When I posted the Sea Isle beach session of June 16th with Kelly & Jim, I mentioned that I had two more coming up the following week and planned to work at the same location in Sea Isle City. My self challenge was to work this same small section of beach 3 times with different couples and get a completely different perspective each time.
On Weds. evening (6/20) again with my wife Pat assisting, we worked with Nicole & Bryan. We got a late start due to excessive traffic and had only about 20 minutes until Sunset.

These two images were taken well after Sunset with the soft glow of dusk as the only light.

The following evening my wedding photography partner Laura and I worked with
Stephanie and Michael. Same place, basically the same time (though we had more of it)
and what I think is a completely different perspective.

So, what do you think? Your comments, thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Click on the “comment” tab and let me know your thoughts. Oh, and even though there’s a tab for registering, it came with the blog template. Ignore it.

I had to laugh when the couple I was working with, Laura and Sean, took out their own camera as soon as we walked out to the field and took their own picture. But, I think the picture of them ‘taking’ their picture is even better and tells how excited they were to be on the field where their beloved Eagles have been putting on a darn good show since moving in.

Sean and Laura are not only fans and season ticket holders, Sean is also a football coach at Pitman High School. When I asked them where their seats were, I thought they were pointing to the US Airways jet that was flying by on final approach to PHL. Seems theirs are slightly lower, but having supplementary oxygen wouldn’t hurt. And a good pair of binoculars.

Perhaps they’re just a bit early for the first game, but they did manage to score better seats.

While talking with my good friend and fellow photographer Eric Weeks recently, I mentioned that I had several portrait sessions coming up that I planned to do in Ocean City. I’ve been working there for years and know the settings and lighting very well. Eric told me that he had found another spot in Sea Isle City that he liked and thought I should check it out. I did. And liked it. This past weekend I had my first opportunity to do a session there. We met Kelly & Jim at 7 PM and when we walked out to the beach, I knew it was too early. There’s a very narrow window of “sweet light” at the end of the day. I’ve been places before and felt the urge to start capturing images too early and then about the time we’re finished…. Ah, perfect light. I’ve learned to be patient and wait. So we hung out and enjoyed the scenery, watched a beginning windsurfer get sucked out by the current and eventually rescued by the marine police. I know that drill having been there, done that on the Chesapeake Bay back in the 80’s. No, I wasn’t the rescuer, I was the rescued. By 8 PM the light was right and in the next 30 minutes we made some very nice portraits. Thanks, Eric for the tip. I will be there again tomorrow and Thurs. evenings. The real fun will be to get completely different imagery each time.

I can’t speak for all of them, but most that I know take photographs…. of something. I like to carry a small “point & shoot” camera with me when doing fun things. Sometimes, actually a lot of times, I don’t even take it out of my pocket. Yesterday I did. While mountain biking with friends, I made this image of them crossing Middle Run Creek in northern Delaware. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that such places exist so close to major urban areas that are so completely surrounded by major suburban sprawl. Middle Run Natural Area, outside of Newark, DE. is just such a place. Even if you don’t ride bicycles, it’s a great place to just take a quiet walk in the forest.

Sometimes, we get wedding a day where everything flows perfectly. Karen and Dylan had one of those days. The weather was perfect, after almost two weeks of cloudy, cool (actually cold for late May) days. To say they needed almost no prompting is an understatement. I knew while watching them react to each other during the ceremony that they would be easy and comfortable during the post wedding photo session.

I also got the chance to play a bit with a camera that I had modified and now it only records infrared imagery. Two of the images below were made with it - the ones that make it appear that the couple is in snow. The middle portrait, made by my partner, Laura, was done in the same lighting and same location, but with a conventional digital SLR camera. We just have way too much fun at this!

To see a flash show of their wedding, click on this link, or if that won’t work since this is the first time I’ve tried to hyperlink a show go to Recent Weddings and click on Karen & Dylan’s image.

http://www.tannockphotography.com/wedmont/kardyl/index.html

Years ago, I was an instructor for the National Ski Patrol. My main emphasis in training was improvisation. Often real world rescues and first aid were done without the equipment we were trained to use. So, we improvised. Recently, while on a mountain bike ride in Delaware, I happened to be present when a fellow bike rider fell and broke his wrist. With no real first aid gear available, I was able to immobilize his wrist with articles from my hydration/gear pack. Using two sticks, two spare inner tubes, a velco strap and a “doo rag”, I fashioned an ugly, but functional splint. Sean later told me that the ER personnel were quite pleased that his wrist had been immobilized and it probably will save some of his rehab time. Not to mention that it made him more comfortable for the walk out of the woods.

Two sticks, two inner tubes, a velcro strap and a doo rag.

In Photography, we improvise all the time. Especially with our wedding photography. You can plan and plan and plan. But, more often than not, your plan will go astray. Case in point, the day we photographed a wedding during a gale.

45 degrees, 30 mph wind, and driving rain!

This was a day that we should not have been able to make an award-winning image that has been honored as one of the best images in the country by Professional Photographers of America. Laura and I decided on impulse to ask the wedding party to take a walk in the rain with umbrellas that we gathered up from guests and the above image was the result.

On June 24th of ‘04 my partner and I photographed this child’s parents’ wedding. Two months ago, I photographed Angelina at 9 months of age. What fun to have her parents back 3 years later to make a portrait of their daughter. This portrait of Angelina is an oil on canvas from Tom & Helen’s favorite image of her.
The collage is Angelina and her mother, Helen, playing barefoot in the studio during the session.

I recently had the privilege to do a boudoir session with Loretta. Loretta, as you can tell by her physique is an athlete. A triathlete to be exact. She was, as most women are, very nervous when she arrived for the session. One thing that helps calm a person before a session is having a makeover done by professional who is also a wonderful person and adds her own calming effect. I am honored to have Victoria, owner of Bella-Angel www.bella-angel.com come to my studio by appointment and provide this service. Once we were working, Loretta’s anxiety vaporized and I was able to capture the true beauty of this athletic lady.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Moab, Utah and make some fun images of the world class mountain biking area called Slickrock. Slickrock is composed of miles of rolling sand dunes that have turned to sandstone. These are available as poster prints or fine art prints with framing.
Contact me for pricing.

Yikes, I’m now a Blogger.  About time, I guess.  Hopefully, the information and photos posted here in the future will be informative about my services and perhaps even entertaining.