Broadway Neons

"The Stage" by Wes Aldridge

This shot is a reflection of the Broadway neons from the top of a big metal box sitting on the street corner in downtown Nashville.

The blog is up once again and I am ready to crash out. Tedious tonight, tedious.

Tortured and Gone

"Crying Out For Help" by Wes Aldridge

Meet Alexandra Deus. She was standing by Legislative Plaza on the corner of Union Street and 6th Avenue in downtown Nashville with the signs pictured above. She said her son, Stephen Gorday, was a student at Nashville Tech... and that he had been "tortured" there and has now disappeared. She said she hasn't seen him for three months.

She said Gorday was a United States citizen and that she went to all the "available organizations for help, and no one cared." She said she has exercised all her options to help him, so now, she was "just going to stand here" with her signs in protest. "Its all I can do... to take it to the streets," she said.

I am not sure of all the story behind her son, Stephen, but it seems like it might be worth at least looking into by some public media outlet. I wish I had more resources and time to investigate, but I don't. Hopefully someone else will.

Memorial Day

"Shoulder to Shoulder" by Wes Aldridge

I went out to the veteran cemetary in Madison today for a memorial service. I felt like an intruder, so I couldn't get in close enough for the shots with true grit that I wanted to get. This is about the best one I could come up with and not feel like I was being intrusive on someone's sacred time.

Still tired from my long shoot last week. Too much to think about today. Just want some rest now and maybe everything will be better when I wake in the morning. Then again, maybe it will just get more intense. I guess Karma does come back around, for better or for worse.

Sunday's Sunset

"Fiery Steeple" by Wes Aldridge

Today was a new adventure. I went to a church service in Nashville for the first time in the six years that I have lived here. Fellowship Bible Church -- I had never been to a chruch like that. To tell you the truth, it was pretty interesting. The music sounded really good being performed by some professional Christian artist. And there were so many people to watch. I wanted my camera in there, but it just wouldn't have been right. It was strange because I felt oddly at ease there. Who knows.

To keep with the church theme, I shot the steeple of Belmont Heights Baptist Church with the sunset. The sky was too amazing not to share it tonight. It seems that my latest obsession is sunset shots.

On Assignment: Cowlitz Co., Washington-Day Nine

"Anxious to Fly" by Wes Aldridge

Today was the voyage home.

I think I spent about 6 hours on planes today. One layover was in the Kansas City Airport, where I got this shot. A little girl had wandered off from her mother. She walked up to the window in the terminal with her hands out to the side making a vrrrooooom sound like an airplane. This was my shot because it was what my day was all about. People, travel and the like.

Now its time for me to go out and rock it a bit. Night all.

On Assignment: Cowlitz Co., Washington-Day Eight

"Cold Water Lake" by Wes Aldridge

Whew, 'tis finished. After a helluva crazy day, another IMAGES Magazine has all photography assignments complete. Now, here are the tales of the day.

It started off with a portrait of an athletic director of a local college. I met him at the college baseball diamond as a tournament was being played. We decided to shoot him in the foreground from the third base line stands with the diamond behind him. As I poised to take my first shot, a line drive foul ball came screaming at me. I dropped the camera from my eye quick enough to watch it slam into my right thigh, dead center. Yes, there is a nice baseball sized bruise there.

Later in the day, I did the 50-mile voyage to Mt. St. Helens to do a photo essay for the magazine. The shot for the day is from a place called Cold Water Lake with the mountain in the background. I was searching high and low for shots for the photo essay and decided to take a three-mile hike around the lake to find a vantage point with a great reflection. I like this one, and the blog is up once again.

Finally, I drove from Cowlitz County to Vancouver, Washington, to be closer to the Portland, Oregon, airport for my morning flight. I sat down at the desk in my executive suite in the Holiday Inn Express to download my photos for the day. Then, my spirit dropped. After calling back to the hotel I stayed at in Cowlitz for the past week, I confirmed that I left my memory card reader, camera battery charger and cell charger in the room. I jumped in the convertible and popped in my Telefon Tel Aviv CD and back to Cowlitz I went, 1 hour and 15 minutes roundtrip.

It was just another day full of adventures. Some people might look at these events as unfortunate, but screw that. I believe what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, and we all know I should have been dead many, many times ago and it has all made me pretty strong. So, if I can keep the adventure going, I promise I will keep it exciting, or at least keep myself entertained. That's what's important anyway, right?

On Assignment: Cowlitz Co., Washington-Day Seven

"Washington to Oregon" by Wes Aldridge

I set out looking for a sunset shot tonight, and guess I found one. I was driving through the industrial park of Longview, WA, and saw this big mama bridge. I tried searching all up and down the Washington coast and couldn't get a good solid angle close enough to the water's edge. All the property along the river there is occupied by timber manufacturers with “no trespassing” signs posted everywhere. I needed to get to the other side of the river.

It was time to go to Oregon, and the mighty bridge in the shot, got me there. I was able to go up to the waterfront with no problem. To get the angle I wanted, I climbed down the rocks leading down to the water and got my shot there. It was a pretty steep bank and I imagined how terrible it would be to slip and fall down the ledge, crack my head on the rocks and lose my camera in the river… and maybe myself.

Its probably strange for me to think about hurting myself getting a shot I want, but it doesn't really matter. What is supposed to happen will happen, and there isn't much anyone can do about it. A little something I call Fate, and I guess today just wasn't my day to fall.

Anyway, isn't this sky simply amazing? That is dead on how it looked, no Photoshop screwing around on this shot's colors. It ranks up there as one of the most dramatically painted skies I have ever seen. Real power in the sky, real power.

On Assignment: Cowlitz Co., Washington-Day Six

"On the Dock" by Wes Aldridge

After my weather-screwed trip to Mt. St. Helens on Sunday afternoon, it was time to head back out there today to grab a few shots for the magazine. As you can see, it was a clear day. This is a lake along the 54 mile, 1 hour and 45-minute drive to Mt. St. Helens from Castle Rock, Washington. I even think I grabbed a few options for the magazine cover while I was out there.

Now, for the shot. I watched the guy in the white T-shirt hang the small boat on the dock and I waited for him to walk back to the mainland. I just thought he would add another cool reflective element to the shot. Seems like I have been shooting quite a few reflective surfaces up here in the Pacific Northwest. Go figure, lots of calm, still water and plenty of beauty surrounding it.

Today was extremely long. I didn’t finish shooting at a little league game until 9:45 p.m. and I have a portrait time set with a local DJ at 7 a.m., grrrrrr… I am pretty worn down and the sunburn I’ve collected from cruising with the roof down in the Sebring has drained me too. I love it up here in this part of the country, but I think I am about ready to get back home to Nashville and rest for a little while. I am definitely looking forward to the Memorial Day holiday on Monday.

On Assignment: Cowlitz Co., Washington-Day Five

"The Reflected" by Wes Aldridge

Can I just say? Yes, I am exhausted. It seems like the sun just won't go down in this part of the country. I finally got last light around 9:30 p.m. It gives much time to shoot, but little time to rest for the next day.

Anyway, I was driving along the Columbia River and I see this place. It was filled with yellow flowers growing from the water, dead trees and lily pads. It was amazing and I just had to shoot it. It was pretty tough to get the exposure to work out right because of the high shadow and light contrast. It was simply too cool to not take a shot.

On Assignment: Cowlitz Co., Washington-Day Four

"River's Edge" by Wes Aldridge

I bagged this shot while I was doing a portrait of a sea kayaker on the Columbia River. I was waiting for her to get her kayak in the water and needed a minute or two to clear my mind. The sun hid behind the clouds for a few moments and cooled the color temperture of the water in the shot. I'm glad I found this short time to chill out a little bit.

I had just come from a hospital that I was shooting a special advertising spread for the magazine. I had been at the hospital for over four hours. If you don't know, making shots in a hospital interesting and not too graphic isn't an easy task by any means. Today was my lucky day and I had set up and executed 7 of the 8 shots I needed for this particular spread. I knew the last shot would be the most difficult because it needed to be an emergency room in action.

I shot several different style shots for this one, but I wasn't feeling any of them too strongly yet. A PR guy from the hospital was escorting me throughout this assignment. He asked one of the doctors if we could shot some shots of him consulting with a patient in an exam room. He agreed and I went into the room and started popping shots, kneeling at the foot of the hospital bed. Then came the bombshell from Hell. The patient said he had pain in his lungs and thought it was pneumonia. The doctor, without skipping a beat, said, "I am going to be honest here, I think you might have lung cancer."

I lowered the camera and my eyes widened as I swallowed hard, thinking "for the love of God. This is great." The man looked down at the ground and his wife, who was sitting about three feet to my left, burst into hysterical crying. I couldn't believe the situation that I was crammed in the middle of. I just wanted to get out of there, so I did. I felt like a total piece of trash for shooting those shots while the poor guy was being told he probably had a terminal disease. But, what could I have done and how could I have known? I couldn't and I know that, it was just tough to let this one roll off my shoulder.

On Assignment: Cowlitz Co., Washington-Day Three

"The Great Wide Open" by Wes Aldridge

As I took this shot, I heard wolves begin to howl from the nearby shadows. I stepped back and took a look at my life, and realized that I have it pretty good. There I was, in the middle of nowhere, engulfed by the wilderness, and loving every second of it. This was my job, the thing that makes my living for me. It doesn't get any better than this.

The day had been long and I had been shooting for around 13 hours. My first shoot was at 9 a.m. with some kids at an equestrian farm in Vancouver, WA. Then I drove a couple of hours up to Mt. St. Helens National Park. The weather once again was terrible and I was literally driving through storm clouds as the elevation kept rising en route to the volcano. After that, I was off to the Pacific Ocean to shoot a lighthouse at sunset on the Long Beach Penninsula. After that, it was time to drive two hours back to Cowlitz Co.

I saw this shot at dusk while I was driving to the hotel in Kelso, WA, from the coastline on Highway 101. I had the top down on my convertible Sebring so I could have a panoramic vision of the beauty around me. There were no street lights, but the full moon was shining brightly enough through the fog that I wouldn't even need headlights to see the road ahead of me. I slammed on the brakes and a deer ran across the road little more than 100 feet in front of the car. I popped in my Telefon Tel Aviv cd and it just mellowed the ride out a little more. Everything was in its right place and I was more than content with everything. I love what I do.

On Assignment: Eugene, Oregon-Day Two

"Pacific Mood" by Wes Aldridge

Today the weather was disgusting. The sky was a blanket of gray. The rain poured without end. The wind blew cold and fierce. The locals said it was a normal May day in Eugene, Oregon. The photography for today was nothing near beautiful, so I decided to pull another shot from yesterday at Cannon Beach to share.

This is a different vantage point from up the shoreline a little farther on a lookout point called Ecola State Park. This shot shows what the previous one didn't: the weather was terrible yesterday too. I love the mood set into motion with the dark gray fog and clouds hovering over the mountainside. I was lucky enough to catch a beam of sunshine hitting the rocks in the foreground of the shot to bring them to life and pull them from the dreary background. You can see where the light cut through the bleakness and hit the water turning it a beautiful blue. And at the right second, the decisive moment, a wave broke on the rock and sprayed up the front in a white cascade. The scene was magic to my eyes and I knew I was lucky to be standing where I was standing at that very second in time. In Santiago's words, some of us were born lucky, I guess. I felt it then.

It seems as if Mother Nature is working against me on this trip. Will she have any mercy, or keep throwing her harsh elements in front of the lens of my camera? We shall see, we shall see.

On Assignment: Cannon Beach, Oregon-Day One

"Haystack Rock" by Wes Aldridge

I was 2,468 miles from Nashville and I felt perfectly at home tonight. I stood on Cannon Beach and stared at Haystack Rock as the sun was melting into the horizon. It was the perfect close to a long day of traveling. After seven hours of flying and around four hours of driving, I needed a little bliss to wrap this long one up. I had been awake since 5:30 a.m. Nashville time (gotta love 7 a.m. flights) and it is approaching the 24 hour marker.

This assignment is going to be a ruff one, I think. A day's worth of shooting in Eugene, Oregon, tomorrow, followed by a day in Vancouver, Washington, then on to the magazine shoot for five days in Cowlitz County, Washington. Lots to shoot, hopefully enough time to work with. Besides the present stress of several hardcore days of shooting, I am in a beautiful place. I had never seen the Pacific Northwest until today. And I must say it is divine. So wonderful how rainshowers over shadow the timberline and vanish as quickly as they appear. The weather is strange here, almost unpredictable. It will just add to the excitement of the hunt to find my shots for this assignment.

Now that the two RockSTAR energy drinks have worn off and my adrenal gland has been sucked dry, my body now demands sleep. For once, I will heed its call.

Out on the Farm

"Fire Flowers" by Wes Aldridge

I was shooting an assignment for our Williamson County magazine at Harlinsdale Farm when I got this shot. I went over there looking for a great sihouette of a horse in a sunset. Be sure to pick up the Williamson County mag and see what I got. I like it a lot.

This shot of the flowers in the field is very similar to my horse shots. I laid on my side in the field with my ultra-wide 16-35mm lens on and left cheek against the ground because I couldn't get enough of the sunset in the frame with the timberline in front of me.

Ah, I just love to watch the sunset.

Carnton Plantation

"The Gardens" by Wes Aldridge

Today I was assigned to shoot at the historic Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tenn. The grounds consisted of a plantation house complete with a smokehouse and slave quarters. Also, there is a great garden. That is where this shot came from. I was walking through it trying to find a shot and I looked up and saw this great pattern. I had to shoot.

The sunspot was great to capture and I love the lens flare it made diagonally in the right hand corner of the shot. A high shutter speed gave me the shadow of the wooden beam structure in the garden and allowed me to shoot virtually directly into the sun.

27 Neons

"Hollywood Lights" by Wes Aldridge

While I was driving to Jersey Mike's Sub Shop to grab a #13 Boss-style for dinner, I caught a glimpse of the Regal Cinemas Hollywood 27 movie theater neons. I shot this before early on in this project but used a shot of the neons from the marquee reflected in a car window. So, in essence, this is the same location with a totally different view point. I think it is one of the most interesting movie theaters that I have ever been to and totally worth shooting multiple times. There are just so many different ways it can be looked at from different angles.

It was almost last light and the sky hadn't turned black yet, so I decided, this was my shot. There is just something about seeing neons against a dusk filled sky. I guess I have truly fallen in love with neon signs now because I seem to shoot them more and more often.

Food Shootin'

"Sushi Time" by Wes Aldridge

Today, some of the fellas from photo decided to have lunch out in Cool Springs. We tried the Canton Super Buffet, but strangely enough, Chinese restaurants seem to be closed on Mondays. Don't ask, we had no idea why. But the sweet thought of Oriental cuisine kept fresh on our minds, and taste buds. So, to get our fix, we took a trip to Omikashi to enjoy their sushi buffet lunch. And yes, we very much enjoyed it.

Lunch inspired me. I decided to go grab some props tonight and do a little food shot of some sushi rolls. I bought the nifty little plate from the Pottery Barn, the chopsticks from Pier 1 Imports and the sushi from good ol' Kroger. I spent a little over $20 on the items for the shot and think they were well worth it. I figured I could use these for some stock photos with the possiblity of selling them to potential clients.

I turned my kitchen into a psuedo studio. I used a chair bottom to act as a table to shoot on. I sat up my 550EX E-TTL flash on a light stand and shot it into an umbrella to spread the light over the great little rolls. I ended up shooting the shot at 1/100th of a second at f/4.5 with an ISO of 100.

W is for...

"W" by Wes Aldridge

Tonight Katie and I went on a little photo adventure. The sunset was closing in and I wanted to get a shot for the blog before last light settled the sky down.

We jumped in the Jeep and started driving. We went to the Parthenon. We headed into downtown. We tried at the Coliseum. We browsed about West Nashville. We searched up and down West End Ave and then rode it out towards Belle Meade. And there it was, we saw the shot. Whitfield's Restaurant and Bar. I liked the single "W" in neons on the top of the building. The sky was at the right exposure to match the red neons and I think it made for a nice color scheme.

Water Like Chromium

"Drops and Ripples" by Wes Aldridge

This is a simple shot of raindrops hitting a puddle of water during a May time shower. I enjoy observing Nature in all her eloquent beauty. Even when the day seems nasty and the weather turns dark, gray and rainy, she is still gorgeous and radiant.

My original idea when I was shooting this shot was to try and catch a raindrop at the time of impact of it hitting the water. Then, I noticed something different: the patterns in the ripple effect of the water puddle. This was the shot.

I bumped my film speed up to 800 at f/4.0 with a 1/2000th of a second shutter speed to precisely stop the action I saw in the frame.

Nature Pouring Out

"Fall Creek Falls" by Wes Aldridge

Today concluded our company retreat at Fall Creek Falls. I thought it only proper to give a glimpse of the park's namesake waterfall and share its beauty.

It is wonderful to be out in and a part of Nature. To witness something as amazing as this sight, and to realize it is much larger than one's self, is extremely powerful. I am a country boy from Tunnel Hill, Ga., and I love nothing more than to walk through the wilderness with my camera in hand. I feel everyday is a ticket to an adventure and I try harder than anything to cash my ticket and take that ride on a daily basis. There is a vast importance in exploring and seeing things of this magnitude... to be a part of them for a sliver of time, just for a moment. Every moment in life is special and I want to taste and savor it for all it is worth. Today, looking at this magnificent waterflow, I tasted a little of what life is all about.

I make it a point of my existence to search and share what I see. I feel there is so much to share, and much, much more to see. I want to do it all, see it all, be a part of it all, bear witness and tell the story of all I encounter. I want to do something that matters.

Fall Creek Falls Retreat

"Mr. Boshier" by Wes Aldridge


The editorial, directories and photography departments from our company went on a two day retreat to Fall Creek Falls. And yes, it has been a fun night tonight.

Meet Mr. Boshier. He is one of my partners in crime, one of the five staff photographers for our company. Per his request, I grabbed my camera and started shooting candids during our cookout tonight. It was rather dark outside and he had the great idea of using stroboscopic flash sequencing to get some interesting shots. Perfect idea Antony, perfect.

I opened the aperture to f/3.5 with an extremely slow shutter speed of 1.6 seconds, which seems like an eternity to shoot with. We loaded the strobe to fire five times during the exposure. During the exposure, he made a slow run in front of the lens and this is what we got. You have a great blue tone in the sky from the ambient light after sundown and five images of him from the individual strobe flashes. There was not Photoshop manipulation involved in the crafting of this image, just FYI. The darkness of the forest allowed for the perfect exposure. Ain't it fun? I think so. More to come from Fall Creek Falls.

The Dark Pathway

"Joyful Dreams" by Wes Aldridge

I was walking down the wooded path and I stumble upon a sitting stool made of gleaming white marble. I had walked long and hard and thought my body would appreciate a little rest for a moment. As I approached the stool, there read the above inscription: "In a dream you saw a way to survive and you were full of joy."

I walk the wooded path each day, long and hard and toilsome. I stumble and fall. The journey is tedious and my head falls down low. My head bows down and my eyes lose track of the sunshine above the treeline and shadows begin to fall. Times are bleak, and then, I see it in the distance. A little white stool shining bright in the dim forest light. It must surely be a dream. A place to rest for a moment in time, where life can stand still or pass you by and it is all the same. And joy fills me, the much needed joy. Who knows how long it will last, but then again, who cares? It is time to keep walking through that dark forest, as shadows fall, and hope for another gleaming white stool of marble.

Musica Painted at Sunset

<>
"The Golden Ring" by Wes Aldridge

Tonight I felt like getting intimate with Nashville. Something drew me to the place where music dreams are hatched and formed... Music Row. It made me think about all the people that have had the dreams of coming to Nashville to start a music career and make the "big time." It made me think of the countless thousands that have failed and the select few that have succeeded. It made me think of those getting ready to make the journey and I have nothing but best wishes and all the luck in the world to push behind them. Some call it dreaming, others call it a shot in the dark, but still some know it is where they are supposed to be. And everything will be in its right place. All you can do is stick it out, ride it until the end, and see where you end up. There are no guarantees, except for a long hard ride. Keep fighting the good fight.

"Musica" is the statue in the center of the roundabout at Demonbreun St. and Music Row. It sits proudly in front of the ASCAP building in all its might, and overlooks a clear path to downtown Nashville. It is perfect to catch the beautiful colors of a gorgeous sunset, so here is "Musica" silhouetted against a painted sky. Notice the golden ring in the tip of the statue's hand and how the sunlight catches it and glimmers even as the rest of the statue is in shadow.

Chase The Meaning

"Stairway From Heaven" by Wes Aldridge

"What if everything around you
Isn't quite as it seems
What if all the world you think you know
Is an elaborate dream
And if you look at your reflection
Is it all you wanted to be?
What if you could look right through the cracks
Would you find yourself
Find yourself afriad to see?"

"Right Where It Belongs," Nine Inch Nails

Flying High

"Spirit of Athens" by Wes Aldridge

Here is another shot from my excellent time I spent in Athens, Ga., this weekend. This statue is in the downtown area and is called "The Spirit of Athens." I thought it was worth the shot. Now, here it is to share.

Civil Reflection

"Look Out the Window" by Wes Aldridge

Athens, Ga., has proved to be a great place. Some people probably have some influence on making it a grand ol' time. I have enjoyed it.

This shot was taken with the freshly warm rays of sunlight on the way to pick up the car left downtown from the night before. Even though I wanted to go and get back in bed more than anything, I saw the morning sun on the courthouse and decided I needed to take this shot with me. I saw the reflection in the window of my Jeep, threw on the ultra wide lens and went with it. After this, we had a great muffin breakfast at a 24-hour diner called The Grill.

What a wonderful way to start the day. It was an awesomely fun experience. Glad I made the trip, it was very much worth the drive. Thanks for the invite AJ!

Franklin Courthouse

"Shadow Clock" by Wes Aldridge

This is the Franklin downtown courthouse. I am in Athens, Ga. I have other things to tend to. Have a wonderful night.

3 Doors Down

"Brad Arnold: Vox" by Wes Aldridge

Ok, so last night I posted a shot of the girls in the front row at 3 Doors Down rocking it out. Tonight, is a shot of who they were rocking out to. Ladies (Jess this one of the "hottie" is for you cause I know you love to hear me talk about the hot girls all the time) and gentlemen, I give you Brad Arnold, lead vocals for 3 Doors Down.

I must admit, media passes are pretty fun. Mine allowed me to shoot the first three songs of the band from the little area between the stage and the crowd. I don't think it is possible to get any closer to a band... unless you are a groupie of course! Slap on the telephoto lens and you get some pretty serious close up action.

I shot this one at ISO 400 at f/2.8 with a 1/200th of a second aperture. It seems to make for a nice action shot, clear and crisp, and like I said before, I am sure the girls drool over this guy.

And the Show Begins

"Ready to Rock" by Wes Aldridge

The blog shot was especially hard to choose tonight. I was still in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, until 5 p.m. tonight. I had several shots from the community today that would have made for excellent shots to share. But, as Fate would have it, bigger and better things happened tonight.

My good friends, Thaxton Ward, performed at Amsouth/Starwood Amphitheatre tonight before headliner 3 Doors Down. I was issued a media pass that allowed me to shoot the shows. I got some excellent shots of 3 Doors Down performing their first 3 songs in their set, I even impressed myself with some of them. But the shot I went with for today happened right before the band even took the stage. I felt like I witnessed a moment and was able to share it with other people.

I was standing between the mosh pit and the stage in a 4-foot wide clearing to do my photos. I turned around to look at the crowd as the band started to take the stage... and I saw pure energy, so I snapped off one frame. I loved it the second I shot it and knew it was pointless to try and shoot the band for the blog tonight.

The mentality behind this shot was this: Why put up a picture of rockstars that are used to being rockstars everyday of their lives? Why not put up a shot of these young kids that want to be that rockstar or just wish for something magic to happen in their lives? Why not show their raw excitement and faces and starry eyes filled with dreams and hopes? And so, here is my shot.

Timing was everything for this one. I had slowed the shutter down to about 1/40th of a second at f/2.8 with a high ISO of 400. The slow shutter allowed the girls on each side of the main subject to get a motion blur and show some electricity. The looks on these kids' faces were pure and unstaged and no one else in the entire venue saw what I did at that second in time, because all eyes were on 3 Doors Down. I wanted to share this so badly, and it is my offering for the night. Maybe we will look at a concert shot of the band performing tomorrow. Then again, something else might pop up and botch that plan too.

On Assignment: Rocky Mount, North Carolina-Day Two

"Church and State" by Wes Aldridge

I was on my way to shoot a golf course for one of our publications, North Carolina Golf Guide, and I saw this standing in someone's yard on the side of the road. There was no way I could pass this one up. I wanted to share it with everyone. The afternoon sun was nearing sunset and the shadows that were cast on the cross and flag were great. The color was so rich and moody. Even the tree in the background made for the perfect shot.

This one was a quickie because I had to shoot two golf courses in about a two hour span before I lost last light. I fired off one shot after I halfway metered the light reading and hoped that I hit the exposure somewhere in the neighborhood of "on point." I thought about it until I got back to my hotel so I could download it and check it out. It was money. Throw bracketing a couple of f-stops up and down out the window this time! I guess sometimes one shot is all you really need. I am just thankful I got it.

I shot this up at an angle with my ultra-wide lens to get the run-down house in the background out of the frame. It was at ISO 100 with a really fast shutter speed of 1/2500th of a second at f/2.8. I like this one quite a bit, hope you enjoy as well.

On Assignment: Rocky Mount, North Carolina-Day One

"Highway Diner" by Wes Aldridge

I was driving, trying to catch a good sunset for the night when the clouds rolled in and really messed up any kind of decent shot I was trying to get for a nice silhouette. I must admit, I was pretty hot about not getting a good sunset shot. I was up for sunrise, which graced me with a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call and hoped to grab a sunset as well. It had been a long and tedious day and missing the sunset put me down.

Luckily, I drove by this great sight and everything started looking up for me. The Highway Diner's neons glowed through the night sky and I knew I had my shot. I really have a soft-spot in my soul for some great looking neons at night. Thanks to the great people at the Highway Diner for letting some strange guy with a camera set up a tripod and take some shots of their awesome place.

This shot was taken at an ultra-wide 16mm, ISO 100 with an exposure time of 2.5 seconds with an aperture of f/22.

On Assignment: Franklin, Tennessee

"Prammanasudh Wins" by Wes Aldridge

After four days of disgusting weather, the sun finally came out and it was time to shoot the LPGA Tour Franklin American Mortgage Championship. I followed the leaders around trying to get the shot I wanted. It was pretty ruff at times, trying to walk through the swarming crowds of people to get to the places I needed to shoot from. But overall, it was a good time and really the first time I have shot a golf assignment. The winner of the tournament was Stacy Prammanasudh, pictured above.

Timing and having a long enough lens were the issues with shooting this event today. I would have given my first born to have had a 500mm f/4.0 like the photogs from The Tennessean were carrying around. I had to settle with my 70-200mm lens with the 1.4x teleconverter snapped on. I still got some cool shots, but my short lens was extremely limiting to the shots I was able to pull off. Oh well, such is life.

Now that this assignment is done, its time to catch a plane in less than two hours to Raleigh, North Carolina, for my shoot this week in Rocky Mount. The life of a traveling photographer... gotta love it.

Dirty City

"Truck Lot" by Wes Aldridge

I decided to get to know my city a little better tonight. I can't tell you where I shot this photo from, I just followed a bunch of roads leading to nowhere and found this great lot full of tractor trailers with some standing water. The reflection is pretty nice in the puddle of water and I especially enjoy how the tractor trailer is lit with the tungsten from the street lamp.

I did this shot at ISO 100 on a tripod with a 30 second exposure at f/22.

Empty Box

"128246" by Wes Aldridge

Well, here it is, my strange mind at work. Welcome to Acklen Station Post Office in Hillsboro Village. I decided to check my P.O. Box after work, knowing bills would be the only likely item found there in. Thankfully, it was empty on this occassion, cause brother ain't got much scratch to be throwin' at bills right now.

Anyway, while I was in there, something inside me simply wanted the camera. I went and got it and snapped a few frames. I thought the shots were beautiful. It was fun trying to turn a wall of P.O. Boxes into art. Notice the empty one in the middle? That one is mine.

Eatin' Time

"5 & Diner" by Wes Aldridge

Well, I have driven by this place on a daily basis for more than a year and have never popped in for a vanilla shake and burger. Isn't that a tragedy? The building sits behind Cool Springs mall, less than a mile from our company's office building, and I still haven't given it a spin.

The 5 & Diner... not really sure what the deal with this sock-hoppin' restaurant, but one thing is certain: its neons look pretty cool against the setting sun. Nothing terribly special about this one. The virtue of patience was the only skill exercised in the composition of this shot. I had to wait until the ambient light of the sunset matched to the level of light given off by the neons on the building.

An Adventure

"Industrial Sunset" by Wes Aldridge

Tonight was a wonderful night for an adventure. With less than an eighth tank of gas, and the sun setting in less than 20 minutes, I set out ot find the shot. I drove downtown, in and around, and about. Ideas came and they went. Nothing seemed to want to work for me. So, I kept my persistency and searched on.

As darkness started to fall, with the sun below the horizon, I kept on looking. The corner of 3rd and Lindsley, East Nashville, West Nashville... nothing still. The sun was diminishing and everything pointed toward me wasting a good sunset.

I was lost at this point. I had just kept following roads to wherever and had no idea where I was now. I see Fisk University and then Tennessee State Univeristy in front of me. I was getting close, and lost as lost can be all the while. I knew mere minutes lasted until last light, but I wasn't afraid I would miss anything and stayed calm. Just then, I saw a building in an industrial setting just over the horizon. I went for it and there found my shot. I have no idea where I was or what the place I was shooting at was, but it was my shot.

This shot was captured with my 70-200 lens at 100 ISO with an aperture of f/32 and a shutter speed of 13 seconds. These settings allowed the lamp lights to create stars and grab the right exposure for last light. It felt good to make an industrial park look beautiful.

Think and Shoot Quick

"Green Bud" by Wes Aldridge

So, I am sitting at my desk and 4:30 p.m. is rolling around. After a day full of dreadful storming, the sun started to break free from the blustery clouds over head. I itched to grab my camera and make a mad dash for the door beside my desk. The world had come to life for the first time today and it was beautiful and I wanted to be a part of it.

My boss could tell that one more minute for me in the office would have drove me mad. It was time to play a game, one that I love. He asked, "You want me to give you an assignment for your blog?"

With an over-eager lust permeating from me, I stared at him with excited eyes and said, "yes."

He told me to go outside, no farther than 100-feet from where I am sitting at my desk and find my shot. Without any reply from me, I lifted from my seat with camera in tow and walked quickly through the door to the beauty our day had become. I looked for only seconds and the shot above caught my eye... and it was only about 40-feet from my point of assignment. I snapped about four frames and knew this was my shot and walked back in the office in less than two minutes from when I walked out.

I can't explain to you how exciting it is to be constrained and to be forced to figure out a shot in a cramped situation. It completes my photographic lust for adventure. The pressure motivates me to accell and I feel an amazing high in times like these. Even something as simple as my "assignment" and the shot I found, it makes me feel stellar to pull through with something cool to share from it.

Duck... duck...

"Goose" by Wes Aldridge

This is a shot taken of one of my dear old friends, the geese, at the Parthenon. I thought the nearly seamless reflection in this shot was pretty nice. I enjoy photographing wildlife and the Parthenon allows me to get my water fowl fix in this mid-sized concrete jungle of a city. If you don't visit the Parthenon at least once a week, you are robbing yourself. Give it a try and take along a camera if you care to. There is always something there to shoot from peace rallies to birds to lovers in the damp grass. It is a field day there.

Blue is for serenity. It makes this one perfect.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

"AJ's Pick" by Wes Aldridge

Today turned out to be rather satisfying. Cheekwood was the destination of the shooting for the day. It was pretty today, just wish it would have been about 10-degrees warmer.

Anyway, I told one of my most special friends I was going to scout out photo locations for a portrait in her future album. The idea that she wants to portray goes along the lines of a "secret," with her dressed in white for innocence. I thought that Cheekwood would be the perfect place to accurately give the feeling she is looking for. I see another Cheekwood shoot coming on soon, and I am excited. Does anyone want to be a photo assistant?

If you would like to look at a small gallery of other shots I did today at Cheekwood, feel free to copy and paste this link into a new Web browser window and have a look at the slide show.

https://home.comcast.net/~jessf/CheekwoodGallery/index.htm

Franklin Square

"The Statue" by Wes Aldridge

Yes, this is pretty. I like statues, but actually, I am tired and want to go to bed. So here is your shot for the day.

Yes.

Le Carnivale

"The Ride" by Wes Aldridge

Today I thought a street festival was supposed to be going on in Franklin, so I left work and headed to find a shot. When I got there, not so much of a street festival going on. I was pretty flustered because I was stoked to shoot some people having fun. I decided to keep driving around, because we all know the show must go on... got to get that shot up each day or total failure.

I happened upon a small carnival going on in the back streets of Franklin. I knew this was what I needed to shoot. At times like this, I really wish my camera shot full frame, instead of the multiplication factor that it has because it is digital and the sensor isn't made the same size as 35mm film. I wanted it wider, tisk, tisk.

Natchez Over 96

"On the Bridge" by Wes Aldridge

Tonight was beautiful. It was an adventure. Jess and I were in search of photos, and we found them. We drove to historic downtown Franklin and squeezed off a few frames, then it was a race against the setting sun en route to Leiper's Fork. I just hadn't found the shot I was looking for yet, so off to Natchez Trace Parkway we went.

This shot was taken from the bridge on the Parkway overlooking Highway 96. I didn't have my tripod with me and I wanted to do a long exposure to get streaking headlights that contoured the motion of the cars in the road. So, I found a way to balance my camera on the railing of the bridge to steady it and I made a 30 second exposure at f/22 to get the entire frame in focus. The headlights and taillights made a great design and the motion looks like it goes on forever.

An Observation

"SunBurst" by Wes Aldridge

I was driving around town tonight, my town, Nashville. I was looking for things that were different because it seems I am never here long enough to notice little changes anymore. I felt like getting back in touch with my city tonight.

I saw this little difference tonight. The SunTrust Bank logo had changed. Such a novel idea to change their logo to some kind of design with a sun in it. It is a great design and I thought it made for a good shot.

On Assignment: Niagara Falls, New York-Day Three

"NY Gulls" by Wes Aldridge

Today was another magnificent day for photography, and my life in general. Nothing particularly special happened, I just know how fortunate I am to travel and shoot photographs for a salary. It was a whirlwind adventure, in and out fast. Now time has come to head back to NashVegas.

I miss New York already as I sit in the Buffalo-Niagara Airport munching on some city name-sake "Buffalo" wings as I hack away at the blog. Time is drawing closer to departure on the big red, gold and blue bird to Baltimore and then on to Nashville.

This shot was done on the banks of the Niagara River. It shows a somewhat primal aggressive side of seagulls, general what I consider as gentle creatures. The sounds they made were like women shreiking and chilled your blood. I got in as close as I could, without scaring the little birds into flight, and squeezed off a few frames while they were making their strange noises.

On Assignment: Niagara Falls, New York-Day Two

"Fall Colours" by Wes Aldridge

Today was spectacular. The weather was perfect. The photography flowed like clockwork. It was a blessed day to have my camera in my hand.

This is a photo a view of the American side of Niagara Falls from across the river on the Canadian border. At night, the falls have lights projected on them in different colors from the Canadian side. The colors cycle through and change from one to another and it was difficult to get the colors to show properly with a very long exposure. The shot was taken at ISO 100 at 1.6 seconds with an aperture of f/2.8.

On Assignment: Niagara Falls, New York-Day One

"Candian Lights" by Wes Aldridge

This shot is offically my first international photograph. I know, I know, its just Canada. I went across the border tonight to scout out shots of Niagara Falls and I decided to snap a few neons on Centre Street in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The street was bizarre, much like I remember it when my friends and I went on a whirlwind day trip there about five years ago. It is a strange mix of the main strip in Gatlinburg, Tennessee (major tourist trap) with casinos sprinkled into the mix.

Crossing into Canada was strange in itself. I had to stop and let a pair of Canadian customs officers search my vehicle for contraband and answer several questions. I simply had to present my drivers license and after the search, I was free in another country. After flocking about in the streets of Canadia, I went to cross back into the States. It bothered me because only after a few questions like, "Where were you born?" and "How long were you in Canada?," I was able to drive my rental car back into the U.S. It was ultra simple to cross into the border and there was no search of my car or anything of that nature. I thought with the state of New York being as it is after 9/11 and the position of Homeland Security, I imagined the process of coming into the States would be a little more difficult, or thorough, however you want to look at it. Just something to think about.

I am not a person that wants or supports more restrictions on free travel and such. But I thought with the gigantic ordeal and emphasis being placed onto the ideal of broken borders and fear of terrorists coming into the country, it would be much more than a 3-minute event to cross the Big Line.

Frisbee Time

"Thrown" by Wes Aldridge

Tonight Thaxton Ward played a great rock show at the Rivers and Spires Festival in Clarksville, Tennessee. After the show during breakdown, the elusive Mr. Carter decided to throw the frisbee around... and I thought it would be cool to shoot.

Because it was very dark, I had to shoot at ISO 400. I slowed the shutter down to about 1/25th of a second to catch the motion of the frisbee in flight and give it the cool trail through the air. I hit Carter with a little flash from my 550EX to give him a little luminescence and to stop his motion and make his figure look solid.

King Bee

"In Flight" by Wes Aldridge

This is a shot that I did at the office. We have this great gazebo that we go out to and spend some quality time in while its pretty outside. But, there are several pesky bees that are guarding something. They fly around and buzz by my head and try to keep the other bees from invading their terrirtory.

Anyway, I shot the bee at a very high shutter speed... and I need to hang out with a girl. See ya, bye, its Friday night.

Life Comes

"New Found Vitality" by Wes Aldridge

Ahhh... It is mid-April and spring has sprung. The air we breathe is a little fresher. The skies we see are much bluer. And for the love of all things holy, the greenery has come forth to delight our eyes once again.

This was a shot I did in our office complex parking lot. The light hitting the new found glory of the green leaf sapling was all I could stand to not take a shot at. The sky, perfect in its beautiful, majestic blue. Spring time is here and life has come again.

Yum Yum

"Spicy Eggplant" by Wes Aldridge

Well, this is a shot I set up in the studio. The food looked pretty nice and colorful, but the image just needed a little more dressing up. I went to Pier 1 Imports and bought this little place mat that looked pretty Asian and seemed to fit in well. Then, of course, we needed some fly looking chop sticks. Funny though, no stores in Cool Springs had any for sale. Everything they had was for display only, not for sale.

I ended up in Hecht's department store and saw a table setting there... with chop sticks made of black porcelain. I NEEDED them. I told the store manager this in a frantic way, and he felt the desperation in my voice and could read it in my eyes. He agreed to let me take them on the premis that he "trusted me" to bring them back when I was finished with the photo shoot. Believe it or not, I got them back to Hecht's when I was finished. Such a good boy am I.