Happy Holidays!

I wanted to wish everyone  a...

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

Take time for those who are important to you, and I look forward to seeing everyone in the new year. 

FREE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES!

I would do it for free if I could...so, I will.  I'm starting off the new year with a series of free photography classes.  These will be short (2 hour) classes covering a variety of specific subjects.  The schedule will begin with an intro to digital photography class (Thursday, January 22, 2009 @ 6pm), but in coming months we will cover such subjects as available light photography, studio lighting on a budget, Adobe Camera Raw, and photography for real estate agents.  Each class will be limited to 20 students, so make sure to register early.  

I will also be offering day long intensive classes for those who want to learn more about a particular subject.  The first of these classes will be the popular Digital Photography for Soccer Mom's (Saturday, February 7, 2009, 9am-4pm).  This class will include a photo safari and well as classroom instruction.  We will cover image capture, backup, manipulation, and printing...basically a workflow from beginning to end.  The total cost is $150 (lunch included).  Those who book by December 31st will receive a $25 discount.  This would make a great gift idea for the budding photographer or soccer mom in your family.  

I look forward to seeing you all in the new year.  Please let me know if you have any ideas for additional classes. 

neal@inwardstudio.com

478.361.2500

Ashes and Snow

It is funny how you have to hear about something more than once for it to stick.  

Several months ago, CBS Sunday Morning (One of my all time favorites!)  featured Gregory Colbert's Nomadic Museum in New York.  It was amazing.  He had a temporary museum built form shipping containers on a pier.  It was filled with large format prints of his haunting images featuring children with wild animals.  The images had an unreal quality.  They seemed not possible.

Last week, I visited the amazing studio of Zack Arias, music photographer extraordinarie.  He had a display of his favorite photography books (I'm totally copying this for the studio remodel).  One of them was a book filled with Colbert's work.  It was a book covered in hand made Nepalese paper tied with a string, and the images were printed on fine art paper in Italy.  It was one of the most beautiful books I'd ever seen. 

So, the very next day I started searching for a copy of the book.  Apparently, Zack's version is no longer in print, but I was able to find another version.  It arrived today.  WOW!

Hopefully, I will be able to create a version to use for portrait sessions and weddings.  Stay tuned.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who came out for Cookies with Santa. It was so much fun. A ton of great people volunteered and made the day so easy. Here is a photo of everyone...except me.

I'm really looking forward to next year.  I can't wait to see all of you there.

I knew he was smart!

Imagination is more important than knowledge. 

— Albert Einstein

I don't know that I completely agree, but it is interesting coming from him.  

The iPhone Says Y'all

A funny discovery.  The iPhone knows the word y'all.  I was surprised that people in California even new that word.  My thanks to the engineers at Apple for including the South in the iPhone dictionary.

Cookies With Santa

I wanted to announce a great charity fundraiser that I'm involved in along with several other great Middle Georgia Vendors. Cookies with Santa is an afternoon filled with games, cookies, and pictures with Santa. It is all to benefit Jay's Hope which supports families in Middle Georgia with children fighting cancer. Visit the website below to sign up for one of the very limited spots. See you there.

CookieswithSanta.com

New Holiday Cards

We have several new Holiday cards available.  Visit inwardstudio.com, and  click on "olive my love cards",  and then click on "holiday cards" to view all we have to offer.  Also, don't forget that card orders in November receive a 10% discount.

*The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Macon Magazine Contest Results!

The votes are in, and the winners are...

Stephanie Allen and David Thompson!

Thank you to the almost 400 people who voted.  I never dreamed the vote would take that long to count!

San Francisco or Bust!

My wife and I are going to San Francisco at the end of the month for a little work/pleasure. It's been 5 years since we last visited and we're really excited about returning. It is a beautiful city with a perfect climate.

I am already scheduled to photograph one engagement session, but I would love to photograph a couple more sessions. I have availability on November 1st and 2nd. So, anyone interested in being photographed, please send me an email or give me a call.

$2.99!!!

I don't remember the last time I paid less than $3.00 for a gallon of gas. WOW!

Pretty Smart

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

I often said that the people I like share a common trait. They are all enthusiastic about what they do.

The Passing of a Institution

Bill Meriwether passed away Sunday.

If you had not had the pleasure, he was THE photographer in Macon for almost 50 years. (He actually photographed my in-laws' wedding.) He was a sweet man who spent his life gladly sharing his knowledge with anyone who asked. I only had the joy of meeting Mr. Meriwether one time. He shared a lighting technique with me that I still use to this today. It was a little thing, that made a big impression.

He will be greatly missed.

(Click on the title of this most to read the article about Mr. Meriwether from the Telegraph.)

How Little Does It Take?

I love out-of-focus, overexposed images. It is weird fetish, but it allows me to find gems where others would see only trash. Because of this unusual fascination, I started wondering how little visual information is needed for the viewer to know what is in the image.

Can a few black lines portray a person?




I've been a fan of Hitchcock since I was a kid. The caricature of him has always been a part of my visual reference. It is perfect. Not too much...not too little. The artist included everything needed with nothing extra. The ability to edit ones work is an important skill for any artist.

I notice the Hitchcock caricature finds it's way into my work on occasion. I am always looking for simple, graphic images that contain more information than would immediately seem. Recently, I captured this image at a wedding. I told the bride her mother might not recognize her, but I'm really pleased with it.

Fancy Book Learning

I spent yesterday in Atlanta learning more about Photoshop with two great friends from one of the most accomplished Photoshop trainers, Dave Cross. Heather and Jenny are both accomplished photographers and even better road trip companions. We had a great time and learned some great new tricks in Photoshop. (The photo is thanks to my iPhone. Great phone. Not a great camera.)

Macon Magazine Contest

Macon Magazine is creating a special NEW wedding section for their December/January issue. Many of my couples have enjoyed having their weddings included in past years. This year, Macon Magazine has made a few changes. A variety of sizes from 1/9 to full page are available. Also, unlike years past, there is now a small charge for the listing. Click here to see all the details.

But, for one lucky couple, a full page listing will be free ($375 value).

Leave a comment on this post with the couple's last names. The couple with the most votes will receive the listing. So, tell all your friends to vote for you! You have until midnight, October 18th to vote. Couples whose weddings were photographed by iNWARD STUDIO between January 2007 and October 2008 are eligible for the contest.

Good luck!

Recent Work in the News

Some of my recent images were included in the news story about the bridal show on Channel 13. My photo tree was shown at the beginning of the story. There is also a still from the video at the bottom of the page. Just click on the title of this post to see both. Too bad my name wasn't somewhere.

I actually missed the story, but the mother of the bride in the images called to let me know. Thanks Kathy!

What Makes a Great Artist?

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
— Scott Adams

I have always said that the difference between a bad photographer and a great photographer is the great photographer throws away the bad ones. There is more to it than that, but it is a interesting idea.

Inkjeteuos Home Printian Period

One of my daily rituals is to read What the Duck. It is an online comic strip about a duck who is a professional photographer (I think I actually blogged about this once before). It is really funny. Well, it is really funny if you are a photographer. The most recent strip is actually appropriate for non-professionals.

I have always said that printing on your home inkjet printer is a futile endeavor. I won't even do it. Fortunately, there are several labs locally, that will print your digital images. USE THEM!

Anyway, here is the strip.

Bridal Show

I wanted to remind everyone of the Macon's Wedding Ring Bridal Show on August 10th at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry. There are some really amazing things being planned by some of the members, so you won't want to miss it. The best wedding vendors Middle Georgia has to offer will be showing what they can offer to make your wedding unforgettable.

Even better, there will be a grand prize drawing for an outdoor living package (everything you need to throw a great backyard party) worth almost $1000.

My booth will be a small preview of the studio remodel I'm planning for January, and I'll be offering a great show special. You'll have to come by the booth to see what is coming and find out about the special! I really look forward to seeing many of you there.

SUPER GEEK ALERT!

I am a visual person.

Words are secondary, but FONTS are great! For me, the look of the words is at least as important as the meaning. I know it is a bit strange. I have been obsessed with fonts for a long time. I have spent days searching font websites for cool fonts. I even looked into creating my own font, but it was HARD. You needed special software and...talent. That has come to an end. Talent is still helpful, but not necessary.

To prove this, I have created my own font in about an hour. The tools work in your web browser so there is no need for software. You can sign up for a free account and start creating your own. I love this cloud computing stuff.

Click on the title to see my font. You can download it and try it out. It is only the capital letters, but I'll be tweaking it in coming weeks.

Second Anniversary!

Two years and counting!

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of the last two years. I'm blessed to have the best customers in the world. I am constantly amazed by the people who walk through my door, and I'm excited to see who walks in next.

As a thank you to all of you, I'm introducing a new product in the newsletter this week. Best part...it's FREE! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Here's to many more years of fun and wonderful people coming through the door.

St Simons at Last

Our week got off to a fantastic start with dinner at 4th of May and swimming until midnight. Being of Scottish descent, going to the beach has always been a day of fun followed by days of suffering from a sun burn. Swimming in the dark has its advantages. Unfortunately, it is hard to make a beautiful portrait on the beach in the dark, so hopefully the sunscreen will do its job. We have a full week planned, but there are a few open sessions available, so don't hesitate to call if you are interested (478)361-2500. We'll be here until Saturday. Hope to see many of you around.

iNSPIRATION

It comes from strange places. While researching a new album I'll be offering soon (don't you love a good tease), I found this quote from Dr Seuss.

Did you know he started off doing political cartoons at Dartmouth...a far cry from children's books.

Anyway, here is the quote.

Be who you are and say what you mean because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. -Dr Seuss

What an interesting place it would be if we all lived that way.

Melissa:Matt Matrimony

Here are a few of my favorites from Melissa & Matt's wedding at Houston Lake Country Club a couple of weeks ago. It was quite hot, but the wedding was beautiful and they never let us see them sweat...sorta. It was 100 degrees!

San Diego Part Trois

Here is a slideshow of images taken by Michael Andrew at the Shootshop in San Diego. I thought you might like to see a little more of the workshop, and I really appreciate him for offering this to all of the other photographers. He did a great job!

Picture Time

Here are a few images from my time in "sunny" Southern California. The first four are from Carlsbad. Enjoy!






GEEK ALERT!!!

San Diego's airport is known as Lindbergh Field because the famed "Spirit of St Louis" was built in San Diego by Ryan Aeronautical. To pay tribute to the airport's namesake, a replica of the "Spirit of St Louis" hangs over the baggage claim area. The original plane hangs in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Oddly, I just saw it in October.



Sorry for the geek out, but I was raised around airplanes. To this day, I cannot resist.

"Sunny" Southern California

I'm in San Diego for a photography workshop called Shoot Shop given by the amazing Kaisers at the image is found. I've followed their growth and success for several years. I'm constantly amazed by the fun, creative images they create. When I found out they were offering workshops, I couldn't wait to attend. Unfortunately, I wasn't alone. The spots were harder to get than Rolling Stone tickets. I finally got a spot last month and have been anticipating it ever since. The up side is that they were well practiced for my class.

I learned too much to process. I have pages of notes to review on the flight home and new ideas to try out on all of you. If any of you are up for something different, give me a call. I'll be doing to test sessions to experiment. It will be a great fun, and you're guaranteed to be on the website and blog.

So, I've been here for almost 48 hours and I just saw blue skies. Ironic.

I'll be back to the studio tomorrow, so I'll be returning phone calls and emails then. I'll also post a few pictures of "sunny" California.

Two Loves

So, I've mentioned my love of TV...or obsession, but I don't know that I've mentioned my love of cooking. You might have guessed from the Simple Pleasures posts. Naturally, cooking shows are a big part of my day. I used to fill my need for cooking shows with PBS on Saturday afternoons, and they still have some quirky offerings (America's Test Kitchen being a prime example). Then Food Network changed everything. If you love supper slick, well produced cooking shows, Food Network will give you your fill. I do have many favorites, but it is refreshing to find a guy cooking in his kitchen with one camera and no fancy lighting. Sam the Cooking Guy fits the bill. Up until recently, you had to watch clips of the show on his website. Now, Cox has started airing his show on channel 15. They used to call 15 "Locals Only", but Sam is from San Diego. I guess local doesn't mean what it used to. If you haven't had the opportunity, visit his site. It is filled with great, easy to make recipes. He proves that you don't need a commercial kitchen and staff to make great food.

What are your dreams?

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
— Walt Disney

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Walt was so smart. He started with a mouse and created an empire. Who could of know that swamp land in central Florida could become the vacation destination for the world? He did.

I was just commenting that my bold (stupid) moves have reaped great benefits...thanks to all of you. When I've made great leaps, I have been greatly rewarded. THANK YOU!

BUT, I'm not going to rest on my laurels, so stay tuned.

The Internet Giveth

I was recently lamenting that you can't search for something on the internet with a drawing (This was spawned by a cryptic t-shirt my mother-in-law saw). Well, now there is a service to do just that...sorta. Retrievr offers the ability to search Flickr images based on a crude line drawing. Best of all, you can draw right in the browser window...you don't have to scan your drawing. It is far from perfect, but it is fun. I drew an apple and got an image of a little girl with her hair in a pony tail. I drew a capital letter "N" and got an image of a pug. It is an amazing idea that I hope is improved. Yet another way to waste time on the company dime!

Part of a Winning Team

I found out recently that the work I did for Wesleyan College's Annual Report was recognized with a Gold Addy award. Addy's are given by the Central Georgia Advertising Federation in a variety of areas from print, audio, and video. The images I captured were composed of alumnae and students. It was actually very interesting to see the interaction between the generations. The alumnae were quite accomplished women, and the students were some of the brightest Wesleyan had to offer. Thank you to Susan and Brandi for asking me to be a part of the project. They give me the opportunity to push myself to create images which are decidedly different from my normal work. I'm looking forward to doing it all again.

Image Editing for the 21st Century

Adobe has released Photoshop Express. It is a free online image editing application. Simply put, it is a simply version of Photoshop available online for FREE. You can upload your images, edit them, and then email or download them. It provides commonly used tools, such as color correction, brightness correction, cropping and red eye removal. You can even retouch ZITS! If you are thinking of purchasing Photoshop Elements, look at this first. It won't do everything, but it will do more than I could have imagined.

What to do with the $100 you just saved?

Seasonal Quote

I read this today and thought it appropriate of the season. Especially, considering my allergies are coming on strong.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.

- Anne Bradstreet

It also speaks to the idea that life is all about perspective. We often become wrapped up in our daily situation, and forget that many have it so much worse. We should all be thankful for what we have.

I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.

-Chinese proverb

A Little Bit Nerdy

So, more about the tricks your eyes/brain play on you. Below is a classic example of how difficult it is for the human eye to discern color and tone. The eye is very well equipped to notice differences, but not absolutes. Squares A and B seem to be vastly different shades, but as you can see in the second image, they are exactly the same tone. B seems lighter because it is surrounded by darker squares, and vise versa for square A. Here is a link to the "explanation" by the scientist at MIT, Edward H. Adelson, who created the figure. I say "explanation" because I need the explanation explained to me. This is why I love photography!

How cute is Ella?

I'm actually quite lucky to photograph some of the cutest kids around. It is also quite an honor to photograph the children of couples whose weddings I photographed. It is so much fun to watch the transition from bride and groom to parent. I photographed Robyn and Casey's wedding a few years ago. Here are a few recent images of Ella. Also, the great outfit is from The Lillipad. Amazingly cute clothes! You might even recognize some of the images on the website.

Our World Is But A Perception

For those who have known me a while, you know that I am fascinated by how our eyes and brains perceive the world. What we "see" isn't always what is there.

The moon is a great example. I tell this often, so bear with me. The moon seems very large when it rises over the horizon early in the evening. Later at night, the moon seems to be quite a bit smaller. The moon has a circular orbit about the earth, so the size difference isn't a result of distance from us. Instead, it has more to do with the distance from the horizon. We see the moon as being larger when there is something to compare. When the moon is high in the sky, it "looks" smaller because we can't compare. You see what isn't there.

In that vein, here is a very interesting paragraph for you to read.

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan
mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the
frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The
rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mni d
deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a
wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

It is amazing! Of course, this is also why it is so hard to proof read your own work. You see what you want...not what is tehre. ;-)

PS
The best part is that spell check only identified one misspelled word!

Storytelling

I wanted to announce the new newsletter, Storytelling. It will be a monthly email to keep everyone up to date with news and monthly promotions at the studio. There will also be blog only specials, so check often. Storytelling will be archived on the web and can be accessed through the link to the left.

The inaugural issue contains a reminder about the Wall Portrait Upgrade Special and the new shooting space I have rented downtown. I've even included a recent image of Stephanie and David from the space.

Lastly, I would love to find out what you would like included in Storytelling, so email me with your suggestions.

One of My Favorite Things

There are two things I love to include in my images...Lens Flare and Motion Blur. These concepts are hard to incorporate well, so they have become a bit of an obsession. Oddly enough, the Lens Flare is usually carefully composed; the Motion Blur is usually accidental. So, I am very excited when it works. Here are two recent examples taken in the client's bathroom. It was a really amazing location full of natural light. I love it when people think outside the box.

The first is a closeup of Gavin running past me. The second is a little less obvious, but his legs blurred as he swung towards me. Best of all, his face is sharp. There are many where it isn't.

Something Cute

Here is my favorite image from Banks' session this week. Simple and beautiful!

Quote of the Year!

Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.
— Martin H. Fischer

This sums up my goals for 2008. Running a small business requires me to wear many hats. Some I am keenly qualified to wear. Many others don't fit. I've outsourced many parts of my business, but I'm always looking for ways to allow me to do what I LOVE. I do not LOVE running a business. I LOVE photographing and interacting with my clients. The relationships I have built with many of you are the reward for all the hard work.

We should all find ways to simplify the "busi-ness" that occupies our time. Then we would have time to do what we LOVE with those we LOVE.

Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil, See No Evil

I think we are out of order, but I couldn't resist. This image of my niece and nephews grew from my nephew, Mat, trying to point out his ears. I only need a spark of an idea.

I've Been Busy!

Sorry for the sparse posts of late. I've been a busy, busy guy. I started the year by attending Imaging USA (the national Professional Photographers of America convention) in Tampa. Fortunately, I was not alone. There was quite a large group of photographers from Middle Georgia. Here is the picture Johnny Mullis took of us at dinner at the Columbia Restaurant. Included are the group from Delaney Holliman Photography (Delaney, Kerri, and Jenny), Impressive Images (Jim and Linda Barber), Forever Young Photography (Danielle Bodony), K H Mason Photography (Heather Mason), and Stephanie Lynn Photography (Stephanie Gober).
It was nice to be surrounded by friends, and we had a great time! I hope there will be more of these moments. Besides having fun with friends, I did get some new ideas for 2008. Keep checking to see what is in store.



Then I had to get ready for the Macon's Wedding Ring Bridal Show. I try to do something different each time I'm involved in a bridal show. This time I went with a more contemporary approach. I had a bench where weary brides could sit and enjoy flipping through a few sample albums. I think the respite was well appreciated.

It was an amazing show. There were 125 brides in attendance (More than ever before by far). One lucky bride even won a weekend getaway to the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta. Thank you to everyone who came by the booth. I hope to see many of you in the very near future. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of my own booth to show. Bad photographer!

Now, I am working on preparing for my Digital Photography Class. This will be the first time I've done a one day class. I want to inform without overloading. So much to share in such a short time. There are only 3 spaces left, so please don't wait to register.

I'll try to be better this year about posting regularly. Have a great day!

Macon's Wedding Ring Show

I wanted to remind everyone of Macon's Wedding Ring Bridal Show on January 20th. Twice a year the best wedding professionals in Middle Georgia come together for a great show. It is an amazing opportunity to see all we have to offer. Caterers, videographers, and wedding planners are but a few of the vendors who will be present. This time we will be at the Blacksmith Shop. If you are looking for a unique venue for your reception, you would be hard pressed to do better than the Blacksmith shop.

Click on the title of this post to link to more information.

Best of all, I'll be offering a great special to brides at the show. You'll have to come by the booth to find out, but it will be a $250 value! I love free stuff.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Special New Year!

First...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Second, to say thank you to everyone who have been such an integral part of my success, I want to announce the Wall Portrait Upgrade New Year Special.

It is very simple. For every 11x14 or larger portrait you order, you will receive the next larger size print at no additional charge. So, for example, you will receive a 24x30 print for the price of a 20x24 print. The Upgrade is valid on orders placed by February 28th, 2008.

Best of all, this offer is valid on new sessions as well. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

This year, lets all accentuate the positive.