Tag: event photography

My very first trip to Imaging USA and what an experience!!!! (I don’t usually use that many exclamation points so you know it must have been special!). I mean how could a conference packed with industry leaders, both young and old, not entertain thousands of photographers. From the top fine art photographers like Clyde Butcher (www.clydebutcher.com), legendary photojournalists and life long National Geographic photographer Sam Abell (www.samabellphotography.com), modern masters of weddings, portraits and fashion like Jerry Ghionis, Lindsay Adler and Peter Hurley and Commercial photographers like Dean Bradshaw and John David Pittman and who could forget the keynote speaker Mrs Amy Purdy who’s inspirational story of overcoming obstacles in her words “forces us to get creative”. Below you will find my top 5 takeaways that I will be putting into action this year and a series of tips from the photographers and speakers whose classes I attended.

Now to put it all into action with my 5 top takeaways from Imaging USA!

For starters I learned to never be scared of putting my full personality into my work and marketing. Not that I feel reserved now, but, I do sometimes feel like I hold back with some clients, scared that my personality will not be a perfect match for theirs. Allowing the ideal client to accept me totally as a human being and totally loving my style is definitely worth working towards and will positively affect the images we create together.
Never stop learning! Yes I know this is as much a life lesson as is it a reason to continue to educate myself in my career. But seriously, with technology changing at lightning speed now, and software updates happening every other day it is vitally important to stay competitive and never loose touch.
Work to develop a style that is as unique as me. In a world saturated with images from mobile phones and apps like Instagram making it easier and easier to upload and share, how do your create a style of your own and how do you make images that will be recognizable as a ‘Carl Kerridge’ original piece of Art?. It’s a tough question to answer but this year I am challenging myself to define and embrace my style.
Think like a director. I am a still photographer, not making movies with huge Hollywood studio sets, but Dean Bradshaw’s explanation was that you still have to control your entire environment to make great images. The more I think about this one the more it resonates with me and I have made a conscious effort to examine the stories I am telling through the lens, looking for answers to the question behind the motivation for me to push the shutter button.
Compose the picture and wait. I have Sam Abell to thank for this one and I think it might just be the most important lesson of all. It is too tempting with digital capture and our growing desire for instant gratification to simply push the shutter button without properly taking the time to visualize the final image, set the composition, layer the photo and control the lighting. We are often too busy and simply moving too fast. So this tip from a photographer that worked with film his entire career and has 2 images listed in the top 50 at National Geographic is well worth paying attention too.

Fun tips from the teachers!

Begin at the back of the photo and work forward, see the layers and separate them – Sam Abell
The promise of photoshop is perfection, the promise of photography is truth – Sam Abell
The most important thing is insight, the curiosity to wonder and muse – Dean Bradshaw
Lighting should always serve the story, fit it with the concept – Dean Bradshaw
Stories connect us with a shared purpose – JD Pittman
Obstacles can either stop us in our tracks or force us to get creative to overcome – Amy Purdy
Connect your passion with your purpose – Amy Purdy
Put the technical stuff in your back pocket and learn the art of communicating – Peter Hurley
We are the clients mirror so tell them what their face looks like – Peter Hurley
Photograph subjects through the eyes of a loved one – Jerry Ghionis

With all these great tips I hope you are excited to get out and shoot something new, rediscover a passion that you have for image making or fine tune your skills in one area. Below are several photojournalistic images I made at the event, enjoy..

International students get there own lounge with free chocolate, I was so tempted to say I was from England..

Escalator filled with people at Imaging USA

Streams of people all day long attending one of the 70 workshops offered at Imaging USA

Staff member with 'photographers are awesome' sign at Imaging USA

Amazing staff helped us all weekend long, reminding us we were there to enjoy ourselves

Model posing on a chair at the Imaging USA convention

Test model for the ICE Light system by Jerry Ghionis

Instructor showing photographers lighting tips

Hands-on instruction at the Canon booth demonstrating back lighting

Photographer Lindsay Adler demonstrating lighting set ups at Imaging USA

On stage with Lindsay Adler for a lighting demo

Hanson Fong demonstrating his speed lighting with a model

Break out session with Hanson Fong demonstrating a two speedlight model shot

“Turn your nose towards China” says Peter Hurley

SC photographers represent!!!, there were a few more of us flaoting around but we loved this group shot

Bridal portrait with beautiful back light.

One of the model brides posing by the Omni Hotel

Yes Jerry Ghionis really did tell me to sit on his knee. Looking left and smiling cheesily at nothing at all.

Find your own inspiration at Imaging USA, the PPA’s annual conference and if you see me there don’t forget to say hello.

The build up to every year of Dancing with The Horry County Stars put a spotlight on the Early College High Scholl program. And this year the local High School has had an exceptional year, voted top High School in Myrtle Beach and 204th Nationwide. With the support of local businesses and sponsors expect even better things to come in the years that follow.

One of the fundraising events, Dancing with The Horry County Stars just entered its eighth year and I have been privileged to have shot every single one from its inception. Somehow they seem to be able to keep raising the bar and this year was no exception, the one-night event and sponsorship’s for table and guest seats grossed over $165,000. The biggest year to date and with the incredible line up of talent it really should be no surprise to see how this has become ‘The event to see’.

The audience were entertained with an incredible Michael Jackson impersonator to start the show and he really set the pace for a thrilling evening with culminated in a dance off between the two top scoring teams to decide a winner.