10/23/2019
I had such a wonderful time in London! I totally get why Mary Anna fell in love with the city and wanted to live here.
It was super dope! But that was icing on the cake. I would have visited the Sahara if that’s where she was. Can’t wait to go back in March!
JULY 30, 2019
These last few months I have had the joy of dating the sweetest young lady; her name is Mary Anna (not Mary, not Anna - Mary Anna - very regal, right? The ol’ 2 for 1!) and then assist her in living out a dream to live in London while filling a position for the company she works for.
I had the pleasure of taking the portraits of her and her best friends, and these are some of my most favorite pictures I have taken in a long time. Not because of necessarily how they came out, but because of the context, which you wouldn't know anything about by just looking at them. I took these pictures of her and her roommates the night before she left, and realistically it's probably the last time all three of them will live together. It is obvious that they will be friends forever though.
And they are awesome people. These are three ladies that love and seek the Lord in all that they do, they are faithful servants, and they are making moves in His name and receiving His provision as a result. They are doing so in a time where it seems real easy too, to just sit idle and be in a "season of waiting" and just expect God to drop things in your lap while you exercise zero faith.
They are high caliber. I am encouraged and refreshed by them. Plus, aren't they freakin' cute?! STR8UP house full of wifey material over here.
A couple of weeks ago my boy Kevin reached out to me about updating some profile/promotional/website photos, and to do a head shot for a book he’s writing. I was all like, “Ch-YA, bruh! Let’s Mountain Dew it!”
We got around to actually executing it the other day, and things went pretty swell. I went home and slapped some stank on them, picked out the best ones, ensured variety, etc etc…
Well, a little more than year ago I did something similar for him, and I thought to go back and look at those pictures. I found myself pretty shocked at how much better these turned out. I don’t think the pictures I did last year are bad. These recent ones were just way better though, and that’s quite pleasing to me.
I can absolutely attribute that to just sticking with it. Putting in the time to go out and do it, working through the anxiety of potentially blowing a shoot, and having a willingness to continue learning it. Also, people’s kind words mean a ton. I am horrible at compliments and receiving them, but when someone gushes over something I do it of course feels great and I definitely ride that high forward. So if you’ve ever taken the time to comment on my work I appreciate it more than you know.
Photography is absolutely what I want to do for a living, and the church Kevin pastors has been paramount in that realization, my growth, and the fact that it is absolutely something God would have me pursue.
The heart I have for my current job is waning, and it is without a doubt temporary. I look forward to being able refer to this post, and the 13th day of July in the year 2019, as when I was bold enough to declare God’s will for me to joyfully photograph crap for a living when I am finally doing that. (I can also just delete this post though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
The first 6 photos here are from a couple of days ago. The bottom 6 are from last May. Also, props to Kevin here for showing up to the shoot with wardrobe changes and direction to work with.
So I’ve had this fun idea for a house portrait for a minute, where we take some dank pictures like we’re some kewl band. And Yesterday was the first day where everyone that lives here was present and in a relaxed enough state, that we could actually execute it. As we are on the move, and lives are being lived!
Big thanks to the roommates too for letting me workout the most JANK of lighting setups that involved: two lamps, two outdoor flood lights, a ring light that didn’t quite cut it, and then not my flashes, because they don’t work with my ill Arsenal dongle/app. ARG! Also, these opportunities are great because it gives me the chance learn what I need to pay attention to and think about when doing something new or something that I am not comfortable doing, and so how to better execute when doing something similar in the future that might be more urgent or paid.
The pictures in color are me trying to figure it out.
A big thanks to my friends Josh an Steph’ for letting me do their fam’s portraits.
A few weeks ago when I mentioned really wanting to do photography in a professional capacity they were the first people to jump all over it and, “get on my calendar” which I realized is something I’ll need to start managing along with a plethora of other details if I want to be “pro”.
I knew it was going to go well when before a photo was even snapped the youngest, Bristol, “The Pistol”, was accidentally hit in the face and started to cry.
Today I accompanied one of my housemates, AJ , on one of his routine stops for his work with Namco, as a route manager. He maintains game locations all over middle Tennessee, and a few in other states. He brings children some joy all throughout the region, but mostly he leaves them sullen and disappointed for wasting their money on his rigged game machines. No doubt in my mind that some of the kids, especially at this specific location, are going to wind up meth addled slot machine addicts due to the insidious work he does.
Anyway, He had previously told me what a successful location looks like and how it performs. Now it was time for me to see it action.
We harvested the chedda, which on the ride back we couldn’t help but ponder about, “How many of these singles collected have spent at least a portion of their life in a strip club?” We then reached for the readily available hand sanitizer kept in the van.
I got to watch him count cash in a bill counter, which took me back to my coke running days in Miami, and then the big bust that would change it all… thrust me into witness protection and turn me into a wannabe photographer and pizza addict that is living in Clarksville, Tennessee. So here I am!
…but I digress…
He stocked the machines, play tested the games, wipes down the cabinets, and he even taped one off because it was broken. I advised against this, as you could still probably harvest some cash from people that would then be too lazy to call the number on the machine for a refund. He’s not willing to be as sly as me though…or maybe he’s just a better person? Idk.
Then we went and deposited the money at the bank, where ol’ Andrew is so renown that the clerks let us take all the suckers we wanted. Then we ate them all in the van and wondered why we didn’t feel good.
It’s not much, but its honest work.
Peep the last two pics for additional photos of AJ in his other gigs: voguing as an amateur model, and then throwing down a dank message over the book of Jonah, and it’s a pretty fresh take IMO…
This past Memorial Day weekend wound up being pretty full in terms of photo opportunities.
My landlord made me take more pictures of him at the skate park, I shot some promo stuff for a current series at church, and then did my usual photo team service.
And I tell you what, doing promotion shoots for my church has been some of my favorite work. It always offers such a different direction in terms of scope and what you’re trying to achieve. One time I went out to the lake and took pictures of rocks, I’ve slathered a Bible in gold paint (which is actually the cover of a published book! How cool is that?!), and then I got to illustrate a grassroots / underground movement here most recently, which is aptly called, “The Movement”. I can’t imagine really any other instance where I would think to myself, "I sure am glad these cigarette butts and this piece of bloody gauze are lying here on the street!”
Finally, this is when and where I’ve decided that I need to do photography as a living. Journey Started. It’s what gives me joy, it’s a gift the Lord has given me. It’s what he wants me to do, and I want to take it in the direction he wants me to.
Philadelphia is a pretty cool city! Absolutely stout with culture and history.
I spent a few days there for work this past week, and I had never been! It was cool to cross another city off my list.
The biggest revelation had; the most truly important part of a sandwich is the bread it’s on. Take your fancy meats, cheeses, and condiments and shove’m if they aren’t on some truly HQ bread! I had a few cheese steaks while there, and the best one was decidedly so because it had the best bread. (The one I had at the airport was the worst one…figures.)
We stayed in their China Town, and there were endless options for Pho, Dim Sum, and Poke! I was sort of irked I was only there for 3 and 1/2 days!
The week before, I was at home and actually found myself stir crazy, in spite of the idea of being home sounding so great. Sometimes I loathe traveling. My team and I really do bust our asses when we are on the road, but I know there will be a day where I think, “I wish I could travel for work again...” So I’m trying to be more positive about it, and there really is a lot of good to be had!
Also I have to constantly remind myself this is where the Lord has me.
Being a photographer for my church has me in a constant state of humility and thankfulness. It is a unique vantage point where you get to see all the work that goes into making a Sunday happen. I am so impressed by the servitude of the people around me - and when I say, "impress" I mean to say that a mark is left, and an example set.
Two specific groups blow me away...
1.) The adults that serve our kids. - The patience and kindness some of these people exude has me wondering what planet they come from.
2.) The kids that serve. - Real talk, there are kids straight up puttin' in WORK! Some of them not even teenagers. Serving on the worship team and so giving up their Friday evening for rehearsal and then like 6 hours on a Sunday morning.
When I was a kid you wanna know what I was doing on a Sunday morning? I was sitting half naked in a bean bag chair playing video games and spilling coco roos on myself - we were a bag cereal family so we didn't have those puffs. And to make things even worse we were also a skim milk household, so I was pretty much pouring water on my cereal. Hard times.
Found myself up early this morning, which was somewhat frustrating considering how late I went to bed.
I looked to take advantage of the hour though, and went out to Radnor Lake to spend some time, and capture the sunrise during the undeniably gorgeous Tennessee Fall.
In Luke 4:42 it says; “And when it was day, Jesus departed and went to a desolate place…”
There is most definitely something to be said for rising with the sun and starting your day in seclusion with God.
And what was mostly a pretty gross day, wound up clearing up just in time to produce a pretty fine golden hour while I took some pictures of my friend Ash and her baby Marlowe.
That drool shot at the bottom and the one of her tickling Marlowe are probably my favorites.
Where you live is boring, right? Other cities and places are always more interesting.
I once read a well articulated reddit comment about how if you think where you are is uninteresting or boring, it’s actually because you are boring.
When I was in Boston the other week, taking pictures in The Common, a park located in the middle of the city, I thought about how I should visit downtown Nashville and the areas that surround my apartment more often.
A lot of these are from places out of town, but there are a handful taken just a few steps off my porch.
Got to spend an extended weekend in Boston and its suburbs, with some good friends! I got to go to Soul Cycle for the first time, which is bomb AF! That ish needs to hit Nashville STAT!
And I tell you what, a lot of times you travel you want to justify the cost, or get a lot of bang out of that ticket, but as it is written in Poor Richard’s Almanack, “Fish and visitors stink after three days.”
I’ve found that a short 2-4 day visit, is really all you need. Last time I visited Agustin and Dani, I stayed about 2 days too long, and we both knew it.
Another work trip! This time in the California Bay while doing a project for Stanford University.
While I had a great time visiting and sightseeing, this place is exhausting. It’s crowded, expensive, and…kinda dirty.
Everyone I talk to that has lived here, always gushes over the area, but then follows it up with how they would never move back. Meanwhile, everyone I talk to that has only ever lived here, can’t imagine living someplace else.
I got to spend a weekend in Salt Lake City between jobs. It was absolutely beautiful! Definitely a place I could live. There’s just a ton to do, phenomenal weather, plus mountains in every direction you look!
The view I had from my hotels there, and views from some of the patient rooms in the hospitals I was working in, were jaw dropping.
Also, the salt flats smell like a cat box.
While in SLC I also hit up their Temple Square. It is quite a site, and as soon as you walk in, you get punched with a sweet floral aroma. Everything is exceptionally well manicured. It is a beautiful campus
While I was there, they were throwin’ their cutest missionaries at me. I had to put the kibosh on that though. It’s gonna take more than some good looks and an Italian accent to turn this dude! I got Jesus in my heart and that’s all I need! WORD!
Real talk though… I would def recommend checking it out if you’re in the area. Just stay woke!
I anticipate Bonnaroo the same way a child anticipates Christmas morning. I look forward to every aspect of it. From buying the tickets on Black Friday, waiting for the line up to drop, buying the supplies, packing, driving to it, and then taking part in it! The only part that sucks, is when it ends.
This was my 4th time hittin’ up The Farm and the first time I was proactive in taking my camera with me and sneaking it into centeroo.
I love looking back on these pictures. I hope people will see these and choose to take the plunge and go! The tickets aren’t cheap, but they are worth every penny!
