Sit. Stay. Smile. Photography & Art

The Seawall Art Show went well this past weekend…it was really hot, but the show was well attended and the event staff were really amazing. I have never exhibited at a show where the show staff took such great care of their artists….Thank You Seawall!

I am posting a few new collages that I did for the show…they were well received and now I am looking ahead to the Neptune Festival in September. I just hope we get through this crazy weather pattern before then….Hurricanes are stacking up out there like jets on a runway. I REALLY hope Earl passes us by this week. Things could get ugly real quick if the storm shifts its track by 50 miles. We usually get lucky, but a Category 3 storm is nothing to take lightly, especially when you live a couple miles from the oceanfront.

It is going to be a beautiful weekend, so come on out to the Seawall Arts Festival this Sat.(10-6) & Sun(10-5) . I will be there showing my collage work in booth number 52. Drop by and say hello!

Here are a few shots that I took while visiting Sloss Furnace in Birmingham, AL…The images are HDR shots which takes three different exposures and merges them to create one final High Dynamic Range image. I spent an afternoon there right after it had rained all morning and it felt like I was in the furnace…Hot and Humid are an understatement. It was a really cool place to take pictures though and it was sort of creepy…It is supposed to be one of the most haunted places in the country. The underground spots were definitely not for the faint of heart…Sloss Furnace is an old Iron refinery that was built in the 1880′s and has been converted into a historic landmark. I enjoyed my time there and if you are ever in Birmingham, go check it out…For more info click here.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 10th Year Anniversary of an amazing pet charity located in Birmingham, AL called Hand-In-Paw/Picasso Pets. Hand-In-Paw is a group that sends local volunteers into childrens hospitals and retirement homes with their pets to provide comfort and therapy to those who need it most. Picasso Pets is the annual fund raiser that raises money to benefit HIP through artist donations and a silent and live auction. The most unique aspect of what they do is team up an animal with a local artist and together they create the artwork that is auctioned off…You see actual paw prints, hoof prints, etc. in the finished work!

I became involved with this group when Shannon Ammons contacted me several months ago asking if I would be willing to donate a piece of art for them to use on their promotional materials for the event. I said no problem and asked her to send me a tshirt and poster from the marketing campaign. About a month later, Shannon contacted me again and said the campaign was a big success and that they would like to fly me down for the event…I said “Birmingham, Alabama in August??? Sure why not!” Well, I am so happy that I went because I met some pretty amazing people who are doing incredible work in their community. The party was beautifully done and the turn out was fantastic…I hope they raised a lot of money for Hand-In-Paw because it is such a valuable service that they provide…Anyone who owns a pet knows the comfort and unconditional love that they provide.

I am happy to say that my live auction item sold for $3,500!!! I can’t wait to create a new piece for their campaign next year…Below are some photos from the event. I loved seeing my artwork on the back of all the tshirts and posters…very cool. I am also posting a video from filmaker Stasi Bara. He put this piece together for the event and it brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy that there are groups out there like Hand-In-Paw…they really do make a difference.

Hand In Paw – E.B.’s Story from See It Productions on Vimeo.

Hey everyone…I have been busy enjoying the summer and have been neglecting my poor little blog! I wanted to take a minute and give a shout out to Michelle Kane of  Michelle Kane Photography. I signed up to take a private online mentoring class with her and I have to say it was a great investment. Michelle shares her post processing style and teaches you how to get the look you want from your images. She was incredibly supportive and patient and was available to answer questions after the session which was a big plus for me. I have been a fan of her work and I was so happy to see that she was offering online mentoring. I have posted a couple of before and after shots below so you can see the results. I feel like I have a whole new palette available to me now as a photographer…Thank you so much Michelle!

I took my little dog Zoe out for an urban photo session last night…wow was it hot. Poor Zoe had her tongue hanging out half the time…We found a few cool new spots for pictures…nice and grungy, just what I like. Here are some of my favorites.