I had the pleasure of shooting a birthday party for Camden Rainer April 3rd weekend. It was a good time with the kids enjoying face painting and an easter egg hunt that included the easter bunny!! To top it off Cam was able to snag the golden egg before the other kids. Well it was his birthday! Everyone had a good time and I know I enjoyed myself tremendously. Thanks Fran and Rod for using Diamond Exposures!
I have to start this post out by saying I freaking love my job. Being a photographer is so rewarding it's ridiculous. Answer me this.... what is more beautiful than an expecting mother? My daughter turns 8 months old today and it's hard to believe she's grown so much. I remember when I would put my hand on my wife's stomach trying.. hoping to catch a moment when she was kicking. I could only smile as I looked at this young couple about to experience the joy of parenthood. I'm so glad Antwan and Mae allowed me to shoot their maternity session. They came down from Upper Marlboro, MD for the shoot. Though it was getting dark, we ran outside for a few quick shots then finished the session off in my home studio. Antwan and Mae were laid back and a pleasure to work with. I have to say I'm extremely proud of this slideshow and this whole session. I really like the white background, lighting, and high key type of look. I definitely will be using this more often. Of course it doesn't hurt to have a good looking couple too! We enjoyed Antwan and Mae so much I went and played paintball with Antwan and friends the next day and my wife and I attended their baby shower. It was a good weekend all the way around. They are expecting a baby girl and I know she will be showered with love. If you like the images and know anybody who's expecting, please share it with them! Every pregnant mother should have a maternity session!!! Comments are welcome!
Once again Carolinas Medical Center - University has hosted a phenomenal formal event to benefit the Community Investment Foundation. The event was held October 10th at the Embassy Suites located in Concord. This is our second time covering the event and it was beautifully planned and executed. I'm always amazed at the themes that they come up with. This year it was Hollywood Live! Celebration of Stars. They had 2 energetic celebrity actors imitating Jack Nicholson and Marilyn Monroe. I thought both of them did an outstanding job. There were even imitation Paparazzi photographers. Everyone seemed engaged and looked like they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was for a good cause!!
Have you ever had one of those moments where you thought life is good?? Well I must say that I was extremely happy with the Senior Portrait Session I had with Tiffany last week. Other than it being slightly chilly outside Sunday morning, everything came together nicely. We got out early to capture the "good" light. It was an overcast day, so I wasn't fighting with the sun. Tiffany is a senior from West Virginia and was like a breath of fresh air. It was nice to not have to feel rushed through the shoot as well. She posed with ease and required little instruction from the posing standpoint. Not only that, but she was full of energy and willing to climb up and on things (hence the shots in the trees) to capture the shot. We went to Freedom Park in Charlotte and had a really good time. Now that I have my Tronix Explorer 1200 battery and my multicart, I was able to bring my studio lights on location. It made all the difference in the world!! These were all shot with either a one light setup or available light. If you were Tiffany, which shot would you pick to submit to the yearbook??
Here's a slideshow from Rodney and Ronesshia's wedding reception held in Washington, NC. Washington is not too far from New Bern North Carolina if you've never been in the area. It's a small trip from Charlotte but I put my audio book on and enjoyed the trip. This slideshow is a small teaser but hey they say a picture's worth a thousand words! If that's the case... why am typing?? Enjoy the slideshow!
I just wanted to post the slideshow from Tnitra and Kevin's wedding that was held in September in Wilson, NC. They had a beautiful outdoors wedding held in a Rose Garden. The two of them are perfect for each other and actually have a really nice story. To hear Kevin tell it, he was interested in Tnitra since high school but back then she wouldn't give him the time of day. It's a good story of how persistance wins out and if you know Kevin then you know how funny the story is when he tells it. They are the nicest couple you'd ever want to meet. I think this slideshow though kind of long captures the essence of the wedding and tells a beautiful story. Special thanks to my assistant Rashard Conrad who got a good taste of wedding photography and how tough it can be. It was a pretty hot day and photography equipment is heavy. I couldn't have easily executed the off-camera lighting with out him. Well enough about that, here is the wedding story.
Tasha and would like to introduce our new bundle of joy. Lauren Olivia Tyson was born April 9 at 3:15 AM. She weight 6 lbs 5 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. Tasha is recovering and doing very well. This is our first child and we thank God for blessing us with a healthy beautiful child. I also want to thank the doctors and nurses in labor & delivery at CMC hospital here in Charlotte. The did an awsome job!!!. I'm so proud and can't stop smiling. People are trying to figure out who she looks like. I tell them if she's lucky she'll look like her gorgeous mom!!!
Rodney and Ronesshia got engaged and decided to have their engagement session in Charlotte. It was a beatiful sunny day and we had the session at Jetton Park located right outside of Charlotte in Cornelius, NC. I knew Ronesshia from college but I was my first time meeting Rodney. He's a good guy and I'm glad they found each other. Love was in the air and we definitely had a good time. Rodney wanted to do something special as a tribute to his new fiance and had the idea recreate the cover shot for the Diana Ross Blue Album. It's the last picture on the slideshow. Let me know what you think!!! Rodney loves it!!!!
We had the pleasure of shooting the Carolinas Medical Center - University Ball entitled University Royale. The ball held on November 15, was to benefit the Community Investment Foundation. The Venue was located at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and held in The Speedway Club. I was impressed by the James Bond theme of the event and it would have made 007 proud. During the event there was a "Murder Myster", dancing, a James Bond impersonator, a silent auction, and for you car enthusiast even an Astin Martin DB9. I cover a lot of events over the year and I can say that the people over at Carolinas Medical Center - University really know how to come together and have a good time. I'm pretty sure you're enjoying youself if have a dance floor full of people doing the "Cupid Shuffle."
Get ready to feel the love!!! Vicki, William and I had a grand time during their engagement session. We went to the beautiful Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens right outside of Charlotte in Belmont, NC. I was worried it would be too chilly since it rained the day before but the weather held up and turned out to be very nice. If you haven't been, take some time to visit. http://www.dsbg.org/index.php
The orchid conservatory is dedicated to the display of orchids and tropical plants and definitely a work of art. As you can see, Vicki and William are a cute stylish couple and I can't wait to shoot their wedding in March! It promises to be a momentus occasion!
The Southern Womens Show came to Charlotte last weekend and Diamond Exposures teamed up with Roberta Braun to cover the event. We met some amazing people and made some great contacts. There was everything from savvy shopping to creative cooking ideas, and healthy lifestyle tips. We got to cover it all including the trendy fashion shows, great celebrity guests, and fabulous prizes. Cristián de la Fuente was there. The international film and TV star, dynamite dancer, and “one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People,” who starred in CSI: Miami, Ugly Betty, and Dancing with the Stars.
We also got some great pictures of Jason Earles, Miley Cyrus’ loveable older brother on Disney’s “Hannah Montana!”
I have to mention that I snapped a few shots of Miss United States and Mrs. United States!
You can see all of the pictures we took at the event here: http://www.pictage.com/550127
Thanks Roberta for allowing us to join in and cover this awsome event.
Ok this is just a play on words. No I don't know Joe McNally nor have I met him YET, but I do admire his style. So I thought I would post one of my practice efforts to get close to his technique. In case you haven't heard of Joe you can check him out at http://www.joemcnally.com. I'm looking for that surreal look without going to much over the top. This was done using Camera Raw 4.5 software though I understand you can use Adobe Lightroom to achieve a similar affect. We shot this as a test shot while setting up for a maternity shoot. Thanks to my beautiful wife for modeling for me!!!!
