Danville, VA

I'm in the latter parts of a month-long excursion shooting for Journal Communications and Golf World magazine.

Over the past few weeks, I've been to Danville, VA, Augusta and Savannah, GA, and Albuquerque, NM. Before the months over, I will have added a repeat trip to Augusta and a few days in West Lafayette, IN.

Needless to say, I've neglected posting to my blog over this time. I figured the best way to solve that is to make several posts over the next few days to get myself back up to speed.

Here are a few pix from my trip to Danville, VA.

Danville has a very active young professionals group. I happened to be in town when they were having their "Second Chance Prom" at the North Theatre.

Danville is also home to a company called Swedwood North America, a furniture manufacturer and a subsidiary of IKEA.

Danville has a rich history. There are old mansions that have been renovated and old tobacco warehouses have been converted into condos.

360-degree panoramics for ESPN.com

I just got back from working on a couple of projects for ESPN.com.

The first project was covering the 2008 NFL draft at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City. Sean Hintz asked me to shoot 360-degree panoramic images of the draft from various angles. I was able to get eight different shots in all and made a virtual tour of the event.

Click here to view the virtual tour.

Next up was a virtual tour of the ESPN studios in Bristol, CT. This movie is from the Mike and Mike show. It's a work in progress and will most likely become a part of the ESPN.com website.

Click here to view the 360 of the Mike and Mike show.

I've been playing around with these 360 degree VR pictures for a little over a year now. I shoot them with a Canon 5D and a Sigma 8mm lens. You take four pictures every 90 degrees and stitch them together to give you a panoramic picture. The picture is then converted into a cube. When viewing the image, you are actually in the center of the cube, looking out.

TGIF - TNEDG

Well, it's not quite Friday, but I'm celebrating anyway. 

Yesterday, after driving 562 miles, I finished working on the new issue of the Tennessee Economic Development Guide.

Good Guys Get Drafted

I recently shot an assignment for the Sporting News on Vanderbilt offensive lineman Chris Williams. He is probably one of the nicest athletes I've ever met. Very humble and, what every photographer likes, very accommodating. 

I met Chris as he was working out with some of his former teammates.

After working out, we headed over to his place where I photographed him, his fiance Marissa and their dog Bam Bam.

All in all, a super nice guy that will probably be a first round draft pick.

Can you say....Kankakee?

I've been in Kankakee, Il, for a few days working on a magazine for the Kankakee Regional Chamber of Commerce.

If you're ever in the area, you've got to check out the John Deere tractor William Munyon hoisted on top of a silo along IL 114 just east of Momence.

Mark Hollis recently graduated from Olivet Nazarene University and the pole vaulter has his sights set on the Olympic Games. Hollis has been training in West Bend, IN since graduation and hopes to make the US team during the Olympic Trials in June.

Can't visit the land of Lincoln without seeing Lincoln. 

Mary Murphy is a former LPGA golfer and current golf pro at the Kankakee Elks Country Club.

I also had a food shoot at America's Bistro in Kankakee.

Here's my secret lighting technique.

But America's Bistro's claim to fame isn't their food, it's they're Barry Manilow connection. Turns out Barry held court at the restaurant for about two and a half years in the late sixties.

TNEDG

For the past week, I've been crisscrossing the state working on the Tennessee Economic Development Guide. TNEDG is a yearly publication put out by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and showcases some of the leading industries doing business in Tennessee.

The project has been pretty diverse in featuring some of the movers and shakers in Tennessee; from one man operations to major industries. 

Moving Pictures

I've been asked to start shooting video on my trips for Journal Communications. I guess it's one of those things that was bound to happen sooner or later. I think most photographers dread the day when they have to juggle a still camera and a video camera on a shoot. What I dread most is the day when I get asked to take a video camera and have to leave the still camera behind.

My first official video shoot was on my last trip to Monroe. La. I didn't have any idea what I was doing. I'd never really shot video before. Not to mention, I also had to get some still shots as well.

I was fortunate though, I had a really cool subject in Kenny Solley. You can see some of the still photos in a previous post.

I loaded all of my gear onto his 4-wheeler and we tore off through the neighborhood and into the woods. We set up in a little area down from Kenny's house where he and a buddy go to hunt.

Kenny was all decked out in his camouflage gear, complete with his shotgun and a bag of decoys. I was just waiting for the game warden to show up at this point and lock both of us up, seeing how duck season had been over for about three months.

Well, the game warden never showed and I think we managed to get a decent video for my first time. I just hope the rest are this easy.

The Smells are Free

I had another food shoot with my friend Karin Calloway recently. We've been trying to get ahead in our shoots for Viking and managed to get a few more out of the way.

As with all of our shoots, we try to keep things simple. The lighting is window light from behind with a couple of fill cards in front, bouncing light back into the food. Nothing fancy.

Long Live the Shrimp Buster

I just finished shooting in Shreveport, La., for the Business Images of Northwest Louisiana Magazine, the second half of my doubleheader in the great state of Louisiana.

First and foremost, if you are ever in Shreveport, you have to go to Herby K's. Drop whatever you're doing, postpone he wedding and go have lunch and/or dinner there. It's that good.

The restaurant is one of, if not the, longest running family restaurants in Shreveport. They opened their doors in 1936 and have been at the same location on Pierre Avenue ever since.

Their claim to fame is the "Shrimp Buster," fried butterflied shrimp served on french bread along with their famous buster sauce. Very good eating.

You really can't go wrong on the menu though. Try the crawfish etouffee. It's incredible. I also had an oyster poboy, their onion rings and the gumbo; all very good.

The etouffee is my favorite by far.

Herby K's

The Shrimp Buster

The Etouffee and Gumbo Sampler

While in Shreveport, I managed to work in two visits to Herby K's. I'm kicking myself for not making it there more often. Besides visiting Herby K's, I did do a little work while I was there.

One of the stories I worked on was at the Mardi Gras Museum in Bossier City. The museum has an impressive display of costumes and floats.

I also had assignments to photograph venture capitalist Ross Barrett and businesses found at the Port of Shreveport-Bossier.

Sure beats working for a living

When you do something you enjoy, it's no longer a job. And to think I was originally going to get a degree in business management.

Today, I finished working on a project in Monroe/West Monroe, La. I had the good fortune to meet some really nice people while I was here. Thanks again to Edmund and Brad for showing me around and helping me out on a few of the shoots.

I had a wide variety of assignments; from a local hunter named Kenny Solley, to the James Machine Works, to some of the local landmarks.

If you're in Monroe and get the chance, check out the Mohawk Tavern on Louisville Ave. Edmund and Brad took me there for lunch. It's been a Monroe staple for about 50 years and the decor hasn't change much in that time. After your eyes adjust to the dim lighting (just one fluorescent tube illuminating the dining room and I think it's the original bulb) check out all the memorabilia lining the place, especially the old, decaying boxing gloves hanging over the bar. And try the gumbo.

Also, check out the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens. Joe Biedenharn was the first person to bottle Coca-Cola and believed people should always be able to buy a Coke for a nickel. If you visit the Biedenharn, you can still buy a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents. But be sure to only bring nickels, that's all the machines take.

Here are a few more images from this week.

This is me on the back of Kenny Solley's ATV as we head to the location for the photo shoot.

Layton Castle

St. Matthews Catholic Church

James Machine Works

Almost fell into the Black Bayou trying to get this photo.