Crookshanks Fotographic Creations

Photographic Educational Opportunity (PhotoPro Expo 2012)

2012-01-20T21:36:00.000-05:00

I am looking forward to attending PHOTOPRO Expo 2012 and I am sure that I will learn a lot with all the great educational talent that will be speaking at the program. Educational opportunities like this don't come around very often and I just couldn't pass on it. I am hoping that if this program is successful that it will become a yearly event. If you want to be good at photography you can't allow yourself to stagnate.


WIN BIG IN 2012! TAKE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC TALENTS, CREATIVITY, DESIGN SKILLS, AND PROFITS OVER THE TOP AT PHOTOPRO EXPO 2012! The speaker line up will blow you away! Check them out!
SPEAKER INFO » Score Big with the PhotoPro Expo Print Competition $5,000 in prizes and awards! more info » $15,000 in Prizes given away over 4 days!	* VIP Membership atPhotoProNetwork.com With Promo Code below. Use Promo Code: PPEMPE12** > Can't make it for all 4 days? > Then select any single day for only $99. > Trade show pass only $20. > Get both at the Registration Desk
YOUR EDUCATION DESTINATION FOR 2012Midwest Convention Center in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio BE PART OF THE EXCITEMENT! Largest Photographic Expo Trade-show in the Midwest with nearly 100 booths! "LIVE" Model Shootout on Expo tradeshow floor. Speed lighting clinics Saturday and Sunday. "Coaches Corner" Print Review & Critique. BONUS! REGISTER BY JANUARY 31 & RECEIVE: Goodies worth over $600!!! Just for registering. Kelby Training - 1 Week FREE - $10 value American Color Imaging Lab - 2 FREE sets of Artistry Cards - $78 value Animoto Pro - 1 Month FREE - $39 value Graphic Authority - Sample Pack - $49 value NIK Software - $40 Off any NIK Software Product Marathon Press - Gift Card - $50 value Zookbinders - 1 FREE Zookie Pro Album Design $100 value MorePhotos - 50% off Set-Up Fees - $100 value Nations Color Lab - $50 Gift Card ProImageEditors - 50% off First Order - up to a $500 value onOne Software - FREE PhotoTools 2.5 Standard - $160 value PLUS MUCH MORE! WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Wedding Photographers Portrait Photographers Emerging Pro Photographers Album Designers Photoshop Users Sales Staff Studio Marketing Personnel Photography Assistants Industry Educators Photography & Photoshop Students Everyone wanting to expand their knowledge of digital photography, beautiful lighting, image composition, and sensible posing. Everyone wanting to spend more time behind the camera instead of in front of the computer. Everyone wanting real software solutions for simple, easy, and fast digital design. Everyone wanting to run a more successful and profitable digital photography business. Use Promo Code: PPEMPE12

To register by phone or answer any questions, please contact: Randy Fraley, Executive Director 920 West Glendale Drive \| Ashland, KY 41102 \| (Tel) 606.571.1908

Light Painting

2012-01-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

I have been interested in light painting for quite a long time and tonight I decided to start experimenting. I plan on making more images in the future. I shot these two images for 30 sec at f 7.1. I am looking forward to trying these technique when doing senior pictures.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2012-01-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

I recently (12/27) took pictures of the Cook House, a historic building in Parkersburg, and I was pleased with the results. I am hoping that it snows soon before the Junior League takes down their holiday decorations. With the added element of snow I believe I can improve the images.

Happy New Years

2011-12-31T20:15:00.000-05:00

My favorite images of 2011

2011-12-29T18:50:00.000-05:00

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph a lot of nice people this year. Each time I photograph someone I feel like a kid in a candy store because I have so much fun and I am always looking forward to my next session. I have taken tens of thousands of pictures this year and I am going to post a few of my favorites. Some of my favorite images are important to me because of who is in the picture, or the feeling the image evokes, other are important because of the technical challenges that were overcome.

Although 2011 was a wonderful year I am looking forward to 2012 because I have lots and lots of photographic ideas that I want to try and with any luck I will have plenty of subjects to photograph. So far for 2012 I have 5 weddings scheduled and I would imagine that I will have considerable more before 2012 ends. Spring historically is my busiest time for seniors since may seniors procrastinate and don't get their session scheduled until pressured by their parents.

The Cook House

2011-12-27T08:22:00.000-05:00

While driving to the mall yesterday I noticed that the lighting and clouds created the type of scene I wanted when I photographed the "Cook House" a well known landmark in Parkersburg, WV. The Cook House was built in 1825 during the settlement period and is constructed of red brick and has a gabled roof. The house is constructed in what is called Federal architectural style. The Cook House which is on the National Register of Historic Places is maintained by the Junior League of Parkersburg.

It's a Wonderful Life

2011-12-24T20:44:00.000-05:00

Today has been a wonderful Christmas Eve. It is always nice to have family stop by on important days and it seemed like everyone had a great time. Just like the famous old time movie I feel the I have a wonderful life. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Ashley Snider and Joshua Smith's Wedding Video

2011-12-23T21:54:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday I had a great time photographing Ashley and Josh's wedding. They are a wonderful couple and I am sure that they are going to have a nice life together. I just finished working on all the images and I have put together a wedding video with the help of my granddaughter, Hannah.

Josh Smith and Ashley Snider's Wedding

2011-12-18T01:21:00.000-05:00

I just got home from Josh and Ashley's wedding and I am in the process of downloading the images. Josh and Ashley are a nice couple and it is nice to see couples so much in love get married. I plan on working on the images tonight before I go to bed as well as working on them tomorrow so I can post some of the images. Ashley and Josh are heading to Boston on their honeymoon tomorrow and I am going to try to have some of the images finished tonight so I can post them to my blog for them to see.

Christmas Cats

2011-12-13T18:54:00.000-05:00

Each year my cat loving wife, Tammy, suggests that we create new Christmas pictures of our cats. Some years it is easy to get cat pictures and other years it is an effort in futility. There are times I think I would have better luck herding cats than I would being able to get a good cat picture. This is one of those years. Here are a few pictures of the cats that did cooperate and I was able to get a nice picture.

Angel peeking out the gift box

Rosie playing with the fake white mice

Sophie and Raven styling and profiling

Katy Brown PHS Senior Pictures

2011-12-09T22:39:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to photograph Katy Brown's senior pictures. Katy attends PHS and is a member of the school choir. The next session with Katy will be in the auditorium at PHS so I can capture Katy in her choir robes. Here are a few images from last Sunday and I hope you enjoy.

Photographic Educational Opportunity (Photo Pro Expo 2012)

2011-11-28T20:43:00.000-05:00

I have said before that I believe strongly in education of all kinds. Since the early 1970's I have read books and articles on photography, attended conventions and seminars, and recently the with increased availability of technology such as blogs, webinars and educational DVD's have worked hard to improve my photographic knowledge and skills. Recently David Ziser (a world renown wedding photographer) announced an educational experience I could not pass up that is going to be held in Covington Kentucky February 2-5. Attached is some additional information concerning this program. If you go to the attached web site you will find additional information about overall cost and how to register. I have attended many programs over the years however I have never seen anything program with a many high quality speakers and at such a cheap price.

More thoughts on wedding coverage

2011-11-27T15:14:00.002-05:00

Engagement Session

This is a wonderful time for the couple to get to know the photographer. The more comfortable you are with the photographer, the more likely you are to have the images that you truly want from your session. You should allow for at least a couple of hours and as many outfit changes as you want. I enjoy engagement sessions the most because the couple is under no pressure, can be relaxed and the session allows for an opportunity to create romantic images.

Bridal Session

Bridal sessions are usually done one week prior to the wedding when the bride is having a test run of her hair, makeup, and after her final dress fitting. Bridal sessions typically are done at the bride’s home. However, when arrangements are made the church can provide for a nice location and allow for non rushed portraits of the bride.

Day After Session

For couples not wanting to see each other before the ceremony, you might consider a “Day After the Wedding Session.” It never fails that couples always end up feeling a bit rushed to get to the reception and therefore tend to cut short the time that is left to get the romantic and fun photos of them together which are some of the most important taken during the wedding day. This session is set up at a convenient time following the wedding and allows for a variety of locations to be used.

Trash the Dress

The focus of the “Trash the Dress” sessions is to capture artistic images of the bride without worrying about getting the bridal gown dirty. The focus is on art, not on destroying or ruining the dress.

Random thoughts on photographing weddings

2011-11-26T19:30:00.002-05:00

Wedding formats

I first started photographing weddings in the early 1970's and have photographed roughly 300 weddings since that time period. Over the years the approach to photographing weddings has been evolving.

Traditional
The bride and groom are photographed separately getting ready prior to the ceremony. All wedding formals are taken following the wedding ceremony and receiving line. Post ceremony formals typically will take between 30-45 minutes depending on interruptions and the type of pictures the couple desires. This type of format results in many couples feeling rushed in order to make it to the reception on time, Many times this format leads to increased stress and missed romantic pictures of the bride and groom together. You don't see this format used as much anymore because of these limitations.

Contemporary
Photographs of the bride, her family, and attendants are taken prior to the wedding. Once these images are completed, then pictures of the groom, his family, and crew are taken. When the ceremony and receiving line are over the remaining formals are taken prior to going to the reception. Most of the weddings in the Parkersburg area follow this this format.

First Glance
Pictures of the B&G getting ready are taken before the ceremony and then the couple is brought together for some intimate pictures as they first see each other. This type of session is very emotional and provides an opportunity to capture the most romantic pictures. All other formals are done before the wedding. This format allows everyone to leave for the reception immediately after the ceremony. This is my favorite way of photographing weddings since it allows time for romance and creativity.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

2011-11-24T12:12:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

More Beauty and the Beast

2011-11-21T08:45:00.001-05:00

These are a few of the images from the dress rehearsal on 11-8-11.

Tom Currey playing Maurice, Belle's father

Gabe Ingram running sound

Whitney Stilgenbauer and Alexis Ulman members of the stage crew

Kayla Rhodes as Chip

Beauty and the Beast Performance

2011-11-21T08:19:00.002-05:00

Saturday my wife and I took our grandchildren to watch PSHS drama departments' performance of "Beauty and the Beast" and it was excellent. If you did not see the performance you missed an opportunity to see a very talented group of performers. Hopefully this will not be the only play that they put on this school year.

Caleb Gibbs "the Beast"

Lydia Krimmel "Belle" being pursued by the wolves "Allie Price and Rachel Teter"

The Beast protecting Belle from the wolves

Eli Tracewell "Gaston" attacking the Beast

Belle, and the Beast (who is now back to his human form)

Beauty and the Beast cast

Dancer's Haley Matthews and Shaleigh Plummer

Dancer's and wolves Allie Price and Rachel Teter

Silly girl's: Shasta Snyder, Dana Cooper, and Katy Lynch

Taylor Sponseller (Wardrobe) and Ali Walker (Babette)

Cogsworth played by Billy Shawyer

Alex Breeden played LeFour, Gaston's friend

Eli Tracewell as Gaston

Callie Tanner as Mrs. Potts

Adam Shafer as Lumiere

Caleb Gibbs as the Beast

Lydia Krimmel as Belle

Beauty and the Beast cast

More senior pictures of Nikkia

2011-11-20T11:27:00.001-05:00

When I took these pictures of Nikkia I wanted the images to be a little edgier than most senior pictures that I take. Nikkia is a wonderful young lady and if you met her you would see that see doesn't fit a cookie cutter mold. We didn't spend a lot of time on her session mainly because it was so cold and windy. Our plan is to do another session when the weather cooperates

Nikkia Cheurvont Senior Pictures

2011-11-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

After school today I did a senior session of Nikkia Cheuvront. I tried a couple of new techniques using a flashlight, a bike light and a video light for the first couple of pictures. Later we went downtown and took some pictures near an old building which was near the railroad tracks. It didn't take long once the temperature dropped to decide to finish the session at a later date.

PSHS drama departments performance of Beauty and the Beast

2011-11-11T14:06:00.000-05:00

Thursday at PSHS the drama department did their first performance of Beauty and the Beast in front of the students. Everyone that I have talked to that saw the performance really liked it and I am sure that over the next number of performances they are going to fine tune it and it will only get better. If you live in the area I would highly recommend attending one of the remaining performance I am sure you will be impressed by all those involved. I will be posting images from a few of the shows over the next week. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoy taking them.

Granddaughter Hannah's cheerleading performance

2011-11-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

My granddaughter Hannah cheers for the Bridgeport Middle School Braves. Last night was the Harrison County Middle School Cheerleading competition at RC Byrd High School. Hannah and her team mates did a wonderful job and were able to earn third place in the competition. Although I enjoy watching the competition it always makes me nervous when they do stunts. Over the years I have watched a number of cheer competitions and performances at high school events and I have noticed that cheerleaders are injured more than any other athletes. Since my granddaughter is small for her age group she is usually the flyer in the stunts which increases the risk of being injured.

PSHS "Beauty and the Beast" dress rehearsal

2011-11-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

This year the drama department is putting on Beauty and the Beast and has been working on the production since summer. Not only are all those involved very talented they are also hard working. In order to pull off a large production like Beauty and the Beast it takes a dedicated group of students will to devote an amazing amount of time and effort to make the show work. I think that anyone who comes to the show will be very impressed with the quality of the production. Here are a few pictures from the dress rehearsal of some of the individuals involve in making the show successful.

Kirsten Grant's Senior Pictures

2011-11-07T18:12:00.000-05:00

I am finally finishing up Kirsten's senior pictures from last week and I hope you enjoy.

WVSSAC Region IV Cheerleading Competition 11-5-11

2011-11-06T19:44:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon Tammy and I traveled over to the PHS Fieldhouse to watch the 2011 Region IV AAA Cheerleading competition. I really enjoyed the competition and I felt that the Parkersburg South Cheerleaders did an excellent job. It was really nice to see such a large contingent of South side people supporting the cheerleaders who have worked so hard to get ready for this competition. As a side note I did find it unusual that nothing was in the Sunday paper concerning who won the competition.

Breakfast with Beauty and the Beast character's at PSHS

2011-11-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

Saturday Tammy and I took three of our grandkids to a breakfast with the characters of the upcoming school play "Beauty and the Beast." Braeden, Maleah and Sierra had a good time and I was able to get a few pictures of the characters as the interacted with the children at the breakfast. Here are a few pictures of just the characters. I am looking forward to seeing their upcoming performance. Tuesday they plan on running through a dress rehearsal and I hope to get a lot of images that I can post. If you are wanted to see a wonderful production of "Beauty and the Beast" the first performance is this Friday in the PSHS auditorium with additional performances over the weekend.

Cheyenne's senior pictures

2011-10-30T09:49:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I took senior pictures of Cheyenne who is a senior at PHS. The weather was a little cool but fortunately it did not start to rain hard like I expected. Cheyenne is in the broadcasting class held at PSHS and that is how I met her. We went to a number of locations around town including her house to have pictures taken with her dogs and her truck.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-29T14:37:00.000-04:00

Leandrea and Nick's engagement slide show

2011-10-27T19:13:00.000-04:00

I finished working on the images from their engagement session last week and here is the slide show from that session.

More Leandrea and Nick

2011-10-26T21:58:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more images from my engagement session with Leandrea and Nick.

Leandrea Galang and Nick Squires Engagement Pictures

2011-10-26T06:33:00.000-04:00

Having the opportunity to be around couples that are very much in love is one of the perks when you photograph engagements and weddings. I really enjoy finding out why the couple picked each other, what qualities that they were looking for and when did they finally realize that they have found that special person for them. It doesn't take you long to realize the Nick and Leandrea are very much in love and they are a wonderful couple. Here are a few of the images that I have finished from their engagement session last Sunday. A few of the images are smoking hot and remind me of the art work on romance novels. Hope you enjoy

Olivia Miller and Trenton Tunnell's engagement slide show

2011-10-21T05:48:00.001-04:00

Recently I have been converting many of the portrait sessions that I have done to a slide show with music, and so far I have been pleased with the results. I do want to incorporate video into the shows which I believe will add more punch. Here is a slide show of Olivia and Trenton's engagement pictures which we did last weekend.

More engagement pictures of Olivia and Trenton

2011-10-20T06:59:00.000-04:00

Olivia Miller and Trenton Tunnell's engagement pictures

2011-10-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

I had a great time photographing Olivia and Trenton engagement pictures. It is always easy to photograph a nice looking couple and particularly a couple who is so much in love. Here are a few of the images from Sunday and I will post the rest tomorrow. Wedding plans are for June 2, 2012.

Sara Sims senior session

2011-10-15T19:01:00.001-04:00

When you photograph someone I believe it is important to know something about your subject, particularly their fears and concerns. Almost everyone has a concern about how the camera will make them look. They may be worried that the camera will make them look fat, that the their nose will look crooked, or the acne that has recently flared up will be evident in the pictures. Each of these issues can be dealt with a variety of techniques so that you can minimize or eliminate the subjects concerns. One aspect that separates a knowledgeable photographer from someone inexperienced is the ability to deal successful with these issues that are important to the subject.

Here are some of the images from Sara's session last weekend.

Mustang show car

2011-10-11T20:28:00.000-04:00

Recently I was contacted by Brad White to take pictures of his Mustang. Monday I meet Brad and had a wonderful time taking pictures of his car. Brad wants to create posters showing the attributes of his car.

Vulich Family video

2011-10-09T19:36:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Whitney Vulich inquiring about creating some portraits of her son, Kylar, while they were in town visiting from Chicago. Kylar was turning 1 year of age and Whitney wanted some new pictures. I had a wonderful time taking their pictures last weekend here are some of them is this video. Hope you enjoy.

2011 Senior Portraits

2011-10-01T19:53:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful time photographing seniors last year and have been fortunate to have the opportunity to do it again this year. I have a lot of fun photographing senior sessions since they typically bring a lot of enthusiasm and a willingness to try almost anything to capture unique images.

2011 PSHS Powderpuff "Senior's Rule"

2011-09-30T10:37:00.000-04:00

Parkersburg South Senior's came out on top on the annual powderpuff football game battle. Seniors defeated the Juniors 38 to 18 in a hard fought battle with both teams showing plenty of excitement.

Candace White & Chanz Jarrell's engagement slide show

2011-09-29T07:11:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday I had a wonderful time photographing the engagement pictures of Candace and Chanz. Not only are they are beautiful couple on the outside they are also beautiful inside. An important characteristic that I look for when photographing engagements and weddings is how they treat each other. I am more likely to get excited about creating images if I believe their relationship will work and I can honestly say that it was an exciting time for me photographing Candace and Chanz. Hope you enjoy their slide show.

Last senior pictures of Leah Baker

2011-09-26T21:11:00.000-04:00

Leah and her mom, Angel, have been real easy to work with and this has made it easy to try different portrait ideas. Besides some pictures around Parkersburg we both wanted to create something that incorporated Leah's love of ballet. I always liked the look of the Cook House on 13th and Murdock and we decided to use it as a backdrop for some ballet style leaps. Hope you enjoy.

Ashley Carpenter and family

2011-09-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

Ashley was a member of photography club a number of years ago and when I found out that she had just given birth to a baby boy I just had to get some pictures. A couple of weeks ago I was able to get some quick shots of Ashley and her family. We are planning on getting together later for some more pictures when we are able to squeeze it into our busy schedules.

Leah Baker's ballet slide show

2011-09-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

Here is a few pictures of Leah at ballet.

Leah Baker's ballet pictures

2011-09-20T19:58:00.000-04:00

On a previous post I mentioned that Leah has been involved with ballet for a number of years and that dance has been an important part of her life. Hope you enjoy a few of the images that were created.

Leah Baker's Senior Session slide show

2011-09-19T18:32:00.001-04:00

Saturday I had another opportunity to take additional senior pictures of Leah Baker. The weather was great and we were able to travel to a couple of additional locations that we couldn't do the previous session. On Thursday of last week I also took some images of Leah at Gunter's Dance School where she studies ballet. Leah has been involved with ballet most of her life and so capturing images at the studio was important to her and her mom. I am still working on these ballet images and hope to have them completed in the next couple of days. This Thursday we are getting together one final time, if the weather cooperates, to create some more portraits. Leah and her mother have been nice to work with and I have enjoyed the opportunity to take lasting senior memories for her.

Terri & Jason Engagement Slide Show

2011-09-12T07:09:00.000-04:00

Leah Baker's Senior slide show

2011-09-11T10:55:00.000-04:00

I have experimenting with slide shows and I think I am getting closer to creating fun and interesting shows.
Hope you enjoy this show of PHS senior Leah Baker.

Christina & Blake's engagement slide show

2011-09-11T07:21:00.001-04:00

Variations on a theme

2011-09-08T21:24:00.000-04:00

I like to play with the recent images I have taken particularly after I have finished my enhancements on these image. Here is one recent variation of the pictures I took of Leah last weekend.

Jessie, Abby and Emily's visit from storm ravaged New Jersey

2011-09-05T19:02:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Jessie, Abby and Emily came down for a schedule family visit which just so happened to coincide with Hurricane Irene's track up the east coast thru New Jersey where they live. I always look forward to their visit since we don't see them as often as we would like and they are at the age where they change a lot between visits. I was glad they were visiting when the Hurricane traveled thru Wayne, NJ. Fortunately none of Jessie's in-laws in New Jersey experienced any damage from the storm. I believe Jessie and the girls had a good visit and I was able to get some nice pictures.

Leah Baker's Senior Pictures

2011-09-05T17:43:00.000-04:00

Saturday evening it was hot and humid which is not the best weather for portraits but I was lucky to be photographing a young lady who did not let the weather bother her. Leah is a senior at PHS and wanted pictures in Marietta to have a different look. With one of locations I wanted the images to look more like a modeling session and less like a portrait session I hope you can see which images I am talking about. I think you will agree when you look at Leah's pictures that she did a good job not letting the weather bother her.

Dye Family Portraits

2011-09-05T10:45:00.002-04:00

It has been a couple of weeks ago when I took pictures of the Dye family. Kelsi, the oldest daughter who is now at WVU was in my photography club a couple of years ago and it was nice to get an opportunity to see her again and have fun creating family portraits. If you are looking for roles models on how to raise your children you couldn't go wrong if you followed what Kelsi's parents have done. It is nice to see close and caring family who know how to have fun. Hope you enjoy.

Christina Cappadona & Blake Johnson Engagement Pictures

2011-08-30T19:40:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Christina and Blake's engagement session and I had a blast. What made this session so much fun was the fact that they had thought about what they wanted to accomplish with their pictures and came prepared. I have found that the most enjoyable sessions have been with people who know what they want and are willing to take the time to accomplish it. I have known both Christina and Blake for a number of years and it is clearly evident how much they love each other. Since they both attended Marietta College and had many pleasant memories they wanted their engagement session to take place on the Marietta College campus and around the city of Marietta. Hope you enjoy looking at the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

More of Teresa and Wray's wedding pictures

2011-08-30T19:05:00.001-04:00

More of Teresa and Wray's wedding pictures

2011-08-29T21:08:00.000-04:00

Teresa Duncan & Wray Johnstone's Wedding

2011-08-28T20:06:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful time at Teresa and Wray's wedding last weekend at the Blennerhassett. Every time I am around Teresa and Wray it becomes more and more evident that they are perfect match for each other. Having the opportunity to photograph the wedding of such a wonderful couple is a great experience. Fortunately the early morning downpours did not dampen the spirits of all those involved in the wedding. Hope you enjoy some of the images from their wedding, I will be posting more tomorrow.

Exotic Feline Rescue Center

2011-08-14T07:57:00.001-04:00

You know you have had a unique day when you get sprayed by a tiger. Yesterday I took my wife, Tammy to a Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Indiana, which by the way is well worth the trip if you like to see big cats. As part of a Christmas gift I got for Tammy we had the opportunity to stay on the grounds and listen to lion's roar throughout the day and night. This center does not breed any of the animals it is just a rescue center and takes in animals from circuses and private individuals who can not adequately care for the cats. At the center they have a over 300 big cats with 130 being tigers. Many of these animals had been abused and severely neglected which is very sad. I never have understood the desire to own a living creature just for the sake of saving you own it particularly when you can not adequately take care of their needs. By the way if you are interested tiger spray smells like burnt popcorn and nothing like you would expect. Here is a link to the Feline Rescue Center site www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org/home.html

Jason and Terri's Engagement pictures

2011-08-12T21:36:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week I had a wonderful time photographing Jason and Terri's engagement as well as capturing a few images of Jason's daughter, Cheyanne. Jason is a Parkersburg Firefighter and a member of the St.Joseph Ambulance Service. Terri is an ER nurse at St.Joseph's Hospital and that is where they got to know each other and fall in love. The weather cooperated last Tuesday and this made it easy to create wonderful pictures of Jason and Terri. Here are a few images from that session.

Wonderful granddaughter

2011-08-12T21:21:00.001-04:00

About two weeks ago Tammy and I traveled up to Bridgeport to create some portraits of my granddaughter Hannah. Years ago Hannah's mother, Heather, was the model for many of photographic creations. I know I took thousands of pictures of Heather when she was young and I am sure that there were times when she saw me with a camera that she wanted to run and hide. Hannah is a member of the Bridgeport Middle School cheer squad so we had to get some pictures of her outside her school. While trying to make some of the pictures look wind blown we used a battery powered leaf blower with hilarious results. Here are a few of the pictures from Hannah's session.

Maleah Mason

2011-07-15T21:01:00.000-04:00

I have been working on a project to create grandkid portraits for my office before school starts Aug 22. My first attempt to take Maleah's pictures was unfortunately on the same evening that a severe storm came thru the area. I was still able to take a couple of pictures on their porch before that storm blew in and stopped her session. Today we went to Cedar Lakes and also took some pictures in the garage at home. Hope you enjoy.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T06:55:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July.

Sierra's pictures

2011-07-02T21:53:00.000-04:00

Wednesday I took pictures of Sierra who is the youngest of my daughter Sara's children. I am am working on updating pictures of the kids. Some time this week I plan on getting pictures of Maleah, who is Sara's middle child I am looking forward to that. Hope you enjoy these pictures of Sierra.

Braeden's 10th birthday

2011-06-30T23:18:00.000-04:00

Keeping up to date pictures of your grandkids is easier said than done. Like every parent and grandparent you think about taking pictures and then get side tracked. My grandson, Braeden, just turned 10 and I thought that this was a good time to get some new pictures. Saturday I had a good time taking pictures of Braeden around the house, Since Braeden really likes football and is looking forward to playing for the North End Ramblers this fall I wanted to create something special. Two of the pictures are of Braeden wearing his football jersey and I tried to create a superman type look. Hope you enjoy.

This picture reminds me of the old Superman show when I was a kid.

Emily sings the blue's

2011-06-24T16:40:00.000-04:00

Last week Tammy and I traveled to NJ to visit with Jessie, Mike and the girls Abby and Emily. We had the opportunity to babysit on Friday and Saturday as Jessie and Mike went to the US Open Golf tournament. Tammy had purchased a Karaoke machine for the girls to play with and they really seemed to enjoy using it even though the cd player would not work and play music. No one seemed to enjoy singing better than Emily. Saturday afternoon I watched her prance around while she was singing her heart out. Emily was really animated and it make it exceptionally easy to take a lot of pictures. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to visit with them particularly since they are so much fun and easy to watch. Here are a few pictures from our visit to NJ.

Alisha and Chris Nix Wedding

2011-06-10T07:16:00.000-04:00

I had a great wedding this past weekend, the weather cooperated and didn't rain, family and friends were relaxed and easy to work with, and the bride and groom were just wonderful. I couldn't write enough to describe how nice Chris and Alisha are as a couple together.

Relaxing before the ceremony

Chris's grandfather

Chris chilling out before the wedding

Chris and his best man

Chris with his dad

Chris with his mom and brothers

Alisha and her parents

Alisha with her family

Chris watching Alisha come done the aisle

Alisha being escorted in by her father

Teresa Duncan & Wray Johnstone's Engagement Pictures

2011-06-09T14:54:00.000-04:00

June 1st I had a wonderful time photographing Teresa and Wray's engagement pictures. I will also be photographing their wedding in August and I am looking forward to that day. Teresa is from the area and her Wray is from Australia. They met each other in Africa while both were in school and I guess you do sometimes have to travel long distances to find your soul mate.

Alicia Duffield's Bridal Session

2011-06-05T20:55:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I got together with Alicia and her mother create some bridal portraits prior to her wedding yesterday. I couldn't post any of these images until the wedding was over and since Alicia and Chris got married yesterday it is safe to post these images.

Carr family photos

2011-05-23T12:45:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful time photographing Jake, his wife Erin and young daughters Jillian and Jenna yesterday. The Jake and Erin recently had a new addition to their family and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take some family pictures yesterday. Jillian has grown a lot since the last time I saw her and Jenna is just a newborn.

Blogger Problems

2011-05-21T13:20:00.001-04:00

I have been meaning to post for the past week however I am having trouble uploading pictures. I have tried different images at different resolutions and still no luck. I have even tried to post from different computers. However I will be able to solve this problem soon.

Duvi and Lena's Senior Pictures

2011-05-08T21:05:00.000-04:00

Duvi and Lena are foreign exchange students at Parkersburg South. When this school year ends both students will be going home with lots of memories of high school. These senior pictures are another memory that they will be taking with them.

Eric Sullivan's senior pictures

2011-05-08T19:04:00.002-04:00

Not much time is left till this school year is over and another school year begins. I have a couple of more senior sessions to finish before graduation and I had a wonderful time photographing Eric. Hope you enjoy.

Eric is head over heels about music

Ryan Athey's senior pictures

2011-05-01T09:27:00.001-04:00

Here are a few of Ryan's pictures that we took this week. Ryan is in the broadcasting class at the Wood County Vocational Center and I had to get a picture of him there because I think it is important to show something that tells you a little about the person being photographed. Hope you enjoy.

Kim and Chris Flesher's Post Wedding Pictures

2011-04-30T16:37:00.000-04:00

Prior to Chris and Kim's wedding we discussed the idea of getting together for post wedding pictures. On the day of normal wedding you know that time is limited and you never are sure what the weather will do. Today we got together and were able to capture the type of image that we were not able to do on their wedding day. Here are but a few of the pictures we were able to create.

Head over heels about music

2011-04-30T10:29:00.001-04:00

Eric Sullivan is a senior from Parkersburg South that I took pictures of yesterday. Eric likes music and I wanted one image to be a little unique so we made this picture first and later traveled around Parkersburg to create the rest of his senior picturs. I would love to say I thought of this idea first however I saw it on another site a couple of years ago and thought that it was an interesting concept. Hope you enjoy.
After I posted this image I hunted for the photographer who I got the idea from and found the image posted in the Professional Photographer Magazine, Cynthia Higgons, owner of Inspiration Photography created a wonderful image which she titled "Heads are gonna roll".

Purple rain and other variations

2011-04-30T10:17:00.000-04:00

Creating something unique is a lot of fun and I really appreciate the time and effort Alison and her mom put in to making this images. Here are a few more pictures of the Alison in the "rain".

Dancing in the rain

2011-04-29T23:08:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Alison to create some wonderful senior pictures. Alison mentioned that she would love to have some pictures taken in the rain. Although we have had plenty of rain it never was convenient or safe to be able to create that images we wanted. However given a little patience and a power sprayer we were able to capture the type of picture we were both happy with. Here is an example of the one of the images from tonight's session. The camera was set on a tungsten setting and the main flash was gelled with a 3/4 Roscoe tungsten gel to provide for normal skin tones and the background flash was not gelled which resulted in the nice blue coloration of the backround.

Braeden, Maleah, Sierra, Sara and Eddy

2011-04-24T11:14:00.000-04:00

I stopped by Sara and Eddy's yesterday to take some pictures of some of Eddy's family and of Braeden, Maleah, and Sierra. Here are a few of the pictures from yesterday.

More senior pictures of Kaitlyn Bowles

2011-04-23T15:29:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more senior portrait of Kaitlyn Bowles.

Kaitlyn Bowles senior pictures

2011-04-22T20:41:00.000-04:00

Today's senior session was another day of adapting to the weather. It seems like the rain will never end however that didn't stop us from creating senior portraits today. We started off on the porch and later moved out around the house. Kaitlyn was a real trooper while we captured images in the rain and so was her mom and two sister's-in-law Kayla and Katy Bowles who helped with lighting and posing. Kyla's yellow car was a wonderful prop that added a lot color to the images taken it. While we were taking pictures in front of PHS the rain started picking up so we next went to the parking garage at St.Joe to get out of the weather. We did a few quick images in the parking garage before moving to a location off of 23rd street. The white picket fence and the pink dogwood tree made for wonderful location. Last we went back to her house to use the one location that all teenagers try to personalize, their bedroom. Kaitlyn likes to play guitar and the best place for the next set of pictures was in her bedroom on her bed.

More Senior Pictures of Kelly Nesselrode

2011-04-22T08:28:00.000-04:00

Here are some more senior pictures of Kelly taken yesterday.

Kelly Nesselrode's Senior Pictures

2011-04-21T20:41:00.000-04:00

Typically when I do senior pictures I try to start within a certain time frame which is 2-3 hour before sunset or after sunrise. Today's session with Kelly started at 1 pm which is almost a no-no for me since the harsh light of the midday sun causes lots of problems. To initially solve the problems caused by shooting during the midday sun I selected locations that were shady which provided softer lighting and also made it easier for Kelly to see without squinting. As the day progressed I decided to embrace the harsh sun and try to create images out of my comfort zone. Kelly and her mom Debbie were trooper's as I dragged them around all over town. Hope you enjoy the few images that I have been able to work on.

Lighting Setup

2011-04-19T19:51:00.001-04:00

This is the lighting setup for the pictures of Talor with the Patriot sign in the background. I wanted to isolate both Talor and the sign rather than use a general flood of light to make the viewers eyes focus on the main subjects. I used two Canon 580 flashes controlled by Pocket Wizard radio slaves. The flash focused on the Patriot was zoomed out to a maximum setting and further controlled by a grid spot. The main light was a Larson Softbox with a Canon 580 II flash providing illumination and fired by Pocket Wizard radio slave.

More Senior Pictures of Talor Snyder

2011-04-19T18:43:00.000-04:00

I stayed up until about 2 am last night working on Talor's senior pictures. I have a number of photographic projects that I am working on this week and I have a couple of more senior sessions and a large family session on Saturday. This spring I have the opportunity to photograph 12 more seniors. I hope that the weather cooperates so that I won't have to be rushed at the last minutes.

I liked the interplay between her high kick and the background shadow.

Talor Snyder's Senior Pictures

2011-04-19T08:41:00.000-04:00

Last night the weather cooperated and I was able to capture some wonderful pictures of Talor. Talor is a senior at Parkersburg Soutth and is a member of the Southern Belles. When we began taking pictures Talor wanted some in the journalism room where Talor spends a lot of time working on the yearbook. Once we started taking pictures Talor had other locations around the school to that she wanted pictures taken. I guess being an administrator at school comes in handy when you are trying to personalize a senior's portraits. Here are a few of the images that I have finished working on and I hope you enjoy.

More of Chris and Kim's Wedding

2011-04-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

Kim and Chris Flesher's Wedding

2011-04-17T18:02:00.000-04:00

Weddings are joyous events and are more so when you know the couple and believe that they are meant for each other. Having the opportunity to watch Kim and Chris and see how they interact with each other just confirms my belief that they are going to have a wonderful marriage. Here are a few more images from their wedding on Saturday.

Kim dancing with her dad

Chris dancing with his mom

A few pictures for Kim & Chris Flesher's Wedding

2011-04-17T00:28:00.000-04:00

I had to post a few pictures from today's wedding before going to bed since I had so much fun taking the photographs. All the people associated with Chris and Kim's wedding were fun to work with and made it easy to create wonderful images. In a few weeks we are going to schedule a post wedding get together to create images that we didn't have time to create today.

Kim Rodger's - Chris Flesher's Wedding Rehearsal

2011-04-15T21:49:00.003-04:00

Here are a few photographs from Chris and Kim's wedding rehearsal and before you know it I will be posting images from their wedding. Hope you enjoy.

Flash Bus Tour

2011-04-13T21:48:00.000-04:00

The Flash Bus

Joe McNally and David Hobby answering questions from the audience

Monday I traveled to Pittsburg with Ken Sutton to attend a flash seminar offered by David Hobby and Joe McNally. Both David Hobby and Joe McNally are exceptional photographers who are experts using small strobes as well as other aspects of photography. David Hobby prefers to manually control his strobes while Joe McNally uses the automatic features incorporated into the strobes and cameras to get perfect flash exposure. If you have an opportunity to attend their seminar it is well worth your time and money.

More pictures of Danielle Kessler

2011-04-09T21:25:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more of Danielle's senior pictures. I am also including a picture of Danielle with her younger sister.

Grandkids in sports

2011-04-09T20:18:00.001-04:00

Recently Braeden, Maleah, and Sierra all participated in spring sports. Braeden decided to run track again this spring and this year he is running individual races rather than being on relay teams. Braeden placed second in both the 400 and the 100 in his first meet held on Thursday. Maleah and Sierra both are involved in soccer and had their first soccer matches today. Both girls said that they had a good time playing soccer today.

Crookshanks Fotographic Creations

Photographic Educational Opportunity (PhotoPro Expo 2012)

$15,000 in Prizes given away over 4 days!

Light Painting

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Happy New Years

My favorite images of 2011

The Cook House

It's a Wonderful Life

Ashley Snider and Joshua Smith's Wedding Video

Josh Smith and Ashley Snider's Wedding

Christmas Cats

Katy Brown PHS Senior Pictures

Photographic Educational Opportunity (Photo Pro Expo 2012)

More thoughts on wedding coverage

Random thoughts on photographing weddings

Happy Thanksgiving to all

More Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast Performance

More senior pictures of Nikkia

Nikkia Cheurvont Senior Pictures

PSHS drama departments performance of Beauty and the Beast

Granddaughter Hannah's cheerleading performance

PSHS "Beauty and the Beast" dress rehearsal

Kirsten Grant's Senior Pictures

WVSSAC Region IV Cheerleading Competition 11-5-11

Breakfast with Beauty and the Beast character's at PSHS

Cheyenne's senior pictures

Happy Halloween

Leandrea and Nick's engagement slide show

More Leandrea and Nick

Leandrea Galang and Nick Squires Engagement Pictures

Olivia Miller and Trenton Tunnell's engagement slide show

More engagement pictures of Olivia and Trenton

Olivia Miller and Trenton Tunnell's engagement pictures

Sara Sims senior session

Mustang show car

Vulich Family video

2011 Senior Portraits

2011 PSHS Powderpuff "Senior's Rule"

Candace White & Chanz Jarrell's engagement slide show

Last senior pictures of Leah Baker

Ashley Carpenter and family

Leah Baker's ballet slide show

Leah Baker's ballet pictures

Leah Baker's Senior Session slide show

Terri & Jason Engagement Slide Show

Leah Baker's Senior slide show

Christina & Blake's engagement slide show

Variations on a theme

Jessie, Abby and Emily's visit from storm ravaged New Jersey

Leah Baker's Senior Pictures

Dye Family Portraits

Christina Cappadona & Blake Johnson Engagement Pictures

More of Teresa and Wray's wedding pictures

More of Teresa and Wray's wedding pictures

Teresa Duncan & Wray Johnstone's Wedding

Exotic Feline Rescue Center

Jason and Terri's Engagement pictures

Wonderful granddaughter

Maleah Mason

Happy 4th of July

Sierra's pictures

Braeden's 10th birthday

Emily sings the blue's

Alisha and Chris Nix Wedding

Teresa Duncan & Wray Johnstone's Engagement Pictures

Alicia Duffield's Bridal Session

Carr family photos

Blogger Problems

Duvi and Lena's Senior Pictures

Eric Sullivan's senior pictures

Ryan Athey's senior pictures

More Kim and Chris post wedding pictures

Kim and Chris Flesher's Post Wedding Pictures

Head over heels about music

Purple rain and other variations

Dancing in the rain

Braeden, Maleah, Sierra, Sara and Eddy

More senior pictures of Kaitlyn Bowles