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America has always been known for hard-working people. “Workers in their element” was my assignment for Clayton Homes. Of course the employees of their manufacturing plant in northern Alabama knew we were there, but they were so focused on getting the job done they didn’t stop to pose. Which was a good thing. I enjoy finding the natural moments in the midst of all the activity. And the client was very cool with helping me get close to the action, safely of course. Here are eight images of some dedicated Americans who like to “get ‘er done” every day.

When I shoot for companies that create beauty, it makes my job even better. Of course, it’s still a lot of work! I’ve been documenting the art of Kitchen & Bath Design Studio for several years now. My mindset when lighting these gorgeous rooms is quite simple – don’t make them look like they’ve been lit. And every time I walk into one of their carefully crafted spaces, I can’t help but smile because their work inspires mine. Here are four new environments that made their clients smile, too. The icing on the cake? We landed on the cover of the latest Wilmington magazine.

When they fly you across the country to capture a thriving new business, you best come back with the goods. San Francisco’s data and tech company Manage was very interesting. It was a curious blend of California laid-back lifestyle, hyper-intense meetings, and a bring-your-dog-to-work mentality. So I popped in the ear-buds and spent the day as one of their own. Being trusted to “shoot what you see” is one of the highest honors I can think of. And something I never take lightly. The fly-on-the-wall style works again. Let’s capture the visual voice of your company!

2015. Just take that in for a minute. Pretty crazy, huh? It’s definitely going to take some getting used to this number. And speaking of numbers, let’s review a few. I graduated from the Portfolio Center in 1989. The 1st national ad featuring my work was published in 1992. So using that as a milestone, I’ve been shooting professionally for 23 years. My family and I left the ATL 10 years ago in 2005. And in the last 13 months, I’ve been contracted to shoot in 9 different cities in 8 states. So to celebrate, I’ve have added 47 new images, 5 new videos and 1 very cool new SPLASH PAGE to CDP online. Do you have a lucky number? Looks like my new one is 2015.

The second cool thing about this film is that is was created by some very good friends. I met Evan Vetter when he was serving as media director at Port City Community Church. He left there to pursue his dream of making films, and Times Like Dying is his latest directing effort. Another friend, Lighthouse Films owner Brad Walker, was enlisted to serve as Director of Photography. So now you have this dynamic duo, who are arguably doing some of their best work to date, blending their gifts on set to create this film. And with a superb story crafted by the talented Anthony Reynolds, it’s no wonder that Times Like Dying is getting a tremendous amount of buzz before it is even released! Here are more of my favorite images from the production of Times Like Dying.

In a recent post, I mentioned how much fun it was to relive childhood memories through my work. Last February, the “fun gates” opened wide when I visited the set of the local indie film Times Like Dying. After a short drive to the country, I found myself immersed in a world including a quaint and quintessential farm, several heavy-breathing horses and some very real guns. My favorite subjects were the “reel” cowboys played by local friends Anthony Reynolds and Myke Holmes along with Fidias Reyes, Robert C. Treveiler and Jim Cody Williams. The movie tells the story of a post-Civil War family who makes a daring decision in order to survive, and the consequences that follow. This narrative short film is making its world-wide debut at this year’s internationally acclaimed Cucalorus film festival. Here are some of the characters I met while “playing cowboys.” Stay tuned for more images from my amazing day on location with this production.

Robert C. Treveiler as Amos Dixon

Myke Holmes as Wadell Dixon

Anthony Reynolds as Shepherd Chilcoate

Fidias Reyes as Miss Ledbetter

Jim Cody Williams as Percy Dixon 

Recently, my wife and I got invited to a friend’s birthday party. And she went all out. Not only did she have it at a local artist’s retreat (which completely blew my mind), but she had amazing food, creative drinks and of course – party games. So here is one of the games. Just imagine you are a professional photographer while reading this….

Help document’s K’s birthday celebration. Take a picture that would be captioned by one of the following Andy Warhol quotes and email it to ______@gmail.com by 9pm. Please note which caption goes with your picture. You may submit as many pictures as you would like. Prizes will be awarded for the best pictures. 

In the interest of time, I will not list all 10 quotes, but let’s say the mental images they suggested were all over the map. So off I went on my personal photo safari armed only with an iPhone, leaving my poor wife to fend for herself. By 9pm, I had quite a few to submit. And if I don’t win a thing, I don’t care because for a little while I got back to why I started taking pictures in the first place. Because it’s fun.

#9 “Art is what you can get away with.” – Andy Warhol

 

I wanted to share a recent image of my amazing daughter, Lucy. She has blessed my life in so many ways. I’m honored that she calls me “dad.” Currently she is into piano, painting, Girls Scouts and dancing on stage in the kids’ ministry at church. And while technically she is only 10 years old, I’m blown away by the amount of intelligence, love and compassion she possesses. I told her that her full name – Lucia – means light and to share her light with everyone she meets. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for my little girl. I love you, Lucy!