Keeneland Fall Meet

Keeneland began it's fall meet this past weekend and I finally got a chance to upload some photos. The weather was absolutely perfect for attending the races but the clear skies also created a harsh sun and heavy contrast to the photos. Learning how to shoot Keeneland during the harsh light has been a lot of trial and error. The challenge becomes finding ways to work with the light instead of working against it. I looked for different angles this weekend and ways to make the back lighting more dramatic instead of just overexposing the background to get detail in the subject. I am posting a variety of different shots I explored and hope you like the results. The weather is calling for overcast skies and a chance of rain the next few days. I love shooting the low light and soft contrast in low light conditions. But the challenge then becomes shutter speed and depth of field. I will post some low light shots soon to compare against the high contrast shots in this post. Enjoy! 

Keeneland September Yearling Sales Photos

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale began last Monday. This is the largest yearling sale in the world and draws not only the best horses in the world but also the top owners, trainers, breeders and anyone else associated with thoroughbred racing. Standing side by side in the back show barn can be heads of state from oil rich countries such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Triple Crown winning trainers, owners and jockeys, Amish families with young children along with hundreds of part timers, gamblers and members of the media. The early morning light has been simply awesome this week and Keeneland is in pristine condition. This is one of my favorite times to shoot in the equine industry and this year has offered up many great and unique shots. Here are just a few of the hundreds I have taken this week . Enjoy!

September in Kentucky

You can tell when it's September in Kentucky. The deer are more active in the evening, the fields of corn and tobacco are being harvested, the grass turns from bright green to brown and the barns at Keeneland start to fill with the yearlings being offered for sale at the most prestigious yearling sales in the world. I also found a broken heart someone had discarded hiding in an old tree long dead. I don't know if it died from old age, a lightning strike or if the broken heart did it in. I just thought it was interesting. You poets out there should write something about that!

Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours

I got to spend some time with Antsy McClain on Saturday doing some publicity photos and I got to hear Antsy and the Trailer Park Troubadours play later that night at a private event. It was a great show full of energy, laughs and outstanding music. They even got Eddie Mattingly up on stage shaking his, uh.....well....shaker.

All Troub fans like me are anxiously awaiting the release of a new CD due out soon, but if you have never seen Antsy McClain live, you are missing one great show! It's hard to describe the energy generated on stage when songs like "Trailer Park in Heaven", "Havin' a Good Time Tonight" or "Folkabilly Shuffle" are rockin the house. But then he can tug on your heart strings just moments later with songs like "Falling in Love in America", "Primer Gray Impala" or my favorite tear jerker "Wreck of the Bookmobile". Antsy tours heavily on the west coast and is building a great fan base back here in the east. He does a yearly fan cruise and even had a European tour earlier this year. Check out his website, find a concert near you, slick back your hair and put on your best polyester and get out there and see Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours. It's one Fabulous show!

Kentucky Evenings and Tim O'Brien

I bought the new Tim O'Brien CD, Chameleon the other day and it has been in my CD player ever since. Tim has been one of my favorite artist for years now since I first heard him in Hot Rize.

His solo efforts have been outstanding and I love to hear him sing with his sister Molly. Some of the best harmony in music today. But this latest project is just Tim alone, one instrument and one voice. No harmony, no background band or overdubbed instruments. Just pure Tim. It has some outstanding writing and soulful interpretations of the music that has a Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan feel to it. Here are some shots I took while listening to the CD. Hope you like them!

Kentucky Summer

Welcome to the heat of summer in Kentucky. The rains have slowed, the temperature has risen, the ground is getting harder the grass is turning brown. One of the best things about Kentucky is that you get a good taste of each season and right now we are getting a good taste of summer's heat and humidity. Supposed to get worse over the next few days as is typical with August. I have been trying to shoot in early mornings and late evenings recently and will post several shots and hope to have some great fog shots coming soon. August usually produces some great foggy mornings and I hope to get out as much as possible to capture some unique shots. Been doing a lot of yearling conformations lately as they get ready for the September sales. Trying to get some good morning farm shots in the process. In the mean time, here are some shots I took recently in the early morning and late evening. 

Will Callery Photos

Last week I got to meet and photograph Will Callery. Click on the Sons of Thunder link to get an in depth look at Will. He was a part of the 70s Texas music revolution with Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker and many others. Will tells about his struggle with life and drugs and then his rescue and recovery. An amazing story actually.

Nora Jones has released a version of Will's hit song "Hands on the Wheel" and does and excellent job with it. It was great to meet Will, talk with him and get a chance to pick a few and listen to a few more. Turned out to be a great day and we got some wonderful shots. Keep your eye out for Will, I think this time around will be better than the first! Will is also working on the Welcome Home Project that will offer financial support for return post 9/11 vets. It features artist like Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kris Kristopherson, Willie Nelson, Lee Roy Parnell and many others.

Ryman Auditorium Photos

I had the honor of getting to roam through the Ryman Auditorium a few days ago while in Nashville. As much as I like music, the Ryman is like sacred ground to me. To absorb the history and legends of that remarkable venue is something every music lover should experience. The stained glass windows create some great opportunities to capture unique lighting conditions and to stand on the stage where the greats have stood gave me cold chills. I couldn't help but belt out a few lines of "Blue Moon of Kentucky" while hanging around the legendary mic.

The previous post showed the nightlife and some of the bars full of people who dream of being featured on the stage at they Ryman. The dream of becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry has assured those bars of a long list of bands hoping to be heard in Nashville. It is the pinnacle of acceptance in country and bluegrass music. And made a humble photographer feel honored too!

Nashville Photos

I took a few days off and went to Nashville with the family. We used it as a home base and made a few day trips to places like the Space and Science Museum on Huntsville AL. But being in a place like Nashville, I couldn't help getting out at night to photograph the unique nightlife of NashVegas. I walked up and down Broadway several times late at night absorbing the history of such an influential location on the American music scene. I window shopped at Gruhn Guitars several times, listened to some great music from the street and imagined the scene 30 years ago as the legends of country music were regulars on lower Broadway at places like Ernest Tubb Record Shop. To top it all off, a friend of mine set up a private tour of the Ryman Auditorium for me that was almost like a religious experience. I was in such awe of the place that I had a hard time holding the camera steady. I will publish shots of the Ryman later but here are some scenes from Nashville. Walking back to the hotel about 1:30 one morning, I turned a corner and found Chet Atkins sitting on a stool playing his guitar. There was an empty stool next to him so I sat down and listened to him pick Windy and Warm then chatted with him a bit before heading back to the hotel. I think that is the first time I have ever talked to a statue like that but I could literally hear the music coming right out of his guitar. Enjoy!

Acoustic Guitar Masters Concert Series 9

The new schedule has been set for the Acoustic Guitar Masters Series 9 at the Performing Arts Center in Elizabethtown Kentucky. Eddie and Carol have put together another outstanding line-up this year and I am anxiously awaiting the first concert on the schedule coming October 4th with Michael Kelsey. I have never had the opportunity to see or photograph Michael but I have listened to his music and watched DVDs of his live show. He is truly an innovative guitar player. When you add Bobby Cochran on the same night as Michael you are assured to be amazed and entertained by two awesome musicians. The next concert on November 1st features blues guitarist Mary Flower with Tim Grimm. This will be my first time photographing Mary too but Tim Grimm is one of my all time favorite song writers and I am looking forward to seeing and photographing him again. Tim has a way of pulling the emotions right out of your soul with his heartfelt, down to earth songs. His CD Heartland is one of my all time favorites! December 6th brings Stephen Bennett to the stage who is a master at the harp guitar. Steve has become known as a versatile guitarist who consistently garners critical praise and audience enthusiasm for his compositions and live performances. I have seen and heard Stephen play with others but I have never seen one of his solo performances.

February 5th TommyFest begins. Anyone familiar with this blog knows how I feel about Tommy Emmanuel. He is Mozart on 6 strings and plays the music of my soul. TommyFest is a 4 day event in the middle of winter that is as hot as a Georgia night in August. Three shows are planned this year as well as two workshops. Anyone who plays guitar will benefit greatly from a 4 hr instructional session with a master guitar player like Tommy Emmanuel. The classes are small and inviting and Tommy gives his insight into various subjects such as playing with multiple guitar players, practice techniques, music styles, life on the road and many more subjects for the novice to professional guitar player. No matter what your talent level any guitar player will benefit from this workshop where you bring your guitar and even have the opportunity to pick along with Tommy.

March 7th brings Dan Crary to the stage. Dan is a flatpicking stylist with an international reputation for innovation, taste and brilliance. He has recorded with the likes of Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Beppe Gambetta to name a few with a career that spans over 50yrs. This is going to be an outstanding concert. Closing out the 9th series will be Todd Hallawell with special guest Robin Kessinger. Guitar Player magazine said this about Todd's guitar playing "Hallawell attacks his steel-strings with the precision of John Williams and punch of Jerry Reed...an extraordinary fingerpicker" Enough said!

If you are a fan of guitar music like I am, you will absolutely love every performance in this years Acoustic Guitar Masters Concert Series. I have attended nearly every performance in this series for the past 3 years and I have never been disappointed in a single show. Many times I have been not knowing the name or music of a performer only to come away with a great appreciation of their work and new favorites on my I-Pod playlist. Check out one or all of these shows if you get a chance. Here are a few shots from some of the past series.

Bella Bliss Classic Childrens Clothing

I have been doing the photography for the Bella Bliss catalog for a couple years and always enjoy the challenge and we just completed the latest shoot for the new catalog last week. Bella Bliss offers custom children's clothing with wholesome and stylish themes that are pretty enough for holidays and formal occasions yet enduring enough for the playground. The experience has helped me grow as a photographer because I have never considered myself a portrait photographer. But the challenge with Bella Bliss is to make the photos look natural without being posed which fits my style of shooting. As a result of working with Bella Bliss, I am planning on adding custom portrait photography for those clients looking for unique and stylish portraiture. Give me a call if interested. Here are some shots from previous catalog shoots.

Magical Musical Fourth

It's the Fourth of July! Independence Day! Not the movie or the song, the actual day. Here in Versailles Kentucky we have an event called the Magical Musical Fourth. An evening of families, music, picnics and of course fireworks. Rain has hampered the fireworks show for the past two years. Tonight it went off a little early in between downpours. As a result, I didn't risk my camera's on tripods pointing up at the rain for a few more fireworks shots. Here are a few that I had on file from previous events. Happy Fourth of July and remember the struggle and sacrifice our forefathers endured to gain our Independence. And pray it remains!

Evening Light

A cold front came through on Sunday and that's usually when great lighting conditions appear during the summer in Kentucky. One of my favorite times to shoot is when large storm clouds are blowing fast across the sky creating moving shadows over the landscape. The light only appears for a moment. If you wait to see the shot while the light is out, it will be gone before you can get the camera up and shoot it. You have to be ready and know what will happen once the light is there because perfect conditions only last a few seconds. I look for horses in unique locations or doing interesting things and try to determine what the scene will look like when the clouds open and the shadows appear. Sometimes I get lucky and get the shot I see in my mind before it appears. Most of the time the light doesn't show while the horses are where you want them doing what you want them to do. By the time I found the shot I wanted yesterday with the horses and background just like I like it, the light never returned. But it was still a great lighting day as the shots in this post will show.

Theodore O'Connor Legacy Fund...Photo Tribute

Yesterday I was doing a farm shoot and saw a couple of yearlings feeling their oats and doing what young horses do. Horse Play! One was bucking and running while kicking at her paddock mate. Somehow the filly got off balance while trying run, jump and kick at the same time and came down on her left rear quarter with a hard thud resulting in a pretty good tumble. I immediately thought of Theodore O'Connor and the tragedy he suffered recently. This little guy really held a special place in my heart and was such a pleasure to watch compete. The United States Equestrian Federation has launched the Teddy Legacy Fund to commemorate Teddy by constructing a new cross country obstacle at Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event remembering Teddy. Please donate if you can. The Horse magazine has several nice photos of Teddy by me and other photographers for sale on their website. Click Here to for a gallery of available photos. Here are a few more of Teddy.

RE: Previous Post

It's hard to explain how things come together for me when everything lines up and great shots appear that have a soulful meaning to me and how that translates into a passion for what I do. I know a photograph never touches others in the same way it touches me. Likewise, it may say something completely different for you and it be just as meaningful. Today, my mind was going 1000 thoughts per second. I was listening to news and politics on the way to a shoot instead of music like I normally do and pulled onto the farm in a frustrated blue mood. But there's something about pulling through the gates of certain farms that immediately changes my whole perspective on things. Especially days like today with a sky filled with big white clouds and the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm hanging in the air. I put Seldom Scene's "Old Train" CD in the player and went to track 9, cranked up the volume and went to work.....RE: previous post...Got a few more!

Take Me Back Again

I'm horrible at remembering the little things. The number of times I driven 100yrds down the road only to turn around and go back to get the one thing I left behind. Many times it's sitting in a noticeable spot where I placed it so I wouldn't forget in when I left. I have thousands upon thousands of photographs in my computer, on back up hard drives and stored and archived on DVDs. Some are just stumps and post or leaves on the ground. Others are vast landscapes, people in a crowd or an object I found interesting. I can remember the precise location where most are taken and could return to the exact spot with little effort even if there are no identifiable markers. I also listen to music a lot especially on the way to a shoot. It kind of gets the creative juices flowing for me and gets my mind thinking about different ways to capture a scene. There are certain shots I have taken that hold a special place in my portfolio not only because I like the shot but because I can return to the exact thoughts I was thinking while taking the shot. Listening to a love song by Antsy McClain, a ballad from Tommy Emmanuel or Tim O'Brien may have me thinking certain thoughts and that emotion is captured for me in the photograph and every time I see it, I am instantly taken back to that very moment in time. The sensuality of a landscape. The loneliness of a fallen leaf. The humor in animal behavior. Underneath the photo the memory of the moment is captured also. A Doyle Lawson song says it best. There's More Behind the Picture than the Wall! Here are a few shots that hold special meaning for me because of the memory or thoughts behind them more than the artistic value of the shot alone.

More Rag Heads on Stage!

I mentioned last time about Doyle Lawson wearing his Rag Head at Festival of the Bluegrass 2006. I thought you might like to see what Doyle looks like in a tailored suit and custom made Rag. Not bad huh? Several others have gotten into the act over the years including The Lonesome River Band, Mountain Heart, IIIrd Tyme Out, Grascals and of course Seldom Scene. Here are some more shots of them too.

Rag Heads Make Bluegrass Rock

I first discovered the Rag Heads at Festival of the Bluegrass 2006. They talked several performers into wearing their namesake identity that is a freshly torn strip of a cotton towel tied around the forehead to make a headband. Before the night was over, Doyle Lawson was wearing one and so were other members of the nights line up. The best one of all was 2007 when Ben Eldridge of Seldom Scene walked back on stage sporting his new headwear as were the other member of the band. Doing "Nadine" as an encore, Ben began to resemble Jerry Garcia more and more with each verse. The Rag Heads had Seldom Scene and the entire festival rocking. I earned my own headband later that night back at the rag head camp site which is certainly a sight to behold. I wont go into details other than to say these guys know how to party. Get to know them if you see them at the next festival. They are a lot of fun and they know how to have a good time. Beleive me!

Seldom Scene Photos

One of the first groups to catch my attention in bluegrass music was the Seldom Scene. Most teenagers were listening to AC/DC but the Seldom Scene kept my toes tappin all through the 80's. It was the first music I turned my father on to that he actually liked. His exact words were "Now thats good music there"! Although the members have changed a bit, Ben has been there and Seldom Scene continues to break new ground offering that cutting edge bluegrass that I still love with Dudley Connell on lead vocals. And they still remain one of my personal favorites of all time. Festival of the Bluegrass wouldn't be the same with out them!

Festival of the Bluegrass - Saturday

Saturday's line-up was outstanding including groups like Mountain Heart, Grascals and Seldom Scene. I spent most of the afternoon session in the campground taking photos of the festival goers doing festival things. But by the time the sun went down and the lights came up, the music was non-stop till after midnight. I really enjoy photographing top musicians especially when the crowd is reved up and the bands are giving it all they have on stage. The ragheads were onhand to keep the bands stoked and begged for more. They got it!