Just finished up a very last minute photo shoot with Session. They’re based in New York but, they are playing on campus again for the second time this month. We are happy to have them back. Please check out their website. The guys were great to work with. Listen to me, I sound like I’m trying to be a pro or something. The truth is they did me a huge favor by giving me some of their time. I tried to be quick, from the first frame to the last, exactly 10 minutes had passed. I’d never shot a band before. So, I just wanted to take a stab at it. I’m happy they agreed to go along for the ride. Hope they can get some use out of the images. Here are two slightly edited shots.

Yesterday (4.22.08), I convinced my longtime friend, ex-EKU track star, fellow Oldham Co. native, and Olympic hopeful, Dallas Robinson to allow me to photograph him for the Richmond Register, EKU and whatever other media outlet that may inquire. Below are a few photos from the shoot… also a couple different examples of varying color treatment.

I was watching “She’s All That” this past Sunday and one of the underlying conflicts of the main character is the pressure he feels to continue in the footsteps of his father. You see examples everywhere of fathers putting undo stress on their sons to do what they do… to love what they love… to continue where they’ll leave off. It’s easy for me to say I will never do that BUT, if I’m honest, I have to say that it is a powerfully moving thing when Connor displays certain aspects of my personality. Is it vanity? Probably. Is it Pride? Absolutely. Is it okay? Only with the strictest sensitivity I suppose. I experienced a moment of pride like this last Saturday at the Crocs Tour Concert Series featuring Fabolous, One Republic, a great new band from New York called Session and a local band, Solace. I had been trying to get Connor to look through the viewfinder of a camera for couple months and finally that day I just stuck the camera up in front of his face and he put his eye to it like he’d be doing it since birth. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted everyone to see it. With his eye pressed to the cup like a pro he started composing his shots and I just pushed the button. Now, Connor doesn’t have to grow up to be a photographer but in that instant I had his entire future planned out. I could imagine us shooting the Super Bowl side by side and bushwhacking trough a jungle eating bugs, climbing trees and covering a Michael Faye… esque explorer as he documents a new route through a remote region of Africa. My mind really works that fast… are you impressed? Below are two photos. The first is a photo Natalie took of Connor and I at the beginning of the night when he became a photographer. The second is a shot Connor took of Fabolous. It’s pretty well composed and low angle and dept give the viewer a very personal experience of the concert. It’s actually one of my favorite shots out of all 1,900+ images captured that night. Not bad for his first assignment.

This photo was taken yesterday (4.27.08) at the Spring Football Game by Nat on her phone. He was actually pressing the shutter release this time. He really liked the sound it made. BTW, pretty decent quality out of a phone.

The blog was down for a couple hours today while I upgraded to the latest version of WordPress. Probably could have been quicker with it if I would have used my brain.

Early this morning I was dreaming about Connor and just before I awoke he said to me… “All that I can ever be is a likeness of you… be gentle, be patient, be kind, teach me, hug me, love me… and show me you do everyday.” I began this Saturday morning, teary-eyed and thankful.

Connor’s first beach sunset. “Bye-Bye.”

This past Saturday we took a trip to Natalie’s home town of McCreary County and we stopped by a kids festival of sorts that was sponsored by a church from Somerset. We couldn’t miss an opportunity to let Connor have some fun doing his favorite thing, sliding. I wonder if he will be a professional slider someday. That would be cool cuz I’d probably get major discounts on some really rad slides.

This is a photo of one of Natalie’s high school teachers having a good time with his family.

I found this link on RobGalbraith.com It’s of special interest to me because I grew up right next to the Kentucky State Reformatory. I drove passed it everyday on my way to school for 3 years. It’s haunting to look at from the road. I always wondered what it was like on the inside. My friend Jesse is an employee at KSR and actually met Jenn Ackerman, the grad student behind this story, when she came to do the project. It’s a pretty grim look on the inside of something most people will never experience or even think about. Please check out the full project, Trapped: Mental Illness in America’s Prisons, by clicking on the link.



Trapped: Mental Illness in America’s Prisons from Jenn Ackerman on Vimeo.


The story about EKU junior outfielder Dylan McMaine ran today in the Richmond Register. What a powerful story! If you have a moment please check it out online. Sports Editor, Nathan Hutchinson did a masterful job. He could not have done any better with this sensitive matter. I admire Nathan for being a human first rather than a journalist. I hope his words offer the McMaine family some peace and reconciliation. It’s a tremendous way to honor the memory of a father’s ultimate sacrifice. Dylan, rest assured that the answer to your question is a resounding, YES. It’s what’s in the heart that defines the measure of a man.

The photos below are of EKU junior outfielder, and Madison County native, Dylan McMaine. As of 3.24.08, McMaine is hitting .339 with 3 homeruns. In my three years of watching Dylan play I’ve come to know him as the guy that produces the runs when they are needed the most. I don’t know him well at all but, his focus is steady and unmistakable. This is my second shoot of this kind with one of EKU Baseball’s finest. Look for one of these photos to run in the Richmond Register soon. By the way, it was much colder that day than the photos let on.  My biggest regret concerning this shoot is that I did not produce more variety in the poses.  I was dealing with many variables… creating space between Dylan and I and Dylan and the lights… all while trying to keep everything from falling off the dugout.  One of my Alien Bees actually did take a dive but it survived by landing on it’s reflector.

This is just a cool test shot after I switched lenses. If you look to the left you can see my friend and Assistant Sports Info Director, Steve Fohl… hi Steve.

This might not be a great shot by many standards… maybe not even by some of my own. However, this photo represents a turning point in my sports photography. This is the best live action tennis photo I’ve ever made. I don’t have many opportunities to photograph this sport. In past attempts I’ve tried shooting from a hill that allowed me to see over-top the fences that surround the courts. For what ever reason… this time I decided to actually breech the perimeter and make myself at home right on the court. The main drawback to shooting from this location is having to crouch so low that it makes it difficult to maintain proper focus of the athlete because of the high horizon of the net. But, I didn’t want to stand and be too obvious. Also, I learned to just really let my shutter fly. Now, some of you that are photographers might say… “you should have learned that a long time ago!” Well, I did… but for some reason I’ve always held back a little. Not today. I let the Mark III do it’s thang and I got a lot more shots with the ball in a decent position within the frame. Funny side note about the ball in this photo is that I nearly took it off the 300 2.8 I was looking through. Actually, I never saw it coming… not even through the viewfinder. Because of that, I didn’t even flinch… which had to made me look like a badass.

Johannes John, EKU Sophomore Tennis Player from Dresden, Germany

It doesn’t get any better than this. Connor coming home from “school” and just happy to be alive. I have to believe that we all felt that way when we were kids. What happened? Moments like this remind me that happiness is in the smallest little details. We spend too much time waiting for something big to happen that we miss out on the sweetest parts of the life… the moments that make each day unique. I’m fortunate to be a photographer. Every now and then I catch a special moment… either for me or someone else… that perpetually offers a taste of the past and a frozen memory you didn’t know you couldn’t live without.

These are photos of EKU junior pitcher Christian Friedrich. Friedrich has been selected as a 2008 pre-season first team All-American… and the 2008 pre-season OVC pitcher of the year. He has been rated the 6th best major league prospect by Baseball America. Also, according to Baseball America, his curve ball is the best in the country. Lighting was inspired by the photography of Mark Cornelison of the Lexington Herald-Leader.  I’ve been a fan of Mark’s sports portraits for as long as I’ve known about the guy.

Am I the only heterosexual 27 yr old male that will admit to liking (in the 2nd grade) the song Hangin Tough by New Kids on the Block? You know what… it’s cool. I have a kid… his other parent is a female. I think it’s evident I like girls. Not that there’s anything wrong if a male doesn’t like girls… whatever. The photo below was shot yesterday in the Fitness and Wellness Center on campus. My good friends Mark and Brian helped me with the models and the space. I saw this angle a little over month ago when I was walking around the building looking for potential “shots.” I had an idea of how I would light it but, you never really know until you get in there and start shooting. The shadows created by the features and holds of the wall were something that I had planned on but, they turned out better than I expected. I love contrast and grain. So as soon as I did my first light test I knew it was gonna be fun. When O.B. the main character in the photo showed up with his mowhawk I knew he would be my focal point. Apparently, he’s a very capable climber (I think its the hair) because I basically explained what I had in mind and he just started doin stuff and I started shooting. I also have to mention that I had him on the wall and holding poses for quite a while and he never once complained. The “spotter” on the ground to the bottom right is Matt. Brian (the one previously mentioned) is the guy belaying the climber in the pink. The female climbers in the background are both Allison… not the same Allison… different ones.

At the suggestion of our friend April, we took Connor to get his hair cut at a place in Lexington called Kiddie Kutters. It’s a “salon” for kids. There was a pretty big slide right when you walked in. As you might imagine, it was a big hit with Connor. All the seats were cool things like planes or trains or tractors. And every station had it’s own TV so you got to watch your favorite movie while getting your hair cut. Despite our highest hopes… he cried the entire time. He couldn’t stand the clippers. Below are four photos: 2 before the cut and 2 after. They aren’t necessarily the best representation the experience but, they are some of the cutest.

This photo was taken last Saturday night at the EKU basketball game. I shot it from where I was sitting on the side of the court. This was the moment just after my son’s first kiss… French Kiss (if I’m going to be accurate). The beautiful little girl trying to get Connor’s attention in the photo is Emily. Her mother, Anne who can be seen just to the left of Emily, is from France (hence the French part of the kiss). Apparently, Anne and Natalie were prodding them to kiss and they did. I saw the action happening from the court and grabbed the shot. Somehow, I don’t think that kiss would have happened had Simon (Emily’s dad) and I been with the kids instead. Simon is an Asst. AD so, we were both working. I guess I owe Connor a big high-five on this one… I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. A little French girl and all… you gotta hand it to him. Sorry Simon. The man in the middle of the action is Skip Daugherty, a longtime fixture at EKU and a good friend of mine (and many).