Holga : Roll 2

 

Yay for finally getting around to posting my second roll of Holga photos!  See my first roll and to learn a little more about it here.  I was still taking some test shots with this 2nd roll and playing around with it.  Here’s what it captured :

 

This is a double exposure I took at Little 5 Points.  The first exposure is of a brick wall and the second of mannequins in a store window :

 

 

View of ATL from on top of the garage I park in everyday :

 

 

Not sure why I even took this, it’s inside the airport waiting for our flight to Vegas.  You can see the Delta sign way in the back :

 

 

Once again, I need to use a tripod!  I took this at the top of the Palms while we were partying it up at the Real World Suite for the [b] school party in Vegas.  You can see the strip far off in the distance :

 

 

Boo, Chris’ eyes are closed!  Oh well, I guess that’s what you get with film.  :)  This was on top of the Hoover Dam :

 

 

On top of the Hoover Dam.  They were building a bridge and it was kind of scary!  I wanted to include the “Danger, Keep off Wall”  :

 

 

I love, love, love this one!  Here’s why.  You probably can’t tell by this small photo, but it’s a double exposure.  I wanted to create a textured look to the photo, so the first exposure is of a grey concrete wall.  The second exposure is of the view from on top of the Hoover Dam.  The final photo has that textured feel to it and I love the way it looks when it’s at full size!  You can kind of see what I mean when you look at the water – almost like a grainy look… but that’s the concrete image.

 

 

Random photo of a cliff and plant looking up to the sky and some power lines :

 

 

Taken from a bridge of the Vegas strip on our last night there.  Tripod, anyone?  Kind of cool, though :

 

 

Let me know what you think.  I haven’t been able to play with it lately, so hopefully I’ll have some more photos soon for you.  I love playing with it and hope to get better and better.

 

allie

 

See Bryan Adams in concert (again)… check!

I know it’s been a month since I posted the last measly post.  And I’m kind of cheating because I crossed this particular point of my life list a while back, but I noticed that I hadn’t written anything about it and it would be the perfect opportunity to provide another post for this awesome blog of mine.  Without further ado…

In 1991 (I was 8 years old) a little film called Robin Hood : Prince of Theives came out.  I’m pretty sure I wanted to see the movie because Christian Slater was in it (I mean, he WAS the hotness back then).  At the very end, a band was shown playing a song during the credits and I was immediately hooked.  Of course we all know what song it was.

Besides Raffi and the Beatles, Bryan is the first musician I remember listening to constantly… of my own will.  Go ahead and make fun of me for loving him – get it out of your system – because I have more embarrassing stuff to write.  Here’s some notes about me and Bryan throughout the years :

• After getting his new cassette (Waking up the Neighbors) and listening to it every night while I was going to sleep, I wrote to Bryan’s fan club asking if he would send me a signed photo.  My parents helped me send it and I waited patiently.  A couple weeks later, there it was sitting in the mailbox.  An amazing portrait of Bryan… signed just for me.  I wish I could say I still have it, but I have no idea where it’s at.

• Me and my best friends (Katie + Jessie) had my mom hold a video camera while we sang “Thought I’d Died And Gone To Heaven” into the bedposts of my bed.  When the song “All for One” from the movie “The Three Musketeers” came out, we each took a part (I was Bryan – of course – Jessie was Sting, and Katie was Rod Stewart) and recorded it on a cassette.  We sounded so good.

• Then his best-of album, “So Far, So Good” came out.  Every single song on there was (and still is) awesome!  My dad used to say, “I can sing just like Bryan Adams,” while putting on his best raspy voice and belting out the lyrics to “Summer of ‘69.”  “DAD,” I would whine, “quit making fun of him!”

• I have to admit I lost track of his whereabouts during high school.  Not that I was embarrassed that I liked his music – never have I not admitted to liking him!  I was just finding out about new music and bands, interested in what my friends were listening to and what was popular on the radio.

• In college, I walked into a store and found that I had missed out on a few album releases.  So I bought his “MTV Unplugged” CD, heard some new songs and became hooked again because he is even more amazing live.  Who cares if he has a raspy voice, this guy can sing!  Plus, I learned he was a photographer as well – a really great photographer.

• My amazing husband let me pick a Bryan Adams song as the first dance at our wedding (I’ll Always Be Right There). 

Through all these years of being a fan, or at least until I was old enough to go to concerts, I would check to see if Bryan would be coming to Atlanta… or maybe somewhere in Georgia… or the Southeast, at least?  He never came even remotely close.

Until last year.

I just happened to be checking his site and it said he would finally be here!  My parents, Chris, and I went and I was smiling from ear to ear! I knew every word to every song and sang them at the top of my lungs.  Chris held me on his shoulders and I waved my hands back and forth when he was searching for someone to sing onstage with him – yep, I was one of those girls… only for Bryan.  We won’t talk about him picking another girl instead of me.  He sang all the songs I had been waiting 17 years to hear live.

Six months later he came back for an acoustic show!  My waiting paid off – Bryan Adams live, twice in one year.  Plus, the best of both worlds – rockin’ out with the whole band at one and killin’ it with just the guitar and harmonica in another.  Now, if only I could meet him and cross another point off my list…

Here’s Chris at the concert thinking how awesome I am for liking Bryan Adams so much :

What band/musician have you followed through the years?

allie

Crazy.

It’s been a little crazy in the Bartelski household.  We started our amazing first wedding season as the*reason on Saturday with Danielle and Josh.  If you haven’t seen the senak peek slideshow yet, click the photo below to go and take a look.  The whole wedding party was awesome!

More holga photos and awesomeness to come as soon as I can find the time to update! 

ps – does Josh remind you of someone?

allie

Girls’ Night Out.

Thanks to Jen, Katie, Megan, and Shannon for a much-needed Girls’ Night Out at El Taco (the yummiest taco place in ATL) and Cold Stone!  Love me some girl time.

allie

Happy Birthday to my Seester!

My awesome sister turns 30 today!  Leave her some comment love. Happy Birthday – love you, Shan!

Don’t you love old photos? 

Meet 5 photographers I admire… check!

 

While I was in Vegas at WPPI I had the opportunity to check off another life list goal!  I got to meet five photographers who I admire and who have inspired me to keep working hard and being the best I can be at photography.  When you’re at a conference attended by more than 10,000 photographers from around the world, it’s bound to happen!  Let me tell you a little bit about these amazing people.

 

 

1.  Becker  :  Website  |  Blog

I came across Becker’s blog for photographers one day while surfing the web.  At the time, he was posting ridiculous amounts of video lessons for wedding photographers – everything from workflow to personality to branding.  They were only 1-2 minute videos, but the information he provided was priceless and I thought it was amazing that he was offering all of his experience for free!  I, of course, kept coming back for more and eventually learned that he would be starting a new network opportunity on the web called the [b] school.  Kind of like a Facebook for photographers.  Now it’s about a year later.  Chris and I are both involved with [b] school (yes, the one I talk about all the time!).  We’ve connected with tons of photographers; have already met, photographed with, and made relationships with a lot of them; and have learned so much from Becker and the photographers “enrolled” in [b] school.  Because of his love for photography and willingness to teach photographers everything he has learned the hard way, we’re able to connect with our industry in ways we never thought possible.  And we couldn’t thank him more.

Becker invited us to brunch one morning while we were in Vegas.  We weren’t planning on going to drill him or ask him more questions, we just wanted to hang out with a photographer who has inspired us and who’s idea has offered us a chance to connect with so many more awesome people – and that’s what we did.  Thanks for everything, Becker!

 

2.  Joe Photo  :  Website  |  Blog

Joe is the coolest photographer you’ll ever meet – awesome personality, big heart, and bleach-white hair!  I started following Joe’s blog when I found it through Becker’s site.  His photos are what caught my eye, but following it more I learned he attended off-the-wall workshops like Burning Man and also posted lots of information and advice for photographers.  His distinct style inspired me to find my own.

When we met Becker for brunch, Joe came along.  And we’re so glad he did.  He has such an infectious laugh and you can’t help but smile when you’re around him.  We asked him what he would be doing if he wasn’t a photographer, and his IMMEDIATE answer was, “Working with kids.“  Such an awesome guy.

 

 

At brunch during WPPI.  Joe’s on the very left, Becker’s on the very right

 

Me and Chris with Joe :

 

 

3.  Dane Sanders  :  Website  |  Blog

Not only is Dane an awesome photographer but his book, Fast Track Photographer, inspired Chris and I to go full force into this business together.  He tells you exactly how it is and even offers a special type of personality test for photographers.  To make a long story short, Chris and I found out from taking it that our weaknesses are each other’s strengths – and that we’re perfect for each other. 

We had the chance to meet Dane in Vegas at the [b] school party.  I knew from reading his blog that he was incredibly generous with what he has learned about photography.  I won’t be able to tell you enough how incredibly huge his heart is, however.  Meeting him in person was humbling.  We got to share our story with him and how his book – and he - had inspired us.  After we were finished, he looked at us and said, “But it wasn’t me, it was you.”  Love this guy.  It made my week to have met him.

 

5.  Gabriel Ryan  :  Website  |  Blog

When I was reading the Mammoth Men blog one day, I clicked on Gabriel’s link because I thought he seemed like a cool guy – turns out he is!  His style and enthusiasm is exactly what I am drawn to in terms of this new age of photography.  I don’t know much about him, except that he’s one of the awesome guys in Mammoth Men and has brilliant photography skills, but we had the chance to sit down and eat with him when our roommate, David, introduced us to him at In-N-Out Burger (yummy!).  He literally gave Chris and I each a hug instead of just shaking our hands and saying hello.  We need more people like him in the world.  Thanks for hanging out with us for a while, Gabriel!

 

5.  Sara France  :  Website  |  Blog

Chris and I actually learned who Sara was from a profile we read on the Apple website.  We got to talk with her at the [b] school party about Aperture (software we use).  Not only is she an Aperture guru, but she has totally rad photos to boot.  She offers her wisdom to other photographers on Photography Mentor and has the best personality.  It was a pleasure to be able to meet her!

 

 

Other photographers

** Rachel LaCour and Mark Adams from LaCour **

Amazing Atlanta wedding photographers we always seem to run into while eating lunch at Edgewood (Willy’s and Five Guys!  Mmmmm!).  We also found out they are owners of ShootQ, a great program we’re starting to use to help us manage our contacts and workflow!

 

** Josalyn and Jerome Spivey of King and Spivey **

Wedding photographers of yours truly!  We were able to meet up with them for lunch one day at WPPI.  It ended up being such a great conversation.  Jerome has such a huge passion for photography that it sparked mine.  Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, you two are such an inspiration!

 

** Jaclyn and Nate of The Image is Found **

Ok, so I didn’t get to meet them even though they were at the [b] school party.  I was a little bummed, but maybe one day I’ll be able to let them know how much I think they rock.  Seriously.  I wish Chris and I were half as cool as this couple.  I admire everything about what they have going on – their photographic style, humor, and much, much more.  Maybe I’ll get to say next year.

 

 

So to sum it all up, all of these photographers pretty much have one really important thing in common – HUGE hearts.  As I’ve said before, we’ve come into this business at the right time with all of these people offering their passion and leadership to us “newbies.”

 

Make sure to keep checking www.thereasoniblog.com for photos from WPPI and Vegas!

 

allie

Vegas : WPPI

 

 

We spent last week in Vegas at a photography convention – WPPI.  We had the time of our lives meeting new photographers, shooting TONS of photos and learning as much as we could from others.  Sorry this is breif, but here’s a few photos I got of our trip with my point and shoot – much better photos, including ones from all the photo shoots will be posted on http://www.thereasoniblog.com sometime very soon!  Promise!  :)

 

It was my first time in Vegas – the strip didn’t disappoint, it was bright and lively just like the movies.

 

The MGM – where the convention was held.

 

New York, New York

 

Paris

 

And my favorite – the Bellagio.

 

And of course we had to stop and watch the fountains.

 

This was actually our dessert after breakfast at Simon’s in Palms Place.

 

Here’s a shot of everybody busting out their Flips to record all the action!  You can check out the video at www.thereasoniblog.com.

 

The view on the way to our house we shared with 6 other photographers!

 

Desserts we had at the Paris one night.

 

 

 

Sheila and all the yummy desserts.

 

We went to see the Cirque du Soleil Beatles’ show – Love.  It was amazing!  Loved it!

 

 

Check out all the wppi recap on our blog – http://www.thereasoniblog.com!  We had a blast!

 

allie

Vegas.

 

Just in case you didn’t know, Chris and I have been in Vegas all week for the WPPI convention.  We’re having the time of our lives with great friends.  We’re meeting tons of photographers we admire (almost ready to check off another one on my life list!) and shooting huge amounts of photos!  Here’s a sneak peek from the Neon Graveyard.  There’s a lot more to come, so stay tuned!

 

 

Holga : Roll 1

 

I’m so excited!  Yesterday I finally got my first roll of film back from my Holga!  They gave me prints, as well as a CD so I can post them on here!  If you don’t know what a Holga is, click here before looking at the photos!

 

It was cool looking at the first set of prints because it made me understand the camera better.  They came out pretty good…

 

My mom and I drove up to Mt. Alto in Rome one day when the weather was beautiful so I could get some shots of the awesome views up there.  This first one is a double exposure :

 

 

This is practically the same image without the double exposure.  The house you can see on the left has the most incredible view!

 

Two more views from Mt. Alto:

 

For the Owens – their house on Mt. Alto.  So many memories there!

 

For my family – the house I grew up in.  I took this while driving by out the car window. 

 

Broad Street in Rome…

 

And Broad Street in Atlanta!

 

View from Luckie Street

 

Eating at Fox Brothers

 

Graffiti wall!

 

 

Things I learned from the first roll :

*where the light leaks are! (the pink streaks at the top of the photos)

*I need to use a tripod instead of Chris’ shoulder for night shots to come out clearer

* I want to buy different kinds of film to see how differently it reacts

*I want to try out different modifications

*Chris doesn’t like to smile in photos

*I love my Holga 

 

 

I’ve also been journaling each photo… why I took it, how I took it, the story behind it, etc.  I thought it would be cool to share one.  I’ll be posting a story from one of the photos later, but if you see one that you’d like to hear more about, let me know which one!

 

allie

Family Session.

 

Check out the new family session we shot this weekend of the Patch family!  Click on the photo below to see the rest.

 

 

allie