Wow, I haven’t had an update here in a while. With the cold weather moving in, it’s hard to find the time and the motivation to do photography. Finishing up with school for the semester and work tend to get in the way as well. The ideas are there; it’s not a lack of creativity or want. Photography is always in the back of my mind, and hopefully soon I will be able to spend more time shooting, and less time just thinking about it.

Here is a link a friend of mine sent me: http://www.pictorymag.com/. It’s a nice showcase of images along with stories that’s very well designed. I love how the photos are displayed, filling the browser window, really giving you a sense of scope and size. You get a feeling of being there, in the scene where the photo was taken.

So, this is a personal website right? It doesn’t have to be all about photography. Another interest of mine is running. It’s not necessarily about being in shape, although that is admittedly a nice side effect. No, for me it’s about pushing myself further and further beyond my own boundaries. That may sound cliché, like some Lance Armstrong quote, or part of a Nike promotion, but it’s true. Getting in to the perfect stride, hearing the breath escape your mouth, and being entirely focused on getting through the next 1000 yards, and the next, and so on. It is both a form of escapism, as well as a way to feel like I’ve accomplished something for the day. This run was mine, it was my effort, and I saw my own path.

Farthest Run: 7.89 Miles

Fastest Run: 9’39”

Visit my Nike+ page.

The past few weeks I've been looking over my self portraits and my location shots with models and feel like there is a certain lack of intrigue or story in my photography. A blank stare with no emotion says nothing, and doesn't hold interest.

I went out at 7:00AM to a park I've shot dozens of times, a "safe bet" location with a couple, Stacy and Michael. I was aiming to shoot more cinematic, or emotive portraits that don't look like they belong in the back of a yearbook. I still have some technical kinks I need to worth through; some of the science of light escapes me.

I had a few ideas in mind and I think I succeeded on some level, but still need a lot of work. Michael and Stacy were fun to work with and open to my ideas and random experiments. Half the fun of doing portrait work is meeting new people, and sharing creative ideas.

I'll post some of these in my Photos>Portraits section soon.

I'm at a point in my photographic development where I'm tired of doing senior portraity safe shots. It's all too easy to fall in to a rut of taking a model in to a field during the "golden hour" and shooting them in the late afternoon sun. Obeying the rule of thirds, taking some of the environment in to the frame, processing and calling it a day. I want to tell a story, and evoke thought. The problem is, what story do I want to tell? What do I want to say with my photography? I think that "story" is what gives you your style; the look that defines your images and the way you convey yourself as a photographer, and as an artist.

Maybe it's that I've seen a lot of Memphis and I'm becoming jaded to the locations here. They've all been done over and over again. Urban decay, or ambiguous "girl in nature" shots have grown tired and derivative. I'm not frustrated nor do I think I have some creative block to overcome, I just realize it's time to step it up a notch and grow beyond my current abilities and habits.

This weekend I have a photo session lined up with Stacey, whom I met through Maria, a friend of mine. It's time to push myself, and see what happens.

So this has been a hectic week for me, juggling school and being behind at work, and trying to keep active with photography and still finding time to sleep somewhere in there. A friend of mine was talking to be recently about heading out to California to meet an Uncle he has not seen in years, to learn more about his Dad who had already passed away. Before he had a chance to leave, his Uncle passed away, a day before he was to fly out to visit him, losing that perspective on his Dad's life forever. It's sobering, and makes me realize my stress is so trivial.

It made me realize how fortunate I am to still have my parents around, and be able to talk to them in the present, and appreciate our relationship as a family. This is my Mother, who doesn't approve of her photo being here, but I felt I needed to share it. My Mother and Father both have always supported my art, my education, and my life. I don't think they know how much I appreciate them. I'll post my Dad soon.

In other news, I submitted a short letter to Zack Arias for an internship possibility. If you haven't seen Zack's work you should check it out. Not only is he a remarkable commercial photographer, he's also devoted to giving back to the photography community. Check him out: http://www.zarias.com