Senior Twins

This week I had the true pleasure of photographing a couple of high school seniors that just happen to be twins. What a cool set of kids. Both honor students with over 4.0 grade point averages and wide open to all of the crazy suggestions that I came up with. Their mom was in tune with what I was thinking also. I explained to her that I like for my photos to have room to breathe, kind of like a Pink Floyd song. Just a few notes and then time to let them take on a sound of their own. That is just the way I explain it. Take the first photo in the field, to me, it has room to let your imagination go. What was in this field? Cows, hay, a baseball field 50 years ago. All of the above. Enough rambling, The field photo will be in one of my new videos, "My Favorite Photos and How They Were Made Volume 2"

The Hero

Just some photos from Saturdays wedding. The one on the stairs I call "The Hero" "My Hero" "Her Hero" just pick whatever name suits you the best.

It was really fun and fast paced when we went to make these photos after the wedding We got to my in town location right at dark so all of these outside photos are at an exposure of 1 second or more.

Monday Wedding

Well today, it quit raining just long enough for me to get this shot at the Ritz Carlton on Lake Oconee. What a cool couple. We had never met until today but I knew from talking with the bride on the phone that this would be a smooth evening. It was planed well and her vibe was cool. I like shooting here and am at the top of their vendor list.

I did this job at a discount because it was a Monday, the day I normaly take off.

3 Days 4 Weddings

And the weather sucked for all of them.
Friday was outside in the rain. Saturday was 2 inside with thunderstorms and today it was outside and cold and windy. But I got some really cool images. I will post some on Monday night. I will be busy with post production for a few days. My Godsend of an assistant Tracy will be out all week so there will be no free time at all.
In the last 10 days I have photographed 6 weddings, a dance at a school and a corporate shoot. Also edited and did the artwork for 2 other weddings that Chip shot for me.
Next Friday is a prom and a wedding at the beach on Sunday. If the weather is good, I might stay at the beach for a few days, I think it will be well deserved .

One Couple Two Weddings

This weekend was a monster. Lets start with Friday. I had a Hindu wedding in downtown Atlanta at the top of a skyscraper at 2pm in the afternoon. My assistant Tracy shot the reception dinner at 7pm at a restaurant. At 6pm I loaded in and set up for the Father Daughter dance at the school where I have the photography contract. 175 fathers and daughters. All photographed and photo packages sold. Home at 11pm
Saturday morning I start round two of the Hindu wedding from the day before, only now it is a full blown Catholic wedding at the big Christ The King Cathedral in Atlanta. Same bride and groom.
At the same time, Chip McGrath is covering two smaller weddings for me at a local event facility where we also have the photo contract to supply photographers and produce finished wedding albums. The reception for the Catholic wedding is at The Biltmore in Atlanta. Home at 10pm.
Today I downloaded and started to edit my jobs and we will do Chips jobs on Tuesday. Tomorrow at 7am I am back downtown in Atlanta shooting a senator with the CEO of Equifax another one of my contracts. With all of that said, we must have all of the back end work done on all of these jobs by Thursday, as I have 4 yes 4 weddings this weekend. Photos are from Friday and Saturday.

Cell Phone Photos

Cell phone cameras have become rather good for taking snap shots. They have a high enough resolution to make good 5x7 prints and better. They do have limitations like very poor quality in low light, slow shutter speeds and fixed focus tiny little lenses but so what.
I was fooling around with my I Phone the other day and decided to see if I could make anything useful from the built in camera.
My first photo is called "Go to the Light" The 2nd one is called "One Second Left in the Penalty Box" When I told my daughter what I was trying to do she showed me the one she took with her Motorola Razor of Garen shaving. So we added that one to the collection. It's called "Think I See a Wisker"
When I get about 20 or so they will hang in a local restaurant for a while as 11x17 size prints. If you have something you shot with a cell phone and would like to have it in the show, send me the file for consideration.

If You Dont Like Ga Weather Just Wait a Day

So yesterday we got about 3 inches of rain where I live. The lake that I live on rose about 3-4 feet, washed out the road on the other side of the lake and almost flooded my fire pit.(See Photo) It rained all morning yesterday and then in the afternoon, the temp went up to 65, the sky cleared just in time for yesterdays wedding and the bride and groom had a wonderful evening. As soon as they left the reception, the wind picked up, the temp drooped and now we have 3 inches of snow with the forecast of "Thunder Snow" at 3pm I have never heard of thunder snow but I guess we will be finding out just what that is in about 1/2 hour. The photo is of last nights bride.

New Show and New DVD

I have been working on a new show for the photo conventions and seminars this coming Summer. A new DVD also. This new show is called Alternative Income Streams for ESTABLISHED Portrait and Wedding Photographers. Notice that Established is in capitol letters. This show is not for the $500.00 shoot and burn a CD crowd. There will be a 1 hour and 2 hour version of this show. If any of you have attended any of my shows, you know I can make a 2 hr show into a 4 hr show without even thinking. So if you are a seminar or convention talent finder, just know that I can fit or fill your time slots.
The New DVD is an introduction to the thought process and techniques for HDR photography. (High Dynamic Range) Feel free to call with any questions 770-355-9644

If you need to send me a file, do so at this link. http://dropbox.yousendit.com/ScottEvans764186

KISS and Hockey

This past weekend, I pulled off a big publicity stunt. I had my show called KISS displayed in the lobby/registration area of a large bridal show at the Marriott Marque in Atlanta. This was the area where all of the brides had to wait until the show opened. I had 16 - 30x40 inch prints of some of my favorite hot steamy kisses from weddings I have shot all over the country.

I had this show of photos on the walls of a restaurant for the last few months, but took it down the first of Jan to clean them up and get them ready to hang in another restaurant in downtown Atlanta. So , since it was not due to go in the other restaurant until the week before Valentines day, I offered it to the bridal show promoters. They bit and my work was looked at by every bride that came to the show before they saw any of the other photographers that were there. And it did not cost me a thing. And , when the brides got to my booth, they all said "We LOVE the photos in the Lobby, are you open for my wedding date?"
The photo is a little blurry, it was taken by a friend with a point and shoot camera.

The other photo is from tonight. My son and his girlfriend after his hockey game. It was their 2nd loss in the playoffs, but they sure did mop up the rink with the other team until they lost it in the last 30 seconds of the game. Oh, he was also voted unanimously by his team mates for he Players Choice Award. He plays full blown hard core. Has 54 minuets in the penalty box. More than all of the other 4 teams in the 16 and under age division have combined!

How's Your Weather ?

Here I sit in my Image Doctor shop on the town square of beautiful downtown McDonough, Ga. The power is out and has been since noon. The wind is blowing about 40-50 mph outside and has knocked down one of the huge old oak trees down the street. The power is out all over town. The wind is blowing so hard that the guys from the power company can not get in their bucket lifts to repair the lines. My hanging sign over the sidewalk is getting ripped to shreds by flying pine cones and wind. Maybe I will replace it with the one the city would no approve when I moved in. I wonder how long it will take them to notice?

I know that this blog gets looked at by people all over. So hey, leave a comment and tell me what the weather is like where you are.

Lets Get back To Work

OK people. The holidays are over. Lets all start working on our taxes.

New Web Site

Hi all. I hope you all had a very merry Christmas. I gave myself a new web site just for my wedding photography. Check it out at www.scottevansweddings.com
I have been staring at it for so long while working on it that I am sure there are some mistakes. If you see any, please let me know.

Recovering from Last Weekend

Wow, 3 events, one weekend. I just finished editing one of them . The photo is from a stunning young lady from Saturdays wedding.

Fla, Ga and maybe Houston this Weekend

So right now I am sitting in a Waffle House parking lot using the free Internet access that they offer inside. I have been in Tallahassee , Fl since yesterday. Yesterday I shot advertising photos for the event facility that is hosting the wedding I am shooting there tonight. These photos are from yesterday. Then tonight I drive back to Atlanta for a wedding tomorrow. An hour ago, a young lady in Huston, TX called and had a sad story about her photographer for her wedding on THIS Sunday called from Canada and backed out of the deal. So I may be leaving Saturday's wedding and going straight to the airport. I love this life being able to help when help is needed and the travel that goes with it. Enjoy the photos.

If You Need to Send Me a File

Use this link.
http://dropbox.yousendit.com/ScottEvans764186

I will be making some big changes over the next month or so. After Christmas, the retail shop will have limited hours and I will be working from home more. I can't seem to get any work done at the shop. People keep wandering in with their camera bags and asking questions, telling me about a great picture of their kid that they took or asking if I need an apprentice. I hired a new assistant the other day, and my son is now a licenced driver so I should have the "running around" help I needed so badly.
I thought about adding a camera store to the shop. Not one of those point and shoot stores, but a real camera store that has things that pros need. I will be talking that over with some reps at PMA in Las Vegas after the first of the year. It is just a thought, and not one I am thinking to much about at the moment.
Look for a new Scottevans.com site soon with TONS of new images and videos and a new Image Doctor site as well.
That's all for now. I will post some new photos tomorrow.

Will You Marry Me ?

No, I am not looking for someone to marry me, but my shoot today was all about that. The groom to be rented a hot air balloon to lift he and his sweetie high above the North Ga foothills so he could ask for her hand in marriage. He had her family and his fly in from all over the country so that they could spell out "MARRY ME" on the ground with their bodies.
She had no clue what was going on. She did not know that her family was there. I posed as part of the balloon set up and chase crew. I even helped the couple and the balloon pilot inflate the balloon. She thought I was the pilots son in law and was there to take a few photos of the balloon for a new brochure. After take off, I jumped in my truck an drove to the other side of Cheatu Elan so that I could get the sot that you see here. Oh, she said yes.

Last Weekend's Wedding

These two photos are of the coolest couple. I had a crew of 3 with me for this event and it went so smooth that I think I will start working with a second photographer/assistant all the time. I have always been a loaner when it comes to my photography, but since I had over $8000.00 worth of photo gear stolen at a wedding a year or so ago I have been using my son Garen as my gear carrier and go for monkey.

Then he started shooing about a year ago, and the stuff that is just flowing from his camera is starting to make me believe that he HAS been listening to me all this time.

I shot these photos, his will be on his own BLOG when he creates it.

It is also Halloween on the square today and the kids are everywhere. Melissa is at the font of the shop handing out candy. The photo is right when the kids started down the street, in the last hour we have run out of candy with almost 200 kids coming by.

Never Mix Business and Politics

Oh Well, I loose. No Wait, AMERICA has lost.
This post was updated Nov 4 2008 at 11:26 PM
For all of the legit photographers out there that are running LEGITIMATE businesses, start giving slight discounts for cash. Anything you put in the bank just might get "Redistributed".

GPPA Print Competition

I am a member of the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) and the state affiliate GPPA and SEPPA ( Georgia Professional Photographers of America and South Eastern PPA) Each year, each organization has a photograph competition with hundreds of photos being submitted to be judged by other PPA members who have been certified as judges after taking the judges class and exam ect. Anyway I entered the GA competition a few weeks ago at the annual convention held in Athens, Ga.
Well, all 6 of the 16x20 prints I entered earned Merits with 3 being scored in the "Distinguished" print category for scores higher than 80. I know that in High School and 80 is only a "C" average, but in the world of print competition it is very high. The photo of the High School Senior with the saxophone called "Jazz on the Docks" scored an 86. (Scroll down to a blog post from July called "SENIORS") It won first place in the Teen Portraits category, The Distinguished Award, Best of Show for All Portraits and the biggie, The Kodak award for Photographic Excellence. I was floored when I opened the big box that the UPS guy drooped off yesterday. See the photo below of all of the awards.
I really do not like to show off, but this was a really big thing for me and I just had to tell somebody.
Also, to see a video of the wedding album I designed from the wedding I shot in New York 2 weeks ago, click here to be taken to my album video site. http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=79060 When you get to the video site, it is in the Sub category called RECENT WEDDINGS

NYC

This last weekend I shot a rather large wedding in Manhattan. It was raining all weekend. The UN was in session. President Bush and the jack ass president of Iran were both at the Waldorf Astoria hotel at the same time and security on the East side of Manhattan was INSANE. 4 police officers on every corner . Most with automatic weapons. Security check points, and me with a wedding taking place in 3 different high profile venues right in the middle of all of it. I was staying at The River Club at the end of 52nd Street east right on the east river. Great place. The staff was so cool and helpful. If you have $600.00 a night to blow on a hotel room that is the size of a walk in closet and looks like the extra bedroom at your great grandmothers house, I highly recommend it.

The photos are from the album I am working on from this wedding. One from the inside of Christ Church on Park Ave. where the ceremony took place. One is a 2page spread of Times Sq. The photos with the red circles around them are photos of the bride and groom that I inserted in place of the HUGH signs and video screens that are in the Sq. (No the Red Circles are not on the photo for the album, ) And the one with the elevator buttons is the last page spread in the wedding album. The photo of the cab has me looking out the window and the add sign on top has a photo of the bride on it.