Lucas Parry

The spring photo-frenzy season officially kicked off for me a couple of weeks ago when I took a trip down to Gadsden, AL to photograph Lucas Parry. We got up nice and early and road tripped (with his beautiful and talented wife, Jodie. It was a gray day, but the rain held off JUST long enough. We had a great time and got some great work done... You can check them out HERE!

Humorously enough, we ran into Lucas, Jodie and their handsome son the next day at the park. We had been flying kites (no, really) and they were doing a lot of competitive sliding. Boy, it's a small world...

You can catch Lucas on his site (www.lucasparry.com) or his myspace (www.myspace.com/lucasparry).

Jennifer and Andy

Saturday, Jennifer, Andy and I went trecking through a very gray Spring Hill in search of the right place to make some engagement photos. We ended up at a lotation that I had shot previously and liked very much. It looks like it was, at one time, both a home and a store.

Jennifer and Andy were so much fun to work with. They had me cracking up the whole time. To say they're quick witted would be a bit of an understatement. In spite of that humor, I still managed to get them with a straight face, once or twice...

If this shoot was any indication of what's in store for me, I CAN'T WAIT for the wedding!

After Five and a Half Years...

My wife is (generally) one of the most patient people I know. In this, though, she's really outdone herself. Six years ago, as we were planning our wedding, I told her that I wanted to take her bridal portraits. Being the traditionalist she is, she didn't want me seeing her dress until she was walking down the isle. No sweat, right? Just do them once you're back from the honeymoon. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after our honeymoon that we became pregnant with our first son!

To make a long story short, that pattern continued a second time. Now, five and a half years after our actual wedding day, we've FINALLY done the shoot. And let me tell you, it wasn't a day too soon.

My wife is, without a doubt, far more beautiful today than the day we married. When I first saw her in her dress, she looked more like I did that day; Excited and nervous. Today, I see the confidant, experienced woman she's grown to become. She looks more like a queen holding court than a bride.

Ok, I've actually made myself cry. Enough of this! People won't believe I'm the cold hearted shooter that I am if I keep this up... Don't give me that look! I'll take this camera and-

Who am I kidding? I'm a sap. My wife is beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that she makes me cry.

I love you, Caroline.

PS- The shots with both of us in them were lit and posed by me, but shot by my best friend, Will Underwood. Thanks Will, Daniel, Lindsi, Melodie and Lea Anne!

Big Home Page Update!

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally put some new images up on the homepage! Regulars to the blog will recognize a few, but I'm sure you'll see something you haven't seen before. Check it out! Send it to all of your contacts! Celebrate and rejoice! New images on www.TylerAndrews.com!

Feedback: Days 2 and 3

What a blast. I'm not sure I've got time to talk about everything!

The whole weekend provided some great sessions with the likes of Blaine Hogan (Starving Jesus) and Jay Bakker (Revolution Church). There was so much to think through, I'm still not sure I've got my brain wrapped around it all! And the bands! Where do I begin? The fantastic Goesl's Parade won the showcase. They'll be getting a full album produced for free, 1,000 copies, merchandise, website, graphic design (with Artillery Media) and a full photo shoot with yours truly. In second place was Crave and third was This Is Luke. All three acts are great live. I can't wait to see more of them.

Next year promises to be even better and BIGGER. If you're an indy Christian artist, do yourself a favor and get in before it sells out.

below are a few shots of the "house bands," Angie Raess Band and Fate of Angels. The last shot is Feedback creator Terry Weaver (right) with the winners, Goesl's Parade.

Feedback: Day One

Yesterday was the first full day of the Feedback Conference in beautiful Lake Junaluska. To put it simply, I'm having a BLAST. I'm rubbing elbows with some of the best and brightest bands in the Christian indy scene. There is so much talent on display. Even the super young bands have ridiculous amounts of potential.

While here, I'm giving away two full photo shoots. Upon arriving here Thursday afternoon, we imediately got to work. Good Tomorrow is a (mostly) North Carolina based band playing some great rock. The shots they had already weren't bad at all. In fact, they were much MUCH better than most of the bands I'd seen... But I knew we could do even better. Check out some of the shots (not QUITE finished) below.

Friday was packed full of excellent speakers and performances. Rory Noland, Fate of Angels, Ryan Dobson, Disciple and Blaine Hogan. What a day! These musicians have been nourished, coached, goaded, scolded and most of all encouraged. So much fun.

Stay tuned for more... It's coming!

When nature lets you down...

Bob, a great friend of mine, wanted a photo of the fireflies around his cabin. He's not planning on being here forever and wants something to take with him that will remind him of the hazy, bug filled evenings of Tennessee. We picked an evening a couple of weeks ago to try to capture the little buggers. It was hot. It was buggy (I have the bites to prove it). It even had the fireflies we were looking for.

Unfortunately, they KNEW we were their to photograph them and they ended up getting camera shy. We shot and shot and never got more than one or two in a shot. When nature lets you down, that's where technology comes in. The image above is a complete digital manipulation. Of the fireflies you see in the image, only three on the far right were actually there. The rest are all cut, moved, stretched, flipped and generally pulled from other shots we took.

This is all a perfect setup for the HUGE ethical gray area that is digital manipulation. That image is a good representation of what Bob sees on a regular basis. Heck, *I* saw things that looked like that while I was there. But that image never happened. It's a fabrication. It's a lie. It is not a documentation... But it's accurate to his memory. None of that really matters for this image, but what about photojournalism? Don't think that happens? Here's a story about a Reuter's photographer you may remember from a couple of years ago. That photographer was only caught because of the heavy handed, poor nature of his changes. National Geographic recently had to admit that many of their photos had been significantly altered for publication. Thousands of photo's are "tweaked" every day and published without hesitation. Is there any level of acceptable changes? Where do we draw the line? How do we confirm that what we're seeing isn't faked? Welcome to the debate.

Road Trip to Gadsden, AL

About a year and a half ago, my best friend, Will, and I went on a road trip to Gadsden, AL. While there, we found the most remarkable industrial park I've ever seen. Most would probably call it an eye soar or worse, but that's just part of what made it so exciting. The place was clearly in shambles. most of the buildings had been abandoned for a long time and were showing their age. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to shoot before they were closing up for the day. This time, we had a LOT more time.

That top image is a VERY quick composite in an attempt to show a little of the park. We were roughly 8 stories up on the top of a coke factory. We spent about 4 hours total there and we were just getting warmed up. I could spend years in a place like this and never run out of inspiration. The hardest part of shooting in an environment like this is calming down enough to focus on one thing and not get distracted. Both Will and I were wishing we had some models/band to shoot. It helps to slow ones heart rate when you have a job to do.

I primarily shot medium format film (see the last picture, below), so I can't share those right now. Still, stay tuned. Perhaps they'll be coming to a gallery near you!

Shannon and Turner's Engagement Shoot

Saturday night, the three of us made the trek up to the Parthenon in Nashville. It was warm, but not unbearably so, and the sun was just going down. It gave us exactly the right kind of light for what we were wanting. Turner and Shannon laughed through the entire shoot, hopefully a sign that they were having a good time!

We tried a couple of different, more unique shots this time around and I think we got some great results. If the amount of fun I had on this shoot is any indication, I can't wait to til their wedding in October!

To see all of their photos, click here.

New Seed of Sudan goes to Jacksonville, FL

This past weekend, I got to travel to Jacksonville, FL with the rest of the film crew for the documentary The New Seed of Sudan. One of our primary subjects, a lost boy named Isaac Garang, has moved down there for his job as a welder. Isaac lives in a small apartment with six other lost boys. They were all very generous with their time and stories. We got some fantastic footage and photos, and that is completely thanks to the openness of these men.

Feel free to get involved! We can use your help! Just swing by www.NewSeedOfSudan.com and drop us a line.. You don't have to be a professional. We have lots of areas that just need an extra set of hands.

I'm pretty sure that NSOS will post the "behind the scenes" photos, so I'm going to use this space to post a few of the more impressionistic photos I took while there.

David & Melodie, Part 2

Yesterday, David, Melodie and I got to wrap up some unfinished business! We had intended to shoot at one more location on our first date, but that came to an abrupt end when it started raining. With no other options readily available, we put off the final part of the shoot till a better date came available. Yesterday was that day. The shoot was really pretty fast. We did it at Building 8 in the Factory in Franklin. We only used natural light and had a perfect place all set up for us. All in all, I'm quite happy with the final, combined results!

Juan & Anna's Fifth Anniversary

Juan and Anna found me through our mutual friends Bengy and Brooke (thanks for the referal!). This year was their fifth anniversary and they decided they wanted some photos to commemorate the occasion. Last Monday, we headed out to Pinkerton Park in Franklin for a bit of shooting. We started at the first bridge leading to the Fort Granger area, then went for a short hike down to the train bridge.

Happy Anniversary, guys!

Bryan & Laura tie the knot!

Saturday, it was my privilege to be a part of Bryan and Laura's wedding. We started shooting right at 4:30 with the light streaming in the windows of Brentwood Baptist's main entrance. The director there was nice enough to make sure I had plenty of time with the bride and groom before hand to be sure to get all the shots we needed. It was so great to be able to be a part of another ceremony with a relaxed, happy and loving couple. Bryan and Laura were both so calm and comfortable (at least, that's how they seemed), that they were a piece of cake to work with.

The reception was a blast. Everyone had a great time and danced a LOT. Kids ran everywhere and were the first ones on the dance floor. I don't think I saw a single "bench warmer." Everyone was on their feet. What a good time.

Congratulations, Bryan & Laura. I can't wait to look through these shots with you.

For the full gallery, click here!

Dallas: Day Three (Angie Raess Band)

Whew! What a whirlwind! Today has been (just like the last few days) a blur of activity. Today started with the ARB and I under one of the Dallas's MANY overpasses and highway interchanges. Terry and I had seen this particular area as we drove past yesterday. With a little work, a good deal of sweat and some mud on my boots, we got some shots that I'm quite pleased with.

After that, I finally met my match in the form of a beautiful old chapel on the campus of Texas Woman's University (Little Chapel in the Woods). Try as I might, for over an hour and a half, that place foiled every attempt I made to light and shoot it properly. Had I had all day, I'm not sure I would have found anything that had satisfied me. Frustrated beyond belief, I finally gave in and shot the guys (and gal) in one of the anti-rooms that had large windows. As soon as I did that, we had more shots that (I hope) will serve them well.

Right now, I'm sitting in the Kansas City International Airport about to board my connection home to the great city of Nashville (Nashvegas for those in the know). Rest assured that I'll work diligently in the days to come to get those photos up in galleries for all to see and enjoy!

Happy Trails!

Dallas: Day Two (Echo After & Angie Raess Band)

I don't think today could have gone any better. Sure, it could have been a bit cooler and less muggy, but that's about the only complaint I can come up with! We didn't start shooting until after lunch, but we worked quickly and got some very solid stuff with Echo After. We went looking for an orchard North of Ft. Worth. Unfortunately, when we found it, we were less than overwhelmed. Still, it was on a GREAT looking road and we managed to make use of the trees nearby. We all experienced the joys of feeling sweat drip down your back, but I think it was worth it.

From there, we headed toward the studio where both bands were recording so week could start working with the Angie Raess Band. Our first shoot ideas were brought low by the terrible scythe of circumstances. Nevertheless, we soldiered on and found a GREAT building that provided us with three very different but equally great set-ups. Again, it's going to take some time to get the best of these up, but here are a few of the obvious winners to tide you over.

Stay tuned! There will be more to follow!


And another Echo After shot...

An Exciting Week

Folks, I'm so excited about the next few days. I'm shooting a new ad campaign for Hometown Quotes this afternoon. Saturday, I'll be photographing the wedding of Tim and Jessica. That evening, Caroline and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary! Sunday, I'm flying out to Dallas for photo shoots with two bands. I'll be there until late Tuesday night. After all of that, I'll be needing a LONG nap!

Keep your eyes here for updates! I'm going to try to get things up as fast as I can!

Photo Tip Number Two!

Today's tip is a simple one. WATCH YOUR BACKGROUND! Many shots would go from ok to great had someone been paying just a bit more attention to the background. I'm not talking about finding the most scenic location possible. I'm talking about he little things. For example, if your subject has dark colored hair or dark clothes, don't let them stand in front of something black! Also, check to make sure things aren't "growing" out of your subjects head. Trees, phone poles and the like are frequent offenders of this rule. The sad thing is that in most cases, the photographer taking one step to the left or right would correct the problem.

If there's a perfect moment, grab it. Forget the background. When you have time to check, make sure you've considered your background.

New Seed of Sudan

I’m part of a fantastic group of (primarily) men called the New Seed of Hope. It’s an organization dedicated to helping South Sudan and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa… well… I’ll let their words speak for themselves:

“To bring hope to the millions of people in East and Central Africa, especially widows and orphans, who are victims of poverty, famine, tribal conflict, wars, genocide, disease, HIV/AIDS, and internal displacement.”

The big project that I’m a par t of is a documentary film about the “Lost Boys” of Sudan. Rather than give you a drawn out explanation here, please go to www.newseedofsudan.com to learn more. Periodically, I’ll post new images I get while working on the film. Currently, you can see several of them on my home page, or you can go HERE for more shots from our last filming date.

Please pray for South Sudan and her Lost Boys.

New Terry Weaver Photos

Just a quick update. Terry and I were able to finish out the shoot we started a couple of weeks ago. I added the new shots to the end of the old shoot. This time we went to one of my favorite locations to shoot, the old Spring Hill High School. Enjoy!

Click here for the gallery!

First Shoot with Terry Weaver

Terry and I had a great time traipsing around downtown Nashville finding places to get the right photo. We started on 21st and had a FANTASTIC lunch of sushi, then headed off to the Scarritt Bennett Center to use their great architecture. At least 5 or 6 people made comments wishing Terry good luck on his wedding day... Apparently only grooms are ever photographed there. After a couple, we stopped explaining that Terry was already married, these were just headshots. Sometimes it's easier to just say "thank you."

We wandered around more of the city, but eventually settled in the gulch area where we got some more great photos and headed home.

To see the best of the shoot click here!

PS - Terry is a speaker at youth events nation wide. You can find out more about him on his site WWW.TerryTheWeaver.Com.

I LOVE being a photographer!

It's 1 AM and I'm totally awake. I've spent the last few hours importing and trying to start the filtering-through process of shots I took while at the Nashville City Fest, shooting Toby Mac. At this point, I'm only half way through my first filtering (when I shoot over 500 images... It takes a few times to get only the great ones).

Anyhow, I was just too excited about this to wait to post... so here's a teaser. Stay tuned for the rest!

Shorpy

I'm not going to make it a regular habit to divert your attention to other sites, but this is just too much fun. Shorpy is a daily blog of old photographs. While they call themselves the 100-year old photo blog, their photos date anywhere from the mid nineteenth century up to the late 50's. I love this blog because it's SO visual, it takes me mere moments to "read" all of the new posts each day. I've also discovered that, depending on screen resolution, some of these photos make pretty great desktops!

Anyhow, check out www.shorpy.com and enjoy!

Dotson's Pure Country Cooking

Life's a funny thing. Caroline (the boss/wife) and I had made plans to take her mom to one of our favorite restaurants anywhere, Barbara's Home Cooking, for Mother's Day. Unfortunately, somebody convinced Barbara that it would be a good idea to replace her fried chicken and meatloaf with fillet mignon and fresh salmon in an artichoke heart, white wine sauce. What the heck!?

Out of a desperate need for "home made" fried chicken, we went to Dotson's in downtown Franklin. I'd been there once before many years earlier, and the only thing I remembered was the "non-smoking section" had three tables in the middle of the restaurant...

I'm glad to report that this time around, I'll remember a lot more. In fact, I had just finished paying when I found myself in a great conversation with the owner, Art McCloud. To make a long story short, I ended up shooting for them two days later!

If you get the opportunity, be sure to swing by and have some banana pudding or a slice of the chocolate pie (pictured). Yes, it tastes every bit as good as it looks.

Photo Updates

Just wanted to make sure everyone checks the homepage. I've put up some new photos. Those of you that frequent the this blog will recognize most of them, but there are still a couple of surprises...

New Shots include Dan Trippie, bridal portraits for Jessica Di Toro, and a small non-human friend snatched off a wall by my friend Will.

Enjoy!

Tim and Jessica

Sunday, I was afforded the privilege of photographing Tim and Jessica's engagement photos. It was a joy to spend a couple of hours with them. Engagement shoots are so much fun for me. I love watching young couples be young couples. I like watching the quiet moments they share. I like seeing the subtle ways they lavish attention on each other. I like catching the little looks meant only for the other. Most of all, I like photographing those moments!

If you'd like to see more of their engagement shoot, go here!

Live In Concert

I LOVE going to concerts, particularly rock concerts. It's not that other music isn't fun to see live, but they're no where near as much fun to photograph. Currently, Nashville's legendary Exit/In is my favorite place to shoot. It's never so crowded I can't move and they always let me in with my camera. That being said, City Hall and The Mercy Lounge are both pretty accommodating, too. Below are links to four shows I was able to catch recently. Oh, and if you see a drunk girl with a full glass of liquor near your professional camera, DON'T GIVE HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT! It's only a matter of time before she spills it.

Silversun Pickups
The Decemberists
Harlem Shakes
Tapes 'n Tapes

Let me know if you see something you like!