure to keep you updated on this blog as to how it goes.

New Blog Feature: Tips for planning Your Wedding

Speaking of this blog, I have some really cool stuff in store for this next year. First I am going to start a new series on tips for planning your wedding. When my wife and I (mostly my wife) planned our wedding we learned a ton of things that we would really like to share with you to make planning your wedding easier. This section will feature tips from me, my wife, as well as wedding planners and other experts in this area to make your wedding as smooth and amazing as possible.

New Blog Feature: Photography Tips

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I am going to start a series on how to take better pictures. It is not going to be extremely complex, just some easy tips to help you start taking better pictures.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

-Gandalf

It is always fun starting a new year. We make all kinds of plans but we really have no clue what the year will hold. It is exciting like stepping out your front door on a journey. I look forward to sharing this new year with you and I hope we can learn a lot together.