We Moved

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I can hardly believe that the last time I wrote down my thoughts here was back in May. Since then, life has thrown us some curveballs. Nothing bad, but there are reasons I have not had the time to write.

The 1st Self Portrait in the new house.

The biggest news is that we no longer call Florida home. After almost three years of contemplating and discussing it, Leslie and I finally made the leap to Atlanta, Georgia. It’s a significant move for us, primarily driven by Leslie’s passion for the film and TV industry. While the idea seemed brilliant in theory, our timing couldn’t have been more unfortunate.

For those not following the industry closely, a strike has paralyzed nearly 90% of film and TV productions. So, while we’ve physically relocated to Atlanta, the real work awaits us once the strike concludes and Leslie can begin her job hunt in earnest.

The 2023 Blue Moon taken with my Sony a7iii with a Pentax 200mm film lens mounted on my camera with an adapter.

In the meantime, we’re adapting to our new surroundings. Personally, I find the weather here much more pleasant, while Leslie occasionally pines for the scorching Florida heat. We’ve already begun immersing ourselves in Atlanta’s culture. One highlight was attending Goo Con, a special effects convention, where Leslie forged connections with talented artists in the industry. We also embarked on our first Atlanta date night at the Shakespeare Tavern, enjoying “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged.”

Overall, our spirits are high, and we’re approaching the future with optimism. However, uncertainty looms, and there’s much in the unknown that we try not to fret over.

In the midst of it all, I’m eager to get back into photography and connect with potential clients. I’ll strive to update this site more frequently, and I have some exciting ideas for revamping its aesthetics. Some changes might take time, but who knows? I might find a creative burst of energy and spend a whole afternoon giving the website a fresh look.

So, as we embark on this new chapter in Atlanta, I invite you to stay tuned for updates on our journey, our challenges, and our triumphs. The road ahead may be uncertain, but one thing’s for sure – we’re ready to embrace it all.

Where Have I Been

You have probably noticed a lack of posts over the last two weeks and wondered…Where have I been? Let’s be honest you probably did not think that, and truth be told we all have lives to live and me not posting probably didn’t even cross your mind. That’s ok.

But I have been absent the last two weeks and probably will continue to be absent for at least another week. In the last two weeks I have traveled to Great Falls Montana, San Fransico CA, Los Angeles CA, Tempe AZ, and a few more cities in and around those areas. This coming week I will be traveling to Colorado, Oregon, California (again), and Hawaii.

The last two weeks have been an adventure, to say the least, and I have had my camera in hand at every opportunity, taking photos of my travels.

Some of these images have garnered an emotional reaction on my Instagram. So much so that I ordered a batch of postcards to be sent out to those interested. The postcard will feature one of the images above, but I am not telling which one. Those who want a postcard will just have to wait by the mailbox and be surprised.

I promise to update you on all my travels and such in the future, but for now, enjoy these images and I will see you next I get a chance.

Till then have a great day and make good art.

SelfieWRLD Orlando

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a photographer & model meetup at SelfieWRLD Orlando. The event was sponsored by Pexels which I had not heard of until last night.

Now I am going to be honest, while I had been looking forward to this event all week in the moments leading up to the event I was filled with anxiety. Even driving to the event I contemplated turning around 5 or 6 times. But I got dressed up, left the house, and was going to be social god damn it! And I am glad I went. Not only was SelfieWRLD Orlando an amazing place I got to meet some very cool photographers and models!

I am actually surprised more locations and businesses like SelfieWRLD Orlando don’t exist, and those that do exist have only started gaining traction in the last 2-3 years, which is weird considering the last 2-3 years. SelfieWRLD Orlando is filled with individual booths, each booth having a different theme. It’s actually a great set up and I certainly will be going back for some fun shoots in the future.

Here are a few of my shots from last night. I have so many photos taken that I need to go through and edit, so make sure you are following my Instagram, Patreon, Twitter, and Vero to see all of them.

Also, don’t forget that my first newsletter comes out on Monday and we will be talking about 3 ways to take better photos on your phone.

Till next time keep taking great shots!

Playalinda Beach

This Friday I have a booked family photography session on the beach. So, like any good photographer I headed out to the beach to play around with some “test shots” on the beach. My wife and I decided to go to Playalinda Beach here in FL, and let me tell you…Playalinda Beach is now our favorite east coast beach in Florida.

For those of you like us who do not like packed and over crowded beaches Playalinda Beach is the beach for you. We parked at parking lot 11 and had 400 yards of beach in either direction pretty much to ourselves.

Now it is worth mentioning that at and around parking lot 13 nude sunbathing is allowed. This probably is why there are so few people and specifically children around this beach. Now while we did not venture down to lot 13 we did see 2 nude male sunbathers and 1 female. To be honest it was what it was and it really did not detract from our experience.

Playalinda Beach is also known to be the best beach to watch rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Center, and from our vantage point at lot 11 we could see the launch tower, and plan to go back for a launch in the future.

The waves were awesome, the water…warm, and overall was an absolute delight to visit. 10 out of 10 recommend.

Best Instagrammable Spots in Cleveland

Last week I had the opportunity to fly out to Cleveland Ohio for a trade conference. To be honest I was not really looking forward to Cleveland because, I thought to myself, what’s in Cleveland? However, I was pleasantly surprised by how many amazing photo locations were all around the city. Further, I was even more thrilled to discover that this city is a great spot to just go on a photo walk-about and practice some good old-fashioned street photography.

On my first night there I visited The Fountain of Eternal Life located at 120 Public Square.

The Fountain of Eternal Life, Cleveland Ohio

The Fountain of Eternal Life, also known as the War Memorial Fountain and Peace Arising from the Flames of War, is a statue and fountain in downtown Cleveland, Ohio designed by Cleveland Institute of Art graduate Marshall Fredericks and dedicated on May 30, 1964.

I was lucky that this beautiful work of art was located right outside my hotel.

On my second day in Cleveland, I decided to go on a bit of a walkabout and ended up at The Old Arcade Located at 401 Euclid Ave. I honestly was not prepared for the beauty of this place. I could have honestly spent hours inside taking photos, and I was lucky to arrive at 7 after the shops inside had closed, so I had the entire place to myself.

When I walked in I started cursing myself for not packing a tripod on this trip but was lucky enough that a very nice security guard was willing to take a few photos of me. She got a little nervous when I handed her my Sony A7iii after I got the setting right, but she did a great job!

The Old Arcade, Cleveland Ohio

The Arcade in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is a Victorian-era structure of two nine-story buildings, joined by a five-story arcade with a glass skylight spanning over 300 feet, along with the four balconies.

On my last day in Cleveland, I decided to do another walkabout, only this time at night. As I stated before the city is beautiful and filled with interesting people, stunning works of art, and old architecture. So if you are ever in the Cleveland area make sure to bring your camera. It’s well worth it!

If you are interested in seeing more of my photography make sure to check out my Instagram & Patreon.