Thursday, September 23, 2010

No Place Like Home

I have returned from my travels back home to the East Coast to visit my family and shoot Mr. Kenneth Hitchens.  There are about 7-8 different and distinct stories to tell about my travels (NY/NJ/MD) of which I will be blogging about in the near future with the accompanying images.  I had a great time and the highlight of my visit was seeing my little (22yr. old) daughter Nichole.  I had a great time hanging with her and her boyfriend Kyle and I am hoping we can all see each other again real soon. 


David

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Chris and Erica - Sweetest Somebody I Know

I met this couple a year ago at a wedding reception that I shot for Twyana and Darnell who will be celebrating their 1 year anniversary in a few days. I met Chris and Erica while walking around the reception hall taking pictures of couples while waiting on the bride and groom to arrive. After the wedding I connected with Erica to get their picture to them from the reception and found out that they were engaged and that the picture I took was the BEST picture they had taken together. It was at that moment that they decided that they wanted me to shoot their wedding which would take place in a little less than a year.

We all got busy as we do in our daily lives and we went back and forth with schedules trying to coordinate their engagement session. We finally got a date down and a beautiful house for their shoot and I took the first picture below which says a lot about the couple, their story and what would be the foundation  for their marriage ahead.  Well their wedding was this past Sunday at Kickapoo Creek Winery and as I was uploading their images to my computer, I came upon the second picture in this post which now becomes one of the best pictures I have even taken at a wedding. Enjoy this sneak peek for now.....  

Beas...


Monday, September 6, 2010

Finding North


I haven't blogged about my goals in quite some time and I thought it would be a good time to get back to this practice. Although I am still learning Photoshop and didn't officially get published in 2009, it was still an outstanding year!!!!! I did 4 weddings and several other shoots that have really helped me grow as a photographer and in my ability to engage clients. I got a chance to travel and do a wedding in Negril-Jamaica, Spokane-Washington and a couple weddings closer to home. I met and photographed a two tour Vietnam Veteran, Ms. Island Mokihana 2010 and shot a slew of other people who graced my camera with their presence. It was a very good year and I am excited about what’s next for me and the business.


There are way to many professional photographers and other people to list here who have helped me along the journey. They all know who they are, I have already thanked them personally and will forever be in their debt. As you can see, I am back from my blogging hiatus trying to catch everyone up from the work I’ve done this year. Stay tuned for more; you can also find me and my fanpage on Facebook at www.facebook.com/davidnbeasleyjr


I’ll be Blogging you…


Beas..


1. Consistently pray before getting out of bed, starting any shoot and ending my day – In progress


2. Shoot two weddings (1- second shooter and 1 primary shooter or some derivative of the two) – Done; shot four wedding in 2009; one down and two more scheduled for 2010


3. Do a shoot with another professional photographer – Done; Bloomington Shootout and Macy’s Fashion Show


4. Streamline client meetings – Done


5. Identify someone with marketing and graphic design experience that can help me with plans, logo and designs for website, Blogs and print materials. – Done and still in progress.


6. Develop logo, branding and other marketing materials for business – Done


7. Develop new business cards with new logo and theme. – Done; rebranded my old one a bit


8. Develop theme for business – Done (“FOCUSing on what's most important!”)


9. Add new innovative and creative elements/offering to the Blog – Done but accomplished through my website. www.davidnbeasleyjr.com/flash


10. Identify opportunities for small impromptu shoots – Done and have leveraged to diversify my portfolio


11. Improve comfort level with on/off camera flashes, strobes and umbrellas. – Done; thanks Carlos Baez and Zack Arias


12. Refine my photo editing processes in Lightroom and Photoshop – Done and I am still growing


13. Refine process for managing (archiving/backing up)images – In progress but I am in good shape


14. Get work published in print (book or magazine) – In progress and I have had several pictures that are magazine quality right out of the camera


15. Make time to post to other photographers Blogs – Fell off the wagon on this one a bit.


16. Start new innovative project leveraging photography - Done “The Model in You – The Beauty in Diversity”


17. Start new Blog – Done  http://www.themodelinyou.blogspot.com/


18. Consistently “Thank God” for giving me the inspiration, ability, creativity, insight and strength to pursue photography and bless others through my work! – Done, he is present is all my accomplishments and carrying me through all my struggles.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Macy's Fashion Show - Sneak Peek

Did you get em off the hard drive???  My Best Friend/Frat Brother (Dr. Willis Lonzer III), and I have a long standing joke started by his wife about getting our work off the hard drive; but I won't go into that right now...  I just finished uploading all the photo's from all the Macy's Fashion Show practices and event to my computer and I have over 4,500 shots.  That's a lot of pictures to backup, edit and get "off the hard drive" to all the wonderful models.  Whew!!!  I am headed to rehersal and dinner for a wedding I am doing tomorrow but wanted to leave you guys with a picture from the show of one of our "still" models; the lovely Nickki O. 


Be blessed!!!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Beauty and Elegance Becomes Her!!!

This is one of my favorite shots from a wedding I recently finished editing. I tried something new with my editing which almost doubled my editing time but I learned from that experience and a little about double RAW processing photos to get detail back in a brides dress. Live and Learn!!!


David