Photo Essay in Alabama

The LA Times just posted an amazing photo essay from Alabama. It's a bit gut-wrenching to think about kids living in this kind of environment.

The photos speak for themselves.

How To Organize A Redneck Wedding

Oh, you can find just about anything -- and I mean anything -- on the Internet. Even a how-to guide for couples who want to plan the perfect redneck wedding.

Some choice excerpts from this article:

"Decide what the bride will be wearing. Consider tight blue jeans and a tank top. Don’t forget to have a barbecue or chewing tobacco stain on the front and a wrench in your back pocket."

and...

"Instead of a wedding cake, you can use cupcakes or serve individual fried pies (a favorite of many rednecks). You can even set up a table of Twinkies or Ding Dongs."

and...

"Decide on a menu for your reception--“road kill” is an excellent option. Squirrel, opossum and turtle (all cooked according to redneck recipes) would be great choices for the main course."

I would totally love to take pictures of a squirrel BBQ at a wedding reception. Seriously.

My grandma (who lives in Arkansas) makes a killer turtle soup. I could go for some of that on this cold Nebraska Wednesday...

Winter Portraits

Not even blizzards can stop us! Here are a couple of outtakes from a recent outdoor portrait session. Piper is the cutest thing ever.

Wedding Package Pricing (and Xmas portraits)

I've recently updated my wedding packages. I have been loading my packages with a lot of extras that most photographers just don't offer, and I added even more goodies this time around.

If you've booked with me already (or even just emailed), no worries, the older packages still apply!

Looks like we are in for a very nice Christmas week. If you're looking for a last-minute gift, some adventure portraits in the snow are a great idea! I offer quick turnaround on portrait shoots, so you can still have prints before Friday.

Nathan

-5 Degrees Outside = Wicked Frost

My new apartment has weird windows that generate all sorts of moisture-related phenomena. Here are some macro shots of frost I found today.

Commissioned Project

I was hired recently to capture some photos out at an old corn crib in Defiance, Iowa. We dragged out the generator and lights and hung around after sunset. It was a great night to be out.

Tough Little Camera

Five years ago there were no little cameras that you could bash around on a hike and then expect to get decent pictures with at the summit.

But I'm happy to report that Casio is working to make cameras more rugged. Older Olympus models were okay with some dust, water, and minor falls. But this Casio takes things to a new level. It's shockproof, totally submersible, and handles extreme temperatures (down to 14 degrees) with no problem.

Of course, my old 20D suffered through plenty of single digit temps without shedding so much as a tear, so it would be nice to to see Casio take this concept further.

Awesome T-Shirts for Photographers

My favorite photography-related T-shirt is still "I shoot people with my Canon." But here's a great list of some other camera-freak T-shirts. I am partial to #7.

Seal Adopts Photograher in Antarctica

You'll have to see this video to believe it.

A National Geographic photographer goes diving with a 12-foot seal -- and the seal offers a freshly killed penguin to him.

Marc & Kay

Marc is from the Bronx. Kay is from Bloomfield, Nebraska. Let the clash of the Yankees and Big Red fans begin!

Rachael & Shawn

I'll be working with Rachael and Shawn on their wedding day next year. In the meantime, we ran out last weekend for their engagement shoot. It was great to have some sunshine there to help us out.

Hailey

Hailey has blonde hair and brownish eyes. We played at Holmes Park last night and I snapped these after she wore herself out a little.

The Gerace Family

The Geraces (Jenn, Andy, Madeline, and Sidney) had a short shoot in the cool autumn air down by the Old Market in Omaha. Here are some of their fun images.

Jim and Tadessa

Jim and Tadessa will tie the knot in May. We shot their engagement photos Sunday in Scribner and had way more fun than we probably should have.

Sarah

Sarah is from Ankeny, Iowa. She and her best friend Katie were a ton of fun during our shoot.

Go West, Young Woman

Lindsey is a senior who's graduating in May.

She's hoping to attend college somewhere in Southern California. I suspect she'll fit right in because she's got a bit of the surfer girl look to her already.

New (Improved!) Picture Packages

Simplicity is golden.

Why do so many photographers confound clients with bizarre pricing schemes?

In an effort to keep things simple, I have drastically changed my wedding and portrait packages. I'm now offering prints, too!

I now have one portrait package that suits a multitude of needs, from family pictures to senior portraits. And instead of three wedding packages, there are two (if you booked your event before this blog posting, no worries -- we'll go with the package you previously selected).

And although some photographers veil their prices until they meet you, I'm very open about how this works:

- Weddings (Package 1 is $1200; Package 2 is $900)
- Portraits ($159 for the first hour and $50/hr thereafter)

Of course, I add a lot of value to all of these packages to make them exciting for new couples and families that need pictures. You can see all of the details in the Information section of the Weddings & Portraits site: www.4onightsphotography.com

Nathan

Portrait Session - Denise and Doris

I had fun with Denise and Doris at our top-secret outdoor shoot. The on-again, off-again fall weather is making for some great picture opportunities.

Crescent City Art Project

When I was volunteering with Hands On Network in New Orleans I was lucky enough to meet D. Banfield, an extremely talented artist and all-around fun guy.

As Hands On morphed into new and different projects, D. decided to contribute his artist eye in an effort to brighten school environments all over the city. It's the Crescent City Art Project, one of the coolest art project ideas I've ever seen.

You can see a video of the concept here.

Bayne Family Portraits

The Bayne family was nice enough request an outdoors shoot. Although the good light came and went (and came again) we did manage some good pictures. Here are a few outtakes.

The Camera

I don't spend a lot of time messing with my camera equipment. But it's good stuff and I couldn't get by very well with my older SLR. Currently I'm using a Canon 5D Mark II, and if you follow that link you'll see how it fared during extensive testing by the skeptics. I also shoot with L-series lenses.

All those things really mean in layman terms is that your pictures are sharper and clearer. And if you wanted to, you could blow them up to the size of billboad pictures.

And speaking of prints, there's some exciting news coming soon regarding that topic.

Marketing in Nebraska

Carol Blood, from U R P R, is a business marketing whiz from Bellevue, Nebraska.

From advertising strategies to public relations, Carol has dozens of ideas for tackling each of the problems small business owners face.

She's been helping me work my way through all of the obstacles and opportunities that I've encountered, and I'm grateful for her help.

Keith Carter -- Poet Photographer Extraordinaire

I just returned from Santa Fe, where I was fortunate enough to attend a photography workshop taught by Keith Carter.

http://www.keithcarterphotographs.com/

Keith is a laid back dude from East Texas. He is also a kind and generous human being. What's more, his photography is amazing. And to top it off, he is a fabulous teacher.

For anyone who's curious about his teaching style, it focuses heavily on the relationship that photographers have with their chosen subjects. It's not about how pretty the picture is -- it's about the picture's significance. Combine significance with lovely light and skilled composition and you may wind up with something of lasting value.

The Interview Process

Your life is a story. The photographs that capture your story should reach the level of art.

One of the problems I see with so much photography (family and special event photography in particular) in Nebraska is that it's become a business transaction. You give a photographer a load of cash; he or she takes a bunch of pictures that look like the pictures he or she took for the last family. Then you part ways with your prints.

I don't want to do that.

Creating great pictures means I have to work to create a connection with my subjects. And that's exactly what it is -- work. It means taking the time to get to know people as human beings and not just clients.

I'm developing a new interview process that I will be using with future customers. It will be fun, interactive, and relatively painless, and it will open our eyes to the real possibilities of what family photography can mean.

It WON'T mean, "Hey there are flowers blooming the Sunken Gardens. We should take your family there for pictures."

Everyone in Lincoln has pictures taken there. It's beautiful, for sure -- but does that garden really play some sort of special role in your life? And if it doesn't, why not pick a better, more meaningful location?

More details soon.

Super Surreal Images

It is hard not to appreciate this kind of work. I love this highway image the best, but there are some other surreal photos on Erik Johansson's web site. Be sure to check them out.