Ann Springs Close Greenway is a great location I have shot at many times over the years. A sprawling area of trails, fields, barn buildings, and forests. So when Trevor and Alana asked for suggestions on the location for their engagement shoot, Ann Springs fit what they were looking for perfectly. I remember meeting Trevor when he was 13 years old when him and I were both on the same skateboard ministry team. He was one of the wildest people I had ever met and had an insatiable thirst for Coca Cola and skateboarding, to the point where both were wrecking his body. Soon afterwards I met Alana as her and Trevor began dating. The skateboard team has since dissolved, Trevor has slowed down on the soda intake before it dissolved him, and both Trevor and Alana have been together through it all. I am blessed to know both of them and see them grow together.
Engagements: Jim & Amy
Amy
I love this portrait of Amy. I had Jim over my shoulder complimenting her and singing her praises. They are one of my favorite couples to photograph as they just work together. Jim is incredibly thoughtful and Amy adores him in every way.
Portraits: Ben Livengood
Ben is a good friend of mine whom I met through my wife. He and I connected over a mutual love of skateboarding and photography. Though I have not been as active a participant in skateboarding recently, we always have good discussions on all thing photography. Plus he has a sweet beard.
Portrait of a Musical Mind
My thoughts have always wandered to what defines a person and makes them unique. What is the character that lives beneath the skin. Portraiture is a study in that sentiment. Seeking an inner being through a relationship with the subject in order to convey a bit of their soul in a photograph. Strength, humor, wit, or wisdom, whatever the quality, a photograph must show more than just a face. I find a musician to be a particularly intriguing subject. Their mastery of an instrument and lyrical prowess is a skill that I have much desired yet been unable to fulfill. They have a way of viewing the world that lends itself to making truths into tunes and memories into melodies.
Portraits: Jon & Courtney
Jon and Courtney are what I would call a pioneering couple. They met in Elon, NC and moved to Charlotte soon afterwards. They had the initiative and resourcefulness to move away from family and friends to a new city where they only had each other to rely on. This hit home with me, as my wife and I have a similar situation with our families being on opposite ends of the country. This fact makes these images more special as it is about them, alone, as a couple relying on each other for support and strength. I admire their resolve in paving their own way in a new city and taking the chance on a beautiful life together.
Film
Film is one of those age old processes that seemed to be killed when digital arrived. In fact, the first question most people ask when I talk about film is where can I even get it. It may seem that it has gone the way of the dinosaur but in fact film has been having a resurgence. While many photographers dropped their film cameras when digital became a viable way of capturing images there were a few who held onto it. They saw that there was a certain organic and truthful quality to film. It speaks to us almost as nature does. We feel connected with it. Sometimes digital images can just be too cold or seem too processed. Film does not inherently allow this and I believe this is why it has sprung back. In an age when every device has a digital monitor and our main way of interacting is through social media, we crave something that is tangible and has a timelessness to it. When all we crave is the immediate we learn to value the things that take time. This is why I love film!
These were all shot on a Mamiya 645 AFD with an 80mm 2.8 lens. The films used were Kodak Portra 400 and Fuji PRO 400H both rated at ISO 200.
Erin Ashley Makeup
A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing models for Erin Ashley Makeup. Erin has impeccable taste in the makeup and each girl looked gorgeous! Thank you to Jesse, Kirsty, Savannah, Rachel, Olivia, Michelle, and Emily for being the models and thank you to Katy Barbour for doing hair. You can view Erin’s website at Erin Ashley Makeup.
Dan Myles
Dan Myles is owner of Hoss Leather out of Chapel Hill, NC. He has been leather working since his early college days when he lived in Australia.
Community Spotlight: The Good Child’s Leather
Our good friend Sarah Pohlig recently allowed me to photograph at her shared workshop in Chapel Hill, NC. Within the last couple months she has started The Good Child’s Leather to expand her passion for leather working. She learned everything she knows about leather from Dan Myles (Another blog post for him to follow).
The workshop is owned by Dan and she utilizes the space for her creations. “I love working with leather” she says “I love the feel of it, the smell, the long life and the history behind it. I would love to learn everything there is to know about leather working. The purpose of Good Child’s Leather is, currently, to make beautiful things. I sell bracelets and cuffs to afford more leather so that I can make more beautiful things.” Sarah says that she would have joined Dan in his business but she prefers the more feminine look where “delicacy meets durability”. “I like intricate and detailed, I like finished edges and the glisten of bridle leather, I love the dyes and stains, the different stitches, the hundred or so braids in Dan’s outback book. Currently I’m playing with the line between leather and jewelry.”
Sarah is excited that her work will be available at a new Carrboro market hosted by Erin Griffin from 10am to 5pm on April 14th. The market itself should run every second Saturday of each month, more details can be found here: http://www.carrborocraftmarket.com/index.html