OOPS..............................

Life can be hard ......even for Santa..........

Have a great Holiday !!!!!

PEACE...........the end..

After the Japanese musicians, acrobats, and dragon dancers finished their performances Peace Wave, the Americans, took the stage and ran through our performance which consisted of some original songs finishing with Amazing Grace sung in Farsi and English which was a hit. Backstage I looked at Quigley and he commented that we, our group, really needed to get out of Baghdad as we had no hostages at that point and the scene was starting to look pretty dicey. As the words came out of his mouth the opening cords to the Beatles song "Help" flowed through the arena.

On the Japanese side of the group there were four guys that wore leather pants and jackets, had Ducktail hair and were accompanied by their "manager". They spoke NO English. Peering through the curtain these four guys were playing and singing the song in perfect English and sounded just like the Beatles. It was like an open invitation that we accepted as we gathered in front of the stage and started dancing. Once we got out and started we started to wave the Iraqi audience down to join us and we rock and rolled with them until about two in the morning.

The Iraqis in charge were a bit taken back by the event but were powerless to do anything other than watch. They were videotaping the entire event and about two they started to try to shut it down. Before they could though our Peace Voice ( The Japanese ) and Peace Wave ( The Americans ) Banner was flown to the roaring sound of "Johnny B. Good." We wanted to have Peace and retrieve hostages.

We loaded on to buses and were taken to the Japanese Embassy where we finally had dinner and were able to relax. There were two American Professional wrestlers that were part of the Japanese group that were a big hit when they took on a couple of Iraqi wrestlers, Captain America, and G I Joe. Interesting conversations into the morning.

Stairway to Heaven in Baghdad

As promised last week I'm adding some never before scenes from The Sports and Music Festival in Baghdad. This Festival was our chance as Peace Wave, to secure the exit from Baghdad all of the Japanese hostages that were being held by the Iraqi's one month before Desert Storm. I went to the soccer stadium one evening to watch some matches and encountered one of the Japanese participants
that was a National hero among the Japanese Kite makers.

As I walked into the stadium I saw, what I can only describe as, "a stairway to heaven".  A kite train is one kite attached to a line that holds many more along the line. Ascending out of the stadium was the train of 500 kites being flown by this Japanese gentleman. I can't tell you how overpowering this sight was. I have never seen such a display of power in my life. Perhaps you need to be a kite flyer to appreciate this sight, but for me, it was awe inspiring. The next day on the floor of the Palestinian Hotel where we were staying the same man was painting on a sheet of rice paper. As his brush flew over the paper I saw him create an image of a Geisha  holding an umbrella and looking at the viewer. He took this drawing and made a rectangular kite which he gave to me as we were passing through customs in Japan.

We attended several of the events before our games in Volleyball, Basketball, and of course the Music Festival. The line up in the photograph of the arena is of the Japanese Judo team preparing to start their match. Tomorrow or by this weekend at least, I will post the image of the ending celebration of the Festival. It was a moment of excitement and proposed promise, that was all inclusive throughout the arena.

Maple Leaf Portraits...a Tradition continues....

Well I'm packed up and ready to travel to Carthage Missouri for the annual Maple Leaf Festival and

facebook.comthe Morgan Studio Portrait sessions. The One Shot started close to 33 years ago as an outgrowth of our St. Ann's Portrait sessions. We always held it on the Friday before Maple Leaf weekend and after completing the Portrait sessions for the morning and afternoon classes I opened it up to families of the attendees of the school. It has blossomed since and  is has allowed many families to be able to watch their families grow up on the walls with a Morgan portrait. I've included a few shots from the past. 

Proof.....

The outpost of saucers........... I've noticed we weren't the only home in the area that has been invaded....there are several outpost around us....this may take a homeowners association meeting to discuss options..............

NEWS FLASH !!! Martians in the front yard !!!!

I looked out this morning and saw their habitat constructions......constructed quickly overnight.
I have evidence that I'll get on the web this afternoon if not sooner. A complete colony. This looks like just the start. Check back !!!!

Fall is here......

Today was my day to get outside.....I took the day off. I guess I hadn't realized with the heat that Fall is here and I found the proof under my feet. I can remember as a kid collecting pockets full of found treasures like this that, inevitably, if not for my Mom would have ended up in the washer. I guess all kids are the same...everything I did had never been done before, and each day held surprises just for me. Looking back I can see my Dad talking with his friends about time gone by and what they did as kids, in days made just for them. They too had their own pockets full.

Senior Portraits continued....

Every Senior deserves something different in terms of imagery. Primarily this can occur in location, lighting, attitude, or a combination of all of the listed factors. This is the one of the reasons for my required  consultation with the client and their parents. The last thing in the world I want to do is to create a line of "look alike" Seniors. Yet it happens all of the time as I look at my clients billfold portraits of their friends from other studios. I wouldn't want it if I was a Senior, and I won't deliver that type cookie cutter images to my clients. A typical session with me will last two to three hours, sometimes broken up into sections to capture the right light for the different areas where I photograph.  To be continued...................

Senior Portraits.......

The heat has finally stopped and with the oncoming rains from the Hurricane it is going to be a great Senior Portrait Season. My Seniors have always been distinctive primarily due to the fact that I only use a background once for each client. It belongs to them. I started this policy in the early 80's for two reasons. I wanted my Seniors to be distinctive  and I always wanted to keep myself continually searching for more challenges. I love this type of challenge as it keeps me at my best and every client image is different. Over the next few postings I will show you some images from the past as well as new clients after they make their selections. This is going to be fun........

Another story from Byron...

As many of you know, Byron Morgan and I had a company in the film business that was to produce some of his scripts in the late 70's and through the 80's. It was Byron that was responsible for getting me involved in the rescue of the Japanese hostages in 1990 that were being held in Baghdad. The story of that adventure is in an earlier installment here on the blog. I woke up yesterday with John Paisleys' name in the forefront of my mind. This is the story I got from Byron......

Byron went to California to partake in a program which was called Life Spring,  a series of self awareness classes and exercises. In the classes bonds were built between members present and Byron connected with John Paisley as well as several other individuals. Byron explained to Paisley that he was a writer/producer for NASA and Paisley said he worked in D.C. also. They exchanged phone numbers after the event so they could reconnect when they got home. Byron told me that he tried several times at the number Paisley gave him but was consistently told that there was no one there of that name. Byron was perplexed as one of the main points of the Life Spring event was honesty. Byron eventually wrote off  the meeting as "the way it was".

One afternoon Byron received a call with the other end of the line stating that he was John Paisley, and they needed to have lunch. Byron accepted and at the meeting Paisley told him that he was sorry he didn't reconnect but he couldn't because of his job. As far as anyone was concerned he didn't really exist, he worked for the CIA. Because of this and his responsibilities with the organization, he didn't reply to Byron's calls. Paisley went on to say that he had retired and now was free to meet, which they did on several occasions as they both had military backgrounds.

I was talking to Byron one day and this is where the story came from. I had seen in Time Magazine
that a body had been found a few days after a boat washed ashore in the Potomac not far from the Russian Embassy. It was the body of John Paisley and it was reported that he committed suicide. Because the body had been in the river for several days identification was made by dental records.
Byron went to the funeral and noticed three distinct groups attending, Friends, CIA, and a Life Spring group. Byron had a lingering set of questions concerning Paisley's passing. It was ruled a suicide with with a gunshot to the head. Byron thought that IF it was a suicide, Paisley would have burned the boat as part of the sendoff so to speak, and Paisley was shot in the back of the head. A few days after the funeral the Dentist that identified the dental records retracted he assessment. he didn't think the teeth matched Paisleys' records. Byrons'  assessment of the whole thing is that Paisley jumped the fence and joined the other side. Paisley was pretty idealistic according to Byron and may have thought he could have changed the course of history by his actions. We'll never know.`

The light......

I had an interesting series of conversations with a photographic friend of mine over the course of a week or so and it got me thinking. He was pretty blunt in the statement that the most recent images he had seen on the blog were low contrast and not much color. I disagreed in most cases, not offended, just thought it was a matter of inexperience and lack of vision on his part. I say that after looking at his images, large 30x 40's and smaller shots in bright light of race cars, tulip fields, and flowers. His eye saw a different subject in a different light. I will admit I shun direct sun but have used it to my advantage many times. I just like the quiet light. I'll do some more images today and post them today or tomorrow. Come back to see if you notice the difference.

And the Winner issssss....................

Ok................I love the muted color and the black that seems so soft. It's all in the lighting.

I'm satisfied.

Mushrooms revisited in white.....

Ok....I tried it again on the white background with  different"subject". A little broader smile this time but I still feel as though the black may be the way to go.

New Mush..they're everywhere !!

In spite of the devastating heat we have been having Mushrooms still continue to pop up. These came from a neighbors yard which could make them felony mushrooms as I didn't ask if I could take them......check out the police blotter if you don't hear from me. I tried the white on white instead of black and I don't think I'm truly happy with the result. I think today between sessions I'll try it on black with maybe some different lighting. Stay tuned in.....

Fire !!!

It seems as though I'll never learn..with the fires  50 to 75 miles away from us I didn't photograph the sky. It was absolutely amazing. The smell of burning wood with a tinge of man made material floating  through it, greyed the sky into a yellow green grey patch which can only spell disaster for someone. The sun was a faint light glowing white through the fog. I'll never forget the sight.

The new family.....again

We have had an amazing number of rabbits in the back yard ever since we moved in. I looked out yesterday and there were 4 hangin' out and as I looked at them I noticed they were nest building. These are some of the shots I took for the record and I'll keep you posted on their progress.  

Moving grass....

Several years ago we were in Paris walking through one of the parks. I spotted a clump of long grass/weeds and really liked the color in the late evening light. I decided to use a slow shutter speed to add to the "look" of the image. As I was photographing it I was reminded of a shot I made in 1986 with my 4 x 5 on the Washington coast. It is perhaps the best reminder of time I have made. Once again a slow shutter speed with waves breaking over a fallen tree. The water falling off the log became a moment in time we never see............in fact, speaking of never see.... I had left my dark cloth on the end of the tree that I photographed .......and I didn't "see" it until about ten years later as I looked at the print.  ( Go Ansel....) I'll try to get the image scanned and let you see it.

Great lookin' Peppers

Love salsa...like peppers and these are going to taste great.........I really like the light.

Sleeping Walrus........

Another day...another look. I see what the problem was with the veggies that didn't want to be photographed. It was all attitude and perspective. I was looking at them in the wrong light....no pun intended. These are not zucchinis, OR cucumbers.....I lost the seed pack and really not sure, but leaning to zucchinis, these are Walrus's disguised as veggies. Case closed....

Maple Leaves...

As promised a couple of days ago the Bonsai Maple leaves. These are actually the Godzilla mutation of leaves. I have neglected to trim the branches of this tree because it was hidden under the wisteria and they just kept growing. Generally the leaves are small and petite but these got away. I promise to do better......

Black & White-Mushrooms in the yard

I had to mow the yard last week as we don't have enough goats to keep the grass in check. As I started, I noticed a mushroom that had sprung up a few days before in the front and decided that it would be a good exercise to check out my metering with the grey card. I picked it and photographed it in morning light the next day. I have a distinct love for the taste of mushrooms and like the look of them when exposed properly. Hope you enjoy the images.

Stay tuned for some Senior Portraits as the booking are starting to roll in. Enjoy !!

On a mission...

Today I'm going out to continue filling out my new book of images that will deal with the city of Tulsa. I've been collecting the images I have over the last several years but not with any reasoning involved...it's just what I do...collect images. I've played around with some treatments and kept some straight....it all depends on the images. Here are a couple and I'll keep you posted as to the progress.

Sold OUT !

Just thought I'd pass the word that my Alaska book has sold OUT ! I'll probably go into a second edition soon but I'll look out for any inquiries before I do. I have another image book in the works so I really don't want to spread myself too thin. These are a few of the Alaska images that I like but didn't make the book.

On a Commercial Job...

I often refer to Commercial Jobs assuming that everyone realizes that a "Commercial Job" deals with industry. The shoot could be for a "Glamour Shot" of a product, an image for an annual report or print advertising, a video for a client for television, a portrait for client for print purposes or a Board of Directors, or even a before of after shot of something being revitalized for clients. As an example of the before and after shots....I am shown here in a machine shop photographing sections of a very large machine that is to be rebuilt by my client. It is huge and will take three months to totally rebuild. The financial saving to my clients client is remarkable, and the rebuilt machine will be like brand new for considerably less than a new machine would cost. I'll let you see the rebuilt shots when we photograph them. I love my job.

Rainy New Orleans

I just got back from a stay in New Orleans, and it only rained twice. I lived there in the Mid-80's and it is a City with a unique soul. The people all have a musical step and a light heart, which is what you need to survive there. A friend of mine, Joe Bergeron, a photographers photographer, his wife and Karen and I met and had dinner in the quarter one evening. It was great-the food was amazing-and company fabulous.

When it rains in New Orleans, the toads chock there is so much water. We were at Brennens, just arriving and the sky let loose. You can always spot the tourists....they're the ones that run looking for cover. We watched the rain and listened to the thunder....we had a great time. I love the light during, just before or just after a storm. It is soft and "clean".

Long time gone....

I am sorry for the delay in resuming the blog but I have been incredibly busy. Here are some shots from one of my last commercial shoots. This assignment was to collect images for one of my clients to use in future announcements concerning activities drawn around Memorial day. It was a fun shoot and the day was perfect.

Memorial Day...

WOW !! What a time it's been since I last wrote in my blog. The most recent project I've been involved in was a commercial assignment with one of my long time accounts, Memorial Park Cemetery. It is one of the finest cemetery's in Tulsa and has been an account of mine for years. Commemorating those that have passed  that served in the Armed Forces, Memorial Park made Memorial Day a time of recognition.

The grounds have several areas and monuments dedicated to those that gave their life for our country.
The event was staged near the WWI Veterans Memorial with the Tulsa Community band furnishing the music and several military dignitaries present. The attendance by the public was amazing and I captured some fabulous images of the event to use in next years advertising of the event.

Well it's been a long time gone so to speak with a lot of water under the bridge. I forgot my password and just remembered it ......so much for senior moments. I'm pressed for time now but I'll get some images up in the next few days and let you know whats been happening. Hang on....it'll be worth the wait.

Spring has sprung..

Although it didn't seem as though we had a Winter, and the threat of a final frost is always around in March, I think we are in for a long Summer with a very short Spring. Late last Fall I started to design the back yard into " Studio" areas. When I was in Carthage I had done the same thing with different areas in town which gave me exclusivity with my imagery. In doing this I kind will serve several different purposes.

I like to create environments for shooting that are multifunctional, meaning that as the days light changes, so does the look of the area in which I'm shooting. This also will work with the season. By pre-planning the "lighting " look, I can create a formal studio lighting outdoors and not be stuck with a bunch of accessory reflectors and an assistant that doesn't understand the look I'm going for. I can also "Style" the look for the area through different textures and colors. The yard is being terraced so I will have different levels to use giving me more angles to take advantage of. This is going to be fun, and really expand my capabilities for creating images exclusive to me. Just looking at the images it will be readily apparent  that it came from me.

A recent session

Sorry I've been so silent-business has been keeping me away. I had a fabulous Executive Portrait session last week with two of my clients. They are a couple that are in closely related businesses. He is a Headhunter fulfilling Executive positions around the country, and she is a resume writer of amazing skill. She is publishing a book on achieving success within the job market and needed a portrait for the cover, and he needed an update on his professional portrait.

Because of the old say concerning first impressions, it is very important to put the best foot forward so to speak. We successfully did this with these portraits. I was approached several months ago by an individual that was in charge of a seminar concerning job hunting and it was explained to me that IF I would show up with my camera lights and background I could probably shoot 20 individuals at $ 10.00 a head. For the ten bucks that were expecting a retouched head shot file, and I could net $ 200.00 !!
I promptly turned the offer down for several reasons. The primary reason was time/money/quality.

In the session I had with the couple above, we took basically three "looks". One session individually,
and one session together for a total of three sets of images. The total number of shots taken were 78.
From the 78 images, there were 16 that had possibilities and of those there were 6 that were very good and three that reached the top of the ladder.

I retouched the three and delivered the images to my clients. The time factor was close to four hours and the billing was between $ 300. and 400. dollars. To deliver these portraits for any less than this would be senseless. The software necessary, equipment cost, and time are what compile the costing of this type of event. My clients realize that their imagery IS a first impression so they come to me first. I appreciate their knowledge of marketing and desire to stand out above the crowd. It was a really fun shoot.

The ticket into Lebanon....

We continued our conversation concerning the trip and expectations. He outlined that the main goal was to establish work for the population that was largely adept at hand work, but overall lacking in formal training using modern machinery. We continued talking for an hour or so and I asked a simple question,
" Would I fly into the airport in Beirut or elsewhere ?" There was what seemed like a longer than normal pause and he slowly answered.

Prime Minister Hariri was really liked by all the religious factions, my soon to be more distant, friend said, and as a gesture of good faith he would give me a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" to keep in my billfold. I guess I had a look on my face of disbelief as it was immediately explained that IF there was an altercation and I got caught up in the action, all I had to do was to give the GOOF JFC to my captors and they would let me go. I asked rather discretely, how would I get into such a situation...??? I was THEN told how I would get into Lebanon.

It seemed the only way to do it was to travel to Israel, leave my passport there, and be taken into the country by the Prime Ministers friends. BUT !! No worry !!! You will have the GOOF JFC !!! How much safer could it BE !! You don't really need a passport..Show the card.....YOU'RE FREE !! Have you ever had you life pass before your eyes ?? What m I doing here, I thought. Images of shot up walls. burned out cars, empty streets, and the evening news filled my immediate open brain spaces....the conversation didn't end then, but very soon after.  My travel agent had given me the pictures of the city, some letters signed by Hariri, and a business card....I headed home. We didn't converse again. Several years later I came across the business card and called the number. It was answered by a man and I explained who I was and referenced our conversations concerning the trip. There was a long silence on the other end....who is this ??...came the voice.....I don't think I know you......click. It was the number on the card, and a new mystery. What if.....

An unexpected invitation...missed opportunity ??

I woke up this morning very early thinking about an offer extended to me shortly after I returned from Baghdad in 1990. I had been in the local news with interviews of the trip and had been talking about it to various groups....the noon time entertainment so to speak.  I was sitting in my studio in Carthage when the phone rang about 10:00 and a man introduced himself explaining that he had heard about my trip to Baghdad and wanted to meet with me in Tulsa to explain a potential business proposition. The deal clincher was that he'd buy lunch and really didn't explain much more than that. He did say that it had great financial potential and we could work together and do well. We set a time and location to meet, and in a couple of days, we got together.

I met him at the agreed location and I listened as he laid out the proposition. At that time Rafic Hariri
 was the Prime Minister of Lebanon and Hariri was a relative of this man's wife's family. Beirut, the capital, was known as the Paris of the Middle East due to its financial center status, and extensive fine architecture. Fashion was on a high note and life was very predictable.  I didn't know much about the politics of the region other than it was rocky and religiously oriented.

The gentleman explained that a coalition of the different religious sects the Sunni's, Shi'a, and Maronite Christians were held together by Hariri, and although there had been recent problems with them getting along, Hariri was still respected by all parties. The rival factions had pretty well torn up Beirut as evidenced from the photographs he had taken several weeks before when he was in the city.
Sides of buildings missing, bullet holes in everything, and streets that were impassible.....due to burned out cars.While there he had met with several commissioners within the government and they asked him to try to arrange a representative to travel to Beirut to meet with them and Hariri to set up manufacturing businesses within Lebanon to get the people working and economy stable. He wanted ME to go.

He thought that I would have contacts within the business and manufacturing community and some "pull" ( After all....I helped secure the release of hostages...) and get a company or two to set up a manufacturing base in Beirut and employ the people. In addition to having the ground floor opportunity to start the new industrial revolution within the country, I would be well greeted by the government representatives and Hariri, and would be given the standard gifts of swords, rugs, and assorted other items well worth over one hundred thousand dollars whether my efforts succeeded or not. I was still listening.  ( To be continued )

A few January ducks......

The weather has been really strange this winter. Almost like Spring everyday....but there's still February and March. I found some ducks this morning that seemed to be oblivious to the month. The images seems to have a Japanese feeling to it, a "print" quality.

Alaska, The Book

I will receive my proof of the Alaska book I am publishing on Tuesday. Needless to say I'm more than excited. The book will consist of 40 pages ( 20 pages, 2 sides ) of images I collected this last fall while in Alaska. All of the images are in color and the book is 12" x 12" ....perfect for your coffee table. I have several images that are new favorites and one especially, of the wake of the ship. It is almost mystical to say the least. This is sort of like waiting for the secret decoder ring.....is it here yet ?? I'll keep you posted.

The Maddest Guy in Kansas......

Running down the Blue highway headed west we were on high alert after seeing the Dinos and the Pasture Sculpture. This trip could probably get to be even more interesting. Kansas is flat. The longer you drive the more you realize it....I'm keeping the car between the Barditches Kieth. Up a head traffic seems to be slowing. Some people are getting out of their cars and walking the fence line where there seems to be some type of movement on top of the posts. There is a slight breeze. Some just moving by in their car....looks to go on for three quarters of a mile. Hot Damn ! Another Roadside attraction !!!

I drive a bit and see we are receiving messages from the fence. The messages aren't squeeks.....they are shouting at the top of their visual lungs ! KICK OUT THE SCHOOL BOARD ! NO MORE ILLEGAL TAXES !!!!! on and on. This guy was mad at everyone. Using the farmers tools of display, people were constructed from plowing disks, Smaller round disk head, larger round disk body,and scrap iron arms and legs. Ears were sheet metal as were the noses. Everyone had BIG ears. These "people" were stationed on the hedge fence posts holding a sign that read of the problem of concern the creator had. Being extremely creative he would take cans, slit them giving them wings, and mount them on rods so that as the wind blew you could read complete sentences as the cans turned. The most amazing part of the 3/4 mile Fence of Complaints was that it was about half a mile out of a very small town. Individuals were named by the plow shear "people" and gossip was rampant on the sides of the spinning cans. There were all sorts of accusations, implication, and just plain bitching. Today I'll locate the video of it and drop in some snippets. It will be worth the return to see.

I believe I'm correct in saying though, that several years ago a tornado ripped through the town destroying everything, probably even the 3/4 Mile of Complaints.
Strange things happen.

Don Quixote rides again !!!!!!

As I said yesterday we were traveling the"Blue Highways" across the flatness of Kansas on the way to Denver. We had marveled at the dinosaurs in the front yard of a farmhouse that were true works of art and I really thought they was cool and unique. Didn't expect much more from the long flat.......just keep it between the bar ditches...thank you Kieth Hall. Bar ditches are the proper name for the drainage ditches that run along country roads...Kieth says so. Radio playing and cruising and suddenly to my right in the middle of a field, I spot a Cubist Buffalo.

Buffalo brown in color, and an angular shape as if Picasso had drawn it, the buffalo seemed to be running across the field. Closer visual inspection revealed a Cubist Indian riding a Cubist horse, shooting Cubist Arrows from a Cubist Bow. There are a lot of angles to the story.........I slowed down.

Taking in the total view of the pasture I realized that I was driving beside another Kansas Field of Art ! There was a Windmill which was patterned after the ones you see in Holland, WITH A GUY IN FULL ARMOUR RIDING A HORSE CHARGING AT IT....DON QUIXOTE !! There were 4 excellent sculptures running down the hill, Pan playing his flute led the group with a boy doing cartwheels, a girl skipping, and a boy pushing a hoop with a stick. He was taking the children from the village. Absolutely astonishing.

All of this really makes me remember some of the people I attended College with.I was always amazed by the sculptors vision and talent for making the vision reality.
Whoever made these sculptures thankfully had the foresight and talent to capture the visions and make them real enough to share them with strangers on the road. What a great gift.......and totally unexpected.

Tomorrow.........the maddest guy in the world.........or at least in Kansas.

Roadside Attractions

Ok...the hacked hassle is over ...all passwords have been changed and the computer cleaned out....HOW SCARY IS THAT !!!!

Going on the road again soon as I have an account that has encouraged me to travel to their town and produce some Senior Portraits for friends. I love the road trips because Karen and I travel the "Blue Highways". They are the blue roads on the map that always take longer and have more character. We've seen some pretty amazing stuff.

Highway 54 west out of Nevada Mo for instance has the Not so Famous Yellowstone Park. Passing down the road, headed west, we suddenly notice dinosaurs in a field to our right. We stop. I think it was a Sunday as no one was home in the house, we knocked, so we looked around this farmers front yard. I didn't realize that two oil pans from a V-8 could make a dinos' head. Camshafts are neck bones, the disks from an old plow make great scales.....it was amazing. He must have had 25/30 life size (I guess) beasts around his house. Obviously he had several things going for him. A great imagination, mechanical ability, time, and an understanding wife. I'll try to locate the pictures....Loved that trip. Don Quixote's coming up along with the Cubist buffalo.

Frustration !!!!!!

GOT Hacked !!!

A new challenge. My email got hacked yesterday and evidently bunch of junk got sent out in my name. I am sorry if you received any of it and some changes ere being made concerning my email address. I will keep you posted. Hopefully this won't happen again.

Mike

If your mail is returned due to a bad address call me and I'll give you the new one that should be up after today. 918-760-1575

Last weekends Senior Session

I have spoken in the past about relationships that have been built through my career with clients and their families. Last weekends session is a good example. I had received a call from a former client asking me to photograph his son for his Senior Portrait and also include the family. We scheduled the session for last Friday. As the Dad was growing up in Carthage, the location of my first studio, I photographed his family and even HIS Senior Portrait. Soon the wedding bells were ringing and I photographed his wedding in Dallas, I as I remember. A few years later I did family portraits in Hawaii for them and we've kept in touch since. I was pleased to receive his call about the session, it had been years since I had seen the family. These portraits are the a few of the results of the session, it was a good time.

The Cityplex Towers

Every now and then old visions come together and can be made into reality. The planets align so to speak. As we were coming home from the store it appeared as though the moon, in its' full state, would be able to be seen rising between the towers of the Cityplex, which is basically across the street, west of our home. I grabbed my camera and tripod and drove down to the parking lot to gain a vantage point. What's seen in the minds eye is seldom the case in reality. ( Refer to Platonic Ideals ). I drove behind the building and due to the location of an electrical service transformer, a fence, a few vehicles, and the close quarters with the street, building, and other unexpected items, there was no way I could get the angle I needed. I don't give up easily so I walked to the northwest through the parking lot. The moon was rising and it was getting darker and I was losing the western fill light. You never notice how fast the sun fades unless you need it. Tonight it was sinking like a rock.

I found a location I liked and banged off a few exposures. The designer of the building was using his head in the design of the top of the building. He extended the "reach" upwards of the corners of each wall to visually extend the height of the building. Pretty foxy idea. In the photograph this effect is even more visible than it is if you look at it from the street. Great building, fun to shoot.

5000 !!!!!!!!!!

I just checked my stats on Google and amazingly enough this blog has been up less than two years and has been read by five thousand people. I find that truly remarkable, and I thank you for doing so. There's more coming at you......

Yesterdays Senior Session...

We had a great time ! I may have mentioned yesterday that whenever I photograph a Senior Session I try to get the whole family involved.....it worked again. We got all combinations, Mom & Dad, Brothers, the boys friend that moved from Dallas to Tulsa and the boys, and the entire family. The session took four hours but it was truly worth it. We primarily worked outside and casually as that was the preference but the locations made the difference. On bright days, as yesterday was, I have to scout primarily secondary lighting, and sometimes that in itself can be a problem. I've been in Tulsa long enough to know where I think the light will be right for virtually any location I select. This quality of light changes throughout the day, and with the seasons with the shifting of the sun from North to South. I must have a gazillion options.....I haven't used that word since I was 10. Tomorrow I'll Load some images.

New Images.....

I just confirmed a Senior Portrait session with a client of mine from Pratte Kansas. I have photographed the family for years starting with the parents Senior Portraits, Wedding, and family portraits in Hawaii. We will dedicate Friday to the session and it should be a kick. The weather is projected be in good shape and I have some really interesting studio shots in mind. I have some sites that are exclusive to me and quite frankly, I can't wait. Of course I'll include family portraits within the session both inside and out. I'll post images from the session next week.

New Expectations

Every new year brings the usual resolutions of new things to do, start, finish, or move on. This year will be different. Before the magic day when the slate was wiped clean, I had a thought on working smarter and intend to follow that thought throughout the year. I've been a believer in positive thinking for most of my career and would wait for things to happen as I had projected. As I have grown older I have noticed that nudging the process really doesn't hurt any. In fact....duh...you have to. The decision makers need to be reminded that I have a service and vision that can make them enhance their products and increase sales.

I have noticed one particular industry here in Tulsa that is responsible for adding millions of dollars in sales to the economy and employees a thousand or so employees. I can help these companies become more visible as to location and style. I have really not seen any great images of them in their advertising and have test marketed two of them with outstanding success. Stay tuned for the results....the marketing plan goes into full swing next week with the first mailing to the prospects.

The new year .......2012

I did something I today I thought I'd never do and have struggled with quite frankly for years.
I boxed up my RB67 Camera, 4 lenses, three backs, filters, and prism viewer and sent it to NY to find a new home. My film days are getting very close to being over. I still have my Linholf 4 x 5, lenses, and film holders but they are probably shaking in their boots. That set may be next.

The digital revolution has been so encompassing that virtually no present media source has not been changed. First it was sound, then printing, now imagery, still and motion. All along the path the computerization of processes have leaped out of the bushes and complimented the production side of the creation. Not only in time savings, but creative innovation has been expanded.

This brings into the forefront the question of education and taste. It seems as though anyone can be a "photographer". Snapping a bunch of shots and then selecting the "best" doesn't really fill the bill. The nuances of the trade, from lighting, preconception, finishing, and client designed imagery, actually are the keynotes separating the pros from the wanna be's. But there we go, a client MUST be able to see the difference or the professional hasn't lived up to the expectations of the client OR his peers. I have a truly great profession that has allowed me to fulfill many of my life dreams taking me places that I thought I'd never see, meeting people that have been truly amazing. Primarily because I knew I could produce what I said I could in terms of imagery. I generally know in advance what I want as an end image/product and how to get there. That is becoming the lost art of photography.

When I'm looking for a certain feeling in an image I figure out in advance what the conditions should be like in a given environment to get me there. Then I need to figure out location, how to light for that location, the "style" of my client and time to shoot. This is why, during my consultations with my clients, I have so many questions. If I don't know what THEY want, how can I satisfy their wishes ? I love my job.....