The Bagwell Wedding

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 19:59:13 -0500

This past weekend, Jennifer & I had the pleasure of capturing Ashley & Drake Bagwell’s wedding day. They were special to us, since we also took their engagement portraits. We didn’t know them before that day, however we were friends with Ashley’s older sister, Nikki. We also got to do Ashley’s bridal portraits. Needless to say, we got a lot of good shots of the happy couple... before & after their nuptials.

So we traveled to Simpsonville, South Carolina (just outside Greenville). 10 bridesmaids & 10 groomsmen made for a good party. Ashley had every detail planned out for us, which was great! The day went off without a hitch.

At the end of the day, over 2100 exposures, over 17 gigabytes of RAW images, and a happy couple joined for a lifetime.

A huge thanks to my wife & assistant, Jennifer, who was a huge help. Besides her helping me herd cats during the family poses, she picked up the Canon 20d/24-70 f2.8 with a 430EX Speedlight and squeezed off about 300 exposures during the reception!! Way to go Willum!!

Momentous Indeed

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:53:04 -0500

mo⋅men⋅tous [moh-men-tuhs]
–adjective; of great or far-reaching importance or consequence; important in effect or meaning.

Quite an impressive word. Momentous.

Moment, an interval of time and time sensitive. Grand and important and usually of limited quantity.

That is precisely how I feel about a photograph.

Have you ever been driving or walking, most of the time in a hurry to get somewhere? You see something momentous, your camera is in your trunk or in your purse, and you decide not to stop. You get to your destination and attempt to describe, in detail, of what you saw. Usually, people react the same as when you describe your dreams & nightmares....a yawn and a smile. The only record of that occasion is stuck in your memory, soon to fade away.

Only if you would have stopped, spent 30 seconds. Half of one minute could have lasted generations.

Next time, stop and leave your legacy.

The photo above was taken on the side of I-10, north of Tucson. Picacho Peak at 9:30am. A few friendly honks followed my courageous lane changes, and I got the shot.

A momentous occasion, indeed.

All I Need Is The Hat?

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:08:23 -0500

I recently watched a biography on Ansel Adams and am currently reading his autobiography. The biography is a great DVD from the American Experience series, from PBS. Many times during the documentary, I found many parallels with this man. I am not, by no means, comparing myself with the great Ansel Adams. I just found a couple of interesting similarities between his life and mine.

One being his love and ability to play music. During his twenties, he battled between being a concert pianist and a photographer.

Second, the beard. Come on. Beards are awesome.

But seriously. Today we live in a photographic world where point & shoot is king and cameras can fit in a fanny pack (if you where one). Back in the day of Ansel Adams, a photographer had to lug around much heavier, much larger gear. Granted, as is today, the technology became better & more compact by the hour it seems, however when Adams trekked his first Yosemite photographic hike in 1927, it wasn’t easy.

A photographer in 1927 also didn’t have the comfort & convenience of Live View or 3 inch LCD screen. Instead, they relied solely upon their expertise and knowledge of their equipment. That still holds true today; if everyone knew how to correctly photographic their subject matter, there would be no such thing as a career in photography.

So, again, I am not comparing myself to the great Ansel Adams. However, I am comparing Adams to everyone who has a passion toward their body of work. On many occasions, Adams would spend days upon days out in the field only to return to his dark room to spend more days & nights developing and crafting his photographs. He spent just as much of his time developing his negatives as he did composing them. (Hmmm. Composing. Interesting.)

He was said to be a very active & energetic child. He felt restricted within the classroom. Adams even said himself in his later years, that today he would have been classified as a “hyperactive” child. The only time he sat still was to practice his scales on the piano. Today we just give kids a pill. Adams’ father relished in his child’s talent and encouraged his personality. He pulled Ansel out of school at age 13 to tutor him at home.

There is much say about this man; an activist, a genius, a musician, a photographer, a husband, a father, a naturist.

I can only think of one other word to describe Ansel Adams: An Inspiration.

Now all I need is the hat.

A New Year, A New Site

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 09:35:51 -0500

A New Year brings many new things. Resolutions, challenges, love. It also brings a new website to Kevin West Photography!

The new look is more accurate to the style we take on while taking photographs; classy, clean & rich.

We’re really excited in this new year, so check back often for what’s going on.

Cheers

Mario's

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:22:15 -0400

We had the pleasure of hanging out at Mario’s Bistro in Gainesville, FL for my birthday. My brother recently acquired the place in July 2009. It’s located in the Thornbrook Village in northwest Gville.

If you think Gainesville doesn’t have any high class joints....check out this place. Great food, great wine and a cool atmosphere. Plus the company of one of the best storytellers who ever lived, Kent West.

When you’re in Gainesville next, check it out.

The photo above was taken at Mario’s. Black & White with some toning and vignette. Can’t go wrong with some Vino! Ehhhhhh!!

Zero Humidity

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 15:05:14 -0400

Willum and I spent a week in Arizona at the end of September 09. Spending a considerable amount of time in an environment that is polar opposite from what one is used to, is quite jarring.

For one, humidity out west is zero. Two, it doesn’t rain. Three, no trees. Willum was pleased with the zero humidity because it made her hair fabulous. However, I never thought I would say I missed the moist, dense air.

Country Wedding

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:26:38 -0400

My cousin, Roger, got married in Missouri on July 11, 2009 in Missouri. I volunteered my services and they graciously accepted.

It was blistering hot, hovering around 100 degrees. Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time to grasp the moment this little girl was picking up a fan. So far, I believe it’s on of my favorite shots yet.

Good luck to the happy couple, Roger & Jen!! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day!

Father Daughter - Brother Niece

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 15:36:41 -0400

We took a summer road trip this summer to Missouri.

This was taken in Girard, Kansas behind our favorite childhood restaurant, Chicken Annie’s.

Kayla & Kent took a walk out to the pasture after dinner because she wanted to see the horses.

Jones Bridge Rivot

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:57:02 -0400

A rivet from the old Jones Bridge in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Night Vision

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:40:27 -0400

This was taken in Gainesville, between the Swamp Restaurant and Smathers Library on the UF campus.

Kent was with me and it was near the end of our outing. We had to take these pretty quick so the rent-a-cop (Campus Police) wouldn’t stick us with a jaywalking ticket.

I left the shutter open for about 20 seconds...an entire green light cycle, it seems.

West Point Barn

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 18:17:10 -0400

For some reason, I like old barns. This one was in West Point, Georgia.

We visited some good friends down in LaGrange for the weekend. Jennifer said in a mocking voice, “I love barns,” making fun of me. So on our way out the next day, I stopped and took the photo.

I brought up the magenta a bit, increased the exposure and took the blacks down a tad. Then increased the shadows and jacked up the contrast. Then added a slight vignette for a dramatic effect.

Waimea Canyon

Tue, 26 May 2009 20:43:28 -0400

On the way down the Waimea Canyon in Kauai, HI. We were driving down Highway 550 in Kauai and stopped several times to take a few photos. The distance between the road and the cliffs was only a few feet, so driving was a little nervy. But well worth the danger to take shots like this one.

Kauai Sunrise

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:37:55 -0400

Jennifer and I went to Kauai, HI on our Honeymoon in May 2009. This was taken from a tripod and remote on our 3rd morning at Waipouli Resort & Spa.

What a magical place Hawaii is. Can’t wait to go back!

Gas Station

Mon, 4 May 2009 00:36:10 -0400

An old run-down gas station near our house in Johns Creek, GA. The sign said $0.39 per gallon. Must be pretty old.

First Baby

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:24:50 -0500

I had the pleasure of photographing my first baby with Lauren & Mark’s new baby girl, Katherine. It was a great experience!

Night Shooting... Shooting at Night.

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 20:15:05 -0500

Willum and I spent 10 days in Gainesville for the New Year. While down there, Kent and I went night shooting around the campus of UF. It was a good time. Learning from each other and trying to out-do each other making ourselves better. That’s what I love about him...no matter how competitive we are, we’re there to make each other better... I love that!

St. Augustine

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 14:20:25 -0500

Mom, Pops, Willum & I drove over to St. Augustine to meet up with Kristina, Mason & Baby Jake. We had lunch at Barnacle Bill’s and some shrimp with “Dat’l’do” sauce....it was the bomb!

After that we headed over to the beach. 80 degrees on January 4!!! Jake was in a playful mood, as always, so we grabbed a few shots.

Kristina took a family photo of us:

McLipp Wedding

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:51:08 -0400

Well, the McMurray - Lipp wedding went off great! Big thanks to Andy Park for some of the briefing and getting an album created.

Also huge thanks to Willum & Kent for helping out at the last minute!