Wrestling!

I got invited to an amateur-league wrestling match and there was no way I could turn that down. Since I was just spectating, I kept my shooting gear at the barest minimum,   my D7200 and my 50mm lens. I hoped the sensor quality and the wide, 1.8 aperture would be enough, to take on whatever the environment. Even then, it was a stretch. The event was in a gymnasium, which means low light that casts in a color that’s a massive pain to white-balance. Plus, I had to stay in my seat, so I wasn’t free to find better vantage points.

But, that’s technical stuff, and the rest of the event was spectacular. Everyone was suitable over the top, and there were a handful of wrestlers who felt equal parts El Santo, and Kamen Rider, which is AMAZING. I think I may be hooked, and can’t wait to see more of this.

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I’ve Been Busy

Do I have any followers left? I know that my posting has been sparse, but that’s primarily because my focus has been on freelance projects. In a way, finding more professional work and building my portfolio is exactly why I started the site to begin with. But, after building up my web presence for going on three years now, I can’t help but feel a sense loss if I’m not updating. For now, my life seems to be settling down enough that I can slowly start working on personal projects again.

In the mean time, I’ll be updating my online portfolio galleries, and posting some of the work that clients have given me permission to share. First up, I have my friends Tegan and Brian with one of my favorite weddings I have shot ever. The venue was gorgeous, sporting a beautiful church, amazing gardens, and a freaking playground for swashbuckling!

 

Day of the Cicada

 

 

  I don’t know what the overlap is between sports fans and fans of this blog, but apparently some Cleveland fans were so happy with the season finale of Basketball over the weekend that some people got Monday off work. One such person was my friend, Alyssa, who invited me along for an afternoon of berry picking and wine tasting. The best part? Every moment of the rural excursion was juxtaposed with the soothing sounds of the majestic cicada. But, the wonder of these creatures was not limited to the auditory. They clung to almost every surface, littered the ground, flew straight at the moving car window, and occasionally tried give us their insect-cuddles . We must savor these moments, as it will be 17 years before we are graced with their magnificence once again.

Cloud Reflections

Why did I ever think that trying to start doing daily updates again this close to the end of the semester was a good idea? Oh well, shooting is helping me de-stress. See if you can spot what’s wrong with one of the photos.

Crab Salad Sandwich

I love to cook, but I am usually way too self conscious to share photos of what I come up with in the kitchen. More often, when I cooked for others, I would tell them, “I won’t post this online…but that doesn’t mean that YOU shouldn’t…” But, I feel like that may be even more self-serving.

So, you know what? Forget modesty. I’m dynamite in the kitchen. I love whipping up an awesome dish and sharing it with the people I care about. I love seeing people’s faces light up when I show off a carefully prepared plate. I especially love coming up with new recipes for my vegetarian friends so that they don’t have to miss out on a solid meal in favor of settling for another boring salad.

My buddy, Kyle, happens to be one such friend, and is the most frequent beneficiary of such concoctions. Since he can eat fish,  I whipped up one of my favorite creations: a sandwich with (imitation) crab, avocado, and homemade aioli. 

In summation, I rock at cooking and I can take cool photos of that food, so expect more culinary posts in the future.

Happy Birthday, Jordan!

I’m taking some time today to wish this spectacular lady a, Happy Birthday. Jordan was a regular model on the site for a while, and she’s always been great to work with. We’ve done shoots in studios, graveyards, a river, and frigid cold, and she’s never been anything short of stellar. Hopefully, we can collaborate again soon.

Jordan and I got to take over a local Harley Dealership for about an hour.

Jordan shows up in a lot of my favorite shots of the year. She’s a fantastic model, great to work with, and I am so bummed that she moved so far away.

Discovery on the Trail

I found this structure while out on the path. Can’t believe I never saw it before.

It’s Really, Really, Really, Really Cold

In case the title wasn’t enough to give it away, Ohio is being Ohio, and temperatures have dropped from the 50s to the negative double digits in about 3 days. I’d prefer to hibernate until I can bike again, but I know I can’t neglect the site anymore. Not to guilt my followers, but I ventured forth through the frozen wasteland just to bring all of you photos.

2014

2014 turned out to be kind of a big year for me. I left my temp job to freelance full time, had my work published in a book,  got married, moved into a house, and just last week I became a godfather.

Those are just the bigger events of my life from this last year. For all of the smaller moments and memories, I look back through the photos I’ve taken this year. That’s where all the tiger hunts, bike rides, fashion shows, travel, events, and quiet afternoons reside.

This has to be my favorite photo of the day.

I actually tried to get all artisitc and shoot this at a slow shutter speed to get the motion of the water. The ducks stayed as still as one could hope.

(Left to right) Me, Phil, Laura, and Joe,

I found a split tree while were hiking and wanted to emphasize the textures in post using high contrast black and white.

Fezzes are cool.

As summer arrives, Max must defend the apartment from ever-fiercer insects.

This shot was a bit of an accident. He was just helping me test the lights, and we got this. I dig it though.

 This is what I love to do more than anything,  the love and support of those closeto me, as well as everyone I’ve met through the site, is what lets me keep doing it. I can’t say for sure where I’ll go in 2015, but I have some big plans in the works. So, keep an eye on the site, and we’ll go together.

McKay Bricker Gallery

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I now have postcards for sale at McKay Bricker Gallery in Downtown Kent. To thank them for giving me the opportunity to break into a local marketplace, I embraced all things crafty and black-squirrel-themed to do a photo shoot in the shop. It’s a fantastic place to do some holiday shopping and support local artists at the same time. And, if you do decide to pick up one of my postcards, don’t forget to upload a photo of it as comment on this blog, or a comment on my Facebook page to be entered to win free prints.