2011 recap, where to now???

2011's come and gone, time for a new year and new direction...

Maybe I'm just stuck in the annual winter funk that all creatives go through....It's been a great year and a very rough one at the same time.  One moment I want to just give up, push harder, bigger, better, faster, the next...

I've shot quite a bit this past year.  I've created lots of images that I really love yet I hate them at the same time.  I've watched my studio grow into a wonderful thing and then lost it all.  I've had the opportunity to reach my dream career with Phase One combining my love for photography with my technical background from working in IT, and I had to turn it down.  I've invested tons of cash into equipment that I've lusted for the longest of time which just sits idle.  Images I've made that I'm the most proud of have caused me the most grief with my loved ones.  I've submitted my work to studios for consideration to make a change in careers to be told my work is entry level at best.  The one photo that I loved the most which won a little contest I later learn was only chosen because those in charge thought I was a professional photographer and that I would bring them business, what a blow.  I was also asked by Leaf to submit images to their gallery of Leaf users to represent their brand, while I'm honored my work just fills so out of place amongst the legends that are in there.

I'm tired of feeling like I have to only shoot what others want me to shoot or apologize for what I want to shoot...I just wish I could figure out what I want to do and where to go with everything...I want to enjoy it again!

Here's a slideshow of some images that were shot in 2011 that I'm somewhat happy with creating...

The wrong way to do street photography :)

For mothers day my wife wanted me to take her shooting downtown so she could play with her new film camera I bought her for her birthday recently.

Since I haven't used it in forever, I decided to take only my Phase One camera with the Leaf Aptus 22 back. I haven't shot anything digital in weeks.

Normally you would think that this would be the absolute worst system to use for street shooting.  In the normal conventions of what street shooting is about, it really is yet I got some of my favorite results yet!  Typically you want to use a kit that is fast and as less distracting and discreet as possible.  A Phase One 645 AF is as far from discreet as you can get.  I might as well been standing in the middle of the road with an old graflex yelling at everyone to remain still with a bull horn.  When people hear the sound of that shutter "thwack", they jump!

So what do you do when you can't blend in and everyone notices you? focus on them!!!

This day has always been a tough day for me.....

When I left for Basic training, I wished that my father was there to say goodbye.  After my graduation, I searched the crowds of families hoping I'd see him.  I was told during my promotion that it was a great honor to be the first airmen to be pinned our by new commander, but I really wish it had been my father instead.  When I completed my service and returned home from Germany, he still wasn't there.  He was activated and deployed yet again to the middle east.

Though most military families count their time of separation from their loved ones in months, we literally count his time in years.

During my time in the USAF, and all these years after I've been kind of bitter.  The one thing I wanted most during my service was to stand before him and throw him the proudest salute ever. 

It's not until now that I've realized that what he was doing for me and the rest of us was his way of saluting me. Thank you Chief!

Explanations of insanity...

Wow, it's been awhile since I've been on here.  Looks like I need to blow the cobwebs off and explain a few things.

First a picture, as no one really reads blogs, they just want images.  lol

Monae, Straight out of camera.

A friend of mine made a comment to me on facebook the other day stating that she was worried about me due to some recent posts of frustrations, so I thought I'd post what's really going on.  It's not that any really reads my blog anyway, but it's another way for me to put down what I think as I don't normally have anyone to verbally express it to.

I am just fine, just a little frustrated.

I am not that great of a photographer, at least not where I want to be.  It will come with time I'm sure.  The problem is that I've come to a point that to continue progressing where I want to go where I can't do it on my own, nor do I really know anyone here yet that is willing to help me reach these goals.  To make the images I envision requires talent beyond me like wardrobes, hairstylist, location, assistants, etc.  I'm still relatively new here to Charleston, and still haven't really formed a network of the above.

Going to these resources as an unknown, no one seems to help unless a dollar figure is first asked.  I understand this and whole heartedly believe in paying the professionals, but I can't give what I don't have.  I do not yet get paid as a photographer, nor does anyone want to pay a photographer that isn't already being paid it seems.

I know it sounds pathetic, but being a photographer is all I think about.  I loose too many hours of sleep thinking about shoots, when I do sleep I've even found myself dreaming about being at workshops of those I really admire.  When I look at people walking down the street I think about how I could compose them, etc.  Sometimes, I even get worked up to the point that I even feel sick when I want to do something in particular and not having what I need to pull it off.

Sometimes, I do think that I get a little too excited and annoy the few friends I do have asking for help and just wanting to always talk about shooting.  For this I apologize, yet I don't as it's because it's what I love to do.

Through the lens of a 7 year old.

Today I would like to grace you with the art of my 7 year old son Mathew.

Last weekend, my brother and I took my son with us for a little bit of street shooting on King Street.  When we got there we decided to arm him with my wife's Canon G10Canon Powershot G10 14.7MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.  It made me proud seeing how into it he was.  I expected to see him just randomly pressing the shutter button, watching him composing shots was so cool.  I can only hope he maintains the interest in photography that I have.

I shot a little a little bit myself experimenting with just shooting from the hip literally, hence my photos not being sharp.

On to the little photo masters pics!

My Brother, Ashley.

My ugly mug.

I really like this image for some reason.

Kinda Cool, probably could use B&W.

I can't figure out why but this one is freaking awesome!  I like creepy shots like this.

Pitt Street Bridge....

Sorry I haven't been posting much.  New work schedules and other things, life as usual.  I have still been shooting lately, a lot actually.  Especially with lighting with my new ring flash.  I'll get caught up and get them up on here eventually.

Today after a lot of the usual house work I just needed to get away for a bit.  I didn't really have any inspiration so I just went down to the Pitt Street Bridge in Mt. Pleasant to walk about.  Of course, how could I go without my camera?

Of course, I'm not really one to just wander aimlessly.  I really like to plan my shots, so naturally I had to throw away a lot of images as they were just crap.  These here really aren't that good, but decent enough that I'm not too embarrassed to post them.

Frustratingly, I went the whole time shooting with my 70-200 2.8 and forgot that I had my 300mm lens with me.  That would've been much better as much of my shots were of birds.  Hindsight is always 20/20.

Sneak peak pics from the Sensuality Project...

Wow!  Two posts in one day!

I must say that shooting in a venue like this is much different than anything else I've shot before so please go easy on me.  The rest of the photos are uploading and will be available in a day or two.  You can find them in the client gallery section of http://www.MGimagery.net

So, let's get some pictures going...........

The beautiful and talented Diana Deaver herself (on the right)

Lots of Beautiful people there tonight.

The Man of most awesome talent himself Eric Bradshaw enjoying Diana's work.

Fine young couple there.

So many expressions in this shot, I wish I knew the reason for this one.

Models everywhere!

We had a shootout :)

I love this guys style.  When you see him around you know it's a party!

What's a party without some music?

So many ways I could caption this one...