Pushing Pixels

Finished images from the Spanish Vines - Spring 2009 - Bottle Shoot

 I didn’t really have any actual Spanish music on my iPod when I went into the studio last night for the Spring 2009 Bottle Shoot for Spanish Vines, so Buena Vista Social Club had to suffice, to get me in the mood (yes I know its Cuban, not Spanish, but the vibes are similar, and that was really all I needed).  The one thing I love about working in the studio on a small shoot like this, is that I can put on some music, sip a drink, and work at my own creative pace, even though the client needed the shots turned around extremely quickly.  Not too long ago I would have dreaded being stuck in a dark studio for an hour or two, but I guess with age has come an appreciation for the opportunity to slow down and work at a more relaxed pace. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: advertising, apple, canon, commercial, demo, digital, photography, product, studio, tether, tutorial, wine.

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, takes the high line into turn 1 at Darlington Raceway, during the 60th running of the Southern 500, on Saturday, May 9, 2009, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

The clock showed it was 2am, as I made way home to Columbia in the back seat of Mary Ann’s car early Sunday morning, following the 60th running of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, in Darlington, SC. I was completely drained from two non-stop days of making my way around the “Lady in Black” while on assignment for the Associated Press, but was content as could be, and didn’t mind the fact that it would be 3am or later before my head hit the pillow. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ap, assignment, associated press, car, darlington, NASCAR, photography, photojournalism, race, racing, sport, tire, track, work.

My first fine art photography show Symbology, installed in the black box theatre at the Columbia Music Festival association.

As I sat on the porch where I currently live, listening to the water fall in the Koi pond, and trying to catch up on growing email inbox this morning, I ran across a facebook message from a few weeks ago that new friend and fellow artist Anastasia Chernoff sent, after visiting my photo show, the subject of that message was “The after-show glow…”  In her message she equated the emotions of putting your first show together, to giving birth to a baby (something I’ll never know about), and went on to say “…the opening night was all so beautifully surreal. An incredible high that, to this day, STILL resonates within me when I think about it.”  That last statement is something I can now completely understand though.  Now that I look back on the whole experience of my show which closed at the conclusion of the 2009 Artista Vista three weeks ago, it STILL resonates within me, and I’m sure it will continue to, for the rest of my life.  While my entire life has been a complete whirlwind for the past 3 months, filled with the stresses of work, travel, putting on my first show, and trying to buy my first home, I sit here this morning feeling the calmest, and certainly the most content I’ve been in the past 8 months, all thanks to the wonderful friends, and family who now share my life with me.

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Tags: art, artist, gallery, photograph, photographer, photography, picture, show, video.