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Down in the Delta

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:04:43 +0000

I’m from the Delta. Home of wide open flat spaces. No exciting scenery, no tall buildings, subways, or buses. Heck we don’t even have cabs. If you are not fortunate enough to have a car you are pretty much screwed and have to pay friends to get from place to place or walk. So I was in my hometown of Clarksdale, MS this weekend and came up with this crazy idea to shoot this street at the break of dawn. I’ve been passing by it for a few weeks now thinking man this would be an amazing photograph. I’d gone thru all the different angles and times of day that would be capture it. So this Saturday I hauled myself out of bed unwillingly (I was incredibly sick this weekend by the way) and got the shot I’ve been seeing for weeks now.

Memphis Pharaohs

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:58:35 +0000

So I finally made it to one of my boss’ basketball team’s games. He coaches for the Memphis Pharaohs here in Memphis. They are a relatively new time that came together November of last year but they have been doing very well on the court. They always welcome new talent so if you know any good players check out The Memphis Pharaohs fan page on Facebook here.This was one of my first times shooting at a sporting event (I’ve shot football before) and it is like a whole different ball park in comparison to what I’m used to. Just when I think I’m going to get a great shot of a player he passes the ball. Needless to say it was indeed fun and a great learning experience. Here are some of my shots from the event.

Amazing Black and White Animal Photos

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:06:49 +0000

I’m such a sucker for black and white photography. Its just something about that nice rich black that is just so visually pleasing to me. The simplicity and purity of it lures people from far an wide to marvel at it. Most people can’t help but to stop and stare. I think that’s what keeps it around considering it has to compete with its opposite–color photography.

I don’t have much experience photographing animals. They never can seem to sit still for me! Once I wanted to get this amazingly awesome shot of an ape but he insisted on keeping his back turned to me just to laugh at my vague attempts. Today I have compromised some of my favorite examples of black and white animal photography from the web. Hope you enjoy!

Tiger black and white III | chriskaula

White Majesty | spike83

Owl in Mono | left-handed

Polar Bear in Tierpark | kanoagr

Sleep mode | Richard H. Hüttemann

Chimpanzee | andreas lem

not well behaved … | andreas lem

Elephant | Catherine Ashley in a Tangerine Sky

baby Mei Lan | A Pandographer (Cassie)

Ok so I know this one isn’t technically black and white but I just had to include an image by this photographer. When I ran across his work I was absolutely blown away by the magnitude of how great his photos were. I’m generally fascinated by size I guess its because I’m relatively short but the image below made me feel like i was 2 feet tall. This image did such an amazing job showing scale! If you would like to see more work from this amazing artist be sure to check out some more of his work by clicking here.

The Fraziers

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:47:44 +0000

I just love shooting winter weddings! Mainly because I’d choose anything over the raging summer heat that usually comes along with summer weddings in the south. It can be a little difficult sometimes when you’re lugging around camera equipment and running around from place to place. And as always I’m always nervous before a shoot. I can’t explain why and I honestly hope I never outgrow it. It keeps me grounded. This was my first wedding I shot where I didn’t know the bride or groom prior to shooting their wedding. So far my friends from college have basically been helping me put food on the the table lol. It’s great to know that my range is extending and God willing will continue to grow. But I definitely see potential for growth. I’m passionate about what I do and I absolutely LOVE my job. I can’t begin to thank my best friend, Angela, for giving me the push I needed in college to chase this seemingly crazy dream I have.

Black History Month: Lauri Lyons

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:50:55 +0000

“Learn your craft, shoot what you really care about, and don’t give up.”

As a African American growing up, I really didn’t have a lot influences when it came to the arts. My parents weren’t really into art or knew a lot about it. I didn’t have more many people telling me that art was cool or something to go into. Even when I decided to take it seriously and make it a career there was still a lack of African Americans in the field. In college there were maybe 10 of us in the whole department and I can’t say that I even remember us covering African American artists when we studied art history in any of my design an photography classes. We sort of had to find our on influences.

Since I’ve been working professionally, I’m always looking for more African American artists for inspiration. Its always great to see more of your people in your field. And there is even less female African American photographers around.

I was thrilled when I found out about Lauri Lyons. She’s a great inspiration. She grew up in the Bronx and earned her BFA in Media Arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1993. She has worked for BET, The Source, and Essence Magazine. In 2003 she was the first black woman to shoot a cover for Fortune Magazine and in 2006 shhe was the first African American female to be represented by a major stock photography agency, Getty Images.

Click here for her full biography.

Clarksdale High Senior

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:18:40 +0000

I’ve been waiting a long time for my little cousin to finally become a senior. Since I’ve been working more professionally as a photographer I’ve been itching at a chance to shoot some senior portraits. These are just the first session we did and I learned very quickly how goofy seniors are lol. Man I miss those times–life was so much carefree back then. No bills or work to worry about at all. My biggest concern was where I’d sit at the lunch table or whether or not I could get away with not having my shirt tucked in for the day (yeah our high school was pretty strict with the dress code). Even then I was the geeky kid walking around with a camera all the time. I should have known then that this is what I’m supposed to be doing instead of wasting a year and a half majoring in biology in college. Fortunately I was able to find my way back to art.

Absolut Music

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:12:12 +0000

Here’s a photo shoot I did for my friend Rickey. He’s an aspiring songwriter/singer/producer. He pretty much does it all as far as music is concerned. He even helped me out a little bit with piano (I’m still working on finding more time to practice). This was the first shoot I did where it was terribly freezing outside and to top it all of I FORGOT my gloves! I was still happy none the less. The people passing by in the street cars were pointing and waving. I never get used to feeling like a professional nowadays. I can really start to see growth with my work compared to when I was in college. Those days seem so long ago.

Here’s a little more about him that I grabbed from his bio section from his blog. He was born Rickey Darnell Thomas Jr in West Helena, AR. He is currently making a name for himself in the MS delta as a potent songwriter with a refreshing distinct style. He blends pop, hip hop, soul, and alternative music to create his sound. Hopefully with a steady grind and a truck load of potential some major labels with take notice.

Here’s the link to his site. ABSOLUT MUSIC

Hamilton Wedding

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:49:50 +0000

This was my first big wedding that I shot back in December 2008. I was so nervous and excited at the same time! My absolute favorite picture was the picture of her and her dancing. I was laughing so hard I almost missed the shot lol. I went to college with the bride and she’s actually the person who got me started with weddings. I started with this one wedding and it just snowballed out of control lol! You never know where you will end up sometimes.

Jones’ Wedding

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:00:26 +0000

This was my last wedding from this past summer. It’s always nerve racking when you know the couple personally when shooting a wedding. I was so nervous. I wanted to do a great job and not let anyone down. Not to mention the groom was my frat brother and I had one frat tell me I “better not mess up,” –talk about pressure. None the less, I think I did a pretty good job. And to the bride and groom–I wish you all the best in your marriage and your future together and thanks for giving me the opportunity to shoot your wedding day.

Thanksgiving

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:16:38 +0000

“I would rather be able to appreciate things I cannot have than to have things I am not able to appreciate.” —Elbert Hubbard

So every year for Thanksgiving I’m the appointed family photographer. I can pretty much give up trying spend Thanksgiving elsewhere lol. I’ve been shooting my family professionally for Thanksgiving for three years now and I think I enjoy it more than they do.

I like looking back on the pictures and seeing how my family has changed these past couple of years. Also taking family portraits is the best way to get the family together. We usually spend a lot of time laughing and talking. I wish there was someone else in the family that was a photographer so that I could get better shots. It takes a lot to swing the group together just for the main shots lol.