The Break of Dawn

It's been a while since I last posted. In the meantime, I have been doing some shooting here and there. Mostly promotional work. Just trying to hone my skills and try different techniques. I've been doing a lot of work with Photoshop Elements. It never ends with that program. There is so much you can do! If you ever see me on Facebook, I'm more than likely working with Photoshop. I'm getting a lot better at it.
Today was a great day as I saw one of my photos in print. I have been doing some work for a restaurant here in the 'burbs and I knew they were going to print, so there was no surprise. But what a feeling!! I can equate it to my Christmas present of '09. My wife took some of my work, and made a coffee table book. That brought a couple of tears to my eyes. I was humbled, honored, and just plain happy that my wife thought enough of my work to print it. I didn't shed any tears today. More like fist-pumping. My wife and co-admin of my Facebook page posted, "The best is yet to come." You got that right. The break of dawn.

Check out some of the promotional work.
* The first photo was for Ruby Tuesday.
* The second was from a jazz/spoken word set at Chicago Bar and Grill.
* The last is DeeJay RhatedR spinning the wheels of steel.
Enjoy!!

In the begining...

I started this blog site a couple of months ago to give myself an outlet to talk about my photos. I had never blogged before, so I didn't quite know what to write. After a couple of months of thinking, I figured I'll just give it a try. I shall start with how I got started with my hobby.
I have always been involved in photography, in some way. My father made his living shooting for a national chain. We, my brother and I, were always test subjects for his new equipment. Not what you call the best of days, but we always had photos of us. I had no interest in photography then. Freehand art was my choice. I drew superheroes and designed athletic shoes. As I grew into adolescence, I withdrew from art. I was actually quite good at it. It wasn't until years later that photography would re-enter my life.
In my college days, I was always intrigued by magazines such as the Source and Vibe. Not for the articles, but for the fashion photos. I loved the edginess and the creativity. There was always something about the lighting. I didn't have a professional camera. Just a point and shoot. Most point and shoots don't take great pictures. They'll get the job done, but nothing like you would see in Vibe Magazine.
It wasn't until Feb of '08 that I received my first professional camera. Could it be love? My wife, knowing that I had this fondness for photography, purchased a camera for me just in time for Valentine's Day. Of course, I was in total shock. The mere sight of it brought tears to my eyes. Finally, a tool to help me achieve. A tool to help me frame how I see the world.
So this first photo is dedicated to my love who brought me love.