Thaxton Ward @ Studio Daylight

Its been a hot minute since I've posted anything new to Mind of the Photographer. Lots of great things have been happening, and my shooting has been going in a direction that really excites me! Its found a way to mix this gritty-look that I have into a commercial sense of shooting. I've been working with it in many of my last shoots. Hope I can get a little time to retouch some images from other shoots as well soon.

I'm staying very busy with a host of very successful shoots in the past couple of weeks. Been doing some PR work, shooting for a restaurant, did some models, shot several musicians and bands, etc. I'm back-logged for photo retouching from now til Eternity, but wanted to post something from a shoot last night at Studio Daylight.

Nashville-based rock act Thaxton Ward had a show booked at The Rutledge on Second Avenue in downtown NashVegas last night. The studio is only a few city blocks from the venue they were going to play at. So, I thought, why not get them up in the studio to do a little bit of shooting before they bring the noise? It turned out to be a great idea. We had the band in with a few friends about two hours before the show began. We worked and played and talked and rocked, and it was good. We got creative, had fun, and I think we orchestrated some gritty and dark, yet still very commercial music photography. I think everyone enjoyed the time amongst friends in the studio and I'm well-pleased with how the images turned out.

I would like to give a big thank you to Nashville photographer David Bean. He runs Studio Daylight and let us get in there last night to do a bit of shooting. I actually had the opportunity to assist him on a shoot for Gaylord earlier in the week. He's a great photographer, please go check out his work at: www.visualreserve.com

And, as always, I need to say thanks to Michael Gomez. Please visit his Web site: www.gomezphotography.com. He is a Master of the Art of Photography. He is inspirational to me. He gets it. He really, really does. I see him as a mentor, and as a friend. He was the connection that made shooting in Studio Daylight happen. So, thanks bro.

Uhm, this is kind of a sad confession because it took so long to post, but this blog entry is the first one I've posted using my new camera. Last week I purchased a Canon 5D Mark 2. I have to say, I am very impressed with the files this camera produces. The clarity, file size and overall quality of image are everything I had hoped for, and more. With that said, there are still a few things that annoy me about the 5D Mark 2. I am used to shooting my Canon 1D Mark II and the feel is different in Canon's flagship 1D series cameras. It has a much broader auto-focus point registry than the 5D, and those extra AF points really come in handy when shooting anything with some action. I need to mention the full frame sensor is pretty radical too with my 16-35 mm lens.

Another funny confession, I keep this old Canon Elan7 film body on a bookshelf in the dining room. I used to pop my 16-35mm lens on there to "remember" what full frame shooting was like with a really wide lens! Ha! Yeah, totally lame, I know! But its funny because I have a full frame digital camera now and the Elan7 still sits in the same place on the bookshelf.

City Lights 2

Here is another shot of Michael and Jennifer. I dig this one, too. Gotta run. Off to the Studio Daylight to give Nashville commercial photographer Michael Gomez a hand with a head shot.

City Lights

So, gonna be shooting Michael and Jennifer's wedding next month. We decided to do some cool engagement portraits. I think this one turned out pretty neat.

This shot is the follow-up from my previous test shot post with Meg.

Passing of a Legend

Most of my photographs are portraits of people these days, but this one is much more than that. Its a portrait of history.

Music industry legend Les Paul passed on August 12th.

I spent August 12-14 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, with my friends Halo Stereo. They were recording some great new tracks for an upcoming album release and invited me to come down and be a part of the experience.

Strange how things work out.

Besides being one of the most iconic recording studios in history, Muscle Shoals has something else going on. There lives a collection of recording treasures that would make any audiophile drop to his knees and worship in humble reverence at the marvels of the recording industry adorning the studio. One of such knee-dropping relics found there is Les Paul's original 8-track recorder.

Let me repeat that for those of you who didn't catch it the first time: the Ampex 8-track recorder that Les Fucking Paul created and recorded with, lives in the hallways of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

To sum up the importance of this, in a nutshell, this machine was one of the foundations of multi-track recording. Before ProTools, there was the trusty ol' 8-tracker. And this machine, probably 50 years old, still lives tucked away in a small studio in the Deep South.

Noel Webster runs (and engineers at) Muscle Shoals. He had a great idea while we were taking a break late night on the 12th.

"Why don't you take a picture of the 8-track?," Noel asked me. "Its only 11:30 p.m. right now. If you hurry you can still say you shot in on the day of his death."

Noel is a genius.

I had 30 minutes to get a photograph of the 8-track. It was a bit difficult to move because it stands taller than a standard doorway, and on top of that, its very fragile. I wasn't able to move it to the exact location in the studio that I hoped for. This orange isolation booth for tracking guitars seemed like a perfect place for it, but we couldn't wheel it in there.

So, I decided to get a bit creative.

I chose an uncluttered wall for a background and used a dynamic lighting effect that I have started heavily relying on for portraits as of late. Its really gritty and sinister, but I've fallen in love with it. The result ended up a moody portrait of one of Les Paul's creative masterpieces.

Now, Les is gone, but what he has done still lives on in many ways. Thank you Les, for you gave us the ability to Rock.

Muscle Shoals With Halo Stereo

It's very late. I'm actually getting tired now.

We just got back in from shooting Halo Stereo in Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. It is an amazing place, a true step back to where Rock n' Roll really came from. It's not Emo. It's not Britney. It's real. Skynyrd, Stones, Allmans... you name it, Muscle Shoals probably had it.

A great big thank you goes out to Noel Webster, studio engineer extraordinaire and owner of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Go check out this website here.

Anyway, this is a shot of Halo Stereo drummer Brian Meeks. We rounded up the band and took them outside to shoot during a session break. I think I like this wall. And I also think the lighting turned out pretty interesting.

I've got plenty more photos and stories to post as time permits, but we are preparing for a move this weekend, so don't know how the photo retouching will play out. I've got some fun stuff to share though...promise!

On Stage With The Groom

After I posted the gritty shot of Chris Cobb earlier, I felt like I should put up another cool one that was less intense. It still looks rock'n'roll, though! It has these dark and rich colors that I love. I think there have been several shots of mine here recently adorned with reds and blacks.

Whoops... forgot about this one!

Glad I remembered it.

It's Chris Cobb on his wedding day at the Cannery Ballroom. He was kind enough to pose for me with some attitude and a lil' bit of grit on such a beautiful day. This image is pretty intense... and pretty much the polar opposite of Mr. Cobb. Yeah, he's really a laid-back, nice gent of a guy. If you haven't seen him at any of the many he promotes through SellOut Presents, then you should get out to local venues more often. Check out his site:

http://www.selloutpresents.com/

Go find him at his shows... he's such a great guy!

Halo Stereo Bassist Jody Hicks

Here is Halo Stereo Bassist Jody Hicks from his single shoot at Studio Daylight. I did a bit of retouching on it to make sure it has a little "pop." I dig it. I think the guys are going to swing by tonight and have a look at the shots from Wednesday on the big screen. There are many that I really think are rockin' and I can't wait to share with the musicians. There is some talk about shooting with them in an upcoming studio recording session, too. We'll see how things pan out, sounds like it could be some fun.

Shot Day: Halo Stereo, First Look

My good friend, Brian Carter at Red Light Management, hooked me up with "Halo Stereo" for a session. The bassist Jody Hicks and singer Andrew Fry stopped by for a few shots. Here they are... on to the next look in the elevator shaft!

Go check out their music on their site:

www.myspace.com/halostereo

[IMAGES FROM SHOT DAY @ STUDIO DAYLIGHT ARE NOT RETOUCHED. RETOUCHED IMAGES WILL REPLACE CURRENT RAWS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.]

Shot Day: Nick Bumgarnder, First Look

So, here is Nick Bumgarnder. He is a great photographer that is shooting with me today here at Studio Daylight. Nick brought his wedding suit that he had custom tailored. We had a little bit of downtime, so Nick got dressed and I shot him on the 20-foot cyc wall. It looked pretty rad. Nick, always complete with hat and bow tie, was rocking it out today. I think Nick is gonna be mighty dapper on his wedding day...

[IMAGES FROM SHOT DAY @ STUDIO DAYLIGHT ARE NOT RETOUCHED. RETOUCHED IMAGES WILL REPLACE CURRENT RAWS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.]

Shot Day: Kristen Kukta, First Look

We just finished our first look with Kristen Kukta. She is a great singer, and loves to pose it up for the camera. Really happy shooting with her today at Studio Daylight in downtown Nashville. Much more to come, gotta get back to it.

[IMAGES FROM SHOT DAY @ STUDIO DAYLIGHT ARE NOT RETOUCHED. RETOUCHED IMAGES WILL REPLACE CURRENT RAWS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.]

A Portrait

Hello everyone, meet beautiful Madalene Houchin. She wanted a portrait for her mother. We ended up shooting at Centennial Park off West End Avenue and also decided to use the Tennessee State Capital building (both in Nashville, Tennessee) for another backdrop.

Ok, there are plenty of flowers blooming at Centennial Park, so that location was obvious. But, why the Captial building, you ask?

Simple.

Madalene is the Landscape Architect for Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. Pretty fancy, huh? If you need an excellent professional assessment of your landscaping needs, please feel free to email her at:

madaleneh@gmail.com

She is obviously a top-notch professional, so, keep her in mind for any upcoming outdoor aesthetic needs you may have.

So, this shot isn't the one we gave to her dear ol' mom, because it obviously drifted more toward "HOTT" than "SWEET." It was actually shot on the steps of the War Memorial with the Capital in the background. But, I have already been informed it was going straight to her Facebook profile as soon as she gets home!

I think she likes it.

I have to say, shooting the wedding of Chris Cobb and Telisha Arguelles was one of my favorite things I have ever photographed. I got some great images, many still to come. But, for now, check this one out.

This is Telisha's beautiful dress. With the wedding at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, this scene was the perfect setting for a striking bridal gown portrait. I think this is one of my strongest wedding images to date. And I don't think I've seen many shots that are like it.

Let me know what you think.

Zoo Time

My friends at the Nashville Zoo asked me to come and photograph an event they host called "Safari Swizzle." It was a really nice event with great food from restaurants such as Jackson's and Rumba, and drinks from a pair of my favorites, Yazoo and Blackstone. It was a nice night to walk around with a camera and enjoy some people watching.

This shot is of a drum group called "The Love Drums." They provided some tribal sounds as folks walked around socializing with other guests, as well as the giraffes and elephants. Anyway, I spent some time touching this one up before I sent all the photos over to the Zoo. Its a fun dancing kind of moment.

I've got a couple of other shots from this event that I will be working on soon. Check back again and hopefully I can get some of the others posted.

And we're back...

Well, my marketing company got on my ass to post a blog, so, here is a blog. Thanks to Fresh Dirt Marketing for helping me get the ball rolling again. I guess Wes Aldridge has checked back in to Mind Of The Photographer.

It's Telisha from her wedding at the Cannery Ballroom. Pretty awesome stuff. More to come later.

-W

Hold Your Breath...

"Uninvited Guest" by WExX

Its been far too long...

We went to see the premiere of George Romero's newest zombie flick, "Diary of the Dead." We dressed up like zombies at my house. We went a little crazy with the fake blood. One of my favorite things to do was make bloody hand prints on things. It looked awesome on the girls, but even better on the window. I left the print and came back to it a few days later. I was compelled to shoot an image of it, ya know, kinda re-create the feeling of a zombie attack. Note the open door behind the bloody print. Its really kind of menacing to me.

Also, if you look closely on the refrigerator, there are original art works by Matt Vollman. "I eat childrens 4 moneys and Newports" and "Call Ballonface: 373-2103" were what I would consider the titles of the pieces. They really add a lot to the image for me.

On Assignment: Kansas City, Missouri

"Bottles and Taps" by WExX

Wow. Its been a very long time since I have posted anything. I had become rather complacent for a bit. Nothing seemed to spark my interests. I haven't really impressed myself with any shots. I haven't felt the need to explore.

Tonight, I decided to explore in downtown Kansas City. And, believe it or not, I found something I wanted to have a picture of because I thought it was cool.

Its a bar, just a bar. So unimportant that I didn't even write down the name of it. But, oh those neon signs are just so interesting. So I snapped one to share.

Colorado Assignment: The Postlude

"M1" by WExX


"M2" by WExX

This was the fun stuff. I owed lovely Michele these portraits for a long, long time... since before she left NashVegas for Denver. As luck would have it, my last assignment lined me up with her perfectly.

We finished up the magazine shoot and decided it was time to hunt for a costume. I had this dream a long time ago that had to do with her, and a rain slicker and candy circus peanuts. And these are the shots that actually came to fruition. Don't ask about the bananas, I can't really explain those. All I know, most of my personal portaits are somehow related to fruit as of late.

The first shot is from the top of Lookout Mountain, just outside Denver. On a clear night, you can see the city lights glowing in the distance past the trees. Not the case on the night of this portrait. It was about 19-degrees and snowing. But, the weather or the herd of mule deer blocking the icy mountain road didn't stop this one. And I love it... singing into the banana like a microphone. Right on.

The next shot was all about true friendship between a few people. It was taken around the midnight hours the same night, in the elevator of my hotel. It was mirrored and wonderful. There was no way to stop the elevator without arousing the interest of hotel security, so we rode the sucker up and down for what seemed about two hours to get the shot. It was hilarious to see the faces on drunken hotel guests stepping onto an elevator with a girl in a hula-house costume and light stands and all sort of camera gear in the middle of the night. I enjoy the shot, but it wasn't how I had originally envisioned it. I think it really works well anyway.

On Assignment: Golden, Colorado

"Gifted Hand" by WExX

After a horrible day, night finally chased the light away and things were alright. I won't even discuss the specifics of my lil' piece of Hell that I endured today. Just create an ugly story in your head, drown it in kerosene and strick a match to it. Whatever, we're past that now.

Things became better when we decided to go to Red Rocks in Golden, Colorado. Matt had never been and it had been almost three years for me since my last visit. The sun had faded and we were still hungry for adventure.

And then, we saw it... Matt's Cave. It looks natural and he really kind of blends in to it. We took it a step farther when I told Matt to hold out his hand. Little did he know, the strobe firing in the background looked like a ball of light coming from his hand. See, I find Matt a brilliant artist. He sketches and does graphic design in amazing ways that I've never seen before. That hand of his really does have light pouring out of it and not everyone gets the chance to see it. This photo was my interpretation of that.

All the while we were shooting it, we could here some kind of animal rustling through the bushes and rock ledges only yards away from us. It was kinda really creepy, but screw it, we wanted the shot.

Drink.

"Wine" by WExX

Shot at a winery and vineyard today. Grassy Creek it was called. Here is a shot from the tasting room. I like it because I was able to eliminate reflections over about 95% of the photo. As you may know, its pretty hard to photograph and light multiple rounded glass objects without reflection. Rock.