We get our inspiration for imagery pretty much “on the fly.” This pretty much means that we don’t go to a wedding thinking “I’m going to create this particular image today.” Instead, we look at a scene or subject and think about the possibilities, and execute whatever we can in the time we have.
This past weekend’s wedding was just such an opportunity. Over the years I have been doing photography, I have picked up the ability to see the finished image before I click the shutter. Sounds corny, I know, but I know what I can do with images, know my lighting and exposure well, and just fit the subjects into the image capture I saw in my mind’s eye.
Melissa and Joey had a fun wedding, full of happiness, surprise and wonderful family & friends.
And they were very cooperative when I had an idea about this image:
I’ll post more images later… this one stood out, and I wanted to share it. 🙂
The rite of spring for high school students everywhere is the The Prom. And the Berkeley County proms are THIS Friday and Saturday!
But sometimes one of the biggest hassles of the prom is getting photos done. First, there’s the line… it’s usually long, and takes up almost an hour of the limited amount of time you have at the prom. Then, there’s the background and photos… you have NO say in how those photos are done, and there’s always only one background – like it or not. Finally, there’s packages that you may not want, or packages that don’t meet your needs.
We’re offering a solution that answers all your concerns.
First, our prom photos are going on BEFORE the prom starts, from 3-7pm at our studio. There won’t be a line; at least not one to speak of. And when you arrive, our professional team will be ready to help you look your best, and give you directions along the way to get you in and out quickly.
Second, we’re offering THREE different background sets. Two will be exclusive offerings that combine great lighting and amazing set design… you will never see anything like this in a school prom portrait. The third background will be all white, a look that is timeless and focuses on JUST YOU! We will have a collection of additional props, chairs, and accessories you are welcome to use for your pictures, too. Just as a teaser, imagine having your prom photos with a feather boa, shimmery gold fabric or something else really cool! Since we will have time to spend with each couple, we can do MORE than just take your picture and shove you out the door.
Finally… we’ll have build-your-own packages available. Yes, we’ll have some pre-made packages, too. But if you don’t want any of our packages, you can create your own to your liking. You aren’t locked in to just one thing that way. You can select from desk prints, wallets, and several special items we will have available.
Let me wrap this up by telling you that this is a unique experience. And the only thing you pay for is the pictures. Packages start at $12, and we welcome car loads of your friends.
Interested? Go here for details, you can download an order form, and even get directions—> Prom Portraits!
Okay, the subject is kind of an attention getter. But to be honest, there really was a cow here… just a week ago. A real cow… bovine, hooves, moo… the whole thing.
You’re going to love the cow’s name, too. But that comes in a minute.
The REASON the cow was here is because it is the show piece of one of our seniors, Samantha. She wanted to highlight her affiliation with the FFA (she’s a local chapter president), and her intense love for farming. She’s even going to be going to school to specialize in farm science. That’s serious!
She wanted pictures with her cow, and some traditional images for her family…
Coming from a farm family, you have to remain practical when it comes down to understanding how you will treat your animals. As such, and with all the practicality of any good farmer, Samantha named her cow “Meatloaf.” 🙂
I’m in the unique position of meeting up with parents who have small children. Thankfully, all of these small children have an array of games that I have quite frankly almost completely forgotten over the years. Just a few weeks ago, I was reminded how to play peek-a-boo, and not long before that I received a complete training session on “tea party” (not the political one, either).
But last Friday I was thoroughly schooled on how to play “Monster.” If you’ve met me, you know that I can appear to many very small children as monster-like proportions. But little Miss Sarah wasn’t daunted. In fact, SHE was the monster, and I was the person “to be chased.” Well… it turned out to be a lot more fun than I remember. And there are a LOT of great hiding places in our studio. 🙂
Sarah as the monster:
Sarah as Sarah:
Today it was great pleasure to accompany my wife to the 13th annual Brain Games, held at Shepherd University.
She got involved after I saw a pleading by Tim Procita, the CEO of MVB Bank, on Facebook asking for some knowledgeable people to be a part of his Brain Games team. I suggested it to Diana, and she agreed to talk with Tim about it. The set everything up, and Diana was one of six members of the MVB Bank team. Another member of the team was Lauren Epperly, another member of the RNE group to which I belong.
The way it works is that the teams are sitting at tables… in this case, in the Ram’s Den (a kind of dining hall for the college students). Four times during the afternoon, the teams are given a sheet of 25 questions, and have 15 minutes in which to answer the questions. The questions are essentially trivia-type questions from a variety of subjects, from history and economics to movies, TV, and music. The questions are, for the most part, really hard for most of us commoners. But the Brain Games players are just a notch above the rest of us.
At the end of 15 minutes, the answer sheets are collected and sent to the judging chambers, where they are scored. A listing is updated on a projected computer display after each round has been judged. I went as an observer/supporter, but since pom-poms and cheers would not have been appropriate, I sat quietly at an empty table and busied myself with editing and a few emails.
Diana did very well in her contribution to the team. The MVB Bank team finished tied for eighth place… a respectable showing indeed.
The real reason I’m writing about this, though, is to bring a little awareness to the purpose of the event. The Brain Games project benefits the Literacy Volunteers of the Eastern Panhandle, which I strongly urge you to learn more about. Each team pays to be a part of the games… this is the biggest element of raising funds from this event. There are also books for sale (Diana donated several books from her library), cookies and water (all donated) available for donations, as well as door prizes, and silent auction raffles ($1 per ticket, 6/$5). In all, the day is about volunteering time, a little money, and some of your brain power for a very good cause.
I’m proud of Diana for getting involved. She and the MVB team really did well.
I hope that the LVEP raised a lot of much-needed funds. By the way, there is a DONATE button on their website (hint, hint).
🙂
Seems that whenever I go to a restaurant we’ve never tried, and report it on Facebook, everyone asks “how was that?” Well, I’m not one to just say “it was good,” or “it was awful.” No, you need to have a real report about every aspect I thought made up the bigger picture… according to me. 🙂
I’ve also been told I need to write more about stuff other than studio and photography. So… here goes.
Bombay Peacock has three locations according to their website. We went to the one in Kearneysville, which is right behind the DMV. If you remember that the Taj Mahal was there for awhile, it’s the same suite. Since those suites are set up like business suites, you have to park about two suites away and take a central stairway, then walk down the narrow sidewalk to get to their entrance. But this is truly no big deal once you get inside.
Part of the experience for any non-American cuisine is indeed the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the atmosphere here stops with the name. Okay, that’s not quite fair. The walls were painted in shades of blue and green, mimicking those you’d find in the feathers of a peacock. The ceiling was standard office ceiling tiles (not painted), and the carpet was gray. The tables were standard square/rectangle and circular restaurant tables. However, the napkins were all cloth, and large. The flatware was rather basic… but they worked. 🙂
The menu is colorful, easy to read and segmented by appetizers, chicken, vegetarian, etc. In addition to the dish’s name, there’s also a brief American-ese description of the dish. We selected a combination appetizer platter which included about two portions of four different appetizers with three tasty sauces (a mild peanut sauce, a spicy mint sauce and a sweet tamarind sauce) to start… it was really tasty and set our appetite just right.
For dinner Diana had Tandoori Chicken, a favorite every time she goes to an Indian restaurant. I ordered the Mingh Ka Tikka, which is essentially boneless white meat chicken in Tandoori style. Both were served with a plated side salad and cucumber-based yogurt dressing called Raita. And this was truly the best part of our meal. Tender doesn’t begin to define how succulent the chicken was. The coating was cooked to perfection and every morsel was a treat. We also got a side order of garlic Naan, which is a flatbread. They also served a basket of non-garlic Naan, which later served us well to “clean our plates.”
The portions were generous, the server very attentive (if not a bit too chatty until another large party arrived), and the food was all around excellent. And we were satisfied with our meal, even believing if dessert was free we couldn’t eat it.
Until our server offered a complementary dessert. We both selected the rice pudding with pistachio topping, and it was excellent… and quickly consumed.
In all, I would give this experience a B+, and simply because I felt the atmosphere could use a little sprucing up, and the service could do with a little more emphasis on just the food service. We definitely plan to return. They have a buffet on Saturdays, for your information.
The other two locations are in Martinsburg (which I haven’t seen yet, but it’s supposedly on Foxcroft near the mall) and Hagerstown.
I have the privilege of doing some work for the area’s premier “style magazine,” Valley Homes and Style. I have photographed many of the covers, several articles and more. This particular assignment, though, was for an article on a craftsperson who is an artist and something of an expert on jewelry in general.
This original piece was designed specifically for the jeweler for which she works.
We used the shop as our background. It's where she does her best work.
I’m still working on all the images from Saturday, but I noticed a few that had some interesting story behind them… and collectively they kind of recapped the day for me. We had a great time meeting all the dogs… and their owners, of course.
Here’s a bit of what went on…
Some just wanted to lounge for awhile
Some were braver than others
Some moments came when we least expected it
Some were intensely playful
Some just tried to figure out what we were doing
Some tried to give us instructions on using the equipment
But in the end, we all had a great time… more of the “portraits” when we get them done. Enjoy!
Oddly, I had not yet met Albert. He was much taller than I had gotten the impression he was. But everything worked out. Stefanie and Albert are getting married this October. Fun back story on this one is that we photographed her mother’s marriage vow renewal just a few years ago. She definitely has her mother’s smile.
Once in awhile a family comes along who has a spectacular dynamic… fun, enjoy each others company, and has really cool kids. This is just such a family!
And there’s practically no way I could truly give you an idea how much fun this family was without showing you this image. Grandpa was holding the girls, and the older one decides to give him a kiss. Goodness knows what the younger girl is thinking.
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