I love downtown Asheville…It’s full of colorful nooks and crannies. Seems like each time I visit I end up walking up Wall Street.
This HDR image was processed with Photomatix.
Wall Street, Asheville, NC
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There Goes My Dad!
Today is the first day of my dad’s retirement! (Congratulations Dad!!!) Here’s a photo of him doing one of the things he loves…speeding thru the Great Smoky Mountains on his mountain bike. This action shot doesn’t begin to tell the story, though. I’m telling you…my dad can shred!
(Love you Dad!)
Clown Hierarchy
Did you know that there’s a hierarchy in the world of clowns? The clowns that have their faces painted white are at the top of the food chain. (Think Bozo the Clown) You’ll never see them getting a pie in the face or taking a big spill. They’re the ones pulling the pranks.
These pictures were taken behind the scenes at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Tampa, FL. ’Taylor the Tailor’ is making up Amadeus, a Jacksonville TV and radio personality. Neither of them have the full white face paint, though. (Look out guys, you could be in for some pranks!)
Yvonne – Jacksonville Photography Meetup Group
If you’re into photography, meetup groups are a good way to meet others who share your passion. I recently joined the Jacksonville Photography Meetup Group. I’ve only been to a couple meetups so far, and I’ve already met some great people and learned lots about using off camera flash.
This shot of Yvonne was taken in St. Augustine, FL. For lighting I used a SaberStrip, which was engineered by a member of the visiting Tampa Bay Strobist and Photoshop Collective group. It’s a very cool light modifier!
Ty
Ty was my willing subject when I wanted to try out some new flash equipment…a Wescott Apollo softbox. If he had been wearing his soccer jersey I could have added some orange beads of sweat to his forehead and created a mock Gatorade ad. 
Ty & Mandy…
Not a creature was stirring…
…well, that’s not entirely true.
This photo is made from 9 different exposures…But I bet it took a million snaps to get the 9 shots I used. The reason: RDS (Restless Dog Syndrome). Like clockwork, I trip the shutter for a long exposure and my dog stays still for about 2 seconds, then licks, scratches, looks at me or walks away…leaving me with a blurred image. (It’s sooo hard to get good talent these days.) Thankfully, she finally stayed still long enough for me to make this image.
This is one of my first HDR photos. I used Nik HDR Efex Pro to process it after reading RC Concepcion’s “The HDR Book”.
Here’s to a Merry Christmas filled with love, peace and happiness.
p.s. I know I need a better tree skirt. Don’t hate.
Sinterklaas is coming!
I have to admit I had never heard of Sinterklaas until a recent photo shoot with my friend Jacky & her baby. Jacky brought some props including these Dutch wooden shoes…a family heirloom.
Traditionally, children in the Netherlands leave their shoes (wooden or otherwise) out by the fireplace in hopes that Sinterklaas will put presents in them on Dec 5th. They put carrots or hay in their shoes for Sinterklaas’ horse to eat…and they leave a saucer of water in case the horse is thirsty. And just like Santa, Sinterklaas knows if you’ve been naughty or if you’ve been nice.
I don’t think I’ve been too naughty this year, so I decided to give Sinterklaas a try. I hope his horse doesn’t mind sharing a water bowl with my dog!
Here’s my favorite pic from the shoot with Jacky…Such a sweet moment.
Boris
This guy is a character. He recently stayed with a friend of mine who was obsessed with trying to part his hair. I love dogs, but I had an unfortunate run-in with a standard poodle once. (you know who you are). All I can say is Boris is cool!
Mandy
My sister is a big time DIYer. Most of these shots were taken in a bedroom she just remodeled.
This earring holder is one of Mandy’s unique creations. Just take an old picture frame, some chicken wire and voilá! Pretty cool!
Miranda – Senior Portraits
I’ve known Miranda for a while now and she sure has a flair for fashion. We shot her senior portraits in downtown Jacksonville.
