Judah's 10th Anniversary Black Tie Gala: The People

Last Saturday I was blessed to be the photographer of record for what can only be described as a fantastic event! The praise and worship group Judah hosted a special Black Tie Dinner as part of their 10th Anniversary Celebration. The event was very "smooth" and everyone looked fabulous. I'll share more about the Dinner event later but for now here are the images of the Kings and Queens who joined us that evening. Please enjoy this slide show titled "The Kings & Queens in attendance."

A special note of interest: For those of you looking to order your images online, the online store will be available momentarily. I'll post an automatic link at the end of this slide show as well as an external link once the store is up and running. And please remember that a broadband Internet connection is needed to view this slide show (this is a large file and may take a few moments to download and begin playing on your computer).

JUDAH CD Release Party

This past weekend I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity to cover a very special event that literally touched the lives of hundreds of people. Reggie Royal and Judah released their 2nd CD this weekend and hosted a CD Release Party to celebrate this milestone. This wasn't your usual CD release as Judah is dedicated to praise and worship and they worshipped God with all of their heart and soul that night. God's presence was "thick" and everyone in attendance let it all go and praised God. I've been blessed to cover a lot of events but I have never covered anything like this. People were healed, delivered and set free that night through the power of Jesus Christ. I had to put my camera down for a moment and give God praise for what He was doing. I could write a book about what took place that night but for now here's few images from this incredible event. And, to really get a feel for the spirit of celebration that was there check out the **slideshow**. You won't be disappointed!

Another Photographer I Admire

As an artist I just love art and really appreciate the creativity and gifts of expression God has placed in all of us. And, one of the activities I really enjoy as a photographer is viewing the work of other photographers. There are a handful of photographers who's work inspires me to dig deeper to make my images better by creating lasting moments that touch my client's spirit. And, one of those photographers is Frank Amodo.

Frank's work is truly beyond description. One of the dynamics that makes his work so unique is Frank's "old school" approach to photography. Although he has all of the "whizzbang" Photoshop skills today's digital photography demands, I believe it is the raw power of his compositions that makes his work so special. I don't know how to describe it but his images just reach out and "touch" you in a way that makes you feel what was happening the moment it was captured. For example, you can view one of Frank's beach images and literally begin to feel the wind blowing against your skin as if you were standing there when he captured that shot. And that is very rare. Frank accomplishes this monumental task over and over again due to his great creative "eye" and impeccable compositions.

But, don't just take my word for it. Do yourself a great favor and visit his website. Be prepared to grab a pad to take notes from a master, popcorn to enjoy the show, and a box of tissues to wipe the tears of joy from your eyes. May I have the privilege of introducing you to the wonderful work of Mr. Frank Amodo!

It's a new season!

Well, the weather is finally changing and all of the snow has melted away. You know what that means don't you? It's Springtime! Although it has been known to snow in April in this part of the country we are still declaring that it is Spring. It is time to get out and do what all of us love to do whenever we have an opportunity - take pictures! Get your gear ready as it's time to capture this new season!

(A note about this image: This image was captured using diffused flash at ISO 800 with an f-stop of 5.6.)

A great photography resource

It isn't often that you come across a resource that truly lives up to all that it claims to be. But, when you do you want to tell everyone you know just how good it is. And that is exactly what has happened with Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book by Peachpit Press. This book is straight-forward and easy to understand as Scott does an excellent job explaining everything there is to know about digital photography. And, because of his "tongue-and-cheek" style of humor you will find yourself wanting to read the whole book at once as it is entertaining and informative.

But, this is not written to be read all at once. This is a reference book structured around topics that are limited to one page each designed to help you "nail the shot" in a hurry. I read a lot of books and I haven't "run" across one quite like this one. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and watch you images leap to new heights of excellence and satisfaction. I pray that it bless you as it has blessed me.

Can you see it?

Do you really believe in your dreams? Be honest, do you believe that the desires of your heart can come true? Many times the "dream" seems so far off that it often becomes blurry and eventually faint. And, if we're not careful we will eventually give up because we simply can't see it happening anymore.

But, your dreams don't have to die because you can't see them anymore. I heard Zig Ziglar say, "...you can't hit a target that you don't have." That moment was an "eye opener" for me because it speaks to the core of how we are created. We have to "see" our goals in our hearts before they become reality in our lives. For example, if you want to lose weight you have to "see" yourself in the type of shape you desire. You've got to "see" it to believe it, and once you believe it then you can achieve it.

Vision is crucial to making your dreams come true. If your dreams are becoming blurred and you feel like it is never going to happen I have good news for you - get a picture of what you desire and keep it before you at all times. Put a picture of what you want and hang it on your bathroom mirror. If it's a car you desire, get a picture of it and put it on your desk at work so that you have to see it while you work. If your goal is to buy a home, then get a picture of the type of house you want and put it on your computer as wallpaper. You've heard the saying that a "picture is worth a thousand words." Well, it's true and you need pictures of your dreams to help you make them a reality. So, I ask you again - can you see it?

(One of my desires is to have some of my images displayed in an art gallery. And, these images are examples of my pictures hanging in various galleries. I carry these around with me on my laptop and look at them throughout the day. This will happen one day because I can see it happening now though these vision "prompts.")

Just Adorable!

Children are just the cutest little ones on earth! They are so precious that you can't take a bad picture of a child. A close friend of mine recently had a daughter and she is definitely a star. Although she is very young she knows when I am trying to photograph her and she has fun turning away from me just as I'm about to hit the shutter. But, with a little patience and persistence I was able to capture these images of her. May these pictures remind us all that children are truly a gift from God. Be blessed and keep shooting!