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.....

The pieces fall into place

In May of 2010 I made an entry called "Lucky Breaks" on my blog. In it I referenced Byron Morgan and the trip we made to Florida to discuss a film project we were wanting to start concerning the salvage of sunken treasure from ships that went down a couple of centuries ago. Byron had made a connection with the man that brought the first gold to the surface from the Atocha, one of the largest finds to that date of gold. Mel Fisher had given him 11 treasure maps as part of his payment for the years he had spent searching for the Atocha with Mel. We were going try to put together a Series for television of efforts to extract gold or silver from these wrecks.

This gentleman knew his stuff and had all of the necessary experience to head up the divers and one of the maps had given up "milk creates of silver" from its location. There was only one problem....it seems that he had made the mistake of delivering a boatload of pot to Bebe Rebozo and was convicted of dealing by the government. According to our new head diver, a deal had been struck with the government (Nixons), for the diver to plead guilty in return for a slap on the wrist and a week or two in the slammer...all to protect the fact that the pot was to go to Rebozo.

Quite frankly speaking this didn't make much sense to me at the time. Why would the government want or care about Bebe Rebozo, who I had read was a "small time player in questionable deals". Made no sense. But with the revelations last week concerning Nixon and Bebe, it sure adds some more mystery.

The Vortex in Alaska....

As I mentioned in my last post I had seen a gathering of rocks at the base of one of the glaciers I'd seen in Alaska similar to those at the vortex in Sedona. This waterfall was coming from the glacier and was marked by someone. In retrospect I can remember feeling the same when I saw it as I did when I saw the pilings in Sedona. An effort from someone to "mark the spot", they had been there.

The Vortex....

We went out to Sedona Arizona recently and have been there many times. Sedona is, as far as I'm concerned, the most typical example of "The West" I envisioned as I grew up. Tall mesas, desert, cactus, and Native Americans in abundance. The air was clear and vistas remarkable. One of our "missions" on this trip was to go to the Vortex's, of which there are around five said to be in the area. I didn't know what to expect. Rumors of energy, enlightenment, and peace within each Vortex, and even some with powers that applied to men more so than women and vice-versa. We were able to even find a map listing each location and a brief description of what to expect....we hit the road.

Vortex number one was at the top of a pretty tall mesa, and somewhat of a challenge to get to. Once on top we had a great view, air was fresh but......felt no energy. We climbed down, and consulted the map. Number two.....sort of an instant replay...nice area.......no buzz.

Number three was located in a State Park, we paid our entry and started to walk along a well worn path. Really nice stream, I took a few shots, and we continued to walk. As we were getting near a bend in the path I noticed a stack of rocks, one on another about a foot tall. My mind flashed back to one of the Glaciers I saw in Alaska last September. To the side of this massive sheet of beautiful ice was a structure of rocks bearing a resemblance to this foot high piece. The one by the Glacier was about 5 feet tall. Kinda strange...but remarkable.

We rounded the bend and walked into an open area with a pink sandstone base rock and an incredible view of Cathredral Rock and the stream that ran beside it. There were about 60 people moving slowly going through the motions of Ti Chi. I stopped in my tracks, The last time I had seen this was early in the morning as I was leaving for Baghdad in Tokyo, Japan. Groups of people were in a flowing unison of motion communing in the spirit of exercise. As I surveyed the area I noticed that some were sitting with their arms folded and heads bowed, others were sitting with their legs crossed and arms out-streached, silent and looking toward the rock that loomed in front of the stream in the distance. A man was playing the flute and the sound seemed to fill the entire area. Depressions in the red sandstone were filled with water which reflected the blue sky.........and there were more stacks of rock.

We progressed across the sandstone and wandered down a path that ran next to the stream. The further we went, the more stacks appeared. We had found the Vortex. I can't possibly tell you of the feeling of being surrounded by the statements made by the piles of rocks. There were thousands of them and each one was made by someone, powerful proof of their existence. The quiet was, on reflection, almost total. The sound of footsteps, quite flute, the water bubbling, and the wind was about all I can remember. Nature has taken its course with some of the stacks, blowing them down, or rain causing them to slip, or an animal brushing against them causing the structure to become just another pile of rocks. I really don't believe there was any human intervention in the collapse of the monuments. They seemed too precious. I became a believer in the Vortex from this trip, and I feel certain that they are all over the world. They aren't an avenue to another place per se, but instead I think, a communication between individuals speaking the common language of humanity. "I Am"

Old friends.....

This is a gathering of a group of Taylor Wilsons' friends that I shot several weeks ago as part of his Senior Session. Like the one I took in 1967 of my friends around the old steam engine...in years to come this portrait group will become more valuable. Good job guys......

THE FROGS........

In the late 70's early 80's some of you may remember the studio car I drove, a 1951 Chevy Panel truck. I had bought it from a friend of mine for $ 500.00 and at the point of purchase it had no interior, was a 6 volt system, was a very bad color of yellow/brown with a primer front end. The name "Video Van" stuck. I had great visions for it and all my Dad could say was "How much did they pay you to take it ?'He lacked my positive attitude and visual nature. I had the front end rebuilt to take care of the shimmy that I experienced when driving over 30 miles and hour. Had it rewired and converted to a 12 volt system, brakes, and then a trip to the body shop. I will be eternally grateful to one of my heroes, Frank Saferight the owner of Grundys Bodyshop in Carthage Mo.

Frank is one of the old guard of the street rod community of the Joplin, Pittsburg, Carthage area. He has owned a great collection of rods over the years that are and were classics of perfection. I knew he could complete my vision and in fact, offered some touches to it that really set the mark. He suggested that we recess the gas filler and put a flap over it to clean up the look. He also came up with the color scheme which was, the only choice for the vehicle. The Body was a dark metallic brown and the fenders and running board were black......I set off the wheels with Baby Moons and chrome rims. Damn it looked good.

We carpeted the entire interior and installed two "coach chairs" for the driver and passenger, put in the stereo and I was ready to rock and roll. I drove the car for about 4 years and have some fond memories. Perhaps the most memorable was "The Night Of the Suicidal Frogs". I had been contacted by the State of Missouri to video tape the damage caused by the extreme flooding between Kansas City and St. Louis during the massive storms that hit the state. While traveling with a representative between locations one night, in one of the massive downpours, we experienced a very STRANGE event.

As we were driving along, barely able to see through the rain, we kept hearing sort of a slap/splat that increased with the amount of rain that came down. The van had pneumatic wipers which were pretty remarkable in their inefficiency. If you increased your speed the wiper quit working until you leveled off at a "cruising speed. Translation.....to see where we were going there were occasions when I had to stick my head out the window. OK.....blinding rainstorm, hilly road, head out window, and seeing hundreds of bullfrogs leaping to the safety of the high ground road, only to encounter.........The Video Van...SLAP/SPLAT. It was not pretty.

The reason for the story is the memory was brought up when I photographed Larry Coopers 50's era truck that I shot last weekend. It's a great ride, it wears him well, and the location was perfect. I sure love my job.

Lexus !!!

Tulsa is fortunate enough to have several remarkable automobile dealerships that really are visual masterpieces. The Mercedes dealership shown in a previous post is just part of a larger complex that houses cars of great delight. Perhaps I'll show the rest of the complex in future blogs. Because of the lighting and placement of the Lexus dealership I saw great potential. These are the shots from two outings that I feel really capture the essence of the style of the dealership. The interior of the showroom is outstanding.It was a really fun shoot and accomplished all I wanted to do.

Coffee Table BOOK-Reserve NOW !!

Over the span of my career I have photographed almost everything you can think of. My sensitivities toward light, color, shape, and design have been sharpened through the experience. When film was the only resource I would limit the number of exposures I could take on an "expedition" to keep it interesting. I further limited myself by shooting in 4 x 5 inch sheet film and lugging my view camera around. I would only take out 6 sheets and generally came back with 4 being exposed. It was really expensive to process and print so I had to be really selective and right on with my exposures. It was fun and I have some remarkable images.

I was in Washington State recently with my wife Karen and we took a "walk" to "Pony Bridge". Making a really long story short, it was a rugged hike but the scenery was fabulous. I have decided to publish a coffee table book with my favorite images in it from the excursion. The books will measure 12.5" x 10" and hold 20 pages - 40 sides. I will start editing tonight and by Monday should have all of the images placed in the book. Because I am able to design the placement of the images with in the book, the vision and style in it will be totally mine. I am really looking forward to the publishing of the book and the cost will be $ 168.85 inclusive of tax and shipping. I am presently taking pre-orders now. Should you wish place an order please call me at 918-760-1575. The trip was exceptional and imagery amazing. This edition will be strictly limited to 50 copies and this is the first of several that are in the planning stage. The print to the right is from the trek and the contrast between the submerged log and the leaves with the reflections off the water caught my eye.

Mercedes

I had a great time photographing a yesterday. There are several ways to expose a shot to achieve different results. I wanted to highlight the showroom and exterior of our Mercedes Dealership to associate the location with the brand. The building is very good looking and part of a grouping of different brands basically under the same roof. I love the look and there is one more coming as soon as the weather cooperates. Light is everything and quite frankly it may be Spring before I'm able to accomplish what I know I want due to the seasonal location of the sun.

Peppers

I make a killer salsa if I do say so myself. Every year for ages I've put out several varieties of hot peppers to put in the blend. Tomatoes have been somewhat of a challenge primarily due to the hot summer this year and last summer was just plain strange. Last year the tomatoes didn't set on until the end of September so I picked them just before the first frost, green as they could be, and let them ripen in the kitchen. We had fresh really great homegrown tomatoes through November. It looks like this year may be the same. I have make a greenhouse, to use the term loosely, and they should be able to stay on the vine through November. They are finally setting on. I picked a few peppers this morning and they just looked too good to put in the freezer without a portrait being taken of them. I guess I'm a bit compulsive....

Shake, Rattle. & ROLL !!!!

Ok, I'm home from a shoot, in the kitchen doing really nothing....and the floor seems to be moving....
Not a really a big deal but something is happening....reality sort of shifts....something IS happening but I don't know what. Karen comes in and looks at me and calmly says "EARTHQUAKE"....I look at the shamrock plant we have growing in a pot on the chopping block. It's shaking........more shaking....then it subsides.
Check Earthquake off the bucket list........

Checking in !!!!

What a wild month !! I've been working on launching a new type of advertising using Quick Response Codes and it's been pretty complicated. I have formed a new company division with a good friend of mine and it is called SquareRules.com Google it to see what we are doing with it. I have spent some really late hours researching the possibilities and potential of the codes and we have jumped in with both feet.

The codes may be scanned with a smart phone and deliver information listing all kinds items of particular interest to a companies clients, from specials, to maps of locations, hours, video introductions, and overviews of services. It is really a Dick Tracy moment. I have a code for my blog which will soon be followed with one for my website. The square beside this paragraph is the code for a company that writes resumes for clients. To read it go to the itunes store and download the Tapmedia QR code reader app. It's free and will open the QR door for you. Believe me, once you do it you will see the codes everywhere. Enjoy the knowledge.......it's been out there and you probably didn't notice.

Getting ready for the Maple Leaf

I've been incredibly busy the last several months with several projects and portrait/commercial assignments. This evening after I finish with the project that has taken the most time, I'll start addressing the first mailing to clients concerning the Maple Leaf Portrait Session I'll have on Sunday the 16th. I always look forward to the event for several reasons, I see friends that I generally haven't seen for a year, the weather is always good, and I love the portraits. This has to be the easiest way to update family portraits. It is fairly quick, the setting is fabulous, and the pricing is very good. What a great way to wrap up a fun weekend like Maple Leaf. I will be at 401 Belle Air, East off of Grand Avenue for the sessions. Reservations aren't necessary, and we will be photographing between 10:00 and 4:00. I hope to see you there.

Maple Leaf Portraits !

Time is passing so quickly that I seem to be constantly on the run. Sunday was a classic example. We went to Edmond OK to celebrate our sons 40th birthday and it hit me. Next year on October 1st, Morgan Studio will be 40 years old. Like the grateful Dead said "What a long strange trip it's been." I would have NEVER anticipated the career that has evolved, or that it's lasted so long.I have been the recipient of a totally fabulous,challenging, fun career.

This is not to say that it hasn't been an up and down trip. Economic challenges, gas wars,faulty economies, good times, friends, professional upgrades, and the constant wanna be's that get into the mix. It has all just in reflection, made it a good time.

One of the most visible constants has been the "One Shot" special that I started as an extension of the One Shots I did with a local preschool starting around 1976. We started the first ones during Maple Leaf week. The morning class would be one day, the afternoon class another. On the Friday before the "Big Game" at the high school and the Parade the next day, we would have families meet me at the preschool for one shots with them. Out of nowhere it became a tradition. You can go into virtually any home and there will probably be a one shot image with my name on it. What a great time.

The tradition continues on Sunday October 16th. Meet me at 401 Belle Air, just off of Grand Avenue, on the northside, and we will be set up for the One Shots again.
The badckground is fabulous with maple trees, pine trees,hedge,and weather worn fencing. We will start photographing at 10:00 in the morning and quit at 4:00. I'm sending out mailings with the pricing in a few days so if you don't receive one call me and I'll forward one to you. As usual the portrait packages are ordered and paid for on the day of the shoot and you should receive them in approximately
10 days.I'll upload a few images tomorrow....hope to see you there.

The Wedding...

WOW !!!! The wedding was fantastic !! The Bride was stunning and the Groom looked great. I started several hours before the wedding shooting the exterior of the family home where the Bride grew up. She was to be married on the front porch and it was perfect. Hanging baskets, the area for he string quartet, the unity candle, and a white "runway" for the Bride to walk up from the the circle drive. I was in my element. The sky was of and on overcast and there was a forecast for rain around four in the afternoon....the wedding was to be at six. I reflected on the power of positive thinking....it's not going to rain....it's not going to rain...

Through the organized chaos activity started to move in the direction of a wedding happening. The Groom, his Mom and Dad and several of his groomsmen appeared and we started to shooting. We used window light and some additional sources from my light packs for other groupings. We finished the family from brothers and grandparents, and I looked to see if the Bride was ready. She was and as I requested, she had not put on her veil. We photographed her with all of her attendants, parents and grandparents. It was fun but the clouds continued to build outside. Continued tomorrow...

The Wedding...

I have a special wedding coming up this weekend in Missouri. We're doing the whole nine yards, the rehearsal dinner and the wedding the next day. This is a special one as I have watched and photographed the bride as she has grown up. In fact she refers to me as " Uncle Mike". She is stunningly beautiful, and her soon to be husband is quite a guy. He works at St. Johns Hospital in Joplin and quite frankly was on the ground during and after the tornado that struck such pain within the community.

Her family was one of my first clients in the 70's and one of the most memorable. We worked outside and inside and in fact I have referred to them in a previous note on the blog Nine Ten Eleven. It will be a fun two days and I'm looking forward to it. Stay posted for some great imagery.

A fabulous Senior session

Yesterday I had the first of two sessions with a really great Senior. Taylor is a Senior at Jenks High School and is a member of the outstanding Jenks Football team. We shot fairly early in the morning and it went really well. Taylor is almost a natural and the "looks" he gave me were solid. The session took a couple of hours and was pretty smooth. At one of my locations I had suggested it just didn't look right, it didn't make visual sense...so we didn't take the picture. I'm of the opinion that if it doesn't look right to me than it won't get any better later. I've posted a several from the first session and there will be more to come. Great job Taylor !!!

The Aha Moment...

Last year I told you of my "Aha Moment" I recorded in the mobile studio that came through Tulsa. I would think that by now you have seen the advertising of the"Aha Moments" on the tube for Mutual of Omaha. All kinds of stories are given by people for 28 seconds concerning an "Aha" moment in their life. I just received my edited version from the Production company in California and thought I'd share it with you.Copy the following link and paste it in the address line and it ought to get you there.Enjoy.. http://ahamoment.com/moments/137

It was a good time.

Web site done........

Just finished tweeking the web site ...check it out at morganstudiointulsaoklahoma.com and let me know what you think..

Thanks,

MM

Been gone ...........

Okay...pardon the lapse in communication but for the last week I've been designing my long awaited update on my website. It's really been like pulling teeth because there was so much to learn and I'm pretty picky-I knew the "look" I wanted. I'm pretty much there but I have are changes I need to make in several of the screens, primarily in additional images I wish to show. It seemed like every time I turned around there was something to tweek........then I had to find out how to do it. It was fun but a very steep learning curve. It will take 48 hours for it to get posted AROUND THE WORLD......who'd a thunk.....but when it's up I'll send out a blanket note.

Never say never continued..........

We partied on the L1011 all the way back to K.C. and it was a ball. Although we didn't see the launch, we had been there and that is something I'll always remember. A year or two later I was asked to be part of a three person Show to generate funds for the Methodist Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida and I jumped at the chance. The show was to be up for a week with a black tie opening on the first night. It was held on the top floor of the Hospital that was totally glass walled. Pretty snazzy......

I drove down in my restored 1951 Chevy Panel truck....the Video Van...it had a lot of room. I spent my first day in Jacksonville setting up the show and pricing all of the work. I had large prints, small prints, color and black and white. It was a pretty good representation of what my "personal" work was all about. What was really surprising is that I sold out ! I would have NEVER thought that would happen. On the second or third day I had read in the paper that there was to be a Shuttle launch that day. Only because the sun comes up in the East did I realize the direction to look. I was on the top floor of the hospital in the gallery looking toward Cape Canaveral when a rocket seemed to jump above the trees in the distance and streak toward the sky. This machine didn't rise as I had ever seen one rise on television. Because the cameras would focus on the rocket almost exclusively the viewer is robbed of the actual speed of the climb. That rocket was makin' hay. I have never seen anything move so fast. My vantage point on the top floor, gave me a crystal clear view of the rocket until it disappeared into space.

There are images I'll never forget, some of people, places, and events dear to my heart. I don't think I'll ever forget that mental picture of a leap into Space......as we said in the 60's,
"Farm Trout".

We have a problem..........

"We have a problem" came firmly from the speakers set throughout the area. Other than the screeching of the gulls that were flying around, you could hear a pin drop. I really don't remember what the problem was but I do remember my mind racing options of staying overnight again, hiding in the bushes till morning, ( I think that could have had Federal Implications ) or waiting to see what the final deal was. The mission was to be "scrubbed", put off a day or two to fix what ever was not right. We gathered as a group and were boarded onto buses and taken to the airport.
Once we got on the Plane and in the air the pilot announced that although we didn't see the launch in person, we were going to party ! The stewardesses paraded down the isle in t-shirts proclaiming that "I saw the launch of Americas First Space Shuttle" accompanied with full trays of drinks. LET'S PARTY !!! was the given command, and we did. It was a fun but disappointing flight back to K.C. We didn't see it blast off......I knew I'd never have that chance again. I've heard that you should never say never........( to be continued )

The Launch.....

Looking back, it was such an unbelievable time. Half a mile away was Americas crown jewel of our space program poised for launch. The sun had come up and birds were flying through an unmolested sky, no clue that they had the front row seat to history just like the rest of us. It was kind of like waiting for your magic decoder ring that was to come in the mail. I really wanted to see a rocket BLAST OFF !! There was a huge digital readout of the countdown flashing in the viewing area and we could hear the conversation between the Astronauts and Mission Control as they went through the pre-launch check out. Key system 7 ....Check...etc. I felt the buzz of the moment and I can remember thinking how unbelievable it was that I was there, how could I have been so lucky, and never would I have ever assumed that being that close was even possible. We were all such optimists. If the rocket had blown on the pad I really feel as though it would have not been pleasant for any of us. Until you see it in "real life" you have no concept of the size. It was just an amazing marvel of construction and ingenuity.

As the morning progressed there were a couple of delays with a switch or relay acting up and the digital clock would pause until the repair or glitch was repaired. Then the numbers would start moving. The crowd was really like a bunch of people relaxing at a picnic. Some in shorts, some in long pants, and it seemed everyone had a black NASA ball cap. I guess that made us "official". The countdown proceeded and it seemed that more glitches started appearing. NASA can fix them.....they can do anything. The launch vehicle was being fueled and the vapors bleeding off sending a white cloud from the hoses. Excitement was building. Of course we had no idea how long it took to get everything ready......the schedule seemed to be progressing. Conversations between Mission control and the Shuttle were continuing....then a longer than normal silence. It was starting to get hot and clouds were coming in. It was quiet. The clock was stopped, we were standing around, grouped in clusters talking, or laying on the ground. The speaker cracked with the voice on Mission Control....... ( To be continued.)

End of an amazing era...

I was in my office this morning and looked on my wall and noticed some things that I really hadn't paid much attention to lately. It's rather remarkable that I had "forgotten" about them with the latest news and headlines concerning the Space Shuttles' last voyage. I've noted in previous blogs that I've been extremely lucky in life both through the friendships I've made and events I've witnessed or been a part of. In 1980 one of my friends and the owner of one of my commercial accounts, Art Swenson, alerted me about a fund raiser the Kansas City Philharmonic was having. One of the movers and shakers in K.C. had come up with the idea of filling an L 1011 airplane with passengers to fly to Orlando the day before the first launch of the Columbia, Americas first Space Shuttle, and witness history in the making. The plan was to fly from K.C. to Orlando, check into Disney World, relax, have a social hour, dinner with a talk about the space program, and then be turned loose on the park for a night of having fun. We were cautioned however, to get to bed early as the wake up call would be at three am and we would depart Disney for Cape Canaveral an hour later. They would wait for no one.

As a kid I had been mesmerized by flying, rockets, and the Space program, starting with the hearing the testing of rocket engines at "Rocketdyne Industries" which was several miles from a Boy Scout camp I attended in the summer. We could hear the roar of the thrust of the engines during the tests and my imagination conjured up images of men in space suits conducting the tests with clipboards and some kind of thruster packs on their back. It was SPACE......RIGHT !! Suddenly I was in Florida, about to witness the launch of Americas' first Space Shuttle.....how could this be. I couldn't sleep.

We left Disney World at four as promised, but what style. We consisted of a motorcade of Limos, lead by a pair of Highway Patrol cars in front of us, using both lanes heading for the Cape. Obviously someone had really thought this out because as we drew nearer to Cape Kennedy and the launch site, the traffic slowed and then stopped. This was a California style traffic jam. The Patrol cars did the only thing they could to keep us moving. The entire motorcade switched onto the other side of the four lane, the lanes coming FROM Kennedy, where there was absolutely NO traffic, and we sailed onto the site.

Daylight was breaking and we were let out of the Limos, and gathered in the Launch Vehicle Staging area. We got a tour of the facility and then were escorted to the V.I.P section about a half mile from the launch pad. In the short distance the Columbia was poised pointed to the sky.

( to be continued )

Put the "Dancing Shoes" on !!!

Over the years I have pursued different types of clients, primarily because it looked like the assignments could be fun. I have been fortunate however to have clients come to me with some really great projects. One of the ones I always look forward to are the dance studios. It seems that most young girls love the theater of "Dance". The costuming, 'Ballerina Imagery", and the excitement of presentation, all roll up into a girls dream, sometimes leading up to a career in performance, teaching, or a refined appreciation for the "media". If you have not been to a dance recital you owe it to yourself to see one. Generally the youngest come on with the first routine, then the next age group, then combinations of ages then the grand finale. There are multiple clothing changes and groupings it is really fun.

When I am engaged to photograph a Dance Troupe, I like to complete the photography a week or so before the actual dance recital which comes at the end of a season of classes. This way the dancers can receive their portraits on the afternoon or night of the recital. The age ranges from very young to teenagers and young adults. I've found that in the youngest performers I generally get some fabulous expressions. I have found that it works well to set up a "studio" at the Dance School location as everyone knows it's location and it is familiar to the young dancers. Starting in the morning we photograph individuals and groups and the event can last most of the day. I have a wide array of packaging that allows a great selection to choose from. I've included some images from my last shoot.

Great Sounds........

I'm back from the F.I.G.A. gathering in Oklahoma City that occurred this past weekend. I had a great time and heard some absolutely amazing playing. This association encompasses fretted string instruments. This covers a lot of territory. Guitars, banjos, mandolines, fiddles, anything that is strung can be included. I was impressed that perhaps more importantly than the older crowd of musicians getting together, the up and coming kids were astonishing in style, talent, but also numbers. There was a group from Texas that numbers in the hundreds.

Throughout the Sheraton puck up groups would get together and Jam, all ages invited. It was just great. The levels of accomplishment ran the spectrum from beginning to professional. Several of the kids had started on the guitar but transitioned to banjo and have prospered.

One gentleman that I spoke with at length, pulled out his case and opened it to show me his violin. His father presented the violin to him, after making it for him as a 9th birthday present in 1944. Talk about a treasure. Stories like that make you glad to be alive and know that there are special people around that can do almost anything.

The American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City was one of the sponsors of the event which was just a couple of blocks from the Sheraton. What a display of instruments. The detail in some of the backs, sides, and necks of the instruments in the Museum is incredible. The displays cover not only the instruments themselves but also the history of the banjo. After being surrounded by the pickers, players, and great people.....I want to be able to play a banjo.

Dueling Banjos...

Starting tomorrow I will be in Oklahoma City at the National Four String Banjo Hall of Fame,(aka American Banjo Museum)documenting the event and producing Professional portraits of some of Americas finest Banjo players. It should be a ball of fun. Musicians and fans from all over the world attend the event and it will be centered around the Museum. Saturday afternoon a stage will be filled with players directly across the street from the museum and music will be flowing from different areas through the featuring not only Banjos, but also Ukuleles, Mandolins, and Guitars. Yeeee Haaaawwwwwww..I can't wait. Images soon to follow so look for the notice soon.Banjos - Ukuleles - Mandolins - Guitars

The Broken Arrow Color Guard Summer Dance Theatre

As I mentioned in my previous blog I had photographed the Summer Production of the Broken Arrow Color Guard Dance production. It was a production !!!! I was totally blown away from all aspects. The style, movements, color, intensity, and flair was just outstanding. I could rattle on like this endlessly, but instead I'll just post a couple of images from the production. I'll NEVER miss this again.

Adam, A Broken Arrow Junior

Adam is one of the members of the Broken Arrow Pride Band, a very prestigious position to hold. The Band is outstanding in every area of competition, both Nationally and within the Midwest region. Their marching style is unequalled and the Broken Arrow Color Guard, who work in tandem with the Band, are are equally creative. Adam is a member of that also having participated in the Summer Dance Theatre. The Dance Theater was a complete surprise to me as I was thinking it would be similar to other productions I had seen through the years in Missouri. WOW !! was I ever wrong.

I have never seen a production so expressive and professional in scripting, music, production and style. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The ideology of the scripting, style of dancing, and set design was far superior to any production I have ever seen.I would put it on even keel with the production of "Phantom of the Opera" that I saw in Chicago in the early 90's. It was just blown away and impressed. I'll get some images of that on the Blog tomorrow. Back to Adam.

We spent some session time yesterday photographing for his "Chrome" book. It amounts to 20 pages with Adam and his car and horns. It was a great shoot and we got some exceptional images.

Exciting stuff..........

I have just completed a session with a client that is a Junior at Broken Arrow High. The session went well and we have some really great images and I think he will be very happy with them. I'm doing some new things with the images and be sure to come back to see the results.

Great NEWS !! Speak !! Speak !!

I was notified last week that I have been accepted by Millers Digital Imaging as a Speaker within their Speakers Team. This means that they will sponsor me on the Professional Photography Speakers Circuit which furnishes knowledgeable "talent" to give programs to Photographic Guilds, State Associations, and the National organizations such as the Professional Photographers of America, Wedding Photographers International, and other groups in other countries. Acceptance within this speaking group is difficult to attain and it is an extreme honor to be included with this group of photographic professionals. This is going to be fun !!!

Hot Wheels

Last week I had the pleasure of photographing an old favorite of mine. As I was approaching 16 and my drivers license I was heart struck on the Shelby Mustang, especially the fastback. I loved the lines of the car and it instantly developed the following one would expect from a production "racecar".....a "must have" machine. I could see myself hooking it up with a Corvette and running stop light to stop light or down the quarter mile track at Mo Kan. Of course I would always win. Tony Kassab in Joplin owned a "67" or "68" that was a 500, meaning it had a 427 motor in it, and when I saw the car on the street I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

The most amazing part of my job is the realization that I have been able to connect with visions from my youth in reality and I've always enjoyed it. Meeting people I've admired, being in situations where I would get to associate with someone that has done remarkable things in their life. The ability to be in creative situations when products are being machined, designed, or rebuilt has always been fun.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs I like to pre-visualize my images. Sometimes they just don't work out. I had, in my minds eye, the Mustang resting in front of a French fighter Jet I had located. This jet was of the same era as the Mustang and was totally chrome. It had a "V" tail and engines located on the sides of the plane. Kinda Buck Rogers. Driving into the airport, in my favorite light of early evening, we passed a row of Hangers which really tripped my trigger. Arriving at the jet I looked at the light, the plane, and the car, and realized that I couldn't get what I was looking for. Nothing seemed to make sense around the plane. I slammed out some shots and knew I was in the wrong location. We shut down the shoot and went back to the other area I saw coming in.

We placed the car and I started to shoot. It was a piece of cake. The light was right, background was complimentary to the the car, and I was on a roll. Wow !! Did I have FUN !!!

I'm BACK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alaska is an amazing place.....it takes a while to really let the whole thing settle into your mind. The scenery was outstanding, food fabulous, and the trip very memorable from a whole menu of experiences. I hope not to bore you but over the next day or two I'll briefly let you in on a couple of notations I made while traveling. We left from Seattle on the biggest boat I'd ever sailed on. I had been on another cruise from Holland America but it as in the Southern Hemisphere.

I hadn't considered it until our first night, but we were at the same or approximate latitude as Paris...........the sun didn't set till 9:30 or 10:00. It just wears you out....
It took several days, but I did adjust. The water was a Turquoise like I've never seen. Of all of the paintings I've seen of schooners plying the waves in the Pacific Northwest I was always skeptical of the colorations of the water, but the paintings were right on the spot. Combine the wake of the boat with the color of the sea and the brush just fills with color. I found myself staring at the wake almost mesmerized in the patterns that the hull generated. Cheap thrills....

Whenever I travel I have a tendency to meet one or two people that I chum around with. I enjoy people and you never know where life's road is going to send us. Had I not met Byron in the 70's I would have missed out on being involved in the Iraqi hostage adventure in the early 90's. I'm generally open to meeting new people because of such experiences. As I was photographing some coastline I was standing next to a guy that also had a Nikon and we started talking photography.
His camera was the same model I recommended to my nephew and also had the same lens. We hit it off pretty well and covered several topics and decided we would team up on the photographic safari the cruise line offered. I really feel as though the "safari" would have been a complete letdown if he and I didn't walk, talk, and shoot together. He said his wife couldn't figure why he shot some of the images he did.....and I can understand that. As we walked and talked I was constantly shooting it seemed.

When I get into a 'new" area I just "see" so much. My senses seem to become more attuned to where I am and more attuned to EVERYTHING around me. I guess there is an innate talent (????)
I have, that trips my trigger when I start looking for color, shape, texture, design, and light, in combinations of all of the above. Take a step, shoot, repeat....I started to notice after about thirty minutes or so....where'd the time go...that he and I were separated from the group and having one hell of a good time shooting the area around us. We talked of where we were, why I shot what I did, "color field" is a very interesting area for me, and how I picked out the shapes. The shapes and color present themselves to me. I generally don't tell people that but that is how it happens.

To be continued....

Getting ready for Alaska

Very wild week ahead. Got the studio office moved Sunday before last and still working out of boxes. We're leaving for Alaska and Vancouver B.C. Thursday and a mountain of stuff to finish before we go. I finished up shooting still and video images for the reenactment of the "Battle of Carthage" that took place 150 years ago just prior to the War between the States. It was a great time. I went to a camp site on Friday night with the idea of capturing a scene that would open the presentation but after being there shooting early Saturday morning and afternoon my options greatly expanded. The battle in Central Park was really great action with the cannons, smoke, horses, and noise. I remember the first reenactment in 1961, the 100 year anniversary, really didn't think about being around for the 150th. What life has in store for us that we never expect....

The Move.......

It's over !! The move was successfully completed last Sunday and now I'm trying to organize my office. Wow....the amount of files I've built up is truly amazing. The filing of them has always been a challenge because of the varied nature of the images. There can be several different subjects on a disk from different locations, with several different uses. However I got them under control by filing each image and cross referencing the subject as to use, color, subject, and date.

This morning I spent some really quality time at the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce breakfast. It was a great bunch of business people from Tulsa and the surrounding area gathering together to connect and prosper. One of the BEST moves I've made since arriving in Tulsa. It is almost as good as relocating my office and studio.

I'm leaving next week to go to Alaska and Vancouver B.C. and will be out of pocket while gone. Be ready for some exciting imagery when I return. Approximately a week or so after that, IMAGES OF THE NEW STUDIO !! It's huge and offers my clients so many more options than I had in the old location.

THE NEWS !!!

As promised in my last blog entry, I have some real news to forward to my clients and friends. Business has taken off and I have found that I need more studio space for larger families, senior portraits, and commercial photography. I am in the process of leasing a much larger studio, 8000 square feet, that will give me a larger seamless wall than what I have, a freight elevator to transport commercial products and clients to the studio area, and available light areas that are much larger than where I presently am. It is a move that I am excited about and the area is so unbelievable that I will post images of it the first part of June. I would post images now but I need to move out of the space where I presently am. I'm leaving the last part of this month to go to Alaska and Vancouver BC to photograph. I'll be back after the first week in June and I'll keep you posted with new studio and interior shots then.

More Commercial work....

I have just completed a fun job for an old account of mine in Missouri. Coachlight RV is one of the top 10 RV Dealerships in the United States and I've done photography for them for over a decade. Marty Lown, the owner, and I got together last weekend and discussed his new marketing piece and the imagery he needed. I worked on "capture" of the images last Saturday and the first of the week fine tuning them for delivery to the printer and layout. The shoot involved some architectural photography of the interiors of his shop bays and exteriors of the buildings, interiors of the showrooms, and of course the campgrounds and club he has on site for the campers that overnight at the property. It was a grey day which is perfect for photographing RV's and the sky cleaned up well. I sure love my job !!

Amazing NEWS coming Next Wednesday !!

Next Wednesday, May 4th I will announce several pieces of news that I will be very happy to let you in on. Morgan Studio is going to SURPRISE you....Please be sure to Check back on Wednesday.

My Carthage video from the late "90's"

This video was produced for the Chamber of Commerce in Carthage Missouri in the late "90's" to generate interest in Carthage, Missouri as a Destination Location that was friendly, fun, and vibrant. It was selected to be viewed by all of the attendees of the Annual National Conference of Chamber of Commerces from throughout the United States in Orlando Florida.

Interesting approach for an image..

Technology is such a fabulous addition to my profession. Granted it has upsides and downsides on virtually every issue that comes up, but overall it has been an enhancement. Last week I delivered the previews to the preschool and they were very well received. I presented them on portfolio sheets, in color, cropped, and looking like finished prints. In fact, the previews may be purchased after the purchase of a minimum order. The looked really great.

Two sisters were photographed together and I've had some fun with the images exploring possibilities. The image of them with the peddle car is made to be produced in notecards for the Family. Wouldn't that be great for Mom to have. This image can also be made into framable prints for the Family, and relatives. I think it is a very interesting approach in offering the unexpected.

Union HBM Model BFT-100

The Carthage Missouri Video.

This video was written and produced my me in the late 90's to market Carthage. It took a year to produce as all of the seasons needed to be in the production. Carthage is an amazing city with potential to be a VERY unique tourist destination. The Victorian flare, the friendly population, the unique stores and events, are calling out to be seen by the rest of America. I would like to produce an update and generate more interest in the town.

I had this copied from a VHS and it is NOT HD as any update would be. This was the high end on technology at the time. Don Decker narrated the presentation and Sam Platt handled the production on the sound in his studio. Joe Leiter, another amazing Carthagenian, played the guitar. On the tail end of the production the narration takes a hit for some unknown reason on this copy. It should have trailed off into silence.  I hope you enjoy it.

A VERY successful shoot...

Last week I spent my time photographing a preschool and their families. What a great time! We ran with mini-sessions, shooting until I felt comfortable with the images I had, and then editing them for my clients. We are offering several different treatments and styles to the images. I have included one with this post. We will be doing more of these soon. I love this style of working and it allows me to book more sessions with new clients.

A fun shoot...

I got a call day before yesterday from client I have had for years on the Industrial side of the fence. I have produced images for him for years, generally of manufactureing goods used in the production of oil and gas. He had a client in Texas that wanted to buy a milling machine for use in his company. Two issues appeared that needed to be solved.

1. The client was in Texas and was very busy and couldn't get to Tulsa to see the machine.
2. The machine had to be moved, no later than today if possible.

I got the call Wednesday afternoon asking if I could deliver a video to the client via the net so he could see the machine operate and HEAR it run. By hearing the sound of the machine the client could judge it's status. I took the job.

We arrived at the shop housing the machine and I set up for the shoot after asking questions about the machine and it's capabilities. With that covered we started. Finishing around 11:00 my client and I went to the studio for the editing. The editing process took about 2-3 hours and we prepared it for the net which takes time as you must compress the files. We went to lunch while the computer worked. Returning I downloaded it through another process and the video was viewed in Texas BEFORE the machine was moved.

I added no soundtrack or narration as it was unnecessary and would take time. The only sound that was needed was the sound of the Machine. My client has 4 or 5 more machines he needs to have done....I love my job.

To watch the video click the Union HBM on the right of the page.

The exterior...from 5th....

This is the exterior of the building looking into the camera room of the studio...

Studio Update !!

I have had a tremendous amount of interest in the "look" of the studio interior. I have assumed that this means all of it from the reception room, to the studio, and my office. Well ....Here it is. It was a lot of fun putting it all together.

NEW SPACE !!!!

I viewed new space yesterday that I will have access to for my clients. It consists of 8000 square feet of studio space with any kind of lighting I need. I will be producing still images as well as video segments of some projects that I have had on the books waiting for this location. This additional studio space will enhance my existing studio and give me AND my clients many more options than I had before.

I AM EXCITED !!!  Images to follow soon.

SPRING !!!!

Being eternally optimistic SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER !!!! The sun is shining, business is coming in and I'm ramping up for a special that we will run at the end of the month. Creating reasons for business to cross through our threshold is the most fun challenge of the business climate for me. I love my job as I have repeatedly stated, but it can only work if I can get clients through the door.

Specials such as the "Mini Session" are good and lead to future business with Senior portraits, Family portraits, and even some commercial work for companies. I work with church's, preschools, ball teams, you name it and I can come up with a "special". When in Carthage I photographed the Proms and Homecomings for years for Carthage and other surrounding schools. It was more work than you could imagine simply because I threw myself into the project. All of the backgrounds were wide enough, 16 feet, tall enough, 12 feet, and had a long enough "floor", generally 30 feet, to photograph couples and groups of friends up to 20 in number and not have to make them look liked they were stacked upon each other. Because each dance had a "special " theme I was constantly reinventing the wheel to give them something that was unique to the occasion. It would take a total of three days to construct the backgrounds and a day to place them and do the finish work on location. It was great fun.

The Jr. Sr. Proms were the most stylish and the backgrounds were of a more subtle and subdued color arrangement. The most important subjects of the photograph, the couple or couples, had to shine. And they always did. I'll go through my files and get some backgrounds scanned and let you see what I'm talking about. As an added note, on the dance night I would never get to rest....the lines were always there. What fun.

As a P.S. to the story, to make the evening more enjoyable for my clients, many of whom I had produced their Senior Portraits for, and to get a little bit more control of the background construction, I decided to photograph my clients at my studio instead of the school. We took reservations, increased our bottom line, and made the evening fabulous for our clients.

Nicaragua Water

I thought I'd share the Rotary video with you all that I produced about 5 years ago. Actually....I just found out how to download it. Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

Downtown Tulsa Nicaraguan Water Project

Nine, Ten, Eleven...

Numbers are so neat ! I have booked a Wedding for September 9th, 2011...9/10/11. How cool is that !
What's really fabulous about the booking is that I have watched this lady grow up through the years. I first photographed her when she was a small child of about 6. She has three siblings and through the years of Family and Senior Portraits, we have traveled memory lane from crossroad to crossroad and now, to her Wedding.

The first session was VERY memorable for several reasons. We started outside as a family. grouped in a pastoral setting with an old split log fence, casually dressed. As we progressed the kids were having a great time and we were producing some terrific images. As previously decided, we returned to the studio to do some indoor portraits. I'm going to have to get the negative scanned to show you the image, but the last shot is Priceless ! All four kids are dressed to the nines, looking like they fell out of the  Vogue "Children's Issue", and I took the last shot.

A lot can happen in milliseconds......At light speed, as I pressed the shutter release, as the mirror and shutter rose up and started to close.....the thought waves of four small children, brothers and sisters, bounced between them. Lindsey to Rachel......"It's not fun anymore", Rachel to Michael, "We're not happy, Michael to Alex, "Lets raise HELL".......One, Two, Three, shutter and mirror do their thing and capture the immortal portrait.....called .........."WAAAAAAAAAA !!!  ALL FOUR KIDS START SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS !!!!! The session came to a close.

Their parents bought several images from that session, The Family group by the fence became a 30 x 40 "Pure Platinum" canvas print, and the Studio image, 2 - 11 x 14, "Diamonds, Rubies, and All That Jazz" Portraits,  one before and one after................ I have a great profession....

The Wedding Season !!

The Wedding Season is upon us..........at least the booking part of it. Having been in the business as long as I have,  you might think that 38 years would make my life somewhat boring within the Wedding scope. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have found that ALL Weddings are unique and challenging from several different standpoints. There are the wishes of the Bride and Groom, the locations, the "style" and "attitude of the affair, the time, and of course the season. Something that is NEVER talked about is the attitude and style of the photographer, unless everything went south and the photographs are not what the Bride and Groom had in mind.

Something as imperative as having the "right" Wedding photographer is so often over looked. Making the right choice can be perplexing to say the least. However, I've found that generally key words such as "Photojournalistic style", " Unlimited images ", and "you get the disks, raise a RED flag, and makes me want to question several issues, and wonder WHY. I'll explain.

I quite honestly don't know the number of Weddings I've photographed, too many to count, and they have been all over the U.S. and Canada. I have been somewhat limited in terms of numbers due to the fact that there is only ONE me, and I will never book more than one Wedding/Wedding event ( Dinner ) per day. I have NEVER given one of my Weddings to someone else to shoot. It's not fair or, in my mind, ethical to do so. "Morgan Studio" is Michael S. Morgan and that is all there is to it. I can't train someone to see, feel, or be as knowledgeable as I am with in the field. Please don't assume I'm patting myself on the back....I have had my share of challenges at Weddings. No show grooms ( once ), Bridal Party partying too much the night before ( generally the Guys ), Forgotten Tuxes, misdirections to Bridal Party personnel, the usual in my profession, but I always remember...I'm hired to produce the most Fabulous Album of the event possible.

Granted the "Candid" images are great, but the most sought after are the "formal" Family images. Families get together for Weddings and Funerals....I produce Wedding albums with great Family portraits. Sure, the usual, at the Alter....but the loved portraits, Mom, Dad and Family sharing the day with their Son, Daughter, and other family members. Relaxed, together, and individually, the family looks great. It's NOT "Photojournalist", there are no intrusions in the background, no surprises.

The day belongs to the Bride and Groom, Unlimited Images" is a red flag as I see someone racing around like the guy in the Nikon ad saying "Booya"with some snapshots that are of questional value in real life. REMEMBER......on TV ANYONE can be a photographer. The number of portraits I capture depends upon the Bridal Party size, Family sizes, the location options, time of day, and wishes of the couple. I will never pass up on an opportunity to capture an image, but I'm not in it for the numbers.

If a photographer is giving away his images on a disk, he must not care anything about them. The corner store with a photo department is NOT a color lab. I use the best Lab in the U.S. and have since I opened in 1972.  They ARE the leading edge in the processing market and offer services to me that I can pass on to in a finished product that you cannot get from them. They work only for the Professional side. Disks of images are not available from us.

Looking at my appointment book, I see that if all goes as it is, it will be a great Wedding year for us.
I have more to talk about concerning our Weddings, I'll return to the Blog later....I have a Wedding consultation in ten minutes.

The Iron Horses

The past does return in most cases. When I was a kid...a few days ago..one of my instructors in High School, Howard South, (aka Howie ) told me of a gathering of old steam driven tractors that were hidden in the woods in an area south of Carthage. Evidently a man was told by the government that they wanted his steam engines to melt down for their metal for the war effort in the early forties. It must have been a case of back taxes or something, who knows. The bottom line was that he didn't give them to the "Government Boys", as he hid them in the woods where I saw them. It was an amazing sight ! There must have been 75 or so spread out through the woods and in the valleys, standing guard over each other. They were all rusting, trees growing up through the spokes of the wheels, parked in an undetermined pattern. As we walked through the fields every turn had a monolith to steel, all of a different size. The brands were World, and Globe. Each one had a pipe coming out of the boiler that either had, or was missing, a whistle. Some still had the covers on the front that listed the company that made it, and some didn't. Those missing were probably used to fix another one. At that time I was the photographer for the the yearbook in school and I took the picture that is to the right. In it are three of my best friends, Eddie Mansfield, Jim Kingsbury and his brother Tom, and my brother Hoop. Obviously in the fall, probably in 1967.

Snow.....

O.K.  UNCLE !!!!!! Had enough !!!!!!!!!!!

We had over 19 inches of snow last week in two different storms...13 and 6 1/2. Down to 11 degrees below ZERO !!! WITHOUT THE WINDCHILL !!!!

The ONLY redeeming factors..
1. We live in Oklahoma...weather changes.
2. Nowata..( No water to non Okies ) had 33 below, setting a statewide low temp record.
3. It is forecast to be 72 this next Wednesday.
4. We needed the water.
5. Finally got out of the House.
6. Netflicks proved it worth.
7. Had time to do my taxes.

Most IMPORTANT !!

Put together specials for all of next year for my Clients !!

Drop me an email to get on my list for the special notices.

mspeermorgan@netscape.net

Life is fun again...!!!

Early History

Mickey was a hot rodder from the start. When he was 15 he started racing on El Mirage. He had a buddy drive his Model A to the dry lake and Mickey drove it to 79 miles per hour on his first trip. The future was cast and Mickey became known as the kid that had the fastest car in high school. In 1958 he was going to a sanctioned drag race with a twin engined dragster and stopped by the Salt Flats at Bonneville. He took it to 294 miles per hour, setting a record that was 25 miles an hour faster than anyone else and took 25 years to break. It is said that it was then that he decided it was time to go for the land speed record.

Mickey drew out the design of the frame of " the Challenger" on the floor of his his garage and started to build. He was working one evening and a man approached him asking him what he was doing. "I 'm building the car that will break the land speed record." he replied. The man asked him what engine he was going to use and Mickey replied that he wasn't sure, but he'd need four of them. The man was Bunkie Knudsen from Pontiac and they furnished the engines. In 1959, Mickey took Challenger 1 to a two way average of 345.33 miles an hour, setting four speed records.

He returned to his garage and redesigned the car adding scoops to funnel more air into the engines, and returned to Bonneville. On September 9th 1960 Mickey drove the redesigned Challenger  406.60 miles per hour to become the fastest person in the world.

To be continued...

FAST !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over the last two weeks I've been in California and I'd like to tell you about the most fabulous four days of the trip. Growing up I was always interested in cars and had a few heros that drove them. Don Garlits, Jim Hall, Don Prudomme, Carroll Shelby, and Mickey Thompson. After Karen and I got married I found out that Mickey Thompson and his sister Collene were first cousins of hers. I couldn't believe it. Four of the days we spent in California were with Collene and her husband Gary. We had a fantastic time. Karen and Gary spent their time doing geneology and Collene and I talked of cars, speed records, and Mickey.

I had the mistaken belief that Mickey was a mechanic that put together his cars with all kinds of corporate backing and had an education from some school or corporation dealing with automotive tech. Was I ever wrong.

Mickey didn't particularly like school, in fact, struggled to get through it. When he was eight or so his family went to Yellowstone and made a brief stop in Bonneville at the salt flats. That was when the seed was planted that he could go fast. From that time on no machine was safe. Mickey took apart engines, motors, anything he could get his hands on and tried to figure out how to improve them. After high school he went to work for the L.A. Times as a pressman which required a considerable amount of mechanical knowledge. He also continued to build hot rods, a passion he developed in high school. High Boys, and what would now be looked upon as "Vintage Old School" cars. Years earlier, shortly after the trip to "the flats" he told his Dad, Marion who was the Chief of Police for Alhambra California, that he was going to break the Land Speed Record for cars. Marion asked him to describe the car and Mickey explained it to him. Marion then put the idea into reality by carving a wooden model of Micky's description as shown to the right. A true vision of a historical Motoring legend. ( to be continued )

Referencing LIGHT !!....

Yesterday and today I've been in class concerning new software to increase the efficiency of my working time on images. It is amazing what changes have occurred in software in just the last year. I am shooting with the premier camera Nikon offers, the D3, and when shooting in the RAW format my ability to capture the perfect exposure is enhanced. Proper exposure is the key, but there are times when that exposure is affected by outside forces. Ambient light is of course the "fill" and the trick is to find the "main" in your image capture area. It is almost inevitable that some tweeking will need to be done. Seeing the light and understanding its' properties is the basic starting point.

I find it remarkable that many of the "New Photographers" have no clue as to the proper use of and reasoning for the light patterns that have been in the artists mind since the 1300's. These "patterns " define the planes of the face and give it structure, mood, and style. Until you can "see the light" a photographer is fighting an up hill battle. It really hit me like a ton of bricks when I first saw, and understood, light. As I have always said, photography is an exercise in solving problems. Knowing light, how it reacts to facial planes, its' seasonal color temperature, and how it is affected by it's surroundings is always a problem to be solved. I love my job !!!!

2010 is almost history...............

When I was a kid growing up I thought that by 2011 I'd be flying around via a jet-belt, we'd be living on Mars, and cars would be propelled by by anti gravitational devices. I guess there was a bit too much comic book reading in my youth. However in 2011 we are going to have a great year. I have some specials planned for almost every month that will allow you to capture the flavor of your family for today and future generations.

I may seem to be making too much of a big deal of photographic family history, but my family has been fortunate enough to come across portraits of Mom and Dads' parents in recent years that we didn't know existed. My Dads' father passed away when Dad was young, and my siblings and I never knew him or our grandmother, on Dads' side. We were cleaning out an old desk and from under one of the drawers a picture dropped out. It was a picture of a man with a stringer of fish, a cane pole, wearing work pants, high top work boots, and a smile on his face. It was my fathers' father when he was about 25-30. The resemblance was as remarkable as the pictures we have of my father when he was a young child. My brother and Dad could have been twins.......about 25 years apart. If someone had not taken those pictures when they did, a part of our family history would have never been known.

One of my favorite pictures of Moms' father was taken in Canada and he's holding a large Muskie fish. He has on the style of pants that were the "item" to be wearing outdoors in Canada at the time, the flared "Mountie " style of pants. He's got on a vest and jacket....proper attire for the fisherman...a great document of the times.

With the specials we will be running this year, opportunity will be yours to own what now may seem to be just portraits. These images though will be the ones that become the priceless points of family history. Please email me at mspeermorgan@netscape.net to be placed on our mailing list of clients to get first notification of these specials. Generally the specials will only last one weekend at a time, so by the time you will probably hear about it from a friend, it will probably be too late to take part in it. Please put "Mailing List" in the subject line.

Have a great New Year, 2011 is going to be fabulous !!!

The year in review...

What a great year it has been ! Since getting the studio up and running at the end of May I have been steadily busier and busier. I must admit that I had forgotten how slow a new business is to get running, but I must have learned something. It seems like every turn had a bright light associated with it from the interview with the "Ah Hah" people from Mutual of Omaha, to the present with projects that are still unfolding. I can't tell you how excited I am at some of the specials I'm formulating for the new year 2011.

Portraits are the most amazing gifts that can be given. They solidify moments and occasions that are meaningful, can be reviewed and seen by individuals at a later time in their lives, and seen by relatives they will never know. I know in my family for instance, my brother looked exactly like our father as a young boy, as did his son. My sisters kids were also in the same boat. They were look a likes for their Dad. None of these comparisons could be made without the time being taken in the present, to save for the future.

The specials I will be running in 2011 will allow the "savings accounts" to start. I guess they are sort of like an annuity.......they just keep on growing in value. If you know of anyone that would like to start receiving email special alerts please feel free to have them email me to get on the "list".

Have an outstanding New Year !!

It's almost over.....

This has been a great Christmas season for the new studio. I have opened new markets and am preparing for the January and Spring specials as we speak. I have a couple of more orders to come in tomorrow or Friday but for the most part, order delivery is coming to a close. I have booked a couple of sessions over the holiday which is something that goes with the territory. I work when families can get together.

Looking at our family for instance, my Mom is in Kansas City, Brother in North Carolina, and sister will be in Nashville. This is the first time in 60 years we haven't been together. I find it amazing that we have been able to hold it together for that long. But as Dylan says, "Times are a changing." The memories of Christmas's past surface every now and then when all of the pictures were square Black and White 3 x 3's. Kids in footed sleepers, a real tree, presents, torn wrapping paper, and young parents. The times have changed and rolled on. If nothing else I feel as though the holiday is a time to reconnect with old friends and just say "Hi, how've ya been?" I think that will be my present to me.....wish old friends well.

Have a Merry Christmas !

Christmas RUSH !!!!!

You know I just don't know how Santa does it. We have had so many orders come in for the Christmas season that I seem to be on the computer constantly placing the orders for my Clients. However I must say that by using the finest lab in the US makes life a bit smoother. In "the Old Days" we had to tape all of the negs to masking sheets, over a light table to arrive at our cropping. It was VERY tedious, and time consuming. Now it is all done via software. Quicker, more stable as we can see the end result before the prints get back, and sent via the internet as opposed to the Post Office. Turn around time almost immediate so I can now deliver products to clients that would have been impossible five years ago. I'm getting ready for next years specials so stay tuned !

Web Page is up !!!

Years in the making....Cast of thousands.........No expense spared or trimmed !!!!!!

The Website is open !!!

morganstudiointulsaoklahoma.com is up and functioning. A bit more tweeking and we'll be rocking and rolling. Check on it for updates !

When you can't sleep..do something productive.

Every now and then I am stuck in a thinking mode and it is always at night. I got to bed about ten last night and was wide awake at 1:30. No reason to waste the time so I started thinking about marketing the studio. I have just come off two events that were VERY successful and I'm planning a new special for February. The name of the game is to continually expand your market with new clients and keep the old at the same time. About three it came to me and I got up and wrote the idea down. I can't tell you how many ideas I've lost in the fodder of sleep after being enlightened with the "Great Idea'. I now get up and write them down after I develop them.

I'm also trying to become engaged with a group that needs a videographer/blogger/still camera guy, that can travel well, roll with the punches, and do what he says he can. I know I'm the guy they need....I just have to convince them. I've shown them my hand, now I hope they see all the aces in it.

Over the last several days I have been reviewing some of my China images from 1987, when I was there for a month with Kodak. I thought I'd add them to the blog today because they have special meaning for me. It was an amazing time and I saw a part of the world, that up until that time, I never thought I would. Enjoy