Fotorecord: March 2008

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Davidson stuns Goliath (Scenes from Brickhouse Tavern)

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter.
After church and a nice meal at my niece Missy's house, Sean and I made the trip to Davidson to watch the Davidson Wildcats play Georgetown with other fans at the Brickhouse Tavern. The Brickhouse is Wildcat central for local fans who couldn't get tickets to the NCAA Regional in Raleigh, and we wanted to experience the game with other fans.
For the uninitiated, Davidson hadn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1969 before its first-round win over Gonzaga. And sophomore sensation Stephen Curry, the baby-faced son of former NBA player Dell Curry, has become the story of the NCAA Tournament after dropping 40 points in the first game.
Having our studio in Davidson and being big sports fans, we've all become Wildcat supporters and we've gone to many games at Davidson's Belk Arena.
In the past, I probably would have been photographing these games, but I was happy to get a chance to be a fan with Sean. Check out some great images from my friends and former co-workers David T. Foster III and Jeff Siner at the Charlotte Observer's website.
Curry started slowly and Davidson was in a deep hole, but true to a great script, Curry exploded for 25 of his 30 points in the second half and Davidson beat the No. 2 seeded Hoyas, 74-70, to advance to the Sweet 16 in Detroit.
Curry is a once-in-a-lifetime player and it has been so much fun to watch him play.
Congratulations to Coach Bob McKillop and all of the Wildcats!
Another Goliath awaits.

The fans sense a comeback at The Brickhouse

Davidson moves into the lead

Victory is complete

Monday, March 17, 2008

Fotorecord Turns 1 and "Faces" Project is Underway

It was one year ago today that we started our blog Fotorecord and we hope you all have enjoyed keeping up with our progress.
In other news, we're kicking off our "Faces of Davidson" project this week.
Betsy and I are having a great time meeting and photographing so many interesting people from the area. We did six portraits today and things have gotten off to a great start.
We will be doing portraits all week and we'll keep everyone updated on the progress and future plans for the project.
We are so pleased with the incredibly positive response from all involved.
I also wanted to wish a Happy Saint Patrick's Day to everyone - especially my favorite Irishman, my dad. Have a great day Chief!
I've been very busy with a variety of different assignments as we wait for wedding season to get into full swing.
Check below for some photos I took last week at the ACC Tournament. I did some freelance work for The Charlotte Observer, my former employer, and it was fun shooting basketball again. It was also nice to catch up with many of my old friends.
I also did an interesting portrait assignment for The London Times and I'll post some images from that shoot later this week.

Faces of Davidson is underway!

ACC Tournament action

Coaches are always fun to shoot

They didn't win

More coaches

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Bridal Portraits

We had a beautiful day for a bridal portrait session with Caroline Monday at the Wing Haven Gardens and Bird Sanctuary in Charlotte.
Wing Haven is fantastic setting and we found some great locations even though it was a bit early for the best floral display.
Caroline's mom, sister and her two little nieces were all on hand and Betsy gave me an assist on the shoot.
Caroline's brother Chip, who I worked with many years ago at The Charlotte Observer, is an excellent freelance news photographer living and working in New York City.
We're looking forward to working with Caroline and her fiance Chris at their May wedding here in Charlotte.

Caroline with her sister and nieces

Friday, March 7, 2008

Contests and Cameras

Got some good news today when I found out one of our photographs won a 3rd place in the Getting Ready category of the Wedding Photojournalists Association's (WPJA) most recent contest.
The WPJA is an international association made up of the top wedding photojournalists in the world. The group is highly selective and its contests are incredibly competitive and judged by some of the best people in the world of photojournalism.
Contests can be subjective but its always nice to win. North Carolina is blessed with some amazingly talented photographers and I wanted to congratulate fellow winners Christobal and Kathleen Perez, Corey McNabb, Matt McGraw and Gary Allen.
The winning image came from Mary Madison and Andrew's October wedding in Myrtle Beach. (For more images from the wedding, click here.) It just so happened that it was Bike Week and Mary Madison reacted as she drew the attention of several passing bikers while heading to the church.
JUDGES COMMENTS: This looks to me like a true candid moment with the photographer able to capture this moment because he or she was able to anticipate the action and be in the position to make the photograph. Some would mind the fence of rail in the foreground, but I don’t. If anything it adds to this candid moment. This particular moment was not one of the many predictable moments of a wedding. Howard Chapnick taught me that a great photograph is a combination of elements: capturing the moment, conveying useful information, emotion, and composition. Howard wrote a book which I think is the Bible for picture editors and photographers: TRUTH NEEDS NO ALLY.
They added: Everyone has similar expressions and that’s what makes this photo--as the bride is helped with her dress on the way to the ceremony.

In other news, I'm selling two of my Nikon D200 cameras and I wanted to see if any of our readers might be interested. Both cameras come with the MB-D200 grip and an extra battery. Both are in great shape and have low numbers of shutter clicks.
Email me at crecord@carolina.rr.com if you are interested.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Party Photos

I had a great time Saturday night with Jackie and Stuart and their families at an engagement party Jackie's dad hosted at Providence Country Club.
They are an incredibly fun couple and I know their October wedding will be a special event. I also look forward to working with planner Jennifer Wouters of Soiree Charlotte Weddings.
Catering director Dee Wood and the staff at Providence Country Club did a excellent job with the food and beverages Saturday. The flowers came from Crawford & Company Florist and Francis C. Nazzaro and Chuck Broncato of The Sinatra Experience kept everyone entertained. I love Sinatra's music and these guys brought it to life.
They topped off the night with some impressive karaoke, include Jackie and Stu's version of "Endless Love."
Congratulations guys and I'm looking forward to your wedding!

Jackie and Stuart

Providence Country Club

Crawford & Company Florist

Francis C. Nazzaro, front, and Chuck Broncato of The Sinatra Experience

Jackie gets a big hug from Stu's mom

Jackie tears up the dance floor with her dad and grandmother

Jackie's dad sings "Margaritaville"

Jackie and Stu's duet of "Endless Love"

Monday, March 3, 2008

Fashion Photography (Runway for the Ballet)

The Runway for the Ballet Sunday night was a fun mix of fashion, music and dance.
Opening Night Insiders, a group of young professionals interested in ballet and other cultural events, produced and organized the event for the North Carolina Dance Theatre (NCDT).
Models and dancers displayed fashions from Neiman Marcus, one of the shows sponsors. Dancers also performed pieces from NCDT's current show - Rhoden, Bolero & Balanchine. The models were from Wilhelmina/Evolution Management, Carolina Talent, and Directions USA.
Radio personality Ramona Holloway from 107.9 the LINK and Charlotte Observer style editor Rachel Sutherland did a nice job as the show's emcees.
All proceeds from the show will help fund educational programs and allow NCDT to invest in new choreography.
Most of the images were taken with the new Nikon D3 and I'll include technical information under the photographs. (Remember to click on the images for better viewing and hit the back button to return to the blog).