Frank and I got to shoot for the Thrive band at our church for their CD cover the other day.  These guys had us laughing so hard! They're so goofy, but so talented at what they do!  Their CD will be released March 25 at their Thrive concert at Webster Baptist Church. If any of you are in the area, you should stop by and check 'em out! 

In the meantime, here are a few of our favorites from the shoot:

This one cracks me up!  haha!  I'm not exactly sure what he was looking at, but it made for a good candid shot.

This one is probably my personal favorite. I like the angle of the lens and the fact that none of them are paying attention. :)
I made this photo with a Photoshop action I made myself called 'Old School.'  Like the title, it's meant to have an old-timey feel to it. 

A friend of mine pointed out that every band seems to have this picture -- where everyone jumps in the air.  I wasn't aware of this trend, but I don't really care -- I like it anyway.

Thanks to the Thrive band for letting me have this opportunity to be a part of your new CD!

My husband and I had the opportunity to do our first maternity shoot yesterday. It was rainy all day, which was a bummer, but I think we had a very successful shoot. We took the pictures at the couple's home. We had a lot of fun and I can't wait to meet their little one!

Here are a few of my favorites: 

Jason is so excited about being a daddy! Here he is with a 'Daddy Loves Me' baby bib.

I like the feeling of this one.  

I love the look in Sarah's eyes in this one.  Despite her contraction pains, she managed to pull it off with such ease. I hope I'm that strong when I'm expecting!

I was really excited to do this series with Jason -- I had a 'vision' about it the day before the shoot and I think it fits his personality to a tee.

It's so easy to create good photos with such a beautiful couple! Thanks, Sarah and Jason, for letting us be a small part in your daughter's life!

It's been a while, I know, but here are a few things I've been working on...

I just entered my first photo contest! First place prize for the amateur division is a new camera, although I think it's just the body. It didn't say anything about a lens -- I guess that's how they get you. They'll give you a brand new Olympus digital camera, but you have to buy your own lens. :-p But whatev. I"m just really excited and that I place in something!

By the way, I don't think many people read this, but if you do, would you comment so I'll know?

Kay, thanks.

A few more of my favorite pictures of the cruise.

Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while.  I've been busy adjusting to a new job and processing 1200 pictures from the cruise. I thought I'd share a few of them with you. 

I'm a fairly recent blogger, at least to blogspot, but since joining, I've found a lot of really awesome photography sites. I have no formal background in photography, but feel as thought I've learned so much from those who are gracious enough to share their tips, advice and expertise on the subject. Scott Kelby's Photoshop blog actually gave me a lot of neat tips for travel photography. One of the tips I found very interesting was this: After you've taken your "touristy" shots of whatever -- say, the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the skyscrapers in NYC -- turn 180 degrees and take pictures of whatever is behind you. I tried this several times and got some interesting shots.  Here's my favorite: 

I know composition plays a huge role in what makes a photo so-so and outstanding. I'm still learning this concept, but have found that I have a tendency to take pictures that are sort of even all around -- a balance between what's considered "white space" and the focus of the photo. I know there are probably other techniques out there, and would love to receive a few pointers or constructive criticisms. Here's a photo I think best represents what I'm talking about:

I've also learned to take pictures of anything and everything, not just the stiff posed shots.  I've learned that anything can be interesting if you shoot in an interesting way. These sunglasses, for example, are nothing special, but by adding an extra element -- me in the reflection -- adds a whole other dimension to the photo.

Adding to that, though, is that whenever you're out and about, take pictures of the culture, of the people around you when they're not looking (this helps to have a zoom lens... you wouldn't want to come off as creepy). People make such interesting facial expressions when they are unaware they're being photographed. Here are a few students coming home from school. Granted, this picture was taken from a taxi bus going 60 mph over potholes and sharp curves. If I had time to focus on what I was doing, I would have zoomed in a little more.

Also, I've learned to keep my eyes peeled for the unusual.  When we were in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Obama signs were everywhere. We found this smaller boat with a few natives on board. When they noticed I was looking at their Obama sign, they gave me the biggest smiles and thumbs up. 

I'm currently processing the pictures, but go to www.photrade.com/Carrie for more.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still here. Things have been very busy and hectic in both personal and professional life.  I've decided to change jobs. I've accepted a position with WCU and I start in December. I hope that the switch will actually give me more time and energy to do the things that I want to do before I get too old to do them.  

I haven't done a lot of photography lately, but here are a few shots I took, in Sylva.