Super Bowl 53 ATL food photo shoot!

So Superbowl 53 is in our hometown of Atlanta, and the buzz is on! The sun is shining, the traffic is ridiculous (what’s new??) air-force jets are flying overhead and it’s time once again for all that party food…

Every year Judith brings something fun and creative to our Superbowl party, and this year I thought it would be fun to photograph it- so here we are!

Party food can be a bit of a challenge to photograph as it tends to be ‘bitty’. All bite size things without sauce or presence, so, as a photographer I realize it’s all about the set up and the accessories. So, for this shoot, I’ve arranged everything on one of my favorite whitewood boards and placed lots of stuff around the setting to bring interest and fill up the space. I even decided on getting one of my son’s old football helmets into the shot for fun!

Party food like this looks best with strong lighting, as the party setting will inevitably have, so I have both studio lights full on either side of the set and here we go…

Results below!

G.

Inch Beach - Dingle Ireland

Perhaps it’s the January blues, but for some reason I reflected back to my last trip to Ireland and thought of some the shots i took on the Dingle coast last October. The day i was there wasn’t a great day for photographers, sure, but sometimes the moody overcast clouds and rain can add a lot of atmosphere to the photograph.

This one was a quick shot of a tourist (from our tour group) asking a local surfer for a photo. so, it’s a photographer, taking a photo of a photographer, taking a photo…right?

Inch Beach is a beautiful strand of wide beach right on the dingle Peninsula - highly recommended !

Gary

Winter Whiskey shoot - January

A sure cure for the winter January blues is the ever enjoyable hot toddy - an Irish masterpiece if there ever was one. But what is a ‘hot toddy’ you ask? Well, the ingredients shift depending on which Irish family you talk to, but in our home it’s made with Bushmills Irish Whiskey, lemon juice, raw honey and cloves…with plumping hot water.

A great comfort when you’re sick or have a head cold, and a must for cold January nights.

My wife Judith made this, and I just had to shoot it. Natural light shot, f2.8 setup with the light coming through the window emphasizing the color and appeal of the drink.

For a look at the recipe, jump over to our website: www.shamrockandpeach.com

Enjoy!

Gary

Happy 4th!

After almost twenty years living and working in the United States we are honored to celebrate her birthday every year. As immigrants, we have worked hard and built a life here - in short the American dream.  

So, enjoy the fireworks, and dream on...and perhaps also enjoy some of this incredible 'Independence day' pavlova my wife made specially for the day...

check out the recipe on her latest food blog- link here:

www.shamrockandpeack.com

Spring time in Atlanta again...

Spring time is longed for as we struggle through Winter, but when it arrives, the glory of it is very fleeting indeed. These wonderful apple blossoms only last five days or so before they disappear, so you need to be quick to get a decent shot...

Luckily though, the morning sunshine helped me out here...

Nikon D800 - 35mm-70mm f2.8 shot wide open at 1/250 sec. iso 100

Gary

Winter Atlanta Skyline

Last night, taking advantage of light traffic downtown due to the holidays, I thought I would experiment with a few long exposures. This time I found a great spot on the 10th street bridge, poking my camera through a hole in the chain link fence, and fired away.

Of course, the key to these kind of shots is timing...and this time, I think I got it right. I arrived around 20 minutes before dusk, and took an exposure every five minutes or so until it was quite dark, then, back in the studio I blended two of the best.

Let me know what you think!

Gary

Trimmed the tree

Every year we have a tradition...instead of joining in the maddening crowds in pursuit of cheap electronics and food processors, we find the perfect fir and trim the tree. And yes, twinkling lights and things are always good fodder for photographers...

So, the season begins...have fun!

Gary

The dying of the leaves

OK, so Fall is almost over, but I enjoyed capturing some of the color and vibrance of this season...

Gary

Sandy Creek Barn at Reynolds

So, this week, I traveled with Judith - my incredibly gifted chef wife, to an event she was hosting at Reynolds Plantation, west of Atlanta. She was cooking a fabulous Irish feast for over 50 guests at an exclusive location - which happened to be this wonderful old barn that has been converted into a high class entertainment venue...and it was just begging to be photographed! #shamrockandpeach

Gary

Legends of the Fall

So many Fall color shots to process, and so little time. 

Here's one from a few weeks back, taken early one Saturday morning at Vickery Creek in Roswell, one of my favorite places to practice...nice long exposure with the water cascading over the rocks strewn with autumn leaves.

Love these scenes which last for such as brief time...

More to follow.

Gary

Orchid - day 5

Day 5 orchid shot, and things are becoming a little more, um...black and white....

Orchid - day 4

Orchid, day 4. Things are just getting brighter and brighter all the time thankfully!

Orchid - day 3

Orchid - day 3. Just amazed how this symbol of life and beauty is growing and developing as Judith and I become stronger each day - I think I'll try and capture it differently throughout the week - stay tuned!

Gary

Orchid - part two

Day two of my orchid observation, and things are coming along quite nicely...

Mom's Orchid- part one

So, over 5 years ago a good friend bought me an orchid to cheer me up after my Mom had passed away - and it bloomed for 6 months- which was great, right?...then the blooms faded and I put it on the window sill of my office in the design studio, where it sat for five years, along with a bunch of books, note cards and other junk...and I watered it, when I remembered, which wasn't often...Then, this week, after Judith and I have just gone through the toughest time of our lives, it began to bloom again- yeah, can you believe it? - it seems God has a sense of humor...I'll keep track of this and send you guys images as it blooms, might be fun!

After all....it may be a sign???

Take care,

Gary

Welcome to my new blog & website!

After several years of trial and error, I finally landed the plane on planet 'Squarespace'- (thanks Dave Carr!) and am now a happy web host and blogger, yes - happy, happy.

So, what am I going to blog about and post on and gripe about and rave about and croon about? Well, everything really - but with a definite bias toward photography, of course. Photographers are like guitar players (yup, and I'm both..) - they love playing with their gear, love plying their talent, but they also love talking about gear, different brands, experimenting with all kinds of gimmicky things, and they love results.

So, here I go - thank you for checking me out, and for listening!

Gary