Brown Family shoot

Just finished this shoot recently for the Brown Family!! We had a blast shooting at a couple of locations. Their son Lane just recently celebrated his 1 year birthday, so we got together for a shoot. See more photos at www.flickr.com/chaselight.

I work with Tim, and it was a pleasure to meet the rest of the family. Most of the shoot I was rocking the 35mm 1.8 Nikon lens, using it for low light conditions and better depth of field control.

These shots were taken with the 200mm lens. I was at a distance back kind of spying down on the family.

This shot is actually near the end of the shoot. Tim and I live close together, and this pond is near our homes. I wanted to finish up here at sunset. The sun falling in the background makes for great silhouette shots.

More By the pond. I love getting the good candid shots!! Great family to work with!

This is Lane waving to his parents in this one.

Lane is walking at 14 months, and everyone needs to hold someone's hand every once in a while.
I just liked the sun and glare in this one.

These shots were taken with the 200mm lens. I was at a distance back kind of spying down on the family. I have no idea why its underlining now. Its late, blogger is playing weird tricks.

Kid Super-Villain

So an old friend from high school got in touch with me the other day through Facebook, and asked to do a photoshoot with her son. Of course I was all in, and instead of the hum-drum studio crap, we went on location of course.

I had this idea for a Kid super-hero shoot. I mean who doesn't like to dress up in costume and roam the streets of downtown Lexington, really?

As it turns out, we did a Super-Villain shoot instead. I got the amazing picture above, while walking back to the car at the end of the shoot. Sun setting in the background, silhouette, and a bit of photoshop work, and presto we have our villain Jacob (aka Anakin Skywalker) in a comic book page!

Lightsaber in action here! I selectively (re-colored) the lightsaber.

This is Jacob's best "death grip". This is where Jacob reaches out and strangles me by using the force. He probably is about ready to be done with the photoshoot!
I thought this was kind of cool..........Anakin in deep thought.
I need to photoshop in the darth vader mask.........
Watch out, unsuspecting photographer, lightsabers can cut through Nikon's like a hot knife through butter!

Needless to say, we had a blast. We actually took some more normal shots (location photography, of course) at the Henry Clay home as well. I will have to post those soon.

Get ready for Halloween! Cheers, Caleb

Breaking down "Allergic to Broke"

My most recent photoshoot involved some commercial work for the band "Allergic to Broke". You can check out their music here: http://soundcloud.com/bluepurpleandpink/.

I had planned the entire shoot in Victorian Square (Greg Howell's excellent recommendation), but actually some of my favorite shots were shot in a small parking lot that was still under construction right next to the square.

This shot was taken in the parking lot under a wild looking poker type light from above, and side lit camera right with a wireless flash.

Found this staircase in the parking lot area. The light was dying, but tried to get some high contrast lighting before the sun went back behind the clouds.

One of my favorite shots from the shoot...has more of a portrait flair. I am at the bottom of some stairs shooting up with a 55-200mm zoom. Wireless flash, camera right.

Back to the way cool parking lot and light. We just camped out here for a bit. I was totally digging this scene. The background is the natural texture from the parking lot, which I thought was cool as well. In this shot, I fired the wireless flash (camera right) through a "snoot" to get the focused light, and the big shadows.

The effect I was going for was their face being lit from above, but actually most of the faces are lit with the flash.

Flash, camera left, obviously, going for a big shadows, high contrast. Kind of reminds me of a walking scene from "Reservoir Dogs".

Finally got to Victorian square, more walking.

Bryan Sayler from Think Digital http://www.hirethink.com/ set up the shoot with me, and also was an excellent photo assistant throughout the shoot! You can see him holding my flash at the top of the stairs in this shot. Bryan does excellent web design work for various companies.

Setting up light stands for all the different locations we shot would have been very time consuming. Instead we moved from local to local, and rocked it out in an hour or so.

Finished up at Devassas for a cocktail! Loved the shoot, we had a blast. Good group of guys to work with. They started the shoot with a shot, then finished with a cocktail.......my kind of crew.

Serenity needed.......visit Shakertown.

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.

Not 25 miles from my home is an old shaker community that is now run as a museum/non-profit organization. The historic buildings have been preserved and maintained through the years. I have the privilege of hopping in my car, opening the sunroof , and driving like a amateur Monte Carlo driver through the weaving back roads of KY to get there. It was a wonderful, serene Sunday afternoon. Their website is here: http://www.shakervillageky.org/

The shot above was taken incognito at F22 with a 30s exposure; nothing special, I think they have one similar on their website......love the lines, though. (supposedly you have to have a permit to have a tripod)

Shakertown is wonderful for photography, a virtual mecca. Even on a Sunday afternoon with pretty harsh lighting, you can still get some great photos. Hopefully you enjoy some of these photos, as much as I enjoyed being there to taking them!

Hello Kitty; I am jealous!

Lots of neat rooms with nice rocking chairs.

Just like my dining set!

I had to kind of put some work into this one to make it half way interesting. Took the sky out because it sucked...middle of the day blue sky washed out. Used my new 35mm to focus on the hay roll on the left and somewhat blurr the background. Then switched it to black and white to further help the images terribleness as a stock color image.

On this photo, I focused on the middle broom with my 35mm at F1.8, burring the brooms around it to make it the central focal point. I love this photo; the brooms in natural window lighting..... turned out amazing.
I shot this photo at about 1/30 second to get good focus on the non-moving parts, but get the motion from the spinning wheel used to make clothing.

And he is.......hungry.........yes this horse is a he!!

And thats just a few of the shots I enjoyed most. Get out to shakertown soon; its a good time, and money well spent! If you are in need of serenity and peace, it will suffice. Great place to read a book, look around and escape reality for awhile.

Cheers,

Caleb

"Full Resolution" by Caleb Benton

Live life in Full Resolution;
Its too short to live it any other way.
Be true to yourself, and all those around you.
Let your flaws shine like stars in the night sky.
Never diminishing, always lingering
Achilles would be proud.
Let your attributes rise like the sun;
The closer, the brighter, don't water it down.
FullRes doesn't hold anything back.
You are exposed, illuminated, saturated.
Let minutiae go, and don't look back.
Leave Sodom in the rear view mirror.

The key is to believe in onesself,
Don't stutter, tell me what you think.
We can never see eye to eye
If your eyes are always closed, your feelings guarded.

So open your eyes, let your feelings flow,
Like water over the hillside.
Don't settle for the mundane.
Live life in full resolution,
And you will find full satisfaction!

"Portrait of a tree" by Caleb Benton

O tree on the shore of a pond so divine,
Reach out and leave the world behind.

Red, red leaves cover your face,
O may they never fall in place.

Wave your arms; blow me a kiss.

Laying here beside you is pure bliss.

Across the water your reflections show;

I see your face and it makes me glow.

Some see you stagnant, a still life, just a tree,
But I see you in the water, flowing and free.

Reflections of you ripple through my mind,

Shimmering, meandering, glowing, and kind.

One constant blush that never ends,

You show your feelings and I soak in.

When you are naked and bare,

Your beauty is lost in the cold, thin air.

I can't see you that way; I must look away.

I see the best in you, nothing less every day.

Till next season, till next year,
Remain here, in my mind, my dear.

"M and M pancakes"

Chocolate chips never had a chance,
Because the M and M's were making romance.
They got in the dough, on the flipside, you know.
And melt in your mouth like snow in a warm glow.

M and M's, inside, all around, and in between,
Milk chocolate for the soul in the after glow
Syrup get down from your thrown; your crown has been undone.
There is no need for your sweetness anymore,
Not with the bright colors of the rainbow interlaced evermore.

Too much of a good thing, just makes the good marvelous.
It makes the Marvelous, Fantastic, the Fantastic, Heavenly.
Remember nothing can be too sweet, too rich,
Blast your mouth with pleasure and give it a treat.

So bask in the colors of the rainbow, give them a chance
Leave the subtle to the dull; fill your pancake to the brim.
Suck the life right out of an M and M!

“Kobe’s Steakhouse, roll on in”

Kobe, nestled in Beaumont, next to Azure, is a fine place to indulge in some great sushi. The Sushi is fantastic from simple spicy tuna rolls to elaborate rolls with combinations of delectable fish layered with artful precision. Alex, the sushi chef/owner, puts fried tempura in many of the rolls. Alex says that not many other sushi restaurants take the trouble because of the time it takes to make the tempura batter at the beginning of the day. He, of course, insists that his sushi is the best in town, and it’s hard to argue.

The sushi experience is nothing less than pure ecstasy. It makes a filet mignon taste like steak found in the discount meat section; you know the meat with one last day before it hits the garbage can. Alex says the “blood horse roll” is the #1 roll in the restaurant, I suppose that is why it is first on the list of premier rolls. It has fried shrimp wrapped in a blanket of sushi rice with crab on top. This kicked up roll has some serious spice with sriracha sauce drizzled over the top

Sushi aside, the best part about this restaurant is the chef; he is the reason there are so many loyal customers in the seats. If you don’t sit front, center at the sushi bar, then you are missing out. Watching Alex is a pleasure because he is doing what he loves. He is a kind man who has fun with his guests, jokes with them, consoles them, and laughs with them. The many times I have ordered take out I have never called ahead, because then I would miss out on watching and talking with Alex. I love ease dropping into his conversation with his guests. He always makes them feel at home, and never waits a split second to roll out a compliment.

On one occasion I listened to a man tell Alex that his daughter had recently been robbed at gunpoint, but that thank goodness, all was well. Alex never said a word, he just let the man vent the anger and frustration he had with the world that we live in. The man said he was going to get a gun because he did not feel safe any more. Alex nodded on several occasions, and diligently put the order together. That was one of the more somber moments I can ever remember at a restaurant. I know this, however, the man knew that Alex genuinely cared, and that’s the reason he could talk about matters so grim and from the heart.

Alex reminds me of the people of Japan. He is an incredibly hard worker, a man with a big heart, a person who enjoys a laugh, but most of all, enjoys making others laugh. His patrons fight for his attention like children looking up to a parent. His family helps run the business at Kobe; they reflect his kindness.

Sushi, sake, and Kiren what else could you ask for? Let the fish melt in your mouth; let the kiren roll down your throat, and let the compliments roll. Trust me, if you eat here, you will be thinking about the meal well into the next day; there is just nothing that can compare. So give in, roll on in, sit at the bar, and order the anything roll. Its the best roll in the restaurant.......

Hunting for waterfalls and capturing smiles

Not 5 miles west of Sugerland Visitor's center is a great (easy) trail to Laural falls. Its 1.3m to the falls and back. Kobes and I hiked there this weekend on Friday morning to visit this great falls. We then proceed to hike down the creek (one of my favorite pastimes).

I have decided after this weekend that my old hiking boots from about 5 years ago are not quite as waterproof as they once were. :( Getting out this last weekend was a blast, I found out how much I missed the mountains, and the smokeys are right up there as one of the most beautiful areas close to Lexington.

The Smokeys has absolutely brilliant creeks, rivers, and of course, waterfalls. We went waterfall hunting Friday, and this was the first of three that we hiked to.

Waterfall hunting, like any kind of hunting, begins with a good scouting report. That being the case, I knew the rangers at Sugerland would be more than happy to oblige. I walked into the ranger stating with my maps printed from the Smokeys website, marked with blue X's indicating waterfalls that I had in my sights. I made right for the closest ranger at the desk, but being the strange fellow that I am, I changed rangers and decided I was only going to talk to the old man in corner with a sparkle in his eye and a grin ear to ear. This was the type of fellow that I could relate to. Someone who would tell you the secrets to the park for a wink and a smile.

I laid out my iny-weeny, tiny, miniscule map I had printed the previous day (on a brilliant color Lexmark laser printer, of course). He looked over my map a second with his glasses down and his brows furrowed. I told him I was waterfall hunting and pointed to the blue X's like marked treasure in an Island. Immediately, he pointed out that one of the falls I wanted to see, was a much longer hike because the closest trailhead was closed. Then he went on talking about a waterfall not on the map that was easily accessible. I quickly took his pen that was sitting on the desk, and marked a now black X. He is the type of person who does not mind one being presumptuous as long as your map is wrinkled and marked like a Keeneland track guide. We talked about Clingman's dome for a few minutes, and exchanged some old stories. We talked of an attack route for Ramey's falls, which is an 8 mile hike, and needs some additional scouting

We settled our talk in a matter of minutes with a lifetime of conveyances. I left with two new waterfalls, one of mine scratched off the list, recommendations on where to catch up with sunset, a firm handshake, and an exchange of names. I ended up almost lifting that little, cheap black pen, but as I turned he reminded me about the pen. I smiled, and gave it back, almost as if he had just told me a funny joke. You see, the joke is this; pens don't matter, waterfalls, in and of themselves, don't matter. It's the in-between that matters; the living part of life is what matters. Its the in-between that contains the context. Don't miss the context, and only go for the climax.

The picture was taken following the creek down past Laurel falls; the next time you are in the smokey's go find a ranger with a twinkle in his eye. He might be sitting in a corner with feeble feet, quiet, and sucking on an old pipe. What he most likely will do is try to understand you in little more than 5 minutes, then tell you what you need to hear. Trust me, if he says skip the waterfalls on the map, skip em. If you don't follow his advice, you probably don't deserve the journey or the reward.

Hope that provides some context for you.......