Bask

(This is Part 2 of my first photo shoot of a commercial space. Part 1 can be seen here.) The second gorgeous space I had the opportunity to photograph was Bask - a cool, contemporary restaurant and lounge located at the NC Music Factory in uptown Charlotte, NC. The space is finished with distressed wood floors, eye-catching metal accents, smooth wood panels, and funky brick walls. Just like Pinkberry (part 1), this space had its own set of challenges.

The restaurant was open for business and, in fact, had a couple people dining while these images were shot. Because of this, I could only use my small flashes - my Nikon SB-80s - triggered by a radio transmitter. Usually I use my more powerful Alien Bees studio flashes for such large spaces, with my small Speedlights only serving as accent lighting. Unlike Pinkberry, natural light wasn't an option due to the harsh glare coming in from the windows above the booths. So small flashes it was!

To be honest, Speedlights are not my forte but I had to made it work.

They say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. I guess I have a lot of time to keep practicing...and practice makes perfect.

Pinkberry

If you're a frozen yogurt fan, chances are you've heard of Pinkberry. I had the opportunity to photograph this commercial space with a brand new client here in Charlotte, NC. This assignment was a little new to me because all of my architectural shoots up to this point have been residential spaces. I would love to continue shooting commercial spaces, especially if I could figure out how to work around some of the obstacles that were presented to me. Here's a little recap of my shoot along with some of the issues I had to work with...

Because of the timeframe we had for shooting and the fact that Pinkberry was open for business (believe it of not, there were quite a few customers in the store for some of these pics), most of these shots were executed with natural light with maybe one hand-held flash for some fill. Not ideal but I think we pulled it off...One of the difficulties I had on this shoot was dealing with the acrylic walls. They reflected every spec of light - especially from the two walls of windows. The only solution for this problem, I suppose, is to shoot first thing in the morning or late at night when the light isn't flooding in. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option for our interior shots. Any suggestions fellow photogs?Gotta love the colors of Pinkberry...

I'm so glad I got this opportunity to photograph such a challenging space. I learned so much and now feel I have a much better grasp on what I can expect and what I need to request when shooting for a client with commercial spaces.

Part two of my first commercial space shoot will be coming up soon...all with it's own set of challenges.

Rescue Your Dog

A few nights ago, I was wasting time poking around on the internet and I stumbled across Sadie's old Petfinder.com listing. Known in the shelter as Mackenzie, she spent 3 of her first 4 months of life in the little cage pictured below. Doesn't she look miserable? If you are looking for a new addition to your family, please consider rescuing a needy dog. Doesn't Sadie look so much healthier and happier?

Sadie - Week 2

I know, I know. You are tired of seeing pictures of Sadie on the blog. Well, I hate to inform you, but they are going to keep on coming! After all, this is what pet photography is all about - capturing moments that will slip by. Having images to look back on. Having images to laugh about, smile about, and even cry about. I only wish I had this many pictures of Eva when she was a puppy. Without further ado, her is Sadie: Week 2...

I've had many requests for pictures of Eva and Sadie playing. Here is one of their favorite games. Eva catches her frisbee and tries to bring it back to me. Sadie intercepts and tries to steal it away...And the happy sisters...

I can't wait for week three! We are heading to the beach next weekend with Eva, Sadie, and cousin Rocky. There will be pictures galore!

Sister Portrait

This is my attempt to grab a really quick picture of the two new sisters. Eva is clearly not interested and Sadie looks thrilled.

Eva would much rather play *chase me* than pose for a photo shoot (you can see Sadie far behind through Eva's legs). Oh how they love each other.

Sadie's First Session

It has officially been 1 week since we brought Sadie home from the shelter! Now that she is settling in and finding her place in our pack, I feel its time to share her story and how she made her way into our home. It all started many months ago when we decided that we wanted to rescue another dog and give Eva a partner in crime. We've meet lots of dogs and worked with some great rescues searching for the perfect fit. It was kinda like dating. We "dated" many dogs until we found "the one". Well, just like dating, "the one" came along when we decided to put a hold on our search (we were going to start looking again in the spring).

Innocently enough, we were walking into Petco last Saturday morning and the usual commotion was going on in front of the building. I am very fond of this commotion because it means available dogs are on display for adoption. Of course, Brian always tries to make a B-line to the door so he doesn't get stuck waiting for me to pet and kiss on all the animals. Fortunately, this particular weekend, the Girl Scouts were causing their own commotion by selling cookies right next to the adoption event. That was all it took for Brian to lose his B-line for the door (can you say Peanut Butter Patties?) and for me to land my eyes on a cute little 4-month old Lab-mix puppy.

When Brian came over to ask for four dollars in cash, I made my move. I introduced him to the black puppy and I saw a little smile creep onto his face. Hmmm...this is unusual. Most of the time I just get a sigh and an eye roll. We sat there and watched her play for several minutes and so many of her mannerisms reminded us of Eva. Brian finally pulled me away and we made our way into the store. Of course, the whole time we were shopping I was begging to bring home the little dog. Now it was time to walk back by the commotion as we left Petco. FAIL.

No, we didn't take her home right then and there. I let my rational reasoning take over and I knew Eva would have to meet her first. Brian *shockingly* agreed and we made an appointment (more like we set up a blind date) to have Eva and the puppy meet Sunday morning at the Lincoln County Animal Shelter.

The next morning, we got up super early, gave Eva a bath, and made our way over to Lincolnton. Eva and the black puppy finally got to meet. After 10 minutes, they acted like best friends. They were wrestling, playing tug-o-war, and just being goofy. It was perfect. The little puppy, now "Sadie", was invited to join our pack. I think Sadie was happy to accept the invitation.

Sadie was found as a stray when she was just one month old. Now 4 months old, she has spent 3/4 of her life behind the bars of a kennel in the animal shelter. Many people have asked why she wouldn't get adopted quicker since she is a puppy. My best guess is because she is a black dog and she is a victim of Black Dog Syndrome. Please don't laugh as this is something that really exists. Black dogs are doomed when they are brought to a pound because black dogs, particularly black labs or lab mixes, are euthanized at a horrifying rate at many pounds and shelters. People have a tendency to pass black dogs up for lighter colored dogs. Fortunately, Sadie escaped the fate of so many other black dogs.

Naturally, Sadie's initiation into a household with a pet photographer, is to have her own photo shoot. My fellow pet photog, Nicole from Blue Ruby Photography, gathered our equipment, loaded up the puppy, and headed out to Lake Norman for her first session. As you can see in Sadie's heavy eyelids, the shoot took place after a 4-day bender of non-stop wrestling and playing. After the session - and for about 30 minutes during the shoot - Sadie entered a play-induced coma.

Here is Sadie (maybe I should have named her something Girl Scout related?) before she passed out on us...

Her irresistible puppy eyes...

And of course, Sadie in my favorite location...

My New Mascot!

Those of you that follow me on Facebook know that I was really hoping to do a photo shoot in Uptown Charlotte today. Well, that didn't quite work out because... I got a puppy today!!!!!!

Meet the newest mascot of McGraw Photography, Sadie (her name for now). We rescued her from the Lincoln County Animal Shelter and she is the smartest and sweetest dog ever! Plus, she is in LOVE with Eva. I can't wait to have a real photo shoot with her! Here are a couple shots I grabbed of her in our backyard earlier this evening. You will be seeing SO much more of her very soon along with her full story. Love...

Nala - Dog Photography

Meet Nala...the lucky dog chosen for the commercial shoot I had over the past weekend! This sweetheart is a 5-year-old Pit that is CGC-certified and is currently in dog therapy training. We meet on Saturday and had a great little session together with her mom, dad, and foster brother, Jake. I had to photograph a specific shot but I managed to grab just a couple extras for my personal use. I think it's so cute when she just puts her one ear up... I think this location is my new winter favorite! I discovered it during this session and I had to go back. I just love the low sun filtering through the trees.

Thanks to Nala and her family for helping me out! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the big project! ;)