Art by Leonhardt Photography

Striving for Minimalism

2011-10-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

A select number of images from a photo walk last weekend. Shooting mostly for fun, but aiming more towards minimalism and the joy of finding something new to shoot! These are a few of the images from that day. More can be found on my Facebook page!

© Tony Leonhardt, Art by Leonhardt Photography, 2011. Do not use these images on websites, blogs or other media without consent of the photographer. Use prohibited for commercial purposes without prior written authorization.

Fresh from the DCnU Cutting Room Floor

2011-09-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

For someone who reads a few non-photography related blogs, there's been a lot of hype and build up towards DC Comics and the full-spectrum relaunch of all of their titles. As of this week continuity begins anew. Everything is starting fresh with the release of JLA #1 -which begins the team-up of superheroes with Green Lantern, Batman and Superman. Next week begins the launch of the other 51 titles that DC Comics is rebooting.

One of the things that I thought was most apt -especially concerning this week's DCnU reboot- was to "reveal" a scene from the cutting room floor that shows two super-heroines at their catty best.

Feel free to post thoughts on the relaunch or potential cat fight below.

For All Seasons

2011-08-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

Often one of the disadvantages of being a photographer based in the Pacific Northwest is that my family on the East Coast does not get very many opportunities to interact with my daughter. This is understandable, especially granted the distance and the fact there is pretty much a continent between us. Yet one of the fun things I can take advantage of as a photographer is sending my family photos that I've taken of my daughter. Most of them I tend to tweak. Some more than others. But all of the photos are appreciated by my family when they arrive in the mail.

And then sometimes I end up with a photo that I love, but the picture needs a little something... more. Like this photo, for example.

Shot last month during a barbecue, it captures the exuberance and joy that comes with childhood. However, the dead grass and chain link fence don't make for the most appealing background. Certainly not something that I would feel content to send off in the post.

On top of that, one of the projects that I am working on for my parents is a photo montage that demonstrates my little girl in all of the different seasons that come with this Pacific Northwest weather. And since I like the image of my daughter playing (minus the background and dead grass) I decided to improve it a bit with a little bit of post-production work.

An image from the shoot I did in Point Defiance Park seemed appropriate for a new background. The image I had in mind was this one specifically...

Now I understand that I could simply take my daughter to Point Defiance Park and encourage her to play with her bubbles all over the scenic and beautiful lawn, but I doubt I could capture that same expression on her face. Some things simply can't be re-photographed. Children's expressions are one of them.

So with a little bit of ingenuity -and a lot of post-production effort with Photoshop- I was able to combine the best of both images, get creative with some layer masks and tweak a few elements here and there to achieve an image that I would be thrilled to send away to my family. This is the final image:

Definitely captures the fun of the brief summer season the Pacific Northwest grants us, and I can say this is truly a photograph that I'm more than enthusiastic to send to my parents and grandparents. I may not have too many opportunities for my daughter and family to spend time with each other, but as an accomplished Pacific Northwest photographer and post-production artist I can definitely Photoshop the right image to deliver a dynamic photograph!

Feel free to leave any thoughts or comments below. Cheers!

Gadget Envy

2011-06-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Today I had a successful portrait shoot with a friend to test out some new lighting gear that I purchased from the other side of the world. It amazes me that due to e-commerce so much of the world has opened up as easily as the click of a button. The lighting kit that I purchased is possibly the most exciting thing that I've bought since my first digital lens. A professional 6-in-1 flash set, it comes with a softbox, honeycomb grid, conical snoot, barndoor, mini-reflector and a globe diffuser. Available on gadget.brando.com for less than $90. I've been wanting to play with it since I bought it. Today was the perfect day to do that. Pictures will be up soon.

Mother and Daughter Point Defiance Photo Shoot

2011-06-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a session with a mother and daughter in Point Defiance Park. Working as a family portrait photographer in Tacoma at times yields fun and exciting opportunities like this one. The daughter in this session had recently had her birthday -and believe it or not, within the same week as my little girl's!

The excitement that both mother and daughter brought to the photo shoot was great for me. It allowed me to continue to be creative and utilize all of the fun tools that I bring with me to each shoot. I even got some snaps in with my new Holga lens, plus my complete fav -the Lensbaby Composer. More photos will be on their way soon.

The image I am focusing on tonight has a very simple concept. Mother and daughter, silhouetted while playing under a tree. The photo was quite easy to capture, yet, as always, the more difficult task is to now determine which version of the image I prefer. I enjoy "mixing my own paint," but each shoot is different. I can't rely on the same standard effects each time I crank up the computer to edit my family portrait shoots.

Here it is without any major adjustments. An increase in contrast and vibrance, is all.
Adding some colorization to the shadows, while washing out some highlight detail.
Similar to the first, with a slight hint of extra shadow detail.
Going for a vintage look with the highlights, some shadow detail in the silhouette.
Adding a vignette, along with custom tone colorization to highlights and shadows.

With as much fun as we all had last week, I want to deliver some amazing photos to accompany the fun time we all had shooting a mother and daughter family portrait shoot in Point Defiance park. For now, I'm still in that phase where I'm debating which image adjustment I like best. Comments are appreciated!

Nikon DSLR Bluetooth Controller

2011-06-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

This is something that I find very exciting! Within digital photography, there are so many ways to explore and exploit what technology allows us to be capable of. The only thing that truly limits us is what we're able to imagine creating. Much like the personal vision for any photographer's work, the ability to execute what you envision is no longer a limitation anymore.

(via Nikon Rumors)

Zombies Invade Crypticon!

2011-05-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I had an experience with the walking dead as they invaded the 2011 Crypticon expo. Gathered via social media (who would think zombies knew how to use a computer?) the several hundred plus crowd of zombies shuffled their way from the Westlake transit station to the Crypticon expo in SeaTac. Here are a few photos from last night's madness.
Eric Pope, the Zombie General, organizes the horde just outside the Westlake Transit station.
Surprisingly, the undead were as well-behaved on the Light Rail as the living.
For any zombies from last night's Zombie Walk that are interested in purchasing any photos, you can email me for info. I'm offering 5x7 and 6x8 prints screen-printed onto glass, plus standard 5x7 and 8x10 prints. Prices available via email.
Crypticon, the Pacific Northwest's premier horror convention, had a few zombie themed events for the walking dead to enjoy last night. There also was a lot of zombie-themed mayhem.
There are more images on my Picasa and Facebook pages. Captions and descriptions are to come soon! And if you want to visit the Crypticon home page, click on this link.

All images are © Tony Leonhardt, Art by Leonhardt Photography, 2011.

Please don't use images on websites, blogs or other media without consent of the photographer. Use prohibited for commercial purposes without prior written authorization.

Emergency Whistle, Rapture Whistle

2011-05-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

Considering that the interwebs are abuzz with the advent of the Rapture -at least, according to Facebook and Twitter updates- I feel that now is a time where one simply cannot leave the house without bringing a trusty ©Rapture Whistle.

What to do when the end of the world is nigh? Do not fear! Frighten away those thieves in the night with a whistle that clamors with the strength of seven trumpets from on high.

This pocket-sized powerhouse packs quite the punch, and also can be handily accessorized with a lanyard. An item to use only in extreme emergencies -like the 2011 Rapture or the imminent Armageddon- the ©Rapture Whistle will ward off avenging angels faster than a fresh coating of lamb's blood on your door mantle.

Remember, this item is for use only in case of Rapture. When it comes to the end of the world as we know it, the best form of self-defense is an angelic whistle meant for offense.

Taking orders via email and Paypal. Items will ship within 4-5 business days.

Mixing Paint II

2011-02-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

As a Seattle based wedding photographer, I typically enjoy shooting photos more than the post-production and editing process. There are so many different types of photo editing software available that it can become easy to get lost in the various selections or stuck on a specific program. So this post is a testing phase for which editing program I enjoy using most for the post-production of both my Puget Sound located and destination wedding photography.
The original image, shot at the gorgeous Hidden Meadows -north of Seattle- using a Nikon D80 and a Lensbaby composer. No post-production attempted.
The first revision of the image, using the Apple Aperture program.
The second post-production attempt, this one accomplished using the Nikon Capture NX 2 software program.
The third editing attempt, relying on the standard Adobe RAW editing program.
The last post-production effort, using Adobe Lightroom to modify the image.

While I have the most experience using both Lightroom and Aperture, I found that the software that I loved the most to work with was actually the Capture NX 2 program. This software is very similar to Lightroom, but surpasses much of what Adobe's program offers in terms of image control. I feel the photo yielded by the Nikon program delivers a better, more satisfying image than the results achieved using Lightroom.

The only thing worth noting is that the NX 2 software is probably best used for specific images -portfolio material. When it comes to fast batch edits of hundreds or thousands of photos -which I tend to shoot during a wedding- Lightroom performs much better and more quickly than the other programs tend to do.

Granted, my familiarity with each program will only increase through time. Which in turn will improve my workflow. But if you have a chance to try out the Nikon software, give it a go. I bet you'll be pleased with the results also.

Provençal Artwork for Sale!

2011-02-02T09:38:00.001-08:00

In addition to the images from Mississippi that I'm offering on sale for Valentine's Day, I also am opening the portfolio of images that I have from Provence, France.
While I was in France, I received a grant to build a portfolio of images in Europe that I wouldn't have the opportunity to produce within the United States. Instead of one series of images, I developed three separate portfolios of work!

These images were photographed in Provence, France, using 4x5 black and white film and shot on a view camera. Exposures were generally 20-30 minutes long and shot on a small aperture using a tripod. Two are from the Mediterranean city of Sanary Sur Mer and the third was in the tiny Provençal village of Lacoste.
So if you're interested in prints, email me for prices and include the phrase "Cupid Stole My Heart" in the subject header. Do that and I'll give a 15% discount on prints, which are available in 8"x10" to 11"x14" and also "16x20" plus 20"x24" sizes. If there is a different print size that you are interested in, I'll work with you to get you the photo you want! Simply shoot me an email! The sale goes until Valentine's, so there is plenty of time to order the print you love for your special Valentine!

Cupid Stole My Heart, pt. 5

2011-02-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

This blog post is the last of my updates for my catalogue of photography from Mississippi. Each update features images from my fine art photography catalogue that I'm offering for a Valentine's Day sale. Simply email me with the subject header "Cupid Stole My Heart" and I'll offer a 15% discount on the price of prints.

I suppose you can say I've held onto the ones I like the best for last. These images are among several that have been compared to the Color Field paintings by Mark Rothko-which I've considered a huge compliment.
The deliberate process that I took while shooting this series -over a span of four days- yielded a total of 25 portfolio images. I attribute that success to the subject matter and style I used to capture the images. I've always held a desire to return and re-photograph the area, or even in other places that have been damaged by natural disaster.

The image below is of a church steeple that was knocked to the ground from the force of the hurricane. If you look closely, you can see the oxidation of the metal from years of exposure to the elements.
So this week I've been busy posting blog entries of the entire series -in sequences of 5 images- that I'm offering for my Valentine's Day sale, but if you want to see the entire collection of images you can visit the gallery that I set up online.

All of the photos from this series are available in varying sizes, from 6"x6" to 10"x10" photos even up to 14"x14" or 20"x20" prints. They are all available for this special sale, so contact me via email with any questions you may have!

Cupid Stole My Heart, pt. 4

2011-02-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

One more in the series of updates from the series of images I photographed in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast. This sale that I'm offering extends until Valentine's Day itself, so all you need to do is email me with the header "Cupid Stole My Heart" to get a 15% discount on your prints.
Image sizes range from 6"x6" to 10"x10" photos -or even up to 14"x14" or 20"x20" prints. So there is a size available for any wall space!
After seeing vast destroyed landscapes of the Gulf coast my focus for the entire series was to pull the view of the camera in close, to capture a piece of the tragedy, and focus on what beauty could be found in the still remains of what was left behind.
Each image was shot analog, on film, using a Hasselblad camera. Working with available light, each image was carefully composed using camera, tripod and a lot of patience.
After I complete the posts for this series of images, tomorrow I will feature a new portfolio of black and white photography. This entire week is going to showcase multiple images and portfolios -all available for the "Cupid Stole My Heart" Valentine's Day sale.
So feel free to email me if you have any questions. I'm more than happy to accommodate to the best of my ability.

Cupid Stole My Heart, pt. 3

2011-01-31T23:57:00.000-08:00

As I've been plugging away at today, I'm offering a Valentine's Day sale on my fine art photography. Email me with the subject header "Cupid Stole My Heart" to get a 15% discount on this series of images that I shot in Mississippi several months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf coast.

Images from this series are available in varying sizes, from 6"x6" to 10"x10" photos even up to 14"x14" or 20"x20" prints. I'm opening my entire image catalogue -including these images here- for this special sale, so contact me with any questions you may have!This image below features 100% genuine Katrina mud that, according to a local I spoke with, seeped up drywall paneling to attach itself to the original wooden planks the building was constructed with. After the drywall was pried away, the mud remained.
This image I captured inside of an abandoned restaurant. The plaster wall had actually been knocked away in this exact manner. I wonder if you see the same thing that I did..
One of the most noticeable things throughout buildings that, though standing, were condemned and abandoned was the random objects left behind. This image has one, if only you know where to look.

As late as it currently is, I am going to post more images tomorrow. Following the updates for this current image portfolio, you'll see more fantastic fine art photography to come! So feel free to email me with questions or requests!

Cupid Stole My Heart, pt. 2

2011-01-31T23:22:00.000-08:00

Here is another set of images from one of the series of my fine art photography that I am currently offering a Valentine's Day sale during this week and the next. Email me to get a 15% discount on either 6"x6" to 10"x10" or 14"x14" and even a grandiose 20"x20" prints, all you have to do is include the phrase "Cupid Stole My Heart" in the subject header to receive the discount.
As I travelled to Mississippi for the weekend I spent creating images, I was keen to focus on an aspect of my photography that I hadn't ever devoted time towards. This series was one of the first successful premeditated projects that I've worked on.

Here are some more of the images that I was fortunate to create. If you can discover what my original focus was -based from these photos- I'll include two images printed as postcards for free with your print order!Four days of shooting yielded a portfolio of 25 images. 50 images total, if you have stopped and viewed this album I posted last year.

If it isn't obvious with this image, then email me and I'll tell you. But in the next update, you'll see that my focus completely changed after the first day of shooting...

Cupid Stole My Heart, pt. 1

2011-01-31T22:58:00.001-08:00

So after posting only three images this morning, I received an inquiry into one of the prints being purchased. Happily, for everyone involved, I have a total of 25 photos that complete that series of images. So here is the first of a few updates, with several more of the images for you to view.

More images from the series that I shot in coastal Mississippi, roughly a year after Hurricane Katrina tore her way through the Gulf of Mexico.

Like I mentioned this morning, email me with a subject header "Cupid Stole My Heart" and you'll receive 15% off the price of a print. Sizes vary from 6"x6" to 10"x10" plus a large-sized 14"x14" and even a grandiose 20"x20" - so take advantage of the sale and get something beautiful to gift on Valentine's Day!

One of the focal points for this series was to emphasize the beauty that arises from unnoticed details. From an event so tragic, it's possible to find a piece of something beautiful in the small things that, quite often, tend to escape unnoticed to the occupied mind.
This image is available in a diptych -also a potential triptych- and is quite possibly one of the most dangerous images I have ever created. As you can see, the entire wall had caved in and made the foundation of the building very unsteady -especially for someone shooting photos on the 2nd floor.

So feel free to email me to receive a discount in time for Valentine's Day! More images to come, more vitamins for your optic nerves.

Artwork for Sale!

2011-01-31T00:57:00.000-08:00

I'm currently promoting a sale of my fine art photography as Valentine's Day gifts. Email me with the subject header "Cupid Stole My Heart" and you'll receive 15% off the price of an unframed print. You can also contact me about pricing for prints. Sizes range from 6"x6" to 10"x10" plus 14"x14" and even 20"x20" -so it's possible to fit any wall space possible if desired!
This series of images was shot on location in Mississippi months after the Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Gulf coast.
Each image is in a square format, having been shot on Fuji 120 film with a Hasselblad medium format camera and then later scanned digitally for maximum print capability.
More images will come soon! I am going to open my entire catalog for the promotion that I'm offering, so email me with any of your inquiries.

Considering that it's been some time since I mentioned this, I have several images on display in the Wallingford area of Seattle at the Lucky 7 Salon. These images are also for sale, but will be replaced with new images shortly. So if you haven't had a chance to peruse or purchase then now is the time to do so!

Cool Factor of π (pi)

2010-12-29T22:52:00.000-08:00

I stumbled onto this video earlier today and have decided it has a cool factor greater than both pi and bullet-time. If you can't geek out over something this simple, I'll email you directions on how to reboot your positronic neural net.

Mixing My Paint

2010-12-20T21:57:00.001-08:00

For a long time, I've been interested in creating my own presets and actions for the post-production of my images. I've been trying my own hand at "mixing my own paint" as it were, while relying on -and combining- some actions that I've gathered from other creative artists.

Tell me what you think... which image is the better one? I'm still trying to decide!

Of the Century

2010-12-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Food for thought! I haven't posted anything related to a Cautionary Tale lately and this definitely qualifies. Originally posted on PDN Pulse, via this link here:

Is It a Photographer’s Fault We Don’t Know Where Jimmy Hoffa is Buried?
Best-selling biographer Kitty Kelley appeared on the NPR program called “On the Media” on Sunday to defend the art of unauthorized biographies. Host Bob Garfield asked her why people she interviews (those close to Nancy Reagan, Jacqueline Onassis, and Frank Sinatra, among Kelley’s other subjects) deny afterwards that they ever talked to her. Garfield also asked, “And what happens when you present them with the smoking gun of their participation?”
Kelley answered with a long anecdote about taking photographer Stanley Tretick along on an interview with Frank Sinatra, Jr. He later denied ever having granted the interview to Kelley. “And Stanley produced a photograph,” Kelley told Garfield triumphantly.
But oh, the price of Tretick’s help! He interrupted the interview, ruined everything and changed the course of history, according to Kelley. As she explained to Garfield:
“Everything is going wonderfully well for the first 45 minutes. [Frank Jr. is] talking about what it’s like to be the son of a famous singer, a man connected to organized crime…
“And then he turned to me and he said, you know, hon, I know a lot of people. Do you know what I mean? And I said, you mean mobsters? And he said, yes. I can tell you what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. And right at that point, I thought, oh, the one great unsolved mystery of the 20th century! I thought, maybe I’ll get the Pulitzer Prize. I even thought for, you know, just a second, what’ll I wear when I get the prize?
“And just at that point, there was this clattering noise. The photographer threw down his cameras and said, well, what the hell happened to Jimmy Hoffa? And at that point, Frank Sinatra [Jr.] ran out of the room into the bedroom. And I tried. He said, no, I have said too much, I have said too much. The interview ended.”
Of course, Frank Jr. may know squat about what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. And Tretick, who died in 1999, is no longer around to defend himself. But the moral of the story is: When a famous writer hires you to take pictures, don’t interrupt when the subject is about to solve the mystery of the century.

Confrontations with Secret Service

2010-12-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

Today on PDNPulse -and elsewhere online- there's a blog post about Mannie Garcia (who shot the photo of President Obama later made in the "Hope" campaign poster by Shepard Fairey) being confronted by Secret Service for taking photos in a public place. That public place just happened to be in front of the White House.

Here's the article:

.... In this case, Garcia was taking photos in front of the White House yesterday when a uniformed Secret Service officer confronted him and demanded he delete one of the images.
“He just charged me,” Garcia told PDN Pulse. “He came right at me and grabbed my camera. He had his hand on his weapon and said give me that photo and I said no.”
The image in question was one Garcia had captured of two women rolling baby strollers in front of the White House. In the shot .... the uniformed Secret Service officer can be seen at the right, glaring at the camera.
Garcia was amongst a group of news photographers who were at the White House to photograph rallies in conjunction with World AIDS Day and several other events yesterday. He said he was wearing his press badge which the officer could clearly see.
“He said: ‘I want you to delete the photo. You don’t have my permission.’ And I said, we’re not photographing you. And then I asked him if I was under arrest and he said no. What bothered me the most was that he grabbed the camera and I had to pull it away. I’m not a kid. I’m in my 50s. I have grey hair and he clearly saw my credentials.”
Garcia was able to walk away from the officer with his Nikon D3s and the image intact. Later, Jay Mallin, a photographer friend of Garcia’s, explained what happened to a sergeant in charge of the Secret Service officers. The sergeant told Garcia that the officer was out of line.
“When I showed him the photo, which I did in good faith, the sergeant rolled his eyes and looked at the young officer,” Garcia said. “It was a situation where you had new uniformed Secret Service officer who was new to the beat. Obviously he has had training but not the experience about what should be done.”
Though it may have been an isolated incident, Garcia said the atmosphere has been tense of late.
“Yesterday, in particular, felt like a day of heightened security. It had this mood in the air. But people have a right to be there and you don’t intimidate people by charging them and putting your hand on your weapon.” http://bit.ly/f1gTMF

This is similar to something that I personally experienced about two years ago during the 2008 presidential campaign. Then Senator Barack Obama chose to have a free rally in downtown Miami -where I lived at the time- while campaigning in Florida. Here is what I wrote about it two years ago:

The only bad thing about having a free rally.. in a public park.. downtown.. with a popular, inspiring presidential candidate.. is that THOUSANDS of people came to hear Barack Obama speak. Which meant that my friend Ian and I were among hundreds upon hundreds of people trying to gain entry to the park for the rally.

So we were stuck in the slow moving crowd for more than an hour. Vendors all around us were hawking Obama merchandise and everything felt more like a rock concert than a political rally. Every now and then, some people would chant Obama slogans. Whenever I heard people cheering, 'Yes, We Can!' I'd turn and shout 'Get Inside!' which gained some hearty applause from the people crowded around me.

So about the time that the rally was starting was when the Fire Marshall decided that an open park couldn't have any more people inside of it. So he ordered the security to block off entry to the metal detectors. Which was exactly the moment that Ian and I finally made it through the thick crowd and to the entrance to the park. Which, apparently, wasn't actually a park because it suddenly had less of a maximum occupancy than a port-o-let.

So, crushed between an uncaring Secret Service security detail and an angry crowd behind us that wanted inside to see the rally also, Ian and I weren't going anywhere anytime soon. So we stuck it out at the front of the horde and waited for enough people to leave so that we could get out of there too. The idea of spending all that time in line and not even getting inside was maddening.

With everything blocked off, the secret service guards assumed that no one else would be coming in and so they began to collect all of the contraband they confiscated. I couldn't believe it -crazy amounts of knives, brass knuckles and other things that I wouldn't think most people would carry with them in public. With a haul like that on display in front of me, I pulled out my camera and started to take pictures of the mountain of contraband.

Which is when one of the secret service guards noticed me.

Apparently, I was doing something wrong because he told me to quit taking pictures. I'm no idiot when it comes to things like this. I've done plenty of reading photographer's rights, especially after lovely pieces of legislation like the Patriot Act. So the guy walked over to continue to tell me to quit taking pictures of them collecting together all of the contraband. Which turned into a 5-minute conversation about my rights as an american photographer, during which i was very calm and factual about my rights -which is probably what kept me from being arrested immediately there on the spot- because I know what [those rights] are.

As did this guy, but that didn't really matter. He kept hammering away that i ought not take pictures of them and i could tell that if i pushed too hard about my rights, he'd go over the edge and arrest me. Possibly on some BS excuse like, 'threatening security personnel' or their security operations for the rally. And I didn't feel like missing the rally to stand up to a Richard with a capital 'D' over taking pictures over something that I'd already shot. So when he ended the exchange by repeating, 'I strongly suggest that you stop taking those pictures' I took it for the warning it was.. he was basically saying 'keep it up and you're getting arrested.'

So I waited for him to leave, then angled my camera towards the contraband and took more pictures on the sly.

A few minutes later, as many people within the rally (who couldn't see Obama -since there were so many inside the park) were leaving, the word broke out that we could get back in. Everybody loved that! The crowd surged the gates, and Ian and I fled through. Not even stopping to get scanned by the metal detectors. .... But I stopped long enough to get pictures of them trying to contain the crowd again. Hahahaha, not a problem anymore, huh, mr. secret service? Chump.

But that's the story on how I was almost arrested by the secret service over taking photos, which, last I checked, was [protected by the First Amendment]. But as much fun as it was to rationally remind a secret service jackass that I was entitled to take those pictures, it was more important for me to get inside the rally I'd waited so long that afternoon to attend.

So, though most people would assume events like these don't occur, they do. It's simply that those instances are few and far between. I wouldn't say that they're par for the course, but a big difference between my own experience and that of Mannie Garcia is that he had press credentials and I did not.

So this makes me wonder: Do photographers without press badges face more harassment from law officers than those who do have proper ID? Definitely something up for discussion. What do you think?

The Possessive Pronoun

2010-11-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

While I was in New York last month I attended the New York Comic Con and met Rod and Leanne Hannah, the creators of the hilariously irreverent Star Wars satire Blue Milk Special. While at the convention I commissioned a sketch by Leanne of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker fighting over Leia, while she cozies up with Biggs Darklighter in the background. I love the sketch, and think that Leanne did a fabulous job!
While at the convention, Rod told me that the sketch would eventually be colored and posted online. I'm excited to see the full-color version. :D

If you have a chance, be certain to visit Blue Milk Special and catch a brilliant satire for the saga that ends all sagas. I'm never disappointed by their spot-on parody, which says a lot for anyone who has suffered through the prequels. Take a look, you'll see for yourself! Enjoy!

Diadra Preview

2010-11-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

Preview of a photo shoot that I had with Diadra. We got together to shoot some photos that she could send to her family as gifts. This image is one of my favorites, shot near the Tacoma Museum of Glass.

One of the great things for a portrait photographer about shooting photos in downtown Tacoma is the wide variety of locations that you can find. Both Diadra and I like this image, from the receding perspective of the stairs to Diadra's pose and smile. I can't wait to schedule more portrait photography shoots and find more awesome locations!

First Snow

2010-11-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

Snowfall is a magical thing, something that enlightens the soul. I took out my camera this afternoon after watching flakes gently falling endlessly for at least an hour. Here is on of the images I came away with. If you haven't discovered this by now, I love being a Lensbaby photographer, the technique and style is something that I truly enjoy. Seeing the effect the lensbaby produces on my images leaves me with that same feeling I get watching a fresh snowfall.

Weather Permitting

2010-11-18T21:09:00.001-08:00

It's amusing how loaded a statement like that can be for a photographer in the Pacific Northwest. I am under the weather today, but still have enough energy to post a photo. This image is for an event I tried to put together across the country for anyone that wanted to join in on Facebook for the Harry Potter midnight premiere. "Nowhere is safe," indeed.

An unorganized flash mob of sorts, the focus of the event was to attend the midnight screening dressed as characters from other films. Though very tongue in cheek and bold, the fun comes from descending into absurdity and enjoying the moment -as Wolverine, Princess Leia and Edward Cullen clearly are.
If the weather permits, I'll definitely attend the second film's premiere dressed up for the fun like everyone else. I just feel bad I'm out of the action for tonight.

Wagons Banding

2010-11-18T00:26:00.001-08:00

Wow, I guess it's easy to fall of the wagon when it comes to consistently posting one image per day for as long as possible. Life can pick up sometimes, but I'm still invested in my goal to publish a new image for as many days as I have the ability. Here's another fresh one from my photo walk this past Saturday.

The image has me interested in focusing on a series of monochrome photos -more or less, even though this image isn't fully monochromatic. It appears that more photo walks are in order! Doesn't that seem utterly horrible?

There Will Always Be Echoes

2010-11-14T22:29:00.000-08:00

So following the ambitious goal that I'm working towards is a challenge. But it's fun at the same time. I don't usually make time to peek through my catalogue of images. Usually I have to move onto the next project after completing the current one. But refreshing my memory of what I do have in "storage" will be a great way to make the most of my silent heroes -the photos that I have yet to show. Echoes that remain under the surface until given a chance to shine.This is one of the images that I shot while I was in Manhattan during New York Fashion Week. Shot using a Lensbaby, the image conveys why I love using that lens. If only I could get away with shooting film on a view camera again. Now that would be something...

Discipline and Ambition

2010-11-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

I went on a photo walk earlier today around downtown Tacoma with a friend. This is one of the images that I was fortunate enough to stumble upon. It struck me while capturing the image that I can conceivably post a blog entry daily featuring an original image of my own photography. The idea is intriguing enough that I want to take a crack at it. Hopefully, a little bit of discipline and ambition will benefit me greatly in this goal. Let's see where it leads...

Halloween 2010: Trick... or Treat?

2010-10-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

So this is a very cool thing to discover on Halloween -»
For those wondering, one of my images from the 2010 New York Comicon -of zombie afficionado & friend Jason Meehan- is on the front page to CNN's iReport website. The article feature's Jason's efforts to organize the 2010 Asbury Park Zombie Walk and break the Guinness world record for largest amount of zombies gathered for a zombie walk.

Here is a better view of my image on the home page -»
The article itself goes into greater detail on Jason's efforts to gather "the world's largest uprising of the undead!" for the 2010 New Jersey Zombie Walk. All accounts that I've read so far state that Jason's uprising shattered the previous world record, set earlier this year in Seattle. It's been a lot of work and paid off very well for Jason and his team! Congratulations, my friend. :D

Here is the final screencap of the page with the article. You can click on the image to read the article itself.
Being that Halloween is the day of tricks and treats, I think this surprise is one of the coolest treats of all. Happy Halloween! Be safe and have fun everyone!

Wedding Brawl: Photographer vs. Videographer

2010-10-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

I know that I've had to deal with aggravating videographers before, but this is ridiculous. Watch these two Russian lensmen trade blows while their gear goes flying. I certainly hope all that gear was insured! I wonder if the fight started over an argument between Nikon vs. Canon. It's all in Russian, so I won't really know. I bet that Wedinator is having a field day with this one.

(Via PDN Pulse á la Gawker TV from Photography Bay)

Hark! A Zombie in the Midst!

2010-10-18T22:15:00.001-07:00

Hark! There is a zombie in the midst!

One of my friends from college is gunning for a Guinness World Record attempt at the end of this month for "The world's largest uprising of the undead!" If you happen to be in New Jersey -or the Tri-State area- swing by Asbury Park on October 30th to overtake the current world record! Check things out on Facebook too!
Here's one of my photos of Zombie Walk General, Jason Meehan, spreading news of the upcoming infection during the 2010 New York Comic Con. While passing out info at the comic con, Max Brooks -the author of World War Z and and The Zombie Survival Guide- approached Jason about his zombie makeup. Of all the people to run into, Jason met him. Talk about lucky, huh?

Anyways, stop by the New Jersey Zombie Walk in Asbury Park on October 30th and maybe -just maybe- the Wookie won't get it... (yes, I know. I threatened a Wookie. Get over it)

Blue Milk Special: A Shout Out

2010-10-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Usually when I begin a blog post, I don't always have time to complete it. I know that this is a bad habit -and the purpose of blogging is to actually post updates, not create a digital graveyard of unfinished entries- but I'm excited enough about this news to post it.kinda.right.now.

Last week, attending the New York Comic Con I was able to meet Rod & Leanne Hannah of Blue Milk Special. It was one of the reasons why I had wanted to attend the con (in addition to shoot photos along the way) and both Rod and Leanne were extremely gracious and wonderfully fun people to talk with. I was even able to commission a sketch from Leanne featuring some of the BMS characters! I love it. She did a fabulous job.

After stopping by their table, I shot a photo of Rod & Leanne -which they featured in the most current strip of Blue Milk Special. I was more than happy to pass it along to them and can't say enough about how great I think they are. I really appreciate the courtesy sent my way.

So if you have a chance, be certain to check out Blue Milk Special. And if you get a laugh at what Vader has on his coffee mug, then vote for them! Show some love! I'm certain you'll enjoy the rest of what Rod and Leanne have planned as the strip continues.

Starting out with the Basics

2010-10-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I pulled out an old film camera for my daughter to play with while I packed for my trip to New Jersey, where I'll be shooting a wedding on October 10th. Look at how natural she is with the camera! Doesn't she look cute, waiting to get that perfect shot? Getting her started on the basics won't be that hard if you ask me! Who knows, perhaps someday she'll be shooting photos along with her mother and myself. A happy father can only dream, right?

Nolcha Fashion Week: New York 2010

2010-10-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

Last month I had a great opportunity to travel to New York for the Nolcha Fashion Week. While there I shot a lot of great work, from behind the scenes backstage to runway. Here are a few samples to preview. It was great fun, I look forward to similar opportunities in the future!

Still One Bad Mofo

2010-10-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

So October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A UK cancer research company set up a photo shoot with Liam Neeson and a few other well-known Brits that feature these girlie pepto-pink purses. The bags are available online in a variety of styles. All of the profits go towards breast cancer research. There's even a behind the scenes video of the shoot.

So the moral of the story is that if Liam Neeson can cuddle with a girlie pink bag and still be a badass m@therf*cker, so can you. Go support Breast Cancer Awareness Month and buy your girlfriend or family member something cute. The world will be better off for it.

Talia P. Preview

2010-10-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I was in Louisville, KY to shoot senior portraits of my sister and her best friend. While I was there, I took advantage of an opportunity to shoot some portraits with Talia -a friend of mine from high school. Here is a preview of the fun that we had. Enjoy!

the Frenzy

2010-06-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

A lot of my past three weeks have been filled with non-stop shoots, jobs and assignments. It's great to be so busy, even if I had to sacrifice watching the NBA Finals and thus far, most of the World Cup. Watching Team USA rally to tie Slovenia was a great moment of my week, although USA's third goal should have counted IMHO. It's back to the grind for now. I'm excited to keep busy and be shooting. Hopefully I can watch USA's next game but that all depends on my schedule. Go Team USA. Let's get'r done.

Best overheard World Cup comment of the day so far: "It's hard for USA to win a game when the referee is Slovenia's 12th player."

Second-half sub Maurice Edu appeared to put the U.S. ahead in the 86th minute, poking in a close-range shot after Jozy Altidore headed Landon Donovan's free kick to him. But the goal was disallowed by referee Koman Couilibaly of Mali, apparently for a foul before Edu got the ball.

"I'm a little gutted to be honest," Donovan said. "I don't know how they stole that last goal from us. I'm not sure what the call was. He [the referee] wouldn't tell us what the call was."

My Top 3 Favorite Scenes from LOST

2010-05-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

So last night was the series finale for LOST -one of my favorite TV shows. The show has been praised more times and in better ways than I could describe myself, so I'll let the poets do their thing while I compile a list of my top 3 favorite scenes from the series. These scenes are only a small handful among many that I enjoyed through the years but since I find "Top 10" lists excessive and "Top 5" lists only somewhat tolerable, it's the simplicity of a "Top 3" list that satisfies me on a personal level. So here they are:

Pick #1 - The opening scene from "Pilot, Part 1" in Season One.

This scene set the tone for the entire series. Ambitious from the beginning, it introduced multiple characters within a span of minutes. The production quality was matched by the depth of the storyline, including the varying character arcs that all seemingly revolved around themes of redemption, which came to the unexpected -yet unexpectedly satisfying- conclusion with last night's final episode.

Pick #2 - The cereal scene from "The Whole Truth" in Season Two.

This scene was superbly acted and a fantastic hint as to the future character potential for the "Big Three" of Jack, Locke and Ben that would eventually emerge later in the series. Though this scene is played as straight forward as possible by Michael Emerson, the manner in which he preys on Jack & Locke's fears over the Lostie's ignorance of the hatch and their petty in-fighting was a great glimpse at how manipulative Ben Linus was. And then for him to nonchalantly ask for milk, well, there aren't very many scenes I enjoy more than this one.

Pick #3 - The judgement scene from "Dead is Dead" in Season Five.

I included this one for the simple fact that this is what clued me into the fact that John Locke was the Smoke Monster during season 5. "Less is more" is often said & the fact that Locke was conveniently absent the entire time Ben was being "judged" tossed up giant red flags for me. So the reveal at the beginning of season 6 that Locke was not Locke wasn't as much of a surprise for me as it was for other people. Though there are probably other scenes I could include to round out my Top 3, I just want to briefly brag that I had it figured out before you did. So in your face. :P

As with many of my other friends, I'll miss LOST. I won't approach television shows with the same expectations that I had before the series debuted six years ago. LOST raised the standard for TV and I believe it will be a few years until there is another show as richly complex as LOST has been. Until then I'll be content to keep LOST as my constant, knowing that we're all the variables in choosing for ourselves the next great television series.

2010 Wedding Promo

2010-03-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

The Tacoma Wedding Expo is arriving. Since I'm going to be there -although not as a vendor. At least not this year- I spent some time putting together a new promo that features some of my rates and packages for the 2010 wedding season. Travel and secondary photography is not included, but is something that I can definitely add on to my packages and rates. If interested in more details, feel free to email me!

Raising the Stakes

2010-03-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today I received some big news from back home. As of today, there is a new Crestwood KY Stake. The Louisville KY Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been split to accommodate the growth that has bloomed over the past decade. Some say it's due to the presence of the Louisville, KY LDS temple. I say it's no big surprise. While I was recently in Louisville, I took some time to shoot some photography of the temple. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. Enjoy the photos!

Night Zero Shout Out

2010-03-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

So today I received a highly-anticipated email from the production team of Night Zero: my new favorite comic series. They had a photo booth set up during the Emerald City ComiCon. I consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon their table. Produced here in Seattle, Night Zero features a storyline revolving around two of my favorite themes: post-apocalyptic storytelling and zombies. After I learned about the process used to create the series -they shoot each frame in HDR and assemble the images in post-production- I took the Night Zero team up on a chance to have a photo captured in the style of the series. Here I am posing with Marathon, one of the characters from Night Zero. Enjoy!

Bizcard Designing Storm

2010-03-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

So one of the upcoming projects that I will be tackling is to finally complete a redesign of my business card and logo. I've had some great ideas in mind for a few weeks, I merely need to buckle down and get to work. Once I have some new cards put together, I'll post them up for a quick review. Until then!

Waiting in the Wings

2010-03-08T22:21:00.001-08:00

My flight back from Louisville arrived early. An hour early. So while I patiently wait to head home, I'm taking a moment to post some photos I shot while landing in Cincinnati on the way back to Seattle from Louisville. I don't pretend to know what regulations TSA has for people snapping photos on airplanes nowadays, but I love these two images for their ambiguous simplicity. Leave a comment, let me know what you think. Feedback is always appreciated by yours truly.

On a different note, the memorial service for my grandfather was a thoughtful and enriching celebration of his life. I'm glad that I was able to be there. I'll be sure to post some photos tomorrow, after I've had time to catch up from all this crazy traveling!

One of the Cutest Retro Wedding Invites Ever

2010-03-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this very cute, very retro 8-bit wedding invitation thanks to fellow wedding photographer friend Jason Meehan, of Jason Meehan Photography. Featured on Gizmodo, the invitations were created by the bride and groom and are a throw back to the old-school Mario and Donkey Kong video games.

Take a look for yourself:

The options for play offer both the bride and the groom. It makes me marvel at some of the genius ideas that people come up with for their weddings. Hope you enjoy!

Out on the Farm

2010-02-24T15:02:00.001-08:00

I spent part of last week out in Eatonville to help out some friends of the family. While out there, I captured some great photography on the farm. Here is one of my preferred images, the illustrious Fossen on the prowl.
The second image is one that I shot after learning my grandfather had passed away.

I like some of the things going on in the image, but the photo that best expresses my feelings about my grandfather's passing can be seen here.

Gone From My Sight

2010-02-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

My grandfather died yesterday. His passing was unexpected. His presence will be missed. After hearing details last night from my family about how quickly he passed, I went outside into the cold night air and shot some new work. His encouragement and influence helped inspire me to become an artist. To pursue a career as a photographer. I will miss his stories and the excitement that I felt each time I would stop in for a visit.

A friend sent me this poem after hearing of my family's loss. I'm grateful for good friends, as the words bring me some comfort at this moment in time.

Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
"There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad
shout;
"Here she comes!"
And that is dying.

by Henry Van Dyke, a 19th Century clergyman, educator, poet, and religious writer

Eu Sinto por Notte Sento

2010-02-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

Notte Sento is a beautifully composited short film set in Rome, one that I stumbled upon through a friend. The short is made from over 4500+ still photographs and has a lovely romantic theme. I really like the concept and hope to replicate the method with a short film of my own. Perhaps while I am in Miami this spring, I can take advantage of the locale and do it then!

Notte Sento (English subtitles) from Daniele Napolitano on Vimeo.

Fantasia Floral at the Seattle Wedding Show

2010-01-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 2010 Seattle Wedding Show. A two-day event, it's quite easy to be overwhelmed by the hundreds of caterers, florists, DJ's, hotels, jewelers, wedding planners and more participating in the show. I left wishing that I could have spent more time to meet and network with other wedding vendors.

Fortunately, I met up with Michael Thomas, owner of Fantasia Floral, to photograph his floral arrangements and the booth he designed for the expo show. Michael's bouquets were even on stage during the fashion show. I captured some lovely photos and am glad to have met Michael. A very courteous and creative designer, Michael and his team did a great job for the trade show. Take a look and enjoy the photos!

Art Criticism Hits the Shelves

2010-01-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

Why didn't I think of this? I've done this in the past with ketchup bottles and -given the slam that I gave Woods for his infidelity- guess I should give credit to the street artist who came up with this:

Tiger Woods "Unfaithful" Gatorade labels trigger federal probe
The appearance of Gatorade bottles featuring photos of Tiger Woods and his wife, labelled "Unfaithful" have alerted U.S. food safety authorities.
Several of the tampered bottles of the famed golfer and wife Elin Nordegren have been spotted in the Denver, Colo. area, reports KUSA TV.
The television network spotted an e-mail address hidden in the labels' small print, and fingered Jason Kay of Longmont, Colo., who said he helped a pal with the labels. Kay described the stunt as a "pop art" project.
There were reportedly 1,000 bottles with the "Unfaithful" labels.
KUSA says food and drug administration investigators are probing the incident to see if the drink has been adulterated along with the labels. Federal tampering charges could be laid even if the drink itself has been unaffected, said the network.

Wedding Biznastiness MMX

2010-01-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

So the wedding season is picking up and going strong. I'm working on building up ideas for better networking, easier ways to be hired and more clever ways to improve my imagery. Just you wait to see what I have in store. 2010 is going to be a great year, I'm psyched to get my biznastiness up and going strong! If you're interested in information on my current wedding packages, email me for details.

2009: It's Been Reel

2009-12-31T08:47:00.001-08:00

The year has come and gone and I've seen a lot of amazing things happen within my life and those of others close to me.

A lot of films also came and went this year. I probably didn't see most of them. While most people agonize over a list of the best 10 films of the year, I'd rather not waste the time. I'm posting what I consider the best three movies of the year, plus a runner up or two. Each film hit the list based on their own merit and some of them I could watch repetitively at home. So enjoy my definitive list, and try to trim yours down for next year.

1- The Road.
I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic movies, and this is one of the craziest best I've seen hit theaters in a long time. No stupid CGI vampires, or stalker zombies to muddle the plot. Emotional story and great acting. Plus the scenery is phenomenal. I also identify with the father protecting his son part of the story a little more this year than other years prior.
Go figure, right?

2- The Hurt Locker.
A compelling, adrenaline-inducing film about the Iraqi war has finally hit theaters and there's no politics to distract from the great acting and storyline. Jeremy Renner does great and so does director Katherine Bigalow. This film would have made it to #1 on my list if I wasn't such a sucker for good post-apocalyptic movies. But the Hurt Locker does a great job at blowing away all the other competition.
Funny, I know.

3- Star Trek.
Wow. Talk about a film that was a surprise. I vehemently despise movie remakes. They only strengthen my belief that studio executives are trying to cash in on cheap reboots that exploit and destroy the cherished memories of devoted fans. Leave it to JJ Abrams to invigorate, redesign and instill wonder in a film series that went stale years ago. Abrams accomplished everything for Star Trek that Star Wars fans wish Lucas had been capable of achieving instead of his 2&1/2 failures of movies. So suck it, George. Gene Roddenberry is laughing at you from space.
Man, I could geek out over the new Star Trek for a week's worth of watching. It's that much fun.

Runner-up #1
Moon.
A big contrast to the sci-fi franchise above, Moon was one of the best under the radar films made this year. Since his minor role in Galaxy Quest 10 years ago, I've been a fan of Sam Rockwell and it was great to see him carry a movie like this all alone. Literally. Being alone on the moon for three years can do some crazy things with your head. I'll leave it to you to find out exactly why. Duncan Jones made a great flick and truly captures the essence of a science fiction film. You should catch it on DVD when it's finally released here in the States.

Runner-up #2
9.
Shane Acker accomplished some wonderful animation with this film. It also hits post-apocalyptic film territory, and presents a beautiful visual story. The best non-human centered animated film I'd seen since Wall-E of last year. I'm definitely looking forward to multiple viewings of this movie.

Runner-up #3
Avatar.
I'd be a fool not to include Avatar, if only for what it achieves with the medium of film-making. James Cameron is always one to push the boundaries of film-making and does some fantastic things with this movie. The story is, I think, typical for his style of writing but it also pushes some concepts that most people overlook in our society.

But then so do the other films on my list.

A lot of the other movies of this year were entertaining. Others, not as much. And then some made me wonder what the hell people were thinking by either making or watching such a soul-stealing disappointment.

So make it a point to go check out any flicks on my list that you haven't seen yet. And if you want to see anything else that came out this year, well, that's what Redbox is for. It's been reel, 2009. Bring on 2010!

Under the Gun

2009-12-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

Feeling a lot of pressure to get things in order and on track now that I'm back from visiting family for the holidays. Here's a good theme song for my day.

Four Days Tardy

2009-12-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

I totally flubbed my monthly posting of Ophelia's progress and how she's a blessing in our lives. I must have lost track of the time last Friday. After a long day's work and then attending a dinner party at a neighbor's house, I can't say I'm too surprised.

The best thing about being a father is watching Ophelia grow and learn new things. She's a wonderful daughter and fills my life with a lot of happiness. For each new feat that she accomplishes or funny thing that she does, I'm reminded of what blessings truly are. And how blessed I am.

Here is one of my favorite videos of her, second only to the first video of when she was born. I managed to catch her mesmerized by the mirror in her BabyEinstein jumper. To simply watch her expression and reaction at discovering herself in the mirror is one of the sweetest memories I have had so far as a father. Enjoy!

Destination Miami

2009-12-21T22:47:00.001-08:00

A potential upcoming job for next year -one that I am looking forward to- is shooting the wedding photography for Nina Garcia, one of my close friends from Miami, and her fiancé Matt Stevenson. We spoke in length today about her wedding plans, and created a package that suits her needs. Though they both attend BYU, the wedding will take place in Orlando and the reception will be in Miami. I'm excited to hear back from her and finalize things. Nothing is confirmed yet, but it will be personally satisfying to me to photograph Nina's wedding. When it comes to my friends I don't trust them with another photographer...

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite photos of us goofing off with our friend Jaeuk. Yes, Nina is rocking out a Power Rangers shirt and Jaeuk is eating a sandwich. That's how we roll.

New Year's Photowalk

2009-12-20T23:04:00.000-08:00

So I thinking to organize a photowalk to bring in the New Year of 2010. It will be on January 5th because face it: weekends work best. I'll have more organized soon. Expect more info on my Facebook page.

On other topics, I'm posting a few more photos from earlier this fall, back when there were still leaves falling. More images shot with the lensbaby. Working to perfect my technique. I'll probably be using the lensbaby during the photowalk. Love shooting with this lens. Makes me wish I had a 4x5 view camera, but it's almost the exact same. Take a look, leave some feedback.

Sussurros pelos Olhos

2009-12-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

So I've been using the lensbaby a bit more lately. I have some great ideas that I'd love to use for fashion portraits, especially with how the picture plane can be thrown out of focus. It's exciting to use and I've been having more success with each outing that I take the lensbaby with me.

Here are some photos that I've taken of Ophelia during attempts to perfect my technique with the lensbaby. I can't wait to shoot some more photos like these.

The last two are for another concept I want to pursue. It's similar to what JJ Abrams did while filming Star Trek, which you can read below:

I know what you're saying with the lens flares. It was one of those things... I wanted a visual system that felt unique... The flares weren't just happening from on-camera light sources, they were happening off camera, and that was really the key to it. I want [to create] the sense that, just off camera, something spectacular is happening.... There is something incredibly unpredictable and gorgeous about them.... It became an art....

So enjoy! Sussuros pelos olhos!

Santa Claus Sighting

2009-12-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry, false alarm. Couldn't help myself. The real Santa Claus hasn't been seen in decades, not since he was killed by a jet in 1963. He's been impersonated by ninjas ever since. But the good news is that MJ and Elvis are alive and hanging tight, probably waiting for Lisa Marie to bring them some grilled PB & Banana sandwiches. That's a sight for sore eyes. Or rather, a sight that gives sore eyes...

Sussurros de Natal

2009-12-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas is on it's way. The weather is growing colder and we had our first snowfall last night. It was lovely to see the snowflakes falling outside. Whispers of the holiday season are growing and increase each coming day. Though the snow melted by the time the sun rose this morning I find it very gratifying to wander outside and capture the mood of Christmas, and hope you enjoy the photos I've been taking.

Awkwardness Makes Birthdays Better

2009-12-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today is friend and fellow photographer Sheryll Lynne's birthday. She does a birthday extravaganza each year among her friends, where everyone sends her a photo wishing her a happy birthday. Last year I sent her this photo:

So today for her 29th birthday, I did myself one better than last year and made her a spectacularly awkward birthday music video. A big thanks goes out to awkwardfamilyphotos.com for helping me to rock out the birthday wishes. Happy Birthday, Sheryll!

Not Out of the Woods Yet

2009-12-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

After reading the unfortunate news about Tiger today, I spent time on a personal project drawing on some sly humor. Referencing one of my favorite movies from the 90's, the final result serves up a wicked play on words. I don't know when Tiger will pull himself out of the media hell he's plunged into, but this goes to show that the higher your celebrity rises the harder your fall becomes. Out of all my Cautionary Tales, I consider this one the most important yet.

First Signs of Winter

2009-12-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

Being up til 5 am working on projects for clients can do funny things to a man's logic board. I looked out the window this morning and was blinded by a white blanket covering the terrain outside. After I had woken up enough to process what I was seeing, I escaped outside to shoot some images of the first true signs of winter.

The grass crunched underneath my feet, the ground was so thick with frost this morning. I almost thought that the frost was an early snow, there was so much. I shot these images with a Lensbaby, thinking that it would add to the mystique of an oncoming winter. Enjoy!

Cautionary Tales: "S" is for Waldo

2009-12-01T22:31:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I posted a cautionary tale, but this is another potent example of what happens with careless fingers and lazy proofreading. I noticed this blatant typo while taking the Tacoma transit one day. Apparently the bus that travels to the Tacoma mall is magical because it runs on the weekdays and also on "Satursdays" too. I don't understand how something like this could escape notice during the printing process, but I felt like I had encountered Waldo that morning at the bus stop.

Jewels Fashion Lounge Halloween Costume Party

2009-10-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

Shooting fashion photography in Seattle allows me chances to photograph unique fashion and celebrity events. Last night I was fortunate to be a VIP photographer for the Jewels Fashion Lounge Halloween Costume Party. It was a great event. The fashion show featured a lot of local Seattle entertainers -from emcees to a dance crew- to Halloween costumes and a lot of gorgeous modeling talent, which kept me very busy with the varied fashion and event photography. Jocelyn Simos was the fashion designer who organized and promoted the event, which was featured at the NW Sports Bar & Grill in Renton. The turnout was strong and a lot of people arrived in some fantastic costumes. The live music was great and a lot of people got their swerve on out on the dance floor. The models that arrived from around Seattle were all stunning and put on a good performance with the fashion show at the end of the night. Jocelyn Simos organized a great event with last night's Jewels Fashion Halloween Party and I'm thrilled with the photos that I captured. I'll post my photos soon! Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Spooky Pumpkins and Adorable Babykins

2009-10-29T04:21:00.001-07:00

I spent the evening carving pumpkins with my family last night, and we had a great time together. We stopped at a u-pick pumpkin patch about a week or so ago and chose some great pumpkins for Halloween this year. Here are some of the photos from all of the fun that we had! Enjoy some spooky vitamins for your optic nerves!

A Fine Mess

2009-10-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the unthinkable happened over the weekend. Our computer gave up the ghost, I guess you could say. It actually is kinda playing hide and seek with us. The computer still sounds like it functions, but the screen has gone completely black. We figure/hope that this problem involves the wiring from the base of the laptop to the screen. We also hope that it can be fixed. Either way we'll find out when we stop by the Apple store tomorrow. The trip should be a productive one since I'll be bringing my laptop also -the one that I Bruce Banner'ed out of commission long ago. I figure if we're going to fix one computer, why not both? I need my laptop back so that Natalie and I can work on our own projects without having to share a computer. So tomorrow should be a good day. Hopefully!

Nameless

2009-10-24T01:00:00.001-07:00

Woah, man. I'm done for now. I officially smell like a computer zombie. Too much time in front of the hot computer fan today. The stink is awful. But, hey, I can't complain. I've been working hard this week churning out a graphic design project that involves a photographer in Miami, a company in Holland and a legendary Hollywood director. I can't share too much info at the moment, but I'll say that it's one of the coolest projects I'll get to work on at this point in my career and something to brag about -without naming names- even if it does involve more graphic design skills than anything else. Seeing the finished results is something to be happy about. And that's what counts for me.

As the Sunlight Fades

2009-10-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, I planted some sunflowers that sprung to an amazing height in the garden along the side of the house. Sadly, they now have become too tall to support the weight of the heads on their top. Since they are fading each day I wanted to post some of the lovely photos I shot earlier this summer of my fantastic sunflowers. I shot these photos with a lensbaby, one of the new toys I've been playing with and features a technique I'm trying to master. Enjoy!

The Plot Thickens

2009-10-14T22:15:00.001-07:00

So it's being reported now that the model featured in Ralph Lauren's now infamous ad campaign was fired by Ralph Lauren months ago, allegedly for being overweight. As stated by Filippa Hamilton, the model featured in the heavily distorted ad:

[Her] contract was terminated in April because she was too heavy.
Polo Ralph Lauren said in a statement Tuesday night that Filippa is a "beautiful and healthy" woman but their relationship ended "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us."
In response, Hamilton said, "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore."
[Read more]

It's stunning to see the difference between a healthy Filippa...

and the grossly distorted image of her.

It's great -especially with all of the press and commentary related to the distorted image- to see Filippa's reaction to the ad:

"I think they owe American women an apology, a big apology," Hamilton said. "I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy."

Read more

Here is another image of Filippa from the 2005 Pirelli Calendar, shot by Patrick Demarchelier:
How could she be any less healthy than that? For all of Ralph Lauren's inconsistency...

A spokesman for Ralph Lauren said [Tuesday] night: ‘For over 42 years, we have built a brand based on quality and integrity.
‘After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body.
‘We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.’
[Read more]

...I have to agree with Joanna Douglas:

It's awesome and empowering when stars admit they've been photoshopped for an ad or movie poster and say how dissatisfied they are about it. With foreign countries banning underweight models from their fashion weeks, and the increasing presence of "plus size" models in women's magazines, we wish the unhealthy representation and falsified depiction of models—and women—would come to an end entirely.

I think I can see that day arriving sooner than most people expect. Sure worth hoping for, don't you think?

the Streisand Effect

2009-10-07T17:53:00.001-07:00

There are times where I cannot believe the depth that marketing teams stoop to in order to sell a product. As both a father and a photographer I'm compelled to speak out against this following ad Ralph Lauren is distributing.

This is revolting. Disturbing. As one blogger posted, "Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis."

I feel like I'm looking at Jack Skellington's bitchy sister.

I've always loved shooting fashion photography, but that can often be a love/hate relationship. This is due to the unrealistic fashion expectations hoisted upon women of all ages, especially with heavily photoshopped images like the one above.

There is no way in all of Creation that women can hold themselves to such a standard. The very assumption that they can is what incites so many tragic cases of anorexia and bulimia world-wide.

Ralph Lauren is also currently issuing a DMCA -Digital Millennium Copyright Act- against Photoshop Disasters and Boing Boing regarding their criticism against the image.

In response, Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow issued a stern warning to Ralph Lauren yesterday on the website, saying that the company's attempt to silence their criticism has only inspired them to step up their efforts in the future:

"Copyright law doesn't give you the right to threaten your critics for pointing out the problems with your offerings. You should know better. And every time you threaten to sue us over stuff like this, we will:
a) Reproduce the original criticism, making damned sure that all our readers get a good, long look at it, and;

b) Publish your spurious legal threat along with copious mockery, so that it becomes highly ranked in search engines where other people you threaten can find it and take heart; and

c) Offer nourishing soup and sandwiches to your models."

The Huffington Post has also joined the fight against Ralph Lauren, sparking the newest viral Streisand Effect.

Instead of addressing this disturbing, and accurate criticism, Ralph Lauren responded by accusing Boing Boing of copyright infringement for reprinting the ad. Even though, As Boing Boing points out, this is "classic fair use: a reproduction 'for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting.'"

Happily, Boing Boing will not be cowed by Ralph Lauren's threat, as co-editor Cory Doctorow makes clear:

So, instead of responding to their legal threat by suppressing our criticism of their marketing images, we're gonna mock them. Hence this post.

Other strategies for battling Ralph Lauren Doctorow plans to employ include: reproducing the ad with the original criticism, publishing Ralph Lauren's legal threats and offering "nourishing soup and sandwiches to [their] models."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/06/emboing-boingem-and-ralph_n_311593.html

I, for one, plan to do my best to shield my daughter from these unrealistic, unattainable expectations by corporations that do not hold her best interests in mind. I seriously hope that other parents will do the same.

New Headshot

2009-10-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Posting a quick headshot after a long day today. This will be used in the on-line profile that I have for the Pros website, as one of their Seattle-based wedding photographers.

Natalie and I had a mini-photo session in the backyard earlier today and I'm glad for her help in such moments of need. Could you imagine me being able to take a good headshot of myself? Especially one for a wedding photographer profile for the Pros?

At the very least, there's slim chance that I could have produced a photo as good as the one that Natalie did. I do love my Mamacita. :D

Sans Titre

2009-10-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

As a fine-art photographer, one of the things that I miss about shooting with film is the ability to play with a view-camera. The quality of images that I can create with larger format cameras really satisfies the creative spirit within my soul. My passion for analog film is far greater than my interest in digital imagery. Though I'm able to produce fine art photography with both mediums, I must say I miss using film and the 4x5 large format.

I'm feeling nostalgic today. After talking again with my friend Angelique, I wanted post some more fine-art photography images from my journey through France a few years ago. It was a wonderful time and a great experience. Definitely something that I would love to do again. Enjoy these enigmatic optical vitamins. I certainly do...

I'm a Business, Man...

2009-09-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans... I chose not to attend the South Sound Wedding Show this past weekend due to printing issues with the new business cards that I designed. I wasn't satisfied with the print quality and didn't feel using the card would be optimal to promote myself as a Seattle wedding photographer to the various wedding vendors in the Seattle-Tacoma region. But printing quality doesn't matter online and that doesn't mean that I can't show them here. I designed both horizontal and vertical cards, so leave some feedback. Show some love!

Sheyla and Justin, Happy Anniversary!

2009-09-26T18:40:00.001-07:00

About this time a year ago, before I moved to Seattle, I was hard at work on editing the wedding photography for Sheyla and Justin Norton's mid-September wedding in the Orlando LDS Temple. The joyful Norton couple was sealed together in the House of the Lord in a sacred ceremony among family and close friends. After the ceremony, they then celebrated their marriage in style along the Jupiter, FL beach front with a reception among dozens upon dozens of family, friends and acquaintances. A year later, the Nortons are still in love with each other as they were on that special day they were married a year ago. Here are some wedding photography highlights from their wonderful day down in Florida:

Highway 90

2009-09-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

One of the eeriest things that I noted while I in Mississippi during the weekend of my photographic journey was how quiet the place had been. One of the impacts of the hurricanes that hit the Gulf coast in 2006 was the displacement of local wildlife. There were no birds singing, no squirrels scurrying, no frogs croaking in the night. Nothing. Just a mute silence attesting to the devastation wrought by Katrina and Rita.

I shot a brief night-time series with prolonged exposure along Highway 90. This area was all but flattened by the power of nature and a lot of the man-made buildings and landmarks were gone. I would have loved to continue the series, but when it comes to 30-min to 1-hour exposure times in the middle of the night... well, even I have my limits!

So the fine art photography posts will come to a brief end for now. This weekend is the South Sound Wedding show in the Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. I'll be working on making some new business cards and getting ready to do some networking during the event. For now, I'm beyond burning the midnight oil, so I should get some sleep...

Spawning Recognoscere

2009-09-22T13:23:00.001-07:00

So I've finally posted several of my fine art images online. Here is the link to the full medley of images from my 2006 photographic journey through coastal Mississippi post-Hurricane Katrina. I spent a total of three days in Biloxi and Bay St. Louis, and the resulting imagery spawned the Recognoscere series. Prints are available in varied sizes. Vitamins for your optic nerves. Email me for details.

Below are three images that comprise a triptych of just a piece of the destruction. For this shot, I managed to climb up to the second floor of a building that was only a strong gust of wind away from falling over. I'm sure that I shouldn't have been in there -especially since the floor felt like it would fall out from under me- but the photo turned out amazing. Take a look. Vitamins for your eyeballs.

The Ballad of Johnny Pete

2009-09-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

A close friend of mine in NYC has been requesting prints of my fine art photography. For some time now, actually. Since her birthday is approaching, I felt it best to post some of my artwork online for easy browsing. I also thought it best to post some digital scans that I pulled from found object slides that I discovered while shooting a photo series in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina wrecked the landscape. Arranged in sequence -though the found object slides did not belong to the same person- the series is called "The Ballad of Johnny Pete." The images are open for you own interpretation. Enjoy some found object vitamins for your optic nerves!

Cautionary Tales: Believe (You Better Believe It)

2009-09-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm amazed at what can happen with print media. Fierce spelling and grammar mistakes + lack of a good copy editor = national distribution of a laughable DVD cover. I found this gem of a blunder while flipping through an old magazine of LDS Living a few days ago. The tragic thing is that the person who created the DVD cover actually managed to follow the "I-before-E" concept twice before failing horribly on the third try. Take a look for yourself, and always remember: keep your friends close, your enemies closer and most importantly, leave the spellcheck on!

the Patriot

2009-09-11T13:17:00.001-07:00

I remember where I was eight years ago during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. I was a missionary for the LDS church, working in Recife, Pernambuco -one of the northeastern regions of Brazil. The most that I saw that day was quick news clips of the planes entering the World Trade Centers followed by rapid commentary in Portuguese -which I didn't understand too well at that point. The confusion and anger that came from those attacks only served to heighten the love I have for my country.

Eight years later, I understand all too well what Patriotism means to me. I love my country and abhor the type of hatred that led to the loss of so many lives on that day and since. Today I am blessed with a young daughter who thankfully will never have to experience the horror of 9/11, but I plan to raise her with a love for both her country and the history of this nation. I may not be able to teach her much at this stage in her life, but she can certainly learn by example. That is the best teaching tool of all.

Cautionary Tales: Lighting Tests and Googly Eyes

2009-09-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there are moments where it's best that I work behind a camera and not in front of it. When in front of a camera, there are too many temptations and impulses that compel me to make a fool of myself. Today I encountered one of those moments. Setting up a lighting test yielded this moment of ridiculousness. Alas, I couldn't get a copy of the original image, so I had to settle for my grainy camera-phone. Enjoy!

Meeting up and Networking

2009-07-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I attended a fantastic networking event hosted by the South King County Event and Wedding Vendor Meetup Group. I'm always looking to promote my Seattle and Tacoma wedding photography opportunities and this meetup was not a let down! The event organizers, Janis Flagg and Nyla Rosen, arranged for a summer business showcase at the O'Dell Center in Kent. Many local wedding and event vendors braved the heat for a chance to promote their business and meet other professionals from the Seattle-Tacoma region.

The O'Dell Center was a lovely place to relax in the shade and network with other vendors. Nyla Rosen has a gem of a location! I'm looking forward to someday using the O'Dell Center as a spot for wedding or engagement photography. The heat was intense but thanks to several catering businesses -Down Home Catering, Maui Wowi Smoothies and Missole Catering- everyone was able to beat the weather. Staying hydrated was a pleasure thanks to the efforts of Frances Skeete from Missole Catering, Brandy and Frankie from Down Home Catering, shown below, and Mairim and Matt from Maui Wowi Smoothies, shown at far bottom. I look forward for chances to work with the other wedding and event vendors that I met this morning! Everyone was very engaging, friendly and supportive. I can't wait to work with them in the future.

Feast Your Eyes on This: Edible Art by Leonhardt -Garlic Chicken Hummus Wrap

2009-07-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Cooking is something of a hobby of mine. Usually I like to create something spontaneous from items at hand that I find in the kitchen. The results never disappoint. Though I consider it a hobby, friends have told me that I should abandon photography and pursue a career as a chef. Fortunately for Emeril and the Barefoot Contessa, I don't have plans to abandon my camera anytime soon.

One of the things that I would like to do though, is to incorporate my creativity in the kitchen with my blog. So this is going to be the first of many posts to come describing my adventures and successes in the kitchen. Prepare yourself for some tasty goodness of a different kind, and feast your eyes on this:

Garlic Chicken Hummus Wrap

Ingredients:

3 strips of chicken tenders (pre-cooked)
2 strips of bacon
5 cloves of garlic
1/3 of a white onion
2 tbsp. of olive oil
3 tbsp. of sliced black olives
3 tbsp.of hummus
1 tortilla wrap
pepperjack cheese (to spice things up)
cheese grater
cutting board
sharp knife
skillet

Instructions:

On the cutting board, chop up the onion and the garlic; slice the bacon strips into quarter-inch pieces.
Sauté the bacon, onion and garlic in the skillet over a medium heat. Add the olive oil.
On the cutting board, cut the chicken strips into quarter-inch pieces, slice the strip lengthwise. Add the chicken to pan, along with the black olives.
Cook ingredients for 10-12 minutes or until bacon is crisp and the onion and garlic are sautéed. Remove from heat.
Heat the tortilla in a microwave for 25-30 seconds. Remove and cover the wrap's interior with the hummus.
Add contents of the pan to the wrap. Cover with grated cheese to your satisfaction.
Wrap things up and enjoy!

Not too bad for a meal made on the spot! I'll definitely be making more of these in the future. A quick and tasty recipe to feast your eyes -and stomach- on. And if that doesn't put a smile on your face, perhaps this will: a parting photo of my assistant in the kitchen, Miss Ophelia herself.

So treat your eyes -or stomach- on a tasty wrap and we'll see you for the next update of Edible Art by Leonhardt.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

2009-07-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Craigslist is often a source of jobs and gigs for any creative that knows to visit on a regular basis. At times, though, some of the gigs posted are too rich for words. Such as the following:

beautiful/hansome pool person (Burien)
I am having a party for my daughter and need someone to stay by the pool for 3 hours.There will be other adults with the kids (mostly 11 year olds)but last time I could not count on them to stay there or make sure another adult was supervising.You can wear your suit,lay in the sun,swim and eat.I would prefer someone very attractive as I feel it will help to keep some of the adults by the pool.I need you to be there on Friday July 24th from 3pm-6pm.Please reply with photo.
Location: Burien
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: $30 cash

For $30? That doesn't sound like too much pay. Seems like this woman is fishing among the dregs for this one. She's obviously not going for the refined, well mannered cabana boys with a payment like that. They say be careful what you wish for, but can you imagine this poor mother's reaction if she received a photo like this one attached to an email?

I don't know if it's only me, but that guy is exactly the type of person I see responding to the ad. Perhaps this woman should save herself the hassle and stay by the pool on this one. Me? I'm flagging the ad for Best of Craigslist. Consider this another cautionary tale from the guy bringing you the vitamins for your optic nerves.

A Place in the Clouds

2009-07-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

I can't stop looking at the spread Ken Hayden has in this month's Architectural Digest. Ken shot the principal photography for the article back in March, and I cranked out the photoshop editing within that week. It was a great shoot to work on and Ken's images make the apartment look amazing -and I was there. I remember how stunning the apartment is!

Jennifer Post also did some fantastic work with the Miami Beach high-rise apartment featured in the article and Ken's images show it. The photos make me want to take a looong vacation back to Miami. If they don't do the same for you then we need to talk, mon ami.

Now if there was only an easy way to continue working for Ken all the way out here in Seattle... I'm open to ideas and suggestions!

Because a Diamond is Forever

2009-07-13T06:25:00.001-07:00

Call this a cautionary tale. Going through some old text messages the other day, I found this gem (I guess the pun was intended) of a picture message I sent out back in March. While assisting Ken Hayden on an architectural shoot, I found the following picture in an old magazine jewelry ad:

Now, just because a diamond is forever doesn't mean you throw in a poorly placed lens flare. This isn't a JJ Abrams movie. Why, oh why, did they place a lens flare on her right hand? It looks very.... suggestive. To say the least. I do think that this is my favorite jewelry ad in the world. I wish I could say who the ad was for. Perhaps De Beers? I don't know. But this goes to show that adding unnecessary special effects just for the sake of doing so doesn't always produce the desired result. Chalk up another cautionary tale for the blog. :D

Patriotism Starts Best Young

2009-07-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist the opportunity today for another photo shoot with Ophelia. She is the cutest, calmest and most photogenic baby. If I had time to post all the pictures we've taken of her... I doubt there's space on the internet for all of them! The other day our neighbors stopped to visit and gave us a wonderful present -a patriotic outfit that our Baby Spoon happens to be wearing today. Today being the Fourth of July, I threw another quick little setup together to make the most of my free time before going out to celebrate the holiday with relatives. When you toss a happy baby, an oversized American flag, and a patient father together into a photo shoot... this is what you get. Enjoy! And have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

To Sarah and Jeremy: Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

This time last year I was experiencing Seattle for the first time thanks to my friends Sarah and Jeremy Vanderpool. They were married on July 4th last year at Shilshole Bay Beach Club. Whew. That place was a mouthful to pronounce then, and is still a mouthful now. Happily enough, Sarah and Jeremy are already proud parents! Their son Keegan was born on May 23rd. He's been keeping his Mommy and Daddy occupied and busy since then. Maybe someday he and Ophelia can have a play date together.

In honor of the Vanderpool's first anniversary, I'm posting some of the highlights from their wedding last year. Sarah and Jeremy, happy anniversary! I hope you two pass the holiday in more style this year than you did last year. Here's some nuptial vitamins for those firework-strained optic nerves. Enjoy!

Sarah and Jeremy had their "First Look" at Golden Gardens park. The entire day was coordinated by Merry Beth Turpin, from Aisle of View wedding consulting, and went very smoothly!
The weather was beautiful that day -a Seattle rarity- and we were able to get some great photos!
Sarah's bouquet was stunning and she looked amazing in her wedding dress.
The ceremony was held on the outside patio at Shilshole BBC and went very smoothly, thanks in part to the good weather and more importantly from the great planning by Merry Beth Turpin!
I was able to steal Sarah and Jeremy for a romantic shoot in the bay during the dinner hour, but we had to hurry to make the most of the fading light!

Here we all are at the end of the night! It was a fabulous wedding, definitely one to remember!

'Chiki Chaka' Video Stills

2009-07-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot about this post.. but it's a good one. Earlier this week, I was contacted by musician and tv personality Jose Iorio regarding production stills that I shot during the filming for his music video "Chiki Chaka." We worked on the project back in February. Produced by Gloria Lemmey, of G! Productions, the music video features Jose's hit single "Chiki Chaka." The music video is great and I had a fantastic time shooting production stills on the set. Have a look at the video and the stills from the shoot, and vamos a bailar... enjoy!

Other Film News

2009-06-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Natalie, it occurred to me that I should throw a shout out to an old friend that I caught up with on the phone while driving back from Spaceship Terror the other day. Maurice Davis, founder and president of Maurice Davis Films, is currently producing a film titled Down Home. Written by Gena Ellis, this film has a great cast and will soon be green-lit to go into production. Maurice clued me into his new website -mauricedavisfilms.com- and the splash page features a production still that I shot almost ten years ago on a film of his that we worked on together.

It's a great compliment to have my photography held in such high regard that it is still being used to this day. I wish all the best for Maurice as he completes the pre-production for his film, and hope that our schedules align so that I can be included on yet another project of his. We'll see, won't we?

Still Alive on Spaceship Terror.. for now!

2009-06-28T01:03:00.000-07:00

Well, this week has been a busy one indeed. Right on the heels of shooting Riverpool at Fuel last night, I spent today shooting film stills for Spaceship Terror -the sci-fi slasher being produced by HarWen Productions. Again, due to contractual obligations, I can't post any of the stills until after the film's distribution. I wish that I could. I've been getting a lot of great images on set. What I can do is put up a pic of our on-set kitty, victorious with her kill. I wonder if the image is somewhat prescient for the characters within the film. Who knows! Tomorrow I go back for another full day of mayhem and horror for the hapless crew of Spaceship Terror! Wish them luck!

Riverpool @ Fuel

2009-06-27T02:09:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, it's late. But I promised some photos of Riverpool, so here they are. Vitamins for your optic nerves. Be sure to catch them next time they're in town, they put on a great show! Carey Thomas, the lead singer, can crank out the vocals. The band's raw energy is matched by his own. The guys played a few new songs tonight, testing material for their upcoming album. It was awesome. With Justin Ankenman and Chris Halleck flanking Carey, Matt Arnits is poised behind to deliver that final auditory blow. The further Riverpool's set progressed, the better I was able to capture some great images of the guys playing some rockin' music. Fuel got rocked tonight. Riverpool play next at the Tonic, down in Portland. See you there!

Building a Fan Base

2009-06-27T00:23:00.001-07:00

So I set up a fan page on Facebook to further promote my photography and the blog. Feel free to follow the link to see the various albums and styles of my photography. I'm excited to promote via Facebook since it allows me to post images that I have shot in the past, whereas I generally use the blog to update with current images.

Earlier tonight I shot Riverpool playing a show at Fuel in downtown Seattle. I literally just got back. Uploading the pics to the computer right now. Riverpool had a great raw energy and were good performers too. I can't wait to start editing the photos. I'll definitely put some pics of Riverpool up sometime tonight.

Enjoy the vitamins for your optic nerves when I do. Posting them soon. :D

My 'Lucky' Day

2009-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

So on a different topic, some of my Recognoscere images will be on display in Wallingford today. The Lucky 7 Barber Salon will be showcasing my images. It's a nice step away from focusing on the fashion promoting -which I love shooting- and dealing in the fine art arena of my photography -which I also love shooting. Here are the images that I am putting up on display:

Joining the Mayhem

2009-06-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

So today I joined Model Mayhem. I put together a nice portfolio of my fashion images and uploaded them to the site. After waiting an agonizing period of time -less than a day, really- for approval to join I received a friend request almost immediately. I am excited for what opportunities may come from this new way to network. You can hit up my profile here.

And in case you have some terrible accident with your browser and can't access the portfolio I uploaded there, you can see it here. Enjoy! Vitamins for your optic nerves.

Shot during filming of José Iorio's 'Chiki Chaka' music video.
Fashion portrait shot off the Savannah river front area.
Promo image for aspiring actress Salone Jones.
Photo study for a fashion design by Yuliya, a friend from college.
Fashion portrait series shot in South Beach.
Promo image for aspiring songwriter Tommy Gardner.
Fashion study for a design by Yuliya Dymchenko.
Fashion portrait series shot in downtown Savannah.
Portrait series for bodybuilder Jaime Roberts.
Promo image for aspiring actress Salone Jones.

Ophelia's Rose

2009-06-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today Natalie and I set up a fun newborn photography shoot with Ophelia. I've been wanting to do a few things with some of the roses from the bushes around the house, since Rose is the middle name of her aunt Nadia -my sister, who happens to share a birthday with Miss Opal. Here's the product of our afternoon effort. Enjoy!

This was one of our first attempts. Ophelia didn't seem to like the comfy blanket, so we switched to a black felt cloth instead.
And with that small change, our little Baby Spoon was out like a light. She seems so peaceful...
Can you tell we started to get ambitious once we realized she was sound asleep?
Ophelia definitely will not lack for pictures being taken of her growing up. I believe we've shot something with her every day since she joined our lives. Ah, the perils of having photographers for parents...
My, my, how cute. Someone shows a little love for her Daddy on his birthday. How sweet!
Yes indeed, nothing better than having a fun little shoot with my fun little pumkin on my birthday. An afternoon well spent!

Earning Residuals in Eastern Europe

2009-06-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons that I always try to watermark my images is due to a story that I stumbled upon thanks to Sheryll, another friend in the photog business. She posted it on her Facebook -as did I- but I felt like posting it up on the blog. The news has broken world-wide about a Missouri family's Christmas card photo being used in promo ads in the Czech Republic. Take a look at the images for yourself:

The original Christmas card photo above, as posted on the family blog.
And this is what a college friend discovered while traveling through Prague:

The Associated Press article says it best. I'll let this quoted piece from their article sum up my feelings on the matter:

The Smiths and photographer Gina Kelly hadn't authorized anyone to use the pictures. Kelly said she has asked a professional photographers' organization to help figure out how her image wound up in Prague.
Smith has gotten 180,000 hits to her Web site since she recently posted the story about the well-traveled snapshot. She said the photo wasn't used in an unseemly manner, it was just used to tell potential shoppers about the store's delivery service.
Smith said next time she posts a photo on the Internet, she's going to lower the resolution or add an electronic watermark to make it hard to reproduce.
"This story doesn't frighten me, but the potential frightens me," Smith said.

So the moral of the story is protect your images. There is no clue as to where they may end up being used. After all, in a situation like this how does one go about beginning to earn residuals in Eastern Europe?

A Family Matter

2009-06-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

I love being a Dad. It's the best because I get moments to shoot great photos like this one here.This past weekend we went to the Salish Lodge & Spa. It was a much-needed mini-vacation and we enjoyed ourselves. Now that we're home again, I'll be posting some images of the great waterfall that was right outside our room. So hang on to your pants, more vitamins for your optic nerves are on their way!

Aidan and family milestones

2009-06-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

In the crazy rush of my own fatherhood, I forgot about an important milestone for one of my younger brother's. Aidan, my brother Matt's 1-year old son, took his first steps today! The last time that I saw the little guy was during my Eight-day a week trek from Miami to Seattle. My family had a celebration for his first birthday at a local park in Louisville, KY. Aidan is a very happy baby, and my family adores spending time with him. The little guy had quite the turn-out for his first birthday, plus an uncle photographer ready to shoot pics of the entire event. Here are some of the highlights from Aidan's special day:

You can easily see here how Aidan feels about paparazzi invading his space! Haha, it's actually Kat, his Mommy, angling for a good photo.
What everyone loves about Aidan is the little guy's personality. You can catch a glimpse of it here.

Although I don't have a good photo of Matt pushing Aidan on the swing, I do have this picture instead. Being in the swing was a highlight for Aidan's birthday party.

Here's a great shot of Kat pretending to be in the movie Up.

Xander, one of my other nephews, teamed up with me for a few photos by the tree.
Here's Xander doing his best to get up into the tree.

One of my secret talents is finding four-leaf clovers. I found one for Aidan, but he tried to eat it. So I gave it to his Mommy for safekeeping.And this is one of the final shots I have of the birthday boy. He won't be needing this stroller for much longer now that he can walk! As excited as I am over my daughter's milestones in her new life, it's just as great to hear about those being reached by my nephews.

Branching out onto Youtube

2009-06-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

So these days it's usually the later hours that I've been able to find time to do any kind of work, now that Ophelia is a permanent resident in our home. Our schedules have been uprooted and now our entire focus is on our beautiful daughter. With that in mind, I try my best to grab some editing time around midnight -when Natalie and Ophelia are both grabbing some sleep between nursing times.

One of the projects that I've been slowly putting together are photo slideshows. I've done a few of them in the past, but recently realized that posting these videos on Youtube is a great way to further market my photography. Since I have yet to finish any videos -being a new father and all- I thought to post this satirical Youtube video about Creative-Client relationships placed in real world situations:

In Miami, I worked for many other photographers whom dealt with the exact behaviour that this video exposes. Earning a living as a creative can be a brutal and tough business, especially when dealing with clients like the ones in the video. Thankfully, there are people who do value the effort a creative artist puts into his/her work. They are the people that make working as a creative the fun and fantastic job that it is.

Like I said, I'm still working on my own Youtube videos/slideshows. I'll post them as soon as I can. Until then, you'll have to wait for your weekly dosage of vitamins for your optic nerves. :D

"Celebrating the Arts in Full Bloom" Art Festival

2009-06-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

On a different note than the posts from yesterday, I wanted to mention that I've been selected to participate in an art festival here in Tacoma. The festival is called "Celebrating the Arts in Full Bloom." It's being displayed this Saturday at the Tacoma Stake Center, one of the many LDS churches in the area, roughly between the Tacoma Community College and the Highlands Golf Course. If you can, I encourage you to attend. The program runs from 10 am til 8 pm and features fine art, music, performing and literary arts of local LDS artists.

I have two pieces of my fine art photography that I will be showing. One image is a popular favorite from the post-Katrina series that I did in Mississippi, another is from my travels abroad in France during the summer I lived in Europe. Both images demonstrate the different mediums of photography that I am adept at -film and digital. They are fine examples of my creative work. The festival coordinator has praised my photography as "adding another dimension" to the exhibit and with everything else that is in the program, I'm happy for the accolades. So be sure to make plans and attend! It's an all-day event!