Meet Tobias...

Right before the winter sets in I had the opportunity to finally work on a project that was conceived back in the spring of this year. There is an exciting and "up and coming" motivational speaker/author who has burst on the scene with a passion to help people we haven't seen since Anthony Robbins. His name is Tobias Brown and he's traveling all over the country sharing the secrets of his academic "rags to riches" story with college students of all ages. With everything that is going on in his life he needed several new images for his press kit. But, he wanted photos that really showed his personality and youth (i.e. not boring). And, we had a blast shooting and really just having fun. I believe that the best images are those that are captured when you're simply having a ball.

Be on the look out for this guy, he's truly "blowing up" and if speaks in a town near you don't miss the opportunity to be inspired, encouraged and empowered by a very special and anointed motivator. Be blessed and keep dreaming - as Tobias' life proves dreams really do come true!

Old fashioned black and white with natural lighting


The Ultimate Motivator


I made him laugh in this image, don't know if the newspaper will like it but it's a good image as it captures his joyous spirit and personality


This one is called "Livin' Large" because if he can do it so can you! And, he wants to help you get there, that's cool!


Man on a Mission


Non-Traditional Newspaper Image 1


Non-Traditional Newspaper Image 2


Livin' Large No. 2

Humble Beginnings

Recently I had the opportunity to return to my old Almamater, Louisiana State University, where I completed my undergraduate work. One of my majors as well as my life's passion is broadcast journalism. And, this building is where all of those dreams were given weight and hope. I was blessed to be the Thursday Night Campus News program's co-anchor which was filmed in the basement. This building also houses the radio station and campus newspaper complete with a state-of-the-art print facility. There's a lot of "stuff" stuffed into it and it's come a looooooooong way since I was there. They've even remolded the first floor which now includes a state-of-the-art public speaking forum. During my junior year the school was awarded an endowment from the Manship family and the name and curriculum changed from Journalism to Mass Communication (as you can see they haven't changed it on the buidling yet).

The post processing and presentation was inspired by two great photographers and flickr.com artists Anne Marlow and Roosjeh. My image didn't "turn out" like Anne's but Anne has an incredible image of Michigan State that I just love! I also love this wonderful campus image created by Roosjeh.

This photo didn't "turn out" so bad, kinda looks like a poster suitable for framing. Hmmmmm, maybe I should sell it to the school? What do you think? :-)

Blog update: Saying goodbye to an old friend

This is a short administrative update to share with you that the Cbox "chat box" has been removed from my blog. Unfortunately, it wasn't being used very often and some people have reported loading challenges with the Cbox installed. I want to personally thank everyone who shared their comments with me through the Cbox as I really appreciate it. And, I've saved those comments so they are not lost, just relocated. My prayer is that this blog becomes a valuable resource to you and is always fun and easy to interact with whenever you stop by. Be blessed and keep shooting!

2 shall become 1: 2006 Marriage Conference

Ah, the joys and pains of conference season. We are preparing for our next big conference in November at my day job and so I haven't been able to post more often. But, this year's business conference promises to be the best we've ever hosted so I am excited for all of the business leaders and entrepreneurs who's lives are going to dramatically change as a result of attending.

Recently I had the opportunity to serve as the VIP concierge during a conference for married couples. The theme was "An Evening in Paris" and the entire sanctuary was converted to a street scene in Paris complete with a mini Eiffel Tower. Although I was asked to cover the event as the event photographer, they kept me so busy as their concierge that I didn't have time for taking pictures. Here's a few images that I thought you would enjoy that I was able to capture during the few "down" moments during the conference.

One of the friendly representatives


Two beautiful women of God


Posing for GQ


What a beautiful smile


A strong man of God


There's a baby on the way!


Having a little fun


The setting


The appetizer


The dessert

It is finally coming together...

No matter how hard you try, some things just take a little longer to come together. And, my plant calendars are no exception. After shooting enough images to create several calendar styles I had to resort to using a third-party application to get the ball rolling again. As promised here are a few "mock up" pages of my upcoming calendars. The final results will look different so these mock-ups help to visualize the final project. If you're curious, these calendars were created using a wonderful resource called "fd's flickr toys." At this website you can create everything from motivational cards and calendars to movie posters and slideshows using your Flickr.com images. Please let me know your thoughts and if you have a favorite flower you'd like to see in one of my calendars.

Just too cute to ignore!

Recently, I had the opportunity to cover a book signing for a huge author at a local Wal-Mart. And, in between taking pictures of the happy people getting their books signed I was able to capture what can only be called some of the "cutest" children in the world! More from the book signing is forthcoming, but I had to share these wonderful little faces with you. Never forget, children are a gift from God. Be blessed and keep shooting!

Tennis Anyone?

Well, today I am away from my computer as I am competing in a local Tennis competition. It is really a "social mixer" but we run around like it's the US Open or something. This is the 2nd one this year with this group and it is always loads of fun. So, while I'm away I thought I'd share some of the images from our previous mixers and introduce you to a true "cast of characters." Have a blessed and empowered day and I look forward to sharing the praise report and a picture of the trophy after the competition.

Meet Marshall aka "The Man." He is a great tennis instructor and runs our local tennis mixers. Here, he's striking a pose for what he called the "funny looking guy with the camera."


Meet the defending champion - a really nice guy and a great guy to play with. But, I placed 2nd to him in singles the last time we met. So, today I think I'll hit him in the knee with my racquet before we start and then maybe I have a chance of beating him. I'm joking, just joking...well sort of...


Meet my neighbor - look at him posing for the camera like he's in GQ Magazine or something.


This is my "Hey Nike, you really need me on your team" image. Resembles a Madison Avenue magazine ad doesn't it? Ok, humor me a little...


This is another one of my neighbors who also is really a nice guy. I'm really blessed to live next to soo many wonderful people. Did I mention that he owns his own software company? Hmmm, maybe I better stay in touch with him - you know just in case he wants to play tennis or give a few millions away to a really great photographer. ;-)


This is one of Marshall's famous speeches before the competition begins. Here, he's telling us not to dive for any balls as we could break a bone and start bleeding. He wasn't concerned about us breaking bones, he didn't want us bleeding on his court because blood stains blur the lines. What a nice guy!


This is the Ebony Magazine Ebony Man Calendar pose.


This is Marshall on the cell phone and it is a permanent fixture attached to his head. He must be a rock star or something.